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Teaching pronunciation: an introduction to the IPA

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 tongue, teeth, lips, etc.), and voice (use of the… All categories, Certificate courses, How to..., Five ways to

5 Drama Techniques for Language Production

Communicative language teachers often borrow drama techniques to facilitate study and production of language in their classes. A popular example of this is roleplay from improvisational theatre to get learners using functional phrases whilst in role to fulfill a communicative aim. For example, learners may assume the role of service… All categories, Five ways to, Teaching skills, ESL activities

5 Proven methods that help teachers connect with young learners

Most young learner teachers will have one of those classroom memories that haunts them. It could be a crying toddler who shouted continuously in want of a parent or another teacher non-stop for an hour. It might be the class of 12-13 year olds you thought were going to lock you in the cupboard if you turned your back for too long. It may be that… All categories, Careers in TESOL, Teaching skills, Five ways to

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… All categories, Teaching skills, How to..., Five ways to, ESL activities

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

Christmas lesson ideas: 5 great activities for English classes

* This article was written by the entire Teacher Training team at EFA The Christmas season is nigh upon us and it’s a great time of year to focus on building classroom rapport and bring some light relief into learning.  We’ve rounded up a few of our favourite TEFL Christmas lessons and activities from our team of CertTESOL trainers for you… All categories, ESL activities, Five ways to, How to..., Certificate courses, Theme based learning

5 Things I Wish I’d Known Before Teaching Teenagers

Just do the thing... The advice I got from a colleague early on in my teaching career.  Her advice while not exactly motivating, ended up being the best advice I was given for everything, not just teaching. At the time I was struggling to motivate a class of teenaged learners and went home each day feeling like a failure. Even back then,… All categories, Certificate courses, Five ways to, ESL activities, How to...

5 things you didn't know about grammar

One of the more common beliefs that teachers and students bring to the classroom, especially in Hong Kong (which tends to favour classroom activities based on memorization and declarative, as opposed to procedural knowledge) is an obsession with grammar.  Yes but they need to know the grammar, teachers often say. Yes, the students didn… All categories, Certificate courses, Diploma courses, How to..., Five ways to

5 Ways of Managing Problematic Behaviour

Following on from our earlier article on positive reinforcement, this week I look at how teachers can manage problematic behavior. If you’ve ever had the experience of a difficult student, you are not alone! It’s part and parcel of being a teacher. The only way you could avoid problematic behavior with students would be to only teach one… All categories, Certificate courses, How to..., Five ways to, ESL activities

5 ways to manage behaviour using positive reinforcement

When I was 5, I had a piano teacher who rapped my knuckles and told me off sternly when I didn’t practice enough. When she asked me to be a part of her annual recital, I burst into tears and shook my head, overcome with fear at failing in front of an audience. When I was 12, I had a maths teacher who was ex-Army, who would scream at us if we asked… All categories, Five ways to, How to..., Certificate courses, ESL activities

It all begins with context: getting your lesson off to a positive start

Set context, and carry on This ought to be the mantra for all teachers, yet it is often one of the most challenging components of any language lesson: set it well, and the meaning and range of language students can use appropriately becomes suddenly more accessible; set it poorly, and you’ll have the students (and possibly yourself too!)… All categories, Five ways to, Certificate courses, Diploma courses, ESL activities, How to...