Spoken Activities

  "Who" and "whom" are another set of words that often causes confusion. Howeer, there is actuall a simple trick to deciding which one to use in a sentence. "Who" is used to refer to the subject of a sentence and 'whom' is used to refer to the object. Keeping this in mind will eliminate the chance of making mistakes. We recommend the following trick. The usage of these two words is the same as he and him. "He" is the subject and "him" is the object. If you are confused about which one you should use, look at the sentences and check whether "he" or "him" should be used. If it's "he", then you should use "who". If it's "him", then "whom" should be used. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our...  [Read more]

  In this TEFL review video Scott form the USA discusses his experience on the in-class TEFL course in Prague. In addition to its online courses, ITTT offers in-class TEFL/TESOL course at training centers all over the world. 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 covers Modal verbs, Phrasal verbs and Passive Voice. It gives a detailed description of different types of these grammar structures, their usages, most common students' mistakes and...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences English is an international language which is spoken all over the world for communication purposes. It is used as the official language in more than 70 nations worldwide. In addition to the English language being used worldwide for communication, it is also adopted as a common language between speakers of varying native languages. The English language is not only used for daily interactions or conversations but it is also utilized in various forms of industry, commerce, finances, politics, international relations as well as the medical field. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Rochak S. Business English is intended to teach learners how to effectively communicate in English in...  [Read more]

Federico Riva Destinations TEFL Information Explore the best countries in Europe for teaching ESL: from job opportunities to cultural immersion experiences, find your perfect destination to teach and travel. Hoàng Minh Huy TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Speaking skills are crucial for language learners. Learn the benefits of fluent speaking in a second language & strategies to improve your English speaking skills in this informative blog post. Federico Riva TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas In this blog post, we will look at...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences I am a Filipino. I was born in The Philippines and my first language is Tagalog. I remember my parents told me the first two words I ever learned or spoke were “mama” and “papa”. My parents were my very first teachers. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Gladiolus R. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. When we are young we acquire our first language through our parents, relatives, or from the things we see or watch. When we start schooling we then develop these receptive skills through reading, writing, listening and speaking. Most of the parents nowadays in the Philippines want their kids to know and speak in English, so...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences In my professional and personal opinion, being culturally sensitive and culturally aware is a very important part of being a successful teacher. The following will be based on my experiences and perceptions as a high school teacher teaching English to international students, observations made from watching my work colleagues teach, and examples from two different cultures that I encountered. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Franceena S. There are some teachers who have no cultural background, cultural experiences, or any exposure to culture whatsoever. In these situations, the teachers will have less awareness and may be less sensitive to students’ differences and needs. They may not...  [Read more]

Jon ITTT Alumni Experiences Difficulty with pronunciation is likely something that every EFL teacher will face at one point or another in their career. Every language in the world has different ways of pronouncing different words/ letters. In addition to this, most speakers of other languages have heavy accents that can make pronouncing English words very difficult. This can be a challenge when teaching English as a foreign language. It can be especially challenging because not all learners around the world will face the same problems. Students in Vietnam will likely have different pronunciation problems than students in Kenya and students in Brazil will likely have different pronunciation problems than students in Morocco. For this essay, I will...  [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]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas When native Arabic learners attempt to learn the English language, they are faced with a variety of difficulties since there are fundamental differences between the two languages. Arabic words have a three-consonant root as its base, so all words are formed by combining the roots with either a fixed vowel pattern or and affix. The Arabic language has 28 consonants and 8 vowels which is three times less than the English language in terms of vowel sounds. Due to those differences, Arabic learners struggle in the following areas; writing, grammar, phonology, and pronunciation when learning the English language. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Ayman E. Please note that this blog post might not...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences In this course, there were many ideas presented about the best way to teach English as a foreign language, from lesson planning to the activities, to the way the lesson is structured. All of these things were discussed, keeping in mind that learning a 2nd language is very different from the way we learn our first language. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Rebekah P. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. When a person is learning their first language, it is not taught, as it is in a classroom. It is acquired through total immersion. This is the language that is spoken at home, and usually outside the home as well. This makes for...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences When I chose this topic, I asked myself what a foreign language is. Is it just a language spoken in another country that’s not similar to one’s own? Or does a language spoken in another city or district in one’s country qualify as a foreign language? According to Wikipedia, a foreign language is originally from another country than the speaker. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Nafuna M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Concerning that definition, the first foreign language I learned was English, I, however, don’t consider it a “foreign” language because it is the first language I learned and it is the main...  [Read more]

Federico Riva TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas There are a number of different ways in which you can work online. In this blog we describe the ways you can do this and briefly describe some of the positives and negatives for each system. Federico Riva TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas In this blog we discuss the types of platfrom available to online English teachers. We then look at ways to add your profile to these platforms in order to attract the maximum number of students to you. Tho Nguyen Destinations Alumni Experiences ...  [Read more]

Mark Crocker Alumni Experiences Unlike learning a first language, learning a second language is a task that can sometimes seem frustrating and at times even impossible. There are many reasons for this as learning a second language is very different than learning your mother tongue. Firstly, there are biological factors involved and the fact that normally children tend to assimilate things more easily than adults. Secondly, it is often harder to get the same level of exposure to the language than it is when learning a native language where repetition from parents etc. is constant. That is why when you sign up for an English class, or any other language for that matter, teachers will try to replicate that scenario with endless repetitions and fun...  [Read more]

  http://www.teflonline.net In this video we look at a TESOL teaching idea for the past continuous tense. For this activity students are put into groups and are handed pictures of people doing different activities. The pictures are placed upside down in a pile and the students take it in turns to turn them over. When they have turned over a card they must make a past continuous sentence based on the picture they have. For example: If they turn over a picture of a woman swimming they would say: She was swimming yesterday. For more advanced students this activity can be used to compare past continuous and past simple. For example: While I was doing the washing up, I broke three plates. Becoming a TESOL teacher enables you to travel the world experiencing new cultures while...  [Read more]

Federico Riva TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas There are a number of different ways in which you can work online. In this blog we describe the ways you can do this and briefly describe some of the positives and negatives for each system. Federico Riva TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas In this blog we discuss the types of platfrom available to online English teachers. We then look at ways to add your profile to these platforms in order to attract the maximum number of students to you. Hoàng Minh Huy TEFL Information Alumni...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In a globalized and fast-growing world, the English language has grown to be considerably important. But let's analyze a bit further into the topic. The English language is the second most spoken language in the world only after the Chinese mandarin. With English speakers all around the globe, It's been a big part of tourism and other industries around the world. There are many reasons why the English language has grown to be so important in the past few years. The great development of a great powerful and influential country like the United States is one of the main reasons. Media from this country is consumed everywhere and has gained the interest of people from different cultures, languages, and countries. In a...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Learning English as a foreign language in preschools have become an increasing trend in many different countries across the world. Parents are willing to invest money for the kids to start learning English at a tender age as their ability to grasp the language will be easier. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Diana N. There are various ways of transferring knowledge based on fun EFL activities. Various techniques and numerous tools are the main methods of imparting knowledge the children. It has been scientifically proven that children at the ages of 3-6 have a strong potential to acquire new information, especially when English is made interesting. ...  [Read more]

  The two words "farther" and "further" are a pair of words that is often used interchangeably to talk about distances. However, not many know that there is actually a slight difference between the two. "Farther" is used for physical distances. So we would use it in this example: "Tokyo is farther away than Beijing". When using "further" we talk about non-physical, figurative distances, for example "I'm falling further away from my goals". As you can see, the two words have slighty different usages. However, in spoken English the two words are often used interchangeably without a difference. However, if you are keen to use them properly, you should stick to the rules mentioned above. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas While it is true that many students crave consistency in the classroom, it can also be argued that students of all ages and levels tend to lose motivation and interest if lessons become too predictable or repetitive. For this reason, many teachers choose to incorporate outdoor activities into their lessons. In addition to maintaining interest, some possible benefits to taking your students outside the classroom (especially in an English-speaking country) include opportunities to interact with locals, experience culture, and practice in “real life” scenarios, all of which can help build students’ confidence. Even if students are learning English in their home countries, there are still benefits to changing...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Storytelling in the classroom can seemingly be one of the most diverse and engaging ways to help students learn English as a second language. Storytelling for the purposes of this essay is a broad term that I am using to refer not only to students telling stories about what they did on the weekend for example but also using existing stories that are well known and loved, for example, Harry Potter or the Lion King. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Jamie S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Firstly, classroom activities using storytelling when centered around the students are a great way for students to get to know one another....  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Henry Wadsworth Longfellow once said "Music is the universal language of mankind” and it is still widely accepted today. Any language uses words to create sentences that convey messages with different tones and emotions as well as music does. Thus, bringing music to an English classroom is one good way to inspire the learners. There are tons of techniques or ideas involving music and songs that can be applied to any part of a lesson plan. It is available today in the form of online resources to use as a guideline for teachers. However, there are some arguments about how this strategy can be time-consuming and taking away the interest out of a focus lesson. In this case, the advantages outweigh the worries. Here...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Listening is an important skill in which learners need help in developing their abilities. Listening strategies are so helpful. By giving a learner, tools to listen to the learner can develop more control over his/her listening abilities. Many learners ask “ Teacher, how can I improve my listening?” The truth of the matter is with training from teachers. We can apply strategies in class to help learners overcome the obstacles, which they encounter while listening. The spoken text varies greatly from written text, and these differences can affect the listeners’ understanding. For example, when listening to spoken text the learner must process the information right away, and in some cases, there is often...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas A lot of English teachers abroad teach English summer camps in a variety of formats at both private and public schools across the world. These activities for teaching English summer camp will help you create fun lessons your students will always remember! Linda Dunsmore Destinations TEFL Information Teaching English abroad is not only for fresh college graduates! The market for senior teachers is increasing and schools around the world are hiring those with experience. Check out the best countries to teach ESL when you're 50+. Federico Riva Budget and Salary Destinations ...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas One of the most difficult aspects of English teaching is not grammar or even structure; it’s the externalization of ideas through the act of speaking with the teacher or students. The thought seems trivial but when put in an environment where the language taught overrides their own most students have a hard time organizing their ideas and thoughts to form coherent sentences that expresses what is on their minds. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Alvin M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Most students struggle with the idea since it requires both an understanding of the English lexicon and the pronunciation required to...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences The English language is the most spoken one as a second language in the whole world. It has become the international language of business, science, technology, international relations, and diplomacy. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Askarbekkyzy K. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Songs can be used to develop students’ listening skills. They improve listening skills ‘because they provide students with practice listening to different forms of intonation and rhythm. Songs can be really helpful in practicing listening skills “warm-up work can provide a basis for students to make predictions before listening; listening...  [Read more]

1. Introduction 2. Benefits of Using TEFL Course Books with Audio Resources 3. How to Incorporate TEFL Course Books with Audio Resources 4. Conclusion Welcome to the world of TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) where the use of course books and audio resources plays a crucial role in providing effective language learning experiences. At ITTT (International TEFL and TESOL Training), we understand the importance of using a variety of teaching materials to engage students and enhance their language skills. In this article, we will explore the benefits of using TEFL course books with audio resources and provide tips on how to incorporate them into your lessons. 1. Enhanced Listening and Speaking Skills: Audio resources allow students to listen to authentic English accents,...  [Read more]

Mark Crocker Alumni Experiences English language learners at high school and college levels in Mongolia face a variety of structural and cultural difficulties that often prevent them from moving beyond an intermediate or even-low level in spoken and written English. This post will look at a few of the core issues and examine some of the ways to help improve the type of instruction provided in Mongolia that could prove beneficial for future language students. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Ariel W. First and foremost, teacher training in areas like lesson-planning, teacher/student talk time, impromptu speaking and writing activities, and classroom management needs to be improved. This problem stems directly from the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Teachers who want to have good performance in class should have good lesson planning. Teachers should answer these questions before preparing lesson planning: what am I teaching? Whom am I teaching? How will I teach? And how will I know if the students understand? This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Phuong T. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Writing a lesson plan is very important for all teachers. A lesson plan helps the teacher to keep on target during the lesson. Writing lesson plans following each topic will create the connection of course. Teachers and students will not confuse when teaching and learning. Also Read: What are...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas We are moving closer to becoming a Global Village in this more inclusive and competitive world, the need to be able to communicate effectively becomes a real necessity. Communicating effectively is no longer a nice to have skill but it is now becoming essential. Due to historical facts and the current geopolitical situation English has become the language of choice to progress, it is particularly and increasingly used in business, tourism, and social media environments. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Shaun Y. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. English is a recognized global language whether it is a first language as in the UK...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Young learners and adults have different needs and goals in the classroom. Young learners want to be engaged and have rapidly changing activities while adult learners will enjoy a more serious classroom setting. It is the job of the teacher to ensure that these needs are met for both age groups. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Preston M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. If a teacher is teaching classes with young learners, visual cues are very important. Many young learners are not able to read at all or can read very little, so young learners need to be using material that is picture based. When the teacher is preparing...  [Read more]