The tefl.ai Blog
AI guides, tools and honest answers
Practical AI for teaching English — from lesson planning and materials to IELTS feedback and TEFL careers. Written by the team at the TEFL Institute Group.
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Past Continuous Tense
The past continuous is the English verb form made with was or were plus the -ing form of…
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Recasting
A recast is a corrective move in which the teacher repeats a learner’s incorrect utterance in corrected form,…
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Past Simple Tense
The past simple is the English verb form used for an action or state completed at a finished…
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Present Perfect Tense
The present perfect is the English verb form made with have or has plus a past participle, used…
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Guided Discovery
Guided discovery is an inductive teaching technique in which the teacher presents learners with examples of a target…
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Concept Checking Questions (CCQs)
A concept checking question, usually shortened to CCQ, is a short question a teacher asks to confirm that…
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Drilling
Drilling is controlled repetition of a target word, phrase or structure, led by the teacher, to build accuracy…
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L1 Interference
L1 interference is the effect a learner’s first language has on their English when the two languages differ,…
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Backward Design
Backward design is a three stage planning sequence in which a teacher first sets the learning outcome, then…
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Eliciting
Eliciting is the set of techniques a teacher uses to draw language, ideas or knowledge out of learners…
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Diffit vs Twee: Which Works Better for English Teachers?
Diffit levels existing texts for free. Twee builds whole lessons around CEFR for a fee. Verified pricing and…
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Twee Alternatives for English Teachers
Twee has no direct equivalent, but there are real alternatives depending on what you need. Diffit, MagicSchool, Brisk…
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MagicSchool Alternatives for English Teachers: What Actually Fits
The best MagicSchool alternatives for English language teachers, with verified pricing and an honest look at when switching…
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Twee vs MagicSchool: Which Suits English Teachers Better?
Twee and MagicSchool solve different problems. Verified pricing, where each one wins, and the combination most English teachers…
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MagicSchool Review for English Teachers: Breadth, Limits and Cost
MagicSchool is the broadest AI platform in education, but it is built for K12 rather than language teaching.…
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