Discounted post-certificate teaching seminars available at Rennert

Rennert offers a range of one-day teaching seminars that are open to all ESOL teachers in the New York area. Alumni of the SIT TESOL certificate course and Rennert teachers get a discounted of rate of $60 (regular price $75) for all of these professional seminars.

All one-day seminars are 6 hours plus a one-hour lunch break

9:00am – 4:00pm
Cost $75 each $60 for SIT Alumni
To book, email me at tesol@rennert.com or call (212) 867 8700

Grammar for ESL Teachers 1
How often have you felt anxious about teaching grammar?
• Review Adverbs of Frequency
Is your present perfect? Do you wonder about your past, present and future?
• A comprehensive overview of the verb tense system
“Good teachers don’t teach. Good teachers organize learning.”
• Discover how to teach grammar inductively
Want to bet you know your grammar?
• Grammar Auction

Grammar for ESL Teachers 2
Is your grammar knowledge still being tested?
• What is and how to use Passive voice
If you had to teach conditionals, what examples would you use?
• Review the Conditionals
Could modals be more confusing, or might clarity come?
• A comprehensive look at Modals
So you have to teach a grammar point. Where do you start? How do you create a lesson from it?
• Grammar Lesson Planning
“The question is not so much ‘How can I teach?’ as it is ‘How can I help these students learn?"
• More inductive methodology

Teaching Pronunciation
Pronunciation isn’t just sounds. What are the other aspects involved?
• All aspects of pronunciation comprehensively covered
What’s the /aI pi: eI/?
• Review the International Phonemic Alphabet
Do you wear you best vest or stop at the right light?
• Practice with Minimal pairs
Do you wonder how to put this all together and teach pronunciation to your students?
• Learn how to teach pronunciation

How to Teach Vocabulary & Oral Production (Speaking) activities
“Without grammar, little can be conveyed. Without vocabulary, nothing can be conveyed.” Wilkins
• When to teach vocabulary
• Different methods for teaching vocabulary inductively
Have you ever set a task and the students sit there in silence?
In your head you’re screaming “SPEAK! PLEASE!!!”
• Different activities for all levels to get students speaking

How to Teach Listening & Using Songs in the Classroom
What’s that? Stuck for ideas on teaching listening?
• How to plan for a Listening lesson
• Steps for teaching Listening
• Lots of Listening tasks and activities for all levels in a communicative class
Do you enjoying listening to music? How about your students?
• Discover lots of activities for songs you can use in the classroom

Using Drama/Theater & Audio-Visuals in the Classroom
To use drama or not to use drama in your ESL class? That is the question.
• Why it’s important
• Lots of activities you can use
We’re surrounded by media. So let’s bring the ‘real world’ into our classroom.
• Learn how to use different AV materials e.g. documentaries, movies, commercials

How to Teach Reading & Writing
Do your students find Writing boring? Reading a chore?
• Steps for teaching & Lesson Plans
Do your Reading and Writing classes fill the room with silence?
• Discover and experience a variety of different activities you can use in your General English classes

Olive Groves in Italy, 2006

This month we head to Europe to eat pasta, ride a vesper and live la dolce vita…
The scoop on ITALY (word-of-mouth advice from someone who’s been there):

“Working in Italy can be difficult for Americans because it’s an EU country, however many language schools do have Americans teaching at them. For many schools you will need a work permit, although generally schools will not sponsor you. You can stay for three months without a visa. Major cities for language study include Rome, Milan, Florence, Perugia (where there is the University for Foreign Languages). The busy times of year are November when college starts; January when there are university exams; and at end of spring semester in late May/ early June. Definitely though right after summer time is the best time to look for work.

There is an opportunity if you have proper documentation and you’re legal to work you can apply at the Department of Education for public school teaching – they need mother tongue lecturers – the have a list – you can apply for that every 2 years – go to the local Dept of Education in each province.

The teaching day: Generally there are private tutorials during the day and then classes in the evenings from around 5:00pm to 9:00pm. There are also some early morning classes starting about 8:00am. A lot of schools also send teachers out to companies and other locations in order to teach. It is not necessary to speak Italian – usually schools are run by Americans or British.

You won’t save money especially if you live in a city like Rome or Milan – you’re probably making 10 or 12 euros per hour. But you will enjoy Italian life.

Finding accommodation can be tough especially in a city like Rome, just like in New York City, but you generally don’t need Italian to rent a place. In Rome there is a classifieds newspaper called Porta Portese that is very helpful.”

1. Divide participants into small groups.

2. You can have one story or article divided into 2-4 sections, or have 2-4 separate articles or stories with a similar theme.

3. Divide the articles/stories or parts (segment) between the groups.

4. Each group answers comprehension questions about their segment OR takes notes on their segment OR completes a table about their segment. This works particularly well if the articles have similar points so the tables or questions can be identical for all groups/ segments, but this isn’t essential.

5. The group members then check their answers or notes together and work together to clarify any lack of understanding.

6. The students are regrouped so that the new groups contain one member each who read different articles.

7. The groups now share verbally with the other group members the information that they read. The other group members use this information to complete the questions or tables about the articles they didn’t read.

8. Reconvene as a whole group to discuss findings and clarify any questions.