Am I Too Old To Become A Teacher

  Many of our trainees worry that they lack the experience and qualifications needed to teach English abroad and some think they might be too old to take a training course with us. The simple answer to these concerns is that the demand for TESOL qualified teachers around the world is so huge that there are plenty of opportunities out there for everyone, regardless of their age or background. Teaching experience is rarely required in most overseas jobs, in fact, the vast majority of people currently working as ESL teachers have never previously worked in a classroom before. Having formal qualifications such as a degree is also not essential. While it is true that a degree is required in order to get a work permit in some countries, there are significantly more countries worldwide...  [Read more]

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  This video diary entry outlines Chantelle’s experience of studying unit 8 of her online TEFL course. Unit 8 is another tense unit, this time looking at the future tenses. These include the future simple, future continuous, future perfect, future perfect continuous and the ‘going to’ future. It also covers how the present simple and present continuous can be used to talk about the future. In this unit you will learn how the tenses are formed and used and what some of the most common errors students make. 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...  [Read more]

Games in the Classroom Teachers and researchers have moved away from the separation of linguistic skills as the best and only way to instruct students learning other languages. Today, more emphasis is being placed on purposeful games in the classroom which create a more carefree and fun environment for its learners. This method, when carefully chosen, produces confidence, creates competition and teammanship, and promotes a desire to win the prize...which is fluency of a 'once' strange language. In the end, everyone wins, since the goal is fluency of a foreign language with a teacher who becomes the hero, because she makes her lessons meaningful and entertaining at the same time. Games can be wonderful communicative device in the classroom setting and should be a central part of educating...  [Read more]

Building Confidence in Students Education is certainly the birthright of all people. The motivation of every nation should be to generate literate, well-educated and intelligent residents who are able to add to the proper progress and progress of the whole society. There is still mystery on how accurately a foreign language is learnt. On the subject of building confidence there are yet more theories which are even more difficult to confirm. I myself do not trust that confidence is built using one magic activity, but rather it is continuously acquired all over the learning process. That’s why, all the theories I pick to focus on three things Grammar, Drilling, and of course the role of the teacher. All of these will prepare the student for circumstances they might meet later. [1] After...  [Read more]

Discipline in the Classroom Eight out of ten TESOL teachers who do not return after their first year of teaching drop out because they are unable to control their problem in the classroom. According to the researches, that have done recently, discipline ranked as the number one problem in the schools. What is discipline? According to the Webster’s dictionary discipline is the “training that corrects, molds, or perfect the mental faculties or moral character.” How can a teacher maintain discipline in a classroom? There will be many ideas to maintain discipline in the classroom. For sure those suggestions will be helpful, but first of all, teacher should know the main reasons for students’ misbehavior. The students have not learned the behaviors that are expected of them Good...  [Read more]

There is such a tremendous amount of marked regional diversity in Spain that one is almost dealing with a mini continent. Life on the costas - Spain’s huge coastline - differs greatly from that in the big cities, which in turn differs from life in the thousands of picturesque rural villages, which is again different from the ski slopes of Andora or Granada. Dispirit locations and circumstances are united in a profound love of life, sometimes combined with a slight disdain for work. Spaniards work to live, they do not live to work. Hence it is very easy to get swept up in a seemingly constant round of fiestas and festivals, music and dancing - eating well and drinking well being all part of pursuing the good life in the best of all possible worlds. Despite the fact that practically...  [Read more]

Hungary is a country many choose to visit repeatedly. Its fine wines, dynamic and exciting cities, hot spas, and friendly people all combine to draw tourists and those job seekers alike. Much has changed in Hungary since disintegration of the Eastern Bloc in 1989, and much to its credit Hungary has adapted well to these changes, and put programs in place to better integrate everything from the economy to the education system into a world that has a broader context. One of the benefits of this rigorous programme of adaptation is a stable and even strengthening currency. Hungary joined the EU in 2004; however, reciprocal transitional controls have yet to expire, so there are still visa issues that must be dealt with. The population of a shade over ten millions fits into a landmass of...  [Read more]

  Teaching English in South Korea has become increasingly popular over the last decade and it is no secret that the country offers some of the best salaries for foreign teachers to be found anywhere in the world. English teachers in Korea can expect to earn between $1,500 and $3,000 US per month and it is certainly possible to save up to half of this depending on your lifestyle. On top of the basic salary you can also expect other benefits such as paid airfares, free housing and an end of contract bonus. Unsurprisingly, the high salaries and good benefits on offer have led to a high level of competition for the best jobs. If you have any teaching qualifications and experience in the classroom, you will find you have the pick of the available jobs. However, thanks to a continually...  [Read more]

Vietnam is a great choice for anyone who wants to teach English as a foreign language in Southeast Asia. Demand for teachers is high and salaries are sufficient for a comfortable lifestyle.. Increasing levels of tourism and foreign investment mean Vietnam’s economy is one of the healthiest in the region. All this adds up to higher demand for English language skills and a very bright future for teachers. In order to maximize the odds of finding a job teaching in Vietnam, you’ll want to hold an internationally recognized TESOL certificate such as that offered by ITTT. With the help of our lifetime employment assistance, you’ll be able to find jobs in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC, previously Saigon), Hanoi and other cities. In relation to living costs, salaries in urban areas are rather...  [Read more]

British english vs american English With English being recognised as the global language of choice, which one is considered the official language? So just how did American English diverge from British English in the first place? American English roots back to the early colonial days of the late 16th century, were a whole gamut of cultures converged into a single society. In some colonies English wasn’t even a spoken language and in those colonies that did speak English it was quite different from the English we know today. The Elizabethan English of the day consisted of many varieties of regional English dialects. All these different dialects, intermingled with a multitude of cultures formed one big boiling pot, of which over time, a new variant was produced – American English. And...  [Read more]

Singapore is the world’s only island city-state and is located on the tip of the Malay Peninsula in Southeast Asia. The city was founded as a British trading post by Sir Stamford Raffles in 1819 and continues to be an important center or global trade and investment today and it is one of the original “Asian Tigers” alongside Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan. A population of over five and a half million people lives side-by-side on an area of 277 square miles and sixty-three islands. Although the city is highly urbanized, with the majority of people living in high-rise apartment buildings, the government’s “Garden City” policy has created beautiful tree-lined street and there are plenty of green spaces to enjoy. Singapore has a long history of immigration, with the British...  [Read more]

Here at ITTT, we will do all we can to ensure your entire TESOL training experience is as straightforward and rewarding as possible. If you have any questions regarding our courses, please see our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section below. Our FAQ section should clear up most of your queries but if you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to contact us by submitting them via the form provided at the bottom of this page. What does TESOL mean?   The acronym TESOL stands for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. The term is commonly used when referring to certification courses that provide the skills necessary to teach the English language to non-native speakers in your own country or abroad. Read more What is the difference between TESOL and...  [Read more]

Should Students Be Allowed to Use Their Native Language in the Classroom When I first began teaching lessons during the TESOL Course I found myself almost automatically saying to the students, “English please,” after all it is an English class. However, I began to question myself about whether or not this was “correct” practice or if the students should in fact use their native language to assist them in the learning process. After doing some research I found the TESOL Law Code of Ethics. The Law of Ethics provided many vague and open-ended ideas. It suggested things along the lines of, “The foreign language teacher shall direct her whole professional effort to assist the students to develop his/her second language speaking ability.” It also mentions that TESOL teachers are to...  [Read more]

Online vs. Onsite Courses Becoming certified to teach English as a second language can be done onsite or online. On online course was the most efficient, economical and in many ways the superior way for me. This article explains my background and situation. It also touches on the process I went through to get to this, the final lesson. Online is not for everyone. It takes an open and creative mind to step into the world of computers and electronic tutors. An imagination and discipline were keys to my approach. Imagination was profound when I would take time away from class and Google some blogs about teaching English. Dave’s Café was just one of these places where you could find endless discussions on the joys and perils of teaching English in other countries. These stories were the...  [Read more]

mexico: What a place. You could easily spend a year in a couple of hours in this hugely diverse and vast country. Whether you prefer snow-capped volcanoes, heavily populated beaches, deserted beaches, superb diving, the hum of the big cities, or the world-class archaeological sites, you would be hard pressed to find a place offering more to the traveller. On the back of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), governing free trade between Canada, the USA, and mexico, massive investment has poured into mexico, which in turn has created huge demand for English language skills. Be choosy. For the well-qualified TESOL teacher it is a sellers’ market, and you don’t have to dive in to the first opportunity that comes your way. Indeed, TESOL teacher poaching is a popular pastime...  [Read more]

Bilingual Education versus English Only Models Over the years, many debates have arisen in regards to second language instruction (L2), giving prominence to two main models: English Only versus Bilingual Education. English Only uses solely English as the medium for instruction, whereas Bilingual Education, as its name implies, uses both English and the student’s native language. While there are several aspects to the debate, this paper will briefly cover a certain few: cultural sensitivity, accuracy, and segregation. Proponents of the English Only model claim that the use of a student’s native language creates a “cycle of native language dependency,” meaning that the student, to some extent, gets “tethered” to his native tongue. Using solely English in the classroom, advocates...  [Read more]

  TEFL International’s TEFL certification courses in Spain give you the opportunity to learn how to teach English in some of the most lavish and exhilarating cities in Spain. With Spanish music and dancing, great food, remarkable history, and exciting festivals, you can see why the Kingdom of Spain has acquired such a great reputation and is a leading destination for TEFL courses. For those interested in attending a TEFL in Spain, you will discover that the demand is very high for English language teachers year round and you are likely to be offered a TEFL position soon after completing your TEFL course. Opportunities teaching TEFL in Spain span from large cities to smaller towns. With our TEFL courses running year round at two diverse locations, we are confident of having a...  [Read more]

  TEFL International’s TEFL certification courses in Spain give you the opportunity to learn how to teach English in some of the most lavish and exhilarating cities in Spain. With Spanish music and dancing, great food, remarkable history, and exciting festivals, you can see why the Kingdom of Spain has acquired such a great reputation and is a leading destination for TEFL courses. For those interested in attending a TEFL in Spain, you will discover that the demand is very high for English language teachers year round and you are likely to be offered a TEFL position soon after completing your TEFL course. Opportunities teaching TEFL in Spain span from large cities to smaller towns. With our TEFL courses running year round at two diverse locations, we are confident of having a...  [Read more]

Approaching the conclusion of your TESOL certification course or being certified without having started teaching often brings up numerous questions about English language teaching positions. Our FAQs on this page delve into diverse topics: from identifying the top countries for teaching English overseas to strategies for securing a good quality job in your preferred location. Additionally, you will find valuable insights on job interviews, document preparation, and plenty of other essential employment details. What questions should I ask a TESOL employer?   During an interview it is vital that you get enough information so you can make an informed decision on whether it is the right job for you. Areas you should be clear on include your salary, number of working...  [Read more]