Blog

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 Union’, but I was motivated because I really wanted to express my opinion on this important matter. When students feel passionate or motivated to… All categories, ESL activities, How to..., Teaching skills

A linguistic history of Christmas in 5 words

Many teachers at this time of the year have turned their thoughts to bringing Christmas into their classrooms with songs and vocabulary. I’ve also heard many a time on the bus, the lively teacher chit chat about when their term ends and the holiday destinations that await them… But how much do you and your students know about those ‘Christmas words’ that pop up at this time of year? I thought a little ‘word archaeology’ might add something extra to the English language classroom and throw in a… All categories, ESL activities, Theme based learning

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 our learners with the skills they need to communicate in an ever-changing globalized society? Although one could argue that skills, such as… 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 items, so how do we know what is the best way of doing things for our learners? Here is an outline of 5 broad approaches which you can use to plan and… All categories, Teaching skills, How to..., Five ways to, ESL activities

The art of designing effective TEFL teaching materials

What do you do if your coursebook isn’t giving students what they need? If you are going to take things into your own hands and adapt or redesign teaching material, make sure that you make the most of the tasks you make. Material design is a bit of an art, but by following these simple steps, you can make your resources engaging, effective and useful, time and time again. 1) Consider the visual impact of your design The first contact with a piece of material is an important moment for a… All categories

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 PPP lesson staging technique is well-known and has become a standard of the ESOL classroom, but teachers do not always include the … All categories, Teaching skills, How to..., ESL activities, Certificate courses

Breaking the Myths between Native & Non Native English Teachers

Native English-speaking teachers are often seen as a premium product, being there’s an assumption they are masters of the language both grammatically and phonologically. This belief leads some employers to deem that native English speakers (NET) are best suited to teach ESL learners. As a result, prospective non-native speakers’ teachers (NNEST) are often confronted by job posts which only advertise for a native English-speaking teacher. An employer’s decision to hire a… All categories, Careers in TESOL

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 personal touch gets lost, and teachers work to the format of materials they are using rather than considering the profile of the learners themselves. A… 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 (ELE) is practised means that your experience in China will depend on your choice of position and the role you go for. Here are some ideas to get you… All categories, Careers in TESOL, Certificate courses, Teaching skills, Diploma courses

My journey to becoming a teacher trainer: Eve Conway

Amongst teachers, becoming a teacher trainer seems to be quite a popular career goal. However the reality is that there is actually quite a small proportion of jobs available compared to the number of teaching jobs, so potential would-be trainers might find themselves waiting for years before they get the chance to actually train. A quick search on TEFL.com shows that at the moment of writing, there are 10 jobs listed under ‘teacher trainer’ compared to 468 listed under ‘… All categories

TEFL Masterclass: the power of grouping learners

ESL classes usually require students to work in groups or in pairs. Groupings are beneficial for learners for several reasons and this week’s blog will take a quick look at the rationale behind group work and its value. Let’s begin by looking at the some of the reasons we encourage group work: 1. Increasing student talk time while highlighting language needs. Varying interaction patterns for new teachers is often difficult. Pairing students together promotes a learner-centered class… All categories

Teaching abroad: interview tips for new TEFL teachers

After completing a Trinity Cert TESOL or Cambridge CELTA course you will start applying for jobs. There isn’t really a shortage of full time work in TESOL, but there is a lack of quality employers. Securing a post can be a daunting chore and presenting yourself in a professional manner will make a huge difference in whether you’ll get hired or not. This week’s blog looks at top tips for getting the teaching job you’re looking for. General Information ESL teachers, especially… All categories