How to English TEFL Podcast

Latest Episodes:

How Can You Teach Giving Advice and Correct Errors at the Right Time? – S05E08 May 10, 2024

Show notes

How can learners move beyond “You should” when giving advice in English? And when should a teacher correct an error immediately rather than wait until later?

Gav and Em share practical TEFL activities for teaching advice and indirect questions while exploring the quick classroom decisions teachers make during speaking practice. Gav demonstrates two adaptable activities that encourage learners to use phrases such as “If I were you…” “Have you considered…?” and “Why don’t you…?”

They also discuss how to manage a distracted student who repeats a question how to prevent one learner’s long answer from taking over an activity and why interrupting an apparent error too quickly can sometimes confuse everyone.

Elsewhere Em explains how she combines online English teaching with travelling. She covers budgeting transport accommodation reliable Wi-Fi and the importance of finding a quiet workspace. Gav and Em also wonder why some learners appear more fluent and confident after taking a break from lessons.

Whether you teach English online or in person this episode offers realistic activities and an honest look at classroom management error correction and speaking practice drawn from Gav and Em’s own teaching experience.

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/gSGUbRMEL93

References

Indirect questions activity:
New English File Intermediate 2006 Unit 6A page 188

Giving advice sentence starters:
700 Classroom Activities Macmillan 2003

Chapters

00:00 Welcome to the episode
00:52 Using students’ holidays for speaking practice
01:54 Bringing different groups together for a catch-up lesson
03:04 How to teach online while travelling
07:20 Can a break improve a learner’s English?
10:09 Teaching alternatives to “You should”
14:10 Support the podcast on Ko-fi
14:40 What would Gav do with a distracted student?
19:08 Correcting pronouns without interrupting too quickly
23:00 Giving learners a choice of activities
24:08 Quiz of the Week: guessing problems from advice
30:00 Useful phrases for giving advice
31:24 Outro

How Can Revision, Simple Explanations and Games Improve English Lessons? – S05E07 Apr 26, 2024

Show notes

How can revision help learners remember vocabulary, and what can teachers do when students arrive tired or lessons begin to feel repetitive?

In this episode, Gav and Em share practical English teaching and learning tips drawn from their own classrooms. They explore how conversations, personal connections, emotional responses and simple keywords can make new vocabulary more memorable. They also consider whether teaching easily confused words together can create unnecessary problems.

What should you do when students have no energy? Gav and Em discuss starting slowly, using your own enthusiasm, introducing music or video, getting learners moving and adapting online lessons so students become active participants again.

You’ll also hear how random discussion questions can freshen up long-running courses and give learners more autonomy. Em’s attempt to elicit the words columns and rows leads instead to “pillars and paddles” and a useful conversation about when elicitation works, when it fails and when teachers should simply provide the answer.

The episode finishes with a classroom-friendly Family Feud quiz. It demonstrates how survey questions can generate vocabulary, synonyms, collocations and practice with phrasal verbs such as break down.

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.

Transcription with audio:
https://share.descript.com/view/gt5XCBSPQOU

Quiz of the Week:
Family Feud questions for classroom games
https://hobbylark.com/party-games/list-of-family-feud-questions

Chapters

00:00 Welcome and introduction
00:57 Why revision helps students remember vocabulary
02:16 Revisiting and eliciting previously taught words
04:05 How conversation and personal connections support memory
07:55 What to do when students are tired
09:12 Using videos music and movement to raise energy
11:35 Helping low-energy students connect in class
13:18 Support How to English TEFL Podcast
13:52 How to freshen up long-running courses
14:20 Using random questions to create speaking activities
16:58 The vocabulary grid activity
18:24 Pillars and paddles versus columns and rows
19:30 When elicitation confuses learners
20:28 Typing clues and using donkey bridges
22:25 Why vocabulary explanations should stay simple
23:20 How to explain the word pipe
25:52 Explaining awe flimflam crestfallen and frustrated
30:21 Quiz of the Week Family Feud
32:52 Classroom quiz round one Kitchen liquids
34:47 Classroom quiz round two Things that break down
37:30 Classroom quiz round three Another word for book
39:39 Extending quiz answers into vocabulary practice
40:50 Final thoughts and goodbye

How Can Teachers Get Quiet Students Talking and Handle Online Problems? – S05E06 Apr 12, 2024

Show notes

In this episode, we turn a short answer about tea into a conversation, act out a failing online connection and compare ways to keep a lesson moving. We untangle hotel job titles, revisit much and many, since and for, and recall Cuisenaire rods for word stress. There is also pronunciation poetry, a debate about protecting planning time and a teaching-methods quiz.

Questions answered
• How can we build a conversation from a quiet learner’s short answer?
• What can we try when the online audio keeps breaking up?
• When is a quick grammar refresher enough?
• How can we distinguish a hotel employee from a department or service?
• How could rods make word stress visible?
• Can we prepare lessons during the week and protect our weekends?

Read the articles and try our checklists, mini-lessons and free worksheets:

Can Cuisenaire Rods Help Learners Hear Word Stress? – S05E06
https://howtoenglishpod.com/can-cuisenaire-rods-help-learners-hear-word-stress-s05e06/

How Can English Teachers Get Quiet Learners Talking in Conversation? – S05E06
https://howtoenglishpod.com/how-can-english-teachers-get-quiet-learners-talking-in-conversation-s05e06/

How Should English Teachers Handle Connection Problems in Online Lessons? – S05E06
https://howtoenglishpod.com/how-should-english-teachers-handle-connection-problems-online-lessons-s05e06/

How Can Teachers Fit a Quick Grammar Refresher into an English Lesson? – S05E06
https://howtoenglishpod.com/how-can-teachers-fit-a-quick-grammar-refresher-into-english-lesson-s05e06/

How Can Hotel English Lessons Teach Accurate Job Titles? – S05E06
https://howtoenglishpod.com/how-can-hotel-english-lessons-teach-accurate-job-titles-s05e06/

Episode guide, player and complete expandable transcription:
https://howtoenglishpod.com/episode-guide-s05e06-cuisenaire-rods-and-classroom-questions/

#TEFL #EnglishTeaching #Pronunciation #Grammar #HowToEnglish

How Can Teachers Explain Difficult Words and Correct Repeated Mistakes? – S05E05 Mar 29, 2024

Show notes

In this episode, we put Em’s word-retrieval skills to the test, untangle own and owe, and compare spontaneous art discussions with preparing a lesson. We ask what repeated apologies after correction might mean and debate a relative-pronoun shortcut. Our missing-word game rounds off the week with gnomes, guessing, matching answers and useful grammar feedback.

Questions answered
• What can we do when the exact English word will not come?
• How can we explain own and owe without adding confusion?
• Should we follow an art interest now or prepare for next week?
• What might repeated apologies after correction mean?
• What can we try when a written grammar choice fails in speaking?
• How does our missing-word matching game work?

Read the articles and try our checklists, mini-lessons and free worksheets:

What Should an English Teacher Do When They Don’t Know a Word? – S05E05
https://howtoenglishpod.com/how-to-handle-unknown-english-words-in-conversation-s05e05/

How Can Teachers Explain the Difference Between “Own” and “Owe”? – S05E05
https://howtoenglishpod.com/explaining-own-and-owe-with-simple-examples-s05e05/

How Can You Build an English Lesson Around a Learner’s Interest in Art? – S05E05
https://howtoenglishpod.com/build-an-english-lesson-around-a-learners-interest-in-art-s05e05/

How Can Teachers Help Learners Who Keep Mixing Up Relative Pronouns? – S05E05
https://howtoenglishpod.com/teach-relative-pronouns-with-a-focused-activity-s05e05/

What Should You Say When a Learner Apologises for Every Mistake? – S05E05
https://howtoenglishpod.com/reassure-learners-who-apologize-for-making-mistakes-s05e05/

How Can a Missing-Word Game Practise English Vocabulary and Grammar? – S05E05
https://howtoenglishpod.com/a-missing-word-game-for-english-vocabulary-and-grammar-s05e05/

Episode guide, player and complete expandable transcription:
https://howtoenglishpod.com/episode-guide-how-can-teachers-explain-difficult-words-and-correct-repeated-mistakes-s05e05/

#TEFL #EnglishTeaching #Vocabulary #Grammar #HowToEnglish

Can AI Replace English Teachers? Classroom Surprises and Nationalities – S05E04 Mar 15, 2024

Show notes

In this episode, we explore Em’s experience with an AI conversation app and what it notices about language and meaning. We discuss greetings beyond ‘Fine, thanks’, teaching while ill, welcoming returning and unexpected learners, and replacing poor scans. Everyday vocabulary and an awkward online interview story lead us towards country names, languages and our nationality quiz.

Questions answered
• How can we move beyond automatic greeting replies?
• What did Em’s conversation-app trial notice and miss?
• How do Gav and Em decide whether to teach while ill?
• How much should we ask when a learner returns after illness?
• What would we do if a new learner arrived without warning?
• Why did Em decide to replace familiar course materials?
• How do country names, languages and nationalities differ?

Read the articles and try our checklists, mini-lessons and free worksheets:

How Can English Teachers Move Beyond “Fine, Thanks”? – S05E04
https://howtoenglishpod.com/how-can-english-teachers-move-beyond-fine-thanks-s05e04/

Can AI Replace an English Teacher? What Conversation Apps Still Miss – S05E04
https://howtoenglishpod.com/can-ai-replace-an-english-teacher-what-conversation-apps-still-miss-s05e04/

Should Online English Teachers Teach When They Are Ill? – S05E04
https://howtoenglishpod.com/should-online-english-teachers-teach-when-they-are-ill-s05e04/

What Should You Do When an Unexpected New Learner Joins Your Class? – S05E04
https://howtoenglishpod.com/what-to-do-when-an-unexpected-new-learner-joins-your-class-s05e04/

How Can Teachers Check In When a Learner Returns After Illness? – S05E04
https://howtoenglishpod.com/how-can-teachers-check-in-when-a-learner-returns-after-illness-s05e04/

When Should Teachers Replace Poor-Quality Course Materials? – S05E04
https://howtoenglishpod.com/when-should-teachers-replace-poor-quality-course-materials-s05e04/

How Do You Teach Country Names and Nationalities in English? – S05E04
https://howtoenglishpod.com/how-to-teach-country-names-and-nationalities-in-english-s05e04/

Episode guide, player and complete expandable transcription:
https://howtoenglishpod.com/episode-guide-can-ai-replace-english-teachers-s05e04/

#TEFL #EnglishTeaching #OnlineTeaching #Vocabulary #HowToEnglish

What Is a Donkey Bridge? Multitasking and Classroom Boundaries – S05E03 Mar 01, 2024

Show notes

In this episode, Gav tries teaching on a treadmill while Em questions how much multitasking belongs in a lesson. We discuss sending materials to absent learners, correcting an awkward email privately, and using a donkey bridge to remember Saturday and Sunday. We compare our different views on swearing and sharing speaking time in workplace groups, then finish with a higher-or-lower quiz full of surprising prices, quantities and comparatives. Along the way, Em shares what her students have taught her about quokkas, pizza and stink bugs.

Questions answered
• When does another activity help an online lesson?
• Should absent learners receive the lesson materials?
• How can we correct an email without embarrassing its writer?
• Which memory cue helps with Saturday and Sunday?
• How can we set expectations about strong language?
• How can we give everyone a turn in a workplace group?
• How can a price quiz become useful listening practice?

Chapters
00:00 Introduction
00:50 Pink Zoom screens and distracting cameras
02:06 Multitasking while teaching and learning
07:22 Absent learners and private email correction
10:16 Donkey bridges and weekend memory cues
14:54 Support Gav and Em
15:36 Swearing in English lessons
18:54 Sharing speaking time in company classes
21:38 What Em learned from her students
24:08 Quiz of the Week: higher or lower?
36:53 Outro

Read the articles and try our checklists, mini-lessons and free worksheets:

Can Teachers Multitask During an Online English Lesson? – S05E03
https://howtoenglishpod.com/can-teachers-multitask-during-an-online-english-lesson-s05e03/

Should Teachers Send Lesson Materials to Students Who Miss Class? – S05E03
https://howtoenglishpod.com/should-teachers-send-lesson-materials-to-absent-students-s05e03/

How Can Teachers Correct an Email Mistake Without Embarrassing a Learner? – S05E03
https://howtoenglishpod.com/how-can-teachers-correct-an-email-mistake-without-embarrassing-a-learner-s05e03/

How Can English Learners Remember Saturday and Sunday? – S05E03
https://howtoenglishpod.com/how-can-english-learners-remember-saturday-and-sunday-s05e03/

How Should Teachers Respond to Strong Language in an English Lesson? – S05E03
https://howtoenglishpod.com/how-should-teachers-respond-to-strong-language-in-an-english-lesson-s05e03/

How Can Teachers Share Speaking Time Fairly in Workplace English Groups? – S05E03
https://howtoenglishpod.com/how-can-teachers-share-speaking-time-fairly-in-workplace-english-groups-s05e03/

How Can a Price Game Practise English Listening and Comparatives? – S05E03
https://howtoenglishpod.com/how-can-a-price-game-practise-english-listening-and-comparatives-s05e03/

Episode guide, player and complete expandable transcription:
https://howtoenglishpod.com/episode-guide-how-can-tefl-teachers-handle-multitasking-memory-and-classroom-boundaries-s05e03/

#TEFL #EnglishTeaching #OnlineTeaching #Vocabulary #HowToEnglish

How Can TEFL Teachers Turn Curiosity into Useful English Practice? - S05E02 Feb 16, 2024

Show notes

In this episode, Em turns Google Search surprises into instructions and descriptions, while Gav brings questions from his teaching week. We discuss ambitious Business English goals, forgotten learner details, fair speaking opportunities and the balance between correction and conversation. Em demonstrates a one-word lead-in to prefixes, and Gav quizzes us on it and there.

Questions answered
• How can a search surprise become a language task?
• What is realistic when an ambitious learner has one hour a week?
• How can we recover after forgetting a learner detail?
• How can we share speaking opportunities fairly?
• How can one word lead into teaching prefixes?
• When should correction interrupt a conversation?
• What are it and there doing in a sentence?

Read the articles and try our checklists, mini-lessons and free worksheets:

How Can Teachers Use Google Easter Eggs for Online English Lessons? – S05E02
https://howtoenglishpod.com/how-to-use-google-easter-eggs-for-online-english-instruction-s05e02/

How Can TEFL Teachers Set Realistic English Learning Goals? – S05E02
https://howtoenglishpod.com/how-can-tefl-teachers-set-realistic-english-learning-goals-s05e02/

How Can Teachers Remember Learner Details Without Feeling Awkward? – S05E02
https://howtoenglishpod.com/how-can-teachers-remember-student-details-respectfully-s05e02/

How Can Teachers Share Speaking Time Fairly in English Groups? – S05E02
https://howtoenglishpod.com/how-can-teachers-share-speaking-time-fairly-in-english-groups-s05e02/

How Can Teachers Teach Prefixes with a One-Word Warm-Up? – S05E02
https://howtoenglishpod.com/how-to-teach-prefixes-with-a-one-word-warm-up-s05e02/

How Can Teachers Balance Error Correction and Fluency? – S05E02
https://howtoenglishpod.com/how-can-teachers-balance-error-correction-and-fluency-s05e02/

How Can Teachers Explain It and There as Dummy Subjects? – S05E02
https://howtoenglishpod.com/how-can-teachers-explain-it-and-there-as-dummy-subjects-s05e02/

Episode guide, player and expandable transcription:
https://howtoenglishpod.com/episode-guide-how-can-tefl-teachers-turn-curiosity-into-learning-s05e02/

#TEFL #EnglishTeaching #OnlineTeaching #BusinessEnglish #HowToEnglish

How Can TEFL Teachers Adapt When Online Lessons Go Off Plan? - S05E01 Feb 02, 2024

Show notes

In this episode, we bring a staffroom vibe to our teaching week. We compare ways to handle interruptions and late arrivals, review forgotten finance vocabulary, and explain why recognising English variation needn’t derail a grammar lesson. Gav demonstrates his agreeing-and-disagreeing game, and Em tackles the online-teaching equipment quiz.

Questions answered
• How should we respond when real life interrupts an online lesson?
• What can we change when learners cannot recall homework vocabulary?
• How long should we wait for a late learner?
• How can we teach present perfect while recognising English variation?
• How does Gav’s noughts-and-crosses response game work?
• Which online-teaching equipment serves a useful purpose?

Read the articles and try our checklists, mini-lessons and free downloads:

How Should Teachers Handle Real-Life Interruptions During Online Lessons? – S05E01
https://howtoenglishpod.com/how-should-teachers-handle-real-life-interruptions-during-online-lessons-s05e01/

How Can TEFL Teachers Review Homework When Learners Cannot Recall the Vocabulary? – S05E01
https://howtoenglishpod.com/how-can-tefl-teachers-review-homework-when-learners-cannot-recall-vocabulary-s05e01/

How Long Should Teachers Wait for a Late Online Student? – S05E01
https://howtoenglishpod.com/how-long-should-teachers-wait-for-a-late-online-student-s05e01/

Present Perfect or Past Simple? How Should TEFL Teachers Handle English Variation? – S05E01
https://howtoenglishpod.com/present-perfect-or-past-simple-how-should-tefl-teachers-handle-english-variation-s05e01/

How to Teach Agreeing and Disagreeing with a Noughts-and-Crosses Game – S05E01
https://howtoenglishpod.com/how-to-teach-agreeing-and-disagreeing-with-a-noughts-and-crosses-game-s05e01/

What Equipment Do Online English Teachers Actually Need? – S05E01
https://howtoenglishpod.com/what-equipment-do-online-english-teachers-actually-need-s05e01/

Episode guide, full player and expandable transcription:
https://howtoenglishpod.com/episode-guide-how-do-tefl-teachers-adapt-when-real-life-disrupts-a-lesson-s05e01/

#TEFL #EnglishTeaching #OnlineTeaching #BusinessEnglish #HowToEnglish

What Do Students Want to Ask Their English Teachers? – S04E26 Dec 29, 2023

Show notes

What have your students always wanted to know about you and your teaching?

For the final episode of Season 4, Gav and Em answer questions submitted by their English learners. They discuss how teachers motivate students, prepare lessons, manage mistakes and cope when a class does not go according to plan.

What does a typical day look like for an online TEFL teacher? Have Gav and Em ever stopped teaching a student—or been dropped by one? They share memorable classroom experiences, unusual colleagues, strange teaching locations and lessons they would rather forget.

The questions also lead to a thoughtful discussion about what makes language learning successful. Gav, Em and guest teacher Charlotte consider the responsibilities of both teachers and students, while Teacher Sergio explains how a positive and relevant learning environment supports motivation. Teacher Tsar shares his lesson-planning approach and stories from teaching English to soldiers in Colombia.

You will also hear practical advice for becoming a more successful English learner: connect English with something you already enjoy, participate actively and keep using the language you learn outside class.

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.

Guest teachers

Teacher Charlotte:
https://www.instagram.com/charlotte_teaches_english/

Teacher Sergio:
https://www.instagram.com/grammar_drops/
https://www.youtube.com/c/TeacherSergioViula

Teacher Tsar:
https://www.instagram.com/englishwithtsar/
https://www.youtube.com/@EnglishwithTsar

Chapters and timestamps

00:00 – Welcome to the final episode of Season 4
01:04 – How do teachers motivate their students?
04:13 – What did Gav and Em teach most recently?
07:29 – A typical day for an online TEFL teacher
08:32 – How do English teachers prepare their lessons?
10:40 – Teacher Tsar’s lesson-planning approach
12:02 – Have Gav and Em ever stopped teaching a student?
15:14 – The funniest stories students have shared
19:55 – How should teachers handle their own mistakes?
24:15 – The most memorable lessons Gav and Em have taught
27:28 – Lessons they would rather forget
30:36 – Who was the laziest student they ever taught?
32:47 – Unusual teachers and memorable colleagues
35:23 – The strangest places Gav and Em have taught
39:13 – Teacher Tsar’s experience teaching in the Colombian army
40:43 – What is the hardest part of teaching?
42:43 – What is the best part of being a teacher?
44:36 – Why did Gav and Em become English teachers?
45:17 – The best teachers Gav and Em ever had
46:32 – Who is responsible for a student’s success?
48:35 – How can you become a successful language learner?
50:38 – Will there be a fifth season?
51:35 – Happy New Year and outro

How Can Drawing and Sketchnoting Improve English Lessons? With Emily Bryson – S04E25 Dec 15, 2023

Show notes

How can a few simple drawings get English learners talking? Gav and Em explore visual teaching with Emily Bryson from Emily Bryson ELT. Together, they try a mountain template, fill a vocabulary container and discover how sketchnotes can capture ideas without recording every word.

Emily explains why teachers do not need to be talented artists. A small visual vocabulary of lines, arrows, shapes and simple figures can help organise a discussion. Em draws a mountain to explore Gav’s bread-making challenges, then a flour bag that becomes a place to collect ingredients and useful language. They also consider how learners can combine keywords, icons and connections in their own sketchnotes.

Explore the S04E25 articles:

• How Can Visual Templates Help English Learners Discuss Challenges?
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/how-can-visual-templates-help-english-learners-discuss-challenges-s04e25/

• How Can Vocabulary Containers Turn a Word List into a Conversation?
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/how-can-vocabulary-containers-turn-a-word-list-into-a-conversation-s04e25/

• How Can Sketchnoting Help English Learners Organise a Process?
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/how-can-sketchnoting-help-english-learners-organise-a-process-s04e25/

• Do English Teachers Need to Draw Well to Use Visuals?
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/do-english-teachers-need-to-draw-well-to-use-visuals-s04e25/

Find Emily and her resources:
https://www.emilybrysonelt.com/
https://www.emilybrysonelt.com/visual-templates-for-engaging-environmental-discussions/
https://www.emilybrysonelt.com/?s=containers

Example of sketchnoting:
https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/645703665296605628/

More practical teaching ideas from Gav and Em:
https://www.howtoenglishpod.com/