Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in Jinghai Zhen? Are you interested in teaching English in Jieyang Shi? 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.
Unit 17 covered the topic of classroom equipment and teaching aids. Whilst course/text books are often form the backbone of a learning programme, many different teaching aids are available to enhance and expand on the concepts covered. Dictionaries, visual aids, worksheets, published print and online materials are universally utilised with multi-media devices used according to availability, suitability for lesson stage and teacher experience. Whiteboards (replacing the chalkboards of yore) are commonly used in a typical classroom setting with more advanced interactive whiteboards (basically a computer) available to those with the budget available to spend. An alternative to the whiteboard is the overhead projector for showing prepared materials. Advantages of the OHP compared to the whiteboard include less time spent with the teachers back to the class and also less time writing. On the otherhand, disadvantages of the OHP include the need for a free open wall to project on and also the machines themselves are often cumbersome and tricky to operate. Visual aids such as real objects, photographs and pictures are very popular teaching tools which help engage students, illustrate meaning, set context and support memory processes. Worksheets, which can be prepared by the teacher or adapted from other sources, are helpful in communication activities and grammar exercises. Cassette recorders and CD players used to be staple items in classrooms but have been more or less replaced with more modern technology. CDs are still used as are DVDs to play audio and/or visual content. In the vast online world there are a multitude of learning and teaching resources from YouTube to specialised sites for teacher and student reference. Whatever aids and materials are utilised during class time, it is essential that sufficient time is taken beforehand to prepare and organise how the lesson will proceed and that all tools are operational, effective and attuned to the class participants and lesson goals.
