Esl Certification Course

'Why should I take a TEFL course' I love children and I love teaching. isn't that enough' It's quite possible that I'm not the only person that ever entertained such thoughts, and even now I look back and shake my head. Yes indeed, a love for the people and teaching are absolutely necessary in order to be a truly successful teacher, but as I have realized, there is so much I would have been sadly unprepared for if I had gone into it without the TEFL training! Being a good teacher involves really knowing your material, and the students will be able to sense if teachers aren't really secure in their knowledge. It will also convey the thought that maybe the teacher doesn't care enough about what they''re doing to put serious effort into learning it first themselves. I'll just highlight a few...  [Read more]

There are many advantages to completing a TEFL certified course. One very simple reason, is if you're going to complete a course in English as a foreign language, TEFL is the best choice because it is the most recognized. I am already pleasantly surprised how familiar people from all ages and backgrounds are with this program. Literally every person I know between the ages of fifteen and thirty knows someone or has taken a TOEFL language exam for academic purposes. By completing a TEFL course you're at a greater advantage than some other programs because you are associated with such a huge global symbol of language learning. After completing a TEFL course, the possibilities are countless. If you've ever dreamed of living abroad, this is a perfect way of fulfilling that dream. All over...  [Read more]

To undertake and complete an ESL course would normally allow the successful student to gain benefit from the ability to access the English speaking world. By covering the four domains of speaking, understanding, reading and writing a student would be able to undertake activities such as answering conversational questions, following a menu and writing a cheque. However, many students who have completed a course containing these four basic domains of language learning would continue to struggle when attempting to fully interact and participate with other 1st language English speakers. The main reason for this would be that they have not included in their studies the learning of slang and idioms that frequent the communication of 1st language English speakers.This higher level language...  [Read more]

IntroductionWhen I decided I wanted to compare of course materials used for adult students here in Germany I contacted a teacher that has been working in Munich for over 15 years and asked here if she could help me. I did lend several books from here but in the end I chose to use two books. My chose depended on that these books where suitable for a comparative study because they aimed for the same level of students. The first book is called 'Network' and is a stage 1 book printed in 2001. The other book I chose to use is also a stage 1 book and is called 'First choice'. The reason for me choosing this book is that it is the newest book I managed to get a hold of and it is printed. My aim was to see how these books matched what I have been taught during the TEFL course and how user...  [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 as a chance to...  [Read more]

A TEFL (or TESOL) certificate is the major ESL qualification required to teach English abroad. No previous specialist qualification or teaching experience is necessary to take the course' you just have to be able to speak English! Previously, it was extremely easy for any native English speaker to obtain a job abroad, even without a specific qualification. Today however oversees school administrators are far more particular about their employees and their qualifications. A TEFL certificate shows perspective employers that you possess the professional tools to teach English successfully. The qualification therefore opens a multitude of doors by facilitating sustained travel and work oversees. Living and working in an area allows the teacher to gain an experience of foreign cultures and...  [Read more]

  Former ESL student Kieu recorded this TEFL review after completing her TEFL course online with ITTT. Already an English teacher, Kiue thought taking the course was the best decision of her career. The course gave her the confidence to apply appropriate teaching methods in her 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 we have learnt specially the techniques of teaching English to Individuals and group of people such as class group or...  [Read more]

This article will look at the range of materials that are useful and readily available for teaching the English Language to a group on non-native English speakers.There are a whole host of materials available, however a teacher needs to be very careful in the choice of what and what not to use. It is extremely important that materials chosen are those which can capture the imagination of students and stimulate their interest. If the material is mundane and unexciting this will likely rub off on the students. Therefore, before a course starts, the teacher would be best advised to design a skeleton course which includes the topics and levels that he aims to cover, however, the detail of how this should be addressed should be left until he has met the students and determined what their...  [Read more]

  Regardless of which particular business English setting you find yourself teaching in, there is a typical process that is recommended to go through before you start your course. Watch this video for helpful tips and tricks for anyone who is teaching business English classes. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section before moving onto the next. I have learned the difference ways to teach a class. I can now incorporate repetition drills for lower levels if I feel their pronunciation is not...  [Read more]

A balanced approach to using a combination of created and authentic materials can be beneficial to both the students and the teacher in an ESL classroom.Created materials can be either a previously published course text or something the teacher has specifically created to supplement a lesson. Often students will expect some published materials such as a course book and view it as a form of security as well as a way to gauge their progress, i.e. how many chapters of the book they have completed. Published course materials have generally been tried and tested before release and thus are graded to a level suitable for the students and contain a balanced mix of vocabulary, grammar and skills exercises. As well, they can be very useful in pointing out certain structures or language patterns...  [Read more]

What does Teacher Career Development and completing a TEFL course have in common' Me. I am an elementary school teacher who wanted to develop her career by learning how to teach English overseas. In signing up for this course, my goal was to obtain a certificate and go teach abroad. I had not planned on having a course book of English grammar that I could use in my 5th grade classroom. Without thinking about it I was able to develop my skills as a Language Arts teacher, as well as gain confidence in a subject I was not very familiar with. I found myself developing as an educator and completing the TEFL course all at the same time.In Unit 1 of the online TEFL course, it talked about what makes a good teacher and their roles. 'A good teacher should really love teaching. A good teacher is...  [Read more]

One of the more noticeable differences between students on the TEFL course is the different uses of the English language. The main differences being between the British and American English. On area that I thought could have become confusing when teaching would be the pronunciation of different words by different English speakers. As a rule it is generally agreed amongst English teaching programs that neither type of pronunciation is the correct version however they do insist on consistence of usage. So when a person starts to teach in British English using relevant terms they should maintain that throughout. Grammatically both types of the language follow the same rules. However there are variations’ of form words that are used. For example the past participle for the word get in...  [Read more]

Throughout the ITTT course, the main suggestion for finding supplemental materials is to search through the school's resource library. There are obvious benefits to this: the staff may be able to direct you easily to what you are looking for, the materials can easily be photocopied (if that is an option), and the materials can be chosen as the need arises during the class. However, there is a whole other world of materials available on-line as well. While there are many places where Internet access is impossible, the teacher will probably be aware of this before arriving and could do some preparation and bring ideas and materials with them. For an isolated school, the teacher can also then cheaply and easily provide the resource library with new and updated activities, worksheets and...  [Read more]

Although, at the beginning of an English course, students can be very excited and enthusiastic when first confronted with their teacher, the person who will introduce them to a new, fascinating, foreign language, as time goes by the sense of novelty and curiosity that seemed so strong at the beginning, seem to gradually subside in the eyes of the pupils, especially those of young age, leaving the teacher with the sometimes difficult task of re-building their general interest in learning and not least, their level of motivation, which in nearly all warps of life, is the key to success. Motivation, in the field of learning, is a quality that can be more practically viewed by splitting it into three values: „XPure love of and interest in learning.The more fun and exciting the activity...  [Read more]

During my first week at the TEFL course in Phuket, Thailand, I began to notice that the pronunciation of the Thai students was lacking a bit. I do not blame this condition on the teachers, nor on the students themselves, but the pronunciation predicament immediately stuck out to me as a problem for which I would like to find some resolution. For this reason, I decided to look further into the difficulties Thai students have when learning such a widely- used foreign language as English. What I found was that most of the pronunciation problems stem from the vast differences the two languages contain. For many teachers and students alike, the dissimilarities become so numerous that they easily begin to overwhelm everyone involved in the process of learning a new language. But there are a few...  [Read more]

If you are thinking about joining the tens of thousands of people already working as ESL teachers in China, one of the first decisions to make is which location in this vast country would suit you best. Although it is possible to find jobs off the beaten track, the vast majority of positions are located in big cities such as Beijing and Shanghai. However, as there are more than 150 other cities with a population of over one million people, there are plenty of options for you to consider. With a population of over 20 million, the vast city of Shanghai offers countless opportunities for ESL teachers, particularly in the field of business English. As it has such a large job market and offers very competitive salaries, Shanghai is one of the most popular destinations in the whole of Asia....  [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 advantages over taking a course...  [Read more]

Teaching English abroad is an increasingly popular career option for native English speakers of all ages. Knowledge of the English language and the ability to use it are also in increasing demand all over the world. Because of the high demand for teachers and the growing popularity of teaching abroad, certification to be a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) teacher is fast becoming a requirement for most schools. This certification is often referred to as a TEFL or TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) certificate. 'A TEFL certificate is the standard international EFL qualification for working abroad as an English teacher' (International TEFL Teacher Training, http://www.teflonline.net/). The training provided in a TEFL course prepares the future teachers in...  [Read more]

Isn't it funny how our preconceptions are often way off course' Certain things we're preconditioned to think, be it because of cultural influences, peer/family influence or experiences, and, more often than not, we don't question these; Tesco and Wal-Mart are Mecca's; McDonald's food tastes amazing; being quiet makes you a good student. I ran away from this conditioning and ended up on a TEFL course in sunny Phuket, the 'Pearl of the South' : an excuse to escape the real world for a while and maybe earn a qualification with which I could escape for a wee while longer. Many things Western culture had tried to precondition me to believe I'd already balked at- Wal- mart´s and suchlike are more demonic corporations to be run away form rather than Mecca's to be embraced and McDonalds burgers...  [Read more]

When it comes to teaching English in Latin America, countries such as Chile, Costa Rica, and Mexico tend to get the most coverage. However, there are several other countries in the region that have seen a significant growth in demand for foreign teachers in recent years, including Ecuador. Boasting a wide range of fascinating environments to explore, from the Andean Mountains to the Amazon rainforest, Ecuador is a truly unique destination for teaching English abroad. Teaching positions can be found in abundance in big cities such as Quito, Guayaquil, and Cuenca, as well as in smaller numbers in other towns and cities across the country. As is the case in much of Latin America, salaries for foreign teachers in Ecuador are quite low in comparison to many other parts of the world. However,...  [Read more]

The motives people have, with regard to undertaking such an intensive and demanding course as a TEFL(Teaching English as a Foreign Language), are varied: a desire to live and work in some exotic location; to meet and interact with new people from all walks of life and, indeed, all corners of the globe: to enhance their existing skills or supplement a CV; to forge a different career path or, more altruistically, to seek to improve the lives of others by enabling them to communicate with the wider world while perhaps benefiting them in both social and financial contexts. I would like to state that the latter, decidedly the most admirable one, was my motive - but it was not. My motive, rather ironically, was to become a better English teacher to my native English speaking students in...  [Read more]

It has always been my ambition to be a teacher and specifically to teach English as a foreign language. I have lived in London for 16 years, having moved from Portugal when I was eleven. My career up to this point has been in a totally different direction although I harboured secret ambitions to pursue my dream. I finally decided to take control of my future and looked for a course which could help me achieve my ambition. After much searching I came across this course on the internet which would fulfil my needs. I looked forward to starting the course and personally felt that being Portuguese, having attended an English Comprehensive school and living in the UK for so many years that I would find the course quite easy. However that was not the case it soon become apparent that the English...  [Read more]

Poland has a huge demand for ESL teachers in many parts of the country making it an ideal destination for first-time teachers looking to gain valuable classroom experience. As Poland is a member of the EU it is very easy for other EU nationals to simply turn up in their city of choice and quickly find work as there are no visa restrictions. While it is not impossible for non-EU citizens to acquire a work permit from within the country, it is often more convenient to secure a position via an online job site and then apply for the appropriate visa from a Polish Consulate within your own country. Jobs can be found in almost every part of the country; however, major cities such as Warsaw, Krakow, Lodz, and Wroclaw offer the most numerous options. Although teaching jobs are plentiful across...  [Read more]

In the spring of 2006, I was approached by one of my former students with the idea of joining her and her volunteer group to teach English in China. I was intrigued by the idea, but wondered how one who knew no Chinese could teach English. I had teaching experience from some twenty years prior, and had even majored in English with a BS degree in Education. Being assured that I was more than qualified, I volunteered to go with the group to Xian in July of 2006, and was appointed as one of the twelve, lead teachers for a private, summer camp school.Though the experience was rewarding, as I look back I wonder if these students really received what they had anticipated. They, or their parents, paid a good sum to attend the ten day long session. But I was less than prepared to handle many of...  [Read more]

The following paper is a variation on the “What I wish I had known before the course” topic. I have decided to focus on what I can do with what I have learned. I am not certain I will enter into the field of English instruction. In my traditional business courses, and if I enter into English instruction I plan to focus on the following three areas.•Advocate for the use of high quality, Standard English•Use grammar instruction carefully•Encourage writing proficiency in all subjects/courses When teaching English—Quality CountsAdvocating for Standard English The launch speech of Professor Koh Tai Ann, Chairman of the Speak Good English Movement of Singapore is a wonderfully crafted document that spells out the economic and social advantages of English...  [Read more]

The drivers for any person from any country around the world to complete a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) course are wide and varied. In this article I will impart my personal reasons for undertaking the TEFL course and present some reasons others that I have discovered through my research and interviews. I will also demonstrate the reasons for choosing TEFL from the number of available English Teaching certifications on the market. Finally I will conclude with a summary of my perceived benefits and challenges experienced whilst studying for TEFL Certification.Personally I was driven to TEFL with the aim of becoming an English Teacher in Japan. I hold a strong desire to live and work in a foreign country and teaching English has proved to be a popular and effective way to...  [Read more]

The Czech Republic has been a popular destination for teaching English abroad for many years as it offers a unique cultural experience, a low cost of living, and a very healthy job market. Prague is the most popular destination, boasting an eclectic mix of architecture and a fascinating history that draws huge numbers of tourists from around the world every year. The city also has one of the largest demands for ESL teachers in the whole of Europe. Cities such as Brno, Ostrava, Liberec, and Plzen, which is world famous as the birthplace of Pilsner beer, are also popular locations. As there is a huge number of employers across the country offering a wide range of positions, the average salary can be anywhere from 18,000 to 30,000 CZK (currently US$700 to $1,200) per month. Many private...  [Read more]

When I decided to get TEFL Certified, through ITTT, I did not think, that as a person who holds a Bachelor of Arts in English, completing the course work would be very challenging. After all, I studied wrote about and debated complex aspects of the language and literature all through out college. How could it not be easy' I really believed that I would breeze through the course work and it would take the minimal amount of time to be completed. I had finished the first three units quite quickly, in my arrogance I really did believe they all would be finished just as fast.Then I began Unit 4 (Present Tenses) and had a very rude awakening. It was with this unit, I realized that all my college training had not prepared me in any way shape or form for what lie ahead in future grammar centered...  [Read more]

Argentina is one of the most popular destinations in South America for both international tourists and those looking to teach English abroad. Teachers are drawn to the country from all over the world by the promise of a stunning natural landscape, a unique European influenced culture, and a relaxed way of life. There is a strong demand for foreign teachers throughout the country, although the largest market is located in the capital Buenos Aires. Significant markets for ESL teachers can also be found in other major cities such as Cordoba, Rosario, Mendoza, and the beach resort of Mar del Plata. Although Argentina is a very popular destination for foreign teachers, few come here expecting to earn or save a large sum of money. Salaries are low in comparison to many other popular countries...  [Read more]

One area within the English teaching (ESL) market that has increased dramatically over recent years is that of teaching English online. Although many of the ideas used in traditional classroom teaching are transferable to online teaching, there are some specifics you should be aware of before embarking on this method of teaching. Usually the teaching of English (ESL) takes place in a school or language center. Students attend the location and have regular lessons from their teachers. However, there has always been a need, in very remote locations for example, for teaching to be done in one area and delivered to another. The advent of the world-wide-web and connectivity through phones, computers and the like has greatly expanded the possibility of this mode of teaching. Many English...  [Read more]