TEFL Shannon Colony

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas As an EFL teacher, one is expected to create a proper and culturally sensitive atmosphere in the classroom at all times. Unfortunately, this does not happen in every instance because many different errors can occur. To prevent possibly contract terminable offenses, a special mindset and system of preparation must be instituted. When approached correctly, discussing difficult or even controversial ideas in a foreign country can be both culturally sensitive while also not needing excessive censorship. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate James S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The first and arguably single most important way to...  [Read more]

Located on the Malay Peninsula, Singapore is a thriving, modern metropolis and the world’s only island city-state. Formerly a British colony, Singapore was once known as the “Jewel of the British Empire” and even though the city has changed significantly since achieving independence, its British history can be seen all over in its place names, monuments and architecture. Singapore sees visitors from all over the world, with direct flights from hundreds of countries as well as ferries bringing passengers from the numerous ports in the region. It is also a major shopping destination for people from other Southeast Asian cities and the world famous Orchard Road is home to many shopping centers and hotels. Singapore has plenty of interesting things to see and do. A visit to Sentosa...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences British versus American English is a subject that encompasses a number of fields, including linguistics, history, archaeology, geography, and the study of the history of the English language. British English has a deep foundation that stretches back into time to the advent of the Indo-Europeans, and while America can claim this as well, the language was, for the most part, very close to its modern form by the age of exploration. That being said, many archaic forms of words and grammar were still in use during the age of exploration and spelling was not standardized when the great voyages and colonization of the Americas began. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Aaron T. Please note that...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Stories serve to be entertaining and educational in most cultures. A nice bedtime story for young children becomes a ritual in a lot of families nowadays, it makes up a sweet memory for a lot of people. When the listener is interested in the story, even when there is no verbal communication between the storyteller and the listener, there is still a bond between them. Therefore, storytelling is such a powerful tool teacher could use. Storytelling could make the lesson more interesting and memorable. To build the bond between the students and the teacher during storytelling, the teacher has to make sure the attention of his/her audiences are fully attracted. To make sure the stories are interesting for students the...  [Read more]

1. Introduction 2. Importance of ESOL in Hong Kong 3. Benefits of Learning ESOL in Hong Kong 4. Opportunities for ESOL Teachers in Hong Kong Hong Kong, a vibrant and bustling city known for its rich culture and diverse population, offers a plethora of opportunities for individuals seeking to learn English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). As the global language of business and communication, mastering the English language can open doors to a wide range of academic and professional opportunities in Hong Kong and beyond. In this article, we will explore the importance of ESOL in Hong Kong, the benefits of learning the language in this dynamic city, and the opportunities available for ESOL teachers. In Hong Kong, where East meets West, English plays a crucial role as a bridge between...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences English is learned and spoken by a large number of people worldwide. In Shakespeare's time, the number of English speakers in the world is thought to have been between five and seven million. According to linguist David Crystal, "Between the end of the reign of Elizabeth I (1603) and the beginning of the reign of Elizabeth II (1952), this figure increased almost fiftyfold, to around 250 million" (The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language, 2003). It's a common language used in international business, which makes it a popular second language for many. English as a global language has made it impossible for cultural diversity to develop. English is easy to learn, has a high usage rate, is universal in...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas Business students are most likely already familiar with using computers and particularly the Internet for learning English. The Internet can provide a teacher with an enormous array of teaching resources from non-authentic and authentic materials to lesson plans and ideas. Here are 7 great resources for teaching business English at no cost to the teacher! This post was written by our ITTT graduate Shannon S. This is a website that features hundreds of free online non-authentic teaching materials such as vocabulary exercises, grammar quizzes, listening comprehension videos, and reading comprehension articles. The materials are related to such business areas as accounting, sales and marketing, project management,...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences The roles of an English teacher in a TEFL classroom are varied and depend largely on the stage of the lesson and the situations that may arise, both planned and unplanned. Many people see the teacher as the main source of information and an example of the English language. This, in a sense, is the primary role of a teacher; however, in order to fulfill the ultimate goal a teacher has, they must create a productive atmosphere in the class and a good, working relationship with their students. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Shannon T. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. One of the primary issues that a teacher has to overcome...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas During the second half of my undergraduate career, I had the opportunity to serve as an English Language Assistant (LA) at the English Language Institute (ELI) at my alma mater, the University of Florida. In this role, I worked with another LA and one faculty member (often a Linguistics professor) in leading a class of roughly 15 students every semester. One of the first pieces of information the first professor I worked with gave me was on the importance of assessments at the ELI. Students at the ELI were placed in classes based on their proficiency level in the language, which included evaluations in speaking, listening, reading and writing. The most beginner level students started at level 10 and the most...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Constant examination drillings and the inflexible memorization of rigid grammatical rules may, to many, sound like some of the worst elements for bringing forward a fun, engaging learning environment (Sanders, 2018) (Tam, 2018), but to many of those shouldering the responsibilities for teaching English in Hong Kong, this is an unequivocally honest encapsulation of the ways English knowledge are disseminated to the future generations. In this regard, this essay focuses on two primary issues encountered by the learners – writing and pronunciation. Also, to narrow the scope of the analysis, this essay focuses on younger learners, those around 6-18 of age. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas As the world has become more interconnected, particularly with quick international travel, modern communications, and globalized trade, the argument for a “global language” is often used. Arguably now more than ever, a global language or single lingua franca has never been more important. There are many international bodies such as the United Nations, World Bank, and UNICEF, which create a certain amount of pressure to establish a worldwide global language. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Tim W. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. In the past, there have been many constructed languages to try and provide a solution to the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas English as a global language is increasing public recognition of the global position of English. We hear it on television spoken by politicians from all over the world. Wherever we travel, we see English signs and advertisements. English is now the language most widely taught as a foreign language in over 100 countries, such as China, Russia, Germany, Spain, Egypt and Brazil and in most of these countries it is emerging as the chief foreign language to be encountered in schools, often displacing other languages in the process. The statistics suggest that about a quarter of the world’s population estimated about 1.5 billion people, is already fluent or competent in English, and this figure is steadily growing. No...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Recently there was a debate on whether technology should be used in the classroom. It intern created these questions; is it profitable in the long run? Is it worth the money for parents? Are we as educators feeding into the technology movement? Breslin, McKeown, & Groves (2012), states “technology refers to methods, systems, and devices which are the result of scientific knowledge being used for practical purposes.” It is important to note that some students are already interested in and engaged in using technology. Mareco (2017), pointed out “Technology is entwined in almost every part of our culture. It affects how we live, work and plays and most importantly learn.” As a result, it creates...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences From the time of the American revolution and onward, there has been a distinctive trend for American English and British English dialects to move away from each other. Whether taught in American English or British English, most people of either type will have little trouble understanding each other. Unlike the many dialects of China, English is a pretty ubiquitous language across the board, with a spattering of unique regional words. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Jeffrey G. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The 2 most prominent English dialects were intertwined throughout their collective histories because the British...  [Read more]

  The next thing we should look at is how our consonants are arranged for the top two rows we have P and F at the left side of our chart and G and J at the right side of our chart. They're arranged this way because if we analyze the way we speak we're using the front of our mouth to use these sounds as in ?p? and ?f? and I'm using my lips and my teeth to produce those sounds and as we move to the right on the chart slowly but surely we're making those sounds it towards the back of our mouth. We can use the examples of ?g?. The sound ?g? is produced further back in our mouth than ?p?. The next thing we'll notice about our chart is that some of our symbols are shaded. Notice that none of the symbols in the vowel sections are shaded but only a few are in the consonant section. The...  [Read more]

Hadassah Roberts Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas One should know that a healthy classroom stems from a healthy teacher. When the teacher is healthy, then the whole class atmosphere will be much more alive. The students will see the healthiness of the teacher and will be inspired to protect and build their health. This, in turn, will cause increased happiness and progress in their studies. Over the years in my teaching experiences, I have worked hard to increase my health for the benefit of not only myself but also for the benefit of my students. I have found some life habits that have greatly improved my health and helped me to maintain my health. I want to share what I have learned with other teachers so that we can increase...  [Read more]

  A TEFL qualification allows you to teach English almost anywhere in the world, some countries are more popular than others for differing reasons. Some are popular because of the salary and benefits offered to teachers, others are popular because they offer a better quality of life and others are popular because they provide teachers with plenty of opportunities. The top most popular countries are all in Asia as the demand for English is so much higher here than elsewhere in the world. 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...  [Read more]

Here you can watch a variety of extracts from our 120-hour TEFL course with tutor support. These videos should give you an insight into the innovative nature of this particular course option, with subjects such as methodologies, teaching skills and grammar structures just some of the topics covered.  [Read more]

In this video collection you will find a summary of the most important acronyms and abbreviations in the ESL teaching sector. Make a great first impression at your new teaching job by familiarizing yourself with these terms.  [Read more]

Our grammar expert Linda takes a look at the correct pronunciation of a range of English words that are often confusing for students. Our Ask Linda series is frequently updated so make sure you check for new additions on a regular basis.  [Read more]

If you want to know what it is really like to take part in one of our courses then take a look at the following selection of graduates discussing their own personal experiences.  [Read more]

Our helpful infographics should help you to prepare for your new TEFL adventure. Where are the highest salaries? What are some “Do’s and Don’ts” when teaching in Asia? What games can I use in the classroom? Our infographics will help you with these questions and more.  [Read more]

This page is home to a collection of videos from our Ask Linda series that are focused on English grammar related issues. In each video Linda examines a common grammar topic that can cause problems for both students and teachers.  [Read more]

  This TEFL review is from Stephanie. She is from the United States and recently completed our 120-hour TEFL/TESOL course online. She thought that all the units were very helpful as it definitely provides a comprehensive foundation of teaching English as a foreign language. She had a good time taking the course overall and recommend this course to anyone looking to work in the field of teaching English as a foreign language. 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....  [Read more]

  In this TEFL review video Rachel from Australia shares her thoughts on our TESOL courses. She just graduated from university and wanted to start a career in teaching English overseas. That's why she decided to complete the 120-hour online course and had a great time taking the course. After completing the course, she immediately found a job teaching English in Vietnam.  [Read more]

  This TEFL review is from Rodney. He is originally from Jamaica but currently living and working in Japan. He recently completed our 120-hour TEFL/TESOL course online and had a great experience. He realized the importance of an internationally recognized TEFL/TESOL certification and decided to go for it. After completing the course, he received a range of new opportunities, especially in teaching English online. He cannot recommend this course enough to anyone who is interested in teaching English. 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...  [Read more]

  Joseph is from the USA but is currently teaching English abroad. He took our 120-hour online course as well as our 50-hour CTEYL course and learned a lot from both courses. He feels that he is ready to embark on an exciting journey of living and working abroad.  [Read more]

  Yuliia is from Ukraine and recently took our online TEFL course. In her TESOL review, she states that she found the course to be very interesting and useful.  [Read more]

  Hanaya has recently completed our 120-hour online TEFL course to be able to open her own English language school in her hometown in China. She recommends the course to anyone wanting to work as an English teacher around the world.  [Read more]

  This TESOL review is from Aleksandr. He recently took our TEFL/TESOL course as he wants to take advantage of the high demand in qualified English language teachers all over the world. He chose our online course option and he greatly enjoyed the flexibility of it as it allowed him to work from anywhere in the world and at his own pace. He especially enjoyed the units on teaching methodologies as he now improved his own teaching style and is following a more interactive way of teaching. He recommends this course to anyone who wants to travel the world teaching English. 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...  [Read more]