About this episode

Gav and Em discuss the balance of teacher talk and student engagement in English lessons.

How much should a teacher actually talk in an English lesson — and when should they simply get out of the way? In S07E15, Gav and Em discuss what teachers really do in the classroom (and what they don’t!). We explore whether a lesson should ever become “The Teacher Show”, how teachers can guide conversations without dominating them, when to jump into a discussion, and why timing matters when correcting errors. We also talk about supporting lower-level learners, encouraging students to help each other, and remembering that while teachers may think about English all day, an English lesson might be just one small part of a student’s busy week. Plus: a simple tip for learners — keep notes of interesting English you hear, read or see during the week and bring those questions to your teacher. ⏱️ KEY MOMENTS 00:00 – What do teachers really do in the classroom? 02:26 – Why your lesson shouldn’t be “The Teacher Show” 03:57 – Do students actually need a teacher? 06:26 – Should teachers give their opinions? 07:15 – Stepping back and delayed error correction 09:54 – The teacher as an orchestra conductor 11:43 – When should you correct errors? 13:05 – Getting a speaking activity started 13:58…

People in this episode

Hosts: Gav, Em

Topics covered

• teacher talk
• classroom dynamics
• student engagement
• error correction
• supporting learners
• peer teaching

Keywords

• teacher talk
• classroom
• error correction
• student engagement
• lower-level learners
• peer teaching
• English lessons

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: How to English TEFL Podcast

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