The science behind Smart Lesson Generator: Making teaching easier with AI

Thomas Gardner
A woman on her laptop smiling and working
Reading time: 4 minutes

It's 6 AM on a Monday morning. Ms. Lopez wakes up early to prepare for the day ahead. She spends the morning reviewing lesson plans, making sure everything is ready for her students. By lunchtime, she is preparing for the afternoon, grabbing a quick bite between classes... but it doesn’t stop there. The school day finishes but Ms. Lopez stays late marking assignments. Finally, on Sunday night, she sits at her kitchen table, surrounded by papers, course books and lesson plans.

Does this sound familiar? You are not alone.

The challenge teachers face

In 2024, ɫèAV research found thatÌý76% of teachers spend at least one hour of their personal time on lesson planning each week, with 43% spending more than three hours. This is a lot of time that could be spent on other important tasks. Teachers need a solution that helps them plan lessons fast, is connected to their course books and is built by learning experts.

AI-powered lesson planning made simple
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Meet Smart Lesson Generator

Smart Lesson Generator is an AI tool that cuts the time that teachers spend on lesson planning.ÌýIt uses AI to create activities in seconds based on the learning objectives, topics and vocabulary you plan to use.

Whether you're using ɫèAV courseware or designing your own lessons, this tool ensures that the materials match your curriculum and your students' skill levels.

How it works

There are key steps to generate activities with Smart Lesson Generator:

1. Selection: Teachers choose the type of activity they want to generate, such as a Lesson Hook, Vocabulary, Grammar, Conversation Starter, Reading Comprehension, or Exit Ticket. They then specify whether they are using ɫèAV courseware or a custom lesson plan. This flexibility allows teachers to tailor their approach to suit their unique classroom dynamics.

2. Generation: AI generates activities using a Large Language Model (LLM) based on the teacher's input. The content is then filtered through GSE checks to ensure it is at the appropriate level. This step is crucial as it ensures that the generated material is not only relevant but also pedagogically sound.

The role of the Global Scale of English (GSE)

Smart Lesson Generator is aligned to the Global Scale of English (GSE). This powerful scale, ranging from 10 to 90, is aligned with the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) and provides detailed learning objectives for each proficiency level. ÌýThe GSE ensures that the content generated by the Smart Lesson Generator is appropriately levelled.

Think of the GSE as a precise filter. It meticulously checks every piece of content to ensure it meets high standards. This means that the activities created are challenging yet achievable for students. With the GSE powering the Smart Lesson Generator, teachers can confidently deliver lessons that match their students' skill levels and help them progress.

Supporting English language teachers into the future with AI

The Smart Lesson Generator helps teachers create high-quality activities quickly, which allows them to spend more time focusing on their students. The tool also helps teachers develop personalized learning paths that enhance student progress and engagement, and is continually updated with input from ɫèAV's experts and teachers worldwide. All this means that you can confidently plan lessons, knowing that the Smart Lesson Generator is your reliable partner in your quest to nurture the minds of tomorrow.

Read the posts 'Maximise teaching time with Smart Lesson Generator'Ìýand 'Reasons to use Smart Lesson Generator'.

Learn more about the Smart Lesson Generator

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    • Use as a second or foreign language: This considers the number of people who speak a language as a second language or foreign language. Languages that are widely taught and learned around the world tend to have a larger speaking population.

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    Top 10 most spoken languages in the world

    Here’s a closer look at the ten most spoken languages by number of speakers:

    When evaluating these languages, it's important to consider not just the number of native speakers but also the total number of language speakers, including those who speak it as a second language.

    1. English

    Speakers: Approximately 1.5 billion

    Native speakers: Around 360 million

    Regions: Widely spoken in the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania.

    Highlights: English is the most widely spoken language worldwide when combining native and non-native speakers. It's the primary language in countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. English is the dominant language in international business, science and technology.

    2. Mandarin Chinese

    Speakers: Over 1.1 billion

    Native speakers: About 920 million

    Regions: Mainly in China, Taiwan and Singapore

    Highlights: Mandarin is the language with the largest number of native speakers. It's one of the six official languages of the United Nations and has a significant cultural and historical importance.

    3. Hindi

    Speakers: Around 600 million

    Native speakers: Approximately 341 million

    Regions: Predominantly in India and Nepal

    Highlights: Hindi is predominantly spoken in India and Nepal, with approximately 341 million native speakers. It is one of the official languages of India and is spoken by a large portion of the Indian population. It has numerous dialects and is written in the Devanagari script.

    4. Spanish

    Speakers: Approximately 560 million

    Native speakers: About 460 million

    Regions: Spain, Latin America and parts of the United States

    Highlights: Spanish is the official language in 21 countries and is widely spoken in the Americas. In many of these countries, Spanish serves as the national language, playing a crucial role in government, education and media. It’s known for its rich literature and cultural heritage.

    5. French

    Speakers: Around 280 million

    Native speakers: About 77 million

    Regions: France, parts of Africa, Canada, Belgium and Switzerland

    Highlights: French is another of the six official languages of the United Nations. It's widely used in international diplomacy and has a significant number of speakers in Africa due to France's colonial history.

    6. Arabic

    Speakers: Approximately 270 million

    Native speakers: Around 310 million

    Regions: Middle East and North Africa

    Highlights: Arabic is a central Semitic language that is the liturgical language of Islam. It has many dialects, with Modern Standard Arabic being used in formal settings and media. Arabic has numerous spoken forms, with significant variations in dialects across different regions.

    7. Bengali

    Speakers: Around 265 million

    Native speakers: About 230 million

    Regions: Bangladesh and parts of India

    Highlights: Bengali is the official language of Bangladesh and the second most spoken language in India. Alongside other languages like Hindi and Urdu, Bengali plays a crucial role in the cultural and linguistic landscape of the region. It’s known for its rich literary tradition.

    8. Portuguese

    Speakers: Approximately 220 million

    Native speakers: Around 220 million

    Regions: Brazil, Portugal and parts of Africa

    Highlights: Portuguese is mainly spoken in Brazil, which is the largest Portuguese-speaking country. It has a growing number of speakers in Africa.

    9. Russian

    Speakers: Around 258 million

    Native speakers: Approximately 154 million

    Regions: Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia

    Highlights: Russian is one of the six official languages of the United Nations and is widely spoken in the former Soviet Union countries.

    10. Japanese

    Speakers: Approximately 128 million

    Native speakers: Around 128 million

    Regions: Japan

    Highlights: Japanese is predominantly spoken in Japan and is known for its three writing systems—Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji. It has a rich cultural history and is influential in technology and entertainment.

    Conclusion

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