Teaching English Online Cheat Sheet

The core ideas of Teaching English Online distilled into a single, scannable reference — perfect for review or quick lookup.

PiqCue — piqcue.com/teaching-english-online/cheatsheet

Quick Reference

Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)

An approach to language teaching that emphasizes meaningful communication and interaction as the primary goal and method of instruction, rather than rote grammar drills. Fluency is prioritized alongside accuracy, and lessons center on real-life communicative tasks.

TEFL/TESOL Certification

Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) are professional certifications that provide training in language teaching methodology, lesson planning, grammar instruction, and classroom management for English teachers.

Total Physical Response (TPR)

A language teaching method developed by James Asher in which students respond to commands with physical actions. It is especially effective for young learners and beginners because it links language to movement, reducing anxiety and reinforcing comprehension.

Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT)

An approach in which the lesson is structured around a communicative task that students must complete using the target language. Grammar and vocabulary instruction emerge from the needs of the task rather than being pre-taught in isolation.

Comprehensible Input

Stephen Krashen's hypothesis that language acquisition occurs when learners are exposed to input that is slightly above their current proficiency level (i+1). The input must be understandable through context, visual aids, or prior knowledge.

Synchronous vs. Asynchronous Teaching

Synchronous teaching occurs in real time with teacher and students present simultaneously (live video lessons). Asynchronous teaching involves pre-recorded lessons, assignments, and discussion boards that students access on their own schedule.

Student Talking Time (STT) vs. Teacher Talking Time (TTT)

The proportion of lesson time spent by students speaking compared to the teacher speaking. Effective language lessons maximize STT, as students learn by using the language, not by passively listening to the teacher.

Error Correction Strategies

Techniques for addressing student language errors including immediate correction, delayed correction, self-correction prompts, recasting (repeating the utterance correctly), and elicitation (guiding the student to self-correct).

Scaffolded Speaking Activities

Speaking tasks that build incrementally from controlled practice (drilling, repetition) to guided practice (information gaps, structured dialogues) to free practice (open discussion, debate), supporting learners at each stage.

Language Proficiency Frameworks (CEFR)

The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages is a widely used international standard that describes language ability on a six-level scale from A1 (beginner) to C2 (mastery), helping teachers assess level and set appropriate learning goals.

Key Terms at a Glance

Affective Filter:An emotional barrier (anxiety, low motivation, low self-esteem) that can block language acquisition even when comprehensible input is present.

Authentic Materials:Real-world texts and media not originally designed for language teaching, used to expose learners to natural language in context.

CEFR:The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, an international standard describing language proficiency on six levels from A1 to C2.

CELTA:Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults, an internationally recognized qualification issued by Cambridge Assessment English.

Communicative Competence:The ability to use language effectively and appropriately in real communication situations, including grammatical, sociolinguistic, discourse, and strategic competence.

Comprehensible Input:Language input that learners can understand, ideally at a level slightly above their current proficiency (i+1), facilitating acquisition.

Concept Checking Questions:Questions designed to verify that students understand the meaning of new language without simply asking 'Do you understand?'

Drilling:A controlled practice technique involving repetition of target language to build accuracy and automaticity.

EFL:English as a Foreign Language, referring to the teaching and learning of English in countries where English is not the primary language.

Elicitation:A correction technique where the teacher guides the student to self-correct through prompts, pauses, or questions rather than providing the answer.

ESL:English as a Second Language, referring to the teaching and learning of English in countries where English is the dominant language.

ESP:English for Specific Purposes, teaching English tailored to a particular professional or academic field such as business, medicine, or aviation.

Flipped Classroom:An instructional model where students study content independently before class, and class time is devoted to interactive practice and application.

Information Gap:A communicative activity where participants hold different pieces of information and must communicate to complete a shared task.

L1 Interference:Errors in the target language caused by transfer of patterns, structures, or sounds from the learner's native language.

Get study tips in your inbox

We'll send you evidence-based study strategies and new cheat sheets as they're published.

We'll notify you about updates. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.