We Work In French

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences One of the most important problems encountered while learning a foreign language is undoubtedly pronunciation. Knowing a language fluently may not always be enough. Fluency level may be open to discussion if an accurate pronunciation is not used. Therefore as teachers, we must teach our students how to use the correct pronunciation. However, pronunciation can be a nightmare for some students, especially for young learners. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Selin K. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. There are some languages, in particular, no matter what language they speak, we understand where they come from by hearing their...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Several surveys, such as EF (Education First), have shown that France has the worst English level in the European Union. We shall explain, firstly, why French students have problems in learning English and what these problems are. Then, secondly, we shall share solutions to these problems. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Mohamed S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Indeed, the difficulties that French students face are not recent but have deeper origins which are historical. As you may know, there has been a rivalry between the French and the English dating back to the Hundred Years War (1337-1453,) when the two countries...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences French are bad at speaking English, it’s a fact, proven by many studies but also by the shameful spectacle of our politician trying to say things in Shakespeare’s language. The Elite not having a decent level it is hard to blame the population for not trying very hard. International studies are all putting French students at the last position in Europe for mastering English skills. Even more alarming in 2008 the TOEFL results were putting France at the 69th rank on 109 countries. In 9th Grade, only 14% of the students have an “independent level” according to a 2011 study of the European Commission (we also note that only 9% of English 9 graders are “independent” in French). This post was written by...  [Read more]

  The purpose of grammar translation then is to basically translate between L1 and L2 and vice versa. So, we could take a simple example. Let's imagine that our native language was English and our target language was French and let's assume that we want to translate a document from French into English. Let's take a simple sentence. Here's a sentence in French "Ouvre la fenêtre" and we'll add "s'il vous plaît" at the end. What we want to do is to take this L2 and translate it back into English. Now, if we have a reasonable knowledge of French then we may well know that this particular verb "ouvre" "to open" translates directly and this female form of the and finally the fenêtre "Open the window" and this polite form of "please". This is all very well if the two structures that...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Visa and Legal Destinations Europe is one of the most popular regions for teaching English as a foreign language for many teachers. However, it can often be difficult for non-EU citizens to secure a visa and work legally in Europe. If you are dreaming of living and working in France, don’t despair. An attractive option for teachers from outside of the EU zone is to apply for a student visa. A student visa allows you to work a certain number of hours per week. Even though the legal working hours are limited, many teachers also take on private tutoring to supplement their income. If you are interested in teaching in France, read on to find out how to legally teach English in France with a student visa. First, you...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Travel had benefits for all of us. Particularly for our children. Our twin baby boys are mixed-race and mixed-cultured and equal importance will be placed on both sides of their heritage while maintaining a truly international worldview. We plan to raise them as true world citizens. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Mingke R. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. We plan to focus on a few areas to strengthen their cultural connections: language, exposure to different cultures, exposure to people from those cultures, and cultural holidays. We will achieve this by continuing to travel slowly. We plan to live in different cities and...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences When I chose this topic, I asked myself what a foreign language is. Is it just a language spoken in another country that’s not similar to one’s own? Or does a language spoken in another city or district in one’s country qualify as a foreign language? According to Wikipedia, a foreign language is originally from another country than the speaker. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Nafuna M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Concerning that definition, the first foreign language I learned was English, I, however, don’t consider it a “foreign” language because it is the first language I learned and it is the main...  [Read more]

Federico Riva TEFL Information Here we will look at the best government programs for teaching in Europe. We will mention five different programs in no particular order. The first one is France and the first program is TAPIF ( Teaching Assistant Program In France) so this is a government initiative that places applicants into French state schools to work as teaching assistants. This program has been around for a long time, it's a great opportunity to live and work in France. France is a country where long-stay visas can be difficult to secure for non-EU citizens, so if you don't have an EU passport then the TAPIF program can be a great way to get your foot into Europe. The website you need to apply through is tapif.org. If you want to learn more...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas I did not realize how difficult English is until I became fluent in Spanish. I am currently studying French and I am pretty good at French. I have a basic knowledge of Esperanto. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Wayne K. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. I will just touch on each of these since a book could be written about each of these. Also Read: Teaching Young Learners vs. Adult Learners - The Differences You Can Expect I have found many poems(1) and articles on the internet discussing the insane way English is spelled and pronounced. On the previously sited website(ibid) an English instructor states that he has very often...  [Read more]

1. Introduction 2. Qualifications and Requirements 3. Teaching Opportunities in France 4. Language Proficiency and Work Permits Teaching English in France can be a rewarding and enriching experience. Whether you are looking to immerse yourself in the French language and culture or simply want to share your knowledge of English with others, there are ample opportunities for qualified individuals. In this guide, we will outline the qualifications and requirements needed to teach English in France, as well as the various teaching opportunities available in the country. To teach English in France, you typically need a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) or TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) certification. These certifications demonstrate that you have the...  [Read more]

Federico Riva Teaching Ideas Language acquisition is not an easy feat for anyone at any age, whether you are learning your first language as a baby or your fourth language as an adult. Learning foreign languages will always be difficult however, having a teacher that understands the challenge with first-hand knowledge, can make a huge difference to students. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Randi B. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. 1st language acquisitions are much easier to learn given the fact that it happens almost naturally. While it will surely take time, babies typically learn their first language organically from listening to those around them and...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences I have chosen this topic as I have been living in France for the past seven years and I would like to write about how I learned French and how learning this language has helped me in teaching English as a foreign language. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Daniel L. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. I remember when I wanted to come to France, I bought a book called 'French in three months'. I followed the instructions, I learned the words and I had the impression that I could speak French albeit very slowly with a terrible accent. On arrival in France, I quickly learned that my French was nowhere near as good as I thought it...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Susan T S G. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Singapore is a multilingual and multi-ethnic society. We have four official languages Malay, English, Chinese (Mandarin), and Tamil, with Malay as our national language. English is used as the main medium of instruction in our education system and learning a second language is compulsory in school starting from pre-school age. Being Chinese, my second language is Mandarin. I also speak a third language called dialect especially to our parents who do not understand English or Chinese. Also Read: The Most Important Personal Qualities in the ESL...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences Prior to starting a class, an English teacher needs to take into consideration many parameters. How many students will I have to teach? How old are they? What are their levels? What knowledge did they already acquire in terms of vocabulary and grammar? What are their nationalities? In this blog post, we are going to focus on the problems that an English teacher can encounter when teaching to students of different nationalities and cultures. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Manon L. First of all, it is important to define what a monolingual class and a multilingual class are. Monolingual students are students who all have the same native language. For example, teaching English to Thai...  [Read more]

  In this episode, we cover the pronunciation of the word inveigle. This word is used as a verb and refers to the action of persuading someone to do something through flattery or deception. The word comes from aveugler in Old French meaning ‘to blind’. 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. In this unit we learned about resources: songs, chants, music, games, stories, arts and crafts, seasonal activities, drama and movement. We learned what...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Destinations With more than 220 million speakers globally, French is among the most spoken languages in the world. If you are interested in learning French, check out the five best places to learn French when teaching English abroad. Linda Dunsmore Destinations France is one of the most popular destinations for teaching English as a foreign language in Europe. While many teachers come and settle in Paris, you should definitely also check out what other amazing places there are around the country. Here are the top 8 places to teach English in France. Linda Dunsmore Destinations Are you interested in teaching English...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas British English versus American English always sparks a lively discussion. I have read some articles so far as to compare these 2 languages and gather the information from the online resources. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Zahra J. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. I am Iranian and have many American and British friends and I have been living abroad for about 6 years. As an English speaker as a second language, it took me a while to learn what is British and what is American English. As I have done some friendly interviews, the English spoken in the USA is different from the English spoken in the UK not only in pronunciation...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences It is not normal to praise students. Praising students is a pivotal and fundamental role that is expected from the teacher towards his/her students to show admiration and give feedback on their good behavior, performance, etc. It helps establish learners-teacher rapports, build students' confidence, as well as it is a smooth and immediate process of evaluation. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Taha Laouily. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Initially, I want to demonstrate the great impact of praising students and giving them good comments from my personal experience as a student. I remember, I always hated French subject...  [Read more]

Amanda Stern Alumni Experiences Globalization has been changing our world. Once foreign cultures have become more and more familiar, and some even hit the global mainstream, such as Bollywood film and the recent wave of K-pop. One thing aiding in bridging this gap would be the rise of interest in bilingualism and multilingualism. Many children are in education systems where a second language is mandatory to study from a young age. For example, In Canada, my home country, French is taught in the Anglophone provinces from grade 4 (about 10 years of age). In Japan, my current address, the English curriculum is changing, and now students will begin learning from 三年生 sannensei, about 9 years of age. Of course, many more curriculums of multitudes...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Destinations France is one of the most popular destinations for teaching English in Europe. While a lot of people settle in Paris to enjoy the Parisian lifestyle, there are a lot of other exciting cities in all parts of the country. Here are the top 8 places to teach English in France. Due to local laws and regulations, it can often be difficult for non-EU citizens to secure a visa and work legally in France. However, if you are dreaming of living and working in France, don’t despair. We have a thorough guide to legally teaching English for people outside of the EU. Be sure to check it out here for all the details on how to move to France and teach English. A wine lover’s paradise, Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne in...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences People around the world are choosing to learn the English language for several reasons. Across the globe, English has become one of the languages people are taught in order to succeed in their career endeavors or simply a basic skill to have. It has grown so much in popularity and necessity that it has become a requirement for many children in schools across the globe. As a native English speaker, I find this incredibly useful for when I’m traveling or living abroad. When in doubt, I can try using my native tongue and more often than not someone is able to respond in a language in which I am comfortable communicating. However, many challenges accompany this phenomenon. For one, native English speakers are...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas The history of the global language or what is thought to be the concept of the global language is not new and the originator of this concept is not those that spoke English. The concept of a global language can be defined by a language that is spoken by a large number of both native speakers and speakers of the language as a second language as well as its widespread geographic circulation. This concept of a "lingua franca" or a language that facilitates the communication of people of varying and diverse backgrounds, cultures, ethnicities, and creeds has taken different forms throughout history and currently, the lingua franca used predominantly throughout the globe is English. The key factors allowing a language...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Spanish is my mother tongue; however, I also managed to learn English and French at a young age. Both of these languages stuck with me even years after I had left the countries where I learned them. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Jorge P. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Despite staying in those countries for a short time (less than a year), it surprised me how, when comparing myself with people who had had similar experiences, my language skills were much better than theirs. Looking back on those days, I believe that it’s because I was not learning the language for itself, but rather as a means to an end. I was using those...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore TEFL Information Alumni Experiences This is a question I’ve asked myself. I'm looking at it from the point of view of an established foreign language teacher. For years, I’ve been thinking about learning to teach English as a foreign language. I’ve wanted to teach more than just French, so I could find more work, and because TEFL appealed to me. As a French teacher—which is a foreign language, of course—my thought was that I already knew how to teach a foreign language. At times I was even thinking, “Why do I need a course? Shouldn’t I just be able to jump into teaching ESL without additional schooling?” I tried not to be naive in thinking “I could just take all the French teaching and do it in...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences A language is a tool that allows us to organize our thoughts as well as to communicate. Since language is unable to be separated from our conscious thought, it can be difficult to imagine how another language can function without the use of the core elements that we employ in our own native language. Likewise, it can be difficult to comprehend the function of a language element completely foreign to us. As a teacher, it can be important to understand the peculiarities of English to understand which language elements may be more difficult for the student. Some elements that may be completely new to English learners are the number system, verb tenses, and locative language. This post was written by our TEFL...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas As we all know English has become a global language that is fast rising and also language shapes our thinking, reasoning and the way we behave in society, this has been proven by scholars in America and other parts of the world. The way a French thing or dresses is different from an English person, as a result, statistics show that the English world or society is far better. English certificates are world-recognized qualifications, as a result, a student that studies in an English system is of better chances to secure a good job anywhere in the world than a qualification from other parts of the world. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Simuluh S. Please note that this blog post might not...  [Read more]

  In this episode, we cover the pronunciation of the word "purport". This word is a noun and is a synonym for the words implied or conveyed. The word comes from Middle English and Anglo-French and was first used in the English language in the 15th century. An example sentence with the word purport includes: Everyone was informed of the purport of the letter. 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. Having all necessary teaching equipment that facilitate...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences More and more persons enjoy traveling and even make it their lifetime hobby! More young couples and families are hungry to discover new cultures and love meeting like-minded people. Sometimes mature individuals, who find themselves in different circumstances, either by choice or not, are looking for a change and wish to learn a new skill that would give them something worthwhile to do on their travels. These are only just a few reasons why someone would want to complete a TEFL course. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Genoveve C. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. For me personally, completing a TEFL course will give me the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences The best thing I have learned from this TEFL course is that teaching methodology is no longer dominated by the framework of translation/grammar-based learning, but newer, more holistic methods are starting to be used by teachers, such as the ESA method. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Leslie H. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Grammar/translation learning primarily uses the practice of finding equivalents of the students’ language in their target language. One of my main criticisms of this method is the auto-translation it encourages in students. Instead of looking at a sentence and automatically grasping the meaning,...  [Read more]

Kimberley Dale Visa and Legal TEFL Information Signing any contract can be daunting. However, we have compiled a checklist for you to keep with you as you read through your contract. Kimberley Dale Visa and Legal TEFL Information Are you looking to work as an English teacher abroad and travel the world? Here is our guide to writing a TEFL resume that will get you hired! Jen Bunce Visa and Legal TEFL Information Teaching English abroad is an exciting adventure for anyone who's taking the leap. However, the process from dream to reality often seems overwhelming. Our alumni...  [Read more]