Student Centered Teaching Techniques

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]

Ramon Perez Teaching Ideas Every day, we learn something new. It can happen on the street, at work, at school and even in our home. We can attain new skills and knowledge through our interactions with our surroundings. Utilizing our 5 senses and past experiences to make sense of what is going on, we can ascertain new concepts and make proper use of them in our daily lives. However, as a teacher, we are tasked with transmitting abstract concepts that become difficult to fully grasp through traditional methods. Consequently, some teachers rely on literal translations to bring the point across. VISUAL AIDS ACTING/ROLE PLAY ENUNCIATION AND SPEECH MIMING CONCLUSION Related Articles: Since the student's exposure to the target language can be extremely limited outside of the classroom, it's...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In any language, there are four basic skills. They are equally important and teachers should try to include them in every lesson. Reading and listening are known as receptive skills while speaking and writing are known as productive skills. Teachers may focus more on one particular skill in each lesson while still integrating the others. Complexity of Skills Readers and listeners utilize, among others, the following skills: Problems in receptive skills and techniques to improve receptive skills Teachers could use several strategies to improve listening and reading skills. Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Milena S. Please note that this blog post might not...  [Read more]

International TEFL and TESOL Training, in conjunction with TEFL International, provides internationally recognised and accredited TEFL courses in a wide variety of interesting and exotic locations, right around the world. At ITTT we are proud of our in-class TEFL certification courses and what we are able to achieve in four short weeks of training. The majority of our trainees arrive with no prior knowledge or experience of teaching English, yet by the end of the course they leave us feeling confident in their ability to take on teaching positions in countries all over the world. Please click on the following links for further detailed information relating to our courses: Please click on the links below for further information about our individual course locations. Or click here below if...  [Read more]

We offer a world-renowned TEFL/TESOL certification course that equips you for the professional task of teaching English overseas, or in your home country. Our TEFL certification courses last for four weeks in a variety of exciting sites around the world, and have a very practical emphasis. There is no need to speak any language other than English, as our courses concentrate on training you to teach English with the international standard communicative approach - where English is the only language used in the classroom. Our TEFL certification courses are certainly demanding; however, we do everything within our power to encourage TEFL students to pass the course and to promptly acquire a teaching job abroad. 1 Teaching Practice This is the most practical and fundamental area of any TEFL...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In the language classroom, there are many roles that a teacher should be able to play to be well-rounded. In different situations and problems, a teacher will need to change his/her roles to complement the matter or to solve the conflicts. I would like to discuss a few roles that a teacher would need to play in a classroom: Entertainer, motivator, and leader/manager. Attention-grabbing skills Confident work Management skills Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Po W. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Holding a student's attention could be the most important element to have an effective lesson. One...  [Read more]

Luciana Campos Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas In today's world, it is essential for young adults to learn proper pronunciation to communicate effectively and confidently. Proper pronunciation helps others understand what we are saying. It is crucial for successful communication, especially when speaking English. Traditional methods of teaching pronunciation can be time-consuming and stressful for students. However, pronunciation is an essential component of language acquisition. So, there's no way to run! Gamification as a means for learning to pronounce Tips on Pronunciation Last Remarks Related articles Ready to teach English as a Foreign Language? Related Articles: Check out what our course grads say in our many video testimonials! I guess you expected me to start by providing...  [Read more]

Jon ITTT Alumni Experiences Upon completion of my TESOL course, the best thing I have learned is actually plural and not limited to one item. Most importantly a TESOL instructor needs to be able to reach all students with varying needs, styles and preferences of learning in order to ensure the highest degree of probability that his or her students learn English, while keeping all students in the class as engaged as possible at all times. Activities to use in the classroom Using technology in the classroom Learn strategies and techniques to improve your lesson with a course from ITTT! Related Articles: Listen to this blog post This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Dina P. For this reason, I have developed an ongoing list of strategies and techniques that I have...  [Read more]

  Also in the 1970s la señal came up with a new methodology called "Suggestopedia". As psychological theory was developing, one of the ideas that came up was something called ?the effective filter?. Basically, the effective filter is a barrier to learning. It's the reasons why we inhibit our learning of a particular language. There are two main elements to the effective filter, two sets of factors, if you like, those are known as internal and external factors. The external factors to learning, the reasons why we have barriers to learning, may be just simple things such as external noise. So, people talking to us while we're trying to learn and so on and so forth. Perhaps more important are these internal factors and the internal factors one of the main things here is our previous...  [Read more]

  The purpose of grammar translation then is to basically translate between L1 and L2 and vice versa. So, we could take a simple example. Let's imagine that our native language was English and our target language was French and let's assume that we want to translate a document from French into English. Let's take a simple sentence. Here's a sentence in French "Ouvre la fenêtre" and we'll add "s'il vous plaît" at the end. What we want to do is to take this L2 and translate it back into English. Now, if we have a reasonable knowledge of French then we may well know that this particular verb "ouvre" "to open" translates directly and this female form of the and finally the fenêtre "Open the window" and this polite form of "please". This is all very well if the two structures that...  [Read more]

  Our next methodology is called the silent way and it's accredited to Caleb Gattegno and was developed in or around the 1970s. This particular methodology moved on from the behaviorist stimulus response to what's called a theory of constructivism and this constructivist approach was very very different, very radical to anything that had been tried before. The background to this particular methodology was that there was a French mathematics teacher who found that his students were finding it very difficult to understand particular concepts. What he realized was that what they needed was a more visual representation of the information. So he came up with a series of colored rods to help with those concepts in mathematics. He gave his name to those rods and they're called Cuisenaire...  [Read more]

  Before we move on to the final methodology for today, let's just recap and see where we are at this point in time. We're looking at different learning methodologies. Each of those methodologies takes its premise from being somewhere on this particular spectrum of ?nature versus nurture? and where we are on this spectrum gives us a starting point for the background or theory to that particular methodology. So, we?ve had a look starting in the 17th century and the classical method and moving on as the ideas of psychology developed to various methods, such as audiolingualism, the silent way, Suggestopedia and TPR. Each of these showing a development as knowledge about learning increased and each of these takes a different starting point on our English spectrum. Below you can read...  [Read more]

  Before looking at the methods or approaches themselves, there are some terms that we need to define. These are the approach, the method or the technique. Basically, these are hierarchical. The approach is an overriding set of principles that a method can actually make use of, whereas the technique are the things that we actually do in the classroom to approach that method. So, these three words are going to appear during the presentation. Again, for each of either the approaches all the methodologies we're going to ask four questions. So be it an approach or a method for each of those things: Where did it come from? What's its background? What does it involve when we're talking about actually in the classroom, in other words techniques? What is positive about it? What appears to...  [Read more]

  "In terms of the things that are negative about it, we've already said that it doesn't develop speaking but perhaps the biggest negative point about this particular methodology is that it's very unnatural. Ok, so despite the criticisms of this particular method, and particularly the fact that is unnatural, this particular methodology was in use all the way through the 17th, 18th and 19th century and indeed it's still in use today. However, Gouin in the 1880s and Berlitz in the early 1900s decided that this particular methodology was so unnatural that they wanted to come up with something new. The method that they came up with, they called the direct method. You will also sometimes see it as the natural method. What these two people were saying is that if we wish to learn a language...  [Read more]

  Our final methodology is accredited to Jeremy Harmer and it's known by the letters ESA. Around 1998, Jeremy Harmer produced a book called "How to teach English" and basically what Harmer did, is a background to this book is to do what we have done today and to work through all of the different methodologies that have come about over the last 300 years. He highlighted for each of those methodologies what was good about it, what was positive and what didn't appear to work and then put all of the positive things into a melting pot and came out with this methodology, which he called ESA. It's a three-stage methodology, where each of the letters represents a particular phase of the lesson. The first one being called the engage phase, the second the study phase and the final one the...  [Read more]

  So what we're going to do is to run through a series of methodologies that were created mainly in the 1900s that adopted the idea that language learning should be much more communicative, much more natural. The first one is called audiolingualism and it's also called the army method because of where it was developed. Basically, psychology, during the 1950s and 60s, was building up new theories about behaviorism. Perhaps the most famous experiments that were done in this particular area were by Pavlov, where he was showing that most animals undergo a stimulus response mechanism and he had a series of famous experiments, where by ringing a bell, he could cause a dog to salivate, that would be his response, in the expectation of getting some food. This behaviorist idea of stimulus...  [Read more]

  So let's take an example of what those drills might involve. So here is an example of a repetition drill. I will model the language and then my class will repeat after me. So "This is a cup." "Spoon" ? "This is a spoon." "Knife" - "his is a knife." Thank you. The reason that it's called or also called the army method is that it was the method adopted by the United States military who had personnel stationed around the world at the end of Second World War and they realized that they needed those personnel to pick up the language very quickly and one of the positive things about this particular methodology is that you do very quickly learn vocabulary. Another positive thing about it is that you quickly learn the correct pronunciation of that vocabulary. However, there are some...  [Read more]

  Our next particular methodology is accredited to James Asher around 1965 and is called total physical response. Asher looked at the way in which we learn our native language and he saw that most children, before they even went to school, have picked up a very large percentage of both the grammar and the vocabulary that they would use in their native language before any type of formal schooling. So Asher started to have a look at ideas of how to use the whole of our brain in language learning in the way that we do when we're very young. It's accepted that within our brain there are two hemispheres, one is the left hemisphere the other is the right hemisphere, and one of the functions of the left hemisphere is language learning. One of the major functions of the right hemisphere is...  [Read more]

  This presentation is going to focus on the theories, methods and techniques of teaching and we're going to start with a quote. This is an interesting quotation because it contains within it a philosophical argument and it's a philosophical argument in the way in which we learn. Basically, this one is saying that the intelligence of their own children comes about due to a natural process. So this one could be said to be due to nature. This is exactly the opposite of this one, which is saying that they're teaching the environment that we create, creates that intelligence. So this one can be said to be due to nurture and this argument 'nature versus nurture' has been going on for thousands of years. These two viewpoints are two ends of a scale, or a continuum if you like, and every...  [Read more]

  Kim is from Thailand and joined the in-class training course in Chiang Mai to improve her teaching skills and advance her career opportunities. She was able to learn a lot about teaching techniques and how to engage the students into her lessons. With her internationally recognized teaching qualification in hand, she can now start teaching English overseas and live abroad. She highly recommends ITTT and our training center in Chiang Mai, Thailand, to anyone who wants to start a career in EFL teaching. Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Anna D. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. General recommendations Preparation and Class Routine Here's an example of a lesson plan: Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: Also Read: What is the difference between TESOL and TEFL? Also Read: What is the Central European Teaching Program CETP for teaching English in Hungary? Apply now & get certified to teach english abroad! Speak with an ITTT advisor today to put together your personal plan for teaching English abroad. Send us an email or call us toll-free at 1-800-490-0531 to speak with an ITTT advisor today.  [Read more]

A TEFL course equips individuals with the essential skills to effectively teach the English language, regardless of whether they are native speakers. While simply knowing the language was once deemed sufficient, it is now widely recognized that successful teaching requires a structured approach. A TEFL course covers methodologies to teach English language skills, lesson planning for diverse learners, refreshing English grammar concepts, and techniques to enhance classroom engagement. Simply put, it is designed to transform a native or non-native English speaker into a proficient English language instructor. English grammar and how to teach it Lesson planning and the ESA method Classroom management Evaluation and testing The mere mention of English grammar is often enough to strike fear...  [Read more]

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]

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]