TEFL Articles

Using bingo to teach a variety of lesson points

If variety is the spice of life, as they say, then a variation of this age-old favorite will fit the bill when lesson ideas are running a bit short. Its beauty is that it’s in the form of a familiar game, while being versatile enough to enable you to practice and reinforce a wide range of language and skills. The example given here is designed for teaching street directions, but any other topic can be adapted to the same concept. (more…)

Methods and Materials for Conversation and Writing Tutors

How do you effectively teach English to a struggling private student? What will you actually do for 60-120 minutes together? How will you make the lessons meaningful enough that your client feels satisfied and wants to retain you for future lessons? (more…)

A technique to give responsibility, and make English purposeful

This technique is probably an extension of what many Business-English teachers have already been doing for a long time when they teach meeting skills, though with a special emphasis on the chairperson’s role. This method can, however, be applied to a much wider range of situations and classes. (more…)

The value of fluency in teaching young learners

I’d like to share with you my experience with teaching young learners. Perhaps it may spark some thoughts for you in your context.

I believe that the role of the EFL teacher is to encourage, motivate, stimulate and even lessen the anxiety of learning a foreign language, all the more so for young learners. And I think that correcting speech in the case of young learners (more…)

Even beginner learners can be creative in the way they use language

When the National Curriculum for Modern Foreign Languages in Britain was first devised, it included a whole area called “creativity”. No one could quite decide what this was or how it should be delivered. That strand was taken out and was added back in as an extension of other areas of the curriculum. Still, most people were unsure how (more…)

Kiss disciplinary problems goodbye

Why does it always seem that there is always one child hell-bent on undermining your authority and making the classroom his/her personal three-ring circus? Take heart, I have here the solution to your classroom woes and sorrows. Keep in mind, however, that this is no magic formula that will solve your classroom control and discipline problems with the snap of a finger; the real key is (more…)

Examples of words that mimic the sounds they make

I was having coffee with a colleague when he suddenly asked me if I knew the word in Spanish for dog. “Pero”, I said. He was surprised. From there, the conversation led to onomatopoeic words and their relevance in teaching language, and thus, the topic for this piece. (more…)

How can students benefit from using the Internet?

Most of our students prefer surfing on-line to opening up their English text book. This can be a good thing! We can use this to increase their exposure to authentic material which is also up-to-date and easily accessible. (more…)

Overcoming difficulties with children who are completely new to English

I have a class before me. They are young, between five and seven, and are all looking at me with a mixture of curiosity and expectancy. And I know that when I open my mouth to speak, they will understand nothing. (more…)

Public speaking in the ESL classroom

If you’re anything like most teachers, you’re probably constantly looking for new ways to encourage your students to practise their oral English and speak spontaneously. In this article, we consider the value of the ‘presentation’ in achieving this. (more…)