Diploma courses

The biggest myth in education: are parents more important than students?

Before you run to lynch me for saying this, stop and ask yourself: what are the factors within teachers control that positively impact the learning environment? This was exactly what John Hattie aimed to answer when he produced a comprehensive list of effect sizes on learning. Going one step further, Hattie then grouped the various factors that… All categories, Certificate courses, Diploma courses, Careers in TESOL, How to...

5 things you learn by becoming a teacher

Everyone has an opinion on education. None more so than teachers themselves. “It’s one of those things that goes deep with people. Like religion, like money”, says Ken Robinson. Yet becoming a teacher is unique in that you must go through an apprenticeship as a student first. Another way of putting it is to say that doctors don’t need to be… All categories, Certificate courses, Diploma courses, TESOL Masters, Careers in TESOL

Don't teach your students what to learn, teach them how to learn

Ultimately, YLs need to learn how to learn as much as they need to acquire new knowledge (Williams, 1991) This has to be one of the most influential ideas I have come across in the world of education. As simple as it is, the implications are fairly radical: we need to spend less time teaching children what to learn, and more time… All categories, Certificate courses, Diploma courses, TESOL Masters, How to..., ESL activities

English teachers beware: what are your kindergarteners really learning?

Are you a teacher who has started teaching toddlers and want to know what to expect from teaching them? The current mantra surrounding toddlers and young children seems to be ‘the younger the better’, but is this always the case? And how can we aid the language acquisition process for the smallest amongst us? Proponents of ‘the younger the… All categories, Certificate courses, Diploma courses, TESOL Masters, Careers in TESOL

Where a teaching career can take you: top TESOL destinations

One of the most rewarding aspects of finishing a Cambridge CELTA or Cert Trinity TESOL is that both are internationally recognized and act as a second passport to live and work around the world. The list of countries you’re able to choose from is almost endless as are the numerous types of teaching jobs. Jobs can include… All categories, Certificate courses, Diploma courses, Careers in TESOL

Why does Hong Kong need more TESOL qualified teachers?

Mountains, beaches, skyscrapers, some of the planet’s most densely populated urban areas, Michelin-starred dim sum….Hong Kong is unique for many reasons. The number of English teachers is not one of them.  But it should be. In 1998, the Hong Kong government launched the Native English Teacher scheme (NET) which allowed local… All categories, Certificate courses, Diploma courses, TESOL Masters, Careers in TESOL

How to pass your English exam: tips for success

English exams are big business – the British Council claim more than 2 million IELTS exams were taken in 2013, while over 700,000 people sit a Trinity ESOL exam each year. English exams have become particularly popular for students wishing to emigrate, study or work in English speaking countries, and in some cases, non-English speaking… All categories, How to..., Certificate courses, Diploma courses, ESL activities, Careers in TESOL

Teaching vocabulary: making word families work

Word lists are a widely-practised teaching tool for vocabulary study, but any student who has worked with them will tell you that memorising lists of words is a very time-consuming method that does not really help students to learn words deeply, or to use them appropriately. The main problem with lists of words is that they are… All categories, Certificate courses, How to..., ESL activities, Diploma courses

5 TESOL Dragon Boat Festival activities

Dragon Boat Festival, also known as the Double Fifth due to its position in the lunar calendar, has been celebrated in many countries in Asia for more than 2000 years. Legend tells of a famous poet, Qu Yuan (340-278BC), renowned for his patriotism and honesty. He wrote many masterpieces, showing his devotion to his country, before being exiled by… All categories, ESL activities, How to..., Certificate courses, Diploma courses, Theme based learning

Something from nothing: the basics of teaching with minimal resources

We’ve all been there before: 5 minutes before class starts, the panic sets in.  Will I have enough material to get me through the lesson? You flick the photocopier on and madly scan through the activity book to see if there is a crossword, a puzzle, a reading text that you can take as back up.  You make 15 photocopies, none of which get… All categories, Certificate courses, Diploma courses, How to..., ESL activities

Solving common difficulties with TESOL listening lessons

Listening is one of the most problematic skills for an ESL learner to acquire. This is because skills are developed over time and with plenty of practice. As a result, this can be a frustrating experience for learners since significant improvement is difficult to ‘prove’, whereas for instructors they may find it tricky to measure the learners’… All categories, Certificate courses, Diploma courses, TESOL Masters, How to..., ESL activities

4 problems everyone has with writing lessons and how to avoid them

Last year we described some of our best ideas for teaching writing, and making writing lessons fun.  We couldn’t have been happier with the response…nearly 5,500 readers have visited, shared and commented on this post, making it one of our most popular contributions on the blog. But, as with any blog post, it’s impossible to cover… All categories, Certificate courses, Diploma courses, How to..., TESOL Masters