Top English Learning App

Mark Crocker Teaching Ideas Although teaching English as a Foreign Language can be a fun and rewarding job, it can also involve a fair amount of hard graft when it comes to planning and delivering high-quality lessons. With this in mind, why not use all the tools at your disposal to ensure your lessons are engaging and effective? The use of technology and online resources is a cornerstone of EFL lessons worldwide and using whatever means necessary to achieve the best results is generally encouraged by most forward thinking employers. Lesson planning is a major part of a teacher’s life, so anything that can help the process along can only be a good thing. However, it is not only planning that can be aided by technology. In this day and age there...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Technologies are constantly evolving and improving. There are literally dozens of new technologies that can be applied to the modern classroom in 2019 that have not yet made their way into mainstream usage. New tech changes the way subjects are taught, how students learn and the way teachers and students communicate with each other. Everything from new types of interactive whiteboards, classroom response systems, use of social media, tablet computers and classroom websites to the more exotic and potentially cost-prohibitive techs such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality(VR) or even holographic projectors are commercially available for use in the classroom. Students in ancient Babylonia and Sumeria...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas In this article, our TEFL expert shares a seven-step strategy to gamify an ESL classroom. If you want to encourage students to learn in an informal way, consider implementing such an approach to your lessons. Sahil Gazi TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Lingos are of significant interest to linguists because they exist within the subsets of linguistics, by observing the significance of individual words or sentences through semantics and their meaning in a broader social context through pragmatics. In this scenario, the...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Destinations TEFL Information Teaching English abroad is an exciting adventure for many and it offers plenty of opportunities for traveling, exploring a new culture and making new friends from around the world. While you do not need to speak any language other than English to be a successful teacher, many people choose to embrace the opportunity to learn a foreign language while teaching English overseas. Being able to speak the language of the country you are choosing to live and work in not only makes your life there a lot easier, but it will also impress the local people and open doors to unlimited opportunities. These can often include a new or advanced career path - both in your host country and back home....  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In a globalized world, information comes faster and faster, and just a hand-held mobile phone, a computer, or a laptop is enough to gain access to the latest and fastest source of knowledge and information: The Internet. Education needs to be more and more inserted in this environment, aiming to reach people flexibly and interactively, either in the classroom or in the comfort of home. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Natália C. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. According to the publication of The Next Web, the world is social and connected. According to the publication, a survey by Hootsuite and We Are Social reveals the top...  [Read more]

Federico Riva TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Hello everybody, it's Liza here. We are just about to start today's live session that is devoted to ideas on how to improve English skills. While I'm waiting for more people to join me let me just tell you about these live sessions. So we are doing them weekly and right now there are a lot of videos to check out on our YouTube channel and our Facebook group. If you missed any of these live streams you can go to our social networks and see any of them there. Welcome to the new session and if you haven't heard already my name is Liza and I'm a non-native English teacher from Russia. I can see that there are some people from the Philippines here....  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas When I started writing this essay I found loads of interesting material on this topic and I think later on I will look for many more articles and books to learn more about this fascinating world of storytelling. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Olha K. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. If you think about storytelling, you notice that the passing down of stories from generation to generation from century to century taught us history, culture, skills, and knowledge. “Thinking of teaching as storytelling encourages us to think of the curriculum as a collection of the great stories of our culture,” says Kieran Egan “If we...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Online teaching has experienced a huge boom in recent months and many teachers have to teach online. The 6 ideas below will help you with engaging your students and grabbing their attention through the computer screen. These activities can be used as icebreakers and transitions between other tasks to cheer the learners up. For this activity, you need to prepare a shared Google document with several groups of three words depending on your students’ English level. Have them figure out what those words have in common. You can use cards from the “Tribond for Kids” game with younger students and more advanced vocabulary for teens and adults. E.g. French Fries, Cabbage, Soup (Food) Also Read: The Most Common...  [Read more]

Regan McAllister TEFL Information Alumni Experiences In our global and connected world, knowing more than one language serves many benefits. Although technology has enabled communication across countries to be possible through translation apps, these apps fail to account for cultural etiquette and language nuances. Metaphors, figures of speech, and tone get easily distorted, which can lead to altered meanings and giggle-worthy translations. On top of the ability to communicate with more people, many researchers have linked foreign language study to enhanced cognition and behavioral skills. One such benefit that I have observed in adults as both a language learner and language teacher is a deepened understanding of your native...  [Read more]

Mark Crocker Teaching Ideas In a world where teaching English online has become the norm, stress levels among teachers seem to have risen significantly. ✅ The truth is that teaching online doesn’t come naturally to most teachers, no matter how experienced they are. Take a look at these common issues and a few tips for reducing their impact. Mark Crocker Teaching Ideas When teaching English at home or abroad it makes sense to use every option available to help you plan and deliver the highest quality lessons possible. ✅ In this post, we look at a range of different online apps that are designed to do just that, from organizing and planning to in-class activities and homework. ...  [Read more]

Mark Crocker Teaching Ideas In a world where teaching English online has become the norm, stress levels among teachers seem to have risen significantly. ✅ The truth is that teaching online doesn’t come naturally to most teachers, no matter how experienced they are. Take a look at these common issues and a few tips for reducing their impact. Mark Crocker Teaching Ideas When teaching English at home or abroad it makes sense to use every option available to help you plan and deliver the highest quality lessons possible. ✅ In this post, we look at a range of different online apps that are designed to do just that, from organizing and planning to in-class activities and homework. ...  [Read more]

Joanna Dineva Destinations Alumni Experiences Traveling for me is more than seeing a tourist sight and snapping a picture for your social media. Traveling is the opportunity to explore the world, immerse myself in different cultures and connect with the people of those cultures. Teaching English abroad has allowed me to do just that. In late 2019 an opportunity presented itself for me to teach English in Beijing, China. I had never been to China before. I had never traveled to Asia before. Having an adventurous soul and nomadic heart that I have, I accept the offer without too much hesitation. At the time of writing this personal experience article, I have lived in China for approximately four months and would like to share...  [Read more]

Mark Crocker Teaching Ideas If like many TEFL qualified teachers, you have moved your teaching online in recent times you will probably have found that it is much harder than you might have imagined. Although you spend most of your lessons sitting down on a comfy office chair rather than standing in front of the class, you still end the day more exhausted than you ever did in a normal classroom setting. If this sounds familiar, don’t worry you are not alone as teaching English online is a tiring proposition for many teachers. Here we look at the main reasons why it is so tough and more importantly, what you can do to make things that bit easier. One of the biggest differences between teaching online and teaching in-class is trying to read how...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Within a classroom, you will have an assortment of students with different abilities and different styles of learning which can hurt the ability for these students to work and learn together. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate jon k. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. As a teacher, it is essential to ensure that all students feel inclusive when in the classroom. If a student feels like they are not learning, or feel like they are not part of the class, they are more likely to not take part, which in turn, slows down the rate in which that student can achieve the objectives of the class. Also Read: The new ITTT Specialized Course...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences This essay examines English education in South Korea and its socio-cultural problems. The discussion draws on my personal beliefs and experiences. First, the history of Korean education is laid out by illustrating the cultural background of Korean society. Following that, it traces the problems of learners of the English language in Korea and tips on how to improve their learning. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Nayoung H. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. For a long time, Korea has been a country that’s been highly education-obsessed. Entry to a top university has led to prestigious, well-paying, and secure jobs; it has...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas As an international language that is widely used around the globe, English has been important and increasingly influential in our lives over the years. Learning English seems to be an inevitable, prioritized task for many of us. This is also applicable to kindergarten children aged 4 to 6 years in many Asian countries. As a former kindergarten teacher who taught English, I have encountered several problems during my time teaching kindergarten kids in Asia. These problems could be attributed to child development and their social environment. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Wei L. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Kindergarten...  [Read more]

Mark Crocker Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Having experienced campus life as a non-native English speaker and foreign student in Canada, I have learnt a few key aspects that affect the overall learning experience in a diverse classroom. The effectiveness and efficacy of the teacher primarily hinge on their ability to engage the students enough to maintain a reasonable level of motivation. I have observed a few ways that would increase the motivation of the students, especially within a classroom full of students from diverse cultural backgrounds and language levels. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Jeannie C. By using real-life examples, current affairs, personal testimonies and even the current...  [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]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas ESA is a common methodology that teachers use when teaching students another language. It is also a large part of your TEFL certification course. By using the layout of the ESA method to plan your lessons, they will be more structured, organized and effective. This post was written by our ITTT graduate Casandra L. ESA stands for engage, study, and activate. By using ESA, it gives teacher's the flexibility to conduct a classroom in an organized and productive way. ESA is extremely important when it comes to teaching, because it keeps the students interested, motivated, and eager to learn more. That is why all teachers, especially new ones, should learn the ESA method when teaching students a new language. The first...  [Read more]

Mark Crocker Teaching Ideas For many new and experienced EFL teachers, one of the most challenging aspects of their career is coming up with lesson plans that are both engaging and effective. Even if your employer provides a specific textbook to follow as a curriculum, you will often find that this can be rather dull for the students unless you spice things up by adding in some fun and original ideas from an outside source. By searching online you will find a huge amount of sites offering all manner of resources of varying quality and relevance. To save you the hassle of searching through them all, we have listed our 5 favorite websites that you can use to find quality lesson plans free of charge. This very useful website offers teachers a wealth...  [Read more]

Mark Crocker Alumni Experiences Within the past 20 years we have seen great advancements in technology. Mobile phones and laptops that are thinner than a short novel, voice activated software systems, robotics, high speed internet etc. Much of the world is now technologically developed, but often the ESL classroom is less so. However, in many areas there has been a gradual introduction of newer, more educationally oriented forms of technology in the classroom. From the introduction of the overhead projector and cassette players to modern day equipment such as Smart Boards and laptops. So what has been the effect of this technology in language learning? This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Joshua P. With the inclusion of...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas An obvious difference between teaching English to high-school students and university students in the organization. Class sizes at a school are usually limited to about 25 students and we have to check the attendance because it is compulsory. The timetable and the syllabus are fixed. At a university, the groups are often much bigger, and the teacher can arrange the syllabus more freely. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Mara B. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. In my opinion, the greatest difference is the age of the students and how the teacher must adapt to it. Most of the university students are over 18 years old. They are...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences With the rapid growth of technology, we can immediately see how it's affecting not only the world as we know it and how we interact with it. We also become aware of how it changes the way we teach language. In this essay, we will discuss how the change of technology has influenced our teaching process and also how it can be used to our benefit to make grammar learning an exciting process for students. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Andreas K. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. For decades we have taught students grammar the traditional way. Providing them with lists of vocabulary/language terminologies and having them study...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas The benefits of using flashcards in the ESL classroom are well-documented. When teachers use flashcards, they typically provide their students with three learning pathways: visual, kinesthetic, and audio (assuming that the exercise requires the students to say something related to the flashcard). This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Joseph O. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. In addition to appealing to a wide range of learning styles, flashcards are very multifunctional. They can be used to teach simple things such as basic vocabulary words, advanced grammar structures like complex sentences, and many things in between. Flashcards...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas When talking about children’s education in ESL classrooms there is a lot of courses and resources available for teachers to get trained, skilled, and qualified to promote and guarantee a good learning experience for younger learners. On the other hand, not so much is available for parents to do the same hence most of them are not aware of how they can help ESL teachers. The good news is that not only they can help but their help is essential to improve their child’s language skills. Moreover, this essay will suggest three different ways that children’s parents can help an ESL teacher to achieve the best performance for their child. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Vanessa C. Please...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Ever since I was a little girl, education has been a huge part of my life. My mother was a teacher at the elementary school I attended and also taught me and my sisters Japanese after school in our home. I have always been inquisitive, constantly asking questions to my parents and teachers about topics I was interested in and about things I didn't quite understand. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Kim S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. I always enjoyed learning and loved the feeling of accomplishment when I received high scores on tests and other assignments. My favorite subjects were reading, writing, and spelling....  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas The use of reading in the course of language acquisition is valuable and often underrated. Before undertaking a detailed explanation, I will first offer a general example to demonstrate the problem of teaching without it. Imagine you are teaching the word “ball” to an older student. You could ask them to say “ball, ball, ball” in a drilling manner. This can be inefficient and above all, boring for the student. But suppose that you do teach it enjoyably. How many words might they learn? This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Peter C. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. For most teachers, they will give one or sometimes two...  [Read more]

Carrie Kellenberger Visa and Legal TEFL Information Learning how to answer common questions in an ESL interview is easy if you’ve researched and prepared in advance, even if you’ve never had a formal job interview before. Before we head into answering the top 15 most asked questions in a TEFL interview, there are a few things to check off your to-do list before interviewing: 1. Tell me a little about yourself. This is an icebreaker question that gives you the opportunity to sell yourself. Be positive and tell the interviewer about your good points, especially the parts of your personality that make you a good teacher. Explain why you are interested in moving abroad to teach and focus on the care and attention you will give...  [Read more]

Federico Riva TEFL Information Teaching Ideas Hello everybody, I'm glad to see that some people have already joined me. My name is Liza, your ITTT TEFL friend and today we are going to talk about the most interesting topic from all of them I suppose. We are going to discuss online teaching and during this session I am going to share several ideas on how to enhance your online classes in 2021. I hope you enjoy it because it's something really cool to try and before we start let me quickly check if the equipment is working, if you see me clearly and if you hear me clearly please let me know in the comment section. Okay. So it’s nice to see you guys and thanks for joining. I see several comments but I'm not sure what they are as...  [Read more]

Federico Riva Teaching Ideas Hello everybody and welcome to the ITTT weekly live stream. It's Liza here and I'm super excited that this stream happens every week and we can talk about teaching and TEFL and stuff like that. So welcome and thank you for joining me. Today, we are going to talk about online ESL game design. Last week I started showing you the game I was designing, it was Monopoly. Today I'm going to show you the outcome of the game and also tell you a little bit more about online game design. Thanks a lot for letting me know that you are watching and right now please let me know at what stage of your ESL career you are at. As for me, I'm an online ESL teacher currently. I used to teach in a real classroom several years ago, but then...  [Read more]