Different Phrases In Different Languages

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Imagine going back in time to the late nineteenth or early twentieth century in Great Britain. If the question of whether it is proper to teach slang and idioms to students were posed to a teacher in that period, I do not doubt in my mind that any proper English teacher would frown upon the notion of it. If you were to ask an English teacher today, you would receive a much different answer. The gradual globalization of the English language has been driven by various factors, one of which is business. 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 is no doubt that English is the world’s...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Teaching slang and idioms is essential for ESL students and should be an integral part of any ESL curriculum. Learning slang and expressions can help an ESL student understand better native speakers who will almost universally use some slang and some idioms in their natural speech. Studying slang and idioms can also help an ESL student speak more naturally, either compensating for a weaker English grasp or adding to a вstrong English base. The application of studying slang and idioms that have perhaps the most relevance in a classroom and to a teacher is that it can help to elucidate complicated grammar by showcasing how slang twists the...  [Read more]

  This diary entry was completed after Chantelle finished unit 15. Unit 15 looks at different ways of evaluating and testing your students and the importance of doing so. Types of test covered include placement tests, progress tests, diagnostic tests, and practice tests. The unit also looks at the different external examinations students are likely to take such as TOEFL and IELTS. 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 found the explanation of...  [Read more]

Mark Crocker Teaching Ideas Of the four language skills taught in an ESL classroom, listening skills are often overlooked as teachers can be unsure how to make these lessons interesting and relevant to their students. However, as listening skills are a fundamental part of the language learning process, it is vital that we give them the classroom time they deserve. The good news is that there are many ways to make listening skills lessons both fun and productive. Here are 6 ideas for livening up your lesson plans. One simple way to engage your students in a listening lesson is to use popular culture as a tool. Most students would much rather listen to music, TV shows, movies, or podcasts than sit through a dry monologue from a textbook. To add...  [Read more]

  This video provides a detailed overview of the passive voice of the English language. Watch the video to find out exactly what distinguishes the active voice from the passive and vice versa. 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 was short and sweet. It did have ample information on what to do when confronted with certain issues. However I believe there is no textbook answer as to how to deal with certain issues as all are very different...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Grammar is the rules governing the composition of clauses, phrases, and words in a natural language. Simply put, grammar is the general rule of a language. Language is logical; grammar tells us in which order we say words. It’s about how words become phrases; how words and phrases become sentences and how sentences become language. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Yang S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Some of these rules are acquired naturally in childhood while others are acquired in the learning process under the guidance of a teacher. While most of the time, people don’t know which grammatical rule they are following...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In January, I stood in front of a class of breakthrough English students at a university in Bogotá, Colombia. I’d never taught students in an ESL classroom before, but I was pretty confident having seven years of experience under my belt and a degree in literature. I was naive. I began the lesson with the class that my co-teacher had lent me for the first time. The objective of the lesson was to practice using past tense through storytelling; five minutes into it, I called on a student with his hand in the air. “ What up, My Nigga!” He said it and I almost lost all of my composure on the first day while I should have been thinking about building rapport. This post was written by our TEFL certification...  [Read more]

  In this TEFL review video, Maria discusses how she is very pleased with her experience of studying with ITTT. Having completed the 120-hour online TEFL course with videos and tutor support she received her certificate within just a few weeks. Maria points out that the course is suitable for anyone no matter their level of expertise. 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. In this unit I learned that a beginner may have learned vocabulary but it is...  [Read more]

  The next idea we're going to consider is the use of visual aids and visual aids can include some examples such as real, objects, which we call realia, the use of pictures and photographs and also the use of models. So let's consider some of the ideas surrounding the use of visual aids. Well, why are they useful? Well, first of all the use of a visual aid can reduce teacher talk time. It's very much more simple just to show a real object than to try to describe it so that we could just ask the students ?what is this,? and they would say ?this is a pen,? rather than trying to actually describe it. Again if we were trying to show examples of fruit and vegetables rather than to try and describe them why not use an actual model and this is going to be much more visually stimulating...  [Read more]

Jon ITTT Alumni Experiences There are many learning techniques and the course covered four major groups – constructivists, maturationists, environmentalists, and others. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Kathi Z. The fundamentals of the maturation theory is the natural biological process humans go through. There is a natural sequence of events that take place despite external stimuli. The fundamentals of the environmental theory is the environment in which we exist. How we behave is a response to what is happening around us. This idea is different from how maturationists believe that we will develop in a systematic way. Our behavior is a reaction to our surroundings. The constructivists believe that learning is a...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Teaching techniques are a crucial aspect within the classroom and encompass all the different ways to take important information that a learner requires in understanding a specific topic and projecting it across a classroom/skype in a way that all the learners will listen, comprehend and apply. Teaching techniques come in many different forms. They can be in the form of simplistic games or the form of choral repetition. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Brendan S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Different teaching techniques target different and specific areas of the subject and in the case of a TEFL teacher, the teaching...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Enjoying music is an essential part of the human experience, so it follows that incorporating the use of songs in the classroom can be an enriching part of an English learner’s journey. Songs and music can be used in a variety of EFL classrooms, across all cultures, levels of learning, and ages. The benefits of incorporating music in English language study vary from simple vocabulary learning to discover themes about cultures different than the student’s own. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Elizabeth H. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The methods of using songs in the classroom will vary across factors, a significant one...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas ESL classroom is quite a sensitive place. Students can quickly get excited about what they learn if a teacher finds the right key to their motivation. However, sometimes ESL teachers may unconsciously use words that could hurt students intensely. Read on for the top 7 things that ESL teachers should avoid saying to students to make sure your students feel comfortable. This phrase is very unpleasant to hear and irritates many students. Nobody wants to hear that they are bad at something when they spend a lot of time on it. Hearing such words from their teacher is even more frustrating. Instead of demotivating your student with this phrase, try saying "If you keep learning...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas For many years, drilling has been used in foreign language classrooms. This approach to language teaching places an emphasis on repeating structural patterns through oral practice. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Jazmin W. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. When using the technique of drilling, if used appropriately, it can be a very productive and proactive way for students to memorize and retain vocabulary and structural context within a sentence. It could be argued that when learning a foreign language, the thought that repeating phrases correctly lots of times can lead to master that language. Yet, it dials down to a far...  [Read more]

  In this episode, we cover the pronunciation of the word "belated". This word refers to something that happened later than it should have. A common use of the word is in the following phrase "Happy belated birthday," used by people who wish someone a happy birthday after the actual birthday. Synonyms for belated include late and overdue. 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 feel like this unit has helped me to establish the roles of a good...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences What does it mean to learn a language? Generally, when we talk about learning a language, we mean a process that starts with a person not knowing a language but ends up knowing it, regardless of the number of languages a person might already know. Of course, this is an overly simplified definition, but it gives us a decent starting point. So why are our experiences and the mental image of acquiring our first language so different from one of learning a foreign language? In this essay, I will consider the perceived difference between first and second language acquisition. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Eszter E. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the...  [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]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences In the past few years, teaching English as a second language on the internet has gained a lot of reputation for English teachers around the world. The convenience of only needing a stable internet connection and a computer to go to work sounds far more pleasing than going to a school or other institution to teach a couple of hours per day. Additionally, online teaching provides opportunities for English teachers to travel to new destinations while still being able to work as a freelancer. Consequently, teaching English to children online, in different parts of the world, must be one of the most rewarding aspects of the job. However, many obstacles need to be overcome to be a successful English teacher for...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Teaching styles can vary drastically and no one style is king. Over time and in different parts of the world different styles have risen to prominence while others lose favor. The effectiveness of a teaching style depends on the students, their need, the language they are being taught, the language they are being taught in, and many other factors. Effective teachers will be familiar with different styles and the various methods introduced in each style. They will be capable of creating their own unique style based on what is most effective for their situation. The following methodologies of teaching all have their strengths and weaknesses, most are found to be outdated or overly flawed but we can still learn...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Unlike many other countries, India does not have a national language. There are over 30 official languages spoken in India. English has been adopted by the government for judicial and administrative proceedings, and most Indians have a functional understanding of English. However, many Indians struggle to learn and use English effectively. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Tejaswini K. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Native languages influence pronunciations of English syllables/words, e.g. people who speak north Indian languages usually pronounce the word ‘here’ as ‘hare/hair’, people from the east often...  [Read more]

Michela Coticone TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Teaching a new language to children can come with many challenges because there is limited time and sometimes limited attention spans. To effectively teach a new language, children need to have a feeling of confidence in the fact that they can perform what they are being taught, and the element of having fun while learning. Children, just like adults, need repetition to effectively learn a task. Repetition Repetition alias Drilling: Is it an Effective Way to Remember Language Points? will allow a child to mentally prepare themselves for a task that will happen at a certain time of the day, therefore they can begin to anticipate what their...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Learning a second language can prove to have a variety of obstacles. Between age, time available for study, access to resources, and more, the desire to master another language must be given a strong priority to succeed. Just as individual learners will face their issues in the learning process, there are often similarities between language learners from a specific country or region. For English language learners from South Korea, where the standard college entrance exam contains sufficient English components (Kim, 2012), the necessity to learn is as high as the obstacles. Based on grammar differences, pronunciation, and a general fear of speaking English, English language learners in South Korea face issues...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Benjamin Franklin quoted “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” Verbal communication is one of the most essential abilities that a student can lead both for social and educational achievement. It can consider the introductory stage of learning. It is indispensable to cultivate communication skills for the development of young learners so that he/she can carry out of articulating him or herself. Throughout the day students process and convey in a diverse means such as making requests, asking questions, receiving and exchanging new information, expressing ideas, sharing opinions, giving instructions, and interacting with peers. This post was written by our TEFL certification...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences There is a grander purpose of education in a society and a community. Education is the cornerstone of any social community or society. When you have the education you can understand and have a basis for political, religious, and economic points. Knowing is the basis of existence, remembering holds a legacy. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Jessi H. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The role of the teacher is to teach students how to think critically and objectively about the world around them, and to have an influence on the world around them. Another important role the teacher has is to teach the methods of learning so that...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences Today there is a worldwide trend that parents want their offspring to be able to speak English and they hold the notion that the earlier kids start learning the foreign language, the more impressive results they will receive. This post talks about the advantages and disadvantages of teaching English to very young students. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Marina B. On the one hand, small children benefit substantially from learning a foreign language. They consider English classes to be fun and interactive. It is next to impossible for a teacher not to use games and songs in the classroom. Singing Super Simple Songs, young students learn sounds, words, and even phrases. Such songs are...  [Read more]

1. Introduction 2. Safety First 3. Packing Essentials 4. Cultural Sensitivity Solo female travel is a transformative experience that allows women to explore the world on their own terms. It can be empowering, liberating, and a great way to connect with different cultures. However, safety concerns and cultural differences can sometimes make it daunting for women to embark on solo adventures. In this guide, we will provide you with essential tips and advice to help you navigate solo female travel with confidence and ease. When traveling solo as a woman, safety should always be your top priority. Research your destination thoroughly before your trip and familiarize yourself with local customs and laws. Avoid walking alone at night in unfamiliar areas and always trust your instincts. It's also...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences In 2016, I was given the amazing opportunity to teach English in the beautiful country of Brazil. In my first few weeks there, I learned how to teach by observing a professional instructor at the English language school and then practicing in front of my new colleagues. These were my first steps into the world of teaching. This post was written by our ITTT graduate Kyler J. During my first month at the English school in Brazil, I learned as much about the culture of Brazil and the students who lived there as I did about being a teacher. When I finally began working directly with the students in my second month, I started with the advanced and master classes. Later on, I would begin my work with the intermediate...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences The contrast between primary language acquisition and second language learning interests professional linguists, language pedagogues, and ordinary students alike. To say that the processes are distinct and involve very different learning processes, as well as even altogether different spheres of the brain is an understatement: these are indeed different functions (Limacher, Ute “Language Acquisition Versus Language Learning” ). This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Brett M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Notwithstanding insights offered by modern neurolinguistics, which are numerous in explaining the striking differences...  [Read more]

Federico Riva Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas When using the ESA methodology, there are a number of lesson formats available. In the third of this series we look at a Patchwork lesson. What does a Patchwork lesson look like and for what level of student is it most appropriate? Lesson aim: For the students to be able to discuss holidays using vocabulary and conducting a role-play. Student Level: Intermediate (Due to the complexity of Patchwork lessons they should only be used for Intermediate level and above) We start by reminding ourselves of the form of a Patchwork ESA lesson. We start with an engage as always and we will finish with an activate and there will be some combination of E, S and A within the brackets. Starting...  [Read more]

Jon ITTT TEFL Information As with most professions the world of [Teaching English as a Foreign Language](37 Key English Teaching Terms Explained) has many of its own particular and sometimes peculiar terms and jargon. Getting to grips with the wide array of acronyms in the industry can sometimes feel like learning a whole new language! So if you have trouble telling the difference between your IWB and your OHP this article is a great guide to what’s what in the English language teaching industry. Two of the most commonly used phrases in English teaching relate to certification, and they are the two that cause most confusion. The culprits are TEFL and TESOL. TEFL stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language and TESOL means Teaching English...  [Read more]