England Vs American Words

  The three words lightening, lightning and lighting are easily confused by English learners and even native speakers. Let's take a look at the differences. Lightening is the present participle of the verb to lighten describing the action of making something less heavy. A good example would be "I was lightening the load on my horse because it was exhausted." Lightning refers to a streak of static electricity through the sky usually accompanied by thunder, as here "I was struck by lightning while playing golf in a storm." Lighting is the arrangement of light especially in photography. A suitable example for this would be "The photo was dull because the lighting wasn't good enough". Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL...  [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]

  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]

  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]

  In this video Linda discusses the difference between two words that are often confused: "borrow" and "lend". Because the two words have similar meanings it makes it hard to identify the correct word, especially for non-native speakers. The difference is solely down to perspective. "Borrow" is a verb that means to receive something from someone with the expectation that you will return it to them. While "lend" is also a verb, it means to give something to someone with the expectation that they will give it back to you. Therefore, you need to make sure you use the right word depending on the perspective. 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...  [Read more]

  The two words "lay" and "lie" are often confused for each other, which is why we decided to break down the differences in this video. "Lay" is what is called a transitive verb. That means, it needs to be followed by one or more objects. A good example sentence would be "I lay the book on the table". As you can see, lay is followed by ""on the table"". We couldn't only say "I lay the book." as it would be incomplete. This means it is transitive. "Lie" on the other hand is an intransitive verb. That means it doesn't take an object, for example "I lie down". Most errors have to do with the past tenses of the two verbs, as the past tense of "lie" is "lay" while the past tense of "lay" is "laid". Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online...  [Read more]

  In this video, Linda explains the difference between "then" and "than" two words often confused by native and non-native English speakers alike. "Than" is a conjunction used for comparisons, such as here: "Her car is faster than yours". "Then", on the other hand, is an adverb used to situate actions e.g. "I did my homework, then I had a nap?. As you can see, the usages of the two words is very different and cannot be used interchangeably. Keep their differences in mind and you'll not make any mistakes in the future. 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]

  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]

  Massachusetts is a state with gorgeous natural scenery, including majestic mountain ranges, lush valleys and a relaxing coastline. Due to its location on the Atlantic Ocean, Massachusetts is also called “The Bay State”. It is true that there is plenty to do here and you will not get bored. Outdoors lovers will find a paradise in the different regions of the state. However, Massachusetts doesn’t only offer beautiful nature but also exciting cities. Being the most populous state in the New England Region, Massachusetts also features a wide range of historic sites and exciting attractions. Taking your TEFL/TESOL training course in Massachusetts will be a memorable experience. Massachusetts has been an important location ever since the Pilgrims landed here in 1620. That’s why...  [Read more]

  Now an example of a straight arrow ESA lesson for our engage phase. What we're going to do is to show the students a video of animals and they are going to say what they like about those animals and try to create a list of some more. So, remember what we're trying to do here is to get the students talking and thinking in English. We're using a typical engage activity, which is to create a list and we try to make sure that all the students have been involved in some way in creating those lists. Moving on to the study phase, the first part is going to be the board work and the teacher is going to try to elicit from the students what each of those animals can and can't do. Typically, what the students will say is just single words, so "run," "jump," "fly," etc. What we would then...  [Read more]

  Now we'll have a look at the teaching ideas for the future simple tense. As we said earlier, the future simple tense can be used for threats or promises or, in this case, for predictions. Here, we'll have a pair of students working together. One has a prompt to say something and the other will begin it with a certain comment and then make a sentence using the future simple tense. Here, 'I'm taking my driving test tomorrow' 'Good luck. You'll pass for sure'. 'I lost at tennis again.' 'Cheer up. You'll do better next time,' so on and so forth. Of course, having a bit of feedback at the end. Some additional ideas for the future simple tense include things like horoscopes. Here you'll divide your class up into groups, provide them with zodiac sign, they'll create a horoscope for that...  [Read more]

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified in Japan? Are you interested in teaching English in Akishima, Japan? Check out our opportunities in Akishima, Become certified to Teach English as a Foreign Language and start teaching English in your community or abroad! Teflonline.net offers a wide variety of Online TESOL Courses and a great number of opportunities for English Teachers and for Teachers of English as a Second Language. Here Below you can check out the feedback (for one of our units) of one of the 16.000 students that last year took an online course with ITTT! This unit is all about teaching the receptive skills ( reading and listening) of the English Language; Reasons and motives for carrying out a reading or a listening exercise, how to listen and read...  [Read more]

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified in France? Are you interested in teaching English in Lyon, France? Check out our opportunities in Lyon, Become certified to Teach English as a Foreign Language and start teaching English in your community or abroad! Teflonline.net offers a wide variety of Online TESOL Courses and a great number of opportunities for English Teachers and for Teachers of English as a Second Language. Here Below you can check out the feedback (for one of our units) of one of the 16.000 students that last year took an online course with ITTT! This unit identifies the different modals, phrasal verbs, and the passive v.s active voice. Understanding the different rules of modal verbs will help your students communicate more effectively. Different...  [Read more]

The Cultural Ambassadors Program (also known as the North American Language and Culture Assistants Program) is a well established scheme that has been run by the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport for several years. Around 2,500 North Americans are recruited every year and placed into elementary or secondary schools where they work as assistant language teachers alongside a local teacher. Spain is notoriously difficult when it comes to getting an official work visa for non-European teachers, so this program provides a great opportunity for Americans and Canadians to legally work in this very popular destination. The program is restricted to American and Canadian citizens who are aged between 21 and 60. There is a separate upper age limit of 35 for placement in the...  [Read more]

  In this episode, we cover the pronunciation of the word "huckster". This word has to meanings an can either refer to someone who sells or advertises something in an aggressive and dishonest manner or to a person who creates promotions for commercial clients, such as for the radio or TV. 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 discussed how to effectively teach the productive skills ? speaking and writin. Writing will require accuracy on...  [Read more]

  "As mentioned before our four words here all are similar in using the ?b? and ?t? sounds at the end. So we know that those phonemes will be used in spelling each one of those words phonetically. Now what we're left to do is assign a phoneme for our vowel sounds. So if we analyze the word, it's ?e? as in bet. We look at our chart, we see the phoneme which corresponds to that sound and that happens to be the standard ?e? that we all recognize. Here, bet phonetically looks very similar to bet in the Roman script. Now let's take a look at ?i? bit. Now we look at our chart and we see that this symbol represents the ?i? sound and that resembles a capital I not a lowercase I but a capital I and so we've arrived at bit. Now with ?but? we have to find the sound and that corresponds to...  [Read more]

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified in Japan? Are you interested in teaching English in Nagaoka, Japan? Check out our opportunities in Nagaoka, Become certified to Teach English as a Foreign Language and start teaching English in your community or abroad! Teflonline.net offers a wide variety of Online TESOL Courses and a great number of opportunities for English Teachers and for Teachers of English as a Second Language. Here Below you can check out the feedback (for one of our units) of one of the 16.000 students that last year took an online course with ITTT! This unit discusses the two productive skills of English: speaking and writing. Speaking tends to be more emphasized in the classroom, but being able to write in English is an important skill as well....  [Read more]

  The first part of my study phase is going to be the board work and I'm going to use the information that I generated in the elicitation part of my engage phase to move on to the actual board work. What I'm going to do is to show the structure of this particular tense. So, the phase study I'm expecting to take about ten minutes on this particular part and, again, the interaction will mainly be the students talking to me. So, how am I going to achieve that with this information? Well, we could ask the students to have a look at the sentences themselves and to tell us what they can see. If we look at each of the first words in here, then at this level, I should hopefully be able to elicit from my students what each of these words have in common and they may well give an answer that...  [Read more]