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

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No matter who your learners are, it&rsquo;s likely that they are learning English to improve their life chances. They may be hoping to secure their dream job, further their education, or communicate confidently with English users from around the world.&nbsp;

In order to do so, they&rsquo;ll also need to develop&nbsp;digital, work, academic, critical thinking, problem-solving, and/or intercultural communication skills.&nbsp;

These are just a few key &quot;life skills,&quot;&nbsp;also known as:

<ul>
	<li>soft skills</li>
	<li>21st-century skills</li>
	<li>transferable skills</li>
	<li>essential skills</li>
	<li>functional skills*</li>
</ul>

<blockquote>
<a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/4467-talking-to-a-tax-preparer" target="_blank"><img alt="life skills focus tag on Ellii" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3255/content_Screen_Shot_2023-06-22_at_2.56.20_PM.png" /></a> 
*Ellii previously used the Focus tag&nbsp;&quot;functional&quot; for content that focuses on these types of essential skills for newcomers to English-speaking countries. In 2023, we adopted the term &quot;life skills,&quot; which is more universally recognized due to its literal meaning.&nbsp;
</blockquote>

You will find many useful sections for teaching life skills on Ellii&#39;s&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/lessons">Lesson sections page</a> under the heading English for Newcomers. Alternatively, browse these ready-made collections: <a href="https://ellii.com/collections/everyday-topics/jobs-employment">Jobs &amp; Employment</a>, <a href="https://ellii.com/collections/casas-competencies">CASAS Competencies</a>, <a href="https://ellii.com/collections/linc" target="_blank">LINC Themes</a>, <a href="https://ellii.com/collections/clb-competencies">CLB Competencies</a>, and <a href="https://ellii.com/collections/academic-subjects/social-emotional-learning">Social-Emotional Learning</a>.

In this post, I&rsquo;ll explore ways to incorporate &quot;life skills&quot;&nbsp;into your English language lessons.&nbsp;

<h2>1. Identify key skills</h2>

Every learner and teaching context is different. It&rsquo;s important to first find out what skills your students need, or want, to develop. If they&rsquo;re young learners, you may want to focus on creativity, emotional intelligence, team building, and time management. However, if you&rsquo;re teaching learners who are soon to go to university, your focus may be on self-directed learning, presentation skills, academic writing, and digital literacy.

This <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2224-goal-setting-can-do" target="_blank">Goal-Setting</a> graphic organizer is a good way to support students to identify which skills they have and which skills they would like to develop.&nbsp;

<h2>2. Encourage self-reflection&nbsp;</h2>

Having clear goals and a plan for how to achieve them makes success more likely.&nbsp;

Likewise, the ability to identify progress, strengths, and areas for improvement is invaluable for self-development.&nbsp;

This <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2370-weekly-reflection">Weekly Reflection</a> form can help learners get into the habit of doing this. It can also help them develop their study skills, note taking, planning, time management, and self-direction.&nbsp;

You may also like this road-mapping activity I created for my book, <a href="https://wayzgoosepress.com/emily-bryson/" target="_blank">50 Ways to Teach Life Skills</a>. Creating a visual representation of a five-year plan can help make the goals within it seem more achievable.&nbsp;

The beauty of this journey-mapping tool is that it can be used for future or past events. Students can also draw this road map and use it to reflect on all the things that have happened over a period of time.&nbsp;

<img alt="Emily Bryson's Journey Map" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3266/content_Road-Map-2.jpg" />

<h2>3. Use authentic scenarios</h2>

When learning to communicate in English, students need to navigate a multitude of interactions.&nbsp;

For example:&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/1745-asking-for-help" target="_blank">Asking for Help</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/1744-expressing-confusion">Expressing Confusion</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2327-offering-sympathy">Offering Sympathy</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2106-reporting-a-missing-item">Reporting a Missing Item</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/1746-making-excuses">Making Excuses</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/4415-asking-for-time-off">Asking for Time Off</a></li>
</ul>

Each of these requires its own unique vocabulary, grammar, and useful phrases. Giving learners the opportunity to practice these interactions in a controlled and supportive environment will give them the confidence to use them outside of the classroom.&nbsp;

Ellii has identified 41 <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/functional-english" target="_blank">Functional English </a>targets&nbsp;and created a resource for each. There are video assessments in many of the digital lessons (also viewable in the <a href="https://ellii.com/media/videos/dialogues/functional-english-assessment">Media Gallery</a>).

<h2>4. Try role-plays</h2>

Role-plays are excellent ways to build confidence with communication skills. They&rsquo;re also perfect for integrating problem solving, critical thinking, creativity, and team building.&nbsp;

Give students a scenario that allows them to develop their identified skills&nbsp;or let them work together to create their own. You can challenge them further by adding some additional problems to solve.&nbsp;

For example, if they are role-playing how to complain in a restaurant, you could give students an emotion to act out (e.g., a tired waiter, a frustrated&nbsp;customer) or an unexpected challenge (e.g., the customer forgot their wallet).&nbsp;

If you&rsquo;d prefer something more scaffolded, you&rsquo;ll find plenty of ready-made scenarios to practice in Ellii&#39;s <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/role-plays" target="_blank">Role-Plays</a>&nbsp;and <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/everyday-dialogues" target="_blank">Everyday Dialogues</a> sections.

<h2>5. Projects, projects, projects</h2>

Integrating projects into your classroom allows students to organically practice a multitude of skills. It also provides the opportunity to get involved with the local community, explore an environmental issue, raise funds for a good cause, or create a campaign.&nbsp;

Whatever project you choose can develop a multitude of skills such as those needed to create and deliver presentations, vlog, and blog. Learners will also learn the value of&nbsp;teamwork and negotiation as they refine their decision-making skills.&nbsp;

Try some ready-made&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/group-projects" target="_blank">Group Projects</a> from Ellii.&nbsp;

<a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/group-projects" target="_blank"><img alt="Ellii's Group Projects for ESL learners" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3259/content_Screen_Shot_2023-06-26_at_2.37.45_PM.png" /></a>

<h2>6. Get creative with assessments</h2>

Traditional assessments have their place and can be a useful benchmark for student progress. However, stepping away from quizzes can allow for more natural use of language. It can also make learners more relaxed and meet their learning preferences more closely.&nbsp;

Try assessment tasks such as <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/mini-debates" target="_blank">debates</a>, <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/6-steps-for-conducting-an-interview-in-english">interviews</a>, <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/3029-the-language-of-presenting">presentations</a>, <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/1828-how-to-write-a-blog-post">blogs</a>, or <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/takeaways-from-tesol-2022-project-based-learning">group projects</a>. These could allow for the use and development of multiple skills.&nbsp;

<blockquote>
What life skills do your learners need to develop? How do you incorporate them into your classes? Share your ideas with the Ellii community!
</blockquote>

<h2>Related Posts</h2>

If you enjoyed this blog post, you may also like these:&nbsp;

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/takeaways-from-tesol-2022-project-based-learning">Takeaways from TESOL 2022: Project-Based Learning</a></li>
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/5-ways-to-supercharge-your-students-study-skills">5 Ways to Supercharge Your Students&#39; Study Skills</a></li>
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/tips-for-motivating-language-learners-to-set-and-achieve-goals">Tips and Resources for Motivating Language Learners to Set and Achieve Goals&nbsp;</a></li>
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/creative-ways-to-set-personal-academic-goals-with-students">Creative Ways to Set Personal &amp; Academic Goals with Students</a></li>
</ul>

6 Tips for Incorporating Life Skills into Your English Language Lessons

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Translanguaging was one of the key themes at <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/iatefl-2023-highlights-key-takeaways-reflections" target="_blank">IATEFL this year</a>. English language learners bring a rich diversity of languages, cultures, and perspectives to our classrooms. Embracing these differences through inclusive multilingual teaching practices supports learning and provides students with an opportunity to take pride in their identities.&nbsp;

This post will explore translanguaging, its benefits, and some ideas for you to incorporate it in your classroom.&nbsp;

<h2>What is translanguaging?&nbsp;</h2>

Translanguaging is the use of multiple languages in order to communicate and support learning. It recognizes the linguistic skills that learners have and encourages their use to discuss, take notes, research, ask questions, or explain new concepts in class.&nbsp;

While immersive teaching practices focus on using only English, translanguaging allows learners to use their other languages to help them learn. For example, a teacher may explain something in English and then allow students to discuss it and explain it to each other in their first language. The teacher can then ask comprehension questions&nbsp;or use the students&#39; first language&nbsp;to ensure the class understands.

<h2>Why is it beneficial to language learning?&nbsp;</h2>

There are many benefits to translanguaging:&nbsp;

<h3>1. Translanguaging values learners</h3>

Using multiple languages in the classroom recognizes and respects the cultural and linguistic backgrounds of English language learners. Being bilingual or multilingual is an asset. Translanguaging supports learners in their&nbsp;understanding of how their linguistic skills can be beneficial for life and work as global citizens.

<h3>2. Translanguaging boosts confidence</h3>

Translanguaging allows learners to express themselves in many ways. Using their first language can reduce anxiety and provide thinking time, giving them the confidence to take risks and communicate in English.&nbsp;

<h3>3. Translanguaging supports learning</h3>

Multilingualism enhances brain function, aids memory, and makes it easier to understand and learn other languages. This helps students&nbsp;focus, study, and learn English more effectively.

<h3>4. Translanguaging aids cross-cultural communication</h3>

Valuing diversity and cultural identity in the classroom provides a safe space for intercultural conversations. This allows learners the opportunity to share their differences in curious and respectful ways.

<h2>How can I incorporate translanguaging in my classroom?</h2>

Chances are that you are already using translanguaging techniques. For example, if you encourage learners to write vocabulary translations in their notebooks or use bilingual dictionaries, you are&nbsp;incorporating&nbsp;translanguaging in your classroom.

Here are some other examples:

<h3>1. Multilingual collaborative translations</h3>

When teaching new vocabulary, it can be interesting to ask learners how to say the words&nbsp;in their first language(s). This gives them a chance to share their language abilities, learn other languages, and have a bit of fun drilling pronunciation.

Creating word clouds&nbsp;can be a fun way to do this. You could display the visuals&nbsp;on the wall and create more throughout the course.

<img alt="translanguaging word cloud" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3243/content_word-cloud.jpg" />

<h3>2. Collaborative projects</h3>

Task-based or <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/group-projects">project-based</a> learning is a flexible way for students to learn. There can be many different tasks within a project including researching a topic, writing a report, recording a podcast, and delivering a presentation.

To use translanguaging, students may choose to complete different tasks in different languages. For example, they may research the topic in their first language and then talk to a partner and create a poster in English.

<h3>3. Note-taking</h3>

When listening to a recording or a video, students may choose to write down their ideas. They could do this in English,&nbsp;in their chosen language, or in a mix of language(s).

They may wish to lay out their notes using a mind map or&nbsp;graphic organizer,&nbsp;or by adding doodles, diagrams, or translations. They could later share or explain these notes with another student.

<h3>4. Preparation, then translation</h3>

Some learners may find it easier to complete tasks in their first language and then translate into English. You could give them time to write a text in a language of their choice and then translate it. Support them to use online tools such as translation apps and bilingual dictionaries.

You may also wish to use AI as a comparison for their translation. Once they have translated their text to English, ask an AI tool to translate the original text (in their first language). Students can then look for interesting style features and phrases to enhance their work.

<h2>Celebrating &amp; supporting ELLs</h2>

As language teachers, our students bring a wealth of skills to class. Translanguaging offers an inclusive approach that celebrates their diversity and talents. By celebrating multilingualism, we can create learning environments that are welcoming and support cross-cultural understanding.

Translanguaging: Embracing the Power of Multilingualism in Your Classroom 

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Universal Design for Learning&nbsp;(UDL) is an educational framework created to make learning inclusive and accessible for everyone. It appreciates that every learner is different and, therefore, has unique learning needs, interests, and goals.&nbsp;

In any English language classroom, learners may have diverse abilities, beliefs, experiences, backgrounds, and languages. UDL celebrates the diversity of students and aims to provide the right learning experience for everyone, regardless of age, (dis)ability, gender, race, religion, or sexual orientation.&nbsp;

To do this, UDL aims to minimize barriers to learning so that every individual learner can have the best learning experience possible.&nbsp;

There are three principles to UDL:&nbsp;

<h2>1. Provide multiple means of representation</h2>

Barriers to learning can be reduced or removed by providing information and learning experiences in different ways.&nbsp;

For example, learners with vision impairments can benefit from audio support tools, such as Ellii&rsquo;s <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/how-to-use-microsoft-immersive-reader-on-ellii" target="_blank">Immersive Reader</a> function, which describes photos using alternative text (alt text) and reads aloud. Most of Ellii&rsquo;s lessons have downloadable or streamable audio files to accompany texts too.

<img alt="Ellii's Read &amp; Listen task" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3216/content_Screen_Shot_2023-05-29_at_3.00.14_PM.png" />

Audio support tools are equally beneficial for learners who have low level literacy, who are learning in noisy places, or who want to improve their listening skills.&nbsp;

With Ellii, there are lots of ways to provide diverse learning opportunities.&nbsp;

Take this <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/1566-what-did-you-do-yesterday-irregular-verbs" target="_blank">lesson on the simple past</a>, for example. It has a variety of task and interaction types: vocabulary, grammar structure practice (alone and in pairs), pair work to find out what people did last week, listening, a group speaking activity, and a review/assessment task.

<img alt="information gap" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3229/content_ellii-work-in-pairs.jpg" />

Of course, how you use and adapt each lesson is up to you. You could:&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>email students the worksheet to do some tasks in their own time</li>
	<li>complete some (or all) of the tasks together in class (print or digital)</li>
	<li>set some (or all) of the digital tasks for homework</li>
	<li>provide additional learning options:&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/video/simple-past" target="_blank">video</a>, <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/3660-a-trip-to-the-bank">Word Bank Reader</a>, <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/1643-simple-present-present-progressive-stories">Grammar Story</a>, <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/1594-simple-past" target="_blank">Grammar Practice Worksheet</a>, <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2807-simple-past">Super Simple Grammar</a>, <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2138-find-someone-who-didn-t">Interactive Activities&nbsp;</a></li>
	<li>search Ellii&#39;s blog for other <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/5-fun-activities-for-irregular-verbs">fun activity ideas</a></li>
</ul>

<h2>2. Provide multiple means of action &amp; expression</h2>

This principle refers to giving learners choices in how they wish to learn. Involving students in their learning can be mutually beneficial and increase motivation.&nbsp;

Discuss with students how they prefer to receive feedback and which tasks they&rsquo;d find useful for homework. In class, you could assign all of Ellii&#39;s digital&nbsp;tasks to your learners, but ask them to complete 3&ndash;5 of their choice.&nbsp;

<img alt="" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3218/content_Create-Assignment.png" />

Throughout the course you could also let them choose their own assessments. For example:&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>Writing: write&nbsp;an <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2365-how-to-write-a-note" target="_blank">informal letter</a> (students choose who to write to and the topic)</li>
	<li>Reading: <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/4062-canadian-territories-superlative-adjectives">give three texts to choose from</a></li>
	<li>Speaking &amp; Listening: interview a partner, have a group discussion, have a class <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/mini-debates">debate</a>, do a presentation with Q+A, make a video, record themselves using the speaking task, etc.</li>
</ul>

<h2>3. Provide multiple means of engagement</h2>

The final UDL principle centers around offering activities that engage students and keep their interest. This involves finding out which topics interest students and how they like to learn. Ellii&#39;s <a href="https://ellii.com/collections">collections</a> show how vast the content library is. For example, you can teach/review <a href="https://ellii.com/collections/grammar">grammar</a>&nbsp;targets by using&nbsp;traditional grammar lessons, true or fictional stories that present the target in context,&nbsp;mini-grammar lessons that showcase the target within non-fiction readings,&nbsp;videos, etc.

At the beginning of a course, it can be helpful to ask learners what topics they&rsquo;d like to learn about. Try an Ellii <a href="https://ellii.com/resources/assessment-tools">Needs Assessment</a>, such as this one.

<a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/3182-needs-assessment-pictorial"><img alt="Ellii Needs Assessment" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3230/content_ellii-needs-assessment.jpg" /></a>

How to keep learners engaged and motivated can be one of the most challenging parts of being a teacher. Providing multisensory learning is a great way to do this:&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://help.ellii.com/category/253-digital-homework">Interactive tasks</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/lets-laugh-10-resources-activities-for-inspiring-laughter-in-your-class">Laughter</a>&nbsp;and <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/4552-fun">fun</a></li>
	<li>Games&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/blog/categories/activities">activities</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://open.spotify.com/user/dmq8qckunpt5o3g9ixyupia0a">Music</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/4506-away-from-india" target="_blank">Photo Prompts</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/role-plays">Role-Plays</a></li>
</ul>

Learner training in <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/the-importance-of-growth-mindset-for-learning-teaching" target="_blank">mindset</a><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/the-importance-of-growth-mindset-for-learning-teaching" target="_blank"> and confidence</a> are crucial too. Teach students that <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/how-to-help-students-fix-recurring-grammar-mistakes" target="_blank">mistakes</a> are an essential part of learning, celebrate progress, and create a welcoming classroom atmosphere.&nbsp;

A quick summary

Universal Design for Learning is a teaching tool to help you create learning experiences that meet the needs of all learners.&nbsp;

Ask yourself, do my classes&hellip;

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="correct">make all learners feel included?</li>
	<li class="correct">give students choices?</li>
	<li class="correct">provide a variety of learning options?&nbsp;</li>
	<li class="correct">make learning multisensory?</li>
	<li class="correct">ask learners what, why, and how they want to learn?</li>
</ul>

And finally, here is a sketchnote I created for the British Council BBELT conference. Maria Jose Galleno Valdez provided some excellent ideas for removing barriers to learning and incorporating UDL principles.&nbsp;

<img alt="UDI sketchnote british council" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3231/content_sketchnote.jpg" />

You can find more information about UDL and access the full framework at <a href="http://www.cast.org/">www.cast.org</a>&nbsp;

If you are interested in inclusion in the classroom, here are some other posts which you might find interesting:&nbsp;

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/supporting-students-with-adhd" target="_blank">Accessibility: Supporting Students with AD(H)D</a></li>
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/accessibility-supporting-english-learners-with-dyslexia">Accessibility: Supporting English Learners with Dyslexia</a></li>
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/accessibility-supporting-blind-low-vision-learners" target="_blank">Accessibility: Supporting Blind and Low-Vision Learners</a></li>
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/support-english-learners-from-refugee-backgrounds" target="_blank">6 Ways to Support English Learners from Refugee Backgrounds</a></li>
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/tips-for-developing-students-digital-literacy" target="_blank">8 Tips for Developing Students&rsquo; Digital Literacy</a></li>
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/inclusive-festivities-valuing-every-learner-s-holidays" target="_blank">Inclusive Festivities: How to Value Every Learner&rsquo;s Holidays</a>&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<blockquote>
How do you make learning universal for everyone? Have you tried any of the design principles in this post? Let us know in the comments.
</blockquote>

A Quick Guide to Universal Design for Learning

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As I write this, I&rsquo;m preparing for a long-distance bike ride. I&rsquo;ll be cycling 250 miles between Glasgow and Harrogate to raise money for the <a href="https://www.handsupproject.org/" target="_blank">Hands Up Project</a>.&nbsp;

It&rsquo;s the third time I&rsquo;ve cycled to IATEFL. In 2022, I cycled from Glasgow to Belfast (via ferry) for <a href="https://www.amalaeducation.org/">Amala Education</a> and in 2019 from Glasgow to Liverpool for <a href="https://codeyourfuture.io/" target="_blank">Code Your Future</a>.&nbsp;

Each time, people have donated generously and then commented in awe:

<ul>
	<li>&quot;I just don&rsquo;t know how you can do that.&quot;</li>
	<li>&quot;I&rsquo;d never be fit enough.&quot;&nbsp;</li>
	<li>&quot;You&rsquo;re an amazing human.&quot;&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

However, I&rsquo;m not any more amazing than any other human. I&rsquo;m also not even superfit. What gets me to my destination is my growth mindset.&nbsp;

<img alt="Emily Bryson biking to IATEFL" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3128/content_content_Emily-bike.jpg" />

<h2>What is a growth mindset?</h2>

A growth mindset is having the self-belief that you can succeed at life&rsquo;s challenges. It&rsquo;s about having&nbsp;the confidence to try new things, push yourself, and learn from mistakes. People with a growth mindset believe that they can achieve anything if they try hard enough.&nbsp;

The opposite is a fixed mindset. This is when someone doesn&rsquo;t believe that they can do something, so they avoid&nbsp;it or give&nbsp;up when things get difficult. People with a fixed mindset may believe that their skills and abilities are unchangeable.&nbsp;

<h2>Why is a growth mindset important for students?</h2>

Confidence is crucial for language learning. Students who believe that they can learn to develop their skills, memorize new words, and communicate fluently are much more likely to succeed.&nbsp;

These learners also tend to be more self-directed, motivated, and resilient. When tasks are difficult, they&rsquo;ll find a way to complete them rather than giving up.

<h2>Why is a growth mindset important for teachers?</h2>

As teachers, we are role models. When students see someone who believes in themselves (and in them),&nbsp;this inadvertently gives them confidence.&nbsp;

Giving students praise and&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/blog/introducing-grade-feed" target="_blank">supportive feedback</a>&nbsp;while&nbsp;encouraging them to develop new skills can have a huge impact on student&rsquo;s self-belief and mental well-being.&nbsp;

From a professional development perspective, cultivating a growth mindset is key to learning new teaching skills or making career advances.&nbsp;

<h2>How can we boost our learners&#39; (and our own) growth mindset?</h2>

Positive self-talk is the key to a growth mindset. We need to be kind and reassure ourselves (and our learners) that anything is possible with effort.&nbsp;

I&rsquo;ve had moments when I&rsquo;m cycling uphill into horizontal rain. The only option is to continue and the best way to reach the destination is to pedal as hard as possible. In moments like this, I have mantras:

<ul>
	<li>&quot;Just keep pushing.&quot;</li>
	<li>&quot;I can do this.&quot;</li>
</ul>

I&rsquo;ve adopted similar mantras when I have multiple deadlines or an overwhelming to do list:

<ul>
	<li>&quot;Keep going.&quot;&nbsp;</li>
	<li>&quot;One more.&quot;</li>
</ul>

I remember once reading an article by Juliana Buhring, a round-the-world cyclist. She mentioned that she finds reframing her thoughts invaluable when things get tough. Instead of &quot;This is awful,&quot; reframe it to &quot;This is fun&quot;&nbsp;or &quot;I&rsquo;m definitely learning something today.&quot;&nbsp;

This can be particularly helpful when it comes to mistakes. For some learners, mistakes can be demotivating and anxiety inducing. However, in reality, they are the <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/tesol-2023-in-portland-top-takeaway">best learning opportunities</a>.&nbsp;

Whenever my learners make a mistake, I&rsquo;ll respond with &quot;Oh good! I&rsquo;m so glad you did that. That&#39;s a really common mistake. Now we can talk about it and practice.&quot;

You can also support your learners&nbsp;and your inner voice&nbsp;by reframing with the word &quot;yet.&quot;

For example:&nbsp;

<blockquote>
Student: I can&rsquo;t do this.&nbsp;

Teacher: You mean, you can&rsquo;t do this YET?

Student: I don&rsquo;t know how to use narrative tenses.

Teacher: You mean, you don&rsquo;t know how to use narrative tenses YET?
</blockquote>

This instantly demonstrates that skills are there to be developed. It&rsquo;s only a matter of time and hard work.&nbsp;

You may also like this post about switching off your inner troll and paying more attention to your <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/activity-to-boost-confidence-and-well-being" target="_blank">inner angel</a>.&nbsp;

<a href="https://ellii.com/blog/activity-to-boost-confidence-and-well-being"><img alt="inner devil vs inner angel" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3127/content_content_content_Screen_Shot_2022-05-24_at_1.32.44_PM.jpg" /></a>

<blockquote>
Share a comment with Ellii. How do you feel about growth mindset? Is it something that comes naturally to you? How do you support your learners to be positive and confident about developing new skills?
</blockquote>

The Importance of a Growth Mindset for Learning & Teaching

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

Conferences

If you read <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/authors/emily-bryson" target="_blank">my Ellii blog posts</a> regularly, you&rsquo;ll know that I&rsquo;m passionate about bringing visuals and simple drawings into the language classroom. In addition to making content more memorable,&nbsp;they are a powerful way to support understanding,&nbsp;process information, boost&nbsp;creativity, and encourage&nbsp;critical thinking.&nbsp;

In this post, I&rsquo;ll explore sketchnoting and why it&rsquo;s so useful for teachers and their professional development.&nbsp;

<h2>What is sketchnoting?&nbsp;</h2>

As language teachers, we are forever asking students to deduce meaning by looking closely at words. Sketchnoting is the perfect example to use as a demonstration. The clues are very much in the name&mdash;taking notes with sketches!

Sketchnoting is also known as visual note-taking or, more formally, visual recording. It essentially combines text with drawings and diagrams to capture key information.&nbsp;

Here&rsquo;s an example:&nbsp;

<img alt="sketchnoting research session" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3065/content_sketchnoting-research.png" />

You&rsquo;ll notice that the drawings are quick and simple. Their purpose is to communicate key concepts and support understanding rather than to be&nbsp;artistic masterpieces. They also act as visual cues that can aid memory.&nbsp;

<h2>The benefits of sketchnoting for teachers</h2>

When I first started attending conferences and teacher training workshops, I would take copious notes during sessions. Those notes mostly ended up in a dusty notebook on a forgotten shelf or in the recycling bin! I certainly never looked at them again.&nbsp;

Once my Smartphone became my conference (and life) sidekick, I tried taking digital notes using a notepad app. I then had loads of digital notes that I occasionally searched for&nbsp;if the need arose.

I then discovered sketchnoting, and I haven&rsquo;t looked back. Now, every time I take notes, I take pride in making them something that I want to look at again and again. I give myself time to finalize them and really process the information within them.&nbsp;

When I think back on conference talks I&rsquo;ve sketchnoted, I can clearly visualize the key points. If I want to review a certain topic, I can find it easily in my &quot;sketchnotes&quot;&nbsp;folder. In addition, sharing them on socials means that I get to review the content every time someone comments.&nbsp;

Here&rsquo;s one from ElliiCon2022&nbsp;that tends to generate a lot of discussion on socials&nbsp;and that really sticks in my head. For me, the bathtub picture always reminds me that self-care is much more than a hot bath!

<img alt="sketchnote self-care ElliiCon 2022" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3070/content_content_Self-care-sketchnote.jpg" />

The best bit about sketchnoting for me is that it&rsquo;s finally helped me to pay attention! This is something I&rsquo;ve been terrible at my whole life. My math teacher wrote in my school reports that I&rsquo;d learn more if I wasn&rsquo;t staring out the window! If I&rsquo;d known about sketchnoting then, I may actually have understood the concept of logarithms (or maybe not)!

So, in sum, sketchnoting:&nbsp;

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="correct">generates a desire to review notes</li>
	<li class="correct">aids focus, understanding, and information processing</li>
	<li class="correct">is a great way to get creative</li>
	<li class="correct">makes notes memorable and fun</li>
	<li class="correct">supports professional development</li>
</ul>

<h2>How to get started with sketchnoting</h2>

The good news is that anyone can sketchnote. Here are some of my top tips:&nbsp;

<h3>1. Use erasable pens (or pencils)!&nbsp;</h3>

When starting out, I found Pilot Frixion pens invaluable. This meant I could make mistakes, redraw any icons I wasn&rsquo;t happy with, and still have finished notes that were bold and visible.&nbsp;

If you look closely at this one, you&rsquo;ll notice where I&rsquo;ve erased sections.&nbsp;

<img alt="sketchnoting flip session" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3066/content_sketchnoting-flip.png" />

<h3>2. Experiment with different headings and sections</h3>

Using dotted lines, double lines, clouds, banners, or boxes is a good way to separate different information&nbsp;or make your headings stand out.

The sketchnote below uses a name plaque for the title and for the speaker&rsquo;s name. It also uses a thought cloud, speech bubble, set of headphones, and&nbsp;large piece of paper to separate different pieces of information.&nbsp;

<img alt="sketchnote for Nik Peachey's session at ElliiCon 2022" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3064/content_nik-peachey-sketchnote.jpeg" />

<h3>3. Practice drawing simple icons</h3>

The doodles in these sketchnotes are based around international iconography. They are simplified icons that are part of a &quot;visual vocabulary&quot;&nbsp;that can be developed with practice, just like learning vocabulary in any language. To get started, try copying the drawings you can see in the sketchnotes in this post or search for &quot;icon&quot;&nbsp;images online for inspiration.&nbsp;

<h3>4. Relax and have fun!</h3>

Sketchnoting is a great way to quiet the mind and relax. See it as an opportunity to get creative and to interact deeply with information. Your notes are for you to develop and learn. There&rsquo;s no need for perfectionism or letting your inner troll judge you too harshly. Enjoy the process and you&rsquo;ll soon be totally hooked!

<h3>5. Feel the fear&nbsp;and share them anyway!</h3>

Sharing your notes can be daunting, but there is absolutely no pressure or need to do this. However, I have to say that every single time I&rsquo;ve shared my visual notes, they&rsquo;ve had a positive response. In fact, sharing them gave me the confidence to improve.&nbsp;

In summary, sketchnoting is an excellent way to make professional development more fun, memorable, creative, and effective. The next time you find yourself taking notes, try adding some doodles and diagrams!

<blockquote>
Have you tried sketchnoting at conferences or teacher training events? We&rsquo;d love to know your thoughts and experiences. Please share them in the comments.&nbsp;
</blockquote>

Sketchnoting 101: Supercharge Professional Development with Visual Notes

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The ability to study effectively and autonomously is crucial for success in any learning situation.&nbsp;

As an ESOL tutor who teaches adult learners with varied educational histories, I see this all too clearly in my classes.&nbsp;

Learners with well-developed study skills can organize their time, prioritize tasks, and make progress faster than those who are new to education.&nbsp;

Here are some tried and tested ways to incorporate study skills into your classroom.&nbsp;

<h2>1. Let students share ideas</h2>

Over the years, I&rsquo;ve found that one of the best ways to encourage learner autonomy is to let them do it themselves.&nbsp;

Allow time in class for students to share their own study tips with each other. This can be through structured discussions or as a follow-up to a reading or listening activity on the topic.&nbsp;

Students often have similar challenges to overcome, so they are best placed to give each other ideas on what works for them.&nbsp;

They also know exactly what they like and can recommend the best apps, websites, videos, graded readers, and other resources.&nbsp;

It was during an idea-sharing discussion like this&nbsp;that I was surprised to learn that <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@Ellii">YouTube</a> is one of my students&rsquo; favorite ways to learn a language.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0MvnNQjMzmbT19jEPA18aypjjde_zyo4" target="_blank">Ellii&#39;s Grammar Video Playlist</a>&nbsp;is an example of something your students may like for self-study.&nbsp;

<h2>2. Explore note-taking options</h2>

There are lots of different ways to take notes, but structuring notes&nbsp;well and having a system can really enhance the learning experience.&nbsp;

When students are first developing their note-taking skills, I find that drawing a huge notebook on the whiteboard and using it to demonstrate layout works really well for this.&nbsp;

I can then lay out my whiteboard exactly as I want students to copy it to their notebooks.&nbsp;

<img alt="Emily Bryson's notebook drawing sample for whiteboard " src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3006/content_Emily-Bryson-Notebook-study-skills-Ellii.jpg" />

You may also ask&nbsp;students to consider:&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>keeping separate notebooks (or sections of a notebook) for <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2966-vocabulary-cards" target="_blank">vocabulary</a>, <a href="https://ellii.com/collections/grammar">grammar</a>, <a href="https://ellii.com/collections/english-foundations/letters">phonics</a>, <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/pronunciation">pronunciation</a>, messy notes, etc.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>using different colors of pen to highlight key points</li>
	<li>re-writing their notes after class</li>
	<li>looking at other students notebooks for ideas</li>
	<li>&quot;sketch noting&quot; (e.g., adding simple drawings to illustrate key points)</li>
	<li>using visual tools&nbsp;such as mind maps, diagrams, charts, and <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/graphic-organizers-for-language-skills-development">graphic organizers</a></li>
</ul>

Try this related <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/writing-in-english">Writing in English</a> lesson on <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/3569-how-to-take-notes" target="_blank">How to Take Notes</a>.&nbsp;

<h2>3. Work on time management</h2>

Time-management skills are essential for balancing academic and personal tasks. They can also make larger goals more manageable&nbsp;by breaking them into smaller steps and ensuring learners meet their deadlines.&nbsp;&nbsp;

You can:&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>praise good timekeeping in class</li>
	<li>support students to create a study schedule</li>
	<li>introduce them to digital tools such as online calendars and task list planners such as <a href="https://trello.com/" target="_blank">Trello</a></li>
	<li>discuss, plan, and review their language learning goals regularly</li>
</ul>

<h2>4. Consider well-being</h2>

People learn best when they are relaxed and in a comfortable environment. Developing good study habits can support this.&nbsp;

In class, ask students to consider how they learn best. Ask them to discuss the following.

Their perfect study environment:

<ul>
	<li>What furniture do they need?&nbsp;</li>
	<li>What stationery, books, or devices do they need?&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Do they prefer a quiet space or a bit of background noise?</li>
</ul>

Their perfect study time:&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>Is there a particular time of day they like to study?&nbsp;</li>
	<li>How often do they take breaks?&nbsp;</li>
	<li>What do they do when they take a break?&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Do they have a study schedule?</li>
</ul>

In general, having consistent study habits, and sticking to them, can work well. Encourage students to get into a routine with their studies&nbsp;and to take regular breaks to allow their brains to focus and retain information. Having a designated, quiet&nbsp;place to study with the right stationery is invaluable too.&nbsp;

<h2>5. Look for natural learning opportunities</h2>

Language development is more successful when learners have a chance to practice their skills. Encourage them to try to do this as much as possible outside the classroom. This will make it much simpler for them to remember what they&rsquo;ve learned and give them confidence to use their English.&nbsp;

If your learners live in an English-speaking country, class trips, community visits, volunteering, work, and internships can be excellent ways to practice their English and learn new skills. You may wish to invite recruiters, charities, or local organizations to your classes to present their opportunities. This in itself is an opportunity for learners to practice their English.&nbsp;

If your learners don&rsquo;t live an English-speaking country, there are still plenty of ways to help them practice. You could encourage them to meet the other class members socially outside of class&nbsp;and try to speak in English when they are together. For young learners, speak to the parents and try to arrange extracurricular events. Incorporating activities such as drama, <a href="https://ellii.com/media/videos/stories-songs" target="_blank">songs, or stories</a> in English can give structure and added opportunities to practice.&nbsp;

You could also look online. Websites such as <a href="http://meetup.com" target="_blank">Meetup.com</a> often have language exchange events all over the world. Plus, there are lots of social media groups where learners can meet other English users. Encourage them to join online groups based around their interests.

If you&rsquo;d like more ideas for study skills, you may also check out Ellii&#39;s&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/collections/casas-competencies/learning-and-thinking-skills">Learning &amp; Thinking Skills</a> collection.&nbsp;You may also want to use this lesson on <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/3675-study-skills ">Study Skills</a> with your B1&ndash;B2 (intermediate&ndash;high intermediate) learners.&nbsp;

<blockquote>
What&#39;s your top tip for supporting your learners to develop their study skills?&nbsp; Please join Ellii&#39;s community by sharing a&nbsp;comment. 
</blockquote>

5 Ways to Supercharge Your Students' Study Skills

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

Teaching with Ellii

Have you heard of&nbsp;<a href="https://bridge.edu/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Bridge Education Group</a>?

Bridge provides accessible and affordable English language teacher training, certification, and continuing professional&nbsp;development.

They offer&hellip;

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://bridge.edu/tefl/courses" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">TEFL certification programs</a>&nbsp;that provide teachers with internationally recognized&nbsp;credentials</li>
	<li>in-depth,&nbsp;<a href="https://bridge.edu/tefl/courses/specialized" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">specialized professional development courses</a>&nbsp;to help teachers learn about the latest methodology, best practices, and technologies in&nbsp;English language teaching (ELT)</li>
	<li>short&nbsp;<a href="https://bridge.edu/tefl/courses/micro" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">micro-credential courses</a>&nbsp;specially designed to help educators gain new skills that will take their teaching to the next&nbsp;level</li>
</ul>

Bridge also publishes relevant and helpful ELT news and resources on&nbsp;<a href="https://bridge.edu/tefl/blog/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">BridgeUniverse</a>.

Here are four&nbsp;tips from&nbsp;BridgeUniverse&rsquo;s panel on the <a href="https://vimeo.com/776708285/42107a24dd" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">best practices for correcting pronunciation errors in the ESL/EFL classroom</a> that you can incorporate into your teaching.

<h2>1. Set realistic pronunciation goals with your students</h2>

At the beginning of a new class, have a conversation with your students to find out what they hope to accomplish by the end of the course. Often, students will say they want to sound like someone whose&nbsp;first language is English. This gives you an opportunity to outline your vision for the class and set a more realistic goal with your students.

Here are some resources you may find helpful for setting realistic goals with your students:

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2127-my-language-goals" target="_blank">My Language Goals</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2224-goal-setting-can-do" target="_blank">Goal-Setting &ndash;&nbsp;Can Do</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2671-50-pronunciation-targets" target="_blank">50 Pronunciation Targets</a></li>
</ul>

<blockquote>
&quot;You don&rsquo;t need to be a native speaker to be a competent speaker in English.&quot;

&mdash;DJ Kaiser, professor and director of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) at Webster University
</blockquote>

<h2>2. Show different English speakers to your students</h2>

Your students may find it inspirational to see and hear from people with the same language background as them speaking English.

For example, if your student&rsquo;s first language is Portuguese, have them&nbsp;watch a video of a well-known person or celebrity speaking English whose first language is also Portuguese. This will help your student&nbsp;realize that they don&rsquo;t need to sound like someone whose first language is English in order to be a good English speaker.&nbsp;

<h2>3. Avoid correcting every pronunciation error</h2>

When it comes to correcting pronunciation errors, the panelists agreed that there are a few factors to consider, such as...

<ul>
	<li>the level of your students</li>
	<li>the focus of your class</li>
	<li>what you&rsquo;ve already taught</li>
</ul>

Ricardo Cezar, an English teacher and a teacher trainer based in Brazil, also considers his students&rsquo; language backgrounds.

&ldquo;I teach monolingual students most of the time,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;So I have to know what problems Portuguese speakers will normally have when trying to speak English.&rdquo;

Karen Taylor de Caballero, an educational consultant and trainer, believes rhythm and stress are important errors to focus on.

&ldquo;What I find is, when learners want to feel confident, the lack of confidence shows up in the rhythm, first and foremost, and the lack of comprehensibility shows up in misplaced or unperformed stress,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;So I really promote starting with stress and rhythm at the heart of that.&rdquo;

DJ Kaiser, professor and director of TESOL at Webster University, on the other hand, weighs comprehensibility with pronunciation.

&ldquo;I know a lot of people, they want to master that &lsquo;th&rsquo; sound,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;And while I&rsquo;ve got great approaches for teaching that, I also have to consider is that time worth spending to correct the pronunciation of &lsquo;th.&rsquo; The &lsquo;th&rsquo; sound typically does not lead to miscommunication. If you&rsquo;re being understood and if certain sounds really don&rsquo;t make a difference in people being able to understand you, I wouldn&rsquo;t spend time focused on it.&rdquo;

At the end of the day, remember that students can&rsquo;t implement every pronunciation correction all at once. They can only comprehend so much at one time. With that in mind, it&rsquo;s important to be thoughtful about the feedback you give your students. Try not to overwhelm them with so much information that they get discouraged. Consider the items that are most important and focus on those errors first.

<h2>4. Make a list of pronunciation errors</h2>

When your students are working on a speaking exercise in groups, walk around the classroom and&nbsp;listen to them talk. Instead of interrupting them every time a pronunciation error is made, write down all the errors on the board as you hear them.

At the end of class, you can discuss the list of pronunciation errors that were made with the whole class without interrupting the flow of the exercise or singling out individual students.

<h2>New! Use Ellii to teach pronunciation</h2>

Did you hear? We recently launched our new <a href="https://ellii.com/media/videos/pronunciation" target="_blank">Pronunciation videos</a>! In each how-to video, Lise, our social engagement manager, provides a step-by-step tutorial for how to make the sound at hand (e.g., /th/, /r/, /s/). Students are encouraged to repeat after Lise and practice pronouncing the sound out loud for themselves.

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/766180715" width="640"></iframe></div>

Additional practice videos are also available, and each video links to its associated lesson.

We hope you enjoy these new videos&nbsp;and stay tuned as we&rsquo;ll be adding more in the near future!

<div class="white-box">
<h5>Share your thoughts</h5>

Teachers, how do you teach pronunciation? What errors do you focus on? Let us know in the comments below.
</div>

4 Tips from BridgeUniverse on How to Correct Pronunciation Errors in the Classroom

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January is a time when thoughts turn to the upcoming year and the goals we want to set for ourselves. New Year&rsquo;s resolutions are a great topic to discuss with your students at this time of year! It&rsquo;s also a fun way to teach them about goal-setting.

Teaching your students how to set goals has many benefits, including:

<ul>
	<li>helping learners develop a growth mindset</li>
	<li>increasing students&rsquo; motivation</li>
	<li>giving students focus and purpose</li>
	<li>ensuring accountability by putting the responsibility on students to achieve their goals</li>
	<li>creating a foundation for students to advocate for their needs</li>
	<li>empowering learners and boosting self-confidence</li>
</ul>

Try these easy, creative ideas for turning personal and academic goals into an educational experience. You&rsquo;ll read about some important benefits for both teachers and students when it comes to setting personal and academic goals.

<img alt="Person with thought bubbles of a guitar, money and person doing push ups" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/2981/content_personal-goals.jpg" />

<h2>Setting personal goals with students</h2>

Personal goals are short- or long-term lifestyle-related objectives (relationships, hobbies, finances, etc.) that your student would like to attain in the new year.&nbsp;

For example, your student may want to exercise more during the week, learn how to play guitar, or save money to invest in real estate.

There are many ways you can introduce personal goal-setting to your students&mdash;from verbal class activities to written exercises.

<h3 dir="ltr">Small talk</h3>

It&rsquo;s time to get your students talking with some small talk!&nbsp;

Put your language learners into pairs or groups and have them discuss their personal goals for the new year. You could even do it as a whole class, especially if you brainstormed common New Year&rsquo;s resolutions first. This topic would work well as a warm-up or filler.

<h3 dir="ltr">Presentations</h3>

Presentations are a great way to <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/sentence-stems/3029-the-language-of-presenting" target="_blank">get your students speaking in front of a group</a>, which is an important professional skill to learn. Additionally, the student presenting can provide valuable listening practice for the rest of the class.

Have students prepare mini-presentations about their goals for the year. You could even make them choose one specific goal and get them to present their step-by-step plan for achieving that goal.

<h3 dir="ltr">Blogging</h3>

Want students to practice writing in English? Have them write a blog-style piece on their personal goals. Try Ellii&rsquo;&#39;s lesson on <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/1828-how-to-write-a-blog-post" target="_blank">How to Write a Blog Post</a>.

<h3 dir="ltr">Essays</h3>

Turn goal-setting into a more formal writing assignment by having students prepare an essay with an intro, body, and conclusion about their plans for the new year. This could be done in class or for homework.

<div class="white-box">
<h5>Students struggling to focus on their objectives?</h5>

Help them get their language learning back on track with <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/4-goals-to-help-you-focus" target="_blank">simple goals that improve focus</a>.
</div>

<img alt="Student sprinting up steps made of books" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/2982/content_academic-goals.jpg" />

<h2>Setting academic goals with students</h2>

Academic goals are short- or long-term education-related objectives that your student would like to accomplish during the term or course.

Academic goals are a great way to give your learners direction and motivate them throughout their language learning journey.&nbsp;

An example of an academic goal could be that your student may want to improve their English conversation skills or <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/4311-how-to-write-an-email" target="_blank">learn how to write an email in English</a>.&nbsp;

For setting academic goals with your students, try these effective exercises.&nbsp;

<h3>Group discussions</h3>

Put students into groups and tell them to choose the top three areas that they want to focus on this year in order to improve their English. Have them talk about some of the challenges they will need to overcome in order to reach their learning goals.

Students will appreciate sharing common language learning obstacles with each other through group discussions. Finding out they have similar academic goals as their classmates (e.g., improving pronunciation) means they will feel more connected and be more willing to help each other out.

Having group discussions will also give valuable insight to the teacher about areas each individual student wants to improve.&nbsp;

Keep a list so that you can focus on each student&rsquo;s needs throughout the year and offer encouragement or suggestions for improvement in this area whenever possible. Use this information later in the year to point out how much the student has improved in this particular area.

<div class="white-box">
<h5>Make sure the goals are realistic!</h5>

If a student says, &ldquo;I want to be fluent in English this year&rdquo; and they are a low-level student, you can gently remind them that language learning is a long process. Suggest setting a smaller, more attainable <a href="https://helpfulprofessor.com/smart-goals-in-education/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">SMART goal</a>, such as &ldquo;I want to improve my vocabulary by learning five new English words per week&rdquo; or &ldquo;I want to understand gerunds and infinitives so that I can pass next month&rsquo;s grammar test.&rdquo;
</div>

<h3>Grammar lesson on the simple future</h3>

Teaching a grammar lesson on the simple future verb tense will naturally lead to a discussion about future plans.

You can present this verb tense in two ways:&nbsp;

<ol>
	<li>Teach the grammar first and then discuss future plans.</li>
	<li>Discuss future plans first to elicit the grammar naturally, and then teach the finer points of the verb tense.&nbsp;</li>
</ol>

Ellii has many teaching resources on the simple future:

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/simple-future-teaching-the-three-forms" target="_bank">Simple Future: Teaching the Three Forms</a></li>
	<li class="resource"><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/1596-simple-future" target="_blank">Simple Future: Grammar Practice Worksheets</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/89/lessons/1568" target="_bank">Future: What Are You Going to Do Tonight?</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/89/lessons/1567" target="_bank">Future: Where Are You going to go?</a></li>
</ul>

<div class="white-box">
<h5>Goal-setting isn&rsquo;t just for students!</h5>

From exercising more to learning a new skill, everyone has goals they&rsquo;d like to achieve&mdash;even teachers. What are some personal and academic objectives you&rsquo;re looking to accomplish in and outside of the classroom this year? Let us know in the comments below!
</div>

Editor&#39;s note:&nbsp;This post was originally published in January 2014 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Creative Ways to Set Personal & Academic Goals with Students

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Do you read stories or watch movies with your students? If so, then you may ask them questions like &ldquo;Who is the main character?,&rdquo; &ldquo;What is their conflict?,&rdquo;&nbsp;and &ldquo;How do they solve it?&rdquo;

But are you also asking questions like &ldquo;Why are they the main character?&rdquo; and &ldquo;Why is this the conflict?&rdquo;

Asking these types of questions can turn an English language literacy lesson into a media literacy lesson.

<h2>What is media literacy?</h2>

The term &ldquo;literacy&rdquo; may have you thinking of books, reading comprehension, or literacy components (e.g., phonics, vocabulary, fluency, etc.). You&rsquo;re not wrong in thinking that! These are the defining factors of English language literacy. Media literacy takes this definition one step further.

Media literacy is a skill used to understand messages in the media. It also tells you how a medium can change or affect a message.

<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/gbrcRKqLSRw" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div>

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbrcRKqLSRw" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">YouTube</a>

For example, in 1960 during the US presidential campaign, the first televised debate was aired and the new medium changed the voters&rsquo; thoughts. Previously, debates were only heard via radio. Going into the debate, Richard Nixon was ahead of John F. Kennedy in the polls and was on track to win the election. After this debate aired on TV, <a href="https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/kennedy-nixon-debates" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">opinions on who would win changed</a>. People who listened to the radio thought that Nixon would still win since he spoke really well. People who watched on TV thought Kennedy looked better and that Nixon did not look presidential. Kennedy went on to win the election.

<blockquote>
Be careful not to confuse media literacy with digital literacy! While similar, they each refer to different forms of communication.

Digital Literacy:&nbsp;only refers to digital mediums

Media Literacy: refers to all media across a variety of mediums
</blockquote>

<h2>What are the benefits of media literacy in the English classroom?</h2>

Should you be teaching media literacy if you&rsquo;re already teaching English language literacy? The short answer is it&rsquo;s recommended. There are many benefits to teaching media literacy in the language classroom, including...

<ul>
	<li>increased comprehension: Every story your students read or watch has a message behind it. They&rsquo;ll be able to see what that message is and whether it is good or bad.</li>
	<li>increased analytical skills: Knowing what is important to the story can give students the ability to tell the difference between real and fake news.</li>
	<li>increased sense of independent thought: Viewing stories critically will allow your students to form their own opinions about them.</li>
	<li>increased production skills: Teaching students how to create media responsibly, such as blog articles, videos, music, etc., can make producing them easier.</li>
	<li>increased worldview: Bias in the news can impact how a story is understood. Students can understand who is telling a story and how their views impact it.</li>
	<li>increased use of students&rsquo; interests: Use your students&rsquo; interests to drive the conversation and get them engaged. What&rsquo;s a popular movie they&rsquo;ve been talking about? Focus the lesson on that.</li>
</ul>

<h2>Why it&rsquo;s important to teach media literacy to English learners</h2>

We live in a world where <a href="https://awecomm.com/Blog/how-technology-is-changing-the-media-industry/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">media is rapidly developing</a>. Less than 20 years ago, most people would receive their news from a daily newspaper or by watching the five o&rsquo;clock news.

Today, students can access the news any time they want. They can get their news from a printed paper, television channel, or radio station. They can even get it online from websites and social media.

So why is this a problem?

For starters, this 24-hour news cycle can be <a href="https://lagunatreatment.com/co-occurring-disorder/news-media-and-addiction/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">a lot to digest</a>, particularly for language learners. There are endless sources and mediums to pick from, some of which may not be as accurate as others.

Fake news is also easy to come across now, especially on social media. Social media gives a voice to anybody. People can build their own platform and <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/information-overload-helps-fake-news-spread-and-social-media-knows-it/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">spread inaccurate news</a> to an unsuspecting audience.

Both fake news and other messaging sources, such as advertising and subliminal messaging, can be dangerous. They can leave your students at risk of being negatively influenced by crafted stories.

Whether your students are new to English or have been studying it for years, teaching them media literacy helps them think more critically about the information that&rsquo;s shown to them.

<blockquote>
Our friends at the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@thinkaloud_pod/videos">Teacher Think-Aloud Podcast</a> have two episodes on this topic: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2psJL_DZJsE" target="_blank">Media Literacy 101</a> and <a href="https://youtu.be/r4pxcFYAJSk" target="_blank">Media Literacy 102</a>
</blockquote>

Most language learners have access to some form of media. Here&rsquo;s how to help students of all levels develop the skills they need to decode media messages and determine fact from fiction.

<h3>K&ndash;5</h3>

Students in grades K&ndash;5 are at a young, impressionable age. These students have always had access to media, whether it&rsquo;d be the television or their parent&rsquo;s smartphone. This means that many of them have grown up not knowing that media is separate from other aspects of their life.

K&ndash;5 students should be introduced to the concept of media messaging and how the media they watch can be teaching them information that is both true and false.

<h3>Grades 6&ndash;12</h3>

Students in grades 6&ndash;12 are at an age where they&rsquo;re most likely to be influenced by media. At this age, students are beginning to develop their personalities and sense of self and are more persuaded by what they see and hear.

This is also the age where students have the most access to disposable income and that is why <a href="https://www.gourmetads.com/articles/advertising-to-teens/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">advertisers target this group</a>. Developing these students&rsquo; media literacy skills can help them understand when they&rsquo;re being targeted.

<h3>Adult learners</h3>

Many adults grew up without the same level of media exposure that exists today. Since media continues to grow at a rapid rate, adults can fall behind.

Just because you&rsquo;re teaching adult learners doesn&rsquo;t mean your students aren&rsquo;t at risk of being influenced by media. As an adult, the risk is greater since they likely don&rsquo;t have someone to guide them through it.

Media literacy education can impact an adult&#39;s understanding of politics, news, health, cinema, etc. Learning how to decode messages empowers these students and gives them control over their own lives.

&nbsp;

<h2>Media literacy terminology</h2>

<ul>
	<li>English language literacy: the ability to read and write</li>
	<li>media literacy: the ability to decode messages presented in the media, including in relation to the medium that it is being presented in</li>
	<li>media: a means of mass communication; plural of medium</li>
	<li>medium: the means in which something is communicated (e.g., a book, a television, a phone, etc.)</li>
	<li>bias:&nbsp;idea about&nbsp;something based on opinion rather than fact</li>
	<li>24-hour news cycle: the reporting of a news story that runs all day</li>
	<li>sources: the person, place, or object used to gain information</li>
	<li>fake news: false or misleading information presented as news</li>
	<li>social media: websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking</li>
	<li>platform: a service, site,&nbsp;or method that delivers media to an audience</li>
	<li>audience: the group of people receiving a media message</li>
	<li>advertising: a marketing tactic involving paying for space to promote a product, service, or cause</li>
	<li>subliminal messaging: a technique used in media to influence people without their being aware</li>
	<li>media messaging: a communication from a media source that reaches a mass audience</li>
	<li>disposable income: income remaining after bills and taxes; income you can spend however you want</li>
	<li>empower: to make someone stronger and more confident, especially in controlling their life and claiming their rights</li>
</ul>

<h2>Related resources</h2>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/discussion-starters/1209-social-media-networks" target="_blank">Social Media Networks</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/discussion-starters/2348-fake-news" target="_blank">Fake News</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/discussion-starters/1262-kids-technology" target="_blank">Kids &amp; Technology</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/famous-things/1994-24-hour-news" target="_blank">24-Hour News</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/resources/visual-learning/3292-digital-learning-with-ellii" target="_blank">Digital Learning with Ellii</a></li>
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/tips-for-developing-students-digital-literacy" target="_blank">8 Tips for Developing Students&#39; Digital Literacy</a></li>
	<li class="resource"><a href="https://ellii.com/resources/assessment-tools/3652-digital-literacy-needs-assessment-pictorial" target="_blank">Digital Literacy Needs Assessment (Pictorial)</a></li>
	<li class="resource"><a href="https://ellii.com/resources/assessment-tools/3651-digital-literacy-needs-assessment" target="_blank">Digital Literacy Needs Assessment</a></li>
	<li class="resource"><a href="https://ellii.com/folders/published/82130" target="_blank">Digital Literacy (Beg &ndash; Low Int) Folder</a></li>
	<li class="resource"><a href="https://ellii.com/folders/published/82132" target="_blank">Digital Literacy (Int &ndash; Adv) Folder</a></li>
</ul>

<div class="white-box">
<h5>Share your thoughts</h5>

How do you teach media literacy in the classroom? Let us know in the comments below!
</div>

Introducing Media Literacy in the English Language Classroom

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As environmental topics continue to trend in ELT, I&rsquo;m noticing that the UN&rsquo;s Sustainable Development Goals are appearing more and more in blogs, articles, videos, social posts, webinars, talks, and resources.&nbsp;&nbsp;

This post explores what they are, why they are important,&nbsp;and how to incorporate them in your classes.&nbsp;

<h2>What are the&nbsp;Sustainable Development Goals?&nbsp;</h2>

The UN&#39;s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)&nbsp;have been around since 2015, when the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was published. This blueprint&nbsp;aims to tackle <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/3235-climate-change" target="_blank">climate change</a>, preserve natural habitats, and make the planet more equitable, affluent, educated, and healthier now and in the future.&nbsp;

The agenda focuses on 17 goals&mdash;targets&nbsp;for every country to work toward&nbsp;through global partnership. Supporters of these goals&nbsp;recognize that promoting economic growth, providing educational opportunities, and reducing hunger and poverty are crucial for creating a sustainable world.&nbsp;

<img alt="17 Sustainable Development Goals" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/2966/content_E_SDG_Poster_2019_without_UN_emblem_WEB.png" />

Ellii supports the Sustainable Development Goals

<h2>Why are the SDGs&nbsp;so important?</h2>

Put simply, we only have one planet. Looking after it takes collaboration and care.&nbsp;

As language teachers, we support learners from all over the world, each of whom is directly affected by the issues these goals address. Every student (indeed, every human) needs access to clean water, affordable renewable energy, healthy food, quality education, and a safe, peaceful place to live.&nbsp;

By incorporating the SDGs into our lessons, we can enhance our students&rsquo; knowledge of the world they live in&nbsp;and equip them with skills to make their own positive changes to it.

Introducing&nbsp;topics of global importance&mdash;such as <a href="https://ellii.com/collections/global-issues/sustainable-development-goals/1-no-poverty" target="_blank">poverty</a>, hunger, pollution, transportation, <a href="https://ellii.com/collections/global-issues/sustainable-development-goals/3-good-health-well-being" target="_blank">health</a>, food production, and <a href="https://ellii.com/collections/global-issues/sustainable-development-goals/5-gender-equality" target="_blank">gender equality</a>&mdash;is a great way to get students talking. It also helps them see the world from other perspectives and can make them more empathetic toward&nbsp;people from different backgrounds.&nbsp;

The goals may also inspire learners to take action in whatever way they can. Encouraging learners to get involved in their local&nbsp;and global&nbsp;communities is an excellent opportunity to develop their linguistic and intercultural skills. It also helps them to gain confidence in their abilities to be change leaders.&nbsp;

<h2>How can I include the SDGs in my lessons?&nbsp;</h2>

Incorporating the SDGs into the English language classroom is much simpler than it seems. The 17 goals are well aligned to&nbsp;many aspects of life, as are language lessons. In other words, there are ways to sneak sustainability into every lesson!&nbsp;

For example, if your class is learning <a href="https://ellii.com/media/flashcards/transportation-travel" target="_blank">transportation vocabulary</a>, you could ask learners to rank each mode in order of environmental friendliness.&nbsp;

Likewise, if you&rsquo;re teaching structures on <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/1629-modals-of-advice" target="_blank">giving advice</a> (e.g., You should&hellip;, Have you thought about&hellip;, You might want to&hellip;), you could ask them to think of tips for budgeting, making a home more heat efficient, or <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/1281-food-waste" target="_blank">reducing food waste</a>.&nbsp;

For <a href="https://ellii.com/collections/grammar/conditionals" target="_blank">conditionals</a>, you may wish to give them sustainability-themed sentence starters:&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>If there were a lot of litter in my area, I&rsquo;d&hellip;</li>
	<li>Unless governments around the world work together, &hellip;</li>
	<li>As long as everyone is treated fairly, &hellip;</li>
</ul>

You can also explore the goals individually with your learners. Ellii has&nbsp;created a <a href="https://ellii.com/collections/global-issues/sustainable-development-goals" target="blank">collection of resources</a> matched to each goal.

<img alt="Sustainable Development Goals Collection" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/2967/content_Sustainable-Development-Goals_Thumb.png" />

<a href="https://ellii.com/collections/global-issues/sustainable-development-goals" target="_blank">Ellii&#39;s Sustainable Development Goals Lesson Collection</a>

Learn more about the <a href="https://sdgs.un.org/goals" nofollow="" noreferrer="" rel="noopener" target="_blank">UN Sustainable Development Goals</a>.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

<div class="white-box">
<h5>Sharing is caring!</h5>

Do you cover topics on sustainability in your English language classes? You can <a href="https://ellii.com/collections/global-issues/sustainable-development-goals/17-partnerships-for-the-goals" target="_blank">help promote the 17th goal&nbsp;</a>by sharing a related topic or activity you&#39;ve tried with your ELLs.&nbsp;
</div>

The What, Why & How of Sustainable Development Goals 

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Have you heard about the&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/esl-talk/id1548652844" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">ESL Talk&nbsp;podcast</a>?

As described on their Apple Podcast page,&nbsp;ESL Talk&nbsp;is &ldquo;a podcast for English teachers by English teachers.&rdquo; In each episode, the hosts and their guests discuss various teaching topics, methods, and approaches pertaining to ESL teachers. It&#39;s a fantastic way to&nbsp;hone your English teaching skills&nbsp;and stay current in the field.

Here are three&nbsp;key takeaways from&nbsp;ESL Talk&#39;s episode on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/building-a-connection-in-the-online-environment/id1548652844?i=1000558123538" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">building a connection in the online environment</a> that you can use to strengthen your relationship with your online students.

<h2>1. Get your learners to complete a questionnaire</h2>

It can be hard to get to know someone in an online environment.

During your first class with your new students, ask them to fill out a questionnaire. Not only will this help you get to know your learners better right from the start, but it will also help you&nbsp;understand their level of familiarity with English as well as their goals for the class.&nbsp;

Here are some ready-made questionnaires you can use to get to know your students:

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/resources/assessment-tools/2832-english-questionnaire" target="_blank">English Questionnaire</a></li>
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/resources/assessment-tools/2123-autobiography-beg" target="_blank">Autobiography &ndash;&nbsp;Beg</a></li>
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/resources/assessment-tools/2124-autobiography-int" target="_blank">Autobiography &ndash;&nbsp;Int</a></li>
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/resources/assessment-tools/2125-autobiography-adv" target="_blank">Autobiography &ndash;&nbsp;Adv</a></li>
</ul>

<h2>2. Play icebreaker games with your students</h2>

Throughout your&nbsp;first few classes together, continue to get to know your new students by spending a few minutes playing <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/key-takeaways-from-tefl-international-webinar-on-ice-breaker-games" target="_blank">icebreaker games</a> with them. Two Truths and a Lie is a perfect icebreaker game to play with a brand-new class.

<h3>How to play Two Truths and Lie</h3>

<ol>
	<li>Ask your students to write down two true statements and one false statement about themselves. Make sure you participate too!</li>
	<li>Have them take turns reading their statements out loud to the class.</li>
	<li>After they&rsquo;ve read out their statements, the rest of the class has to guess which statement was the lie.</li>
</ol>

This game will&nbsp;help you get to know your class in a really fun way, and it&#39;ll help your students learn a little bit about you as well!

<h2>3. Make time to&nbsp;talk with each other</h2>

Typically, small talk happens much more easily and naturally in a physical classroom. In an online environment, you may have to schedule time for it.

Leave a few minutes at the beginning or end of class to&nbsp;make small talk with your students. Encourage your learners to share what they did today or over the weekend and what they&rsquo;re looking forward to for the upcoming week. Make sure you open up too!

Engaging in small talk gives your students a chance to practice their speaking skills and will help you to continue building a personal connection with them.

In our <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/functional-english/1749-making-small-talk" target="_blank">Making Small Talk lesson</a>, students review appropriate subjects as well as useful phrases for beginning small talk.

<div class="white-box">
<h5>Share your thoughts</h5>

Teachers, what do you do to build a personal connection with your online students? Let us know in the comments below.
</div>

3 Key Takeaways from ESL Talk Podcast on Building a Connection in the Online Environment

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<div class="white-box">
This article is part of a series of posts highlighting our community of teachers around the world. We hope you find their stories interesting and inspiring!
</div>

Nancy Lorenz-Vega was volunteering as an academic coach when she discovered how much she enjoyed teaching. This led her to leave her career in the corporate world and go back to school.

She&rsquo;s been a teacher for 14 years now.

&ldquo;I always thought I&rsquo;d be a good teacher but didn&rsquo;t decide to pursue it until I went back to school as an adult,&rdquo; Nancy said.

Today, she teaches English as a Second Language (ESL) both online and in person at <a href="https://pasadena.edu/" ref="noopener noreferrer nofollow" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Pasadena City College</a> in Pasadena, California. Her students are mainly at the intermediate level, but she also teaches&nbsp;students in the <a href="https://curriculum.pasadena.edu/noncredit-division/vocational-english-second-language/vesl-health-care-cert-competency/" ref="noopener noreferrer nofollow" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">VESL Health Care certificate program</a> who are hoping to work in medicine.

&quot;I try to bring my background into the lessons, utilizing my experience in the business world&nbsp;where we learn language for the workplace, as well as my early training in the arts where I teach students to speak well with good pronunciation, expression, intonation, and a wealth of vocabulary for different situations,&rdquo; Nancy explained.

<img alt="" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/2932/content_Ellii_Teacher-Feature-Nancy.jpg" />

Nancy Lorenz-Vega is pictured here.

<h2>How Nancy uses Ellii to overcome the challenges of teaching</h2>

For Nancy, the most challenging part about being a teacher is tending to the needs of students at different levels within the same class.

&ldquo;Ellii helps me to do this, as I can adjust the level of some activities,&quot; she said. &quot;For instance, I can choose a topic and there may be a high-intermediate level as well as a low-intermediate or beginner version of the same article.&rdquo;

One of her favorite Ellii lessons is our <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/grammar-practice-worksheets/1610-subject-verb-agreement" target="_blank">Subject&ndash;Verb Agreement</a> lesson from our <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/grammar-practice-worksheets" target="_blank">Grammar Practice Worksheets</a> section.

&ldquo;There are about 17 pages of worksheets, vocabulary, rules, etc. All of the grammar lessons are wonderful and full of content,&rdquo; she said.&nbsp;

Nancy also likes our <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/mini-debates/1308-english-globalization" target="_blank">English Globalization</a> lesson from our <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/mini-debates" target="_blank">Mini-Debates</a> section, calling it &quot;a great discussion starter&quot; for her ESL students.

Despite the challenges that come with the job, Nancy loves being an educator and making a difference.

&ldquo;I&#39;m so lucky to teach my ESL students,&rdquo; she&nbsp;said. &ldquo;They want to learn! The students are adults who want to get ahead or learn English better to bring their skills to the workplace. It&#39;s so rewarding to be able to teach and have students so interested in the material!&rdquo;

Her advice for aspiring teachers?

&ldquo;Every class is different. Get to know your students individually&nbsp;but also as a class. What is the chemistry of the class? What do they want to learn?&rdquo;&nbsp;

<blockquote>
Want the chance to be featured in our Teacher Feature series? Visit our&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/blog/20th-anniversary-giveaway" target="_blank">20th Anniversary Giveaway</a>&nbsp;blog post&nbsp;to tell us why you love Ellii and how you use the platform&nbsp;in your classroom.
</blockquote>