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!

In this blog post, I will be discussing the second of the “Four Important Factors to Consider When Choosing an Online English Speaking Course”.

Factor #2 – Choose An Experienced and Friendly Instructor

During your selection process, you want to get as much information as possible about the instructor(s) who you’ll be working with.

Information about the instructor’s experience, qualifications and interests should be easily accessible on the company’s website.

Although teaching English on the internet is fairly new, you want to make certain the instructor has at least some experience teaching online as it differs quite a bit from traditional classroom instruction.

Here are a few questions you should get the answers to:

• Does the instructor have some experience delivering online English lessons? How many hours?
• Has the instructor taught learners with similar English language learning needs and goals as yourself?
• Does the instructor have experience teaching students with the same mother language as yourself?
• Is the instructor friendly, personable and interested in what you have to say? Can you view his/her profile on the company website?
• Is the instructor able to converse on a wide range of topics relevant to you?
• What type of English accent does the instructor have?

These are some of the more important questions you’d like answered before you sign up for online English lessons. There’s nothing worse than getting into an English lesson and finding out you and your teacher don’t get along with one another.

A little research ahead of time should avoid this potential problem.

In my next post, I will be discussing the third factor of the “Four Important Factors to Consider When Choosing an Online English Speaking Course”…

Stay tuned!

Daniel

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…

Jillian Zavitz

-Programs Manager
-Working at TTC since early 2008

What exactly is a Programs Manager?

Well the Programs Manager is someone who does a little bit of everything.  I am primarily responsible for interviewing, hiring and training new teachers.  I have a staff of over 20 regular teachers that I keep track of and am always on the look out for new teachers.  I also write blogs, teach lessons, am an emergency go to person for everything.  I am always researching on how to be better, how to train and manage people online — and most recently have been involved in many interviews about my experiences related to human resources for major news outlets.

How did you get involved in this type of online work?

By chance — google is a great tool for everything — especially finding jobs.  I started out as a teacher with just a few individual students — and then quickly moved up to Programs Manager and have been in this position ever since.  I love being involved in something that has so much potential — and seeing that what I do directly impacts the outcome — which is of course why I give it my all — all the time :)

A typical day?

Involves me looking at my google calendar — figuring my schedule for the day.  Sometimes my day starts at 1am or 3am and goes until 10pm that night — of course not continuously.  I teach on average 6hs/day (throughout the day), then do some Programs Managing (maybe 2-3hs/day).  I chat and talk with Marc the General Manager on a daily basis — figure out new information and new action plans.  It’s very busy — I don’t have a regular schedule — normal sleeping times or eating times.  But that is perfect for me — as I am more of a laissez faire type gal in all aspects of my life anyway – luckily this just fits in perfectly.

Advice for teachers who want to get into working online?

It’s hard work — not easy at all — but it’s SOOOOOO much fun! This is the best job that I’ve EVER had — and I’ve had some pretty awesome jobs before.  I get to work from home — make up my own schedule — and meet people from ALL over the world.. it’s pretty sweet if you ask me.  You have to be the right kind of person for the job, and if you have a look at some of my earlier posts you’ll see what it takes to be a “wow” online teacher.

Well, 2 things have been reaffirmed after working these past few weeks:

#1 - I bet that I am the only ESL teacher who can say she’s taught in over 15 different countries in less than 1 month (no joke) — I can tell you the weather in each location and than some.  Teaching English via the Internet has got to be the greatest thing out there — not only am I teaching – but I’m learning something new from each student at the same time — did you know that in Spain they eat 12 grapes at each strike of the clock at New Years? or that in South Korea they count years differently — so a western aged 29 years old is really a 31 year old in South Korea? — Really these things and a whole slew of others leave me that much more knowledgeable about different cultures and experiences.  Not to mention I am finally starting to understand LOST — thanks to my student who explains the principles of quantum physics to me.

#2 - Positive feedback never gets old.  Is it redundant to tell your student more than once a class what a great job they are doing?  Or outline goals that they should work on for next class — and develop ways with the students to achieve them?  Do they get sick of hearing that the practice answer for the IELTS test was perfect? Or that their expressions and use of new vocabulary is impressive?  No — they don’t and I don’t.

Positive feedback is uber important to encourage anyone to continue.  Learning English is hard — but doing it blindly and without any kind of feedback or guidance is almost impossible. I make it a point and a habit to let my students know how they are doing not only during the class but afterwards as well with a follow up email outlining their strengths and areas that need improvement.  Some students feel that they have poor vocabulary — that they are unable to express themselves fluently or that I have NO idea what they are talking about or saying.  People need to hear that they are doing a good job — no matter how small of a job they are doing.  It encourages them to continue and to excel in the areas that they are doing great in and to take a closer look at the areas that may need a little bit of work.

I encourage ALL teachers to include positive feedback into their daily lessons — you’ll see how your students smile and really put in that extra bit of effort to maintain their level — trust me you won’t be disappointed.

Daniel Cotton

- Corporate Sales Director
- Working at TTC since 2007

What is a day in the life of a Corporate Sales Director like?

Well, most of my day is spent online

Seriously though, I would say that majority of my day is spent talking with people; potential corporate clients, Trade Commissioners, Sales Agents, our current clients, and the management team of TTC. I find it amazing that I can sit at my little ole desk in Orleans, Ontario and communicate with people all over the globe. Even though I’ve been doing this for 3+ years, it’s still amazes me how I can meet with a Saudi Arabian, Russian, Korean, Italian and Brazilian’s all in one day.

I spend a fair amount of time emailing as well…not my favorite thing to do, but a crucial part of finding new corporate clients. I much prefer to get into a meeting room and talk things out with people. I’d take a day of non-stop meetings over a day of answering an inbox full of messages, that’s for sure. I feel so much more gets done when you talk with people…and it’s great fun at time too!

What is the toughest challenge you face on a daily basis?

It’s not so much a challenge, but I would say it’s juggling the various responsibilities of being a Corporate Sales Director. TalktoCanada is a growing company, so each of us on the management team wear many hats. In just one day I could be initiating a new marketing objective, meeting a potential corporate client, emailing the Canadian Trade Embassies overseas, recruiting a new Sales Agents, demoing our WebEx training platform, and teaching 2 hours of English online. There are so many little pieces to the puzzle, and working them all into the day takes some good time management skills.

What is the most interesting part of your job?

Without a doubt it’s the people. The team we have at TTC is amazing! We’re like a family…always there to help each other out. We regularly get together; have brainstorming sessions, share our challenges and triumphs, and are constantly looking for bigger and better ways to provide top notch services to our clients. It’s great.

What is the biggest or funniest mistake you’ve done as a Corporate Sales Director?

Well, one time I accidentally sent an email to a Canadian Trade Commissioner instead of a potential corporate client. That wouldn’t have been such a bad thing by itself…but the email wasn’t actually finished. It was a rough draft…and my rough drafts tend to have a fair amount of ‘uncut’ sentences that are usually for my eyes only. I learned my lesson from this little faux pas…don’t write a draft email in the reply section to someone else’s email. Ha. In the end, there was no harm done of course. (I told you I didn’t like emailing!)

Alysia Bartley

-Academic Cordinator
-Working with TTC since 2006

Tell me a bit about yourself?

I have bachelor’s degrees in arts and education with first class standing from Lakehead University. I love languages. I majored in French and minored in English, Spanish and history. I had planned to be a French teacher, but fell into teaching ESL instead and I love it.
I love reading, traveling, surfing the internet . . . and I spend way too much time on Facebook. . .

As academic coordinator, what are your responsibilities?

I provide support for the teaching staff and monitor student progress. I visit classes and provide assistance and advice to teachers who have students with unique academic needs. I meet with corporate clients to understand their staff training needs and implement targeted programs and evaluations for their English goals. Because of the unique online nature of learning English with TalktoCanada, most of our educational material has to be created from scratch. That keeps me busy much of the time.

What is the best part of your job?

Talking with students. It is fascinating to talk to people from so many different cultures and different walks of life. Students come to class ready to share and talk about their life philosophies, their opinions, their work, their education, their families etc. I never know what kind of conversation might pop up in class. I enjoy connecting with students on a personal level and often end up learning new ideas and information from the students I talk with. It is so satisfying for me to watch our students improve and know that I played an integral part in their success. I’m so proud of our students and I love to boast about their accomplishments. They work so hard and I see great results all the time!

What is the most important quality for an academic coordinator?

Flexibility. Being the Academic Coordinator at TalktoCanada requires a huge amount of flexibility. Schedules can change last minute, programs can change last minute, meetings pop up by surprise – it keeps me on my toes. Working with so many time zones means that sometimes I work nights and sometimes I work days. It’s not unusual to have an unexpected meeting with a client pop up by surprise at 2:00am.

What advice would you give to students studying English?

Practice English every day. If you have a really busy day with little time to study, even just 10 minutes of studying will keep the language fresh in your mind. Take advantage of opportunities to use English whenever you can. Talk to English speakers, read books in English, watch English TV, listen to English music, etc. The key to becoming proficient is to take in as much English as you can and practice speaking at every opportunity presented.

In this blog post I will be discussing the first of the “Four Important Factors to Consider When Choosing an Online English Speaking Course”.

Factor #1 -  Choose a Professional and Trustworthy Company

You want to make sure that the company providing you English lessons is professional and trustworthy.  Online English speaking courses are a relatively new service, but many companies provide excellent courses as well as additional language services.

A quick look at the company’s website should give you an indication whether this company is taking their business seriously or not.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

• Has their website been designed professionally or is it built on a standard free template?
• Do they accept major credit cards as well as other online and traditional payment methods?
• Do they provide a standard postal address, telephone number, names of contacts and company email addresses?
• Are course fees listed openly or do you need to make contact with the company to get this information?
• Does the company provide a trial before asking you for a long term commitment?
• Does the company provide a money back guarantee if you are not satisfied with their services?
• Are you able to make personal contact with someone to have them answer any specific questions you have?
• Are there testimonies from past students who are happy with their lessons?

These are some of the more important pieces of information you’ll want to know before selecting your online English provider.  You want to be very certain that the company you choose is professional and trustworthy.

In my next post, I will be discussing the second factor of the “Four Important Factors to Consider When Choosing an Online English Speaking Course”…

Stay tuned!

Daniel

My name is Tenielle and I’m a teacher with Talk to Canada.  I currently reside in New Brunswick, Canada.  I have both a BA and an MA in Sociology.

Fun facts about me; I enjoy a good debate, testing new technology, photography, learning new languages and collecting vintage books. I am a huge Star Trek fan, of all genres.   I also enjoy conducting research projects on many different topics, such as global economics, multicultural education initiatives, and criminal justice to name a few.

What was the last book that you read?

The last book I read was The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell.

Describe yourself in 3 words:

Creative, adventurous and passionate.

Why do you like Teaching Online?

I like the flexibility of teaching with TTC and working in the online, adult education arena.  It is a fun and uniquely cultural opportunity to meet, work alongside a great team and teach students from all over the world.  This is truly a global experience, and all through the convenience of the computer.

Motto that you live by:

Everyday is an opportunity to achieve something, even if it’s just to hope for tomorrow.