Type Of English Words

  This video covers the difference between 'figuratively' and 'literally'. Even native speakers commonly confuse these two words. The word 'figuratively' is used when talking about something metaphorically. 'Literally', on the other hand is used for things that are real or really happen. Watch the video for detailed examples on the two words. 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 learned about each specific type of the parts of speech....  [Read more]

  Let's begin our examination of parts of speech with nouns. Nouns are our naming words. They name a person or people, such as Jack, Jill, brother, Prime Minister. We have a place or places such as kitchen, Tokyo. Things or the things around us: pen, light, camera. We have our concepts and ideas: beauty, democracy. These people, things, places and concepts fall into two basic subcategories. Those subcategories are countable and uncountable. As their name suggests, the differentiation here is whether or not we can count our nouns or if we cannot count them. We have our countable nouns: dogs, pens, are two examples. The very nature of the words means that we can count these nouns one dog or 5, 10. Then, we have our uncountable nouns. The nouns that cannot be separated: music, bread....  [Read more]

  The next item we're going to consider is the use of dictionaries and here perhaps the first thing we should do is to make a distinction between the two main types of dictionary and that distinction is between the monolingual and the bilingual dictionary. In a monolingual dictionary you have a word and its associated meaning and those two are both described for example in English so the word and the description of that word are both given in English. Whereas in a bilingual dictionary that word meaning could often be for example the word given in English and the explanation given in Thai and vice versa. So what can we use a dictionary for? Well, within the dictionary itself obviously we can get things like how words are spelled or the spelling of the word. We can also get the...  [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]

  Did you know that you can complete an ITTT online course in the comfort of your own home and at your own pace? In this TEFL review video George talks about his experiences as an ITTT online student. ITTT offers a variety of TEFL/TESOL online courses. For example, for teachers who are considering working with younger students, ITTT offers the Certificate in Teaching English to Young Learners. Young learners can be one of the most rewarding of all groups to teach and ITTT's course will provide you with the tools to be an effective classroom teacher. To find out more about this course and other TEFL courses ITTT offers simply follow the links above. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online...  [Read more]

  Here we look at the difference between "less" and "fewer". This set of words is often used incorrectly and we decided to take a closer look at the difference to help you avoid mistakes. The key difference is that the word "less" is used to refer to uncountable things while "fewer" is used to refer to countable things. Keeping this in mind will help you figure out which word to use in all situations. Remember the '10 items or less' line at the supermarket" Well, it's actually a mistake. If you are purchasing several items then these items are countable, which means the checkout should be called the ?10 items or fewer" line. Other examples of the difference between the two words are "I have been to fewer countries than you" (countable),"I have less money than you" (uncountable)....  [Read more]

  This video covers the difference between 'affected' and 'effected'. As these two words have a similar pronunciation and spelling, their usage is often confused. 'Effected' means executed, produced, or brought about. On the other hand, 'affected' refers to the action of making an impact on something. Some example sentences would be: "The BP oil spill adversely affected marine wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico and surrounding areas." or "After the BP oil spill, the government effected sweeping environmental regulation." Both words are used in the past tense in these examples but can also be used in the same way in the present tense as 'affect' and 'effected'. They are also often used as a passive, such as 'was affected by...'. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate...  [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]

  Whereas stress is typically concerned with one individual word, intonation is generally concerned with the variation in volume and pitch throughout an entire sentence. Intonation carries the message of a sentence. It's particularly important when questioning or agreeing, disagreeing and confirming statements. It's also very important when expressing emotions and feelings. The normal pattern for intonation is the rise-fall. Few examples would be ?I haven't seen him for a week,? or a simple word as ?okay?. With the falling intonation, we?re indicating that we're finished speaking. Again, ?I haven't seen him for a week? and ?okay?. A few more examples would be ?I'll see you at six then,? or a question of information ?How do you spell rough?? These are straightforward statements that...  [Read more]

  In this episode, we cover the pronunciation of the word eloquent. This word means a person who is fluent and also persuasive in both speaking or writing. It can also refer to the action of clearly indication or expressing something. The word comes from Latin eloqui meaning to speak out. 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 broad unit is effective at covering the numerous facets to organize a class in several modes for meaningful class room...  [Read more]

  Our next particular methodology is accredited to James Asher around 1965 and is called total physical response. Asher looked at the way in which we learn our native language and he saw that most children, before they even went to school, have picked up a very large percentage of both the grammar and the vocabulary that they would use in their native language before any type of formal schooling. So Asher started to have a look at ideas of how to use the whole of our brain in language learning in the way that we do when we're very young. It's accepted that within our brain there are two hemispheres, one is the left hemisphere the other is the right hemisphere, and one of the functions of the left hemisphere is language learning. One of the major functions of the right hemisphere is...  [Read more]

  It also helps us form our tenses. Many of the tenses will use these auxiliary verbs; particularly we have our continuous tense and our perfect tense. There are additional tenses that use auxiliary verbs. We'll get into that when we talk about our individual tenses. Another important aspect of our verbs is that they generally tell us what tense the sentence has been formed in. Take for instance the verb "to live." We could use it as live, lives, living or lived. "I live" or "she lives in Bangkok," meaning the present. "I am living in Bangkok," still the present or "I lived in Bangkok," meaning the past. Another difference with our verbs has to do with whether or not the verb is regular or irregular. With the regular verbs, in order to conjugate the verb into the past, we simply...  [Read more]

  This video covers the difference between 'desert' and 'dessert'. As these two words have a similar pronunciation and spelling, their usage is often confused. This is such a commen mistake made by both native speakers and English learners that we simply have to cover it. The pronunciation of the words is slightly different so most mistakes occurr in writing. Let's take a look at the two words. 'Desert' spelled with one 's' refers to a waterless, dry and empty area. A suitable example would be: Crossing that desert is dangerous. 'Dessert' spelled with double 's', on the other hand, has a very different meaning. It refers to the sweet course usually served at the end of a meal, such as cake or ice-cream. A good example would be: I had some ice-cream for dessert today. Keeping this...  [Read more]

Using games in your TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) classroom can be an effective and engaging way to enhance language learning. Games can help students practice language skills in a fun and interactive way, promote communication and collaboration among students, and increase motivation and participation in the classroom. There are various types of games that can be used in the TEFL classroom, such as vocabulary games, grammar games, speaking games, listening games, and writing games. Here are some ideas on how to effectively incorporate games into your TEFL lessons: Vocabulary games are a great way to help students learn and practice new words and phrases. You can use games like word puzzles, word searches, flashcard games, or memory games to reinforce vocabulary. For...  [Read more]

  In this video Linda breaks down the difference between ?anyone? and ?any one?. While this set of words is often confused, the difference is actually quite simple. Watch the video for detailed explanations and examples on the two words. 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 did not bring much of new knowledge for me. As a teacher by education and educator by practice I can say that the most valuable part for me was \"Evaluation by the...  [Read more]

  This is a TESOL review video by ITTT course graduate Andreea. Andreea was unable to attend onsite classes and found that the online TESOL course was an ideal alternative. ITTT offers both online and in-class courses ensuring that there is a course to suit your schedule. 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 the English language, words can be considered as the smallest elements that have distinctive meanings. Based on their use and functions,...  [Read more]

  Chelci completed her course with ITTT and is now teaching at a school in South Korea. In this TESOL review video she shows us how the school day ends as students finish studying for the day. Completing a TEFL TESOL course with ITTT enables you to work all over the world as an English teacher and is a great way to experience new countries and cultures. 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. wow this was quite a complicated and enlightening unit! I...  [Read more]

  Once you have completed your chosen TEFL course and have that all important certificate in your hand, you can seriously start to plan the next stage of your adventure. Thanks to the sustained demand for English language teachers right across the world there are plenty of countries to choose from, each with its own unique set of attractions. But how long will you have to commit for when you sign the job contract? Europe The most common contract in European schools is for an academic year that generally runs from September to June. The great thing here is you will have a couple of months off during the summer break to travel or earn some extra cash working with private students or at a summer camp. Summer language camps are very popular across much of Europe and usually run for 4...  [Read more]

  This video is part of our ESA Methodology series. The ESA methodology consists of three stages. In this series, we look at the individual purposes of each stage and typical activities for each stage. This second video introduces the study phase of ESA. The purpose of this phase is to cover the actual teaching of the lesson and to check the understanding of that material.The second stage or phase of the lesson is known as the study phase and really the purpose of this phase is to cover the actual teaching of the lesson and to check understanding of that material. Typically in an ESA lesson, the study phase will have two parts. The first phase of the study is to cover the actual teaching component in what's known as the board work and what we try to do in the board work phase is to...  [Read more]

  We now consider what we might call the technology that we could use within the classroom then that could include things such as cassettes, the use of CDs, the use of DVD and video. Some general issues surrounding the use of these types of material, make sure whenever you're using any of this type of technology though you know how it actually works when using it for a listening activity, for example. How long does it take for the whole tape to play through? How long does it take to rewind and so on. Other issues that you might need to think about is if you're using a cassette player or CD or something that you set the volume level before you actually start the lesson so that when you switch on you don't shock everyone with a very loud sound or that they can't actually hear it....  [Read more]

  The two words "farther" and "further" are a pair of words that is often used interchangeably to talk about distances. However, not many know that there is actually a slight difference between the two. "Farther" is used for physical distances. So we would use it in this example: "Tokyo is farther away than Beijing". When using "further" we talk about non-physical, figurative distances, for example "I'm falling further away from my goals". As you can see, the two words have slighty different usages. However, in spoken English the two words are often used interchangeably without a difference. However, if you are keen to use them properly, you should stick to the rules mentioned above. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL...  [Read more]

  Moving down our list of parts of speech, we have our verbs. The first big difference between verbs that we need to look at is whether it's an action verb or a state verb. Our action verbs, as the name suggests, mean that we typically can see these things in action. We can see people working and we certainly see people going to various places. Now, we have our state verbs. These are basically indicating a state of being. Two examples would be "seem" and "have" or "own". We have a sentence such as "He seems angry." and "I own my house." You can't actually see the action happening, even though those words are used as verbs. A very big differentiation between the two here as well is, state verbs typically don't take the progressive or continuous form. That form is the verb "+ing". As...  [Read more]

  Dawn decided to take an online TEFL course with ITTT to enable her to take advantage of the high demand for English teachers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In this TEFL review video Dawn describes her experience of taking ITTT's 120-hour online course with tutor support. 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 provided insight into three aspects of teaching a new language: vocabulary, grammar structure, and functions. It explained what was...  [Read more]

More and more employers now expect their English teachers to have a minimum of a 120-hour TEFL certificate. Gaining a TEFL certificate shows your commitment to the profession and gives you an introductory preparation to the knowledge and skills needed to teach English. There are three main routes to a 120-hour TEFL certification. There are two main areas covered in a TEFL course, 1) Teaching skills 2) Language awareness A good TEFL course will give you a solid grounding in the basics of the English language. You will learn how English grammar works and how you can explain it. Topics covered will typically include; Depending on which type of course you undertake, onsite, combined or online, the topics presented throughout the course will be tested to ensure an adequate level of...  [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]

  As mentioned earlier, our example sentence has used a regular verb 'to play'. With the regular verbs we simply add '-ed'. This spelling pattern changes for words that end with a consonant and a Y: 'cry' goes to 'cried', 'try' to 'tried'. Another spelling pattern we have to be aware of is our consonant plus vowel plus consonant. In these instances, we double the consonant used: 'shop' needs the double P; 'ship' needs the double P. With these spelling patterns, and most spelling patterns in general for the English language, there are always exceptions to the rules. So we have to be aware of those exceptions. We also have to impart those exceptions on to our students. We can do so through various exercises and various activities to end our class. To form the negative sentence here,...  [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]

  In this episode, we cover the pronunciation of the word echo. This word is used as a noun and as a verb. As a noun it refers to the sound caused by the reflection of sound waves from a surface back to the speaker. As a verb, it describes the action of a sound being repeated after the original sound has already stopped. The word comes from the Greek word ?kh? meaning ?a sound?. 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 a lot in this unit. I...  [Read more]

  In this episode, we cover the pronunciation of the word thorough. This word is used as an adjective and means being careful about detail. The word comes from the Middle English word thorow, which came from the Old English thurh. 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 covers the different types of classes an ESL teacher will encounter, one on one classes, business, children, beginners as well as the differences in teaching monolingual...  [Read more]

  In this episode, we cover the pronunciation of the word quiescent. This word refers to a state of inactivity. Synonyms for quiescent include inactive, idle, at rest, and quiet. 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 really took me back to being in high school choir for many years, as well as taking professional vocal lessons. That's where I learned about word stress, the IPA, and how shifting vowels can change meaning and sound. It was a great...  [Read more]