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There are many problems that the teachers have to face in the EFL classroom, and they have to come up with different techniques, exercises, and activities to deal with those situations in a creative way, that will spark up the interest of students and make learning and teaching more fun. Here is an overview of some such problems and potential solutions to them. First and foremost, all the students should be familiar with the EFL teaching methodology and the specific teaching technique the teacher uses. If the students have never experienced foreign language classes, or are used to a different way of teaching, the most important thing the teacher should do is to establish rapport with the students in the first lesson and get them familiarized with his or her specific teaching methods. This can be done through various ice-breaking activities and games, which are designed not only to connect the students and the teacher so as to have more productive and interesting lessons but also so that the teacher would have a clear idea what the students' needs are. Next, one of the most common problems that can occur in an EFL classroom is the lack of students' motivation. It is understandable that the students get bored doing strictly grammar. That is why the teacher should try to add some games to the beginning of the lessons, for example a memory game or a game of hangman, therefore starting the revision of previous knowledge or the learning process in an interesting way, and getting the students in the mood for thinking in English and actively participating in the lesson. Furthermore, the students in the same class might not be of the same age, nationality or even level of proficiency in English. In such a case, the teacher should try to find the topics that can be understandable and interesting to students of all ages, encourage pair work of the weaker and stronger students, adjust the level of the tasks to adhere to all the students' needs, or make different materials for students of different levels. Moreover, the teacher should be careful not to bring up any sensitive topics that might make the students of different nationalities and religions feel singled out, or mocked. Lastly, some students might get the urge to use their native language when they don't know how to express their ideas in English or are afraid of making mistakes when speaking in front of others. However, the teacher should not let that happen too often, in fact, the teacher should try to encourage the students to communicate only in English, even though it is flawed and influent. One way of dealing with such a problem is not to respond to the students if they are speaking in their mother tongues, or to constantly remind them to use English in class, especially in speaking activities. In this way, the students will feel more and more confident with the usage of English in time. These were some of the most common problems the teachers face in classes and some example solutions on how to deal with them most effectively, based on the courseware of the ITTT Academy.
