Gerhard Erasmus

Gerhard Erasmus started blogging for Pavilion ELT in December 2019. He moved over to blog for the new look Modern English Teacher in January 2022 where he will continue to write about teaching and management issues, ways to teach pronunciation and other teaching/teacher training techniques. Gerhard has been involved in ELT management since 2006 as senior teacher, academic manager, and director of studies. He is currently based in Taiwan where he is Director of Studies and Course Director at a language school and teacher training centre. He is also a Trinity Certificate TESOL, TYLEC, and Trinity Diploma TESOL tutor. Alongside all of this, Gerhard is Coordinator of IATEFL LAMSIG (Leadership and Management Special Interest Group) and draws lots of his inspiration from the connections he has built with managers and leaders in ELT from across the globe. His management interests involve learning and development of managers, specifically those starting their careers as teachers, and it is also the focus of his current Educational Doctorate studies.

The customer isn’t always right

Is the customer always right? And what does this mean for schools and managers? Here, Gerhard Erasmus explores why the customer actually isn’t always right, and instead puts the focus on being a student-centred organisation.

TPRS and how we use storytelling

The idea that comprehensible input is a key component of language acquisition is almost universally accepted by language teachers. Here, Gerhard Erasmus looks at how to use storytelling as a basis for comprehensible input, alongside examples of how he uses it in his school.

The man who planted trees

We often wonder if what we do has any effect. Sometimes we get positive feedback, but often we don’t. Here, Gerhard Erasmus looks at the story ‘The man who planted trees’ and draws out some useful lessons for teachers.

IATEFL 2024: Two months on

Immediately after IATEFL each year, the internet is full of reflections on IATEFL. However, this year Gerhard Erasmus decided to wait two months before reflecting, so that he could think about the effect that IATEFL has had on his school and his practice.

Teacher recruitment and retention – A reflection on the LAMSIG PCE

One of the highlights of the year for those who can attend is the annual IATEFL conference. Here, Gerhard Erasmus reflects on the LAMSIG PCE. The theme of the day was teacher recruitment and retention with Andy Hockley and Silvana Richardson.