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Songs In an Early Childhood ESL Classroom - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
It is a very well known fact that English is a very melodic language, it sounds very soft and children love singing in English. When you keep a certain rhythm, rhyme, and pace, it is very likely to learn faster and better almost any topic.
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Young Learners
The objective would be to sing and to touch the body parts at the same time.
Both engage and practice stages are important during the lesson as they will have to be well balanced and guided.
More Ideas
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Valeria T. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
For a group of very young... [Read more]
Songs in the ESL Classroom for Younger Beginners - TEFL Blog
Linda Dunsmore
Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas
Music-based learning is an effective technique to develop English proficiency within an early youth classroom. Classroom-based singing can create a fun learning environment and lead to the development of musical skills, social interaction, and English vocabulary.
Simple Rhymes
Examples of Suitable Rhyme Songs
Involving the Class
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This post was written by our ITTT graduate Patrick H.
The most effective method for younger learners is the use of various simple rhymes. Rhymes are simple in nature and may easily be adapted to the current material that is being taught. The teacher and students will benefit most from a circular seating arrangement as it allows both... [Read more]
Songs as a Tool to Teach Grammar - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
To begin with, I have been teaching English for more than 30 years. I teach groups of students and individuals of different ages and abilities. That is why I have always had a problem how to raise my students' motivation, how to make my lessons interesting and exciting so that the bell at the end of the class would be for me, not for my students. I have always wanted them to be upset that the lesson is over. As a result of this research, I concluded that along with having different games, quizzes, puzzles, crosswords and project works, learning and singing songs is as challenging and helpful as doing grammar exercises. The results of learning English songs by heart is stunning. Do not think that I do this activity only for entertainment. It is a big... [Read more]
ITTT - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ Lesson Planning
Lesson planning is an important part of being a teacher. While experienced teachers may appear to not require a plan it is only because they have probably taught a lesson so many times that the majority of their plan is in their head. They will still have a good idea of how they want and expect the lesson to proceed. Inexperienced teachers will need the structure a good lesson plan provides. A good plan acts as a guide to your planning.
It helps a teacher consider the direction of the lesson and possible pitfalls and diversions. It also helps a teacher keep on track during the lesson but should not be so restrictive that it prevents flexibility in class. A lesson plan also serves as a record of what you have taught before enabling you to easily see what to review at later dates and to... [Read more]
ESA (Engage-Study-Activate) Writing Skills Lesson Plan for an Elementary English Class - TEFL Blog
Federico Riva
Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas
Teaching writing skills to elementary English learners can be an exciting and rewarding experience. With a well-structured lesson plan, you can engage students, introduce key concepts, and provide opportunities for practice. In this blog post, we'll walk you through a sample one-hour straight arrow ESA (Engage-Study-Activate) writing skills lesson plan, tailored for an elementary English class.
Engage (10 minutes):
Study (25 minutes):
Activate (20 minutes):
Summary (5 minutes):
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To kickstart the class, begin with a lively warm-up activity that activates students' prior knowledge and generates interest... [Read more]
Example Lesson Plan for a Business English Class - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Knowing an additional language goes beyond the ability to speak it. It connects people, helps in understanding different cultures and has also been identified as a boost to brain function and increase intelligence.
Present Situation
Example Lesson Plan
Lesson: Receptive Skills
Engage and Study Phase:
Activate Phase:
Expected end result:
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Nagashree C. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
In the present age of expanding businesses, capturing markets across the globe, establishing offices far and wide, more and more business are following the model of 'following... [Read more]
Why Playing Games in Class is Important? - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
All humans are raised with an innate love for games. Since we were all children, playing games was our pastime activity. When comes to teaching either young learners or adults, in-class games are the foundation stone of learning.
Business English
The Effect of Games
Strategy
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Pavlina M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
Teaching Business English (BE) to clients/adults must be a fun procedure. There are many reasons why a teacher must use games when teaching English in class regardless of students' age or occupation.
To begin with, students can learn with... [Read more]
What is the difference between EFL and ELL? - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ TEFL FAQs
In the field of English language instruction, various abbreviations often get mixed up, leading to confusion. A typical mix-up occurs between the terms EFL and ELL. Simply put, EFL stands for English as a Foreign Language, and ELL signifies English Language Learner. EFL pertains to the course or class, while ELL denotes the English student.
What exactly does "EFL" mean?
What does "ELL" stand for?
EFL, or "English as a Foreign Language," denotes programs specifically constructed for ELL students. Many educational institutions offer EFL classes designed for English learners, utilizing EFL-centric curricula and programs. The term EFL broadly encapsulates the techniques and resources employed in teaching English to learners.
ELL, an acronym for "English Language Learner," represents students... [Read more]
4 Reasons Why Using Songs in the Classroom is Important - TEFL Blog
Jon ITTT
Alumni Experiences
We all probably know, that music has no language. It is kindly welcomed by all nations equally, as well as all races, ages and cultures. So how can music or songs help us to teach English and to do it more effectively?
Music aids memory
Songs can teach vocabulary
Music provides clear patterns to follow
Using songs and music build rapport
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Alena A.
Music lets us go deeper into conscious that anything else, it is much more memorable, so the words and grammar structures may be remembered much faster. It also helps to relax and to feel happy, so using songs in the classroom is not only a good idea, but it is also an... [Read more]
Last posts written by Linda from: 12
Linda is a passionate traveler, language learner and TEFL teacher. After spending some time teaching in China, she moved to Korea in 2015. She now calls South Korea her home.
Linda Dunsmore
Teaching Ideas
Schools are starting again and students and teachers flock back to the classroom. Check out these simple and powerful back-to-school ideas and your students will surely remember this first lesson of yours for a long time!
Linda Dunsmore
Teaching Ideas
As an ESL teacher, getting your students talking can be one of the most difficult things to accomplish. English learners often lack the necessary confidence to speak openly and freely in English. The following activities are perfect for getting your students out of their shells! Here are 7 go-to activities for your ESL conversation... [Read more]
The 3 Most Important Tricks When Teaching English to Kindergarteners - TEFL Blog
Linda Dunsmore
Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas
Walking into a kindergarten classroom in any language may have most teachers running right back out the door. A kindergarten classroom can be like a circus. The teacher is the ringmaster. The students range from man-eating lions to trapeze artists to clowns. It's important to remember that kindergarten students do not understand they are meant to be learning great truths and skills that will set them up for the rest of their life. They want to play, love, be loved, and enjoy every aspect of life to the fullest, even when they are sitting in the classroom. Even the physical excitement that kindergarteners have can be used to create an even deeper understanding of language and should never be seen as bad. Children love to explore and learn.... [Read more]
Differentiating Teaching Based on Learner’s Maturity - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
For this task, I have selected learning modes: Young learners v.s. Adults. When teachers are instructing students, they should first think about how to instruct them using the best methodologies to make learning best or what factors or aspects of learning they should consider for their classes, such as student motivation, previous learning experience, language awareness, behavior problems that could arise in class and the students' life experiences. All of the above factors can be divided by many different students, but it has been shown in this course that these facets are predominantly divided by young learners.
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Teaching Approach
Adult Students
Teaching Plan
Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course today!... [Read more]
Your First Online English Lesson: 5 Main Things to Include - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
hey guys welcome to a new itt's live stream uh and my name is lisa uh if you don't know me yet uh i'm a tefl and t soul expert at itt and i also teach english online as a non-native esl teacher so i'm super glad to welcome you um at today's session and it's going to be devoted to um the very first online esl class um i hope yeah my name is lisa not linda but it's okay hi uh mikey i hope i pronounce your name correctly so uh today's session is going to be devoted to everything related to the very first uh lesson with your um online students so um i'm going to share five uh five main points uh you have to remember before planning your very first lesson um so hopefully it's going to be useful i believe that if you are a new teacher it's going to be really valuable so stay tuned and let me... [Read more]
English in Early Childhood: Alumni Teaching Experience - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
For two years I have been teaching Italian children in a nursery, a group of 5,2-3 years old. They are still not able to speak well their mother tongue and have a short vocabulary. They have no experience yet in being taught traditionally, may still use pacifier and diaper, so how can you teach so small children English and is it even worth it? Shouldn't they first learn their native tongue? Many parents think so.
Difficulties
Flashcards
Songs
Books
Gymnastics
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I am sure they benefit from being exposed to English vocabulary and getting used to the sound of English as young as possible. But of course, it must be done in the right way, they are not going to study English but... [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]
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:
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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]
Ways to Improve Discipline in the Classroom - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Good discipline is one of the keys to an effective lesson. Not only new teachers meet difficulties to manage students, but some veterans in this profession also can face problems. In this summative task, I will share my experience on how to maintain classroom discipline with young learners.
How to find a common language? There are some tricks below:
1. Teacher's good mood.
2. Start the lesson with something interesting. It can be a short video, song, dance, unusual toy, mask or even costume. Something bright, which attracts kids.
3. During the first class establish main rules, for example:
4. Use the different activities to figure out the main interests in the group and each kid.
5. Good discipline does not mean complete silence and absolute domination... [Read more]
The Art of Teaching Younger EFL Students - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
I have 3 years of experience in teaching English in a few kindergartens in Beijing, China and some experience in teaching adults in a training center.
Differences Between Teaching Children and Adults
Principles in Teaching Kids
Learning Atmosphere
Teacher's Responsibilities
My Personal Experience
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When I started in kindergarten, it was very difficult because I didn't have enough information about how to make a proper lesson plan. I didn't have enough materials, games, songs, and it took me a lot of time to collect all the necessary information for teaching and creating my teaching plan. Without experience, it wasn't easy for me to build a good rapport between me and my... [Read more]
Top Tips to Teach Receptive and Productive Skills in a Kindergarten - TEFL Blog
Linda Dunsmore
Alumni Experiences
Over the years, globalization and living in a global village have had a major effect on various aspects of modern people, like commerce, academic domain, and tourism. Therefore, this phenomenon has necessitated people to learn the English language so as to communicate and interact in different situations more easily and successfully. Likewise, there has been a noticeable tendency among the parents who have found it really vital to have their children learn the English language from an early age. There are some main reasons why they are so insistent on getting their kids to learn English.
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Some tips to teach receptive and productive skills:
Speaking
Writing
Listening
Reading
Are you ready to teach English abroad?
Related... [Read more]
The Advantages and Disadvantages of Teaching English to Young Children - TEFL Blog
Linda Dunsmore
Alumni Experiences
Today there is a worldwide trend that parents want their offspring to be able to speak English and they hold the notion that the earlier kids start learning the foreign language, the more impressive results they will receive. This post talks about the advantages and disadvantages of teaching English to very young students.
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The Advantages of Teaching English to Young Children
The Disadvantages of Teaching English to Young Children
What do you think?
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Check out what our course grads say in our many video testimonials!
This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Marina B.
On the one hand, small children benefit substantially from learning a foreign language.... [Read more]
3 Experiences Possible in the ESL Teaching Career - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
My teaching journey has started when I decided to study science education at university because since I was a child, I'd loved to teach and to learn, to share knowledge and to understand the world around me. There I could learn a lot about didactics, learning theories and psychology, teaching methods, and many other human sciences, in addition to several hours of internship at elementary schools and kindergarten.
Personal Language Learning Experience
1. Improvisation
2. Communicational Skills
3. Lesson Planning
Current Practice
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Aline S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or... [Read more]
Using Storytelling Activities to Teach English in African Cultures - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Storytelling is used in the African culture to teach morals, values, historical lessons, and to communicate truths to all ages. Because words are highly valued by Africans, a skilled storyteller is viewed as an influential leader in a community, able to give wise advice. Since the method of storytelling is so widely used in African cultures for instruction, why not integrate it into teaching English to African students as a foreign language?
Teaching Linguistic Skills
Level of Attention
Practical Mistakes
Positive Influence on Child Development
Tools of Storytelling
Lesson Plan
Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course!
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Stanislav T. Please note that this blog post... [Read more]
Tefl reviews - Tefl 120 Hour Course Unit 13 - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
In Chantelle?s thirteenth video diary entry she talks about unit 13 of her 120-hour online TEFL course. Unit 13 covers pronunciation and phonology. As Chantelle notes there is a lot of information presented in this unit including phonology, stress, articulation and the phonemic alphabet. The unit also looks at how to teach individual sounds and when we should teach pronunciation to our students.
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... [Read more]
Should we teach culture in the EFL classroom? - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ TEFL FAQs
Absolutely. Language is deeply intertwined with culture, serving as its vocal representation. While mastering vocabulary and grammar is crucial, to fully understand the essence of English, EFL students should immerse themselves in the culture of English-speaking nations. This entails exploring cultural facets like music, films, literature, culinary traditions, and even fashion. Incorporating cultural elements not only enriches EFL lessons but also resonates with students, making the learning process more engaging and comprehensive.
Use authentic materials
Compare two cultures
Introduce live native speakers
Use food as a tool
Use songs as a tool
Use Online Resources
Authentic materials can be anything that native English speakers might use that can be adapted for use in an EFL classroom.... [Read more]
Tefl reviews - The Esa Methodology Of Teaching The Engage Phase - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
This presentation is going to focus on the ESA methodology of teaching. In our teaching methodologies section, we briefly had a look at what ESA was about, but in this presentation, we're going to look in greater detail about that particular methodology. This particular methodology is accredited to Jeremy Harmer from his "Practice of English language Teaching" book. It's a three-stage methodology and what we're going to do is to look at the purpose of each one of these stages and some typical activities that take place during those stages. So, the first stage is known as the engage and its sole purpose, as the name implies, is to get the students talking and thinking in English. There is no reason whatsoever, when these students come to your class, that they should have said a... [Read more]
Discipline in a Language Learning Environment - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
The 21st century has completely changed language learning around the world. Nowadays, learning a foreign language is a matter of surfing the internet and finding several courses or online apps the make it incredibly easy. In addition, young learners today have developed a series of skills that also give them a higher chance of learning languages compared to previous generations. However, this has also made people more laid-back and less motivated to try and learn other languages.
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Motivation and Discipline
Discipline Techniques
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Jairo G. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions... [Read more]
How Self-Analysis and Reflection Can Help a Teacher Improve - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
The CEO of a multi-million-dollar company I worked for once told me, "Change or change will change you." This motto has stuck with me since the day I heard him say it. It's part of the reason why I decided that I want to be a teacher. I know it's going to bring me out of my comfort zone and force me to do things that I otherwise would never do. A teacher can never stop learning; one has to constantly improve. Otherwise, what's the point? Some of the most important ways to ensure that one improves as a teacher are to self-analyze and reflect. It's fine to use these tactics at one's own pace and discretion, but they are of utmost importance.
Revision and Goals
Challenges Analysis
Saving Good Ideas for Future
Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL... [Read more]
How I learned Basic Teaching Skills in China - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
I have been working in China for more than six months now and it's been a very interesting time for me not just to learn more about the country and its people, but also to enrich my teaching skills and grow professionally as a teacher.
Specific Approach
Assistance
Teaching an extremely large classroom
Total physical response
Do you want to teach English in China?
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Evgeniya S.
When I arrived in China, I hardly knew anything about specific features of teaching in that country, so I thought that the knowledge I had was quite enough to handle the classes in kindergarten or primary school. But since my first working day, I have often been surprised and even sometimes perplexed by... [Read more]
9 Ways To Get Efficient In Classroom Management - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
What is classroom management? Classroom management refers to all kinds of activities and measures taken by teachers in order to make effective use of their time, to create a good learning environment and to reduce bad behavior. In classroom teaching, in addition to the task of "teaching", the teacher also has the task of "managing", that is, coordinating and controlling all kinds of teaching factors in order to ensure the smooth progress of teaching activities.
1. Expression control method
2. Sound control method
3. Gaze method
4. Pause attraction method
5. Name method
6. Gesture method
7. Short rest method
8. Media transformation method
9. Competition stimulation
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This... [Read more]
Managing Equipment and Teaching Aids - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
As a teacher, your job is to give your students the best education that you can give them. This is achieved by a number of different methods and techniques. When I was teaching before I did this course I just used a bund of different techniques but I never realized exactly what they were called or their importance to the classroom and the lesson as a whole. One of the things I have now learned is the art of managing equipment and teaching aids.
What are teaching aids?
Everyday Aids
Destructive Aids
Engaging Aids
Do you want to teach English all over the world? You are one step from it!
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Prudence R. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily... [Read more]