Engaging Teacher

  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. Getting students to engage in lessons is not always easy. It is something that can take time and trust between student and teacher. The methods and techniques of the ESA structure provide a useful guideline for teachers to follow. By engaging students with games, stories, music, etc., teachers can ignite an interest in the language they are teaching and allow the study periods to be less boring and more...  [Read more]

  The idiom "cold shoulder" means treating someone with coldness or ignoring someone. Our example is as follows: Anna is giving me the cold shoulder. She must be angry at me. 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. In the first unit of the course, I feel I have learned just how crucial the student-teacher relationship is in teaching a foreign language. When a teacher forms this healthy relationship with a student, it is easier to cater lessons to a...  [Read more]

  Amanda from Brazil is currently living in Ankara, Turkey. Amanda completed her TEFL course with ITTT and found a job just two weeks after graduating. In this TEFL review video Amanda recommends ITTT’s TEFL course for those wanting to teach English abroad. Amanda liked how the course not only covered grammar but also taught methods and techniques that can help you become a great teacher. 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. A classroom is an...  [Read more]

Teaching is an age-old profession dating back as early as Socrates and his most famous student, Plato. Integral to this ancient model of education was a give-and-take relationship between teacher and student. The role of the teacher is not merely a bank of mundane facts but rather, that of 'educational guides, facilitators and co- learners' (Redefining the Role of the Teacher by Judith Taack Lanier). Teachers must engage their students and foster a desire to learn. A teacher can not simply rely on dated textbooks to teach their students but rather a teacher must become an artist, creating curriculum that is both interesting and relevant to the students. As Lanier states in her article, 'the curriculum must relate to their lives, learning activities must engage their...  [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. From this first unit I learnt that one of my main roles as a teacher will be to provide my students with activities that are interesting and engaging. I must also be aware of their cultural background to estabilish a good level of respect and collaboration between the group, and, by caring more about the students than my own goals as a teacher, I will be able to understand their reasons for specific behaviors...  [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. This unit focused on the role of the teacher and student in an ESL classroom and the relationship between them. I feel that I learned the importance of a teacher taking on different roles within a classroom depending on what is best for the students. For instance, a teacher should not always be in the manager role, because this does not give students an opportunity to participate or practice. I also learned...  [Read more]

  As mentioned earlier, to form this tense, we have to use a special form of the verb. Technically it's called the past participle form with irregular verbs. Of course these past participle forms change quite a bit from its base form of the verb. Here are a few examples 'go' moves to 'gone', 'be' moves to 'been', 'write' to 'written', 'speak' to 'spoken' and 'read'. Although very confusing for the non-native speaker, doesn't change its spelling, but does change its pronunciation, resulting in 'read' going to 'read'. 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...  [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. The videos in this unit provided a stark contrast between good and bad teaching techniques and attitudes. It was obvious in the first video that the teacher was not using good techniques and the students had a difficult time engaging and learning, overall it was a ineffective lesson. The second lesson used more techniques of the ESA method and the teacher had a much better presentation and attitude which made...  [Read more]

  The mixed conditional deals with the present results of imaginary situations in the past. This video is specifically aimed at teaching the mixed conditional in an ESL setting. 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. This unit focused on classroom management and included sections on classroom arrangements, teacher behaviour and ensuring good class spirit and discipline. I believe that a teacher should pay particular attention to discipline in a class...  [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. During this unit, the method for teaching productive skills was discussed. Productive skills include speaking and writing skills, in which the learners produce the target language, rather than simply interpret the language. A lesson focused on productive skills should still follow an ESA straight arrow (or some variety of ESA) lesson plan so as to promote student growth. Throughout the lesson, the teacher...  [Read more]

  In this episode, we cover the pronunciation of the word armada. This word refers to a large fleet of warships. The word has been in use ever since the Spanish naval forces lost against England in 1588. 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. This unit covers the importance of proper pronunciation, despite being typically overlooked in an English language class. This includes the importance of intonation and word stress, the usage International...  [Read more]

  This video looks at various teaching ideas for the 'going to' future tense. Pictures are a great tool for lower-level students to look at evidence based on the pictures and making predictions using the 'going to' future. Other ideas might include weather predictions, as well as planning a party or holiday. 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 17 deals with teaching aids and equipment to be used inside the classroom. Some of these teaching...  [Read more]

  In this episode, we cover the pronunciation of the word categorical. This word is used as an adjective and means explicit and direct. It comes from the Greek word kat?goria meaning ‘statement’. 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. A typical ESL class, anywhere in the world, has its own set of typical problems and challenges. For example, students speak more of their native language than English. Students must understand that they must at the...  [Read more]

  Adrian from Canada is living and teaching English in Japan. In this TEFL review video Adrian discusses what he and his students have got out of his TEFL course with ITTT. Adrian found that taking the TEFL course was extremely helpful in improving his confidence in the classroom. During his regular feedback sessions with his adult students they have noticed the difference taking the course has made to Adrian’s teaching and are appreciative of this. With his new certification, Adrian intends on staying and teaching English in Japan for the foreseeable future. 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...  [Read more]

  A final example is going to be an example of a patchwork ESA lesson and remember we said the form of this particular lesson will start with and engage always and will finish with and activate and there'll be some variation of E, S and A within the brackets here. So we're going to generate our patchwork ESA lesson as follows. Starting with the engage, the students are going to look at holiday photos and talk about what they like and don't like from what they see. From that, we're going to move directly into an activate phase and what the students are going to do is to make comments about holiday brochures and try to act out a role-play between the travel agent and a customer. Again, as this is taking place, the teacher will be moving around and looking for gaps in knowledge in...  [Read more]

  And now we'll take a look at a few teaching ideas for the present continuous tense. The present continuous tense is quite a visual tense. We use it to describe actions that are happening at the present moment. So, we could give our students a picture, such as the one seen here. It is important that in the picture there are many activities going on. The teacher can give a time limit to pairs or small groups. In that time limit, the pairs or small groups will make various sentences based upon what they see in the picture. These sentences may include 'He is taking a picture,' 'He is throwing a boomerang,' 'They are playing with the ball,' 'He is digging a hole.' At the end of the time limit, the teacher will ask for some feedback and get feedback from the pairs and the groupings to...  [Read more]

Although, at the beginning of an English course, students can be very excited and enthusiastic when first confronted with their teacher, the person who will introduce them to a new, fascinating, foreign language, as time goes by the sense of novelty and curiosity that seemed so strong at the beginning, seem to gradually subside in the eyes of the pupils, especially those of young age, leaving the teacher with the sometimes difficult task of re-building their general interest in learning and not least, their level of motivation, which in nearly all warps of life, is the key to success. Motivation, in the field of learning, is a quality that can be more practically viewed by splitting it into three values: „XPure love of and interest in learning.The more fun and exciting the...  [Read more]

Although, at the beginning of an English course, students can be very excited and enthusiastic when first confronted with their teacher, the person who will introduce them to a new, fascinating, foreign language, as time goes by the sense of novelty and curiosity that seemed so strong at the beginning, seem to gradually subside in the eyes of the pupils, especially those of young age, leaving the teacher with the sometimes difficult task of re-building their general interest in learning and not least, their level of motivation, which in nearly all warps of life, is the key to success. Motivation, in the field of learning, is a quality that can be more practically viewed by splitting it into three values: ?XPure love of and interest in learning. The more fun and...  [Read more]

  In this TEFL review video an ITTT course graduate discusses her experience on the course. She took the online TEFL course with tutor support and thoroughly enjoyed her experience. Despite finding the material challenging this challenge drove her on to continue on and complete the course and as with many ITTT graduates she is glad she did so. 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. There are many methods for teaching language. What is important for...  [Read more]

The role of a kindergarten teacher is very challenging yet highly rewarding. This is usually the first time that children have left the safety, comfort and familiarity of their own home and families, and it is often the first time that they have direct and regular contact with a language that is completely foreign to them. This new environment needs to ensure that the children are completely at ease and ready to begin their language learning journey. ?Many kindergarten teachers have made the miracle of learning languages possible with their effort, extra hours, smiles, care and numerous other positive features of their teaching.? (1) Teachers make a huge impact on a child?s learning, and providing an encouraging a supportive environment is provided the language ...  [Read more]

  And now let's look at the future continuous tense. The future continuous tense is typically used to indicate an action in progress at a particular time in the future. To form this tense in the positive form, we have our subject, here we've used 'Karen', the word 'will', our auxiliary verb our helping verb 'to be' and then the present participle or the verb with 'ing', so 'Karen will be going'. In order to create the negative form, we keep with our positive form but add 'not' in between 'will' and our helping verb 'to be'. Finally, we ask a question by beginning with 'will', then we have our subject being sure to include our helping verb and the present participle: 'Will Karen be going?' Some of the more common usages for the future continuous tense are as follows. We can use them...  [Read more]

In building your confidence as a teacher, it is important to understand that the confidence you earn is a result of your affect. A teacher's management of the classroom, method of teaching, pride in their profession and respect for the individuals in the class are some of the important elements in the equation of building a teacher's confidence. In the paragraphs following, I have briefly stated ways in which I would practice classroom management for young and older students alike. If respect and care in a structure for the course and the students is carried out, than the students will have a strong desire to learn, which in return, give me self-assurance in my profession as a teacher.The procedures, strategies and instructional techniques that teachers use to manage student...  [Read more]

The role of a kindergarten teacher is very challenging yet highly rewarding. This is usually the first time that children have left the safety, comfort and familiarity of their own home and families, and it is often the first time that they have direct and regular contact with a language that is completely foreign to them. This new environment needs to ensure that the children are completely at ease and ready to begin their language learning journey.“Many kindergarten teachers have made the miracle of learning languages possible with their effort, extra hours, smiles, care and numerous other positive features of their teaching.” (1)Teachers make a huge impact on a child’s learning, and providing an encouraging a supportive environment is provided the language ...  [Read more]

In September of 2006, I had the opportunity to teach conversational English to graduate students at Huazhong University in China. On the last day of teaching, I asked students to write up an evaluation regarding the activities they liked best. Highlights included: the importance of establishing teacher rapport, the need to provide a wide variety of engaging activities and the value of peer interaction. Establishing rapport between the students and the teacher is a key factor in encouraging students to participate in class. The littlest things?like remembering names -- can make a big difference: ?As a student when you said my name without looking at the name list. I?m so excited and joyful. I think it?s important to a student.? Smiling is another simple thing any...  [Read more]

  Moving further down our list of parts of speech, we have our adjectives. Adjectives modify or describe nouns. Basically, they give more information about the noun. Here, we've used a noun such as chair. It could be any old chair. It's only the noun. If we want to describe the noun, we need to use an adjective before it. So, I could say "I have an old black leather chair". Here, we have to be concerned about the adjective order. In this instance, I started with age, as age typically goes before color and then I use the color to go before the material. This is a certain pattern. Depending on the adjectives you want to use, you always have to use certain patterns to which you'll need to be aware of when teaching your class. Another way to describe a noun is by showing possession. We...  [Read more]

TEFL stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language. In other words, it is a teaching qualification for teaching English to anyone whose first language isn’t English. TEFL certificates are academic qualifications that are provided upon successful completion of a TEFL course. TEFL certificates can be used anywhere in the world, although the TEFL acronym is most commonly used when referring to teachers in the UK and Europe. Almost all schools expect their ESL teachers to be fluent in the English language, with sound communication skills and an ESL teaching qualification (TEFL/tesol/CELTA). CELTA shares some similarities with TEFL and tesol courses. It is overseen by the Cambridge university and is predominantly a qualification for teaching English to adult learners. TEFL and TESOL...  [Read more]

Check out Tesolcourse.com about TEFL - Cambridge TEFL Online 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 taught english in a foreign country before, so much of what I was learning I had personal experience of through trial and error and using school selected course books. However, the knowledge in this course is invaluable, and I can my self being a better teacher now because of it. Specifically, in the past I was prone to 'winging' a lesson and not planning it thoroughly. This worked at some times, but often I would have scheduled too few activities and wasn't prepared for...  [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]

In the classroom, games can be a very useful and valuable resource. A teacher with a good mental list of games can make even the blandest information interesting. Games warm-up a class, rev-up a class, give an opportunity to change the mood of the class, or give the students a good send off so they leave excited about the class (Ruyter, 2000). Games can be used during any part of class, any stage of the learning process, and with any age group or level. Games can be used to get the students interested in a topic, to introduce a topic, to teach a topic (logic games are great for this stage), to review and practice, even to test the students (Myerhoff, 2001;Ruyter,2000)! Games are not limited to vocabulary and spelling. Games can be used during reading, testing (lowers testing...  [Read more]

With the help of the information we have provided below, you can start teaching English as a foreign language online even if you don’t have a degree. We have looked at why some employers might insist on a degree, how to increase your chances of getting hired, and where to hunt for jobs. Normally, employers require a degree in order to obtain a work visa when hiring someone to teach English abroad. Visas are not a problem, though, when it comes to teaching online - so why do they still want teachers with degrees? One reason can be found in recent reforms made in the largest TEFL market: China. China is the largest TEFL market in the world, and this is also true for the online TEFL sector, where many of the major online teaching platforms are based. Online teaching platforms operating in...  [Read more]