Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in Liushukou Zhen? Are you interested in teaching English in Jincheng 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 a native English speaker growing up in New York City, English came naturally. The lessons I was taught in my years of schooling absorbed easily because there was nothing for me to compare it to. Speaking English all of my life was all I thought I would need in order to be able to teach it to speakers of other languages. Well, that and my college degree. However, as an adult who has been out of the educational system for over 15 years, it's not a simple as one may think. As with any first language, speaking and writing becomes effortless at one point or another. You are aware of how to place words in a sentence to make it complete or understandable. You know exactly what punctuation to use to either express emotion,give a description or finish a sentence. The way you convey an idea in the past or future is simply changed by removing and adding a few letters. However, when things become so natural, we often forget why they are that way. The reason we adapt so smoothly to a subject is because we learn the rules and through drilling and practice the rules become instinctive. So whats the problem? Well instinct doesn't necessarily mean we remember the details. You may know how to get to your friends home, but not know the street names that get you there. A TEFL course is the map, with the detailed directions so that if another friend needs directions, you can explain it to them correctly. Taking a TEFL course will bring a native English speaker nostalgia. All the rules, concepts and ideas that have become instinctual, will now be re introduced. The true benefit, as an adult learner in the course, is the information is easy to absorb. These are things we already knew, still apply, but just forgot. Re learning them has had many "oh yes, I remember this" moments and that has helped me build my confidence in how I can convey and teach this to my future students. The information learned in the TEFL course should be reviewed often and kept handy for a new teacher. It is a great source of reference and or reminder of grammatical rules which help us in our daily lives. The reason why this course is imperative is because being a native speaker of English, isn't enough! Even having a bachelors degree in English isn't enough. This is a different playing field because the learners are not like you. They do not speak your language yet, your culture is different from theirs and you are a foreigner in their home. Regular degrees don't teach you how to consider, adjust or adhere to this in order to create a successful classroom environment and ultimately a successful teaching experience. As a beginner in teaching, there are many questions you may have on how to get started. Although there are many courses and books that teach the basics of classroom interaction, a TEFL course goes a step beyond to teach you with the specific setting of students learning English as their second language . Meaning, the way you prepare a lesson, the materials you may use, the way you interact with your students, all vary because your specific focus is on learners who have a preexisting language. It can almost be compared to painting a new picture on a canvas, that already has a picture painted on it (TEFL) vs. painting on a blank canvas or retracing a picture already painted. Obviously, the first one is more difficult and would require more time, energy and effort. The TEFL course gives a great amount of focus on this. Understanding your students is essential in delivering a meaningful lesson. TEFL course guides you on how to get to know your students in the beginning so that you can tailor your lesson plans. The course gives you examples of different ideas to get your students warmed up, prepared and focused. The course teaches how to select proper course work and materials. It teaches how to manage your classroom and what possible obstacles you may encounter. One of the reasons for this is because no matter what language your learners may speak, they are all united in learning the same language, English, which makes their problems fairly similar. There are so many benefits to taking a TEFL course but if I need to sum it up into three words, I would say "Real Life Preparation." Having a degree is great and it gives you a level of preparation, however it isn't specific to what you will more than likely encounter. The TEFL course narrows down the playing field and prepares you for your future life abroad teaching English as a foreign language. Another great benefit to taking a TEFL course and having a TEFL certification is it helps future employers know that you are well equipped to teach their learners. You're knowledge is specific and plentiful. Many countries require this certification, which is often the reason native English speakers decide to take the course, however, after taking a TEFL course, I would believe that without the knowledge gained from this course, my teaching career would have had a slow start. I would recommend to anyone looking to teach TEFL to take the course, even if the employer does not require it. The information you learn is priceless.
