TEFL Garnet

Jon ITTT TEFL Information English for Specific Purposes (ESP) is an area of English language teaching and learning that encompasses business English and English for Academic Purposes (EAP) as well as courses that teach English needed for specific jobs and industries. As a qualified TEFL teacher you will likely teach ESP in some form and in this post I’ll look at course books aimed at teaching English to those in certain professions such as finance, law, tourism, medicine and aviation as well as books used for teaching EAP. EAP focuses on the language and skills needed for students to study in English at university level. As with other English teaching, EAP deals with reading, writing, listening and speaking, as well as vocabulary and grammar...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Every teacher’s goal is to be effective in the classroom and help students learn. Educators want their students to be eager and engaged. Humor is an important aspect of teaching and has the power to fuel that engagement. This paper will attempt to show the value of humor in the classroom and how humor enhances learning, regardless of the culture or country in which a person is teaching. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Melynie T. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. My first introduction to teaching English in Taiwan was when I was called into the Principal’s office with complaints from the parents that their children were not...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas As a teacher, I have noticed that students have not only different tempers but also different learning styles and ways of perception. When I hear about 9 bits of intelligence I was really surprised because I assumed that there are only those students who prefer more physical activity, visual learners and those who like to hear things. No, it turns out that this field has been widely studied by Howard Garner, a professor and an author of many books on neuropsychology and brain functioning. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Aija N. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. H. Gardner devised a Multiple Intelligence theory presuming that...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Considering how to build a successful teaching career is no different than similar considerations for any other profession. Before beginning such consideration, however, one must first ponder what success looks like. What is your conception of a successful teaching career? After resolving my definition of “success” I’m left with three primary factors to consider; education, self-awareness of where in the teaching profession I’ll be happiest, and obtaining good relevant experience. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Maricris W. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The first, and perhaps most important, factor in a successful...  [Read more]

Jon ITTT Alumni Experiences For those who wish to teach English as a foreign language, the initial benefits of completing a TEFL course may seem rather obvious. These students will be taught the techniques and mannerisms that provide a solid foundation in creating a successful language learning environment. The potential prospect of teaching children or adults who have no experience with English is a daunting task. Without the ability to communicate in a native language, this can present serious challenges to even the most experienced of teachers. However, by completing a TEFL course, a student feels more prepared for these circumstances and are shown what activities are best suited to effectively conduct a lesson plan. As for motivations and...  [Read more]

Mark Crocker Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Teaching and learning are processes that go hand in hand with one another. Effective teachers are able to inspire and engage students with a desire to learn. They must be able to impart their abilities of learning into students in various ways. Through my personal teaching experiences, I firmly believe in establishing high, yet attainable expectations, creating a curriculum that is student centered, and providing real life experiences for students to help them grasp the concepts taught in the lesson. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Sarah N. Effective classroom management is more than being a strict or authoritative figure, it requires a structured learning...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences In 2010, I was on a cultural fact-finding mission. While living as an ex-pat in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China, I decided I would like to teach English to Chinese students. I thought it would be a fun, constructive way to spend my extra time while my husband was working. So, I took the challenge! I call this a challenge because I had no prior ESL experience at the time. I soon found that understanding the Chinese culture was going to become a priority. Is sensitivity to the Chinese cultural norms significant in teaching ESL in China? A very important puzzle piece in successful teaching in China is defined by their culture. Learning about it and implementing it in my teaching classes smoothed many a...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In 1983, Dr. Howard Garner presented his theory of multiple intelligences in his book Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences (1). His theory suggests that IQ, which is a more traditional form of measuring intelligence, is far too limited in its range of testing (1). Although not all of the intelligence included in the theory can be targeted easily when preparing a learning activity, multiple intelligence learning is a good theory to apply to teach English as a foreign language. This is because it can be used to teach at any level, and a strong intelligence can be used to develop skills involving a weaker one. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Sidney M. Please note that this...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Most everyone has a favorite game that they play over and over again. Games go further than just a simple competitive interaction between two people or teams. In a way, games teach the average person how to navigate life with two outcomes; either the joy of winning or the disappointment of losing. Although it is not necessarily bad to lose it is an inevitable outcome for each person who participates. The idea is to learn from the failure to gain experience in which you can strategize a new way to achieve victory. The act of winning is simply the reward for playing the game as it is expected to be played. The main concept of games is competition and how we as human beings are constantly competing whether we realize...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas TEFL teacher can incorporate the nine intellectual intelligences that determine to learn styles into the lesson plans for young learners and adults. These include the use of drawings and pictures for visual learners, math and logical games, for students who learn best using logic, music for learners who learn best when music is somehow incorporated into the lesson, kinaesthetic for students who learn best through psychical movement, students with an interpersonal intelligence, one on one dialogue can be used, intrapersonal, diaries cane used, naturalistic intelligence natural objects can be used in the lesson and existential intelligence can be considered when developing a lesson plan creating existential...  [Read more]