Tefl.NET Forums

Ask them... I would do an initial needs assessment in the first class - this can be a simple form asking them about how they use English and what they want to know (look for examples in Google). Then after getting them to fill it individually, I would also go through it as a group and try to open th...

Jeremy Harmer and Jim Scrivener are essential reading if you will continue on to Celta so well worth it.
Another popular author is Scott Thornbury, who makes a lot of theory understandable in a classroom context.

The degree is really the stumbling block. Most countries won't give out visas to those without degrees. Generally any degree will do. Some countries you may be ok. As a citizen of ROI you of course have free movement in the EU though not much to be earnt in Tefl there. Of course there may be jobs in...

You're bound to find somewhere... many places don't get the quota of teachers they set out to employ in my experience, or they get let down at the last minute.. so don't give up.

I'd present lower case first if I was you. Get them to associate letters with words - a - apple, b- ball, c - cat, etc. Don't do all the letters in one go Simple games like putting the letters on the board and getting them to race to the front to slap the one you call out is pretty effective and fun...

Hi. With your PGCE, experience of teaching in secondary school and gap year experience, you are probably already more qualified than any of these certifications will make you. What they might be useful for is to update you on changes in TEFL since your experiences, and also to provide some ideas on ...

Regular practice is key. Is he studying the sounds daily? This would help. Give him not just the sounds but a word to say to link it too. Finally, he doesn't have to do all the sounds in one go... break it down into fewer sounds if it helps.

I visited Bishkek 18 months ago whilst working across the border. Although I'm not going to say you are wrong I would like to balance your account with my own of working in Central Asia reflecting some of your points. Firstly, agreed Kyrgyzstan, and Central Asia generally, is a nice place. I don't t...

I think the view that neutral accent = RP/Queens English/BBC English is narrow-minded. Certainly a neutral accent is one that is not regionally bound, and therefore is more likely to be understood by all. RP is generally agreed to fit that description. But is it the only neutral accent? I would disa...

Perhaps a simple solution is just to use windows itself which allows you to add tags to office documents. For windows 7: http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/windows-and-office/tag-your-files-for-easier-searches-in-windows-7/ Alternatively, how about more of a portfolio approach? You encourage your stud...

If only the grammar questions you raise in 2 were as hard as they get - but I do recall that was about the limit of grammar knowledge I had leaving compulsory education. 5 also happened to me kind of. I was invited to attend the local college of pedagogy for an event, to which I responded maybe and ...

Could ask the barrister when he was called to the bar, which inns of court he attended and then check it here - http://www.legalhub.co.uk
As expected - no Duke Cole.

I would use the first lesson to really drill down to where the student uses language and where they feel they are inadequate. Then I would set tasks around what it is that they feel less than confident in doing. If I was unable to get appropriate responses I would suggest that the student could keep...

1. Bearing in mind I will not initially have any prior teaching experience, what calibre of job can I initially expect with my degree and TEFL qualification. And am I realistically an employable candidate? Depends on the country - some countries have such a demand for native English teachers that th...

What I find a bit unsettling is that American teachers that would be protesting them back in America are collecting paychecks from them here in China... How do you know that these particular teachers would protest in America? Or is it patriotic idealism? I'm sceptical of the amount of truth in rant...

China requires teachers to have two years post grad experience (any field). Many employers falsify CVs and degree certificates if they have to, but if you are below 23, they know the authorities in China will not be fooled. For many teflers this is fine anyway because they are often career changers ...

Further to the previous answer, essentially the vocabulary and functions involved in business are different (perhaps more narrowly defined) than for general English. Ultimately though the students do still need general English. I did see a joke where someone was teaching the Present Perfect when a s...

I'm enjoying using Memrise.com for learning vocabulary in other languages - so your students may enjoy this too.

Focus on what the student needs... get them to do a needs assessment before hand. It doesn't have to be purely grammar. If they are only doing 12 hours over 2 weeks also, then get them to do a lot of extra stuff to immerse them in language too like watching films or reading when they are not learnin...

The typical if it sounds too good to be true, then it almost certainly is.
Astro perhaps you can share a link to the white list?
I would say it's better to go for a reputable company... but then Disney English are I guess the exception to the rule.