Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!
Tips on How to Speak English More Fluently - TEFL Blog
Hoàng Minh Huy
Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas
In recent years, the number of people learning English has significantly increased due to its importance. It offers various benefits, such as career opportunities, financial stability, and studying abroad. English comprises four essential skills, with speaking being a crucial step in mastering any language. This article outlines strategies to speak English fluently like a native.
Leveraging Technological Advancements
Engaging with Native Speakers
Immersing in an English-Speaking Environment
Conclusion: Diverse Paths to English Mastery
Are you ready to teach English as a foreign language?
Related Articles:
Check out what our course grads say in our many video testimonials!
First and foremost, technology's rapid advancement aids English... [Read more]
How Mandarin Chinese Helps Me in Teaching English - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
Foreign language experience is complexed on so many different levels, it is a window into a different culture, often a different country and even a different paradigm of thinking. There is a multitude of language experiences people can have, each with their own intricacies and uniqueness. As a native English speaker from South Africa, living in China has provided me with extraordinary foreign language experience.
The Most Difficult Language
Benefits of Mandarin Experience
Do you want to teach English in China?
Related Articles:
Listen to this blog post:
This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Marlan S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
Mandarin, the national language of... [Read more]
Speak - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
SPEAK promotes the emergence of communities where locals and newcomers meet to share their culture and develop meaningful bonds by providing a web platform for individuals to facilitate informal language learning environments and community events. From this simple service, SPEAK is fostering the creation of spaces where newcomers have the opportunity to share the value they bring and develop meaningful relationships with locals as equals, not feeling they are disempowered receivers as in most integration initiatives.
The informal environment and methodology used allow participants to learn with each other, while at the same time breaking barriers and creating meaningful relationships, creating a multicultural community where cultural heritage is cherished. This network has created... [Read more]
Can you teach English in Thailand without speaking Thai? - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ TEFL FAQs
Absolutely, teaching English in Thailand doesn't necessitate fluency in Thai. In fact, most language schools in Thailand prefer that ESL instructors use only English in the classroom to promote full immersion, regardless of their Thai language proficiency.
Is there a need for English teachers in Thailand?
What are the requirements for teaching English in Thailand?
Thailand has seen a surge in demand for English teachers, driven by its expanding economy and an increasing eagerness among its population to master the language. As English education gains prominence, those with TEFL certifications generally find more lucrative opportunities. The shift towards long-term contracts has led schools to prioritize instructors willing to commit for extended periods, rather than brief stints. With... [Read more]
How Learning Chinese Made Me A Better English Teacher In China - TEFL Blog
Linda Dunsmore
Alumni Experiences
The following blog post is about an ITTT graduate who shares his story on how learning Chinese helped him to become a better English teacher in China.
What do you call someone who speaks only one language?
"My insights into their language and culture were incredibly helpful."
"Many Chinese are anxious about speaking English with natives - more so than is to be considered normative."
"The best ESL teachers are the ones with experience with the native language of their students."
Listen to this blog post
Now it's your turn to get TEFL certified!
Related Articles:
This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Joseph S.
A common saying imparted to me by one of my professors goes like this: "What do you call someone who speaks three languages?... [Read more]
The Typical Challenges for Chinese English Learners - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
This essay answers the question for number 10 "what are the main problems for learners in the country of China?" I am a professor at Jiangnan University in Wuxi, China and share my observations. Our students are in the North American College (NAC), with partners in Canada at Lambton College and Northwood University, USA. Three areas are most interesting to their learning challenges: college preparation, listening and writing.
Exam System
Lexical Units
Digital Autism
Writing
Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course!
Related Articles:
This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Annette P. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
Students enter NAC with a low score on... [Read more]
Troubles Faced by Students from China When Learning English - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
If you think of Chinese ESL students it is safe to assume that most teachers would immediately worry about how they should teach phonics to Mandarin speakers. It is also true that the media has portrayed the Chinese accent as one of the most challenging to understand or even get rid of.
Personal Experience
Phonetical Errors
Grammar Challenges
Problems Due to Geographical Origin of Students
Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course!
Related Articles:
This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Graciela G. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
Usually, the first thing you will notice as an ESL teacher, speaking from experience, is the difficulty Chinese ESL students face... [Read more]
English Speaking and Writing Errors made by Chinese Primary Students - TEFL Blog
William Noble
Destinations Teaching Ideas
I have been an online ESL teacher to Chinese students for over 13 years, mostly with primary students but also with secondary and adult students. I am also a father and have homeschooled my daughter over her primary years. Like many teachers, I've enjoyed teaching at this level of education as it lays the foundation in English. As it set the foundation, my teaching helped students to overcome common errors in production skills, speaking and writing. Teaching both my daughter and Chinese students at the primary level also helped me also to understand the different expectations between first language and second language students.
Speaking Errors
Phonetics
Dark L
Aspiration
Consonant Clusters
Suprasegmentals
Intonation
Psychology
Writing Errors... [Read more]
English Learning Problems For Chinese Native Speakers and Solutions - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
Most teachers come to China to teach English with only a general idea about Chinese culture and language which they should have to deal with as soon as they arrive in China. The reason I chose this topic is that I am fluent in Chinese and have experienced Chinese culture in all its facets for over than seven years. But let's not beat around the bush and get down to the nitty-gritty.
Shyness/lack of confidence:
Grammar issues:
Pronunciation issues:
Th: /s/ instead of /th/
V: /w/ instead of /v/ (mostly with southern Chinese)
Lt: /t/ instead of /lt/
Intonation:
Lack of learning structure:
Do you want to teach English in China?
Related Articles:
This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Ruben M.
Chinese people often seem to be shy or... [Read more]
How to Help Chinese Native Speakers to Follow English Grammar Rules in Speaking - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Grammar is the rules governing the composition of clauses, phrases, and words in a natural language. Simply put, grammar is the general rule of a language. Language is logical; grammar tells us in which order we say words. It's about how words become phrases; how words and phrases become sentences and how sentences become language.
The Essence of Grammar
Different languages have different grammar rules
How to teach grammar (EFL: how to teach Chinese students English)
Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course!
Related Articles:
This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Yang S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
Some of these rules are acquired naturally in... [Read more]
Problems for Young English Learners in Public Schools in China - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Since the opening of China to the Western world, Chinese society and economic prowess have both continued to grow at exponential rates. This has led to its status as a rising power, culturally and economically, and an international power increasingly interconnected with many parts of the globe. As Chinese educational infrastructure tries to match pace with the rapidity of the country's progress, one educational mandate that has persisted in importance over time has been that of English learning for all young learners across the country. The government sees English proficiency as a matter of national economic competitiveness, in fact requiring that English is taught as part of the public school curriculum as preparation for China's 高考 (gaokao),... [Read more]
Tefl reviews - Productive Receptive Skills/why Speak - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
So, we'll focus first of all on a speaking skills lesson and perhaps a starting point for this would be to ask a question which is: Why do we speak to each other? The reason that it's important to ask ourselves this question is that whatever answers there are to this should be present in our lessons. So, why do we speak to each other? Well, there are a multitude of answers to that but when you boil them all down to their essence, they probably actually come down to one or two things. We communicate to each other by speaking because of either a need. We need something. We want something or a desire to achieve something.
Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into... [Read more]
Problems for ESL Learners in China - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
The English language has become so essential in china because the country wants to successfully promote internationalism and keep the lines of communication open for trade and business matters. As one of the global powers, it's in the country's best interest to keep afloat of shifting trends in international matters.
Governmental decision
Spelling
Pronunciation
Singular / Plural Aspect
Gender
Articles
Lack of opportunities to practice
Word order
Individual differences
Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course!
Related Articles:
This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Ramy M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
The government has recognized that English is now... [Read more]
Go Fishing ESL Icebreaker Printable - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!
This is an easy classroom activity to encourage your ESL students to speak in English. All you have to do is cut out these fish with the questions to play.
To play, simply print out the sheet, cut out the fish and laminate them to make them more durable. If you want to be really creative, you can create a pond or a fishing area in your classroom where your students can “go fish.”
Another great idea would be to have the fish in a box or container and let students draw them out one at a time.
To make fishing rods, all you need is string, magnets, and dowel rods. Be sure to also attach some magnets on each fish and your students can start fishing!
Register now & get certified to teach english... [Read more]
How to Build Confidence in Chinese Business Students - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Self-confidence has been seen as a major contributor to a person learning a language. As a teacher and a counselor, I agree with Jack Welch's quote: Giving people self-confidence is by far the most important thing that I can do because then they will act. Confidence exists of three realms: who I am, what I can learn, and what I can do. These are steps that can be taken to help Chinese Business English students improve confidence in these realms.
What is self-confidence?
Who am I?
What can I learn?
What can I do?
Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course today!
Related Articles:
This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate William N. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.... [Read more]
CHINEASE Ltd. - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
Chinease is an international education group supported by Northumbria university. We currently work with over 80 Chinese and British Universities and institutions to provide teaching jobs, manager positions in education. And served over 200 excellent teaching vacancies for you.
We not only provide a large number of high-quality working opportunities but also one-step humanized services. We always accompany with you from resume to final entry without placing burden on you. And our Chinesae department will arrange post-entry docking and a full range of settling in services, to help you experience and understand the amazing Chinease culture to integrate into the local environment.
Find out how we can help you secure your dream teaching job in China. Please do not hesitation to contact us. We... [Read more]
Problems for Learners in China and How to Help Teachers Overcome Them - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
After spending five years in China as an ESL teacher, corporate trainer and university lecturer I would like to share a few of the most common problems for Chinese learners and ways for teachers to overcome them. I will focus on problems regarding cultural differences, pronunciation and first language interference.
Social challenges
Pronunciation
First language influence
Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course!
Related Articles:
This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Michal W. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
Despite China's opening to the outside world in recent decades, it is still a very closed society with only anecdotal knowledge of Western culture (by... [Read more]
Pronunciation Problems for Learners Speaking Chinese as their First Language - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Sheneil J. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
Problems with Consonants
Problems with Vowels
Problems with Rhythm and Stress
Problems with intonation
Minimal Pairs
Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course!
Related Articles:
Chinese does not have either of the "th" sounds (like "that" and "this"). Most other languages do not have these sounds and they are problematic for most learners of English. The difficulty is the point of articulation- the tongue has to be between the teeth, not behind them. Many people say that English speakers look like they're sticking their tongues out all the time because of the "th" sounds. It... [Read more]
Do you need to be bilingual to teach English? - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ TEFL FAQs
The straightforward answer is NO. Aspiring TEFL instructors often wonder about this, but the primary requirement is a profound mastery of English. While knowing the native language of your destination country can offer advantages in daily life and understanding cultural nuances, it is not a prerequisite for most employers. Your expertise in English will foster an immersive learning environment, encouraging students to actively engage with the language.
What will I need to teach English as a foreign language?
How will I teach English if I don't speak the local language?
What are the benefits of learning the local language?
How to learn another language while teaching English abroad
The prerequisites often differ based on the region and specific employer. Universally, a profound grasp of... [Read more]
Summer Holiday Board Game - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!
This is a fun conversation board game to speak about summer holidays with your ESL students.
Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!
[Read more]
How to Help Chinese Native Speaking Students in Their ESL Practice - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
China is one of the leading countries in the world that has been in the search and quest to learn the English language. In recent years the demand to learn English has been on a rise. Every school tries to have a teacher who can teach the language to the learners. However, in this process of learning, many learners encounter a series of problems which make the language learning process not an easy task both for teachers and students. However, we are going to be looking at very common problems students learning English as a foreign language face in China.
First Language
Lack of Interest
Pronunciation Difficulties
Ways to Solve The Abovementioned Problems
1. Speak English to Students Only
2. Work on Building Students' Confidence
Do you want to teach... [Read more]
3 Things to Consider When Teaching University Students in China - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Teaching English to foreign students can be challenging, yet one of the most rewarding experiences. Providing education on the English language to young, middle-aged, or older individuals can be an eventful experience, shaping an instructor's portfolio and personal life. In this report, I explore possible advantages and disadvantages of teaching English to university students in China from a prospective instructor's perspective.
Individual Needs
Working on Personal Qualities
Listen to this blog post
Enjoying The Process
Related Articles:
This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Dhanisha N. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
Teaching, in general, can be an action-packed... [Read more]
Problems for Learners of English in Mandarin Speaking China - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Over the past three years, I've had the privilege of teaching English as a foreign language online for a company called Education First. The format would normally be an internationally diverse group in an audio-only platform. During these sessions, I found that my students from China would have specific challenges in pronunciation that many of my European and Brazilian students would not. I recognized their tendency to add an "a" at the end of words that clearly ended in a consonant. Unfortunately, I was not educated enough in the specific challenges that Mandarin speakers faced in their attempt to learn English. I'm scheduled to begin teaching in China later this year, and it has become clear to me that I need to drill into the specific challenges faced... [Read more]
Peak Education - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
Peak English head office located in Guangzhou City, our company is fully-licensed by municipal and provincial government, therefore we are able to issue proper work visa. Our company is well-known in the city for its standards of teaching and the quality of its instructors. Our students range from pre-school children to adults. Contracts are available for 6 months or 1 year. We will provide professional training for all new teachers. If you are passionate about education, don't hesitate to contact us.
[Read more]
4 Main Challenges for ESL Students in China - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Destinations Alumni Experiences
I have been in China for four years; I came here on 15, September 2015, as a student. During this time pursuing my Master's degree, I taught English as a foreign language in training centers, elementary school, high school and currently teaching in a Polytechnics.
Weak Language Foundation
Late Start:
Weak Language Acquisition Device:
Teen Development Problems:
Curriculum Structure
Combined Topics Per Lesson:
Student Placement:
Course Materials:
Lack of Motivation
Testing of Students:
Student Placement:
Poor Language Training Institutions
Teaching, Learning, and Business:
Unprofessional Teachers:
Lack of Regular Training:
Are you ready to take your TEFL course?
Related Articles:
Listen to this blog post:
English has become one of the... [Read more]
Etiquette Asia ▷ Infographic - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
Working as an English teacher in a foreign country is an excellent opportunity not only to teach students how to speak English but also to teach them about the culture of your home country. It is equally important for English teachers to take the time to learn about the particular social customs of their host countries. Whether you are in a meeting with your colleagues or are invited to a social event, there will be things that will undoubtedly be done differently than back home, sometime in quite bewilderingly different ways.
Learning the reasons behind the way these things are done will help you to understand why and as a result help you to have a more fulfilling experience in your host country and help you in the classroom. In many countries in Asia deference is shown to those with... [Read more]
Traveling Conversation Questions - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!
Here are various discussion topics about traveling to encourage your ESL students to speak.
Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!
[Read more]
Education in China: What a Prospective EFL Teacher Should Know - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
The experience of living and working abroad for sure will give us another vision of the world. If you have been in China, enough you will learn to be more patient and tolerant. Live with another culture is not easy, and we learn how to be flexible. We are different, we live differently, our environment is different, our beliefs, our politeness, our food, etc.
Habits and Traditions
Performance Evaluation
Responsibilities
Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course!
Related Articles:
This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Ana P. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
"Good morning, how are you today? "- They have never asked each other how are they? Instead, they... [Read more]
What is an ESL teacher? - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ TEFL FAQs
In the wake of globalization and a rising demand for English proficiency worldwide, ESL (English as a Second Language) teachers emerge as vital educators. They instruct English Language Learners (ELLs), individuals whose first language isn't English, aiming to elevate their spoken and written English fluency to specific standards.
How is an ESL teacher different from a foreign language teacher?
What age groups do ESL teachers work with?
Where do ESL teachers work?
How do I become an ESL teacher?
What are the benefits of being an ESL teacher?
How do I get my first job as an ESL teacher?
While both teach languages, ESL educators are specialized in teaching English to non-native speakers, often without sharing a common first language. Their teaching approach emphasizes repetition,... [Read more]
Last posts written by Hoàng Minh
HUY MINH HOANG is a 38-year-old English teacher from Vietnam who is passionate about sharing his knowledge of the language with children to help them become more confident learners. He has a variety of hobbies, but reading is his favorite as it improves his vocabulary and concentration, and opens up knowledge about the world, history, and literature. HUY MINH HOANG believes that reading is one of the most interesting indoor activities and he is dedicated to serving his students and their parents to the best of his ability.
Hoàng Minh Huy
Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas
Dive into the transformative realm of English learning with technology. Uncover how AI revolutionizes fluency through personalized experiences and authentic conversations.
Hoàng Minh Huy
Destinations Alumni... [Read more]