When Politics Walks into the Classroom: A TEFL Teacher’s Guide

So, you’re planning your next English lesson and a bold idea strikes. You want to bring a major, and highly controversial, political figure into the classroom. Your goal is engagement, but the path is fraught with potential pitfalls. How do you navigate this?

The short answer is: with extreme care.

Using divisive political figures as direct lesson content is a high-risk, low-reward strategy. The potential for offending students, creating a hostile environment, or violating school policies is significant. But that doesn’t mean you can’t tackle complex, real-world topics.

Here’s how to channel that initial idea into a productive, safe, and educational lesson.

Focus on Language, Not Opinion

The core of your job is to teach English, not politics. Shift the focus from the individual to the language they use.

• Analyze Speech Patterns: Look at rhetorical devices. Discuss persuasive language, use of metaphor, or simple sentence structures versus complex ones.
• Vocabulary Building: Pull out key nouns, verbs, and adjectives from political speeches. Create exercises around them without debating their truthfulness.
• Media Literacy: Compare how different news outlets report on the same event. This teaches critical thinking and the language of reporting.

Create a Neutral Framework

If you decide to discuss political concepts, structure the lesson to ensure balance and respect.

• The Debate Club Model: Choose a broader, policy-related topic (e.g., “Should countries build walls on their borders?”). Assign students to argue for or against, regardless of their personal views. This builds persuasive speaking skills.
• Explore Multiple Perspectives: Present a political issue and have students research and present the viewpoints of two or more different sides. The goal is understanding, not conversion.
• Historical Context: Place a modern political phenomenon in a historical context. How have other leaders used similar communication strategies? This depersonalizes the content.

Know Your Audience and Context

Your approach must be tailored to your specific teaching environment.

• Cultural Sensitivity: In many cultures, discussing politics openly is taboo. You could inadvertently put your students in an uncomfortable position.
• School Policy: Many private language schools and public institutions have strict policies against political content. Always check first.
• Student Demographics: A class of homogeneous, advanced adults is very different from a mixed-age, mixed-nationality group of teenagers. Gauge their interest and ability to handle the topic maturely.

Alternative: The “Famous Person” Lesson

A much safer and equally effective alternative is to create a generic lesson about fame and influence.

• Biography of an Influencer: Have students research any famous person—a musician, scientist, or historical figure—and present their life and impact.
• The Power of Branding: Discuss how individuals become “brands.” Analyze their slogans, logos, and public persona. This teaches business and marketing vocabulary in a less charged context.

The Bottom Line

Your instinct to use engaging, real-world content is excellent. It’s what makes TEFL dynamic and relevant. However, directly building a lesson around a deeply polarizing political leader is like walking through a linguistic minefield.

Redirect that energy. Use the framework of politics to teach language skills, critical thinking, and media literacy, while carefully avoiding the quagmire of partisan debate. Your classroom should be a safe space for language practice, not political battleground.