Japanese Vs Korean Vs Chinese Eyes

  Tim is from Hong Kong and he completed his 120-hour online TEFL course with ITTT. He enjoyed working independently on the course and enjoyed its flexibility. Now that he is qualified he is able to teach in schools in Hong Kong and had a great time working on the course. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section before moving onto the next. This unit tackles how teachers should approach teaching vocabulary, grammatical structures, and language functions in the classroom. The unit...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences I have had the opportunity to study several foreign languages, some in a formal setting, some self-taught. Through my personal experiences learning other languages, I have developed some insights into language learning. I would like to describe some of my experienc| ITTT | TEFL Bloges, and some of my thoughts on what I have learned from them, and from this course. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Kim T. My first experience in language learning began at age fourteen with French; by the time I graduated high school I had studied French, German and Spanish as part of my curriculum. The method in use then was ALM, so as a result, I learned language patterns very quickly. However, the only...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences British English versus American English are often discussed during the class, students frequently ask which one is the standard English to learn and would it cause any difficulties in communication. Both of them have differences and similarities, but individuals from the UK and the US can communicate without too much difficulty. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate JIN G. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Besides, there is no right or wrong when the differences appear, the British may consider American do not speak proper English and American might think British people are too formal and serious. However, from my perspective,...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Nowadays, more people are learning English. There are many private English-teaching companies like New Oriental, Meten, Wallstreetenglish and more. We can also find many public schools in countries like China that teach English from people’s childhood. This essay tries to make the potential of English clearer. As a result, people who are absolute beginners of English or who are going to teach those beginners will have a map and a compass in mind to refer to about the motivation for language learning on their way to the future. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Carpenter L. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. As we know,...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences In speaking of any language is global, and in our case, particularly English, several categories could be discussed to give us more understanding. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Frederic S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The first is the history of the language, where did it originate? If we say English was an obscure German dialect we can also say that without knowing more of the history behind it, there would be no way for us to plot its progression or understand its popularity. The second is the spread of the language, how and why did it occur? The third is economic, what were the factors that propelled its growth,...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Japan is a country with a long history, deep tradition, and vibrant culture. Within this culture sits the Japanese language. At first, being a spoken language and then adopting the Chinese Writing System, Japanese has grown and changed into what it is today. If you look at all languages, most Western languages originate from a set family, such as Romance Languages (which became today’s Spanish, French, Italian, etc). But Japanese (as most Asian languages) was formed from entirely different roots. These fundamental differences mean that the method of learning these languages has a lot to do with memorization and repetitive practice of the Chinese symbols and the words they represent. Which means it is...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Destinations Lunar New Year is one of the most important holidays in a variety of Asian countries. This holiday marks the beginning of a calendar year whose months are cycles of the moon. Typically, the Lunar New Year is celebrated in January or February depending on the lunar calendar. Teaching English in Asia is a great way to experience Lunar New Year celebrations and different customs in the various Asian nations. Chinese New Year is the most important Chinese festival that celebrates the beginning of a new year on the traditional Chinese moon calendar. Chinese New Year is a 15-day-long festival period with the Lantern Festival concluding the celebrations on the 15th day of the year. The first day of Chinese New Year begins on...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences If you ever find yourself driving in French Canada, you will be stopped by stop signs that say ‘arrêt’, which is stopped in French. Almost all drivers in North America would know that this means stop because it’s the same octagon red stop sign. In Japan it’s very different, stop signs are triangular with Japanese script on them but, beneath the Japanese, you can find English subtitles which read ‘stop’. In fact, if you travel anywhere in Japan, the majority of signs and announcements related to travel are offered in Japanese and English. English has been taught in Japanese schools since the American occupation after World War Two. However, according to an EF English Proficiency Index in 2017,...  [Read more]

Jon ITTT TEFL Information As with most professions the world of [Teaching English as a Foreign Language](37 Key English Teaching Terms Explained) has many of its own particular and sometimes peculiar terms and jargon. Getting to grips with the wide array of acronyms in the industry can sometimes feel like learning a whole new language! So if you have trouble telling the difference between your IWB and your OHP this article is a great guide to what’s what in the English language teaching industry. Two of the most commonly used phrases in English teaching relate to certification, and they are the two that cause most confusion. The culprits are TEFL and TESOL. TEFL stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language and TESOL means Teaching English...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Destinations TEFL Information South Korea’s capital is one of the most important and fastest-growing cities in Asia and indeed the world. Across the city you will find some of the world's largest companies in the technology and automobile industries. On top of that, Seoul is an exciting city with lots of historic attractions, as well as modern museums, hot fashion shows, and a wide variety of music acts. Seoul is also home to thousands of foreign English teachers, many of whom are not ready to leave and have made the city their permanent home base. The population of Seoul stands at nearly 10 million people, a figure that grows every year due to the city’s vast number of job opportunities. Seoul is also among...  [Read more]

Mark Crocker Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Of the many skills needed to teach a successful lesson, effective classroom management is probably one of the most important. In this post, an ITTT graduate takes a look at a range of factors concerning this key part of language teaching. Mark Crocker Alumni Experiences Anyone who has visited another country is likely to have experienced some level of foreign language interaction. In this post, one of our course graduates discusses their own experience of foreign languages while teaching and traveling. Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences This blog post was written...  [Read more]

Mark Crocker Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Of the many skills needed to teach a successful lesson, effective classroom management is probably one of the most important. In this post, an ITTT graduate takes a look at a range of factors concerning this key part of language teaching. Mark Crocker Alumni Experiences Anyone who has visited another country is likely to have experienced some level of foreign language interaction. In this post, one of our course graduates discusses their own experience of foreign languages while teaching and traveling. Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences This blog post was written...  [Read more]

Anna Domiczek Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Reward systems can be a very powerful tool for teachers in an online environment. Having a reward system for your students is essential because it encourages even the more shy and reserved young learners to participate in their virtual English lessons. More importantly, they can help you, the teacher, in overcoming the constraints of an online classroom - not being physically present to intervene in situations where a student is distracted or attempting to divert his/her friends’ focus from the English lesson. Reward systems can be a great part of the online teacher’s repertoire for the purpose of encouraging the young learners to focus on the lesson and participate. While...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Regardless of the Japanese government’s efforts to increase the number of foreign tourists to be a tourism-oriented country and to have been retaining compulsory English education for decades, Japanese people still have a reputation of being bad at English. The average TOEIC and TOEFL scores for Japanese are one of the worst among advanced nations. South Korea was also one of the worst in the past, but they are getting better and better these days. However, there are still some obstacles for many Japanese English learners to get over. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate FUTOSHI T. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Since Japan...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Japanese is certainly one of the most interesting languages in the world thanks to its three types of writing (hiragana, katakana and kanji). This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Desiree I. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. After the outbreak of intercontinental travel (therefore with the appearance of commercialization and missionaries around the world) many terms of different languages, including English ones, also became part of the language of Japan. The main problem is that many sounds present in the English language are non-existent in the Japanese language; this means that the pronunciation of many terms has been adapted...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas So, you’ve just finished a delicious meal of sushi at your favorite sushi restaurant in Tokyo. The waitress comes by and leaves the check at your table, you place your money inside, hand it back, and she shortly returns with the receipt. You proceed to place a generous tip on the table to thank her for her wonderful service, and you show yourself out of the restraint, back to the busy streets of Tokyo. Can you spot something that you shouldn’t have done in this scenario? This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Zachary B. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Most Westerns won’t be able to, as this scenario is perfectible acceptable...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences English is one of the most widely spoken languages and it is taught in a lot of countries. Globalization, fast economic development makes many people study English. People learn English for different reasons: business, education, life abroad, traveling, personal interest. Chinese students are not an exception. With the growing economies of China, the need for learning English increased dramatically. What challenges do Chinese students face when learning English? What challenges does the teacher meet teaching Chinese students? What teaching approach can be found? This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Darya M. Let’s talk about the most typical challenges when teaching Chinese learners and...  [Read more]

  http://www.teflcourse.net The past perfect continuous is formed with two auxiliary verbs 'had' and 'been' along with the present participle. Positive: Subject + had + been + present participle I had been teaching... Negative: Subject + had + not + present participle I had not been teaching... Question: Had + subject + been + present participle? Had you been teaching...? Some of the highest paying TEFL jobs can be found in South Korea. In order to be successful in finding a well paid teaching position there you will need to get yourself a TEFL certificate. ITTT offers a number of different courses from 100% online courses to 100% in-class or even a combination of the two. Check out our website by following the link above for more information on the types of course ITTT...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences English is causing many problems in Asian countries which can be seen just by the high demand for English teachers - including ESL teachers. One of the countries is Japan, a country with a good economy and a society well known for their kindness and politeness, but unfortunately also for the low number of English speakers. There are many reasons why English is likely to pose problems in Japan but there are many possibilities to improve the English lessons to offer lessons that help Japanese students to achieve a higher English level. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Eileen Cathrin B. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. So why...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Learning a second language can feel like stepping into a whole new world compared to the way you learned your first language. When you learn your first language, you take in that language in a very natural and organic way compared to the way you might obtain your second language. The first language you learn is what you hear from infancy as you grow up, as it’s the language you hear at home, on tv, at school and etc. And your second language will mostly be something you are taught in classroom which is not the same type of experience that you get from learning in your actual living environment. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Mandrell C. When you grow up using your native tongue you...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Japan is a nation that has tried to increase its citizens’ English ability, especially with the upcoming 2020 Olympic Games being held in their country. However, progress has been slow and not fruitful. There are various reasons for this slow stagnation of the nation’s English abilities such as the larger academic system and access to proper education in rural areas. However, I will focus on three main hurdles that Japanese learners of English must face that can impede their English education. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Michael H. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. These are the differences in phonology between...  [Read more]

Jon ITTT Alumni Experiences As more and more countries place a growing importance on its people to learn English as a secondary language, for work purposes or for general use, there is a growing debate about which is the better English to learn - British English or American English. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Max E. The argument stems from the growing influence of America in the modern world. British English has a longer standing history, but in today's modern society, it is almost impossible to go through the day without hearing American English in use. We hear it in television programs and films, more businesses from the US are branching out to foreign soil, and many countries feel that American English may be the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Language is a uniquely human cognitive skill. Undeniably animals communicate in a variety of ways: bee dance for honeybees, bird song for aviary species, pheromones for ants, etc. However human language remains unique in its complexity and variety. Human language has the unique characteristic of being able to describe abstract concepts such as love and belief and temporal displacements such as past events or future plans. Even our closest evolutionary relatives are not able to acquire such complex language structures. Scientists have attempted to teach different ape species human language, and despite years of conditioning and training, the members of these species have a vocabulary store of no more than 1,000...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In an experience of mine, I was working as a computer technician for the city, the city had decided to give me a new task of working in the libraries to teach computer classes, I felt quite nervous about this for I had never taught before or had any idea about how to go about it. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Rudy C. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. When classes began I always had one majority group, and that was elderly, who in time had neglected technology and decided to finally come around it to learn how to use a computer. I was given a basic manual on how to do the courses, I, of course, followed it and did my best, saw...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences English is considered a universal language, mainly because it is widely spoken all over the world. English was originally the language of England. Its expansion became imperative due to the dominance in world trade, religion, technology, tourism, education and so on. UK expansion and incursion of the USA as the first world power saw the migration of the English language all over the world. About 70 countries adopt the English language as their official language and statistics have it that the English language is one of the easiest languages to learn when compared with other languages like Chinese, French, German or Spanish. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Okenwa U. Please note that...  [Read more]

Mark Crocker Alumni Experiences As a speaker of 5 languages (French being my native one), I’ve been exposed to different ways of teaching how one particular language sounds and why it sounds that way, what kind of meaning is conveyed using what sounds in what order, and so on. Quite often, I’ve noticed that in the school system, not enough emphasis is put on studying the sounds that pertain to the language itself. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Luca D. When learning English in a French-speaking country, the main goal for the teachers and the students alike is generally “to be understood” by the English-speaking person one is having a conversation with. Almost no importance is given to pronouncing the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Coming into any unfamiliar classroom situation, for newer and experienced teachers alike, can instill a level of apprehension. There are many circumstances where a teacher could easily feel overwhelmed, whether it is butterflies in the stomach on the first day, a sudden syllabus change, malfunctioning equipment, an extremely large class, unmotivated or disruptive students, or unfriendly coworkers. Fortunately, there is a multitude of simple strategies that can help equip a teacher to face even the most nightmarish classroom situations. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Linda K. One essential technique for teachers to increase their confidence is to keep the focus on the teachings. In...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas A multilingual class is a class where the learners speak a variety of first languages. A monolingual class is a class where all the learners speak the same first language. I have been working in international school setting for over 13 years. The classes are multilingual classes where students come from different cultures and English is the common language for them to communicate with their teachers and classmates. By contrast, English classes in local schools and universities in China are considered to be monolingual classes since the students use their first language, Chinese, to communicate. The teacher has to remind them to not use their mother tongue constantly during class...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Destinations So, you love to travel and want to teach English abroad but you’re also a vegan? The good news is that you won’t have to choose between your dietary needs and your dream of exploring the world. The following places are vegan-friendly destinations ideal for teaching English abroad. Due to its significant Buddhist population, Thailand has plenty of vegan food options to choose from. There are vegan eateries all over the country, and you’ll also find healthy salad bar concepts, organic farm-to-table, Japanese macrobiotic and all sorts of other vegan eateries here. Even your regular restaurants often have meatless pad Thai, tom yum soup, coconut milk-based curries and salads on their menu. What’s specific for...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Many people who begin teaching English as a second language are new to the teaching world, and thus many times, need basic strategies and information on teaching. For example, I have entered education upon moving to Italy. My previous work experience was in marketing/events for large corporations and nonprofits, with no experience in teaching anything, let alone English as a second language. While I have a very good grasp of the English language and speak it well, how to teach it to others is a different ballgame. Hence, taking the TEFL courses to obtain a certification was essential in my development as a teacher. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Stacy S. Please note that this blog...  [Read more]