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

<h2>Happy New Year!</h2>

<p>Every year, instead of making a New Year&#39;s resolution, I choose a Word of the Year.&nbsp;This year, my word is &quot;<strong>journal</strong>.&quot;</p>

<p>Instead of waking up and immediately <strong>scrolling</strong> through&nbsp;my phone, I plan to reach for my notebook to do three&nbsp;pages of writing (<strong>longhand</strong>) before anything else.</p>

<p>I learned this practice of keeping &quot;morning pages&quot; many years ago from writing coach Julia Cameron (<em>The Artist&#39;s Way</em>). Based on past experience, starting my day off with morning pages almost always results in having a&nbsp;happier, more <strong>productive</strong> day.&nbsp;</p>

<blockquote>
<p>&quot;Pages clarify our yearnings. They keep an eye on our goals... They will point the way True North. Each morning, as we face the page, we meet ourselves. The pages give us a place to vent and a place to dream. They are intended for no eyes but our own.&quot;</p>

<p>&mdash;Julia Cameron</p>
</blockquote>

<h2>New Year,&nbsp;New Wall</h2>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/word-of-the-year-2021">Last year</a>, I enthusiastically added all of our team members&#39; names to my office wall after choosing the word <strong>zeal</strong> as my Word of the Year. My wall&nbsp;became the <strong>background</strong> for my video calls throughout 2021 and was often the subject of <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/92/lessons/1749">small talk</a> before a meeting.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This year, I challenged everyone from the publishing team to think of their own Word of the Year. At the beginning of this week, my office wall was <strong>a blank slate</strong>. Today, it&#39;s full of inspirational words to help us keep our hearts, minds, and bodies on important goals throughout the year.&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="Tara's Word Wall 2022" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/2021/content_Image_from_iOS__1_.jpg" /></p>

<p>Note: The Word of the Year challenge is also in our <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/74/lessons/2563">How to Write a Basic Paragraph</a> lesson.</p>

<h2>Glossary</h2>

<ul>
	<li>journal (<em>noun</em>): a personal notebook</li>
	<li>journal (<em>verb</em>): to&nbsp;record thoughts&nbsp;in writing</li>
	<li>longhand (<em>noun</em>): cursive handwriting</li>
	<li>scroll (<em>verb</em>): to browse content (especially on a touch screen) without much thought or care</li>
	<li>productive (<em>adjective</em>): getting a lot accomplished</li>
	<li>zeal (<em>noun</em>): great energy or enthusiasm</li>
	<li>background (<em>noun</em>): the scene&nbsp;behind a person or object</li>
	<li>a blank slate (<em>expression</em>): a fresh start, a new beginning</li>
</ul>

<h2>Question of the Month&nbsp;</h2>

<h3>What&#39;s your word of the year for 2022?</h3>

<p>Please join us in choosing a Word of the Year for 2022! Tell us your word and&nbsp;explain the reason for your choice. Teachers, learners, and ESL Library staff are welcome to join!&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Word of the Year 2022

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

Conferences

<p>Did you watch <a href="https://www.teflonline.net/" target="_blank">TEFL International</a>&rsquo;s webinar on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMN4YoqRDW0&amp;t=1714s&amp;ab_channel=TEFL%26TESOLCourses-ITTT" target="_blank">teaching tricks for your online classes in 2022</a>? If you missed it, don&rsquo;t worry&mdash;we&rsquo;ve got you covered. Here are some key takeaways from the webinar.</p>

<h3>Play games with your students</h3>

<p>If you haven&rsquo;t been doing so already, make it a goal for 2022 to start including games in your lessons. A fun and interactive game will not only help your students to engage with the content but it will also increase their motivation for learning. For some ideas on games to play with your students, check out our <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/key-takeaways-from-tefl-international-webinar-on-ice-breaker-games" target="_blank">blog post on icebreaker games</a>.</p>

<h3>Create personalized lessons</h3>

<p>This year, try to deliver lessons that are tailored to your students. Think about your students&rsquo; personalities, interests, and needs when creating your lessons. If you don&rsquo;t know much about your students&rsquo; interests and goals, create a questionnaire and ask them to fill it out.</p>

<h3>Provide a clear overview of the course</h3>

<p>At the beginning of every new class, provide your students with a clear outline of the course. Give your students an objective that outlines what they can expect to accomplish by the end of the class and the specific steps that will be taken to reach this goal. Having an organized plan and a specific goal in mind will help your students stay focused and inspired. For more tips on organization, check out our <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/key-takeaways-from-esl-talk-podcast-on-the-importance-of-organization" target="_blank">blog post on the importance of organization</a>.</p>

<h3>Find creative ways to keep your students&rsquo; attention</h3>

<p>As we enter 2022, teaching online is still popular and is not going away anytime soon. In online settings especially, student&#39;s&nbsp;attentions spans are short. Try to provide lessons in different ways. Offer a variety of tasks and activities. Try to incorporate surprises into your lessons! An example of a surprise can be as simple as picking your students&#39;&nbsp;names out of a hat and asking them to answer a question. Surprises will get their attention and keep them on their toes.</p>

<p>Teachers, what are your tips for teaching online? Let us know in the comments below!</p>


Key Takeaways from TEFL International Webinar on Online Teaching Tricks

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

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>Before Elena became a teacher, she was a ceramic artist. After working by herself for a number of years, she began to feel like she needed a change.</p>

<p>&ldquo;I wanted to expand my world. Being only an artist did not make me feel like I contributed enough to the world since my work is more decorative than political. I started as a volunteer and loved teaching, so I got trained.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Elena has been a teacher for about 10 years now. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she currently teaches online from her home in Austin, Texas. She teaches adults from all over the world.</p>

<p>&ldquo;I think of my classes as my own little UN. Exchanging cultural information is as important as learning English.&rdquo;</p>

<p>For Elena, teaching online has had its challenges but overall, she&rsquo;s happy now that she was forced to learn how to teach in a virtual setting. She does miss interacting with her co-workers though.</p>

<p>&ldquo;I miss the potlucks&nbsp;and the camaraderie with fellow teachers the most.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Elena finds ESL Library to be incredibly helpful. Check out her text response below to learn why she loves ESL Library and how she uses it with her students.</p>

<p><iframe allow="autoplay *; encrypted-media *; fullscreen *;" height="400px" src=" https://www.videoask.com/a9r8ng91vpvumxzzi7pno3nsn9rly0iztymeawxe" style="border: none; border-radius: 24px" width="100%"></iframe>Despite the challenges of teaching online, Elena loves being an ESL teacher.</p>

<p>&ldquo;I love learning about other languages and of course, when students finally understand something that was previously confusing, it makes my day.&rdquo;</p>

<p>When asked if she has any advice for aspiring teachers, Elena said it&rsquo;s important to watch the news.</p>

<p>&ldquo;Learn what is happening in other parts of the world and learn something about the structure of languages spoken by the students in your class. Do adjectives come before nouns? Is their language a stress-timed language? If you know these things, you can help them faster.&rdquo;</p>

<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: Elena

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<p>Have you heard about the <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/esl-talk/id1548652844" target="_blank">ESL Talk podcast</a>? As described on their Apple Podcast page, ESL&nbsp;Talk is &ldquo;a podcast for English teachers by English teachers.&rdquo; In each episode, the hosts and their guests discuss various teaching topics, methods, and approaches specifically pertaining to ESL teachers. Here are some key takeaways from their episode on the importance of organization.</p>

<h3>Organization is a mindset, approach, and idea</h3>

<p>As a mindset, organization involves knowing what things you have to do. It is the checklist that&rsquo;s in your head.</p>

<p>As an approach, organization involves what you do as a teacher. It is ensuring that your lessons are organized and have a purpose.</p>

<p>As an idea, it is showing your students how organization is helpful by being an example.</p>

<p>Preparation is key. Check out this <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/how-to-make-a-lesson-plan" target="_blank">blog post</a> for help with making a lesson plan.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>&ldquo;If you fail to plan, then you should plan to fail.&rdquo;<br />
&mdash;Daniel&rsquo;s high school science teacher</p>
</blockquote>

<h3>Organization is important for reaching goals</h3>

<p>Not only is organization important for achieving your own goals, but it&rsquo;s important for your students&#39; goals too. If you&rsquo;re not organized, then your students won&rsquo;t be organized. If your students aren&rsquo;t organized, then they won&rsquo;t be able to succeed.</p>

<p>Use these Assessment Tools to find out what your students want to accomplish with their language learning:</p>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="resource"><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/2127">My Language Goals</a></li>
	<li class="resource"><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/2224">Goal-Setting &ndash; Can Do</a></li>
</ul>

<blockquote>
<p>&ldquo;Without organization, it&rsquo;s very difficult to achieve your goals.&rdquo;</p>

<p>&mdash;Daniel</p>
</blockquote>

<h3>Organization can look different</h3>

<p>There are plenty of ways to improve your organization skills. Figure out your goals, write them down, and make a plan;&nbsp;put all your meetings and appointments into a calendar;&nbsp;use sticky notes for thoughts and ideas; set reminder alarms on your phone; or use our <a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/106/resources/2169" target="_blank">Weekly Planner</a> and <a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/106/resources/2461" target="_blank">Monthly Planner</a>.&nbsp;Figure out what tips and tricks work for you and stick with it.</p>

<p>When it comes to your students, learning a new language can be overwhelming. Break down what your students need to learn into smaller, more manageable goals. Give them checklists, rubrics, and step-by-step guides. Encourage them to use a planner or agenda.</p>

<p>Check out our <a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/2352" target="_blank">ready-made templates</a> to create your own checklists, rating scales, and rubrics.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>&ldquo;If you&rsquo;re not organized in your approach, that will translate to your teaching and students might not be satisfied or happy with the lesson they received.&rdquo;</p>

<p>&mdash;Daniel</p>
</blockquote>

<h3>Organization is linked to mental and physical wellbeing</h3>

<p>While it&rsquo;s important to be efficient and organized, it&rsquo;s also important to not push ourselves too hard. Learn how to prioritize everything that you need to do. Don&rsquo;t procrastinate, but strive for a balance. Take time to relax and recharge.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>&ldquo;Listen to your body. When you are tired, take a rest.&rdquo;</p>

<p>&mdash;Daniel</p>
</blockquote>

<div class="whiteBox"><span class="label hangingLabel">Related Lesson</span>

<p class="circleThumb"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/72/lessons/3715"><img alt="A computer with clock and notes" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/2017/content_72_Procrastination_Thumb.png" /></a></p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/72/lessons/3715">Procrastination</a></h2>

<p>In this lesson, students learn about and discuss why people procrastinate. This lesson includes grammar practice with the future perfect tense and a productivity challenge.</p>
</div>

<p>Teachers, what tools do you use to keep yourself and your students organized? Let us know in the comments below!</p>


Key Takeaways from ESL Talk Podcast on the Importance of Organization 

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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>Meet Albania. Albania has been a teacher since 2017. Currently, she teaches Business English online to adults from her home in Mexico City, Mexico.</p>

<p>&ldquo;I decided to become a teacher because I really like sharing knowledge. Plus, the best way to learn something is by teaching it.&rdquo;</p>

<p>For Albania, a typical day of teaching begins with a lot of coffee! Since most of her students are adults, she tends to spend the days preparing for her classes and the evenings teaching.</p>

<p><img alt="a screenshot of Albania teaching one of her students online" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1991/content_teacher-feature-albania.jpg" /></p>

<p class="caption">Here is a screenshot of Albania teaching one of her students online.</p>

<p>Albania finds it incredibly rewarding when she sees her students applying the knowledge they learned in class. However, she finds it challenging to consistently show up for class bubbly, motivated, and patient.</p>

<p>&ldquo;Life can get difficult from time to time. In class, students are the most important thing and I try my very best to show up motivated so that they feel motivated.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Albania is a big fan of ESL&nbsp;Library. Check out her video response below to learn why she loves ESL&nbsp;Library and how she uses it with her students.</p>

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe encrypted-media="" src="https://www.videoask.com/ab2a6efxmqnllpefue2iz3cjuwxbjl6x86q4zbct"></iframe></div>

<p>When asked if she has any advice for aspiring teachers, Albania had a lot of guidance to offer.</p>

<p>&ldquo;Do it! You&#39;ll have a lot of fun and you will learn a lot in the process. Try to encourage your students to make mistakes and to be okay with it. It&#39;s part of the process. Try telling them that making mistakes it&#39;s actually a brave thing. Learning something is the most beautiful thing, but it requires a lot of patience with oneself. As a teacher, try to see yourself as a facilitator and be willing to be open to student&#39;s&nbsp;feedback and suggestions. Try to recognize that every student is different. This will be challenging at the beginning, but rewarding during the process. Plus, it will make it efficient in the long run. In the end, we are all students.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Want to share why you love ESL&nbsp;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: Albania

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<h2>Putting Up the Christmas Tree</h2>

<p>Since I was a little girl, the 8th of December has always been the day when I knew Christmas was just around the corner. You might be wondering what is so special about this date.&nbsp;What does it have to do with Christmas? Well, it has everything to do with Christmas! In Argentina, the 8th of December is a national holiday called the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. It is also the official date when we <strong>put up</strong> the Christmas tree (or, as we call it, &quot;el arbolito de navidad&quot;). Having a day off to decorate for Christmas is as amazing and as magical as it sounds. But this date wasn&#39;t chosen at random.&nbsp;The story of why we do it on the 8th is so rich and full of myths and wonders that I have to share it with you.</p>

<p>According to&nbsp;legend, the actual tradition of putting up a Christmas tree in Argentina started in 1807, when an Irish immigrant decorated a pine tree on December 8 in a public park following the customs of his country. The Irish can trace this custom&nbsp;back to 1200 BC, when the Celtics would decorate a tree that represented the Yggdrasil (a mythical tree that holds up the universe) to honor&nbsp;Frey, the god of the sun and fertility. Another possible reason why we put up Christmas trees is <strong>attributed to</strong> Martin Luther. One day, while strolling through the forest, he was struck by the beauty of the lights reflected by the stars on the trees and decided to take a tree branch home.</p>

<p>In my family, putting up the Christmas tree has always been a time for us to come together and have fun. We like to mix it up every once in a while and make what we call &quot;arbolitos raros&quot; (weird trees). These Christmas trees are not real&nbsp;trees at all. Instead, we&nbsp;make them! In the pictures below, you can see how we made a tree out of a wooden staircase and some pieces of wood. This year&#39;s tree is made out of <strong>rusty</strong> wires. We added in some homemade decorations to keep up with the style.</p>

<p><img alt="A Christmas tree made with a wooden staircase. " src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1986/content_Christmas_Traditions_in_Argentina_4.jpg" /></p>

<p class="caption">Lucia&#39;s 2015 Christmas tree made with a wooden staircase. <em>Photo by Lucia Padilla</em></p>

<p><img alt="Christmas tree made out of rusty wire." src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1987/content_Christmas_Traditions_in_Argentina_3.jpg" /></p>

<p class="caption">Lucia&#39;s 2021 Christmas tree made out of rusty wires. <em>Photo by Lucia Padilla</em></p>

<p><img alt="Closer look at Christmas tree made out of rusty wire." src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1988/content_Christmas_Traditions_in_Argentina_5.jpg" /></p>

<p class="caption">A closer look at Lucia&#39;s 2021 Christmas tree and decorations made out of rusty wires. <em>Photo by Lucia Padilla</em></p>

<p><img alt="Christmas decorations made out of rusty wire." src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1989/content_Christmas_Traditions_in_Argentina_1.jpg" /></p>

<p class="caption">Photo of the making&nbsp;of the Christmas decorations. <em>Photo by Lucia Padilla</em></p>

<h2>Celebrating Christmas</h2>

<p>Another fun fact about Christmas celebrations here in Argentina&nbsp;is that we open&nbsp;presents at midnight on Christmas Eve. So, on the 24th, we make a huge family dinner that involves lots of delicious foods like &quot;pan dulce,&quot; a white bread filled with nuts and dried fruits, and &quot;vitel ton&eacute;&quot; or, in Italian, &quot;vitello tonnato,&quot; which is a cold meat dish&nbsp;with a mayonnaise and tuna sauce. This is always a Christmas favorite!&nbsp;</p>

<p>But it is when the clock strikes midnight that the real magic begins. The first magical moment is the Christmas <strong>toast</strong>, marked by the sound of champagne glasses clinking together. This is the perfect time to hug your family members and tell them how much you love them. The second magical moment occurs when we go outside to watch the fireworks that cover the skies with color and lights. And the last one is the&nbsp;moment that as a kid you fought to stay awake for (which let me tell you&nbsp;wasn&#39;t an easy task)&mdash;the opening of the Christmas presents! They suddenly and magically appear under the Christmas tree! When did that happen? How did I miss Santa? What a treat that was, and still is, watching all your family happily opening presents between laughs and screams of joy (especially from the little ones). This is the best feeling in the world.</p>

<p><img alt="A firework." src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1990/content_Christmas_Traditions_in_Argentina_2.jpg" /></p>

<p class="caption">Fireworks on Christmas Eve. <em>Photo by Lucia Padilla</em></p>

<h2>Taking Down the Christmas Tree</h2>

<p>Now, you might be thinking that if we have a day to put up the Christmas tree, we might also have a day to <strong>take</strong>&nbsp;it <strong>down</strong>. And that is exactly correct! We <strong>put away</strong>&nbsp;the Christmas tree and all the decorations the day after January 6, which is &quot;El D&iacute;a de los Reyes Magos&quot; (Epiphany or Three Kings&#39; Day). I won&#39;t go into too much detail about what this holiday entails, but you must know it involves kings, camels, shoes, grass, water, and more presents!&nbsp;</p>

<p>Feliz Navidad!</p>

<p>Lula (Motion Designer, ESL Library)</p>

<h2>Glossary</h2>

<ul>
	<li><strong>put up</strong>: <em>to build or set up</em></li>
	<li><strong>attributed to</strong>: <em>named or credited as the source</em></li>
	<li><strong>rusty</strong>: <em>covered in a reddish-brown coating (iron)&nbsp;due to air/moisture</em></li>
	<li><strong>toast</strong>: t<em>o celebrate with words and a drink</em></li>
	<li><strong>take down</strong>: <em>to remove something that was previously on display</em></li>
	<li><strong>put away</strong>: <em>to put in a storage area for use at another time</em></li>
</ul>

<h2>Sources:</h2>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="external-link"><a href="https://www.infobae.com/sociedad/2021/12/04/por-que-armamos-el-arbolito-de-navidad-el-8-de-diciembre-dia-de-la-virgen/">Por qu&eacute; armamos el arbolito de Navidad el 8 de diciembre, D&iacute;a de la Virgen</a></li>
	<li class="external-link"><a href="https://www.ambito.com/informacion-general/navidad/por-que-se-arma-el-arbolito-este-8-diciembre-n5330970" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Por qu&eacute; se arma el arbolito de Navidad este 8 de diciembre</a></li>
	<li class="external-link"><a href="https://www.infobae.com/tendencias/2017/12/08/tradiciones-de-navidad-por-que-armamos-el-arbolito-el-8-de-diciembre/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tradiciones de Navidad: por qu&eacute; armamos el arbolito el 8 de diciembre</a></li>
	<li class="external-link"><a href="https://vamospanish.com/discover/spending-and-celebrating-christmas-in-buenos-aires-traditions-food-things-to-do/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Spending and Celebrating Christmas in Buenos Aires</a></li>
	<li class="external-link"><a href="https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/celts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Who Were Celts</a></li>
</ul>

<h2>Leave a Comment</h2>

<p>What about you? Do you have any traditions for putting up the Christmas tree? How do you decorate it? When do you take it down and put it away? Have you ever made an unconventional Christmas tree?&nbsp;</p>

<p>How do you celebrate Christmas Eve? Do you enjoy any traditional Christmas food? Please tell us where you are from and share your holiday traditions with us!&nbsp;</p>


Christmas in Argentina

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<p>Did you watch <a href="https://www.teflonline.net/" target="_blank">TEFL International</a>&rsquo;s webinar on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vvnj6qzhimY&amp;t=2s&amp;ab_channel=TEFL%26TESOLCourses-ITTT" target="_blank">crucial skills ESL teachers should develop in 2022</a>? If you missed it, don&rsquo;t worry&mdash;we&rsquo;ve got you covered. Here are some key takeaways from the webinar.</p>

<h3>Embrace flexibility&nbsp;</h3>

<p>Make it a goal for 2022 to be more flexible. Become familiar with various teaching methods and different classroom settings. Having a toolbox of multiple teaching approaches will help you to be proactive and adjust when needed. You&rsquo;ll be able plan lessons quicker and predict potential issues.</p>

<h3>Learn something new</h3>

<p>Ongoing learning and professional development is important. Set a goal to learn one new teaching methodology next year. Consider attending a webinar or a conference too.</p>

<h3>Improve online teaching skills</h3>

<p>Over the past two years, teaching has changed drastically. Even as schools open back up around the world, teaching online is still popular and is not going away anytime soon. That being said, continue to work on improving your online teaching and lesson planning skills.</p>

<h3>Make more time for your students</h3>

<p>When teaching online, it can be hard to build relationships with your students. It&rsquo;s okay to take a break from the lesson to just talk with your students and share with each other. Consider building it into your lesson plan so it becomes routine.</p>

<h3>Think big</h3>

<p>Build a personal brand for yourself online. Make a Facebook page, Twitter account, or Instagram account to better engage with your current students. Promote your language learning services and connect with potential students. Think of yourself as a business owner and plan for the years ahead.</p>

<p>Teachers, what are your goals for 2022? Let us know in the comments below!</p>


Key Takeaways from TEFL International Webinar on Crucial Skills to Develop in 2022 

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<p>Every year, our product team works hard to improve the ESL Library platform and provide you with new tools that make teaching easier. Here&rsquo;s a list of just some of the important updates that we made this year.</p>

<h3>Content Recommendations</h3>

<p><img alt="Content Recommendations tab in My Classes page " src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1960/content_Melissa_Content-Recommendations-Update.png" /></p>

<p>Most recently, we started providing recommended content for you! Within each of your class pages, we added a new Recommendations tab. You&rsquo;ll see a list of recommended lessons there based on the level and age attributes filled out for each class. You&rsquo;ll be able to easily browse through relevant lessons intended for the specific age and level of your class. Visit <a href="https://ellii.com/yumi/classes?activeTab=students&amp;order=asc&amp;page=1">My Classes</a> to try it out!</p>

<h3>Archiving</h3>

<p><img alt="Archived Students option on My Students section on My Classes Page" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1961/content_Melissa_Archiving-Update.png" /></p>

<p>Instead of having to delete students from your account, we added the ability to archive students. Archiving a student removes them from your class and clears up space for a new student to be added to the class. However, unlike deleting, archiving allows you to still view that student&rsquo;s results and feedback. You can also re-add an archived student back to your class, or disconnect archived students and remove them from your student roster entirely. Visit our <a href="https://help.ellii.com/article/248-how-to-archive-or-disconnect-students" target="_blank">How to Archive or Disconnect Students help document</a> to learn more.</p>

<h3>Flashcard Sharing</h3>

<p><img alt="Share Flashcards with Students option on more options menu" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1962/content_Melissa_Flashcard-Sharing-Update.png" /></p>

<p>We added the ability to share Flashcard Sets with an entire class or just a few students within your class. Once a Flashcard Set has been shared, students see the Flashcard Set on their dashboard. They also see any notes that you&rsquo;ve included with the set. Watch this <a href="https://help.ellii.com/article/246-how-to-share-flashcard-sets-with-students" target="_blank">video</a> to learn more about flashcard sharing.</p>

<h3>Discover Page</h3>

<p><img alt="Discover Navigation option on ESL Library Menu " src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1963/content_Melissa_Discover-Page-Update.png" /></p>

<p>To better show you all our new and featured materials, we completely redesigned our homepage. Visit our <a href="https://ellii.com/discover" target="_blank">Discover Page</a> to see new lessons, flashcards, and blogs as well as any relevant or trending content. Make sure you check it often&mdash;our Discover Page changes every week!</p>

<h3>Collections</h3>

<p><img alt="Collections navigation option on ESL library menu " src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1964/content_Melissa_Collections-Update.png" /></p>

<p>We created brand new Collections organized by theme or function to help you find what you need for your next class. English Foundations, Grammar, and Everyday Topics are just a few of our grouped collections. Be sure to check out all our ready-made <a href="https://ellii.com/collections" target="_blank">Collections</a>.</p>

<h3>Discretion Labels</h3>

<p><img alt="Teacher Discretion label on an ESL Library Lesson" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1965/content_Melissa_Discretion-Labels-Update.png" /></p>

<p>For lessons with subject matter that may not be suitable for all audiences, we added discretion labels. You&rsquo;ll see Teacher Discretion labels on lessons containing mature, sensitive, or controversial subject matter. Visit our <a href="https://help.ellii.com/article/226-teacher-discretion-label" target="_blank">Teacher Discretion Label help document</a> to learn more.</p>

<h3>Speaking Task</h3>

<p><img alt="Speaking Task steps for a student" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1966/content_Melissa_Speaking-Task-Update.jpg" /></p>

<p>We added the ability to assign speaking tasks for homework. Once a speaking task has been assigned, students see the task on their student dashboard. After they have submitted their recording, you can provide them with feedback. Watch this <a href="https://help.ellii.com/article/241-speaking" target="_blank">video</a> to learn more about speaking tasks.</p>

<h3>And More!</h3>

<p>For a full list of updates in 2021, see our blog post&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/blog/feature-updates-2021">Feature Releases &amp; Platform Updates 2021</a>.</p>

<p>What was your favorite update that we made this year? What new site feature do you use the most? Let us know in the comments below!</p>


Some Important Updates We Made in 2021

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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>In November of 2019, Beth was interested in working remotely. She decided to give teaching online a try.</p>

<p>&ldquo;Surprisingly, it worked out. I would have a full day of classes with students from all over the world, and this made it so much fun and interesting!&rdquo;</p>

<p><img alt="a picture of Beth" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1954/content_Melissa_Teacher-Feature_Beth.jpg" /></p>

<p class="caption">Beth is pictured here.</p>

<p>Beth teaches English online from her home in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Most of her students are adults at the intermediate to advanced level but she has also taught children and teens as well. Check out Beth&rsquo;s text response below to learn why she loves ESL Library and how she uses it with her students.</p>

<p><iframe allow="autoplay *; encrypted-media *; fullscreen *;" height="400px" src="https://www.videoask.com/a5qw1ym0hz3osndek3js75uo8g5nrye8hp8w71qa" style="border: none; border-radius: 24px" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>For Beth, the most rewarding part about being a teacher is being able to meet and learn from students all over the world.</p>

<p>&ldquo;It&#39;s also rewarding when a student tells me how their experience has helped them gain confidence in their professions and job interviews.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Outside of tutoring English, Beth is a student herself.</p>

<p>&ldquo;I&#39;m a Spanish language learner/student myself, so I do have some understanding of the struggles and challenges of being a student too.&rdquo;</p>

<p>When asked if she has any advice for aspiring teachers, she said it&rsquo;s important to have fun and to be open minded.</p>

<p>&ldquo;Allow your students to share their own ideas of what works for them!&rdquo;</p>

<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: Beth

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<h2>What Makes You Cozy?</h2>

<div class="ckeditor-html5-audio" style="text-align: center;">
<audio controls="controls" controlslist="nodownload" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/attachments/1970/What_Makes_You_Cozy.mp3">&nbsp;</audio>
</div>

<p>I recently finished&nbsp;Isabel Gillies&#39;s book <em>Cozy: The Art of Arranging Yourself in the World</em>.&nbsp;While I was reading this book, I found myself asking everyone around me the same question: &quot;What makes you cozy?&quot;</p>

<p>What I discovered is that a lot of people had similar answers. Here are the ones that I heard the most. Can you spot a <strong>common denominator</strong>?</p>

<ul>
	<li>a cup of tea</li>
	<li>a fireplace&nbsp;</li>
	<li>a warm blanket</li>
	<li>a snuggly pet&nbsp;</li>
	<li>fuzzy pajamas</li>
	<li>a bubble bath</li>
	<li>thick socks</li>
	<li>wool sweaters</li>
</ul>

<p>It&#39;s plain to see&nbsp;that being&nbsp;<strong>cozy</strong>&nbsp;requires warmth, especially in a cold climate or season, which seems to be when we <strong>crave</strong> coziness&nbsp;the most.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Interestingly, the most common answer I heard to my cozy <strong>query</strong> was&nbsp;&quot;<a href="https://ellii.com/courses/82/lessons/3565">tea</a>.&quot; It makes perfect sense that the little sweater you put on a teapot to keep it&nbsp;warm is called a&nbsp;<strong>tea cozy</strong>. Isn&#39;t that&nbsp;the coziest word&nbsp;you&#39;ve&nbsp;ever learned?</p>

<blockquote>
<p>&quot;I can&#39;t know what everyone will think is cozy, but, in my late forties, if I&#39;ve learned anything, it&#39;s that we are all pretty much the same.&quot;</p>

<p>&mdash;<em>Isabel Gillies, Cozy: The Art of Arranging Yourself in the World</em></p>
</blockquote>

<p>One of the most unique answers I heard was from a&nbsp;little boy from Winnipeg who said that his facemask makes him cozy!&nbsp;Even after a long day at&nbsp;school, he&#39;s not in a rush to take it off when he gets&nbsp;home.</p>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/home-vs-house"><em>Home</em></a> is another cozy word. Did you know that <a href="https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/52072939431288277/">an old&nbsp;teapot makes a cozy home for a bird</a>? You can also turn a teacup and saucer into a bird feeder. What comes to mind when you think of home?&nbsp;For me, it&#39;s all about <a href="https://ellii.com/flashcard_genres/13/flashcard_categories/458">baking</a> in a cozy kitchen!&nbsp;Isabel Gillies prides herself in having <strong>comfort foods</strong> available when her family gets home. She shares several recipes for foods like applesauce and muffin <strong>batter</strong>. What are your <strong>go-to</strong> comfort foods?</p>

<p><img alt="cozy " src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1969/content_christmas-muffins-with-holiday-mug-and-teapot-SBI-300754682.jpg" /></p>

<h2>Glossary</h2>

<ul>
	<li>common denominator: <em>a shared feature</em></li>
	<li>cozy: <em>feeling comfortable, warm, and relaxed</em></li>
	<li>crave<em>: to have a strong need or desire for</em></li>
	<li>query: <em>a question</em></li>
	<li>tea cozy: <em>a little sweater for a teapot that keeps the tea warm</em></li>
	<li>comfort foods: <em>foods that make you feel good or at home</em></li>
	<li>batter: <em>a mixture of flour and liquids for baking</em></li>
	<li>go-to:<em>&nbsp;the ones you return to again and again</em></li>
</ul>

<h2>Question of the Month</h2>

<h3>What makes you cozy?</h3>

<p>Share your own list in the comments below! You can include things&nbsp;(<em>pencils</em>), words (<em>tea cozy</em>), activities (making <em>Christmas&nbsp;crafts</em>), and of course comfort foods and hot drinks (<em>banana bread, peppermint tea</em>).&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


What Makes You Cozy?

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<p>One of the most important skills students can learn is critical thinking&nbsp;and, by extension, critical reading. Critical reading helps students form their own opinions about texts and teaches them to think for themselves. If students come from an educational background where this skill&nbsp;has not been prioritized, they may have trouble with the concept. Here are some questions that students can ask as they learn&nbsp;how to read critically.</p>

<h2>The Big Question</h2>

<p>The big question students should ask themselves when they read any text is: &quot;Am I thinking about what I&#39;m reading?&quot; That&#39;s an easy question to answer with a simple &quot;yes&quot; or &quot;no,&quot;&nbsp;but the most successful students will break the question down further&nbsp;by asking the following sub-questions.</p>

<h2>Ask yourself...</h2>

<ul>
	<li>What sources did the author use?</li>
	<li>What is the author&#39;s background?</li>
	<li>Who is the intended audience of the text?</li>
	<li>What was the author&#39;s purpose in writing this piece?</li>
	<li>What information does the author assume is true?</li>
	<li>Does understanding the information depend on knowing the context?</li>
	<li>Does the author show any biases?</li>
	<li>Is the author stating facts or opinions?</li>
	<li>What is the author&#39;s final conclusion? Do you agree with it?</li>
</ul>

<h2>Let&#39;s try it!</h2>

<p>These questions can be applied to any text. Assign your students a short article and have them answer the&nbsp;questions.&nbsp;Then put them in groups to discuss their answers. For bonus points, see if your students can think of other critical reading questions. There will be as many interpretations of the text as there are students, so encourage healthy debate.</p>

<p>Developing these skills will turn your students into free-thinking individuals, which will help them not only throughout their academic careers, but also throughout their lives.</p>


Questions for Critical Reading

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<p><strong>This giveaway is now closed. Thank you for participating! Congratulations to all our winners:</strong></p>

<blockquote>
<ol>
	<li>Lavinia (Norway) &mdash;&nbsp;Week 1 winner</li>
	<li>Adriana (USA) &mdash; Week 2 winner</li>
	<li>Debbie (Canada) &mdash; Week 3 winner</li>
	<li>Tyler&nbsp;(Vietnam) &mdash; Week 4 winner</li>
	<li>Natalia (Brazil) &mdash; Week 5 winner</li>
	<li>Taryn (Canada) &mdash; Week 6 winner</li>
</ol>
</blockquote>

<p>Here at ESL Library, we are so grateful for and in awe of our community of teachers around the world. In the midst of yet another challenging year, you have continually shown dedication, perseverance, and resilience.</p>

<p>This holiday season, we want to celebrate you with our 6 Weeks of Giveaways promotion! Simply visit our <a href="http://www.ellii.com/giveaways" target="_blank">raffle page</a> and fill in your information for a chance to win a 1-year subscription to ESL Library! Winners will receive full access to our teaching materials and resources. We will select one winner each week from now until the end of the year. Just enter once to be automatically eligible for all 6 draws!</p>

<p>Enter our <a href="http://www.ellii.com/giveaways" target="_blank">6 Weeks of Giveaways raffle</a> today! If you are a winner, we will email you. Be sure to follow us on <a href="https://facebook.com/ESLlibrary/" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/ESLlibrary/" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://instagram.com/esllibrary" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/esl-library/" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a> to see all the winners. Good luck!</p>


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