The TEFL Horizons Podcast

Ep 48: Are You a "TEFLpreneur?"

Thu, 08 Sep 2022 09:52:39 -0400

Let's talk about my new favorite word: "TEFLpreneur."

By now, you've probably pieced together that it's a fun combination of "TEFL" and "entrepreneur." But what does it really MEAN to be an entrepreneur in the ELT industry? What do you need to get started, what does it take to be successful, and why attempt it in the first place?

Join me for a reflection on the rise of the TEFLpreneur and some thoughts on whether you could be one, too.

Ready to build your own online ELT business? Let's do it together in the Online TEFLpreneur program.

Thank you for listening!
➡️ If you enjoyed this episode, share it on Instagram stories and tag me at @tefl_horizons and I'll repost you 🙌 And please take a moment to leave a rating and quick review to spread the word and support the podcast

COURSES & TRAINING with TEFL HORIZONS:
🗝️ Join the TEFL Horizons Membership: https://teflhorizons.com/membership
🍏 Get Trained and Certified with Online English Teacher: https://teflhorizons.com/oet
⭐️ Build Your Online Teaching Business with Online TEFLpreneur: https://teflhorizons.com/teflpreneur
🖥️ All Courses: https://teflhorizons.com/courses

FREE RESOURCES for ESL TEACHERS:
💌 Join the free newsletter for weekly teaching tips: https://teflhorizons.com/newsletter
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📘 Download your free guide - How to Teach English Online: ...

Ep 47: Karen Taylor on Teaching Pronunciation and the Color Vowel Chart

Tue, 23 Aug 2022 14:46:58 -0400

In this week’s episode, I’m thrilled to welcome Karen Taylor as my guest.

In 1999, Karen created an amazing teaching tool called the Color Vowel Chart when she realized there had to be a better way to help students with pronunciation.

The Color Vowel Chart took off, and in 2011, she co-founded ELTS (English Language Training Solutions) in response to popular demand. Karen holds an MA in TESOL from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey and a BA in English Literature from Georgetown University, as well as an International Baccalaureate from the United World College (US campus). A former Fulbright TEFL Specialist, Karen was the Practitioner in Residence at American University for nine years.

She received Ed Tech’s 2020 Visionary Leader award for her work as Head of Education and is on the board for Blue Canoe Learning Inc.

So many teachers have raved to me about the Color Vowel Chart and how it has completely transformed their ideas about teaching pronunciation. If you’ve ever wanted advice for how to make pronunciation easier and more fun for your students... get ready, because this is the episode for you.

🔗 Books mentioned: Well Said, Targeting Pronunciation, and Clear Speech

Getting started with the chart
The Color Vowel App: Blue Canoe Learning

Learn more at colorvowel.com.

Ep 46: Five Ways to Present New Vocabulary Words

Wed, 06 Jul 2022 18:38:29 -0400

In this episode, I'll walk you through engaging, student-centered ideas for presenting new vocabulary words in your lessons, including:

#1: How to use a picture or realia

#2: How to use a matching task

#3: How to use a cline

#4: How to use a dialogue

#5: How to use a text

Prefer to learn from a video? Watch on YouTube here.

Looking for more training on teaching vocabulary and other online lessons? Join the TEFL Horizons Membership for live online workshops and free monthly lesson plans & materials.

Ep 45: Brock Brady on TESOL Organizations and Adapting to an Online Format

Wed, 29 Jun 2022 18:22:12 -0400

In this episode, I'm happy to welcome Brock Brady as my guest. Brock began his career in the ELT industry somewhat spontaneously, as you'll hear from our conversation. He started as a Peace Corps volunteer in Togo, West Africa and from there went on to earn a Master's degree in TESOL before gaining experience in positions such as English lecturer in South Korea and Language Center Director in Burkina Faso and Benin. He served as the co-director of American University's TESOL program in Washington DC and later returned to the Peace Corps – this time as an education sector specialist and the TEFL certificate program manager. Perhaps most notably, Brock served for three years as the president of the TESOL International Association.

Brock's extensive experience in ELT has taken him all over the world, but there was one final frontier he just recently decided to brave: online teaching. I even had the pleasure of working with Brock when he joined my Online English Teacher program to make that final leap in adapting his in-person teaching skills to online teaching skills.

In this episode, Brock and I sit down to talk about the benefits of organizations like TESOL International. We also discuss his own challenges and rewards when it comes to teaching online and why you shouldn't be afraid to start your virtual teaching career at any age.

🔗 Links mentioned in this episode:
TESOL International Association
The Online English Teacher program

Ep 44: Avoid These 5 Mistakes When Teaching Vocabulary

Wed, 04 May 2022 15:54:22 -0400

In this episode, let's talk about what NOT to do when teaching a vocabulary lesson. I'll go through five of the most common mistakes I see teachers make when planning and teaching vocabulary lessons, including:

Mistake #1: Not presenting the vocabulary in a way that is contextualized and student-centered
(why it’s better to start with a student-centered lead-in instead)

Mistake #2: Going from word to meaning, not meaning to word

Mistake #3: Not clarifying meaning first

Mistake #4: Teaching all the different meanings of each word

Mistake #5: Not providing enough practice or review

We'll talk about why these aren't effective techniques... and what you can do instead.

Download your free ==> Guide to Lesson Frameworks for a helpful reference of all the stages in a VOCABULARY lesson.

Ep 43: Practice Activities

Tue, 05 Apr 2022 12:47:37 -0400

Tune in to this week's episode to learn more about practice activities for your ESL lessons. We'll start with a quick refresher of the difference between controlled and freer practice as well as which types of lessons require "practice" to begin with.
From there, you'll learn how to find and acquire useful practice activities plus ideas for using them in your virtual or in-person classroom, including:

#1: Practice activities from course books
#2: Practice activities from the teacher's book
#3: Practice activities from publishers' websites
#4: Practice activities from other websites
#5: Practice activity ideas from other teachers' lessons
#6: The Lesson Plan Library
#7: The Online English Teacher program

Ep 42: Lorenzo Sclocco on Course Planning and Curriculum Design

Wed, 16 Mar 2022 17:08:49 -0400

This week's guest, Lorenzo Sclocco, is an ESL teacher and education specialist based in Toronto, Canada. He's been teaching General English, EAP, Business English and Exam Classes at language schools, universities, and colleges since 2009. He also teaches Italian and German. In 2018, Lorenzo received the “Excellence in Teaching Award” at the University of Toronto, School of Continuing Studies. He considers himself a life-long learner and is passionate about anything related to language and pedagogy. He is particularly interested in curriculum development and syllabus design. When not teaching, Lorenzo can be found strolling through Toronto's famous High Park and eating cookies – his addiction!

Today, Lorenzo joins me to share essential strategies for course planning and syllabus design. If you’re curious about designing whole courses as opposed to individual lessons, this is the episode for you!

🔗 -Syllabus Design by Nunan
-Curriculum Development in Language Teaching by Richards
Lorenzo on Instagram

Learn more about course design in the Online English Teacher program.

Ep 41: Tips for Teaching Listening Lessons Online

Wed, 02 Feb 2022 17:59:42 -0500

Last week, I shared my top tips for teaching reading lessons online. This week, tune in for my favorite tips on teaching online listening lessons.

You'll learn:

#1: How to embed the audio into your slide
#2: How to bring the speakers in the audio to life
#3: How to best support students in comprehension exercises
#4: How to conduct pair checks in listening lessons
#5: How to get the most out of feedback
Bonus! #6: How to manage timing in a listening lesson

Download your free ==> Guide to Lesson Frameworks for a helpful reference of all the stages in a LISTENING lesson.

Ep 40: Tips for Teaching Reading Lessons Online

Tue, 25 Jan 2022 10:59:31 -0500

In this episode, I'm sharing my top 5 tips for teaching reading lessons online, including:

#1: How to give students access to the text and materials
#2: How to best format and adapt texts for online lessons
#3: Whether students should read silently or aloud
#4: The importance of pair check stages
#5: How to conduct feedback on reading exercises
Bonus! #6: How to manage timing in a reading lesson

🔗 Want to review the fundamentals of teaching a reading lesson in general?

Episode 16: Should Your Students Read Aloud?

Episode 18: How to Teach Reading: Developing Sub-skills and Designing Tasks

Episode 19: How to Deal with Vocabulary in a Reading Lesson

Download your free ==> Guide to Lesson Frameworks for a helpful reference of all the stages in a READING lesson.

Ep 39: Jackie Bolen on Making Lessons Student-Centered

Tue, 04 Jan 2022 15:41:19 -0500

This is the second time Jackie has joined me as a guest on Expand Your Horizons, and I'm very happy to welcome her back.

In this episode, we're talking about strategies for maximizing student talk time, minimizing teacher talk time, and making lessons more fun and student-centered in general. Tune in to learn how to boost engagement in your online (or in-person) classes.

Ep 38: Troubleshooting in Online Lessons

Tue, 14 Dec 2021 20:00:59 -0500

If you're an online English teacher, you've probably experienced some common issues: tech trouble, breakout room snafus, or even lack of student motivation (how do you get them to participate through the screen??).

In this episode, you'll get practical suggestions for the most common online teaching issues.

Ep 37: Error Correction

Tue, 19 Jan 2021 12:42:39 -0500

This week’s episode considers common questions around error correction:

Should you correct every error your students make?
If not, how do you know whether to correct an error?
When is the best time to correct an error?
How do you correct errors most effectively?

Tune in for advice on when, how, and why we can correct our students’ errors in an online class.

Looking for more detailed advice about how to teach English online? Check out the TEFL Horizons Membership for live workshops every month.

Ep 36: Jessie Ebersole on How ELT Organizations are Adapting Online

Tue, 12 Jan 2021 16:14:09 -0500

I’m happy to welcome back a returning guest for this episode: Jessie Ebersole.

Jessie joined me on the podcast in the fall of 2019, but in case you missed our previous conversation, let me briefly introduce her before we dive into today's conversation. Jessie is the Director of Academic Programs at Washington English Center, which is a non-profit English language school for adult immigrants in Washington, D.C.

Washington English Center offers 14 levels of ESL classes, all of which are taught by volunteer teachers. Jessie started out in the TESOL field as a volunteer herself, and she later went on to complete a master’s degree in TESOL at American University. Her extensive experience in our industry, includes teaching at American University’s English Language Training Academy, and working as a draft writer for parts of Intercambio’s textbook series Confidence and Connections.

I’m grateful to have Jessie back as a guest because I have a great deal of respect for the work she does and for WEC as an organization. Some of you may know that I lived in DC for about 5 years – so I’m quite familiar with WEC, and I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with Jessie and her staff on several occasions. They were even kind of enough to host TEFL Horizons on site for a workshop in 2019.

Clearly, a lot has changed since then, so I invited Jessie back to catch up on how WEC is adapting to online teaching, to get her take on the current state of the ELT industry, and to discuss opportunities for volunteer teaching online.

🔗 How to get in touch with Washington English Center or learn more: check out their website, find them on Facebook, or reach out to Jessie directly at jebersole@washingtonenglish.org

Ep 35: Updates for the New Year and a Few Things I've Learned About Teaching Online

Wed, 06 Jan 2021 18:29:31 -0500

Welcome to the first episode of 2021! In this episode, I'm sharing a few personal and professional updates, as well as summarizing a few key lessons I learned about teaching English online in the last year.

Ep 34: Key Differences Between Teaching In Person and Online

Wed, 20 May 2020 12:32:41 -0400

By now, you may have tried your hand at teaching English online, or perhaps you’re just thinking about getting started. So what are the key factors to consider when you’re teaching through a screen as opposed to in the physical classroom?

In this episode, let's talk about the important differences between teaching online and teaching in person, including tips for troubleshooting tech issues, adapting and sharing materials, and keeping your lessons student-centered and engaging.

Ep 33: Ricardo Fajardo on Teaching Exam Preparation Online

Wed, 13 May 2020 16:52:59 -0400

This episode's guest is Ricardo Fajardo, who joins me for a discussion on teaching English for a very specific purpose – exam preparation.

Ricardo has been a teacher of English for 24 years and a teacher trainer for the last 12 years. He is currently a CELTA tutor and assessor, which has given him the chance to travel and learn from different practices at other training centers. He is also an ICELT and DELTA tutor and works as a freelancer on different projects such as coursebook writing and online consulting.

As an accredited IELTS examiner as well as a Cambridge KET, PET, FCE, CAE, and CPE oral examiner, Ricardo has a wealth of experience with proficiency exams and can share exactly what students need to know in order to succeed on them. In our conversation today, we’re discussing tips for teaching exam preparation classes, and how we might transfer or adapt these strategies to best work for online lessons.

🔗 Links mentioned in this episode:

idroo.com
Google Jamboard (soon to be discontinued, unfortunately!)
A useful resource for understanding and comparing the different exams: examenglish.com

Ep 32: André Alipio on Training Parents to Support Young Learners Online

Wed, 06 May 2020 11:31:25 -0400

This week's podcast guest is André Alipio.

André has been the Director of Studies at GTP, Global Teaching Practice, for 10 years now. He has also been a teacher trainer since 1995, working for different institutes in Brazil, including International House Sao Paulo. As the director of studies, he is responsible for designing and delivering a range of courses for teachers of English, as well as training tutors for those courses.

André is an active CELTA and DELTA trainer, and has trained on courses in Brazil, Mexico, Venezuela, and other countries. He is also a local trainer for ETS products like TOEFL Junior. More recently, André has been developing ELT materials and consulting to the educational market in general.

Today, André joins me for a conversation that is certainly relevant to anyone who works with young learners or has children who are currently learning at home. At the time of recording this, schools around the world are temporarily closed due to the covid-19 pandemic, and students are currently learning from home by attending their normal classes online. In this episode, André shares practical strategies for how we, as teachers, can help train parents to support their children in online learning.

Ep 31: Eliberto Salinas on Teaching Mixed-Level Classes

Tue, 28 Apr 2020 16:49:08 -0400

In this episode, please welcome guest Eliberto Salinas.

Eliberto has extensive experience as an English teacher and is also a CELTA trainer at International House Mexico, where he is based in Mexico City.

Today, he’s joining me to talk about something many teachers find challenging: supporting students of different English levels in the same classroom. Join us for a conversation about how to identify and cater to students’ differing abilities, including some practical strategies for adapting activities and presenting materials to accommodate students of varying language levels in the same group - even online.

Ep 30: Andrew Watson on Teaching Young Learners Online

Wed, 22 Apr 2020 12:02:16 -0400

In this episode, Andrew Watson joins me to share strategies for teaching young learners online.

Andrew has gained great insight into working with young learners through his extensive experience in the ELT industry. Since landing his first teaching job in South Korea in 1994, he’s held a variety of EFL jobs including teacher, IELTS oral examiner, young learners’ coordinator at the British Council, CELTA and ICELT teacher trainer and developer. He holds a DELTA certification and an M.A. in Applied Linguistics.

In our conversation, Andrew and I discuss the key differences between working with adults and working with children in the ESL classroom, and Andrew shares a wealth of practical tips for teaching YLs both in the physical classroom and online.

Ep 29: Orlando Delgado on Taking ELT Online in the Time of COVID

Tue, 14 Apr 2020 11:12:14 -0400

In this episode, I'm happy to welcome a returning guest: Orlando Delgado.

Orlando is the Director of Teacher Training & Development Operations for IH Mexico and has been a teacher trainer and CELTA and DELTA assessor for over 10 years around the world. Orlando is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about online teaching and training in particular – and this week, we’re talking about what’s going on in the world right now and how that affects the ELT industry.

At the time of recording, we're in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, which is impacting how we’re thinking about teaching, learning, professional development, and communication in general. So in this episode, Orlando is here with me for a lively and informal conversation in which we reflect on what all of this could mean for our industry... and try to bring you some general insight and advice on transitioning online.

Ep 28: How to Write Lesson Aims and Why They Matter

Tue, 10 Dec 2019 12:16:32 -0500

"By the end of the lesson, students will be able to..."

Does that phrase look familiar? If you're a teacher, chances are you're aware of the practice of writing aims or objectives for your lessons. Maybe you learned about this in a training course, or maybe you work at a language school where your boss looks over your plans.

For many teachers, sitting down to write out lesson aims can feel a little like a pointless chore. If you have a sense of what you want to do in the lesson, do you really need to write it all out? Is the wording REALLY that important?

In this episode, we talk all about lesson aims and why they may just matter a lot more than you realized. We'll share practical tips for making your aims count, tell you exactly how to determine the right main and sub aim for different types of lessons, and discuss why having a clear aim is the main thing that can make or break your lesson.

🔗 Looking for an easy and thorough reference of all the different lesson types and frameworks? Download your free ==> Guide to Lesson Frameworks.

For more information, you can also review here:

Ep 27: Teaching SKILLS Lessons - Why It's Not All About Grammar and Vocabulary

Tue, 03 Dec 2019 08:08:22 -0500

In this week's episode, we're doing an in-depth review of teaching SKILLS lessons, starting with how they differ from systems (grammar and vocabulary) lessons.

It's tempting to think that every lesson should involve teaching students new words and grammatical structures, but it's equally important to focus on developing students' skills: reading and listening comprehension and speaking and writing fluency. Tune in to learn practical strategies for tackling all four of these skills in your classroom.

Ep 26: How to Teach Writing

Tue, 19 Nov 2019 09:58:21 -0500

How do you approach teaching writing? Do you give your students writing exercises in class, or do you just assign writing tasks as homework?

In this episode, we'll discuss the benefits of working on students' writing skills in the classroom, and we'll take you through exactly how to structure an effective writing lesson. You'll learn why the writing task itself is the most important piece of the whole puzzle, as well as a practical process that help you turn your ESL students into better, more confident writers.

Ep 25: Jackie Bolen on Teaching in South Korea and ESL Games

Tue, 05 Nov 2019 15:20:57 -0500

This week's episode features guest Jackie Bolen.

Jackie taught English in South Korea at private institutes and universities for over ten years. She now lives in Vancouver, Canada where she does some teaching, writing, and various online things, including running her two websites, eslactivity.org and eslspeaking.org. She is both CELTA and DELTA certified and believes in the value of communicative, interactive language learning. Jackie is particularly interested in using games in the ESL classroom, and she has published several games and activities books, which you can find on Amazon. In her spare time, she's usually on the hunt for the most delicious kimchi she can find, which isn't that easy in Vancouver!

Today, Jackie joins us to discuss teaching in Korea, advice on finding a job, and to offer some great advice on how to make the ESL classroom more fun.

Ep 24: How to Teach Speaking

Mon, 28 Oct 2019 21:53:33 -0400

We all know that helping students develop their speaking fluency is important, but are students really getting better at speaking EVERY time they're talking in a lesson?

In this week's episode, you'll learn how to devote an entire lesson to speaking fluency, including specific stages, activities, and advice.

Ep 23: Jessie Ebersole on the Benefits of Volunteer Teaching

Tue, 22 Oct 2019 23:46:22 -0400

This week's episode features guest Jessie Ebersole.

Jessie is the Director of Academic Programs at Washington English Center, a non-profit English language school for adult immigrants in Washington, D.C., which relies on all volunteer teachers to teach 14 levels of classes. Jessie started out in the TESOL field as a volunteer, and later went on to complete a master’s degree in TESOL at American University. She previously taught at American University’s English Language Training Academy, and was a draft writer for parts of Intercambio’s textbook series Confidence and Connections. Jessie is the WATESOL Adult ED Special Interest Group Chair, and she always enjoys opportunities to connect with the broader TESOL community.

In our conversation, Jessie and I discuss how starting as a volunteer teacher kicked off her career in the field of English language teaching, and we dive into the benefits of being a volunteer teacher in general.

Ep 22: How to Teach Listening Part 2 - Different Sub-Skills and Why They Matter

Tue, 15 Oct 2019 12:20:59 -0400

In this episode, we're going into even more depth on how to teach effective listening lessons. First, we talk about different ways we listen in real life and how we can apply this to our classrooms. Then we go over the different listening "sub-skills," why the distinction between them matters, and examples of how you can help students practice each one. Finally, we offer some suggestions for taking listening tasks to the next level, and answer some common questions (should you give students the transcript?) along the way.

Ep 21: Orlando Delgado on Teaching and Training in Mexico

Tue, 08 Oct 2019 00:58:06 -0400

Welcome to Episode 21 of Expand Your Horizons! This week, our guest is Orlando Delgado. Orlando has been working as the Director of Teacher Training & Development Operations for IH Mexico for 7 years now, leading the 15 IH TT Department branches in the country, and he is also a member of the executive board of directors. He has worked as a teacher trainer for over 10 years, in Mexico, the US, the UK, Ukraine, Italy, Canada, Tunisia and Argentina, and as a freelance coursebook writer for the University of Dayton. Additionally, he is a very active CELTA, ICELT and Delta Assessor, travelling in Europe, and North, Central and South America assessing other CELTA centres. He remains actively involved in professional development and reflective practice and holds a master’s degree in Teacher Education from The University of Manchester. He is currently working on his MBA through Warwick University Business School. As Director of Operations, Orlando leads and implements projects to make teacher training at IH Mexico as effective as it can be, and he also gets to work with the sales and marketing team to develop innovative new products and courses.

In our interview today, we’ll be talking about his career path and how he got to where he is now, as well as what it’s like to be a non-native English speaker in the ELT (English language teaching) field, and what it’s like to teach or get certified to teach in Mexico.

Ep 20: How to Teach a Listening Lesson

Tue, 01 Oct 2019 18:47:14 -0400

In this week's episode, we're continuing our series on helping students develop their receptive skills, but today we're shifting our focus to listening! We discuss why listening comprehension needs its own targeted focus and why reading out the transcript isn't as helpful as playing an audio file. Then we walk through specific, practical tips on how to make sure your listening lessons are successful, including how to manage timing, how to deal with tech malfunctions, how to coach students through particularly challenging audio texts, and how to get the most out of feedback.

Ep 19: How to Deal with Vocabulary in a Reading Lesson

Wed, 25 Sep 2019 08:40:37 -0400

We're continuing on in our series of how to teach reading, and this week we're talking through a common issue: how do you deal with vocabulary in a reading lesson? Yes, we know the main aim of any reading lesson should be reading comprehension, but what if students start to ask questions about the vocabulary in the text? Should you offer to define unknown words for the students as you go along? How much vocab do the students really need to know in order to comprehend what they’re reading? We’ve got the answers for you in this episode.

Ep 18: Developing Reading Sub-skills and Designing Reading Tasks

Tue, 17 Sep 2019 08:45:02 -0400

This week, we're continuing on with the topic of how to effectively teach reading lessons. We're going into more depth on how to best help students develop their comprehension without feeling bored or overwhelmed. First we talk about three reading "sub-skills" and why the distinction between them matters. Then we go through specific tips for making your reading lesson successful, including how to manage pace, how to keep students motivated, and what to do when a debate breaks out over an answer.

If you missed Episode 16, you'll find it helpful to listen to that one first!

Ep 17: Shannon Felt on Her Teaching Career and Co-Founding TEFL Horizons

Tue, 10 Sep 2019 08:33:00 -0400

We’re switching things around this week; Lauren is hosting the show so she can interview Shannon! Tune in to hear the backstory of our other co-founder, as she describes what drew her into the TEFL industry, how her career progressed, her biggest professional development takeaways and what she loves about teaching.

Ep 16: Should Your Students Read Aloud?

Tue, 03 Sep 2019 19:00:00 -0400

In this episode, we respond to a commonly asked question about reading lessons: should you have your students take turns reading a text out loud? Listen in as we reveal whether this a DO or a DON'T and then offer practical strategies for teaching an effective reading lesson.

Ep 15: Stephanie Vogel on Building a TEFL Career

Wed, 28 Aug 2019 10:24:13 -0400

This week, we welcome Stephanie Vogel as our guest on the show. Steph has had a long and successful journey through the TEFL industry. After dropping out of med school, she felt inspired to try something totally different, so she went to Istanbul to get a CELTA certification. From there, she wound up in Vietnam, where she spent six years progressing from ESL teacher to assistant academic manager to CELTA and DELTA trainer. She then moved back to the US to further advance her career, eventually becoming the director of Teaching House, the largest provider of CELTA courses in the US. Join us as we talk about how she built her career in TEFL, share insights into the world of teaching and training, and probably have a little too much fun recounting hilarious teaching disasters.

Ep 14: Lauren Harrington on Her Teaching Career and Co-founding TEFL Horizons

Wed, 21 Aug 2019 17:58:58 -0400

This is a special episode of Expand Your Horizons, because the interview is with one of our co-founders! Shannon interviews Lauren all about her teaching experience in Romania, how she fell in love with the TEFL industry, and that one time she was invited to do a "small training" in Brazil that ended up being a massive, nationally televised presentation! Tune in for the inside scoop on Ms. Harrington herself.

Ep 13: Josh Niezgoda on Life in Andorra

Tue, 13 Aug 2019 13:58:42 -0400

Today’s guest on Expand Your Horizons is Josh Niezgoda. After he got his CELTA, Josh spent a short time teaching at a local language school in Washington, DC to hone his skills before he headed overseas to teach English in Andorra. Tune in for our conversation about how he ended up in a tiny country many people have never heard of and what it’s like to live and teach there.

Ep 12: How to Master Classroom Management

Tue, 06 Aug 2019 07:08:10 -0400

In this week’s episode, we’re talking all about classroom management. First, we share what makes the biggest difference in structuring every lesson you teach: the task cycle. We discuss what it is, how to use it, and how it can revolutionize your lessons to make them more student-centered and create more opportunities for interactive learning. Then we'll share our other favorite secrets strategies for managing an adult ESL classroom naturally and masterfully.

Ep 11: David of passthecelta.com on How to Pass the CELTA Course

Tue, 30 Jul 2019 21:46:14 -0400

In this episode, we're talking with David, who is the founder of passthecelta.com. After completing his own CELTA back in 2012 with the very difficult to achieve PASS-A grade, David realized he wanted to help other prospective teachers succeed on the CELTA course. Since then, he has helped thousands of people pass the CELTA by providing guidance on the course and creating an incredibly comprehensive CELTA learning library full of useful resources online. In this interview, we go into more depth about how to succeed on the CELTA course than we ever have before. We're talking all about teaching, professional development, and of course, how to pass CELTA with flying colors. Tune in if you’ve ever thought about doing a CELTA certification- we’re breaking down exactly what gives the course its legendary intensity and how you can get through the course with your sanity intact. And if you’ve got a CELTA already, this episode should bring back some memories for you!

Ep 10: Planning and Resources for Grammar Lessons

Tue, 23 Jul 2019 10:35:20 -0400

In episode eight, we brought you six actionable tips for teaching grammar lessons. Now we’re taking it all the way back to the planning stage to help you structure a successful grammar lesson from the ground up. We’ve got six more of our best, most practical tips for you- this time focused exclusively around how to plan your lesson from start to finish and how to find and use the resources you need. We’re covering everything from effective lesson structure to our favorite reference books. And we share our strategies for how to look at a course book and know exactly what to keep and what to cut.

Ready to change the way you feel about grammar? You can learn to Be Your Own Grammar Guru with our self-paced, online grammar course.

Ep 9: Jocelyn Pollak on Teaching in Thailand and TEFL Pros

Tue, 16 Jul 2019 07:07:44 -0400

This week, our special guest on the podcast is Jocelyn Pollak. Jocelyn is the co-founder of TEFL Pros, which she and her business partner, Whitney, created with the mission of offering the best online teaching certification available in the industry. In this episode, we’re talking about her teaching experience in Thailand as well as what inspired her to become a TEFL entrepreneur and help other teachers achieve their goals through the certification program that she and Whitney designed. If you’ve ever been interested in teaching in Thailand or if you’re curious about the different teaching certification options out there, you’ll definitely want to tune in!

Ep 8: Our Top Six Tips for Teaching Grammar

Tue, 09 Jul 2019 06:29:44 -0400

We’ve been talking a lot about teaching grammar lately. Mainly because it’s the type of lesson that seems to intimidate teachers the most. There’s often so much information out there that teachers feel overwhelmed at the thought of having to break it all down and present it clearly in the classroom. As teacher trainers, not only have we taught countless grammar lessons ourselves, but we’ve also spent years observing and helping other teachers plan and execute effective grammar lessons. So today, we’re bringing you our top six tips for teaching grammar effectively.

Need to build your grammar confidence? You can learn to Be Your Own Grammar Guru with our self-paced online grammar course.

Ep 7: Stephanie Clark on Teaching in Korea, The Czech Republic, and Spain

Wed, 03 Jul 2019 17:25:34 -0400

Stephanie has taught ESL in Korea, the Czech Republic and Spain, and she has traveled extensively in Europe and Asia. She completed her CELTA certification in 2016, achieving the coveted PASS-A grade. In this episode, she’s here to talk about what it’s like to get started as an ESL teacher after completing a certification, adjusting to life abroad in various countries and cultures, and how she transitioned back into life and a teaching career in the United States.

Ep 6: Richard Grant on Teaching, Training, and the Beauty of the English Language

Tue, 25 Jun 2019 08:37:53 -0400

In this episode, we're talking to Richard Grant. Richard has extensive experience in the TEFL industry, where he's worked as an ESL teacher, a CELTA trainer and assessor, and the director of the first year writing program at his university. Today we're talking about the key differences he's noticed in how native and non-native speakers approach English, advice for anyone considering teaching abroad or taking a CELTA course, and just relishing the intricacies of the English language.

Ep 5: Theresa Troyer on Teaching in Vietnam

Tue, 30 Apr 2019 10:59:34 -0400

Have you ever dreamed of changing careers and running off to Vietnam to teach English? Theresa Troyer did just that. In this episode, we’re talking with Theresa about how she decided to teach and what it was like to dive into the field of TEFL. She gives us the lowdown on why she chose to get a CELTA and how intense it really was, and then tells us all about what it was like to teach locally before transitioning overseas to teach in Vietnam. If you’ve ever thought about Vietnam as a work or travel destination and you’re looking for some advice (or just a good breakdown of expectations vs. reality), then you won’t want to miss this episode!

Ep 4: How to Choose a TEFL Certification Course

Tue, 23 Apr 2019 07:57:39 -0400

You’ve decided to get TEFL-certified. Great! Where do you start? What’s involved? How do you choose which course to take? Do you really have to interview? Why does it seem like such a process- can’t you just pay your money and start? In our last episode, we (hopefully!) convinced you that getting some solid training before you start teaching is the way to go. Now we’re looking at exactly what to do once you make that decision- from choosing the right training program and getting accepted to showing up on day 1 ready to succeed.

Ep 3: Is a TEFL Certification Worth It?

Tue, 16 Apr 2019 08:30:40 -0400

You speak English fluently. That’s enough of a qualification to teach ESL, isn’t it? What more do you need? Is a course like CELTA really worth the investment?

While being proficient in English is definitely the place to start, there’s a lot more to being a good ESL teacher. In this episode, we discuss eight different reasons you’ll want to get some quality training before you step into the classroom.

Ep 2: Five Misconceptions About Teaching Grammar

Tue, 09 Apr 2019 07:22:35 -0400

If you’re an ESL teacher, you might have some strong feelings about teaching grammar. Most native speakers think they know grammar…. until they start trying to teach it.

Then they quickly realize that being able to use grammar correctly is not at all the same as knowing terminology and being able to explain and teach grammar effectively.

In this episode, we’re talking about five common misconceptions that native speakers often have about teaching grammar when they first become teachers… and how to deal with each of them.

We also recommend helpful grammar resources (including our grammar course!) to make teaching those dreaded grammar lessons a breeze.

🔗 Resources mentioned in this episode:

Teaching Tenses by Rosemary Aitken
Understanding and Using English Grammar by Betty S. Azar
Grammar in Use by Raymond Murphy
About Language by Scott Thornbury
Be Your Own Grammar Guru: complete online grammar course

Ep 1: Our Story and Our First Big Teaching Takeaways

Tue, 02 Apr 2019 06:33:00 -0400

We’re very excited (and even a little audibly nervous at first!) to kick off our initial podcast episode. We share the story of how we started out as teachers, evolved into trainers, and got to where we are now. We discuss what we thought teaching would be like going in… and how we quickly realized it was actually much different. And we share the major “aha!” moments we each experienced early on in our careers.
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Have you ever thought about teaching English as a second language? In this podcast, teacher training duo Shannon Felt and Lauren Harrington offer actionable advice and inspirational stories for current and aspiring ESL teachers. Learn how to get started teaching ESL at home or abroad, get practical teaching tips to perfect your classroom methodology, and listen in on interviews with industry experts and teachers around the world to indulge your wanderlust.

Introducing: Expand Your Horizons

Mon, 01 Apr 2019 11:22:00 -0400