How can teachers use the Global Scale of English (GSE) and AI to help students set and achieve language learning goals for the new year?

As the new year rolls around, it’s the perfect time for students to set fresh language learning goals. But for teachers, it’s not just about inspiring students—it’s about giving them clear, measurable goals that they can actually achieve. That’s where the GSE, a very powerful tool, comes in. It can help teachers create personalized learning paths based on where students are right now and guide them toward their language goals throughout the year. Let’s dive into how the GSE can work to boost student progress.

What makes the GSE such a valuable tool?

The GSE is a precise framework that measures English proficiency with remarkable detail. Each score on the GSE aligns with specific speaking, listening, reading and writing competencies. For instance, a student with a GSE score of 50 might handle everyday conversations comfortably (B1 level), while a score of 75 indicates functioning at a more advanced level (C1).

What sets the GSE apart is its granularity—it goes beyond general levels of "intermediate" or "advanced," allowing teachers to identify exactly what their students can do at any stage. This level of detail enables teachers to set targeted, skill-specific goals for every learner, ensuring personalized and purposeful progression.

Assessing where students currently stand

Before setting goals, it’s important to determine each student’s current standing. The GSE is an excellent tool for this because it provides a detailed breakdown of a student's skills. Teachers can use GSE-aligned assessments to pinpoint strengths and weaknesses, which gives a clearer picture than just knowing if a student is at an “intermediate” or “advanced” level.

Once you know where students are, you can set a baseline. For instance, if a student’s reading score is 52, you’ll know that they are likely in the B1 range, and you can target specific skills (like improving vocabulary or understanding main ideas) to move them forward.

Setting realistic, measurable goals

Now that you know where each student stands, it's time to set some goals. These should be realistic, measurable and achievable based on their current level and the time span involved. The key is to pick goals that will push them to improve without overwhelming them. The GSE has detailed descriptions of what students can do at each level. You can pinpoint specific skills that need attention by looking at these descriptors. We know that large goals can feel intimidating, so break them into smaller, manageable chunks. Here, the GSE is an amazing resource, thanks to its granularity.

Personalising learning with AI and the GSE

Using the GSE Learning Objectives (LOs) in conjunction with an LLM (Large Language Model) opens up a world of possibilities for creating focused activities at the right level for each student. Here are some key points on how this combination enhances personalized learning:

• Individualized content: LLMs can generate targeted prompts and exercises based on the specific GSE LOs relevant to each student's proficiency level. This ensures that learners engage with content that is appropriate and aligned with their language goals.

• Tailored language practice: By incorporating an LLM into lessons, teachers can provide students with interactive language practice that adapts to their needs. ChatGPT can simulate conversations, allowing students to apply their language skills and receive immediate feedback in a supportive environment.

By combining the GSE LOs and harnessing the power of an LLM like ChatGPT, teachers can create personalized activities that cater to individual students' language needs, promote active learning, and foster continuous improvement.

What comes next?

Setting goals is just the start—tracking progress and adjusting those goals as needed is just as important. Throughout the year, teachers should regularly check in with students to make sure they’re on track. How can we monitor and adjust? Here are some tips.

Teachers should schedule regular one-on-one sessions with students to review their progress. The GSE can clearly show students their progress.

If students are achieving their goals faster than expected, adjusting their targets is important to keep them challenged. If they’re struggling, the goals might need to be more achievable, with smaller, more gradual steps.

Using the GSE can help students set clear, measurable goals and steadily progress throughout the year. By assessing where students are starting, setting specific GSE-based goals, creating personalized learning paths with AI, and continuously tracking progress, teachers can create a more dynamic and effective learning experience for their students. The new year is the perfect opportunity to help students improve their English and achieve their goals—and with these tools, teachers have everything they need to guide students toward success.

The end of the school year can be bittersweet. Students are excited for the holidays, but teachers have the tricky task of keeping their attention as focus starts to fade. The upside? It’s the perfect chance to make this time fun, memorable and engaging with creative classroom ideas that really stick. Here's a list of end-of-year school activities to ensure your students stay motivated all the way to the final bell.

1. End of year projects

Longer projects are perfect for the end of the year because they encourage deeper engagement. Here are a few ideas to try out.

• Class memory book: Ask students to contribute to a collaborative memory book filled with drawings, photos, or written reflections on their favorite moments of the year.
• Passion projects: Give students the chance to dive into something they’re really interested in and wrap it up with a fun presentation or creative display.
• Local impact projects: Challenge your learners to brainstorm ways to support their local community. They could develop a plan or even implement their ideas.

2. Holiday-themed school activities

With the festive season approaching, it’s the perfect excuse to blend learning with holiday cheer.

• Cultural exploration: Encourage students to research and share how different cultures celebrate the holidays, fostering inclusivity and curiosity. They can also share how they celebrate the end of the year and any New Year traditions.
• Art session: Organise a holiday craft-making session where students create ornaments, cards, or posters. Encourage students to write and create cards to take home to their loved ones.

3. Interactive learning games

Interactive games are an easy way to maintain focus and excitement.

• Trivia challenges: Create trivia questions about topics covered during the year—bonus points for including playful or funny questions about inside jokes or class moments.
• Escape room activities: Turn your classroom into an educational escape room with puzzles, problem-solving challenges and hidden clues.
• AI Guess Who: Most AI chatbots will let you play games like Guess Who; play this with the class to liven things up. Let them take turns to guess who the chatbot is thinking of. You can also use 'Akinator'.
  

4. Group activities

Encourage collaboration with team tasks that bring students together.

• Talent show: Give students the chance to showcase their talents, from singing and dancing to magic tricks and storytelling. It can be a great way to encourage them to practice language skills.
• Debate tournaments: Divide your class into teams and set them up for friendly debates on fun or meaningful topics.
• Story circles: Build stories as a group by having students take turns adding to the tale.

5. Creative classroom ideas

Don’t hesitate to think outside the box with these unique ideas:

• Class awards ceremony: Create fun and light-hearted awards for each student, such as “Best Scientist” or “Most Curious Learner.”
• Time capsule creation: Have students write letters to their future selves or fill a box with objects representing the year.
• Themed classroom party: Use a theme, such as a tropical luau or winter wonderland, to bring the class together for a fun party with food, games and music.

6. Classroom party ideas

Every great year deserves a great finish. Host a lesson that brings your students closer together.

• Movie afternoon: Set up your classroom and dim the lights to create a cinema atmosphere for a class movie.
• Game board bonanza: Bring in board games and allow students a relaxed day of friendly competition. If none are available, get students to create their own games.

Keep the learning spirit alive

The end of the school year doesn’t have to signal the end of learning. With a bit of creativity, teachers can make the last weeks of school productive and enjoyable. From fun classroom activities to meaningful year-end projects for students, these ideas will set the stage for a memorable finish.

Sue Kay has been an ELT materials writer for over 25 years. She is the co-author of Pearson's Focus Second Edition and is one of the co-founders of ELT Publishing Professionals. In this article, Sue takes us through her experience of using video in the classroom and shows us how to motivate and engage students with authentic video.

Videos are no longer a novelty

When I started teaching in the early 80s, video was a novelty in the classroom. We only had one video player for the whole school and had to book it a week in advance. There was very little published material available, but thanks to the rarity factor, the students lapped it up. 

There was no problem with getting them motivated, even if the lessons accompanying the videos were not particularly exciting and consisted mainly of comprehension questions. Lucky for me, our school had a very dynamic Director of Studies who gave great teacher training sessions and I was very taken with a presentation he did on active viewing tasks. 

I was, and still am, a big fan of the Communicative Approach and I embraced the more interactive video tasks enthusiastically: freeze frame and predict, watch with the sound down and guess what people are saying, listen with the screen hidden to guess the action, etc. 

When I’m preparing a video lesson, I still try to include at least one of these activities because the information gap provides an ideal motivation for students to watch the video and check their ideas.