, The TEFL
Handbook
Sharon Turner (Applied Linguistics BA, CertTESOL, DELTA)- Author
Mayy ElHayawi (PhD, CELTA) – Editor
,Dear Reader,
Welcome to The TEFL Handbook which has been specifically designed to help you through
your first experiences as an EFL teacher. This handbook has been written, based on real life
experiences that both the author and the editor have encountered throughout their 20-year
journey in EFL, both in the UK and abroad. Each chapter covers some basics and background
information about the topic area in question and then goes on to look at the realities of the
classroom and the kinds of activities that really work with the majority of learners in varied
EFL contexts.
In this handbook, you will also see many references to online resources to help you in
your teaching. Areas that have been included for Internet use are:
Job advertising sites that have the latest globally available EFL jobs.
Downloadable teaching resources that can be used in the classroom for
supplementary materials.
Teaching projects that directly involve the use of the internet as a tool in the lesson.
Sites that inform you about various examinations worldwide.
Peer support and professional development resources, including blogs, online
forums, conferences and workshops.
Ideas for support through social media platforms.
Web tools for teaching and finding jobs such as screen capturing, video making,
and picture editing.
Online teaching platforms, such as Skype, Google Hangouts and Zoom.
Online file storage and synchronization services such as Dropbox and Google
Drive.
At the end of most of the chapters, you will also see a book image. This is to indicate the
bibliography section. Instead of placing the bibliography at the end of the handbook in one
long list, each citation in the chapter is placed at the end of that chapter where appropriate,
so that it becomes easier for your reference.
I hope that the handbook would be a guiding light for commencing or advancing your
teaching career, and that it would open up new spheres for personal growth and
professional development. Now, let’s embark on an exciting EFL journey keeping in mind the
hundreds of lives you would touch and the tens of students you would influence and inspire
along the way.
Wishing you all the best,
Sharon Turner (BA, CertTESOL, DELTA) – Author
Mayy ElHayawi (PhD, CELTA) – Editor
1|Page
, Page #
Section 1: Some Basics for Getting Started
Chapter 1: Choices, Choices, Choices 5
1. What is TEFL? 5
2. Choice 1: What type of English course do you want to teach? 6
3. Choice 2: In what type of institution do you want to teach? 9
4. Choice 3: Do you want to stay at home or go abroad? 10
Chapter 2: Getting Used to It All 14
1. The course book and the teacher’s book 14
2. The syllabus 15
3. The weekly running plan 16
4. Supplementary materials 17
5. Planning your lesson 19
6. Other documents 21
7. Differentiation 23
8. The classroom space and equipment 24
9. Your first day in the classroom 25
10. Bibliography 26
Chapter 3: It’s All about Relationships 27
1. The student’s relationship with themselves 27
2. The student to student relationship 31
3. The teacher and student relationship 33
4. The teacher’s relationship with themselves 35
5. The teacher’s relationship with fellow teachers 36
6. The teacher’s relationship with the institution 36
7. Bibliography 37
Section 2: The Skills and Linguistic Systems of English
Chapter 4: Listening 39
1. An introduction to listening 39
2. General advice for teaching listening 41
3. A listening lesson plan 45
4. Activities for listening in the classroom 50
5. Bibliography 52
2|Page
Handbook
Sharon Turner (Applied Linguistics BA, CertTESOL, DELTA)- Author
Mayy ElHayawi (PhD, CELTA) – Editor
,Dear Reader,
Welcome to The TEFL Handbook which has been specifically designed to help you through
your first experiences as an EFL teacher. This handbook has been written, based on real life
experiences that both the author and the editor have encountered throughout their 20-year
journey in EFL, both in the UK and abroad. Each chapter covers some basics and background
information about the topic area in question and then goes on to look at the realities of the
classroom and the kinds of activities that really work with the majority of learners in varied
EFL contexts.
In this handbook, you will also see many references to online resources to help you in
your teaching. Areas that have been included for Internet use are:
Job advertising sites that have the latest globally available EFL jobs.
Downloadable teaching resources that can be used in the classroom for
supplementary materials.
Teaching projects that directly involve the use of the internet as a tool in the lesson.
Sites that inform you about various examinations worldwide.
Peer support and professional development resources, including blogs, online
forums, conferences and workshops.
Ideas for support through social media platforms.
Web tools for teaching and finding jobs such as screen capturing, video making,
and picture editing.
Online teaching platforms, such as Skype, Google Hangouts and Zoom.
Online file storage and synchronization services such as Dropbox and Google
Drive.
At the end of most of the chapters, you will also see a book image. This is to indicate the
bibliography section. Instead of placing the bibliography at the end of the handbook in one
long list, each citation in the chapter is placed at the end of that chapter where appropriate,
so that it becomes easier for your reference.
I hope that the handbook would be a guiding light for commencing or advancing your
teaching career, and that it would open up new spheres for personal growth and
professional development. Now, let’s embark on an exciting EFL journey keeping in mind the
hundreds of lives you would touch and the tens of students you would influence and inspire
along the way.
Wishing you all the best,
Sharon Turner (BA, CertTESOL, DELTA) – Author
Mayy ElHayawi (PhD, CELTA) – Editor
1|Page
, Page #
Section 1: Some Basics for Getting Started
Chapter 1: Choices, Choices, Choices 5
1. What is TEFL? 5
2. Choice 1: What type of English course do you want to teach? 6
3. Choice 2: In what type of institution do you want to teach? 9
4. Choice 3: Do you want to stay at home or go abroad? 10
Chapter 2: Getting Used to It All 14
1. The course book and the teacher’s book 14
2. The syllabus 15
3. The weekly running plan 16
4. Supplementary materials 17
5. Planning your lesson 19
6. Other documents 21
7. Differentiation 23
8. The classroom space and equipment 24
9. Your first day in the classroom 25
10. Bibliography 26
Chapter 3: It’s All about Relationships 27
1. The student’s relationship with themselves 27
2. The student to student relationship 31
3. The teacher and student relationship 33
4. The teacher’s relationship with themselves 35
5. The teacher’s relationship with fellow teachers 36
6. The teacher’s relationship with the institution 36
7. Bibliography 37
Section 2: The Skills and Linguistic Systems of English
Chapter 4: Listening 39
1. An introduction to listening 39
2. General advice for teaching listening 41
3. A listening lesson plan 45
4. Activities for listening in the classroom 50
5. Bibliography 52
2|Page
