Blog

Supporting Learners with Social, Emotional and Mental Health Needs

In our ‘Inclusive Teaching for Learners with SEN’ series, we’ve explored communication needs, cognition and learning, and sensory needs. Now, we are looking at arguably one of the most important aspects of SEN in our Hong Kong context – Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs.   Picture this: A child sits at their desk, head down, refusing to take part. They’re not struggling with the content – they can do the work. But something else is happening beneath the surface. Maybe they’… All categories, Learners with SEN

Using AI to Create Custom Listening Materials

All teachers are materials writers. We all make worksheets, think up activities, select texts, and create writing assignments. There is, however, one type of material that is extremely challenging for us to make ourselves. Audio.  Matching the quality of audio from coursebooks is extremely difficult. Coursebook recordings usually include a range of accents, speakers of different ages, and speakers of different genders. Recordings are made using high-quality microphones in expensive studios… All categories, AI

How to Support SEN – Understanding Sensory Needs

In our ‘Inclusive Teaching for Learners with SEN’ series, we’ve explored communication needs, cognition and learning, and now we’re looking at sensory needs. These are invisible struggles that shape how children experience your classroom every single day. Understanding them is the key to creating spaces where all learners can succeed.  Sensory needs can be invisible – but their impact is very real. A child with sensory processing differences isn’t being ‘difficult’, ‘naughty’ or ‘acting… All categories, Learners with SEN, Inclusive Teaching

How to Support SEN – Cognition and Learning Differences

You’ve noticed a learner struggling to keep up, but you’re not sure why. Is it the pace? Is it the way you’re teaching? Is it something else entirely? In our ‘Inclusive Teaching for Learners with SEN’ series, we’re exploring how to build truly inclusive classrooms. This post focuses on cognition and learning needs – how to spot them, understand them, and respond with strategies that actually work. We’ll walk through real classroom examples so you can see exactly what this looks like in practice… All categories, Inclusive Teaching, Learners with SEN

Use AI to Improve Your Writing Without Cheating

Editor's Note: This post was originally authored by Ross Thorburn in December 2024. Our editorial team has updated it with the assistance of AI to reflect the latest tools available in 2026 and current best practices for data privacy and disclosure in the classroom.   Writing is difficult. While almost everyone learns to listen and speak in their first language, not everyone learns to write. Until relatively recently, being able to write was the exception rather than the norm. And even now… AI, Writing, How to...

How to Support SEN – Communication and Interaction Needs

In our ‘Inclusive Teaching for Learners with SEN’ series, we’re exploring how to build truly inclusive classrooms, and more importantly, how to spot what learners actually need and give it to them.  This post focuses on communication and interaction needs, how to identify learners who may need support, and the practical strategies that work – complete with real classroom examples.   Understanding Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN)  Difficulties with speech, language… All categories, Learners with SEN, Inclusive Teaching

Identifying and Supporting SEN in the Classroom

In our ‘Inclusive Teaching for Learners with SEN’ series, we are exploring how to support our diverse communities of learners, how to build an inclusive classroom, and how to identify potential needs. Most importantly, we are equipping ourselves with practical and tangible strategies to cater for those needs.   This second post will look at developing a clearer understanding of how to identify special educational needs (SEN) and how to support these diverse needs in our classrooms.  … All categories, Learners with SEN, Inclusive Teaching

AI-Generated Songs and Music in the English Classroom

A few weeks ago, I saw a strange news story on the BBC about an artist called Sienna Rose who was doing extremely well on Spotify. Her songs had thousands of streams and were getting a lot of attention online, but fans started to notice something odd – there were no live performances, no music videos, and only a few photos. Eventually, people worked out what was going on: the artist didn’t exist. The music was real, but the performer had been created using AI.  Some people reacted to the… All categories, AI, Drama, Young Learners

Introduction to Inclusive Education for Learners with SEN

In our ‘Inclusive Teaching for Learners with SEN’ series, we will be exploring how to support our diverse communities of learners, how to build an inclusive classroom, and how to identify potential needs. Most importantly, we will be equipping ourselves with practical and tangible strategies to cater for those needs.   This first post will look at developing a clearer understanding of special educational needs (SEN) and the initial steps to take towards an inclusive classroom.   The… All categories, Inclusive Teaching, Learners with SEN

Using AI to Adapt English Speaking Tasks for Mixed-Ability ESL Classrooms

What is a mixed ability class? The simplest definition is “a class with more than one student.” Unless you’re teaching one-to-one, you teach mixed abilities. Having students at different levels in the same class makes it difficult for everyone to take part. Students who find a class too hard will give up and do something else. Higher level students finish quickly, then have nothing to do. You might start seeing behaviour problems. Students at the top and bottom both make little progress. And… ESL activities, How to..., Teaching skills

Reading Skills and Strategies with AI

Reading is still one of the most important skills, not just in language classrooms, but in life. Reading is how students access information, learn new ideas, and connect with the world. And with AI now part of how we teach, work, and live, reading matters more than ever. Students need to be able to read confidently, think critically, and use strategies that help them understand all kinds of texts—from news articles to chatbot responses. In this post, we’re going to look at how you can use AI to… Teaching skills, How to..., ESL activities

How to get English Teaching Jobs in Hong Kong and Asia

Ghosted by Schools? Here’s How to Get Their Attention (and the Job) So you’ve buffed your résumé until it glows, but schools in Hong Kong (or anywhere else) still aren’t sliding into your inbox with interview invites. What’s going on? The world of English teaching can feel like a game of “Where’s Waldo?”, only with more CVs and fewer stripes. Let’s break down why your application might be getting overlooked and how the right training and strategy could give your teaching career a serious boost… Careers in TESOL, Certificate courses