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

Teaching with Ellii

<h1>The Biggest Showbiz Moments of 2025</h1>

<h2>How hip are you? Who&#39;s who and why were they in the news?</h2>

<p>Have you seen the latest video in the Current Events section of Ellii&#39;s Media Gallery?&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/video/the-biggest-showbiz-moments-of-2025" target="_blank">The Biggest Showbiz Moments of 2025</a>&nbsp;is a year-end compilation video from <strong>The Associated Press</strong>. The video is mostly silent, but we think there is a lot you can do with silent clips, and we hope this video brings some excitement and noise to your classroom at the end of the year.</p>

<p>Below you will find a shot list of who&#39;s who and why they were in the news to go with the video. You can use this shot list with our suggested activity idea or invent your own game. We have also included discussion questions and useful vocabulary for talking about celebrities.</p>

<h2>Activity</h2>

<ol>
	<li>Tell your students to get out a blank sheet of paper. Start all students off with 5 stars. They can draw the stars at the top of their paper.</li>
	<li>Explain to&nbsp;your students that you are all going to watch the video silently the first time through. Nobody can say a word! Anyone who speaks out the first time you play the video&nbsp;loses one of their stars.</li>
	<li>Play the video a second time. This time the goal is to make some noise! Encourage your students to shout out the names of the celebrities they recognize. Every time they say a name from the video they can add&nbsp;another star to their paper.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Watch the video one more time. This time, students can raise their hands if they know why a celebrity was in the news in 2025. Pause the video if you see a raised hand. Students who raise their hands have to &quot;give&nbsp;the scoop&quot; or &quot;spill the tea.&quot;&nbsp;They can earn five stars for speaking up.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Count who has the most stars! Teach the word &quot;celebrity buff&quot; and crown this person the winner.<br />
	&nbsp;</li>
</ol>

<h2>Discussion questions</h2>

<p>After the activity (or if you don&#39;t have time to play the game), you can have a class discussion. Here are some suggested questions.&nbsp;</p>

<ol>
	<li>Why are everyday people so interested in conflicts involving celebrities?&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Celebrities often gather in big cities. Which city would you like to visit and why? (Milan, New York, Hollywood, LA, Paris, London)</li>
	<li>Which celebrity from the video are you most interested in and why?&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Where do you usually hear about celebrities? (through friends, social media, YouTube, TV, newspapers)</li>
	<li>Which event from 2025 do you want to learn more about? (Do a little research in a group and share your findings!)</li>
</ol>

<h2>Vocabulary &amp; expressions for talking about celebrities</h2>

<ul>
	<li><b>A-list / B-list</b>: top-level or mid-level celebrities</li>
	<li><b>behind the scenes</b>: not seen by the public</li>
	<li><strong>celebrity buff</strong>: a person who knows a lot about pop culture and famous people</li>
	<li><b>fall from grace</b>: to lose respect or fame</li>
	<li><b>fifteen minutes of fame</b>: short-term fame</li>
	<li><b>in the spotlight</b>: receiving a lot of public attention</li>
	<li><b>influencer</b>: someone famous online who affects trends or opinions</li>
	<li><b>live in the spotlight</b>: to be constantly watched by the public</li>
	<li><b>make it big</b>: to become very successful</li>
	<li><b>paparazzi</b>: photographers who follow celebrities</li>
	<li><b>rumor</b>: unconfirmed information</li>
	<li><b>scandal</b>: shocking or embarrassing news</li>
	<li><strong>spill the tea</strong>: to share some gossip&nbsp;</li>
	<li><b>steal the show</b>: to get the most attention</li>
	<li><b>tabloids</b>: newspapers focusing on gossip</li>
</ul>

<h2>Shot list&nbsp;</h2>

<p>Here is a list of who&#39;s who and why they made the news to use with the video:&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/video/the-biggest-showbiz-moments-of-2025">The Biggest Showbiz Moments of 2025</a>.</p>

<h3>January</h3>

<p>1. Rapper and actor A$AP Rocky pushes past photographers to enter courthouse for his assault trial (Los Angeles)</p>

<p>2. Rihanna leaves court (Los Angeles)</p>

<p>3. Timoth&eacute;e Chalamet (Beverly Hills)</p>

<p>4. Leonardo DiCaprio</p>

<p>5. Zahara Jolie and Angelina Jolie</p>

<p>6.&nbsp; Zendaya</p>

<p>7. Large house or building burning in the Pacific Palisades section of Los Angeles (Los Angeles)</p>

<p>8. Steve Guttenberg, actor: &ldquo;This is absolutely the worst fire I&#39;ve ever seen in my life.&quot;</p>

<h3>February</h3>

<p>9. Chappell Roan (Los Angeles)</p>

<p>10. Alicia Keys</p>

<p>11. Cardi B</p>

<p>10. Colman Domingo (London)</p>

<p>11. Vanessa Kirby</p>

<p>12. Ariana Grande</p>

<p>13. Cynthia Erivo</p>

<h3>March</h3>

<p>14. Demi Moore (Los Angeles)</p>

<p>15. G&eacute;rard Depardieu arriving in court (Paris)</p>

<p>16. Gal Gadot posing on Hollywood Walk of Fame (Los Angeles)</p>

<p>17. Protesters on opposite side of the road</p>

<h3>April</h3>

<p>18. View from spacecraft (Space)</p>

<p>19. Katy Perry floating in spacecraft</p>

<p>20. LeBron James reaction to seeing the doll for the first time&nbsp;</p>

<p>21. Ryan Gosling (Makuhari, Chiba Prefecture, Japan)</p>

<p>22. Pedro Pascal with director Jon Favreau carrying Grogu</p>

<p>23.&nbsp;Jawas</p>

<p>24. The Atelier by Professor Jimmy Choo presentation (Barcelona)</p>

<h3>May</h3>

<p>25. Dua Lipa (New York)</p>

<p>26. Eva Longoria posing on Cannes red carpet (Cannes, France)</p>

<p>27. Robert De Niro with Tiffany Chen</p>

<p>28. Tom Cruise waves at the top of Cannes red carpet steps (Cannes, France)</p>

<p>29. Shakira posing at MET Gala (New York)</p>

<h3>June</h3>

<p>30. Brad Pitt at <em>F1</em> premiere (London)</p>

<p>31. Jimin and Jung Kook saluting (Yeoncheon County, South Korea)</p>

<p>32. Rihanna in front of <em>Smurfs</em>&nbsp;signage&nbsp;(Brussels, Belgium )</p>

<p>33. Jeff Bezos and Lauren S&aacute;nchez on boat, waving, kissing (Venice, Italy)</p>

<p>34. Catwalk finale for menswear collection summer 2026 (Milan)</p>

<p>35.&nbsp; <em>Squid Games</em> parade (Seoul, South Korea)</p>

<h3>July</h3>

<p>36. Noel and Liam Gallagher walking on stage during opening night of Oasis world tour at Cardiff&#39;s Principality Stadium&nbsp;(Cardiff, UK)</p>

<p>37. Ozzy Osbourne performing last gig (Birmingham, UK)</p>

<p>38. Ozzy Osbourne bench tribute</p>

<p>39. The original Birkin bag (Paris)</p>

<p>40.&nbsp; Auction</p>

<h3>August</h3>

<p>41. George Clooney arriving by boat (Venice, Italy)</p>

<p>42. Adam Sandler arriving by boat&nbsp;(Venice, Italy)</p>

<p>43. Laura Dern</p>

<p>44. Cardi B testifying (Alhambra, Calif)</p>

<p>45. Julia Roberts (Venice)</p>

<h3>September</h3>

<p>46. Protestor encouraging attendees to boycott Disney (Los Angeles)</p>

<p>47. Jimmy Kimmel, host/comedian: &quot;I don&#39;t necessarily feel like I&#39;m defending democracy.&quot; (Los Angeles)</p>

<p>48. Javier Bardem (Los Angeles)</p>

<p>49. Sydney Sweeney</p>

<p>51. Jude Law</p>

<p>50. Elizabeth Banks</p>

<p>51. Henry Farrell and Colin Farrell</p>

<p>52. Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt (Venice)</p>

<p>53. Cardi B:&nbsp;&quot;I did not touch that woman.&quot; (Alhambra, California)</p>

<h3>October</h3>

<p>54. Taylor Swift pop-up (New York)</p>

<p>55. Court Sketch, Sean &quot;Diddy&quot; Combs crying in court (New York)</p>

<p>56. Sean &quot;Diddy&quot;&nbsp;Combs, second from left, watches from the defense table as Judge Arun Subramanian speaks to the jury in Manhattan federal court (New York)</p>

<p>57. Valentina Ferrer blowing a kiss (New York)</p>

<p>58. Sarah Jessica Parker on arrivals line</p>

<p>59. David Beckham and Victoria Beckham at premiere at American ballet theater</p>

<p>60. Misty Copeland takes bow (New York)</p>

<p>61. Heidi Klum uncovers her face with her hands to reveal her Medusa costume (New York )</p>

<p>62. Heidi Klum, model, TV personality, and Tom Kaulitz, recording artist: &quot;I wanted to be really, really like a really ugly, ugly Medusa. And I feel like we nailed it.&quot;</p>

<h3>November &amp; December</h3>

<p>62. Miss World costumes (Nonthaburi Province, Thailand)</p>

<p>63. Nat&aacute;lie Pu&scaron;kinov&aacute; being crowned by 2024 Miss Earth, Miss Australia, Jessica Lane (Manila , Philippines)</p>

<p>64.&nbsp;model on catwalk (Lagos)</p>

<p>65. Ren&eacute;e Zellweger and Helen Fielding (London)</p>

<p>66. Statue</p>

<p>67. Kajol and Shah Rukh Khan in front of statue (London)</p>

<p>68. Prince William and Princess Kate&nbsp;with George, Louis, Charlotte arriving at carol concert (London)</p>

<p>69. Princess Kate</p>

<p>70&nbsp; A$AP Rocky speaks to reporter (New York)</p>

<p>71. Zoey Deutch&nbsp;</p>

<p>72. Elle Fanning&nbsp;</p>

<p>73. Hugh Jackman&nbsp;</p>

<p>74. Kate Hudson&nbsp;</p>

<p>75. Christmas tree at Pra&ccedil;a do Com&eacute;rcio (Lisbon, Portugal)</p>

<p>76. Diane Kruger cutting ribbon and curtain opening revealing Christmas window display of Printemps Haussmann department store (Paris)</p>

<p>77. Santa Claus in his sleigh traveling through the streets of La Paz (La Paz, Bolivia)</p>

<p>78. People dressed as angels entertaining tourists (Prague, Czech Republic)</p>

<p>Music: &quot;Hey Trapper&quot; by Shareef Ishmael Islam</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Did you try this activity with your class? Share your experience!</p>
</blockquote>


2025 Celebrity Scoop: Who's Who & Why Were They in the News? 

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

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<h1>We&#39;re unwrapping another year of content at Ellii...</h1>

<h2>🎶 Sing it with me!&nbsp;🎶</h2>

<h1><a href="https://ellii.com/collections/new-content/new-in-2025" target="_blank">New in 2025</a></h1>

<hr />
<h2>January</h2>

<p>🎶 In the first month of 2025, Ellii brought to me...</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/casas-test-preparation" target="_blank">CASAS Reading STEPS Level D</a></li>
</ul>

<p><img alt="CASAS STEPS Practice Tests on Ellii" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5082/content_month-1.png" /></p>

<h2>February</h2>

<p>🎶 In the second month of 2025, Ellii brought to me...</p>

<ul>
	<li>a <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/famous-people/5306-ayrton-senna" target="_blank">lesson request</a> from our Brazilian CTO (who could say no?)&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<p>We added lots of new content about famous Brazilians this year as well as two Study Packs!</p>

<p><img alt="lessons on famous Brazilians on Ellii" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5083/content_month-2.png" /></p>

<h2>March</h2>

<p>🎶 In the third month of 2025, Ellii brought to me...</p>

<ul>
	<li>a historic&nbsp;lesson in <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/that-s-news-to-me" target="_blank">That&#39;s News to Me</a>&nbsp;(Canada&#39;s Next Prime Minster)</li>
</ul>

<p>We added new lessons to this section every week, using content from our media partner, <strong>The Associated Press</strong>. We also added current events&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/media/videos/current-events" target="_blank">videos</a> and <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/photo-prompts">photo prompts</a>!</p>

<p><img alt="That's News to Me lessons including Canada's New Prime Minister" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5084/content_month-3.png" /></p>

<h2>April</h2>

<p>🎶 In the fourth month of 2025, Ellii brought to me...</p>

<ul>
	<li>a lesson on&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/discussion-starters/5429-cryptocurrency" target="_blank">Cryptocurrency!</a>&nbsp;(followed by many more <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/discussion-starters" target="_blank">Discussion Starters</a> lessons and warm-up videos by our newest Publishing team members)</li>
</ul>

<p><img alt="Discussion Starters lessons on Ellii, such as cryptocurrency" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5085/content_month-4.png" /></p>

<h2>May</h2>

<p>🎶 In the fifth month of 2025, Ellii brought to me...</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/soft-skills-for-hospitality-workers" target="_blank">Soft Skills for Hospitality</a>!</li>
</ul>

<p>Search &quot;soft skills&quot; for all of the new content we added on our &quot;theme of the year&quot; for 2025.</p>

<p><img alt="Soft Skills for Hospitality on Ellii" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5086/content_month-5.png" /></p>

<h2>June</h2>

<p>🎶 In the sixth month of 2025, Ellii brought to me...</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/conversation-phrases-course" target="_blank">Conversation Phrases with Lise</a>&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<p>Ellii&#39;s video team focused on &quot;speaking&quot; content for&nbsp;2025.</p>

<p><img alt="Conversation Phrases course on Ellii" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5087/content_month-6.png" /></p>

<h2>July&nbsp;</h2>

<p>🎶 In the seventh month of 2025, Ellii brought to me...</p>

<ul>
	<li>a new section for <strong>Adult Literacy</strong> (<a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/first-five" target="_blank">First Five</a>)&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<p>We added 29 new lessons to this section as well as&nbsp;several <strong>Language Ladder</strong> packs!</p>

<p><img alt="Adult Literacy section on Ellii" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5088/content_month-7.png" /></p>

<h2>August</h2>

<p>🎶 In the eighth month of 2025, Ellii brought to me...</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/picture-stories" target="_blank">Young Learner stories</a> with Benji!</li>
</ul>

<p>New Benji lessons this year were about Benji&#39;s&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/lesson/5653-workday" target="_blank">Workday</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/lesson/5866-vacation">Vacation</a>!</p>

<p><img alt="young learner picture stories on Ellii" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5089/content_month-8.png" /></p>

<h2>September</h2>

<p>🎶 In the ninth month of 2025, Ellii brought to me...</p>

<ul>
	<li>a<strong> print-based course </strong>that took our whole team&#39;s&nbsp;energy!</li>
</ul>

<p>Due to popular demand, we have started making printable versions of our workplace courses, starting with&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/packs/nursing-assistants">English for Nursing Assistants</a>&nbsp;and moving on with four more in 2025.</p>

<p><img alt="printable workplace courses on Ellii" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5090/content_month-9.png" /></p>

<h2>October</h2>

<p>🎶 In the tenth month of 2025, Ellii brought to me...</p>

<ul>
	<li>Ellii Up E! (the latest course in our ready-made <a href="https://ellii.com/packs?page=1&amp;level=&amp;material=&amp;category=43" target="_blank">General English</a> curriculum)</li>
</ul>

<p>More General English courses coming throughout 2026!</p>

<p><img alt="General English courses" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5093/content_month-10.png" /></p>

<h2>November</h2>

<p>🎶 In the eleventh month of 2025, Ellii brought to me...</p>

<ul>
	<li>Videos on <a href="https://ellii.com/media/videos/us-civics-test-prep" target="_blank">US history</a> (Study Packs too!)</li>
</ul>

<p>More US civics and test prep content coming throughout 2026.</p>

<p><img alt="US Civics Test Prep on Ellii" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5091/content_month-11.png" /></p>

<h2>December</h2>

<p>🎶 In the twelfth month of 2025, Ellii brought to me...</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/gather/dilemmas" target="_blank">Ellii Dilemmas</a> like <a href="https://ellii.com/gather/dilemmas/the-pet-policy" target="_blank">The Pet Policy</a>!</li>
</ul>

<p>We&#39;ve also added lots of new beginner-level <a href="https://ellii.com/gather/polls" target="_blank">Ellii Polls</a>. A big request from teachers in 2025!</p>

<p><img alt="Ellii Dilemmas" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5092/content_month-12.png" /></p>

<h2>Who&#39;s counting?&nbsp;</h2>

<p>We are! Here&#39;s <a href="https://ellii.com/collections/new-content/new-in-2025" target="_blank">everything</a> we added to Ellii&#39;s content library in 2025. Subscribers have access to all of this content, plus everything else we&#39;ve added to Ellii in&nbsp;the last 20+ years.</p>

<blockquote>
<ul>
	<li>253 lessons &amp; resources</li>
	<li>60+ Ellii original videos</li>
	<li>70+ AP videos &amp; silent clips</li>
	<li>9 flashcard categories (46 new flashcards)</li>
	<li>45 study packs</li>
	<li>14 courses</li>
	<li>44 polls &amp; dilemmas</li>
	<li>40 blog posts&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>

<h2>Who makes all of this content at Ellii?&nbsp;</h2>

<p>Humans,&nbsp;of course! At Ellii, we have a small but mighty team of real-life materials writers, editors, proofreaders, designers, artists, producers, and other helpers (including our own daughters who offer summer help)!&nbsp;We also have a partnership with The Associated Press and owe a little shout-out to our AI assistant, aka &quot;ElliiBot,&quot;&nbsp;this year.<br />
<br />
Here&nbsp;is Ellii&#39;s&nbsp;2025 content and marketing team, including staff and contractors! A huge thank-you to all of our contributors.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Tanya, Head of Video Production</p>

<p>Ann, Head Editor</p>

<p>Saori, Lead Designer</p>

<p>Lula, Motion Graphics Designer</p>

<p>Alison, Content Support Specialist</p>

<p>Zara, Materials Writer</p>

<p>Steve, Illustrator</p>

<p>Laura, Course Writer</p>

<p>Felicia, Materials Writer</p>

<p>Kate, Assistant Editor</p>

<p>Lise, Video Content Producer / Marketing Lead</p>

<p>Sarah, Designer&nbsp;</p>

<p>David, British English Editor</p>

<p>Emily, Blogger</p>

<p>Jaksyn, Jr. Materials Writer</p>

<p>Sofia, Jr. Publishing Assistant</p>

<p>Tara, VP of Publishing</p>
</blockquote>

<p>That&#39;s a wrap. If you think this is awesome, you should see what Ellii&#39;s Product team was up to this year. Stay tuned!<br />
<br />
~ Tara&nbsp;</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Did you enjoy using Ellii&#39;s content this year? Please leave&nbsp;us a love&nbsp;note below that we can add to our <a href="http://ellii.com/tour/testimonials">Testimonials</a> page.&nbsp;</p>
</blockquote>


The 12 Months of Ellii (in 2025)

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

Teacher Think-Aloud Podcast

<p>In Episode 77 of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.teacherthinkaloud.com/" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">The Teacher Think-Aloud Podcast</a>, Sh&eacute; sits down with Ben Buckwold (Founder &amp; CEO of Ellii) and Tara Benwell (VP of Publishing at Ellii) to explore the story behind one of Ellii&rsquo;s most creative classroom tools: <a href="https://app.ellii.com/gather/dilemmas" target="_blank">Ellii Dilemmas</a>. Born, quite literally, on a cocktail napkin, this interactive activity invites students to wrestle with moral and everyday dilemmas through authentic dialogue, reflection, and debate.</p>

<p>Ben and Tara share how Ellii Dilemmas grew from a moment of procrastination into one of the platform&rsquo;s fastest-growing features&nbsp;with thousands of teachers already using it worldwide. The conversation covers the tool&rsquo;s pedagogical design, from its built-in discussion scaffolds and &ldquo;Speak Up&rdquo; feature to the way it fosters empathy, critical thinking, and social-emotional learning.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Together, we unpack how moving from debate to dialogue can transform speaking practice into something deeply human and reflective.</p>

<blockquote>&ldquo; It&rsquo;s a way for students to engage, have a conversation, a debate, a discussion, a dialogue, and to just really get into it.&rdquo;&nbsp; &mdash; Ben Buckwold</blockquote>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JNk03oadJgI?si=jxGkKYLzZJPsqhKM" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p>

<p><strong>Get featured on the podcast!</strong><br />
The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.teacherthinkaloud.com/" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">Teacher Think-Aloud Podcast</a>&nbsp;is looking for contributions to their annual Friends of the Podcast episode&nbsp;in which they feature voices from teachers around the world. In past years, these episodes have focused on&nbsp;<a href="https://youtu.be/6XfSr9oolcE?si=DR_JsVtLKImIXxio" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">teaching contexts around the world</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://youtu.be/Gh7SQJbEEmQ?si=UT3ZIxht0mQOECSu" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">AI in ELT</a>. This year, they&#39;re asking contributors to get back to basics and reflect on what areas they want to work on in their teaching practice.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Participating is easy: all you need to do is listen to a short prompt and leave a voice memo at&nbsp;<a href="https://bit.ly/backtobasics26" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/backtobasics26</a>.&nbsp;<strong>The deadline to participate is December 15, 2025.</strong></p>

<p>🎙️&nbsp;<strong>Listen now on your favorite platform:</strong></p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://www.teacherthinkaloud.com/episodes" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">The Teacher Think-Aloud Podcast</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@thinkaloud_pod" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">YouTube</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/2zv5mVNpSqkDNiNbQlnm7B" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">Spotify</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-teacher-think-aloud-podcast/id1629819608" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<p>🔗&nbsp;<strong>Follow The Teacher Think-Aloud Podcast on social media for more updates:</strong></p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/teacherthinkaloud" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/thinkaloud_pod/" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">Instagram</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/thinkaloudpod.bsky.social" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">Bluesky</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@thinkaloud_pod" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">TikTok</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/teacher-think-aloud/" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a></li>
</ul>


Ellii Dilemmas: Sparking Real Dialogue in the ELT Classroom (with Ben Buckwold & Tara Benwell)

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

Courses

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

Announcements

<p>Are you teaching US history and government and&nbsp;preparing students for the 2025 Naturalization Civics Test? You are changing lives, and Ellii wants to help!</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Yes! Ellii is developing test prep materials for the 2025 Naturalization Civics Test.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>We began working on new content as soon as the notice went out about the new test (Sep&nbsp;18, 2025). If your students are preparing for the naturalization test, you&nbsp;can expect plenty of new content on Ellii in the next few months. We&#39;ll be updating this post as new content is available.&nbsp;</p>

<h3>What has changed with the 2025 Naturalization Civics Test?&nbsp;</h3>

<ul>
	<li>If applicants applied before or within 30 days of the notice (Sep&nbsp;18, 2025), they take the 2008 test.</li>
	<li>If applicants&nbsp;applied 30 days or more after this notice (Sep&nbsp;18, 2025), they take the 2025 test.</li>
	<li>On the new (2025) test, the&nbsp;USCIS officer will ask applicants to answer up to 20 out of&nbsp;128 civics test questions&nbsp;to prove their&nbsp;knowledge of&nbsp;US&nbsp;history and government.</li>
	<li>USCIS officers will&nbsp;stop&nbsp;after the&nbsp;applicant answers&nbsp;12 questions correctly OR misses 9 questions.</li>
</ul>

<p><strong>Note:</strong> Scroll down for useful external links to resources regarding these updates.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>Ellii&#39;s Media Gallery</h2>

<p>Ellii&#39;s&nbsp;new <a href="https://ellii.com/media/videos/us-civics-test-prep" target="_blank">US Civics &amp; Test Prep</a> videos build history and government knowledge while offering practical test-taking tips. Choose from short, digestible clips or full-length video lessons with chapter divisions.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/media/videos/us-civics-test-prep/colonial-period-independence" target="_blank"><img alt="US Civics Test Prep videos" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5010/content_Civics-Video-Colonial-Period-and-Independence_OG-play.png" /></a></p>

<p>The first 18 <a href="https://ellii.com/media/videos/us-civics-test-prep" rel="noopener" target="_blank">US Civics &amp; Test Prep videos</a> are available now!&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/media/videos/us-civics-test-prep/the-1800s" target="_blank"><img alt="https://ellii.com/media/videos/us-civics-test-prep/the-1800s" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5011/content_Civics-Video-1800s_OG-play.png" /></a></p>

<p>Videos include a real teacher from Ellii, real&nbsp;photographs, useful drawings, and real questions and possible answers from the test.</p>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/video/recent-american-history" target="_blank"><img alt="Recent US History video " src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5055/content_Screen_Shot_2025-11-19_at_3.11.32_PM.png" /></a></p>

<p>More videos are coming soon.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>Ellii&#39;s Study Packs</h2>

<p>Ellii Study Packs allow you to assign your students bundled content easily with one click. Visit our <a href="https://ellii.com/packs/?category=45&amp;page=1" target="_blank">US Civics</a> category in Courses &amp; Packs&nbsp;and watch this content&nbsp;grow.<br />
<br />
If you and your students like Ellii&#39;s test prep videos, you&#39;ll love the NEW study packs. Each video lesson comes with practice tasks, including vocabulary review, comprehension, and speaking practice. In our first release, <strong><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/colonial-period-independence/materials" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Colonial Period &amp; Independence</a></strong>, students practice questions <strong>73&ndash;89 </strong>of the civics test.</p>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/colonial-period-independence/materials" target="_blank"><img alt="Colonial Period &amp; Independence Study Pack on Ellii " src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5012/content_US-Civics-Test-Prep-Colonial-Period-and-Independence_OG.png" /></a></p>

<p>This follow-up pack on <a href="https://ellii.com/packs/the-1800s/materials" target="_blank"><b>The 1800s</b></a><b>&nbsp;</b>features video lessons and practice about western expansion and the Civil War. Students practice questions <strong>90&ndash;99 </strong>of the civics test. Expand your students&#39;&nbsp;knowledge with related lessons from our library, such as lessons on historic figures from this period, including <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/3185-harriet-tubman" target="_blank">Harriet Tubman</a>, <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/3473-frederick-douglass" target="_blank">Frederick Douglass</a>, and <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2881-susan-b-anthony" target="_blank">Susan B. Anthony</a>.</p>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/the-1800s/materials" target="_blank"><img alt="The 1800s US Civics Test Prep Study Pack on Ellii " src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5013/content_US-Civics-1800s_OG.png" /></a></p>

<p>The third&nbsp;pack features video lessons and practice about conflict and change in <a href="https://ellii.com/packs/recent-american-history/materials" target="_blank">Recent US History</a> (the 1900s and early 2000s). Students practice questions <strong>100&ndash;118&nbsp;</strong>of the civics test. Expand your students&#39;&nbsp;knowledge with related lessons from our library, such as lessons on historic figures from this period, including <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/1535-franklin-d-roosevelt" target="_blank">Franklin Roosevelt</a>, the <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2856-the-vietnam-war" target="_blank">Vietnam War,</a> and <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/1466-september-11th" target="_blank">September 11th</a>.</p>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/recent-american-history/materials" target="_blank"><img alt="Recent US History US Civics Test Prep Study Pack: The 1900s and early 2000s" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5054/content_US-Civics-Recent-US-History_OG.png" /></a></p>

<p>You can also send content individually to just the students who are studying for the test&nbsp;(NEW feature).</p>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/introducing-individual-student-assignments" target="_blank"><img alt="individual assignments on Ellii " src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5014/content_Screen_Shot_2025-11-14_at_11.12.24_AM.png" /></a></p>

<p>We have six more packs in the works&nbsp;and will be releasing the videos and lessons as they are ready!</p>

<h2>Ellii&#39;s Collections</h2>

<h3><a href="https://ellii.com/collections/us-civics" target="_blank">US Citizenship &amp; Naturalization</a></h3>

<p>This<strong> </strong>collection category<strong> </strong>offers six ready-made collections of EL Civics content focusing on US law, government, history, and culture. This content will help prepare ELLs for life and citizenship in the United States.&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lessons/american-presidents" target="_blank">American Presidents&nbsp;</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/collections/us-civics/american-institutions" target="_blank">American Institutions</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/collections/us-civics/american-trailblazers" target="_blank">American Trailblazers</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/collections/us-civics/american-holidays" target="_blank">American Holidays</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/collections/us-civics/us-history" target="_blank">American History</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/collections/us-civics/us-landmarks" target="_blank">American Landmarks</a></li>
</ul>

<h3><a href="https://ellii.com/collections/el-civics" target="_blank">EL Civics</a></h3>

<p>This collection category features curated content for pre-approved civics objectives <strong>(COAAPs)</strong> selected by California agencies supporting adult ed. Search for content that is specifically related to the needs assessment of your students and use this content toward&nbsp;the 30 hours of instruction your learners need before doing related assessments.</p>

<h3><a href="https://ellii.com/collections/nations-regions/americana" target="_blank">The United States</a></h3>

<p>Our content library is full of lessons about American facts, figures, and firsts. This collection highlights some of our most popular lesson content related to the US, including presidents, famous people, and holidays.</p>

<h2>Popular Ellii Lessons</h2>

<p>Use the <strong>Search</strong> field on Ellii to find lessons on topics you are covering, and reach out to us if you can&#39;t find what you&#39;re looking for. Here are some popular US civics lessons:</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/5757-us-immigration-rights" target="_blank">US Immigration Rights</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2277-american-citizenship" target="_blank">American Citizenship</a> (in editing)</li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/3836-n-400-vocabulary" target="_blank">N-400 Vocabulary</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2676-the-united-states" target="_blank">The United States </a>(Listening in English)</li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2263-map-of-the-us" target="_blank">Map of the US</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/1505-george-washington" target="_blank">George Washington</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2779-trail-of-tears" target="_blank">The Trail of Tears</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/3172-the-us-constitution" target="_blank">The US Constitution</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/5636-the-bill-of-rights" target="_blank">The Bill of Rights</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/4037-the-declaration-of-independence" target="_blank">The Declaration of Independence</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2764-the-supreme-court-us" target="_blank">The Supreme Court</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/3381-election-day-us" target="_blank">Election Day</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/video/republicans-democrats" target="_blank">Republicans Vs. Democrats</a> (explainer video)</li>
</ul>

<h3>Coming Soon on Ellii&nbsp;</h3>

<ul>
	<li>30 + more videos</li>
	<li>Six + US Test Prep Study Packs</li>
	<li>NEW comprehensive civics&nbsp;lessons focused on US History &amp; Government&nbsp;</li>
	<li>US Test Prep Speaking Practice Tests</li>
</ul>

<h3>Useful External Resources for 2025 Updates</h3>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/09/18/2025-18050/notice-of-implementation-of-2025-naturalization-civics-test" target="_blank">Notice of Implementation of 2025 Naturalization Civics Test </a>(09.18.2025)</li>
	<li><a href="https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/brochures/USCIS-2025-Civics-Test-Study-Guide.pdf" target="_blank">One Nation, One People Study Guide (2025)</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.dailysignal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/2025-Civics-Test-128-Questions-and-Answers-09.15.2025.pdf" target="_blank">128 Civics Questions (2025)</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/find-study-materials-and-resources/check-for-test-updates" target="_blank">USCIS Comparison of 2008 / 2025 Test</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/5n2h5rdfojhykxegok15a/Natz_Test_Comparison_A_2008-2025.pdf?rlkey=47rpmtohvcrqazh1uf17h8o7k&amp;e=1&amp;st=r1lxr88r&amp;dl=0" target="_blank">Bill Bliss&#39;s Comparison chart of 2008 / 2025 Test</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship" target="_blank">USCIS Citizenship Resource Center</a></li>
</ul>


2025 US Naturalization Civics Test Prep Now on Ellii

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<p><em>This post answers frequently asked questions about Ellii&#39;s Placement Tests. For general questions about Ellii&#39;s assessment content, view this related post: <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/ellii-assessments" target="_blank">How to Find Assessments on Ellii</a></em></p>

<h2>Ellii&#39;s Placement Test (<em>Autograded</em>)</h2>

<p>The <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/5606-ellii-placement-test-autograded" target="_blank">Ellii Placement Test </a>(autograded) is designed to help teachers or administrators&nbsp;determine the Ellii level of a new English language student. This short, autograded test does not include writing and speaking tasks.&nbsp;Students have&nbsp;<strong>30 minutes</strong>&nbsp;to complete the Ellii Placement Test. There is also a printable version with downloadable audio available if schools prefer this method.</p>

<p>The Ellii Placement Test (autograded) has 30 multiple-choice questions and is divided into 3 sections:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Part 1: Listening (3 recordings, 9 questions)<br />
Part 2: Grammar (12 questions)<br />
Part 3: Reading (3 readings, 9 questions)</p>
</blockquote>

<p>For the most accurate scoring, teachers should encourage&nbsp;students to skip questions they can&#39;t answer rather than guessing.</p>

<blockquote>
<p><strong>Score Range = Ellii Level</strong><br />
<br />
0-3% = Pre Beg<br />
4&ndash;17% = Low Beg<br />
18-40% = High Beg<br />
41-63% = Low Int<br />
64-83% = High Int<br />
84-97% = High Int &ndash; Adv<br />
98-100% = Adv</p>
</blockquote>

<p>After completing the assessment, students are assigned a score and suggested a level placement. This helps teachers decide which Ellii materials to use with their students.<br />
<br />
The type of level teachers&nbsp;see is based on the settings they have selected on their <strong>Account</strong> page (Ellii, CLB, CEFR, ELD, NRS). A percentage score will also be shown.</p>

<hr />
<h2>Ellii&#39;s Placement Test (<em>Speaking &amp; Writing</em>)</h2>

<p>The<a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/4226-ellii-placement-test-writing-speaking" target="_blank"> Ellii Placement Test (Writing &amp; Speaking)</a> assesses all four skills and is designed to help teachers determine the Ellii level of a new English language student. Teachers can also consult our&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/equivalencies">Equivalency Scale</a>&nbsp;to determine which materials are best suited for their&nbsp;students based on their level preference.</p>

<p>We recommend giving students a time limit of&nbsp;<strong>60 minutes</strong>&nbsp;to complete this test in order to get the most accurate level placement. If assigning the digital version, teachers can include this guideline as a note: &quot;Please use a maximum of 60 minutes to take this test. I will see the time taken after you submit your answers.&quot;</p>

<p>A printable version with suggested rubrics for the speaking and writing portion is available in the Teacher PDF. If students are taking the digital version, teachers may want to share expectations so students understand what they will be looking for in a response. There is also an <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/4798-ellii-placement-test-ireland">Irish version</a> of this test.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This test is divided into 5 sections:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Part 1: Listening (6 recordings, 12 questions, 20%)<br />
Part 2: Grammar (16 questions, 27%)<br />
Part 3: Reading (3 readings, 9 questions, 15%)<br />
Part 4: Writing (3 short answers, 1 long answer, 22%)<br />
Part 5: Speaking (1 long answer, 16%)</p>
</blockquote>

<p>For the most accurate scoring, students should be encouraged to skip questions they can&#39;t answer rather than guessing. Here is the suggested level placement for the full test with speaking and writing portions.</p>

<blockquote>
<p><strong>Score Range = Ellii Level</strong><br />
<br />
0-3% = Pre Beg<br />
4&ndash;17% = Low Beg<br />
18-40% = High Beg<br />
41-63% = Low Int<br />
64-83% = High Int<br />
84-97% = High Int &ndash; Adv<br />
98-100% = Adv</p>
</blockquote>

<p>The score and suggested level will help teachers decide which Ellii materials to use with their students. The type of level teachers see is&nbsp;based on the settings they have set up on their Account page (Ellii, CLB, CEFR, ELD, NRS). A percentage score will also be shown.&nbsp;</p>

<hr />
<h2>Ellii&#39;s Exit Test</h2>

<p>To assess students&#39; gains since they took the autograded <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/5606-ellii-placement-test-autograded" target="_blank">Ellii Placement Test</a> or to use an alternative version of the autograded Ellii Placement Test, teachers can assign the&nbsp;<a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/5607-ellii-exit-test-autograded">Ellii Exit Test</a>.&nbsp;This is an additional autograded proficiency test with different questions at the same difficulty and with the same number of questions as the autograded Ellii Placement Test. Some teachers also use it to deter cheating or to offer extra practice taking assessments. Students have 30 minutes to complete the test.&nbsp;</p>

<hr />
<h2>Ellii&#39;s Proficiency Level Account Settings</h2>

<p>Under <strong>Account</strong> settings (top right on Ellii), teachers can adjust their level preferences to the ones they want to see on the materials. Teachers choose the&nbsp;generic&nbsp;<strong>Ellii</strong> level (Pre Beg &ndash; Adv) with the option to add one of the following level systems:&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>

<blockquote>
<p><strong>Canadian Language Benchmarks: </strong>CLB 1&ndash;12<br />
<strong>Common European Framework: </strong>CEFR A0&ndash;C2<br />
<strong>English Language Development:&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong>ELD 1&ndash;6<br />
<strong>National Reporting System: </strong>NRS 1&ndash;6</p>
</blockquote>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/equivalencies" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4927/content_Screen_Shot_2025-09-18_at_1.54.43_PM.png" /></a></p>

<hr />
<h2>Ellii&#39;s Equivalency Scale</h2>

<p>If you want to know more about Ellii&#39;s levels, consider reviewing our <a href="https://ellii.com/equivalencies" target="_blank">Equivalency Scale</a>. You can find this comparison scale on the footer of the site.&nbsp;</p>

<hr />
<h2>Ellii Solo</h2>

<p>If your school has <a href="https://ellii.com/solo" target="_blank">Ellii Solo</a>, Ellii&#39;s self-study solution designed for pre-enrollment learning paths, computer lab programs, and independent learning initiatives, students will take the <strong>Ellii Placement Test </strong>when they first begin the program. This test is the same autograded test that teachers assign on Ellii. After taking the test, students will be directed to ready-made pathways of self-study packs and courses most appropriate for their level. The proficiency level will be displayed the way the administrator has chosen (e.g., Ellii + CLB).<br />
<br />
<img alt="Ellii Solo Level" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4928/content_Screen_Shot_2025-09-18_at_3.25.40_PM.png" /><br />
Students must complete a pathway or retake the placement test in order to unlock higher-level pathways.&nbsp;<br />
<img alt="Ellii Solo Pathways" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4929/content_Screen_Shot_2025-09-18_at_3.35.56_PM.png" /></p>

<p>Students using Ellii Solo can also access the&nbsp;Library if they choose to explore courses, packs, and videos&nbsp;without using the guided pathways.</p>

<p><img alt="Ellii Solo Navigation bar" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4930/content_Screen_Shot_2025-09-18_at_3.37.18_PM.png" />We hope <a href="https://ellii.com/resources/assessment-tools" target="_blank">Ellii&#39;s diagnostic assessments</a> help you and your learners find the content and courseware you need to ensure proficiency success!</p>


All about the Ellii Placement Test

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<h1>The ultimate all-in-one platform for ELT teacherpreneurs</h1>

<p>Years ago, I was teaching English at a university an hour&rsquo;s drive from my home. Luckily, I had three English-teacher friends all commuting to the same city. Our daily carpool conversations usually revolved around classroom dilemmas and teaching methodology. Very often, while brainstorming our lesson plans, one of us would say, &ldquo;Ellii has the perfect lesson for that!&rdquo; or &ldquo;Today is an Ellii day!&rdquo; (Of course, back then, it was ESL&nbsp;Library, but you get the idea.)&nbsp;Ellii was the most popular resource in school.</p>

<p>When I left classroom teaching and became an independent &ldquo;teacherpreneur,&rdquo; turning to Ellii was a no-brainer.&nbsp;<strong>Here&rsquo;s why Ellii has everything I need to run my teaching business</strong>.</p>

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/1107880312" width="640"></iframe></div>

<h2>Engaging, ready-made lessons for every student</h2>

<p>Like many independent teachers, my students range widely in age and level on any given day. I always count on Ellii to meet each student&rsquo;s needs and interests.</p>

<p>When a shy middle school student came to her first 1:1 lesson terrified to speak English, Ellii&rsquo;s <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/true-grammar-stories">True Grammar Stories</a> got her excited to discuss trailblazers like Ruby Bridges and fascinating places like Chile&rsquo;s Marble Caves.</p>

<p>When a socioeconomics student felt &ldquo;stuck&rdquo; expressing her opinions, Ellii&rsquo;s <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/discussion-starters">Discussion Starters</a> lesson on <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2775-universal-basic-income">Universal Basic Income</a> gave her the language to communicate more deeply on a real-world topic that truly mattered to her.</p>

<p>When the cashier at a convenience store in Cyprus asked me to explain the present perfect tense, I pulled up Ellii&rsquo;s <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/1597-present-perfect">Present Perfect</a> Grammar Practice Worksheet&nbsp;on my phone for an impromptu grammar lesson. He responded, &ldquo;You just clarified in five minutes something that has confused me my whole life!&rdquo;</p>

<p>Ellii offers a massive library of&nbsp;<strong>high-quality, ready-made lessons</strong>, interactive games, engaging videos, and more&mdash;with new materials added daily. Ellii&rsquo;s content isn&rsquo;t just interesting and current; it&rsquo;s designed by real teachers to foster meaningful language encounters and genuine human connection.</p>

<p><img alt="Search results for &quot;travel&quot; showing 210 results in Lessons &amp; Resources" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4832/content_Lesson-Search.png" /></p>

<h2>Super simple class management</h2>

<h3>Student accounts</h3>

<p>As a private teacher, I need a simple system to keep track of everyone and give each student a personalized learning experience. Ellii&rsquo;s <strong>built-in LMS</strong> (Learning Management System) is perfect for this.&nbsp;Ellii offers an <a href="https://ellii.com/pricing"><strong>affordable Individual plan</strong></a> that comes with 35 student licenses.&nbsp;Students can be placed into an unlimited number of classes. I can create a class for one specific student or add multiple students to the same class.</p>

<h3>Drag-and-drop lesson prep</h3>

<p>With Ellii&rsquo;s kanban-style&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/blog/try-class-prepping-with-elliis-lesson-planner"><strong>Lesson Planner</strong></a>, class prep is a breeze. I just drag and drop content into the Prepping, Teaching, or Taught lanes to get ready for upcoming classes, assign tasks to my students, and keep track of what&rsquo;s been done. I have full control over the timing and pace of each student&rsquo;s learning journey. My business students appreciate a structured, intentional flow of exercises. My grammar fanatics love having a curated collection of tasks to tackle. And my conversation students enjoy seeing connected topics and feeling a sense of progress in their language development.</p>

<p><img alt="Ellii's drag-and-drop Lesson Planner showing lessons in the Prepping, Teaching, and Taught lanes" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4833/content_Lesson-Planner.png" /></p>

<h3>Flexible organization</h3>

<p>Whenever I&rsquo;m browsing Ellii&rsquo;s content library, something always catches my eye. I can quickly &ldquo;<strong>like</strong>&rdquo; lessons or save content to customizable&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/folders"><strong>Folders</strong></a>. I can also create <a href="https://ellii.com/flashcard_sets"><strong>Flashcard Sets</strong></a> to share with my students. Whether I&rsquo;m planning days ahead or pulling things together last minute, Ellii keeps me organized.</p>

<h3>Streamlined grading &amp; feedback</h3>

<p>Ellii&rsquo;s&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/blog/introducing-grade-feed"><strong>Grade Feed</strong></a>&nbsp;also makes it easy to monitor and support my students&rsquo; progress. I can leave meaningful feedback with stars, written comments, and&mdash;my personal favorite&mdash;audio responses. When I&rsquo;m pressed for time or just need a little inspiration, the suggested responses (created by an Ellii writer) and&nbsp;<strong>Ellii Bot</strong> (built-in AI assistant)&nbsp;are lifesavers.</p>

<p><img alt="Ellii's Grade Feed showing a student's answer and Ellii Bot's suggested response" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4834/content_Grade-Feed.png" /></p>

<h3>Built-in support &amp; professional development</h3>

<p>Teachers spend hours a day connecting with students, but running an independent teaching business can still feel isolating. Over the years, I&rsquo;ve leaned on Ellii for support and guidance.</p>

<p>Ellii is built by teachers, for teachers. Beyond great lesson content, Ellii supports teachers with a weekly&nbsp;newsletter, a huge library of&nbsp;teacher resources, and tons of&nbsp;tutorials, demo videos, and practical&nbsp;teaching tips. When I&rsquo;m looking for a curated sequence of lessons, I turn to Ellii&rsquo;s ready-made&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/packs/?page=1"><strong>Courses</strong>&nbsp;<strong>&amp;</strong>&nbsp;<strong>Study Packs</strong></a>. When I&rsquo;m not sure what to teach next, I check the <a href="https://ellii.com/discover"><strong>Discover page</strong></a> and <a href="https://ellii.com/calendar"><strong>Lesson Calendar</strong></a> for fresh content and timely topics. If I&rsquo;m ever stuck on how to break down a tricky language point, I head to the&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/blog"><strong>blog</strong></a>&mdash;it&rsquo;s full of expert insights and inspiring stories from the Ellii team and guest writers from the English teaching community.</p>

<h2>Teacher webinars</h2>

<p>And coming soon, Ellii is launching a brand-new<strong>&nbsp;webinar series for independent teachers</strong>!&nbsp;Join our free, practical sessions led by experienced educators who understand the unique challenges of private teaching. Register now for one of our&nbsp;upcoming webinars on <a href="https://www.crowdcast.io/c/teachwithellii-aug28" target="_blank"><strong>August 28 at 2:00 pm ET</strong></a> or <a href="https://www.crowdcast.io/c/teachwithellii-aug29" target="_blank"><strong>August 29 at 11:00 am ET</strong></a>.</p>

<p>Discover how Ellii can be your full teaching tool kit&mdash;everything you need to help your business thrive!</p>


Run Your Independent Teaching Business with Ellii

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<p>Have you heard the talk of the town? Ellii&nbsp;has a new <strong><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/conversation-phrases-course/materials">Conversation Phrases</a></strong> course!&nbsp;</p>

<p data-end="438" data-start="251">This video-based course is designed to help students improve their speaking&nbsp;skills and&nbsp;focuses on <strong>reduced pronunciation</strong> for more natural, fluent speech.</p>

<p data-end="745" data-start="440">Throughout the course, students will become familiar with <strong>useful, everyday phrases</strong> they can use to greet people, make plans, make small talk, talk about preferences, and wrap up a conversation. Each video lesson also leads students through oral reduced pronunciation practice and provides opportunities for speaking in a guided conversation.&nbsp;</p>

<p data-end="745" data-start="440">By the end of this course, students will gain the confidence they need to <strong>interact comfortably</strong> in various everyday conversations.</p>

<p data-end="807" data-start="747">Watch the <strong>introductory video</strong> from this course to learn more:</p>

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/1098554567" width="640"></iframe></div>

<p data-end="859" data-start="811">The course includes the following <strong>lesson topics</strong>:</p>

<ul data-end="1010" data-start="861">
	<li>How to Start a Conversation</li>
	<li>How to End a Conversation</li>
	<li>How to Make Plans</li>
	<li>How to Make Small Talk</li>
	<li>How to Talk about Likes &amp; Dislikes</li>
</ul>

<p data-end="1371" data-start="1012">Each video-based lesson introduces 12 to 15 <strong>common, conversational phrases</strong> grouped into four sets of questions and responses. Students will hear natural examples of colloquial phrases and expressions, practice reduced pronunciation, and role-play guided conversations. The final video also teaches students how to agree and disagree with someone in a conversation.</p>

<p data-end="1542" data-start="1373">This&nbsp;course includes two digital <strong>assessments</strong> (a mid-course and final assessment) and an optional speaking task that teachers would need&nbsp;to review and score manually.</p>

<p data-end="1693" data-start="1544">You can find our new&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/packs/conversation-phrases-course/materials"><strong data-end="1605" data-start="1557">Conversation Phrases</strong></a>&nbsp;course in the&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/packs/?category=2&amp;page=1">Life Skills</a> section in&nbsp;Ellii&#39;s&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/packs/?page=1">Courses &amp; Study Packs</a>.</p>

<p data-end="1842" data-start="1695">From the course page, you can easily click the <a href="https://ellii.com/packs/conversation-phrases-course/materials">&quot;Add to class&quot;</a> button to assign lessons to your students right away or schedule them through your <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/try-class-prepping-with-elliis-lesson-planner">Lesson Planner</a>.</p>

<p data-end="1979" data-start="1844">Don&rsquo;t forget to check out the <a href="https://ellii.com/packs/conversation-phrases-course/materials">Materials</a>, <a href="https://ellii.com/packs/conversation-phrases-course/overview">Overview</a>, and <a href="https://ellii.com/packs/conversation-phrases-course/notes">Teachers&#39; Notes</a>&nbsp;tabs&nbsp;for helpful resources and teaching suggestions.</p>

<p data-end="2119" data-start="2104">We hope you and your students enjoy this new type of course!</p>


Introducing Ellii's New Conversation Phrases Course

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<p>If you&rsquo;re a teacher using Ellii, you&rsquo;ve likely already met our trusty assistant:&nbsp;<a href="https://help.ellii.com/article/267-how-to-use-the-grade-feed">Ellii Bot</a>. This tool helps you save time by auto-scoring student answers and writing personalized feedback on their Writing and Speaking tasks.</p>

<p>We&rsquo;ve heard your feedback, and we&rsquo;ve been listening closely. Teachers have told us they love the time-saving magic of Ellii Bot, but they have also noticed a few things that could be better.</p>

<p>So we&#39;ve rolled up our sleeves and made Ellii Bot even smarter.</p>

<h2>Smarter scoring, more consistent feedback</h2>

<p>Have you ever seen a student&rsquo;s answers get scores that felt a bit too high or too low compared to others on the same task? Or noticed&nbsp;Ellii Bot was a little too focused on matching the Answer Key perfectly?</p>

<p>That&rsquo;s because, in the past, Ellii Bot looked at each Writing or Speaking question individually&nbsp;without considering the full context of the task or the lesson. And it treated the Answer Key like the only possible correct response, which sometimes made things feel a bit too rigid.</p>

<p>For example, students are given the following instructions:&nbsp;Rewrite the sentence. There is a mistake in each sentence. Find the mistake and then rewrite the sentence correctly.</p>

<p><strong><img alt="" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4787/content_image-1-2.png" /></strong></p>

<p>The result? Inconsistent scoring and feedback that didn&rsquo;t always reflect your teaching goals&mdash;or your students&rsquo; true understanding.</p>

<p><strong><img alt="" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4788/content_image-3-4.png" /></strong></p>

<p>The new Ellii Bot changes that. It now reads and scores&nbsp;<b>all of a student&rsquo;s answers together</b>, which leads to&nbsp;<b>more consistent scoring</b>&nbsp;across the full task. It understands how the questions connect and evaluates them as a whole, just like a teacher would.</p>

<p>And when it comes to Answer Keys, Ellii Bot now treats them as&nbsp;<b>one of many valid reference answers</b>&nbsp;rather than as a strict standard. It uses the key as a helpful guide, but focuses on whether the student&rsquo;s answer is strong and appropriate on its terms.</p>

<h2>Context matters&mdash;and Ellii Bot knows it</h2>

<p>Before giving any feedback, the new Ellii Bot now reads and understands the&nbsp;<b>lesson</b>. This means it knows what your students are supposed to be focusing on&mdash;and tailors its scoring and feedback accordingly:</p>

<ul>
	<li>In a&nbsp;<b>grammar </b>lesson, it emphasizes language accuracy.</li>
	<li>In a&nbsp;<b>topic-based </b>lesson, it prioritizes comprehension and relevant content.</li>
	<li>For <strong>personal</strong>&nbsp;<b>opinion </b>questions, it can recognize thoughtful, on-topic responses&mdash;even when there&rsquo;s no single correct answer.</li>
</ul>

<h2>Simplified feedback&nbsp;based on student level</h2>

<p>Students are not all the same; they are at&nbsp;different levels, even when we are teaching the same lesson. Feedback is now&nbsp;<b>adapted to the learner&rsquo;s level</b>, making it more accessible, supportive, and appropriate for each stage of their learning journey.</p>

<p><strong><img alt="" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4789/content_image-5.png" /></strong></p>

<p>Even though both classes are working on the same intermediate-level lesson, Bicycles,&nbsp;beginner students are performing above their current level, while advanced students are working below theirs, which can result in lower scores for the more advanced group.</p>

<p><strong><img alt="" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4790/content_image-6-7.png" /></strong></p>

<ul>
	<li><b>Beginner students</b>&nbsp;now receive&nbsp;<b>shorter, simpler</b>&nbsp;comments with clear and encouraging language.</li>
	<li><b>More advanced students</b>&nbsp;get&nbsp;<b>deeper, more detailed</b>&nbsp;feedback that challenges their thinking and supports further growth.</li>
</ul>

<p>This thoughtful approach helps ensure students understand and benefit from the feedback without being overwhelmed by it.</p>

<h2>Built to empower teachers&mdash;not replace them</h2>

<p>We recognize the importance of the human connection between teachers and learners. AI will never replace the insight, empathy, or guidance of a teacher. Instead, our goal is to build tools that&nbsp;<b>support your work,&nbsp;</b>freeing you to focus on what matters most: fostering student growth.</p>

<p>Read more about our philosophy at&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/ai">ellii.com/ai</a></p>

<p>The new Ellii Bot is designed to be a helpful partner, making your day a little easier and your feedback process more efficient and aligned with your goals.</p>

<p>We&rsquo;re excited to keep improving it&mdash;and we&rsquo;re so grateful to the educators who help shape the tools we build.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Got feedback? We&rsquo;re always listening, and we count on you to help us keep getting better.</p>
</blockquote>


Ellii Bot Just Got Smarter

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<p>You may know that there are more than 600 long-form videos in <a href="https://ellii.com/media/videos">Ellii&#39;s Media Gallery</a>, but were you aware that we also have a lot of short-form videos?&nbsp;We recently released our <strong>150th short</strong> on Ellii&#39;s social media channels and app, so what better time&nbsp;to discuss how you can make use of all this bite-sized content in class?</p>

<h2>Where can I find Ellii&#39;s shorts?</h2>

<h3>YouTube</h3>

<p>Have you seen Ellii&#39;s&nbsp;<strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@ellii/featured">YouTube channel for students</a></strong>? We post weekly shorts&nbsp;on YouTube&mdash;usually one or two per week. We make shorts on all kinds of topics, including grammar, vocabulary, idioms, phrasal verbs, pronunciation,&nbsp;listening, and speaking.</p>

<p>Go to&nbsp;the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@ellii/shorts"><strong>Shorts&nbsp;tab</strong></a> from our home page (or just click on the following image) to see them all.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@ellii/shorts"><img alt="Image of shorts index page on Ellii's YouTube channel for students" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4736/content_Youtube-Channel-Shorts.png" /></a></p>

<p>We also have our long-form <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@ellii/videos">videos</a> organized by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@ellii/playlists">playlists</a> on our channel, as well as a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@ellii/community">community posts</a> area where we regularly pose questions to students about grammar, vocabulary, idioms, etc.</p>

<p>In case you missed it, we also have a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@elliiteachers">YouTube channel for teachers</a>!</p>

<h3>Instagram</h3>

<p>We also regularly post reels to our Instagram channel for students, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/elliienglish/reels/">@elliienglish</a>. Reels are often shared as stories as well so that students can easily find our&nbsp;new content.</p>

<p>Go to the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/elliienglish/reels/"><strong>Reels&nbsp;tab</strong></a> on our home page to view them all.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/elliienglish/reels/"><img alt="Image of reels index on Ellii's Instagram for students account" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4735/content_Instagram-Reels.png" /></a></p>

<p>Looking for our Instagram account for teacher? Find it&nbsp;here: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/esllibrary/">@esllibrary</a></p>

<h3>Ellii Solo/English App</h3>

<p>Did you know we have a self-study add-on to Ellii called <a href="https://ellii.com/solo">Ellii Solo</a> that schools or libraries can purchase for pre-enrollment programs or computer labs?&nbsp;We also have a self-study app (called <a href="https://www.englishapp.com/">English App</a>) that&nbsp;students can purchase on their own. Both Ellii Solo and English App&nbsp;offer mini-courses,&nbsp;study packs, and a vocabulary bank&nbsp;for self-study along with videos and shorts for extra learning.</p>

<p>Once you&#39;re inside the <a href="https://www.englishapp.com/">app</a>&nbsp;(when using Ellii Solo or English App), go to <strong>Videos</strong> on the bottom menu, and then select&nbsp;<strong>&quot;View all&quot;</strong> to scroll through our library of shorts.</p>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/solo"><img alt="Image of video landing page for Ellii Solo / English App" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4725/content_App-Video-Feed.jpg" /></a></p>

<h2>How can I use Ellii&#39;s shorts in class?</h2>

<p>Now that you know where to find them, what can you do with them in class? Here are a few ideas you could use them for:</p>

<h3>1. Introduce or review&nbsp;a target</h3>

<p>Use a related short as a fun introduction to a grammar, vocabulary, or pronunciation target or to do a quick review of it the next day. For example, if you&#39;re about to start&nbsp;a unit on Travel English, you could use our <a href="https://youtu.be/cCQUp73awL4?si=-vCaU8_yqcCexmOP">Airport Vocabulary</a> short to introduce the topic and elicit vocabulary.&nbsp;You could also assign it as homework.</p>

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/990227625" width="640"></iframe></div>

<p>Curious how you can search for the topic you want? Never fear! We&#39;ll cover how to search for a specific topic in the next section of this post.</p>

<h3>2. Expand on a target</h3>

<p>No matter what skill you&#39;re teaching, we probably have a short (or five) that expands on that topic. For example, if you&#39;re teaching your students how to pronounce the /m/ sound,&nbsp;you could use our <a href="https://youtu.be/eUJ1Afz2Sf0?si=HiVGbfp3yumvvFYS">short comparing the three nasal sounds</a> to see if they can&nbsp;distinguish /m/ from&nbsp;the other nasal sounds in English.</p>

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/1090980404" width="640"></iframe></div>

<h3>3. Answer questions that come up&nbsp;in class</h3>

<p>We often cover tricky topics such as commonly confused words or grammar exceptions in our shorts. We all know students love asking the tough questions about exceptions to a rule, so why not answer these in a fun, visual way? Check out this example that <a href="https://youtu.be/rgr_AEJZtjs?si=VDOJE7jMSptW37Dg">compares &quot;compliment&quot; and &quot;complement.&quot;</a></p>

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/1065624880" width="640"></iframe></div>

<h3>4. Use shorts as a basis for a pair activity or presentation topic</h3>

<p>Get your students to scroll through our shorts for homework and pick one that they didn&#39;t know about. The next day, have them teach a partner, group, or even the whole class about what they&#39;ve learned. After all, the best way to learn something really well is to teach it! Here&#39;s an example with <a href="https://youtu.be/V1QA6y7vWHU?si=NzdxwPBd0qoOdn24">&quot;prefer&quot; and &quot;rather&quot;</a>&nbsp;that would work well as a presentation topic.</p>

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/1084808845" width="640"></iframe></div>

<h3>5. Use them to keep faster students from getting bored</h3>

<p>In any class, there will always be students who complete an assignment more quickly than others. Having them watch shorts while they wait for their peers to finish up is a fun, engaging task they&#39;ll enjoy. If they don&#39;t have earbuds or headphones at hand, you can have them mute the audio because all of our shorts have closed captions on YouTube and Instagram. (Captions on our app and Ellii Solo are coming soon!)</p>

<p>For example, they might enjoy this popular short on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/7b1NKPtrutQ?feature=share">&quot;especially&quot; and &quot;specially.&quot;</a></p>

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/989656485" width="640"></iframe></div>

<h3>6. Use them for extra practice</h3>

<p>Shorts are also great for extra practice on a topic a student is struggling with or is asking about. For example, if a student keeps making mistakes with articles, you could have them watch one or all of our shorts on <a href="https://youtu.be/lC9UsaCV-20?si=CoSV7TlWGBR8wOpK">articles</a>.</p>

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/989124592" width="640"></iframe></div>

<h3>7. Use them as a review before teaching</h3>

<p>Sometimes we all need a little refresher, especially when it comes to more advanced grammar targets. Our shorts might even inspire you to teach or present something in a new way. As an example, here&#39;s a good way to&nbsp;teach students <a href="https://youtu.be/WRzQc-SaVpM?si=IdilcxGkuKmouecz">how to use &quot;however</a>&quot; in writing.</p>

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/1082695695" width="640"></iframe></div>

<h2>Can I search through Ellii&#39;s shorts by topic/target?</h2>

<p>If you want students to do one short per day or random shorts during a study break, there may be no need to search for a specific topic. But if you&#39;re looking for quick teaching tips on something specific, such as a particular pronunciation or grammar target, what&#39;s the best way to&nbsp;search through Ellii&#39;s shorts?</p>

<p>The easiest way is to use our <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@ellii/shorts">student YouTube channel</a>. Instagram doesn&#39;t show titles, which makes searching more difficult (though we&#39;ve tried our best to make the topic clear in the thumbnails). And though there are filters on English App/Ellii Solo for long videos, our shorts are not filtered just yet (that&#39;s coming in a later phase, though). That&#39;s why <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@ellii/shorts">YouTube</a> is your best bet for search, followed by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/elliienglish/reels/">Instagram</a>.</p>

<h3>YouTube</h3>

<p>To search for a topic on YouTube, go to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/@ellii">our channel&#39;s home page</a> and look for the&nbsp;search bar in the tabs on the home page (below the banner). Enter your keywords there, and YouTube will display results only from our&nbsp;channel. Don&#39;t be confused by the main search bar at the top of the page (above the banner)&mdash;that search will give you results from all of YouTube, not just Ellii.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@ellii/featured"><img alt="Image of search field on Ellii's YouTube for students channel" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4726/content_Youtube-Channel-Search.jpg" /></a></p>

<h3>Instagram</h3>

<p>While you can&#39;t search for a specific target as well as you can on YouTube, you can filter by general topic (grammar, pronunciation, idioms, etc.) in the highlights area on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/elliienglish/reels/">Ellii&#39;s Instagram page</a>. Within these highlights are all our reels from 2025 grouped by topic that you can quickly flip through or watch one after the other. Note that the story highlight&nbsp;cuts off after a certain amount of time, but you can select &quot;watch full reel&quot; within any story to see the whole thing.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/elliienglish/reels/"><img alt="Image of highlights area on Ellii's Instagram for students account" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4734/content_Instagram-Highlights.png" /></a></p>

<h2>Conclusion</h2>

<p>With Ellii&#39;s short-form videos, you have a lot of quick and easily digestible&nbsp;content at your fingertips. We hope our shorts and reels&nbsp;will be useful for both you and your students!</p>

<blockquote>How have you used Ellii&#39;s shorts in class? Share your experience with us in a comment below, or let us know if there&#39;s a target you&#39;d like us to cover in a short.&nbsp;We love taking requests!</blockquote>


How to Use Ellii's Shorts in Class

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

Articles

<p>Once upon a time, literacy skills referred to reading and writing. However,&nbsp;we now access and process information in multiple ways, not simply through interpreting texts. Therefore, we need to support learners to develop multiple literacy skills to help them navigate the world successfully.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In this post, I&#39;ll explore the more complex and intertwined nature of the various literacies learners need, and how to integrate them into the English language classroom.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Multiliteracies</strong></h2>

<p>There are various interpretations and classifications of multiple literacies. These depend on the organization and their&nbsp;goals. These&nbsp;often include literacies such as: &nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>Textual Literacy (also referred to as Reading and Writing Literacy)</li>
	<li>Critical Literacy (the abilility to think critically and&nbsp;question sources of&nbsp;information)</li>
	<li>Information Literacy (aka Media Literacy)</li>
	<li>Visual Literacy&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Digital Literacy, which could also include Social Media and AI Literacy</li>
	<li>Financial Literacy</li>
	<li>Mathematical or Numerical Literacy (aka Numeracy)</li>
	<li>Global Literacy (aka Intercultural, Cultural, or Social Literacy)</li>
</ul>

<p>In some ways, there is crossover between life skills development and multiliteracy development. For example, mathematical literacy could also be referred to as math or numeracy skills. Likewise, visual literacy requires other skills such as critical thinking, interpretation, and creativity.&nbsp;</p>

<p>You can read more about life skills development here:&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/top-tips-for-incorporating-life-skills-into-your-classroom">6 Tips for Incorporating Life Skills into Your English Language Lessons</a></p>

<h2><strong>Multimodal&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>The information we interact with today is multimodal. Therefore, in order to prepare learners for the real world, we need to equip them with a variety of literacy skills to interpret&nbsp;and use it successfully and responsibly.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Here are some examples of the different modes of information sources:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>Photos</li>
	<li>Videos</li>
	<li>Infographics</li>
	<li>Diagrams &amp; Graphs</li>
	<li>Illustrations &amp; Artwork</li>
</ul>

<p>Students can be guided to develop their skills in understanding,&nbsp;interpreting, and creating the content within these information sources. In order to do so, they will need to use multiple literacies.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Luckily for teachers, many resources are already full of multimodal texts. For example, let&#39;s use some of Ellii&#39;s money-themed lessons.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Word Bank Readers: At the Bank&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>At first, learners watch the video. They use their textual literacy skills to read the subtitles and write down notes. As they watch, they use their visual literacy skills to follow the story of Sheila going to the bank. After watching, they might discuss what problems Sheila had and how she solved them, utilizing their financial, digital, critical, and social&nbsp;literacy skills. They could personalize this further by comparing alternative ways to do this, such as using their digital skills to bank online. To incorporate global skills, they could investigate currencies or banking differences around the world.&nbsp;</p>

<p>You can access this lesson here:<strong>&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://ellii.com/video/a-trip-to-the-bank">https://ellii.com/video/a-trip-to-the-bank</a></p>

<p>As extension tasks, learners could use their digital literacy&nbsp;to work through the tasks in their Ellii Classroom.&nbsp;</p>

<p>They could also:</p>

<ul>
	<li>activate their global and visual literacy by discussing this intriguing photo prompt: <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/3956-money-money-money">Money, Money, Money</a></li>
</ul>

<p><img alt="Ellii Money Money Money Photo Prompt" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4690/content_photo-prompt-money-money-money-Ellii.jpg" /></p>

<ul>
	<li>use textual and visual&nbsp;literacy to watch and take notes of this self-study video:&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/video/at-the-bank">At the Bank</a></li>
	<li>Explore their financial literacy more with this lesson on <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/1210-retirement-savings">Retirement Savings</a></li>
	<li>Have them use their digital and media literacy skills to create a vlog, podcast, or blog on the topic</li>
</ul>

<h2><strong>Multisensory</strong></h2>

<p>The multimodal nature of information consumption is a multisensory process. Learners will interact with the content using a range of senses. This can help them to learn through doing as well as keeping them motivated by adding variety and movement&nbsp;to classroom activities. For example:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>listening to a story</li>
	<li>reading a text</li>
	<li>talking to a partner about the topic</li>
	<li>writing notes or an article</li>
	<li>performing a role-play</li>
	<li>smelling or tasting food from a recipe they followed</li>
	<li>creating a poster or information board</li>
</ul>

<h2><strong>Multicultural</strong></h2>

<p>English language classes are often multicultural. Our learners bring a wonderfully unique blend of beliefs, experiences, cultures, and backgrounds to class. Helping them to develop their social, emotional, and global literacies aid intercultural understanding and can facilitate some interesting real-world discussions.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Here are some Ellii materials&nbsp;you might want to use to incorporate global literacies:&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/easy-news-stories">Easy News Stories:</a> These simple news articles cover a range of real-world topics. They are perfect for having students consider unfamiliar cultures, learn about global challenges. and consider ways that they can make the world a better place.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/media/videos/current-events">Associated Press Videos:</a> These short video clips cover diverse topics such as <a href="https://ellii.com/video/k-pop-exhibition-in-london-museum">K-pop culture</a>, <a href="https://ellii.com/video/stranger-things-stars-open-up-about-mental-health">mental health</a>, and <a href="https://ellii.com/video/india-s-hindus-celebrate-colorful-holi-festival">religious festivals</a>. Students will enjoy using their visual and media literacy skills to explore authentic topics of social, emotional, and global importance.&nbsp;</p>

<p>You may also be interested in this blog post on <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/social-emotional-learning">social-emotional learning</a>, which shares some ways to develop learners&#39; social and emotional literacies.&nbsp;</p>

<p>We also highly recommend watching this video of Nik Peachey&#39;s session on Multimodality in the English Language Teaching and Learning&nbsp;at the APPI Conference in Portugal.</p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ky_tP7FM4fw?si=tqKDSL8hJ6kqvKjw" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p>

<blockquote>
<p>What experience do you have of incorporating multiliteracies into the classroom? Which ones do you feel are particularly important to your learners? We&#39;d love to know your thoughts, ideas, and tips in the comments.&nbsp;</p>
</blockquote>


The Multimodal, Multisensory, Multicultural Power of Multiliteracy Learning

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<p>Putting&nbsp;learners at the center of their learning experience is absolutely critical for successful teaching. It helps us&nbsp;plan lessons on topics that interest them, which, in turn, helps them to stay motivated and achieve their goals. It also shows our learners that we care about them, have their best interests at heart, and have considered their needs.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In this blog post, I&#39;ll explore some ways to get to know your learners better, whether on the first day of class or throughout the term.&nbsp;</p>

<h1><strong>Learn their names</strong></h1>

<p>This sounds super basic, but it is one of the most important ways to show that you care about every individual learner. <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/1211-your-name" target="_blank">Your name</a> is a core part of who you are, so hearing it said correctly makes you feel valued. On the flip side, when someone gets it wrong, it can be annoying or even make us feel unimportant. Therefore, we have to take time to learn every student&#39;s name.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As language teachers who teach learners from around the world, we may often have to learn new and unfamiliar names. It can be helpful to use name badges, write students&#39; names&nbsp;on the board, or have a seating plan to refer to until you have committed their names&nbsp;to memory.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It is especially important to get the spelling and pronunciation correct. Don&#39;t be afraid to ask for clarification on how to say someone&#39;s name. They&#39;ll appreciate that you are trying to get it right.&nbsp;</p>

<p>To help you remember names, you can use Ellii&#39;s printable <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2209-class-list%C2%A0">Class List</a>. This handy chart&nbsp;also&nbsp;has a column for &quot;preferred name&quot; in case students prefer to use a nickname or shortened version of their name. You may also want to try this popular Ellii Poll about <a href="https://app.ellii.com/gather/polls/names" target="_blank">Names</a>.</p>

<p><img alt="Ellii Class List" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4681/content_Class-list-Ellii.png" /></p>

<h1><strong>Use introduction activities</strong></h1>

<p>The first days of class are critical for making a good impression and getting to know your learners. They are an opportunity to find out your learners&#39; language level, skills, interests, and goals. They are also a great excuse to have a bit of fun, <a href="https://ellii.com/collections/academic-subjects/communication-skills/getting-acquainted" target="_blank">help learners get to know each other</a>, and instantly start using their language skills to communicate.&nbsp;</p>

<p>One activity&nbsp;I love (which also&nbsp;helps the class learn each other&#39;s names)&nbsp;is a simple ball game. Have students stand in a circle. One student calls out a classmate&#39;s name, asks a question of their choice&nbsp;(e.g., What is your favorite sport?), and then throws the ball to the person whose name they called. That person then answers the question, calls another classmate&#39;s name, asks another question, and throws the ball. This continues until everyone has had a turn and has learned&nbsp;a few facts about each other.&nbsp;</p>

<p>You can find&nbsp;ideas for activities to do on the first day of class here:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/4-fun-ways-to-warm-up-a-new-class">4 Fun Activities to Warm Up a New Class</a></li>
</ul>

<h1><strong>Build relationships</strong></h1>

<p>Getting to know your learners isn&#39;t just an&nbsp;activity for the first week of class. Developing strong rapport with them happens over time. Taking&nbsp;note of topics that interest them and then using these to choose future lessons will be appreciated by learners.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The language classroom has many opportunities for learners to share their interests. These will undoubtedly come up in conversation organically. However, you can also build in time at the beginning or end of lessons for relaxed &quot;small-talk&quot; conversations.&nbsp;</p>

<p>For example, you could set aside the first five minutes of a lesson for learners to share:</p>

<ul>
	<li>something exciting&nbsp;they did recently</li>
	<li>something they are planning to do&nbsp;</li>
	<li>something interesting they read online</li>
</ul>

<p>Relaxed discussions such as these are a great way for&nbsp;students to practice their conversation skills and for you to get to know them better.&nbsp;</p>

<p>You could also try these materials&nbsp;from&nbsp;Ellii:</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/1749-making-small-talk">Making Small Talk</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/mini-debates">Mini-Debates</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resources/warm-ups-fillers">Warm-Ups &amp; Fillers</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/3351-conversation-questions-group-digital" target="_blank">Conversation Questions</a></li>
</ul>

<p><img alt="Getting Acquainted screenshot" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4677/content_getting-aquainted-Ellii.png" /></p>

<h1><strong>Create individual learning plans&nbsp;</strong></h1>

<p>Individual learning plans (ILPs) are a great way to get to know learners. They allow students time to reflect on their current skills, prior learning,&nbsp;language level, goals, and ways to achieve those goals.</p>

<p>You can use ILPs in class to have students think about their learning. Although ILPs are&nbsp;personal by nature, it can also be impactful for learners to share their ideas, goals, helpful resources, and learning strategies with each other. Use your discretion to decide if&nbsp;this could work with your particular learners.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Check out one of <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2127-my-language-goals">Ellii&#39;s ILPs</a>:</p>

<p><img alt="My Language Goals screenshot" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4680/content_My-language-goals-2-Ellii.png" /></p>

<p><img alt="My Information Continued screenshot" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4679/content_My-language-goals-1-Ellii.png" /></p>

<h1><strong>Use visual storytelling techniques</strong></h1>

<p>Using visual metaphors can be a fun way to help learners&nbsp;think about their learning. You can draw these, use Ellii&#39;s flashcards, or look for copyright-free icons online.</p>

<p>Here are some ideas for visual metaphors:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>use a road map, pathway, or river to have students think about the distance they have traveled and where they would like to be in their language-learning journey</li>
	<li>use a target with arrows to have students think about their goals and how to achieve them&nbsp;</li>
	<li>use a seed, a sapling, a small tree, and a fully grown tree to signify their current level of skills&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<p>You can find more ideas on how to implement these suggestions using Ellii&#39;s flashcards&nbsp;in this blog post:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/twelve-ellii-flashcards-for-reflection">12 Ellii Flashcards for Planning &amp; Reflection</a></li>
</ul>

<blockquote>
<p>These are just a few ways to get to know your learners. What has worked for you? Share your ideas in the comments.&nbsp;</p>
</blockquote>


Getting to Know Your Learners: Supercharging Learner-Centered Teaching

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