Good Songs For Esl Students

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 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]

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]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas The classroom embodies a space where students learn. That space is usually a mixture of varying personalities, learning styles, and student levels. A teacher’s role in ensuring that students learn is of great importance seeing that the teacher serves as a facilitator for all, counselor to some, mentor to some, and disciplinarian to others. Teachers must possess or learn certain skills to be effective in the ESL/EFL classroom. While many factors are influencing the actual outcome of an EFL/ESL lesson, teachers of young learners must be patient, adaptable, and possess good classroom management skills. These skills are crucial for young learners because, on the one hand, they have shorter attention spans, they have...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences The theory of Multiple Intelligences was developed by Howard Gardner. The theory postulates that there are many different types of intelligence, which involve different skills and ways of thinking. Gardner (1989) relied on that intelligence was divided into the following categories: linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal and intrapersonal. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Gina F. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. It relates to an individual's ability to use language. This involves the comprehension and production of verbal and written language. Students with linguistic...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences In this summative task, I'll describe the best thing I've learned from my TEFL/TESOL course. Firstly I would like to state that the lesson planning learning was the best part of this course for me. For this task, I will include the methods of planning that I have learned about in this course such as materials, songs and movement, and also a short lesson plan I have come up with myself. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Lorna A. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The best part throughout this course I have learned how important lesson planning can be and how being organized and prepared for a lesson is. Disorganization can...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Motivation provides learners with an aim and direction to follow. According to Gardner motivation is the combination of attempt and desire to obtain the aim of learning the language and favorable attitudes toward learning the language. If students are motivated they will be excited about learning and willing to work hard. Motivation, both intrinsic and extrinsic, is a key factor in the success of students in all stages of their education, and teachers can play an important role in providing and encouraging that motivation in their students. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Saritha B. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The seating...  [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]

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]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences I am in my 3rd year of working in the countryside of Japan as an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) in public elementary and junior high schools. An ALT's official job description is to be the assistant to a Japanese Teacher of Language (JTL). In my experience, especially in elementary schools, the ALT is not seen as an assistant but as "the English teacher" since the regular homeroom teacher has no training or experience with ESL. In most cases, the ALT has a degree in a field unrelated to teaching and has no qualifications. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Carl S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. At the moment, English in...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas This story was written by one of our TEFL course alumni who shares the five most important skills a teacher needs to set their students up for success. Laura Payne Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas As an EFL teacher abroad, you might not only encounter monolingual local students in the country you are teaching, but also multilingual students who are not only learning English but also the language of the country they live in. Here are the major differences in teaching monolingual and multilingual EFL groups. Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas ...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In this blog post, our TEFL alumna shares their lesson plan example for teaching a pre-intermediate classroom. Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In this blog post, our TEFL graduate shares their thoughts on teaching kindergarten level students. Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In this article, our TEFL graduate talks about some elements of classroom management. Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas This article contains information on how to motivate students in preschool settings. Our TEFL graduate shares their thoughts on the point. ...  [Read more]

Laura Payne Teaching Ideas Much of language learning comes through language experimentation; steering away from examples and formulas and attempting to arrange your own ideas into words. No matter what a student's goal may be in learning English, they will eventually have to do this by leaving the classroom and using English on their own. Activities like creative writing are one method to encourage the practice of experimentation and expression in ESL students. In this post, we're going to look at five different activities students can use to put their thoughts into writing. Celebrating a new year is practically a universal tradition, and all students have goals. Writing down New Year's resolutions allows students to practice various usages of...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Children learn fast, that is a fact. Learning a language is their natural skill, which they are born with. We all have gone through that process. There is no teacher needed to teach a kid how to speak, there is no teacher needed to teach a kid how to pronounce e.t.c. Mothers and fathers are not teachers, but they teach their kids how to speak, or maybe kids learn by themselves? In my opinion, communication is one of the very basic needs, which comes naturally. Children need to talk to their mothers, fathers and other people who are around them. Speaking is a result of listening and observing – in this case, family members. Kids learn from people in their environment, that is why it becomes so popular to hire a...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas I am an English teacher. I am teaching beginner students who are aged from 3 years and a half to 8 years old. My students are very young learners who normally have shorter attention spans, and have not even completely mastered their mother tongue. They are generally amenable to fun games, singing, and drawing. For my students, they start from zero knowledge of English to a very basic knowledge that cannot be quickly or easily activated, but with these levels, success is easy to see and usually good fun. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Yuan P. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. From what I have learned at TESOL training and day...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences This essay on the Multiple Intelligences is based on my past 26 years of teaching experiences at the elementary and middle school grades, as well as teaching in teacher education in higher education at the university level. I have conducted much research on the area of Multiple Intelligences, however, this essay will be based on my memory and experiences of teaching utilizing the Multiple Intelligences; thus, references are not included as they have been an accumulation throughout the last 26 years of teaching. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Gahan B. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Howard Gardner, a professor in...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas One of the great things about teaching conditionals is that once you discover some classroom activities that work well for one, they can be adapted to suit any of the conditional patterns that you may be asked to teach. Here are 7 fun activities for teaching conditionals for the ESL classroom that you can easily adapt to help your students understand the correct structures and usages. Tell your students to stand up and form in two lines (teams) and have an item that can be thrown and caught without causing injury or damage. Set the timer on your phone to sound after about 30-45 seconds. The teacher calls out the beginning half of a conditional sentence, throws the ball to a student at the beginning of the line and...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas First, let me explain what EFL means. It means English as a Foreign language. We all know childhood is the best time in everyone’s life. Firstly, children are taken care of by their parents. Parents provide love, food, clothing, and knowledge. They want their children to have the beast, so they can be the best. Secondly, children are taken to school and put into the care of teachers. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Joseph Thomas C. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Kindergarten teachers, in my opinion, always have to wear a smile. It doesn’t matter if the teacher is having a bad day or not, they always need to show a happy...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In 2019, it is difficult to imagine an ESL lesson without the use of modern technologies. Every tutor, language center or school tries to use audio and video presentations, interactive whiteboards, smart toys and so on. With the help of modern technologies, the learning process becomes more interesting, dynamic and informative. It is promoted by the developing market of educational services, growth of the competition, and also inquiries of students. In this article, we will try to find out how a modern teacher can use technology in his lesson. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Andrei B. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. A good...  [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]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences This is an interesting article written by one of our TEFL alumni who shares her thoughts on the importance of observed teaching practice for ESL teachers. This post was written by our ITTT graduate Roxanne L. When I think of having my teaching observed either by an inspector or by a teacher-in-training, I think of the Christmas song, which impels its listeners, “He knows when you’ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake!” The reason is simple, when we know we are being scrutinized, we do a better job! In reality, students observe their teachers every day, and even without expertise in the field of education, students know implicitly a good teacher from a bad teacher. Still, having your teaching (or...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Throughout the course of this TEFL course, many factors were discussed that can lead to potential success or failure within the ESL classroom. One factor that was constantly highlighted was the teacher’s attitude and ability to build a good rapport with their students. Student engagement skills are vital for motivating students. Teachers in a classroom should develop a relationship with their students where the students can be comfortable in his or her classroom environment. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Jheanelle M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. For that relationship to happen a teacher needs to possess the right...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas Most EFL teachers abroad will - at some point in their career - teach children. The English education market catered to young learners is a billion dollar business and many countries hire teachers to fill this need. What you can do to brace yourself besides taking our 50-hour specialized TEFL course in Teaching English to Young Learners is to take the following 10 tips to heart. Teaching numbers and colors seems like the easiest job in the world, right? Wrong! The truth is, teaching children demands a great deal of energy and creativity. Kids are always on the go and will keep you on your toes. These classes can be exhausting but also extremely rewarding! Also read: 5 Activities for Using Movies in the ESL Classroom...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Most lucky people have had one or two teachers who inspired them to be better in both their educational careers and in their personal lives. Depending on the number of students a school has any teacher has the opportunity to be that “special teacher” for a student because every student is different, so teachers should always be looking for new ways to motivate their students. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Sean M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Motivation in the classroom is integral to a student’s success in their educational career. If a student is not motivated to achieve their goals then they will not apply...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Teaching English pronunciation to students of other languages is always a big deal. English teachers from other countries may think that it is a topic to be skipped or only briefly introduced to students, but it is one of the most important subjects and it should be an integral part of an English course. As a matter of fact, the full understanding of a language and good communication actually depend, to a certain extent, on how correctly words are pronounced. Also, it is not only a matter of pronunciation but intonation. Every language has its own intonation and stress on words, so an English learner could find it difficult to get used to a new way of pronouncing words in another language. This is true for...  [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]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Education is one of the most important and complex processes of all humans achievements, especially early childhood education. It requires good attention and hard work. Learning language is one part of those big achievements, once the language is given as a second language for young learners, therefore teaching English as a second language in primary institutions like kindergartens is a great challenge itself as for the students so for the teachers. Building a relationship with the children in the second language without utilizing their mother tongue demands great work. Teaching kids in the kindergarten must be motivating. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Safarmo M. Please note that...  [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]

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]