How Do You Be A Teacher

Being interviewed for a TEFL related position is much like any other interview situation; it can be an intimidating prospect. However, if you do your homework and prepare for some general questions in advance, you can remove a great deal of worry from the whole process. Unfortunately you cannot predict exactly how any interview will unfold but most will include a similar range of questions that are aimed at assessing your suitability for joining the existing workforce. The employer will certainly want to form an impression of who you are as a person, so expect questions such as: What do you like to do in your spare time? What are your strengths and weaknesses? Where do you see yourself in five years? If the job is outside of your home country you can also expect some questions...  [Read more]

Introduction I have met and spent time with some language teachers here in the U.S. who prefer to teach low-level learners. The teachers tell me, for one thing, lower-level learners are often more enthusiastic than their more able counterparts. They can also make noticeable progress in a relatively short time. The points below can help to make a class at the beginner level more effective. False Beginners Probably the majority of low-level English classes will be for 'false beginners', learners who have studied English before, but have little or no communicative ability. Planning and Preparation Have some idea of how much material you are going to cover. Give your students an overview of the course and how much material you expect them to cover. On the other ...  [Read more]

Introduction I have met and spent time with some language teachers here in the U.S. who prefer to teach low-level learners. The teachers tell me, for one thing, lower-level learners are often more enthusiastic than their more able counterparts. They can also make noticeable progress in a relatively short time. The points below can help to make a class at the beginner level more effective. False Beginners Probably the majority of low-level English classes will be for 'false beginners', learners who have studied English before, but have little or no communicative ability. Planning and Preparation Have some idea of how much material you are going to cover. Give your students an overview of the course and how much material you expect them to cover. On the other hand, don't make...  [Read more]

The word rapport originates from the French word, rapporter, meaning to bring back and the Oxford English Dictionary definition is one of “a close and harmonious relationship in which there is common understanding”. But what is the reality of rapport and is it of any importance in the classroom? With so many teaching methods, practises, aids and testing means at a teachers disposal, do we even need to spend time considering rapport and trying to build it with students? The short answer is most definitely yes. Rapport is a key characteristic of human interaction. It is a commonality of perspective. It is about basic interaction at every level. The relationship and rapport developed between a teacher and their students is a vital...  [Read more]

The word rapport originates from the French word, rapporter, meaning to bring back and the Oxford English Dictionary definition is one of “a close and harmonious relationship in which there is common understanding”. But what is the reality of rapport and is it of any importance in the classroom' With so many teaching methods, practises, aids and testing means at a teachers disposal, do we even need to spend time considering rapport and trying to build it with students' The short answer is most definitely yes. Rapport is a key characteristic of human interaction. It is a commonality of perspective. It is about basic interaction at every level. The relationship and rapport developed between a teacher and their students is a vital ingredient in the success of any...  [Read more]

A some what strange topic to talk about considering I have only taught four lessons but I think that my experiences may be of some use to someone. If you were to type something like ?build your self confidence? or ?public speaking, confidence? the plethora of hits that google returns may bring some relief that you are by far, not the only person who suffers from this, sometimes debilitating condition, the BBC even has an online course to help you build confidence. Part of this essay is to help new teachers build confidence, so the fact that you are by no means alone, it is those naturally charismatic and confident people who are the rarity should offer some solace.So how do they do it? My view is that they are by no means novices, they have toiled and made the...  [Read more]

Confidence is very important for a teacher to have. How can students feel confident if their teaching is not' Confidence can be hard to come by especially if you are a new teacher. It begins with you and there are some things you can do to build up your confidence. Before you even enter the classroom imagine how you would like your class to run and set the appropriate goals to achieve that aim. Be sure that your goals are attainable and can be reached by you and your students without unnecessary pressure. 'Start slowly and simply. Establish a daily routine your students can handle.'*Prepare thoroughly for the class. This will take time and effort. To make the class interesting for your students you will probably add things to the lesson or have activities. For these to be...  [Read more]

Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here? That depends a good deal on where you want to get to.? ?Alice in Wonderland, Chapter VI, page 64, L. Carroll 1960 The quote above comes from an old childhood favorite but clearly makes a case for the use and reasoning behind a syllabus. But, first and foremost we must define what a syllabus is. The American Heritage Dictionary tells us that a syllabus is an outline of a course of study. Other sources explain what a syllabus is as a student?s introduction to the subject as well as you the teacher. Also, as a document that communicates your goals and expectations to the students. It can also be an official notice of policies and requirements, as well as a learning tool. But most importantly, it is an agreement...  [Read more]

'Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here'That depends a good deal on where you want to get to.' 'Alice in Wonderland, Chapter VI, page 64, L. Carroll 1960The quote above comes from an old childhood favorite but clearly makes a case for the use and reasoning behind a syllabus. But, first and foremost we must define what a syllabus is. The American Heritage Dictionary tells us that a syllabus is an outline of a course of study. Other sources explain what a syllabus is as a student's introduction to the subject as well as you the teacher. Also, as a document that communicates your goals and expectations to the students. It can also be an official notice of policies and requirements, as well as a learning tool. But most importantly, it is an agreement between the...  [Read more]

Job interviews are notorious for causing anxiety, but if you know what to expect and you prepare accordingly you should find they are not as bad as you are expecting. The essential nature of any interview is to show that you are confident in your teaching ability, keen to get started, and able to fit into the existing workforce. By doing some research and planning in advance, you should be able to demonstrate all of this and land the job on the spot. The worldwide market for teaching English abroad covers dozens of countries and many types of employer. In some situations it is normal to complete the recruitment process before leaving home, including an interview conducted via Skype or phone. However, in many of the most popular destinations employers prefer to recruit their teachers...  [Read more]

What is most remarkable about the assortment of discipline on the market today is the number of fundamental assumptions they seem to share. Some may advocate the use of carrots rather than sticks; some may refer to punishments as ?logical consequences?. But virtually all take for granted that the teacher must be in control of the classroom, and that what we need are strategies to get students to comply with the adults expectations. In this path-breaking book entitled Beyond Discipline? by Alfie Kohn calls these premises into question and with them the very idea of ?classroom management?. He questions the assumption that problems in the classroom are always the fault of students who don?t do what they are told, suggesting that we might instead reconsider what they have...  [Read more]

Take a look at any online TEFL forum and there is a good chance you will come across stories of unscrupulous employers taking advantage of their teachers. Due to the huge number of English language training providers operating in countries all over the world, it is inevitable that there are some that are badly run. The good news is that by asking a few simple questions you should be able to avoid the jobs you don't want and greatly increase your chances of landing the right position to suit you. So what questions should you ask the employer during an interview? Exactly what is expected of teachers varies considerably from one school to the next. You may be expected to complete reports on your students, attend regular staff meetings, consult with student's parents, provide...  [Read more]

Take a look at any online TEFL forum and there is a good chance you will come across stories of unscrupulous employers taking advantage of their teachers. Due to the huge number of English language training providers operating in countries all over the world, it is inevitable that there are some that are badly run. The good news is that by asking a few simple questions you should be able to avoid the jobs you don't want and greatly increase your chances of landing the right position to suit you. So what questions should you ask the employer during an interview? Exactly what is expected of teachers varies considerably from one school to the next. You may be expected to complete reports on your students, attend regular staff meetings, consult with student's parents, provide...  [Read more]

  Here are helpful tips how to identify the various past tenses in the English language and complete worksheets successfully. The video also helps you to structure an effective lesson around the past tenses in an EFL classroom around the world. 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 learn of the Dos and Do nots of being in charge of a classroom. Most importantly this chapter showed how I may ensure effectiveness in the classroom. There...  [Read more]

Although it is theoretically possible to teach the English language without any form of training or qualifications, something that was quite common in years gone by, it is now almost universally accepted that the ability to speak a language has little bearing on an individual’s ability to teach it effectively to others. This change of attitude among school directors and education departments has led to the development of TEFL certification courses that are designed to give native and non-native English speakers the skills and knowledge they require to provide effective language instruction to their future students. So what does a TEFL course actually teach you? The mere mention of English grammar is often enough to strike fear into the hearts of potential EFL teachers. Ask any native...  [Read more]

  The next example is going to be that of a boomerang lesson and remember the structure is like this. So, again, we're going to start with an engage phase and for our engage, the students are just going to have a discussion about jobs. What happens at interviews and so on and so forth. So, during that engage phase, what we'd hope to do is to elicit some useful language about jobs and interviews and the types of questions that are being asked. Then, we're going to move immediately into an activate activity and this is going to involve a role-play. So, we'll break the students into pairs. One will be an interviewer, the other will be an interviewee and they'll generate the language that that role-play will produce. What the teacher can do whilst that is taking place is to go around...  [Read more]

IntroductionIn this article I will gather the most common problems/difficulties Thai learners have when learning English. I will spot the main difficulties you as the teacher will deal with and I will give my tips/solutions of how you can understand the problems and deal with them.The article is based on own experience and new information I have learned from this course.Some of the major differences between Thai learners and European learners are:Certain students can be reluctant to talk and produce English in class. It can be caused by natural shyness or just the fact that they cannot express themselves in English or it can have its roots in cultural issues.How do we deal with these issues and how do we know if certain behaviour is caused by student´s culture or by...  [Read more]

Teaching skills are a combination of knowledge personality and judgement. A lot of people think that teaching is merely a teacher standing in front of a class telling them about a certain subject but it is definitely much more than that. And it doesn?t bode that just because you know your subject knowledge in depth, you are able to teach it well. Teaching styles vary from teacher to teacher but the good core skills are a good voice and organisational skills. Having decent facilities to use can greatly aid in your teaching and conveying what you wish for the student to learn such as videos, computers or cassettes but if you are a good teacher these should just be an added bonus rather than an necessity. Students take a class to learn and develop their skills and a good...  [Read more]

  For the lesson that even takes place, there are a number of things that you need to have considered. Obviously, you need a very clear idea of what it is you're expecting the students to have to do and they need to know why. It's very important before you ask them to do an activity that they have an understanding of the purpose of that activity. You should, secondly, have had a thought about what they already know. Linked to that is, will it be necessary to do any form of pre-teaching before I can expect them to do this activity and finally, we need to make sure that we have prepared all our materials and our instructions for this particular activity. So, we'll consider a straight arrow ESA lesson, the focus of which is to be speaking skills. So, we'll start with our engage and in...  [Read more]

So you've decided you want to teach English as a foreign language. The following website may be useful as you take your first steps towards booking a course: http://www.englishclub.com/index To be able to teach English as a foreign language, there are certain skills required that you may or may not already have. The website gives a taste for what is involved in learning teaching skills to enable you to go out and find yourself a job in the TEFL world. To be a good teacher depends partly on the skills you have but also on your personality and your teaching style which you will discover during your course and will learn how to use them to your best advantage in the classroom. You will also need to be able to adapt to the classroom dynamics that you may find...  [Read more]

Teaching skills are a combination of knowledge personality and judgement. A lot of people think that teaching is merely a teacher standing in front of a class telling them about a certain subject but it is definitely much more than that. And it doesn’t bode that just because you know your subject knowledge in depth, you are able to teach it well.Teaching styles vary from teacher to teacher but the good core skills are a good voice and organisational skills. Having decent facilities to use can greatly aid in your teaching and conveying what you wish for the student to learn such as videos, computers or cassettes but if you are a good teacher these should just be an added bonus rather than an necessity.Students take a class to learn and develop their skills and a good ...  [Read more]

What will get in your mind if somebody will tell you about teaching? Isn?t it lesson planning? Most of the teachers despise this job, why? Well, the hardwork of thinking in creating your own materials. A lot of teachers are struggling in this aspect of the teaching side especially inexperienced. Lesson planning is a skill that is skill that is learned in much the same way as other skills. This skill aid the teaching learning process easy. Obviously, it takes a lot of thinking and practice to acquire this skill. It needs a lot of organizing your thoughts and for the first time doing this stuff is really hard. One will encounter a lot of mistakes but as the old adage goes, ?Practice doesn?t make perfect; perfect practice makes perfect.? A teacher should not give up ...  [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]

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

As I have progressed up the ladder of education, I have found that the teachers I have experienced focused on presenting the class material exacting as it was stated in the book. I had no motivation to go to class since I could read the chapters in the book at any point. Since the tests were merely a regurgitation of in-class material, I had no interest in paying attention to lectures. Nevertheless, teachers weren?t teaching me how to think, rather what to think. I only learned the material in how it applied to the exam; there was no real connection of how it would apply to the real wold. Somehow, I seemed to forget the mediocre teachers, but always remember the great ones. A great teacher?s inspiration changes you. You carry the confidence they instilled for a...  [Read more]

Although some ESL teachers find the thought of teaching beginners a bit frightening, they can be a very rewarding group to work with. With beginners it is very easy to see improvement. As a teacher, being able to see your work pay off so quickly can be very encouraging.Of course not all beginners are the same. Beginners are usually split into two categories: complete beginners and false beginners.Complete beginners are students who have had no exposure to English. Because they have often had very little formal education, they can be much more challenging to teach than false beginners.Kenneth Beare, author of English as 2nd Language, defines false beginners as, 'Beginners that have already studied some English at some point in their life.' Most experts on the subject have a...  [Read more]

  Unit 10 provides students with the opportunity to see two real English language classes in progress one effective and one not so effective. During this unit you will analyze the two lessons and gain an understanding of how your attitude as a teacher and the way you interact with your students affects their ability and motivation to learn. 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 was a bit difficult. I have never taught the conditionals or...  [Read more]

More and more employers now expect their English teachers to have a minimum of a 120-hour TEFL certificate. Gaining a TEFL certificate shows your commitment to the profession and gives you an introductory preparation to the knowledge and skills needed to teach English. There are three main routes to a 120-hour TEFL certification. There are two main areas covered in a TEFL course, 1) Teaching skills 2) Language awareness A good TEFL course will give you a solid grounding in the basics of the English language. You will learn how English grammar works and how you can explain it. Topics covered will typically include; Depending on which type of course you undertake, onsite, combined or online, the topics presented throughout the course will be tested to ensure an adequate level of...  [Read more]

I suspect that most of us know that having a plan when we walk into a classroom is better than not having a plan. However, we may need to be reminded just how much having a plan can contribute to the quality of the class experience for the students, as well as the learning goals we have set for ourselves.In fact, the lesson plan acts as a framework for the time spent together. It helps us be clear about what we hope to accomplish with this particular class, or a series of classes, and outline how we are going to achieve that learning goal, step by step.Sometimes the plan will get tossed out the window, (figuratively speaking), when an urgent reason to deviate from the plan arises during class. Special situations may make it inappropriate to insist on sticking to a plan, and it...  [Read more]

What is most remarkable about the assortment of discipline on the market today is the number of fundamental assumptions they seem to share. Some may advocate the use of carrots rather than sticks; some may refer to punishments as “logical consequences”. But virtually all take for granted that the teacher must be in control of the classroom, and that what we need are strategies to get students to comply with the adults expectations. In this path-breaking book entitled Beyond Discipline” by Alfie Kohn calls these premises into question and with them the very idea of “classroom management”. He questions the assumption that problems in the classroom are always the fault of students who don’t do what they are told, suggesting that we might...  [Read more]