TESOL Masters

5 ways the DipTESOL will take your TEFL career to new heights

Many teachers consider doing further qualifications to improve their teaching knowledge and skills, but sometimes it can be difficult to choose which course is right for you. For those of you that already hold a Cert TESOL (or equivalent) certificate and have at least two years of post-cert experience, you may know about the Trinity… All categories, Careers in TESOL, Diploma courses, TESOL Masters

Gamification in English language teaching: more than child's play

Ever feel like your students are stultifying, bored and demotivated? Maybe it’s not the subject, but your teaching. Competing for the splintered attentions of our learners has never been harder. It has now become a chronic situation, familiar to all teachers when struggling to motivate learners. There is now a generation of… All categories, Certificate courses, How to..., ESL activities, Diploma courses, TESOL Masters

How to teach intonation

Many non-native English speakers have problems recognizing and using the different intonation patterns in English.  For an instructor, it’s crucial to raise the learners’ awareness of intonation because it performs a function, as well as indicating an emotion. Teaching this aspect of phonology is often an area overlooked by teachers and… All categories, Certificate courses, How to..., ESL activities, Diploma courses, TESOL Masters

English or Englishes: are varieties of English important for learners?

Over the past 200 years or so, English has grown to become the lingua franca (shared language) in a huge range of industries. The fields of media, engineering, medicine, shipping, air travel, international business and commerce all rely on English as the common language which can facilitate communication between countries anywhere in the world.… All categories, How to..., Certificate courses, Diploma courses, TESOL Masters

5 essential websites that every English teacher needs

As a Cert TESOL tutor, I work with trainee teachers every day who upon finishing the course go out to teach in the real world. One of the biggest challenges facing new teachers in particular is planning. Whilst experienced teachers may have a bank of readily available lesson planning ideas which they can select from quickly and… All categories, How to..., TESOL Masters, Five ways to, ESL activities

Why the English Language Teaching industry needs a #MeToo campaign

Not long ago, I stumbled across a game that went viral on Facebook, which most language teachers will know as ‘Two truths and a lie’. For anyone who doesn’t know this game, you tell 2 truths about yourself and make up one lie. The person that you are playing with needs to decide which ones are the truths and which one is the lie, for example you… All categories, TESOL Masters, Five ways to, Careers in TESOL

Using authentic materials in the ESL classroom

Using authentic materials in an ESL classroom provides many benefits for learners. Exploiting them in class can give learners a sense of achievement, show language in a realistic context, and offers opportunity for real communication. Unfortunately, many learners assume that they are incapable of coping with authentic texts or materials… All categories, ESL activities, TESOL Masters, How to...

Inclusive education: something we all need to talk about (part 1)

Inclusive education refers to the capacity of ordinary local schools to respond to the needs of all learners, including those requiring extra support due to learning or physical disability, social disadvantage, behavioural challenges, cultural difference or other barriers to learning. Inclusive education recognises that all children can learn… All categories, Diploma courses, TESOL Masters, Careers in TESOL

Those who can, teach. Those who can't, sprout meaningless idioms

Perhaps you’ve said it yourself, perhaps you’ve had it said to you. For me it was my introduction to the idea of becoming a teacher - a family friend who benevolently suggested I try teaching English said, with a smile on his face…those who can do, those who can’t, teach.  Note to self, never try to encourage someone to become a… All categories, Certificate courses, Diploma courses, TESOL Masters

Mistakes to avoid with your career: 5 things I wish I'd known when I started teaching

When I decided to do a Trinity Cert TESOL my main reason for doing so was escapism. I wanted to run away from my life in the USA, travel around the world and meet people from all walks of life. I had lived in London and Paris as a student in my early 20s and the experience was incredible. I developed life-long friendships and… All categories, Certificate courses, Diploma courses, TESOL Masters

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