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Tom Garside
Apr 22, 20243 min read
Some and any… Revisiting Quantifiers and Countability
There is a 'grammar rule’ about quantifiers which is often taught to learners at lower levels of study.
Tom Garside
Apr 13, 20244 min read
Countable and uncountable nouns - what’s the difference?
When learning another language, it is important to know the way that things are named. Some languages add gender to nouns, some use specific
Tom Garside
Mar 28, 20247 min read
Know your grammar: What are articles, and how can we teach them?
The articles ‘a’, ‘an’ and ‘the’ are in a class of word called determiners. As the name suggests, a determiner is a part of speech which
Tom Garside
Mar 10, 20245 min read
What is schwa and why is it so important?
Of all the 44 sounds of British English, and 43 (or so) sounds of American English, there is one sound which plays an important role
Tom Garside
Feb 18, 20244 min read
American English and British English - what are the main differences?
Among the many varieties of English in the world, the two most taught versions are American English (USEng) and British English (BrEng).
Tom Garside
Jan 22, 20243 min read
5 reasons why new teachers succeed
If you are thinking of training as an English language teacher, but don’t have any experience with education or language study, don't worry.
Tom Garside
Jan 15, 20245 min read
Student engagement and motivation
Teachers often talk about the need to motivate their students, by creating activities and topics that they like doing. However, is it really
Tom Garside
Dec 19, 20234 min read
Be proactive with your pronunciation teaching
Pronunciation is an aspect of second language learning which often goes under the radar. The English pronunciation system is more
Tom Garside
Dec 2, 20235 min read
Assumptions about training as an English Language Teacher
The language education industry has evolved enormously over the past 20 years, though developments in the private English teaching sector
Tom Garside
Nov 10, 20236 min read
Tried and tested routines for teaching grammar
Grammar is an integral part of language education, but is often seen as a boring necessity rather than a focus which can engage and
Tom Garside
Nov 1, 20236 min read
How to make in-class reading more engaging
As one of the four language skills, reading is an essential part of second language study. However, it is commonly misunderstood by teachers
Tom Garside
Oct 22, 20234 min read
How to build speaking confidence with quiet ESOL classes
In first-language education, a common problem for teachers is how to deal with noisy or disruptive students. However, in the second
Tom Garside
Oct 11, 20234 min read
The Trinity Certificate for Practising Teachers (CertPT) course for success in your classroom
Most teacher development courses are focused on the teaching that you do: how to teach more effectively, methods and techniques that are
Tom Garside
Sep 27, 20234 min read
For language teachers: Why it’s not all about you!
Traditionally, in most classroom settings, the teacher takes centre stage. They are the expert, and what they say goes. This is also a
Tom Garside
Sep 16, 20234 min read
How to plan your teacher talk for more focused language teaching
Teacher talk has something of a bad name in ESOL. On initial training courses we are warned about avoiding high levels of Teacher Talk Time
Tom Garside
Sep 5, 20235 min read
What is ESOL teaching, and what does it take to become an English Language Teacher?
Becoming a teacher of English and a Foreign Language is becoming a more and more popular way to generate flexible income, to diversify into
Tom Garside
Aug 22, 20234 min read
Action verbs and state verbs - what’s the difference?
From a young age, students are often introduced to verbs as ‘doing words’, implying that all verbs represent actions that can be performed
Tom Garside
Aug 7, 20233 min read
What's the difference between face to face and online teacher training courses?
English Language Teacher Training has developed in many ways over the last few years. There is now a wider range of course options than ever
Tom Garside
Jul 19, 20235 min read
3 reasons why language teachers should never ask the question ‘do you understand?’
One of the most basic aspects of a language teacher’s job is to help students to understand and communicate more things at the end of a less
Tom Garside
Jul 10, 20233 min read
Choose your words: Two easy ways to simplify your teacher talk
Teacher talk is an important part of the language learning environment. However, it often gets a bad name. A common issue among training and
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