Free Online Esl Courses For Adults

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Both adults and young learners are different age groups. Therefore, when working abroad and teaching adults there are both advantages and disadvantages when compared to young learners. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Emma M. Adults tend to have greater levels of motivation than adolescents which is an advantage over young learners. Teaching and Learning in an adult student classroom ‘behavioral problems are minimal,’ as they are not always completely absent because of their enthusiasm. This is shown through their maturity and concentration. This shows that adults attention spans are higher than children. This enables the classroom to be more relaxed and pleasant. In addition,...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In this short essay, I would like to share the differences in teaching YL and Adults. For effective learning, it is important for us, as teachers, to understand how these two groups go about learning. The critical point is the suitable design and delivery of the program. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Eddy P. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Malcolm Knowles differentiates between teaching adults (andragogy) and Young Learners/Children (Pedagogy). Malcolm Knowles based his theory on 5 assumptions of the way adults learn: He suggests including adults in both the planning and development of instruction. By giving them a voice...  [Read more]

Jon ITTT TEFL Information Teaching Ideas As a newly qualified TEFL teacher the chances are you will be working for a school which supplies its teachers with all the resources needed to teach successful lessons based on a set course. This article shows a selection of the course books that are available for teaching general English course to adults from a number of publishers in the TEFL industry. There are several publishers involved in producing course books for the TEFL classroom. The main publishers are Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, Pearson/Longman and Macmillan. These publishers produce course books across a range of EFL sectors including, young learners, adults, business English, and English for...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas ESL games are games that can be used in the classroom to practice certain language points and encourage active and creative communication between your students. There are many different games created specifically for use in the English language classroom that can be found online or in any number of resource books. But we are not limited only to those games designed for the class; the majority of games that we played as children or still play as adults can be adapted and used in lessons. Whether games are co-operative or competitive, they are a great way to provide students with a goal to be achieved by using the English they have learned. “Games are fun but are not suitable for the classroom.” There is plenty of...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences I took the ITTT online TEFL course not to prepare to teach English as an employee working abroad, but as a volunteer in the United States to teach refugee and immigrant adults. I completed the units a few months ago, but I waited to do this summative task until I could begin teaching classes as a volunteer teacher and reflect on that experience. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Sherri V. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. I’ve found that teaching ESL as a volunteer in the United States is associated with several factors that may be different from the experience of an employed TEFL teacher abroad. This essay describes key...  [Read more]

ITTT has been operating in the teacher training industry since 1998. We have developed relationships with many leading individuals, institutes and schools in the English education industry and have established a very successful partnership program in 2013. Today, we are working with thousands of affiliates through many channels to strengthen each other’s position on the TEFL and TESOL market. In 2019, we decided to showcase our most trusted partners and their role in the global ESL World on this page. If you are interested in finding out more about our recruitment partners, please visit our TEFL Recruitment Partner page. Below are some of our most renowned partners that are operating very successfully under the ITTT affiliate program. If you are an ITTT partner and want to be named in...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences As an international study major in college, I learned that the United Nations, a non-governmental organization, officially recognizes six world languages: every meeting, written document, and speech are translated into these languages. English is one of them. It is spoken and written by billions of people around the world. Having traveled in eight countries myself, I was surprised to have seen how commonplace it was for countries to translate directional signs in both the official language and in English. A student’s mastery of the English language, or in any language, can be a difficult journey to venture. Therefore, this essay will explore what factors may motivate a student to learn English. This post was...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas There is a saying that goes ‘Old dogs can’t be taught new tricks’. However, recent advances in cognitive science prove the concept of brain plasticity or neuroplasticity, which is the ability of the brain to continuously re-wire and change throughout the life of a person. This ability can be observed in the brain healing from injuries and can also be applied to ordinary brain activities like learning. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Cherryl T. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. As I have learned in this course and experienced in actual practice, almost all adults learning business English are working and studying at the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Being an ESL teacher is not an easy task, especially if you work as a freelancer TEFL teacher online. In this case, you have to be even more organized to provide better services to your students. This blog post offers you 3 apps for digital ESL lesson plans that will save you a lot of time. I know that many teachers still prefer to write their notes and plans on paper because it's the best way to make imagination flow. However, there is a considerable disadvantage with this approach: even if you are a very organized person, in time, it becomes challenging to figure out your thoughts on scattered lesson plans. A digital planner can help you...  [Read more]

{ "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ [ ] ] } Acronyms are an essential tool used in all professions and technical writing. They are powerful tools to reduce word content. However without knowing what the acronym stands for, they can form a barrier to understanding. In the ESL (English as a Second Language) teaching world there is certainly no shortage of acronyms. Here we look at a few and one in particular, TEFL. Some useful teaching acronyms are: ELT: English Language Teaching. This is a general term for teaching English and applies to the teaching of English to both native and non-native English speakers. ELL: English Language Learner. This is a general term for anyone learning English and applies to learners of...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Teaching English as a foreign or second language in Kindergarten is an optimal opportunity for the children. In addition to the gratifying feeling most teachers feel when working with children, children in Kindergarten are still in the early stages of childhood and are receptive to new languages and vocabulary. There are many benefits that come with teaching children and there are various ways to present oneself as a teacher to effectively get the children focused on the tasks at hand. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Adriadna F. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Children have their advantages as a class to teach. They have...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Watching videos is an effective way to switch between different activities or time fill. Modern students are more likely to watch videos or look at images than to do worksheets or read. Videos are also excellent sources of audio-lingual information that develops listening and speaking skills. However, to use videos during the online ESL lessons, it is essential to follow several rules that our TEFL expert shares in this article. Before watching videos, think carefully about the exercises you’ll give to your student and the purpose of this activity. When planning online ESL lessons, understand your student’s needs, and set up appropriate...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas For the past couple of months, I have worked as an ESL teacher for the company Qkids. I took this course in order to obtain a certificate and meet the Chinese national standards. Even though I took it for that purpose only, it has been a very informative and helpful class. I have learned so much that I can apply to my own online ESL classes. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Rebekah P. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. In my experience, and from what I have learned in the class, it is very important to keep the students encouraged to maintain their motivation. The platform I teach on allows me to rewards a student’s good work...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Most Adult ESL students are highly motivated students – at first. They are eager to join a formal class setting to improve their English skills for themselves and for their future (career). They usually voluntarily join the class (unless instructed by a manager or supervisor). So in fact, the motivation is internal and comes naturally from within themselves. This is great for the teacher and usually assures an energetic start to the class term. However, as the term continues, the motivation naturally wines down. The excitement fades and the students have more excuses for not coming to class or when in class, have a low participation rate. So, as an ESL Instructor, why is it important to keep your students...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences There is no doubt that it is the Information Age people are currently living in. And it is cannot be ignored that online education is one of the fastest growing teaching and learning methods in recent years due to different reasons and needs, which takes the advantages of the Internet and save both teachers' and learners' time and energy that has been spent on the distance and traffic. Among that, ESL online learning gets a great acceptance from the ESL learners. And here is a discussion about the advantage of ESL online education. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Xue L. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Compared to...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences The desire to travel is common among many adults. However, two main factors would hinder them from traveling, that would be time and money. What if I told you that you can travel to as many countries as you like without fear? The need for English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers worldwide is increasingly high. It is a revolving industry that is always in demand. An individual is qualified and eligible to get an ESL position once he/she has completed their first degree but with a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) or Teaching English as Second or Other Language (TESOL) certification, you are in the lead by miles. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Nadine F. Please note that...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Not all Teaching English as a Foreign Language is equal. Different types of groups of learners include beginner vs. intermediate/advanced learners as well as monolingual classes vs multilingual classes. Another set of distinctive groups and perhaps the most contrary groups to be aware of are groups of young vs adult learners. In the following comparison, the many ways to ensure success with both types of groups will be discussed, as well as reasons the groups can be both challenging and rewarding. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Paige B. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. There are many ways to ensure the success of a group in...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas According to a study by scholars and experts in the field of linguistics, more specifically in the article of Riney & Anderson-Hsieh from International Christian University, the native language (L1) is a good predictor of pronunciation accuracy in English as researched by Suter in 1976. In the same article, it was mentioned that a subsequent study by Purcell and Suter in 1980, found that non-native speakers who are most likely to pronounce English (L2) poorly, fit the profile in Japanese ESL students. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Cherryl T. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. In my two years of teaching ESL online, I’ve...  [Read more]

Jon ITTT TEFL Information While the majority of teaching jobs abroad require teachers to cover general English, or English for everyday use, some TEFL teachers may be required to teach English to students with a particular context in mind. This branch of English language teaching is called English for Specific Purposes or ESP. English for Specific Purposes encompasses a number of different disciplines in teaching English including business English, academic English, tourism, aviation English, financial English and any sector that requires a certain level of English proficiency in order to perform their jobs successfully. Therefore, ESP students will include anyone from pilots, medical workers, engineers, scientists, lawyers to those working in...  [Read more]

Francesca Marchi Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas What do you imagine there may be behind a group of old learners? Well, whatever comes to your mind, I can tell you it sounds like having an extended family that warms you up and makes you feel at home. Older students could be like loving grand-parents, great-uncles or great-aunts, and apart from relatives, caring neighbors and dearest friends. Actually, you may find out they are active pensioners, retired teachers or scholars, culture lovers, as well as humble workers without school-leaving certificates and, above all, passionate people and happy learners: these are senior students. In the following lines, I'm going to share my classroom experience with you. Join me to the end...  [Read more]

Federico Riva TEFL Information Alumni Experiences In this blog post, we will look at 8 of the most widely held misconceptions regarding the teaching of ESL worldwide. The demand for English Teachers abroad is really high and whilst it's true that it's not the easiest thing in the world to do and maybe you want to go to a country or a place that you have set your mind on a certain location maybe that doesn't work out. You just need to be a little bit more flexible. According to some estimates there are about two billion people in the world speaking and learning English (British council) and those are all potential students. Some of the biggest companies in the ESL industry you might want to look out for when you are applying for...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences When you start to look around for ways to use your Teaching English as a Foreign Language certificate (TEFL) you begin to find out that there are numerous options available to teachers of English. For many people around the world, learning English as a second language has become necessary for advancement in their jobs, for education and travel as English is quickly becoming the language of the world. For this reason, there are many options when it comes to teaching English. These options include teaching abroad, teaching ESL (English as a Second Language) online and even teaching in your local communities to immigrants. Let’s explore some of these options together. This post was written by our TEFL...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas There are many famous games used by TEFL teachers that students know like the back of their hand. If you want to change up your online lessons and bring even more fun in your teaching, check out these seven non-trivial online ESL games to help you in every stage of the TEFL class. For this activity, you will need to prepare a digital image and share it with a student during the online class. You can find plenty of connect-the-dots worksheets on the internet. The student needs to have access to the drawing tool, so make sure the online conference program you use has this feature. Choose a picture that would accompany the lesson's topic. Ask...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Learning a new language can be nerve-wracking, especially for young learners who experience a great deal of peer pressure and fear of sounding unintelligent in front of their classmates. This fear is something adults learning a new language experience as well. I have personally experienced it as a native English speaker learning Spanish. Therefore, praise from the teacher they view as an expert in the language they’re learning is vital to the learning process in many ways. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Alexandra W. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. I believe praising students is very important. It is essential, however,...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas For the summative task for this course, I decided to research the use of songs in the classroom. The use of songs interests me because it seems that this is a good medium to provide some variety in the classroom and develop interest. Songs and music can also be used with all age groups, although of course whereas singalongs may be more appropriate with very young learners, other activities such as lyric breakdown are still very useful for older learners. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate David B. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. For example, Lynch (2019) states that “Many teachers think that using songs in the classroom is...  [Read more]

Jon ITTT TEFL Information Teaching Ideas TEFL teachers both new and experienced will benefit from having a range of course books to draw on for their lessons. General English course books for young learners differ from those for adults in a number of ways. Obviously the types of topics will be geared towards the interests of younger people but there are also differences in the way the language is presented. Course books for adults will generally have sections with explicit presentations of a grammar point,whereas books for young learners do not usually cover grammar in detail. There are several publishers involved in producing general English course books for young learners. The main publishers are Oxford University Press,...  [Read more]

Gaia Oliviero TEFL Information Teaching Ideas Working as an ESL teacher can be difficult if you live in a Western country and you haven't undertaken a certain path during your university studies. As far as Italy is concerned, if you want to teach in a public school, you need to hold at least a Master's Degree in pedagogical studies and/or educational sciences. No matter how good an English speaker you are, you are required to own those specific degrees. If you want to teach in a private school, you have to take into account the fact that they prefer to hire native speakers – which is totally licit, to a certain extent. In addition to that, if you have no experience whatsoever in teaching in front of a class, you are basically...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences The concept of multiple intelligences was brought to the education field by Howard Gardner in his book ‘Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences.’ It is one of my favorite theories that I learned about while in university and I was fortunate to attend a speech for teachers by Gardner regarding multiple intelligences. It is a theory that I applied to lesson plans, most notably for my preschool and kindergarten students to reach all of the students in some meaningful way. Teachers can employ activities and assessments that are multi-faceted and address the needs and skills of the various students. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Melissa G. Please note that this blog post...  [Read more]

Federico Riva Teaching Ideas The following essay is based on my personal experience of teaching one-to-one English lessons to young children (ages ranging from 5-14), through online platforms and companies. Engaging students through a virtual classroom presents challenges for teachers for several reasons. The first being that throughout the time of the lesson the child sees only the teacher and the given background. In other words, there are no sources of distraction or points of interest besides the teacher herself/himself and, as is known, it is especially important for young learners that the environment and the delivery of the lessons be as interesting and fun as possible. For online lessons, this becomes of paramount importance as the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Teaching English online can be an amazing way to connect with people from all around the world, while not having to commit to picking up and moving to a different country. Although it may be easier to teach an online course from any location, it does not necessarily make the lesson planning and teaching part easier. Online teaching, if done effectively, can be useful to both the teacher and the students, so what are some effective ways to teach English online to young learners? This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Jordan A. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. First and foremost, the lesson must be engaged and focused from the start....  [Read more]