Elicit Meaning In English

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Learning new vocabulary is considered as an integral part of learning a new language. Even children who learn their mother tongues learn isolated phrases and words before making complex sentences. Similarly, in second language learning, teaching new words and phrases plays an important role in helping learners’ communication. Based on David Wilkins “without grammar very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed”. If learners spend their time on learning grammar, their English will not improve greatly. However, if they learn more words, phrases, and expressions, they can express almost anything (Thornberry, 2002; Watkin, 2005). This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Lewis (1993) claims that “Lexis is the core or heart of language” (p 89). Indeed, it is one of the basic steps of mastering a foreign language. Vocabulary knowledge is what makes verbal communication between people possible. Most teachers face problems when teaching new items. They feel the need to use techniques to have an effective lesson. Over the years, teachers have tried to find the most effective and practical strategies to teach vocabulary. They have been applying several methods like fill in the blank definitions, pre-teaching unfamiliar words and stressing high-frequency words. This essay will just focus on three strategies that can help teach vocabularies such as using visual aids, highlighting...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Lewis (1993) claims that “Lexis is the core or heart of language” (p 89). Indeed, it is one of the basic steps of mastering a foreign language. Vocabulary knowledge is what makes verbal communication between people possible. Most teachers face problems when teaching new items. They feel the need to use techniques to have an effective lesson. Over the years, teachers have tried to find the most effective and practical strategies to teach vocabulary. They have been applying several methods like fill in the blank definitions, pre-teaching unfamiliar words and stressing high-frequency words. This essay will just focus on three strategies that can help teach vocabularies such as using visual aids, highlighting...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Teachers often encounter difficulties in various aspects of language teaching. The main task of every teacher is to motivate and engage a student in the process of language learning. In this regard, teachers try to set a learning environment in the classrooms to be able to demonstrate and make learners stay focused on the lessons. There are different methods and approaches to learning English, and it is not always easy to choose the best one to make a lesson effective and successful. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Mahri J. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Among a great variety of essential parts of language learning,...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas How do we start to learn a language? - With words. Little babies first say single words and only in some period of time they start saying sentences. So teaching vocabulary is one of the most important things in learning a foreign language. If we imagine language as a tree, grammar is a trunk of the tree and vocabulary is its leaves. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Anastasiia D. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. When I was studying at university we had a task to read a book and put down every unknown word, and then once in two weeks, our teacher asked us 50 words from the list we made. Was it helpful for me? Of course not. Some...  [Read more]

  The final stage of the lesson will be the activate and the activate phase is going to form the main speaking activity within the lesson. So, it's very very important that here, we do a good demonstration of what it is that we're expecting them to do, that we elicit the type of target language we're expecting them to produce from the activity. So, one way we could go around it is to, firstly, form pairs. Each pair is going to be given a card and onto that card they're going to write the country and a month. What the teacher can then do, just to add a little bit of spice to it, is to collect all of the cards and shuffle them around and then redistribute them to the pairs so that they get a card that doesn't have their country or their month on it. What they're then going to do is...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Slang and idioms are often omitted from the formal education curriculum. According to the Cambridge dictionary, slang is defined as a “very informal language that is usually spoken rather than written, used especially by particular groups of people” and an idiom is defined as “a group of words in a fixed order that have a particular meaning that is different from the meanings of each word on its own”. This essay will suggest possible reasons why slang and idioms are often excluded from formal English lessons, and posit that it is important to teach them to certain groups of ESL students namely, students who have moved to an English-speaking country with little or no prior knowledge of the language and...  [Read more]

  Thailand is firmly established as one of Asia's must-see destinations and is a favorite stop for many on the traditional backpacker trail. For those who want to stay on for an extended visit the good news is there is a healthy demand for English language teachers in many parts of the country. Although wages may not match those found in some of the region's teaching hotspots, you can still earn enough to live a comfortable lifestyle and to enjoy all that this beautiful country has to offer. In the past it was almost the norm for teachers to work 'under the table' without a proper work permit, however, those days are largely gone and you now need to have the necessary paperwork in place if you want to earn a good salary. To be granted a work permit you need to possess a degree in...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Teachers who want to have good performance in class should have good lesson planning. Teachers should answer these questions before preparing lesson planning: what am I teaching? Whom am I teaching? How will I teach? And how will I know if the students understand? This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Phuong T. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Writing a lesson plan is very important for all teachers. A lesson plan helps the teacher to keep on target during the lesson. Writing lesson plans following each topic will create the connection of course. Teachers and students will not confuse when teaching and learning. Also Read: What are...  [Read more]

  The next example is going to be that of a boomerang lesson and remember the structure is like this. So, again, we're going to start with an engage phase and for our engage, the students are just going to have a discussion about jobs. What happens at interviews and so on and so forth. So, during that engage phase, what we'd hope to do is to elicit some useful language about jobs and interviews and the types of questions that are being asked. Then, we're going to move immediately into an activate activity and this is going to involve a role-play. So, we'll break the students into pairs. One will be an interviewer, the other will be an interviewee and they'll generate the language that that role-play will produce. What the teacher can do whilst that is taking place is to go around...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas As we all know, motivate students is a signature party of a teaching career. In the future, we maybe will teach the businesswomen/businessmen group, our pupil group. Motivate them and keep them studying is an expression of working ability. Here comes a question, what methods we can use to motivate students? This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Zixi Y. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Above all, we need to change our roles from a student to a teacher. Also, we can call it a manager, organizer, assessor or prompter, etc. in the classroom. Some of the teacher’s features are a good teacher should be kind and patient, and be able to...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Visual images aids can add interest and often add meaning in a way that words can’t. This is especially true for ESL students who don’t have sufficient words to understand detailed spoken explanations. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate JunCui Z. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. People learn in different ways. For example, some people learn well by listening, some by movement and touch and many people respond well to seeing things. There are many different learning styles, so having variety in your presentations gives attention to these different styles and helps everyone succeed. Bringing something of interest in the...  [Read more]

Shirin Sophy Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas The study stage, when the teaching is actually done, is the second phase of a straight-arrow ESA lesson plan. What needs to be taught in this stage depends on the course content and the source the teacher is expected to cover through a specific period. But generally speaking, languages are made of receptive and productive skills in addition to systems like syntax or grammar, vocabulary or lexis, and phonology. The content of textbooks is normally centered around these areas. Although the ESA method is supposed to be applied for almost every lesson, no matter if it is allocated to a skill or system, the details of the procedure may vary based on the aspect of language that is...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas ESA is a learning methodology invented by Jeremy Harmer. April 30, 1947, He has taught English in Mexico and the UK and has trained teachers around the world. He is the series editor of the “How to teach” series, and the author of the highly acclaimed The Practice of English Language Teaching and How to teach English. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Nawal S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The ESA method which he invented, has all the factors students need in a classroom, for example, motivated, exposed to the language, and have the opportunity to use it. ESA is short for engaging, study activate. The three most needed...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas The Engage, Study, Active (ESA) method is a combination of different methods. It was created by Jeremy Harmer when he wrote the book called “How to Teach English” in 1998. In this book, he gives an overview of the different methodologies such as Task-Based Learning, Community Language Learning, and Suggestopedia. He then describes a new methodology: ESA. This method has three main parts that are utilized in different ways to create three distinct ESA lessons discussed below. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Kelly H. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The first part is the Engage Phase. This phase is used to warm students up....  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas When considering how an ESL student learns the English language, the first aspect of the teaching material an instructor must consider is the vocabulary. Vocabulary, when breaking a sentence into individual pieces, gives a sentence its meaning. Of course, using the appropriate grammar is essential to communicating at the highest level, especially if a student is to be considered proficient to any degree. Regardless of grammar, if a student does not know the basic vocabulary, the message the student wants to convey will never leave the mental painting in the depths of his or her mind. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Jordon T. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences When I first made the transition from primary school to university, I knew that my lesson plans were clearly going to have to change. As I began to come up with ideas for my new job, I was disappointed that most of the content I previously used had no place in the university. Games, such as Hangman and Pictionary, worked excellently in capturing the interests of my young students, but I didn’t think these childish games had any place in a university classroom. I found out weeks later how wrong I was when I used Pictionary at the beginning of one of my courses to ‘preview’ the vocabulary we would be covering in class that day. I discovered that day that games can support a lesson if the educator...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Grammatical structures are the essential building blocks to any language, English is no exception. Without a frame, a painting will fall off the wall or lose its form. The meaning behind the words is very much the same as a painting in a frame. The ideas which are meant to be conveyed are like the characters of a painting, the grammatical tools are like the colors, the structure and order of the words are like the brushstrokes which add depth and tone to a work of art. English is art. Subjects, objects, and verbs are the colors, shapes, and tones of basic English. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Daniel T. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences The best thing I’ve learned from this course begins with the EFL teacher as an instrument of facilitation. The creative spark that ignites a flame in every student that is trying to master a new language. A teacher doesn’t need to be perfect but must be fully present and prepared with a positive, supportive vibe. The successful teacher is a role model, a subject matter expert, and a skilled conductor of English language learning and immersion. Course books aside, from the very first lesson, a teacher identifies the level of learners and builds rapport with students through engaging activities that aim to reveal the students’ needs and interests. These interests can then be incorporated into future lesson...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences ESA stands for Engage, Study, and Activate. It is an effective and logical method used to teach new Language (Jeremy Harmer). By using ESA, it gives teachers the flexibility to conduct a classroom in an organized and productive way. ESA is extremely important when it comes to teaching, in the sense that it keeps the students interested, motivated and eager to learn more. ESA is particularly appropriate for trainees and new teachers, hence the course is based around. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Evelyn S. This is the first phase/ stage that teachers should always start the lesson with. In the engage stage, the teacher tries to arouse the students' interest and gets them to involve in...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas ESA is a common methodology that teachers use when teaching students another language. It is also a large part of your TEFL certification course. By using the layout of the ESA method to plan your lessons, they will be more structured, organized and effective. This post was written by our ITTT graduate Casandra L. ESA stands for engage, study, and activate. By using ESA, it gives teacher's the flexibility to conduct a classroom in an organized and productive way. ESA is extremely important when it comes to teaching, because it keeps the students interested, motivated, and eager to learn more. That is why all teachers, especially new ones, should learn the ESA method when teaching students a new language. The first...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Teaching vocabulary is one of the important ways for teachers to help English students succeed. When students expand their vocabulary, they can improve other language skills. The more vocabulary students have, the more words they can use to express thinking in their minds. And there are so many ways to help students to build their vocabulary, especially the three following ways. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Anh N. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The first way is using visual stimuli to present vocabulary. Visual learning plays a big role in academic careers for many people. One of the visual ways working effectively is...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Thom P. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Lesson Objectives: Students will practice recognizing homophones and practice the correct, indefinite, and zero articles. Summary of tasks/actions Warm-Up: Vocabulary Review (10 minutes) Tell students that they will play a game to review some of the words that they talked about last week. Divide the class into two teams. One person from each team stands at the back of the room, and one person from each stands by the board. Divide the board into four parts. Label each piece the...  [Read more]

Jon ITTT Alumni Experiences Upon completion of my TESOL course, the best thing I have learned is actually plural and not limited to one item. Most importantly a TESOL instructor needs to be able to reach all students with varying needs, styles and preferences of learning in order to ensure the highest degree of probability that his or her students learn English, while keeping all students in the class as engaged as possible at all times. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Dina P. For this reason, I have developed an ongoing list of strategies and techniques that I have learned that will hopefully reach all learners using visual, audio, tactile and kinesthetic materials and approaches which include: responsive, collaborative...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In my classroom, I often hear many of my students saying, "I want to be good at English." At the same time, I am aware that most of them almost lose their motivation for learning English. After studying English hard to pass the entrance examination, they are free from the "obligational" study of English. Now in college, no one in the classroom speaks out that English is unnecessary. On the contrary, they answered that they need to study English because it is a global language. More importantly, the ability to command the language strongly influences the success of their job hunting. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Milos O. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences My biggest takeaway from my TEFL certification course with ITTT is the topic of learning techniques. Learning techniques vary depending on race, gender, age, cultural background , past experiences and several other variables of the students involved. I will describe my personal past experiences in regards to the subject at hand. I would like to take a moment to thank the ITTT staff for putting together this highly informative and enlightening TEFL program. It is well written, easy to understand and well organized for new and experienced ESL teachers alike. This post was written by our ITTT graduate Svetlana V. One of the first things I learned during my 60-hour TEFL course was that children are divided into two...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Let’s remember the latest class you’ve had. What were you doing? Were you explaining a new rule? Were you answering your students’ questions? Were you telling a story from your life? Weren’t you talking too much? Let’s discuss how to decrease teacher speaking time (TST) and increase student speaking time (SST). This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate DALER R. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. According to the communicative approach, TST shouldn’t be greater than SST, moreover, it must be much less than the last one. Why? There are several reasons. First of all, we have to mention that the more a teacher talks the less...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Being an English teacher, teaching skills are very important. The quality of learning result depends on many factors, but the teacher's methods are the essential elements for learners' learning progress, motivation, enthusiasm, etc. to help them have the best result in studying English. I will concentrate on "How to teach vocabulary effectively". This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Nhat D. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. It can't be denied that the learning outcomes mainly depend on the effort of each learner, but the mission of each teacher is no less important. Vocabulary is one of the most important factors for learners, those...  [Read more]

Federico Riva Alumni Experiences “Engage-Study-Activate” also known as ESA - is an effective teaching model designed by Jeremy Harmer. This methodology means, that for the best involvement of students in a learning process, the conditions of the lesson should be flexible and divided for different activities. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Dmitrii Z. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. “Engage” phase is a sequence, where the teacher tries to give an interest in a new topic by implication of different games related to the lesson. Such a beginning gives the “warm” for the next phase of the lesson. “Study” phase is focused on the construction of the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Finding the perfect balance between being a fun teacher who creates an environment in which students want to be a part of and are excited to learn and a teacher who is firm enough to maintain discipline in the classroom is possibly the most daunting challenge of a new teacher. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Christine F. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The very first class assigned to him will be once a day with 18-second grade students. These students are monolingual and the class is the only time they will be learning English each day. The teacher will see these students every day for a 50-minute class. This new teacher...  [Read more]