No In Another Language

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Most languages have formal and non-formal structures especially when it comes to the oral aspect, this is because as languages evolve outside culture and introduction of other languages in the same country or from another country turn to weave its way into the L1 of that community or country, therefore, creating as somewhat non-formal language. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Mandela A. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Another way is that less educated or non-educated people always turn to coin out certain words or phrases to replace the formal way of saying certain things. Undoubtedly, there is the difference between...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas I think of myself as having been fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to learn other languages at a young age. I was taught French in primary school and at home, I learned or acquired Spanish. At school, I remember my language teacher being very textbook-oriented and she focused and followed the book to the “T”. I picked up easily on the grammar because I had already learned Spanish at home and I was also very keen to learn foreign languages, especially French. The grammar didn’t seem difficult or boring to me at all because I had already been exposed to the language at a very early age. However, many students didn’t feel the same way I did and had difficulty with the subject and therefore,...  [Read more]

Jon ITTT Alumni Experiences For the native English speaker, English is easy. It is only when learning another language do L1 English speakers begin to see peculiarities in their own language. It is then compounded when beginning to teach English as a foreign language. Although the English language has commonalities with other languages, especially since English is derived from other languages, there are plenty of unusual aspects of English that can cause difficulties when learning and teaching the language. For example, English spelling, grammar, and pronunciation all contain such peculiarities. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Tanya L. Learning to read and write English is no easy task since English is one of the least...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Many non-native English speaking countries only require teachers to have a bachelor's degree, and it can be in any field. It can be a degree in anything at all, thus not having prepared the future teacher for their new job and life. Some other countries don't require a bachelor's degree at all. With the rise in demand for learning English as a second language has come the increased relevance and need for courses such as TEFL. I'm an example of someone who had no background in teaching, and I also didn't take a course before I dove in. I had to "fake it till I made it" and looking back, that was unfair to the students. Even if I wasn't breaking any laws and I was doing everything I could to do a good job, I could...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Learning English has become a necessary extra-curricular activity for many students in China. Since China has become a global giant as a result of her rapid economic development, many parents have picked up the momentum in raising their children’s proficiency in English. From learning and studying the TESOL and Young Learners’ sessions, there are three areas of hurdles observed. They are learning environment, technical differences, and students’ mindsets. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Angela W. Although English is taught to children since pre-school years, many students do not have the exposure to this foreign language outside of the classroom. There is no encouraging learning...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Over the past two years, as part of an international community, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting people from all over the world. We share the common experience of learning an L2. I’ve spoken to nearly 100 people now, and what I’ve learned about learning L2 is, well, it’s hard. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Janis U. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Most people I’ve “interviewed” have either learned an L2 over many years or are still in the process of learning it. Of those that have learned an L2, they tend to be more fluent than accurate and most have learned L2 out of necessity within 1-3 years. I consider...  [Read more]

Ulysses Brown Destinations China is a popular market for teaching English as a foreign language. That's why I also took the leap and moved to China to teach. Here are 5 of the main reasons why I went to teach English in China. I studied at a university with an enormous international student body. Many of these students became good friends of mine, Romanians in particular. Most of the people with whom I associated were friendly enough, and those that weren’t found their way outside of my personal circle of friends and acquaintances. So, it can, therefore, be concluded that the majority of my friends during university were from other countries, and if they weren’t from other countries, they were from other areas. There was a caveat to this,...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas As a new teacher, grammar was initially very difficult for me to teach. It was difficult to demonstrate grammar patterns succinctly. Luckily, the school that I work for has provided help by having an established curriculum. The key to teaching grammar, however, has been teaching variable inputs in otherwise unchanging structures as part of student-centered games. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Stephen W. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. If I were to teach the pattern, “What does Billy like?/ He likes _____”, then I would have several options. I could read the pattern and have the students listen. This would be ineffective...  [Read more]

Federico Riva TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Here we describe some of the most basic features of TEFL and TESOL courses and how they can be used to gain teaching positions worldwide. TEFL stands for teaching English as a foreign language and TESOL stands for teaching English to speakers of other languages, so it it's very similar. The training that's involved for TEFL or TESOL is typically the same. The term TEFL is most commonly used within the UK and Europe the term TESOL is usually preferred in Australia and the USA and Canada. The courses are the same for a TEFL course and a TESOL course; you will learn the same material. Some people get confused with what TEFL is and what is TESOL is and then there's further confusion...  [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...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In our everyday life we try to teach someone something, as in life we use different methods to explain something to someone, it is the same for a teacher. We spend every day as teachers and learners. We don't have to be students to learn and we don't have to be teachers to teach. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Medha R. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The source of learning doesn't have to be one human giving a lesson to another; it can be something new we learned from a book, the internet, a newspaper, etc. However, we owe it to another human being that we have within us the capacity to teach, it can vary from a life skill...  [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...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Japan is an island nation and is a recognized homogenous society with a very small percentage of foreign permanent residence and more than half of the adult population lacks the necessary skills to speak English proficiently. Because of this, English as a Second Language is in high demand with young learners being a focus group in Japan. English is taught in the school environment during nearly all of a child’s primary education years, but this, unfortunately, doesn’t translate to a proficient English-speaking Japanese population. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Payton P. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Children as young...  [Read more]

Jon ITTT Destinations If you want to be a TEFL teacher, it is important to make sure you are as well prepared as you can possibly be before entering a classroom. It is equally important to have a good understanding of the country and culture you are hoping to make your home while you are teaching. Below I look at some important aspects of etiquette in different countries in Asia. Teachers hold a position of respect in many Asian countries and are expected to behave in a way that reflects that respect. Dress for teachers tends to be formal and women should avoid wearing anything too revealing. Although many locals understand a foreign TEFL teacher’s lack of understanding about local customs, taking the time to learn and show interest can make a...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas For non-native English student in Spain, specific difficulties may be encountered when learning English. A good English teacher will help a student address those difficulties including, but not limited to, pronunciation, listening, and grammar. A good English teacher to non-native English students requires a solid foundation in the knowledge of English as the student relies on the teacher as the main source of the language. The student looks to the teacher for guidance and direction in order to comprehend English. The teacher must instill trust and display confidence for the student to learn adequately. These are difficulties in teaching English to non-native students in general....  [Read more]

  In this TEFL review, Tatjana talks about her experience taking the 120-hour online TEFL course with ITTT. Tatjana thought the course was very beneficial, providing her with plenty of teaching ideas. She also found the videos that come with the tutor support course to be informative with regards to the theoretical side of the course. Tatjana recommends the course to all who are thinking about taking a TEFL 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. ...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences A smaller class size becomes more popular these days, especially for language courses, since it encourages students’ participation and interaction with teachers and peers. Different from a big class of 25 or more students, a small class requires less teacher’s instructions and more students’ discussions and cooperation, so effective classroom management strategies should be adopted and applied to the class. According to unit 5 of the course, classroom management is “the skill of organizing and managing the class, having a friendly, relaxed manner and maintaining discipline” (1). Focusing on the teacher’s role, seating arrangement, discipline maintenance, and rapport building, this essay will...  [Read more]

Jon ITTT Alumni Experiences Upon completion of my TESOL course, the best thing I have learned is actually plural and not limited to one item. Most importantly a TESOL instructor needs to be able to reach all students with varying needs, styles and preferences of learning in order to ensure the highest degree of probability that his or her students learn English, while keeping all students in the class as engaged as possible at all times. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Dina P. For this reason, I have developed an ongoing list of strategies and techniques that I have learned that will hopefully reach all learners using visual, audio, tactile and kinesthetic materials and approaches which include: responsive, collaborative...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In my experience, the classroom can be a great learning environment when using games. We know that learning can be very intimidating to some students when learning a new language, also students might be hesitant to come thinking they will be bored. With the help of games, you have now created a better experience for them when learning and interacting with their classmates. As teachers, there is always the chance that you will throw too much information at your students and overwhelm them. Using games is a means of creating a stronger desire for learning, and the students are more engaged and involved. Another benefit of games can also be to break the ice with new students and help them get to know one another. The...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information Lesson planning is crucial to any lesson; whether it’s a private session or a group class. 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. I can lean toward rigidity but this course taught me to plan ahead as an overall guide but to keep flexible and open to the students' needs. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Luisa D. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The amount of preparation that goes into lesson planning is quite a lot more than I would have originally thought. Usually, I am mocked by...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Over the last hundred years, the world we live in has changed significantly. Businesses now communicate across borders effortlessly and friends can stay connected using technology no matter where they are on the planet. Although major languages around the world remain important to local cultures, the need for a common global language has risen due to the connection of all continents via technology. English naturally emerged as a global language to fill this void, largely because it is spoken as the native language of the United States of America, which has a very expansive economy. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Krystal S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas The Vietnamese learners of English share with those of other nationalities almost every difficulty in learning English. However, there are several issues in learning English that can be viewed as particularly perceived in the classrooms in Vietnam. Those particular issues may have originated from the country’s specific culture and language. It might be useful to point out several typical difficulties and their causes, and propose a couple of techniques for an EFL teacher to tackle them. Below are two groups of difficulties, one is psychological, the other is more or less physical. Although they are very common in Vietnam, those issues are by no means unique to that country and therefore can be seen elsewhere, at...  [Read more]

Jon ITTT Alumni Experiences For those who wish to teach English as a foreign language, the initial benefits of completing a TEFL course may seem rather obvious. These students will be taught the techniques and mannerisms that provide a solid foundation in creating a successful language learning environment. The potential prospect of teaching children or adults who have no experience with English is a daunting task. Without the ability to communicate in a native language, this can present serious challenges to even the most experienced of teachers. However, by completing a TEFL course, a student feels more prepared for these circumstances and are shown what activities are best suited to effectively conduct a lesson plan. As for motivations and...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences From my teaching experience of teaching English to foreigners of other languages, I had never realized how important it was to learn different teaching methods and skills. I did not major in teaching nor anything related. I majored in Business Administration and simply was allowed to teach ESL in another country where I was not raised, and I did it. Nowadays I compare these skills taught and how different I was teaching back then, that I am so willing to start teaching again, but with these newly acquired skills, I learned. I can remember several experiences in my teaching days that I committed many mistakes that this lesson taught me how to avoid, i.e. how not to talk excessively in class, make a good lesson...  [Read more]

{ "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ [ {"@context": "https://schema.org","@type": "SiteNavigationElement","@id": "#nameh0","name": "Can I continue to teach English in my home country?","url": "https://www.tefl-certificate.net/faq/what-can-i-do-after-tefl/#nameh0"},{"@context": "https://schema.org","@type": "SiteNavigationElement","@id": "#nameh1","name": "Can I work for a non-profit or volunteer organization?","url": "https://www.tefl-certificate.net/faq/what-can-i-do-after-tefl/#nameh1"},{"@context": "https://schema.org","@type": "SiteNavigationElement","@id": "#nameh3","name": "Can I get a job in the travel industry?","url": "https://www.tefl-certificate.net/faq/what-can-i-do-after-tefl/#nameh3"},{"@context": "https://schema.org","@type":...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences I began my TEFL/TESOL experience not having had any prior teaching experience. Therefore, teaching was something that I was learning step-by-step, reading the units and using Internet resources for additional examples when needed. Even though there is no straightforward answer to this question, the ITTT course taught me that being a teacher is so much more than just transferring knowledge to someone else. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Sofija A. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. It helped me pave my path of self-discovery as a teacher. There were many areas in which I felt I was strong in theory but lacked the practice....  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Proper pronunciation is essential to the understanding and communication of a language, and therefore it is an essential component of English as a Second Language (ESL) classes. Students of different nationalities and backgrounds will have different issues regarding English pronunciation depending on their native language. Their pronunciation issues often directly stem from the pronunciation of their native language because of differences between the two languages. This summative task will highlight the most common English pronunciation issues for Italian native speakers. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Lucrezia C. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Imagine a classroom where the teacher is lecturing the entire class time. Student’s attention span starts to flee, they begin looking for any source of entertainment. They are now distracted and unable to apply the lesson the teacher is demonstrating in the real world. Teacher lecture time should be supplemented with other methods of teaching. Students need mental breaks and activities to engage them in the lesson. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Abigail A. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Learning a new language is an engaging activity, it needs to be practiced and repeated for communication to become second nature. The...  [Read more]

  Now here are some teaching ideas for the future continuous tense. Here, we have an activity where we'll be asking students to spontaneously make some excuses based upon some invitations. We can do this in pairs or small groups. The teacher will have cut these cards up and the students will place them into a pile, randomly picking up a card. So one student might pick this card up and say 'Would you like to play tennis with me tomorrow?' The other student will be challenged to come up with an excuse as quickly as possible, which might be 'No, I'm sorry I'll be working.' Then, we have the next student pick up the next card and we challenge an additional student to make an excuse. Here we have another teaching idea for the future continuous tense and this involves two students trying...  [Read more]

Gökhan Yilmaz Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas This topic is very dear to my heart as I have been an English teacher in Arab countries for a long time. Therefore, I am writing this article as someone who has experience in learning both Arabic and English. In my observation, most of these difficulties either have to do with the students' native language (Arabic) or their cultural backgrounds. Here are the 5 most common problems for Arab learners when studying English. As Arabic is written from right to left, English looks very strange to Arabic speakers, which can cause them to find course books or lessons overwhelming. Adult learners, in particular, have a hard time in the initial stages of studying English compared to...  [Read more]