Posts describing lessons or activities for the ESL classroom.

Activities

<p>[<em>Listen to the full post.</em>]</p>

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<p>Recently on Instagram, @imgur posted a column titled &ldquo;Why English Is So Hard to Learn&rdquo; from an undated, unnamed newspaper. In the column, writer Marlene Davis uses 20 sentences to illustrate how English can be rather tricky.</p>

<p>Quite a few Instagram users disagreed with Davis&rsquo;s premise that English is indeed a difficult language. One user referred to English as &ldquo;the fast food of languages,&rdquo; while another lamented that &ldquo;literally no one aside from native English speakers thinks that English is hard.&rdquo; Nonetheless, Davis has chosen an interesting linguistic feature to consider. Her focus is on <strong>heteronyms</strong>.</p>

<p>In this post, I&rsquo;m going to explain what heteronyms are and list Davis&rsquo;s sentences. I&rsquo;ll also suggest a few activities you can use with advanced ELLs.</p>

<h2>Defining heteronyms</h2>

<p>Oxford Languages defines heteronyms as follows: </p>

<blockquote>
<p>each of two or more words that are&nbsp;spelled&nbsp;identically&nbsp;but have different sounds and meanings, such as&nbsp;tear meaning &ldquo;rip&rdquo; and&nbsp;tear meaning &ldquo;liquid from the eye&rdquo;</p>
</blockquote>

<p>The key to this definition is that, unlike homophones (think &ldquo;bat&rdquo; as in a nocturnal flying mammal and &ldquo;bat&rdquo; as in a piece of metal or wood used to hit a baseball), heteronyms have <strong>different pronunciations</strong> in addition to having <strong>different meanings</strong>.</p>

<h2>Davis&rsquo;s examples</h2>

<p>Though you may not often find a set of heteronyms in the same sentence in the real world, Davis&rsquo;s examples do not sound entirely unnatural. Here&rsquo;s her complete list:<br />
<br />
<em>[Listen to just the list. Right click to save.]</em></p>

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<ol>
	<li>The bandage was wound around the wound.</li>
	<li>The farm was cultivated to produce produce.</li>
	<li>The dump was so full that the workers had to refuse more refuse.</li>
	<li>We must polish the Polish furniture shown at the store.</li>
	<li>He could lead if he would get the lead out.</li>
	<li>The soldier decided to desert his tasty dessert in the desert.</li>
	<li>Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present to his girlfriend.</li>
	<li>A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.</li>
	<li>When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.</li>
	<li>I did not object to the object which he showed me.</li>
	<li>The insurance was invalid for the invalid in his hospital bed.</li>
	<li>There was a row among the oarsmen about who would row.</li>
	<li>They were too close to the door to close it.</li>
	<li>The buck does funny things when the does (females) are present.</li>
	<li>A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.</li>
	<li>To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.</li>
	<li>The wind was too strong to wind the sail around the mast.</li>
	<li>Upon seeing the tear in her painting, she shed a tear.</li>
	<li>I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.</li>
	<li>How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?</li>
</ol>

<p><img alt="" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5400/content_why-english-is-so-hard-to-learn.png" /></p>

<h2>Suggested activities</h2>

<ol>
	<li>Read Davis&rsquo;s sentences out loud as students write them down. Then have students circle the heteronyms in each one. See if they can figure out the meanings and then write two new sentences that clearly show what each heteronym means.</li>
	<li>If you choose not to do the first activity, give students a copy of the sentences or write them on&nbsp;the board. Have students identify the part of speech of each heteronym.</li>
	<li>Ask students to work out the stress pattern for the two-syllable nouns and verbs in Sentences 2, 3, 6, 10, and 19. (If the word is a noun, the stress falls on the first syllable. If the word is a verb, the stress falls on the second syllable.)</li>
	<li>Have students look up the following heteronyms and make note of their pronunciation, part of speech, and definition: resume, minute,&nbsp;live, bow, windy, convict, record, excuse, sake, appropriate.</li>
	<li>Allow students to choose three or four of the heteronym pairs in activity #4 and write a sentence for each set.</li>
	<li>Have students dictate their sentences to a partner. Then have the partner read the sentences back.</li>
</ol>

<p></p>

<p></p>

Using Heteronyms to Challenge Advanced ELLs

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Find quick links to each episode of the Teacher Think-Aloud podcast, hosted by Shélynn Riel and Anna Ciriani-Dean and sponsored by Ellii.  

Teacher Think-Aloud Podcast

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<p dir="auto" id="affirming-not-assimilating-a-new-approach-to-supporting-multilingual-learners">In the latest episode of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.teacherthinkaloud.com/" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">The Teacher Think-Aloud Podcast</a>, hosts Anna and Sh&eacute; are joined by Aylin Erengul Gregg&mdash;an international school teacher with over 15 years of experience and the creator of the LEAVES approach, a framework built around a question most schools never think to ask:</p>

<blockquote>
<p dir="auto"><strong>What if multilingual learners weren&#39;t the ones expected to do all the adapting?</strong></p>
</blockquote>

<p dir="auto">Aylin traces the idea back to her own experience learning English abroad&nbsp;and to a linguist&#39;s line that stopped her in her tracks about what actually has to be true in a classroom before real language learning can happen. From there, she and the hosts dig into a distinction that sounds subtle but isn&#39;t&mdash;between a school that quietly expects students to assimilate&nbsp;and one built from the ground up to affirm who they already are. They trace how the first mindset shows up in ordinary, well-meaning staffroom language&nbsp;and what it costs students when it goes unexamined.</p>

<blockquote dir="auto">
<p>&quot;Affirmation happens when we say, &#39;We see you. We value you. We respect you with your identity and your languages, cultural backgrounds. You&#39;re welcome here, and here are the systems that we built thinking about you.&#39;&quot; &mdash; Aylin Erengul Gregg</p>
</blockquote>

<p dir="auto">The conversation doesn&#39;t stop at naming the problem. Aylin shares the BUDS&mdash;her name for a set of small, doable classroom shifts&mdash;that any subject teacher can put to use without becoming a language specialist. What they are&nbsp;and why something so simple makes such a measurable difference&nbsp;is worth hearing her explain herself.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="auto">🎙️ Listen now on your favorite platform:</p>

<ul dir="auto">
	<li value="1"><a href="https://www.teacherthinkaloud.com/episodes" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">The Teacher Think-Aloud Podcast</a></li>
	<li value="2"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@thinkaloud_pod" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">YouTube</a></li>
	<li value="3"><a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/2zv5mVNpSqkDNiNbQlnm7B" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">Spotify</a></li>
	<li value="4"><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-teacher-think-aloud-podcast/id1629819608" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<p dir="auto">🔗 Follow The Teacher Think-Aloud Podcast on social media for more updates:</p>

<ul dir="auto">
	<li value="1"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/teacherthinkaloud" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook</a></li>
	<li value="2"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/thinkaloud_pod/" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">Instagram</a></li>
	<li value="3"><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@thinkaloud_pod" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">TikTok</a></li>
	<li value="4"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/teacher-think-aloud/" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a></li>
</ul>
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Affirming, Not Assimilating: A New Approach to Supporting Multilingual Learners

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These posts are written for learners of English themselves. Find learning tips and ideas for learning English.

For Students

<blockquote>
<p dir="auto">This was a letter written by Nico, an engineer at Ellii, who moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba, from Argentina to work on the Product Team at Ellii. Nico sent this letter&nbsp;to Team Ellii before he stepped away from his desk last weekend. Nico&nbsp;works on making things work behind the scenes from developing new features, to smashing bugs, to wrestling with Ellii Bot. When you download the new app for students this coming fall, you can thank Nico!</p>
</blockquote>

<p dir="auto"><br />
Dear Team Ellii,<br />
<br />
Working at Ellii not only means working in an English environment, but also, as you all know, working for a company that publishes English materials specifically for ESL learners! 😱</p>

<p dir="auto">I have always felt welcome and understood; not once have I had a coworker mention a grammar mistake or wrong pronunciation, and no one interrupts me to correct me unless I&#39;m asking for help. You are the best team ever! And believe me, I know my accent can be a challenge sometimes! 😂</p>

<p dir="auto">One of the perks of working with all of you is that I&#39;m constantly learning English without actually trying to learn English. This last week was one of the most prolific&nbsp;vocabulary wise, I learned 4 new words from 4 different people in random conversations.<br />
<br />
Each time I see a new word, something gets triggered in my mind; I can quickly catch its meaning by context, but you know what, the first reaction is thinking there was a typo or an autocorrect mistake, because your brain can always try to go to the known place, where things are not scary.</p>

<p dir="auto">Here are those new words:<br />
<br />
<strong>plummeting:</strong>&nbsp;hey, did they try to type <em>plumber</em>? I know that word! But nope; this is a new one, and means &quot;to fall or drop straight down at a very high speed, or to decrease suddenly and steeply.&quot;</p>

<p dir="auto"><strong>sleuthing:</strong> when I read it in my mind, it sounded like <em>slithering</em>. I know that one from Harry Potter 🧙&zwj;♂️, but no, this one means: &quot;searching for clues, gathering evidence, or tracking down information.&quot; 🕵🏻&zwj;♂️<br />
<br />
<strong>conundrum:</strong> I don&#39;t know why, but my brain went to <em>tantrum</em>, not quite the same; this one means &quot;a confusing and difficult problem.&quot; 😵&zwj;💫<br />
<br />
<strong>onus:</strong> this one sounded Latin, like some kind of legal jargon maybe, and I was right with the Latin etymology and used in legal contexts as &quot;onus of proof&quot;; this word means &quot;burden, responsibility, or duty.&quot;<br />
<br />
I&#39;m sure in a couple of weeks I&#39;m going to forget that new vocabulary, and I&#39;m not going to use it anytime soon, but a teacher once taught me to try to write it in a sentence; it will stick, so here we go:</p>

<blockquote dir="auto">
<p>Now the&nbsp;<strong>conundrum</strong>&nbsp;is how to stop my confidence from&nbsp;<strong>plummeting</strong>&nbsp;every time I have to do some&nbsp;<strong>sleuthing</strong>, but I guess the&nbsp;<strong>onus</strong>&nbsp;is on me to figure out what the heck everyone is talking about. 😁</p>
</blockquote>

<p dir="auto">Okay, that was harder than I thought. See you in two weeks when I have forgotten all four of them.</p>

<p dir="auto">And seriously, thank you all for making working in a second language feel so easy and comfortable. You probably don&#39;t realize it, but I&#39;m learning from all of you all the time. ❤️</p>

<p dir="auto">&nbsp;</p>


Working in English When English Isn't Your First Language

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<p>The languages we speak are an important part of who we are. They help us to understand the world in different ways. They open us to meeting interesting&nbsp;people, learning new things, and being ourselves.&nbsp;</p>

<p>So when we learn a language, we need to make it our own. We can choose which words to use and how to use them.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In this blog post, I&#39;ll talk about how to speak English YOUR way.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>Do you feel like a&nbsp;different person when you speak&nbsp;English?</h2>

<p>This&nbsp;is very common. Many people feel like their personality changes when they speak different languages. For example, English is a very polite language. Speakers use &quot;please,&quot;&nbsp;&quot;thank you,&quot; and &quot;sorry&quot; a lot, so some learners&nbsp;might feel that they become more polite (or too polite) when they speak English.&nbsp;</p>

<p>I personally feel more confident in English than in Spanish. In Spanish, I&#39;m quieter, but I still try to make silly jokes. I always want to make everyone smile and that part of my personality has become part of how I speak Spanish.</p>

<p>Take a couple of minutes to think about how your personality changes in different languages.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>Adopt a catchphrase</h2>

<p>I often visit my cousin&#39;s Italian family in the summer. My Italian is mostly food, campsite, and beach&nbsp;vocabulary. However, I have also learned a few key phrases that&nbsp;always bring&nbsp;a smile to the family&#39;s&nbsp;faces.&nbsp;</p>

<p>For example, at bedtime,&nbsp;&quot;Sogni d&#39;oro&quot; (<em>sweet dreams</em> or<em> dreams of gold</em>) has become my key phrase. It shows that I&#39;m trying to learn even though their English is a million times better.</p>

<p>Having a catchphrase is a good way to feel welcomed and have a laugh. It can make you feel confident because you know how to say it. It is also a great way to share some of your personality or beliefs.&nbsp;</p>

<p>For example, my Cuban friend often asks me, &quot;Eeeeeh! Emily! Who really cares?&quot;&nbsp;He does this with such a huge, relaxed&nbsp;smile that all my stress&nbsp;disappears.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It is his way of reminding me not to take life so seriously. Whenever I feel stressed or worried, I think of him saying this!</p>

<h2>Make your own language</h2>

<p>An <em>idiolect</em> is one person&#39;s own unique way of using a language. Everyone is different. They know different vocabulary, speak with different accents, and choose to use grammar differently.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Speak your own idiolect with confidence.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>Own your &quot;mistakes&quot;</h2>

<p>There is no perfect way to speak English. There are hundreds of different Englishes. Even so-called &quot;native&quot; speakers make mistakes and misunderstand each other.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The most confident English language users are often the ones who are not afraid of making mistakes. In fact, they sometimes even choose to make mistakes as part of how they speak English.&nbsp;</p>

<p>They know that the best way to deal with mistakes is to make them YOUR mistakes.&nbsp;</p>

<p>For example, I have a Hungarian friend who is an advanced English speaker and loves to misuse the phrase &quot;back in the day.&quot;&nbsp;Instead, he chooses to say &quot;back in days.&quot;&nbsp;He does this for fun and as a reminder that he once said it incorrectly, but <em>who really cares? &quot;</em>Back in days&quot; is perfectly understandable.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Some common&nbsp;mistakes have even become popular&nbsp;in English. For example, groups of Spanish and English speakers use the phrase &quot;make a party!&quot; even though they all know it&#39;s technically incorrect. As a direct translation, Spanish people &quot;hacer una fiesta&quot;&nbsp;(<em>make a party</em>)&nbsp;while English people &quot;have/throw a party.&quot; It is such a common error that some so-called &quot;native&quot; English language users now use it as their own.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Are they really mistakes? If people understand you, maybe they are just a fun part of how you speak English.</p>

<h2>Own your accent too</h2>

<p>There are hundreds of different ways to speak English. Everyone speaks English differently. The most important thing about pronunciation is to be understood.</p>

<p>Some people want to learn to speak with an American or British accent. But&nbsp;this is really hard. Even so-called &quot;native&quot; speakers have to change how they pronounce some words in order to be understood.&nbsp;</p>

<p>My Italian cousin-in-law has lived in Scotland for nearly 20 years. He speaks English with a little bit of a Scottish accent, but he still has a lovely Italian accent. I love the way he sings my name, speaks with his hands, and adds a little vowel sound to words ending with a consonant. It&#39;s part of who he is, and I never want him to change.&nbsp;</p>

<p>I also love the way my Spanish friends say &quot;a leetle beet&quot; when they ask for &quot;a little bit&quot; of cake or add a&nbsp;schwa sound before &quot;s&quot; words, like &quot;a-Spain&quot; or &quot;a-speak.&quot;&nbsp;For me, it&#39;s not a pronunciation error, but a way for them to share who they are with me.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>Mix languages</h2>

<p>If you are reading this, you probably already speak another language&mdash;or 10. One of the most fun parts of speaking other languages is choosing to use different words.</p>

<p>English borrows hundreds of words from other languages. For example:</p>

<ul>
	<li><em>emoji&nbsp;</em>from Japanese</li>
	<li><em>entrepreneur</em> from French</li>
	<li><em>kindergarten</em> from German</li>
</ul>

<p>I have added phrases from other languages I&#39;m learning to my daily English use. This has become part of my idiolect, so my friends and family understand them too.</p>

<p>For example,&nbsp;I often say Spanish phrases&nbsp;like &quot;Hola, mi amor&quot; (<em>Hi, my love</em>)&nbsp;and &quot;nada mas&quot; (<em>nothing else</em>). I also often say&nbsp;&quot;basta&quot; (<em>stop</em>) in hopes that I don&#39;t eat too much&nbsp;at Italian mealtimes and &quot;scarpetta&quot; (<em>use bread to clean the sauce from your plate</em>) when I am eating too much.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Scarpetta&quot; is an amazing word. One reason for this is&nbsp;because cleaning the plate with a piece of bread is delicious. But also, there is no word for this in English.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Mixing languages is a great way to share some of your other languages (and personalities) with the world.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>Get colorful</h2>

<p>One day I was sitting, reading my book in a park. Nearby, I could hear two people chatting together in Dutch. One was telling the other a story, while the other was listening.&nbsp;All of a sudden, one of them started swearing in English.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In the Netherlands, most people speak Dutch and English. The speaker chose to switch from Dutch to English for that part of their story to give it more power, more drama, more feeling.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In this moment, I loved how they used their languages to express themselves. That&#39;s one of the many joys of speaking different languages.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>How do you add your personality to the languages you speak?&nbsp;</p>
</blockquote>

<p>You may also like these blog posts:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/english-belongs-to-everyone-here-s-how-to-own-your-english">English Belongs to Everyone</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/what-every-language-teacher-needs-to-know-about-global-englishes">What Every Language Teacher Needs to Know about Global Englishes</a></li>
</ul>


English Your Way: How to Express Your English Personality

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Learn how to make the most of your Ellii subscription with tips from our publishing team.

Teaching with Ellii

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<section>
<p dir="auto">If you lead an English conversation group, you know every week can bring new faces and often a wide range of proficiencies.</p>

<p dir="auto">Ellii has you covered with a variety of content and tools to ensure your conversation groups are lively and impactful, without requiring endless prep time.</p>

<p dir="auto">You don&#39;t have to reinvent the wheel for every session. Ellii&#39;s content and gamified tools are built to spark real conversations. Here&#39;s how to put each one to work.</p>

<h2 dir="auto">Discussion Starters</h2>

<p dir="auto">Students love talking about real issues affecting the world. With over 180&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/discussion-starters" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">Discussion Starters</a>&nbsp;lessons on current issues like the cost of living and fast fashion, this section gives you full lessons created to get students talking about issues that matter to them. This lesson section is aimed at low-intermediate to advanced learners.</p>

<h3 dir="auto">Tips:</h3>

<ul dir="auto">
	<li value="1">Set a timer and rotate pairs or small groups during the Discussion task so students practice speaking with different people.</li>
	<li value="2">Check out these lessons that come in multiple levels&mdash;great for differentiation!
	<ul>
		<li value="1"><a href="https://ellii.com/lesson/5543-goal-setting" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">Goal-Setting</a>&nbsp;(Low Int) /<a href="https://ellii.com/lesson/5541-goal-setting" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">&nbsp;Goal-Setting</a>&nbsp;(Adv)</li>
		<li value="2"><a href="https://ellii.com/lesson/3235-climate-change" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">Climate Change</a>&nbsp;(Low Int) /&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/lesson/1263-climate-change" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">Climate Change</a>&nbsp;(High Int)</li>
		<li value="3"><a href="https://ellii.com/lesson/4303-culture-shock" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">Culture Shock</a>&nbsp;(Low Int) /&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/lesson/4300-culture-shock" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">Culture Shock</a>&nbsp;(Adv)</li>
		<li value="4"><a href="https://ellii.com/lesson/4016-phobias" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">Phobias</a>&nbsp;(Low Int) /&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/lesson/4030-phobias" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">Phobias</a>&nbsp;(Adv)</li>
	</ul>
	</li>
</ul>

<h2 dir="auto">Photo Prompts</h2>

<p dir="auto"><a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/photo-prompts" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">Photo Prompts</a>&nbsp;use real pictures to spark discussion and storytelling&mdash;useful for mixed proficiency groups.</p>

<h3 dir="auto">Tips:</h3>

<ul dir="auto">
	<li value="1">Start simple. Ask students to describe what they see, and then extend the conversation by asking what they think is happening outside the frame.</li>
	<li value="2">Split the group into pairs with the same photo and have them compare their descriptions.</li>
	<li value="3">Easily differentiate your activity. Beginners can name objects and describe the scenes, while advanced students can speculate about backstory and make predictions.</li>
</ul>

<h2 dir="auto">Silent Clips</h2>

<p dir="auto"><a href="https://ellii.com/media/videos/silent-clips" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">Silent Clips</a>&nbsp;are short, wordless videos of people and moments, covering categories like body language, holidays, and workplace gestures. Because there&#39;s no dialogue, students have to interpret tone, facial expressions, and context clues.</p>

<h3 dir="auto">Tips:</h3>

<ul dir="auto">
	<li value="1">Use a body language clip to launch a discussion on cultural differences based on gestures.</li>
	<li value="2">Put students in pairs to create and present a dialogue based on the silent clip.</li>
	<li value="3">Ask students what they think the person is thinking or about to say, and then have them say their answer out loud and compare with a partner.</li>
</ul>

<h2 dir="auto">Dilemmas</h2>

<p dir="auto"><a href="https://ellii.com/gather/dilemmas" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">Dilemmas</a>&nbsp;are interactive, high-engagement activities, ideal for sparking thought-provoking debate while building critical thinking skills. Students use their own devices to participate. No prep required!</p>

<h3 dir="auto">Tips:</h3>

<ul dir="auto">
	<li value="1">Give your students sentence stems and key vocabulary to boost confidence and participation. Students can check out the Useful Language feature in each Dilemma for additional support.</li>
	<li value="2">Have students work in groups to create their own dilemma and share with the group.</li>
</ul>

<p dir="auto">Mix and match activities based on your students&#39; levels and how much energy the room needs that day. As you&#39;re exploring the platform,&nbsp;<a href="https://help.ellii.com/article/217-how-to-use-folders" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">save content to a folder</a>&nbsp;for easy access!</p>

<p dir="auto">&nbsp;</p>

<p dir="auto">If you enjoyed this blog post, we think you&#39;ll love this post too:</p>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/boost-student-talk-time-with-the-line-up-game">Boost Student Talk Time with the Line Up Game</a></li>
</ul>
</section>
</article>

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Conversation Groups Made Easy: Get Students Talking with Ellii

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Stay up-to-date with ELT trends and ideas with articles from experts and teachers in the field.

Articles

<p>English is always changing and growing. Although it <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/the-history-of-english">started life in England</a>, over the centuries it&nbsp;has traveled the globe. Now, around <a href="https://www.statista.com/chart/26884/most-spoken-languages-online-offline/" target="_blank">1.5 billion people</a>&nbsp;around the world use it every day to communicate.&nbsp;</p>

<p>These users are not all so-called &quot;<a href="https://ellii.com/blog/english-belongs-to-everyone-here-s-how-to-own-your-english">native speakers</a>.&quot; Most of these users have learned it as an additional language.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><b>There are many ways&nbsp;to speak English</b></h2>

<p>There is often a mistaken belief that there is one &quot;correct&quot; way of speaking English. This is impossible.</p>

<p>Around 75 countries use it as their official language. Each one uses it in their own special way.&nbsp;</p>

<p>And within each country, people use it differently in&nbsp;different areas, cities, and towns. This gives us an interesting mix of accents and words.&nbsp;</p>

<p>People often think of British English or Amercian English as the &quot;correct&quot; models. But in Britain, there is Brummie (Birmingham English), Cockney (London English), and Glaswegian (Glasgow English)&mdash;to give just three examples. In the US, there&#39;s Southern (e.g., Texan), Mid-Atlantic (e.g.,&nbsp;New York), and Western (e.g., Californian).</p>

<p>If you&#39;d like to know more, check out my posts on the use of English in countries like <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/australian-english-for-esl-learners-common-phrases-slang-for-clear-communication">Australia</a>, <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/essential-scottish-for-english-language-learners-common-phrases-expressions">Scotland</a>, and <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/irish-english-for-esl-learners-common-phrases-expressions">Ireland</a>.</p>

<h2><strong>The three circles of English speakers</strong></h2>

<p>In 1992, Braj Kachru created the three circle model of English speakers. He wanted to explore the use and status of different&nbsp;Englishes around the world.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He categorized them into the inner, outer, and expanding circles.</p>

<h2><strong>The inner circle&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>The &quot;inner circle&quot;&nbsp;includes the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. These are countries that historically spoke English first.</p>

<p>The Englishes from these countries are often used as&nbsp;models or &quot;norms&quot;&nbsp;for English language learners. This is why many language teaching resources use American or British English as examples&nbsp;in class.</p>

<p>This is also why some language schools continue the discriminatory practice of hiring language teachers from these countries&nbsp;rather&nbsp;than&nbsp;focusing on proficiency, lingusitic knowledge, or teaching expertise.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, there is a growing&nbsp;awareness that English is global. Speakers around the world are now challenging the&nbsp;outdated belief that so called &quot;native&quot;&nbsp;speakers from &quot;inner circle&quot;&nbsp;countries use the language more effectively.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>The outer circle</strong></h2>

<p>The &quot;outer circle&quot; includes countries where English may not be the most common language, but&nbsp;is an important or official language.</p>

<p>For example,&nbsp;India, Kenya, Malaysia, and Singapore started using&nbsp;the language when they were part of the British Empire. Like <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/australian-english-for-esl-learners-common-phrases-slang-for-clear-communication">Australian,</a> <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/irish-english-for-esl-learners-common-phrases-expressions">Irish</a>, and<a href="https://ellii.com/blog/essential-scottish-for-english-language-learners-common-phrases-expressions"> Scottish</a> English, their Englishes have unique differences in vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Although English speakers from these countries have grown up using the language, they are often mistakenly considered &quot;<a href="https://ellii.com/blog/english-belongs-to-everyone-here-s-how-to-own-your-english">non-native</a>&quot;&nbsp;speakers.</p>

<p>This is due to the incorrect perception that English belongs to &quot;inner circle&quot; countries.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In reality, English belongs to everyone. Every user can make it their own.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>The expanding circle</strong></h2>

<p>The &quot;expanding circle&quot;&nbsp;refers to countries that have never had English as an official language, but still use it as a lingua franca. For example,&nbsp;English is an important language in Argentina, Egypt, and&nbsp;South Korea.</p>

<p>Although English is not an official language, many people in these countries want to learn it in order to enhance their careers&nbsp;and communicate confidently around the world.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="Three circles of english" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5626/content_3-circles.png" /></p>

<h2><strong>How does the &quot;Three Circles of English Speakers&quot;&nbsp;model impact our classroom practice?&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>As language teachers, we need to be aware that there is not one correct way to speak English. Everyone uses it in their own way. The most important goal is to be understood.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This means that we need to adapt our classroom practices to our learners&#39; needs. Every learner has different reasons for learning&nbsp;and will use their language skills in different places.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It can be helpful to introduce learners to different accents and uses of the language. This supports them to adapt when they meet people who use an unfamiliar English.</p>

<p>We can also give learners confidence in knowing that even speakers from so-called &quot;inner circle&quot; countries can find each other hard to understand. Let them practice skills such as checking meaning, rephrasing, and adapting their pronunciation in order to be understood.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Finally, and most importantly, let them discover their own voice in English. Everyone uses English differently. Things that speakers from one country think are &quot;incorrect&quot; or &quot;weird&quot;&nbsp;may be very common in another.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Think about your own use of English. In what ways do you use it differently to other people you know?&nbsp;</p>

<p>If you enjoyed this blog post, we think you&#39;ll love these posts too:&nbsp;</p>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/elf-pron-what-is-it-and-how-can-we-teach-it">ELF Pron: What Is It &amp;&nbsp;How Can We Teach It?</a></li>
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/the-history-of-english">The History of English</a></li>
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/australian-english-for-esl-learners-common-phrases-slang-for-clear-communication">Australian English for ESL Learners: Common Phrases &amp; Expressions for Clear Communication</a></li>
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/essential-scottish-for-english-language-learners-common-phrases-expressions">Essential Scottish English for English Language Learners: Common Phrases &amp; Expressions</a></li>
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/irish-english-for-esl-learners-common-phrases-expressions">Irish English for ESL Learners: Common Phrases &amp; Expressions</a></li>
</ul>


What Every Language Teacher Needs to Know about Global Englishes

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<p>English is the most common language in the world. It has around <a href="https://www.statista.com/chart/26884/most-spoken-languages-online-offline/?srsltid=AfmBOooopVnQBvQWJRZYfuScM1zyBSWK2UZ_6Dz-HfoteHTsxL_1tqlA" target="_blank">1.5 billion speakers</a>. That&#39;s 20% of the world population. Most of these speakers have learned English as their second language.&nbsp;</p>

<p>People often think of American or British English as the &quot;standard,&quot;&nbsp;but people speak it differently in different places. Seventy-five countries identify English as their official language.&nbsp;There is not one &quot;correct&quot;&nbsp;way to speak it.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In a&nbsp;series of blog posts on Ellii, I have been exploring common differences in English use in different countries. This post focuses on English from Ireland.</p>

<p>Many thanks to Irish ELT professionals&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-farren/">Stephen Farren</a> and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-o-byrne-for-language-teachers/">Erin O&#39;Byrne</a>&nbsp;for their help with this. I loved sharing the differences and similarities with Scottish English with them!</p>

<p>You can also check out these posts on:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/australian-english-for-esl-learners-common-phrases-slang-for-clear-communication">Australian English</a>&nbsp;</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/essential-scottish-for-english-language-learners-common-phrases-expressions">Scottish English</a></li>
</ul>

<h2><strong>Do I need to learn every different&nbsp;type of&nbsp;English?&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>The short answer is &quot;no.&quot; Even people who grew up speaking English find it difficult to understand speakers from other places.</p>

<p>Think about your own first language. Are there any countries, cities or regions that speak it very differently? How do you communicate with them?&nbsp;</p>

<p>Communicating with someone who uses a different style of English can be hard. However, when you don&#39;t understand, you can:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>ask them to repeat or rephrase what they said</li>
	<li>ask them questions to check that you have understood</li>
	<li>ask them to slow down or write down what they said</li>
</ul>

<p>Often&nbsp;people understand that their English is different but forget to slow down. They want to be understood too, so they will probably be happy to help.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Similarities with Scottish English</strong></h2>

<p>Ireland and Scotland are close to each other and have shared history. We also share some words.&nbsp;</p>

<p>For example:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>wee = small</li>
	<li>weans = children&nbsp;</li>
	<li>eejit = idiot</li>
	<li>yous = plural of &quot;you&quot; (to talk about a group of people)</li>
</ul>

<p>Stephen Farren reminded me of the use of &quot;messages&quot;&nbsp;for shopping. In Scotland or Ireland, you might hear someone saying:&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;I&#39;m going into town to get the messages.&quot;</p>

<p>This means that they are going to the shops to pick up groceries such as bread, milk, and eggs.&nbsp;</p>

<p>You can read (and hear)&nbsp;more examples of&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/blog/essential-scottish-for-english-language-learners-common-phrases-expressions">Scottish English</a> in this blog post.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>What&#39;s the craic?&nbsp;= How are you?&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>Much like Australians asking &quot;How you going?,&quot; people have a different way to ask &quot;How are you?&quot; in Ireland.</p>

<p>In Irish&nbsp;&quot;craic,&quot; (pronounced &quot;crack&quot;) has many meanings.</p>

<p>It can be used to ask how someone is feeling, or how good or bad something is.</p>

<p>For example:&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;The party was good craic.&quot;</p>

<p>It can also be used to ask about gossip. For example:</p>

<p>&quot;Any craic?&quot; = Anything we can chat about?</p>

<h2><strong>Grand = fine/okay</strong></h2>

<p>When people ask &quot;How are you?,&quot;&nbsp;they usually want a positive answer, like &quot;I&#39;m fine&quot; or &quot;I&#39;m good.&quot;</p>

<p>In Irish English, when people ask &quot;What&#39;s the craic?,&quot;&nbsp;people will often reply &quot;All&nbsp;grand with me.&quot;</p>

<p>In Ireland, &quot;grand&quot;&nbsp;means good, fine, or okay.</p>

<p>For example:</p>

<p>&quot;The weather is grand today!&quot;</p>

<h2><strong>So I am / So it is</strong></h2>

<p>In Irish English, people often end what they are telling you with &quot;So I am&quot; or &quot;So it is.&quot;&nbsp;This is a way of repeating or emphasizing the information.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>For example:</p>

<p>&quot;I&#39;m grand, so I am.&quot;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>or</p>

<p>&quot;The craic was&nbsp;fantastic, so it was.&quot;</p>

<h2><strong>After + ing&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>This is a common way to talk about something that happened in the recent past. Some people refer to it as &quot;Irish present perfect.&quot;</p>

<p>For example:&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;I&#39;m after making a wee cup of tea. Do you want one?&quot; = &quot;I&#39;ve just made a cup of tea. Do you want one?&quot;</p>

<h2><strong>Dead on / deadly = cool, nice, great, perfect, amazing</strong></h2>

<p>Something that is &quot;dead on&quot;&nbsp;is &quot;grand.&quot; For example:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>A: How was the film?</li>
	<li>B: It was&nbsp;dead on. / It was deadly.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<h2><strong>Notion</strong></h2>

<p>Much like their Scottish neighbors, Irish people prefer not to show off about their wins. They prefer&nbsp;to be humble and often try to keep their successes quiet.</p>

<p>As Erin O&#39;Byrne said, &quot;No one likes celebrating anyone&#39;s success here.&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p>People use the term &quot;to have notions&quot;&nbsp;to talk about someone who is showing off or looks successful. For example:</p>

<p>&quot;Look at them with their&nbsp;new sports car. The notions on them!&quot;</p>

<h2><strong>Mammy / daddy&nbsp;= mum / dad</strong></h2>

<p>Scottish and Irish English have a lot of similarities. But in Scotland,&nbsp;&quot;mummy&quot;&nbsp;or &quot;daddy&quot;&nbsp;are commonly used by&nbsp;children. Adults usually choose &quot;mum&quot;&nbsp;or &quot;dad&quot;&nbsp;(or &quot;maw&quot;&nbsp;and &quot;paw&quot;). In Northern Ireland, it is popular for all ages to refer to their parents as &quot;mammy&quot; and &quot;daddy.&quot; &#39;&#39;Ma&quot;&nbsp;and &quot;da&quot;&nbsp;are common throughout the island of Ireland too.&nbsp;</p>

<p>These words and expressions are some examples of the Irish English that I&#39;ve heard over the years.</p>

<p>They can be helpful to help you&nbsp;understand, but you don&#39;t need to use them&mdash;unless you want to show an&nbsp;Irish person what good craic you are!&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>More on Irish English</strong></h2>

<p>To watch examples of Irish English, here are some popular TV series:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111958/">Father Ted</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7120662/?ref_=fn_t_1">Derry Girls</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15469618/?ref_=fn_t_1">Bad Sisters</a></li>
</ul>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>What Irish English have you heard? Do you have any favorite words or phrases? Share them in the comments.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Irish English for ESL Learners: Common Phrases & Expressions 

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<p dir="auto">In the latest episode of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.teacherthinkaloud.com/" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">The Teacher Think-Aloud Podcast</a>, hosts Anna and Sh&eacute; return with their second annual summer reading list for English language teachers&mdash;a curated selection of memoirs, nonfiction, and fiction that have shaped how they think about identity, belonging, error, and what it means to be human. From grief and cultural inheritance to hidden empires and conditional citizenship, this year&#39;s picks reflect a shared desire to understand the systems and stories that shape both educators and learners.&nbsp;</p>

<p dir="auto">Anna and Sh&eacute; discuss how each book has shifted their worldview and their teaching, and offer practical ideas for bringing these texts&mdash;even as excerpts&mdash;into classrooms, book clubs, and professional development. Whether it&#39;s using memoir for personal narrative writing, exploring the politics of belonging through nonfiction, or opening up honest conversations about perfectionism and self-doubt, this episode is a roadmap for reading widely and teaching more humanly.</p>

<blockquote dir="auto">
<p>&quot;Every book on this list reminds us that it&#39;s hard being human. We&#39;re shaped by the empires we inherit, the grief we carry, the inner critics we can&#39;t shut up, the languages we&#39;re told are broken. And if that&#39;s true for us, it&#39;s true for every student who walks into our classroom, for every colleague that we work alongside.&quot;</p>

<p>&mdash; Sh&eacute;lynn Riel</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
</blockquote>

<p dir="auto">Ultimately, this conversation is an invitation to read with purpose, stay humble about what we don&#39;t know, and let great books leave us just a little bit changed&mdash;because the best stories do.</p>

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/syJZDxq9G30?si=_iaqpMx2XPJTNLQs" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p dir="auto"><strong>🎙️ Listen now on your favorite platform:</strong></p>

<ul dir="auto">
	<li value="1"><a href="https://www.teacherthinkaloud.com/episodes" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">The Teacher Think-Aloud Podcast</a></li>
	<li value="2"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@thinkaloud_pod" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">YouTube</a></li>
	<li value="3"><a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/2zv5mVNpSqkDNiNbQlnm7B" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">Spotify</a></li>
	<li value="4"><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-teacher-think-aloud-podcast/id1629819608" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<p dir="auto"><strong>🔗 Follow The Teacher Think-Aloud Podcast on social media for more updates:</strong></p>

<ul dir="auto">
	<li value="1"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/teacherthinkaloud" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook</a></li>
	<li value="2"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/thinkaloud_pod/" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">Instagram</a></li>
	<li value="3"><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/thinkaloudpod.bsky.social" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">Bluesky</a></li>
	<li value="4"><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@thinkaloud_pod" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">TikTok</a></li>
	<li value="5"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/teacher-think-aloud/" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a></li>
</ul>


Books That Challenge How We See the World, Teaching, and Ourselves: Think-Aloud Podcast Shares Summer Book List

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Starter courses for each level with a suggested teaching order from the ESL Library publishing team.

Courses

Discover what's new or coming soon, including upcoming lessons and resources and product feature updates. 

Announcements

<p>Are you teaching US history and government and/or&nbsp;preparing students for the NEW civics test (2025 version) and naturalization interview? You are changing lives, and Ellii wants to help!</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Yes! Ellii has prep materials for the US Naturalization Interview, including the new civics test, the N-400 review, and the reading &amp; writing tests.</p>
</blockquote>

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RnVVjGXlWY8?si=S0nzou1pRPyNfZB9" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>We began working on new content as soon as the notice went out about the new test (Sep&nbsp;18, 2025) and have just finished up this project (June 2026).&nbsp;</p>

<h2>What has changed with the 2025 Civics Test?</h2>

<ul>
	<li>If applicants applied before or within 30 days of the notice (Sep&nbsp;18, 2025), they take the 2008 test.</li>
	<li>If applicants&nbsp;applied 30 days or more after this notice (Sep&nbsp;18, 2025), they take the 2025 test.</li>
	<li>On the new (2025) test, the&nbsp;USCIS officer will ask applicants to answer up to 20 out of&nbsp;128 civics test questions&nbsp;to prove their&nbsp;knowledge of&nbsp;US&nbsp;history and government.</li>
	<li>USCIS officers will&nbsp;stop&nbsp;after the&nbsp;applicant answers&nbsp;12 questions correctly OR misses 9 questions.</li>
</ul>

<p><strong>Note:</strong> Scroll down to the bottom of this post for useful external links to resources regarding these updates.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>What order should I teach Ellii&#39;s US Civics &amp; Citizenship Prep content in?</h2>

<p>Here is our recommended teaching order for the Study Packs:</p>

<h2>US History &amp; Civics Test</h2>

<ol>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/principles-of-us-government" target="_blank">Principles of American Government</a>&nbsp;(Questions 1&ndash;15)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/system-of-government-1" target="_blank">System of Government 1</a>&nbsp;(Questions 16&ndash;30)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/system-of-government-b" target="_blank">System of Government 2</a>&nbsp;(Questions 31&ndash;45)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/system-of-government-3" target="_blank">System of Government 3</a>&nbsp;(Questions 46&ndash;62)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/rights-responsibilities" target="_blank">Rights &amp; Responsibilities</a>&nbsp;(Questions 63&ndash;72)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/colonial-period-independence" target="_blank">Colonial Independence</a>&nbsp;(Questions 73&ndash;89)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/the-1800s" target="_blank">The 1800s</a>&nbsp;(Questions 90&ndash;99)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/recent-american-history" target="_blank">Recent American History</a>&nbsp;(Questions 100&ndash;118)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/symbols-holidays" target="_blank">Symbols &amp; Holidays</a>&nbsp;(Questions 119&ndash;128)</li>
</ol>

<h2>N-400 Form Interview</h2>

<ol>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/n-400-interview-parts-1-4" target="_blank">N-400:&nbsp;Part 1&ndash;4</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/n-400-interview-parts-5-8" target="_blank">N-400: Part 5&ndash;8</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/n-400-interview-part-9" target="_blank">N-400: Part 9A&ndash;9D</a></li>
</ol>

<p><img alt="N-400 Study Packs" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5594/content_Screenshot_2026-06-23_at_1.44.26_PM.png" style="width: 2760px; height: 784px;" /></p>

<h2>Reading &amp; Writing Tests</h2>

<ol>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/naturalization-interview-reading-writing-test" target="_blank">Reading &amp; Writing Tests</a></li>
</ol>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/naturalization-interview-reading-writing-test" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5593/content_Screenshot_2026-06-23_at_10.01.23_AM.png" /></a></p>

<h2>About Ellii&#39;s US Civics &amp; Citizenship Interview Prep Study Packs</h2>

<p>Ellii Study Packs allow you to assign your students bundled content easily with one click. Visit our <a href="https://ellii.com/packs/?category=45&amp;page=1" target="_blank">US Civics</a> category in Courses &amp; Packs&nbsp;and watch this content&nbsp;grow.<br />
<br />
If you and your students like Ellii&#39;s videos, you&#39;ll love the NEW study packs. Each video lesson comes with practice tasks, including vocabulary review, comprehension, and speaking practice.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/colonial-period-independence/materials" target="_blank"><img alt="Colonial Period &amp; Independence Study Pack on Ellii " src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5012/content_US-Civics-Test-Prep-Colonial-Period-and-Independence_OG.png" /></a></p>

<p>For example, this pack about&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/packs/the-1800s/materials" target="_blank"><b>The 1800s</b></a><b>&nbsp;</b>features video lessons and practice about western expansion and the Civil War. Students practice questions <strong>90&ndash;99 </strong>of the civics test. Expand your students&#39;&nbsp;knowledge with related lessons from our library, such as lessons on historic figures from this period, including <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/3185-harriet-tubman" target="_blank">Harriet Tubman</a>, <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/3473-frederick-douglass" target="_blank">Frederick Douglass</a>, and <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2881-susan-b-anthony" target="_blank">Susan B. Anthony</a>.</p>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/the-1800s/materials" target="_blank"><img alt="The 1800s US Civics Test Prep Study Pack on Ellii " src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5013/content_US-Civics-1800s_OG.png" /></a></p>

<p>Another pack features video lessons and practice about conflict and change in <a href="https://ellii.com/packs/recent-american-history/materials" target="_blank">Recent US History</a> (the 1900s and early 2000s). Students practice questions <strong>100&ndash;118&nbsp;</strong>of the civics test. Expand your students&#39;&nbsp;knowledge with related lessons from our library, such as lessons on historic figures from this period, including <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/1535-franklin-d-roosevelt" target="_blank">Franklin D. Roosevelt</a>, the <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2856-the-vietnam-war" target="_blank">Vietnam War,</a> and <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/1466-september-11th" target="_blank">September 11th</a>.<br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/recent-american-history/materials" target="_blank"><img alt="Recent US History US Civics Test Prep Study Pack: The 1900s and early 2000s" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5054/content_US-Civics-Recent-US-History_OG.png" /></a></p>

<p>In addition to the history and civics packs, we have packs to prep for the N-400 interview as well as the Reading &amp; Writing test. This comprehensive package of content is all your students need to prepare for the Naturalization Civics Test.</p>

<p>Did you know? You can also send content individually to just the students who are studying for the test.</p>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/introducing-individual-student-assignments" target="_blank"><img alt="individual assignments on Ellii " src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5014/content_Screen_Shot_2025-11-14_at_11.12.24_AM.png" /></a></p>

<h2>Ellii&#39;s US Civics &amp; Test Prep Videos</h2>

<p>Ellii&#39;s&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/media/videos/us-civics-test-prep" target="_blank">US Civics &amp; Test Prep</a> videos are&nbsp;also available in our Media Gallery if you prefer not to assign the packs and tasks. These videos&nbsp;build history and government knowledge while offering practical test-taking tips. Choose from short, digestible clips or full-length video lessons with chapter divisions.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/media/videos/us-civics-test-prep/colonial-period-independence" target="_blank"><img alt="US Civics Test Prep videos" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5010/content_Civics-Video-Colonial-Period-and-Independence_OG-play.png" /></a></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/media/videos/us-civics-test-prep/the-1800s" target="_blank"><img alt="https://ellii.com/media/videos/us-civics-test-prep/the-1800s" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5011/content_Civics-Video-1800s_OG-play.png" /></a></p>

<p>Videos include a real teacher from Ellii, real&nbsp;photographs, useful drawings, and real questions and possible answers from the test.</p>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/video/recent-american-history" target="_blank"><img alt="Recent US History video " src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5055/content_Screen_Shot_2025-11-19_at_3.11.32_PM.png" /></a></p>

<p>You can also find the complete collection of <a href="https://ellii.com/media/videos/us-civics-citizenship">N-400 Interview Prep videos</a> in our Media Gallery. These video lessons&nbsp;cover every question from Parts 1 to 9 of Form N-400 and include&nbsp;mock dialogues, interview tips, vocabulary explanations, and plenty of&nbsp;speaking and listening practice.</p>

<h2>Ellii&#39;s Collections</h2>

<h3><a href="https://ellii.com/collections/us-civics" target="_blank">US Citizenship &amp; Naturalization</a></h3>

<p>This<strong> </strong>collection category<strong> </strong>offers six ready-made collections of EL Civics content focusing on US law, government, history, and culture. This content will help prepare ELLs for life and citizenship in the United States.&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lessons/american-presidents" target="_blank">American Presidents</a>&nbsp;</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/collections/us-civics/american-institutions" target="_blank">American Institutions</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/collections/us-civics/american-trailblazers" target="_blank">American Trailblazers</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/collections/us-civics/american-holidays" target="_blank">American Holidays</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/collections/us-civics/us-history" target="_blank">American History</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/collections/us-civics/us-landmarks" target="_blank">American Landmarks</a></li>
</ul>

<h3><a href="https://ellii.com/collections/el-civics" target="_blank">EL Civics</a></h3>

<p>This collection category features curated content for pre-approved civics objectives <strong>(COAAPs)</strong> selected by California agencies supporting adult ed. Search for content that is specifically related to the needs assessment of your students and use this content toward&nbsp;the 30 hours of instruction your learners need before doing related assessments.</p>

<h3><a href="https://ellii.com/collections/nations-regions/americana" target="_blank">The United States</a></h3>

<p>Our content library is full of lessons about American facts, figures, and firsts. This collection highlights some of our most popular lesson content related to the US, including presidents, famous people, and holidays.</p>

<h2>Popular Ellii Lessons</h2>

<p>Use the <strong>Search</strong> field on Ellii to find lessons on topics you are covering, and reach out to us if you can&#39;t find what you&#39;re looking for. Here are some popular US civics lessons:</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/5757-us-immigration-rights" target="_blank">US Immigration Rights</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2277-american-citizenship" target="_blank">American Citizenship</a>&nbsp;</li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/3836-n-400-vocabulary" target="_blank">N-400 Vocabulary</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2676-the-united-states" target="_blank">The United States </a>(Listening in English)</li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2263-map-of-the-us" target="_blank">Map of the US</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/1505-george-washington" target="_blank">George Washington</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2779-trail-of-tears" target="_blank">Trail of Tears</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/3172-the-us-constitution" target="_blank">The US Constitution</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/5636-the-bill-of-rights" target="_blank">The Bill of Rights</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/4037-the-declaration-of-independence" target="_blank">The Declaration of Independence</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2764-the-supreme-court-us" target="_blank">The Supreme Court</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/3381-election-day-us" target="_blank">Election Day</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/video/republicans-democrats" target="_blank">Republicans &amp; Democrats</a> (explainer video)</li>
</ul>

<h3>Useful External Resources for 2025 Updates</h3>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/09/18/2025-18050/notice-of-implementation-of-2025-naturalization-civics-test" target="_blank">Notice of Implementation of 2025 Naturalization Civics Test</a> (09.18.2025)</li>
	<li><a href="https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/brochures/USCIS-2025-Civics-Test-Study-Guide.pdf" target="_blank">One Nation, One People Study Guide (2025)</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/questions-and-answers/2025-Civics-Test-128-Questions-and-Answers.pdf" target="_blank">128 Civics Questions (2025)</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/find-study-materials-and-resources/check-for-test-updates" target="_blank">USCIS Comparison of 2008 / 2025 Test</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/5n2h5rdfojhykxegok15a/Natz_Test_Comparison_A_2008-2025.pdf?rlkey=47rpmtohvcrqazh1uf17h8o7k&amp;e=1&amp;st=r1lxr88r&amp;dl=0" target="_blank">Bill Bliss&#39;s Comparison Chart of 2008 / 2025 Test</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship" target="_blank">USCIS Citizenship Resource Center</a></li>
</ul>

US Naturalization Interview & Civics Test Prep Curriculum Now on Ellii

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Tour around the ELT conference circuit as our team shares conference highlights and session reviews.

Conferences

<h2>St. Augustine&nbsp;Superlatives</h2>

<p>If you&#39;re ever looking for a real-world setting&nbsp;for teaching&nbsp;<strong>superlatives</strong>, head to St. Augustine where the <a href="https://www.aceofflorida.org/events/2026-ace-of-florida-summer-symposium-1" target="_blank">2026 ACE of Florida Summer Symposium</a> was held this past&nbsp; week!</p>

<p>This was my first time visiting this town, and I set off from Canada one day early, eager to explore what I had heard was &quot;the oldest town in Florida.&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="oldest masonry fort in St. Augustine" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5552/content_oldest-fort.JPG" /></p>

<p class="caption">Castillo de San Marcos, a 17th-century fortress built by the Spanish</p>

<p>St. Augustine is formally referred to as&nbsp;<em>the oldest</em>&nbsp;continuously occupied European-founded settlement in the continental United States.&nbsp;Spanish explorer Pedro Men&eacute;ndez de Avil&eacute;s established the settlement on September 8, 1565.</p>

<p><img alt="oldest school house st. augustine" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5544/content_oldest-school.jpeg" /></p>

<p>While touring around the historic district, I&nbsp;soon learned some of the town&#39;s&nbsp;claims&nbsp;needed fact-checking! However, I came up with my own St. Augustine list of superlatives. This&nbsp;could be a fun game to play with your students in any town, including where you teach.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
St. Augustine Superlatives:</p>

<ul>
	<li>best chocolate peanut butter cups: Whetstone Chocolates</li>
	<li>most fun popsicle shop: Hyppo (<a href="https://ellii.com/blog/funner" target="_blank">Can we say funnest?</a>)</li>
	<li>tastiest tacos: A1A Burrito Works</li>
	<li>most delicious guacamole: Salt Life</li>
	<li>coolest beachwear shop: The Surf Stop&nbsp;</li>
	<li>nicest rooftop patio: River Fort Restaurant &amp; Rooftop.</li>
</ul>

<p>At the rooftop patio, we also had <em>the most scrumptious</em> lobster&nbsp;flatbread served by&nbsp;<em>the wittiest </em>waitress who told us she had no need for&nbsp;the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.floridashistoriccoast.com/things-to-do/history/fountain-youth/" target="_blank"><strong>Fountain of Youth</strong></a>&nbsp;herself,&nbsp;but directed us where to go to find Ponce de Leon&#39;s&nbsp;healing waters. She also&nbsp;shared tips on&nbsp;<em>the best </em>beach for shell collecting<em> </em>(Vilano Beach).&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="Old Senator in St. Augustine" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5551/content_oldest-oak.JPG" /></p>

<p class="caption">Old Senator in St. Augustine, located at Villa 1565</p>

<h2>Adult Ed in Florida</h2>

<p>At the ACE symposium, vendors exhibit in the same room where all the sessions take place. This is <em>the most effective</em>&nbsp;way to set up a PD&nbsp;event in ELT! Like all attendees, vendors need to&nbsp;stay on top of important updates and I was pleased to be able to attend every session while also manning the Ellii booth.</p>

<p><img alt="" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5547/content_ACE-2026.JPG" /></p>

<h2>ACE Takeaways</h2>

<p>Various speakers took the floor at the ACE of Florida Summer Symposium, including several representatives from the Florida Department of Education. The main purpose of these talks was to demonstrate the case for workforce education in adult ed. We learned about:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>unemployment rates and causes (job leaver 13%, job loser 40%, entering/reentering workforce 46%)</li>
	<li>changing labor demand by level of education in Florida&nbsp;</li>
	<li>top demand occupations in Florida (tractor trailer truck drivers, medical assistants, real estate agents, carpenters, mechanics...)</li>
	<li>the aging workforce (24% of the US workforce is 55+)</li>
	<li>skills expectations (by 2031, 72% of jobs will require some postsecondary education or training)</li>
	<li>untapped talent (1.8 million adults without a high school diploma in Florida)</li>
	<li>Title II Adult Ed MSG rate and success (needs improvement!)</li>
	<li>student retention challenges (transportation, childcare, motivation, work obligations) and strategies (constant communication, newsletters, rapport, bus passes, counseling, career exploration, flexible scheduling)&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<blockquote>
<p>&quot;When we invest in adult learner upskilling to improve economic &amp; career mobility, everybody wins.&quot;</p>

<p>~2026 ACE of Florida Summer Symposium</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Interestingly, the day I returned back to my office, <em>the savviest </em>Product team (Ellii&#39;s!) released a new feature that is tied directly to data about student engagement: <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/class-announcements-feature-now-on-ellii" target="_blank">Class Announcements</a>. We hope this new feature is useful in your schools and programs!</p>

<h2>Ellii + Ventures</h2>

<p>At the ACE symposium, we exhibited next to our partner, Cambridge University Press &amp; Assessment. Regional Manager (CUPA) Jim Goldstone&nbsp;knows Florida well and was <em>the wisest </em>mentor and host! Jim introduced me to several&nbsp;directors and leaders in adult ed and I was grateful for his mentorship and industry knowledge.&nbsp;If you&#39;re interested in learning more about <em>the most practical </em>partnership in adult ed&nbsp;(<a href="https://ellii.com/ventures" target="_blank">Ellii + <em>Ventures</em></a>), please reach out. We are all excited for the upcoming release of the <em>Ventures</em> 4th edition books and related Ellii collections.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>The Embassy Suites &amp; Attendees</h2>

<p>This year&#39;s ACE symposium took place at St. Augustine&#39;s Embassy Suites, a beautiful resort on a beach next to the Anastasia State Park that goes far beyond what you can see. The ocean water was 82&deg; and we could watch surfers catching waves during the built-in sunshine breaks. Like several&nbsp;attendees, I made a point of waking up a little&nbsp;early to catch <em>the prettiest </em>Florida sunrise.&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5548/content_sunrise-st-augustine.JPG" /></p>

<p class="caption">Embassy Suites, St. Augustine</p>

<p>The breakfasts, lunches, and&nbsp;poolside chats were excellent opportunities to learn firsthand from attendees about what&#39;s new and challenging&nbsp;in their state and programs. While I attended the sessions, the world&#39;s <em>most productive </em>Publishing team&nbsp;(Ellii&#39;s!) was already working on an outline for a new course that a director at ACE mentioned was lacking at her school.</p>

<p><img alt="Karla Galleguillos National Program Specialist and Pamela Jo Wilson Palm Beach County" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5553/content_karla-pamela.JPG" /></p>

<p class="caption">Karla Galleguillos, National Program Specialist, and Pamela Jo Wilson, Case Manager, Palm Beach County School District</p>

<p>The hotel had friendly, efficient service and even&nbsp;offered free use of&nbsp;cruiser bikes, which I made use of to ship our exhibit contents off to the conference Ellii is attending next week&mdash;the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.casas.org/training-and-support/SI" target="_blank">CASAS Summer Institute</a> in Orange County, California!&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="Tara Benwell VP of Publishing Ellii" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5550/content_bike-courier.JPG" /></p>

<p class="caption">Tara Benwell, VP of Publishing at Ellii</p>

<p>Ellii would like to wish a happy retirement to&nbsp;ACE Executive Director Julie Roberts&nbsp;and a warm welcome to Dave Barnes, incoming director. Thank you both for helping us feel so welcome at ACE!</p>

<p>We hope&nbsp;to see you in October at the <a href="https://www.aceofflorida.org/events/2026-southeast-regional-ace-conference-" target="_blank">2026 Southeast Regional ACE Conference</a> in Orlando!<br />
<br />
~ Tara<br />
<br />
PS. As a Canadian, I have to admit that <em>the juiciest</em> update I heard at the symposium&nbsp;was&nbsp;that the state of <a href="https://www.gulfcoastnewsnow.com/article/free-orange-juice-florida-welcome-center-citrus-industry-challenges/71363715" target="_blank">Florida will continue to offer free orange juice</a> at the state border welcome centers. I think we may need a current events lesson on this!</p>


The Oldest City, the Newest Updates: Reflections on ACE of Florida Summer Symposium 2026

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<h2>Tired of sending classwide emails with important updates that your students never read?</h2>

<p>One of our most requested features is here! Now you can send announcements directly to all students in your class right from within Ellii.</p>

<p>We believe clear communication is at the heart of every successful classroom. The Class Announcements feature gives you a dedicated space inside Ellii to keep your students informed&nbsp;right where they&#39;re already learning.</p>

<h2>How to send an announcement on Ellii</h2>

<p>From the new <strong>Announcements</strong> tab on your class page, you can post messages, pin important updates to the top, and manage everything in one place.</p>

<p><img alt="class announcements on Ellii" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5541/content_Screenshot_2026-06-08_at_10.38.49_AM.png" /></p>

<h2>Where students find announcements on Ellii&nbsp;</h2>

<p>Students see your announcements at the top of their class page. New messages are clearly labeled. Pinned messages stay visible at all times.&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="class announcements for students on Ellii " src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5542/content_Screenshot_2026-06-08_at_10.41.33_AM.png" /></p>

<p><img alt="class announcements on Ellii " src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5543/content_Screenshot_2026-06-08_at_10.43.27_AM.png" /></p>

<h2>Learn more</h2>

<p>See&nbsp;step-by-step instructions in this&nbsp;Help Doc: <a href="https://help.ellii.com/article/312-how-to-create-class-announcements" target="_blank">How to Create Class Announcements</a>&nbsp;</p>


Class Announcements Feature Now on Ellii

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<p id="unlocking-ai-use-in-the-english-language-classroom">In the latest episode of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.teacherthinkaloud.com/" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">The Teacher Think-Aloud Podcast</a>, hosts Anna and Sh&eacute; are joined by Rachel Toncelli and Ilka Kostka&mdash;seasoned educators at Northeastern University and co-authors of&nbsp;<a href="https://press.umich.edu/Books/A/Artificial-Intelligence-Real-Teaching2" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">Artificial Intelligence, Real Teaching: A Guide to AI in ELT</a>&mdash;for an honest and practical conversation about what it really looks like to bring AI into language teaching. From their initial intrigue with ChatGPT in late 2022 to the development of a full framework for AI integration, Rachel and Ilka exemplify what happens when educators meet new technology with curiosity rather than panic. As they see it, every challenge AI presents is a teaching problem&mdash;not a reason to ban or retreat.</p>

<p>The conversation tackles widespread misconceptions head-on, particularly the fear that AI might replace language learning altogether. Both guests advocate for transparency and dialogue with students, sharing how critical analysis of AI-generated output can deepen learner engagement and help students recognize what makes their own voices distinctive.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>&quot; If teachers are worried that their students are gonna outsource everything, then you need to be having regular conversations about how to use AI, how not to use AI, and the purpose of schooling. What are we here to do?&quot; &mdash; Rachel Toncelli</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Ultimately, this conversation is an invitation to start small, collaborate with colleagues, and approach AI with a mindset of exploration. Rachel and Ilka&#39;s work reminds us that as AI technology evolves, our teaching must adapt alongside it&mdash;keeping human interaction and cultural learning at the center.</p>

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ypEj-OmXRro?si=-VPW4ZjeghwVKf2m" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p><strong>🎙️ Listen now on your favorite platform:</strong></p>

<ul>
	<li value="1"><a href="https://www.teacherthinkaloud.com/episodes" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">The Teacher Think-Aloud Podcast</a></li>
	<li value="2"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@thinkaloud_pod" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">YouTube</a></li>
	<li value="3"><a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/2zv5mVNpSqkDNiNbQlnm7B" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">Spotify</a></li>
	<li value="4"><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-teacher-think-aloud-podcast/id1629819608" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<p><strong>🔗 Follow The Teacher Think-Aloud Podcast on social media for more updates:</strong></p>

<ul>
	<li value="1"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/teacherthinkaloud" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook</a></li>
	<li value="2"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/thinkaloud_pod/" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">Instagram</a></li>
	<li value="3"><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/thinkaloudpod.bsky.social" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">Bluesky</a></li>
	<li value="4"><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@thinkaloud_pod" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">TikTok</a></li>
	<li value="5"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/teacher-think-aloud/" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a></li>
</ul>


Unlocking AI Use in the English Language Classroom

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<p>On the latest episode of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.teacherthinkaloud.com/" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">The Teacher Think-Aloud Podcast</a>, hosts Anna and Sh&eacute; are joined by Dr. Linh Phung&mdash;language educator, researcher, and creator of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eduling.ai/" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">Eduling app</a>&mdash;for a grounded and practical exploration of Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT). At its core, TBLT shifts teaching away from isolated grammar and vocabulary instruction and toward meaningful, goal-oriented communication. As Dr. Phung explains, not every classroom activity qualifies as a &ldquo;task.&rdquo; True tasks require a focus on meaning, a communicative gap, the use of learners&rsquo; existing language resources, and a clear outcome. This reframing challenges teachers to move beyond practice for its own sake and instead design opportunities where language is used to do something purposeful.</p>

<p>Drawing on second language acquisition research, Dr. Phung connects TBLT to key principles such as input, output, interaction, and corrective feedback. The conversation also addresses common implementation concerns, including how to adapt TBLT for beginner learners, large classes, exam-driven contexts, and varying participation norms.</p>

<blockquote>&quot; When the students learn a language by engaging in communicative tasks, then the chance of transferring the skills during learning activities to real life is higher because the conditions in which they perform the tasks or the activities are similar to real life tasks.&quot;<br />
&mdash; Dr. Linh Phung</blockquote>

<p>Ultimately, this conversation invites educators to reconsider not just what they teach, but why and how. By positioning language as a tool for communication rather than an end in itself, TBLT opens the door to more engaging, effective, and human-centered learning experiences.</p>

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Task-Based Language Teaching in Real Classrooms

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