Teaching Foreign Students English Online

How many of the students learning English as a foreign language have had the chance of having native teachers' I don’t believe they are that many. The reasons are various: not many of them (students as well as native teachers) are willing to travel; costs are usually much higher; the students are afraid that their English level is not strong enough to have a teacher that can only communicate in English, etc. This last reason is one of the most common because learners are so used to having a teacher that speaks their mother tongue and explains in their own language different expressions, words, grammar issues, etc. They do not know that even if the teacher does speak their native language, it is much better if he doesn’t use it at all. Any other method of explaining...  [Read more]

  There are many different types of groups of students that you will encounter when teaching English as a foreign language. This video introduces you to the five different types of student groups. 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 has identified how to effectively use verbal and non-verbal communication in a classroom setting. It also recognized different student grouping (with its advantages and disadvantages) and classroom arrangement...  [Read more]

Teaching English as a foreign language can be done one of two ways: teaching a group of students or by teaching on a one-to-one basis. It's estimated that up to 40% of TEFL teaching is done one-to-one, however teachers find it increasingly difficult to find relevant material, advice and assistance on the method. Nicola Meldrum argues that teaching one-to-one 'unfortunately is not covered much in ELT discussion' and that 'It is somehow assumed that teaching English as a foreign language means organizing huge groups of students, while the reality is that one to one is a normal and significant part of our teaching lives' . Teachers are in effect left to their own devices; however this doesn't stop the concept of teaching one- to-one being an effective and advantageous method for...  [Read more]

  Our next consideration is going to be how we actually group our students. There are perhaps three types of grouping arrangements that we can consider and within those we'll have a look at the potential positive and negatives of those particular arrangements. So firstly, what arrangements can we use? We could arrange our group as a whole class so all of their activities will be done as a whole class. They could be working as individuals and the final grouping arrangement we'll consider is that of small groups or indeed the use of pair work. So for each of these types of arrangements what are the potential positive and negatives with that type of arrangement? For the whole class certainly one of the main positive features is that it gives that class a sense of belonging. Secondly...  [Read more]

  It is very important that whenever we?re doing an activity that we use the students names wherever possible when we're asking for feedback and so on and so forth. There are a number of benefits to using the students? names and they can include helping to actually organize the class itself, certainly to acknowledge when a student has given the correct answer and so forth, to indicate who should respond, rather than just asking a general question to the whole class. By using the names we can ask an individual to respond to that particular question. One point to note here is that if you are going to ask an individual student it is very useful if you put their name at the end of the question. This is useful because if you start with their name then all of the other students know that...  [Read more]

Volunteer teaching can be the most rewarding experience of your life or a total nightmare depending on your expectations and attitude. You need to be realistic about what kind of person you are. Are you the type who can travel the world making your own contacts and decide independently where best to spend your tine? Or are you the type who needs to know exactly where you will be sleeping each night and exactly what your days will hold? Most of us fall somewhere in between. People often ask why should I pay to volunteer somewhere? Aren?t they already getting my time and effort for nothing? Well is most cases it costs the organisation money to have you there, sometimes the benefit outweighs the cost for them and sometimes not. ?In Nicaragua, I often heard the comment...  [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]

I have been teaching English as a Foreign Language in Saudi Arabia for the past three years. During this time I have noticed a number of challenges for both the students and the teachers. In light of the material I have studied as part of an EFL certificate course and from letters and research from fellows in the field, I would like to highlight some of the difficulties in hopes of gaining some insight into problems and how we may best address them.To begin with, there is the challenge of the environment. Arabic is the main means of communication and has a different writing system as well as an extremely rich literary history. (Bello-'Teaching English in Saudi Arabia') This presents challenges in teaching the alphabet as well as practicing the language. Visuals are an ...  [Read more]

Upon my investigation of obtaining a position teaching English as a foreign language in the country of Spain I discovered a bit of vital information. This being that it is rather difficult for an American, or non EU resident, to find work. Though it's not impossible, the red tape and the jumping through hoops to get the required visa cause employers to look to their native English speaking neighbors in the U.K. and Ireland to fill positions. However, the demand for teachers is high, and if you have the time, money, and patience, eventually something will turn up. There was a common sentiment, and lots of sound advice in the articles I read, which was all very enlightening and, for the most part encouraging. With a little diligence it can be done.Firstly, something I wish I...  [Read more]

  Our next main issue is going to be that of giving students individual attention. Here many classroom management and leaving potential discipline problems can be avoided by applying some simple rules to giving your students attention. The first one is to think about the way in which you ask questions. Don't ask questions in a predictable order. If you just go around the class asking questions from one person to the next then the person at the end of the class will know that it's going to be some time before you actually get to them. So try to mix up the way in which you're asking questions. In terms of answers to questions don't allow individual students to dominate all of the answers. One of the things that we can do to help this particular issue is to use the students names as...  [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]

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

While teaching English as a foreign language it is very important that the teacher or instructor take on board the cultural differences and discrepancies that occur between different societies. As may appear obvious, teaching English in Asia will be significantly different to teaching English in the Middle East. This is due to the religious, social and all round societal differences between the regions i.e. the cultural differences. As pointed out by Kenneth Barre in his online article, cultural differences from a teacher's standpoint can affect a variety of key teaching planning, methodology and structure. Cultural Differences Affects: 'What students expect to hear in a conversation 'Vocabulary and set phrases students try to use 'Degrees of formality / informality 'Literal...  [Read more]

  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]

Teaching English as a Foreign Language may strike you one day as your vocation in life, or a way of earning a living whilst staying in another country. Either way, it can be very rewarding to spend your working day teaching your own native language. But, if you are lucky enough to live near a college that teaches English as a Foreign Language in your own country, you don't even need to leave your home soil to practice your skills!Where do you start though, having decided this is what you want to do' The increasingly familiar way is to search the internet, as you would have done a reference library, to find out what is offered either in your local area, or online. For myself, I was attracted to an online course which offers me flexibility and came recommended by someone who...  [Read more]

  The dynamics of classroom interaction is often dictated by the arrangement of the classroom itself and the way in which the classroom is arranged could depend upon a number of factors and they might include things such as the age of the students, so for example we're unlikely to have the same arrangement for adult learners as we would have for young learners. It could also depend upon the actual physical space available. The physical space may determine how we have to arrange our classroom to maximize the opportunity for interaction and so forth. It will also depend on what material is available and by material in this case we're talking about the actual desks and chairs and so on and so forth. Perhaps the final thing we might put here is that it could also depend upon the...  [Read more]

In an ESL lesson, the materials chosen to present the new grammar and vocabulary are a very important part of the teacher’s preparation and largely determine how well the lesson will be understood and enjoyed by the students. The options of materials are many but all have their own appropriate uses. It is a good idea for ESL teachers to build up a collection of teaching materials and ideas that span from fun games to worksheets to short, easy novels. Often, a course book is the main guideline but other materials should be used to complement and diversify the lessons. Choosing the correct materials depend on many different areas such as class size, language level, personal interests of the students, student ages, etc. But the teacher should view this part of planning...  [Read more]

In an ESL lesson, the materials chosen to present the new grammar and vocabulary are a very important part of the teacher?s preparation and largely determine how well the lesson will be understood and enjoyed by the students. The options of materials are many but all have their own appropriate uses. It is a good idea for ESL teachers to build up a collection of teaching materials and ideas that span from fun games to worksheets to short, easy novels. Often, a course book is the main guideline but other materials should be used to complement and diversify the lessons. Choosing the correct materials depend on many different areas such as class size, language level, personal interests of the students, student ages, etc. But the teacher should view this part of...  [Read more]

There are many different companies that offer courses (to varying degrees of credibility) to those wishing to be a teacher of English as a second/foreign language. Generally, these companies offer two types of courses: online and onsite. Online courses are those that are taken over the Internet ' in which the company emails the students their coursework, and offers an online tutor for assistance; onsite courses are TEFL Courses that are taken on the premises of the company generally in a teaching location in a foreign country. These courses are conducted in the same manner as a high school or college course. There are advantages and disadvantages to both course types, and these will be explored in this paper.Taking a TEFL course online has a few distinct ...  [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]

Online English teaching is an area of English education that has exploded over the past few years. More and more online teaching platforms are popping up offering a variety of English language classes to students all across the globe. There are group or 1 to 1 options, lessons that focus on speaking and pronunciation, and some that are entirely aimed at business professionals. The world of online English teaching is seemingly limitless. Due to this huge variety, the demand for online English teachers from all sorts of backgrounds is immense. The beauty of online teaching is you can be based wherever you like. This means you do not have to move to another country or even leave your own home to earn a competitive salary and meet students from all across the world. Many people from...  [Read more]

  In this TEFL review video another group of trainees share their experiences during the TEFL/TESOL four-week in-class course in Corinth, Greece. They talk about the challenging and rewarding aspects of the course. ITTT's in-class course covers grammar, phonology, teaching methodologies, and lesson preparation techniques. You will also be given the opportunity to teach real students. Our course will give you the confidence to stand up in front of a class of students, we will also teach you how to plan lessons and help you to create and select activities and teaching materials that will make your lessons interesting and productive. 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...  [Read more]

  In this TESOL review video Ray talks about how the 120-hour online TESOL course he took with ITTT helped him to learn the necessary skills to teach English as a foreign language. Ray recommends the course to anyone considering a career teaching English abroad or online. 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 useful tips were given for lesson planning. I learnt that a lesson plan helps to guide what you want to impart, it can be used as...  [Read more]

Our 170-hour Teaching English as a Foreign Language with Online Specialization has been designed for those who would like to gain a qualification to enter the TEFL/TESOL employment market and wish to maximize their options. Through this course we will give you the knowledge and skills needed to teach English in both classroom and online settings. The course is taken in two parts: First, our 120-hour certification is completed. This is followed by a further 50-hours of study looking at the particular skills needed to teach English online. One added benefit of the course is that on completion you will gain access to a unique graduate network, connecting you to ITTT alumni currently employed by many of the major employers in online teaching. The 120-hour TEFL course must be taken and...  [Read more]

When deciding to pursue a career teaching English as a foreign language abroad, it is extremely beneficial?and in many cases, required? to receive a form of certification. This can best be done by taking a course that both orients and trains new teachers on the methods and ideologies behind language teaching and learning. There are a plethora of courses available that promise to give teachers the resources and experience necessary to obtain a position teaching English overseas. Four main certification options exist?the CELTA, which is a standardized teaching program, the TEFL, whose program can vary depending on the institution where it is conducted, the TESOL/TESL, which is usually offered through universities, and Online TEFL Courses, which are not standardized...  [Read more]

When deciding to pursue a career teaching English as a foreign language abroad, it is extremely beneficial?and in many cases, required? to receive a form of certification. This can best be done by taking a course that both orients and trains new teachers on the methods and ideologies behind language teaching and learning. There are a plethora of courses available that promise to give teachers the resources and experience necessary to obtain a position teaching English overseas. Four main certification options exist?the CELTA, which is a standardized teaching program, the TEFL, whose program can vary depending on the institution where it is conducted, the TESOL/TESL, which is usually offered through universities, and online TEFL courses, which are not standardized...  [Read more]

We can say in general terms that all teachers are important, English teachers among them. However, the requirement for specialist teachers who are able to teach English as a second or foreign language is particularly important. What makes specialist ESL teachers so necessary? Globalized industry has led to an explosion of the use of English as the lingua franca. This trend looks as though it will continue in the near future. Whilst English is a mainstream curriculum subject in many countries, teachers of English are not necessarily equipped to teach English as a second or foreign language. Teachers trained in TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) are therefore in great demand. Whilst it is generally true that Native English Speakers (NES) have a good working knowledge of the...  [Read more]

Anyone who is involved in English language teaching (ELT) is well aware of the industry’s love of acronyms. If you have researched training courses you will undoubtedly have come across several such as TEFL, tesol, ESOL, EFL, ESL, ELT, and many more. Here we will look at EFL and the first thing to clear up is that EFL stands for English as a Foreign Language. It is often used interchangeably with some of the other acronyms mentioned when referring to the teaching or studying of the English language by non-native English speakers. Although these two acronyms are regularly used interchangeably within the teaching world, there are technical differences between the two. English as a Foreign Language (EFL) refers to situations where a student is learning English in a country (normally their...  [Read more]

  Julia from Russia completed her TESOL course with ITTT. Julia tells us in this TESOL review video that she found the course to be interesting, informative and useful. She learned a lot of new information about teaching English as a foreign language that she can use with her students. Although her decision to take the course was a spontaneous one, she doesn’t regret that decision and is hoping to be able to travel to China to teach English and gain some new experiences. 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...  [Read more]

Many potential TEFL trainees come to us and ask whether they need to speak another language in order to teach English overseas or online. The good news is the answer is most definitely NO, you do not need to have any language skills other than a thorough understanding of the English language. Obviously, if you do speak the native language of the country you intend to live and work in it can be a real help in many ways, but it is not normally required by the employer. The specific requirements for teaching English abroad or online will vary depending on the country and the individual employer. In all cases a thorough understanding of the mechanics of English will be required. On top of that, a TEFL certificate from a reputable course provider is usually a must, while some jobs will also...  [Read more]