CHAPTER 3.

THE TEACHING AND LEARNING

OF EFL
Prerequisites: CHAPTER 1. COURSE INDUCTION
AND STUDY SKILLS, CHAPTER 2. THE STUDY
OF ENGLISH

Module 3.1. The Basic Principles of

TEFL
At the end of this module you will:

 have a basic understanding of the principles of good EFL teaching

 understand the importance of a caring environment in the classroom
 know why lack of consideration of these principles could hinder language
production and progress
 understand the need for communicative teaching
 have some idea of the concept of communication versus correctness

One of the basic principles of good EFL teaching is to make sure that our students
CAN succeed. In order to do this we should consider the following questions at the
beginning of every new group/class.
How do I involve the students?
How do I make students want to learn and look forward to their lessons?
How do I make them work hard?
How do I keep them happy?
 UNHAPPY STUDENTS LEARN VERY LITTLE
WE NEED OUR STUDENTS TO BE HAPPY

Throughout the module you will be shown how to prepare for a career in TEFL.
This will involve planning lessons; preparing materials; getting to grips with
grammar; setting out your classroom; understanding the students' problems. We
hope to make you a fully-prepared professional who can bring about success in any
EFL situation.
Lesson 1. Overview of ESOL Issues
NB: ESOL - English for Speakers of the Other Languages

Teacher and Student Relationship

Relationships
Over the years there have been many varied approaches to teaching English eg
'structural', 'notional', 'communicative' etc. and each promises to be the best, the
new way to faster success. None will work in isolation. Successful English
teaching is not only a question of method, but also of student / teacher
relationships. You must be interested in your students. The student must need/want
to learn AND the teacher must also need/want the student to learn. Encouragement
is of great importance. Students need to feel they are progressing; this feeling
comes, on the whole, from the teacher. (More about this later in this module)

Look after your students

In order to achieve our aim of ensuring that our students are happy (and therefore
able to learn), we not only teach them and give them opportunities to learn, we
must also look after them.
Students need to feel at ease
Students need to feel comfortable
Students need to feel welcome

We, as teachers, need to settle them in and while doing so try to 'suss out' any
'hang-ups' they have which will prevent them from learning. For example they may
have old family prejudices against our race; they may have been convinced that
they will find English too difficult; they may have met untrained teachers who
turned them off classes almost for life! Now they are your students - you must help
them over these barriers and make them feel relaxed and happy enough to succeed.
Are you a caring person?
Throughout the course you will be shown how to prepare for a career in TEFL.
This will involve planning lessons; preparing materials; getting to grips with
grammar; setting out your classroom; understanding the students' problems. We
hope to make you a fully-prepared professional who can bring about success in any
EFL situation. We cannot make you a caring person, but if you are not going to
care about your students' success, you will not succeed as a teacher. If you are not
going to be concerned about their happiness you will not be happy and neither you
nor your students will be successful.
From now on we assume that you are a caring person who wants to bring about
success.

Involving the student

Everyone likes to talk about him/herself. Likewise students like to hear about their
classmates / fellow students. When this is allowed in class you will find that your
students involve themselves far more than if they are talking about a fictional
character from a coursebook.
The teacher shows interest in his/her students by getting to know about their
interests and backgrounds.
Get to know the area the students come from so that relevant discussions can be set
up.
Allow your students to express their opinions about their own environment and
about their experiences in England, USA etc.
If all your students are desperately putting their hands up to tell you
something, you have achieved your aim of involving them.
Giving the student confidence
Role-play, dialogues, sketches - however you do it, acting out involves both the
performing students and the listeners. They will be less self-conscious about the
English as they concentrate on the character or acting role which they are required
to carry out. They may be embarrassed or nervous at first, but hopefully when they
have got through that they will be assured that they can also get over the 'fear' of
speaking English.
Building up the students' confidence in any situation means encouraging them at
every opportunity and never 'putting them down'. (More about this later in the
module)

Using realistic language

Hopefully, gone are the days of courses which taught useless language
"Does your grandmother wear a red dress?"
"Is this a pen? Yes, this is a pen."
are not phrases which students will often need, if at all.
Real situations and examples which the student will meet outside the classroom
should be used as much as possible; equally the language should be taught in
context.

Shortened forms
Use them! I'd, she's, weren't etc. are normal English. In their full form they are not
used unless you want to sound like a foreigner!

Accent
Teachers of EFL do not all have the same accent. On the whole students will
expect this and readily accept regional accents as well as American, Canadian,
Australian etc.
Do not be afraid to use your normal accent, trying to change it and being
inconsistent can be confusing. So long as you do not use very colloquial English or
colloquialisms which are grammatically unacceptable, relax in the knowledge that
you can be a model in the classroom whether you come from Glasgow or Oxford.
However, it is essential that your students are given the opportunity to hear as
many different accents as you can bring into the classroom. This way they will not
be shocked when they hear other accents outside the classroom, and they will not
find themselves unable to understand anyone but you.

Keeping the students' interest

So you've involved the students, they are gaining confidence and desperately
wanting to join in the lesson. How do you keep this level of interest?
Varying the activities is imperative. Monotony will send your students to sleep.
Change the activity regularly, even if you are teaching the same language point.
During the course you will learn many different ways to teach and exploit a
language point, remember to use them. Don't be known as 'the teacher who always
does a reading passage' or 'the one who always uses a tape' - this makes for
disinterested students even before they have reached the lesson.

L.T.T.T.
During your TEFL career you will often hear L.T.T.T. - Limit Teacher Talking
Time. This is important in keeping the students interested and motivated.
You will keep their interest by ensuring that they are allowed to produce a lot of
language in lessons. They will not learn how to speak English if you do all the
speaking.

Correction
When correcting spoken English remember to be encouraging, even completely
incorrect answers need recognition that the student has made the effort (though you
must make sure you do not patronise). There are ways of saying that the answer is
not right without putting the student off trying again. (More on this in Unit 4)
When correcting written work, again it is important to acknowledge that the
student has tried. It is demotivating to see a page full of red pen, especially when it
 may have taken the student hours to do it. Choose the most relevant points (ie
relevant to the teaching point), do not correct every mistake.
It is important that the students can read and understand the corrections which you
make on their work. A chart showing the abbreviations which you use is a good
idea. You might also suggest that they write on alternate lines so that your
corrections can be seen. It is really up to you what method of correction and
abbreviation you use but it is essential that this is understood between you and the
students and that once a method has been established that you stick to it. (More on
correction of work in Module 5 Error)

Visual Aids
Don't become the school magician - something different to pull out of the hat every
day, and a lesson built around it. Aids aid your lesson, they are not the lesson! If
you are a technical whizz-kid, good for you, but you are not there to impress your
students with your technical know-how, you are there to teach and as such you
should use aids to assist you in your task. (More about this in Module 4 Visual
Aids)

Levels
Classes should, in theory be made up of students who are at exactly the same level
of language learning.
Those levels are as follows:

 Beginners
 Elementary
 Intermediate
 Advanced

As you can see this in itself would cause problems for a very small school which
can only offer 2 or 3 levels. These problems can be overcome through clever
timetabling and you should not be faced with mixed levels in your class.
If, however, you look at the following, more extensive list, you will see that there
could be a need for a much larger number of classes:
 true beginners
 false beginners
 elementary
 post elementary / lower intermediate
 intermediate
 post intermediate
 advanced

You will rarely see the number of students' levels taken account of in this way, so
it is obvious that you will, to a certain extent, have mixed levels in your classes.
You will, of course, also have mixed abilities. You will always have students
studying for the same level whose language aptitude is far from the same. You
must take account of this and closely monitor those who need extra help. (More
about this later in this module)

PreviousNext
 Lesson 2. Teaching for Examinations
(Part 1)
Most classes of EFL students are working towards exams. They use these
qualifications to further their studies and/or their careers so they are very important
to them.
As teachers we must have an understanding of the stress which exam entry exerts
on many students, especially those who need to pass in order to further their
careers.

Teaching for Exams

Teaching for ESOL international examinations constitutes an important part of an
ESOL teacher’s career. Any English teacher can be asked by the school,
institution, or private persons to prepare students for these examinations. All
teachers will encounter these exams at some time in their teaching career.

Why are students taking these exams?

The reasons are extremely diverse:
 To have an internationally recognized language certificate
 To work and/or live in a country where English is the language of communication
 To seek further education
 To improve employment prospects

Cambridge ESOL Examinations

The most prestigious, and widely known examination board is Cambridge ESOL,
which is part of the University of Cambridge. Cambridge ESOL (English for
Speakers of Other Languages) examinations are the world’s leading range of
certificates for learners of English. They are recognized by a huge number of
employers and educational institutions all over the world. Since around 2 million
people from 130 countries take them yearly, the demand for teaching for these
exams is continuously growing.
Cambridge ESOL is part of the world-famous University of Cambridge. Its English
language exams are linked to the Common European Framework for Modern
Languages, published by the Council of Europe.
1. The most popular Cambridge ESOL exams:
Examinations Description Use

- These exams give a consistent

measure of how well 7–12 year–olds
are doing in the skills of listening,
speaking, reading and writing. Tests
Young Learners Three levels: YLE are designed to make learning fun.
of English Starters, YLE Movers, They train the young learners to work
(YLE) and YLE Flyers towards certificates.
- There are no grades but the pupils
earn learning ‘shields’ that record their
progress, which encourage children to
do better.

- The general KET is for

adults, while KET for
schools is directed
towards pupils.
- There are three papers:
Key English 1. Reading and Writing; KET is a basic level qualification that
2. Listening; shows that the learners can use English
Test (KET)
3. Speaking (interactive) to communicate in simple situations
- General and have achieved a good foundation
- For schools - Final grades are in learning English.
correlated with CEFR
(common European
Framework) at A2 level
(Basic user): pass, pass
with merit, and pass
with distinction

Preliminary - An intermediate level qualification in

- The format is similar
English Test English that opens the doors to
to KET.
(PET) opportunities for work, study and
- Paper-based and travel.
 computer-
based exam options.
- Final grades are
correlated with CEFR
(common European
Framework) at B1 level
(pass) or B2 (pass with
distinction).

- This exam uses real-

life situations
- There are 5 Papers:
Reading, Writing, Use - Accepted by thousands of employers,
of English (grammar universities and government
and vocabulary), departments around the world as a
Certificate
Listening, and Speaking qualification in upper-intermediate
English (FCE)
(interactive). English. A wide range of educational
- Final grades are institutions for study purposes also
correlated with CEFR at accepts it.
B1 level. Passing grades
are C, B, and A as the
highest grade.

Certificate in - This is an examination - CAE the ideal qualification to prove

Advanced in academic English. that that students have mastered
English (CAE) - There are 5 Papers: English at such a level that will enable
Reading, Writing, them to deal with complicated
English in Use academic and professional tasks in
(grammar, vocabulary, English: following academic courses,
register), Listening, and carrying out challenging research,
Speaking (interactive) communicating appropriately in
- Final grades are diverse social and cultural contexts.
correlated with CEFR at - It is accepted by a large number of
C1 level. The passing universities on all continents.
grades are, in order from
lowest to highest, C, B,
 and A.

- This is the most

advanced exam, for
learners who have
achieved an extremely - CPE exam uses real-life situations
high level of skill in the that are especially designed to help
English language. learners communicate effectively and
- There are 5 Papers: learn the language skills they need to
Certificate of Reading, Writing, Use function at the very highest levels of
Proficiency in of English (grammar, professional and academic life (native
English (CPE) vocabulary), Listening, or near native academic and
and Speaking. professional language proficiency).
- Final grades are - It is accepted by a much larger
correlated with CEFR number of universities and employers
with C2 level. The than the CAE all over the world.
passing grades are, in
order from lowest to
highest, C, B, and A.

The English tested in these examinations covers a variety of accents from different
English speaking countries. They are British examinations but the English tested is
not restricted to the accents in the British Isles. In speaking or writing, for example,
American English is accepted as long as the candidates are consistent in using it.
There are two examination periods per year: June and December. These language
certificates are valid for life.

2. Other Cambridge ESOL examinations

IELTS (International English Language Testing System) is perhaps the most
widely recognized language qualification in the world.
IELTS is jointly owned by the British Council, IDP: IELTS (International
Development Program of Australian Universities and Colleges) Australia, and the
University of Cambridge. These ESOL Examinations are administered through
more than 800 test centres and locations in over 130 countries on all continents.
IELTS scores are valid for two years.
Examinatio
Description Use
n

IELTS is of two types: general

and academic.
General Training module is for
Four Papers: Listening, Reading,
those who choose wish to
Writing, and Speaking
migrate to an English-speaking
(interview).
country, (e.g. Australia, Canada,
This is not a pass or fail test. The New Zealand, UK) or to train or
scores range from 0 to 9 and half study at below degree level.
IELTS scores is also awarded (e.g. 6.5).
Academic module is for those
Note: To have an idea about the who wish to study at
correlation between the IELTS undergraduate or postgraduate
scores, the other Cambridge levels, or seek professional
examination scores and CEFR, registration, e.g. doctors and
see the table at the end of the nurses.
section on Cambridge
examinations.

The language tested uses different accents of English and the topics are diverse and
are not connected to any culture in particular. This certificate is valid for two years.
If a person needs an IELTS certificate after the 2-year period expires, he/she has to
take it again. It can be taken any time of the year.

Professional English Examinations

Examinations Description Use

Three level from low to
high: Preliminary
Business All BEC’s are recognised by employers, ministries
Vantage
English organisations throughout the world. This valuable
Higher
Cambridge that you have the English skills to make you an ass
Note: see the correlation
(BEC)
with CEFR in the table
below.
 It tests all the skills and
Business
grammar/vocabulary. BULATS is set of language benchmarking, trainin
Language
More information at: skills of the workforce, job applicants and students
Testing
http://www.bulats.org/ (Links provides an economical, flexible and easy-to-use a
Service
to an external site.) skills for business and industry. It is available in E
(BULATS)

ICFE gives an in-depth

assessment of learners’
ability to operate in a
Cambridge financial context at levels B2 It is directed towards improving the learners’ skills
English: and C1 of the CEFR– the context, study towards an accounting or finance qu
Financial internationally accepted internationally or with international clients and col
(ICFE) system for describing performance in finance and accountancy exams.
language ability.
The exam takers are tested on
all the four skills.
ILEC is an in-depth
assessment of one’s ability to
operate in a legal context at
levels B2 and C1 of the
CEFR.
Cambridge The examination covers all
This is a high-level qualification that will help exam
English: four language skills:
language skills for a successful career in internatio
Legal (ILEC) Reading, Writing, Listening
and Speaking. Each test is
based on realistic texts, tasks
and topics similar to those
expected to be encountered
when working as a lawyer.
TKT is divided into four
separate modules that can be
taken all, or just the one/ones
TKT has been developed for people who are alread
Teaching that meet the person’s needs.
internationally recognised qualification to gain form
Knowledge There’s total flexibility in
enhance their career opportunities by broadening th
Test (TKT) how and when the modules
want to keep their teaching skills up to date.
are taken and a certificate
for each one completed will
be received.
 This is a language and
teaching skills certificate.
In-service ICELT is divided into two
Certificate modules. Module 1 ICELT is ideal for teachers who are already teachin
for English (Language for Teachers) can adults or young learners in the private sector, teach
Language be taken as a standalone primary or secondary school learners. This qualific
Teaching module or together with and develop their ability to reflect on and improve
(ICELT) Module 2 (Teaching and
Methodology) to achieve the
full ICELT qualification.
For more in-depth information about each examination, follow this
link: http://www.cambridgeesol.org/exams/Links to an external site.
(http://www.cambridgeesol.org/about/standards/cefr.htmlLinks to an external
site.)These exams are of great importance in a large part of the world and are
usually administered by The British Council.
Lesson 2. Teaching for Examinations
(Part 2)
Other English Language Proficiency Tests
TOEFL
The Test of English as a Foreign Language has long been the favourite English
language proficiency qualification for foreign students who wanted to study
anywhere abroad where English is the language of instruction. More than 8,500
colleges, universities and agencies in more than 130 countries, including Australia,
Canada, the U.K. and the U.S.A, recognize it.

Examination Description Use

TOEFL The TOEFL test measures the candidates’ The TOEFL test is
ability to use and understand English at the usually taken by
university level. It evaluates how well the students planning to
candidates combine their listening, reading, study at a higher
speaking and writing skills to perform education
academic tasks. institution.
Scholarships and
There are two formats for the TOEFL® test.
certification
The candidates choose the format depending
candidates, English-
on the location (Links to an external site.) of
language learners
the test center. Most test takers take
who want to track
the TOEFL iBT (internet-based testing).
their progress and
Test centers that do not have Internet access
students or workers
offer the PBT (Paper-based Test).
applying for visas,
Each test component gets a score of also use it.
maximum 30 in TOEFL iBT test. The
maximum total score is 120.
The TOEFL PBT papers are: Listening:
Structure and Written Expression, and
Reading, with a total score between 310 and
677. Writing is tested separately in a test
called TWE (Test of Written English). There
 is no speaking test in this format.
This link will clarify the major differences
between these two formats of TOEFL:
http://www.interface.edu.pk/tests/toefl/toefl-
test-formats.asp

TOEFL PBT is soon going to be replaced completely by its iBT format. TOEFL is
exclusively a test of American English and culture, although we can see elements
of more diverse cultural topics in the reading paper. Its scores are valid for two
years.

TOEIC (Test Of English for International Communication)

The TOEIC tests directly measure the ability of non native speakers of English to
listen, read, speak and write in English in the global workplace. The TOEIC tests
are used by over 9,000 organizations around the globe in more than 90 countries to
assess English proficiency in the workplace. If you teach in Japan, it is very likely
that you will be asked to prepare the students for this examination. Like IELTS and
TOEFL, the scores are valid for two years.

TSE (Test of Spoken English)

The Test of Spoken English / TSE examines the "American English" language
skills, just like the TOEFL and the TWE. It is required for admission to most of the
universities in the US. The TSE tests your oral skills in university simulated
surroundings.
Other English Language examinations include ECPE Michigan, Trinity College
London ESOL, Pearson Test of English - General and Academic (former London
Test of English), etc.
Different countries and language schools have a preference for one or another
examination depending on its popularity among the students and their parents, on
the degree of “difficulty” and not necessarily on the needs of the learners. For
example, one of the most popular examinations with Greek students is ECPE
Michigan although this qualification is of no real value in Europe. That is why it is
crucially important for the English teachers to get detailed information about each
 of these examinations and the students’ future study plans so that they can provide
the best advice on the most appropriate English language qualifications that the
students need for their future careers or life in general.

Comparing the Most Popular ESOL Examinations

The following table gives an approximate comparison between the different exams. The exams
all use the CEFR proficiency levels.

CERF Level (Link IELTS (Links TOEIC (Links

Cambridge ESOL (Links TOEFL iBT (Links Michigan (Links to a
s to an external to an external to an external
to an external site.) to an external site.) external site.)
site.) site.) site.)

CPE (Links to an external 9 ECPE (Links to an

C2 site.) external site.)

CAE (Links to an external

site.), 7.5 110-120 880
C1 BEC Higher (Links to an
external site.)
6.5

FCE (Links to an external ECCE (Links to an

site.), 6 87-109
external site.)
B2 BEC Vantage (Links to an
external site.)
5

PET (Links to an external

site.), 4.5 57-86 550
B1 BEC Prelim (Links to an
external site.)
4

KET (Links to an external

A2
site.)

http://www.examenglish.com/
 Teaching for Examinations
What are the differences between teaching general English and teaching for
examinations?
Normally, there should be no huge difference between the two but given the
constraints of time, responsibility, and teaching strategies teaching (or rather
training) for examinations has its own specific features.
 Motivation: One of the biggest differences is the level of the students' motivation,
which is usually very high because the stakes are high. There is also the financial
aspect: the students or their parents have to pay for these examinations and some of
them make huge sacrifices to be able to get these language qualifications.
 Teacher's responsibility: It is not an understatement to say that the candidates'
whole future can depend on getting the right certificate with the right score. Under
these circumstances, the teacher has a huge responsibility to help their students
achieve their goals. Usually, the teacher is held responsible for the students' results.
A teacher will be evaluated according to his/her students' results in these
examinations so his/her reputation will be directly connected with these results.
 Time: The preparation courses for examinations are usually short. Generally, they
take four hours per week for three months, i.e. about 56 hours, whereas the general
English courses can vary a lot, from years to short crash courses. Exam preparation
courses are usually held at the weekends or in the evenings, so sometimes the
teacher needs to teach two two-hour sessions twice a week, or one four-hour
session once a week.
 Tasks and activities: There is a lot of constraint in choosing activities that will
engage students emotionally, cognitively, kinesthetically, and so on. Although they
might be beneficial for the students, any activity that is not directly connected to
the test items in the examination is regarded as useless and a waste of time. In
general English courses, the teachers can make use of all their imagination and
creativity to make the lessons fun as well as effective, but examination students
can become 'hooked' on their goal of passing the exams and can become quite
stressed if introduced to anything outside the exam syllabus.
 Administrative responsibilities: Unlike regular English courses, exam courses
may require some administrative duties from the part of the teacher. The teacher
may be responsible for the enrolment of the students in the examinations, keeping
the students informed about examination locations, dates, times, organisation of
transportation to the exam site, regulations of the exam itself, etc.
 How to Teach for Examinations?
 The teachers' first responsibility is to know the examination they are going to teach
for inside out. First, the teachers need to know the use of the examinations to be
able to give the prospective candidates the best advice on which best suits their
needs. They also need to get informed about the types of papers (exam
components) and their number, how long each paper takes, the times when these
examinations are taken, the closest locations, the administrative bodies (e.g. British
Council, a university). Information about how each paper is graded and the rubrics
for both speaking and writing have to become a teaching tool.
 Besides reading about the examination on the official websites and talking to
colleagues who have taught for it, the teachers need to take a practice exam
themselves under exam conditions to get familiar with the format of the exam and
try to predict the students' main difficulties with it (e.g. reading in a very limited
time).
 Before the students enroll on such a course, it is best for them to take a "mock”
examination that will serve as a diagnostic/prognostic test. Thus, the teacher will
know the chances a particular student has to at least get a pass score. For some
students, it might be important that they get the highest possible score in that exam.
For example, the university they want to study at requires a CAE with an A, not a
B or a C, which are pass scores. What is important to know is that a 56-hour course
can bring a student who got a C in the mock test to a B, but not to an A. So, if that
student needs an A, he or she will have to take two preparation courses. Naturally,
there are exceptions to the rule, but it is better to be safe than sorry.
A mid-course mock test is also advisable for both the students and the teacher to
measure the progress made and to identify areas that need more attention. A mock
exam at the end of the course before the examination itself is compulsory to draw
all the strings together again.
 The teacher must know the grammar of English very well to be able to explain any
point clearly and briefly when asked by a student, besides teaching it both formally
and sometimes informally during the grammar slots of a lesson. Grammar must be
taught in the context offered by the units in the course book.
 The teacher should guide students to learn independently. They should encourage
the students to read extensively, to watch quality movies (a list of such movies
would not be a bad idea), to listen to the radio in English (recommended list of
channels would help). The students need a very good dictionary such as Oxford
 Advanced English Dictionary, or Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English.
The students who have iPads or iPhones can buy the applications for these
dictionaries and many other study materials, including Oxford A-Z Grammar and
Punctuation and professional dictionaries. One of the most stunning dictionary
applications is Oxford Wordflex Touch Dictionary, which combines an interactive
dictionary with a thesaurus in the form of mind maps organized around topics.
 There is a lot more feedback and "grading” involved than in regular courses, so the
teachers need to be prepared to spend time outside class. Because of the amount of
preparation, "mock” testing, and one-to-one feedback, the groups must be kept
small. An average of six students per group would be ideal. One-to-one exam
teaching should be avoided, if possible, but pairs are acceptable. One reason for
this would be the speaking papers in the Cambridge ESOL examination, which
have an interactive part (the speaking examination is done with pairs of students
who, besides the long turns, have to interact to "solve a problem” using English in
their discussion).
 Last but not least, besides language teaching, the students need training in
examination taking skills. This will be done on a regular basis through exercises
and tasks that replicate the test items but also through specific activities that will
train the students to cope with the difficulties that might arise during the exam (e.g.
not remembering a key word during the speaking examination, or not being able to
decide between two possible answers in a multiple-choice reading task). The ones
who take the computer-based examinations or the online ones need special training
as well.

Websites with information about different international English examinations

 Cambridge ESOL Examinations: https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/test-your-
english/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
 TOEFL and TOEIC plus a number of other American examinations for college
placements (SAT, GRE): http://www.ets.org/tests_products (Links to an external
site.)Links to an external site.

Course books for Cambridge ESOL examinations

 You can use this link to find the right course books for your examination
classes: http://www.cambridgeesol.org/exam-preparation/books-study.php (Links
to an external site.)Links to an external site.
 Follow this link with recommendations for TOEFL preparation:
o http://gmatclub.com/forum/best-toefl-preparation-books-resources-reviews-
comments-79121.html (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Preparation for examinations websites that can be used by the students

independently
http://www.flo-joe.co.uk/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
http://www.examenglish.com/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external
site. (free practice tests)
There is a wealth of exam preparation sites on the Internet. The ones mentioned
above stand out among many others.
There are also a huge number of iPad and iPhone applications for examination
preparation. The free ones are fine but the best are the ones that cost some money
but they might be worth the investment.
Lesson 3. Approaches to Teaching
Use of mother tongue
One of the most frequently asked questions posed by those considering a career in
TEFL is - 'Do I have to speak their language?' The stock answer is 'Only for your
personal life and to get about in the country'. We also believe that learning your
students' mother tongue when you are in their country shows that you are serious
about living and teaching there and that you do not expect everyone to
speak your mother tongue whilst making no attempt to learn theirs.
In class however you do not need to speak the students' language. This would, in
fact, be an impossibility if you were teaching a mixed nationality class such as a
summer school in which you may have 10 or more different nationalities.
Having said that, if you are teaching higher levels and you are finding it difficult to
get the meaning of a word across to your students, why waste
time miming, drawing pictures etc? If you know the word in their language tell
them, it's quicker!

Grammar
If you are a native speaker, you 'know' the grammar of English perfectly - that is,
you are able to produce an infinite number of correctly formed sentences. Your
problem is to see it as a foreign language; to know about and be able to explain its
most characteristic systems and classes and to understand the problems they pose
to a foreign learner.
Do not depress yourself with the idea that there is somewhere one ultimate set of
rules which all experienced EFL teachers and applied linguists 'know' and which
you must learn. This is not so. There are many descriptions of the grammar,
fashions change, and one description may be better than another in some areas.
However, you must know your stuff. You don't want the students to know more
than you do or you will lose credibility and they will eventually not have enough
confidence to succeed.
Beginners do not need the terminology, advanced classes do and they will ask for
it. More important than the terminology however is the teacher's ability to explain
and to give examples on request.
Grammatical Approaches
Grammar Translation as a Teaching Method - The use of the word 'grammar' in the
grammar translation method, to a large extent means the grammar of words. Tables
showing:- walk, walks, walked, and boy, boys, boy's, boys' are presented. Words
are classified into parts of speech and functional categories are defined eg subject,
object etc. Then rules are given re: the usage and combination of these elements
into clauses and sentences. This is not very helpful to the learner of a foreign
language who tries to translate parts of a text, using pieces of grammatical
information - he / she may eventually know what was meant but does not acquire
any amount of fluency in speaking, listening or writing the language. Grammar-
translation has its place but is not widely used today in teaching foreign languages.
The Structural Approach - Grammar also plays a leading part here, the 'structure' in
the name of the approach being a grammatical structure. Course writers list what
they consider to be the most important grammatical elements. Here the
terminology is unimportant, but the patterns of the grammar are, of course, very
important. The grammatical elements are placed in a practical order for teaching
purposes and each is taught, practised and drilled. This method is still widely used,
though when used alone can become repetitive and boring. However, it works well
for teaching beginners.
Command of grammatical structure is essential to complete understanding and any
form of meaningful communication in ESOL. Good teachers and materials writers
do not use mindless drills (which are also boring) but include situational practice,
always checking the student's understanding of what he is repeating.
As language teachers, how much of this theory do we need to know? Unless you
are going to continue your studies, fortunately very little. The last sentence of each
paragraph however is of utmost importance if we are to do the job well! We are
teachers of COMMUNICATION, our aim therefore is to facilitate this
communication, this will not happen through translation or through mindless
repetition of grammatical structures. Students need to know not only the correct
grammatical structure but also where and how to use it.
The communicative approach - It is important to keep reminding ourselves that we
are teaching communication. We rarely need to teach declensions and verb lists as
in the Latin or even French classes some of you may remember from your
schooldays. We are teaching non-native speakers of English to effectively
communicate with native speakers of English or other non-native speakers of
 English. (As an essential language of the world of commerce, English may
necessarily be the language of communication between different nationalities none
of whom have any other language.)
If you, yourself have not had the experience of being in a position in which you
HAD TO communicate in a foreign language (one in which you are not fluent) you
will doubtlessly have observed others in that position. They adopt different styles
according to the situation, the audience, their own personality etc. Some seem to
relish the task and throw themselves into speaking with as much 'fluency' as they
can achieve with the string of mistakes they make along the way. Others freeze,
too afraid to speak in case the listener cannot understand due to the mistakes they
fear they will make.
Whichever way they tackle the task, we know that most students of EFL want
more than simply to communicate. They want to communicate in good English -
why otherwise would they bother with classes year after year? They do not want to
be laughed at, they do not want to have to resort to paralinguistics (facial
expression and body language) or to have to point and mime. They want their
English to be good enough to allow them to communicate effectively in correct
English.
As teachers of EFL we are happy with the concept of 'correct' English. It is our job
to know what is correct and what is incorrect, and to know that when our students
are not making correct utterances, they should be made aware of this fact.
However, we must allow students to communicate - a balance must be struck
between effective communication and correctness. We cannot be seen to accept an
incorrect sentence offered by student A, when student B, or in fact student A after
further thought or a look in his book, is likely to challenge your acceptance.
Similarly we must prevent students from continuing to make the same mistakes
which an examiner will mark wrong. On the other hand, mistakes are inevitable,
even from the most advanced students, but to constantly respond each time a
mistake is made would be very off-putting for your students, and fluency would be
impaired.
Classroom technique is of immense importance to good, effective, communicative
teaching. This is dealt with in Unit 4, Module 1.
Striking the balance between communication and correctness can be difficult, but
the following features should be kept in mind if we are to effectively teach
communication.

 Communication is passing information to somebody.

 Communication is saying what you want to say, rather than what you are told to
say.
 Communication is saying what is true and meaningful rather than what is
linguistically correct.
 Communication is producing authentic English rather than textbook English.
 Communication is paying attention to what people mean rather than how they
express themselves.

A great deal of research and work in this field has been going on over the last 20-
30 years. The above features of the 'communicative movement' are included here
for you to incorporate in your thinking when planning lessons, though not to the
exclusion of all else, including correctness.
The 'communicative movement', we may feel have overdone it a bit in their
concern with communication, but this persistent concern has produced a technique
which has useful applications. Communication, by definition, is the transfer of
information from source to receiver; that information, by definition, is not already
known to the receiver. A communicative exercise, therefore, can be set up by
ensuring that student A has some information which student B does not have, and
then prompting an exchange of information.
The simplest way to do this is to get the students to elicit information from you, the
teacher. You set the scene - ie tell them what they must elicit from you, they can
then ask questions at their own level:
eg
Beginners
Get the students to find out your hobby by asking simple questions which require
yes/no answers (you are less likely to get mistakes from beginners if you use this
restriction, otherwise they are likely to get carried away in their eagerness to find
out about you.)
Possible questions

o
 Do you like to swim?
 Do you do it inside?
 Do you make something?
 Are you tired afterwards?
 Is it a sport? etc.
 Etc.

Intermediate and advanced students can cope with something far more complex
and with 'free' questions in order to elicit the required information.
Another way is to get the students to elicit information from each other. This is
more complex to set up, and needs planning, but will stimulate your students, will
liven up a dull class, and will often prompt the students to ask for further
information from each other - this is invaluable in a mixed nationality class.

PreviousNext
Lesson 4. Teaching Skills &
Techniques
Teaching Skills & Techniques
Modelling
Clear presentation is essential in the classroom. Instructions can be effectively
reinforced by showing students what is expected of them, ie modelling. When you
model an activity, everyone can clearly see what is expected of them. Modelling
can be much more effective than lengthy instructions which can be confusing.

Chorusing
Chorusing is simply the repetition of words and expressions.It plays two important
roles in the classroom: 1) It provides students with a clear model for correct
pronunciation and stress, and 2) It helps students to memorise new vocabulary. Just
because a student hears a word modelled correctly (ie correct pronunciation &
stress), does not mean that he will be able to produce it correctly if he is not given
the opportunity to practise.

Chorus, Isolate, Confirm (C.I.C.)

This is a method of chorusing entire sentences with the aim of promoting sentence
fluency. It focuses on fluency, intonation and liaison (liaison is the running
together of words during normal speech, eg ‘What do you do?’ becomes, ’Whada-
yado?’)
Firstly, the entire sentence is chorused once, and then working backwards from the
end of the sentence individual sounds rather than individual words are chorused
until the sentence is built back up. The complete sentence is then chorused again.
There should be a marked improvement. This is an important tool for dialogue
practice and can be used at any level.
Drilling
Drilling is a controlled practice exercise allowing controlled practice of new
structures before moving on to freer practice. There are many different ways of
drilling; it’s aim is to ensure that students are able to use new structures correctly.
Here is an example: after teaching the question, ’What’s your favourite…?’, the
teacher substitutes a variety of pre-taught nouns, eg food, fruit, animals etc.
Then the teacher provides students with the opportunity to practise the structure by
repetitively asking and eliciting responses from the group until they are able to use
the structure fluently.

Boardwork
As teachers we should not forget the importance of the whiteboard in the
classroom. It is an important visual aid which serves to reinforce the language and
instructions and when used effectively can greatly aid teaching. As well as
presenting structures and vocabulary, diagrams and pictures can be drawn to
clarify meaning. Pictures and diagrams can assist us in the same way as modelling
does; a simple picture can be a lot more effective in demonstrating meaning than a
long and complex explanation. A good teacher develops his/her own style and
layout which should be the same for every class. It is useful to divide the board up
into different areas, eg new vocabulary, target language, exemplifications etc.

Instructions
This is one of the most important teaching skills, but is an area where many
teachers experience difficulties.
Clear, precise instructions are essential to avoid student confusion.
Good instructions should be brief; longer and longer instructions given in the
attempt to overcome confusion often have the reverse effect and merely lead to
further confusion. Avoid unnecessary language.
The teacher should a use a set of instruction vocabulary which doesn’t vary;
students should be introduced to these at the start of any course. Examples of basic
classroom instruction vocabulary are: sit, stand, listen, ask, answer, open your
books, work in pairs etc. When introducing these instructions it is often beneficial
to use them in conjunction with gestures to demonstrate meaning.
 It is important to prepare and check your instructions before lessons to avoid any
potential pitfalls.
Remember to never use pidgin English in the classroom; we should never model
bad English to our students.
Attention signals are effective time saving devices which can be used in the
classroom to convey instructions. For example, attention signals can be used for:
repeat, be quiet, stand up/sit down, stop, listen, write etc.
Gestures can also be invaluable in the classroom. They are different from attention
signals in that they do not convey instructions, but rather add meaning to the
spoken word. Gestures can be used to express encouragement, confusion, praise
etc. For example the thumbs up signal to express ‘good’, open hands facing up to
express that you don’t know, or don’t want to say, raised eyebrows to express
surprise etc.

Concept Checking Questions (C.C.Q.’s)

We use CCQ’s to establish meaning and check student understanding. They can be
applied both to grammar (structures / tenses/functional language), and vocabulary
(words / phrases). They look at such issues as concept, context, use (eg function,
style, relationships between people etc) and time reference as applicable. CCQ’s
should check and develop students’ understanding by the asking of carefully
planned specific questions.
eg Vocabulary: witty; ‘He’s a witty person’

o
 ‘Does he make people laugh?’ YES
 ‘Would he be a good guest at a party?’ YES
 ‘Is that because he’s clever or silly?’ CLEVER
 What, when, why, how, where, which questions (ie open questions)
 How does he make people feel? HAPPY
 What does he make people do? LAUGH
Once you have verified the students’ comprehension you can ask students to
personalize the vocabulary/structure.

o
 Do you like witty people?’ (why / why not?)
 Do people think you are witty?
 Can you think of a witty person you know?
 eg Grammar: used to.. ; ‘I used to smoke’.

o
 Are we talking about the past, present or future? PAST
 Did I smoke before? YES
 Did I smoke regularly? YES
 Do I smoke now? NO
 What happened? I GAVE UP
Personalized questions once understanding has been established:

o
 Have you ever smoked?
 When did you give up?
 How difficult was it?
 What did you use to do 5 years ago that you don’t do now?
We should avoid questions that waste time and that don’t focus on important issues
or clarify meaning. We should not use the target language in our questions, except
when practising, ie personalizing.)

Pair Work and Group Work

It has been argued that language acquisition will only occur when students are
exposed to, and have ample opportunity to use the target structures of any lesson in
a meaningful and interactive way. It is necessary to provide students with such
opportunities through the use of communicative, task-based activities in the EFL
classroom; this necessitates the use of pair work and group work. Pair work and
group work can be used for controlled practice of vocabulary and structures, or to
provide opportunities for authentic, communicative language use. Any pair work
activity is part of a continuum, with initial controlled practice activities leading to
more communicative freer practice. Many task-based pair work activities fall
somewhere between the two.
There are many possibilities for how group work and pair work can be used in the
classroom; here are a few examples of commonly used activities:
Predicting: During group lead-ins, predictive exercises in pairs or groups can be
used to introduce a topic and to encourage students to think about what they might
encounter in upcoming exercises.
Brainstorming: Brainstorming is useful for activating prior knowledge and ideas.
It can be used to generate vocabulary or ideas and interest in a topic. It ensures that
all students are actively involved. A competitive element can be introduced to
promote fun and motivation. The information generated is then fed back to the
whole group.
Information-gap & Jigsaw Activities: Information-gap exercises can be
structured to practise very controlled language structures or to provide real
communicative opportunities. Jigsaw activities are a special form of information-
gap exercise where key information required to complete a task is divided between
two students. The students must pool the information in order to successfully
complete the task; they must both give and seek information.
Opinion Exchange: Students are asked to give and discuss opinions. When carried
out in pairs it ensures that all students have the opportunity to express themselves
and avoids discussions being dominated by more vocal students. It is also less
threatening and can thus help to build student confidence.
Role-Plays: Students are given situations and roles and a task or objective to be
accomplished. They are a way of recreating real life situations in the classroom,
and can be both effective and enjoyable.
Discussion: Discussions can be carried out in pairs or groups, and provide good
interactive language opportunities.
Games: Games are usually carried out in groups, but can sometimes be adapted to
pair work. They can provide students with opportunities to practise language and
vocabulary in a fun and relaxed way, and they can add variety to lessons. They
should have a purpose and be used to meet the objectives of the lesson.
Projects: Giving students projects to work on in pairs or small groups can be very
effectively used in the classroom and can provide useful opportunities to develop a
variety of communicative skills, eg negotiating, agreeing / disagreeing etc.
Pair work: Pair work needs to be carefully set up in the classroom. Students need
to understand the objectives of the activity, the language to be used, their roles and
who they are to work with. To make pair work successful the teacher should
prepare and model the activity first. The teacher should carefully monitor students
during pair work activities ready to give feedback.
The teacher should consider the fact that different students work at different rates,
which can cause a problem if not carefully handled. For example, students who
have finished an exercise early may become noisy and disruptive or feel neglected
if they are left waiting for other students to finish the activity. Therefore, it is
important to plan extension activities which students can work on while waiting for
other students to finish.
Pair work activities which mimic real communication and have a purpose or goal
provide students with meaningful communicative opportunities which prepare
them for the ‘real world’ outside the classroom. Communicative pair work
exercises which allow for choices of what to say promote active listening and
appropriate responses thus mimicking real conversation.
Pair work helps to build class rapport and relationships within the classroom. For
students who are shy, pair work provides them with a safe environment in which
they are given the opportunity to contribute while not being the centre of attention.
Pair work provides the opportunity to practise a variety of communicative skills, eg
turn-taking, negotiating, agreeing and disagreeing with others opinions, etc.
Pair work provides the opportunity to cater to different student levels within the
same class.
Pair work is student-centred rather than teacher-centred. The amount of speaking
practice dramatically increases when pair work and group work are used in the
classroom.

Teaching Grammar and Vocabulary in Context

It is important to ensure that all language learning is effective and meaningful. This
means that new words and grammar should always be introduced in the context of
meaningful, realistic interactions. If grammar and vocabulary are taught in
isolation without showing how they are used in context, students will not be able to
learn how to use them in any meaningful way. When writing new vocabulary on
the board for example, always write the word within the context of a sentence and
underline the word.
Of course teaching grammar plays a central role in the EFL classroom. However, it
is not just a case of explaining grammar rules to the students; teaching grammar
effectively is more complicated than that. First you need to consider the objectives
of the class, the students’ learning styles, student age group, materials and
resources available, students’ current knowledge etc. In other words, each class is
going to have different grammar needs and goals, and it is up to the teacher to
determine those goals and provide the means with which to meet them.

Inductive and Deductive Grammar Teaching

Inductive is known as the ‘bottom up’ approach. In other words, students
discovering the grammar rules while working through exercises.
eg following a reading comprehension incorporating the simple past and present
perfect tenses, the teacher could ask questions such as, ’Has she ever been to
London?’; ’When did she go?’ etc. Then to help students inductively understand
the difference between the two tenses, these questions could be followed by asking
the students to identify which questions spoke about a definite time in the past and
which questions spoke about a person’s general experience.
Deductive is known as the ‘top down’ approach. This is the standard teaching
approach where the teacher introduces and explains the grammar rules to the
student.
eg the teacher starts by explaining that the present perfect tense is made up of the
auxiliary verb ‘have’, plus the past participle, and continues to explain that it is
used to explain an action that has begun in the past and continues to the present
moment…..etc.
An inductive approach means that the teacher is working to facilitate learning.

One to One
One to one offers a unique teaching situation with great potential. It offers a real
challenge to the teacher, but also an unrivalled opportunity. The content of a one to
one teaching session is determined to a large extent by the student. The teacher
becomes less of a controller or manager and needs more to respond to changes in
demands imposed by the student.
It is however still an artificial situation. Two individuals who have never met and
may have little in common spend a lot of time together in a confined space. It is
essential that the teacher is aware of this and is able to create space for learning
and not expect the student to be totally active. Silence can be difficult in any
teaching, but never more so than in a one to one situation. Students need time to
read through work, formulate answers etc. and the teacher needs to create the
necessary space for this to happen and also to take account of the learner's style.
Different expectations
One to one teaching in a business/language school setting is often in a small,
cramped room and comes with certain constraints and expectations as it is often
billed as 'intensive'.
One to one in a homestay / private teaching setting is much more relaxed. The host
teacher chooses the room and the student determines the pace.
It is true to say that there is ‘no escape’ in one to one teaching. It is demanding and
can be very tiring, but the advantages for the student are many:
1. The individual learning style, personality and level of the student can be taken
into consideration
2. The student can set the pace, this is not only possible, but necessary
3. The teacher can offer a choice of pattern/timetable in the working day
4. Breaks can be taken when the time suits
5. There are fewer time constraints on the length of tasks and lessons
6. Tailor-made materials can be prepared and revised to suit the individual
7. The student can have choice and can even supply input material
8. The teacher can arrange visits and set up situations to suit the individual
9. Teaching aids can be ‘hands-on’
10.The teacher can constantly monitor and feedback on the progress of the student
11.Communication is authentic at all times

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