76. Playing with Fire! Sandwiched between TEFL and a Blacksmith
“How can TEFL and ironwork possibly have anything in common?” A sandwich. That’s what my…
76. Logic game and riddles
Here is a logic game and some riddles for your students to work out. Barrel…
75. Clocking out
“During my lessons I tend to look at the clock frequently, as I want to…
74. Finnish for Fun
“If you could learn any language for no practical reason other than just finding it…
73. Keeping up: Being a Taiwanese teacher of English
“What are the challenges of being a non-native teacher of English in Taiwan?” I started…
72. EFL books in Iraq
“What are the difficulties of learning English in Iraq?” “What are EFL books like in…
71. Unlocking Global Connections
“What do you enjoy about teaching 1-1 online?” I work out of Cape Town in…
70. Teaching English in Spain: Many options, varied training needs
“What should I know about teaching in Spain?” When asked about the qualifications needed to…
69. Director Straits
“What is an EFL school director and why does anybody want to be one?” The…
68. From TEFL to DJ
How I went from the classroom to the dance room We asked a former non-native…
67. Teacher’s Politics
“Is it OK for me to put students right when they say something unacceptable?” “Should…
66. Dealing with dyslexia
“I have a dyslexic student and am not sure how or even whether to help…
65. Cultural chatter
“What differences are there in the ways different cultures have a discussion?” We asked John…
64. Teaching in Germany
“What are German students like to teach?” Stereotypes The stereotype of the humorless, sometimes arrogant…
63. Magic in your mojo
“I find that I start a course with the best intentions and then my level…
62. Celta Skelter
“What can I expect from an in-person Celta course?” We spoke to a young Scottish…
61. An American in Europe
“I am moving to Europe to teach ESL. What are attitudes to American teachers like…
60. Grammar through listening
“Is it a good idea to teach grammar from context (e.g. a listening exercise) rather…
59. Experiential Learning Theater or an Existential Loneliness Trap?
What are the best and worst aspects of teaching English? Three teachers were asked for…
58. What makes 1-1 lessons different?
For an inexperienced teacher, what’s it like teaching one to one? There are some key…
57. Impostor syndrome
I teach business English but know nothing about business. I feel like an impostor –…
56. Unforeseen episodes
“Is it a good idea to use unforeseen episodes in class to teach and vocabulary?”…
55. Chinese whispers
“I am a university professor at the University of Bergen in Norway. My students and…
54. Taboo or not taboo
“What kind of language do I need to steer my students to avoid?” Most learners…
53. Questioning Technique
“If I ask a student a language-related question on something we have just studied, how…
52. Yogi
What do teaching yoga and ELT have in common? A surprising number of things, particularly…
51: Career move: Recruitment
“I am thinking about moving into HR. Any thoughts?” I spent 22 years teaching English…
50. WTF
“Should I teach my students swearwords?” Absofuckinglutely! Of course, in practice, it’s a bit more…
49. Why I am not a native speaker
“Is it acceptable to use the term non-native speaker?” I am a non-right-handed, non-male, non-young…
48. What is your real job?
“What image do EFL teachers have?” “What is your real job?” I have been working…
47. Stereotypes – Irish
“As an Irish teacher of EFL, what stereotypes have you encountered?” I have worked as…
46. Teaching English in Sweden: British Pakistani female teacher
“As a British Pakistani what do I need to be aware of when teaching English…
45. ChatGPT texts: soulless
“What do my students need to be aware of regarding the style of ChatGPT-generated texts?”…
44. Highly irritating
“Am I inadvertently irritating my students?” There are certain things that you may not be…
43. Grappling with Grammar
“I avoid grammar and vocabulary areas that I find difficult to teach. Should I feel…
42. Editing research papers
“How and why did you move from TEFL into scientific editing?” I didn’t actually make…
41. Teaching in Taiwan
“I have just qualified as an English as a Foreign Language teacher. Is Taiwan a…
40. Task Based Learning
How do I best transition from a General English, PPP, exam and coursebook-based context to…
39. Downsides of using Chat GPT to create TEFL materials
In response to Post 29 on Using GPT to great English Language training materials, I…
38. Pet topics
“I like to choose topics of discussion that I personally am interested in as this…
37. Is QuillBot any good?
“In addition to ChatGPT, what are some AI applications and other online tools that students…
36. Eternal Labyrinth of Tedium or Empowering Life Transformer?
“Would you recommend ELT as a career these days?” This is a huge question, as…
35. Multilingual word order
“My coursebook has very little on word order. Yet my students often get the words…
34. Poor writing skills even in native tongue
“Do students have difficulty writing even in their own language?” “What is the difference between…
33. Ground rules for correcting
“Do students need to know my policy for correcting their English?” “Do I really need…
32. Students experiencing difficult times: part two
“What should I say to an international student whose country is undergoing / has just…
31. Students experiencing difficult times: part one
“What should I say to an international student whose country is undergoing / has just…
30. Being a DOS is no doss
“What does being a director of studies involve?” The role of Director of Studies (DOS)…
29. Creating materials with generative AI
“How can I use AI to help me produce training materials for business English classes?”…
28. Being Irish in Germany
“So what’s it like to be an Irish person living in Germany?” Well there are…
27. Your private life – leave me out
“Am I talking too much? Or not enough? Is it OK to let students…
26. Best and worst aspects of teaching EFL
“What are the best and worst aspects of teaching English as a foreign language?” Our…
25. Teaching in Denmark
The first surprise for me, as an American new to Denmark, was how good most…
24. Phonics fiesta
“I never use the phonetic alphabet when doing pronunciation work with my students. Am I…
23. Gay
“I am gay – what kind of issues might be involved?” I find it a…
22. Sense and Insensibility
“I have a student who appears to be oblivious to what the other students are…
21. Whizz Kids
“How fast do children learn their mother tongue?” “Why should children be taught English, or…
20. Impromptu Prompts: Fun with AI artwork
“How can I use AI prompts as a fun way to promote impromptu discussions?” You’ve…
19. Dear Me
“I am teaching the salutations used in email. Should I still be teaching Mr, Mrs…
18. Careers: Translating
“What are the pros and cons of being a professional translator?” Freelance translation work can…
17. Phones: in or out?
“Should I ban phones from the classroom?” Quick answer: No! In most classroom situations, you…
16. Muted Debates: Cultural Aversion to Open Discussions
“Why do some students in my multilingual group seem to be reluctant to have discussions?”…
15. Career move: Higher Education
“What are the pros and cons of becoming a lecturer in academic skills?” Having spent…
14. Business Guru or Not A Clue?
“Do I need to have a background in business to teach Business English?” The term…
13. First lesson nerves
“At a first lesson in a new class, who is likely to be more nervous…
12. Non-native teachers: Brazil
“I recently did the Celta online. I am a non-native and I am hoping to…
11. Cultural bulldozing?
“I live in a country where there is a lot of bureaucracy and form filling…
10. Chorus in Korea: from linguistic surgery to AI pronunciation
“What is AI doing on the pronunciation front?” In May 2023, HYBE, a prominent South…
9. School for sale
“I am thinking about setting up my own school. Would this be an act of…
8. Stereotyping students
“Is it OK to make generalizations with regard to nationalities?” The simple answer to the…
7. Grumpy Git?
“What is it like teaching students who are 30-40 years younger than you?” “How long…
6. Setting up a training consultancy
“Is it worth setting up by myself as a trainer / consultant?” Aside from the…
5. Teaching in Japan
“Would you recommend teaching in Japan?” Japan offers a unique destination for English teachers. The…
4. Adorable Angels or Miniature Mischief Makers?
“Should I feel bad if I’m not into teaching kids?” Why don’t you like teaching…
3. Accent like the teacher
“As a teacher, how do I answer learners who say they want an accent like…
2. From ‘hello’ to ‘profit’: can beginners master English?
“How should I teach business English to beginners?” It can seem like a challenge to…
1. Grammar rules OK?
“How important is grammar?” “I am new to EFL. Where should I start in terms…
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