Victoria Taylor, Author at i-to-i TEFL

Why choose i-to-i TEFL?

Posted on March 11, 2026March 11, 2026 by Victoria Taylor

Are you ready to jump into TEFL? Amazing choice! But you’re going to want to make sure you’re doing it the right way and with the right company. That’s where we come in!

We have many years of TEFL experience

We’ve been at this since 1994, so we’re pretty established in the world of TEFL! From launching flexible online courses to introducing CELTA-level training at a fraction of the cost, everything we do starts with you in mind!

Our graduates have rated us 4.6 stars

Our graduates are so happy with us, our courses and our service that they’ve gone out of their way and rated us 4.6 out of 5 stars on reviews.co.uk. Plus, they’ve got some really nice things to say about our courses and our staff! Faatima says “I really enjoyed the course as it opened different teaching methodologies as well as learning how to teach different personalities. I will really recommend the course.” and Caren says “It’s definitely worth it. It’s a really great experience!”.

All of our courses are Government-regulated

We’ve gone through some super intense external monitoring on all of our courses to ensure they meet the highest standards – and to make sure they stay that way, all of our courses are UK Government-regulated. You’re in good hands with us!

We offer CELTA-Level training for less

We worked extremely hard with all of our tutors to bring you an affordable alternative to CELTA (Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) training and launched our Level 5 Courses and Diplomas! So, you don’t have to break the bank to get top TEFL training!

Our certificates are recognised globally

Because we’re UK Government-regulated and ODLQC (Open & Distance Learning Quality Council) accredited, every single one of our courses is recognised globally! So, once you complete your TEFL course with us, you’ll be able to apply for absolutely any TEFL job all over the world – winner!

You’ll get support and feedback from DELTA-qualified tutors

You’ll only get the best with us! All of our tutors are DELTA-qualified (Diploma in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages), meaning they have the highest level of training possible in teaching English as a foreign language! So, if you get stuck at any point of your course or you feel like you need some extra support, there is literally nothing they don’t know about TEFL!

We can help you find a TEFL job

Our sister company LoveTEFL have a fully stocked jobs board and lots of helpful guides and courses to help you find your perfect TEFL job. Once you complete your course with us, you’ll be auto enrolled with LoveTEFL who’ll be there to hold your hand every step of the way!

What your TEFL journey would look like with i-to-i and LoveTEFL

Posted on March 6, 2026March 11, 2026 by Victoria Taylor

So, you want to teach English abroad? Amazing! If you’ve only just started your research, understanding the process and how it all works can be a bit tricky. But we’re here to help! We’ve created this super simple 8-step guide to show you exactly what your TEFL journey would look – all the way from choosing a course to being offered that all important first job…

Step 1. Choose your TEFL course

The first step in any TEFL story is choosing your TEFL course. With so many different course options out there, it can be a little overwhelming deciding which course best suits you and your needs – but we’ve come up with this handy quiz that’ll match you with the best course level for you. If you still can’t decide, you can check out our simple course comparison guide here, and our TEFL experts are always on hand to help! Get in touch with them and they’ll be able to help you with course options and answer any queries you might have about TEFL.

Step 2. Enrol onto your course

Once you’ve chosen your course, it’s time to enrol. Enrolling on your TEFL course is super easy, you can enrol online or over the phone, whatever suits you best. It’s as simple as selecting your course and buying it! You’ll get all your course information via emailed and our Customer Support Team will ALWAYS be on hand if you have any queries about anything.

Step 3. Complete your TEFL course

Once enrolled, you’ll be able to access all of your course material online. The great thing about a TEFL course with us is you can complete it at any time, from anywhere and at your own pace! You’ll be assigned a DELTA-qualified tutor who’ll grade all of your work and send you feedback. If you need a little extra help throughout your course or you get stuck on anything, we also have in-house tutors who’re available to contact via phone and email, too!

Step 4. Auto-enrol with LoveTEFL

Anyone who completes a course through us is auto enrolled on our sister company, LoveTEFL’s, fully stocked jobs board. You’ll get an email to let you know you’re registered and from there, you’ll be able to browse over 6,500 TEFL positions in over 30 countries!

Step 5. Register for LoveTEFL’s learning hub

LoveTEFL also have a super helpful learning hub full of useful information for job seekers just like you! Over there, you’ll find downloadable guides on how to boost your CV, write a cover letter and master your TEFL interview. On top of that, if you sign up for their unlimited service, you’ll also be able to complete their employer-approved skills courses that will further boost your CV and earning potential – winner! Pro-tip: if you refer a friend* to i-to-i and they purchase one of our Internships or Courses, you’ll both get free premium access to the LoveTEFL Learning Hub for a whole year!

Step 6. Apply for jobs

Once you’ve perfected your CV and cover letter with the help of LoveTEFL, it’s time to apply for that all important first TEFL job! Using LoveTEFL’s jobs board couldn’t be easier, all you need to do is complete your profile, search for jobs and apply! You’ll be a pro at applying for jobs once you’ve completed your skills courses with LoveTEFL. When your profile setup is complete, LoveTEFL will also email you with any new jobs that match your preferences – winner!

Step 7. Get a job offer

Once you’ve applied for any jobs that suit you, TEFL employers will contact you directly rather than going through LoveTEFL. They’ll then set up interviews (if necessary) which will often be held either over the phone or via video call, so it’s a good idea to make sure you’ve got a laptop with a webcam or a smartphone with a camera. After your interviews, if you’re successful, you’ll get your job offer from your TEFL employer – hurray! They’ll then go through all the finer details, including visas and contracts and you’ll be ready to jet off to start teaching – yay!

Step 8. Start TEFLing!

Now the really exciting part! Once you’ve arranged all the details with your TEFL employer, booked your flight and arranged any necessary visas you’ll be ready to set off to your TEFL destination. Your TEFL employer should have arranged for someone to either meet you at the airport or at your accommodation where you’ll then get orientation of your workplace and a week or so training, then you’re ready to start teaching! Worried about not having enough resources for your classes? Sign up to LoveTEFL and you’ll get access to loads of helpful lessons plans and resources for you to use! Remember – if you’ve any queries or need any support with your TEFL journey, our Customer Support Team are always here to offer help and advice!

Good luck and happy TEFLing!

*Refer a friend details are provided once a TEFL course or internship is purchased.

Why a TEFL Course could be the perfect Christmas gift

Posted on December 1, 2025December 2, 2025 by Victoria Taylor

Do you have family or friends who’re constantly dreaming of adventure, want to pack up and travel the world or go on an extended sight-seeing trip? A TEFL course from i-to-i will give them the skills they need to travel the world and earn a competitive salary, teaching English as they go! Sounds perfect, doesn’t it? But that’s just one of the reasons a TEFL Course would be the perfect gift this Christmas, here are some of the other reasons…

1. Make their dreams come true

TEFL is more than just teaching English abroad. It’s putting yourself out there, seeing places you’ve only ever dreamed of and living the life you’ve always longed to live. TEFL will give your loved ones the opportunity to travel and teach almost anywhere in the world. Got a culture-vulture in your family? They’d love spreading their TEFL wings around Asia. Is your best friend a total foodie? TEFL can take their taste buds on an adventure to the food capital of the world, Italy! No matter what their reasons for travel might be, a TEFL course can take them there.

2. Give them a life-long skill

TEFL is for life, not just for Christmas! Give the gift that keeps on giving – you’ll be providing them with a brand-new, valuable skill that they’ll be able to use for the rest of their lives. From learning to teach English as a foreign language to boosting their confidence and broadening their horizons, they’re sure to gain loads from TEFL.

3. Help them discover new cultures

With a TEFL course, you’re gifting them the skills they need to travel the world, immersing themselves in new cultures and getting paid whilst they do it! Just imagine them discovering Thailand’s ancient cities, trekking along the Great Wall of China or getting involved in one of Japan’s famous festivals. There’s so much to discover in the world, give them the tools to get out there and do it!

4. Boost their CV

As well as helping them see the world and discover new cultures, you’ll also be helping to boost their CV for later in life. From gaining confidence to maybe even learning a second language, TEFL will give their CV the edge it needs when chasing a career later on. Your loved one will be able to showcase skills such as organisation, communication and confidence on their CV. Win!

5. Kick start their career

Maybe they’ll fall in love with TEFL so much they decide to pursue it as a full-time career. Loads of people think you can only TEFL for a couple of years or they just use it to help them see the world. But it doesn’t have to be that way, TEFL can be a full-time career and a really good one, too!

Spending Christmas abroad: how to survive when you’re TEFLing

Posted on December 1, 2025December 2, 2025 by Victoria Taylor

Spending Christmas without family can be one of the hardest things about TEFLing and living abroad. If you’re a huge Christmas-lover and generally find yourself surrounded by your closest family and friends over the festive period, spending Christmas abroad can seem very daunting and lonely. But with these top tips, we’ll make spending Christmas abroad just as fun as Christmas at home!

Organise a TEFL Christmas dinner

No matter where you might be TEFLing, we’re sure you’ll have other TEFLers at your school or other ex-pats around you. You’ll all be in the same boat and will be missing your family and festive traditions from back home. A great way to get everyone in the festive spirit is to organise a Christmas dinner. You could all cook traditional food from your countries, arrange a secret Santa and join in party games together. Hurray!

Make time for a Christmas Day video call

Make your celebrations extra special by scheduling a video call to your family and friends back home on Christmas Day. When deciding what time to call, you’ll need to take any time differences into account. It might be a good idea to schedule your call later in the day when everyone has opened their presents, finished cooking and enjoyed their meal. Or, to make it super special, you could arrange to open some presents together on video call, even if this means you’ll have to open yours early or late, it’ll be nice to do it together!

Teach your TEFL classroom about your country’s traditions

Wherever you’re teaching, you’ll find the country you’re in has different traditions to back home. For example, in lots of European countries, Christmas is actually celebrated on Christmas Eve and in Japan, Christmas Eve is thought of as a romantic day for couples to spend time together and exchange gifts – cute! Use this time to teach your TEFL classroom about the traditions you have back home and learn about any traditions they might have too. We actually have a full blog on how to bring Christmas to your TEFL classroom.

Treat yourself

Just because you’re spending Christmas abroad, doesn’t mean you can’t go all out. Get a Christmas tree, decorate the house and play all your favourite festive songs. Remember, Christmas is a time for giving, so give something to yourself! It could be a trip you’ve always wanted to take, a spa day or just a luxury item you’ve had your eye on.

Explore local festive traditions

The country you’re TEFLing in is likely to have its own Christmas traditions. Get yourself out there and immerse yourself in the local culture by exploring their festivities. If you’re TEFLing in Europe, make sure you get yourself to some of the traditional Christmas markets, they’re super cute and will definitely get you in the Christmas spirit. Or, if you’re TEFLing in Latin America, you’ll be able to get involved in Posada processions or roller-skating to church. Wherever you are, make the most of it and take it all in – it’ll make great stories to tell later down the line!

TESOL or TEFL: What’s the difference?

Posted on May 2, 2025May 2, 2025 by Victoria Taylor

So, you’ve decided you want to teach English – amazing choice! If you’ve only just started your research into teaching English online and abroad, you might have found yourself a little bit confused. With so many different acronyms out there (TEFL, TESOL, ESL – the list is endless!), it can seem a bit overwhelming. Don’t worry, everyone feels the same and we’re here to help! TEFL and TESOL are two acronyms you’ll have come across a lot. But what do they mean? And more importantly, what’s the difference between them? Carry on reading to find out…

What is TEFL?

TEFL stands for teaching English as a foreign language. It’s really as simple as that. TEFL is for anyone who wants to teach English online and abroad to non-native English speakers. When students study English as a foreign language, they’re studying it as an academic subject, the same way you might study Spanish or German. This means you’re responsible for not only teaching your students how to speak English but also how to understand grammar, vocabulary, reading and speaking for academic purposes. You’ll be teaching them all the ins and outs of this wonderful language.

What is TESOL?

TESOL stands for teaching English to speakers of other languages. TESOL is generally aimed at people who want to work with learners who are non-native English speakers but live in an English-speaking country. A TESOL course will teach you how to help students use English to communicate in their daily life in an English-speaking country. This will include things like going shopping, ordering food at a restaurant, interviewing for a job and how to make small talk with co-workers. But both TEFL and TESOL can be used interchangeably – confusing, huh?!

Which course is better?

Well, there isn’t necessarily a better course. Choosing between TEFL and TESOL depends on your budget, how much time you have available, and where you want to teach English. Both TEFL and TESOL certificates will open up plenty of teaching job opportunities. If you’re wanting to teach abroad, it might be a good idea to research the specific visa requirements for the country you want to teach in. That way you’ll be able to choose the right type of teaching qualification for you! Every country has its own unique policies for work visas, so before you invest the money, make sure you’re doing the following:

Decide exactly where you want to teach. If you want to teach in a country where English is not the main language, a TEFL certificate will probably be better than a TESOL certificate.
Research the qualifications and visa requirements for teachers. It’s a great idea to look at the embassy’s website and see what they say about working visas, especially any information they have about foreign teachers.
Look at job ads posted by employers to see what skills, requirements, and qualifications they have for English teachers.

In short, a TEFL course will suit you best if you want to teach English online and abroad to students who aren’t native English speakers, for example, Chinese students. A TESOL course will be better if you want to teach English in an English-speaking country. This usually means working for colleges, refugee charities, and community centres.

Good luck and happy TEFLing!

30 FREE Resources for Teaching English Online

Posted on April 17, 2025April 17, 2025 by Victoria Taylor

Your TEFL course will teach you how to create amazing lesson plans, fun-filled activities, and engaging content, but you might still feel a little nervous about teaching your first online English lesson – don’t worry, that’s completely normal! Having some top-quality online teaching resources to hand will help to ease those nerves. To get you started, we’ve put together our top 30 FREE resources for teaching English online. From apps and worksheets to virtual classrooms and document sharing – we’ve got you covered!

Apps

Kahoot

We’re sure you’ve heard of Kahoot and you’re already using it in your lessons but, if you’re not, you definitely should be! Kahoot is a learning platform centred around games – great for keeping both adults and children engaged. You can create your own quizzes based on the curriculum you’re teaching, and your students can play along using their smartphone or tablet. What’s more, the basic plan is completely free – yes please!

Evernote

Need help keeping yourself organised? Evernote can do that for you! Designed for note-taking, organising, task management, and archiving, Evernote allows you to keep track of everything across multiple devices. Their free version allows up to 60MB of new uploads per month and can be synced across 2 devices.

Educreations

Educreations is an excellent tool for creating and sharing multimedia lessons with your students. Their free app allows you to record & share lessons, use basic whiteboard tools, and create and join classes. If you’re working with adults, they can use the app within your lessons for presentations/projects, and if you’re working with children, they’ll love using the whiteboard feature to demonstrate their writing abilities or play games like Pictionary.

Socrative

Socrative is an amazing tool for communicating with students and assessing their progress. You can interact directly with your students and the app provides tips for determining the best way to progress with each student, based on their ability and learning style – easy! Their free version allows you to easily create quizzes, polls, exit tickets and more, to use within your lessons. Pro-tip: start or end your lessons with a game or quiz to keep your students engaged and to help them learn/remember the topics you are about to teach/have just taught.

Memrise

Are your students struggling with their vocabulary? Get them on Memrise! A great aid for vocabulary learning for all ages. Memrise uses flashcards, video clips, and memory techniques to help with language learning.

Vocab Victor

Vocab Victor is a super fun app for beginner to intermediate-level students. If you’re looking for something different to flashcards, Vocab Victor is a great alternative! Their software allows students to play word games to learn vocabulary in a fun way.

LearnEnglish Grammar

We love the British Council, their website has heaps of useful tools for English teachers and they haven’t stopped there! LearnEnglish Grammar is the British Council’s Grammar app, that allows students to practice their English with thousands of free questions available. It’s perfect for intermediate to advanced English learners.

Lesson plans

British Council

An absolute must for every TEFL teacher! British Council have been around as long as we can remember. Although they might not have as many free lessons plans as other websites, what they do offer is of the highest quality. Their lesson plans are a great place to start if you’re new to teaching English online, as they’ve got all of the basics for beginners through to advanced learners.

Busy Teacher

An oldie, but a goldie – Busy Teacher has been around for a while! Their website boasts over 17,300 completely free, easy-to-use, printable or virtual worksheets for TEFL teachers. Whatever the level, topic, or age, you’ll definitely find what you need here.

My ESL Corner

My ESL Corner offers TEFL worksheets, lesson plans, and games galore! They’ve got heaps of ideas that will get your students excited about learning and make lesson planning a doddle!

The Internet TESL Journal

At first glance you might be put off The Internet TESL Journal, but what it lacks in fancy designs, it makes up for in amazing content! They’ve got lesson plans for all different levels, ages, topics, and types of English, from conversational English, to exam prep. They’ve also separated their lesson plans into different sections to make it easy to find exactly what you’re looking for.

TEFLtastic

Much like The Internet TESL Journey, TEFLtastic isn’t the most attractive website, but don’t let that put you off! They offer over 2,000 free printable worksheets covering a wide variety of subjects and levels.

Worksheets/props

Pinterest is just one of many great free resources for teaching English online. You’ll be able to find thousands of free lesson plans, worksheets, props, games, and more to use in your online English lessons, at the click of a button.

Tiny cards

Tiny cards is an online system by Duolingo that allows teachers to create their own flashcards, or use the ones already provided. Flashcards are a great prop to use in your online lesson, as they can provide visual aids that will help your students learn.

Your ESL Journey

Although the teaching props on Your ESL Journey are aimed at VIPKID teachers, that doesn’t mean you can’t incorporate them in your lessons. They’ve got heaps of free printable props for a variety of subjects that are great for young learners.

Teach Starter

Teach Starter offers hundreds of free downloadable resources for you to use. From posters and worksheets, to classroom games and props, their resources will ensure your classroom is fun and engaging!

Virtual Classrooms

Google Classroom

With Google Classroom you can easily share and grade the assignments you give to your students. Plus, their handy integration system means if you’re already using other Google services, such as Docs, Drive and Calendar, everything will be synced together.

Edmodo

Edmodo is an all-round classroom management app. Their system allows you to share content, give real-time feedback, communicate with your students, and set assignments. Edmodo also has the additional benefit of allowing teachers to communicate with the parents of their students – super helpful if you’re teaching young children. Plus, you can chat with other teachers and share resources – winner!

*Update – Since Edmodo stopped trading in 2022, Moodle has stepped in to help those looking for an alternative.

WizIQ

Interested in creating your own online courses for students to take? WizIQ is the one for you! As well as offering a virtual classroom, WizIQ also gives teachers the ability to create their own professional-looking online courses, that you can then market and sell – winner!

LearnCube

LearnCube offer a user-friendly virtual classroom with lots of useful features such as virtual whiteboards, video recording, and custom branding. You can also upload lesson materials and resources for your students too.

Video conferencing

Zoom

Zoom offers a completely free version to absolutely everyone, and has a ton of useful features that you can use to enhance your online English classes. Their free version includes features such as video and audio calls, group calls (max 40 minutes), unlimited one-to-one calls, screen sharing, whiteboards, break-out rooms, and Zoom effects.

Skype

Skype is easily one of the biggest names when it comes to video conferencing software. However, even though it’s a huge name, Skype has limited features on their free version. The upside? These ‘limited’ features are probably all you will need for teaching! Features include video calling to anyone who has a Skype account, instant messaging, and screen sharing.

*Update – Skype is due to retire in May 2025 so users will be integrated onto the Microsoft Teams platform. You’ll get all the old features of Skype with the new added bonus of additional features in Teams.

Google Hangouts

Much like Zoom, Google Hangouts offers heaps of free features and all you need to sign up is a Gmail account – easy! They offer teachers the ability to host video calls, chat using the chat box, screen share, embed YouTube videos, virtual white boards, lesson recording, and Google effects.

*Update – Google has since replaced Hangouts with Google Chat and Google Meet where these features still exist.

Videos

YouTube

If you’re looking for videos to incorporate into your lessons, YouTube is probably the first place you’ll think of, and for good reason! With hundreds of dedicated channels to learning and teaching English, you’ll be able to find videos to suit all of your students’ needs.

ESL Brains

If trailing through YouTube seems like too much of an effort, ESL Brains allow you to quickly browse lesson plans based on topics and levels. They publish worksheets based around various videos, including many TED talks, that you can incorporate into your online lessons. Because of this, it’s especially useful if you’re teaching teenagers or adults.

ESLVideo.com

Looking to bring some excitement and fun into your lessons? Look no further than ESLVideo.com. Their website takes engaging videos and creates quizzes, based on the content, for language learners – a great way to bring pop culture into your lessons!

engVID

engVID boasts over 1,500 videos, recorded by experienced TEFL teachers. You can send these to your students to use directly from the website, or you can source inspiration and tips from the videos.

Document sharing

Google Drive

Google Drive is a great free tool that allows you to upload and share documents with your students. Their free version offers a 15GB storage, with the option to buy more. You can also create Google Docs within your drive that are great for homework or group workbooks, as multiple people can edit at once.

Dropbox

Much like Google Drive, Dropbox offers teachers the ability to share photos, documents, and other files from any device, although they only offer 2GB for free.

Wetransfer

Continuing on the theme… Wetransfer is like Google Drive and Dropbox, with the added benefit is that it’s very simple and quick to use (you don’t even need a login). The same rules as Dropbox apply though, as you can only transfer up to 2GB at a time for free, and an added challenge is that you need to make sure the person is going to download the files soon, as the download link times out after 7 days using the free option.

So what are you waiting for?! Get out there and make your teaching experience even easier with all these wonderful resources!

Still need to get TEFL qualified? No worries! Download a TEFL courses brochure or arrange a free call back with one of our TEFL experts, who will be happy to talk you through it. You can also find out your perfect course match in under 2 minutes! Just take our quick course matching quiz.

Looking for that perfect online TEFL role, so you can get started? Check out the LoveTEFL jobs board for some amazing online jobs to apply for.

Happy teaching!

Top 5 Games for Teaching English Online

Posted on January 14, 2025January 23, 2025 by Victoria Taylor

Today I will be sharing the top 5 games for teaching English online to children. Teaching English online can be more challenging than in-person classes, as it is easy for young students to get distracted. By including lots of online games within your classes, it keeps the students engaged and interested in the lesson material. There are lots of games available online, to aid children’s learning and keep lessons fun and interactive. You can also use online games along with the traditional in-person games too, where appropriate.

When looking for online games, it is important to make sure the games have a combination of learning and fun, and that they are easy to interact with. There are lots of online English games around, however, I have found these Top 5 to be the easiest to access and to use, and they don’t require paid subscriptions!

1. Kahoot

Kahoot is a really popular website and provides a great setup to aid learning with online classes. It is easy to use for students and teachers alike, which is another important thing to look out for when finding online games to use in the classroom. Kahoot is a free-to-use website, you just need to register and you can pay to upgrade if you want, to use more features and share with more students.

How to use Kahoot for online teaching

With Kahoot, you share the screen with students and they can play the games using their mobile phones. It’s a great site for group classes, as the students will see it as a competition between each other to win. There is a huge variety of games available, with games for beginners, games tailored around the Cambridge learning programme, themed games like Disney or Star Wars, and games on current affairs for the advanced learners too. It is perfect for all ages and all levels of students. You can even create your own games too if you can’t find a game suitable to your class! Students have a time of 10/20/30 seconds to answer each question and they are all multiple choice, so it’s a great opportunity for students to review their learning of a subject for example, and for you to see what has been understood. It is also a great way to introduce a new topic to students and find out what they already know.

2. Baamboozle

Baamboozle is another great website to use when you have multiple students in your online classroom. Again, it is free and easy to use for both the student and teacher. They have over 500,000 games available to choose from, covering vocabulary, grammar, tenses, and sentence structure. You can also create your own Baamboozle game, if you can’t find one suitable for your lesson. Baamboozle also enables students to compete against each other, as students win points for each correct answer. It has a cool feature, which my students enjoy, where points can be swapped and stolen from their classmates. It always goes down well!

How to use Baamboozle in your English class

The games work by students choosing a number on a grid and answering the question, either with a complete sentence or choosing the correct option, and they win points accordingly. With Bamboozle, you can also put your students into teams, if you have a big online class, and they can work as a team to answer questions. The games can be used to introduce new topics or review current or previous work to check students’ understanding and also works really well as an ice breaker for new students and classes.

3. MES Games

How to use MES Games during your Online Class

I have recently started using MES games and it is a great platform that is really easy for students to interact with. It’s another free site and it has a large choice of games, covering lots of different topics, vocabulary, and grammar. Each topic has a choice of games from listening and selecting, memory games, vocabulary, grammar, and spelling.

Teaching English to young learners

This is a great website to use during lessons to review a lesson topic and to break up the class, especially for the younger learners. I have found that my younger students enjoy the animations and different characters in the games! MES Games also offers a great addition – online flashcards! This is a great tool and can really aid younger and beginner learners with new vocabulary.

4. ESL Games World

Keeping young learners engaged in the online classroom

Another recent find is ESL Games World, a free games website providing a wide range of online English games for younger learners. Covering a wide range of levels, grammar & tenses, and vocabulary, it also includes lots of listening practice and memory games for different vocabulary topics. An easy-to-use site, you can browse the different games via levels and for the younger learners, games include treasure hunts, online car races, snakes and ladders, and mazes, along with memory games which I have found to be really popular amongst my younger learners. They have a better memory than me sometimes!

5. Games to Learn English

Games to Learn English has a huge range of games available to students and teachers, from practicing sentence structure, question, and answer games, speaking & listening practice, spelling, and a wide variety of grammar and tenses games too! It also has games like hangman, memory games, and lots of games based on different vocabulary topics. There are plenty of instructions for each game and, although these games are aimed at younger learners, they can be adapted to suit a range of ages and abilities. One of my favourites is ‘fast English’ or ‘fast phrases’, where students have to select the answer before the time runs out, but the time gets shorter each round. It’s a great game to use mid-way through the class to break up the lesson and get energy levels up again!

Setting homework/activities for your Students Online

The site is free, and there is no need to register to access games. However, if you want to set homework or practice activities/games for your students, you can create an account and share the homework with students. Another great way to check students learning in between classes.

Hopefully, these games will help you to build on your students learning experience and bring a bit of fun and a different type of interaction into the online classroom! All of these games and websites can be used for introducing new topics, reviewing current or past topics, or just to break up the class and energise your students.

Still need to get qualified? No worries! Check out our range of TEFL courses or arrange for a free call back with one of our TEFL experts who can talk you through your options and answer any questions you might have!

Want to find out which course is your perfect match in under 2 minutes? Take our quick course matching quiz!

You can also follow Catherine on her teacher Instagram, or check out her website to learn more about online games!

10 reasons to choose teaching as your profession

Posted on November 29, 2024November 29, 2024 by Victoria Taylor

It’s no surprise so many people grow up wanting to be teachers. Teachers are there as an inspiration to us all throughout our childhood. They’re a shoulder to lean on when you’re sad, a voice of reasoning when you’re angry, and they just know everything, don’t they? Have you been wondering if teaching is right for you? Well, we’ve got 10 reasons why you should choose teaching as your profession to get you started, and we’ve listed them for you below!

1. You’ll be making a difference

By choosing teaching as your profession, you’ll get job satisfaction like no other! If you ask most teachers why they decided to teach, they’ll usually mention that they wanted to be able to make a real difference in students’ lives. Working as a teacher, you’ll be able to see the visible progress in your students’ abilities and it’s guaranteed to send you home with a smile on your face and a real sense of pride. Remember, they need you to help them get where they want to be in life, so you will be very important!

2. No two days are the same

We really mean it when we say this – no two days are the same! If you dread the monotony of working in an office and crave variety in your day-to-day life, then teaching is right for you. When you’re a teacher, every day will provide a different set of challenges to keep life interesting! It’ll fill you with excitement and you’ll be eager to get back into your classroom each day.

TEFL is especially varied, as there are so many different types of TEFL lesson. From general conversation all the way to coaching for important exams like IELTS, every student has a different set of needs. Which keeps life interesting! Want to be able to teach all the different types of TEFL? Then our 500hr course is perfect for you!

3. You’ll have a job for life

Unlike some jobs that can be replaced by technology, teaching definitely can’t be. Although there may be language teaching apps out there, the majority of students still prefer a teacher they can actually talk to! So, you’ll have a job for life and a super secure one at that! They say that education is recession-proof, so you’re in safe hands if you choose teaching as your profession, as you’ll be in high demand all over the world for the rest of your life. Want to find out how much you could be earning as a TEFL teacher? Take our quick salary quiz!

4. You can work all over the world

If you’re a qualified teacher, you’ll be able to work pretty much anywhere in the world, either in a classroom or via your laptop. We’re talking gorgeous exotic islands in Thailand, or bustling cities in South Korea – yes please! Whether it’s teaching basic English or a specialist subject in English (e.g. maths), you’ll be able to work and explore at the same time – winner! Want to find out which is the best TEFL location for you? Take our quick quiz and find out in minutes!

5. You can be creative

While you might have to follow a curriculum outline if you’re working with a school, you will still have freedom within this to decide exactly how to teach the information to your students, so you can really make it your own and get creative! Having fun is encouraged!

6. Meet lots of new people

Choosing teaching as a profession will give you the opportunity to work in a super sociable atmosphere. Not only will you work as part of a close-knit team with your colleagues, you’ll also interact with students and parents every single day. On top of that, as a teacher, you also have the ability to become an important part of your local community, with many schools hosting events throughout the year. This is great if you’ve moved to another country to teach as you’ll be given plenty of opportunities to meet tons of new people.

7. The earning potential is huge

Whether you’re teaching in your home country, abroad or online, your earning potential can be huge. We’re talking up to US$6,500 a month, that’s US$78,000 per year – sign us up! Plus, many teaching positions abroad will come with additional benefits such as accommodation, flights, medical insurance and paid visas.

8. You can work from home

Don’t fancy being around other people all the time? If you choose teaching as your profession, you also have the option of working from the comfort of your own home. In today’s digital world, there are plenty of opportunities to teach English online, from general English conversation, to maths and arts and crafts, there are heaps of different subjects you can teach online. Plus, it’s super flexible, you can set your own hours and truly be your own boss! Want to be fully prepared to teach English online? Check out our 500hr course!

9. Learn as well as teach

If you’ve really got a passion for learning, teaching is definitely for you! Teachers not only get to share their existing knowledge and wisdom, but they also get to dig deeply into topics and learn something new along the way. Whether that’s by taking a TEFL Course or being thrown into the deep end in one of your classes, every day will literally be a school day for you and your knowledge will continue to grow. Want to be absolutely sure that TEFL is right for you before you start? Take our quick TEFL quiz to find out!

10. Career progression

If you’re dreaming of building an amazing career, then choose teaching as your profession! Not only will being a teacher provide you with a steady income and great job satisfaction, you’ll also be able to climb the career ladder to the top. From teaching in far-flung destinations, to teaching online from the comfort of your own home, and even to creating your own TEFL business! The opportunities are endless. Want a TEFL qualification that will see you through all the different stages of your teaching career? Then the 500hr Advanced TEFL Diploma is the right qualification for you!

As we’ve demonstrated, teaching is so much more than just a job! Ready to get started? We don’t blame you! Get your free TEFL courses guide to help you get going!

Need a bit more advice? You can request a free call back and our TEFL Experts will be happy to help!

Life as an online TEFL teacher in South Africa

Posted on May 24, 2023May 24, 2023 by Victoria Taylor

Are you from South Africa? Are you considering teaching English online? Then this is the perfect blog for you! Keep reading to find out all about Mihlali’s take on being an online TEFL teacher in South Africa…

Hi, I’m Mihlali! I am blessed to be able to work from home – a small village in South Africa. I have embraced being a global citizen without having to set foot on another continent! When I began working as a TEFL teacher online seven months ago, I was ecstatic to be able to pass the knowledge that I have onto others. I never anticipated that I would also become a student! Whilst working as an online English teacher, I have learned a variety of skills:

1. Adaptability

One of the skills that I have learned from my students is being able to adapt to new conditions. I’ve always been one for a great plan, as well as a back-up plan for the back-up plan! I have shown up to class many times – well prepared and ready to have fun and productive lessons. However, I have had to throw caution to the wind. My students have taught me that, regardless of the content being the same, each class is unique. When I started in this line of work, I expected each class to be uniform. I’m now well aware that different does not necessarily mean bad and that deviating from the “plan” opens one up to new possibilities.

2. Patience

In theory, I have always understood the concept of learners learning at different paces, but I have never had to deal with it myself. More often than not, my students grasp concepts quite easily, but it’s not always the case. In those moments, it’s important that I allow them to do things at their own pace, rather than rushing them through the exercises so that everyone completes it at the same time. Being patient and letting them go at their own pace also allows them to go through all three stages of the memory process (encoding, storing, retrieving) where not only are they able to receive the information, but they are able to file it and store it effectively in their long-term memory. Remembering information, after all, is an extremely key part of learning!

3. Having fun

Have I had some challenging days with my students? Of course, but they have taught me how to smile – all the time! There’s honestly nothing more rewarding than seeing how happy and excited a student is to be in class. I’ve learned not to take myself too seriously as I’ve had to be quite the clown at times, all in the name of getting them to crack a smile. Once we are smiling, our relationship transcends the “traditional” teacher/student relationship. I like to think that we are “friends exchanging language information”. One of the best things that to get my students going are tongue twisters! We thoroughly enjoy laughing with one another and sharing our desperate attempts of getting them correctly. Being able to be in a job where I smile and laugh daily means I am also able to feel more positive outside of my work, which is a real blessing.

4. Cultural Exchange

I’ve had the pleasure of having a cultural exchange with my students, without having to leave the comfort of my own home. It’s always lovely to hear about the variety of holidays and festivals that are celebrated by my students. Not only have they shared their traditions and beliefs, they’ve also opened up to me about their everyday activities, hobbies, dreams and aspirations. It keeps every day interesting and I am expanding my knowledge, while encouraging them to expand theirs as well. It’s extremely gratifying to know that I have impacted their lives, even in the slightest way, and to be able to find out more about the world!

5. Love

Last but certainly not least, my students have taught me to love and appreciate each individual for who and what they are, not who I would like them to be. Each student has a trait that makes them special in their own way and this should be celebrated and communicated. Not only have they taught me how to appreciate individuality more, they have also helped me find my way back to my true love – the English language.

Feeling inspired and want to get started as an online TEFL teacher in South Africa? All you need is a TEFL course! Head to our TEFL courses page to find out which one is your perfect match.

Already qualified and ready to look for online jobs? Head to the LoveTEFL Jobs Board for all the latest vacancies.

How to find your first TEFL job abroad

Posted on May 18, 2023May 18, 2023 by Victoria Taylor

The demand for TEFL teachers is huge, but are you wondering how to find your first TEFL job abroad? Do you need to know where you should look and what you have to prepare? Follow these 4 easy steps and you’ll land your dream TEFL job overseas in no time!