The IPA stands for the International Phonemic Alphabet and is used in ESL to address pronunciation issues by isolating difficult vowel sounds, consonants or diphthongs. Problem areas can then be addressed by identifying the manner (the way in which the sound is produced), place (position of the...
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25th June 2019By Bryan Holmes
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18th June 2019By Bryan Holmes
Don't forget to visit our CPD training calendar for upcoming training events! English language teaching can be separated into systems, skills, and phonology. Systems refer to grammar, whereas skills denote reading, writing and listening, and speaking. Phonology incorporates elements of... -
11th June 2019By Bryan Holmes
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... -
4th June 2019By Bryan Holmes
‘Receptive Skills’ (also known as ‘Passive Skills’, or reading and listening) are often contrasted with productive skills (speaking and writing). When learning a new language learners tend to develop their receptive skills first and then acquire productive capability. It’s a complex... -
28th May 2019By Bryan Holmes
Teaching TEFL classes in Hong Kong can present a bit of a conundrum. In a culture that prioritises grammar instruction and accuracy over fluency, reading tasks are often seen as a series of questions to which the answers simply need to be copied straight from the text. However, reading... -
21st May 2019By Tom Garside
Whenever we use language, whether we are speaking, listening, reading or writing, we do it in some kind of context. The situation we are in, the tone we want to express and the ways that others respond to us all affect the nature of the language choices that we make. Language without context lacks... -
14th May 2019By Tom Garside
It is a common misconception that people who grow up in English speaking environments are automatically qualified to teach English. If you are recruiting teachers to work at your centre, here are some key questions that will tell you more than you think about prospective teachers: 1) Why did you... -
6th May 2019By Sean Martin
As much as many of you will sigh at the thought of written assignments, yes, there are assignments and they form the spine of the Trinity CertTESOL. There’s no getting away from it. The course is accredited at level 5 on the UK National Qualifications Framework, is equivalent to the first year of...