Posts describing lessons or activities for the ESL classroom.

Activities

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

Using Heteronyms to Challenge Advanced ELLs

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

For Students

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

Articles

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


Essential Scottish for English Language Learners: Common Phrases & Expressions

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


WIDA Correlation: A Seal for Ellii 

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


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

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

Teaching with Ellii

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


How to Use Ellii's Career Summary Charts

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

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<h1>A new way to check in on your students</h1>

<p>We know how much time teachers spend clicking through assignments to piece together how a student is doing,&nbsp;so we built something to help. We&#39;ve added a new <strong>Activity</strong> tab right inside the class page&nbsp;so you can now look at results student by student across all their assignments&nbsp;instead of having to go assignment by assignment. It&#39;s a small addition, but it makes a big difference when you&#39;re trying to get a sense of how an individual learner is progressing.</p>

<h2>We call this new feature Student Activity Reports</h2>

<p>The navigation works like flipping through a stack of pages. Click on any student, then a lesson, and then a task, and each view layers on top of the last. The edge of the previous sheet stays visible&nbsp;so you can quickly flip back to it.</p>

<p>We also put a lot of thought into making the navigation feel predictable. Moving between students and assignments, you&#39;ll always know where you are and how to get back. No unexpected dead ends mid session.</p>

<p>We hope you like it. Give it a try and let us know what you think. And stay tuned for more enhancements to our reporting tools coming soon!</p>

<div style="position: relative; padding-bottom: 99.26470588235296%; height: 0;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://www.loom.com/embed/6801f95d4c154a2d808653a3c4f1e616" style="position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;" webkitallowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Introducing Student Activity Reports

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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>Join Anna and Sh&eacute; on the latest episode of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.teacherthinkaloud.com/" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">The Teacher Think-Aloud Podcast</a>&nbsp;as they explore a practical and research-informed approach to grammar instruction with ESL teacher and founder of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eslgrammargallery.com/" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">The ESL Grammar Gallery</a>, Audrea Gold. Together they unpack the NUFU framework&mdash;Noticing, Understanding, Forming, and Using&mdash;and what it offers teachers who want to move beyond rule-based grammar teaching toward more meaningful, communicative practice.</p>

<p>This conversation challenges the idea that grammar should be taught as isolated structures to memorize, instead positioning it as a tool for meaning-making and expression. Audrea walks listeners through each stage of the NUFU framework, showing how intentional sequencing&mdash;from exposure to application&mdash;can help learners not only understand grammar, but actually use it with confidence.&nbsp;</p>

<blockquote>&ldquo;The NUFU framework asks how we can put less of the onus on teachers and more on the students so that they take more responsibility for their learning and are more engaged as a result.&rdquo; &mdash; Audrea Gold</blockquote>

<p>Through concrete examples, reflective insights, and classroom-ready ideas, this episode invites educators to rethink how grammar is introduced, practiced, and applied&mdash;offering a clear pathway toward instruction that truly sticks.</p>

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Abv-cwwCP9Q?si=6rrKUZ80PZ8rNNNL" title="YouTube video player" width="640"></iframe></div>

<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>


Rethinking Grammar Instruction with the NUFU Framework

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

Conferences

<p>The Ellii team is back from another spring conference&mdash;<a href="https://www.coabe.org/coabe-2026" target="_blank">COABE 2026</a> in Indianapolis. This year, five of us made the trip, some racing in from other trips to&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/blog/celebrating-60-years-of-tesol-in-salt-lake-city-utah" target="_blank">TESOL</a> and Japan! We gathered&nbsp;from various states and provinces:&nbsp;Columbus, Ohio (Teacher Trainer Christine), the San Francisco&nbsp;Bay Area (Teacher Trainer Kylie), Richmond, Virginia (Editor Ann), Windsor, Ontario (VP of Publishing Tara), and Winnipeg, Manitoba (CEO &amp; Founder Ben).</p>

<p>As a remote team, it was the first time some of us met in person. For me, finally connecting face-to-face with our new(ish) teacher trainers who joined us at COABE for the first time was the standout memory of the trip.</p>

<p><img alt="The Ellii booth with Ann and Christine and some COABE attendees" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5385/content_image-1.jpg" /></p>

<p class="caption">At the Ellii booth with editor Ann and teacher trainer Christine and some COABE attendees</p>

<p><img alt="Kylie and a former student" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5386/content_image-5.jpg" /></p>

<p class="caption">Teacher trainer&nbsp;Kylie with a former student</p>

<h2>#ELT Trending Topics at COABE 2026</h2>

<p>At Ellii, spring conference season is one of our busiest times of year.&nbsp;Whether large or small, conferences often have a standout theme or &ldquo;hot topic&rdquo;&mdash;the kind that fills sessions to standing room only.&nbsp;In recent years, we&rsquo;ve seen trends emerge around <a href="https://ellii.com/packs?page=1&amp;level=&amp;material=&amp;category=45">civics and citizenship</a>, <a href="https://ellii.com/packs?page=1&amp;level=&amp;material=&amp;category=44" target="_blank">family literacy</a>, <a href="https://ellii.com/collections/english-foundations/adult-literacy" target="_blank">SLIFE</a>, and, of course, AI.</p>

<p>This year, however, felt a little less focused&nbsp;on AI and what it can and can&#39;t do. In fact, as our editor Ann pointed out, COABE 2026 didn&rsquo;t seem to have one clear overarching theme at all, and I&rsquo;d agree. Beyond the expected focus on <a href="https://ellii.com/packs?page=1&amp;level=&amp;material=&amp;category=6" target="_blank">workplace</a> in adult education, a range of topics surfaced across sessions.</p>

<p>Some of the most common themes included:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Career pathways</li>
	<li>Digital literacy (Ellii&#39;s theme of the year for 2026)</li>
	<li>Soft skills&nbsp;(Ellii&#39;s theme of the year for 2025)</li>
	<li>Financial literacy</li>
	<li>Assessment</li>
	<li>Speaking</li>
	<li>Differentiation</li>
</ul>

<h2>Top Speakers &amp; Sessions</h2>

<p>Ellii always sponsors, exhibits, and presents at conferences like COABE. This year, Christine did&nbsp;a&nbsp;demo of <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/ellii-polls" target="_blank">Ellii Polls</a> &amp; <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/announcing-ellii-dilemmas" target="_blank">Dilemmas</a>, and had some fun talks with attendees about <a href="https://ellii.com/gather/polls/tipping" target="_blank">tipping</a> and <a href="https://ellii.com/gather/dilemmas/the-dinner-bill" target="_blank">splitting the bill</a>. Kylie talked about <a href="https://ellii.com/collections/english-foundations/adult-literacy" target="_blank">Adult Literacy</a> and showcased our <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/first-five" target="_blank">First Five</a> section. In my role as head of publishing, my primary focus was attending sessions and learning from teachers, administrators, and fellow publishers to ensure we&rsquo;re on the right track. Our head editor Ann was busy doing important research too!&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="Ellii Booth COABE 2026" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5387/content_image-7.jpg" /></p>

<p>These conferences play a key role in helping the Publishing team plan and refine our offerings for the year ahead, and we rely heavily on the insights we gather at COABE. Writing an annual reflection also gives me something to revisit the following year. I like to highlight a few of my favorite sessions&mdash;both for those who couldn&rsquo;t attend and as a way to consider how these ideas can be applied to my work at Ellii.</p>

<p>Here are three sessions that stood out above the others at COABE 2026:</p>

<h3>#1 &ndash; The Gift of the Gab: Empowering Adult ESL Students&nbsp;to Speak</h3>

<p><strong>Presenter:</strong> Claudette Session</p>

<p><strong>Focus:</strong> low-anxiety activities to get ELLs talking and building oral proficiency</p>

<p>This was the first session I attended, and it set a fantastic tone for the conference. Claudette packed it with practical ideas, all centered on engaging speaking activities.</p>

<h3>Core Speaking Skills</h3>

<ul>
	<li>requesting</li>
	<li>expressing</li>
	<li>explaining&nbsp;</li>
	<li>directing</li>
	<li>offering</li>
	<li>describing&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<h3>Tips from Claudette</h3>

<ul>
	<li>ELLs are more engaged when talking about topics they enjoy.</li>
	<li>Familiar topics help build confidence and fluency.</li>
	<li>Teachers should provide lots of practice with third-person forms (e.g., reporting what someone said or did).</li>
	<li>Using visuals&mdash;especially candid photos&mdash;is an effective and safe conversation starter.</li>
	<li>Teachers should set clear speaking expectations early. Meet with students individually if possible, allowing shy learners extra time while still encouraging full participation.</li>
	<li>Teachers should try recasting errors instead of directly correcting students in a classroom setting.</li>
	<li>Tracking common errors during class allows teachers to&nbsp;address problems in short review lessons rather than singling out students.</li>
	<li>Establish simple visual cues (like Claudette&#39;s&nbsp;&ldquo;do&rdquo; stick) to remind&nbsp;students when they are making a common error (such as forgetting &quot;do&quot; in a sentence).</li>
</ul>

<h3>Speaking Activities</h3>

<ul>
	<li>Guess the Photo: students have to ask Yes/No or information questions until they can guess a picture that only a teacher (or one student) can see</li>
	<li>Fast Stories: students retell something&nbsp;three times, getting faster each time (can also be done for reading fluency)</li>
	<li>Story in a Bag: students receive&nbsp;five items (or photos of the items) and have to create the story</li>
	<li>Foodie Talk: students post pictures of something that has been in their fridge too long and describe it</li>
	<li>One-Minute Podcasts: students record how to do something, such as how to get rid of the hiccups</li>
</ul>

<blockquote>
<p>Milk it!<br />
<br />
~ Claudette Session on getting the most out of an activity or task</p>
</blockquote>

<h3>Ellii Takeaways about Speaking</h3>

<p>This session gave me some great ideas for a new <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/photo-prompts" target="_blank"><strong>Photo Prompts</strong></a> series featuring candid photos. I would also like to add some How-To prompts in our <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/speaking-in-english"><strong>Speaking&nbsp;in English</strong></a> section too. Claudette definitely has the gift of the gab and would be a great speaker to invite to our next ElliiCon!&nbsp;</p>

<hr />
<h3>#2 The English Language Proficiency Standards: Cracking the Code</h3>

<p><strong>Presenters:</strong> Jenny Siegfried &amp; Catherine Porter</p>

<p><strong>Focus:</strong> discovering key concepts and skills in the standards;&nbsp;enhancing ESOL lessons for ELPS alignment</p>

<p>In this session, the speakers helped crack the code behind the English Language Proficiency Standards, challenging attendees to come up with one word or phrase for each of the standards. This was a practical lesson for me&nbsp;since we&#39;ve been adding these standards to all of our content at the section level&nbsp;and tweaking them at the lesson level. Being able to associate each standard to one word or phrase is super helpful for tagging content.&nbsp;</p>

<h3>Ellii Takeaways about the ELPS</h3>

<p>It is time to add the&nbsp;English Language Proficiency Standards to Ellii&#39;s interactive activities (Ellii Polls &amp; Dilemmas).<br />
<br />
Here are the ELPS that apply to <a href="https://ellii.com/gather/polls" target="_blank">Ellii Polls</a> &amp; <a href="https://ellii.com/gather/dilemmas" target="_blank">Dilemmas</a>:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>ELP 2 (two-way communication)</li>
	<li>ELP 4 (claims &amp; evidence)</li>
	<li>ELP 6 (evaluate &amp; reasoning)</li>
	<li>ELP 7 (register / adapt language)</li>
	<li>ELP 8 (understanding vocabulary)</li>
	<li>ELP 9 (coherence)</li>
	<li>ELP 10 (grammatical conventions)</li>
</ul>

<p><img alt="ELPS Coabe" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5390/content_ELPS-coabe_2026.jpg" /></p>

<hr />
<h3>#3 Skillful Living Now: Developing a Soft Skills Course for Adult Learners</h3>

<p><strong>Presenter:</strong> Ray Agliata</p>

<p><strong>Focus: </strong>tools to help adult learners develop critical soft skills for today&#39;s workforce, including&nbsp;communication, adaptability, and leadership</p>

<p>Soft skills was Ellii&#39;s theme of the year for 2025, so I was eager to attend this session to find out how our <a href="https://ellii.com/packs/soft-skills-for-hospitality-workers" target="_blank">Soft Skills for Hospitality Workers</a>&nbsp;course measured up.</p>

<p>Ray Agliata, an author, shared a statistic that 89% of the reasons people don&rsquo;t succeed in the workplace are related to soft skills.</p>

<h3>10 Soft Skills Hiring Managers Are Looking for in 2026</h3>

<ol>
	<li>Attitude</li>
	<li>Attendance</li>
	<li>Appearance</li>
	<li>Confidence</li>
	<li>Leadership</li>
	<li>Communication</li>
	<li>Work Ethic &amp; Self-Motivation</li>
	<li>Flexibility &amp; Adaptability</li>
	<li>Teamwork</li>
	<li>Problem-Solving</li>
</ol>

<p>After sharing notes about these top skills, Ray&nbsp;walked attendees through how to build their own soft skills courses. His #1 design tip was to think like TikTok, creating small bits of information that can be consumed quickly.&nbsp;He also suggested using real, exceptional people that you know in your own life to be a source of inspiration for your materials. Ray talked about using Keri Mandell, his friend, in his course. She&nbsp;completed seven marathons in seven days in seven continents. That must have taken all 10 soft skills!</p>

<blockquote>
<p>&quot;Don&#39;t do it on your lunch hour. That&#39;s ridiculous!&quot;&nbsp;<br />
~ Ray Agliata on creating your own courses</p>
</blockquote>

<p>He reminded us that adult learners need learning to be <em>relevant</em>, <em>achievable</em>, and <em>applicable</em>. I&#39;d say this is also the case for conference session attendees! I found this session to be all of the above.&nbsp;</p>

<h3>Ellii Takeaways about Soft Skills</h3>

<p>In this session, there was a question about how to help students showcase their soft skills in an interview. I noted this as something that&nbsp;would make a great lesson on Ellii.&nbsp;I also learned about a baseball player that we should add to our <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/easy-readers" target="_blank">Easy Reader</a> or <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/famous-people" target="_blank">Famous People</a> section.&nbsp;Mariano Rivera, a New York Yankee, used soft skills to progress&nbsp;from being an ESL learner to closer to Baseball Hall of Famer. I also hope to&nbsp;invite Ray Agliata to speak at our&nbsp;next ElliiCon! (Find his book listed at the end of the post.)</p>

<blockquote>
<p>&quot;I believe you are one choice away from a different life.&quot;&nbsp;<br />
~ Kyle&nbsp;Quilausing, pro golfer, turned Hawaii&#39;s most wanted, turned GED graduate,&nbsp;turned motivational&nbsp;speaker at&nbsp;COABE 2026</p>
</blockquote>

<hr />
<h3>Recommended Resources at COABE 2026</h3>

<p>Here are some more resources we learned about at COABE 2026 that you may want to check out:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Marshall Adult Readers</li>
	<li>Skillblox</li>
	<li>Tabetest.com</li>
	<li>TABE Edge</li>
	<li>Notebook LM</li>
	<li>Vids (Google tool)</li>
	<li>Digital Inclusion Library</li>
	<li>Ready for Industry (workforce app)</li>
	<li>GED &amp; Me</li>
</ul>

<h3>Book Recommendations + a Final Note&nbsp;</h3>

<p>There&rsquo;s always plenty of book talk when you&rsquo;re surrounded by language lovers. I finished the classic <em>Man&rsquo;s Search for Meaning </em>by Viktor Frankl on my short flight from Detroit to Indianapolis and picked up <em>Theo of Golden</em>&nbsp;by Allen Levi for the trip home.</p>

<p>Ann, Kylie, and I also discovered we&rsquo;d all recently read (and loved) <em>The Correspondent</em> by Virginia Evans, which turned into a mini book club at our final lunch. Ann challenged us&nbsp;to write and send a letter to someone by the end of May! Coincidentally, an email I scheduled five years ago to my father, who was in the hospital during the pandemic, got sent this week and it was a fun surprise and exercise to receive a letter back. Did you know you can schedule gmail up to 49 years ahead? This could be a fun time-capsule exercise to try with your students.</p>

<p>Here are a few books recommended by COABE attendees:</p>

<ul>
	<li><em>The Anxious Generation</em> by Jonathan Haidt&nbsp;</li>
	<li><em>The Names</em> by Florence Knapp (fiction)</li>
	<li><em>Skillful Living Now: Lead Human: Leadership in an AI World</em>&nbsp;by Ray Agliata&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<p>Lastly, some of the best advice&mdash;and always the best stories&mdash;the Ellii team takes away from conferences come from time spent with our founder and leader, Ben. This year, Ben shared a video he had once shown his daughter&mdash;and one I&rsquo;ll now be sharing with mine as she heads off to graduate school. Its message is simple but powerful: if you want to change the world,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBAqF00gBGk" target="_blank">start by making your bed</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="43 celebrated Hoosiers, mural in Indianapolis" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5391/content_image-4.jpg" /></p>

<p class="caption">Indianapolis&rsquo;s bicentennial mural, 43 Hoosiers</p>

<p>See you next year in New Orleans!<br />
<br />
Tara &amp; Team Ellii&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="Kylie, Christine, Ann, Tara " src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5392/content_image-8.jpg" /></p>

<p class="caption">Kylie, Christine, Ann, and Tara closing out&nbsp;COABE 2026</p>


On Track in Indianapolis: Key Takeaways from COABE 2026

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Find fun games and activities for teaching English to young learners and middle schoolers. 

Young Learners

<h2>Behind the Scenes at Ellii</h2>

<p>At Ellii, there are a few lesson sections that started out as passion projects for our Publishing team members.&nbsp;Our Young Learner section called&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/picture-stories" target="_blank">Picture Stories</a>&nbsp;is one of these sections. You might know this section better as &quot;Benji stories.&quot;<br />
<br />
These stories, about an adorable bear who happens to have the same name as our founder and CEO,&nbsp;are written and illustrated by our in-house designer, Saori.</p>

<p>Saori is from Brazil and her&nbsp;first language is Portuguese! In the early days, Saori had a lot of help from our editor, Tanya. Over the years, while working closely with the English materials developed by our in-house writers and editors,&nbsp;Saori&#39;s English improved immensely, and she was able to starting writing&nbsp;these lessons more independently!&nbsp;Meanwhile, Tanya took on a new role as our head of video and began overseeing the development of Benji <a href="https://ellii.com/media/videos/stories-songs/picture-stories" target="_blank">videos</a>. The amazing videos have brought even more fans to this fun series!</p>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/video/spring" target="_blank"><img alt="Benji Picture Stories and Videos" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5353/content_Screenshot_2026-04-08_at_10.48.49_AM.png" /></a></p>

<h2>Fan Fiction</h2>

<p>As you can imagine, if you see how much <a href="https://ellii.com/collections/new-content" target="_blank">new content</a> we put out each month,&nbsp;Saori has a very busy job as the lead designer on Ellii&#39;s Publishing team. Though she&nbsp;doesn&#39;t have a lot of time for her passion project, Saori tries to add at least a few new Benji stories and lessons&nbsp;each year.</p>

<p>For some Benji fans, however, this is not enough! In fact, a recent young reader named Olivier (age 8) took this into his own hands and submitted his own&nbsp;Benji story. He asked that we publish it, so we&#39;ve decided to put it on our blog.<br />
<br />
With the World Cup coming soon, we hope your young soccer fans and early readers&nbsp;enjoy Olivier&#39;s Benji Soccer Story, our first &quot;fan fiction&quot; submission! We think Olivier got the tone just right for Benji. He even invented his own new Benji &quot;friend&quot; named Banjo. (Move over, Yumi and Onyx!)&nbsp;<br />
<br />
If your students love Benji and his friends, you can encourage them to write their own fan fiction and submit it below in the comment section.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Olivier is very excited that Benji has a friend Banjo. They sound like maybe they&#39;re twins. We hope you like the story and will publish it! Cheers!</p>

<p>~ Ezri (teacher) &amp; Olivier</p>
</blockquote>

<h1>Benji Soccer Story</h1>

<h2>Hi, my name is Benji.</h2>

<h2>Today I am playing soccer with my friend Banjo.</h2>

<h2>Banjo and I like to play drums too.</h2>

<h2>My friend Banjo and I played a soccer match, and Banjo won the match 2 to 1.</h2>

<h2>We played another match, and this time&nbsp;I won 3 to 2.</h2>

<h2>We continued to practice soccer by doing free kicks.</h2>

<h2>After the game, we went to get pizza&nbsp;and played drums.</h2>

<h2>&quot;See you next time!&quot;</h2>

<p>By Olivier, age 8</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Oh my god, that&#39;s so sweet! 🥹 I can picture Banjo as a fluffy black bear, ha!&nbsp;<br />
<br />
~ Saori, author of Ellii&#39;s Benji Picture Stories</p>
</blockquote>


Benji Fan Fiction

https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/2813/Benji-Fan-Fiction_Banner.png

<p>Growing demand for career-specific, workplace English content has driven the Publishing team at Ellii to work hard at expanding our IET materials.</p>

<blockquote>
<h3><strong>What is IET?</strong></h3>

<p><strong>IET</strong> stands for <strong>Integrated Education and Training</strong>. It is a model that provides adult education and literacy activities concurrently and contextually with workforce preparation and training for a specific occupation.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Ellii offers a vast library of lessons, courses, videos, and assessments designed to teach fundamental English language skills while preparing students for immediate workforce entry or career advancement.</p>

<h3><strong>Here&rsquo;s How It Looks in the Classroom</strong></h3>

<p>Instead of a generic lesson on &quot;prepositions,&quot; an IET lesson might teach prepositions through <strong>hazard communication</strong>. (e.g., &quot;The safety goggles are <em>in</em> the cabinet <em>above</em> the workbench.&quot;)</p>

<h2><strong>Where to Find IET Content on Ellii</strong></h2>

<p>There are three main sections to visit on Ellii if you&rsquo;re in search of IET content:</p>

<ol>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/career-pathways">Career Pathways Lesson Section</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs?page=1&amp;level=&amp;material=&amp;category=6">Workplace Courses &amp; Study Packs</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/media/videos/workplace">Media Gallery Workplace Videos</a></li>
</ol>

<p><em>This <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HT7zMtV9npQ">video</a> quickly walks you through how to navigate each of these sections.</em></p>

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HT7zMtV9npQ?si=NEmY8EDC__A3swGX" title="YouTube video player" width="640"></iframe></div>

<h3><strong>1. Career Pathways Lesson Section</strong></h3>

<p>Our <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/career-pathways">Career Pathways</a> collection is booming with new lessons, now categorized into career clusters such as <strong>Health Science</strong>, <strong>Financial Services</strong>, and <strong>Hospitality &amp; Tourism</strong>. These digital-only lessons introduce your students to various roles within the English-speaking workforce.</p>

<p>Designed for <strong>high-beginner to low-intermediate</strong> learners, each lesson provides a deep dive into specific careers&mdash;covering necessary education, required experience, and common daily duties. They&#39;re a perfect fit for IET programs or motivated students looking for independent self-study.</p>

<p>Explore our recently added lessons:</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/lesson/6081-working-as-a-restaurant-manager">Working as a Restaurant Manager</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/lesson/6065-working-as-a-bank-teller">Working as a Bank Teller</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/lesson/6055-working-as-an-accountant">Working as an Accountant</a></li>
</ul>

<p><img alt="Ellii IET lessons " src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5354/content_IET-lessons-Ellii.png" /></p>

<h3><strong>2. Workplace Courses &amp; Study Packs</strong></h3>

<p>If you need a more comprehensive set of IET materials than a single lesson provides, our Courses and Study Packs offer curated content in a logical, ready-to-teach sequence.</p>

<ul>
	<li><strong>Study Packs</strong> are short bundles of 3&ndash;6 lessons centered around a specific theme, skill, or grammar structure.</li>
	<li><strong>Courses</strong> are in-depth modules based on common workplace scenarios. These often include video instruction and assessments to help you track student progress.</li>
</ul>

<p>We offer specialized content in areas like <strong>healthcare</strong>, <strong>dentistry</strong>, and <strong>paraeducation</strong>. Check out our most recent additions:</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/english-for-entrepreneurs-1">English for Entrepreneurs</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/english-for-commercial-drivers">English for Commercial Drivers</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/english-for-baseball-players-1">English for Baseball Players</a></li>
</ul>

<p><img alt="Ellii IET courses" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5355/content_IET-courses-Ellii.png" /></p>

<h3><strong>3. Media Gallery Workplace Videos</strong></h3>

<p>If you&rsquo;re looking for high-impact visual aids, look no further than Ellii&rsquo;s <strong>Media Gallery</strong>. This section is packed with photos and videos designed to bring workplace scenarios to life.</p>

<p>Our <a href="https://ellii.com/media/flashcards/at-work-on-the-job">workplace flashcards</a> provide clear, useful imagery for career-specific terms&mdash;from safety gear like <a href="http://ellii.com/media/flashcards/at-work-on-the-job/phlebotomists?search=safety&amp;flashcard=8884">face masks</a> to professional tools like <a href="https://ellii.com/media/flashcards/at-work-on-the-job/phlebotomists?search=stethoscopes&amp;flashcard=10013">stethoscopes</a>.</p>

<p>Take a look at these examples intended to teach career-specific skills, model workplace behavior, and build essential vocabulary:</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/media/flashcards/at-work-on-the-job">At Work &amp; On the Job Flashcards</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/media/videos/workplace/nursing-vocabulary">Workplace Silent Clips</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/media/videos/workplace/pre-employment-phrasal-verbs">Pre-Employment</a> &amp; <a href="https://ellii.com/media/videos/workplace/employment-phrasal-verbs">Employment Phrasal Verbs Videos</a></li>
</ul>

<p><img alt="Ellii IET videos" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5356/content_IET-videos-Ellii.png" /></p>

<h3><strong>Bonus IET Materials</strong></h3>

<p>While the three sections above are our top recommendations, you can find even more job-readiness resources tucked into these popular Ellii categories:</p>

<ol>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/gather/dilemmas"><strong>Ellii Dilemmas</strong></a><br />
	Spark critical thinking and debate with workplace-specific scenarios. These interactive activities are perfect for practicing &quot;soft skills&quot; like negotiating, turn-taking, and professional disagreement.
	<ul>
		<li><em>Try these:</em> <a href="https://ellii.com/gather/dilemmas/the-crooked-coworker">The Crooked Coworker</a>, <a href="https://ellii.com/gather/dilemmas/the-inflated-launch">The Inflated Launch</a>, or <a href="https://ellii.com/gather/dilemmas/the-unfair-demand">The Unfair Demand</a>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</li>
	</ul>
	</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/business-matters"><strong>Business Communications</strong></a><br />
	Found within our Business Matters section, these lessons target advanced students and cover high-level professional interactions.
	<ul>
		<li><em>Try these:</em> <a href="https://ellii.com/lesson/3357-negotiating">Negotiating</a>, <a href="https://ellii.com/lesson/5625-active-listening">Active Listening</a>, and <a href="https://ellii.com/lesson/4374-performance-reviews">Performance Reviews</a>.</li>
	</ul>
	</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/real-world-reading"><strong>Real-World Reading</strong></a><br />
	Bring authentic &quot;realia&quot; into your classroom to help students navigate essential workplace documents.
	<ul>
		<li><em>Try these:</em> <a href="https://ellii.com/lesson/4399-workplace-safety">Workplace Safety</a>, <a href="https://ellii.com/lesson/4042-employee-benefits">Employee Benefits</a>, and <a href="https://ellii.com/lesson/3953-operating-instructions">Operating Instructions</a></li>
	</ul>
	</li>
</ol>

<h2><strong>Ready to Boost Your IET Curriculum?</strong></h2>

<p>Whether you are looking for a quick vocabulary deep dive, a comprehensive multi-lesson course, or engaging media to spark classroom discussion, Ellii&rsquo;s IET content has you covered. By integrating these resources, you can provide your adult learners with the practical language skills they need to succeed in the modern workforce.</p>

<p>We&#39;re constantly adding new vocational areas and workplace scenarios, so keep checking back for more great material to support your IET program!</p>


3 Places to Find IET Materials on Ellii

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<section>
<p>Great teaching grows through reflection and conversation. That&#39;s the heartbeat of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.teacherthinkaloud.com/" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>The Teacher Think-Aloud Podcast</em></a>&nbsp;&mdash; and as it celebrates five years, the podcast is spotlighting&nbsp;<a href="https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCuUBia4J9i-lOLm-uUR2Nm5Kwv5Hg5KZ&amp;si=eNjq1xqxbbR2gxwS" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">five episodes</a>&nbsp;that continue to resonate with English language educators everywhere.<br />
Ellii is proud to sponsor&nbsp;<em>The Teacher Think-Aloud Podcast</em>&nbsp;&mdash; a leading voice in ELT professional development today.</p>

<h2><strong>1. Episode 14 &ndash; Representation: More Than Just a Stock Photo</strong>&nbsp;</h2>

<p>In this episode, Anna and Sh&eacute; explore how materials, narratives, and classroom examples shape students&#39; sense of belonging. Whose voices are centered? Whose identities are erased? This conversation challenges teachers to move from surface-level diversity to meaningful inclusion, and remains one of our most-shared free ELT resources for opening up conversations about equity in the classroom.</p>

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NpUmrnbUJo8?si=KqNJR1X4VN3_T3Rv" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div>

<hr />
<h2><strong>2. Episode 34 &ndash; Trauma-Sensitive Teaching</strong>&nbsp;<em>(with Sherry MacKay)</em>&nbsp;</h2>

<p>In this episode, guest Sherry MacKay discusses how trauma may show up in the classroom and what it means to respond with compassion rather than control. The takeaway is simple but powerful: behavior is communication, and safety is foundational to learning.</p>
<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vCiyPTgqfcs?si=071YassbcrIwS1bm" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div>

<hr />
<h2><strong>3. Episode 44 &ndash; Global Citizenship: Opening the View to the Possible</strong>&nbsp;<em>(with Brantley Turner)</em>&nbsp;</h2>

<p>In this episode, guest Brantley Turner explores the role of English language teaching classrooms in fostering global citizenship. From intercultural communication to critical awareness and empathy, she reflects on how teachers can move beyond transactional language instruction and create spaces where students grapple with global issues, multiple perspectives, and their own responsibilities as members of an interconnected world.</p>
<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Kpb6zt7Cnck?si=pWGld0L4adyIAa2k" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div>

<hr />
<h2><strong>4. Episode 56 &ndash; Building a Sustainable PD Practice</strong>&nbsp;<em>(with Yulia Kharchenko)</em>&nbsp;</h2>

<p>How do you sustain your professional development as an educator? In this episode, guest Yulia Kharchenko shares a framework she and her colleagues have developed to ensure future teachers are prepared for future challenges in the teaching profession.</p>
<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Gs_kjYqRa4M?si=aP11sm4JvEH2IbLI" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div>

<hr />
<h2><strong>5. Episode 66 &ndash; &quot;Being a Native Speaker Isn&#39;t a Qualification&quot;</strong>&nbsp;<em>(with Meri Maroutian)</em>&nbsp;</h2>

<p>Native speakerism continues to shape hiring practices, pay structures, and perceptions of competence in ELT. In this episode, Anna and Sh&eacute; dive into the pervasive issue of native speakerism in English Language Teaching with educator and advocate Meri Maroutian, unpacking accent bias and challenging the assumption that nativeness equals qualification. The focus shifts toward credentials, intelligibility, and professional expertise as the true markers of effective teaching.</p>
<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/91XXrBvpn7g?si=armTwcwODKN-I3R6" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div>

<hr />
<p>Five years in,&nbsp;<em>The Teacher Think-Aloud Podcast</em>&nbsp;continues to be a space where English language educators can work to think more deeply, teach more equitably, and grow more sustainably. Tune in and keep the conversation going.</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>
</section>


5 Years of Thinking Aloud: 5 Episodes Worth Revisiting

https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/2811/Tara_New-Year-New-Reflections-and-a-Partnership-with-The-Teacher-Think-Aloud-Podcast_Banner.png

<p>For me, the theme of TESOL this year was finding a balance between the old and new, incorporating both the familiar and the novel into our lessons and lives. Tucked in between and within sessions about AI and technology were many inspiring messages about human creativity and connection.</p>

<p>Ellii is an old hand at TESOL, attending it&nbsp;for over 20 years. But this year, we sent three completely new members, including myself. It was the first time we had&nbsp;met each other&nbsp;in person, and we hit it off. I couldn&rsquo;t ask for better teammates&nbsp;to spend TESOL with.&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="Ellii group picture" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5329/content_Team-picture.jpg" /></p>

<p>But not everything about this conference was completely new&mdash;I was born and grew up in Utah, so for me, it was coming home. Whether it was the sight of mountains peeking from behind the downtown&nbsp;buildings, the warm, dry air, or the &ldquo;dirty&nbsp;soda&quot;&nbsp;bar in the expo hall, I constantly felt a sense of familiarity at this conference.</p>

<p>As TESOL celebrated its 60th anniversary, the Wednesday night keynote by the president of TESOL highlighted many of the members who have made a difference in&nbsp;teaching over the years. It made me reflect on how the field of teaching always has to deal with this balance of building on tradition and embracing the new. I saw many examples of this balance in the sessions that I attended. I&rsquo;d like to highlight a few of these sessions.</p>

<h2>Thinking about the future of learning</h2>

<p>The Wednesday morning keynote,&nbsp;<strong>The Interplay between Technology and Humanity: Shaping the Future of Education</strong>,&nbsp;by Enilda Romero-Hall, prompted us to think about what education will&nbsp;look like in the future and where learners will go to find&nbsp;an education. She emphasized the importance of having conversations about accessibility and equity, and of&nbsp;developing communities for learners.&nbsp;</p>

<p>When the presenter gave us the prompt to think about one word we would use to describe the future of learning, the word that came to mind was &ldquo;flexibility.&rdquo; Learners come in all levels and with unique background experiences. As teachers, being flexible is how we can adapt to help our students succeed in a world where change is constant.</p>

<h2>Creating spaces for learning</h2>

<p>I also noticed a theme of creating learning environments at TESOL. As teachers, we want to make the environment of our classrooms conducive to learning, no matter what level our students are at. We want them to feel comfortable&nbsp;by incorporating things that are familiar to them along with the new language.</p>

<p><img alt="Image of packed session" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5330/content_Nat-Geo-Full-Session.jpg" /></p>

<p>In the packed Thursday session&nbsp;<strong>Welcome Elementary Newcomers With Language, Literacy, and Content</strong>, Deborah Short from National Geographic Learning/Cengage gave us some key principles for teaching newcomers:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Know your newcomers and the resources they bring into the classroom</li>
	<li>Create conditions for language learning</li>
	<li>Design high-quality language lessons</li>
</ul>

<p>The learning environment not only includes the physical space where you teach, but also involves giving students ways to get help, express how they&nbsp;feel, and find comfort in routines. If you know your learners, you can utilize their background knowledge and skills to help them develop challenging new skills in English.</p>

<p>We also need to consider the learning space in conjunction with new technologies such as AI. In the session on&nbsp;<strong>The Future Academic English Textbook: AI Changes Everything</strong>&nbsp;by <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/elliicon2022-dr-ken-beatty" target="_blank">Dr. Ken Beatty,</a> we explored the challenges of AI in the classroom and how to work with it. If we&nbsp;assign a task to students that isn&rsquo;t meaningful or useful to them, then they will be tempted to just use AI to complete it. Instead, we can encourage students to get different perspectives and learn about representation bias in AI-generated materials.</p>

<p>One suggestion he had for lesson planning&nbsp;is to create activities&nbsp;that are AI-proof by having students&nbsp;give opinions and personal examples from their own experiences. Have them show drafts of their work and focus on the process over the outcome.&nbsp;</p>

<p>These points reminded me of Ellii&rsquo;s <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/discussion-starters" target="_blank">Discussion Starters</a>, which&nbsp;feature speaking activities that focus on opinions and personal experiences. They are my favorite lessons to share with my own&nbsp;students to get them both thinking and talking, and it looks like they can be effective for AI-proof teaching.</p>

<p>Along with all these great tips for creating materials, my main takeaway from this session is that <a href="https://ellii.com/ai" target="_blank">ethical use of AI</a> is a skill we should be teaching our students rather than avoiding AI. We must address new and pervasive technology with critical thinking.</p>

<h2>Improving conversations outside of the classroom</h2>

<p>Two of the&nbsp;most enjoyable sessions&nbsp;were interactive workshops focusing on discussions and soft skills.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Rewarding Small-Group Speaking with Semisynchronous Discussion Circles</strong>, led by Mark Makino of Southern Utah University, introduced the idea of creating discussion circles where students can hold discussions in class or meet up and record themselves outside of the classroom.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In the spirit of presenting on discussion circles, the presenter put us in groups of 4 or 5, gave us each a role, and had us hold our own discussion on&nbsp;teaching strategies. Our&nbsp;roles included the leader, the stubborn one, the generous one, the shy one, and the attentive one. It was fun to experience the activity from the students&#39; point of view and also reflect on our roles at the end.</p>

<p>Eamon McGowan and Haley Boone led a delightful session on&nbsp;<strong>Soft Skills in Action: Practical Strategies for EL Classrooms.</strong>&nbsp;This session focused on teaching the students not only how to use <a href="https://ellii.com/collections/academic-subjects/social-emotional-learning">soft skills</a>, but also how to talk about soft skills outside of class, such as in a job interview, and apply them to their own experiences. The steps in this teaching process include&hellip;</p>

<ul>
	<li>Teach specific&nbsp;soft skills&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Practice the skills in a low-stakes activity with roles assigned to each student</li>
	<li>Practice in a higher-stakes activity that demonstrates skills beyond the classroom</li>
	<li>Describe the soft skills and how to respond to questions about them</li>
</ul>

<p>Both of these sessions taught me ways to incorporate routines and familiarity alongside learning&nbsp;new skills, and I&rsquo;m excited to apply them in my own lessons and in creating materials at Ellii.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>Embracing both the old and new at Ellii</h2>

<p><img alt="Image of Ellii session" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5331/content_Ellii-session.jpg" /></p>

<p>The pre-keynote speech and our own Ellii sessions led by Christine and Kylie highlighted Ellii&rsquo;s newer gamified features,&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/blog/ellii-polls" target="_blank">Ellii&nbsp;Polls</a> and <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/announcing-ellii-dilemmas" target="_blank">Dilemmas</a>, our <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/first-five" target="_blank">First Five</a> section for adult literacy, and how to organize materials and share them with students using Ellii&#39;s&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/blog/try-class-prepping-with-elliis-lesson-planner" target="_blank">Lesson Planner</a>.<br />
<br />
<img alt="Ellii booth at TESOL 2026" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5332/content_Booth-picture.jpg" /></p>

<p>As a member of the publishing team at Ellii, I enjoyed asking teachers who stopped by our booth what resources they use at Ellii. Our new <a href="https://ellii.com/packs?page=1&amp;level=&amp;material=&amp;category=45" target="_blank">civics</a> materials are a big hit, along with the many <a href="https://ellii.com/packs?page=1&amp;level=&amp;material=&amp;category=6" target="_blank">workplace courses</a> we&rsquo;ve put out in the past few months. Teachers also enjoy our classic <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/holidays-events" target="_blank">holiday</a> lessons and <a href="https://ellii.com/media/videos/pronunciation" target="_blank">pronunciation videos</a>. And of course, they love to visit our booth at conferences&nbsp;and get some pens, chocolates, and T-shirts! Being able to share Ellii with teachers who had never used our lessons before was also a great experience.<br />
<br />
<img alt="image of chocolate and pens" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5333/content_pens-and-chocolate.jpg" /></p>

<p>At Ellii, we want to continue offering teachers flexible options for teaching, whether they need print materials and flashcards or are incorporating digital lessons and videos into their classrooms. We continue to embrace the future of language education and the ever-changing needs of our teachers and students.<br />
<br />
Thank you, Salt Lake City! We look forward to the next meet-up&nbsp;at TESOL 2027 in&nbsp;Houston, Texas.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
<br />
&nbsp;</p>


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