Hardest English Words To Spell

  The two words "farther" and "further" are a pair of words that is often used interchangeably to talk about distances. However, not many know that there is actually a slight difference between the two. "Farther" is used for physical distances. So we would use it in this example: "Tokyo is farther away than Beijing". When using "further" we talk about non-physical, figurative distances, for example "I'm falling further away from my goals". As you can see, the two words have slighty different usages. However, in spoken English the two words are often used interchangeably without a difference. However, if you are keen to use them properly, you should stick to the rules mentioned above. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL...  [Read more]

  Some and Any are two words that often cause confusion, which is why we have decided to take a closer look at the difference of the two words in this video. Firsly, some is a determiner used for positive statements while any is a determiner used in questions and negative statements. Consider the following situation: I asked the teacher if he could give me some paper. I said ‘Excuse me, have you got any paper?’ Unfortunately, he didn’t have any. The first statement is positive and therefore requires us to use some. The second sentence is a question and therefore, we need to use any. The third and final sentence is a negative statement which also requries us to use any. It's worth noting that we do sometimes use some in questions and we also use any in positive statements. For...  [Read more]

  "Who" and "whom" are another set of words that often causes confusion. Howeer, there is actuall a simple trick to deciding which one to use in a sentence. "Who" is used to refer to the subject of a sentence and 'whom' is used to refer to the object. Keeping this in mind will eliminate the chance of making mistakes. We recommend the following trick. The usage of these two words is the same as he and him. "He" is the subject and "him" is the object. If you are confused about which one you should use, look at the sentences and check whether "he" or "him" should be used. If it's "he", then you should use "who". If it's "him", then "whom" should be used. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our...  [Read more]

Teaching Vocabulary The concept of teaching vocabulary to students of a foreign language is not impossible but must be approached carefully. There are several ways to deliver the information to students so that they learn the English language ’s vocabulary. For example, Joseph Pettigrew from Boston University posted an interesting article online that gives suggestions on how to go about presenting and teaching vocabulary to students. Pettigrew suggests teaching methods that include simple, old-fashioned English language tools such as synonyms and antonyms. Synonyms may be used in matching exercises and antonyms may be used in exercises matching opposites. He also suggests using fill in the blank sentences as a form of exercise. This is perhaps an effective exercise for learning this...  [Read more]

  In this episode, Linda takes on the pronunciation of the word "obstinate". Enjoy the episode! Linda is a German/American ITTT alumna, teaching English in South Korea. Be sure to like and share this video if you find it helpful. Are you ready to live and teach abroad? Click here and get started today: https://www.teflcourse.net/?cu=YTDESCRIPTION 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 I have learnt about words , how it sounds, and how...  [Read more]

  These two words are often confused by native and non-native English speakers alike. The key thing to remember is that “accept” is a verb and a synonym of “to receive” as in the example “I accepted all my birthday gifts with gratitude”. “Except” on the other hand is a conjunction and a synonym of “apart from”. For example “When Susan travels she packs everything except the kitchen sink”. Remember, “accept” is a verb meaning “to receive” and “except” is a conjunction meaning “apart from”. Are you ready to live and teach abroad? Click here and get started today: https://www.teflcourse.net/?cu=YTDESCRIPTION Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate...  [Read more]

  Anna is from Russia and works as a tutor in English for young learners. She recently completed her 120-hour TEFL/TESOL course with ITTT and shares her thoughts in this TEFL review. She thought all the units were very well laid out and she has learned a lot from the course.  [Read more]

  This video breaks down the difference between the two words "invite" and "invitation". They are often used interchangeably but actually aren't synonyms. The word ?invite? is a verb and refers to the action of asking someone if they?d like to do something or go somewhere, such as here: 'I want to invite all my friends to a BBQ party'. "Invitation", on the other hand, is a noun and refers to the actual message of asking someone if they?d like to do something or go somewhere. A suitable example would be: 'I sent out an invitation to all my friends'. A very common mistake is to use 'invite' as a noun instead of 'invitation'. However, the sentence ?I haven?t responded to her invite yet? is incorrect and 'invitation' should be used. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate...  [Read more]

  "They're", "their" and "there" are three words that are often used incorrectly. "They're" is simply the contracted form of "they are". "Their" is a possessive and indicates ownership of something. "There" indicates a place. Due to the Internet and instant messaging, the three words have been icreasingly used incorrectly. However, if you'd like to use them correctly, you should keep their meanings in mind. When trying to decide which word to use remember that "they're" = they are, "their" = ownership and "there" = place. 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]

  In this episode, we cover the pronunciation of the word acumen. This word refers to a person's ability to make good decisions in a particular field. Suitable synonyms for acumen are shrewdness, sharpness, or cleverness. The word is of Latin origin from acuere (to sharpen). 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. This was the hardest unit, it blew my mind, the phonetics took me a long time. I feel like I need to digest it. Perhaps in some hours I will...  [Read more]

  In this episode, we cover the pronunciation of the word lampoon. This word can be used as a verb and as a noun. Used as a verb, it describes the action of criticizing a person or a topic by using ridicule. The noun lampoon refers to the actual speech or text used to critize someone or something. The word was taken from the French word lampon. 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. This unit was a nice overview of what it would be like to teach...  [Read more]

  In this episode, we cover the pronunciation of the word captious. This word describes a person who likes to point out flaws and errors and enjoys raising objections to other people's statements or opinions. Common synonyms for captious can be critical, faultfinding, and judgmental. 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. Unit 3 covers teaching techniques and classroom activities that can help to make lessons more interesting and productive.part of...  [Read more]

  In this episode, we cover the pronunciation of the word amphibology. This word refers to the ambiguous meaning of sentence due due to confusing grammar patterns. A good example for this would be He sees more of his children than his wife. This sentence is an amphibology as it has two meanings. It could either mean that the husband sees his children more often than his wife sees their children, or it could mean that the husband sees his children more often than he sees his wife. 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...  [Read more]

  In this episode, we cover the pronunciation of the word thrasonical. This word is a synonym for boastful or bragging. It orginates from the fictional character Thraso, who is a soldier in the comedy Eunuchus, a play written by Terence over 2,000 years ago. Due to his bragging nature, Thraso was the inspiration for this word. 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. The Lesson Planning unit provided me with ideas, tips and guidance on how to properly...  [Read more]

  In this episode, we cover the pronunciation of the word "ulterior". This word is an adjective and used to refer to something that is rather distant or situated far away. It can also indicate something that goes beyond something that is discussed or openly said. The word derives from Latin ulter and was first used in the English language in the 1600s. 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. This unit has been very useful in terms of what material or...  [Read more]

  In this episode, we cover the pronunciation of the word sprightly. This word is used to describe a person, usually a little bit older, who is full of energy. 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 final section I learned more Dos and dont's for a beginner teacher. I've gained some tricks to help me out along the way like the listening texts I will most likely facilitate in my classrooms. If I am a English language assistant I will be able...  [Read more]

  In this episode, we cover the pronunciation of the word ilk. This word describes a person or a thing that is similar to a person or a thing previously referred to. Suitable synonyms for ilk are type, category, sort, and class. 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. This was the hardest so far. Sometimes its to mush information before the next information comes. But this will not stop me. Its still interesting and i know i will like this job as a...  [Read more]

  In this episode, we cover the pronunciation of the word quiescent. This word refers to a state of inactivity. Synonyms for quiescent include inactive, idle, at rest, and quiet. 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. This unit is about the various future tenses. Similar to the unit on the past tense, I did not realize how many of the tenses I often take for granted. Understanding the difference between a hypothetical future and a certain one is...  [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. Each word in a sentence has a place and a description...  [Read more]

  In this episode, we cover the pronunciation of the word "thanatology". This word refers to the description or study of death and of the psychological mechanisms for coping with the phenomena of death. The word derived from Greek mythology where Thanatos was the personification of death. 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, I've reviewed the modals verbs and the passive voice. so get more clearly about using them. but still the last...  [Read more]