Why Is Tesol Important

When considering this question it is important to first outline the different types of class levels found in English language classrooms worldwide. A fairly common classification of EFL teaching levels is indicated by the book resources available. If you consider book series such as, Reward, New Headway, and many others, you will find five levels. These levels are, Starter (or Beginner), Elementary, Pre-Intermediate, Intermediate, and Upper-Intermediate. Now we have established the general language levels of students, we can now consider the four skills of English. It is very important to remember that there are four skills that are required by any language user. These four skills are, reading and listening (known as the receptive skills) and writing and speaking (known as the productive...  [Read more]

What does Teacher Career Development and completing a TEFL course have in common' Me. I am an elementary school teacher who wanted to develop her career by learning how to teach English overseas. In signing up for this course, my goal was to obtain a certificate and go teach abroad. I had not planned on having a course book of English grammar that I could use in my 5th grade classroom. Without thinking about it I was able to develop my skills as a Language Arts teacher, as well as gain confidence in a subject I was not very familiar with. I found myself developing as an educator and completing the TEFL course all at the same time.In Unit 1 of the online TEFL course, it talked about what makes a good teacher and their roles. 'A good teacher should really love teaching. A...  [Read more]

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

Since the meaning is an important device in teaching grammar, it is important to contextualize any grammar point. Songs are one of the most enchanting and culturally rich resources that can easily be used in language classrooms. Songs offer a change from routine classroom activities. They are precious resources to develop students' abilities in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. They can also be used to teach a variety of language items such as sentence patterns, vocabulary, pronunciation, rhythm, adjectives, and adverbs. Songs also give new insights into the target culture. They are the means through which cultural themes are presented effectively. Since they provide authentic texts, they are motivating. Prosodic features of the language such as stress,...  [Read more]

The job market for ESL teachers in China is simply huge and there is no sign that it is going to slow down anytime soon. With a rapidly growing economy and upwards of 300 million students studying English, China offers countless opportunities for foreign teachers to earn a good salary and to save a considerable amount into the bargain. Throughout the country there are a large variety of jobs available with a wide range of salaries, however, first time teachers can reasonably expect to earn between 6000 RMB and 12000 RMB per month which equates to around $1000 to $2000 US dollars. On top of the basic salary, it is also common for teachers to receive free housing or a housing allowance, as well as paid airfare in and out of the country. These added extras, plus a cost of living that...  [Read more]

If you are tired of dark, cold winter nights and grey, windy days, then why not get TEFL certified and start a new life as an English language teacher in a tropical country? Every year, thousands of everyday people do exactly that and for most it will be one of the best decisions they ever make. So where exactly can you teach English in the tropics? Although it is only a small country by area, Costa Rica has one of the best job markets for TEFL qualified teachers in Central America. The most common form of employment are private language schools that can be found in most built up areas. There is also a good market for private tutoring, either part time on top of a regular teaching job or full time once you have found enough students. The majority of positions are filled following an...  [Read more]

  In this TESOL review video Eva from Germany talks about the reasons why she decided to do ITTT's 120 online TEFL/TESOL course with tutor support and how happy she was to achieve her certification. Eva also outlines the many benefits she gained from the course and how she is now planning to further enhance her qualifications by completing ITTT's Business English course. 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 learned about three...  [Read more]

  When our answers are not correct then, obviously, they need to be corrected but it is quite important that we go through a process of correction that will help students. Quite often they've made a mistake simply because of something like reading the incorrect answer out or misrepresenting what they've actually written down. So, always give the opportunity when a mistake has been made for the student to self-correct first. We can often do this in a nonverbal way to show them that they're not actually correct. We might repeat back what they've said to us in a questioning manner or we may just make a gesture to make sure that they understand that they're not correct. So, we allow for a process of self-correction. It may be that the student has actually got the answer wrong and so we...  [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]

  Connected speech is also an important element of phonology and it's involved in joining words together in an effect to make our speech more efficient. Some might say it's a product of being lazy but nonetheless it's what we all do and we want all of our non-native speakers to speak as naturally as possible, so we have to be aware of these things. Here are a few of the more common examples. We have linking, dropping, changing and extra lettering. An example of each would be with linking, we link our words together so that they almost in effect become one word. Instead of saying ?What do you want to do,? we typically will say ?Whatdoyou want to do?? Then, we can also have dropping. Rather than pronouncing each and every consonant, we can sometimes, especially in certain accents,...  [Read more]

One of the most important ideas that teachers need to embrace is how to use large class groups as an advantage, rather than viewing them as a challenge. A teacher normally does not have any choice regarding the actual class size, although private tutoring would be the exception. In teaching classes of 40 or more, students could effectively learn together more easily by providing a humorous and cohesive class structure. Students who are comfortable and happy in their surroundings tend to be eager, excited and more interested in the learning process, which is the ultimate goal. Many discussion topics are relevant to the teaching of large classes, various types of seating arrangements being one of them. Each has a specific advantage depending on the class and the subject ...  [Read more]

Building rapport is one of the most important steps to ensure a good learning environment, ESL or otherwise. By building rapport you learn more about what is important to your students and can make your teaching more authentic and meaningful. It will make all the difference in your students' enjoyment of the class.Rapport is defined as 'Relationship, especially one of mutual trust or emotional affinity.' Jerome Stark of The Coaching Clinic recommends five steps for building rapport. The first step is to be curious about the other person. People respond to those who are genuinely interested in them. Secondly, when asking questions of others, be certain to give them time to respond. Once again, this shows that you are interested in them and is a sign of respect. The next...  [Read more]

The study of business is a study of communication. The most important goal a graduate business student can have is to acquire good grounding in the principles of business and finance, sufficient technical knowledge and an adequate understanding of the role of an M.B.A. to serve as a bridge for communication between the strategic decision-makers and the science and management people who implement the strategic plans. Just as students in a formal business education program have the goal of acquiring a base of knowledge to make them better able to function in the business environment, most students of business English seek to acquire tools to function in a business setting. Learning English for a special purpose results in a dual focus, development of...  [Read more]

  In this TESOL review video Susie who teaches in Egypt talks about why she opted to complete ITTT's 120 hour online TEFL/TESOL certification course. She discusses the advantages of completing an online course. She also outlines some of the components of the course. Susie highlights how the course has enhanced her teaching. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section before moving onto the next. Speaking and Writing are productive skills and though different in some ways, their...  [Read more]

  Some and Any are two words that often cause confusion, which is why we have decided to take a closer look at the difference of the two words in this video. Firsly, some is a determiner used for positive statements while any is a determiner used in questions and negative statements. Consider the following situation: I asked the teacher if he could give me some paper. I said ‘Excuse me, have you got any paper?’ Unfortunately, he didn’t have any. The first statement is positive and therefore requires us to use some. The second sentence is a question and therefore, we need to use any. The third and final sentence is a negative statement which also requries us to use any. It's worth noting that we do sometimes use some in questions and we also use any in positive statements. For...  [Read more]

Perhaps the most important aspect of successful teaching is the ability to motivate. Motivating students can be especially difficult if the students are not attending class willingly or if the subject matter is dry. Unfortunately, there is no single magical formula for motivating students. Many factors affect a given student´s motivation to work and to learn (Bligh, 1971; Sass, 1989): interest in the subject matter, perception of its usefulness, general desire to achieve, self-confidence and self-esteem, as well as patience and persistence. Yet regardless of the challenges, every teacher needs to find effective methods for inspiring pupils to learn. Though teaching techniques vary, I believe there are three critical practices that one will find in any class of motivated ...  [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...  [Read more]

The in-class TEFL/TESOL course is assessed as follows: The teaching practice grade is the most important and constitutes the majority of the overall grade. Successful trainees receive an official certificate showing completion of the course. They will also be issued with a recommendation letter from TEFL International, reflecting upon their performance during the course. The individual centers are always prepared to issue a reference and further information if requested. The International TEFL and TESOL Training online courses are completed via a series of tests undertaken progressively, one at a time via an online control panel. ITTT online courses can be completed with or without tutor support, and the courses with tutor also come with a series of videos to accompany the units. Most...  [Read more]

Lesson planning is one of the most important but controversial aspects of teaching. Some teachers and educationist are of the opinion that it is very important to make a detail plan of what they are teaching. They spend hours and hours making a daily or weekly plan. Others are of the opinion that it is simply a method devised by the administration to keep the teachers in lengthy but useless paperwork.I personally think that a good plan is like a good movie or a piece of music. If a good movie or music is made keeping in mind all the important aspects like rhythm , tempo, beat etc it will always hold the attention of the viewer or the listener. In the same way a good, well organized lesson plan will keep the students interested in what they are doing. An ill prepared lesson plan...  [Read more]

Confidence is very important for a teacher to have. How can students feel confident if their teaching is not' Confidence can be hard to come by especially if you are a new teacher. It begins with you and there are some things you can do to build up your confidence. Before you even enter the classroom imagine how you would like your class to run and set the appropriate goals to achieve that aim. Be sure that your goals are attainable and can be reached by you and your students without unnecessary pressure. 'Start slowly and simply. Establish a daily routine your students can handle.'*Prepare thoroughly for the class. This will take time and effort. To make the class interesting for your students you will probably add things to the lesson or have activities. For these to be...  [Read more]

In the TEFL classroom, it is important to recognize that cultural differences exist both between teacher and students, and between different students in a multilingual classroom. These differences have the potential to create problems, such as misunderstanding or uncomfortable situations. This article will discuss these issues and suggest ways they can be dealt with or prevented. Lisa Delpit discusses challenges of teaching in a multicultural society. Although she is referring to multicultural students in the United States, the issues she discusses are very relevant to teaching English as a foreign language abroad or in an English-speaking country. Some of these issues are: failure to recognize cultural differences and problems that might arise because of these differences,...  [Read more]

For the ESL teacher in China, it is vitally important to understand common pronunciation problems the Chinese student has pronouncing English words.Using the internet, one can find several websites that provide important information regarding these common pronunciation problems.First it is important to understand why the Chinese have difficulty pronouncing English.A search on the internet provides the following link: http://exchanges.state.gov/forum/vols/vol36/no1/p37.htm, On this website, Cheng Fanggzhi, an associate professor at Binzhou Teachers´ College in Shandong Province, China has an article titled 'The Teaching of Pronunciation to Chinese Students of English'.According to Cheng Fangzhi, the Chinese students have great difficulty with 'gap' consonants such as:...  [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]

The rapport between a teacher and their students plays a very important role in determining if the class will be successful and enjoyable. Students are often very hesitant to speak out in class for a variety of reasons. Questions go unasked and unanswered; students remain silent because they are afraid to lose their self- esteem by being put down in front of their classmates and peers. Rapport is a tricky subject to understand and this is probably the reason that the majority of literature on teaching ignores it. 'Rapport has been avoided in favour of other variables, such as teaching, modes of testing, and techniques of assessing teaching effectiveness, which can be more readily conceptualised and manipulated' (W.Buskist and B.K Saville). Tickle-Degnen and Rosenthal (1990)...  [Read more]

Once you have completed your chosen TEFL certification course, it is time to start sending out applications for the teaching jobs that catch your eye, whether they are within your own country, overseas, or online. Unfortunately, some people underestimate the importance of their CV/resume and how it is absolutely crucial in getting you an interview ahead of all the other applicants for the same job. First impressions really do count, which is why it is vital that the documents you send out should be properly thought out. So what exactly should be included in a TEFL resume? The first thing to realize here is that in most countries around the world there are less restrictions on personal information than in the USA. In many cases, international employers will expect to find out more from your...  [Read more]

Put simply, language is a verbal expression of culture which means that culture clearly has to be seen as an important part of language learning. Although it is important to learn the vocabulary and grammar of English during lessons, to truly grasp what the language means to native speakers it is vital that EFL students learn as much as possible about the culture of English speaking nations. The good news is that students generally love learning about cultural issues, whether it is music, films, books, and TV, or other things such as food or fashion. So, how can we incorporate culture into our EFL lessons to make them interesting and productive? Authentic materials can be anything that native English speakers might use that can be adapted for use in an EFL classroom. This type of material...  [Read more]

  In this TEFL review video, Nikki from South Africa talks about she is constantly travelling so an important criterion for her when choosing a TEFL course was that it should allow her to study while on the move. ITTT’s online courses provide the flexibility to study online wherever and whenever you want. Nikki was impressed by the range of courses and prices that ITTT has to offer and has now completed the main TEFL certificate course and an additional Certificate in Teaching Business English course. 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...  [Read more]

How important is the student in the process of designing a lesson plan' Once a lesson plan is composed, should the teacher stick rigidly to every step detailed, ploughing through even if students fall behind, miss the point and inevitably lose interest -and faith 'V in what the teacher has to say'Personally, the author believes that the lesson is not the focus of the classroom, rather the student is. If a learning point takes longer than anticipated, then a teacher should hope to be attentive to the needs of the class, adapting the lesson or activities to address difficulties in understanding or to extend the practice of a particularly problematic area. However, it is important to realise that it may not be the topic or focus point that is causing confusion in a lesson. It may...  [Read more]

There is no simple answer to this question as the reasons for teaching English are different for different people. For some it is the chance to help people who need English to improve their job status and to provide for their families. For others it is the adventure of heading overseas that is the real draw. With a TEFL qualification you can realistically look for work in almost any country you can think of. Another major benefit of teaching English that is often overlooked is that it provides a huge boost to the confidence and future careers of thousands of people who see it as a major step on their work and study journey. Whatever your own reasons for wanting to teach English, you will get to travel, help other people, and gain valuable work and life experience, all while exploring your...  [Read more]

Yes, not only is it safe for women to teach English abroad, it is also extremely popular. Every year there are somewhere in the region of 150,000 women working as ESL teachers in countries all over the world. Of these, the majority will find themselves living in modern, thriving cities across Europe, Asia and Latin America that have a similar level of infrastructure and amenities to what they are used to back home. Whether in Rome, Beijing, or Santiago, new teachers will almost certainly find there is an expat community of English speakers who are more than happy to provide local knowledge and information to help them settle into their new life overseas. Unfortunately, nowhere is 100% safe all of the time, but with a few simple precautions single women can head off to teach English...  [Read more]