How to English TEFL Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Should English Learners Focus on Fluency or Accuracy First? TEFL A-Z D – S06E04 Mar 14, 2025

Show notes

Should English learners focus on fluency or accuracy first—and which habits genuinely lead to progress?

In this D-themed episode of the A–Z of TEFL, Gav and Em explore the dos and don’ts of learning English. They discuss speaking regularly, using English every day when possible, learning vocabulary in context and not being afraid of mistakes. They also consider when accuracy matters, when fluency needs activating and why pronunciation can completely change meaning—as demonstrated by the unfortunate confusion between “important” and “impotent”!

Gav and Em examine the language teachers use when correcting learners. Is “Don’t say that” helpful, or can teachers guide students more positively by modelling the language and suggesting what sounds more natural?

Em then tries a dictogloss: a collaborative listening and writing activity in which learners take notes, reconstruct a text and compare their version with the original. Using Gav’s true story about arriving at the wrong gym, they show how dictogloss can develop listening, grammar, vocabulary, paraphrasing and teamwork.

You’ll also hear ideas for building a positive class atmosphere, moving attention away from the teacher and encouraging students to communicate with one another. Finally, Gav and Em discuss adjusting the difficulty of lesson materials—and how AI can help teachers adapt activities for different English levels.

Along the way, expect doughnuts, a gym mishap and playful explorations of words including “nightmare”, “quarantine”, “clue”, “salary” and “discombobulated”.

📚 EXPLORE THE S06E04 TEACHING GUIDES

How to Use Dictogloss in an English Lesson:
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/how-to-use-dictogloss-in-an-english-lesson-s06e04/

Should English Learners Focus on Fluency or Accuracy First?
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/should-english-learners-focus-on-fluency-or-accuracy-first-s06e04/

How Do You Adjust the Difficulty of an English-Lesson Activity?
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/how-do-you-adjust-the-difficulty-of-an-english-lesson-activity-s06e04/

How Can Teachers Correct Students Without Saying “Don’t Say That”?
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/how-can-teachers-correct-students-without-saying-dont-say-that-s06e04/

How Can Word Origins Help English Learners Remember Vocabulary?
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/how-can-word-origins-help-english-learners-remember-vocabulary-s06e04/

How Can Collaborative Activities Help a New English Class Work Together?
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/how-can-collaborative-activities-help-a-new-english-class-work-together-s06e04/

☕ Support the podcast:
https://ko-fi.com/howtoenglishpod

🌐 Find practical teaching ideas and classroom resources:
https://howtoenglishpod.com

CHAPTERS

00:00 Welcome to How to English with Gav and Em
00:38 What is the How to English TEFL Podcast?
01:21 Doughnuts and the qualities teachers and learners need
03:37 Dos and don’ts of learning English
06:00 Should learners focus on accuracy or fluency first?
07:35 Why English pronunciation matters
08:39 Should teachers tell students what not to say?
11:16 Exploring the origins of English words
19:07 What is dictogloss and how does it work?
21:40 Dictogloss listening task: Lost in the Gym Jungle
24:00 Reconstructing and comparing the text
28:58 Giving learners direction and motivation
30:42 Collaborative activities for team building
33:00 Teaching and learning tips beginning with D
36:04 Adapting task difficulty for different levels
37:15 Using AI to customise lesson materials
37:54 Drilling, dialogues, delayed feedback and development
38:38 D for done

How Can CCQs, Culture and Student Control Improve TEFL Lessons? TEFL A-Z C – S06E03 Feb 28, 2025

Show notes

How can teachers use CCQs effectively, prepare learners for C1 and C2 exams, explore culture and give students more control—without overcomplicating their lessons?

In this episode of How to English TEFL Podcast, Gav and Em continue their A–Z of TEFL with the letter C.

We begin with practical C1 and C2 exam-preparation strategies: understanding the format, managing time, reading instructions carefully, using advanced language naturally and teaching learners to check their own work.

Em then demonstrates how Concept Checking Questions (CCQs) reveal whether students genuinely understand new language. Using the word “query”, we explore effective CCQs, contextual examples and why asking “Do you understand?” rarely gives teachers enough information.

For a lighter classroom activity, Gav challenges Em to match some spectacularly cheesy English chat-up lines. Could they help students practise grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation and cultural comparison—or would they simply make everyone cringe?

We also discuss confidentiality in TEFL: how teachers can encourage meaningful conversation while protecting learners’ privacy and avoiding intrusive questions. Em then tries to separate genuine Business English buzzwords from Gav’s inventions, including “circle back”, “move the needle”, “touch base” and the suspicious “reinvent the rain”.

Finally, we explore culture and communication. Can English ever be culturally neutral? How much of their own culture should teachers bring into class, and how can learners’ cultures receive equal space?

Drawing on more than 40 years of combined teaching experience, we finish with two connected ideas: keep explanations and instructions simple, and give learners more control. Stepping back can create more opportunities for students to participate, make decisions and use English independently.

📚 ARTICLES AND TEACHING RESOURCES

C1 and C2 exam preparation:
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/how-can-teachers-prepare-students-for-c1-and-c2-english-exams-s06e03/

Using CCQs effectively:
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/what-are-ccqs-and-how-can-english-teachers-use-them-effectively-s06e03/

Chat-up lines as an English classroom activity:
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/how-can-teachers-use-chat-up-lines-as-an-english-classroom-activity-s06e03/

Protecting learner privacy and confidentiality:
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/how-can-tefl-teachers-protect-learner-privacy-and-confidentiality-s06e03/

Real and fake Business English buzzwords:
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/can-english-learners-spot-real-and-fake-business-buzzwords-s06e03/

Handling cultural differences sensitively:
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/how-can-tefl-teachers-handle-cultural-differences-sensitively-s06e03/

Keeping lessons simple and giving learners more control:
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/how-can-teachers-keep-lessons-simple-and-give-learners-more-control-s06e03/

🎧 SUPPORT AND MORE FROM GAV & EM

Visit https://howtoenglishpod.com for practical TEFL ideas and classroom resources.

If you find the show useful, you can support us at:
https://ko-fi.com/howtoenglishpod ☕

Reference:
English pick-up lines and activity inspiration:
https://www.theknot.com/content/pick-up-lines

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Welcome to the Letter C in TEFL
02:35 – C1 and C2 Exam Preparation Tips
09:40 – What Are CCQs and How Should Teachers Use Them?
14:05 – Cheesy English Chat-Up Lines as a Classroom Activity
18:37 – Confidentiality and Protecting Learners’ Privacy
25:07 – Real and Fake Business English Buzzwords
32:42 – Culture and Cultural Differences in TEFL
37:14 – Keep Teaching Simple and Give Learners More Control

#TEFL #EnglishTeaching #BusinessEnglish

How Can You Teach Business English, Pronunciation and Better Lessons? TEFL A-Z B – S06E02 Feb 14, 2025

Show notes

How should you begin a new English course, find out what Business English learners really need and help students improve their pronunciation?

In this episode of How to English: Teach and Learn with Gav & Em, we explore the letter B in our A to Z of TEFL. We begin with the importance of first lessons and why teachers should prepare carefully without putting themselves under pressure to make everything perfect.

For Business English teachers, we demonstrate the specific needs-analysis questions that uncover what learners actually do at work. Do they give presentations, write emails, attend international meetings, manage projects or speak to customers? We also discuss using authentic workplace materials and why teachers do not need to be experts in every industry.

You’ll hear a practical demonstration of backchaining, a pronunciation technique for breaking difficult words and sentences into manageable chunks. We compare different ways to use it and explain why hearing the complete word or sentence first can give learners valuable context.

We also explore what students’ body language can reveal about attention, confusion and engagement—particularly online. However, appearances can be misleading, so checking politely may be more reliable than assuming somebody is not listening.

What does “Bob’s your uncle” mean? Why do British people say something has “gone pear-shaped”? We unpack several baffling British expressions, including “faffing around”, “throw a spanner in the works” and “not my cup of tea”.

Later, we ask whether coursebooks are still relevant in the age of ChatGPT and other digital tools. Finally, we challenge common language-learning myths and demonstrate “backflash”: a more natural way to revisit a previous lesson through a story rather than asking, “Do you remember what we did last week?”

Drawing on their real classroom experience, Gav and Em offer practical ideas for teachers alongside plenty of disagreement, experimentation and laughter.

References:

ChatGPT: https://chatgpt.com/

Grammarly: https://app.grammarly.com/

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, episode guides and resources ready to use.

Don’t forget to follow, subscribe and share the episode. See you next time for C!

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome to B in the A to Z of TEFL
01:18 How to begin a lesson or course successfully
04:18 What do Business English learners really need?
06:35 Using authentic workplace materials
07:15 Essential Business English topics
08:35 Teaching unfamiliar industries confidently
09:25 What do B1 and B2 English levels mean?
12:10 How to teach pronunciation through backchaining
14:10 Reading students’ body language
15:35 Checking engagement in online lessons
17:20 How teachers’ gestures affect learners
20:00 Baffling British expressions explained
23:55 Are coursebooks still relevant in TEFL?
27:00 Bogus language-learning myths
31:15 Backflash: a better way to review previous lessons
34:00 Revisiting vocabulary through stories
34:45 See you next time for C

How Can AI, Alphabet Games and Accuracy Improve English Lessons? TEFL A-Z A – S06E01 Jan 31, 2025

Show notes

How can teachers use AI, alphabet games and targeted correction to create more effective English lessons?

Welcome to Season 6 and the beginning of Gav and Em’s A–Z of TEFL. In this episode, the letter A leads to a lively mix of practical classroom activities, teaching technology, animal vocabulary and the continuing debate over accuracy versus fluency.

Discover several materials-light alphabet games, including collaborative stories, picture challenges, Pictionary and 20 Questions. Gav and Em also discuss how teachers can use ChatGPT to research unfamiliar topics, generate personalised questions, create gap-fills and adapt materials around learners’ interests.

Could virtual and augmented reality make speaking practice less intimidating? Em recalls entering a virtual forest and talking to avatars, while Gav considers how simulated cafés and other everyday environments could give learners realistic opportunities to practise English. They also explore the potential benefits and limitations of VR language learning, including confidence, accessibility, cost and corrective feedback.

The conversation continues with a quick-fire animal homes quiz before Em introduces the power of “And…?” as a simple prompt that encourages learners to expand their answers and keep speaking.

Should teachers prioritise accurate English or fluent communication? Drawing on their classroom experience, Gav and Em explain why the answer depends on each learner’s needs. Sometimes students need uninterrupted speaking practice; at other times, a persistent mistake deserves focused attention.

Finally, they share two A-themed tips for teachers and learners: prepare the right attitude before a lesson and become a little more academic by recording useful language. Even when notes are never reread, the act of making them may support learning and recall.

🎙️ How to English TEFL Pod brings you practical teaching ideas, honest classroom discussion and plenty of Gav and Em humour.

💛 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.

Reference:

Benefits of note-making:
https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5406/amerjpsyc.124.1.0063

Chapters and timestamps

00:00 Welcome to Season 6
00:50 Meet Gav and Em
02:35 Introducing the A–Z of TEFL
03:47 Materials-light alphabet games
06:35 Using AI and ChatGPT in English lessons
10:37 VR and AR for immersive language learning
15:50 How AI could support teachers
16:52 Animal homes vocabulary game
21:34 Using “And…?” to encourage fluency
23:55 Accuracy or fluency: which should come first?
27:35 A-themed teaching and learning tips
28:38 Preparing the right attitude for a lesson
32:16 Note-making and becoming a little more academic
34:29 Coming next: the letter B

What Makes English Lessons Work? TEFL Tips & Season 5 Highlights – S05E24 Dec 20, 2024

Show notes

How can teachers make English lessons more useful, memorable and enjoyable—and help learners recognise their progress?

Join Gav and Em for the Season 5 finale of How to English TEFL Podcast as they revisit a year of classroom discoveries, differing opinions and moments that still make them laugh. Drawing on their own English classes, they explore what helped their learners, what challenged their teaching and which ideas deserve another outing.

Who should choose lesson topics: the teacher or the learner? How can you get honest student feedback? When should you change an activity, and when should you let a good conversation continue? Gav and Em compare their approaches, including Em’s preference for having material ready and Gav’s expectation that learners bring their own questions and language problems.

For English learners, there are reminders about silent letters, memory aids, repetition, practice outside lessons and the attitude that helps you make progress. For teachers, the conversation covers varying error correction, reviewing the board or online chat, avoiding badly timed computer updates and recognising when students need a change of pace.

There’s also a squirrel that nobody seems to hear, phrasal verbs with very different meanings, questionable business casual clothing and a student’s shoe becoming an unexpected vocabulary resource. Discover how playful gap fills and real objects can create memorable learning moments.

Finish with the Quiz of the Year, a lightning recap of all 23 previous episodes, before Gav and Em reveal their A–Z idea for Season 6 and discuss their teaching goals.

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, plus podcast transcriptions.

Timestamps
00:00 – Welcome to the Season 5 finale
02:47 – Reflecting on classes and changing learner needs
06:45 – AI in lessons and recognising student progress
10:18 – Learning tips: silent letters and pronunciation
11:40 – Who should choose the lesson content?
13:41 – Memory aids, repetition and regular practice
17:32 – Teachers, books and learner motivation
18:22 – Getting honest feedback from students
20:45 – Adapting error correction to different learners
21:56 – Reviewing the board and online chat
23:37 – When should you change a classroom activity?
26:49 – Computer updates and online teaching problems
27:54 – The freedom of teaching English online
28:58 – Memorable moments: quizzes versus tests
31:23 – Listening, translation apps and the squirrel story
33:04 – Phrasal verbs and mixed-up idioms
34:48 – Dress codes and teacher confidence
36:40 – Making gap fills fun with Blankety Blank
38:17 – Realia and memorable classroom communication
41:09 – Quiz of the Year: revisiting 23 episodes
50:53 – Season 6: the A–Z of teaching and learning English
52:02 – Teaching goals for the coming year
54:05 – Thank you and goodbye

Music
Fluffing a Duck by Kevin MacLeod
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hBDh3dRvLc
Blankety Blank Full Opening Title Sequence
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjU5zZeD1yQ
Action Tense Cinematic Teaser Trailer Music
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEN2bmZPKF0
Background music
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqwnTNRtQ80

How Can You Personalise Coursebooks Without Chasing Perfection? – S05E23 Dec 06, 2024

Show notes

How can teachers make coursebooks more engaging, relevant and useful without planning the “perfect” lesson?

Gav and Em return to coursebooks and explore how teachers can combine their helpful structure with personalised conversation and meaningful language practice. Em explains how she adapts logistics, finance and Business English materials by eliciting learners’ existing knowledge, adding vocabulary and encouraging students to use new language in their own professional contexts.

They also ask what makes the perfect student, teacher and learning environment. Is a good learner someone who always gets everything right, or someone willing to experiment and make mistakes? Drawing on their classroom experience, Gav and Em discuss preparation, punctuality, patience, reflection and why teachers should not expect themselves to have every answer immediately.

You’ll also hear:

How to move between focused coursebook work and personalised speaking practice
Why making mistakes is an essential part of learning English
What teachers and students really need from a classroom or online learning space
Why Gav and Em still love teaching English after many years in TEFL
The differences between “I don’t mind”, “I don’t care”, “It doesn’t matter” and “I couldn’t care less”
How professional development can refresh your teaching
How Gav used ChatGPT during a live lesson to create instant grammar practice
Why AI-generated teaching materials still need checking

Finally, Quiz of the Week explores what happens when translation tools choose unnecessarily formal English. Do learners really need words such as “raucous”, “diminutive” and “nourishment”, or would simpler alternatives sound more natural?

Listen to the transcript with audio:
https://share.descript.com/view/1XK69QvlP8L

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.

Reference

Normal and advanced vocabulary:
https://mrmrsenglish.com/500-daily-used-normal-vs-advanced/#google_vignette

Chapters

00:00 Coursebooks, perfectionism and AI for teachers
01:36 Returning to coursebooks
02:40 How to personalise coursebook lessons
05:34 Is perfection possible in language learning?
07:10 What makes the perfect English student?
09:05 What makes the perfect teacher?
11:48 Creating an effective classroom or online space
14:05 Support How to English TEFL Podcast
14:43 Why we still love teaching English
17:42 How to express indifference politely
19:06 I don’t mind, I don’t care or it doesn’t matter?
21:48 What teachers gain from online training
24:02 Using ChatGPT during a live English lesson
26:55 Checking AI-generated teaching resources
28:40 Quiz of the Week: formal and informal vocabulary
35:20 A translation message that was far too formal
36:00 Closing thoughts

Who Should Choose Lesson Content? Collocations and Real-World English – S05E22 Nov 22, 2024

Show notes

Who should decide what happens in an English lesson: the teacher, the students or both?

In this episode of How to English TEFL Podcast, we explore syllabus design and learner involvement. Em wonders whether teachers should accept “whatever you want” as an answer, while Gav explains how asking every learner for three topics can help teachers create a more relevant course.

We also revisit common English collocations, including spick and span, hustle and bustle, black and blue, kith and kin, ups and downs, blood and guts, and odds and ends.

Can you end an English sentence with a preposition? We clear up the confusion surrounding so-called dangling prepositions and explain why natural questions such as “What’s it for?” and “Who’s it about?” are perfectly acceptable.

Gav then shares a playful present perfect continuous activity in which learners explain unusual outcomes. Why is your phone in the freezer? Why are your students wearing sunglasses indoors? The activity encourages spontaneous answers and can be adapted as a matching or memory game for lower-level learners.

Em also reflects on the frustrating gap between teaching something and seeing learners apply it in real life. After spending 90 minutes teaching email conventions, she receives an email containing one of the mistakes she had carefully covered. We discuss concept checking, correcting authentic emails and why changing established language habits takes time.

Finally, Em tests Gav on animal names that can also be verbs. Can you fish for compliments, duck an object, wolf down a meal, badger someone or squirrel something away? We finish by discovering how “rabbit” came to mean “talk” through Cockney rhyming slang.

Gav and Em draw on more than 40 years of combined English-teaching experience, sharing practical ideas alongside the honest successes, frustrations and unusual moments that arise in real lessons.

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.

Listen to the transcription with audio:
https://share.descript.com/view/h0xao94vmg0

Resource

How We Made Rabbit by Chas & Dave:
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2018/feb/12/chas-and-dave-how-we-made-rabbit-camilla-parker-bowles

Chapters

00:00 Introduction
02:06 Meanings of common English collocations
08:46 Can a sentence end with a preposition?
11:05 Who should choose the syllabus and lesson content?
17:57 Present perfect continuous activity with unusual outcomes
23:37 Why learners struggle to apply classroom learning
29:18 Quiz of the Week: animal names used as verbs
36:40 Why does “rabbit” mean “talk”?
37:46 Final thoughts and outro

Should English Learners Have Goals? Online Lessons and Teaching Rules – S05E21 Nov 08, 2024

Show notes

Should every English learner have a clear goal, or is maintaining their level and enjoying lessons enough?

In this episode of How to English TEFL Podcast, Gav and Em explore whether learners need a specific target. Inspired by an orchestra rehearsing for a concert, Em asks whether lessons should prepare students for an exam, presentation, holiday or everyday conversation. Gav considers learners who want to keep their English active and enjoy practising without additional pressure.

We also discuss online teaching mishaps, accidental exits and abrupt goodbyes. How can teachers balance warm-ups, core activities and a proper lesson ending?

The conversation turns to reviewing teaching fees, requesting payments and paying in advance. Then we compare two conflicting teaching rules: change activities after 25 minutes, or continue while something is working. Finally, try Gav’s lively phrase-completion quiz and explore how a quick vocabulary challenge can lead to meaningful practice.

📚 FREE ARTICLES CONNECTED TO S05E21

How Can English Teachers Set Goals That Motivate Students? – S05E21

How Can Online English Teachers End Lessons Without Cutting Students Off? – S05E21

Should Teachers Switch Activities After 25 Minutes? – S05E21

When Should English Teachers Review Their Fees? – S05E21

How Can Teachers Turn Phrase Completion into Meaningful Vocabulary Practice? – S05E21

Each article links to our free six-page teaching pack, with learner activities, teacher planning sheets, models and answers.

For more practical teaching ideas and classroom resources:
https://howtoenglishpod.com

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

Sharing is caring. Please mention the show to a fellow teacher, learner or school.

CHAPTERS

00:00 What is in this week’s episode?
01:01 Online teaching problems with the share and leave buttons
02:35 Why Gav and Em make the podcast
03:17 How to end an online lesson without cutting students off
04:40 Balancing lesson warm-ups and cool-downs
06:25 Who is the How to English TEFL Podcast for?
08:11 Using natural conversations for English listening practice
10:21 What does “rhubarb, rhubarb” mean?
12:00 Bandwagons, coattails and gravy trains
13:29 Should English learners have a long-term goal?
14:25 Treating lessons as rehearsals for real-life English
16:11 Goals, motivation, exams and learner confidence
18:14 Do all students want to be challenged?
20:08 When should private English teachers raise their fees?
22:15 Discussing payments and asking students for money
23:56 Two conflicting cardinal rules of teaching
24:16 Should an activity stop after 25 minutes?
25:31 If an activity is working, should you continue?
27:39 Extending activities through feedback and language analysis
29:40 Quiz of the Week: complete the collocation
34:13 Outro

How Can Teachers Create Flow and Encourage Students in Group Lessons? – S05E20 Oct 25, 2024

Show notes

How can teachers create better flow in an English lesson, help students listen to each other and give praise without constantly interrupting?

In this episode of How to English TEFL Podcast, Gav and Em explore why some lessons flow while others feel stop-start. Gav shares a learner’s frank feedback about a lesson with no flow, while Em asks whether every adult learner needs to engage with every conversation.

We discuss choosing topics that get people talking, helping students speak to each other and using breakout rooms to create space for fluency. Try Gav’s adjective game, adapted from a vocabulary-book exercise, then explore specific praise, gestures and written feedback that recognise progress without interrupting learners.

Finally, Quiz of the Week mixes real language apps with convincing inventions. Can Em spot Mondly, Drops, uTalk and Elevate among the impostors?

📚 FREE ARTICLES AND TEACHING RESOURCES CONNECTED TO S05E20

How Can Teachers Find Flow in Group English Lessons? – S05E20
https://howtoenglishpod.com/how-can-teachers-find-flow-in-group-english-lessons-s05e20/

What Can a Teacher Do When an English Lesson Has No Flow? – S05E20
https://howtoenglishpod.com/what-can-a-teacher-do-when-an-english-lesson-has-no-flow-s05e20/

How Can You Turn a Vocabulary Page into a Fast Speaking Game? – S05E20
https://howtoenglishpod.com/how-can-you-turn-a-vocabulary-page-into-a-fast-speaking-game-s05e20/

How Can Teachers Help Group Learners Listen to Each Other? – S05E20
https://howtoenglishpod.com/how-can-teachers-help-group-learners-listen-to-each-other-s05e20/

How Can English Teachers Praise Learners Without Interrupting Fluency? – S05E20
https://howtoenglishpod.com/how-can-english-teachers-praise-learners-without-interrupting-fluency-s05e20/

Each article includes practical ideas and a free downloadable teaching pack.

For more teaching ideas and classroom resources:
https://howtoenglishpod.com

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

REFERENCES

English Vocabulary Builder, Dorling Kindersley, Chapter 5, page 27, exercise C

Language-app quiz source:
https://amberstudent.com/blog/post/best-language-learning-apps

Apps discussed:
https://www.duolingo.com/
https://uk.rosettastone.com/product/mobile-apps/
https://talkpal.ai/
https://www.mondly.com/
https://languagedrops.com/
https://utalk.com/en/app
https://elevateapp.com/about

CHAPTERS

00:00 What teachers and learners can expect
01:00 Corrections and classroom reflections
07:48 Turning picture descriptions into an adjective game
10:51 What creates flow in an English lesson?
12:35 What to do when a class has no flow
16:05 Why students only talk to the teacher
18:00 Should everyone listen during group discussions?
22:23 Using breakout rooms to develop fluency
27:18 How to praise students without interrupting
31:14 Combining praise with positive error correction
33:08 Written feedback and recognising progress
35:44 Quiz of the Week: real or invented language apps?
43:35 What does jibber-jabber mean?
44:40 Final reflections and outro

How Do You Teach Get or Have Something Done? – S05E19 Oct 11, 2024

Show notes

Do your students understand the difference between doing something themselves and getting or having it done by somebody else?

In this episode of How to English TEFL Podcast, Gav and Em explore practical ways to teach the causative structure get or have something done. Gav demonstrates a visual compare-and-contrast activity using people repairing cars and cleaning offices. They also discuss how teachers can introduce related vocabulary naturally before encouraging students to personalise the grammar by talking about services in their own lives.

What happens when the student who holds a group together is absent? Em describes the “linchpin student” who keeps conversations moving, asks extra questions and helps create the atmosphere of a class. Gav and Em consider how changing the mix of learners can transform a group dynamic and give quieter students an opportunity to contribute more.

They also tackle a sensitive classroom question: which name should a teacher use when a learner has both an original name and an adopted English or Western name? Their practical conclusion is simple: listen to how the learner introduces themselves or ask directly which name they would prefer you to use.

Finally, Gav and Em demonstrate how experienced teachers adapt their speech and questions for different English levels. With lower-level learners, they slow down, keep the grammar focused and support unfamiliar vocabulary. With advanced learners, they speak more naturally, ask for detailed explanations and use follow-up questions to stretch vocabulary and grammar organically.

The Quiz of the Week asks whether Em and Gav clean, repair, decorate, bake and check things themselves—or get somebody else to do them.

Listen to the transcription with audio:
https://share.descript.com/view/L0Pmekz4ZbZ

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. And if you know somebody who would enjoy the podcast, please mention the show to them.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and housekeeping
02:15 The linchpin student in a group class
08:25 How to teach get or have something done
14:20 Which name should a teacher use?
17:41 Adapting teacher talk for different English levels
27:04 Quiz of the Week: do it yourself or get it done?
31:33 Outro

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