Student Centered Teaching

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Teaching English to high-school students and teaching English to university students are uniquely different and require different skills and teaching methods. High school students are in a period of development known as adolescence. One of the leading developmental psychologists, Erik Erikson, defines adolescence as a period of struggle between identity versus role confusion (Hutchison, 2013). During adolescence, high schoolers are going through many physical, cognitive, emotional, and social changes (Hutchison, 2013). They are struggling to define who they are in this world not about their parents. They want to make their own choices in life based on their reasoning. A high schooler may choose on their own to learn English as a foreign language, but...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas As a teacher of English as a foreign language, or any subject really, you have to consider the seating arrangement in your classroom. Studies have shown that seating arrangements where the teacher can see the faces of all of the students at all times increase student engagement and are therefore beneficial for their learning. Considering this, here are the best desk arrangements for EFL students that you should try out in your classroom! Single Rows U-Shape Double Rows Clusters More things to consider regarding desk placement: Listen to this blog post Are you ready to teach English abroad? Related Articles: Setting up the students' desks in single rows is great for teacher demonstrations and independent table work. While this arrangement is very formal and...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Teaching is a very rewarding experience when you have enthusiastic and motivated students, regardless of teaching one student or a group of students. However, in my opinion, only very young learners seem to have the enthusiasm teachers crave for. Conversation practice Student personality Mix of abilities and interests Teaching bigger classrooms Learn how to approach groups and individual students taking your TEFL course right now! Related Articles: Listen to this blog post: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Carmen T. I have been teaching English in France without a qualification due to the great demand for English teachers and in my personal experience, one-to-one lessons have been difficult as I came across introvert adults...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Teaching is itself a challenging task when it comes to teaching a beginner student. If the student is an adult or young the challenge might be there. There are means and methods of overcoming such challenges for both the teacher and the student. Analysis test Students behavior Lesson plan Developing materials Why should the teachers be more attentive to beginner students? What are the methods and techniques for teaching beginner students? 1. Using the review technique 2. Make a vocabulary journal 3.Technology implementation 4. Engage them Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Sonal L. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs...  [Read more]

Mark Crocker Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Teaching and learning are processes that go hand in hand with one another. Effective teachers are able to inspire and engage students with a desire to learn. They must be able to impart their abilities of learning into students in various ways. Through my personal teaching experiences, I firmly believe in establishing high, yet attainable expectations, creating a curriculum that is student centered, and providing real life experiences for students to help them grasp the concepts taught in the lesson. Classroom Management is the Foundation of Learning Student Centered Lesson Content is Key Real Life Experiences Make a Real Difference Bring It All Together Are you ready to teach English abroad? Related Articles: Listen to this blog post: ...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas A highly motivated student is one who is goal-oriented, driven by passion and focused. He/she does things from the bottom of the heart. Motivation can be viewed as an internal impulse that brings us to complete an action. Without motivation, there is no action. Motivation is what moves or inspires the learner to achieve set objectives. It's the motor that drives the student to achieve pedagogical objectives. Hence it's an essential tool to equip students with, so that whatever they do it effectively and with perfection. Behavior and Motivation Efforts and Motivation Get to Know Your Students Get Your Students Involved Vary Your Activities Choose The Best Strategy Find Perfect Materials Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related...  [Read more]

Federico Riva Alumni Experiences In today's world, technology has evolved in a way that makes everything so much more accessible. Even in areas that are less fortunate, or have less access to certain resources, it is still possible for them to have access to education because of the availability of online resources. There are many companies nowadays that donate computers, laptops, and facilities to these areas to give them a better chance of having a good education. Teachers from all over the world are now able to provide classes and one-on-one lessons to these areas because of this. Aside from the fact that having online classes gives access to students from all over the world, it is also much more convenient and cost-effective. Overview of Online Possibilities Choice of Resources...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In January, I stood in front of a class of breakthrough English students at a university in Bogotá, Colombia. I'd never taught students in an ESL classroom before, but I was pretty confident having seven years of experience under my belt and a degree in literature. I was naive. I began the lesson with the class that my co-teacher had lent me for the first time. The objective of the lesson was to practice using past tense through storytelling; five minutes into it, I called on a student with his hand in the air. " What up, My Nigga!" He said it and I almost lost all of my composure on the first day while I should have been thinking about building rapport. Tool for communication Pronunciation peculiarities Advanced level of vocabulary Do you want to...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas For students to be able to communicate effectively, they need to be proficient in the four language skills. Productive skills are known SPEAKING and READING, then you have your receptive skills known as READING and LISTENING. All four language skills are of importance and should be combined during lessons as they are all of importance to teach students to communicate with others. Goals Speaking Writing Integration Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Natalie B. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. If a student or a student comes to a language teacher, it means he/she has a clear goal to be excellent...  [Read more]

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

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Presently, I take care of my ninety-six-year-old father at home and have no immediate plans to teach overseas. Fortunately, I live in a community (Aurora, Colorado) that has over 140 different language groups and ethnicities. Aurora ranks as the tenth most diverse community in the United States. I have worked toward my TEFL certification for the future; however, I have plans to use the training now. Personal Plan Online Platforms Requirements Employment Salaries The Effective Online Teacher Set Expectations Correct Carefully Relationship and Feedback Project (Individual and Group) Resources Closing Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Roland A. Please note...  [Read more]

When teaching English abroad, the profiles of your students can be diverse, influenced by the teaching location and the type of institution you are associated with. You might find yourself guiding university students, professionals from the hospitality sector, or even top-tier business leaders. On another spectrum, you could be in a public school, teaching a young cohort ranging from five to sixteen years old. Will I be teaching adults when teaching English abroad? Will I be teaching young learners when teaching English abroad? Can I also earn extra cash as a private tutor when teaching English abroad? A large percentage of teachers working in ESL classrooms overseas will find their classes are full of adults of various ages and backgrounds. This is particularly true across Europe...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences This academic discourse will examine the concepts of motivation in an ESL classroom, through the lens of some motivational theorists such as John Schumann and John Keller. According to Kreitner ( 1995 ), "Motivation is the psychological process that gives behavior purpose and direction". Dalton E (1974) stated that " Motivation refers to how urges drives, desires, aspirations, and strivings or needs direct, control or explain the behavior of human beings. From the definitions quoted above, one can conclude that without motivation, there's inertia at the level of human ability and energy. There are four kinds of motivation: intrinsic, extrinsic, instrumental, and integrative. ATTENTION RELEVANCE CONFIDENCE SATISFACTION Do you want to teach English...  [Read more]

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? Related Articles: Listen to...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Teaching can be a very fulfilling and enjoyable occupation. It is, however, also filled with a lot of challenges. The workload can be high, the hours long, the course material may be difficult, and the students themselves can make a lot of difficulty for the teacher. As most teachers will attest there will be students who are difficult to deal with. They can be unmotivated, distracted, tired, or even purposefully disruptive. Many teachers have quit the profession because of unruly classes. Many more teachers have lost their temper and ruined a class because of this. There are, however, many ways to manage unruly students. Sometimes, they even become the very best students. Considering Anticipated Problems Level of Engagement Keeping Calm Setting up Clear...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Teaching English online has been a great experience for me. For the past two years, I have been able to provide English lessons to Chinese students between the ages of 4 and 14 through a platform called VIPKID. It is a platform that allows Chinese parents to partner their Children with North American English teachers via the Internet. The platform provides all of the lesson materials that are easy to follow after training and participating in workshops with more knowledgeable teachers. It is an impressive platform that has positively impacted my teaching experience. Pros and Cons for Teachers How to Solve Problems? My Thoughts on Online Education Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas When we start to learn new things as children, we tend to do that with the help of games. That is why in many classrooms of young learners, we find games to be a highly popular medium amongst educators. It is a way of absorbing and processing a piece of information in a fun and educational way. But when we grow up, we somehow forget the necessity of games in the classroom. Ice Breaker Ways to Include Games into Your Lesson What Games to Choose? Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Anna B. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. When it comes to learning a second language, children immerse themselves in...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences ESL students will receive many formal grammar lessons that will give them a good grounding in proper English sentence structures, when to use who and whom, various verb tenses, the importance of noun-verb agreement and proper punctuation—and much more. Proper grammar will give them a thorough understanding of the elements of grammar and equip them to navigate through formal English-language communication, such as business letters and reports, meetings, emails to clients, and formal assignments in English classes. Real vocabulary Real-life situations Colloquialisms Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course today! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Brenda Q. Please note that this blog post...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Teaching English to foreign students can be challenging, yet one of the most rewarding experiences. Providing education on the English language to young, middle-aged, or older individuals can be an eventful experience, shaping an instructor's portfolio and personal life. In this report, I explore possible advantages and disadvantages of teaching English to university students in China from a prospective instructor's perspective. Individual Needs Working on Personal Qualities Listen to this blog post Enjoying The Process Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Dhanisha N. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Teaching, in general, can be an action-packed...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Susan W. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. 1. Self-introduction 2. Reasons for practicing as an EFL Teacher 3. Ways in which EFL will guide me achieve my goals 4. Games and activities in the classroom 5. Planning my New Lesson Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: I am Susan and I'm 40 years female from Kenya and I have graduated with a bachelor's degree in Art in Education. I have been teaching young learners in Kenya for two years and I was invited to teach English in southern China and I am ready for the new challenge teaching abroad. I decided to do a TEFL test online so that I can acquire the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas No one denies the importance of English language in the present time as a global language. If a language was a house, vocabulary would be construction material to build up that house. Language and Vocabulary Textbooks Visual Clues Games Audio-lingual Approach Video Format Tests Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Dung N. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Therefore, studying a language cannot be separated from studying vocabulary. Besides, vocabulary plays an important role because it appears in every language skill. However, it is not easy to study perfect English vocabulary. It is difficult to...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas It's my dream to be a teacher since I was a little girl. It's so lucky, I became an English teacher after I graduated from school. I like my job, I always prepared a lot before my class, such as materials, flashcards, teaching plan and so on. Because I hope my students will enjoy my class and gain knowledge through my class. 1. Attitude 2. Sense of Humor 3. Lesson Structure 4. Teaching Approach 5. Games and Activities 6. Encouragement Are you ready to teach ESL students abroad? Related Articles: Listen to this blog post: I heard that a good teacher must be a good actor. I really impressed by this sentence, it always reminds me, no matter how tired you are and how sad you are, once you enter in the classroom, you must be full of energetic and keep a...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Stories serve to be entertaining and educational in most cultures. A nice bedtime story for young children becomes a ritual in a lot of families nowadays, it makes up a sweet memory for a lot of people. When the listener is interested in the story, even when there is no verbal communication between the storyteller and the listener, there is still a bond between them. Therefore, storytelling is such a powerful tool teacher could use. Storytelling could make the lesson more interesting and memorable. To build the bond between the students and the teacher during storytelling, the teacher has to make sure the attention of his/her audiences are fully attracted. To make sure the stories are interesting for students the teacher has to consider several factors...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas These days, young children from non-English speaking countries are increasingly being forced to learn English and many parents believe that their children knowing English will benefit their children's futures. The demand for English teachers, particularly in Asia, is quite high and this has called for many schools and English learning centers in Asia to look to hire native English speakers. As demand is high, there often is a compromise on the quality of the teachers. Working with young children requires specific skill sets that often can be taught but must also come naturally. This essay will address issues and provide recommendations on what is needed to be able to work with young children that are learning English for the first time. Teachers'...  [Read more]

  This video looks at the difficulties students have when learning modal auxiliary verbs. The number of usages and the modal auxiliary verbs that can be used for various usages often bring about problems for the students. Also, the structure of sentences with modal auxiliary verbs can be confusing. Watch this video to understand all the difficulties students face with modal auxiliary verbs. 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...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas Giving directions as a teacher to non-native English speakers in an EFL classroom often requires a set of techniques to ensure the students truly understand the directions and can follow them how you want them to. The following 10 tips to help your students follow directions when teaching English abroad work for students of all ages and levels but are especially useful for English learners of young ages or low levels. 1. Ask for Their Attention 2. Minimize Distractions 3. Speak Quietly 4. Break Down Instructions 5. Number Your Directions 6. Be Precise 7. Wait Before Repeating 8. Don't Ask "Do You Understand?" 9. Rephrase Questions 10. Use Visual Reminders Listen to this blog post Are you ready to teach English abroad? Related Articles Before starting an...  [Read more]

hello everybody is anyone there so while um i'm waiting for uh more people to join let me know if you can hear me clearly and see me clearly okay so when you're joining please let me know if you hear me well hello hello welcome to uh the weekly live session uh we're just about to start but we need to wait for some more people to join us and while we're waiting please let me know if you hear me clearly and see me clearly so there is a chat box you can use for interaction with myself so please um leave me a comment if you see me clearly and hear me clearly so that i know that everything works smooth okay and uh today's live session um will be devoted to some new trends in efl teaching last week i took part uh in a teaching conference and i learned a lot of interesting uh facts about um efl...  [Read more]

Home / Location / Tokyo / Gallery Tokyo / Gallery ITTT Trainee and students in Tokyo Our TEFL and TESOL training center in Tokyo is the perfect place to start your TEFL journey. Japan has been one of the best locations for teaching English as a foreign language for decades. Our training center offers you the opportunity to become a certified English teacher after a four-week intensive course.   [Read more]

  Our next consideration is going to be how we actually group our students. There are perhaps three types of grouping arrangements that we can consider and within those we'll have a look at the potential positive and negatives of those particular arrangements. So firstly, what arrangements can we use? We could arrange our group as a whole class so all of their activities will be done as a whole class. They could be working as individuals and the final grouping arrangement we'll consider is that of small groups or indeed the use of pair work. So for each of these types of arrangements what are the potential positive and negatives with that type of arrangement? For the whole class certainly one of the main positive features is that it gives that class a sense of belonging. Secondly the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Throughout this course, it was mentioned that language does not happen in isolation. It is a product of the various aspects of culture, values, and context that make up the environment in which the language is used. Language can be used in vastly diverse and varied manners, and within different contexts have unique meanings. In the same way, slang and idioms are created based on specific contexts that exist within a society or group within a culture. Cultural Awareness Creativity and Fun Motivation Aspect Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Temi O. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Proverbs,...  [Read more]