TEFL Equality

Mark Crocker TEFL Information Alumni Experiences There are several things that a teacher should consider before entering a classroom and one very important consideration, particularly for EFL teachers, is the topic of cultural sensitivity. Because English classes are often conducted with students from a variety of different cultures and often take place in a foreign country, teachers must ensure that their teaching does not offend cultural or social norms. For example, in a Western classroom it might be quite common to divide the class into mixed-sex pairs, however, in some cultures this could be seen as offensive. So how can teachers prepare themselves for these situations? This post was written by our TEFL certification...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas As a teacher, one often adopts a range of roles in the classroom or online class to successfully execute a lesson and ensure confidence and security for the students during the lesson. Some of these roles include a prompter or facilitator, tutor, participant or observer, controller, or manager. With the roles listed above, a teacher needs to understand which role is adequate and beneficial for the circumstances that emerge. Along with varying roles to take, personal qualities play a very significant role in the classroom setting and rapport that’s created with the students. Personal qualities are the traits and characteristics of an individual that navigate them through life, often reflecting on the way they...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences There exists an inadequate knowledge of the English language amongst the general populous in Thailand. The source of this problem lies within the educational system and can be seen to its fullest effect within Thai schools. This paper reflects my experiences that have been observed from years of teaching within Thai schools. The main aim of this paper is not to advocate conclusive solutions but rather to expand on, identify and confirm an existing problem which is… the criteria for English levels that are taught in Thai schools. The following is one of the numerous problems occurring within the Thai educational system. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Steven L. Please note that this...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences Before making my way through these certificate programs, I have had very minimal teaching experience, especially regarding teaching language. I have taken language classes, and I am a coach for Speech and Debate at a high school. I previously thought I would be able to handle teaching English as a foreign language without very much training or though. How much could really be beyond what I was seeing as a student and coach? I could definitely handle it. Well, I soon learned I was extremely wrong. I thought to take these courses on a whim because it would not hurt to have the training, even if I knew what was being taught. I quickly learned that there was a whole lot out there that I have yet to learn and I...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas The purpose of this essay is to explore the differences between child and adult learning styles. Much has been already written about brain development. Throughout the human life span, the early ages, one through ten years is the human brain's most efficient time for learning. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Ralph D. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Children are then like sponges soaking up the language. Motivated by the enjoyment of movement, bright colors and selfless goals they do not feel social pressures or are self-critical. Their needs are simple. There is no self-worth to damage and every new experience is a joy....  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Foreign language teaching is a very exciting and responsible job. The new time requires teachers a new approach to this problem. One of the most important components in EFL classrooms are games. The game intensifies the mental activity of students; through the game, children learn social functions, norms of behavior; they develop comprehensively. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Evgeniya D. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The use of the game in EFL classrooms contributes to the creation of the psychological readiness of students for speech communication. The game has great educational opportunities. At the same time, the game...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas A definition of cultural sensitivity is being aware that cultural differences and similarities between people exist without assigning them a value – positive or negative, better or worse, right or wrong. This definition gets the idea across the best. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Aiham W. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Within a classroom many people come from many backgrounds, resulting in a variety of cultures being present in one area. To be able to maintain a peaceful working environment, cultural sensitivity must be taken into consideration because, without it, the students present would feel as if their cultural...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Most would simply say that a teacher is that person standing in front of a classroom "teaching", and they wouldn't be wrong. If a little more thought is actually given to the question, people would begin to understand that a teacher is much more than someone reading out of a book or simply following a syllabus, flipping through the pages just to get from cover to cover. The role of a teacher as it has always been being something often overlooked and taken for granted. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Brendon S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Teachers play a vital part not only in the development of children but in society...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas There are many distinct elements that influence what goes on inside a classroom. From the actions of the teacher and the students to the material used, the structure was chosen for the lesson, one could theoretically come up with a myriad of variables that can, positively or negatively, impact what goes on inside a classroom. Therefore, in order to better “stack the odds” so as to ensure that every lesson goes as smoothly and successfully as possible, it is the teacher's obligation to try and “tweak” these variables in his favor. One of these is the seating arrangement in the classroom. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Martim D. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas As a teacher you are in charge of a classroom of children, it can be relatively hard to meet all students needs and maintain control. A lot of teachers develop alternative ways to manage students. This can be by establishing classroom rules right from the start and to maintain these rules right throughout the year. Popular discipline techniques are positive discipline, these techniques use positive reinforcement to encourage students to behave, this is a much better way, rather than negative reinforcement, with punishment and humiliation. The teachers turn to problem-solving and then use classroom discussions, so opinions are heard and self-awareness which resolves the problem...  [Read more]

Jon ITTT Alumni Experiences The roles of a quality or good teacher are more than just planning, making lesson plans or teaching. The teacher's roles in today's world are different from what they used to be. Teachers used to plan or were issued a specific curriculum to teach with, that provided them sets of instructions they were supposed to follow. However, that's not the same issue with today's teachers. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Herman K. Teachers nowadays are like a "third parent". Simply because teachers spend much time with students and they can be a positive role model to students that lack a proper family foundation. Their job is to counsel students, inspire them and help them to utilize the knowledge they...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas One of the greatest and most spoken about topics I have come across, both in the English language classroom and in general conversation with people from all walks of life, is the use of US English and British English, and which of the two is more ''correct'' or ''better'' to learn, or even what sounds nicer to the ear. This is a controversial topic because the ideas surrounding these questions will be more favorable to one use or the other, depending on the influences both English types have in the country the student is studying in. Another factor that will affect opinions and thoughts on the subject is the personal history each student has...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Visa and Legal Destinations TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Traveling abroad is an exciting but challenging adventure, for anyone. Still, teaching abroad as an LGBTQ person often means traveling has some added difficulties. It is more than likely that your adjustment to a new country will include more than culture shock and a language barrier. LGBTQ teachers have to deal with a lot of questions before deciding to teach English abroad: However, there’s also a bright side. Equality rights have come a great way over the past decade in many parts of the world. The number of countries legalizing same-sex marriage is increasing - but there’s still a long way to go. It’s...  [Read more]

Ahmed Taha TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas The curriculum has been used in the past as a collection of topics and syllabuses for children and young people to be learned during their school years. However, this definition does not do justice to the wider outcomes required by the real world or to the complexity of what many teachers are actually doing to promote the well-being of children and young people. It fails to define the overall objectives that the program is supposed to serve. Learning is often greatly influenced by when and how success is evaluated and how the effects of measurement are used. Therefore, evaluation needs to be seen as an important part of the process of learning....  [Read more]

If you have already graduated from one of our TEFL certification courses and have yet to decide on where you would like to teach, or you are thinking about signing up for a course and are looking for an insight into the most popular teaching destinations, then the following guides might provide some welcome inspiration. Below you will find dozens of countries from all corners of the world where there are plenty of good opportunities for teaching EFL. Click on the countries that interest you to access a wide range of travel tips, country facts and other useful information. As one of the most developed countries in the Latin American region, Argentina is a very popular destination for teaching English as a foreign language. Jobs are relatively plentiful in Buenos Aries and several other...  [Read more]

Federico Riva TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Welcome, my name is Linda nice to see you. I’m a TEFL and TESOL professional at ITTT and I’ve been living and working in Asia since 2012-ish and I live in South Korea and I’ve been here for five and a half years. I also taught English in China and here in Korea as well and I also work for ITTT and we have a guest so to speak but also from ITTT but joining us for the first time my colleague Lisa. My name is Liza. I’m a TEFL and TESOL expert at ITTT as Linda and I’m also a former ESL teacher. I’ve been teaching online this year but before I worked in China as a lead teacher in a kindergarten so that was quite fun and I'll share my...  [Read more]