120 Hr TEFL Course Module 1-Language Barriers

Module 1: Teaching and learning

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1.3 The importance of a first language  

More important than understanding your students’ cultural background is understanding how their first language will affect the speed and ease with which they learn English as a new language. While a student’s cultural background can affect the way they learn, a student’s native language can affect the way they view language to begin with. What are some of the obstacles students face when trying to learn English as a second language?

1.3.1 Language barriers

Every language has its own rules, and while many languages share similarities that make new language acquisition simpler, some students will be trying to transition to a new set of rules and language structure. Here are some examples of how language is structured differently:

• Some languages have been created based on symbols or pictures that represent ideas rather than words made of letters. The transition to English from languages that follow such a structure can be very difficult.
• Some languages are read from right to left rather than left to right, which is how English is read. This does not necessarily affect a student’s ability to gain proficiency in speaking the language, but it certainly presents a hurdle for students trying to learn to read English.
• Many languages require a different sentence structure than English does. One of the most common examples is when languages place adjectives differently in a sentence than they are in English. In English someone might say “go get the blue car.” That same sentence in some languages would translate back to English as “go get the car blue.” This can make fluency difficult.
• Many students will be confused by the way verbs are conjugated in English. Many languages have set rules that apply to the conjugation of most verbs, while English can seem like a free-for-all at times.

120 Hr TEFL Course Module 1-Understanding cultural backgrounds

Module 1: Teaching and learning

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1.2 Understanding cultural backgrounds

One of the first steps you need to take as an educator is to take their cultural background into account. Instead of trying to present you all the potential cultural backgrounds your students bring to the table (which could be an entire course in itself), we are instead going to focus on why it is important to consider your students’ backgrounds and why it can be useful to adjust your instruction to better address the varying backgrounds of your students

1.2.1 Why is it important to understand your students’ cultural backgrounds?

Language is directly related to culture because language is fluid and changes over time as the culture of a region changes. This is why such languages like Italian and French can both originate from Latin but still be fundamentally different. Latin was taken to these regions, and it developed as the culture of the regions developed, taking two very different paths in Italian and French. So, as much as it is important to teach cultural elements as you teach English, it is important to take into account the importance of an individual’s cultural origins. These cultural backgrounds can not only affect the way they learn a new language, but also the way they learn in general. Here are some ways that an individual’s cultural background can affect their learning of a new language:

• A student’s environment can have an enormous effect on the way they learn. Studies have shown that language acquisition is considerably affected by an individual’s background, and while learning a new language isn’t the same as learning your first language, environment can still be important in an individual learning a second language. A student who comes from a home that values education comes from a home that nurtures what he or she is learning. A student who comes from a home that values life experience over formal education might have more difficulty with traditional lessons.

• Students from various cultural backgrounds will react to different styles of teaching in different ways. Some of your students may be coming from a background of very strict, teacher-led instruction. Others may be coming from a background of more free, student-led instruction. While both styles have merit, you will find yourself needing to use differentiation to properly reach both of these students. You can determine how to best meet the needs of your students by simply asking them through an informal conversation or a standard pre-test. Let your students tell you how they learn best, and adjust your teaching to appeal to their needs.
• An individual’s cultural background can affect the way they think, which can affect the student’s performance in your classroom. Taking your students’ cultural backgrounds into account when you are designing and implementing your instruction will help you account for the potential different ways that your students think.

120 Hr TEFL Course Module 1-Which Motivation/Method of Teaching is Better?

Module 1: Teaching and learning

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1.1.3 Which type of motivation is better?

While intrinsic motivation is stronger than extrinsic motivation, it is not very immediate and therefore can lose effect in the short-term. Extrinsic motivation can be very helpful in the short term, but is often only temporary. For that reason, the best type of motivation is a combination of the two. Even students with intrinsic motivation sometimes need to be motivated by extrinsic rewards and punishments to keep them on track. Here are some examples of how you can use both intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation to help your students:

• We’ll start with an example we have previously used: an individual would like to learn English because she is moving to an English-speaking country. Whether she realizes it, this can be an example of intrinsic motivation and her need to fit in and be successful. You can help her access this by asking her to write down the reasons why she thinks it would be helpful to learn English, and then look deeply into those reasons. While this desire can be a strong motivator, you may find that this student begins slacking off during your lessons. She may be having trouble seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Using extrinsic motivators, such as grades or rewards, can help her over the hurdle and get back on track. The lasting motivation that will drive her to succeed is the need to fit in, but the temporary motivation of grades or a reward will help her succeed when she is having trouble seeing the finish line.

• A man comes to you and tells you he wants to learn English so he can get a promotion and make more money in his corporate career. While money and prestige are both extrinsic motivators, the need for approval and competence is intrinsic. This is an individual who is driven by the desire to succeed, so extrinsic motivators will be very effective on him. If he wants to use this as a way of advancing his career, then he will likely want to learn English while attaining the highest grades or scores possible so he can flaunt his success. This is the extrinsic carrot that you can use to help him succeed.

• A woman feels stuck in a job that is stifling and wants to pursue a career that requires her to know English and comes to you for help. This individual is intrinsically motivated by her need for control and freedom. She is less likely to be motivated by outside influences and more likely to be motivated by a less overbearing and prescribed teaching style. However, she may still require some extrinsic motivators to continue striving for success, so you may need to let her frame her own definition of success and then grade her on the framework she created. This will give her the freedom she wants while still holding her personally accountable for her actions.

120 Hr. TEFL Course Module 1-Intrinsic Rewards

Module 1: Teaching and learning

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1.1 Motivation

Teaching any subject involves knowing how motivation affects a student. Without proper motivation, it will be difficult for students to accept what they are learning and commit to the process. Since learning a new language can be one of the hardest academic endeavors there is, it is even more important that you, the teacher, understand the motivation behind your students' commitment to learning, and use it to your advantage. We will discuss motivation by first breaking it down into its two smaller parts: intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation.

1.1.1 Intrinsic motivation

Intrinsic motivation is the best stepping stone to success, but you can't teach it. Intrinsic motivation characterizes someone who is compelled to do something for internal rewards. This type of motivation is powerful because extrinsic rewards can be fleeting or disappointing, but an internal drive to succeed will almost always motivate an individual. While you cannot teach someone to be intrinsically motivated, you can help your students access intrinsic motivation they may not know they already possess, or that they may have lost for the moment. If you know your students are intrinsically motivated, you can help them succeed. Here are some tips to access and use your students’ intrinsic motivation:

• Get to the root of what is driving the individual. While they may only acknowledge an extrinsic motivation for learning English, you may be able to help them tie that to a grander internal drive. For example, if students come to you wanting to learn English because they are moving to an English-speaking country and it will be helpful to know the language, the superficial part of their reasoning points toward extrinsic motivation. However, this extrinsic motivator points to something internal: the desire to fit in and not feel like an outsider.
• Understand the basis for most forms of intrinsic motivation. William Glasser, an American psychiatrist, published a theory in 1998 proposing that humans have essential needs that dictate our emotional health. These needs are the need to belong or connect, the need for power or competence, the need for freedom, and the need to have fun. Having these needs in mind could help you when designing your lessons. Which of these needs is this lesson satisfying? This is a way to get away from the punishment and reward system that is meant to access an individual’s extrinsic motivation.

• Be aware that intrinsic motivation cannot be forced, and does not abide by the classic reward and punishment system that many people follow. For example, if someone is not reacting to your lessons, it is not going to be helpful to intentionally make them feel that they don’t belong. For intrinsic motivation to succeed, the individual needs to feel like he or she is in control of the situation, so try to access your students’ internal drive but don’t force them.

120 Hr TEFL Course Module 1-Extrinsic Motivation

Module 1: Teaching and learning

1.1.2 Extrinsic motivation

While extrinsic motivation is not nearly as strong as intrinsic motivation, it is much easier, as the teacher, for you to control. Extrinsic motivation refers to the external force compelling an individual to do something for a reward. Because of their ease of use in teaching, extrinsic motivators are often the basis for educational programs. The most common extrinsic motivator the assignment of grades. Teachers can simply reward good behavior and punish bad behavior by assigning
grades accordingly. (Behavior here refers to whatever the student is expected to do). A student who hands in their project, follows directions, and effectively addresses the purpose of the project is rewarded with an A, whereas a student who does not is punished with an F.

Why it works

Even though as stated previously, the drive initiated by extrinsic motivation pales in comparison to intrinsic motivation, that doesn't mean you cannot find success with extrinsic motivation. These motivators access an individual’s desire to find success even if someone else defines that success. Here are some examples of extrinsic motivators that work in the classroom:

• Grades: This is the most obvious extrinsic motivator. Individuals want to be successful and they feel better when they receive a high score as opposed to a low score. If you teach in a high school setting, grades can mean the difference as to whether or not the student gets into college (or a good college), so grades can be a good motivator for students. Even when there is no next level, however, many students will be motivated to succeed by grades.
• Competition: Many individuals have an innate desire to be winners, and putting your students in competition with each other can be a good way to motivate them to succeed, especially if the ongoing results are available to all students. This approach often used by teachers of younger students with such things as performance charts, where teachers give students who do well some sort of visible reward, such as a gold star. Conversely, teachers can punish negative behaviors by posting the name of the student in question on the board as someone who is not behaving. This can sometimes help motivate students to succeed because they would like to do better than their classmates.

• Extra rewards and punishments: Besides grades, some teachers will offer extra incentive to succeed, perhaps in the form of prizes. A teacher might, for example, make an agreement with a student that if he or she improves, then he or she can go on the class trip. Conversely, punishments such as detentions or phone calls home can be a consequence that motivates a student.

International Children's Book Day Activity

Promoting Literacy to Youth (Brainstorming)

Event #1-

Higher Level grades are asked to build a Book Fair/Fairy Tale exhibition for younger students in their school; offering group readings, short skits; Videos or Drawing Lessons for students who are interested.

This can be in a way that the students are split up and sent to different classrooms; or done in a gymnasium/different parts of the school; community hall like an actual exhibition.

Costume day, students are asked to dress up as their favourite fairy tale characters or purchase custom T-Shirts of which proceeds are sent to a charity organization that provides educational funding to under privileged youth (in the country).

https://www.moneysense.ca/save/financial-planning/canadas-top-rated-charities-2019-top-100/

Personally looked at Frontier College and CODE; personally worked with Frontier College before, its actually a really beneficial program for a number of reasons, even beyond charity.

Job Search...Month #1 (it was good, but difficult)

Hey there,

Well here is where I am at now...and where I have been going with my job searches.

1) 1 job with NCDSB as a Supply Teacher...but I need to get back to Canada to finish the hiring...the anticipation is brutal...London Catholic reached out...but won't conduct an online interview. This changed and they were willing to meet my needs as an applicant in 2020, a week or two after they initially said they wouldn't.

2) 1 job teaching online with QKids...easy money, but long hours.

3) 1 job (if I press on with it), in Guangzhou, PRC...not my most desirable location but they offer ON curriculum and a steady paycheck.

4) 2 interviews with English training centers that may help me with Summer work in China...this is important because I need to find a way to make it back to China each summer more conveniently...its a promise I made to the wife...and one I certainly plan to uphold.

5) A lot of application experience with Linkedin...actually very positive experiences! Thanks Linkedin!

6) The heartbreaking truth that I should have just gotta a MA...there isn't enough work in ON for teachers to support what my original plan was which was the PQP route in my career through having two Specializations.

7) The potential to...return to ML if everything hits the fan before June...this is in the wife's best interests...so she thinks...OH BUT THEY OFFERED A.uhhh "Pension Plan"? Or so they call it...ya...not exactly a real game changer, more of a "crowd fund" to keep the company alive...

8) Offers to work (serious/considerable ones) in Indonesia (wife won't accept that), South America (wife won't accept that), and other locations in China that...the wife is not okay with...

In total I have applied to over 50 jobs...ya..some I will admit I am not qualified for, but I am going to try because regardless of the expected qualification...I can do it...just need that gambler who wants to wager in favour of me. Not many of those these days unfortunately...Other jobs I have posted to are me trying to break into other career paths in Canada...which isn't easy at all because apparently one needs training in simplistic office tasks...ugh...I really hate "adulting sometimes"..

Tips:

Check out cover letter writing guidelines set out by the Ontario government...ya this would have been helpful in reassuring/putting to rest my fears and concerns of my cover letter...already knew it, but was just confident about my cover letters.

https://www.gojobs.gov.on.ca/Docs/OPSCoverLetterandResumeWritingGuide.pdf

Key notes,

1. Its a first impression

2. Its supplementary to your resume

3. Describe skills and knowledge you have related to position being applied for

4. Enhance your resume by adding a more "personal touch"

5. One to two pages

6. Use jargon

----------Long SInce--------------

 I have moved back t Canada. In 2024-2025, I began applying to jobs. I was still in China when I was being selected for interviews with UGDSB and Wellington District School Board. Through those experiences they expressed the urge to apply in the Spring as the demand for teachers to supply was to high for them to wait for a supply teacher to come in. 

That being said I took time to apply to other jobs, the serch yielded a great deal and all quite fortunate situations.

1) A job for my wife and I to teach full-time in a northern community (Ontario), the staff and band liasons were all very kind, nice and welcoming through the process. In the end I and my wife decided for our first year back to Canada this may not be the most reasonable plan for our son in grade 2, especially as she hopes to be in an area that gives him the opportunity to continually practice his Chinese (Mandarin). Really hoping though that the opportunity remains as an option for the future-as they said, they would be happy to invite us back when we felt ready.

2) Applyby College (Summer Teacher Enrichment), was a position that caught me by surprise and although is ways away from where we are landing, with what I am looking at in regards to the cost of living and starting anew in Canada, this is an opportuntiy. Later they determined that they needed a teacher for the full-summer (both sessions-4 weeks in length) rather than a teacher who is only working the singular 4 week session. I wouldn't be able to physically be back in Canada early enough for that anyways, thus, it is what it is. 

3) Edmonton Catholic Schoolboard was happy to take me on in a supply role as soon as I landed in Edmonton. This was also not a reasonable option for our family after discussing the matter further.

4) Kent College is a private school in Niagara Falls and was seemingly my best offer for  time, but it was an immediate response, demonstrating there is a sense of desperation on their end, and for the payment-that much I understand. 35$/hr, optional afterschool and summer/online classes. Lunch provided, no benefits. Classroom size undetermined.

5) I also received a couple opportunities to work with some other private schools around Toronto, however, again, very uncompetitive in salary and very much demonstrating that they don't have room for teachers to take sick days. I get that supply work doesn't extend into the private schools, but there are ways/forms of taking on this solve as a leader, I feel private schools will experience difficulty if their compensation packages are either not competitive or they cannot provide teachers with benefits and certainties in the field of human needs. I admire the grind that many of these principals seem to taking, having to decline a request for a personal day or stand behind a pay reduction because a teacher had an emergency. I have been in a school environment like that in the past, never really needed to be too involved in that situation, but for my colleagues who had been, I'm happy t stay as far away from that situation as possible, especially with a family that has just returned from oveseas with various needs/etc. 

6) I took an opportunity with Waterloo Catholic District Schoolboard, however much I really-I mean REALLY wanted to take the position and keep it, financially, we weren't in a position to land face first in that area and fend for ourselves, especially in the wake of this being a new position in a new school.

7) In the end I was fortunate enough to take on a position with NCDSB where I have been since. I found everything I needed, everything I wanted. I am happy to be here currently and looking forward to moving forward here through the rest of my career.