The TEFL Lab Blog
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If you’ve done a great job prompting your students to talk about themselves in class, chances are, you know a lot about them. You may know what they do for work, what their hobbies are and how they spend their free time. You might also know about their family, favourite foods, music, TV...
A lot can happen in a group class, and they can be a lot to manage at times– even if you’re teaching adults. While the rich interactions, questions, insights, and challenges that arise in group classes can be amazing, they still require some management strategies here and there.
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A big part of being a great teacher is learning. Teachers who learn how to perfect their skills, understand their students’ learning styles, and appreciate the learning process better ultimately have the most engaged students and deliver the best quality lessons. Getting to that point takes...
Teaching low-level English learners is a challenge that some teachers shy away from, while others dive right in. The truth is that, while it can be intimidating to teach a new beginner (especially if you don’t speak their L1), it doesn’t have to be scary or frustrating! Many...
The world of TEFL is full of a huge combination of classroom configurations. Teachers go to social media groups and online forums all the time to seek advice, but the truth is that every teacher has a unique experience! Someone who only teaches 1-on-1 classes with children will have a...
We all make mistakes sometimes, especially when we’re learning new things. And for some reason, a lot of us have developed this idea that making mistakes is embarrassing, uncomfortable, and just plain bad. If you’ve ever received quality feedback or guidance on how to improve...
We put so much time and effort into preparing for our lessons but we can sometimes forget about an equally important part of teaching – reflection. But what is it? Self-reflection is the process of evaluating a lesson you just taught. When you practice self-reflection after a lesson, you...
Have you ever had that cringe-worthy moment in front of your students where you gave instructions to an activity, expecting them to get started with it, and then right before your eyes, NOTHING HAPPENS?! There’s complete silence and your students are looking around for clues about what they...
We’ve most likely all had a social experience where we felt the effects of the dreaded ‘awkward silence’. One minute you’re engaged in conversation and suddenly, you reach a dead end. AWKWARD! In social situations, these moments of silence may feel uncomfortable, or even...