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Should we teach culture in the EFL classroom? - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ TEFL FAQs
Absolutely. Language is deeply intertwined with culture, serving as its vocal representation. While mastering vocabulary and grammar is crucial, to fully understand the essence of English, EFL students should immerse themselves in the culture of English-speaking nations. This entails exploring cultural facets like music, films, literature, culinary traditions, and even fashion. Incorporating cultural elements not only enriches EFL lessons but also resonates with students, making the learning process more engaging and comprehensive.
Use authentic materials
Compare two cultures
Introduce live native speakers
Use food as a tool
Use songs as a tool
Use Online Resources
Authentic materials can be anything that native English speakers might use that can be adapted for use in an EFL classroom.... [Read more]
Relationship Building in Another Culture - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
Rapport has long been considered military term-when servicemembers humanize their identity amongst their captors during the time of war. The fashion of rapport has since evolved into a meaningful approach in the teaching world-most notably teachers who chose a career abroad. The important factors listed below could prove to be the difference between miserable teaching experience and solid one.
No Efforts to Learn about the Culture
Curiosity in Another Culture is Beneficial
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate James A. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
Teachers moving abroad to... [Read more]
Great Ways to Start a Sentence - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
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Here you will find a useful list of common sentence starters that you can use in an English discussion as well as in essay writing. Learn these sentence starters to improve your English speaking and writing skills.
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Christmas/Winter ESL Writing - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
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This is a fun ESL writing exercise about Christmas/winter. Students take a look at the picture and describe what they see.
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Christmas Writing Word Bank - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
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This printable worksheet is perfect for practicing story-telling with your EFL students.
This printable worksheet contains a Christmas themed writing word bank for your students to choose words from for their story. It also includes the best Christmas story starters your students can choose when writing a story about Christmas. The writing checklist at the bottom of the sheet keeps your students on track and makes sure they don't forget the most important parts of story-telling.
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Using Storytelling Activities to Teach English in African Cultures - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Storytelling is used in the African culture to teach morals, values, historical lessons, and to communicate truths to all ages. Because words are highly valued by Africans, a skilled storyteller is viewed as an influential leader in a community, able to give wise advice. Since the method of storytelling is so widely used in African cultures for instruction, why not integrate it into teaching English to African students as a foreign language?
Teaching Linguistic Skills
Level of Attention
Practical Mistakes
Positive Influence on Child Development
Tools of Storytelling
Lesson Plan
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Stanislav T. Please note that this blog post... [Read more]
Who Kidnapped my English teacher? Writing Prompt - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
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This is a great writing exercise to practice writing a narrative. Keywords and drawings are given.
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Lucky Little Leprechauns Writing Sheet - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
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This free ESL worksheet is perfect for practicing writing skills with your ESL students. Discuss St. Patrick's Day and ask your students what they would wish for if they had one wish.
Simply print out the sheet, hand it out to your students and have them write down what they would wish for if they had one wish.
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This is Tony - Writing and Speaking Activity - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
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This is a fun multi-purpose worksheet to practice writing and speaking skills in the third person.
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Teaching Idioms and Slang: Why Learning Idioms and Slang Connects Cultures - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
When it comes to learning a new language, the way that we make it comfortable for us is to try and relate it to our language. How many times have you met someone from another country and you ask them how to use swear words or how to say something is cool in their native language. Since English is very commonly spoken all over the world, for students to learn idioms and slang is for them to not only learn how to say certain things but get a deeper cultural understanding. With that deeper understanding comes relativity to their own lives, which means they see the ways that we are more similar instead of different.
Learning Goals
When to Start Teaching Slang and Idioms?
Learning Cultural Context
Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course!... [Read more]
Teach ENGLISH Online! - writing tips - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
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Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!
Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!
Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!
Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!
Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!
Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!
Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!
Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!
Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!
Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!
Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!
Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!
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Hawaii, the Aloha State - Writing Activity - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
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This is a free, printable writing activity where students practice writing conclusions for a passage about Hawaii.
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Linking Words for Writing Reports, Essays, or Emails - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
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When writing in a formal manner for work reports, essays, or emails, you can improve the quality of your content by using a range of linking words that can highlight similarities, contrasts, and contradictions.
By using linking words such as those listed above you can add extra weight to formal writing when you want to impress native or non-native English speakers alike. The following examples should give you some ideas on how to spice up your English essays or work emails by linking sentence clauses or separate sentences.
Example Sentences:
Not all inner city residents are poor; equally, there are many poor people living in rural areas.
Eight out of the ten new recruits passed their driving test. Therefore, they... [Read more]
Words You Can Use Writing About Scary Subjects - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
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Are you writing about Halloween? Here is a list of descriptive words verbs & nouns you can use when writing about scary subjects.
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Gingerbread Writing Worksheet - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
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This is a fun Gingerbread man Pre-K and early Kindergarten writing activity.
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Snowman Writing Page - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
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This free printable snowman writing page with a picture prompt is perfect for young writers. Have your students add something to the drawing, then write about their picture.
This writing prompt is great to encourage creative writing and story telling skills. Have your students add some elements to the snowman drawing, then write a story about their drawing.
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Numbers 1-20 Writing - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
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This is a fun activity to practice writing the numbers 1-20. The students have to unscramble the written numbers.
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Guide to Writing Your First TEFL Syllabus - TEFL Blog
Linda Dunsmore
Teaching Ideas
So you've got your TEFL certificate in hand and landed your dream teaching job abroad. Once you're at the school, it's time to prep for your classes. More often than not, teachers are expected to create their own course syllabi for their different classes. Here is our guide to writing your first TEFL syllabus.
What is a course syllabus?
What does my syllabus have to include?
Writing your syllabus
How to time your syllabus
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This post was written by our ITTT graduate Zirui P.
The syllabus of a course is the frame of what the course is. It tells the students and the teacher what is being taught in the course as well as in what order it is being taught. This is especially true in... [Read more]
Great Ideas for Teaching Writing Skills in the ESL Classroom - TEFL Blog
Mark Crocker
Teaching Ideas
Image by Alice Bolden via Writix
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Think outside the box
Encourage creativity, not perfection
Encourage students to write about what interests them
Writing doesn't have to be a solo activity
Introduce multi-skilled lessons
Writing games
Are you ready to teach writing skills in your own classroom?
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Of all the language skills that are taught in the ESL classroom, teaching writing skills is often seen as one of the least popular. Some teachers consider these lessons to be a bit boring, hard to evaluate and somewhat limited in what you can incorporate into them. However, this doesn't have to be the case as teaching writing skills to your ESL students can actually be interesting, fun and productive. Take a look at these... [Read more]
Creative Writing Prompts: My City - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
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This is a creative writing prompt about your student's city. Have them write answers to all the questions asked at the top of the sheet.
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Gingerbread Man Writing Prompt - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
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What would you do if a gingerbread man jumped out of your oven?
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This is Me - Writing and Speaking Activity - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
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This is a fun multi-purpose worksheet to practice writing and speaking skills.
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Free Thanksgiving Writing Worksheet - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
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Check this free Thanksgiving writing printables out. Share it with your students and have them write down who or what they are thankful for.
Print out this fun Thanksgiving "I am Thankful For" worksheet and have your students think about what they are thankful for this Thanksgiving season. Introduce the meaning of Thanksgiving and give some examples of what you can be thankful for.
If you have additional time left, you can let your students color in the pictures on the sheet.
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Tips for writing a TEFL/TESOL Resume/ Curriculum Vitae ▷ Infographic - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
When writing a TEFL/TESOL CV it is important to make sure that the information you provide is relevant to being an English teacher. There is no need to go into detail about past jobs unless they involved teaching or training. The first things an employer looks for in an applicant are that they have the right qualifications and whether they have any teaching experience. Therefore you should make these easily visible on the first page of your CV. When it comes to listing your employment history you should only go into detail about past employment if you were involved in teaching or training, otherwise you can just list the job title, dates and company name.
Correct spelling and grammar is important in any CV but it’s even more important when applying for a job as an English teacher.... [Read more]
Opinion Writing: Why do you like the beach? - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
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This printable ESL worksheet is ideal to practice opinion writing. Students have to write about why they like the beach.
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Happy New Year Writing Prompt - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
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This activity is perfect as a comeback exercise after the winter holidays! Have your students reflect on the past year and make resolutions for the new year ahead!
Have your students finish the sentences in the stars on the sheet.
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Non-trivial Ways of Teaching Speaking and Writing - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Many language learners will have the difficulty of creating something new in the targeted language. Reading something written out loud is not as challenging or rewarding as reading your own work. When a language learner starts creating her own work, then she can start feeling productive and confident in the targeted language. There are many different ways of teaching productive skills such as speaking or writing.
Listen to this blog post:
Natural skills
Higher level of interest
Types of writing
Teaching writing
What is speaking
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Nalan F. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or... [Read more]
Big populations create a big demand for EFL teachers. Asia has many TEFL teaching opportunities in amazing cities rich with culture and charm. - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
When deciding where you would like to teach it is important to make sure that you are aware of the requirements for English teachers in your chosen destination. Asia is a large continent with many opportunities for English teachers both new and experienced. Each country has its own regulations regarding the types of visas, qualifications etc. that teachers are required to have and this guide aims to show these requirements.
If you are looking to teach in Japan or South Korea, you will require a bachelor’s degree in any field. Other countries such as China and Cambodia do not have such strict requirements and it is possible to find work without a degree. In some other countries where a degree is officially required it can be possible to still find work without one but you would... [Read more]
Opinion Writing: Candy Canes or Kisses? - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
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This Christmas themed writing prompt encourages your EFL students to express their opinion and offer reasons that support their opinion.
Hve your students choose between candy canes or kisses. Make sure all students complete the writing prompt and add one or several reasons why they prefer one over the other.
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Guide to Writing a TEFL Resume That Will Get You Hired - TEFL Blog
Kimberley Dale
Visa and Legal TEFL Information
We often get asked what the secret to acing a TEFL application is. Is it the initial screening or the interview that is more important? We generally say both! Each step is important, but the CV stage is what gets you to the interview stage – so that is the first thing you should focus on in your application.
1. No spelling errors
2. No borders or unnecessary embellishments
3. Include a picture of yourself
4. Include contact details and date of birth
5. List your languages
6. List your qualifications
7. Your experience
8. Sell yourself a little
9. If you already have a TEFL certificate or are in the process of getting one:
CURRICULUM VITAE
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