TEFL Wolf Trap

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas When teaching young learners, it’s important not to spend too much time on any one activity as they can soon lose interest. It is also a good idea to have activities that give younger learners the chance to move about and use the boundless energy they have at that age. Below we present a list of short activities suitable for young and very young learners of English. This is a good activity for practicing time with small classes. Clear a space in the center of the classroom and have a student stand in front of the board with their back to the class, this person is the wolf and the rest of the class stand at the back of the room. For each turn, the class asks the wolf ‘What's the time, Mr. Wolf?’ and the wolf...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore TEFL Information The nomadic lifestyle is getting more and more appealing for many people wanting to escape the dry 9-to-5 trap back home. More and more people are packing their bags and heading off traveling around the world, making a living on the go. A great way to afford this lifestyle is teaching English, either online, at a physical school or to private students abroad. As this is getting increasingly popular, online English platforms, employers and English students are now expecting their teachers to be TEFL certified. But how do you find the time to study when on the road? Taking an online TEFL course might just be the answer to your problems! Here are 4 tips for getting your TEFL certificate on the road and for staying...  [Read more]

Mia Santarelli Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Popsicles, sunscreen, sidewalk chalk, bubbles, watermelon, backyard picnics, riding bikes, and lemonade stands. These are a few images that come to mind when I think of summertime and the magic of relaxing with family in the warmth of the sunshine. As a child, I remember playing with my siblings in the yard, running through the sprinkler, doing arts and crafts projects, and drawing roads with traffic signs on our driveway that we would navigate along with our bikes or scooters. Although plans for summer 2020 around the world have been altered, there are still many opportunities to engage children in unique learning opportunities. Under the circumstances surrounding COVID-19,...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Second language acquisition is used to refer to any language other than the first language, so it refers to the acquisition of any language after the acquisition of the mother tongue. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Abdelkabir E. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. It functions as a recognized means of communication among members who speak some other language as their mother tongue. For example; English as a second language is learned in the United States and some countries in Africa. There are two types; the learner focuses on communication in naturalistic second language acquisition, In instructed second language...  [Read more]

Anna Domiczek Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Reward systems can be a very powerful tool for teachers in an online environment. Having a reward system for your students is essential because it encourages even the more shy and reserved young learners to participate in their virtual English lessons. More importantly, they can help you, the teacher, in overcoming the constraints of an online classroom - not being physically present to intervene in situations where a student is distracted or attempting to divert his/her friends’ focus from the English lesson. Reward systems can be a great part of the online teacher’s repertoire for the purpose of encouraging the young learners to focus on the lesson and participate. While...  [Read more]

Mark Crocker Teaching Ideas Image by Alice Bolden via Writix Of all the language skills that are taught in the ESL classroom, teaching writing skills is often seen as one of the least popular. Some teachers consider these lessons to be a bit boring, hard to evaluate and somewhat limited in what you can incorporate into them. However, this doesn’t have to be the case as teaching writing skills to your ESL students can actually be interesting, fun and productive. Take a look at these ideas for spicing up your English writing skills lessons. One of the most common reasons why writing lessons are sometimes seen as boring is that many teachers stick to a traditional approach that rigidly focuses on structure, grammar, and punctuation. While these...  [Read more]

Beautiful beaches and exciting cities are waiting for you in florida. The “Land Of Flowers” has a long history from Native American tribes inhabiting the land for thousands of year and the Spanish who arrived in 1513 until today. It is clear that the Spanish settlers were impressed by the state’s flora and fauna and year-round warm weather. florida’s unique location at both the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean creates a perfect vacation destination. In fact, millions of visitors come to florida each year to explore the state’s many beaches, historic sites, and fascinating parks. When you come to Florida for your TEFL/TESOL course, you will not be disappointed. The main reason millions of people visit Florida each year is the excellent weather and abundant coasts. In fact,...  [Read more]

Shirin Sophy Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Unlike ESL students, who take advantage of living in countries that English is widely used on a regular basis, people who try to learn English as a foreign language or EFL learners' exposure to English is inevitably limited to those three to four hours a week that they spend in academic environments. Their needs are consequently a little bit different from ESL students. Regarding the limited sources, they have access to, including teachers' talk and textbook audios that are unnaturally slow and way too clear, EFL students, therefore, need to look for more authentic and genuine materials in order to provide themselves with a better quality of input and improve their listening and...  [Read more]

  Istanbul is one of the most diverse, fantastic, and vibrant cities in the world and there is always a reason to visit the city in any time of the year. There are only few cities in the world that can be so delightful to experience and enjoy as Istanbul. Its rich history and geographical position are responsible for a fascinating melting pot of cultures. Here are some reasons why to attend a CertTesol – TEFL course in Istanbul, Turkey. Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! Our academic staff consists of fully qualified foreign trainers and Turkish with significant experience in TESOL/TEFL and devoted to their students and their profession. Furthermore, our centre provides in-service training to keep up with the latest trends in TESOL/TEFL. The basis of our...  [Read more]

Immerse yourself in Ban Phe and immerse yourself in Thai life. Enchanting and exciting, taking a teacher training course in Ban Phe will no doubt prove to be a rewarding experience. This quiet and relaxing fishing village sits on the Gulf of Thailand’s beautiful beaches, yet has somehow escaped the tourist traps of nearby Pattaya and Bangkok. If an island adventure is on the list of things to do, Ban Phe is the jumping off point for idyllic, Ko Samet (Samet Island) while Ko Chang (Elephant Island) is only a morning’s journey away. Our TEFL certification course in Ban Phe consists of a large office located near countless mom-and-pop shops as well as neighborhood restaurants and public transport links. All training facilities needed to successfully complete your course will be provided....  [Read more]

Anastasiia Ovchinnikova Visa and Legal Budget and Salary Destinations TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Starting a new exciting journey as an EFL teacher abroad can also be quite stressful, especially when you are taking your first steps in this profession. When you type in “Teaching jobs in China” you immediately see that the Internet is overloaded with “incredible” opportunities for teachers, including free accommodation, a 5-hour working day, salaries of more than USD 2,500 - all with “no teaching experience required”. Sounds incredible, right? Those companies are the death traps; they most likely won’t be able to guarantee you anything and don't care...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Presently, I take care of my ninety-six-year-old father at home and have no immediate plans to teach overseas. Fortunately, I live in a community (Aurora, Colorado) that has over 140 different language groups and ethnicities. Aurora ranks as the tenth most diverse community in the United States. I have worked toward my TEFL certification for the future; however, I have plans to use the training now. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Roland A. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. As soon as I get my certification documents I plan on teaching online and in my community. If I should outlive my father, I plan on traveling and teaching...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas What comes to mind when one thinks of an English classroom? Is it organized rows of desks filled with students writing vocabulary and grammar into their notebooks while the teacher talks in the front? This is the classic image of a classroom. A student goes to school to learn what they don’t already know. When teaching English, it can be easy to fall into the trap of rote memorization and reliance on grammar and vocabulary. However, is this method effective? Does this way of learning motivate students to become lifelong learners of a foreign language? It is less useful to teach students many things than to teach them the skills needed to...  [Read more]

Karah Musani Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas I started teaching online two years ago. With no training, it was a bumpy start. If there is one thing I want you to take away from this post, it’s this: relax. It gets better. Be ok with not being great when you start. Teaching is a craft. No amount of school can fully prepare you to teach. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t study before you start teaching. Studying can help you be better equipped when you do start. But there is an intuition you have to develop when you begin teaching. You will learn with practice how to connect with your students, how to identify what areas they are struggling with, and how to best teach different concepts. Odds are, your first classes...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas English has become a worldwide language, leading to early learning of English in the school context is becoming more common nowadays. It has been suggested that children should master their mother tongue before moving on to their second language. However, if you learn a language after the age of seven, you can never turn it into your mother tongue. You should learn it as soon as possible. After that age, they won’t learn it the same way as they do their native language. This is the reason why there are more and more kindergartens teaching English and what does a teacher need to put in mind when teaching EFL for children? This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Tran T. Please note that this blog...  [Read more]

1. Introduction 2. Safety Tips for Female Solo Travelers 3. Packing Tips for Female Solo Travelers 4. Cultural Considerations for Female Solo Travelers Traveling solo can be an empowering and enriching experience, allowing individuals to explore new destinations at their own pace and on their own terms. For female solo travelers, however, safety concerns and cultural differences can present unique challenges. In this guide, we will provide valuable tips and insights to help female solo travelers navigate their journeys with confidence and ease. 1. Research your destination: Before embarking on your solo adventure, take the time to learn about the safety situation in your destination. Familiarize yourself with local customs, laws, and potential risks to avoid any unforeseen complications....  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas It was my first experience teaching in Taiwan and I was in charge of teaching ESL to 7th-11th graders. I had never taught out of the United States and never considered the possibility that my students wouldn’t understand, what I thought, was simple English. I asked my junior high students to “put on their thinking caps,” to “line up single file,” “to quit fooling around” and that English was as “easy as ABC.” I told my senior high students to “give me a show of hands” and told them if they “studied hard” and “hit the books,” they would “pass with flying colors.” I told my college students I would give them an “A for effort” if they “quit goofing off” and “skipping...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas As an aspirant teaching English to Chinese children, I chose ‘Pronunciation problems of Chinese people’ as the most attractive and the most useful topic for my summative task at this moment. As resources of this joyful and useful research on the internet, I have used three videos on Youtube made by the three experienced teachers of the English language. Only one of them works with children. And only one of them (accent coach from London, Luke Nicholson) gave a lot of live examples of the flaws in pronunciation that Chinese people, in general, make when speaking English, by showing the interviews with the Chinese actor Jackie Chan who sometimes manages to confuse his experienced interviewers. This post was...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas The teaching techniques and approaches, as well as activities that teachers employ in teaching in the classroom, is known as teaching style (Cooper, 2001). Grasha (2002) defines teaching style as the continuous and steady actions of teachers in their relationship with students in the course of teaching-and-learning. Jarvis (2004) considers teaching style as containing “evidence of beliefs about values related to and attitudes toward all the elements of the teaching-learning exchange" (p. 40). Teachers' styles of teaching represent their behavior in the classroom. These definitions indicate that teaching styles are the methods, activities, and approaches that are employed by a teacher in the classroom or “the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas According to Wikipedia, Classroom management is a term teachers use to describe the process of ensuring that classroom lessons run smoothly without disruptive behaviour from students compromising the delivery of instruction. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Oluchi O. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Classroom management is the procedures used to establish and maintain an environment where instruction and learning can take place using teacher efforts to oversee classroom activities, social interaction, and student behaviour. Managing of the classroom involves two major tasks: to facilitate learning among pupils and to establish...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Reading competence involves making sense of the written text and requires the complex interaction of knowledge and skills. When children learn to read, they need to learn to integrate the use of visual, phonological and semantic cues and relate to their own experience to construct meaning. An effective reading instruction thus involves a combination of phonological instruction (decoding) and whole language (reading for meaning), with the use of authentic literary experience. This paper will provide a summary of essential areas of reading instruction, coupled with various strategies that I have used in my work as an educational psychologist and teacher, helping young children to read. This post was written by our...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas While it is true that many students crave consistency in the classroom, it can also be argued that students of all ages and levels tend to lose motivation and interest if lessons become too predictable or repetitive. For this reason, many teachers choose to incorporate outdoor activities into their lessons. In addition to maintaining interest, some possible benefits to taking your students outside the classroom (especially in an English-speaking country) include opportunities to interact with locals, experience culture, and practice in “real life” scenarios, all of which can help build students’ confidence. Even if students are learning English in their home countries, there are still benefits to changing...  [Read more]

  Come to the Czech Republic and earn your tefl certificate in the beautiful city of Prague. This modern, yet historic capital offers incredible opportunities to work and live in a city full of rich culture and heritage. One of the oldest and most historical cities in Europe, Prague is considered by many to be the most beautiful city in the region. Centuries of literary and artistic culture also make this one of the most intriguing places in which to become a certified efl teacher. Whether you are touring Prague Castle or walking over the famous Charles Bridge, you will be fascinated by Prague’s historic past. The city is separated into three districts, Old Town, New Town and Lesser Town, but no matter where you are you will always find something new to discover around every corner....  [Read more]

  Our TEFL course in Germany is based in the wonderful city of Leipzig in the state of Saxony in the East of the country. Leipzig has a long and fascinating history dating back at least to the Holy Roman Empire and was an important cultural and educational center in medieval times. Art and culture plays a strong role in the life of the city today and the Oper Leipzig is one of the most famous opera houses in Germany. Bach worked in Leipzig for several years in the 18th century and the city is home to the Bach-Archiv Leipzig, an institution that documents the life of Bach and his family. Leipzig is also an important center for contemporary music and the “Südvorstadt” area of the city is well-known for its clubs playing cutting edge electronic music. Counter culture plays a large...  [Read more]

  Immerse yourself in Ban Phe and immerse yourself in Thai life. Enchanting and exciting, taking a teacher training course in Ban Phe will no doubt prove to be a rewarding experience. This quiet and relaxing fishing village sits on the Gulf of Thailand’s beautiful beaches, yet has somehow escaped the tourist traps of nearby Pattaya and Bangkok. If an island adventure is on the list of things to do, Ban Phe is the jumping off point for idyllic, Ko Samet (Samet Island) while Ko Chang (Elephant Island) is only a morning’s journey away. Our tefl certification course in Ban Phe consists of a large office located near countless mom-and-pop shops as well as neighborhood restaurants and public transport links. All training facilities needed to successfully complete your course will be...  [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]