Teachable Moments In TEFL: What They Are And How To Make The Most of Them

You know that moment when you’ve planned the perfect lesson, complete with carefully scaffolded activities and a delightful PowerPoint, and then, Miguel asks, “Teacher, you watched the football? Real Madrid won Arsenal!”.

And suddenly, your lesson plan goes out the window.

Welcome to the teachable moment — that unplanned learning opportunity that spontaneously arises but somehow ends up sticking more than your prepared lesson. 

But it’s not the end of the world. In fact, it’s a good – no, a great –  thing. 

Teaching isn’t always linear. Sometimes it’s a jagged path to somewhere even better than you originally intended. 

Read more: 5 Ways To Make Language Learning Meaningful

But what is this classroom curveball all about?

What is a teachable moment?

A teachable moment can transform a dull lesson into a memorable one, and they are not just happy accidents. They are pedagogically sound. In fact, it’s a well-recognised concept in education circles.

The situation in a classroom is ripe for a teachable moment when your students’ curiosity is already piqued and their mental doors are wide open. It’s that moment where the classroom suddenly comes to life with chatter and curiosity. 

These golden moments rely on four key elements:

• Student engagement — the students are genuinely interested.
• Language potential — there’s something specific you can work on (for example, grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, discourse,).
• Timeliness — it happens spontaneously and feels relevant to the moment.
• Learning benefits — it adds value to the lesson rather than distracting from it.

When all four elements align, you’ve got a powerful opportunity for learning. And that’s exactly why teachable moments deserve a closer look.

Read more: Four Factors Which Affect Learning

Why teachable moments matter

Teachable moments capture students’ genuine interest. They can spark engagement far beyond what a rigid lesson plan might achieve.

Connecting real life to classroom experiences helps students see the value in learning English by making it relevant and practical. There’s also an element of emotion at play.  

Read more: The Power Of Authenticity In EFL: Engaging Students For Real-World Success

Neuroscience shows that our brains remember things better that matter right now. 

What sparks emotion, sticks.

Suddenly, all those grammar exercises and drills come to life, creating aha moments. And these moments do more than just illuminate a concept — they bring a host of benefits:

• enhanced student engagement and confidence,
• dynamic and responsive learning environment,
• memorable learning,
• improved language acquisition and critical thinking,
• increased cultural awareness.

Best of all, teachable moments make students feel heard and valued, leaving both teacher and student energised and motivated.

Read more: 9 Ways To Make Learning Easier For Our EFL Students

How to spot a teachable moment

Teachable moments come in many forms:

• A spontaneous discussion sparked by a student’s interest or life.
• A question a student asks that diverges from your lesson plan.
• A cultural reference or local current event that students bring up.

Read more: How To Deal With Unexpected Questions

In practice, this can look like a student mentioning a local festival they attended over the weekend. You can turn that conversation into a lesson on descriptive language, storytelling or cultural comparison.

Or maybe a student casually comments on an item in their lunchbox. You can use this to spark a spontaneous vocabulary-building activity about food, culture or preferences.

Moments like these remind us that some of the best learning happens when we least expect it.

Incorporating teachable moments into your teaching practice helps students see the relevance of what they’re learning, encourages active participation and strengthens the teacher-student connection, ultimately creating a more dynamic and responsive classroom.

Read more: 5 Tips For Building Rapport In The EFL Classroom

Like many aspects of good teaching, recognising teachable moments is a skill that develops over time. 

After class, take a few minutes to reflect on when these moments appeared and how you responded. 

Did the spontaneous discussion deepen understanding or simply derail the lesson? Reflection helps you identify patterns: when to lean in, when to redirect, and how to turn curiosity into learning outcomes. 

Over time, you’ll start spotting these opportunities more naturally and using them with purpose.

Let’s take a look at how you can notice and take more advantage of these magical moments into your EFL lessons.

How to make the most of teachable moments in the EFL classroom

When you stay open to the unexpected, everyday classroom moments can become your most valuable teaching opportunities. 

Here’s how to snag those teachable moments before they vanish into thin air:

• Stay flexible. Let moments unfold organically. These unplanned moments can be more effective than the pre-planned lesson you had in mind, as they increase engagement naturally. 
• Let the students lead. Student-centred learning means allowing them the space to direct the flow of the lesson while you facilitate from the sidelines.
• Connect conversation to language goals. Teaching is your main concern, so figure out how to connect moments to language learning.  
• Know when to move on. Don’t linger over a moment endlessly or abandon ship every time someone asks a question. 

Read more: Qualities Of A Good TEFL Teacher

If you’re in the middle of explaining something complex, or if the question is genuinely off-topic, it’s okay to say, “Great question! Let’s park that for a few minutes and come back to it.” Write it on the board so they know you’re serious.

The key is discernment — knowing when to seize the moment and when to bookmark it. 

Teachable moments remind us that language learning isn’t a straight line from A to B. It’s messy, tangential and wonderfully human. Our students aren’t empty vessels waiting to be filled with grammar rules, but curious beings trying to make sense of a new language. 

So the next time your lesson plan derails because someone wants to know why we “take” a shower instead of “making” one, embrace it. You’re not losing control of your class; you’re teaching.

Author Bio

Written by

Lauren Johnstone

Lauren is a Web Content Writer & Editor for The TEFL Academy with a background in media, film, and education, and a passion for language and learning. A University of Cape Town graduate, she holds a PGCE, is a licensed teacher, and is TEFL-qualified. She has taught English to learners of all ages and levels, both in South African and South Korean classrooms, as well as online. When she’s not writing, she’s likely deep into academic readings or enjoying a well-earned gym session. Read Lauren Johnstone's story →