Have you ever randomly talked about grizzly bears? Does it have something to do with Canada? Or are they really popular nowadays? I have IMDBed a movie a few times “Grizzly Man” and as obscure as it sounds — a lot of students have seen it and comment on it.

How are grizzly bears related to learning English? I am not entirely sure – but I am sure that it does foster a lot of discussion and thus facilitate English learning.

1) Bring in Props!!

Today’s lesson is about FOOD — Fruits and Vegetables — what easier way to show what you are talking about than to SHOW the students what it is… it adds a little bit of “REAL” to the class.  A lot of countries have different fruits and veggies — and it is interesting to share, especially if you have it in your hands.

2) Sometimes it’s fun to add a little bit of weather into the classroom

I know my studentsalways got a hoot out of seeing snow — as most of them had never experienced it before.  I’d show them shots out of my window — and sometimes at the beg of the class add a little graphics — just to make things a little bit more interesting,.

3) Special Holidays

A lot of teachers take advantage of the fact that there are special holidays that fall on teaching days: ie: Halloween, St. Patrick’s Day, Valentines Day etc… These are by far the easiest days to take advantage of to be creative in the classroom.

There are a TON of ways for you to to spice up your virtual classroom — as an online teacher its important that you find a way that your students respond to best.  They’ll like it — try it! :)

MAKE MISTAKES

– the only way to learn is by making mistakes — your English tutor is there to correct those mistakes and to help you understand WHY they are mistakes and what the proper form is.  If you don’t feel comfortable making mistakes with your teacher — your confidence level will take that much longer to increase.

GO OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE

– sure its easy to stick with vocabulary that is simple — but do you really learn anything that way?  Try new words, grammar and sentence structures — increasing your vocabulary and comfort zone will give you a larger range of words to work with in a variety of situations.

ASK FOR HELP

– your tutor is there to help YOU learn to speak English.  Ask them questions — ask for their help if you don’t understand something.  Don’t be shy — remember that these are YOUR classes.

If you follow these basic steps during your English lessons with TalktoCanada.com not only will your confidence level increase but your knowledge, understanding and overall fluency will as well!

Many students who take this test need the most help with the speaking component.  Being put on the spot — even as a native speaker is sometimes scary — public speaking is not an easy thing for anyone – and especially for topics that you have only 2 minutes to prepare for — it can seem impossible.

TalktoCanada helps you with all aspects of the test — but most importantly we help you with building confidence when you speak.  The training will also help you build up your vocabulary with words that you would not normally use (simple words — for general conversation).  While also helping you think on your feet and feel confident while answering questions of any type.

TalktoCanada helps you improve your speaking by simulating the speaking section of the exam — you have the option of going through Part I, Part II and Part III of the IELTS test — with your teacher you will go over each answer afterwords while working on grammatical structure, sentence building and of course fluency.

Typically students sign up for an intensive month long course with TalktoCanada (which entails having a lesson everyday) helping to guarantee results.  We focus mostly on the speaking section, as that is the section that requires the most amount of work.  We encourage students to work on the writing exercise (we also help and correct any mistakes) and lastly, you will work on your listening and reading exercises portion of the IELTS exam.  The success rate thus far has been 100% and students have noticeably increased their confidence and their fluency…just ask to to talk to one of our students who has taken the IELTS test after training with their very own online English trainer at TalktoCanada.com.

TalktoCanada helps you achieve your goals and your dreams whether it is to move, study or work in an English speaking country — don’t limit yourself and know that with the right amount of dedication anything is possible!  Get the help you need by registering for IELTS training sessions today!

1. Google Calendar –  by far the BEST google application since gmail!  I’m able to organize all of my appointments, classes, and teachers.  I can invite others to join on the calendar — and it is all synced automatically.  I can even get reminder pop ups or emails before I have something scheduled.  A must have for ANYONE who has a busy schedule.
2. Time Zone Converter – another essential tool – it lets you figure out your time zone differences.  So for example 2pm in Uruguay is 11am in Toronto and 5pm in Madrid.  I use this application all the time — to check and double check appointments — can’t be an effective manager if I’m doubled booked all the time :
3. Sticky Notes – yep just like post its — only on your computer — I have a few going at once — they stay on my desktop even after a shutdown — great for keeping notes in a meeting, or words during a lesson — or a “TO DO” list of sorts.

With Virtual managing becoming more and more popular the need for ease and tools to make your job more efficient are a must.  I’d be interested to hear your tips to keep things in check…