A B2-level English lesson plan on annoying habits is presented. Students revise grammar structures for expressing irritation (Present Continuous with always, keep + -ing, I wish), read short texts about household conflicts, learn related idioms, and complete a key word transformation task modeled on the B2 First exam. Discussion questions and a teacher’s answer key are included.
Learning language: English
Key takeaways2
The Present Continuous combined with 'always' is used to describe irritating repeated habits rather than only actions happening at the moment of speaking.
In the expression 'I can’t stand it when', the pronoun 'it' is grammatically required and cannot be omitted.
The author critiques the British Council’s 2014–2024 report on English language teaching trends. A literature review and a survey of about 1,000 teachers do not reflect actual classroom practice: the sample is unrepresentative, and teachers’ stated priorities often diverge from their actions. An Austrian school example shows that little has changed in everyday teaching over decades.
Learning language: English
Key takeaways2
Frequency of topics in academic ELT journals does not indicate their application in real classrooms, as researchers rather than practicing teachers are the primary readership of such publications.
In the cited Austrian school example, tablets are mainly used for digital textbook versions and gap-fill exercises, while students use generative AI to complete written homework.
The author describes building a Year 7 Academic English syllabus for EAL learners using AI assistance. The post details stages from defining assessments to auditing subskills and Tier 2 vocabulary (47 of 50 terms adequately recycled). It emphasises that many speaking skills are better developed responsively in class rather than forced into the plan.
Learning language: English
Key takeaways2
Working with AI on syllabus design requires a step-by-step approach: asking it to fill too much at once produces unmanageable output, and returning later may cause the model to alter its process unprompted.
Language functions were over-populated in the draft (42 of 46 functions) because AI added them indiscriminately, whereas subskills were deliberately pruned to only the most suitable learning contexts.
In this Duolingo blog post, German word order is explained through a “slot” system. The conjugated verb occupies the second slot in main clauses, while any additional verb moves to the final position. The article covers rules for wh-questions, yes/no questions, and dependent clauses, where the conjugated verb shifts to the end.
Learning language: German
Key takeaways2
The first slot can be filled by an adverb or object instead of the subject to change emphasis, but the conjugated verb always remains second.
When a sentence begins with a dependent clause, the conjugated verb of the main clause moves to the first slot.