TEFL Ball Pond

  With world-class surfing and diving, a large number of cultural, historical, and archaeological attractions, and an enormous range of accommodations, Bali is one of the world’s most popular island destinations and one which consistently wins travel awards. Get TEFL Accredited in Bali, the famed Island of the Gods, with its varied landscape of hills and mountains, rugged coastlines and sandy beaches, lush rice terraces, and barren volcanic hillsides all providing a picturesque backdrop to its colorful, deeply spiritual, and unique culture stakes a serious claim to be paradise on earth. Bali is known for tourist hotspots that cater to surfer dudes, budget-backpackers as well as high end luxury travellers. But there is a side to Bali that many do not experience- and the road less...  [Read more]

Shirin Sophy Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas No matter how seasoned and confident a teacher is, there are occasions specifically before starting a new class that every teacher might wonder, "what if they don't like me?" This nightmarish query may cause even more distress when one is getting ready to start a job at a new school or a new country. Considering the fact that students don't basically walk into a class with a bias against the teacher, and they tend to take a liking to him/her based on the very first impression they get, can clarify the importance of the first session. In fact, you can work towards establishing a strong rapport by having various fun warm-up activities ready in hand in order to provide your students...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Trang V. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Also Read: Moving Forward: My Personal Teaching Experience, Changing Careers STAGE 1 - Understanding And Learning The Meaning Of New Words (10’) Firstly, students watch a video that is related to colors. Students give their attention the main words: Black, white, yellow, pink, blue, green, orange, grey, brown, purple, red Help them to understand what topic we learn today. They watch the video once and try to remember some of the colors. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4XUBGJK180 Then the teacher will move around class make them have more focus:...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas The use of reading in the course of language acquisition is valuable and often underrated. Before undertaking a detailed explanation, I will first offer a general example to demonstrate the problem of teaching without it. Imagine you are teaching the word “ball” to an older student. You could ask them to say “ball, ball, ball” in a drilling manner. This can be inefficient and above all, boring for the student. But suppose that you do teach it enjoyably. How many words might they learn? This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Peter C. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. For most teachers, they will give one or sometimes two...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Practicing conversational skills is often daunting for students. However, with these awesome activities, you’ll engage your students in speaking quicker as they will like the tasks. Jenga is a favorite stack game to millions of people. Your students will get excited as soon as they see the blocks. For this activity, you need to customize the blocks a bit by writing 1 ice-breaking question on each piece. Students need to pull a block and answer the question before putting it on the top of the stack. You can adjust this game to online classes by using online Jenga. Also Read: Can I teach English as a foreign language online? Before the lesson, brainstorm as many personal characteristics as possible (e.g.: have a...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences Challenges are inevitable especially if you want to be successful at what you do and teaching EFL is not devoid of them. In fact, teaching English as a Foreign Language can be very much exciting but also very challenging as it comes with lots of problems. Among these problems are what to do for the first lessons and how to get students motivated for the EFL course. These problems like many others have solutions and this essay seeks to highlight the problems and provide some practical solutions to them. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Belinda S. What to teach for a first lesson can be very problematic sometimes and as the proverb goes, “First impressions are the most lasting”. First...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas When teaching young learners, it’s important not to spend too much time on any one activity as they can soon lose interest. It is also a good idea to have activities that give younger learners the chance to move about and use the boundless energy they have at that age. Below we present a list of short activities suitable for young and very young learners of English. This is a good activity for practicing time with small classes. Clear a space in the center of the classroom and have a student stand in front of the board with their back to the class, this person is the wolf and the rest of the class stand at the back of the room. For each turn, the class asks the wolf ‘What's the time, Mr. Wolf?’ and the wolf...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Why does the English language break all its own rules and have so many words or phrases that simply make no literal sense? How does one learn such a language like this? This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Bridget B. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Football in most countries is a game where a ball is kicked around with one’s foot. In American English, this sport is called soccer. The sport of American football has much less to do with the kicking of the foot but yet is still called football. And we still also have soccer and handball. We have many other words in the English language that can be very confusing to those learning...  [Read more]

  In this episode, Linda takes on the pronunciation of the word "estival". Enjoy the episode! 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. Every learner is different and will have different needs. These needs can be based on a number of things like their ability, culture and willingness to learn. I learnt from this unit that every student's needs to be considered as well as the overall well-being on the class. It has been great to learn more...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas We all know what it’s like to teach a class with reluctant students who don’t want to talk. It’s like pulling teeth. However, with these 7 awesome ESL conversation activities, you can really get your students talking! For this activity, you simply use a tumbling block game such as Jenga and write 1 simple ice breaker question on each block. Before a student places a block on the stack, they must first answer the question on the block. This activity is especially great for small ESL classes or for small groups in a big class. Also Read: The 5 Best Ways To Build Rapport With Your TEFL Students First, take a few minutes to brainstorm characteristics a person might have. This could be something like “has flown in...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Flashcards are aids to learning with information on either both sides or on one side which a teacher holds up so that the students can see. Flashcards can have an English word on one side and have a translation in another language on the other side, or they can have pictures on one side and a word on the other side. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Eshita P. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Teachers use flashcards for different reasons, such as playing games, sentence construction (grammar), or to make it easier for students to get a clear picture of what the teaching will be saying. These cards are usually used to perk up...  [Read more]

  In this epidose, we cover the pronunciation of the word operationalize. This word is used as a verb and refers to the action of putting something nto operation. 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. Getting to know your students and establishing a rapport is one of the most important things you can do. it is important that your students know you and like you so that everything will be smooth sailing. as explained in the text, you can start out the...  [Read more]

Shirin Sophy Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Today's pedagogical approaches put considerable emphasis upon the importance of providing students with the opportunity to have a joyful educational experience through adding enough and well-located variety to the lessons. One practical way to do so is designing and adding aimful games to your plan in order to inject positive energy into your lessons, improve the mood of your class and make your lessons stick in students' long-term memory. Since not only young learners but also grownups enjoy playing fun games while taking English lessons, teachers, therefore, are always trying to come up with games that serve this purpose. So here are some ESL game ideas that you can adapt to your...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas No matter how well-prepared a teacher may be, every classroom is different, which means each student is different, and each teacher needs to be able to adjust and be able to establish rapport with the new class. For some teachers, working in a foreign country may cause them to feel uneasy; however, a teacher needs to overcome this feeling to be successful in the classroom. Indeed, building rapport with all students will help. Although this is a continuous process throughout the term, the key to establishing a friendly learning environment starts on day one. Thus, the best way to build rapport is to know the students’ names and interests by the end of the day or week (depending on class size). This post was...  [Read more]

  In this episode, we cover the pronunciation of the word "ulterior". This word is an adjective and used to refer to something that is rather distant or situated far away. It can also indicate something that goes beyond something that is discussed or openly said. The word derives from Latin ulter and was first used in the English language in the 1600s. 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 reminds me when I was in school, speaking english...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Rapport according to the Cambridge dictionary means “a good understanding of someone and an ability to communicate well with them”, it can also be defined as a close and harmonious relationship in which the people or groups concerned understand each other's feelings or ideas and communicate well. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Kudzai K. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Establishing rapport with your students can make a great amount of difference when teaching, especially in a second language. It increases the bond between a teacher and his students and thus more often than not makes learning interesting and more fun for...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas One of the great things about teaching conditionals is that once you discover some classroom activities that work well for one, they can be adapted to suit any of the conditional patterns that you may be asked to teach. Here are 7 fun activities for teaching conditionals for the ESL classroom that you can easily adapt to help your students understand the correct structures and usages. Tell your students to stand up and form in two lines (teams) and have an item that can be thrown and caught without causing injury or damage. Set the timer on your phone to sound after about 30-45 seconds. The teacher calls out the beginning half of a conditional sentence, throws the ball to a student at the beginning of the line and...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences A teacher has an important responsibility to get to know his or her students to ensure that they are engaged with the lesson on a daily basis. Learning another language is not easy so it is imperative that a teacher does everything in his or her power to get to know their students and become as familiar with them as possible. One of the most effective ways a teacher can begin to do so is by establishing rapport with their students. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Kathyrine L. Establishing rapport with students is ideally something that should happen at the beginning of the course. It is better to get to know your students as soon as possible rather than later. There is much to be...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas Teaching speaking skills is an important part of an ESL class. Sometimes, entire conversation classes are established that focus solely on speaking. Here are 7 great games for your ESL conversation class. Write down the names and key points about five celebrities and assign them to the same amount of students in your classroom. One by one, a student enters a “party” with another student playing the host. The host must then find out the identity of each guest by having a conversation with everyone. Have your students stand in a circle. Choose a specific grammar point and have the first person asks a question using the grammar structure. The student then throws a ball to another student who answers the question...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas I have been teaching English to young learners in China for almost a year and I tried to make my lessons with and without flashcards. And I can say for sure, that it’s really hard to teach children (3-12 years old) if you don’t have prepared flashcards for your classes, but only an interactive whiteboard and some stuff to play games. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Kelly P. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. I’d like to reveal a paragraph about games more deeply, because games in a classroom allow you to keep your students motivated and interested in what’s going on. Also Read: "7 Great Games for Your ESL Conversation...  [Read more]

Ramon Perez Teaching Ideas As teachers, we constantly strive to provide fresh and creative ways to transmit new information to our students. However, our secret weapon has been and continues to be, games! Games are great tools to spark interest and participation in our students. The common issue we face daily is the what, when and how to implement these games and activities. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Here we will see what low and high-intensity games are, their characteristics, and a few examples of games you can use in your future lesson planning.   Games have been a part of our social and intellectual upbringing, since probably before we could start walking. Some games require different aspects of ourselves, may it be...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas We all know that exciting lessons make you learn things easier and faster. So how do we bring some life into the boring lesson? There are a lot of ways. Some teachers use songs and cartoons, which are great for kids. The others find class discussions and debates helpful. They are a good choice for older students. But what do all of us love? Of course, games! Both children and grown-ups enjoy playing games. They bring fun into the studying process and can be productive. Games can be used at every stage of the ESA lesson. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Oleh K. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Learning a new skill can be difficult, and applying that skill can be even harder. Now teach that skill to someone else so they can adeptly apply it, and there might be people who become intimidated by such a task. However, teaching is a rewarding skill and there are several ways to improve a teacher’s confidence in the classroom. Although not an all-encompassing list, a few ways teachers can improve their confidence is through proper preparation, building rapport with students and self-reflection. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Courtney N. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. If a teacher is prepared to teach the lesson then...  [Read more]

Why Cristóbal is a Great Place for TEFL Certification Job Demand for English Teachers in Cristóbal TEFL Course Options Available in Cristóbal Cultural Integration While Teaching in Cristóbal Top TEFL Providers in Cristóbal: Focus on ITTT Cristóbal is an excellent city for obtaining TEFL certification, offering a dynamic job market for English teachers and a rich cultural experience. English teachers are in high demand in Cristóbal, with job opportunities in schools, language centers, and corporate training programs. TEFL courses in Cristóbal include both online and in-person options, allowing teachers to find the best learning approach for their needs. Successfully teaching in Cristóbal requires a solid understanding of the local culture, helping teachers build strong...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences In this essay, we are going to talk about two different versions of English which are American and British English. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate ANDRII D. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The English were introduced to America through British colonization in the early 17th century. It also spread to many other parts of the world due to the power of the British empire. Over many years American and British spoken English started diverging from each other in different aspects. This led to new dialects in the form of American English. Also Read: Teaching Roles and Functions in ESL The Americans and British both speak...  [Read more]

Why San Cristóbal is a Great Place for TEFL Certification Job Demand for English Teachers in San Cristóbal TEFL Course Options Available in San Cristóbal Cultural Integration While Teaching in San Cristóbal Top TEFL Providers in San Cristóbal: Focus on ITTT San Cristóbal is an excellent city for obtaining TEFL certification, offering a dynamic job market for English teachers and a rich cultural experience. English teachers are in high demand in San Cristóbal, with job opportunities in schools, language centers, and corporate training programs. TEFL courses in San Cristóbal include both online and in-person options, allowing teachers to find the best learning approach for their needs. Successfully teaching in San Cristóbal requires a solid understanding of the local culture,...  [Read more]

Federico Riva Teaching Ideas Many students struggle with paying attention during class. It could be the material lacks interest, is too challenging, or it could be the students themselves are tired or overworked. By incorporating a peaceful environment, adding creativity and variety, incorporating movement and managing time, you can help students with short attention spans to be successful in the classroom. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Corby K. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The environment plays an important part in how we learn. Is the classroom a clean and welcoming place that the student wants to be? Look around and reduce clutter. Keeping the...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences Learning a second language is never easy but the problems that each learner faces are not all the same. Sometimes the grammar of your first language is completely different from your second language. There might be sounds you do not know how to make because your first language does not have them. You might have limited access to fluent speakers of the language you are learning. All of these are true for Lao learners trying to acquire English as a second language. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Mary A. The national language in Laos is called Lao. It is missing many of the sounds that native English speakers take for granted. They have no “r” sound, no blended consonants such as...  [Read more]

Federico Riva Alumni Experiences Do you want to make your English lessons more exciting? We have the perfect teaching ideas for you! Here are 7 amazing activities to spice up your ESL classes. This is a great one to practice different tenses, especially the passive voice. Have your students come up with headlines for their class; such as “The teacher’s purse was stolen,” “the students were taught passive voice.” This also works for vocabulary lessons and other grammar structures. This one works well with intermediate and advanced students. Introduce a controversial issue, such as capital punishment, for example. Then, the students choose their “side” and group into teams. They do some research about the topic and take notes that...  [Read more]

Why Hatillo (← San Cristóbal) is a Great Place for TEFL Certification Job Demand for English Teachers in Hatillo (← San Cristóbal) TEFL Course Options Available in Hatillo (← San Cristóbal) Cultural Integration While Teaching in Hatillo (← San Cristóbal) Top TEFL Providers in Hatillo (← San Cristóbal): Focus on ITTT Hatillo (← San Cristóbal) is an excellent city for obtaining TEFL certification, offering a dynamic job market for English teachers and a rich cultural experience. English teachers are in high demand in Hatillo (← San Cristóbal), with job opportunities in schools, language centers, and corporate training programs. TEFL courses in Hatillo (← San Cristóbal) include both online and in-person options, allowing teachers to find the best learning approach...  [Read more]