Why do we say an aeroplane but a university? And when do we need the—or no article at all? Gav and Em explore how to teach and learn English articles through sound, context and conversation, with guest teacher Shikha Das and her students.

Shikha explains the difference between definite and indefinite articles, including why the first sound of a word matters more than its first letter. Gav and Em try a sentence-correction game, tackle examples such as a manager versus the manager, and discuss why a long list of rules can overwhelm learners. Then Gav joins Shikha’s online class, where her students bring articles to life in everyday conversation.

If you find the show useful, you can send us a thanks at https://ko-fi.com/howtoenglishpod. Visit https://howtoenglishpod.com for practical teaching ideas and resources ready to use.

Find Shikha Das:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/english_with_shikha/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@shikhabiswas5157
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shikha.biswas2022

Resources mentioned:
Gav’s articles activity: https://www.dropbox.com/s/pjsdctq4bi8qdni/Gav%27s%20Articles%20Activity.pdf?dl=0
How English Works: https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/How_English_works.html?id=ZUBPvdUx39IC&redir_esc=y
Famous buildings in India: https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/famous-buildings-india/index.html

Chapters
00:00 Welcome and an aeroplane
02:31 Meet Shikha Das
03:16 Shikha explains a, an and the
07:24 Sounds versus spelling
08:03 Gav and Em’s a-or-an activity
13:11 How can teachers help students learn articles?
15:22 A manager or the manager?
18:36 Play Gav’s article-correction game
20:35 Articles with places and positions
22:50 First and second mentions: a Porsche, the Porsche
25:52 When do we use no article?
27:49 Gav joins Shikha’s online class
29:10 Articles in the students’ conversations
37:14 Thanks to Shikha and her students

Welcome to the final show of the year! Gav and Em take some time to thank their followers for all their wonderful feedback and introduce five amazing teachers and learners to the show. Check out their links below. Transcription with audio: https://share.descript.com/view/KlwRmqLezAE

Buy us a coffee (or tea): https://ko-fi.com/howtoenglishpod

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

Tanguay https://www.instagram.com/nextlevelearning_/

https://www.nextlevelearning.fr/

Dr. Anne https://www.instagram.com/laenglishtutor/

https://linktr.ee/laenglishtutor

Thanks to:

Sergio https://www.instagram.com/grammar_drops/

Teacher Milena https://www.instagram.com/teachermilena/

English with Reinventress https://www.instagram.com/englishwithreinventress/

Charlotte https://www.instagram.com/english_in_athens/

Kleber  https://www.instagram.com/klebergiurizatto.ingles

Whizbusters https://www.instagram.com/whizbusters/

LaDoris https://www.instagram.com/improve_my_pronunciation/

Tsar https://www.instagram.com/englishwithtsar/

Fateme https://www.instagram.com/f.zamani1376nn/

Barbara https://www.instagram.com/englishmusiceducation/

Eugeniu https://www.instagram.com/lingojunkie/

Jumpe4English https://www.instagram.com/jump4english/

GoodPods https://goodpods.com/

Gav & Em:

https://www.instagram.com/howtoenglishpod/

https://www.youtube.com/@HowtoEnglishPod

https://www.facebook.com/howtoenglishpod/

"Down in the dumps" usage and origin: https://english-grammar-lessons.com/down-in-the-dumps-meaning/

Cake pops (smooshed cakes): https://www.craftsy.com/post/how-to-make-smooth-cake-pops/

Welcome to Gav & Em's podcast all about teaching and learning English. In this show, Gav & Em will discuss the topic of articles: a, an, and the. Introducing Shikha Das and her class, who bring the language to life. Learn, practice, and have fun with How to English Podcast. Transcription with audio: https://share.descript.com/view/qaL26v90lav

Shika's links:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/english_with_shikha/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@shikhabiswas5157

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shikha.biswas2022

Other resources:

Gav's articles activity: https://www.dropbox.com/s/pjsdctq4bi8qdni/Gav%27s%20Articles%20Activity.pdf?dl=0

https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/How_English_works.html?id=ZUBPvdUx39IC&redir_esc=y

https://www.educationtopia.net/grammar/articles-shouldnot-used

https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/famous-buildings-india/index.html

Buy us a coffee or tea: https://ko-fi.com/howtoenglishpod

Are you a teacher with a CELTA qualification? Are you thinking about taking the CELTA training course? Does your teacher have a CELTA or another teaching qualification? Whatever your certificate, listen to Gav and Em discuss their experiences of studying in another country to become teachers. Transcription with audio: https://share.descript.com/view/AmKPNbWdx3q References: IH Budapest, teacher training: http://teacher-training.hu/ Details of the course:https://www.cactuslanguage.com/benefits-of-a-celta-online-course/ Pass rates of the CELTA internationally: https://passthecelta.com/faq/what-is-the-pass-rate/#:~:text=CELTA%20pass%20rates%20differ%20depending,candidates%20get%20a%20pass%20grade Amazing task based learning book: https://www.deltapublishing.co.uk/book/activities-for-task-based-learning-9783125017016/?page_id=1 CELTA preparation book: https://www.cambridge.org/gb/cambridgeenglish/catalog/cambridge-english-exams-ielts/celta-course

Could a book club help your students practise more than reading? Gav and Em explore how to start an English book club, choose books your group can enjoy and turn a shared story into conversation, writing and pronunciation practice.

Andrew Farmer of what_to_read_next shares how he runs a monthly book club for children learning English in Spain. His practical advice covers finding enough copies, choosing suitable books and getting children excited to take part. Gav and Em then suggest activities for before, during and after reading, and Em recommends three books that might spark discussion. A quiz tests whether some unusual fiction subgenres are real.

Dara K. Fulton of AppliedESL joins the show to discuss her life-skills books for adult English learners. She explains how everyday street and shop signs can become useful reading material and conversation starters.

If you find the show useful, you can send us a thanks at https://ko-fi.com/howtoenglishpod.

💡Visit our Episode guide for a detailed four-week book club plan https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/how-to-start-an-english-book-club-for-language-learners-s03e23/

Guests and resources:
Andrew Farmer: https://www.instagram.com/what_to_read_next/
Dara K. Fulton: https://www.instagram.com/appliedesl/
Dara’s books: https://www.amazon.com/Dara-K.-Fulton/e/B0879B8Y1H
Children’s authors Andrew mentions: http://www.davidlong.info/books.html | https://tompalmer.co.uk/ | https://www.vashtihardy.com/landing-ethan
National Literacy Trust: https://literacytrust.org.uk/
EFL book club ideas: https://ihteachenglish.com/blog-post/how-run-efl-book-club
Em’s book recommendations: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woman_on_the_Edge_of_Time | https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51648276-drive-your-plow-over-the-bones-of-the-dead | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haruki_Murakami

Chapters
00:22 What happens in a book club?
02:42 Why start a book club for English learners?
05:39 Andrew Farmer’s children’s book club
08:39 Finding books and choosing what to read
11:36 What Gav and Em learnt from Andrew
16:31 Choosing books and planning reading activities
19:50 Discussion questions and follow-up tasks
23:25 Em’s book recommendations
25:23 Quiz: real or invented fiction subgenres?
32:32 Meet Dara K. Fulton of AppliedESL
33:57 Dara on life skills and reading everyday signs
39:49 Using signs in English lessons

What's a book club? Do you belong to one? How do your start your own? With special guests Andrew from what_to_read_next and Dara at AppliedESL we explore the fascinating world of kids' books, adult fiction, subgenres, and street signs. On Gav and Em's How to English Pod. Transcription with audio: https://share.descript.com/view/P7C706QJa7E

Andrew's link: https://www.instagram.com/what_to_read_next/

Dara's link: https://www.instagram.com/appliedesl/

Dara's Books: https://www.amazon.com/Dara-K.-Fulton/e/B0879B8Y1H

Other resources:

David Long: http://www.davidlong.info/books.html

Tom Palmer: https://tompalmer.co.uk/

Vashti Hardy: https://www.vashtihardy.com/landing-ethan

The Literary Trust: https://literacytrust.org.uk/

https://ihteachenglish.com/blog-post/how-run-efl-book-club

https://bookstr.com/article/obscure-book-genres-you-may-not-know/

Em's Book recommendations:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woman_on_the_Edge_of_Time

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51648276-drive-your-plow-over-the-bones-of-the-dead

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haruki_Murakami

How can English teachers support neurodivergent learners without lowering expectations? In S03E22, Gav and Em are joined by Anna from Polca Languages, who trains teachers to work with dyslexic multilingual learners and supports students with ADHD.

We look at practical changes teachers can make to the classroom, instructions and activities, including seating, movement, sensory needs, discreet attention signals, clear communication and processing time. Anna explains why breaking learning into smaller chunks can help, and we explore low-stakes quizzes that allow students to retrieve language without putting one person on the spot.

The discussion also moves into dyslexia and reading: phonemes and graphemes, CVC words, decodable books, structured literacy, multisensory grammar and structured word inquiry. Throughout the episode, Anna’s message is clear: keep expectations high, but build learning step by step.

📚 READ THE S03E22 TEACHING ARTICLES

How Can Teachers Create a Neurodivergent-Friendly English Classroom?
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/how-can-teachers-create-a-neurodivergent-friendly-english-classroom-s03e22/

How Can Teachers Use Classroom Signals to Refocus Learners?
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/how-can-teachers-use-classroom-signals-to-refocus-learners-s03e22/

How Can Teachers Use Low-Stakes Testing Without Putting Learners Under Pressure?
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/how-can-teachers-use-low-stakes-testing-without-putting-learners-under-pressure-s03e22/

How Can Teachers Use Chunking to Support Neurodivergent English Learners?
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/how-can-teachers-use-chunking-to-support-neurodivergent-english-learners-s03e22/

How Can Teachers Help Dyslexic Learners Read English More Confidently?
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/how-can-teachers-help-dyslexic-learners-read-english-more-confidently-s03e22/

How Can Teachers Use Multisensory Grammar With Neurodivergent English Learners?
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/how-can-teachers-use-multisensory-grammar-with-neurodivergent-english-learners-s03e22/

🎙️ GUEST & RESOURCES

Anna / Polca Languages:
https://linktr.ee/polca_languages

Michelle Swan’s classroom tips:
https://hellomichelleswan.com/tips-for-teachers-supporting-neurodivergent-students/

Decodable books:
https://www.readinga-z.com/phonics/decodable-books/

Jolly Phonics:
https://www.jollylearning.co.uk/jolly-phonics/

More practical TEFL ideas and teaching resources:
https://howtoenglishpod.com

⏱️ CHAPTERS

00:00 Welcome
01:27 Neurodiversity in the English classroom; meet Anna
03:41 What does neurodiversity mean?
05:17 Adapting the classroom for sensory needs
08:13 Signals and cues for regaining attention
10:35 Clear communication and processing time
11:29 Chunking lessons and low-stakes testing
13:09 Using quizzes for low-pressure revision
14:50 Anna’s advice on teaching dyslexic learners
17:11 Connecting written letters and spoken sounds
21:47 CVC words and a classroom matching activity
23:57 Using decodable books with early readers
26:07 Phonics resources and structured literacy
27:16 Multisensory grammar and word inquiry
29:03 Building learners’ skills step by step

How to English TEFL Podcast with Gav & Em

Welcome back to Gav and Em's teaching and learning English show. Today's topic is neurodiversity in the ESL classroom. Led by their special guest Anna from Polca Languages, Gav and Em learn all about neurodivergent students and how to support their needs, along with plenty of resources, links, and activities. We hope you enjoy the show. Transcription with audio: https://share.descript.com/view/2TxSA22jUlK

Anna's links:

 https://www.instagram.com/polca_languages/

https://linktr.ee/polca_languages

Michelle Swan's website:

https://hellomichelleswan.com/tips-for-teachers-supporting-neurodivergent-students/

Other links:

Definition of neurodivergent students: https://www.qmul.ac.uk/queenmaryacademy/educators/resources/inclusive-curriculum/neurodivergent-learners/

Calls and responses: https://www.thoughtco.com/tips-and-tricks-get-students-attention-2081544

Clicker activity: https://kahoot.com/

Martin Bloomfield quote: https://www.english.com/blog/dyslexia-and-elt-how-to-help-young-learners/

Adrian at First Thinkers: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/CI0WpNb2loI

Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan, Ph.D. book: https://www.waterstones.com/book/teaching-english-language-learners/elsa-cardenas-hagan/9781598579659 

Website: https://mycll.org/elsa-cardenas-hagan/

Activity worksheet: https://files.liveworksheets.com/def_files/2020/3/25/3251913257005/3251913257005001.jpg

Decodable books: https://www.readinga-z.com/phonics/decodable-books/

Jolly Phonics: https://www.jollylearning.co.uk/jolly-phonics/

Toe-by-Toe: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVvMlHs8tzmP3PumCD4t92A

Why does gift have a hard G while giant has a soft G? How can you hear the difference between a long and a short vowel? Gav and Em explore English sounds through pronunciation activities you can try as a learner or use in class.

Em tests Gav with her hard and soft G sentences, then they practise long and short vowels, voiced and unvoiced consonants, and diphthongs. Accent coach Bianca explains monophthongs, diphthongs, mouth movement and the IPA. Jasmin from CCC Language Learning shares a tip for avoiding pronunciation habits carried over from your first language.

Find more teaching ideas at https://howtoenglishpod.com. If you enjoy the show, you can support Gav and Em at https://ko-fi.com/howtoenglishpod.

Guests

Bianca — Instagram · Website
Jasmin — TikTok · Instagram · Website

Try Em’s hard and soft G practice

• The engine was a gift given by a guest who was a misogynist.
• My glove and magic mug were grabbed by a guilty astrologer.
• There’s gum in my wig, so I guess I should go and get the detergent.
• A new page of legislation for the guild has zigzags in the margin.

Resources: English File IPA chart · Adrian Underhill on vowels and consonants · Speech Active vowel guide · Easy English with James on diphthongs

Chapters

00:00 Introduction: How to Sound
02:10 Using an IPA pronunciation chart
05:02 When is G hard or soft?
11:14 Em’s hard and soft G sentence challenge
13:58 Voiced and unvoiced sounds
16:16 Long and short vowel activity
19:19 Voiced and unvoiced consonant activity
22:42 Bianca’s vowel pronunciation tips
29:39 Diphthong practice
32:48 Jasmin’s pronunciation tip
36:51 Final advice for learners and teachers