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  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. Unit 4 was all about grammar. The Unit was quite easy for me, because I have learned all of the rules before I started with this course. To quickly summarize this Unit: The rules for the present simple and present continuous were given together with usage examples. After that the same was done for the present perfect and present perfect continuous. Examples of common student mistakes were given and teaching...  [Read more]

  In this video Linda breaks down the difference between ?anyone? and ?any one?. While this set of words is often confused, the difference is actually quite simple. Watch the video for detailed explanations and examples on the two words. 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 feel that this unit was very brief. I also feel that there could have been a bit more information provided with a little more explanation on aspects as some were quite...  [Read more]

  In this TEFL review video for the TEFL International course in Prague in the Czech Republic, Daniel talks about what he got out of the course and how it has prepared him for starting his English teaching career. ITTT's courses can be studied at any of the many training centers located around the world and our online courses can be studied in your own home at your own pace. 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. The last unit of the course was of...  [Read more]

  In this episode, we cover the pronunciation of the word esoteric. This word is used as an adjective and refers to something that is either intended for or can only be understood by a certain group of people with a special interest or knowledge. Synonyms for esoteric include abstract, abstruse and obscure. The word originates from the Greek word es?terikos. 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. Past tenses are quite hard to master, that is for...  [Read more]

Language. It's something that we have to use on a daily basis in order to function. Communication is essential to the human existence, without it we simply can't survive. Yet as each of us get up in the morning and begin our day, the last thing that crosses our minds is why we use the type of language that we do. Rarely does it occur to us the many oddities that compose the English language. Can we then imagine what it must be like for someone attempting to learn English as a foreign or second language'! When we examine the peculiarities of our native tongue we can sympathize with those seeking to learn it.In taking a close look at the peculiarities of the English language, I want to draw attention to two main aspects: grammar and usage of words and phrases. Many people...  [Read more]

  Now, let's move on to our adverbs. Rather than describing nouns, our adverbs describe our verbs. There are four types of adverbs when describing verbs. They are manner. These describe how things are done. Two examples are: quickly, cleverly. We have adverbs of place, describing where the action happened. Two examples are: here or there. We also have adverbs of time, describing when the action happened, two examples being now or recently. Finally, we have our adverbs of frequency telling us how often the action happens, two examples being often or never. There's also another type of adverb but here, we're going to describe adjectives or other adverbs instead of verbs themselves. These are called adverbs of degree. If we were to take the adjective "intelligent", we could easily say...  [Read more]

Check out Tesolcourse.com about Cambridge TEFL Online Course 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.L. - Australia said: I have thoroughly enjoyed this TEFL course. As a native english speaker one assumes that teaching their own language may be much easier than it truly is. For me the revision of grammar especially practicing the tenses (past, present and future) was very useful. I think that when preparing to teach students a language you have to really remain encouraging so their experience is a positive one. You have to always be patient and anticipate problems that may arise with such...  [Read more]

  Zouhaier just completed his 120-hour online TEFL certification. He enjoyed working closely with his tutor who guided him along the way. He also recommends this course to anyone wanting to teach abroad or enhance their professional portfolio in teaching. 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. The topic of this Unit looked quite difficult for me as there were lots of terms especially in articulation section such as plosives sounds, fricative, nasal....  [Read more]

  In this video Linda breaks down the difference between "everyday" and "every day". Due to their spelling, it can be quite hard for non-native English learners to understand the difference between the two. This video explains exactly how to differenciate between both expressions. 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. After passing the TEFL certificate and since I am currently working as a communication manager with foreign colleagues who do not have...  [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...  [Read more]

  In this episode, we cover the pronunciation of the word firebrand. This word has two different meanings. The first meaning is quite literal and describes burning wood. The second meaning is rather figurative as it refers to a person who is usually inflicting change as a result of being passionate about a certain topic or cause. 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 has enlightened me about teaching special groups, which include...  [Read more]

  Just to finish the sectional materials, we'll have a look the difference between what are called authentic and created materials. Authentic materials, as the name implies, are actual materials that are created for any reason outside of the classroom. So examples of authentic materials would be things like newspapers. Those are generated for the general public and they're certainly not generated for the use in the classroom. However, they can be used within the classroom other ideas would be things like songs and poems and even things such as brochures and magazines and indeed menus from restaurants. So these are materials that all can be used within the classroom but they have not been created for that purpose, whereas creative materials, as the name implies, have been produced...  [Read more]

  The idiom "all ears" means that someone is very keen to hear what you have to say and you have his/her full attention. For example: Why are you crying? Tell me, I'm all ears. In this case, the person asking really wants to know the reason for the other person to be upset and crying. 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. Teaching modal auxiliary verbs, the passive voice, relative clauses and especially phrasal verbs may be quite a challenge for a...  [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]

  The next item we're going to consider is the use of dictionaries and here perhaps the first thing we should do is to make a distinction between the two main types of dictionary and that distinction is between the monolingual and the bilingual dictionary. In a monolingual dictionary you have a word and its associated meaning and those two are both described for example in English so the word and the description of that word are both given in English. Whereas in a bilingual dictionary that word meaning could often be for example the word given in English and the explanation given in Thai and vice versa. So what can we use a dictionary for? Well, within the dictionary itself obviously we can get things like how words are spelled or the spelling of the word. We can also get the...  [Read more]

'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]

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...  [Read more]

  This particular methodology is known as a straight arrow ESA lesson. If every single lesson that we undertook with our students was a straight arrow ESA lesson then it is quite possible that the students would be able to predict what is going to come up next and whilst this is good for the lower level students, then it could potentially become a little bit boring for our higher level students. So what Harmer did in his ideas about ESA, was to generate two other types of ESA lesson that we can use to try and generate a little bit more interest. So, the other two types of ESA lesson that we can follow: The first is known as a boomerang lesson and the second is known as a patchwork lesson and what we're going to do is to have a look at those other types of ESA lesson in a little bit...  [Read more]

  So speaking activities will come in many different forms but we can generalize them into three basic types. Control activities tend to be used in the study phase and here, the teacher will be helping the students in terms of what they need to say and how they go about saying it. So, there's a high level of structure within a controlled activity. A guided activity has slightly less structure than this and it can be used in either the study or the activate stages themselves. The final type of activity or class of activity is called creative activity and this one would be used in the activation phase. In a creative activity, we're giving a scenario or a very small amount of structure and we're asking the students to actually create their own answers to this particular question....  [Read more]

  Now here are some teaching ideas for the future continuous tense. Here, we have an activity where we'll be asking students to spontaneously make some excuses based upon some invitations. We can do this in pairs or small groups. The teacher will have cut these cards up and the students will place them into a pile, randomly picking up a card. So one student might pick this card up and say 'Would you like to play tennis with me tomorrow?' The other student will be challenged to come up with an excuse as quickly as possible, which might be 'No, I'm sorry I'll be working.' Then, we have the next student pick up the next card and we challenge an additional student to make an excuse. Here we have another teaching idea for the future continuous tense and this involves two students trying...  [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]

According to Webster's Dictionary an idiom is 'an expression whose meaning cannot be predicted from the usual meaning of its constituent elements.' I also like the definition of T.C. Cooper's that 'An idiom can have a literal meaning, but its alternate, figurative meaning must be understood metaphorically.' In the last week, since choosing 'idioms' as a subject for this paper, I have been particularly aware of how many of these phrases are used in everyday speech -' 'It's a piece of cake,' 'I'm fed up!' 'It's raining cats and dogs,' 'Let sleeping dogs lie.' These are enough to make a student who has consulted an English dictionary shake his head and say, 'I can't make heads or tails of what these phrases mean,' which, of course, he cannot do until he has been taught the ...  [Read more]

To embark upon yet another career at the ripe old >?age of 51, may seem like madness to most people. However, most >?people would not have given up a successful 27 yr career in Nursing >?as I had done 7 yrs previously. This was to take a fitness >?qualification that enabled me to have??a “midlife” crisis, and >?become a fitness professional and eventually a Club Manager. >?However, the realization that advancing middle age was not >?conducive to teaching aerobics classes forever, led me to the >?beautiful island of Phuket in March 2007. My plan was to qualify as >?a TEFL teacher and remain on the island for a year at least, >?practicing my newly aquired skills. Yes, I could have done...  [Read more]

  The next item that we're going to consider is the use of resource books. There are many different types of resource books available and within those books there tends to be a general pattern and typically the resource book pack will come in a three book series and typically that three book series will be in the form of the student book, a workbook and a teacher's resource book. So for example here are those three books for this particular series called ?Total English? and in the student book the type of information that we can gain from here is the actual background to the teaching points themselves plus some additional information in terms of short worksheets and so on and so forth and tape transcripts at the end for listening activities, which these days often come on a CD...  [Read more]

For the purpose of this article I assume that there is absolutely no difference between TEFL and TESOL, they are both a means of teaching English to people who do not have it as their first language. So why do people think to themselves sitting at home, maybe I will train to be a teacher, but not a regular teacher that we all grew up with at school. But someone who teaches the English language to non English speakers in foreign countries. Well the reasons are varied but almost everyone can identify themselves with at least one. Some realize that the jobs they work in are not quite what they thought they would do growing up. So in search of excitement and something more worthwhile they sign up to TEFL. Others like myself are really gypsies and have a great urge to...  [Read more]

Introduction Having chosen the subject of motivation in the foreign language classroom, I will briefly discuss various motivational techniques and strategies that can be used by TEFL teachers in order to motivate their students, and make their learning more efficient. Even though during my research I have found a lot of education- oriented publications providing different pointers and techniques, I came to a conclusion that they don''t always offer an efficient guide to new teachers like me. Therefore, my main goal is to come up with a set of strategies that may come handy during my future teaching endeavours that are likely to include a need to motivate foreign language students. Creating the motivational conditions There are certain preconditions that need to be met in order...  [Read more]

  And now let's look at the pronouns. Simply put, pronouns take the place of a noun. We have various types of pronouns. They are personal pronouns, which can either be subject or object. We have reflexive pronouns, relative pronouns and possessive pronouns. With our personal pronouns, we have to decide whether it's the subject or the object. The subject is the doer of an action, whereas the object is the one that receives the action. Subject pronouns are: I, you, he, she, it etc. Object pronouns are: me, you, him, her, etc. In the sentence "Greg hit Pete," the subject of the sentence is "Greg", therefore I would say "He hit Pete," or I could put a pronoun in for the object of the sentence, where "Greg hit Pete", now, I go into "Greg hit him." With our reflexive pronouns, these are...  [Read more]

A few weeks ago I went up to my Japanese friend and told her ?Good Afternoon? in Japanese. She smiled and told me that while correct, Japanese people don?t usually greet each other in that manner. I thought it was odd because that?s the way I learned it back in my university days. She equated it to saying, ?How many times do you greet your friends by saying, ?Good Afternoon? or ?Good Evening??? After thinking about it, I realized that I rarely use the standard ?Hello? or ?Hi? but rather ?Hey? or ?What?s up?? While completely acceptable and understandable for Native English speakers, I didn?t know that this simple greeting could cause a bit of confusion. When I taught English in an elementary school in Korea, I had a co-teacher whose English abilities were quite...  [Read more]

  And now we'll have a look at the present perfect continuous tense. As its name suggests, what we're going to do is combine the present continuous usages and the present perfect usages into a tense that basically expresses the fact that we've got an action continuing up until the present point in time. For the form of this tense, again, we're going to combine into various aspects of both the perfect and the continuous tenses. If we have a look we always begin with our subjects, then we have our, two now, helping verbs. The helping verb 'to have' for the perfect tenses, as well as the helping verb 'be' for the continuous tenses. For our subjects 'I', 'you', 'we' and 'they', we leave 'have' as 'have' and for 'he', 'she' and 'it', we conjugate it to 'has'. Because it's a continuous...  [Read more]

The English language was created in England. Throughout history, this language has spread to many parts of the world. It is used as a link language for International business and diplomacy. According to Madhukar N. Gate, it has taken thousands of words from other languages such as French, Latin, German, Greek and so on. We can even find Sanskrit words in English. For example: Guru and Pundit are two Sanskrit words used in English. English grammar is quite simple, in many languages nouns have grammatical gender which makes some verbs and adjectives change. This doesn?t happen in English. The adjective ?big? is used with all nouns such as man, woman, child, book etc, as well as applying to both singular and plural nouns. Counting large numbers in English is very simple. For...  [Read more]