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Teaching with Ellii

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

Articles

<p><em>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!</em></p>

<p>After teaching math, science, and academic English for over 20 years in high schools, Emmalyn received her TESL certification in 2019. Then, she began working at the <a href="http://www.folk-arts.ca/" target="_blank">Niagara Folk Arts Multicultural Centre</a> (NFAMC) in Ontario, Canada as a LINC/ESL teaching assistant.</p>

<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always enjoyed teaching. It doesn&rsquo;t matter if it&rsquo;s piano, math, science, or English. I&rsquo;ve always considered one of my strengths to be understanding a concept&nbsp;and then breaking it down in such a way as to make it understandable to the student.&rdquo;</p>

<p><img alt="A woman (Emmalyn) smiling and standing next to a presentation board" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1595/content_Melissa_Teacher-Feature_Emmalyn_TESL-Certification-Presentation.jpg" /></p>

<p class="caption">Here, Emmalyn is pictured with a presentation she did for her TESL certification.</p>

<p>The NFAMC provides settlement services, including ESL classes ranging from literacy to CLB 6, for newcomers to Canada. The students are anywhere from 18 years old to seniors, and Emmalyn teaches a different class every day.</p>

<p>&ldquo;It is amazing being in a class with such cultural diversity. Hearing about students&rsquo; experiences is not only a learning experience for me, but also a wake-up call, in terms of how much we take living in Canada for granted.&rdquo;</p>

<p><img alt="A woman (Emmalyn) standing in front of a sign reading LINC English Classes for Immigrants" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1555/content_The_first_photo_is_me_at_the_centre.jpg" /></p>

<p class="caption">Here, Emmalyn is pictured at the Niagara Folk Arts Multicultural Centre.</p>

<p>Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, classes took place in person Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm. Currently, they are teaching online. As a result, a typical day for Emmalyn includes finding resources, converting them into online assignments, posting the assignments, marking, and providing the class teachers with feedback.</p>

<p>A typical day also involves planning a lesson that corresponds with the centre&rsquo;s monthly theme. For example, in May, the monthly theme was employment. In June, the monthly theme is Canadian culture. Each lesson is adjusted to the level of the class and the students, and includes listening, speaking, reading and writing.</p>

<p>&ldquo;This is where ESL Library comes in handy. There are countless topics, all differentiated according to various levels. Flashcards, videos, listening, vocabulary, crosswords. It&rsquo;s all there. The Taskplayer feature is especially useful for the lower-level classes. They love the Picture Dictionary. This resource has saved me so much time.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Check out Emmalyn&rsquo;s text response below to learn more about why she loves ESL Library and how she uses it with her students.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>💬 Hello ESL Library Staff,</p>

<p>First of all, can I just say thank you for these awesome resources! So many topics, so many levels, and so many opportunities to address different skills in class. Thank you, thank you, thank you!</p>

<p>Let me tell you a bit about myself. My name is Emmalyn and I am an assistant teacher at a multicultural centre offering the LINC program to adult newcomers. I alternate between different levels of ESL classes ranging from Literacy to Level 5/6. Your resource allows me to pick and choose both topics and level-appropriate material.</p>

<p>How do I use the resources? Before the virus, I would print out the PDFs for the topics I wanted and use them in class. When we were first online, our centre upgraded our membership and teachers sent interactive lessons to students via Google Classroom. At the start of the school year, I saw the interactive view available. This worked especially well with the Literacy students. I would project the vocab and flashcards and they would name them. I would also project their handouts and use the annotation features to correct our work. This minimized touching paper, chalk, etc. and maximized space as students were able to remain at their desks. I also print out the flashcards and put them on the board. The clear visuals allow me and the students to participate in many different sorts of activities like identification, spelling, sentence construction, etc. Your website has been a valuable resource. I can&#39;t stress enough how thankful I am!</p>

<p class="attribution">Emmalyn Sumodobila</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Want to share why you love ESL Library and how you use it in your classroom? <a href="http://www.videoask.com/fw0f8td5x" target="_blank">Tell us here</a>.</p>


Teacher Feature: Emmalyn

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<p><em>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!</em></p>

<p>Out of necessity and due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Liat began teaching English classes online in Santiago&mdash;both the capital and largest city in Chile.</p>

<p>&ldquo;I am very new to teaching. Now I have realized that I actually enjoy teaching and I want to get better at it every day.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Liat teaches teenagers and adults at the basic to upper-intermediate levels. Since her students&#39; goals, interests, and needs vary, each day is different and each class is dynamic.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>&ldquo;Not every day is the same, which makes it even more exciting! I try to make my classes as engaging as possible.&rdquo;</p>
</blockquote>

<p>For Liat, the most challenging part about being a teacher is when students aren&rsquo;t motivated to learn.</p>

<p>&ldquo;That can make you feel a bit frustrated, but you try your best to connect with your students and help them as much as possible.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Despite this challenge, and even though she has only been teaching English for around a year, Liat is always looking for ways to improve her teaching and has enjoyed the experience so far.</p>

<p>&ldquo;Definitely one of the most rewarding parts of being a teacher are those moments when you see a smile on your student&#39;s face and when they let you know that they are starting to feel a lot better and confident thanks to your help and guidance.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Liat is fairly new to ESL Library but she&rsquo;s a big fan. Watch the video below to see why she loves ESL Library and how she uses it with her students.</p>

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="camera *; microphone *; encrypted-media *; fullscreen *; display-capture *;" height="600px" src="https://www.videoask.com/ak3cgxrxf1ocip3tnqki6t45y4aqfxmkyxiktobq" style="border: none; border-radius: 24px" width="100%"></iframe></div>

<p>Want to share why you love ESL Library and how you use it in your classroom? <a href="https://www.videoask.com/fw0f8td5x" target="_blank">Tell us here</a>.</p>


Teacher Feature: Liat

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<p>Every good teacher knows that students are most engaged when having fun. Fun takes the pressure out of lessons, allowing students to learn without fear of making mistakes. And you know what&rsquo;s fun? Improv!</p>

<h1>What is improv?</h1>

<p>Improvisational theater, or improv, is a type of theater in which the actors make up the play or scene on the spot. This means there is no script, no director, and no costumes. Actors develop their characters while they are already on the stage&nbsp;and react to each other in real time, working together to build a story.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Aside from being fun, improvisational theater has many benefits. It can help people gain confidence, improve public speaking skills, and become more adaptable in unpredictable situations. It sharpens transferrable skills that are useful for acing job interviews, building relationships with peers and colleagues, and connecting with one&rsquo;s inner child. Applied to ESL students specifically, improv provides opportunity to practice vocabulary and build confidence in both speaking and&nbsp;listening.</p>

<h1>The main principles of improvisational theater also apply to&nbsp;life</h1>

<h2>Yes, and!</h2>

<p>&quot;Yes, and!&rdquo; is the most famous principle of improv. The meaning behind these two words is simple: &ldquo;Yes&rdquo; means you must accept whatever information your scene partner gives you, and &ldquo;and&rdquo; means you must build upon that information.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Here&rsquo;s an example:</p>

<blockquote>
<p><strong>Student 1:</strong> Hello, John. Good to see you again. It says on your chart that you&rsquo;re here because of a knee injury.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>(From this information alone, Student&nbsp;2 can infer that Student 1 is playing the part of a doctor.&nbsp;Student&nbsp;1&#39;s tone&nbsp;implies that they have met before.)</p>

<blockquote>
<p><strong>Student 2:</strong> Yes, Dr. Rodriguez. I tripped over my dog this morning and hurt my knee. I&rsquo;m afraid it might be serious.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>(Here, Student 2 has accepted Student 1&rsquo;s proposition of being a doctor. Student 2 has named Student 1&rsquo;s character&nbsp;and added the information that the knee injury was caused by tripping over a&nbsp;dog.)</p>

<p>In a less literal sense, &ldquo;Yes, and!&rdquo; also highlights the spirit of positivity in improv, which is of course also relevant to the classroom since positivity is conducive to a healthy learning environment. Let&rsquo;s return to the example above. What would happen if the scene played out like&nbsp;this?</p>

<p>An example of what <em>not</em> to&nbsp;do:</p>

<blockquote>
<p><strong>Student 1:</strong> Hello, John. Good to see you again. It says on your chart that you&rsquo;re here because of a knee&nbsp;injury.</p>

<p><strong>Student 2:</strong> My name isn&rsquo;t John, and you&rsquo;re not a&nbsp;doctor!</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Here, Student 2&nbsp;has denied Student 1&rsquo;s idea, and now the scene cannot go&nbsp;anywhere.</p>

<h2>Mistakes are gifts</h2>

<p>What could be more empowering than the idea that you can never be wrong? While of course it<b> </b><em>is</em> possible to be wrong when it comes to grammar, students find it liberating to not have to worry too much about what comes out of their mouth. After all, whatever they say must be supported by their scene partner, so the idea that they might be shamed for saying the wrong thing is completely&nbsp;nonexistent.</p>

<h2>Listen to your partner</h2>

<p>Listening skills are important both to learning the English language and to performing a strong improv scene. Listening not only to one&#39;s partner&rsquo;s words but also to their tone allows the listener to pick up on all sorts of information that then can be used in the&nbsp;scene.</p>

<h1>So, how can we use improv in the&nbsp;classroom?</h1>

<p>The easiest way to incorporate improv in the classroom is simply by performing two-person scenes. The teacher can give each group of two a suggestion, such as a relationship: &ldquo;brother and sister,&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;therapist and patient,&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;king and servant&rdquo;;&nbsp;a single location: &ldquo;You&rsquo;re in an airplane!,&rdquo; &ldquo;You&rsquo;re at a gas station!,&rdquo; &ldquo;You&rsquo;re at a child&rsquo;s birthday party!&rdquo;; or even just a single word of inspiration: &ldquo;Pineapple!,&rdquo; &ldquo;NASA!,&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;Anniversary!&rdquo;</p>

<p>However, teachers might want a bit more guidance than this, and ESL&nbsp;Library has a number of resources that can be adapted for improv activities. For example, words from the <a href="https://ellii.com/flashcard_genres"><b>Flashcards</b></a> section can be selected at random for scene&nbsp;inspiration.</p>

<p>For a more structured approach, there are a number of scene ideas in our <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/96/lessons"><b>Role-Play</b></a> section, which provides not only situations but also teachers&#39; notes, including suggestions for dealing with shy students. Take information from the &ldquo;scenario&rdquo; section and choose two students to perform the scene while the rest of the class watches. For an additional task, have the students in the audience copy down sentences they hear. I always encourage the entire class to shout &ldquo;Best Scene Ever!&rdquo; after every scene to add to the spirit of positivity and&nbsp;fun.</p>


Improv in the Classroom

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<p><em>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!</em></p>

<p>A few years ago, Khaled was invited to speak to a group of students about reading books. As he spoke to the students, he felt an instant connection. That was the moment he knew that he had a knack for teaching.</p>

<p>Khaled teaches English to college students in Abha, Saudi Arabia. According to Khaled, Abha is known for having natural beauty, rainy weather, and a cool climate.</p>

<p><img alt="a picture of Khaled wearing traditional Saudi Arabia clothes" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1505/content_K.jpg" style="width: 200px; height: 258px;" /></p>

<p class="caption">In this picture, Khaled is wearing a thobe (garment worn by men), a kaffiyeh (headdress), and a black iqal (used to keep kaffiyeh in place).</p>

<p>For Khaled, the most challenging part of teaching is keeping students engaged and holding their interest throughout the lesson, and the most rewarding part is inspiring students.</p>

<p>&ldquo;A good teacher inspires students to do their best. They inspire their colleagues to work hard. They inspire everybody around them to be happy and creative.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Prior to COVID-19, Khaled had never taught online. As schools closed and classes moved online, he worried about how he would continue to teach throughout the pandemic. He confided in a friend who introduced him to ESL Library. Watch this video to see why Khaled loves ESL Library and how he uses it!</p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="918" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rLgTVypfef8" title="Teacher Feature  Khaled" width="516"></iframe></p>

<p>&ldquo;There are many people out there who are eager to learn this language, but because they never had the chance to learn it or a good teacher, they stopped pursuing their dreams of speaking this language. I have taught several students for free and I am happy to say they now can speak English.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Want to share how you use ESL Library in your classroom? <a href="http://www.videoask.com/fw0f8td5x" target="_blank">Tell us here</a>.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Teacher Feature: Khaled

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<blockquote>
<p>Update: June 8, 2022</p>

<p>We now have <a href="https://ellii.com/collections/clb-competencies">CLB Competencies Collections</a>! You can filter by level.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Are you a Canadian teacher&nbsp;looking for content for your CLB 5+ adult newcomers? ESL Library (now Ellii)&nbsp;has several sections you might be interested in. Here are a few places to get started.&nbsp;</p>

<h1>Teach about Life, Work&nbsp;&amp; Culture&nbsp;in Canada</h1>

<p>These sections and lessons include content related to LINC themes.</p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/112/lessons">Pre-Employment in Canada</a></h2>

<p>Try a lesson on <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/112/lessons/2480">Career Fairs</a>. (CLB 5)</p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/75/lessons">Living in English&nbsp;</a></h2>

<p>Try a lesson on <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/75/lessons/2737">Insurance</a>. (CLB 5&ndash;7)</p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/93/lessons">Holidays &amp; Events&nbsp;</a></h2>

<p>Try a lesson on <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/93/lessons/1852">Victoria Day</a>. (CLB 5&ndash;6)</p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/98/lessons">Historic Events</a></h2>

<p>Try a lesson on <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/98/lessons/2092">Residential Schools</a>. (CLB 5&ndash;8)</p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/80/lessons">Famous People</a></h2>

<p>Try a lesson on <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/80/lessons/1398">Tim Horton</a>. (CLB 5&ndash;6)</p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/81/lessons">Famous Places</a></h2>

<p>Try a lesson on <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/81/lessons/3082">Toronto</a>. (CLB 5&ndash;6)</p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/82/lessons">Famous Things</a></h2>

<p>Try a lesson on <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/82/lessons/2963">The Charter of Rights and Freedoms</a>. (CLB 6&ndash;8)</p>

<hr />
<h1>Focus on Skills Needed for Reading &amp; Writing at School &amp; Work</h1>

<p>These sections and lessons focus on reading and writing skills.</p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/74/lessons">Writing in English&nbsp;</a></h2>

<p>Try a lesson on <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/74/lessons/3569">How to Take Notes</a>. (CLB 5&ndash;9)</p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/127/lessons">Reading in English</a>&nbsp;</h2>

<p>Try a lesson on <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/127/lessons/3038">Identifying Register</a>. (CLB 6&ndash;8)</p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons">Grammar Practice Worksheets</a>&nbsp;</h2>

<p>Our Grammar Practice Worksheets lessons include practical writing and speaking prompts.</p>

<p>Try a lesson on <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons/1607">Equative, Comparative, &amp; Superlative Adjectives</a> (with two videos).&nbsp;(CLB 5&ndash;6)</p>

<hr />
<h1>Read about &amp; Discuss/Debate Real-World Topics</h1>

<p>These sections and lessons focus on reading and speaking competencies, including comprehending and sharing information.</p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/72/lessons">Discussion Starters&nbsp;</a></h2>

<p>Try a lesson on <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/72/lessons/2091">Food Labels</a>. (CLB 7&ndash;8)</p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/73/lessons">Mini-Debates</a></h2>

<p>Try a lesson on<a href="https://ellii.com/courses/73/lessons/2719"> Online Privacy</a>. (CLB 7&ndash;9)</p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/133/lessons">That&#39;s News to Me</a></h2>

<p>Don&#39;t let this section title scare you away! We cover plenty of international topics.</p>

<p>Try a lesson on <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/133/lessons/3403">Hoarding Vaccines</a>. (CLB 6&ndash;8)</p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/95/lessons">Health Matters</a></h2>

<p>These lessons are all centred around thematic lists.</p>

<p>Try a lesson on <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/95/lessons/2802">Diabetes</a>. (CLB 5&ndash;7)</p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/86/lessons">Business Matters</a></h2>

<p>Try a lesson on <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/86/lessons/3406">Leadership Qualities</a>. (CLB 9&ndash;11)</p>

<hr />
<h1>Find Extra Resources for CLB 5+</h1>

<p>Visit our Resource Library for lots of extra resources and assessment tools.&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/105/resources/3611">Speak Up</a>&nbsp;(Speaking prompts)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/105/resources/3087">Conversation Questions</a> (Themes)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/3584">Teacher Evaluation Forms</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/3651">Digital Literacy Needs Assessment</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/2450">Grammar Test 3</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/2451">Grammar Test&nbsp;4</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/2326">Advanced Reading Comprehension&nbsp;</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/2771">Role-Play Assessment Tool</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/2383">Personal Opinion Assessment Tool</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/2966">Vocabulary Cards</a></li>
</ul>

<p>You can also invite your students to our <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/categories/for-students">For Students</a> section on our blog where they will find extra activities for practising English.</p>

<p>Try&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/blog/live-longer-with-small-talk">Can Making Small Talk Help You Live Longer?</a>&nbsp;</p>

<hr />
<h1>Useful Courses/Folders for CLB 5+</h1>

<p>Here are some ready-made, theme-based folders. You can <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/introducing-esl-library-folders">copy these folders</a> into your own folders to create the modules you need.</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/folders/published/72702">Family &amp; Relationships</a> (CLB 4&ndash;5)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/folders/published/76851">Financial Literacy</a>&nbsp;(CLB 5+)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/folders/published/71501">Health</a>&nbsp;(CLB 5&ndash;8)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/folders/published/71515">Health</a> (CLB 9&ndash;12)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/folders/published/82132">Digital Literacy</a>&nbsp;(CLB 5+)</li>
</ul>

<hr />
<h1>Coming Soon...</h1>

<p>Here are some&nbsp;intermediate to high-intermediate&nbsp;materials that the publishing team is currently working on.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/folders/published">Ellii Folders</a></h2>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/128/resources">Real-World Reading</a></h2>

<p>Try a lesson on <a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/128/resources/3382">School Letters</a>. (CLB 5&ndash;6)</p>

<h2>Functional Business&nbsp;</h2>

<p>Watch for this new <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/135/lessons">Business English</a> section that will focus on speaking and listening.</p>

<hr />
<p>Did you know that we develop materials based on teacher requests? This month we&#39;re working on a <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/93/lessons">Holidays &amp; Events</a> lesson on <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/93/lessons/3668">St. Jean Baptiste Day</a> as well as videos for our <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/76/lessons">Everyday Dialogues</a> lessons. These are just a few examples of requests that came in from LINC programs across Canada this spring.&nbsp;Please leave a comment and let us know what you and your students need so that we can try to fit it into our publishing schedule.</p>


Suggested Lessons & Sections for CLB 5+

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

For Students

<p>In January of 2020, Doris moved to Thailand from China with her two young daughters, Candy and Cherry. Even though all she knew was one Thai word and very little English, she found a house to rent, bought a car, and registered her daughters for school.</p>

<p>Later that year, she enrolled in an English class. According to her teacher, Myriam, she was a good writer and understood basic grammar.</p>

<p><img alt="Doris and Myriam" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1460/content_125202364_5193540807352955_7074738393205264499_o.jpg" /></p>

<p class="caption">Here, Doris (left) is pictured with Myriam (right).</p>

<p>Since she began learning English, Doris has been a studious student. She reads self-study books, attends an extra weekly conversation class, and always completes her homework assignments.</p>

<p>Doris is very motivated and makes learning English a priority,&rdquo; Myriam says.</p>

<p>Recently, Myriam used the <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/129/lessons">True Grammar Stories</a><i> </i>lesson as inspiration for an incredible activity. After reading the friendship story about <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/129/lessons/3358">Dan and Norah</a>, Myriam had Doris write her own story. Doris wrote about her daughter, Candy. Listen to Doris read the story she wrote and follow along with the transcript as she speaks.</p>

<div class="ckeditor-html5-audio" style="text-align: center;">
<audio controls="controls" controlslist="nodownload" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/attachments/1461/Big_coach_.mp3">&nbsp;</audio>
</div>

<blockquote>
<p>Transcript:</p>

<p>Candy is my seven-year-old daughter.</p>

<p>A few days ago, at Candy&rsquo;s tennis class, I saw her talking with an old person. He is from Australia. I don&rsquo;t know his name but he told Candy that his name is Big Coach!</p>

<p>Candy thought that he was lonely because he was sitting alone. She went up to him and said, &ldquo;Hi, what&rsquo;s your name?&rdquo;</p>

<p>The old man said, &ldquo;You need to call me Big Coach!&rdquo;</p>

<p>Candy said, &ldquo;No, that young man is my coach!&rdquo;</p>

<p>But he replied, &ldquo;No&hellip; he is small coach. I am Big Coach!&rdquo;</p>

<p>So, whenever Candy sees him, she shouts, &ldquo;Hello, Big Coach!&rdquo; and she told me, &ldquo;This is his name!&rdquo;</p>
</blockquote>

<p><img alt="Candy and Big Coach" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1462/content_image__1_.png" /></p>

<p class="attribution">Here, Candy (right) is pictured with Big Coach (left).</p>

<p>We hope you enjoyed learning about Doris and Myriam, and that Doris&rsquo;s story inspires you! Teachers, do you have a fun student project to share? Tell us about it in the comments below for a chance to have it featured on our blog!</p>


Student Spotlight: Doris

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

Grammar & Usage

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

Courses

<p>Welcome to <a href="https://ellii.com/folders/published">Ellii&#39;s guided grammar courses</a>! These courses were designed to present lessons on the main grammar targets of the English language in a suggested teaching order along with complementary materials (charts, flashcard sets, lessons using the target in context,&nbsp;etc.).</p>

<p>Teachers can have students work through the grammar courses continuously or in conjunction with other leveled courses&nbsp;in <a href="https://ellii.com/folders/published">Ellii Folders</a>.</p>

<h1>Teachers&#39;&nbsp;Notes</h1>

<p>To access the grammar courses, log in to <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons">Ellii</a>&nbsp;and go to <a href="https://ellii.com/folders/published">Folders</a> (in the Saved drop-down menu). Click on the <a href="https://ellii.com/folders/published">Ellii Folders</a> heading. In our folders, you will see various courses arranged by level and/or theme, including the grammar&nbsp;courses.</p>

<h2>Levels</h2>

<p>The grammar courses are divided into <strong>nine folders</strong>. There are <strong>seven levels</strong> in total, but High Beg and Int levels are subdivided into parts&nbsp;A and B due to the volume of content. The following table contains the course name, the complete level name, and corresponding levels in Ellii&#39;s lessons.</p>

<p>If you&#39;re wondering which level to use with your students, our <a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources">Grammar Tests</a> can be used for placement. Note that they are also used for assessment throughout the grammar courses, though there are other assessment options available to you (scroll down to the Assessment section below).&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/blog/introducing-our-new-grammar-tests">See more info on Ellii&#39;s Grammar&nbsp;Tests</a>.</p>

<table>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<th>Grammar Course<br />
			Name</th>
			<th>Level<br />
			Name</th>
			<th>Corresponding<br />
			Ellii Levels</th>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Pre Beg</td>
			<td>pre-beginner</td>
			<td>Pre Beg,<br />
			Pre Beg &ndash; Beg</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Beg</td>
			<td>beginner</td>
			<td>Beg</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>High Beg A</td>
			<td>high-beginner</td>
			<td>Beg &ndash; Low Int</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>High Beg B</td>
			<td>high-beginner</td>
			<td>Beg &ndash; Low Int,<br />
			Low Int</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Low Int</td>
			<td>low-intermediate</td>
			<td>Low Int,<br />
			Low Int &ndash; Int</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Int A</td>
			<td>intermediate</td>
			<td>Int</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Int B</td>
			<td>intermediate</td>
			<td>Int,<br />
			Int &ndash; High Int</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>High Int</td>
			<td>high-intermediate</td>
			<td>Int &ndash; High Int,<br />
			High Int</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Adv</td>
			<td>advanced</td>
			<td>High Int &ndash; Adv,<br />
			Adv</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<h2>Course Content</h2>

<p>In each level of the grammar courses, you will find a list of various materials in a suggested teaching order. Materials&nbsp;include:</p>

<ul>
	<li><strong>Lessons</strong> (one or more comprehensive lessons on a grammar&nbsp;target)</li>
	<li><strong>Resources</strong> (charts or other handy reference&nbsp;materials)</li>
	<li><strong>Flashcards</strong> (pre-made flashcard sets to show in class or&nbsp;online)</li>
	<li><strong>Blog Posts</strong> (examples and teaching tips on how to present the&nbsp;target)</li>
	<li><strong>Other Lessons</strong> (lessons from non-grammar sections that contain the grammar target in&nbsp;context)</li>
</ul>

<h3>Suggested Order</h3>

<p>You can adapt the order and content based on your students&rsquo; needs and the length of your course. These materials are in a suggested order, but you do not need to follow this order exactly or use all of these&nbsp;lessons.</p>

<p>You may want to ask yourself these questions: What errors do my students make over and over again? What grammar questions come up in class? Could my learners benefit from additional materials on a certain target, or do they have a good grasp of it after the main&nbsp;lesson?</p>

<p>Keep in mind that you can also use some of the supplementary content for homework, review, or&nbsp;assessment.</p>

<h3>Digital Tasks</h3>

<p>Most of the suggested lessons have digital tasks so that you can teach your students online or assign digital homework. If you need help using the digital platform, visit our <a href="https://help.ellii.com/category/110-digital-tools" target="_blank">Help&nbsp;Docs</a>.</p>

<p>If you are only able to teach online at this time and you want to use a lesson that is currently only available as a PDF, you can download the Student PDF and email it to your student(s) or you can open it on a shared screen while you teach an online&nbsp;lesson.</p>

<h3>Course Content Notes</h3>

<p>Targets in each level often have a variety of supplementary material to choose from. Look at the Details column within each Grammar Course folder to help you decide which additional content to use. You can choose supplementary materials that are slightly easier or more difficult if your students are struggling or finding a target too easy. For difficult targets, you may decide to use all the supplementary&nbsp;materials.</p>

<p>Some levels of the courses begin with a review of the main verb tense learned in the previous level. If your students are quite comfortable with that target, you can skip&nbsp;it.</p>

<p>Main grammar targets also contain blog posts that precede the lesson in the suggested teaching order. They contain helpful tips on how to best present&nbsp;the grammar target. Note that the blog posts were written for you, the teacher (though you can choose to share them directly with your students by screensharing or printing them out, if you&nbsp;wish).</p>

<p>Some resources, such as the verb tense resources, are charts that are also included in the grammar notes of the main lesson. You may choose to include them as a handy reference for your students, or you can skip&nbsp;them.</p>

<p>Lower levels often have two comprehensive lessons on a target to choose from. Lessons from our <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons">Grammar Practice Worksheets</a> are geared toward teens and adults, while our <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/116/lessons">Fun Grammar Lessons</a> are geared toward young learners. However, you can also choose to do both lessons, especially if your students need more practice with a particular target (and adult learners can always benefit from more illustrations&nbsp;too).</p>

<p>Lower levels also benefit from flashcards in the <a href="https://ellii.com/flashcard_genres" target="_blank">Flashcard Library</a>. We&#39;ve included some ready-made sets for you in the folders. You can also create and broadcast your own digital flashcard sets using our <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/flashcard-player">Flashcard&nbsp;Player</a>.</p>

<h2>Learning Objectives</h2>

<p>Here is a brief overview of the grammar targets covered in each level of the grammar courses. (For another overview of the suggested teaching order of grammar targets, click Teaching Order in the drop-down menu of the Select Sort Method filter on our <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons">Grammar Practice Worksheets</a> landing&nbsp;page.)</p>

<table>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<th>Level</th>
			<th>Grammar Targets</th>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Pre&nbsp;Beg</td>
			<td>be, have, simple present, nouns, adjectives, yes/no questions, can</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Beg</td>
			<td>be, nouns, articles, there is/there are, subject &amp; object pronouns, simple present, imperative verbs, modals of ability</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>High&nbsp;Beg&nbsp;A</td>
			<td>present progressive, adverbs of frequency, adjectives, prepositions of time, prepositions of place</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>High&nbsp;Beg&nbsp;B</td>
			<td>parts of speech, prefixes, suffixes, simple past, used to, there is/there are, yes/no questions, wh- questions</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Low&nbsp;Int</td>
			<td>modals of ability (past), non-count nouns, quantifiers, possessive nouns, adverbs of manner, prepositions of direction, simple future</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Int&nbsp;A</td>
			<td>collocations, subject&ndash;verb agreement, reflexive &amp; intensive pronouns, gerunds &amp; infinitives, modals of advice, modals of possibility, first conditional, comparative &amp; superlative adjectives, comparative &amp; superlative adverbs</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Int&nbsp;B</td>
			<td>present perfect, present perfect progressive, modals of necessity &amp; obligation, second conditional, complete sentences, conjunctions, tag questions, past progressive, future progressive</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>High&nbsp;Int</td>
			<td>phrasal verbs, passive voice, causative verbs, third conditional, past modals, adjective clauses, adjectives phrases, adverb clauses, transition words</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Adv</td>
			<td>passive causative, reported speech, embedded questions, past perfect, past perfect progressive, subjunctive, future perfect, future perfect progressive</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<h2>Assessment</h2>

<p>There are several ways to assess your students&#39; progress in the grammar courses, both within each level and cumulatively throughout the courses. You may choose to use some of the assessment tools listed below as review and others as&nbsp;assessment.</p>

<ul>
	<li><strong>Quizzes</strong> on each of the main grammar targets within most lessons (<a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons">Grammar Practice Worksheets</a> and <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/116/lessons">Fun Grammar Lessons</a>) in each&nbsp;level</li>
	<li><strong>Exit Tests </strong>that&nbsp;provide a comprehensive assessment for each level of the course
	<ul>
		<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/3544">Pre Beg Assessment</a></li>
		<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/3549">Beg Assessment</a></li>
		<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/3557">High Beg A Assessment</a></li>
		<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/3558">High Beg B Assessment</a></li>
		<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/3559">Low Int Assessment</a></li>
		<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/3560">Int A Assessment</a></li>
		<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/3561">Int B Assessment</a></li>
		<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/3562">High Int Assessment</a></li>
		<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/3550">Adv Assessment</a></li>
	</ul>
	</li>
	<li><strong>Verb Tense Reviews&nbsp;</strong>that demonstrate students&#39; understanding of the six simple and six perfect tenses, including mixed-tense exercises
	<ul>
		<li>Find&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons/1963">Verb Tense Review 1</a> at the end of <a href="https://ellii.com/folders/published/70262">Int&nbsp;B</a></li>
		<li>Find&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons/1997">Verb Tense Review 2</a> at the end of <a href="https://ellii.com/folders/published/70264">Adv</a></li>
	</ul>
	</li>
	<li><strong>Grammar Tests&nbsp;</strong>that provide a cumulative assessment of students&#39; progress throughout the courses
	<ul>
		<li>Find&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/2448">Grammar Test 1</a> at the end of <a href="https://ellii.com/folders/published/77167">High Beg&nbsp;B</a></li>
		<li>Find&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/2449">Grammar Test 2</a> at the end of <a href="https://ellii.com/folders/published/70260">Low Int</a></li>
		<li>Find&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/2450">Grammar Test 3</a> at the end of <a href="https://ellii.com/folders/published/70262">Int&nbsp;B</a></li>
		<li>Find&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/2451">Grammar Test 4</a> at the end of <a href="https://ellii.com/folders/published/70264">Adv</a></li>
	</ul>
	</li>
</ul>

<h1>More Grammar Content</h1>

<p>Ellii has many materials that cover grammar targets in a variety of ways. You can search for a grammar target by clicking on the magnifying glass icon in the top right corner of our site, or you can look through the targets on each main lesson section page (links below). Levels that lessons are offered in are listed beside each lesson section. This list also includes some resources that apply to all&nbsp;levels.</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons">Grammar Practice Worksheets</a> (Beg &ndash; Adv)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/116/lessons">Fun Grammar Lessons</a> (Beg &ndash; High&nbsp;Int)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/123/lessons">Super Simple Grammar</a> (Pre Beg &ndash; Beg)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/90/lessons">Grammar Stories</a> (Beg &ndash; Int)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/129/lessons">True Grammar Stories</a> (Beg &ndash; Low&nbsp;Int)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/89/lessons">Basic Grammar Sentences</a> (Beg &ndash; Int)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/91/lessons">Simple Sentences</a> (Beg &ndash; Low&nbsp;Int)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/103/resources">Grammar &amp; Usage Resources</a> (Beg &ndash; Adv)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/categories/grammar-usage">Grammar &amp; Usage Blog Posts</a> (Beg &ndash; Adv)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/folders/published/69792">Grammar Videos</a> (Beg &ndash; Int with more added every month; find various targets in related Grammar Practice Worksheets lesson or on our YouTube channel)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources">Grammar Placement/Exit Tests</a> (Beg, Low&nbsp;Int, Int, High&nbsp;Int&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;Adv)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/133/lessons">That&#39;s News to Me</a>&nbsp;(Low Int &ndash; Adv; find authentic news articles for finding grammar in&nbsp;context)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/103/resources/2809">Verb Conjugations</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/103/resources/2808">Verb Conjugations &ndash; Condensed</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/103/resources/2851">Verb Tense Review</a></li>
</ul>

<p>We hope you and your students enjoy our guided grammar courses! Stay tuned for more grammar courses in the future, such as grammar in context, grammar for young learners,&nbsp;etc.</p>

<p>If there&#39;s a grammar course (or lesson) you&#39;d like to see, please leave us a comment below or <a href="https://ellii.com/contact">get in touch</a>. We&#39;d love to hear from&nbsp;you!</p>


Teachers' Notes for Ellii's Guided Grammar Courses

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<p>On November 8, 2020, Canadian game show host Alex Trebek died at home at the age of 80 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Amazingly, Trebek kept filming his popular trivia game show, <em>Jeopardy!</em>, right until the end of his life (the final episode will air December 25, 2020). Trebek set a Guinness World Record for the most game show episodes ever hosted&mdash;more than 8,000 in all!&nbsp;In the words of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, &quot;the world lost an icon.&quot;</p>

<p><em>Jeopardy!</em> had a great impact on both my personal and professional life. I grew up watching <em>Jeopardy!</em> every night after dinner&mdash;it was one of my dad&#39;s favorite shows. The show&#39;s concept, along with Alex Trebek&#39;s friendly, encouraging manner, instilled a love of learning in me from a young age.</p>

<p>Professionally, I often used the game show&#39;s format to create review activities&nbsp;in my ESL classrooms. My students loved the challenge of the progressively more difficult questions and looked forward to competing for imaginary money. I used <em>Jeopardy!</em> for vocabulary review most often, but I also adapted it for grammar review and used it as a general trivia game that my students enjoyed. I even had my students create their own Jeopardy! boards.</p>

<p>Many North American immigrants claim to have&nbsp;learned English by watching <em>Jeopardy!</em>, including <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/09/us/alex-trebek-jeopardy-taught-english-trnd/index.html">Kristyna Ng and Burt Thakur</a>&nbsp;who both made it onto the quiz show&nbsp;to tell their language-learning stories.</p>

<p>If you are interested in trying <em>Jeopardy!</em> with your students, follow the steps below.</p>

<h1>How to Play&nbsp;<em>Jeopardy!</em></h1>

<h3>1. Choose the categories and words you wish to review.</h3>

<ul>
	<li>For a vocabulary review activity, you can choose the titles of six lessons you&#39;ve done during the past month for your categories&nbsp;and five words you wish to review from each lesson for the dollar amounts.</li>
	<li>Another idea&nbsp;is to choose common categories such as People, Places, Food, Weather, Animals, and Sports to create a general knowledge review.</li>
</ul>

<h3>2. Copy the following table onto the board, or share it in&nbsp;an online teaching platform.</h3>

<ul>
	<li>If you want to review fewer words, choose fewer categories (e.g., for a total of 15 words to review, have&nbsp;three&nbsp;categories with five words in each).</li>
	<li>You can also google&nbsp;&quot;Jeopardy board&quot; to find various other boards to share in class or online.</li>
</ul>

<p><img alt="" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1061/content_Jeopardy-Example_Chart.png" /></p>

<h3>3. Prepare the vocabulary words and definitions in a master list ahead of time that you can refer to.</h3>

<ul>
	<li>To mimic the real <i>Jeopardy!</i>&nbsp;game, the words/definitions should progress in order of difficulty, with $100 being the easiest and $500 being the most difficult.</li>
	<li>If you&#39;re reviewing ESL Library lessons you&#39;ve done in class, simply open the PDF or Task Player of a lesson and make a list. For example, if Category 1 is a review of <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/72/lessons/1263">Climate Change</a> vocabulary, your list might look like this:
	<ul>
		<li>$100 undeniable = unable to be denied</li>
		<li>$200 greenhouse gas = a type of gas that contributes to the trapping of heat in the earth&#39;s atmosphere</li>
		<li>$300 carbon footprint = the amount of greenhouse gases contributed by a single person or group</li>
		<li>etc.</li>
	</ul>
	</li>
	<li>If you&#39;re playing a general knowledge game, you can find plenty of vocabulary words and definitions within our <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/80/lessons">Famous People</a>, <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/81/lessons">Famous Places,</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/courses/82/lessons">Famous Things</a>, and <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/97/lessons">Sports &amp; Leisure</a>&nbsp;lessons.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Alternatively, have students create their own list of words and definitions based on past lessons or categories, words, and definitions that they write themselves.</li>
</ul>

<h3>4. Start the game!</h3>

<ul>
	<li>Divide the class into two (or more) teams.</li>
	<li>One student from Team A starts the play by choosing a category and an amount.</li>
	<li>Read the definition from your master list associated with that category and dollar amount.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>If that&nbsp;student responds with the correct vocabulary word for that definition, they collect the dollar value of that square.
	<ul>
		<li>To make it more authentic, have your students answer <em>Jeopardy!</em>-style,&nbsp;where each answer begins with &quot;What is...&quot;</li>
	</ul>
	</li>
	<li>If that student from Team A answers incorrectly, someone from Team B can steal the money by answering correctly. If neither team can answer correctly, you can reveal the correct answer and&nbsp;no one gets the money from that square.</li>
	<li>Continue the game with a student from Team B. Continue gameplay with the teams taking turns until they&#39;ve gone through every square.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>The team with the most money at the end of the game wins!</li>
</ul>

<h1>Related</h1>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/133/lessons/3414">Alex Trebek Remembered</a>: English with the Washington Post (Adv)</li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/133/lessons/3448">Alex Trebek Remembered</a> (Int &ndash; High Int)</li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/133/lessons/3449">Alex Trebek Remembered</a> (Low Int &ndash; Int)</li>
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/4-ways-to-teach-new-vocabulary">4 Ways to Teach New Vocabulary</a></li>
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/4-activities-for-reviewing-vocabulary">4 Activities for Reviewing Vocabulary</a>.</li>
</ul>


Playing Jeopardy! in Class: A Tribute to Alex Trebek

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<p>This quick intro offers a comprehensive overview of the main features you get with your ESL&nbsp;Library subscription. This tour is for new ESL&nbsp;Library members as well as teachers and administrators who are interested in learning more about what we&nbsp;offer.</p>

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GlrA1efMOnQ" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>For short videos on individual features of the site, please choose from our&nbsp;<a href="https://help.ellii.com/">Help Docs</a>. If your school or organization is interested in a live demo (in‑house or as a webinar), please <a href="https://ellii.com/contact">contact us</a> for details. To view our different subscription plans, please visit our <a href="https://ellii.com/pricing">pricing</a>&nbsp;page.</p>


Intro to ESL Library

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

Announcements

<p>We&rsquo;ve launched a new reading section for low-level readers! <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/129/lessons">True Grammar Stories</a> is a blended-learning section with extra digital-only activities that you can assign for homework and online class work. The first five low-intermediate lessons (15&nbsp;stories) are now available, and some beginner-level lessons are coming soon. Most of these stories are suitable for all ages, but please preview the stories to make sure the content is suitable for the age group and level you&nbsp;teach.</p>

<h2>Printable Lessons</h2>

<p>The printable versions of these lessons&nbsp;include:</p>

<ul>
	<li>3 illustrated theme-based stories (e.g., friendship) per lesson focusing on a simple grammar tense or target (e.g., simple past&nbsp;tense)</li>
	<li>3 downloadable audio recordings of the&nbsp;stories</li>
	<li>3 comprehension question&nbsp;sets</li>
</ul>

<p><img alt="Screenshot of 2 pages from Simple Past – Friendship (Dan and Norah)" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/832/content_Tara_Introducing-True-Grammar-Stories_Friendship.png" /></p>

<h2>Digital Lessons</h2>

<p>The digital versions of these lessons (requires Plus plan)&nbsp;include:</p>

<ul>
	<li>warm-up questions that cover the related theme of the&nbsp;stories</li>
	<li>vocabulary preview and review tasks for each story (Vocabulary Preview&nbsp;A goes with Story&nbsp;A,&nbsp;etc.)</li>
	<li>grammar preview and/or review tasks for each&nbsp;story</li>
	<li>a read and listen task for each story (free for Standard plan&nbsp;users)</li>
	<li>a comprehension task for each&nbsp;story</li>
	<li>discussion questions that cover the&nbsp;theme</li>
</ul>

<div class="whiteBox">
<h5>Note:</h5>

<p>You do not need to assign all of the stories and tasks in a lesson. Only the final Discussion set in each digital lesson requires knowledge of all three stories. The suggested teaching order follows the same order as the digital&nbsp;tasks.</p>
</div>

<p><img alt="Screenshot of a digital task from Simple Past – Friendship" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/824/content_Screen_Shot_2020-07-30_at_3.37.18_PM.png" /></p>

<p><img alt="Screenshot of a digital task from Simple Present – Indigenous People" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/825/content_Screen_Shot_2020-07-30_at_3.38.26_PM.png" /></p>

<h2>Grammar Review Videos</h2>

<p>For your convenience, we&rsquo;ve added some grammar videos to this section to help you review or introduce the grammar target. We&rsquo;ll be adding more videos as we add more stories on new&nbsp;targets.</p>

<p><img alt="Screenshot of a grammar video task" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/826/content_Screen_Shot_2020-07-30_at_3.36.25_PM.png" /></p>

<h2>Teaching Tips</h2>

<p>We recognize that every teaching scenario is different, especially during a pandemic! Here are some tips for using True Grammar Stories in different teaching&nbsp;scenarios.</p>

<h3>Blended Learning Classes (requires Plus subscription)</h3>

<ol>
	<li>Choose a target or theme that you want to cover with your class (e.g., Simple Past). Introduce the target by broadcasting or assigning&nbsp;a <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/129/lessons">grammar review video</a> to your students. You can also use a lesson from our <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons">Grammar Practice Worksheets</a> or <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/116/lessons">Fun Grammar Lessons</a> to introduce and practice the target. If you prefer to introduce the target by having your students read it in context, you can also teach or review the target later with a related grammar video or&nbsp;lesson.</li>
	<li>Choose the <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/129/lessons">True Grammar Stories</a> lesson you want to try. You can begin your live (online or traditional) class with the <strong>Warm-Up</strong> questions from the digital&nbsp;task.</li>
	<li>Next, have your students preview the vocabulary from the reading. You can do the&nbsp;digital <strong>Vocabulary Preview</strong> task together as a live class or you can assign it for&nbsp;homework.</li>
	<li>Some lessons also have a <strong>Grammar Preview</strong> task. Your students can demonstrate their knowledge of the target at this&nbsp;point.</li>
	<li>Many students will enjoy having a paper version of the actual stories. You can print the story and comprehension set and hand it out (or email it if you&rsquo;re teaching online and your students want to print it out). You can also download or stream the audio. After you read the story out loud (or play the recording), have your students take turns reading it. Challenge them to spot the target in the reading. You may want to assign <strong>Story A</strong>, <strong>B</strong>, and <strong>C</strong> for homework so that your students have a digital reference&nbsp;too.</li>
	<li>You can assign the <strong>Comprehension</strong> questions for homework. Some students will prefer to do these questions on paper. You can also put students in groups for this task or do it orally if your students need more spoken practice than written practice. You can type digital feedback and ratings or ask students to submit their paper versions for marking. Take note of common errors your students are making so that you can go over them in your live class. You can also take these questions up in a live class together to give your students more practice using the&nbsp;target.</li>
	<li>The digital <strong>Grammar Practice</strong> tasks can also be assigned for homework or individual class work. You may want to use these follow-up tasks for assessment&nbsp;purposes.</li>
	<li>After reading all three stories and doing all of the tasks, have a class discussion using the digital <strong>Discussion</strong> task. Alternatively, use this task for additional written practice. This task can be used for assessment as&nbsp;well.</li>
</ol>

<h3>One-to-One Classes</h3>

<p>If you&rsquo;re teaching one-to-one, you can teach in a similar way as you would for a blended-learning class. The one-on-one attention will help your student master the target and learn a lot of new&nbsp;words.</p>

<ol>
	<li>When you see your student face-to-face, give your student a chance to read the stories out loud. Focus on any pronunciation problems your student&nbsp;has.</li>
	<li>If your student shows an interest in one of the themes, look for other readings and lessons that you can work on together using the same&nbsp;topic.</li>
	<li>You may want to assign the <strong>Vocabulary Preview</strong> and <strong>Grammar Preview/Practice</strong> tasks for homework. Encourage your student to keep a <a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/2173">word bank</a> of new&nbsp;words.</li>
	<li>The <strong>Comprehension</strong> sets can be worked on orally and/or in written form together using the digital or printable versions. Help your student find his/her written errors, but focus mainly on the grammar target from the&nbsp;story.</li>
	<li>Challenge your student to make and share personal connections with the&nbsp;stories.</li>
	<li>Search for related ESL Library lessons on the same grammar target if your student needs more practice. Consult our <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons/2565">Teaching Order</a> reference to find out which targets to focus on&nbsp;next.</li>
</ol>

<h3>Traditional Paper-Based Classes</h3>

<p>The meat of our True Grammar Stories lessons is available in the print-only&nbsp;versions.</p>

<ol>
	<li>Read the stories together one by one and make sure your students understand the key (<strong>bold</strong>) vocabulary from each story. Students can also take turns reading the stories out loud in small groups or as a&nbsp;class.</li>
	<li>While reading, have your students circle the grammar target every time they see it in&nbsp;context.</li>
	<li>For grammar review, your students can use the target orally and in written form by answering the comprehension&nbsp;questions.</li>
	<li>If you want to practice listening comprehension, play the audio (download or stream in class) and give your students the question sets only. You can also wait a few days after doing the reading and then play the audio and hand out the&nbsp;questions.</li>
	<li>If you want to extend the learning without the digital tasks, you can create your own vocabulary review, warm-up, and review tasks to do with your class (preview our digital tasks for inspiration). You can also challenge your students to write their own stories using the same theme and&nbsp;target.</li>
</ol>


True Grammar Stories: Designed for Blended Learning

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

EdTech

<p><strong>Update 09/2023: Please note that our company name and platform has changed a lot since 2020. You will find all our video content in Ellii&#39;s <a href="https://ellii.com/media/videos">Media Gallery</a>.</strong><br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p>ESL Library now has video content! Videos provide English language learners with many benefits, and they are a great way to increase student engagement and comprehension.</p>

<p>You can watch our Simple Present video here on the blog. Read on to learn more about the videos we currently offer and the ways they can enhance your&nbsp;class!</p>

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/429774530" width="640"></iframe></div>

<h1>Grammar Videos</h1>

<p>Our Simple Present video is available to watch above, but you will also find it in the Video Intro task for the&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons/2403">Simple Present</a> lesson in our&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons">Grammar Practice Worksheets</a> section.</p>

<p>Take a look at the&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/folders/published/69792">ESL Library Videos Folder</a> for a complete list of the grammar videos we currently have available. We&#39;re adding more every&nbsp;month!</p>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/pricing">Plus</a> members&nbsp;can play our videos in a live class or an online class using a shared screen. Our videos are also&nbsp;assignable as homework tasks.</p>

<p>To play a video in a live or online class, click on the Task Player on the grammar lesson landing page. Within the Task Player,&nbsp;start the Video Intro task. For more info, see <a href="https://help.ellii.com/article/200-how-to-broadcast-tasks">How to Broadcast Tasks</a>.</p>

<p><img alt="" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1045/content_Screen_Shot_2020-10-28_at_10.55.02_AM.png" /></p>

<p><img alt="" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1046/content_Screen_Shot_2020-10-28_at_10.57.01_AM.png" /></p>

<p>To assign a video as homework or to send it to students&rsquo; own devices in class, click on the Assignment Manager&nbsp;on the grammar lesson landing page and choose who to assign it to. For more info, see <a href="https://help.ellii.com/article/122-how-to-assign-digital-homework">How to Assign Digital Homework</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/blog/how-to-assign-grammar-tasks-online">How to Assign Grammar Tasks&nbsp;Online</a>.</p>

<p><img alt="" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1047/content_Screen_Shot_2020-10-28_at_10.58.13_AM.png" /></p>

<h1>Benefits of Grammar Videos</h1>

<p>Our grammar videos:</p>

<ul>
	<li>make learning grammar fun (which is often a&nbsp;challenge!)</li>
	<li>offer a condensed version of our comprehensive grammar&nbsp;notes</li>
	<li>can be used for multiple levels and&nbsp;ages</li>
	<li>appeal to all types of learners (especially visual and auditory&nbsp;learners)</li>
	<li>provide the opportunity for students to strengthen multiple skill sets (grammar, listening, reading, and pronunciation in some cases)</li>
	<li>offer a more engaging way to present the grammar notes/explanation of a&nbsp;target</li>
	<li>show grammatical forms, functions, and patterns visually to aid&nbsp;comprehension</li>
	<li>show animated images of examples to really drive a target&nbsp;home</li>
	<li>help learners comprehend and retain info better than a text-only presentation</li>
</ul>

<h1>More Video Content</h1>

<p>Videos can do a lot more than clarify&nbsp;a grammar target! Videos can bring a dialogue to life or shed light on difficult concepts and vocabulary. They also make tasks more engaging and can facilitate conversation. Our video development team is busy creating videos for&nbsp;the following sections:</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/76/lessons">Everyday Dialogues</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/72/lessons">Discussion Starters</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/131/lessons">Phonics Stories</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/93/lessons">Holidays &amp; Events</a></li>
</ul>

<p>For a complete list of the videos we currenly have on our site, see the&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/folders/published/69792">ESL Library Videos Folder</a>.</p>

<h1>Feedback &amp; Requests</h1>

<p>We have so many ideas for future videos, but we&rsquo;d also love to hear yours! Teacher feedback and requests have always guided what we do at ESL&nbsp;Library, and our videos will be no&nbsp;exception.</p>

<p>What would you like to see in terms of video content on our site? Drop us a line or leave a comment below. We&rsquo;d love to hear from&nbsp;you!</p>

<p><em>PS. Did you know that we have many teacher-training videos already available? Check out our <a href="https://help.ellii.com/collection/1-how-to-videos">Help Docs video section</a> for demos and guidance on the content and features of our&nbsp;site.</em></p>


Introducing Videos on ESL Library

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<p>In the wake of protests sparked by George Floyd&rsquo;s killing, monuments to Confederate leaders are being toppled and removed across the southern United States. In my hometown of Richmond, Virginia, the massive General Robert E. Lee statue on Monument Avenue has become the center of ongoing demonstrations. The site is now adorned with tributes to people of color who have lost their lives at the hands of police. At the base of the statue, someone has posted a sign with the following anonymous&nbsp;poem:</p>

<div class="whiteBox">
<p style="text-align: center;">Dream like Martin</p>

<p style="text-align: center;">Lead like Harriet</p>

<p style="text-align: center;">Fight like Malcom</p>

<p style="text-align: center;">Think like Garvey</p>

<p style="text-align: center;">Write like Maya</p>

<p style="text-align: center;">Build like Madam C. J.</p>

<p style="text-align: center;">Speak like Frederick</p>

<p style="text-align: center;">Educate like W. E. B.</p>

<p style="text-align: center;">Believe like Thurgood</p>

<p style="text-align: center;">Challenge like Rosa</p>

<p style="text-align: center;">Inspire like Obama</p>
</div>

<p>Perhaps you too have seen this poem on T-shirts, bumper stickers, journal covers, or social media&nbsp;posts.</p>

<p>Though the names of the Black activists mentioned in the poem are familiar to many Americans, they may not be as well known to English language learners. In this time of heightened awareness of <a href="https://ellii.com/collections/70/lessons">social justice</a> issues, students may value learning more about historical Black leaders who have made a difference in the fight for equality. This poem provides an ideal approach to this&nbsp;subject.</p>

<p>After sharing the poem with your students, in groups or individually, have them choose an activist to learn more about by going online and conducting a search. You can guide their research with the following&nbsp;questions:</p>

<ol>
	<li>When did this person live?</li>
	<li>What is he/she famous for?</li>
	<li>What do you think is his/her greatest accomplishment?</li>
	<li>What do you think is the most interesting fact about this person?</li>
	<li>What character traits did/does this person have?</li>
	<li>Find one quote by this person and share it with the class.</li>
</ol>

<p>If you would like to ease into the project as a class, ESL&nbsp;Library features lessons on several of the figures noted in the poem. In our <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/80/lessons">Famous People</a> section, you will find lessons on Martin Luther King Jr. (<a href="https://ellii.com/courses/80/lessons/2566">Low‑Intermediate</a> and <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/80/lessons/1324">Intermediate</a>), <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/80/lessons/3185">Harriet Tubman</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/courses/80/lessons/1375">Maya Angelou</a>. In <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/83/lessons">Easy Readers</a>, we have a lesson&nbsp;about&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/courses/83/lessons/1490">Rosa Parks</a>, and in our <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/84/lessons">American Presidents</a> category, we have three lessons about Barack Obama (<a href="https://ellii.com/courses/84/lessons/1969">Beginner</a>, <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/84/lessons/1967">Low&nbsp;Intermediate</a>, and <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/84/lessons/1504">High&nbsp;Intermediate &ndash;&nbsp;Advanced</a>).</p>

<p>After students have had time to complete their research, give them the opportunity to present their findings. They can give a short <a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/124/resources/3029">oral presentation</a> or write up their research in essay&nbsp;form.</p>
