Teacher Support Groups

1. Introduction 2. Benefits of Joining an ESL Study Group 3. How to Find an ESL Study Group in Tokyo 4. Conclusion Are you looking to improve your English language skills in Tokyo? Joining an ESL study group may be the perfect solution for you! ESL study groups provide a supportive and collaborative environment where you can practice speaking, listening, reading, and writing in English. In this article, we will discuss the benefits of joining an ESL study group, how to find one in Tokyo, and why it can be a great way to enhance your language learning experience. There are numerous benefits to joining an ESL study group in Tokyo. Firstly, studying in a group setting allows you to practice your English language skills with fellow learners who are also motivated to improve. This can help you...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences To understand the difference between teaching one to one and groups this essay aims to provide a discussion of the factors which exert influence on choosing one of these types of teaching or learning according to their advantages and disadvantages. Nowadays teachers and students often ask themselves a question: “What should I choose: individual or group studying?” There are a lot of things they need to bear in mind for making this decision. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Iuliia S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The first section illustrates the popularity of one to one education, which increases every year. Both...  [Read more]

  Edina decided to take a TEFL certificate course with ITTT after joining an NGO providing English teachers to students in Turkey. In this TEFL review video Edina talks about the many benefits of taking the course, including the extensive materials covering grammar, classroom management and lesson planning, the post course support and the fact that the certificate is recognised around 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 was...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas One of the main differences between teaching groups and individual students is the lesson plan. Several factors need to be considered when planning a lesson for a single student: The aforementioned factors should be taken into account even when teaching groups but in one-to-one lessons they are crucial. Considering that the whole lesson is dedicated to one individual, material covered should be graded to his/her exact level to achieve the best result, giving the teacher freedom to make the lessons challenging to stimulate further self-study. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Ivana P. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Unlike...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Classroom management is an important and essential skill for teachers and students. Classroom management aids teachers in organization and time management. Teachers who manage and instruct the class using eye contact, their voice, and group the students together using pair work and group work have more effective classroom management. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Costas P. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Keeping eye contact with the students establishes a good rapport. It helps them to show their involvement in the lesson and ensures that the students understand what is going on in the classroom. It maintains discipline and...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas This essay will focus on the differences between one-to-one teaching and group teaching. With both teaching approaches, there are advantages as well as disadvantages. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Alida K. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Recently, there has been an increase in demand for one-to-one lessons, particularly within the business industry (Teaching Special Groups, Unit 19). Students feel they are receiving a service tailored to their wants and needs than that of a group lesson would. Furthermore, teaching one-to-one allows the teacher to create a plan that directly suits the learners' needs; for example,...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Teachers play an intricate role in children's formative years, both intellectually and socially. For schools to have a positive effect on children, they will be dependent on good teachers. A good teacher has many specific attributes with some being professional roles they have and others being embedded in their personality. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Shelby W. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. During the class, the teacher must be able to manage and control the students. This means the teacher needs to be able to stand in front of the class as a whole and instruct the students in a different way than when they are in...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences In the classroom, there can be different ways of teaching, and ways this can be adjusted to meet all students’ needs. This helps ensure all students are on the same level of understanding by the end of the lesson before moving on to another topic. Teaching one-to-one can help meet individual students’ needs and wants, while teaching in a group allows all students to work together in pairs to help each other out, and may even make them feel more comfortable. This essay will look at the specific differences, including the positive and negative factors, of teaching one-to-one and in a group setting. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Seniz G. Please note that this blog post might not...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences The learning process of a foreign language inside a classroom has been demonstrated as one of the best ways in which different competencies can be practiced at the same time. Abilities such as grammar, reading, listening, and conversation skills are put to the test, all of them supervised by a teacher whom a conversation can be established. This same teacher is the one in charge of creating and maintaining an environment based on trust and positivism, so the student may appropriately develop his aptitudes. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Ilse G. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. We know that different types of classroom...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas When beginning work with a new group of English Language Learners, there are many factors to consider. For example: How do I assess their prior knowledge? How do I engage in the classroom? How do I make sure my students are comfortable to ask questions? All these questions are all hinged on the instructor’s ability to create a positive classroom culture and troubleshoot potential problems. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Maria H. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The first few lessons are critical to this process. It is imperative that instructors set the tone of their class. They need to establish a positive rapport with...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Teaching English as a foreign language can be done one of two ways: teaching a group of students or by teaching on a one-to-one basis. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Xiaobing W. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. On the contrary, one to one teaching is made more special by the fact that many teachers have to develop their strategies, approaches, and materials. One-to-one courses are, by definition, tailor-made courses. On the one hand, the teacher not only has a greater opportunity to engage in real interaction and to learn. But no need to worry about the problems of large groups- mixed ability, group dynamics, early finishers,...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas I think the teacher plays an important part in teaching English. And to be an English teacher needed professional teaching methods and cultural background. Because for many learners, the teacher is the font of all knowledge on English grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation, and in these areas, they have particular responsibility and authority. At the same time, in different lesson parts, teachers need to switch roles to help students learn English. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Shu Y. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. During a different lesson, the teacher will have a different role. And different roles have different effects...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas When teaching, regardless of the chosen method, the first aspect to consider is how to find a way to connect with the students, because a good relationship with the learners is the foundation on which everything else rests on. I consider this statement true when thinking about both groups of students and one-to-one teaching, because I believe that subject knowledge is not the only important element of teacher practice, particularly when teaching a subject that it is not mandatory, as an EFL lesson. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Laura R. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. In some respect, teaching one-to-one is easier, because...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas A multilingual class is a class where the learners speak a variety of first languages. A monolingual class is a class where all the learners speak the same first language. I have been working in international school setting for over 13 years. The classes are multilingual classes where students come from different cultures and English is the common language for them to communicate with their teachers and classmates. By contrast, English classes in local schools and universities in China are considered to be monolingual classes since the students use their first language, Chinese, to communicate. The teacher has to remind them to not use their mother tongue constantly during class...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences The seating arrangement is one of the most important topics in classroom management. Classroom management refers to the various skills and techniques that teachers use to keep students organized, orderly, focused, attentive, on task and academically productive during the class. However, this essay is going to explore more on the various methods of seating arrangement and how they influence classroom management. There are three most common seating arrangement methods that can be used by the teacher. These include the traditional rows and columns, horseshoe or U-shape and clusters. These are going to be explained in detail outlining their advantages and disadvantages in relation to the classroom size and shape,...  [Read more]

Mark Crocker Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas There are many types of English learning groups and each group requires different teaching techniques. In my opinion, English learners can be divided into 2 groups: beginners and English learners for specific purposes. Beginners can be students who have no English at all or know a few simple structures. They can be children or adults. English learners for specific purposes are students who have a basic English level and want to achieve their specific aims of learning. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Nhung T. Children are quick to learn but prone to forget. Therefore, they need frequent repetition and revision. Here are some tips for successful lessons with...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences There is a vast array of differences between teaching one-to-one and teaching a group. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Roshini R. D. One of the biggest reasons for a student to want to have one-to-one instruction and tutoring would be the freedom of space in which to ask questions and have answers supplied, that dig deeper into a student's understanding of the English language. While this is very possible in a group setting, there is the limitation based on the variety of language levels of students in the group and the time it takes to have each one's questions answered, while keeping the actual classroom lesson within the set time frame....  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Classroom management is important in part of teaching, and the effect of classroom management directly affects classroom efficiency. Therefore, learning how to effectively manage the classroom is a required course for every teacher. In the classroom, children are prone to situations where their thoughts are not concentrated and they are absent-minded in class such as chatting, speaking, doing small moves, thoughts wander, or because of the lack of self-control during the game. These conditions are inevitable, which is determined by the physiological and psychological characteristics of the students at a young age. So, in general, how should young English teachers manage the classroom? This post was written by our...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Autonomy is the ‘’ the ability to take charge of one’s learning”. Benson P. and Voller P. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Dean R. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. One-to-one teaching often gives the teacher a satisfaction that can be difficult to achieve when teaching a group. The student learns from the teacher, but the teacher can also acquire and gain a great deal from their interactions with students. For the teacher, there is the satisfaction of helping the student to progress quickly in the language since the individual approach allows the teacher to target the student's exact needs and requirements which is...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Morocco’s official languages are classical Arabic, and Berber ( indigenous language in North Africa) Classical Arabic, and second unofficial language in Morocco is the French language taught in General educational curriculum from primary school, and Spanish taught in the north as a second unofficial language, Thus learning a third or even fourth language for a Moroccan learner is not a big challenge, however, there are some difficulties to learn a language efficiently and accurately. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate MOHAMMED t. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. English is emerging, especially in larger cities. And it is...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas How important is it for EFL learners to learn slang and idioms? Let’s clarify what is slang? What is an idiom? This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Laura B. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Slang is an informal language and should be used only with people one knows very well. Slang can change constantly, appear today, disappear within month or year and some words have been used by English speakers since medieval times. Also Read: "How Can We as Teachers Motivate Our Students?" The earliest use of the word “slang” (eighteen century) referred to the vocabulary of “low” or “disreputable” people. Later, in the early...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences The personality of a teacher, their attitude towards teaching and their relationship with the students have a major impact on the motivation of the class to learn a foreign language. Being kind, patient, entertaining and with a good subject, knowledge is some of the characteristics of a good teacher. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Vladislava B. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Their ability to interact with the class, to involve all the students equally through the lesson, to correct them without offending or affecting their motivation and to give individual attention when necessary, proves that a good teacher cares a lot...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Establishing rapport with students can be challenging sometimes, especially if this is a class of students who’ve already had different teachers or the students change around a lot. When there is inconsistency in teaching style or people, it can be more difficult for students to create a more meaningful bond. One of the key things I’ve always found in establishing rapport is to be friendly, positive, kind, consistent and understanding. There are different ways a teacher can show this. The way s/he introduces her/himself and shows interest in students initially, the level of professionalism displayed, the teacher’s attitude towards students, the reward system put in place and the expectations set among many...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas I have had many personal teaching experiences. Some experiences gave me feelings of accomplishment, happiness, and success, while others discouraged me and on the rare occasion ended with me sitting in the parking lot crying inside my car. Now that I have completed the 120 Hour TEFL course I feel that I have been given a second chance at teaching. I want to analyze and explain my first teaching experiences. I lived in Italy for a year and a half doing volunteer work. We held English discussion groups two times a week. We had no materials, no curriculum, and no plans. We separated into two groups; beginner and intermediate. There were no placement or diagnostic tests, and as a result, there were weaker and stronger...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Learning difficulties can found in all teaching environments, be it a classroom of mixed ability students, a one-to-one tutoring session, teaching EFL or online teaching. Learning difficulties affect all age groups, both genders, and all languages and cultures, therefore a good teacher must be able to both foresee and prepare for supporting a student’s learning difficulties. This is even more important when teaching EFL students as unless these difficulties are met and coping methods are established then the student will struggle to make any progress in their learning English as a second language. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Tammy T. Please note that this blog post might not...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences It is generally agreed that education is one of the most important issues in every country these days and China is no exception. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Ekaterina G. It’s a well-known fact that China is the most populated country in the world with a long and mysterious history, rich and varied culture. China recognizes 55 ethnic minority groups within the country in addition to the Han majority. Standard Mandarin is the only official language, though there are more than 200 hundred living languages spoken all over the country. While being China’s capital, political and cultural center, Beijing is also known as a melting pot where you can meet the representative of almost each...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas The range of roles EFL teachers plays to ensure that learning takes place is undoubtedly wide. Among these, we may see teachers as planners, deciding which aspects of the subject to teach and how to do it; as facilitators, providing learners with strategies to guide them in the quest for knowledge; and as managers, establishing the patterns of interaction among students and making sure they focus their attention on the lesson and engage in the proposed tasks. Considering these roles, I think the latter seems to be the hardest one to perform since it involves managing people’s attitude and behavior, which means establishing and maintaining discipline in such a way that it does not affect teacher-student rapport...  [Read more]

Federico Riva Destinations TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Hi everybody wherever you are right now. I'm in South Korea and it's 10 a.m. Friday, so good morning. I'm back here again today, my name is Linda from ITTT if you've been here before hi and if this is your first time watching thanks so much for tuning in and taking the time, we really appreciate it. If at any time during this live session you have any questions, feel free to drop your comments in the comment section from whichever platform you're watching from. We are streaming live on Facebook and on YouTube at the same time. If you can see me and hear me just leave a hi in the comment box, that would be highly appreciated so that I know that...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences The role of a teacher conceals in itself the huge responsibility of shaping the world and making it a better place. A teacher should be able to cultivate a sense of strong positive emotions and self-confidence, should be well aware of the different needs of the students and should be capable of providing an endless number of opportunities for them to learn and grow. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Anil K. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. However, many teachers find the mixed-ability classes, a challenging situation to deal with. The students' demographics change according to a lot of parameters. The term mixed-ability...  [Read more]

1. Introduction 2. Benefits of Online Communities for ESL Educators 3. Types of Online Communities for ESL Educators 4. How ITTT Supports ESL Educators through Online Communities In today's digital age, online communities have become an essential resource for ESL educators looking to connect, share resources, and collaborate with like-minded professionals. These virtual spaces provide a platform for teachers to discuss best practices, seek advice, and stay updated on the latest trends in English language teaching. As a leading provider of TEFL and TESOL training, ITTT (International TEFL and TESOL Training) recognizes the importance of online communities in supporting ESL educators worldwide. One of the key benefits of online communities for ESL educators is the opportunity to network and...  [Read more]