What's The Most Difficult Language

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Over the decades, the English language has reached the status of a global language and is commonly known as the lingua franca around the world. It has become one of the most widely spoken language as a mother tongue, international communication as well as language taught in millions of schools around the globe. The use of the English language is widespread in many sectors in the global market as many organizations begin to adopt the language as an official language. In the economic world, the language plays a significant role in international trade/business between two of the most powerful global economic powerhouse mainly the United States of America and China. This post was written by our TEFL certification...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Experiencing stress in a classroom can be inhibitory to the learning process of a student; however, stress can originate from many causes and cannot always be avoided as the cause may be an integral part of learning, especially in the case of new languages. Students learning English will have to learn to accept and overcome stress as part of the process if they hope to not allow stress to inhibit their learning. Understanding when and why difficulty is being experienced may help a student overcome these issues, and it can help a teacher support his or her students through difficulty. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Christian F. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Nowadays there is a wide variety of how to teach English. Every teacher uses his or her unique methodologies and techniques to make lessons more informative and entertaining. One of the approaches could be using educational games in the classroom. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Kristina S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Within this essay, I would like to clarify why using games in the classroom for young learners is extremely useful and educational. There is no doubt that children have their own way of thinking and learning, they are less educated and experienced compared to adults, however, they can learn English more...  [Read more]

  So, some of the ways in which we can avoid these problems occurring in the first place is to reteach the vocabulary that's going to be required in the particular activity and the grammar. Now, having said this, it doesn't mean that if we think about a particular article that they're going to read or a listening activity that they're going to listen to. They don't have to know every single word in there but they do need to know a certain number of words in order to actually make sense out of it. Secondly, most of the materials that we'll be using for both reading and possibly for listening will be what's called an authentic material. In other words, it's a real piece of material from a newspaper or magazine that hasn't been created for a particular class and so we need a very...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences What’s the most difficult part of learning a new language? Is it writing? Perhaps it’s the reading or memorizing new vocabulary? Well for some it’s speaking the new language, specifically when it comes to pronunciation. Every language has its unique ways or pronouncing their vowels and constants as well as how they form their sentence structure. Especially this write up will focus on Japanese English as a Second Language (ESL) students and the difficulties they face while learning English and its pronunciation. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Zachary B. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. First, it helps to understand a...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences As defined through the units of the course and through many linguistic books, pronunciation is to say a word in a language in the correct way. Although the correct pronunciation of words and even the correct intonation in sentences in English, is thought through course books all over the world and thanks to media students are exposed to the natural and correct pronunciation, numerous mistakes are observed inside the classroom and outside. The reasons for the problems in pronunciation might vary depending on the country. I have been teaching English in Turkey for a while and have witnessed many problems with the students which will be explained through this essay. This post was written by our TEFL certification...  [Read more]

Mark Crocker Alumni Experiences Second language acquisition in native English speakers from the United States is one aspect of American culture that is not widely discussed and seemingly overlooked in terms of its importance. Many factors contribute to the United States’ largely monolingual culture despite have a “melting pot” of sorts with a population comprised of multiple ethnicities and nationalities. This culture of English speakers points to strong geographic features of its continental location and debatably its position in the world’s economic index and political landscape. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Adam L. Comparatively, Europe is comprised of multiple countries with strong national identities and...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas It is well-known that when we learn any language, listening, speaking, reading and writing are all important during language learning. Why do we learn a language the final goal is to communicate with others. Today I’d like to talk about the importance of learning reading and listening. The reasons for reading and listening can be contributed to the following parts. Firstly, we may read or listen for a particular aim or goal. Secondly, we may for entertainment, such as listening to their favorite songs and so on. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Yajun D. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. When it comes to the way of learning...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Today, as English teachers, we have better equipment and materials, improved teaching methods and techniques, endless ideas and tips on how to maintain discipline and keep our students motivated. Sounds impressive, doesn’t it? It seems that we should just enjoy our classes and drink some nice tea during the breaks. However, along with all these improvements come greater demands. Each year more and more parents would like their children to learn English to ensure a better future. In our time, knowledge of English no more is your advantage, but the number one requirement for a good position. That is why our students are getting younger, sometimes to a point when they don’t...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Teaching children can sound fun from the first sight, however, it is a difficult job, because young learners are not that fluent in their own language when they start learning the second one. The age group that I want to consider in this essay is from 3 to 7, the kindergarten age. Parents make a decision to send their kids to learn English in a kindergarten thus kids are not motivated. A teacher can motivate children by making lessons entertaining and interesting. Games can make lessons fun for kids and productive for learning instead of common words drilling, for instance ‘What’s missing?’ game is very amusing for children to play and it prompts them to practice the target words. Active tasks encourage...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences Description: Teaching English as a foreign language in a kindergarten can be a dynamically different experience than teaching students in older age groups. Teaching in a kindergarten has advantages such as motivation, smiles, and the ability to learn the material in short bursts. It also has disadvantages, such as; short attention spans, diapers, and tantrums. Teaching young children can be extremely rewarding and extremely demanding. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate William K. Teaching Children between the ages of two and five has some advantages that can be very rewarding. My first class ever was teaching children between the ages of two and a half and three and a half. I was quick to...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Today, learning English seems like a good way for all people to enhance a piece of knowledge not only inside but also in other countries worldwide. Most people tend to learn English which is a major social necessity. Especially, students learning a new language from the young ages are pretty hard for them; consequently, it causes an increasing number of students who are under more pressure to absorb this subject in both school and home. In this essay, the possible solutions to tackle this problem will be discussed in detail. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Nhai N. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. To begin with, teaching...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Learning English may be stressful for students and adults, as well. The reasons may be different. In this essay, I will try to examine the possible causes of why learning English can be stressful especially for young learners. I will try to propose some suggestions that in my opinion may work. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Maxim D. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Probably, the lack of experience of a new language learning can be the number 1 reason for stress for young learners in English learning. For many ESL students, English is the first foreign language that they try to learn and it can bring up a lot of stress. They...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Learning English may be stressful for students and adults, as well. The reasons may be different. In this essay, I will try to examine the possible causes of why learning English can be stressful especially for young learners. I will try to propose some suggestions that in my opinion may work. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Maxim D. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Probably, the lack of experience of a new language learning can be the number 1 reason for stress for young learners in English learning. For many ESL students, English is the first foreign language that they try to learn and it can bring up a lot of stress. They...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Learning languages is for most of us, not an easy undertaking, mostly because it requires building new frameworks in our brains and lots of practice. Learning English as a second language is not an exception. By now, it’s already well-known the importance of speaking English in a globalized world, and so even governments are making an effort to include it in their education plans. As an example, English is taught in both private and public schools throughout Turkey, but despite all these efforts and adjustments, not a lot of Turkish people can speak English beyond basic sentences and isolated words... so, what’s happening? This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Sergio S. Please note that...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences I have been working in China for more than six months now and it’s been a very interesting time for me not just to learn more about the country and its people, but also to enrich my teaching skills and grow professionally as a teacher. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Evgeniya S. When I arrived in China, I hardly knew anything about specific features of teaching in that country, so I thought that the knowledge I had was quite enough to handle the classes in kindergarten or primary school. But since my first working day, I have often been surprised and even sometimes perplexed by what I have seen at kindergartens and schools in China. Many teaching techniques and methods that Chinese...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore TEFL Information People have different reasons for taking a TEFL course, but everyone that embarks on the journey surely wants to succeed. It can be a challenging experience, but should also be enjoyable. Here are some tips to help you avoid getting too stressed during the time you spend on the course. Although they’re mainly geared towards on-site courses, many of the points apply to working online too. You will find that teaching English can be fun, and most teachers that students respond to well have a sunny disposition. Try to develop that attitude whilst you’re doing the course. It doesn’t mean you can’t be studious, but avoid being dour. Even if you don’t feel on top of the world, you will improve your own mood by...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences My personal teaching experience is the reason why I love teaching and hopefully after this essay, you would understand why. Let me begin by giving you a short description of myself. I was born in South Africa, I had a normal childhood and I did not enjoy my schooling career. I am currently living in Turkey teaching English to kindergartens. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Cihan C. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. When I arrived in Turkey I realized that English was a need and a want by many people of all ages. Knowing this I chose to work as a welder because I did not have enough confidence to use my English as a tool to...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences The role of a teacher is to help students acquire knowledge so that eventually, they can be competent in understanding and communicating in English. A good teacher is a successful teacher. The success or failure of a teacher lies not only on his/her teaching styles, but more importantly, the learning of the students. To a certain extent, the personality of the teacher may affect the learning of his/her students, but what is more indispensable is the relationship between the teacher and the students. A non-threatening relationship with the students can help to build the students’ interests in learning, and create an atmosphere that is conducive and light-hearted for learning. A good teacher is also a...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas According to David Crystal (1941), ‘Vocabulary is a matter of word-building as well as word-using.’ While this may be true and speaks to the fundamental usage of vocabulary in any language, vocabulary can also be seen as world-building. Vocabulary is ‘the body of words used in a particular language’ (Google, 2019). While the aforementioned clearly identify why it is important to teach vocabulary, this essay will try to explore it a bit further. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Rayon B. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Firstly, as stated in the introductory paragraph of this essay, vocabulary is the main aspect of any...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences If you ever find yourself driving in French Canada, you will be stopped by stop signs that say ‘arrêt’, which is stopped in French. Almost all drivers in North America would know that this means stop because it’s the same octagon red stop sign. In Japan it’s very different, stop signs are triangular with Japanese script on them but, beneath the Japanese, you can find English subtitles which read ‘stop’. In fact, if you travel anywhere in Japan, the majority of signs and announcements related to travel are offered in Japanese and English. English has been taught in Japanese schools since the American occupation after World War Two. However, according to an EF English Proficiency Index in 2017,...  [Read more]

Ramon Perez Teaching Ideas With each passing day, we learn something new. We build upon the previously attained knowledge and expand our understanding of various subjects. As teachers, we have the responsibility of expanding our students’ knowledge and abilities. As much as we would like to provide fun and innovative ways to present the information, it can be difficult to keep it fresh on a daily basis. There are many factors to take into consideration when teaching a new subject: what, when, how, where, and why. Because we have many factors to consider, it’s vital to be as organized as possible. The tool we use to achieve this, is a lesson plan. In today’s blog, we will briefly discuss what a lesson plan is, the 5 elements mentioned above,...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas The idea of flashcards is essentially very simple. They are meant to introduce vocabulary and review existing vocabulary already learned in the classroom. Other than this, flashcards can be placed around the classroom for students' reference when performing activities. They may be used in drilling activities as well but this may also get boring for the students, and should be mainly used for sparking creativity and classroom games. Some of the possible flashcard ideas include, and are not limited to the following; This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Hussein D. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Name cards are made for the students...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas The teaching of grammar in the classroom is a fundamental issue for learning any language. The study of its methods, as well as the problems and challenges that students and educators must face, will be of invaluable help in such an interesting company. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Andreina H. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. And teach grammar efficiently and rigorously, and if possible, enjoyable, so that students can assimilate the essential concepts and aspects for language learning. It is important to understand that the concept of amenity must be complementary to the essential, which is that of effectiveness. The...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Most Adult ESL students are highly motivated students – at first. They are eager to join a formal class setting to improve their English skills for themselves and for their future (career). They usually voluntarily join the class (unless instructed by a manager or supervisor). So in fact, the motivation is internal and comes naturally from within themselves. This is great for the teacher and usually assures an energetic start to the class term. However, as the term continues, the motivation naturally wines down. The excitement fades and the students have more excuses for not coming to class or when in class, have a low participation rate. So, as an ESL Instructor, why is it important to keep your students...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Admittedly, learning grammar may not be the most appealing part when learning a new language. It usually connects with conjugations, tenses and in some languages, the position of the verbs, for example, German. Grammar itself can cause a huge problem for both the teacher and students to carry out the language class smoothly. People might argue that unconscious imitation is the best approach to learning a language since it is the most natural way. I would like to say this is the idealist method. Truth speaking, not many students are able to enjoy the bilingual or even multi-lingual background. Moreover, even with the mother tongue, people will encounter grammar courses in school. This essay focuses on the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas According to Jeanne Et Al (2009: 284) teachers are regarded as one of the most important socialization factors in every society in the world. A world without teachers would be a black hole without any fruitful improvements. Kindergarten English teachers are regarded as the backbone of any form of language acquisition as people climb the academic ladder. This is the first stage that children are exposed to a language that is completely foreign to them. Children at this stage are just beginning to become comfortable with one language and introducing a new language, especially one as complex as English, can, therefore, be difficult. However, studies suggest that children learn languages better than adults, and so...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Since my childhood, I have been frequently asked the same question "what kind of teacher do you want?" At different life stages, I have different answers. When I was a kid, I would say a teacher who dresses neatly and smiles nicely; when I was a teenager, I would prefer a "cool" teacher as a good teacher, who behaves differently from other boring and stereotyping adults; until I grow up, I think a good teacher should have sound subject knowledge, be fair and consistent with all of the students as well as being sensitive to the students’ reactions and providing necessary support, and until now I know being a good teacher has nothing to do with his/her appearances and dressings. This post was written by our...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Japan is a country continuously changing at a rapid pace largely due to globalization and marketing. With its growing popularity and necessity, difficulties are sure to arise for people learning English and specifically, in Japan. To fully understand all the problems learners face in Japan, it is important to realize why English is so widely being studied in the first place. Firstly, students must study English for 6 years throughout primary and high school. As well as being part of the Japanese schooling system, the advantages of being able to speak English are endless. The benefits of finding a job or being able to communicate whilst abroad are common motives. However in Japan specifically, more so than western...  [Read more]

Bri Freeman TEFL Information Alumni Experiences The number one question I had to answer before deciding to start Practical English Teacher was “Do I want a new boss or to be my own boss?”. I spent months asking myself this before I finally decided to do it. There’s a lot of security and credibility that comes with working for a larger ESL company. And I’m not knocking anyone who wants to do that but if you’re like me and you’re looking for some advice on where to start with your own ESL Service, let’s talk. First and I would say most importantly, ask yourself, what is your teaching style? What is your expertise and how can you use that? People tend to say “I just don’t have a business mind” well then, what...  [Read more]