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


Improv in the Classroom

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


Teacher Feature: Khaled

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<p>This May, Bob Dylan will celebrate his 80th birthday! The iconic American singer-songwriter is considered one of the greatest artists of all time, selling tens of millions of albums and writing more than 500 songs since his debut in the 1960s.</p>

<p>&ldquo;Blowin&rsquo; in the Wind&rdquo; is one of Dylan&#39;s most well-known songs and has been recorded by hundreds of artists worldwide. In this post, we will explore why&nbsp;this song is an excellent choice for the classroom, and we&#39;ll look at an activity idea that uses related lessons and resources from ESL Library.</p>

<h2>The Song</h2>

<p>&ldquo;Blowin&rsquo; in the Wind&rdquo; was written by Bob Dylan in 1962. The song is considered a protest song, posing rhetorical questions about war and freedom.</p>

<p>It&#39;s&nbsp;a great song to study with English students as it contains many common language features to discuss and explore.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bobdylan.com/songs/blowin-wind/" target="_blank">View the full lyrics.</a></p>

<div class="whiteBox"><span class="label hangingLabel">Related Lesson</span>

<p class="circleThumb"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/80/lessons/1348"><img src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/emails/monthly-newsletter/thumbs/198_Bob-Dylan.png" /></a></p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/80/lessons/1348">Bob Dylan</a></h2>

<p>In this <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/80/lessons">Famous People</a> lesson, students read a short biography on Bob Dylan, learn new vocab, and discuss the lyrics from his song&nbsp;&quot;Blowin&#39; in the Wind.&quot;</p>
</div>

<h2>Language Features</h2>

<h3>1. Idioms</h3>

<p>The name of the song, as well as its main refrain, contains an uncommon idiom.&nbsp;</p>

<blockquote>
<p>&quot;The answer, my friend, is <strong>blowin&#39; in the wind</strong>, the answer is <strong>blowin&#39; in the wind</strong>.&quot;</p>
</blockquote>

<p>What does it mean to&nbsp;&quot;blow in the wind&quot;?&nbsp;The Collins <a href="https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/blow-in-the-wind">definition</a> is &quot;to be thought about and discussed, but not decided upon or resolved.&quot;</p>

<p>In Dylan&#39;s <a href="https://www.npr.org/2000/10/21/1112840/blowin-in-the-wind">own words</a> to <em>Sing Out! </em>magazine, &quot;There ain&#39;t too much I can say about this song except that the answer is blowing in the wind...just like a restless piece of paper it&#39;s got to come down some...but the only trouble is that no one picks up the answer when it comes down so not too many people get to see and know...and then it flies away.&quot;</p>

<p><b>Other idioms in the song:</b></p>

<ul>
	<li><em>turn one&#39;s head:&nbsp;</em>to avoid paying attention to something uncomfortable or inconvenient</li>
	<li><em>have one&#39;s ear:&nbsp;</em>to have someone&#39;s interest or attention</li>
</ul>

<hr />
<h3>2. Singular &amp; Plural Nouns</h3>

<p>With more than a dozen nouns, the song also works well to teach new vocabulary and review singular and plural nouns.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>&quot;Yes, &rsquo;n&rsquo; how many <b>seas</b> must a white <b>dove</b> sail<br />
Before she sleeps in the <b>sand</b>?&rdquo;</p>
</blockquote>

<p><b>Full list of nouns:</b><br />
road, man, sea, dove, sand, time, cannonball, answer, friend, wind, year, mountain, sea, person, head, sky, ear, death</p>

<div class="whiteBox"><span class="label hangingLabel">Related Lesson</span>

<p class="circleThumb"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons/1621"><img src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/emails/monthly-newsletter/thumbs/88_Nouns-and-Pronouns.png" /></a></p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons/1621">Singular &amp; Plural Nouns</a></h2>

<p>In this <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons">Grammar Practice Worksheets</a> lesson, beginners learn how to form regular and irregular plural nouns. Students will also review common spelling&nbsp;and pronunciation rules for plural nouns.</p>
</div>

<hr />
<h3>3. Verb Conjugations</h3>

<p>The song also features many different verb conjugations. Students can also see examples of the simple present (call), present progressive (is blowing), present perfect (have died), passive (are banned), modals (must, can), negative forms (doesn&#39;t see), etc.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>&quot;Yes, &rsquo;n&rsquo; how many ears must one man <strong>have</strong><br />
Before he can <strong>hear </strong>people <strong>cry</strong>?&rdquo;</p>
</blockquote>

<p><b>Full list of verbs:</b><br />
to walk,&nbsp;to call,&nbsp;to sail,&nbsp;to sleep,&nbsp;to fly,&nbsp;to ban, to blow, to exist,&nbsp;to wash,&nbsp;to allow,&nbsp;to turn,&nbsp;to pretend, to see, to look,&nbsp;to have,&nbsp;to hear,&nbsp;to cry, to take,&nbsp;to know,&nbsp;to die</p>

<div class="whiteBox"><span class="label hangingLabel">Related Resource</span>

<p class="circleThumb"><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/103/resources/2809"><img src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/emails/monthly-newsletter/thumbs/103_Grammar-and-Usage.png" /></a></p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/103/resources/2809">Verb Conjugations</a></h2>

<p>Students will learn or review verb conjugations for 12 verb tenses&nbsp;in this handy <a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/103/resources">Grammar &amp; Usage</a> resource for all levels.</p>
</div>

<hr />
<h3>4. Contractions</h3>

<p>&quot;Blowin&#39; in the wind,&quot; contains many examples of words that have been shortened by dropping one or more letters. Ask your students if they know why the contraction <strong>&#39;n&#39; </strong>has two apostrophes. (Answer: The first represents&nbsp;the missing &quot;a&quot; and the second represents the missing &quot;d&quot; from&nbsp;the word &quot;and.&quot;)</p>

<blockquote>
<p>&quot;Yes, <strong>&#39;n&#39; </strong>how many years can some people exist<br />
Before <strong>they&#39;re</strong> allowed to be free?&quot;</p>
</blockquote>

<p><b>Full list of contractions:</b><br />
&#39;n&#39;, blowin&#39;,&nbsp;they&#39;re,&nbsp;it&#39;s, doesn&#39;t</p>

<div class="whiteBox"><span class="label hangingLabel">Related Lesson</span>

<p class="circleThumb"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/74/lessons/1832"><img src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/emails/monthly-newsletter/thumbs/74_Apostrophe.png" /></a></p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/74/lessons/1832">How to Use an Apostrophe</a></h2>

<p>This <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/74/lessons">Writing in English</a> lesson includes a section on how to use apostrophes to form contractions. Students will also review common errors that people make with apostrophes.</p>
</div>

<hr />
<h3>5. Rhetorical Questions</h3>

<p>Almost every line of the song takes the form of a rhetorical question.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>&quot;How many years can a mountain exist<br />
Before it&rsquo;s washed to the sea?&quot;</p>
</blockquote>

<div class="whiteBox"><span class="label hangingLabel">Related Lesson</span>

<p class="circleThumb"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/74/lessons/1832"><img src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/emails/monthly-newsletter/thumbs/127_Identifying-Rhetorical-Devices.png" /></a></p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/127/lessons/3239">Identifying Rhetorical Devices</a></h2>

<p>This <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/127/lessons">Reading in English</a> lesson includes a section on rhetorical questions. Students also learn about the art of persuasion and how to identify rhetorical devices.</p>
</div>

<h2>Activity Idea</h2>

<p>Give students a copy of the song lyrics with certain words&nbsp;blanked out. Play the song and have them fill in the blanks with the words they hear. Depending on the level of the class, you could give them the words beforehand, or let them try on their own first and reveal the answers to them later.&nbsp;</p>

<p>If you choose to blank out the nouns,&nbsp;you can have students sort them into singular and plural after filling in the blanks.&nbsp;You could also ask them to convert the singular nouns that appear in the song to their plural form, and vice versa.</p>


Learning with Bob Dylan

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

Courses

<p>Do you use <a href="https://ellii.com/folders">Folders</a> to create your own modules or courses?&nbsp;This week, we released our latest feature: Ellii&nbsp;Folders. You will find these in the Class Prep drop-down menu under Folders. Toggle to Ellii&nbsp;Folders to find&nbsp;preset folders that you can use for inspiration or to teach a ready-made course. If you&#39;ve ever wondered <em>what</em> to teach <em>when</em>, these folders are for you!</p>

<p>In each Ellii Folder, you&#39;ll&nbsp;find:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>Teachers&#39; Notes (housed on our blog)</li>
	<li>Introductory Resources (e.g., Class List, Attendance Sheet)</li>
	<li>Content (in a suggested order, including&nbsp;lessons, resources, customized flashcard sets, and blog posts)</li>
	<li>Grammar Tests, Review, or Assessment (not yet available in all courses)</li>
</ul>

<p>There are three&nbsp;types of Ellii Folders:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>age-based courses</li>
	<li>level-based courses (for teen to adult)</li>
	<li>language target- or theme-based modules (more coming soon)</li>
</ul>

<h2>Sharing</h2>

<p>You can also:</p>

<ul>
	<li>save an Ellii Folder to your own Folders to make it customizable,</li>
	<li>share your Folders with other Ellii members in a group account</li>
	<li>receive Folders from other Ellii members in a group account</li>
</ul>


Introducing Ready-Made Ellii Courses (Folders)

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<h1>Learning Objectives</h1>

<ul>
	<li>Read&nbsp;articles on <strong>business themes</strong>: corporate responsibility, privacy, and&nbsp;entrepreneurship</li>
	<li>Learn and practice high-level <strong>business&nbsp;vocabulary</strong></li>
	<li>Review <strong>modals of past regret</strong></li>
	<li>Review how to <strong>compare and contrast</strong></li>
	<li>Practice sharing information</li>
	<li>Express personal opinions by engaging in&nbsp;<strong>discussions and debates</strong></li>
</ul>

<h1>Teachers&rsquo; Notes</h1>

<p>The <a href="https://ellii.com/folders/published/80591">Reading for Business (B2&ndash;C2) Course</a> is available in <a href="https://ellii.com/folders/published">Ellii Folders</a>. The folder includes a suggested order of business English readings at the <a href="https://ellii.com/folders/published/68543">high‑intermediate to advanced</a> level. You can use the full lesson or just the readings. You may want to save the vocabulary review tasks for homework.</p>

<p>Unsure if this is the right level for your students? Try <a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/2451">Grammar Test 4</a> and see how your students do. <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/introducing-our-new-grammar-tests">Learn more&nbsp;here</a>.</p>

<p>Note: The readings&nbsp;in this course come from various sections. Some of the lessons are&nbsp;from our <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/133/lessons">That&#39;s News to Me</a> section. This section is&nbsp;digital-only; however, the readings are available for any subscriber to assign to their students. The assessments in this course are also digital-only. If you need help using the digital platform, visit our <a href="https://help.ellii.com/" target="_blank">Help&nbsp;Docs</a>.</p>

<h1>Lessons</h1>

<p>The 10 readings in this <a href="https://ellii.com/folders/published/80591">business course</a>&nbsp;are divided into three themes: corporate responsibility, privacy, and entrepreneurship.</p>

<h2>Corporate Responsibility</h2>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/133/lessons/3574" target="_blank">Ships Freed from Suez Canal </a>(digital-only):&nbsp;That&#39;s News to Me</li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/86/lessons/1684" target="_blank">Corporate Responsibility</a>:&nbsp;Business Matters</li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/72/lessons/1266" target="_blank">Private Prisons</a>: Discussion Starters</li>
</ul>

<h2>Privacy</h2>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/73/lessons/2115">Advertising to Children</a>:&nbsp;Mini-Debates</li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/133/lessons/3487" target="_blank">Privacy Labels on Apps</a>&nbsp;(digital-only): That&#39;s News to Me</li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/73/lessons/2719" target="_blank">Online Privacy</a>:&nbsp;Mini-Debates</li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/73/lessons/1305" target="_blank">Employee Tracking</a>: Mini-Debates</li>
</ul>

<h2>Entrepreneurship</h2>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/80/lessons/2406">Jack Ma</a>:&nbsp;Famous People</li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/133/lessons/3571" target="_blank">Prince Harry: Tech Exec</a>&nbsp;(digital-only): That&#39;s News to Me</li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/86/lessons/1681" target="_blank">Internet Entrepreneurs</a>: Business Matters</li>
</ul>

<h2>Assessment</h2>

<p>Within the course, there are three sections for assessment. The assessments are digital-only tasks. These&nbsp;include vocabulary review, writing practice, and reading comprehension tasks. The assessments are also theme-based.</p>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="resource"><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/3653" target="_blank">Reading for Business: Assessment A</a>: to be used after you cover the theme of corporate responsibility (includes a new reading about two chemical disasters)&nbsp;</li>
	<li class="resource"><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/3654">Reading for Business: Assessment B</a>: to be used after you cover the theme of privacy (includes a new reading about surveillance)</li>
	<li class="resource"><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/3655" target="_blank">Reading for Business: Assessment C</a>: to be used after you cover the theme of entrepreneurship (includes a new reading about Elon Musk)</li>
</ul>

<h2>Optional Teacher Resources</h2>

<p>At the bottom of the folder, you will find some optional teacher resources from the library. Assign or print out any resources that you think will be useful for teaching this business course.</p>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="resource"><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/2966">Vocabulary Cards</a>: for students to record new vocabulary</li>
	<li class="resource"><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/2132" target="_blank">Reading Task Assessment Form</a>: to record assessment of any reading tasks that you assign</li>
	<li class="resource"><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/2326" target="_blank">Advanced Reading Comprehension</a>: to make personalized question sets that meet your students&#39; needs</li>
	<li class="resource"><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/124/resources/3025">The Language of Opinions</a>: to review&nbsp;sentence stems (use at any time during the course)</li>
	<li class="resource"><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/124/resources/2967">The Language of Sensitive Subjects</a>: to review&nbsp;sentence stems&nbsp;(use at any time during the course)</li>
	<li class="resource"><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/3584">Teacher Evaluation Form</a>: to help you improve your teaching for next time (use at the end of the course)</li>
</ul>


Teachers' Notes for Reading for Business (B2-C2) Course

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

Grammar & Usage

<p>Last month, my fellow editor, Tanya, and I attended the annual conference hosted by ACES: The Society for Editing. This year&#39;s conference was called Refine &amp; Refresh, and it was chock-full of enlightening and informative sessions.&nbsp;The topics ranged from the importance of fact-checking to the history of dictionaries to the need for inclusive language&mdash;a subject that Tanya will delve into in an upcoming blog post.</p>

<p>When I first glanced at the schedule, one session title immediately grabbed my attention: Grammar Saves Lives. Jennifer Rowe, an award-winning professor at the Missouri School of Journalism, did not disappoint with her lively presentation, which included tips to avoid the &quot;pesky pitfalls of modern grammar.&quot; As one participant noted in the chat, the session was &quot;delightfully nerdy.&quot;</p>

<p>While admitting that the session title was somewhat hyperbolic, Jennifer made her case with this simple example: &quot;Let&#39;s eat, Grandpa.&quot; vs. &quot;Let&#39;s eat Grandpa.&quot; If we use a comma denoting direct address, we&#39;re talking to Grandpa and are perhaps getting ready to enjoy a nice meal together. However, if we omit the comma, we are cannibals. Hence, grammar saves lives!</p>

<p>Jennifer focused on areas of grammar that trip up even the most language-obsessed people. Two points that she covered&nbsp;struck me as real potential hazards.</p>

<h2>Tricky Subject&ndash;Verb Agreement</h2>

<p>Sometimes words between a noun or pronoun and the verb cause confusion. If the subject is followed by a prepositional&nbsp;phrase, you should ignore the prepositional phrase when you are deciding the verb&#39;s number. In the following two examples, the subjects are singular (Brady; the new tree). Hence, the verbs are also singular (is; was). The intervening phrases do not affect the verbs&#39; number.</p>

<ul>
	<li>Brady, in addition to other players, is ready for the season.</li>
	<li>The new tree, along with the bushes, was planted yesterday.</li>
</ul>

<p>The next two examples pertain to gerunds. While gerunds often have objects, it is important to keep in mind that the gerund is the subject of the sentence&mdash;not the object&mdash;and the verb is always singular.</p>

<ul>
	<li>Learning grammar basics is necessary.</li>
	<li>Spitting watermelon seeds entertains children for hours.</li>
</ul>

<h2>Confusing Subjective &amp;&nbsp;Objective Case</h2>

<p>In English, nouns take the same form in the subjective and objective cases. Pronouns, on the other hand, change form depending on whether they are functioning as a subject or as an object. The only exception is the pronoun &quot;it,&quot; which remains the same.</p>

<ul>
	<li>The room [subject] is cold.</li>
	<li>She walked into the room [object].</li>
</ul>

<p>Compare the sentences above with the following sentences, which contain pronouns.</p>

<ul>
	<li>We [subject] laughed during the movie.</li>
	<li>The teacher told us [object] to be quiet.</li>
</ul>

<p>Seems straightforward, right? Yet many of us use the subjective case of the first person pronoun&nbsp;when we should use the objective case in certain instances. Most of us were taught that the polite and proper thing to do when including ourselves in a list of two or more people is to place ourselves at the end of the list. For whatever reason, when nouns or pronouns precede the singular pronoun in such cases, the tendency is often to use &quot;I,&quot; even if the objective case is called for.</p>

<p>Barack Obama, who is known for his great oratorial skills, is guilty of making this grammatical error, as demonstrated in the following examples.</p>

<p>✗ What a warm greeting you have given Michelle and I.</p>

<p>✗ It is our daughters who keep Michelle and I grounded.</p>

<p>However, if Obama had removed &quot;Michelle&quot; from the two sentences, he would have instinctively used &quot;me.&quot; When in doubt, remove the nouns and/or pronouns that come before the first person pronoun, and it will be obvious whether to choose &quot;I&quot; or &quot;me.&quot;</p>

<p>Do you struggle with these two areas of grammar? Are there others that cause you to make mistakes?&nbsp;Please share in the comments section below.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Grammar Saves Lives

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

For Students

<p>In English, we often use the nouns &ldquo;home&rdquo; and &ldquo;house&rdquo; interchangeably to mean the same thing.</p>

<p>For example, you might hear someone say, &ldquo;I&rsquo;m going to my friend&rsquo;s home this weekend.&rdquo; But if they had said, &ldquo;I&#39;m going to my friend&#39;s house this weekend,&rdquo; it would be correct too.</p>

<p>However, in some instances, it would be incorrect to use &ldquo;house&rdquo; when meaning &ldquo;home,&rdquo; and vice versa. So what is the difference, then, between &ldquo;home&rdquo; and &ldquo;house&rdquo; and how they&rsquo;re used?</p>

<h2>Using &quot;Home&quot;</h2>

<p>The noun &ldquo;home&rdquo; is used to refer to one&rsquo;s place of residence.</p>

<p>Example: Junko has been away from <strong>home</strong> for three months.</p>

<p>It is also used to describe:</p>

<ul>
	<li>The social unit formed by a family or group of people living together.<br />
	Example: Rita works hard to make a good <strong>home</strong> for her children.</li>
	<br />
	<li>An animal&rsquo;s habitat.<br />
	Example: Australia is <strong>home</strong> to the koala bear.</li>
	<br />
	<li>A place of origin or headquarters.<br />
	Example: Migrating birds fly <strong>home</strong> after the winter.</li>
	<br />
	<li>An establishment providing residence and care to people.<br />
	Example: Judy works part-time at a nursing <strong>home</strong>.</li>
	<br />
	<li>The objective of certain games.<br />
	Example: Baseball players must touch the <strong>home</strong> plate to score.</li>
</ul>

<h2>Expressions with &quot;Home&quot;</h2>

<p>The noun&nbsp;&quot;home&quot; is also used in various idioms and expressions. Here are three examples:</p>

<ul>
	<li>To make yourself at home =&nbsp;to do what makes you feel most comfortable.<br />
	Example: When Kaya arrived at the apartment, Maria showed her the sofa and said, &quot;<strong>Make yourself at home</strong>.&quot;</li>
	<br />
	<li>Close to home =&nbsp;affecting someone personally, often in an uncomfortable or unsettling way.<br />
	Example: Luke was trying to enjoy the film, but its message hit too <strong>close to home</strong>.</li>
	<br />
	<li>To bring home =&nbsp;to&nbsp;make something perfectly clear.<br />
	Example: Watching the TV footage really <strong>brought home</strong> how devastating the earthquake was.</li>
</ul>

<div class="whiteBox"><span class="label hangingLabel">Related Resource</span>

<p class="circleThumb"><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/105/resources/2183"><img src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/emails/monthly-newsletter/thumbs/105_Warm-Ups-and-Fillers.png" /></a></p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/105/resources/2183">Home Sweet Home</a></h2>

<p>In this <a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/105/resources">Warm-Ups &amp; Fillers</a> pair-work activity for all levels, students take turns describing and drawing each other&#39;s homes.</p>
</div>

<h2>Using &quot;House&quot;</h2>

<p>The noun &ldquo;house&rdquo; is used to refer to the physical building in which a person, family, or group of people resides.</p>

<p>Example: I&rsquo;m going to meet Nick at Junko&rsquo;s <strong>house</strong>.</p>

<p>It is also used to describe:</p>

<ul>
	<li>A building in which something is sheltered or stored.<br />
	Example: In Cobble Hill, there is a renovated carriage <strong>house</strong> for sale.</li>
	<br />
	<li>A student or religious residence/community.<br />
	Example: Sigma Alpha Epsilon is the largest fraternity <strong>house</strong> in the US.</li>
	<br />
	<li>A place of business or entertainment.<br />
	Example: Harper Collins is a well-known publishing <strong>house</strong>.</li>
	<br />
	<li>The audience in a theater or concert hall.<br />
	Example: Hamilton opened to a full <strong>house</strong> on its first night on Broadway.</li>
	<br />
	<li>A type of dance music.<br />
	Example: Disco is one of the main influences of <strong>house</strong>.</li>
</ul>

<h2>Expressions with &quot;House&quot;</h2>

<p>The noun&nbsp;&quot;house&quot; is also used in various idioms and expressions. Here are three examples:</p>

<ul>
	<li>On the house =&nbsp;for free; at the expense of management.<br />
	Example: The first round of drinks is <strong>on the house</strong>.</li>
	<br />
	<li>To clean house =&nbsp;to eliminate corruption, inefficiency, or undesirable conditions.<br />
	Example: After the scandal broke, the owner <strong>cleaned&nbsp;house</strong>, firing the team&#39;s&nbsp;general manager and support staff.</li>
	<br />
	<li>To get on like a house on fire =&nbsp;to progress rapidly and successfully.<br />
	Example: Jasmine and Ali&nbsp;<strong>get on like a house on fire</strong>.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<div class="whiteBox"><span class="label hangingLabel">Related Lesson</span>

<p class="circleThumb"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/113/lessons/3606"><img src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/emails/monthly-newsletter/thumbs/113_Alis-House.png" /></a></p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/113/lessons/3606">Ali&#39;s House</a></h2>

<p>Students read a simple story about a house and answer comprehension questions in this new <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/113/lessons">Word Bank</a> lesson for beginners.</p>
<b> </b></div>


Home Vs. House

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


Suggested Lessons & Sections for CLB 5+

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


Student Spotlight: Doris

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Posts describing lessons or activities for the ESL classroom.

Activities

<p>National Limerick Day is observed annually in the US on May 12 to celebrate the birthday of English writer&nbsp;Edward Lear.</p>

<p>Lear was an author, poet, illustrator, and artist, but he is best known for popularizing the limerick. This type of poem is characterized by its unique rhyming scheme and witty or nonsensical humor.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Here&#39;s a fun activity on limericks to try in class! In pairs or groups, students will write their own limerick while reviewing common nouns, adjectives, and verbs and their different forms.</p>

<h2>Step 1</h2>

<p>Introduce students to the structure of a limerick poem. It contains five lines, with the first two and last being slightly longer than the third and fourth.</p>

<p>The rhyming scheme is AABBA:</p>

<ul>
	<li>The last word of the first line should rhyme with the last word of the second line</li>
	<li>The last word of the third line should rhyme with the last word of the fourth line</li>
	<li>The last word of the fifth line should rhyme with the last word in the first and the second lines</li>
</ul>

<p>Here&rsquo;s an example:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>There was an Old Man with a <u>beard</u>,</p>

<p>Who said, &quot;It is just as I <u>feared</u>!&mdash;</p>

<p>Two owls and a <u>hen</u>,</p>

<p>Four larks and a <u>wren</u>,</p>

<p>Have all built their nests in my <u>beard</u>!&quot;</p>

<p class="attribution">&mdash;Edward Lear, 1920</p>
</blockquote>

<div class="whiteBox"><span class="label hangingLabel">Related Lesson</span>

<p class="circleThumb"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/74/lessons/2026"><img src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/emails/monthly-newsletter/thumbs/74_Poem.png" /></a></p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/74/lessons/2026">How to Write a Poem</a></h2>

<p>This <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/74/lessons">Writing in English</a> lesson for intermediate includes a section on how to write a limerick poem with a practice exercise.</p>
</div>

<h2>Step 2</h2>

<p>Divide students into pairs or groups and ask them to name their team. Give them a category for naming if you like; it&#39;s a good opportunity to practice previously learned vocabulary, like days of the week, <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/113/lessons/2411" target="_blank">animal families</a>, or <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/113/lessons/2798" target="_blank">colors</a>.</p>

<p>Draw a grid on the board and fill in the team names.</p>

<table>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<th>Lions</th>
			<th>Tigers</th>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Whales</th>
			<th>Bears</th>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<h2>Step 3</h2>

<p>To fill in the grid on the board under each team name, ask students who are <em>not</em> in that team to provide the following words:</p>

<ul>
	<li>3 nouns</li>
	<li>2 verbs</li>
	<li>1 adjective</li>
</ul>

<p>Write the nouns, verbs, and adjectives suggested for each team on the grid.</p>

<table>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<th>Lions</th>
			<th>Tigers</th>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
			<p>n: <strong>boy</strong>, <strong>soup</strong>, <strong>New York</strong></p>

			<p>v: <strong>fall</strong>, <strong>flow</strong></p>

			<p>a: <strong>silver</strong></p>
			</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Whales</th>
			<th>Bears</th>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<h2>Step 4</h2>

<p>Have each team come up with their own limerick using the nouns, verbs, and adjectives assigned to them.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>There once was a <b>boy</b> from <b>New York</b></p>

<p>Who ate all his <b>soup</b> with a fork</p>

<p><b>Falling</b> rivers of brine</p>

<p><b>Flowed</b> through <strong>silver</strong> tines</p>

<p>Splattering everything with pork!</p>
</blockquote>

<h2>Step 5</h2>

<p>When students have completed their limericks, have them practice reading it aloud with the other members of their team and then present their poem to the rest of the class.</p>


Fun with Limericks

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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/1504/making-small-talk.mp3">&nbsp;</audio>
</div>

<h2>How many people do you talk to as you move throughout your day?</h2>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/92/lessons/1749">Making small talk</a> is an important part of the culture here in Canada as well as in the United States&nbsp;and in many other countries around the world.&nbsp;We make small talk with&nbsp;friends, <strong>acquaintances</strong>, and even people we&#39;ve never met before (and may never see again).&nbsp;</p>

<p>Small talk is short, informal conversation.&nbsp;It may end after a few <strong>pleasant</strong> <strong>exchanges,&nbsp;</strong>or it may act as a bridge into<strong>&nbsp;</strong>a more serious discussion.</p>

<p>Making&nbsp;small talk is <a href="https://thewalrus.ca/blah-blah-blah-the-lack-of-small-talk-is-breaking-our-brains/">more difficult during a pandemic</a>, but it is not impossible. You can make small talk in a virtual setting, on the phone, or even in person from a safe distance.&nbsp;</p>

<blockquote>
<p>&ldquo;I never thought I&rsquo;d say this, but I miss small talk. I miss those 15-second exchanges with strangers at the gym. I miss asking acquaintances about their <strong>significant others</strong> or <strong>dropping</strong> an &lsquo;<em>I like your shoes</em>&rsquo; to a woman in the elevator before <strong>hopping off</strong>.&rdquo;</p>

<p class="attribution">&mdash;Hannah Seo</p>
</blockquote>

<h1>Small Talk Challenge</h1>

<p>According to psychologist Susan Pinker, social interaction (including small talk) is the #1 secret to living a longer life. (Watch the video below.)</p>

<p>Try counting how many people you talk to on an average day. Then see if you can slowly increase the number of social interactions you have, even if it starts with one extra hello!</p>

<h2>5 Types of People&nbsp;to Chat with</h2>

<ul>
	<li>postal workers / delivery people</li>
	<li>cashiers / customer service reps</li>
	<li>neighbors / dog walkers</li>
	<li>transit workers</li>
	<li>coworkers / classmates</li>
</ul>

<h2>5 Places to Make Small Talk</h2>

<ul>
	<li>at a bus stop</li>
	<li>at a playground or park</li>
	<li>before a live or virtual meeting or class</li>
	<li>in a waiting room or lineup</li>
	<li>in (or while waiting for)&nbsp;an elevator</li>
</ul>

<h2>5 Safe Subjects for Small Talk</h2>

<ul>
	<li>the weather</li>
	<li>sports and entertainment</li>
	<li>scenery or surroundings</li>
	<li>food and beverages</li>
	<li>weekend or holiday plans</li>
</ul>

<h2>5 Small Talk Questions</h2>

<ul>
	<li>How are you? / How are things? / How have you been?</li>
	<li>Do you have any plans for the weekend?</li>
	<li>Have you been waiting long?&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Have you seen any good movies lately? / Did you <strong>catch the game</strong> last night?</li>
	<li>Nice day, huh? / Is this winter ever going to end?</li>
</ul>

<h2>5 Reasons to Make Small Talk</h2>

<ul>
	<li>to be polite</li>
	<li>to practice your English</li>
	<li>to fill an uncomfortable silence</li>
	<li>to help people feel comfortable around you</li>
	<li>to live longer (watch the video clip from&nbsp;7:12&ndash;9:27)</li>
</ul>

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ptIecdCZ3dg?start=432" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div>

<h2>Leave a Comment</h2>

<p>Will this &quot;secret&quot; to a longer life convince you to take this challenge and <strong>step out of your</strong> <strong>comfort zone</strong>? Will you turn your microphone on in your online class and ask your teacher about her weekend? Will you <strong>strike up</strong> a conversation with your neighbor as he&#39;s walking the dog? How about talking about the weather with your friendly postal worker?&nbsp;</p>

<h2>Vocabulary</h2>

<ul>
	<li>acquaintance: a person you&#39;ve met but&nbsp;don&#39;t know well</li>
	<li>pleasant: light and happy&nbsp;</li>
	<li>exchange: a short conversation (often between two people)</li>
	<li>significant other: a romantic partner (e.g., wife or boyfriend)</li>
	<li>drop: to quickly say something</li>
	<li>hop off: to exit quickly</li>
	<li>catch the game: watch a&nbsp;sporting event</li>
	<li>step out of one&#39;s comfort zone: to take a risk or do something that makes you feel uncomfortable</li>
	<li>strike up: to start</li>
</ul>

<div class="whiteBox"><span class="label hangingLabel">Related Lesson</span>

<p class="circleThumb"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/92/lessons/1749"><img src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/emails/monthly-newsletter/thumbs/Tara_Making-Small-Talks_Thumb.png" /></a></p>
In this <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/92/lessons/1749">Functional English</a> lesson, students listen to a number of short dialogues and practice making small talk. The digital version of this lesson includes a speaking assessment task (video coming soon).</div>


Can Making Small Talk Help You Live Longer?

https://esllibrary-staging.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/1914/Tara_Making-Small-Talks_Banner.png

<p>In the US, May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Introduced&nbsp;in 1949 by the community-based non-profit, Mental Health America, the observance is dedicated to addressing the needs of people living with mental illness and promoting mental health overall.</p>

<p>Today, worldwide, it&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.who.int/activities/Improving-the-mental-and-brain-health-of-children-and-adolescents#:~:text=Worldwide%2C%2010%2D20%25%20of,by%2014%20years%20of%20age." rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_bank">estimated</a> that 10&ndash;20% of children and teens experience mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety. Half of these start by age 14, with suicide being the leading cause of death in 15&ndash;19 year olds.</p>

<p>With the added weight of a global pandemic, increased time spent online, and a looming climate crisis, it&rsquo;s important now, more than ever, to destigmatize mental illness.</p>

<p>An important space for that to happen is the classroom. Many teachers and schools around the world are turning to the practice of mindfulness as their approach.</p>

<p>This post&nbsp;explores the benefits of mindfulness in schools and classrooms and looks at five activities teachers can try with their students.</p>

<h2>What is mindfulness?</h2>

<p>Practicing mindfulness is learning how to maintain awareness of your thoughts, emotions, and experiences in a given moment without interpretation or judgement. A mindful activity is one that helps calm and center the body and mind.</p>

<h2>Mindfulness in schools</h2>

<p>When I was teaching in Japan, every morning at our high school began the same: students and teachers would close our eyes, correct our posture, and listen to a short guided meditation that played with music over the PA system.</p>

<p>This practice is known as &ldquo;sei-shi.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;Sei&rdquo; (正) means &ldquo;correct&rdquo; or &ldquo;positive,&rdquo;&nbsp;and &ldquo;shi&rdquo; (姿) means &ldquo;form&rdquo; or &ldquo;posture.&rdquo; It worked to help calm and quieten the minds of even the most troubled students.</p>

<p>On the other side of the world in the US, a <a href="https://www.oprah.com/inspiration/baltimore-city-elementary-meditation-with-kids#ixzz4Kuv2yKd0" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_bank">similar practice</a> is employed at an elementary school in Baltimore: every day begins with a breathing exercise broadcast over the PA system. Punishments for acting out&mdash;like detention or being sent to the principal&rsquo;s office&mdash;have been abandoned. Students are instead sent to the &ldquo;Mindful Moment&rdquo; room, where they are able to breathe and calm down.</p>

<p>In the UK, the government recently committed to investing public funds into mindfulness and mental health education for the first time.</p>

<p>In Canada, mindfulness is taught to both teachers and students, with some high schools even offering yoga as a physical education credit.</p>

<h2>Benefits of mindfulness in the classroom</h2>

<p>Schools that implement mindfulness practices have seen a drop in suspension rates and an increase in attendance. <a href="https://mashable.com/article/what-are-the-benefits-of-mindfulness-meditation/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_bank">Studies show</a> that practicing mindfulness has many other social, physical, and psychological benefits, including:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Reduced feelings of anxiety, stress, and depression</li>
	<li>Improved mood</li>
	<li>Decreased physical pain</li>
	<li>Increased sense of compassion</li>
	<li>Reduced bias</li>
</ul>

<h2>Mindfulness in the classroom</h2>

<p>There are many different ways teachers can bring the practice of mindfulness into the classroom. Here are some ideas with related lessons and resources from ESL Library.</p>

<h3>1. The 5-4-3-2-1 technique</h3>

<p>Teach your students a popular coping technique for anxiety. When they are feeling anxious or overwhelmed, have them take a deep breath, take in their surroundings, and answer the following questions:</p>

<ul>
	<li>What are 5 things you can see?</li>
	<li>What are 4 things you can feel?</li>
	<li>What are 3 things you can hear?</li>
	<li>What are 2 things you can smell?</li>
	<li>What is 1 thing you can taste?</li>
</ul>

<div class="whiteBox"><strong><span class="label hangingLabel">Related lesson:</span></strong>

<p class="circleThumb"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/117/lessons/3575"><img src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/emails/monthly-newsletter/thumbs/117_Five-Senses.png" /></a></p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/117/lessons/3575" target="_bank">The 5 Senses</a></h2>

<p>In this <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/117/lessons" target="_bank">Discovery</a> lesson for beginners, students review the five senses through reading, speaking, listening, and vocabulary tasks.</p>
</div>

<hr />
<h3>2. Mindful movement</h3>

<p>Exercises performed with awareness, such as walking, running, yoga, or dance, are excellent ways to practice mindfulness. In the classroom, yoga is especially beneficial as it doesn&#39;t require too much space and is easy enough for beginners.</p>

<p>Teach students some basic moves like Dandasana (Staff Pose) and Balasana (Child&rsquo;s Pose) and create your own daily or weekly routine together for class.</p>

<div class="whiteBox"><strong><span class="label hangingLabel">Related lesson:</span></strong>

<p class="circleThumb"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/97/lessons/1990"><img src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/emails/monthly-newsletter/thumbs/97_Yoga.png" /></a></p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/97/lessons/1990" target="_bank">Yoga</a></h2>

<p>This <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/97/lessons" target="_bank">Sports &amp; Leisure</a> lesson for intermediate includes an explanation of the Yoga Sutra and fun activities like Guess the Yoga Pose.</p>
</div>

<hr />
<h3>3. Drawing and&nbsp;coloring</h3>

<p>Drawing and coloring activities are great for improving fine motor development, but they also reduce stress and anxiety, stimulate creativity, and allow students to express themselves.</p>

<p>In the ESL classroom, drawing and coloring activities can be used to test students&#39; understanding of new words or concepts. For younger learners or those with limited vocabularies, they can help students build confidence while they are learning to express themselves in words.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="whiteBox"><strong><span class="label hangingLabel">Related resource:</span></strong>

<p class="circleThumb"><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/126/resources/2650"><img src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/emails/monthly-newsletter/thumbs/120_Drawing.png" /></a></p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/126/resources/2650" target="_bank">Sailboat</a></h2>

<p>Students draw a picture of a sailboat and answer a few questions in this <a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/126/resources" target="_bank">Young Learner Activities</a> resource for beginners. Explore the Drawing section of this category for more topics.</p>
</div>

<hr />
<h3>4. Discussion</h3>

<p>A good way to destigmatize conversations about mental illness and mental health is to start one. Do your students feel anxious or stressed? How are they coping with those feelings?</p>

<p>Students are more likely to seek help for mental health conditions if they feel safe and equipped to talk about what they&#39;re experiencing.</p>

<div class="whiteBox"><strong><span class="label hangingLabel">Related lesson:</span></strong>

<p class="circleThumb"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/95/lessons/1851"><img src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/emails/monthly-newsletter/thumbs/95_Depression1.png" /></a></p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/95/lessons/1851" target="_bank">Depression</a></h2>

<p>In this <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/95/lessons" target="_bank">Health Matters</a> lesson, students learn ten ways to support a friend struggling with depression. The lesson includes vocab practice and a discussion on health-related issues.</p>
</div>

<hr />
<h3>5. Journaling</h3>

<p>Writing daily (or weekly) paragraphs about their feelings and thoughts can help students better identify and process their emotions. Writing is also a therapeutic activity that helps calm the body and mind.</p>

<p>Here are some writing prompts for students:</p>

<ul>
	<li>What do if I feel anxious/stressed/worried about today?</li>
	<li>What good thing happened today?</li>
	<li>What am I grateful for today?</li>
	<li>What about myself makes me most proud?</li>
	<li>What about myself do I need to work on?</li>
</ul>

<div class="whiteBox"><strong><span class="label hangingLabel">Related resource:</span></strong>

<p class="circleThumb"><a href="https://ellii.com/flashcard_genres/4/flashcard_categories/39"><img src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/emails/monthly-newsletter/thumbs/04_Feelings-and-Conditions.png" /></a></p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/flashcard_genres/4/flashcard_categories/39" target="_bank">Feelings &amp; Conditions</a></h2>

<p>Teach or review vocabulary for expressing feelings and conditions with <a href="https://ellii.com/media/flashcards/grammar-punctuation/feelings-conditions" target="_blank">this handy flashcard set</a>.</p>
</div>

<hr />
<p>I hope this inspires you to create or continue your own mindful practices for the classroom. How do you help your students cope with feelings of anxiety, depression,&nbsp;and stress? Let us know your thoughts!</p>


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