Information Gap Activities

  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]

  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]

One of the key factors in promoting language fluency and confidence in TEFL students is creating a supportive learning environment. This involves fostering a safe space where students feel comfortable taking risks with their language skills. Encourage a positive classroom atmosphere by promoting respect, active listening, and open communication. Building rapport with students and showing genuine interest in their progress can go a long way in boosting their confidence to speak and practice English. Incorporating communicative activities into your lessons is essential for developing language fluency and confidence. These activities focus on real-life communication and encourage students to use English in a meaningful way. Role-plays, group discussions, debates, and information gap tasks are...  [Read more]

  Now an example of a straight arrow ESA lesson for our engage phase. What we're going to do is to show the students a video of animals and they are going to say what they like about those animals and try to create a list of some more. So, remember what we're trying to do here is to get the students talking and thinking in English. We're using a typical engage activity, which is to create a list and we try to make sure that all the students have been involved in some way in creating those lists. Moving on to the study phase, the first part is going to be the board work and the teacher is going to try to elicit from the students what each of those animals can and can't do. Typically, what the students will say is just single words, so "run," "jump," "fly," etc. What we would then...  [Read more]

  So, having elicited this particular structure, what I'm now able to do is to move on to the actual study activities. Typically, they will be in the form of worksheets to check that the students actually understand this information. So, I might prepare three activities. They may not do them all but, for example, I could prepare these three study activities. So, the first one is going to be a fairly straightforward matching activity, where perhaps they match the subject to its correct verb "to be" in that part of the sentence. The second one is going to be a gap fill. For example, I might use this verb here and ask them to complete a sentence using that verb, so that I can check that any spelling changes that take place are correct and the final one is going to be an unscramble,...  [Read more]

  1. Understanding TEFL Lesson Objectives 2. Selecting and Organizing Teaching Materials 3. Creating Engaging Lesson Activities 4. Incorporating Technology in Lesson Plans 5. Adapting Lesson Plans for Different Proficiency Levels 6. Integrating Cultural Content in Lessons 7. Developing Assessment Strategies 8. Time Management in TEFL Lesson Planning 9. Reflecting and Improving on Lesson Plans 10. Collaborating with Colleagues on Lesson Planning A crucial aspect of effective TEFL lesson planning is clearly understanding and defining lesson objectives. Objectives serve as the foundation of a lesson, guiding the teacher in what to teach and how to teach it. They provide a roadmap for both teachers and students, ensuring that the learning goals are clear and achievable. Objectives should...  [Read more]

  1. What is a TEFL License? 2. Importance of a TEFL License 3. Educational Prerequisites for a TEFL License 4. TEFL Certification Programs 5. Work Experience and Teaching Practice 6. Visa and Work Permit Requirements 7. Language Proficiency Requirements 8. Cultural Competency and Sensitivity 9. Professional Skills and Competencies 10. Health and Background Checks 11. Country-Specific TEFL Requirements 12. Online TEFL Training vs. In-Person Training 13. Job Opportunities for Licensed TEFL Teachers 14. Career Advancement in TEFL 15. Continuing Education and Professional Development 16. Success Stories from ITTT Graduates 17. Financial Considerations for TEFL Certification 18. Benefits of Teaching English Abroad 19. Networking Opportunities in the TEFL Community 20. Common Challenges...  [Read more]