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7 Common Errors of English Teachers

Posted on May 31, 2013 by John

Most English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers start teaching with very little training and often end up making it up
as they go. I know, I was there. I made all the common mistakes and I didnt even know I was teaching ineffective classes
until I started studying more about teaching and had a chance to visit classes of more experienced teachers. Not only
novices make these mistakes, many long term teachers havent really had the opportunity to observe quality English
classes and have less than optimal lessons. Here are some activities and practices that I believe to be ineffective.
1. Focus on the Activity Rather than Student Needs
It is easy to get caught up in a popular game, song or craft activity without ever really considering if it is in students best
interests or not. The goal of English classes is to help your students learn English, not pass the time as quickly as
possible. Make sure you are focusing on games, activities and stories that are giving your students the English exposure
they need. In once a week English classes, extended crafts, inappropriate songs and pointless activities should be
avoided. There are many great chants, games and books that are appropriate for the ability of your students. Spend the
time to find or develop activities that will facilitate your students learning.
2. Communicating at Inappropriate Levels
Novices teachers often come into English classes and talk just like they would to a native English speaker. It can take a
long time to learn to simplify language and speak at a level appropriate to students. Experienced teachers know exactly
what students have previously learned, what language targets they are weak at and what new targets are coming. By
offering regular review and slow introduction of new targets teachers can maximize learning. This really is an art and I
believe it takes several years to get good at it. If you are interested in researching more this is often referred to as the
Zone of Proximal Development (Vygotsky) or L+1 (previous learning plus a little more).
This is one of the primary reasons I avoid textbook based lessons for children. It is impossible for teachers to get a good
understanding of all the targets in a textbook if you are just going to the next page in the book. Can you name all the key
language targets in the textbooks you are using? Do you know which areas your students are having difficulty with? Do
you know what is coming up and have you been slowly introducing those targets in advance? It is very hard to answer
yes to those questions if you take a linear approach to teaching.
3. Not Teaching What Students Need to Learn
What are the most important language targets your students need to learn next? Is it shapes? Do they really need to
say, rectangle and diamond in the near future? If not, then dont waste time teaching it. Do they need to learn
animal sounds? Chick, chick, quack, quack, oink, oink. Will that help them communicate more effectively in English?
Teach what students need to learn, dont just pass the time with silly activities. If your students only had one more class
in English, what would you teach them so that they could communicate something, anything? Start with simple
expressions like, please, thank you, here you are, bathroom please. Then move on to vocabulary that they need to
know like, food, toys, school supplies, verbs, etc. After that, start introducing grammar and longer sentences. Always
think about the next most important language target that your students need to learn. I can bet it isnt going to be the
Alphabet Song or Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. Every language target can be made fun with the right games and
activities. Dont settle for ineffective lessons just because you havent thought about the needs of your students.


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4. Inadequate Preparation
It drives me crazy when teachers show up to class without any idea of what they are going to cover. Making up lessons
as you go is a waste of your students time and money. It is also more stressful for the teacher. Take some time to think
about what you are going to teach and how you are going to teach it. Think of the vocabulary you will cover. What
games will you use? Take out all the materials you are going to use in the class and lay them out in order so that you are
not searching through drawers in the middle of the class. Make sure you have extra games on hand in case one activity
bombs or you run out of time. It doesnt take much longer to properly prepare for a class, but the quality of the lesson
will be substantially better.
5. Speaking the Students Native Language
Classes are to teach English, not for you to study a new language. Proficiency in the native language of your students can
help you understand students needs more, but that doesnt mean you need to be using that language in class. Virtually
everything can be communicated in English. You dont need to explain games, just play them and demonstrate.
Teachers new to a country frequently try to use the little language they have picked up in class. The problem is that
students will most likely understand those easy targets in English so there is no need to use the students language.
Never say expressions like, thank you, here you are, whats this?, yes, no, etc. in the students first language (L1), they
will know or will soon learn these words in English.
6. Racing Through the Textbook
In order to really acquire language targets, students need multiple exposures in a variety of contexts. Many teachers just
read through the pages in a textbook without much review or evaluation of whether or not students are able to use that
English.
Remember that you are teaching what students need to learn, NOT the next page in the textbook. If students dont
understand, do the same target again with different games or activities. If students forgot an old target, and they often
will, go back and review. If it is too easy, then dont be afraid to skip sections, but the criterion of difficulty must be
evaluated on students needs.
When I first started teaching, I often thought that particular targets were so easy that they were a waste of time.
However, what is easy for the teacher isnt always easy for students. This is particularly a problem when teaching adult
students. Teaching basic English to beginner students gets boring fast so teachers want to bring in newspaper articles or
talk about current events. Sure those activities are interesting for the teacher, but they are seldom in the interests of
your students.
7. Little Communication in Class
Many teachers get up to the front of the room and talk at the students like they were giving a speech. In order to learn
to communicate in English, students have to actually communicate. They need to ask questions, express their own
opinions and talk to each other. Effective teachers try to get out of the way as much as possible. Students dont need to
listen to you talk or drill vocabulary. They need to be able to use the language in real contexts. Even beginner children
can be encouraged to speak and ask questions if they are taught key expressions in the beginning.
Dont stick to one drill pattern. Constantly vary the pace and try to personalize everything to your students particular
interests. For example, dont do long repetitive drills like What is it? It is a dog. It is a cat. It is a bird. etc. Those types
of lessons bore students to death. Introduce appropriate questions that your students can understand. Do you have a
dog? What is your dogs name? What color is your dog? How many dogs do you have? Do you want a dog? Where is
your dog? Where does your dog sleep? What does your dog eat? Does your dog like chocolate? etc. Even boring drills
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can be made interesting by introducing relevant questions. This is also a great way to review previous targets or
introduce new ones. Even better, get your students to ask each other questions whenever possible.
The Key Take Away Point
If there is one lesson that you should take away from this post, it is that you should always be teaching what your
students need to learn. Dont let your materials, textbook or biases control the classes. Try your best to accurately
evaluate students abilities and then deliver suitable games and activities to teach the most appropriate language
targets. There are dozens effective ways to teach any target so constantly experiment to make your lessons as
memorable and fun as possible.