Speaking Vietnamese

(From own experience as a volunteer English and French teacher, different forums and talks with other native and non-native teachers)All over the world more and more EFL schools advertise their courses highlighting that they only employ native speakers and reject applicants on the ground that it is the customers' expectation, opening the gates wide for native teachers and giving more obstacles to non-native ones (until they find themselves in a desperate need for a teacher'). But is it really the customers' expectation' Unfortunately teaching ability is not part of the mother tongue package! Non-native teachers could be compared with young new teachers of any subject they have just graduated: depending on their teaching ability, their skills in the subject, their personality, ...  [Read more]

  The final stage of the lesson will be the activate and the activate phase is going to form the main speaking activity within the lesson. So, it's very very important that here, we do a good demonstration of what it is that we're expecting them to do, that we elicit the type of target language we're expecting them to produce from the activity. So, one way we could go around it is to, firstly, form pairs. Each pair is going to be given a card and onto that card they're going to write the country and a month. What the teacher can then do, just to add a little bit of spice to it, is to collect all of the cards and shuffle them around and then redistribute them to the pairs so that they get a card that doesn't have their country or their month on it. What they're then going to do is...  [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]

TEFL or Teaching English as a Foreign Language refers to teaching English to students for whom it is not their mother tongue. TEFL can take place in English-speaking regions, for example in language schools or summer camps or before the start of a university degree, but usually occurs in the student´s own country. There, TEFL can be either within the state school system, or private, either in an after-hours language school or with a one-on-one tutor. The teachers may be native or non-native speakers of English. (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)Taking a TEFL course as a non-native English speaker was a great experience, with a wild awakening. Life has a way of bringing surprises, not bad or good, they become what you make them to be, and the outcome depends on how you embrace...  [Read more]

  Once we're satisfied that all the students have been engaged and that they've been given the opportunity to say something, we can move on to our study phase. Here, it may be necessary or useful to actually pre-teach some gaps in knowledge that have been shown from the engage phase and those gaps in knowledge may include actual grammar structures or indeed useful vocabulary and it's very important that, before we move on to doing any forms of activity, we check their understanding of this material. So, we need to do some study exercises. It's also very useful if you leave this information up on the board through all that study period. Those study activities can just be the normal types of gap fills or matching activities and, as always, we need to demonstrate those activities,...  [Read more]

The human mind loves simplicity and to generalize complicated matters. Talking about non native English speaking would assume that at least our English would be on the same level.The truth is that even among native English speaking people there is huge difference between understanding and knowledge about the language. That's why I can only share my thoughts on the course. Quick look on my background, I am 22 years old guy from Sweden that grew up with two Swedish parents.Understanding the courseA few days in the course we were asked to perform a simple task. We had one hour and I got in the same group as two native English speaking persons that both were 10 to 20 years older then me and with teaching background. We spent our first 30 min to discuss what we were supposed to do. ...  [Read more]

The human mind loves simplicity and to generalize complicated matters. Talking about non native English speaking would assume that at least our English would be on the same level. The truth is that even among native English speaking people there is huge difference between understanding and knowledge about the language. That?s why I can only share my thoughts on the course. Quick look on my background, I am 22 years old guy from Sweden that grew up with two Swedish parents. Understanding the course A few days in the course we were asked to perform a simple task. We had one hour and I got in the same group as two native English speaking persons that both were 10 to 20 years older then me and with teaching background. We spent our first 30 min to discuss what we were ...  [Read more]

TEFL or Teaching English as a Foreign Language refers to teaching English to students for whom it is not their mother tongue. TEFL can take place in English-speaking regions, for example in language schools or summer camps or before the start of a university degree, but usually occurs in the student´s own country. There, TEFL can be either within the state school system, or private, either in an after-hours language school or with a one-on-one tutor. The teachers may be native or non-native speakers of English. (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) Taking a TEFL course as a non-native English speaker was a great experience, with a wild awakening. Life has a way of bringing surprises, not bad or good, they become what you make them to be, and the outcome...  [Read more]

Yes you can. Speaking Thai is not a requirement for teaching English in Thailand. Even if they are fluent in the language, ESL instructors in the majority of Thailand’s language institutions are not required to speak Thai in class. In general, there is a great demand for English teachers in Thailand. In fact, people in Thailand and other Southeast Asian nations now have a greater desire than ever before to learn English, raising the need for ESL instructors in this region. The growing economy also means people in Thailand now have more disposable income to spend on English education. Thus, there are more opportunities for ESL instructors, especially those with credentials like a TEFL or TESOL certificate. In favor of ESL teachers willing to sign contracts for at least six months or a...  [Read more]

  So speaking activities will come in many different forms but we can generalize them into three basic types. Control activities tend to be used in the study phase and here, the teacher will be helping the students in terms of what they need to say and how they go about saying it. So, there's a high level of structure within a controlled activity. A guided activity has slightly less structure than this and it can be used in either the study or the activate stages themselves. The final type of activity or class of activity is called creative activity and this one would be used in the activation phase. In a creative activity, we're giving a scenario or a very small amount of structure and we're asking the students to actually create their own answers to this particular question....  [Read more]

  Before we move on to the planning of a lesson for speaking skills, something that we need to look at first is the idea of the accuracy versus the fluency of speaking. Accuracy relates to the correct usage of grammar and vocabulary, whereas fluency relates to our ability to continue speaking without any interruption. Now, ultimately within a whole ESA lesson or within language learning itself fluency and accuracy are equally important. Within an ESA lesson, however, depending upon which stage we're at in that lesson, then we're either focusing on accuracy or we're focusing on fluency. Remember in the ESA lesson, in the study phase, this is where we're looking at the target language where we're doing our language learning, so it's very important in this stage that we focus on the...  [Read more]

There are many benefits to be enjoyed while working overseas as an English language teacher, including the unique opportunity to be surrounded by a new language on a daily basis. If your dream is to perfect your Spanish language skills by living and working in a Spanish speaking environment, then you have several great options to choose from. There are over twenty countries with a combined population of nearly half a billion people where Spanish is the main language. Many of these also have a large demand for English language teachers. If you are looking to immerse yourself in Spanish culture and language, where better to do it than in Spain itself. Famous for its stunning architecture, beautiful beaches, delicious cuisine, and laidback attitude, Spain has plenty to offer foreign...  [Read more]

Acquiring the skills to effectively use a new language may involve traditional classroom learning lessons and controlled practice, but experience with the language and the opportunity for creative exploration are also important components in the learning process. Students need to be exposed to the new language, they need to be able to understand its meaning and how it is constructed, and they must be able to practice and produce the language using the knowledge base they have attained (Unit 7 p.1, ITTT course book).Productive skills include speaking and writing, two critical components of the complex process of communication. There are countless reasons for communication between individuals: they have something they wish to express (verbally or in writing), there...  [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 third conditional is used when speaking about regrets and excuses. This video is specifically aimed at teaching the third 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. Modal are used in context to express such things as obligation, ability, and advice. These verbs, which don't change form according to the subject include, could/would/may might/should/etc. Active voices and passive voices describe sentences with the same...  [Read more]

  The second conditional is used when speaking about dreams, fantasies and hypothetical situations. This video is specifically aimed at teaching the second 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. Books and materials ↵materials can be divided into two which authentic materials: meaning anything a native speaker would hear or read.↵created materials: which is designed by the teacher.↵Course books are...  [Read more]

  The two most common usages for the present continuous tense as it relates to speaking about things in the present. We have actions in progress at the time of speaking, specifically right when it's being said. So I can say ?I am teaching right now.? However, we also have actions in progress around the time of speaking. ?I'm reading a good book.? Now, of course I'm not reading a book just now but I started reading a book in the past I am reading it perhaps today sometime and I'll finish reading the book at some point in the future. Again, I'm not doing it just now but around the time of speaking. 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...  [Read more]

The Italian and the English language are totally different in writing, speaking and listening. The first derives from the Latin language family , the second from the Anglo- Saxon. Although the English language adopts many Latin words, they are not commonly used, and the pronunciation is completely different. Because of this, it's very common to come through 'false friends' like the word 'actually' 'attualmente' in Italian, which means 'at the moment', while in English we know that it has a different meaning. For this reason Italians are inclined to use many Latin words which are not used in everyday English. There are dozens of similar examples like this that can be very confusing for the Italian students.The Italian language is quite a simple language at least for what it ...  [Read more]

  "In terms of the things that are negative about it, we've already said that it doesn't develop speaking but perhaps the biggest negative point about this particular methodology is that it's very unnatural. Ok, so despite the criticisms of this particular method, and particularly the fact that is unnatural, this particular methodology was in use all the way through the 17th, 18th and 19th century and indeed it's still in use today. However, Gouin in the 1880s and Berlitz in the early 1900s decided that this particular methodology was so unnatural that they wanted to come up with something new. The method that they came up with, they called the direct method. You will also sometimes see it as the natural method. What these two people were saying is that if we wish to learn a...  [Read more]

In Ghana most children enter school speaking little or no English. This seems unbelievable when English is the countrys offical language. Infact the reason for this is that there are over 44 indigenous languages within Ghana so this alone causes students problems when they come to study English. In Ghana urgent attention is needed towards literacy. At present only 10% of students can read at grade level after 6 years in primary school. Classes of 20- 30 pupils will only have 2 English textbooks to accommodate the whole group. The Government wants students to be proficient in English by grade 4 so that they are able to understand lessons where instruction is English. Students are expected to respond using oral and written English and finally be able to read from textbooks...  [Read more]

  Besides the four future tenses in English (future simple, future continuous, future perfect and the future perfect continuous) there are three additional tenses we can use when speaking about the future. These include the 'going to' future, the present continuous and the present simple. This video gives you an overview how to use them for future statements. 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. Managing a class room is, at the end of the day, the...  [Read more]

Globalization and the increasing demand for English speaking professionals all over the world, especially in emerging regions, has brought about a new, steadily growing sector: English as a Second Language (ESL). An ESL teacher is, therefore, an educator who works with English Language Learners (ELLs) whose native language is not English. The goal of the ESL teacher is to help the students reach a certain level of fluency in English, on both a spoken and written level. ESL educators are not to be confused with foreign language teachers. ESL teachers do not share the same native language and are specifically trained to offer explanations and directed teaching methods to non-English speakers. This teaching style is mainly focused on repetition, drills, demonstrations, and visuals. ...  [Read more]

  So, we'll focus first of all on a speaking skills lesson and perhaps a starting point for this would be to ask a question which is: Why do we speak to each other? The reason that it's important to ask ourselves this question is that whatever answers there are to this should be present in our lessons. So, why do we speak to each other? Well, there are a multitude of answers to that but when you boil them all down to their essence, they probably actually come down to one or two things. We communicate to each other by speaking because of either a need. We need something. We want something or a desire to achieve something. 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...  [Read more]

Most visitors to vietnam are overwhelmed by the sublime beauty of the country's natural setting: the Red River Delta in the north, the Mekong Delta in the south and almost the entire coastal strip are a patchwork of brilliant green rice paddies tended by women in conical hats. There are some divine beaches along the coast, while inland there are soaring mountains, some of which are cloaked by dense, misty forests. Vietnam also offers an opportunity to see a country of traditional charm and rare beauty rapidly opening up to the outside world. Despite its ongoing economic liberalisation and the pressures of rapid development, this dignified country has managed to preserve its rich civilisation and highly cultured society. It has discarded its post-war fatigues and the boom in budget...  [Read more]

  This video is part of our video series on "Evaluation and Testing of Students". In this video, we look at placement tests. This type of test is also referred to as a level test. Its goal is to find out the current level of the student tested. A placement test generally tests all four skills (reading, listening, writing and speaking) and progresses from easy to hard questions. 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 discussed the two...  [Read more]

  Regardless of which type of beginners you are teaching here are our top 10 tips for the teaching of beginner 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 get to grips with each section before moving onto the next. The content of this unit focused on the productive skills of writing and speaking for communicative purposes. The unit provided a brief overview of the equal importance of writing and speaking in the classroom, of which writing is often pushed to the wayside as language production (via...  [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 discusses the productive skills, Speaking and Writing. The skill of writing can sometimes be overlooked in TEFL classes because it is often relegated to homework that doesn't get done. With writing, you want students to be able to write the letters well, spell words correctly and use proper punctuation and layout for the task. In speaking, pronunciation is much more important than in writing since...  [Read more]

Our TEFL course in Vietnam gives you the opportunity to learn how to teach EFL in one of the most fascinating countries in the world. When you combine the country’s great food, lively cities, its complex history, and low cost of living, you can see why Vietnam has gained such a good reputation and is an increasingly popular destination for TEFL courses and teaching English. For those interested in taking a TEFL course and teaching English as a foreign language in Vietnam, the good news is that demand is very high for EFL teachers year round. In fact, you are almost certain to be offered a TEFL position soon after completing your course. In Vietnam, TEFL opportunities are to be found countrywide, especially in the large cities of Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi. With our TEFL courses running year...  [Read more]

Music is an amazing phenomenon; it holds the power to sway emotions, recall memories, and invoke understanding. Music has often been used as an effective learning tool in many classroom environments. In the EFL classrooms, music and songs can provide invaluable depth and knowledge for students.Music and songs can create a non-threatening environment for students. Students often feel intimidated when they are asked to speak aloud in a classroom setting (Lo and Li, ' 1). When asked to speak, students are terrified of making mistakes; therefore, they will be too nervous to answer, or they may give an incorrect answer, causing them to look foolish before their classmates. Songs give students an opportunity to practice their spoken English in a way that is familiar and...  [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 detailed introduced future tense including it's form, usage and potential errors and teaching ideas.From my point of view, the going to future tense and future simple confuse us in somehow. For example, the decisions made before time of speaking and the decision made at the time of speaking. The former means the plan has been made before saying to others, but the latter means you will do something at...  [Read more]