EF Teacher Zone
Ideas, tips, and tools for language teachers around the world.
MenuVisit EF Teacher Zone

Academic life

92 articles
4 tips to (immediately!) improve your boardwork
3 min read 3 min

As much a part of the classroom as the teacher and students themselves, the whiteboard is where a great deal of learning is imparted—or is it where ut...

6 reasons to consider traveling overseas with your students
4 min read 4 min

Does the idea of shepherding your class throughout international customs (and coming out of it in one piece) sound impossible? Sure, it’s a big projec...

How (and why) to leave work at school
4 min read 4 min

How many evenings and precious weekends do you spend revisiting classes, ruminating over conversations, or thinking about tomorrow’s lesson plans? We ...

What to look for when choosing a TEFL course
4 min read 4 min

These days it’s no longer possible to be a native English speaker, complete a weekend course, and walk straight into a teaching position. And this is ...

Are native English speaking teachers better?
4 min read 4 min

Some students and schools believe that the only good teacher is a Native English Speaking Teacher (sometimes referred to as a NEST or Mother Tongue sp...

Why I chose to teach English in San Francisco
4 min read 4 min

When I first arrived in San Francisco, nearly a decade ago, I wandered around the Marina breathing in the brisk coastal air, hearing the ding-dings of...

Why challenge your students more (and six ways to start)
4 min read 4 min

Coasting along is wonderful while on vacation; in a great car, with an awesome soundtrack and friends to accompany you. But it’s not so great in the c...

What’s it like to teach in Africa? (And why consider it)
4 min read 4 min

Angela Adamu was born in Nigeria and educated in both Nigeria and the United States. She’s worked for more than 20 years in teaching, school administr...