IATEFL 2026: International Conference and Exhibition for English language teaching professionals @ Brighton, UK

A couple of weeks ago, the E L Gazette was looking forward to the big conference in the elt/tefl industry: From colonial legacies to classroom futures: IATEFL 2026 sets the agenda

And over the following two weeks, the publication has been reporting from the conference - for example: Language education for peace in our divided world and From the institutional to the interpersonal: IATEFL 2026

For more, here's the official website: IATEFL International Conference 2026

And there are several videos from the sessions available to view online: IATEFL 2026 - Google Search

Enjoy!

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questions around the remote language testing of immigrants

Earlier in the year, the UK government introduced a new system to test the English of people applying for visas to enter the country - and at the time, a Minister claimed the Home Office’s remote language-testing plans offered ‘significant benefits’:

Mike Tapp says new system for assessing visa applicants’ language skills could deliver ‘strengthened identity management and security and much greater visibility and control over the service for the department’ The Home Office has insisted that its proposals to introduce remote language assessments for visa applicants seeking the right to live and work in the UK have the potential to offer “significant benefits” to the department.

Currently, the Home Office’s UK Visas and Immigration section allows a range of providers to offer Secure English Language Tests in the UK and international locations. But under a procurement exercise that closed to bidders earlier this week, the department is seeking a supplier for “fully remote” English-language testing

But the language-testing industry is not happy about this, with providers waring the government that "Online English tests for migrants risk criminal abuse":

At the moment, migrants who want to study or work in the UK need to show they can speak English to internationally recognised standards by taking tests at one of more than 1,300 test centres around the world. But in November last year, the Home Office launched a tender, external for "fully remote" English tests to run for five years from December 2026 at the earliest.

It said the new system would see "customers" - meaning migrants applying for visas - choose where to take their test, providing secure conditions were met. From January, those tests were made tougher, with migrants told they needed to demonstrate the equivalent of A-level English to be considered for a skilled work visa and other categories.

Two-thirds of the current, in-person English tests are overseen by a consortium called International English Language Testing System (IELTS). It is comprised of the British Council, the UK's national cultural and educational organisation; Cambridge University Press and Assessments; and IDP, a large Australian education company.

The letter said applicants could cheat in a variety of ways, including using impersonators, working with an accomplice via screen–sharing or earpieces, or getting help from AI chatbots. The letter added that the current system would not allow test providers to act without "sufficient security and consistency". "This is particularly important, given the politically charged nature of the debate around migration and the need for more, not less, control and certainty over who is allowed to come to the UK."

Last August, the Australian government banned remote or at-home tests to assess the language competency of migrants.

In the latest issue of the E L Gazette, Mark Rendell, CEO of International House Trust, says that IELTS was right to walk away – the Home Office is making a huge mistake:

The Home Office’s decision to continue its pursuit towards the introduction of a single Home Office English Language Test (HOELT) to be delivered remotely and unsupervised for high stakes immigration purposes is surprising and deeply unsettling.

Fraudsters and bad actors will already be hatching ways to defraud the country. Options for deception are varied including impersonation, screen sharing, hidden devices, earpieces, chatbots, AI assistance, camera blind spots, HDMI splitters, browser extensions and ‘disrupted’ internet connections to circumvent security defences. Would-be migrants will be allowed to sit these life-changing tests in unsupervised locations of their choosing, rather than under direct invigilation having passed robust digital and human security checks...

The largest current Secure English Language Test is IELTS, and it has just been announced that IELTS is withdrawing from the tender to deliver the HOELT test because its creators do not believe that such a test of national significance can be delivered in a secure and fair way using a fully remote format.

There have been several cases recently where high stakes remote tests have been withdrawn from the market following concerns about widespread cheating including ACCA, the accountancy exam, and LSAT, the equivalent exam for the legal profession. Australian immigration authorities also recently announced that they had considered and rejected the adoption of remote language assessment...

Testing systems only have value if they are trusted and deliver accurate and fair results. It would be a great shame if the UK’s hard-earned reputation for world class standards was tarnished by the crash in public confidence and unwelcome press headlines that are likely to follow the introduction of fully remote assessment for high stakes purposes.

And indeed, there has already been a lot of negative press reaction, including: Migrants can cheat Labour’s online language tests (Telegraph); English lessons shouldn’t be an immigration test – why the UK’s new policy risks deepening exclusion - University of South Wales; Fury as migrants will no longer have to take English test in person in £816m deal | UK | News | Express.co.uk

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the hidden curriculum of the esl/esol/tefl classroom

WHAT IS 'THE HIDDEN CURRICULUM'?

The hidden curriculum is at the heart of the classroom:

A hidden curriculum is a set of lessons "which are learned but not openly intended"[1] to be taught in school such as the norms, values, and beliefs conveyed in both the classroom and social environment.[2] In many cases, it occurs as a result of social interactions and expectations. The term hidden curriculum is sometimes seen as synonymous with, or a subset of, the implicit curriculum.[3]

And there's quite a lot of philosophy, politics and sociology behind this - as in this piece in the simplysociology website on the Hidden Curriculum:

The hidden curriculum, first described by Philip Jackson (1968), is a set of unspoken or implicit rules and values that students learn while attending school. It is often contrasted with the more formalized, official curriculum that is spelled out in a school’s mission statement or lesson plans. 

To return to the Wikipedia entry:

The hidden curriculum has been further explored by a number of educators. Starting with Pedagogy of the Oppressed, published in 1972, through the late 1990s, Brazilian educator Paulo Freire explored various effects of presumptive teaching on students, schools, and society as a whole. Freire's explorations were in sync with those of John Holt and Ivan Illich, each of whom were quickly identified as radical educators. Other theorists who have identified the nature of hidden curricula and hidden agendas include Neil Postman, Paul Goodman, Joel Spring, John Taylor Gatto, and others.

Additionally, developmental psychologist Robert Kegan addressed the hidden curriculum of everyday life in his 1994 book In Over Our Heads, which focused on the relation between cognitive development and the "cognitive demands" of cultural expectations.

Most of these educators have been featured on this blog, including: 

Paulo Freire and the tabula rasa

John Holt and how teaching interferes with learning and the most schooled generation in history is miserable

Ivan Illich on education and health and deschooling society and homeschooling and deschooling and Jay Ivan Illich: schooling, technology, and culture

teaching as a subversive activity

John Taylor Gatto: teacher, mentor, revolutionary and human resources as social engineering and is the purpose of education 'social uplift' - or 'social control'? and the Prussian school system and the factory model of education

Meanwhile, here's the rather different Wikipedia entry from 2014, as recorded on these pages: Jay Doubleyou: the hidden curriculum

WHAT IS 'THE HIDDEN CURRICULUM' IN THE ESL/ESOL/TEFL CLASSROOM?

And what about the invisible curriculum of international schools?

Writing for the E L Gazette, Ines Katsouri looks at what globally mobile students learn beyond the classroom. Here's the opening of an excellent piece where she looks at the hidden or invisible curriculum from the perspective of the teacher and student working in the ESL/ESOL/TEFL world:

International schools are often celebrated for the richness of their academic programmes and global outlook. Curricula designed to develop internationally minded learners prepare students to navigate an increasingly interconnected world. Yet alongside these visible structures, students are also learning something far less explicit.

Simply by participating in internationally mobile school communities, they encounter what might be described as an invisible curriculum — a set of social and psychological lessons that shape how they experience belonging, adaptation, expectation, and learning itself.

The idea of a hidden or invisible curriculum has long been discussed in educational research. Educational researcher Philip W. Jackson first described how students learn important social norms and expectations through everyday school life beyond official syllabi. Schools, after all, do not only transmit knowledge; they also shape behaviour, identity, and social understanding.

In international school environments, however, this invisible curriculum takes on distinctive forms. The realities of globally mobile communities mean that students often navigate experiences that are less common in more stable national schooling systems...

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the lexical approach with the lexical lab

This blog is very keen on the lexical approach - which involves seeing language working in terms of chunking and which can really help us understand how to learn a language.

The excellent lexical lab has lots of online resources on offer - but the founders Hugh Dellar and Andrew Walkley also put on courses at their HQ: English Teacher Training in London - Upgrade Your Teaching Skills.

With more from their latest newsletter We made it through the longest month:

One of the things that has helped me get through this dreary days is looking forwards to brighter things to come – and I'm clearly not alone as we've already had our first few bookings for the TEACHING LEXICALLY course we'll be running in north London this summer. Over two weeks in July, we look at the theoretical view of language that underpins the lexical approach and then unpack the implications of this view for classroom practice.

And there's more in their newsletter, which looks further at the lexical approach and, following from that, the communicative approach:

Finally, here's an excellent overview of some of the most recent large-scale studies into the degree to which AI is helping or hindering education. A word of warning: it makes grim reading for the hardcore tech evangelists out there.

And here's a great video on the way Gen-Z online slang owes a huge debt to the linguistic creativity of Black America.

Oh, and here's a piece on the degree to which what are often thought of as 'Americanisms' have permeated everyday English here in the UK.

Finally, if you get a chance to watch this wonderful BBC drama, do so. It's based around a guy with chronic OCD who's opted to teach Philosophy in a prison. It's warm, human, hard-hitting, very funny and highly original.

Also, in light of the recent appalling events in Iran, this documentary about female singers inside the Islamic Republic seems particularly pertinent.

To finish, don't forget their great Blog.

Enjoy - as both teachers and learners of English!

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the return of the erasmus student scheme - and the esl/esol/tefl industry

Before Brexit, the UK benefitted from the Erasmus programme which enabled higher education students to study or work abroad as part of their degree, as well as staff to teach or train in over 30 European countries - which included places outside the EU.

The UK left the EU in 2016 and seemed to think the Erasmus project wasn't that important: U.K. Mourns the End of Erasmus Program in Wake of Brexit - The New York Times 

Here's a view from 2021:

The UK government’s decision not to participate in the Erasmus scheme is short-sighted and will undoubtedly have negative economic, political, cultural and linguistic consequences for a country trying to reposition itself globally. On the plus side, it is great news for the students of Northern Ireland that the Irish government in Dublin has committed to subsidise the Erasmus Year for Northern Irish students at an expense of more than 2 Million Euros. You cannot put a price on what this offers in terms of ‘soft power’ influence. The Conservative government in Westminster could learn a lot from their Irish neighbours.

Why Jettison Erasmus? The negative consequences for the UK of walking away

Before Christmas, it was announced that the UK will rejoin Erasmus student scheme in 2027 and in the latest EL Gazette, we get the view from the world of esl/esol/tefl:

The Erasmus scheme, known officially as Erasmus+, will be reopened to those involved in education, training, culture and sport from 2027...

“It’s incredible news – we are delighted that this opportunity is returning for our members as well as millions of people in the UK and the EU,” said Annie Wright, joint acting chief executive of English UK...

David Hughes, the chief executive of the Association of Colleges, said the announcement was “brilliant news” for staff and students of all ages in further education colleges...

Alex Stanley, vice president for higher education of the National Union of Students said: “In the time we have not been in Erasmus, the number of UK students studying in the EU, and vice versa, has plummeted. This announcement will expand opportunity through universities and vocational courses, strengthen ties with our European neighbours, and allow a generation of students the chance to study abroad at a much more affordable rate.”

Return of Erasmus a boost for UK ELT - E L Gazette

And English UK certainly thinks that "The return of Erasmus+ will boost UK ELT".

Finally, here's the official government page: The Erasmus+ programme - GOV.UK

Sounds good! UK to re-join Erasmus+ – here are six benefits of the European exchange scheme

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english teachers abroad: stories and histories

Here's a great book just out which shows the life of the TEFL teacher over the decades - as reviewed by the EL Gazette:

As this is a history of TEFLers and not a history of TEFL, it is certainly a first, and anyone who has ever taught English overseas will love it. Written in two parts, the first part of The Experience of Expatriate English Language Teaching outlines the everyday experiences of expat TEFLers as depicted in fiction, memoirs, biographies and autobiographies. The second covers the history of the ELT profession as reported by language tutors dating from Shakespearian times to the present. Being at various times erudite, sardonic and often self-deprecating, author David Wilson has provided a veritable feast to sit back and enjoy over the winter.

“A veritable feast”: The Experience of Expatriate English Language Teaching - E L Gazette

Here's the preface, available as a free download: the-experience-of-expatriate-english-language-teaching-sample.pdf

With more from the publisher: The Experience of Expatriate English Language Teaching - Cambridge Scholars Publishing

And from Amazon: The Experience of Expatriate English Language Teaching: Amazon.co.uk: Wilson, David B.: 9781036446031: Books

There are other accounts - but personal stories rather than a 'history':

Day in the Life of a TEFL Teacher | TEFL BARCELONA

My Life-Changing TEFL And Digital Nomad Experience | TTA

My TEFL Experience in Spain: A Great Experience Teaching English

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lexical lab online and online resources

The Lexical Lab platform is innovative, stimulating and full of useful up-to-date English:

Jay Doubleyou: Lexical Lab: learn languages with an online teacher through everyday english and common words, chunks, idioms, phrasal verbs, phrases and expressions used in spoken language

Their social media is also informative - from the founders Hugh Dellar and Andrew Walkley

They also offer an excellent Blog

You can sign up to their very entertaining Newsletter, which this month looks at 'No-vember'

November has flown by, to be honest, and I've been busy teaching online. With Lexical Lab, we've now only got one more week of our twelve-week term to go before we knock off, but we will be back early in 2025 with more, so do keep an eye on our website and make sure you follow us on Instagram too...

I’ve been writing the last webinar of the year which is on Saturday 6th December. We'll be discussing the nature of difficulty and challenge in the classroom – and why easier doesn't always mean better. You can sign up here.

PS: Here's my vote for the greatest Xmas song of all-time! Enjoy.

To finish on a more serious note, Two weeks ago, Ternopil was the site of a massive Russian terror attack. Earlier today they did an Instagram Live with Tetyana Ivanenko, a teacher based in the city talking about the situation there now, her roots in eastern Ukraine, how the war is affecting her teaching and her students, and much more besides:

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LIVES WITH UKRAINIAN TEACHERS: Tetyana Ivanenko - YouTube

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Lexical Lab: learn languages with an online teacher through everyday english and common words, chunks, idioms, phrasal verbs, phrases and expressions used in spoken language

Experienced teachers Hugh Dellar and Andrew Walkley have put together an online learning and teacher-training platform: Language Learning and Teacher Development | Lexical Lab

As this intro video says, it "looks at everyday English and common words, chunks, idioms, phrasal verbs, phrases and expressions used in spoken English".

Yes, it's using the lexical approach to learning a language!

There are very positive opinions about the site and service: Lexicallab Reviews | Read Customer Service Reviews of lexicallab.com.

They've got a blog.

And they've got a mailing list.

Looking at more about Lexical Lab, we learn that:

We have written one five-level General English coursebook series: Innovations, which was nominated for ESU award and two ELTons, and one six-level series, Outcomes, which is now in its third edition and has received widespread acclaim.

As trainers and methodologists, we have been strongly influenced by lexical views of language and by practice derived from lexical approaches to language. This led us to write a methodology book, Teaching Lexically, part of Delta Publishing’s multi-award-winning teacher development series.

To finish, here's the Hugh Dellar Interview - Teaching Lexically, Lexical Approach LEGEND! - YouTube

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how government policies on migration impact language schools in the uk

It seems rather too easy for governments to bring down 'migration' numbers by bringing down the number of foreign students - and this is having an effect.

In May of this year, the future of English language schools were in limbo after Starmer's visa crackdown:

English language schools fear they will go bust following the Government’s visa crackdown. Monday’s immigration white paper called for a review of short-term student visas, a route allowing those 16 and over to study an English language course in the UK for a duration longer than six months but no more than 11 months, over discrepancies in rejection rates. The review has left uncertainty for the ELS sector over fears it could be scrapped or severely restricted.

At the time, the UK government put together a press release, that its immigration white paper is to reduce migration and strengthen border - and at the same time it put together its evidence for the policy in its Student route evaluation (wave 2):

In May 2024, the Government introduced several policy changes designed to limit the number of student arrivals in the UK. The Home Office is keen to build an evidence base on the Student route to inform future policy and underpin assessments of economic impact.

This was the response from the ELT/ESOL sector: Breaking: UK Graduate Route reduced to 18 months under immigration white paper and Why ESOL Funding Must Address UK's Language Learning Crisis

With more from the wider press: Skilled visa rules, deportations and higher fees: what’s in the immigration white paper | Immigration and asylum | The Guardian

The latest news this week in the E L Gazette looks at how UK political shifts are impacting the English Language sector:

At the Labour Party conference, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced a plan to consult on new, tougher conditions for migrants seeking permanent residency, including learning English to a high standard. This proposal is expected to sharply increase demand for ESOL courses and accredited language testing, as failure to meet these standards may mean migrants are not automatically entitled to remain in the UK...

Speaking to The Times last week, Chancellor Rachel Reeves also advocated for an “ambitious” youth migration deal with the European Union (EU) to boost the economy. The scheme could allow EU nationals aged 18 to 30 to stay for two or three years, a move seen as a major opportunity for the ELT sector.

So, is this 'good news' for the ELT/ESOL sector?

Here's more analysis from the wider media: Migrants told to learn English, avoid crime, and volunteer to stay in Britain, Home Secretary to say | LBC

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embracing digital creativity in the esl/esol/tefl classroom

We can worry about replacing teachers with AI - or we can 'embrace' the technology:

How teachers say they're embracing AI in the classroom - ABC News

AI in the Adult Classroom: how to embrace personalised learning without losing control

The latest E L Gazette looks at how we might do this:

Firstly, then: What’s the real issue? AI or the task itself?:

In this exclusive interview, Fabio Cerpelloni sits down with Sophia Mavridi, a digital learning consultant, teacher educator, and senior lecturer specialising in educational technology, to discuss the role of AI in language education. Drawing on her research and classroom experience, Sophia highlights the importance of critical engagement with AI tools, the need to educate teachers – not just students – about technology, and the challenges and opportunities that come with integrating AI meaningfully into teaching and learning.

And then: Using digital tools to spark conversation in the EFL world:

Creativity fuelled by digital technology is transforming how EFL students learn, adapt, and connect with new languages and cultures. Henry Huang, an EFL teacher and digital humanities researcher, explains why.

Creativity in the classroom goes beyond artistic expression. It also plays a vital role in helping students develop problem-solving skills, critical thinking, and adaptability which is especially important for learners navigating new languages and cultural settings. Task-based learning (TBL) and project-based learning (PBL), which emphasise real-world tasks and collaborative learning, naturally support creative thinking. While these approaches may be well-established in some education systems, others are still working to meaningfully integrate them within the constraints of traditional structures and exam-oriented priorities.

In countries where high-stakes exams strongly influence teaching, education often focuses more on test preparation than on creativity or communication. Since speaking skills are not always prioritised in national exams, traditional methods like rote memorisation and grammar translation tend to persist. Though creativity is widely acknowledged as the pinnacle of the learning process (as seen in Bloom’s Taxonomy), integrating it meaningfully into English education remains a work in progress in many classrooms.

In education systems where digital tools are increasingly present, technology plays a growing role in shaping the EFL learning experience. It opens up new ways to engage learners in multimodal, interactive tasks that foster both language development and creativity. Whether it’s students designing visual projects, collaborating on video assignments, or reinforcing vocabulary with gamified apps, technology can support a richer learning experience than traditional methods often allow.

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musical rhythm and learning a language

What's the relationship between music and language?

Jay Doubleyou: it ain't what you say, it's the way that you say it: intonation and functional language

In a piec on tuning the brain to language in he latest E L Gazette, Gill Ragsdale looks at how "research reveals that musical rhythms matching a language’s natural beat can significantly enhance how the brain processes speech, strengthening the case for rhythm-based teaching":

Musical rhythm may boost the processing of speech in the brain—but only when the rhythm matches the language, according to new research from the Basque Center on Cognition, San Sebastian, Spain, by Laura Fernández-Merino and colleagues.

The positive impact of musical training on language learning and proficiency is well-documented but the neural processes underpinning this effect remain mysterious. Both language and music are human universals found in every culture around the world and this study focussed on something shared by both: rhythm.

Here's the original research: Human Brain Mapping | Neuroimaging Journal | Wiley Online Library

These ideas have been around for a long time, whether in the mainstream media: Feel the beat: how rhythm shapes the way we use and understand language | Languages | The Guardian

Or in the industry: How Musical Rhythm Can Aid with Learning | The Science of Sound for Kid's - Holiday and Term-Time

Here's a view from a psychologist: The Relationship between Music and Language

And to finish, here are a cuople of TED Talks: 

Music as a Language: Victor Wooten at TEDxGabriolaIsland - YouTube

Interplay Of Music, Language, And Emotion In The Brain | Julia Howe | TEDxLickWilmerdingHS - YouTube

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language distance

In many ways, we can see why English is so different from other languages. It's a mixture of other languages and its grammar has been greatly simplified

It can be very interesting to compare English with, say, Chinese. Do you see any similarities with your langauge? Language differences: English - Chinese

From an English-speakers perspective, there are 'difficult' languages. How do these compare with yours Most Difficult Language To Learn

... And there are the 'easy' languages: Easiest Foreign Languages To Learn - Business Insider

This is what we can 'language distance' - and there is a useful guide from Gill Ragsdale on how language distance shapes fluency in the E L Gazette:

The ‘language distance’ between English and a language learner’s first language affects reading fluency, but not comprehension according to a study by Victor Kuperman at McMaster University, Canada. Gill Ragsdale reports.

Clearly it is easier for someone to learn a language that is more like their native language than one that is more distant: learning English is generally easier for Italian than for Japanese speakers. What is less clear is which processes in language learning are affected and how to quantify those effects.

Kuperman set out to clarify the effect of language distance on reading fluency and comprehension. Past studies have given mixed results, possibly because the focus has been on comprehension, which is relatively easy to measure.

Data for this study was taken from the Multilingual Eye-movement Corpus. This database has measures of reading fluency and comprehension from 1,105 students and staff from 24 universities having 18 distinct first languages.

For more, see: How does language distance affect reading fluency and comprehension in English as second language? by Victor Kuperman.

And: Linguistic distance - Wikipedia

Plus the discussions on Language distance in Europe : r/languagelearning

Working Groups | Townsend Center for the Humanities

Worldwide map or data for linguistic distance? - Linguistics Stack Exchange

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readability in the esl/esol/tefl classroom

When it comes to how easy/difficult a text is to read, we call that readability - and according to Wikipedia:

In natural language, the readability of text depends on its content (the complexity of its vocabulary and syntax) and its presentation (such as typographic aspects that affect legibility, like font size, line height, character spacing, and line length).

Higher readability in a text eases reading effort and speed for the general population of readers. For those who do not have high reading comprehension, readability is necessary for understanding and applying a given text. Techniques to simplify readability are essential to communicate a set of information to the intended audience.

There are websites devoted to this: What is readability? – Readable

And there are ways to test the readability of your website: Readability Test - WebFX Or any text: Free Readability Checker App | Check readability score of your text

But what about in the esl/esol/tefl classroom?

We can adapt authentic material for the language classroom: Adapting texts for use in the English language classroom – Nathan Hall

We can go a little deeper and get an overall difficulty score for our English content: Text Inspector: Analyse the Difficulty Level of English Texts

We can consider the students who have to work with the texts:  seminar-1-empathy-and-readability-2016.pdf

We can work on texts with a view to a particular test: Adapting Authentic Materials to Teach Listening and Reading IELTS Tests

And we can make use of ready-made texts which are made readable: Free Online Reading and Listening Resources for ESL Learners | Literacy Minnesota

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teaching english in russia... teaching english in ukraine

Teaching English in Russia used to be quite lucrative , with one English tutor back in 2020 saying they made up to $10,000 a month...

It's not quite so easy today, with rather dramatic news last summer that the American Robert Woodland teaching English in Russia was handed a 12-year jail term over drug charges - and last month it was reported that Russia has tortured an American teacher due to his nationality: he was accused of allegedly fighting for Ukraine.

And it's becoming more difficult to teach freely, with the Kremlin’s campaign to make education more ‘patriotic’ reaching English language classes with a new ‘Glorious Russia’ textbook, also last year.

Here's an interesting view from an American teacher of English at an official government school in Moscow, where she felt she was an Employee of the State, Enemy of the State:

I taught English as a Foreign Language in Moscow between 2019 and 2022, through mass student protests, increasing restrictions on freedom of speech, and, finally, a total break with Western institutions after February of last year. I taught a chilling set of classes only hours after Russia began bombing Kyiv. And as the government cracked down on connections with perceived enemies of the state, banned Facebook, Instagram, and the BBC, my students did not know how they should relate to me—the “enemy”—nor I them.

And last month, Moscow’s British Council ban has made living and studying abroad more difficult for Russians:

Russia on Thursday declared the British Council an “undesirable organization,” a move that is likely to make it more difficult for Russian citizens to study and live abroad. The British Council is one of the organizers of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), one of the world’s most widely used academic English exams for non-native speakers. By outlawing the British Council as “undesirable,” any cooperation with the organization is now illegal in Russia. Experts warn that this may also imply the British Council-administered IELTS test.

On the other hand, teaching English in Ukraine has been facilitated by the government there, with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and Cambridge signing an agreement on English language cooperation

And there are plenty of stories of individuals helping out - for example, a retired Michigan teacher who packed up his life and moved to war-torn Ukraine.

Because there's a real push now when it comes to teaching English in Ukraine - as language schools and tutors cope with high demand.

This demand is also political - with English as our ‘intellectual weapon’, says one Ukrainian military teacher:

“Commanders and personnel there wanted to implement English courses because a year ago, it was obvious that Ukraine would get military aid, weapons and support from our Western allies.”

And the government is pushing for English language proficiency:

Ukraine is implementing comprehensive measures to promote English proficiency, providing free language courses and integrating the language into the entire education system starting from kindergarten.

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real-world language learning

LEARN ENGLISH IN THE UK! 

Now that the UK and Germany have committed to a school group travel arrangement after English UK secured visa-free travel for German school groups, there are now more opportunities for face-to-face learning in an English-speaking environment.

But how important is so-called real-world language learning?

LEARNING A LANGUAGE AS A LIFE-LEARNING SKILL:

A new campaign has been launched to make it a reality for young people:

The core message of the campaign is to create FOMO (fear of missing out) among young people, especially Gen Z. It positions language travel not merely as academic study, but as a transformative life experience. This includes making memories, building global friendships, and experiencing diverse cultures first-hand, directly contrasting with online-only learning. The strategy involves a global movement primarily on TikTok and Instagram, platforms where the target demographic is most active. The goal is to make language and educational travel a trending topic, drawing inspiration from successful destination campaigns.

The organisation ALTO is a global platform for leaders and decision makers within the language and educational travel industry - and ALTO launched its student social media campaign earlier in the year.

Here's more from the study travel industry, as ALTO launches its campaign:

Industry association ALTO has launched a new global social media campaign inviting students to share their experiences of studying abroad and inspire a new generation of language travellers. The ALTO #PassportToPeople campaign was described as a "a global call to celebrate real-life language and educational travel".

ALTO Where Leaders Meet said, “Aimed at encouraging language learning, international friendships, and meaningful cultural exchange, the campaign is designed to inspire a new generation to embrace the life-changing power of travel and studying abroad.”

The association is asking students to capture and share their personal moments, and to post brief, compelling videos or photos on TikTok or Instragram with the #PassportToPeople hashtag to “contribute to a collective story of connection, courage, and cultural discovery”.

REAL-WORLD LANGUAGE LEARNING:

The idea behind getting young people to the UK to learn English and getting them to personalise and directly share their learning experiences is that it's not only more fun but more effective to interact.

As one blogger says, real-life learning is about connecting language to the world:

As a passionate advocate for learner-centred language teaching approaches, I firmly believe that connecting language learning to real-world topics and contexts is the key to learner engagement and fostering life-long learning. If we can show our students how the language they are learning connects to their own everyday lives, and not only that, but also give them opportunities to discuss important topics that they care about, we are setting them on the path towards making English a natural part of their daily life.

The Oxford Uni Press agrees that it's all about bridging the gap - and how real-world connections make learning more meaningful - although this piece is about pushing a new book...

And interestingly, the 'unreal' world of AI is suggesting why real-world applications matter in language education

But to finish, here's another teaching blog looking at how to use real-life scenarios for language learning:

From birth, we naturally absorb the language around us, using it to express thoughts and interact with others. This process, called language acquisition, occurs in real-life situations where understanding is essential. Similarly, you can use real-life scenarios for language learning. Because, when learners engage with the language in authentic, meaningful contexts, it helps them understand and remember it better. This approach builds a stronger vocabulary and grammar foundation. Which helps you to transition from theoretical knowledge to practical, everyday use, making the language feel more intuitive. In this article, we’ll dive into how you can use real-life scenarios to learn a foreign language and boost your confidence while travelling or moving abroad. Let’s get started!

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what are the issues in the esl industry?

It's difficult to tell how the English as a Second Language market is going.

Some would say there is a growing demand for ESL teachers in the global market:

The English language training (ELT) market is anticipated to expand substantially in the years ahead, reaching a value of $107.93 billion by 2028. With the increasing prominence of English as the medium of international communication, businesses, governments, and educational institutions in non-English speaking countries are acknowledging the necessity of strong English language skills. Consequently, there is a huge increase in the demand for English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers worldwide.

However, others are saying that the Golden Age of ESL has ended:

There was a time when Japan and Taiwan paid very well for English teachers, with Korea and China taking over as economies shifted. In the middle east I worked with guys who started in the 60s and 70s in Africa, and also guys who moved into eastern Europe after the cold war. 

Now, though, with online teaching fully arrived (if not living up to high standards), AI around the corner, markets saturated with more people willing to go overseas to escape hardships, and less jobs in most of the previously stong Asian markets, seems the end of an era.

And now, following on from the surge during the pandemic, some are talking about the death of ESL online teaching:

The final blow came in 2021, when China implemented a ban on online teaching and introduced stringent regulations governing private tutoring services.

However, that comment was from two years ago - and much interpretation of the ESL landscape is quite persona,

Here's a very lively discussion thread on the problem with the ESL industry, which starts like this:

The lifestyle is too good to be able to resettle at home. Nowhere else have I been able to work 25 hours a week (total), met so many outgoing and social people, travelled as much, and seen so many interesting things.

I went home during the pandemic and life just feels dull. I work full time but have less disposable cash. My friends are more restricted anddont say yes to life as much. And here the roads are safe but dull. I think I'm going to have to go back into the esl life. I swore I'd give it up at 30 but I'm just not prepared to give this lifestyle up.

Anyone else in the same boat and just feels life is dull living in your home nation?

Here's more from Reddit on your opinion on ESL trap.

To finish with another perspective on what happens in the classroom, here's a look at the intrinsic issues in the ESL industry

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translanguaging

The idea and practice of translanguaging is basically the practice of using two languages in the same lesson, which differs from many previous methods of bilingual education that tried to separate languages by class, time, or day

So, What Is Translanguaging and How Is It Used in the Classroom?

In translanguaging, students are able to think in multiple languages simultaneously and use their home language as a vehicle to learn academic English.

A student could be reading an article about the solar system in English, but in their brain, they are also thinking and making connections in Spanish. They might annotate in Spanish or first write down reading comprehension responses in Spanish and then figure out how to provide the responses in English, said Marrero-Colon.

It’s all about encouraging students to access their full linguistic repertoires, said Emily Phillips Galloway, an assistant professor at the Peabody College of Education at Vanderbilt University.

From the perspective of the ESL/ESOL/EAL world, here's an answer to the question What is translanguaging?

Picture the scene: two students are sitting together, working intently on a handout. They have different first languages but some shared knowledge of the words and phrases of each other’s languages, so they are moving in and out of English to get their message across. Another two students are sitting together nearby. Both of them are Spanish speakers, but are very strong in English and often use it as their main language. At other times, as now, they blend Spanish and English together.

Are either of these examples of translanguaging? In both cases, yes. The young people are using resources from different languages together, with very little regard for what we might call the ‘boundaries’ of named languages such as ‘Spanish’ or ‘English’. They are using elements of each language together to communicate more effectively. This is translanguaging: it’s about using the all your language resources to communicate.

Finally, here's an academic piece looking at Translanguaging and emotionality of English as a second language (ESL) teachers:

Often there is a notable gap between expected emotions or ‘emotional rules’ in English as a Second Language (ESL) classrooms and genuine emotions which results in ‘emotional labour’ for ESL teachers... The study revealed complex and conflicting teacher emotions around translanguaging including pride, comfort (related to feelings of safety), shame (related to linguistic inferiority complexes), guilt, and frustration.

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native speakerism and bad hiring practices

We mustn't forget that English is a European language (where it is used as a second language everywhere; and have you heard the average Norwegian youngster speak the language?)

And we mustn't forget that English is an African language (where it is not only a second language, but also the first and official language across half the continent!)

It might be a question of how people sound - as there are lots of different African english accents. But we have to ask if the English speak English the best!

Certainly a lot of teachers around the world feel insecure about their accent - but there are so many ways today to empower educators to feel confident and prepared to teach pronunciation.

This then throws up the question: What is a native speaker teacher of english?

Which leads us to the notion of native speakerism (see Native speakerism: hiding behind privilege - E L Gazette) - or the "native speaker fallacy", which suggests that the ideal teacher of English is a native speaking teacher (see: NNEST - Wikipedia)

The latest E L Gazette looks at the latest story:

Language professionals challenge “native” requirement in hiring

After months of collaboration, educators Vincent Richard, Ana Jovic, Meri Maroutian and Dr Natalia Wright have published an open letter to the Council of Europe addressing what they describe as “the misuse” of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) in the hiring practices of many educational institutions and employers globally.

An excerpt reads: “The CEFR was designed as a structured scale to assess communicative competence, not identity. Proficiency is achieved through study, exposure, and practice—not through birthplace or upbringing. Conflating “native” with advanced CEFR levels misrepresents how language skills develop and devalues the effort required to reach high levels of proficiency. It creates confusion for both job applicants and students.”

Speaking exclusively to EL Gazette, Vincent Richard said: “This letter has already drawn a lot of attention, especially on LinkedIn. Some prominent academics, teachers and teacher trainers, for example, have already signed it. This is very satisfactory. But for it to really have an impact and encourage the Council of Europe to respond, the campaign must continue. We want as many people as possible to sign it, of course, and we will be especially pleased and grateful if the big actors which we have invited to sign the letter, take the plunge as well. One of the reasons why native speakerism and bad hiring practices carry on is the law of silence. This must cease. There are people and institutions which could take a clear stance at last and make a real change. So here lies an opportunity!”

Language professionals challenge “native” requirement in hiring - E L Gazette

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foreign student numbers down

 As the E L Gazette reports this month, it's difficult for universities in the UK at the moment: 17% drop in international students a threat to university sustainability.

And it's largely due to politics, as it was the drop in work visas and students which halved net migration last year. The then-government was urged to slash student visas to curb migration - but in some circles this year, there has been fury as Labour takes Tory credit for slashing migration figures.

This has meant that in the UK, international students were down 7% in the first fall in 10 years. That is, the full-year data highlights a decline in foreign enrolment in UK universities in 2023/24 - because of new government restrictions.

Meanwhile in the US, the political situation is even more difficult for foreign students - as many people expected the ESL student population to continue finding other countries to get educated in, based on the election results. And Trump’s evolving international student policies are said this week to be 'devastating'. 

But the same thing is happening in other English-speaking countries as international students are targeted in the UK, Canada, and Australia in so-called 'immigration crackdowns: international student commencements were capped at 270,000 in Australia last year and Canada's international student cap is also having an effect on both universities and the ESL industry.

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the state of the elt industry: "a steady year"

The E L Gazette looks at the latest info on student numbers in the English Language Teaching industry today: What does English UK’s 2025 student statistics report tell us? - E L Gazette

Going to English UK news, "according to these latest annual figures, UK ELT held steady in a year of global uncertainty and turbulence".

And as reported across the industry's media:

Ivana Bartosik of English UK’s intelligence partner Bonard said, “In a year marked by global uncertainty, significant government interventions and projected double-digit declines in affected ELT destinations, the UK sector held steady. While overall growth remained flat, this consistency amid international turbulence reflects the UK sector’s enduring appeal and ability to adapt.” Steady year for UK ELT sector in 2024 - StudyTravel Network

The E L Gazette report also covers the lobbying by the industry of the UK government - which makes sense, as the economic impact of UK ELT is estimated at nearly £2 billion - following a report from English UK on the economics of the UK ELT industry back in April.

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