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Welcome to english-to-go
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Featured Story
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 What
Do YOU Think? - What does It Take To Be A Teacher?
Our Competition Results
Last month we asked you to tell us what you think is
required to be a teacher. You were limited to 5 ideas or
things. Thank you very much to all who entered - we are
impressed by your ideas and professionalism. Here are excerpts
from the winning entrants - they all won a one-month gold
English-To-Go.com membership or a refund of their existing
membership for one month.
"A teacher needs to have an attitude of "withitness".
This is a skill that a teacher develops through experience
and is having social emotional competence. Basically knowing
the students' characters, interests and how to engage them
in learning the topic and with each other so that the teacher
knows what is happening at all times in the classroom with
the students..." Donna Webster
"...Keep the lesson interesting and try to use
the student's hobbies etc. in the lesson - I find if I can
relate the lesson to something the student understands and
is excited about, he/she is more receptive and stays focused.
The worst thing is when you feel that the student is losing
interest and getting bored. So keep the lessons exciting,
bring in an activity when you see the student fading and
give homework, e.g. Comprehension relating to something
the student is doing in his/her life. (Of course this is
for one on one or small classes.) I once taught 3 Indian
Computer Programmers English - I was so educated by the
end of the course in Programming, I could have written my
own programme! I used computer stories, jokes, examples
etc. so that they could relate to the content..."
Janine Goodson, South Africa
..."INSTRUCTION - Teach students at their level,
Observe other teachers, Refrain from lecturing or “Textbook
Teaching”, Avoid homework overload, Encourage active
student participation, Vary your teaching strategies..."MA.
Esther Linares, Spain
"1. Total commitment; 2. Love for her job; 3. Respect
for her students; 4. Full of energy and life to transmit;
5. Willing to accept new things, ideas to improve herself
and her teaching." Carolina
Ruiz
"I think that flexibility is often forgotten +
empathizing." Nic Van Grootel
"To be a great teacher you need: 1. patience; 2.
a loud voice; 3. commitment; 4. understanding; 5. knowledge
of your subject." Kerry Lambourne
"...Reflection to consider how to teach better
next time, Energy to keep giving out what students need,
Good humor to keep things in perspective. And about another
zillion skills, qualities and characteristics which we strive
for!!" Suzanne Weiss, New
Zealand
"...3. prepared to admit that you don't know it
all; 4. ability to make your students relaxed; 5. empathy
with your students about the challenges of learning."
The Rosmans, Australia
"...Strong belief in the inherent potential of
each student ..." Law Yekulan
"...professional knowledge, local language knowledge,
versatility." Robin, Israel
"...love, method, enthusiastic about teaching."
Mamie Flower
"...A great teacher encourages and guides their
students to 'discover' answers, information, solutions.
'Discovery' makes students happy.
Happy students think they have a great teacher. And they
learn better and retain more when they 'discover' by their
own efforts, rather than just being 'given' information.
And yes, teachers can learn to make their students 'wonder',
want to 'explore', and 'discover', and thus be 'great' teachers."
Scott Gannon, Bangkok, Thailand
To read the unedited versions of the winners' entries,
please look at our 'What
makes a good teacher page' on www.english-to-go.com
Best wishes,
The English To Go Team
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Newest Resources
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Click here to access the newest resources
Newest resources in the Teachers’ Room
include: 
- Cheer Up! - Elementary Instant Lesson
The women are elderly but they love cheerleading. They
are 60 to 70 years old but they enjoy cheerleading. The
economy is weak in Japan but cheerleading is fun. Hobbies,
cheerleading and adjectives.
- Better Late Than Never, Pre-Intermediate Instant Lesson
Staff at the Dinnington library are used to people bringing
books back late but the package they received last month
was different. It contained a paperback which had been borrowed
on September 24, 1965. Libraries and late returns, role
play and dialog, saying sorry.
- Family Holidays, Intermediate Instant Lesson
The family vacation has changed from the days when kids
in the back of the station wagon pestered their parents
in front with the unending refrain, "Are we there yet?"
When it comes to [saying what to do], it's the kids in the
driver's seat and the grandparents who pay. Families, vacations,
travel, brainstorming. .
- Switch Off Your Phone!, Upper Intermediate Instant
Lesson
Modern Etiquette: Ringing in good mobile phone manners!
Modern technology may have provided us with mobile phones
and the convenience of instant communication, but it's also
created a lot more ways to irritate or offend. Polite behavior,
mobile phones and text messaging. .
- Talking About Reading Game - Weekly Warmer
This warmer gives students speaking practice and helps
them develop fluency in speaking about a topic.
- Abstract Nouns - An Anna Grammar letter
Anna answers a letter on how to teach the concept of abstract
nouns to children.
- Suffixes 1 – Words used for People - Max Vocabulary
Worksheet
This is a short worksheet on some suffixes used to make
nouns to describe people.
- A Woman's Place? - Instant Workbook - Elementary
Working mums or stay-at-home mums? Opinions seems to be
moving! There are 5 exercises to do. (Grammar - most, most
of, Listening - numbers.)
For access to these and more than 1,700 other resources
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 Click here to access resources for Mother’s
Day, Sunday May 9.
Featured Resources
include:
- Max Vocabulary Worksheet - Family Words
Talking about families, relations and how we
refer to them.
- Need A Granny? - Elementary Instant Lesson
Do you need a granny's love and help? A unit caring
for the elderly is helping elderly people find new
families. Families who need a grandparent can hire
a grandmother or grandfather. Families, the elderly,
discussion, matching sentence beginnings and endings.
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This month's Point of Interest
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 This
month's Teaching Point comes from the Upper Intermediate
level Instant Lesson, "Switch Off Your Phone!".
Be Discreet
Your mobile phone is not a megaphone, so don't shout.
Be aware of your surroundings and try not to use your
phone in situations where your conversation may disturb
others. Be aware that your voice will distract a peaceful
train carriage of newspaper-reading commuters or seem
intrusive on a crowded bus. Intimate conversations are
never appropriate in front of others. Equally, don't
use foul language, have full-blooded rows, or talk about
money, sex or bodily functions in front of witnesses.
Try and respect your own - and other people's - privacy.
There are certain places where it is unacceptable to
use your phone: for example, art galleries, churches,
libraries, hospitals. Respect the rules.
Two's Company
People in the flesh deserve more attention than a
gadget, so wherever possible turn off your phone in
social situations. Don't put your phone on the dining
table, or glance at it longingly mid-conversation.
If you are awaiting an important call when meeting
someone socially, explain at the outset that you will
have to take the call, and apologize in advance. At
a party or social gathering, excuse yourself and withdraw
somewhere private to make or receive calls. And don't
send or read text messages when you are out in company,
unless it's urgent. Also, don't carry on mobile phone
calls while transacting other business - in banks,
shops, on buses and so on. It is insulting not to
give people who are serving you your full attention.
Priorities and Purpose
Text messages are ideal for conveying a short, instant
message. Don't use them to communicate important information
or anything that needs a lengthy explanation. If you
have to cancel an appointment, always make a phone
call rather than send a text; apologies will be better
received this way. There's also no need to use confusing,
abbreviated text language. Use as much conventional
grammar, spelling and punctuation as possible to make
yourself clearly understood. The usual salutations
and sign offs can be ignored, assuming the recipient
knows who you are.'
Thomson Reuters 2010
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