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A Sample Lesson Plan for Students with a Short Attention Span - TEFL Blog
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:
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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?
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Speak with an ITTT advisor today to put together your personal plan for teaching English abroad.
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English Speaking and Writing Errors made by Chinese Primary Students - TEFL Blog
William Noble
Destinations Teaching Ideas
I have been an online ESL teacher to Chinese students for over 13 years, mostly with primary students but also with secondary and adult students. I am also a father and have homeschooled my daughter over her primary years. Like many teachers, I've enjoyed teaching at this level of education as it lays the foundation in English. As it set the foundation, my teaching helped students to overcome common errors in production skills, speaking and writing. Teaching both my daughter and Chinese students at the primary level also helped me also to understand the different expectations between first language and second language students.
Speaking Errors
Phonetics
Dark L
Aspiration
Consonant Clusters
Suprasegmentals
Intonation
Psychology
Writing Errors... [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]
How Mandarin Chinese Helps Me in Teaching English - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
Foreign language experience is complexed on so many different levels, it is a window into a different culture, often a different country and even a different paradigm of thinking. There is a multitude of language experiences people can have, each with their own intricacies and uniqueness. As a native English speaker from South Africa, living in China has provided me with extraordinary foreign language experience.
The Most Difficult Language
Benefits of Mandarin Experience
Do you want to teach English in China?
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Listen to this blog post:
This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Marlan S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
Mandarin, the national language of... [Read more]
Problems for Young English Learners in Public Schools in China - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Since the opening of China to the Western world, Chinese society and economic prowess have both continued to grow at exponential rates. This has led to its status as a rising power, culturally and economically, and an international power increasingly interconnected with many parts of the globe. As Chinese educational infrastructure tries to match pace with the rapidity of the country's progress, one educational mandate that has persisted in importance over time has been that of English learning for all young learners across the country. The government sees English proficiency as a matter of national economic competitiveness, in fact requiring that English is taught as part of the public school curriculum as preparation for China's 高考 (gaokao),... [Read more]
Problems for Learners in China and How to Help Teachers Overcome Them - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
After spending five years in China as an ESL teacher, corporate trainer and university lecturer I would like to share a few of the most common problems for Chinese learners and ways for teachers to overcome them. I will focus on problems regarding cultural differences, pronunciation and first language interference.
Social challenges
Pronunciation
First language influence
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Michal W. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
Despite China's opening to the outside world in recent decades, it is still a very closed society with only anecdotal knowledge of Western culture (by... [Read more]
Review From Tefl Student Akira - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
Akira is from Japan and he recently took the 120-hour TEFL/TESOL course with tutor support and videos. He learned how to create a lesson plan, interactive teaching activities and useful tips and tricks how to present English lessons effectively. He enjoyed the resources to keep his students interested in his lessons and recommends the course to anyone wanting to live abroad and teach English.
Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!
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3 Reasons Why Lesson Plan Will Make Your Teaching Less Stressful and Frustrating - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Lesson planning has always been the backbone of my lessons. I believe that to be successful in anything you need to plan, especially with projects or goals that are complex and time-consuming. As a teacher, I want to do everything I can to give my students every advantage possible, and that requires preparation and planning. Lesson planning is an essential part of teaching in a classroom and is the key to being an effective educator.
What can a lesson plan give you?
1. Achieve your goals
2. Visualize your lesson
3. Deepen students' experience
Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course today!
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Steven M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent... [Read more]
Troubles Faced by Students from China When Learning English - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
If you think of Chinese ESL students it is safe to assume that most teachers would immediately worry about how they should teach phonics to Mandarin speakers. It is also true that the media has portrayed the Chinese accent as one of the most challenging to understand or even get rid of.
Personal Experience
Phonetical Errors
Grammar Challenges
Problems Due to Geographical Origin of Students
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Graciela G. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
Usually, the first thing you will notice as an ESL teacher, speaking from experience, is the difficulty Chinese ESL students face... [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]
Fall Worksheet "Which one is big?" - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!
This fall worksheet is perfect for your fall lesson plans. Print it out and have your students circle the bigger item.
Go over the vocabulary for the drawing on the sheet with your students. Once they have all understood each word, hand out this work sheet and practice the concept of "big" and "small".
You can also introduce the full sentence, e.g. "The pumpkin is big." or "The hedgehog is small".
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Effective Planning for Inclusive Business English Lesson - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
The demand for teaching business English has been dramatically increased following the globalization of business. Many people think teaching business English requires detailed knowledge in the field where students are working. However, many students take business English classes because they want to learn and improve their communication skills with customers and coworkers, such as presenting a new product or describing the information to consumers, more than learning about their own business. Therefore, having special knowledge of the student's business is not necessary for teaching business English.
Students' Age and Abilities
Anticipated Problems
Placement Test
Methods
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This... [Read more]
3 Creative Zoom Lesson Plans for Children - TEFL Blog
Hoàng Minh Huy
TEFL Information Alumni Experiences
Due to the pandemic, distance learning has replaced traditional classroom instruction worldwide. Teachers in Hong Kong are attempting to find ways to instruct their students while at home under quarantine. To help you stay inspired when instructing online, I'm going to share some enjoyable games and activities to play with kids using Zoom in this post. If you've never used Zoom, you must give it a try with your students; you'll be pleasantly surprised.
Show and tell
Draw and guess
Board game
Conclusion
Are you ready to teach English as a foreign language?
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Check out what our course grads say in our many video testimonials!
Because students are staying at home in a cozy environment rather than attending actual classes... [Read more]
Problems for ESL Learners in China - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
The English language has become so essential in china because the country wants to successfully promote internationalism and keep the lines of communication open for trade and business matters. As one of the global powers, it's in the country's best interest to keep afloat of shifting trends in international matters.
Governmental decision
Spelling
Pronunciation
Singular / Plural Aspect
Gender
Articles
Lack of opportunities to practice
Word order
Individual differences
Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course!
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Ramy M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
The government has recognized that English is now... [Read more]
3 Things to Consider When Teaching University Students in China - TEFL Blog
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
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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]
TEFL Jobs - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ESL Teachers
Here at ITTT, we do everything we can to ensure that your overseas teaching experience runs smoothly - from beginning to end. Our TEFL support service will offer you all the advice you need, on everything from applying for TEFL courses to deciding where to teach; and most importantly, this support is available to you throughout your TEFL career. ITTT's support service is your one-stop reference point when it comes to teaching English overseas.
ITTT is dedicated to providing you with assistance throughout your overseas teaching career. No matter where you are in the world, our TEFL support service will provide you with valuable advice and tools - such as lesson plans - in order to assist you during your time as an EFL teacher. You can rest assured that even after you finish your TEFL... [Read more]
Where can I get free TEFL lesson plans? - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ TEFL FAQs
For educators in the TEFL field, having a structured lesson plan is a key to successful teaching. While some prefer crafting their own, others benefit from readily available online resources. Leveraging free online resources not only saves time but also offers insights into diverse teaching strategies. If you are looking for free TEFL lesson plans, there are numerous online platforms worth exploring. Here is a curated list of recommended sites where you can access these invaluable resources:
Where can I get free TEFL lesson plans?
UsingEnglish.com
TEFL.NET
The British Council
Lanternfish ESL
ThoughtCo
BusyTeacher
English Is a Piece of Cake
The Internet TESL Journal
iSLCollective
Online English Expert
Off2Class
This website offers over 1,000 free lesson plans for English teachers, sortable... [Read more]
Tefl reviews - Lesson Planning Part 2 What Does A Lesson Plan Contain - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
So, the document itself needs to contain some general information about the class, for example the name of the teacher, the date and time of the lesson, what level of class is being taught and in what room, how many students are we expecting, this is important, when we've got things like photocopying and materials to do, what is the context of the lesson, in other words, what is the lesson actually about, what vocabulary or grammar point is this lesson covering and sometimes it's also useful to write out what the focus of the lesson is. So, in effect, the context of the lesson is telling us the grammar point, for example, that might be the present continuous tense, whereas the focus is telling us how we're going to go about teaching it. Another example to illustrate this: Let's... [Read more]
What does a TEFL course teach you? - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ TEFL FAQs
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]
Tefl Review For In Class Sydney Course - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
In this TESOL review, one of our recent TEFL/TESOL trainees talk about his experience at our training center in Sydney, Australia. He especially enjoyed working with the local ESL students and creating interactive and fun lesson plans to teach them various language points in English. He is excited to start teaching English overseas with his new TEFL and TESOL teaching qualification. After completing the course, all trainees receive lifelong recruitment assistance with thousands of job offers from around the globe.
Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!
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How to Build Confidence in Chinese Business Students - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Self-confidence has been seen as a major contributor to a person learning a language. As a teacher and a counselor, I agree with Jack Welch's quote: Giving people self-confidence is by far the most important thing that I can do because then they will act. Confidence exists of three realms: who I am, what I can learn, and what I can do. These are steps that can be taken to help Chinese Business English students improve confidence in these realms.
What is self-confidence?
Who am I?
What can I learn?
What can I do?
Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course today!
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate William N. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.... [Read more]
The Typical Challenges for Chinese English Learners - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
This essay answers the question for number 10 "what are the main problems for learners in the country of China?" I am a professor at Jiangnan University in Wuxi, China and share my observations. Our students are in the North American College (NAC), with partners in Canada at Lambton College and Northwood University, USA. Three areas are most interesting to their learning challenges: college preparation, listening and writing.
Exam System
Lexical Units
Digital Autism
Writing
Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course!
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Annette P. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
Students enter NAC with a low score on... [Read more]
The Difference Between Teaching English to High School Students and University Students - TEFL Blog
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]
The Best Teaching Ideas for TEFL Teachers
Federico Riva
TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas
Volunteer English teaching is a very popular option with many people. It can take many forms and can be undertaken in a huge range of countries worldwide. Here we look at a few issues that might help you find the best places to teach English as a volunteer.
Federico Riva
TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas
This is a frequently asked question and we usually answer it with another question: Where are you in your ESL teaching career? Regardless of your answer, there will be a course which will meet your specific needs. So what are the options?
Federico Riva
TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas
Visual aids have always been a part of teaching methodology because they obviously work and aid... [Read more]
Teaching English to Adult Students Online - TEFL Blog
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!
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Roland A. Please note... [Read more]
Who will my students be when teaching English abroad? - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ TEFL FAQs
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]
Tefl reviews - Teaching English Esl Efl Tips/past Tenses Lesson - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
Here are helpful tips how to identify the various past tenses in the English language and complete worksheets successfully. The video also helps you to structure an effective lesson around the past tenses in an EFL classroom around the world.
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!
As a final lesson here in teaching Business English, Unit 6 provides additional information on how to create your own... [Read more]
How do I find a job teaching English in Italy? - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ TEFL FAQs
Italy, renowned for its rich history, Mediterranean allure, and relaxed ambiance, stands out as a top European destination for teaching English. To teach in this captivating location, a recognized TEFL certificate is usually required. While its appeal attracts educators globally, preparation is crucial to navigate the competitive job market. For those setting their sights on Italy, understanding the prerequisites via a well-researched guide can greatly increase your chances of securing that coveted teaching role.
What are the basic requirements for teaching English in Italy?
What is the best way to apply for jobs teaching English in Italy?
When is the best time to apply for jobs teaching English in Italy?
What visa will I need to teach English in Italy?
How much money will I need to... [Read more]
Types of Stories to Use for Teaching English to Different Groups of Students - TEFL Blog
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]
TEFL: How to teach vocabulary? - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ TEFL FAQs
When teaching vocabulary in TEFL, it is imperative to employ strategies that maximize retention and practical use. Key approaches include:
Harnessing these methods, TEFL teachers can ensure students not only learn but also effectively utilize new vocabulary both in and outside the classroom.
Teach new words in context
Frequent repetition is a must
Use pictures and other visuals
Use games to practice new vocabulary
One of the most beneficial strategies for helping students remember new language is teaching it in context. Simply listing new words on the board and expecting immediate comprehension might lead to disappointment. When introducing new vocabulary, it is advisable to group related words together rather than disconnected ones. Vocabulary lessons can be themed around subjects such... [Read more]