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

Teaching with Ellii

<p>Whether you&rsquo;re just starting out with Ellii wrapping up the school year, or thinking about placement for next semester, ready-made tests are always a handy resource for&nbsp;teachers.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Below you will find links to a series of grammar tests that can be used for placement, assessment, or review.&nbsp;This post, and the tests themselves, will help you determine which Ellii level to use with your students as well as which targets to focus on.&nbsp;</p>

<h1>Levels</h1>

<p>We have four new tests in the&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/resources/assessment-tools">Assessment Tools</a> category of our <a href="https://ellii.com/resources">Resources</a>&nbsp;section:</p>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/resources/assessment-tools/2448-grammar-test-1">Grammar Test 1 &ndash; Beginner</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/resources/assessment-tools/2449-grammar-test-2">Grammar Test 2 &ndash; Low-Intermediate</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/resources/assessment-tools/2450-grammar-test-3">Grammar Test 3 &ndash; Intermediate</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/resources/assessment-tools/2451-grammar-test-4">Grammar Test 4 &ndash; High-Intermediate&ndash;Advanced</a></li>
</ul>

<h1>Uses</h1>

<p>Though developed as a result of teacher requests for grammar placement tests, these tests can in fact be used for&nbsp;a variety of&nbsp;reasons:</p>

<h2>Placement</h2>

<p>Determine your students&rsquo; levels within your school&rsquo;s program, or discover what level of materials to use within Ellii&nbsp;(specifically in our <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/grammar-practice-worksheets">Grammar Practice Worksheets</a>&nbsp;section).</p>

<h2>Assessment</h2>

<p>Use these tests as major end-of-level tests to see how well students retained the grammar they learned. You could also select the parts of the tests that you covered in class during a certain period to create your own exit exam or review quiz&nbsp;(by skipping certain sections of the PDF or assigning only certain tasks digitally).</p>

<h2>Review</h2>

<p>Use these tests for review before students take school exams or other major tests like the&nbsp;TOEIC.</p>

<h2>Customization</h2>

<p>These tests can be used to personalize your classes by uncovering which grammar targets your students are struggling with. Center your lessons around these troublesome areas, or at least focus any extra time on these targets. You can find comprehensive lessons on the grammar points from the tests in our <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/grammar-practice-worksheets">Grammar Practice Worksheets</a>&nbsp;section.</p>

<h1>Scoring</h1>

<p>Each test is out of 100 and includes an optional speaking and writing component. (If you choose not to do the speaking or writing, the total will be between 60 and 80, depending on the test.) Aside from the speaking and writing portions, the tests are meant to be scored quickly and thus contain multiple-choice and one-word answers as much as&nbsp;possible.</p>

<p>Our guidelines for placement are as&nbsp;follows:</p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/resources/assessment-tools/2448-grammar-test-1">Grammar Test 1</a></h2>

<p>A low or mid-range score indicates that students should use our beginner-level materials. A high score indicates that they can use our low-intermediate or intermediate&nbsp;materials.</p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/resources/assessment-tools/2449-grammar-test-2">Grammar Test 2</a></h2>

<p>A low or mid-range score indicates that students should use our beginner or low-intermediate materials. A high score indicates that they can use our intermediate&nbsp;materials.</p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/resources/assessment-tools/2450-grammar-test-3">Grammar Test 3</a></h2>

<p>A low or mid-range score indicates that students should use our intermediate-level materials. A high score indicates that they may be ready for our high-intermediate or advanced&nbsp;materials.</p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/resources/assessment-tools/2451-grammar-test-4">Grammar Test 4</a></h2>

<p>A low or mid-range score indicates that students should use our intermediate or high-intermediate materials. A high score indicates that they can use our advanced materials as well as authentic reading and listening&nbsp;materials.</p>

<h1>Grammar Targets</h1>

<p>The tests cover the following grammar&nbsp;targets:</p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/resources/assessment-tools/2448-grammar-test-1">Grammar Test 1</a></h2>

<ul>
	<li>simple present</li>
	<li>present progressive</li>
	<li>parts of speech</li>
	<li>subject &amp; object pronouns</li>
	<li>articles</li>
	<li>nouns</li>
	<li>adjectives</li>
	<li>adverbs of frequency</li>
	<li>prepositions of time</li>
	<li>prepositions of place</li>
	<li>simple present &amp; present progressive (mixed-tense exercise)</li>
</ul>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/resources/assessment-tools/2449-grammar-test-2">Grammar Test 2</a></h2>

<ul>
	<li>simple past</li>
	<li>simple future</li>
	<li>count &amp; non-count nouns</li>
	<li>pronouns</li>
	<li>adverbs of manner</li>
	<li>adverbs &amp; adjectives</li>
	<li>prepositions of direction</li>
	<li>conjunctions</li>
	<li>modals</li>
	<li>gerunds &amp; infinitives</li>
	<li>simple present, past &amp; future</li>
</ul>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/resources/assessment-tools/2450-grammar-test-3">Grammar Test 3</a></h2>

<ul>
	<li>simple past &amp; past progressive</li>
	<li>simple future &amp; future progressive</li>
	<li>simple past &amp; present perfect</li>
	<li>present perfect &amp; present perfect progressive</li>
	<li>pronouns</li>
	<li>tag questions</li>
	<li>comparative &amp; superlative adjectives &amp; adverbs</li>
	<li>first, second &amp; third conditional&nbsp;</li>
	<li>review of simple tenses</li>
</ul>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/resources/assessment-tools/2451-grammar-test-4">Grammar Test 4</a></h2>

<ul>
	<li>past perfect &amp; past perfect progressive</li>
	<li>future perfect &amp; future perfect progressive</li>
	<li>passive voice</li>
	<li>past modals</li>
	<li>causative &amp; passive causative</li>
	<li>adjectives clauses</li>
	<li>adjective phrases</li>
	<li>adverb clauses &amp; phrases</li>
	<li>direct &amp; reported speech</li>
	<li>embedded questions</li>
	<li>subjunctive</li>
	<li>review of all tenses</li>
</ul>

<h1>Digital Tasks</h1>

<p>These grammar tests are available on our digital platform for users on any plan! Using the digital version of these tests means that some tasks, such as multiple-choice and matching tasks, will automatically generate students&rsquo; scores in real time. That means much less marking for the teacher! Note that tasks where students have to type out sentences will still require correction by the&nbsp;teacher.</p>

<h2>Accessing Digital Tasks</h2>

<p>To access the digital tasks for our grammar tests, click on Task Player on the <a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/2448">main page</a> of the grammar test of your choice. Click the title of each task under the &quot;Launch&quot; column to being each task. You can also&nbsp;click on the Assign Tasks button to assign the tasks to your students. For a step-by-step guide, see <a href="https://help.ellii.com/article/122-how-to-assign-digital-homework">How to Assign Tasks (Digital Homework)</a>. If you haven&rsquo;t set your classes up on our digital platform yet, see our <a href="https://help.ellii.com/category/253-digital-homework">Help Docs</a> for&nbsp;guidance.</p>

<h2>Assigning Digital Tasks</h2>

<p>Teachers can assign the digital version of these tests in class or as homework by clicking on Assignment Manager. If you assign a test (or portions of a test) for homework, your students can complete it at home on a computer or mobile device and you will see their scores for each task in real&nbsp;time.</p>

<h2>Scoring Digital Tasks</h2>

<p>The scoring is similar to the pdf version and will total 100 points if you assign all the sections of a test. If you choose to forgo the writing and speaking portions, the total will be between 60 and 80, depending on the test. Note that our digital platform currently assigns a score per task, so you will need to calculate the student&rsquo;s final test score based off the task scores. (We&rsquo;re working on making a total available for each student for these&nbsp;tests.)</p>

<h1>Other Ready-Made Tests &amp; Tools</h1>

<p>Aside from our new grammar tests, many of our sections include ready-made quizzes and assessment tasks and tools. Most of our <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons">Grammar Practice Worksheets</a> lessons include a quiz at the end of the lesson, and many of our <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/92/lessons">Functional English</a>&nbsp;and <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/76/lessons">Everyday Dialogues</a> lessons include review and assessment tasks. You can also find ready-made and customizable assessment tools and forms in our <a href="https://ellii.com/resources">Resources</a>&nbsp;section.</p>

<p>What other types of tests and materials would you like to see on our&nbsp;site?</p>


Ellii's Grammar Tests

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<p>There are many benefits to using <a href="https://ellii.com/flashcard_genres" target="_blank">flashcards</a> in class. Use them to elicit, practice, or review vocabulary or grammar structures. Use them as a warm-up, filler, or review for a related lesson. You can even use them as a vocabulary or grammar lesson unto themselves. But <em>how</em> can we use flashcards in class? Get creative with the activities suggested&nbsp;below!</p>

<h1>1. Memory (also called&nbsp;<em>Concentration)</em></h1>

<p>Print out one set of flashcard images and one set of flashcard words per group of four or more students. Lay out cards facedown in a grid. Students take turns flipping over two cards. If the word and image match, they can keep the pair and go again. If not, they flip them back over and another student takes a turn. At the end, the student with the most pairs&nbsp;wins.</p>

<h1>2. Go Fish</h1>

<p>Print out one set of flashcard images and one set of words per group of four to six students. Deal out five cards to each student. One student asks&nbsp;<em>Do you have a ______?</em> to one person in the group and tries to match the word or image of a card they have in their hand. If the student has the card, he or she must hand it over and it&rsquo;s still the first student&rsquo;s turn. If the student doesn&rsquo;t have that card, he or she says <em>Go fish</em>. The first student must then take a card from the deck, and it&rsquo;s the next student&rsquo;s turn. The object is to collect word/image pairs and get rid of all the cards. At the end, the student with the most pairs&nbsp;wins.</p>

<h1>3. Matching Game</h1>

<p>Half of the students get an image flashcard, and half get a corresponding word flashcard. Students must find their match by giving clues that describe the image or word. (Example clues with animal cards: <em>I have fur</em>, <em>I can swim</em>, <em>I live in the forest</em>,&nbsp;etc.)</p>

<h1>4. Pictionary</h1>

<p>Divide the class into two teams. One student from team A comes to the board, picks a word flashcard, and draws the image on the board. The team has 30 seconds to guess&mdash;if they can name it, they get a point. At the end, the team with the most points&nbsp;wins.</p>

<h1>5. Bingo</h1>

<p>You can make your own Bingo cards by cutting out 25 images and pasting them in random order into <a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/warm-ups-fillers/resources/2172-bingo" target="_blank">this Bingo template</a>. Or, to save yourself a lot of prep time, choose the maximum flashcard print-per-page option of 16 images (see this&nbsp;<a href="https://help.ellii.com/article/50-how-to-print-flashcards" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Help Doc</a> for instructions on using flashcards on our site). Switch the order every time you print, and print out enough so that each student has one. Hand out one Bingo card to each student. Call out the image names. Students should cross off the corresponding images on their cards. The first student to get a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line yells <em>Bingo!</em> and is the winner. To make the game last longer, students must have two (or three, or four) lines before yelling&nbsp;<em>Bingo!</em></p>

<h1>6. Spelling Bee</h1>

<p>Divide the class into two teams. Show a flashcard to one student from team&nbsp;A. If he or she can spell the word correctly, that team gets a point. At the end, the team with the most points&nbsp;wins!</p>

<h1>7. Pronunciation Bee</h1>

<p>Same as the spelling bee, but show a flashcard and have a student from one team try to pronounce it&nbsp;correctly.</p>

<h1>8. Categories</h1>

<p>Divide students into two teams. Print out flashcards from various categories and spread them out on a table or the floor (have 50 or 100 if possible). When you yell <em>Go!</em> all students must run to the area and find flashcards that fit into that category (e.g., clothes you wear in winter, things you can eat or drink, etc.). The team with the most correct flashcards wins. Play as many times as you&rsquo;d like with different categories. You can reset the scores after each round, or have a cumulative total to determine the ultimate winning&nbsp;team.</p>

<h1>9. Story Time</h1>

<p>Play as a class or in small groups. Put students in a circle. Have one student draw a flashcard from a deck (prepare flashcards from one category that you&rsquo;ve been practicing, or from various categories for fun). The student must make a sentence using the image on the card. Then next student must draw a card and continue the story. If you want to score this, allow students who use the image correctly in a sentence to keep the card. If they don&rsquo;t know the word or use it incorrectly, they must put the card back into the deck. The student with the most cards at the end is the&nbsp;winner.</p>

<h1>10. Guess Who?</h1>

<p>Tape one flashcard to the back of each student. Students then move about the class asking their classmates Yes/No questions until they can guess who or what they are. This activity works with many categories such as jobs, animals, food, tools, furniture, clothes, etc. (Example questions with animal cards: <em>Do I have fur? Can I swim? Do I live in the forest?</em>&nbsp;etc.)</p>

<h1>Flashcard Library</h1>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/flashcard_genres" target="_blank">ESL Library has more than 2,000 flashcards</a> in 18 broad categories and many common subcategories. There are also many printing and customizing options so that you can generate exactly what you need for your learners.</p>

<p>For more activities, especially with specific sets of flashcards, see <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/flashcard-fun-shelly-terrell" target="_blank">Flashcard Ideas</a> on our&nbsp;blog.</p>

<p>If there&rsquo;s a flashcard set we don&rsquo;t have that you&rsquo;d like to see, drop us a line! We&rsquo;re always developing new sets and love teacher&nbsp;requests.</p>


10 Ways to Use Flashcards in Class

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Posts describing lessons or activities for the ESL classroom.

Activities

<p>ESL&nbsp;Library is not just the name of our site. It is literally a library full of readings for English learners. As a subscriber, your license allows you to download and print unlimited graded readings for your students. And there are hundreds of&nbsp;choices! This week I came across an excellent Edutopia article titled <a href="https://www.edutopia.org/article/building-choice-student-reading-susan-barber" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Building Choice Into Your Students&#39; Reading</a> about giving students more reading choices to encourage the growth of&nbsp;readers. In the article, one of the recommended activities for creating a &#39;literary-rich environment&#39; at school is <strong>speed&nbsp;dating</strong>.</p>

<blockquote>In the library, all sorts of books are arranged on many different tables. The teacher has a timer and sets it off every two to three minutes as the students browse the books and find titles they are interested in. Students keep a log of books they like. At the end of the activity, they choose one book to begin reading immediately and a few to try later in the&nbsp;year.</blockquote>

<h1>Speed Dating with ESL&nbsp;Library&nbsp;Readings</h1>

<p>Here&#39;s how to adapt this reading activity with ESL&nbsp;Library readings and&nbsp;ELLs:</p>

<p>1. Choose several topics from the <strong>Reading &amp; Discovery</strong> sections. Filter by level in order to find appropriate reading&nbsp;materials.</p>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="course"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/80/lessons" target="_blank">Famous People</a></li>
	<li class="course"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/81/lessons" target="_blank">Famous Places</a></li>
	<li class="course"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/82/lessons" target="_blank">Famous Things</a></li>
	<li class="course"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/98/lessons" target="_blank">Historic Events</a></li>
	<li class="course"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/83/lessons" target="_blank">Easy Readers</a>&nbsp;</li>
	<li class="course"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/97/lessons" target="_blank">Sports &amp; Leisure</a></li>
</ul>

<p>2. Print a double-sided copy of pages 1 and 2 from each topic that you choose. Page 1 includes the lesson image and page 2 includes the reading. Make sure you have selected at least as many topics as you have students in your class, so that someone is always reading&nbsp;something.</p>

<p>3. Spread the readings on several tables or desks around your classroom or library. You can choose to organize the readings by theme or category or just mix them up and place them randomly around the&nbsp;room.</p>

<p>4. Start a timer on your mobile device and tell students to find something to read (just page 2). Since they are reading articles rather than books, give them less time (try 1&ndash;2 minutes). When the buzzer goes, have them find another reading topic. (You may want to ask them to make a list of the readings they picked and&nbsp;liked.)</p>

<p>5. After about 15&ndash;20 minutes, ask your students to go back to the reading that they were most interested in. Give them enough time to read the entire page. You may find that many of the students want to read about the same person, place, thing, or event. Allow students to pair up, or allow groups to form reading&nbsp;circles and take turns reading out loud.</p>

<blockquote>This is a great way to find out what your students are interested in. Look around to see which topics your students liked and find time to do the whole lesson in class. When you go to the lesson page to print the full lesson, see if there are Related Materials to try. For example, our latest Famous People lesson on <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/80/lessons/2406" target="_blank">Jack Ma</a> has links to related lessons on Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and Hedy Lamar. After you discover your students&#39; interests, you may be able to recommend some fictional books,&nbsp;too.</blockquote>

<p>Happy reading!<br />
&mdash;Tara</p>

<p>PS. If you want to encourage your students to read fiction, be sure to read the whole <a href="https://www.edutopia.org/article/building-choice-student-reading-susan-barber" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Edutopia</a> article for more great tips. Don&#39;t forget to tell your students what <em>you</em> are reading. They may be inspired to pick up a&nbsp;book. I&#39;m currently reading a book by a local author called <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Men-Walking-Water-Emily-Schultz/dp/0345811011" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Men Walking on Water</a>. It takes place on the banks of Detroit during prohibition before the tunnel and bridge were built near my new home. What are you&nbsp;reading?</p>


Get Your ELLs Reading with "Speed Dating"

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

Articles

<p>Back in January 2012, our team had a big discussion about where to place the main vocabulary task in a lesson. Some of our lesson sections had the reading before the vocabulary task, with the idea that vocabulary could be learned/confirmed after seeing it in context. However, our team and many of our subscribers felt that previewing the vocabulary before seeing it in the reading was easier on students.</p>

<p>We then changed most of our sections that include a reading (e.g., <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/72/lessons">Discussion Starters</a>, <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/80/lessons">Famous People</a>, etc.) to include a vocabulary preview task. Most of the textbooks I had used during my teaching years also presented the vocabulary first, so I was fully on board with this&nbsp;approach.</p>

<p>At the recent 2016 TESL Ontario conference in Toronto, head writer Tara Benwell had a discussion with a teacher whose students found it difficult to match up vocabulary words and definitions before they had seen them in the reading. The teacher pointed out that words used in the definitions can sometimes present more challenges than the actual key words.</p>

<p>This led to another team discussion about where and when to present a vocabulary task within a lesson. What is best for our students? Let&rsquo;s take&nbsp;a look at the benefits to different&nbsp;approaches.</p>

<h1>Approach #1</h1>

<h4>Vocabulary Before</h4>

<p>ESL&nbsp;Library&rsquo;s preference is to introduce vocabulary before presenting the reading or listening task. Some benefits to a vocabulary preview task&nbsp;are:</p>

<ul>
	<li>students can focus on vocabulary alone and then focus on&nbsp;reading</li>
	<li>the reading is easier to&nbsp;understand</li>
	<li>there is less of a need to stop and look up words (stopping makes it harder to get the gist of a&nbsp;reading)</li>
	<li>students have a handy list for later&nbsp;review</li>
	<li>there is more exposure to new&nbsp;words</li>
</ul>

<p>Having a vocabulary preview task before the reading means that students will get the maximum exposure to the words. If a lesson has a preview task, the words highlighted in context, and a review task, then students are seeing and digesting new words at least three times. Repetition is key where vocabulary retention is&nbsp;concerned.</p>

<h1>Approach #2</h1>

<h4>Vocabulary During</h4>

<p>Benefits to learning vocabulary during a lesson could&nbsp;include:</p>

<ul>
	<li>students may be able to infer the meaning of new words from&nbsp;context</li>
	<li>students learn a keyword as a specific part of speech in a&nbsp;sentence</li>
	<li>students realize they don&rsquo;t need to know every word to understand the gist of a&nbsp;eading</li>
	<li>they can apply this to reading material outside of the classroom (where there won&rsquo;t be a list of vocabulary&nbsp;words)</li>
</ul>

<p>It&rsquo;s up to the teacher to decide whether students can use their dictionaries or ask the teacher vocabulary questions during the reading, or just try to infer meaning from context. In my experience, students often feel pressured or frustrated when they have to rely on inferring meaning from context alone. Letting them use dictionaries in their own languages also discourages an English‑thinking mentality and may not be the best&nbsp;approach.</p>

<p>I&rsquo;ve had some success with answering vocabulary questions during or just after the reading, but if there are too many, then those students that already know most of the words can feel like their time is being wasted. However, context learning is a valuable skill, and it&rsquo;s good to try this approach at least once in a while. Remind students that in the real world, they won&rsquo;t see a vocabulary list along with what they&rsquo;re reading (nor will they always be able to consult their&nbsp;dictionaries).</p>

<h1>Approach #3</h1>

<h4>Vocabulary After</h4>

<p>Reviewing vocabulary after learning it before or during the reading is very beneficial. But what about saving all vocabulary discussion and tasks until after the reading? Some benefits to having the vocabulary task after the reading might&nbsp;include:</p>

<ul>
	<li>the vocabulary task might make more sense because students have seen it in&nbsp;context</li>
	<li>students can see how well they inferred the meaning of new words from context by completing a task and getting a&nbsp;score</li>
	<li>they will see which words they know well and which need more&nbsp;practice</li>
	<li>they can go back and see the word in context to help them if they still can&rsquo;t work out the&nbsp;meaning</li>
</ul>

<h1>Our Conclusion</h1>

<p>Why not have the best of all three worlds? A vocabulary preview task, highlighted vocabulary in context, and a vocabulary review task allow students to reap the benefits of all three approaches. Most of our lessons follow this&nbsp;format.</p>

<p>At this point, we are sticking with our vocabulary preview matchup task, but we have changed the instructions&nbsp;from:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Match the words on the left to the correct meanings on the&nbsp;right.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>to:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Match up as many words and meanings as you can. Check this exercise again after seeing the words in context on page&nbsp;2.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>We hope that this will give students a chance to learn some new words without feeling the pressure to get a perfect score. Students may find the following reading task easier with some background vocabulary knowledge. Teachers can also use this task to assess how many words students already&nbsp;know.</p>

<p>We always encourage teachers to try different approaches to see what works best for their students. For example, try one lesson as is, but try the next doing the reading first and introducing the vocabulary after (i.e., do the warm‑up, but then do the page&nbsp;2 reading before the page&nbsp;1 vocabulary preview task). Or present the vocabulary preview in a more interactive way&mdash;for example, try cutting up the words and definitions and having groups of students match them up. Find more ideas in this post: <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/4-ways-to-teach-new-vocabulary">4 Ways to Teach New&nbsp;Vocabulary</a>.</p>

<p>We will also continue to have a vocabulary review task or two after the reading part of our lessons. For other ideas on reviewing vocabulary, see <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/4-activities-for-reviewing-vocabulary">4 Activities for Reviewing&nbsp;Vocabulary</a>.</p>

<p>How and when do you teach vocabulary in class? Do you prefer previewing vocabulary or having students see the words in context for the first time? We&rsquo;d love to hear from you in the comments section&nbsp;below!</p>


When Should You Teach Vocabulary?

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<p>March 1 is <strong>World Compliment Day</strong>! Here&rsquo;s an activity to&nbsp;try!</p>

<h1>Warm-Up</h1>

<ol>
	<li>Introduce your students to the word &ldquo;compliment&rdquo; (<em>a positive remark about someone or something</em>), and explain that it can be used as a noun and a verb. While you are looking at the word itself, explain the difference between <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/compliment-vs-complement" target="_blank">compliment and complement</a>. (I always tell my students that the one that means &ldquo;extra&rdquo; has an extra&nbsp;&ldquo;e&rdquo;.)</li>
	<li>Ask your students to identify different things that they praise people for (clothing, hair, job performance, talent, design, hard work). Can they remember the most recent compliment they&nbsp;received?</li>
	<li>Explain that giving a compliment is a form of small talk. It&rsquo;s a great way to <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/92/lessons/1749" target="_blank">start a conversation</a>. Students can give compliments to people they know or don&rsquo;t know. When we visit a friend or family member, it&rsquo;s nice to give a compliment as part of a greeting. My sister-in-law finds a way to compliment me every time I see her. She&rsquo;s so&nbsp;sweet!</li>
	<li>Explain that we often use the verbs &ldquo;give,&rdquo; &ldquo;accept,&rdquo; and &ldquo;take/can&rsquo;t take&rdquo; with the word&nbsp;<em>compliment</em>.</li>
</ol>

<h1>Teach Useful Expressions for Giving&nbsp;Compliments</h1>

<p>Teach your students some common expressions for giving a&nbsp;compliment.</p>

<h2>Appearance</h2>

<ul>
	<li>You look nice today.</li>
	<li>I love your new hairstyle.</li>
	<li>That color looks good on you. / You look good in&nbsp;blue.</li>
	<li>Your dining room looks&nbsp;beautiful.</li>
</ul>

<h2>Work</h2>

<ul>
	<li>You worked very hard on&nbsp;this.</li>
	<li>Nice work!</li>
	<li>Good job!</li>
	<li>This is excellent.</li>
</ul>

<h2>Talent</h2>

<ul>
	<li>You&#39;re a great artist.</li>
	<li>You&#39;re so good with&nbsp;kids.</li>
	<li>You have a lovely&nbsp;voice.</li>
</ul>

<h2>Food</h2>

<ul>
	<li>You make great cookies!</li>
	<li>You&#39;re such a good&nbsp;chef.</li>
	<li>This pasta is delicious.</li>
</ul>

<h2>Indirect</h2>

<ul>
	<li>Your son is a great actor.</li>
	<li>Your mom has the nicest&nbsp;garden.</li>
	<li>I loved your sister&#39;s book.</li>
</ul>

<h1><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2615-giving-receiving-compliments"><img alt="Giving and receiving compliments ESL lesson from Ellii" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3071/content_Screen_Shot_2023-02-27_at_9.03.46_AM.png" /></a></h1>

<p class="caption">Are you an Ellli member? Try this ready-made lesson on <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2615-giving-receiving-compliments" target="_blank">Giving &amp; Receiving Compliments</a> from our Functional English section.</p>

<h1>Teach How to Accept a&nbsp;Compliment</h1>

<p>Your students will also need to practice accepting a compliment. The best way to respond is with a simple thank you and a big&nbsp;smile!</p>

<ul>
	<li>Thank you.</li>
	<li><a href="http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/1798/what-is-the-purpose-of-using-the-word-why-in-why-thank-you" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Why, thank you!</a> <em>(with slight&nbsp;surprise)</em></li>
	<li>Thank you for saying&nbsp;that.</li>
	<li>I appreciate that.</li>
	<li>I needed to hear that. <em>(after having a bad day or feeling&nbsp;inadequate)</em></li>
	<li>You&rsquo;re so sweet.</li>
	<li>I&rsquo;ll tell her you said that. / She&rsquo;ll be happy to hear that. <em>(accepting&nbsp;indirectly)</em></li>
</ul>

<p>Explain that many people have difficulty accepting a compliment. They may respond in a <strong>humble</strong> way. They may also <strong>fish for</strong> more&nbsp;compliments.</p>

<ul>
	<li>Do you really think&nbsp;so?</li>
	<li>I don&rsquo;t think so, but thanks for saying&nbsp;so.</li>
</ul>

<p>Some people really can&rsquo;t take a compliment. They almost always respond to a compliment in a <strong>self-deprecating</strong>&nbsp;way.</p>

<h2>Examples</h2>

<h3>Example #1</h3>

<table class="dialogue">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<th>A:</th>
			<td>Your cookies are delicious.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>B:</th>
			<td>They could use a little more&nbsp;sugar.</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<h3>Example #2</h3>

<table class="dialogue">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<th>A:</th>
			<td>Your presentation was great.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>B:</th>
			<td>Are you kidding? I was so&nbsp;nervous.</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<h3>Example #3</h3>

<table class="dialogue">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<th>A:</th>
			<td>I like your glasses.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>B:</th>
			<td>These old things? I&rsquo;ve had them&nbsp;forever.</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<h1>Practice Giving Compliments</h1>

<p>Now have your students practice. Write a setting on the board (e.g., birthday party, school reunion, wedding, funeral, hockey game, staff meeting). Tell your students to imagine themselves <strong>mingling</strong> with friends, colleagues, relatives, and strangers at this event. They should walk around and give each other compliments about appearance, job performance, talent, clothing, food, etc. They should also practice accepting&nbsp;compliments.</p>

<h1>For Fun!</h1>

<p>After practicing giving and accepting compliments, visit the <a href="http://www.worldcomplimentday.info/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">World Compliment Day website</a>, and have your students fill out a World Compliment Day award for a classmate or&nbsp;friend.</p>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/flashcard_genres/14/flashcard_categories/16" target="_blank"><img alt="A certificate with a compliment written on it" height="auto" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/250/content_Tara_Giving-and-Accepting-Compliments-in-English_Certificate1.png" width="320" /></a></p>

<p><a href="http://www.worldcomplimentday.info/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img alt="A certificate with a compliment written on it" height="auto" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/251/content_Tara_Giving-and-Accepting-Compliments-in-English_Certificate2.png" width="320" /></a></p>


Giving & Accepting Compliments in English

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<blockquote><p>&quot;Good quotes are timeless. It&rsquo;s as if someone just ahead of you on the path of life is turning back to give you a helping hand&hellip;&quot;</p>
<p class="attribution">&mdash;Rolf Gates</p></blockquote>

<p>We&#39;ve been doing a lot of spring cleaning at ESL Library. This includes redesigning, updating, and editing many of our older lessons plans. In the warm-up section of most of our newly designed topic-based lessons, you will find a quote. Quotes contain memorable bites of English that your students can explore in detail. Here are five ways to use quotes while teaching English.</p>

<h3>1. Practice pronunciation</h3>

<p>Choose a student to read the quote out loud to the class. Correct any <strong>pronunciation</strong> or <strong>intonation</strong> errors. Explore&nbsp;<strong>word stress</strong> and <strong>sentence stress</strong>. Have your students practice saying the quote with emphasis. You could also practice saying the quote in a variety of ways. Try speaking quickly, slowly, or in unison. Our <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/82/lessons/1469" target="_blank">Maple Syrup</a> lesson includes the following quote from Buddy the Elf. In the Christmas movie, <em>Elf,</em>&nbsp;Will Farrell speaks very quickly when he says the following:</p>

<blockquote><p>&quot;We elves try to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns, and syrup.&quot;</p><p class="attribution">&mdash;Buddy the Elf</p></blockquote>

<p>If you come across a quote from a speech, movie, or TED Talk, why not try to find an audio clip? Here is a great <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DS8MegEiKLk" target="_blank">clip</a> of this famous Will Farrell scene. In addition to helping with pronunciation, a&nbsp;quote may inspire your students to watch a full movie or listen to a full speech or song.</p>

<h3>2. Deconstruct sentences</h3>

<p>Deconstructing sentences can be a dull task when you use <em>See-Spot-run</em> sentences. Why not use interesting quotes to practice sentence dissection? Challenge your students to deconstruct the quotes that you come across in your ESL Library lessons. Here&#39;s a quote from our <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/80/lessons/1401" target="_blank">Robin Williams</a> lesson:</p>

<blockquote><p>&quot;You&#39;re only given a little spark of madness. You mustn&#39;t lose it.&quot;</p>
<p class="attribution">&mdash;Robin Williams</p></blockquote>

<p>Can your students identify each part of speech? What else can your students find in this sentence (e.g., a contraction, a modal in the negative form, the passive voice)? Can they rewrite this sentence in the active voice? First they&#39;ll have to discover who or what <em>gives</em> a person this &#39;madness.&#39; That should spark some discussion, too.</p>

<h3>3. Review grammar and usage</h3>

<p>Before you begin an ESL Library&nbsp;lesson, look at the quote to see if there is a mini lesson that you can teach inside it. &nbsp;Can you spot any common errors? When my students use &#39;one of the&#39; in a sentence, they often incorrectly follow it with a singular noun. In our <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/81/lessons/1430" target="_blank">Niagara Falls</a> lesson, you will find this quote by Nik Wallenda:</p>

<blockquote><p>&quot;It is one of the most beautiful natural wonders in the world. Who wouldn&#39;t want to walk across it?&quot;</p>
<p class="attribution">&mdash;Nik Wallenda</p></blockquote>

<p>Check for tips on&nbsp;common errors in the Teachers&#39; Notes at the end of our lessons. For example, in our revised <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/97/lessons/1477" target="_blank">Hockey</a> lesson, we included Mario Lemieux&#39;s famous quote:</p>

<blockquote><p>&quot;Every day is a great day for hockey.&quot;&nbsp;</p>
<p class="attribution">&mdash;Mario Lemieux</p></blockquote>

<p>This quote gives you the opportunity to review the common error <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/everyday-vs-every-day" target="_blank">every day vs. everyday</a>.</p>

<h3>4. Explore informal language (idioms, phrasal verbs, slang)</h3>

<p>Explore the literal and idiomatic meaning of words and expressions that you find in quotes. For example, in our <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/72/lessons/1944" target="_blank">Gender Inequality</a> lesson you will find the following quote by Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg:</p>

<blockquote><p>&quot;We must raise both the floor and the ceiling.&quot;</p>
<p class="attribution">&mdash;Sheryl Sandberg</p></blockquote>

<p>Use this opportunity to teach the expression &#39;glass ceiling&#39; (<em>an invisible barrier</em>). What did Sheryl Sandberg mean by &#39;raising the floor&#39;? Don&#39;t just rely on dictionaries to provide definitions and explanations. Challenge your students to look up words and expressions from quotes in context by searching for the word online. For example, according to this <a href="http://www.eryceyl.com/blog/2013/06/17/dont-just-raise-the-bar-raise-the-floor-too/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">article</a>, raising the floor means &#39;to increase the knowledge, skills, abilities, and capacities of the folks doing the work.&#39;</p>

<h3>5. Assign a follow-up writing task</h3>

<p>If your students write journal entries for homework, invite them to comment on the quote from a lesson you used.&nbsp;You could also challenge your students to find a related quote on the same topic (maybe they can find a better one). They could also research the person who was quoted and find out more about the context. For example, in&nbsp;our <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/72/lessons/1253" target="_blank">Bullying</a> lesson we include a quote from Taylor Swift. Challenge your students to&nbsp;find out how Taylor Swift has been bullied by her peers.</p>

<blockquote><p>&quot;If they don&#39;t like you for being yourself, be yourself even more.&quot;&nbsp;</p>
<p class="attribution">&mdash;Taylor Swift</p></blockquote>

<p>Please share your <a href="http://thewritequote.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">favorite quotes</a> in the comments below!</p>


5 Ways to Teach English with Quotes

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

Grammar & Usage

<p>Idioms are pervasive in the English language, especially in TV shows and movies. Almost all students love idioms, and they generally enjoy learning these fun, wacky expressions of ours. But English learners know that idioms can be difficult to learn and remember because the words or phrases don&rsquo;t literally match the meanings. Luckily, there are a variety of fun ways to practice idioms. Try some of my favorite methods below, and please share your favorite techniques in our comments&nbsp;section.</p>

<p>With St. Patrick&rsquo;s Day just around the corner (March&nbsp;17), we&rsquo;re featuring our <a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/107/resources/2146" target="_blank">Lucky Idioms</a> poster this month. But the ideas below can be used with any list of idioms that you want to practice in&nbsp;class!</p>

<h1>1. Posters</h1>

<p>When you hang our idioms posters (or ones your students have created) around your class, your learners will be exposed to them daily. Being able to visualize the idioms is very helpful for retention! Our premade posters&nbsp;include:</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/107/resources/2146" target="_blank">Lucky Idioms</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/107/resources/2147" target="_blank">Spring &amp; Easter Idioms</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/107/resources/2148/" target="_blank">Eye Idioms</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/107/resources/2145" target="_blank">Love Idioms</a></li>
</ul>

<h1>2. Make Your Own&nbsp;Posters</h1>

<p>Have students make their own posters! Choose a list of idioms, such as the &ldquo;green&rdquo; idioms from page&nbsp;7 of <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/93/lessons/1867">St. Patrick&rsquo;s Day lesson</a>&nbsp;(Int &ndash; High Int). Get your learners to follow a similar style to our posters (e.g.,&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/107/resources/2146">Lucky Idioms</a>) where they write the idioms and draw an image that represents the idiomatic meaning (have them try to include the literal meaning as well, if they can). This creative exercise will help students visualize and retain the meanings, and you can decorate your classroom with all the&nbsp;posters.</p>

<h1>3. Skits</h1>

<p>Writing dialogues and presenting skits is a fun, entertaining way to practice idioms, and students will get a lot of exposure both by writing their own dialogues and watching their classmates&rsquo; skits. Break your class into pairs or groups and assign about five idioms that they must include in their dialogues. Try to have more than one pair/group use the same idioms&mdash;this will ensure students are exposed to the idioms a few times in different&nbsp;contexts.</p>

<h1>4. Matchup</h1>

<p>Write out a list of idioms and definitions that you&rsquo;ve been studying in class. Or, better yet, have pairs or small groups of students write out the definitions in their own words. Cut up the word lists, hand them to another pair or group, and get students to match up the idioms and meanings. You could make this a weekly task where students have to bring in five idioms on a certain topic (they can find idioms and the meanings on the Internet, but encourage them to write the definitions in their own words to demonstrate their&nbsp;understanding).</p>

<h1>5. Speaking</h1>

<p>Sharing a personal experience really helps to plant an idiom firmly in your students&#39; minds. Put students into small groups, give them a list of idioms, and have each student choose one idiom. They will then talk about (or make up) an experience where that idiom applied to&nbsp;them.</p>

<h1>6. Writing</h1>

<p>Use one or more of the idioms as a prompt for a story that students can write in class or for homework. Try having students share and discuss their stories in small groups the next day&mdash;it&rsquo;s a good way to include pronunciation and speaking practice into this writing assignment. When you check their work, seeing the idiom(s) explained in context will let you know if the student has truly understood the&nbsp;meaning(s).</p>

<h1>7. Quizzes</h1>

<p>Put students into pairs or small groups, and have them create a quiz for another pair/group. They should write at least five sentences that demonstrate an idiom in context, along with a blank where the idiom would be written in. Exchange papers with another pair/group, or make copies and have all the pairs/groups do one another&rsquo;s quizzes. Alternatively, to save paper, the pairs/groups could take turns writing their quizzes on the&nbsp;board.</p>

<h2>Example</h2>

<p>She _______ that she wasn&rsquo;t seriously injured in the car accident&nbsp;yesterday.</p>

<p><strong>Answer:</strong> <em>thanked her lucky&nbsp;stars</em></p>

<h1>8. TV Shows</h1>

<p>Thirty‑minute sitcoms are generally full of idioms! More advanced learners will enjoy watching a show together in class and making note of all the idioms they hear (make sure you make notes as well because they often miss a bunch). Go over the meanings after the show. See if your students can guess the meaning of the idiom based on the context of the scene&mdash;they are often surprised that they can, which gives them a lot of&nbsp;confidence.</p>

<h1>Related</h1>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/93/lessons/1868" target="_blank">St. Patrick&rsquo;s Day (Beg)&nbsp;Lesson</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/93/lessons/1867" target="_blank">St. Patrick&rsquo;s Day&nbsp;(Int &ndash; Hight Int) Lesson</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/72/lessons/1226" target="_blank">Discussion Starters lesson plan on <em>Luck</em></a></li>
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/saint-patricks-or-st-patricks-paddy-or-patty/" target="_blank">Saint Patrick&rsquo;s or St. Patrick&rsquo;s? Paddy or Patty?</a></li>
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/exam-tips-english-learners/" target="_blank">Break a Leg &ndash;&nbsp;7 Exam Tips for English Learners</a></li>
	<li class="resource"><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/107/resources/2146" target="_blank">Lucky Idioms</a></li>
	<li class="resource"><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/107/resources/2147" target="_blank">Spring &amp; Easter Idioms</a></li>
	<li class="resource"><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/107/resources/2148/" target="_blank">Eye Idioms</a></li>
	<li class="resource"><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/107/resources/2145" target="_blank">Love Idioms</a></li>
</ul>

<p>Be sure to try our lesson series that focus on English idioms: <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/77/lessons" target="_blank">Everyday Idioms&nbsp;1</a> (A Love Story), <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/78/lessons" target="_blank">Everyday Idioms&nbsp;2</a> (First Year of University), <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/102/lessons" target="_blank">Everyday Idioms 3</a> (Moving to New York), <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/79/lessons" target="_blank">Detective Series&nbsp;1</a> (The Case of the Missing Ring), and <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/101/lessons" target="_blank">Detective Series&nbsp;2</a> (False Alarm).</p>


8 Ways to Practice Idioms in Class

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<p>Your students may hate taking exams, but I bet they <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/7-reasons-why-english-learners-love-idioms/" target="_blank">love learning idioms</a>! Here is a list of 7 exam tips full of idioms and everyday expressions to <strong><em>lighten things up</em></strong> before exam&nbsp;time.</p>

<h1>Tip #1</h1>

<h4>Know the test format inside and&nbsp;out</h4>

<p>When you <strong><em>know something inside and out</em></strong>, you understand it completely. That stressful feeling inside usually results from the fear of the unknown. If you know exactly which types of questions to expect, you will feel more relaxed on test day. This will help you perform better on the&nbsp;test.</p>

<p>Visit official websites for TOEIC, TOEFL, or whichever test you are taking, and learn the exact format for each section and&nbsp;question.</p>

<h1>Tip #2</h1>

<h4>Be prepared for Murphy&rsquo;s&nbsp;law</h4>

<p><strong><em>Murphy&rsquo;s law</em></strong> suggests that <em>anything that can go wrong, will go wrong</em>. Here are some things that can go wrong on test&nbsp;day:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Your pen will run out or your pencil will break (bring&nbsp;extras)</li>
	<li>Your eraser will break or run out (bring an extra&nbsp;one)</li>
	<li>You&rsquo;ll need to use the washroom (don&rsquo;t drink too much&nbsp;water)</li>
	<li>You&rsquo;ll get thirsty (bring&nbsp;water)</li>
	<li>Your phone will ring (turn off your&nbsp;devices)</li>
	<li>Your nose will run (bring&nbsp;tissues)</li>
	<li>Your stomach will growl (eat a high-protein&nbsp;breakfast)</li>
	<li>Your mouse batteries will die (bring&nbsp;batteries)</li>
	<li>Your pants will feel too tight (dress&nbsp;comfortably)</li>
</ul>

<p>All of the above will cause you to lose concentration. For the best results, prepare for the<strong><em> worst‑case&nbsp;scenario</em></strong>.</p>

<h1>Tip #3</h1>

<h4>Don&rsquo;t let examiners pull a fast one on&nbsp;you</h4>

<p>When someone <strong><em>pulls a fast one</em></strong> on you, they try to trick you. The writers who develop tests know <strong><em>every trick in the book</em></strong>. (<strong><em>Take my word for it.</em></strong> I used to be&nbsp;one.)</p>

<p>When you are using practice materials, don&rsquo;t just study the correct answers. <em><strong>Take note</strong></em> of all of the common <em>distractors</em> that exam writers&nbsp;use.</p>

<p>Here are some common distractors (incorrect answer choices, aka&nbsp;tricks):</p>

<ul>
	<li>opposite of the correct&nbsp;answer</li>
	<li>close to correct, but not&nbsp;correct</li>
	<li>contains a key word from the text or&nbsp;listening</li>
	<li>common misconceptions</li>
	<li>common usage errors</li>
	<li>true facts that do not answer the&nbsp;question</li>
	<li>draws on personal experience rather than information&nbsp;provided</li>
</ul>

<h1>Tip #4</h1>

<h4>Read each question with a fine-tooth&nbsp;comb</h4>

<p>When you read something<strong><em> with a fine-tooth comb</em></strong>, you read for detail. Though some parts of an exam require you to skim and scan, it is important to read <strong><em>every single word</em></strong> of the instructions or questions. Don&rsquo;t make assumptions. Make sure you know exactly what the question or section is asking you to&nbsp;do.</p>

<h1>Tip #5</h1>

<h4>Find the meat and&nbsp;potatoes</h4>

<p>Another expression for the main idea is <strong><em>the meat and potatoes</em></strong>. Whether you&rsquo;re taking the IELTS, the TOEIC, or the TOEFL, you will have to read and listen to many paragraphs. Paragraphs always contain a single main idea. Before test time, become an expert at finding the main idea in everything you read and&nbsp;see.</p>

<h1>Tip #6</h1>

<h4>Go with your gut</h4>

<p>When you <strong><em>go with your gut</em></strong> you use your human instinct. Your first instincts are often correct. When it comes to multiple-choice questions, eliminate the answers you know are wrong. The process of elimination allows you to choose the best remaining answer based on your <strong><em>gut&nbsp;feeling</em></strong>.</p>

<h1>Tip #7</h1>

<h4>Dot the i&rsquo;s and cross the t&rsquo;s</h4>

<p>When you <strong><em>dot the i&rsquo;s and cross the t&rsquo;s</em></strong>, you check for errors. When possible, <strong><em>double-check</em></strong> your answers and proofread your writing. This doesn&rsquo;t mean you should <strong><em>second-guess</em></strong> yourself. If you answered C for many answers in a row, don&rsquo;t be tempted to change your&nbsp;responses.</p>

<p><strong>Break a leg!</strong><br />
Tara</p>

<h1>Glossary</h1>

<h4>Idioms and Everyday&nbsp;English</h4>

<table>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<th>break a leg</th>
			<td>good luck</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>lighten things up</th>
			<td>to make a stressful situation feel less&nbsp;stressful</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>know something inside and&nbsp;out</th>
			<td>to understand something&nbsp;completely</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Murphy&rsquo;s law</th>
			<td>the idea that anything that can go wrong will go&nbsp;wrong</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>worst-case scenario</th>
			<td>the worst possible situation or&nbsp;outcome</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>pull a fast one</th>
			<td>to trick someone</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>every trick in the&nbsp;book</th>
			<td>every joke or way that exists to fool&nbsp;someone</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>take my word for&nbsp;it</th>
			<td>you should believe me (I&rsquo;m a credible&nbsp;source)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>take note</th>
			<td>to notice</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>with a fine-tooth&nbsp;comb</th>
			<td>in detail</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>every single one</th>
			<td>each one (do not leave anything or anyone&nbsp;out)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>the meat and&nbsp;potatoes</th>
			<td>the most important part(s), the&nbsp;basics</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>go with your&nbsp;gut</th>
			<td>to follow your instincts</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>gut feeling</th>
			<td>a strong feeling about something or&nbsp;someone</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>dot the i&rsquo;s and cross the&nbsp;t&rsquo;s</th>
			<td>to check one&rsquo;s&nbsp;work</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>double-check</th>
			<td>to check one&rsquo;s work&nbsp;again</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>second-guess</th>
			<td>to doubt oneself</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>


Break a Leg – 7 Exam Tips for English Learners

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<blockquote>
<p>Nobody wants to be isolated&mdash;not even verb&nbsp;tenses!</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Most textbooks present verb tenses in isolation. Students study the simple present before moving onto the present progressive, simple past, etc. This is necessary at first because students need to learn all the rules and exceptions for the <strong>form</strong>&nbsp;(how to form the verb) and <strong>function</strong> (when it&rsquo;s used) of each verb tense in&nbsp;English.</p>

<p>After they&rsquo;ve learned a verb tense, however, it&rsquo;s not always beneficial to only give exercise after exercise where students must produce that one tense. It&rsquo;s easy enough to produce the simple present when it&rsquo;s the only tense being asked for, but can your students distinguish when to use the simple present vs. the present progressive? How about the present vs. the past and&nbsp;future?</p>

<h1>Mix It Up</h1>

<p>When I was teaching four‑skills classes, I found most textbooks were sorely lacking in this area. The tenses were only taught in isolation, and though my students could ace an exercise, they couldn&rsquo;t use the tense properly in general speech or writing. My TOEIC students had the advantage of studying/reviewing some or all the tenses at the same time.</p>

<p>When I saw how teaching and practicing multiple tenses worked for the &ldquo;big verb tense picture,&rdquo; I started creating my own review sheets that mixed the tenses. That way, my students learned how the tenses worked together, and they really understood the importance of <strong>context</strong> and <strong>time markers</strong>. They were better able to <strong>produce the correct tense in everyday speaking and writing</strong>. And as a teacher, I could easily see which tenses were still causing trouble for my&nbsp;students.</p>

<h1>Time for a Change</h1>

<p>At ESL Library, we strive to provide much more than the average textbook. We recently created a NEW, ready‑made mixed tense lesson in our <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons">Grammar Practice Worksheets</a> section: <strong><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons/1963">Verb Tense Review 1 &ndash; The Simple&nbsp;Tenses</a></strong>.</p>

<p>This lesson offers 13 pages of various combinations of <em>the simple present</em>, <em>simple past</em>, <em>simple future</em>, <em>present progressive</em> (also known as <em>present continuous</em>), <em>past progressive</em>, and <em>future&nbsp;progressive</em>.</p>

<p>You&rsquo;ll find exercises that&nbsp;combine:</p>

<ul>
	<li>all six tenses</li>
	<li>the present, past, and&nbsp;future</li>
	<li>the simple present and present&nbsp;progressive</li>
	<li>the simple past and past&nbsp;progressive</li>
	<li>the simple future and future&nbsp;progressive</li>
</ul>

<p>The exercises include verb worksheets as well as speaking and writing exercises, so you will clearly see which tenses your students have mastered and which still require some&nbsp;work.</p>

<p><strong><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons/1997">Verb Tense Review 2 &ndash; The Perfect Tenses</a>&nbsp;</strong>is also available now. This review features a mix of <em>the present perfect</em>, <em>present perfect progressive</em>, <em>past perfect</em>, <em>past perfect progressive</em>, <em>future perfect</em>, and <em>future perfect&nbsp;progressive</em>.</p>

<p>We hope these worksheets are beneficial to you and your students! Please let us know what you think in the comment section&nbsp;below.</p>


Teaching Mixed Tenses

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<p>ESL Library&rsquo;s teaching theme for January is&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/collections/8/lessons">Innovation</a>.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>&ldquo;Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life believing that it is&nbsp;stupid.&rdquo;</p>

<p class="attribution">&mdash;Albert Einstein</p>
</blockquote>

<p>There are those lessons in which our learners come out feeling empowered, as if they have the ability and skills to make a positive impact in the world. These are the lessons in which you leave with an extra jump in your step and it feels great to be a teacher. These are the kind of lessons I live for, the ones in which I feel my students have left with more than knowledge. They have left my class feeling passionate and excited about learning. They have left wanting to create with their&nbsp;knowledge.</p>

<p>This semester try one of the lesson ideas below to get your students feeling innovative&mdash;creating and exploring while they are learning. Then revisit us and let us know how your students responded and&nbsp;reacted.</p>

<h1>Idea #1</h1>

<h4>Advertising This Tool</h4>

<p>Break students into pairs or small groups. Begin this lesson by giving the groups an everyday object like a pen, water bottle, or paperclip. Tell the groups that each object does so much more than what we see. For example, the pen might write secret messages that self destruct. The students can imagine all kinds of possibilities. Then the groups have to create short advertisements to market these new inventions. Here&rsquo;s <a href="http://innovativeproductandmarketingcompetition2011.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">a lesson plan for this project</a> by a language teacher in India. Here are the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/ipm201112?feature=watch" target="_blank">commercials her students came up with that also showcase their inventions</a>. I liked this one where they <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XH6LFbfNv70&amp;list=UUz0pKncdmZXq2vVL2HWKM0A&amp;index=6" target="_blank">invented a new kind of&nbsp;chalkduster</a>.</p>

<h1>Idea #2</h1>

<h4>An Innovation Day</h4>

<p>Have a day in which students are able to create an invention with the help of a mentor. Then give students a chance to showcase their inventions for the community. This idea was inspired by this article, <a href="http://www.good.is/posts/why-every-school-needs-an-innovation-day/" target="_blank">Why Every School Needs an Innovation&nbsp;Day</a>.</p>

<h1>Idea #3</h1>

<h4>Recycled Invention</h4>

<p>Have families, businesses, and the community donate recycled machine parts from cell phones, computers, appliances, and so forth. Spread out these parts on a table, and supply students with glue guns, duct tape, and other supplies to help them create robots or inventions with the recycled materials. Then have students take a photo of their invention and use an app like <a href="http://voicethread.com/" target="_blank">Voicethread</a> to describe their invention. When I worked at a museum, this was an ongoing free project for kids and they loved working with their hands to build with the recycled machinery. They were very creative and loved describing their&nbsp;invention.</p>

<h1>Idea #4</h1>

<h4>Create an App</h4>

<p>Various online tools make it easy for students to create free apps on Google Play. Have students work in pairs or small groups to design an app or you can have your class work with an app developer to create an app. You can try any of these following free app developers: <a href="http://www.webmobi.com/" target="_blank">WebMobi</a>, <a href="http://appshed.com/" target="_blank">AppShed</a>, or&nbsp;<a href="http://mobile.conduit.com/" target="_blank">Conduit</a>.</p>

<h1>Idea #5</h1>

<h4>Solve a Real-World Problem</h4>

<p>Have students brainstorm problems within their community or facing the world. Then students can work in small groups to come up with ideas to solve that problem. You can find a list of <a href="http://prezi.com/z1vfhc7q5xuz/dare-to-believe-problem-based-learning-with-icts/" target="_blank">problem based lesson plans here</a> and discover kids that are coming up with solutions to fix problems worldwide&nbsp;<a href="http://prezi.com/z1vfhc7q5xuz/dare-to-believe-problem-based-learning-with-icts/" target="_blank">in this presentation</a>. <a href="http://www.randomkid.org/" target="_blank">RandomKid</a> is a database dedicated to getting kids to solve world&nbsp;problems.</p>

<h1>Idea #6</h1>

<h4>Life Would Be Easier if&hellip;</h4>

<p>Have a roundtable discussion in which each student talks about what they wish someone would invent to make life&nbsp;easier.</p>

<ul>
	<li>Before the discussion, have students brainstorm problems they deal with daily or what irks them. They can work in pairs and create a mindmap of these problems or jot them in a chart. Try <a href="http://popplet.com/" target="_blank">Popplet</a>, <a href="http://www.twiddla.com/home.aspx" target="_blank">Twiddla</a>, and <a href="https://www.lucidchart.com/" target="_blank">LucidChart</a> to get your students brainstorming with graphic&nbsp;organizers.</li>
	<li>After they come up with problems, it&rsquo;ll be easier for them to jot down possible&nbsp;solutions.</li>
	<li>After they come up with solutions, they will be ready to come up with inventions that will solve these problems. Have them draw a model of this invention and describe&nbsp;it.</li>
</ul>

<h1>Idea #7</h1>

<h4>Interview an Inventor</h4>

<p>Students enjoy learning from creative types. Try finding an inventor in your community who will visit your students live. Have your learners prepare questions for this inventor. You might try Skyping or having a Google HangOut with an inventor you see&nbsp;online.</p>

<h1>Idea #8</h1>

<h4>Develop a Game</h4>

<p>Free <a href="http://scratch.mit.edu/" target="_blank">online tools like Scratch</a> allow students to create their own interactive games and stories that others can play. Have your students develop a game then have others play the game. You can give them a checklist of requirements for the game and assess them with a rubric. Your students can also map and image games with <a href="http://www.purposegames.com/" target="_blank">Purpose Games</a> and various <a href="http://www.classtools.net/" target="_blank">arcade games and QR games with&nbsp;ClassTools</a>.</p>

<h1>Idea #9</h1>

<h4>Discover an Animal, Insect, Species, or&nbsp;Planet</h4>

<p>Many sites and apps inspire kids to describe a creature from their imagination. Below are a list of great webtools and apps to get your students creating their own animals, monsters, bugs, and&nbsp;more.</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="http://www.nightzookeeper.com/" target="_blank">Night Zookeeper</a> &ndash; Students listen to stories from the Night Zookeeper, play creative games, then create animals for the Zookeeper to take care of. You can find several <a href="http://www.nightzookeeper.com/teachers/" target="_blank">lesson plans for teachers on the website</a>. There is a <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/night-zookeeper-drawing-torch/id573502313?mt=8" target="_blank">free app for the iPad</a> where the students can draw their animal and describe&nbsp;it.</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.moshimonsters.com/" target="_blank">MoshiMonsters</a> &ndash; This is a game where students invent a monster, create its home, and then take care of the&nbsp;monster.</li>
	<li><a href="http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/make-your-own/make-your-monster" target="_blank">Make a Monster</a> &ndash; Students create a monster with various physical feature options. Then the monster comes to life, dances, and sings a funny song. I have used this activity for students to create a monster then they have to describe the planet their monster comes from. We usually end the lesson <a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/Oobleck/" target="_blank">making Oobleck</a> in different colors and the students pretending the Oobleck is their planet. You can also have students use Playdoh instead to create their planets. The students also write stories featuring their monsters and the planets they live on. You might try <a href="http://littlebirdtales.com/" target="_blank">Little Bird Tales</a> or <a href="http://zooburst.com/" target="_blank">Zooburst</a> to create these stories&nbsp;online.</li>
	<li><a href="http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/make-your-own/make-dangerous-animal" target="_blank">Make a dangerous animal</a> &ndash; Students create a dangerous animal by choosing from various body part options. Have them create a story featuring their dangerous animals. You might try <a href="http://littlebirdtales.com/" target="_blank">Little Bird Tales</a> or <a href="http://zooburst.com/" target="_blank">Zooburst</a> to create these stories&nbsp;online.</li>
</ul>

<h1>More Great Websites &amp;&nbsp;Resources</h1>

<p>Find more ideas of how to effectively teach about innovation by visiting the resources&nbsp;below:</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="http://www.inventivekids.com/" target="_blank">Inventive Kids</a> &ndash; Great way to discover the latest inventions by kids and find tips to inspire kids to be&nbsp;inventors</li>
	<li><a href="http://inventorspot.com/" target="_blank">Inventor Spot</a> &ndash; Resources for inventors including a database of recent&nbsp;inventions</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.kidinventorsday.com/teachers_guides.htm" target="_blank">Kid Inventors Lesson Plan&nbsp;Ideas</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.ellentv.com/categories/kid-inventors/" target="_blank">Kid Inventors: Video Interviews by Ellen&nbsp;Degeneres</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.kidzworld.com/article/1010-kid-inventors-in-history#" target="_blank">Kid Inventors in&nbsp;History</a></li>
</ul>

<p>What other ideas do you&nbsp;have?</p>

<p>To see more of Shelly&rsquo;s tips for online resources for teaching English, <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/authors/shelly-terrell">check out her&nbsp;feed</a>!</p>


9 Activities to Get Your Learners Thinking Like Inventors

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<h1>Listen up! Transcripts can add a variety of activities to your repertoire.</h1>

<p>Listening is one of the most challenging skills of learning a second language. No matter how well a student may understand the written word or be able to speak in another language, when he or she hears it spoken naturally (i.e., quickly), it can be daunting. You can make it easier on your students by making use of the listening transcripts (for students who are visual learners, transcripts are a godsend). Whether the listening exercise is written out within the lesson (as is the case with ESL Library&rsquo;s lessons) or at the end of the textbook in transcript form, you can now present the listening exercise in many different ways. Why not mix it up from class to class? Variety is the spice of life, after all!</p>

<h3>Method 1: Listen only first, listen with transcript second</h3>

<ol>
	<li>It&rsquo;s a good idea to go over some vocabulary before you listen. You can pick out some tough words from the transcript to cover with your students.</li>
	<li>Present the listening first (without giving students the transcripts). For longer listening tasks, you may want to allow your students to take notes. You could also play the recording a second time before handing out the transcripts (especially for low level students, or difficult, long passages).</li>
	<li>Now give students the transcripts and play the recording again, letting the students listen and read at the same time. Ask students if they have any additional vocabulary questions. This is a great time to go over any slang or idioms that come up.</li>
	<li>For any related comprehension questions that follow, mix it up! You can have them answer the questions after the listening-with-transcript task, or have them answer questions before you do the final listening with the transcript so that they can catch anything they might have missed. If there aren&rsquo;t any comprehension questions available, ask some yourself. Students are a lot more engaged when they know they will be asked questions afterwards.</li>
</ol>

<h3>Method 2: Listen with transcript first, listen only second</h3>

<ol>
	<li>Start with vocabulary. You can pick out some tough words to teach the students, or have students skim the transcript and ask you words they are unfamiliar with.</li>
	<li>Present the first listening while they are reading the transcript. If the material isn&rsquo;t too difficult, you could have them do different things while they listen and read, such as focus on intonation or pronunciation, or underline words they don&rsquo;t know.</li>
	<li>Have them turn over the transcripts and listen to the recording for a second time. Now that they&rsquo;ve heard and read it once, it should be easier to follow this time around. This method is often less frustrating for students, but there should be occasions when you also try method #1, to challenge them. Whether or not to listen for a third time is up to you. I usually go by what the majority of the students want. It&rsquo;s a fine balance between helping out the slower students and not letting the faster students get bored. You could also make the recording available after school or during lunch for any students who want to practice the listening again. This is also part of the beauty of transcripts...slower students can study the written-out recordings later at home.</li>
	<li>Present the comprehension questions and go over any other difficult vocabulary.</li>
</ol>

<h3>Method 3: Fill in the blanks while listening</h3>

<ol>
	<li>This is a fun, different way to use transcripts and vary the listening exercises you give to your students. First, make one copy of the transcript and white out a word or phrase from each speaker&rsquo;s comment, or from every two sentences or so. The amount of blanks will depend on the level of your students. Just make sure not to have too many back to back, as students may get frustrated if they can&rsquo;t keep up.</li>
	<li>Play the recording and let students try to fill in the blanks as they listen. This method ensures engagement during the listening and really makes them aware of each word.</li>
	<li>Play the recording a second time so that students can fill in any blanks they missed during the first go.</li>
	<li>Check the answers together. Make sure you have them check their spelling.</li>
	<li>Now that the blanks are filled in, play the recording a third time and have students concentrate on the overall meaning of the passage.</li>
	<li>Do any comprehension questions and go over any difficult vocabulary.</li>
</ol>

<h3>Method 4: Cut up and put in order</h3>

<ol>
	<li>This is another way of using transcripts creatively. There are two ways to present this method (I prefer the first way). One way is to listen to the recording first, then give the cut-up transcript pieces and have students put them in order second. The second way is to give the cut-up transcript pieces first and have students put them in order, and listen to the passage second. Try both ways for variety and see what your students respond to best.</li>
	<li>To do this method, cut up the transcript into speakers&rsquo; sections (if it&rsquo;s a dialogue) or paragraphs (if it&rsquo;s one long passage). The idea behind presenting the transcript this way is that it forces the students to really think about the meaning of what they&rsquo;re reading and hearing. You can&rsquo;t put something back in order if you don&rsquo;t understand it well. If the transcripts aren&rsquo;t available in the textbook, I always copy them out for students who want to study the dialogue, vocabulary, etc. later at home. In the interest of saving trees, I usually ask how many students actually want a copy, since undoubtedly some of the students will just throw them out. On average, I would say about half the class wants a copy. If you have another way of using transcripts, I&rsquo;d love to hear it! Drop me a line in the comments section below. I hope these tips help your students become great listeners!</li>
</ol>

<p>&mdash;Tanya</p>

<h3>&nbsp;</h3>


Using Listening Transcripts in Class

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<blockquote>
<p>Practice makes perfect&mdash;reviewing new vocabulary can be&nbsp;fun!</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Teaching new vocabulary is all well and good, but without review and practice, it&rsquo;s almost impossible for students to remember all those new words. Simply studying and memorizing the words and definitions can be pretty boring, which makes the new vocab harder to remember. By making vocab review as fun as possible, you will help your students stay interested, and they will retain the new words far more effectively. If you missed my post on <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/4-ways-to-teach-new-vocabulary">teaching new vocabulary</a>, check it out first, then use the following techniques to review the vocab on subsequent&nbsp;days.</p>

<h1>1. Hotseat</h1>

<p>This is a classic! If you know a variation different from the one I&rsquo;ll list here, feel free to leave a comment explaining the changes you make below. We&rsquo;d love to hear your&nbsp;version!</p>

<ul>
	<li>First, divide the students into two&nbsp;teams.</li>
	<li>Have one student from each team sit at the front of the class, in two chairs that face their classmates (with their backs to the board).</li>
	<li>Tell the two students that they&rsquo;re in the &ldquo;hotseat.&rdquo; You will write a word on the board, and students from their team can yell out descriptions of the word. They must not use gestures, give the first letter, or say the actual&nbsp;word.</li>
	<li>Write one word on the board and let the chaos begin! The first student to guess the word correctly gets a point for their&nbsp;team.</li>
	<li>Choose another member from each team, and repeat. Once all the students have had one or two turns (or you&rsquo;ve run out of words), add up the scores. The team with the most points&nbsp;wins!</li>
	<li>If neither student in the hotseat can guess the word, you can give them a hint such as the first letter or a clear&nbsp;description.</li>
</ul>

<p>Warning: This game can get very loud, but it is guaranteed&nbsp;fun!</p>

<div class="whiteBox">
<h5>Teaching Tip</h5>

<p>When students know that this game will be played the following day, they are really motivated to study so that they don&rsquo;t let their team&nbsp;down.</p>
</div>

<h1>2. Matchup</h1>

<p>If you used this technique for <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/4-ways-to-teach-new-vocabulary">teaching vocab</a>, this is a great way to reuse the slips of paper that you cut&nbsp;up.</p>

<ul>
	<li>If you haven&rsquo;t already done so, print out a list of words and definitions (one list per small group or pair), and then cut all of the words and definitions into slips of paper and mix them up. Don&rsquo;t forget to keep a master list for yourself for easy&nbsp;reference.</li>
	<li>Distribute the words and definitions to the groups/pairs. For lower levels, separate the word slips and the definition slips into two piles to make it a bit&nbsp;easier.</li>
	<li>Tell students to match up the words and definitions. To make it more competitive, the first group/pair to correctly match everything up&nbsp;wins!</li>
</ul>

<div class="whiteBox">
<h5>Teaching Tip</h5>

<p>While this activity takes a long time when students are initially learning the words (and guessing), it is very quick as a review activity, and may not be worth all the time you spend cutting up the slips of paper if you didn&rsquo;t use them to teach the vocab&nbsp;too. Note that you can also use these slips for activities 3 and 4 below!</p>
</div>

<h1>3. Concentration &ndash; Activity&nbsp;A</h1>

<ul>
	<li>Use the slips of paper from activity&nbsp;#2, and arrange them face down on the table for each pair or small group of&nbsp;students.</li>
	<li>Students take turns turning over any two of the cards. If students choose correctly (they turn over a word that matches the definition or vice versa), they can keep the pair of paper slips. If they choose incorrectly, they must turn the slips over again and place them back in the same&nbsp;place.</li>
	<li>Once all the slips have been matched up, students should add up how many pairs they have. The student with the most matches&nbsp;wins!</li>
</ul>

<div class="whiteBox">
<h5>Teaching Tip</h5>

<p>This popular game is also known as &ldquo;Memory.&rdquo;</p>
</div>

<h1>4. Concentration &ndash; Activity&nbsp;B</h1>

<ul>
	<li>Draw a grid on the board with 20 squares (5&nbsp;&times;&nbsp;4). Write the numbers 1&ndash;20 in the top left hand corner of each square. Have a master list for yourself that you can refer to with ten words and ten corresponding definitions filled into the grid (one word or definition per square, with the order mixed&nbsp;up).</li>
	<li>Divide the students into two teams. Ask one student from team&nbsp;A to choose one box. Write the word or definition in the center of the box. Have that same student choose another box. Fill in that box&nbsp;too.</li>
	<li>If the two boxes create a match (word + definition), leave the words written in the boxes and give that team a point. If they don&rsquo;t match, erase both boxes and repeat the process with a student from team&nbsp;B.</li>
	<li>Continue until all the boxes are filled in. For the last pair of boxes, make it more challenging by having that team member guess the last box (i.e., if the word is chosen, write the word in the box, but then the student must tell you the definition without seeing the last box, and vice versa). The team with the most points&nbsp;wins!</li>
</ul>

<div class="whiteBox">
<h5>Teaching Tip</h5>

<p>Most boards will clearly show which spots have been erased, thus making it easier for students to remember which numbers have already been chosen. To make it more challenging, when setting up the board, run the eraser over the center of each box before starting the&nbsp;game.</p>
</div>

<p>I hope these activities will make it easier for your students to remember new words. Have&nbsp;fun!</p>

<p>Tanya</p>
