Native Teaching Aids

  The good news is there is no real age restrictions on who can take a TEFL course and then go on to teach English abroad. At ITTT we do require you to be at least 18 years old to enroll on our courses but there are certainly no upper age limits. Over the years we have successfully trained people of all ages, many of whom have gone on to have successful careers as English language teachers. As long as you are a native or near-native English speaker who is keen to learn new skills and is open to new ideas, then your age should be no barrier to your success. Although a large number of new TEFL graduates are in their 20s, it doesn't mean they are always the most sought after by employers. Yes, there are many employers around the world who are only interested in recruiting younger...  [Read more]

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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]

In relation to teaching the English language, the term native English speaker is normally used to refer to someone whose first language is English, i.e., they have used English as their main form of communication since birth. In this context, ‘first language’, ‘mother tongue’ and ‘native language’ are terms that can be used to mean the same thing so they are often used interchangeably. If a person grows up in an environment where both parents speak different languages it is possible for them to have two ‘mother tongues’. Generally, a child will pick up a considerable amount of their first language knowledge before they begin any formal schooling. In contrast, the acquisition of a second language usually requires the aid of some kind of language instruction.  [Read more]

When learning the English language students are regularly confronted with vocabulary that is new and unfamiliar to them. In order to learn how to pronounce these words correctly the student needs to hear them being modelled by the teacher. 3x3 or choral drilling is one common technique that is often used in the classroom to aid the students in this process. The 3x3 technique begins with the teacher clearly enunciating the new word to the class who then repeat it back as a whole group, this process is then repeated twice more. Following on from the choral drilling the teacher then indicates a single student to repeat the word back to the rest of the group, this process is then repeated twice more using different students. As well as teaching the pronunciation of new words, this technique...  [Read more]

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There are a number of new republics - former members of the USSR - that are worthy of the TESOL teacher’s consideration. Kazakhstan, offers wide-open spaces, endless steppe, and world famous horse sausage. Azerbaijan, intriguingly, was once a major stop over on the great silk route, and sports medieval minarets and high-quality carpets. Uzbekistan has many architectural splendours and some of the oldest towns in the world, and again many stopovers on the silk route. Georgia, described variously as a part of Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East - depending upon whose geography you go with - obviously has an incredible array of cultures, and a striking contrast between the old and the new - not to mention fantastic food. Belarus is for the nature lover, and those who enjoy the great...  [Read more]

Common Linguistic problems Contronyms, Heteronyms, Idioms, Oh my! English is an extremely complex language. Before a student can be considered truly proficient, he/she must not only master a variety of tenses and irregular verbs, sentence structure and parts of speech, but he/she must also work to understand and master lexical and structural ambiguities. Lexical ambiguities are very common and have a variety of names and definitions depending on the level of ambiguity. Homonyms are words that have the same spelling, but two or more meanings. An example of this is: mean. Is it describing an unkind person? Is it an average? Is someone talking about the definition of a word? Another type of lexical ambiguity is the heteronym. These are words that are spelled the same, but have different...  [Read more]

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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]

ESA: A Teaching Methodology For many years Teachers of English have used the PPP model of Presentation, Practice and Production for the preferred model of teaching. It has worked well. The PPP model falls short however, in that it does not work well when teaching more complex language problems beyond the sentence level or when teaching communicative skills. Jeremy Harmer in How to Teach English (Longman Publishing 1998) proposed an alternative to PPP called ESA: Engage, Study, and Activate. In an article written in The Guardian Weekend, March 15 1997, Bridget Riley complained about the treatment she and her fellow students received at the Royal College of Art. “We were abandoned when what we needed and what we hoped for was help toward independence in teaching rather than having...  [Read more]

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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]

TEFL International's centre in buenos aires, Argentina is an unbeatable destination to take the tefl certification course in Latin America. There are lots of job opportunities for TEFL certified native or fluent English speakers, and you can also learn or improve your Spanish. As the capital city of Argentina, buenos aires has so much to offer visitors that it is difficult to narrow down your itinerary to just a few things to do. buenos aires is a thriving multicultural city and the best way to explore its diversity is to get out and about in the various neighborhoods that make up the city. By choosing to study with TEFL International in buenos aires, you are signing up for an exciting and rewarding time in Argentina. Known as the "Paris of South America", buenos aires is one of the most...  [Read more]

Songs in the Classroom The use of songs in the ESL classroom can be a fun and innovative way of covering a range of English language topics. Songs can be used for vocabulary, grammar, dictation, pronunciation (stress and intonation), phonetics, speaking, writing, listening, integrative skills, and many other ESL points. Furthermore, songs can invite the non-native speaker into the English speaking culture. For instance, pop music gives the learner a taste of what is trendy at the moment. Meanwhile, the lyrics to classic rock songs can give a sense of history and the attitude of the country at the time of recording (for example, “Give Peace a Chance,” John Lennon, 1969). Additionally, children’s songs are crucially important for the young learner as they are an easy way to encourage...  [Read more]

Alexandria is a great place to take your TEFL course in Egypt. You will learn how to teach English and yet at the same time you will have the opportunity to experience and learn about the history and culture of an ancient civilization as well as enjoying the fantastic water sports and the exciting free excursions that we offer. As there are many teaching vacancies in Egypt and throughout the region, this is a good place to take your TESOL course and start your career in teaching english abroad. Alexandria is a wonderful city on the Mediterranean that truly contrasts the ancient and modern side by side. You will see Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Coptic, Islamic and Arab history and civilizations on one hand and modern building and shopping facilities on the other. Yet it all blends together...  [Read more]

Classroom Management The meaning of classroom management is the skill of organizing and managing a class whilst maintaining a friendly relaxed manner and maintaining discipline. I am going to begin by sharing my experiences of being on the receiving end of classroom management and stating what I found effective and what I didn't find effective. I think as a teacher you have to adapt to the level and age of the students you are teaching. When I was in first school I was treated very differently to when I was in high school. During middle school and high school especially, we could analyze and estimate what our limits would be with certain teachers. I found that the teachers who maintained discipline from the beginning had a lot more control over a class as opposed to a teacher who didn't....  [Read more]