Information Gap Activities

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified in Japan? Are you interested in teaching English in Yamaguchi, Japan? Check out our opportunities in Yamaguchi, Become certified to Teach English as a Foreign Language and start teaching English in your community or abroad! Teflonline.net offers a wide variety of Online TESOL Courses and a great number of opportunities for English Teachers and for Teachers of English as a Second Language. Here Below you can check out the feedback (for one of our units) of one of the 16.000 students that last year took an online course with ITTT! Productive skills include speaking and writing which are used to communicate. Accuracy versus fluency activities: Accuracy activities (study phase) usually have a purpose or target grammar point...  [Read more]

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified in Argentina? Are you interested in teaching English in Neuquen, Argentina? Check out our opportunities in Neuquen, Become certified to Teach English as a Foreign Language and start teaching English in your community or abroad! Teflonline.net offers a wide variety of Online TESOL Courses and a great number of opportunities for English Teachers and for Teachers of English as a Second Language. Here Below you can check out the feedback (for one of our units) of one of the 16.000 students that last year took an online course with ITTT! As we know that, speaking and writing skills are essential to English Learners. But these two skills are high demanding that accuracy for both and especially for speaking. Substantially, there...  [Read more]

  In this video Linda breaks down the difference between "in time" and "on time". Due to the fact that both expressions revolve around time, they can be quite difficult to distinguish. However, this video provides helpful examples and explanations that will help EFL teachers and students alike to grasp the difference. 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. The two productive skills, which are speaking and writing, were examined in this uni. The...  [Read more]

  Once we're satisfied that all the students have been engaged and that they've been given the opportunity to say something, we can move on to our study phase. Here, it may be necessary or useful to actually pre-teach some gaps in knowledge that have been shown from the engage phase and those gaps in knowledge may include actual grammar structures or indeed useful vocabulary and it's very important that, before we move on to doing any forms of activity, we check their understanding of this material. So, we need to do some study exercises. It's also very useful if you leave this information up on the board through all that study period. Those study activities can just be the normal types of gap fills or matching activities and, as always, we need to demonstrate those activities,...  [Read more]

Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) is an approach to language teaching that emphasizes interaction as both the means and the ultimate goal of learning a language. In a TESOL program, CLT focuses on developing students' communicative competence, which involves not only grammatical accuracy but also the ability to use language appropriately in various social contexts. This approach views language as a tool for communication rather than a set of grammar rules to be memorized. Teachers play a facilitative role, guiding students to communicate meaningfully through authentic language use. To incorporate CLT in a TESOL program, teachers need to create a learner-centered environment that encourages active participation and meaningful communication. This can be achieved through task-based...  [Read more]

English listening skills are crucial for effective communication as they enable learners to understand spoken language in different contexts. Listening skills are essential for academic success, social interactions, and professional development. Developing strong listening skills helps learners comprehend lectures, participate in discussions, and follow instructions accurately. Furthermore, good listening skills contribute to improving pronunciation, vocabulary acquisition, and overall language proficiency. 1. Pre-teaching Vocabulary: Introduce key vocabulary and expressions before the listening task to familiarize students with the language they will encounter. This helps students focus on comprehension rather than getting stuck on unfamiliar words during the listening activity. 2....  [Read more]

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified in Algeria? Are you interested in teaching English in Chlef, Algeria? Check out our opportunities in Chlef, Become certified to Teach English as a Foreign Language and start teaching English in your community or abroad! Teflonline.net offers a wide variety of Online TESOL Courses and a great number of opportunities for English Teachers and for Teachers of English as a Second Language. Here Below you can check out the feedback (for one of our units) of one of the 16.000 students that last year took an online course with ITTT! This final section covering troubleshooting of the most common concerns regarding class preparation and difficulties provides many avenues for solving problems that may arise within a course period or...  [Read more]

In the field of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), promoting critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills is essential for the holistic development of language learners. TESOL teachers can incorporate critical thinking by designing tasks and activities that require students to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information. One effective strategy is to use authentic materials such as newspaper articles, academic papers, or advertisements to stimulate critical thinking. Encouraging students to question assumptions, identify biases, and consider multiple perspectives can also enhance their critical thinking abilities. Additionally, fostering classroom discussions and debates on relevant topics can help students develop their argumentation and reasoning...  [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]

Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) is an approach to language teaching that emphasizes communication and interaction as the main goals of learning a language. In a communicative and interactive language classroom, students are encouraged to use the language in real-life contexts, promoting meaningful communication. This approach focuses on developing students' ability to communicate effectively in various situations, rather than just memorizing vocabulary and grammar rules. By engaging students in interactive tasks and activities, teachers can create a dynamic learning environment that motivates students and helps them develop their language skills more effectively. When teaching speaking and listening skills in a communicative and interactive way, it is essential to provide students...  [Read more]

Language fluency is a crucial aspect of language learning as it enables learners to communicate effectively and confidently in real-life situations. Fluency goes beyond just knowing vocabulary and grammar; it involves the ability to speak effortlessly, with proper intonation, pronunciation, and natural phrasing. In an English language classroom, promoting language fluency should be a key goal to help students become proficient speakers who can engage in meaningful conversations and express themselves accurately. There are several effective strategies that teachers can use to promote language fluency in the English language classroom. One key strategy is providing ample opportunities for students to practice speaking. This can be done through pair and group activities, role-plays, debates,...  [Read more]

Integrating language skills in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) lessons is crucial for providing learners with a holistic language learning experience. By incorporating listening, speaking, reading, and writing activities, students can develop a well-rounded proficiency in English. This integration mirrors real-life language use, where individuals constantly switch between these skills to communicate effectively. Moreover, integrating language skills helps learners see the interconnectedness of language components, leading to a deeper understanding of linguistic structures and functions. There are several effective strategies that TESOL teachers can employ to integrate language skills seamlessly into their lessons. One approach is task-based learning, where students...  [Read more]

  This video covers the difference between 'adapt' and 'adopt'. Due to their similar spelling, their usage is often confused. 'Adapt' describes the action of taking something and changing it for a special purpose, for example: A screenwriter successfully adapts the book to make it work as a movie. The word 'adopt', on the other hand, refers to the action of taking something and using it or making it your own, such as here: Because they couldn't have children of their own, they decided to adopt a child. 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...  [Read more]

  In this episode, we cover the pronunciation of the word nepotism. This word refers to people in power favoring and giving powerful positions to friends or family. Some synonyms of the word include favoritism, bias, partiality, or partisanship. 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 lesson I learned about productive skills: speaking and writin. In order to have the students communicating, the students must have a reason to communicate, a...  [Read more]

Creating engaging lesson plans for TESOL students starts with understanding their backgrounds, interests, and language proficiency levels. Conducting needs assessments and setting clear learning objectives are crucial steps in this process. By knowing your students well, you can tailor your lessons to their specific needs and preferences, making the content more relevant and engaging for them. Consider factors such as age, cultural background, learning styles, and previous language learning experiences when designing your lessons. One effective way to engage TESOL students is by incorporating communicative activities into your lesson plans. These activities encourage students to use the language in a meaningful way, promoting interaction and real-life communication. Role-plays, group...  [Read more]

  Here we have a set of five words, which all share one sound: the ?oh? sound, as in ?go?, ?show?, ?dough?, ?note? and ?boat?. They?re five different spelling patterns to tell our students so they can identify when to make the ?oh? sound. We can have a simple letter ?o?, ?ow?, ?ough?, ?o? with the magic ?e? which turns our vowel into what we knew as long sounds and the ?oa? as in ?boat?. Now, for a non-native learner, perhaps they can handle something like this. They remember that these spelling combinations help to produce the ?oh? sound and they can go about their business looking at the words and memorizing this knowing that these spelling patterns will produce the sound ?oh?. Now that?s okay until we get to a situation where we can also have words like ?to?, ?cow? and also...  [Read more]

Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) is a widely used approach in TESOL classrooms that focuses on communication as the main goal of language learning. This technique emphasizes real-life communication and interaction, encouraging students to use the language in authentic contexts. Teachers using CLT often create activities that simulate real-world language use, such as role plays, discussions, and problem-solving tasks. This approach helps students develop their speaking and listening skills while also improving their overall language proficiency. Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) is another effective technique in TESOL classrooms that centers around the completion of meaningful tasks as the primary method of language learning. In TBLT, students are given tasks to complete that require...  [Read more]

Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) is an approach to language teaching that emphasizes interaction as both the means and the ultimate goal of learning a language. In a CLT classroom, the focus is on enabling students to communicate effectively in real-life situations. This approach moves away from traditional methods that prioritize rote memorization and grammar drills. Instead, CLT encourages students to engage in meaningful communication through activities such as role-plays, discussions, and group tasks. By creating an authentic language environment, students are motivated to use the language for real purposes, leading to improved fluency and accuracy. To create a communicative and interactive learning environment for TEFL students, teachers can start by designing tasks and...  [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]

Teaching English grammar effectively is essential for language learners to communicate accurately and fluently. Grammar instruction should be engaging, meaningful, and cater to the diverse learning styles of students. One of the most effective teaching techniques is to integrate grammar instruction into communicative language activities, where students use grammar in context to communicate meaningfully. This approach helps learners understand grammar rules naturally and apply them in real-life situations. The Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach emphasizes the importance of communication in language learning. In a grammar lesson using CLT, teachers provide students with opportunities to use grammar structures in authentic communication tasks such as role-plays, discussions, and...  [Read more]