Define Bics

The concept developed by Jim Cummins to make a distinction between a non complex social interactional language ability (BICS) and the more complex academic language ability. (See CALP). BICS has been described as ‘Playground English’ and represents the easier to pick up, small chunks of language the students are able to use first.  [Read more]

  Before looking at the methods or approaches themselves, there are some terms that we need to define. These are the approach, the method or the technique. Basically, these are hierarchical. The approach is an overriding set of principles that a method can actually make use of, whereas the technique are the things that we actually do in the classroom to approach that method. So, these three words are going to appear during the presentation. Again, for each of either the approaches all the methodologies we're going to ask four questions. So be it an approach or a method for each of those things: Where did it come from? What's its background? What does it involve when we're talking about actually in the classroom, in other words techniques? What is positive about it? What appears to...  [Read more]

The equivalent term to pedagogy, but applied to adults. The term originally coined in the first half of the 1800s has a few variations depending on which part of the world defines it. In the USA and mainly due to the work of Knowles it is defined as the art and science of helping adults learn.  [Read more]

We should first define what we mean by errors, which are technically different from mistakes. Mistakes are typically made due to tiredness or misunderstanding of a question, rather than through any lack of knowledge. Errors on the other hand are due to fundamental limitations of knowledge. Errors can be classified as, in a sense, developmental errors, where the student makes incorrect assumptions about the language using their current knowledge. They are different from mistakes as mistakes can be self corrected, whereas errors can not.  [Read more]

This term is used to define a section of the English language industry that includes courses or curriculums that are designed especially to be used by distinct groups or professions. Common examples of general ESP courses could include scientific English, technical English and business English. As the use of the English language continues to grow around the world, many areas of employment are becoming increasingly reliant on its usage. To meet this need there are numerous courses available that are aimed at specific professions such as medical practitioners, air traffic controllers and various branches of the hospitality industry.  [Read more]

  In this video Linda breaks down the difference between "in time" and "on time". Due to the fact that both expressions revolve around time, they can be quite difficult to distinguish. However, this video provides helpful examples and explanations that will help EFL teachers and students alike to grasp the difference. 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. I enjoyed this unit. I really like when the units include examples of ways to teach the parts...  [Read more]

These terms are used to define two separate types of exercises and activities that are used in the English language classroom. Controlled practice is used to describe exercises that are designed to re-enforce a specific language point and require a particular answer such as crossword puzzles, word searches and gap-fill worksheets. In contrast, free practice is used to describe activities that are designed to allow the students to practice the language point in an unrestricted manner, usually including the use of previously learnt language. Examples of free practice activities include class debates, role plays and class surveys. Controlled practice exercises are an integral part of the lesson as they strengthen the student’s knowledge of each individual language point. Free practice...  [Read more]

  http://www.tesolcourse.com ITTT's in-class four week TEFL certification course can be studied at one of our international locations. This intensive course covers the principals, theories and methodologies of TEFL and is given face to face in one of our training centers. On this course you are given the opportunity to teach local students thus gaining practical experience teaching English in a supervised environment. All teaching sessions are observed by qualified trainers who will provide you with valuable, constructive feed back after each of your lessons. Our combined course offers the main benefits of both the online course and the in-class course. The online component covers most of what is delivered face to face on the in-class course. Once you complete the online course...  [Read more]

  Chantelle is taking a 120-hour online TEFL course with tutor support and videos with ITTT. This is the first of her video diary entries outlining her experience taking the course. Chantelle took the online course because it was better for her to study online than to commit to attending an onsite course. In this video she talks about the first unit of the course. Unit 1 deals with teachers and learners discussing what makes good teachers and learners as well as the types of roles teachers perform in class, motivation levels of different types of learners and the different language levels. 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...  [Read more]

  The next item that we're going to consider is the use of resource books. There are many different types of resource books available and within those books there tends to be a general pattern and typically the resource book pack will come in a three book series and typically that three book series will be in the form of the student book, a workbook and a teacher's resource book. So for example here are those three books for this particular series called ?Total English? and in the student book the type of information that we can gain from here is the actual background to the teaching points themselves plus some additional information in terms of short worksheets and so on and so forth and tape transcripts at the end for listening activities, which these days often come on a CD...  [Read more]

  Let's just consider next, when using these resource books, the student book, the workbook and the teachers resource book, what are some of the advantages and disadvantages of using those types of materials? Well, firstly, the main advantage perhaps of using these types of material is that it's quicker than actually creating your own. Secondly, the course books that you will get will be graded for a particular level. So there'll be a set of books for the starter level, a set of books for the elementary level and so on and so forth. So you know that the activities and materials in there will have been graded for level. The use of the book can also offer continuity so that the syllabuses have been covered in a particular way by the book itself and are presented in a logical order....  [Read more]

Adult learning theory. Knowles terms androgogy was defined as the art and science of adult learning. His adult learning theory had four basic principles: 1. Adults should be involved in all stages of their learning process. 2. The material studied should be relevant to their needs. 3. Experience and mistakes should guide the learning process and 4.The learning process should be problem or task based rather than content based.  [Read more]

In countries where British based English is taught and spoken, ELT is used as an umbrella term that covers all teaching situations that are defined under the acronyms TEFL and TESOL. This usage corresponds directly to the way TESOL is used in American based English. As English Language Teaching (ELT) is rather a generic term it is not unusual to find it used in many other situations. For example, it is sometimes used by large companies to refer to their language training departments or by publishing companies to refer to their language division.  [Read more]

  It is very important that whenever we?re doing an activity that we use the students names wherever possible when we're asking for feedback and so on and so forth. There are a number of benefits to using the students? names and they can include helping to actually organize the class itself, certainly to acknowledge when a student has given the correct answer and so forth, to indicate who should respond, rather than just asking a general question to the whole class. By using the names we can ask an individual to respond to that particular question. One point to note here is that if you are going to ask an individual student it is very useful if you put their name at the end of the question. This is useful because if you start with their name then all of the other students know that...  [Read more]

TESOL is a term commonly used in the UK, New Zealand and Ireland to describe the act of teaching English to non native speakers in countries where English is the official language. It is also used to refer to the same teaching situation in areas where English is commonly spoken but not necessarily the official language. This type of teaching situation is often centred on migrants and refugees who need to learn the English language as a means of integrating into their new environment. To service this section of the English language industry there are numerous government and charity based programs available in many English speaking countries. Examples of this type of teaching include Eastern European migrant workers studying English in the UK and refugees from Iraq or Afghanistan studying...  [Read more]

  Now here are some teaching ideas for the future continuous tense. Here, we have an activity where we'll be asking students to spontaneously make some excuses based upon some invitations. We can do this in pairs or small groups. The teacher will have cut these cards up and the students will place them into a pile, randomly picking up a card. So one student might pick this card up and say 'Would you like to play tennis with me tomorrow?' The other student will be challenged to come up with an excuse as quickly as possible, which might be 'No, I'm sorry I'll be working.' Then, we have the next student pick up the next card and we challenge an additional student to make an excuse. Here we have another teaching idea for the future continuous tense and this involves two students trying...  [Read more]

Multiculturalism In The Classroom In light of the increasing number of diverse people groups moving to the United States the complexion and complexity of our society is changing. Approximately 32 million people speak a language other than English at home (Nieto, 2000). The impact of this growing cultural and linguistic diversity is nowhere more visible than in our schools. More than 3 million or 7.4% of students in all public and private schools are limited in their English proficiency (Macias, 1998) and is a reality not just in the urban schools, but suburban and rural as well are experiencing this tremendous diversity. Based on the philosophy of Paulo Freire (1998) “to study is not to consume ideas, but to create and recreate them” (p.4). Educators and leaders of our society must...  [Read more]

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Cultural Sensitivity in the Classroom The topic we have decided to address is cultural sensitivity in the classroom. Living in Toronto is extremely different from living anywhere else on this earth. One reason why, is the cultural diversity of Toronto. Even in today’s workforce there is a massive amount of cultural diversity that is why having cultural sensitivity in today’s classrooms should be a huge asset. Canada is a country that is now relying on immigrants coming to our country to help run the economy. It is an extremely good thing that people from different cultures are trained to speak English before they come to Canada or having them take an English learning course once they arrive in the country. By doing this, they are given an equal opportunity in Canada. Luckily we were...  [Read more]