Categories Of English Words

Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Words are an essential part of the structure of English sentences. If we want to speak English as a foreign language, we need to know new words and even progress. Considering a student who needs to know and learn new words as a teacher, we have to answer this question "What impressive ways do you have in teaching ESL vocabulary?" This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Yasemin A. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. First, they notice a new word with help; Secondly, they recognize the name at first with help, then later on their own; and lastly, they can both...  [Read more]

Federico Riva Teaching Ideas Post-it notes are a great tool to incorporate into your English lessons and make them more fun for your students. Here are 7 simple but effective EFL activities with post-it notes your students will love! This is a very creative activity to get your students' creative juices flowing. Prepare several post-it notes with answers to different questions. It is then the students' job to use their creativity and come up with a question it might answer. Find a famous quote and write each word of the quote on a post-it note. Hand out the notes and have the students rearrange in a logical order to reassemble to quote. Another activity you can do with the same post-its is to group the individual words into categories like parts...  [Read more]

  This video focuses on the difference between the usage of "bring" and "take". These two words often cause confusion, especailly for English learners. It is important to consider the direction in order to determine which word to use. The word "bring" describes the movement of something toward a specified location, such as in this sentence: Can you bring some snacks to the party tonight? The word "take" on the other hand generally describes the movement of something away from a location, such as here: Do you want to take any leftovers home? As you can see, it's quite easy to determine the correct word to use in a sentence when considering the direction you are referring to. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In today’s world learning English is no longer a possibility, but an essential part of being a world citizen. However, we must face the fact- for some people- to learn English grammar is not so easy and fun, they hate grammar and even think it is the most boring part of learning a new language. On the other hand, others are extremely interested in learning grammar rules and practice it as much as they can. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Glaucia S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Whoever wants to become an effective language learner cannot run from grammar lessons; it is a crucial part of the learning process besides...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Spanish speakers from Mexico face several challenges for acquiring successful pronunciation skills in English. Many students here will have had at least some exposure to English through media and contact with American-English speakers, however, this does not mean that they will have a complete understanding of the phonemic system in English and how it differs from that of Spanish. This essay will briefly describe some outcomes stemming from pronunciation problems in students, followed by an overview of the basic phonetic and phonological differences between English and Mexican Spanish with examples and discussion around the rules that govern English word stress. This post was written by our TEFL certification...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas I would like to introduce five flashcards activities which I found fun and practical to enhance a student's vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar, listening, and speaking. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate MOHSEN H. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. This activity is designed to teach vocabulary as well as practice listening. It can be used for teaching various categories (animals, food, fruits, …) or a mix of them. The teacher gives each of the students a set of flashcards and asks them to show him/her the correct card when they hear the item spoken. For example: “Show me a pig” “Hands up if you’ve got a banana” “Stand...  [Read more]

  In this episode, we cover the pronunciation of the word "ingenuous". This word refers to an innocent or unsuspecting person or situation. Synonyms of ingenuous include naive, innocent and simple. The origin of the word is from the Latin word "ingenuus" meaning native or freeborn. 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 unit discussed the teaching receptive skills and the categories of reading and listening. The reasons for reading and listening...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences Like we all know, the English alphabet has 26 letters. These 26 letters can make 44 different sounds or phonemes – 20 sounds come from the vowels a, e, i, o and u; and 24 sounds come from the remaining 21 consonants. A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound that can change the meaning of a word. If we consider sounds made simply by the letter ‘a’ for instance, in the word ‘apple’ – it’s /ae/, in ‘car’ – it’s /a:/, in amount – it’s /a/, and so on. This, consequently, makes English a non-phonetic language, which means that the pronunciation of a word is not dependent on its spelling. Now in order to pronounce a word correctly, we need to get three factors in it right - vowel sounds,...  [Read more]

  In this episode, we cover the pronunciation of the word categorical. This word is used as an adjective and means explicit and direct. It comes from the Greek word kat?goria meaning ‘statement’. 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 unit is a follow up from 'Past Tense'. I read about the future tense and how to categories sentences knowing which tense the sentence belong to. Future tense is activity or event that has bot taken place as yet...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Games are a useful tool for teachers of EFL students because they help with motivation, engagement, and graceful failure (Plass 260-261). I will present a successful example of a teacher using games in an adult grammar class from Indonesia. Second, since I plan to teach online EFL students, I will present free digital games online teachers can use in their virtual classrooms. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Christopher C. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Many professional articles have been written showing the importance of game-based learning theory for EFL students. Games have an element of ‘play’ in them, and so differ...  [Read more]

  And now it's time to have a look at our first grammar unit. Grammar in its widest sense is the structure of a language. We as speakers of the language can structure our language without a problem. However, as teachers of the language we need to be able to better analyze the grammar and the grammar that exists within statements that we make. These basic parts of grammar are called parts of speech. Each part of speech has a certain function within a sentence. Our example sentence here is "My older brother lives in Tokyo." Each one of these words is a certain part of speech, which we'll have a look at in just a minute but let's just think about the words within this particular sentence. We have ?my?, indicating whose brother it is, we have "older", indicating which brother it is....  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas One of the most valuable human attributes is imagination. An active and healthy imagination can be inspired by many things. One of the most significant inspirations behind a lively imagination is reading. Alternatively, an image can contribute to valuable characteristics, such as bravery, dignity, and leadership. Reading can introduce people to comprehension, vocabulary, new places, languages, cultures, ideas, perspectives, information, words, and sentences. Speaking and reading are great ways to learn new words of another language, as well as learn how to structure those new words in a sentence. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Tiffany C. Please note that this blog post might not...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences ESL students will receive many formal grammar lessons that will give them a good grounding in proper English sentence structures, when to use who and whom, various verb tenses, the importance of noun-verb agreement and proper punctuation—and much more. Proper grammar will give them a thorough understanding of the elements of grammar and equip them to navigate through formal English-language communication, such as business letters and reports, meetings, emails to clients, and formal assignments in English classes. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Brenda Q. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. But I believe we have a...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences The theory of Multiple Intelligences was developed by Howard Gardner. The theory postulates that there are many different types of intelligence, which involve different skills and ways of thinking. Gardner (1989) relied on that intelligence was divided into the following categories: linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal and intrapersonal. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Gina F. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. It relates to an individual's ability to use language. This involves the comprehension and production of verbal and written language. Students with linguistic...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences English is a language that, like other languages, has a rich history dating back thousands of years. Sort of mash-up of ancient Germanic languages and Roman Latin, English is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world thanks to the spread of British and American influence across the world over the last several hundred years. It is a tricky language, infamous for its many exceptions and grammatical nuances. While English, compared to some languages, has a relatively low variation between regional dialects (low enough for speakers of radically different dialects to understand each other at least partially), these differences can be significant enough to confuse someone who is learning English as a...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas The simple past is one of the most important tenses in the English language. As it describes past actions, it's quite an easy tense to teach using a variety of fun and interactive activities. Here are 7 activities for teaching the simple past for the ESL classroom. For more activities check out: 10 Exciting Activities for the Past Simple For this activity, the students think of significant accomplishments in their lives. After sharing with the class what they have accomplished, the students should describe what they did in order to achieve this goal, for example they graduated college, studied English, took classes, etc. It’s important that the students use the simple past to talk about these actions. Also read: 7...  [Read more]

  Whereas stress is typically concerned with one individual word, intonation is generally concerned with the variation in volume and pitch throughout an entire sentence. Intonation carries the message of a sentence. It's particularly important when questioning or agreeing, disagreeing and confirming statements. It's also very important when expressing emotions and feelings. The normal pattern for intonation is the rise-fall. Few examples would be ?I haven't seen him for a week,? or a simple word as ?okay?. With the falling intonation, we?re indicating that we're finished speaking. Again, ?I haven't seen him for a week? and ?okay?. A few more examples would be ?I'll see you at six then,? or a question of information ?How do you spell rough?? These are straightforward statements that...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences In speaking of any language is global, and in our case, particularly English, several categories could be discussed to give us more understanding. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Frederic S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The first is the history of the language, where did it originate? If we say English was an obscure German dialect we can also say that without knowing more of the history behind it, there would be no way for us to plot its progression or understand its popularity. The second is the spread of the language, how and why did it occur? The third is economic, what were the factors that propelled its growth,...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas This essay focuses on what “multiple intelligence” is, a comparison between multiple intelligences and the traditional notion of intelligence, what these multiple intelligence categories (“modalities") are, and their significance in the classroom context. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Stephanie T. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. "Multiple intelligence" was a theory developed by Professor Howard Gardner in the early 1980s to describe the various innate talents that everyone possesses. Multiple intelligence theory was a reaction to the conventional teaching methods that cater predominantly to the book-smarts, those...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Joseph Van H. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. When acquiring a new language, the skills required can be split into two main categories; receptive and productive. These can be split again into reading and listening (receptive) along with writing and speaking (productive). Many decisions around the planning of lessons such as learning materials, activities, student participation levels, etc. are all heavily influenced by the students’ receptive skill levels and as such, they must always be taken into account if planning is to be effective. Receptive skills are particularly valuable to a student...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate KINGSLEY A. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Spread the flashcards out on the floor, right side up if you are learning a new skill, and upside down if you are reviewing. Seat children in a circle around the cards. The player takes a card and says, "I'd like to send this card to ____." (S)he hands the card to the chosen student. If that student responds correctly he keeps the card on the floor in front of him and chooses a card for another player. If he responds incorrectly the group can help him figure out the correct response and let him keep the card, or you can have him put it back in the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas There are many resources for use in the classroom at the disposal of an ESL/EFL teacher. Broadly speaking, these are divided into two categories: authentic materials, and non-authentic (or created) materials. The distinction between these two categories is that authentic materials are those that have been produced in the world for a purpose that is not teaching, while non-authentic materials have been created expressly to teach language students. Authentic materials would include company brochures, advertisements, television and radio programs, realia, newspapers, and magazines, etc., whereas non-authentic materials include created worksheets (e.g., crosswords, word search puzzles, gap fills, etc.), flashcards,...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas I have taught in a Japanese high school for the past four years as an assistant language teacher, which gives me a particular insight into the problems and advantages of EFL in that area. This will naturally require some generalizations. Individuals have very different problems from one another, but broader shared issues do crop up. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate William L. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. For context, I work in two Japanese high schools as an assistant language teacher in Toyama prefecture. I go to one school four days a week, which caters to students who can only study part-time. I also work at a farming...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences For many people who travel, considering the cultural norms of whatever country you are visiting helps ensure a smooth trip. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Ryan A. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. It is quite unfortunate that travellers from the United States often have a bad reputation for being loud, inconsiderate, and oblivious. While this is the case, it is also the case for a lot of people from various other countries. Being a well-behaved visitor is not restricted to your region of origin, but is a voluntary path. Do not let other countries’ stereotypical ideas of you define how you act when travelling abroad....  [Read more]

Jon ITTT Alumni Experiences When starting a career in teaching, regardless of age,gender and nationality, a prospective teacher should always bear in mind one fundamental skill:patience. This particular talent is what I personally believe distinguishes a competent teacher from the incompetent one, and is crucial in establishing the overall success of each and every student. So, how patient should teachers be and, particularly, how patient should the teachers at beginner levels be? This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Katarina K. I have been a TEFL certified teacher for a short time. However, I have been teaching for the past 5 years. I distinctly remember how every level of teaching used to be hard when I lacked the proper...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas The theory of multiple intelligences states that there are eight different intelligences human potential can be expressed through, including linguistic intelligence (word smart), logical-mathematical intelligence (number/reasoning smart), spatial intelligence (picture smart), bodily-kinesthetic intelligence (body smart), musical intelligence (music smart), interpersonal intelligence (people smart), intrapersonal intelligence (self-smart) and naturalist intelligence (nature smart). This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Melanie L. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Individuals have strengths in different areas of intelligence and...  [Read more]

Anna Domiczek Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Total Physical Response is a very successful teaching method that can be used for both children and adults, particularly for beginner and lower-level learners. This English teaching approach, developed by Dr. James Asher, has been applied for almost thirty years. Asher's language learning method is built around the coordination of speech and action, and its purpose is to teach language through physical activity. In Asher's theory, children should acquire a second language just like they learn their mother tongue, by developing listening competence first and being able to understand speech before imitating it. Essentially, listening comprehension is acquired because children need...  [Read more]

Jon ITTT Alumni Experiences Growing up in a minority family, the language barrier was always a boundary that I had every intention to overcome. With this in mind I am in a unique position to relate to other students whose mother tongue is not English. Learning a new language is not an easy task, so is teaching English to students of different backgrounds. The combination of cultural differences and assimilation to a new environment snowballs into a dilemma that a teacher faces when teaching students of different nationalities. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Blia Y. In my experience working with autistic children, there are times I carry out specific actions with the intention a child will grasp the full meaning of how or...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Being an American living in France has given me firsthand experience as to what it is like to struggle with learning a new language. I studied Spanish for six years, in Junior High and High school. Language acquisition was easier then. I can attest to the fact that younger learners learn more quickly. For me, the two major problems with learning French are the tenses and not being able to understand what people are saying. I get stuck in the present tense, often forgetting to change tenses in conversation. I also need to hone up on my listening skills. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Patricia J. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of...  [Read more]

Federico Riva TEFL Information Teaching Ideas A consideration for the categorization of your language learners is actually their language level. So within any class the language level the students should all have, (assuming that your class is not a mixed ability class) is usually at one particular level. Typically your students will have had some form of level test to put them into one of the levels and in ESL teaching there are often five different levels of grouping described. Level one, the most basic level is called Starter. Moving on from that the Elementary level, the next one beyond that is level three, called the Pre-Intermediate level and then on to the Intermediate level and finally level five, which is called the...  [Read more]