In Part 2 of his blog series on teaching C2-level learners, National Geographic Learning’s Alex Warren examines how we can challenge and “level up” learners by using activities that push them out of their comfort zone and develop their communication skills as well as their language skills. Read Part 1 here. What makes a C2-level communication task effective? As we
English is a useful tool that will enable our students to communicate internationally. When communicating with people from different language backgrounds, students will inevitably also be communicating with people across cultures. This means communicating with people who might have different norms, different behaviors, and different communication styles from what they
Don’t press play (yet!) Using authentic video to develop communication skills? Don’t press play until you do three things! When I started teaching in the 1990s, I believed in the power of authentic video — news reports, documentaries, TV shows, films — to engage learners and bring real English into
Are your students struggling with parts of the IELTS or Cambridge exams? This post is for you!
In this blog, NGL academic and training development manager Alex Warren looks at how teachers can best incorporate a visible learning philosophy into the English language classroom to empower students to reach their full potential. Before we get going, take a moment to pause and reflect. What do you think
In today’s rapidly evolving job market, English proficiency has become a crucial asset for career success. Whether in business, technology, healthcare, or academia, professionals around the world rely on English to collaborate, innovate, and communicate effectively. Context: The demand for English in the workplace extends beyond technical knowledge. Research shows that
Sustainability isn’t just a trending topic — which is why it’s more important than ever that we start considering how we can weave it into our educational practices. In a recent webinar, ‘Sustainable Life: Combining Project-Based Learning and Problem Solving in English Language Teaching’, we looked at why sustainability really
With CASAS being used as a tool in almost every US state as a way to evaluate ESL learners, the new CASAS STEPS tests have become a major topic for discussion in adult education. An analysis of the standards reflected in the STEPS reading tests allow us to distill the information
The Climate Crisis has the power to evoke the widest spectrum of emotions you can possibly imagine, from anxiety and fear to hope and empowerment. These feelings profoundly impact how we approach the topic in educational settings. In a recent webinar with National Geographic Learning, I explored strategies for addressing
“Worldwide visual culture has never been so rich and varied” (Riechers, 2024). Visual Literacy, the ability to interpret and understand the ideas and meanings in what we see, and to communicate our ideas in visual form, is an essential life skill. To understand more about what visual literacy involves, and