TEFL Conley

  This video focuses on the modal auxiliary verb "can". In the classroom, you probably initially introduce the word "can" in the context of ability. However, there are more usages, such as possibility, permission, request and advice. 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. Establishing rapport and a sense of trust is going to play a major part in how well one can convey the and how well the student is able to absorb the information given. As stated in...  [Read more]

  In this video TEFL review Cesar from Spain talks about his experiences completing ITTT's TEFL/TESOL online course. He outlines the challenges experienced and the rewards gained from the course. Cesar completed his course taking the tutor support option. 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 various technology or mediums for a teacher to convey information in a classroom. There are a large array of possibilities presented and...  [Read more]

  This video covers the difference between 'defuse' and 'diffuse'. Their similar spelling and pronunciation make them a word pair that is often confused. The word 'defuse' refers to the action of making a situation less harmful or tense, whereas 'diffuse' means to spread over a wide area. Watch the video for detailed examples on the two words. 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 is the most challenge unit from this course. I had to ask a...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Tenses- Usually it creates tense for many ESL students during communication. It defines and differentiates the situation by time. Is time important in communication? Yes, it is. The wrong usage of tenses changes the exact meaning of the situation, what the speaker is trying to convey. So focusing tenses in grammar is more essential than others. Still, the proper usage of tenses is a complicated and confusing task for many high-level students in competitive exams. Then, what about the ESL students? This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Vallikkannu M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. We can classify the ESL students into two...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Peculiarities in the English language can be quite difficult and challenging to explain to students but are certainly very rewarding. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Monique E. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. If we look at the word “Peace” – in English this word could refer to “peace between family, neighbors, and friends” or it could mean “peace of mind” or “peace” etc. We also have the same word spoken in the same way, but spelled differently and has a completely different meaning – as in “Piece” – a piece of cake. In some languages, there is no way to use one word to convey all those different...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas The focus of this essay is to provide some guidelines to TESOL teachers when instructing their business students in the use of idiomatic expressions and how to avoid potential problems when using them in the business environment. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Allan D. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Clear communication is critical in the business environment. The following are some potential problems and some solutions when teaching and using idioms in the business environment. Also Read: The Power of Stories for English Learning in Early Childhood Clear and effective communication is important in business. TESOL teachers...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Learning a language is acquiring the ability to produce the language and to produce the language accurately, a student needs to learn the grammar of that language. So, what is grammar? This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Sheila A. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Grammar is the study of the way words are used to make sentences. It is a set of rules that provides the structure we need to organize our ideas and convey our messages fully. It determines how words are arranged in a sentence for understanding. It gives us the ability to comprehend and produce language. When trying to acquire a language, learning the grammar of that...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences While being an exchange student, as well as a Teaching Assistant, at a university in China, there has been a certain problem for students that I have noticed. The problem that stands out the most is students trying to memorize every word they want to say while giving a presentation in class. While it makes sense to want to convey your message in the correct way, the problem I see is that too many times a student who has spent days memorizing their exact lines (even pacing outside of the classroom reciting it over and over until their presentation time) has difficulties in the actual presentation when the script is taken away. If even one word is missed while they are speaking, they seem to shut down while they...  [Read more]

Federico Riva Teaching Ideas There are many important personal qualities that an English teacher should have. The first I believe is an English teacher should have is great communication skills. As an English teacher, you are communicating with people who want to learn the language. A teacher may not be able to communicate with them through the language they are learning so a teacher must utilize other communication skills to be an effective teacher. Meer states, “If a teacher's communication skills (verbal, nonverbal, and visual, which involve speaking, writing, imagery, body language, and the organization of ideas into understandable structures) are good, they can convey knowledge with better skill and results” (Meer, 2018). With the use of...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In English, varying tense forms will change the structure of a sentence and verb conjugation. When studying English grammar, learning different tenses can present a great challenge to learners as well as teachers. English language learners may have to adjust to a greater number of tenses in English than in their native tongue. According to ITTT course materials, experts will state there are twelve tenses in the English language. The changes informing English verbs which mark past, present and future tenses are a key concept for learners to grasp to communicate effectively. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Corey B. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs...  [Read more]

Jon ITTT Alumni Experiences It is not a secret for anyone that native speakers of any language always easily identify “non-native” when they hear at least a few words spoken by them. Often native speakers are able to fairly accurately determine the country from which the person came, based on his pronunciation. This happens due to the fact that it is common for all of us to use the sounds of our native language in the pronunciation of words of a foreign language, as well as to use articulation models we know from childhood the position of the organs of speech (lips, tongue, etc.). This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Mariia L. We pronounce words with stress characteristic of the native language and speak with intonations...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas The issue of testing and/or evaluation is an important topic in general, however, it is of personal import to me because I currently work as a full-time ESL teacher in China, over half of who are pre-school and kindergarten age. In China, children begin primary school (first grade), at age seven, plus they have three years of mandatory kindergarten, which begins at age four. English is not taught in Chinese public schools until primary school (grade three), and then, for only forty minutes, three times per week. For these reasons, the average Chinese child is not formally taught English until they are nine years old, and even then, for only three hours per week. This post was written by our TEFL certification...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Spanish speakers from Mexico face several challenges for acquiring successful pronunciation skills in English. Many students here will have had at least some exposure to English through media and contact with American-English speakers, however, this does not mean that they will have a complete understanding of the phonemic system in English and how it differs from that of Spanish. This essay will briefly describe some outcomes stemming from pronunciation problems in students, followed by an overview of the basic phonetic and phonological differences between English and Mexican Spanish with examples and discussion around the rules that govern English word stress. This post was written by our TEFL certification...  [Read more]

Jon ITTT Alumni Experiences To ensure an effective, beneficial, and enjoyable experience of learning, it is important to consider a range of factors within a classroom which have the potential to benefit or hinder a lesson. Such factors include the teacher’s use of eye contact, the grouping of students, the layout of the classroom, and the amount of time the teacher and students talk, as well as building rapport with students and maintaining discipline within the classroom. Ultimately these factors are important for a teacher to understand as they have the propensity to determine learning outcomes. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Sarah L. The teacher’s use of eye contact, gesturing, voice clarity and projection are...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences As far as I can remember, I always wanted to become a teacher in a foreign country. The most thrilling part about it was to convey knowledge to others and extend my own cultural awareness. When I heard about TEFL online courses after graduating from university, I immediately thought it would be the best option for me in order to achieve my greatest dream. After the completion of this course, I will move to Tokyo with the strong will to teach English to all different types of students, regardless of their age or current English level. Now that I am almost done with my TEFL online course, this post will take a look at my improvements and achievements so far. I will particularly focus on what I feel is the best...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas The main aim of any lesson/class is for the teacher to be able to convey the information in such a manner that the students can absorb the information as quickly and as effectively as possible. When it comes to teaching a new language, what needs to be taken into consideration is that the students need to be kept motivated, exposed to the language, and allowed to use it themselves. The most effective method on which this whole course is based, and in which all these factors come into play is the Engage, Study, Activate (‘ESA’) technique. However, what holds even more importance than the method itself and what can influence the students’ motivation positively or negatively is the teacher’s attitude and...  [Read more]

1. Introduction 2. Benefits of Teaching English to Chinese Students 3. Challenges of Teaching English to Chinese Students 4. Tips for Teaching English to Chinese Students Teaching English to Chinese students is a rewarding and valuable experience. As the world becomes more interconnected, the demand for English language skills continues to rise, especially in countries like China where English is seen as a gateway to global opportunities. At ITTT (International TEFL and TESOL Training), we offer comprehensive training programs for individuals looking to teach English as a foreign language, including specific courses tailored to teaching English to Chinese students. Teaching English to Chinese students provides a range of benefits, both personally and professionally. One of the main...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences So, American English versus British English, which of them you should learn as a second language? In the next few sentences, I’ll try to explain why I think that the American variant of English is the best variant for learning. As a kid I used to learn British English and thought that it’s okay, Great Britain is closer to the country, where I was born, and all people in my country are learning British English in schools, universities, language courses and all, so in that area, this variety of English was more popular. But as we get older, we get wiser and since university, I’ve been learning American English, and now I’ll try to explain my point of view. This post was written by our TEFL certification...  [Read more]

Sahil Gazi TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Lingos are of significant interest to linguists because they exist within the subsets of linguistics, by observing the significance of individual words or sentences through semantics and their meaning in a broader social context through pragmatics. In this scenario, the subject is in a particular group of lingos. They are a repeating phenomenon, and, as such, they are referred to as being in a "limbo." It happens everywhere globally, and their development starts and stops on average around the same age groups. Primarily, the vocabulary changes with popular culture, based on location and time period. Pragmatically, it determines how connected one is...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas There's no doubt that the quality of the educational process significantly depends on the teacher. And therefore the teacher plays the leading role here. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Ivan K. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. There are many of them. First of all, in my opinion, it's the personality of a teacher that has the main impact on the way he/she leads the educational process. Such personal traits as confidence and self-perception, emotional control, creativity, сommitment, and determination make a good teacher in the first place. A teacher can have good theoretical knowledge about teaching, have a great variety of...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore TEFL Information Alumni Experiences TEFL is an essential certificate for native and non-native English speakers who want to teach English abroad. TEFL stands for "Teaching English as a Foreign Language". It is believed that TEFL courses are merely a precondition to teaching English abroad, but actually, a TEFL will open a completely new world of education and travel. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Wissal A. Teaching English as a foreign language involves being able to convey the English language in an articulate and interesting manner. TEFL educators help students improve their English skills through listening, speaking, reading, and writing. TEFL is often taught using teaching aids and...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Teaching English to foreign students can be challenging, yet one of the most rewarding experiences. Providing education on the English language to young, middle-aged, or older individuals can be an eventful experience, shaping an instructor’s portfolio and personal life. In this report, I explore possible advantages and disadvantages of teaching English to university students in China from a prospective instructor’s perspective. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Dhanisha N. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Teaching, in general, can be an action-packed experience. There are often peaks and valleys. Thus, it is interesting and...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas This essay discusses the various ways in which teachers can more effectively manage their classroom. Understanding these methods and having them as a toolkit for everyday lessons can help to minimize student distractions, increase motivation and concentration and ultimately allow the students to learn as much as possible. I will briefly discuss the 9 key considerations below. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Phoebe C. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Looking for your students in the eye has many benefits, such as maintaining discipline, encouraging contributions and illustrating that they are all involved in the lesson. Be...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences As an EFL teacher in Vientiane, Laos, I have seen that Lao speakers have unique challenges with learning English. Some of these challenges are due to linguistic differences between Lao and English, while others are due to cultural differences between Laos and the Western countries where English is spoken. In this paper, I reflect on how I can help my Lao students overcome their particular issues with pronunciation, intonation, and stress. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Rilla T. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. My students’ most common pronunciation problem is probably differentiating between /r/ and /l/. My name, Rilla,...  [Read more]

Hoàng Minh Huy TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Language is a tool for communication; we use it to share our ideas and learn about those of other people. Communication occurs anywhere speech is present. Without speaking, we are unable to communicate with one another. Therefore, speaking skills are crucial for language learners of any language. English skills include speaking, writing, reading, and listening. Although mastery of each communication skill is necessary to become a well-rounded communicator, speaking fluently has several important benefits. There are many advantages for the speaker when they can meaningfully combine words to convey their thoughts, attitudes, and feelings. Therefore, learning a second language,...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Today, the importance of studying English by native speakers has been understood more and new regulations have been made by some countries. One of the most effective and undisputed factors that make learning English easier is to carry out English learning with native English tutors. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate liping z. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Our most important sense of learning is our sense of hearing. It is our sense that makes the most contribution to learning. Sometimes we realize that we have memorized the lyrics of a song without realizing it. The reason for this is that even if you do not pay attention,...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas When considering how an ESL student learns the English language, the first aspect of the teaching material an instructor must consider is the vocabulary. Vocabulary, when breaking a sentence into individual pieces, gives a sentence its meaning. Of course, using the appropriate grammar is essential to communicating at the highest level, especially if a student is to be considered proficient to any degree. Regardless of grammar, if a student does not know the basic vocabulary, the message the student wants to convey will never leave the mental painting in the depths of his or her mind. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Jordon T. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences When I hear the term role, I often think of a theatrical production. Which role is so and so playing? “What has to do they wear?” is another question for what the teacher does in and out of the classroom. Regardless of the term, I believe the answers are numerous. The teacher must fill many functions. Most of these roles will stay the same regardless of the age of the students, whether they are clients in a mandatory English class paid for by their company or a classroom full of elementary students in a US public school setting. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Bill C. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. To convey...  [Read more]

1. Introduction 2. Qualifications and Certifications 3. Teaching Experience 4. Language Proficiency Teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) in China is a rewarding opportunity for educators looking to immerse themselves in a rich cultural experience while imparting valuable language skills to eager learners. With a growing demand for proficient English teachers in China, it is essential for aspiring ESL teachers to meet certain requirements to qualify for teaching positions in the country. One of the primary requirements for ESL teachers in China is obtaining a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) or TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) certification. These certifications demonstrate that the teacher has received proper training in English language teaching...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas According to David Crystal (1941), ‘Vocabulary is a matter of word-building as well as word-using.’ While this may be true and speaks to the fundamental usage of vocabulary in any language, vocabulary can also be seen as world-building. Vocabulary is ‘the body of words used in a particular language’ (Google, 2019). While the aforementioned clearly identify why it is important to teach vocabulary, this essay will try to explore it a bit further. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Rayon B. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Firstly, as stated in the introductory paragraph of this essay, vocabulary is the main aspect of any...  [Read more]