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

Announcements

<p><em>Just like the Publishing team constantly puts out new content, our Product team continuously rolls out new features. Some builds are requests and needs shared by school districts, admins, or teachers, and others are updates we decide on internally to complete during a six-week cycle. In addition to building and designing new features, our&nbsp;engineers and designers are constantly cleaning things up to make the platform as user-friendly as possible for learners and teachers. </em></p>

<p><em>We don&#39;t always get a chance to make formal announcements about all of our new releases, so if you&#39;re a subscriber, we hope you&#39;ll take a minute to review what&#39;s new!</em></p>

<h2>No more password headaches: Key codes arrive</h2>

<p>Logging in just got easier for students. When creating student accounts, teachers can now choose between traditional username + password or our new simpler option: key codes made up of six digits.</p>

<p>Students can log in using their key code + last name, making access quicker and more classroom-friendly.</p>

<p>And for even more efficiency, teachers can bulk create students via CSV upload.</p>

<p><img alt="Keycodes on Ellii" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5305/content_image__8_.png" /></p>

<h2>Time reports reveal student effort</h2>

<p>Curious how much time students are actually spending on tasks?</p>

<p>The new Time Reports feature gives teachers clear visibility into:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Time spent by students within a specific class</li>
	<li>Total time spent across Ellii and Ellii Solo</li>
</ul>

<h2><img alt="time reports on Ellii" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5306/content_image__9_.png" /></h2>

<h2>Assessments get a major upgrade</h2>

<p>Assessments just leveled up. We&rsquo;ve brought more task types into the Assessment Player, including:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Image Match</li>
	<li>Listen &amp; Type</li>
	<li>Writing&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Speaking</li>
</ul>

<p><img alt="Ellii Placement Test with speaking and writing" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5308/content_Screenshot_2026-03-18_at_8.58.47_AM.png" /></p>

<p>This unlocks more robust assessments, including true 4-skills placement tests and Ellii Bot assistance to grade them. Because of this, students will now see a message at the end of an assessment letting them know their score is being processed and will be available shortly.</p>

<p><img alt="Assessment Player gets new tasks on Ellii " src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5307/content_image__10_.png" /></p>

<h2>Round buttons roll into town</h2>

<p>The interface just got smoother.&nbsp;Round buttons have officially arrived, and some of them are now sporting fresh color gradients for a more modern look.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It might look like a small visual tweak, but a lot of work went into it behind the scenes.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="round buttons on Ellii" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5296/content_image__1_.png" /></p>

<h2>Teacher hack inspires new emoji class feature</h2>

<p>We noticed a teacher manually adding emoji&nbsp;to their class names and thought,&nbsp;<em>That&rsquo;s actually pretty cool...why not make it a feature?</em></p>

<p>Now teachers can pick an emoji for their class name directly from a selector, adding a bit of personality (and easier visual scanning) to the class list.</p>

<p><img alt="emoji in class name on Ellii" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5297/content_image__2_.png" /></p>

<h2>Ellii Bot now takes scoring requests</h2>

<p>Ever had your class set to manual grading and then realized you suddenly had a mountain of responses to score?&nbsp;</p>

<p>Ellii Bot autoscoring can now be run on demand as a one-off job!</p>

<p>So even if your class settings are set to manual grading (or you forgot to change them), you now have the option to let the bot step in and help.</p>

<p><img alt="Need Ellii Bot's help " src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5298/content_image__3_.png" /></p>

<h2>Bot declares: English-only for speaking tasks</h2>

<p>Ellii Bot is tightening the rules on speaking activities. Responses must now be in English, ensuring more accurate feedback and scoring for speaking practice.</p>

<p><img alt="Ellii Bot allows English only" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5299/content_image__4_.png" /></p>

<h2>Homework confusion avoided with&nbsp;in-class tasks skipped</h2>

<p>Some lesson tasks are really meant to be done live in the classroom, not assigned for homework.</p>

<p>Now pair or group tasks like warm-ups, discussions,&nbsp;and role-plays are skipped by default when assigning lessons. Teachers can still add them back into the assignment if they want.</p>

<p><img alt="Homework-only tasks" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5300/content_image__5_.png" /></p>

<h2>Students get &ldquo;already started&rdquo; assignment tracker</h2>

<p>Students will now see which assignments they&#39;ve already started but not finished.</p>

<p>This makes it easier to jump back in and finish the job...hopefully. 😅</p>

<p><img alt="Already started homework label on Ellii" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5301/content_image__6_.png" /></p>

<h2>Classes can be easily transferred</h2>

<p>Teachers now have a new option when managing their classes&mdash;transfer a class to another teacher. When handing off a class to a coworker or dealing with schedule changes, teachers can now move a class without losing its structure or student list.</p>

<p><img alt="Transfer homework to another teacher on Ellii" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5302/content_image__7_.png" /></p>

<h2>More platform updates</h2>

<ul>
	<li><strong>Universal Roster</strong>&nbsp;now includes students without a class</li>
	<li><strong>Old notifications cleaned up</strong>&nbsp;to reduce clutter and improve performance</li>
	<li>Platform performance benefits from <strong>smarter notification management</strong></li>
	<li>Performance boost for students&#39; lists, <strong>now loading 4X faster</strong>!</li>
</ul>

<p>A big thank-you to the entire Product team and everyone involved in the discussions that helped shape these updates, including teachers!&nbsp;Your ideas, feedback, and collaboration make improvements like these possible.</p>


2026 Feature Updates at Ellii (Q1)

https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/2809/Nico_Ellii-Bot-Just-Got-Smarter_Banner.png

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

Conferences

<p>I feel absolutely honored to have had the chance to attend the 2024 Peru TESOL conference. I am traveling around South America while working remotely at the moment. One of my online contacts noticed that I had arrived in Arequipa and mentioned that the conference was on. It sounded like a great opportunity, so I extended my stay and attended.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This year was the first face-to-face conference Peru TESOL has held since before the pandemic, so everyone was very excited to see each other. It was lovely watching so many ELT professionals re-connect and inspire each other after so long.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The importance of human connection was a theme that ran strongly throughout the event. Online conferences are brilliant, but you can&rsquo;t beat a warm hug and smile from a long lost friend or a new best pal!</p>

<h2>Arequipa</h2>

<p>Arequipa is now firmly one of my favorite cities. At 2,335 meters above sea level, the altitude can take a bit of getting used to, but it is absolutely worth it. Nicknamed the &quot;White City&quot;&nbsp;because many of its buildings are made of sillar (a white volcanic rock), it&rsquo;s lovely just wandering around the center and surrounding neighborhoods. The city has numerous miradors (viewpoints) where you can enjoy the scenery of three surrounding volcanoes:&nbsp;Chachani, Misti, and Pichu Pichu. Even the conference venue, Instituto del Sur, had this stunning vista from its fire escape (which we didn&rsquo;t have to use)!</p>

<h2><img alt="Peru TESOL conference 2024" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3880/content_Peru.jpg" /><br />
Sessions</h2>

<p>Over three days, the conference covered an eclectic range of topics. Every plenary was engaging and it was tricky to choose which workshop to attend.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Sandra Story, the director of the Regional English Language Office (RELO) at the US&nbsp;embassy&nbsp;in Lima, opened the conference with a super interactive plenary on the past, present, and future of ELT. Her delivery was truly exemplary. She had us all moving around, using actions, chatting, thinking, and laughing.&nbsp;</p>

<p>One key takeaway from her session was that &quot;English and English teachers change lives.&quot;&nbsp;I couldn&rsquo;t agree more.&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="build strong communities sketch" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3881/content_change-lives.png" /></p>

<p>As with many corners of English language teaching at the moment, artificial intelligence was a popular theme. It was a topic that came up in almost every session, even if the session&nbsp;wasn&rsquo;t specifically about AI.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Another exemplary session for me was Laura Holland&rsquo;s closing plenary on maintaining human connection in the age of AI. If anyone was born to be a teacher and teacher trainer, it was Laura. She has an extremely&nbsp;welcoming persona that just makes you want to smile and get involved. Her session was super interactive and full of innovative ideas.&nbsp;</p>

<p>I especially loved her recommendation to monitor students&rsquo; discussions by pretending not to listen. It&rsquo;s a simple technique to prevent students&rsquo; getting distracted by the teacher poking their head into their conversation!</p>

<p>Here&rsquo;s a sketchnote I created of her session. I hope you enjoy the image of the giant stealth ear!&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="build strong communities sketchnote" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3882/content_build-strong.jpg" /></p>

<h2>Sketchnotes</h2>

<p>The last few conferences I&rsquo;ve attended, I&rsquo;ve been commissioned to create digital sketchnotes. It was a delight to be able to get my pens out and sketchnote the analogue way, just for me! Of course, due to popular demand, I shared them on my socials and Whatsapp-ed them to my new Peru TESOL contacts.&nbsp;</p>

<p>You can view <a href="https://www.emilybrysonelt.com/sketchnotes-from-perutesol24/ " target="_blank">sketchnotes from the other sessions</a>&nbsp;here.</p>

<h2>Networking</h2>

<p>One of the best things about attending conferences is the human connection! It was wonderful making new contacts from the world of ELT.</p>

<p>On the first day, Peru TESOL arranged a dinner for participants. The food was delicious: corn and cheese salad, chicken with spicy chili sauce, and cheesecake for dessert. All washed down with the most delicious chicha (a corn-based soft drink) and a pisco sour (a cocktail with pisco, lime juice, sugar, and egg white). &nbsp;</p>

<p>This was the perfect chance to get to know everyone on a more personal level. We chatted about our experiences, Spanish learning, and pesky squirrels causing havoc at home!</p>

<p>Over the three days of the event, there were many opportunities to network. I looked forward to lunch and dinner, not only for the delicious Peruvian treats, but also for the chance to meet so many interesting and inspiring ELTers.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Here&rsquo;s a photo from the closing ceremony. Can you spot me?&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="Peru TESOL 2024 group picture" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3883/content_peru-ts.jpg" /></p>

<h2>How to get involved&nbsp;</h2>

<p>If you&rsquo;d like to speak at or attend Peru TESOL next year, you can find more information at:&nbsp;<br />
<a href="http://www.perutesol.org" target="_blank">www.perutesol.org</a> or follow the organization&nbsp;on socials:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/perutesoler/" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/perutesoler/</a></p>

<p>You may like these conference-themed posts:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/how-to-get-the-most-out-of-an-elt-conference">How to Get the Most Out of&nbsp;an ELT Conference</a><br />
	&nbsp;</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/speaking-at-an-elt-conference-demystifying-the-application-process">Speaking at an ELT Conference: Demystifying the Application Process</a><br />
	&nbsp;</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/speaking-at-an-elt-conference-top-tips-for-successful-presentations">Speaking at an ELT Conference: Top Tips for Successful Presentations</a><br />
	&nbsp;</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/sketchnoting-101-supercharged-professional-development-with-visual-notes">Sketchnoting 101: Supercharge Professional Development with Visual Notes</a><br />
	&nbsp;</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/10-practical-ways-teachers-can-excel-with-ai">10 Practical Ways Teachers Can Excel with AI</a><br />
	&nbsp;</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/developing-learner-autonomy-with-ai">Developing Learner Autonomy with AI</a></li>
</ul>

<blockquote>
<p>Have you attended Peru TESOL before? What were your experiences? Do you agree that &quot;English and English teachers change lives&quot;?&nbsp;Have they changed yours or your students&#39;?</p>
</blockquote>


Peru TESOL 2024: Reflections & Takeaways

https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/2560/Emily_Speaking-at-an-ELT-Conference-Demystifying-the-Application-Process_Banner.png

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

Teaching with Ellii

<p>Each month, I&nbsp;closely review the feedback and requests that come in via Ellii&#39;s <strong>Teacher Survey</strong>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>We get such wonderful&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/tour/testimonials" target="_blank">testimonials</a> and helpful feedback from this survey! Here is one request that came in this week:</p>

<blockquote>
<p><em>&quot;Providing more robust training materials for teachers to maximize the use of Ellii&#39;s features and improvements would greatly enhance my ability to provide high-quality education to my students.&quot;</em></p>
</blockquote>

<p>Helping teachers maximize their use of Ellii&#39;s planning tools and other features&nbsp;is something we are focusing on heavily in 2024.&nbsp;From attending and hosting conferences&nbsp;to building out <strong><a href="https://help.ellii.com/" target="_blank">Help Docs</a> </strong>and <strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLP0N5nuiA3aM_OP18M7G9XSYjXigIuunA" target="_blank">explainer videos</a></strong>, we are always experimenting with how best to deliver training and offer&nbsp;support. This <strong><a href="https://help.ellii.com/article/212-how-to-use-ellii-teacher-training-module">Teacher Traning Module</a></strong> is a great place to start!<br />
<br />
Are you an Ellii subscriber? Here are five&nbsp;things to try if you want to maximize your use of the platform:</p>

<h2>1. Subscribe to Ellii&#39;s YouTube Channel</h2>

<p>The <strong>Ellii for Teachers</strong> YouTube channel&nbsp;&nbsp;(<a href="http://www.youtube.com/@elliiteachers" target="_blank">www.youtube.com/@elliiteachers</a>)&nbsp;is where we post all of our helpful videos for teachers, including short explainers and long-form demos&nbsp;of&nbsp;Ellii&#39;s new features and updates.</p>

<h2>2. Visit Ellii&#39;s&nbsp;Feature Release Blog Post</h2>

<p>Ellii&#39;s product team releases a series of <strong>new features</strong> and&nbsp;<strong>updates</strong> every six&nbsp;weeks! These updates are often based on customer requests. Visit this <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/feature-releases-platform-updates-2023" target="_blank">post</a> regularly to see what&#39;s new and updated throughout the year.</p>

<h2>3. Use Ellii&#39;s Help Docs</h2>

<p>When you are logged in, you will see a menu underneath your name in the top right corner. Click on the&nbsp;<a href="https://help.ellii.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Help</strong></a> section to find articles with step-by-step instructions and&nbsp;screencaps on how to use all of the features on Ellii. The Help&nbsp;area also has its own&nbsp;Search field for features.</p>

<h2>4. Contact Ellii</h2>

<p>We have a dedicated customer support team that is available to answer your emails. If you have questions or feedback that you want to give directly to a person at Ellii, you can use this <strong><a href="https://ellii.com/contact" target="_blank">Contact</a></strong> form. It is located in the footer of every page on Ellii.</p>

<h2>5. Get What&#39;s New? Content Notifications &amp;&nbsp;Newsletters&nbsp;</h2>

<p>Ellii&#39;s publishing team&nbsp;sends out a&nbsp;<strong>What to Teach This Week</strong> newsletter every Monday.&nbsp;You can also watch for new content in our <strong><a href="https://ellii.com/collections/new-content" target="_blank">What&#39;s New Collection</a></strong>. We also send out email updates about important features and updates. Go to your <strong>Account</strong> settings (in the menu underneath your name). Then choose <strong>Notifications</strong> and make sure you are getting the updates you want and need.&nbsp;</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Are you an Ellii subscriber? What feature or tool do you rely on for teaching English? Is there a feature or tool&nbsp;you want to learn more about?</p>
</blockquote>


5 Ways to Maximize Your Use of Ellii 

https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/2558/Ellii-Video-Survey-2_Banner.png

<p>In this blog post, I&rsquo;ll share the importance of literacy skills and the benefits of using a phonics approach to teach them.</p>

<h2>Why is literacy important?</h2>

<p>The ability to read and write is an essential skill. It allows us to access information, communicate with others, express ourselves, and advance our careers. Reading can help us relax, boost our imaginations, and learn about the world we live in. Writing gives us the opportunity to articulate our opinions, share our expertise, and advocate for ourselves and important causes.</p>

<p>From a language learning perspective, learners who are developing literacy skills may be at a disadvantage to their peers with stronger literacy skills. In my classes, there was a noticeable divide between learners whose first script was Roman and those who were learning to read and write in a new script.</p>

<p>Learners whose first script was Roman would take notes quickly, understand meaning while&nbsp;reading more easily, and be able to write well-structured texts confidently. Learners who were developing their literacy skills in English (and perhaps in their first language too) took more time and required more support.</p>

<h2>What are the challenges of teaching literacy?</h2>

<p>There are many reasons why literacy skills are challenging to develop. Students may need to learn how to identify and form a whole new alphabet. They also have to develop an understanding of punctuation, sentence structure, and paragraphing. Then there&rsquo;s rhetorical styles, formality, and a diverse range of text styles with which to become familiar.</p>

<p>Perhaps the most difficult aspect of literacy is spelling-pronunciation agreement. English is notoriously irregular when it comes to pronunciation rules. Think about the spelling of &quot;ough&quot; for example. It is pronounced differently in &quot;though,&quot; &quot;through,&quot; &quot;thought,&quot; and &quot;tough.&quot; And the word &quot;read&quot;&nbsp;is spelled the same way in both the simple present tense and&nbsp;the simple past tense, but sounds like the color &quot;red&quot;&nbsp;in its past form.</p>

<h2>What are the benefits of teaching phonics?</h2>

<p>In order to develop students&rsquo; reading and writing skills, we need to work on their ability to match sounds to spelling. Teaching phonics is a great way to do this. It provides an opportunity for students to become familiar with common sound-spelling agreements as well as their exceptions.</p>

<h2>How to teach phonics?</h2>

<p>There are many ways to teach phonics. I like to devote time in any reading lesson to identifying a few similar sounds and ways to spell them and then have students add them to their vocabulary notebooks. You could also have them make silly sentences or short texts using the target sound or spelling.</p>

<h2>Ellii&#39;s Phonics Stories</h2>

<p>A great way to teach sound-spelling agreement is to use Ellii&rsquo;s collection of <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/phonics-stories" target="_blank">Phonics Stories</a>. Each one cleverly introduces words that use the same target sound in context. Students can read, listen, and repeat the fun short stories. This raises awareness of new words, their pronunciations, and their spellings.</p>

<p>This collection of stories is perfect for learners of all ages and has been graded to different levels.&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="Ellii's Phonics Stories" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3872/content_Screen_Shot_2024-07-24_at_4.05.34_PM.png" /></p>

<p>Let&rsquo;s look more closely at <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/3854-a-whale-with-a-veil" target="_blank"><strong>A Whale with a Veil</strong></a>. In this lesson, students read about a whale that wore a wedding veil in a gale. It focuses on the sounds and spellings for /w/, /v/, and /e/ (long a).</p>

<p><img alt="A Whale with a Veil by Tara Benwell for Ellii" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3873/content_Screen_Shot_2024-07-24_at_4.12.58_PM.png" /><br />
<br />
The digital version of the lesson also contains&nbsp;a video of the story with captions to follow along.</p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vyIcDc-9LEc?si=BVjLr7Y3t713Tm3q" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p>

<p>There are lots of possibilities for teaching and adapting this lesson (or any of Ellli&#39;s&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/phonics-stories" target="_blank"><strong>Phonics Stories</strong></a>) in class. Here are some ideas:</p>

<p>1. Say the title aloud and have students predict the story.</p>

<p>2. Read and listen to the story.</p>

<p>3. Check comprehension by asking and answering questions.</p>

<p>4. Have students identify the sounds and spellings by circling the words in the text:</p>

<ul>
	<li>wh - whale, white, what</li>
	<li>w - west, wait&nbsp;</li>
	<li>silent w = (ow) - blown</li>
	<li>v - vest, veil</li>
	<li>a_e - tale, whale, gale</li>
	<li>ai - tail, wait, wail</li>
	<li>ei - veil</li>
	<li>ay - way</li>
	<li>est - best, vest, rest</li>
</ul>

<p>5. Practice pronouncing the sounds individually and the whole words.&nbsp;</p>

<p>6. Listen to the story again and complete a gap-fill text using the target words.&nbsp;</p>

<p>7. Have students read the text aloud.&nbsp;</p>

<p>8. Have students turn the story into a script and perform it.&nbsp;</p>

<p>9. Help them to find or think of other words that use this sound and spelling. Create a list on the board or in their notebooks.&nbsp;</p>

<p>10. Create a picture dictionary with the new words&mdash;either with drawings, digital images, or printing images to cut out and glue in the dictionary.&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="Emily Bryson's example picture dictionary drawings" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3874/content_Screen_Shot_2024-07-24_at_4.04.47_PM.png" /></p>

<p class="caption">Some examples of picture dictionaries from my adult ESOL Literacy class.</p>

<p>11. Write definitions and find synonyms or antonyms for each word.&nbsp;<br />
12. Make sentences, questions, tongue twisters, or short texts with the words.<br />
13. Set the individual tasks for homework.&nbsp;</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Do you teach phonics? What are your top tips? Do you have any favorite Phonics Stories?</p>
</blockquote>


How to Develop ESL Literacy with Phonics Stories

https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/2556/Emily_How-to-Develop-ESL-Literacy-with-Phonics-Stories_Banner.png

<p>Using Folders inside Ellii to organize your class content and curate your own teaching order, study packs, courses, or even curricula&nbsp;is a game-changer when it comes to having unique and engaging classes!</p>

<p>Introducing our new and improved Folders that are just as fun to make, simple to share, and now easy to move into any class.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>Here&#39;s what&#39;s NEW with Folders!</h2>

<p>Take a look at the changes we&#39;ve recently made:</p>

<ol>
	<li>Entire Folders can now be easily <strong>pinned</strong> to any class for quick access.</li>
	<li>Ellii courses, study packs, videos, and flashcard categories can now be <strong>saved</strong> to Folders.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Pinned Folders can now be <strong>found</strong> in the Content Drawer of your class&#39;s Lesson Planner.</li>
	<li>Folders can be <strong>pinned</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>unpinned</strong> directly inside your class&#39;s Content Drawer.</li>
	<li>Multiple Folder items&nbsp;can be <strong>moved</strong> at the same time into the Saved, Prepping, or Teaching lane&nbsp;of your Lesson Planner.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Class content from inside your Lesson Planner can now be <strong>exported</strong> into a Folder to be used again in the future.&nbsp;</li>
</ol>

<h3>Can&#39;t wait to start using these new Folder features?</h3>

<p>Watch this video demo to learn all you need to know about these Folder updates and more!</p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ABIX4RDl8Qs?si=C-AcPqhL6n7H1Mqt" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p>

<p>Happy teaching!</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Create & Pin Custom Folders to Your Classes

https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/2555/Create-and-Share-Your-Own-Course-Content-Using-Folders_Banner.png

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

Articles

<p>Task-based learning (TBL) is a communicative approach to language teaching. Similar to project-based learning (PBL), it allows students natural opportunities to practice their language skills.</p>

<p>In this post, I&rsquo;ll look more closely at what TBL is and how to use this approach in class.</p>

<h2>What is task-based learning?</h2>

<p>Essentially, TBL involves giving students a task to complete and supporting them with their English throughout. The task can be pretty much anything as long as it necessitates communication and has a clear goal.</p>

<p>For example:</p>

<ul>
	<li>creating a poster</li>
	<li>comparing two pictures</li>
	<li>producing a video</li>
	<li>writing a newsletter or blog</li>
	<li>finding a solution to a problem</li>
	<li>performing a play</li>
</ul>

<p>TBL can also be referred to as:</p>

<ul>
	<li>TBLT: task-based language teaching</li>
	<li>TBI: task-based instruction</li>
</ul>

<h2>What are the benefits of using a task-based learning approach?&nbsp;</h2>

<p>There are many benefits to using TBL in the classroom. Here are a few:&nbsp;</p>

<h3>1. Life skills</h3>

<p>Task-based learning supports the acquisition of life skills such as critical thinking, digital literacy, communication, teamwork, and creativity. These 21st-century skills are highly sought after by employers and will help learners succeed.</p>

<h3>2. Real-life tasks</h3>

<p>TBL gives students the chance to develop their life skills by providing real-world tasks. What better way to let students apply their learning than to give them a work- or life-related scenario or activity. For example, they could create a detailed itinerary for an upcoming trip or plan their own TV show.</p>

<h3>3. Student-centered</h3>

<p>Task-based learning is a learner-centered approach that allows lessons to be designed especially for student needs or interests. If learners are particularly interested in Harry Potter, you could have them create a mythical creature, design a magical classroom, or solve the problem of a broken broomstick.</p>

<h3>4. Communicative</h3>

<p>As TBL requires learners to collaborate on a task, it is naturally communicative. As students work together, they&rsquo;ll be using their language skills to share ideas, negotiate, make plans, and give opinions. As they do this, certain language features will emerge naturally, which you can note down and discuss later.</p>

<h2>What are the stages of a TBL lesson?</h2>

<p>As with all teaching methodologies, TBL can be used and adapted depending on teaching context and learner needs. It has a few distinct stages, but you don&rsquo;t need to be strict in following them.</p>

<h3>1. Pre-task</h3>

<p>As with most lesson introductions, this is a chance to introduce the topic, brainstorm ideas, and give instructions. It can also be helpful to pre-teach any useful vocabulary and let students ask any questions that they might have. You could also give them an example of a completed task or some ideas for inspiration.</p>

<h3>2. Task</h3>

<p>This is the part where students actually do the task. As tasks can be complex, there are three stages to this:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Task</li>
	<li>Planning</li>
	<li>Reporting</li>
</ul>

<p>The <strong>Task</strong> stage is when students work together in pairs or small groups. The teacher can monitor and take notes of examples of interesting communication. There is no need to correct students&rsquo; language at this point as the purpose is fluency, confidence building, and task completion.</p>

<p>The <strong>Planning</strong> stage is when students get ready to tell others about their task. Students make notes of what they&rsquo;d like to share (e.g., their findings, how they did the task, how they solved any problems that arose, etc.) and decide how they will present the information. They may wish to allocate speakers or scribes. At this stage, the teacher can be available to give advice on language or reporting skills.</p>

<p>The <strong>Reporting</strong> stage is when students present their work to the class. This could be through a presentation, a poster, a video, a report, or any other communicative method. Students can then give each other feedback, discuss each other&#39;s&nbsp;tasks, ask questions, and perhaps even vote for the best piece of work. The teacher can facilitate these discussions, provide language advice, and give feedback.</p>

<h3>3. Language focus</h3>

<p>The final stage of the lesson is an analysis and practice of the language. The teacher can share some interesting examples of emergent language that the students used throughout the lesson. Students can also make suggestions for other useful language. They can then add these words and phrases to their notebooks and practice them.</p>

<p>Here are some Ellii sections and lessons that you may want to use to try out TBL:</p>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/group-projects" target="_blank">Group Projects</a>: These are similar to task-based learning, though generally carried out over a series of class sessions.</p>

<p><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2149-nelson-mandela-poster-part-1" target="_blank">Nelson Mandela Poster - Part 1</a> and <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2150-nelson-mandela-poster-part-2" target="_blank">Nelson Mandela Poster - Part 2</a>: Show students these posters as inspiration and then ask them to create their own. They could choose another person to feature in the poster or give them a theme to focus on (e.g., One day our planet will&hellip;).</p>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/media/videos/current-events" target="_blank">Current Events</a>: Show students one of these videos (or ask them to choose one). Their task could then be to re-write the voiceover with a different new story, role-play the events, write a news article, or interview someone.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Have you tried task-based learning in your classroom? What ideas and tips can you share with us? We&rsquo;d love to know.</p>
</blockquote>


Task-Based Learning: An Introductory Guide

https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/2554/Emily_Task-Based-Learning-An-Introductory-Guide_Banner.png

Feature Releases & Platform Updates

https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/2322/Product-Updates_08-August_Banner.png

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

Courses

<p>Introducing<strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/packs/phrasal-verbs-and-pre-employment/materials">Phrasal Verbs &amp; Pre-Employment</a></strong>,&nbsp;Ellii&#39;s first-ever video course!</p>

<p>In this series of video lessons, your students will learn vocabulary and phrases that they can&nbsp;use in typical interactions when they&#39;re searching for employment.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Each lesson&nbsp;contains a video with a dialogue and six&nbsp;phrasal verbs in various&nbsp;pre-employment contexts. They are all followed by&nbsp;several&nbsp;digital tasks to check comprehension, vocabulary, and grammar. The&nbsp;course also includes two assessments.</p>

<p>Watch the introductory video from this course to learn more:</p>

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/949286954" width="640"></iframe></div>

<p>The&nbsp;course includes the following pre-employment lesson topics:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Networking at a Job Fair</li>
	<li>Reviewing a Resume with a Career Counselor</li>
	<li>Completing a Phone Screening</li>
	<li>Arriving for a Job Interview</li>
	<li>Interviewing for a Job</li>
</ul>

<p>Find&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/packs/phrasal-verbs-and-pre-employment/materials">Phrasal Verbs &amp; Pre-Employment</a>&nbsp;in the&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/packs?page=1">Courses &amp; Study Packs</a> area of Ellii under the <strong>Workplace</strong> category.</p>

<p>From that&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/packs/phrasal-verbs-and-pre-employment/materials">course page</a>, you can easily click on the &quot;<strong>Add to class</strong>&quot;&nbsp;button&nbsp;to assign it immediately or gradually from&nbsp;your <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/try-class-prepping-with-elliis-lesson-planner">Lesson Planner</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On that page, you can also&nbsp;view the&nbsp;<strong>Materials</strong>,&nbsp;<strong>Overview</strong>,&nbsp;and <strong>Teachers&#39; Notes </strong>tabs for&nbsp;useful&nbsp;information and additional resources.</p>

<p>We&#39;re planning on making two more related courses on <strong>Phrasal Verbs &amp; Employment </strong>and <strong>Phrasal Verbs &amp; Post-Employment</strong>&nbsp;later this year, so we would greatly appreciate any feedback you have on this course.</p>

<p>Happy teaching!</p>


Try Ellii's First Video-Based Course

https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/2553/Tanya_Try-Elliis-First-Video-Based-Course_Banner.png

<p><strong>Social-emotional learning </strong>(SEL, also known as socio-emotional learning or social and emotional learning)&nbsp;is a common educational approach. It aims to provide students with the skills and opportunities to reflect on their learning and how to apply it to their own lives, manage emotions, be empathetic, and think critically.</p>

<p>In this post, I&rsquo;ll explore the approach in more detail and share some ways to incorporate it into the classroom.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>What exactly is social-emotional learning?&nbsp;</h2>

<p>SEL is an approach to learning that aims to help all learners succeed. It equips them with essential skills and provides a supportive learning environment and community to help them do this.</p>

<p>When we think about what helps us succeed, we might consider skills, confidence, motivation, support networks, and a positive mindset. SEL incorporates these into the classroom by allowing students to interact with new information in a variety of ways.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>What are the five main components of SEL?&nbsp;</h2>

<p>The <a href="https://casel.org/">Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL)</a> aims to make SEL a key educational approach.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The <a href="https://casel.org/fundamentals-of-sel/what-is-the-casel-framework/">CASEL Framework</a> has five key competencies at its core. These are:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/collections/academic-subjects/social-emotional-learning/self-awareness">self-awareness</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/collections/academic-subjects/social-emotional-learning/self-management">self-management</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/collections/academic-subjects/social-emotional-learning/social-awareness">social awareness</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/collections/academic-subjects/social-emotional-learning/relationship-skills" target="_blank">relationship skills</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/collections/academic-subjects/social-emotional-learning/decision-making" target="_blank">responsible decision-making</a></li>
</ul>

<p>Let&rsquo;s look at each one a little more closely.&nbsp;</p>

<h3>Self-awareness&nbsp;</h3>

<p>This competency relates to the ability to recognize and understand our emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. In terms of language teaching, this could be introducing&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/collections/academic-subjects/communication-skills/expressing-emotions" target="_blank">feelings</a><a href="https://ellii.com/collections/academic-subjects/communication-skills/expressing-emotions/feelings" target="_blank"> vocabulary</a>, doing a lesson on <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/practicing-mindfulness-in-the-classroom" target="_blank">mindfulness</a>, or exploring <a href="https://ellii.com/collections/everyday-topics/health-safety/mental-health" target="_blank">mental health</a> or <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/3786-personality-types" target="_blank">personality types</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Ellii has a collection of <a href="https://ellii.com/collections/academic-subjects/social-emotional-learning/self-awareness">Self-Awareness</a>&nbsp;content here.</p>

<h3>Self-management</h3>

<p>Self-management refers to the ability to control our emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. For example, having an awareness of how certain situations make us feel and how we can adapt and control our behaviors can help us&nbsp;succeed.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Some suitable topics for the language classroom might be:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/4505-imposter-syndrome" target="_blank">imposter syndrome</a> and how to overcome it</li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/1836-stress" target="_blank">stress</a>, its triggers, and how to manage it</li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/1233-bad-habits" target="_blank">bad habits</a> and advice to stop them</li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/3675-study-skills" target="_blank">study skills</a> and avoiding <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/3715-procrastination" target="_blank">procrastination</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/1229-road-rage" target="_blank">road rage</a> and how to prevent it</li>
</ul>

<p>Check out these <a href="https://ellii.com/collections/academic-subjects/social-emotional-learning/self-management">Self-Management</a> resources on Ellii.&nbsp;</p>

<h3>Social awareness</h3>

<p>This strand focuses on having an awareness of the diverse beliefs, cultures, and backgrounds of people around the world. It also aims for a shared empathy, tolerance, and understanding of these differences. To do this, you can include topics about diversity, equity, and inclusion such as neurodiversity, LGBTQ+, age, gender, race, disability, and religion.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Here are some suggested <a href="https://ellii.com/collections/academic-subjects/social-emotional-learning/social-awareness">Social Awarness</a> materials compiled by Ellii.</p>

<h3>Relationship skills</h3>

<p>This fundamental aspect of SEL aims to support learners to initiate, build, and maintain trusting, strong, and positive relationships. These relationships can be from a range of diverse backgrounds and include friends, family, coworkers, community, and other social connections. Students can be supported to communicate confidently, listen actively, collaborate effectively with others, and solve problems and conflicts amicably.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This compilation of <a href="https://ellii.com/collections/academic-subjects/social-emotional-learning/relationship-skills">Relationship Skills</a> resources provides a variety of options for your classroom.</p>

<h3>Responsible decision-making&nbsp;</h3>

<p>Making responsible decisions is crucial to being a kind and respectful member of any community. In SEL, students can be given various scenarios and case studies to evaluate and consider the ethical implications and solve problems using critical thinking skills. To support learners to make responsible decisions, we can offer them information to analyze, facts to consider,&nbsp;and opinions to discuss. We can also encourage them to find creative, open-minded solutions to real-world problems.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In this <a href="https://ellii.com/collections/academic-subjects/social-emotional-learning/decision-making">Decision-Making</a> collection, you&rsquo;ll find news stories, projects, debates, and discussion starters covering a range of global issues including <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/3764-pandemic-puppies" target="_blank">Pandemic Puppies</a>, <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/3650-vaccine-skeptics-change-their-minds" target="_blank">Vaccine Skeptics</a>, <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/3376-cancel-culture" target="_blank">Cancel Culture</a>, <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/3356-tearing-down-statues" target="_blank">Tearing Down Statues</a>, <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/1269-surveillance" target="_blank">Surveillance</a>, and <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2743-taking-a-knee" target="_blank">Taking a Knee</a>.</p>

<h3>What are the benefits to SEL?</h3>

<p>Over the years, research has found many benefits to social-emotional learning for students of all ages. It has been found to increase academic attainment as well as student empathy, relationships, confidence, and the ability to manage mental health. It also encourages lifelong learning and participation in local community activities and causes. This in turn can build stronger communities and give individuals more fulfilled lives.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Overall, incorporating SEL into the curriculum is a simple and effective way to develop well-rounded individuals and support students to succeed academically and in life.&nbsp;</p>

<p>You may also be interested in this&nbsp;post&nbsp;about SEL:</p>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/warm-up-activity-for-social-emotional-learning">Rose, Bud, Thorn: A Warm-Up Activity That Promotes SEL</a></p>

<p>For more on SEL, check out&nbsp;<a href="https://casel.org/">CASEL</a>.</p>

<blockquote>
<p><b id="docs-internal-guid-89dd9688-7fff-ccdf-795a-0f5266c06b2d">How do you incorporate SEL into your classroom? Have you tried any of the resources recommended here? We&rsquo;d love to hear from you.</b></p>
</blockquote>


A Quick Guide to Social-Emotional Learning

https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/2551/Emily_A-Quick-Guide-to-Social-Emotional-Learning_Banner.png

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

For Students

<blockquote>
<h2>When does a joke become a &quot;dad&quot; joke?</h2>

<p>When it becomes apparent.</p>
</blockquote>

<h2>What&rsquo;s a &ldquo;dad joke&rdquo;?</h2>

<p>A &quot;dad joke&quot;&nbsp;is a simple joke that is easy to deliver and understand. It is usually a one-liner/pun or a simple joke with one question and an easy answer that is often a play on words. It is called a &quot;dad joke&quot; because it will&nbsp;make a child groan. (<em>So bad, Dad!</em>)&nbsp;Dad jokes are also&nbsp;usually clean for all ages.</p>

<p>You won&#39;t get any <em>belly laughs </em>with a dad joke,&nbsp;but hopefully someone at least <em>cracks a smile</em>.</p>

<h3>12 &quot;dad jokes&quot; to tell this Father&#39;s Day</h3>

<p>Are you a dad? Choose your favorite joke and share it with your child(ren) this Father&#39;s Day. You can also write one of these jokes inside a Father&#39;s Day card or tell it at a Father&#39;s Day gathering.</p>

<p><strong>1. What do you call a priest that becomes a lawyer?</strong></p>

<p><em>a father-in-law</em></p>

<hr />
<p><strong>2. What did the buffalo say to his son when he left for college?</strong></p>

<p><em>bison</em></p>

<hr />
<p><strong>3. Why did your&nbsp;old man fall in a well?</strong></p>

<p><em>Because he couldn&rsquo;t see that well.</em></p>

<hr />
<p><strong>4. What do you call a fish with no eyes?</strong></p>

<p><em>a fsh</em></p>

<hr />
<p><strong>5. What do you call a sad strawberry?</strong></p>

<p><em>a blueberry</em></p>

<hr />
<p><strong>6. What did the paper say to the pencil?</strong></p>

<p><em>Write on!</em></p>

<hr />
<p><strong>7. Why can&rsquo;t your nose be 12 inches long?</strong></p>

<p><em>Because then it would be a foot.</em></p>

<hr />
<p><strong>9. The past, the present, and the future walked into a bar. It was tense.</strong></p>

<hr />
<p><strong>10. Why was six afraid of seven?</strong></p>

<p><em>Because seven ate nine.</em></p>

<hr />
<p><strong>11. What do Alexander the Great and Winnie the Pooh have in common?</strong></p>

<p><em>They have the same middle name.</em></p>

<hr />
<p><strong>12. Did you hear about the two people who stole a calendar?&nbsp;They each got six months.</strong></p>

<h2>What to say after hearing a joke</h2>

<p>No matter how bad a joke is, the person telling the joke&nbsp;expects a response. Laughing is the best way to respond, but here are some things you can say:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>I like that one.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>That&#39;s hilarious!</li>
	<li><em>My dad</em> would love that joke.</li>
	<li>I will tell that one to <em>my dad</em>.</li>
	<li>I have to remember that one.</li>
	<li>That was&nbsp;terrible.</li>
	<li>That was so bad.</li>
	<li>I&#39;m going to pretend I didn&#39;t hear that.</li>
</ul>

<h2>What to say if you don&#39;t understand a joke</h2>

<p>We hope you understand the simple dad jokes above, but it&#39;s not always easy to follow or understand longer or narrative jokes, especially in a new language! If you don&#39;t understand a joke, you can say the following:</p>

<ul>
	<li>I don&#39;t get it.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Give me a minute.</li>
	<li>Say that again?&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
	<li>That went above my head.</li>
</ul>

<blockquote>
<p>Do you have a good &quot;dad joke&quot; to share? Make sure it has all the qualities of a dad joke. Then share it in the comments! Practice responding to jokes too!</p>
</blockquote>


12 "Dad Jokes" for Father's Day

https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/2552/Tara_12-Dad-Jokes-for-Fathers-Day_Banner(2).png

<p>&quot;Mediation&quot; is one of many words in English with dual meanings. To most people, it describes&nbsp;a method of resolving a conflict between two or more parties using a neutral mediator to assist in discussions and find a mutually agreeable resolution.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In language teaching, it is a bridge between understanding. This blog post explores what mediation is, why it&rsquo;s important, and how to include it in the ELT classroom.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>What is mediation?&nbsp;</h2>

<p>Mediation refers to the ability to understand, summarize, and explain information to others. In terms of teaching, it&rsquo;s a great way to ensure learners have understood a lesson, but it&rsquo;s also an important <strong>life skill </strong>for students. It&rsquo;s a real-life communication skill that will help them<strong> succeed in life and work</strong>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>No matter what roles our students play, they&rsquo;ll need to use <strong>mediation skills</strong> to explain (often complex) things to others. For example:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>a parent explaining to their child why they need to brush their teeth&nbsp;</li>
	<li>a doctor communicating a diagnosis to a patient</li>
	<li>a teacher expressing the difference between present perfect and past simple</li>
	<li>a chef sharing the instructions for a recipe</li>
	<li>a friend showing how to progress to the next level in a video game&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<p>Yet there is more to mediation than expressing complex information in a simple way. The <strong>Common European Framework of Reference</strong> (CEFR) includes examples of skills around mediating texts, concepts, and communication. For example:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>relaying and <strong>rephrasing</strong> information to others</li>
	<li><strong>taking notes</strong>, <strong>summarizing</strong>, and translating information</li>
	<li><strong>comparing</strong> and <strong>critically evaluating</strong> information</li>
	<li><strong>collaborating</strong> in a group&nbsp;</li>
	<li>being aware and <strong>adapting</strong> to <strong>cultural differences</strong></li>
	<li>understanding <strong>disagreements</strong> and finding a <strong>resolution</strong></li>
</ul>

<p>You can read the full&nbsp;CEFR list here: <a href="https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/Images/664965-mediation-what-it-is-how-to-teach-it-and-how-to-assess-it.pdf" target="_blank">Mediation: What it is, how to teach it, and how to assess it</a></p>

<h2>Why is mediation important?&nbsp;</h2>

<p>When I first started teaching over 20 years ago, the focus seemed to be on teaching learners four skills: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Over time, the language classroom has grown to support learners in developing a multitude of 21st-century skills:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>critical thinking</li>
	<li>intercultural communication</li>
	<li>digital skills</li>
	<li>employability&nbsp;</li>
	<li>social-emotional skills</li>
	<li>mental health awareness</li>
	<li>translanguaging (and cross-linguistic mediation)</li>
	<li>mediation</li>
</ul>

<p>By incorporating mediation into our classrooms, we give students the opportunity to enhance their communication skills for the real world.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>How can I incorporate it into class?&nbsp;</h2>

<p>The good news is that you&rsquo;re probably already doing this. As I write this blog post, I&rsquo;m <strong>researching</strong>, <strong>collating</strong>, and <strong>rephrasing</strong> information from other sources to explain mediation in a simple way. In short, I&rsquo;m mediating information about mediation!&nbsp;</p>

<p>In a similar way, think about many of the activities you do in class most days. Many activities typical of the language classroom involve resolving a gap in communication where students support each other to find and clarify meaning.&nbsp;</p>

<p>For example:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>reading two different texts and explaining them to another student&nbsp;</li>
	<li>checking answers to comprehension questions in pairs</li>
	<li>researching information and presenting it to the class&nbsp;</li>
	<li>discussing ideas for a group project and how to implement them</li>
</ul>

<h2>Examples of mediation activities</h2>

<p>Let&rsquo;s have a look at Ellii&#39;s&nbsp;lesson on <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2527-distracted-driving" target="_blank">Distracted Driving</a>.&nbsp;(Available in print and digital formats.)</p>

<p>The warm-up questions allow students to link to their previous knowledge, express opinions, and collaborate to construct meaning with peers.</p>

<p><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2527-distracted-driving" target="_blank"><img alt="Ellii's distracted driving lesson screenshot" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3786/content_Screen_Shot_2024-05-30_at_1.15.30_PM.png" /></a></p>

<p>Students then work together to construct meaning of <strong>vocabulary</strong>,&nbsp;<strong>read a text,&nbsp;</strong>and complete <strong>comprehension questions</strong>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>These comprehension questions allow learners to relay and <strong>check specific informatio</strong>n, <strong>process the text</strong>, <strong>take notes</strong>, <strong>translate to their first language,</strong> and <strong>break down complex information</strong>. Working in <strong>pairs</strong> provides an opportunity to support each other, communicate, and <strong>create a shared understanding of the text</strong>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The lesson ends with a <strong>discussion</strong> and <strong>critical thinking</strong> activities. These prompts provide students with the opportunity to relate the text to their own experiences, discuss challenging debate topics, and express their <strong>personal responses</strong> to the text.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2527-distracted-driving"><img alt="Discussion questions Distracted Driving" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3787/content_Screen_Shot_2024-05-30_at_1.15.42_PM.png" /></a></p>

<p>For further exploration, teachers can launch an interactive <a href="https://ellii.com/gather/ellii-polls" target="_blank">Ellii Poll</a><strong> </strong>on <a href="https://ellii.com/gather/ellii-polls/distracted-driving" target="_blank">this topic</a> that students can participate in by scanning a QR code on their smartphones.</p>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/gather/ellii-polls/distracted-driving" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3788/content_Screen_Shot_2024-05-30_at_1.16.03_PM.png" /></a></p>

<h2>Further reading&nbsp;</h2>

<p>You&rsquo;ll find more about mediation in these blog posts:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/6-english-language-teaching-trends-in-2023" target="_blank">6 English Language Teaching Trends in 2023</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/how-to-simplify-complex-tasks-with-visual-prompts" target="_blank">How to Simplify Complex Tasks with Visual Prompts</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/translanguaging-embracing-the-power-of-multilingualism-in-your-classroom" target="_blank">Translanguaging: Embracing the Power of Multilingualism in Your Classroom</a></li>
</ul>

<p>I also highly recommend Riccardo Chiappini and Ethan Mansur&rsquo;s book entitled <a href="https://www.deltapublishing.co.uk/book/activities-for-mediation-9783125017443" target="_blank">Activities for Mediation</a>. And this comprehensive resource from the <a href="https://www.coe.int/en/web/common-european-framework-reference-languages/mediation" target="_blank">CEFR</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<blockquote>
<p>What experience do you have with mediation? How do you incorporate it into the classroom? We&rsquo;d love to hear from you.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Mediation: The What, Why & How Explained 

https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/2550/Emily_Mediation-The-What-Why-and-How-explained_Banner.png

<p>Over the past two years, I&#39;ve written 50 blog posts for Ellii!&nbsp;</p>

<p>Fifty blog posts sounds like an overwhelming number, yet when you break it into a post every couple of weeks, it was all very manageable. Plus, I had a lot of fun researching and writing each one.&nbsp;</p>

<p><b>Here are some of my top posts:&nbsp;</b></p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/speaking-at-an-elt-conference-top-tips-for-successful-presentations" target="_blank">Speaking at an ELT Conference: Top Tips for Successful Presentations</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/how-to-use-videos-in-class" target="_blank">4 Ways to Use Videos Effectively in Class</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/3-end-of-term-activities-for-students" target="_blank">3 Awesome End-of-Term Activities for English Learners</a></li>
</ul>

<p>In this post, I&rsquo;ll explore <strong>the benefits of blogging</strong>, some of <strong>my favorite ELT blogs</strong>, and some <strong>tips for starting</strong> your own.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><b>Benefits</b></h2>

<h3>1. Personal development</h3>

<p>One of the things I have enjoyed most about blogging for Ellii is having an excuse to <em>swot up on*</em>&nbsp;a certain topic. In ELT, there are always new techniques, activities, or methodologies to explore. Writing a blog is an added motivation boost to do this.&nbsp;</p>

<h3>2. Sharing expertise</h3>

<p>Blogging is a great way to set yourself up as an industry expert. You can share your research, classroom ideas, and best practices with the world. Plus, when others comment on your posts, you can make new connections and find out more about that topic.&nbsp;</p>

<h3>3. Profile raising&nbsp;</h3>

<p>Blogging is a non-intimidating way to raise your profile. When I first started out with my own blog, I didn&rsquo;t have the confidence to vlog or deliver a webinar. Blogging allowed me to gently try engaging with the ELT world online. I was able to edit my work and get my messaging right before posting. When people started complimenting and sharing my posts, this gave me more motivation to try other ways to share my skills. And of course, this led to more writing, training, and blogging work.&nbsp;</p>

<h3>4. Enjoyment</h3>

<p>Blogging is fun, therapeutic, and reflective. There have been weeks when I&rsquo;ve been stressed by other projects. However, I often find that sitting down for a couple of hours to focus on writing can help relieve that stress. It&rsquo;s two hours of deep focus on one subject and an opportunity to process&nbsp;information in a new way.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>My favorite ELT blogs</h2>

<p>There are a lot of fabulous blogs out there for English language teachers. I can&rsquo;t name them all so I&rsquo;ll give you my top four bloggers, and I hope that you add the ones I&rsquo;ve missed in the comments!</p>

<h3>Sandy Millin</h3>

<p>Sandy Millin is an ELT author, trainer, and blogging legend. If you ever have <em>FOMO**</em> about a conference, chances are Sandy attended and wrote extensive notes! Her blog covers almost every imaginable topic and has guest posts from many ELT experts.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://sandymillin.wordpress.com/">sandymillin.wordpress.com</a>&nbsp;</p>

<h3>Peter J. Fullagar</h3>

<p>Peter is one of my ELT heroes. He has recently published a fantastic book entitled <em><strong>Existence</strong></em>. It does what every ELT coursebook should be doing&mdash;representing rather than omitting LGBTQIA+ identities. His blog posts date back to 2008 and range from inclusion, to well-being, to Virginia Woolf.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://peterjfullagar.co.uk/">peterjfullagar.co.uk</a></p>

<h3>Peter Clements&nbsp;</h3>

<p>Peter is an EAL teacher, author, and consultant. His impressive back catalogue of blog posts and ELT publications will leave you wondering whether he invented an infinite time-making machine! He&rsquo;s also created some fantastic lessons for Ellii, such as this <strong>Discussion Starters</strong> lesson on <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/4101-influencers" target="_blank">Influencers</a> and this <strong>Academic Vocabulary</strong> lesson on <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/4185-the-digestive-system" target="_blank">The Digestive System</a>.</p>

<p><a href="https://eltplanning.com/">eltplanning.com</a></p>

<h3>Rachael Roberts</h3>

<p>I&rsquo;m a big fan of Rachael Roberts. I wouldn&rsquo;t be the confident, business-minded ELT professional that I am today if it weren&#39;t for her! Her blog is full of essential entrepreneurial advice such as negotiating contracts, marketing yourself, and managing work&ndash;life balance.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://earnlearnthriveinelt.com/free-stuff/">earnlearnthriveinelt.com/free-stuff</a></p>

<h2>Tips for&nbsp;starting your own blog</h2>

<p>The hardest thing about starting your own blog is getting started! My top tip would be to just put your fingers on a keyboard and see where they take you!&nbsp;</p>

<p>Here are some other tips for blogging:</p>

<h3>1. Start for free</h3>

<p>There are a lot of options when it comes to choosing your blogging platform. Wordpress, Wix, Weebly, and Squarespace are all common hosting providers. Free sites tend to have advertisements, but when you&rsquo;re just starting out, this is perfectly reasonable. Once you&rsquo;ve built up a following you can consider other options. You could also get started by sharing longer posts on Instagram, Linkedin, or Facebook.&nbsp;</p>

<h3>2. Feel the fear and blog anyway</h3>

<p>I was terrified the first time I wrote a blog post. I think I proofread it at least ten times! I&rsquo;m pretty sure I also asked a couple of friends to read it too. Now I&rsquo;m not so worried about a misplaced comma or one tiny little typo. No one really cares about that! And if they do, they&rsquo;ll most likely send a friendly private message so you can quietly update it.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The ELT world is blessed to have so many supportive people working together to improve student experiences. You&rsquo;ll be pleasantly surprised by the encouraging feedback you get.&nbsp;</p>

<h3>3. Collaborate</h3>

<p>You might need a bit of extra motivation to get started. I often find that collaborating with someone can be the extra nudge I need.<b> </b>Ask your contacts if they&rsquo;d like to write something with you, or if they&rsquo;d like you to write an article or blog post for them.&nbsp;</p>

<p>You can find ideas for blogs and magazines that are always looking for articles here:&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/beyond-teaching-elt-careers-to-keep-you-motivated">Beyond Teaching: ELT Careers to Keep You Motivated&nbsp;</a></p>

<h3>4. Write about what you know</h3>

<p>Everyone has a valuable experience to share with the world. It&rsquo;s much easier to write about something you know well&nbsp;than to research something completely new. If you have been trialing new techniques to teach literacy, write about that. There are always other teachers interested in sharing best practices and learning new approaches.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Blogging can also be a fantastic way for students to use their language skills. Here&rsquo;s a lesson plan you might want to check out: <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/1828-how-to-write-a-blog-post " target="_blank">How to Write a Blog Post</a>. You can also share these <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/categories/for-students" target="_blank">blog posts that are made for EL students</a> and encourage them to practice leaving comments.</p>

<h3>Glossary</h3>

<p>*swot up on<em>: to study intensely </em>(British English)</p>

<p>**FOMO: fear of missing out</p>

<blockquote>
<p>What benefits, bloggers, and top tips would you add to this post? We&rsquo;d love to know your thoughts and recommendations.&nbsp;</p>
</blockquote>


The Benefits of Blogging: A Guide for Teachers

https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/2549/Emily_The-Benefits-of-Blogging-A-Guide-for-Teachers_Banner.png

<p><strong>A more organized teacher is a better teacher, don&#39;t you think?</strong><br />
We do! So we built a clean and simple organizational feature we&#39;re calling &quot;Lesson&nbsp;Planner.&quot;</p>

<p>The Lesson Planner is designed as a Kanban board with three lanes: <strong>Prepping</strong>, <strong>Teaching</strong>, and <strong>Taught</strong>. Drag Ellii content across any lane to effortlessly prepare for your classes ahead, instantly assign lessons to your students, and see what you were working on recently. It&#39;s a super simple way to stay organized and teach better.</p>

<p>To get content into the Lesson Planner, simply click on the <strong>Add to Class</strong> button from any Lesson or Resource page, choose the class and lane you&#39;d like to save it to, and you&#39;re done! You will immediately be able to see your selected lesson content in the Lesson Planner inside your class.</p>

<p>By clicking on any lesson or resource inside the Lesson Planner, you can set a due date, leave a note for your students, and edit the lesson tasks. You can also pre-schedule the release date of any lesson, making planning and assigning content to your students a breeze!</p>

<p><strong>See how the Lesson Planner works in the video below:</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Lorc2EN3MEs?si=2RuZ__1RrPLB-tX2" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p>

<p>Our goal is to help make class prepping easier and more enjoyable. Give Ellii&#39;s Lesson Planner a try today.</p>

<p>Happy Teaching!</p>


Recent Posts