Grade Teacher Training

2022-01-17 13:00:08 ​ Hi teachers!
Are you thinking of taking one of Cambridge TKT exams? Here are some books that you might find useful when preparing for the core modules: TKT Modules 1, 2, 3.

The TKT Course Modules 1,2,3 by Alan Pulverness, Mary Spratt, Melanie Williams

The latest edition of the book, in addition to theoretical chapters and tasks, has a digital application with interactive tasks, instant scoring and feedback. The app also includes an interactive TKT Glossary quiz, which covers all TKT terms, and 'Ask the author' videos, which provide expert views on different teaching issues.

However, the the book is quite concise, and when you see that certain chapters contain only scanty lists of terms, you will want to get more information on a particular issue, more examples and more practical ideas. The following books will come in handy.

Essential Teacher Knowledge by Jeremy Harmer

In addition to the essential theoretical knowledge, the book provides examples and practical advice for teaching English, and a variety of ideas for lessons. This edition is also interesting because it contains videos demonstrating key teaching techniques, so you can see how the theory works in practice, as well as get acquainted with the experience of teachers from around the world.

Interestingly, there are also two chapters on teaching Young Learners and CLIL.

Learning Teaching by Jim Scrivener

For those who plan to continue their CPD with CELTA, or just want to deepen their knowledge, this book is a must-read.
The book, again, covers all the aspects you need to know for the TKT exam, and provides an even wider range of practical ideas, tips and concepts.

About Language: Tasks for Teachers of English by Scott Thornbury

The book will be useful not only when preparing for TKT, but also for a more serious exam - DELTA Module 1. First, it is very interesting, because the tasks make you think, analyze and put theoretical knowledge into practice . Secondly, this book answers the question: "What is it that a teacher needs to know about English in order to teach it effectively?"

The Study of Language by George Yule

The book is intended for those who have no knowledge of language, its systems and how it is taught and learned. Some sections of the book may not relate to the TKT exam program, however, they interestingly describe various linguistic phenomena.

Classroom Management Techniques by Jim Scrivener

A useful book for any teacher, and not just for preparation for TKT Module 3. The book has many useful ideas that cover a very wide range of classroom management issues.

Our next Online TKT Module 3 Preparation course starts this week. Hurry up! Open / Comment

2022-01-14 13:37:14 ​ Teachers, we learn and teach languages for one reason — communication. That is why we are inviting you to join our new online course which starts on 31 January — 'Advanced C1 Communication Skills'.

Why this course is for you:

The course is based on the Lexical approach. Wear your students' shoes and check the efficiency. Observe how Grade teachers work.

Teaching lower levels? Improve your English communication skills and learn a lot of new vocabulary.

Learn conversation developing techniques to effectively maintain conversations on complex topics.

Meet cool people and practice English at a high level.

100% qualified and experienced teachers.

Work on overcoming the language barrier.

Free learning resources and authentic materials.

Useful and interesting topics for discussion.

Study from the comfort of your home.

Hurry up! Only 4 places left in the group. Open / Comment

2022-01-12 13:59:34 ​ Where is the best place to do CELTA? Does it make a difference where to take this course?

There are things to consider before you apply:

Course location.
Anyone who wants to study will first ask where it can be done. Remember that only official authorized centers have the right to run CELTA.

Course format.
The next thing you have to decide for yourself is how you want to study: online or offline, full-time or part-time. Each format has its advantages and disadvantages.

Reputation of the centre and trainers.
This criterion is probably the most important when choosing a centre for the course. In the age of the Internet, it is not difficult to find feedback from those who took a course at a particular centre.

Read about other important things that will help you find the best location for taking the CELTA course on our blog. Open / Comment

2022-01-10 15:00:15 Teachers, some of you have already returned to their classes while others are still enjoying their winter holidays. It's time to wake up from winter sleep and ... go back to reality because we have prepared a very special event on 22 January 2022!

Pre-CELTA Training Day is a great opportunity to try what the CELTA course in just one day with an expert and an experienced CELTA trainer - Christopher Reese.

Pre-CELTA Training Day Programme

10.00 — 11.30 am

Good Classroom Practice — what does it mean to practice language?

After students learn a new item of language, many approaches to teaching argue that learners need to “practice” it via concentrated drills, activities, or tasks which focus them on the target language. This is often presented to teachers via terminology such as “controlled” or “freer practice” — yet, while teachers are often familiar with these terms, through my experience in teacher training I’ve seen that teachers often struggle with how to apply these ideas in the classroom. In this practical session, we’re going to look at what it means to practice language, the different aims of language practice, and how to provide truly effective language practice in the classroom.

Key takeaways:

- Different types of practice that we can provide and the reasons for providing them
- How to evaluate the effectiveness of different types of practice and know if it suits your lesson
- How to organise practice to create an effective lesson.


11.30. — 12.00 Break


12.00 — 13.00 pm

Planning successful lessons (for CELTA and beyond!)

Having worked in teacher training for several years — and observing almost a thousand hours of others teaching — I’ve learned several important things about teaching, one of which being: a good lesson starts in the lesson plan (and, very often, a poorly-planned lesson results in the lesson being poor itself!). However, many teachers struggle to plan lessons in an effective way and clearly, appropriately translate their materials into a lesson that learners enjoy and benefit from. In this practical session, we’re going to look at the stages involved in planning an appropriate lesson, key lesson planning mistakes to avoid, and some alternative approaches to lesson planning which can be helpful, especially when your coursebook isn’t quite what you would like.

Key Takeaways:

- An overview of professional lesson plans
- Key lesson planning mistakes to avoid
- Other approaches to lesson planning to help you plan effectively day-to-day Open / Comment

2022-01-10 12:51:14 Open / Comment

2022-01-07 10:00:02 ​ Merry Christmas to you and your families!
Enjoy this special occasion with joy in your heart and lots of fun time! Open / Comment

2022-01-06 12:00:02 ​ Teachers, Join our exam preparation courses, and get ready for obtaining the most valuable English qualifications in the world.

Wear your students' shoes, develop your own skills and set a personal example.

FCE, CAE, CPE

IELTS General or Academic

TOEFL

TKT Modules 1, 2, 3, YL

DELTA Module 1 Open / Comment

2022-01-05 13:00:02 ​ Everyone is scared of the word 'exam'. And everyone is relieved when it's over. People invent myths about everything, even the language exams.

What are the most common ones? Have you heard any of them?

MYTH #1 It is very difficult to understand language exams.

MYTH #2 You can prepare for exams in regular English classes.

MYTH #3 All examiners in international exams are native English speakers.

MYTH #4 There are centers (cities, countries) where you can get a higher score for a particular exam.

MYTH #5 There's no need to take exams with a low level of English.

Read about top 5 common exam myths in our new blog post and check if they are true Open / Comment

2022-01-04 12:16:27 Open / Comment

2022-01-03 12:43:22 ​ Teachers, have you ever faced these problems in your classrooms? How did you solve them?

Students hijack the lesson

Tell students that if they finish their work, they can have a few minutes at the end of the class to talk about whatever has them so excited. Or tell them that you have already planned the lesson/activity, but that you will certainly include their ideas next time.

Students speak other languages in the classroom

Turn it into a game for YL, for example, and give rewards/points for completing the tasks in English. For older students, an English speaking marathon may work well: every time you come to the classroom write down the time when you started and finished speaking English, for example, 21 December 10:00-10.45 am (45 minutes). Do not erase the records for a month. Let your students see how much time they have been spoken English for a month, a year, a week.

Students depend on the teacher

Your task is to show the students they can do it. Use scaffolding and praising, differentiate tasks by levels.

Students don't do homework

Give them a choice of tasks. For example, if you planned to give 5 exercises, tell them they can choose to do 3 which they want. Or, if you planned to give 1 task, let them choose between 2 or 3.

Students are bored or unmotivated

They can be bored with the course book. Select other materials or adapt those from the book.
They can be bored with monotonous classes. Add more games, competition, change interaction patterns.
They might have no goals for learning English. Talk to your students and try to find out about their learning goals and needs, set examples of successful stories (for reading or listening), use tasks which can demonstrate their progress.

Don't leave anything to chance.

Enroll in our TKT Module 2 preparation course in January to learn how to anticipate and solve different problems that might arise in an English classroom! Open / Comment