Audio-Lingual Method The Audio-Lingual Method (Audio-Lingualism) is based on the behaviourist belief that language learning is the acquisition of a set of correct language habits. The learner repeats patterns until able to produce them spontaneously. Once a given pattern – for example, subject-verb-prepositional phrase – is learned, the speaker can substitute words to make novel…
Task-Based Learning (TBL) Task-based Learning offers an alternative to PPP for language teachers. In a task-based lesson, the teacher doesn’t pre-determine what language will be studied; the lesson is based around the completion of a central task and the language studied is determined by what happens as the students complete it. The lesson follows three basic…
Seating, Communication & Control in the Classroom Most seating arrangements designed for the TEFL classroom have two clear objectives – to help support communication and to help the teacher maintain control. Objective 1- supporting communication At the end of the day, we learn a language to be able to communicate in that language. Whether that is…
Making Corrections Don’t be fooled, making corrections is a fundamental part of being a teacher. The essence of a TEFL teacher is to be able to teach new stuff as well as to practise the stuff they should know and to make sure they are using it and saying it correctly. The first thing you…
Checking student understanding in the TEFL Classroom Checking student understanding is important so that the students understand what we want from them. Naturally, we want to simply ask the question Bad example: “Do you understand?” but the problem is that many students feel that they are to blame or are embarrassed if they don’t understand so…
Introducing new material through drilling Drilling is a fundamental part of introducing new material, especially when teaching students who are of a lower level. Drilling is the process of getting the students to repeat the word until you are satisfied they can pronounce it correctly and they understand it. Students of higher levels may not…
Gestures & Cueing It is common sense that students in an EFL classroom may not always understand what their instructor wants them to do when given directions in English. Obviously, they are there to learn English and don’t and won’t get every nuance of your requests. Gestures and cueing are important. An effective EFL instructor…
Lesson Planning Lesson planning is simply a step-by-step guide to what an EFL teacher plans to do in the classroom on a given day. The more detailed the steps are, the better. Ideally, if you could not go to work on a given day, another teacher could read your lesson plan and know exactly how…
Organizing your Board Work Organizing your board work for a more effective TEFL lesson is the mark of a skilled EFL teacher. KISS or “Keep it Simple for Students” is a good rule. Before teaching a lesson, walk through it and as you do, put everything on the board. Ideally, you don’t erase anything in one…
Presentation, Practice, Production (PPP) TEFL Methodology taught in most TEFL training programs is generally “PPP” or Presentation, Practice, and Production. The presentation is the part of the lesson when the target language (the language to be taught to the students) is presented to the students generally through eliciting and cueing of the students to see…