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Free Printable Thanksgiving Word Search - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!
This free printable Thanksgiving word search is an easy way to keep your students busy while learning about Thanksgiving.
Word searches are a great way to reinforce vocabulary and spelling skills. These kinds of worksheets can also help your students' improve their concentration.
Laminate your word searches so you can use the same printables year after year. It’s a good way to make the most of your ink! At home laminating machines are super affordable and pay for themselves in 10-20 uses.
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5 Perfect Activities With Flashcards - TEFL Blog
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:
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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]
Best Ways to Teach New Vocabulary to Young Students - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
One of the things of the English language that can make English hard to get to grips with. Vocabulary knowledge is highly correlated with reading comprehension and reading achievement. Vocabulary is required for students to achieve cognitive academic language proficiency. All good reasons to make sure that your vocabulary teaching is interesting, useful and effective.
The Good Ways To Teach Vocabulary
Set achievable goals
What should we give to students with a new vocabulary
What the right FCs are
When teaching FCs for young learners, I follow these steps
These are some activities I often use when teaching with FCs:
1. Charades
2. Picture word match race
3. Flash the card
4. Pass the flashcard
5. Flashcards Station
Do you want to teach English abroad?... [Read more]
Simple Flashcard Activities to Have Fun During the Class - TEFL Blog
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]
Important Ideas to Consider when Teaching Vocabulary - TEFL Blog
Jon ITTT
Alumni Experiences
In my personal opinion, vocabulary learning is the basic and most substantial part in any language learning. It's like the bricks for building a house. Moreover, the process of vocabulary learning is the most difficult and time-consuming. It requires not only memorizing skills but also a good understanding of the word, and constant practice.
Problems for Chinese English learners
The importance of careful vocabulary selection
Knowing what to teach
Choosing an appropriate teaching method
Learn how to teach vocabulary effectively with a TEFL course today!
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Dan W.
For most English learners in China, they often encounter the same problem when learning vocabulary,... [Read more]
Phonetics: How can Phonemic Awareness Facilitate Effective Reading? - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
Phonemics according to the Merriam Webster dictionary is a branch of linguistic analysis that consists of the study of phonemes. In other words, it could be explained as the study of the sound system of a given language and the analysis and classification of its phonemes. Phonemics awareness, on the other hand, is the ability to examine language independently to its meaning and to manipulate its component sound[1].
Difference between phonemes and phonics
Universal way of acquiring a language
Why phonemes are important?
Correlation between phonemic awareness and spelling ability
Teachers' Role
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Lystra H. Please note that... [Read more]
The Most Distinct Differences between American and British English - TEFL Blog
Linda Dunsmore
Alumni Experiences
When it comes to learning English, non-native speakers can feel quite torn on whether they should learn British English or American English. They have their similarities, but can contrast each other strongly. The differences can be confusing for English speakers as well. The diversity in spelling, pronunciation, and vocabulary can really throw you off. In this article, I will be focusing on these three topics. Let's explore spelling, shall we?
Important Spelling Differences
Differences in Word Choice
Same Word - Different Pronunciation
Other Things to Consider
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Tabitha C.
Growing up in the USA, I learned to spell in... [Read more]
English Students’ Favorite Flashcard Activities - TEFL Blog
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:
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Related... [Read more]
Tefl reviews - Figuratively Vs Literally English Grammar Teaching Tips - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
This video covers the difference between 'figuratively' and 'literally'. Even native speakers commonly confuse these two words. The word 'figuratively' is used when talking about something metaphorically. 'Literally', on the other hand is used for things that are real or really happen. Watch the video for detailed examples on the two words.
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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In this unit I learned... [Read more]
7 Useful Tips on Teaching Beginner Students - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Teaching beginner students is a very challenging task for anyone. Personally, I have always found teaching English to beginners as a tough prospect, whether it is monolingual group and you know nothing of their language or it's a multilingual group and the only common language is English. However, with some work and knowledge, everything is possible to teach beginners the English language. And I believe this is one of the most rewarding to teach.
1. Give simple and clear instructions
2. Let them listen first
3. Speak English only and don't use their own mother tongue
4. Teach the basics
5. Drilling and Repeating
6. Make every English lessons fun and easy
7. Prepare well and save a lot
Are you ready to teach beginners abroad?
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Listen to... [Read more]
Peculiarities of The English Language - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
I did not realize how difficult English is until I became fluent in Spanish. I am currently studying French and I am pretty good at French. I have a basic knowledge of Esperanto.
English is difficult for several reasons
English is not a phonetic language
There are exceptions to every rule
Some examples of other exceptions to English rules
Pronunciation
Are you ready to teach English all over the world?
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Wayne K. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
I will just touch on each of these since a book could be written about each of these.
Also Read: Teaching Young Learners vs. Adult Learners - The... [Read more]
The Most Common Problems Students in South Korea Face When Learning English - TEFL Blog
Linda Dunsmore
Destinations Alumni Experiences
Korean learners of the English language face numerous challenges in acquiring the language on a proficient level, although English is introduced to children at an early age. English is incorporated into the primary school curriculum from the age of four, yet only a small minority master the language on a proficient conversational level. Unfortunately, the reasons seem to stem from cultural and social differences, the significant differences between the two languages; Korean and English, and the Korean Educational System is also a contributing factor.
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Problems Relating to Cultural Differences
Problems Relating to the Different Phonetic and Grammar Systems
Problems with English Education in the Korean School System... [Read more]
British vs. American: Which English Accent to Choose? - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
British English versus American English always sparks a lively discussion. I have read some articles so far as to compare these 2 languages and gather the information from the online resources.
Personal experience
The history of English
Vocabulary challenge
Teaching implications and classroom problems
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Zahra J. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
I am Iranian and have many American and British friends and I have been living abroad for about 6 years. As an English speaker as a second language, it took me a while to learn what is British and what is American English.... [Read more]
Two Main Ways of Teaching Vocabulary to English Language Learners - TEFL Blog
Linda Dunsmore
Alumni Experiences
Vocabulary has a direct impact on written and spoken language comprehension. All students come to school with differences in their vocabulary knowledge, and part of teaching them how to be successful in English is to teach them vocabulary. Vocabulary development plays a critical role in helping English language learners increase their ability to communicate in the receptive and expressive domains in English. This is why vocabulary must be explicitly and systematically taught.
Learn how to teach vocabulary effectively with a TEFL course today!
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Gina A.
Research suggests the following three big ideas about teaching and learning new words:
Also read: 4 Super... [Read more]
Tefl reviews - Tesol Tefl Reviews Video Testimonial Tefl Video Journal Week 4 3 - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
In this TEFL review an ITTT trainee shares her experiences of the fourth week of her in-class course. She found the course challenging, rewarding and fun. She believes that she now has a solid foundation on which to begin her teaching career. At ITTT our course materials and training methods are regularly updated to reflect the latest developments in language teaching and learning. ITTT's trainers are experienced and qualified professionals. To find out more about ITTT's challenging and rewarding courses follow the above links.
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,... [Read more]
Top Tips for Playing Games During the ESL Class - TEFL Blog
Federico Riva
Teaching Ideas
Learning foreign languages is a very exciting and very responsible deal. A significant role in teaching foreign languages, in particular, English, belongs to games in the classroom. Games enhance students' mental activity, helps them consolidate material of the lesson, therefore it's a very important activity. The developing value of the game we can find in itself, because where is a game - there is emotion. Where is emotion, there are attention improvisation and imagination.
How to Implement Games?
Teacher's Part
Examples of Games
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Ivan S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions... [Read more]
4 Positive Ways to Motivate Students in the Kindergarten Classroom - TEFL Blog
Jon ITTT
Alumni Experiences
How to motivate and keep the students interested in learning the English language?
1. Make Class Communicative:
2. Make Class Fun:
3. Forge Relationships:
4. Give Feedback:
Do you want to teach English in kindergarten?
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Richard B.
To teach at the Kindergarten level the teacher has to be mindful of keeping students' attention and maintaining order. It is important to have structure and routines. To ensure the students are comfortable, happy and engaged while learning and practicing English there needs to be a balance between patients and strictness. To keep their attention, it is good to enlist fun little games to help maintain order in the class. It is... [Read more]
The Most Common Problems Students in Laos Face When Learning English - TEFL Blog
Linda Dunsmore
Alumni Experiences
Learning a second language is never easy but the problems that each learner faces are not all the same. Sometimes the grammar of your first language is completely different from your second language. There might be sounds you do not know how to make because your first language does not have them. You might have limited access to fluent speakers of the language you are learning. All of these are true for Lao learners trying to acquire English as a second language.
"Teaching students new vocabulary and how to pronounce it requires patience and creativity."
"Spoken and written grammar are huge hurdles."
"The Lao writing system is completely different compared to English."
"The exposure to English is very limited in Laos."
Are you ready to teach English... [Read more]
Tefl reviews - Pronunciation And Phonology/intonation - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
Whereas stress is typically concerned with one individual word, intonation is generally concerned with the variation in volume and pitch throughout an entire sentence. Intonation carries the message of a sentence. It's particularly important when questioning or agreeing, disagreeing and confirming statements. It's also very important when expressing emotions and feelings. The normal pattern for intonation is the rise-fall. Few examples would be ?I haven't seen him for a week,? or a simple word as ?okay?. With the falling intonation, we?re indicating that we're finished speaking. Again, ?I haven't seen him for a week? and ?okay?. A few more examples would be ?I'll see you at six then,? or a question of information ?How do you spell rough?? These are straightforward statements that... [Read more]
Tefl reviews - Tim - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
Tim currently completed our 120-hour online certification course and enjoyed working with the well-organized units. He also found the videos accompanying the course very useful.
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.
Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!
honestly, this was the hardest unit ! I needed much more time to dig all the information comparing to the other units, but I guess it will be ok. It is amazing how the things that we... [Read more]
How Teaching in China Influenced me as a TEFL Specialist - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
I, as an out of school English teacher, have been teaching English in China for about one year. My students are coming from elementary schools or middle schools. The teaching is one to one. The background and personality of my students are various. Some students are very interested in learning English and want to take extra courses to improve their English proficiency.
Students' Struggles
English Speaking Environment
Forceful Learning vs. Personal Approach
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Nan W. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
Some students feel having more challenges in grammar,... [Read more]
How to get my first TEFL job? - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ TEFL FAQs
Congratulations if you have recently completed a TEFL certification course and are now looking for that all important first teaching position. As learning English is commonplace in the majority of countries around the world, qualified TEFL teachers rarely find it difficult to secure a good job. However, the level of demand can vary greatly from one place to the next, which also means the level of requirements can vary. What is required in one country might be completely different to the requirements in its immediate neighbor.
Can I teach anywhere as a first-time EFL teacher?
How hard is it to get a TEFL job?
How can I get a TEFL job with no experience?
Head to where you want to live and work and apply for jobs on the ground
Sign up with a TEFL recruitment agency
Add some experience to... [Read more]
How Important is the Difference Between American English and British English for EFL Learners? - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
This summative essay will exam the importance of teaching the differences between American English and British English for EFL learners. I will examine the intention behind teaching these differences, and when these teachings should be applied, and to what effect and purpose. This essay will focus primarily on the problems of pronunciation and spelling, which are the two main differences. I am a British citizen, born and raised in London, England, and currently teach at a public high school in Tokyo.
Spelling
Challenges for Beginners and Intermediate Learners
What do Students Think?
Grammar
Interesting Experience for Adults
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate... [Read more]
Tefl reviews - Pronunciation And Phonology/phonetic Alphabet Issues - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
There are two issues that need to be stressed when working with the international phonemic alphabet. First is the fact that we are no longer concerned with how a word is traditionally spelled. Additionally we need to stress that we are only concerned with the sounds needed to correctly produce a word. So rather than numerous spellings, which can often be pronounced in different ways, we have one symbol representing one sound. Once we can isolate a sound, rather than juggling various spellings, we can work with our students on how to say that sound. Doing that successfully is related to manner and place of articulation, which will be covered shortly. To get a better understanding of the phonemic alphabet, let's take a look at our chart. In the bottom half of our chart we have our... [Read more]
11 Fun ESL Activities for Young Learners - TEFL Blog
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
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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]
7 Fun Activities for Teaching Vocabulary in the ESL Classroom - TEFL Blog
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")
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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]
Challenges of the French Native Speakers in English Learning - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Several surveys, such as EF (Education First), have shown that France has the worst English level in the European Union. We shall explain, firstly, why French students have problems in learning English and what these problems are. Then, secondly, we shall share solutions to these problems.
Origin of Typical Difficulties
Global Status of French
Lack of Exposure to English
Academical Importance
Common Vocabulary
Tenses
Pronunciation
Lesson Ideas
Ways to Engage
Grammar and Vocabulary
Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course!
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Mohamed S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
Indeed, the difficulties that French... [Read more]
Tefl reviews - Tesol Tefl Reviews Video Testimonial George - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
Did you know that you can complete an ITTT online course in the comfort of your own home and at your own pace? In this TEFL review video George talks about his experiences as an ITTT online student. ITTT offers a variety of TEFL/TESOL online courses. For example, for teachers who are considering working with younger students, ITTT offers the Certificate in Teaching English to Young Learners. Young learners can be one of the most rewarding of all groups to teach and ITTT's course will provide you with the tools to be an effective classroom teacher. To find out more about this course and other TEFL courses ITTT offers simply follow the links above.
Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online... [Read more]
Top Approaches to Teaching Reading - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
As we know in any case when we are going to teach a new language, it is really important to pay attention to some particular skills, that is the root of the language.
Types of Skills
Types of Reading
Approach to Reading
Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course!
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Gevorg S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
These skills are receptive skills and productive skills. Reading is one of the basic skills of learning a new language. And first of all, I would like to define reading. The process of reading a printed text louder or silently is called reading. For readers, it is important to know and understand the... [Read more]
The Best Ice Breaker Games Every EFL Teacher Should Know - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
hi guys hey linda here from itt with another live session this week i'm so happy to be here again hope to see many of you guys today thanks so much for joining if you're listening to this as a podcast episode thank you so much for the download we recently just hit 3500 podcast downloads which is super exciting thank you so much for your support and um yeah today's topic i'm really excited about because it's something a little bit different than what i'm usually talking about and today i'm going to share with you the the best icebreaker games that every efl teacher should know so yeah i'm gonna be showing you guys what fun games you can play in your classes i know that some of you are already teaching and you probably know some of these games or you know versions of these games so feel... [Read more]