TEFL Fort Bridger

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Sometimes problems may be encountered when teaching students from different nationalities due to varied reasons. When teaching English to students that are culturally and linguistically different from one's own, the teacher must take great care to prepare and identify the specific problems one may encounter as well as be attentive to the problems that occur in real-time. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Roman S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The problems an ESL or TEFL teacher may encounter can vary widely but are usually identified in these areas: pronunciation, grammar, and syntax as it pertains to language but also...  [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 A child’s education starts at home. For a child, every parent should be his or her first teacher. So parents’ role in the education of their child is very critical. They form a bridge between their child and school. Child, school/teacher, and parents form a triangle. When they work together children often tend to do better in school. They achieve not only academic success but also develop better social skills. In this essay, I will discuss a few ways in which parents can contribute to the education of their children. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate SAIRA U. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Communication is an effective...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences In the world we live in, being different is often deemed as bad. Where being the minority is often looked down upon. Sometimes we don’t like to admit that, but it is true. What people need to realize is that we are no different from one another. Someone from rural China is just as much of a person as I am even though we live thousands of miles away. The only difference is our story. Where we came from, whom we know, what we stand for. Our story and our background are what make us all unique and special. The sad reality is that the vast majority of us will never be able to experience another persons’ life. An astronomically large amount of the world’s population will never be able to step into another...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas I took this top-up course to have a stronger background for teaching English as a foreign language in preparation for teaching at a university in China. I have already been in contact with the university and have “passed” the initial interview. I have done a lot of unpaid volunteer teaching, tutoring, and mentoring some of which have included English language learning. I have mostly worked with young children or adults. This time around I will be working with young adults. I am nervous but also very excited for the experience. I am looking forward to the chance to test the knowledge I have learned in this course and develop my skills specifically as an English teacher. This post was written by our TEFL...  [Read more]

Federico Riva Destinations TEFL Information Mainland China and Taiwan form a very large part of the Asian ESL market. There are obviously many similarities but also many differences. In this blog we will look at some of the major differences in job requirement in these two regions. It is said that there were around 100,000 foreign teachers working in China until recently, so that's a huge number. China is a vast country with huge demand for EFL teachers. There are opportunities at public schools, kindergartens, boarding schools, universities and international schools. However recent regulations have changed the Chinese EFL market drastically, so it's not as easy to find work as it used to be. Basically the government has placed...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas A TEFL course is undertaken by individuals that would like to teach English as a foreign language. Completing a TEFL course is important as the course teaches aspiring teachers the key skills they would need to teach the English language in the best manner possible. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Everyl C. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Students or rather learners come from various backgrounds and have varied life experiences. Several factors need to be kept into consideration while dealing with students such as age, prior learning experience, motivation to learn, ability to take feedback and awareness of the language. A...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Learning a language begins with developing the receptive skills, either consciously or subconsciously, to get familiar with how the language is used and later for producing the language learned or observed. The sensory abilities include two modules: reading and listening. Of them, reading skills can have a wide variety of impacts not only on the individuals' overall language learning but also on the development of them as individuals. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Md. Mahfujar R. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. For the learners of the language to use...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences We have many teachers throughout our lives and in very differing forms. For example, our very first teachers are ourselves, as we learn to grow through nature and get stronger. Our next teachers are our parents, family, and friends who essentially teach us how to communicate with others, right from wrong (if we are lucky!), and how to navigate our way through life. We also have our more formal education in the form of Nursery or Kindergarten, Primary, Secondary and Further Education such as College or University. Teachers are a huge part of our lives and therefore it is a huge privilege, responsibility, and commitment for a person to take on the role of a teacher. Throughout your career as a teacher, you will...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Cultural capital according to French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu is the gathering of knowledge, skills, and cultural traits that a person obtains from their personal, social and educational environment (Bourdieu, 1991, p. 14). The educational system in a Korean society differs from the learning practices in Western society. Asian societies such as South Korea, prioritize a teacher-centered learning style where students are expected to respect teachers and not solicit too much information since communication is often indirect and implicit. This group-focused thinking is a main cultural learning difference from Western teachings where individualism is more emphasized and students can freely interact with the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Many ESL teachers have never even heard of phonetics or phonology, yet they use these aspects of speech naturally when they speak. Phonetics and phonology are two areas of linguistics that study the sounds of language. Phonetics focuses on individual sounds, while phonology studies the features and combination of sounds (McMahon, 1-3). There are two reasons why ESL teachers need to know phonetics and phonology: first, it helps them to conceptualize English in a way that their students can understand; and second, it helps them to address their students’ difficult pronunciation problems. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Victoria I. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Today, as English teachers, we have better equipment and materials, improved teaching methods and techniques, endless ideas and tips on how to maintain discipline and keep our students motivated. Sounds impressive, doesn’t it? It seems that we should just enjoy our classes and drink some nice tea during the breaks. However, along with all these improvements come greater demands. Each year more and more parents would like their children to learn English to ensure a better future. In our time, knowledge of English no more is your advantage, but the number one requirement for a good position. That is why our students are getting younger, sometimes to a point when they don’t...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas I have experience in Childhood development. I’ve taught over twenty plus years. My experience ranges from infants to school-age children. I have always taught three-year-olds and up. For almost two years, I have had the pleasure of working with children that are 18 months to 24 months old. I am the Lead teacher for our Toddler program. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Judy N. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Although working in a private preschool has helped me in childhood development, learning strategies are also important. The courses that I have taken have helped me learn so much. One of the most important things to...  [Read more]

What does TEFL mean?    The acronym TEFL stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language. It is commonly used to refer to training courses that almost anyone can take to learn the skills and knowledge required to teach English to non-native speakers in countries all over the world. What is the difference between TESOL and TEFL?    TEFL stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language and TESOL stands for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. These descriptions are generally used interchangeably, however, TESOL is more common in the USA and TEFL is more common in the UK. Do I need a TEFL certificate to teach abroad?    Although it is possible to teach abroad without a TEFL certificate, we recommended that you complete a...  [Read more]