What helps learners build confidence and teachers create better English lessons? In the Season 1 finale, teachers and learners from around the world share practical tips with Gav and Em.

For learners: practise with a speaking partner, learn useful phrases rather than isolated words, keep using new vocabulary until you “own” it, and bring English into your hobbies, TV, games and social media. For teachers: prepare a backup activity, reflect on your lessons, learn from colleagues and create a classroom where students feel safe to experiment. Gav and Em discuss presentation practice, handwritten notes, digital tools and adapting lessons to different personalities.

How can you stop translating and start thinking in English? Do teachers need to know every grammar term? This second collection of community tips closes Season 1 before Gav and Em return for Season 2.

💡 10 practical TEFL tips from this episode: https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/10-practical-tefl-tips-for-better-lessons-from-real-teachers-s01e50/
☕ Support the show: https://ko-fi.com/howtoenglishpod
🌐 Teaching ideas and resources: https://howtoenglishpod.com

Contributors
Ali: https://www.instagram.com/kasaei72/
Sara: https://www.instagram.com/sara_nativeenglishfast/
Renan: https://www.instagram.com/renan_weteachonline/
Erin: https://www.instagram.com/everything_efl_pod/
Mercedes: https://www.instagram.com/bits_n_pieces_english/
Andy: https://www.instagram.com/parlourlanguageroom/
Mari and Dan: https://www.instagram.com/english.unite/
Ro: https://www.instagram.com/english4brazilians/
Rosanna: https://www.instagram.com/rosanna_spreadjoy/
Vicky: https://www.instagram.com/vicky.loras/
The Eng Bang: https://www.instagram.com/the.eng.bang/
Live and Learn Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/liveandlearn_podcast/
Michael: https://www.instagram.com/canaryislandsenglish/
Mohsen: https://www.instagram.com/mohsen.sabetmand/
Amira: https://www.instagram.com/english_with_amira/
Sahar: https://www.instagram.com/etook.english/
Wanda: https://www.instagram.com/waworkshops/

Resources
Google Docs: https://docs.google.com/
Google Jamboard: https://jamboard.google.com/
Quizlet: https://quizlet.com/en-gb
The Crown: https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/80025678
Friends: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108778/

Chapters
00:00 Season 1 finale and community top tips
02:37 Daily speaking and listening
04:05 Power poses and rehearsal
06:09 Online tools and handwritten notes
08:58 Reflection and learning from teachers
10:28 Preparation, backups and games
12:12 Grammar confidence and first lessons
15:03 Speaking communities and vocabulary
17:08 First language and thinking in English
19:13 Vocabulary journals and owning words
20:23 Hobbies, TV and videos
22:11 Social media in English
23:57 Learning with students
25:30 Phrases, chunks and language frames
27:23 Learning through personal interests
28:21 Six ways to improve your English
30:54 Deep learning and engagement
32:40 Safe classrooms and creative projects
37:43 Gav and Em reflect
38:53 Farewell and Season 2 plans

What practical advice can help you become a better English teacher or learner? In the penultimate episode of Season 1, Gav and Em hand the microphones to teachers and learners around the world. Their community shares classroom ideas, study habits and honest lessons from experience.

How can you stay motivated and practise consistently? Can films, games and audiobooks help you learn English? What do phonics, weekly goals and recording yourself add to your study routine? And how can teachers stay flexible while protecting their wellbeing?

You’ll hear tips on keeping beginner lessons simple and learner-centred; treating the teacher as a guide; breaking big goals into weekly steps; learning through activities you enjoy; using phonics to spot spelling and pronunciation patterns; reading while listening to an audiobook; hearing a range of accents; recording yourself to review your pronunciation and body language; using exercise to boost energy; and taking a proper break when you need one.

Gav and Em respond to each contribution, drawing on their own classroom experience and finding ideas to try themselves. This is the first of two episodes featuring tips from the How to English community.

💡 Read the 10 practical teaching tips from this episode: https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/10-practical-english-teaching-tips-from-real-teachers-s01e49/

☕ Support the show: https://ko-fi.com/howtoenglishpod
🌐 More teaching ideas and resources: https://howtoenglishpod.com

Contributors on Instagram:
f.zamani1376nn — https://www.instagram.com/f.zamani1376nn/
englisharthas — https://www.instagram.com/englisharthas/
maxi.kot — https://www.instagram.com/maxi.kot/
6afraidof7cause789 — https://www.instagram.com/6afraidof7cause789/
aceenglishonline — https://www.instagram.com/acenglishonline/
english_like_a_non_native — https://www.instagram.com/english_like_a_non_native/
dosecertadeingles — https://www.instagram.com/dosecertadeingles/
learnenglishwithparis — https://www.instagram.com/learn.english.with.paris/
patriciademier — https://www.instagram.com/patricia_demier/
tungning_inthepicture — https://www.instagram.com/tungning_inthepicture/
edsvets_english — https://www.instagram.com/edsvets_english/
fabulousfabes — https://www.instagram.com/fabulous.fabes/
teachloveearn — https://www.instagram.com/teach.love.earn/
tutorstoptips — https://www.instagram.com/tutors.toptips/
creative.ideas.4.esl — https://www.instagram.com/creative.ideas.4.esl/

Resources:
Business Builder, 1.3 “Showing Interest” (Macmillan, 2002)
Flipgrid: https://info.flipgrid.com/
DeepL: https://www.deepl.com/en/translator

Chapters
00:00 Welcome and community top tips
01:37 Simple lessons and feedback
03:00 Consistency and enjoyable practice
04:28 Flexible lessons and teacher self-care
06:20 Motivation and lifelong learning
08:27 Achievable weekly goals
10:29 Continuing to develop
12:20 Phonics and pronunciation
14:32 Thinking in English and speaking partners
17:45 Reading with audiobooks
19:08 Surrounding yourself with spoken English
20:53 Varying activities and accents
23:26 Diaries and self-recording
25:11 Inspiring one another
27:14 Reviewing progress and setting goals
28:31 Exercise and attention
30:08 Final reflections and Part Two

Which English Teaching Books Are Worth Using? Coursebook Reviews and Raise Up – S01E48

Which English teaching books are genuinely useful, and should teachers follow a coursebook from beginning to end?

Gav and Em review some of their favourite general English, Business English and grammar books. Drawing on more than 40 years of combined teaching experience, they explain how coursebooks can provide structure, level-appropriate language and ready-made activities without controlling every stage of a lesson.

They discuss the strengths and limitations of English File, Cutting Edge and Headway before comparing two popular Business English series: Market Leader and In Company. Which provides the best case studies? Which offers more authentic listening? And why can Business English coursebooks feel harder than general English books at the same stated level?

They also recommend older resource books, including Inside Out and Reward, alongside grammar favourites by Michael Swan, Catherine Walter, Raymond Murphy, Michael Vince and Penny Ur.

The episode concludes with a special contribution from teachers and materials writers Ila Coimbra and James Taylor, co-founders of Raise Up! They explain how their inclusive ELT coursebooks represent people, families and experiences often overlooked in mainstream materials. Topics include disability, faith, refugees, LGBTQIA+ communities, mental health, ethnicity and non-conventional families.

You’ll also learn how the books are created, how teachers can contribute and how proceeds support organisations working for social justice.

☕ Support the podcast:
https://ko-fi.com/howtoenglishpod

🌐 Find practical teaching ideas and resources:
https://howtoenglishpod.com

Resources

Raise Up!
https://raiseupforelt.com/

James Taylor’s ELT podcast
https://open.spotify.com/show/3kZ6ubdXZipTx2YRdkvSud

English File
https://elt.oup.com/catalogue/items/global/adult_courses/english_file_fourth_edition/

Market Leader
https://www.pearson.com/english/catalogue/business-english/market-leader.html

In Company
https://www.macmillanenglish.com/catalogue/courses/business-english/in-company-30/course-information

Cutting Edge
https://www.pearson.com/english/catalogue/general-english/cutting-edge-3e.html

Headway
https://elt.oup.com/catalogue/items/global/adult_courses/headway/

How English Works
https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/How_English_Works.html?id=ZUBPvdUx39IC

English Grammar in Use
https://www.cambridge.org/gb/cambridgeenglish/catalog/grammar-vocabulary-and-pronunciation/english-grammar-use-5th-edition

Michael Vince
https://www.waterstones.com/author/michael-vince/298029

Penny Ur
https://www.cambridge.org/gb/cambridgeenglish/authors/penny-ur

New Inside Out
https://www.macmillanenglish.com/catalogue/courses/adults-and-young-adults/new-inside-out/course-information

Reward
https://www.eltbase.com/books-6-reward-intermediate-resource-pack

Chapters

00:00 Introduction: favourite English-teaching books
00:52 How should teachers use coursebooks?
03:06 Should every grammar point be taught?
04:22 English File: grammar and communication
07:39 English File or Cutting Edge?
09:04 Headway and other general English books
09:15 Market Leader for Business English
11:34 In Company and authentic listening
13:26 Who should choose the coursebook?
14:20 Inside Out and Reward resources
15:01 How English Works and grammar books
16:24 Michael Vince, Raymond Murphy and Penny Ur
17:12 Introducing the inclusive Raise Up! books
19:50 Ila Coimbra and James Taylor
20:53 Why representation matters in ELT
22:19 What does genuine inclusion mean?
22:58 How Raise Up! is created
24:12 Supporting social-justice organisations
25:10 Contributing to Raise Up!
26:29 Gav and Em reflect on inclusive materials
27:39 Preview of the listener-tips episodes
28:24 Final recommendations and outro

What makes a good Business English lesson? Do English teachers need specialist knowledge of their learners’ industries?

In this episode of How to English TEFL Podcast, Gav and Em explore the overlap between Business English and General English. Drawing on more than 40 years of combined teaching experience, they share practical advice for creating useful, engaging lessons for working professionals.

Which skills should a Business English course cover? Gav and Em discuss emails, telephone calls, meetings, presentations, negotiations, reports, interviews, appraisals and workplace small talk. They also explain how everyday topics can be adapted to suit a learner’s job and communication needs.

What happens when students use unfamiliar jargon? The learner understands the industry, while the teacher provides expertise in English and communication. Asking learners to explain specialist terms can reveal where their language needs to become simpler, clearer or more natural.

Gav recalls preparing to teach aviation professionals at an airport, while Em describes lessons inside companies and a department store. They also discuss confidentiality, appropriate clothing, flexible schedules, realistic client expectations and valuing yourself as a freelance teacher.

Stay until the end for a quiz: can Em distinguish activities from a General English coursebook from those in a Business English coursebook?

☕ Support us: https://ko-fi.com/howtoenglishpod
🌐 More TEFL content: https://howtoenglishpod.com

00:00 – What is Business English?
Introducing the topic and choosing the episode title.

01:09 – Business English or General English?
Balancing the employer’s objectives with what employees want to study.

03:07 – Becoming a Business English teacher
Corporate classes, early mornings and evening lessons.

04:20 – Essential workplace communication skills
Emails, calls, meetings, presentations, appraisals and reports.

05:00 – Are Business English books harder?
Why their stated levels may feel more advanced than General English books.

06:16 – Adapting everyday topics for work
Connecting General English lessons with learners’ jobs.

07:26 – Teaching unfamiliar industries and jargon
Why teachers don’t need to be experts in their learners’ professions.

10:01 – Making Business English enjoyable
Simplifying professional language and using creative speaking tasks.

10:58 – Teaching in different industries
How experience with companies can build teacher confidence.

11:59 – Confidentiality and competing companies
NDAs, industry secrets and Em’s unfortunate email mistake.

13:16 – Gav teaches at an airport
Preparing aviation language and discovering what the learners really needed.

14:45 – Em’s department-store lessons
Using the workplace as authentic teaching material.

16:08 – What makes a professional teacher?
Preparation, reliability, flexibility and appropriate clothing.

18:11 – Flexibility, pricing and quality
Working around busy schedules and recognising your value.

19:05 – Teaching English as a business
Keeping clients happy while helping learners progress.

21:33 – When you’re out of your depth
Handling unfamiliar topics and avoiding unrealistic promises.

23:17 – Managing company expectations
Understanding how a language school has presented you to its client.

24:44 – Finding a teaching niche
How specialist knowledge can create new career opportunities.

25:33 – Quiz: Business or General English?
Can Em identify which coursebook each activity comes from?

30:08 – Final thoughts
Why Business English and General English naturally overlap.

Chapters and timestamps

What are the best topics for an English lesson?

The most effective lesson topics give learners something meaningful to say, introduce useful language and can be adapted to their level, interests and reasons for learning English.

In this episode of How to English TEFL Podcast, Gav and Em compare topics that have worked with their students and explore how familiar themes can become productive lessons.

Drawing on their experience of teaching different ages, levels and course types, they discuss food, recipes, festivals, healthy eating, legal cases, art, cultural rules, stories, British idioms and superstitions. Examples include BBC recipes, the Stella Liebeck hot-coffee case, a David Hockney painting, a Douglas Adams story and the UK Eatwell Guide.

They also consider how one topic can provide a natural context for speaking, reading, vocabulary and grammar, including inchoative verbs.

Questions answered include:

What are some good topics for English lessons?
Which conversation topics do learners enjoy?
How can teachers adapt one topic for different levels?
How can food, culture, art and stories generate useful language?
How much should learners’ interests influence lesson planning?
How can familiar coursebook topics become more memorable?

Whether you are planning a conversation class, adapting a coursebook unit or looking for fresh inspiration, this episode offers practical ideas based on materials and discussions Gav and Em have used with real learners.

☕ Enjoying the podcast? Show Gav and Em your appreciation with a coffee, tea or another well-earned beverage:
https://ko-fi.com/howtoenglishpod

🌐 Busy teacher? Find practical teaching resources, classroom ideas and episode guides at:
https://howtoenglishpod.com

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Introduction
00:42 – What makes a good English lesson topic?
02:27 – Food, recipes and festival lesson ideas
05:24 – Legal English and the Stella Liebeck hot-coffee case
06:46 – Using paintings and visual material
08:48 – Cultural rules, laws and discussion activities
10:46 – Stories, healthy eating and language through topics
17:36 – British idioms
19:44 – English superstitions and cultural beliefs
23:43 – Choosing topics students genuinely enjoy
24:48 – Closing thoughts and outro

REFERENCES

BBC Recipes:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes

Food, Unit 1, English File, 3rd Edition, Intermediate, Oxford

Festivals in Germany:
https://cs.hotels.com/go/germany/best-festivals-germany

Absolute Legal English, Delta Publishing:
https://www.ajshop.cz/delta-publishing/absolute-legal-english/

Stella Liebeck case: Cutting Edge, Advanced, Longman

David Hockney painting: English File, 3rd Edition, Pre-Intermediate, Oxford

Cultural Rules and Laws: Are They True? New English File, 2nd Edition, Intermediate, p.179, Oxford

Douglas Adams’ story:
https://theoldvillage.wordpress.com/2004/01/28/douglas-adams-shares-a-true-story/

UK Eatwell Guide:
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/the-eatwell-guide/

Inchoative verbs:
https://www.usingenglish.com/files/pdf/inchoative-verbs.pdf

British idioms:
https://www.chapter-living.com/blog/28-classic-british-idioms

English superstitions:
https://artsandculture.google.com/story/QQIyTWmzJ9QvLg

How do you teach English to children and teenagers — and what makes teaching young learners so different from teaching adults?

In this episode of How to English TEFL Podcast, Gav and Em look back at their own experiences of teaching kids, from very young learners and energetic summer-school groups to teenagers, exam students and one-to-one lessons.

Drawing on more than 40 years of combined English-teaching experience, including plenty of first-hand experience with children and teens, they discuss the lessons that worked brilliantly, the classes that definitely didn’t, and the techniques they learned along the way.

How do you keep children interested in English? Should you use rewards and star charts? How important are routines? What should you do when teenagers simply don’t want to participate? And how can teachers combine structure with games, stories, crafts and topics students genuinely care about?

Gav explains why he sometimes abandons the coursebook when a young learner becomes enthusiastic about a topic such as fashion or a favourite film, while Em remembers both the excitement of teaching highly motivated children and the challenge of trying to energise tired teenagers.

They also explore classroom management, clear instructions, consistency, praise, short activities, storytelling, hands-on learning, revision and keeping teacher talking time under control.

Later, Gav and Em consider the particular challenge of teaching children online and ask how teachers can maintain energy, interaction and attention when young learners are sitting behind a screen.

Whether you are teaching English to kids for the first time, returning to young learner classes after a break, or looking for practical TEFL ideas for children and teenagers, this episode offers honest classroom experiences and plenty of ideas to try.

☕ Support Gav & Em:
https://ko-fi.com/howtoenglishpod

🌐 More TEFL articles, episodes and teaching ideas:
https://howtoenglishpod.com

References:Best books for kids: https://bilingualkidspot.com/2019/06/11/esl-english-learning-books-for-kids-beginners/Oxford Picture Dictionary: https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-oxford-picture-dictionary-for-kids-joan-ross-keyes/book/9780194349970.htmlLet’s Go Series: https://elt.oup.com/catalogue/items/global/young_learners/lets_go_fourth_edition/?cc=cz&selLanguage=csSong: We're going on a bear hunt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QlAx20TvEIKids peer teaching: https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/peer-correctionUseful Tips for Teaching ESL To Children: https://www.eslbase.com/teaching/teaching-esl-childrenTimestamps:

00:00 Teaching kids: Gav & Em introduce the topic
02:16 Coursebooks or the learner’s interests?
04:31 Why teaching children is a different skill
05:52 Motivating children and difficult teenage classes
09:34 Classroom management, boundaries and respect
10:51 Rewards, stars and the importance of consistency
13:34 Routines, clear instructions and lesson structure
15:45 Story time and activities for younger learners
17:17 Crafts, stories and interactive listening
19:18 Hands-on activities and keeping instructions short
21:32 Review, correction and praise
22:52 The challenges of teaching kids online
25:44 Following their interests — even if it means Frozen 2
26:28 Gav & Em’s favourite memories of teaching children
28:47 End

How much pressure should English teachers put on their students — and how much pressure should teachers put on themselves?

In this episode of How to English TEFL Podcast, Gav and Em explore pressure in English teaching and learning from four directions: students to teachers, teachers to students, teachers to other teachers and companies, and students to students.

Drawing on decades of experience teaching in classrooms, companies and online, they discuss when pressure can motivate progress — and when it becomes unhelpful.

Em talks about imposter syndrome, second-guessing herself and still feeling nervous before some lessons. She also recalls being asked early in her career to teach a high-profile politician who later became the president of a country, complete with bodyguards and very little preparation time.

Gav explains why teaching senior executives can still feel intimidating and what happens when students suddenly ask difficult grammar or vocabulary questions. Do teachers need every answer immediately, or is checking and working through language together part of good teaching?

They also look at pressure on students: comfort zones, correction, homework, difficult questions and the balance between keeping learners comfortable and helping them improve.

Then there is pressure from other teachers. Social media and staffrooms can make everybody else’s lessons look polished and effortless, leading teachers to compare themselves with others.

Gav and Em also discuss pressure from language schools and companies: last-minute cover lessons, progress tests, admin, demanding timetables and the fear freelance teachers can feel about saying no to work or taking a holiday.

Finally, can pressure be positive? They look at study buddies, group work and peer pressure as ways learners can motivate one another without all the responsibility falling on the teacher.

Support How to English:
https://ko-fi.com/howtoenglishpod

More episodes, teaching ideas and resources:
https://howtoenglishpod.com

References:
Synonyms: https://www.synonyms.com/
Dictionary: https://www.dictionary.com/
Mice on wheels: https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/21/science/study-shows-that-mice-run-for-fun-not-just-for-lab-work.html
Dan Rather quote: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/79856

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 What does “pressure” mean in English teaching?
01:00 Four types of pressure in teaching and learning
02:10 Imposter syndrome and self-pressure
03:00 Teaching VIPs and senior executives
06:20 Em’s experience teaching a high-profile politician
09:30 What if a student asks a question you can’t answer?
12:40 Student expectations, goals and useful pressure
17:30 Comfort zones, motivation and progress
19:50 Homework, correction and classroom pressure
22:40 Comparing yourself with other teachers
25:30 Pressure from schools, companies and workload
28:45 Freelance teaching, holidays and saying yes
30:45 Study buddies and positive peer pressure
32:20 Group work and useful pressure
33:40 Self-care, managing pressure and wrapping up

How should English teachers organise years of worksheets, lesson plans, coursebook materials, audio files and student notes without creating an even bigger digital mess?

In this episode of How to English TEFL Podcast, Gav and Em talk about something almost every experienced teacher eventually has to deal with: organising their teaching stuff.

Em has spent years moving from paper-based teaching materials to digital resources — including her famous pink folders — while Gav explains the system he developed for organising lessons by Business English, General English, exam preparation, topics, grammar, vocabulary and functional language.

They compare different ways of storing and naming teaching materials, discuss why searchable file names can be as important as folders, and look at the advantages and disadvantages of keeping PDF, Word, audio and other versions of the same resource.

Gav also explains how he built reusable lesson packs from favourite coursebook activities, audio and worksheets, making it easier to find a complete lesson when a familiar topic comes up again. But digital organisation creates another problem: what happens when you save so much material that you can no longer decide which activity to use?

The conversation then turns to English learners. Gav and Em discuss ways students can organise vocabulary and study habits, including keeping a diary in English, making vocabulary lists, using flashcards, testing themselves, taking useful notes and identifying words and expressions they actually need in everyday life.

Em also shares the system she uses for keeping notes about individual students so she can remember important details from previous lessons and build stronger continuity and rapport from class to class.

Finally, they tackle one of Gav's weaker areas: teacher admin. Should attendance, lesson records and other paperwork be completed immediately after each class, or can you leave everything until the end of the month?

Drawing on years of face-to-face and online English teaching, Gav and Em compare two very different approaches to organisation and ask an important question: how organised does an English teacher really need to be?

In this episode:

00:00 What does “organising stuff” mean for teachers?
02:10 Em's move from paper folders to digital teaching materials
04:30 Should teachers keep paper copies of old lessons?
06:00 Building reusable digital lesson packs
08:05 Can teachers save too many resources?
09:30 Gav's system for organising TEFL materials
12:00 Why searchable file names matter
13:25 PDF vs Word files for teaching online
15:10 Going paper-free as an English teacher
17:15 Organising vocabulary and study habits
18:45 Choosing English words you actually need
20:25 Flashcards, revision and testing yourself
21:40 Immersing yourself in English
23:15 Keeping organised notes about individual students
25:35 How teacher notes can improve lesson continuity
27:20 Organising attendance, lesson records and admin
29:10 Gav and Em's very different approaches to teacher admin

Support How to English:
https://ko-fi.com/howtoenglishpod

More TEFL articles, teaching ideas and episodes:
https://howtoenglishpod.com

References:

CEFR table and “can do” statements:
https://www.coe.int/en/web/common-european-framework-reference-languages/table-1-cefr-3.3-common-reference-levels-global-scale

English File, Oxford

How should you prepare for IELTS, TOEFL or Cambridge English exams — and which exam skills actually make a difference?

Gav and Em explore English exam preparation from both the teacher’s and learner’s perspective. They compare IELTS, TOEFL and Cambridge English exams and discuss why learners take them for university, work, migration, promotion or as a personal language-learning goal.

Exam preparation involves more than improving grammar and vocabulary. Discover practical strategies across reading, listening, speaking and writing, including:

• managing time before and during the exam
• recognising listening distractors
• skimming texts and finding key information
• practising keyword transformations and word formation
• learning the test format before exam day
• communicating naturally in speaking exams
• planning stronger exam essays

For speaking exams, Gav and Em explain why candidates should focus on genuine communication rather than memorised answers. They discuss interacting with another candidate, dealing naturally with difficult questions, recovering from mistakes and demonstrating the range of English expected at the learner’s level.

Guest teacher Dino Koaching shares an alternative approach to Cambridge exam writing. “Reverse engineering” an essay means taking an existing piece of writing apart to identify its structure and key ideas. Learners can then use that understanding to brainstorm and plan a new essay.

Whether you are preparing for IELTS, TOEFL, B2 First, C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency—or teaching an exam class—this episode offers practical ways to approach English exams with clearer strategies and greater confidence.

📚 FREE EXAM-PREPARATION GUIDE

Read the complete S01E42 episode guide, with detailed advice for reading, listening, speaking and writing:
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/episode-guide-how-can-english-learners-prepare-for-cambridge-ielts-and-toefl-exams-s01e42/

Explore related articles:

Which Type of English Course Does a Learner Need?
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/general-business-exam-or-esp-which-type-of-english-lesson-does-a-learner-need-s01e02/

How Can English Exam Students Improve Their Time Management?
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/how-can-english-language-exam-students-improve-their-time-management-s01e26/

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Do Gav and Em like exams?
02:10 – Can exam preparation be fun?
04:20 – IELTS, TOEFL and Cambridge English
07:30 – Why learners take English exams
10:05 – Exam-day timing and preparation
12:20 – Listening skills and distractors
15:05 – Exam formats, levels and scores
17:20 – Choosing books and materials
20:00 – Reading, skimming and independent practice
23:10 – Keyword transformations and word formation
26:15 – Vocabulary for advanced reading
28:20 – Speaking naturally in exams
32:10 – Writing skills with Dino Koaching
33:40 – Why traditional essay planning can fail
36:10 – Reverse engineering an essay
38:15 – Brainstorming and essay planning
40:10 – Dino’s Cambridge writing course
41:15 – Gav and Em reflect
42:15 – Final thoughts

🔗 REFERENCES

CEFR levels:
https://www.coe.int/en/web/common-european-framework-reference-languages/table-1-cefr-3.3-common-reference-levels-global-scale

Cambridge English exams:
https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/

TOEFL:
https://www.ets.org/toefl

Dino Koaching:
https://www.instagram.com/dinokoaching/

Dino’s essay-writing course:
https://www.udemy.com/course/cambridge-exams-essay-writing/?referralCode=61CF3E54ED5E94D2DECD

☕ SUPPORT THE PODCAST

https://ko-fi.com/howtoenglishpod

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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.Welcome followers. This week Gav & Em discuss the topic of learner levels. From beginners to proficiency, what are the differences, challenges and rewards of both teaching and learning at these levels? Buy Gav & Em a coffee here: ⁠https://ko-fi.com/howtoenglishpod⁠ And visit all the shows with transcriptions here: ⁠http://www.howtoenglishpod.com/References:CEFR table and "can do" statements: https://www.coe.int/en/web/common-european-framework-reference-languages/table-1-cefr-3.3-common-reference-levels-global-scaleEnglish File, OxfordReferences: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%20gradeAmazing task based learning book: https://www.deltapublishing.co.uk/book/activities-for-task-based-learning-9783125017016/?page_id=1CELTA preparation book: https://www.cambridge.org/gb/cambridgeenglish/catalog/cambridge-english-exams-ielts/celta-course