English Teacher Awards 2024: Understanding the categories

Thomas Gardner
A smiley woman and one of her friends/students working in a cafe.
Reading time: 4 minutes

Teachers shape every aspect of our learning experience, especially when it comes to language learning. Great teachers give learners not only the skills but the confidence to go out in the world, start speaking up and discovering new opportunities.

We’re celebrating those exceptional educators with the app English Teacher Awards 2024.

With five different categories and a Gold, Silver and Bronze winner in each, there are 15 chances to take home thousands of pounds worth of top prizes for the winning teachers and their schools.

Find out more about who can enter and the different categories in this article.

Teacher Awards 2024
Play
Privacy and cookies

By watching, you agree app can share your viewership data for marketing and analytics for one year, revocable by deleting your cookies.

The 5 award categories

The app English Teacher Awards celebrate educators across five different categories, and closely tailoring your application to the category description is a great way to stand out to the judges.

Teachers can only be nominated for one category, so take a look at the five categories below to find out which is the best fit for your nominee.

1. Teaching Young Minds English

Those very first experiences of learning English can shape a love of language that lasts a lifetime.

This category is for primary educators who’ve set young learners up for long-term success in English through their nurturing, engaging approach.

From fun-filled lessons to creative ways to give young learners opportunities to use their new skills, we want to hear about the educators that have filled children with the confidence to get their language learning journey off to a great start.

2. Empowering Teen Confidence in English

Filled with exams, competing priorities and big decisions, the teenage years can be a make-or-break moment for language learning and the future paths it unlocks.

Making progress with a language rests on feeling confident enough to put skills into practice, which can be difficult for all learners and especially for teenagers.

This category recognizes dedicated teachers who’ve helped teen learners maintain their engagement and commitment to learning English. We’re looking for teachers who have helped teenagers build the confidence they need to speak up and start to discover the joy of being themselves in English.

3. Cultivating Lifelong Learners in English

Learning English as an adult comes with its own unique set of motivations and challenges. Learners are often balancing a whole range of competing responsibilities, with high-stakes opportunities, like studying or employment, that rely on language proficiency.

This category celebrates educators who enable and inspire adult learners with their empathetic, innovative approach, giving them the confidence to learn, perform at their best and unlock new opportunities by learning English.

4. Innovation in English Language Teaching

Teaching is a dynamic discipline that changes with every year, every class and every learner.

Sometimes, it means finding a completely new way to help learners understand and connect with a subject.

This category celebrates those who are always striving to bring the best new technology and techniques to teaching English. We’re looking for educators who have challenged traditional practices, implemented innovative teaching methods and inspired change in the way English is taught.

5. Rising Stars of English Language Teaching

Teaching is a journey, just like learning English. This category recognizes those with less than three years of experience at the very start of their English language teaching career.

We’re looking for educators who’ve arrived in the classroom with a whole host of creative ideas and techniques for building learners' confidence.

Winners in this category will already be leading the way at their school when it comes to shaping the way English is taught and giving learners that “I can do it” confidence.

How to enter

Once you’ve decided on the right category, it’s time to start your nomination.

All applications are online via the English Teacher Awards entry pageand there’s just one question to answer:

How do you/your teacher/your colleague build learners’ confidence to be themselves in English?

The deadline for nominations is midnight (CST) on 1st November.

Your nominee will receive an automated email letting them know they’ve been nominated. Our team will contact them again if they’re shortlisted as a winner ahead of the online awards ceremony in November 2024.

More blogs from app

  • Understand your English level

    By Sam Colley
    Reading time: 4 minutes

    Learning English as a second language is a journey that can be fun and tough. A key part of this journey is knowing your current skill level. The Global Scale of English (GSE) helps learners check their skills. The GSE is a scale from 10 to 90 that measures English ability. It gives clear information about what learners can do at each level. In this blog, we’ll look at how to find out your English level using GSE scores, levels, and "I can..." statements.

    Why understanding your English level matters

    You may wonder, ‘Why is it important for me to know my language level’? If you start studying without knowing your skill level, you might feel overwhelmed, frustrated, or find learning too easy and be put off or not make any learning progress.
    Knowing your English level helps you in many ways, such as to:

    1. Set realistic goals: Tailor your learning objectives to your current abilities.
    2. Choose appropriate materials: Select books, courses, and resources that match your proficiency.
    3. Track progress: Measure improvement over time and stay motivated.

    GSE levels and what they mean

    The GSE levels range from Starter to Expert, each with specific "I can..." statements that describe what you should be able to do at that level. Here’s a breakdown of each level, along with some practical examples:

  • Teacher and primary school students colouring

    Planning effective ESL lessons for the upcoming year: Tips and ideas for teachers

    By Sam Colley
    Reading time: 4 minutes

    As the new year approaches, it's the perfect time to reflect on our teaching practices and plan engaging, effective lessons for our English as a Second Language (ESL) students. Thoughtfully crafted lesson plans can make a significant difference in the learning outcomes and engagement levels of your students. Whether you're teaching young children, teenagers, or adults, the principles of effective lesson planning remain consistent. Here are some ideas, hints and tips to help you create dynamic and successful ESL lessons for students of all ages.

    Start with clear learning objectives

    Begin each lesson with clear, achievable objectives. What do you want your students to learn by the end of the lesson? Objectives provide a roadmap for both you and your students, ensuring that everyone is focused and aware of the goals. For example, an objective might be "Students will be able to use past tense verbs to describe their weekend activities." Clear objectives provide direction and help you measure student progress.

    Incorporate a variety of activities

    To cater to different learning styles and keep students engaged, incorporate a mix of teaching methods and activities. Here are a few ideas:

    • Listening: Use audio recordings, songs, or podcasts to improve listening skills.
    • Speaking: Organize pair or group discussions, role-plays, or presentations to enhance speaking abilities.
    • Reading: Provide a variety of texts such as articles, short stories, or dialogues.
    • Writing: Assign tasks like journal entries, essays, or creative writing exercises.
    • Homework activities: For something outside of the classroom, a nature walk or a recipe can be used to help learn specific vocabulary.

    Use authentic materials

    Authentic materials—such as newspapers, menus, brochures and videos—expose students to real-world language and contexts. These materials can make lessons more interesting and relevant, helping students see the practical application of their language skills. Even better, they’re everywhere, so easy to find. Here are some more suggestions for how to select and use authentic materials in your English language teaching.

    Integrate technology

    Teachers are already used to leveraging technology to enhance lessons utilizing online resources, language learning apps and interactive platforms to create a dynamic learning environment. Why not take this a step further by using AI to create your own resources. Take a look at our blog on How to make the most of AI in the classroom for some more ideas.

  • English is the language of AI - why teaching it matters

    By Sam Colley
    Reading time: 3 minutes

    In the rapidly evolving age of artificial intelligence (AI), language plays a critical role in shaping the future of technology. English, in particular, has emerged as the dominant language in the AI domain, driving innovations, collaboration and accessibility. As we delve deeper into the digital age, the importance of teaching English becomes increasingly evident. Here are some key points that underscore why English is essential in the realm of AI and why its teaching matters.

    Global collaboration and research

    AI is a field that thrives on collaboration and the sharing of knowledge. Researchers, developers and engineers worldwide contribute to the collective advancement of AI technologies. English is the common linguistic thread that binds this global community together, enabling seamless communication and collaboration among these diverse professionals.

    By teaching English, we empower individuals from various linguistic backgrounds to participate in global research projects, attend international conferences and publish their findings in widely accessible journals. This global exchange of ideas not only accelerates the pace of AI innovation but ensures that advancements are inclusive and representative of a wide array of perspectives.

    Access to educational resources and technical documentation

    Many AI research papers, educational materials, textbooks, online courses and technical documents are published in English. Leading AI platforms, libraries and frameworks, offer extensive documentation and support primarily in English.

    By equipping individuals with English language skills, we empower them to access these invaluable resources. This democratizes the learning process, allowing aspiring AI practitioners from non-English-speaking regions to acquire the knowledge and tools needed to contribute effectively to the field.

    Enhancing communication and language learning with AI systems

    As AI systems become more integrated into our daily lives, the ability to communicate effectively with these systems is paramount. Many AI-driven applications, from virtual assistants like Siri and Alexa to customer service chatbots, operate predominantly in English. Teaching English ensures that users can interact seamlessly with these technologies, maximizing their utility and enhancing user experience.

    Moreover, as continues to advance, proficiency in English allows individuals to better understand and contribute to the development of more sophisticated and intuitive AI communication interfaces.