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

For Students

<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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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

<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

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

Teaching with Ellii

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>

<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/eThdBEC0NoU?si=Zt_Q0I840A4Ip9YG" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p><br />
🎙️&nbsp;<strong>Listen now on your favorite platform:</strong></p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://www.teacherthinkaloud.com/episodes" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">The Teacher Think-Aloud Podcast</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@thinkaloud_pod" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">YouTube</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/2zv5mVNpSqkDNiNbQlnm7B" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">Spotify</a></li>
	<li><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>🔗&nbsp;<strong>Follow The Teacher Think-Aloud Podcast on social media for more updates:</strong></p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/teacherthinkaloud" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook</a></li>
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	<li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/teacher-think-aloud/" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a></li>
</ul>


Task-Based Language Teaching in Real Classrooms

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<p>There are many different varieties of English all over the world. Around 75 countries use it as an official language.</p>

<p>Then there are regional differences. For example, in the UK, there isn&#39;t just one form of English. People speak English differently in different parts of the country.&nbsp;</p>

<p>I am from Scotland, so I speak Scottish English (or West Central&nbsp;Scots). In this post, I&#39;ll share some common words and phrases that will help you understand and be understood in Scotland, or around Scottish people.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>What languages do people speak in Scotland?&nbsp;</h2>

<p>The main language in Scotland is English. <a href="https://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/census-results/at-a-glance/languages/" target="_blank">Government records show that 98.6% of people in Scotland speak it</a>.</p>

<p>Historically, Gaelic is&nbsp;the traditional language. It&nbsp;used to be spoken all over the country. Now only 0.5% of the population speak it at home&mdash;mostly in the Western Isles and North West Highlands.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Then there&#39;s Scots. Government information shows that 1.1% of people said that they spoke this at home. Though, in my opinion, this number should be much higher. There are many English speakers in Scotland who don&#39;t realize they are speaking Scots.&nbsp;I was one&mdash;until I taught my first &quot;English&quot;&nbsp;class!</p>

<p>The reason for this is that there is a lot of confusion over what&nbsp;Scots language is, what a dialect is (a local version of the language), and what Scottish English is (English with some Scots words and sounds).&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to Scotland.org,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.scottishbooktrust.com/writing-and-authors/what-is-scots" target="_blank">Scots is a language made up of different dialects from across the country</a>:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>Dundonian dialect in Dundee</li>
	<li>Doric dialect in Aberdeenshire</li>
	<li>Edinburgh Scots dialect in&nbsp;Edinburgh</li>
	<li>Glaswegian dialect in Glasgow</li>
</ul>

<p>When I first started teaching, I used a lot of Scottish words and sounds. The students, who spoke excellent global English, didn&#39;t understand me. I quickly learned what was English and what was Scots.&nbsp;</p>

<p>From experience, there are lots of Scottish English speakers who are exactly like me when I started teaching. Don&#39;t be afraid to ask them if they are speaking Scottish or English! This will help them to reflect and rephrase what they&#39;ve said into understandable English (hopefully)!&nbsp;</p>

<h2>Do I need to learn Scottish English?&nbsp;</h2>

<p>No, not really. It would be impossible to learn every different variety of English.&nbsp;</p>

<p>If you plan to live in Scotland for a while, it will probably be helpful to learn some Scottish words. But if you are just staying for a short holiday, it&#39;s best to use these skills for speaking English anywhere:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Ask for the meaning of words that you don&#39;t know</li>
	<li>Ask people to repeat or say things more slowly</li>
	<li>Rephrase what people have said to check that you have understood them</li>
</ul>

<p>Remember there are two people (or more) in each conversation. They can help you by using their communication skills too.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>Be confident: Even proficient language users find Scots English hard</h2>

<p>I have many examples of friends who speak absolutely fantastic English, but&nbsp;find&nbsp;Scottish speakers difficult to understand.&nbsp;</p>

<p>One friend is a doctor from South Africa. He grew up speaking English. When he moved to Scotland, he found that there were lots of words he didn&#39;t understand. He started a vocabulary&nbsp;list on his phone so every time he learned a new word, he made a note of it. That list now has hundreds of words!&nbsp;</p>

<p>Another friend is from Portugal. They use English for work every day. When they met some people I&nbsp;know from Dundee, they were so confused. I&nbsp;had to translate the Dundonian Scottish into general English for them. My Dundonian friends didn&#39;t even realize&nbsp;that they weren&#39;t speaking globally understood English.&nbsp;</p>

<p>So, you are not alone, and it&#39;s not that you don&#39;t understand&mdash;the other speaker might just be unclear!</p>

<h2>Some common differences in Scottish English to help you understand!</h2>

<h3>There&#39;s no &quot;t&quot;&nbsp;in Sco&#39;land!</h3>

<p>Sco&#39;ish people often don&#39;t pronounce the &quot;t&quot;&nbsp;sound. Words like <em>butter</em>, <em>wetter</em>, and&nbsp;<em>better</em> become &quot;bu&#39;er,&quot;&nbsp;&quot;we&#39;er,&quot;&nbsp;and &quot;be&#39;er.&quot;</p>

<div class="ckeditor-html5-audio" style="text-align: center;">
<audio controls="controls" controlslist="nodownload" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/attachments/5484/scoish.mp3">&nbsp;</audio>
</div>

<p>To speak clearly and be easily understood, it&#39;s best to pronounce your consonant sounds. However, it&#39;s good to know you might hear this in Sco&#39;land.&nbsp;</p>

<h3>&quot;How?&quot;&nbsp;can mean &quot;Why?&quot;</h3>

<p>In Scotland, many people will ask you &quot;How?&quot;&nbsp;when they mean &quot;Why?&quot;</p>

<p>For example:&nbsp;</p>

<blockquote>
<p>A: I will be&nbsp;late.&nbsp;</p>

<p>B: How?&nbsp;</p>
</blockquote>

<p>B wants to know the reason<em> why</em> A will be late.&nbsp;</p>

<h3><strong>Cannae, isnae, wasnae, gonnae</strong></h3>

<p>Instead of &quot;not,&quot;&nbsp;many people in Scotland use &quot;nae.&quot;</p>

<div class="ckeditor-html5-audio" style="text-align: center;">
<audio controls="controls" controlslist="nodownload" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/attachments/5483/Gonnae.mp3">&nbsp;</audio>
</div>

<ul>
	<li>can&#39;t &gt; cannae</li>
	<li>isn&#39;t &gt; isnae</li>
	<li>wasn&#39;t &gt; wasnae</li>
	<li>going to&nbsp;&gt; gonnae</li>
	<li>can you &gt; gonnae</li>
</ul>

<p>&quot;Gonnae&quot; can mean two things. It can mean the future tense &quot;going to.&quot;&nbsp;People also use it to ask someone for help or to do something:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>&quot;Gonnae clean your room?&quot;&nbsp;= &quot;Can you clean your room?&quot;</li>
</ul>

<h3>Wee = small</h3>

<p>In Scotland, we use &quot;wee&quot;&nbsp;instead of &quot;small&quot; or &quot;little.&quot; For example:&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ckeditor-html5-audio" style="text-align: center;">
<audio controls="controls" controlslist="nodownload" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/attachments/5482/wee.mp3">&nbsp;</audio>
</div>

<ul>
	<li>Gonnae cut me a wee slice of cake?&nbsp;= Can you cut me a little slice of cake?&nbsp;</li>
	<li>I&#39;m a wee bit tired after that class. = I&#39;m a little tired after that class.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<p>When I&#39;m with speakers of English from other places, I try not to use Scots words. But I can&#39;t stop saying &quot;wee.&quot;</p>

<p>This can sometimes cause confusion. Once, I was helping my Australian friend&#39;s child at a playground. He wanted to reach but was too small. I said, &quot;You&#39;re too wee.&quot; His reply was &quot;I&#39;m not a wee-wee.&quot; (&quot;I&#39;m not a pee.&quot;)&nbsp;The wee man had a good point!&nbsp;</p>

<h3>Aye = yes&nbsp;</h3>

<p>In Scotland, people say &quot;aye&quot; instead of &quot;yes&quot; or &quot;yeah.&quot; It sounds the same as &quot;eye&quot; the body part, but has a different meaning.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ckeditor-html5-audio" style="text-align: center;">
<audio controls="controls" controlslist="nodownload" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/attachments/5476/aye.mp3">&nbsp;</audio>
</div>

<blockquote>
<p>A: Would you like a wee cup of tea?</p>

<p>B: Aye!&nbsp;</p>
</blockquote>

<h3>Yous for plural &quot;you&quot;</h3>

<p>In English, &quot;you&quot; can be one person or many people. In my humble Scottish opinion, this can be quite confusing.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In Scotland, we use &#39;you&#39; for one person and &#39;yous&#39; for many. This might sound strange if you haven&#39;t heard it before, but it makes it much clearer who we are talking about. For example:&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ckeditor-html5-audio" style="text-align: center;">
<audio controls="controls" controlslist="nodownload" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/attachments/5477/yous.mp3">&nbsp;</audio>
</div>

<ul>
	<li>Are you coming to the party? &nbsp;(asking one person if they are coming)</li>
	<li>Are yous coming to the party? (asking two or more people if they are coming)&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<h3>But = though</h3>

<p>You might hear a lot of sentences ending with &quot;but.&quot; It is commonly used to contrast meaning.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ckeditor-html5-audio" style="text-align: center;">
<audio controls="controls" controlslist="nodownload" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/attachments/5478/but.mp3">&nbsp;</audio>
</div>

<ul>
	<li>She said she didnae want to come but.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>He&#39;s friendly, but.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<p>You might think that the person speaking has forgotten to finish their sentence! They havnae&nbsp;but!</p>

<h3>Bairns vs. weans</h3>

<div class="ckeditor-html5-audio" style="text-align: center;">
<audio controls="controls" controlslist="nodownload" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/attachments/5485/weans.mp3">&nbsp;</audio>
</div>

<p>In West Coast Scots, people use &quot;weans&quot; (pronounced like&nbsp;&quot;wane&quot; or the same sound as&nbsp;&quot;rain&quot;) to talk about children. In the East Coast, people tend to say &quot;bairns&quot; (pronounced like &quot;bear&quot;). You can use this to tell which Scots people speak.&nbsp;</p>

<h3>Who&#39;s Ken?&nbsp;</h3>

<p>In some parts of Scotland, you&#39;ll hear the word &quot;ken&quot; a lot. &quot;Ken&quot; means &quot;know&quot; in Eastern Scotland. This can be confusing as it is also a man&#39;s name.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ckeditor-html5-audio" style="text-align: center;">
<audio controls="controls" controlslist="nodownload" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/attachments/5481/ken.mp3">&nbsp;</audio>
</div>

<ul>
	<li>&quot;Do you ken whit I mean?&quot; = &quot;Do you know what I mean?&quot;</li>
	<li>&quot;I dinnae ken.&quot; = &quot;I don&#39;t know.&quot;</li>
</ul>

<h3>Cheers = thanks</h3>

<p>One of my students once asked me &quot;Why does everyone say &#39;cheese&#39;&nbsp;when I hold a door open for them or do something nice for them?&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p>I was confused. &quot;Cheese?&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;Yeah,&quot; the student replied. Then they acted it out.&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>&quot;Aaaah! Cheers! &#39;Cheers&#39; means &#39;thanks&#39;!&quot;&nbsp;</li>
	<li>&quot;Aaaah!&quot; said my student. &quot;Cheers! I ken now!&quot;</li>
	<li>&quot;Nae bother,&quot; I replied. Because in Scotland that means &quot;no problem&quot; or &quot;no bother.&quot;&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<h3>Rain</h3>

<p>It rains a lot in Scotland. That&#39;s why we have hunners (hundreds) of words for rain. Here are some:&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ckeditor-html5-audio" style="text-align: center;">
<audio controls="controls" controlslist="nodownload" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/attachments/5479/rain.mp3">&nbsp;</audio>
</div>

<ul>
	<li>drizzle, smirr, mizzle,&nbsp;Scotch mist =&nbsp;light rain&nbsp;</li>
	<li>pouring doon, tipping it doon, chucking it doon&nbsp;=&nbsp;&nbsp;heavy rain (doon = down)</li>
	<li>dreich = not raining, but the sky is dark, gray, and miserable</li>
	<li>drookit = a great adjective to describe when you are soaking wet (probably because it&#39;s pouring doon)</li>
</ul>

<h3>Taps aff or taps oan</h3>

<div class="ckeditor-html5-audio" style="text-align: center;">
<audio controls="controls" controlslist="nodownload" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/attachments/5480/taps-aff.mp3">&nbsp;</audio>
</div>

<p>People in Scotland like to laugh at themselves and the weather. They also get excited when the sun comes out. When the temperature rises over 20&deg;C, some guys like to sit in the park with their tops off&mdash;until their skin burns.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This is why we use the terms&nbsp;&quot;taps aff&quot; and &quot;taps oan&quot;&nbsp;to describe the weather.&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>A &quot;taps aff&quot; (tops off) day is when it is hot enough to enjoy the sunshine with light summer clothing.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>A &quot;taps oan&quot; (tops on) day is a day when it is chucking it doon, drizzly, dreich, or cold enough to wear all your clothes.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<p>If you would like to get your weather this way, check out <a href="https://www.taps-aff.co.uk/" target="_blank">Taps-Aff.co.uk</a>!</p>

<h2>More on Scottish English</h2>

<p>To learn more about Scottish English, search online for films and TV from Scotland. I&#39;d recommend:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>Film:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1924394/" target="_blank">The Angel&#39;s Share</a></li>
	<li>Film:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0380366/?ref_=fn_t_1" target="_blank">Aye Fond Kiss</a></li>
	<li>Film:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3823098/" target="_blank">Edie</a></li>
	<li>TV: <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3006802/" target="_blank">Outlander</a></li>
	<li>TV: <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108803/?ref_=fn_i_2" target="_blank">The High Life&nbsp;</a></li>
	<li>TV: <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0155450/?ref_=fn_i_1" target="_blank">Para Handy</a></li>
</ul>

<p>I&#39;d also recommend <a href="https://thescottishsoundschool.com/watch-and-listen" target="_blank">The Scottish Sound School</a>. You&#39;ll find a lot of videos and other content by language expert Gemma Archer there.&nbsp;</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Have you been to Scotland? Do you have favorite Scots words? What experience do you have of speaking to Scots English speakers? We&#39;d love to know.&nbsp;</p>
</blockquote>


Essential Scottish for English Language Learners: Common Phrases & Expressions

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<p><a href="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/attachments/5465/Ellii-WIDA-Alignment-Overview.pdf">Download the&nbsp;summary: How Ellii Supports WIDA-aligned K&ndash;12 English Language Programs (2026)</a><br />
<br />
<em>Updated&nbsp;May 7, 2026</em></p>

<blockquote>
<p>&quot;ESL Library (now Ellii) was founded in 2002 as a resource site for English teachers. The materials are designed to enhance, complement, or supplement curriculum. New materials are added every month. The lessons include relevant, thought-provoking materials that focus on real-world issues, historical events, and natural dialogues geared toward teens and adults. There are also kid-friendly lessons for young learners and middle schoolers as well as lessons for literacy classrooms.&quot;</p>

<p class="attribution">&mdash;<a href="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/attachments/2448/ESLLibrary__1__2.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">WIDA PRIME Correlator</a></p>
</blockquote>

<p>Does your school follow the <a href="https://wida.wisc.edu/">WIDA Standards Framework</a>? If yes, you may be wondering if Ellii (formerly ESL Library) is a good fit for your school.</p>

<p>WIDA uses a special correlation process called PRIME, which stands for Protocol for Review of Instructional Materials for ELLs. The main purpose of PRIME is to help educators in the K&ndash;12 space understand the relevance of materials that are available for their language programs.</p>

<p>In early 2021, a WIDA&nbsp;PRIME&nbsp;V2 correlator spent a week reviewing Ellii&#39;s (formerly ESL&nbsp;Library&#39;s) offerings. They looked at our&nbsp;correlation to WIDA&#39;s Standard Framework as well as connections to the ELD Standards.</p>

<p>You can view the full <a href="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/attachments/2448/ESLLibrary__1__2.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">WIDA Correlation for ESL&nbsp;Library</a> on WIDA&#39;s PRIME inventory page (with referenced examples taken from a variety of materials and sections on&nbsp;our site).* Here is an abridged&nbsp;summary:</p>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="correct">Materials are asset-based.</li>
	<li class="correct">Materials feature academic language.</li>
	<li class="correct">Materials address language features appropriately and consistently at the discourse dimension for all proficiency&nbsp;levels.</li>
	<li class="correct">Materials address language features appropriately and consistently at the sentence dimension for all proficiency&nbsp;levels.</li>
	<li class="correct">Materials address language features appropriately and consistently at the word/phrase dimension for all proficiency&nbsp;levels.</li>
	<li class="correct">Differentiation of language is addressed throughout the materials and is developmentally and linguistically appropriate for the proficiency&nbsp;levels.</li>
	<li class="correct">The four language domains are targeted and integrated throughout the&nbsp;materials.</li>
	<li class="correct">Social and instructional language are&nbsp;included in the&nbsp;materials.</li>
	<li class="correct">Materials encourage language learners to engage in higher-thinking skills at all&nbsp;levels.</li>
	<li class="correct">Materials cover a range of language functions that are incorporated into a communicative&nbsp;goal.</li>
</ul>

<p><img alt="WIDA PRIME V2 Correlation Seal" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1731/content_WIDA-PRIME-v2-seal-TM.png" /></p>

<p>As you review the official <a href="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/attachments/2448/ESLLibrary__1__2.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">WIDA Correlation</a>, please note that Ellii (formerly ESL&nbsp;Library) is not currently licensing WIDA terminology, which means we cannot explicitly reference WIDA standards and descriptors in our materials.</p>

<h2>2021&nbsp;Updates</h2>

<p>We&#39;re always striving to make improvements! A new Young Learner filter has been added to the site since WIDA&#39;s correlation. Other <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/feature-updates-2021">recent developments</a> include teacher discretion labels, digital speaking tasks, and <a href="https://ellii.com/collections">collections</a>. Ellii&#39;s (formerly ESL&nbsp;Library&#39;s) new collections make it easier for teachers to sort and filter relevant content by theme, function, and academic subject&nbsp;as well as by age-appropriateness and proficiency level. Finally, our new <a href="https://ellii.com/folders/published">Ellii Folders</a>, curated by the publishing team, support the progression of language development and have been popular with our K⁠&ndash;⁠12&nbsp;teachers.</p>

<p>Teachers can also change their account settings to display ELD proficiency levels and grade band settings.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A special thank you to the folks at WIDA for your careful consideration of our materials and&nbsp;site!</p>

<p>*If the link does not open a PDF, please visit <a href="https://www.widaprime.org/correlated-instructional-materials">WIDA&#39;s PRIME inventory</a> and type ESL Library as a search term.</p>

<h2>Related</h2>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="collection"><a href="https://ellii.com/collections/academic-subjects">Academic Subjects Collection</a></li>
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/wida-conference-2018">WIDA Conference 2018: Highlights &amp; Takeaways</a></li>
	<li class="external-link"><a href="https://www.casas.org/qs/Publisher/Show/805" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CASAS Quick Search</a> (New CASAS Collections coming soon!)</li>
</ul>


WIDA Correlation: A Seal for Ellii 

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<p>Even though English is global, it is spoken differently in many parts of the world. American and British English are probably the most commonly taught in language classrooms. Ellii, for example, is a<a href="https://ellii.com/blog/spelling-variations-in-ellii-materials"> </a>Canadian company, but it offers language learning content in American, Canadian, and British English.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Around the world, about 75 countries have English as an officical language. Countries like&nbsp;Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, and South Africa are the obvious ones. There&#39;s also&nbsp;Nigeria, Singapore, India, Philllipines, and many others.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On a recent trip to Australia, I learned that Scottish English and Australian English have many differences. I had to use my communication skills to help me understand and be understood.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It was an excellent reminder that even so-called &quot;native&quot; speakers can misunderstand each other!</p>

<h2>How can we communicate across many different Englishes?&nbsp;</h2>

<p>Different countries use different words, pronounce things in different ways, and&nbsp;have different grammar. For example, Scotland and Australia have different words for many things and use&nbsp;different vowel sounds.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In order to be understood, I used my communication skills:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>I slowed down.</li>
	<li>I left&nbsp;spaces between my&nbsp;words.</li>
	<li>I asked people to rephrase or repeat what they said.</li>
	<li>I asked questions to check I&nbsp;(and they) understood.</li>
	<li>I tried using different words or saying things in different ways.</li>
	<li>I pronounced consonsant sounds clearly and changed the vowel sounds in some of my words.</li>
	<li>I avoided using Scottish words and learned some Australian ones to use instead.</li>
</ul>

<p>In this blog post, I want to tell the world that we<strong> all</strong> have to change how we communicate&nbsp;in order to be understood.&nbsp;</p>

<p>I also want to tell language learners that even people who speak English very well can misunderstand each other.&nbsp;</p>

<p>And I want to share some Australian English that helped me understand the people&nbsp;I met. I still speak English my own way, but I do occasionally use some of these words to be understood.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>Australians shorten words with &quot;y&quot; or &quot;o&quot;&nbsp;</h2>

<p>In Australia, people like to shorten words. They do this by adding &quot;o&quot;&nbsp;or &quot;y/ie/ies.&quot; They do this even with friends&#39; names. For example:&nbsp;</p>

<h3>-y/ie/ies:</h3>

<ul>
	<li>Mel (popular girl&#39;s name) &gt; Melly</li>
	<li>Australian &gt; Aussie</li>
	<li>volunteer &gt; vollie</li>
	<li>schnitzel (popular dish of crumbed meat) &gt; schnitie</li>
	<li>parmigiana (schnitzel topping of ham and tomato sauce) &gt; parmi</li>
</ul>

<h3>o:&nbsp;</h3>

<ul>
	<li>Damien &gt; Damo&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Dave &gt; Davo</li>
	<li>service station &nbsp;&gt; servo&nbsp;(US: gas station, UK: petrol station)</li>
</ul>

<h2>Heaps</h2>

<p>In Australia, it is more common to say &quot;heaps&quot; instead of &quot;lots&quot;&nbsp;or &quot;loads.&quot; For example:&nbsp;</p>

<p>A: How many lollies are there?&nbsp;</p>

<p>B: There are heaps of lollies.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>Lollies are not lollipops!</h2>

<p>In the UK, lollies come on a stick. Most commonly, they are a boiled sweet on a paper stick, but they may also be frozen &quot;ice lollies&quot;&nbsp;on a wooden stick.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In Australia, lollies are any sweet (or candy, if you use American English)&mdash;boiled, chewy, on a stick, or in a wrapper. If it&#39;s made with <em>heaps</em> of sugar, it&#39;s a lolly!</p>

<p>My nephews and nieces introduced me to the idea of a &quot;long way lolly.&quot; In the&nbsp;UK, this would be a &quot;car sweet.&quot;&nbsp;I&#39;m not sure if this phrase is used across Australia&nbsp;or just by nephews and nieces to make their auntie buy them sweets! Either way, we were driving a long way, so we bought heaps of lollies to keep us going!</p>

<h2>How you going?&nbsp;</h2>

<p>This greeting was perhaps what surprised me the most about Australian English. Instead of asking &quot;How are you?,&quot; &quot;How are you doing?,&quot; or &quot;How&#39;s things?,&quot; Aussies will say &quot;How you going?&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p>The answers remain the same. &quot;Good,&quot; &quot;Well,&quot; &quot;Alright.&quot; Much like in British English, no one really wants to hear a long answer or a sad, negative reply!&nbsp;</p>

<h2>G&#39;day, mate!</h2>

<p>To say &quot;hello&quot;&nbsp;to someone, Aussies often use &quot;hi,&quot; &quot;hey,&quot;&nbsp;and &quot;How you going?,&quot;&nbsp;but they&#39;ll also use the more stereotypically Aussie &quot;G&#39;day, mate!,&quot; shortened from &quot;Good day, mate!&quot;</p>

<p>Many of the people who said &quot;G&#39;day, mate!&quot;&nbsp;to me had never met me before. In Australia, &quot;mate&quot;&nbsp;is a friendly greeting as much as it means &quot;friends.&quot;</p>

<p>Hearing this reminded me a lot of Scotland. We like to say &quot;Alright, pal!&quot; to people we have never met before.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>Other random words</h2>

<p>I could write&nbsp;forever about the words and phrases I&#39;ve learned in Australia. But I need to stop and start summarizing somewhere.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Here are some more interesting differences:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>fairy floss (Aus) - cotton candy (US) - candy floss (UK)</li>
	<li>paddock (Aus) - field (US/UK)</li>
	<li>thongs (Aus) - flip-flops (US/UK)</li>
	<li>op shop:&nbsp;opportunity&nbsp;shop&nbsp;(Aus) - thrift store (US) - charity shop (UK)</li>
	<li>gum tree (Aus) - eucalyptus tree (US &amp; UK)</li>
	<li>rug (Aus) - blanket (UK)</li>
	<li>pathway (Aus) - pavement (UK) - sidewalk (US)</li>
</ul>

<blockquote>
<p>What experience do you have with Australian English or other Englishes? We&#39;d love to know. Please share your experiences with us so we can learn more!</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Here are some other posts, lessons, and collections&nbsp;that we think you&#39;ll like:&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/english-belongs-to-everyone-here-s-how-to-own-your-english">English Belongs to Everyone: Here&#39;s How to Own Your English!</a></p>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/lesson/1889">Australia Day</a></p>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/lesson/2601">Kangaroos</a></p>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/collections/nations-regions/oceania">Oceania</a></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>


Australian English for ESL Learners: Common Phrases & Expressions for Clear Communication

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<p>At Ellii, we have a variety of lessons, resources, courses, and visuals that you can use in your classes to explore career pathways.</p>

<p>If your students are not quite ready for full workplace courses, our&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/career-pathways" target="_blank">Career Pathways</a>&nbsp;lesson section offers simple lessons on a variety of jobs categorized by career cluster.</p>

<p>These exploratory digital lessons are intended for high-beginner to low-intermediate learners. At Ellii, we understand that digital literacy is an essential skill to explore with your students.</p>

<p>If you haven&#39;t tried assigning digital lessons with your adult learners, this is a great section to start with. The digital lessons in this section follow a simple, familiar template. We use straightforward instructions and a consistent lesson flow to help your students become comfortable with our most common digital task types: vocabulary, reading and listening, comprehension, and quiz. You can also use these lessons with higher-level students by incorporating extra communicative tasks&mdash;ideas we&#39;ll be sharing in this post.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>What&#39;s new?&nbsp;</h2>

<p>In addition to adding dozens of new digital lessons to this section, we&#39;ve added <strong>one-page printable career summaries&nbsp;</strong>to each Career Pathways lesson. This handout gives students something physical to hold on to and take notes on as they work through the digital lesson. You can print these summaries out or present and annotate them on a whiteboard. By default, your students will receive the PDF in their assignment when you add it to a class (unless you uncheck the PDF box&mdash;see below). You can add a note if you want students to use or print the PDF. Please show your students exactly where to find the PDF handout on their student dashboard.</p>

<h3>Where teachers include the PDF version (and where students can find it)</h3>

<p><img alt="How to add a note and include the PDF in your assignment on Ellii" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5423/content_teacher-pdf-note.png" /><br />
<img alt="where a student can find the PDF in an Ellii assignment" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5422/content_student-pdf.png" /><br />
<br />
Here is what the career summaries look like.&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="career summary chart for construction workers" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5420/content_Screenshot_2026-04-29_at_11.13.02_AM.png" /></p>

<p>Below are some suggested activities that you can do with these additional handouts either before or after you work through the related lesson.</p>

<h2>Warm-ups</h2>

<p>Before doing or assigning the full lesson, present the summary chart and give students a chance to write down anything they know or want to know about the profession. Ask for a show of hands to find out:</p>

<ul>
	<li>if students are interested in doing this type of work</li>
	<li>why students might or might not be drawn to this career</li>
	<li>what related jobs there might be</li>
	<li>if they know anyone who does this work&mdash;and if so, what that person likes or doesn&#39;t like about their job</li>
	<li>how this job compares to another career you&#39;ve been discussing in class</li>
</ul>

<h2>Pair &amp; group activities</h2>

<p>The classroom setting is ideal for exploring these summaries further. Here are some activity ideas:</p>

<p><strong>Jigsaw Expert:</strong> Give each student a different career to summarize and then put students in groups to share what they&#39;ve learned. Encourage students to jot down notes from the discussion onto their chart.</p>

<p><strong>Speed Dating: </strong>Each student gets a different career chart to ask and answer questions about for a short, timed exchange.</p>

<p><strong>Mock Interviews: </strong>Distribute a variety of career summary charts and place students in pairs to role-play as interviewer and interviewee for the career they receive.</p>

<h2>Writing &amp; research</h2>

<p><strong>Paragraph Summary</strong>: Invite students to write a paragraph summarizing the information from the chart.</p>

<p><strong>Job Ads:</strong> Have students write a short job ad for the career based on information from the chart and the reading.</p>

<p><strong>Compare &amp; Contrast:</strong> Encourage students to compare this career to another one you&#39;ve already covered. Provide some useful sentence stems to support the writing.</p>

<p><strong>One More Thing:</strong> After completing the lesson, have students add one thing they learned from the reading that isn&#39;t already on the chart. Take it a step further by encouraging them to do a little research of their own&mdash;what&#39;s one thing they could teach someone else about this career that wasn&#39;t covered in class?</p>

<p><strong>Is This Career for Me?:</strong> Encourage students to journal informally about the careers you explore. Is this a career worth considering? Why or why not? This&nbsp;is also an optional speaking task in each lesson.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>What ideas do you have for using these career summaries in a classroom setting?</p>
</blockquote>


How to Use Ellii's Career Summary Charts

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Ellii & the English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS) for Adult Education

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