Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in Wangping Diqu? Are you interested in teaching English in Beijing? Check out ITTT’s online and in-class courses, Become certified to Teach English as a Foreign Language and start teaching English ONLINE or abroad! ITTT offers a wide variety of Online TEFL Courses and a great number of opportunities for English Teachers and for Teachers of English as a Second Language.
On a personal note I have learnt much from this course, not least of which how little I really do know about the language I have been using daily for over 50 years. I have learnt a number of languages along the way and when compared with, for example Bahasa indonesia, the language I am currently learning, I can understand why so many people regard english as a difficult and complicated language to learn. By far the biggest benefit for me has been a thorough revision of grammar learnt many years ago. For example, I can now give an explanation of why I use a particular tense in a sentence construction where previously, although knowing it was correct, I could not. It has also been nice to have had the added benefit of being able to measure this progress. I have had distance contact for some time with indonesian tutors of english in their own country and am now able to communicate with them at a more technical level, and by this I mean jargon related to grammar, than before and this TEFL course has added tremendous value to that process. Although I am not in the teaching profession I have nevertheless had extensive teaching experience in my work as IT consultant, mostly in teaching and instructing new and existing users in the use of new software. The sections on the dynamics of the classroom, lesson preparation, the different roles of the teacher and testing and evaluation were of particular interest and benefit here. In addition learning about the different types of issues and challenges that a teacher is confronted with from day to day in various teaching scenarios, adults, children, special groups, etc. was particularly enlightening and perhaps of interest for the future. The areas of the course that were particularly new to me can be listed as follows: An introduction into the ways that teaching methodology has changed over the years and a detailed insight into the current ESA approach adopted in TEFL / TESL An insight into the way that teaching professions worldwide are seeking to standardize the process of assessing the proficiency level of language students. Correction techniques and particularly the apparently contradictory approaches to accuracy and fluency. A better understanding of receptive and productive skills and how they relate to each other. An introduction to phonology, pronunciation and the phonemic alphabet. The section on course books and material was also very relevant. As I mentioned earlier I am learning Bahasa and am able now to look at the content and methodology of the course text book and accompanying audio CD in a completely new light. Interestingly the book takes a task / language function oriented approach using non-authentic controlled text and dialogues throughout (it is of course a book for beginners). Grammar is introduced in small amounts in a very non intrusive way into each unit and there are a wide variety of tests and exercises on each of the language skills. In answer to the second part of the question, namely how I plan to utilize what I have learned, I would note a number of short and long term goals. Short term goals To follow up and build on the basic grammar introduced in the course using the grammar books we have purchased and the wealth of online materials available. This would of course be both a short and long term goal. To implement what I have learned so far in the teaching role of my current job. The challenge will be to live up to the motto of the course we run called ?Finance Software is Fun'! To implement what I have learned so far in the coaching / assisting role with my friends in Indonesia. What I have learnt will certainly help in structuring this better, in finding the correct balance between when to correct and when not to and advising in the activity planning for the lessons they prepare for their clients. Long term goals In the longer term I would consider the possibility of a new career direction and perhaps further training as appropriate. I know also from my e-friends that there is always a demand for english tutors in Indonesia and, as it seems that the whole country wants to learn english, there is no shortage of opportunities!
