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What are the best books for teaching ESL? - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ TEFL FAQs
The realm of ESL teaching books is expansive, with renowned publishers offering a plethora of resources. Generally, ESL teaching materials can be categorized into:
These categories encompass a range of tools, from structured lesson plans to interactive activities, essential for any ESL educator.
Book Series
Teaching Theory Books
Activity Resources
There are a number of well known book series. These are specifically written for the ESL teaching market and are generally set at the five levels most often taught. These levels are Starter or Beginner, Elementary, Pre-Intermediate, Intermediate, and Upper-Intermediate.
A typical book series at each level will contain three books. These are the teacher book, student book and resources book (or similar names). The teacher book gives an outline... [Read more]
What are some useful ESL teaching resource books? - TEFL Blog
Federico Riva
TEFL Information Teaching Ideas
The market for ESL teaching books is very large and all the major publishers have some form of involvement in the production and selling of these resources. There are many different types of books and resources that are used in ESL teaching and we will consider three main categories.1) General teaching theory books2) ESL book series3) Activity resource books
General teaching theory books
ESL book series
Activity Resource books
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As an ESL teacher unless you spend your entire career teaching kindergarten, you are going to have to teach English grammar. There are many books that cover this well and you... [Read more]
Tefl reviews - Coursebooks And Materials/resource Books Part 2 - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
Let's just consider next, when using these resource books, the student book, the workbook and the teachers resource book, what are some of the advantages and disadvantages of using those types of materials? Well, firstly, the main advantage perhaps of using these types of material is that it's quicker than actually creating your own. Secondly, the course books that you will get will be graded for a particular level. So there'll be a set of books for the starter level, a set of books for the elementary level and so on and so forth. So you know that the activities and materials in there will have been graded for level. The use of the book can also offer continuity so that the syllabuses have been covered in a particular way by the book itself and are presented in a logical order.... [Read more]
Speaking Activity: Conversation Cards about Books - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
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Using speaking cards is a great way to encourage conversations among ESL learners. The cards act as guides to give the students a direction in their conversations. Below you will find conversation cards about books and reading for your ESL classroom.
Let's take a look at all of the questions and possible answers.
Possible answer: I recently finished reading the first book of the Outlander series. It's a fantastic book about an English woman from 1945 who travels back in time to Scotland in 1745. The story is very compelling and the characters' personalities are very well thought-through.
Possible answer: One of my favorite books is "The Da Vinci Code" written by Dan Brown. Even though it is a fictional story, Dan... [Read more]
Tefl reviews - Be Part Of Ittt S Success Story And Teach English Abroad - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
We at ITTT have changed the lives of over 100,000 people around the globe who have graduated with our internationally accredited TEFL and TESOL courses. Move abroad, travel the world and change your life forever with ITTT - where the world is your classroom.
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 concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section before moving onto the next.
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I think tenses receives and gives more attention than any other aspect of English grammar because the value... [Read more]
14 Course Books to Improve Your Business English Classes - TEFL Blog
Jon ITTT
TEFL Information
Business English falls under the umbrella of English for Specific Purposes (ESP), and is an area of English language teaching that focuses on the language students need in order to function in an international business setting. It is a popular sector for qualified TEFL teachers to work in and one that can be financially rewarding. Students taking business English classes will generally already have a reasonable level of English language ability and course books tend to be aimed at pre-intermediate level students and above but there are books aimed at lower level students.
Oxford University Press
Cambridge University Press
Pearson/Longman
Macmillan
Collins ELT
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There... [Read more]
Course Books for Business English ▷ Infographic - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
Business English is an area of English language teaching and learning that is part of the wider category of English for Specific Purposes. Unlike general English, business English focuses on the language students need in order to function in an international business setting. Students taking business English classes will generally already have a reasonable level of English language ability and course books tend to be aimed at pre-intermediate level students and above.
There are several publishers involved in producing course books for the business English classroom. The main ones are Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press. These two publishers produce business English course books across a range of levels in British, American and International English... [Read more]
General English Course Books for Young Learners ▷ Infographic - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
General English course books for young learners differ from those for adults in a number of ways. Obviously the types of topics will be geared towards the interests of younger people but there are also differences in the way the language is presented. Grammar chants are a popular method of drilling grammar points in books for young learners and while course books for adults will generally have sections with explicit presentations of a grammar point, books for young learners do not usually cover grammar in such detail, especially those for very young learners.
There are several publishers involved in producing general English course books for young learners. The main publishers are Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press. These two publishers produce course books across... [Read more]
General English Course Books for Adults ▷ Infographic - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
There are several publishers involved in producing course books for the ESL classroom. The main publishers are Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press. These two publishers produce course books across a range of ESL sectors including, young learners, adults, business English, and English for specific purposes.
General English course books for adults will include topics geared towards the interest of adults such as the world of work, entertainment, socialising etc. They will also have more detailed explanations of grammar than you would find in books aimed at young learners.
The majority of these course books can be ordered directly through the’ websites of the publishers, online from Amazon or in the EFL section at your local bookshop. Depending where you are located,... [Read more]
Christmas Roll a Story - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
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Are your students struggling to come up with stories in English? Not anymore with this fun Christmas roll-a-story!
Print out this sheet and either hand it out to your students to create individual Christmas stories, or play it together with a small group of students letting each student roll the die and add to the group story.
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Course Books for English for Specific Purposes and English for Academic Purposes ▷ Infographic - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
English for Specific Purposes is an area of English language teaching and learning that encompasses business English, English for Academic Purposes as well as courses that teach English needed for specific professions. In this infographic we look at course books aimed at teaching English to those in certain professions such as finance, law, tourism, medicine and aviation. We also look at course books available for teaching English for Academic Purposes. EAP focuses on the language and skills needed for students to study in English at university level. As with other English teaching, EAP deals with reading, writing, listening and speaking, as well as vocabulary and grammar but these are linked to the students’ specific study needs such as essay writing.
There are several... [Read more]
Unusual Teaching Job as a Life-Long Experience: Alumni Story - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
My personal teaching experience is not a typical teaching job that most people come across. It starts back in the early 1990s. At that time, I was a Senior Prison Office with the Office of Corrections of Victoria and was working in the "B" Division at our maximum security prison H.M. Prison Pentridge.
Unusual Trajectory
Approach to Work
Teaching Approaches
Daily Routine
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Mark L. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
"B" Division housed 105 of Victoria's worst prisoners and at the young age of 25 I oversaw them all, I also had 26 rotating staff to help run the... [Read more]
Story Time Reading Comprehension - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
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This is a quick beginner reading comprehension about Sam and his family. The students read the short text and answer YES or NO questions about the story.
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The Story of Becoming an ESL Teacher - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Teaching is one of the most difficult jobs in the world. You have to deal with different personalities inside the classroom and somehow, you need to work things out for the class to have an atmosphere that is conducive to learning. You have to prepare yourself both mentally and emotionally to be an effective teacher. It is not a cakewalk and you need to have the drive and work ethics to succeed in this profession.
Childhood Dreams
First Teaching Job
Working on Teaching Skills
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Fitz B. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
Growing up, I never really thought of... [Read more]
10 Idioms About Books - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
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Here are 10 fun idioms about books to share with your ESL students.
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The Difference Between Business English and General English For EFL Teachers - TEFL Blog
Linda Dunsmore
Alumni Experiences
The term business English is used to cover the English language taught to a wide range of professional people, and students in full-time education preparing for a business career. There's a lot more to learning a second (or third or fourth!) language than just vocabulary and grammar because languages are used differently in different contexts.
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This post was written by our ITTT graduate Rupanpreet K.
Business English is the type of English used in business contexts. Some types of English, like novels or law briefings, welcome long, sophisticated vocabulary. Business English isn't like that. Good writing is direct and to the point. There is less focus on grammar in... [Read more]
The Real Story Behind Santa Claus - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
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This is a great infographic to introduce the different stories of Santa Claus from around the world to your ESL students.
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Top Tips For Teaching English Through Stories - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Stories... we live in a world of stories. Every single day we have a story to tell. A funny story, a serious story, a scary story or even an upsetting story. These are the pictures we keep in our minds, like our own little movie playing in our heads. Attached to every story, is language. Language completes our story, it gives our story meaning.
The Power of Stories
Choice of Stories
For Children
For Teenagers
For Adults
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Lindie N. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
Teaching language is giving someone the power to add another voice to their... [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."
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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]
5 Effective Ways to Inspire Children's Passion for Books - TEFL Blog
Federico Riva
Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas
Nowadays, we see children who readily pick up an iPad instead of a book. It seems that reading is not as popular as it used to be. It is lessening. Reading is a receptive skill, and it is a meaningful activity that should be enjoyed by all children. So how can we instill a love for reading in children? As a person who has a passion for reading, I would like to make some recommendations.
Teach the Importance of Reading
Make Books Accessible or Low-Cost
Use Positive Reinforcement
Assess Reading Activity and Performance
Make Reading Fun!
Conclusion
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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this... [Read more]
Leaders Are Readers: How to Develop Children’s Interest for Reading - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Reading it's a skill which we learn when we are children. Some children learn to read before they start to join the elementary school, it depends on parents always. But how we can instill a love for reading in children?
Parents Role
Reading Activities For The Classroom
Benefits of Reading
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Radka S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
Parents should read a children's books since childhood like this the relationship between parents and a child become stronger, the child gets to know emotions by reading books and it becomes a favorite activity of a child... [Read more]
What Books to Use: An Overview of The ESL Teaching Materials - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
hey everybody it's lisa here and i'm super glad to welcome you to the weekly live stream by itt um if you don't know me yet um once again my name is lisa and i'm a non-native english teacher from russia i've been working online primarily since 2020 and today um i would like to reach out to you and tell you about um some esl course books uh to pick out for your uh teaching i'm not going to dig into details i'm just going to briefly present my approach how i choose the most appropriate materials but anyways i hope that this topic um will be interesting and helpful so uh stay tuned uh and um let me know that you hear and see me clearly because uh right now i i can see that there are seven people watching but i'm not sure if my equipment works well so uh we've got this comment section uh... [Read more]
Tefl reviews - Coursebooks And Materials/resource Books Part 1 - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
The next item that we're going to consider is the use of resource books. There are many different types of resource books available and within those books there tends to be a general pattern and typically the resource book pack will come in a three book series and typically that three book series will be in the form of the student book, a workbook and a teacher's resource book. So for example here are those three books for this particular series called ?Total English? and in the student book the type of information that we can gain from here is the actual background to the teaching points themselves plus some additional information in terms of short worksheets and so on and so forth and tape transcripts at the end for listening activities, which these days often come on a CD rather... [Read more]
How has TEFL Affected my Personal Teaching Experience: TEFL Alumni Shares Their Story - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
My teaching career started fifteen years ago. It began as a whim. I left a very successful career in the healthcare corporate business sector to teach on the university level. Teaching and advising students has been my dedicated profession since then.
Listen to this blog post:
My Teaching Experience
Teaching Non-Native Speakers
Understanding Foreign Cultures
ESA Methodology
Teaching Business English
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Betsy R. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
Five years ago I was allowed to teach as part of a learning consultant team hired to work with manufacturing... [Read more]
Foreign Language Experience and How it Helps With EFL Training - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
In the following essay, I have chosen to explain my late-in-life interest in becoming certified as an EFL teacher, based on my background with foreign language experience, which began at an early age.
My Story
First Step
Local Culture
Future Possibilities
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Manuel GK. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
I was what some would call an early bloomer. As a baby, my mother read to me at night until I fell asleep. By the age of 2, I could speak in simple but uninterrupted sentences with proper syntax. By a few months after my third birthday, I was able to read the... [Read more]
Haunted House Halloween Worksheet - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
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This is a fun ESL Halloween worksheet. Students have to read the story and label the haunted house.
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First Step in Teaching: Reasons to take a TEFL Course - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
I would rather start by sharing my experience with the combination of teaching and living in several different countries to clarify why I have chosen this topic:
My Story
Special Education
Getting Ready
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate moein m. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
In the past, when I was younger, I did not have any interest and was not enthusiastic about learning English, and I remember that I always used to escape from foreign language classes. Once I turned to 16 and 17, during high school, I spent most of my time with some friends who knew English well and they were always... [Read more]
Readers Are Leaders: How to Instill a Love for Reading in Children? - TEFL Blog
Federico Riva
TEFL Information Alumni Experiences
Children usually prioritize their joy and prefer rewarding activities. They are more interested in reading when it is rewarding and beneficial to them. Interestingly, children learning a second language find it easier to learn reading compared to those who are learning to read for the first time. This is because young second language (L2) learners have already experienced that reading can be interesting and entertaining. By making reading in a second language interesting, students are likely to be motivated.
Text Difficulty and Vocabulary Support
Setting Achievable Reading Goals
Tailoring Reading Material to Children's Interests
Reading and Writing as Positive Activities
Empowering Children's Choice in Reading
Engaging Activities to... [Read more]
Tefl reviews - Coursebooks And Materials/making Best Use Coursebook - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
So how do we actually make best use of the course book? Well, just a couple of factors that you need to keep into consideration when using these types of material, use the course book to help you create a balanced lesson in terms of the range of skills that are being taught and the actual types of material within that the grammar or vocabulary. Secondly, don't use it all the time, particularly with things like activities, we can create our own materials and we can tailor those materials much more specifically to the actual class that we're teaching. As very often the actual creations in the book are very general, we can make our own materials much more specific. The third thing you need to be aware of is that you can't always rely 100% on the information that's presented in those... [Read more]
A Lifetime Love for Language Learning - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
As a young child, I was, for some reason, obsessed with the idea of learning French. I tried a couple of languages, including Finnish at some point, but kept going back to French. I have no idea why because I was never exposed to the culture or the language itself at that age. I doubt I even knew anything about the country itself. I think I assumed learning French would make me sound smarter but, the joke's on younger me, I have no skill in French and never have. I tend to struggle with romance languages in general.
My Personal Second Language Experience
My Choice
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Nicole H. Please note that this blog post might not... [Read more]