Category Archives: Lesson planning

Guest post: 11 tips for teaching controversial topics in the ESL classroom

Posted on 17/04/2021 by alexcase

A great post from Alice of Hot Take English, hopefully re-starting the once numerous and always popular TEFLtastic guest posts. For a lot of English language teachers, the mere thought of teaching a so-called “controversial” discussion topic in class is … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative teaching techniques, Lesson planning, Speaking | Tagged | Leave a comment

Why we really do what we do Part Three- Culture

Posted on 31/05/2010 by alexcase

Finally prompted to continue this series on WWRDWWD by Scott Thornbury’s thought provoking (as ever) piece on Flow, flow being something I’ve been pondering for a while. I have this strange obsession with making sure all parts of my lesson … Continue reading →

Posted in Cultural differences/ cultural training, Lesson planning, Staging, Teaching English in Japan, Teaching English in Korea | 3 Comments

My personal motto

Posted on 15/01/2010 by alexcase

“There’s no such thing as on time, there’s only early and late” Lots of TEFL extensions of that too: “There’s no such thing as the right amount of preparation, there is only too little or too much” “There’s no such … Continue reading →

Posted in Lesson planning | 5 Comments

On the CELTA, Japan, and very small learners

Posted on 22/11/2009 by alexcase

An interview with Charlie Richards of Learning Tree English, a private language school for 16 and unders (sometimes far unders!) in Osaka. “I first came across your school through your excellent examples of young learner lessons on YouTube. Typical lessons … Continue reading →

Posted in CELTA, Cultural differences/ cultural training, Discipline in the classroom, EFL CD ROMs, English through craftwork, Lesson planning, Phonics, pre-school/ kindergarten/ very young learners, Teaching English in Japan, Teaching Japanese primary school children, Teaching young learners, Technology, TEFL career planning, TEFL games, textbooks, Using songs with kids, Using storybooks | Tagged | 2 Comments

The most overrated things in TEFL Part Two

Posted on 02/11/2009 by alexcase

-Explaining everything you do This a classic example of the limitations of the philosophy of Diploma-level teaching: write your lesson plan on the board (language and human interactions are unpredictable, but your lessons obviously shouldn’t be), explain why you are … Continue reading →

Posted in Cambridge Delta, Diploma in TESOL, Lesson planning | 11 Comments

The most overrated things in TEFL Part One

Posted on 19/04/2009 by alexcase

Preteaching vocabulary The case for the prosecution: – I’ve had to train people on a “CELTA equivalent” course to teach three to five pieces of vocabulary, but if they ever asked why it couldn’t be two or zero I had … Continue reading →

Posted in Lesson planning, Listening, Pre-teaching vocabulary, Reading, Skills, Staging, TEFL, Vocabulary | 11 Comments

Don’t do the CELTA

Posted on 13/04/2009 by alexcase

A guest piece by “TEFLelastic” I finished my CELTA about a two months ago and it was real shock, and in no way a pleasant one. Read about TEFL in The Guardian and it’s all “working holiday” and “see the … Continue reading →

Posted in Cambridge ESOL, CELTA, Lesson planning, Teaching English Abroad, Teaching English in China, TEFL, TEFL certificate, TEFL qualifications | Tagged , | 157 Comments

New TEFL articles Feb 09

Posted on 11/02/2009 by alexcase

Feel like I should actually write something on my own blog between all these guest pieces, but am still trying to put stuff back where it was after my mother in law rearranged the flat. Instead, here is the usual … Continue reading →

Posted in Classroom management, CPD, Grammar, Grammar games, links, Listening, Passives, Pronunciation, pronunciation games, sentence stress, Staging, Starting lessons, Teacher training, Teaching young learners, TEFL, TEFL games, TEFL workshops, Using a whiteboard, Usingenglish | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

23 Experiences of Language Teaching

Posted on 22/11/2008 by alexcase

Finished reading the Experience of Language Teaching a week or two ago, and here are some of my favourite quotes: on continuous enrollment “like teaching on a moving bus, or in the middle of a railway station, with people coming … Continue reading →

Posted in CELTA, Cultural differences/ cultural training, Experience of Language Teaching, Grammar, Lesson planning, MA TESOL, Problem students, Teacher training, Teaching young learners, TEFL, TEFL games, TEFL in the UK, TEFL qualifications, TEFL working conditions, textbooks | Tagged | 6 Comments

A little bit more reality in TEFL theory

Posted on 06/11/2008 by alexcase

Continuing my occasional series (as occasional as reality coming into TEFL theory): “…it is relatively rare for language teachers to negotiate overall learning goals with their classes at the beginning of courses in an open, direct manner. However… it is commonplace … Continue reading →

Posted in Cambridge Delta, Cambridge ESOL, Cambridge University Press, CELTA, Classroom dynamics, ELT publishing, Learner training, Lesson planning, Materials, Syllabus negotiation, Teacher training, Teaching English Abroad, TEFL, TEFL heroes- Rose M Senior, TEFL qualifications | Tagged | 2 Comments