Learn To Speak English For Spanish Speakers

One of the biggest issues facing the United States is the number of immigrants coming to the US from Mexico and Central America. With the large number of immigrants flowing across the border, the problem of language has arisen. Throughout the US’ history, the issue of what language should be spoken has been real. My father grew up in a Polish community. While he was in elementary school, he would be punished if he spoke any Polish. Today, across America, we are seeing this same sort of problem with Spanish speakers. Many people believe that schools should be “English-only,” and that immigrants and their children should only speak English if they decide to come to this country. Arizona and California have both passed laws banning bilingual education,...  [Read more]

One of the biggest issues facing the United States is the number of immigrants coming to the US from Mexico and Central America. With the large number of immigrants flowing across the border, the problem of language has arisen. Throughout the US? history, the issue of what language should be spoken has been real. My father grew up in a Polish community. While he was in elementary school, he would be punished if he spoke any Polish. Today, across America, we are seeing this same sort of problem with Spanish speakers. Many people believe that schools should be ?English-only,? and that immigrants and their children should only speak English if they decide to come to this country. Arizona and California have both passed laws banning bilingual education,...  [Read more]

The notion that English is a global language rests on fairly substantial ground since it is used officially and unofficially throughout the world. Linguist David Graddol estimates in a report to the British Council that '500 million to one billion speak English now as either a first or second language,' and 'there could be two billion new (my italics) speakers of English within a decade.' Jacques L'vy, a native speaker of French who studies globalism at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, states 'It's a lost cause to try to fight against the tide. It could have been another [global] language; it was Greek, then Latin, French, now it is English.' In the United States today a heated debate over Mexican immigration has triggered a move toward making English its...  [Read more]

In today's world the term 'global' takes on an entirely new meaning. Initially termed to mean in reference to the world as a whole, as opposed to individual countries, but today, while still holding true, it also means something more. The internet, modern media, email, and even to a lesser extend telephones, have made it possible to communicate with almost every person on the planet, a thought not even considered possible one hundred years ago. People separated by thousands of miles have never been closer and it takes nothing more than a touch of a button. The French can talk to the United States of America, the Brazilian to the United Kingdom, Africa to Asia; you could probably even speak to someone studying in the Antarctic if you tried hard enough. Or at least these people ...  [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]

There are common issues that all learners inevitably face. : The complexities of future tenses, modal and phrasal verbs. Aside from this, study habits and memorization of vocabulary are other hurdles that all students must jump. But each country, region, city or village will have its unique set of issues that will make language acquisition more complex. Having lived and worked in the region of Catalonia for the last 3 years a number of complexities of English learning have been brought to my attention Though the problems for learners in Spain/Catalonia may not be altogether unique in all aspects, I will attempt to clarify those that seem of particular issue in my short experience teaching here. The culture of language acquisition has become a larger issue as Catalans have...  [Read more]

The teaching of languages in the French educational system is slowly starting earlier and earlier, with the students learning some English as early as Ecole Premiere (US equivalent of elementary school). Because France is situated in the middle of Europe, it is very important for the people to have some background in several languages. That is why it is obligatory to study a minimum of two languages, and because English is becoming more and more important as a language, all students are required to study it as one of their two languages. Whichever language a student chooses to study first, the instruction will officially begin in the first or second year of Coll'ge (middle school), thus allowing the student to follow a language to the end of Lyc'e (high school), giving them 6...  [Read more]

In a world full of languages how does one place the English language' Most languages have a full history going back thousands of years. Can this really be said of English' No, but we can say that the history is full, one full of war and violence as well as compromise and inclusion. We might start in the year 449 AD in the island of Britain. At this time the Anglo-Saxons invaded Britain as the Romans left to defend their homeland. The local Celtic people quickly adapted the ways of the German tribe and we saw the beginning of English, it is said that the majority of its words can be traced to this. As the next thousand years progressed we saw the invasion of the Danes, French Normans as well as the influence of the Church. This leads us up to the time when this...  [Read more]

I am a ?Purist? at heart. For me the only acceptable, the only correct, the only ?propah? way to speak (and spell) English is as illustrated in the Encyclopedia Britannica ? the British English, so to speak. I have always been a staunch champion of Dr. Doolittle and all the other guardians of the English language. However, being a teacher of the English language, I can no longer turn a blind eye to the ?globalization? of English, which is - ?now a mish-mash of words incorporated from over 350 languages, and is still undergoing constant change, with hundreds of words/phrases coming into existence every year, some fading away, but many finding their way into dictionaries and thesauruses! One can pronounce words in many different ways and still be understood!! The...  [Read more]

We have good news if you are interested in teaching abroad but are hesitant to settle down in one place: Teaching is one of the best-paying online jobs from home and one of the fastest growing career paths for remote workers. The best part about online teaching jobs is that you can not only get paid to speak English, but you can also find opportunities to teach English online with no prior experience. If you want to travel while earning money for speaking English, check out the best-paying online teaching jobs that you can do from anywhere in the world using your laptop. Preply is an online language learning platform that allows students to work with their preferred tutor at their own pace and on their own time. Preply, in general, invites any enthusiastic individual to join their...  [Read more]

Over the years, many debates have arisen in regards to second language instruction (L2), giving prominence to two main models: English Only versus Bilingual Education. English Only uses solely English as the medium for instruction, whereas Bilingual Education, as its name implies, uses both English and the student's native language. While there are several aspects to the debate, this paper will briefly cover a certain few: cultural sensitivity, accuracy, and segregation. Proponents of the English Only model claim that the use of a student's native language creates a 'cycle of native language dependency,' meaning that the student, to some extent, gets 'tethered' to his native tongue. Using solely English in the classroom, advocates say, frees students to think and...  [Read more]

I am a 'Purist' at heart. For me the only acceptable, the only correct, the only 'propah' way to speak (and spell) English is as illustrated in the Encyclopedia Britannica ' the British English, so to speak. I have always been a staunch champion of Dr. Doolittle and all the other guardians of the English language.However, being a teacher of the English language, I can no longer turn a blind eye to the 'globalization' of English, which is - 'now a mish-mash of words incorporated from over 350 languages, and is still undergoing constant change, with hundreds of words/phrases coming into existence every year, some fading away, but many finding their way into dictionaries and thesauruses! One can pronounce words in many different ways and still be understood!! The emergence of so ...  [Read more]

Over the years, many debates have arisen in regards to second language instruction (L2), giving prominence to two main models: English Only versus Bilingual Education. English Only uses solely English as the medium for instruction, whereas Bilingual Education, as its name implies, uses both English and the student?s native language. While there are several aspects to the debate, this paper will briefly cover a certain few: cultural sensitivity, accuracy, and segregation. Proponents of the English Only model claim that the use of a student?s native language creates a ?cycle of native language dependency,? meaning that the student, to some extent, gets ?tethered? to his native tongue. Using solely English in the classroom, advocates say, frees students to...  [Read more]

If the addition of the 'one-millionth word' to the English language is any indication of its ever growing popularity and immense power, then it's safe to say that this language has indeed come a long way from its modest inception to the burgeoning behemoth that it currently manifests itself in worldwide. The research article I chose to write is based on the two hotly contested arguments (for and against) the English becoming the undisputed world wide language. I read the following articles:(1) http://www.languagemonitor.com/Global_English.html by Neil Reynolds, The Globe and Mail, March 24, 2006(2) http://www.langedizioni.com/varie/aggiornadid/bettinelli_bc06/globish .ppt#1 power point presentation by Dr. Barbara Bettinelli to generate the following results:The world according to...  [Read more]

As there is a strong demand for TEFL qualified teachers in many countries worldwide, most course graduates should have little trouble finding a suitable position. However, to maximise your chances of securing the best jobs there are a few things you should be aware of. Where you should look for work, how to apply for jobs, and how to prepare for that all important interview are all covered below. Among the many attractions of teaching English abroad is the fact that you are free to choose not only the region where you would like to work, but also the specific country or even city. For some teachers the history and culture of Europe appeals most, while others are drawn to exotic destinations across Asia or Latin America. However, before you book your plane tickets you need to be aware...  [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]

Every year tens of thousands of people from all backgrounds leave behind their existing life and head overseas in search of fun, travel and adventure. They are able to do this by completing a TEFL certification course that gives them all the qualifications they need to apply for English language teaching jobs in countries all over the world. If you want to join this ever growing number of TEFL qualified teachers, there should be very little that can get in your way. Among the many attractions of teaching English abroad is the fact that you are free to choose not only the region where you would like to work, but also the specific country or even city. For some teachers the history and culture of Europe appeals most, while others are drawn to exotic destinations across Asia or Latin...  [Read more]

Due to a strong demand in many countries, TEFL qualified teachers should have plenty of great options to choose from. Across Asia, Europe and Latin America there are countless opportunities available depending on your own personal preferences. Whether your main goal is to make as much money as possible, to experience living in a different culture, or to get right off of the beaten path, there is the ideal destination waiting for you. If you are looking for the widest choice of English language teaching jobs, look no further than Asia. Across the continent you will find countless opportunities in a wide range of fascinating countries, although the requirements do vary from one to the next. Some countries are only open to native English speakers and others will require a university...  [Read more]

What does TEFL mean?    The acronym TEFL stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language. It is commonly used to refer to training courses that almost anyone can take to learn the skills and knowledge required to teach English to non-native speakers in countries all over the world. What is the difference between TESOL and TEFL?    TEFL stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language and TESOL stands for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. These descriptions are generally used interchangeably, however, TESOL is more common in the USA and TEFL is more common in the UK. Do I need a TEFL certificate to teach abroad?    Although it is possible to teach abroad without a TEFL certificate, we recommended that you complete a TEFL...  [Read more]