Welcome to another wild ride on the Gav & Em TEFL train! This week, they explore the wonderful world of W. From worst-case lesson nightmares to WH-questions, wish structures, word order, and the moments when teaching really does start to wear a bit thin. Expect laughter, language tips, classroom chaos, and some spectacularly silly sentences (dragons, rollercoasters, and volcanoes included!). If you enjoy the show and want to show some support, you can do so at ko-fi.com/howtoenglishpod

Timestamps

00:00 – Welcome aboard the W episode

01:22 – Worst lesson nightmares

08:42 – WH-question words & a mystery celebrity

13:57 – Wish sentences (present, past & would)

18:20 – “In time” vs “On time” – the great mix-up

22:13 – Emergency lesson: W is for Word Order!

30:43 – Wearing thin – is teaching ever boring?

35:57 – Negative WH-questions

38:20 – Tip of the episode: Warmers & candles

39:30 – Watch, Wait, Welcome – advice for teachers & learners

41:46 – Wrapping up W and looking ahead to X, Y, Z

Welcome back to the A–Z of TEFL, where this week Gav and Em tumble head-first into the wonderfully vibrant world of V! Expect variety, velvet vests, victorious vocabulary moments, and a VERY enthusiastic debate about voiced fricatives. There are visual coincidences, laughing puppies, identical cars, and a surprisingly deep chat about finding your authentic teacher voice. Grab a cuppa to support the show at ko-fi.com/howtoenglishpod

Grammar Drops: https://www.youtube.com/@GrammarDrops

Whizbusters: https://whizbusters.teachable.com/

Game music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=951ZpDOP9VY&list=PL170TfEhZz-_GstI3bsghBfuD-u8nlHHD&index=13

Timestamps

00:00 – Intro

01:04 – Variety, spice, and T-shirts

04:58 – Shout-outs!

05:46 – Voiced letters & the /v/ vs /w/ showdown

13:06 – Visual coincidences picture task

22:54 – Finding your teacher voice

29:02 – Big & small teaching victories

31:07 – Vocabulary vs Lexis

35:14 – Body-action vocabulary game

39:48 – Vitality as a teacher

43:49 – Gav's tips and more Vs

43:13 – Em's tip

45:15 – Outro & next week’s teaser

🎙️Gav & Em explore the letter U in this fun and practical TEFL episode. From quirky Under to Ultra words, plus uncountable nouns, role plays, grammar tips, and AI-powered sentence upgrades—there’s plenty to unpack.

References: English File, Oxford

Background music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q83yRKmKKYs&list=PLfP6i5T0-DkKSs8G6YbPHYAR70-f5tP9S&index=21

Timestamps

00:00 – Welcome & intro banter

01:14 – Under-prefix wordplay

05:54 – Uncountable nouns role play

09:22 – Categories of uncountables

10:33 – Countable vs uncountable game

14:53 – Upgrading with AI

20:09 – “Used to” grammar practice

23:42 – Teaching with textbook units

26:40 – Prefixes: ultra, super, mega, hyper

30:26 – Tips of the episode