This page deals with the sorts of things you
might learn on TEFL courses. You'll find a few articles here by David Overton and I. David has got 23 years of teaching experience, and I (Steven Starry) have been teaching English for
about 16-17 years now (Feb. 2008) and personally this serves as a bit of prepping
for a couple of advanced TEFL courses that I one day hope to
do such as the DELTA, which I believe David already has done.
David Warner (Director de SERVICIOS LINGÜÍSTICOS ASTEX) and Nicole Escario (Director of Studies of ASTEX) answer questions about the TEFL jobs recruitment process, such as: "Is a TEFL course necessary? Does ASTEX prefer one certifcate over another? What characteristics is ASTEX looking for in a new English teacher?"
IH Madrid TEFL Courses
Learn how to teach English with IH Madrid
An affiliate of
the International House World Organisation’s network of
over 120 schools worldwide, IH Madrid offers the widest
range of language teaching and training services in Madrid.
Paul Seligson is another one of those great speaker-writer-trainer combos that flies in from time to time. He is also a co-author of English File Levels 1 and 2, maybe my favorite textbook title, published by Oxford University Press. See: Paul Seligson on Youtube.
Expert advice on reading in English - Videos clips from OUP: Professor Richard Day,
University of Hawaii and Chair of the Extensive Reading Foundation. Jennifer Bassett,
Oxford Bookworms Series Editor.
The reality of teaching pronunciation
with Steve Martin
An introduction to Steven Starry's new video-blog about English teaching in Madrid.
Currently, this whole blog project is on hold I'm afraid while I come to terms with my new job (see my study program below.)
My study program - the books I use:
I mainly use OUP's New English File. I'm currently working on organizing some online support materials for two levels, the second of which is better developed for the moment.
I'm Losing Students - - March 3, 2009: A video blog entry on Youtube: In this video I answer a teacher's question. He talks about a problem he had with a class and a boss and asks what I would do in a similar situation. Basically, his boss wants him to teach using the book, but the students prefer his materials off the internet.
You Can't Always Please Everyone - Feb. 15, 2009: A video blog entry about the stress I suffer trying to deal with all the different things that pop up with English classes.
Steven's own reading list in preparation for the DELTA:
I'm including this list in the off chance that you might want to keep up with this or somehow participate in it as if it were a "book club".
Key: - I'm either reading this book right now or intend to read it soon. - I have this book. - I have this book, but use it as a reference book. - I haven't got this book, but I know who does (and I may eventually borrow it). - Review on DevelopingTeachers.com.
General Methodology Memory, Meaning and Method by Earl Stevick Planning Lessons and Courses by Tessa Woodward Readings in Teacher Development by Katie Head Inside Teaching by Tim Bowen
Language Teaching Methodology Practical Techniques by Michael Lewis
Teaching Practices The Practice of English Language Teaching by Jeremy Harmer (I have a very old edition). The Internet and the Language Classroom by Gavin Dudeney How to Teach English by Jeremy Harmer. Approaches
and Methods by Richards & Rodgers How Languages are Learned by Lightbrown/Spada Designing Language Courses by Kathleen Graves
One to One: A Teacher's Handbook by
Peter Wilberg
Speaking How to Teach Speaking by Scott Thornbury Speaking
Conversation
Discussions that Work
Discourse Analysis Contrasting Conversations by Fanselow
Teaching English Pronunciation
Sound Foundations by Adrian Underhill
Language Grammar for English Language Teachers by Martin Parrott The English Verb by Michael Lewis About Language by Scott Thornbury Explaining English Grammar Discover English Practical English Usage by Michael Swan (OUP, 1980).
Children Story Telling with Children by Andrew Wright Creating Stories with Children by Andrew Wright
April 30, 09 udpate: Because I have students currently working on Cambridge exams, I myself am currently working on "Assessment," "Testing Spoken Language" and the CEFRL. I'm also working on "Memory, Meaning and Method." I've already read a couple of other books such as How to Teach Vocabulary () which was excellent and which I'd like find the time to re-read more thoroughly in order to do a review video.
An explanation of using "Moodle in the Classroom". There are loads of other videos about Moodle on Youtube. Here is a company which creates and hosts
Moodle sites for you.
Troy's House - A blog by Troy in Caceres, Spain. There's less about teaching and more about the life of a teacher on this " cultural" blog.
Metaphors We Live By - A book review of Metaphors We Live By, by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson.
Should we teach our children English - An interesting Q and A post on LinkedIn. My addition to this forum: Hello Stella (cross my heart after I wrote the post I found that the lady had disabled the answers, and as I don't want to see my response go to waste . . .).
To TEFL or not to TEFL - Janice Haywood, DOS and owner of Windsor idiomas, writes about whether or not to do a TEFL course and what type.
Talking
Teachers - Watch David Overton's video-article on Carefully
Controlled Teacher Talking Time. (CCTTT)
Approaches
and Methods - A book review by David Overton of Approaches and Methods in
Language Teaching (Cambridge Language Teaching Library) by Jack
C. Richards and
Theodore S. Rodgers.
Lexical
Approach - A book review of Michael Lewis' "A Lexical
Approach" (1993) Hove, Language Teaching Publications"
by David Overton (this book is for experienced teachers).
Intensive English Classes - In-person or online- A self-promotional video for an English teacher in Alcorcón, Spain. Ok, so it's not actually part of my "blog", but in the 3-part 25-minute video I say a lot of the kinds of things that I usually tell my students.
Speaking about Stress - A video-article about some interesting conclusions that I've drawn from a National Geographic video on the science of stress.
Materials I use in
my classes - A 15 minute video-chat on how I organize myself
materials-wise - besides text books, which I don't talk about
in this chat, I use Hot English Magazine's Teachers' Pack and
the internet.
Why
you need a program - The key to becoming a better
teacher and to getting and keeping your own company clients
/ students is to come up with your own programs.
DevelopingTeachers.com
- Of course, there are already some websites out there which
do what I'm just starting to do (in my own way) quite well.
Error
Correction Techniques - In this video, I explain
some techniques commonly used when correcting students' errors.
Latest Articles for Teachersin the RSS Feed for teachers:
British
The TEFL Jobs Recruitment Process - by ASTEX:
David Warner (Director de SERVICIOS LINGÜÍSTICOS ASTEX) and Nicole Escario (Director of Studies of ASTEX) answer questions about the TEFL jobs recruitment process, such as: "Is a TEFL course necessary? Does ASTEX prefer one certifcate over another? What characteristics is ASTEX looking for in a new English teacher?"
An affiliate of
the International House World Organisation’s network of
over 120 schools worldwide, IH Madrid offers the widest
range of language teaching and training services in Madrid.
Paul Seligson is another one of those great speaker-writer-trainer combos that flies in from time to time. He is also a co-author of English File Levels 1 and 2, maybe my favorite textbook title, published by Oxford University Press. See: 
- I'm either reading this book right now or intend to read it soon. 
- I have this book. 
- I have this book, but use it as a reference book. 
- I haven't got this book, but I know who does (and I may eventually borrow it). 
- Review on DevelopingTeachers.com.
Here is a company which creates and hosts
