Private teacher or institute programmes?

When studying at an Advanced level, students must often decide between a private teacher and lessons or institute lessons. What factors may be important?

Foreign, Second or First - the difference matters

Recently a leading language institute in Chile advertised that they were seeking an ESL (E2L) teacher for an ESL (E2L) programme. Of course they were not; they were looking for an EFL teacher for an EFL programme. The evidence? Classes were one hour long, held twice a week which in an English-speaking country would be insufficient for E2L, but in an hispano-hablante country, impossible.

This provokes two questions. Does the institute, and do teachers and do schools, know the difference between Second and Foreign? Secondly, what is the difference between Second, Foreign (and by extension, First)?

TKT Core and TKT - Young Learners Examination Preparation

 

Cambridge English ("CEE") offers two certification tracks, one for English Language and one for English Teaching. CEE's teaching certification has three levels, and the entry level is known as TKT or the Teaching Knowledge Test which has six modules, the three "TKT Core" modules and three "TKT specialist" modules. These two programmes will prepare you for TKT Core and/or TKT - Young Learners.

Developing and Implementing a PK - 12 Speaking Programme

Speaking comes naturally to humans; the first thing babies do is to tell us they have arrived! However, there is speaking and then there is speaking, and schools and teachers have a role and a responsibility in helping students speak better.

Effective Groupwork

 

Groupwork is one of the most effective teaching strategies and should be one of the primary approaches of all teachers, not just English Language and Lang&Lit. This introductory seminar for G7 - 12 levels (G5 - 6 teachers will also find it useful) reviews the hows and whys, teacher friendly approaches, effective and valid assessment and how to avoid some of the more common reasons groupwork activities are not a huge success.

Effective Approaches to Teaching Reading Comprehension

Reading Comprehension means accessing the explicit meaning of a text, and is achieved through acquiring and developing specific strategies, and through practice. This methodology session reviews some quick-and-easy teacher-friendly approaches which can be successfully used with all levels in EFL, as well as E2L and E1L, programmes. 

Plug-and-Play Reading Comprehension / Literature lesson : Essay "The Stream"

 

This ready-to-use lesson is suitable for both upper-intermediate / advanced English Language classes, and as one or two lessons in a literature mini-unit. 

Plug-and-Play Reading Comprehension / Literature lesson : Essay "Indian Camp" by Ernest Hemingway

 

This ready-to-use lesson is suitable for both upper-intermediate / advanced (B2/C1) EFL classes and as the first lesson in a literature mini-unit. Hemingway's moving and influental essay is suitable for use with high school and older students.

Effective discussion skills - useful language

 

Discussion is one of the most useful and important strategies for a teacher, and this includes English Language and English Literature teachers. Discussion is also integral to human interaction, and while we are all born to converse, we need to learn to discuss. This session reviews useful language for a discussion skills programme.

Get the test you pay for

Diagnostic assessments rarely are (if ever!), while placement assessments can only be done by people familiar with your programme. What you need is a Level Test, telling you where your students are.

Advanced Reading Comprehension - Rugby

 

This series reviews publications related to the sport of rugby : for example match predictions, reviews and analysis, club and player profiles, and the history and rules of the game, from straight reports to commentary and analysis. The series is partly General English and partly English for Specific Purposes, and while everyone is welcome, players, former players, coaches and fans of the sport will likely find it more engaging. 

Plug-and-play mini-unit : The History of English

 "The History of English", a four-lesson plug-and-play mini-unit for reading comprehension, vocabulary development and speaking practice. This mini-unit is suitable for use with B2-level students in an EFL / Chilean national programme, or with G6/7 students in an E2L / international programme. The mini-unit can be used as is, and as a model for planning and designing other lessons.

My favourite MS dictionary

 

This must be the best general and quick-access dictionary for G5 - 8 students and/or B1/B2, and for EFL students across all subject disciplines. These Longman dictionaries are based research on the most common and most important words for learners at these levels, and in its day the Longman corpus was revolutionary and groundbreaking.

My favourite HS dictionary

 

This must be the best general and quick-access dictionary for students to G10 and/or C1, including language, literature and lang&lit. Even E1L and C2 students will find it useful. 

Why I like "Murphy"

 

When I was a teacher and Head of Department, my "go to" grammar book to use with students was Raymond Murphy`s English Grammar in Use. In fact, as a teacher, I had a class set (well, one between two) along with dictionaries, and as Head of Department, I provided a set in each Middle School and Lower High School English classroom.

Study English in the UK

The Wimbledon School of English in London is ranked #1 in the UK and has been for most of the last 20 years.

International Certification as an English Language Teacher

 

The Trinity Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages ("Trinity Cert") is one of the most highly-regarded English Language Teaching qualifications in the world. Become the English teacher of your dreams with the Trinity Cert.

**Online modular programme now available **

Study English in the UK

Free thirty-minute seminar on studying English at the Wimbledon School of English.

January 2021 Advanced Reading Comprehension

English has no future, talking about tomorrow