Most Difficult European Language

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Learning a second language can be difficult, and this is especially true when the learners L1 and their target language are completely different in structure, sound, and tones. An English as a second language student who speaks French, German, or any other European language will have an easier task than one who speaks a language that is not of European origins. One such language is Mandarin Chinese. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Ashley L. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The areas that native Mandarin speakers most often run into difficulty are pronunciation, tones, tenses, and sentence structure. A Chinese speaker might...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences In this blog post, I plan to examine why English may be such a challenging language for Chinese speakers to master, namely in comparison to their European peers. For the purpose of this examination, I will focus on four main aspects, from quite glaring differences to other aspects that some may not initially consider: written language, grammar, vocabulary, and language exposure. These points are drawn from my own experience of living and teaching English in China, from learning Chinese myself and from conversations with my students. I will be focusing on those who have not had experience in learning other languages before English, as I feel this constitutes the largest proportion of Chinese learners. This by no...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences A global language is a language spoken internationally, the most popular one being English. It is learned by many people as a second language. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Damian B. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. A big part of the lexical units in the English language was taken from German, Latin, French, and other European countries. People think that languages have a strong relation between dominance and cultural power. Also read: What to Watch Out for Before Signing Your TEFL Contract in China To have a common language is important because it's one of the main ways to communicate and interact with other people...  [Read more]

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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 Alumni Experiences Over a hundred years ago, in the late 19th century, a Polish-Jewish eye doctor named Dr. Ludwig Lazarus Zamenhof wanted to bridge the gaps and misunderstandings between different ethnic groups that he grew up around. Being from a Polish city that, at the time, was a polyglot, multi-ethnic mixture of Poles, Russians, Jews, Lithuanians, and Germans, he saw there was a great deal of distrust between each group, and he believed it was due to the language barriers that each imposed. To create a common ground between every group, he created an international, universal language called Esperanto (Yaffe, 2017). While it was a great idea to create a language that did not belong to any ethnic group and could be used...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Visa and Legal In June 2016 the UK voted to leave the European Union and the “British exit” has since be referred to as “Brexit”. Three years later there is still a lot of uncertainty surrounding possible repercussions, whether they end up positive or negative because the process is far from complete, detailed agreements are not finalized, and Brexit may even end up being canceled – even if only temporarily. People working in Europe as EFL teachers outside of their own country may feel unsure about their future, and those who are intending to work in European countries will be finding it difficult to plan, but what are the various outcomes that could occur over the next few months and years? Many UK language schools...  [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]

Mark Crocker Destinations The Czech Republic is by no means a newcomer to the EFL teaching world; in fact, it has been a firm favorite with many teachers for several years. However, it may not be among the countries you initially consider when planning to teach English as a foreign language in Europe. So what is it about the country that draws in thousands of teachers from all over the world every year? The following 6 reasons for teaching English in the Czech Republic should provide a few answers. One of the main reasons why EFL teachers are drawn to the Czech Republic is the high demand for English language instruction across the country. Since the fall of communism in Eastern Europe the Czech Republic has gone from strength to strength, and it...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences In the last years, English has become more and more popular worldwide. In most countries, children start learning a second language at an early age. Also in Turkey, the number of schools, universities and language centers where it is possible to learn English has increased significantly. Nevertheless, despite all the efforts and a considerable presence of foreign teachers, it seems that Turkish students find the English language extremely difficult to learn. Turkish students consider the education system the major cause of their school failure because it is too obsolete. I had the opportunity to work as a language teacher in Turkey for several years. This experience helped me to understand why in Turkey...  [Read more]

Mark Crocker Destinations Known throughout the world for its literary giants, such as Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, and Chekhov, and its musical geniuses that include Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, and Shostakovich, Russia’s unrivaled history of the arts is just one reason why it is increasingly popular with visitors from all over the globe. From the vast and rugged beauty of its eastern regions to the bustling cosmopolitan cities in the west, the Russian Federation offers a seemingly endless array of unique attractions to explore. Russia’s emergence as a major tourist destination is mirrored by its growing attraction among TEFL qualified teachers who are looking to experience a country that is steeped in history and culture but is still a little off the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences I have moved to the Czech Republic with my girlfriend who is Czech after we met in New Zealand, where I am from. Teaching English here was a business idea that she came up with because she taught English here before for 8 years. In Czech people are more interested in taking English lessons from a native speaker and they also like New Zealand over here. So from this perspective, it makes a lot of sense for me to do this course. Since I am going to be teaching in Czech to begin with, I have already started to see some issues with the language learning that I will be faced with. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Patrick A. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas The native language in Ecuador is Quichua, an Inca language. It is spoken by the Indian population, but Spanish is the most common, widely spoken language. Besides Spanish, ten native languages are spoken in Ecuador. English is the most spoken foreign language amongst tourist providers and professionals. For this reason, English is taught in most schools as a Foreign Language. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Jemma W. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Most students find it very hard to learn English in Ecuador as there are very few people to practice with. It is only the most dedicated students who put the effort in to studying...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Destinations While many people wanting to teach English abroad move to countries in Asia or Latin America, Europe is also a popular destination that cannot be ignored. Despite stricter visa regulations and tougher job markets for teachers, there are still many places in all parts of Europe that have a need for foreign teachers. Here are the top 10 cities in Europe with the highest demand for English language teachers. Spain is one of the most attractive countries for teaching English abroad in Europe. The country’s capital Madrid has the largest job market for EFL teachers in Spain. While citizens from non-EU countries may find it difficult to secure a work visa in Spain, many teachers are able to obtain a student visa which...  [Read more]

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Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Stefania F. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. 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 depends, 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...  [Read more]

Mark Crocker Alumni Experiences Second language acquisition in native English speakers from the United States is one aspect of American culture that is not widely discussed and seemingly overlooked in terms of its importance. Many factors contribute to the United States’ largely monolingual culture despite have a “melting pot” of sorts with a population comprised of multiple ethnicities and nationalities. This culture of English speakers points to strong geographic features of its continental location and debatably its position in the world’s economic index and political landscape. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Adam L. Comparatively, Europe is comprised of multiple countries with strong national identities and...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Destinations It’s not hard to see why Spain is one of the most attractive countries in Europe for teaching English as a foreign language. Most teachers head straight to Madrid or Barcelona but there are many more stunning cities in Spain for teaching English abroad. While it’s true that it can be a little difficult for non-EU citizens to secure a work permit in Spain, there is a legal way to still be able to live and teach in this European paradise. Check out our detailed guide on how to legally teach English in Spain to find out how to go about it. The capital of Spain’s Catalonia region, Barcelona is among the top destinations for English teachers in Spain. The city is known for the arts and architecture, including the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Native English speakers sometimes take the requirements of the language for granted. English is part of the European language family and most of its words come from Ancient Greek and Latin, which are common in other languages spoken in Europe. However, for students learning the language, English is very hard to learn. It is even more surprising the fact that other countries made English their second language, such as Singapore, Norway, Finland, and Denmark to name a few. In many parts of the world, English is spoken more fluently compared to American and British speakers. To give a few examples of how confusing, contradicting, and difficult English is, many foreign speakers learning the language always question:...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Budget and Salary Destinations This guide will help you answer the question: How much can I earn (and save) teaching English in Italy? You’ll also find information on the local cost of living in order to figure out how much to budget for when making the move to Italy. The typical salary for English language teachers in Italy varies considerably depending on the employer and the location. Therefore, you can expect to earn in the region of 1,000 to 1,500 EUR per month. It’s also important to note that salaries in the northern cities, such as Rome and Milan, pay the most, while you may earn less in the south of the country. Teachers with a TEFL qualification and experience have a good chance of earning the...  [Read more]

Jon ITTT Destinations Most people who want to earn a TEFL/TESOL certificate will be planning to teach English in a country that does not speak English as its first language. This is not surprising - the vast majority of jobs available for English teachers are bound to be in countries where the local population does not speak English. However, this does not mean there are no opportunities to teach English in your home country if you are a native English speaker. From working with newly arrived immigrants to teaching international students, there are plenty of jobs available for those who have the right to work in these countries. If you are looking for work as an ESOL teacher in the United States the best places to look are those with large...  [Read more]

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Linda Dunsmore Destinations TEFL Information Teaching English abroad is now a popular career option for many people of all ages. While there is a strong demand for TEFL certified teachers in many different regions of the world, there are certain countries who have implemented government-funded programs to attract foreign English teachers. Through these programs, qualified English teachers are placed into schools around their countries where they are employed for a set period of time. Here is a list of the best government programs for teaching English abroad. The EPIK program in South Korea is one of the largest and most popular teaching programs and stands for “English Program in Korea”. This scheme is run by the South...  [Read more]

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Linda Dunsmore Destinations Italy is one of the most popular destinations for teaching English in Europe - and it’s not hard to see why! With so many amazing cities to choose from you will be spoiled for choice in this Mediterranean paradise. Because of strict EU laws and regulations, it can often be difficult for non-EU citizens to secure a visa and work legally in Italy. However, if you are dreaming of living and working in Italy, don’t worry! Check out our detailed guide on how to legally teaching English in Italy for people outside of the European Union. The capital of Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region, Bologna is a premier destination with a lot of exciting attractions. Not only is Bologna stunningly beautiful, it’s also home to the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas It is important to know what is to be done when half of your class speaks a different language. And being a teacher of English, it is almost impossible to communicate with your students in more than one language at the same time especially when trying to communicate different ideas. This can be very confusing for the students and create disorder in the classroom. By teaching a linguistically diverse classroom the teacher may face some challenges along the way such as reading and writing as well as speaking and listening. However, there do exist some methods that can help the teacher make the learning process much more beneficial to the students. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Alice M....  [Read more]

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Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences The steadfast force of globalization challenges the structures of local groups, nation-states, and societies. The cultural and economic connections between contrasting social groups require a mutually understood language for communication; whether through translators or an individual’s knowledge. In most cases, such as the United Nations, other political entities, and corporations, a common language is determined to facilitate communication. Sumerian, Greek, and French were languages deemed as the Lingua Francas in the past. As a result, political and economic connections began to flourish across regions. In this current era, the English language is the default language for communication between people...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas I chose this topic for my essay because it is not something I had ever given much thought to. As a native speaker, I don’t recall studying correct pronunciation in school along with other aspects of language learning such as grammar and vocabulary. Correct, or at least acceptable and understandable, the pronunciation was something that just happened. I was initially somewhat surprised when I saw that an entire online module had been devoted to the topic, but as I read the module, I realized that it is a rich and complex component of language learning, to which serious students of English as a second language should be exposed. And the sample lesson video demonstrated to me that teaching phonetics could also be...  [Read more]