How Much Does A English Teacher Make

'Work is either fun or drudgery. It depends on your attitude. I like fun.' ' Colleen Barrett. (President and Corporate Secretary for Southwest Airlines Co.)A quote I had read as a preteen which stuck with me through the years. How we learn really does depend on our attitude. Lot's of learners, especially young learners, do not look at their tasks in this light. Students either learn because they have to, or simply don't. As humans, we rarely ever try to enjoy ourselves as we go through the process of learning something that does not necessarily interest us. It is usually not easy for anyone to approach work this way. 'Nothing is interesting if you're not interested.' ' Helen McInnis (Author ' best-seller).We cannot expect students to want to learn if they simply are not ...  [Read more]

When training to teach English as a foreign language, or any other subject for that matter, at some stage the need arises to examine what exactly it is that makes someone a good teacher. After all, if you do not know the qualities you should possess, how are you to become one? The TEFL International handbook provides a summary of teachers? own suggestions of the characteristics required, and lists personality traits such as patience and kindness, and skills such as the ability to motivate, understand and entertain (1). The handbook uses this list to surmise that a good teacher is one who ?cares about his/her teaching, but cares more about the learning of the students? (2). If the students? needs are therefore the number one priority, then self-analysis on the part of...  [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]

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,...  [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 your plan...  [Read more]

The Torbay CELTA training center enjoys a great location only a 10 minute stroll from the beach. Other popular attractions nearby include a waterpark, cinema, go-karting, and a range of nightclubs, bars and restaurants. In the immediate area you will also find some of the most beautiful towns and villages in the UK, including the fishing port of Brixham, the popular resort of Torquay and the quaint town of Totnes. Torbay is particularly popular with nature lovers as it offers miles of stunning coastline and the rugged beauty of Dartmoor National Park which is just a short drive away. Urban fans will also be happy as the lively cities of Exeter and Plymouth are also close by. Another popular place to visit is the historic town of Bath which is surely one of the most unique destinations in...  [Read more]

The Torbay CELTA training center enjoys a great location only a 10 minute stroll from the beach. Other popular attractions nearby include a waterpark, cinema, go-karting, and a range of nightclubs, bars and restaurants. In the immediate area you will also find some of the most beautiful towns and villages in the UK, including the fishing port of Brixham, the popular resort of Torquay and the quaint town of Totnes. Torbay is particularly popular with nature lovers as it offers miles of stunning coastline and the rugged beauty of Dartmoor National Park which is just a short drive away. Urban fans will also be happy as the lively cities of Exeter and Plymouth are also close by. Another popular place to visit is the historic town of Bath which is surely one of the most unique destinations in...  [Read more]

Discipline is a complex issue to handle in the classroom--occasions will always arise when it is necessary, and a teacher who is unfamiliar or unskilled in discipline does a disservice not only to himself, and to the students, but to the parents, the school administrators, and, in a far distant future, society in general. Discipline is not just intended to put a stop to a currently occurring behaviour, but to teach the misbehaver why it was wrong and to show him to prevent its repeat himself. Several different methods of discipline exist, from the strictest to the most lenient, and there is a delicate balance in being an authority figure who is capable of holding discipline and having the rapport with the class that is so useful for teaching: authority must be joined to ...  [Read more]

Mistakes are the portals of discovery. Perhaps, James Joyce had the learners in mind when he wrote this. It being an inevitable aspect of humanity, then students should never be anxious to commit mistakes because if grasp the right way, mistakes should better every man' teach him' mold him. One very critical issue that ESL teachers ever face is when and how to correct mistakes committed by students in learning the language in a way that fosters willingness to do better and furthers motivation. Needless to say, correction needs to take place at some point or another. Therefore, how a teacher corrects students holds the greatest responsibility to either make or break the students' interest. If effectively done, then students will always have the insatiable thirst for...  [Read more]

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

Although many people choose to teach English abroad for the adventure, to experience a new culture, or to simply leave behind the daily 9 to 5 grind, the financial side of making the move is hard to ignore. While most teachers will have no trouble earning enough to afford a comfortable day to day lifestyle, many teachers actually need to find a job that allows them to save some of their income to pay off student loans or to fund future travel etc. Although Europe is often the number one choice for many TEFL qualified teachers, it is not an easy place to save money. In teaching hotspots such as France, Italy and Spain, you can certainly earn enough to enjoy a comfortable lifestyle that includes nights out and some amount of travel. However, you should not expect to be able to save much of...  [Read more]

  The next idea we're going to consider is the use of visual aids and visual aids can include some examples such as real, objects, which we call realia, the use of pictures and photographs and also the use of models. So let's consider some of the ideas surrounding the use of visual aids. Well, why are they useful? Well, first of all the use of a visual aid can reduce teacher talk time. It's very much more simple just to show a real object than to try to describe it so that we could just ask the students ?what is this,? and they would say ?this is a pen,? rather than trying to actually describe it. Again if we were trying to show examples of fruit and vegetables rather than to try and describe them why not use an actual model and this is going to be much more visually stimulating...  [Read more]

When training to teach English as a foreign language, or any other subject for that matter, at some stage the need arises to examine what exactly it is that makes someone a good teacher. After all, if you do not know the qualities you should possess, how are you to become one' The TEFL International handbook provides a summary of teachers' own suggestions of the characteristics required, and lists personality traits such as patience and kindness, and skills such as the ability to motivate, understand and entertain (1). The handbook uses this list to surmise that a good teacher is one who 'cares about his/her teaching, but cares more about the learning of the students' (2). If the students' needs are therefore the number one priority, then self-analysis on the part of the...  [Read more]

General educational psychologists believe there are three main sources of motivation for students, and these directly apply to students of the English language. First, a student’s personal, natural interest in a subject, called “intrinsic satisfaction,” influences their natural affinity for learning more about the materials covered in a class. Second, the teacher’s perceived expertise, the prestige of the school, and/or the future impact on employment prospects, called “extrinsic reward,” defines for the student how much he/she is likely to benefit from learning English. Finally, when students are successful in a given task – whether this be a simple activity, a test or the overall course – they combine satisfaction with reward...  [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]

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]

The use of slang and idioms in the classroom is very important, I believe. Not to teach students everyday slang and idioms is to ensure that they remain outsiders to the learning and understanding of the English Language. Some teachers make the option of not teaching that kind of language because they associate it with vulgarity and obscenity. That is not all true. The average native speaker does use a certain amount of slang and idioms in eveyday speech. One incentive for teachers to teach students the knowledge of such words and phrases is so that the latter get familiarized with them and become aware of the words instead of picking them up from outside the classroom. That could lead to a misunderstanding of some of those words causing embarrassing situations. ...  [Read more]

General educational psychologists believe there are three main sources of motivation for students, and these directly apply to students of the English language. First, a student?s personal, natural interest in a subject, called ?intrinsic satisfaction,? influences their natural affinity for learning more about the materials covered in a class. Second, the teacher?s perceived expertise, the prestige of the school, and/or the future impact on employment prospects, called ?extrinsic reward,? defines for the student how much he/she is likely to benefit from learning English. Finally, when students are successful in a given task ? whether this be a simple activity, a test or the overall course ? they combine satisfaction with reward and are likely to be more motivated to ...  [Read more]

Quite often, the terms English as a Second Language (ESL) and English as a Foreign Language (EFL) are used interchangeably to describe English language instruction to non-native speakers. However, it is becoming increasingly more well known that the two contexts are quite different, demanding the teacher approach and execute different teaching methodologies in the classes. In an ESL setting, the class is likely to be multilingual and be completely immersed in the language by living in the culture of the target language. On the other hand, in the EFL setting, the class is typically monolingual and living in their own country (Brown 2001).In Teaching by principles, author H. Douglas Brown explains that 'it is useful to consider the pedagogical implications for a continuum of...  [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]

TEFL or Teaching English as a Foreign Language refers to teaching English to students for whom it is not their mother tongue. TEFL can take place in English-speaking regions, for example in language schools or summer camps or before the start of a university degree, but usually occurs in the student´s own country. There, TEFL can be either within the state school system, or private, either in an after-hours language school or with a one-on-one tutor. The teachers may be native or non-native speakers of English. (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)Taking a TEFL course as a non-native English speaker was a great experience, with a wild awakening. Life has a way of bringing surprises, not bad or good, they become what you make them to be, and the outcome depends on how you embrace...  [Read more]

  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]

TEFL or Teaching English as a Foreign Language refers to teaching English to students for whom it is not their mother tongue. TEFL can take place in English-speaking regions, for example in language schools or summer camps or before the start of a university degree, but usually occurs in the student´s own country. There, TEFL can be either within the state school system, or private, either in an after-hours language school or with a one-on-one tutor. The teachers may be native or non-native speakers of English. (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) Taking a TEFL course as a non-native English speaker was a great experience, with a wild awakening. Life has a way of bringing surprises, not bad or good, they become what you make them to be, and the outcome...  [Read more]

Once you have completed your chosen TEFL course and have that all important certificate in your hand, you can seriously start to plan the next stage of your adventure. Thanks to the sustained demand for English language teachers right across the world there are plenty of countries to choose from, each with its own unique set of attractions. But how long will you have to commit for when you sign the job contract? The most common contract in European schools is for an academic year that generally runs from September to June. The great thing here is you will have a couple of months off during the summer break to travel or earn some extra cash working with private students or at a summer camp. Summer language camps are very popular across much of Europe and usually run for 4 to 8 weeks,...  [Read more]

When it comes to accents we all have one no matter where in the world we were brought up. Most of us are familiar with the basic differences between British and American accents, but what about accents from Australia and New Zealand, Canada and South Africa? And within each of these countries there are dozens of regional accents, just to complicate things further. So, we all have an accent, but is it a problem when teaching English as a foreign language? The first thing to remember is that there is no right or wrong accent when it comes to teaching and learning English. When teaching it is fine to speak naturally, just be sure that you always speak clearly and that all your instructions are fully understood by the whole class. Whether there is one accent that is better to teach than others...  [Read more]

Teaching English for a Specific Purpose (ESP) or Why not just teach?em Shakespeare? TEFL Teaching in the classroom has maninly been focused on leaning General English skills with more specific English, needed for a specific profession for example, being taught only as and when it is needed. Some people argue that specific English should be introduced earlier and this will help motivate pupils and also keep the English taught within a professional and cultural environment that is relevant to the people learning it. English for a specific purpose was developed to meet the needs of individual learners and their specific needs, and is designed for specific disciplines. It makes some, but not exclusive use of the underlying methodology and activities of the discipline it...  [Read more]

Teaching English for a Specific Purpose (ESP) or Why not just teach'em Shakespeare' TEFL teaching in the classroom has maninly been focused on leaning General English skills with more specific English, needed for a specific profession for example, being taught only as and when it is needed. Some people argue that specific English should be introduced earlier and this will help motivate pupils and also keep the English taught within a professional and cultural environment that is relevant to the people learning it.English for a specific purpose was developed to meet the needs of individual learners and their specific needs, and is designed for specific disciplines. It makes some, but not exclusive use of the underlying methodology and activities of the discipline it serves, ...  [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]

Teaching English abroad is a great way to see the world and get paid while doing it, but what does it actually involve? Before you buy a plane ticket and jet off across the world it is a good idea to research as much as possible about TEFL qualifications, the possible restrictions you might encounter when applying for jobs, and the long term prospects this path might lead to. Here we look at the answers to all these questions and more. These acronyms are used when referring to training courses that English language teachers undertake, as well as the certification they receive upon completion. TEFL stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language and TESOL stands for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. As these terms are essentially the same, they are often used...  [Read more]

One of the most important ideas that teachers need to embrace is how to use large class groups as an advantage, rather than viewing them as a challenge. A teacher normally does not have any choice regarding the actual class size, although private tutoring would be the exception. In teaching classes of 40 or more, students could effectively learn together more easily by providing a humorous and cohesive class structure. Students who are comfortable and happy in their surroundings tend to be eager, excited and more interested in the learning process, which is the ultimate goal. Many discussion topics are relevant to the teaching of large classes, various types of seating arrangements being one of them. Each has a specific advantage depending on the class and the subject ...  [Read more]