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Teaching with Ellii

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

Articles

<p><em>This article is part of a series of posts highlighting our community of teachers around the world. We hope you find their stories interesting and inspiring!</em></p>

<p>Keke never planned on becoming a teacher. She first worked as an actress and pursued a career in broadcasting; however,&nbsp;her plans changed in 2005&nbsp;when she got the chance to teach in Japan. She&rsquo;s now been a teacher for 14 years.</p>

<p>&ldquo;I have really enjoyed teaching. It is wonderful to teach students from all nationalities, backgrounds, and different age groups.&rdquo;</p>

<p><img alt="A woman in a classroom writing on a whiteboard while students sit at their desks." src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1669/content_Picture_for_ESLlibrary_8.jpg" /></p>

<p class="caption">Here, Keke is pictured teaching pre-pandemic.</p>

<p>Currently, she&rsquo;s situated&nbsp;in Guadalajara, Mexico and is teaching online. In addition to teaching English as a Second Language, she also teaches Spanish, American Sign Language, and Mexican Sign Language. Her students vary in level and age, ranging from elementary school age to adults.</p>

<p>Keke enjoys the flexibility that comes with teaching online. She loves being able to teach multiple languages to students all over the world. Most days, she teaches classes from morning until night.</p>

<p>&ldquo;The nice thing about teaching online is that I get to take breaks in between my classes which helps to keep my mind refreshed and active.&rdquo;</p>

<p><img alt="A laptop showing a Zoom call with several students." src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1670/content_Picture_for_ESL_library_6.jpeg" /></p>

<p class="caption">In this picture, Keke is teaching one of her online classes.</p>

<p>Keke is a big fan of ESL Library. Check out Keke&rsquo;s text response below to learn more about why she loves ESL Library and how she uses it with her students.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>💬 Hello!!!</p>

<p>My name is Kennyetta &quot;Keke&quot; Morales and I teach ESL and other languages online. I really enjoy using ESL library because it is so organized. Whether I am teaching a beginner&nbsp;or advanced ESL student, ESL Library has all the tools that I need to prepare my lessons in advance. Also, I think that it is great that I can give my students an <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/introducing-our-new-grammar-tests">assessment exam</a> to confirm what their level is before I actually start to teach my students. The assessment exam also gives me an opportunity to think about the needs of students and which materials will be appropiate for their level. ESL Library is one of the best online digital tools for teaching and I am so excited about using it.</p>

<p>Thank you ESL Library!</p>

<p>Language teacher,<br />
Keke Morales</p>
</blockquote>

<p>For Keke, the most challenging part about being a teacher is convincing her students that they are capable of learning English and that doing so will open doors for them.</p>

<p>&ldquo;I do my best to remind them that they can reach their goals but that it will not happen overnight. If they are determined to succeed, they can reach their goal of learning ESL.&rdquo;</p>

<p>The most rewarding part is seeing her students progress.</p>

<p>&ldquo;It brings joy to my heart and it makes me want to continue to teach as many people as I can&nbsp;and inspire them to never give up on their hopes and dreams. Being a teacher is a rewarding field even though at times it can be very challenging, but once you see the impact that you can have on the lives of others,&nbsp;you will never regret becoming a teacher.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Want to share why you love ESL Library and how you use it in your classroom? <a href="https://www.videoask.com/fw0f8td5x" target="_blank">Tell us here.</a></p>


Teacher Feature: Keke

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<p><em>This article is part of a series of posts highlighting our community of teachers around the world. We hope you find their stories interesting and inspiring!</em></p>

<p>For as long as she can remember, Sidney has always&nbsp;wanted to be a teacher. She&rsquo;s been teaching for 18 years now. Two years ago, Sidney&rsquo;s passion for teaching led her to make the switch to ESL. Currently, she teaches adults ranging from literacy to the beginner level in Virginia, United States.</p>

<p>Sidney teaches her adult students in the evenings. Prior to the pandemic, she taught in a classroom and created lessons that were as interactive and multisensory as possible. When COVID-19 hit, Sidney had to pivot and figure out how to teach in an online environment.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>&ldquo;ESL Library was a real godsend to me. Prior to discovering it, I had to scan lessons into my computer each day. This was not so bad in itself, but I could not interact or write on the scanned document during teaching. Most of my students are working mothers, so I particularly enjoyed sharing videos and more diverting types of learning that kept them engaged even though they were very tired.&rdquo;</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Check out Sidney&rsquo;s text response below to learn more about why she loves ESL Library and how she uses it with her students.</p>

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="camera *; microphone *; autoplay *; encrypted-media *; fullscreen *; display-capture *;" height="600px" src="https://www.videoask.com/ai6nwjj7lyn3ehgek3vxg8hzh6vhyhcczb0cmh04" style="border: none; border-radius: 24px" width="100%"></iframe></div>

<p>For Sidney, the most challenging parts about being an ESL teacher are communicating concepts and serving students&rsquo; needs on different levels.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>&ldquo;I may have students who can hold rudimentary conversations but who are not sufficiently proficient for the intermediate class alongside students who cannot read in any language.&rdquo;</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Despite these challenges, she finds being a teacher rewarding.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s the relationships I form with my students.&rdquo;</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Her advice for aspiring teachers?</p>

<blockquote>
<p>&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t be afraid to trust your instincts or implement new vehicles to learning.&rdquo;</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Want to share why you love ESL Library and how you use it in your classroom? <a href="https://www.videoask.com/fw0f8td5x" target="_blank">Tell us here.</a></p>


Teacher Feature: Sidney

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<p><em>This article is part of a series of posts highlighting our community of teachers around the world. We hope you find their stories interesting and inspiring!</em></p>

<p>Danny never planned on becoming an English language teacher. He was actually working in radio broadcasting when he started teaching English classes to adults through a community outreach program.</p>

<p>&ldquo;This was the turning point for me. I finally found my true calling.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Danny has been a teacher for 10 years now. Currently, he teaches in Cuenca, Ecuador. His students are anywhere from pre-kindergarten age to the ninth grade with levels varying from pre-beginner to high-intermediate.</p>

<p>For Danny, a typical day starts with a hot cup of coffee and ESL&nbsp;Library. With his coffee in hand, he checks his students&rsquo; progress and looks for patterns. Based on his findings, he creates appropriate exercises.</p>

<p><img alt="On the left, a screenshot of some study notes with some terms highlighted. On the right, a screenshot of a video call with Danny and his students" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1583/content_WhatsApp_Image_2021-05-20_at_2.47.17_PM.jpg" /></p>

<p class="caption">Here is a screenshot of Danny teaching his students online.</p>

<p>The COVID-19 pandemic forced Danny to adapt. Due to a lack of funding, he was laid off. Luckily, ESL&nbsp;Library was there to help. Watch the video below to see why he loves ESL Library and how he uses it with his students.</p>

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe src="https://www.videoask.com/ax2hc5nilg6jqy1fmgcyptjn977szamh8035tmu1" encrypted-media *; fullscreen *;" width="100%" height="600px" style="border: none; border-radius: 24px"></iframe></div>

<p>For Danny, the most challenging part about being a teacher right now is finding students to teach.</p>

<p>&ldquo;In Ecuador, COVID-19 has impacted the national economy severely. Hundreds of parents have lost their jobs and can&#39;t afford education, and private English classes for them are out of the question.&rdquo;</p>

<p>The most rewarding part though is hearing students use the language.</p>

<p>&ldquo;Seeing them grow in the language and want to use the language. It is rewarding to hear them improve their pronunciation.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Want to share why you love ESL&nbsp;Library and how you use it in your classroom? <a href="http://www.videoask.com/fw0f8td5x" target="_blank">Tell us here</a>.</p>


Teacher Feature: Danny

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<p>It&rsquo;s no secret that the coronavirus pandemic has left people feeling lonely and disconnected. Lockdowns and quarantine measures around the world have made interaction more difficult than it used to be, and students and teachers alike are feeling the lack of personal human contact. What&rsquo;s more, it&#39;s easy to become burnt out after an entire day of relying on video calls for school or work. With so many people longing for connection, snail mail has seen a major resurgence!</p>

<h1>What Is Snail Mail?</h1>

<p>&ldquo;Snail mail&rdquo; is the modern nickname for the practice of writing letters by hand, something that people have been doing since writing itself was invented. This nickname for letter writing comes from the idea that traditional mail is slow, like a snail! And it&#39;s true.&nbsp;If you want to get into letter writing, one thing you&#39;ll need is patience, especially if you&#39;re writing to people in other countries. But when you recieve a really great letter, it&#39;s worth the wait!</p>

<h1>Snail Mail for Students (Or Teachers!)</h1>

<p>Language teachers have&nbsp;been setting up pen pal relationships for their classes for years. It&rsquo;s the ultimate learning tool because it allows students to practice their reading and writing skills while also letting them explore topics that interest them and make friends at the same time.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Ironically, if you search for the hashtags #snailmailrevolution or #penpalswanted on social media, you&rsquo;ll be able to connect with plenty of other people who wish to step back into the age of written letters. Facebook also has a variety of groups dedicated to this purpose. Writing letters to a pen pal can be a great way for students (and teachers!) to fill the void of social interaction, especially if they are shy, lack confidence in their oral communication skills, or have social anxiety. Creative students can also enjoy the optional tasks of decorating their letters and envelopes.</p>

<h1>Resources</h1>

<p>If you&rsquo;re thinking of finding pen pals for your students, ESL&nbsp;Library has a number of resources in our <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/74/lessons">Writing in English</a> section, including <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/74/lessons/2365">How to Write a Note</a>&nbsp;and <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/74/lessons/1829">How to Write an Email</a>, which could easily be translated to the handwritten equivalent. We also have a resource on <a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/107/resources/2356">How to Format an Envelope</a>. Also, if you like the idea of having your students write letters but don&rsquo;t want them to have to commit to a lengthy relationship, there are organizations like <a href="https://www.frommetoyouletters.co.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">From Me to You</a>, which distributes donated letters to patients in cancer wards in the UK&nbsp;with the purpose of bringing the patients cheerful distractions.&nbsp;</p>


Learning with Letter Writing

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<p><em>This article is part of a series of posts highlighting our community of teachers around the world. We hope you find their stories interesting and inspiring!</em></p>

<p>After teaching math, science, and academic English for over 20 years in high schools, Emmalyn received her TESL certification in 2019. Then, she began working at the <a href="http://www.folk-arts.ca/" target="_blank">Niagara Folk Arts Multicultural Centre</a> (NFAMC) in Ontario, Canada as a LINC/ESL teaching assistant.</p>

<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always enjoyed teaching. It doesn&rsquo;t matter if it&rsquo;s piano, math, science, or English. I&rsquo;ve always considered one of my strengths to be understanding a concept&nbsp;and then breaking it down in such a way as to make it understandable to the student.&rdquo;</p>

<p><img alt="A woman (Emmalyn) smiling and standing next to a presentation board" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1595/content_Melissa_Teacher-Feature_Emmalyn_TESL-Certification-Presentation.jpg" /></p>

<p class="caption">Here, Emmalyn is pictured with a presentation she did for her TESL certification.</p>

<p>The NFAMC provides settlement services, including ESL classes ranging from literacy to CLB 6, for newcomers to Canada. The students are anywhere from 18 years old to seniors, and Emmalyn teaches a different class every day.</p>

<p>&ldquo;It is amazing being in a class with such cultural diversity. Hearing about students&rsquo; experiences is not only a learning experience for me, but also a wake-up call, in terms of how much we take living in Canada for granted.&rdquo;</p>

<p><img alt="A woman (Emmalyn) standing in front of a sign reading LINC English Classes for Immigrants" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1555/content_The_first_photo_is_me_at_the_centre.jpg" /></p>

<p class="caption">Here, Emmalyn is pictured at the Niagara Folk Arts Multicultural Centre.</p>

<p>Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, classes took place in person Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm. Currently, they are teaching online. As a result, a typical day for Emmalyn includes finding resources, converting them into online assignments, posting the assignments, marking, and providing the class teachers with feedback.</p>

<p>A typical day also involves planning a lesson that corresponds with the centre&rsquo;s monthly theme. For example, in May, the monthly theme was employment. In June, the monthly theme is Canadian culture. Each lesson is adjusted to the level of the class and the students, and includes listening, speaking, reading and writing.</p>

<p>&ldquo;This is where ESL Library comes in handy. There are countless topics, all differentiated according to various levels. Flashcards, videos, listening, vocabulary, crosswords. It&rsquo;s all there. The Taskplayer feature is especially useful for the lower-level classes. They love the Picture Dictionary. This resource has saved me so much time.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Check out Emmalyn&rsquo;s text response below to learn more about why she loves ESL Library and how she uses it with her students.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>💬 Hello ESL Library Staff,</p>

<p>First of all, can I just say thank you for these awesome resources! So many topics, so many levels, and so many opportunities to address different skills in class. Thank you, thank you, thank you!</p>

<p>Let me tell you a bit about myself. My name is Emmalyn and I am an assistant teacher at a multicultural centre offering the LINC program to adult newcomers. I alternate between different levels of ESL classes ranging from Literacy to Level 5/6. Your resource allows me to pick and choose both topics and level-appropriate material.</p>

<p>How do I use the resources? Before the virus, I would print out the PDFs for the topics I wanted and use them in class. When we were first online, our centre upgraded our membership and teachers sent interactive lessons to students via Google Classroom. At the start of the school year, I saw the interactive view available. This worked especially well with the Literacy students. I would project the vocab and flashcards and they would name them. I would also project their handouts and use the annotation features to correct our work. This minimized touching paper, chalk, etc. and maximized space as students were able to remain at their desks. I also print out the flashcards and put them on the board. The clear visuals allow me and the students to participate in many different sorts of activities like identification, spelling, sentence construction, etc. Your website has been a valuable resource. I can&#39;t stress enough how thankful I am!</p>

<p class="attribution">Emmalyn Sumodobila</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Want to share why you love ESL Library and how you use it in your classroom? <a href="http://www.videoask.com/fw0f8td5x" target="_blank">Tell us here</a>.</p>


Teacher Feature: Emmalyn

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<p><em>This article is part of a series of posts highlighting our community of teachers around the world. We hope you find their stories interesting and inspiring!</em></p>

<p>Out of necessity and due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Liat began teaching English classes online in Santiago&mdash;both the capital and largest city in Chile.</p>

<p>&ldquo;I am very new to teaching. Now I have realized that I actually enjoy teaching and I want to get better at it every day.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Liat teaches teenagers and adults at the basic to upper-intermediate levels. Since her students&#39; goals, interests, and needs vary, each day is different and each class is dynamic.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>&ldquo;Not every day is the same, which makes it even more exciting! I try to make my classes as engaging as possible.&rdquo;</p>
</blockquote>

<p>For Liat, the most challenging part about being a teacher is when students aren&rsquo;t motivated to learn.</p>

<p>&ldquo;That can make you feel a bit frustrated, but you try your best to connect with your students and help them as much as possible.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Despite this challenge, and even though she has only been teaching English for around a year, Liat is always looking for ways to improve her teaching and has enjoyed the experience so far.</p>

<p>&ldquo;Definitely one of the most rewarding parts of being a teacher are those moments when you see a smile on your student&#39;s face and when they let you know that they are starting to feel a lot better and confident thanks to your help and guidance.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Liat is fairly new to ESL Library but she&rsquo;s a big fan. Watch the video below to see why she loves ESL Library and how she uses it with her students.</p>

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="camera *; microphone *; encrypted-media *; fullscreen *; display-capture *;" height="600px" src="https://www.videoask.com/ak3cgxrxf1ocip3tnqki6t45y4aqfxmkyxiktobq" style="border: none; border-radius: 24px" width="100%"></iframe></div>

<p>Want to share why you love ESL Library and how you use it in your classroom? <a href="https://www.videoask.com/fw0f8td5x" target="_blank">Tell us here</a>.</p>


Teacher Feature: Liat

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<p>Every good teacher knows that students are most engaged when having fun. Fun takes the pressure out of lessons, allowing students to learn without fear of making mistakes. And you know what&rsquo;s fun? Improv!</p>

<h1>What is improv?</h1>

<p>Improvisational theater, or improv, is a type of theater in which the actors make up the play or scene on the spot. This means there is no script, no director, and no costumes. Actors develop their characters while they are already on the stage&nbsp;and react to each other in real time, working together to build a story.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Aside from being fun, improvisational theater has many benefits. It can help people gain confidence, improve public speaking skills, and become more adaptable in unpredictable situations. It sharpens transferrable skills that are useful for acing job interviews, building relationships with peers and colleagues, and connecting with one&rsquo;s inner child. Applied to ESL students specifically, improv provides opportunity to practice vocabulary and build confidence in both speaking and&nbsp;listening.</p>

<h1>The main principles of improvisational theater also apply to&nbsp;life</h1>

<h2>Yes, and!</h2>

<p>&quot;Yes, and!&rdquo; is the most famous principle of improv. The meaning behind these two words is simple: &ldquo;Yes&rdquo; means you must accept whatever information your scene partner gives you, and &ldquo;and&rdquo; means you must build upon that information.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Here&rsquo;s an example:</p>

<blockquote>
<p><strong>Student 1:</strong> Hello, John. Good to see you again. It says on your chart that you&rsquo;re here because of a knee injury.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>(From this information alone, Student&nbsp;2 can infer that Student 1 is playing the part of a doctor.&nbsp;Student&nbsp;1&#39;s tone&nbsp;implies that they have met before.)</p>

<blockquote>
<p><strong>Student 2:</strong> Yes, Dr. Rodriguez. I tripped over my dog this morning and hurt my knee. I&rsquo;m afraid it might be serious.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>(Here, Student 2 has accepted Student 1&rsquo;s proposition of being a doctor. Student 2 has named Student 1&rsquo;s character&nbsp;and added the information that the knee injury was caused by tripping over a&nbsp;dog.)</p>

<p>In a less literal sense, &ldquo;Yes, and!&rdquo; also highlights the spirit of positivity in improv, which is of course also relevant to the classroom since positivity is conducive to a healthy learning environment. Let&rsquo;s return to the example above. What would happen if the scene played out like&nbsp;this?</p>

<p>An example of what <em>not</em> to&nbsp;do:</p>

<blockquote>
<p><strong>Student 1:</strong> Hello, John. Good to see you again. It says on your chart that you&rsquo;re here because of a knee&nbsp;injury.</p>

<p><strong>Student 2:</strong> My name isn&rsquo;t John, and you&rsquo;re not a&nbsp;doctor!</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Here, Student 2&nbsp;has denied Student 1&rsquo;s idea, and now the scene cannot go&nbsp;anywhere.</p>

<h2>Mistakes are gifts</h2>

<p>What could be more empowering than the idea that you can never be wrong? While of course it<b> </b><em>is</em> possible to be wrong when it comes to grammar, students find it liberating to not have to worry too much about what comes out of their mouth. After all, whatever they say must be supported by their scene partner, so the idea that they might be shamed for saying the wrong thing is completely&nbsp;nonexistent.</p>

<h2>Listen to your partner</h2>

<p>Listening skills are important both to learning the English language and to performing a strong improv scene. Listening not only to one&#39;s partner&rsquo;s words but also to their tone allows the listener to pick up on all sorts of information that then can be used in the&nbsp;scene.</p>

<h1>So, how can we use improv in the&nbsp;classroom?</h1>

<p>The easiest way to incorporate improv in the classroom is simply by performing two-person scenes. The teacher can give each group of two a suggestion, such as a relationship: &ldquo;brother and sister,&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;therapist and patient,&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;king and servant&rdquo;;&nbsp;a single location: &ldquo;You&rsquo;re in an airplane!,&rdquo; &ldquo;You&rsquo;re at a gas station!,&rdquo; &ldquo;You&rsquo;re at a child&rsquo;s birthday party!&rdquo;; or even just a single word of inspiration: &ldquo;Pineapple!,&rdquo; &ldquo;NASA!,&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;Anniversary!&rdquo;</p>

<p>However, teachers might want a bit more guidance than this, and ESL&nbsp;Library has a number of resources that can be adapted for improv activities. For example, words from the <a href="https://ellii.com/flashcard_genres"><b>Flashcards</b></a> section can be selected at random for scene&nbsp;inspiration.</p>

<p>For a more structured approach, there are a number of scene ideas in our <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/96/lessons"><b>Role-Play</b></a> section, which provides not only situations but also teachers&#39; notes, including suggestions for dealing with shy students. Take information from the &ldquo;scenario&rdquo; section and choose two students to perform the scene while the rest of the class watches. For an additional task, have the students in the audience copy down sentences they hear. I always encourage the entire class to shout &ldquo;Best Scene Ever!&rdquo; after every scene to add to the spirit of positivity and&nbsp;fun.</p>


Improv in the Classroom

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<p><em>This article is part of a series of posts highlighting our community of teachers around the world. We hope you find their stories interesting and inspiring!</em></p>

<p>A few years ago, Khaled was invited to speak to a group of students about reading books. As he spoke to the students, he felt an instant connection. That was the moment he knew that he had a knack for teaching.</p>

<p>Khaled teaches English to college students in Abha, Saudi Arabia. According to Khaled, Abha is known for having natural beauty, rainy weather, and a cool climate.</p>

<p><img alt="a picture of Khaled wearing traditional Saudi Arabia clothes" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1505/content_K.jpg" style="width: 200px; height: 258px;" /></p>

<p class="caption">In this picture, Khaled is wearing a thobe (garment worn by men), a kaffiyeh (headdress), and a black iqal (used to keep kaffiyeh in place).</p>

<p>For Khaled, the most challenging part of teaching is keeping students engaged and holding their interest throughout the lesson, and the most rewarding part is inspiring students.</p>

<p>&ldquo;A good teacher inspires students to do their best. They inspire their colleagues to work hard. They inspire everybody around them to be happy and creative.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Prior to COVID-19, Khaled had never taught online. As schools closed and classes moved online, he worried about how he would continue to teach throughout the pandemic. He confided in a friend who introduced him to ESL Library. Watch this video to see why Khaled loves ESL Library and how he uses it!</p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="918" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rLgTVypfef8" title="Teacher Feature  Khaled" width="516"></iframe></p>

<p>&ldquo;There are many people out there who are eager to learn this language, but because they never had the chance to learn it or a good teacher, they stopped pursuing their dreams of speaking this language. I have taught several students for free and I am happy to say they now can speak English.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Want to share how you use ESL Library in your classroom? <a href="http://www.videoask.com/fw0f8td5x" target="_blank">Tell us here</a>.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Teacher Feature: Khaled

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

For Students

<p>In January of 2020, Doris moved to Thailand from China with her two young daughters, Candy and Cherry. Even though all she knew was one Thai word and very little English, she found a house to rent, bought a car, and registered her daughters for school.</p>

<p>Later that year, she enrolled in an English class. According to her teacher, Myriam, she was a good writer and understood basic grammar.</p>

<p><img alt="Doris and Myriam" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1460/content_125202364_5193540807352955_7074738393205264499_o.jpg" /></p>

<p class="caption">Here, Doris (left) is pictured with Myriam (right).</p>

<p>Since she began learning English, Doris has been a studious student. She reads self-study books, attends an extra weekly conversation class, and always completes her homework assignments.</p>

<p>Doris is very motivated and makes learning English a priority,&rdquo; Myriam says.</p>

<p>Recently, Myriam used the <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/129/lessons">True Grammar Stories</a><i> </i>lesson as inspiration for an incredible activity. After reading the friendship story about <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/129/lessons/3358">Dan and Norah</a>, Myriam had Doris write her own story. Doris wrote about her daughter, Candy. Listen to Doris read the story she wrote and follow along with the transcript as she speaks.</p>

<div class="ckeditor-html5-audio" style="text-align: center;">
<audio controls="controls" controlslist="nodownload" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/attachments/1461/Big_coach_.mp3">&nbsp;</audio>
</div>

<blockquote>
<p>Transcript:</p>

<p>Candy is my seven-year-old daughter.</p>

<p>A few days ago, at Candy&rsquo;s tennis class, I saw her talking with an old person. He is from Australia. I don&rsquo;t know his name but he told Candy that his name is Big Coach!</p>

<p>Candy thought that he was lonely because he was sitting alone. She went up to him and said, &ldquo;Hi, what&rsquo;s your name?&rdquo;</p>

<p>The old man said, &ldquo;You need to call me Big Coach!&rdquo;</p>

<p>Candy said, &ldquo;No, that young man is my coach!&rdquo;</p>

<p>But he replied, &ldquo;No&hellip; he is small coach. I am Big Coach!&rdquo;</p>

<p>So, whenever Candy sees him, she shouts, &ldquo;Hello, Big Coach!&rdquo; and she told me, &ldquo;This is his name!&rdquo;</p>
</blockquote>

<p><img alt="Candy and Big Coach" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1462/content_image__1_.png" /></p>

<p class="attribution">Here, Candy (right) is pictured with Big Coach (left).</p>

<p>We hope you enjoyed learning about Doris and Myriam, and that Doris&rsquo;s story inspires you! Teachers, do you have a fun student project to share? Tell us about it in the comments below for a chance to have it featured on our blog!</p>


Student Spotlight: Doris

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<blockquote>
<p>Update: June 8, 2022</p>

<p>We now have <a href="https://ellii.com/collections/clb-competencies">CLB Competencies Collections</a>! You can filter by level.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Are you a Canadian teacher&nbsp;looking for content for your CLB 5+ adult newcomers? ESL Library (now Ellii)&nbsp;has several sections you might be interested in. Here are a few places to get started.&nbsp;</p>

<h1>Teach about Life, Work&nbsp;&amp; Culture&nbsp;in Canada</h1>

<p>These sections and lessons include content related to LINC themes.</p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/112/lessons">Pre-Employment in Canada</a></h2>

<p>Try a lesson on <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/112/lessons/2480">Career Fairs</a>. (CLB 5)</p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/75/lessons">Living in English&nbsp;</a></h2>

<p>Try a lesson on <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/75/lessons/2737">Insurance</a>. (CLB 5&ndash;7)</p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/93/lessons">Holidays &amp; Events&nbsp;</a></h2>

<p>Try a lesson on <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/93/lessons/1852">Victoria Day</a>. (CLB 5&ndash;6)</p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/98/lessons">Historic Events</a></h2>

<p>Try a lesson on <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/98/lessons/2092">Residential Schools</a>. (CLB 5&ndash;8)</p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/80/lessons">Famous People</a></h2>

<p>Try a lesson on <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/80/lessons/1398">Tim Horton</a>. (CLB 5&ndash;6)</p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/81/lessons">Famous Places</a></h2>

<p>Try a lesson on <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/81/lessons/3082">Toronto</a>. (CLB 5&ndash;6)</p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/82/lessons">Famous Things</a></h2>

<p>Try a lesson on <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/82/lessons/2963">The Charter of Rights and Freedoms</a>. (CLB 6&ndash;8)</p>

<hr />
<h1>Focus on Skills Needed for Reading &amp; Writing at School &amp; Work</h1>

<p>These sections and lessons focus on reading and writing skills.</p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/74/lessons">Writing in English&nbsp;</a></h2>

<p>Try a lesson on <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/74/lessons/3569">How to Take Notes</a>. (CLB 5&ndash;9)</p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/127/lessons">Reading in English</a>&nbsp;</h2>

<p>Try a lesson on <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/127/lessons/3038">Identifying Register</a>. (CLB 6&ndash;8)</p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons">Grammar Practice Worksheets</a>&nbsp;</h2>

<p>Our Grammar Practice Worksheets lessons include practical writing and speaking prompts.</p>

<p>Try a lesson on <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons/1607">Equative, Comparative, &amp; Superlative Adjectives</a> (with two videos).&nbsp;(CLB 5&ndash;6)</p>

<hr />
<h1>Read about &amp; Discuss/Debate Real-World Topics</h1>

<p>These sections and lessons focus on reading and speaking competencies, including comprehending and sharing information.</p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/72/lessons">Discussion Starters&nbsp;</a></h2>

<p>Try a lesson on <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/72/lessons/2091">Food Labels</a>. (CLB 7&ndash;8)</p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/73/lessons">Mini-Debates</a></h2>

<p>Try a lesson on<a href="https://ellii.com/courses/73/lessons/2719"> Online Privacy</a>. (CLB 7&ndash;9)</p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/133/lessons">That&#39;s News to Me</a></h2>

<p>Don&#39;t let this section title scare you away! We cover plenty of international topics.</p>

<p>Try a lesson on <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/133/lessons/3403">Hoarding Vaccines</a>. (CLB 6&ndash;8)</p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/95/lessons">Health Matters</a></h2>

<p>These lessons are all centred around thematic lists.</p>

<p>Try a lesson on <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/95/lessons/2802">Diabetes</a>. (CLB 5&ndash;7)</p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/86/lessons">Business Matters</a></h2>

<p>Try a lesson on <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/86/lessons/3406">Leadership Qualities</a>. (CLB 9&ndash;11)</p>

<hr />
<h1>Find Extra Resources for CLB 5+</h1>

<p>Visit our Resource Library for lots of extra resources and assessment tools.&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/105/resources/3611">Speak Up</a>&nbsp;(Speaking prompts)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/105/resources/3087">Conversation Questions</a> (Themes)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/3584">Teacher Evaluation Forms</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/3651">Digital Literacy Needs Assessment</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/2450">Grammar Test 3</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/2451">Grammar Test&nbsp;4</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/2326">Advanced Reading Comprehension&nbsp;</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/2771">Role-Play Assessment Tool</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/2383">Personal Opinion Assessment Tool</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/2966">Vocabulary Cards</a></li>
</ul>

<p>You can also invite your students to our <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/categories/for-students">For Students</a> section on our blog where they will find extra activities for practising English.</p>

<p>Try&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/blog/live-longer-with-small-talk">Can Making Small Talk Help You Live Longer?</a>&nbsp;</p>

<hr />
<h1>Useful Courses/Folders for CLB 5+</h1>

<p>Here are some ready-made, theme-based folders. You can <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/introducing-esl-library-folders">copy these folders</a> into your own folders to create the modules you need.</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/folders/published/72702">Family &amp; Relationships</a> (CLB 4&ndash;5)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/folders/published/76851">Financial Literacy</a>&nbsp;(CLB 5+)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/folders/published/71501">Health</a>&nbsp;(CLB 5&ndash;8)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/folders/published/71515">Health</a> (CLB 9&ndash;12)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/folders/published/82132">Digital Literacy</a>&nbsp;(CLB 5+)</li>
</ul>

<hr />
<h1>Coming Soon...</h1>

<p>Here are some&nbsp;intermediate to high-intermediate&nbsp;materials that the publishing team is currently working on.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/folders/published">Ellii Folders</a></h2>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/128/resources">Real-World Reading</a></h2>

<p>Try a lesson on <a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/128/resources/3382">School Letters</a>. (CLB 5&ndash;6)</p>

<h2>Functional Business&nbsp;</h2>

<p>Watch for this new <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/135/lessons">Business English</a> section that will focus on speaking and listening.</p>

<hr />
<p>Did you know that we develop materials based on teacher requests? This month we&#39;re working on a <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/93/lessons">Holidays &amp; Events</a> lesson on <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/93/lessons/3668">St. Jean Baptiste Day</a> as well as videos for our <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/76/lessons">Everyday Dialogues</a> lessons. These are just a few examples of requests that came in from LINC programs across Canada this spring.&nbsp;Please leave a comment and let us know what you and your students need so that we can try to fit it into our publishing schedule.</p>


Suggested Lessons & Sections for CLB 5+

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Learn tips on how to teach grammar and usage from our editors and grammar experts. 

Grammar & Usage

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

Courses

<p>Welcome to <a href="https://ellii.com/folders/published">Ellii&#39;s guided grammar courses</a>! These courses were designed to present lessons on the main grammar targets of the English language in a suggested teaching order along with complementary materials (charts, flashcard sets, lessons using the target in context,&nbsp;etc.).</p>

<p>Teachers can have students work through the grammar courses continuously or in conjunction with other leveled courses&nbsp;in <a href="https://ellii.com/folders/published">Ellii Folders</a>.</p>

<h1>Teachers&#39;&nbsp;Notes</h1>

<p>To access the grammar courses, log in to <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons">Ellii</a>&nbsp;and go to <a href="https://ellii.com/folders/published">Folders</a> (in the Saved drop-down menu). Click on the <a href="https://ellii.com/folders/published">Ellii Folders</a> heading. In our folders, you will see various courses arranged by level and/or theme, including the grammar&nbsp;courses.</p>

<h2>Levels</h2>

<p>The grammar courses are divided into <strong>nine folders</strong>. There are <strong>seven levels</strong> in total, but High Beg and Int levels are subdivided into parts&nbsp;A and B due to the volume of content. The following table contains the course name, the complete level name, and corresponding levels in Ellii&#39;s lessons.</p>

<p>If you&#39;re wondering which level to use with your students, our <a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources">Grammar Tests</a> can be used for placement. Note that they are also used for assessment throughout the grammar courses, though there are other assessment options available to you (scroll down to the Assessment section below).&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/blog/introducing-our-new-grammar-tests">See more info on Ellii&#39;s Grammar&nbsp;Tests</a>.</p>

<table>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<th>Grammar Course<br />
			Name</th>
			<th>Level<br />
			Name</th>
			<th>Corresponding<br />
			Ellii Levels</th>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Pre Beg</td>
			<td>pre-beginner</td>
			<td>Pre Beg,<br />
			Pre Beg &ndash; Beg</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Beg</td>
			<td>beginner</td>
			<td>Beg</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>High Beg A</td>
			<td>high-beginner</td>
			<td>Beg &ndash; Low Int</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>High Beg B</td>
			<td>high-beginner</td>
			<td>Beg &ndash; Low Int,<br />
			Low Int</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Low Int</td>
			<td>low-intermediate</td>
			<td>Low Int,<br />
			Low Int &ndash; Int</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Int A</td>
			<td>intermediate</td>
			<td>Int</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Int B</td>
			<td>intermediate</td>
			<td>Int,<br />
			Int &ndash; High Int</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>High Int</td>
			<td>high-intermediate</td>
			<td>Int &ndash; High Int,<br />
			High Int</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Adv</td>
			<td>advanced</td>
			<td>High Int &ndash; Adv,<br />
			Adv</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<h2>Course Content</h2>

<p>In each level of the grammar courses, you will find a list of various materials in a suggested teaching order. Materials&nbsp;include:</p>

<ul>
	<li><strong>Lessons</strong> (one or more comprehensive lessons on a grammar&nbsp;target)</li>
	<li><strong>Resources</strong> (charts or other handy reference&nbsp;materials)</li>
	<li><strong>Flashcards</strong> (pre-made flashcard sets to show in class or&nbsp;online)</li>
	<li><strong>Blog Posts</strong> (examples and teaching tips on how to present the&nbsp;target)</li>
	<li><strong>Other Lessons</strong> (lessons from non-grammar sections that contain the grammar target in&nbsp;context)</li>
</ul>

<h3>Suggested Order</h3>

<p>You can adapt the order and content based on your students&rsquo; needs and the length of your course. These materials are in a suggested order, but you do not need to follow this order exactly or use all of these&nbsp;lessons.</p>

<p>You may want to ask yourself these questions: What errors do my students make over and over again? What grammar questions come up in class? Could my learners benefit from additional materials on a certain target, or do they have a good grasp of it after the main&nbsp;lesson?</p>

<p>Keep in mind that you can also use some of the supplementary content for homework, review, or&nbsp;assessment.</p>

<h3>Digital Tasks</h3>

<p>Most of the suggested lessons have digital tasks so that you can teach your students online or assign digital homework. If you need help using the digital platform, visit our <a href="https://help.ellii.com/category/110-digital-tools" target="_blank">Help&nbsp;Docs</a>.</p>

<p>If you are only able to teach online at this time and you want to use a lesson that is currently only available as a PDF, you can download the Student PDF and email it to your student(s) or you can open it on a shared screen while you teach an online&nbsp;lesson.</p>

<h3>Course Content Notes</h3>

<p>Targets in each level often have a variety of supplementary material to choose from. Look at the Details column within each Grammar Course folder to help you decide which additional content to use. You can choose supplementary materials that are slightly easier or more difficult if your students are struggling or finding a target too easy. For difficult targets, you may decide to use all the supplementary&nbsp;materials.</p>

<p>Some levels of the courses begin with a review of the main verb tense learned in the previous level. If your students are quite comfortable with that target, you can skip&nbsp;it.</p>

<p>Main grammar targets also contain blog posts that precede the lesson in the suggested teaching order. They contain helpful tips on how to best present&nbsp;the grammar target. Note that the blog posts were written for you, the teacher (though you can choose to share them directly with your students by screensharing or printing them out, if you&nbsp;wish).</p>

<p>Some resources, such as the verb tense resources, are charts that are also included in the grammar notes of the main lesson. You may choose to include them as a handy reference for your students, or you can skip&nbsp;them.</p>

<p>Lower levels often have two comprehensive lessons on a target to choose from. Lessons from our <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons">Grammar Practice Worksheets</a> are geared toward teens and adults, while our <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/116/lessons">Fun Grammar Lessons</a> are geared toward young learners. However, you can also choose to do both lessons, especially if your students need more practice with a particular target (and adult learners can always benefit from more illustrations&nbsp;too).</p>

<p>Lower levels also benefit from flashcards in the <a href="https://ellii.com/flashcard_genres" target="_blank">Flashcard Library</a>. We&#39;ve included some ready-made sets for you in the folders. You can also create and broadcast your own digital flashcard sets using our <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/flashcard-player">Flashcard&nbsp;Player</a>.</p>

<h2>Learning Objectives</h2>

<p>Here is a brief overview of the grammar targets covered in each level of the grammar courses. (For another overview of the suggested teaching order of grammar targets, click Teaching Order in the drop-down menu of the Select Sort Method filter on our <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons">Grammar Practice Worksheets</a> landing&nbsp;page.)</p>

<table>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<th>Level</th>
			<th>Grammar Targets</th>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Pre&nbsp;Beg</td>
			<td>be, have, simple present, nouns, adjectives, yes/no questions, can</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Beg</td>
			<td>be, nouns, articles, there is/there are, subject &amp; object pronouns, simple present, imperative verbs, modals of ability</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>High&nbsp;Beg&nbsp;A</td>
			<td>present progressive, adverbs of frequency, adjectives, prepositions of time, prepositions of place</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>High&nbsp;Beg&nbsp;B</td>
			<td>parts of speech, prefixes, suffixes, simple past, used to, there is/there are, yes/no questions, wh- questions</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Low&nbsp;Int</td>
			<td>modals of ability (past), non-count nouns, quantifiers, possessive nouns, adverbs of manner, prepositions of direction, simple future</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Int&nbsp;A</td>
			<td>collocations, subject&ndash;verb agreement, reflexive &amp; intensive pronouns, gerunds &amp; infinitives, modals of advice, modals of possibility, first conditional, comparative &amp; superlative adjectives, comparative &amp; superlative adverbs</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Int&nbsp;B</td>
			<td>present perfect, present perfect progressive, modals of necessity &amp; obligation, second conditional, complete sentences, conjunctions, tag questions, past progressive, future progressive</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>High&nbsp;Int</td>
			<td>phrasal verbs, passive voice, causative verbs, third conditional, past modals, adjective clauses, adjectives phrases, adverb clauses, transition words</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Adv</td>
			<td>passive causative, reported speech, embedded questions, past perfect, past perfect progressive, subjunctive, future perfect, future perfect progressive</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<h2>Assessment</h2>

<p>There are several ways to assess your students&#39; progress in the grammar courses, both within each level and cumulatively throughout the courses. You may choose to use some of the assessment tools listed below as review and others as&nbsp;assessment.</p>

<ul>
	<li><strong>Quizzes</strong> on each of the main grammar targets within most lessons (<a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons">Grammar Practice Worksheets</a> and <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/116/lessons">Fun Grammar Lessons</a>) in each&nbsp;level</li>
	<li><strong>Exit Tests </strong>that&nbsp;provide a comprehensive assessment for each level of the course
	<ul>
		<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/3544">Pre Beg Assessment</a></li>
		<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/3549">Beg Assessment</a></li>
		<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/3557">High Beg A Assessment</a></li>
		<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/3558">High Beg B Assessment</a></li>
		<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/3559">Low Int Assessment</a></li>
		<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/3560">Int A Assessment</a></li>
		<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/3561">Int B Assessment</a></li>
		<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/3562">High Int Assessment</a></li>
		<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/3550">Adv Assessment</a></li>
	</ul>
	</li>
	<li><strong>Verb Tense Reviews&nbsp;</strong>that demonstrate students&#39; understanding of the six simple and six perfect tenses, including mixed-tense exercises
	<ul>
		<li>Find&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons/1963">Verb Tense Review 1</a> at the end of <a href="https://ellii.com/folders/published/70262">Int&nbsp;B</a></li>
		<li>Find&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons/1997">Verb Tense Review 2</a> at the end of <a href="https://ellii.com/folders/published/70264">Adv</a></li>
	</ul>
	</li>
	<li><strong>Grammar Tests&nbsp;</strong>that provide a cumulative assessment of students&#39; progress throughout the courses
	<ul>
		<li>Find&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/2448">Grammar Test 1</a> at the end of <a href="https://ellii.com/folders/published/77167">High Beg&nbsp;B</a></li>
		<li>Find&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/2449">Grammar Test 2</a> at the end of <a href="https://ellii.com/folders/published/70260">Low Int</a></li>
		<li>Find&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/2450">Grammar Test 3</a> at the end of <a href="https://ellii.com/folders/published/70262">Int&nbsp;B</a></li>
		<li>Find&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/2451">Grammar Test 4</a> at the end of <a href="https://ellii.com/folders/published/70264">Adv</a></li>
	</ul>
	</li>
</ul>

<h1>More Grammar Content</h1>

<p>Ellii has many materials that cover grammar targets in a variety of ways. You can search for a grammar target by clicking on the magnifying glass icon in the top right corner of our site, or you can look through the targets on each main lesson section page (links below). Levels that lessons are offered in are listed beside each lesson section. This list also includes some resources that apply to all&nbsp;levels.</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons">Grammar Practice Worksheets</a> (Beg &ndash; Adv)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/116/lessons">Fun Grammar Lessons</a> (Beg &ndash; High&nbsp;Int)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/123/lessons">Super Simple Grammar</a> (Pre Beg &ndash; Beg)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/90/lessons">Grammar Stories</a> (Beg &ndash; Int)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/129/lessons">True Grammar Stories</a> (Beg &ndash; Low&nbsp;Int)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/89/lessons">Basic Grammar Sentences</a> (Beg &ndash; Int)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/91/lessons">Simple Sentences</a> (Beg &ndash; Low&nbsp;Int)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/103/resources">Grammar &amp; Usage Resources</a> (Beg &ndash; Adv)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/categories/grammar-usage">Grammar &amp; Usage Blog Posts</a> (Beg &ndash; Adv)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/folders/published/69792">Grammar Videos</a> (Beg &ndash; Int with more added every month; find various targets in related Grammar Practice Worksheets lesson or on our YouTube channel)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources">Grammar Placement/Exit Tests</a> (Beg, Low&nbsp;Int, Int, High&nbsp;Int&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;Adv)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/133/lessons">That&#39;s News to Me</a>&nbsp;(Low Int &ndash; Adv; find authentic news articles for finding grammar in&nbsp;context)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/103/resources/2809">Verb Conjugations</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/103/resources/2808">Verb Conjugations &ndash; Condensed</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/103/resources/2851">Verb Tense Review</a></li>
</ul>

<p>We hope you and your students enjoy our guided grammar courses! Stay tuned for more grammar courses in the future, such as grammar in context, grammar for young learners,&nbsp;etc.</p>

<p>If there&#39;s a grammar course (or lesson) you&#39;d like to see, please leave us a comment below or <a href="https://ellii.com/contact">get in touch</a>. We&#39;d love to hear from&nbsp;you!</p>


Teachers' Notes for Ellii's Guided Grammar Courses

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<p>On November 8, 2020, Canadian game show host Alex Trebek died at home at the age of 80 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Amazingly, Trebek kept filming his popular trivia game show, <em>Jeopardy!</em>, right until the end of his life (the final episode will air December 25, 2020). Trebek set a Guinness World Record for the most game show episodes ever hosted&mdash;more than 8,000 in all!&nbsp;In the words of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, &quot;the world lost an icon.&quot;</p>

<p><em>Jeopardy!</em> had a great impact on both my personal and professional life. I grew up watching <em>Jeopardy!</em> every night after dinner&mdash;it was one of my dad&#39;s favorite shows. The show&#39;s concept, along with Alex Trebek&#39;s friendly, encouraging manner, instilled a love of learning in me from a young age.</p>

<p>Professionally, I often used the game show&#39;s format to create review activities&nbsp;in my ESL classrooms. My students loved the challenge of the progressively more difficult questions and looked forward to competing for imaginary money. I used <em>Jeopardy!</em> for vocabulary review most often, but I also adapted it for grammar review and used it as a general trivia game that my students enjoyed. I even had my students create their own Jeopardy! boards.</p>

<p>Many North American immigrants claim to have&nbsp;learned English by watching <em>Jeopardy!</em>, including <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/09/us/alex-trebek-jeopardy-taught-english-trnd/index.html">Kristyna Ng and Burt Thakur</a>&nbsp;who both made it onto the quiz show&nbsp;to tell their language-learning stories.</p>

<p>If you are interested in trying <em>Jeopardy!</em> with your students, follow the steps below.</p>

<h1>How to Play&nbsp;<em>Jeopardy!</em></h1>

<h3>1. Choose the categories and words you wish to review.</h3>

<ul>
	<li>For a vocabulary review activity, you can choose the titles of six lessons you&#39;ve done during the past month for your categories&nbsp;and five words you wish to review from each lesson for the dollar amounts.</li>
	<li>Another idea&nbsp;is to choose common categories such as People, Places, Food, Weather, Animals, and Sports to create a general knowledge review.</li>
</ul>

<h3>2. Copy the following table onto the board, or share it in&nbsp;an online teaching platform.</h3>

<ul>
	<li>If you want to review fewer words, choose fewer categories (e.g., for a total of 15 words to review, have&nbsp;three&nbsp;categories with five words in each).</li>
	<li>You can also google&nbsp;&quot;Jeopardy board&quot; to find various other boards to share in class or online.</li>
</ul>

<p><img alt="" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1061/content_Jeopardy-Example_Chart.png" /></p>

<h3>3. Prepare the vocabulary words and definitions in a master list ahead of time that you can refer to.</h3>

<ul>
	<li>To mimic the real <i>Jeopardy!</i>&nbsp;game, the words/definitions should progress in order of difficulty, with $100 being the easiest and $500 being the most difficult.</li>
	<li>If you&#39;re reviewing ESL Library lessons you&#39;ve done in class, simply open the PDF or Task Player of a lesson and make a list. For example, if Category 1 is a review of <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/72/lessons/1263">Climate Change</a> vocabulary, your list might look like this:
	<ul>
		<li>$100 undeniable = unable to be denied</li>
		<li>$200 greenhouse gas = a type of gas that contributes to the trapping of heat in the earth&#39;s atmosphere</li>
		<li>$300 carbon footprint = the amount of greenhouse gases contributed by a single person or group</li>
		<li>etc.</li>
	</ul>
	</li>
	<li>If you&#39;re playing a general knowledge game, you can find plenty of vocabulary words and definitions within our <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/80/lessons">Famous People</a>, <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/81/lessons">Famous Places,</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/courses/82/lessons">Famous Things</a>, and <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/97/lessons">Sports &amp; Leisure</a>&nbsp;lessons.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Alternatively, have students create their own list of words and definitions based on past lessons or categories, words, and definitions that they write themselves.</li>
</ul>

<h3>4. Start the game!</h3>

<ul>
	<li>Divide the class into two (or more) teams.</li>
	<li>One student from Team A starts the play by choosing a category and an amount.</li>
	<li>Read the definition from your master list associated with that category and dollar amount.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>If that&nbsp;student responds with the correct vocabulary word for that definition, they collect the dollar value of that square.
	<ul>
		<li>To make it more authentic, have your students answer <em>Jeopardy!</em>-style,&nbsp;where each answer begins with &quot;What is...&quot;</li>
	</ul>
	</li>
	<li>If that student from Team A answers incorrectly, someone from Team B can steal the money by answering correctly. If neither team can answer correctly, you can reveal the correct answer and&nbsp;no one gets the money from that square.</li>
	<li>Continue the game with a student from Team B. Continue gameplay with the teams taking turns until they&#39;ve gone through every square.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>The team with the most money at the end of the game wins!</li>
</ul>

<h1>Related</h1>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/133/lessons/3414">Alex Trebek Remembered</a>: English with the Washington Post (Adv)</li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/133/lessons/3448">Alex Trebek Remembered</a> (Int &ndash; High Int)</li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/133/lessons/3449">Alex Trebek Remembered</a> (Low Int &ndash; Int)</li>
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/4-ways-to-teach-new-vocabulary">4 Ways to Teach New Vocabulary</a></li>
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/4-activities-for-reviewing-vocabulary">4 Activities for Reviewing Vocabulary</a>.</li>
</ul>
