How To Get A Background

If you have a non-teaching background, you can still teach English abroad. Many countries have a high demand for English teachers, and they are often willing to hire individuals who may not have a formal teaching degree but are proficient in English. Here are some steps you can take to pursue a career in teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) with a non-teaching background: First, consider getting TEFL certification. While not always required, having a TEFL certification can make you a more competitive candidate and provide you with the necessary skills and knowledge to teach English effectively. There are online and in-person TEFL courses available, ranging from 120 to 160 hours. Next, gain some teaching experience. This could involve volunteering to teach English to non-native...  [Read more]

  In her third video, Chantelle talks about unit 3 of the 120-hour online TEFL course from ITTT. This unit deals with teaching theories, methodologies and techniques. The unit introduces several different methodologies before focusing on the ESA method that is used throughout the course. The unit also covers a range of different activities that can be used in a lesson. It also looks at ways to deal with correcting student mistakes and errors in spoken and written English. 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...  [Read more]

When selecting a TEFL course that aligns with your academic background, there are several factors to consider to ensure you make the right choice. Your academic background can play a crucial role in determining which course will best suit your needs and help you succeed in teaching English as a foreign language. Here are some key points to keep in mind: Firstly, assess your current level of education and any relevant qualifications you may already have. If you have a degree in English language or education, you may be able to opt for a more advanced TEFL course that offers specialized training or focuses on specific areas of teaching. On the other hand, if your academic background is in a different field, you may want to consider a foundational TEFL course that covers the basics of...  [Read more]

  Is a lack of teaching experience or relevant qualifications holding you back from starting a new career as an EFL teacher, or are you worried that you might be too old to find employment? Well, don’t be. As the demand for new teachers is so strong in many parts of the world, there are plenty of jobs available no matter what your age or background. Previous teaching experience is rarely a requirement for the majority of positions. The truth is that the vast majority of people currently teaching English around the world had no experience of teaching before they landed their current role. Academic qualifications are also not necessary in many cases. Teaching jobs in some countries are restricted to degree holders only, but there are many others without any such regulations. Age is...  [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]

  A TEFL course is the perfect way to start a career in teaching English. Whether you have an education background or are new to the world of EFL teaching, you are in the right place. A TEFL course from ITTT will get you all the skills and knowledge you need to succeed.  [Read more]

  Here are helpful tips how to identify the various past tenses in the English language and complete worksheets successfully. The video also helps you to structure an effective lesson around the past tenses in an EFL classroom around the world. 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. As a final lesson here in teaching Business English, Unit 6 provides additional information on how to create your own resume/c.v., what should and what shouldn't be...  [Read more]

  The idiom "silver screen" refers to the movie industry. This term originates from the 1910s when movie screens were coated with reflective metallic paint giving them a silver surface to display the projected images. 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. It is highly important that the teacher plans the listening or reading activity well. He/she should greatly consider the level of understanding of the students, their interest, and their background...  [Read more]

  In this episode, we cover the pronunciation of the word sprightly. This word is used to describe a person, usually a little bit older, who is full of energy. 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 learnt about the different past tenses - past simple, past perfect, past continuous and past perfect continuous. I learnt the different forms, usages, typical errors and some Activate teaching ideas to help teach the different verb tenses...  [Read more]

  In this TESOL review video two TEFL students talk about their experiences during their four week course in Corinth, Greece. Don't be worried if you have forgotten the rules of grammar. ITTT does not require prospective trainees to have an in depth knowledge of the terminology and structures of the English language. We will teach you this during the course thus providing you with the knowledge and skills needed to be a successful teacher. 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...  [Read more]

  In this episode, we cover the pronunciation of the word swashbuckler. This word is a noun and describes a swashbuckling person. The word has been used since the 16th century and is a combination of the words 'swash' and 'buckler'. 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. From this unit I have learnt basic knowledges about being a teacher. The teacher combines many roles at once (such as role model, manager, assessor, facilitator and so on.). The...  [Read more]

  Just to finish off this particular section on lesson planning, we're going to go through a couple of procedures that should take place during the study phase periods, particularly when we're doing the activities. It is quite important that before we actually go into a study activity that we go through a process of showing how that activity is going to work and one acronym that is often used for this is D-E-GO. The D part of this stands for a demonstration of the activity. Now, it's very important that you don't try to explain how the activity is going to work but rather you actually demonstrate the process. An example of the demonstration of the process of the activity could be something as simple as taking the first question and using it and writing it on the board. This will...  [Read more]

  The three words lightening, lightning and lighting are easily confused by English learners and even native speakers. Let's take a look at the differences. Lightening is the present participle of the verb to lighten describing the action of making something less heavy. A good example would be "I was lightening the load on my horse because it was exhausted." Lightning refers to a streak of static electricity through the sky usually accompanied by thunder, as here "I was struck by lightning while playing golf in a storm." Lighting is the arrangement of light especially in photography. A suitable example for this would be "The photo was dull because the lighting wasn't good enough". Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL...  [Read more]

  In this video we look at a TESOL teaching idea for the Present Perfect Continuous. This tense is the one we use when we want to say what has been happening. The activity in the video is called "Guess what I've been doing?" It is a fun activity that can generate a lot of student talk time. Students each receive a card that has two pieces of information on it, a past activity and a result. Each student has a turn of telling the class the result and the class then has to guess the activity using the Present Perfect Continuous. For example, the past activity on a card is "You have been driving your motorbike in the rain", the result written on the card is "You are all wet. Your clothes are wet". The other students could ask, "Have you been swimming?", "Have you been washing the dog?"...  [Read more]

  In this episode, we cover the pronunciation of the word golem. This word is a noun and refers to a figure brought to life by magic in a Jewish legend. The word comes from Hebrew g?lem meaining ?shapeless mass'. 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. This unit was really good going through the conditionals in a more detail and approachable way.The explanations and also the different examples to teach this topic was really helpful,also the further...  [Read more]

  Moving further down our list of parts of speech, we have our adjectives. Adjectives modify or describe nouns. Basically, they give more information about the noun. Here, we've used a noun such as chair. It could be any old chair. It's only the noun. If we want to describe the noun, we need to use an adjective before it. So, I could say "I have an old black leather chair". Here, we have to be concerned about the adjective order. In this instance, I started with age, as age typically goes before color and then I use the color to go before the material. This is a certain pattern. Depending on the adjectives you want to use, you always have to use certain patterns to which you'll need to be aware of when teaching your class. Another way to describe a noun is by showing possession. We...  [Read more]

  This video covers the difference between 'cite' and 'site'. These two words often cause confusion for English learners due to their similar spelling. The word 'cite' is used as a verb and means to make reference to someone or something, like citing experts in a paper. The word 'site', on the other hand, is used as a noun and describes a location or place, like the site of an earthquake or the site of a war. We are sure you won?t confuse the two words again. 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...  [Read more]

  This video breaks down the difference between the two words "invite" and "invitation". They are often used interchangeably but actually aren't synonyms. The word ?invite? is a verb and refers to the action of asking someone if they?d like to do something or go somewhere, such as here: 'I want to invite all my friends to a BBQ party'. "Invitation", on the other hand, is a noun and refers to the actual message of asking someone if they?d like to do something or go somewhere. A suitable example would be: 'I sent out an invitation to all my friends'. A very common mistake is to use 'invite' as a noun instead of 'invitation'. However, the sentence ?I haven?t responded to her invite yet? is incorrect and 'invitation' should be used. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate...  [Read more]

  The two words "lay" and "lie" are often confused for each other, which is why we decided to break down the differences in this video. "Lay" is what is called a transitive verb. That means, it needs to be followed by one or more objects. A good example sentence would be "I lay the book on the table". As you can see, lay is followed by ""on the table"". We couldn't only say "I lay the book." as it would be incomplete. This means it is transitive. "Lie" on the other hand is an intransitive verb. That means it doesn't take an object, for example "I lie down". Most errors have to do with the past tenses of the two verbs, as the past tense of "lie" is "lay" while the past tense of "lay" is "laid". Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online...  [Read more]

Teaching English in a culturally diverse setting can be a rewarding experience, but it also requires careful preparation to ensure effective communication and understanding among students from different backgrounds. Here are some tips to help you prepare for teaching English in a culturally diverse setting. First and foremost, it is essential to familiarize yourself with the cultural backgrounds of your students. Take the time to learn about their customs, traditions, and beliefs to better understand their perspectives and avoid unintentional misunderstandings. This cultural awareness will help you adapt your teaching approach to be more inclusive and respectful of the diversity in your classroom. In addition to understanding your students' cultures, it is important to create a welcoming...  [Read more]

  Since 1998, ITTT has been offering high-quality TEFL courses in a range of different formats and we are now one of the leading course providers in the field of TEFL training. Although we are at the forefront of EFL teacher training we still strive to maintain our high standards by continuing to upgrade our courses and services on a regular basis. Since we started our TEFL training we have helped tens of thousands of trainees from all different backgrounds to realize their individual dreams of a fulfilling career as an English language teacher in countries all over the world. Over the years the world of EFL teaching has continued to develop at a rapid rate and we have kept abreast of these changes by adding innovative new courses, regularly updating our course materials, and...  [Read more]

  The next item that we're going to consider is the use of resource books. There are many different types of resource books available and within those books there tends to be a general pattern and typically the resource book pack will come in a three book series and typically that three book series will be in the form of the student book, a workbook and a teacher's resource book. So for example here are those three books for this particular series called ?Total English? and in the student book the type of information that we can gain from here is the actual background to the teaching points themselves plus some additional information in terms of short worksheets and so on and so forth and tape transcripts at the end for listening activities, which these days often come on a CD...  [Read more]

  In this TEFL review video Geoff tells us that he has just finished a 120-hour online TEFL course with ITTT. Geoff has been in China for some time and decided to take the course to take advantage of his business background in China. He found the course to be challenging but rewarding with a good combination of video tutorials and online reading. 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. This unit covered some of the different groups of students that an...  [Read more]

If you are looking to obtain a TEFL certification for advanced learners, it is important to choose a reputable and accredited institution that offers specialized courses tailored to meet the needs of advanced students. There are several factors to consider when selecting the best place to get TEFL certification for advanced learners. First and foremost, it is essential to ensure that the institution offering the TEFL certification is accredited by a recognized accrediting body. Accreditation ensures that the institution meets certain quality standards and that the certification will be recognized by employers and educational institutions worldwide. Additionally, look for a program that offers specialized courses or modules specifically designed for advanced learners. These courses should...  [Read more]

Mexico is one of the leading travel destinations in the world. What makes Mexico so appealing for travel? The food, the people, the culture, the natural beauty and so much more. Mexico offers its visitors a taste of every possible landscape that you can imagine, from sandy dune deserts to snow pine forests or buzzing cities to majestic beaches… you name it and Mexico’s got it. If sightseeing is your thing when you explore then take your pick; Mexico has Mayan and Aztec pyramids like Templo Mayor or Calakmul, colonial jewels like Museo de Bellas Artes and Castillo de Chapultepec. Mexico’s past is not all that glorious, but its future is brighter than ever. Impressive urban developments throughout the country place it as one of the most important economies in the world. Puerto Vallarta...  [Read more]

  Whatever your nationality or background, there are plenty of EFL teaching jobs available as the worldwide market for TEFL qualified teachers is simply massive. In fact, the demand is so strong that you can even pick and choose which job you prefer in some areas around the world. Thanks to this demand, non-native English speakers with a TEFL Qualification are in a great position to find employment in many countries. The truth is, of the thousands of trainees who graduate from our courses every year, there are always more non-native speakers than native speakers. As long as you are a fluent English speaker with a good-quality TEFL certificate under your belt, there is nothing stopping you from achieving your goals as an EFL teacher. In reality, non-native English speakers actually...  [Read more]

To apply for a TEFL course, you typically need to follow a few key steps. First, research different TEFL course providers to find one that suits your needs in terms of course duration, cost, accreditation, and teaching practice opportunities. Once you have selected a TEFL course, you will need to complete an application form on the provider's website. During the application process, you may be asked to provide personal details, educational background, and sometimes a statement of purpose explaining why you want to take the course. Some providers may also require a copy of your resume or CV. It's important to check the specific requirements of each course you are interested in to ensure you provide all the necessary information. After submitting your application, you may need to pay a...  [Read more]

What qualities and qualifications do employers of ESL teachers look for? First we need to say that there are no hard and fast rules to answer this question. There are a huge range of requirements worldwide, depending on the country, type of school, nature of the job, type of contract and so forth. The information given here is therefore general. There are a number of generally recognized requirements that employers are looking for from their teachers. You may need one, two, three or all of the following to get any particular job. It is unlikely you will find a job without any of these: Many ESL teaching jobs worldwide require the minimum of a TEFL certification from this list. As the nature of the job, or country specific employment requirements increase, so the need for other qualities or...  [Read more]

  Before we move on to the final methodology for today, let's just recap and see where we are at this point in time. We're looking at different learning methodologies. Each of those methodologies takes its premise from being somewhere on this particular spectrum of ?nature versus nurture? and where we are on this spectrum gives us a starting point for the background or theory to that particular methodology. So, we?ve had a look starting in the 17th century and the classical method and moving on as the ideas of psychology developed to various methods, such as audiolingualism, the silent way, Suggestopedia and TPR. Each of these showing a development as knowledge about learning increased and each of these takes a different starting point on our English spectrum. Below you can read...  [Read more]

When it comes to choosing the best in-class TEFL certification, there are several factors to consider to ensure you receive high-quality training that meets your needs and goals. While there are many reputable institutions around the world that offer TEFL certification courses, it is essential to do thorough research before making a decision. One of the most important aspects to consider is accreditation. Look for programs that are accredited by recognized bodies in the field of English language teaching, such as the British Council or ACCET (Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training). Accreditation ensures that the course meets certain standards of quality and professionalism. Another crucial factor to consider is the course curriculum. A good TEFL certification course...  [Read more]