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

Announcements

<h1>Introducing Individual Student Assignments</h1>

<p>Great news, teachers!</p>

<p>As of today, you can now select which individual students receive specific assignments within any class.&nbsp;</p>

<h3><strong>Here&#39;s how it works:</strong></h3>

<ul>
	<li>Click on a lesson, video, or flashcard set in your Prepping or Teaching lane within any of your classes</li>
	<li>A modal will open with your assignment preferences for that lesson&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Click the &quot;Students&quot; tab in the top navigation of the modal</li>
	<li>Switch the setting from &quot;All students&quot; to &quot;Some students&quot;</li>
	<li>Select the students you want to assign the lesson to&nbsp;and remember to hit &quot;Save&quot; inside the modal before closing it</li>
</ul>

<p>Only the selected students will see the assignment inside their class dashboard.</p>

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/C5BgjG7wtaI?si=I4waw7z14JkLaeer" width="640"></iframe></div>

<p>We know that a lot of you have been asking for this feature for a while now. So thanks for your patience, and we hope it&#39;s a big help!</p>

<p>All the best,<br />
Ben :)</p>

<p>Founder, CEO at Ellii</p>


Introducing Individual Student Assignments

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

For Students

<p class="caption">This post is in our For Students category and was written for English learners. If you are an English teacher, you can share a link and invite students to take Ellii&#39;s Grammar Day challenge.</p>

<div class="ckeditor-html5-audio" style="text-align: center;">
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</div>

<p>National Grammar Day is on March 4 (pronounced <em>March fourth</em>). Ellii&#39;s (formerly ESL Library&#39;s) writers and editors have been celebrating <strong>National</strong>&nbsp;<strong>Grammar Day</strong> for several years!&nbsp;</p>

<p>On Grammar Day, we&nbsp;honor English learners like you who work hard to improve your communication skills, one grammar target at a time!&nbsp;Understanding the rules of grammar will help you speak and write more clearly and effectively.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>&ldquo;Language is something to be celebrated, and March 4 is the perfect day to do it. It&rsquo;s not only a date, it&rsquo;s an imperative: March <strong>forth</strong> on March 4 to speak well, write well, and help others do the same!&rdquo;</p>

<p>&mdash;National Grammar Day website</p>
</blockquote>

<h2>6 Common English Errors</h2>

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</div>

<p>March 4* was chosen for National Grammar Day because the words &quot;forth&quot; (<em>forward</em>) and &quot;fourth&quot; (<em>the number four in a series</em>) are often confused.</p>

<p><strong>March forth on the fourth (4th) of March.</strong></p>

<p>*When using <strong>ordinal numbers</strong> (e.g., 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th) as part of a&nbsp;date in a&nbsp;sentence, most grammar gurus&nbsp;recommend leaving the short forms out and just <strong>writing</strong> the number after the calendar month. For example: <em>March 4, National Grammar Day, is on&nbsp;Saturday</em>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>To celebrate National Grammar Day this year, we&#39;ve collected six more sets of words&nbsp;that are often confused (even&nbsp;writers and speakers whose first language is English confuse&nbsp;these). Do you know the difference between the words in this list? Click on the links for Tanya&#39;s&nbsp;tips on getting these right.</p>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="correct"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/so-vs-too">So Vs. Too</a></li>
	<li class="correct"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/look-like-vs-like">Look Like Vs. Like</a></li>
	<li class="correct"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/affect-vs-effect">Affect Vs. Effect</a></li>
	<li class="correct"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/make-vs-do">Make Vs. Do</a></li>
	<li class="correct"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/aw-vs-awe">Aw Vs. Awe</a></li>
	<li class="correct"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/teaching-tips-on-its-and-its">Its Vs. It&#39;s</a></li>
</ul>

<p>Speaking of grammar...Did you know that <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@ellii">Ellii&#39;s YouTube</a> channel has free grammar videos for English learners to review the most common grammar targets? Here is just one example of a video from this playlist.&nbsp;</p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-s1gu725tA4" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p>

<blockquote>
<p>Grammar Day Challenge: Choose one of the word pairs above and write an example sentence that contains both words. Or, if you really want a challenge, write a paragraph or dialogue using all 12 words! As a bonus, try using &quot;forth&quot; and &quot;fourth&quot; too.</p>
</blockquote>


6 Common English Errors to Review for National Grammar Day

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

Conferences

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

Articles

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


Sketchnoting 101: Supercharge Professional Development with Visual Notes

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<p>The ability to study effectively and autonomously is crucial for success in any learning situation.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As an ESOL tutor who teaches adult learners with varied educational histories, I see this all too clearly in my classes.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Learners with well-developed study skills can organize their time, prioritize tasks, and make progress faster than those who are new to education.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Here are some tried and tested ways to incorporate study skills into your classroom.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>1. Let students share ideas</h2>

<p>Over the years, I&rsquo;ve found that one of the best ways to encourage learner autonomy is to let them do it themselves.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Allow time in class for students to share their own study tips with each other. This can be through structured discussions or as a follow-up to a reading or listening activity on the topic.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Students often have similar challenges to overcome, so they are best placed to give each other ideas on what works for them.&nbsp;</p>

<p>They also know exactly what they like and can recommend the best apps, websites, videos, graded readers, and other resources.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It was during an idea-sharing discussion like this&nbsp;that I was surprised to learn that <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@Ellii">YouTube</a> is one of my students&rsquo; favorite ways to learn a language.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0MvnNQjMzmbT19jEPA18aypjjde_zyo4" target="_blank">Ellii&#39;s Grammar Video Playlist</a>&nbsp;is an example of something your students may like for self-study.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>2. Explore note-taking options</h2>

<p>There are lots of different ways to take notes, but structuring notes&nbsp;well and having a system can really enhance the learning experience.&nbsp;</p>

<p>When students are first developing their note-taking skills, I find that drawing a huge notebook on the whiteboard and using it to demonstrate layout works really well for this.&nbsp;</p>

<p>I can then lay out my whiteboard exactly as I want students to copy it to their notebooks.&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="Emily Bryson's notebook drawing sample for whiteboard " src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3006/content_Emily-Bryson-Notebook-study-skills-Ellii.jpg" /></p>

<p>You may also ask&nbsp;students to consider:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>keeping separate notebooks (or sections of a notebook) for <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2966-vocabulary-cards" target="_blank">vocabulary</a>, <a href="https://ellii.com/collections/grammar">grammar</a>, <a href="https://ellii.com/collections/english-foundations/letters">phonics</a>, <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/pronunciation">pronunciation</a>, messy notes, etc.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>using different colors of pen to highlight key points</li>
	<li>re-writing their notes after class</li>
	<li>looking at other students notebooks for ideas</li>
	<li>&quot;sketch noting&quot; (e.g., adding simple drawings to illustrate key points)</li>
	<li>using visual tools&nbsp;such as mind maps, diagrams, charts, and <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/graphic-organizers-for-language-skills-development">graphic organizers</a></li>
</ul>

<p>Try this related <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/writing-in-english">Writing in English</a> lesson on <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/3569-how-to-take-notes" target="_blank">How to Take Notes</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>3. Work on time management</h2>

<p>Time-management skills are essential for balancing academic and personal tasks. They can also make larger goals more manageable&nbsp;by breaking them into smaller steps and ensuring learners meet their deadlines.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>You can:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li><strong>praise</strong> good timekeeping in class</li>
	<li>support students to create a <strong>study schedule</strong></li>
	<li>introduce them to <strong>digital tools</strong> such as online calendars and task list planners such as <a href="https://trello.com/" target="_blank">Trello</a></li>
	<li>discuss, plan, and <strong>review their language learning goals</strong> regularly</li>
</ul>

<h2>4. Consider well-being</h2>

<p>People learn best when they are relaxed and in a comfortable environment. Developing good study habits can support this.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In class, ask students to consider how they learn best. Ask them to discuss the following.</p>

<p>Their perfect study environment:</p>

<ul>
	<li>What furniture do they need?&nbsp;</li>
	<li>What stationery, books, or devices do they need?&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Do they prefer a quiet space or a bit of background noise?</li>
</ul>

<p>Their perfect study time:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>Is there a particular time of day they like to study?&nbsp;</li>
	<li>How often do they take breaks?&nbsp;</li>
	<li>What do they do when they take a break?&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Do they have a study schedule?</li>
</ul>

<p>In general, having <strong>consistent study habits</strong>, and sticking to them, can work well. Encourage students to get into a routine with their studies&nbsp;and to take regular breaks to allow their brains to focus and retain information. Having a designated, quiet&nbsp;place to study with the right stationery is invaluable too.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>5. Look for natural learning opportunities</h2>

<p>Language development is more successful when learners have a chance to practice their skills. Encourage them to try to do this as much as possible outside the classroom. This will make it much simpler for them to remember what they&rsquo;ve learned and give them confidence to use their English.&nbsp;</p>

<p>If your learners live in an English-speaking country, class trips, community visits, volunteering, work, and internships can be excellent ways to practice their English and learn new skills. You may wish to invite recruiters, charities, or local organizations to your classes to present their opportunities. This in itself is an opportunity for learners to practice their English.&nbsp;</p>

<p>If your learners don&rsquo;t live an English-speaking country, there are still plenty of ways to help them practice. You could encourage them to meet the other class members socially outside of class&nbsp;and try to speak in English when they are together. For young learners, speak to the parents and try to arrange extracurricular events. Incorporating activities such as drama, <a href="https://ellii.com/media/videos/stories-songs" target="_blank">songs, or stories</a> in English can give structure and added opportunities to practice.&nbsp;</p>

<p>You could also look online. Websites such as <a href="http://meetup.com" target="_blank">Meetup.com</a> often have language exchange events all over the world. Plus, there are lots of social media groups where learners can meet other English users. Encourage them to join online groups based around their interests.</p>

<p>If you&rsquo;d like more ideas for study skills, you may also check out Ellii&#39;s&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/collections/casas-competencies/learning-and-thinking-skills">Learning &amp; Thinking Skills</a> collection.&nbsp;You may also want to use this lesson on <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/3675-study-skills ">Study Skills</a> with your B1&ndash;B2 (intermediate&ndash;high intermediate) learners.&nbsp;</p>

<blockquote>
<p><b id="docs-internal-guid-06d765b8-7fff-b8ea-b71c-a339125ca18b">What&#39;s your top tip for supporting your learners to develop their study skills?&nbsp; Please join Ellii&#39;s community by sharing a&nbsp;comment. </b></p>
</blockquote>


5 Ways to Supercharge Your Students' Study Skills

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<audio controls="controls" controlslist="nodownload" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/attachments/3002/sharing-valentines-ideas.mp3">&nbsp;</audio>
</div>

<p class="caption">Listen &amp; Read</p>

<p>With Valentine&rsquo;s Day coming up on February 14th, there&rsquo;s no better time to get into a romantic mood. Is there someone you have your eye on? Or maybe you want to show your long-term partner some <strong>appreciation</strong>&nbsp;or even send some warm <strong>vibes</strong> to your friends and family? If so, I&rsquo;ve got you covered.</p>

<p>In this post, you&rsquo;ll find three ways to celebrate&nbsp;Valentine&rsquo;s Day.</p>

<h2>A classic card</h2>

<p>Offering your loved one a card on Valentine&rsquo;s Day, along with a box of chocolates, is never a bad idea. Include a few lines of <strong>verse</strong> to get your message across. This&nbsp;<strong>timeless</strong> Valentine&rsquo;s Day poem can do the trick:</p>

<blockquote>
<p><em>Roses are red.</em></p>

<p><em>Violets are blue.</em></p>

<p><em>Sugar is sweet,</em></p>

<p><em>And so are you!</em></p>
</blockquote>

<p>But why not make your own <strong>variation</strong>? Notice how the second and fourth line rhyme. It is easy to <strong>substitute</strong> these two lines with your own rhyming lines, like this:</p>

<blockquote>
<p><em>Roses are red.</em></p>

<p><em>Your eyes are brown.</em></p>

<p><em>You are the cutest&nbsp;</em></p>

<p><em>Girl in this town!</em></p>
</blockquote>

<p>Of course, Valentine&rsquo;s Day cards don&rsquo;t have to follow a <strong>formula</strong>. Any personal <strong>sentiment </strong>is sure to make your loved one <strong>swoon</strong>! And if you want to get things just right, check out this post on <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/valentines-day-capitalization-and-punctuation-rules">Valentine&#39;s Day Capitalization &amp; Punctuation Rules</a>.</p>

<h2>A home-cooked meal</h2>

<p>It&rsquo;s no secret that restaurants <strong>tend to</strong> be very busy on Valentine&rsquo;s Day. So why not re-create the restaurant experience at home? Bring out your best tablecloth and light some candles.&nbsp;Then serve your loved one their favorite home-cooked meal.&nbsp;Or, even better, cook the meal together!</p>

<h2>A treasure hunt</h2>

<p>If you&rsquo;re looking for something a little more unique, you might want to try a treasure hunt. Grab a stack of notecards&nbsp;and number them from 1 to 10. On each card, write a clue about where to find the next card. Hide all the cards in your house, except the first one, which should be somewhere <strong>obvious</strong>. Your loved one will <strong>have a blast</strong> searching for each clue! And if you&rsquo;re feeling especially romantic, why not hide a gift along with the last card?</p>

<h3><strong>Glossary</strong></h3>

<ul>
	<li>appreciation:&nbsp;<em>a feeling of thankfulness</em></li>
	<li>vibes:<em> feelings</em></li>
	<li>verse:&nbsp;<em>poetry</em></li>
	<li>timeless:&nbsp;<em>always relevant</em></li>
	<li>variation: <em>version</em></li>
	<li>substitute: to put one thing in the place of another</li>
	<li>formula:&nbsp;<em>a standard plan&nbsp;</em></li>
	<li>sentiment:&nbsp;<em>expressed emotion</em></li>
	<li>swoon:<em>&nbsp;to feel an emotion, such as romantic love, so strongly that you almost faint</em></li>
	<li>tend to:<em>&nbsp;to usually do or have</em></li>
	<li>obvious:&nbsp;<em>clear, not hard to figure out</em></li>
	<li>have a blast: <em>to</em>&nbsp;<em>have fun</em></li>
</ul>

<blockquote>
<p>Do you have any fun Valentine&rsquo;s Day tips or stories? Spread the love in the comments below! (Try to use a word or phrase from the glossary.)</p>
</blockquote>

<ul>
</ul>


Share the Love with These Valentine's Day Ideas

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Posts describing lessons or activities for the ESL classroom.

Activities

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

Teaching with Ellii

<p>Do you keep a journal? Researchers have found that <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/benefits-of-journaling" rel="noopener nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank">journaling has positive effects on a person&#39;s&nbsp;well-being</a> including drops in blood pressure, improvement in sleep, and decreases in stress markers. They&#39;ve also noticed that people who journal&nbsp;experience less&nbsp;anxiety and an increase in overall mood.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Journaling also serves as a valuable tool for English language learners (ELLs)&nbsp;to improve their overall fluency.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In this post, you&rsquo;ll learn some of the key benefits of introducing journaling in the language classroom. You&rsquo;ll also discover 35 inspiring journal prompts to&nbsp;encourage&nbsp;students to practice their writing and become more proficient.</p>

<h2>Benefits of journaling for English language learners</h2>

<p>In addition to both physical and mental&nbsp;health benefits, ELLs can gain in other ways as they express their thoughts and&nbsp;feelings, write about their hopes and fears,&nbsp;and&nbsp;record memories in a safe space.</p>

<p>Whether you decide to make it a repeating&nbsp;in-class activity or a regular homework assignment,&nbsp;journaling has&nbsp;the power to:</p>

<ul>
	<li>improve&nbsp;fluency</li>
	<li>track&nbsp;progress</li>
	<li>facilitate&nbsp;student-teacher relationship</li>
	<li>increase&nbsp;vocabulary</li>
	<li>encourage&nbsp;students to use grammar structures in context</li>
	<li>allow&nbsp;students to claim ownership of the language</li>
</ul>

<h2>35 journal prompts for writing practice</h2>

<p>Coming up with topics for your students to write about can be time-consuming. This list of 35 inspiring journal prompts is a great way to engage learners at&nbsp;all levels and get their words flowing on the page.</p>

<ol>
	<li>Describe your favorite holiday.</li>
	<li>Write about one of your hobbies and explain why and how you do it.</li>
	<li>Describe your best friend.</li>
	<li>Write about your first memory.</li>
	<li>Describe your home.</li>
	<li>Describe your neighborhood.</li>
	<li>Write about your favorite restaurant.</li>
	<li>Describe what you do when you have guests visit.</li>
	<li>Write about something that you have lost that you still miss.</li>
	<li>Write about a regret you have, either something you did or something you didn&rsquo;t do.</li>
	<li>Write about the best vacation you ever took.</li>
	<li>Write about everything you did last weekend in detail.</li>
	<li>Write about a habit that you would like to stop doing.</li>
	<li>Describe a childhood pet.</li>
	<li>Tell about a time you were embarrassed.</li>
	<li>Describe a perfect day.</li>
	<li>Describe something you couldn&rsquo;t live without.</li>
	<li>What do you do when you&#39;re frustrated at work?</li>
	<li>If you could travel to any time and place in the past, where would you go?</li>
	<li>Write about a difficult decision you&#39;ve made.</li>
	<li>Describe your ideal town or city.</li>
	<li>Describe the best party you&#39;ve ever been to.</li>
	<li>Write about the best gift you&#39;ve ever received.</li>
	<li>Write about a goal you have and how you plan to achieve it.</li>
	<li>Describe a time in your life when someone treated you unfairly.</li>
	<li>Describe your worst teacher.</li>
	<li>What advice would you give to a friend who just broke up with their partner?</li>
	<li>Describe your favorite piece of clothing. When do you wear it? How do you feel when you wear it?</li>
	<li>What 3 things would you take to a deserted island? Why?</li>
	<li>Tell about something you know now but didn&rsquo;t know last year. How did you learn about it? How do you use this information?</li>
	<li>Describe a situation that made you angry.</li>
	<li>Describe the person you admire the most.</li>
	<li>Tell about a time you were scared.</li>
	<li>Explain how to make your favorite dish.</li>
	<li>Describe how you are feeling right now, both physically and emotionally.</li>
</ol>

<h2>Useful writing resources&nbsp;</h2>

<p>Ellii&#39;s <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/writing-in-english" target="_blank">Writing in English section</a> is ideal for helping students express their ideas on paper. For lower-level learners, check out <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2020-how-to-write-a-simple-sentence" target="_blank">How to Write a Simple Sentence</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2562-how-to-build-a-paragraph" target="_blank">How to Build a Paragraph</a>. For higher levels, try <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2563-how-to-write-a-basic-paragraph" target="_blank">How to Write a Basic Paragraph</a>&nbsp;and <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2116-how-to-write-a-descriptive-paragraph" target="_blank">How to Write a Descriptive Paragraph</a>.</p>

<div class="white-box">
<h5>Share your go-to journal prompts with us!</h5>

<p>Do you have any great journal prompts you&#39;d like to share? Please add them in the comments below!</p>
</div>


35 Inspiring Journal Prompts

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<div class="ckeditor-html5-audio" style="text-align: center;">
<audio controls="controls" controlslist="nodownload" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/attachments/2999/poetry-1.mp3">&nbsp;</audio>
</div>

<p>Do you like poetry? Personally, I have never had much interest in it. But as a writer and lover of words, I knew that one day I would need to give poetry a chance. And that day has arrived!</p>

<p>Every year, instead of making a New Year&#39;s resolution, I choose one word to focus on for the entire year.&nbsp;I encourage friends and family (and Ellii staff) to choose a <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/word-of-the-year-2022">Word of the Year</a> too. This year, my Word of the Year is <em>poetry</em>.&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="word of the year 2023 on Tara's office wall" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/2996/content_Tara-Benwell-poetry-words-2023_Ellii.jpg" /></p>

<p class="caption">Tara&#39;s Word of the Year wall for 2023, featuring her word (<em>poetry</em>) as well as words chosen by&nbsp;those who accepted her challenge. In case you&#39;re wondering if the word <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/five-life-affirming-words-we-should-bring-back-into-use-174848" target="_blank">respair</a></em>&nbsp;is a mistake, it&#39;s not!&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ckeditor-html5-audio" style="text-align: center;">
<audio controls="controls" controlslist="nodownload" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/attachments/3000/poetry-2.mp3">&nbsp;</audio>
</div>

<p>Though we&#39;re&nbsp;only a few weeks into 2023,&nbsp;I&rsquo;m embracing poetry like I never thought I would!&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Did you know? The word <em>poetry</em>&nbsp;comes from the Greek word <em>poiein</em>,&nbsp;meaning &quot;to make.&quot;</p>
</blockquote>

<h2>4 delicious reasons poetry is good for language learning</h2>

<p>As the head of the Publishing team here at Ellii, one thing I&#39;ve been thinking about a lot&nbsp;is how poetry could&nbsp;be used for language learning.<br />
<br />
As a teacher, it would be&nbsp;easy for me to try to convince you that when you study poetry, you use the four&nbsp;<strong>macro</strong> skills (Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking) as well as the three&nbsp;<strong>micro</strong> skills (Vocabulary, Grammar, and Pronunciation), but that&rsquo;s not very poetic! Instead, let&#39;s think about the deliciousness of a poem.</p>

<h3>1. Poetry is <strong>digestible</strong></h3>

<p>Unlike an article, a short story, or a novel, most poems can be read in a minute or two. You can enjoy the <strong>surface level</strong> of a poem or you can choose to go deeper and study it more fully.&nbsp;Think of a poem as just a moment in time. After you read or listen to a poem (and I hope you do both), try to have just one <strong>takeaway</strong>.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Challenge: How did the poem make you feel?</p>
</blockquote>

<h3>2. Poetry is full of <strong>delectable</strong> words</h3>

<p>Poets are word lovers! They find the best words to describe exactly how they are thinking or feeling in a moment. When you start studying poetry, you&rsquo;ll recognize many words, but you&rsquo;ll also find delicious words you don&rsquo;t know.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Challenge: Try to learn at least one new word from every poem you read. Make a list. (I do this myself!)</p>
</blockquote>

<h3>3. Poetry comes in every flavor</h3>

<p>You might think you don&rsquo;t like poetry because you associate poems with love. But there&rsquo;s so much more to poetry than <strong>sappy</strong> sonnets! There are poems about growing up, being in nature, leaving home, and getting a new job. Poems come in all shapes and sizes and can be about anything&nbsp;and everything (including AI).</p>

<p><img alt="Chat GPT Limerick" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/2997/content_Blog-ChatGPTLimerick.jpg" /></p>

<p class="caption">Screenshot from <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/chatgpt-bot-passes-law-school-exam/" target="_blank">CBC video ChatGPT Bot Passes Law Exam</a></p>

<blockquote>
<p>Challenge: Search the internet for &ldquo;a poem about&nbsp;(<em>word of your choice</em>).&quot; You could also search for&nbsp;<strong>lyrics</strong>, which can be a form of poetry.&nbsp;</p>
</blockquote>

<h3>4. Poetry can make you hungry for more</h3>

<p>When you&rsquo;re learning a new language (or anything new), it is easy to get sidetracked (in other words, you&nbsp;fall off the wagon). At times, language&nbsp;learning feels&nbsp;like just another thing on your to-do list. But what if you felt a hunger for learning English? If you give it a chance, poetry can actually entice you to keep learning.&nbsp;Instead of feeling like a chore, you&#39;ll start to&nbsp;<strong>crave</strong> a new poem!</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Challenge: Try reading a poem a day for a week. I hope you&nbsp;find 365 poems you love this year! (That&#39;s my goal.)</p>
</blockquote>

<div class="ckeditor-html5-audio" style="text-align: center;">
<audio controls="controls" controlslist="nodownload" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/attachments/3001/poetry-3.mp3">&nbsp;</audio>
</div>

<h2>4 things to do with a poem</h2>

<p>If you aren&#39;t sure what to do with a poem, here are four things to try:</p>

<ol>
	<li>Listen to the poem. (This is my favorite part of studying poetry so far.)</li>
	<li>Read the poem silently to your self. (Circle words you don&rsquo;t know and add at least one to your notebook.)</li>
	<li>Write a few lines in a notebook. (How was the poet feeling in this moment? How does the poem make me feel?)</li>
	<li><strong>Recite</strong> the poem. (Look up words you don&rsquo;t know how to pronounce.)</li>
</ol>

<p>Did you notice&nbsp;all the skills you used?</p>

<h2>4 places to find poetry</h2>

<p>Here are some places I&#39;ve been going to find poetry.&nbsp;</p>

<ol>
	<li><a href="https://onbeing.org/series/poetry-unbound/">Poetry Unbound</a> (a delicious podcast hosted by Irish poet P&aacute;draig &Oacute; Tuama)</li>
	<li><a href="https://poets.org/">Poets.org</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/poem-of-the-day">Poetry Foundation&#39;s Poem of the Day</a></li>
	<li>The Poetry section of my local library and&nbsp;bookstore</li>
</ol>

<p>Please share a tip if you have some suggestions of your own!</p>

<h3>Glossary</h3>

<ul>
	<li>macro: <em>large, main</em></li>
	<li>micro: <em>small, minor</em></li>
	<li>digestable<em>: easy to consume</em></li>
	<li>surface level: <em>just the basics</em></li>
	<li>takeaway: <em>an important thing or detail&nbsp;that you liked or learned</em></li>
	<li>delectable: <em>delicious, attractive</em></li>
	<li>sappy: <em>overly emotional&nbsp;</em></li>
	<li>lyrics: <em>words in songs</em></li>
	<li>crave: <em>to feel like you really want to eat (or have)</em></li>
	<li>recite: <em>to&nbsp;say out loud, especially from memory</em></li>
</ul>

<blockquote>
<p>Will you give poetry a chance? Share your thoughts in the comments.</p>
</blockquote>

<h2>Related tips for English learners</h2>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/4-goals-to-help-you-focus" target="_blank">Struggling to Focus? 4 Types of Goals to Get Your Language Learning Back on Track</a></li>
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/improve-your-listening-with-true-stories" target="_blank">Improve Your Listening Skills with True Stories</a></li>
</ul>

<div class="whiteBox">
<p class="circleThumb"><img src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/2907/content_lightbulb.png" /></p>

<h2>Looking for more language learning fun?</h2>

<p>Subscribe to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@Ellii">Ellii&#39;s YouTube channel</a>&nbsp;and enjoy free video content, including grammar videos and more!</p>
</div>


4 Delicious Reasons to Learn English with Poetry

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

Grammar & Usage

<p>Asking and answering questions is such&nbsp;an important part of having a conversation, and it&#39;s&nbsp;something language students&nbsp;learn early on in their studies.</p>

<p>One of our subscribers informed us that her students were struggling to answer Wh- questions in English. What&rsquo;s the meaning of the different Wh- words? How are they all used?</p>

<p>In this blog post, we explain <a href="#wh">what Wh- questions are</a> with examples and give you <a href="#tips">practical tips</a> to help your students form these types of questions with confidence. Make sure to <a href="#activity">try our fun activity</a> at the end!</p>

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/x_4AjSwTXdc" title="Wh- Questions in English" width="560"></iframe></div>

<h2><a id="wh"></a>What are Wh- questions and examples?</h2>

<p><strong>Wh- questions</strong> are questions that use specific words starting with the letters &ldquo;wh,&rdquo; like &ldquo;who,&rdquo; &ldquo;when,&rdquo; and &ldquo;what.&rdquo; &ldquo;How&rdquo; is also often included in this list. These words are often used when we want to request information from someone.</p>

<p>The most common Wh- question words in English are: &ldquo;who,&rdquo; &ldquo;what,&rdquo; &ldquo;where,&rdquo; &ldquo;when,&rdquo; &ldquo;why,&rdquo; &ldquo;which,&rdquo; &ldquo;whose,&rdquo; and &ldquo;how.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Let&rsquo;s take a closer look at each Wh- word with examples for context!</p>

<h3>Who</h3>

<p>Use &ldquo;who&rdquo; to ask about a<strong> person</strong>.</p>

<p>Examples:</p>

<table class="has-borders">
	<thead>
		<tr>
			<th>Question</th>
			<th>Answer</th>
		</tr>
	</thead>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Who is that?</td>
			<td>It&rsquo;s our new teacher.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Who did you invite to your party?</td>
			<td>I invited Maria, Lee, and Abdul.</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<h3>What</h3>

<p>Use &ldquo;what&rdquo; to ask about a<strong> thing</strong>.</p>

<p>Examples:</p>

<table class="has-borders">
	<thead>
		<tr>
			<th>Question</th>
			<th>Answer</th>
		</tr>
	</thead>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>What is your favorite movie?</td>
			<td>I love <em>The Shawshank Redemption</em>.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>What did you do last night?</td>
			<td>I did my homework.</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<p>&ldquo;What&rdquo; is often used with another word such as&nbsp;<strong>time</strong>&nbsp;(to ask about clock time).</p>

<p>Examples:</p>

<table class="has-borders">
	<thead>
		<tr>
			<th>Question</th>
			<th>Answer</th>
		</tr>
	</thead>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>What time is it?</td>
			<td>It&rsquo;s 4:30.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>What time does the show start?</td>
			<td>It starts at 8:00 pm.</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<p>&ldquo;What&rdquo; is also used before another noun to talk about a <strong>choice</strong>. It&rsquo;s usually interchangeable with &ldquo;which.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Examples:</p>

<table class="has-borders">
	<thead>
		<tr>
			<th>Question</th>
			<th>Answer</th>
		</tr>
	</thead>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>What movie do you want to watch?</td>
			<td>Let&rsquo;s watch the new <em>Star Wars</em>.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Which movie do you want to watch?</td>
			<td>Let&rsquo;s watch the new <em>Star Wars</em>.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>What kind of ice cream do you want?</td>
			<td>I would like chocolate, please.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Which kind of ice cream do you want?</td>
			<td>I would like chocolate, please.</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<h3>Where</h3>

<p>Use &ldquo;where&rdquo; to ask about a <strong>place</strong>.</p>

<p>Examples:</p>

<table class="has-borders">
	<thead>
		<tr>
			<th>Question</th>
			<th>Answer</th>
		</tr>
	</thead>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Where do you live?</td>
			<td>I live in California.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Where is your school?</td>
			<td>It&rsquo;s on Somerset Street.</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<h3>When</h3>

<p>Use &ldquo;when&rdquo; to ask about <strong>time</strong>. When asking about clock time, it&#39;s usually interchangeable with &quot;what time.&quot;</p>

<p>Examples:</p>

<table class="has-borders">
	<thead>
		<tr>
			<th>Question</th>
			<th>Answer</th>
		</tr>
	</thead>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>When do you start your new job?</td>
			<td>I start next month.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>When does the class start?</td>
			<td>It starts at 9:00 am.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>What time does the class start?</td>
			<td>It starts at 9:00 am.</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<h3>Why</h3>

<p>Use &ldquo;why&rdquo; to ask about a <strong>reason</strong>.</p>

<p>Examples:</p>

<table class="has-borders">
	<thead>
		<tr>
			<th>Question</th>
			<th>Answer</th>
		</tr>
	</thead>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Why do you like reading so much?</td>
			<td>I like it because I can learn new things.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Why did you call me?</td>
			<td>I called you to invite you to my party.</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<h3>Which</h3>

<p>Use &ldquo;which&rdquo; to ask about a <strong>choice</strong>.</p>

<p>Examples:</p>

<table class="has-borders">
	<thead>
		<tr>
			<th>Question</th>
			<th>Answer</th>
		</tr>
	</thead>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Which do you prefer, chicken or steak?</td>
			<td>I prefer chicken.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Which dress did you decide to wear?</td>
			<td>I decided to wear the black one.</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<h3>Whose</h3>

<p>Use &ldquo;whose&rdquo; to ask about <strong>possession</strong>.</p>

<p>Examples:</p>

<table class="has-borders">
	<thead>
		<tr>
			<th>Question</th>
			<th>Answer</th>
		</tr>
	</thead>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Whose book is this?</td>
			<td>It&rsquo;s mine.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Whose car did you borrow?</td>
			<td>I borrowed my friend&rsquo;s car.</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<h3>How</h3>

<p>Use &ldquo;how&rdquo; to ask about a<strong> method/way</strong>.</p>

<p>Examples:</p>

<table class="has-borders">
	<thead>
		<tr>
			<th>Question</th>
			<th>Answer</th>
		</tr>
	</thead>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>How do you turn on this computer?</td>
			<td>You have to hold down the power button.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>How did your presentation go?</td>
			<td>It went well.</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<p>Questions with &ldquo;how&rdquo; also often involve the way someone is <strong>feeling</strong>.</p>

<p>Examples:</p>

<table class="has-borders">
	<thead>
		<tr>
			<th>Question</th>
			<th>Answer</th>
		</tr>
	</thead>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>How are you?</td>
			<td>I&rsquo;m fine.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>How do you feel?</td>
			<td>I&rsquo;m nervous.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>How are you feeling?</td>
			<td>Not great. I caught a cold.</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<p>&ldquo;How&rdquo; is often used with another word such as &ldquo;often&rdquo; (to ask about frequency), &ldquo;much&rdquo; (to ask about cost), or &ldquo;many&rdquo; (to ask about an amount).</p>

<p>Examples:</p>

<table class="has-borders">
	<thead>
		<tr>
			<th>Question</th>
			<th>Answer</th>
		</tr>
	</thead>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>How <strong>often</strong> do you brush your&nbsp;teeth?</td>
			<td>I brush my teeth twice a&nbsp;day.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>How <strong>much</strong> does this jacket&nbsp;cost?</td>
			<td>It costs $75.00.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>How <strong>many</strong> dogs do you&nbsp;have?</td>
			<td>We have two.</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<p><a href="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/blog_printable/Wh-Question-Words-in-English.pdf" target="_blank">Print this cheat sheet</a> to help your English language learners remember the meaning of each Wh- question word.</p>

<p><a href="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/blog_printable/Wh-Question-Words-in-English.pdf" target="_blank"><img alt="Wh- Question Words in English printable cheat sheet." src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/2990/content_Wh-Question-Words-in-English.jpg" /></a></p>

<h2>How to form Wh- questions using patterns</h2>

<p>There are two basic patterns you can use to form Wh- questions in English.</p>

<h3>1. With no auxiliary</h3>

<blockquote>
<p>Wh- word + be + subject</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Examples:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Who is that?</li>
	<li>How are you?</li>
</ul>

<h3>2. With auxiliary</h3>

<blockquote>
<p>Wh- word + auxiliary + subject + verb</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Examples:</p>

<ul>
	<li>What do you want?</li>
	<li>Why did you quit?</li>
</ul>

<div class="white-box">
<h5>What&rsquo;s an auxiliary verb?</h5>

<p>In questions, an auxiliary verb uses words like &ldquo;do,&rdquo; &ldquo;does,&rdquo; or &ldquo;did.&rdquo; It can also be a modal like &ldquo;can&rdquo; or &ldquo;should.&rdquo; For different tenses, it can be &ldquo;will&rdquo; (future), &ldquo;have&rdquo; (present perfect), etc.</p>
</div>

<p>For basic question patterns and the difference between Yes/No and Wh- questions, see our blog post on <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/question-formation-in-english" target="_blank">Question Formation in English</a>.</p>

<h2><a id="activity"></a>Fun class activity with Wh- questions</h2>

<p>Ready to get your students practicing questions with Wh- words? For an easy warm-up or filler activity, try doing this student-designed Q&amp;A activity. Here&rsquo;s how it works:&nbsp;</p>

<ol>
	<li>Cut up enough blank cards to have five (or 10) per student.</li>
	<li>Get students to write conversation-style Wh- questions of their choosing on their cards. If needed, put some examples on the board (e.g., What&rsquo;s your favorite dish? When did you start studying English?).</li>
	<li>When they&rsquo;ve finished writing their questions, collect the cards and shuffle them together.</li>
	<li>Put students into small groups and divide the cards up evenly.</li>
	<li>Have students take turns choosing a question and asking it to one or more of their group members. (You can choose an overall time limit, such as 20 minutes, or let them talk until their cards run out.)</li>
</ol>

<h2>Related materials</h2>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/question-formation-in-english" target="_blank">Question Formation in English</a> &ndash; Blog Post</li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons/1627" target="_blank">Wh- Questions</a> &ndash; Grammar Practice Worksheets</li>
	<li class="resource"><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/grammar-usage/resources/2462-question-formation" target="blank">Question Formation</a> &ndash; Grammar &amp; Usage Resource</li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/89/lessons" target="_blank">Questions Using Various Tenses</a> &ndash; Basic Grammar Sentences</li>
</ul>

<p class="lesson"><em>Editor&rsquo;s note: This post was originally published in January 2018 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.</em></p>


What Are Wh- Questions in English?

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


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

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


Creative Ways to Set Personal & Academic Goals with Students

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<p>Do you read stories or watch movies with your students? If so, then you may ask them questions like &ldquo;Who is the main character?,&rdquo; &ldquo;What is their conflict?,&rdquo;&nbsp;and &ldquo;How do they solve it?&rdquo;</p>

<p>But are you also asking questions like &ldquo;Why are they the main character?&rdquo; and &ldquo;Why is this the conflict?&rdquo;</p>

<p>Asking these types of questions can turn an <strong>English language literacy</strong> lesson into a <strong>media literacy</strong> lesson.</p>

<h2>What is media literacy?</h2>

<p>The term &ldquo;literacy&rdquo; may have you thinking of books, reading comprehension, or literacy components (e.g., phonics, vocabulary, fluency, etc.). You&rsquo;re not wrong in thinking that! These are the defining factors of English language literacy. Media literacy takes this definition one step further.</p>

<p>Media literacy is a skill used to understand messages in the <strong>media.</strong> It also tells you how a <strong>medium</strong> can change or affect a message.</p>

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gbrcRKqLSRw" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p class="caption"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbrcRKqLSRw" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">YouTube</a></p>

<p>For example, in 1960 during the US presidential campaign, the first televised debate was aired and the new medium changed the voters&rsquo; thoughts. Previously, debates were only heard via radio. Going into the debate, Richard Nixon was ahead of John F. Kennedy in the polls and was on track to win the election. After this debate aired on TV, <a href="https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/kennedy-nixon-debates" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">opinions on who would win changed</a>. People who listened to the radio thought that Nixon would still win since he spoke really well. People who watched on TV thought Kennedy looked better and that Nixon did not look presidential. Kennedy went on to win the election.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Be careful not to confuse media literacy with digital literacy! While similar, they each refer to different forms of communication.</p>

<p><strong>Digital Literacy:</strong>&nbsp;only refers to digital mediums</p>

<p><strong>Media Literacy:</strong> refers to all media across a variety of mediums</p>
</blockquote>

<h2>What are the benefits of media literacy in the English classroom?</h2>

<p>Should you be teaching media literacy if you&rsquo;re already teaching English language literacy? The short answer is it&rsquo;s recommended. There are many benefits to teaching media literacy in the language classroom, including...</p>

<ul>
	<li>increased comprehension<strong>:</strong> Every story your students read or watch has a message behind it. They&rsquo;ll be able to see what that message is and whether it is good or bad.</li>
	<li>increased analytical skills<strong>:</strong> Knowing what is important to the story can give students the ability to tell the difference between real and fake news.</li>
	<li>increased sense of<strong> </strong>independent thought<strong>:</strong> Viewing stories critically will allow your students to form their own opinions about them.</li>
	<li>increased production skills: Teaching students how to create media responsibly, such as blog articles, videos, music, etc., can make producing them easier.</li>
	<li>increased worldview: <strong>Bias</strong> in the news can impact how a story is understood. Students can understand who is telling a story and how their views impact it.</li>
	<li>increased use of students&rsquo; interests: Use your students&rsquo; interests to drive the conversation and get them engaged. What&rsquo;s a popular movie they&rsquo;ve been talking about? Focus the lesson on that.</li>
</ul>

<h2>Why it&rsquo;s important to teach media literacy to English learners</h2>

<p>We live in a world where <a href="https://awecomm.com/Blog/how-technology-is-changing-the-media-industry/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">media is rapidly developing</a>. Less than 20 years ago, most people would receive their news from a daily newspaper or by watching the five o&rsquo;clock news.</p>

<p>Today, students can access the news any time they want. They can get their news from a printed paper, television channel, or radio station. They can even get it online from websites and social media.</p>

<p>So why is this a problem?</p>

<p>For starters, this <strong>24-hour news</strong> cycle can be <a href="https://lagunatreatment.com/co-occurring-disorder/news-media-and-addiction/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">a lot to digest</a>, particularly for language learners. There are endless <strong>sources</strong> and mediums to pick from, some of which may not be as accurate as others.</p>

<p><strong>Fake news</strong> is also easy to come across now, especially on <strong>social media</strong>. Social media gives a voice to anybody. People can build their own <strong>platform</strong> and <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/information-overload-helps-fake-news-spread-and-social-media-knows-it/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">spread inaccurate news</a> to an unsuspecting <strong>audience</strong>.</p>

<p>Both fake news and other messaging sources, such as <strong>advertising</strong> and <strong>subliminal messaging</strong>, can be dangerous. They can leave your students at risk of being negatively influenced by crafted stories.</p>

<p>Whether your students are new to English or have been studying it for years, teaching them media literacy helps them think more critically about the information that&rsquo;s shown to them.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Our friends at the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@thinkaloud_pod/videos">Teacher Think-Aloud Podcast</a> have two episodes on this topic: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2psJL_DZJsE" target="_blank">Media Literacy 101</a> and <a href="https://youtu.be/r4pxcFYAJSk" target="_blank">Media Literacy 102</a></p>
</blockquote>

<p>Most language learners have access to some form of media. Here&rsquo;s how to help students of all levels develop the skills they need to decode media messages and determine fact from fiction.</p>

<h3>K&ndash;5</h3>

<p>Students in grades K&ndash;5 are at a young, impressionable age. These students have always had access to media, whether it&rsquo;d be the television or their parent&rsquo;s smartphone. This means that many of them have grown up not knowing that media is separate from other aspects of their life.</p>

<p>K&ndash;5 students should be introduced to the concept of <strong>media messaging</strong> and how the media they watch can be teaching them information that is both true and false.</p>

<h3>Grades 6&ndash;12</h3>

<p>Students in grades 6&ndash;12 are at an age where they&rsquo;re most likely to be influenced by media. At this age, students are beginning to develop their personalities and sense of self and are more persuaded by what they see and hear.</p>

<p>This is also the age where students have the most access to <strong>disposable income</strong> and that is why <a href="https://www.gourmetads.com/articles/advertising-to-teens/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">advertisers target this group</a>. Developing these students&rsquo; media literacy skills can help them understand when they&rsquo;re being targeted.</p>

<h3>Adult learners</h3>

<p>Many adults grew up without the same level of media exposure that exists today. Since media continues to grow at a rapid rate, adults can fall behind.</p>

<p>Just because you&rsquo;re teaching adult learners doesn&rsquo;t mean your students aren&rsquo;t at risk of being influenced by media. As an adult, the risk is greater since they likely don&rsquo;t have someone to guide them through it.</p>

<p>Media literacy education can impact an adult&#39;s understanding of politics, news, health, cinema, etc. Learning how to decode messages <strong>empowers</strong> these students and gives them control over their own lives.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<h2>Media literacy terminology</h2>

<ul>
	<li><strong>English language literacy</strong>: the ability to read and write</li>
	<li><strong>media literacy</strong>: the ability to decode messages presented in the media, including in relation to the medium that it is being presented in</li>
	<li><strong>media</strong>: a means of mass communication; plural of medium</li>
	<li><strong>medium</strong>: the means in which something is communicated (e.g., a book, a television, a phone, etc.)</li>
	<li><strong>bias</strong>:&nbsp;idea about&nbsp;something based on opinion rather than fact</li>
	<li><strong>24-hour news cycle</strong>: the reporting of a news story that runs all day</li>
	<li><strong>sources</strong>: the person, place, or object used to gain information</li>
	<li><strong>fake news</strong>: false or misleading information presented as news</li>
	<li><strong>social media</strong>: websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking</li>
	<li><strong>platform</strong>: a service, site,&nbsp;or method that delivers media to an audience</li>
	<li><strong>audience</strong>: the group of people receiving a media message</li>
	<li><strong>advertising</strong>: a marketing tactic involving paying for space to promote a product, service, or cause</li>
	<li><strong>subliminal messaging</strong>: a technique used in media to influence people without their being aware</li>
	<li><strong>media messaging</strong>: a communication from a media source that reaches a mass audience</li>
	<li><strong>disposable income</strong>: income remaining after bills and taxes; income you can spend however you want</li>
	<li><strong>empower</strong>: to make someone stronger and more confident, especially in controlling their life and claiming their rights</li>
</ul>

<h2>Related resources</h2>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/discussion-starters/1209-social-media-networks" target="_blank">Social Media Networks</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/discussion-starters/2348-fake-news" target="_blank">Fake News</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/discussion-starters/1262-kids-technology" target="_blank">Kids &amp; Technology</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/famous-things/1994-24-hour-news" target="_blank">24-Hour News</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/resources/visual-learning/3292-digital-learning-with-ellii" target="_blank">Digital Learning with Ellii</a></li>
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/tips-for-developing-students-digital-literacy" target="_blank">8 Tips for Developing Students&#39; Digital Literacy</a></li>
	<li class="resource"><a href="https://ellii.com/resources/assessment-tools/3652-digital-literacy-needs-assessment-pictorial" target="_blank">Digital Literacy Needs Assessment (Pictorial)</a></li>
	<li class="resource"><a href="https://ellii.com/resources/assessment-tools/3651-digital-literacy-needs-assessment" target="_blank">Digital Literacy Needs Assessment</a></li>
	<li class="resource"><a href="https://ellii.com/folders/published/82130" target="_blank">Digital Literacy (Beg &ndash; Low Int) Folder</a></li>
	<li class="resource"><a href="https://ellii.com/folders/published/82132" target="_blank">Digital Literacy (Int &ndash; Adv) Folder</a></li>
</ul>

<div class="white-box">
<h5>Share your thoughts</h5>

<p>How do you teach media literacy in the classroom? Let us know in the comments below!</p>
</div>


Introducing Media Literacy in the English Language Classroom

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<p>Students can often feel overwhelmed by <strong>complex tasks</strong>. These are learning activities that are more difficult for a variety of reasons. For example, the activity may involve multiple stages, making the task&nbsp;difficult to follow. It may also&nbsp;require a lot of information to be processed at the same time.</p>

<p>A complex task could be...</p>

<ul>
	<li>listening to a long dialogue while&nbsp;reading and answering comprehension questions</li>
	<li>reading a heavy text and categorizing the information</li>
	<li>working on a group project involving many stages</li>
</ul>

<p>One of the best things about being a graphic facilitator is being able to use my skills to make learning more accessible. It&rsquo;s a good&nbsp;way to <strong>reduce cognitive load</strong> and <strong>make difficult tasks more achievable</strong>.</p>

<p>Simple drawings and visuals are a great&nbsp;way to simplify complex tasks because they can be used to help learners interact with and process&nbsp;information in different ways. This in turn helps <strong>improve understanding and memory</strong>.</p>

<p>Let&rsquo;s use this <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/english-at-work/1699-1-applying-for-a-job" target="_blank">free lesson on applying for a job</a>&nbsp;as an example. I&rsquo;ve chosen this one since it&#39;s complex in a number of ways:</p>

<ul>
	<li>There&#39;s a long text with comprehension questions.</li>
	<li>It contains a lot of new vocabulary and concepts.</li>
	<li>The process of applying for a job varies depending on location and industry, so this may be unfamiliar or different to some students.</li>
</ul>

<p>Here&#39;s a quick step-by-step guide on how we&#39;re going to simplify these complex tasks for your students using visual prompts. These same steps can also be used to help you break down&nbsp;other&nbsp;types of complex tasks in future lessons.</p>

<div class="white-box">
<ol>
	<li><a href="#identify">Identify the key points</a></li>
	<li><a href="#create">Create the &quot;containers&quot;</a></li>
	<li><a href="#add">Add information or ideas</a></li>
	<li><a href="#exploit">Exploit the content</a></li>
</ol>
</div>

<h2>1. Identify the key points</h2>

<p>When we take notes or summarize information, we usually <strong>look for the most important details</strong>. The same applies when simplifying complex tasks.</p>

<p>Take a look through the lesson and find the key points&nbsp;you want your learners to focus on. If you&rsquo;re doing a listening or reading activity, these may be based on the comprehension questions. For a writing task, these&nbsp;might be the topics you want them to cover.</p>

<h2><img alt="" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/2963/content_Ellii_job-email-example.jpg" /></h2>

<p>In this instance, I read through the lesson&#39;s&nbsp;job application letters&nbsp;and found the following main ideas:</p>

<ul>
	<li>personality</li>
	<li>skills</li>
	<li>qualifications</li>
	<li>experience</li>
</ul>

<h2><a id="create"></a>2. Create the &quot;containers&quot;</h2>

<p>In the world of graphic facilitation, <strong>containers</strong>&nbsp;<strong>are simple icons that can be used to &quot;contain&quot;&nbsp;ideas</strong>. For example, in&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/blog/activity-to-boost-confidence-and-well-being" target="_blank">this blog post</a>,&nbsp;I use a thought bubble as a frame for students to add their inner thoughts.</p>

<p>For this lesson, I&rsquo;ve drawn:</p>

<ul>
	<li>a large head with a magnifying glass to represent <strong>personality</strong></li>
	<li>a big cog and a small star, tick, and tool to represent <strong>skills</strong></li>
	<li>a scroll to represent <strong>qualifications</strong></li>
	<li>a road map looking backwards to represent past <strong>experiences</strong></li>
	<li>an over-sized question mark to represent <strong>questions</strong></li>
</ul>

<p>The great thing about using containers is that they&#39;re&nbsp;flexible and can be used in many ways.</p>

<p>For example, I added the &quot;questions&quot;&nbsp;container so that students have a space to ask anything they&#39;re pondering or having difficulty with as they read. They can also use this container&nbsp;when preparing to write their own job application letters&nbsp;over email&nbsp;as a way to consider which questions they want to ask their teacher or potential employer.</p>

<p><b id="docs-internal-guid-94e38506-7fff-3f06-b5f4-33dbd2c793f1"><img src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/2964/content_Emily-Bryson-ELT-skills-whiteboard.jpg" /></b></p>

<p>You&rsquo;ll notice that these containers are drawn on a grubby whiteboard and are by no means perfect. That&rsquo;s because the purpose of using simple drawings is not artistic wizardry. It&rsquo;s about <strong>communication</strong>, <strong>inspiration</strong> and <strong>activating schemata</strong>. In reality, whiteboards often need a good clean, and teachers don&rsquo;t have time to create masterpieces!</p>

<p>If drawing isn&rsquo;t for you, there&#39;s&nbsp;the digital option&nbsp;where you use stock vector graphics or create the template using online design tools,&nbsp;such as <a href="https://www.canva.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Canva</a>, <a href="http://Jamboard - Google Google https://jamboard.google.com" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Jamboard</a>, or <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/powerpoint" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Microsoft&nbsp;PowerPoint</a>. However, this does mean that you&rsquo;ll have a bit more prep to do ahead of class.</p>

<h2><a id="add"></a>3. Add information or ideas</h2>

<p>This is where students get to interact with the content. It&#39;s an opportunity to step away from worksheet-based questioning prompts and towards a multisensory means of learning.</p>

<p>There are many ways to do this:</p>

<ol>
	<li>Ask students to copy the doodles to their notebooks and complete them solo.</li>
	<li>Provide photocopies for students to complete.</li>
	<li>Use a whiteboard. Students add their ideas using sticky notes or whiteboard markers.</li>
	<li>Use flipchart paper. Use one sheet per container. Then pass each sheet around the groups and have students add their ideas using pens or sticky notes.</li>
</ol>

<p><b id="docs-internal-guid-b4e864b3-7fff-643c-1767-4a21ba68aff4"><img src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/2965/content_Emily-Bryson-ELT-skills-whiteboard-notes.jpg" /></b></p>

<h2><a id="exploit"></a>4. Exploit the content</h2>

<p>The beauty of using containers to synthesize information in class is that you can use and reuse them&nbsp;for different purposes.</p>

<h3>Reading/Listening</h3>

<p>Ask students to read or listen to a text and complete the information. You could use containers to check for understanding. This means students can really focus on their receptive skills instead of being distracted by comprehension questions.</p>

<h3>Speaking/Writing</h3>

<p>Students use the containers to consider and add their own skills, experiences, personality, qualifications, and questions. They can then share their ideas, role-play interviews, or use the ideas to help them write a cover letter or personal statement.</p>

<p>You could also use the containers from this blog post with this lesson on <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/everyday-dialogues/1705-interviewing-for-a-job" target="_blank">interviewing for a job</a>.</p>

<p>If you like this idea and would like to learn to develop your drawing skills for teaching, <a href="https://emilybrysonelt.com/all-courses/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">check out my courses</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="white-box">
<h5>Share your thoughts</h5>

<p>Have you used a technique like this in class? What did you do? How did it go? We&rsquo;d love to hear from you!</p>
</div>

<h2>Related resources&nbsp;</h2>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/graphic-facilitation-101" target="_blank">Graphic Facilitation 101: Teaching English through Visual Communication</a></li>
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/graphic-organizers-for-language-skills-development" target="_blank">Using Graphic Organizers for Language Skills Development</a></li>
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/activity-to-boost-confidence-and-well-being" target="_blank">A Quick Activity to Boost Confidence &amp; Well-Being: Inner Troll Vs. Inner Angel</a></li>
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/how-to-use-pictures-as-grammar-prompts" target="_blank">How to Use Pictures as Grammar Prompts</a></li>
</ul>


How to Simplify Complex Tasks with Visual Prompts

https://esllibrary-staging.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/2314/Emily_How-to-Simplify-Complex-Tasks-with-Visual-Prompts_Banner.png

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


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