However, fortunately (especially in the east), kids have a fascination with playing cards. I’m not talking about playing poker or rummy, but more about the battle cards, power cards and top Car cards. Actually, they are keen to play any kind of card game … or even for paper scraps. Strangely, this fascination can produce amazing results in the TEFL classroom. Try it, you’ll be surprised!

Brett write more about this and TEFL here.

When teaching vocabulary to ESL students, the teacher has to remember that the goal is for the students to be able to understand and use the words and expressions they’ve learnt in different contexts. Just remembering the words and their definitions is not enough. That’s why it’s important to teach new vocabulary in four stages:

1. Introduction of the new words and phrases in wide context, such as a text (reading task) or a listening task. When introducing new vocabulary, the teacher should also check whether the students understand it correctly or not,

2. Drilling the new words, so that they are committed to memory. This stage can be the most boring part of a vocabulary-focused lesson,

3. Exercising the usage of the new words in narrow context, such as sentences, dialogues, and mini-texts,

4. Practising using the words in wider context through speaking and writing tasks.

Most vocabulary games and classroom activities focus on memorising words and their definitions, spelling, and using the new vocabulary in short sentences.

Here are some engaging ways of teaching new vocabulary.

Read more…

Q. What exactly does T.E.F.L mean?

A. T.E.F.L means Teaching English as a foreign language.

Q. I also keep hearing the term T.E.S.O.L being banded around are T.E.F.L and T.E.S.O.L the same thing?

A. In a nut shell yes! T.E.S.O.L means teaching English to speakers of other languages. In the U.S most people use the term T.E.S.O.L and in the U.K the term T.E.F.L is more widely used.

Q. What does T.E.F.L involve then, what will I learn on the course?

A. T.E.F.L is usually a 4 week intensive classroom based course with some classroom teaching practice involved. This course is very intensive and will contain lots of teaching modules which may include some of the following. Language awareness, pronunciation, grammar, lesson planing, classroom management skills, planning your lessons, creating lesson activities, games and activities etc.

Q. I don’t have time to attend a class based course, what other options do I have if I want to take a T.E.F.L certificate?

A. You could always enroll on an internet or distance learning T.E.F.L learning course. Over the last few years with the incoming of the net, many T.E.F.L course providers have started to use the net as a medium to offer new high tech online courses.

Q. Is T.E.F.L recognized the world over?

A. The name T.E.F.L is definitely recognized all over the world, Yes! However when choosing your course one should always check to make sure the course you are taking is accredited.

Q. Is it easy to get employment teaching English with a T.E.F.L certificate?

A. Usually yes, it is very easy. Having a T.E.F.L certificate will increase your employment opportunities considerably, no matter where you obtained your T.E.F.L certificate from. Most employers will ask for a T.E.F.L certificate as one of the prerequisites to obtaining employment as an English teacher.

Q. Who will employ me with a T.E.F.L certificate?

A. You’ll be able to secure employment in the private language school sector, government school sector, corporate English teaching sectors and also teaching English to private students, which can be very financially rewarding.

Q. What are the pay and conditions like for T.E.F.L teachers?

A. Dependent upon where in the world you decide to work! However on the whole usually very good, and there are always plenty of opportunities to make extra money by teaching evening and weekend classes.

Q. What country would you recommend to start my T.E.F.L teaching career in?

A. A really great country to kick start your new career in would undoubtedly be Thailand.

Q. Why Thailand?

A. Lots of reasons really, but here’s just a few! Great weather, good beaches, cheap cost of living, friendly laid back people, decent pay, great and interesting culture, plenty of teaching work available.

Q. I’ve got my T.E.F.L certificate, all I need now is to secure a teaching job, where do I start looking?

A. A really good and growing resource for teaching jobs in Thailand has to be http://esljobs4teachers.com Here you’ll find more teaching jobs than you can comfortably shake a stick at!

To your teaching success!

The first job is to learn the parts of speech:

• noun, pronouns, verb, adverb, adjective, preposition, conjunctions

Once this is familiar the fun part of learning a new language can start. Putting all these pieces together will enable the student to speak and write fluent English. Vocabulary can be learnt over time so there is no need to try to cram as much as possible in at the start.

Learn a few new words every day and try to keep things simple until you gain confidence. You will soon be able to string together the parts of speech to make phrases and sentences.

Learning by yourself can be very hard work and sometimes gets a bit discouraging. This is where the idea of a private tutor comes in. This need not be expensive as tutors are available at very reasonable fees. Getting private tuition will avoid the very stilted, text book English that some students use.

It is a good idea to listen to spoken English and to work on correct pronunciation from the start.

A tutor can teach you things that you cannot learn from a book and a course of self study. Tutorials provide the opportunity to learn quickly and should enable you to hear pronunciation from a native English speaker. (Don’t learn your pronunciation for an English speaker with a very heavy non English accent.)

Speaking English Like A Native Speaker

It is much better to speak English little and often, rather than spending a long time cramming it all in once a week. If you can find a tutor who is willing to let you take twenty minute conversation lessons three times a week you will find it very useful and will quickly see improvement. Repetition is the best way to learn.

Where accents are concerned British English and US English used to be very different but words and phrases from both sides of the Atlantic seem to be crossing over. For example, ten years ago you would never have heard a British English speaker say ‘movie’ instead of ‘film’ but today the words are interchangeable.

So, the best way to learn English as a foreign, or a second language, is to learn a little at a time. Practise what you have learnt and then learn some more. Try to speak English everyday and you will be amazed at just how quickly you begin to understand, read, write and speak English.

There are two routes to pursue when looking for work; teaching jobs in the established schools and private work such as “one on one” with private individuals in their homes.

The first, schools, is important for new teachers who need to work in a structured environment and want to develop their new found skills as a teacher. You will be surrounded by more experienced teachers and probably find that the school has regular workshops on teaching.

The time to look for school employment is starting July, when many of the schools begin to advertise for positions starting in September/October.

The offers are varied and can mean nothing more than a start at least with just a couple of hours a week being offered. The reason for this is that they don’t know you from Adam and therefore want to get to know you first. If you are good enough for them you can expect to be offered more hours as time goes by.

Some schools will offer you a position with a contract and paid holidays from the word go, be happy if get this type of contract!

The other way to go, also good for supplementing a small income is looking for private students.

The best approach is a business like attitude of selling a product. You dealing with people who want something from you and if they can get it for the cheapest price they will.

Set an hourly rate and stick to it! Don’t entertain any negotiating over your price – you have a product that is very useful to them and if they want the best, they must pay for it.

In Europe, prices differ according to location. In the south of Spain between 15 and 18 Euros are average prices for one hour. Often with private students 90 minutes is better and a special offer of 20 Euros for 90 minutes maybe twice a week is a good deal.

How to get students? Well, some people print posters and post them all over town – then a day later all the hard work was in vain because the bin-men tore them down. This method brings small results and honestly, the hard work of tramping around town hanging posters isn’t necessary at all.

We have the internet. You need to advertise in the free classified ads on countless sites all over the web. Use this method and if done correctly, you will receive emails and calls from lots of interested students.

Don’t underestimate the power of a free ad. With maybe ten to fifteen ads on different web-sites you will get good results. Make sure that you think about the wording you use in your advert, the title is very important. People googling for a teacher will use various phrases but if you can get a title that is close to what people type into google, then they will find your advert.

Don’t forget that after a week or two your advert has dived into the depths of computer space and is not going to be as effective as it was a week earlier. re-vamp the advert and notice the difference in results.

Don’t forget, one advert isn’t enough. Make ten or more and always keep them updated.

With a little practice and changing the wording in your adverts you will discover that you can have a steady flow of students to keep your wallet happy.

With the mass globalization of the world, the demand to learn English is higher than ever. Often, the only requirement of schools is that you are a native speaker.However, there are some training courses that you can take before you go. I took a course given by the TESOL program. Both adults and children are coming to schools in droves. I have one thing to say: If you are entertaining the idea, even a little, JUST DO IT! You will be glad you did and in the event you are not, YOU CAN JUST COME HOME!! This can be one of the most amazing experiences of your life, so just go!

I wanted to share my experience as an English teacher abroad. It was a decision I made out of the blue one day when I came across a website about living abroad and I found an article on teaching English. I literally was like…Hmm, I am going to do that. Started saving money, studied some Japanese, and applied for a job. I was very lucky. I was called on the first application I sent out and I did a phone interview. I very much follow my intuition and I accepted. Your search may or may not take longer. Three weeks later, I was heading out of Newark for a 14 hour flight to Japan. When I was searching I loved finding information like I am providing now that did not give canned tips but actually discussed someone’s personal experience and the thoughts and emotions that were involved. It is a good way to get an idea of what this venture really is about and I hope that I can give you another piece of quality information on what you might encounter.

Living and working abroad is rewarding and rich with experience

One of the best things about a job like this is the good feeling you get when you see people learn. And then you think, “Hey, I am the one who taught them that, cool.” I worked with students of all ages and to see them advance was rewarding. You are providing a useful service to them and it makes you feel good to be doing something constructive.

In my opinion, the best thing about this experience is the opportunity to really learn about another culture. I do not just mean seeing the sites and living everyday life there. Of course, that will teach you a lot but I am referring more to working with your students specifically. Being around them everyday, you really get a feel for how that particular culture processes the world around them, what is acceptable and unacceptable behaviors,etc… Their “rules of engagement” if you will. I found this especially true with my adult students. In my school, most of those lessons centered heavily on conversation and I had quite a few older students whose English was quite good and I can recall many great conversations. Living and working in another culture broadens your experiences and the more experiences you have, the more you will grow in a positive direction.

Another cool thing about teaching abroad is that so many people are so interested to hear your story and want to know about you. Japanese people seem to really like American culture and they loved to hear what it is really like here. By nature, they are very modest and many of my students were especially interested in why I chose Japan. When I spoke highly of the country, I could see it made them feel good. You are different and unique and let’s all admit it, it is nice to be the center of attention sometimes

Remember, This is Not an Extended Vacation

In my opinion, teaching is not an easy job and I give credit to people that do it all day, day after day. It can be draining at times. I am more on the introverted side for sure, so a lot of things about the job did not gel with my personality. Having to routinely interact with people all day, leading lessons, constantly talking,etc…really got to me sometimes. There were times where my energy would be low and the last thing I felt like doing was talking but for the next five hours, all I would be doing is talking…a lot. I enjoyed my experience but overall, I know that teaching is not for me. So, that is one thing I took back with me. I could cross a possible career choice off the list.

Be prepared for your lessons. It will make things go much more smoothly. I am not big on planning so I often just had a general outline. Sometimes this worked and sometimes this did not and that can just add stress. Your school will have resources and there are tons of great sites where you can get lesson plans, flash cards,etc… Larger chain schools might have a more rigid set curriculum so you might not have to plan as much. I worked at a small privately owned conversation school that was run by two very sweet but disorganized people. They were pretty hands off and we had free reign to plan our lessons. Most classes will at least have a textbook so you have a jumping off point.

Even though many find this kind of job much more relaxing than the work they were doing before, remember that it is still a job. Living abroad was so exciting and sometimes I really did not want to work because I wanted to travel so much. I still had the same M-F schedule, albeit less hours. I was given a few weeks vacation and that is when I did my traveling. The immersion in every day life is often exciting enough to keep you going for awhile but I found after a few months, that wore off to an extent and that is when I felt restless about the job and feeling like I just wanted to be free. You will have so much fun there but it is not an extended vacation.You are living there.The excitement of it all co-exists with working, paying your bills, going food shopping,etc…With that being said, this whole thing is what you make of it and even among the routine you might find yourself settling in, you can still learn something new everyday and take a moment to fully soak it all in.

Culture Shock

This is different for everyone. If you are more go with the flow, you might have an easier time adjusting. When you first arrive, it is like being on vacation. You are in this brand new exciting place and you are just gazing around stimulated by all the new and different things you are seeing.I felt that I adjusted very quickly. Now, once you are there for awhile, that is when the differences are no longer fascinating but frustrating, and you can feel out of sorts. I think everyone has that one moment where they just have a good cry or get severely angry about some experience that served as a trigger for the release of all the emotions that have been stirring. That moment for me was trying to open a bank account and let’s just say it did not go well. I walked out of the place and burst into tears right in the middle of the street! Our environment is such a huge part of what defines us and tells us what we need to do. When you are separated from it for an extended time and constantly engaging in the unfamiliar, it can have its stressful moments. Not being able to communicate was very upsetting at times. I urge you to try to learn the language of wherever you are going. It will add so much to your experience. I was able to communicate pretty decently in normal situations and it made things easier and more enjoyable. If you are going somewhere really hoping to learn a language fluently, you might want to go to a smaller town or more rural area. If you are in a major city, you will be using English a lot and it will hinder the advancement of your language skills.

Just go.

One thing to definitely take away from this is that the good will cancel out the bad in the long run. Anything worth doing is never a cakewalk and thinking back on everything that happened, I cannot imagine not having done it. Just embrace everything that comes your way and take things a little less seriously and you will find that fewer things will really get to you. Teaching English in Japan without a doubt shaped the person I am at this moment and the one I am stiving to become everyday of my life. If you are ready for a soul transforming but at times challenging experience that will accelerate your personal development, start planning it all out right after you read this!

I have always had a love for writing and speaking English (British English in my case), so when the opportunity to train as an on-line English Language teacher came up I was really excited about it. I started training with English Study On-line, better know as ESO
English Study Online
. I had to learn how to deliver an on-line lesson and how to operate within a virtual classroom. This looked a little bit daunting at first but I soon got used to it.

Then, after getting the basics right, I set about getting myself some qualifications that would help me to do the job better. First, I signed up with a company that provides training for EFL/TESOL
Cactustefl
(English as a foreign language teaching.) That was hard work but I learned a lot during a very intensive course of study. It taught me to plan and deliver lessons and how to deal with any problems that might arise.

Next I decided to do a business specialist course so that I could teach foreign students and business people to use English in their working lives. Then came more training in one to one teaching. The hardest thing of all was an advanced English Grammar course. I knew how to use the language, of course, because I am a writer, but I had to learn the mechanics of it all. I thought I had left English grammar studies behind when I left school, but I was wrong.

I have met some wonderful and fun people from many different countries including Brazil, Italy, Germany, Turkey, Puerto Rico and Saudi Arabia, to name but a few. The job itself is something I love to do. I sit in front of a computer screen and prepare lessons in my virtual classroom and students come to me. I don’t even need to go to work!

If you have ever thought about doing a job like this there are lots of opportunities, whether you use US, GB, or any other kind of English. All you need is the determination to succeed.

Here are the main core principles which make it the most successful language learning approach in use today.

Basic Principles for Teachers

• A teacher’s main role is a facilitator and monitor rather than leading the class. In other words, “the guide by the side” and not “the sage on the stage”.
• Lessons are usually topic or theme based, with the target grammar “hidden” in the context e.g. a job interview (using the Present Perfect tense.)
• Lessons are built round situations/functions practical and authentic in the real world e.g. asking for information, complaining, apologizing, job interviews, telephoning.
• Activities set by the teacher have relevance and purpose to real life situations – students can see the direct benefit of learning
• Dialogues are used that centre around communicative functions, such as socializing, giving directions, making telephone calls
• Emphasis on engaging learners in more useful and authentic language rather than repetitive phrases or grammar patterns
• Emphasis on communication and meaning rather than accuracy. Being understood takes precedence over correct grammar. The fine tuning of grammar comes later.
• Emphasis is put on the “appropriacy” of language. What is the most appropriate language and tone for a particular situation?
• Communicative competence is the desired goal. i.e. being able to survive, converse and be understood in the language.
• Emphasis is put on correct pronunciation and choral (group) and individual drilling is used
• Authentic listening and reading texts are used more often, rather than artificial texts simply produced to feature the target language
• Use of songs and games are encouraged and provide a natural environment to promote language and enhance correct pronunciation
• Feedback and correction is usually given by the teacher after tasks have been completed, rather than at the point of error, thus interrupting the flow

Basic Principles for Learners

• Learners are often more motivated with this approach as they have an interesting what is being communicated, as the lesson is topic or theme based.
• Learners are encouraged to speak and communicate from day one, rather than just barking out repetitive phrases
• Learners practice the target language a number of times, slowly building on accuracy
• Language is created by the individual, often through trial and error
• Learners interact with each other in pairs or groups, to encourage a flow of language and maximize the percentage of talking time, rather than just teacher to student and vice versa
• Unless the focus is on the accuracy stage of the lesson, learners are corrected at the end of an activity so as not to interrupt their thought process

Summary

Out of the many approaches and methodologies available to the language teacher, the Communicative Approach has proven one of the most successful in providing confident learners who are able to make themselves effectively understood in the shortest possible time. It is therefore the teacher’s responsibility to create situations which are likely to promote communication, and provide an authentic background for language learning.

The Communicative Approach initially prioritizes communicative competence over accurate grammar. Grammar is hidden within the body of a lesson and highlighted and focused upon once the context has been set.

Let your students communicate first – build on their accuracy after. For example, do not start by frightening your adult students off with “Today we are going to learn about the Present Perfect Simple”, instead authentisize your lesson with “Today we are going to learn how to do a job interview in English”.

It is important to remember that as individuals most of us do not learn a language in order to communicate. First we try to communicate, and in doing so, we learn!

The internet is these days seen by many as a fountain of knowledge; however it is a fountain that only sometimes contains valuable coins. There are many on-line companies that administer TESOL courses and certificates either completely online or via post such as
tesol-direct.com
. They are a UK based firm but will distribute course materials world wide.

There are advantages and disadvantages to completing a course via correspondence and one major disadvantage is without a doubt the lack of immediate help. You can’t raise your hand, ask a question and receive an immediate answer. There are also multitudes of research papers discussing the benefits of working in groups and with others. Learning with others gives everybody the opportunity to share ideas and also to hear the ideas of others not to mention the opportunity to meet new people and develop friendships.

The advantage of a course like this is that you can work at your own pace in your own time and after finishing the course if you feel it’s not for you you are not bound to use your certificate and teach O/S. Most online companies should be affiliated with agencies that can find you employment.

Other on-line companies such as
Teachinternational.com
offer presentations about their courses in various cities throughout Australia, New Zealand and Canada and then offer their courses as intensive classes at scheduled dates, times and locations. Here you get face to face help and they will also offer you assistance finding a job.

Be wary when handing over money to an online company. As a general guide you should not pay over US$900 for an online course or US$1000 for a face to face course from an online company. Read the fine print and check out their accreditations, registrations and affiliations. If you want to find a job can they help you? Remember if it looks dodgy, it probably is.

A safe option and one that holds a little more ground is to check with your local university or college. Most universities and colleges that run Humanities, Education and Language faculties will also run TESOL courses. You don’t have to be a student of the institution and courses are usually offered part time/full time or even at night.

The up side is your certificate is coming from a recognized and respected source but the down side is, although they may briefly discuss job opportunities and how to go about looking for a position they wont organize it for you. These courses range in price and will be more expensive than an on-line certificate but you can rest assured you are being taught by a fully qualified professional.

If you have made up your mind that you are definitely going to go overseas and teach English then this option may be for you. CCUSA runs a Teach and Travel China program. You fly to Beijing for approximately 4 weeks where you are accommodated with a group of like minded people undertaking the program. During the 4 weeks you attend several classes each day and work towards gaining a TESOL certificate and learning the basics of Mandarin Chinese. You can also expect to have several excursions around Beijing and to learn a little about Chinese history, culture and ways of life.

Following successful completion of your TESOL certificate you are then sent to a school where you will be assisting in the teaching of English. If you opt for the summer camp program you will be sent to your camp. You will not be sent on your own as CCUSA tries to place 2 participants in each location.

When you arrive at your location you will be provided with meals and board often in a dormitory style building. It is important to note that standard of accommodation in China are much lower than in western countries. If you choose to teach at a school for 6 or 12 months you can expect to be at an extremely large school with around 10,000 students, even if you are in a rural area. Class sizes are much larger than western classrooms too with an average of 40 – 50 students. You will be paid whilst you teaching, however it is very little (US$200 per month) and you will receive the school holidays off to travel and see china at your leisure.

Obviously you do not undertake this program hoping to depart China with more wealth than you had when you arrived. There are fees associated with this program and they differ depending which region and country you apply from. With most programs there are of course criteria you will need to meet in order to participate.

The program is great if you have a spare 6 months and are serious about teaching English as you have guaranteed work, pre arranged accommodation and you leave with a TESOL certificate, teaching experience, an understanding of other cultures, basic Mandarin and hopefully a plethora of new friends.

The only down side to this program is the initial cost, however as previously stated you don’t undertake this program for the money you could make. The qualification will be of no use to you in a western country unless you also hold a teaching degree. If you do hold a teaching degree then having a TESOL certificate will heavily increase your earning potential.

Hopefully you have been able to gain the information you were looking for and have been able to decide which type of program suits your interests and needs. Teaching English overseas is challenging but is also a very rewarding experience. You get to experience a new culture and way of life and make friends that will be with you for life. Always remember to read the fine print but most of all have fun!