Teach English in Courtenay - TEFL Courses

This course has been valuable to us in many different ways. Firstly, it taught us the basic techniques and knowledge needed for a tefl teacher. Secondly, the information is very well laid out, easy to remember and to make practical. There are numerous ideas and techniques which we have gained during this course, however to mention all of them would be too lengthy. The following are some of the most important topics that we personally gained from this course. Firstly and foremost, the revision of the basic grammar points covered in this course is perhaps one of the most important points to mention. Not only were there easy to understand grammar issues mentioned, but also different techniques how to teach them to students at different stages. Certain grammar issues such as the main tenses, pronunciation and phonetics; conditionals and so forth were explained very easy and clear. These explanations would definitely help us in the future to explain these issues ourselves to our students. Then equally important was the information about lesson planning using the ESA method. This has already greatly assisted us in our lesson planning. By using the ready to print lesson plan template we saved a lot of time and troubles. We also appreciated all the information how to plan the lessons more effectively, for example the lesson plan, classroom layout, equipment needed during the lesson etc. All the different techniques and tips for effective lessons are very helpful and valuable to us. It remains an interesting topic, because there are endless ways and possibilities to make a lesson effective. There are no fixed rules; however creativity and flexibility are very important. We welcomed the techniques such as teacher to student communication, giving instructions, making corrections etc. Another point worthy to mention is the information about course-books and authentic materials. This was really a good topic and with valuable information on how to effectively use course-books and supplement them with authentic materials. It made us understand that an effective lesson is not only about a course-book, but essentially on the creativity of the teacher. A course-book alone is good, but it may become boring and students lose their interest. Thus it is important to always have additional supplementary material at hand, whether it authentic or non-authentic. This brings us to yet another topic that is of great value, namely, the effective usage of available equipment in the classroom. For a lesson to be effective, the teacher needs to use whatever equipment or material is available to such an extent that it is valuable to the students. There is no use to play an audio CD/DVD if the students can’t hear clearly, or if there is no power supply in the classroom. As there is very little or no value for the students if they cannot all see the black/white board. If the teacher does not write legible and no one can read from the board it also hampers the effectiveness of the lesson. We also greatly valued to topic of the differences in teaching to groups and individuals as well as children. This is a very important topic as we do teach to all three mentioned. We now can put into practice what we have learned and make our individual lessons more effective by implementing the suggestions and 1-1 activities. It was very good to read and realize the differences between groups and individuals. We also have come to realize that teaching to children requires additional effort and work. It is important to motivate them and keep their interest during the lesson and ultimately during the whole course. There are many more things to mention, however the above is an outline of the most valuable information. To put it all into practice will take some experience and time from our side. It is important however, to mention that to master everything, consistency, determination and commitment are needed. We as teachers will need to start step by step and implement all the various techniques into our lessons. It may take time though to break old habits and start new ones, as the saying goes, but nevertheless possible with a little time and effort. To make things easier, we have started to print certain units. It is easier and faster to revise important issues when the whole course is printed and put in a folder. Thank you for the great course!