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Teaching vocabulary: making word families work

Word lists are a widely-practised teaching tool for vocabulary study, but any student who has worked with them will tell you that memorising lists of words is a very time-consuming method that does not really help students to learn words deeply, or to use them appropriately. The main problem with lists of words is that they are decontextualized, often grouped by abstract criteria designed by the teacher rather than in a meaningful way for the students themselves. A step towards… All categories, Certificate courses, How to..., ESL activities, Diploma courses

5 TESOL Dragon Boat Festival activities

Dragon Boat Festival, also known as the Double Fifth due to its position in the lunar calendar, has been celebrated in many countries in Asia for more than 2000 years. Legend tells of a famous poet, Qu Yuan (340-278BC), renowned for his patriotism and honesty. He wrote many masterpieces, showing his devotion to his country, before being exiled by the emperor. He chose to drown himself in a river, rather than see his country conquered by the Qin state. The people mourned him, throwing rice… All categories, ESL activities, How to..., Certificate courses, Diploma courses, Theme based learning

The secret to student learning: cognitive engagement

It’s Friday afternoon. You are presenting a grammar explanation of the past perfect to your class but when you look up, your teens are staring at the screen of their smartphones, chatting to their neighbor, or even resting their heads down on the table with a sense of pre-weekend lethargy. Sound familiar? We have all experienced passive learners, and often that can feel worse than dealing with overactive learners, as it feels like no matter what you do, you cannot inspire your class. So what’s… All categories, Certificate courses, How to...

Something from nothing: the basics of teaching with minimal resources

We’ve all been there before: 5 minutes before class starts, the panic sets in.  Will I have enough material to get me through the lesson? You flick the photocopier on and madly scan through the activity book to see if there is a crossword, a puzzle, a reading text that you can take as back up.  You make 15 photocopies, none of which get used.  Instead, they sit at the bottom of your teacher’s box waiting for the next time you need scrap paper. You ask yourself: is this… All categories, Certificate courses, Diploma courses, How to..., ESL activities

Solving common difficulties with TESOL listening lessons

Listening is one of the most problematic skills for an ESL learner to acquire. This is because skills are developed over time and with plenty of practice. As a result, this can be a frustrating experience for learners since significant improvement is difficult to ‘prove’, whereas for instructors they may find it tricky to measure the learners’ progress. One of the largest inhibitors for students is often cognitive. For example, while listening students may encounter difficulties and… All categories, Certificate courses, Diploma courses, TESOL Masters, How to..., ESL activities

4 problems everyone has with writing lessons and how to avoid them

Last year we described some of our best ideas for teaching writing, and making writing lessons fun.  We couldn’t have been happier with the response…nearly 5,500 readers have visited, shared and commented on this post, making it one of our most popular contributions on the blog. But, as with any blog post, it’s impossible to cover everything we want to, and in order to expand on some of the ideas we’ve already covered, this week we’ll be taking a look at the key ingredients to a… All categories, Certificate courses, Diploma courses, How to..., TESOL Masters

World book day: 5 great books and activities to try with young learners

World Book Day (April 23rd) is a wonderful celebration of reading and books. In places such as the UK, books are given out to those who don’t regularly read, gifted through organisations such as prisons, libraries, colleges, hospitals, care homes and homeless shelters. It is not only a celebration which enhances reading abilities, but also an opportunity for great ESL lessons and school activities that will raise awareness of book charities around the world. For school activities, sponsored… All categories, ESL activities, Certificate courses, How to...

6 things you need to implement in your classes immediately: a classroom management masterclass

Classroom management: buzzword or mantra? Hype or necessity? With class sizes of 40 or more the norm, Hong Kong English teachers will tell you that anyone with even the faintest experience in front of a local classroom will know that classroom management is important. Whether or not that awareness translates into effective practice is something entirely different. Half of the issue is that, especially in the case of new teachers, so much of our attention can be eaten up by negotiating… All categories, Certificate courses, Diploma courses, TESOL Masters, How to...

6 chocolateless activities to try with your English classes this year

Easter is a festival celebrating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, which is celebrated all over the world by Christians. Easter is also closely linked to the Jewish Passover. Church services, decorating of Easter eggs (symbolizing Jesus’ empty tomb), egg hunts and chocolate eggs are just a few of the customs that are observed, but did you know that the Christian festival of Easter springs from much darker, pagan roots? The word ‘Easter’ comes from the Old English word “Eostre”, an… All categories, Certificate courses, Diploma courses, ESL activities

9 mistakes you need to stop making with your teaching

Having been a teacher trainer for a few years now, I’ve had opportunities to observe and reflect on the good and bad things teachers do in the classroom (including my own teaching skills!) while looking back on those first terrifying (and exhilarating) teaching years with a more experienced eye, and maintaining an understanding of that first foray into teaching and identifying common mistakes teachers make. I’ve asked my fellow trainers what they’ve observed and here’s a list we’ve come up with… All categories, Certificate courses, Diploma courses, Careers in TESOL, TESOL Masters

The ultimate guide to finding your first TEFL job

You’ve passed your CELTA or CertTESOL, you’ve recovered from sleep loss. You’re pencils are all sharpened, and mum has starched all your shirts…. you’re ready to start looking for your first teaching job? What next? Since I started teaching I estimate that I have applied for nearly 30 teaching jobs and I can honestly say there is no one-size-fits-all key to success here.  However, there are some really important things that will enhance the possibility of success.  Some of these… All categories, How to..., Certificate courses, Diploma courses, Careers in TESOL

How to stay motivated and avoid teacher burnout

As a teaching employee, I have gone through a few spells of demotivation in my career. The most recent one was a few months ago. Feeling demotivated with my job, very unappreciated and generally overwhelmed with my workload, I woke up day after day dreading what lay ahead for the next 9 hours...this is a common symptom of teacher burnout. It got to the point where I got bad insomnia and anxiety. I began hating the people around me at work, even my friends. I genuinely felt it was a… All categories, Careers in TESOL, Diploma courses, TESOL Masters, How to...