What is it really like to teach or learn English in another country? In this episode of the How to English TEFL Podcast, Gav and Em share their experiences of teaching, studying and living abroad — from visas, contracts and accommodation to culture, language learning and everyday life overseas.

They discuss how much support TEFL employers should provide, what paperwork teachers may need, and why contracts, insurance and residency documents deserve careful attention. Em explains how some schools organise flights, accommodation and bureaucracy, while others expect teachers to arrange almost everything themselves.

Gav and Em also explore the cultural side of living abroad. How useful is it to learn the local language? Can students become a valuable source of local knowledge? And how can teachers turn food, traditions, places and everyday experiences into meaningful classroom conversations?

The episode also looks at teacher buddies and support networks, host families, summer schools and living on a school campus. Em reflects on the benefits of feeling safe and supported, but also on how easy it can be to remain inside a bubble and miss some of the culture around you.

In the classroom, Gav explains how teaching learners from the same language background can reveal recurring grammar, vocabulary and word-order problems. These patterns can become useful lesson ideas and even help shape a course plan. Gav and Em also discuss idioms and false friends, and how comparing languages can lead to interesting cultural conversations.

Finally, they consider whether studying abroad automatically improves your English. Learners may still spend most of their time with people who speak their own language, so host families, mixed-nationality groups and everyday tasks can create more opportunities to use English naturally.

Whether you are thinking about teaching English abroad, studying English overseas or simply wondering what life in another country is really like, this episode explores the practical challenges, cultural surprises and rewards.

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

📚 Gav & Em’s Teacher Resource Hub:
https://howtoenglishpod.wordpress.com/

CONTENTS & TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Welcome: Teaching and Learning in Another Country
01:00 – Why teach or learn English abroad?
02:00 – Contracts and paperwork when teaching abroad
04:00 – Visas, residency and government registration
06:00 – Should you learn the local language before you move?
07:00 – Bureaucracy and preparing for the unexpected
08:00 – Health insurance and reading the small print
09:00 – Why learning the local language matters
10:30 – Using local culture as a classroom resource
11:30 – Getting involved in local life
13:00 – Teacher buddies and support networks
14:00 – Host families and study-abroad programmes
15:30 – Summer schools and life outside the classroom
16:30 – How much support should TEFL employers provide?
18:30 – Living and teaching on a school campus
21:00 – Finding teaching work once you are abroad
22:30 – Should you arrange everything before you leave?
23:30 – Common English mistakes and first-language influence
24:30 – Turning learner errors into a course plan
25:00 – Idioms, culture and false friends
26:30 – How can studying abroad improve your English?
27:00 – Should learners avoid their own-language bubble?
28:00 – Is teaching or learning abroad worth it?
29:00 – Final thoughts and listener experiences

In this special Q&A episode of the How to English TEFL Podcast, Gav and Em answer questions sent in by English learners, teachers and listeners from around the world.

How can teachers encourage students to participate more? What are the best ways for TEFL teachers to keep developing professionally? How much English should learners study every day? And what can students do to improve their pronunciation and understand English in films and TV more easily?

Gav and Em also explore the different TEFL niches and career paths available to English teachers, from Business English and exam preparation to teaching children, online lessons and English for Specific Purposes. They discuss natural conversation in lessons, choosing the right teacher, inviting other teachers onto the podcast and why they both still love teaching English.

It’s a wide-ranging episode packed with practical ideas for TEFL teachers, ESL/EFL teachers and English learners — all inspired by real questions from the How to English community.

☕ Support How to English and help us keep making the podcast and free teaching resources:
https://ko-fi.com/howtoenglishpod

📚 Visit How to English:
https://www.howtoenglishpod.com/

References:

ELT Journal from Oxford Academic, https://academic.oup.com/eltj

Useful online resources from International House, https://www.ihteachenglish.com/resource/11-useful-online-resources-elt-teachers

Teacher podcasts, ELT Chile: https://www.eltinchile.com/ ⁠The TEFLology Podcast⁠: https://teflology-podcast.com/ 

How many hours does it take to learn a level in English? https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/faq/how-long-to-learn-english/ https://anchor.fm/everything-efl

Learning English podcasts and Youtube, Speak English with Tiffani: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGLGVRO_9qDc8VDGGMTcUiQ Wanda's #saywhat Podcast, https://www.buzzsprout.com/1010788 Zdenek's English Podcast: https://zdeneksenglishpodcast.podbean.com/ English Journey Podcast: ⁠https://linktr.ee/englishjourney⁠

Books from Oxford University Press on English for Specific Purposes, https://elt.oup.com/cat/subjects/business_and_english/english_specific/?cc=cz&selLanguage=cs

Pronunciation of specific words, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQwDYYZ44evRH0_64Q5Vag

Bic pens, https://www.bicworld.com/en/our-products/stationery

Collins A-Z: https://collins.co.uk/pages/a-z

Our website is packed with free, practical TEFL teaching resources and articles covering lesson planning, classroom management, speaking, pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, technology, teacher development, Business English and much more.

Chapters & Timestamps

00:00 – Welcome to How to English
00:30 – One more self-care tip: sleep, routines and timetables
04:25 – Q&A with Gav & Em begins
06:10 – How can teachers encourage students to participate?
11:15 – How can TEFL teachers develop professionally?
14:40 – How much English should learners study each day?
18:15 – Should we invite other teachers and learners onto the podcast?
20:25 – What different TEFL niches and teaching careers are available?
25:00 – How can learners improve their English pronunciation?
29:55 – How can you understand English films and TV programmes better?
31:25 – Do you need a particular kind of English teacher?
31:40 – How can teachers create more natural English conversation in class?
33:40 – How long do Gav and Em plan to keep teaching English?
35:00 – The important question: what is Em’s favourite pen?
37:10 – Final thoughts and thanks to our listeners

Happy International Self-Care Day, followers!

Teaching can be incredibly rewarding — but what happens when your timetable, screen time, lesson planning and constant interaction with students start taking over your day?

In this episode of How to English TEFL Podcast, Gav and Em talk honestly about self-care and wellbeing for English teachers. They compare their different approaches to timetabling, discuss the importance of proper breaks and switching off after work, and explore how teachers can create healthier boundaries between their professional and personal lives.

They also look at the realities of teaching back-to-back lessons, working evenings and weekends, managing screen time, organising your workspace, staying comfortable while teaching online, dealing with social media and student contact outside lessons, and knowing when you simply need some time away from work.

Gav and Em also discuss teacher training, taking time off when you are unwell, recycling successful lesson plans instead of constantly creating new material, and why fellow teachers and supportive colleagues can make such a difference.

This isn't medical or professional wellbeing advice — just two experienced English teachers sharing the practical habits, mistakes and strategies that have helped them manage their own working lives.

☕ Support How to English and help us keep creating free TEFL content:
https://ko-fi.com/howtoenglishpod

🌐 Visit our website:
https://www.howtoenglishpod.com/

You'll find loads of free English-teaching articles, practical classroom ideas, lesson inspiration and fun activities you can use today — all based around real teaching experience and episodes of the podcast.

Contents & Timestamps00:00 Welcome to How to English
00:32 What exactly is self-care?
01:40 Why teacher wellbeing can affect the classroom
04:31 Everyday self-care tips for teachers and learners
05:21 Creating a timetable that works for you
06:15 Why teachers need proper breaks
07:20 Protecting your lunch break
08:17 Back-to-back lessons or breaks between classes?
09:34 Working weekends, evenings and unusual hours
10:18 Limiting screen time and properly switching off
11:47 Teaching, social energy and finding time alone
13:23 Should teachers have students on personal social media?
16:01 Creating a healthier teaching workspace
17:21 Separating work and home when teaching online
18:44 Screens, lighting, posture and teaching comfortably
20:48 Meditation, reading and simple ways to unwind
22:27 Is teacher training part of self-care — or more work?
24:29 Should teachers work when they're ill?
26:14 Using online teaching as a flexible alternative
27:05 Reducing workload by recycling good lessons
28:32 Why every lesson doesn't need hours of preparation
29:08 How colleagues and teacher communities can support you
30:27 Listener feedback and final thoughts
31:23 How to English outro

What should an English teacher do when a student uses a word that sounds offensive, outdated or insensitive — especially when the learner has no idea there is a problem?

In this episode of How to English TEFL Podcast, Gav and Em explore politically correct, sensitive and inclusive language from a practical teacher’s point of view. Rather than simply telling learners that a word is “wrong”, they discuss how teachers can explain context, offer alternatives and turn potentially awkward moments into useful conversations about how English is actually used.

They look at outdated and potentially ableist vocabulary, everyday expressions connected with disability and mental health, gender stereotypes in teaching materials, singular “they”, assumptions about gender, labels such as “ladies”, “girls” and “guys”, and the cultural differences that can make apparently polite English sound very different to different people.

Gav and Em also discuss why teachers need to keep reviewing their own language, what to do when students disagree with changing language conventions, and why authentic recordings may be a better choice than imitating accents in class.

It’s a thoughtful and sometimes humorous conversation about an area of English teaching where there often isn’t one simple rule — and where teachers are learning and adapting too.

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

🌐 Visit the How to English website to find all our podcast episodes and tonnes of free TEFL teaching resources:
https://www.howtoenglishpod.com/

References:Ableist language and alternatives: https://www.autistichoya.com/p/ableist-words-and-terms-to-avoid.htmlAppropriate terms for people with disabilities: http://nda.ie/Publications/Attitudes/Appropriate-Terms-to-Use-about-Disability/Offensive language to avoid: https://www.rd.com/list/words-with-offensive-origins/Varieties of English, Cutting Edge, New Edition, Advanced, Pearson, Unit 1, page 15Timestamps

00:00 – Welcome and episode setup
00:53 – What does “politically correct language” mean for English teachers?
01:58 – What should you do when a student uses offensive language?
05:19 – Explaining why vocabulary becomes outdated or inappropriate
06:45 – Disability-related language, senses and mental-health expressions
11:36 – Why English teachers need to keep their language up to date
13:08 – Avoiding gender stereotypes in teaching materials
14:00 – Teaching singular “they” and avoiding gender assumptions
17:42 – “Guys”, “ladies” and other group labels — plus student pushback
19:22 – Cross-cultural politeness and when “ladies first” can backfire
20:30 – Should English teachers imitate different accents?
22:06 – Sensitive language, stereotypes and the main takeaways
24:40 – End

Tick-tock, tick-tock, how's your timing? This week Gav & Em examine the essential theme of time. Organising your time, arriving on time, and when you just don't have enough time. Tune in to this week's How to English and have a great time! Buy them a coffee here: ⁠https://ko-fi.com/howtoenglishpod⁠ And visit all the shows with transcriptions here: ⁠http://www.howtoenglishpod.com/

References:  

https://youcanbook.me/

What do experienced English teachers wish they had known when they first started teaching?

In this episode of How to English TEFL Podcast, Gav and Em look back at the lessons they learned the hard way during their early years in the classroom — from spending far too long planning lessons to building confidence, organising teaching materials and surviving intimidating job interviews.

Drawing on years of real classroom experience, they discuss practical TEFL advice that can make life easier for new and developing English teachers. Should you really spend hours planning every lesson? How can you build a reusable bank of teaching materials? Is it okay not to know every grammar rule? And what should you expect when you apply for your first English-teaching job?

Gav and Em also discuss why teachers should plan for the actual students in front of them rather than an imaginary “perfect class”, why demonstrating activities clearly matters, and how coursebooks can save enormous amounts of preparation time when you use them creatively rather than simply racing through the pages.

They also look at the realities of teaching jobs that new teachers may not expect: lesson planning outside paid teaching hours, observations, level testing, demonstration lessons, summer-school duties and other responsibilities beyond the classroom.

Most importantly, they discuss something many new teachers need to hear: teaching gets easier. Grammar knowledge grows, lesson planning becomes faster, useful materials accumulate and classroom confidence develops through experience.

The final part of the episode turns to English learners. Gav and Em explain why building a regular English-learning routine early — using videos, podcasts, TV, vocabulary notebooks, apps and reading — can make long-term progress much easier.

Whether you're taking a CELTA, starting your first TEFL job, teaching English abroad, moving into ESL/EFL teaching or simply trying to become a more confident teacher, this episode is packed with practical lessons Gav and Em wish they had known earlier.

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

🌐 Free TEFL articles, teaching ideas and classroom activities you can use today:
https://www.howtoenglishpod.com/

Gav & Em's Top tips:6 Minute English: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-englishLearn/Practice Movies With English: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLA7lNLNvxTzig5dqfGl8DGbLOvUI08yXg Magoosh: https://magoosh.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_u7254yx6gIVmN4YCh0vPQJFEAAYASAAEgIo4_D_BwEQuizlet: https://quizlet.com/How I Met Your Mother, TV SeriesFriends, TV SeriesThe Office (UK/USA), TV SeriesThe Big Bang Theory, TV Series

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Things we wish we’d known about teaching English
02:20 – Should new teachers plan less?
04:43 – Planning for different days, times and class energy
06:07 – Plan for your real students, not an imaginary class
07:07 – Build a reusable bank of teaching materials
08:54 – Why teachers should demonstrate everything clearly
10:23 – How to organise and digitise teaching resources
13:06 – Use coursebooks properly and save planning time
15:42 – Play more games and enjoy your lessons
16:07 – Teacher confidence and not knowing every grammar rule
17:58 – TEFL job interviews and demonstration lessons
20:08 – The extra duties English-teaching jobs can involve
21:37 – The important truth: teaching gets easier
24:10 – Building an English-learning routine from day one
26:51 – Vocabulary notebooks, apps and reviewing new language
27:20 – Why regular reading helps English learners progress
28:41 – What do you wish you had known when you started?

Why do English learners sometimes feel stuck, and what can teachers and students do to get progress moving again?

In this episode of How to English TEFL Podcast, Gav and Em explore three common kinds of getting stuck: when a learner stops understanding during a lesson, when progress seems to slow at intermediate levels such as B1 or B2, and when communication breaks down in a real-world situation.

Drawing on more than 40 years of combined English-teaching experience across Europe and Asia, Gav and Em share practical strategies they have used with real learners.

What should a teacher do when an explanation simply isn’t working? Gav suggests reformulating the language, trying synonyms, changing the example, writing it down or putting the language into a clearer context. Em and Gav discuss using pictures, demonstrations, timelines, stories and memorable associations to make difficult vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation easier to understand and remember.

They also look at the English-learning plateau. Progress from B1 to B2 or B2 to C1 can feel much slower than progress at beginner levels. Gav and Em discuss setting specific goals, increasing exposure to English, using self-study materials alongside real language production, and giving learners challenges such as presentations, conversation groups or other situations where they actually need to use English.

Finally, what happens when you understand almost nothing someone says in a café, hotel, restaurant, conference or phone call? Gav and Em share communication strategies including preparing likely questions in advance, asking someone to repeat or rephrase, repeating back what you think you heard, focusing on the words you do understand and simply admitting when you haven’t understood.

Whether you teach English or you are trying to move your own English to the next level, this episode offers practical ways to deal with confusion, language-learning plateaus and those uncomfortable moments when communication suddenly stops working.

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

Find practical TEFL articles, classroom ideas, teaching activities and resources you can use today:
https://www.howtoenglishpod.com/

References:How English Works, Michael Swan, Catherine Walter, Oxford University Press, 1997https://books.google.cz/books/about/How_English_Works.html?id=ZUBPvdUx39IC&source=kp_book_description&redir_esc=y Intermediate Language Practice, Michael Vince, Paul Emmerson, Macmillan, 2003https://books.google.cz/books?id=5OmfQgAACAAJ&source=gbs_similarbooksEnglish Grammar in Use, Raymond Murphy, Cambridge, 2019https://englishforforeignersonline.com/english-grammar-in-use-by-raymond-murphy-book-review/Timestamps

00:00 Welcome to How to English
00:53 What does “getting stuck” in English mean?
02:27 Why learners get stuck around B1 and B2
04:20 What should teachers do when students stop understanding?
05:00 Reformulating vocabulary and using synonyms
06:38 Pictures, objects and demonstrations
08:01 Explaining difficult grammar with context and stories
10:04 Memory tricks for vocabulary and pronunciation
10:57 Finding the explanation that works for each learner
12:40 Why “Do you understand?” may not tell you much
13:24 Skip difficult questions and come back later
14:24 Why English progress can feel slower at higher levels
15:18 Motivation, intensive study and setting goals
16:51 Can self-study and grammar books help you improve?
18:02 How teachers can keep learners motivated and moving forward
19:33 Give yourself a real reason to use English
20:04 What happens when real-world communication breaks down?
20:34 Prepare for conversations before they happen
21:29 What to do when you cannot understand an accent
22:33 Repeat back what you think you heard
23:47 Ask people to repeat, rephrase or write something down
24:31 Overcoming fear when speaking English
25:56 Practice, take chances and keep communicating
26:23 Final thoughts and outro

How should English teachers adapt their lessons for beginner, intermediate and advanced learners?

Teaching an A1 beginner can feel completely different from teaching a confident B2 or C1 learner. In S01E23 of the How to English TEFL Podcast, Gav and Em explore what changes as students move through different English levels — from classroom routines, instructions and drilling at lower levels to conversation, motivation, authentic materials and the subtleties of English at higher levels.

Drawing on their own classroom experience, Gav and Em discuss CEFR levels from A1 to C2, why beginner students may need more structure and clearer instructions, why pre-intermediate learners can suddenly seem to “bloom” as speakers, and why B1/B2 students sometimes hit a frustrating learning plateau.

They also look at the different challenges teachers face at advanced levels, including choosing materials that are genuinely interesting, introducing new language without patronising learners, and helping students move beyond the comfort zone of being able to communicate “well enough.”

Along the way, they discuss coursebooks, drilling, games, authentic newspapers and media, learner motivation, self-study, exams and the importance of choosing materials that are appropriate for the learner’s actual level.

Whether you teach A1 beginners, B1 intermediate students, B2 upper-intermediate learners or advanced C1/C2 classes, this episode offers a practical and refreshingly realistic look at how teaching changes as learners progress.

☕ Support How to English and help us keep making the podcast:
https://ko-fi.com/howtoenglishpod

📚 Visit the How to English website:
https://www.howtoenglishpod.com/

It’s chock-full of free and genuinely useful English-teaching resources, including practical TEFL articles, classroom ideas, lesson-planning advice, teaching techniques and episode guides for English teachers.

Timestamps00:00 – Welcome to How to English
01:14 – What are the different English learner levels?
01:34 – A1 to C2: traditional levels and the CEFR
03:28 – How does teaching change depending on learner level?
04:10 – Teaching beginner and elementary students
05:03 – Building classroom routines and teaching students how to learn
06:29 – Giving clear instructions and checking understanding
08:43 – Why beginner progress can feel so rewarding
10:18 – Should lower-level learners use coursebooks?
11:51 – Using games and changing the pace of beginner lessons
12:28 – Why pre-intermediate can be such a rewarding level to teach
14:18 – When learners suddenly start having real conversations
15:18 – The intermediate plateau: why progress can feel slower
16:14 – Why B1 and B2 learners can lose motivation
17:08 – Why understanding TV and real English can still be difficult
18:12 – Moving towards deeper and more meaningful conversations
19:46 – Why some B2 learners stop feeling the need to improve
20:45 – Breaking out of the intermediate comfort zone
21:24 – Choosing authentic materials for higher-level learners
22:06 – Why teaching C1 and C2 students can be challenging
23:22 – Teaching nuance and subtle differences in advanced English
23:51 – Self-study and choosing the right materials for your level
25:26 – Can exams help motivate intermediate learners?
26:21 – Why learners get stuck between levelsReferences: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, Oxford

Hi Everyone, here's a mid-week episode from Gav & Em in which they show their support for anti-racism, equality, and fairness in ELT.

How should English teachers and the wider ELT profession respond to racism?

In this short Season 1 special of the How to English TEFL Podcast, Gav and Em discuss racism in English language teaching and why the subject deserves attention across the profession.

The conversation is relevant to TEFL and TESOL teachers, teacher trainers, school leaders and anyone interested in equality, representation and inclusion in language education.

What is this episode about?

It introduces an important conversation about racism within English language teaching and the responsibility of the ELT community to listen, reflect and engage with the subject.

Who is this episode for?

English teachers, teacher trainers, school leaders and others working in TEFL, TESOL, ESL or English-language education.

☕ Support the How to English TEFL Podcast:
ko-fi.com/howtoenglishpod

🌐 Practical teaching resources for busy English teachers:
howtoenglishpod.com

How to English TEFL Podcast with Gav and Em — practical teaching ideas, classroom experiences and honest conversations about teaching and learning English.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Introduction

02:00 – Introducing the subject of racism in ELT

05:00 – Main discussion

06:00 – Reflections for English teachers and the ELT profession

09:00 – Closing thoughts

11:39 – End

What are our favourite activities to use in English lessons?

In this episode of How to English with Gav & Em, we share some of the classroom activities that we keep coming back to — from activities in English teaching books to online resources and ideas we’ve created ourselves.

We talk about case studies, telephone roleplays, grammar games, pronunciation and intonation activities, escape rooms, survival scenarios, email writing, connected speech, compound nouns and plenty more.

We also discuss an important teaching question: what happens when students are having a great conversation… but completely forget to use the language you wanted them to practise?

Whether you teach EFL, ESL, Business English or General English, we hope there are a few ideas here that you can borrow, adapt and try with your own students.

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

🌐 Visit our website:
https://www.howtoenglishpod.com/

References:Choose the Best Candidate, Market Leader, Pearson Longman, 2nd Edition, pre-intermediate, unit 1Choose the Best Location, Business Results, Oxford, elementary, unit 3Auxiliary game, Three-Person Snap, Cutting Edge, Pearson, 3rd Edition, unit 1BEscape from the Moonlight Cottage, https://www.365escape.com/Pleasurable-Cottage.htmlEmail Style, https://www.linguahouse.com/esl-lesson-plans/business-english/email-styleLife and Death Decisions, In Company, McMillan, upper-intermediate, 2002, unit 10Maze of Terror, New Cutting Edge, Pearson, upper-intermediate, 1999, pp,143-145Call Me On My Mobile, In Company, McMillan, elementary, 2002Intonation Directions/ Contradict Me, Pronunciation Games, Cambridge, 1995

Timestamps

00:00 – Support How to English Pod
01:00 – Welcome & our favourite lesson activities
03:00 – Case studies and problem-solving activities
05:00 – Telephone roleplays that feel real
07:00 – Auxiliary Snap: a deceptively difficult grammar game
09:00 – Pronunciation Games: “Contradict Me”
11:00 – Intonation, sentence stress and changing meaning
12:00 – Life and death decisions
15:00 – The Maze of Terror & practising modals
17:00 – Should teachers force students to use target language?
18:00 – Going online: Escape from Moonlight Cottage
20:00 – LinguaHouse & writing email subject lines
22:00 – Activities we create ourselves
23:00 – Present perfect simple vs continuous with picture cards
25:00 – “Whatcha Wanna Do?” and connected speech
26:00 – The mystery bag: practising compound nouns
28:00 – “How to…” activities and sequencing language
29:00 – Countable & uncountable nouns
30:00 – Mushrooms, survival tips & goodbye

🎧 How to English with Gav & Em — a podcast about teaching and learning English as a foreign language.