Check out tefl tesol about Getting TESOL Certificate and apply today to be certified to teach English abroad.
You could also be interested in:
This is how our TEFL graduates feel they have gained from their course, and how they plan to put into action what they learned:
Problems for learners in ItalyI have been living In Florence, Italy for about five years. I first came to Italy in 2006 to continue my studies with design as well as the italian language and culture. Although italian is one of the most romantic languages in the world it can be difficult for foreigners to learn and difficult for Italians to forget while trying to learn and speak in english. While living here, I have learned that many Italians start learning english from elementary school until High school and are taught english by Italians.
The younger you start learning a language the easier it will be in the future. In working with Italians it is surprising to notice that many of them have a basic idea about english. Whether it is from films, music or tourist they have an overall good acknowledgment. As mentioned before, Italians start learning english at a young age but the problem is that many of them are taught by Italians and not Native english speakers. This affects the pronunciation dramatically considering that children’s brains are like sponges, they absorb everything much more compared to an adult. In working with children and adults I have noticed that many children who have attended english mother tongue nurseries from the age three have shown a great difference in comparison to students who started english at age three with an italian teacher.
Learning a language depends on where, when and how you begin. Working with children it is important to always emphasize pronunciation while speaking. Children tend to get distracted easily and lose motivation, In always have structure with games, music and films helps to make the learning process fun and efficient. While observing children, I have found it effective to make them think they come to class to play games and fun activities. While in the mean time, all of the activities and games are in english and the children don’t even realize how much they are learning. Some games that have been effective are memory (letters with objects), Twister, Dance off (english songs), Arts and Crafts activities, Books, Films and anything the children can touch! Working with children in a foreign country has been a pleasure, they are always full of energy and don’t hold back in trying new things. Going from teaching a children’s course to an adult course is somewhat of a transition.
Working with Adults who don’t have much knowledge in english are normally very motivated but have a hard time remembering what has been taught, structure and pronunciation. When transitioning from working with children to adults the energy level has to become back down to normal. Many adults are very ashamed of their english and aren’t willing to try basic steps like children. When organizing my lesson plan for adult courses It is always necessary to have a grammar book, television for videos and a stereo for listening exercises. It’s important to understand everything about each student: where are they from? Where do they work? Hobbies? Married? Children? Have they ever traveled to America or the U.K.? In understanding more about your students it helps to put together learning material that they can relate to. Showing to the students that I care and I am always available to spend as much time necessary until they fully understand the concept of a specific topic. Many adults are aware they it takes many years and dedication to have perfect pronunciation, the goal is to make them feel as confident and capable as possible while speaking and listening to others in english.
Italians have the most problems with the following pronunciation:
Th- always the tongue out under the two front teeth ( Italians say That = “dat”, Those, “dose”)
I- I in the italian alphabet is actually pronounced E ( IT sounds like “EAT”, FIT sounds like FEET)
R- Italians have that beautiful rounded R that makes their language so beautiful but when it comes to the english R it is difficult. ( place the tongue up not touching the gums, RUN, RAKE, RISE.
Overall, this TEFL course has been very effective in explaining specific details that I might haven’t thought about previously. In finishing this course I feel confident in my teaching techniques and ready to progress my teaching career abroad.
