Top 100 Hardest Languages To Learn

Stephen Krashen differentiates between the concepts of language acquisition and language learning in this way: He likens the process of language acquisition to adolescents and young adults living outside of their native country in a year long exchange program where they attain near native fluency but remain unfamiliar with phonology and/or grammar rules. He links the concept of language learning to the traditional approach of teachers/students in classrooms with specific focus on structure and grammar rules. Krashen summarizes, “Language acquisition does not require extensive use of conscious grammatical rules, and does not require tedious drill.” He further states, “Acquisition requires meaningful interaction in the target language-natural communication-in which speakers...  [Read more]

Yes. One of the many benefits of teaching English abroad is that it can provide a great environment for learning a foreign language. It is no secret that being fully immersed in a different culture, where you are constantly surrounded by a new language, is the most effective way to quickly develop your understanding. Throughout your time living and working as an English teacher abroad, you will inevitably have endless opportunities to practice your language skills. As well as using the language as you go about your daily life, there is also a good chance that you will have access to local language courses that are far cheaper than those available in your home country. Another possibility is the network of friends that you will likely make among the local citizens. Often people are more...  [Read more]

INTRODUCTIONHow did you learn to speak your native language' Notice, this shouldn´t be such a puzzling question. Do you remember when you learned to tie your shoes, ride a bike, and eat with a fork' Sometimes we can remember a parent helping us to do these things. But have our parents helped us learn to speak our first language' Do you remember when your mother taught you the past tense' When your father laid down the rules for passive sentences' We don´t remember these important moments of our childhood because they never occurred. Sometimes we as adults study for years to acquire a new language. It is then quite wonderful to think that children, by around the age of 5, have more or less mastered their first language, excepting some vocabulary and a few grammatical structures. This is...  [Read more]

Download our free Guide to Teaching English Abroad for a wide range of information regarding the world of TEFL/TESOL. The guide covers all the essential things you need to know before you begin your teaching career, from what qualifications are available to securing a teaching position in the country of your choice. Download it today and take the first step on an exciting new journey.  [Read more]

In order to learn to read either a native or foreign language, the reader must be able to identify words quickly and accurately. This process is known as decoding. Decoding words involves changing what the reader sees printed on a page into spoken language. The reader then decodes the word by sounding it out, using the context around the word for clues about it's meaning. In order to sound out words, a reader must be able to relate specific spellings with specific sounds. Phonics is the process of relating the sounds of the words to their spellings. There are many ways to teach phonics awareness and use. However, most types of phonics instruction focus on the sound- spelling relationships so that the new reader can come up with an approximate pronunciation of the word and then check it...  [Read more]

Here I was, waiting to teach a 'Lets Learn English' session with the Pacific and Asian newcomers to Australia. I was to continue the conversational English lessons with them. The attendees were looking forward to the class. I could tell this by the enthusiasm in their greeting as they arrived and by their hunger to learn in previous sessions. What's more we were having fun as we journeyed into the English language together. What's the biggest problem these students have I thought' The simple answer is 'the peculiarities of the English language, or more specifically'words. So what are words anyway' They're just sounds or noises that we utter after all. Unlike lower animals we may not bark neigh, moo, roar, purr or growl, but we do react instinctively to what's happening around us; just as...  [Read more]

  In this TESOL review video Ray talks about how the 120-hour online TESOL course he took with ITTT helped him to learn the necessary skills to teach English as a foreign language. Ray recommends the course to anyone considering a career teaching English abroad or online. 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 useful tips were given for lesson planning. I learnt that a lesson plan helps to guide what you want to impart, it can be used as a...  [Read more]

TaLK stands for Teach and Learn in Korea which is a government sponsored program that places foreign nationals into elementary schools across South Korea. TaLK is a similar program to the much larger EPIK; however, the TaLK Program differs by focusing on placements in underprivileged areas that might otherwise struggle to attract foreign teachers. Participants on the program will gain valuable teaching experience throughout their time in South Korea. There is also plenty of free time for exploring the local culture and for travel across the country and wider region. The TaLK Program is open to college graduates or current undergraduate students who have completed at least two years of a degree course. You must also hold a passport from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada,...  [Read more]

The age, background, and motivation of the students in your ESL classroom will vary greatly depending on where you are teaching and the school or institute you work for. You could have a class full of university students, hotel workers or even high flying business executives. Alternatively, you might work in a government school teaching a class of children aged anywhere from five to sixteen. Each of these groups has its own characteristics, and different teachers have their own preferences. Just remember that by completing a reputable TEFL certification course before you head off abroad, you will learn all the skills required to deliver effective and enjoyable lessons to almost any group of learners. A large percentage of teachers working in ESL classrooms overseas will find their...  [Read more]

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in Gangtou Zhen? Are you interested in teaching English in Xuzhou 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. Problems for Learners from China by Kenneth Lee Mattson My focus for my summative task will be on the Chinese second language learner(L2) because I have taught a number of almost zero exposure of English beginners to intermediate students this past year who were from mainland China. First of all, I differ from the ESL teachers at my school because as a blond haired...  [Read more]

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in Changtangkou Zhen? Are you interested in teaching English in Xiantao, Tianmen, Qianjiang & S? 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 think vocabulary is something that should be taught at the very beginning of the course. When you're starting out with a brand new language, the hardest part of learning a foreign language from scratch is vocabulary building. This is because when one starts a new language, they typically don't know where to start. For example, should...  [Read more]

EFL stands for English as a Foreign Language and is to almost all purposes the same as ESL, English as a Second Language. These two are also equivalent to ESOL which means, English to Speakers of Other Languages. For each of these terms, when we talk about the teaching of them, we add a ‘T’ to the front of each acronym and hence we arrive at the terms TEFL, TESL and TESOL. As they are basically the same we will refer to just one from here on, TEFL for the Teaching of English as a Foreign Language and EFL for English as a Foreign Language. Almost all TEFL teaching positions require a minimum qualification of a 100 to 120-hour TEFL certification. Courses provided to cover this certification are usually delivered by one of three methods, namely, onsite courses, online courses and combined...  [Read more]

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in Baishui 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. Over the past two years, as part of an international community, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting people from all over the world. We share the common experience of learning an L2. I’ve spoken to nearly 100 people now, and what I’ve learned about learning L2 is, well, it’s hard. Most people I’ve “interviewed” have either learned an L2 over the course of...  [Read more]

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in Zhitang Zhen? Are you interested in teaching English in Zhuzhou 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. English is a mandatory subject in Japanese education. Students start to learn English in the classroom from 3rd grade in elementary school up until high school. By the time they reach university, they have at least learned English for 10 years. However, according to recent study by EF Education First in their annual English Education Index, Japan is rated as “low...  [Read more]

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in GuAnling 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. I have been working as an English instructor for 8 years at an academy that caters to foreign students such as Koreans, Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese, to name a few, who want to learn and improve their English skills and land a good job in the future. To me, my first year at work was the hardest. At first, I did not have any idea how to handle students from...  [Read more]

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in SAnlifan Zhen? Are you interested in teaching English in Huanggang 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. Nowadays, more and more people care about the importance of parents in education. I am a child for my parents too, I have been thinking about this question for many years. In my opinion, parents should be children’s teachers and friends. - Teacher Many people consider that education should be teachers’ or schools’ duty, however, before children go to...  [Read more]

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in GAoping 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. Teaching can be difficult or very easy, but either way, it is fun. As a tutor, I have many experienced in teaching beginner students for the past two years. Beginner students have a huge difference between classmates. Some have already know many words when they even have not started their primary school life. Some of them do not know the 26 alphabets when their...  [Read more]

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in ChahA'eryouyihouqibihong Zhen? Are you interested in teaching English in Wulanchabu Shi — Ulanqab? 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. This summative is about learning teaching skills, what are they and why they are important. To be a successful teacher, it is more than just being very knowledgeable in the subject you are teaching. It is important that the person learns the specific skills required for a teacher. A few of these skills are understanding what makes a...  [Read more]

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in Liangtian Zhen? Are you interested in teaching English in Yinchuan 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 section we learn about teaching proper pronunciation. We learned about the difference between articulation, stress and pronunciation. An emphasis is placed on phonetic symbols. We learn about how the mouth makes certain sounds. I found this chapter to be the hardest of the book. It isn't easy learning about phonology. In this section we learn about...  [Read more]

Many fully certified teachers decide to head overseas to teach rather than stay in their home country. For some newly qualified teachers it can be hard to find a suitable job so they go abroad to gain valuable classroom experience, while others might simply be looking for a change of direction. Whatever your reasons, teaching is one of the few professions that allow you to develop your skills and knowledge and increase your experience and employability, while travelling the world and exploring new countries and cultures. If you think this is the right path for you, the next step is to think about how your CV/resume will stand out when applying for the best jobs in the most exciting locations. In many cases, qualified teachers do need a TEFL certificate. While searching for jobs online you...  [Read more]

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in Qing'An Zhen? Are you interested in teaching English in Xuzhou 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. Four years ago, being asked this question by a young woman at the back of the room in a group of around 100 Indonesian students. All were in their final month of exams, and if successful, the results in their exams would enable the Indonesian students to obtain a *non-traditional career, working on a cruise liner or a five star hotel. (*Traditional careers would...  [Read more]

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in Yiniubaozi Zhen? Are you interested in teaching English in Shenyang 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. The unit 13, teaching pronunciation and phonology was the hardest lesson so far. especially the part phonemic symbols, I had no idea what it means. As I teach along I felt the needs to learn how to read as a foreigner in order to understand and explain better. I am still unfamiliar with this lesson but wish to study more. The unit 13, teaching pronunciation...  [Read more]

With the changing nature of the world today learning English is becoming more and more important in the business sector. As such, numbers of people from non English speaking backgrounds, specifically, business men and women, to learn English that is appropriate in a business environment is increasing exponentially. Globalisation of the macro environment of business means there is an increseasing need for there to be one international language for businesses and more importantly, business people to communicate in. Companies are changing from being national to multi national and global. The are also seeking to outsource certain functions within their business structure to attempt to gain a sustainable competitive advantage. With enormous differences in labour costs globally, there are...  [Read more]

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in Quankou Zhen? Are you interested in teaching English in Jiujiang 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 believe that this is one of the hardest lessons in the TEFL so far because it all builds up from previous questions relating to other aspects of the entire program. However, this lesson is extremely useful to understand so a teacher can learn where and when a new concept is appropriate and suitable for students in different phases of their education. I believe...  [Read more]

With the changing nature of the world today learning English is becoming more and more important in the business sector. As such, numbers of people from non English speaking backgrounds, specifically, business men and women, to learn English that is appropriate in a business environment is increasing exponentially. Globalisation of the macro environment of business means there is an increseasing need for there to be one international language for businesses and more importantly, business people to communicate in. Companies are changing from being national to multi national and global. The are also seeking to outsource certain functions within their business structure to attempt to gain a sustainable competitive advantage. With enormous differences in labour costs globally, there are...  [Read more]

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in Chatian Zhen? Are you interested in teaching English in Xiangxi Tujiazu Miaozu Zizhizho? 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 is no official definition of "global" or "world" language but it refers to a language that is learned and spoken internationally not only by the number of its native and second language speakers, but also by its geographical distribution, and its use in international organizations and in diplomatic relations. English is universal language....  [Read more]

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in QiAnshAnhong Zhen? Are you interested in teaching English in Yiyang 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. Even in the first language, it can be difficult to get children reading. There are many reasons they may turn their nose up at a book. In some way I think most of those reasons can be boiled down to boredom. I have the privilege of remembering my journey to reading. When I was very young, my parents would read simple books to me, and I would enjoy looking at the...  [Read more]

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in LanshAn Yuanzhongchang? 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. There are plenty of challenges, other than language barrier that seems to be the common problem that the students of different nationalities face, these students come across other common challenges such as homesickness, culture shock and financial instability. Homesickness is the discomfort caused by being away from home. It is the combination of...  [Read more]

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in QuanjiAohe Zhen? Are you interested in teaching English in Yiyang 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. English is learnt and spoken by a large number of people worldwide.In Shakespeare's time, the number of English speakers in the world is thought to have been between five and seven million. According to linguist David Crystal, "Between the end of the reign of Elizabeth I (1603) and the beginning of the reign of Elizabeth II (1952), this figure increased almost...  [Read more]

Many fully certified teachers choose to teach abroad rather than stay in their home country. Some newly qualified teachers may find it difficult to find suitable employment, so they travel abroad to obtain useful classroom experience, while others may simply be looking for something different. Whatever your motivation, teaching is one of the few professions that allows you to develop your skills and knowledge, gain experience, and increase your employability while traveling the world and seeking out new countries and cultures. If you believe this is the right path for you, the next step is to consider how you will differentiate your CV/resume when applying for the best opportunities in the most exciting locations. A TEFL certificate is required in many cases, even for qualified teachers....  [Read more]