Cultural Issues In The Us

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas First and foremost I am going to assume by monolingual groups, we are referring to groups of students who all speak the same language, and multilingual groups refers to groups where the students all speak different languages, not that they are necessarily multilingual. Each group has its challenges, but I can also the benefits of teaching each group. And of course every case will be unique, so it may just also depend on the situation you are in. But these are what I believe in general are common things you may come across. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Crystal N. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. For monolingual groups, if...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Becoming an English teacher can present many great opportunities, among such may be learning the skill of navigating issues and culturally sensitive situations unique to instructing students with a wide array of nationalities. Much of this skill comes from learned experience but a teacher who has had proper training and time for adequate research can steer though these issues with greater ease. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Brynn G. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Putting aside cultural matters for the moment, the strictly linguistic issues that may come to fruition in a multi-national classroom are plentiful. The most...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas When teaching English, teachers need to be aware of the issues that students will be dealing with. For my summative task, I would like to explore one of the biggest issues that I experienced while studying English, which is a ‘confidence issue.’ This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Mitsuki O. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Generally speaking, the issue of not being confident in language learning enormously affects students, especially when they are actually trying to use English for output exercises in both speaking and writing. To minimize this confidence issue and increase their confidence level, from my teaching...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In the current climate of the US, many other countries that are moving to a more liberal culture are becoming more attractive. One does not become a teacher for the money, but for the experience of working with young people or new learners. It is quite a rewarding career if one is open to trying new things, not being rich, and able to adapt to new situations. There is a lot to consider when leaving one’s home country for another to teach. The idea of leaving behind everything for a new place can be scary. In researching teaching in Taiwan, there are several things one needs to consider such as the language and the culture of Taiwan. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate erik s. Please note...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Learners from Japan have to face cultural issues as well as phonetic problems when learning English. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Susanne W. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Like in many other Asian countries, Japanese students are used to ex-cathedra teaching, rather than actively participating and contributing to the lessons. One of their biggest fears is to ‘lose face’ in front of others, which not only means losing their own face by making mistakes. Giving a correct answer and thereby letting all the other students literally lose their face for not knowing or expressing the right answer is almost worse. Another...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas This is a sensitive but necessary topic. To create an environment of tolerance in the educational institution is a duty of all the people working on it. In the past, I use to work as a tour guide in the rain forest. My job consisted of bringing a family of foreigners to an Amazonian indigenous community, it was the clash of people with a completely different cultural background. The majority of times I guided europian or North American through the jungle and I learned how different context makes different people create their values and personalities. The most important thing I learned was to respect that difference and create empathy with dialogue and demonstrations. Understanding the problems and issues of the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Cultural sensitivity derives from the differences among different cultures throughout the world. In the context of English teaching, teachers who move to another country must seriously consider the cultural pattern in the targeted country or region. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Eleana V. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Cultural diversity is by default a very interesting topic and teachers should prioritize in gaining more knowledge regarding the new culture into which they will be integrated. They have to be culturally sensitive during the lesson and be aware of the cultural differences that may arise. Before moving to...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences When teaching English to non-native English speakers one may often come across a learner from a different culture than one's own. Many certified TEFL teachers may have been drawn to this program because of this exact aspect. Teachers may want to fulfill personal goals of traveling to unique countries and experience different cultural activities. Teachers with their TEFL certificate are extremely likely to find themselves teaching students with a different cultural identity than their own. This is very rewarding for students and teachers alike but comes with certain challenges that should be dealt with appropriately. Every country has subjects and issues that are taboo and not engaged with much in everyday...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences When deciding to teach as a TEFL teacher abroad one has to be aware of the challenge of “cultural sensitivity in the classroom”. Whether one already knows where to look for employment or the location still is unclear a teacher needs to be prepared to face cultural issues in a country of a foreign culture. There will be stereotypes, different religious beliefs, social differences and issues between several ethnic groups. People might project stereotypes onto other groups and also they may have to endure resentment towards themselves. Those issues will have to be addressed and resolved if a teacher wants to be successful. There are gaps in the classroom between the students and their teacher and also among...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences The Cambridge dictionary defines troubleshooting as the process of discovering why something does not work effectively and making suggestions about how to improve it. In TEFL as in any other foreign language course, teachers are faced with lots of situations that make troubleshooting necessary. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Olivia L. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. And the reason why it is an essential part of TEFL is due, in great part, to the fact that humans make up a primary part of the equation. Humans, in general, feel a profound need to forge associations with each other through social inclusion and as a result,...  [Read more]

Jon ITTT Alumni Experiences Nowadays we live in a multicultural world and interact with people from different cultures, of different races, nationalities, and religion. More and more people look for employment or acquire education abroad, co-operate with their foreign partners and colleagues which motivates them to learn English as an international communication tool. That is why teachers should be aware of potential problems that students might face depending on their cultural and educational background as not taking into account this important factor might affect a whole studying process. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Julia G. On the one hand, most foreign language learners face similar problems. Learning foreign...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas The following essay will discuss the problems that students of different nationalities will face in the classroom. We will look into the instructional process as well as the cultural sensitivity upheld in the group, and in one on one classroom settings. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Chandler J. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. First of all, international students will face many problems abroad and in classrooms that are mixed nationalities, as cultures will clash. In my experience within the government sector and military, drilling and instructional classes, attendees will most likely be of different races, upbringings, and...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas A large number of obstacles can arise for the students when learning a foreign language. Some of these problems are related to the contrast between the mother language and the learned language. About the differences between L1 and L2, there is plenty of research in the field of contrastive linguistics. Moreover, regarding that topic, many papers can be found comparing English to Japanese with the aim to address the problems of Japanese learners of English. However, other predicaments with the apprehension of the L2 can develop when teachers underestimate the importance of the cultural dimension of the language taught. Concerning that particular impediment, less scientific literature exists. In this essay, the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Japan is an island nation and is a recognized homogenous society with a very small percentage of foreign permanent residence and more than half of the adult population lacks the necessary skills to speak English proficiently. Because of this, English as a Second Language is in high demand with young learners being a focus group in Japan. English is taught in the school environment during nearly all of a child’s primary education years, but this, unfortunately, doesn’t translate to a proficient English-speaking Japanese population. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Payton P. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Children as young...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas Learning a foreign language in any part of the world is a demanding task which requires dedication and long-term commitment. It, however, can be particularly difficult for Chinese students. From a completely different alphabet to the lack of professional foreign expert training due to a high demand, Chinese students face a number of problems in learning the English language. This post was written by our ITTT graduate Dovydas Z. In recent years, increasing competition among Chinese students has transformed learning English from an optional to a required course. In spite of this, the traditional teaching methodology applied at local educational institutions has, for the most part, remained the same. Due to a large...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Lately or, it is better to say, since the “boom” of the globalization processes in the middle of the 1990s the world is facing many profound changes in different aspects of life: the way people communicate, the way people buy and sell things, new services and professions has emerged, the way people travel, the way people move from one place to another in their day by day activities, the way people know new cultures and so on. And all of these changes are also true to companies and their business, to the development of new technologies, to governments and to the way heads of states rule their countries. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Mitchi R. Please note that this blog post might not...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Tanzania! Where's that? It is a Swahili speaking country in East Africa just south of Kenya. However, no matter how close countries may be geographical, generalizations should not be made about anything, let alone educational institutions and learner levels. This is only one of the many problems facing students in Tanzania. My background in this topic comes from teaching in Tanzania for 26 months, which included a three-month training on techniques for the Tanzanian classroom and education system. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Connor L. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. This is likely brought on by the high English...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Today’s classroom is a global entity and unless appropriately addressed, issues of cultural diversity have the potential to severely diminish the success of even the most dedicated teachers and promising students. In order to promote an atmosphere that enables all students to be successful in learning English in the ESL (English as a Second Language) classroom, it is critical that each student feels safe, respected and appreciated. In today’s diverse and multi-cultural climate, this sensitivity has never been more important. In many countries, the administration of schools and learning centers (principals, superintendents, etc.) recognize the importance of cultural...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences My teaching career started fifteen years ago. It began as a whim. I left a very successful career in the healthcare corporate business sector to teach on the university level. Teaching and advising students has been my dedicated profession since then. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Betsy R. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Five years ago I was allowed to teach as part of a learning consultant team hired to work with manufacturing workers of many different ages and international backgrounds. A large medical device company wanted us to hold classes and workshops on various manufacturing topics including safety and basic...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In this essay, I will debate whether or not teaching slang and idioms is important for ESL students and whether or not it has a place in the ESL classroom. Teaching phrasal verbs and idioms can present many issues in the classroom, and some teacher would choose to avoid this altogether, instead choosing to stick to the safer, more tried and tested topics that are available to us. However I think that this is a mistake, as students often want to know how the language is actually used in real-life situations and how they can best prepare themselves for a trip to a particular place in the world, furthermore, these language tools can provide a great deal of motivation in the classroom. Throughout this essay, I will...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences With the end goal of working in a Japanese kindergarten or pre-school, I decided to take the Teaching English to Young Learners certification course to accompany the TEFL course I recently completed through ITTT. Even though I knew the skills necessary for teaching young learners would differ from teaching learners of other ages, I found a lot of useful information in this course specifically regarding the topic of classroom management. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Melissa M. For context, most teaching environments for entry-level teaching positions in Japan involve a foreign teacher working alongside a native Japanese teacher. That being said, with the proper certifications and...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences The Moroccan ministry of education based its formation of the curricula on the view that sees culture and language as interwoven parts that cannot be separated from each other. This view is supported by Brown (1994:165) 'A language is a part of a culture and a culture is a part of a language; the two are intricately interwoven so that one cannot separate the two without losing the significance of either language or culture. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Auroi A. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. We cannot deny the importance of teaching culture to English language learners in sharpening their understanding of language...  [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 Teaching Ideas As teachers, we often assume that we understand what our students are going through and that we can relate to the experience of learning in school because we have been there ourselves. However, many of us who teach English as a foreign language require a different empathy element to relate to our students truly. Learning a new language is a humbling experience, and doing it as a foreigner in a foreign culture is even more humbling. The question is, how many language educators can relate to this? Personally, though I do not know how many TEFL teachers have experienced a foreign language and culture for an extended period, I have had the privilege to experience it myself for...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences I work in two schools. I am an assistant language teacher at one commercial (low-level English) high school, and an integrated (high-level English) academic junior high and high school. I have had experiences with different kinds of students, Japanese-English teachers, and classroom atmospheres. In Japan, students take an entrance exam to get into high school. If they scored low on the entrance exam, then they are placed in the lowest ranking class. Each school has a certain number of classrooms for each grade. Both of my high schools have six classes total for each grade. There are usually around forty to forty-two students in each class as well. Teaching forty plus students in a crowded classroom is...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas A multilingual class is a class where the learners speak a variety of first languages. A monolingual class is a class where all the learners speak the same first language. I have been working in international school setting for over 13 years. The classes are multilingual classes where students come from different cultures and English is the common language for them to communicate with their teachers and classmates. By contrast, English classes in local schools and universities in China are considered to be monolingual classes since the students use their first language, Chinese, to communicate. The teacher has to remind them to not use their mother tongue constantly during class...  [Read more]

Mark Crocker Alumni Experiences The local cultural environment undoubtedly plays a crucial role in a community’s education system. When specifically talking about developing countries, it is unavoidable to include Laos among those with a strong cultural background. Although Laos can be considered a fairly small country, it surprisingly contains more than 45 different ethnic groups, most of which boast their own traditions, culture, and language. This is a peculiar context that certainly needs to be taken into consideration when talking about education development. In a country like Laos, where old traditions and beliefs are still strongly followed by the community, the education system tends to absorb many of the local customary rules. This...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Cultural awareness within a classroom is very important because in every country people hold different values and belief's that revolve around tier way of life. offend people on purpose or through ignorance is not good as it could lead to being ostracized or even dangerous. either of which is now way to start our your TEFL career. in this summative task, I will discuss this subject. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Clay W. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. In many countries, the way of life can be very important to the natives there. the way of life can be very foreign to an incoming English teacher and it's very important that...  [Read more]

Sahil Gazi TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Anyone who has studied linguistics or is a linguist has often been faced with the question, “so how many languages do you speak?” A point of short-lived frustration in these scenarios, linguists are often mistaken for being polyglots. Although sometimes they will focus on a particular language and even become fluent in it, their goal is not to translate documents or conversations for the sole purpose of doing so. Linguistics, therefore, is the study of human languages, the brain processes that allow us to communicate with each other. With some of the big questions tackled being, how does the brain put together sentences, learn new languages,...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Have young English learners in other countries faced the same problems as those who are in Vietnam? Some may appear alike but the others may occur differently. Personally, each individual may engage in varied private troubles. On a small scale of this little essay, it is advised to discuss three main objective factors that the majority of young learners may encounter. They are passive learning style, less communication practice yet heavy-grammar structure, and attitude towards education. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Nguyen V. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. One of the most controversial reasons that take the blame for...  [Read more]