Engaging Teaching Activities

Federico Riva Destinations TEFL Information Alumni Experiences In this insightful blog post, we'll explore the essence of grammar, examining various approaches to its teaching, offering a comprehensive understanding of this linguistic foundation. What is Grammar? Preparation Grammar Practice Activities and Games Grammar Quiz Memory test Miming an action Ready to teach English as a Foreign Language? Related Articles: Check out what our course grads say in our many video testimonials! For decades, mastering grammar stood pivotal in students' perception of language learning. However, contemporary perspectives vary widely on what constitutes essential learning for learners and the most effective teaching methodologies. Here are some key questions concerning teaching grammar: Prepare some...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas People say that language is a tree and the vocabulary is the leaf of that tree. Therefore teaching vocabulary items are indeed an essential part of any English learners' growth. Especially for younger students, who are motivated to learn the basic words, they need to get by in the language. There are many different ways to teach vocabulary. Using flashcards is one of the most suitable media in teaching vocabulary. Because learners can easily memorize and understand the meaning of vocabulary through flashcards. I am going to share with you my 5 favorite and effective activities with flashcards: 1. Spin the Bottle: 2. Rope Jump: 3. Roll the Dice: 4. Picture word match race: 5. Over-under: Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related...  [Read more]

Federico Riva Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas The following activities may be adapted for use as warmers, engage activities, structured practice or free practice style activities. They may also be adapted for level and age. Watch the video about this topic Are you ready to teach English as a foreign language? Related Articles: Check out what our course grads say in our many video testimonials! The first one is really simple but can be one of the best activities to improve grammar. Some students even at the higher levels are lacking automatic habits, which are really important for grammatical skill. Basically this activity is a grammar drill and it is supposed to be used as a warmer or as an ice-breaker activity. The main objective is to help your students automate some grammatical...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas Having to organize and hold a winter camp is a daunting task, especially for new teachers who haven't done it before. For these kinds of English camps, teachers typically create up to 10 lesson plans for the duration of the camp. Winter camps can last anywhere between one week to a month or even longer. The main goal of an English camp is to have a fun and memorable time with the students while practicing their English. Listen to this blog post: It's all About Fun… and Props! Making Sock Snowmen! Making Christmas or New Year's Cards Have Handouts Ready Powerpoint/Computer Games Board Games When Your School Doesn't Have a Budget or Supplies Are you ready to teach English abroad? Related Articles: Check out what our course grads say in our many video...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas You will find the web full of ideas for teaching vocabulary and, although most of them are undoubtedly good activities, some are only suited to a particular level. Here are some tried and tested activities that can be adapted to suit any level of student and a variety of class sizes. Listen to this blog post: 1. Hot seat 2. Beat the clock 3. Crosswords 4. Board games 5. Slow Pictionary 6. Vocabulary tennis 7. Pelmanism ("Concentration") Are you ready to teach English abroad? Related Articles: Check out what our course grads say in our many video testimonials! This is a great activity that can be used as a warm-up at the beginning of a class, or as a game at the end of a lesson. It's suitable for any class size over 4 students and requires minimal...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas In a previous post, we looked at various teaching ideas for future simple and here we're going to describe some fun ideas for teaching three other future tenses. There are a wide variety of usages for future tenses and it's always important to make sure your activities focus on the usages that you've taught in your lesson. For example, future continuous can be used to talk about an ongoing action at a point in the future, a fixed future event, polite enquiries or to predict the future or the present. Predicting the present is one that students often have trouble conceptualizing, so we might as well start from there. Listen to this blog post: Predicting the present Ongoing action at a point in the future Expected achievements at a point in the future...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Nowadays educators and CEOs are doubtful about the efficiency of the current educational contents and system. The question which keeps us alert about our performance as teachers is "Are we preparing our students to face the working demands of the century?" Reasons to Use Movies Ways to Become a Facilitator Working With Kindergarteners Working With School Kids Young Adolescents and Older Teens Preparing for The Movie Class During the Lesson Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Laura A. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. It has become evident that new abilities should be developed in the...  [Read more]

Federico Riva TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Using stories and storytelling as teaching strategies in foreign language education is effective for students of all ages. Stories are a powerful tool for transmitting social and cultural heritage, and they engage students by allowing them to identify with characters and become invested in the outcomes. When teaching English to children, teenagers, and adults, it is important to select stories that are gripping, relatable, and relevant to their respective age groups. Stories for Children Stories for Teenagers Stories for Adults Improving Receptive and Productive Skills Conclusion Are you ready to teach English as a foreign language? Related Articles: Check out what our course grads say in our many video testimonials! ...  [Read more]

Federico Riva Destinations TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Explore innovative approaches to teaching grammar in language learning with engaging activities. Discover effective methods and diverse perspectives on mastering grammar skills in this insightful blog post. Minh Huy Hoang TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Discover 10 effective ways to learn English during office breaks! From language apps to podcasts, reading, and speaking sessions with colleagues, these hacks maximize your language learning in short bursts. Start enhancing your English skills during break time today! Federico Riva TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas In this blog post, we will look at ten commonly used free applications for ESL teachersDiscover a comprehensive guide...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas When teaching reported speech the potential for mistakes, errors, and the general difficulty is enormous due to the number of changes that are made with verb tenses, patterns, pronouns, questions, time expressions etc.. It's important to cover the subject slowly with lots of verbal practice at every opportunity. There are plenty of standard 'change the direct speech to reported speech' activities, but your students will soon tire of these if you overuse them. Here are some ideas which have worked well in the EFL classroom and will give your students a good amount of talk time in a variety of ways. Listen to this blog post: The Go-Between Game The Lying Game Pelmanism ("Concentration") Guess Who Reported Speech "Tennis" Who Asked What? Find Someone...  [Read more]

hi welcome Linda here from ITT back this week with another live session I hope you're doing well thank you so much for joining me today I'm happy to see you if you can see me and if you can hear me clearly if everything's working please just leave a high in the comment section and uh maybe also let me know where you are right now where are you watching from today what time is it there how are you doing let me know in the comments we are live on Facebook and on YouTube at the same time and we also always turn our live sessions into podcast episodes so if you're listening to this as a podcast thank you so much for the download and thank you so much for listening we really appreciate that don't forget to like And subscribe um so you're always up to date whenever we go live um last week we had...  [Read more]

The activities listed below are a combination of ideas that are physically and/or mentally stimulating. Games such as ‘What’s The Time Mr. Wolf?’, ‘Basketball’, ‘Volleyball’, ‘Can You …?’, ‘Stand Up Please’ and ‘Blindfold Obstacle Course’ all encourage the students to use English while moving about. They are great for getting the students using English while expending their energy in positive ways. Activities such as ‘Odd One Out’ and ‘Mastermind’ are mentally stimulating and are excellent ways for the students to use and think about the language creatively. The majority of these ideas have a competitive element to make them more exciting and they can be completed in a short amount of time to ensure students don’t get bored by the end of the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas 5 activities with flashcards it's one way to make a class more interesting especially when teaching kids. 1. Missing card 2. Jump over 3. Tower building 4. Sit on the flashcard 5. Pass the flashcard 6. Hide and seek Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Manling Z. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. This activity you will have to teach first the words and make sure the kids know the words and when they see the picture they can be able to identify what it is, so what you have to do is spread all the flashcards on the floor and tell them to look carefully if possible you can read with them the words one...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas When teaching young learners, it's important not to spend too much time on any one activity as they can soon lose interest. It is also a good idea to have activities that give younger learners the chance to move about and use the boundless energy they have at that age. Below we present a list of short activities suitable for young and very young learners of English. Listen to this blog post: What's the Time Mr. Wolf? Telephone Basketball Volleyball Bingo Can you …? I Spy Odd One Out Stand Up Please Mastermind Blindfold Obstacle Course Are you ready to teach English abroad? Related Articles: Check out what our course grads say in our many video testimonials! This is a good activity for practicing time with small classes. Clear a space in the center of...  [Read more]

Federico Riva TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Drawing on my substantial personal teaching experience, I naturally gravitated toward this topic for a summative task. Throughout my six years of teaching English, I have encountered various settings, approaches, and challenges. Here, I recount my journey from a language school to one-on-one tutoring, highlighting my evolving teaching methods, materials, and strategies. From Language School to One-on-One Teaching Embracing One-on-One Tutoring Crafting Engaging Lessons Interactive Learning and Progress Evolving with Proficiency Shaping Language Skills Insights from Teaching Individual Students Tailoring Learning to Individual Needs Focusing on Adult Learners Crafting a Unique Teaching Methodology Expanding Knowledge with...  [Read more]

Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! Here are four fun Easter activities for ESL students.   Grab this printable ESL worksheet with four Easter-themed activities for your ESL students.   Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!  [Read more]

Dan Sloat Destinations Alumni Experiences Volunteer teaching in Nepal is thoroughly rewarding! The need for engaging and enthusiastic teachers is so great and the positive impact you can make, even in a short period, is significant. Personally, I had a modest classroom of 16 students comprising a broad range of ages and competency. Those kiddos were quite a handful, but being their teacher was an incredible privilege. Their maturity was striking and yet, at the end of the day, they are still growing boys. They would get rowdy at times and often pulled pranks on each other. I loved their curiosity, their excitement for learning, and their playful spirits. Between lessons they would often draw pictures for me. I suppose I'm the snowman-looking character, left of the car, in this one on...  [Read more]

Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! This worksheet is designed to practice some common daily actions. There are 28 pictures and students must match them with the correct actions.   Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!  [Read more]

Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! This is a fun worksheet to practice talking about daily routines in English.   Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!  [Read more]

Minh Huy Hoang TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Critical thinking is one of the fundamental abilities in the "4Cs" of 21st-century skills including Communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking. In education, critical thinking is unquestionably significant, in EFL in particular. Why should teachers of languages do critical thinking? What kinds of critical thinking exercises can instructors do with young learners? Storytelling Odd one out Conclusion Ready to teach English as a Foreign Language? Related Articles: Check out what our course grads say in our many video testimonials! For young learners, critical thinking may be defined as having the willingness to pick up new things, solve simple problems, make judgments, justify those conclusions, and...  [Read more]

Federico Riva TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas In recent years, online education has witnessed a remarkable surge in popularity, and this trend extends to English language learning, particularly among children. As someone with a multifaceted background in teaching English and Chinese, translation, and various administrative roles, I have had the privilege to experience the dynamic evolution of language education. In this comprehensive essay, I aim to delve deeply into the topic of teaching English to children online, addressing the unique challenges it poses and exploring an array of effective strategies to create an enriching and interactive learning environment. Challenges of Teaching English to Children Online: Effective Teaching Strategies: Creating a Positive...  [Read more]

Federico Riva Teaching Ideas Let us imagine. How if English teachers only conduct English lessons inside the class? Will the students have fun all the time? Many English teachers reflect on that so, in reality, they try to conduct English lessons not only inside the class but also outside the class. They think that conducting English lessons outside is also needed and important. Therefore, English teachers use some outdoor activities to help when teaching English. By doing so, English teachers believe that they can help their students to increase motivation. They also believe that outdoor activities can give students fun and joy. Here are some interesting activities that English teachers can use to teach English outside the class. Principles of Motivation What I can do Look around and...  [Read more]

Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! This is a great speaking activity to talk about daily activities. Your students roll the die twice to find a question to talk about. The first roll determines the number on the top and the second roll determines the number on the left.   Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Flashcards can be great tools for eliciting vocabulary, but teachers should not overlook the numerous other uses for these great tools. Flashcard games can add excitement to young learners' classes. The following activities are aimed to drill the vocabulary in the second study phase of the lesson, after the elicitation of vocabulary. 1. Game for liars 2. Get on the other side of the bridge 3. Memory challenge 4. Keyword race 5. More for listening skills Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Kiyomi Ann H. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The liar game is a flashcard activity that can be used to...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Flashcards on its own is an easy method to apply when teaching beginners, teenagers even adults because they can match the words to the pictures and it's an easy way to remember new vocabulary. I think this is the best way of acquiring a new word of a second language because identification and recognition is the key. 1. Ask, Guess and Answer Materials: 2. Display Flashcards on the Floor Materials: 3 From Here to There Materials: 4. Rhyme Concentration Materials: 5. Puzzling Words Materials: Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Sombong V. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The whole class can take...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Outdoor games and activities can be motivating and fun for English language learners. According to my research, there are many different activities that teachers can use to practice and develop students' English language skills. Outdoor learning has many benefits: Students can be highly motivated and energized by being outside. When a class has become boring or the students disinterested, going outside can help students return to the classroom refreshed and more focused than before. Furthermore, being in the new surroundings opens up unique, memorable ways to teach English in the great outdoors. ESL Community Experience Choice of Activities Game Ideas Scientific Research Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This...  [Read more]

Federico Riva Teaching Ideas Throughout this course, my favorite units have been the ones that teach us how to lead an effective lesson and have a fun classroom environment. I love all the suggestions and teaching ideas they give, and it excites me to think about using those for my future lessons. For that reason, I chose the topic of five activities with flashcards. This essay will be a perfect opportunity for me to delve further into my favorite part of this class and plan some fun things to do. When I move abroad I plan on teaching young children, mainly kindergarten-aged, so my five activities will be geared towards young learners. They need way more energy, fun, and excitement in their lessons than teenage or adult learners because their attention spans are so short, so I tried to...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas What outdoor activities can help to teach English? I would like to say that there are plenty of outdoor activities that are effective to teach English. However, many teachers prefer indoor activities rather than outdoor, as they think that it might distract the students. Nonetheless, outdoor activities can increase their motivation for learning. Also, it helps to decrease their stress level, as they do not have to stay in the classroom as usual. Freewriting time Flashcard game 'Stand up if you've ever' game Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Sarosh Z. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The teacher...  [Read more]

  Just to finish off this particular section on lesson planning, we're going to go through a couple of procedures that should take place during the study phase periods, particularly when we're doing the activities. It is quite important that before we actually go into a study activity that we go through a process of showing how that activity is going to work and one acronym that is often used for this is D-E-GO. The D part of this stands for a demonstration of the activity. Now, it's very important that you don't try to explain how the activity is going to work but rather you actually demonstrate the process. An example of the demonstration of the process of the activity could be something as simple as taking the first question and using it and writing it on the board. This will show...  [Read more]

  So speaking activities will come in many different forms but we can generalize them into three basic types. Control activities tend to be used in the study phase and here, the teacher will be helping the students in terms of what they need to say and how they go about saying it. So, there's a high level of structure within a controlled activity. A guided activity has slightly less structure than this and it can be used in either the study or the activate stages themselves. The final type of activity or class of activity is called creative activity and this one would be used in the activation phase. In a creative activity, we're giving a scenario or a very small amount of structure and we're asking the students to actually create their own answers to this particular question....  [Read more]