Tefl Topics

ITTT (International TEFL and TESOL Training) offers comprehensive TEFL certification programs for individuals looking to teach English as a foreign language. Whether you are a seasoned educator or a recent graduate looking to start a new career, our courses are designed to provide you with the necessary skills and knowledge to excel in the classroom. With a focus on practical teaching methods and hands-on experience, our TEFL certification programs are perfect for those looking to make a difference in the lives of their students. Our team of experienced instructors will guide you through the course material, providing you with valuable feedback and support along the way. Our TEFL certification programs cover a wide range of topics, including lesson planning, classroom management, and...  [Read more]

  The difference between the active and passive voice is one of the more advanced topics of English grammar. Therefore, it is important for every English teacher to understand this concept. 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. During this video lesson I could identify some of the attitudes and methods that can help having a more effective class such as, praising the students, providing a smile to the class, and involving a well structured ESA...  [Read more]

  The difference between the active and passive voice is one of the more advanced topics of English grammar. Therefore, it is important for every English teacher to understand this concept. 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 clearly states how the teacher should conduct himself/herself when dealing with behavioral issues in the classroom. It outlines how the seating methods influence the class atmosphere and how to change it to adapt to...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Teaching skills in the classroom can be a very challenging experience, but it is essential (at least for any English teacher) to learn how to do it properly and effectively. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Lucas B. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. As it was shown in the Units 7 and 8 of this ‘60-hour’ ITTT course, there are 4 (four) basic skills in the English language (and in any other language as well), and these skills are divided into two groups: Receptive skills, which include reading and listening. And productive skills, which include speaking and writing. Both groups (and all of the skills) are very important and...  [Read more]

  In this episode, we cover the pronunciation of the word "jinni". This word describes an entity or a spirit in Muslim beliefs that can take human or animal form and influence human with supernatural powers. The word came into the English language from the Arabic word "jinn?" that can also mean demon. 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 has shown me the difference between the condition of a sentence that contains 'if'. I've learnt how to...  [Read more]

Federico Riva Alumni Experiences As an aspiring TEFL teacher, I have to be ready to teach students of all ages. While the language and lesson-planning follow frameworks that stay consistent for all students, the topics I utilize depend on who I am teaching; for example, the ESA lesson plan works for all classrooms, but different students require different engage-phase activities - a game of battleships is better suited for young learners than adults. In this report, I explore the similarities and differences between teaching young and adult learners. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Kevin Y. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. In general, adults seeking to learn...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas A lesson plan is a very important element for teaching. Not only it provides a standard procedure of teaching, but it also helps the teacher keep track of each lesson. Moreover, it is also very helpful in some special cases, such as substitute teachers can use the lesson provided to carry out the lesson more efficiently. Although different teachers may have different teaching styles, a lesson plan should be prepared by all teachers despite the teaching style. A good lesson plan should include the following 5 components; lesson topic, class objectives, procedure, time management, and student practice. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Yang L. Please note that this blog post might not...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas As we know in any case when we are going to teach a new language, it is really important to pay attention to some particular skills, that is the root of the language. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Gevorg S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. These skills are receptive skills and productive skills. Reading is one of the basic skills of learning a new language. And first of all, I would like to define reading. The process of reading a printed text louder or silently is called reading. For readers, it is important to know and understand the new information of the text. That is why before starting to read a text, it is necessary...  [Read more]

Jon ITTT Alumni Experiences Whether speaking at a public event where thousands have gathered, or talking politics around a table with friends, this simple piece of advice is well-known to anyone who has ever done any public speaking. But, it is also critical advice for the aspiring teacher—whether those teaching English as a second language, or those teaching chemistry in high school. The more well-acquainted a teacher is with his or her classroom, the more successful he or she will be in engaging their minds in the topic at hand. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Emily B. So, of course, this is a vital component to any teacher who is seeking to help students wanting to learn English. It is important that the teacher asks...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Many language learners will have the difficulty of creating something new in the targeted language. Reading something written out loud is not as challenging or rewarding as reading your own work. When a language learner starts creating her own work, then she can start feeling productive and confident in the targeted language. There are many different ways of teaching productive skills such as speaking or writing. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Nalan F. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. First of all, the skills of speaking and writing are more authentic than teaching any grammar subject or reading. It requires motivation more...  [Read more]

Federico Riva TEFL Information Teaching Ideas Hey there it's Lizzy here and I'm super happy to welcome you to our weekly live stream. This live stream is provided by ITTT, International TEFL and TESOL Training. If you haven't watched our recent live streams please feel free to go to one of our social networks and check out the previous videos, because we share really useful topics on a regular basis. Today's live stream is going to be devoted to creating lessons based on videos. I'm going to change the size of the slide right now. Let me know if you can see and hear me clearly. There is a comment section in the live stream so feel free to write down any greetings there so I know that someone is there and someone is watching....  [Read more]

  This video focuses on the difference between "bored" and "boring". Using those two words incorrectly is a very common mistake, especially for English learners around the world. The word "bored" is an adjective describing the feeling when there is nothing to do or when a person is not interested, for example, "she was so bored that she fell asleep". "Boring" is also an adjective but this word refers to the cause of the bored feeling rather than the feeling itself. For example, "the class was so boring that she fell asleep". Here the class is the reason for the feeling. The same concept can be applied to similar word pairs such as 'interested - interesting' or 'tired - tiring'. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas I chose this topic for my essay because it is not something I had ever given much thought to. As a native speaker, I don’t recall studying correct pronunciation in school along with other aspects of language learning such as grammar and vocabulary. Correct, or at least acceptable and understandable, the pronunciation was something that just happened. I was initially somewhat surprised when I saw that an entire online module had been devoted to the topic, but as I read the module, I realized that it is a rich and complex component of language learning, to which serious students of English as a second language should be exposed. And the sample lesson video demonstrated to me that teaching phonetics could also be...  [Read more]

  In this episode, we cover the pronunciation of the word inflammable. This word is used as an adjective and refers to something that is easily set on fire. The word originates from Latin inflammare. 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 it comes to revision of the Past tenses (Past Simple, Past Continuous, Past Perfect Simple and Past Perfect Continuous Tenses) it is always a refreshment to go back to the basics and refresh the memory on the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Learning English can be a daunting task. There is a great amount of vocabulary, a phonics system that is filled with exceptions, grammar that doesn’t always follow its own rules, and pronunciation that can be difficult to reproduce. A failure to speak and understand English effectively can have damaging effects on a student’s life. They could miss out on a crucial job opportunity, or lose face at a social gathering. It is for these reasons and many more that learning English is often a stressful task for students. It is therefore of vital importance to reduce the amount of stress that a student feels when learning English. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Gregory M. Please note that...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas Teaching English grammar is an important part of any EFL classroom. Depending on the level of your students and the degree of difficulty of the topics, the teacher may encounter several problems in the classroom. However, the following 10 tips should help you to prepare effective grammar lessons for your EFL students abroad. With an increasing change in the English language and the lack of proper grammar used in the spoken language, many students aren’t motivated to learn grammar. To ensure success, you should break this barrier and show your students why grammar matters. Create a big mind-map on the board and ask the students for statements about why grammar matters. This is a fun interactive way that gets the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Parents' role in education might sound like a little bit weird topic, shouldn’t the teacher be, the most important body of education?! As teachers see their students nearly every day of the week, the school becomes like a second home to the students with all their friends around them with an environment of rules on the one hand and on the other hand an environment where the parents are not able to have a direct eye on their kids. In most countries, students spend more time at school and interacting with school topics than being at home or spending time with their families. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Pia T. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs...  [Read more]

Federico Riva Alumni Experiences “Engage-Study-Activate” also known as ESA - is an effective teaching model designed by Jeremy Harmer. This methodology means, that for the best involvement of students in a learning process, the conditions of the lesson should be flexible and divided for different activities. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Dmitrii Z. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. “Engage” phase is a sequence, where the teacher tries to give an interest in a new topic by implication of different games related to the lesson. Such a beginning gives the “warm” for the next phase of the lesson. “Study” phase is focused on the construction of the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Becoming an English teacher can present many great opportunities, among such may be learning the skill of navigating issues and culturally sensitive situations unique to instructing students with a wide array of nationalities. Much of this skill comes from learned experience but a teacher who has had proper training and time for adequate research can steer though these issues with greater ease. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Brynn G. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Putting aside cultural matters for the moment, the strictly linguistic issues that may come to fruition in a multi-national classroom are plentiful. The most...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Tanzania! Where's that? It is a Swahili speaking country in East Africa just south of Kenya. However, no matter how close countries may be geographical, generalizations should not be made about anything, let alone educational institutions and learner levels. This is only one of the many problems facing students in Tanzania. My background in this topic comes from teaching in Tanzania for 26 months, which included a three-month training on techniques for the Tanzanian classroom and education system. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Connor L. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. This is likely brought on by the high English...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Teaching can be extremely satisfying and rewarding, but how we teach and the methodologies that we use should be adapted to teaching each specific learner or groups of learners. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Omar B. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Let's begin with defining what is considered to be an adult and what is considered to be a young learner. According to regulatory standards, an adult is an individual over the age of 18. Young learners, on the other hand, can be categorized based on three bases; from the age of seven and under (very young learners), between the ages 8 to 12 and post-puberty, usually from ages 13...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Teaching is a challenging labor that requires different factors to do it properly. First of all, the person who teaches has to have the vocation to help others. Otherwise, either the teacher or the students will enjoy the classes. Then, a teacher has to have clear that there are several aspects that the university does not prepare the teacher students. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Danny M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. For instance, if you are teaching children, several situations are not part of the academic process. For that reason, teachers have to have clear what they have to teach and how they will do it. Because if...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas There are many famous games used by TEFL teachers that students know like the back of their hand. If you want to change up your online lessons and bring even more fun in your teaching, check out these seven non-trivial online ESL games to help you in every stage of the TEFL class. For this activity, you will need to prepare a digital image and share it with a student during the online class. You can find plenty of connect-the-dots worksheets on the internet. The student needs to have access to the drawing tool, so make sure the online conference program you use has this feature. Choose a picture that would accompany the lesson's topic. Ask...  [Read more]

  This video is part of our video series on "Evaluation and Testing of Students". In this video, we look at the most common Academic English Exams learners of English take around the world. It is important for EFL teachers to know these different types of proficiency test as they will most likely come across them during their teaching career. 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. Tense usage has always been very confusing to master especially for...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas For years I have been thinking about my own personal experience as a student with the different institutions, methodologies, and teaching styles that I have been introduced to within my life to improve as a teacher in education that didn't work for me as a student. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Maria A. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. I remember two main experiences that clearly demonstrate the importance of consciously working on building rapport with students. When I was in High School, I really enjoyed reading and learning about why we humans are how we are and I enrolled immediately as soon as I knew that an...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas The four basic language skills are divided into two categories; the receptive (“passive”) skills — reading and listening, and the productive (“active”) skills — speaking and writing. All are invaluable skills to learn when becoming proficient in a new foreign language and teachers should try to incorporate them into their lessons whenever possible. However, this summative task will be solely focused on receptive skills and how to teach them in the classroom. Students may need to read/listen for a purpose — for example, reading an extract of a book as part of their homework assignment, or they may want to read/listen for entertainment — for example, listening to their favorite audiobook. These...  [Read more]

Federico Riva TEFL Information Teaching Ideas What are ice breakers and when and where do we use them? In this blog post, we will cover these issues and give actual examples of activities you can use with your classes. Icebreakers are games or activities that are designed to ‘break the ice’. Typically you would use these kinds of games or activities at the beginning of a new school year, when you have a new set of students, or a new class that you don't know and they don't know you. You also can use icebreakers to get your students going at the start of the lesson speaking in English and that's really important as you don't want to come into the classroom and say, “Open your books to page five” and then start studying....  [Read more]

Jon ITTT Alumni Experiences As a secondary English teacher, there is one question that I kept asking myself “Why complete a TEFL course?” I have had years of experience teaching English literature, figures of speech, the technical aspect of academic English which are the structure of sentences, different tenses, etc. However, Teaching English as a Foreign Language is different from teaching academic English subject. Completing a TEFL course made me realized that it is better for students to learn faster and understand better on how students will be able to communicate to the outside world using the English language. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Jasmin E. It is essential to complete a TEFL course so as to...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Technology helps make teaching and learning more meaningful and fun. Students are also able to collaborate with their own classmates through technological applications. By using technology in the classroom, both teachers and students can develop skills essential for the 21st century. These are very important skills that can be developed in the classroom. Benefits for teachers. When teachers effectively integrate technology into class learning becomes more meaningful and fun which motivates the pupils/student to collaborate with their own classmates and acquire knowledge faster and with ease. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Jenny S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences The role of a teacher plays a critical role in a classroom setting. They are seen as leaders and someone for the learners to provide support and guidance. A great example of the impact of a teacher was in a previous lesson where it shows a comparison of two videos. One video showed the teacher being rude, disrespectful, uninterested, and inpatient among many things. He was rushing through his lesson, causing confusion among the students, and made it dreadful to be in the classroom. The other video showed positive examples of how to be a great teacher. The most valuable trait the teacher exhibited was by ensuring a healthy and positive learning environment. He started the lesson by smiling, greeting the...  [Read more]