Long Words That Are Hard To Spell

Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! Here's a useful word list with long vowel sounds to use with your ESL students.   Long vowel sound spelling patterns are quite difficult for students to learn. First they must understand that more than one letter can be used to represent one sound and then learn the various ways that the sound can be represented in print.   Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!  [Read more]

Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! Here's a useful word list with long vowel sounds to use with your ESL students.   Long vowel sound spelling patterns are quite difficult for students to learn. First they must understand that more than one letter can be used to represent one sound and then learn the various ways that the sound can be represented in print.   Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!  [Read more]

Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! Here's a useful word list with long vowel sounds to use with your ESL students.   Long vowel sound spelling patterns are quite difficult for students to learn. First they must understand that more than one letter can be used to represent one sound and then learn the various ways that the sound can be represented in print.   Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!  [Read more]

Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! Here's a useful word list with long vowel sounds to use with your ESL students.   Long vowel sound spelling patterns are quite difficult for students to learn. First they must understand that more than one letter can be used to represent one sound and then learn the various ways that the sound can be represented in print.   Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!  [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 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]

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]

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 Are you ready to teach English abroad? Listen to this blog post Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Tabitha C. Growing up in the USA, I learned to spell in...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Every language has its peculiarities, more so in the English language, which is spoken in the largest number of countries in the world. And thus has attained the status of a global language. Factors attributed to this phenomenon are many. One of the major reasons is that the Britishers had a large number of colonies which enabled them to come in contact with the inhabitants of different parts of the world. Vocabulary Pronunciation Spelling and Pronunciation Meaning Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Stone S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Moreover, the colonies had the English language as the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Lewis (1993) claims that "Lexis is the core or heart of language" (p 89). Indeed, it is one of the basic steps of mastering a foreign language. Vocabulary knowledge is what makes verbal communication between people possible. Most teachers face problems when teaching new items. They feel the need to use techniques to have an effective lesson. Over the years, teachers have tried to find the most effective and practical strategies to teach vocabulary. They have been applying several methods like fill in the blank definitions, pre-teaching unfamiliar words and stressing high-frequency words. This essay will just focus on three strategies that can help teach vocabularies such as using visual aids, highlighting vocabulary in context and vocabulary practice....  [Read more]

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 Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Lystra H. Please note that...  [Read more]

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? Related Articles: Listen to this blog post: 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]

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. Listen to this blog post: 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]

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]

  The two words "farther" and "further" are a pair of words that is often used interchangeably to talk about distances. However, not many know that there is actually a slight difference between the two. "Farther" is used for physical distances. So we would use it in this example: "Tokyo is farther away than Beijing". When using "further" we talk about non-physical, figurative distances, for example "I'm falling further away from my goals". As you can see, the two words have slighty different usages. However, in spoken English the two words are often used interchangeably without a difference. However, if you are keen to use them properly, you should stick to the rules mentioned above. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL...  [Read more]

  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. Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! In this unit I learned...  [Read more]

  Some and Any are two words that often cause confusion, which is why we have decided to take a closer look at the difference of the two words in this video. Firsly, some is a determiner used for positive statements while any is a determiner used in questions and negative statements. Consider the following situation: I asked the teacher if he could give me some paper. I said ?Excuse me, have you got any paper?? Unfortunately, he didn?t have any. The first statement is positive and therefore requires us to use some. The second sentence is a question and therefore, we need to use any. The third and final sentence is a negative statement which also requries us to use any. It's worth noting that we do sometimes use some in questions and we also use any in positive statements. For...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Every learner of a foreign language may face pronunciation problems now and then. Languages that belong to one language group have more in common in phonics and are usually easier to learn to pronounce correctly. But such languages as English and Chinese are so different, that Chinese learners (and I bet English speaking learners of Chinese too) often have many difficulties in pronunciation. State of the problem Common pronunciation errors How to correct pronunciation problems Learn how to teach pronunciation effectively! Related Articles: Listen to this blog post: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Evgeniya S. I have been working in China as a teacher for more than six months now. When I arrived in this country, I hardly knew...  [Read more]

Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! Teaching weather vocabulary early on in an English course is a great idea because it is something that the students can practice on a daily basis. Especially during daily warm ups, teachers can always ask about the weather and weather vocabulary comes in handy during other activities too.   During your usual warm up, try and get the students talking about the seasons. Then, ask students what season they like best and see if anyone can explain why. This is a great way to elicit some of the weather vocabulary you plan to practice during the lesson. When certain vocabulary words come up, write them on the board. Depending on the level of your students, you can also talk about different activities people do during particular...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas The above is a topic that I want to particularly used to teaching reading to young learners. There are some points given below, they are. 1. Use songs and nursery rhymes to build phonemic awareness 2. Make simple word cards at home 3. Engage your child in a print-rich environment 4. Play word games at home or in the car 5. Understand the core skills involved in teaching kids to read 6. Play with magnet letters 7. Harness the power of technology to keep your child engaged Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Angeline J. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Children's songs and nursery rhymes aren't...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Vocabulary represents one of the most important skills necessary for teaching and learning a foreign language. It is the basis for the development of all the other skills like Reading comprehension, Listening comprehension, speaking, writing, and pronunciation. Vocabulary is the main tool for students to use English effectively. When he/she is confronted with a native English Speaker, when watching a movie or when listening to a favorite song, when reading a text or when writing a letter to a friend, students will always need to operate with words. WHY IS VOCABULARY IMPORTANT? TECHNIQUES FOR MEMORIZING VOCABULARY: Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Vivian M....  [Read more]

  "Who" and "whom" are another set of words that often causes confusion. Howeer, there is actuall a simple trick to deciding which one to use in a sentence. "Who" is used to refer to the subject of a sentence and 'whom' is used to refer to the object. Keeping this in mind will eliminate the chance of making mistakes. We recommend the following trick. The usage of these two words is the same as he and him. "He" is the subject and "him" is the object. If you are confused about which one you should use, look at the sentences and check whether "he" or "him" should be used. If it's "he", then you should use "who". If it's "him", then "whom" should be used. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online...  [Read more]

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 Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: 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]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences Like we all know, the English alphabet has 26 letters. These 26 letters can make 44 different sounds or phonemes – 20 sounds come from the vowels a, e, i, o and u; and 24 sounds come from the remaining 21 consonants. A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound that can change the meaning of a word. The Vowel Sounds The Consonant Sounds Syllable Stress Without Jumping to Conclusions Listen to this blog post Are you ready to take your TEFL course? Related Articles: If we consider sounds made simply by the letter 'a' for instance, in the word 'apple' – it's /ae/, in 'car' – it's /a:/, in amount – it's /a/, and so on. This, consequently, makes English a non-phonetic language, which means that the pronunciation of a word is not...  [Read more]

  "They're", "their" and "there" are three words that are often used incorrectly. "They're" is simply the contracted form of "they are". "Their" is a possessive and indicates ownership of something. "There" indicates a place. Due to the Internet and instant messaging, the three words have been icreasingly used incorrectly. However, if you'd like to use them correctly, you should keep their meanings in mind. When trying to decide which word to use remember that "they're" = they are, "their" = ownership and "there" = place. 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...  [Read more]

  There are certain words that need backshifting when using reported speech. In this video we look at backshifting places in reported speech. This video is specifically aimed at teaching reported speech in an ESL setting. 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! Learing all of parts of speech,I can figure out the different effects they made in sentnces.I confused with the transitive verb and intransitive...  [Read more]

  This video breaks down the difference between the two words "invite" and "invitation". They are often used interchangeably but actually aren't synonyms. The word ?invite? is a verb and refers to the action of asking someone if they?d like to do something or go somewhere, such as here: 'I want to invite all my friends to a BBQ party'. "Invitation", on the other hand, is a noun and refers to the actual message of asking someone if they?d like to do something or go somewhere. A suitable example would be: 'I sent out an invitation to all my friends'. A very common mistake is to use 'invite' as a noun instead of 'invitation'. However, the sentence ?I haven?t responded to her invite yet? is incorrect and 'invitation' should be used. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate...  [Read more]

  "As mentioned before our four words here all are similar in using the ?b? and ?t? sounds at the end. So we know that those phonemes will be used in spelling each one of those words phonetically. Now what we're left to do is assign a phoneme for our vowel sounds. So if we analyze the word, it's ?e? as in bet. We look at our chart, we see the phoneme which corresponds to that sound and that happens to be the standard ?e? that we all recognize. Here, bet phonetically looks very similar to bet in the Roman script. Now let's take a look at ?i? bit. Now we look at our chart and we see that this symbol represents the ?i? sound and that resembles a capital I not a lowercase I but a capital I and so we've arrived at bit. Now with ?but? we have to find the sound and that corresponds to this...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences One of the most important problems encountered while learning a foreign language is undoubtedly pronunciation. Knowing a language fluently may not always be enough. Fluency level may be open to discussion if an accurate pronunciation is not used. Therefore as teachers, we must teach our students how to use the correct pronunciation. However, pronunciation can be a nightmare for some students, especially for young learners. Common Errors in Pronunciation /h/ Sound Ways to Fix Errors Articulation Simple Way to Overcome the Problem Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Selin K. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or...  [Read more]

  These two words are often confused by native and non-native English speakers alike. The key thing to remember is that “accept” is a verb and a synonym of “to receive” as in the example “I accepted all my birthday gifts with gratitude”. “Except” on the other hand is a conjunction and a synonym of “apart from”. For example “When Susan travels she packs everything except the kitchen sink”. Remember, “accept” is a verb meaning “to receive” and “except” is a conjunction meaning “apart from”. 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...  [Read more]