Given Instruction

  There are some other classroom management issues that we need to consider and they may include issues such as writing on the board, giving students individual attention, the use of teacher talk time, the way in which we should give instructions to our students, the building and maintaining of rapport with our students, and finally the one that perhaps most new teachers particularly spend a lot of time worrying and thinking about, is the issue of classroom discipline. So what we'd like to do is to take each of these in turn and look at some of the major issues surrounding these classroom management issues. 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...  [Read more]

Phonetics and its Uses in Foreign Language InstructionPhonetics is the study of the physical aspects of speech. It is broken down into three categories: articulatory phonetics deals with the way in which speech sounds are produced, concerning itself with the actual organs involved in speech (vocal tract, tongue, lips, etc.); acoustic phonetics studies the physical properties of speech sounds, such as the properties of sound waves and the acoustics of speech; and auditory phonetics analyses the way in which humans perceive sounds, and involves the anatomy and physiology of the human ear and brain (Nicole Dehe, 'Phonology and Phonetics,' 1-2). Phonetics looks only at sounds themselves, rather their meanings or the context in which they are used, while the study of sound systems...  [Read more]

Phonetics and its Uses in Foreign Language Instruction Phonetics is the study of the physical aspects of speech. It is broken down into three categories: articulatory phonetics deals with the way in which speech sounds are produced, concerning itself with the actual organs involved in speech (vocal tract, tongue, lips, etc.); acoustic phonetics studies the physical properties of speech sounds, such as the properties of sound waves and the acoustics of speech; and auditory phonetics analyses the way in which humans perceive sounds, and involves the anatomy and physiology of the human ear and brain (Nicole Dehe, ?Phonology and Phonetics,? 1-2). Phonetics looks only at sounds themselves, rather their meanings or the context in which they are used, while the study of...  [Read more]

IntroductionWhen I decided I wanted to compare of course materials used for adult students here in Germany I contacted a teacher that has been working in Munich for over 15 years and asked here if she could help me. I did lend several books from here but in the end I chose to use two books. My chose depended on that these books where suitable for a comparative study because they aimed for the same level of students. The first book is called 'Network' and is a stage 1 book printed in 2001. The other book I chose to use is also a stage 1 book and is called 'First choice'. The reason for me choosing this book is that it is the newest book I managed to get a hold of and it is printed. My aim was to see how these books matched what I have been taught during the TEFL course and how...  [Read more]

What will get in your mind if somebody will tell you about teaching' Isn't it lesson planning' Most of the teachers despise this job, why' Well, the hardwork of thinking in creating your own materials. A lot of teachers are struggling in this aspect of the teaching side especially inexperienced.Lesson planning is a skill that is skill that is learned in much the same way as other skills. This skill aid the teaching learning process easy. Obviously, it takes a lot of thinking and practice to acquire this skill. It needs a lot of organizing your thoughts and for the first time doing this stuff is really hard. One will encounter a lot of mistakes but as the old adage goes, 'Practice doesn't make perfect; perfect practice makes perfect.' A teacher should not give up trying even if...  [Read more]

  In this TEFL review video trainee Amy talks about her experiences with TEFL in China. Regardless of the course or the course location ITTT offers quality, professional training and you will be given the skills and tools you need to begin your exciting career teaching English abroad. 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. Rapport between the teacher and students (and between the students themselves) plays an important part in determining if a class...  [Read more]

What will get in your mind if somebody will tell you about teaching? Isn?t it lesson planning? Most of the teachers despise this job, why? Well, the hardwork of thinking in creating your own materials. A lot of teachers are struggling in this aspect of the teaching side especially inexperienced. Lesson planning is a skill that is skill that is learned in much the same way as other skills. This skill aid the teaching learning process easy. Obviously, it takes a lot of thinking and practice to acquire this skill. It needs a lot of organizing your thoughts and for the first time doing this stuff is really hard. One will encounter a lot of mistakes but as the old adage goes, ?Practice doesn?t make perfect; perfect practice makes perfect.? A teacher should not give up ...  [Read more]

  For the lesson that even takes place, there are a number of things that you need to have considered. Obviously, you need a very clear idea of what it is you're expecting the students to have to do and they need to know why. It's very important before you ask them to do an activity that they have an understanding of the purpose of that activity. You should, secondly, have had a thought about what they already know. Linked to that is, will it be necessary to do any form of pre-teaching before I can expect them to do this activity and finally, we need to make sure that we have prepared all our materials and our instructions for this particular activity. So, we'll consider a straight arrow ESA lesson, the focus of which is to be speaking skills. So, we'll start with our engage and in...  [Read more]

In a traditional English language classroom the student’s curriculum focuses on grammar, reading, vocabulary and rigid repetitive drills. The majority of students I have spoken with find this method to be very dull and boring. If students are not interested in the subject being taught they will lack attention and motivation to learn the language. Language is used primarily to communicate with other people. What is the best method to learn a language' Throughout history people have played games to socialize and interact with each other. Therefore it seems reasonable to assume that playing games in a language classroom can only be beneficial.What does a game consist of' I think that games involve play, competition, rules, and enjoyment. The Merriam – Webster online ...  [Read more]

In a traditional English language classroom the student?s curriculum focuses on grammar, reading, vocabulary and rigid repetitive drills. The majority of students I have spoken with find this method to be very dull and boring. If students are not interested in the subject being taught they will lack attention and motivation to learn the language. Language is used primarily to communicate with other people. What is the best method to learn a language? Throughout history people have played games to socialize and interact with each other. Therefore it seems reasonable to assume that playing games in a language classroom can only be beneficial. What does a game consist of? I think that games involve play, competition, rules, and enjoyment. The Merriam ? Webster online ...  [Read more]

Choosing a TEFL certification course can be a difficult decision as there is no standardized duration of training or a fixed syllabus for providers to adhere to. This seemingly free-for-all situation means there are a multitude of companies offering a wide range of courses of varying quality. The good news is there are several long established TEFL course providers out there who do offer high quality courses that provide all the skills and knowledge you need to start a new career as an EFL teacher. The overall length of the course is a good place to start. There are many providers who offer short format online courses of 40 hours or even less, as well as in-class courses that can be completed in one weekend visit. Whilst these courses will give you an introduction to EFL teaching, they...  [Read more]

The notion that English is a global language rests on fairly substantial ground since it is used officially and unofficially throughout the world. Linguist David Graddol estimates in a report to the British Council that '500 million to one billion speak English now as either a first or second language,' and 'there could be two billion new (my italics) speakers of English within a decade.' Jacques L'vy, a native speaker of French who studies globalism at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, states 'It's a lost cause to try to fight against the tide. It could have been another [global] language; it was Greek, then Latin, French, now it is English.' In the United States today a heated debate over Mexican immigration has triggered a move toward making English its...  [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. As an enexperienced teacher, this course is very informative and helpfull as it tackles the common and problems that a teacher can encounter in teaching and how to deal with them. It is common here in our country that in teaching english , teachers' use our L1 to explain the instructions if students are having hard time to understand the given task, as a result, we as a student , luck of exposure to the...  [Read more]

Teaching grammar can be one of the most frustrating aspects of an English teacher?s job description. Teaching grammar can be divided into two categories, declarative knowledge and procedural knowledge. Declarative knowledge can be summed up as knowledge about a thing such as the rules of grammar whereas procedural knowledge is being able to apply the knowledge to communicate effectively. To illustrate the difference declarative knowledge would be being able to understand the instruction manual on how to assemble a bicycle where as procedural knowledge would be what you demonstrate when you actually put the bicycle together. Being good at one does not necessarily make one good at the other. Many of us native English speakers can use our native tongue correctly but...  [Read more]

Nowadays, we live in a communicative society where people need to have many skills in order to become part of society and to integrate in it successfully. People need to know how to work as a team, since part of the requirements for many jobs is the ability to work together and share ideas. Cooperative learning is one of the major strategies of introducing these communicative skills to pupils of every level. The combination of cooperative learning, task-based learning, and the use of authentic materials can promote communication skills, where one of them is speaking. All of these components are widely used around the world with a tremendous success in EFL classes. Review of Literature Cooperative LearningVarious names have been given to the cooperative learning method of...  [Read more]

The majority of TEFL courses now offered, including those provided by ITTT, are divided into several modules to make the learning process as streamlined and simple to assimilate as possible. You should find it simpler to navigate through the materials and retain all of the information given by segmenting the many components of the course into distinct units, such as specific grammatical issues, classroom management, and lesson planning techniques. There is generally no predetermined number of modules in a TEFL course, as the majority of TEFL course providers offer a wide range of course alternatives to fit different aims and conditions. At ITTT we make sure that our selection of TEFL courses meets every need, from short-form courses appropriate for volunteer teaching to advanced-level...  [Read more]

Teaching grammar can be one of the most frustrating aspects of an English teacher’s job description. Teaching grammar can be divided into two categories, declarative knowledge and procedural knowledge. Declarative knowledge can be summed up as knowledge about a thing such as the rules of grammar whereas procedural knowledge is being able to apply the knowledge to communicate effectively. To illustrate the difference declarative knowledge would be being able to understand the instruction manual on how to assemble a bicycle where as procedural knowledge would be what you demonstrate when you actually put the bicycle together. Being good at one does not necessarily make one good at the other. Many of us native English speakers can use our native tongue correctly but...  [Read more]

  Our next consideration is that of giving instructions to our students. In order for those students to effectively carry out an activity, we need to make sure we have given clear and unambiguous instructions. It's also very important to check that the students understand the activity before you start. If you've done that work correctly then the teacher shouldn't need to say anything once an activity has started because the students are very clear about what they're supposed to be doing. So some ideas when giving instructions. As we've mentioned use simple language. Secondly, rather than trying to explain an activity, then do a demonstration which is visual. Thirdly, try to use wherever possible common words that come up within every activity. These would be things like ?look?,...  [Read more]

Deciding which TEFL course suits your individual learning style, your current situation and your future plans can be difficult as there is no standard length of training or a fixed syllabus that providers have to adhere to. The best advice we can give is don't simply choose the cheapest or the first option you come across as it may not be suitable for your needs. You should spend time researching what employers expect from job applicants in the countries where you would like to work, as well as any official requirements for work permits and visas etc. Finally you should also research the course provider to ensure they have a good reputation amongst their graduates. The overall length of the course is a good place to start. There are many providers who offer short format online courses...  [Read more]

Anyone who has ever had to stand up in front of a group of people to give a speech knows it can be a daunting task. When we are nervous, our bodies conspire against us, leaving us with such physical symptoms as sweating and shaking, not to mention amnesia and a general feeling of dread. However, there are some tips you can follow to make public-speaking easier and to have it feel like second nature. First, we?ll look at ways to build self-confidence outside of the classroom. Then, we?ll look at methods teachers of English as a second language (ESL) can use to build their confidence while teaching. One of the easiest ways to overcome shyness is to feel good about yourself by repeating a personal mantra such as ?I feel terrific? into the mirror as you wake each day....  [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 8 – Future tenses↵Understanding future tenses are parts of the building blocks of grammar.↵If students understand past and present tense then the future tenses will be easy to understand.↵Teachers need to make sure that the activities used give clear instructions on how the student will use it in the future when writing and speaking.↵↵Explaining the grammar point and...  [Read more]

Anyone who has ever had to stand up in front of a group of people to give a speech knows it can be a daunting task. When we are nervous, our bodies conspire against us, leaving us with such physical symptoms as sweating and shaking, not to mention amnesia and a general feeling of dread. However, there are some tips you can follow to make public-speaking easier and to have it feel like second nature.First, we'll look at ways to build self-confidence outside of the classroom. Then, we'll look at methods teachers of English as a second language (ESL) can use to build their confidence while teaching. One of the easiest ways to overcome shyness is to feel good about yourself by repeating a personal mantra such as 'I feel terrific' into the mirror as you wake each day. (John...  [Read more]

The technology Era has transformed the options for teaching in the classroom. Gone are the days when the teacher only had a blackboard and a chalk. If available or possible the possibilities of having a computer in the classroom are infinite. There are many activities and software to aid the students in their challenge of learning a new language. With just a computer, the students can practice the alphabet by looking at the keyboard, see words used when opening a program and interact with them. As Bernie Poole stated in What Every Teacher Should Know about Technology, 'Every teacher should be proficient in the use of productivity tools. Teachers have to process many different types of data. Productivity tools (word processor, spreadsheet) are available on all computers and are...  [Read more]

  Here now is a teaching idea for the present perfect tense. If you remember back, one of the main usages of the present perfect tense is to talk about past experiences at an indefinite time. Here, will be having students work in small groups. Each small group will receive a prompt. This prompt has various past experiences. However, not conjugated into the question. The challenge for the students will be to take one of these prompts and to create a question based upon it. For example here they see 'win' and 'a competition'. One at a time, the students will take turns forming the question. 'Have you ever won a competition?' The other people listening to the question in the small group, will exchange their past experiences, either 'Yes, I have,' and perhaps tell a bit about the...  [Read more]

Introduction I have met and spent time with some language teachers here in the U.S. who prefer to teach low-level learners. The teachers tell me, for one thing, lower-level learners are often more enthusiastic than their more able counterparts. They can also make noticeable progress in a relatively short time. The points below can help to make a class at the beginner level more effective. False Beginners Probably the majority of low-level English classes will be for 'false beginners', learners who have studied English before, but have little or no communicative ability. Planning and Preparation Have some idea of how much material you are going to cover. Give your students an overview of the course and how much material you expect them to cover. On the other hand, don't make your plan...  [Read more]

As there is no standard content or fixed length required for a TEFL certification course, individual providers are free to design their own courses and set whatever fees they see fit. The best advice is not to choose a course simply because it is the cheapest one available. Yes, you can find TEFL courses on discount websites for as little US$49 but will they be accepted by employers in the region that you want to work in? And will they properly prepare you for life in a real classroom? If you want to ensure that the answer to these questions is YES then you should look a little deeper than just the price. In-class TEFL courses usually involve 4-weeks of intensive training that comprehensively covers the most important aspects of English language teaching. During the course you will...  [Read more]

The primary purpose of assessment and evaluation is to improve student learning. Information gathered through assessment helps teachers to determine students? strengths and needs in their achievement of the curriculum expectations in each course. This information also serves to guide teachers in adapting curriculum and instructional approaches to students? needs and in assessing the overall effectiveness of programs and classroom practices. In order to ensure this primary purpose, assessment and evaluation must: be communicated clearly to students (and/or parents if applicable) at the beginning of the course and at other appropriate points throughout the course; address both what students learn and how well they learn; ...  [Read more]

There are many different methodologies for teaching a foreign language. Here at TEFL international, we are exposed to the ESA (engage-study-activate) method, put to use in the classroom in a total emersion context, which is quite effective, yet very different from the way that many of us have been exposed to learning a second language in our native countries. Second language study in school in the United States was always done with the ?Grammar translation? method, usually in a bilingual classroom, a different yet somewhat effective way to learn some languages. These are contrasting methods yet they seek the same result, to increase communication skills in a tongue you are not familiar with, and until you are exposed to the both of them it?s hard to say which is...  [Read more]

There are many different methodologies for teaching a foreign language. Here at TEFL international, we are exposed to the ESA (engage-study-activate) method, put to use in the classroom in a total emersion context, which is quite effective, yet very different from the way that many of us have been exposed to learning a second language in our native countries. Second language study in school in the United States was always done with the 'Grammar translation' method, usually in a bilingual classroom, a different yet somewhat effective way to learn some languages. These are contrasting methods yet they seek the same result, to increase communication skills in a tongue you are not familiar with, and until you are exposed to the both of them it's hard to say which is more...  [Read more]

Introduction I have met and spent time with some language teachers here in the U.S. who prefer to teach low-level learners. The teachers tell me, for one thing, lower-level learners are often more enthusiastic than their more able counterparts. They can also make noticeable progress in a relatively short time. The points below can help to make a class at the beginner level more effective. False Beginners Probably the majority of low-level English classes will be for 'false beginners', learners who have studied English before, but have little or no communicative ability. Planning and Preparation Have some idea of how much material you are going to cover. Give your students an overview of the course and how much material you expect them to cover. On the other hand,...  [Read more]