Posts describing lessons or activities for the ESL classroom.

Activities

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

For Students

<p>The end of the year is the perfect time to stop and think about life. We can look back at the things we have done and what we have learned. This helps us to decide what we enjoyed and what we want to do next year.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Sometimes people make &quot;resolutions&quot; at the beginning of the year. These are promises that you make to yourself. For example:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>I will exercise for 20 minutes every day.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>I am going to study on Ellii for one hour a day.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>I plan to speak B2 English by the end of the year.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<p>These resolutions can be difficult to keep, so I&#39;d like to share an activity to help you plan next year in a kinder way.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>1. Choose your paper</strong></p>

<p>This activity is best on BIG paper. I think A3 (or bigger) is best, but A4 will also work well. If you prefer digital, you can use a drawing tool like Procreate (only for Apple users), Adobe Fresco, Concepts, or Canva Whiteboard.&nbsp;</p>

<p><b>2. Draw out last year&nbsp;</b></p>

<p>First, draw a line and then divide it into 12 months. The easiest way to do this is to start with a line and then divide it into six parts:&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="Timeline 1" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5148/content_Timeline_1.png" /></p>

<p>Then, add more lines to divide it into 12 parts.&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="Timeline 2" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5149/content_Timeline_2.png" /></p>

<p>After that, you can write the months of the year. You can shorten them by writing the first three letters of each month or even just the first letter!</p>

<p><img alt="Timeline 3" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5150/content_Timelin_3.png" /></p>

<p>You can divide the top and bottom parts of the page into different parts of your life&mdash;for example, family, home, health, work, study, money, and fun.&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="Timeline 4" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5151/content_Timeline_4.png" /></p>

<p>In this example,&nbsp;the top part of the page is for &quot;professional&quot; things. For example, things you did at work or that you studied. The bottom part of the page is for &quot;fun&quot;&nbsp;things&nbsp;like travel, seeing friends, and visiting family.&nbsp;</p>

<p>You can add&nbsp;little drawings to help you think. I chose a rocket to show moving forward quickly&nbsp;and a star to express fun.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>3. Add what you did&nbsp;last year</strong></p>

<p>Now, add all your important memories from last year.</p>

<p>Think about:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>things you learned</li>
	<li>courses you took</li>
	<li>people you met</li>
	<li>your work</li>
	<li>places you visited</li>
</ul>

<p>If you find it difficult to remember, look back at photos on your phone or your calendars and diaries.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Don&#39;t worry about getting the&nbsp;dates correct or having something for each month. The main idea is to write down the most important things that happened.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Here&#39;s an example:</p>

<p><img alt="Timeline 5" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5152/content_Timeline_5.png" /></p>

<p>You can add quick drawings or just write down your ideas. Using drawings gives you the chance to play and think more&nbsp;about how things felt. It also&nbsp;helps you to really<strong> see</strong> your year. The drawings don&#39;t need to be artistic. Simple and messy is perfect!</p>

<p>At this point, you could also highlight the best bits in different colors, cross out the worst bits, or draw little emoji.</p>

<p><strong>4. Decide your &quot;more&quot;&nbsp;and &quot;less&quot;</strong></p>

<p>New Year&#39;s resolutions are promises&nbsp;that you might break. But in this activity, we choose what you want &quot;more&quot;&nbsp;or &quot;less&quot;&nbsp;of in your life. Look at your last year and choose the things that made you smile. Write down one or two things that you want more of this year. Then do the same for things you want less.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Here&#39;s an example:&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="Timeline 6" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5153/content_Timeline_6.png" /></p>

<p>As an extra, write all the things that you want more of on another piece of paper. Put it somewhere safe. At the end of the year, look back and see if you really got more of what you were looking for.&nbsp;</p>

<p>I hope this activity helps you to think about your year ahead and make a plan that works for you.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Here are some other blog posts that we think you might enjoy:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/six-ways-to-use-journaling-to-learn-english-fast">6 Ways to Use Journaling to Learn English Fast</a></li>
	<li><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></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/what-is-cockney-rhyming-slang">What is Cockney Rhyming Slang?</a>&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Looking Back to Look Forward: A Classroom Activity

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

Articles

<h2>What will 2026 have in store for the world of English Language Teaching?&nbsp;</h2>

<p>For the last few years, Ellii has tasked me with making predictions for the ELT trends of the coming year. Sadly, my mystic powers remain undeveloped, so I seek the assistance of esteemed&nbsp;experts online.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This year, I was astounded by the response. It has taken me some messy mind mapping and some AI assistance to pull together the top trends and wishes for the year ahead.</p>

<p><img alt="Emily Bryson's mind map about ELT trends for 2026" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5135/content_Emily_Bryson_Messy_MindMap.jpeg" /></p>

<p>Here goes! Let&#39;s start with the trends.</p>

<h2><b>What&#39;s hot in ELT in 2026</b></h2>

<h3><strong>1. Human connections</strong></h3>

<p>Overwhelmingly, human connections wins the gold medal. This could be a push back&nbsp;against the increasing prevalance of artificial intelligence. Many practitioners shared their concerns over the growing isolation learners and teachers experience and how to recapture the social connections within&nbsp;the language classroom.&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="Katherine Bilsborough quote about ELT trends for 2026" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5136/content_Katherine_Bilsborough_Human_Connection.png" /></p>

<p>There was a lot of discussion around &quot;back-to-basics&quot; approaches such as dogme, projects, games, picture books, visuals thinking, and graphic novels.&nbsp;</p>

<h3><strong>2. Artificial intelligence</strong></h3>

<p>Unsurprisingly, AI is still riding high. Perhaps human connection wouldn&#39;t be at the forefront of so many practitioners&#39; minds without it.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Sue Leather shared her worrying reflections that ELT materials developers are finding it more difficult to find projects, as more publishers move towards AI-generated content.&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="Sue Leather quote about ELT trends for 2026" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5137/content_Sue_Leather_Agile_Writers_and_AI.png" /></p>

<p>From a classroom perspective, particular concerns were raised around safeguarding, responsible use, and the erosion of <em>need</em> to learn English.&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="Dr. Steve Brown quote about ELT trends for 2026" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5138/content_Dr_Steve_Brown_Learning_Avoidance_AI.png" /></p>

<p><img alt="Jen Dobson quote about ELT trends for 2026" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5139/content_Jen_Dobson_AI_safeguarding.png" /></p>

<p><img alt="Stephen Farren quote about ELT trends for 2026" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5140/content_Stephen_Farren_AI_Soft_Skills.png" /></p>

<p>If you&#39;d like some ideas to support your learners to use AI responsibly, check out these blog posts:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/how-to-prevent-students-cheating-with-ai">How to Prevent Students Cheating with AI</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/developing-learner-autonomy-with-ai">Developing Learner Autonomy with AI</a></li>
</ul>

<h3><strong>3. Teacherpreneurship</strong></h3>

<p>As technology becomes more affordable and accessible, more teachers are finding ways to boost their income, diversify their skills, and set themselves up as entrepreneurs.</p>

<p>Business coaches such as Rachael Roberts and Ola Kowalska are noticing more confidence with marketing and more individualized offers.&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="Ola Kowalska quote about ELT trends for 2026" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5141/content_Ola_Kowalska.png" /></p>

<p><img alt="Rachael Roberts" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5142/content_Rachael_Roberts__1_.png" /></p>

<p>This is good news for students, who can benefit from learning experiences that are truly tailored to their needs.&nbsp;</p>

<p>If you&#39;d like to know about teacherpreneurship, you may like these posts:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/5-ways-to-make-passive-income-as-a-teacher">5 Ways to Earn &quot;Passive&quot; Income as a Teacher</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/teacherpreneur">How to Be a Teacherpreneur</a></li>
</ul>

<p>You may also want to check out <a href="https://ellii.com/indieteacher">Ellii for Independent Teachers</a>, which is the perfect platform to use with private classes.&nbsp;</p>

<h3><strong>4. Trauma awareness &amp; social emotional learning</strong></h3>

<p>Multiple ELTers mentioned the need for language teaching to be well-being&nbsp;focused and trauma aware. As Stephen Farren said, we have to have an &quot;understanding that &#39;trauma&#39;&nbsp;doesn&#39;t come from a specific part of the world.&quot;</p>

<p>Social justice, advocacy, and the ESOL classroom as an opportunity to support learner emancipation were key themes under this umbrella.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Penelope Roux had this to add about self-reflection, self-awareness, and self-esteem:</p>

<p><img alt="Penelope Roux quote about ELT trends for 2026" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5143/content_Penelope_Roux_Self_Reflection_awarenes_esteem.png" /></p>

<p>Here are a couple of posts on this theme:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/support-english-learners-from-refugee-backgrounds">6 Ways to Support Learners from Refugee Backgrounds</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/social-emotional-learning">A Quick Guide to Social Emotional Learning</a></li>
</ul>

<h3><strong>5. Soft skills (aka life skills)</strong></h3>

<p>&quot;Future Ready&quot; is likely to remain popular this year. These are skills such as critical thinking, creativity, communication, problem-solving, teamwork, and digital skills. They are skills that are essential in order to be successful in the classroom and workplace.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Check out these posts on the topic:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/top-tips-for-incorporating-life-skills-into-your-classroom">6 Tips for Incorporating Life Skills into Your Classroom</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/how-to-teach-workplace-english">How to Teach Workplace English</a></li>
</ul>

<h2><strong>Wishes</strong></h2>

<p>As the discussions developed, people started to notice distinctions between trends that they could see happening vs. things they wished would happen.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Here are things that we would like to ask the ELT fairy godmother to bring in 2026.&nbsp;</p>

<h3><strong>1. Global issues</strong></h3>

<p>In many coursebooks and language, PARSNIPs&nbsp;are erased. These are:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>Politics</li>
	<li>Alcohol</li>
	<li>Religion</li>
	<li>Sex</li>
	<li>Narcotics</li>
	<li>Isms (e.g., racism, sexim, feminism)</li>
	<li>Pork</li>
</ul>

<p>The reasons from this often stem from trying to create &quot;one-size-fits-all&quot; courses as well as avoiding arguments or triggering topics in class.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, many students and practitioners feel strongly that these topics should be a key part of the classroom. Teachers and students have the power to be changemakers.&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="Huma Hasna Riaz Ahmed" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5144/content_Huma_Riaz_Global_Issues.png" /></p>

<p>The Ellii resource&nbsp;bank is full of lessons with global topics. This blog post will get you started:&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/making-the-world-a-better-place-the-power-of-teachers-and-learners-as-changemakers">Teachers &amp; Learners as Changemakers</a></p>

<h3><strong>2. Sustainable ELT</strong></h3>

<p>The English language classroom can be a vehicle for direct action when it comes to environmental topics. Practitioners hope to see more of this in the coming here.&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="Christopher Graham quote about ELT trends for 2026" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5145/content_Christopher_Graham_Sustainability.png" /></p>

<p>Here is a post with ideas on <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/46-greening-the-elt-classroom-tips-teaching-ideas">Greening the ELT Classroom</a>.</p>

<h3><strong>3. Slow learning</strong></h3>

<p>Jane Carvell shared a wonderful idea inspired by the Slow Food Movement. It captured my imagination, especially with the growing&nbsp;desire for human connection. The &quot;slow&quot; approach focuses on removing the pressure from learning and going at a pace that allows learners to make connections, ask questions, and prioritize deep learning.&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="Jane Carvell quote about ELT trends for 2026" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5146/content_Jane_Carvell.png" /></p>

<h3><strong>4. Extensive reading</strong></h3>

<p>Perhaps another&nbsp;throwback to the &quot;back to basics&quot; and &quot;human connections&quot;&nbsp;that underpin this year&#39;s predictions relates to the essential skill of reading. Lots of practioners mentioned the joy of storybooks, picture books, graphic novels, and extensive reading in class.&nbsp;</p>

<p>You can read Sue Leather&#39;s post about it here:&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/sueleather_reading-extensivereading-activity-7403905458849144832-HQe6/">Sue Leather: The Benefits of Reading for Pleasure</a></p>

<p>Here are some reading recommendations for your learners:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/reading-recommendations-for-advanced-students">Advanced</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/reading-recommendations-high-intermediate-students">High Intermediate</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/reading-recommendations-for-your-low-int-students">Low Intermediate</a></li>
</ul>

<h3><strong>5. Visual thinking</strong></h3>

<p>Graphic organizers, visual tools, infographics,&nbsp;images, and doodles&nbsp;are a great way to simplify complex information and aid understanding. In recent years, graphic facilitation techniques&nbsp;have&nbsp;become&nbsp;more popular. Perhaps because they&nbsp;are a great &quot;back-to-basics&quot; approach that boosts human connections.&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="Fernanda Freytes quote about ELT trends for 2026" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5147/content_Fernanda_Freytes.png" /></p>

<p>This year, the&nbsp;<a href="https://sketchnote.school/wsw26/">World Sketchnote Week Conference</a>&nbsp;that takes place from&nbsp;&nbsp;January&nbsp;12 to January 16 has&nbsp;two whole days devoted to education, with many language-teaching-focused sessions. Check it out, and come see me share some of my ideas to add sparkle to your lessons with sketchnotes.&nbsp;</p>

<p>You can find more on this topic here:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/sketchnoting-101-supercharged-professional-development-with-visual-notes">Sketchnoting 101</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/graphic-facilitation-101">Graphic Facilitation 101</a></li>
</ul>

<p>So, what do you reckon?</p>

<blockquote>
<p>What will 2026 have in store for English language classrooms around the world? What are your wishes for the year ahead? We&#39;d love to know your thoughts.&nbsp;</p>
</blockquote>

<p>If you&#39;d like to read the comments on my LinkedIn&nbsp;post, or add your own, here is the original post:&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/brysonemily_elt-trends-to-watch-in-2025-activity-7402626392011722752-32iJ?utm_source=social_share_send&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop_web&amp;rcm=ACoAAAi7ip0BCqZAlTHCFG8wTwULtYB8nWVFeUM">Emily Bryson&#39;s 2026 Trends in ELT LinkedIn post</a></p>

<p>Here are links to my trends posts from previous years:</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/elt-trends-to-watch-in-2025">ELT Trends 2025</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/elt-trends-to-watch-in-2024">ELT Trends 2024</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/6-english-language-teaching-trends-in-2023">ELT Trends 2023</a></li>
</ul>

<p>Wishing you all the best for 2026!</p>


Trends & Wishes in English Language Teaching: 2026

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<p>A learning journal is a personal record of the past, present, and future of your learning. It&#39;s a great way to look back at how much you&#39;ve learned, think about what works best for you, and plan ways to learn even more in the future. You can also use it to note down how you felt doing different tasks or activities.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This blog post shares some ways that you can use a learning journal for your English language learning.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>1. Planning</h2>

<p>Planning your learning helps you to know what you need to do&mdash;and do it!</p>

<p>Use your journal to:</p>

<ul>
	<li>note your schedule for the day, week, or month</li>
	<li>list&nbsp;your homework tasks (and check them off when you finish them!)</li>
	<li>write down your goals (and take notes of ways to achieve them)</li>
</ul>

<p>Each day, week, or month, ask yourself:</p>

<ul>
	<li>What do I want to do?</li>
	<li>How can I do it?</li>
	<li>What can I do better?</li>
</ul>

<p>Take notes and&nbsp;do the work. Then, in the future, read your notes again and&nbsp;look back at how you have changed!</p>

<h2>2. Tracking progress</h2>

<p>Ellii helps you to plan and track your learning. But having a paper journal is a great way to think about this over a period of time.</p>

<p>At the end of each class, you could think about how confident you feel. Give yourself a number from 1 (not confident) to 10 (very confident). Write this down on one page of your journal. Over time, you will&nbsp;see the numbers changing!</p>

<p>You can also draw a rocket to the moon and some stars in your journal. The moon is where you want your English&nbsp;to be&nbsp;(for example, B2 level). Give each star a goal (for example, get confident with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCzJN0g5NHQ" target="_blank">present perfect progressive</a>). As you meet each goal, color in one of the stars.&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="rocket to the moon" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5056/content_Notebook_Rocket-to-the-moon_Emily-Bryson.png" /></p>

<h2>3. Reflecting</h2>

<p>When we reflect, we look back at our learning. It can be helpful to ask ourselves these questions at the end of every class:</p>

<ul>
	<li>What did I learn?&nbsp;</li>
	<li>How did I feel?&nbsp;</li>
	<li>What worked well?&nbsp;</li>
	<li>What do I want to do differently next time?&nbsp;</li>
	<li>What questions do I have?&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<p>A fun way to do this is by drawing a <strong>rose</strong>, a <strong>bud</strong>, and a <strong>thorn</strong> in your journal. Next to the rose, write something good that happened. Beside the bud, write something that you are excited about or an idea you had. And by the thorn, write something that you need to work on or get help with.&nbsp;</p>

<p>You can draw the rose, bud, and thorn yourself, or print this <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/warm-up-activity-for-social-emotional-learning" target="_blank">worksheet</a>.</p>

<p><img alt="Rose, bud, thorn step by step Emily Bryson" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5057/content_Rose-bud-thorn-step-by-step-Emily-Bryson.png" /></p>

<p><img alt="Rose, bud, Thorn, Ellii activity" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5058/content_Rose-Bud-Thorn-Activity_Ellii.jpg" /></p>

<h2>4. Daily diary</h2>

<p>Every day, we do a lot of things. Keeping a diary of your day in English is a fantastic way to practice the language. You could even sketchnote your day by adding simple drawings. Try to use grammar or vocabulary that you have learned recently or need to practice.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>5. Writing prompts</h2>

<p>Starting a daily journaling habit means that you will spend 5&ndash;10 minutes a day writing in English. Over time, that adds up to 35&ndash;70 minutes per week, 2&ndash;5 hours per month, and 30&ndash;60 hours per year. Just think how much your English&nbsp;can improve in that time!</p>

<p>But sometimes, finding things to write about can be hard. Here are 35 ideas to get you started:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://ellii.com/blog/journal-prompts-for-writing-practice" target="_blank">Journal Prompts for Writing Practice</a></p>

<h2>6. Ideas</h2>

<p>Some of the best ideas never happen because we don&#39;t write them down! Keep notes of your ideas and things you want to try in your journal&mdash;for example, a podcast you want to listen to or TV show in English that you want to watch. That way you can look at the&nbsp;list when you have time&nbsp;and choose one of them.&nbsp;</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Have you tried journaling to help you learn English? Which of these ideas do you want to try? Share your ideas and advice for other learners in the comments.&nbsp;</p>
</blockquote>


6 Ways to Use Journaling to Learn English Fast

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<p>Most people know that English is&nbsp;the most common&nbsp;language&nbsp;in the world. In fact, it has 1.5 billion speakers!&nbsp;Travel anywhere by plane and the announcements will be in English and in the local language. Meet people&nbsp;from different countries on vacation and you&#39;ll probably all speak together in English.</p>

<p>But sometimes it might feel like English belongs to so-called &quot;native&quot;&nbsp;speakers. This is not true.</p>

<blockquote>
<h2>English is global and it belongs to everyone.&nbsp;</h2>
</blockquote>

<p>In fact, 80% of English language users are NOT so-called &quot;native&quot; speakers! Most people who use English learned it through hard work and practice and by using helpful resources like Ellii&#39;s.</p>

<p>In this blog post, I will share some ideas that will (hopefully) make you more confident with your language use and help you to OWN your very own personal voice. Because English belongs to you.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><b>The problem with trying to sound like a &quot;native&quot;&nbsp;speaker</b></h2>

<p>In my opinion, there are many problems with the terms &quot;native&quot;&nbsp;and &quot;non-native&quot; (and with wanting to speak like one).</p>

<p>Here are some problems:</p>

<h3>1. Who really is a &quot;native&quot; speaker?&nbsp;</h3>

<p>When people talk about so-called &quot;native&#39;&quot; speakers, they often think about people from countries like the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa.</p>

<p>However, there are actually 75 English-speaking countries in the world. And that number is growing. People often forget that countries like the Philippines, Singapore, Kenya, Dominica, Malta,&nbsp;and Hong Kong all have English&nbsp;as one of their official languages.&nbsp;</p>

<p>There are also many countries around the world that have lots of&nbsp;fluent English language users. For example, <a href="https://www.worlddata.info/asia/pakistan/index.php#google_vignette">46% of people in Pakistan speak English</a>.</p>

<h3>2. &quot;Native&quot;&nbsp;speakers do not speak &quot;perfect&quot;&nbsp;English.&nbsp;</h3>

<p>There is no &quot;perfect&quot;&nbsp;way to speak English. This is true for all languages. Think about your own language. Ask yourself:</p>

<ul>
	<li>How many different countries speak it?</li>
	<li>What different words and phrases do people use in different places?&nbsp;</li>
	<li>What accents are there? Which of these do you find difficult to understand?&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<p>The fact is that English is spoken differently everywhere. There are many different Englishes: American, Scottish, Nigerian, Caribbean... The most important thing is to be understood.&nbsp;</p>

<h3>3. &quot;Native&quot; speakers are harder to understand.&nbsp;</h3>

<p>English languages users around the world often say that it is easier to speak with other people whose first language is not English. So-called &quot;native&quot; speakers speak quickly,&nbsp;use local words (e.g., slang), and idioms, and they often have accents that can be harder to understand.&nbsp;</p>

<p>They also don&#39;t always understand that it takes two people to have a successful conversation. They might believe the hard work is for the English language learner.&nbsp;But really, they need to slow down, leave spaces between their words, and choose their words more carefully.</p>

<h2>So, do you really want to sound like a &quot;native&quot;&nbsp;speaker?&nbsp;</h2>

<p>The reality is that there is no &quot;perfect&quot; way to speak English. It&#39;s more important to understand and be understood.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Here are some ways to OWN English, and make it yours:&nbsp;</p>

<h3>1. Love your &quot;mistakes.&quot;</h3>

<p>Mistakes are fantastic. They help us to learn. They can also become part of our own special way of using English. Unless you are taking a test, it doesn&#39;t really matter if you say&nbsp;&quot;in the bus&quot;&nbsp;instead of &quot;on the bus.&quot; Everyone knows what you mean! Enjoy learning new expressions and don&#39;t be afraid to try them out. Laugh&nbsp;and play with the language. A new way of expressing something can often sound poetic to those who speak English as their first language&nbsp;because it feels fresh and new.</p>

<h3>2. Stop apologizing!</h3>

<p>There is never any need to say &quot;Sorry about&nbsp;my English.&quot;&nbsp;You are learning. You are trying. You are getting better every day.&nbsp;</p>

<h3>3. Use it for things you love.</h3>

<p>When you enjoy doing something, you want to do it more. So find ways to use it for things you love. Sing, make videos, read recipes,&nbsp;post or comment&nbsp;on social media, or reply to this blog post.</p>

<h3>4. Be yourself!</h3>

<p>You can only be you and you will always be you. The way you speak English is also part of you and your life. Be yourself and make your own English!</p>

<p>To practice your English on your own, check out&nbsp;<a href="https://www.englishapp.com/">EnglishApp</a>&nbsp;by Ellii.&nbsp;Or find out if your school&nbsp;has access to&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/solo">Ellii Solo</a>.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>How are you owning your English? Share your thoughts!</p>
</blockquote>


English Belongs to Everyone: Here's How to OWN Your English!

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<p>Autonomous, self-directed, or independent learners have the academic and life skills required to take control of their own learning journeys. They can fast-track their language learning through self-study, seeking out learning opportunities, and using effective learning strategies.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In my previous blog post on independent learning, I looked at <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/the-importance-of-self-directed-learning-transforming-the-elt-classroom-with-independence"><strong>5 Benefits of Encouraging Learner Autonomy</strong></a>. In this post, I will cover some practical ways to do this.&nbsp;</p>

<h3>1. Explore learning strategies</h3>

<p>Every learner is different, so what works for one may be less effective for another. Some learners may feel the need to write up notes straight after class, while others may prefer to watch videos or do activities with a similar theme.</p>

<p>Give&nbsp;students the opportunity to share learning strategies with their classmates. This can help them to find out&nbsp;what works for them and to&nbsp;understand that everyone learns differently. It also lets them&nbsp;take inspiration and guidance from their peers and discover new learning techniques.&nbsp;</p>

<p>For a simple and creative classroom idea for how to do this, check out the <strong>container activity</strong>&nbsp;in this blog post:&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/learning-that-sticks-the-power-of-post-its-in-the-elt-classroom">Learning That Sticks: The Power of Post-its in the ELT Classroom&nbsp;</a></p>

<h3>2. Encourage problem-solving</h3>

<p>Students who haven&#39;t developed the ability to work autonomously&nbsp;can often be full of excuses. For example, they may claim that they didn&#39;t know what the homework was, that they didn&#39;t have the right worksheet, or that they couldn&#39;t log in.&nbsp;</p>

<p>These are all valid excuses in certain contexts. However, it is the student&#39;s responsibility to find out what the homework is, to make sure they have the right worksheet, and to find a way to log in.&nbsp;</p>

<p>We have to help students see excuses as problems to be solved. One way to do this is to write common excuses on the board and have them discuss&nbsp;solutions.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Problem</strong>: &quot;I didn&#39;t know we had homework.&quot;</p>

<p><strong>Solution</strong>: Ask another student, keep a diary of the homework, or check emails, notes, or the learning platform.</p>

<p><strong>Problem</strong>: &quot;I didn&#39;t have the right worksheet.&quot;</p>

<p><strong>Solution</strong>: Keep homework tasks in a separate folder, ask a friend, identify&nbsp;the homework worksheet with a post-it or a star, take a photo of someone else&#39;s, and complete it in their notebook.</p>

<p><strong>Problem</strong>: &quot;I&nbsp;couldn&#39;t log in.&quot;</p>

<p><strong>Solutions</strong>: Ask the IT team,&nbsp;another student, or a friend for help. Follow the password reset functions.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Getting students into the habit of finding their own solutions before asking for help promotes resourcefulness and stops them from relying on you more than necessary.&nbsp;</p>

<h3>3. Use learning journals</h3>

<p>Learning journals can help students keep track of their learning. They can use them to jot down homework tasks, class schedules, topics covered, and upcoming themes. They can also use them&nbsp;to reflect on progress so far.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Learning journals are a great way to help students get organized, assess their own learning, and track their distance traveled.&nbsp;</p>

<h3>4. Set goals</h3>

<p>Setting goals lets learners consider where they want to be and how they are going to get there. It gives them direction and an attainable target to work towards and motivate them.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Here are some posts on the topic:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/creative-ways-to-set-personal-academic-goals-with-students">Creative Ways to Set Personal &amp; Academic Goals with Students</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/4-goals-to-help-you-focus">Struggling to Focus? 4 Types of Goals to Get Your Language Learning Back on Track</a> (for students)</li>
</ul>

<p>Here are some&nbsp;Ellii resources on the topic:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>Discussion Starters:&nbsp;<a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/5541-goal-setting" target="_blank">Goal-Setting</a>&nbsp;(Adv)</li>
	<li>Discussion Starters: <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/5543-goal-setting" target="_blank">Goal-Setting</a> (Low Int)</li>
	<li>Discussion Starters: <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/5657-grit">Grit</a>&nbsp;(High Int &ndash; Adv)</li>
	<li>Discussion Starters: <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/5439-growth-mindset">Growth Mindset </a>(Adv)</li>
	<li>Grammar Stories: <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/4421-more-simple-future-stories">More Simple Future Stories</a> (Goals)</li>
	<li>Student Reflection:&nbsp;<a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2224-goal-setting-can-do">Goal-Setting</a>&nbsp;(Can Do)</li>
</ul>

<h3>5. Use self &amp; peer assessment</h3>

<p>Why spend hours on grading when you can give students the answer key or rubric and have them correct their work themselves? This way they can get into the habit of assessing their own progress in their own time and learning from their mistakes.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Of course, this is simpler for activities with clear-cut answers (e.g., yes/no, true/false, multiple-choice)&nbsp;than for written or spoken work.</p>

<p>However,&nbsp;it is also good to have students get into a routine of checking their productive work against a checklist before they submit.</p>

<p>For example, have them check:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Did they answer the question?&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Have they used the right punctuation?&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Is the word count suitable?&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Have they used the language they are focusing on (e.g., sequence words, phrases for introducing opinions)</li>
	<li>How is the spelling?&nbsp;</li>
	<li>For extra support, you can have them check each other&#39;s work in groups or pairs. That way, they can learn from each other and give feedback and support.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<h3>6. Try project-, task- &amp; inquiry-based learning</h3>

<p>Project-, task-, and inquiry-based learning are great ways to help students explore topics in more depth. They can develop their research, collaborative, and presentation skills too.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Check out these posts for more:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/takeaways-from-tesol-2022-project-based-learning">10 Tips for Successful Project-Based Learning</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/task-based-learning">Task-Based Learning: An Introductory Guide</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/inquiry-based-learning-a-quick-guide-of-elt-professionals">Inquiry-Based Learning: A Quick Guide for ELT Professionals</a></li>
</ul>

<h3>7. Give them choices</h3>

<p>It can be tiring choosing learning topics that will interest our learners. Giving them a choice lets them decide for themselves. You could set aside time in class where students can pick their own activity.&nbsp;</p>

<p>For example:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>read a book</li>
	<li>research something online</li>
	<li>create a poster</li>
	<li>make a video</li>
	<li>write a blog</li>
</ul>

<p>This way, they can choose a mode of learning that works for them and a motivating subject that interests them.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On Ellii, you can use the built-in feature called <strong>Student Picks</strong>.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eSi7E0R3b4I?si=nbcUwXPOnHAaioAE" width="640"></iframe></div>

<p>Our comprehensive self-study platform, <a href="https://ellii.com/solo">Ellii Solo</a>,&nbsp;lets students choose from a full library of courses, study packs, and videos, as well as studying vocabulary at their own pace. The content helps students target specific skills and reach their language learning goals faster.</p>

<p>For more on the topic of self-directed learning, check out my previous posts:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/the-importance-of-self-directed-learning-transforming-the-elt-classroom-with-independence">5 Benefits of Encouraging Learner Autonomy</a>&nbsp;</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/5-ways-to-supercharge-your-students-study-skills">5 Ways to Supercharge your Students&#39; Study Skills</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/developing-learner-autonomy-with-ai">Developing Learner Autonomy with AI</a></li>
</ul>

<blockquote>
<p>How do you encourage learner autonomy in your classroom? We&#39;d love to hear which tips and tricks have worked for you! Let us know in the comments.&nbsp;</p>
</blockquote>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Self-Directed Learning: 7 Ways to Develop Learner Autonomy in the ELT Classroom

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<p>Self-directed learning is the key to long-term academic success. It empowers students to personalize their learning journeys, think critically, solve problems, and ultimately take control of their language learning.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In this post, I will explore some of the benefits of developing learner autonomy. In short, it answers&nbsp;<em>why</em> autonomous learning is so powerful.&nbsp;</p>

<p>For more, check out my post on&nbsp;<em>how </em>to support learners students to become independent learners:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://ellii.com/blog/7-ways-to-develop-learner-autonomy-in-the-elt-classroom">7 Ways to Develop Learner Autonomy in the ELT Classroom</a></p>

<h2>What is self-directed learning?&nbsp;</h2>

<p>Self-directed learning is&nbsp;a bottom-up approach that puts students at the center, controlling their own academic success.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A self-directed learner can manage their time, set their own goals, and find their own ways to achieve them.&nbsp;</p>

<p>These are the students who complete their homework, write up their notes, and actively seek additional&nbsp;practice for their language skills.&nbsp;</p>

<p>They have developed the study skills to put them on the&nbsp;fast track to success.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>What are the benefits of self-directed learning?&nbsp;</h2>

<p>There are many advantages to promoting learner independence.&nbsp;Let&#39;s look at a few.&nbsp;</p>

<h3>1. Independent learners are self-motivated</h3>

<p>When learners know what they want&nbsp;and choose how they learn, they are motivated. This self-motivation compels them to log in to learning portals, repeat tricky tasks, learn from their mistakes, and&nbsp;reflect on what works for them.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This self-motivation can make them lifelong learners, seeking out ways to try new things and master new skills.&nbsp;</p>

<h3>2. Independent learners have transferrable skills</h3>

<p>The ability to take the initiative and complete challenging tasks independently is essential in the workplace. Employers actively seek to recruit people who are creative, can think critically, and have strong digital skills.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Learners who can do this in the language learning context can transfer these skills into further and higher education as well as&nbsp;nab themselves meaningful employment.&nbsp;</p>

<h3>3. Independent learners are determined</h3>

<p>When something gets too difficult, it can be very easy to give up. Learners who haven&#39;t yet developed their ability to learn autonomously may get put off by even the smallest obstacle&mdash;a forgotten login, a lost document, or an overwhelming liguistic concept. They will likely be dependent on you to get them back on track.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, nothing stops an independent learner. They will find a way to reset their own login, find the document, and understand that tricky language point.&nbsp;</p>

<h3>4. Independent learners reduce teacher workload</h3>

<p data-end="436" data-start="271">Teachers are busy, and sharing our time equally between all our students can be a challenge. However, when students can work automously, we can become a&nbsp;guide or facilitator to learning. We can set learners&#39; tasks and give them time to complete them in their own way.</p>

<h3 data-end="436" data-start="271">5. Independent learners know their own needs&mdash;and how to meet them</h3>

<p>Students who know how to learn by themselves know what kind of techniques and tools they like to use. They can choose to learn in a manner that supports their needs.&nbsp;</p>

<p>These are just a few of the benefits of encouraging learner autonomy. For more on this topic, check out these blog posts:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/5-ways-to-supercharge-your-students-study-skills">5 Ways to Supercharge Your Students Study Skills</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/developing-learner-autonomy-with-ai">Developing Learner Autonomy with AI</a></li>
</ul>

<p>You may also want to check out <a href="https://ellii.com/solo" target="_blank">Ellii Solo</a>, our comprehensive self-study platform that is perfect for independent learning success.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/l-C2mk0YszA?si=58gjBGwMsPzoL-Bi" width="640"></iframe></div>

<blockquote>
<p>What are your thoughts on self-directed learning? What benefits would you add?&nbsp;</p>
</blockquote>


The Importance of Self-Directed Learning: 5 Benefits of Encouraging Learner Autonomy

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<p>Photographs are wonderful teaching tools. They capture moments in time and help us to tell stories and facilitate discussions.</p>

<p>In this blog, I share some ideas for how to use Ellii&#39;s <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lessons/photo-prompts">Photos of the Week</a>&nbsp;to bring current affairs and global news into the ELT classroom.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Our Photos of the Week section shares five photos each week from our media partner, <strong>The Associated Press</strong>. These photos depict diverse stories from around the world&nbsp;and help learners to explore these topics in more detail.</p>

<p>You can use these hot off the press&nbsp;or take a step back in time to find out more about&nbsp;key stories from recent history.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>1. Assign as speaking homework</h2>

<p>These photo prompts&nbsp;are designed for self-directed learning. You can assign them to a class or an individual student to prepare them for an upcoming lesson&nbsp;or to give them additional practice of something you&#39;ve been working on in class.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Students are prompted to look at a photo, read a short description, and talk about the photo. The instruction is deliberately flexible to allow students to add their own ideas, knowledge, or creativity to&nbsp;the topic.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>For example, take this photo of women voting in Guinea:&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="screenshot of women from Guinea" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4940/content_Guinea-Vote.jpg" /></p>

<p>You could encourage students to:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>Describe the photo using adjectives</li>
	<li>Say what the people in the photo might be thinking or saying</li>
	<li>Say what they know about the topic&mdash;and what they&#39;d like to know more about</li>
	<li>Predict what might happen next&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Guess what happened before the photo was taken</li>
	<li>Imagine what the story is about</li>
</ul>

<p>Students don&#39;t necessarily need to know the backstory to the photo in order to use it as a speaking prompt. The aim is to get them talking and using their English. But you could let them research the story more&nbsp;before recording their answer.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>2. Discuss in class</h2>

<p>These photos work really well in class. Simply present one at a time or all of them at once and ask students to share what they know&nbsp;and what they&nbsp;would like to know about each photo.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Here is a photo of Venezuelan migrants on a boat between Panama and Colombia:&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="Venezuelan migrants" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4941/content_Venezuelan-Boat.jpg" /></p>

<p>You could ask the students:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>What can you see?&nbsp;</li>
	<li>What&nbsp;do you know about this story or place?&nbsp;</li>
	<li>How does this photo make you feel?&nbsp;</li>
	<li>How do you think the people in the photo feel?&nbsp;</li>
	<li>What would you do in this situation?</li>
</ul>

<p>Before the lesson, you could read about each story and share some interesting extra information. You could also facilitate some debate around each photo.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>3. Improve research skills</h2>

<p>These photo prompts are perfect for developing research skills. They can serve as a introduction to the topic.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Have students work in pairs or small groups. Have them&nbsp;choose a photo that intrigues them. Ask them to write a list of all the questions that they have about the photo.</p>

<p>Let&#39;s use this photo as an example:&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="Melanie Santiler" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4942/content_Havana.jpg" /></p>

<p>Students may write questions such as:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>Who is Melanie Santiler?&nbsp;</li>
	<li>What kind of music does she play?&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Who else plays at Shangri La in Havana?&nbsp;</li>
	<li>In what ways is the music scene in Havana changing?&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<p>Once they have a list of questions, have them research the answers online and take notes. Finally, have them share their findings.&nbsp;Some ways they could do this include:</p>

<ul>
	<li>a vlog</li>
	<li>a presentation</li>
	<li>a poster</li>
	<li>a sketchnote or infographic</li>
	<li>a blog post</li>
	<li>a social media post</li>
	<li>a news article</li>
	<li>a role-play&nbsp;interview of&nbsp;one of the people in the photo</li>
</ul>

<p>Here are some further classroom ideas, taking an inquiry-based learning approach:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/inquiry-based-learning-a-quick-guide-of-elt-professionals">Inquiry-Based Learning: A Quick Guide for ELT Professionals</a></li>
</ul>

<p>If you&#39;d like some more ideas&nbsp;on how to use photos in class, check out these blog posts:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/how-one-image-can-develop-visual-literacy-and-critical-thinking">How One Image Can Develop Visual Literacy &amp; Critcial Thinking Skills</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/how-to-use-pictures-as-grammar-prompts">How to Use Pictures as Grammar Prompts</a></li>
</ul>

<p>How do you use photos in class? How would you use <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lessons/photo-prompts">Photos of the Week</a>? Share your ideas with other teachers in the comments!</p>


How to Use Photos of the Week

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<p>Sometimes I need to give myself a shake and remind myself that everyone has the power to make<strong> <em>tiny changes to Earth</em></strong>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Those last four words are taken from one of my favorite songs by Frightened Rabbit. They play like a mantra in my head on days when the world seems overwhelmingly tough.&nbsp;</p>

<p>I might not be able to move mountains, regrow felled trees, or end world hunger, but I can&nbsp;do little things that make a difference. Many small actions can soon add up to much bigger collective improvements to the world we live in.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In this post, I look at ways we can support our learners to make tiny changes that can have a huge impact&mdash;and give you some real-world good news stories.&nbsp;</p>

<h1><strong>Believe in yourself &amp; others</strong></h1>

<p>Roza Salih has long been one of the humans I admired the most. Her story is so inspiring that it was made into a <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3792220/" target="_blank">film</a>&nbsp;and a theater production, and she also features in the book&nbsp;<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123331351-spectacular-scottish-women" target="_blank">Spectacular&nbsp;Scottish Women</a>.</p>

<p><img alt="Roza feature in Spectacular Scottish women book" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4922/content_Roza-salih.png" /></p>

<p>One of five &quot;Glasgow Girls,&quot; Roza is now the first councillor from a refugee background in Scotland. Her family came to Scotland&nbsp;from Kurdistan to claim asylum&nbsp;when she was a teenager.&nbsp;At the time, the Home Office was carrying out dawn raids on asylum seekers whose claims&nbsp;had been unsuccessful.</p>

<p>Roza and her school friends saw the injustices of their classmates being&nbsp;placed in detention centers or deported. With the help of their teacher&nbsp;and&nbsp;the community, they successfully petitioned the Scottish government to&nbsp;end the detention of minors in Scotland.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This story is a testament not only to the power of youth voice, but also to how teachers can support learners to be changemakers.&nbsp;</p>

<p>You can watch Roza sharing some of her tips for how to make a difference and believe in yourself here:&nbsp;<a href="https://youtu.be/8hyWY5qNw44?si=zRQSOLMpob4C8ipE" target="_blank">Standing Up for Refugee Rights</a>.</p>

<h1><strong>Work collectively</strong></h1>

<p>Ali Waters is a young changemaker who has managed to collect one million pieces of litter around the world. This is an epic achievement to complete by the age of 11. Unsurprisingly, Ali did not collect all these individual pieces herself. As &quot;Chief Picking Officer&quot;&nbsp;for Kids Against Plastic, Ali&nbsp;enlisted the help of other litter pickers globally.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Ali is now working towards a new two-million target! You can find out more about Ali&#39;s campaign and get involved&nbsp;here:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/one-in-a-million-plastic-litter-challenge">One in a Million: Plastic Litter Challenge</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/46-greening-the-elt-classroom-tips-teaching-ideas">Greening the ELT Classroom</a></li>
</ul>

<p>In the classroom, we can facilitate discussions on&nbsp;topics that matter to our students&nbsp;and have them think about how they could work together to make a difference. We can also encourage students&nbsp;to work with parents, local community groups, charities, politicians, and any other willing volunteers.</p>

<p>For instance, students could take part in <a href="https://unhabitat.org/world-cleanup-day-2025">World Cleanup Day</a>. This annual event takes place on&nbsp;September 20 and gives people&nbsp;around the globe the opportunity to participate in efforts to preserve and maintain a clean and healthy environment.</p>

<h1><strong>Inspire with changemakers</strong></h1>

<p>Nothing reminds us that we can make a change more than real stories of&nbsp;humans like ourselves who have made a difference. You could share the inspiring stories of&nbsp;Ali Waters, Roza Salih,&nbsp;or your own local heroes.</p>

<p>You could also use ready-made&nbsp;lessons on famous activists such as <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2822-viola-desmond">Viola Desmond</a>, <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2087-malala-yousafzai">Malala Yousafzai</a>, <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2566-martin-luther-king-jr">Martin Luther King Jr.</a>, and <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/3121-greta-thunberg">Greta Thunberg</a> from Ellii&#39;s <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/famous-people?">Famous People</a><strong> </strong>section.</p>

<p><img alt="screenshot of the famous activists" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4923/content_Activists-Ellii.png" /></p>

<h1><strong>Include globally important&nbsp;topics</strong></h1>

<p>Ellii has hundreds&nbsp;of lessons on current affairs, politics, activism, and protests. These are all a brilliant starting point to get students thinking about their own impact on the world.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Here are some sections you may like to explore:&nbsp;</p>

<h3><strong>1. </strong><a href="https://ellii.com/resources/photo-prompts"><strong>Photo Prompts</strong></a></h3>

<p>These lessons start with a photo and are designed to boost discussion and critical thinking. Ellii&#39;s&nbsp;<strong>Photos Of The Week</strong> series compiles a selection of the key&nbsp;headlines while <strong>Photos in the News</strong> features&nbsp;popular news stories.</p>

<p><img alt="photos in the news" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4924/content_Photos-in-the-news-Ellii.png" /></p>

<h3><strong>2. </strong><a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/that-s-news-to-me"><strong>That&#39;s News to Me</strong></a></h3>

<p>This series of lessons, featuring content from Ellii&#39;s media partner&nbsp;<strong>The Associated Press,</strong> covers social justice, politics, environment, health, and education. New weekly lessons are often available at two or three proficiency levels.&nbsp;</p>

<h3><strong>3. </strong><a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/historic-events"><strong>Historic Events</strong></a></h3>

<p>The lessons in this section allow classes to explore topics such as racial issues, wars, movements and milestones, politics and economics, and diasters and emergencies.&nbsp;</p>

<h1><strong>Celebrate wins</strong></h1>

<p>Even small wins deserve to be celebrated. Get creative as you reward or visualize progress. Certificates, sticker charts, or visual progress trackers can all make participants feel good, and motivate people to continue.&nbsp;</p>

<p>I loved this idea from Harry Waters:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/harry-waters_for-past-couple-of-weeks-ive-been-spending-activity-7363572501924270082-aVc2/" target="_blank">Applauding wins with applause</a>.</p>

<h1><strong>Do what you can with the tools you have</strong></h1>

<p>I am not a politician&nbsp;nor a billionaire, so my power and influence may seem&nbsp;small. It is easy to let your inner troll win and think of all the things you <strong>can&#39;t </strong>do. However, as educators, we all have a&nbsp;variety of skills that we&nbsp;<strong>can</strong> use to make a difference.</p>

<p>Here are some of mine to get you started:</p>

<p><strong>1. I can cycle.</strong> So I have completed <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/the-importance-of-growth-mindset-for-learning-teaching">various long-distance rides</a> to raise awareness and funds for good causes.</p>

<p><strong>2. I can write materials.</strong> So I created a resource pack of visual tools, a sketchnote, and an infographic to educate people about the <a href="https://www.emilybrysonelt.com/product-the-boiling-river" target="_blank">Boiling River</a> and raise money to conserve this special place.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>3. I can edit. </strong>So I compiled a couple of books for <a href="https://www.handsupproject.org/shop" target="_blank">The Hands Up Project</a>,&nbsp;which delivers English language learning through the context of stories, plays, and songs to kids in Gaza.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>4. I can share.</strong> Social media allows us to easily share campaigns and content that we want more people to know about&nbsp;or help us with. The post I am most sharing at the moment&nbsp;is about my friend <a href="https://www.justgiving.com/team/teamhuphope">Ashraf Kuhail</a>, author of &quot;Stories Alive&quot;&nbsp;and &quot;Stories Reborn&quot; for The Hands Up Project. He&nbsp;has been offered the chance to study a PhD in the UK and&nbsp;is raising money to bring his family to the UK from Gaza.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>5. I can sketchnote.</strong>&nbsp;So I collaborated with other sketchnoters to be part of the prettiest recipe book in the world:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.siepomaga.pl/sketchy-recipes-for-szymon" target="_blank">Sketchy Recipes for Szymon</a>. Sales of the book raise funds&nbsp;for a boy who desperately needs gene therapy. &nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>6. I can educate.</strong> So I can bring globally important topics into the classroom,&nbsp;facilitate debates, inspire learners, and support them&nbsp;to be changemakers.</p>

<p><strong>7. I can blog. </strong>So I can write posts like this to remind educators that we can make the world a better place, even if just a teeny tiny bit!</p>

<p>Everyone has a skill they can contribute, whether it is&nbsp;organizing a concert, selling cookies, attending a rally, making posters, or teaching a class to write poems or stories. We can ALL make (tiny) changes to Earth.&nbsp;What could&nbsp;you do?&nbsp;</p>

<p>How have you helped your learners to make the world a better place? Which ideas from this post would you like to use?&nbsp;</p>


Teachers & Learners as Changemakers: Making the World a Better Place

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<p>What&#39;s&nbsp;not to love about post-it notes?&nbsp;These delightfully colorful bits of paper come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. They can instantly make the classroom a more joyful, interactive, communicative, and multisensory place.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In this blog, I share some of my favorite post-it note activities. They are perfect for adapting and using for your own needs and learning context, so prepare to get inspired and creative!</p>

<p>If you are teaching online, many digital whiteboards such as Canva, Zoom, Miro, and Mural have sticky notes, so you can still use these ideas in class.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Processes &amp; problem-solving</strong></h2>

<p>Sticky notes are incredibly effective at helping people think and solve problems. In&nbsp;Tom Wujec&#39;s TED Talk, <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/tom_wujec_got_a_wicked_problem_first_tell_me_how_you_make_toast" target="_blank">&quot;Got a Wicked Problem? First Tell Me How You Make Toast,&quot;</a>&nbsp;Tom explains some crucial steps and tips for simplifying processes.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Using post-its forces people to simplify content and keep ideas focused. It also allows them to move ideas around, trash&nbsp;nonessential ideas, and add new ones. Collaboratively, this can lead to creative solutions for large-scale problems.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In class, have students work in groups. Give them some post-its and have them work together to describe a process.</p>

<p>For example: how to make toast, a cup of tea, or a sandwich, or something more complex, like&nbsp;the water cycle. Then have them write the steps of the process or describe them in a presntation format.&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="mage of post-its - making tea" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4873/content_Cup-Of-Tea-Post-It-Process.jpg" /></p>

<h2><strong>Brainstorming &amp; ideation</strong></h2>

<p>Sticky notes are amazing for getting ideas out of the brain and onto paper. They are small enough to keep ideas short and simple, and flexible enough to move around or bin if and when necessary.&nbsp;</p>

<p>One classroom idea is to have students write suggestions for things they want to learn on post-its (one idea per post-it). They can then add them to the whiteboard, group similar ideas, and discuss which ideas they like the most. This is a great way to make lessons as&nbsp;learner-centered as possible.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Forehead stickies game</strong></h2>

<p>This game is a classic. It&#39;s a great way to practice asking and answering closed questions and various vocabulary items.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Start by giving students a&nbsp;post-it note. Have them write a vocabulary item or a famous person on it. Then mix up the post-its. Invite one student to the front of the class and have them put one of the sticky notes on their forehead. Make sure they don&#39;t see what is on it. Then have them ask questions with yes/no answers. The aim is to guess what is on their post-it with as few clues as possible.&nbsp;</p>

<p>For example:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Do I need to go to university for this job? &gt; Yes</li>
	<li>Do I work in an office? &gt; No</li>
	<li>Do I go home every day after work? &gt; No</li>
	<li>Do I sleep at work? &gt; Yes</li>
	<li>Am I an astronaut? &gt; Yes</li>
</ul>

<p>Once the first student has guessed correctly, move on to the next learner so that all students have a turn.&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="Emily with post-it with astronaut on her head" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4874/content_Emily-Bryson-Post-It.jpg" /></p>

<h2><strong>Container activities</strong></h2>

<p>In graphic facilitation, a &quot;container&quot; is a large-scale doodle or icon that creates a space to think or add ideas. These can be drawn large scale on a flipchart or whiteboard, or form part of a printable worksheet or <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/graphic-organizers-for-language-skills-development">graphic organizer</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Container activities are brilliant as they allow students to think and add their ideas anonymously. They also allow learners to move around the classroom and discuss different topics.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In this example, I wanted to help learners think about their study habits and preferences. I drew containers to represent different ways that learners might study. For example:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>videos</li>
	<li>podcasts</li>
	<li>online&nbsp;</li>
	<li>books&nbsp;</li>
	<li>radio</li>
	<li>apps</li>
</ul>

<p>Students then wrote examples of books they liked, apps they love, videos they recommend, etc., on their sticky notes. They then added them on the whiteboard and discussed the best ways to learn.&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="Study skills containers" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4875/content_Study-skills-containers_with-post-its_Emily-Bryson-ELT.jpg" /></p>

<p>You can find more container activity ideas and other&nbsp;examples in these blog posts:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/how-to-simplify-complex-tasks-with-visual-prompts">How to Simplify Complex Tasks with Visual Prompts</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.emilybrysonelt.com/visual-templates-for-engaging-environmental-discussions" target="_blank">Visual Templates for Engaging Environmental Discussions</a></li>
</ul>

<h2><strong>Post-it note prompts&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>Students often need prompts to focus their ideas, discussions, and reflections. In <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/janecarvell_postitnotes-icebreaker-businessenglishtraining-activity-7360550618102464513-w0bs/?utm_source=social_share_send&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop_web&amp;rcm=ACoAAAi7ip0BCqZAlTHCFG8wTwULtYB8nWVFeUM" target="_blank">this LinkedIn post</a>, Jane Carvell uses post-its to prompt her learners to think about their key moments from recent experiences. Often&nbsp;when we ask or get asked &quot;What have you been up to?,&quot;&nbsp;our minds go blank, but this activity supports a deeper level of conversation.&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="Jane's high point/surprise/challenge post" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4876/content_Jane-Carvell-post-its.jpg" /></p>

<h2><strong>Visual storytelling (aka &quot;stickytelling&quot;)</strong></h2>

<p>Another benefit of sticky notes is that they immediately make information sharing less intimidating. Give a learner a blank piece of 8x11&nbsp;paper and ask them to write or draw on it, and they may feel overwhelmed by the size they have to fill. Give someone a teeny-tiny post-it note and they&#39;ll instantly relax, knowing that whatever they add will be viewed as a draft attempt.&nbsp;</p>

<p>That&#39;s one of the reasons why post-its are so fun when it comes to storytelling. Here are a couple of&nbsp;ideas:&nbsp;</p>

<ol>
	<li>Give students a sticky note. Have them doodle something or write a word on it. Mix up the stickies. Pull a sticky out of the pile. Have one student start the story based on what is on that sticky note. Ask the next student to choose the next sticky and continue the story. Continue until the whole class has created a story.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Have students work in groups. Give them a set of sticky notes. Ask them to use the stickies to tell a story. Have them draw one icon or add a prompt word to each sticky. This could be as simple as describing their day so far, their daily routine, or their English language learning story so far. You could also have them retell some of the stories from Ellii&#39;s collection:</li>
</ol>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/media/videos/stories-songs">Videos: Stories &amp; Songs</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/word-bank-readers">Word Bank Readers</a></li>
</ul>

<p>Here are some more storytelling themed posts:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/the-stories-we-tell">The Stories We Tell&nbsp;</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/simply-storytelling-inspiring-english-learners-with-story-prompts">Simply Storytelling: Engaging English Learners with Story Prompts</a></li>
</ul>

<h2><strong>Visual check-ins</strong></h2>

<p>Sticky notes are blissfully color-coded. To check in with learners to see how they are doing, give each one a pink, orange, and green sticky (or one per table). If students are feeling confident, have them display the green sticky. If they are feeling a little confused, have them display the orange sticky. If they really need your attention and support, have them display the pink sticky. &nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Post-it progression walls</strong></h2>

<p>Stickies also work well to show learner progress. At the beginning of a course, create a poster or wall display outlining the course content. For an added element of fun, you could make this into a journey map, stairs, stepping stones, or footprints. Have students create an avatar for themselves on a post-it&nbsp;and then move it at the end of each lesson or as they complete different&nbsp;the sections of coursework.&nbsp;Different shapes of post-its, such as butterflies, work really well for this, so feel free to go wild in your local stationery store.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Are you a fan of the humble post-it note? How have you used them in class? Have you tried any of these ideas? We&#39;d love to hear your own experiences and top tips! Share your ideas in the comments.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Here are some other blog posts that you might be interested in:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/the-multi-modal-multi-sensory-multi-cultural-power-of-multi-literacy-learning">The Multimodal, Multisensory, Multicultural Power of Multiliteracy Learning</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/getting-to-know-your-learners-supercharging-learner-centred-teaching">Getting to Know Your Learners: Supercharging Learner-Centered Teaching</a></li>
</ul>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Learning That Sticks: The Power of Post-its in the ELT Classroom

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<p>Our number one goal as language teachers is to help our students communicate in the real world. Inviting guest speakers into the classroom is a fantastic way to bring learning to life&nbsp;and provide authentic language practice opportunities.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In this post, I&#39;ll explore the benefits of guest speakers, share some ideas for who to invite, and give you some top tips for scaffolding the sessions.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>The benefits of guest speakers</strong></h2>

<p>Throughout my years as a language teacher, I jumped at every opportunity to have a guest speaker in the classroom. I always found that students benefited from what the guests had to say and the opportunities that they offered.</p>

<p>Here&#39;s why:&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Guest speakers are inspiring</strong></h2>

<p>Everyone has a story to tell. Bringing someone new into the classroom to share their experiences can be powerful. There are limitless options for who to invite and what information and ideas they might share with learners.</p>

<ul>
	<li>A previous student may give learners the confidence to know that one day they too could reach a high level of English proficiency.</li>
	<li>A storyteller might give students the skills to share their experiences with the world.</li>
	<li>An employment agency representative might transform a learner&#39;s career path.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<p>I could go on! But I&#39;m sure you&#39;ll agree that having the opportunity to connect in this way can open minds, share possibilities, and get heads away from dwelling on perfecting their use of the passive voice!</p>

<h2><strong>Guest speakers can offer opportunities&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>As teachers, we can equip learners with language and communication skills. Our role is to support learners to achieve their English language learning&nbsp;goals.&nbsp;</p>

<p>But behind every language learning goal, there is a wider goal&mdash;perhaps to get into university,&nbsp;secure a better job, or support their kids with schoolwork after resettling in an English-speaking country.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Local and global organizations are often looking for ways to connect with language learners. Universities and colleges may want to recruit for their classes. Community groups may be looking for volunteers to look after their grounds or get involved in cooking lessons. Other language classes at the other side of the world may be looking for pen pals.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Each of these is an opportunity to practice English, open new doors, and create social connections.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Guest speakers are REAL&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>Richard Cauldwell&#39;s &quot;botanic&quot;&nbsp;metaphor for language learning springs to mind here. He described the classroom as a &quot;geenhouse&quot;&mdash;a safe space for growth&nbsp;where conditions are <em>controlled&nbsp;</em>and every student is nurtured to flourish. In the &quot;garden,&quot; students experience more independence to practice their language in a safe environment through<em> freer</em> practice. Lastly, in the &quot;jungle,&quot; students are released into the real world where they experience the wild organic&nbsp;world of fast speech, slang, idiomatic language, and unfamiliar accents.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Inviting a guest speaker is a chance to let students venture&nbsp;into the jungle with a supportive guide at their side. The speaker may not be well practiced in modifying their language usage to be understood, so learners may need to work harder and push themselves to new levels in order to communicate successfully.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Who to invite</strong></h2>

<p>The guest speakers you choose to invite depend on your learning context, location, and learners&#39; needs. In some ways, this could&nbsp;be simpler if you teach in an English-speaking country. However, you could also invite people to deliver an input session online, show&nbsp;pre-recorded videos, or use&nbsp;emails/letters.</p>

<p>Here are some guest speakers that you may wish to consider:&nbsp;</p>

<h3><strong>Previous students</strong></h3>

<p>There is nothing more rewarding than re-connecting with a previous student and discovering that they have opened their own restaurant, written a book,&nbsp;started working in&nbsp;a retirement center, or gotten an&nbsp;opportunity to teach in a preschool.</p>

<p>For learners, hearing true stories from relatable individuals who have similar stories to them helps them believe in themselves. It&nbsp;can also support them to make plans and set their own goals.&nbsp;</p>

<h3><b>Representatives from educational organizations</b></h3>

<p>Universities and colleges often have teams specifically for engaging with potential students. If students are thinking of applying, consider inviting a representative in to talk them through the process.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This can be helpful in introducing learners to the application system, course requirements, and other aspects of further and higher education.&nbsp;</p>

<p>These speakers are particularly useful if you are teaching workplace English, such as&nbsp;career-specific pathway&nbsp;courses:</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/nursing-assistants/materials" target="_parent">English for Nursing Assistants</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/pharmacy-technicians/materials" target="_parent">English for Pharmacy Technicians</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/dental-assistants/materials" target="_parent">English for Dental Assistants</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/english-for-phlebotomists/materials" target="_parent">English for Phlebotomists</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/english-for-paraeducators/materials" target="_parent">English for Paraeducators</a>&nbsp;</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/english-for-custodians/materials" target="_parent">English for Custodians</a>&nbsp;</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/english-for-emergency-medical-technicians/materials" target="_parent">English for Emergency Medical Technicians</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/english-for-medical-assistants/materials" target="_parent">English for Medical Assistants</a></li>
</ul>

<p>The tricky part may be finding an interest that the class shares. However, application systems can be similar across organizations and every guest is a language learning experience.&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
</ul>

<h3><strong>Community Organizers</strong></h3>

<p>Charities and nonprofit organizations often have funding to deliver projects or engage with the wider community. Look out for opportunities online and by joining email lists and connecting with local (and global) potential partners.&nbsp;</p>

<p>I always remember a particularly fun partnership with a local museum. Students got to attend a variety of workshops exploring diverse cultures and religions around the world&nbsp;and telling their own stories. They all loved getting out of the classroom and learned a lot from the immersive experience. One learner even went on to volunteer with the museum.&nbsp;</p>

<h3><strong>Potential employers</strong></h3>

<p>Large employers are always looking for staff&nbsp;and often have recruitment teams or apprenticeships. Reaching out to speakers who would like to find new employees can help learners find the right opportunities for them.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It can also be helpful to connect with recruitment agencies or charitable organizations that provide training.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Here&#39;s some further reading on this topic:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/how-to-teach-workplace-english">How to Teach Workplace Engish</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/the-importance-of-workplace-english">Why You Should Teach Workplace English</a></li>
</ul>

<h3><strong>Creatives</strong></h3>

<p>It can be a lot of fun to invite someone to deliver a creative workshop or project with learners. This way students can practice their language whilse developing their life skills and critical thinking.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Consider inviting people to:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>perform a play, song, story (and have students perform&nbsp;their own)</li>
	<li>read/write poetry</li>
	<li>create a piece of artwork</li>
	<li>learn how to <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/sketchnoting-101-supercharged-professional-development-with-visual-notes">sketchnote</a>&nbsp;</li>
	<li>explore topics of global importance</li>
	<li>start a community garden</li>
	<li>write and publish a magazine</li>
</ul>

<h3><strong>Other teachers</strong></h3>

<p>It can sometimes be challenging to find the right guest speaker&nbsp;and convince them to join your class. Teaming up&nbsp;with other classes and teachers can be a good way to add some energy to classes and try something new. This can be particularly beneficial towards the end of term,&nbsp;when class numbers inevitably drop as&nbsp;students&nbsp;sneak away on vacation!&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Top tips for successful guest sessions</strong></h2>

<p>Guest speakers are fantastic for so many reasons. However, I learned the hard way that they can be challenging to understand.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The first thing English language teachers learn to do is modify our language use to be as intelligible as possible.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Guest speakers often don&#39;t know these simple tricks&mdash;or they know the theory but haven&#39;t mastered the practice!&nbsp;</p>

<p>Before a session, it is wise to remind speakers (even and especially previous learners)&nbsp;to slow down, choose simpler words, and avoid regional language. Here&#39;s a sketchnote I created that you could share with them.&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="Communicating Across Languages Sketchnote" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4872/content_how-to-communicate-across-languages.png" /></p>

<p>You can share this sketchnote easily via this <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/brysonemily_sketchnoting-sketchnotes-visualrecording-activity-7315274798643707904-YITe?utm_source=social_share_send&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop_web&amp;rcm=ACoAAAi7ip0BCqZAlTHCFG8wTwULtYB8nWVFeUM" target="_blank">LinkedIn post</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It is also a good idea to come up with strategies with the speaker in advance to engage students and ensure that they can follow along:</p>

<ul>
	<li>pause at regular intervals and ask concept check&nbsp;questions to review and make sure students have understood</li>
	<li>take (sketch)notes on the whiteboard as the speaker is presenting&nbsp;so students can have visual support</li>
	<li>scaffold the visit&nbsp;by pre-teaching vocabulary or previewing content (e.g., slides)&nbsp;</li>
	<li>review the session after the visit and invite questions or further explorations</li>
</ul>

<p>Have you invited any guests into your classroom? Who did you invite? How did it go? What are your top tips? We&#39;d love to know!&nbsp;</p>

<p>Here are some related blog posts we think you&#39;ll love:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/stem-tips-and-resources">Tips &amp; Resources to Make Content More Accessible in STEM Subjects</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/simply-storytelling-inspiring-english-learners-with-story-prompts">Inspiring English Learners with Story Prompts</a></li>
</ul>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


From Experts to Everyday Heroes: Bringing the Classroom to Life with Guest Speakers

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<p>If there is one thing you should never do as a language teacher (or in life), it is to ask &quot;Do you understand?&quot;</p>

<p>No one wants to admit in front of their peers that they don&#39;t understand! Humans live in fear of being the only person in a group who hasn&#39;t understood something. It makes the palms sweat, the&nbsp;heart beat faster, and the face turn a telltale shade of red.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Faced with this question, most people will nod, agree, and hope that the next activity will bring clarity&mdash;or at least be simpler.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In this blog post, I will share much more effective ways to check that students have understood.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>1. Concept check questions</h2>

<p>Concept check questions zoom in on detailed aspects of the language. They allow teachers to check that students have understood a grammar point or the meaning of a vocabulary item. They are particularly helpful after presenting a new grammar target.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Asking the right concept check questions can take some practice. When you&#39;re starting out in teaching, you might want to prepare them before a lesson. Over time,&nbsp;you&#39;ll likely be able to create your own as and when the need arises.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Here are some top tips for concept check questions:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li><strong>Keep it simple</strong>.&nbsp;Questions with short&nbsp;answers are the best. Aim to use very simple <em>wh-</em>&nbsp;questions, or questions with <em>yes/no</em> or <em>either/or</em> answers.&nbsp;</li>
	<li><strong>Use language students already know.</strong>&nbsp;Try not to use more complex concepts or vocabulary than the one you are checking. So don&#39;t ask questions in past perfect progressive&nbsp;when you&#39;re checking understanding of the simple past.&nbsp;</li>
	<li><strong>Play around with different questions.</strong> It&#39;s okay to ask a few questions to check meaning.&nbsp;</li>
	<li><strong>Ask questions to focus on the meaning and form.</strong>&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<p>Let&#39;s use the following sentence to teach the simple past:&nbsp;&quot;She went to the ice cream shop last night.&quot;&nbsp;Some concept check questions might be:</p>

<ul>
	<li><em>Where did she go? &gt; The ice cream shop.&nbsp;</em></li>
	<li><em>Is she at the ice cream shop now? &gt; No.</em></li>
	<li><em>When did she go? &gt; Last night/yesterday.&nbsp;</em></li>
	<li><em>Is &quot;last night&quot; about the past, present, or future? &gt; Past.</em></li>
	<li><em>Is &quot;went&quot;&nbsp;present or past tense? &gt; Past.</em></li>
	<li><em>To talk about &quot;now,&quot; do I use &quot;went&quot;&nbsp;or &quot;go&quot;? &gt; Go.</em></li>
</ul>

<p>You can find more about concept check questions in this British Council blog post:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/professional-development/teachers/managing-lesson/articles/checking-understanding">Checking Understanding</a></p>

<h2>2. Physical concept checks</h2>

<p>To check understanding and get students our of their chairs, you could bring an element of movement into the classroom. Designate each corner of the classroom as &quot;yes,&quot; &quot;no,&quot; or &quot;maybe.&quot; Have students stand up,&nbsp;ask them a concept check question, and ask&nbsp;them to move to the corner of the room that answers that question. You could also do this by having students stand in a line and step left for &quot;yes,&quot; step right for &quot;no,&quot; and stay in the same place for &quot;maybe.&quot;</p>

<h2>3. Mediation</h2>

<p>Mediation is another way to check understanding. While concept checking relies on the teacher asking the right questions to assess students have understood, mediation allows students to take a more active role in demonstrating it.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Mediation tasks prompt students to take notes, summarize, critically evaluate, compare information, and rephrase content. They allow learners to share their understanding with others by putting their learning into practice and perhaps explaining it to others.&nbsp;</p>

<p>You can find out more in this blog post:&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/blog/mediation">Mediation: The What, Why &amp; How Explained</a></p>

<h2>4. Visual checks</h2>

<p>Visuals are a great way to check understanding. You could have students create their own visual summaries, <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/sketchnoting-101-supercharged-professional-development-with-visual-notes">sketchnotes</a>, mind maps, infographics,&nbsp;timelines, or doodles to check meaning. For example, ask them to draw (or point to) a tomato or the verb &quot;run.&quot; You could also show them a couple of visuals and ask them which is correct or to adapt it to be correct.&nbsp;</p>

<p>You could also use visual metaphors to allow students to share how confident they feel about a topic. Leave colored circles with &quot;traffic lights&quot;&nbsp;on their desk and have them display &quot;red&quot;&nbsp;if they definitely need support, &quot;orange&quot;&nbsp;if they might need help, and &quot;green&quot; if they are happy with their understanding. This also works well with weather symbols (a rain cloud = I need help&nbsp;/&nbsp;a sun = I&#39;m all good)&nbsp;and emojis (sad face = help me&nbsp;/ happy face = I don&#39;t need help).&nbsp;</p>

<h2>5. Peer-to-peer learning</h2>

<p>The best way to learn is to teach something!&nbsp;I&#39;ve always found that students love to &quot;be the teacher.&quot; It is an instant confidence boost to be trusted to explain something to someone else&nbsp;and a great way to give students a chance to share their understanding with others. It also has the added bonus of allowing students to potentially explain concepts in their first language&nbsp;so they can express and understand&nbsp;it more easily.&nbsp;</p>

<p>You could&nbsp;pair a student who feels confident with a student who needs more support, and have them explore the linguistic point in more detail. Alternatively, have students check each others work or write quizzes or comprehension questions for each other.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<h2>6. Assessment tools</h2>

<p>Ellii has over 70 assessment tools designed specifically to help teachers check students&#39; understanding. These range from placement tests to needs assessments and&nbsp;reflection tools.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Here is an example from the Exit Slips&nbsp;resource. Students can complete these before leaving to help them evaluate and share what they learned in class that day.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2228-exit-slips"><img alt="Ellii's exit slips" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4861/content_exit-slip.png" /></a></p>

<p>You can access these resources here:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2228-exit-slips">Exit Slips</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resources/assessment-tools">Assessment Tools</a></li>
</ul>

<p>Here are some other blog posts on checking reading comprehension that we think you&#39;ll love:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/pre-reading-activities-to-boost-comprehension">Pre-Reading Activities to Boost Comprehension</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/10-activities-to-increase-understanding-while-reading">10 Activities to Increase Understanding While Reading</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/9-post-reading-activities-to-help-students-reflect-on-a-text">9 Post-Reading Activities to Help Students Get the Most Out of a Text</a></li>
</ul>

<blockquote>
<p>Have you tried any of these techniques to check understanding? What are your top tips? We&#39;d love to hear your experiences and ideas. Let us know in the comments!</p>
</blockquote>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The Perils of "Do You Understand?" & How to Check Comprehension Effectively

https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/2712/Emily_Perils-of-Do-You-Understand-and-How-to-Check-Meaning-Effectively_Banner.png

<p>Yes! It&rsquo;s a &quot;thing&rsquo;.&quot; There<em> really is</em> an International Sketchnote Camp! And it<em> really is</em>&nbsp;as much fun as it sounds.</p>

<p>Every year, visual thinkers from all over the world get together to share ideas, collectively doodle, and inspire each other.</p>

<p>When I discovered it was in Birmingham, UK, I immediately booked a ticket and raised my hand to volunteer.</p>

<p>In many ways, it was a no-brainer. The venue was right across the road from the NATECLA venue, where I would be delivering the keynote the week before.</p>

<p><img alt="Emily visually recording the closing plenary at NATECLA" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4779/content_Emily-Bryson-at-NATECLA.jpg" /></p>

<p class="caption">Emily visually recording the closing plenary at NATECLA</p>

<h2><strong>ELT conference to International Sketchnote Camp!</strong></h2>

<p>It struck me that my professional career has led me to frequent English Language Teaching conferences such as <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/reflections-from-iatefl-2025">IATEFL</a>, <a href="https://www.natecla.org.uk/">NATECLA</a>, <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/perutesol-2024-reflections-and-take-aways">Peru TESOL</a>, and <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/anglo-congress-2024-reflections-take-aways">Anglo Uruguay</a>. Occasionally, I&rsquo;ll dip my toes in wider educational waters, but in general I stick in the cozy realms of communicative language classrooms.</p>

<p>I was intrigued to see what a sketchnoting conference would have in store for me. In this post, I&rsquo;ll share some of my ELT-brained reflections.</p>

<h2><strong>Lesson 1: Conference names have character</strong></h2>

<p>I absolutely love that ISC markets itself as a &quot;Camp,&quot;<em>&nbsp;</em>albeit one that doesn&rsquo;t involve waking up in a soggy tent. The name immediately exudes fun, relaxed, and creative vibes.</p>

<p>Sketchnoting&nbsp;is one of the most therapeutic, enjoyable, and impactful skills that I have developed.</p>

<p>Then there is&nbsp;&quot;International.&quot; ISC is now in its eighth year. The event passes the organizational baton to enthusiastic visual thinkers around the world, making it a truly global event. This year, the event was organized by Paddy Dhanda and Grant Wright from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thevisualjam.com/">The Visual Jam</a>, who also run supercool visual thinking meetups.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Previous camps have taken place in Birmingham (UK),&nbsp;San Antonio (USA), Leiden (The Netherlands), Szczecin&nbsp;(Poland), Brussels (Belgium), Paris (France), Lisbon (Portugal), and&nbsp;Hamburg (Germany).&nbsp;Next year, the event will be in Verona (Italy) in September. Watch out for #ISC26 for updates or follow the organizer,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/federica.tabone_visual.psy/">Federica Tabone</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="Federica holding up 'Verona'" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4780/content_The_big_reveal_Mike_Rohde_with_Federica_Tabone.jpg" /></p>

<h2><strong>Lesson 2: Visual games are a great way to connect</strong></h2>

<p>ISC 2025 kicked off with as much fun as you&#39;d expect from 120 or so creatives. I teamed up with fellow volunteers&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/sketchnotesbygeorgina/">Georgina Dean</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ania_staskiewicz/">Ania Staskiewicz</a> to bring everyone together for visual games. While ELT conferences I&#39;ve attended start with speeches, it got me wondering why, as a playful profession, we aren&#39;t starting with games!&nbsp;</p>

<p>I got everyone warmed up with an activity I learned from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/inksight.nl/">Maaike Borsboom</a>. We drew our own portraits while holding a piece of paper&nbsp;to our face. Then we added an interesting&nbsp;fact, scrunched up the paper, and launched it across the room. Campers were then asked to retrieve a paper ball and find its owner.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Ania then handed out her beautifully presented &quot;Human Bingo&quot;&nbsp;(aka &quot;Find Someone Who&quot;) cards. Instead of writing, our campers&nbsp;doodled&nbsp;an icon on finding a match&mdash;all while hunting for the creator of some rather interesting self-portraits.&nbsp;</p>

<p>For the finale, Georgina Dean gave out playground chalk and task cards representing the theme for this year:&nbsp;Human Connections. The campers then created a collaborative artwork by doodling themes such as &quot;new best friends&quot; and &quot;social bonds.&quot;</p>

<p>If you&#39;d like some templates for Bingo or Find Someone Who, check out Ellii&#39;s&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/resources/warm-ups-fillers">Warm-Ups &amp; Fillers</a>. There are some pretty great ideas to help people get to know each other&nbsp;or kick off a conference in style.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Lesson 3: FOMO lessens when you can share pretty notes</strong></h2>

<p>Conferences can lead to tough decisions. Often there are so many fantastic sessions happening at the same time that we are forced to choose.</p>

<p>ISC was no different. I was challenged to decide between Georgina Dean&rsquo;s Adobe Fresco session or Stuart Young exploring Emotional Intelligence in the Age of AI. I also had to choose between bringing my doodles to life with Alejo Porras or developing my drawings of emotions with Andy Gray.</p>

<p>I needn&rsquo;t have worried&nbsp;as I soon realized that multiple stunning crib notes would shortly appear on the camp Padlet and Whatsapp chat. These beautiful notes allowed me to catch up on what I missed and let me see a variety of sketchnoting styles.</p>

<h2><strong>Lesson 4: Every conference needs (GIANT) visual notes</strong></h2>

<p>As well as delegates&#39; own personal notes, the conference also had Andy Gray taking large-scale visual recordings of each session.&nbsp;Having a live illustator&nbsp;capture the event meant that all the key takeaways could be shared easily&nbsp;and referred to for years to come.</p>

<p>It was a joyful experience to see Andy at work. For me, it brought the event to life and added a touch of magic. I feel like every conference needs a graphic recorder, whether they are working big on large sheets of paper&nbsp;or creating something digitally! 😉</p>

<p><img alt="Andy's giant visual notes" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4781/content_Visual_Recording_by_Andy_Gray.jpg" /></p>

<h2><strong>Lesson 5: Embrace your own style</strong></h2>

<p>It would be impossible for everyone&rsquo;s notes to look the same. This camp very much celebrated crafting our own unique style and the freedom of not comparing ourselves to others.</p>

<p>As someone with no formal art training who found sketchnoting in recent years, this was a powerful message. When I first signed up, I had been worried about feeling out of place, but I immediately felt at ease.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It was freeing to see messy, scribbled, quick notes that were functional. The purpose of visual note-taking is not art, but communication.</p>

<h2><strong>Lesson 6: Bar camps give everyone a voice</strong></h2>

<p>On the final day of the camp, <a href="https://www.stuartyoung.uk/">Stuart Young</a> organized a &quot;bar camp&quot;&nbsp;session. This allowed all delegates the opportunity to explore topics of their choosing and share their skills organically.</p>

<p><img alt="Stuart's drawing of how to deliver Bar Camp" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4782/content_Stuart_Young_Bar_Camp.jpg" /></p>

<p>Stuart set up a space for attendees to add their ideas on Post-its. These could be things people would like to explore more or informal workshops they would like to deliver.</p>

<p>I enjoyed the flexibility of this space and made two suggestions&nbsp;based on my own expertise and interest: neurodiversity and language teaching.</p>

<p><img alt="image of post-its" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4783/content_Bar_Camp_Post-its.jpg" /></p>

<h2><b>Bar Camp 1: Neurodiversity in the visual thinking community</b></h2>

<p>This session was inspired by some discussions and sharing that had evolved in the ISC Whatsapp group. Many shared their personal experiences of neurodivergent thinking and how visuals have supported them to plan, organize, and focus.</p>

<p>We noticed&nbsp;that our community of visual thinkers has more neurodiverse minds than average. This cemented our view&nbsp;that&nbsp;visual thinking and sketchnoting are highly effective ways to support neurodiverse&nbsp;learners.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><b><b>Bar Camp 2: Language teaching for visual thinkers &nbsp;</b></b></h2>

<p>My second bar camp session was on visual thinking for language teachers. I wanted to bring together educators who were currently using their graphic facilitation skills and visual tools to support language acquisition. The session was extremely well attended and I was delighted to meet so many like-minded individuals.</p>

<p>This gave us&nbsp;the opportunity to share some of our favorite tools and techniques. Our plan is to stay connected and continue to share these ideas. <a href="https://padlet.com/emilybrysonelt/visual-thinking-for-language-teachers-btf5z4xu9q481ysr">Here&#39;s a Padlet we are working on</a>. Feel free to add your own ideas.&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="Fernanda and Jane" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4784/content_Emily_Bryson_with_Fernanda_Freytes_and_Jane_Carvell.jpg" /></p>

<p class="caption">I got to meet two of my visual-thinking-in-language-teaching heroes: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/fernanda-freytes-ramos/">Fernanda Freytes</a> and <a href="https://www.jcenglishtraining.com/">Jane Carvell</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>If you&rsquo;d like to find out more about sketchnoting and visual thinking in ELT, check out these blog posts:</p>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/sketchnoting-101-supercharged-professional-development-with-visual-notes">Sketchnoting 101: Supercharge Professional Development with Visual Notes</a></p>

<p style="margin-bottom:11px"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/graphic-facilitation-101">Graphic Facilitation 101: Teaching English through Visual Communication</a></p>

<div>
<div class="msocomtxt" id="_com_2" language="JavaScript" onmouseout="msoCommentHide('_com_2')" onmouseover="msoCommentShow('_anchor_2','_com_2')"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/how-to-simplify-complex-tasks-with-visual-prompts">How to Simplify Complex Tasks with Visual Prompts</a></div>

<div class="msocomtxt" language="JavaScript" onmouseout="msoCommentHide('_com_2')" onmouseover="msoCommentShow('_anchor_2','_com_2')">&nbsp;</div>

<div class="msocomtxt" language="JavaScript" onmouseout="msoCommentHide('_com_2')" onmouseover="msoCommentShow('_anchor_2','_com_2')"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/graphic-organizers-for-language-skills-development">Using Graphic Orgnizers for Language Skills Development</a></div>

<div class="msocomtxt" language="JavaScript" onmouseout="msoCommentHide('_com_2')" onmouseover="msoCommentShow('_anchor_2','_com_2')">&nbsp;</div>

<div class="msocomtxt" language="JavaScript" onmouseout="msoCommentHide('_com_2')" onmouseover="msoCommentShow('_anchor_2','_com_2')"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/how-to-use-pictures-as-grammar-prompts">How to Use Pictures as Grammar Prompts</a></div>

<div class="msocomtxt" language="JavaScript" onmouseout="msoCommentHide('_com_2')" onmouseover="msoCommentShow('_anchor_2','_com_2')">&nbsp;</div>

<div class="msocomtxt" language="JavaScript" onmouseout="msoCommentHide('_com_2')" onmouseover="msoCommentShow('_anchor_2','_com_2')">If you&#39;d like to see more photos and ideas from the camp, check out <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DLzEtDHoiPt/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&amp;igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==">this post</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DL7fyY0IKrh/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&amp;igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==">others</a> on my Instagram.&nbsp;</div>

<div class="msocomtxt" language="JavaScript" onmouseout="msoCommentHide('_com_2')" onmouseover="msoCommentShow('_anchor_2','_com_2')">&nbsp;</div>

<div class="msocomtxt" language="JavaScript" onmouseout="msoCommentHide('_com_2')" onmouseover="msoCommentShow('_anchor_2','_com_2')">Have you tried sketchnoting or using visual thinking strategies in the classroom? What would you love to see at ELT conferences? We&#39;d love to hear your ideas.&nbsp;</div>
</div>


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Emily Bryson