Teaching Fun

1. Introduction 2. Benefits of Fun and Interactive English Teaching Activities 3. How to Incorporate Fun and Interactive Activities in the Classroom 4. Resources for Fun and Interactive English Teaching Activities Are you looking for ways to make your English teaching sessions more engaging and enjoyable for your students? Look no further! At ITTT (International TEFL and TESOL Training), we understand the importance of incorporating fun and interactive activities into your lessons to create a dynamic learning environment. In this guide, we will explore the benefits of using these activities in the classroom, provide practical tips on how to incorporate them effectively, and share valuable resources to help you enhance your teaching experience. Engaging students in fun and interactive...  [Read more]

1. Introduction 2. Importance of Teaching English to Children 3. Effective Techniques for Teaching English to Children a. Incorporating Games and Activities Teaching English to children can be a rewarding and enriching experience. As a teacher, it is important to create a fun and engaging learning environment that promotes language acquisition and development. In this guide, we will explore the importance of teaching English to children and discuss effective techniques that can be used to enhance their learning experience. English is considered a global language, and proficiency in English can open up a world of opportunities for children in terms of education, career prospects, and personal growth. By introducing children to English at a young age, we can help them develop essential...  [Read more]

  These 10 teaching ideas for the past simple tense will encourage your students to use the language in fun communicative ways. Grammar lessons can often be quite daunting and boring for students so it is important to have activities that students will enjoy doing. These ideas offer plenty of student-to-student interaction and allow students to draw on their own life experiences as well as encouraging them to use their imagination. 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...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Can you imagine being in a foreign country and you don’t speak the language? You are a new student, who is shy, nervous. You haven’t made any friends yet and you don’t have confidence in your speaking skills. A classroom could be a terrifying place to be which is why the role of the teacher is so important. Since most non-English speaking students are typically shy in English class, teaching English through various types of methods such as “groups” can be beneficial to the students. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Mohamed A. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. When listening to students in groups, a teacher will notice...  [Read more]

Charlotte Lam Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Due to the pandemic, distance learning has become the new form of teaching all over the words. In Hong Kong, teachers are trying to figure out ways to teach their students while having quarantine at home. In this post, I’m going to share some fun activities and games to play with kids by using Zoom so that you won’t run out of ideas when teaching through an online platform. If you’ve never used Zoom before, you must try it with your students, and it definitely surprises you. Teaching through an online platform makes it very difficult to manage the class because students are staying at home in a comfortable place rather than attending real classes in school. Therefore,...  [Read more]

Shirin Sophy Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas It is recalling the anxious and distressing early days of the current outbreaks and the constantly-evolving pressure or numerous obligations we all have unwantedly been experiencing during the pandemic, online teaching, and all of the efforts made by not only teachers but also students in order to adjust to the new normal can be regarded as a giant step into a future phase that would have certainly been postponed if it was not for the necessity. In retrospect, although it was not curious for many teachers to have a limited number of highly motivated students in online classes, such a rapid shift to teaching completely online for more than two alternative years could have sounded...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas You will find the web full of ideas for teaching vocabulary and, although most of them are undoubtedly good activities, some are only suited to a particular level. Here are some tried and tested activities that can be adapted to suit any level of student and a variety of class sizes. This is a great activity that can be used as a warm-up at the beginning of a class, or as a game at the end of a lesson. It’s suitable for any class size over 4 students and requires minimal preparation. Divide the class into two teams and have two chairs at the front of the class, set up to face away from the board. Have one student from each team come and sit in the chairs and tell them not to turn and look at the board. The premise...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences As a teacher who has many years of experience working in kindergarten, I can surely say that teaching English as a foreign language is fun but requires special skills. At that age, children are yet to have their abstract thinking developed, hence teaching should mostly be based on visual aids and games. We must also consider that, apart from their young age, we are dealing with a large group who are very active, unable to stand boredom and are overwhelmingly thirsty for fund and play. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Joseph Niifio T. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. There is also one more important thing to note: This may...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences Learning English as a foreign language can sometimes become overwhelming. When people seek to learn English, their reasons can vary immensely. It could be because they want to travel to an English-speaking country, or it is possible that they are interested in English literature, or maybe it’s their job requirement. In any case, their time in the class is important to them. Besides lots of expectations, there are also many inhibitions to overcome, and little time. Games are the most powerful tool to help release pressure, boost motivation and create a fun, friendly, positive learning environment. We want students to focus and take full advantage of the time they are in the classroom, leaving outside any heavy...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Why are games important? Why do we play games? How do people play games in the class? These are the questions people usually ask. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Jessie l. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Normally their concern is what they can learn from the games? In my opinion, playing games in the classroom is not only for fun but also for practicing and reviewing what you have learned. In my class I have always enjoyed playing games, I have used many different games as well. Students may be able to understand a new concept or idea. At the beginning of the class(Engage), you do not have to teach students the grammar in...  [Read more]

Anna Domiczek Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Songs and music are such an important part of an ESL preschool curriculum. Not only are they fun, but they are also very powerful tools to help young students learn English in a fun and entertaining way. Federico Riva TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Does a year abroad teaching English hurt your career prospects back home? Quite the contrary! In this live session, we discover exactly how teaching English abroad enhances your career prospects - back home and around the world! Shirin Sophy Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas ...  [Read more]

Michela Coticone TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Teaching a new language to children can come with many challenges because there is limited time and sometimes limited attention spans. To effectively teach a new language, children need to have a feeling of confidence in the fact that they can perform what they are being taught, and the element of having fun while learning. Children, just like adults, need repetition to effectively learn a task. Repetition Repetition alias Drilling: Is it an Effective Way to Remember Language Points? will allow a child to mentally prepare themselves for a task that will happen at a certain time of the day, therefore they can begin to anticipate what their...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas Having to organize and hold a winter camp is a daunting task, especially for new teachers who haven’t done it before. For these kinds of English camps, teachers typically create up to 10 lesson plans for the duration of the camp. Winter camps can last anywhere between one week to a month or even longer. The main goal of an English camp is to have a fun and memorable time with the students while practicing their English. However, there is a lot more to an English camp than just playing some games. Since most teachers need to create and prepare their lessons in advance, we have compiled a list of games and fun activities for teaching English winter camp abroad. Props will make your winter camp a lot more fun and...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas “As an ESL teacher, you may feel that your students aren't paying attention, or participating in class even though you have the perfect lesson plan.” This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Angela G. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The thought of playing or using games as a teaching tool inside the classroom may sound intriguing, whether you’re a student, a parent of a student, a tutor, a friend of a student or someone just interested in gaining more insight into either learning or teaching English as a second language. You might be wondering how beneficial and productive games or fun activities would be and the impact they...  [Read more]

  The second conditional is used when speaking about dreams, fantasies and hypothetical situations. This video is specifically aimed at teaching the second conditional in an ESL setting. 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 a great reminder about conditionals. I really liked the activity ideas in the unit, there were some great examples of activities that would be fun for students and help them learn conditionals and reported speech....  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas It is a tough task to master management skills for any age, especially the younger ones. Most activities for young learners are games and songs that require an exciting, fun atmosphere for students and an energetic teacher. Therefore, in order to produce a good lesson with lots of fun but still to keep students in the discipline, the teacher must work harder and be very careful and clever in any situation. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Trang Nguyen D. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The teacher takes part as a leader, guide, and monitor to manage all activities as well as how much fun/excitement or quietness should be in...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Children are creative. Bringing games into an English language classroom to incite young learners’ attention and creativity is vital to keeping them motivated and entertained. Several games promote English grammar, memorization, and sentence building. These games can be reproductions of current popular games or manufactured by a teacher. Whichever method is chosen by the teacher there are still simple rules to follow. The game must be explained clearly and concisely, so the students have a full understanding of the game. An example round with the students is an effective way to ensure complete understanding. They can be a useful warmer activity to get students engaged in the lesson plan and bring a level of fun...  [Read more]

Anna Domiczek TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Shifting from a traditional classroom to a virtual setting can be daunting for teachers who do not have experience teaching online. This is especially the case if one has to keep young students engaged and motivated. What are the tricks to instill excitement and interest in preschoolers who do not have the intrinsic motivation to perform to achieve good grades? Their parents’ primary desire is for them to speak like the native and one day go off to an internationally renowned US university or work for a foreign company. Young students are motivated by something else- a desire to have fun in a welcoming environment. In the evolving ESL education market, the English teaching...  [Read more]

Shirin Sophy TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas The following features that are briefly discussed in this article can directly affect the quality of the lesson and facilitate generating a more desired outcome. Federico Riva TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Does a year abroad teaching English hurt your career prospects back home? Quite the contrary! In this live session, we discover exactly how teaching English abroad enhances your career prospects - back home and around the world! Federico Riva TEFL Information Teaching Ideas Do you...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Ever since I was in elementary school, I have always looked up to teachers. They have inspired me all my life, the role they play in a child's life is one of the most amazing things ever. That is the main reason I decided that I wanted to be a teacher myself. I have a few years of volunteer teaching work and from it, I have learned many things. Some of the main things are discipline, atmosphere, and education. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Christopher C. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. First, discipline. This is extremely important in the classroom. To have a controlled class who wants to also learn but also have fun is...  [Read more]

Federico Riva TEFL Information Teaching Ideas Do you want your new students to come back again? Do you want students to do homework? Are you looking for fun activities for your online classes? In this live stream, we will look at how to engage and motivate English learners outside the classroom at 100%. Shirin Sophy TEFL Information Alumni Experiences This blog post is a suggested procedure that can be taken into account while teaching productive skills after the engagement phase is applied and learners are ready to start the study phase. Ahmed Taha TEFL Information Alumni Experiences ...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas I am an English teacher. I am teaching beginner students who are aged from 3 years and a half to 8 years old. My students are very young learners who normally have shorter attention spans, and have not even completely mastered their mother tongue. They are generally amenable to fun games, singing, and drawing. For my students, they start from zero knowledge of English to a very basic knowledge that cannot be quickly or easily activated, but with these levels, success is easy to see and usually good fun. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Yuan P. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. From what I have learned at TESOL training and day...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas Holding a summer camp can be an intimidating challenge for new and experienced teachers alike. For these kinds of English camps, teachers typically create up to 10 lesson plans for the duration of the camp. Summer camps can last anywhere between one week and a month or even longer. The main goal of an English camp is to have a fun and memorable time with the students while practicing their English. While this might sound easy, English camp is so much more than just playing a couple of fun games. If you want to hold a successful camp session, you’ll have to do a lot of research and preparation. The following games are great activities for teaching English summer camp abroad. Props will make your summer camp a lot...  [Read more]

Shirin Sophy Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas The activation phase is naturally divided into some steps to facilitate the activation process, including the controlled, semi-controlled, and free practices that are briefly discussed in this post. Federico Riva TEFL Information Teaching Ideas Do you want your new students to come back again? Do you want students to do homework? Are you looking for fun activities for your online classes? In this live stream, we will look at how to engage and motivate English learners outside the classroom at 100%. Ahmed Taha TEFL Information Alumni Experiences ...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences When I was younger, I had a dog that played fetch, walked to the park, and learned new tricks with me. Over time, we created a bond that was irreplaceable and unconditional. One day my dog passed away and three weeks later, my family and I decided to get a new dog. This new dog was friendly at first but hardly wanted to learn anything new. However, I was quite distant from the new dog, to begin with, because I always thought about the good times I had with my previous dog. Afterward, I realized that I needed to move on and create a new bond which I then remembered how my previous dog and I became best friends and how we both learned from each other. It was a high relaxed positive energy, spending a good amount...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas I think using games to teach is fantastic if you are using games in your class for the right reasons that are. Using games in your classroom just to pass the time or even games that aren’t relevant to the content you are teaching. There are a lot of advantages to using games as well as some disadvantages. There are a lot of games you can use. Just by doing a quick search on the internet, you will find an endless number of games and explaining how to use them. You can always change or adapt to your students, as well as for the content you will be teaching. Remember when using a game, make sure you are using the right game at the right moment. As there are different types of games. For example, there are games you...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences I came to China 4 years ago to teach English. I have not managed to learn Mandarin in that time frame but I did learn quite a bit about the differences in pronunciation between Mandarin and American English. The most common errors made by Chinese students generally come from the habit of translating to their native language. English and Mandarin share some similarities such as word order and sentence structure which also complicate the issue. In this essay, I will discuss teaching pronunciation, the problems that can occur when teaching pronunciations, and the issues that occur with Mandarin speakers learning English. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Paris S. Please note that this blog...  [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...  [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]

Mudita Yajnik TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Classroom setup is an important part of setting up a welcoming and friendly environment. It is the foundation on which a teacher can build strong relationships with their students, and build a more student-centered class while incorporating their passions into their work. The way a classroom is set up is a great first impression for students, which means it’s important for teachers to put in an effort to make their classroom a welcoming environment. Moreover, a fun classroom set up can reflect your personality or what you’re passionate about as a teacher, and it can be a fun way to introduce yourself to the students. Even having speakers so that you can play music in the...  [Read more]