25 Worst TEFL Mistakes

Feb 12, 2016

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1. Disrespect your students

If their level of English is low, dont assume they are less intelligent.
They just might not have had the opportunity to practise their
English, but they might be brilliant in other fields of study or work.
2. Inadequate preparation
Have clear teaching and learning objectives dont assume that the
fact that you speak English better than your students is enough to
cover for your lack of preparation for your lesson. Think of clear
objectives for your lessons and take into account your students
needs, motivation, background and characteristics.
3. Teach irrelevant content
Think about your students needs and what they need to
communicate effectively in English. Talk to them, ask them the
reasons why they want to learn/improve their English, and ask them
about their future plans.
4. Lower expectations

Challenge your students from time to time, you will be surprised to

see how much some of them can improve.
5. Refuse to acknowledge when you made a mistake or when
you dont know something.
Its easy, just say Sorry, I dont know that, can anyone help? or Ill
check that for you, Im not sure (and let the student know the
correct answer next time when you see him/her). The teacher cant
know everything, so dont be embarrassed to acknowledge
something you dont know. Make sure that what you dont know is
not an elementary thing which any teacher has to know, i.e. the
verb tenses.
6. No correction
Always correct your students! There are different types of
corrections. Dont make them feel stupid, but make them aware of
their mistakes.
7. Long teacher speeches
As a general rule of thumb, students should speak for 70% of the
class time, while teachers speak for the remaining 30%.
8. No fun
Make your students feel comfortable around you with a joke or two.
Students tend to like fun teachers more, so even if you are the
serious type, dont be afraid to say a few funny remarks from time
to time.

9. Speak to the students as if they were native speakers of

English
Dont go the whole nine yards and use the whole palette of
colloquialisms and slang possible. Your students will think you are off
your rocker.
10. Over and under correction
When you focus on fluency, dont interrupt the students to correct. If
you focus on accuracy you can correct on the spot. These are two
golden rules related to the Art of Correction. Dont leave mistakes
uncorrected, they will haunt you and your students forever.
Correction is necessary, but dont overact, you dont want your
students to be afraid of being corrected every time they speak.
11. Ignore cultural differences
Some teachers are so focused on teaching things about their
culture, that they completely ignore their students culture. This is a
mistake EFL teachers usually make in foreign countries where the
culture might be very different from what they are used to, i.e.
Arabic or Oriental cultures. Learn about your students customs and
use this information to create a positive learning environment.
12. Talk too fast or too slow
Youre neither at a rodeo show nor speaking to idiots. Adapt your
speaking speed to your class.
13. No adapted materials

There are lots of textbooks out there and they are extremely useful,
but sometimes you need to adapt your materials to your class and
integrate them into your lesson. Personalize them, use them
creatively and your students will definitely appreciate that.
14. Teach the subject and not the student
No language is fully functional if its not used and no languages
should be simple school subjects. They are tools your students will
use to be able to communicate. Let them master the language not
be mastered by it.
15. Ignore boundaries between teacher and student
Never let it get too personal. Be on friendly terms, talk about your
dog or what you did last weekend, but make sure students feel there
is a boundary that cant be crossed. Its not a bad thing if you are
not their close friend. Its a bad thing if you are their enemy or if you
dont prove to be a competent teacher.
16. Ignore students background
This is essential information to have if you want your students to
advance, to make progress in their English language skills.
17. Unclear instructions
This can cause a messy class. Make sure you give clear instructions.
Dont tell long stories, keep it straight and simple.
18. Not checking the understanding of instructions

Ask them if theyve understood and theyll tell you they have. If you
think thats enough, you are in the wrong, not your students. Ask
them to repeat your instructions and you will realize that most of the
time thats a hard nut for them to crack.
19. Do you understand? Syndrome
Its very common among beginner teachers. Nine times out of ten,
the student will answer yes, and nine times out of ten, the student
doesn't have a clue what you are talking about. A much better way
to check and see if they understand is through example. Have them
use the newly learned language in a sentence, ask them to explain
the new language to the class, or have them explain the idea
further.
20. Lack of flashcards and worksheets
There are a zillion ways to use them, and they are both extremely
helpful. Dont overuse them though.
21. The bla-bla-bla - teacher
Students don't need to, nor do they want to hear your entire thought
process of past, present, and future activities out loud. This is boring
and unnecessary. Tell the students what they need to know and save
your blabber for the staff room.
22. The over-helpful teacher
Dont offer everything to the student. You are not a slave providing
language. You are a challenger. Also, dont let them become lazy by

providing an end to their sentences just because you want to hear

the answer you are expecting. If you start predicting the words a
student is going to say, and blurting out the tail-end of a sentence,
you are creating a big disadvantage to the student. An ESL learner
needs time to think and utter their own words and ideas. Taking that
away from them by doing the sentence completion for them is
counter-productive.
23. No encouragement or too much encouragement
Everybody likes being approved and being encouraged. However,
dont exaggerate; sometimes too much encouragement can make
students become too arrogant or you might end up looking like an
idiot.
24. The grammar bug
Its useful, its the skeleton of a language, you cant do without it,
but dont treat it as if it is the key to success. Grammar and
speaking should go hand in hand. Your students might know all the
possible grammar rules and exceptions, but if they cant make use
of them when they speak, EFL grammar teaching hasnt reached its
purpose. Your students are not linguists and in general dont intend
to become linguists. They are foreign speakers of English. Treat
them as such.
25. Too quick to finish

Enjoy your lessons, dont be too quick to finish them. Plan your
lessons and time them so that what you teach is interesting and
enjoyable, not just a way to make time pass.