Teaching English To Foreign Students

  Our next consideration is going to be how we actually group our students. There are perhaps three types of grouping arrangements that we can consider and within those we'll have a look at the potential positive and negatives of those particular arrangements. So firstly, what arrangements can we use? We could arrange our group as a whole class so all of their activities will be done as a whole class. They could be working as individuals and the final grouping arrangement we'll consider is that of small groups or indeed the use of pair work. So for each of these types of arrangements what are the potential positive and negatives with that type of arrangement? For the whole class certainly one of the main positive features is that it gives that class a sense of belonging. Secondly...  [Read more]

  It is very important that whenever we?re doing an activity that we use the students names wherever possible when we're asking for feedback and so on and so forth. There are a number of benefits to using the students? names and they can include helping to actually organize the class itself, certainly to acknowledge when a student has given the correct answer and so forth, to indicate who should respond, rather than just asking a general question to the whole class. By using the names we can ask an individual to respond to that particular question. One point to note here is that if you are going to ask an individual student it is very useful if you put their name at the end of the question. This is useful because if you start with their name then all of the other students know that...  [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 new words...  [Read more]

  There are many different types of groups of students that you will encounter when teaching English as a foreign language. This video introduces you to the five different types of student groups. 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 identified how to effectively use verbal and non-verbal communication in a classroom setting. It also recognized different student grouping (with its advantages and disadvantages) and classroom arrangement suitable...  [Read more]

Teaching English as a foreign language can be done one of two ways: teaching a group of students or by teaching on a one-to-one basis. It's estimated that up to 40% of TEFL teaching is done one-to-one, however teachers find it increasingly difficult to find relevant material, advice and assistance on the method. Nicola Meldrum argues that teaching one-to-one 'unfortunately is not covered much in ELT discussion' and that 'It is somehow assumed that teaching English as a foreign language means organizing huge groups of students, while the reality is that one to one is a normal and significant part of our teaching lives' . Teachers are in effect left to their own devices; however this doesn't stop the concept of teaching one- to-one being an effective and advantageous method for both the...  [Read more]

I have been teaching English as a Foreign Language in Saudi Arabia for the past three years. During this time I have noticed a number of challenges for both the students and the teachers. In light of the material I have studied as part of an EFL certificate course and from letters and research from fellows in the field, I would like to highlight some of the difficulties in hopes of gaining some insight into problems and how we may best address them.To begin with, there is the challenge of the environment. Arabic is the main means of communication and has a different writing system as well as an extremely rich literary history. (Bello-'Teaching English in Saudi Arabia') This presents challenges in teaching the alphabet as well as practicing the language. Visuals are an effective way of...  [Read more]

  Our next consideration is that of giving instructions to our students. In order for those students to effectively carry out an activity, we need to make sure we have given clear and unambiguous instructions. It's also very important to check that the students understand the activity before you start. If you've done that work correctly then the teacher shouldn't need to say anything once an activity has started because the students are very clear about what they're supposed to be doing. So some ideas when giving instructions. As we've mentioned use simple language. Secondly, rather than trying to explain an activity, then do a demonstration which is visual. Thirdly, try to use wherever possible common words that come up within every activity. These would be things like ?look?,...  [Read more]

Volunteer teaching can be the most rewarding experience of your life or a total nightmare depending on your expectations and attitude. You need to be realistic about what kind of person you are. Are you the type who can travel the world making your own contacts and decide independently where best to spend your tine? Or are you the type who needs to know exactly where you will be sleeping each night and exactly what your days will hold? Most of us fall somewhere in between. People often ask why should I pay to volunteer somewhere? Aren?t they already getting my time and effort for nothing? Well is most cases it costs the organisation money to have you there, sometimes the benefit outweighs the cost for them and sometimes not. ?In Nicaragua, I often heard the comment that ?volunteers come...  [Read more]

  Our next main issue is going to be that of giving students individual attention. Here many classroom management and leaving potential discipline problems can be avoided by applying some simple rules to giving your students attention. The first one is to think about the way in which you ask questions. Don't ask questions in a predictable order. If you just go around the class asking questions from one person to the next then the person at the end of the class will know that it's going to be some time before you actually get to them. So try to mix up the way in which you're asking questions. In terms of answers to questions don't allow individual students to dominate all of the answers. One of the things that we can do to help this particular issue is to use the students names as...  [Read more]

  There are some other classroom management issues that we need to consider and they may include issues such as writing on the board, giving students individual attention, the use of teacher talk time, the way in which we should give instructions to our students, the building and maintaining of rapport with our students, and finally the one that perhaps most new teachers particularly spend a lot of time worrying and thinking about, is the issue of classroom discipline. So what we'd like to do is to take each of these in turn and look at some of the major issues surrounding these classroom management issues. 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...  [Read more]

Upon my investigation of obtaining a position teaching English as a foreign language in the country of Spain I discovered a bit of vital information. This being that it is rather difficult for an American, or non EU resident, to find work. Though it's not impossible, the red tape and the jumping through hoops to get the required visa cause employers to look to their native English speaking neighbors in the U.K. and Ireland to fill positions. However, the demand for teachers is high, and if you have the time, money, and patience, eventually something will turn up. There was a common sentiment, and lots of sound advice in the articles I read, which was all very enlightening and, for the most part encouraging. With a little diligence it can be done.Firstly, something I wish I had known more...  [Read more]

While teaching English as a foreign language it is very important that the teacher or instructor take on board the cultural differences and discrepancies that occur between different societies. As may appear obvious, teaching English in Asia will be significantly different to teaching English in the Middle East. This is due to the religious, social and all round societal differences between the regions i.e. the cultural differences. As pointed out by Kenneth Barre in his online article, cultural differences from a teacher's standpoint can affect a variety of key teaching planning, methodology and structure. Cultural Differences Affects: 'What students expect to hear in a conversation 'Vocabulary and set phrases students try to use 'Degrees of formality / informality 'Literal translations...  [Read more]

Whilst there are many elements to teaching English as a foreign language, without successful classroom management the teacher will be ineffective and the students less likely to learn effectively. Key elements that should be focussed on are, e.g., teacher talk time, correct gesturing, appropriate interaction with the class, the manner of the teacher should be such that the atmosphere is balanced between casual yet with authority assigned to the teacher, etc. Although more elements are important to classroom management, the overall lesson is that the components of classroom management must be such that they are successfully integrated, or management will fail.Teacher talk time is appropriate during different sections of a class. It related, not only to the introduction of the course and...  [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 them. The...  [Read more]

Teaching English as a Foreign Language may strike you one day as your vocation in life, or a way of earning a living whilst staying in another country. Either way, it can be very rewarding to spend your working day teaching your own native language. But, if you are lucky enough to live near a college that teaches English as a Foreign Language in your own country, you don't even need to leave your home soil to practice your skills!Where do you start though, having decided this is what you want to do' The increasingly familiar way is to search the internet, as you would have done a reference library, to find out what is offered either in your local area, or online. For myself, I was attracted to an online course which offers me flexibility and came recommended by someone who is currently in...  [Read more]

  The dynamics of classroom interaction is often dictated by the arrangement of the classroom itself and the way in which the classroom is arranged could depend upon a number of factors and they might include things such as the age of the students, so for example we're unlikely to have the same arrangement for adult learners as we would have for young learners. It could also depend upon the actual physical space available. The physical space may determine how we have to arrange our classroom to maximize the opportunity for interaction and so forth. It will also depend on what material is available and by material in this case we're talking about the actual desks and chairs and so on and so forth. Perhaps the final thing we might put here is that it could also depend upon the...  [Read more]

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in Chenliang Zhen? Are you interested in teaching English in Yancheng Shi? Check out ITTT’s online and in-class courses, Become certified to Teach English as a Foreign Language and start teaching English ONLINE or abroad! ITTT offers a wide variety of Online TEFL Courses and a great number of opportunities for English Teachers and for Teachers of English as a Second Language. Motivation is a variable that stimulates students to maintain their passion and keep working towards their goal. According to Richard Ryan and Deci in "Self- Determination Theory and the Facilitation of Intrinsic Motivation, Social Development, and Well-Being": “People are moved to act by very different types of factors, with highly varied experiences and...  [Read more]

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in Hengtang Zhen? Are you interested in teaching English in Yongzhou Shi? Check out ITTT’s online and in-class courses, Become certified to Teach English as a Foreign Language and start teaching English ONLINE or abroad! ITTT offers a wide variety of Online TEFL Courses and a great number of opportunities for English Teachers and for Teachers of English as a Second Language. All English language learners learn differently. The kind of environment they study in greatly affects their learning experience. Teaching one to one and teaching in groups both have their advantages and disadvantages. English language teachers may come across both situations in their teaching career and what the student gains from each situation is unique as...  [Read more]

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in Buyunqiao Zhen? Are you interested in teaching English in Hengyang Shi? Check out ITTT’s online and in-class courses, Become certified to Teach English as a Foreign Language and start teaching English ONLINE or abroad! ITTT offers a wide variety of Online TEFL Courses and a great number of opportunities for English Teachers and for Teachers of English as a Second Language. A simple definition of motivation can be, the reason why someone is doing something, for example, the reason to be in the class. Why are they taking this class? An adult student can be taking the class because her or his job requires. A young student can be taking the class because their parents are asking for or because it is a subject in school. If this is the...  [Read more]

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in WenAn Zhen? Are you interested in teaching English in Yichng Shi? Check out ITTT’s online and in-class courses, Become certified to Teach English as a Foreign Language and start teaching English ONLINE or abroad! ITTT offers a wide variety of Online TEFL Courses and a great number of opportunities for English Teachers and for Teachers of English as a Second Language. There are many ways to teach students English or any other language. You can learn in an immersive environment, a formal classroom setting, or even try to learn from watching and listening to media. One common format is one to one teaching. This means there is one student and one teacher working on the curriculum together. This can be in person or on the internet,...  [Read more]

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in ShAnshAn Zhen? Are you interested in teaching English in Loudi Shi? Check out ITTT’s online and in-class courses, Become certified to Teach English as a Foreign Language and start teaching English ONLINE or abroad! ITTT offers a wide variety of Online TEFL Courses and a great number of opportunities for English Teachers and for Teachers of English as a Second Language. A good student-teacher relationship inside the classroom is necessary for the instructor to teach efficiently and for the students to learn effectively. There are several factors that needs to be taken into consideration in order to manage the classroom well. First of all, good eye contact should be established within the classroom. This signifies connection between...  [Read more]

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in Nuanshui Zhen? Are you interested in teaching English in Chenzhou Shi? Check out ITTT’s online and in-class courses, Become certified to Teach English as a Foreign Language and start teaching English ONLINE or abroad! ITTT offers a wide variety of Online TEFL Courses and a great number of opportunities for English Teachers and for Teachers of English as a Second Language. Confidence… how many times we’ve heard about it. That it’s important, that we should have it, that we should build it, that we should help students or any other people develop it. But what does it actually mean? It’s been always difficult to explain what is it, as it’s something that comes from feelings of well-being, acceptance of yourself, belief in...  [Read more]

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in ShuibuyA Zhen? Are you interested in teaching English in Enshi Tujiazu Miaozu Zizhizhou? Check out ITTT’s online and in-class courses, Become certified to Teach English as a Foreign Language and start teaching English ONLINE or abroad! ITTT offers a wide variety of Online TEFL Courses and a great number of opportunities for English Teachers and for Teachers of English as a Second Language. The reader might infer from this title that it applies to the student but I intend to show, it refers to the teacher! My first class with each student I make the student comfortable and happy, while I learn and determine their abilities. However one class is not enough to have a complete picture of a student's abilities and depth of their...  [Read more]

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in Anfeng Zhen? Are you interested in teaching English in Yancheng Shi? Check out ITTT’s online and in-class courses, Become certified to Teach English as a Foreign Language and start teaching English ONLINE or abroad! ITTT offers a wide variety of Online TEFL Courses and a great number of opportunities for English Teachers and for Teachers of English as a Second Language. Imagine walking into a classroom filled with students who are not in the least bit motivated to participate in the lesson for that day. Now compound that with the fact that these students are from China, and their primary language is Mandarin, so they speak very little English or none at all. This is a disaster waiting to happen, unless the teacher possesses the...  [Read more]

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in Xiqu? Are you interested in teaching English in Yancheng Shi? Check out ITTT’s online and in-class courses, Become certified to Teach English as a Foreign Language and start teaching English ONLINE or abroad! ITTT offers a wide variety of Online TEFL Courses and a great number of opportunities for English Teachers and for Teachers of English as a Second Language. A teacher is many things, with many skills and knowledge which a student doesn’t have. A teacher is typically older and wiser than their student, and typically more respected than their student. however Naturally, some people will possess more ability than others in this world, and some will be older, and some will pose more respect, but that doesn’t make them any of...  [Read more]

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in Changpu Zhen? Are you interested in teaching English in Shaoyang Shi? Check out ITTT’s online and in-class courses, Become certified to Teach English as a Foreign Language and start teaching English ONLINE or abroad! ITTT offers a wide variety of Online TEFL Courses and a great number of opportunities for English Teachers and for Teachers of English as a Second Language. I chose to write about this subject because I feel that the role of the teacher is a really important part of the classroom and also in the student's life. The most common role of a teacher in class is to teach some knowledge to their students. If the class is boring, then the students don't have any interest in learning, so it is up to the teacher to teach...  [Read more]

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in Huilongpu Zhen? Are you interested in teaching English in Changsha Shi? Check out ITTT’s online and in-class courses, Become certified to Teach English as a Foreign Language and start teaching English ONLINE or abroad! ITTT offers a wide variety of Online TEFL Courses and a great number of opportunities for English Teachers and for Teachers of English as a Second Language. In this essay, I will talk about the differences and pros and cons of one to one and group teaching. All the arguments given are based on my teaching experience with young learners. Pros of one to one teaching for teachers. The biggest advantage of this teaching style is the easily manageable class. The teacher doesn't need to think about more classroom...  [Read more]

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in HuangjiAkou Zhen? Are you interested in teaching English in Jingzhou Shi? Check out ITTT’s online and in-class courses, Become certified to Teach English as a Foreign Language and start teaching English ONLINE or abroad! ITTT offers a wide variety of Online TEFL Courses and a great number of opportunities for English Teachers and for Teachers of English as a Second Language. Strategies in Classroom Management: According to Wikipedia, Classroom management is a term teachers use to describe the process of ensuring that classroom lessons run smoothly without disruptive behavior from students compromising the delivery of instruction. Classroom management is the procedures used to establish and maintain an environment where instruction...  [Read more]

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in TiAnezhou KAifAqu? Are you interested in teaching English in Jingzhou Shi? Check out ITTT’s online and in-class courses, Become certified to Teach English as a Foreign Language and start teaching English ONLINE or abroad! ITTT offers a wide variety of Online TEFL Courses and a great number of opportunities for English Teachers and for Teachers of English as a Second Language. As we all know, teaching a one-on-one class and a group class can be very different in terms of students’ needs and interests, teaching methods, class arrangments and feedback. For one to one classes, it is beneficial to students who have personal goals that are different than other students, for example, the students could be a tour guide who is in need of...  [Read more]

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in Xingning Zhen? Are you interested in teaching English in Chenzhou Shi? Check out ITTT’s online and in-class courses, Become certified to Teach English as a Foreign Language and start teaching English ONLINE or abroad! ITTT offers a wide variety of Online TEFL Courses and a great number of opportunities for English Teachers and for Teachers of English as a Second Language. Teaching in the field of ESL learning is a task that has plenty of challenges that can arise in the classroom. Whether students are young learners or adults, learning English as a second language requires a lot of time and dedication in and outside of the classroom. Teachers must put a lot of patience, care, and effort into their lessons for the sake of their...  [Read more]