How to English TEFL Podcast

Latest Episodes:

How Can You Teach Confusing English Words? Classroom Games with Gav & Em – S03E18 Sep 30, 2022

Show notes

What’s the difference between chef and chief, shade and shadow, or job and work? Gav and Em explore word pairs their students mix up and turn them into activities you can try in an English lesson.

They demonstrate eliciting words through clues, hiding them in stories, using gap fills and a dice game, then trying charades and drawing. Along the way, they discover that explaining a difference clearly can be harder than recognising the right answer!

Download Gav’s list of 70 confusing words and phrases:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/gnnderlodwt6sim/Confusing%20words.pdf?dl=0

Tools mentioned in the episode:
Online dice: https://www.online-dice.com/
AutoDraw: https://www.autodraw.com/

For more practical teaching ideas from this episode at our🌐 website:

How to Teach Commonly Confused English Words Through Elicitation Story-Spotting Activity for Confusing English Words Job or Work? How to Explain the Difference Clearly How to Use Dice to Practise Confusing English Words

How to Teach Borrow and Lend Through Mime

How to Use Drawing to Contrast Similar English Words☕If you find the show useful, you can send us a thanks at https://ko-fi.com/howtoenglishpod

Chapters
0:21 Why do similar English words cause confusion?
1:52 Ask learners which words they mix up
2:41 Chef or chief? Start with a real mistake
3:34 Gav’s list of 70 confusing words
4:26 Game 1: Elicit words with clues
13:00 Turn the guessing game into a classroom activity
14:05 Game 2: Hide confusing words in a story
23:30 Game 3: Gap fills and multiple choice
24:02 Job or work?
26:00 Fell or felt?
27:00 Shade or shadow?
28:45 Game 4: Roll the dice
29:45 Dead or died?
33:30 Game 5: Charades
36:09 Game 6: Draw the words
39:30 Final ideas for using the activities

How Can You Become a Polyglot? With Azren the Language Nerd and Andy – S03E17 Sep 16, 2022

Show notes

What does it take to learn several languages? Gav and Em explore what “polyglot” means and discuss language-learning ideas they’ve encountered as teachers and learners. Can reading help you remember new vocabulary? Do you need the perfect study method? And how much do time and motivation matter?

Andy from Andy’s Everyday English shares a tip for learning vocabulary through reading and context. Azren the Language Nerd, who speaks five languages, explains the three things he considers key to progress: methods, time and mindset. Gav and Em also discuss grammar, role plays, subtitles and realistic expectations about how long language learning can take.

Find Azren at https://azrenthelanguagenerd.com/ and Andy at https://www.instagram.com/andys.everyday.english/.

If you find the show useful, you can send us a thanks at https://ko-fi.com/howtoenglishpod. Visit https://howtoenglishpod.com for practical teaching ideas and resources ready to use.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction
00:43 What is a polyglot?
03:47 Andy’s Everyday English: learning vocabulary through reading
09:00 Gav and Em discuss vocabulary in context
15:01 Can anyone become a polyglot?
18:56 Language-learning tips: grammar, speaking practice and subtitles
28:19 Meet Azren the Language Nerd
29:41 Azren’s three keys: methods, time and mindset
37:14 How long can it take to learn another language?
41:14 Balancing the challenge with the rewards

Can you beat Gav and Em in a 30-question English language quiz? Featuring Alexandra – S03E16 Sep 02, 2022

Show notes

Grab a pen and join Gav and Em for Quiz Time. They take turns testing each other on languages, the origins of English words, grammar and everyday vocabulary. Play along, check your answers and pick up ideas for bringing a quiz into your own English lessons.

How many languages has English borrowed from? Where might the word “penguin” come from? Alongside the language facts, Gav and Em tackle questions about verb forms, commonly confused words and more. Alexandra from English4Style joins them to explain the differences between trip, journey and travel.

Follow Alexandra: https://www.instagram.com/english4style/

If you find the show useful, you can send us a thanks at https://ko-fi.com/howtoenglishpod. You’ll find practical teaching ideas and resources ready to use at https://howtoenglishpod.com.

Chapters
0:00 Welcome to Quiz Time
1:21 How to play the 30-question quiz
3:46 English and its language influences
5:00 Long English words and vocabulary questions
11:06 Grammar and world-language questions
17:05 Alphabets and word origins
20:45 Where does “penguin” come from?
27:11 The final language-facts questions
28:12 Gav’s grammar and vocabulary round
37:17 Language facts and Alexandra’s introduction
38:06 Alexandra explains trip, journey and travel
42:03 Results and goodbye

How Do You Start a TEFL Podcast? With Ian Antonio Patterson and Leo Nova – S03E15 Aug 19, 2022

Show notes

Could you make a podcast with just your phone? Gav and Em talk through how they started How to English, from choosing a topic and recording an episode to finding a host, making cover art and deciding how often to publish. They also ask what keeps people listening when there are so many shows to choose from.

Ian Antonio Patterson of English Coach Podcast: Living the Language joins them to explain how conversations, varied voices and real-life topics can support language learning. Then Leo Nova of Nova Tips gives a mini-lesson on false friends: familiar-looking words that can catch English learners out.

Thinking of making a show of your own, or using podcasts to practise English? Bring your ideas—and, as Gav and Em discover, you needn’t have a studio to begin.

Find Ian Antonio: https://www.instagram.com/englishcoachpodcast/ | https://iantonio.media/podcasts/
Find Leo: https://www.instagram.com/nova.tips/ | https://drum.io/novatips
Podcast planning resources: https://castos.com/podcast-topics/ | http://thepodcasthost.com/planning/how-to-start-a-podcast/

If you find the show useful, you can send us a thanks at https://ko-fi.com/howtoenglishpod. You’ll find more practical teaching ideas and resources ready to use at https://howtoenglishpod.com.

Chapters
00:00 What is a podcast?
05:35 What do you need to start recording?
07:53 Why Gav and Em started their show
11:21 Who is the podcast for?
15:26 Choosing a name, length and schedule
18:34 Music and cover art
20:39 First steps for a new podcaster
23:51 What makes a podcast worth listening to?
25:30 Ian Antonio Patterson on language, connection and inclusion
32:32 Useful podcast vocabulary
36:15 Leo Nova explains false friends
39:00 How to practise tricky vocabulary

How Can You Teach Creative Writing in English? With Gera and Angelica – S03E14 Aug 05, 2022

Show notes

How do you help English learners start writing when a blank page feels daunting? Gav and Em explore ways to give students a starting point while leaving room for their own ideas.

Gera from Speak Write Play shares how reading a video game script inspired him to write stories and why he recommends writing for 15 minutes a day. We discuss four types of writing, try creative classroom activities and build a story using five simple parts. Em also recalls how a correction discouraged her from writing creatively as a child, and what teachers can learn from that experience.

In Teacher, Teach Me, Angelica Rocha from english.for_teachers shares a way to practise irregular plural nouns aloud.

Explore the S03E14 articles:

• How Can You Help English Learners Start Writing?
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/how-can-you-help-english-learners-start-writing-s03e14/

• How Can Learners Write More Clearly for a Reader?
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/how-can-learners-write-more-clearly-for-a-reader-s03e14/

• What Are the Four Main Types of Writing in English Lessons?
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/what-are-the-four-main-types-of-writing-in-english-lessons-s03e14/

• How Can You Turn a Model Text into Creative Writing?
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/how-can-you-turn-a-model-text-into-creative-writing-s03e14/

• How Should Teachers Give Feedback on Creative Writing?
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/how-should-teachers-give-feedback-on-creative-writing-s03e14/

• How Can You Teach a Five-Part Story Structure?
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/how-can-you-teach-a-five-part-story-structure-s03e14/

Find Gera and Speak Write Play:
https://speakwriteplay.com/
https://www.instagram.com/speakwriteplay/
https://www.youtube.com/c/SpeakWritePlayinEnglish/videos

Find Angelica:
https://www.instagram.com/english.for_teachers/

Find more practical teaching ideas at https://howtoenglishpod.com. If you find the show useful, you can send us a thanks at https://ko-fi.com/howtoenglishpod.

Chapters
00:00 Why write in English?
02:44 Gera’s journey from video game scripts to creative writing
08:09 Starting small and supporting new writers
10:38 How correction can affect creativity
13:18 Four types of writing explained
18:47 Giving learners a purpose and a starting point
20:21 Rewriting a story to spark ideas
22:04 Writing a bad poem, then improving it
23:46 Ethos, logos and pathos
27:39 Journals, dreams, blogs and haiku
31:14 Tips for teaching writing
35:16 A five-part structure for stories
38:56 Angelica’s tip for irregular plural nouns

How Can You Teach and Remember English Vocabulary? Kitty Sensei and Pooja – S03E13 Jul 22, 2022

Show notes

How do you help new English words stick? Gav and Em explore what counts as a word, how much vocabulary learners need, and ways to move words from passive knowledge into everyday use.

Kitty Sensei shares ten practical tips for learning vocabulary, including keeping a notebook, making personal connections with words and using them in conversation. Gav and Em then swap vocabulary games for the classroom, from Bingo to a chalkboard acronym activity. In Teacher, Teach Me, Pooja explains the difference between see, look and watch.

You’ll also hear about Whizbusters’ Vocabulary Builder and its lifetime membership offer: https://whizbusters.teachable.com/p/english-vocabulary-practice-tests-free

If you find the show useful, you can send us a thanks at https://ko-fi.com/howtoenglishpod. Visit https://howtoenglishpod.com for practical teaching ideas and resources ready to use.

Chapters
00:20 What is a word?
05:34 Whizbusters’ Vocabulary Builder
08:00 How many words are there in English?
10:36 Helping learners use new vocabulary
11:45 Kitty Sensei’s vocabulary learning tips
21:22 Gav and Em discuss Kitty’s tips
27:20 Vocabulary games for a cover lesson
35:13 Teacher, Teach Me with Pooja
35:42 See, look and watch

Guests and resources
Kitty Sensei: https://www.instagram.com/kittykikuchi1509/ | https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvqRD9bbw795Zd8tMAf-1EQ
Pooja: https://www.instagram.com/making_english_easy/
Whizbusters: https://www.youtube.com/WHIZBUSTERS

References
www.merriam-webster.com
https://englishlive.ef.com/blog/language-lab/many-words-english-language/
https://www.ilovelanguages.com/how-many-words-in-average-english-vocabulary/
https://www.justlearn.com/blog/vocabulary-games
https://www.englishclub.com/esl-games/vocabulary/

How Can TEFL Conferences Help You Grow as a Teacher? James Taylor BRAZ-TESOL and Naeem – S03E12 Jul 08, 2022

Show notes

What can you gain from a teaching conference beyond a notebook full of ideas? Gav and Em talk with James Taylor of BRAZ-TESOL about the connections teachers make through conferences and teaching associations. James explains how special interest groups and local chapters can help teachers share ideas and feel less isolated.

Drawing on conferences they’ve attended, Gav and Em discuss choosing useful sessions, meeting other teachers and bringing practical ideas back to class. They also ask whether a workshop technique will work with your own students, and why time to reflect can be as valuable as a new activity. This episode was recorded around BRAZ-TESOL’s 2022 international conference; the event dates mentioned in the conversation are historical.

In Teach, Teach Me, Naeem from English with Naeem explains the difference between “hard” and “hardly” — and why “I work hard” means something very different from “I hardly work”.

BRAZ-TESOL: https://braztesol.org.br/
BRAZ-TESOL on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/braztesol
BRAZ-TESOL on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/braztesol/
English with Naeem: https://www.instagram.com/englishwithnaeem/
Raise Up! books: https://raiseup.gumroad.com/

References:
Keynote and plenary speakers: https://info.wwsg.com/blog/difference-between-plenary-and-keynote-speakers
Presenting at conferences: https://students.unimelb.edu.au/academic-skills/explore-our-resources/speaking-and-presenting/presenting-at-conferences#Presenting%20your%20research

If you find the show useful, you can send us a thanks at https://ko-fi.com/howtoenglishpod. Visit https://howtoenglishpod.com for practical teaching ideas and resources ready to use.

Chapters
00:00 Why go to a teaching conference?
03:05 James Taylor on BRAZ-TESOL and teacher community
06:36 How conferences help teachers connect
10:41 Conference talks and keynote speakers
12:43 Choosing a conference that meets your needs
17:34 Gav’s memorable teacher-led conference
20:16 Bringing conference ideas into your classroom
22:41 Why present at or attend a conference?
25:01 Teach, Teach Me: “hard” and “hardly” with Naeem

How Can Teachers and Learners Grow Through Experience? Felipe and Meshkat – S03E11 Jun 17, 2022

Show notes

What can your experience as an English learner teach you about teaching? Gav and Em hear from Felipe Coelho, a teacher from Brazil whose own learning journey shaped the way he teaches. Felipe explains why he makes students’ lives and interests central to lessons, helps them feel less anxious about speaking, and uses humour to make mistakes easier to learn from.

Gav and Em reflect on being lifelong learners themselves: how honest should a teacher be when they do not know an answer, and what helps a conversation in class begin to flow? Gav then quizzes Em on useful ways to talk about experience, including present perfect forms, collocations and phrases for looking back. In Teacher, Teach Me, Meshkat explains the difference between somewhere, anywhere, nowhere and everywhere.

Try Gav’s quiz: https://quizizz.com/join/game/U2FsdGVkX1%252BlKrd%252BsZMCHRCR%252F7TLWV6wzHoq24EIcoDlmSjeJvKRXFxIbaJxvnEK?gameType=solo

Find Felipe: https://www.tiktok.com/@inglescomfelipe | https://www.instagram.com/inglescomfelipe1/
Find Meshkat: https://www.instagram.com/englishwithmeshkat/

Language references: https://enguroo.com/2021/12/29/how-to-talk-about-experience/ | https://www.freecollocation.com/search?word=experience

Share the episode with a teacher or learner friend. For more practical teaching ideas and resources ready to use, visit https://howtoenglishpod.com. If you find the show useful, you can send us a thanks at https://ko-fi.com/howtoenglishpod

Chapters
0:00 Welcome and today’s topic
2:26 Felipe’s journey from English learner to teacher
8:12 Teaching through humour and relatable mistakes
10:17 Helping students feel comfortable speaking
15:18 Teachers are learners too
18:49 Using technology to teach English
21:05 Learning to laugh at mistakes
21:45 Creating flow in conversation lessons
24:07 Grammar for talking about experience
27:47 Gav’s experience vocabulary quiz
36:38 Meshkat: somewhere, anywhere, nowhere and everywhere

How Can You Teach Climate Change in English Lessons? With Sara Do Carmo – S03E10 Jun 03, 2022

Show notes

How can you turn climate change into an English lesson that gets people talking? Gav and Em explore the language of carbon footprints, renewable energy and sustainable living, then try a WWF footprint quiz that teachers can adapt for a group lesson, a one-to-one class or independent study.

The quiz leads to conversations about food, travel, energy use at home and fast fashion. Gav and Em compare their results and discuss why reducing emissions comes before offsetting them. Guest Sara Do Carmo shares changes she has made in her own life, including using reusable bottles, planning meals and buying second-hand clothes.

📚 Explore the teaching articles from this episode:

• How Can a Carbon Footprint Quiz Start a Meaningful English Discussion? – S03E10
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/how-can-a-carbon-footprint-quiz-start-an-english-discussion-s03e10/

• How Can Food, Travel, Home and Clothing Choices Become a Climate Speaking Lesson? – S03E10
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/how-can-everyday-choices-become-a-climate-speaking-lesson-s03e10/

• How Can You Teach Climate Change Vocabulary Without Overloading Learners? – S03E10
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/how-can-you-teach-climate-change-vocabulary-s03e10/

• How Can You Teach Carbon Offsetting Without Suggesting It Replaces Reducing Emissions? – S03E10
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/how-can-you-teach-carbon-offsetting-after-reducing-emissions-s03e10/

More practical teaching ideas: https://howtoenglishpod.com

Sara Do Carmo: https://www.instagram.com/sara.docarmo/

If you find the show useful, you can send us a thanks: https://ko-fi.com/howtoenglishpod

Chapters
00:00 Introducing the climate change topic
04:27 What is a carbon footprint?
07:19 Measure, reduce and offset
08:04 Using a footprint quiz in an English lesson
11:07 Gav and Em compare their results
12:00 Food choices and emissions
15:53 Travel and more efficient journeys
19:23 Energy use at home
21:25 Fast fashion and buying second-hand
24:47 Sara Do Carmo on sustainable living
32:22 When and how to offset emissions

How Can Students Talk About Their Passions in English? Featuring Joe – S03E09 May 20, 2022

Show notes

What are you into, keen on or passionate about? Gav and Em explore natural ways to talk about interests in English, from “I love music” to “I have a passion for travel”.

Guest Joe shares his enthusiasm for cooking vegetarian food, exercise and making videos that connect people. Gav and Em talk about their own interests, including food, fitness, the environment and travel. Then they bring the conversation into the classroom: how can teachers use a learner’s interests to spark discussion and give them the language they need?

In Teacher, Teach Me, Em explains how to use would for repeated past actions, and how it differs from used to.

Find Joe on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisisjoe11/

Mentioned in the episode: https://liveboldandbloom.com/10/passion-in-life/things-to-be-passionate-about

If you find the show useful, you can send us a thanks at https://ko-fi.com/howtoenglishpod. Visit https://howtoenglishpod.com for practical teaching ideas and resources ready to use.

Chapters
00:00 Welcome and the meaning of passion
01:54 English phrases for talking about interests
05:01 A quiz about possible passions
10:09 Meet Joe
11:11 Joe on vegetarian cooking, exercise and making videos
16:20 Gav and Em on food and nutrition
20:55 Exercise and combining interests
23:29 Linking English practice to things you enjoy
25:11 Reasons for learning English
27:38 Em on travel and relationships
30:38 Using students’ interests in English lessons
33:19 Teacher, Teach Me: past habits with would and used to

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

How to English TEFL Podcast

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected