What to Do with a Male EFL Group

You might think it's a female teacher's dream to have an all male EFL (English as a Foreign Language) class-with all these good-looking and intriguing students from all over the world. But it's not. It's not natural to have an all-male class. Women in class bring out the best in men. And if the women aren't there, you have a lot of work to do.

The whole purpose of a discussion group-for EFL or any other thing-is to talk. Well, men facing each other in a group without a beer or laptop in their hands is like hell to them. They avoid each other's eyes because of the fear of an accidental confrontation over...nothing.

So what can you do with a whole EFL group full of men? Here are some dos and don'ts:

Don't try to elicit feelings. You know how men and feelings don't go well. So don't even try to get men to reveal their feelings to each other in English or any other language. Instead, go around and ask them to talk about what they do for a living or their favorite sport. There's plenty of EFL material in this.

Get the men to bond. The guys in the EFL group don't like a female teacher any more than you like being one in such a situation. Make a silly joke about yourself so the men will bond together against you. This really works if you do some self-chastising. For example, I make jokes about how badly I park a car. All men can relate to this whether they're from Germany, Italy or Norway. As soon as you see the guys look at each other and laugh, you know you've got a bond going in the group-which is the most important step in any EFL class-male or female.

Don't bring up sex. Never bring up the topic of sex in a group of men. It's not necessary and the guys may feel like you're trying to manipulate them into talking. They are plenty of other topics out there much more appropriate-politics, the economy, global warming, etc. You can talk about women, but do so in a more neutral way. If the topic of sex does come up in the group-and it does occasionally-don't comment. Just let the topic take or drop off naturally. Of course, if the subject turns crude or vulgar-which is highly unlikely in a group of men who don't speak English very well-- change the subject to something more suitable.

Do a competition with the group. Most EFL students love contests or competitions, and this is something that will get the men to bond with each other while learning some English. Divide the group in half-if possible-and give each side an EFL task and see who can do it the fastest. For example, see which side can come up with the most verbal phrases involving the word "up," such as come up (as used above), stay up, keep up, grow up, etc.

Be a good role model. Notice I said a role model, not a fashion model. Think of yourself as a professional EFL teacher. Don't try to look or be sexy in the class. It's highly unprofessional and can make you look like a fool. Be aware that you have the chance to represent women in a very good leadership role as an EFL teacher. Many male EFL students need English to continue in their careers, and you can really help them in that goal.

Even if teaching an all-male EFL class is difficult, remember: This may be the only time in your life you tell men what to do and they listen. You give them directions and they follow them right away-and most of them get it right the first time.

Ilene Springer, author of An-American-in-Malta.com,, teaches EFL in Malta.