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If you¡¯re planning to study in the USA, you¡¯ve probably looked into English proficiency tests for university admissions. And you¡¯ve probably noticed ¨C they¡¯re not all the same.

• Some are more expensive.?
• Some take weeks to deliver results.?
• Some require you to travel to a test centre.

The ɫèAV English Express Test is different.

What makes the ɫèAV English Express Test special??

This online English test is designed for international students who want to move quickly and confidently through the admissions process.

• Take it from home?¨C No travel needed. The ɫèAV English Express Test is fully online, so you can complete your exam from anywhere in the world.
• Get certified results in 48 hours?¨C No long waits. Receive your official English proficiency scores fast, so you can meet university deadlines with ease.
• Pay less?¨C It¡¯s one of the most affordable English tests for US university applications, helping you save on costs.
• Accepted by a growing number of US universities?¨C Use your results to apply to top institutions across the United States.
• Built for momentum, not delays?¨C Designed to help you move forward, not slow you down.

Why this test matters

When you¡¯re applying to study in the USA, every day counts. You¡¯re juggling application deadlines, coordinating with universities and planning your next big move. You need an English language test that supports your ambitions, not one that holds you back.

What makes?ɫèAV English Express Test different?

• AI scoring for fairness and consistency?¨C Advanced technology ensures your results are accurate and impartial.
• Security inbuilt?¨C Take your test with confidence, knowing your identity and results are protected.
• CEFR and GSE-aligned results?¨C Trusted by universities and colleges, your scores are mapped to international standards for English proficiency.

It¡¯s everything you need for your US university application, without the stress.

Ready to take the test?

If you¡¯re searching for an English proficiency test that fits into your life and helps you move forward, the ɫèAV English Express Test is ready when you are. Take your test today and start your journey to studying in the USA with confidence.

In this final blog, I want to pull together the content of the previous two blogs ("What is a Horizontal Syllabus?" and "Seven characteristics of young learners that shape our assessments") and my recent webinar in August 2025 by applying them to a?horizontal syllabus?for a unit of study from the My Disney Stars and Heroes series. The unit of study is taken from Book 2, Unit 6 entitled "My Day¡¯" The unit focuses on daily activities and times of day. There are 11 classroom hours of study for this unit. The unit plan is depicted below with the 11^th?hour for reviewing and the unit test. Please refer to the key below the table about the types of tasks in this syllabus. These are explained below.??

Punctuation makes your writing easier to read and understand, but it can be tricky to master. As an editor and proofreader, I often notice people confusing semi-colons and colons, so we'll explore the difference between them. And because both are often used in lists, we'll also look at the humble comma ¨C and its sometimes-controversional cousin, the Oxford comma.?

Semi-colons and colons both connect phrases in a sentence but are used in different situations.?

Understanding colons

Colons introduce important information and explanations. They're often used before lists as a replacement for phrases like "they are" and "which is":

• He offered me a choice of drinks: tea, coffee or hot chocolate.?
• I packed the essentials in my bag: water, pens and a magazine.?
• She speaks three languages: English, French and Portuguese.?

You can also think of a colon as a spotlight, with the phrase that comes after the colon explaining or expanding what came before it.?

• In 1903, travel was changed forever by an important event: Orville and Wilbur Wright's first successful flight.
• He loves visiting the animals at the farm: cows are his favourite.?
• There is one rule I live by: I treat others as I wish to be treated.

The secrets of semi-colons

A semi-colon links two ideas that are closely related and that would be two complete sentences if you used a period instead. They give a softer transition than a period would, and they're often used instead of conjunctions like "and", "but" and "because":

• I love eating pizza; my sister loves eating burgers.
• I wanted to go for a swim; I couldn't find my goggles.?
• I'm going to the park; the weather is beautiful.

Semi-colons also seperate items in long lists to make life easier for the reader and stop a sentence becoming a sea of apostrophes. For example:

• I've got my shopping list ready: peppers, carrots and oranges from the market; toothpaste, shampoo and pain relief from the drugstore; and a newspaper, snack and drink from the newsstand. ?

Standard comma or Oxford comma?

An Oxford comma goes before "and" or "or" at the end of a list. The first example has an Oxford comma, the second doesn't.?

• Please bring me a sandwich made with cheese, lettuce, and tomato.?
• Please bring me a sandwich made with cheese, lettuce and tomato.?

American English generally favors the Oxford comma, British English typically omits it, unless needed for clarity. Compare:

• I love my parents, Taylor Swift and Keanu Reeves.
• I love my parents, Taylor Swift, and Keanu Reeves.?
  

As with many areas of punctuation, whether you choose to use the Oxford comma is a matter of personal preference. However, the most important thing is to be consistent in your usage.?

At the beginning of every school year, we welcome new learners into our classrooms with the same core question: Where are our students now, and how far can we take them?

For English teachers, this reveals a huge challenge. In a single class, we might have one student at an A2 level, while others are solidly B1 or just entering A2+. Navigating such a wide range of abilities can feel overwhelming.

We¡¯ve all seen it: students can spend months (or even years) studying English and still feel like they haven¡¯t moved up a level. Teachers work incredibly hard, and students put in the effort, but progress feels intangible. Why is that? And more importantly, how can schools make it easier to see and support that progress?

In recent years, I have found a powerful ally in answering that question: the Global Scale of English (GSE). Backed by ɫèAV and aligned with the CEFR, the GSE offers more than just levels, it provides a clear, data-informed path to language growth. Most importantly, it gives teachers and school leaders the ability to set meaningful goals and measure real progress.

But, how is this useful at the beginning of the school year?

Starting with assessment

To get a clear picture from the start, assessment is essential; there¡¯s no doubt about it. However, it can't just be a punctuation mark at the end of a term or a requirement from administration. Used strategically, this first assessment can be the compass that guides instruction and curriculum decisions, empowering both teachers and students from day one. This is why choosing the correct assessment tools becomes fundamental.

The GSE difference: Precision, clarity, confidence

Unlike the broad bands of the CEFR, the GSE provides a granular scale from 10 to 90, breaking down each skill into precise learning objectives. This allows educators to monitor progress at a much closer level, often identifying improvements that would otherwise go unnoticed.

When learners see that their score has moved from 36 to 42, even if their overall CEFR level hasn¡¯t changed, they gain confidence. They recognize that learning is a continuous process rather than a series of steps. Teachers, in turn, are able to validate growth, provide clear evidence of learning and tailor instruction to the learner¡¯s current needs, not just their general level.

For example, two students might both be classified as "A2", but the GSE gives us a much clearer picture: a student with a GSE score of 35 is likely mastering simple sentences, while another student scoring 40 might already be comfortable writing simple stories and is ready to tackle B1-level tasks.

This isn't just data: it's a roadmap. It tells us exactly what to teach next, allowing us to differentiate with confidence instead of relying solely on gut feeling.

GSE tools that make it happen

ɫèAV offers a comprehensive range of GSE-aligned assessment tools that support different stages of the learning journey. Each tool plays a distinct role in placement, diagnosis, benchmarking or certification.

Whether you¡¯re picking up Spanish for travel, Mandarin for business or French just for fun, you¡¯re not only expanding your communication skills, you¡¯re also giving your brain a powerful workout. But what actually happens inside your brain when you learn a language??

The brain¡¯s language centers

Your brain is made up of many parts and two areas are significant for language:

• : Located in the frontal lobe, this region helps you produce speech and form sentences.
• : Found in the temporal lobe, this area helps you understand spoken and written language.

When you start learning a new language, these areas get busy. They work together to help you listen, speak, read and write in your new language (Friederici, 2011).

Anandi Vara was trained in teaching English in Kathmandu, Nepal before teaching at a monastery in Pokhara. There she taught students ranging from six to 10 years of age, both in groups and individually. Here she reveals the lessons she learned during her time there?¨C including how to avoid being perturbed by a cockroach attack.

Whatever you do: don¡¯t freak out

It just makes everything worse. It¡¯s easy for things to get overwhelming ¨C a sense that can be made worse by the feeling of homesickness, especially if it¡¯s your first time living abroad ¨C but thinking rationally, and getting to the source of what¡¯s causing the worry, usually helps. It¡¯s important, as you don't want to share your fear in lessons because you¡¯re the teacher and need to show confidence.

This was, however, tested to the limit when I had a cockroach dangled in front of my face. It took all my strength to stay calm. I gave an unimpressed look, thereby establishing myself as the figure of authority, which seemed to work.

Be aware of cultural traditions

It is important to remember that every country has its own traditions. I was teaching in a monastery, so I made sure to wear respectful clothing, even in the face of soaring temperatures. The more I learned about the Tibetan culture, the more fascinated I became by it. The students taught me how to write my name in Tibetan and the meaning behind it. I learned about Tibetan history and Tibetan culture.

I also found that the more I showed willingness to learn about the Tibetan culture, the more I bonded with the students, so that when it was time to teach, the students were more cooperative in lessons, engaging and participating more.

Teaching is two-way learning

There is so much I learned teaching abroad, both in the classroom and out. Making mistakes as you begin is only natural, but it¡¯s whether you can learn from these mistakes that counts. No two students are ever the same so it¡¯s a constant process of learning as you go. As a result, I learned about the environment I was in ¨C from traditional prayer ceremonies to the Tibetan alphabet?¨C and about myself, notably organizational skills and a renewed curiosity about the English language.

Be Flexible

Sometimes it doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯ve planned your lesson down to the smallest detail ¨C if it doesn¡¯t take, then it doesn¡¯t take. I was only 10 minutes into a lesson once and I could tell that I was beginning to lose the students¡¯ attention. Not only did it show that they were uninterested, it also distracted me from what I was doing. It was at this point that I threw out my existing plan and tried a whole new lesson: I had the students up on their feet and engaging with each other and, although completely improvised, it was very successful.

Patience is a must

During my one-on-one mentoring session, my student seemed to have no motivation. He wasn¡¯t learning as well as the other students and had therefore given up. No matter what I tried, he refused to cooperate, but I didn¡¯t let it put me off. I kept trying different methods until finally finding one that he responded to. I made sentence structuring into a game. It wasn¡¯t anything fancy and consisted of scraps of paper with words written on them.

Although it took a lot of time to find the right angle, it was worth it because he soon realised that although it might take longer for him to pick things up, he would eventually get there and have a greater sense of accomplishment.

Assessment has the power to change lives, and good assessment can make that change positive and rewarding. To provide good assessments, it¡¯s vital to understand who our young learners ¨C particularly 5¨C8-year-olds ¨C are developmentally. This age group exhibits specific characteristics that can guide the creation of meaningful assessments:

1. They¡¯re often doing something for the first time.
2. Their interest shifts from self to a wider social interest.
3. They tire more from sitting than running.
4. They respond well to stories, gestures, and pictures.
5. They love to play, use fantasy, and have fun.
6. They¡¯re not yet familiar with the alphabet or phonemes.
7. They¡¯re forming beliefs about themselves and their abilities.

(P. McKay, 2006)
?

What is flipped learning?

To understand better what flipped learning is, first let¡¯s see how it differs from blended learning, a term with which it is often confused.?

Blended learning is a way of teaching that combines face-to-face classroom teaching with online resources. We freely use online resources to create a more personalized learning experience.?

Flipped learning is a little different. As the name suggests, it "flips" a traditional lesson. It tells us exactly which stages of the lesson should go online. In a flipped learning class, all of the more traditional aspects (also called "study stages"), are completed online and the homework (also called "application stages") comes into the classroom.?

Let¡¯s look at an example.?

A typical receptive skills lesson normally has six stages:?

1. Lead in
2. Set context
3. Pre-teach vocabulary
4. Gist task
5. Detailed task
6. Follow up

With a traditional teaching model, we do the first five stages in class and set the last one for homework. With flipped learning there are a few ways to tackle these stages, but a basic model would look like this:

English teachers today face increasing demands: create engaging content, differentiate instruction and address diverse learner needs ¨C all within a limited time. The rise of Generative AI, like ChatGPT, offers a promising solution. But without proper guidance, AI-generated content can lack educational value. This blog post introduces a practical, research-informed approach to using AI tools aligned with the Global Scale of English (GSE). You will learn how this framework helps educators design accurate, personalized and level-appropriate English teaching materials quickly and confidently.

Why GSE and AI are a game-changing combination for ELT

The Global Scale of English (GSE) is a CEFR-aligned framework developed by ɫèAV, offering detailed "can-do" learning objectives. It includes nearly 4,000 descriptors across speaking, listening, reading and writing skills, offering more precision than traditional level labels like A2 or B1. At the same time, Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT can generate entire lessons, tasks and assessments in seconds. The challenge lies in ensuring this content is aligned with clear pedagogical outcomes.

Pairing AI¡¯s creative speed with the GSE¡¯s structured outcomes offers a scalable way to meet learner needs without compromising instructional quality.

Unlocking measurable, differentiated and efficient teaching with GSE and AI

The GSE makes objectives measurable

Unlike generic teaching goals, GSE objectives are specific and measurable. For example, a B1-level learner objective might state:

¡°Can identify a simple chronological sequence in a recorded narrative or dialogue.¡± (GSE 43)
?This clarity helps teachers define outcomes and ensure each AI-generated task targets an actual language skill, not just generic content.

Generative AI enhances productivity

Teachers using Generative AI can create draft lesson materials in minutes. By inputing a structured prompt such as:

¡°Create a B1 reading activity that helps learners summarize the main points of a short article.¡±
ChatGPT can instantly generate content that meets the learning goal. When guided by the GSE, AI becomes a collaborative assistant as well as a time-saver.

The GSE + AI combination supports differentiation

Because the GSE includes descriptors across a wide proficiency range (from pre-A1 to C2), teachers can tailor AI-generated content to meet the exact needs of their students. Mixed-level classrooms or tutoring contexts benefit especially from this, as teachers can create multiple versions of a task with consistent scaffolding.

Practical tips

• Use the GSE Teacher Toolkit to select objectives based on skill, level or function.
• When prompting ChatGPT, include the GSE descriptor in your input for more precise results.
• Always review and adapt the AI output to match your learners¡¯ context, culture and curriculum.
• Create a prompt library mapped to GSE codes to save time in future planning.

A step-by-step example of the GSE and AI in action

Here is a typical application of the workflow:

1. A teacher selects a GSE objective, such as:
   ¡°Can write a basic formal email/letter requesting information.¡± (GSE 46).
2. Within seconds, a sample formal email, accompanied by a short reading comprehension task and a vocabulary activity, is generated.
3. The reading task serves as a model to help learners analyze the structure, tone, and key language features of a well-written email before attempting their own.
4. The teacher then reviews and refines the output for clarity, appropriateness, and context relevance.

This process supports targeted teaching while significantly reducing preparation time.

Overcoming challenges: Ensuring quality and relevance

Challenge: AI outputs may lack cultural context, level appropriateness or instructional clarity.
Solution: Always pair AI with professional judgment. Use the GSE to check that skills match the intended outcome, and adjust the complexity of the language as needed.

Challenge: Teachers may be unfamiliar with how to write effective AI prompts.
Solution: Start simple with templates like:

¡°Create a [skill] activity at [level] that supports this GSE objective: [insert objective].¡±

Challenge: Risk of over-relying on AI for instruction.
Solution: Use AI as a starting point, not the final product. Combine AI-generated content with classroom interaction, feedback and your own creativity.

Teaching tools that make this easier

• : for exploring and selecting level-appropriate learning objectives
• : for generating customizable teaching content
• GSE Smart Lesson Generator: an AI-powered lesson creation tool developed by ɫèAV that uses the GSE framework to automatically generate high-quality activities and lesson plans
• Google Docs or Word: for editing and organizing your materials before class

Confidently transforming English teaching

Combining Generative AI with the Global Scale of English allows teachers to design materials that are both fast and focused. The GSE provides the structure; AI provides the speed. Together, they offer a sustainable solution for personalized English instruction that respects both learner needs and instructional quality.