Learning a foreign language can feel intimidating and sometimes even impossible, but teaching it is a whole different story.

Good teachers are inspiring and have effective, almost magical ways in making learning seem effortless, interesting and fun. In an attempt to provide a wholesome picture of a good teacher, here are 7 top characteristics.

Know your capabilities and competences

The first and foremost requirement of any teacher is having the mastery of their subject but what is also crucial is their ability to communicate that knowledge to someone who has very little or none. This is particularly important in language teaching where many students are absolute beginners and aren’t able to communicate in the language. The key ingredients here are understanding and patience as every student has a different level and pace of progress.

As professional competence plays such a vital role for a language teacher, having the right qualifications comes first. If you’re looking for an English language teaching position in a foreign country, having a TEFL certificate is the ticket in. Especially in Asia and Hong Kong, this internationally accepted course will open many possibilities. Enrolling a Monkey Tree TEFL course will give you the necessary teaching and language skills to become a good educator. It focuses on all language aspects, be it reading, writing, listening or speaking and upon its completion, you’re expected to have your grammar, vocabulary and fluency matching the one of a native speaker. Great attention is also given to classroom methodology and knowledge transfer so you’re fully equipped to start teaching.

Personalize the learning environment

It’s perfectly normal for every student to have a different learning style so adapting the classroom environment and customizing the learning process can be extremely beneficial to students and raise their motivation. 

The first step is connecting with your students and communicating with them so you discover what ways of learning - visual, audio, audio/visual and even kinaesthetic- work best for them.

Create a sense of hopefulness

The only way to a successful learning outcome is encouraging your students and giving them hope. Sharing your hopefulness in a way that it becomes contagious will inspire the students to believe you and learn the language with more enthusiasm. In combination with appreciative dialogue and a creative approach, the students will be propelled into further learning even if they feel demotivated at times.

Be passionate about your work

Besides your hopefulness, the passion you bring into your work can be equally contagious and inspiring for students to tackle even the most challenging words and constructions. By presenting the matter in a passionate and creative way, you’ll spark the interest of your students in language to see past just mere combinations of words and rules. 

Be approachable and connectable

In addition to language competence and teaching skills, a good teacher can connect with their student and form a bond with them. This personal connection allows you to form understanding so you can explain key language concepts in a way that students can relate to. 

Diversify your teaching methods

Methods of language teaching have changed dramatically in the last few decades, especially due to the technological development. Insisting on teaching old-school with just textbook and the blackboard isn’t incorrect but it’s very limiting, ineffective and ultimately unproductive. 

A good teacher makes an effort to improve their teaching methods and diversify them by incorporating new technologies and trends so the learning process becomes more relatable. All teachers are essentially lifelong students as well so constant development should be their ever-lasting goal.

Encourage students’ participation

Many studies have shown that by active participation language is learnt better and more effectively. Those students who are active participants in a lesson always learn more than quiet and passive ones. Even shy and introvert students can be encouraged to participate with the right collaborative approach. If you manage to establish a positive learning environment and form a connection with your students, they will respect you and trust enough to feel safe to make mistakes.



Great educators and language teachers are passionate about their work, they put a lot of effort into their own continuous education, they use a variety of teaching methods and they connect with students so the learning process becomes easy, fun and almost effortless.