This is something that we hear quite often. Do you feel this way? Many new language instructors do, and so you are not alone!
In fact, it may be the "Number One" thing that holds back new teachers from applying for online jobs. If you have taken our TESOL Certification Course, then you already have many excellent tools in your "toolbox" to get started as a teacher. You know HOW to teach and WHAT to teach. However, are you still hesitant to get started?
We totally understand why new teachers feel a bit intimidated by English Grammar. I felt exactly the same way when I first started teaching! I was petrified that a student might ask me a question that I would not be able to explain. That did happen sometimes - and I really had to do some research. It was worth it though. It did take time and effort, but I love the subject now! And I can totally assure you that there is really no reason to feel intimidated by English grammar. You can very quickly get a solid understanding of the concepts that you need to know to be a really confident language tutor and get started right away as an online tutor, if that is your goal.
For example, imagine that you have been riding a bike your whole life, but you don't know the technical names of the moving parts. Because you already have a very good understanding of what a bike is and how to use it, you already are way ahead of someone who has never seen or used a bike before. It would not take very long for you to get a good idea of what the individual moving parts are called and how they work together - especially if you have a good instructor who can help you quickly grasp things that are new to you.
It is very similar when a fluent speaker of English begins to look at English grammar. With a little bit of effort and practice, they can quite quickly start to understand the Grammar "labels" that are used to describe the different parts of speech. It also does not take long for them to sort out the English tenses and see how everything is structured.
Of course, there are many ways to improve one's understanding of English grammar, and we have posted a blog recently that gave some great ideas. One of those is to join a take a short course on English grammar.
We are happy to let you know that our very own "Grammar Boot Camp" course will be starting up for the second time on Sunday, February 27. It is a 15 hour course then is separated into 10 classes. Each class in an hour an a half long. The classes will be taught live, every Sunday at 12:30 Pacific Time on Zoom. It is so much more fun to learn as a group - and this course is no exception. Through slide presentations, videos, demonstrations, practice activities and group discussions - by the end of this course you will have more than enough confidence in your knowledge of English grammar to get started. For those of you whom are already teaching, these classes will give you a wealth of information and subjects to include in your classes.
What is emphasized the most in this program is a practical understanding of grammatical terms and how English works.
You are welcome to drop in for just one class, (cost is $23.00 Canadian/about $18.00 US for a single class drop-in) or you can sign up ahead of time for all ten classes. ($184.00 Canadian/about $144.00 US) If you sign up for all 10 classes, you get 2 for free!
