Understanding your context
In the first event in our series of webinars on practical approaches for your teaching context, two of our course tutors introduce strategies for making your teaching relevant to your learners, your classroom and your wider context. The second session focuses on designing projects that celebrate local culture and cultural exchange while building communication, teamwork and creativity. These activities strengthen learner confidence and place an understanding of culture and context at the heart of your classroom. The live event took place on 17 April 2026.
About the sessions
Session 1: Understanding your context: A practical introduction
Speaker
Rabia Shafi and Nadia Tuati
Session information
In this practical introduction to the professional practice Understanding your context, our course tutors will explore how you can adapt materials and resources to suit your learners' needs, interests and backgrounds. They will share resources and strategies for teaching large, mixed-level classes. You will find out how your learners' home languages and cultures can become valuable resources in the classroom.
Download Rabia and Nadia's handout
Watch 'Understanding your context: A practical introduction'
Session 2: Culture, confidence and communication in the EFL classroom
Speakers
Claudia Tumba
About the session
This workshop gives you practical ideas to help you celebrate culture in your classroom through collaborative projects. You learn how to design a clear project framework for learners to present cultural content, which will help them develop communication skills, collaboration and creativity. Including cultural content in your classes can encourage empathy and intercultural understanding as well as boosting learner confidence. Watch the session to find out more!
Download Claudia's handout
Watch 'Culture, confidence and communication in the EFL classroom'
About the speakers
Rabia Shafi is one of our Courses for Teachers Facebook group tutors. She's a teacher educator and materials developer with over 20 years of experience working with educators across Asia, the Middle East, the Americas and Africa. She holds an MPhil in Applied Linguistics. Rabia designs and implements training programmes for teachers and teacher educators in public schools. She lives and works in Pakistan.
Nadia Tuati is also one of our Courses for Teachers Facebook group tutors. She's a teacher and teacher educator working for the British Council in Libya. She delivers professional development workshops for teachers in Libya, Jordan and across the MENA region. She has a master's degree in Theoretical Linguistics and also works as a lecturer at the University of Tripoli.
Claudia Tumba is a passionate EFL educator teaching at universities in South Korea. With over ten years of teaching experience, she brings creativity and empathy into the English classroom. Her work centres on project-based learning, cultural celebration and helping learners move from anxiety to confidence when using English. Outside the classroom, she is an author, actor and speaker who enjoys exploring how creativity can transform language learning. She has given webinars before for TeachingEnglish, including on How storytelling transforms learning.