How to English TEFL Podcast

Why do students ask for a coursebook at the start of a course, then a few weeks later ask if they can just talk instead?
In S07E18 of How to English: Teach & Learn with Gav & Em, we look at why learners can lose interest in coursebooks and how teachers can balance structure with the conversations students actually want.
We also ask where teachers really learn their best teaching lessons, whether teachers should learn their students’ language and culture before working abroad, how to say goodbye at the end of a course, whether an English teacher needs to be a walking dictionary, and how AI can help teachers and learners without replacing the learning.
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 What’s coming up
01:57 Why students stop wanting the coursebook
05:20 Why coursebooks can feel repetitive
07:43 Coursebook or conversation?
08:26 Test-teach-test
09:20 Mid-course reflection
10:43 Where teachers learn their best lessons
13:50 Learning from negative feedback
15:27 A difficult first lesson abroad
18:24 Should teachers learn students’ language and culture?
20:19 How should teachers say goodbye?
21:27 Does a teacher need to be a dictionary?
23:18 Pros and cons of AI
25:45 How Gav uses AI in lessons
26:52 AI for tailor-made materials
27:47 AI-written emails and learner confidence
28:44 What can’t AI replace?
30:12 Practical AI ideas
31:48 Final questions
READ THE S07E18 ARTICLES
Why Do Students Ask for a Coursebook Then Stop Using It?
https://howtoenglishpod.com/why-do-students-ask-for-a-coursebook-then-stop-using-it-s07e18/
Where Do English Teachers Learn Their Best Teaching Lessons?
https://howtoenglishpod.com/where-do-english-teachers-learn-their-best-teaching-lessons-s07e18/
Should English Teachers Learn Their Students’ Language Before Teaching Abroad?
https://howtoenglishpod.com/should-english-teachers-learn-their-students-language-before-teaching-abroad-s07e18/
How Should an English Teacher Say Goodbye to Students?
https://howtoenglishpod.com/how-should-an-english-teacher-say-goodbye-to-students-s07e18/
Does an English Teacher Need to Be a Walking Dictionary?
https://howtoenglishpod.com/does-an-english-teacher-need-to-be-a-walking-dictionary-s07e18/
How Should English Teachers and Learners Use AI?
https://howtoenglishpod.com/how-should-english-teachers-and-learners-use-ai-s07e18/
EPISODE GUIDE
https://howtoenglishpod.com/episode-guide-why-do-students-stop-using-coursebooks-teaching-lessons-ai-goodbyes-s07e18/
More practical teaching articles, mini-lessons, checklists and free resources:
howtoenglishpod.com

What helps you keep learning English when your confidence takes a dip? A little encouragement, somewhere comfortable to practise and a reminder that you’re already doing something impressive!
In this episode of How to English with Gav & Em, we celebrate our community with five guest teachers. Originally recorded at the end of 2022, this year-end special offers practical mini-lessons for teachers and learners.
Aleksandra shares phrases for cheering someone on. Mahi suggests ways to practise when speaking English feels embarrassing. Veronica explores gonna, wanna and other reductions in American English. Tanguy untangles beside and besides, while Dr Anne challenges the idea that learning more than one language causes confusion.
We also discuss active listening, revisit your lovely feedback and remember that first lessons can feel daunting for students too. And yes, Em even treats us to a little singing!
READ THE ARTICLES
How Can English Speakers Encourage Someone Without Choosing the Wrong Tone? With Aleksandra
https://howtoenglishpod.com/how-can-english-speakers-encourage-someone-without-choosing-the-wrong-tone-with-aleksandra-s03e25/
How Can English Learners Take a First Speaking Step When They Feel Embarrassed? With Mahi
https://howtoenglishpod.com/how-can-english-learners-take-a-first-speaking-step-when-they-feel-embarrassed-with-mahi-s03e25/
How Can Learners Recognise Gonna, Wanna and Other Reduced Forms in Spoken English? With Veronica
https://howtoenglishpod.com/how-can-learners-recognise-gonna-wanna-and-other-reduced-forms-in-spoken-english-with-veronica-s03e25/
What Is the Difference Between Beside and Besides? With Tanguy
https://howtoenglishpod.com/what-is-the-difference-between-beside-and-besides-with-tanguy-s03e25/
Does Using a Home Language Have to Conflict with Learning English? With Dr Anne
https://howtoenglishpod.com/does-using-a-home-language-have-to-conflict-with-learning-english-with-dr-anne-s03e25/
Episode guide:
https://howtoenglishpod.com/episode-guide-december-special-s03e25/
GUESTS
Aleksandra:
https://www.instagram.com/distant_eng/
http://distanteng.tilda.ws/
Mahi:
https://www.instagram.com/english.withmahi/
Veronica:
https://www.instagram.com/wannaspeakbyveroniq/
https://www.youtube.com/@wannaspeakbyveroniq
Tanguy:
https://www.instagram.com/nextlevelearning_/
https://www.nextlevelearning.fr/
Dr Anne:
https://www.instagram.com/laenglishtutor/
https://linktr.ee/laenglishtutor
Enjoy the show? Buy us a coffee or tea:
https://ko-fi.com/howtoenglishpod
Thank you to everyone who listened, shared an activity, contributed a lesson or sent us a kind word. Your encouragement keeps us going!
CHAPTERS
00:00 Welcome and supporting the show
00:58 Celebrating teachers and learners
02:06 Listener feedback and welcoming first lessons
08:08 Why active listening matters
10:48 Introducing our five guest teachers
12:17 Aleksandra: phrases to encourage learners
14:39 Mahi: overcoming embarrassment when speaking English
16:48 Veronica: reductions in American English
18:11 Reductions versus contractions
26:25 Tanguy: beside or besides?
29:56 Dr Anne: learning more than one language
33:49 More listener feedback and thank-yous
37:14 Looking ahead to the next year
38:04 Final goodbyes

What should you do when a grammar lesson starts falling apart? Stick rigidly to your plan, stop and reset, or follow the language your students are actually producing?
In S07E17 of the How to English TEFL Podcast, Gav and Em discuss the reality of teaching when lessons refuse to behave themselves.
Em shares a present continuous lesson involving unclear instructions, technical problems, students in different locations and an activity that gradually drifts away from the original plan. This raises a bigger TEFL question: when should teachers stick to their lesson plan, and when is it better to go with the flow?
They explore emergent language after a student unexpectedly moves the lesson towards the past continuous, how teachers can “park” a useful question without ignoring it, and whether one student’s curiosity should change the direction of the whole class.
Gav and Em also compare their teaching energy across the week. Is Monday teaching different from Friday teaching? Do teachers correct more when they are fresh? Can being tired sometimes produce a more relaxed, natural classroom?
Finally, they remember teachers who influenced them years ago. What made those teachers special, and what can reflecting on your own favourite teacher reveal about the teacher you want to become?
Plus, Gav explains how howtoenglishpod.com is developing into a practical resource bank of TEFL articles, episode guides, teaching ideas and podcast discussions.
📚 RELATED S07E17 TEACHING ARTICLES
How Should TEFL Teachers Recover When a Grammar Lesson Goes Wrong?
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/how-should-tefl-teachers-recover-when-a-grammar-lesson-goes-wrong-s07e17/
Should You Stick to the Plan or Go with the Flow in a TEFL Lesson?
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/should-you-stick-to-the-plan-or-go-with-the-flow-in-a-tefl-lesson-s07e17/
Does Your Teaching Style Change From Monday to Friday?
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/does-your-teaching-style-change-from-monday-to-friday-s07e17/
What Makes a Teacher Memorable?
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/what-makes-a-teacher-memorable-s07e17/
How Can Thinking About Your Favourite Teacher Improve Your Own Teaching?
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/how-can-thinking-about-your-favourite-teacher-improve-your-own-teaching-s07e17/
Where Can TEFL Teachers Find Practical Teaching Resources and Podcast Articles Online?
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/where-can-tefl-teachers-find-practical-teaching-resources-and-podcast-articles-online-s07e17/
🌐 More practical TEFL ideas, episode guides and teaching resources:
https://howtoenglishpod.com
⏱️ TIMESTAMPS
00:00 – What happens when a grammar lesson falls apart?
01:29 – Teaching the present continuous
03:06 – When students understand the grammar but not the task
05:06 – Stick to the plan or go with the flow?
07:01 – Present continuous naturally becomes past continuous
09:34 – How to “park” a useful student question
11:59 – Thinking fast and adapting TEFL lessons
12:16 – Does teaching style change from Monday to Friday?
16:43 – Friday teaching, natural speech and correction
19:47 – What makes a teacher memorable?
21:36 – How favourite teachers influence our teaching
23:07 – Qualities of a good teacher
25:04 – Turning a TEFL podcast into a teacher resource bank
❓ QUESTIONS ANSWERED
What should teachers do when a grammar lesson goes wrong? When should you stick to a lesson plan or follow emergent language? How can you handle a useful student question without losing the lesson? Does teaching style change during the week? What makes a teacher memorable? How can your favourite teacher influence your own teaching?
#TEFL #EnglishTeaching #LessonPlanning #TEFLTeachers #ESLTeaching #GrammarTeaching #TeacherDevelopment #ClassroomIdeas #EmergentLanguage #TeachingTips #ELT #EnglishTeachers

Why can teaching just one English learner feel more demanding than teaching a whole class? Join us, Gav & Em, as we explore the rewards, challenges and everyday realities of one-to-one English lessons.
Private lessons give us space to personalise learning, build confidence and focus on what a student really needs. They also require plenty of energy, quick thinking and a working relationship that suits both people!
We discuss:
🔹 Why one-to-one lessons can feel so intense
🔹 Whether silent exercises belong in paid lesson time or at home
🔹 How to agree realistic homework and course expectations
🔹 Who should lead: the teacher or the learner?
🔹 How to build rapport while keeping professional boundaries
🔹 Why thinking time matters in conversation lessons
🔹 How to correct and upgrade language without stopping every sentence
🔹 Why learners should ask their teacher questions too
🔹 How to adapt coursebooks and pair work for individual lessons
We agree on the importance of understanding the learner, but we don’t always agree on how to use lesson time! Em usually saves independent exercises for homework, while Gav sees a place for short writing tasks with immediate feedback.
Em also shares her one-to-one teaching poem, capturing the hidden effort behind keeping a conversation lesson going. Teachers who have ever finished a friendly chat feeling completely exhausted may recognise themselves!
🌐 EXPLORE THE ARTICLES
How Can Teachers Manage the Intensity of One-to-One English Lessons?
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/how-can-teachers-manage-the-intensity-of-one-to-one-english-lessons-s01e19/
Should One-to-One Students Do Silent Work During Lessons?
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/should-one-to-one-students-do-silent-work-during-lessons-s01e19/
What Should a One-to-One English Needs Analysis Cover?
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/what-should-a-one-to-one-english-needs-analysis-cover-s01e19/
How Should You Plan a One-to-One English Course?
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/how-should-you-plan-a-one-to-one-english-course-s01e19/
Who Should Lead a One-to-One English Lesson?
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/who-should-lead-a-one-to-one-english-lesson-s01e19/
How Do You Build Rapport Without Losing Authority in One-to-One Lessons?
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/how-do-you-build-rapport-without-losing-authority-in-one-to-one-lessons-s01e19/
How Can Teachers Adapt Group Coursebooks for One-to-One Lessons?
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/how-can-teachers-adapt-group-coursebooks-for-one-to-one-lessons-s01e19/
⏱️ TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Introduction
01:28 Why one-to-one lessons feel intense
02:43 Independent exercises: classwork or homework?
04:18 Our debate about exam writing in lesson time
05:53 Agreeing expectations and homework
06:54 Rapport, authority and who leads
10:25 Different opinions and professional boundaries
11:56 Using homework to develop conversation
12:50 Pacing, thinking time and silence
13:39 Personalising lessons and useful takeaways
14:38 Em’s one-to-one teaching poem
16:31 The hidden work behind conversation lessons
17:39 Reformulating and correcting speaking mistakes
18:47 Encouraging learners to ask questions
21:03 Teaching two learners together
22:37 Books and adapting group materials
24:08 Final thoughts and goodbye
☕ Support How to English:
https://ko-fi.com/howtoenglishpod
🌐 Teaching tips, guides and free lesson materials:
https://www.howtoenglishpod.com/
How to English TEFL Podcast with Gav & Em explores teaching and learning English as a foreign language through practical ideas, honest classroom experiences and a little teacher humour.
#TeachingEnglish #OneToOneTeaching #TEFL #ESL #EnglishTeacher #PrivateEnglishLessons #LearnEnglish

Why are your students learning English? How should teachers check answers without wasting lesson time? And what should you do when you have no idea how to pronounce a new student’s name?
In S07E16 of the How to English TEFL Podcast, Gav and Em explore everyday questions English teachers face.
They begin with one deceptively simple word: why? Why do we teach? Why are our students in the lesson? And why is it worth revisiting their goals as a course develops?
Drawing on their TEFL experience, Gav and Em discuss what keeps them teaching: language, flexibility, career opportunities and helping learners communicate.
Then comes email and admin: homework, timetable changes, cancellations, new classes and those messages sent five minutes before the lesson.
They also tackle student names. Should teachers research pronunciation before the first lesson? What happens when the same name is pronounced differently in different countries?
Finally, Gav and Em disagree rather spectacularly about checking students’ answers. Should learners compare answers in pairs before whole-class feedback? If everyone already has the correct answers, is checking them again useful confidence-building — or a waste of lesson time?
Along the way, they share practical techniques including peer checking, student nomination, varying who answers, testing what learners remember and personalising answers.
Whether you teach TEFL, ESL, EFL, Business English or general English, this episode offers practical classroom ideas — and proof that experienced teachers don’t always agree on the “right” way to do things.
EPISODE GUIDE + TEACHING RESOURCES
Episode guide:
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/episode-guide-how-should-english-teachers-check-answers-pronounce-names-stay-motivated-tefl-tips-s07e16/
How Often Should TEFL Teachers Revisit Learners’ Goals?
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/how-often-should-tefl-teachers-revisit-learners-goals-s07e16/
Is TEFL a Good Long-Term Career? What Keeps Teachers in the Job
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/is-tefl-a-good-long-term-career-what-keeps-teachers-in-the-job-s07e16/
How Can TEFL Teachers Manage Email and Admin Without Letting It Take Over?
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/how-can-tefl-teachers-manage-email-and-admin-without-letting-it-take-over-s07e16/
How Should English Teachers Pronounce Students’ Unfamiliar Names?
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/how-should-english-teachers-pronounce-students-unfamiliar-names-s07e16/
What Is the Best Way to Check Students’ Answers in an English Lesson?
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/what-is-the-best-way-to-check-students-answers-in-an-english-lesson-s07e16/
More practical TEFL articles, teaching tips and resources:
https://howtoenglishpod.com
Support Gav & Em:
https://ko-fi.com/howtoenglishpod
CONTENTS / TIMESTAMPS
00:00 – What’s coming up?
01:01 – Welcome to S07E16
02:13 – Why are we teachers?
03:32 – Why are your students learning English?
04:59 – Why Gav and Em still enjoy teaching
06:50 – Career opportunities in TEFL
09:11 – Why teachers and learners should keep asking “why”
10:05 – What emails do TEFL teachers receive?
14:20 – When should teachers answer emails?
16:33 – The five-minutes-before-class email
17:32 – How do you pronounce a student’s name?
18:03 – Researching names before a lesson
22:10 – How should teachers check students’ answers?
22:51 – Should students check with a partner?
24:03 – Gav and Em disagree
27:04 – Do you need whole-class feedback?
29:40 – Checking answers to build confidence
31:56 – Who should answer each question?
33:25 – Keeping students on their toes
34:33 – Stop students simply reading the answers
35:03 – Personalising answers
35:26 – Ko-fi, teaching resources & goodbye