Monday, February 29, 2016

Where is the best place to take a TEFL course?

In most cases, the best place to take a TEFL course is in the country where you intend to teach after the course. This means you can gain insight into the ELT profession in that country and experience the way that English is taught there. The teaching practice component of the course is particularly helpful in this respect. If you aim to teach children and teenagers, it wouldn’t be a good idea to take a course which provides teaching practice only with adults.


Another important consideration is the assistance that you will receive with obtaining employment after the course. Most TEFL courses include a job guidance component, and some course providers have established links with TEFL employers worldwide. But if you already know where you want to teach, taking the course in your chosen country should give you preferential access to jobs. TEFL Corinth is operated by Anglo-Hellenic Teacher Recruitment, the main source of TEFL jobs in Greece, so we are in a unique position to help you find a teaching job in Greece.


Corinth is the ideal TEFL course location for those who want a simple and convenient package with everything provided. The suburban railway from inside Athens airport brings you straight to Corinth, and we’ll meet you on arrival to ensure your transfer to your accommodation is fast and simple. We provide inexpensive accommodation right by the TEFL Corinth training centre, so no travel is required and all the facilities you need are within five minutes’ walk.

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

TEFL Corinth trainee feedback



"Georgia’s patience, explanations, tenacity, generally her character and personality are the bee’s knees."

John Aron
   

"While the amount of information to be delivered is considerable, the instructor is patient and delivers it in a well-paced manner, and moves through the curriculum taking the time to make sure it is presented in an easily understandable manner."

David Schneider


"The relaxed, friendly, chatty experience provided a comfortable environment making it easy to learn. It was well structured and organized whilst flexible and sensitive to people’s needs. I was fully engaged and had fun."

Alexandra Mocroft   



"Georgia has a warm and supportive nature and works harmoniously with different personalities. As I’m a teacher who is actively pursuing knowledge, I found the course a source for professional development and a dynamic way to grow as an educator."

Eleftheria Kotseroni
   


"The possibility to practice teaching almost every day was great. I know what to work on and how I can improve. Georgia and Angeliki encouraged me a lot and I enjoyed teaching. "

Tessa Groen

When is the best time to take a TEFL course?

We are often asked when the best time to take a TEFL course is. The answer depends mainly on where you want to work after the course, as the peak hiring season varies in different parts of the world. But there is such a high demand for TEFL teachers, there are always lots of opportunities at any time of the year. http://teflcorinth.com/TEFL_jobs_worldwide.html lists hundreds of current jobs all over the world.



Assuming you want to teach in Greece, the best time to take the course is during the summer. Most TEFL jobs in Greece start in September, and the majority of the schools that we work with contact us with details of their vacancies during June and July. Taking the TEFL course early in the summer will give you first choice among all the available locations. Alternatively, if you prefer to take the course during August – September, you will be able to start work immediately on completion of the course.


Our course dates for 2016 are at http://teflcorinth.com/dates_fees.html

Monday, February 1, 2016

Top Five Tips for Novice Teachers

 Top Five Tips for Novice Teachers

Be prepared

Be prepared
Be prepared
Thorough preparation is the key to a successful lesson. You need a lesson plan with sufficient detail to guide you through the stages of the lesson, but you should be flexible in the way you use this. You should also make sure that all your materials and activities are prepared. When teaching vocabulary, it’s one thing to know what the words mean, and quite another to be ready to give clear and accurate definitions. When doing a listening comprehension activity, ensure that you have the correct answers yourself, and that you’re prepared to explain them. 

Don’t Rush

Don’t Rush
Don’t Rush

Adjust the pace of the lesson according to the needs of the learners. If you rush through the activities too quickly, they won’t have time to absorb the new language. On the other hand, if the pace is too slow, the learners will get bored. In order to make your timing flexible, make sure you have some optional activities in your lesson plan which can be omitted if time is short, and have some filler activities which you can use if you have time left at the end of the lesson.


Focus on the learners

Focus on the learners
Focus on the learners
As long as you’re well prepared and confident that you know your materials thoroughly, you’re free to focus your attention on the learners. Try to look at your lesson plan and handouts as little as possible, so you can maintain eye contact with the learners. Be aware of what they’re doing at all times. During a listening activity, you should be monitoring the learners, not reading the audio script. During pair and group work, monitor effectively, notice language areas that you want to include in feedback, and make sure you’re always available to provide help and support.


Mind your language

Mind your language
Mind your language
As a language teacher, you have many roles. One of the most important is to provide comprehensible input for your learners. You need to provide a model, speaking clearly and audibly, writing legibly and accurately, and your language needs to be adapted to the level of each class. With an elementary class, make sure the language of your instructions and explanations is suitably simple, but avoid using unnatural or exaggerated stress and intonation. With an advanced class, avoid over-simplifying, but make sure your language doesn’t become too challenging. Be alert to the learners’ reactions, ask questions to confirm understanding, and encourage them to seek clarification whenever necessary.


Be yourself

Be yourself
Be yourself
Forget about the old-fashioned metaphor of the teacher as an actor on stage. A lesson isn’t a performance, a lesson plan isn’t a script, and the learners aren’t an audience. You can learn from observing other teachers, emulate some aspects of their teaching, but don’t try to imitate a persona that doesn’t match your own style of teaching. Instead, develop the potential that you have within you, listen to feedback, reflect on your teaching so that, in the words of Penny Ur, you will become the best teacher that you can be.



© Peter Beech 2016