Let's talk about my new favorite word: "TEFLpreneur." By now, you've probably pieced together that it's a fun combination of "TEFL" and "entrepreneur." But what does it really MEAN to be an entrepreneur in the ELT industry? What do you need to get started, what does it take to be successful, and why attempt it in the first place? Join me for a reflection on the rise of the TEFLpreneur and some thoughts on whether you could be one, too. Ready to build your own online ELT business? Let's do it ...
In this week’s episode, I’m thrilled to welcome Karen Taylor as my guest. In 1999, Karen created an amazing teaching tool called the Color Vowel Chart when she realized there had to be a better way to help students with pronunciation. The Color Vowel Chart took off, and in 2011, she co-founded ELTS (English Language Training Solutions) in response to popular demand. Karen holds an MA in TESOL from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey and a BA in English Lite...
In this episode, I'll walk you through engaging, student-centered ideas for presenting new vocabulary words in your lessons, including: #1: How to use a picture or realia#2: How to use a matching task #3: How to use a cline #4: How to use a dialogue #5: How to use a text Prefer to learn from a video? Watch on YouTube here. Looking for more training on teaching vocabulary and other online lessons? Join the TEFL Horizons Membership for live online workshops and free mon...
In this episode, I'm happy to welcome Brock Brady as my guest. Brock began his career in the ELT industry somewhat spontaneously, as you'll hear from our conversation. He started as a Peace Corps volunteer in Togo, West Africa and from there went on to earn a Master's degree in TESOL before gaining experience in positions such as English lecturer in South Korea and Language Center Director in Burkina Faso and Benin. He served as the co-director of American University's TESOL program in Washin...
In this episode, let's talk about what NOT to do when teaching a vocabulary lesson. I'll go through five of the most common mistakes I see teachers make when planning and teaching vocabulary lessons, including: Mistake #1: Not presenting the vocabulary in a way that is contextualized and student-centered (why it’s better to start with a student-centered lead-in instead) Mistake #2: Going from word to meaning, not meaning to word Mistake #3: Not clarifying meaning first Mistake ...
Tune in to this week's episode to learn more about practice activities for your ESL lessons. We'll start with a quick refresher of the difference between controlled and freer practice as well as which types of lessons require "practice" to begin with. From there, you'll learn how to find and acquire useful practice activities plus ideas for using them in your virtual or in-person classroom, including: #1: Practice activities from course books #2: Practice activities from the teacher...
This week's guest, Lorenzo Sclocco, is an ESL teacher and education specialist based in Toronto, Canada. He's been teaching General English, EAP, Business English and Exam Classes at language schools, universities, and colleges since 2009. He also teaches Italian and German. In 2018, Lorenzo received the “Excellence in Teaching Award” at the University of Toronto, School of Continuing Studies. He considers himself a life-long learner and is passionate about anything related to language and pe...
Last week, I shared my top tips for teaching reading lessons online. This week, tune in for my favorite tips on teaching online listening lessons. You'll learn: #1: How to embed the audio into your slide #2: How to bring the speakers in the audio to life #3: How to best support students in comprehension exercises #4: How to conduct pair checks in listening lessons#5: How to get the most out of feedback Bonus! #6: How to manage timing in a listening lesson Download your free ==> Guide...
If you're an online English teacher, you've probably experienced some common issues: tech trouble, breakout room snafus, or even lack of student motivation (how do you get them to participate through the screen??). In this episode, you'll get practical suggestions for the most common online teaching issues. Thank you for listening! ➡️ If you enjoyed this episode, share it on Instagram stories and tag me at @tefl_horizons and I'll repost you 🙌 And please take a moment to leave a ra...
I’m happy to welcome back a returning guest for this episode: Jessie Ebersole.Jessie joined me on the podcast in the fall of 2019, but in case you missed our previous conversation, let me briefly introduce her before we dive into today's conversation. Jessie is the Director of Academic Programs at Washington English Center, which is a non-profit English language school for adult immigrants in Washington, D.C. Washington English Center offers 14 levels of ESL classes, all of which are tau...
Welcome to the first episode of 2021! In this episode, I'm sharing a few personal and professional updates, as well as summarizing a few key lessons I learned about teaching English online in the last year. Thank you for listening! ➡️ If you enjoyed this episode, share it on Instagram stories and tag me at @tefl_horizons and I'll repost you 🙌 And please take a moment to leave a rating and quick review to spread the word and support the podcast COURSES & TRAINING with TEFL HORIZONS:🗝️ Joi...
By now, you may have tried your hand at teaching English online, or perhaps you’re just thinking about getting started. So what are the key factors to consider when you’re teaching through a screen as opposed to in the physical classroom? In this episode, let's talk about the important differences between teaching online and teaching in person, including tips for troubleshooting tech issues, adapting and sharing materials, and keeping your lessons student-centered and engaging. Tha...
This episode's guest is Ricardo Fajardo, who joins me for a discussion on teaching English for a very specific purpose – exam preparation.Ricardo has been a teacher of English for 24 years and a teacher trainer for the last 12 years. He is currently a CELTA tutor and assessor, which has given him the chance to travel and learn from different practices at other training centers. He is also an ICELT and DELTA tutor and works as a freelancer on different projects such as coursebook writing and o...
This week's podcast guest is André Alipio. André has been the Director of Studies at GTP, Global Teaching Practice, for 10 years now. He has also been a teacher trainer since 1995, working for different institutes in Brazil, including International House Sao Paulo. As the director of studies, he is responsible for designing and delivering a range of courses for teachers of English, as well as training tutors for those courses. André is an active CELTA and DELTA trainer, and has trai...
In this episode, please welcome guest Eliberto Salinas.Eliberto has extensive experience as an English teacher and is also a CELTA trainer at International House Mexico, where he is based in Mexico City. Today, he’s joining me to talk about something many teachers find challenging: supporting students of different English levels in the same classroom. Join us for a conversation about how to identify and cater to students’ differing abilities, including some practical strategies for...
In this episode, Andrew Watson joins me to share strategies for teaching young learners online. Andrew has gained great insight into working with young learners through his extensive experience in the ELT industry. Since landing his first teaching job in South Korea in 1994, he’s held a variety of EFL jobs including teacher, IELTS oral examiner, young learners’ coordinator at the British Council, CELTA and ICELT teacher trainer and developer. He holds a DELTA certification and an M...
In this episode, I'm happy to welcome a returning guest: Orlando Delgado. Orlando is the Director of Teacher Training & Development Operations for IH Mexico and has been a teacher trainer and CELTA and DELTA assessor for over 10 years around the world. Orlando is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about online teaching and training in particular – and this week, we’re talking about what’s going on in the world right now and how that affects the ELT industry. At the time of recording...
"By the end of the lesson, students will be able to..." Does that phrase look familiar? If you're a teacher, chances are you're aware of the practice of writing aims or objectives for your lessons. Maybe you learned about this in a training course, or maybe you work at a language school where your boss looks over your plans. For many teachers, sitting down to write out lesson aims can feel a little like a pointless chore. If you have a sense of what you want to do in the lesson, do you r...
In this week's episode, we're doing an in-depth review of teaching SKILLS lessons, starting with how they differ from systems (grammar and vocabulary) lessons. It's tempting to think that every lesson should involve teaching students new words and grammatical structures, but it's equally important to focus on developing students' skills: reading and listening comprehension and speaking and writing fluency. Tune in to learn practical strategies for tackling all four of these skills in you...
How do you approach teaching writing? Do you give your students writing exercises in class, or do you just assign writing tasks as homework? In this episode, we'll discuss the benefits of working on students' writing skills in the classroom, and we'll take you through exactly how to structure an effective writing lesson. You'll learn why the writing task itself is the most important piece of the whole puzzle, as well as a practical process that help you turn your ESL students into better...
Елена Розина
Hi, your podcast is just awesome. I'm happy I've found it. As a new teacher I find your podcast really useful! Can you make a podcast about vocabulary recycling activities?