Can I Speak English In Germany

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Throughout the TEFL course, it is clear that teachers do not need to know the language of the host country to successfully teach English. I agree wholeheartedly with this assertion for various reasons. However, there are also certain advantages for teachers who know a foreign language have in the classroom. I will discuss the various ways that knowledge of a foreign language can help and hinder teachers in the EFL classroom. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Allison S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. There are several ways in which knowing the L1 or native language of your students can hinder your teaching ability. It is often...  [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]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences In April 2018, I quit my job and began traveling around the world. Since then, I taught myself Russian and improved my teaching skills by helping others with languages I am familiar with. The more places I visited on my journey, the more I became interested in foreign languages. I had the chance to teach people German and English, while also learning other languages and alphabets from them. I realized that while helping others, I developed a passion for teaching. I decided to travel to Southeast Asia and acquire a TEFL certificate, which enables me to teach English and live in a foreign country. This decision should benefit and influence my life and personal development. This post was written by our TEFL...  [Read more]

Mark Crocker Alumni Experiences In April 2018 I quit my job and began traveling around the world. Since then, I have taught myself Russian and improved my teaching skills by helping others with languages I am familiar with. The more places I visited on my journey, the more I became interested in foreign languages. I had the chance to teach people German and English, while also learning other languages and alphabets from them. I realized that while helping others, I developed a passion for teaching. I then decided to travel to Southeast Asia and acquire a TEFL certificate, which will enable me to teach English and live in a foreign country. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Michael G. My first learning experiences on my...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences In this essay, I will deal with the pronunciation difficulties of German learners of English. In particular, I will treat some issues at the segmental level. Although both English and German are Germanic languages, the sound inventories of these two languages are quite different, especially the vowels. In the following table, the sounds are listed which exist only in one but not in the other language: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Gisella F. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Consonants Consonants /θ/, /ð/ tʃ/, /dʒ/ /w/ /x/ /ҫ/ Vowels Vowels Monophthongs Monophthongs /y, yː/ /eː/, /ø, øː/ /oː/ /ɜ/ /ɔ/ /ʌ/...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Visa and Legal Destinations Europe is one of the most popular regions for teaching English as a foreign language for many teachers. However, it can often be difficult for non-EU citizens to secure a visa and work legally in Europe. If you are dreaming of living and working in France, don’t despair. An attractive option for teachers from outside of the EU zone is to apply for a student visa. A student visa allows you to work a certain number of hours per week. Even though the legal working hours are limited, many teachers also take on private tutoring to supplement their income. If you are interested in teaching in France, read on to find out how to legally teach English in France with a student visa. First, you...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Over a hundred years ago, in the late 19th century, a Polish-Jewish eye doctor named Dr. Ludwig Lazarus Zamenhof wanted to bridge the gaps and misunderstandings between different ethnic groups that he grew up around. Being from a Polish city that, at the time, was a polyglot, multi-ethnic mixture of Poles, Russians, Jews, Lithuanians, and Germans, he saw there was a great deal of distrust between each group, and he believed it was due to the language barriers that each imposed. To create a common ground between every group, he created an international, universal language called Esperanto (Yaffe, 2017). While it was a great idea to create a language that did not belong to any ethnic group and could be used...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas There are many advantages for any person to learn a second language. More important learning English can influence a student’s future career. English is the most widely spoken language in the world. This means that there is a high probability of using this language in the future or encountering someone who speaks English. This will allow you to be able to communicate with other people when traveling outside of your country. An example of this is when I travel to Asia in the tourist area I have noticed that English is the common language that is used to communicate between people from different countries. I observed that there were many tourists from Russia, China, and Japan. English is taught in many of these...  [Read more]

Jon ITTT Destinations As a TEFL teacher it is important to make sure you have a good understanding of the language point you are teaching. It is equally important to have a good understanding of the country and culture you intend to teach in. While many aspects of behavior and etiquette may seem quite similar, each country has its own particular quirks that should be understood by a TEFL teacher. In this post I look at some important aspects of etiquette in different countries in Europe that any TEFL certification graduate should keep in mind. Each country has different attitudes which govern what is rude and what is not. Good posture is important in Switzerland so you should avoid slouching. Habits such as chewing gum and cleaning fingernails...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences The following blog post is about an ITTT graduate who shares his story on how learning Chinese helped him to become a better English teacher in China. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Joseph S. A common saying imparted to me by one of my professors goes like this: "What do you call someone who speaks three languages? Trilingual. What do you call someone who speaks two languages? Bilingual. What do you call someone who speaks only one language? American." I have found this to be extremely true for the majority of cases, and, as a young student, it spurred me to want to learn as much of other languages as I possibly could. I grew up in a monolingual home, however, as a child, I spent much of...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Destinations Winter is upon us, which doesn’t have to mean that you can’t travel and explore the world! These are the top 10 places to take your TEFL course in winter. Visiting Moscow during winter is an absolute visual wonder. Your Russian fairytale will come true when you explore the city’s beautiful parks, squares, and churches covered in powdery snow. While temperatures can reach crazy lows, when you pack a thick coat and waterproof boots, you’re going to have the time of your life in Moscow in winter. Get started and take our in-class TEFL certification course in Moscow and find out more about living and working in Russia in our country guide. Also read: Top 10 Cities in Europe with the Highest Demand for English...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore TEFL Information Alumni Experiences There are many reasons to undertake a TEFL course. Completing the 120-hour TEFL course allows you to expand your portfolio. The TEFL certification gives you an edge over other candidates when applying to certain jobs. This is not just one more qualification that will help you stand out in a global marketplace. Most countries around the world recognize what the TEFL certification is, and the effort it takes to obtain it. Having this certification in your arsenal will undoubtedly serve to bolster your curriculum vitae, and your credibility, for any prospective future jobs, will assuredly be elevated. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Giuseppe T. Having...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Destinations TEFL Information Are you planning on quitting the 9-to-5 and embark on an adventure of traveling the world? The following 10 women have done exactly that. Most of them got their TEFL certificate and are teaching English abroad, while others started out teaching and are now full-time travelers. Here are 10 female travel bloggers you should be following! Jessica from @curiositytrav is from San Diego and has visited 40 countries so far. After studying International Business at San Diego State University, she also studied in Buenos Aires. After her experience in South America, she moved on to teaching English through the EPIK program in South Korea for two years and backpacked around Asia for 5 months...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas There are about 6500 spoken languages in the world today. 11 of those are here from my home country of South Africa. The most spoken language of them all is Mandarin. Language is what defines us. It is what divides us. It what we are taught and brought up to understand and one day pass on to the next generation. It is like being a unicorn. When there are none left, you will only read about it in books and professors who learned and studied about it. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Jacq-Pierre B. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. But as time went on, people started to migrate to other parts of the world and taking their language...  [Read more]

  Manuel from Germany took ITTT’s online 120-hour TESOL course. In this TESOL review video; Manuel describes how, as a father of two small children, the format of the course enabled him to study on his own terms. With six months to complete the course, ITTT’s online TESOL courses are a great option for those with busy schedules, allowing you to study whenever and wherever you are able to do so. 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. I...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences Prior to starting a class, an English teacher needs to take into consideration many parameters. How many students will I have to teach? How old are they? What are their levels? What knowledge did they already acquire in terms of vocabulary and grammar? What are their nationalities? In this blog post, we are going to focus on the problems that an English teacher can encounter when teaching to students of different nationalities and cultures. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Manon L. First of all, it is important to define what a monolingual class and a multilingual class are. Monolingual students are students who all have the same native language. For example, teaching English to Thai...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences A global language is a language spoken internationally, the most popular one being English. It is learned by many people as a second language. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Damian B. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. A big part of the lexical units in the English language was taken from German, Latin, French, and other European countries. People think that languages have a strong relation between dominance and cultural power. Also read: What to Watch Out for Before Signing Your TEFL Contract in China To have a common language is important because it's one of the main ways to communicate and interact with other people...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Destinations So, you love to travel and want to teach English abroad but you’re also a vegan? The good news is that you won’t have to choose between your dietary needs and your dream of exploring the world. The following places are vegan-friendly destinations ideal for teaching English abroad. Due to its significant Buddhist population, Thailand has plenty of vegan food options to choose from. There are vegan eateries all over the country, and you’ll also find healthy salad bar concepts, organic farm-to-table, Japanese macrobiotic and all sorts of other vegan eateries here. Even your regular restaurants often have meatless pad Thai, tom yum soup, coconut milk-based curries and salads on their menu. What’s specific for...  [Read more]

  This video focuses on the difference between "born" and "borne". Because of their similar spelling, the two words are often confused in the English language. The word "born" is an adjective and means "having started life". Let's take a look at an example sentence. "I was born in Germany but my sister was born in France". The word ?borne?, on the other hand, is the past participle of " to bear", meaning "carried", "transported" or "take responsibility for". A good example for the word is: "All costs shall be borne by the buyer". This should clear up any confusion. 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...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas A student’s journey to learn a new language can be met with a multitude of intimidating aspects. The vocabulary and grammar alone are enough to create a challenge, but add on to that the reading, speaking, and writing components and the challenges can become daunting. With all the difficulties that come with teaching and learning a new language, the last thing that should ever be an area of discomfort or distress should be cultural awareness within the classroom. For the students and teachers alike, the classroom must be a place of tolerance and respect. Cultural awareness should not only guide how the teacher approaches the lessons but should also set the overall tone of the learning environment. This post was...  [Read more]

Dan Sloat Destinations Alumni Experiences Volunteer teaching in Nepal is thoroughly rewarding! The need for engaging and enthusiastic teachers is so great and the positive impact you can make, even in a short period, is significant. Personally, I had a modest classroom of 16 students comprising a broad range of ages and competency. Those kiddos were quite a handful, but being their teacher was an incredible privilege. Their maturity was striking and yet, at the end of the day, they are still growing boys. They would get rowdy at times and often pulled pranks on each other. I loved their curiosity, their excitement for learning, and their playful spirits. Between lessons they would often draw pictures for me. I suppose I’m the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas The online mode of teaching has become a primary one in the COVID-19 era. For many teachers, remote work is not easy especially due to a different approach to creating materials. If you still struggle with games and activities for your activate phase of the lesson, take a look at the following three tools that can help you to versatile your Zoom classes and make your students super happy! Yes, it’s that easy! This tool is like a magic wand for ESL teachers because it’s easy to use and very flexible in adjusting dozens of favorite games. It's not just a visual aid for delivering a presentation to an audience, in fact, Google Slides can be used as a tool to create a unique learning experience for students. All...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences English is the language of the modern world. All people around the world know the importance of the English language in our life, because we need it in our work and sometimes when we meet other people from other cultures, maybe they are not from Britain or America but we almost think they are talking English. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Doaa E. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. That doesn't mean our language isn't important. Sure all people love their language, but the first language now used as a global language in the world is English agree or disagree. As global communication expands throughout the world, so does the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences English is the language of the modern world. All people around the world know the English language in our life, because we need it in our work and sometimes when we meet other people from other cultures, maybe they are not from Britain or America but we almost think they are talking English. That doesn't mean our language isn't important. Sure all people love their language, but the first language now used as a global language in the world is English agree or disagree. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Doaa E. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. As global communication expands throughout the world, so does the need for a global...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences As a Belgian born citizen, I was brought up with different languages. Belgium is officially a trilingual country: French, Dutch, and German are all official languages. Dutch is my mother tongue, I have been learning French since primary school. Later, in high school, German and English were added to my curriculum and in college, I extended my language skills by taking a Spanish course. This means I have been studying foreign languages since primary school until my university degree when I was 25 years old. This made me decide to write on the following topic: why non-native English speakers can be good TEFL teachers. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Roel S. Please note that this blog...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences In this essay, we are going to talk about two different versions of English which are American and British English. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate ANDRII D. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The English were introduced to America through British colonization in the early 17th century. It also spread to many other parts of the world due to the power of the British empire. Over many years American and British spoken English started diverging from each other in different aspects. This led to new dialects in the form of American English. Also Read: Teaching Roles and Functions in ESL The Americans and British both speak...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In my opinion, a parent should learn English too. Learning English is a long trip for every kid. Taking China, for example, Chinese parents let their kids accept English language education when they are two or three years old even earlier. Chinese parents want their kids to get more vocabulary, fluently speaking, and get familiar with the English-communication environment. But this situation only happened in language training school which has foreign teachers(English native speakers) and use English during the class. It means that parents pay a lot of money to let their kids have the environment. But most kids only have one-hour of the environment per week. How does the environment work? How can the kids get...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas No matter how well-prepared a teacher may be, every classroom is different, which means each student is different, and each teacher needs to be able to adjust and be able to establish rapport with the new class. For some teachers, working in a foreign country may cause them to feel uneasy; however, a teacher needs to overcome this feeling to be successful in the classroom. Indeed, building rapport with all students will help. Although this is a continuous process throughout the term, the key to establishing a friendly learning environment starts on day one. Thus, the best way to build rapport is to know the students’ names and interests by the end of the day or week (depending on class size). This post was...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Brazilians are learning English all over the country, for various reasons and with diverse goals. In this text, I would like to approach some very common deviations to standard English dialects, such as General American and Received Pronunciation, by Brazilian speakers. I have chosen to address some problems in phonetics and pronunciation that are the most frequent in my classes. I also give attention to some problems in word linking that generate tough challenges for English teachers. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Linecker M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The country's official language is Portuguese. As a result of...  [Read more]

  In this episode, Linda takes on the pronunciation of the word "futile". Enjoy the episode! Linda is a German/American ITTT alumna, teaching English in South Korea. Be sure to like and share this video if you find it helpful. 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. This chapter has the same importance as in the previous chapter. The future teacher learns the methodology and didactics to elucidate the learning phases of his students. I learned how to...  [Read more]