Classroom Reading Ideas

A balanced approach to using a combination of created and authentic materials can be beneficial to both the students and the teacher in an ESL classroom.Created materials can be either a previously published course text or something the teacher has specifically created to supplement a lesson. Often students will expect some published materials such as a course book and view it as a form of security as well as a way to gauge their progress, i.e. how many chapters of the book they have completed. Published course materials have generally been tried and tested before release and thus are graded to a level suitable for the students and contain a balanced mix of vocabulary, grammar and skills exercises. As well, they can be very useful in pointing out certain structures or language...  [Read more]

In each class, there are many different students. Each of these students has a different way of learning. A teacher in an ESL classroom will need to respect the many ways students learn and develop lessons with a wide range of activities and exercises that address these different intelligences. Howard Gardner''s theory of multiple intelligences emphasizes 8 different styles of learning that encompass most people. As the teacher begins to understand the students in his/her class, they will begin to develop a sense of how each student learns and be able to tailor lessons to suit.Word SmartStudents who are word smart learn best through verbal activities. Verbal activities are listening, reading, or speaking. To target these learners, a teacher may include discussions, worksheets,...  [Read more]

According to research conducted by Grant Miller and Tracy Hall, '' classroom order encourages student engagement, which supports learning' (Miller para. 1). In many articles and studies that are readily available, the popular perspective seems to be that classroom order must happen before learning can happen; order must be present for student engagement to be present. It is common to employ traditional classroom management techniques based on the creation of order: threat or promise of reward. Order, it is perceived, creates an environment where students are engaged. Perhaps that idea is slightly backwards. Perhaps it is not order that leads to engagement, but engagement that leads to order. Teaching to multiple intelligences engages more students. More students engaged...  [Read more]

When individuals are grouped together, especially in a learning environment, there will always be a mixture of abilities. A ?homogeneous classroom? does not exist. For this reason, it is essential, as a teacher, to be prepared to address a class full off different levels and abilities from start to finish. According to Gareth Rees, it is important to address this situation from the first day of class. He suggests having an open class discussion to put it out in the open which I believe makes for a more comfortable classroom. It is important to stage and structure the discussion by asking certain questions such as; would you rather sit and listen or actively participate? Rees calls this a ?Needs Analysis.? Comparing answers you, as a teacher, can have...  [Read more]

When individuals are grouped together, especially in a learning environment, there will always be a mixture of abilities. A 'homogeneous classroom' does not exist. For this reason, it is essential, as a teacher, to be prepared to address a class full off different levels and abilities from start to finish.According to Gareth Rees, it is important to address this situation from the first day of class. He suggests having an open class discussion to put it out in the open which I believe makes for a more comfortable classroom. It is important to stage and structure the discussion by asking certain questions such as; would you rather sit and listen or actively participate' Rees calls this a 'Needs Analysis.' Comparing answers you, as a teacher, can have a better...  [Read more]

When I first began teaching lessons during the TEFL Course I found myself almost automatically saying to the students, ?English please,? after all it is an English class. However, I began to question myself about whether or not this was ?correct? practice or if the students should in fact use their native language to assist them in the learning process. After doing some research I found the TEFL Law Code of Ethics. The Law of Ethics provided many vague and open-ended ideas. It suggested things along the lines of, ?The foreign language teacher shall direct her whole professional effort to assist the students to develop his/her second language speaking ability.? It also mentions that TEFL teachers are to act with justice and fairness, to act with evolving concepts...  [Read more]

  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. Unit 14, Course Book and lesson Material was a very interesting and useful unit. This unit conveyed many different ideas for lesson planning and activities. After reading this unit I learned that authentic and created materials can be very useful in the classroom. For example, the students will find the lessons more meaningful and relevant. Of course, planning accordingly will help the students gain...  [Read more]

The use of music in classrooms today is widespread, but it's educational value is in debate. This article will discuss the importance of music and song when teaching English as a Second Language (ESL). It is my opinion that music is a vital tool that a teacher can utilise to enhance language retention as well as student motivation and enjoyment.Music helps create positive feelings about learning English (Uchida, 2003). Music and song are universal as is the enjoyment of music and students will already be experiencing music in their own culture. Therefore, the introduction of music into the classroom can be a very non-threatening way of creating a comfortable classroom atmosphere, establishing a link between the student's background and the language they are about to learn. ...  [Read more]

In an ESL lesson, the materials chosen to present the new grammar and vocabulary are a very important part of the teacher?s preparation and largely determine how well the lesson will be understood and enjoyed by the students. The options of materials are many but all have their own appropriate uses. It is a good idea for ESL teachers to build up a collection of teaching materials and ideas that span from fun games to worksheets to short, easy novels. Often, a course book is the main guideline but other materials should be used to complement and diversify the lessons. Choosing the correct materials depend on many different areas such as class size, language level, personal interests of the students, student ages, etc. But the teacher should view this part of...  [Read more]

Throughout the ITTT course, the main suggestion for finding supplemental materials is to search through the school's resource library. There are obvious benefits to this: the staff may be able to direct you easily to what you are looking for, the materials can easily be photocopied (if that is an option), and the materials can be chosen as the need arises during the class. However, there is a whole other world of materials available on-line as well. While there are many places where Internet access is impossible, the teacher will probably be aware of this before arriving and could do some preparation and bring ideas and materials with them. For an isolated school, the teacher can also then cheaply and easily provide the resource library with new and updated activities, ...  [Read more]

  This video breaks down the difference between "among" and "between". The word "between" is used to refer to two or more things that are distinct. A great example would be: "Choose between the red and the green socks". Here, we use "between" as the socks are clearly different and separated. "Among", on the other hand, is used to refer to things that are part of a group or mass, such as in this example: "Choose among all your socks" here we use ?among? because we are talking about all of the socks. Let's take a look at two more examples to make the difference even clearer. "I am walking between Baker Street and 5th Avenue." Here, we are talking about two separate streets and use 'between'. "I am walking among my friends." In this example, we're talking about more than two people...  [Read more]

  This particular methodology is known as a straight arrow ESA lesson. If every single lesson that we undertook with our students was a straight arrow ESA lesson then it is quite possible that the students would be able to predict what is going to come up next and whilst this is good for the lower level students, then it could potentially become a little bit boring for our higher level students. So what Harmer did in his ideas about ESA, was to generate two other types of ESA lesson that we can use to try and generate a little bit more interest. So, the other two types of ESA lesson that we can follow: The first is known as a boomerang lesson and the second is known as a patchwork lesson and what we're going to do is to have a look at those other types of ESA lesson in a little bit...  [Read more]

The research had been done by a group of teachers including us. It was based on a project implemented by our school. Research included some books and internet articles that have been read before the time to give a basic guideline what to look for. The links are included at the bottom of the page. We personally went to different institutes to learn more about the latest technology used in Taiwan. It is not an article based on research using books and internet, but personal participation and experience. This research article explains three concepts or methods currently used in our school or institutes in and around the country of Taiwan. New technology in a classroom has become a common teaching tool for everyday activities. We are privilege that we are in a country and...  [Read more]

Motivation is needed in any walk of life if people are to succeed. If we are not stimulated to tackle a challenge then we will not attempt it, and so motivation has to be an important consideration when teaching any students, not just those learning English.Studies on motivation in the classroom such talk about two kinds of motivation; intrinsic which comes from within the student and is about his or her personal goals, and extrinsic motivation which concerns external motivational factors such as exams, rewards, peer pressure etc.Adults in a learning situation may be more intrinsically motivated as they have made a conscious decision to learn, whereas younger learners may be less so as they have no choice. Elizabeth Holmes (www.teachernet.co.uk Motivation in the Classroom 2003))...  [Read more]

In an ESL lesson, the materials chosen to present the new grammar and vocabulary are a very important part of the teacher’s preparation and largely determine how well the lesson will be understood and enjoyed by the students. The options of materials are many but all have their own appropriate uses. It is a good idea for ESL teachers to build up a collection of teaching materials and ideas that span from fun games to worksheets to short, easy novels. Often, a course book is the main guideline but other materials should be used to complement and diversify the lessons. Choosing the correct materials depend on many different areas such as class size, language level, personal interests of the students, student ages, etc. But the teacher should view this part of planning...  [Read more]

Although it is natural to be a little apprehensive before taking a TEFL/TESOL course, there is no need to get overly anxious or concerned. As long as you are enthusiastic, prepared to put in the hours and are open to new ideas, you should have no problem successfully completing the training. However, there are a few things you can do in the run up to your training course to ensure that it is a smooth process that ends with that all important certificate in your hand. If you take an online course, you will be able to set your own amount of study hours and choose when you do them. In this case, it is important to plan a study schedule and keep to it if you want to complete the course in the time frame you need. Write up a calendar with weekly goals that you can realistically stick to....  [Read more]

Many overseas TEFL employers complete their job interview process online via Skype or Zoom, etc. However, in some parts of the world it is still common for teaching jobs to be secured following a face-to-face interview at the actual school where the job is located. While it is true that every interview is a little different, there are a few common themes that you can prepare for in advance. One huge thing to remember is the old saying that we form a first impression of someone within seven seconds of meeting them for the first time. If you want to get off to a good start and not ruin your chances before the interview has even really started, there are a few simple techniques you should keep in mind. Although it shouldn’t need to be said, turning up on time for an interview is an absolute...  [Read more]

Check out Tesolcourse.com about TEFL - Cambridge Online Celta Courses and apply today to be certified to teach English abroad. You could also be interested in: This is how our TEFL graduates feel they have gained from their course, and how they plan to put into action what they learned: C.H. - China said: As time goes by, I have spent over five months on taking this course since December last year. Frankly speaking, I really appreciate the TEFL course which offers me lots of beneficial and practical teaching methodology, and this content plays a crucial role in my teaching career. Firstly, it gives me scientific guidance in terms of the teaching theory. To be specific, I become much clear about what roles a teacher needs to play at the different stages of a lesson...  [Read more]

Teaching is not merely sharing of information or knowledge, but also an expression of values and attitudes. What teachers usually get back from their students is what they themselves have brought to the teaching-learning process. The role of the teacher is multi-faceted and diverse. Just some of the roles that a teacher must take on are that of motivator, mentor, decision maker, coach, facilitator, psychologist, parent, speaker, actor/actress, assessor, organizer, model, observer and disciplinarian amongst others. Ultimately in the world of TEFL, the teacher teaches language, reading, writing, speaking and listening. To be able to do this, the teacher must take on many other roles which make it one of the most challenging professions. To put it mildly, teaching is not for...  [Read more]

Motivation is necessary to keep students happy and interested amidst a language learning situation that progressively challenges them. If there are no motivating factors present, learning becomes plain hard work. Behavioral problems in the classroom often, or always, seem to be linked to the lack of motivation (Lile). Intelligent students are often out-performed by less bright students with high motivation (ibid). According to Steers and Porter (cited in Suslu, 2006), motivation can be characterized as: needs or expectations, behavior, goals, and some form of feedback. Basic motivational conditions need to be present before motivational strategies can be successfully applied to students to effect positive goal-related behavior (D?rnyei, 2001:31-49). ?Appropriate...  [Read more]

The usual form taken in a classroom to teach a foreign language involves mostly vocabulary and a progressive curriculum that warrants more memorization and translation than use and understanding. My foreign language experiences that where design as such proved to be painstakingly dull and had very little permanence in my body of knowledge. However, not to discredit the need for vocabulary and grammatical points in order to learn a language, to learn while using a language has proven to be a more effective and efficient way to functionally learn a foreign language. The Augustine Club at Columbia University suggests, ?learning a foreign language is not a matter of reading some grammar rules and memorizing vocabulary words?acquiring a language is learning a skill, not a...  [Read more]

The usual form taken in a classroom to teach a foreign language involves mostly vocabulary and a progressive curriculum that warrants more memorization and translation than use and understanding. My foreign language experiences that where design as such proved to be painstakingly dull and had very little permanence in my body of knowledge. However, not to discredit the need for vocabulary and grammatical points in order to learn a language, to learn while using a language has proven to be a more effective and efficient way to functionally learn a foreign language. The Augustine Club at Columbia University suggests, 'learning a foreign language is not a matter of reading some grammar rules and memorizing vocabulary words'acquiring a language is learning a skill, not a body of...  [Read more]

You can certainly get a teaching job with an online TEFL certificate. In fact, you can probably get a teaching job without any kind of qualifications or experience whatsoever. The real question is, can you get a quality teaching job with good pay and comfortable working conditions with an online certificate? The answer is still YES, if you make sure you sign up for the best quality online course you can find. The main problem for online trainees is the obvious lack of any practical teaching experience. If you can afford a month-long in-class training course that includes multiple hours of teaching practice in a real classroom, you will be able to apply for a wider range of jobs in most parts of the world. If you choose the cheaper online option, you will find that you will be more...  [Read more]

Over the past four decades it appears that the advanced development of computers and the ready availability of this technology have led to an interest in a lexical approach to second language learning versus the more traditional grammar based approach. The Oxford dictionary defines lexical as 'connected with the words of a language', and grammar as 'the rules in a language for changing the form of words and joining them into sentences'. Two additional terms that are relevant to understanding this new approach is concordances, 'a list produced by a computer that shows all the examples of an individual word in a book', and collocations, 'a combination of words in a language that happens very often and more frequently than would happen by chance'.One article researched suggest...  [Read more]

Over the past four decades it appears that the advanced development of computers and the ready availability of this technology have led to an interest in a lexical approach to second language learning versus the more traditional grammar based approach. The Oxford dictionary defines lexical as ?connected with the words of a language?, and grammar as ?the rules in a language for changing the form of words and joining them into sentences?. Two additional terms that are relevant to understanding this new approach is concordances, ?a list produced by a computer that shows all the examples of an individual word in a book?, and collocations, ?a combination of words in a language that happens very often and more frequently than would happen by chance?. One article researched...  [Read more]

Check out Tesolcourse.com about 100 Hour TEFL Online Co Uk and apply today to be certified to teach English abroad. You could also be interested in: This is how our TEFL graduates feel they have gained from their course, and how they plan to put into action what they learned: A.L. - USA said: I have personally learned a lot from this TEFL course. I am currently in taiwan, and I am going to be teaching english abroad for at least a year. My boss called me in yesterday, and asked me to teach a junior high level class-- with just one night in advance notice. Luckily, because of this course, I was able to think fast and on my feet. I used the Patchwork ESA lesson, and I devised a lesson plan that was fun and interesting for my students. I taught them two american songs (A...  [Read more]

This paper is concerned with teaching the productive skill of writing for students of non-native English speaking countries. This is an area that has all but been ignored in the past and somewhat over looked in the field of TESOL, as administrators, teachers and students seem to be more concerned and more focused on the speaking side of the productive skills. As more and more ESL students are seeking writing help at the college and university levels, the need becomes clear for better writing instruction in the ESL classroom. The ability to write well is not a naturally acquired skill, nor is it a linear process easily fit into some pre-taught format. Writing must be taught as a set of practices in a formal instructional setting and must be practiced. Good writing ...  [Read more]

This paper is concerned with teaching the productive skill of writing for students of non-native English speaking countries. This is an area that has all but been ignored in the past and somewhat over looked in the field of TESOL, as administrators, teachers and students seem to be more concerned and more focused on the speaking side of the productive skills.As more and more ESL students are seeking writing help at the college and university levels, the need becomes clear for better writing instruction in the ESL classroom. The ability to write well is not a naturally acquired skill, nor is it a linear process easily fit into some pre-taught format. Writing must be taught as a set of practices in a formal instructional setting and must be practiced. Good writing involves composing...  [Read more]

Demand for TEFL qualified teachers is very strong in many parts of the world, which is why our TEFL courses are open to anyone who has a solid grasp of the English language. However, in order to successfully complete the course and go on to find a good quality teaching job you will need to put in some hard work and be willing to embrace new ideas and techniques. First and foremost, anyone thinking about earning their TEFL certification with ITTT needs to be enthusiastic, motivated and determined as every course requires a considerable amount of commitment in terms of both time and effort. If you are fully committed to becoming an English language teacher, either at home or abroad, then you should have little trouble successfully completing the course and becoming a qualified EFL...  [Read more]

Today, all teachers are faced with the ongoing challenge of working to make their teaching more effective. Whether they teach traditional students or EFL students, teachers must develop their skills to best meet students´ educational needs. We have a fairly clear idea today of the skills teachers should seek to develop. According to Robert Slavin, "research on teaching has made significant strides in identifying teaching behaviors associated with high student achievement" (Slavin, n.d.). These teaching behaviors include "essential teaching skills," which are "basic abilities that all teachers, including those in their first year, should have to promote order and learning" (Eggen & Kauchak, 2004, p. 579). The Key Teacher Skills include Preparation, Attention, Clarity,...  [Read more]