Tom Garside
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
top of page
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
Dec 2, 20231 min read
Graduate Stories: Yuliia, from Ukraine (studying from Ireland - May, 2023)
During my TESOL course, I had an amazing experience, and I take pride in my decision to embark on this journey and successfully complete it.
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
Tom Garside
Jun 25, 20233 min read
Any questions? How to use the quantifiers ‘some’ and ‘any’
English quantifiers are more complex than they look. They have different aspects of meaning which connect to the nouns that they work with
Tom Garside
Jun 18, 20235 min read
Tips on teaching ESOL beginner classes
A lot of what we do as ESOL teachers relies on our students’ prior knowledge, building on their current level of vocabulary and grammar
Tom Garside
Jun 11, 20234 min read
Is AI changing how we need to assess student writing?
In a recent article in the EL Gazette, a form of AI bias was revealed, showing that second-language writers may be unfairly penalised as
Tom Garside
Jun 6, 20233 min read
Teaching English as a Second Language - more than just a job
Training as an English language teacher can be a rewarding experience in many ways. As an entry point into the industry, an initial
Tom Garside
May 21, 20233 min read
Present participles and past participles - what’s the difference?
When teaching grammar, a lot of focus tends to be put onto past participles. These forms of verbs appear in many structures such as present
Tom Garside
May 7, 20232 min read
What is a gerund?
In English, -ing is one of the most common verb endings. There are several different reasons why verbs might end in -ing, and this can be a
bottom of page