Old Valentine's Day Traditions

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]

Mark Crocker Alumni Experiences The local cultural environment undoubtedly plays a crucial role in a community’s education system. When specifically talking about developing countries, it is unavoidable to include Laos among those with a strong cultural background. Although Laos can be considered a fairly small country, it surprisingly contains more than 45 different ethnic groups, most of which boast their own traditions, culture, and language. This is a peculiar context that certainly needs to be taken into consideration when talking about education development. In a country like Laos, where old traditions and beliefs are still strongly followed by the community, the education system tends to absorb many of the local customary rules. This...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Educators have debated on the topic of classroom management since the first class began. In the same way curricula and teaching cultures vary, as do the intricacies of classroom management. A topic that is, in my opinion, not taught enough in the realm of TEFL, is finding ways to manage a full classroom of young students for an entire day. As the trend for “kindergarten” prep courses rises in China, the void for managing 20+ five-year-olds has been dark and silent. Because many principals in these prep centers refuse to allow Mandarin in the classroom and the fact that these students do not initially understand basic commands in English, this creates a sense of chaos that hampers the learning process. This...  [Read more]

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Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas I started my journey as a TEFL tutor by having classes online. I just tried my luck and applied for some random ad postings on social media. A few days later, I received a call and it turned out to be a phone interview. I got the job soon after that phone call ended and later that day I was introduced to my trainer. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate John K. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Next, I was trained for just one day about the tools, the materials and how to handle classes online. Soon, I just need to pass the demo and I’m good to go. Without any background in teaching, I managed my way to become a top tutor with just...  [Read more]

Wisconsin is a state rich in natural beauty and history. Located in the Midwest of the USA, south of the famous Great Lakes, the landscape of Wisconsin is lush and diverse. It is not hard to see why Wisconsin earned the title ‘America’s Dairyland’, as it is home to the country’s most renowned dairy products, cheese being the most famous. Wisconsin is a particularly great place to escape from the city rush by hiring a cabin in the woods. Hike around lakes, climb waterfalls, or simply relax in the peaceful atmosphere of the countryside. Whatever you are looking for, you will find it in Wisconsin. The area around Lake Superior is a wonderland for outdoor enthusiasts. Some of the best outdoor activities include biking and hiking in Chippewa Valley, and enjoying a great day out kayaking...  [Read more]

1. Introduction 2. History of Celtic Culture in Brittany 3. Language and Traditions 4. Contemporary Celtic Influence Welcome to our guide on the rich and vibrant Celtic culture in Brittany. This region in northwest France has a long and fascinating history of Celtic influence, which can be seen in its language, traditions, and even contemporary life. Join us as we explore the unique and enduring heritage of the Breton people. Brittany has a deep-rooted Celtic heritage that dates back over two thousand years. The region was originally inhabited by Celtic tribes known as the Veneti and the Osismii. These tribes were eventually conquered by the Roman Empire but managed to maintain their distinct cultural identity. In the 5th and 6th centuries, waves of Celtic immigrants from Britain and...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences My teaching experience began in a whirlwind. I graduated from college a semester ahead of my class, married, lived with my husband in my sister’s basement for two months, and moved to South Korea. We had no idea what to expect. Sure, we’d read the blogs, talked to the director of our school, and even talked with people we know who had lived and taught in Korea. It still didn’t fully prepare us for what to expect, how amazing it would be, and how hard. We lived in South Korea for 19 months teaching three through seven year olds daily and first through third graders several times each week. This post was written by our ITTT graduate Sarah S. When we first moved to Korea, our head teacher had to teach us how...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Raising bilingual kids is nowadays becoming a common family matter, it is easy to find multicultural families around the world these days. According to research published on the website Trend, global migration has highly increased since the 1960s. People seeking a better life with financial and educational gains, resulting in multicultural families with bilingual or multilingual children. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Dayana M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Multicultural families face the same kind of challenges as any other families in the world, however, they also have to deal with other issues related to family or...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas The average four-year-old has an attention span of eight to 12 minutes. Kindergarteners typically range from four to six years in age so at best, an instructor has approximately 20 minutes in which to work when teaching kindergarten children. Teaching aids are critically important to maintaining the attention of this age group! When teaching four-year-olds their second, third, or fourth language, good teaching aids will keep the child's attention while also simultaneously teaching them critical content. This paper will explore how to create a schedule in an EFL kindergarten classroom. For simplicity sake and congruence of understanding, I will write from the perspective that the kindergarten classroom is a total...  [Read more]

Mark Crocker Alumni Experiences Teaching English to non-English speaking students can be a big and challenging task. You need to be full of patience, understanding and passion if you decide to enter this vocation. I worked for ten years as a kindergarten teacher in the Middle East and at times it seemed like I was in a “jungle survival” competition. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Alona J. I was really in shock when I entered into the classroom on my first day as I had students with zero-English and it was really hard to understand them all. There were also many parents sitting around with their children who were crying and having tantrums. Normally, each class should have an Arabic Assistant Teacher but at that time...  [Read more]

  Chiang Mai is an essential destination for anyone visiting Thailand. Old Town is surrounded by ancient walls and a man-made moat marking where the old city stops and the new city begins. It is one of the few cities in Thailand that has successfully held on to its old culture and heritage while still modernizing and offering plenty of Western amenities. Chiang Mai is a great choice for anyone looking to get tefl certification in Thailand. It was founded in the 13th century and is one of the oldest cities in Thailand. The Lanna Kingdom might not exist in the 21st century, but shadows of its rich culture can still be seen today. The outskirts of Chiang Mai are full of small mountains, meandering rivers, gentle waterfalls and countless Buddhist monasteries. While peaceful, quaint and...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences I started teaching English as a foreign language teacher in my second year of university when I was a Bachelor’s Degree student in Xi’an, China. My reason for doing so was to earn extra cash every month. I was a China/ Guyana government scholarship student and I lived on a fairly low stipend which wasn’t sufficient for a foreign student to live on. For a couple of years, I had been hearing that students could earn extra cash by teaching English on the weekends or one on one classes for a pretty penny. I asked around and got in contact with an agent. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Nico R. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of...  [Read more]

Minh Huy Hoang Destinations For an expat in Vietnam, the vast majority of work opportunities are tied to teaching English. These also happen to be among the best-paid jobs in the country. English is big business and teaching the language is a great way for an expat to earn a living in Vietnam. For those looking to do just that, here are some valuable tips. First of all, you have to learn briefly about the culture of the country to be able to integrate. Here I would like to speak briefly about the literature of the country of Vietnam under the concept of unified national culture based on multicultural ethnic groups expressed in three main characteristics. First characteristic: Vietnam has a rich and diverse culture in all aspects, Vietnamese...  [Read more]

Jon ITTT Alumni Experiences Teaching classes containing a wide variety of ages can be a great challenge. I have recently experienced such challenge. Below I am going to share my teaching experience and how I managed to overcome the difficulties. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Yan Z. In Spring this year, I was asked to teach an English Drama class in a children’s training center. Before the class started, the students were recruited and assigned by the center, which was not in my control. There were 12 elementary-school students in the class. Students were age-mixed, ranging from 7 years to 12 years old. Two thirds of the students were from Grades 1-3 and one third were from Grade 4-6. In order for the younger students...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences In the following essay, I have chosen to explain my late-in-life interest in becoming certified as an EFL teacher, based on my background with foreign language experience, which began at an early age. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Manuel GK. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. I was what some would call an early bloomer. As a baby, my mother read to me at night until I fell asleep. By the age of 2, I could speak in simple but uninterrupted sentences with proper syntax. By a few months after my third birthday, I was able to read the same children's’ books that my mother used to read for me and speak more complex sentences...  [Read more]

Gökhan Yilmaz Destinations TEFL Information Turkey is one of the world's top travel destinations and sees more than 40 million visitors every year. Half of Turkey's population works in the tourism industry and lives from national and international tourism. Summer is typically the peak season for visiting Turkey. What attracts most visitors to Turkey are the friendly locals, beautiful scenery, and rich culture and history as well as the mix old modern and tradition. Due to Turkey's huge tourism industry, English is widely spoken among locals, which also means that the opportunities for teaching English in Turkey are vast. Here are 5 reasons to teach English in Turkey. Turkey's geopolitical importance is quite unique in the...  [Read more]

Mark Crocker Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Having spent more than 20 years as a marketing consultant, I decided to change career, to become an English language teacher. Hence, I took up the 120-hour TEFL course with ITTT, along with a specialised course in teaching young learners and another one in teaching business English. Even before I finished my TEFL course, I was offered a teaching job with a private school in Bangkok, Thailand. I have since been teaching kindergarten kids for about 8 months. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Albert P. Teaching kindergarten kids is definitely a lot more fun and less stressful than working for corporate clients in my previous job. I start work at 8:00 a.m. and...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Teaching has been my dream since a very young age! This should be the normal and most common answer when you ask a teacher about his childhood dream job. For me, It was absolutely the opposite. I have never seen myself teaching anybody even my closest friends and relatives! I have always considered myself an introvert. My best friend used to be a book I’m reading! I have never liked crowded places or getting to know new people! Going to a wedding or a party was more like a nightmare to me. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate MANEL R. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Anyways, all of this has changed when I helped a friend in...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas October is here and Halloween isn’t far away! Whether you teach in your country or abroad, this festival is exciting as it has specific cultural features. In this blog post, we share five fun Halloween decor ideas for your ESL classroom. Get inspired, and feel free to encourage your students to help you decorate the classroom! If you prefer to celebrate in style, you can pick a particular topic to decorate all parts of your classroom. Also Read: "6 Great Ideas for Developing Vocabulary in English Learners" Use all time favorites - pumpkins, lanterns, web, and wreaths - as the basis of your decor. You can either DIY them or buy them at a...  [Read more]

Umber Sherjeel Destinations Saudi Arabia has a rich cultural heritage. The old historical buildings, different types of beaches, and deserts distinguish it from other countries. If you come here, you will find yourself enjoying hiking, camping, swimming, and exploring historical buildings and castles. The following are the 11 best places to visit in Saudi Arabia. If you like quiet and exotic beaches, you are in the right place. Clean white sand all along the coast and slow blue waves, gives you the just the right amount of peace. You may also like to go boating and spend days in the nearby hotels. The best part is that it's not at all crowded. It is clean and exotic. Al Duqm beach is known for its clean, soft sand and turquoise waters. Its long...  [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]

Linda Dunsmore Destinations Teaching English abroad isn't all about working - it's mostly about fun and exploring the world! Here are 10 amazing music festivals around the world you must check out when teaching English abroad. Coachella is one of the best music festivals in the world and has been a true celeb hotspot in recent years. Everyone who is someone (and those who think they are) show up at Coachella and the world watches. Attending this music festival is definitely an amazing experience that you will never forget. Where: Indio, California When: Annually in April Apply for our TEFL in-class course in California to get certified. If you love eco-friendly partying with ambiance, Meadows in the Mountains is definitely your thing! Raking...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Who was your favorite teacher in elementary school? Mine was my 5th-grade Teacher, Mr. Powers. Not because he was super cool, or cute, or wildly entertaining. It was because he was an amazing teacher. He was a retired Air Force pilot, yet was never very hard on us and I can’t think of a single time that he got upset with us. I believe this is completely due to his amazing classroom management skills. I try my best to model my own teaching skills after Mr. Powers while teaching here in Istanbul, Turkey. Cultural and economic differences are actually the least of my problems while working with these amazing children. The most challenging aspects happen to be making the most of classroom space, ensuring the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences To be a great teacher is always my dream. In order to gain more experience in teaching, I started to teach my foreign teachers' Mandarin when I was a freshman in university. After I graduated, I chose to work as a teacher without any hesitation because I love the English language and I really enjoy teaching. So far, it has been for about 11 years. I have taught so many students. My youngest student is a 6-year-old boy and my oldest student is 76 years old. My class types range from tutorial classes to big lecture classes. How time flies! This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Ling Y. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Teaching is...  [Read more]

  Uruguay is South America’s hidden gem, known for its relaxed lifestyle and widely considered one of the most stable nations in South America. Whether you want a city that’s rich in history and culture, rural areas filled with nature and high-quality wineries, or charming, picturesque beach towns, you’ll find a laid-back vibe, high quality of life, and friendly, welcoming communities. Montevideo, Uruguay’s capital, is filled with charm has a charming, old-world feel. Located near the coast, it boasts a waterfront promenade, or rambla, that stretches 13 miles long. Along the rambla, you’ll see locals walking, running, socializing, and enjoying sunsets. The Ciudad Vieja, or the Old City, is Montevideo’s historic quarter, which is filled with cafes, museums, theatres,...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences Description: Teaching English as a foreign language in a kindergarten can be a dynamically different experience than teaching students in older age groups. Teaching in a kindergarten has advantages such as motivation, smiles, and the ability to learn the material in short bursts. It also has disadvantages, such as; short attention spans, diapers, and tantrums. Teaching young children can be extremely rewarding and extremely demanding. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate William K. Teaching Children between the ages of two and five has some advantages that can be very rewarding. My first class ever was teaching children between the ages of two and a half and three and a half. I was quick to...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas As we know, Music affects human life. Music – a subject that is quite interesting for students. Especially, when children aged 0-6 years old, there is 2-6 years old called the period of sensitive music of children. If at that time, parents give children a lot of music, they will receive very well. So, how do the songs affect children, and how are the benefits of using songs in English classes? Two of these problems will explain clearly the reason why the is song important. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Hien Phan Thi D. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Music supports children in the learning process at school. For example,...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas One of the most challenging contradictions I had to face as a high school language and literature teacher in Germany was the principle that each child should have equal opportunity when, sadly, the inequality often starts long before high school, and that as a teacher, you should give every student the chance to achieve excellent performances when, in reality, the latter also depends on factors outside of the classroom. In conversations with parents, I often pointed out specific deficiencies in their child's essays as I was taught to. I made suggestions on how to improve them, hoping in vain that next time, the student would get a much...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Learning through games has become more common over the years. The traditional academic-oriented learning method of repetitive memorizing is slowly becoming outdated, and most students prefer to learn in a fun and interactive environment. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Katherine I. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Children of all ages love to play, from the tiny infants to the toddler who sings ABC songs, to primary children who plays memory games. Children learn important skills by playing. Playing enhances children’s ability to problem solve, memorize, concentrate, imagine, be creative and interact with others (EYLF, 2009...  [Read more]