I Love My English Teacher

'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...  [Read more]

I have been teaching now for about one month, so I thought I would sit down and take advantage of this TEFL assignment to really take a good look at myself. I teach English level 3 (out of 10) integrated, integrated meaning that it involves grammar, speaking, writing and listening. In my course I have a text book which I use as my main material. The text book supplies me with a CD for listening exercises, various lesson plan ideas, quizzes and tests. The book is very useful and is called World View 2. My students are all Spanish speakers and the majority are Costa Ricans.To begin positively, I would like to analyze the things I believe I do well as a teacher. In the classroom it is my goal to always get every student involved. I constantly am calling on students and asking...  [Read more]

Check out Tesolcourse.com about TEFL - Cambridge Accredited online TEFL courses and apply today to be certified to teach English abroad. You could also be interested in: This is how our TEFL graduates feel they have gained from their course, and how they plan to put into action what they learned: C.C. - Brazil said: To be honest with you, though I have more than 10 years experience in teaching, I loved this course. It was a pleasure to go through the units, present my work and look forward to the feedback. The variety of topics covered is relevant to any teacher, even the experienced ones. The language used is simple and direct to the point. I found the classroom management unit to be very useful for teaching big groups. Since my experience up to now has been with...  [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...  [Read more]

Check out Tesolcourse.com about Cheapest 120 Hrs online TEFL certification and apply today to be certified to teach English abroad. You could also be interested in: This is how our TEFL graduates feel they have gained from their course, and how they plan to put into action what they learned: S. V. - USA said: This course has provided me with a good review of the english grammar and has given me the opportunity to reflect on my teaching. I feel more confident now that I can walk into a classroom and teach english instead of french. I found that the lesson plans I had to design were very useful and really helped me think about how to introduce various concepts. The hardest lesson to design for me was the one with the video. I am very familiar with french movies and...  [Read more]

ITTT has recently opened a TEFL & TESOL training center in Italy. If you wish to be TEFL/TESOL-certified and would love to take a course in Italy, this is an opportunity you cannot miss. Check out course details and fees for ITTT's Italy. TEFL/TESOL center here! Check out Tesolcourse.com about Celta Certification Italy Online and apply today to be certified to teach English abroad. You could also be interested in: This is how our TEFL graduates feel they have gained from their course, and how they plan to put into action what they learned: A.W. - China said: I have really learned a lot of the course of this experience. I think the most important thing I have learned is that I...  [Read more]

There are many great songs in English that can be used to teach certain aspects of grammar, vocabulary, culture and idioms just to name a few possible uses. A teacher needs to be careful of using only old songs, especially if the students are more in tune with modern English music. There will always be classic songs from The Beatles, Bob Dylan, The Who and others that can be used. The challenge for the modern teacher is to be aware of the current music and teaching possibilities from new songs. Teaching idioms is one of the easiest topics to find new songs to use. It is hard not to listen to a new pop or rock song and not find some idiom used. For example Bon Jovi's new song 'Who Says You Can't Go Home' uses several idioms including the recycled 'born a rolling...  [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 courseA 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 supposed to do. ...  [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]

In September of 2006, I had the opportunity to teach conversational English to graduate students at Huazhong University in China. On the last day of teaching, I asked students to write up an evaluation regarding the activities they liked best. Highlights included: the importance of establishing teacher rapport, the need to provide a wide variety of engaging activities and the value of peer interaction. Establishing rapport between the students and the teacher is a key factor in encouraging students to participate in class. The littlest things?like remembering names -- can make a big difference: ?As a student when you said my name without looking at the name list. I?m so excited and joyful. I think it?s important to a student.? Smiling is another simple thing any...  [Read more]

My article is based on personal experiences as I teach a French Kindergarten class on a voluntary basis. One September afternoon my sons? new teacher asked if I would be interested in teaching English to her Kindergarten class. Standing in front of the class for the first time I realized how dreadful it could be. I didn?t have any real experience, only teaching my children at home. Armed with a few songs, an alphabet chart, and a mini lesson plan, I found myself defenseless in front of a class whose concentration span was short. They just wanted to play. It didn?t help that their teacher was there and kept telling them to be quiet in French. I finally managed to speak to all the children and ask them their names. It was difficult and I had to revert to asking questions...  [Read more]

Punctuation marks are the traffic signals of language: they tell us to slow down, notice this, take a detour, stop. They are designed to help readers to make sense of the written word. Punctuation herds words together, keeps others apart. Their placement, or absence, can vastly change the meaning of a phrase, this is the basis of all those ?I?m sorry, I?ll read that again? jokes. Think of the difference to meaning the punctuation marks make in the following examples: Go get him, surgeonsORGo, get him surgeons What is this thing called, love?ORWhat is this thing called love? He shot himself as a childORHe shot, himself, as a child A woman, without her man, is nothing. OR A woman, without her, man is nothing. My son, if sinners entice thee consent thee, not refraining...  [Read more]

Linda is a passionate traveler and English teacher exploring the world one country at a time. After studying Mandarin Chinese, she moved to Guangzhou, China, to pursue an internship at a German online marketing company. She loved it so much that she decided to move back to China after finishing her Bachelor’s degree in Management in California. After working in online marketing for a while, she got into English teaching. Teaching English overseas has enabled her to experience life in different countries and fund her passion for travel. She taught English in China for a year and also during my her year in South Korea. She’s been living in South Korea since 2015 and returned to working in online marketing and teaching online in 2016 remotely. On her Website, she shares her tips and...  [Read more]

TEFL teachers often work in different countries and face different national students. Sometimes, the students keep silent or show no interest on the course content. How to motivate them in the classroom has become a leading concern for teachers. Through my personal experience and TEFL course study, I find some effective ways as below:1. The teacher need know about the students' culture background. We know, every nation has its distinctive clothes and food customs, religious belief, value points and so on. If the teacher gets some information and knowledge, he/she can talk about relative topics in the class, especially, in first class. The students are great likely to communicate on these topics. This is a good beginning for following lessons.2. The teacher must have some ideas...  [Read more]

I?ve definitely learned how useful a lesson plan can be, especially for thinking back on a lesson you?ve taught and making it better... I have gained a lot from this course... Al, ireland This course has taught me to take the time to really understand new information and to look from a teachers and a student?s perspective in order to achieve the best results when planning lessons... This course has provided me with a good review of the english grammar and has given me the opportunity to reflect on my teaching... ... This has been an excellent course and we would recommend it to anyone who is interested in teaching TEFL or just want to brush up on their grammar skills! There was so much great information in the course it?s hard to talk about what was most beneficial... The first main...  [Read more]

I have always viewed education as an experience that is required. Society has implemented education as one of the key factors for individual development, and evolution as a whole, a necessity. It is an exchange of information that takes place on a greater scale, and generates development that allows humankind to move forward. This is further demonstrated by our need to create a system that understands our psychology as a whole. Our ability to understand the learning process and teaching methodologies have allowed people to try to ameliorate the system of education and maximise its potential. Without education, we would be unable to move forward, and I feel it is crucial to realize this importance of communication involved in the learning process . An...  [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...  [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...  [Read more]

Teachers play an important role in today?s society, as they work hard to train the minds of the future. How can we know as parents and even teachers whether or not the needed skills are being developed? With almost any job or career that one would embark on, a level of training and observation is needed. Even jobs that a student may take during a summer break from school require some level of training and observation. The observation of ones teaching practice and skills as a teacher are equally if not more crucial. Even though the benefits seem to be obvious there is also a dark side to the practice of observing other teachers. Peer observation may be used by an institution as part of its quality assurance procedures. In this model, teachers are asked to ...  [Read more]

As computer technology overtakes the world and EFL resources develop to keep up with these changes, it is important to evaluate these resources that are being used in the classroom. Teachers need to decide whether these materials are necessary or helpful in the teaching process or are they being used simply because they are available and the teacher feels pressurised to use them by students and schools alike. In this short article, I will evaluate the resources I use in the classroom to support young EFL learners and discuss their use and value.Two of the commercial resources used by the school I work in are 'Shine' and 'Way Ahead'. Both of these CD-Roms have been produced to develop not only vocabulary teaching, but also grammatical structures of the English language. Both of...  [Read more]

The term Active Learning means ''student interaction with content, with materials and with peers in a multi-disciplinary, multi-sensory and multi-graded approach' (Meyers, 1993 pg 39). Active learning helps the teacher handle the diversity of student levels in the classroom.In an Active Learning classroom the student is provided with the time, the materials, and the organized classroom routines and expectations they need in order to allow them interaction with their learning. It is important for educators to realize that Active Learning supports not only English-speaking students but second- language learners as well.If we think that students are learning English so that they can use it in their everyday lives to better themselves and their opportunities, we must realize that...  [Read more]

Teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) in China is for the most part pleasant and exciting. Students are eager to learn. However, one of the frustrations ESL teachers often complain about is that students seem to make the same mistakes repetitively. Learners will often transfer the rules of their first language to express something in their second language. This transference happens when they have insufficient knowledge of the rules of the second language. In China, students fall back on the rules of their first language (Mandarin) when they do not know the rules of the second language (English). The result is a poor form of English, informally referred to as "Chinglish". The errors that occur are also called language interference errors. These errors affect...  [Read more]

Teaching beginners is one of the most interesting and ongoing training as a teacher will keep on discovering other techniques in order to capture the understanding of the beginner, rather to make the beginner understand. The term 'beginner' may not mean all the students are in one category, they are categorized as follows:The absolute beginner- these are students who don't know English at all. (htt://esl.about.com) there are a number of things to keep in mind when teaching someone who has had no prior (or very little) contact with the language, you need to carefully choose what you present, for instance, types of needs that needs to go into planning a lesson: If I begin the lesson with, Hi my name is--------.What's your name' I am presenting three (!) concepts at once*The verb...  [Read more]

Teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) in China is for the most part pleasant and exciting. Students are eager to learn. However, one of the frustrations ESL teachers often complain about is that students seem to make the same mistakes repetitively. Learners will often transfer the rules of their first language to express something in their second language. This transference happens when they have insufficient knowledge of the rules of the second language. In China, students fall back on the rules of their first language (Mandarin) when they do not know the rules of the second language (English). The result is a poor form of English, informally referred to as "Chinglish". The errors that occur are also called language interference errors. These...  [Read more]

Home > Articles I never made a mistake in grammar but one in my life and as soon as I done it I seen it... So you've decided you want to teach English as a foreign language... There are many different practices that could be used for good classroom management and as with all techniques these need to be adapted to your own classroom, taking into account the age, culture, and personality of the class as a whole, and of you as a teacher... Classroom management requires a positive relationship between the teacher and the student... I believe that Classroom Management is the key component in any educational setting... I?m sure ?Classroom Management? holds many different meanings for many different people... Classroom management is a teacher?s ability to organize and control ...  [Read more]

Teaching beginners is one of the most interesting and ongoing training as a teacher will keep on discovering other techniques in order to capture the understanding of the beginner, rather to make the beginner understand. The term ?beginner? may not mean all the students are in one category, they are categorized as follows: The absolute beginner- these are students who don?t know English at all. (htt://esl.about.com) there are a number of things to keep in mind when teaching someone who has had no prior (or very little) contact with the language, you need to carefully choose what you present, for instance, types of needs that needs to go into planning a lesson: If I begin the lesson with, Hi my name is--------.What?s your name? I am presenting three (!) concepts at once...  [Read more]

The world’s only island city-state, Singapore is a cosmopolitan, tropical metropolis where people from all over the world live and work. In this exotic city you can sip your espresso on the balcony while watching as massive tropical thunderstorms roll in one minute only to be quickly replaced by gorgeous sunshine the next. Once known as the “Jewel of the British Empire”, Singapore’s British past can be seen in buildings such as the Raffles Hotel named after the founder of Singapore; Stamford Raffles, street names and numerous statues and other monuments. Singapore abounds with interesting things to see and do. A visit to Sentosa Island, home to Universal Studios Singapore, Madame Tussauds and the SEA Aquarium, is a must for any visitor. Clarke Quay, Arab Street and Boat Quay will...  [Read more]

The TEFL International course in northern Thailand is held in Chiang Mai, which was once the capital city of the Lanna Kingdom and is now the capital of North Thailand. Chiang Mai was founded more than 700 years ago, and is one of the oldest cities in Thailand; it’s recognized as having an independent cultural personality of its own. The Thai people love their beloved northern capital; a quaint, walled and moated city surrounded by a beautiful landscape nestled in a valley surrounded by national parks consisting of mountains, rivers, forests, waterfalls, meadows and rice fields. As a location, Chiang Mai offers a unique experience for TEFL International TEFL Courses in Thailand. Many feel that Chiang Mai is an essential part of any visit to Thailand. Located more than 700km northwest of...  [Read more]

We like to think that if Tuscany’s favorite son, Michelangelo, were alive today there would be no statue of David, or painting of the Sistine Chapel. He’d be too busy touring the region on a bike, captivated by everything around him. Fortunately, you do not need to be a creative genius to be staggered by the beauty of Florence and the region of Tuscany. Instead just get on a plane to this incredible part of italy – soon, along with everyone else in the TESOL group, you’ll be declaring ""this place is stunning"" every few moments. Tuscany is one of the few regions on earth that lives up to its hype. As the birthplace of the Renaissance it holds one of the greatest concentrations of artistic achievements known to man. The Duomo, the Battistero, and the Galleria Degli Uffizi, which...  [Read more]