My Tefl Course

  The first part of my study phase is going to be the board work and I'm going to use the information that I generated in the elicitation part of my engage phase to move on to the actual board work. What I'm going to do is to show the structure of this particular tense. So, the phase study I'm expecting to take about ten minutes on this particular part and, again, the interaction will mainly be the students talking to me. So, how am I going to achieve that with this information? Well, we could ask the students to have a look at the sentences themselves and to tell us what they can see. If we look at each of the first words in here, then at this level, I should hopefully be able to elicit from my students what each of these words have in common and they may well give an answer that...  [Read more]

If you are thinking about teaching English abroad, you may well have wondered whether you should take a TEFL certification course at home or wait until you head overseas. There are pros and cons relating to either choice, but here we look at the main arguments in favour of completing your TEFL training before leaving your home country. Yes, in many of the most popular countries for teaching English abroad jobs are routinely organized from within your own country. In this scenario you will have an interview via phone or webcam from home. If you are then offered the job you will often have to send off a range of documents that are required for the employer to organise your visa, or you may organise this on arrival in some cases. This method of recruitment is most popular in Asia, where it...  [Read more]

Once you have secured a place on one of our in-class TEFL certification courses you will receive extensive information regarding all aspects of the course, including accommodation. The course fee does not typically cover your accommodation, so you will need to factor the cost of housing for the four weeks of your training into your overall budget. Your options will vary from one location to the next, but you can rest assured that we only recommend accommodation providers that have been thoroughly checked for comfort and value for money. Details of our recommended options can be found on each individual course location page, however, below is a brief overview of the most common options available. One of the more common options is to stay in an apartment that is shared with other trainees...  [Read more]

  Massir is from Tunisia and has been teaching English in Omar when he decided to take our 120-hour online TEFL certification to advance in his career. He was able to use the techniques learned in his classroom and saw significant improvements. 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. On the lesson plans, there are so many details that I haven't thought about. And it is a new idea for me that not to plan TOO detailed. And also there should be self - feedback for...  [Read more]

Of the tens of thousands of people who head overseas every year to teach English abroad, the vast majority will have some level of anxiety about meeting new people and making new friends. The good news is that most teachers soon forget these concerns once they are immersed in their new environment. The chances are high that you will not be the only foreign teacher in your new school, apartment building, or neighborhood. As well as other teachers, you can also expect to meet friendly and welcoming people from the local community who will be more than happy to help you settle into your new home. One obvious source of friendship in your new life overseas will be your place of work. The majority of teachers will find there are other foreign teachers working in the same school, many of whom...  [Read more]

  The idiom "yellow-bellied" refers to a coward or cowardly behavior, for example: My brother called me yellow-bellied when I didn't want to touch the spider in the attic. 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. I think many things learned in this unit such as for instance the importance of classroom arrangement, taking into consideration the background of students when dealing with problem behavior, controlling TTT and STT will make the teaching process...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas After I graduated from school, Ifromided to be a teacher. I had all the prerequisites for that profession since my childhood. I entered a university, and the department, which I chose, was Russian Language and Literature. It happened because it was affordable for me financially. Although this profession was good, I often wanted to try myself as a teacher of English too, just to not feel bored from teaching the same subject all the time. However, I did not dare to take that step, since I lacked good equipment for teaching English. This new skill quite differed from my main profession. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Nargis S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The...  [Read more]

Jon ITTT Alumni Experiences The course was informative and comprehensive. Since I had a good grasp of the language, initially I thought I would go to the classroom and teach. But after deep pondering, questions crept up in my mind: What if I run out of ideas in the middle of the class? What if my students are not motivated? What if the lessons I provide are not effective? There is so much more to teaching. The list of my apprehensions went on, and that was when I decided to enroll in a course. After doing some research, I found ITTT with its internationally recognized TEFL/TESOL program. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Shalia M. As a new teacher the course gave me the confidence that I needed to be effective. The introductory units dealt with the teachers’...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences This is not to say that I thought lightly of teaching English but when I just started considering becoming an English teacher, I thought what I would need for starting my career was passion and enough English skills for the level of students. That I could gain the other necessary teaching skills one by one through experiences in the classroom. Or maybe by reading some course books or from watching Youtube videos concerning teaching English. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Youngku K. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The only teaching experience I had was independently tutoring middle school students for 6 months and I didn't have any educational background in...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Having been professionally teaching for a year now, this course provided me with a lot of new information, which I can incorporate in my teachings of the English language. I am not able to narrow down to a specific unit within this course because every unit had some information which I was not familiar with prior; however, I would have to say the units that stood out to me the most were: theories, methods, and techniques, managing classes, and teaching special groups. I currently teach students ranging from ages 4-12, and these three units, in particular, helped me to better understand the different levels of students, how to teach each level accordingly, the ESA lesson plans and the different styles, how to give students feedback and what techniques...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences “Why do I have to take a TEFL course?” I asked this question when my daughter suggested to me to enroll in this course. Having decided to say goodbye to my current job as an international homeroom teacher, I am now embarking on a new journey of applying abroad for a teaching position at an international school. Thanks to the Americans who defeated our Spanish colonizers way back the 19th century, they brought their educational system to the Philippines. Ever since I started school, I have been taught the American way using the English language as the medium of instruction. However, even if I am learned in English, I have to get a TEFL course to prove my competence in the English language. So here we are. Reflecting back, I believe this endeavor...  [Read more]

Mark Crocker Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas When a student describes a class that they’ve enjoyed, they often attribute their positive experience to the interesting content of the class, friendly classmates, or an inspiring teacher. A well-organized class can contribute to building these healthy student-student and student-teacher relationships, as well as create an environment in which a student can comfortably listen and learn the content given. From this course, I’ve learned how an effectively managed classroom can have a significant impact on the student’s experience, and furthermore can help a student succeed in an EFL classroom. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Gabriella P. Classroom management can be described as “the skill of organizing and...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas EFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) is a unique area of expertise, requiring individual training. This essay will argue that the value of completing a TEFL course far exceeds that of merely placing a certificate to a teacher's name and improving their credibility and job prospects; because such a course has the potential to significantly broaden and deepen the future teacher's understanding of English—including its rules, exceptions, and quirks. A TEFL course can provide a 'sneak peek' into the industry, describing commonly-faced potentially tricky situations so that the future teacher will be ready and prepared when they, too, might face them. Furthermore, a TEFL course allows the prospective teacher to learn from repeated...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences A TEFL course is the first step towards a successful career in teaching English abroad. A TEFL course, whether taken online or in-class, covers a wide range of topics from lesson planning and classroom management, to English grammar and pronunciation techniques. In this post, one of our TEFL graduates shares their thoughts on the best thing they’ve learned from their TEFL/TESOL course with ITTT. This post was written by our ITTT graduate Leif O. The best thing that I learned from my TEFL/TESOL course is that teaching is more nuanced than just having a lesson plan and letting the ESA formula do the work. With these kinds of courses, it is so easy to get so caught up in the theory and the teaching practices that we forget about crucial components like...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Coming into this, course I had a basic understanding of how a teacher prepares for and teaches a class. I had always thought it was easy for a teacher to teach; teacher walks in, teaches and goes home but I didn't know how much work would have to be put into a lesson to make the best out of it, and this is where I learned the best thing during my TEFL/TESOL course. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Jason F. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The best thing that I learned was understanding how to do an ESA lesson. I never knew beforehand that there was a way to breakdown a lesson and get as much out of it as possible. Knowing how to efficiently do an ESA lesson has to...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas The best thing I learned from the TEFL course cannot be explained in one thought or topic sentence because it was significant. However, for this essay, I will narrow it down to one concept. I am an experienced licensed teacher from the United States, but there is always more to learn. In the United States, I would have one or two students in my class each year that were not native English speakers. So, the idea of teaching a classroom of students where all the learners are not native speakers is new to me. I was unfamiliar with ESA's acronym (Engage, Study, Activate) until I took this course, and I appreciate this concept the most. ESA was the best thing I learned from this course. This post was written by our TEFL certification...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences Upon completing the teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) for business English (BE), the best things I’ve learned would have to be the section that covered ESA (engage, study, activate), including boomerang and patchwork lessons, and how the engage, study, activate methodology is the core of a great teaching syllabus. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Kinsey K. The best thing I’ve learned from my TESOL business English course would have to be “Engage, Study, Activate” within the business English environment. I have seen ESA in the previous 120-hour TEFL course and my 50-hour TEFL young learner course, however, I had not seen it applied in a way to be used for the business English student. Whenever a teacher is...  [Read more]

Mark Crocker TEFL Information Alumni Experiences I have had the privilege of teaching English for 5 years in an Asian university setting, and I am now preparing to move to another country to seek employment. It is quite possible that I will teach English in a business setting in my new country, which is why I took the Certificate in Teaching Business English course. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Todd M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Teaching English has been an absolute joy as I have met many interesting people and learned so much through living in another country. However, the part of English teaching that I struggle with most is course development and lesson planning. When I am in the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences There are many different reasons and obvious advantages of taking the TEFL course. One of the main advantages is the fact that it is a form of validation or certification of your credentials, as a qualified language teacher. This thus makes job interview processes more convenient and increases your chances of employment in the top job markets around the world. With a wider range of options to choose from, this can only make your dreams or aspirations to teach in your potential country of choice, much simpler. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Ken Y. On a personal level though, besides the aforementioned rationale, the decision to enroll in this course would be for one other specific reason. Being a native English speaker, I was...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences I never thought I needed to take a test to teach English before doing the TEFL course. Graduating from an all American boarding school to doing my undergrad in Denver, Colorado and using my time off to teach English in India I did not think a test would benefit me in any way. It was not until I was required to attain a teaching certificate in the country of Thailand where I did my research and decided upon taking the TEFL. There are two main reasons as to why I think the TEFL would benefit anyone: 1. Time efficient and 2. Educational. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Karen R. Out of the very many courses offered I took the 60-hour TEFL course. Taking this course was perfect as time was of great importance to me. It allows you up...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences I've been teaching English to children for about one year at a small language center. The whole experience is very positive and I really enjoy teaching kids. However, as I wasn’t content with my teaching skills and the lack in lesson-planning, I decided to to improve my skills by taking a TEFL course from ITTT. After taking the popular 120-hour TEFL certification course, I can say that the best thing I’ve learned is the whole concept of teaching! This TEFL certificate course has 20 units covering literally every part of teaching. The most helpful parts for me personally were Unit 5 “Managing Classes” and Unit 9 about “Lesson Planning”. This post was written by our ITTT graduate YongQiang Y. To get through a lesson smoothly, the teacher has...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences Upon completing the 50-hour Teaching English to Young Learners Course, the best things I’ve learned would have to be the section that covered course development, including ESA (engage, study, activate), testing/assessment, and how they all come together to form a syllabus and ultimately an English language course. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Kinsey K. I have seen ESA in the previous 120-hour TEFL course and my 50-hour Teaching Business English Course, however, I had not seen it applied in a way to be used specifically with the young learner in mind. Whenever a teacher is planning a course and a syllabus, the teacher needs to be able to ensure the material is at the appropriate level for that particular class. There were...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences I decided to complete TEFL course nearly a month ago. Before talking about the reasons why I took this course, I would like to tell some facts about myself. My name is Julia, I was born in Kyiv, Ukraine and had been living there for all my life – now I’m 35. I had a very successful career in marketing an worked for a big international company. However, the job took up all my time, required a lot of effort and I felt very exhausted and unhappy. So I decided to quit my job and started to travel: Georgia, Italy, Spain, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore. Now I live in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Yuliia R. Learning English is extremely popular in Asian countries. The demand is so big and the teacher...  [Read more]

Mark Crocker Alumni Experiences When I was young, I dreamt about thousands of different jobs, but being an online English teacher was never one of them. However, I’ve had the opportunity to work with Chinese students ranging from 5 to 13 years old and it has been one of the best experiences of my life so far. How am I going to communicate with them? Am I ready to be a teacher? How will I transmit what I want to teach? These are some of the questions that went through my mind before accepting the job, but when I finally decided to take it and started to be an ESL teacher I knew I was doing what I love the most, transmitting knowledge. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Karla V. I first started teaching with a Chinese company named US Class that utilizes an online...  [Read more]

Mark Crocker Alumni Experiences During my Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) certification, I learned several valuable lessons. While knowing the English language and how to relay that to those who are learning the language is important, the most important lesson I learned is how a teacher’s attitude directly affects student interaction and class rapport. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Annie H. Being open and warm as well as using a smile has an extremely beneficial effect on a classroom. When students view the teacher as someone who is judgment-free and wanting to help, it elicits positive interaction and performance. Although this seems to be common sense, I’ve had several teachers (including language teachers) in the past who have been cold...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences The best thing I’ve learned from my TEFL course is the amount of preparation that goes into lesson planning. Usually, I am mocked by my friends and colleagues because of the amount of organization I like to do before any medium to large sized task. Now I can say my love of planning and organizational skills will finally be put to good use. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Luisa D. Whether it’s a private session or a group class, lesson planning is absolutely necessary for a smooth teaching flow. It gives an overview of what you would like to teach and helps to keep you on track and not lack direction. I like how the course teaches you the merits of flexibility within structure. As I mentioned previously, I can lean toward...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences As far as I can remember, I always wanted to become a teacher in a foreign country. The most thrilling part about it was to convey knowledge to others and extend my own cultural awareness. When I heard about TEFL online courses after graduating from university, I immediately thought it would be the best option for me in order to achieve my greatest dream. After the completion of this course, I will move to Tokyo with the strong will to teach English to all different types of students, regardless of their age or current English level. Now that I am almost done with my TEFL online course, this post will take a look at my improvements and achievements so far. I will particularly focus on what I feel is the best thing I learned from this TESOL course. This...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences I have now taken both ITTT's 120-hour TEFL/TESOL course and the additional course for teaching young learners. Both courses have been very beneficial, and, although it is difficult to narrow the benefits down to one "best" thing, one of the most helpful things I have learned is the idea of reducing teacher talking time and increasing student talking time. I have found this concept to be particularly valuable as I prepare for a future TESOL position, and I have been very pleased to find that it has benefited me in my current teaching job in an American classroom, as well. This post was written by our ITTT graduate Erin S. First, and most directly, the idea of frequently engaging students in speaking is useful as I am preparing to travel to Vietnam within...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences The best thing I have learned from my TEFL course is the ESA method. I discovered this method in Lesson 2 of our course which, for me, is one of the best and useful lessons in the whole course. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Horacio A. In my previous experience, I had learned most of the methodologies explained in Lesson 2, but I had never had the chance to know about this method before. ESA stands for Engage-Study-Activate, the three stages or phases of this method. This method was introduced in 1998 by Jeremy Harmer. It is the most dynamic and creative method, suitable to any level. It is an eclectic method, because it combines the best of previous methodologies used in language pedagogy. To make this method more productive,...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences Before making my way through these certificate programs, I have had very minimal teaching experience, especially regarding teaching language. I have taken language classes, and I am a coach for Speech and Debate at a high school. I previously thought I would be able to handle teaching English as a foreign language without very much training or though. How much could really be beyond what I was seeing as a student and coach? I could definitely handle it. Well, I soon learned I was extremely wrong. I thought to take these courses on a whim because it would not hurt to have the training, even if I knew what was being taught. I quickly learned that there was a whole lot out there that I have yet to learn and I don’t think I will ever be done learning....  [Read more]