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Why does(n’t) accent matter in TESOL
This article focuses on the positive aspects of the different sounds that Englishes use: accents, and benefit to ESL language learners

Tom Garside
Apr 265 min read


Ways of increasing student focus through tasks and activities
No matter what you teach, student engagement is a major challenge in every classroom. Learning increases when students are engaged

Tom Garside
Apr 127 min read


How to increase student engagement in the language classroom
Student engagement is a key factor for learning in any classroom, and each student has their own interests, reasons for learning, and prefer

Tom Garside
Mar 285 min read


5 Misconceptions about English Tenses
This article aims to clarify five common examples which come up for students and teachers, to help us understand the connected relationships

Tom Garside
Mar 2110 min read


Can teacher talk affect how students think? Harnessing classroom discourse to increase cognition
Cognitive approaches to language learning work under the assumption that the more deeply learners think about what they are learning

Tom Garside
Feb 168 min read


Slow down, teacher! An argument for less haste in language education
Any teacher working towards assessments or barrier tests experiences the familiar pressure to get through syllabus content so that their stu

Tom Garside
Feb 38 min read


What is the lexical approach?
Vocabulary is an essential part of language learning at any level. The way in which we learn and remember vocabulary is different from how

Tom Garside
Jan 164 min read


What is Test Teach Test? An impactful lesson structure for teachers and students
Any initial teacher training qualification in TESOL will rightly stress the importance of clear lesson structure for language lessons.

Tom Garside
Jan 35 min read


When did you last see yourself teach? Self-observation as a reflective development tool
Lesson observations are an integral part of most teacher education courses for good reason; we can learn an enormous amount by stepping back

Tom Garside
Dec 6, 20245 min read


After the TEFL Cert - what next? Teacher Education doesn’t stop with a first certificate
So you’ve finished your teacher training course, and are ready to go out into the world of teaching. Maybe you have a job lined up, maybe

Tom Garside
Nov 22, 20243 min read


Barrier to bridge: facilitating teachers to take control of their own professional development
In-depth, lasting Continuous Professional Development activity is often seen as either a luxury or a chore for public school teachers, as

Tom Garside
Nov 8, 20245 min read


Empowering teachers to define their own development pathways
Teacher development in any field can only work if teachers themselves take ownership over how they manage their own development plans. You

Tom Garside
Oct 25, 20244 min read


Sustaining TESOL teacher development
Teachers rarely have the time to step back and think about what they are, or are not, doing in their classrooms. For real, effective develop

Tom Garside
Oct 11, 20243 min read


10 simple steps to sustainable TESOL teacher development
TESOL qualifications tend to be seen as discrete products leading to fixed outcomes - a CertTESOL, CELTA or similar level of certificate.

Tom Garside
Sep 27, 20245 min read


What is connected speech, and why is its pronunciation important for language learners?
Of all the areas in English pronunciation, perhaps the most challenging for learners is the way in which words are connected together in flu

Tom Garside
Sep 13, 20246 min read


What are prepositions and what do they do?
One reason why English grammar is difficult for many learners is the range of small, grammatical components which are needed to complete phr

Tom Garside
Aug 24, 20244 min read


Understanding International ESOL Exams - Trinity GESE, ISE, IELTS and the Cambridge Suite
If you are looking to specialise in English Language Teaching, then it is important to become familiar with the international examinations w

Tom Garside
Aug 7, 20246 min read


Accents, dialects and varieties of English - what’s the difference and why are they important for teachers and learners?
As an international language with a long history in many different parts of the world, English has developed into many different forms.

Tom Garside
Aug 2, 20246 min read


Your next move in TESOL: How teachers develop through the Trinity CertPT course with Language Point
Most teacher development courses are focused on the teaching that you do: how to teach more effectively, methods and techniques that are suc

Tom Garside
Jul 22, 20244 min read


Word stress and sentence stress - what is the difference?
The rhythm and pace of words in spoken sentences varies in different languages. The way we add stress or prominence to individual syllables

Tom Garside
Jul 15, 20246 min read
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