Comprehensible Input Definition

What is slang' A simple online definition is, "The nonstandard vocabulary of a given culture or subculture, typicaly consisting of transitory coinages and figures of speech." (Catchword) What is an idiom' From another online source, "Idiom refers to a grammatical construction unique to a certain people, region, or class that cannot be translated literally into another language." (Pearson Canada) When learning any language, these two concepts are an important part of complete understanding. The first hurdle a language student must overcome is grammar. After getting a basic understanding of how to string a language´s words together to form something understandable to an average native speaker, the next step is vocabulary. While grammar and vocabulary are definately...  [Read more]

Trainees will be given detailed handbooks for the following areas of the course: These high quality materials are the basis for the input sessions and will provide the trainees with valuable reference resources. The center provides course handbooks and materials for the course, as well as two A4 folders which should be organized as follows: These logs form a record of the course and will be checked during moderation. During input sessions you will receive numerous handouts and may want to take your own notes as well. We suggest dividing the file under the following headings:  [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]

Stephen Krashen differentiates between the concepts of language acquisition and language learning in this way: He likens the process of language acquisition to adolescents and young adults living outside of their native country in a year long exchange program where they attain near native fluency but remain unfamiliar with phonology and/or grammar rules. He links the concept of language learning to the traditional approach of teachers/students in classrooms with specific focus on structure and grammar rules. Krashen summarizes, “Language acquisition does not require extensive use of conscious grammatical rules, and does not require tedious drill.” He further states, “Acquisition requires meaningful interaction in the target language-natural communication-in...  [Read more]

'Idiom: groups of two or more words that taken together mean something different from the literal meaning of the individual words. Slang: informal speech that is outside conventional or standard usage and consists both of coined words and phrases and of new or extended meanings attached to established terms.' For a more specific definition we can look to http://en.wikipedia.org/wik, which offers the following detailed account of the two terms.Idiom: 'An idiom is an expression (i.e. term or phrase) whose meaning cannot be deduced from the literal definitions and the arrangement of its parts, but refers instead to a figurative meaning that is known only through conventional use. In linguistics, idioms are figures of speech that contradict the principle of compositionality.'Common...  [Read more]

  In this TEFL review video, Nikki from South Africa talks about she is constantly travelling so an important criterion for her when choosing a TEFL course was that it should allow her to study while on the move. ITTT’s online courses provide the flexibility to study online wherever and whenever you want. Nikki was impressed by the range of courses and prices that ITTT has to offer and has now completed the main TEFL certificate course and an additional Certificate in Teaching Business English course. 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...  [Read more]

Idiom: groups of two or more words that taken together mean something different from the literal meaning of the individual words. Slang: informal speech that is outside conventional or standard usage and consists both of coined words and phrases and of new or extended meanings attached to established terms.? For a more specific definition we can look to http://en.wikipedia.org/wik, which offers the following detailed account of the two terms. Idiom: ?An idiom is an expression (i.e. term or phrase) whose meaning cannot be deduced from the literal definitions and the arrangement of its parts, but refers instead to a figurative meaning that is known only through conventional use. In linguistics, idioms are figures of speech that contradict the principle of...  [Read more]

  The first group of students we are looking at in this series are the beginners. It is important to understand that beginners can be of any age. This is why we break this category down into the following sub-categories: absolute beginners, false beginners, adult beginners, young beginners and beginners without the Roman alphabet. Find out more about this type of student group in this video. 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 unit was an easy...  [Read more]

Stephen Krashen differentiates between the concepts of language acquisition and language learning in this way: He likens the process of language acquisition to adolescents and young adults living outside of their native country in a year long exchange program where they attain near native fluency but remain unfamiliar with phonology and/or grammar rules. He links the concept of language learning to the traditional approach of teachers/students in classrooms with specific focus on structure and grammar rules. Krashen summarizes, ?Language acquisition does not require extensive use of conscious grammatical rules, and does not require tedious drill.? He further states, ?Acquisition requires meaningful interaction in the target language-natural communication-in which ...  [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. I found myself referring back to the different tenses trying to understand the simple, continuous, question, perfect and negative tenses. Having the same multiple choices regarding question 12 and 14 I found a little confusing. I would have thought question 3 multiple choice answers should read 'Have you ever been on a holiday? Not sure but it sounds more correct to me than 'Have you ever been on holiday' I'll...  [Read more]

  In this TEFL review, Deeksha tells us how she enjoyed taking the 120-hour online TEFL course with ITTT. She found that the course units were clear and comprehensive. She also found that the level of difficulty of the course helped motivate her to keep going. 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. We were learning teaching pronunciation and phonology. We saw the definition of phonoly the three aspects about phonology sucha as stress, rhythm and...  [Read more]

  "Your" and "you're" often get confused, not only by English learners around the world but also by many native English speakers. Let's break it down. "Your" is a possessive adjective that indicates ownership, while "you're" is simply the contraction of "you are". Let's take a look at this example sentence: Your grades are great this semester. In this case, we use 'your' as we use it to indicate ownership. You're the best student in the entire school! This example require us to use 'you're' because it is the short form for 'you are'. Should you not be sure which one to use, think about if you want to express ownership or of you want to say "you are". Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online...  [Read more]

Embark on a transformative journey in the heart of Bangkok with the CELTA course offered by ITTT. Discover the dynamic and comprehensive structure of the CELTA program, designed to equip you with the necessary skills and knowledge to excel in the field of English language teaching. Learn from experienced trainers and immerse yourself in a vibrant cultural setting while gaining an internationally recognized certification. The CELTA course in Bangkok is divided into three key components: input sessions, teaching practice, and written assignments. During the input sessions, you will delve into various aspects of language teaching, including methodology, classroom management, and lesson planning. These sessions provide you with a solid theoretical foundation that will inform your practical...  [Read more]

  In this episode, we cover the pronunciation of the word rationale. This word is used as a noun and describes the reasons or the logical explanation for an action or a certain belief. Some synonyms for rationale include reasoning, thinking and logic. The word rationale comes from the modern Latin word rationalis meaning ‘endowed with reason’. 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 learned that using concepts like "interrogative" and "negative"...  [Read more]

  Throughout section on the teaching of productive skills and the teaching of receptive skills our activate activities will usually involve some form of game and our final consideration here will be the use of games in the classroom. We can start with a definition of what we actually mean by a game and it basically has three components. A game is an activity that has rules it should have for its purpose in the classroom a teaching point and by nature to the fact that it's a game it should also include an element of fun. So that will be our working definition for a game that we're going to use in the classroom. There are many different types of games and they range between the competitive and those will require cooperation and there are all sorts of games that involve both of these...  [Read more]

The most prominent form of intelligent testing in modern life is I.Q. (?intelligence quotient?) testing; the original calculation of which was the formula 100 x mental age divided by chronological age. For example, it was worked out on chronological age averages; so if a ten year old scored as highly as the average fourteen year old, their IQ score would be 140. Although this worked well in assessing the intelligence of children, it was rather a limited methodology, with many variances, for example the difference between someone who has just turned four years old and someone who is approaching five years old is supposed to be considerable in terms of learnedness and intelligence. Various alterations and developments were made to this original, and indeed fairly...  [Read more]

The most prominent form of intelligent testing in modern life is I.Q. ('intelligence quotient') testing; the original calculation of which was the formula 100 x mental age divided by chronological age. For example, it was worked out on chronological age averages; so if a ten year old scored as highly as the average fourteen year old, their IQ score would be 140. Although this worked well in assessing the intelligence of children, it was rather a limited methodology, with many variances, for example the difference between someone who has just turned four years old and someone who is approaching five years old is supposed to be considerable in terms of learnedness and intelligence.Various alterations and developments were made to this original, and indeed fairly basic, IQ test...  [Read more]

One of the worst teaching experience is having a class come to an abrupt halt while someone searches a dictionary for a specific word, one usually not found in the end anyway. The problem of using dictionaries as a crutch could be rectified by not allowing the use of them in a lesson at all. The great art of circumlocution could be used instead, albeit kicking and screaming. Those experiences of being derailed by frantic dictionary searches would make any ESL teacher shudder and swear off dictionaries entirely. Should native language to English language dictionaries be banned altogether? Some would argue that using dictionaries is a good technique to use in the classroom. One that actually helps to create a more independent learner (...  [Read more]

One of the worst teaching experience is having a class come to an abrupt halt while someone searches a dictionary for a specific word, one usually not found in the end anyway. The problem of using dictionaries as a crutch could be rectified by not allowing the use of them in a lesson at all. The great art of circumlocution could be used instead, albeit kicking and screaming. Those experiences of being derailed by frantic dictionary searches would make any ESL teacher shudder and swear off dictionaries entirely. Should native language to English language dictionaries be banned altogether' Some would argue that using dictionaries is a good technique to use in the classroom. One that actually helps to create a more independent learner ( www.tefl.net/teacher_training). The...  [Read more]

ESSAY ORGAN'ZAT'ON: In this essay I want to discuss cultural sensitiivty in the classroom. In order to speak intelligently about the topic we first need to to know what we are talking about. Let us begin by defining our terms, beginning with culture. After doing that we can then apply these terms to classroom experience.WHAT IS CULTURE' Anthropologists most commonly use the term 'culture' to refer tot he universal human capacity to classify, codify and communicate their experiences symbolically. This capacity is long been taken as a defining feature of the genus Homo. However, primatologists such as Jane Goodall have identified aspects of culture among our closest relatives 'n the animal k'ngdom. In order to resolve this we can say that symbolic experiences while not exclusive...  [Read more]

  This video covers the difference between 'overdo' and 'overdue'. As these two words have a similar pronunciation and spelling, their usage is often confused. 'Overdue' describes something that is past a due date or past a scheduled time, for example: I need to pay all my overdue bills to avoid a late fee. 'Overdo', on the other hand, is used when speaking about doing something to an excessive degree, for example: Don't overdo the salt in this recipe or it will taste bad. 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...  [Read more]

  And now we'll have a look at our articles. We can divide articles into these groupings: indefinite, using a or an, definite, using the, and oftentimes referred to as the zero article, is actually the absence of an article all together. With the indefinite article, we use it in a nonspecific way. "This is a pen," it's one of many pens. When using the definite article, we use it in a specific way. "This is the pen I'm using." We also use the indefinite article when mentioning something for the first time. "I have a boy and a girl." We use the definite article when mentioning that same thing an additional time or any additional times we mention it. So "I have a boy and a girl. The boy is eight and the girl is six." With the zero article, we don't use an article at all. We use it to...  [Read more]

  Our next particular methodology is accredited to James Asher around 1965 and is called total physical response. Asher looked at the way in which we learn our native language and he saw that most children, before they even went to school, have picked up a very large percentage of both the grammar and the vocabulary that they would use in their native language before any type of formal schooling. So Asher started to have a look at ideas of how to use the whole of our brain in language learning in the way that we do when we're very young. It's accepted that within our brain there are two hemispheres, one is the left hemisphere the other is the right hemisphere, and one of the functions of the left hemisphere is language learning. One of the major functions of the right hemisphere is...  [Read more]

1. The Importance of CELTA Training 2. What to Expect in a CELTA Course 3. Tips for Excelling in a CELTA Training Course 4. Conclusion When it comes to pursuing a career in English language teaching, obtaining a CELTA (Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) certification is often considered essential. Recognized worldwide, a CELTA qualification from Cambridge Assessment English is highly respected by employers in the field of English language teaching. It not only validates your teaching skills but also opens up a world of opportunities for you to teach English to non-native speakers across the globe. A CELTA course is an intensive program that typically lasts four to five weeks. During this time, you will be exposed to various teaching methodologies, classroom...  [Read more]

Are you looking to enhance your teaching skills and advance your career in the field of English language teaching? Look no further than the Online CELTA Certification Program offered by ITTT (International TEFL and TESOL Training). This comprehensive program is designed to provide you with the knowledge and practical skills needed to excel in the classroom and become a highly qualified English language teacher. With ITTT's Online CELTA Certification Program, you can study at your own pace from anywhere in the world, making it the perfect choice for busy professionals and aspiring educators alike. At ITTT, we are committed to providing our students with top-quality education and training that meets the highest standards in the industry. Our Online CELTA Certification Program is accredited...  [Read more]

At the beginning of an in-class training course all trainees receive a course manual covering the following areas: These high quality, professional course materials have been developed over the years to provide a solid basis for the various input sessions you will attend during your training. These unique materials also provide a valuable resource for your future teaching career. Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! As well as the course handbook, we also provide an A4 folder which is used to organize course work such as: The course log book provides a record of your progress through the course. It will be regularly inspected and used for moderation purposes. Throughout the course you will receive numerous handouts and produce many pages of your own notes. We suggest you...  [Read more]

Mastering the requirements for a CELTA degree is essential for anyone looking to excel in the field of English language teaching. The CELTA (Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) is a globally recognized qualification that opens doors to a variety of teaching opportunities worldwide. To achieve success in obtaining a CELTA degree, it is crucial to understand the key components and expectations of the program. 1. Understanding the CELTA Program 2. Meeting the Entry Requirements 3. Navigating the Course Structure 4. Excelling in Assessment and Teaching Practice The CELTA program, offered by ITTT (International TEFL and TESOL Training), is designed to equip aspiring teachers with the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively teach English as a second language....  [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]

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]

Are you looking to enhance your teaching skills and open up new opportunities in Japan? A CELTA certification might be just what you need. Whether you are a seasoned educator or just starting out in the field of English language teaching, the Cambridge CELTA (Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) is a globally recognized qualification that can help you excel in your career. The CELTA certification is highly regarded by employers around the world, including language schools in Japan. It provides you with the essential knowledge and practical skills needed to teach English as a foreign language effectively. With a focus on hands-on teaching practice, feedback sessions, and theoretical input, the CELTA course equips you with the tools to create engaging and dynamic...  [Read more]