Picture Of English Teacher

  In her ninth video diary instalment, Chantelle discusses unit 9 of her online TEFL course from ITTT. This unit covers lesson planning and the importance of being well prepared for your lessons. The unit discusses whether there is a need to plan lessons, how a lesson plan should be written and what should be included in a lesson plan. It also looks at ways to plan a sequence of lessons and how important it is for teachers to reflect on past lessons to help improve future classes. 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...  [Read more]

  This video is part of our series on the past tenses in English. In this video, we take a look at the past continuous tense and suitable teaching ideas for this tense. The past continuous is very conducive to using pictures and talking about actions. We give our group of students cards with images and ask them to create sentences for what the people in the picture were doing at a certain time in the past. 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...  [Read more]

In 1904 the French government commissioned psychologist Alfred Binet to find a method to distinguish between children's levels of intelligence. The purpose was to put the 'intellectually inferior' into special schools where they could receive more individual attention1. So begins the journey of testing and analysing scores, consequently giving us an outline or a picture of a person's intelligence. The Intelligent Quotient is a 'score derived from a set of standardised tests' (http://wikipedia.org/). The notion of measuring a person's intelligence, and therefore, a person's potential, may seem limited to some, as it did to Howard Gardner- professor of education at Harvard University. Gardner argues that 'pencil and paper IQ tests do not capture the full range of human...  [Read more]

In 1904 the French government commissioned psychologist Alfred Binet to find a method to distinguish between children?s levels of intelligence. The purpose was to put the ?intellectually inferior? into special schools where they could receive more individual attention1. So begins the journey of testing and analysing scores, consequently giving us an outline or a picture of a person?s intelligence. The Intelligent Quotient is a ?score derived from a set of standardised tests? (http://wikipedia.org/). The notion of measuring a person?s intelligence, and therefore, a person?s potential, may seem limited to some, as it did to Howard Gardner- professor of education at Harvard University. Gardner argues that ?pencil and paper IQ tests do not capture the full range of...  [Read more]

Games are an integral part of the learning process. So what is the definition of 'games'' Games are rule-based, and have variable, quantifiable outcomes. Different potential outcomes of a game are assigned different values, some positive and some negative. The player is emotionally attached to the outcome of the game in the sense that the player will be a winner and 'happy' in case of positive outcome, but a loser and 'unhappy' in case of the negative outcome. 'Play' is a free form activity that is often not rule based . Often there are some rules and fixed goals, and time frame, but mostly marked by fluidity of rules and goals.So games are distinguished from play by:- Play is a free ' form activity - Games are rule based, the rules structure the activity and make it...  [Read more]

Growing up, my parents provided their children with a multitude of opportunities so that we could discover our talents and nurture those skills. They enrolled me and my sister in Art, Piano, Gymnastics, Ballet/Jazz, Cello, Girl Scouts, and Kumon classes, just to name a few. Because my parents were such strong proponents of a well-integrated education, I was able to recognize my innate artistic capabilities at a very early age. However, as I entered High School my extra-curricular activities were reduced to Piano Lessons and Student Council. My parents brought in private tutors for my sister and me with the hope that we may excel in our Honors English and Math Courses at school. I couldn't blame them for their decision. After all, any college- bound student who takes her...  [Read more]

  And now we'll take a look at a few teaching ideas for the present continuous tense. The present continuous tense is quite a visual tense. We use it to describe actions that are happening at the present moment. So, we could give our students a picture, such as the one seen here. It is important that in the picture there are many activities going on. The teacher can give a time limit to pairs or small groups. In that time limit, the pairs or small groups will make various sentences based upon what they see in the picture. These sentences may include 'He is taking a picture,' 'He is throwing a boomerang,' 'They are playing with the ball,' 'He is digging a hole.' At the end of the time limit, the teacher will ask for some feedback and get feedback from the pairs and the groupings to...  [Read more]

I have had the opportunity to order all material to be used by our school for the last 6 years. During this time I have been astonished to see how many different resources are available for the teacher.While it has been a valuable aid for new, inexperienced teachers I found that other more experienced teachers preferred their own material to all the resources available. Most experienced teachers commented that if they only use material supplied by the publisher, their individual teaching skills were taken away. This has presented a problem where management expected teachers to teach according to the prescribed material and use resources presented to them.However, I feel that although all this material is available and the teacher basically does not have...  [Read more]

  In this TEFL review, John from the Philippines tells us that he enjoyed taking the 120-hour online TEFL course from ITTT and found the information provided in the course units to be very helpful. During the course John learned about the ESA method of teaching English, reviewed his English language knowledge and picked up a number of tips and tricks for use in his lessons. The course also covers different levels of language learners and different types of classes such as one-on-one classes and business English classes. 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...  [Read more]

Education has undergone many evolutions and transformations during the technological age. But I think the most notable change is the advent of online courses. Now it is possible for students to take classes from destinations remote to the classroom or college. Many more people find it convenient take courses at home during their spare time. At times and for certain courses, online sites are very convenient and just as effective as an in class class might be. However, in class language classes are far and away a much better way to learn a language than attempting to learn from an online course. Given the need for visual and audio cues and examples, a strictly online course would be far less effective than an in class course for ESL, TEFL, and TOEFL students to...  [Read more]

  So, having elicited this particular structure, what I'm now able to do is to move on to the actual study activities. Typically, they will be in the form of worksheets to check that the students actually understand this information. So, I might prepare three activities. They may not do them all but, for example, I could prepare these three study activities. So, the first one is going to be a fairly straightforward matching activity, where perhaps they match the subject to its correct verb "to be" in that part of the sentence. The second one is going to be a gap fill. For example, I might use this verb here and ask them to complete a sentence using that verb, so that I can check that any spelling changes that take place are correct and the final one is going to be an unscramble,...  [Read more]

  In this video, we break down the difference between the usage of "for" and "since". Both of these words are used when talking about time, which is why they often cause confusion for many English learners. However, the difference in the usage of the two words is actually qutie easy. The word "since" is used when referring to a point or exact moment in time, such as in this example: I have been living in this house since 2005. The year 2005 is a point or exact moment in time and therefore, we need to use 'since'. "For", on the other hand, is used for a period or duration of time, such as in this example: I have been living in this house for 12 years; 12 years is a duration of time, and therefore we need to use 'for'. As you can see, all you need to do is figure out whether you are...  [Read more]

Many new teachers are intimidated by the prospect of having to teach grammar. There are several reasons for this. Many of us aren't that familiar with grammar rules to begin with, the many exceptions make English grammar a complex subject, and finally, grammar just isn't that exciting to most teachers or students. For these reasons, there can be a tendency to question whether teaching grammar is really that important in the first place.So, is teaching grammar important' I believe it is. Ed Swick says, 'The rules of Grammar for a language learner are like the rules of the road for a driver. In order to be able to drive properly and maneuver with other drivers, you have to know the rules that everybody goes by' This is true of language to. If you follow the rules of...  [Read more]

  In this episode, we cover the pronunciation of the word canoodle. This word is used as a verb and describes the action of kissing and cuddling amorously. The origin of the word is widely unknown. 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 learnt about ESA which is the engage,study and activate stage.The engage stage is considered as the warm up stage whereby the teacher introduces the topic to the students through pictures or...  [Read more]

  This video looks at various teaching ideas for the 'going to' future tense. Pictures are a great tool for lower-level students to look at evidence based on the pictures and making predictions using the 'going to' future. Other ideas might include weather predictions, as well as planning a party or holiday. 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 17 deals with teaching aids and equipment to be used inside the classroom. Some of these teaching...  [Read more]

  Here's a teaching idea that focuses on two very specific aspects of the present simple tense, one of which will be making statements about a habit and a routine. The other will be conjugating the verb into the 'he', 'she' or 'it' form. Here we'll present students with a picture. They will see various objects in the picture. Based upon the presence of these objects in someone's room, the students will have to make an observation such as 'She drinks coffee,' 'She plays the guitar,' 'She watches television,' 'She doesn't smoke.' Again, it's very specific used for the 'he', 'she' or 'it' form and habits and routines. At the end of the activity, the teacher will have the pairs or the small groups report back their various findings. Another idea for the present simple tense will be the...  [Read more]

  Two former trainees talk about their experiences during their TEFL course in Corinth Greece in this TEFL review video. If you are a person of a mature age or a senior citizen, do not be put you off from doing one of our courses. ITTT welcomes all applications regardless of age, gender or nationality. You just need to be committed to applying yourself to our demanding course. We at ITTT are committed to doing everything we can in assisting trainees to successfully complete the course and to promptly acquire a teaching job abroad. 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,...  [Read more]

  This video is part of our ESA Methodology series. The ESA methodology consists of three stages. In this series, we look at the individual purposes of each stage and typical activities for each stage. This second video introduces the study phase of ESA. The purpose of this phase is to cover the actual teaching of the lesson and to check the understanding of that material.The second stage or phase of the lesson is known as the study phase and really the purpose of this phase is to cover the actual teaching of the lesson and to check understanding of that material. Typically in an ESA lesson, the study phase will have two parts. The first phase of the study is to cover the actual teaching component in what's known as the board work and what we try to do in the board work phase is to...  [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]

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]

The role of a kindergarten teacher is very challenging yet highly rewarding. This is usually the first time that children have left the safety, comfort and familiarity of their own home and families, and it is often the first time that they have direct and regular contact with a language that is completely foreign to them. This new environment needs to ensure that the children are completely at ease and ready to begin their language learning journey. ?Many kindergarten teachers have made the miracle of learning languages possible with their effort, extra hours, smiles, care and numerous other positive features of their teaching.? (1) Teachers make a huge impact on a child?s learning, and providing an encouraging a supportive environment is provided the language ...  [Read more]

The role of a kindergarten teacher is very challenging yet highly rewarding. This is usually the first time that children have left the safety, comfort and familiarity of their own home and families, and it is often the first time that they have direct and regular contact with a language that is completely foreign to them. This new environment needs to ensure that the children are completely at ease and ready to begin their language learning journey.“Many kindergarten teachers have made the miracle of learning languages possible with their effort, extra hours, smiles, care and numerous other positive features of their teaching.” (1)Teachers make a huge impact on a child’s learning, and providing an encouraging a supportive environment is provided the language ...  [Read more]

'Diversity is the one true thing we all have in common.'Diversity plays an important role in the classroom just as it does in an ecosystem. A healthy ecosystem is made up of many parts with subtle or obvious differences, whose interactions strengthen the whole. The classroom is also a diverse environment, where students differ in many aspects but can work together towards a common goal: learning. Students may vary in the manner in which they learn, but a good teacher integrates a variety of appropriate activities to accommodate these differences in learning so that the class as a whole is strengthened. Learning modalities can be categorized by the different ways an individual can intake and understand new material (Kang 2005) and should be taken into account when a teacher...  [Read more]

  This video is part of our series on the past tenses in English. We start off the series with the past simple tense. In this video, we focus on useful teaching ideas for this tense. A great idea to practice this tense is a picture story. Here, the teacher provides the students with various photos or images and the students are asked to piece them together to make a story in the past. 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 found out information...  [Read more]

Diversity is the one true thing we all have in common.? Diversity plays an important role in the classroom just as it does in an ecosystem. A healthy ecosystem is made up of many parts with subtle or obvious differences, whose interactions strengthen the whole. The classroom is also a diverse environment, where students differ in many aspects but can work together towards a common goal: learning. Students may vary in the manner in which they learn, but a good teacher integrates a variety of appropriate activities to accommodate these differences in learning so that the class as a whole is strengthened. Learning modalities can be categorized by the different ways an individual can intake and understand new material (Kang 2005) and should be taken into account when...  [Read more]

There are many different methods to teach grammar, but this essay will present the three that might be the most effective in retaining student interest. 1.Situational Presentations2.Text and Recordings3.Test Teach Test 1.Teaching grammar via Situational Presentation In order for grammar to have meaning, it needs to be placed within a context. For instance the preposition 'beside' has no meaning to a student unless it's placed within a context. Using a model sentence such as the 'The bread is beside the toaster' gives the word a basic context. Situational presentation refines the context and thus the meaning by building a 'situation' around the model sentence. It can be presented in three stages with the following example of teaching prepositions based on an airplane ride.Stage...  [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]

1. Understanding the Vietnamese Classroom Environment 2. Effective ESL Teaching Strategies 3. Overcoming Challenges in ESL Teaching in Vietnam 4. Conclusion Teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) in Vietnam can be a rewarding experience for educators looking to make a difference in the lives of students. However, it also comes with its own set of challenges. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore practical tips for implementing ESL teaching methods in Vietnamese classrooms to help you navigate through the unique cultural and educational landscape of Vietnam. Before diving into ESL teaching strategies, it is crucial to have a good understanding of the Vietnamese classroom environment. Vietnamese students are known for their respect towards teachers, strong work ethic, and...  [Read more]

It would be nice to think that an ESL teacher could enter the classroom with a friendly smile, the appropriate warmer and a well- planned lesson, and the result would be a room full of students progressing continually in their language skills. However, with a task as great as learning English as a second language, the experience is rarely that easy. Learning English has its’ own unique difficulties, and it profits the ESL teacher most if these challenges are explored and prepared for before entering the classroom. One such challenge is students with learning disabilities; when it is believed that a student has a learning disability, teachers must consider diagnosis and appropriate teaching methods.It can be hard to make the decision to evaluate students for a learning...  [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 lesson plans...  [Read more]