Diploma courses

6 things you need to implement in your classes immediately: a classroom management masterclass

Classroom management: buzzword or mantra? Hype or necessity? With class sizes of 40 or more the norm, Hong Kong English teachers will tell you that anyone with even the faintest experience in front of a local classroom will know that classroom management is important. Whether or not that awareness translates into effective practice is something… All categories, Certificate courses, Diploma courses, TESOL Masters, How to...

6 chocolateless activities to try with your English classes this year

Easter is a festival celebrating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, which is celebrated all over the world by Christians. Easter is also closely linked to the Jewish Passover. Church services, decorating of Easter eggs (symbolizing Jesus’ empty tomb), egg hunts and chocolate eggs are just a few of the customs that are observed, but did you… All categories, Certificate courses, Diploma courses, ESL activities

9 mistakes you need to stop making with your teaching

Having been a teacher trainer for a few years now, I’ve had opportunities to observe and reflect on the good and bad things teachers do in the classroom (including my own teaching skills!) while looking back on those first terrifying (and exhilarating) teaching years with a more experienced eye, and maintaining an understanding of that first foray… All categories, Certificate courses, Diploma courses, Careers in TESOL, TESOL Masters

The ultimate guide to finding your first TEFL job

You’ve passed your CELTA or CertTESOL, you’ve recovered from sleep loss. You’re pencils are all sharpened, and mum has starched all your shirts…. you’re ready to start looking for your first teaching job? What next? Since I started teaching I estimate that I have applied for nearly 30 teaching jobs and I can honestly say there is no one-size… All categories, How to..., Certificate courses, Diploma courses, Careers in TESOL

How to stay motivated and avoid teacher burnout

As a teaching employee, I have gone through a few spells of demotivation in my career. The most recent one was a few months ago. Feeling demotivated with my job, very unappreciated and generally overwhelmed with my workload, I woke up day after day dreading what lay ahead for the next 9 hours...this is a common symptom of teacher burnout. It… All categories, Careers in TESOL, Diploma courses, TESOL Masters, How to...

Hang on: how to retain your teachers

As school or department managers, we face a constant staffing challenge which arises every year – which teachers will be leaving, how can we ensure that new replacements fit well into our institution, and how can we keep good teachers on board to continue doing the good work that gets results? There is no simple answer to these questions; teacher… All categories, Careers in TESOL, How to..., Diploma courses

MA TESOL: how to choose the best course for you

Article contributors: Tom Garside, Sharon Maloney, Bryan Holmes. We´ve written alot about what it´s like to take a DipTESOL, and the differences between an MA and DipTESOL, but the reality is there´s no better resource than meeting people who have been through a course.  In fact we often introduce applicants for our CertTESOL… All categories, TESOL Masters, Diploma courses, How to..., Careers in TESOL

Experienced teachers: are you ready to take a DipTESOL or DELTA?

Article by Bryan Holmes and Tom Garside If you have been teaching for a few years you may be thinking it’s time to complete a Trinity DipTESOL or a Cambridge DELTA. Doing either one will broaden your professional horizons while making a huge leap in your professional development.  This is considered a rite of passage in the… All categories, Diploma courses, ESL activities, Certificate courses, TESOL Masters

5 things you didn't know about language teaching

Let's start with some common myths about TEFL We think it’s time for you to settle down and get a proper job. This was what welcomed me in the weeks after I initially complete my teacher training TESOL certification in 2008, having decided I didn’t want to go back to university to complete an Honours or MA, and needed some time to… All categories, Careers in TESOL, Certificate courses, Diploma courses

Teaching reading: why it's important for TEFL teachers

Why teach reading? EFL teachers in Hong Kong don’t have enough time to teach reading. Reading is about so much more than comprehension questions. Reading is a chance to learn a language the way all languages are learned in the beginning. Reading is a skill that allows independent learning. So why don’t we do more of it?… All categories, Certificate courses, Diploma courses, How to..., ESL activities, TESOL Masters

A letter to my inexperienced teacher self

Hey there, It’s been a while since we’ve had a chat. Since that day early on in the scheme of things. The young student who thought it was ok to yawn loudly, 15 minutes into a reading lesson. This is so boring. They looked at you, you looked at them and shrugged it off. But we all know it was wrong, and it hurt. It was uncomfortable. Things… All categories, Certificate courses, Diploma courses, Careers in TESOL

Taking a career break: the easiest ways to take time out to travel, work and volunteer abroad

Have you ever considered taking a step back from your job and pursuing something *else*.....what ever that may be? The benefits of taking some time out on a regular basis are indisputable. But many people don’t take time to unwind regularly or effectively enough.  Recently the BBC wrote about the advantages of additional time away … All categories, Certificate courses, Diploma courses, How to..., Careers in TESOL