Esl Students In The Classroom

  Our next consideration is going to be how we actually group our students. There are perhaps three types of grouping arrangements that we can consider and within those we'll have a look at the potential positive and negatives of those particular arrangements. So firstly, what arrangements can we use? We could arrange our group as a whole class so all of their activities will be done as a whole class. They could be working as individuals and the final grouping arrangement we'll consider is that of small groups or indeed the use of pair work. So for each of these types of arrangements what are the potential positive and negatives with that type of arrangement? For the whole class certainly one of the main positive features is that it gives that class a sense of belonging. Secondly...  [Read more]

  There are many great reasons for choosing an in-class TESOL course from ITTT and the most important is probably the hours you get to practice the teaching skills that are taught during the daily input sessions. A large portion of the course schedule is devoted to these practice sessions which take place in a real English language classroom populated by genuine English language students. This part of the in-class TESOL course offers the very best preparation for your future teaching career and to ensure you get as much out of it as possible you will be guided and observed by a professional teacher trainer who has years of experience in the classroom. Before you are let loose in the classroom to take part in a practice session you will spend several hours planning and preparing for...  [Read more]

  Once we're satisfied that all the students have been engaged and that they've been given the opportunity to say something, we can move on to our study phase. Here, it may be necessary or useful to actually pre-teach some gaps in knowledge that have been shown from the engage phase and those gaps in knowledge may include actual grammar structures or indeed useful vocabulary and it's very important that, before we move on to doing any forms of activity, we check their understanding of this material. So, we need to do some study exercises. It's also very useful if you leave this information up on the board through all that study period. Those study activities can just be the normal types of gap fills or matching activities and, as always, we need to demonstrate those activities,...  [Read more]

If we look back on our own school days, most of us will remember some of our teachers more than others. In some cases this will be because they were terrible at their job and didn’t provide the environment we needed to reach our full potential. The worst traits are often things such as failing to listen to students, lacking enthusiasm, and being overly strict. However, most of us will also have good memories of one or more teachers who actually had a positive impact on our school experience. There are a wide variety of reasons why these particular teachers stand out. If you are already teaching or plan to teach in the future, there are several things you can focus on that when added together make up a memorable teacher. If you can manage to add all of these to your everyday...  [Read more]

Across the world there are millions of people working as teachers in a wide variety of environments, all of which require certain knowledge, skills, and personal qualities to be successful. This is certainly the case when it comes to teaching English to non-native speakers. Many teachers fail to provide the high level of instruction that their students deserve for a wide range of different reasons, such as not listening to feedback, being overly strict, or simply not having the enthusiasm required. But what are the qualities that are most important for an ESL teacher if we want to produce the best results for all our students? Communication is certainly key in any teaching environment, but when teaching a foreign language it is even more crucial as the teacher often doesn’t speak...  [Read more]

As English is so widely used throughout much of the world in the media, government, and business, it is no surprise that hundreds of millions of people are currently learning it in countries worldwide. To service this huge demand there are hundreds of thousands of teachers, both native and non-native English speakers, working in schools, language centers, private businesses, colleges, universities, and virtual classrooms in almost every country you can think of. Although most of these teachers have a very strong understanding of the English language, they don’t all necessarily understand the wide array of acronyms used within the industry, such as EFL, ESL, TEFL, TESL, TESOL, ELT, etc. EFL and ESL are used to refer to the two main types of English language learning that occur...  [Read more]

  In this episode, we cover the pronunciation of the word swashbuckler. This word is a noun and describes a swashbuckling person. The word has been used since the 16th century and is a combination of the words 'swash' and 'buckler'. 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. Teaching English as a second language (ESL) is a rewarding career, yet a challenging on. Imagine being in front of 30 students having very different personalities, attitudes,...  [Read more]

Yes, it is entirely possible to teach English abroad without any previous teaching experience. In countries across the world there is a huge demand for English language instruction and often not enough teachers to fill the available positions. Every year, tens of thousands of teachers go abroad to work in schools and language centers and as few as 10% of these will have had any form of prior classroom experience. Regardless of the country you are working in, you will almost certainly teach your students using the method known as total immersion. This worldwide teaching method simply means that English is the only language used in the classroom, from the start to the end of each lesson. The fact is, most students are unable to move to an English speaking country in order to be...  [Read more]

  We can see that this particular usage of the unfinished past can be used for both the present perfect and the present perfect continuous. Where we've got action verbs, we usually prefer to use the present perfect continuous. However, there are state verbs which don't usually go into the continuous form, such as 'know'. We would say 'I have known her for 10 years,' not 'I have been knowing her for 10 years.' So when we have these state verbs, such as 'know', 'be', 'seem' and 'appear', we would usually put these in the present perfect but with the action verbs, such as 'play', 'cook', 'work', we will use these in the present perfect continuous. Normally, we also use the present perfect continuous fairly frequently with words, such as just or recently to express a recently completed...  [Read more]

We have all spent a lot of time in classrooms during our lives and we have probably all experienced what it is like to be taught by a good teacher and varying degrees of less than good ones. The good ones seem to make it all look very easy as everyone in the class is interested, engaged, and keen to learn, but how do they do it? In most cases experience is the main reason why they make it look so straightforward, as doing something over and over again allows a good teacher to develop their skills and the best methods for getting the best results. However, there are a few common skills that are generally present in good teachers no matter how long they have been in the job. It probably goes without saying that a good teacher needs to have exceptional communication skills. Successful...  [Read more]

During our own school days we probably all encountered more than one teacher who didn’t appear to be in the right job. Some might have been keen to dish out heavy punishments for minor offenses, some were probably extremely dull and uninteresting, while others simply failed to listen to the feedback of their students. Despite these negative influences, most of us will also have better memories of teachers who actually had a positive impact on our learning. So what actually made these teachers stand out? We think there are several skills and traits that can be combined to ensure a teacher is remembered for positive and not negative reasons. If you can manage to develop most if not all of these yourself, you should find your future students will remember you as a great ESL teacher....  [Read more]

  This unit tackled different ways on how to evaluate students' levels and progress. There are three ways to do it namely tutorials, evaluation by the students, and tests. Tests were discussed more in-d This three part unit was different in that it addressed the competing modes of communication in a classroom. Many of my experiences have been with teaching speech, while the head teacher mainly lets w Material use in the classroom is important to move students from beginners with created materials to an intermediate level with authentic materials. Comfort of created materials allows for more shy st The video unit was very interesting. The unit provided two videos of an ESL lesson with very different vibes. The first showed a seemingly unprepared instructor who mumbled through much of...  [Read more]

Dealing with disruptive behavior in the ESL classroom can be a frustrating experience, but it is important to learn how and when to deal with it to ensure your classes run as smoothly as possible. If you only teach adult learners you should not have too many problems to deal with other than minor issues such as time keeping, etc. However, in young learner classes the potential for disruption is much greater, with a wide range of potential behavior to deal with. If left unaddressed small issues can grow into bigger problems, but with a bit of knowledge and experience most teachers are able to confidently deal with any problems and keep the class running efficiently. What one teacher considers to be bad behavior might not be an issue in another teacher’s class, as we all have...  [Read more]

Every teacher makes mistakes in the classroom, particularly at the start of their career. As we learn to identify these mistakes we actually become better at our job, unless we fail to recognize these mistakes at all of course. Here we look at some of the most common errors made by new teachers and how to avoid them as we gain experience. Talking too much during lessons is probably the most common mistake made by inexperienced ESL teachers. The bottom line is that ESL students need to take every opportunity possible to speak the language as this is how they make real progress. However, if the teacher dominates the conversation any progress will be cut considerably. Only say what you need to keep the lesson moving forward and avoid chat that is not connected to the point of the...  [Read more]

To prepare for teaching English in a digital classroom, there are several key steps you can take to ensure success. First and foremost, familiarize yourself with the technology you will be using. This includes understanding the video conferencing platform, interactive whiteboard tools, and any other digital resources that will be at your disposal during the class. Next, it is essential to adapt your lesson plans for online delivery. Consider how you can make your materials more engaging and interactive in a virtual setting. This may involve incorporating multimedia elements, interactive activities, and digital games to keep your students engaged and motivated. Furthermore, it is important to establish clear communication channels with your students. Make sure they understand how to reach...  [Read more]

If you have spent any time looking into the world of English language teaching (ELT) you will probably have noticed that the industry has a fondness for acronyms. Terms such as TEFL, TESOL, ESOL, EFL, ESL, among others, are all regularly used when talking about teaching and studying English, as well as when referring to teaching qualifications. Here we will look at ESL and the first thing to make clear is that ESL stands for English as a Second Language. ESL, and any of the other acronyms mentioned above, are routinely used interchangeably when discussing scenarios where the English language is being taught to or studied by non-native English speakers. As previously mentioned, ESL and EFL are commonly used interchangeably within the English language teaching world. However, there is...  [Read more]

The bottom line is that it is not necessary to have knowledge of any language other than English when taking a TESOL course or when teaching English abroad. In the modern age, the majority of English classes around the world are based on the communicative approach to English teaching that simply means that English is the only language used in the classroom by the teacher and the students. You may find yourself in a situation where you have a multilingual classroom that contains speakers of a dozen or more different languages. In these scenarios being able to speak one or two of them would be unlikely to help anyone. In contrast, teachers in monolingual classrooms often find that their students are more likely to revert to their common language during a lesson if they know that the...  [Read more]

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified in China? Are you interested in teaching English in Taian, China? Check out our opportunities in Taian, 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 covered the various groups that could be taught in an ESL classroom and their various needs. Different levels of beginner students, teaching techniques, and potential problems was discussed....  [Read more]

Teaching English abroad can be a rewarding experience for individuals with a degree in education. Many countries require English teachers to have a bachelor's degree in any field, so having a degree in education can be a strong asset. Your background in education can provide you with valuable skills and knowledge that can enhance your teaching abilities in an ESL (English as a Second Language) classroom. Having a degree in education can also open up opportunities for you to teach in international schools or language institutes that prefer or require teachers with a background in education. Your understanding of pedagogy, classroom management techniques, and curriculum development can set you apart as a qualified and competent English teacher. Moreover, your degree in education may have...  [Read more]

When it comes to learning a new language there are four main skills that need to be covered: Reading, writing, speaking, and listening. These four skills are further divided into two areas: Productive skills (writing and speaking) and receptive skills (reading and listening). In any ESL classroom all four skills need to be fully covered to ensure each student has a rounded English ability. It is great if all your students can speak English clearly and confidently, but if they struggle to read or write in English then they will have real problems later on when they need these skills in the workplace, for further study, or when traveling, etc. When learning our native language we first learn to listen to all the language going on around us. For ESL students listening is a vital skill...  [Read more]