How's your pronunciation? How's your knowledge of vowels? Why are some Gs pronounced hard or soft in English? Learn the difference between a monophthong and a diphthong. Featuring Bianca from Master an American Accent and Jasmin from CCC Language Learning, on this week's How to English Pod with Gav & Em. Transcription with audio: https://share.descript.com/view/p7kYYAwRjUq

Bianca's links:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/master.an.american.accent/

Website: https://accentcoachbianca.com/

Jasmin's links:

TikTok: tiktok.com/@ccclanguagelearning

Instagram: https://instagram.com/ccclanguagelearning?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Website: https://www.ccclanguagelearning.com/speaking

Other resources:

Em's hard and soft "G" activity:

The engine was a gift given by a guest who was a misogynist.

My glove and magic mug was 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.

English File, Oxford, IPA chart: https://elt.oup.com/student/englishfile/beginner3/pronunciation?cc=gb&selLanguage=en

Adrian Underhill video on vowels and consonants: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqeiFDVZDVY

Long and short vowel sounds: https://www.speechactive.com/english-vowels-ipa-international-phonetic-alphabet/

Easy English with James, diphthongs video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lI3xTvwYsa8

Which tools will actually help you learn or teach English? Gav and Em look beyond the latest app to ask how dictionaries, flashcards, course books and study plans can support real progress—without becoming overwhelming.

Timmons from HelloTalk joins them to explain language exchange and the app’s learning and teaching features. Gav and Em then share practical ways to record useful vocabulary, make memorable flashcards and choose a course book that suits your level and interests. Em also helps Gav turn the vague advice to “make a study plan” into specific activities you can put in a calendar, review and adjust.

Try HelloTalk: https://brc.hellotalk.com/GavAndEm

Resources mentioned:
What is a language exchange? https://www.hellotalk.com/blog/what-is-a-language-exchange/
HelloTalk Live: https://www.hellotalk.com/blog/meet-hellotalk-live-tailored-language-learning-content-on-your-schedule/
How to make an effective study plan: https://www.vu.edu.au/about-vu/news-events/study-space/how-to-make-an-effective-study-plan
Study plan tips: https://manwrites.com/how-to-build-the-perfect-english-study-plan/
Nik Peachey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikpeachey/
Google Calendar: https://calendar.google.com
Outlook Calendar: https://outlook.live.com/calendar/
Trello: https://trello.com/
Pomodoro technique: https://todoist.com/productivity-methods/pomodoro-technique

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.

Chapters
00:00 What counts as an English learning tool?
02:36 Learning apps and regular revision
04:59 Timmons introduces HelloTalk
11:01 Gav and Em explore HelloTalk’s features
15:19 Dictionaries, notebooks and choosing useful words
16:45 Making vocabulary flashcards memorable
17:57 Words of the day and study buddies
19:28 Choosing a course book that suits you
21:58 What makes an effective study plan?
28:38 Calendars, flexibility and study breaks
31:40 Helping learners build a study plan

Welcome everybody to Gav & Em's How to English Pod. This time they're talking about learning tools for learners and teachers to use inside and outside the classroom. Tools such as course books, study plans, apps, and much, much more. Joined by their special guest Timmons, from HelloTalk who will present the awesome benefits of the HelloTalk app and its many learning and teaching features. So, after the show, make sure you download the app using the link below:

Download the HelloTalk app here: https://brc.hellotalk.com/GavAndEm

Resources:

 Transcription with audio: https://share.descript.com/view/CzRNqdG2wL5

How to make an effective study plan: https://www.vu.edu.au/about-vu/news-events/study-space/how-to-make-an-effective-study-plan

Study plan tips: https://manwrites.com/how-to-build-the-perfect-english-study-plan/

Nik Peachey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikpeachey/?originalSubdomain=uk

Google Calendar: https://calendar.google.com

Outlook Calendar: https://outlook.live.com/calendar/

Trello Calendar: https://trello.com/

Pomodoro technique: https://todoist.com/productivity-methods/pomodoro-technique

Are you teaching English for the world your learners live in now? Gav and Em ask what a 21st-century classroom needs, from personalised lessons and inclusive materials to learning through doing. They discuss the four Cs—critical thinking, communication, collaboration and creativity—and the challenge of giving every learner a voice when group work gets lively.

Gav shares how he uses puzzles and escape rooms; Em reflects on adapting a lesson plan while still keeping learning goals in sight. They also consider the teacher’s role as a coach, the place of technology, and teacher wellbeing.

Then educator, author and content creator Teacher Imane joins the show to talk about her teaching journey and why she began writing children’s books.

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.

Teacher Imane: https://linktr.ee/Imane1
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teacherimane/
Books: Under the Sea and Ramadan ABC

Mentioned in the episode: Chris Drew’s guide to 21st-century learning: https://helpfulprofessor.com/21st-century-learning/

Chapters
00:00 Welcome and the 21st-century teaching question
03:11 The four Cs and skills for the future
05:04 Personalised learning and student-led lessons
09:52 Equity, diversity and inclusive materials
12:24 Learning through doing: puzzles and escape rooms
14:30 Making group tasks work for quieter learners
17:03 The teacher’s changing role
20:11 Community, culture and connection
23:13 Technology in teaching and learning
27:04 Professional growth and trying new approaches
30:02 Sustainability and teacher wellbeing
34:02 Meet Teacher Imane
35:09 Storytime and writing children’s books
41:01 What children gain from acting out stories
43:05 Closing

Are you a 21st Century teacher? Is your teacher a 21st Century teacher? Are you still teaching or learning in a 20th Century way? What should we consider focussing on in our curriculums and methods as educators and learners in this current century? Plus, find out about Teacher Imane: an educator, author, and content creator who talks about her journey through teaching and publishing children's books. So learn and have fun with Gav & Em's How to English Pod. Transcription with audio: https://share.descript.com/view/aiJ3WKGRb3K

Imane's links:

https://linktr.ee/Imane1

https://www.instagram.com/teacherimane/

Under the Sea: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09QKKSSPQ/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

Ramadan ABC: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09V31GMVT/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1

Other resources:

21st Century skills –

Critical thinking, Communication, Collaboration, Creativity Written by the Helpful Professor – Chris Drew, PhD https://helpfulprofessor.com/21st-century-learning/

Make communication more meaningful to improve learning: http://psychlearningcurve.org/learning-more-meaningful/

What’s the difference between chef and chief, shade and shadow, or job and work? Gav and Em explore word pairs their students mix up and turn them into activities you can try in an English lesson.

They demonstrate eliciting words through clues, hiding them in stories, using gap fills and a dice game, then trying charades and drawing. Along the way, they discover that explaining a difference clearly can be harder than recognising the right answer!

Download Gav’s list of 70 confusing words and phrases:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/gnnderlodwt6sim/Confusing%20words.pdf?dl=0

Tools mentioned in the episode:
Online dice: https://www.online-dice.com/
AutoDraw: https://www.autodraw.com/

For more practical teaching ideas from this episode at our🌐 website:

How to Teach Commonly Confused English Words Through ElicitationStory-Spotting Activity for Confusing English WordsJob or Work? How to Explain the Difference ClearlyHow to Use Dice to Practise Confusing English Words

How to Teach Borrow and Lend Through Mime

How to Use Drawing to Contrast Similar English Words☕If you find the show useful, you can send us a thanks at https://ko-fi.com/howtoenglishpod

Chapters
0:21 Why do similar English words cause confusion?
1:52 Ask learners which words they mix up
2:41 Chef or chief? Start with a real mistake
3:34 Gav’s list of 70 confusing words
4:26 Game 1: Elicit words with clues
13:00 Turn the guessing game into a classroom activity
14:05 Game 2: Hide confusing words in a story
23:30 Game 3: Gap fills and multiple choice
24:02 Job or work?
26:00 Fell or felt?
27:00 Shade or shadow?
28:45 Game 4: Roll the dice
29:45 Dead or died?
33:30 Game 5: Charades
36:09 Game 6: Draw the words
39:30 Final ideas for using the activities

Which words confuse you when communicating in English? Are there similar words that you always mix up? This episode, Gav & Em explore some confusing words that their students often make mistakes with and try to explain the differences through different activities. Hope you enjoy the show! Transcription with audio: https://share.descript.com/view/VlWA1e0CzID

Gav's list of confusing words:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/gnnderlodwt6sim/Confusing%20words.pdf?dl=0

References:

Online die: https://www.online-dice.com/

Online drawing app: https://www.autodraw.com/

https://www.natterandramble.co.uk/list-of-confusing-words/

https://www.luke.lv/post/for-students-confusing-words-for-russian-ukrainian-speakers

https://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises_list/mix_words.htm

https://www.costaricatesol.com/tefl-costa-rica-blog/common-errors-spanish-speakers-make-when-learning-english-459

https://www.esolcourses.com/content/vocabulary/spelling/homophones/multichoice/spelling-confusing-words.html

Sheep under the shade of a tree: https://ih1.redbubble.net/image.11129001.5224/flat,1000x1000,075,f.jpg

What does it take to learn several languages? Gav and Em explore what “polyglot” means and discuss language-learning ideas they’ve encountered as teachers and learners. Can reading help you remember new vocabulary? Do you need the perfect study method? And how much do time and motivation matter?

Andy from Andy’s Everyday English shares a tip for learning vocabulary through reading and context. Azren the Language Nerd, who speaks five languages, explains the three things he considers key to progress: methods, time and mindset. Gav and Em also discuss grammar, role plays, subtitles and realistic expectations about how long language learning can take.

Find Azren at https://azrenthelanguagenerd.com/ and Andy at https://www.instagram.com/andys.everyday.english/.

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.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction
00:43 What is a polyglot?
03:47 Andy’s Everyday English: learning vocabulary through reading
09:00 Gav and Em discuss vocabulary in context
15:01 Can anyone become a polyglot?
18:56 Language-learning tips: grammar, speaking practice and subtitles
28:19 Meet Azren the Language Nerd
29:41 Azren’s three keys: methods, time and mindset
37:14 How long can it take to learn another language?
41:14 Balancing the challenge with the rewards

What is a polyglot? Are you one? Would you like to be? Just what does it take to become one? Check out this week's episode of Gav and Em's How to English Pod to discover the answer to these and many more questions on the topic of polyglots. Plus, catch Andy from andys.everyday.english on Instagram who shares a learning vocabulary tip. Transcription with audio: https://share.descript.com/view/SrkX5nPvR0D

Azren's links:

https://azrenthelanguagenerd.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PolyglotAzren

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@polyglotazren

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

Andy's links:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andys.everyday.english/

TikTok: https://www.instagram.com/andys.everyday.english1/

Other resources:

https://storylearning.com/blog/methods-top-polyglots

https://www.fluentu.com/blog/how-polyglots-learn-language/

https://storylearning.com/blog/methods-top-polyglots

How long it takes to learn another language for English speakers:

https://www.state.gov/foreign-language-training/

Factors influencing learning languages:

https://www.researchprospect.com/10-key-factors-influencing-language-development/

Grab a pen and join Gav and Em for Quiz Time. They take turns testing each other on languages, the origins of English words, grammar and everyday vocabulary. Play along, check your answers and pick up ideas for bringing a quiz into your own English lessons.

How many languages has English borrowed from? Where might the word “penguin” come from? Alongside the language facts, Gav and Em tackle questions about verb forms, commonly confused words and more. Alexandra from English4Style joins them to explain the differences between trip, journey and travel.

Follow Alexandra: https://www.instagram.com/english4style/

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

Chapters
0:00 Welcome to Quiz Time
1:21 How to play the 30-question quiz
3:46 English and its language influences
5:00 Long English words and vocabulary questions
11:06 Grammar and world-language questions
17:05 Alphabets and word origins
20:45 Where does “penguin” come from?
27:11 The final language-facts questions
28:12 Gav’s grammar and vocabulary round
37:17 Language facts and Alexandra’s introduction
38:06 Alexandra explains trip, journey and travel
42:03 Results and goodbye