Els In Chicago

For the purpose of this article I assume that there is absolutely no difference between TEFL and TESOL, they are both a means of teaching English to people who do not have it as their first language. So why do people think to themselves sitting at home, maybe I will train to be a teacher, but not a regular teacher that we all grew up with at school. But someone who teaches the English language to non English speakers in foreign countries. Well the reasons are varied but almost everyone can identify themselves with at least one. Some realize that the jobs they work in are not quite what they thought they would do growing up. So in search of excitement and something more worthwhile they sign up to TEFL. Others like myself are really gypsies and have a great urge to...  [Read more]

The popularity of China as a destination for English language teachers has steadily increased in recent years, and it is now right at the top of the list with an estimated 100,000 foreign teachers working in the country each year. As a result of an extraordinary economic boom, Chinese parents are more willing than ever to spend thousands of dollars on their children's English education to give them the best chance of success in the future. With over 300 million people learning English across the country, China's insatiable demand for English language teachers looks set to continue. As there are often more job opportunities than there are teachers to fill them, schools are willing to offer very good salaries and other benefits to attract teachers. Salaries vary depending on the type of...  [Read more]

During the late seventeenth century while James, Duke of York, was renaming New Amsterdam. The vowel ' as in 'man' was lenghtening in certain contexts. In words like 'laugh' and 'path' and 'pass' wich end in unvoiced fricatives, in words like 'dance'and 'plant', which end in a nasal and an s or t, and in words where the ' was followed by r, that short vowel began to grow long. The older pronunciation of 'dance was d'ns, wholly acceptable today to english speakers outside the cultural area dominated by London, then it became d':ns. It was not until the nineteenth century, that this long ' decided to migrate to the back of the mout and become the α: which is charachteristic of southern speech today. It is a source of mockery, or reluctant admiration, among provincials and...  [Read more]

Acronyms are widely used within the English language teaching world and EFL is one of the most common. English as a Foreign Language is typically used to describe any scenario where English is being taught or learned in a country where English is not the main language. In this situation most students are learning English as part of their school studies, in order to travel overseas, or as a hobby, and they rarely get to use it outside of their lessons. An example of EFL would be an American teaching English to Italians in Rome. While EFL stands for English as a Foreign Language, ESL stands for English as a Second Language. In practice these two acronyms are regularly used interchangeably when talking about English teaching, however, there is a genuine difference between the two that you...  [Read more]

Even though L.A. and Santa Monica almost merge together, the spectacular beach city of Santa Monica is undoubtedly a separate entity. Here you will spot celebrities, surfers, business professionals and hordes of students, all drawn to the endless summer and sunshine that the city offers with more than 300 days of sunshine per year. The laid-back lifestyle is much more distinct here than it is in its pulsating neighbor Los Angeles. This balance between the relaxing beach and the glamour of Hollywood makes Santa Monica an excellent destination for your TEFL/TESOL course. Even for Americans, California is known as one of the most attractive states to live in and it also draws in countless visitors from across the world every year. The most famous attraction in Santa Monica is its pier, built...  [Read more]

  Moving further down our list of the parts of speech, we have our prepositions. Prepositions show a relationship between a noun or a pronoun and the rest of the sentence. We have three main categories: time, place, movement as well as a miscellaneous category that doesn't fit the other three. Here, we can have prepositions of time: before, during, in, at or on. If I said, "I work at eight o'clock," I'm sharing a relationship between the time "eight o'clock" to the rest of the sentence. We have our prepositions of place: in, at, on, under, in between. If I said, "The book is under the table," I'm showing a relationship between the table and the rest of the sentence. Then, we have our prepositions of movement. These show movement: towards, from, to or through. I could say, "He...  [Read more]

A few weeks ago I went up to my Japanese friend and told her ?Good Afternoon? in Japanese. She smiled and told me that while correct, Japanese people don?t usually greet each other in that manner. I thought it was odd because that?s the way I learned it back in my university days. She equated it to saying, ?How many times do you greet your friends by saying, ?Good Afternoon? or ?Good Evening??? After thinking about it, I realized that I rarely use the standard ?Hello? or ?Hi? but rather ?Hey? or ?What?s up?? While completely acceptable and understandable for Native English speakers, I didn?t know that this simple greeting could cause a bit of confusion. When I taught English in an elementary school in Korea, I had a co-teacher whose English abilities were quite...  [Read more]

ITTT offers an outstanding training course for people who want to gain TEFL certification in Japan. Once you have successfully completed the course, you will receive one of the most respected TEFL certifications in the world. With your certificate in hand, we will then help you find employment throughout the country, elsewhere in Asia, or almost anywhere else in the world for that matter. Our course is located in the capital city of Tokyo. Situated on the edge of Asia and the Far East, the city is the last major population centre before the vast Pacific Ocean begins. Tokyo is a place of fascinating contrasts that combines areas of tranquillity and peacefulness with areas of near-frantic pace and high-end lifestyles. Culturally speaking, you might not find a more fascinating city anywhere...  [Read more]

  Hello. This presentation is going to cover this section on lesson planning and what we're going to do is to have a look as to why we go about planning a lesson, what do we actually put in it? We'll create an empty lesson plan pro-forma and then having done that what we'll do is to fill in that lesson plan for a particular teaching point. So, our starting position is going to be: "Why do we plan lessons at all?" There are a number of reasons why we need to plan a lesson. The first and foremost perhaps is that it's going to create a logical sequence for our lessons. If we didn't have a lesson plan, it is quite possible that we could go all over the place and it would become confusing for the students. By having this plan, what we've created is a structure that we can work from. So,...  [Read more]

ITTT is proud to offer Ireland’s best TEFL training course. Located in the city of Limerick, our centre’s facilities are modern and our staff are well-qualified to provide you with the training you need to begin teaching EFL. All course participants are also eligible to receive our wonderful job support service, so finding a paid position after you complete your course shouldn’t be a problem. Whether in Ireland, the neighbouring UK, Europe, or just about anywhere else in the world, we will help you secure a great TEFL job. Besides some TEFL jobs at private language schools, positions are also available at many universities and colleges around the country. However, jobs are often only available during the summer holiday months. It is also worth noting that if you hold a passport from...  [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]

If you would like to earn an internationally recognised and accredited TEFL certificate in one of the most fascinating and beautiful countries in the world, then why not enrol on ITTT’s highly respected course in Nepal, based in the capital city, Kathmandu. As the centre of the Himalayas, Nepal has no fewer than eight of the ten highest mountains in the world and is unrivalled in its variety of scenery and sense of adventure. Nepal is also a land of festivals, with a specific celebration for each day of the year, each with its own particular focus. While the country as a whole is not rich in the traditional sense, what Nepal lacks in material wealth, it more than makes up for with its natural beauty and the openness and charm of its people. Demand for qualified EFL teachers in Kathmandu...  [Read more]

  Another idea for the present continuous tense focuses on the action of miming. Because it's in the present continuous tense, it'll be critical that the student, who is doing miming, continues to do the miming as the students guess what he or she is doing. In order to do this, the teacher will ask one student to come to the front of the class and present them with a card. The card at low levels will just be one word such as 'sleeping,' 'surfing,' 'eating,' or 'playing'. As soon as the student is able to mine any one of those actions, the students continue to guess with 'You are sleeping,' 'You are eating,' 'You are surfing.' Now at higher levels what you could do is continue on from the base of the action and include something like 'You are playing football,' or 'You are playing...  [Read more]

The beautiful and historical country of Greece, on the Balkan Peninsula in Southeast Europe, has extensive coastlines and many islands in the Aegean, Ionian, and Mediterranean Seas. Greece is perhaps most famous for its ancient culture, which has had a significant influence on the arts, language, philosophy, politics, and sports of much of western society. Geographically, Greece is an exceptionally appealing place to visit, with a mountainous mainland and idyllic island beaches, enjoying sun for much of the year. ITTT offers three fantastic locations for you to take a TEFL course in Greece. You can choose between our training centres in Corinth, the beautiful island of Santorini and the country’s capital city, Athens. Our first TEFL course location is in the city of Corinth which is...  [Read more]

ITTT offers one of the best quality TEFL training courses in all of Brazil. Located in the city of Natal, our centre’s facilities are ideally located for you to begin your teaching career. All course participants will also have the benefit of our invaluable job support service, so finding a paid position after you complete your course shouldn’t be a problem. Whether you plan to teach in Brazil, elsewhere in South America, or anywhere else around the world, we will do all we can to help you secure a great TEFL job that will have you feeling like the world is your oyster. Due to the vast size of the country and its large population, there is no shortage of teaching opportunities throughout Brazil. From the numerous urban areas to Brazil’s rural countryside, an EFL teacher certified by...  [Read more]

In a world full of languages how does one place the English language' Most languages have a full history going back thousands of years. Can this really be said of English' No, but we can say that the history is full, one full of war and violence as well as compromise and inclusion. We might start in the year 449 AD in the island of Britain. At this time the Anglo-Saxons invaded Britain as the Romans left to defend their homeland. The local Celtic people quickly adapted the ways of the German tribe and we saw the beginning of English, it is said that the majority of its words can be traced to this. As the next thousand years progressed we saw the invasion of the Danes, French Normans as well as the influence of the Church. This leads us up to the time when this...  [Read more]

In the words of one-to-one pioneer, Peter Wilberg, ´One-to-one teaching is different´. http://www.oxfordtefl.com/teacher_development_courses/certificate_one _to_one_teaching(Teaching one to one: Mark Powell, oxford TEFL.) Most TEFL courses and language schools are geared towards teaching students in groups, so many teachers find it difficult to adapt there skills to one to one teaching. Many, perhaps most, of the personal and pedagogical skills we have developed as language teachers relate almost exclusively to working with groups. It has been suggested that most students prefer one to one teaching as opposed to being taught as a group. For teachers it can prove very challenging, as expectations tend to be high from the students view point,...  [Read more]

Whilst there are many elements to teaching English as a foreign language, without successful classroom management the teacher will be ineffective and the students less likely to learn effectively. Key elements that should be focussed on are, e.g., teacher talk time, correct gesturing, appropriate interaction with the class, the manner of the teacher should be such that the atmosphere is balanced between casual yet with authority assigned to the teacher, etc. Although more elements are important to classroom management, the overall lesson is that the components of classroom management must be such that they are successfully integrated, or management will fail.Teacher talk time is appropriate during different sections of a class. It related, not only to the introduction of the...  [Read more]

A some what strange topic to talk about considering I have only taught four lessons but I think that my experiences may be of some use to someone. If you were to type something like ?build your self confidence? or ?public speaking, confidence? the plethora of hits that google returns may bring some relief that you are by far, not the only person who suffers from this, sometimes debilitating condition, the BBC even has an online course to help you build confidence. Part of this essay is to help new teachers build confidence, so the fact that you are by no means alone, it is those naturally charismatic and confident people who are the rarity should offer some solace.So how do they do it? My view is that they are by no means novices, they have toiled and made the...  [Read more]

Confidence is very important for a teacher to have. How can students feel confident if their teaching is not' Confidence can be hard to come by especially if you are a new teacher. It begins with you and there are some things you can do to build up your confidence. Before you even enter the classroom imagine how you would like your class to run and set the appropriate goals to achieve that aim. Be sure that your goals are attainable and can be reached by you and your students without unnecessary pressure. 'Start slowly and simply. Establish a daily routine your students can handle.'*Prepare thoroughly for the class. This will take time and effort. To make the class interesting for your students you will probably add things to the lesson or have activities. For these to be...  [Read more]

It is important to appreciate that higher salaries are made available to attract the best teaching candidates. What each country considers best does depend on the country, but there are some common factors regarding qualifications and experience when it comes to securing the top paying jobs. In general you need to be a native English speaker, have a degree, usually in education or a related field, and a minimum of a TEFL certificate (though often higher, such as a Diploma in TESOL). You will often see that a minimum of two years teaching experience is also needed. If you have all the above, you have a good chance of gaining employment in the first five of our top ten below. With some of them, you may be able to gain employment in the other five. Figures taken from a range of teaching...  [Read more]

  Just to finish off this particular section on lesson planning, we're going to go through a couple of procedures that should take place during the study phase periods, particularly when we're doing the activities. It is quite important that before we actually go into a study activity that we go through a process of showing how that activity is going to work and one acronym that is often used for this is D-E-GO. The D part of this stands for a demonstration of the activity. Now, it's very important that you don't try to explain how the activity is going to work but rather you actually demonstrate the process. An example of the demonstration of the process of the activity could be something as simple as taking the first question and using it and writing it on the board. This will...  [Read more]

I went to France when I was fourteen and I didn?t speak any French. I lived in Toulon where barely anyone spoke English; I was therefore forced to speak French everyday at home and at school. Being surrounded by French resulted in me being able to speak it fluently with no knowledge of French grammar. After ten months, I returned to Australia speaking French as my second language. I continued to study French at school, but in a completely different approach. The lessons were carried out in English and we studied the French news and French current affairs. I learnt a lot more complicated vocabulary and was able to form more complex sentences. I also studied beginner Spanish at school. From the first class, we were only allowed to speak Spanish. This approach...  [Read more]

Mexico is a cosmopolitan and diverse country that provides one of the very best environments for completing a CELTA course anywhere in the world. The capital Mexico City, also known as the City of Palaces, is a destination like no other where you will be dazzled by the vibrant nature of the local culture. Throughout Mexico various cultures have shared it as their home for centuries, all the way back to the Aztec Empire and beyond. Wherever you go in this spectacular country you will bear witness to its glorious past and its bright, multicultural present. Ancient structures, modern development and lush parks and gardens are all blended to create the Mexico of today. Within this backdrop, our CELTA course is run in colonial buildings that are perfectly suited for the classroom aspect and the...  [Read more]

Understanding diversity in the classroom is of high importance for teachers. In society, educational institutions represent a rare opportunity for developing friendly relations among the worlds many ethnic groups. The open exchange in classrooms can contribute to a type of exchange found nowhere else in society. So teachers must not ignore multiethnic relations. The potential challenges a teacher faces for acknowledging the differences in students will be well rewarded if done with respect. Unfortunately, no matter the age or background, ethnicity perceptions are commonly found in individuals. Children are no exception. A study of Dutch and Turkish children conducted in the Netherlands showed that biases about ethnicity are widespread. Boys showed more ethnic bias...  [Read more]

Understanding diversity in the classroom is of high importance for teachers. In society, educational institutions represent a rare opportunity for developing friendly relations among the worlds many ethnic groups. The open exchange in classrooms can contribute to a type of exchange found nowhere else in society. So teachers must not ignore multiethnic relations. The potential challenges a teacher faces for acknowledging the differences in students will be well rewarded if done with respect. Unfortunately, no matter the age or background, ethnicity perceptions are commonly found in individuals. Children are no exception. A study of Dutch and Turkish children conducted in the Netherlands showed that biases about ethnicity are widespread. Boys showed more ethnic bias than girls,...  [Read more]

Grammar is undoubtedly one of the most important aspects of the English language. It is the study of how the four main forms of a language: text, sentence, word and sound, are arranged to communicate a message accurately. Even though grammar is one of the crucial areas of English, the importance given to teaching it has been of great debate for some time. Some pedagogical theorists and practitioners question the necessity of teaching grammar and argue that English could be taught to non-native English speakers without grammar having to be the focus of a lesson. In 1622, a schoolmaster called Joseph Webbe argued that grammar could be mastered ?by exercise of reading, writing, and speaking?all things belonging to Grammar will without labour,?thrust themselves upon...  [Read more]

In the 1990 United States census , 60 million Americans identified themselves as being of ?German? descent. Native speakers of German made up almost half of all immigrants to the United States between 1821 and 1893. These settlers had an almost immediate impact on the language. German borrowings such as sauerkraut, noodle and loafer came into common use as early as the 1820s . As these new arrivals and their descendants gained proficiency in the host language, they modified the usage of English words or substituted German words to fill perceived gaps in English expression. These later, more subtle influences have helped shape modern American English. Some German words were translated into English and retained the same usages, even if they did not apply in English....  [Read more]

This particular subject appealed to me. I whole heartedly support the idea of teaching slang and idioms to students learning English. If you were to listen to any conversation taking place, you would hear slang and idioms being used very frequently throughout the conversation. You can teach a student how to speak proper English and they would, by right, be very proud of what they had accomplished. Then put those very same students in a situation such as a business meeting or conducting a conversation with a potential client and these students would be totally out of their element. For instance, if a former student were meeting a potential client from the South, as in Texas perhaps, the student would of course introduce him/herself and then ask how they were. Being from...  [Read more]

'You learn a lot in your classes, but you can't learn about human relationships and about life from a book.' -Julie Venci, Washington UniversityIt was a little daunting at first. In fact, I was downright nervous. 'Go out and find someone in the community to do a student profile on.' Find someone in the community' I was already plunked half way across the globe, in a totally different culture attending a TESOL Certification course, and now I had to go out on my own and offer someone an hour-long, free one on one course'oh, my!Conducting a student profile seemed like an impossible feat, but as time progressed I came to realize the importance of one. As described in a chapter from the Diversity Institute: 'In order to effectively choose teaching methods and help students learn,...  [Read more]