Alternative Teaching Methods

Mark Crocker Budget and Salary Many English language teachers working overseas need to send home a portion of their monthly salary to pay off outstanding obligations, such as a student loan or a property mortgage. However, with so many money transfer options available, how do you know which is the right method to suit your personal circumstances? Taking into consideration factors such as transfer fees, exchange rates, and transfer time, we have put together the following guide to help you make the right decision. The first option you might want to consider is using a standard bank. In many countries, international bank transfers are relatively inexpensive and the transaction will clear within a couple of days. This is typically the case in South...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Students with lack of motivation are unlikely to succeed in their English learning. Our TEFL graduate shares their ideas on how to increase students' interest and will to learn. Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Here, in this article, you can find some ideas and tips on creating and adjusting materials to your students' needs. Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In this article, our TEFL graduate shares their effective methods of teaching vocabulary. Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas This blog post contains information on learning techniques. ...  [Read more]

Jon ITTT Alumni Experiences Imagine yourself in a country with people who do not speak the same language as you. Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to be around people who you do not understand nor do they understand you? Try to put yourself in the shoes of the many students who move to a country and have to learn a new language. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Virna B. When students arrive in a new country they are faced with many challenges. One of the problems they face is learning to speak the native language of the country where they reside. When students are in a multilingual classroom with various nationalities, the students must learn to use only the English language. In order to help the students...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Choosing a course was an important task for me given my background in a business career and corporate environment. Teaching was a very new experience and I wanted to ensure I had adequate training to provide a solid foundation with which to grow in a teaching capacity. I made sure to commence an in-class TESOL course which offered the opportunity to practice what I had learned in a real classroom environment. The course I chose was perfect for this as it was taught in a real school and allowed me to use my newly learned skills in the classroom. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Sam B. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. One of...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Educational games are methodical tools for achieving a learning goal. A successful learning game should combine motivating player’s life and interesting learning content. Games should not just be practical gaps fillers in the learning process but also serve to impart certain knowledge and to consolidate skills through exercises. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Toufik Z. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Games have a lot of advantages, such as they address sides of students who often lack a predominantly cognitive learning process and the information is taken actively by them, however not intentionally sought but incidentally...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Are there alternatives to punishment? In this essay, we will explore what punishment sought to achieve within a classroom environment versus its applicability when seeking alternatives. Particular attention will be placed on measures that teachers may promote to achieve a class-culture that favors deterrence above sanction. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Aaron T. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Before we can understand what punishment promotes and if possible alternatives are available, we must first know what punishment is within the parameters of a classroom. “Punishment involves some kind of unpleasantness or infliction...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas This blog post is devoted to some exciting and engaging games which were shared by our TEFL student. Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In this blog post, our recent TEFL graduate considers punishment as ineffective method and offers some alternatives to it. Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas This article was written by our TEFL graduate. They share their thoughts on the importance of reading. Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas This blog post contains information on the problem of teaching grammar. Our TEFL graduate clarifys what does it mean to...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Reading is one of the two receptive language skills that might seem easier to teach. When learning to read in a foreign language, a student doesn't have to deal with accents or pronunciation problems, as it often happens with speaking and listening. What's more, learning reading skills does not necessarily imply high teacher participation and can generally be done independently. Much as with writing, it might seem tempting to relegate most of reading to homework, especially in one-to-one teaching. The easier way isn't always the best one, and paying enough attention to this aspect of English during one's lessons offers many benefits. This...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas As a teacher you are in charge of a classroom of children, it can be relatively hard to meet all students needs and maintain control. A lot of teachers develop alternative ways to manage students. This can be by establishing classroom rules right from the start and to maintain these rules right throughout the year. Popular discipline techniques are positive discipline, these techniques use positive reinforcement to encourage students to behave, this is a much better way, rather than negative reinforcement, with punishment and humiliation. The teachers turn to problem-solving and then use classroom discussions, so opinions are heard and self-awareness which resolves the problem...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Teaching English in the classroom remains a popular educational choice for families and children in decades. However, a lot of students cannot attend in-classroom all the time for many reasons. That’s why teaching online has a potential extension possibility despite their limited competitive advantages in comparison with the general education method. Hence, online teachers need to be more creative in their lessons to increase learner’s interest. As a result, many interactive activities have been developed in online English courses. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Linh Vu T. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Firstly, in my...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Education and teaching are always changing. Thus, teachers are constantly thinking of new ideas and techniques they can implement in their classroom and teaching plan to more effectively educate their students. Presently, the notion of games within the classroom is widely popular among teachers. One may think that this relationship between games and learning is ironic, as most individuals classify games as a hindrance to education. However, through its engaging attributes, the tendency to boost class morale and motivation, and overall improvement within student’s creativity, games in the classroom that inspire education are very effective when teaching. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas The teaching techniques and approaches, as well as activities that teachers employ in teaching in the classroom, is known as teaching style (Cooper, 2001). Grasha (2002) defines teaching style as the continuous and steady actions of teachers in their relationship with students in the course of teaching-and-learning. Jarvis (2004) considers teaching style as containing “evidence of beliefs about values related to and attitudes toward all the elements of the teaching-learning exchange" (p. 40). Teachers' styles of teaching represent their behavior in the classroom. These definitions indicate that teaching styles are the methods, activities, and approaches that are employed by a teacher in the classroom or “the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas The main goal of teaching foreign languages ​​at school is the development of communicative competence, the development of the personality of a child who is willing and able to participate in intercultural communication in a foreign language and is further capable of self-improvement. But the quality of achieving the goal depends, first of all, on the motivation and needs of the individual, his motivation. It is the motivation that causes purposeful activity, determines the choice of tools and techniques, their ordering to achieve the goal. When students start studying in a foreign language, not a single teacher can complain about their lack of interest in the subject. Still, already in the 6th-grade, interest...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences In loco parentis is the perfect phrase to describe the teacher’s role in the classroom and the responsibility they have towards their students. Young children spend many hours in the classroom – an atmosphere created primarily for learning, teaching, and socializing – and many more hours in the home – a different learning atmosphere inhabited largely by family members and, sometimes, friends. In a bygone era, the teacher’s role was seen as sacred and their knowledge as unquestionable, in some cases; given that a majority of the pre-baby boomer population may have been uneducated, it was felt that their knowledge was not like the teacher’s and therefore they trusted their children over to the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences My own teaching experience, though not as extensive as many seasoned teachers, is quite diverse. I have taught English class to middle and high school students in the US public school system, worked for an alternative school for students with behavior problems, taught in a language training school, taught in a bilingual Montessori kindergarten, tutored numerous students one-on-one, and I’ve taught many different kinds of online classes. Currently, I work as a course designer and an actor, filming fun videos to teach Chinese students English through an interactive online app. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Christy N. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Planning a lesson is of key importance to a teacher because it prepares him/her to manage learner behavior and create the perfect learning environment for its students. During the lesson planning phase, a teacher decides upon the goals, activities, resources, timing, grouping and other aspects of a lesson (Richards & Renandya, 2002). This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Pulkesh M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The lesson plan may not be a very detailed and descriptive one but its purpose is to enable the teacher to structure the lesson into an effective and engaging experience while keeping in mind the needs of all its...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas This essay seeks to discuss the possible disadvantages of negative reinforcement, specifically corporal punishment, as a means of discipline, when used by educators teaching young learners. Also, positive reinforcement, such as praise and feedback, as an alternative method to discipline young learners will be discussed. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Desriel G. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. As mentioned, the negative reinforcement measure that will be discussed in this essay is ‘corporal punishment. The definition for ‘punishment’ when referenced herein, follows that of The Committee on the Rights of the Child, 2001,...  [Read more]

Jon ITTT Alumni Experiences "The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." Mahatma Gandhi. There is a growing demand for volunteers to teach English in poverty-stricken regions. At first glance, volunteer teaching may appear to be a waste of your precious time and a futile effort that you should direct towards a more profitable action. However, the benefits that you can reap from such an experience are invaluable. You can make a huge difference in the lives of underprivileged people through volunteer teaching, but the difference that it will make to all the aspects of your life surpasses it. As it will broaden your skills and experience, allow you to grow as a person, and give you a sense of achievement to name a...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Henry Wadsworth Longfellow once said "Music is the universal language of mankind” and it is still widely accepted today. Any language uses words to create sentences that convey messages with different tones and emotions as well as music does. Thus, bringing music to an English classroom is one good way to inspire the learners. There are tons of techniques or ideas involving music and songs that can be applied to any part of a lesson plan. It is available today in the form of online resources to use as a guideline for teachers. However, there are some arguments about how this strategy can be time-consuming and taking away the interest out of a focus lesson. In this case, the advantages outweigh the worries. Here...  [Read more]

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Mudita Yajnik TEFL Information Teaching Ideas What’s the best way to find out what your students know? Or, how much they’ve been paying attention, or what you need to revisit? Tests. Tests can be a great way to find out if the class is ready to move forward or if they need to revisit some ideas. They can be a great tool for finding out what your students need and how much they’ve been paying attention to. However, tests can be very stressful for students, especially if they have been asked to memorize information. Of course, I understand the argument that in “real life,” they won’t be able to use their notes, or they won’t have time to pause a conversation so that they can look up the correct words. Of course,...  [Read more]

Ahmed Taha TEFL Information Teaching Ideas This article explains what TBLT is and how it differs from more traditional approaches to teaching. Why has it become such a popular teaching method for languages? Will it continue to be popular or will it be replaced by another approach? PPP now stands for present, practise, and produce. The teacher is in charge of everything in the PPP classroom. As a result, there is a finite amount of room for student behaviour and agency. A linear syllabus is also a part of PPP. So you only get one chance to learn grammatical rules and other aspects of the language. Finally, lessons in the PPP format can become repetitive and boring. So this isn't the most effective method of inspiring students....  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences The popular saying which states: never judge a book by the cover has once again reminded me to always be optimistic about a new experience. Before I entered the school I had already concluded what a bad experience it would be in this new environment which I would pass on numerous occasions and hear different external noises coming from inside of the school, I imagined how hard the job of a teacher could be. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Chantal S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. On Monday, September 3, 2018, the first day upon entering the second gate I was led by the security to a teacher namely Ms. Hamilton. She was...  [Read more]

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Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Punishment is the reaction to a lack of discipline, so the final step for preventing the need for punishment is to teach and encourage discipline. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Nisham M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Teachers need to be able to set boundaries in their classrooms. A classroom without boundaries and consequences is a great disservice to every student in the class. When a child misbehaves in school, he/she is cheating the other children out of their education because the teacher is not teaching when he/she is dealing with behavioral issues. Teachers have to tread carefully when dealing with disrespectful...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Kindergarten students are those who are typically around the age of five. From birth till five, they would have developed their sensory and speaking abilities in their mother tongue with decent fluency. Children at this age have a strong potential to gain a lot of information. They would know about 1000-2000 words by this time. At this age, they are formally introduced to reading and writing skills, group work, independent thinking, and sharing practice. Teaching children at this age can be quite challenging and fun. Vocabulary is one of the strongest predictors when it comes to speaking capacity. So, by carefully incorporating study into play we can enrich their speaking abilities. This post was written by our...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas As a child, I always wanted to be a teacher. I adored helping people, listening to different stories, and sharing my knowledge with others. Inside was a natural curiosity and burning desire to understand everything. As a young girl, I was unaware of how demanding, entertaining, and rewarding this profession can indeed be. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Khrystsina P. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Today, I currently work in China as an English Teacher. Over the past year, I have realized that teaching is my calling. Therefore, I want to improve my...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Games are one of the most important components in the classroom. They include activities that have goals and rules at the same fun time. There are lots of benefits to playing games in the classroom. Students can practice important skills by playing an educational game in a small group or with a partner. Whole class games are great means to review skills for a test or at the end of the unit. When students need a brain break or during an inside recess, action games work perfectly. Games can be given for homework to provide fun, engaging and differentiated practice. Games can be played in all subjects and at all grade levels. Games are fun as well as beneficial. Here are important benefits that we should use games in...  [Read more]

Ramon Perez Teaching Ideas Every day, we learn something new. It can happen on the street, at work, at school and even in our home. We can attain new skills and knowledge through our interactions with our surroundings. Utilizing our 5 senses and past experiences to make sense of what is going on, we can ascertain new concepts and make proper use of them in our daily lives. However, as a teacher, we are tasked with transmitting abstract concepts that become difficult to fully grasp through traditional methods. Consequently, some teachers rely on literal translations to bring the point across. Since the student’s exposure to the target language can be extremely limited outside of the classroom, it’s important to fully immerse the students in...  [Read more]