It has been only 4 decades since Apple launched their first personal computer, yet so much has changed in the world in that time. The Internet has transformed work and social patterns beyond recognition, and made many new areas of work appealing and popular remotely.
One such career that has blossomed in that era is that of a TEFL (or Teach English as a Foreign Language) teacher. In fact, as time passes it becomes more and more essential to the lives of millions of language learners across the globe, who need English for their professional, study, or personal lives.
However, there are some days when everybody struggles to come up with the impetus and momentum needed to keep going on the arduous journey of learning another language. That is why inspiring posts can make all the difference, so below are just a few ideas that TEFL teachers could take advantage of, to keep their students on track and help them to overcome the hurdles necessary for them to keep going.
Informative TEFL teaching posts
Some individuals may be interested to see the teach English in Italy approach to life, where a healthy relaxed attitude to living is combined with a love of fashion, culture, and sunshine. For others, this might come in the form of specific information about studying TEFL for specific purposes, for instance an adult might wish to learn business English but not know where to start.
An informative post does not have to be dull or boring, and can be brought to life through a bright and vivid colour scheme, or pictures that add depth to the content. An excellent example of a visual aid would be one that explains a lot of content in one image, as it is said that a picture can tell a thousand words.
Food TEFL posts
It seems as though the whole world and their dog are foodies nowadays, so this could be harnessed to create food posts that engage the minds and stomachs of followers. From the classics to more contemporary takes on global cuisine, these kinds of posts are likely to be a winner with a lot of readers.
Of course, one easy way to introduce new TEFL vocabulary to students is through the use of a recipe. This shows the learner the ingredients that are required to make the dish, as well as the utensils needed to cook the meal itself.
Beyond this, in terms of grammar, the imperative tense is used extensively in recipe notes, as a means of saving time and space on the page. This aspect of English grammar is a wonderful one to teach, using cooking as an appetising learning backdrop all the while.
History TEFL posts
History has the capacity to surprise and amaze society, from learning something new about a major historical event all the way to getting a fresh lens on a recent event, like hearing an astronaut talk about their experience in space first hand.
These posts give the reader something that they might not have seen before, and allow them to dive more deeply into a topic that they may not have thought about for a while. A TEFL teacher who creates posts about history also opens up the chance for a much broader discussion on the topic, with students from all walks of life able to contribute their own thoughts and ideas on the matter.
What is more, history is always evolving, as archaelogists discover new information all the time that alters the way we previously thought about the past. This, combined with a truly global perspective on all matters historical, makes this one of the more intriguing and fascinating post types for a TEFL tutor to consider posting.
Work-based TEFL posts
For the majority of adults who are learning TEFL, the capacity to earn money is a major influence in their daily lives. Whether that be in the form of trying to find a new job, developing in their own existing sphere, or exploring additional avenues, the reality is that these learners typically need the cash to live their lives in the best way they wish to. Moreover, there are ways where they can make money on the side of teaching, adding to their income and enhancing their financial stability.
Therefore, it makes total sense for a TEFL instructor to think about making posts that assist in that process from an English language standpoint. This could be in the form of focusing on soft skills, all the way through to what not to do in a future job interview.
In any case, these kinds of posts are grounded in the real world, and invoke all kinds of situations that a TEFL learner is likely to come across in their daily lives. Thus, helping these students to get a grip on the fundamentals of workplace English is likely to be both functional and popular, across pretty much any age range of learners.
TEFL specific posts
One last category for a TEFL teacher to consider is to make content that is specifically related to the world of TEFL itself. This might be something like a ‘word of the day’, where the post is about a word in the English language that is eye-catching or appealing to learn in some way.
This post could be fleshed out with a touch of etymology on the word, or a couple of sample sentences where the word can be seen in use, and then applied. Another option is to make a small quiz, perhaps multiple choice, where the students have to guess the correct response from a list of given options.
In this way, the content becomes interactive for learners, and they get to pit their wits against other students in the same boat. This can be especially fun with idioms or dialect phrases, where the participants have to take a leap of faith and try to figure out the answer based on context clues or their own gut instinct.
Additionally, these posts are designed to bring together the idea of learning English, and the public space where readers feel free to have a go without pressure. In this way, the learners might just find that they like what they see, and are willing to reach out to the TEFL tutor directly to find out more.
References:
- https://www.tefl.org/teach-english-abroad/teach-english-in-italy/
- https://www.stylise.it/trend/39-anni-fa-venne-presentata-lapple-lisa-un-personal-computer/
- https://www.stylise.it/in-evidenza/le-5-soft-skills-per-una-carriera-di-successo/
- https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/classic-italian-dishes/index.html
- https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61931172