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

Articles

<p>If you have ever taught or written an environmental-themed lesson, I salute you. I have taught many in my lifetime, but somehow there&#39;s always an <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/activity-to-boost-confidence-and-well-being" target="_self">inner troll</a> telling me:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>This is futile.</li>
	<li>No one cares.</li>
	<li>Students aren&rsquo;t interested.</li>
	<li>It won&#39;t change anything.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<p>My inner troll has taken a bit of a beating since I visited the <strong>Boiling River</strong>&nbsp;in Peru. As an author for NGL, I got lucky and managed to visit with National Geographic explorer Andr&eacute;s Ruzo. This is a guy who has devoted his life to discovering the mysteries of the river and protecting this unique place. If you&#39;re not familiar with him, check out his <a href="https://www.ted.com/speakers/andres_ruzo" target="_blank">TED talks</a> (or use them in class). I promise you&#39;ll be blown away.&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="Emily Bryson with Andres Ruzo at the Boiling River, Shanay Timpishka, Peru." src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4149/content_Ellii_Andres-boiling-river_Emily-Bryson.jpg" /></p>

<p class="caption">Emily Bryson with Andr&eacute;s Ruzo at the Boiling River, Shanay-Timpishka, Peru.</p>

<h2>The Boiling River</h2>

<p>So the Boiling River is indeed a river that boils! It can reach temperatures of 95 degrees Celsius! To get there, you need to first arrive in Pucallpa by bus or plane and then drive for three hours, mostly on gravel roads. It is a hidden wonder of the world that not many people know about or have seen. Personally, it is one of the most impressive places I have ever visited.</p>

<p><img alt="the boiling river signage" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4150/content_Ellii_boiling-river_Emily-Bryson.jpg" /></p>

<p>My first glimpse was both breathtaking and terrifying. Only a noticeboard with the temperature keeps danger away. One misplaced foot&nbsp;and I&#39;d have been boiled from the outside in, starting with my eyes, according to Andr&eacute;s! The wellness retreat we stayed at recommended sitting on the rocks less than a foot from the river to enjoy a natural steam bath. Oddly, even when I was sweating profusely in&nbsp;40-degree&nbsp;heat, the steam from the river was cleansing and refreshing.</p>

<h2>The climate crisis: Too close for comfort</h2>

<p>As we drove to the river, we noticed a lot of wildfires. We asked our driver to stop and took some photos and videos. It reminded my husband of photos of the aftermath of the Battle of the Somme in the First World War! Whole forests had been razed to ashy fields, mere tree stumps remaining. It was so hot that Andr&eacute;s&#39;s phone overheated and his sneakers&nbsp;melted.</p>

<p>That night, as we slept in our wooden tambo, I could smell the fires still burning. My mind raced as I expected to be evacuated at any point.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Thankfully, when we woke, all was quiet and the steam continued to rise from the crystal clear waters.&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="boiling river" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4151/content_Ellii_boiling-river2_Emily-Bryson.jpg" /></p>

<p class="caption">The aftermath of a forest fire just a few kilometers from the site of the Boiling River</p>

<p>Our visit continued with meetings with local people. The situation is complex and I had to remind myself that Scotland, as well as many other countries, chose to deforest many years ago to make boats and farmland. Of course the quick reward of cash is easier to desire than trees, even if trees give us clean air and reduce the risk of drought and floods.</p>

<p>The remaining lungs of the planet are vanishing rapidly. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/apr/04/global-deforestation-rainforest-climate-goals-brazil-colombia-agriculture" target="_blank">The World Resources Institute reckons on 10 football fields to be lost every minute!</a> Given that Bolivia just lost 3 million hectares (5.6 trillion football fields) in September, I suspect this rate might now be quicker!</p>

<p>Locals want to make way for crops such as soy and palm oil. Illegal loggers want to cut down and sell the biggest, most carbon-absorbing trees. And land traffickers sell plots of land they don&#39;t own to anyone trusting enough not to check.</p>

<h2>A positive message</h2>

<p>It&#39;s hard not to get disillusioned and let the inner troll run riot. But something Andr&eacute;s said helps my <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/activity-to-boost-confidence-and-well-being" target="_self">inner angel</a> win.</p>

<p>Every time the Boiling River gets a mention in a book, blog, printable lesson plan, video, or social media post, it&#39;s one more piece of evidence to strengthen the conservation case to officials.</p>

<p>So dear ELTers, keep teaching conservation topics, especially about the Boiling River and other undiscovered beauties that need our protection. And if you ever write about the BR, send Andr&eacute;s a link. He&#39;ll want to know!</p>

<p>Keep on teaching, keep on writing, keep on spreading the word that our planet needs help if the human race wants to continue to thrive on it!&nbsp;</p>

<h2>Related</h2>

<p>There are 400+&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/collections/global-issues/the-environment" target="_self">environment-themed resources</a> on Ellii, including these&nbsp;wildfire-themed materials:</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/4665-dealing-with-devastation-in-fire-ravaged-hawaii " target="_self">Dealing with Devastation in Fire-Ravaged Hawaii</a>&nbsp;</li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/4671-trudeau-slams-facebook-for-blocking-canada-wildfire-news" target="_blank">Trudeau Slams Facebook for Blocking Wildfire Ne</a><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/4671-trudeau-slams-facebook-for-blocking-canada-wildfire-news" target="_blank">ws in Canada</a>&nbsp;</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/video/can-tourists-help-maui-s-economy-without-compounding-wildfire-trauma" target="_blank">Tourism in&nbsp;Maui after Wildfire</a>&nbsp;</li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/4586-wildfires " target="_blank">Wildfires</a>&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<p>Here are some more related posts:</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/46-greening-the-elt-classroom-tips-teaching-ideas" target="_blank">Greening the ELT Classroom</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/the-what-why-and-how-of-sustainable-development-goals" target="_blank">The What, Why&nbsp;&amp; How of Sustainable Development Goals</a> &nbsp;</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/one-in-a-million-plastic-litter-challenge" target="_blank">One in a Million: Plastic Litter Challenge</a>&nbsp;</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/student-showcase-earth-day-projects" target="_blank">Student Showcase: Earth Day Projects</a> &nbsp;</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/activity-to-boost-confidence-and-well-being" target="_blank">A Quick Activity to Boost Confidence &amp; Well-Being: Inner Troll Vs. Inner Angel</a></li>
</ul>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Have you heard of BR? Have you experienced a wildfire or noticed extreme climate change? Do you know any other special places that need their profile raised? What have you done to protect places like this? We&#39;d love to know.</p>
</blockquote>


Boiling Rivers & Burning Forests: Why Teaching Conservation Topics Is So Important

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Posts describing lessons or activities for the ESL classroom.

Activities

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

Teaching with Ellii

<p>Ellii&#39;s new <a href="https://ellii.com/packs/?category=6&amp;page=1" target="_self">career-specific courses</a> were initially designed to be used as self-study solutions for English learners looking to explore a variety of career pathways. While some students are waiting patiently to get into English language classes, others are looking for specialized content that meets their specific needs outside of a General English class.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Teachers or administers can assign a course, and&nbsp;ELs&nbsp;can work their way independently&nbsp;through the digital-only units on their laptops or mobile devices. All tasks and assessments are autoscored; however, we hope that teachers are&nbsp;monitoring students&#39; results and progress and helping as much as they can along the way.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
But what if you want to teach Ellii&#39;s workplace&nbsp;courses in a group setting? We know now that many teachers are previewing these ready-made courses with this question in mind.</p>

<p>Here are some ideas for adding speaking, writing, and other group activities into a classroom setting. Please share your own activity suggestions and feedback in the comments below!&nbsp;</p>

<h2>Exploit the dialogues in pairs&nbsp;</h2>

<p>Each unit in a career-specific course at Ellii&nbsp;centers around one dialogue with two or three speakers. As a self-study task, students can read and listen to the dialogues and review vocabulary in context. As a class, you can play the audio and students can follow along. Students can also take turns reading the dialogue out loud. But what else can you do in class with ready-made dialogues? Here are some ideas:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Read the dialogues&nbsp;out loud as a pair&nbsp;and then swap roles</li>
	<li>Peform the dialogues for the teacher and work on pronunciation and intonation</li>
	<li>Swap out a set number of words or expressions and perform a new dialogue&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Write an entirely new dialogue using the key vocabulary and expressions&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Role-play what happened before</li>
	<li>Role-play what happens next</li>
</ul>

<h2>Have a class discussion after&nbsp;each scenario</h2>

<ul>
	<li>What was the dialogue mainly about?&nbsp;</li>
	<li>What went wrong?&nbsp;</li>
	<li>What went right?&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Do you think this scenario would happen&nbsp;on a daily basis? If not, how often?</li>
	<li>Is this a scenario that you could see yourself excelling in? Why or why not?</li>
	<li>Are you still interested in this career after studying this scenario? Why or why not?&nbsp;</li>
	<li>What else do you want to know about this type of scenario?</li>
</ul>

<h2>Help the new vocabulary become more sticky</h2>

<p>Here are a bunch of activity ideas we have shared in the past about reviewing vocabulary with ELLs. We also recommend using these blank&nbsp;<a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2966-vocabulary-cards" target="_self">Vocabulary Cards</a>.</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/how-to-remember-vocabulary" target="_self">How to Remember Vocabulary</a>&nbsp;(Share the URGE&nbsp;method with your learners)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/4-activities-for-reviewing-vocabulary" target="_self">4 Activities for Reviewing Vocabulary</a> (Hot Seat, Matchup, Concentration A &amp; B)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/one-to-one-vocab-review" target="_self">One-to-One Vocabulary Review Ideas</a>&nbsp;(Wh-questions;&nbsp;Reduce, Reuse, Recyle; Speed Sort; Word Soup; and more!)</li>
</ul>

<p>In addition, we&nbsp;hope you have already discovered the places to find related <strong>flashcards</strong> and <strong>silent clips</strong>&nbsp;(and how to use them) in this&nbsp;post: <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/career-pathways-for-newcomers" target="_self">Career Pathways for Newcomers</a>.</p>

<h2>Have students quiz each other&nbsp;before assigning the assessments</h2>

<p>Each workplace course has two assessments&mdash;a mid-course and a final assessment. Your students can work in pairs&nbsp;to quiz each other on the vocabulary and scenarios&nbsp;using the <strong>Review</strong> task from each unit. Alternatively, ask each student to come up with five questions and then pull them out of a box and quiz the class as a group.&nbsp;Students can raise their hands or approach the board to answer. Examples of question types include drawing, spelling, or defining&nbsp;words. Encourage students to also ask&nbsp;main idea or detail&nbsp;questions about the scenarios.&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>Draw a <em>call button</em> for me.</li>
	<li>When would a nursing assistant use <em>an ear thermometer</em>?</li>
	<li>How does a pharmacist technician verify a person&#39;s ID?</li>
	<li>How do you spell <em>autoclave</em>?</li>
	<li>What kind of questions does an EMT ask when arriving at the scene of an accident?</li>
</ul>

<h2>Create your own additional units together</h2>

<ul>
	<li>Put students in pairs or groups of three.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Have groups come up with a new scenario involving the worker (e.g., nursing assistant) and a colleague or patient/customer from the course.</li>
	<li>Encourage students to research their new scenarios. (They may want to try to use AI for this task, but make sure that they fact-check the results!)</li>
	<li>After writing a new short dialogue, encourage students to choose about 6&ndash;10 keywords that they want to teach from it. (Alternatively, encourage them to&nbsp;recycle vocabulary they learned in&nbsp;the course.)</li>
	<li>After writing their new dialogues, have students work together to peer-edit each other&#39;s work (try our <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2218-writing-correction-key" target="_self">Writing Correction Key</a>). Where would the new scenario fit best into the course?</li>
	<li>Students can then try to create other tasks to build out their lesson (matching, dialogue, vocabulary review, comprension, review), using the template that Ellii has used in the course.</li>
</ul>

<h2>Interview a professional</h2>

<p>To build these courses, Ellii collaborated with people in the field, including nursing assistants, phlebotmists, and others. Your students could do this as well!</p>

<p>Do you or any of your friends, colleagues, or even students know someone who works in this field? Would they be willing to come into your class to talk to the students or even call in via speaker phone?</p>

<p>Have your students prepare&nbsp;some questions for a professional whether you find someone to ask or not. If you can&#39;t find someone to answer the questions live for you, consider putting students to work researching the answers to their own questions.</p>

<h2>Reflect on the course</h2>

<p>We hope you and your learners always take the time to reflect on the content you use at Ellii. We have plenty of reflection tools that you can use in our Assesment Tools area. Some of these tools may be useful for you to use alongside these courses. You could even have students share comments on this blog post!</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2557-3-2-1-reflection" target="_self">3-2-1 Reflection</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2228-exit-slips" target="_self">Exit Slips</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/3085-wrap-up" target="_self">Wrap-Up</a></li>
</ul>

<h2><br />
Help Ellii design a printable workplace course template</h2>

<p>If you are&nbsp;hoping to use paper-based versions of Ellii&#39;s workplace courses, we would love to hear from you!</p>

<ul>
	<li>Which tasks and activites would you like to see in a paper-based version of Ellii&#39;s courses?&nbsp;Would you use an abridged printout that has the dialogue and comprehension questions, or are you looking for a full printable lesson with all of the tasks from the digital version (i.e.,&nbsp;similar to an Everyday Dialogues PDF)?</li>
	<li>Would you be using the printable version in a group or one-to-one setting?</li>
	<li>Is there a reason the digital version is not currently meeting your classroom needs?</li>
</ul>

<p>Any suggestions or feedback you have will help as we explore how to reverse-engineer our courses for your printable needs in 2025. Thank you for your requests!</p>

<blockquote>
<p>What ideas do you have for adding&nbsp;engaging classroom activities to self-study materials.</p>
</blockquote>


Transform Self-Study Workplace Courses into Engaging Group-Learning Experiences

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

Grammar & Usage

<p>Learning English can be challenging, especially when it comes to collocations&mdash;<em>words that naturally go together</em>. One type of collocation that English learners often struggle with is <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/5236-verb-preposition-collocations" target="_self"><strong>verb&ndash;preposition collocations</strong></a>. Unfortunately,&nbsp;there are no clear-cut rules that govern which prepositions go with specific verbs, yet speakers whose first language is English rarely get the combinations&nbsp;wrong. Mastering these collocations will not only improve learners&#39; fluency, but also make&nbsp;everyday conversations much easier to understand and participate in.</p>

<h2>Common verb&ndash;preposition collocations</h2>

<p>Here are some of the most commonly used verb&ndash;preposition collocations in English:</p>

<table>
	<thead>
		<tr>
			<th>Verb</th>
			<th>Preposition</th>
			<th>Example Sentence</th>
		</tr>
	</thead>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>agree</td>
			<td>with</td>
			<td>I <strong>agree with</strong> your opinion.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>apologize</td>
			<td>for</td>
			<td>She<strong> apologized for</strong> being late.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>apply</td>
			<td>for</td>
			<td>He <strong>applied for&nbsp;</strong>a new job.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>depend</td>
			<td>on</td>
			<td>You can <strong>depend on </strong>her to help out.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>focus</td>
			<td>on</td>
			<td>I need to <strong>focus on</strong> my studies.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>wait</td>
			<td>for</td>
			<td>They are <strong>waiting for</strong> the train to arrive.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>complain</td>
			<td>about</td>
			<td>He <strong>complained about</strong> the long wait.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>participate</td>
			<td>in</td>
			<td>She <strong>participated in</strong> the school event.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>succeed</td>
			<td>in</td>
			<td>He <strong>succeeded in</strong> passing his exam.</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<h2>Why verb&ndash;preposition collocations are important</h2>

<p>Verb&ndash;preposition collocations are essential to learn for several reasons:</p>

<ol>
	<li>
	<p><strong>They reduce hesitation.</strong>&nbsp;Knowing common collocations makes speaking and writing easier as learners&nbsp;won&rsquo;t need to pause to consider the right preposition.</p>
	</li>
	<li>
	<p><strong>They improve&nbsp;listening comprehension</strong>. Since collocations are common, recognizing them will help students&nbsp;understand English speakers&nbsp;more easily.</p>
	</li>
	<li>
	<p><strong>They allow for clear communication.</strong>&nbsp;Collocations give context and precision to language. For example, verbs like&nbsp;&quot;agree&quot; and &quot;ask&quot; can have different meanings when paired with different&nbsp;prepositions. Knowing which preposition to use in a given situation enables speakers to convey their intended meaning accurately.&nbsp;</p>
	</li>
	<li>
	<p><strong>They help learners avoid mistakes.</strong> English learners often make mistakes by omitting prepositions or using incorrect ones, which can change or distort the meaning of their sentences. Learning collocations will help reduce the number of errors learners make.</p>
	</li>
</ol>

<h2>Tips for students</h2>

<p>Mastering collocations is not about memorizing endless lists. Instead, there are practical strategies that can help make these phrases feel more natural and easier to acquire.</p>

<ol>
	<li><strong>Study common verb&ndash;preposition collocations&nbsp;in context.</strong> One of the best ways to learn collocations&nbsp;is to see them in real-life contexts. Reading books, watching TV&nbsp; shows, or even listening to podcasts can expose you to these collocations in action.</li>
	<li><strong>Create examples.</strong> Using collocations in sentences helps solidify their meaning. Create sentences like &quot;I agree with your opinion&quot; or &quot;I&#39;m waiting for your reply&quot; as you study.</li>
	<li><strong>Practice speaking and writing with verb&ndash;preposition collocations.</strong> To retain what you&#39;ve learned, try incorporating collocations into your everyday speech and writing. Use them in spoken conversations, journal entries, emails, and texts.</li>
	<li><strong>Learn verb&ndash;preposition collocations as fixed phrases.</strong> Collocations are fixed expressions, so it&rsquo;s helpful to learn the two elements&nbsp;together as a unit. Instead of memorizing &quot;depend&quot; on its own, focus on &quot;depend on&quot; as a single concept that means &quot;to rely on.&quot;</li>
</ol>

<h2>Verb&ndash;preposition collocations&nbsp;vs. phrasal verbs</h2>

<p>Verb&ndash;preposition collocations&nbsp;and <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2742-phrasal-verbs" target="_self">phrasal verbs</a> might seem similar, but they are different. Collocations keep a connection to the verb&rsquo;s original meaning, while phrasal verbs can have meanings that are quite different from the individual words.</p>

<ul>
	<li><strong>Verb&ndash;preposition collocation example:</strong> &quot;listen to&quot; &ndash; &quot;She <strong>listens to</strong> the news every morning.&quot;</li>
	<li><strong>Phrasal verb example:</strong> &quot;count on&quot; &ndash; &quot;I can always&nbsp;<strong>count on</strong>&nbsp;my parents for emotional support.&quot;</li>
</ul>

<h2>Summary</h2>

<p>Verb&ndash;preposition collocations&nbsp;are a&nbsp;vital aspect of producing clear, accurate English. By learning common collocations, understanding their meanings, and practicing them in sentences, students will be well on their way to achieving fluency and communicating effectively.</p>


Verb–Preposition Collocations

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<p>Every week, our <strong>Customer Support</strong> team answers dozens of questions from Ellii subscribers. The Support team&nbsp;passes some of these questions on to our <strong>Publishing</strong> and <strong>Product</strong> teams in order to:&nbsp;<br />
<br />
1. gather specialized tips and suggestions that will benefit teachers&nbsp;<br />
2. push for features, updates, and content that subscribers request<br />
<br />
Frequently asked questions&nbsp;often turn into full-length blog posts (e.g., <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/categories/grammar-usage" target="_parent">grammar questions</a>), Help Docs (e.g., <a href="https://help.ellii.com/" target="_parent">step-by-step instructions</a>), or videos (e.g., in-depth feature <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2HAIBUNgKo&amp;list=PLP0N5nuiA3aM_OP18M7G9XSYjXigIuunA" target="_parent">explainers</a>).&nbsp;Reflecting on questions like these&nbsp;also helps us think about what we can do to improve the user experience for teachers, students, and administrators.</p>

<p>Here is a question the Customer Support<strong> </strong>team passed on to the Publishing team this week.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>I was wondering which lessons already have built-in assessments. For example, your <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/1754-making-requests" target="_parent">Making Requests</a> lesson, found in the <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/functional-english" target="_parent">Functional English</a> section, already has a ready-made assessment included with it.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>For 20+ years, Ellii (formerly ESL Library) has been creating materials&nbsp;focused primarly on helping students <strong>learn</strong>, <strong>practice</strong>, and <strong>use</strong>&nbsp;real and relevant English.</p>

<p>We began incorporating <strong>formative</strong> and <strong>summative</strong> <strong>assessments</strong> into our ready-made lessons and courses several&nbsp;years ago when teacher&nbsp;requests for ready-made assessments&nbsp;began to pour in.&nbsp;</p>

<p>With so many different types of lesson sections and resources available at Ellii, we did not take&nbsp;a standardized approach when it came to adding assessments. For example, we added multiple-choice quizzes to our<strong>&nbsp;foundational </strong>sections that focus on grammar and vocabulary. For sections focusing on<strong> life skills</strong>, we added assessments more aligned with&nbsp;real-world tasks with ready-made tools for grading and offering feedback.&nbsp;</p>

<p>While some teachers appreciated our <strong>ready-made rubrics</strong>, other preferred editable ones that they could <strong>customize</strong>. To answer this need, we developed an <strong>Evaluation</strong> resource category in our&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/resources/assessment-tools" target="_parent">Assessment Tools</a> section and added generic forms that could be used with a variety of lessons.</p>

<h1>Index of assessments on Ellii</h1>

<p>As we work on improving how teachers can find suitable assessments on Ellii, we&nbsp;hope the index below&nbsp;will give you a better idea of what types of assessments you will find in sections that have built-in assessments.</p>

<p>We also have several sections that were designed to focus on <strong>skill using</strong>, and we do not have plans to add assessments to these. If you come across a lesson or section that you think would benefit from the addition of&nbsp;built-in assessments, please let us know!&nbsp; Note that some of our older lessons in the sections below may be missing a printable or digital&nbsp;assessment.</p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/resources/assessment-tools" target="_parent">Diagnostics</a></h2>

<p>The following tests are available to help you get a better idea of your students&#39; proficiency levels. This can then help you determine which level of Ellii you should set your filters to when browsing lessons for these students.</p>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/4226-ellii-placement-test" target="_self">Ellii Placement Test (Speaking &amp; Writing)</a>&nbsp;(Multiple-Choice and Open Answer: Grammar, Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking)</li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/4164-ellii-placement-quiz" target="_self">Ellii Placement Test (Autograded)</a> (Multiple-Choice: Grammar, Listening, Reading)</li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/5607-ellii-exit-test-autograded">Ellii Exit Test (Autograded)</a>&nbsp;(Multiple-Choice: Grammar, Listening, Reading)</li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2448-grammar-test-1" target="_self">Grammar Test 1</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2449-grammar-test-2" target="_self">Grammar Test 2</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2450-grammar-test-3" target="_self">Grammar Test 3</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2451-grammar-test-4" target="_self">Grammar Test 4</a></li>
</ul>

<p><img alt="speaking task placement test" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4100/content_Ellii_placement-test-speaking.png" /></p>

<p class="caption">A sample speaking question from Ellii&#39;s Placement Test.</p>

<h2><img alt="grammar test 2 writing" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4099/content_Ellii-Grammar-Test-2-Writing.png" /></h2>

<p class="caption">A sample index of questions and a sample writing question from the digital version of Ellii&#39;s Placement Test.</p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/resources/casas-test-preparation" target="_blank">CASAS Test Preparation</a></h2>

<p>In this section, you will find ready-made practice tests for all levels of the CASAS STEPS Reading and Listening tests. These tests are modeled after the CASAS STEPS tests and will give your students practice and help them become familiar with the types of questions they will encounter on the real tests. The amount of time students have and the number of times they can listen to the audio is identical to the real tests.</p>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/resources/casas-test-preparation" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4925/content_Screen_Shot_2025-09-17_at_2.01.13_PM.png" /></a></p>

<p>To use the tests in practice mode during class time, you can click on the left menu and launch the questions in a <strong>Task</strong> player. Otherwise, assign a test to your students and they will see it in the same way as you do when you click the <strong>Launch assessment</strong> button.</p>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/resources/casas-test-preparation" target="_blank"><img alt="practice task or test mode" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4926/content_Screen_Shot_2025-09-17_at_2.03.43_PM.png" /></a></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/grammar-practice-worksheets" target="_parent">Grammar Practice Worksheets</a></h2>

<p>This is our most popular grammar section. A suggested teaching order is available.&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>printable quizzes</li>
	<li>digital quizzes</li>
</ul>

<p>Note: We&#39;ve had some requests to offer assessments in our companion grammar section for young learners (<a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/fun-grammar-lessons" target="_parent">Fun Grammar Lessons</a>). If this is something you would like to see on Ellii, be sure to let us know.</p>

<p><img alt="grammar assessment printable" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4071/content_Grammar-printable-quiz.png" /></p>

<p class="caption">A sample assessment from a printable lesson in&nbsp;<strong>Grammar Practice Worksheets</strong>.</p>

<h2 class="caption"><a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/super-simple-grammar" target="_parent">Super Simple Grammar</a></h2>

<p>This section offers verb basic grammar drills focused on a single target.&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>printable quizzes</li>
	<li>digital quizzes&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/functional-english" target="_parent">Functional English</a></h2>

<p>This life skills section centers around real-world dialogues. It focuses on teaching everyday vocabulary and expressions used in daily&nbsp;interactions.&nbsp;Each lesson includes&nbsp;a few short dialogues.</p>

<ul>
	<li>printable review tasks for assessment purposes with ready-made rubrics</li>
	<li>digital assessment tasks (some include videos)</li>
</ul>

<p><img alt="functional english assessment" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4074/content_Functional-english-assessment.png" /></p>

<p class="caption">A sample ready-made rubric from the&nbsp;<strong>Functional English</strong> section.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/english-basics" target="_parent">English Basics</a></h2>

<p>This section offers&nbsp;lessons for newcomers with very low-literacy skills.</p>

<ul>
	<li>printable assessment with ready-made rubrics</li>
	<li>digital assessment (check)</li>
</ul>

<p><img alt="money assessment tool b" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4092/content_money-assessment-tool-ellii.png" /></p>

<p class="caption">A sample assessment&nbsp;and rubric from the <strong>English Basics</strong> section.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/everyday-dialogues" target="_parent">Everyday Dialogues</a></h2>

<p>This life skills section centers around real-world dialogues. It focuses on teaching everyday vocabulary and expressions used in English-speaking communities and&nbsp;workplaces. Each lesson introduces one main dialogue. Assessments may introduce new dialogues while reviewing targeted language. Role-plays that can be used for assessment purposes are available in each lesson. A generic <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2771-role-play-assessment-tool" target="_parent">assessment tool</a> is also available.</p>

<ul>
	<li>printable review tasks that can be used for assessment purposes&nbsp;</li>
	<li>role-plays that can be used for assessment purposes</li>
</ul>

<p><img alt="everyday dialogues sample assessment" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4082/content_Screen_Shot_2024-11-05_at_11.39.31_AM.png" /></p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/real-world-reading" target="_parent">Real-World Reading</a></h2>

<p>This life skills section centers around real-world reading and vocabulary. Each lesson features&nbsp;materials with&nbsp;authentic formats, such as receipts, maps, posters, and emails. These materials help prepare adult ed students to answer reading questions on&nbsp;standardized proficiency tests.</p>

<ul>
	<li>printable assessment with ready-made rubrics</li>
	<li>digital assessment</li>
</ul>

<p><img alt="real-world reading digital assessment" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4101/content_Ellii-digital-assessment-sample.png" /></p>

<p class="caption">A sample digital assessment from&nbsp;the <strong>Real-World Reading</strong> section.</p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/reading-in-english" target="_parent">Reading in English</a></h2>

<p>This academic English&nbsp;section centers around reading strategies. It focuses on reading skills that are useful for improving comprehension.&nbsp;Each lesson is based on&nbsp;one main reading skill.</p>

<ul>
	<li>printable assessment with ready-made rubrics</li>
	<li>digital assessment (check)</li>
</ul>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/writing-in-english" target="_parent">Writing in English</a></h2>

<p>This academic English&nbsp;section centers around writing&nbsp;strategies. It focuses on writing&nbsp;skills that are useful for academic and workplace purposes.&nbsp;Each lesson hones in&nbsp;on&nbsp;one main writing skill.</p>

<ul>
	<li>printable writing challenge</li>
	<li>digital writing challenge&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<p><img alt="digital writing challenge" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4102/content_Ellii-sample-writing-assessment.png" /></p>

<p class="caption">A sample writing assessment from the digital version or a <strong>Writing in English</strong> lesson.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/career-pathways" target="_parent">Career Pathways</a></h2>

<p>This digital-only workplace section focuses on career exploration with an emphasis on vocabulary and reading comprehension. Each lesson introduces one possible career pathway.&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>digital quiz</li>
</ul>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/super-simple-questions" target="_parent">Super Simple Questions</a></h2>

<p>This life skills section centers around very short&nbsp;real-world dialogues for absolute beginners.&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>printable assessment suggestions&nbsp;in answer key</li>
	<li>digital assessments</li>
</ul>

<p><img alt="Assessment suggestions in Answer Key" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4084/content_Assessment-in-akey.png" /></p>

<p class="caption">A sample answer key excerpt with suggested tasks a teacher could use for assessment.</p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/?category=43&amp;page=1" target="_parent">General English courses</a>&nbsp;</h2>

<p>These Ellii Up courses are designed for teachers who do not use a coursebook or do not want to build their own curriculum. They&nbsp;offer a sequence of lessons from multiple sections on Ellii&nbsp;at a single proficiency level. Students can progress through the levels and take assessments as they go.</p>

<p>In addition to the course assessments, some lessons within each course&nbsp;have their own assessments within them.</p>

<ul>
	<li>mid-course assessment</li>
	<li>final assessment</li>
</ul>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/?category=3&amp;material=courses&amp;page=1" target="_parent">Grammar courses</a></h2>

<p>These courses are designed for teachers who do not use a coursebook or do not want to build their own curriculum. They&nbsp;offer a sequence of grammar-focused lessons from multiple sections on Ellii&nbsp;at a single proficiency level. Students can progress through the levels and take assessments as they go.</p>

<ul>
	<li>final digital assessment</li>
</ul>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/?category=6&amp;material=courses&amp;page=1" target="_parent">Workplace&nbsp;courses</a></h2>

<p>These ready-made courses focus on business English or career-specific English.&nbsp;They&nbsp;offer a sequence of lessons at a&nbsp;proficiency level with two main assessments. These are ideal for self-study.</p>

<ul>
	<li>mid-course assessment</li>
	<li>final assessment</li>
</ul>

<p><img alt="final assessment sample workplace course on Ellii" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4083/content_Screen_Shot_2024-11-05_at_11.44.52_AM.png" /></p>

<p class="caption">A sample vocabulary question from a final assessment in an Ellii workplace course.</p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/?category=2&amp;material=courses&amp;page=1" target="_parent">Serials</a></h2>

<p>These ready-made courses focus on informal English.&nbsp; They&nbsp;offer a sequence of lessons at a&nbsp;proficiency level with assessments throughout.&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>3-4 assessments (printable/digital) per course&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/resources/assessment-tools" target="_blank">Generic evaluation &amp; reflection tools</a></h2>

<p>Ready-made printable rubrics and forms to use for a variety of purposes when assessing language learners. Below are 10 examples. Many more are available in our <a href="https://ellii.com/resources/assessment-tools" target="_parent">Assessment Tools</a> section.</p>

<ol>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2832-english-questionnaire" target="_parent">English Questionnaire</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2132-reading-task-assessment-form" target="_parent">Reading Task Assessment Form</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2131-writing-task-assessment-form" target="_parent">Writing Task Assessment Form</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2129-speaking-task-assessment-form" target="_parent">Speaking Task Assessment Form</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2130-listening-task-assessment-form" target="_parent">Listening Task Assessment Form</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2326-advanced-reading-comprehension" target="_parent">Advanced Reading Comprehension</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2383-personal-opinion-assessment-tools" target="_parent">Personal Opinion Assessment Tools</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2126-self-evaluation-form" target="_parent">Self-Evaluation Form</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2228-exit-slips" target="_parent">Exit Slips</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2557-3-2-1-reflection" target="_parent">3-2-1 Reflection</a></li>
</ol>

<h1>A Note on Grading</h1>

<p>If you&#39;re interested in learning more about Ellii&#39;s <strong>Grade Feed</strong>, please watch this video. Note that important updates are in the works, including expanding on our use of AI for grading open-ended writing and speaking responses.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lk1zLa3MGU0?si=UxvrrU74VSMcEXEy" width="640"></iframe></div>

<blockquote>Which Ellii assessments have you used? Which tests are your students preparing for? Share thoughts and feedback about assessment in the comments. Be sure to share your feedback on&nbsp;Ellii&#39;s new CASAS practice tests!</blockquote>

How to Find Assessments on Ellii

https://esllibrary-staging.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/2569/Tara_How-to-Find-Assessments-on-Ellii_Banner(2).png

<p>When I was an ESOL lecturer at City of Glasgow College, I delivered a lot of employability-themed and workplace English lessons. My learners were mostly from refugee backgrounds, wishing to get back into their profession or upskill to reap the economic benefits.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In my previous post, I reflected on&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/blog/the-importance-of-workplace-english" target="_parent">Why You Should Teach Workplace English</a>. In this post, I&rsquo;ll give some of my top tips on &quot;how.&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<h2><b>Seek local (or online) partnerships</b></h2>

<p>Students want to learn workplace English in order to enhance their career opportunities. To do this, connecting them with people who can offer further support is extremely helpful. Local and online partners could provide services such as:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>inspiring workshops and webinars</li>
	<li>mentoring&nbsp;</li>
	<li>job application advice</li>
	<li>work placements</li>
	<li>volunteering</li>
	<li>workplace visits and site tours</li>
</ul>

<h2><b>Share inspiring stories&nbsp;</b></h2>

<p>Finding work in a language you are developing can be a challenge. Students can often get disheartened. To boost their confidence and motivation levels, share stories of people who have been in similar situations.&nbsp;</p>

<p>You can find these stories in newspapers, magazines, or blog posts. Alternatively, search through the content library at Ellii for a real-life reading, like this one on how <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2405-jack-ma " target="_parent">Jack Ma</a> became China&rsquo;s wealthiest person after creating Ali Baba or how <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/4061-entrepreneurs-simple-past" target="_parent">Milton Hershey</a>&nbsp;opened a world-famous chocolate factory or how <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2212-hedy-lamarr" target="_parent">Hedy Lamarr</a> went from acting to paving the way for Wi-Fi technology.</p>

<p>Personally, I find the most motivating stories for learners come from their own peers. Have them share their own success stories in class&nbsp;or invite previous students back to class to share theirs.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><b>Bring in realia</b></h2>

<p>When I was teaching ESOL for Social Care, learners had A LOT of technical vocabulary to learn. One of the most fun&nbsp;and realistic&nbsp;ways to get vocabulary to stick was by bringing in realia.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Luckily for me, my parents hadn&rsquo;t retired at the time, so they brought me lots of cool stuff to use in class: colostomy bags, syringes, bandages, and bedpans. Students had a great time discussing these items as well as&nbsp;labeling them and doing role-plays with them!</p>

<p>Of course, it may not be practical or possible to bring real equipment to class. It&rsquo;s quite unlikely you&rsquo;ll be able to bring a dentist&rsquo;s LED light to class, for example!&nbsp;That&rsquo;s when you can rely on Ellii&rsquo;s vast <a href="https://ellii.com/media/flashcards" target="_parent">Media Gallery</a>, which now has almost 5,000 images and 150 workplace videos.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://ellii.com/video/led-light" target="_blank"><img alt="LED light silent clip" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4087/content_LED-light-video-Ellii-workplace-english.png" /></a><a href="https://ellii.com/media/flashcards/at-work-on-the-job?flashcard=9109&amp;query=LED%20light" target="_blank"><img alt="LED light flashcard" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4080/content_Screen_Shot_2024-11-04_at_4.17.25_PM.png" /></a></p>

<p>Check out Ellii&#39;s growing&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/media/flashcards/at-work-on-the-job" target="_parent"> At Work &amp; On the Job</a> flashcard category.</p>

<h2><b>Focus on the&nbsp;<i>English</i></b></h2>

<p>When teaching workplace English, remember that you are first and foremost teaching English. You are (probably) not a pharmacist, dentist, phlebotomist, custodian, emergency medical technician, or nursing assistant. It can be tricky to distance yourself from learning (or inadvertently teaching) the workplace topic. That&rsquo;s for your students to learn. You can give them the communication skills to succeed.&nbsp;</p>

<p>To get around this, ask your learners frequently what they need and what interactions they have (or may have) had. You can also have them bring any tricky coursework to class to inform your lessons. Use these to put the vocabulary into practice using role-plays and real-life scenarios.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It can take a lot of time and preparation to create high-quality workplace English lessons. That&rsquo;s why Ellii has done the hard work for you with its new Career-Specific&nbsp;Pathway courses. The teachers and writers at Ellii are not phlebotomists or pharmacists, either! However, they hired real-life&nbsp;consultants to help build these courses for your students&#39; career exploration and to ensure the scenarios are realistic and relevant. You can teach these in class or set them as self-directed study.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Check them out here:&nbsp;</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Career-Specific Pathway&nbsp;Courses</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/nursing-assistants/materials" target="_parent">English for Nursing Assistants</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/pharmacy-technicians/materials" target="_parent">English for Pharmacy Technicians</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/dental-assistants/materials" target="_parent">English for Dental Assistants</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/english-for-phlebotomists/materials" target="_parent">English for Phlebotomists</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/english-for-paraeducators/materials" target="_parent">English for Paraeducators</a>&nbsp;</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/english-for-custodians/materials" target="_parent">English for Custodians</a>&nbsp;</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/english-for-emergency-medical-technicians/materials" target="_parent">English for Emergency Medical Technicians</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/english-for-medical-assistants/materials" target="_parent">English for Medical Assistants</a></li>
</ul>
</blockquote>

<p>Not ready for full courses?&nbsp;Ellii also has exploratory Career Pathways lessons that can be ideal to find out what your students are interested in.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Exploratory Career Pathways Lessons</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/5018-working-as-a-nursing-assistant " target="_parent">Working as a Nursing Assistant</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/5034-working-as-a-pharmacy-technician" target="_parent">Working as a Pharmacy Technician</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/5030-working-as-a-dental-assistant " target="_parent">Working as a Dental Assistant</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/5035-working-as-a-phlebotomist " target="_parent">Working as a Phlebotomist</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/5016-working-as-a-custodian" target="_parent">Working as a Custodian</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/5038-working-as-a-paraeducator " target="_parent">Working as a Paraeducator</a></li>
</ul>
</blockquote>

<h2>Related</h2>

<p>For more on our <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/career-pathways-for-newcomers" target="_parent">Career-Specific&nbsp;Pathway&nbsp;courses</a>, check out this blog post from Tara Benwell and watch for an upcoming webinar!&nbsp;</p>

<p>You may also like this post on <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/the-importance-of-workplace-english" target="_parent">Why You Should Teacher Workplace English</a>.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Have you taught workplace English? What career-specific topics have you taught? What are your top tips? Do you have any employment success stories to share regarding your past ESOL students?&nbsp;</p>
</blockquote>


How to Teach Workplace English

https://esllibrary-staging.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/2607/Emily_How-to-Teach-Workplace-English_Banner.png

<p>In this post, I outline some reasons why teaching workplace English is so important. (And why I&rsquo;m personally excited about Ellii&rsquo;s new <a href="https://ellii.com/packs/?category=6&amp;page=1" target="_parent">Career-Specific Pathway&nbsp;courses</a>.)</p>

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/S2HAIBUNgKo?si=WOUi4VpVjRMOR39Y" width="640"></iframe></div>

<h2><b>1. Hope</b></h2>

<p>For many years, I taught workplace ESOL to new Scots. My learners were mostly people from <strong>refugee backgrounds</strong> who had made Scotland their home. Many of them were skilled professionals&mdash;doctors, nurses, business owners, and engineers.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Imagine being forced to leave your country due to war, political unrest, or lack of safety.&nbsp;You find yourself in an unfamiliar place where you have to take a role below your skill level to survive. You&rsquo;ve devoted years of your life to your career, but your qualifications aren&rsquo;t accepted or have been destroyed. To add to that, your English language skills aren&rsquo;t proficient enough.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Teaching workplace ESOL&nbsp;and providing learners access to self-study courses&nbsp;can give them hope. It can take years to learn English, but <strong>developing skills tailored to their chosen career path</strong> can help them get where they want to be much faster.&nbsp;</p>

<blockquote>
<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/nursing-assistants/materials" target="_parent">English for Nursing Assistants</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/pharmacy-technicians/materials" target="_parent">English for Pharmacy Technicians</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/dental-assistants/materials" target="_parent">English for Dental Assistants</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/english-for-phlebotomists/materials" target="_parent">English for Phlebotomists</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/english-for-paraeducators/materials" target="_parent">English for Paraeducators</a>&nbsp;</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/english-for-custodians/materials" target="_parent">English for Custodians</a>&nbsp;</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/english-for-emergency-medical-technicians/materials" target="_parent">English for Emergency Medical Technicians</a>&nbsp;</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/english-for-medical-assistants/materials" target="_parent">English for Medical Assistants</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/english-for-home-health-aides/materials" target="_blank">English for Home Health Aides</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/soft-skills-for-hospitality-workers/materials">Soft Skills for Hospitality Workers</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/english-for-commercial-drivers/materials">English for Commercial Drivers</a></li>
</ul>
</blockquote>

<h2><b>2. Motivation</b></h2>

<p>One of the main reasons for learning another language is to enhance career opportunities. Having proficient language skills can increase confidence and open doors. If you ask your learners why they are learning English, <strong>employability</strong> will likely be one of their top reasons.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As teachers, we are constantly looking for content that students can get excited about, and tailoring lessons to students&rsquo; needs can help do this.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>If a student is a <a href="https://ellii.com/packs/pharmacy-technicians/materials " target="_parent">pharmacy technician</a>&nbsp;or is (re)training to be one, what could be more motivating than a whole course specifically designed with their needs in mind?</p>

<h2><b>3. (Re)Training</b></h2>

<p>One of the biggest <strong>barriers</strong> my learners faced when finding employment in Scotland was their <strong>qualifications</strong>. In many cases, their certificates had perished in fires&nbsp;or been abandoned in haste. This left them <strong>without evidence </strong>of having completed their training.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Another issue was that some <strong>qualifications</strong> had different <strong>equivalencies</strong> between countries. For example, four years at university in one country could be the equivalent to two levels below in another. This meant that many students had to re-train in order to practice. In some cases, this meant a conversion course while&nbsp;others had to start their training again from scratch.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Training or re-training is not simple, especially in a new language. Teaching workplace English can support learners to prepare for training courses&nbsp;or support them while they complete their professional development.</p>

<div style="padding:56.25% 0 0 0;position:relative;"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture; clipboard-write" frameborder="0" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/976886639?badge=0&amp;autopause=0&amp;player_id=0&amp;app_id=58479" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" title="English-for-Nursing-Assistants-Intro-V2"></iframe></div>
<script src="https://player.vimeo.com/api/player.js"></script>

<h2><b>4. Opening closed doors</b></h2>

<p>In order to be a teacher, lawyer, dentist, or other specialized trade, you need to speak the language of the country you are practicing in proficiently. Many of my learners were intermediate or below. This meant that the proverbial door was closed to them until their language skills were strong enough.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Learning a language can take years. However, this can be fast-tracked by targeted learning and by focusing on the interactions, skills, and vocabulary that each individual learner needs.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Ellii&rsquo;s <a href="https://ellii.com/packs/?category=6&amp;page=1" target="_parent">Career-Specific&nbsp;Pathway&nbsp;courses</a> help <strong>dental assistants, nursing assistants, pharmacy assistants, phlebotomists, medical assistants, paraeducators, </strong>and<strong> custodians</strong> communicate confidently in their chosen profession. And don&#39;t worry! Ellii has plans to help nudge the doors open for many other occupations in 2025.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><b>5. Client communication</b></h2>

<p>Many learners may already be working in their chosen profession. They might already have developed their language skills, gotten the qualifications they need, and started working in their chosen role. Yet, now that they are working, they feel the need to polish their work-specific communication skills.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A South African friend of mine is a surgeon. He speaks English proficiently, but when he moved to Scotland, he found that he couldn&rsquo;t understand his patients. Why? Because his patients are speaking Scots. My friend started taking notes of all the Scots terms he encountered and now uses them conversationally around other Scots speakers&nbsp;and with his patients. As with our learners, he needed to develop his workplace communication skills.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In this lesson on <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/4944-communication-during-a-blood-draw" target="_parent">Communication during a Blood Draw</a>&nbsp;from the <strong>English for Phlebotomists</strong> course, the student can read and listen to an example conversation during a blood draw. The phlebotomist describes the stages and what he is doing&nbsp;while&nbsp;distracting the patient by asking her to talk about her interests.&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="English for phlebotomists" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4064/content_Screen_Shot_2024-10-30_at_2.27.58_PM.png" /></p>

<h2><b>6. Career inspiration</b></h2>

<p>Some learners may be exploring which career path they wish to take. Workplace English can be a great way for them to consider some aspects of the job roles that interest them.&nbsp;</p>

<p>For example, maybe they want to be a dental assistant. Giving them access to the <a href="https://ellii.com/packs/dental-assistants/materials " target="_parent">English for Dental Assistants</a> course can not only polish their English skills, but also help them understand the role more deeply.</p>

<p><img alt="English for dental assistants" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4067/content_English-for-Dental-Assistants.png" /></p>

<blockquote>
<p>If your students aren&#39;t sure what jobs they might be interested in, you&nbsp;could even start with an <a href="https://app.ellii.com/gather/ellii-polls/career-pathways" target="_parent">Ellii Poll</a> or lesson on <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/career-pathways" target="_parent">Career Pathways</a>&nbsp;before assigning a full course.</p>
</blockquote>

<h2><b>7. Switching roles: Being a better patient!</b></h2>

<p>Maybe your learners have other career interests or Ellii hasn&rsquo;t yet had a chance to create the perfect course for them. You can still use them with your learners!&nbsp;</p>

<p>If a student is going into hospital, you could do this lesson on <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/4809-patient-admission " target="_parent">Patient Admission</a> from the <strong>English for Nursing Assistants</strong> course.&nbsp;</p>

<p>If a student is <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/4892-filling-procedure " target="_parent">getting a filling</a>, try this lesson from the <strong>English for Dental Assistants</strong> course.&nbsp;</p>

<p>If a student needs to visit the pharmacy for medicine recommendations, you could use <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/4938-over-the-counter-recommendations " target="_parent">this lesson</a> from <strong>English for Pharmacy Assistants</strong>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>When I first started teaching workplace English many years ago, there were limited resources. We had to create our own, so I was delighted to see that Eliii has created all these wonderful resources to make teachers and learners lives so much easier.&nbsp;I hope you enjoy them.&nbsp;For more ideas on how to teach <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/career-pathways-for-newcomers" target="_parent">Ellii&#39;s&nbsp;Career Pathways content</a>, check out these tips.</p>

<p>Watch for my follow-up post on <strong>How to Teach Workplace English</strong>&nbsp;as well as an upcoming webinar focusing on Ellii&#39;s content for&nbsp;<strong>Allied Health </strong>industry.</p>

<blockquote>
<p><b id="docs-internal-guid-57c41dd3-7fff-3929-616a-3dc8321f83ed">Have you taught workplace English? What have you taught? In what ways do you think it is important for learners? </b></p>
</blockquote>


Why You Should Teach Workplace English

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<p>There is no doubt that using photos, images, and illustrations in class is a powerful tool. They can help:</p>

<ul>
	<li>aid understanding</li>
	<li>boost memory</li>
	<li>ignite conversations</li>
	<li>motivate learners&nbsp;</li>
	<li>enhance accessibility</li>
	<li>stimulate critical thinking</li>
	<li>inspire creativity</li>
</ul>

<p>Here are some ways to use them to support English language learning.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>1. To teach vocabulary</h2>

<p>Images are particularly useful for teaching vocabulary, especially at lower levels. It can be challenging to explain the meaning of a word using simpler language than the target word&nbsp;itself. However, showing an image can bring immediate understanding.</p>

<p>For example, imagine trying to explain &quot;cheek retractors&quot; to a B1 student studying workplace English without using pictures or looking at each other! First, you&rsquo;d need to check that they understood the word &quot;cheek&quot;&nbsp;(the part of your face between your lips and ears), and then you&rsquo;d need to find a way to express &quot;retractor.&quot; Pretty tricky, right?</p>

<p>Or, you could just show them this photo from Ellii&#39;s&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/packs/dental-assistants/materials" target="_self">English for Dental Assistants</a> course!</p>

<p><img alt="cheek retractor" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4012/content_cheek-retractor-Ellii-visuals.png" /></p>

<p class="caption">&nbsp;Image of &quot;cheek retractors&quot; from the Ellii course Workplace: <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/4900-teeth-whitening-treatment" target="_self">English for Dental Assistants: Teeth Whitening Treatment</a>.</p>

<p>You could also use this illustration from Ellii&#39;s&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/media/flashcards/at-work-on-the-job/dental-assistants?flashcard=9713" target="_self">Dental Assistants</a> flashcard set.</p>
<p<img alt="cheek retractors" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4006/content_cheek-retractors_CT.png">
<p>Many of Ellii&#39;s lessons use flashcards and picture dictionaries to introduce vocabulary. Ellii has almost 5,000 flashcards and teachers can create sets to meet their students&rsquo; needs. Students can then use these to create their own picture dictionaries and vocabulary notes.</p>

<p>Here are some other <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/twelve-ellii-flashcards-for-reflection" target="_self">creative ways to use flashcards</a>.</p>

<h2>2. To introduce global topics</h2>

<p>While illustrations can be fun and educational, sometimes a photo is more appropriate and expressive, such as this photo entitled <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/4546-fleeing-sudan" target="_self">Fleeing Sudan</a>&nbsp;from Ellii&#39;s&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/resources/photo-prompts" target="_self">Photo Prompts</a> section.</p>

<p>Using just one image, students are prompted to describe the photo, make predictions, research the history of Sudan, and explore reasons for migration. In this case, a photo is essential to show the reality of the situation.</p>

<p><img alt="real photos from the news" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4007/content_Screen_Shot_2024-10-17_at_4.19.10_PM.png" /></p>

<p>This blog post has more ideas for you to get a three-hour lesson out of just one image:&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/blog/how-one-image-can-develop-visual-literacy-and-critical-thinking" target="_self">What&#39;s the Story? How One Image Can Develop Visual Literacy &amp; Critical Thinking Skills</a></p>

<h2>3. To inspire storytelling</h2>

<p>Using storytelling in class is a brilliant way to incorporate all four communication skills. Students can:</p>

<ul>
	<li>listen to a story and take notes</li>
	<li>discuss the story</li>
	<li>write a summary of the story (or an alternative version)</li>
	<li>read other students&#39; stories</li>
</ul>

<p>Ellii&#39;s&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/story-prompts" target="_self">Story Prompts</a> use images to inspire students&rsquo; storytelling skills. For example, in this Superhero story, students can describe the picture or use it to tell their own version of the story. Students can do this alone or in groups.&nbsp;</p>

<p><br />
<img alt="Story Prompts at Ellii" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4008/content_Screen_Shot_2024-10-17_at_4.20.44_PM.png" /></p>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/resources/language-scenes" target="_self">Language Scenes</a>&nbsp;like this one, &quot;At the Beach,&quot; can be used in a similar way:&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="Language Scenes at Ellii" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4009/content_Screen_Shot_2024-10-17_at_4.20.54_PM.png" /></p>

<p>For more ideas on how to use images to tell stories, check out these blog posts:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/simply-storytelling-inspiring-english-learners-with-story-prompts" target="_self">Simply Storytelling: Inspiring English Learners with Story Prompts</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/wordless-lessons-project" target="_self">Wordless Lessons: An Innovation Project</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/create-your-own-adventure-teaching-english-the-wordless-way" target="_self">Create Your Own Adventure: Teaching English the Wordless Way!</a></li>
</ul>

<h2>4. To instigate conversation</h2>

<p>Sometimes the best way to get a conversation going is to stay silent. For example, show students this image from Ellii&#39;s silent video &quot;disagreeing,&quot; or play the full video. In this case, the authentic person showing their disagreement is perhaps more emotive than an animation might be.</p>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/video/disagreeing" target="_blank"><img alt="Silent Clips on Ellii" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4011/content_Ellii-video-screenshot-disagreement.png" /></a></p>

<p>Have students answer conversation starters, such as:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>How does she feel?&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Why do you think she feels this way?&nbsp;</li>
	<li>What makes you respond in this way?&nbsp;</li>
	<li>When was the last time you disagreed with someone? Why?</li>
	<li>Make a list of five things you disagree with. Share them with a partner.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<p>For an added challenge, have students come up with their own questions, or ask them to write a dialogue between two people disagreeing about something.&nbsp;You can access Ellii&#39;s<a href="https://ellii.com/media/videos/silent-clips" target="_self">&nbsp;silent clips</a> here. There are also Workplace vocabulary silent clips&nbsp;in this <a href="https://ellii.com/media/videos/workplace" target="_blank">category</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>For more ideas on using silent clips and moving images, check out these blog posts:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/4-ways-to-use-silent-video-clips" target="_self">4 Creative Ways to Use Silent Video Clips in English Class</a>&nbsp;</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/how-to-use-videos-in-class" target="_self">4 Ways to Use Videos Effectively in Class</a></li>
</ul>

<h2>5. To boost creativity</h2>

<p>Photos and illustrations are wonderful receptive teaching tools. Having students produce their own can be equally, if not more, beneficial. This can help you check that students have understood, give an opportunity for peer learning, let them tell their own stories, and incorporate creativity into the classroom. Some students may not feel confident with drawing. In this case, remind them that drawings don&rsquo;t have to be artistic. The aim is to communicate a message, not to be Picasso! Every day scientists, architects, engineers, and teachers use simple doodles and diagrams to explain things, take notes, and help them to think. It is a useful skill for all ages.</p>

<p>Here are some ways to have students draw in the classroom:</p>

<ul>
	<li>play Pictionary</li>
	<li>draw their own flashcards or picture dictionaries</li>
	<li>take notes using simple sketches</li>
	<li>tell a story in comic style or replacing words with doodles</li>
	<li>create their own graphic organizers, using oversized doodles instead of tables</li>
	<li>use doodles in mind maps or diagrams</li>
	<li>copy the Ellii illustrations</li>
</ul>

<p>Here are some related posts on Ellii:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/sketchnoting-101-supercharged-professional-development-with-visual-notes" target="_self">Sketchnoting 101: Supercharge Professional Development with Visual Notes</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/how-to-simplify-complex-tasks-with-visual-prompts" target="_self">How to Simplify Complex Tasks with Visual Prompts</a>&nbsp;</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/graphic-facilitation-101" target="_self">Graphic Facilitation 101: Teaching English through Visual Communication</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/graphic-organizers-for-language-skills-development" target="_self">Using Graphic Organizers for Language Skills Development</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/how-to-use-pictures-as-grammar-prompts" target="_self">How to Use Pictures as Grammar Prompts</a><br />
	&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<blockquote>
<p>How do you use visuals in the classroom? Do you prefer photos, illustrations, or your own drawings? Share your experiences and ideas in the Comments below!&nbsp;</p>
</blockquote>
</p<img>

The Power of Visuals in the Classroom

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

Courses

<p>Did you see Ellii&#39;s first video-based course on<strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/packs/phrasal-verbs-and-pre-employment/materials">Phrasal Verbs &amp; Pre-Employment</a>&nbsp;</strong>earlier this year? Our follow-up course, <a href="https://ellii.com/packs/phrasal-verbs-and-employment/materials"><strong>Phrasal Verbs &amp; Employment</strong></a>, is now live as well!</p>

<p>In this series of video lessons, your students will learn vocabulary and phrases that they can&nbsp;use in typical interactions while working in an office and remotely. Students will follow a new employee&#39;s journey from her first day to her first week to her first year. We specifically chose to focus on a hybrid setting since working from home&nbsp;is increasingly common.</p>

<p>Lessons are based on&nbsp;dialogues between a new employee, her boss, and her colleagues in the following situations:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Onboarding</li>
	<li>Working Remotely</li>
	<li>Attending an Online Meeting</li>
	<li>Preparing for a Presentation</li>
	<li>Asking for a Raise</li>
</ul>

<p>Each lesson&nbsp;contains a video with a dialogue and six&nbsp;phrasal verbs in the employment contexts listed above. They are all followed by&nbsp;several&nbsp;digital tasks to check comprehension, vocabulary, and grammar. The&nbsp;course also includes two assessments.</p>

<p>Watch the introductory video from this course to learn more:</p>

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/1006368894" width="640"></iframe></div>

<p>Find&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/packs/phrasal-verbs-and-employment/materials">Phrasal Verbs &amp; Employment</a>&nbsp;in the&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/packs?page=1">Courses &amp; Study Packs</a> area of Ellii under the <strong>Workplace</strong> category.</p>

<p>From that&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/packs/phrasal-verbs-and-employment/materials">course page</a>, you can easily click on the &quot;<strong>Add to class</strong>&quot;&nbsp;button&nbsp;to assign it immediately or gradually from&nbsp;your <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/try-class-prepping-with-elliis-lesson-planner">Lesson Planner</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On that page, you can also&nbsp;view the&nbsp;<strong>Materials</strong>,&nbsp;<strong>Overview</strong>,&nbsp;and <strong>Teachers&#39; Notes </strong>tabs for&nbsp;useful&nbsp;information and additional resources.</p>

<p>We hope&nbsp;your students find this course helpful whether they&#39;re planning on working in an English-speaking environment or just looking to improve their language skills.</p>

<p>Happy teaching!</p>


Phrasal Verbs & Employment Video-Based Course

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<blockquote>
<p><em>&quot;We look for teachers first. Why? Because those skills do transfer quite nicely when you&#39;re developing content. [...] We&#39;re first and foremost a content platform for English teachers.&nbsp;[...] Planning, preparing, actually speaking in front of people really helps you write better lessons.&quot;</em></p>

<p><br />
&mdash;&nbsp;Ben Buckwold, founder of Ellii</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Reflection and podcasts... These are two of my favorite things!&nbsp;Combine these with two of ELT&#39;s brightest&nbsp;hosts and you get <a href="https://www.teacherthinkaloud.com/" target="_blank">The Teacher Think-Aloud Podcast</a>, a show I think you&#39;re going to love.</p>

<p>I was an early fan&nbsp;of this ELT podcast&nbsp;and have enjoyed many episodes over the past few years. As a superfan, I invited Anna and Shey to join&nbsp;us at ElliiCon in 2023. We also met them in person at this year&#39;s&nbsp;TESOL conference in Tampa. Ben (founder of Ellii) and I&nbsp;were thrilled when they asked us to be guests on their show this season&nbsp;and have eagerly awaited <strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1AN6jiVh8g&amp;t=2s" target="_blank">Episode 60</a>:&nbsp;From Teaching to Materials Writing: A&nbsp;Chat with Ellii (with Ben Buckwold &amp; Tara Benwell).</strong></p>

<p>One particular area of interest Anna and Shey have been exploring recently&nbsp;is how ELT careers can&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/thinkaloud_pod/status/1836788677185339587" target="_blank">go beyond the traditional classroom</a>. They asked us to&nbsp;speak specifically about <strong>materials writing </strong>and share stories about how we branched into the <strong>publishing</strong> field. After 18+ years of working together, it&#39;s no surprise Ben and I got a little nostalgic at times. We hope you love&nbsp;Ellii&#39;s origin story!</p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/q1AN6jiVh8g?si=P1D1eYG1_k5-x7Cz" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p>

<p>As a team of makers who started in the classroom, we have explored similar topics on our own blog as well. Here are some related posts to check out after you listen to the episode.</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/beyond-teaching-elt-careers-to-keep-you-motivated" target="_self">Beyond Teaching: ELT Careers to Keep You Motivated</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/5-ways-to-make-passive-income-as-a-teacher" target="_self">5 Ways to Earn &quot;Passive&quot; Income as a Teacher</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/teacherpreneur" target="_self">How to Be a Teacherpreneur</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/introducing-our-new-name-ellii" target="_self">We&#39;ve Changed Our Name to Ellii</a></li>
</ul>

<p>And here is Anna and Shey&#39;s reflection question for you to ponder. Please share your thoughts in the comments below or with our hosts on their own&nbsp;<a href="https://www.teacherthinkaloud.com/blog" target="_blank">blog</a>!</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Have you ever wondered what it might be like to transition into another area within education? What roles are you entertaining? Have you already done it? How have your teacher skills transferred into your new role?</p>
</blockquote>

<p>You can download this&nbsp;podcast&nbsp;in a variety of places:</p>

<ul><br />
	<li><a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/2zv5mVNpSqkDNiNbQlnm7B" target="_blank">Spotify</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@thinkaloud_pod" target="_blank">YouTube</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e60-from-teaching-to-materials-writing-a-chat-with/id1629819608?i=1000670852097" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a></li>
</ul>

<p>Subscribe to the Teacher Think-Aloud podcast and reflect on your teaching practices with a variety of&nbsp;ELT&nbsp;guests and topics!&nbsp;Be sure to follow Anna and Shey&nbsp;on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/teacher-think-aloud/" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/thinkaloud_pod/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/teacherthinkaloud/" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, or <a href="https://twitter.com/thinkaloud_pod" target="_blank">X</a>&nbsp;and find your own way to support their work.</p>

<p>Happy listening!</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Ellii Talks about Materials Writing with The Teacher Think-Aloud Podcast

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<p>The number of new tools and features that Ellii has pumped out recently has been extensive and pretty impressive&nbsp;(if we do say so ourselves 😉)!</p>

<p>All types of English teachers and tutors rely on Ellii to run their classes, so our goal has always been to make sure that we&#39;re consistently releasing new and relevant content&nbsp;and that we&rsquo;re designing and developing features that will be useful and intuitive for everyone.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Let&#39;s take a look at our top five platform tools and features! Here&#39;s what we recommend using to keep things fun, simple, and effective while teaching with Ellii.<br />
&nbsp;</p>

<h2>1. Lesson Planner</h2>

<p>With the release of our Lesson Planner in 2023, Ellii made a huge improvement to how teachers can plan, prepare, and administer their classes.</p>

<p>The Lesson Planner is a sleek, simple&nbsp;Kanban board that allows teachers to&nbsp;drag lessons and resources to one of three organizational lanes: Prepping, Teaching, and Taught. This&nbsp;gives teachers a visual overview of what content they&rsquo;re preparing to teach in their upcoming classes, what is currently assigned to their students to work on, and what their students have already finished.<br />
<br />
This amazing organizational feature has teachers raving! Check out our video to learn more about Ellii&rsquo;s built-in Lesson Planner and its many uses.</p>

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Lorc2EN3MEs?si=TlAjRq3fdHxOyxTj" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br />
&nbsp;</div>

<h2>2. Grade Feed</h2>

<p>Grading is often a task that teachers find time-consuming and tedious,&nbsp;so we made it our mission to develop a feature that addresses both of these concerns. The result?&nbsp;Grade Feed! <br />
<br />
Grade Feed is an easy-to-use grading tool with one convenient inbox where you can find all of your students&rsquo; completed assignments that require your attention.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Easily read or listen to a student&#39;s submission and then assign&nbsp;a score and star rating, leave a comment or correction, or even record an audio message. Quickly send off your feedback to the student and move on to the next one! <br />
<br />
Working your way through your inbox of assignments to grade is now fun and satisfying to do. Learn more about the Grade Feed feature in our handy tutorial video.</p>

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lk1zLa3MGU0?si=uvD3__IAzeV3wJt2" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br />
&nbsp;</div>

<h2>3. Folders</h2>

<p>Folders have long allowed teachers to save lessons into personalized collections&nbsp;on Ellii. But now Folders are so much more than just an organizational tool for great lesson content. </p>

<p>Finally, you can save lessons, resources, videos, and flashcard sets to a folder;&nbsp;curate your desired teaching order; pin your folder to your class; and import your lesson content into your Lesson Planner. Done and dusted!<br />
<br />
Watch our featured video on how to create and pin custom folders to a class.</p>

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ABIX4RDl8Qs?si=FMFR6kOYR3WbA7gB" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br />
&nbsp;</div>

<h2>4. Ellii Polls</h2>

<p>Ellii Polls were unveiled at the start of 2024, and they were a hit with both teachers and students&nbsp;right off the bat! <br />
<br />
This highly engaging feature allows teachers to launch a variety of interactive poll questions in class or online that students can&nbsp;answer in real time with their own personal devices. Yup, you read that correctly. It&rsquo;s that cool.<br />
<br />
Simply choose an Ellii Poll&nbsp;from our ever-growing list and get your students talking! They will be able&nbsp;access the student interface on their smartphones, tablets, or laptops with a QR code. From there, you have control of the poll questions that are sent out to students to respond to&nbsp;and are able to close the poll at any time and display the class&rsquo;s answers. Use Ellii Polls to spark lively discussions and facilitate spontaneous debates on fun and relevant topics your students will love!<br />
<br />
Check out our demo video to learn more about Ellii Polls. Even your quietest students won&rsquo;t be able to resist speaking up with these enticing conversation starters!&nbsp;</p>

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nwne3fwsfAY?si=_1zGWst9liUsNtF-" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br />
&nbsp;</div>

<h2>5. Student Picks</h2>

<p>As language teachers, we know that it&rsquo;s MUCH easier to keep our students engaged when they&rsquo;re learning English within the context of a topic that interests them.<br />
<br />
That&rsquo;s why we created Student Picks&mdash;a feature that allows students to show their teachers which lessons they&rsquo;re most interested in studying next!<br />
<br />
Teachers are able to select lesson categories from within Ellii&rsquo;s content library to include in Student Picks and filter by level to determine which lessons are displayed to their students.&nbsp;Students&nbsp;can browse through lesson titles&nbsp;and let their teacher know which ones they&rsquo;d like to study by leaving hearts and essentially casting their vote.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Student Picks is a great way to make sure you&rsquo;re still achieving your teaching objectives while giving your students agency in what they want to learn! Watch our featured video to learn more.</p>

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VDWJ9vadGZY?si=SAn80SwXuc9k_gkF" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br />
&nbsp;</div>

<h3>All five of these features can help you run a more organized, enjoyable, and purposeful class.</h3>


<p>These features were built with your teaching needs in mind and aim to provide you with the tools you need to offer your students the very best learning experience.&nbsp;</p>

<p>We hope you (and your students) love them as much as we do. <br />
<br />
Happy teaching!</p>

Top 5 Features to Get the Most Out of Teaching with Ellii

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<p>Firstly, there is nothing &quot;passive&quot;&nbsp;about &quot;passive&nbsp;income.&quot; I want to start by debunking this myth.</p>

<p>There are many sponsored ads and influencers on social media that will try and convince you otherwise, but, in reality, even those people aren&rsquo;t sitting back and sipping cocktails as they wait for the money to roll in!&nbsp;</p>

<p>The reality is that so-called &quot;passive&nbsp;income&quot; streams are a lot of hard work. The ideas that I give in the rest of this post are the easy part! The difficult bit is marketing those products once you&rsquo;ve created them. And all the social media posts, video content, and emails take a lot of time and energy.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Having said that, I know a lot of people who have done very well by creating content to sell online. So if you want to give it a go&nbsp;and are happy to invest the time and energy in marketing, it can be worth it.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>1. Write a book</h2>

<p>This is a dream for many and is a great way to share your skills and resources with the world. My first book was a collection of ESOL activities that I had created for my classes. Sharing the activities&nbsp;with the world meant that other teachers could use them and that they weren&rsquo;t hiding in a folder on my desktop.</p>

<p>In general, student&nbsp;books sell more copies than methodology books or photocopiable resources. That&rsquo;s because student&nbsp;books sell as a class set&mdash;so let&rsquo;s say 15&ndash;25 copies for each cohort. Methodology and photocopiable resource books tend to sell as one per staff room or school library. Methodology books also tend to be bought by individual teachers for a course they are taking. On completion of that course, the buyer will pass it on to a friend or sell it online.&nbsp;So, if you want to write a methodology book, you probably want it to become a core text in a popular TEFL training course.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>2. Publish on resource-sharing sites</h2>

<p>Digital materials are growing in popularity. Printable PDF resources (such as those on Ellii) have the benefit of offering minimal preparation. They are easy to search for by topic, and they provide flexibility in curriculum design. This means if your learners are interested in a certain subject or need extra practice with a language point, you can easily tailor lessons for them.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Websites such as Teachers Pay Teachers and Eduki let teachers share their materials and earn some cash for each download. It can take time to set up your account, add freebie samples, and promote your lessons on socials, but some teachers do make a good income from this.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>3. Start a website</h2>

<p>Having your own website will help you raise your profile and share your skills with the world. This can help potential employers or students find you more easily. There are various ways to monetize your website.&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>&nbsp;<strong>Advertisements:</strong>&nbsp;You can directly sell advertising&nbsp;space on your site or use ad networks, such as Google AdSense, that automatically post advertisements&nbsp;to your site. You&rsquo;ll earn money every time someone clicks on the ad. In order for this to make you money, you&rsquo;ll need to have lots of traffic to your site, and that means lots of time spent creating content that people want to read or use.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>&nbsp;<strong>Affiliate marketing:</strong> This means promoting products or services for other companies (for example, writing a blog post about your favorite brand of board marker and then adding a link to buy the markers from an affiliate company&nbsp;such as Amazon). You&rsquo;ll receive money for every sale made using your affiliate link.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>&nbsp;<strong>Product sale:</strong> Set up a shop on your site to sell resources, books, or courses. You could do this as part of a monthly membership subscription or on a product-by-product basis.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<h2>4. Get popular on socials</h2>

<p>This is probably the hardest way to generate so called &quot;passive&rsquo;&quot; income. To join the YouTube Partner Progam and earn money from ads on YouTube, you need at least 1,000 followers and 4,000 watch hours a year. Each ad that one of your subscribers watches earns between $0.01 and $0.03. This isn&rsquo;t a huge amount if your video gets fewer than 1,000 views, but it can be significant if it is watched a million times.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In other industries, social media influencers can get paid to promote clothing and other products. In English language teaching, it is very unlikely that you&rsquo;ll get paid to promote an ELT-related resource.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>5. Make your money work for you</h2>

<p>Probably the most tried and tested ways of generating passive income are by making sure your money is working for you. Ensuring that your savings are in accounts that will earn high interest or invested in (well-researched) index funds are good ways to do this. It&rsquo;s also worth shopping around for the best deal on a pension and exploring the property market to build equity or rental income.&nbsp;In these instances, make sure to seek financial advice and explore your options as carefully as possible. Managing your finances has to work for you and your individual situation.&nbsp;</p>

<p>These are just a few ways to potentially generate &quot;passive&quot; income as a teacher. As I mentioned at the beginning, there is no quick fix. Each one takes time, research, and long-term management, but they are all definitely worth exploring.&nbsp;</p>

<p><br />
Here are some other blog posts about professional development, teacherprenuerism, and ELT careers that may interest you:</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/teacherpreneur" target="_self">How to Be a Teacherpreneur</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/beyond-teaching-elt-careers-to-keep-you-motivated" target="_self">Beyond Teaching: ELT Careers to Keep You Motivated</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/getting-started-and-moving-forwards-professional-development-for-elt" target="_self">Getting Started &amp; Moving Forward: Professional Development for ELT&nbsp;</a></li>
</ul>

<p>Here are some Ellii lessons and collections that will build your students&rsquo; financial and money skills:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/money-matters/materials" target="_self">Money Matters</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/1210-retirement-savings " target="_self">Retirement Savings</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/teaching-english-learners-about-money-banking" target="_self">Teaching Learners about Money &amp; Banking</a><br />
	&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<blockquote>
<p>What experience do you have of generating &quot;passive&quot;&nbsp;income? Is there anything you&rsquo;d like to try or recommend here? We&rsquo;d love to know.&nbsp;</p>
</blockquote>


5 Ways to Earn "Passive" Income as a Teacher

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<p>It&#39;s time to head back to school, and we&#39;ve got some great resources to get you off to a good start!<br />
<br />
In addition to this NEW back-to-school <a href="https://app.ellii.com/gather/ellii-polls/back-to-school?_gl=1*1ctfb9m*_gcl_au*MTc5OTcyODM4OC4xNzI0MTgwNTc4*_ga*MTE2ODEwMTYzNy4xNjc2OTg3MTA2*_ga_0YR675LR3Q*MTcyNTQ1NDgyOS45MTcuMS4xNzI1NDU3NDY5LjAuMC4xMjc1OTEyMTYw" target="_self">Ellii Poll</a>&nbsp;and our ready-made <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons" target="_self">lessons</a>, <a href="https://ellii.com/media/videos" target="_self">videos</a>, and <a href="https://ellii.com/media/flashcards" target="_self">flashcards</a>, we have a full <a href="https://ellii.com/resources" target="_self">Resource library</a> full of charts, forms, warm-up activities, and worksheets that are ideal for getting started with a new class.<br />
<br />
Below you&#39;ll find a list of 10 of our top&nbsp;back-to-school downloads to help you get back into the swing of things. Some of these items are also available as digital activities.</p>

<ol>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/4164-ellii-placement-quiz"><strong>Ellii Placement Quiz</strong></a><br />
	A quiz consisting of 30&nbsp;multiple-choice questions divided into three sections (Listening, Grammar, and Reading) to assess your students&#39;&nbsp;current English level. For a longer, more in-depth assessment, try the <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/4226-ellii-placement-test">Ellii Placement Test</a>.&nbsp;</li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2209-class-list"><strong>Class List</strong></a><br />
	A basic template for creating a class list (includes fields for contact information and preferred name).&nbsp;</li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2208-attendance-sheet"><strong>Attendance Sheet</strong></a><br />
	A basic template for class attendance.&nbsp;</li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2169-weekly-planner"><strong>Weekly Planner</strong></a><br />
	A planner template with a to-do list for weekly lesson planning. A printable&nbsp;<a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2461-monthly-planner">Monthly Planner</a>&nbsp;is also available, but don&#39;t forget about our&nbsp;built-in digital lesson planner that is part of every class you create on Ellii!</li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2124-autobiography-int"><strong>Autobiography</strong></a><br />
	A personal story with gaps to fill in for intermediate-level learners. We also have fill-in-the-blank autobiography templates for <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2123-autobiography-beg">beginner-</a> and <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2125-autobiography-adv">advanced-level</a> learners.&nbsp;</li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2127-my-language-goals"><strong>My Language Goals</strong></a><br />
	A goal-setting form for students to fill out during a transitional stage.&nbsp;</li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2565-teaching-order"><strong>Teaching Order (Grammar Targets)</strong></a><br />
	A chart outlining Ellii&#39;s suggested teaching order for our <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/grammar-practice-worksheets">Grammar Practice Worksheets</a>.</li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2218-writing-correction-key"><strong>Writing Correction Key</strong></a><br />
	A code that teachers and peer editors can use for making writing corrections.&nbsp;</li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2151-basic-ipa-phonetic-chart"><strong>IPA Chart</strong></a><br />
	A chart that shows the basic phonemes of American and Canadian English to aid with teaching pronunciation.&nbsp;</li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2228-exit-slips"><strong>Exit Slips</strong></a><br />
	Learner reflection forms that teachers hand out to students toward the end of class.</li>
</ol>

<p>Our <a href="https://ellii.com/resources">Resources</a> section is packed full of amazing content that we hope teachers will find useful throughout the school year! In addition, don&#39;t forget to check out our&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/collections/everyday-topics/back-to-school">Back-to-School collection</a>&nbsp;where&nbsp;you&#39;ll find role-plays, dialogues, articles, debates, and discussion starter lessons on a variety of back-to-school topics.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Are you NEW to Ellii and wondering where to start? Check out our video demos in our <a href="https://help.ellii.com/">Help Docs</a>. If you don&#39;t find what you&#39;re looking for, please <a href="https://ellii.com/contact">send us a request</a>.&nbsp;</p>


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