Expanish TEFL Blog

Homework is an inevitable part of learning and yet somehow the majority of us don’t look forward to receiving it. As a TEFL teacher in Buenos Aires, you are bound to come across students that offer you ‘groans’ or ‘rolling eyes’ when you present them with homework. It is good to have an idea of how to present your students with homework, and make sure they are completing it.

Make homework relevant

Don’t just make your students to homework because you feel like its the obvious thing to do after an English class. Give you students something that is relevant to what they just learned and that they will have some sort of interest in completing.

Short homework assignments

Homework should not be really be hours worth of work (depending on your students needs/wants). In general, homework should take your students between 20-40 minutes, sometimes less, sometimes  a little more. Just remember that giving homework doesn’t mean loading up you students with hours of work, it should serve as a review of what they are learning.

Daily work

Give your students daily homework so that they get accustomed to always doing some work after their classes. This will get them in the rhythm of doing homework and students will not offer a constant sigh or groan when presented with it.

Homework is the best way to support the English lessons that you have just taught in your TEFL classes in Buenos Aires.  Check out more of our Expanish TEFL blogs for more tips on teaching English!    

Moving to a new country is a big change, but and exciting one. There will always be some challenges to face when moving abroad in teach English, but with a bit of planning and a positive attitude, the move will be totally successful.

Check out our TEFL in Argentina “Do’s” of Living Abroad

1. Do you research before you arrive in Buenos Aires. Learn about Argentina, the culture, the people, and the traditions, so that when you come, you are already excited about diving in deeper!

2. Do try everything at least once! As long, of course, as it is not dangerous or harmful to your health.

3. Do eat the local food, sing local songs, dance to traditional music, etc. Nothing gets you in the culture like living like a local.

4. Do take photos of all the incredible things you see and do and of all the people you meet.

5. Do stay in touch with your friends and family back home and take the time to tell them about your incredible experience abroad.

6. Do take public transportation. This is a great way to get to know a city and the way of life, plus it is a cheap and efficient way to get from A to B.

7. Do keep and open mind and realize that every country is different and they will have different customs. These are not better nor worse than your own, just different!

8. Do visit local attractions, enjoy events, go to concerts, and more, to really get to know the local culture.

9. Do remember that you are living abroad to teach English in Buenos Aires and that your work and students are a major priority.

10. Do be the best TEFL teacher that you can be, take pride in your work, and everyday strive to be a better teacher. This will no doubt ensure you success in your work, and therefore success in your living abroad experience!

Not a TEFL teacher yet? Check out our TEFL programs in Argentina!

It is important to know how to incorporate every type of language learning into your English classes in Buenos Aires, these include speaking, reading, writing, and listening.

In the following blogs, we will cover each one so that you can implement them into your following English lessons in Buenos Aires.

Lesson 4: Teaching How to Speak

For most students, speaking is the most difficult aspects of the language, at least the most difficult to begin with.  To speak well, you must know the vocabulary, verbs, general grammar, phonetics, and more, plus, you have to have the confidence to hear yourself out loud and making mistakes.

• Practice makes perfect. Have your students always speak in English. If you can help it, do not ever let them speak in their native tongue during a class. Even if they have to mime out what they are trying to say, help them along but make sure they are speaking English at all time.
• Combine their other senses with speaking. Have them read out loud so that they know what the word looks like and sounds like.
• Correct your students in a constructive manner. Don’t tell them they are speaking wrong, just correct them when they make mistakes, and reassure them that they are making progress. Always give your students confidence, when it comes to speaking, they are going to need it!
• Empathize with your students and remember that speaking is very difficult. If they get frustrated, give them a break and a chance to work on something else before you go back.
• Have them watch movies or television and listen to the accent of English while comparing the subtitles down below. This will help them expressions and the phonetics of English.
• Encourage them to get a conversation partner, live in a homestay or shared apartment with other Spanish speakers so that they can be speaking Spanish 24/7.
• Practice, practice, practice!!

Check out our previous posts: Reading, Writing; Listening

It is important to know how to incorporate every type of language learning into your English classes  in Buenos Aires, these include speaking, reading, writing, and listening.

In the following blogs, we will cover each one so that you can implement them into your following English lessons in Buenos Aires.

Lesson 3: Teaching How to Read

Be sure to give your students the right level of reading materials and exercises based on their own language level. Start out with small writing example and common vocabulary, later moving to more advanced writing examples and specific vocabulary. You never want to challenge your students to the point of utter frustration!

Before your students read, discuss what they will be reading so that they have an idea of the subject. You can also put together ideas about what will happen, then discuss after the reading what has happened.

Have your students write down any words they do not understand. Later look up these words and discuss them. Your students will remember these words for the next time.

Use writing example with pictures, your students will be able to combine words with visuals.

Be creative! Give your students material that they are interested in. You will find they are much quicker to learn when they are reading about a subject that interests them!

Check out our previous posts: Writing; Listening

It is important to know how to incorporate every type of language learning into your English classes, these include speaking, reading, writing, and listening.

In the following blogs, we will cover each one so that you can implement them into your following English lessons in Buenos Aires.

Lesson 2: Teaching Listening skills

• One of the most important aspects to teaching listening is to make sure you have you students attention. This means practising listening skills should always be combined with exercises/games that really interest the student. Also, it is very important to start with small steps, and do go beyond the students level. If challenged to much, the student will be frustrated and give up.

• Teach listening skills in short time periods. Don’t have your beginner student listen to a 10 minute video tape and then expect them to report back in English. Start with 30second or 1 minute exercises and go from there. Have them watch commercials or very short periods of a film, then practise their listening skills.

• Try to incorporate other senses with listening lessons. Have them read the same script as they are listening to, that way they can get an idea of what the word looks like and how it sounds at the same time. They will more likely remember the word and how to say it in the future.

• Have them practice speaking with listening. The two are so closely related that they must be taught together, and this in turn will make both improve much more quickly.

• Remember, as a TEFL teacher, always be patient with your students. Learning a new language can be very difficult,  but with the right support, you will be amazed how quickly your students will learn!

Check out previous Lesson: Writing

It is important to know how to incorporate every type of language learning into your English classes, these include speaking, reading, writing, and listening. 

In the following blogs, we will cover each one so that you can implement them into your following English lessons in Buenos Aires.

Lesson 1: Teaching How to Write

• Organize your writing lessons, you will have to teach your English students different stages of writing: pre-writing, writing, editing, proof-reading.
• Have your students practice writing in every single lesson, even if its only for a short a period. 
• Teach each level of learner different levels of writing;

• Beginners: short sentences, short paragraphs, punctuation.
• Intermediate: Paragraphs, essays, creative writing, punctuation.
• Advanced: Essays, creative writing, formal writing, poetry, punctuation, etc.
• Use writing tasks such as: small descriptive paragraphs, short stories, poetry, email, resumes, job applications, opinions, articles, etc.
• Correct their writing work with a red pen so that they can see where they have made the mistake and how to improve it for the future.
• Combine writing and reading exercises so that they can use their visual memory and apply it to their writing.   

Most importantly, be patient with your students and remember that learning to write in another language is often more difficult than learning to speak, and they may need a lot of support during the process.

Check out our next English Lesson: Listening.

Interested in taking a TEFL course in Buenos Aires? Check out our TEFL programs in Argentina.

If you are getting TEFL certified in Buenos Aires, then it is time to get out of the classroom and have a little fun.

Whether you want to go dancing until 7 in the morning, or stay in and watch a movie, what ever you are in the mood for, you can find it in Buenos Aires.

Things to do on any night:

Acabar: This relaxed bar is great for any night, for food drinks and games. Perfect to get together with fellow TEFL teachers and classmates.  Pick from a selection of over 50 different and let the fun begin.
Honduras 5733, Palermo Hollywood

Florida St.: This street in the down town city center is a fun place to do some serious people watching and window-shopping.  Often you will find Tango dancers, clowns, musicians, artists and more performing in the street, never a dull moment.  If your tired of walking pop into one of the many movie theaters, restaurants or cafés, that line the streets.

Bangalore: This fun restaurant looks like a small Irish pub, that doubles for an Indian restaurant.  Sit on pillows in the upper level and enjoy authentic cuisine. When you are done with your meal join in on the festivities down below.  Guaranteed a good crowd and atmosphere.
Humboldt 1416 Palermo Hollywood

Nightclubs here don’t get started until after 2:00 am and are packed until early in the morning.  Plan on big crowds, good music and dancing. Check the websites to see upcoming and special events.

Niceto Club: http://www.nicetoclub.com/
Crobar: http://www.crobar.com.ar/
Asia de Cuba: http://www.asiadecuba.com.ar/
Club Shampoo: http://www.newshampoo.com.ar/

Getting TEFL certified in Buenos Aires, Argentina can be challenging, so let loose outside of school and enjoy all that Buenos Aires has to offer.

Want to get TEFL certified in Buenos Aires, check us out and get started today.

It is the perfect time to take a TEFL course in Buenos Aires!

If you are living in the Northern hemisphere, it is probably wet, windy, gloomy, and freezing, but for the Southern half of the world it is hot, sunny, and beautiful.

Take advantage of the summer months in Argentina and get TEFL certified.

During the next couple of months in Buenos Aires there is a lot to see and do as the city puts on many free shows, festivals, and other events.  Another plus about summer in Argentina is that during the summer months the city is very tranquil as many people vacation to the beach, allowing you to enjoy the city without all of the chaos.

Special Events in Buenos Aires Summer 2010:

Concerts:
Jan 21st : Metallica, metal band at River Plate Stadium
Jan 28th: The Wailers and Alpha Blondie, at Luna Park Stadium
Feb 5th: The Cranberries, at Luna Park Stadium
Feb 12th: Beyonce, at Hipodromo de San Isidro
Feb 26th: Coldplay, at River Plate Stadium

Festivals:
Carnaval: celebrate in the streets with parades and music
Buenos Aires Tango Festival: occurring late in the month of February and running into March, this event sees some 100 performances by over 150 dancers and musicians

Nature:
Botanical Garden: Palermo
Zoo: Palermo
Ecological Reserve: Rio del Plata
Parks and Plazas scattered through out the city, great for sun bathing and relaxing.

What’s best about getting TEFL certified in Buenos Aires in the summer is that you will already have a head start to those up north who are waiting for their summer in May to get TEFL certified.  This means that you can apply for jobs ahead of many others, giving you a major advantage in the TEFL job search in Argentina or around the world!

Want to be in Buenos Aires this Summer 2010 to get TEFL certified? Check out our TEFL programs!

It’s mid December and if you are teaching English in Buenos Aires, Argentina, you know that the summer is finally here!

Temperatures in Argentina tend to vary due to the extreme differences of landscape through out the country, however in Buenos Aires you can expect that the days are sunny and the nights are warm with highs between December and February averaging around 87F/30C, and lows of 63F/17C.   Here humidity is constant year round averaging about 65%, but can soar to highs of 80-90% during the summer months.  This means that the city is going to be a little sticky and a little sweaty.  However most buildings are air-conditioned, which is really a savior, but running about the city, perhaps from one TEFL class to the next, you are guaranteed to get a little toasty.

If you are not used to dealing the weather in Buenos Aires, there are some great tips to help get you through these hot and humid days, comfortably.

Stay cool and safe:

1. Drink a quart of fluids an hour.
2. Wear loose clothing light in color and fabric, sun block, and stay in the shade or indoors if possible.
3. Soak your feet in a bucket of cold water.
4. Use a hint of mint on your body, it refreshes and leaves a nice cooling sensation.
5. Avoid caffeine and alcohol, which can speed up dehydration.
6. Hold a cold beverage on your neck to cool yourself. A cold object, such as a soda can, held against the neck cools the blood to the brain very quickly.
7. Know that your body takes a couple of weeks to acclimate to humid weather, so use particular care in the early part of the summer. If you exercise outdoors, gradually increase your time to allow your body to adapt to the warmer temperatures and high humidity.

Tip for the TEFL class in Buenos Aires:
Always encourage your TEFL students to drink plenty of water and bring some to class.

Want to enjoy the summer as a TEFL teacher in Buenos Aires, check us out!

Are you a TEFL teacher in Buenos Aires and missing out on current news from your home country?

Living abroad can make it hard to keep in touch with all that is happening in back at home.  Obviously the internet, newspapers, and television are great resources to keep updated daily on current events but maybe for you it is not the lack of information but the lack of time.  As a TEFL teacher in Buenos Aires, you are busy with classes, lesson planning, friends, sights, travel, parties, and much more.

Whether you are teaching English as a second language privately, to a group or a class, a great way to stay informed about current events is to make them educational. Achieve this by assigning students to bring in current events that interest them, Then have them talk about these events at the beginning of every class. It would be time consuming to have every student speak, if you have a large class, so just assign one student per day to bring in a current event.

They can describe the events this way:

•    where it takes place
•    what happened
•    who is involved
•    when it happened
•    why it is interesting to them

Warm-up activities are great for relaxing your students, establishing a group dynamic, refreshing key vocabulary and grammar, and getting your students into ‘English’ mode. They also help your students put aside their daily distractions and focus on English. If they haven’t used English all day, they may take a little while to shift into it. Warm-ups also encourage whole-group participation that can build a sense of community within the group.

With this exercise you can keep updated on current events, benefit your students, and at the same time create a warm up that takes absolutely no prep time.

Not a teacher yet?  Find out how to become a TEFL teacher in Buenos Aires, Argentina, by checking us out!