Teaching skills

Overcoming self-doubt as a non-native English teacher

Teachers and teacher trainers, native speakers and non-native speakers alike, although having some of the best qualifications around, still have the odd stumble and doubt their language ability. Doubts can arise with vocabulary, grammar or pronunciation. I've noticed this happens more with non-native speakers like myself. I hold a… All categories, Teaching skills, How to..., Careers in TESOL

TEFL Masterclass: finding the perfect balance with TTT

When I look back on the most common references to teacher talking time (TTT) in feedback forms and post lesson reflections, I see comments such as high TTT, my TTT was excessive, TTT unnecessarily high, TTT interupted learners thinking time, reduce my TTT. Do these sound familiar to you? How many people on your… All categories, How to..., Teaching skills

5 Proven methods that help teachers connect with young learners

Most young learner teachers will have one of those classroom memories that haunts them. It could be a crying toddler who shouted continuously in want of a parent or another teacher non-stop for an hour. It might be the class of 12-13 year olds you thought were going to lock you in the cupboard if you turned your back for too long. It may be that… All categories, Careers in TESOL, Teaching skills, Five ways to

Incorporating Current Affairs into EFL classrooms

I remember shortly after the Brexit referendum, finding myself in a Chinese class trying to explain to my Mandarin teacher, why the British public were so polarised in their decision on whether to leave the EU. I struggled to express my opinion and needed to ask my teacher for topic specific vocabulary, such as ‘referendum’ and ‘European… All categories, ESL activities, How to..., Teaching skills

Five 21st Century Skills TEFL Teachers can no longer ignore

What exactly are 21st Century Skills? This widely used term has become popular across many fields of the education sector and refers to a set of highly transferable skills, that are considered vital for any workplace or academic setting in today’s world. As English maintains its dominance (for now) as the global lingua franca, how can we equip… All categories, Teaching skills

Finding the right TESOL approaches for your students

In the world of TESOL, more than anywhere else, there is more than one way to bake a cake. The teaching approaches and methodologies that we use are based on a huge amount of research that has been done over the years. This research has informed the evolution of many different ways of approaching the way we plan to teach different language… All categories, Teaching skills, How to..., Five ways to, ESL activities

TEFL Masterclass: how to structure brilliant PPP lessons

When planning to teach a language item, how can you ensure that your learners are getting what they need at key points in the lesson? The way in which teaching and learning activity, tasks and activities are ordered can go a long way to helping students to achieve within the limited time they have and with the content you are teaching. The … All categories, Teaching skills, How to..., ESL activities, Certificate courses

Unlocking student motivation and engagement: what makes learners tick?

In the choppy world of full-time language teaching, teachers working with several groups of learners for short periods, sometimes moving between settings with adults, kids, teens, businesspeople and tutorial students, it is easy to lose track of the individuals who are looking up to you for their development. A common symptom is when the… All categories, Teaching skills, ESL activities, How to...

Teach English in China: finding the right position for you

China has grown into a fascinating, diverse, challenging and ultimately rewarding place to be an English teacher (though of course this depends on the situation where you find yourself when you get to the school you are working with). The range of education groups, schools, kindergartens, university departments… where English Language Education (… All categories, Careers in TESOL, Certificate courses, Teaching skills, Diploma courses

Integrating reading and listening skills for IELTS & ISE exams

Reading and listening requirements for IELTS & ISE exams are vital for ESL students to study abroad at English speaking universities. These skills are especially important as they’ll need to attend lectures and interact with various materials throughout their studies. Additionally, they may be living in an English environment where they will… All categories, ESL activities, Teaching skills

Do points systems miss the point?

One of the first things that new teachers are taught, especially if they are having difficulty with a new class, is that in order to better manage learners’ behavior they should set up a points chart. Points systems vary from simple concepts such as adding marbles in a jar, having a classroom chart on the wall or even … All categories, Teaching skills

Incorporating the 4 C’s into Chinese classrooms

As 21st century skills become a hot topic in the world of ESL, teachers regularly face the challenge of integrating the 4 C’s (creativity, collaboration, critical thinking and communication) into an often already busy curriculum and perhaps more importantly, the challenge of making them accessible to their students. This is where culture, or more… Teaching skills, ESL activities