TEFL Five Forks

  Here we have a set of five words, which all share one sound: the ?oh? sound, as in ?go?, ?show?, ?dough?, ?note? and ?boat?. They?re five different spelling patterns to tell our students so they can identify when to make the ?oh? sound. We can have a simple letter ?o?, ?ow?, ?ough?, ?o? with the magic ?e? which turns our vowel into what we knew as long sounds and the ?oa? as in ?boat?. Now, for a non-native learner, perhaps they can handle something like this. They remember that these spelling combinations help to produce the ?oh? sound and they can go about their business looking at the words and memorizing this knowing that these spelling patterns will produce the sound ?oh?. Now that?s okay until we get to a situation where we can also have words like ?to?, ?cow? and also...  [Read more]

  In this episode, we cover the pronunciation of the word propensity. This word is a noun and refers to a natural tendency to behave in a particular way. Synonyms for propensity include tendency, inclination or proneness. The word comes from Latin 'propensus' meaning ‘inclined'. 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 focus on conditionals and reported speech. from this unit , i have learnt the five main conditionals which are the zero...  [Read more]

  Amanda from Brazil is currently living in Ankara, Turkey. Amanda completed her TEFL course with ITTT and found a job just two weeks after graduating. In this TEFL review video Amanda recommends ITTT’s TEFL course for those wanting to teach English abroad. Amanda liked how the course not only covered grammar but also taught methods and techniques that can help you become a great teacher. 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. The unit contains...  [Read more]

  There are many different types of groups of students that you will encounter when teaching English as a foreign language. This video introduces you to the five different types of student groups. 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 very useful for learning what the different type of present tenses are known as. I have always been confident at sentence structure and known how a sentence should look and sound, but never know the...  [Read more]

Mudita Yajnik TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Setting up the classroom is often overlooked by teachers - but it's oh-so important! In this blog post, we take a look at the importance of the ESL classroom setup. Federico Riva TEFL Information Teaching Ideas What are some of the most important reasons for planning our lessons? Covering these ideas will then inform us as to what we should actually put on our lesson plan. In this blog post, we cover both these aspects of lesson planning. Federico Riva TEFL Information In this blog post, we will consider three different categories of speaking...  [Read more]

Mudita Yajnik TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Setting up the classroom is often overlooked by teachers - but it's oh-so important! In this blog post, we take a look at the importance of the ESL classroom setup. Federico Riva TEFL Information Teaching Ideas What are some of the most important reasons for planning our lessons? Covering these ideas will then inform us as to what we should actually put on our lesson plan. In this blog post, we cover both these aspects of lesson planning. Federico Riva TEFL Information In this blog post, we will consider three different categories of speaking...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Regardless of the Japanese government’s efforts to increase the number of foreign tourists to be a tourism-oriented country and to have been retaining compulsory English education for decades, Japanese people still have a reputation of being bad at English. The average TOEIC and TOEFL scores for Japanese are one of the worst among advanced nations. South Korea was also one of the worst in the past, but they are getting better and better these days. However, there are still some obstacles for many Japanese English learners to get over. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate FUTOSHI T. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Since Japan...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Learning a new language can be nerve-wracking, especially for young learners who experience a great deal of peer pressure and fear of sounding unintelligent in front of their classmates. This fear is something adults learning a new language experience as well. I have personally experienced it as a native English speaker learning Spanish. Therefore, praise from the teacher they view as an expert in the language they’re learning is vital to the learning process in many ways. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Alexandra W. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. I believe praising students is very important. It is essential, however,...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas In this blog post, our TEFL expert shares their thoughts on the top ten mistakes that online teachers make. ✅ Check out this article to find out what these mistakes are and improve your online teaching today! Kavinna Batra TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Education comes in many forms. ✅ Yet, nowadays, it seems like a college degree is the best and the most meritorious achievement in education –something that employers not only support but also demand. Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information Alumni Experiences ...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Teaching skills do not only refer to lesson handouts and specific classroom ideas/techniques—although both are part of, and important to teach— but also cover qualities teachers should possess, and the various roles the instructor will (at some point) need to fill. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Carly G. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The first unit of the course began by identifying qualities that make for a good instructor. These qualities are as follows: teachers must be kind, patient, lively and entertaining. They must be able to motivate learners and involve all students equally, and finally, they must truly...  [Read more]

Due to its extensive silver mines and their influence on the local economy and history, Nevada is also known as ‘The Silver State’. Today, Nevada is only the 35th most populated state in the country, yet it is the perfect tourist destination for millions of people every year. Nevada’s five unique regions, Elko, Ely, Tonopah, Reno, and Las Vegas, invite you to explore their stunning natural environments and to enjoy world-class gaming and shopping. The great climate and beautiful landscape also makes it possible for visitors to spend their time hiking, biking, or horseback riding. Nevada’s ‘Cowboy Country’ is located in the northern part of the state, where the Elko region still maintains its’ links to the old Wild West. Red Rock Canyon is a perfect example of the local...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas The teaching techniques and approaches, as well as activities that teachers employ in teaching in the classroom, is known as teaching style (Cooper, 2001). Grasha (2002) defines teaching style as the continuous and steady actions of teachers in their relationship with students in the course of teaching-and-learning. Jarvis (2004) considers teaching style as containing “evidence of beliefs about values related to and attitudes toward all the elements of the teaching-learning exchange" (p. 40). Teachers' styles of teaching represent their behavior in the classroom. These definitions indicate that teaching styles are the methods, activities, and approaches that are employed by a teacher in the classroom or “the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Kindergarten students are those who are typically around the age of five. From birth till five, they would have developed their sensory and speaking abilities in their mother tongue with decent fluency. Children at this age have a strong potential to gain a lot of information. They would know about 1000-2000 words by this time. At this age, they are formally introduced to reading and writing skills, group work, independent thinking, and sharing practice. Teaching children at this age can be quite challenging and fun. Vocabulary is one of the strongest predictors when it comes to speaking capacity. So, by carefully incorporating study into play we can enrich their speaking abilities. This post was written by our...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Grammatical structures are the essential building blocks to any language, English is no exception. Without a frame, a painting will fall off the wall or lose its form. The meaning behind the words is very much the same as a painting in a frame. The ideas which are meant to be conveyed are like the characters of a painting, the grammatical tools are like the colors, the structure and order of the words are like the brushstrokes which add depth and tone to a work of art. English is art. Subjects, objects, and verbs are the colors, shapes, and tones of basic English. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Daniel T. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or...  [Read more]

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Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas After spending five years in China as an ESL teacher, corporate trainer and university lecturer I would like to share a few of the most common problems for Chinese learners and ways for teachers to overcome them. I will focus on problems regarding cultural differences, pronunciation and first language interference. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Michal W. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Despite China’s opening to the outside world in recent decades, it is still a very closed society with only anecdotal knowledge of Western culture (by Western they mean American). Lack of access to Western news, social media platforms, and...  [Read more]

Joanna Dineva Teaching Ideas Like it or not, ready or not, English is the global language of business. Globalization in business is widespread both in market globalization and production globalization. More importantly, more and more multinational companies are mandating English as the common corporate language—Airbus, Daimler-Chrysler, Fast Retailing, Nokia, Renault, Samsung, SAP, Technicolor, and Microsoft in Beijing, to name a few. This corporate strategy of adopting a global language policy has also increased the demand for a specialized English teacher: The Business English Teacher. Believe it or not, a Business English teacher does not need to be an expert businessman or businesswoman. Most of the language needed for business...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas A key barrier to achieving fluency for ESL students is a mastery of individual phonics sounds. My experience with ESL students from Southeast Asia has led me to focus on techniques for the particularly difficult L, R, M, and P phonics sounds. In this essay, I propose methods for using the straight arrow ESA lesson plan to introduce and drill phonics sounds with young learners. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Ethan W. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The Engage portion of the lesson should serve as an interesting introduction to ignite student curiosity. Students are shown a series of pictures, ideally on a smartboard, if not,...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Choosing a course was an important task for me given my background in a business career and corporate environment. Teaching was a very new experience and I wanted to ensure I had adequate training to provide a solid foundation with which to grow in a teaching capacity. I made sure to commence an in-class TESOL course which offered the opportunity to practice what I had learned in a real classroom environment. The course I chose was perfect for this as it was taught in a real school and allowed me to use my newly learned skills in the classroom. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Sam B. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. One of...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas When I envision myself in a classroom full of new English learners, I see myself striving to encourage and motivate students through positive student-to-student and student-to-teacher relationships. One of the key components of successfully learning a new topic is to enjoy it and to see a purpose in doing so. Creating a safe and welcoming environment is one of the most important things a teacher can do to ensure student learning by building confidence in every individual. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Bristol L. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. As someone that is also learning a second language by have taken classes in High...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences As a noun, development refers to the end of a process of bringing something from latency to fulfillment (American Heritage Dictionary, 1993). As a verb, it means to "cause to become more complex or intricate; to cause gradually to acquire specific roles, functions, or forms, to grow by degrees into a more advanced or mature state." In biology, the term means "to progress from earlier to later stages of a life cycle; to progress from earlier to later or from simpler to more complex states of evolution" (American Heritage Dictionary, 1993). Miller (1983) asserted that “What is critical about developmental theory is that it focuses on change over time.” This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas One of the most challenging contradictions I had to face as a high school language and literature teacher in Germany was the principle that each child should have equal opportunity when, sadly, the inequality often starts long before high school, and that as a teacher, you should give every student the chance to achieve excellent performances when, in reality, the latter also depends on factors outside of the classroom. In conversations with parents, I often pointed out specific deficiencies in their child's essays as I was taught to. I made suggestions on how to improve them, hoping in vain that next time, the student would get a much...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas I cannot recall, at any time in my primary school years in Tunisia (1986-1993), a student is allowed to speak in class. It may be an exaggeration that students were not even allowed to ask permission to leave the classroom to follow the call of nature. In this narrative, It seems that these educational representations refer instead to a traditional image of child education—the child should submit to the authority of the adult and must comply with his or her standards and dictates. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Bassem F. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Around the globe, the role of a teacher is consistent in its general...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Being an American living in France has given me firsthand experience as to what it is like to struggle with learning a new language. I studied Spanish for six years, in Junior High and High school. Language acquisition was easier then. I can attest to the fact that younger learners learn more quickly. For me, the two major problems with learning French are the tenses and not being able to understand what people are saying. I get stuck in the present tense, often forgetting to change tenses in conversation. I also need to hone up on my listening skills. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Patricia J. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of...  [Read more]

  Our TEFL course in Taiwan is based in the city of Taipei, a bustling metropolis, which is the political, economic, educational, and cultural center of Taiwan. It also serves as a major hub in the East Asia region. Taipei is a city of contrasts with architecture to match its fascinating history. Modern high-rises and skyscrapers co-exist with more traditional Chinese temples and colonial buildings. Taipei’s most famous building, and one of the most famous skyscrapers in the world, is the Taipei 101 building, which was the tallest building when it was built in 2004. A record it held until the Burj Khalifa arrived in 2009. The culture and history of Taiwan can be explored in the many fascinating museums such as the National Palace Museum. Here, you can see a huge collection of...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Many challenges come with teaching English in Japan that is unique and not innately obvious to some people. In addition to the more universal challenges of learning a new language, there are inherent cultural obstacles that English learners must overcome in Japan as well as several problems with the current course of study that is being taught. However, English teachers should do their best to work within the limits of the system to foster an interest and passion for language that lives on outside the classroom and beyond the school years of learners. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Issei E. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Reflective teaching is not a contemporary science however, to find evidence of when this science began it would be an impossible task, like accessing the Vatican library. One could presume the first person which taught another something resourceful dedicated some time to reflect on its delivery and considered observing research, and planning. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Stephen A. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Generally, reflective teaching is the process of self-observation and self-evaluation i.e. looking at what you do in the classroom, thinking about why you do it, and thinking about if it works. The aim is to...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Vocabulary has always been one language area about which students usually complain and claim that it impedes language learning. The main purpose of this study is to investigate whether using the context for guessing the meaning of new vocabulary can solve this problem. The learning of vocabulary is an important part of foreign language learning. The meaning of new words is very frequently emphasized, whether in books or verbal communication. And also, English teachers have an important role in teaching new vocabularies. In this research, we will study different kinds of teaching vocabulary by using a dictionary or guessing on the context. Further, the study also attempted to reveal what kind of factors hinder or...  [Read more]

  Our tefl training center in Corinth works in partnership with a local recruitment company and we’ll provide employment assistance for any location in which you wish to teach. Our center and the accommodations are safe, comfortable and clean. All course materials and an airport pick-up are included in the course fees. Located on the Peloponnese Peninsula and very near pristine beaches, Corinth is rich with archeological sites. Outside of Athens, Corinth is the most visited site on the mainland of Greece. The center is only 50 miles from Athens and we have beautiful countryside with fantastic ruins just around the corner. This tefl training course represents a unique opportunity to absorb Greek history and culture. Corinth has all the amenities you’ll need in order to enjoy...  [Read more]

Federico Riva TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Hello everybody, my name is Liza and I welcome you to the weekly live stream run by ITTT. Today's live stream is going to be slightly different from the previous ones because I'm going to share my screen and show you technical things in real time. So this live stream is going to be devoted to the best tools for designing online English lessons and to make sure everything is clear to you, I want to show you in real time how I design my lessons. As I have already mentioned in some of my previous streams, I've been using a couple of useful tools to deliver my classes. The first is Mira which is an online collaborative whiteboard, and another one is...  [Read more]