When I moved to Italy to become an English teacher, I really had no idea where to start. I was basically given a textbook with audio cd’s and told the ages and levels of my students. I soon realized that one of the most counter productive ways to learn a language is through “book learning”. Students of all ages need practical, hands-on activities, resources and games to acquire and gain confidence in a second language. I was also planning on staying in Italy for one gap year. I had signed a one year teaching contract and planned on living “la dolce vita” while teaching. That all changed when I met my future husband and this country became my home. Like most, I didn’t want to invest in heavy and expensive activities. So, I started out by downloading free resources from the internet trying to find printable games that fit the vocabulary and grammar needs of my students that incorporated reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. This soon led me to start designing my own resources because I was the only person who really understood the needs of my students.
There are three types of teaching abroad experiences:
- You’ve been hired by a private language school and provided with a book and some other basic materials.
- You live abroad and have decided to start teaching (private lessons, small groups or travel from school to school)
- You work in a public school/schools teaching English Many schools will require you to have a TEFL or CELTA teaching certificate. You can explore different options HERE
In any of these three situations, these basic tools and TOOLKITS will be a life-saver.
▢ Get yourself some basic supplies, a notebook to keep track of homework and in class assignments and record what you did in each class.
▢ The easiest and fastest way to prepare games and materials is to download them from a reputable site like Teachers Pay Teachers. You can find games, activities, conversation prompts and resources for all ages and levels, specific to what you are doing in your classroom. If you don’t have a printer, resources can be printed at a local print shop. Having a laminating machine is an invaluable tool because it makes resources sturdy and re-usable. You can print a game or activity one time and use it for years. The great thing about purchasing a resource from Teachers Pay Teachers is that it will always be available to you for download. You can find a reasonably priced laminating machine on Amazon along with the plastic laminating pouches. This leads me to the next “Must-have”….
▢ A paper cutter or just a great pair of scissors. Believe me you’ll be needing them since most of your classroom activities will involve downloading, printing and cutting.
You might be interested in purchasing a BUNDLE of games and activities that will guide you through the entire school year! Check out this year-long BUNDLE with 100+ printable games and activities.
You’ll be cutting up a lot of stuff like this Sentence Jumble Word Scramble Activity
▢ A good textbook to base your lessons around. I recommend both Oxford and Cambridge Books.
- Young Learners Books for Test Prep – Starters, Movers, Flyers
- Teen Test Prep – KET, PET, FCE
- General English from Beginner to Advanced – English File Digital
▢ If you are going to be working with really young learners, there are great small hand puppets available at IKEA. These are great to get kids interested and can be used in a variety of activities.
▢ Flashcards and Games – This WH QUESTION UNO GAME is always a hit in my students. Really, who doesn’t love playing games? It also forces them to use speaking and listening skills and identify and respond to WH questions. (The best part is that they are so excited to play the game, they don’t even realize that they a re speaking a second language!)
▢ If you are working with children between the ages of 3-5, you might want to get a First Phonics book. I highly recommend the Easy Learning Series from Collins.
I hope this checklist has been helpful. Make sure to sign up for the mailing list to be the first to know about new products and freebies!
Happy Teaching!
