01/10/2010

Useful TEFL Learning Resources

Teach, travel, earn… and make a difference with TEFL Time! TEFL Time specialise in providing two teacher training courses: Weekend course (20 hours) and Distance learning course (80 hours). TEFL Time provide some useful resources for aiding your TEFL learning experience. Of course one of the most useful things you can do is to take one of the TEFL Time courses! Once you have done this you will probably want to take things further, so TEFL Time have listed below resources and links that you might find useful.

USEFUL BOOKS

Listed below are some of the books that our tutors and students have found useful in their TEFL careers and studies:

* Methodology Books

How to Teach English. Harmer J. (Longman)
- A good introduction to the methodology of EFL teaching. Covers all the basics and has exercises to complete. Includes a DVD of TEFL teachers in action. (This book is the set text for the TEFL Time distance learning course. A copy of the book is included in the course along with a guide to its study).

TEFL Training

Learning Teaching. Scrivener J. (Macmillan)
- Comprehensive and practical introduction to teaching EFL. Includes photocopiable resource pages.

Practice of English Language Teaching. Harmer J. (Longman)
- Covers theory, techniques and lesson planning and classroom management.

* Grammar Books

A-Z of Grammar and Punctuation. Seely J. (OUP)
Useful book giving the basics. This book is enclosed with the TEFL Time Weekend Course.

Collins Co Build Series. (Collins)
- Grammar books and dictionaries aimed at English language learners. Grammar books come in basic, intermediate and advanced versions. Dictionaries have good tips for usage and are well laid out.

TEFL Training: Collins Pocket Dictionary. (Collins)
- A good ‘everyday’ dictionary, although it is designed for rather large pockets! It contains a large section on writing English for various uses.

Oxford Everyday Grammar. Seely J. (OUP)
Introductory guide to basic grammar in two sections. Practical advice on understanding and using grammar plus a useful glossary.

Practical English Usage. Swan M. (Oxford)
Often called ‘the bible’. Used by a great many TEFL teachers throughout their careers. It gives clear understandable explanations of grammar points and language problems plus more. Entries are listed alphabetically. Course Directors favourite!

* Classroom Resource Books

1000 Pictures for Teachers to Copy. Wright A. (Nelson)
- Contains pictures which teachers can copy (or photocopy) to help illustrate points when teaching or creating resources. Includes guidance on their use.

Five Minute Activities. Ur P. (Cambridge)
- Contains 130 short activities for the language classroom. A very useful resource. Course Directors favourite!

Grammar Games. Rinvolucri M. (Cambridge)
- Useful book of games for all levels to use in the classroom - cognitive, affective and drama.

Teaching Tenses. Aitken R. (ELB)
- Useful book of ideas for teaching tenses and verb patterns.

* Student Workbooks and CoursesTEFL Training

Essential Grammar in Use. (elementary)
English Grammar in Use. (intermediate)
Murphy R. (Cambridge)
- Self study workbooks for students, but very useful for teachers as well. Get the editions with answers in the back, also available with CD ROM giving additional practice material.

New Headway. Soars J, & Soars L. (Oxford)
- A very well known language course for all levels of student. Materials include course books with additional workbooks and teacher guides. Audio cassettes and videos are also available. Used by a great many language schools and most EFL teachers eventually encounter it in their careers.

* Miscellaneous Books

Mother Tongue. Bryson B. (Penguin)
- Popular and interesting book on the origin and structure of the English language.

Teaching English Abroad. Griffith S. (Vacation Work Publications)
- Useful information for anyone thinking of teaching abroad. Covers courses, job hunting and has a guide to TEFL in 87 countries.

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