Picture Of English Teacher

  In her ninth video diary instalment, Chantelle discusses unit 9 of her online TEFL course from ITTT. This unit covers lesson planning and the importance of being well prepared for your lessons. The unit discusses whether there is a need to plan lessons, how a lesson plan should be written and what should be included in a lesson plan. It also looks at ways to plan a sequence of lessons and how important it is for teachers to reflect on past lessons to help improve future classes. 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...  [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]

  This video is part of our series on the past tenses in English. In this video, we take a look at the past continuous tense and suitable teaching ideas for this tense. The past continuous is very conducive to using pictures and talking about actions. We give our group of students cards with images and ask them to create sentences for what the people in the picture were doing at a certain time in the past. 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...  [Read more]

In 1904 the French government commissioned psychologist Alfred Binet to find a method to distinguish between children?s levels of intelligence. The purpose was to put the ?intellectually inferior? into special schools where they could receive more individual attention1. So begins the journey of testing and analysing scores, consequently giving us an outline or a picture of a person?s intelligence. The Intelligent Quotient is a ?score derived from a set of standardised tests? (http://wikipedia.org/). The notion of measuring a person?s intelligence, and therefore, a person?s potential, may seem limited to some, as it did to Howard Gardner- professor of education at Harvard University. Gardner argues that ?pencil and paper IQ tests do not capture the full range of...  [Read more]

In 1904 the French government commissioned psychologist Alfred Binet to find a method to distinguish between children's levels of intelligence. The purpose was to put the 'intellectually inferior' into special schools where they could receive more individual attention1. So begins the journey of testing and analysing scores, consequently giving us an outline or a picture of a person's intelligence. The Intelligent Quotient is a 'score derived from a set of standardised tests' (http://wikipedia.org/). The notion of measuring a person's intelligence, and therefore, a person's potential, may seem limited to some, as it did to Howard Gardner- professor of education at Harvard University. Gardner argues that 'pencil and paper IQ tests do not capture the full range of human...  [Read more]

  So, having elicited this particular structure, what I'm now able to do is to move on to the actual study activities. Typically, they will be in the form of worksheets to check that the students actually understand this information. So, I might prepare three activities. They may not do them all but, for example, I could prepare these three study activities. So, the first one is going to be a fairly straightforward matching activity, where perhaps they match the subject to its correct verb "to be" in that part of the sentence. The second one is going to be a gap fill. For example, I might use this verb here and ask them to complete a sentence using that verb, so that I can check that any spelling changes that take place are correct and the final one is going to be an unscramble,...  [Read more]

I am a ?Purist? at heart. For me the only acceptable, the only correct, the only ?propah? way to speak (and spell) English is as illustrated in the Encyclopedia Britannica ? the British English, so to speak. I have always been a staunch champion of Dr. Doolittle and all the other guardians of the English language. However, being a teacher of the English language, I can no longer turn a blind eye to the ?globalization? of English, which is - ?now a mish-mash of words incorporated from over 350 languages, and is still undergoing constant change, with hundreds of words/phrases coming into existence every year, some fading away, but many finding their way into dictionaries and thesauruses! One can pronounce words in many different ways and still be understood!! The...  [Read more]

I am a 'Purist' at heart. For me the only acceptable, the only correct, the only 'propah' way to speak (and spell) English is as illustrated in the Encyclopedia Britannica ' the British English, so to speak. I have always been a staunch champion of Dr. Doolittle and all the other guardians of the English language.However, being a teacher of the English language, I can no longer turn a blind eye to the 'globalization' of English, which is - 'now a mish-mash of words incorporated from over 350 languages, and is still undergoing constant change, with hundreds of words/phrases coming into existence every year, some fading away, but many finding their way into dictionaries and thesauruses! One can pronounce words in many different ways and still be understood!! The emergence of so ...  [Read more]

I have had the opportunity to order all material to be used by our school for the last 6 years. During this time I have been astonished to see how many different resources are available for the teacher.While it has been a valuable aid for new, inexperienced teachers I found that other more experienced teachers preferred their own material to all the resources available. Most experienced teachers commented that if they only use material supplied by the publisher, their individual teaching skills were taken away. This has presented a problem where management expected teachers to teach according to the prescribed material and use resources presented to them.However, I feel that although all this material is available and the teacher basically does not have...  [Read more]

  Here's a teaching idea that focuses on two very specific aspects of the present simple tense, one of which will be making statements about a habit and a routine. The other will be conjugating the verb into the 'he', 'she' or 'it' form. Here we'll present students with a picture. They will see various objects in the picture. Based upon the presence of these objects in someone's room, the students will have to make an observation such as 'She drinks coffee,' 'She plays the guitar,' 'She watches television,' 'She doesn't smoke.' Again, it's very specific used for the 'he', 'she' or 'it' form and habits and routines. At the end of the activity, the teacher will have the pairs or the small groups report back their various findings. Another idea for the present simple tense will be the...  [Read more]

Many new teachers are intimidated by the prospect of having to teach grammar. There are several reasons for this. Many of us aren't that familiar with grammar rules to begin with, the many exceptions make English grammar a complex subject, and finally, grammar just isn't that exciting to most teachers or students. For these reasons, there can be a tendency to question whether teaching grammar is really that important in the first place.So, is teaching grammar important' I believe it is. Ed Swick says, 'The rules of Grammar for a language learner are like the rules of the road for a driver. In order to be able to drive properly and maneuver with other drivers, you have to know the rules that everybody goes by' This is true of language to. If you follow the rules of...  [Read more]

  This video is part of our ESA Methodology series. The ESA methodology consists of three stages. In this series, we look at the individual purposes of each stage and typical activities for each stage. This second video introduces the study phase of ESA. The purpose of this phase is to cover the actual teaching of the lesson and to check the understanding of that material.The second stage or phase of the lesson is known as the study phase and really the purpose of this phase is to cover the actual teaching of the lesson and to check understanding of that material. Typically in an ESA lesson, the study phase will have two parts. The first phase of the study is to cover the actual teaching component in what's known as the board work and what we try to do in the board work phase is to...  [Read more]

It would be nice to think that an ESL teacher could enter the classroom with a friendly smile, the appropriate warmer and a well- planned lesson, and the result would be a room full of students progressing continually in their language skills. However, with a task as great as learning English as a second language, the experience is rarely that easy. Learning English has its’ own unique difficulties, and it profits the ESL teacher most if these challenges are explored and prepared for before entering the classroom. One such challenge is students with learning disabilities; when it is believed that a student has a learning disability, teachers must consider diagnosis and appropriate teaching methods.It can be hard to make the decision to evaluate students for a learning...  [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]

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 this episode, we cover the pronunciation of the word canoodle. This word is used as a verb and describes the action of kissing and cuddling amorously. The origin of the word is widely unknown. 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 this unit i learnt about ESA which is the engage,study and activate stage.The engage stage is considered as the warm up stage whereby the teacher introduces the topic to the students through pictures or...  [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 this TEFL review, John from the Philippines tells us that he enjoyed taking the 120-hour online TEFL course from ITTT and found the information provided in the course units to be very helpful. During the course John learned about the ESA method of teaching English, reviewed his English language knowledge and picked up a number of tips and tricks for use in his lessons. The course also covers different levels of language learners and different types of classes such as one-on-one classes and business English classes. 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...  [Read more]

  This video is part of our series on the past tenses in English. We start off the series with the past simple tense. In this video, we focus on useful teaching ideas for this tense. A great idea to practice this tense is a picture story. Here, the teacher provides the students with various photos or images and the students are asked to piece them together to make a story in the past. 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. I found out information...  [Read more]

There are various different methods which are used to teach a second language. One such method is the immersion method of teaching , developed in Canada to provide Canada's majority group English- speaking students with opportunities to learn Canada's other official language, French. Students are taught a second language exclusively throught he medium of the second language.The structured immersion approach, however, must not be confused with submersion (which is really a non-approach). Essentially, it is a ' sink or swim ' approach. For example, a non-English-speaking French child moves to England and is placed in a regular English- speaking classroom and is taught exclusively in English in the same way as the English-speaking children.Bull (1965) drew a distinction between these...  [Read more]

There are many different methods to teach grammar, but this essay will present the three that might be the most effective in retaining student interest. 1.Situational Presentations2.Text and Recordings3.Test Teach Test 1.Teaching grammar via Situational Presentation In order for grammar to have meaning, it needs to be placed within a context. For instance the preposition 'beside' has no meaning to a student unless it's placed within a context. Using a model sentence such as the 'The bread is beside the toaster' gives the word a basic context. Situational presentation refines the context and thus the meaning by building a 'situation' around the model sentence. It can be presented in three stages with the following example of teaching prepositions based on an airplane ride.Stage...  [Read more]

For many years Teachers of English have used the PPP model of Presentation, Practice and Production for the preferred model of teaching. It has worked well. The PPP model falls short however, in that it does not work well when teaching more complex language problems beyond the sentence level or when teaching communicative skills. Jeremy Harmer in How to Teach English (Longman Publishing 1998) proposed an alternative to PPP called ESA: Engage, Study, and Activate. In an article written in The Guardian Weekend, March 15 1997, Bridget Riley complained about the treatment she and her fellow students received at the Royal College of Art. 'We were abandoned when what we needed and what we hoped for was help toward independence in teaching rather than having independence...  [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]

In the same way that people look different, people are also intelligent in different ways. In 1983, Professor Howard Gardner came up with the concept that we all have multiple intelligence (MI). In the following I will briefly explain this concept further; highlighting how it can be incorporated into lesson plans when teaching English as a second language (ESL); how it can help students build on their strengths, while limiting their weaknesses in their grasp of the English language; and how it is useful when considering different cultures in the classroom. I will also discuss how MI explains that students all learn differently, according to which form of intelligence they are stronger in.Gardner (1983) has categorised intelligence into 8 key areas: 'Linguistic Intelligence:...  [Read more]

Take a look at any online TEFL forum and there is a good chance you will come across stories of unscrupulous employers taking advantage of their teachers. Due to the huge number of English language training providers operating in countries all over the world, it is inevitable that there are some that are badly run. The good news is that by asking a few simple questions you should be able to avoid the jobs you don't want and greatly increase your chances of landing the right position to suit you. So what questions should you ask the employer during an interview? Exactly what is expected of teachers varies considerably from one school to the next. You may be expected to complete reports on your students, attend regular staff meetings, consult with student's parents, provide lesson plans...  [Read more]

As computer technology overtakes the world and EFL resources develop to keep up with these changes, it is important to evaluate these resources that are being used in the classroom. Teachers need to decide whether these materials are necessary or helpful in the teaching process or are they being used simply because they are available and the teacher feels pressurised to use them by students and schools alike. In this short article, I will evaluate the resources I use in the classroom to support young EFL learners and discuss their use and value.Two of the commercial resources used by the school I work in are 'Shine' and 'Way Ahead'. Both of these CD-Roms have been produced to develop not only vocabulary teaching, but also grammatical structures of the English language. Both of...  [Read more]

Currently, China is a country striving to catch up with modernization in infrastructure and economic development. It's now looking to partner with willing pioneers from Europe and the US to strengthen their ability for international involvement. In China, teaching English as a foreign language is a billion dollar industry. Over 100,000 foreign experts are recruited a day with over 150,000 teachers already working as foreign language experts. (Qiang, China Daily, Hong Kong Edition, October 9, 2002, www.chinatefl.com)That being said, the education system in China still leaves a lot to be desired for ESL students. Educational standards are a bit behind as many schools still rely on strict teacher controlled methods to run classes. (Guo, 2005) The result of this history has...  [Read more]

Growing up, my parents provided their children with a multitude of opportunities so that we could discover our talents and nurture those skills. They enrolled me and my sister in Art, Piano, Gymnastics, Ballet/Jazz, Cello, Girl Scouts, and Kumon classes, just to name a few. Because my parents were such strong proponents of a well-integrated education, I was able to recognize my innate artistic capabilities at a very early age. However, as I entered High School my extra-curricular activities were reduced to Piano Lessons and Student Council. My parents brought in private tutors for my sister and me with the hope that we may excel in our Honors English and Math Courses at school. I couldn't blame them for their decision. After all, any college- bound student who takes her...  [Read more]

For many years Teachers of English have used the PPP model of Presentation, Practice and Production for the preferred model of teaching. It has worked well. The PPP model falls short however, in that it does not work well when teaching more complex language problems beyond the sentence level or when teaching communicative skills. Jeremy Harmer in How to Teach English (Longman Publishing 1998) proposed an alternative to PPP called ESA: Engage, Study, and Activate. In an article written in The Guardian Weekend, March 15 1997, Bridget Riley complained about the treatment she and her fellow students received at the Royal College of Art. ?We were abandoned when what we needed and what we hoped for was help toward independence in teaching rather than having...  [Read more]

Games are an integral part of the learning process. So what is the definition of 'games'' Games are rule-based, and have variable, quantifiable outcomes. Different potential outcomes of a game are assigned different values, some positive and some negative. The player is emotionally attached to the outcome of the game in the sense that the player will be a winner and 'happy' in case of positive outcome, but a loser and 'unhappy' in case of the negative outcome. 'Play' is a free form activity that is often not rule based . Often there are some rules and fixed goals, and time frame, but mostly marked by fluidity of rules and goals.So games are distinguished from play by:- Play is a free ' form activity - Games are rule based, the rules structure the activity and make it...  [Read more]