Teenagers can be efficient language learners. They have the cognitive ability to understand grammar abstractly, yet they still retain their childlike playfulness. Although they can understand grammar rules, teenagers need more than just grammar-based exercises in order to be able to use grammar to communicate effectively in English. They need
If you teach teen English learners, you probably have many questions – about keeping their attention in class, helping them engage with the course material, or even showing them that learning English is worthwhile! Last year, educators from around the world shared their questions about teaching teens with us, and
The primary focus for newcomers to the United States who have little to no English is oral language and comprehension. They want to start communicating their basic needs —”I don’t feel well,” “I need to use the bathroom,” “Where is the gym?”— as soon as possible. But as high school
The Slingshot Challenge by our partners at the National Geographic Society is now accepting submissions! This exciting initiative gives students ages 13–18 the opportunity to research, create, and share a 1-minute video focused on solving an important environmental challenge in their community. Why should English language educators share the Slingshot
One of the most challenging parts of being a teenager is the process of discovering who you are. When they are teens, our English language learners first engage with the world around them with purpose, lay claim to it as their own, and decide what kind of person they want to
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
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
Teaching English to young teenagers can be challenging, but it can also be exciting and rewarding. Remember that young teens are actually very efficient language learners. They still have some characteristics of young learners and retain their childlike playfulness, but they also have the adult-like ability to hypothesize and think
Newcomer students who have recently arrived in the United States bring diverse backgrounds, languages, and experiences that enrich our classrooms. Newcomers also often have huge gaps to close before taking part in content-area high school classes. A newcomer will be new to the on-level concepts of algebra, civics, and biology,