English Problems

  This video focuses on some of the problems teachers of business English might encounter. How is business Enligsh different to general English? Will you be able to teach business English? Find out in this video. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section before moving onto the next. I found the content of this module to be very useful and informative, further solidifying the foundation of my educating knowledge. In particular, I found the \"Lesson Plan\" sheet to be very insightful...  [Read more]

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In the field of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills is essential for students to become proficient language users. Critical thinking involves analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating information to make informed decisions and solve complex problems. In language learning, this skill is crucial as students need to comprehend, interpret, and produce language in various contexts. Problem-solving, on the other hand, enables students to apply their language knowledge creatively to overcome challenges they encounter in real-life communication situations. By developing these skills, TESOL students can become independent and effective language learners who can navigate the complexities of language use with confidence. There...  [Read more]

  This video is part of our series on the past tenses in English. In this video, we take a look at the past perfect continuous tense. This tense is used to talk about two actions in the past focusing on the fact that one of the two actions had been continuing at another point in the past. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section before moving onto the next. In this unit I learned how to create my cv and what information us important and what is not important. I learnes where to...  [Read more]

  Then, we have a set of objectives and aims. Here, the learner objectives relate to what we're hoping the students are going to be able to do by the end of your lesson and quite often, that can be a useful way of writing out what the objectives are. So, we would start the sentence "By the end of the lesson, students should be able to?" and then a list of two, three or four items that we're expecting the students to be able to do by completing this lesson. The learner objectives are different to the teacher aims the teacher aims are what you are expecting from that lesson itself. Now, when you first start teaching, quite a normal aim might be to complete the lesson successfully, to get through the whole thing without having any problems. As time goes on and you become more...  [Read more]

1. Understanding the importance of critical thinking and problem-solving skills in TEFL 2. Strategies to integrate critical thinking and problem-solving skills into TEFL lessons Understanding the importance of critical thinking and problem-solving skills in TEFL In Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL), the focus is often on language proficiency. However, critical thinking and problem-solving skills are equally essential for students to effectively communicate and navigate the complexities of language use. These skills enable learners to analyze information, make connections, and think creatively, leading to more meaningful language acquisition and application in real-world contexts. Integrating critical thinking and problem-solving into TEFL lessons not only enhances language...  [Read more]

In the field of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), promoting critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills is essential for students to become proficient language users. TESOL teachers can incorporate critical thinking by designing tasks that require students to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information. One effective strategy is to engage students in discussions on complex topics where they have to express their opinions and provide evidence to support their views. This encourages students to think critically, consider different perspectives, and defend their arguments logically. To enhance problem-solving skills in TESOL classrooms, teachers can create activities that involve real-life scenarios or authentic language use. For example, students can...  [Read more]

  Our next consideration is going to be building and maintaining rapport. The importance of rapport is that within our communicative activities, we're asking the students to talk to each other. If they feel comfortable with each other and with us, then that interaction is much more likely to be useful. So how do we actually build and maintain rapport? Well, it's easiest if we consider two stages of the course itself. What we can do at the start of the course and what we can do throughout the course to help build and maintain that rapport. So at the start of the course, it's very useful if we ask the students to create a name card and to make that name card visible to everyone. Secondly we need to try to do some ice breaking activities that will allow the students to interact with...  [Read more]

  Many people are unaware quite how accessible a career teaching English as a foreign language is while others are simply not aware that it is even possible to live and work abroad in almost any country in the world. Not only is possible but it is relatively easy to achieve in a short period of time. By following the 6 steps outlined in the video, you could be working abroad as an EFL teacher before you know it. Are you ready to live and teach abroad? Click here and get started today: https://www.teflcourse.net/?cu=YTDESCRIPTION Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient,...  [Read more]

  Before we go into looking at the actual receptive skills lesson, if we were thinking about what potential problems there could be in these lessons. So, what things could go wrong in a reading lesson? Well, firstly the students when they are reading in a language that is not their native language, they tend to read every word as a separate piece and by reading word to word it?s very difficult to get an overall impression of what that particular text is saying. Secondly, the sentence length in a lot of articles that we will get will be very long and many of our students will not be used to that structure of language. So, here it's important to have a think about the way in which the text has actually been written and will it be fairly easy to read. The final thing is the actual...  [Read more]

Problems for learners in a Country of your choice: Italy In this paper I will address the issues I face as a teacher from the context of living and working in Italy, as well as the common problems my students encounter while learning and speaking English. I also want to draw attention to the input culture and society has on language, and look at how these factors influence dynamics within the classroom. Of course, it is nearly impossible to view ones self outside your own given cultural perspective, so as a result of this I will also be discussing my own assumptions on how I "imagined" people might act, compared to the reality of the situation. Often I neglect to take into account these differences, simply because I was raised in America, where I am used to a different set of cultural...  [Read more]

  First and most common we added simply an '-s' for verbs like 'work', 'play'. This is what we typically see within our language. However, when we have verbs with spelling patterns such as ending in '-ch', '-sh', '-z', '-s' and our shorter verbs 'do' and 'go', we have to add our '-es'. Then for verbs the end in a consonant and 'y' we drop our 'y' and add our '-ies'. Finally, we have our irregular verbs 'be' and 'have'. For subject 'I', we use 'am', for the subject 'he', 'she' and 'it', we use 'is', whereas with 'you', 'we', 'they', we use 'are'. Finally, we have 'have', which stays as 'have' for these subjects: 'I', 'you', 'we', 'they' but for 'he', 'she' and 'it', we change 'have' to 'has'. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online...  [Read more]

Fostering creativity and innovation in English language learners within a TESOL context begins with creating a supportive environment where students feel comfortable taking risks and expressing their ideas. This can be achieved through promoting a growth mindset, providing constructive feedback, and celebrating diverse perspectives. By encouraging a positive classroom culture, students are more likely to engage in creative thinking and problem-solving. One effective way to nurture creativity and innovation in English language learners is through project-based learning. By assigning tasks that require critical thinking, collaboration, and communication, students are challenged to think outside the box and apply their language skills in real-world contexts. Projects can range from creating...  [Read more]

Critical thinking is a vital skill for English language learners as it enhances their ability to comprehend, analyze, and evaluate information effectively. It enables students to go beyond rote memorization and develop a deeper understanding of the language. By promoting critical thinking skills, educators can help students become more independent and confident in their language abilities. There are various strategies that educators can employ to promote critical thinking skills in English language learners. Encouraging students to ask open-ended questions, engage in debates, and solve problems collaboratively can help them develop their critical thinking abilities. Additionally, activities such as analyzing and interpreting texts, evaluating arguments, and synthesizing information can...  [Read more]

4. Benefits of Integrating Project-Based Learning and Experiential Activities in TEFL Lessons Project-Based Learning (PBL) and experiential activities are dynamic teaching approaches that engage students actively in the learning process. PBL involves students working on a project over an extended period, allowing them to explore real-world challenges and develop essential skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration. Experiential activities, on the other hand, focus on hands-on learning experiences that enable students to apply their language skills in practical contexts. By integrating these approaches into TEFL lessons, teachers can create a more interactive and engaging learning environment for their students. To incorporate PBL into TEFL lessons, teachers can...  [Read more]

  Here's an idea for teaching the present perfect continuous tense. However in this activity what the students will be doing, is comparing and contrasting this tense with the present perfect tense. This is something that a teacher will want to do after they've explored both tenses and because both tenses are quite confusing, we'll ask the students to compare and contrast the two, making sure that they can tell the difference. In this activity, the teacher will have cut out each individual card. The teacher will distribute the cards to the students and after a minute has gone by, the teacher will then ask the students to fold their cards over and get into a pair. One student in the pair will then present a certain result and ask the student to form the question. Here, with the...  [Read more]

Project-Based Learning (PBL) is a student-centered teaching approach that allows learners to explore real-world problems and challenges. In TEFL, incorporating PBL into the curriculum can enhance language acquisition by engaging students in meaningful, interactive tasks. By focusing on projects that require collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity, students can develop their language skills in authentic contexts. PBL can be a valuable tool for teachers looking to create dynamic and engaging learning experiences for their students. There are several benefits to incorporating PBL into a TEFL curriculum. Firstly, PBL promotes active learning by encouraging students to take ownership of their learning process. By working on projects that are personally meaningful, students are...  [Read more]

Pronunciation Problems for Chinese Students of English As a global language, English has been popularly taught as the second language in China for quite a few years. Now there are more Chinese people learning English on various purposes, such as applying for a higher paid job, studying and living abroad, or establishing business with western countries. According to my experience of learning and teaching English, it is harder to master English pronunciation than English grammar for Chinese students. Chinese grammar may appear quite simple compared to that of many highly-inflected Western languages (e.g. Russian, Latin, etc.), or even the low-scale verb conjugations, for instance, of English (e.g. "swim, swam, swum") because of the lack of inflections. Even though there are similarities...  [Read more]