What Major To Be A Teacher

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]

Seating arrangements in the classroom have a major impact on the outcome of the performance of each individual student. I firmly believe that strategic seating arrangements will increase the performance of almost the entire classroom if done so with careful planning and consideration. In several of the assignments that I have submitted throughout this course, I mention that a classrooms' seating arrangement should be designed around the level of ability of each individual student. At the beginning of every school year I often wait several weeks to actually put the final seating chart into place. I do this on purpose. The method to my madness is to try and see where the students seat themselves within the classroom. In my experience I find that lower level students...  [Read more]

Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here? That depends a good deal on where you want to get to.? ?Alice in Wonderland, Chapter VI, page 64, L. Carroll 1960 The quote above comes from an old childhood favorite but clearly makes a case for the use and reasoning behind a syllabus. But, first and foremost we must define what a syllabus is. The American Heritage Dictionary tells us that a syllabus is an outline of a course of study. Other sources explain what a syllabus is as a student?s introduction to the subject as well as you the teacher. Also, as a document that communicates your goals and expectations to the students. It can also be an official notice of policies and requirements, as well as a learning tool. But most importantly, it is an agreement...  [Read more]

'Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here'That depends a good deal on where you want to get to.' 'Alice in Wonderland, Chapter VI, page 64, L. Carroll 1960The quote above comes from an old childhood favorite but clearly makes a case for the use and reasoning behind a syllabus. But, first and foremost we must define what a syllabus is. The American Heritage Dictionary tells us that a syllabus is an outline of a course of study. Other sources explain what a syllabus is as a student's introduction to the subject as well as you the teacher. Also, as a document that communicates your goals and expectations to the students. It can also be an official notice of policies and requirements, as well as a learning tool. But most importantly, it is an agreement between the...  [Read more]

  Our next consideration is going to be building and maintaining rapport. The importance of rapport is that within our communicative activities, we're asking the students to talk to each other. If they feel comfortable with each other and with us, then that interaction is much more likely to be useful. So how do we actually build and maintain rapport? Well, it's easiest if we consider two stages of the course itself. What we can do at the start of the course and what we can do throughout the course to help build and maintain that rapport. So at the start of the course, it's very useful if we ask the students to create a name card and to make that name card visible to everyone. Secondly we need to try to do some ice breaking activities that will allow the students to interact with...  [Read more]

Teachers play an important role in today?s society, as they work hard to train the minds of the future. How can we know as parents and even teachers whether or not the needed skills are being developed? With almost any job or career that one would embark on, a level of training and observation is needed. Even jobs that a student may take during a summer break from school require some level of training and observation. The observation of ones teaching practice and skills as a teacher are equally if not more crucial. Even though the benefits seem to be obvious there is also a dark side to the practice of observing other teachers. Peer observation may be used by an institution as part of its quality assurance procedures. In this model, teachers are asked to ...  [Read more]

I suspect that most of us know that having a plan when we walk into a classroom is better than not having a plan. However, we may need to be reminded just how much having a plan can contribute to the quality of the class experience for the students, as well as the learning goals we have set for ourselves.In fact, the lesson plan acts as a framework for the time spent together. It helps us be clear about what we hope to accomplish with this particular class, or a series of classes, and outline how we are going to achieve that learning goal, step by step.Sometimes the plan will get tossed out the window, (figuratively speaking), when an urgent reason to deviate from the plan arises during class. Special situations may make it inappropriate to insist on sticking to a plan, and it...  [Read more]

Completing a TEFL certification course brings many benefits and one of the most popular is that you get to choose exactly which country or region you want to live and work in. As the demand for English language instruction is so strong in many parts of the world, there is never any shortage of job options for TEFL qualified teachers. From tropical countries in Asia to the cooler climes of Northern Europe, there will be something to suit everyone. Whether you prefer a bustling major city or something more off the beaten path, there is sure to be the perfect destination out there waiting for you. This vast continent is home to the largest number of TEFL jobs of any region in the world. Countries such as China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan all have thriving markets for foreign teachers with...  [Read more]

IntroductionIn this article I will gather the most common problems/difficulties Thai learners have when learning English. I will spot the main difficulties you as the teacher will deal with and I will give my tips/solutions of how you can understand the problems and deal with them.The article is based on own experience and new information I have learned from this course.Some of the major differences between Thai learners and European learners are:Certain students can be reluctant to talk and produce English in class. It can be caused by natural shyness or just the fact that they cannot express themselves in English or it can have its roots in cultural issues.How do we deal with these issues and how do we know if certain behaviour is caused by student´s culture or by natural ...  [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]

  The two words "lay" and "lie" are often confused for each other, which is why we decided to break down the differences in this video. "Lay" is what is called a transitive verb. That means, it needs to be followed by one or more objects. A good example sentence would be "I lay the book on the table". As you can see, lay is followed by ""on the table"". We couldn't only say "I lay the book." as it would be incomplete. This means it is transitive. "Lie" on the other hand is an intransitive verb. That means it doesn't take an object, for example "I lie down". Most errors have to do with the past tenses of the two verbs, as the past tense of "lie" is "lay" while the past tense of "lay" is "laid". Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online...  [Read more]

Check out Tesolcourse.com about 100 Hour TEFL certification online 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.O. - West Africa said: Summary of Personal Benefits from the ittt Course. This TEFL online course has served as an invaluable source of inspiration to me as a career english teacher. It has further widened my knowledge of english as an art, especially in such areas as english grammar, its functional use in real-life endeavours and the skills for teaching english to both native and non-native speakers through the ESA-based approach. Grammar, parts of speech, the tense system,...  [Read more]

  So, now we're going to fill the actual procedure of the lesson plan out itself. We mentioned at the start, the first thing we do, is to get some general information about the class that we'll be teaching and then, in order for someone to be able to cover our lesson, we need to present enough information in our lesson plan that they can actually carry it out. What I'm going to do is for each stage of the lesson, I'll indicate what I'm going to do in the lesson and then, we'll cut away from that to have a look to see how that will actually be achieved. So, our lesson is going to be based on a 45-minute lesson and the first phase is going to be the engage phase and it's going to be a straight arrow ESA lesson. I'm going to take approximately five minutes on my engage phase and in...  [Read more]

Teaching grammar can be one of the most frustrating aspects of an English teacher’s job description. Teaching grammar can be divided into two categories, declarative knowledge and procedural knowledge. Declarative knowledge can be summed up as knowledge about a thing such as the rules of grammar whereas procedural knowledge is being able to apply the knowledge to communicate effectively. To illustrate the difference declarative knowledge would be being able to understand the instruction manual on how to assemble a bicycle where as procedural knowledge would be what you demonstrate when you actually put the bicycle together. Being good at one does not necessarily make one good at the other. Many of us native English speakers can use our native tongue correctly but...  [Read more]

Of the tens of thousands of people who head overseas every year to teach English abroad, the vast majority will have some level of anxiety about meeting new people and making new friends. The good news is that most teachers soon forget these concerns once they are immersed in their new environment. The chances are high that you will not be the only foreign teacher in your new school, apartment building, or neighborhood. As well as other teachers, you can also expect to meet friendly and welcoming people from the local community who will be more than happy to help you settle into your new home. One obvious source of friendship in your new life overseas will be your place of work. The majority of teachers will find there are other foreign teachers working in the same school, many of whom...  [Read more]

Regularly voted as one of the world’s most popular cities, Melbourne has all manner of attractions on offer. Visitors to the city can enjoy the most vibrant culture and art scene in Australia, as well as great sports and live music. Throughout Melbourne you will find a huge choice of venues, from hip coffee spots and world-class restaurants to local cafes and lively bars. The city is also known for its excellent public transport, top quality educational facilities and the diverse nature of its student population. The CELTA training center is located close to the Central Business District and Melbourne University's student precinct which is famous for its entertainment options such as bars, restaurants and art attractions. The area attracts many locals, tourists and students thanks to its...  [Read more]

The idea of classroom management is something that every future teacher must plan and contemplate thoroughly before starting his/her teaching career. While each teacher will approach classroom management in their own way, there are some major areas that must be covered. First, a teacher must make the students understand the expectations and consequences concerning the class. In order to ensure that classroom learning is conducive to both the physical and emotional growth of the student, rules that explain what behavior is expected need to be reviewed. After rules and procedures are established, it is important that the teacher admires good performance and provides negative consequences for unacceptable behavior. Simple physical signs like a ?thumbs up? or a verbal...  [Read more]

The idea of classroom management is something that every future teacher must plan and contemplate thoroughly before starting his/her teaching career. While each teacher will approach classroom management in their own way, there are some major areas that must be covered. First, a teacher must make the students understand the expectations and consequences concerning the class. In order to ensure that classroom learning is conducive to both the physical and emotional growth of the student, rules that explain what behavior is expected need to be reviewed. After rules and procedures are established, it is important that the teacher admires good performance and provides negative consequences for unacceptable behavior. Simple physical signs like a “thumbs up” or a...  [Read more]

The laid-back city of Darwin is a great choice for your training course in the tropical north of Australia. The city offers a friendly atmosphere and a range of entertainment and cultural activities that are mostly connected to the outdoor lifestyle that is typical in this part of the country. During your stay you will get to enjoy some of the best sunsets in the region in a city that is famous for its multicultural feel and its rich indigenous heritage. The training center in Darwin is located at one of the city’s major universities, where you will find lush gardens and birdlife and easy access to the nearby Casuarina beach and nature reserve. Transport in and out of the complex is provided by the locally famous ‘Number 4 Bus’ which offers unlimited travel for only A$7 per week. The...  [Read more]

The laid-back city of Darwin is a great choice for your training course in the tropical north of Australia. The city offers a friendly atmosphere and a range of entertainment and cultural activities that are mostly connected to the outdoor lifestyle that is typical in this part of the country. During your stay you will get to enjoy some of the best sunsets in the region in a city that is famous for its multicultural feel and its rich indigenous heritage. The training center in Darwin is located at one of the city’s major universities, where you will find lush gardens and birdlife and easy access to the nearby Casuarina beach and nature reserve. Transport in and out of the complex is provided by the locally famous ‘Number 4 Bus’ which offers unlimited travel for only A$7 per week. The...  [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]

As the language of business, English is necessary all across the globe, from South America to Africa and Asia. China, the most populous country in the world, is fast becoming the leading world power. In trying to blend more efficiently into the Modern World, characterized by high technology and the privatization of financial institutions and corporate monopolies, China is adapting many of its practices to accommodate these changes. One of those changes is the fervent desire for the educational system to teacher English. However, due to its very long history and relatively recent emergence into the corporate world, this sometimes creates more hassles than their worth, especially for an international TEFL teacher determined to provide students with the opportunity to practice...  [Read more]

More and more employers now expect their English teachers to have a minimum of a 120-hour TEFL certificate. Gaining a TEFL certificate shows your commitment to the profession and gives you an introductory preparation to the knowledge and skills needed to teach English. There are three main routes to a 120-hour TEFL certification. There are two main areas covered in a TEFL course, 1) Teaching skills 2) Language awareness A good TEFL course will give you a solid grounding in the basics of the English language. You will learn how English grammar works and how you can explain it. Topics covered will typically include; Depending on which type of course you undertake, onsite, combined or online, the topics presented throughout the course will be tested to ensure an adequate level of...  [Read more]

In the same way that we would expect our surgeon, dentist or airline pilot to have undertaken some training, our students of English might also expect their teachers to be trained and competent. What does it mean that our English teacher is competent? Possibly there are two major components to the answer: 1. The teacher has adequate subject knowledge. 2. The teacher has some classroom delivery skills. First you need to find a course that offers these components. While many native English speakers have learned the rules of English grammar sub-consciously as part of their language development, this does not give them the necessary subject knowledge required to teach English. So both native English speakers (NES) and non-native English speakers (NNES) should have some background knowledge of...  [Read more]

There are various classroom seating arrangements a teacher can choose from. The physical structure of the learning environment can have varying implications that encompass learning objectives, desired (or undesired) outcomes and even peer and other social implications. Throughout this article, I will examine the most popular TESOL seating arrangements and attempt to show the social implications it has among students and teachers. Also discussed will be the advantages and disadvantages of respective seating organization. This seating arrangement is known as desk rows or traditional seating (Ramsden). Although it is ideal for classroom management in a regular school setting, for the purposes of language learning, it is less than ideal. For instance, this classroom layout is...  [Read more]

Teaching grammar can be one of the most frustrating aspects of an English teacher?s job description. Teaching grammar can be divided into two categories, declarative knowledge and procedural knowledge. Declarative knowledge can be summed up as knowledge about a thing such as the rules of grammar whereas procedural knowledge is being able to apply the knowledge to communicate effectively. To illustrate the difference declarative knowledge would be being able to understand the instruction manual on how to assemble a bicycle where as procedural knowledge would be what you demonstrate when you actually put the bicycle together. Being good at one does not necessarily make one good at the other. Many of us native English speakers can use our native tongue correctly but...  [Read more]

BACKGROUNDOne of the major problems that a language teacher faces is how to deal with errors. It is generally agreed that correction is a part of the language learning process; however, over-correction can be a factor in demotivating students and making them reluctant to use and/or continue studying the language being learned. Therefore, the issue of how and when to correct is a very critical issue for teachers of a foreign language.ACCURACY ACTIVITIESWhen the aim of the lesson is accuracy, errors are usually corrected immediately. Attention to mistakes during this part of the lesson improves the chances of accuracy during the fluency stage (Mumford and Darn 2005). One way to indicate incorrectness is to ask the student to repeat what he/she has said. Another way to indicate ...  [Read more]

English is currently spoken by more people all over the world than any other language. Every time we turn on the television to find out about what is happening in the world, local people are being interviewed in English. Wherever one travels in the world these days English becomes the common language of communication between nationalities. Much has been made of the Internet as an instrument for circulating English around the globe. Eighty percent of what’s on the Internet is in English.I quote Barbara Wallraff in her article from the Atlantic November 2000 on What Global Language' Technology is expanding English by requiring us to come up with new words to describe all the possibilities it offers. English is used more often in various technological domains such as...  [Read more]

Cape Town, located at the southern tip of the African continent, is one of South Africa’s capitals and has won numerous accolades from international newspapers and travel magazines. Surrounded by a beautiful natural environment and with the infrastructure of a modern international city, Cape Town has plenty to offer visitors from all over the world. Cape Town is known as the “Mother City” and is the oldest city in South Africa. The area that is now Cape Town was first noted by Portuguese explorers in the fifteenth century. Visitors to the city will have the chance to explore the long history of Cape Town at the many museums throughout the city. Cape Town has plenty of attractions for travellers to explore including beautiful beaches, refreshing botanical gardens, picturesque...  [Read more]

Although it is theoretically possible to teach the English language without any form of training or qualifications, something that was quite common in years gone by, it is now almost universally accepted that the ability to speak a language has little bearing on an individual’s ability to teach it effectively to others. This change of attitude among school directors and education departments has led to the development of TEFL certification courses that are designed to give native and non-native English speakers the skills and knowledge they require to provide effective language instruction to their future students. So what does a TEFL course actually teach you? The mere mention of English grammar is often enough to strike fear into the hearts of potential EFL teachers. Ask any native...  [Read more]