TEFL Muse

  Thailand is firmly established as one of Asia's must-see destinations and is a favorite stop for many on the traditional backpacker trail. For those who want to stay on for an extended visit the good news is there is a healthy demand for English language teachers in many parts of the country. Although wages may not match those found in some of the region's teaching hotspots, you can still earn enough to live a comfortable lifestyle and to enjoy all that this beautiful country has to offer. In the past it was almost the norm for teachers to work 'under the table' without a proper work permit, however, those days are largely gone and you now need to have the necessary paperwork in place if you want to earn a good salary. To be granted a work permit you need to possess a degree in...  [Read more]

  The idiom "golden opportunity" refers to a chance that is likely to be rewarding and successful, for example: The low price for the house is a golden opportunity we must not waste. The price for the house is very cheap at the moment, so we should buy it before the price increases again. 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 about course books and other lesson materials. The lesson included information on the difference between...  [Read more]

Ramon Perez Destinations China is a country where you can venture out and explore all it has to offer. The food, the culture, the people and everything else provide an exciting experience for those willing to challenge themselves. This country will allow you to grow in ways you never thought possible. However, some of these challenges can become a bit of an obstacle in our everyday lives. Don’t fret. There are tools that can help us overcome those obstacles and make our stay a pleasant one. In this blog, we will discuss a few apps that can aid in making our day to day journey a little easier. Start your adventure by taking a 4-week in-class TEFL course in China with ITTT. WeChat is a messaging app that most, if not all Chinese people use. Even...  [Read more]

Mark Crocker Destinations Mexico attracts more and more ESL teachers every year due to its great mix of attractions that includes a warm climate, thousands of miles of coastline and beaches, a fascinating history of ancient civilizations, vibrant cities, a dynamic culture, and outstanding cuisine. Many teachers also head to Mexico for the opportunity to be immersed in the Spanish language, which is the third most used language in the world. Mexico’s popularity is also increasing as it is now one of the largest markets for foreign English teachers in the world. With a population of over 120 million, a rapidly growing economy, and close ties to the United States, knowledge of English is a skill that is continually growing in importance in the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences In today's world, teaching English has become a mainstream job, no longer limited to native speakers. Everywhere you go, you will find nationals from various countries teaching English with sometimes rather strong accents. What are their motivations and why would schools choose non-natives to teach English in the first place? This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Patrick B. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. While traveling through Asia or South America, two of the areas where most TEFL teachers currently operate, one will often encounter ESL teachers. Why? Many of them travel a lot and have rather relaxed curriculums with just...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences A TEFL course generally provides a framework for teaching English as a foreign language. It provides core knowledge on the different teaching methodologies, techniques and tools required for teaching English. A TEFL course also acts as a pathway to teaching English and creates new opportunities for an individual to build a career in teaching. The course expands and exposes individuals to an advanced level of English language and also helps individuals to understand the qualities, criteria and traits needed to become a successful English teacher. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Jacinta A. There are many TEFL course options but I decided to go with the most popular course format, the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas There is something special about a teacher. The role they play in a student’s life and education is undeniable. Just think about your school days and the role your teachers played on the road you find yourself today. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Huibré T. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Teachers are psychiatrists, lawyers, mentors, moms, dads, doctors and so much more than just a teacher. A teacher must be able to do almost everything. The teacher has a big responsibility and must be eager to put his heart and soul into his/her calling. The classroom is not like some fancy, air-conditioned office where you can just...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Classroom management can be referred to as the wide variety of skills and techniques that teaches us to keep students organized, orderly, focused, attentive, on task, and academically productive during a class. The strategies and the instructional technique used by the teacher to manage student behavior and activities related to learning can also be termed as classroom management. To keep the students organized, orderly, focused and attentive, the teacher must create a set of expectations that will be used in the classroom environment. It includes routines rules and consequences. In managing the classroom, the teacher must develop some management techniques that will support the teachers' expectations. This post...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences The contrast between primary language acquisition and second language learning interests professional linguists, language pedagogues, and ordinary students alike. To say that the processes are distinct and involve very different learning processes, as well as even altogether different spheres of the brain is an understatement: these are indeed different functions (Limacher, Ute “Language Acquisition Versus Language Learning” ). This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Brett M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Notwithstanding insights offered by modern neurolinguistics, which are numerous in explaining the striking differences...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences From both taking this course and my experience in teaching Japanese children English, I have seen the importance and impact of establishing rapport with students right at the start of the class. Starting from the first lesson, a teacher must establish what kind of relationship they desire to have with the students. That relationship must often be with a relaxed atmosphere where the students can feel that they are supported by the teacher. Thus from the very first lesson, the teacher must get to work on getting to know basic information about the students. What kind of interests do they have? Why are they learning English? At what level are they currently in with regards to their English skills? Knowing this...  [Read more]

  Tim currently completed our 120-hour online certification course and enjoyed working with the well-organized units. He also found the videos accompanying the course very useful. 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 lesson has truly challenged me, and I am now really unsure about my skills teaching English. That being said, I am American, and many of the examples used, I had a problem understanding them because they were too casual. For...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences As a teacher, there are several roles that one must assume to do their job effectively. Often, the idea of a teacher is to simply show the material and grade the students, but that is not necessarily the truth. As an instructor of any topic it crucial that you know the material, have a positive influence on the class and can be flexible in all situations. I love the expression "A good teacher can make a hard class easy, and a bad teacher can make an easy class hard". This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Andrew B. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. First and foremost, the teacher must have a strong comprehension of the material....  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas The classroom embodies a space where students learn. That space is usually a mixture of varying personalities, learning styles, and student levels. A teacher’s role in ensuring that students learn is of great importance seeing that the teacher serves as a facilitator for all, counselor to some, mentor to some, and disciplinarian to others. Teachers must possess or learn certain skills to be effective in the ESL/EFL classroom. While many factors are influencing the actual outcome of an EFL/ESL lesson, teachers of young learners must be patient, adaptable, and possess good classroom management skills. These skills are crucial for young learners because, on the one hand, they have shorter attention spans, they have...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Writing a lesson plan requires putting down a detailed step-by-step guide that outlines the teacher's objectives for what the students will learn during their lesson and how they will learn it. To create a lesson plan, the learning objectives should be identified, activities should be developed, and the materials to be used will also be determined. A lesson plan can exist in the teacher's mind, or written in any format understandable by the teacher. Its purpose is to outline the "program" for a single lesson. It generally helps the teacher in both plannings and executing the lesson. It helps the student achieve a detailed format of learning, and help them get a structured organization of learning in their minds....  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Whether online or in-person teaching English to children is higher energy than adults. A teacher must be kind, happy, fun and energetic. A teacher must speak clearly, slowly as needed and use lots of hand gestures, visual aids, and props. Teachers should prompt students, giving them time to answer and lots of opportunities to speak, ensuring a student-centered class. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Laurel C. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Teaching English online presents some differences from a traditional class. It can have the benefit of being in the comfort of the child’s home with interactive games that seem less...  [Read more]

  In this episode, we cover the pronunciation of the word meticulous. This word refers to the action of showing great attention to detail, as well as being very careful or precise. Some synonyms for meticulous include careful, diligent and conscientious. The word comes from the Latin meticulosus meaning fearful. 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. There are some nuances of being a teacher that must be dealt with in order to be successful. Thus one...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Due to the need for English skills in today's era, English Teachers are seen around the world. It is perceived in this generation how English is widely used, how English is a must, and how English makes people comfortable. These are the reasons why English teachers travel across boundaries to educate people with English skills. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Maricor B. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. But becoming an English teacher encompasses numerous skills, personal qualities, and even talents that may serve as his/her advantage. Beyond the professional training that an English teacher must have, his/ her personal...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas An essential part of effective teaching is motivating students to learn. Through my experience as a teacher and learner, I have found many times where I have lacked the motivation to learn. This lack of motivation happened for a variety of reasons. They included general tiredness, lack of interest in the subject, an instructor who was going through the motions with no passion for what they taught and personal problems to name a few. As instructors, some things can and cannot be controlled. Teachers can control class content and presentation. They can develop lessons that have interest and purpose to cause their students to engage. What they cannot do is influence a student’s issues away from the classroom....  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Every English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher desires to successfully teach their students how to proficiently speak, understand, and use the English language. English is a very complex language, and teaching it presents many challenges. Because of this, an ESL teacher must be willing and able to take on various roles throughout the teaching of a lesson. During a typical ESL lesson, a teacher will have some, or all, of the following roles: a manager or controller, an organizer, an observer, an assessor, a prompter, a participant, and a resource or facilitator. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Jennifer N. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or...  [Read more]

{ "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ [ {"@context": "https://schema.org","@type": "SiteNavigationElement","@id": "#nameh0","name": "What kind of visa do I need to teach English in China?","url": "https://www.tefl-certificate.net/faq/can-i-teach-in-china-without-a-tefl/#nameh0"},{"@context": "https://schema.org","@type": "SiteNavigationElement","@id": "#nameh1","name": "What are the requirements to obtain a Z visa in China?","url": "https://www.tefl-certificate.net/faq/can-i-teach-in-china-without-a-tefl/#nameh1"} ] ] } The requirements for teaching English in China have changed frequently in recent years. They are also frequently misunderstood and the situation has become even more complicated due to COVID-19. So let's dive...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences There is no overemphasizing the importance of the English language in the world. English is likely the most widely spoken world language. Hence, it is of optimal importance that the teachers of English language measure up to the status bequeathed the language in the world. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Abubakar M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. First and most importantly, a good English teacher must be well-versed in the language they teach, the English language. An English teacher who doesn't profess knowledge in the language shouldn't take a classroom in the first place. Knowledge can come from reading and...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas While learning the second language, we all want to speak fluently as much as we can. What do we need to speak fluently; grammar, vocabulary, structure or other knowledge of language? Let’s think that we know all the grammar rules and structures. How can we speak without a lack of knowledge of vocabulary? The most difficult part of learning a second language is to learn vocabulary because words are easy to forget and are confusable. As a teacher, our role in teaching vocabulary is vital. Teaching vocabulary is the most important part of teaching the second language so we need to use a mix of teaching methods and techniques. In this article, we see how we can use some of the methodologies and techniques...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Cultural sensitivity derives from the differences among different cultures throughout the world. In the context of English teaching, teachers who move to another country must seriously consider the cultural pattern in the targeted country or region. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Eleana V. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Cultural diversity is by default a very interesting topic and teachers should prioritize in gaining more knowledge regarding the new culture into which they will be integrated. They have to be culturally sensitive during the lesson and be aware of the cultural differences that may arise. Before moving to...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Classroom management is a key element to establish a successful learning environment in any classroom. Classroom management is the skill of organizing and managing the class, having a friendly, relaxed manner, and maintaining discipline. For a class to be able to learn effectively the teacher must be able to inspire confidence in the students. He/she must know when to be firm and when to leave the students alone. In other words, the teacher must be flexible and change his/her role according to the activity and situation without being dominant or leaving the students uncertain. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate SENA S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences An essential role of the teacher in the classroom is to build a relationship with his or her students to help them learn the subject being taught. There are many ways to set up a situation in which students can and will learn effectively. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Peter O. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. A teacher must be a leader, a manager, an administrator, an organizer, a designer, and an assessor. Above all, they must be a motivator to give their students a desire to learn, which is vital to mastering new concepts and skills. The teacher must be approachable and have good verbal and written communication...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences The personal qualities of a teacher are the characteristics of an individual. These attributes and traits are what make up their personality. Personal qualities are what make a person unique, allow them to navigate a new situation, make new friends and possible connections, or work through conflict or tensions. Important personal qualities for English teachers include listening and being a good listener, thoughtfulness, being personable, timeliness, and adaptability. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Anna E. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. In real life, not all teachers have those qualities and characteristics. Some of the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Business language is often used to affect another person’s behavior. However, it should be stated early that the language must be used to help the other person. It should not be used for mere financial gain. One may gain financially by it, but the persuasion, if acted upon, must have a positive effect upon the person who has been persuaded. One may be able to persuade an Eskimo to purchase ice, however, that makes the businessperson a swindler rather than an excellent salesman. 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. Words mean things. A proper English sentence must have both a subject...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences When I started this course, I was seeking a TEFL certificate as well as some tips for being a teacher. What I learned along the way is that to be a good teacher, your focus must be on your students. Of course, a teacher needs to have a certain set of skills to be able to teach, however, those skills in themselves will never make you a good teacher. This course taught me that a teacher needs to be less focused on themselves and more focused on the needs of their students. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Brandon B. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. From their very first lesson, a teacher needs to be establishing rapport with...  [Read more]

  Our next category in our series of teaching special groups in ESL is English for specific purposes. This video focuses specifically on teaching business English. How is business Enligsh different to general English? Will you be able to teach business English? Find out in this video. 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. When teaching how to speak English the teacher must work on accuracy and fluency at different times in order to let the student...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas ‘You can only give what you have’, so the adage by Leo Buscaglia says, likewise the holy lore brings it out as well to emphasize the truth in it. This is true when it comes to teaching. The teacher can rightly or wrongly offer what he/she has or has not. In a class setting, the teacher is often expected to be in the frontline at all times by the learners. The various activities that are geared towards helping the learners achieve their goals or dreams in an institution of learning all depend on the input of the teacher or properly called the role of the teacher. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate David K. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or...  [Read more]