What Is Incidental Learning

  So what we're going to do is to run through a series of methodologies that were created mainly in the 1900s that adopted the idea that language learning should be much more communicative, much more natural. The first one is called audiolingualism and it's also called the army method because of where it was developed. Basically, psychology, during the 1950s and 60s, was building up new theories about behaviorism. Perhaps the most famous experiments that were done in this particular area were by Pavlov, where he was showing that most animals undergo a stimulus response mechanism and he had a series of famous experiments, where by ringing a bell, he could cause a dog to salivate, that would be his response, in the expectation of getting some food. This behaviorist idea of stimulus...  [Read more]

  So, the document itself needs to contain some general information about the class, for example the name of the teacher, the date and time of the lesson, what level of class is being taught and in what room, how many students are we expecting, this is important, when we've got things like photocopying and materials to do, what is the context of the lesson, in other words, what is the lesson actually about, what vocabulary or grammar point is this lesson covering and sometimes it's also useful to write out what the focus of the lesson is. So, in effect, the context of the lesson is telling us the grammar point, for example, that might be the present continuous tense, whereas the focus is telling us how we're going to go about teaching it. Another example to illustrate this: Let's...  [Read more]

  Our combined TESOL course option offers a unique blend of online and in-class study that is the perfect choice for some of our trainees. In the initial online section of the course you learn all the theory of ESL teaching from the comfort of your own home, wherever you are in the world. Once the online part is complete you then visit one of our international training centers to complete your teaching practice sessions in a real English language classroom with real English learners. During your time at the center you will also gain further knowledge on a variety of teaching topics via input sessions with our professional trainers. The in-class component of the combined course can be completed in several great locations worldwide. At our training centers in Bangkok, Phuket and Rome,...  [Read more]

We take great pride in presenting our popular in-class TESOL certification course across a range of international locations. This mode of instruction enjoys significant popularity for its inherent benefits. Specifically, many students find face-to-face engagement with experienced teacher trainers to be more impactful than navigating course content on their own. ITTT's in-class TESOL courses are structured to last four weeks, generally requiring attendance from Monday to Friday. Each day is packed with a variety of input sessions, and some days feature hands-on teaching practice. Weekends are usually set aside for leisure, offering you the opportunity to discover the local area, socialize with classmates, or simply relax and recharge for the week ahead. One of the standout advantages of...  [Read more]

  Our 5-day combined TESOL course is a convenient short-format option that might be a good choice if you are currently in North America and are looking to teach English at home or abroad. The course kicks off with an online study section that covers all of the theory side of ESL teaching. Once the online part of the course is complete you then attend one of our training centers for an additional five days of in-class study. The big attraction of this particular course option is it includes additional face to face instruction from a professional teacher trainer that will build on all the things you learned during the initial online study phase. The in-class study section of the 5-day combined TESOL course can be completed at one of our 15 great locations spread across 13 different US...  [Read more]

There is no doubt that online English language teaching is one area of TESOL that has grown enormously in recent years. New platforms for providing online teaching services continue to appear, offering a wide variety of services to students in countries worldwide. Some specialize in 1 to 1 lessons or speaking and pronunciation, while others focus on specific areas such as business English. Current opportunities within the world of online English teaching are vast and varied, and the future seems to offer unlimited potential. Thanks to this rapid growth, the demand for online English teachers is very high and will only increase in the coming years. One of the main benefits of teaching English online is you can be based anywhere in the world. It is not necessary to fly overseas or...  [Read more]

When it comes to learning a new language there are four main skills that need to be covered: Reading, writing, speaking, and listening. These four skills are further divided into two areas: Productive skills (writing and speaking) and receptive skills (reading and listening). In any ESL classroom all four skills need to be fully covered to ensure each student has a rounded English ability. It is great if all your students can speak English clearly and confidently, but if they struggle to read or write in English then they will have real problems later on when they need these skills in the workplace, for further study, or when traveling, etc. When learning our native language we first learn to listen to all the language going on around us. For ESL students listening is a vital skill...  [Read more]

  When learning the English language students are regularly confronted by vocabulary that is new and unfamiliar to them. In order to learn how to pronounce these words correctly the students needs to hear them modeled correctly by the teacher. 3x3 or choral drilling is a technique that is often used to aid students in learning correct pronunciation. The 3x3 technique involves the teacher clearly enunciating the new word to the class who then repeat the word back as a group. The process is then repeated twice more. After the choral drilling the teacher then indicates an individual student to repeat the word to the rest of the class. This process is again repeated twice more with different students. In addition to teaching the pronunciation of new words, 3x3 drilling can also...  [Read more]

  This video looks at the difficulties students have when learning modal auxiliary verbs. The number of usages and the modal auxiliary verbs that can be used for various usages often bring about problems for the students. Also, the structure of sentences with modal auxiliary verbs can be confusing. Watch this video to understand all the difficulties students face with modal auxiliary verbs. 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 there...  [Read more]

  When choosing a TEFL certification course one of the first decisions you need to make is whether to complete it online as a distance learning course or in-class by attending a training center. Both have their pros and cons so it is down to the individual to decide which best suits their own personal situation. So what are the main differences to consider between an online TEFL course and an in-class TEFL course? Probably the most significant difference is the inclusion of Observed Teaching Practice (OTP) in classroom based courses. Throughout the four-week course you will spend many hours practicing your teaching skills in a real classroom with genuine English language learners. These practice lessons are observed by an experienced course trainer who will provide instant...  [Read more]

If you have decided to pursue a career teaching the English language, it is time to figure out what you will need to get started. While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to teaching ESL, the following are the most commonly required qualifications to become a TESOL teacher: Although it may appear obvious, English fluency is required for TESOL instructors. We recommend that you look for another job if you don't speak, read and write English well. Non-native English speakers who are fluent in the language can find work in a variety of locations, including South and Central America, Southeast Asia, and Eastern Europe. Being a native English speaker, on the other hand, is almost a requirement in some parts of the world. Countries like China, Japan, and Saudi Arabia are probably not...  [Read more]

  You can choose from thousands of teaching jobs available around the world. Earn money while traveling. Teaching English is a great way to supplement the money you have saved to fund your world travels. A TEFL certificate will enable you to spend extended periods of time in your dream destination rather than just passing through and help you get to know a country in ways that no ordinary travelers can. Volunteer in some of the world’s less developed areas and help those who need it most. Working as a volunteer English teacher is a very rewarding experience. These are just some of the many things that you can do with a TEFL certificate. Are you ready to live and teach abroad? Click here and get started today: https://www.teflcourse.net/?cu=YTDESCRIPTION Below you can read...  [Read more]

Every teacher makes mistakes in the classroom, particularly at the start of their career. As we learn to identify these mistakes we actually become better at our job, unless we fail to recognize these mistakes at all of course. Here we look at some of the most common errors made by new teachers and how to avoid them as we gain experience. Talking too much during lessons is probably the most common mistake made by inexperienced ESL teachers. The bottom line is that ESL students need to take every opportunity possible to speak the language as this is how they make real progress. However, if the teacher dominates the conversation any progress will be cut considerably. Only say what you need to keep the lesson moving forward and avoid chat that is not connected to the point of the...  [Read more]

  So let's take an example of what those drills might involve. So here is an example of a repetition drill. I will model the language and then my class will repeat after me. So "This is a cup." "Spoon" ? "This is a spoon." "Knife" - "his is a knife." Thank you. The reason that it's called or also called the army method is that it was the method adopted by the United States military who had personnel stationed around the world at the end of Second World War and they realized that they needed those personnel to pick up the language very quickly and one of the positive things about this particular methodology is that you do very quickly learn vocabulary. Another positive thing about it is that you quickly learn the correct pronunciation of that vocabulary. However, there are some...  [Read more]

Due to an extremely high demand right across the world it is not only possible to teach English online without any previous experience, it is actually very common. As long as you have completed a good quality TESOL certification course, having no previous classroom experience is generally not a barrier to starting a new career as an online English language teacher. If you work as an online English teacher you could potentially be teaching students from countries all over the world, but luckily you do not need to be familiar with all their native languages. This is possible by using the common teaching method known as total immersion. The simple premise of this method is that English is the only language used by both the teacher and the student for the duration of the lesson. The...  [Read more]

While preparing for your overseas TESOL adventure you will probably have plenty of things to think about and organize including travel arrangements, visas, vaccinations, and a leaving party or two. Even if the only thing you have to do is pack your bags, you still need to decide what to take with you and what to leave behind. Despite the fact that most people now own a mobile phone with a built-in camera, you might still want to consider investing in a separate, high-quality camera. Mobile phones are reliant on their battery life which can often be quite short if you are away from a powerpoint and taking a lot of pictures. It is worth remembering that during your time away you are likely to do plenty of exploring, often in areas that are short on mobile charging stations. One...  [Read more]

  Just to finish the sectional materials, we'll have a look the difference between what are called authentic and created materials. Authentic materials, as the name implies, are actual materials that are created for any reason outside of the classroom. So examples of authentic materials would be things like newspapers. Those are generated for the general public and they're certainly not generated for the use in the classroom. However, they can be used within the classroom other ideas would be things like songs and poems and even things such as brochures and magazines and indeed menus from restaurants. So these are materials that all can be used within the classroom but they have not been created for that purpose, whereas creative materials, as the name implies, have been produced...  [Read more]

Teaching English online generally requires all the same skills and knowledge as in-class teaching, although you will also need to be confident with the technology involved. Some online teaching platforms operate their lessons via their own software, while others operate using general communication programs such as Google Classroom or Zoom. If you choose to go down the online teaching route you will find that there are just as many different potential scenarios as there are in traditional classroom teaching. You might find yourself teaching only kindergarten children or only adults, or any other mix in between. Your lessons might be strictly one-to-one or you might have groups of various sizes. Specialized courses such as business English are also a common option. As online teaching...  [Read more]

Financial reward is not the main priority for everyone who chooses to teach English abroad, however, the ability to live comfortably and to enjoy all that you new home has to offer is certainly something most people consider. To ensure you are able to earn a good income and have the option of saving some of it to fund travel or to pay off student loans, there are a few things you can do before you leave home and after you arrive in your new country of residence. Probably the most important thing you can do to help your earning potential before leaving home is to complete an internationally recognized TESOL certification course. TESOL certification is rapidly becoming an essential qualification in many of the most popular teaching destinations worldwide, particularly those that offer...  [Read more]

  Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) is an all encompassing term that covers the various ways computers are used by teachers and students to aid the process of language learning. As the availability and sophistication of computer technology continues to grow, so does its relevance in the English language classroom. Although computers are not a replacement for the knowledge and skills of a well-trained and experienced English teacher, they do offer a number of ways to help the language learning process. There are many types of software programs available to help students learn and practice new language skills, as well as many websites aimed at English language students. The internet also provides teachers with access to all manner of teaching resources including...  [Read more]