Show notes
Why do English learners sometimes feel stuck, and what can teachers and students do to get progress moving again?
In this episode of How to English TEFL Podcast, Gav and Em explore three common kinds of getting stuck: when a learner stops understanding during a lesson, when progress seems to slow at intermediate levels such as B1 or B2, and when communication breaks down in a real-world situation.
Drawing on more than 40 years of combined English-teaching experience across Europe and Asia, Gav and Em share practical strategies they have used with real learners.
What should a teacher do when an explanation simply isn’t working? Gav suggests reformulating the language, trying synonyms, changing the example, writing it down or putting the language into a clearer context. Em and Gav discuss using pictures, demonstrations, timelines, stories and memorable associations to make difficult vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation easier to understand and remember.
They also look at the English-learning plateau. Progress from B1 to B2 or B2 to C1 can feel much slower than progress at beginner levels. Gav and Em discuss setting specific goals, increasing exposure to English, using self-study materials alongside real language production, and giving learners challenges such as presentations, conversation groups or other situations where they actually need to use English.
Finally, what happens when you understand almost nothing someone says in a café, hotel, restaurant, conference or phone call? Gav and Em share communication strategies including preparing likely questions in advance, asking someone to repeat or rephrase, repeating back what you think you heard, focusing on the words you do understand and simply admitting when you haven’t understood.
Whether you teach English or you are trying to move your own English to the next level, this episode offers practical ways to deal with confusion, language-learning plateaus and those uncomfortable moments when communication suddenly stops working.
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References:How English Works, Michael Swan, Catherine Walter, Oxford University Press, 1997https://books.google.cz/books/about/How_English_Works.html?id=ZUBPvdUx39IC&source=kp_book_description&redir_esc=y Intermediate Language Practice, Michael Vince, Paul Emmerson, Macmillan, 2003https://books.google.cz/books?id=5OmfQgAACAAJ&source=gbs_similarbooksEnglish Grammar in Use, Raymond Murphy, Cambridge, 2019https://englishforforeignersonline.com/english-grammar-in-use-by-raymond-murphy-book-review/Timestamps
00:00 Welcome to How to English
00:53 What does “getting stuck” in English mean?
02:27 Why learners get stuck around B1 and B2
04:20 What should teachers do when students stop understanding?
05:00 Reformulating vocabulary and using synonyms
06:38 Pictures, objects and demonstrations
08:01 Explaining difficult grammar with context and stories
10:04 Memory tricks for vocabulary and pronunciation
10:57 Finding the explanation that works for each learner
12:40 Why “Do you understand?” may not tell you much
13:24 Skip difficult questions and come back later
14:24 Why English progress can feel slower at higher levels
15:18 Motivation, intensive study and setting goals
16:51 Can self-study and grammar books help you improve?
18:02 How teachers can keep learners motivated and moving forward
19:33 Give yourself a real reason to use English
20:04 What happens when real-world communication breaks down?
20:34 Prepare for conversations before they happen
21:29 What to do when you cannot understand an accent
22:33 Repeat back what you think you heard
23:47 Ask people to repeat, rephrase or write something down
24:31 Overcoming fear when speaking English
25:56 Practice, take chances and keep communicating
26:23 Final thoughts and outro
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