San Isidro General

  General, conversational English lessons make up a large bulk of all English lessons taught around the world, although there are also certain specialist areas of the language that provide excellent opportunities for some teachers. One of the most common areas is business-related English which is popular in many different countries.  [Read more]

General English classes are commonly taught all over the world and in many language centers and private companies you will also find business English classes being taught to a wide range of corporate clients. The need for business English classes is driven by the continued march of English as the language of international trade and industry, and there are no signs of this slowing down anytime soon. So what exactly is business English and how does it differ from general English teaching? Business English is a unique area of teaching that comes under the banner of English for Specific Purposes (ESP). Business English courses are designed for employees of any type of company who need to communicate using English in the workplace. Business English classes can cover a range of areas including:...  [Read more]

  This video is part of our video series on "Evaluation and Testing of Students". In this video, we look at some of the most common general English exams students of English take around the world. EFL teachers often hold classes to prepare the students for these international proficiency exams. 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 course is very much an add-on to the main TESOL/TEFL course. This unit gave an overview of how the course works,...  [Read more]

Check out the videos below to see our teaching staff explaining TESOL course features and answering the most common questions that you may have about Teaching English as a Foreign Language. To watch excerpts of tutoring videos from the 120-hour TESOL certificate course with tutor support, go to the teaching videos page.  [Read more]

  Due to the recent health crisis and general technological developments, teaching English online has become a large part of the ESL teaching market. How do you go about teaching English online? What type of equipment do you need and what type of training is needed to get a job?  [Read more]

  There are many different types of books that are useful in ESL teaching and these fall into three main categories: book series, general teaching theory books, and activity books. The best books for a teacher will depend entirely upon the situation they find themselves in and there is no ‘one answer fits all’ solution.  [Read more]

  If you live in North America and you are considering teaching English at home or overseas, we offer a convenient short-format combined TEFL course that might be exactly what you are looking for. The course features an initial online study section, plus an additional five days of in-class study at one of our training centers. The main attraction of this course is that you get extra in-person instruction from a professional teacher trainer that will further enhance your understanding of everything you have learned during the initial online study. The 5-day combined TEFL course is currently available in 15 great locations across 13 different US states, as well as in Toronto, Canada. You can choose a training center in a major city, such as Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York, Orlando, San...  [Read more]

  The state of California is famous all over the world due to its sandy beaches, iconic cities and year-round great weather. California received its nickname ‘The Golden State’ from the famous Gold Rush in the mid 19th century. During this period, the state saw dramatic changes in its society with waves of immigration from the east and all over the world. Today, California is the most populous state in the USA and also one of the largest, making up almost three quarters of the West Coast. In the south of California, you will find one of the state’s most popular cities: San Diego. Often referred to as ‘America’s Finest City’, San Diego is blessed with great weather and a laid back attitude. Shop at Horton Plaza, watch a baseball game at Petco Park, or visit the Gaslamp...  [Read more]

Florence will take your breath away. As the capital city of Tuscany, it has everything you could hope for: history, the arts, architecture, cuisine, theater, wine and the opera. Even the most experienced traveler knows that when it comes to the great cities of Italy, Florence tops the list. Over the years, Florence has proven to be a very popular and highly regarded location to gain your tefl certification. It’s got something to please everyone—especially those with a flair for the Arts. Florence houses a disproportionately high number of Italy’s fine art collections and Italy itself is home to over 60% of the world’s most important artworks. As the birthplace of The Renaissance, influences from Raphael, Botticelli, and Da Vinci are everywhere. From the Galleria Degli Uffizi to...  [Read more]

Argentina is a great place for TEFL jobs for recent graduates of a TEFL course and to get your “teaching feet” wet. Argentina has a demand for well-trained English teachers in the country as a whole, with the TEFL job market being a bit tighter in Buenos Aires, as it is the most desirable destination. Jobs are still available in this city, but you’ll just have to dig a little bit more to find them. TEFL Jobs in Argentina provide the opportunity to teach people from a great many different backgrounds. Students are often from a wide variety of social and age groups and professions. There are a number of ways to go about finding a job teaching English in Argentina, and these can be applied to practically any TEFL job market in the world. Get in touch with as many different language...  [Read more]

  We'll begin our examination of all the tenses by first looking at the present tense. There are four present tenses and we'll begin with the present simple tense. It's the most common tense in the English language as it talks about things in general, general facts, routines, habits. Those are usages that we'll look at in a little while but first let's focus on the form of the tense. Here, we've got our subjects 'I', 'you', 'we', 'they' and the base form of the verb followed by the rest of our sentence. Here for the 'he', 'she' and 'it' subjects, we have to conjugate our verb and in this case we've added an '-es' for 'teaches' followed by the rest of our sentence. With subjects 'I', 'you', 'we' and 'they' the pattern stays the same throughout we use the base form of the verb....  [Read more]

  Bordered by Colombia to the north, Peru to the east and south and the Pacific Ocean to the west, Ecuador is the smallest country in the Andean region. Despite this it covers a wide range of geographical features from the coastal plains to the peaks of the Andes, the rainforest of the Amazon and the Galápagos Islands made famous by Charles Darwin. Its capital city sits at 2,850 meters above sea level on the slopes of an active volcano. It’s the highest capital city in the world and was one of the first to be named as a World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO due to its large and well preserved historic center. One of the main attractions of Ecuador is its rich biodiversity with thousands of species of plants, insects and animals and hundreds of thousands of tourists visit Ecuador...  [Read more]

Bordered by Colombia to the north, Peru to the east and south and the Pacific Ocean to the west, Ecuador is the smallest country in the Andean region. Despite this it covers a wide range of geographical features from the coastal plains to the peaks of the Andes, the rainforest of the Amazon and the Galápagos Islands made famous by Charles Darwin. Its capital city sits at 2,850 meters above sea level on the slopes of an active volcano. It’s the highest capital city in the world and was one of the first to be named as a World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO due to its large and well preserved historic center. One of the main attractions of Ecuador is its rich biodiversity with thousands of species of plants, insects and animals and hundreds of thousands of tourists visit Ecuador every...  [Read more]

  "As mentioned before our four words here all are similar in using the ?b? and ?t? sounds at the end. So we know that those phonemes will be used in spelling each one of those words phonetically. Now what we're left to do is assign a phoneme for our vowel sounds. So if we analyze the word, it's ?e? as in bet. We look at our chart, we see the phoneme which corresponds to that sound and that happens to be the standard ?e? that we all recognize. Here, bet phonetically looks very similar to bet in the Roman script. Now let's take a look at ?i? bit. Now we look at our chart and we see that this symbol represents the ?i? sound and that resembles a capital I not a lowercase I but a capital I and so we've arrived at bit. Now with ?but? we have to find the sound and that corresponds to...  [Read more]

Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) certification opens up a world of opportunities for educators looking to teach English abroad, including in Latin America. Latin America is a region rich in culture and diversity, making it a popular destination for English language teachers. Here are some of the best countries in Latin America where you can teach English with a TEFL certificate: 1. **Mexico:** Mexico is a popular destination for TEFL teachers due to its size and diverse landscapes. Cities like Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey have a high demand for English teachers, both in language schools and private institutions. With a TEFL certificate, you can find rewarding opportunities to teach English to students of all ages in Mexico. 2. **Costa Rica:** Known for its stunning...  [Read more]

  The two most common usages for the present simple tense are habits and routines, as well as general facts and truths. Our example of routine would be 'I teach every Monday.' We've used our subject 'I', our base form 'teach' and 'every Monday' speaking about the routine that I have. We also have our general facts 'The sun rises in the east.' Here, 'the sun' would follow under the pronoun 'it' so we've had to conjugate our verb per our pattern and finish our sentence. We could also talk about general truths such as likes or dislikes. 'I like football,' or 'He likes football.' Of course, there are other usages but these are the two most common. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online...  [Read more]

We can start with two sayings: 1) These is no such thing as a free lunch And 2) You get what you pay for With these two things in mind let us explore what free TEFL certificates are available and the problems that may be associated with them. This is becoming more common with online courses in all subjects across the curriculum. You are able to take a course for free (or at a minimal cost) but there is no certificate issued with the course. You are then offered certificate options from a PDF emailed version to full hard copy certificate with postage. When you add the certification cost you find it is similar to buying a regular course which has the certificate and regular postage already paid for in the price. There are some legitimate free TEFL courses available as well as many not so...  [Read more]

TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) and ESP (English for Specific Purposes) are both specialized fields within English language teaching, each with its own focus and methodology. Understanding the differences between the two can help teachers and learners choose the most appropriate approach for their language learning needs. TEFL refers to the teaching of English to non-native speakers in a general context, typically focusing on the four main language skills: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. TEFL courses and programs are designed to provide teachers with the skills and knowledge needed to teach English effectively to students of all levels and ages in a variety of settings, such as schools, language institutes, and online platforms. On the other hand, ESP is a more...  [Read more]

Known throughout the world as a prime destination for ecotourism, Costa Rica is also one of the top locations in the region for ESL teaching. Across the country there are always plenty of opportunities for teachers whether you have years of experience or are looking for your first teaching role. One of the main attractions for many teachers is that a university degree is often not a requirement when looking for work. Teaching positions can be found in most parts of the country; however, the vast majority are located in the Central Valley area and in particular the capital San Jose. As is the case in much of Latin America, teachers generally don't come to Costa Rica purely to make money. The average salary is considerably less than you will find in other more lucrative regions such as...  [Read more]

  Lesson preparation and grammar points are just a couple of the topics covered in the modules or units that make up most TEFL courses. The amount of course modules and the general outline of a course varies from provider to provider. Let’s take a look at ITTT’s 120-hour TEFL course content.  [Read more]

  This video explores the structure and usage of the past simple tense. The different structures of this tense are: Positive: Add --ed or --d to the base form of the verb She worked last night. Negative: Add did not or didn't before the base form of the verb He didn't teach yesterday. Question: Add did plus the subject before the base form of the verb Did she drive yesterday? The past simple tense is used to talk about completed actions in the past. For example: I watched television last night. In order to be a confident and successful English language teacher in the classroom, it is necessary to have a good understanding of the various English language tenses such as the one shown above. The best way to achieve this understanding is to complete a high-quality TEFL course as...  [Read more]

  Many people choose to volunteer to teach as it is a great way to see the world, gain teaching experience, and give something back to society. However, due to the current climate of travel restrictions and general health concerns, many more TEFL qualified teachers are choosing to teach English as a volunteer online.  [Read more]

Definition of TEFL: The acronym means the Teaching of English as a Foreign Language, usually in a country where the first language is not English. It could therefore be applied to any teaching situation where the English Language Learner (ELL) has a first language which is not English. The profession of teaching is regulated throughout the world, although the level of regulation varies from country to country. This is also true of the EFL teaching sector, however, there are some differences. The teaching of EFL has two main sectors, public and private. The public sector mainly includes government institutions such as schools and higher education institutions. The private sector includes private schools and language centers and a large number of self employed freelance teachers. Each of...  [Read more]

  In this episode, Linda takes on the pronunciation of the word "vox populi". Enjoy the episode! 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. Unit 10 has immensely highlighted the importance of how much the teacher's attitude in the classroom towards his students can highly increase and impact students participation and eagerness to study. To have a positive attitude in general and to actively smile while encouraging students for their participation can...  [Read more]

As a TEFL teacher looking for diverse cultural experiences, there are several countries around the world that offer unique opportunities to immerse yourself in different cultures while teaching English. Here are some of the best countries for TEFL teachers seeking a rich cultural experience: **1. Thailand:** Thailand is a popular destination for TEFL teachers due to its friendly locals, delicious cuisine, and stunning landscapes. You can explore bustling markets, visit ancient temples, and relax on beautiful beaches during your time off. Teaching opportunities are abundant, especially in cities like Bangkok and Chiang Mai. **2. South Korea:** South Korea is known for its high demand for English teachers and offers a fascinating blend of traditional and modern culture. You can experience...  [Read more]

  The 'going to' future tense is used to indicate future plans with intentions and predictions based on evidence. It is a very common future tense used in both 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 grips with each section before moving onto the next. That was a very challenging unit because of considering every detail of pronunciation and phonics is very difficult. This is because it is something so intricate and accurate there is room for many errors. For example,...  [Read more]

  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 learnt about the many different types of test that schools and teachers use; such as placement tests, diagnostic tests, progress tests, practice tests and general external examinations. I also learnt about Cambridge Assessment, the different features and broad range of assessments involved. This Unit was insightful. The information presented will be useful for recommendations.This unit focuses on...  [Read more]

  A first example of a teaching idea for the present simple tense will be a classic activity called 'Find someone who'. Here, we will be trying to find someone who has a general truth such as the ability to play a musical instrument or the fact that they have a brother and a sister. This results in students going around the room asking questions in the present simple tense, such as 'Do you play a musical instrument?' 'Are you a teacher?' 'Do you have a brother and a sister?' The answers resulting will also be in the present simple tense. They will be generally 'Yes I do,' or 'No I don't.' The students will go around trying to find somebody who fits the general truth and when they do, they will write their name in the appropriate space. The students will mill around the room for...  [Read more]

Argentina is one of the most popular destinations in South America for both international tourists and those looking to teach English abroad. Teachers are drawn to the country from all over the world by the promise of a stunning natural landscape, a unique European influenced culture, and a relaxed way of life. There is a strong demand for foreign teachers throughout the country, although the largest market is located in the capital Buenos Aires. Significant markets for ESL teachers can also be found in other major cities such as Cordoba, Rosario, Mendoza, and the beach resort of Mar del Plata. Although Argentina is a very popular destination for foreign teachers, few come here expecting to earn or save a large sum of money. Salaries are low in comparison to many other popular...  [Read more]

If you are thinking about teaching English abroad, you may well have wondered whether you should take a TEFL certification course at home or wait until you head overseas. There are pros and cons relating to either choice, but here we look at the main arguments in favour of completing your TEFL training before leaving your home country. Yes, in many of the most popular countries for teaching English abroad jobs are routinely organized from within your own country. In this scenario you will have an interview via phone or webcam from home. If you are then offered the job you will often have to send off a range of documents that are required for the employer to organise your visa, or you may organise this on arrival in some cases. This method of recruitment is most popular in Asia, where it is...  [Read more]