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  • A woman sat on a sofa smiling reading a book
    • Just for fun
    • Linguistics and culture

    11 fascinating facts about English

    By Steffanie Zazulak
    Reading time: 3 minutes

    English is one of the most widely-spoken languages in the world, but how much do you know about the language? Here are 11 facts about English that you might not know.

  • A teacher stood helping a student in a large classroomw with other students sat working
    • Language teaching

    How do different motivations change how students learn English?

    By Steffanie Zazulak
    Reading time: 4 minutes

    Students all over the globe learn English for many reasons. Some of these motivations may come from the students themselves – perhaps they are learning because they are travelling to an English-speaking area, or they want to be able to converse with English-speaking friends and colleagues. Other rea...

  • A parent and their child laying on the floor drawing together on a large peice of paper
    • Young learners

    Raising bilingual kids: Sharing your family language at home

    By Charlotte Guest
    Reading time: 3 minutes

    A shared language is central to many families, and this can carry extra meaning when your children are growing up in a country that speaks a different language. It's not just about words; it's about culture, identity and connection. If you'd like to teach your kids the language that holds a special ...

  • A group of students stood around a teacher on a laptop
    • The Global Scale of English
    • AI

    The ethical challenges of AI in education

    By Billie Jago
    Reading time: 5 minutes

    AI is revolutionising every industry, and language learning is no exception. AI tools can provide students with unprecedented access to things like real-time feedback, instant translation and AI-generated texts, to name but a few. AI can be highly beneficial to language education by enhancing our s...

  • A teacher stood by a long wooden desk where her students are sat smiling at her
    • Language teaching

    What’s it like to teach English in France?

    By Steffanie Zazulak
    Reading time: 3 minutes

    Kirsty Murray taught English for a year at a collège (the French equivalent of a secondary school) in Villers-Cotterêts: a town in the north of France known for being the birthplace of Alexandre Dumas. She taught mixed-ability groups of 11- to 16-year-olds, with classes ranging in size from 10 to 35...

  • A teacher helping a teenage student working at her desk in a library
    • The Global Scale of English

    How teachers can use the GSE for professional development

    By Fajarudin Akbar
    Reading time: 4.5 minutes

    As English teachers, we’re usually the ones helping others grow. We guide learners through challenges, celebrate their progress and push them to reach new heights. But what about our own growth? How do we, as educators, continue to develop and refine our practice? The Global Scale of English (GSE) ...

  • A woman sat on a sofa with a tv controller
    • Just for fun

    Five great film scenes that can help improve your English

    By Steffanie Zazulak

    Watching films can be a great way for people to learn English. We all have our favourite movie moments and, even as passive viewers, they're probably teaching you more than you realise. Here's a selection of our favourite scenes, along with the reasons why they're educational as well as entertaining...

  • A young woman sat in a library with headphones around her neck reading a book
    • Linguistics and culture

    Does progress in English slow as you get more advanced?

    By Ian Wood
    Reading time: 4 minutes

    Why does progression seem to slow down as an English learner moves from beginner to more advanced skills? The journey of learning English When presenting at ELT conferences, I often ask the audience – typically teachers and school administrators – “When you left home today, to start your journey h...

  • A woman on her laptop smiling and working
    • Language teaching

    The science behind Smart Lesson Generator: Making teaching easier with AI

    By Thomas Gardner
    Reading time: 4 minutes

    It's 6 AM on a Monday morning. Ms. Lopez wakes up early to prepare for the day ahead. She spends the morning reviewing lesson plans, making sure everything is ready for her students. By lunchtime, she is preparing for the afternoon, grabbing a quick bite between classes... but it doesn’t stop there....