How to English TEFL Podcast

This week on How To English TEFL Podcast, Gav and Em dive into classroom quirks, practical teaching tips, and real‑life language moments — perfect for TEFL teachers, ESL instructors, and CELTA trainees looking to sharpen their classroom practice.They unpack why students make typical errors, how teachers sometimes have to “perform”, and the tiny decisions that make lessons smoother. You’ll hear Em’s efficiency hacks, Gav’s linguistic rabbit holes, and a few classic “Did they really just say that?” moments.What you’ll learn in this episode:- How to spot and correct subtle student mistakes - TEFL efficiency tricks you can use tomorrow - Real ESL classroom stories and teacher dilemmas - False friends, confusing words, and translation issues - Practical admin tips for managing teaching hours Hosted by Gav & Em — TEFL teachers with years of classroom experience, sharing honest stories, teacher‑friendly advice, and CELTA‑friendly insights every week.If you enjoy the show and want to support their work, you can buy them a coffee (or tea) at: ko-fi.com/howtoenglishpodTimestamps00:00 – Welcome back to How To English (TEFL teacher intro)01:59 – Teaching efficiency: quick wins for busy TEFL teachers05:24 – Em’s practical upgrades for TEFL & ESL classrooms10:24 – Similar words teachers should highlight (classroom examples)13:55 – Confusing English words: how to teach them clearly15:53 – “But you understand me though” — correcting typical learner errors22:06 – Gav’s translation dilemma (false friends in real lessons)24:24 – More false friends English learners struggle with26:33 – Teacher admin: how to track your teaching hours efficiently31:11 – Final thoughts & a surprising TEFL classroom momentHashtags#TEFL #ESLteacher #CELTA #EnglishTeaching #TEFLPodcast

Struggling with TEFL homework ideas, online teaching admin, or tricky grammar like wish? In this episode of How to English with Gav & Em, we break down real teaching challenges, share practical tips, and have a bit of fun along the way.

🚀What you’ll learn in this episode:
How to create engaging homework tasks (that students actually do!)
Why holidays matter for teachers—and how they reset your teaching brain
The reality of freelance TEFL life vs contracted teaching
How to handle online lesson scheduling, invites & time zones
What to do when students just don’t get it
A clear explanation of tricky "wish" grammar (wish vs would vs past regret)
Plus… a zombie apocalypse teaching scenario and the ultimate lesson “cake” formula
Perfect for TEFL teachers, ESL teachers, and English learners looking for practical advice, classroom strategies, and relatable teaching stories.
👉 Support our podcast https://ko-fi.com/howtoenglishpod

Timestamps

00:00 – TEFL podcast intro
02:08 – What makes a great homework task?
04:45 – Fun, interesting & relevant homework ideas
09:28 – TEFL holidays & freelance lifestyle
13:32 – Returning to teaching after a break
16:12 – Zombie apocalypse teaching scenario
19:03 – Online teaching invites & Issues
26:00 – When students don’t understand "Wish"
33:10 – Lesson cake metaphor
38:20 – Outro

This week on Gav & Em’s How to English TEFL Pod, we take a nostalgic wander through the weird, wonderful, and occasionally chaotic world of TEFL life! ✈️📚 Gav puts Em on the spot with a not-quite-true-or-false quiz that somehow turns into stories about teaching in bathrooms, cupboards, art galleries, and even gas refineries (yes, really). We chat about adorable (and slightly uncooperative) student pets 🐱, mega-long commutes, and the classroom games that got way too competitive… with adults 😅. Then things get a bit more reflective as we dig into our CELTA experiences—what stuck, what annoyed us, and how it’s shaped the teachers we are today. We talk about classroom dynamics, teacher “fingerprints” on students, first impressions (and first-lesson nerves!), and why being human in front of your class might just be your biggest strength.
As always, it’s relaxed, honest, and packed with teaching insights you’ll definitely recognise—whether you’re in the classroom or learning in one.
☕ If you enjoy the show, you can support Gav & Em (and keep the coffee flowing!) at 👉 ko-fi.com/howtoenglishpod

Resources
Quiz music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=proOvlY-WKk

⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 – Intro with TEFL nostalgia
03:17 – Gav’s “true or false” quiz begins 😄
03:47 – Weirdest places we’ve taught English
04:40 – Cutest (and strangest) student pets
06:02 – Longest commutes & travel stories
07:09 – Funny things students have called us
08:02 – Essential TEFL survival items ☕
08:32 – When classroom games get too competitive
11:02 – CELTA reflections: love it or hate it?
17:05 – Teaching style, classroom vibe & being approachable
18:22 – Can you spot another teacher’s influence?
23:18 – Bad habits students bring with them
25:24 – First lessons, pressure & first impressions
26:59 – Surviving the “autopilot” lesson blur
31:06 – Being human, making mistakes & wrapping up

Season 7, Episode 8 is packed with spontaneous teaching ideas, lesson lead-ins, online classroom routines, creative listening tasks, and the eternal TEFL struggle of being stuck indoors when the sun is shining. Gav and Em discuss how they start lessons, ways to avoid classroom monotony, using real-world materials in class, and the freedom TEFL teachers have to experiment and improvise. There’s also a brilliant live email-writing activity, an impromptu Jackie Chan listening lesson, favourite teaching websites, and a very important discussion about forks. Support the pod and fuel the tea and coffee fund at ko-fi.com/howtoenglishpod

Resources:
Jackie Chan interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0IWSyc5AQQ
Wikipedia: https://www.wikipedia.org/
BBC learning: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/
Google images: https://images.google.com/
https://test-english.com/

Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro and what’s coming up in this episode
02:07 – How Gav and Em start the first five minutes of a lesson
05:39 – Greeting students and avoiding classroom monotony
10:17 – Being stuck inside teaching when the weather is beautiful
14:03 – The creative freedom of TEFL teaching
16:01 – Gav’s spontaneous live email-writing lesson
21:59 – Em’s improvised Jackie Chan listening activity
26:01 – Favourite websites to use during lessons
29:19 – Safe searching, grammar websites, and online teaching tools
32:11 – “Put a fork in me, I’m done” and outro banter

In this episode, Gav and Em dive into the realities of teaching English as a foreign language. Exploring their strengths and weaknesses as teachers, how to handle distracted students, and the feelings of starting again with brand-new learners. They also discuss praise in the classroom, and give a well-deserved shout-out to a loyal listener and follower. Whether you're teaching, learning, or just curious about TEFL life, there’s plenty here to reflect on and laugh about. ☕ Support the pod: https://ko-fi.com/howtoenglishpod

Timestamps
00:00 – Intro & episode overview
01:28 – Strengths and weaknesses as TEFL teachers
09:04 – Exploring teaching weaknesses (and honesty time)
20:21 – How to deal with distracted students
24:27 – Starting from scratch with new students
27:23 – Recognising student progress & using praise
32:10 – Listener shout-out & teaching reflections
33:11 – Outro & support the pod