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

Teaching with Ellii

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

The 12 Months of Ellii (in 2025)

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

Articles

Find useful resources and tips for teaching English with interactive apps and sites.

EdTech

In the age of artificial intelligence, this is the million-dollar question:

<blockquote>
How can we prevent our students from cheating with AI tools?
</blockquote>

AI tools such as Google Bard and ChatGPT are freely available for everyone to use (and abuse).&nbsp;Within seconds, these tools can write emails, create stories, and give lists of useful vocabulary, so it&rsquo;s no wonder that students may be tempted to use AI&nbsp;to cheat on their language learning assignments.&nbsp;

In this blog post, I&rsquo;ll explore some ways to ensure learners use AI&nbsp;responsibly.&nbsp;

<h2>1. Teach them to use it to help them learn</h2>

I have been using ChatGPT recently to help me learn Spanish. I have found it invaluable as I can ask it to give me translations, corrections, linguistic tips, example texts, explanations, and even regional differences or recipes.&nbsp;

I have never used AI&nbsp;to write an email, text, or homework assignment for me because I am aware that doing so would not help me learn. This is much like if a teacher gives students the answer without allowing them the opportunity to find it for themselves.&nbsp;

Teaching students to develop their AI&nbsp;skills will help them to use it to aid learning and will reduce the risk of misuse.&nbsp;

I&rsquo;ve outlined some ways to develop learner autonomy and support language development using AI&nbsp;in this blog post: <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/developing-learner-autonomy-with-ai">Developing Learner Autonomy with AI</a>.&nbsp;

<h2>2. Make them aware of the consequences</h2>

I often found that when my students submitted work that was not their own, I could immediately tell.&nbsp;

Here&rsquo;s why:

<ul>
	<li>Two (or more) students made exactly the same mistake&nbsp;(e.g., incorrect spelling).</li>
	<li>The work had no errors at all or minimal errors.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>They had used above-level language&nbsp;(e.g., a beginner using the word &quot;submit&quot;&nbsp;or the past perfect progressive).</li>
</ul>

If the suspicious work was word-processed, I&rsquo;d often find myself copying and pasting it into a search engine to see what appeared. On occasion, I discovered that students had copied and pasted from websites.&nbsp;

Tools such as <a href="https://www.turnitin.com/" target="_blank">Turnitin</a> and <a href="https://www.grammarly.com/" target="_blank">Grammarly</a> can also detect plagiarism, but sadly can&rsquo;t yet tell if a text has been generated by AI.&nbsp;

I always found that making students aware of the consequences of cheating&nbsp;and how teachers can identify it had a strong impact. Not only might they fail or be removed from the course if they get caught, but also their language learning will remain at the same level, which is a big motivator for many learners.&nbsp;

At the end of the day, learners who cheat are only cheating themselves.&nbsp;

<h2>3. Focus on the process</h2>

One of the best ways to prevent learners from cheating is by designing assignments that make it impossible!&nbsp;

Some ways to do this are:&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>Incorporating unique contexts or case studies that are not readily available online</li>
	<li>Personalizing tasks so that students must write about themselves</li>
	<li>Providing real and local examples where students need to add their own thoughts and ideas</li>
	<li>Using a combination of assessment tasks (e.g., presentations, blogs, interviews)</li>
</ul>

At ElliiCon2023, Dr. Amin Davoodi advised teachers to use process writing strategies to ensure learners submit their own work. This involved:&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>Writing a first draft of their work and submitting it to an AI&nbsp;tool for feedback</li>
	<li>Responding to the feedback and creating a second draft&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Submitting the final piece, drafts, and a copy of the AI&nbsp;prompts and responses&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

The students are then learning to use AI&nbsp;to support their learning&nbsp;and the teacher is also reassured that the work is original.&nbsp;

Here is a sketchnote summarizing the key points of Dr.&nbsp;Davoodi&rsquo;s webinar:

<img alt="Dr. Davoodi ElliiCon2023 session sketchnote by Emily Bryson" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3466/content_Dr_Amin_Davoodi.jpg" />

It was absolutely fabulous, and I highly recommend you watch the full session to find out more (and why fridges can be scary)!

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/P_cwm_Hyc-8?si=ExY6g8JzN7oA84vx" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div>

You can watch other <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1mxLSUQDvw&amp;list=PLP0N5nuiA3aOIoCMzz9RNamAKTpqXQTvQ&amp;ab_channel=ElliiforTeachers%28formerlyESLLibrary%29 " target="_blank">AI-themed ElliiCon2023</a> sessions on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@elliiteachers" target="_blank">Ellii for Teachers</a> YouTube channel. Subscribe so you don&#39;t miss a helpful video!

<h3>Related</h3>

<h4>Lessons</h4>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/1679-artificial-intelligence">Artificial Intelligence</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/that-s-news-to-me/4579-when-chatbots-get-it-wrong" target="_blank">When Chatbots Get It Wrong</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/that-s-news-to-me/4500-tutoring-with-chatgpt" target="_blank">Tutoring with ChatGPT</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/4468-ai-generated-content">AI-Generated Content</a></li>
</ul>

<h4>Blog Posts</h4>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/10-practical-ways-teachers-can-excel-with-ai" target="_blank">Ten Practical Ways Teachers Can Excel with AI&nbsp;</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/developing-learner-autonomy-with-ai" target="_blank">Developing Learner Autonomy with AI&nbsp;</a></li>
</ul>

<blockquote>
What experience do you have of cheating and AI? What are your top tips for preventing it? We&rsquo;d love to hear your ideas.
</blockquote>

How To Prevent Students from Cheating with AI

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Posts describing lessons or activities for the ESL classroom.

Activities

The main goal of language teaching is getting students to communicate. This is why it might sound counterintuitive to use wordless stories and videos as a teaching tool.

However, using wordless visuals as a resource is fantastic for developing students&rsquo; creativity and critical thinking skills&nbsp;as well as encouraging&nbsp;ownership of the language. It also lets the teacher choose the target language based on the learners&#39; needs or allows language to emerge organically.

As with most visual resources, the possibilities are endless. One picture story or video can lead to multiple learning opportunities. It is essentially a classroom pick-your-own-adventure!

In this post, I&#39;ll give some activity ideas for <a href="https://ellii.com/resources/visual-learning">using wordless videos and stories, such as Ellii&#39;s</a>.

<h2>Activate schemata</h2>

As with most language teaching lessons, this is a good place to start. Schema activation sounds much more technical than it is. Put simply, it&rsquo;s about helping students to get in the zone and get them thinking about the topic they&rsquo;ll be discussing.&nbsp;

Showing them a static image from the video, a scene from the wordless story, or the whole story is a good place to start. Then you can ask questions to get them thinking about what they already know about a topic. Here are some warm-up&nbsp;questions from Ellii&rsquo;s <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/4282-birthday-celebrations">Birthday Celebrations</a> wordless video:

<blockquote>
<ol>
	<li>How are birthdays celebrated in your country of origin?</li>
	<li>What do people often do at birthday parties?</li>
	<li>How would you feel if someone threw you a surprise birthday party?</li>
	<li>Do you like going to school or work on your birthday?</li>
</ol>
</blockquote>

Another great way to activate schemata is by bringing in realia. For example, you could bring in cake, candles, or a present to show the class and generate discussions. If you bring a cake, you&nbsp;get the added benefit of eating it too!

<h2>Explore vocabulary</h2>

Wordless stories allow students the freedom to share words they know with other students and learn new ones in context&nbsp;as they emerge. Show students the video or pictures and ask them to describe what they see. Support them with any new words and make suggestions for useful language.&nbsp;

Beginner students may use basic nouns while more advanced learners may wish to use more complex adjectives or give more detail. Encourage learners to write down any new words, share ideas, and create example sentences.&nbsp;

You can use Ellii&rsquo;s online task suggestions to help. Here&rsquo;s an example from the <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/4331-first-day" target="_blank">First Day</a> Picture Story:

<img alt="Task from Ellii's First Day Picture Story Lesson" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3438/content_Screen_Shot_2023-10-04_at_3.35.33_PM.png" />

<h2>Ordering or re-ordering</h2>

As students watch a wordless video, you could ask them to take note of all the things that happen. Ask them to share their answers with a partner. To check as a whole class, play the video again, pausing it at key points and inviting students to describe what&rsquo;s happening. For an additional discussion point, you could ask students to consider what happens before and after the video.

For the wordless stories, set students the challenge of re-ordering the story. Cut each individual image out and give one picture to each student (or two to stronger students, depending on numbers). Tell them not to show their image to anyone else. Then ask them to describe it to the other learners. Their goal is to put the story in order by describing the image they have. Students stand in the order of the story at the end of the activity and retell the story together.

<img alt="Wordless video" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3437/content_Screen_Shot_2023-10-04_at_3.35.51_PM.png" />

<h2>Voiceover, dialogue &amp; role-play</h2>

Wordless stories are a perfect blank canvas for adding words! These could be in the form of writing the story, describing it, or writing a voiceover&nbsp;or even the dialogue between each character.

You could have a bit of fun by giving each student one image and asking them to add dialogue. Then&nbsp;put the story together and ask students to read out the captions they wrote for each scene. This can end in hilarity, as the dialogues may be strange or make little sense!&nbsp; As an alternative, boost students&rsquo; collaboration skills by asking them to create the dialogue as a class or small group project. Once they have created the dialogue, students can role-play it, record it, or even perform it for&nbsp;other classes.

<img alt="First Day Picture Story on Ellii" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3436/content_Screen_Shot_2023-10-04_at_3.36.07_PM.png" />

<h2>Targeted or emergent language</h2>

Wordless stories are flexible and allow you to cover a range of language structures:

<ul>
	<li>Present progressive to describe current actions</li>
	<li>Narrative tenses (simple past, past progressive, and past perfect) to describe a past event</li>
</ul>

Time markers and sequencers such as then, next, after that, once, following, meanwhile, and at the beginning or end also occur naturally in this kind of task. Ask students to share which ones they already know and use them throughout the activities.

Other language that may naturally emerge could be describing places, appearance, or emotions. It&rsquo;s up to you whether to approach these with a linguistic plan or to go with the flow.

<h2>Personalization</h2>

As a final task, encourage learners to consider how the theme relates to their own lives. For example, ask learners to share what their first day&nbsp;of school was like,&nbsp;how they celebrate their birthday, or what their favorite wedding traditions are. The Ellii online tasks offer some ideas here.

You can access our Wordless Videos and Stories in our&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/resources/visual-learning" target="_blank">Visual Learning</a>&nbsp;section.&nbsp;

You may also like these visual-learning-themed blog posts:

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/wordless-lessons-project">Wordless Lessons Project&nbsp;</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/how-to-simplify-complex-tasks-with-visual-prompts">How to Simplify Complex Tasks with Visual Prompts</a>&nbsp;</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/how-one-image-can-develop-visual-literacy-and-critical-thinking">How One Image Can Develop Visual Literacy &amp; Critical Thinking Skills</a>&nbsp;</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/3-tips-for-using-flashcards-no-prep-required">3 No-Prep Tips for Using Flashcards</a></li>
</ul>

Create Your Own Adventure: Teaching English the Wordless Way! 

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

Announcements

Hey again! 👋 We&#39;ve released another new feature at Ellii called <a href="https://ellii.com/gather/ellii-polls" target="_blank">Ellii Polls</a>&nbsp;that we know your students are going to love. 
 
What is it? It&rsquo;s a sessions-based tool that lets you conduct real-time interactive polls in your classroom (virtual or in person) to spark lively discussion, debate, and conversation with your English language learners. 
 
It&rsquo;s super simple, super engaging, and super fun.&nbsp;😎

 
You can use Ellii Polls as a warm-up&nbsp;or cooldown activity to start or end any class. Or you can simply use Ellii Polls to introduce a new topic you might already be planning to teach. Review the description in each Ellii Poll for notes about related materials. 
 
If you&rsquo;re already a subscriber at Ellii, Ellii Polls are automatically included with your subscription.

Watch the demo to see Ellii Polls in action!

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8HylceqW6ws?si=NnUd1_0NVnJnakBg" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div>

Here&#39;s how it works:&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>Teachers browse the <a href="https://ellii.com/gather/ellii-polls" target="_blank">Ellii Polls</a>&nbsp;Index page to find a topic their students might be interested in. (Find a direct link in the Materials drop-down.)</li>
	<li>Teachers preview the contents of the poll on the Poll Preview page. In addition to the questions for the polls,&nbsp;some key vocabulary&nbsp;that students will see and review in&nbsp;the survey is also included.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>From the Poll Preview page, teachers click Start poll.&nbsp;A slide for&nbsp;a QR code/link appears&nbsp;to share with students.</li>
	<li>Students join the activity in real time by&nbsp;scanning the code with the camera app on their phone or&nbsp;typing&nbsp;the link into a browser.</li>
	<li>Teachers can see students joining the activity.</li>
	<li>Teachers begin the poll, launching one slide at a time.</li>
	<li>After students submit answers to a poll question, the class is prompted to look up at the teacher&#39;s screen to review and discuss the results.</li>
	<li>Teachers move the activity along as quickly or as slowly as they wish.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

That&#39;s it! It&#39;s super simple and we&#39;ll be adding new polls regularly.

Note that this feature is in beta mode. We&nbsp;are counting on our active Ellii subcribers to use the feedback form at the end of each poll to help us improve the feature as we build many more polls for a wide variety of learners. Please share your feedback!

Introducing Ellii Polls

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We&#39;re happy to announce that Ellii has been chosen as one of a handful of delegate companies to represent Canada on the upcoming Team Canada trade mission to Japan. We&#39;ll be accompanying&nbsp;<a data-attribute-index="2" data-entity-type="MINI_PROFILE" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ACoAAAY_kPEBedtxXA1ZmbEH8LFTj5gfv6PHl1U">Mary Ng</a>, Canada&#39;s minister of export&nbsp;promotion, international trade, small business, and economic development.&nbsp;We plan to be in Osaka on October 29 and 30, and in Tokyo from October 31 to November 3.

<h2>Why is&nbsp;Japan so important to Ellii?</h2>

Japan has a very special place in our hearts here at Ellii. I first began working on the concept for this company while living and teaching English in Kanagawa from 1997 to 2002. And although I launched the site just after returning to Canada in the fall of &#39;02, most of the original product was designed in Japan for the Japanese teaching market. Today, Ellii is used in more than 10,000 schools in more than 100 countries around the world.

<h2>What will Ellii do in Japan?</h2>

You can learn more about the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tradecommissioner.gc.ca/campaign-campagne/japan-japon.aspx?lang=eng">trade mission</a> here. Besides attending meetings with the team,&nbsp;I will be specifically looking for a new distribution partner for the Japanese market. Please reach out if you&#39;d like to talk.

Ellii Is Heading to Japan

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<h1>&ldquo;So, what&rsquo;s your story?&rdquo;</h1>

How does one even begin? I suppose the context would be the biggest factor here, and, of course, your audience.

Are you giving some background information to a job interviewer? Are you getting to know your new colleagues in a lunchtime meeting? Maybe you&rsquo;re on a first date.

As educators, we know how critical it is to consider all of these elements (e.g., audience, tone, purpose) when telling a story. Storytelling is one of the things I enjoy teaching the most, actually, because it affords me the opportunity to see&nbsp;students&#39; wheels turning and to be there for some of my learners&rsquo; aha moments.

Storytelling skills take practice to develop and hone. We can sometimes neglect these skills in favor of more functional types of writing&mdash;like the essay or email (though these also contain an element of storytelling).

While equipping students with traditional skills remains crucial, there&#39;s an increasing recognition of the importance of fostering 21st-century skills to prepare them for an uncertain future. Among these skills, storytelling stands out as a powerful tool that not only engages learners, but also nurtures their creativity.

<h2>Storytelling: An age-old art</h2>

Storytelling is as old as humanity itself. Long before the advent of the written word, our ancestors communicated knowledge, culture, and experiences through stories. It&#39;s a fundamental aspect of the human experience, deeply ingrained in our DNA. And in the 21st century, storytelling remains a cornerstone of effective communication and education.

<h2>Enter AI: A double-edged sword</h2>

Artificial intelligence (AI) and automation have revolutionized many aspects of our lives. From virtual assistants to self-driving cars, AI is everywhere. While such technological&nbsp;advancements offer previously unimagined convenience and efficiency, they also raise concerns about the future of human work. As educators, we must prepare our students for a job market that is constantly evolving and increasingly dependent on AI.

<h2>Why storytelling matters</h2>

Creativity: Storytelling encourages students to think creatively. When crafting a story, they have to imagine characters, settings, and plots. This imaginative process keeps their creative faculties sharp and active.

Emotional Intelligence: Stories often revolve around characters and their emotions. By engaging with stories, students develop empathy and emotional intelligence, skills that are essential in the real world, where they&#39;ll interact with diverse people and cultures. One lesson that I particularly love is&nbsp;called <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/4193-think-inside-the-box">Think inside the Box.</a> This &ldquo;wordless&rdquo; story, while developed for younger learners, leaves it up to the student to decide what the characters are communicating.&nbsp;

Critical Thinking: Analyzing stories helps students sharpen their&nbsp;critical thinking skills. They learn to question motives, dissect plot twists, and evaluate outcomes. These skills are invaluable when navigating the complexities of today&#39;s world. Our <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/detective-series-1">Detective Series</a>&nbsp;is one resource that helps improve critical thinking skills.

Effective Communication: Storytelling develops&nbsp;students&#39; ability to express ideas clearly and persuasively. In a world saturated with information, effective communication is a highly sought-after skill. Ellii&#39;s <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/discussion-starters">Discussion Starters</a> and <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/mini-debates">Mini-Debates</a>&nbsp;are&nbsp;a good place to start honing these skills.

Adaptability: Being able to adapt to life circumstances and reinvent yourself has never been a more important skill. Stories often revolve around overcoming challenges and change. Through storytelling, students learn that change is not something to be feared, but rather something to be embraced and navigated.

<h2>Incorporating storytelling in the classroom</h2>

Digital Storytelling: Leverage technology to enable students to create multimedia stories. They can combine text, images, audio, and video to craft compelling narratives. Our <a href="https://ellii.com/resources/photo-prompts">Photo Prompts</a> section can help launch creative ideas and debate, especially our new Photo Feuds&nbsp;prompts. Our <a href="https://ellii.com/media/videos/silent-clips">Silent Clips</a>&nbsp;videos could also be used as storytelling prompts.

Storytelling Workshops: Organize storytelling workshops or invite guest storytellers to inspire and guide your students. If they can&#39;t come in person, many would love to present virtually.

Cross-Disciplinary Approach: Encourage students to apply storytelling in various subjects, from science to history. This interdisciplinary approach enhances their problem-solving abilities.

Peer Feedback: Foster a culture of constructive feedback where students share and critique each other&#39;s stories. This enhances their communication skills and helps them learn from one another. Give students something to listen for in each story&nbsp;and then report back.&nbsp;

Real-World Application: Connect storytelling to real-world scenarios. For instance, challenge students to come up with stories around social issues or entrepreneurship, encouraging them to think about solutions creatively.

<h2>As the story unfolds...</h2>

As educators, it&#39;s our responsibility to prepare students for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. Storytelling is a powerful tool in this endeavor. It keeps creativity alive, nurtures essential skills, and equips students to thrive in the current&nbsp;world&nbsp;and in the world that is about to be changed forever by AI. By embracing storytelling in our classrooms, we empower our students to become not just consumers of technology, but also creators and innovators who shape the future. 
&nbsp;

The Stories We Tell

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

Conferences

Did you attend ElliiCon2023 this&nbsp;September? If you did, I hope you&#39;re bursting with inspiration and ideas like we are here at Ellii!&nbsp; 
 
More than 2,200 English language educators&nbsp;signed up for our third annual virtual conference, and we had a record-high live attendance on both&nbsp;days.&nbsp;Even more impressive than the numbers&nbsp;was the engagement!&nbsp;In all of the virtual webinars and conferences I&#39;ve attended over the years, I don&#39;t think I&#39;ve ever seen&nbsp;a chat as active as I did at this year&#39;s ElliiCon.&nbsp;Keeping up with the Q&amp;A and comments was nearly impossible, even with our signature conference style of&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/blog/all-hands-on-deck-all-the-time" target="_blank">all Ellii hands on deck</a>. 
 
After any major <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/categories/conferences" target="_blank">conference</a>, virtual or in person, I always take at least a day to reflect on the learning and experience, often focusing on the takeaways in relation to the&nbsp;theme.&nbsp;While some <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/behind-the-scenes-choosing-the-theme-for-elliicon2023" target="_blank">conference themes</a> feel like a stretch or an afterthought, I think&nbsp;we got ours just right this year.&nbsp;

<blockquote>
Humanity &amp; Technology in ELT: Striking a Balance in the Age of AI.&nbsp;
</blockquote>

If you participated&nbsp;in ElliiCon2023, I hope you agree&nbsp;that together, the organizers, speakers, and attendees tipped the scales in the right direction. While we explored many impressive uses of AI, in the end we&nbsp;all agreed on one thing: teachers will not be replaced by technology anytime soon.&nbsp; 
 
Humanity for the win!&nbsp; 
 
For this year&#39;s ElliiCon reflection, I&#39;ll highlight&nbsp;five reasons why humans shine brighter than our new&nbsp;friend ChatGPT&nbsp;in the field of ELT.

<h2>1. Humans tell better stories</h2>

When people ask why I&#39;ve worked&nbsp;at Ellii (formerly ESL Library) for 17 years, I often point to&nbsp;my love of stories. Our CEO, Ben, who many of us consider to be both a colleague and a friend, is the best storyteller I know. Every team meeting, business trip, and meal Ben hosts always starts with&nbsp;a good story or two.&nbsp;

We knew Jamie Keddie, a master of ELT storytelling, would be a great addition to this conference. Jamie captivated attendees with stories, even when sharing a&nbsp;boring one written by ChatGPT! In under an hour, Jamie showed us how being able to tell a personal story in the classroom is a superpower teachers should try to hone.&nbsp;

<img alt="Jamie Keddie trashes ChatGPT for its storytelling abilities" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3380/content_trash-keddie.png" />

After trashing ChatGPTs storytelling abilities, Jamie&nbsp;went on to demonstrate (through story) how to tell a good one, painting the perfect picture of&nbsp;how stories can be used in a myriad of&nbsp;ways for language learning. Just as I predicted, Jamie&#39;s session,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Clp3PioRXHQ" target="_blank">Stories from the Teacher</a>, was the highlight of ElliiCon2023 for me. It seems our CLB materials writer, Jen, was also inspired. Check out Jen&#39;s&nbsp;latest Ellii post,&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/blog/the-stories-we-tell" target="_blank">The Stories We Tell</a>.

<img alt="storytelling bullets Jamie Keddie" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3392/content_story-bullets_keddie.png" />

Why stories? Here&#39;s a summary of the benefits of story that Jamie outlined in his ElliiCon session, which played out like a story itself. Don&#39;t take my word for it&mdash;watch the recording! (Then look up.)

<h2>2. Humans aren&#39;t just &quot;adaptive,&quot; they&nbsp;adapt&nbsp;</h2>

If you&#39;ve never seen this error message below, you are probably like many&nbsp;ElliiCon attendees who surprised us by admitting they&nbsp;knew little to nothing about&nbsp;Open AI&#39;s generative AI tool, ChatGPT.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<img alt="ChatGPT error message" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3382/content_Screen_Shot_2023-09-18_at_2.06.25_PM.png" />

After&nbsp;our first <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PD67hbuy27k&amp;t=2s" target="_blank">Coffee Talk</a> featuring first impressions (and confessions) of AI&nbsp;from the Publishing team, our CEO realized&nbsp;much of our audience was newer to this technology than we&#39;d anticipated. Ben quickly adapted his welcome speech to clarify that our conference would highlight some features at Ellii, but also explore generative AI, a technology Ellii is playing with,&nbsp;that according to the head of education at Pearson,&nbsp;is &quot;moving faster than real life.&quot;

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PD67hbuy27k&amp;t=2s" target="_blank"><img alt="Coffee Talk with Ellii's Publishing team" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3388/content_Screen_Shot_2023-09-21_at_10.46.25_AM.png" /></a>

Despite the speed at which this technology snuck into the field of language learning, the&nbsp;reality is that many teachers are still printing PDFs and dealing with student onboarding and Wi-Fi issues. Ellii&#39;s Product team heard these sentiments loud and clear and are already pivoting to include some new features to address these more pressing issues.&nbsp;

<h2>3. Humans are human</h2>

Russell Stannard, ELT&#39;s EdTech guru, had to make some adaptations of his own on the fly when his AI-recorded audio wouldn&#39;t play in a window and he had to read it out loud. There was also a missing cat (typed &quot;at&quot;) in his AI-generated image, which Ellii&#39;s eagle-eyed editors would never have missed (and our talented illustrators&nbsp;might have drawn <a href="https://ellii.com/media/flashcards/idioms-phrasal-verbs/halloween-idioms?flashcard=5217" target="_blank">like this</a>).&nbsp;

Russell&nbsp;shared some <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcn8oCl53ic" target="_blank">fun AI-powered activities</a>, but admitted that&nbsp;90% of the EdTech tools he reviews aren&#39;t even worth sharing. Have you ever heard a statistic that bad when it comes to English language teachers?&nbsp;Also, do you know any teachers who would turn down a real-life teaching assistant in exchange for a paid version of&nbsp;ChatGPT?

This is not to say that AI can&#39;t be taught humanistic behavior! One attendee mentioned that ChatGPT offered condolences after being prompted to help write a eulogy. That&#39;s a story that might hit the movies soon if real writers continue to strike.&nbsp; 
 
A related topic&nbsp;that came up in the ElliiCon chat (and internally at Ellii) was on the importance of using&nbsp;polite and friendly language when interacting with ChatGPT. This seems like a no-brainer since we&#39;re training AI to do what we want. As we learned from our <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPg8qkpwBWk&amp;list=PLP0N5nuiA3aOIoCMzz9RNamAKTpqXQTvQ&amp;index=9" target="_blank">Day 2 Coffee Talk</a> facilitator, Diego, failure to engage with AI could have dangerous consequences.&nbsp;

<img alt="tone AI" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3390/content_content_tone-chat-gpt.png" />

Do you know what else teachers were interested in? <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7ZVMn1dx5s&amp;list=PLP0N5nuiA3aOIoCMzz9RNamAKTpqXQTvQ&amp;index=13" target="_blank">Life skills!</a> Jen walked teachers through all of the content and collections that focus on this target, including our NEW&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/media/videos/vocabulary" target="_blank">Vocabulary video</a> series and our&nbsp;dialogue-focused <a href="https://ellii.com/packs" target="_blank">Study Packs</a>, which were a huge hit.

<h2>4. Humans are the machines</h2>

One thing I love about ElliiCon is that it gives&nbsp;team members outside of the Publishing and Customer Support teams a chance to interact with teachers. At ElliiCon, our Product team&#39;s developers and designers were available in the chat and at the virtual tables talking directly with attendees about AI, tech, AND the humans behind our new features.&nbsp;

At Thursday&#39;s Lunch &amp; Learn:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFGCJis6RZQ&amp;list=PLP0N5nuiA3aOIoCMzz9RNamAKTpqXQTvQ&amp;index=10" target="_blank">How Ellii Blends AI with Human-Powered Teaching Tools</a>, Ellii&#39;s CTO Eduardo took attendees behind the scenes to share all sorts of ways his team is exploring AI for features including autograding and&nbsp;feedback, content&nbsp;recommendations, and class insights (pictured below&nbsp;and coming soon).&nbsp;

<a href="https://youtu.be/QFGCJis6RZQ?si=Max7LxTJEjcxW10X" target="_blank"><img alt="AI generated Class Insights coming soon to Ellii" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3387/content_class-insights-elliicon.png" /></a>

Do these features build themselves? Absolutely not. They are designed, tweaked, and implemented by a human team with people such as Decio,&nbsp;Jessica, and Nicholas, who you got to Meet &amp; Mingle with if you joined us at ElliiCon. Like Ellii&#39;s lessons, our features are reviewed and tested by humans and updated based on user&nbsp;needs. Similiary, Dr. Charles Browne described the human side of developing the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66ppRWXrkF4">New General Service List</a>&nbsp;and helped teachers better understand just how many words students really need to know.&nbsp;

Our invited speaker Dr. Amin Davoodi emphasized this very point throughout his <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_cwm_Hyc-8&amp;list=PLP0N5nuiA3aOIoCMzz9RNamAKTpqXQTvQ&amp;index=12" target="_blank">session</a> while making a case for AI being a tool teachers should embrace. If you didn&#39;t get a chance to see his session&nbsp;and you are skeptical about the use of AI in English language teaching, please treat yourself! You might also be tempted to buy an <a href="https://shop.ellii.com/" target="_blank">Ellii T-shirt</a>.

Amin&#39;s main argument:&nbsp;

<blockquote>
Technology (such as&nbsp;AI) doesn&#39;t make you a better teacher or a worse teacher. It only magnifies who you are as a teacher. If you are a good teacher, it will definitely make you a better teacher. If you are a bad teacher, it will probably make you a worse teacher. Always, always pedagogy comes first. Technology is just a tool...with ChatGPT you get what you ask for.

Dr. Amin Davoodi
</blockquote>

<h2>5. Humans have meaningful conversations</h2>

Nik Peachey&#39;s demonstration of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zReNEm4s60&amp;list=PLP0N5nuiA3aOIoCMzz9RNamAKTpqXQTvQ&amp;index=4" target="_blank">using ChatGPT for simulated role-plays</a>&nbsp;on Day 1 got teachers excited about how to start coming up with creative prompts for personalized learning. The goal, however, is not for learners to be able to have stimulating conversations with a robot! As&nbsp;Angela Tribus Ramos emphasized in the final ElliiCon session, the goal (and Ellii&#39;s mission) is for everyone to have more meaningful conversations in real life.&nbsp;

<img alt="" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3386/content_Angela-7-takeaways.png" />

As we went off into breakout rooms, Angela challenged us to think about elements of humanity that we cherished. I shared my strong connection to real human voices and we talked about how&nbsp;terrifying (and exciting)&nbsp;it is that we can now clone our voices with AI.&nbsp;

<img alt="" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3385/content_Screen_Shot_2023-09-18_at_3.41.15_PM.png" />

Angela&#39;s tips in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMvZ_yg5bzk&amp;list=PLP0N5nuiA3aOIoCMzz9RNamAKTpqXQTvQ&amp;index=14" target="_blank">Seven Strategies for Meaningful Conversations</a>&nbsp;were&nbsp;so empowering&nbsp;that I noticed Gustavo, an active&nbsp;attendee, utilizing some techniques at our final mixer. Gustavo made&nbsp;a graceful exit using signposting (and even followed up with a kind&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7109523789662609408/" target="_blank">LinkedIn message</a>). Likewise, ElliiCon&#39;s host, Lise, thanked Angela graciously for wrapping things up so perfectly that we barely even had to offer our own closing. My heart was full in this moment!&nbsp;

<h2>ElliiCon2023 YouTube Videos</h2>

While you can&#39;t&nbsp;get the full human experience of a conference like ElliiCon without attending live (emojis, chat comments, Q&amp;A, Table talk), you can catch up on some recorded sessions you missed. All of the sessions are now available to view in the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLP0N5nuiA3aOIoCMzz9RNamAKTpqXQTvQ" target="_blank">ElliiCon2023 playlist</a> on our <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@ElliiTeachers" target="_blank">Ellii for Teachers</a> YouTube channel. If you attended ElliiCon, we&#39;d love to hear about your own highlights and takeaways in the comments below.

See you next year at ElliiCon2024! 
 
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PD67hbuy27k&amp;list=PLP0N5nuiA3aOIoCMzz9RNamAKTpqXQTvQ&amp;index=2" target="_blank"><img alt="ElliiCon2023 Recordings" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3391/content_ScreenShot_2023-09-21_at_11.35.58_AM.png" /></a>

Reflecting on ElliiCon2023: 5 Reasons Why Humans Are Better than Machines in ELT

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Artificial intelligence (AI) has become the hottest topic of 2023. It exploded shortly after I submitted my <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/6-english-language-teaching-trends-in-2023" target="_blank">6 English Language Teaching Trends to Watch in 2023</a> post.&nbsp;

Who could have predicted just how much AI could change the world we live in, the way we teach, and the way our students learn? Not me!

There is always a fear that students use tools such as translation apps or AI to cheat on their assignments.&nbsp;However, harnessing AI&#39;s potential can be a fantastic way to learn a language.&nbsp;

In my last post, I wrote about <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/10-practical-ways-teachers-can-excel-with-ai" target="_blank">10 Practical Ways Teachers Can Excel with AI</a>. In this related post, I&rsquo;d like to explore ways teachers can show students how to become more autonomous by&nbsp;using&nbsp;AI tools like <a href="https://chat.openai.com/" target="_blank">ChatGPT</a> or <a href="https://bard.google.com/" target="_blank">Bard</a>&nbsp;responsibly.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<h2>1. Tricky questions</h2>

AI chat tools are a wonderful, nonjudgmental&nbsp;source of information. They are perfect for asking difficult questions or queries that students may not feel confident to ask their classmates, teachers, or other English language users.&nbsp;

<blockquote>
For example, if a student is struggling with the difference between &quot;there,&quot; &quot;their,&quot;&nbsp;and &quot;they&rsquo;re,&quot;&nbsp;they could ask AI&nbsp;about it and receive a succinct, bullet-pointed response.&nbsp;
</blockquote>

To practice this in class, ask students to make a list of things they find difficult in English. Support them to ask an AI tool about one or two items on&nbsp;their list and then share the answers they received with the rest of the class.&nbsp;

<h2>2. Error correction</h2>

What we don&rsquo;t want is for students to ask AI to write entire essays, emails, or presentations for them. However, AI can give pretty accurate feedback on their written work or phrases they want to use.&nbsp;

For example, they could ask:&nbsp;

<blockquote>
Is this correct English?&nbsp;

&nbsp;I hope that I will speaking English well.
</blockquote>

ChatGPT can provide a corrected version.&nbsp;

<blockquote>
The sentence that you provided is not grammatically correct. It should be:

I hope that I will speak English well.
</blockquote>

Students could then ask it to clarify the reason for any corrections.&nbsp;For example:&nbsp;

<blockquote>
Why is &quot;will speaking&quot;&nbsp;not correct?&nbsp;
</blockquote>

The AI tool can then offer an explanation that the student can explore further.&nbsp;

This error correction technique works best with short phrases, sentences, or paragraphs. Longer texts can be more complicated, but can still be helpful to higher-level or more confident learners.&nbsp;

<h2>3. Translations</h2>

Translation tools can often be quite literal in their translations. AI tools seem to have a better grasp of idiomatic language or regional language variations.&nbsp;

Students can ask AI to translate words or phrases from one language to another.&nbsp;

<h2>4. Inspiration</h2>

AI chat tools can provide simple writing frames for learners. If their homework is to write a letter of complaint, students could ask AI to give an example, some structural tips, and a few useful phrases.&nbsp;

For example, the prompt could be:&nbsp;

<blockquote>
I have to write a letter of complaint for my English homework. Can you give me an example? What do I need to include? What phrases might be useful?&nbsp;
</blockquote>

In this instance, make sure students are aware that they are only cheating themselves out of learning if they copy the example&nbsp;rather than use&nbsp;it for inspiration!

<h2>5. Synonyms &amp; alternative phrases</h2>

As students progress through the levels, they&rsquo;ll want to use a greater variety of lexical items. AI tools can provide a variety of rich language ideas.

For example, a prompt of &quot;How else can I say &lsquo;very good&rsquo;?&quot;&nbsp;returned the following responses on ChatGPT:&nbsp;

<ol>
	<li>Excellent</li>
	<li>Outstanding</li>
	<li>Superb</li>
	<li>Impressive</li>
	<li>Exceptional</li>
	<li>Marvelous</li>
	<li>Terrific</li>
	<li>Wonderful</li>
	<li>Brilliant</li>
	<li>Splendid</li>
</ol>

Students can also do this with phrases and longer expressions. Here are some suggestions to try in class:&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>I was late.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>I don&rsquo;t understand.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>When is break time?&nbsp;</li>
	<li>What&rsquo;s the homework?&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Do we have class tomorrow?</li>
</ul>

You could add an extra element of fun to this by asking students to predict what the chat tool might say and then comparing the responses.&nbsp;

<h2>Learn more at ElliiCon2023</h2>

If you loved this post, why not join us at <a href="https://ellii.com/conference/2023" target="_blank">ElliiCon2023, Ellii&#39;s FREE virtual conference</a> on September 14 and 15? We will be exploring <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/behind-the-scenes-choosing-the-theme-for-elliicon2023" target="_blank">Humanity &amp; Technology in ELT: Striking a Balance in the Age of AI</a>!

We&rsquo;ve got an all-star lineup with digital experts such as <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/elliicon2023-speaker-spotlight-nik-peachey" target="_blank">Nik Peachey</a>, <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/elliicon2023-speaker-spotlight-jamie-keddie" target="_blank">Jamie Keddie</a>, <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/elliicon2023-speaker-spotlight-charles-browne" target="_blank">Dr. Charles Browne</a>, <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/elliicon2023-speaker-spotlight-russell-stannard" target="_blank">Russell Stannard</a>, <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/elliicon2023-speaker-spotlight-dr-amin-davoodi" target="_blank">Dr. Amin Davoodi</a>, <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/elliicon2023-speaker-spotlight-angela-tribus-ramos" target="_blank">Angela Tribus Ramos</a>, and the fabulous Ellii crew: Tara Benwell, Ann Dickson, Tanya Trusler, Jen Artan, Lise Papineau,&nbsp;Ben Buckwold, and Eduardo Prause. Plus special guests <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/diego-boada/" target="_blank">Diego Boada</a>&mdash;instructional designer from the Catholic University&nbsp;of America&mdash;and Shelynn Riel and&nbsp;Anna Ciriani-Dean from the <a href="https://www.teacherthinkaloud.com/" target="_blank">Teacher Think-Aloud Podcast</a>!

<a href="https://ellii.com/conference/2023" target="_blank">Sign up for free now!</a>

<blockquote>
How do you use AI with your learners? We&rsquo;d love for you to share your own tips and activities.&nbsp;
</blockquote>

<h2>Related Lessons</h2>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/1679-artificial-intelligence" target="_blank">Artificial Intelligence</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/4579-when-chatbots-get-it-wrong" target="_blank">When Chatbots Get It Wrong</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/that-s-news-to-me/4500-tutoring-with-chatgpt" target="_blank">Tutoring with ChatGPT</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/4468-ai-generated-content" target="_blank">AI-Generated Content</a></li>
</ul>

Developing Learner Autonomy with AI

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When ChatGPT was released at the end of 2022, people around the world trialed it (and other AI tools) with awe and trepidation. There was surprise and admiration at the ease it could generate texts and find solutions to complex problems. There was also concern that students may misuse it for written tasks. And, of course, there was the little voice at the back of our heads saying, &quot;How long will my job exist?!&quot;&nbsp;

Personally, I like to believe that teaching roles are safe. AI is fabulous in many ways, but us teachers have empathy and creativity on our side! We&rsquo;re pretty awesome. And now we have AI to make us even more so!

In this post, I&rsquo;ll explore 10 ways that teachers can use AI to their advantage&nbsp;to make their teaching even more fabulous&nbsp;and&nbsp;save time!&nbsp;

<h2>1.&nbsp;Example texts</h2>

AI can generate texts for a specific topic, level, and language focus. These texts are not always super engaging or creative, but they&rsquo;re definitely functional. This can be really useful when you&rsquo;re rushing to cover a lesson&nbsp;or when your lesson goes off on a tangent and you want something tailored to the students&rsquo; needs immediately.&nbsp;

You can, of course, generate the text in class with the students&rsquo; input and have them rewrite it,&nbsp;or you can add your own unique style to it. And if you need comprehension tasks too, AI will also generate these&nbsp;with answers.&nbsp;

<h2><img alt="AI prompt" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3363/content_AI-1.png" /> 
2.&nbsp;Lesson planning&nbsp;</h2>

Planning what to teach is probably one of the most time-consuming tasks for teachers. Using Ellii materials is one of the simplest ways to reduce this time. A quick search of Ellii resources usually returns a number of options, but occasionally you&rsquo;ll be searching for something a bit more obscure.&nbsp;

This is when you can ask AI to plan your lesson for you! I was surprised just how comprehensive a lesson plan it provided.&nbsp;

<h2><img alt="AI prompt" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3364/content_Screen_Shot_2023-09-12_at_10.15.07_AM.png" /></h2>

It gave the following information:&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Objective 
&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Level 
&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Duration 
&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Materials 
&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Warm-up 
&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Introduction activities 
&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Vocabulary activities 
&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Grammar activities 
&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Discussion 
&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&bull;&nbsp; &nbsp; Final reflection 
&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Homework tasks 
&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Assessment ideas 
&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Extension activity suggestion

<h2>3.&nbsp; Extension activity ideas</h2>

Finding the perfect activity to match the lesson topic can sometimes be tricky. AI chatbots, such as ChatGPT or Bard, can give suggestions.&nbsp;

Take this Ellii sample lesson on <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2719-online-privacy" target="_blank">Online Privacy</a>, for example. It&rsquo;s already pretty comprehensive with a reading text, comprehension questions, vocabulary review, discussion and debate topics, and a written task.&nbsp;Perhaps you want to review the topic in your next session with the class, but you&rsquo;re not sure how.&nbsp;

<h2><img alt="AI Prompt" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3365/content_Screen_Shot_2023-09-12_at_10.15.14_AM.png" /></h2>

These prompts returned the following activity suggestions:&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>A debate (which students would already have done)</li>
	<li>A role-play for a data breach response team (sounds fun)</li>
	<li>A news report about an online privacy scandal (intriguing)</li>
</ul>

<h2>4.&nbsp; Homework ideas</h2>

Much like extension activities for inside the classroom, AI tools can help you create and select tasks for outside the classroom. Asking for a specific number of tasks will provide you with a selection of options to choose from.&nbsp;

<img alt="" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3369/content_Screen_Shot_2023-09-12_at_10.25.05_AM.png" />This prompt gave the following ideas on the topic of &quot;accidents&quot;:&nbsp; 
&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Accident story rewrite: Rewrite a story about an accident they or someone else had. 
&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Accident timeline: Draw a timeline with key moments. Write sentences to describe each one.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Accident interview: Interview someone about an accident they or someone else had.

<h2>5.&nbsp; &nbsp;Vocabulary lists</h2>

One of the things I love most about Ellii is that you can create your own flashcard deck. With <a href="https://ellii.com/media/flashcards" target="_blank">4,500+ flashcards</a> to choose from, deciding which words to focus on can sometimes be a challenge.&nbsp;

You could use one of Ellii&rsquo;s lessons for inspiration, or you could ask an AI tool for ideas.&nbsp;

<img alt="AI Prompt" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3366/content_Screen_Shot_2023-09-12_at_10.15.26_AM.png" />

<h2>6.&nbsp;Mnemonic ideas</h2>

Spelling in English is notoriously difficult, so we need to give students strategies to help them remember. Mnemonics are a great way to do this, but they can be tricky to create, especially at lower levels when vocabulary is limited.&nbsp;

I used this prompt with ChatGPT:&nbsp;

<img alt="AI Prompt" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3367/content_Screen_Shot_2023-09-12_at_10.15.32_AM.png" />

It suggested &quot;Funny Rabbits In Every Neighborhood Dance,&quot;&nbsp;which is pretty good. Though I feel that &quot;neighborhood&quot;&nbsp;might be a bit difficult for some learners. I&rsquo;d perhaps change it to &quot;Funny Rabbit Is Eating New Dinner&quot;&nbsp;or work together with the students to create their own, using AI to help them.&nbsp;

<h2>7.&nbsp; Apply for a job</h2>

AI can provide helpful support with creating CVs, cover&nbsp;letters, or personal statements. You can enter your specification, plus your skills, qualities, and experience, and ask it to generate text suited to you.&nbsp;

It&rsquo;s obviously wise to use the generated text as a guide and to add your own personality!

<img alt="AI Prompt" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3368/content_Screen_Shot_2023-09-12_at_10.15.37_AM.png" />

<h2>8.&nbsp; Answer tricky questions</h2>

We&rsquo;ve all been there. That moment when a student asks you something really hard and you think, &quot;I have no idea!&quot;

We can always throw these questions back at the class and see if another student can provide the answer&nbsp;or swot up (British English slang&nbsp;meaning study intensively)&nbsp;on the topic before the next class.&nbsp;

Now teachers can sneakily ask AI during a quiet moment in class&nbsp;or get students involved in creating their own AI prompt to find the answer.&nbsp;

<h2>9.&nbsp; Give feedback</h2>

Teachers can copy and paste students&rsquo; written work into AI chatbots and ask them to grade it or give feedback. The tools can give advice on grammar, vocabulary, style, punctuation, and structuring. Teachers can then decide which suggestions they&rsquo;d like to share with the learner.&nbsp;

Alternatively, teachers can do this with the student present to show learners how to use AI to improve their own work.&nbsp;

<h2>10. Support learner autonomy</h2>

Training students to use AI effectively can help them be more self-directed and ensure that they&rsquo;re not tempted to submit AI-generated work instead of their own. This reduces the time that teachers spend checking homework so they can&nbsp;support learners in other ways. Here is a related post on <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/developing-learner-autonomy-with-ai" target="_blank">Developing Learner Autonomy with AI</a>.

Did you know #Elliicon2023 is AI-themed this year? We have some incredible speakers who will be exploring humanity and technology in ELT. <a href="https://ellii.com/conference/2023" target="_blank">Join us for free on&nbsp;September 14 and 15!</a>

<blockquote>
How do you use AI to help you as a teacher? We&rsquo;d love to know how you&rsquo;re using it! Share your ideas in the comments.&nbsp;
</blockquote>

<h2>Related Lessons</h2>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/that-s-news-to-me/4579-when-chatbots-get-it-wrong" target="_blank">When Chatbots Get It Wrong</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/that-s-news-to-me/4500-tutoring-with-chatgpt" target="_blank">Tutoring with ChatGPT</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/4468-ai-generated-content" target="_blank">AI-Generated Content</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/1679-artificial-intelligence">Artificial Intelligence</a></li>
</ul>

10 Practical Ways Teachers Can Excel with AI

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When organizing a conference, it is crucial to nail down a conference theme in the early stages of the planning process. In the first year of hosting our own virtual conference (ESVC 2021), our theme was Empowering Teachers in the Digital Age. Though it may sound generic now, this theme was significant to us then as so many teachers were just starting to rely on our platform for our digital tools rather than just our PDFs. We (then ESL Library) were transitioning into an EdTech company. It was the perfect time to try hosting our own conference to help&nbsp;foster&nbsp;connections in our ELT community.

<blockquote>
&quot;Omg, it was better than Cats. Thanks!&quot;

&mdash;2021 conference attendee
</blockquote>

<img alt="Empowering Teachers in the Digital Age ESVC" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3344/content_Screen_Shot_2023-08-22_at_12.35.21_PM.png" />

In 2022 (now Ellii), our post-pandemic conference theme was Simplicity in #ELT. Teachers worldwide were struggling with burnout, and we wanted to do our part to help everyone (including our own team) take a breather and reflect on the basic essentials of language learning and teaching. Our staff and attendees embraced this theme, and the conference was a great success. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLP0N5nuiA3aMqdcebjNOfZUGdOEGRmrms" rel="noopener" target="_blank">ElliiCon2022</a> was just what we all needed to kick off last year&#39;s school year. It also helped inspire some of the simple features we created this year.

<blockquote>
&quot;ElliiCon was one of the best PDs I&#39;ve attended in a while. It was helpful and FUN, and I&#39;m already using things I learned from the conference in my classroom. Great job, guys.&quot;

&mdash;ElliiCon2022 attendee
</blockquote>

When our team gathered to choose a theme for ElliiCon2023&nbsp;back in January,&nbsp;ChatGPT was the only thing teachers were talking about. Our content creators, engineers, and designers began soaking up everything we could about this fast-moving technology. Like you, we began thinking about the future of language learning in a whole new way.

What did generative AI mean for the #ELT industry and what did it mean for our teachers, their students, and our own team? 

Incorporating AI into our 2023 conference theme was a no-brainer, but we also wanted to keep Ellii&#39;s mission (improving communication around the world) in plain view. We looked at countless reviews and reflected on what teachers loved about ElliiCon2022. Did we consult ChatGPT to help brainstorm a theme that could inspire a similar feel? Yes, we did. But in the end, it was Ellii humans for the win!&nbsp;

<h1 style="text-align: center;">Humanity &amp; Technology in ELT: Striking a Balance in the Age of AI</h1>

<blockquote>
&quot;There is such vibrancy in the air on Ellii! I feel people who work for your company thoroughly enjoy their work and passing knowledge to us! Way to go!!!&quot;

&mdash;ElliiCon2022 attendee
</blockquote>

Like our new name, this year&#39;s theme feels just right for ElliiCon2023. We hope you&#39;ll join us September 14&ndash;15 for this year&#39;s free two-day virtual conference to explore the intersection of technology and traditional teaching. Connect with attendees, speakers, and the makers of Ellii as we unpack what this new technology means for our classrooms and careers.&nbsp;

<img alt="ESL Library becomes Ellii" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3346/content_Ben_Buckwold_day_1_final.jpg" />

At ElliiCon2023, you will&nbsp;participate in informal chats on first impressions of generative AI and watch expert sessions on tried and tested AI tools. You&#39;ll get ideas for using AI for storytelling, pair work, and gamified vocabulary review and explore everything from the dangers and limitations of AI to easy-to-use integrations. You&#39;ll also learn essential strategies for teaching meaningful conversations and life skills. Finally, Ellii staff will demo some of our new,&nbsp;simple tools and share how we&#39;re cautiously experimenting with AI behind the scenes.&nbsp;

<blockquote>
&quot;I loved getting to know the staff members, hearing their voices, and learning about their personalities.&quot;

&mdash;ElliiCon2022 attendee
</blockquote>

<img alt="Coffee Talk ElliiCon2022" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3347/content_Screen_Shot_2023-08-22_at_12.12.54_PM.png" />

<a href="https://ellii.com/conference/2023" rel="noopener" target="_blank" title="ElliiCon2023 registration page">Register now</a> to reserve your spot and visit our <a href="https://ellii.com/blog" rel="noopener" target="_blank">blog</a> for spotlights on this year&#39;s speakers: <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/elliicon2023-speaker-spotlight-nik-peachey" target="_blank">Nik Peachey</a>, <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/elliicon2023-speaker-spotlight-angela-tribus-ramos">Angela Tribus Ramos</a>, <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/elliicon2023-speaker-spotlight-jamie-keddie" target="_blank">Jamie Keddie</a>, <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/elliicon2023-speaker-spotlight-russell-stannard" target="_blank">Russell Stannard</a>, <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/elliicon2023-speaker-spotlight-charles-browne" target="_blank">Dr. Charles Browne</a>, and <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/elliicon2023-speaker-spotlight-dr-amin-davoodi" target="_blank">Dr. Amin Davoodi</a>.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Tara, VP of Publishing at Ellii

Behind the Scenes: Choosing the Theme for ElliiCon2023

https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/2432/Tara_Choosing-the-Theme-for-ElliiCon2023_Banner.png

<blockquote>
This September 14 and 15, Ellii is&nbsp;hosting&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/conference/2023">ElliiCon2023</a>&mdash;a free two-day virtual conference to explore the intersection of technology and traditional teaching. Learn how to maintain human connections with your students in the age of AI while incorporating practical tech tools that can free up more time for the crucial aspects of learning. This article is part of a series of posts introducing our 2023 conference&nbsp;speakers.
</blockquote>

<h2>Meet Dr. Amin Davoodi</h2>

Dr. Amin Davoodi is an assistant professor of bilingual and ESL education at the University of Texas Permian Basin. He earned his PhD in curriculum and instruction with a specialization in ESL, technology, and teacher education from Texas A&amp;M University in 2021. His research interests include educational equity, TESOL, robot-assisted learning, innovations in teaching, and bilingual education. Dr. Davoodi is widely recognized for his exemplary work with pre-service teachers and English language learners, having received numerous awards. His 18 years of teaching experience, combined with his international accreditation as a teacher trainer, has enabled him to train ESL and EFL teachers from more than 25 countries. Dr. Davoodi has captivated audiences around the world as an active researcher and keynote speaker, delivering inspiring speeches and presentations in numerous countries including the US, Mexico, Iran, Turkey, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and Egypt.

<h2>Presenter Q &amp; A</h2>

We are grateful that Dr. Davoodi found time to share these thoughts with the&nbsp;#Ellii team ahead of ElliiCon2023 to help us get to know him better.&nbsp;

<blockquote>
Ellii: The theme of ElliiCon2023 is&nbsp;Humanity &amp; Technology in ELT: Striking a Balance in the Age of AI. In your opinion, is AI a friend or foe&nbsp;of English language teachers? How do you think AI will impact our learners?
</blockquote>

Dr. Davoodi:&nbsp;In my opinion, AI can be both a friend and a valuable ally for English language teachers, especially when approached with a humanistic perspective. AI has the potential to enhance language teaching and learning experiences by providing personalized and interactive opportunities for students. It can offer immediate feedback, adapt content to individual needs, and create engaging learning environments that cater to various learning styles. However, the key lies in striking a balance between the benefits of AI and the human touch that educators provide. AI should never replace the role of teachers but should rather complement and amplify their efforts. English language teachers possess unique qualities, such as empathy, emotional intelligence, and the ability to create meaningful connections with students. These human aspects cannot be replicated by AI.

AI&#39;s impact on learners will likely be profound. It can help students overcome traditional barriers like time and location constraints, making learning more accessible. AI can offer personalized learning pathways that adapt to students&#39; strengths and weaknesses, fostering a sense of ownership and engagement. Moreover, AI can analyze vast amounts of data to identify learning patterns, helping educators tailor their instruction to meet specific student needs. However, we must also be cautious. The ethical and socio-cultural dimensions of AI need careful consideration. Ensuring data privacy, avoiding biases in algorithms, and maintaining a focus on human values and diversity are crucial. Moreover, fostering compassionate educators who guide students through their language learning journey with empathy and understanding will be indispensable, even in an AI-enhanced environment.

In conclusion, AI can be a friend to English language teachers when harnessed thoughtfully. It can amplify our teaching and provide unique learning opportunities. Nonetheless, educators should always stand at the forefront, nurturing the human aspects of learning that AI cannot replace. This balance will ensure that AI enhances education while upholding the values of empathy, compassion, and individualized support that are fundamental to effective language teaching.

<blockquote>
Ellii: What topic will you be focusing on at ElliiCon this year? Can you share a few key points that you plan to touch on?
</blockquote>

Dr. Davoodi:&nbsp;At ElliiCon this year, my keynote presentation will focus on &quot;Practical Strategies for Empowering Language Learning with Humanistic Approaches to Technology and AI: Nurturing Compassionate Educators.&quot; The central theme of my talk is to explore how educators can effectively leverage technology and AI in language teaching while maintaining a humanistic perspective. Here are a few key points I plan to touch on:

Revolutionizing Language Education: I will discuss how the integration of technology and AI has the potential to revolutionize language education by providing students with personalized, interactive, and engaging learning experiences. This transformation can lead to improved learning outcomes and increased student engagement.

Humanistic Approach: I&#39;ll emphasize the importance of approaching technology and AI from a humanistic perspective. It&#39;s crucial to align the development of these tools with pedagogical principles that prioritize student well-being, emotional connection, and holistic development.

Compassionate Educators: I&#39;ll delve into the role of educators as compassionate guides in the technology-enhanced learning landscape. Fostering empathy and compassion remains paramount, even as technology becomes more prominent in education. I&#39;ll discuss strategies for educators to nurture these qualities and create meaningful connections with their students.

Practical Strategies: I will provide practical strategies that educators can implement to integrate technology and AI into their teaching practices. These strategies will be geared towards creating a harmonious balance between technological tools and the human touch in the classroom.

Enhanced Learning Outcomes: I&#39;ll highlight how prioritizing compassion and empathy in technology-integrated teaching can lead to improved learning outcomes. Students are more likely to engage deeply with the learning process when they feel understood, supported, and valued by their educators.

Easy-to-Use Technology: I will offer insights into integrating easy-to-use technology tools that seamlessly fit into educators&#39; teaching routines. These tools can enhance learning experiences without overwhelming teachers or students.

In essence, my presentation aims to bridge the gap between technology and humanistic education, demonstrating that the two can coexist to empower language learning. I look forward to discussing these key points and providing educators with actionable strategies to embrace the benefits of technology and AI while remaining true to the values of compassion, empathy, and holistic student development.

<blockquote>
Ellii: What&#39;s one thing that you would like ElliiCon attendees to know about you before attending your&nbsp;session?
</blockquote>

Dr. Davoodi: Before stepping into my session at ElliiCon, I invite attendees to embark on a captivating voyage through the chapters of my life. Hailing from Kermanshah, Iran, I grew up in a Kurdish family that gifted me the remarkable ability to become a simultaneous bilingual in Kurdish and Persian. However, it was my fascination with English that truly kindled my journey.

Imagine a young version of me, around five&nbsp;or six years old, fully engrossed in the captivating world of the iconic video game, Mario. Little did I anticipate that these pixelated adventures would ignite a lifelong passion for language learning. The curiosity that stirred within me was sparked by a seemingly straightforward message at the end of each level: &quot;Thank You, Mario, But Our Princess Is in Another Castle.&quot; With no one around me fluent in English, I was unrelenting in my determination to unravel the mystery behind those words and breathe life into their meaning.

Fast forward to today, where I stand as an assistant professor of bilingual/ESL education at the University of Texas Permian Basin. My journey has encompassed the domains of language, culture, and education. Driven by my zeal, I embarked on a self-guided expedition to master English, which eventually carried me across oceans to the United States, where I commenced my PhD&nbsp;pursuit in 2016. My resolute commitment led me to successfully complete my doctoral odyssey at Texas A&amp;M University in 2021.

Across these passages, one truth has crystallized: I am not solely a teacher; I am an eternal learner. With a unique perspective as someone who learned English as a second language, I&#39;ve gained insights into the excitement, challenges, and transformations that language learning entails. So, as you venture into my ElliiCon session, know that you&#39;re engaging with an individual who not only understands both the learner&#39;s and educator&#39;s perspectives, but also brings 17 years of immersive teaching and teacher training experience across the world. Together, let&#39;s explore practical strategies that empower language learning through humanistic approaches in the age of AI, and let the journey of learning continue, for all of us, indefinitely.

<h2>Attend Dr. Amin Davoodi&#39;s #ElliiCon2023 Session</h2>

At #ElliiCon2023, Dr. Davoodi will be presenting on practical strategies for empowering language learning with humanistic approaches to technology and AI.&nbsp;Join this session on September 15 from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm CDT.&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/conference/2023" target="_blank">Register for ElliiCon2023</a>.&nbsp;It&#39;s&nbsp;free! You can also connect with Dr. Davoodi after his presentation at our&nbsp;Presenter Q&amp;A&nbsp;Table.

<img alt="Dr. Amin Davoodi's ElliiCon2023 session description" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3350/content_dr-amin-davoodi_ElliiCon2023-session.jpg" />

ElliiCon2023 Speaker Spotlight: Dr. Amin Davoodi

https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/2433/ElliiCon2023-Speaker-Spotlight-Amin-Davoodi_Banner.png

<div class="white-box">
This September 14 and 15, we&rsquo;ll be hosting&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/conference/2023" target="_blank">ElliiCon2023</a>&mdash;a free two-day virtual conference to explore the intersection of technology and traditional teaching. Learn how to maintain human connections with your students in the age of AI while incorporating practical tech tools that can free up more time for crucial aspects of learning.

This article is part of a series of posts introducing our 2023 conference&nbsp;speakers.
</div>

<h2>Meet Russell Stannard</h2>

Russell is a multi-award-winning educational technologist known for his work in using technology to enhance feedback, online teaching, and blended or flipped learning. Russell currently works as a consultant on educational technology for Kings&#39; College London and as an associate trainer for NILE&#39;s MA program. His YouTube channel,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKjOFIFE0q71IJ4GFx4brng" target="_blank">Teacher Training Videos</a>, has more than 70,000 subscribers.

<h2>Presenter Q &amp; A</h2>

Q. The theme of ElliiCon2023 is&nbsp;Humanity &amp; Technology in ELT: Striking a Balance in the Age of AI. In your opinion, is AI a friend or foe&nbsp;of English language teachers? How do you think AI will impact our learners?

Q. What topic will you be focusing on at ElliiCon this year? Can you share a few key points that you plan to touch on?

Q. What&#39;s one thing that you would like ElliiCon attendees to know about you before attending your&nbsp;session?

<iframe allow="autoplay *; encrypted-media *; fullscreen *;" height="600px" src="https://www.videoask.com/cfqq0urojy872z9hye64tw5goxw0qv7m8obkr9cw" style="border: none; border-radius: 24px" width="100%"></iframe>

<blockquote>
&quot;There are many, many opportunities with AI to do things that we perhaps couldn&#39;t do before in language learning.&quot;

&mdash;Russell Stannard
</blockquote>

Join us at ElliiCon2023!

Want to attend Russell Stannard&#39;s presentation?&nbsp;<a href="https://www.airmeet.com/e/0ee877b0-e369-11ec-b1b2-394b94cc9521" target="_blank">Register for ElliiCon2023</a>&nbsp;(it&#39;s&nbsp;free!). This talk will take place on Friday, September 15 from 11:15 am to 12:15 pm CDT.&nbsp;Russell&nbsp;will focus on some of the AI experiments and tests he has been running with groups of teachers and students. He&#39;ll also share creative ideas around a few key AI tools that he believes really work for language learning.

<img alt="Russell Stannard ElliiCon 2023" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3351/content_Russell-Stannard_ElliiCon2023-session.jpg" />

#ElliiCon2023 Speaker Spotlight: Russell Stannard 

https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/2431/ElliiCon2023-Speaker-Spotlight-Russell-Stannard_Banner.png

<blockquote>
This September 14 and 15, Ellii is&nbsp;hosting&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/conference/2023">ElliiCon2023</a>&mdash;a free two-day virtual conference to explore the intersection of technology and traditional teaching. Learn how to maintain human connections with your students in the age of AI while incorporating practical tech tools that can free up more time for the crucial aspects of learning. This article is part of a series of posts introducing our 2023 conference&nbsp;speakers.
</blockquote>

<h2>Meet Angela Tribus Ramos</h2>

Angela Tribus Ramos&nbsp;is the associate director of English Language Programs and senior oral communications specialist at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. At Brandeis, Tribus Ramos plans, develops, and oversees all ELP services for the International Business School. She also provides consultations for graduate students, visiting scholars, postdoctoral fellows, and other ELLs at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management. She is a member of the Global Brandeis working group, whose aim is to identify and promote pathways that emphasize social justice as a primary goal of international education.

Angela is also a returned Peace Corps volunteer, and she has taught English to speakers of other languages in Ecuador, China, Costa Rica, and the US. Her research interests include communicative functions of language, nonviolent communication, and teaching speaking.

<h2>Presenter Q &amp; A</h2>

To help you get to know Angela, Lise (our ElliiCon host) posed a few&nbsp;questions using&nbsp;VideoAsk! We hope you love his&nbsp;video responses. You can click on each one in the video below.&nbsp;

<ol>
	<li>The theme of ElliiCon2023 is&nbsp;Humanity &amp; Technology in ELT: Striking a Balance in the Age of AI. In your opinion, is AI a friend or foe&nbsp;of English language teachers? How do you think AI will impact our learners?</li>
	<li>What topic will you be focusing on at ElliiCon this year? Can you share a few key points that you plan to touch on?</li>
	<li>What&#39;s one thing that you would like ElliiCon attendees to know about you before attending your&nbsp;session?</li>
</ol>

<iframe allow="autoplay *; encrypted-media *; fullscreen *;" height="600px" src="https://www.videoask.com/cb4nt1vo0x6vh2gtsqo8z3yf3f5ou4thkaibeec8" style="border: none; border-radius: 24px" width="100%"></iframe>

<h2>Attend Angela&#39;s #ElliiCon2023 Session</h2>

At #ElliiCon2023, Angela will be presenting on strategies for meaningful conversation. Join this session on September 15 from 2:45&nbsp;pm to 3:45 pm CDT. You will learn all about how to help learners gain confidence in their English&nbsp;conversations.&nbsp;Interested in attending Angela&#39;s session?&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/conference/2023" target="_blank">Register for ElliiCon2023</a>.&nbsp;It&#39;s&nbsp;free! You can also connect with Angela after her presentation at our&nbsp;Presenter Q&amp;A&nbsp;Table.

<img alt="Angela Ramos ElliiCon2023 session" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3323/content_Teaching-Humanity-7-strategies-for-meaningful-conversation_ElliiCon2023_Angela-Tribus-Ramos.png" />

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