English Teacher Blog

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences I decided to write about the subject I’m an expert in, my personal teaching experience. The focus will be on what I’ve gained from the last nine years as an EFL instructor. I’ll begin by telling you about my first teaching position in rural South Korea. Next, I’ll share my experience taking the TEFL course. Finally, I’ll discuss my efforts to become an independent online English instructor. I hope my experience can provide some insight into some of the many options for EFL teachers. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Karissa B. After too many hours in an airplane and another two hours in a taxi, I finally arrived at my new home. My co-teacher was there to meet me. He would become...  [Read more]

Federico Riva TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Welcome, my name is Linda nice to see you. I’m a TEFL and TESOL professional at ITTT and I’ve been living and working in Asia since 2012-ish and I live in South Korea and I’ve been here for five and a half years. I also taught English in China and here in Korea as well and I also work for ITTT and we have a guest so to speak but also from ITTT but joining us for the first time my colleague Lisa. My name is Liza. I’m a TEFL and TESOL expert at ITTT as Linda and I’m also a former ESL teacher. I’ve been teaching online this year but before I worked in China as a lead teacher in a kindergarten so that was quite fun and I'll share my...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences Nowadays English has become a common language that helps to facilitate the communication between people from diverse backgrounds and ethnicities. English may not be the most widely used language in the world, but it is the official language of 53 countries and it is used by around 400 million people worldwide. As a result, being able to speak English does not only mean communicating with native English speakers, but it also means opening the door to new international chances and opportunities. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Hadjar B. Therefore, being an ESL teacher can literally mean making a difference in someone’s life. But is being a native speaker an absolute must for teaching...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences There is no overemphasizing the importance of the English language in the world. English is likely the most widely spoken world language. Hence, it is of optimal importance that the teachers of English language measure up to the status bequeathed the language in the world. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Abubakar M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. First and most importantly, a good English teacher must be well-versed in the language they teach, the English language. An English teacher who doesn't profess knowledge in the language shouldn't take a classroom in the first place. Knowledge can come from reading and...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Being an English teacher can be challenging when he/she do/does not count on the qualities mentioned down below. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Tatiana M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The teacher must be patient with his students, without forgetting about the goals of the class. As a teacher (especially with kids) we have to understand that not everyone's mind works the same and not everyone absorbs the information at the same speed. Some subjects might be more difficult for some specific students and we don't have to lose control or judge the students for it. A good teacher would find the right way to approach the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Albert Einstein once said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge,” a quote that exemplifies a major quality that a teacher should be able to express comfortably within their classroom environment. While being able to express imaginative ideas within a lesson plan, a teacher of the English language should possess other qualities that will help advance their student's knowledge. A teacher should remain kind and patient, have a dedication to teaching, be imaginative, should bring a positive and fun energy to the classroom, and make a connection with their class. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Dana K. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences I believe that volunteering as a concept is a worthwhile activity, especially if the volunteer is helping a charity. In the field of volunteer teaching, the volunteer can also gain valuable teaching experience which can provide a great start to their teaching career. This follows my personal experience. I started my teaching career as a volunteer teacher of sixteen to twenty-year-old pupils at CDC (the Children’s Development Centre), which is a school for Burmese migrants in Mae Sot, Thailand. I had no previous teaching experience at all, and the position allowed me to gradually gain teaching experience. I felt very happy to teach the subject "Community Development" to the pupils because this was my field of...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Ever since I was a little girl, education has been a huge part of my life. My mother was a teacher at the elementary school I attended and also taught me and my sisters Japanese after school in our home. I have always been inquisitive, constantly asking questions to my parents and teachers about topics I was interested in and about things I didn't quite understand. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Kim S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. I always enjoyed learning and loved the feeling of accomplishment when I received high scores on tests and other assignments. My favorite subjects were reading, writing, and spelling....  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Every teacher wants to be good and effective when it comes to teaching, but what exactly are the qualities that make a good teacher? Are there specific characteristics, talents, and skills that a teacher needs to learn and acquire to be called a good and effective teacher? This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Sherry Ann G. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Effectiveness in teaching is an elusive idea. How can we tell if a teacher is being successful in his or her field? Some people measure the effectiveness of a teacher by looking at his or her students’ achievements. Others measure it by the ratings their supervisors give. Do we...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Teachers are resourceful and students expect lots of values from them as teachers themselves are expected to share molding lessons as well. Upon delivering ‎language lessons, the personal qualities of teachers engage the classroom dynamics well. Let's see some personal qualities of teachers that contribute positive empowerment. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Fasil K. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Motivation activates. It refreshes, shakes, walks and moves students' activities. Motivation invites involvement, elevates enthusiasm, accommodates self-initiative, energizes ambition, welcomes attention and embraces...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Teaching is not an easy profession, to begin with. Furthermore, teaching English as a foreign language adds even more complications and considerations. Many different qualities contribute to the aptitude of an English teacher. For starters, one must have the aptitude for the language itself. English, like all other languages, is a difficult and complex language. To teach a language properly, the teacher must have a certain level of fluency in that language. Although this may seem obvious, it is an important requirement because teaching a student incorrectly is almost worse than not teaching them anything at all. Therefore, fluency in English is an important enough characteristic that I feel it deserves a mention....  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas As teachers set expectations for their students, students naturally have expectations for their teachers. To be an effective teacher, regardless of the subject being taught, one must be knowledgeable in their field. However, teaching English calls for specific personal qualities that can ultimately distinguish a good teacher from a great teacher. These qualities include, but are not limited to patience, dedication, and compassion. With these attributes, the teacher can foster a comfortable learning environment for their students. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Yvonne D. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Teaching English,...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences In traditional teaching, teachers are not only the teachers of teaching content, the controller of the teaching process, the organizer of the teaching activities, the judges of the students’ academic achievements, but also the absolute authority. This kind of teaching style of laying too much stress on teaching by teachers instead of understanding and learning by students themselves overstretched the dominant position of teachers, ignoring the students at the center. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Lingyi T. The constructivism learning theory denies the central position of teachers in traditional teaching and advocates the development of students’ subjectivity. It points out...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Lately, I have been hearing the question “Can a non- native English speaker teach English?” and my answer to this is “YES” but in certain conditions. My answer is based on my experience as a non-native English teacher that is why I chose this topic. I would like to tell my story of being a non-native English teacher. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Maricor B. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Way back in the Philippines, there was no hard time for me to apply to schools and companies because, in our country, almost all of the English teachers are Filipinos. I grew up learning English through my Filipino- English...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Personal qualities are one’s identity and the characteristic of an individual. They all define to you who you are and which kind of relationship you have. Therefore, personal abilities are one of the core parts of human life to have effective communication in both daily life and business life. The basic point is that there are a lot of personal attributes such as; patience, sincere, open-minded, reliable, kind, ethical, responsible, enthusiastic, and so forth. Examining the working circumstances and which is the more suitable for defining the workplace because every work has its conditions to study about this occupation. At that point, all around the world, one of the significant systems in education....  [Read more]

Hadassah Roberts Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas One should know that a healthy classroom stems from a healthy teacher. When the teacher is healthy, then the whole class atmosphere will be much more alive. The students will see the healthiness of the teacher and will be inspired to protect and build their health. This, in turn, will cause increased happiness and progress in their studies. Over the years in my teaching experiences, I have worked hard to increase my health for the benefit of not only myself but also for the benefit of my students. I have found some life habits that have greatly improved my health and helped me to maintain my health. I want to share what I have learned with other teachers so that we can increase...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Ever since online English teaching became a common means of delivering lessons, every online English teacher must strive for excellence to guarantee their students' best learning experience. In this article, we will consider ten common mistakes that English teachers make when teaching online. This problem is fundamental to both in-class and online teaching. When it comes to distant learning, it is more challenging to choose a suitable approach. Some teachers tend to include too much information, which influences the overall quality of the materials. Others prefer to focus on more particular points in terms of one session but finally realize...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Being an English teacher is a very important job and takes a special kind of person. A teacher of any kind needs to have the qualities that ensure student success otherwise they should not be in this role because it would be unfair to the students and inevitably hinder their learning experience. Some of the main qualities a good teacher should possess are creativity, patience, confidence, and supportiveness. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Paisley H. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. An English teacher needs to have a good level of creativity because you cannot predict what the strengths and weaknesses of your group of...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In today’s world teaching online has become commonplace. Teaching online gives people from all over the world access to resources that would otherwise be extremely difficult if not impossible for them to attain, whether it’s due to financial burdens or strict time schedules. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Devina S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Studying online provides the learner with the flexibility of learning when it is convenient for them, which means that they can still work, raise a family or carry out other hobbies while doing the course. Online courses tend to be cheaper than face-to-face classes, and this...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas I came to China about a year ago now, I left America with just the items in my backpack and enough money to eat for a few days. Coming to China was the biggest change I have had in my life (for the better) and it has opened my eyes to many opportunities I could potentially pursue. I came here alone to meet my best friend and his uncle, who runs an English school with foreign teachers. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate mitchell c. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. My best friend’s uncle suggested I go to college and get my TEFL to become an English teacher for him. All my life I had never imagined I would ever become an English...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences The first and most important quality for a teacher, regardless of what you teach, is the love for teaching. When we do things with passion, the energy that we put on it changes completely the result we obtain, as well as the entire experience for us and our students. Of course, it is imperative that we love the discipline we are teaching, but teaching is not about us enjoying it, it is about us guiding a student into the journey. From the first steps through all the complexity of it. In my career, one of the things that fills me the most, and does it every day, is the satisfaction of seeing the happiness of my students when they manage to achieve a new goal. This post was written by our TEFL certification...  [Read more]

Gökhan Yilmaz Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas We have a saying; who knows something very well, cannot teach very well. If you are not a native speaker but you are a teacher in that language, you are well-prepared and working more than a native English speaker to avoid being tomfoolery and embarrassed in front of your students. This takes you one step ahead of someone whose native language is English. So here are 3 main advantages of a non-native English teacher. Non-native English teachers perfectly understand the differences between English and their L1; people always say that, if you want to learn a language, you must first know your language. Then, you can reach the target language by comparing it with your native...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas A teacher’s personal qualities play a huge role in the success of their students! One of the best things I learned from this course was what makes a good teacher, and what a good teacher needs to be aware of when teaching EFL. Depending on whom you ask or what website you look at, you will get different thoughts and opinions on the qualities an English teacher needs to have. In this essay I am going to talk about the personal traits I believe are the most important and why. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Sarah R. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The central quality of an English teacher is that they care about their...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas When I consider the most important aspect of the education system, the very first thing I think of is teachers. I would argue that teachers are the backbone of the education system. Anyone that attended school, regardless of country or region, was once educated by teachers. Even though all of us have that in common, it is impossible to think that everyone had the same experience regarding the teachers that influenced them. The obvious reason is that, just like every person is unique and different, all teachers are unique and distinct. It is sad to admit, but not every certified teacher is a good teacher. There are certain qualities that I believe are necessary to be a successful teacher. I will argue that...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas This summative task essay will answer the question, “What options do business English teachers have?”. This is topic number 14, “Options for Teachers.” The different career options available for teachers of business English, as well as their unique benefits and challenges, will be discussed in the following. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Alorah L. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The wonderful part about becoming an English teacher is the variety of open different avenues. Here’s a list of the most common options; online one on one teaching, face to face one on one teaching, teaching the employees of a company for...  [Read more]

Federico Riva Teaching Ideas Let us imagine. How if English teachers only conduct English lessons inside the class? Will the students have fun all the time? Many English teachers reflect on that so, in reality, they try to conduct English lessons not only inside the class but also outside the class. They think that conducting English lessons outside is also needed and important. Therefore, English teachers use some outdoor activities to help when teaching English. By doing so, English teachers believe that they can help their students to increase motivation. They also believe that outdoor activities can give students fun and joy. Here are some interesting activities that English teachers can use to teach English outside the class. This post was...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas An English teacher must have a good, presentable quality because it's beneficial to the students in all areas of learning, and as a teacher, the student interest should be your major priority. There are some qualities a teacher is expected to possess, in this essay a few will be mentioned alongside its benefits to the students and the teachers. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Uwaina O. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. These are personal qualities a teacher is expected to have because students tend to be more comfortable approaching the teacher for guidance when the need arises if they notice the teacher is warm towards them,...  [Read more]

Shirin Sophy Destinations Alumni Experiences Before moving to Thailand in November 2021 while it almost appeared not just impossible but somehow foolish to leave your amiable country behind and travel 5,479 km to an exotic far-flung destination on a plane full of self-willed international passengers when the pandemic was still going strong, I had no clear idea about the fascinating country I was visiting and life-altering changes I was about to experience. As a result of the first fierce waves of the pandemic, my plans to move to Thailand in 2019 were temporarily postponed for more than two pending years when I lived my life in a perpetual Limbo and felt my efforts to control my life were like those of a fish trying to control...  [Read more]

Kavinna Batra TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Education comes in many forms, whether through months of hands-on training or years of schooling. Education comes in many forms. Yet, nowadays, it seems like a college degree is the best and the most meritorious achievement in education –something that employers not only support but also demand. To produce this article, I questioned some of my fellow colleagues and professionals from the teaching field in my close circle. "The concept has evolved somewhere in the last 20 years that you need a college degree to ensure your professional success," said AIP managing director Adam Ling. "This has led to many people seeking a four-year degree program and even a master's degree...  [Read more]

Anastasiia Ovchinnikova TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Back in the days when I was living in China with my British boyfriend, who was born and raised in Oxford, we would always make our friends smile talking about our careers. We always felt it was a bit ironic that out of the two of us, it was me who ended up as an English language teacher. I started to wonder whether he would have been a better English teacher than me, had he decided to work at one of the international schools in China. I feel like it is a common misconception that non-native English teachers (short: NNETs) are not as qualified or skilled in teaching as native English teachers. I've recently gotten disheartened when looking for job openings where they...  [Read more]