Good Songs For English Learners

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Henry Wadsworth Longfellow once said "Music is the universal language of mankind” and it is still widely accepted today. Any language uses words to create sentences that convey messages with different tones and emotions as well as music does. Thus, bringing music to an English classroom is one good way to inspire the learners. There are tons of techniques or ideas involving music and songs that can be applied to any part of a lesson plan. It is available today in the form of online resources to use as a guideline for teachers. However, there are some arguments about how this strategy can be time-consuming and taking away the interest out of a focus lesson. In this case, the advantages outweigh the worries. Here...  [Read more]

Jon ITTT Alumni Experiences We all probably know, that music has no language. It is kindly welcomed by all nations equally, as well as all races, ages and cultures. So how can music or songs help us to teach English and to do it more effectively? This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Alena A. Music lets us go deeper into conscious that anything else, it is much more memorable, so the words and grammar structures may be remembered much faster. It also helps to relax and to feel happy, so using songs in the classroom is not only a good idea, but it is also an extremely necessary part of teaching and language acquisition. Also read: 4 Tips on How to Teach English Using Music Music has no language, as I have said before, but it...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences I was an English teacher in Japan for over three and a half years. In that time, I gained a lot of experience teaching young learners. My students were aged from two to fourteen. As I taught these students, I learned a lot about how songs can be used effectively in the classroom. Songs can be used to teach sentence structure, routines, vocabulary, and help aid the understanding of instructions in the classroom. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Megan B. Before students can even grasp the language, they can understand rhythm and music. When teaching the youngest students (two years old), we used a lot of chants. Chants are not necessarily music but work much in the same way. Generally,...  [Read more]

Mark Crocker Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Kinesthetic learners are learners that learn through objects that they can touch and explore. They also learn best by discovering and experiencing and particularly enjoy physical activities that involve getting out of their seat and moving around. Unlike visual and auditory learners, kinesthetic learners can be tough to accommodate in the classroom because of their need to be physically active. Since they need to be active in their learning, they may get bored very quickly if you allow them to simply listen and look at your visual aids or video presentation. As teachers, we must always be versatile and understand how to incorporate different types of learners. Luckily, there are...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Who doesn’t love a story? Stories are universal. Stories connect us all. Stories also transcend caste, creed, color, and age. From the beginning of time, to-date the medium may have changed but stories engage us with others because it is easy to see ourselves reflected in them and understand the message conveyed easily. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Shaimuna C. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Teaching English using stories can be very effective in class. As an English teacher, I have used stories for classroom activities from Year 1 to 6 at the primary school level. The different age groups need diverse styles. Below are...  [Read more]

Anna Domiczek Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Puppets can serve as a wonderful pedagogical tool in the ESL classroom. Young children are very familiar with them since puppets play a large role in the world of children’s imaginative play, and they have become widely accepted as a pedagogical tool because they are valuable in serving as an anchor in overcoming the language barrier. Their potential in ESL teaching could be used to enhance instruction and provide many useful benefits. Research clearly shows the benefits of using puppetry in English language teaching, and the use of puppets is an effective approach in teaching English to young learners. From the perspective of a preschool teacher, research results are very...  [Read more]

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Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas In China, Parents realize learning English is essential to their child's future. There are many reasons why Chinese have to speak okay English; they also know that the best time for one to master another language, the earlier the best. The biggest challenge we face in China is that parents are reluctant to use English in daily life. It is easy to understand why most Chinese are unwilling to speak English if you know our culture, "Saving Face," they are afraid to make mistakes in front of others, take "English" as a complicated subject, only teacher and school can handle it. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Mengru W. Please note that this blog post might...  [Read more]

Anna Domiczek TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Shifting from a traditional classroom to a virtual setting can be daunting for teachers who do not have experience teaching online. This is especially the case if one has to keep young students engaged and motivated. What are the tricks to instill excitement and interest in preschoolers who do not have the intrinsic motivation to perform to achieve good grades? Their parents’ primary desire is for them to speak like the native and one day go off to an internationally renowned US university or work for a foreign company. Young students are motivated by something else- a desire to have fun in a welcoming environment. In the evolving ESL education market, the English teaching...  [Read more]

Jon ITTT Alumni Experiences Whether speaking at a public event where thousands have gathered, or talking politics around a table with friends, this simple piece of advice is well-known to anyone who has ever done any public speaking. But, it is also critical advice for the aspiring teacher—whether those teaching English as a second language, or those teaching chemistry in high school. The more well-acquainted a teacher is with his or her classroom, the more successful he or she will be in engaging their minds in the topic at hand. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Emily B. So, of course, this is a vital component to any teacher who is seeking to help students wanting to learn English. It is important that the teacher asks...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences I have 3 years of experience in teaching English in a few kindergartens in Beijing, China and some experience in teaching adults in a training center. When I started in kindergarten, it was very difficult because I didn’t have enough information about how to make a proper lesson plan. I didn’t have enough materials, games, songs, and it took me a lot of time to collect all the necessary information for teaching and creating my teaching plan. Without experience, it wasn’t easy for me to build a good rapport between me and my students. It took me a while to build a connection between me and the kids. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Lidiia L. Please note that this blog post might...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas I have chosen this subject because I have some experience in teaching young learners and motivation has always been a hot topic of discussion with my peer teachers. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Lenuta M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Young learners have a short attention span and teachers or educators have to manage this issue in the first place. When dealing with teaching English to little ones, a first step is capturing their attention and interest since the intrinsic motivation is not yet developed. One method is to engage them using songs and movements. Even if they don't understand the lyrics, the rhythm and...  [Read more]

Mark Crocker Alumni Experiences One of the pillars of the English language, vocabulary, could well be seen as an insurmountable challenge with no end for language learners, but it can actually be a rewarding one that opens up the very heart of the language. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Dawson N. With multiple, controversial estimates, putting the number of words a native English speaker knows from around 20,000 active vocabulary words and 40,000 passive vocabulary words up to 20,000/120,000 for highly educated speakers, and with some saying 5,000/20,000 words are needed for L2 language proficiency, this can seem an arduous and never-ending task for young EFL learners. Despite this, young learners are in a good position...  [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]

Federico Riva TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Two classifications of ESL materials are Authentic and Non-Authentic (or created). What is the difference between what are called authentic and created materials? Authentic materials as the name implies are actual materials that are created for any reason outside of the classroom. Examples of authentic materials would be things like, newspapers; those are generated for the general public and they're certainly not generated for the use in the classroom. However they can be used within the classroom. Other examples would be things like songs and poems and even things such as brochures and magazines and indeed menus from restaurants. So these are...  [Read more]

Mark Crocker Teaching Ideas When you decide to take a TEFL certification course with the intention of teaching English abroad, in your home country, or online, it is difficult to know who you will actually end up teaching. Once you have finished your training you could end up teaching primary aged children, teenagers, or adults. They could be from any country worldwide and they could be at any level of English language from beginner to advanced level. In many ways it is a bit of a lottery, so you should ensure you are ready to deal with all types of environments. After a while most teachers develop a preference for the type of student they prefer to teach, however, the beginner EFL student is often the most feared. So what actually defines a...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Vemund V. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Also Read: "7 Great Games for Your ESL Conversation Class" Also Read: How do I choose a TEFL course? Children’s natural ability to acquire new languages is strong before adolescence. Pronunciation comes easier, and vocabulary sticks during this time. A classroom of young students maybe a handful, but in terms of English instruction, everyone will be more or less on the same page. Adults, on the other hand, will have more varying levels and difficulties. The natural ability to pick up a second language drops, we must deliberately and consciously...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences When starting any class, if you expect that your students will be motivated to learn a new language, at first, you have to be primarily motivated and enthusiastic. We have seen that we can have self-motivated students and also reluctant students, it’s the teacher’s role to make the best to involve providing an interesting and pleasant class when you show passion to the subject that you are teaching, it can be contagious for most students, who will model your positive behavior. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Thamiris M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Your approach and your attitude in class will reflect on the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Any kind of teaching is always a big challenge itself, no matter who you teach what you teach and where you teach. Teaching has been one of the most important and still complex processes for the teachers and students at the same time, especially teaching languages, as it is a sensitive and hard job. Teaching different subjects requires different approaches to it, so does teaching languages, particularly teaching foreign languages. English is one of those demanded languages being taught ages in foreign countries as a second language in educational institutions such as schools, university colleges, kindergartens, etc. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Muhayyo N. Please note that this blog...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences For people who are learning a foreign language, their lives might change a lot. They have the chance to talk to more people, get more information, and their brains get trained. As we all know, it’s much easier for a child to learn a new language than an adult. Why? What are the essential differences between adults and young learners? This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate LU C. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Usually, there is a goal that motivates an adult to learn something new, whereas children are acquiring knowledge from what they are experiencing. In other words, children are learning what is provided. Unconscious...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Growing up I always had an interest in learning and teaching a language. Of course, English was my best subject and I always made sure I was part of the drama club playing one of the big roles. During my kindergarten days, our teacher used to play musical chairs as we waited for our parents to come to pick us up. It's interesting that now as a teacher I really love using it for my lessons and have tried to upgrade it just a little bit more. I am currently teaching at a kindergarten in Shanghai, China. I really love my job and my workmates who have become more like family and friends. When I started working there, like any other teacher, I was scared, felt vulnerable and wanted to do my best. I kept asking...  [Read more]

  Just to finish the sectional materials, we'll have a look the difference between what are called authentic and created materials. Authentic materials, as the name implies, are actual materials that are created for any reason outside of the classroom. So examples of authentic materials would be things like newspapers. Those are generated for the general public and they're certainly not generated for the use in the classroom. However, they can be used within the classroom other ideas would be things like songs and poems and even things such as brochures and magazines and indeed menus from restaurants. So these are materials that all can be used within the classroom but they have not been created for that purpose, whereas creative materials, as the name implies, have been produced...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas This TEFL course covered a huge variety of topics, and it was all useful information for English teachers broadly. It had a nice balance of actual how-to-tasks (i.e. how to make a lesson), as well as guidance and advice dependent on the situation (i.e. how to deal with a misbehaving student or how to establish rapport with a class). While there was new information throughout each chapter for me, the most useful, applicable information for me as a teacher was the differences between young learners and adults. This is mostly because I have taught ages preschool-late 60s (not necessarily English, I taught preschool in the USA and have taught private piano/harp lessons). I learned how to navigate the challenges when...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Teaching English as a foreign language in another country can be overwhelming for someone without any teaching experience, specifically English teaching. Planning for lessons is very critical for good lesson plans to help to improve the efficiency of students’ English learning. There are a couple of aspects to consider to ensure a good lesson plan. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Dakota H. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Based on how long each class is, how many classes in total, and how long the course lasts, making a teaching plan according to clear teaching goals is significant. There will be the time that the lesson...  [Read more]

Mark Crocker Alumni Experiences As a native Russian speaker I was worried about pronunciation from the very beginning of my English studies in primary school. It so happened that in my family my grandmother was an English teacher in high school who had worked in this position for more than 50 years. Naturally, I began my acquaintance with English much earlier than most of my peers. And the first step in the work of my grandmother in teaching me a foreign language was the formulation of pronunciation, something that most Russians have problems with. 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. A distinctive feature and...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Online English teaching has become more and more popular and worldwide, it not only can save a lot of time but also supply many possibilities to study at any time, any place as long as you have wifi. Nowadays, many adults choose online courses because of the convenience. I have taught adults online for almost a year, I chose this job because the working time is more flexible, and also I feel self-satisfied when I see my students making progress. But how to teach English to adults online? This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Yingying Z. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. There must have some effective ways for us to take as...  [Read more]

Tamara Jennings Teaching Ideas While there is great value in learning a second language, it can also be quite time-consuming. It also requires a good amount of patience and determination. Thanks to technology, the bright side is that learning doesn’t always have to feel like work! Continue reading to find out ways to use media to your advantage in assisting students with enjoyable ways to gain their target language skills. I love Spanish, and when I set out to really learn the language in 2019, I started by taking two college-level courses. These classes gave me a wealth of information on vocabulary, rules, and conjugation, but I still had no idea how to really use Spanish. I felt those classes didn’t really do much to teach me much about how...  [Read more]

Jon ITTT Alumni Experiences As a kindergarten teacher working in China I have a lot of experience dealing with students, fellow teachers; Chinese and foreign, management and parents. A few years ago I came to China to learn Chinese. To pay for my living expenses I started teaching young learners. Pretty soon I got a full-time job in a kindergarten and I fell in love with the work and I decided to stay in China and keep teaching. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Paul E. One of the first problems I faced was of course the language barrier. In the schools I’ve worked at so far not many people speak English; especially the schools’ management. It’s always quite a task to find out what is expected of you. In China don’t...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Whether in the classroom or at the grading desk, the word “corrections” might bring to mind an answer list or possibly a red pen. For English language, linguistic and spelling errors are generally the focus of these corrections. However, where English language acquisition is concerned, such a focus can interrupt the natural flow of conversation and even set the learning process backwards. This post was written by our ITTT graduate Petra W. In the classroom, a good first rule is to offer kudos before criticism. During lessons, major errors are best addressed during the portion of the lesson dedicated to study and practice. The nature of the skills being honed, as well as age...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Teaching has been my dream since a very young age! This should be the normal and most common answer when you ask a teacher about his childhood dream job. For me, It was absolutely the opposite. I have never seen myself teaching anybody even my closest friends and relatives! I have always considered myself an introvert. My best friend used to be a book I’m reading! I have never liked crowded places or getting to know new people! Going to a wedding or a party was more like a nightmare to me. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate MANEL R. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Anyways, all of this has changed when I helped a friend in...  [Read more]