Module 3.1.

The Basic Principles

of TEFL
At the end of this module you will:

 have a basic understanding of the principles of good EFL teaching

 understand the importance of a caring environment in the classroom
 know why lack of consideration of these principles could hinder language production
and progress
 understand the need for communicative teaching
 have some idea of the concept of communication versus correctness

One of the basic principles of good EFL teaching is to make sure that our students CAN
succeed. In order to do this we should consider the following questions at the beginning
of every new group/class.
How do I involve the students?
How do I make students want to learn and look forward to their lessons?
How do I make them work hard?
How do I keep them happy?

UNHAPPY STUDENTS LEARN

VERY LITTLE
WE NEED OUR STUDENTS TO
BE HAPPY

Throughout the module you will be shown how to prepare for a career in TEFL. This will
involve planning lessons; preparing materials; getting to grips with grammar; setting out
your classroom; understanding the students' problems. We hope to make you a fully-
prepared professional who can bring about success in any EFL situation.
Lesson 1. Overview of ESOL
Issues
NB: ESOL - English for Speakers of the Other Languages

Teacher and Student Relationship

Relationships
Over the years there have been many varied approaches to teaching English eg
'structural', 'notional', 'communicative' etc. and each promises to be the best, the new
way to faster success. None will work in isolation. Successful English teaching is not
only a question of method, but also of student / teacher relationships. You must be
interested in your students. The student must need/want to learn AND the teacher must
also need/want the student to learn. Encouragement is of great importance. Students
need to feel they are progressing; this feeling comes, on the whole, from the teacher.
(More about this later in this module)

Look after your students

In order to achieve our aim of ensuring that our students are happy (and therefore able
to learn), we not only teach them and give them opportunities to learn, we must also
look after them.
Students need to feel at ease
Students need to feel comfortable
Students need to feel welcome

We, as teachers, need to settle them in and while doing so try to 'suss out' any 'hang-
ups' they have which will prevent them from learning. For example they may have old
family prejudices against our race; they may have been convinced that they will find
English too difficult; they may have met untrained teachers who turned them off classes
almost for life! Now they are your students - you must help them over these barriers
and make them feel relaxed and happy enough to succeed.

Are you a caring person?

Throughout the course you will be shown how to prepare for a career in TEFL. This will
involve planning lessons; preparing materials; getting to grips with grammar; setting out
your classroom; understanding the students' problems. We hope to make you a fully-
prepared professional who can bring about success in any EFL situation. We
cannot make you a caring person, but if you are not going to care about your students'
success, you will not succeed as a teacher. If you are not going to be concerned about
their happiness you will not be happy and neither you nor your students will be
successful.

From now on we assume that you are a caring person who wants to bring about
success.

Involving the student

Everyone likes to talk about him/herself. Likewise students like to hear about their
classmates / fellow students. When this is allowed in class you will find that your
students involve themselves far more than if they are talking about a fictional character
from a coursebook.
The teacher shows interest in his/her students by getting to know about their interests
and backgrounds.
Get to know the area the students come from so that relevant discussions can be set
up.
Allow your students to express their opinions about their own environment and about
their experiences in England, USA etc.
If all your students are desperately putting their hands up to tell you something,
you have achieved your aim of involving them.

Giving the student confidence

Role-play, dialogues, sketches - however you do it, acting out involves both the
performing students and the listeners. They will be less self-conscious about the English
as they concentrate on the character or acting role which they are required to carry out.
They may be embarrassed or nervous at first, but hopefully when they have got through
that they will be assured that they can also get over the 'fear' of speaking English.
Building up the students' confidence in any situation means encouraging them at every
opportunity and never 'putting them down'. (More about this later in the module)
Using realistic language
Hopefully, gone are the days of courses which taught useless language
"Does your grandmother wear a red dress?"
"Is this a pen? Yes, this is a pen."
are not phrases which students will often need, if at all.
Real situations and examples which the student will meet outside the classroom should
be used as much as possible; equally the language should be taught in context.

Shortened forms
Use them! I'd, she's, weren't etc. are normal English. In their full form they are not used
unless you want to sound like a foreigner!

Accent
Teachers of EFL do not all have the same accent. On the whole students will expect
this and readily accept regional accents as well as American, Canadian, Australian etc.
Do not be afraid to use your normal accent, trying to change it and being inconsistent
can be confusing. So long as you do not use very colloquial English or colloquialisms
which are grammatically unacceptable, relax in the knowledge that you can be a model
in the classroom whether you come from Glasgow or Oxford.
However, it is essential that your students are given the opportunity to hear as many
different accents as you can bring into the classroom. This way they will not be shocked
when they hear other accents outside the classroom, and they will not find themselves
unable to understand anyone but you.

Keeping the students' interest

So you've involved the students, they are gaining confidence and desperately wanting
to join in the lesson. How do you keep this level of interest?
Varying the activities is imperative. Monotony will send your students to sleep. Change
the activity regularly, even if you are teaching the same language point. During the
course you will learn many different ways to teach and exploit a language point,
remember to use them. Don't be known as 'the teacher who always does a reading
passage' or 'the one who always uses a tape' - this makes for disinterested students
even before they have reached the lesson.
L.T.T.T.
During your TEFL career you will often hear L.T.T.T. - Limit Teacher Talking Time. This
is important in keeping the students interested and motivated.
You will keep their interest by ensuring that they are allowed to produce a lot of
language in lessons. They will not learn how to speak English if you do all the
speaking.

Correction
When correcting spoken English remember to be encouraging, even completely
incorrect answers need recognition that the student has made the effort (though you
must make sure you do not patronise). There are ways of saying that the answer is not
right without putting the student off trying again. (More on this in Unit 4)
When correcting written work, again it is important to acknowledge that the student has
tried. It is demotivating to see a page full of red pen, especially when it may have taken
the student hours to do it. Choose the most relevant points (ie relevant to the teaching
point), do not correct every mistake.
It is important that the students can read and understand the corrections which you
make on their work. A chart showing the abbreviations which you use is a good idea.
You might also suggest that they write on alternate lines so that your corrections can be
seen. It is really up to you what method of correction and abbreviation you use but it is
essential that this is understood between you and the students and that once a method
has been established that you stick to it. (More on correction of work in Module 5 Error)

Visual Aids
Don't become the school magician - something different to pull out of the hat every day,
and a lesson built around it. Aids aid your lesson, they are not the lesson! If you are a
technical whizz-kid, good for you, but you are not there to impress your students with
your technical know-how, you are there to teach and as such you should use aids to
assist you in your task. (More about this in Module 4 Visual Aids)

Levels
Classes should, in theory be made up of students who are at exactly the same level of
language learning.
Those levels are as follows:
 Beginners
 Elementary
 Intermediate
 Advanced

As you can see this in itself would cause problems for a very small school which can
only offer 2 or 3 levels. These problems can be overcome through clever timetabling
and you should not be faced with mixed levels in your class.
If, however, you look at the following, more extensive list, you will see that there could
be a need for a much larger number of classes:

 true beginners
 false beginners
 elementary
 post elementary / lower intermediate
 intermediate
 post intermediate
 advanced

You will rarely see the number of students' levels taken account of in this way, so it is
obvious that you will, to a certain extent, have mixed levels in your classes.
You will, of course, also have mixed abilities. You will always have students studying for
the same level whose language aptitude is far from the same. You must take account of
this and closely monitor those who need extra help. (More about this later in this
module)
 Lesson 2. Teaching for
Examinations (Part 1)
Most classes of EFL students are working towards exams. They use these qualifications
to further their studies and/or their careers so they are very important to them.
As teachers we must have an understanding of the stress which exam entry exerts on
many students, especially those who need to pass in order to further their careers.

Teaching for Exams

Teaching for ESOL international examinations constitutes an important part of an ESOL
teacher’s career. Any English teacher can be asked by the school, institution, or private
persons to prepare students for these examinations. All teachers will encounter these
exams at some time in their teaching career.

Why are students taking these exams?

The reasons are extremely diverse:

 To have an internationally recognized language certificate

 To work and/or live in a country where English is the language of communication

 To seek further education

 To improve employment prospects

Cambridge ESOL Examinations

The most prestigious, and widely known examination board is Cambridge ESOL, which
is part of the University of Cambridge. Cambridge ESOL (English for Speakers of Other
Languages) examinations are the world’s leading range of certificates for learners of
English. They are recognized by a huge number of employers and educational
institutions all over the world. Since around 2 million people from 130 countries take
them yearly, the demand for teaching for these exams is continuously growing.
Cambridge ESOL is part of the world-famous University of Cambridge. Its English
language exams are linked to the Common European Framework for Modern
Languages, published by the Council of Europe.
1. The most popular Cambridge ESOL exams:
Examinations Description Use

- These exams give a consistent measure of

how well 7–12 year–olds are doing in the skills
of listening, speaking, reading and writing.
Three levels: YLE Starters, Tests are designed to make learning fun. They
Young Learners
YLE Movers, and YLE train the young learners to work towards
of English (YLE)
Flyers certificates.
- There are no grades but the pupils earn
learning ‘shields’ that record their progress,
which encourage children to do better.

- The general KET is for

adults, while KET for
schools is directed
towards pupils.
- There are three papers:
Key English 1. Reading and Writing; 2. KET is a basic level qualification that shows
Listening; that the learners can use English to
Test (KET)
3. Speaking (interactive) communicate in simple situations and have
- General achieved a good foundation in learning
- For schools - Final grades are English.
correlated with CEFR
(common European
Framework) at A2 level
(Basic user): pass, pass
with merit, and pass with
distinction

- The format is similar to

KET.
- Paper-based and
computer-
Preliminary based exam options. - An intermediate level qualification in English
English Test that opens the doors to opportunities for work,
(PET) - Final grades are study and travel.
correlated with CEFR
(common European
Framework) at B1 level
(pass) or B2 (pass with
distinction).
 - This exam uses real-life
situations
- There are 5 Papers:
- Accepted by thousands of employers,
Reading, Writing, Use of
universities and government departments
English (grammar and
Certificate around the world as a qualification in upper-
vocabulary), Listening, and
English (FCE) intermediate English. A wide range of
Speaking (interactive).
educational institutions for study purposes also
- Final grades are correlated
accepts it.
with CEFR at B1 level.
Passing grades are C, B,
and A as the highest grade.

- This is an examination in
academic English. - CAE the ideal qualification to prove that that
- There are 5 Papers: students have mastered English at such a level
Reading, Writing, English in that will enable them to deal with complicated
Use (grammar, vocabulary, academic and professional tasks in English:
Certificate in
register), Listening, and following academic courses, carrying out
Advanced
Speaking (interactive) challenging research, communicating
English (CAE)
- Final grades are correlated appropriately in diverse social and cultural
with CEFR at C1 level. The contexts.
passing grades are, in order - It is accepted by a large number of
from lowest to highest, C, B, universities on all continents.
and A.

- This is the most

advanced exam, for
learners who have
achieved an extremely - CPE exam uses real-life situations that
high level of skill in the are especially designed to help learners
English language. communicate effectively and learn the
- There are 5 Papers: language skills they need to function at the
Certificate of Reading, Writing, Use of very highest levels of professional and
Proficiency in English (grammar, academic life (native or near native
English (CPE) vocabulary), Listening, academic and professional language
and Speaking. proficiency).
- Final grades are - It is accepted by a much larger number of
correlated with CEFR with universities and employers than the CAE
C2 level. The passing all over the world.
grades are, in order from
lowest to highest, C, B,
and A.

The English tested in these examinations covers a variety of accents from different
English speaking countries. They are British examinations but the English tested is not
restricted to the accents in the British Isles. In speaking or writing, for example,
American English is accepted as long as the candidates are consistent in using it. There
are two examination periods per year: June and December. These language certificates
are valid for life.

2. Other Cambridge ESOL examinations

IELTS (International English Language Testing System) is perhaps the most widely
recognized language qualification in the world.
IELTS is jointly owned by the British Council, IDP: IELTS (International Development
Program of Australian Universities and Colleges) Australia, and the University of
Cambridge. These ESOL Examinations are administered through more than 800 test
centres and locations in over 130 countries on all continents. IELTS scores are valid for
two years.

Examinatio
Description Use
n

IELTS is of two types: general and

academic.
General Training module is for
Four Papers: Listening, Reading, those who choose wish to migrate
Writing, and Speaking (interview). to an English-speaking country,
(e.g. Australia, Canada, New
This is not a pass or fail test. The Zealand, UK) or to train or study at
scores range from 0 to 9 and half below degree level.
IELTS scores is also awarded (e.g. 6.5).
Academic module is for those who
Note: To have an idea about the wish to study at undergraduate or
correlation between the IELTS postgraduate levels, or seek
scores, the other Cambridge professional registration, e.g.
examination scores and CEFR, see doctors and nurses.
the table at the end of the section
on Cambridge examinations.

The language tested uses different accents of English and the topics are diverse and
are not connected to any culture in particular. This certificate is valid for two years. If a
person needs an IELTS certificate after the 2-year period expires, he/she has to take it
again. It can be taken any time of the year.

Professional English Examinations

Examinations Description Use

Three level from low to high: Preliminary All BEC’s are re

government bod
Business English Vantage the world. This v
Cambridge (BEC) clear proof that
Higher asset to your em
Note: see the correlation with CEFR in the table below.

BULATS is set o
It tests all the skills and grammar/vocabulary.
assessment too
Business Language More information at: workforce, job a
Testing Service business-related
(BULATS) http://www.bulats.org/ (Links to an external site.) and easy-to-use
language skills
English, French

ICFE gives an in-depth assessment of learners’ ability to It is directed tow

operate in a financial context at levels B2 and C1 of employment or
Cambridge English: the CEFR– the internationally accepted system for describing an accounting o
Financial (ICFE) language ability. conduct busines
and colleagues,
The exam takers are tested on all the four skills. finance and acc

ILEC is an in-depth assessment of one’s ability to operate in a

legal context at levels B2 and C1 of the CEFR.
This is a high-le
Cambridge English: The examination covers all four language skills: Reading,
demonstrate tha
Legal (ILEC) Writing, Listening and Speaking. Each test is based on realistic successful care
texts, tasks and topics similar to those expected to be
encountered when working as a lawyer.

TKT has been d

TKT is divided into four separate modules that can be taken teaching, but wo
Teaching
all, or just the one/ones that meet the person’s needs. There’s qualification to g
Knowledge Test
total flexibility in how and when the modules are taken and a want to enhance
(TKT)
certificate for each one completed will be received. teaching experie
their teaching sk

In-service This is a language and teaching skills certificate. ICELT is ideal fo

Certificate for in a specific con
English Language ICELT is divided into two modules. Module 1 (Language for the private secto
Teaching Teachers) can be taken as a standalone module or together teaching primar
with Module 2 (Teaching and Methodology) to achieve the qualification can
(ICELT) full ICELT qualification. develop their ab

For more in-depth information about each examination, follow this

link: http://www.cambridgeesol.org/exams/Links to an external site.

(http://www.cambridgeesol.org/about/standards/cefr.html Links to an external

site.)
These exams are of great importance in a large part of the world and are usually
administered by The British Council.
Lesson 2. Teaching for
Examinations (Part 2)
Other English Language Proficiency Tests
TOEFL
The Test of English as a Foreign Language has long been the favourite English
language proficiency qualification for foreign students who wanted to study anywhere
abroad where English is the language of instruction. More than 8,500 colleges,
universities and agencies in more than 130 countries, including Australia, Canada, the
U.K. and the U.S.A, recognize it.

Examination Description Use

TOEFL The TOEFL test measures the candidates’ The TOEFL test is
ability to use and understand English at the usually taken by
university level. It evaluates how well the students planning to
candidates combine their listening, reading, study at a higher
speaking and writing skills to perform academic education institution.
tasks. Scholarships and
certification
There are two formats for the TOEFL® test. candidates, English-
The candidates choose the format depending language learners who
on the location (Links to an external site.) of the want to track their
test center. Most test takers take the TOEFL progress and students
iBT (internet-based testing). Test centers that or workers applying for
do not have Internet access offer visas, also use it.
the PBT (Paper-based Test).
Each test component gets a score of maximum
30 in TOEFL iBT test. The maximum total score
is 120.
The TOEFL PBT papers are: Listening:
Structure and Written Expression, and
Reading, with a total score between 310 and
677. Writing is tested separately in a test called
TWE (Test of Written English). There is no
speaking test in this format.
This link will clarify the major differences
 between these two formats of TOEFL:
http://www.interface.edu.pk/tests/toefl/toefl-test-
formats.asp

TOEFL PBT is soon going to be replaced completely by its iBT format. TOEFL is
exclusively a test of American English and culture, although we can see elements of
more diverse cultural topics in the reading paper. Its scores are valid for two years.

TOEIC (Test Of English for International Communication)

The TOEIC tests directly measure the ability of non native speakers of English to listen,
read, speak and write in English in the global workplace. The TOEIC tests are used by
over 9,000 organizations around the globe in more than 90 countries to assess English
proficiency in the workplace. If you teach in Japan, it is very likely that you will be asked
to prepare the students for this examination. Like IELTS and TOEFL, the scores are
valid for two years.

TSE (Test of Spoken English)

The Test of Spoken English / TSE examines the "American English" language skills,
just like the TOEFL and the TWE. It is required for admission to most of the universities
in the US. The TSE tests your oral skills in university simulated surroundings.
Other English Language examinations include ECPE Michigan, Trinity College London
ESOL, Pearson Test of English - General and Academic (former London Test of
English), etc.
Different countries and language schools have a preference for one or another
examination depending on its popularity among the students and their parents, on the
degree of “difficulty” and not necessarily on the needs of the learners. For example, one
of the most popular examinations with Greek students is ECPE Michigan although this
qualification is of no real value in Europe. That is why it is crucially important for the
English teachers to get detailed information about each of these examinations and the
students’ future study plans so that they can provide the best advice on the most
appropriate English language qualifications that the students need for their future
careers or life in general.

Comparing the Most Popular ESOL Examinations

The following table gives an approximate comparison between the different exams. The
exams all use the CEFR proficiency levels.
 IELTS (Lin TOEIC (Lin
CERF Level (Lin Cambridge ESOL (Li TOEFL iBT (Lin Michigan (Lin BUL
ks to an ks to an
ks to an external nks to an external ks to an ks to an ks to
external external
site.) site.) external site.) external site.) exte
site.) site.)

ECPE (Links
CPE (Links to an 9 to an external
C2 external site.) site.)

8 90

CAE (Links to an
external site.), 7.5 110-120 880
C1 BEC Higher (Links to
an external site.)
6.5 75

FCE (Links to an ECCE (Links

external site.), 6 87-109 to an external
B2 BEC Vantage (Links site.)
to an external site.)
5 60

PET (Links to an
external site.), 4.5 57-86 550
B1 BEC Prelim (Links to
an external site.)
4 40

KET (Links to an
A2
external site.)

http://www.examenglish.com/

Teaching for Examinations

What are the differences between teaching general English and teaching for
examinations?
Normally, there should be no huge difference between the two but given the constraints
of time, responsibility, and teaching strategies teaching (or rather training) for
examinations has its own specific features.
 Motivation: One of the biggest differences is the level of the students' motivation, which
is usually very high because the stakes are high. There is also the financial aspect: the
students or their parents have to pay for these examinations and some of them make
huge sacrifices to be able to get these language qualifications.
 Teacher's responsibility: It is not an understatement to say that the candidates' whole
future can depend on getting the right certificate with the right score. Under these
circumstances, the teacher has a huge responsibility to help their students achieve their
goals. Usually, the teacher is held responsible for the students' results. A teacher will be
evaluated according to his/her students' results in these examinations so his/her
reputation will be directly connected with these results.
 Time: The preparation courses for examinations are usually short. Generally, they take
four hours per week for three months, i.e. about 56 hours, whereas the general English
courses can vary a lot, from years to short crash courses. Exam preparation courses
are usually held at the weekends or in the evenings, so sometimes the teacher needs to
teach two two-hour sessions twice a week, or one four-hour session once a week.
 Tasks and activities: There is a lot of constraint in choosing activities that will engage
students emotionally, cognitively, kinesthetically, and so on. Although they might be
beneficial for the students, any activity that is not directly connected to the test items in
the examination is regarded as useless and a waste of time. In general English courses,
the teachers can make use of all their imagination and creativity to make the lessons
fun as well as effective, but examination students can become 'hooked' on their goal of
passing the exams and can become quite stressed if introduced to anything outside the
exam syllabus.
 Administrative responsibilities: Unlike regular English courses, exam courses may
require some administrative duties from the part of the teacher. The teacher may be
responsible for the enrolment of the students in the examinations, keeping the students
informed about examination locations, dates, times, organisation of transportation to the
exam site, regulations of the exam itself, etc.

How to Teach for Examinations?

 The teachers' first responsibility is to know the examination they are going to teach for
inside out. First, the teachers need to know the use of the examinations to be able to
give the prospective candidates the best advice on which best suits their needs. They
also need to get informed about the types of papers (exam components) and their
number, how long each paper takes, the times when these examinations are taken, the
closest locations, the administrative bodies (e.g. British Council, a university).
Information about how each paper is graded and the rubrics for both speaking and
writing have to become a teaching tool.
 Besides reading about the examination on the official websites and talking to colleagues
who have taught for it, the teachers need to take a practice exam themselves under
 exam conditions to get familiar with the format of the exam and try to predict the
students' main difficulties with it (e.g. reading in a very limited time).
 Before the students enroll on such a course, it is best for them to take a "mock”
examination that will serve as a diagnostic/prognostic test. Thus, the teacher will know
the chances a particular student has to at least get a pass score. For some students, it
might be important that they get the highest possible score in that exam. For example,
the university they want to study at requires a CAE with an A, not a B or a C, which are
pass scores. What is important to know is that a 56-hour course can bring a student
who got a C in the mock test to a B, but not to an A. So, if that student needs an A, he
or she will have to take two preparation courses. Naturally, there are exceptions to the
rule, but it is better to be safe than sorry.
A mid-course mock test is also advisable for both the students and the teacher to
measure the progress made and to identify areas that need more attention. A mock
exam at the end of the course before the examination itself is compulsory to draw all the
strings together again.
 The teacher must know the grammar of English very well to be able to explain any point
clearly and briefly when asked by a student, besides teaching it both formally and
sometimes informally during the grammar slots of a lesson. Grammar must be taught in
the context offered by the units in the course book.
 The teacher should guide students to learn independently. They should encourage the
students to read extensively, to watch quality movies (a list of such movies would not be
a bad idea), to listen to the radio in English (recommended list of channels would help).
The students need a very good dictionary such as Oxford Advanced English Dictionary,
or Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English. The students who have iPads or
iPhones can buy the applications for these dictionaries and many other study materials,
including Oxford A-Z Grammar and Punctuation and professional dictionaries. One of
the most stunning dictionary applications is Oxford Wordflex Touch Dictionary, which
combines an interactive dictionary with a thesaurus in the form of mind maps organized
around topics.
 There is a lot more feedback and "grading” involved than in regular courses, so the
teachers need to be prepared to spend time outside class. Because of the amount of
preparation, "mock” testing, and one-to-one feedback, the groups must be kept small.
An average of six students per group would be ideal. One-to-one exam teaching should
be avoided, if possible, but pairs are acceptable. One reason for this would be the
speaking papers in the Cambridge ESOL examination, which have an interactive part
(the speaking examination is done with pairs of students who, besides the long turns,
have to interact to "solve a problem” using English in their discussion).
 Last but not least, besides language teaching, the students need training in examination
taking skills. This will be done on a regular basis through exercises and tasks that
replicate the test items but also through specific activities that will train the students to
cope with the difficulties that might arise during the exam (e.g. not remembering a key
word during the speaking examination, or not being able to decide between two
 possible answers in a multiple-choice reading task). The ones who take the computer-
based examinations or the online ones need special training as well.

Websites with information about different international English

examinations
 Cambridge ESOL Examinations: https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/test-your-
english/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
 TOEFL and TOEIC plus a number of other American examinations for college
placements (SAT, GRE): http://www.ets.org/tests_products (Links to an external
site.)Links to an external site.

Course books for Cambridge ESOL examinations

 You can use this link to find the right course books for your examination
classes: http://www.cambridgeesol.org/exam-preparation/books-study.php (Links to an
external site.)Links to an external site.
 Follow this link with recommendations for TOEFL preparation:
o http://gmatclub.com/forum/best-toefl-preparation-books-resources-reviews-comments-
79121.html (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Preparation for examinations websites that can be used by the

students independently
http://www.flo-joe.co.uk/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
http://www.examenglish.com/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. (free
practice tests)
There is a wealth of exam preparation sites on the Internet. The ones mentioned above
stand out among many others.
There are also a huge number of iPad and iPhone applications for examination
preparation. The free ones are fine but the best are the ones that cost some money but
they might be worth the investment.
Lesson 3. Approaches to Teaching
Use of mother tongue
One of the most frequently asked questions posed by those considering a career in
TEFL is - 'Do I have to speak their language?' The stock answer is 'Only for your
personal life and to get about in the country'. We also believe that learning your
students' mother tongue when you are in their country shows that you are serious about
living and teaching there and that you do not expect everyone to speak your mother
tongue whilst making no attempt to learn theirs.
In class however you do not need to speak the students' language. This would, in fact,
be an impossibility if you were teaching a mixed nationality class such as a summer
school in which you may have 10 or more different nationalities.
Having said that, if you are teaching higher levels and you are finding it difficult to get
the meaning of a word across to your students, why waste
time miming, drawing pictures etc? If you know the word in their language tell them, it's
quicker!

Grammar
If you are a native speaker, you 'know' the grammar of English perfectly - that is, you
are able to produce an infinite number of correctly formed sentences. Your problem is to
see it as a foreign language; to know about and be able to explain its most
characteristic systems and classes and to understand the problems they pose to a
foreign learner.
Do not depress yourself with the idea that there is somewhere one ultimate set of rules
which all experienced EFL teachers and applied linguists 'know' and which you must
learn. This is not so. There are many descriptions of the grammar, fashions change,
and one description may be better than another in some areas.
However, you must know your stuff. You don't want the students to know more than you
do or you will lose credibility and they will eventually not have enough confidence to
succeed.
Beginners do not need the terminology, advanced classes do and they will ask for it.
More important than the terminology however is the teacher's ability to explain and to
give examples on request.

Grammatical Approaches
Grammar Translation as a Teaching Method - The use of the word 'grammar' in the
grammar translation method, to a large extent means the grammar of words. Tables
showing:- walk, walks, walked, and boy, boys, boy's, boys' are presented. Words are
classified into parts of speech and functional categories are defined eg subject, object
etc. Then rules are given re: the usage and combination of these elements into clauses
and sentences. This is not very helpful to the learner of a foreign language who tries to
translate parts of a text, using pieces of grammatical information - he / she may
eventually know what was meant but does not acquire any amount of fluency in
speaking, listening or writing the language. Grammar-translation has its place but is not
widely used today in teaching foreign languages.
The Structural Approach - Grammar also plays a leading part here, the 'structure' in the
name of the approach being a grammatical structure. Course writers list what they
consider to be the most important grammatical elements. Here the terminology is
unimportant, but the patterns of the grammar are, of course, very important. The
grammatical elements are placed in a practical order for teaching purposes and each is
taught, practised and drilled. This method is still widely used, though when used alone
can become repetitive and boring. However, it works well for teaching beginners.
Command of grammatical structure is essential to complete understanding and any
form of meaningful communication in ESOL. Good teachers and materials writers do not
use mindless drills (which are also boring) but include situational practice, always
checking the student's understanding of what he is repeating.
As language teachers, how much of this theory do we need to know? Unless you are
going to continue your studies, fortunately very little. The last sentence of each
paragraph however is of utmost importance if we are to do the job well! We are teachers
of COMMUNICATION, our aim therefore is to facilitate this communication, this will not
happen through translation or through mindless repetition of grammatical structures.
Students need to know not only the correct grammatical structure but also where and
how to use it.
The communicative approach - It is important to keep reminding ourselves that we are
teaching communication. We rarely need to teach declensions and verb lists as in the
Latin or even French classes some of you may remember from your schooldays. We
are teaching non-native speakers of English to effectively communicate with native
speakers of English or other non-native speakers of English. (As an essential language
of the world of commerce, English may necessarily be the language of communication
between different nationalities none of whom have any other language.)
If you, yourself have not had the experience of being in a position in which you HAD TO
communicate in a foreign language (one in which you are not fluent) you will doubtlessly
have observed others in that position. They adopt different styles according to the
situation, the audience, their own personality etc. Some seem to relish the task and
throw themselves into speaking with as much 'fluency' as they can achieve with the
string of mistakes they make along the way. Others freeze, too afraid to speak in case
the listener cannot understand due to the mistakes they fear they will make.
 Whichever way they tackle the task, we know that most students of EFL want more than
simply to communicate. They want to communicate in good English - why otherwise
would they bother with classes year after year? They do not want to be laughed at, they
do not want to have to resort to paralinguistics (facial expression and body language) or
to have to point and mime. They want their English to be good enough to allow them to
communicate effectively in correct English.
As teachers of EFL we are happy with the concept of 'correct' English. It is our job to
know what is correct and what is incorrect, and to know that when our students are not
making correct utterances, they should be made aware of this fact. However, we must
allow students to communicate - a balance must be struck between effective
communication and correctness. We cannot be seen to accept an incorrect sentence
offered by student A, when student B, or in fact student A after further thought or a look
in his book, is likely to challenge your acceptance. Similarly we must prevent students
from continuing to make the same mistakes which an examiner will mark wrong. On the
other hand, mistakes are inevitable, even from the most advanced students, but to
constantly respond each time a mistake is made would be very off-putting for your
students, and fluency would be impaired.
Classroom technique is of immense importance to good, effective, communicative
teaching. This is dealt with in Unit 4, Module 1.
Striking the balance between communication and correctness can be difficult, but the
following features should be kept in mind if we are to effectively teach communication.

 Communication is passing information to somebody.

 Communication is saying what you want to say, rather than what you are told to say.
 Communication is saying what is true and meaningful rather than what is linguistically
correct.
 Communication is producing authentic English rather than textbook English.
 Communication is paying attention to what people mean rather than how they express
themselves.

A great deal of research and work in this field has been going on over the last 20-30
years. The above features of the 'communicative movement' are included here for you
to incorporate in your thinking when planning lessons, though not to the exclusion of all
else, including correctness.
The 'communicative movement', we may feel have overdone it a bit in their concern with
communication, but this persistent concern has produced a technique which has useful
applications. Communication, by definition, is the transfer of information from source to
receiver; that information, by definition, is not already known to the receiver. A
communicative exercise, therefore, can be set up by ensuring that student A has some
information which student B does not have, and then prompting an exchange of
information.
 The simplest way to do this is to get the students to elicit information from you, the
teacher. You set the scene - ie tell them what they must elicit from you, they can then
ask questions at their own level:
eg
Beginners
Get the students to find out your hobby by asking simple questions which require
yes/no answers (you are less likely to get mistakes from beginners if you use this
restriction, otherwise they are likely to get carried away in their eagerness to find out
about you.)
Possible questions

 Do you like to swim?

 Do you do it inside?
 Do you make something?
 Are you tired afterwards?
 Is it a sport? etc.
 Etc.

Intermediate and advanced students can cope with something far more complex and
with 'free' questions in order to elicit the required information.
Another way is to get the students to elicit information from each other. This is more
complex to set up, and needs planning, but will stimulate your students, will liven up a
dull class, and will often prompt the students to ask for further information from each
other - this is invaluable in a mixed nationality class.
Lesson 4. Teaching Skills &
Techniques
Teaching Skills & Techniques
Modelling
Clear presentation is essential in the classroom. Instructions can be effectively
reinforced by showing students what is expected of them, ie modelling. When you
model an activity, everyone can clearly see what is expected of them. Modelling can be
much more effective than lengthy instructions which can be confusing.

Chorusing
Chorusing is simply the repetition of words and expressions.It plays two important roles
in the classroom: 1) It provides students with a clear model for correct pronunciation
and stress, and 2) It helps students to memorise new vocabulary. Just because a
student hears a word modelled correctly (ie correct pronunciation & stress), does not
mean that he will be able to produce it correctly if he is not given the opportunity to
practise.

Chorus, Isolate, Confirm (C.I.C.)

This is a method of chorusing entire sentences with the aim of promoting sentence
fluency. It focuses on fluency, intonation and liaison (liaison is the running together of
words during normal speech, eg ‘What do you do?’ becomes, ’Whada-yado?’)
Firstly, the entire sentence is chorused once, and then working backwards from the end
of the sentence individual sounds rather than individual words are chorused until the
sentence is built back up. The complete sentence is then chorused again. There should
be a marked improvement. This is an important tool for dialogue practice and can be
used at any level.

Drilling
Drilling is a controlled practice exercise allowing controlled practice of new structures
before moving on to freer practice. There are many different ways of drilling; it’s aim is
to ensure that students are able to use new structures correctly. Here is an example:
after teaching the question, ’What’s your favourite…?’, the teacher substitutes a variety
of pre-taught nouns, eg food, fruit, animals etc.
Then the teacher provides students with the opportunity to practise the structure by
repetitively asking and eliciting responses from the group until they are able to use the
structure fluently.

Boardwork
As teachers we should not forget the importance of the whiteboard in the classroom. It
is an important visual aid which serves to reinforce the language and instructions and
when used effectively can greatly aid teaching. As well as presenting structures and
vocabulary, diagrams and pictures can be drawn to clarify meaning. Pictures and
diagrams can assist us in the same way as modelling does; a simple picture can be a
lot more effective in demonstrating meaning than a long and complex explanation. A
good teacher develops his/her own style and layout which should be the same for every
class. It is useful to divide the board up into different areas, eg new vocabulary, target
language, exemplifications etc.

Instructions
This is one of the most important teaching skills, but is an area where many teachers
experience difficulties.
Clear, precise instructions are essential to avoid student confusion.
Good instructions should be brief; longer and longer instructions given in the attempt to
overcome confusion often have the reverse effect and merely lead to further confusion.
Avoid unnecessary language.
The teacher should a use a set of instruction vocabulary which doesn’t vary; students
should be introduced to these at the start of any course. Examples of basic classroom
instruction vocabulary are: sit, stand, listen, ask, answer, open your books, work in pairs
etc. When introducing these instructions it is often beneficial to use them in conjunction
with gestures to demonstrate meaning.
It is important to prepare and check your instructions before lessons to avoid any
potential pitfalls.
Remember to never use pidgin English in the classroom; we should never model bad
English to our students.
Attention signals are effective time saving devices which can be used in the classroom
to convey instructions. For example, attention signals can be used for: repeat, be quiet,
stand up/sit down, stop, listen, write etc.
Gestures can also be invaluable in the classroom. They are different from attention
signals in that they do not convey instructions, but rather add meaning to the spoken
word. Gestures can be used to express encouragement, confusion, praise etc. For
 example the thumbs up signal to express ‘good’, open hands facing up to express that
you don’t know, or don’t want to say, raised eyebrows to express surprise etc.

Concept Checking Questions (C.C.Q.’s)

We use CCQ’s to establish meaning and check student understanding. They can be
applied both to grammar (structures / tenses/functional language), and vocabulary
(words / phrases). They look at such issues as concept, context, use (eg function, style,
relationships between people etc) and time reference as applicable. CCQ’s should
check and develop students’ understanding by the asking of carefully planned specific
questions.
eg Vocabulary: witty; ‘He’s a witty person’

 ‘Does he make people laugh?’ YES

 ‘Would he be a good guest at a party?’ YES
 ‘Is that because he’s clever or silly?’ CLEVER
 What, when, why, how, where, which questions (ie open questions)
 How does he make people feel? HAPPY
 What does he make people do? LAUGH

Once you have verified the students’ comprehension you can ask students to
personalize the vocabulary/structure.

 Do you like witty people?’ (why / why not?)

 Do people think you are witty?
 Can you think of a witty person you know?

eg Grammar: used to.. ; ‘I used to smoke’.

 Are we talking about the past, present or future? PAST

 Did I smoke before? YES
 Did I smoke regularly? YES
 Do I smoke now? NO
 What happened? I GAVE UP

Personalized questions once understanding has been established:

 Have you ever smoked?

 When did you give up?
 How difficult was it?
 What did you use to do 5 years ago that you don’t do now?

We should avoid questions that waste time and that don’t focus on important issues or
clarify meaning. We should not use the target language in our questions, except when
practising, ie personalizing.)
Pair Work and Group Work
It has been argued that language acquisition will only occur when students are exposed
to, and have ample opportunity to use the target structures of any lesson in a
meaningful and interactive way. It is necessary to provide students with such
opportunities through the use of communicative, task-based activities in the EFL
classroom; this necessitates the use of pair work and group work. Pair work and group
work can be used for controlled practice of vocabulary and structures, or to provide
opportunities for authentic, communicative language use. Any pair work activity is part
of a continuum, with initial controlled practice activities leading to more communicative
freer practice. Many task-based pair work activities fall somewhere between the two.
There are many possibilities for how group work and pair work can be used in the
classroom; here are a few examples of commonly used activities:
Predicting: During group lead-ins, predictive exercises in pairs or groups can be used
to introduce a topic and to encourage students to think about what they might encounter
in upcoming exercises.
Brainstorming: Brainstorming is useful for activating prior knowledge and ideas. It can
be used to generate vocabulary or ideas and interest in a topic. It ensures that all
students are actively involved. A competitive element can be introduced to promote fun
and motivation. The information generated is then fed back to the whole group.
Information-gap & Jigsaw Activities: Information-gap exercises can be structured to
practise very controlled language structures or to provide real communicative
opportunities. Jigsaw activities are a special form of information-gap exercise where key
information required to complete a task is divided between two students. The students
must pool the information in order to successfully complete the task; they must both
give and seek information.
Opinion Exchange: Students are asked to give and discuss opinions. When carried out
in pairs it ensures that all students have the opportunity to express themselves and
avoids discussions being dominated by more vocal students. It is also less threatening
and can thus help to build student confidence.
Role-Plays: Students are given situations and roles and a task or objective to be
accomplished. They are a way of recreating real life situations in the classroom, and
can be both effective and enjoyable.
Discussion: Discussions can be carried out in pairs or groups, and provide good
interactive language opportunities.
Games: Games are usually carried out in groups, but can sometimes be adapted to pair
work. They can provide students with opportunities to practise language and vocabulary
in a fun and relaxed way, and they can add variety to lessons. They should have a
purpose and be used to meet the objectives of the lesson.
Projects: Giving students projects to work on in pairs or small groups can be very
effectively used in the classroom and can provide useful opportunities to develop a
variety of communicative skills, eg negotiating, agreeing / disagreeing etc.
Pair work: Pair work needs to be carefully set up in the classroom. Students need to
understand the objectives of the activity, the language to be used, their roles and who
they are to work with. To make pair work successful the teacher should prepare and
model the activity first. The teacher should carefully monitor students during pair work
activities ready to give feedback.
The teacher should consider the fact that different students work at different rates,
which can cause a problem if not carefully handled. For example, students who have
finished an exercise early may become noisy and disruptive or feel neglected if they are
left waiting for other students to finish the activity. Therefore, it is important to plan
extension activities which students can work on while waiting for other students to finish.
Pair work activities which mimic real communication and have a purpose or goal provide
students with meaningful communicative opportunities which prepare them for the ‘real
world’ outside the classroom. Communicative pair work exercises which allow for
choices of what to say promote active listening and appropriate responses thus
mimicking real conversation.
Pair work helps to build class rapport and relationships within the classroom. For
students who are shy, pair work provides them with a safe environment in which they
are given the opportunity to contribute while not being the centre of attention.
Pair work provides the opportunity to practise a variety of communicative skills, eg turn-
taking, negotiating, agreeing and disagreeing with others opinions, etc.
Pair work provides the opportunity to cater to different student levels within the same
class.
Pair work is student-centred rather than teacher-centred. The amount of speaking
practice dramatically increases when pair work and group work are used in the
classroom.

Teaching Grammar and Vocabulary in Context

It is important to ensure that all language learning is effective and meaningful. This
means that new words and grammar should always be introduced in the context of
meaningful, realistic interactions. If grammar and vocabulary are taught in isolation
without showing how they are used in context, students will not be able to learn how to
use them in any meaningful way. When writing new vocabulary on the board for
example, always write the word within the context of a sentence and underline the word.
Of course teaching grammar plays a central role in the EFL classroom. However, it is
not just a case of explaining grammar rules to the students; teaching grammar
effectively is more complicated than that. First you need to consider the objectives of
the class, the students’ learning styles, student age group, materials and resources
available, students’ current knowledge etc. In other words, each class is going to have
different grammar needs and goals, and it is up to the teacher to determine those goals
and provide the means with which to meet them.

Inductive and Deductive Grammar Teaching

Inductive is known as the ‘bottom up’ approach. In other words, students discovering
the grammar rules while working through exercises.
eg following a reading comprehension incorporating the simple past and present perfect
tenses, the teacher could ask questions such as, ’Has she ever been to London?’;
’When did she go?’ etc. Then to help students inductively understand the difference
between the two tenses, these questions could be followed by asking the students to
identify which questions spoke about a definite time in the past and which questions
spoke about a person’s general experience.
Deductive is known as the ‘top down’ approach. This is the standard teaching approach
where the teacher introduces and explains the grammar rules to the student.
eg the teacher starts by explaining that the present perfect tense is made up of the
auxiliary verb ‘have’, plus the past participle, and continues to explain that it is used to
explain an action that has begun in the past and continues to the present
moment…..etc.
An inductive approach means that the teacher is working to facilitate learning.

One to One
One to one offers a unique teaching situation with great potential. It offers a real
challenge to the teacher, but also an unrivalled opportunity. The content of a one to one
teaching session is determined to a large extent by the student. The teacher becomes
less of a controller or manager and needs more to respond to changes in demands
imposed by the student.
It is however still an artificial situation. Two individuals who have never met and may
have little in common spend a lot of time together in a confined space. It is essential that
the teacher is aware of this and is able to create space for learning and not expect the
student to be totally active. Silence can be difficult in any teaching, but never more so
than in a one to one situation. Students need time to read through work, formulate
answers etc. and the teacher needs to create the necessary space for this to happen
and also to take account of the learner's style.
Different expectations
One to one teaching in a business/language school setting is often in a small, cramped
room and comes with certain constraints and expectations as it is often billed as
'intensive'.
One to one in a homestay / private teaching setting is much more relaxed. The host
teacher chooses the room and the student determines the pace.
It is true to say that there is ‘no escape’ in one to one teaching. It is demanding and can
be very tiring, but the advantages for the student are many:

1. The individual learning style, personality and level of the student can be taken into
consideration
2. The student can set the pace, this is not only possible, but necessary
3. The teacher can offer a choice of pattern/timetable in the working day
4. Breaks can be taken when the time suits
5. There are fewer time constraints on the length of tasks and lessons
6. Tailor-made materials can be prepared and revised to suit the individual
7. The student can have choice and can even supply input material
8. The teacher can arrange visits and set up situations to suit the individual
9. Teaching aids can be ‘hands-on’
10. The teacher can constantly monitor and feedback on the progress of the student
11. Communication is authentic at all times