Define Affective Filter

  Also in the 1970s la señal came up with a new methodology called "Suggestopedia". As psychological theory was developing, one of the ideas that came up was something called ?the effective filter?. Basically, the effective filter is a barrier to learning. It's the reasons why we inhibit our learning of a particular language. There are two main elements to the effective filter, two sets of factors, if you like, those are known as internal and external factors. The external factors to learning, the reasons why we have barriers to learning, may be just simple things such as external noise. So, people talking to us while we're trying to learn and so on and so forth. Perhaps more important are these internal factors and the internal factors one of the main things here is our previous...  [Read more]

There are many different teaching methods that teachers all over the world use everyday. The type you use depends on the kind of person you are, what style fits you best, and what kind of students you are teaching. I am going to cover a few teaching styles ranging from very young learners to older learners, sharing the many methods that are in use today. The AudioLingualism method, is a style of teaching used in language instruction. It is based on behaviorist ideas, which states that certain living things, in this case humans, could be trained through a system of reinforcement. Correct use of a trait would receive positive feedback while incorrect use of that trait would receive negative feedback. Its exactly like Pavlov's study using dogs, every time the dogs would get...  [Read more]

  Before looking at the methods or approaches themselves, there are some terms that we need to define. These are the approach, the method or the technique. Basically, these are hierarchical. The approach is an overriding set of principles that a method can actually make use of, whereas the technique are the things that we actually do in the classroom to approach that method. So, these three words are going to appear during the presentation. Again, for each of either the approaches all the methodologies we're going to ask four questions. So be it an approach or a method for each of those things: Where did it come from? What's its background? What does it involve when we're talking about actually in the classroom, in other words techniques? What is positive about it? What appears to...  [Read more]

Music is everywhere. It's playing at the mall. It's playing in the car, in the restaurants, at home. It's accessible, and crosses all social, racial, and linguistic lines. As such, it is an excellent recourse for teachers of English as a foreign language. It is particularly good for teachers who are using the ESA method of teaching, because songs fit the lesson plan for every stage of teaching. Music in the classroom is widely supported by a worldwide network of teachers as well as numerous studies showing their worth as a teaching device. Getting students to break down their social inhibitors getting them involved in the class lesson is one of the challenges facing language teachers, particularly when said students are culturally encouraged to be reticent, or when they are...  [Read more]

Learning is the process of gaining or acquiring knowledge while technique comes from the Latin word technicus which means execution or performance of some artistic work or a scientific procedure being used [Orford American Dictionary, Mac OS X dashboard]. So 'learning technique' is the art or even the science of acquiring knowledge.How do we make learning scientific' Experts have come up with some ideas. First, they have isolated different learning techniques. Second, they have defined the qualities of those people using such techniques. Third, they have constructed tests to determine individual learning techniques. Oxford (1990) has defined 6 learning strategies or techniques:1 Cognitive strategies allow the learner to manipulate language material in direct ways: through...  [Read more]

Learning is the process of gaining or acquiring knowledge while technique comes from the Latin word technicus which means execution or performance of some artistic work or a scientific procedure being used [Orford American Dictionary, Mac OS X dashboard]. So ?learning technique? is the art or even the science of acquiring knowledge. How do we make learning scientific? Experts have come up with some ideas. First, they have isolated different learning techniques. Second, they have defined the qualities of those people using such techniques. Third, they have constructed tests to determine individual learning techniques. Oxford (1990) has defined 6 learning strategies or techniques: 1 Cognitive strategies allow the learner to manipulate language material in direct ways:...  [Read more]

The Cambridge online dictionary defines culture as ‘the way of life, especially the general customs and beliefs, of a particular group of people at a particular time’. Education, and thus teaching, are widely believed to one of the most fundamental and essential elements in human life. Therefore cultural awareness in the education environment is of paramount importance. To effectively communicate in any classroom, the students must feel both at ease with, and a sense of respect for, their teacher. To achieve this, the teacher must be aware of the norms, customs and beliefs which have nurtured the minds and personalities of those he or she intends to educate. Any offence or disrespect caused would be of detriment to the crucial rapport building and mutual respect. As ...  [Read more]

Gardner's theory of Multiple Intelligences, in which he defines 7 different ways that people are intelligent, has become a driving force in educational theory in the English Speaking world. Personal experience in a Master's Degree in Elementary Education program with the University of Phoenix revealed that virtually every class which contained a lesson planning element required that the various intelligences be addressed in lessons. A Google search on 'ESL and Multiple Intelligences' conducted on June 8, 2006 returned approximately 450,000 internet articles on Multiple Intelligences in teaching English as a Foreign Language alone. The theory is certainly popular, and is used in training teachers and parents alike in educating their children.But does the idea that there are...  [Read more]

Game can be generally defined that something played for fun an activity that people participate in, together or on their own, for fun.As well as in teaching because of the evolution of teaching the generation changes so the needs in teaching also changes and this is how the games recognized and included in most of lesson plans and activities inside the teaching portfolio.´Games have been shown to have advantages and effectiveness in learning vocabulary in various ways. First, games bring in relaxation and fun for students, thus help them learn and retain new words more easily. Second, games usually involve friendly competition and they keep learners interested. These create the motivation for learners of English to get involved and ...  [Read more]

These days, nearly every economic, political and social development is defined by its association with the broad-based phenomenon commonly identified as globalization. Understandably, economic integration favors standardization, and historical circumstance has led to the adoption of English as the primary language of international commerce. Consequently, the differences between British and American English should be of interest, if only for the historic role that these two nations have played in the unprecedented proliferation of a single language. Due to the limitations of this essay, three distinct elements of language will be discussed: vocabulary; grammar; and pronunciation.Perhaps the most understandable distinctions between British and American English are the...  [Read more]

Phonetics has been defined by Roach (1992) as the 'scientific study of speech' (Roach, 1992: 81.) It is concerned with how speech sounds are formed, how we use them in our spoken language and how we can record these speech sounds using written symbols. Phonology on the other hand has been defined by Roach (1992) as 'the study of the sound systems of languages' (Roach, 1992: 82.) According to Roca and Johnson (1999), the way in which we speak is somewhat similar to playing a recorder. This is because when you play a recorder you have to blow air from your lungs, as you do when you speak. However, to play a tune, you cannot simply blow air into the recorder; you must have your fingers over specific holes. Therefore, when we speak, we have to interfere with the air that comes out...  [Read more]

Imagine you are an ESL student who has studied quite hard. You have followed your courses; you have been actively participating in class activities and discussions; you have completed all assignments; you have read your texts. In fact, you feel quite prepared to travel to the English speaking world and use your English skills quite confidently. Your assumption is a logical one. You have had no indication that the proper English you have been taught is missing a large piece of the language: idioms and slang. When you arrive in the new country, you understand most of the conversations but have quite a hard time understanding seemingly nonsensical phrases and words. This is not a situation that should occur. Teachers of English that are native speakers have all the...  [Read more]

In consideration of whether or not teachers of English as a second language should teach slang or idioms in class, or rather, why English teachers should teach idioms or slang, I did some research on the internet regarding this particular topic. For the most part, I found one David Burke's article on the subject to be most informative (Burke, 1). I have formed my own opinion on the matter, which I will discuss at length later in this essay.First, it is constructive to define exactly what slang words and idioms are, to differentiate between the two as well as to be completely precise in this pursuit. Dictionary.com defines an idiom as 'an expression whose meaning is not predictable from the usual meanings of its constituent elements' (dictionary.com, 1). In contrast, slang is...  [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. Speaking and writing are the productive parts of language. They are equally important. In order to encourage student communication, we can try to present something creative or fun in the classroom. Occasionally playing games can encourage student participation and work on fluency. Avoiding culturally sensitive topics can also ease tension in the classroom and additionally encourage student participation. ...  [Read more]

Navigating Through a Foreign-Language-Classroom:Non-Verbal VocalicsTeaching in a foreign country and to students that do not understand English poses as a tedious endeavor. Innately we as humans tend to gravitate towards people like ourselves, thus when a TEFL teacher enters a classroom full of students from a different culture the work that is entailed to teach is abundant. Not only must the teacher propose a lesson, they must also embark on communicating with their students. Nevertheless that communication is of utmost difficulty; not only are the students from a different culture, they also speak a different language. Therefore, a sense of understanding must arise between the student and the teacher' lack of language. Consequently the communication that goes on between the two...  [Read more]

Navigating Through a Foreign-Language-Classroom: Non-Verbal Vocalics Teaching in a foreign country and to students that do not understand English poses as a tedious endeavor. Innately we as humans tend to gravitate towards people like ourselves, thus when a TEFL teacher enters a classroom full of students from a different culture the work that is entailed to teach is abundant. Not only must the teacher propose a lesson, they must also embark on communicating with their students. Nevertheless that communication is of utmost difficulty; not only are the students from a different culture, they also speak a different language. Therefore, a sense of understanding must arise between the student and the teacher? lack of language. Consequently the communication that goes on...  [Read more]

Motivation is a paramount factor in determining the success or failure of learning. Very often, students drag themselves to school and find it a chore to study, worse still take on a second language ?C English. As a non native speaker myself, switching from characters into roman letters was an uphill battle. However, ?? want to dispel the myth that learning English is easy and fun for non-native speakers and the secret to it is pure motivation. According to the dictionary, motivation is defined as a reason or cause of action. It can be categorized into extrinsic and intrinsic factors. Extrinsic factors such as rewards and punishment are the common methods in motivating students. If a student does well, the individual is rewarded positively with gifts, money and...  [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]

  Neil took the in-class TEFL course with TEFL International in Zhuhai, China. In this TEFL review video, Neil points out what was covered in the course including grammar, pronunciation as well as the practical side of teaching. He found the trainers encouraged him to put what he was learning into practice in the classroom. 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 have learnt:↵1) Course contet- how the whole course is composed and...  [Read more]

Italian is an Indo-European language directly descended from Latin. However there is a wide range of regional dialects that may be the first language for many Italians. Primarily the Anglo-Saxon elements in English cause difficulties. Additionally basic and colloquial English usage often causes more trouble than more formal or academic forms. (Swan and Smith p. 73)General phonology problems arise for Italians in the inventory and distribution of individual sounds but are most common in the areas of stress and rhythm. Learners have the most problems in understanding and making themselves understood due to this rhythmic language difference. The stress-timed patterns of English cause great difficulty to Italian learners, particularly in terms of perception and comprehension (Swan...  [Read more]

The topic of teacher accents in the ESL classroom is much debated. I am sure most teachers can relate to a story or experience. In South Korea, like many Asian countries there is a strong focus on the 'American English'. All listening tapes, dialogues, transcripts and texts use American linguistics and accents. Even the international TOEIC and TEFL tests for a long time were using American accents. As a New Zealand citizen being strongly advised to develop an American accent can be hard to comprehend.Kachru 1986 writes 'what actually happens is that language and power go together. American English is accepted for the power and superiority which America as a nation has acquired in the areas of science, technology, commerce, military affairs and politics'. I tend to agree and...  [Read more]

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

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

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]

  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, we learned about how the major participation of a teacher should be like with students in several ways like which songs or activity should be used to provoke students to get excited, the stories with a deep interest and suspense which makes the students to create more interest in it, those games which you used to enjoy yourself in your childhood and present those games to students in a well...  [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 has given a basic introduction to this course, information on the remaining 5 units is given. the details of the course have been clearly explained. the general terminology for business English has been given with the full forms, so very clear if in future I come across these. the details for teaching English for a specific purpose have clearly been defined and also what are our future prospects once...  [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]

It would seem as though everyone has their own customized method of teaching; however when these philosophies are reduced some fundamental trends emerge. Since any person's perception and interpretation would individualize these fundamental methodologies (especially once put into practice) I will attempt to focus on the more concrete objective bases of these notions. The specific methodologies I will be discussing include: The Grammar Translation Approach, The Direct Method, Community Language Learning, The Audio- Lingual Method and the Functional-Notional Approach. Grammar-Translation This approach dates back to the late 19th century and was primarily geared towards teaching dead languages- Latin and Greek. The name of the approach insinuates the method, translating...  [Read more]

  Our final methodology is accredited to Jeremy Harmer and it's known by the letters ESA. Around 1998, Jeremy Harmer produced a book called "How to teach English" and basically what Harmer did, is a background to this book is to do what we have done today and to work through all of the different methodologies that have come about over the last 300 years. He highlighted for each of those methodologies what was good about it, what was positive and what didn't appear to work and then put all of the positive things into a melting pot and came out with this methodology, which he called ESA. It's a three-stage methodology, where each of the letters represents a particular phase of the lesson. The first one being called the engage phase, the second the study phase and the final one the...  [Read more]

How important is the student in the process of designing a lesson plan' Once a lesson plan is composed, should the teacher stick rigidly to every step detailed, ploughing through even if students fall behind, miss the point and inevitably lose interest -and faith 'V in what the teacher has to say'Personally, the author believes that the lesson is not the focus of the classroom, rather the student is. If a learning point takes longer than anticipated, then a teacher should hope to be attentive to the needs of the class, adapting the lesson or activities to address difficulties in understanding or to extend the practice of a particularly problematic area. However, it is important to realise that it may not be the topic or focus point that is causing confusion in a lesson. It may...  [Read more]