Best Tefl Certification 2019

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Interactive whiteboards have been around since the turn of the millennium. They have been implemented and studied in multiple ESL classrooms, primary schools, and language centers in order to find the best practices. The American Council of the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) acknowledges the importance of using technology, such as the interactive whiteboard, to support and enhance classroom-based instructions (Segni & Davidson, 2019). In order for the interactive whiteboard to be used effectively to take advantage of learning opportunities and support children’s learning, it is important to use it skillfully in education. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate William N. Please note...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Second language acquisition depends on the interpersonal relationship) between teacher-student as well as student-student. These interpersonal relationships are based on rapport, which is defined as ”a mutual, respectful, enjoyable, and positive connection” (Frisby, 2018). There are two quotes that reflect this. First, Aristotle stated, “educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” Second, Confucius stated, “By three methods we may learn wisdom; First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is bitterest. These quotes highlight the need for rapport. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate William...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In EFL lessons, there are several types of feedback that students can receive. First, there is feedback from the teacher; this can come in many forms such as “going through activities, checking students’ answers, giving praise and encouragement, correcting, setting regular tests, having regular group discussions, individual tutorials, etc.” (International TEFL and TESOL Training [ITTT], 2011, p. 16). Secondly, there is feedback from other students, also referred to as peer evaluation. These can take place in similar settings to teacher feedback and is often used by instructors to promote student-student interactions. And lastly, there are self-evaluations in which students reflect and assess their work....  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Every teacher’s goal is to be effective in the classroom and help students learn. Educators want their students to be eager and engaged. Humor is an important aspect of teaching and has the power to fuel that engagement. This paper will attempt to show the value of humor in the classroom and how humor enhances learning, regardless of the culture or country in which a person is teaching. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Melynie T. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. My first introduction to teaching English in Taiwan was when I was called into the Principal’s office with complaints from the parents that their children were not...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Classroom management is vital to the role of teaching EFL learners of all ages and abilities. This essay discusses some of the reasons why classroom management is important and how effective class management can help optimize teaching and learning time. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Carol T. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. EFL learners often learn English outside the contexts and environments where it is used in everyday life, therefore the classroom is often their only opportunity to learn and to practice English (Krashen, 1976). An effective EFL teacher will not only create an environment where students have adequate...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas The Oxford Dictionary defines learning ability as the ability to comprehend or understand and profit from an experience (Vocabulary.com, 2019). The reality is that in any classroom, a teacher will be faced with teaching children of varying learning abilities. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Liezl S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Constructivism is a theory about how people learn and acquire knowledge and can be a tool for effective teaching when faced with students of varying abilities. The theory states that people construct their understanding and knowledge of the world, through their experiences and by looking back or...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas When a child is born, parents are their first teachers and the people responsible for educating their children in the first few years of their lives. Young children pick up on the gestures, phrases, words, manners, etc., that their parents use every day, which in a sense, makes the parent the first teacher a child has. This is the parent's job until the children are enrolled in a school program. When the child enters a school program, the educator's main role is no longer on the parents. Instead, parents have a new partner, the teacher; however, the parent's job is not finished. It is only changing. Just because the parent's job modifies...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences If you ever find yourself driving in French Canada, you will be stopped by stop signs that say ‘arrêt’, which is stopped in French. Almost all drivers in North America would know that this means stop because it’s the same octagon red stop sign. In Japan it’s very different, stop signs are triangular with Japanese script on them but, beneath the Japanese, you can find English subtitles which read ‘stop’. In fact, if you travel anywhere in Japan, the majority of signs and announcements related to travel are offered in Japanese and English. English has been taught in Japanese schools since the American occupation after World War Two. However, according to an EF English Proficiency Index in 2017,...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Classroom management is a skill that lays the foundation of children’s behavior and the learning process within the four corners of the classroom. A lack of effective classroom management can create an unsafe and unsatisfactory environment for both the teacher and her pupils. This essay looks at the effective class management strategies that one can employ to achieve the desired academic outcomes when working with Primary School children. These strategies include establishing classroom rules, procedures to be followed, classroom arrangement of furniture, and teacher-pupil relationship. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Georgina G. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences When teaching English as a second language many considerations go beyond simply presenting language and relying on your expertise as a native speaker. Differences in age and life experience will have profound effects on how students learn and retain information. In this essay, I will look at the differences in young and adult learners in how they learn and important considerations for each group. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Connor M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. For younger students, I'm considering the range of elementary to grade school. These students are put in the classroom by parents, and may not be as...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Teaching English online is an excellent opportunity for English speakers since it requires no formal teaching experience. A persons’ understanding of the natural turns of English and idioms is what many adult learners need to improve their English use. It gives the teacher the ability to create his teaching path and teach in a way that is believed best for the students (Salmon, 2011). This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Yuanchun L. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. According to Hewett, tutoring English online requires video contact with students hence requires a laptop or desktop with a high-speed internet connection and a webcam...  [Read more]

Federico Riva Teaching Ideas There are many important personal qualities that an English teacher should have. The first I believe is an English teacher should have is great communication skills. As an English teacher, you are communicating with people who want to learn the language. A teacher may not be able to communicate with them through the language they are learning so a teacher must utilize other communication skills to be an effective teacher. Meer states, “If a teacher's communication skills (verbal, nonverbal, and visual, which involve speaking, writing, imagery, body language, and the organization of ideas into understandable structures) are good, they can convey knowledge with better skill and results” (Meer, 2018). With the use of...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Grammar, the key element to all languages, is, by all means, the first thing which everyone must have a clear understanding of before acquiring such language. From parts of speech to sentence structure, the complexity of grammar doesn’t seem to have a sign of decrease as ESL students’ vocabulary range increases. In all respects, the fundamental problem to all learners who treat English as a second language is that they never take it as a first language but try to understand the meaning behind every word with the aid of their mother tongue, their first language. In this essay, I would like to focus on one of the smallest parts of grammar - syntax as the starting point, to shed some light on how teachers can...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences I started my teaching career in 2016. I was an international student in London, doing a part-time job as a private Mandarin tutor for covering my living cost. In London, I was teaching Mandarin for young learners, age between 3-15-year-old from 2016-2018. After I came back to my country in 2019, I have started to teach English for Kindergarten students age between 3-8-year-old in a private English School. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Nina S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. When I started to be a private Mandarin tutor, I did not have any teaching experience. The reason that made me decide to teach young learners was...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences English teachers have a significant role to play in a classroom. They are involved in engaging students to maintain a focus on the language. However, the major roles of the English teacher in a classroom are classified into five premium categories. These categories involve their roles as a controller, organizer, assessor, participant, and a helper (Keller, 2016). This essay aims to highlight the role of English teachers in the classroom. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Priyanka B. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. As a controller of the classroom, an English teacher is the one who instructs the students that when they need...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences One of the most useful decisions that a teacher can make is the choice to know his or her limitations. Realizing one's shortcomings does not excuse an instructor from conveying the lesson. Instead, this determination means that a teacher needs to employ supporting tools to help reach the students. One such possibility is the use of teaching aids. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Derek G. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Teaching aids can provide an educator with an active choice for classroom lecturing. When used correctly, an instructor can use teaching aids to stimulate, engage, and develop a lesson plan in a way that he...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas English language learning plays a big role in international education, and globalization has pushed English to evolve into a global language (Crystal, 2003). In his book, English as a Global Language, Crystal acknowledges that while multilingualism remains a critical world resource, he argues that a common language is still necessary. In an increasingly interconnected world, a global language connects nations and individuals on an international field. International education serves to promote global awareness and engagement, international understanding, respect for differences, and commitment to peace (Tate, 2013). English as a global language is necessary to fulfill the purpose of international education because...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Language is one of the most significant aspects that differentiate humans from other species. The method of human communication is considered unique as it incorporates both spoken and written communication. The use of language in communication consists of the use of words in a structured or conventional way. Language acquisition is considered one of the most unique and impressive aspects of human development both psychologically and cognitively. However, every human acquires the language they encounter as children. It is from this point that they can learn multiple languages, although these languages will always be unique from the first language they were exposed to. The uniqueness of the first language from...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Discipline is an important aspect of classroom life when teaching EFL to adults. It affects the teachers and students and can hold a classroom together. Lack of discipline creates chaos and diminishes the ability of students to learn. In this essay, I will seek to explore what kind of discipline problems there are among adults, why a lack of discipline exists, and some strategies to solving a lack of discipline. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Eva A. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. In a 2016 study done in Saudi Arabia titled, "The Undesirable Behaviors of Students in Academic Classrooms, and Discipline Strategies Used by...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences In all, English has official or special status in at least 75 countries (with a combined population of two billion people). It is estimated that one out of four people worldwide speaks English with some degree of competence. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Karen B. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Having lived in Asia for over 19 years, I have seen changes in the perception of English as a global language. There have been government interventions to curtail English usage in schools – in Malaysia, India, China, and Hong Kong for example. In 1908 Mahatma Gandhi, when talking of colonialism in India, said: “To give...  [Read more]

Joanna Dineva Destinations Teaching English abroad is a wonderful way to travel and experience new cultures. For those of us who also love to learn about ancient civilizations and learn from the past, there are a few countries that offer the chance to immerse yourself in history. I reviewed lists that ranked the best places to teach English abroad in 2019 based on a number of google searches, salary opportunities, and how many programs they offer and compare them to the lists of countries with the greatest historical significance and came up with a list of the top 5 countries to teach English abroad for history buffs.      It is hard to write a destination list for history buffs without including Egypt. The mystery and fascination...  [Read more]

Jon ITTT Destinations Two thirds of South Koreans aged 25 to 34 have a college degree and take mandatory English classes. Koreans are obsessed with education to enable the best future for their children and South Korea provides top salary to their teachers and has the highest average reading literacy of the OECD. This makes South Korea the ideal destination for qualified English teachers looking to make a good living while teaching abroad. English teachers with TEFL certification in Korea can expect to earn between US$1,300 and US$3,000 per month. Salaries vary enormously depending on the educational institution. Public school teachers can expect to earn around 1.5 – 3 million won or US$1,265 – US$2,500 per month. Teachers in universities...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas One of the most challenging contradictions I had to face as a high school language and literature teacher in Germany was the principle that each child should have equal opportunity when, sadly, the inequality often starts long before high school, and that as a teacher, you should give every student the chance to achieve excellent performances when, in reality, the latter also depends on factors outside of the classroom. In conversations with parents, I often pointed out specific deficiencies in their child's essays as I was taught to. I made suggestions on how to improve them, hoping in vain that next time, the student would get a much...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas For this assignment, I decided to research problems experienced by Colombian students learning English. I will be teaching English in Colombia and thought this subject would benefit me. My findings more generally reflect the difficulties of Spanish-speaking learners. The paper outlines the top ten difficulties for Spanish-speakers learning English (vocabulary, spelling/pronunciation, subject-verb-agreement, verb tense, dialects, subject omission, pronunciation, stress, slang, and literal translations) based on CCJK (2019). Where possible I relate this information to my experiences/examples and units in the TEFL course. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate David B. Please note that this blog...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Using games in the classroom is beneficial for better student learning. Games are helpful when introducing new content, enhancing the learning process, or reviewing learned material. A low-stress atmosphere in the classroom is created easily by adding games. From Gap fill to Fizz Bizz to I Spy they can help the teacher maintain a positive attitude and establish rapport with students. Games create an environment where students want to participate and aren't afraid of correction or failure. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Ellen P. Vince Goman RTC, CPCC, BBA, Somatic Counselor said in his book, Let The Fire Burn, "Play is the foundation for academic learning. While the left brain is more...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Traditionally, intelligence has been regarded as a unitary quantity. This narrowly limited the discriminating factor of whether a child was “smart” or “educationally adept”. Teachers could, therefore, focus the creation of their course syllabus to be built from a perspective of ascertaining the subject content to cover and how best to teach it. But the research was done by Gardner to suggest that there are different categories of intelligence and that everyone has some intelligence in every category. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Nicholas P. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Gardner’s research contributed along...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences English has its place as the most frequently required subject of mostly Philippines’ school and universities. This is because of the belief of most Filipinos that the mastery of the English language is the most important demands globally. We grew up believing that learning a second language is not an easy task, although other nationalities find that it is easy for us to imitate and practice the language. However, that is not the case. The problems of teaching and learning a foreign language, specifically English, have suggested some studies of the errors made by most Filipino students. In spite of the knowledge of English of the Filipino, there are times that most students make errors serious enough that a...  [Read more]

Jon ITTT Alumni Experiences My teaching experience started back in 1988 where I was working for a company called Bryco Windows. They are a UPVC window and door manufacturer where my position was Sales Trainer. My job was to teach new staff and train them to understand the sales process and how to close the sale. This was a hard job to do as a salesman as the sales people got a lot of knock backs (no sale). Part of my job as sales trainer was to keep them motivated. Sometimes this got very hard with some sales people and many people left. The employee turnover was very high as not many people actually could master it. I worked there for four years in this position and met some really good people who did very well. This post was written by our TEFL...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Destinations It’s no secret that one of the best ways to immerse oneself into a new culture is by learning the local language. Teaching English abroad is the perfect way to learn a new language, which will also come in handy when looking for a job back home if you decide to return. French is widely spoken in parts all across the world and is ranked the sixth most spoken language worldwide after Mandarin Chinese, English, Hindi, Spanish and Arabic. Currently, there are more than 220 million French speakers globally and French is an official or de facto language in 29 countries on four continents. If you are interested in learning French, check out the following 5 best places to learn French when teaching English abroad. Also read:...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas The classroom embodies a space where students learn. That space is usually a mixture of varying personalities, learning styles, and student levels. A teacher’s role in ensuring that students learn is of great importance seeing that the teacher serves as a facilitator for all, counselor to some, mentor to some, and disciplinarian to others. Teachers must possess or learn certain skills to be effective in the ESL/EFL classroom. While many factors are influencing the actual outcome of an EFL/ESL lesson, teachers of young learners must be patient, adaptable, and possess good classroom management skills. These skills are crucial for young learners because, on the one hand, they have shorter attention spans, they have...  [Read more]