How To Become A Teacher For Adults

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences When teaching English as a second language many considerations go beyond simply presenting language and relying on your expertise as a native speaker. Differences in age and life experience will have profound effects on how students learn and retain information. In this essay, I will look at the differences in young and adult learners in how they learn and important considerations for each group. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Connor M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. For younger students, I'm considering the range of elementary to grade school. These students are put in the classroom by parents, and may not be as...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences ESL teachers must acknowledge that it is not equal teaching English Lessons to children, teenagers, and adults, there are some wide differences between the practices used in each case, classroom, population, levels, and country where English is taught, on this paper we will check how an ESL lesson may be affected by these variables, and how we could overlap them on the practices used in teenagers and adults English lessons. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Javier V. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. To analyze all the practices and methods used in an ESL lesson differing from its population, we must clarify the first two...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Teaching can be extremely satisfying and rewarding, but how we teach and the methodologies that we use should be adapted to teaching each specific learner or groups of learners. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Omar B. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Let's begin with defining what is considered to be an adult and what is considered to be a young learner. According to regulatory standards, an adult is an individual over the age of 18. Young learners, on the other hand, can be categorized based on three bases; from the age of seven and under (very young learners), between the ages 8 to 12 and post-puberty, usually from ages 13...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Teaching is an opportunity that all of us can learn and benefit from. Teaching expands across all nationalities, genders, religious, racial and age groups. Education among different age groups has is similarities and differences that have evolved throughout civilization. Throughout my time teaching, there are several pros versus cons when it comes to teaching children and adults. Both are an absolute joy to teach in my opinion, however, some strategies must be implemented that both can benefit from. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Vivian M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Some of the similarities that teaching children versus...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Learning English has become a relevant goal for both adults and children these days. Before starting a career as a teacher one should decide who he or she wants to teach. What is the main difference between adults and children when it comes to studying? Let’s discuss the most important points. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Anastasiia Al. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Children learn English because they have to do it. We need to keep in mind that children usually learn the language when they are forced by their parents. Of course, some children enjoy English, but mostly it was not their choice to study. In any case,...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas Most TEFL certified teachers abroad will come across adult students sooner or later in their career. While you might have already prepared a folder full of fun TEFL games that work like a charm for young learners, not all of them will be useful for adult students. That does not mean, however, that adults don’t enjoy games in the classroom! Here are our 5 favorite TEFL games for adult students. This activity is a great way to get adult classes going and it’s so easy to play! Have your students think of three statements, two have to be true and one of them has to be a lie. Next, the students share their three statements with the class and the other students, or the teacher, have to guess which statement is the lie....  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas What makes the language learning experience so different for young learners compared to adult learners? How do adults and children acquire a second language differently? What benefits do young learners possess over adults when it comes to acquiring a second language and vice versa? The following essay attempts to provide an answer to these questions but more importantly, discuss the general differences between 1st language and 2nd language acquisition in young and adult learners. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Trent L. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. To start off, let’s take a look at what language acquisition even is....  [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 In the past, the emphasis on teaching a foreign language was, amongst other older techniques, Grammar-Translation, and is still used in some situation today. This method helped the student to learn ‘about’ the language instead of learning the language (ITTT Unit 3,3). Over time, and continuing today, more and more attention and research have been placed on the question of what makes a good language learner. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Cliff G. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. There are considerable differences in age, gender, motivation, attitude, and culture. Different students assimilate differently. The environment...  [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 If you're a native language speaker, you've likely heard the phrase, “You can't teach an old dog new tricks”. There has been little evidence found to support this claim, but the belief persists. Many adult learners believe that it is too late for them to learn a new language. If you are teaching English as a Foreign or Second Language you may find yourself teaching a class of adult learners. Adult learners differ in many ways from young learners, and one such issue you may encounter is a doubt from the learners that they are capable of picking up a new language now that they are no longer children. Though the style of learning and the issues encountered will inevitably differ from those of young learners,...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences This story is written by one of our TEFL course alumni who discovered their passion for teaching by accident and decided to pursue a career in ESL. This post was written by our ITTT graduate Qiankun Y. About 2 years ago, I was working as an English tutor and taught adults in China. I graduated with a science major and had little teaching experience but I was keen to try out teaching. Before my first class, I was sent to a training program which taught me how to structure a class and how to teach with adult students. However, even after I completed the internal training program I still did not feel confident to be a tutor and I considered teaching English only as a temporary job. When I held my first class, I had...  [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]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas How do you define who a teacher is? In the general sense and definition, a teacher is a person who helps others to acquire knowledge, competence or values. In an informal scenario, someone who helps another learn something new can be called a teacher while in a formal setting, teachers are seen as educators as they teach knowledge through the curriculum to the learners through lectures for adults, lesson, small group activities or hands-on activities for the young learners. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Jackline M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The education that the students acquire is key to determining the future of...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas The purpose of this essay is to explore the differences between child and adult learning styles. Much has been already written about brain development. Throughout the human life span, the early ages, one through ten years is the human brain's most efficient time for learning. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Ralph D. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Children are then like sponges soaking up the language. Motivated by the enjoyment of movement, bright colors and selfless goals they do not feel social pressures or are self-critical. Their needs are simple. There is no self-worth to damage and every new experience is a joy....  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences A learning model is a complex of activities based on the main chosen approach which covers the demand of the group. There are four directions in languages studying: writing, listening, speaking and reading. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Joseph Victoryia D. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Each of them is equally relevant and has its difficulties and tricky moments. To provide students with the sustainable development of their skills, a teacher has to take into consideration several important points: the average age of the group, level of English of the group and classroom arrangement. Being aware of a classroom...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Many variances exist between teaching English as a Foreign Language to Young Learners vs adults. Despite these dissimilarities, the fundamentals will remain the same. Teachers should motivate their students to communicate in the target language, and utilize students’ previous knowledge while maintaining an engaging atmosphere in the classroom. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Marlon W. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The classroom is not the place for superficial work. Any teacher who is gratified with superficial knowledge will not attain a high degree of proficiency. The teacher should carefully study the disposition...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Readers are for sure leaders, not just merely for the fact of reading, but for the thinking process that comes with reading. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Gentiana H. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. As an individual, I love reading. I love the smell of the book paper, the tiny letters and turning another page is something that I enjoy deeply. However, I didn't become an avid reader by chance. I become a reader because I was born in a family where reading was a natural thing. My father was a university professor and was reading all the time. My mother, an accounting expert, used to read laws and regulations to ensure...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Pronunciation problems in El Salvador is very common, as many know Spanish is the main Language in this country, people in El Salvador tend to speak their native Language all the time because this is what they feel more comfortable with, as there is not any other dialect, other than Spanish, they are taught English in school, English Is the only language taught in El Salvador in public schools, but only for those that can attend one, this is because there are many people that can't attend a school due to economic matter, family problems or due to the work that is done in their household many don't have time to study and there are kids that can't attend school because they have to work, but there are many that...  [Read more]

Jon ITTT Alumni Experiences There are many learning techniques and the course covered four major groups – constructivists, maturationists, environmentalists, and others. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Kathi Z. The fundamentals of the maturation theory is the natural biological process humans go through. There is a natural sequence of events that take place despite external stimuli. The fundamentals of the environmental theory is the environment in which we exist. How we behave is a response to what is happening around us. This idea is different from how maturationists believe that we will develop in a systematic way. Our behavior is a reaction to our surroundings. The constructivists believe that learning is a...  [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 TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Readers are for sure leaders, not just merely for the fact of reading, but for the thinking process that comes with reading. As an individual, I love reading. I love the smell of the book paper. The tiny letters and turning another page is something that I enjoy deeply. However, I didn't become an avid reader by chance. I become a reader because I was born in a family where reading was a natural thing. My father was a university professor and was reading all the time. My mother, an accounting expert, used to read laws and regulations to ensure that her work is respecting the law. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Generally, anything planned well in advance comes out much better and well organized as compared to something that is just done anyhow in any manner without any planning. As a teacher, it is important to know what you want to teach, why you want to teach and most importantly how you intend to teach. All these questions can only be answered when Lesson planning is done. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Lucia F. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. In trying to answer the questions raised above it is clear that the teacher will know what he/she wants to teach. There is needed to know what you to achieve by teaching the chosen topic...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences When an English speaker is traveling in the Philippines, it is not uncommon for a friendly conversation with a local to end with the local stating they have a nosebleed and escape from the conversation. In Filipino culture, nosebleeds indicate that the brain is too stressed. Although Filipinos pride themselves in being fluent in English, many are not as confident to speak it when the time requires. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Terence L. This phenomenon of foreign language speaking anxiety is not limited to just the Philippines. Anxiety is one of the vital factors when learning any foreign language. Multiple studies have shown that ESL learners struggle with the language because of the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Successful acquisition of a first language (otherwise known as an L1) has almost a 100% success rate. Aside from a few people that are unable to read or write everyone can communicate fluently in their L1. Successful acquisition of a second language, however, does not occur nearly as often. Why is this so and can anything be learned from first language learning to improve second language fluency. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Rebekah I. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Firstly, it must be noted that among native speakers of a language there is a high amount of variation inabilities to write concisely, to use grammar...  [Read more]

Anastasiya Akpinar TEFL Information Alumni Experiences For the last 50 years, English has become one of the most widely spoken languages worldwide. Nowadays, almost all spheres of our daily life are strongly connected to this language. We use English in business, tourism, education, and entertainment. With globalization trends and technology development, we cannot imagine even one day passing without using English. So the need to learn English as a foreign language increases all around the world every day. Many people start English language courses and use different educational applications and try to find schools that provide the best foreign language study methods for their children. Turkey is a big country where different...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences This summative task topic personally attracted me due to my very recent experience with teaching. To begin with, I, myself is a 22-year-old fresh university graduate in Hong Kong who undertook Business Marketing. To add to that, I also planned on pursuing a career in the business industry. During my university days, I would take up different kinds of part-time jobs for two simple reasons; to make use of my skills and hobbies and earn some cash from it. These hobbies included babysitting, arts & crafts and more. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Nyx E. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Just at the beginning of this year, I...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences The age range is a huge factor when it comes to teaching a classroom. The age of the students will determine your teaching methods, the activities you pick, the pacing of the classes, how you should act/treat your students, etc. Both age groups learn at different speeds. Contrary to what some people might think, children tend to catch on faster when it comes to learning a new language. They can grasp the concepts better since they are still learning and grasping the concepts of their own native language. They are more open-minded and receptive to new sounds and grammar. Adults, on the other hand, have already mastered their own language making it harder to adapt to a new one. They want to use their own...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences I have been teaching English in Japan for 8 months now, acquiring the job solely with the qualifications of being a native speaker and having a bachelor’s degree. After 6 months of teaching with these credentials and the two weeks of initial training provided by my employers, I felt I owed it to myself and my students to complete a TEFL and receive a sounder understanding of EFL/ESL pedagogy. In this essay, I will elaborate on the benefits of the TEFL course as they apply to my own teaching experience and professional development by first providing background on my experience before the course, the practical applications of the course in my current position, and finally by addressing how the course will be...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In many societies, it’s become seemingly common for parents to focus their role in a child’s education mostly to control their academic progress. Many drop their children in school and right there, their mindsets switch to ‘adult matters’. They only visit schools when they’re summoned by school administration because a child’s behavior has become unacceptable. Few are active on matters that touch on the child’s well-being and rarely attend parents’ forums called to discuss curriculum, child well-being issues, and emerging trends. Truth be told, the role of a parent in the life of a child as far as education is concerned is of key importance, and parents who play active roles in the lives of their...  [Read more]