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

Courses

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

Teaching with Ellii

Discover what's new or coming soon, including upcoming lessons and resources and product feature updates. 

Announcements

<p>Are you teaching US history and government and/or&nbsp;preparing students for the NEW civics test (2025 version) and naturalization interview? You are changing lives, and Ellii wants to help!</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Yes! Ellii has prep materials for the US Naturalization Interview, including the new civics test, the N-400 review, and the reading &amp; writing tests.</p>
</blockquote>

<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/RnVVjGXlWY8?si=S0nzou1pRPyNfZB9" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>We began working on new content as soon as the notice went out about the new test (Sep&nbsp;18, 2025) and have just finished up this project (June 2026).&nbsp;</p>

<h2>What has changed with the 2025 Civics Test?</h2>

<ul>
	<li>If applicants applied before or within 30 days of the notice (Sep&nbsp;18, 2025), they take the 2008 test.</li>
	<li>If applicants&nbsp;applied 30 days or more after this notice (Sep&nbsp;18, 2025), they take the 2025 test.</li>
	<li>On the new (2025) test, the&nbsp;USCIS officer will ask applicants to answer up to 20 out of&nbsp;128 civics test questions&nbsp;to prove their&nbsp;knowledge of&nbsp;US&nbsp;history and government.</li>
	<li>USCIS officers will&nbsp;stop&nbsp;after the&nbsp;applicant answers&nbsp;12 questions correctly OR misses 9 questions.</li>
</ul>

<p><strong>Note:</strong> Scroll down to the bottom of this post for useful external links to resources regarding these updates.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>What order should I teach Ellii&#39;s US Civics &amp; Citizenship Prep content in?</h2>

<p>Here is our recommended teaching order for the Study Packs:</p>

<h2>US History &amp; Civics Test</h2>

<ol>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/principles-of-us-government" target="_blank">Principles of American Government</a>&nbsp;(Questions 1&ndash;15)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/system-of-government-1" target="_blank">System of Government 1</a>&nbsp;(Questions 16&ndash;30)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/system-of-government-b" target="_blank">System of Government 2</a>&nbsp;(Questions 31&ndash;45)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/system-of-government-3" target="_blank">System of Government 3</a>&nbsp;(Questions 46&ndash;62)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/rights-responsibilities" target="_blank">Rights &amp; Responsibilities</a>&nbsp;(Questions 63&ndash;72)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/colonial-period-independence" target="_blank">Colonial Independence</a>&nbsp;(Questions 73&ndash;89)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/the-1800s" target="_blank">The 1800s</a>&nbsp;(Questions 90&ndash;99)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/recent-american-history" target="_blank">Recent American History</a>&nbsp;(Questions 100&ndash;118)</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/symbols-holidays" target="_blank">Symbols &amp; Holidays</a>&nbsp;(Questions 119&ndash;128)</li>
</ol>

<h2>N-400 Form Interview</h2>

<ol>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/n-400-interview-parts-1-4" target="_blank">N-400:&nbsp;Part 1&ndash;4</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/n-400-interview-parts-5-8" target="_blank">N-400: Part 5&ndash;8</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/n-400-interview-part-9" target="_blank">N-400: Part 9A&ndash;9D</a></li>
</ol>

<p><img alt="N-400 Study Packs" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5594/content_Screenshot_2026-06-23_at_1.44.26_PM.png" style="width: 2760px; height: 784px;" /></p>

<h2>Reading &amp; Writing Tests</h2>

<ol>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/naturalization-interview-reading-writing-test" target="_blank">Reading &amp; Writing Tests</a></li>
</ol>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/naturalization-interview-reading-writing-test" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5593/content_Screenshot_2026-06-23_at_10.01.23_AM.png" /></a></p>

<h2>About Ellii&#39;s US Civics &amp; Citizenship Interview Prep Study Packs</h2>

<p>Ellii Study Packs allow you to assign your students bundled content easily with one click. Visit our <a href="https://ellii.com/packs/?category=45&amp;page=1" target="_blank">US Civics</a> category in Courses &amp; Packs&nbsp;and watch this content&nbsp;grow.<br />
<br />
If you and your students like Ellii&#39;s videos, you&#39;ll love the NEW study packs. Each video lesson comes with practice tasks, including vocabulary review, comprehension, and speaking practice.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/colonial-period-independence/materials" target="_blank"><img alt="Colonial Period &amp; Independence Study Pack on Ellii " src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5012/content_US-Civics-Test-Prep-Colonial-Period-and-Independence_OG.png" /></a></p>

<p>For example, this pack about&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/packs/the-1800s/materials" target="_blank"><b>The 1800s</b></a><b>&nbsp;</b>features video lessons and practice about western expansion and the Civil War. Students practice questions <strong>90&ndash;99 </strong>of the civics test. Expand your students&#39;&nbsp;knowledge with related lessons from our library, such as lessons on historic figures from this period, including <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/3185-harriet-tubman" target="_blank">Harriet Tubman</a>, <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/3473-frederick-douglass" target="_blank">Frederick Douglass</a>, and <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2881-susan-b-anthony" target="_blank">Susan B. Anthony</a>.</p>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/the-1800s/materials" target="_blank"><img alt="The 1800s US Civics Test Prep Study Pack on Ellii " src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5013/content_US-Civics-1800s_OG.png" /></a></p>

<p>Another pack features video lessons and practice about conflict and change in <a href="https://ellii.com/packs/recent-american-history/materials" target="_blank">Recent US History</a> (the 1900s and early 2000s). Students practice questions <strong>100&ndash;118&nbsp;</strong>of the civics test. Expand your students&#39;&nbsp;knowledge with related lessons from our library, such as lessons on historic figures from this period, including <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/1535-franklin-d-roosevelt" target="_blank">Franklin D. Roosevelt</a>, the <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2856-the-vietnam-war" target="_blank">Vietnam War,</a> and <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/1466-september-11th" target="_blank">September 11th</a>.<br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/packs/recent-american-history/materials" target="_blank"><img alt="Recent US History US Civics Test Prep Study Pack: The 1900s and early 2000s" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5054/content_US-Civics-Recent-US-History_OG.png" /></a></p>

<p>In addition to the history and civics packs, we have packs to prep for the N-400 interview as well as the Reading &amp; Writing test. This comprehensive package of content is all your students need to prepare for the Naturalization Civics Test.</p>

<p>Did you know? You can also send content individually to just the students who are studying for the test.</p>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/introducing-individual-student-assignments" target="_blank"><img alt="individual assignments on Ellii " src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5014/content_Screen_Shot_2025-11-14_at_11.12.24_AM.png" /></a></p>

<h2>Ellii&#39;s US Civics &amp; Test Prep Videos</h2>

<p>Ellii&#39;s&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/media/videos/us-civics-test-prep" target="_blank">US Civics &amp; Test Prep</a> videos are&nbsp;also available in our Media Gallery if you prefer not to assign the packs and tasks. These videos&nbsp;build history and government knowledge while offering practical test-taking tips. Choose from short, digestible clips or full-length video lessons with chapter divisions.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/media/videos/us-civics-test-prep/colonial-period-independence" target="_blank"><img alt="US Civics Test Prep videos" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5010/content_Civics-Video-Colonial-Period-and-Independence_OG-play.png" /></a></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/media/videos/us-civics-test-prep/the-1800s" target="_blank"><img alt="https://ellii.com/media/videos/us-civics-test-prep/the-1800s" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5011/content_Civics-Video-1800s_OG-play.png" /></a></p>

<p>Videos include a real teacher from Ellii, real&nbsp;photographs, useful drawings, and real questions and possible answers from the test.</p>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/video/recent-american-history" target="_blank"><img alt="Recent US History video " src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5055/content_Screen_Shot_2025-11-19_at_3.11.32_PM.png" /></a></p>

<p>You can also find the complete collection of <a href="https://ellii.com/media/videos/us-civics-citizenship">N-400 Interview Prep videos</a> in our Media Gallery. These video lessons&nbsp;cover every question from Parts 1 to 9 of Form N-400 and include&nbsp;mock dialogues, interview tips, vocabulary explanations, and plenty of&nbsp;speaking and listening practice.</p>

<h2>Ellii&#39;s Collections</h2>

<h3><a href="https://ellii.com/collections/us-civics" target="_blank">US Citizenship &amp; Naturalization</a></h3>

<p>This<strong> </strong>collection category<strong> </strong>offers six ready-made collections of EL Civics content focusing on US law, government, history, and culture. This content will help prepare ELLs for life and citizenship in the United States.&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lessons/american-presidents" target="_blank">American Presidents</a>&nbsp;</li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/collections/us-civics/american-institutions" target="_blank">American Institutions</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/collections/us-civics/american-trailblazers" target="_blank">American Trailblazers</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/collections/us-civics/american-holidays" target="_blank">American Holidays</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/collections/us-civics/us-history" target="_blank">American History</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/collections/us-civics/us-landmarks" target="_blank">American Landmarks</a></li>
</ul>

<h3><a href="https://ellii.com/collections/el-civics" target="_blank">EL Civics</a></h3>

<p>This collection category features curated content for pre-approved civics objectives <strong>(COAAPs)</strong> selected by California agencies supporting adult ed. Search for content that is specifically related to the needs assessment of your students and use this content toward&nbsp;the 30 hours of instruction your learners need before doing related assessments.</p>

<h3><a href="https://ellii.com/collections/nations-regions/americana" target="_blank">The United States</a></h3>

<p>Our content library is full of lessons about American facts, figures, and firsts. This collection highlights some of our most popular lesson content related to the US, including presidents, famous people, and holidays.</p>

<h2>Popular Ellii Lessons</h2>

<p>Use the <strong>Search</strong> field on Ellii to find lessons on topics you are covering, and reach out to us if you can&#39;t find what you&#39;re looking for. Here are some popular US civics lessons:</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/5757-us-immigration-rights" target="_blank">US Immigration Rights</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2277-american-citizenship" target="_blank">American Citizenship</a>&nbsp;</li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/3836-n-400-vocabulary" target="_blank">N-400 Vocabulary</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2676-the-united-states" target="_blank">The United States </a>(Listening in English)</li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2263-map-of-the-us" target="_blank">Map of the US</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/1505-george-washington" target="_blank">George Washington</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2779-trail-of-tears" target="_blank">Trail of Tears</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/3172-the-us-constitution" target="_blank">The US Constitution</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/5636-the-bill-of-rights" target="_blank">The Bill of Rights</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/4037-the-declaration-of-independence" target="_blank">The Declaration of Independence</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2764-the-supreme-court-us" target="_blank">The Supreme Court</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/3381-election-day-us" target="_blank">Election Day</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/video/republicans-democrats" target="_blank">Republicans &amp; Democrats</a> (explainer video)</li>
</ul>

<h3>Useful External Resources for 2025 Updates</h3>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/09/18/2025-18050/notice-of-implementation-of-2025-naturalization-civics-test" target="_blank">Notice of Implementation of 2025 Naturalization Civics Test</a> (09.18.2025)</li>
	<li><a href="https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/brochures/USCIS-2025-Civics-Test-Study-Guide.pdf" target="_blank">One Nation, One People Study Guide (2025)</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/questions-and-answers/2025-Civics-Test-128-Questions-and-Answers.pdf" target="_blank">128 Civics Questions (2025)</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/find-study-materials-and-resources/check-for-test-updates" target="_blank">USCIS Comparison of 2008 / 2025 Test</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/5n2h5rdfojhykxegok15a/Natz_Test_Comparison_A_2008-2025.pdf?rlkey=47rpmtohvcrqazh1uf17h8o7k&amp;e=1&amp;st=r1lxr88r&amp;dl=0" target="_blank">Bill Bliss&#39;s Comparison Chart of 2008 / 2025 Test</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship" target="_blank">USCIS Citizenship Resource Center</a></li>
</ul>

US Naturalization Interview & Civics Test Prep Curriculum Now on Ellii

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<h2>Tired of sending classwide emails with important updates that your students never read?</h2>

<p>One of our most requested features is here! Now you can send announcements directly to all students in your class right from within Ellii.</p>

<p>We believe clear communication is at the heart of every successful classroom. The Class Announcements feature gives you a dedicated space inside Ellii to keep your students informed&nbsp;right where they&#39;re already learning.</p>

<h2>How to send an announcement on Ellii</h2>

<p>From the new <strong>Announcements</strong> tab on your class page, you can post messages, pin important updates to the top, and manage everything in one place.</p>

<p><img alt="class announcements on Ellii" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5541/content_Screenshot_2026-06-08_at_10.38.49_AM.png" /></p>

<h2>Where students find announcements on Ellii&nbsp;</h2>

<p>Students see your announcements at the top of their class page. New messages are clearly labeled. Pinned messages stay visible at all times.&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="class announcements for students on Ellii " src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5542/content_Screenshot_2026-06-08_at_10.41.33_AM.png" /></p>

<p><img alt="class announcements on Ellii " src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5543/content_Screenshot_2026-06-08_at_10.43.27_AM.png" /></p>

<h2>Learn more</h2>

<p>See&nbsp;step-by-step instructions in this&nbsp;Help Doc: <a href="https://help.ellii.com/article/312-how-to-create-class-announcements" target="_blank">How to Create Class Announcements</a>&nbsp;</p>


Class Announcements Feature Now on Ellii

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<p><a href="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/attachments/5465/Ellii-WIDA-Alignment-Overview.pdf">Download the&nbsp;summary: How Ellii Supports WIDA-aligned K&ndash;12 English Language Programs (2026)</a><br />
<br />
<em>Updated&nbsp;May 7, 2026</em></p>

<blockquote>
<p>&quot;ESL Library (now Ellii) was founded in 2002 as a resource site for English teachers. The materials are designed to enhance, complement, or supplement curriculum. New materials are added every month. The lessons include relevant, thought-provoking materials that focus on real-world issues, historical events, and natural dialogues geared toward teens and adults. There are also kid-friendly lessons for young learners and middle schoolers as well as lessons for literacy classrooms.&quot;</p>

<p class="attribution">&mdash;<a href="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/attachments/2448/ESLLibrary__1__2.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">WIDA PRIME Correlator</a></p>
</blockquote>

<p>Does your school follow the <a href="https://wida.wisc.edu/">WIDA Standards Framework</a>? If yes, you may be wondering if Ellii (formerly ESL Library) is a good fit for your school.</p>

<p>WIDA uses a special correlation process called PRIME, which stands for Protocol for Review of Instructional Materials for ELLs. The main purpose of PRIME is to help educators in the K&ndash;12 space understand the relevance of materials that are available for their language programs.</p>

<p>In early 2021, a WIDA&nbsp;PRIME&nbsp;V2 correlator spent a week reviewing Ellii&#39;s (formerly ESL&nbsp;Library&#39;s) offerings. They looked at our&nbsp;correlation to WIDA&#39;s Standard Framework as well as connections to the ELD Standards.</p>

<p>You can view the full <a href="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/attachments/2448/ESLLibrary__1__2.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">WIDA Correlation for ESL&nbsp;Library</a> on WIDA&#39;s PRIME inventory page (with referenced examples taken from a variety of materials and sections on&nbsp;our site).* Here is an abridged&nbsp;summary:</p>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="correct">Materials are asset-based.</li>
	<li class="correct">Materials feature academic language.</li>
	<li class="correct">Materials address language features appropriately and consistently at the discourse dimension for all proficiency&nbsp;levels.</li>
	<li class="correct">Materials address language features appropriately and consistently at the sentence dimension for all proficiency&nbsp;levels.</li>
	<li class="correct">Materials address language features appropriately and consistently at the word/phrase dimension for all proficiency&nbsp;levels.</li>
	<li class="correct">Differentiation of language is addressed throughout the materials and is developmentally and linguistically appropriate for the proficiency&nbsp;levels.</li>
	<li class="correct">The four language domains are targeted and integrated throughout the&nbsp;materials.</li>
	<li class="correct">Social and instructional language are&nbsp;included in the&nbsp;materials.</li>
	<li class="correct">Materials encourage language learners to engage in higher-thinking skills at all&nbsp;levels.</li>
	<li class="correct">Materials cover a range of language functions that are incorporated into a communicative&nbsp;goal.</li>
</ul>

<p><img alt="WIDA PRIME V2 Correlation Seal" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1731/content_WIDA-PRIME-v2-seal-TM.png" /></p>

<p>As you review the official <a href="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/attachments/2448/ESLLibrary__1__2.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">WIDA Correlation</a>, please note that Ellii (formerly ESL&nbsp;Library) is not currently licensing WIDA terminology, which means we cannot explicitly reference WIDA standards and descriptors in our materials.</p>

<h2>2021&nbsp;Updates</h2>

<p>We&#39;re always striving to make improvements! A new Young Learner filter has been added to the site since WIDA&#39;s correlation. Other <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/feature-updates-2021">recent developments</a> include teacher discretion labels, digital speaking tasks, and <a href="https://ellii.com/collections">collections</a>. Ellii&#39;s (formerly ESL&nbsp;Library&#39;s) new collections make it easier for teachers to sort and filter relevant content by theme, function, and academic subject&nbsp;as well as by age-appropriateness and proficiency level. Finally, our new <a href="https://ellii.com/folders/published">Ellii Folders</a>, curated by the publishing team, support the progression of language development and have been popular with our K⁠&ndash;⁠12&nbsp;teachers.</p>

<p>Teachers can also change their account settings to display ELD proficiency levels and grade band settings.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A special thank you to the folks at WIDA for your careful consideration of our materials and&nbsp;site!</p>

<p>*If the link does not open a PDF, please visit <a href="https://www.widaprime.org/correlated-instructional-materials">WIDA&#39;s PRIME inventory</a> and type ESL Library as a search term.</p>

<h2>Related</h2>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="collection"><a href="https://ellii.com/collections/academic-subjects">Academic Subjects Collection</a></li>
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/wida-conference-2018">WIDA Conference 2018: Highlights &amp; Takeaways</a></li>
	<li class="external-link"><a href="https://www.casas.org/qs/Publisher/Show/805" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CASAS Quick Search</a> (New CASAS Collections coming soon!)</li>
</ul>


WIDA Correlation: A Seal for Ellii 

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<h1>A new way to check in on your students</h1>

<p>We know how much time teachers spend clicking through assignments to piece together how a student is doing,&nbsp;so we built something to help. We&#39;ve added a new <strong>Activity</strong> tab right inside the class page&nbsp;so you can now look at results student by student across all their assignments&nbsp;instead of having to go assignment by assignment. It&#39;s a small addition, but it makes a big difference when you&#39;re trying to get a sense of how an individual learner is progressing.</p>

<h2>We call this new feature Student Activity Reports</h2>

<p>The navigation works like flipping through a stack of pages. Click on any student, then a lesson, and then a task, and each view layers on top of the last. The edge of the previous sheet stays visible&nbsp;so you can quickly flip back to it.</p>

<p>We also put a lot of thought into making the navigation feel predictable. Moving between students and assignments, you&#39;ll always know where you are and how to get back. No unexpected dead ends mid session.</p>

<p>We hope you like it. Give it a try and let us know what you think. And stay tuned for more enhancements to our reporting tools coming soon!</p>

<div style="position: relative; padding-bottom: 99.26470588235296%; height: 0;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://www.loom.com/embed/6801f95d4c154a2d808653a3c4f1e616" style="position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;" webkitallowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Introducing Student Activity Reports

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<p><em>Just like the Publishing team constantly puts out new content, our Product team continuously rolls out new features. Some builds are requests and needs shared by school districts, admins, or teachers, and others are updates we decide on internally to complete during a six-week cycle. In addition to building and designing new features, our&nbsp;engineers and designers are constantly cleaning things up to make the platform as user-friendly as possible for learners and teachers. </em></p>

<p><em>We don&#39;t always get a chance to make formal announcements about all of our new releases, so if you&#39;re a subscriber, we hope you&#39;ll take a minute to review what&#39;s new!</em></p>

<h2>No more password headaches: Key codes arrive</h2>

<p>Logging in just got easier for students. When creating student accounts, teachers can now choose between traditional username + password or our new simpler option: key codes made up of six digits.</p>

<p>Students can log in using their key code + last name, making access quicker and more classroom-friendly.</p>

<p>And for even more efficiency, teachers can bulk create students via CSV upload.</p>

<p><img alt="Keycodes on Ellii" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5305/content_image__8_.png" /></p>

<h2>Time reports reveal student effort</h2>

<p>Curious how much time students are actually spending on tasks?</p>

<p>The new Time Reports feature gives teachers clear visibility into:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Time spent by students within a specific class</li>
	<li>Total time spent across Ellii and Ellii Solo</li>
</ul>

<h2><img alt="time reports on Ellii" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5306/content_image__9_.png" /></h2>

<h2>Assessments get a major upgrade</h2>

<p>Assessments just leveled up. We&rsquo;ve brought more task types into the Assessment Player, including:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Image Match</li>
	<li>Listen &amp; Type</li>
	<li>Writing&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Speaking</li>
</ul>

<p><img alt="Ellii Placement Test with speaking and writing" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5308/content_Screenshot_2026-03-18_at_8.58.47_AM.png" /></p>

<p>This unlocks more robust assessments, including true 4-skills placement tests and Ellii Bot assistance to grade them. Because of this, students will now see a message at the end of an assessment letting them know their score is being processed and will be available shortly.</p>

<p><img alt="Assessment Player gets new tasks on Ellii " src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5307/content_image__10_.png" /></p>

<h2>Round buttons roll into town</h2>

<p>The interface just got smoother.&nbsp;Round buttons have officially arrived, and some of them are now sporting fresh color gradients for a more modern look.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It might look like a small visual tweak, but a lot of work went into it behind the scenes.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="round buttons on Ellii" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5296/content_image__1_.png" /></p>

<h2>Teacher hack inspires new emoji class feature</h2>

<p>We noticed a teacher manually adding emoji&nbsp;to their class names and thought,&nbsp;<em>That&rsquo;s actually pretty cool...why not make it a feature?</em></p>

<p>Now teachers can pick an emoji for their class name directly from a selector, adding a bit of personality (and easier visual scanning) to the class list.</p>

<p><img alt="emoji in class name on Ellii" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5297/content_image__2_.png" /></p>

<h2>Ellii Bot now takes scoring requests</h2>

<p>Ever had your class set to manual grading and then realized you suddenly had a mountain of responses to score?&nbsp;</p>

<p>Ellii Bot autoscoring can now be run on demand as a one-off job!</p>

<p>So even if your class settings are set to manual grading (or you forgot to change them), you now have the option to let the bot step in and help.</p>

<p><img alt="Need Ellii Bot's help " src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5298/content_image__3_.png" /></p>

<h2>Bot declares: English-only for speaking tasks</h2>

<p>Ellii Bot is tightening the rules on speaking activities. Responses must now be in English, ensuring more accurate feedback and scoring for speaking practice.</p>

<p><img alt="Ellii Bot allows English only" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5299/content_image__4_.png" /></p>

<h2>Homework confusion avoided with&nbsp;in-class tasks skipped</h2>

<p>Some lesson tasks are really meant to be done live in the classroom, not assigned for homework.</p>

<p>Now pair or group tasks like warm-ups, discussions,&nbsp;and role-plays are skipped by default when assigning lessons. Teachers can still add them back into the assignment if they want.</p>

<p><img alt="Homework-only tasks" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5300/content_image__5_.png" /></p>

<h2>Students get &ldquo;already started&rdquo; assignment tracker</h2>

<p>Students will now see which assignments they&#39;ve already started but not finished.</p>

<p>This makes it easier to jump back in and finish the job...hopefully. 😅</p>

<p><img alt="Already started homework label on Ellii" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5301/content_image__6_.png" /></p>

<h2>Classes can be easily transferred</h2>

<p>Teachers now have a new option when managing their classes&mdash;transfer a class to another teacher. When handing off a class to a coworker or dealing with schedule changes, teachers can now move a class without losing its structure or student list.</p>

<p><img alt="Transfer homework to another teacher on Ellii" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/5302/content_image__7_.png" /></p>

<h2>More platform updates</h2>

<ul>
	<li><strong>Universal Roster</strong>&nbsp;now includes students without a class</li>
	<li><strong>Old notifications cleaned up</strong>&nbsp;to reduce clutter and improve performance</li>
	<li>Platform performance benefits from <strong>smarter notification management</strong></li>
	<li>Performance boost for students&#39; lists, <strong>now loading 4X faster</strong>!</li>
</ul>

<p>A big thank-you to the entire Product team and everyone involved in the discussions that helped shape these updates, including teachers!&nbsp;Your ideas, feedback, and collaboration make improvements like these possible.</p>


2026 Feature Updates at Ellii (Q1)

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<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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<p>Ellii<strong>&nbsp;</strong>is making<strong>&nbsp;</strong>some changes to our navigation system to simplify how you find, save, and assign materials, and how you generally get around the site. The changes will go live on October 2, 2025.&nbsp;</p>

<h3>Here&rsquo;s what has changed:</h3>

<ol>
	<li>Our top navigation bar</li>
	<li>Our Lesson Section Index page</li>
	<li>Our Lesson Section pages</li>
	<li>The &quot;Like&quot;&nbsp;feature<br />
	&nbsp;</li>
</ol>

<h2>Let&rsquo;s dive into each...</h2>

<h1><b>1. We&#39;ve simplified the top navigation</b></h1>

<p>We&#39;ve made three changes to the top navigation.&nbsp;</p>

<p>First, our navigation bar has been simplified. The Materials tab, Classes tab, and Saved tab have been <strong>combined into one universal menu</strong> we call the &quot;<strong>Everything</strong><em>&quot;</em>&nbsp;menu. So now, to get to any of our three main areas of the site, you simply need to click one button. Click &quot;Everything<em>&quot;</em>!</p>

<p>Second, our search tool has been brought to the middle of the navigation bar, making it more accessible and easier&nbsp;to spot.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>And third, our administrator&nbsp;tools&nbsp;for managing your&nbsp;team and viewing usage reports have been conveniently moved to the Accounts menu on the right side of the navigation bar.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Dsy605WReDk?si=Qc240yMiBBnoyUee" width="640"></iframe></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<h1><b>2. The Lesson Page Index now includes genre filters, pins, and a plain-text list view</b></h1>

<p>Our redesigned navigation in our Lesson Page Index includes a new <strong>genre tag filter</strong> at the top of the page, so you no longer have to scroll forever to get to a particular section you&rsquo;re interested in. Just click a genre tag to filter to your favorite lesson sections.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
We&rsquo;ve also moved our&nbsp;<strong>Resources</strong>&nbsp;into the Lesson Page. What used to live on its own page is now available as one of the filter genres at the top. Inside, you&rsquo;ll find all the same great resources such as Assessment &amp; Reflections, Certificates, Grammar Charts, and more, now easier to access in one place.</p>

<p>We&rsquo;ve also added a&nbsp;feature that lets you pin the lesson sections you use the most and access them all on one dedicated <strong>personalized Pinned page</strong>.</p>

<p>Lastly, we built a <strong>plain-text index view</strong> to quickly see and scan all lesson section titles in a single, simple snapshot page.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/O2G8z_Pl-Aw?si=jIlKgjUdx7IfFZfO" width="640"></iframe></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<h1><b>3. Each lesson section&nbsp;now includes&nbsp;category tags, and all lessons have an instant &quot;Add to class&quot;&nbsp;button</b></h1>

<p>Most lesson sections on Ellii include categories to appropriately divide the many lessons by theme or&nbsp;target structure. In the past, you would sometimes find yourself endlessly scrolling&nbsp;to get to a category lower down the page. Now, we&rsquo;ve converted our <strong>categories into</strong> <strong>filter tags</strong>&nbsp;at the top of each lesson section, so that you can instantly jump to the category you&rsquo;re most interested in with just one click.&nbsp;</p>

<p>We&rsquo;ve also <strong>added a + button</strong><strong> </strong>next to every lesson title on the index page so that you can add that lesson to a class without having to click into it first. Super convenient!&nbsp;</p>

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/avb6x-eFX1E?si=VkSsAjkoVV0F77cO" width="640"></iframe></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<h1><b>4. Likes have been retired. Your old likes have a new home.</b></h1>

<p>We have retired the &quot;Like&quot;&nbsp;button on Ellii. If you were using the &quot;Like&quot; button before, all of the materials you saved have been moved into a new folder&nbsp;in your Folders area. The name of the folder is aptly called &quot;<strong>My Likes</strong>,&quot;&nbsp;but you can change the name to anything you prefer. From now on, you can put your favorite lessons into that folder.</p>

<p><strong>Why did we retire the &quot;Like&quot;&nbsp;button? </strong>1) Because it was not being used&nbsp;often. More people were putting content into their folders than utilizing the &quot;Like&quot;&nbsp;button. And 2) we think that it should possibly be reintroduced down the road to specifically indicate if you liked a lesson you taught, rather than be used as a favorites/saving&nbsp;feature. We think folders are better suited&nbsp;for saving your favorite items.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IQ1H9eIefRA?si=8_wjLvrOrSaEyUX_" width="640"></iframe></div>

<h1>&nbsp;</h1>

<h1><b>Where are the English Storylines?&nbsp;</b></h1>

<p>Our English Storylines courses (Everyday Idioms, and Detective Series) have been moved to our Courses section. <a href="https://ellii.com/packs/?category=2&amp;material=courses&amp;page=1">You can find them here.</a></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<h1><b>Supporting Teachers Through Change</b></h1>

<p>We understand that change can sometimes feel overwhelming&mdash;especially if you&rsquo;ve been using Ellii for a long time and are comfortable with the way things were. These updates are designed to make Ellii easier to navigate, cleaner in design, and more intuitive for all teachers, no matter how you use the platform. Our goal is to give you back valuable time so you can focus on teaching and connecting with your students. We&rsquo;re confident that once you&rsquo;ve had a chance to explore the new design, you&rsquo;ll find it not just different, but a big step forward.</p>


A New Way to Navigate Ellii

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<h1>The ultimate all-in-one platform for ELT teacherpreneurs</h1>

<p>Years ago, I was teaching English at a university an hour&rsquo;s drive from my home. Luckily, I had three English-teacher friends all commuting to the same city. Our daily carpool conversations usually revolved around classroom dilemmas and teaching methodology. Very often, while brainstorming our lesson plans, one of us would say, &ldquo;Ellii has the perfect lesson for that!&rdquo; or &ldquo;Today is an Ellii day!&rdquo; (Of course, back then, it was ESL&nbsp;Library, but you get the idea.)&nbsp;Ellii was the most popular resource in school.</p>

<p>When I left classroom teaching and became an independent &ldquo;teacherpreneur,&rdquo; turning to Ellii was a no-brainer.&nbsp;<strong>Here&rsquo;s why Ellii has everything I need to run my teaching business</strong>.</p>

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/1107880312" width="640"></iframe></div>

<h2>Engaging, ready-made lessons for every student</h2>

<p>Like many independent teachers, my students range widely in age and level on any given day. I always count on Ellii to meet each student&rsquo;s needs and interests.</p>

<p>When a shy middle school student came to her first 1:1 lesson terrified to speak English, Ellii&rsquo;s <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/true-grammar-stories">True Grammar Stories</a> got her excited to discuss trailblazers like Ruby Bridges and fascinating places like Chile&rsquo;s Marble Caves.</p>

<p>When a socioeconomics student felt &ldquo;stuck&rdquo; expressing her opinions, Ellii&rsquo;s <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/discussion-starters">Discussion Starters</a> lesson on <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/2775-universal-basic-income">Universal Basic Income</a> gave her the language to communicate more deeply on a real-world topic that truly mattered to her.</p>

<p>When the cashier at a convenience store in Cyprus asked me to explain the present perfect tense, I pulled up Ellii&rsquo;s <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/1597-present-perfect">Present Perfect</a> Grammar Practice Worksheet&nbsp;on my phone for an impromptu grammar lesson. He responded, &ldquo;You just clarified in five minutes something that has confused me my whole life!&rdquo;</p>

<p>Ellii offers a massive library of&nbsp;<strong>high-quality, ready-made lessons</strong>, interactive games, engaging videos, and more&mdash;with new materials added daily. Ellii&rsquo;s content isn&rsquo;t just interesting and current; it&rsquo;s designed by real teachers to foster meaningful language encounters and genuine human connection.</p>

<p><img alt="Search results for &quot;travel&quot; showing 210 results in Lessons &amp; Resources" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4832/content_Lesson-Search.png" /></p>

<h2>Super simple class management</h2>

<h3>Student accounts</h3>

<p>As a private teacher, I need a simple system to keep track of everyone and give each student a personalized learning experience. Ellii&rsquo;s <strong>built-in LMS</strong> (Learning Management System) is perfect for this.&nbsp;Ellii offers an <a href="https://ellii.com/pricing"><strong>affordable Individual plan</strong></a> that comes with 35 student licenses.&nbsp;Students can be placed into an unlimited number of classes. I can create a class for one specific student or add multiple students to the same class.</p>

<h3>Drag-and-drop lesson prep</h3>

<p>With Ellii&rsquo;s kanban-style&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/blog/try-class-prepping-with-elliis-lesson-planner"><strong>Lesson Planner</strong></a>, class prep is a breeze. I just drag and drop content into the Prepping, Teaching, or Taught lanes to get ready for upcoming classes, assign tasks to my students, and keep track of what&rsquo;s been done. I have full control over the timing and pace of each student&rsquo;s learning journey. My business students appreciate a structured, intentional flow of exercises. My grammar fanatics love having a curated collection of tasks to tackle. And my conversation students enjoy seeing connected topics and feeling a sense of progress in their language development.</p>

<p><img alt="Ellii's drag-and-drop Lesson Planner showing lessons in the Prepping, Teaching, and Taught lanes" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4833/content_Lesson-Planner.png" /></p>

<h3>Flexible organization</h3>

<p>Whenever I&rsquo;m browsing Ellii&rsquo;s content library, something always catches my eye. I can quickly &ldquo;<strong>like</strong>&rdquo; lessons or save content to customizable&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/folders"><strong>Folders</strong></a>. I can also create <a href="https://ellii.com/flashcard_sets"><strong>Flashcard Sets</strong></a> to share with my students. Whether I&rsquo;m planning days ahead or pulling things together last minute, Ellii keeps me organized.</p>

<h3>Streamlined grading &amp; feedback</h3>

<p>Ellii&rsquo;s&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/blog/introducing-grade-feed"><strong>Grade Feed</strong></a>&nbsp;also makes it easy to monitor and support my students&rsquo; progress. I can leave meaningful feedback with stars, written comments, and&mdash;my personal favorite&mdash;audio responses. When I&rsquo;m pressed for time or just need a little inspiration, the suggested responses (created by an Ellii writer) and&nbsp;<strong>Ellii Bot</strong> (built-in AI assistant)&nbsp;are lifesavers.</p>

<p><img alt="Ellii's Grade Feed showing a student's answer and Ellii Bot's suggested response" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4834/content_Grade-Feed.png" /></p>

<h3>Built-in support &amp; professional development</h3>

<p>Teachers spend hours a day connecting with students, but running an independent teaching business can still feel isolating. Over the years, I&rsquo;ve leaned on Ellii for support and guidance.</p>

<p>Ellii is built by teachers, for teachers. Beyond great lesson content, Ellii supports teachers with a weekly&nbsp;newsletter, a huge library of&nbsp;teacher resources, and tons of&nbsp;tutorials, demo videos, and practical&nbsp;teaching tips. When I&rsquo;m looking for a curated sequence of lessons, I turn to Ellii&rsquo;s ready-made&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/packs/?page=1"><strong>Courses</strong>&nbsp;<strong>&amp;</strong>&nbsp;<strong>Study Packs</strong></a>. When I&rsquo;m not sure what to teach next, I check the <a href="https://ellii.com/discover"><strong>Discover page</strong></a> and <a href="https://ellii.com/calendar"><strong>Lesson Calendar</strong></a> for fresh content and timely topics. If I&rsquo;m ever stuck on how to break down a tricky language point, I head to the&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/blog"><strong>blog</strong></a>&mdash;it&rsquo;s full of expert insights and inspiring stories from the Ellii team and guest writers from the English teaching community.</p>

<h2>Teacher webinars</h2>

<p>And coming soon, Ellii is launching a brand-new<strong>&nbsp;webinar series for independent teachers</strong>!&nbsp;Join our free, practical sessions led by experienced educators who understand the unique challenges of private teaching. Register now for one of our&nbsp;upcoming webinars on <a href="https://www.crowdcast.io/c/teachwithellii-aug28" target="_blank"><strong>August 28 at 2:00 pm ET</strong></a> or <a href="https://www.crowdcast.io/c/teachwithellii-aug29" target="_blank"><strong>August 29 at 11:00 am ET</strong></a>.</p>

<p>Discover how Ellii can be your full teaching tool kit&mdash;everything you need to help your business thrive!</p>


Run Your Independent Teaching Business with Ellii

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<p>We&#39;ve just built and deployed another really cool new game called <strong><a href="https://app.ellii.com/gather/dilemmas" target="_blank">Ellii Dilemmas</a></strong>. Have you tried it yet?</p>

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Kte1oAeUYwE?si=3n6VhVgtPCKqRpKm" width="640"></iframe></div>

<p>Just like Ellii Polls, <strong><a href="https://app.ellii.com/gather/dilemmas" target="_blank">Ellii Dilemmas</a></strong> are super simple, highly engaging, and delightfully fun. 😎&nbsp;</p>

<p>With Ellii Dilemmas, your students face impossible choices&mdash;two difficult options with no clear&nbsp;right answer&mdash;and must <strong>choose</strong>,&nbsp;<strong>justify</strong>, and&nbsp;<strong>defend</strong> their pick.</p>

<p>So how does it work?</p>

<blockquote>
<ol>
	<li>Start by presenting an <a href="https://app.ellii.com/gather/dilemmas" target="_blank">Ellii Dilemma</a> on your screen in front of your class. Have your students join the session by scanning a <strong>QR code</strong>.</li>
	<li>Have students&nbsp;<strong>read</strong> the dilemma on their own devices and&nbsp;<strong>vote</strong> for the choice they would make in that particular situation.</li>
	<li>Assign your students to small groups to discuss their choices&nbsp;using the built-in technology. If you&#39;re teaching online, you can put your students in breakout rooms.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Gather again as a full group and encourage students to use&nbsp;the &quot;Speak up&quot; function to explain their reasoning and back up their choices.</li>
	<li>Finally, after students have had a chance to speak up, get everyone to vote&nbsp;again to see if anyone&#39;s opinion has been swayed. Compare the results.</li>
</ol>
</blockquote>

<p>You can use Ellii Dilemmas as a <strong>warm-up</strong>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<strong>cooldown</strong> activity to start or end any class.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Check out the video above to see how it works. Then try it out with your students this week and let us know what you think! We will be adding more dilemmas soon.</p>

<div class="whiteBox"><span class="label hangingLabel">New</span>

<p class="circleThumb"><a href="https://app.ellii.com/gather/dilemmas" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4771/content_Ellii-Dilemmas-thumb.png" /></a></p>

<h2><a href="https://app.ellii.com/gather/dilemmas" target="_blank">Try Dilemmas Now!</a></h2>

<p>Ellii Dilemmas is a free feature. So please tell all your teacher friends who don&#39;t have an Ellii account that they can use it without buying a subscription!</p>
</div>


Announcing Ellii Dilemmas!

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Find quick links to each episode of the Teacher Think-Aloud podcast, hosted by Shélynn Riel and Anna Ciriani-Dean and sponsored by Ellii.  

Teacher Think-Aloud Podcast

<h2>Happy New Year!</h2>

<p>This year, Ellii will be sponsoring&nbsp;<a href="https://www.teacherthinkaloud.com/" target="_blank">The Teacher Think-Aloud Podcast</a>! As&nbsp;founding fans of this #ELT podcast&nbsp;and&nbsp;firm believers in the power of reflection, we are confident this will be a great fit for Ellii.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In addition to enjoying&nbsp;many&nbsp;episodes and meeting up with this friendly podcast duo in person at the TESOL convention in 2024,&nbsp;Ben and I made an appearance on The Teacher Think-Aloud Podcast last year for <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/ellii-talks-materials-writing-teacher-think-aloud-podcast" target="_blank">Episode 60</a>. We loved talking about materials writing and sharing Ellii&#39;s (formerly ESL Library&#39;s) origin story with Shey and Anna.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
If you are unfamiliar with this podcast and are looking to start the year with some fresh and friendly professional development, we encourage you to browse past episodes of The Teacher Think-Aloud Podcast. If you like what you hear, be&nbsp;sure to subscribe so you don&#39;t miss all of the new shows.</p>

<p>In their<a href="https://www.teacherthinkaloud.com/episodes/episode/26cb7c6b/e63-2024-end-of-year-reflection" target="_blank"> 2024 End-of-Year Reflection</a> episode, Shey and Anna discussed&nbsp;some of the themes they are considering for&nbsp;2025:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>Ready-to-use teaching tips</li>
	<li>Career advice</li>
	<li>Broader TESOL trends</li>
	<li>Emerging ELT topics</li>
	<li>The intersection of personal and professional lives (finding balance in&nbsp;both worlds)</li>
</ul>

<p>Find The Teacher Think-Aloud podcast in all of your favorite places:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.teacherthinkaloud.com/" target="_blank">www.teacherthinkaloud.com</a></p>

<ul>
	<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><a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/tBD4sc4TzB0" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/4207/content_Ellii-Think-aloud-podcast-2025.png" /></a><br />
Happy listening!</p>


New Year, New Reflections & a Partnership with The Teacher Think-Aloud Podcast

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<blockquote>
<p><em>"We look for teachers first. Why? Because those skills do transfer quite nicely when you're developing content. [...] We're first and foremost a content platform for English teachers. [...] Planning, preparing, actually speaking in front of people really helps you write better lessons."</em></p>

<p><br>
— Ben Buckwold, founder of Ellii</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Reflection and podcasts... These are two of my favorite things! Combine these with two of ELT's brightest hosts and you get <a href="https://www.teacherthinkaloud.com/" target="_blank">The Teacher Think-Aloud Podcast</a>, a show I think you're going to love.</p>

<p>I was an early fan of this ELT podcast and have enjoyed many episodes over the past few years. As a superfan, I invited Anna and Shey to join us at ElliiCon in 2023. We also met them in person at this year's TESOL conference in Tampa. Ben (founder of Ellii) and I were thrilled when they asked us to be guests on their show this season and have eagerly awaited <strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1AN6jiVh8g&amp;t=2s" target="_blank">Episode 60</a>: From Teaching to Materials Writing: A Chat with Ellii (with Ben Buckwold &amp; Tara Benwell).</strong></p>

<p>One particular area of interest Anna and Shey have been exploring recently is how ELT careers can <a href="https://x.com/thinkaloud_pod/status/1836788677185339587" target="_blank">go beyond the traditional classroom</a>. They asked us to 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's no surprise Ben and I got a little nostalgic at times. We hope you love Ellii's origin story!</p>

<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/q1AN6jiVh8g?si=P1D1eYG1_k5-x7Cz" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div></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 "Passive" 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've Changed Our Name to Ellii</a></li>
</ul>

<p>And here is Anna and Shey's reflection question for you to ponder. Please share your thoughts in the comments below or with our hosts on their own <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 podcast 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 ELT guests and topics! Be sure to follow Anna and Shey on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/teacher-think-aloud/" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>, <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> and find your own way to support their work.</p>

<p>Happy listening!</p>

<p> </p>


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

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