Turn the music up

“Turn the music up” is a resource designed for 1st year secondary students (ESO). It proposes a final challenge: to record a collaborative music video that can later be shared on their own social networks or the school’s. Recording short music clips is nothing new for our students, who are used to using social media and sharing this kind of content. 

Through this challenge, they are encouraged to create and use content responsibly, while also exploring other possibilities such as taking part in talent contests.

As part of the project, students will discover music from around the world, learn fun facts about different countries through their songs, and dive deeper into instruments and musical genres in English. They will also practice creating simple song lyrics to express their own tastes and preferences.

https://edea.juntadeandalucia.es/bancorecursos/file/2f3ee596-ae90-456f-9405-a7c96454c685.1b42fc5a-ded6-472a-87ce-7d7dc99c1a60/1/ING_1ESO_REA_03_HTML(2).zip/index.html

A Practical Guide to Academic Writing for International Students

Writing essays and dissertations can be difficult for many international students at English-speaking universities. To support them, a selection of key chapters from well-known books on Academic Writing has been put together.

The first three chapters, by Stephen Bailey, cover the basics: how to write clear paragraphs, strong introductions, and effective conclusions.

The next chapter, by Jane Bottomley, explains the style of academic science writing, how to use sources responsibly, and techniques for paraphrasing and summarizing.

Chapters five to seven, also by Stephen Bailey, give practical advice for Business and Economics students on writing essays, reports, case studies, and executive summaries.

The last chapter, by Brian Paltridge and Sue Starfield, looks at common challenges faced by students writing theses or dissertations in English and offers tips for overcoming them.

https://www.routledge.com/rsc/downloads/A_Practical_Guide_to_Academic_Writing_for_International_Students-A_Routledge_FreeBook-_FINAL_VERSION_.pdf

Artificial Intelligence and English language teaching: Preparing for the future

Artificial intelligence is quickly becoming part of everyday life in education, and English teaching is no exception. The British Council’s 2024 report AI and ELT: Preparing for the future shows how teachers around the world are starting to use AI tools to support speaking, writing, and reading practice. These tools can give instant feedback, help students build confidence, and even make learning more personalised.

But the report also points out some important challenges. Many teachers don’t yet feel confident using AI in class, and issues like bias, privacy, and unequal access are real concerns. The message is clear: AI should be seen as a support, not a replacement, for good teaching. Teachers and students need to understand what AI can and can’t do, and make thoughtful choices about when to use it.

Used wisely, AI has the potential to make learning more engaging and accessible. The key is to combine the opportunities it offers with the creativity, guidance, and human connection that only teachers can bring.

https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/sites/teacheng/files/2024-08/AI_and_ELT_Jul_2024.pdf

EnglishGCSE.co.uk free resources

Set of free educational resources aimed at the AQA English GCSE exams in 2026. These resources include lesson plans, scheme-of-work documents, summaries, and practice / preparation materials for specific exam questions. 

Many of the “2026 free” tagged resources are accessible at no cost which makes them particularly useful.

The site is built for secondary school levels (KS4 / GCSE in England), and these materials are differentiated and designed to align with what exam boards require. The resource types in the search results include:

• Lessons focussing on exam-style questions (e.g. Paper 1 / Paper 2 of the AQA English Language exam)
• Scheme of Work documents (detailed plans for how to structure teaching)
• Summaries of exam question styles
• Videos or materials for supporting creative writing, analysis of language, etc.

https://englishgcse.co.uk/search?type=product&q=2026+free

Money can buy anything

This Open Educational Resource (OER) uses English to help students prepare for two of today’s big challenges highlighted in the LOMLOE: digital skills and sustainability. Together, we’ll explore the first four Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from the 2030 Agenda through active, hands-on tasks. At the end, you’ll work on a final project: creating a hopeful video about the recovery and/or rebuilding of a country.

This OER is part of a set of five learning activities based on the 2030 Agenda. You can use them all together or one by one. Taken as a whole, they cover the Year 9 (3º ESO) English curriculum.

Find it on:

https://descargas.intef.es/cedec/proyectoedia/ingles/contenidos/money_can_buy/index.html

Globe TV

In language teaching, few things are as motivating as hearing how people really speak in different corners of the world. Globe TV (globetv.app) is an intriguing tool that can serve as an inspiring resource: an interactive 3D globe that lets you access live television channels from numerous countries.

Globe TV is a free platform that streams television through IPTV (Internet Protocol Television). It requires no account or subscription: simply open the page, spin the 3D globe, choose a country, and click on one of the available channels. There’s even a Random button to discover something unexpected.

The app itself doesn’t host videos or manage broadcasts. Instead, it links to public streams listed in the community-driven project IPTV-org, which maintains an international catalog of free-to-air channels.

For language education, this tool offers some exciting possibilities. It gives learners access to authentic listening practice with natural speech, accents, registers, and cultural references that are hard to reproduce in textbooks. It also allows for cultural diversity: spinning the globe and tuning into another country’s TV can spark discussions about traditions, current affairs, and perspectives. Because it is free and doesn’t require sign-up, students can explore autonomously at home and bring summaries or clips back to class.

Visit: https://globetv.app/tr/

#UNESCO launches a global webinar series to promote lifelong learning

The UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) has launched a new series of webinars in which policymakers, experts, and practitioners will share strategies and initiatives that demonstrate how to make lifelong learning a reality accessible to everyone.

Topics will range from digital education for older adults to family literacy, including prison education, the ecological transition in teaching, the role of teachers as continuous learners, and the promotion of learning cities. Inspiring experiences from the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities and the UNESCO Global Alliance for Literacy will also be highlighted.

The webinars will take place on the first and third Wednesday of each month and will be open to global participation, encouraging the exchange of good practices and debate on how lifelong learning transforms lives and strengthens communities worldwide.

Registration:

https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=Uq5PHbM5-kuwswIpVrERlItDvROkxVVIoYkA0rRl9y1URUlVQTU0NzA3QkZUUkFLMTBWMFo1TExSNy4u&route=shorturl

Teaching package on a sustainable Europe

This introductory learning and teaching package provides secondary-level teachers and teacher educators with a foundation in education for sustainability in European schools.  

In four units, pupils are introduced to the concepts of future thinking and actions, alongside European sustainability initiatives. It also explores education for sustainability, decoloniality and cultural and linguistic diversity. This learning and teaching package was developed by TAP-TS (Teacher Academy Project Teaching Sustainability). (Source: European School Education Platform)

Download the teaching package:

https://tap-ts.eu/course/index.php?categoryid=10