TEFL Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield TEFL facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. What is portfolio assessment in TEFL? → A collection of student work over time showing growth and achievement in language learning
2. What is micro-teaching? → A short, focused teaching practice session used for teacher training and skill development
3. What is the minimal pair technique primarily used for in TEFL pronunciation teaching? → To help students distinguish between similar sounds
4. A teacher uses 'peer correction' in class. What does this involve? → One student correcting another student's error
5. Why is 'intelligibility' emphasized over native-like accent in modern TEFL pronunciation teaching? → Because the primary goal is effective communication, not accent elimination
6. What does 'monitor' mean when a TEFL teacher 'monitors' during a communicative activity? → Circulates around the classroom to observe, support, and note student language use
7. What is the ideal teacher-to-student talk ratio in a communicative EFL classroom? → 20-30% teacher, 70-80% student
8. A teacher wants to use a 'flipped classroom' model for a TEFL course. What would this typically involve? → Students study grammar videos at home; class time is used for communicative practice
9. A teacher plans a lesson using the 'Test-Teach-Test' (TTT) framework. Which sequence is correct? → Diagnostic task → explicit instruction of gap → production task
10. What is 'elision' in English pronunciation? → The omission of a sound in natural connected speech
11. Which concept describes a learner's self-imposed barrier to language acquisition due to fear of embarrassment? → The Affective Filter
12. What is 'eliciting' in TEFL teaching practice? → Drawing out language or ideas from students rather than providing them directly
13. What is Total Physical Response (TPR)? → A method linking language learning to physical movement and actions
14. Which teaching method primarily focuses on explicit grammar instruction and translation between the target language and the students' native language? → Grammar-Translation Method
15. Which teaching method emphasizes the use of real-life communication and interaction as the primary means of learning? → Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)
16. Which of the following best describes the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)? → A standardized set of symbols representing speech sounds
17. What is the Audio-Lingual Method? → A method based on behavioral psychology using repetition, drills, and pattern practice
18. Which of the following best describes 'focus on form' in communicative teaching? → Drawing attention to linguistic features during meaning-focused activities
19. Which syllabus type organizes content around functions like 'apologizing,' 'requesting,' and 'agreeing'? → Notional-Functional syllabus
20. Which classroom grouping arrangement is most effective for encouraging student–student interaction? → Horseshoe or U-shape seating
21. What is reflective practice in TEFL? → Systematically thinking about and analyzing ones teaching to improve future practice
22. What is the purpose of 'instruction checking questions' (ICQs) in classroom management? → To ensure students understand what they are supposed to do before starting an activity
23. In TEFL, 'accuracy activities' are best described as tasks that: → Require learners to produce language correctly with attention to form
24. According to Krashen's Input Hypothesis, acquisition occurs when learners are exposed to language that is: → Slightly beyond their current competence (i+1)
25. What is 'sentence stress' in English and why is it important? → The emphasis placed on content words to convey the most important information
26. What is 'linking' in English connected speech? → When the final sound of one word connects smoothly to the initial sound of the next
27. What is a timeline diagram used for in TEFL? → To visually represent verb tenses and their relationship to past, present, and future
28. Which approach treats language learning as acquiring habits through stimulus-response drills? → Audiolingualism
29. What is the purpose of using a phonemic chart in TEFL pronunciation teaching? → To provide a visual reference for all English phonemes
30. What is a rubric in language assessment? → A scoring guide with specific criteria and descriptors for evaluating student performance