Goal setting: A path to achieving team fluency

Samantha Ball
Office works stood in a cubicle and in a hallway talking

Reading time: 5 minutes

We know businesses that invest in skills development are more likely to retain top talent, and see many other benefits as well. Upskilling your team's English proficiency can have a transformative effect on the business, leading to new opportunities, growth, and a more engaged workforce. However, implementing a corporate language learning program can be challenging. Using traditional goal-setting frameworks can support you and your team on this journey. Here's how:

Goal setting: A path to achieving team fluency
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Popular goal setting frameworks for businesses

There are several approaches one can take to help with this:

3X3X3 model

ensures that goals are set over manageable three-month periods, fostering a steady progression.

SMART goals

With their specificity, measurability, achievability, relevance, and time-bound nature, SMART goals provide a framework that aligns individual efforts with broader organizational objectives.

PACT goal framework

?the PACT goal framework, championed by the National Society of Leadership and Success, offers an alternative perspective.

Regardless of the chosen model, it is imperative to communicate it effectively across the team. Consistency in the implementation of goal-setting practices ensures that everyone is on the same page, reducing ambiguity and enhancing the overall effectiveness of the language learning process.

Utilize digital tools and technology

Your employees have a lot on their plate, which means that any language training program should be designed to be easily accessible and engaging. Technology has significantly improved skill development in modern times (not just language learning), allowing organizations to really nurture their employee’s development.

There are numerous online language training apps and software available that provide dynamic and interactive approaches to help employees achieve their language goals. Choosing user-friendly platforms that cater to different learning styles can ensure broader adoption and engagement.

Mondly by 蜜桃app, for example, is a flexible language-learning solution designed to facilitate self-led learning within easily digestible modules. It can be a cornerstone for organizations looking to set and achieve learning goals. The adaptability of Mondly by 蜜桃app enables employees to progress at their own pace, providing a personalized learning experience that aligns with their individual language proficiency goals.

Monitor and evaluate your teams’ language skills often

When learning any language, the journey is just as important as the destination. Continuous monitoring and evaluation ensure that learning objectives are not static but adapt to the evolving needs of the individual and the organization. To fast-track your employees' English progress, use the Global Scale of English (GSE). The GSE allows you to monitor your team's developing English language skills on one simple, numerical scale, from entry-level to expert.

This multifaceted approach to measurement allows managers and employees alike to gain a comprehensive understanding of their English language proficiency, fostering a culture of improvement and development.

Another tool to add to your repertoire is Versant by 蜜桃app, a robust English assessment tool that is instrumental in understanding the current language skill levels of your employees. This information serves as a baseline for setting realistic yet challenging goals.

Celebrate your team’s achievements

Recognition and celebration of achievements act as powerful motivators. If a goal is achieved but not acknowledged, the impact may diminish, and motivation can wane. Therefore, incorporating a culture of celebration within the organization is essential. This can take various forms, from verbal recognition in team meetings to tangible rewards such as certificates, performance-based bonuses, or even more competitive features like leaderboards (which Mondly by 蜜桃app uses).

It is important for organizations to record the achievements of their employees in language learning as it not only boosts morale but also provides a valuable source of feedback. By acknowledging and celebrating the successes of their employees, organizations reinforce the significance of learning a language and create a positive feedback loop that encourages employees to set new goals and continue progressing their language proficiency.

Growth and success in the workplace

As organizations become empowered by the integration of goal-setting into their language-learning initiatives, they are embarking on and expediting their journey of continuous growth and success. By integrating technology, continuous monitoring, and praise in your organization's goal setting, you can create a comprehensive approach to language learning. This approach enhances language skills and has a positive impact on the business as a whole.

The result is a workforce that is not only proficient in English but is also confident, collaborative, and highly productive. As we move through 2024, organizations that prioritize progress-based learning are poised to thrive in an environment where effective communication is the key to unlocking unparalleled success.

Find out more about creating a culture of learning English in the workplace and the transformative power of language learning for businesses in this article – Creating a culture of learning.

Explore more in our blog post 'Why your performance management strategy needs language learning'.

See our language workplace solutions here

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    Embracing the future: Teaching in the age of AI

    提交者 Thomas Gardner
    Reading time: 4 minutes

    With the continuous evolution of AI tools, it has become more critical to incorporate AI into our teaching practices. AI has the transformative power to improve our teaching methods, tailor learning experiences, and increase student engagement.

    To give you a taste of our webinar 'Teaching in the age of AI: 7 tips for preparing for an educational evolution'. We'll cover seven tips designed to prepare you for an educational evolution with AI.

    1. Choosing your AI path

    The first step in integrating AI into your teaching practice is deciding your approach. Are you an AI methodologist who practices based on theory or an AI experimentalist who develops theory based on practice? Both paths are valid, but it's crucial to choose one to avoid inertia. Understanding AI's basics and experimenting with different tools will help you find your footing.

    2. Becoming friends with AI

    AI should be seen as a thought partner and assistant, not a replacement. Use AI to enhance your creativity and efficiency. For example, if you're stuck on creating a warm-up activity, ask AI for ideas. Treat AI as a helpful assistant to handle tasks you find time-consuming or less enjoyable, allowing you to focus on what you love about teaching.

    3. Developing empathy for AI

    Understanding AI's capabilities and limitations is essential. AI learns from the data we provide, so it's crucial to feed it accurate and relevant information. Developing empathy for AI means understanding how it processes information and how to give clear instructions to get the best results.

    4. Using AI for comprehensive coverage

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    • Meaning-focused input: Generate reading passages and listening activities.
    • Meaning-focused output: Create speaking and writing tasks.
    • Language-focused learning: Develop vocabulary lists, grammar exercises, and pronunciation activities.
    • Fluency development: Design repetitive practice tasks to build automaticity in language use.

    5. Transforming teaching practices

    Move beyond simple substitution and augmentation of tasks with AI. Aim for modification and redefinition of your teaching methods. For instance, use AI to create interactive and personalized learning experiences that were previously unimaginable.

    6. Adopting AI pedagogy

    AI offers new teaching possibilities that break away from traditional constraints. Embrace these opportunities to redefine your pedagogy. Think about what is now possible with AI that wasn't before and how you can leverage these capabilities to enhance learning.

    7. Creating formative assessments

    Use AI to develop formative assessments that provide continuous feedback. These assessments should help students understand their progress and guide you in improving your teaching strategies. AI can generate rubrics, provide instant feedback, and help track student performance over time.

    Practical tips and challenges

    To help you integrate AI into your teaching practice, here are some practical tips and challenges:

    1. Experiment with AI tools: Find tools for creating text, audio, images, and video. Create activities using these tools to see how they can enhance your lessons.

    2. Develop custom AI applications: Create custom GPTs for specific tasks, such as generating rubrics or formative assessments.

    3. Engage students with AI: Design activities where students use AI to generate content, evaluate AI-generated work, and reflect on their learning process.

    4. Focus on formative feedback: Use AI to provide continuous, formative feedback to students, helping them understand their strengths and areas for improvement.

    Embrace AI and its challenges

    Integrating AI into your teaching practice is not just about using new tools; it's about transforming your approach to education. By embracing AI, you can create more engaging, personalized, and effective learning experiences for your students. As you embark on this journey, remember that the goal is to enhance your teaching, not replace it. Embrace the challenges, experiment with new ideas, and let AI help you become the best educator you can be.

    Watch our webinar

    Ready to dive deeper into the world of AI in education? Watch our webinar, 'Teaching in the Age of AI: 7 Tips for Preparing for an Educational Evolution'. Discover how AI can augment teaching, personalize learning, and boost engagement. Delve into the AI-first pedagogy, ethical considerations and practical strategies to make your classroom more effective, engaging, and innovative.

  • A woman/teacher teaching her students in the classroom.

    Top tips for writing a winning English Teacher Awards 2024 nomination

    提交者 Thomas Gardner
    Reading time: 3 minutes

    We are celebrating teaching excellence around the world through the 蜜桃app English Teacher Awards 2024.?

    Open to all types of English language educator, the 15 lucky global winners will take home thousands of pounds of prizes, from trips to conferences to the latest language learning software for their school.?

    Nominating an educator for the 蜜桃app English Teacher Awards is simple. All applications are made via the awards entry page, and you have 600-1000 words to tell us how your nominee builds learners’ confidence to be themselves in English.?

    Here are our top tips to make the most of every word and ensure your entry is top of the class.?

    Application tips

    1. Make it category specific?

    One of the core judging criteria is how well an application matches the category description.?

    Educators can be nominated in one of five different categories:?

    1. Teaching Young Minds English
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    3. Cultivating Lifelong Learners in English?
    4. Innovation in English Language Teaching?
    5. Rising Stars of English Language Teaching?

    Tailoring your answer to the category description will make sure our judges understand exactly why your nominee is the perfect winner.?

    For a detailed description of each of the categories, take a look at our recent blog post.

    2. Focus on confidence

    Learning a language isn’t just about knowing the vocabulary or understanding the grammar; it’s about having the confidence to go out there and use your newfound skills to unlock a world of opportunities.?

    But feeling confident in something you’re still learning is hard. Anyone that’s learnt a language has experienced those dips in motivation and confidence when you come across a topic that doesn’t come naturally to you.?

    That’s where a great teacher can make all the difference. The right support and encouragement combined with innovative teaching techniques can help learners protect and even build their confidence in challenging moments.?

    That confidence is what transforms language learning from just communicating to feeling able to really be yourself in English. And when you’re able to do that, great opportunities come your way.?

    Our judges are looking for nominations that understand the connection between confidence and self-expression and the impact that can have on learners’ lives.?

    3. Demonstrate your impact

    Including relevant data and examples in your application will help judges understand the impact your nominee has had.?

    This might include data such as internal or external test results, as well as how those results have changed during that teacher’s tenure.?

    Evidence doesn’t have to mean numbers. Judges also welcome anecdotes and examples that describe the impact an educator has had on learners’ confidence.?

    The judging process

    Nominations can be submitted between 15th August and midnight (CST) on 1st November 2024.?

    After that date, all entries will be reviewed and a shortlist submitted to our expert judges.?

    There are two to three judges for each category who will independently review and shortlist nominees before collectively awarding a Gold, Silver, and Bronze winner in their category.?

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    From Argentina to Algeria, Italy to Germany, 蜜桃app English Teacher Award 2024 judges come from all over the world.?

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    • Belgin Elmas: Head of the English Language Teaching Department at TED University in Ankara, Belgin is a professor with more than 34 years of teaching experience.?
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    With a Gold, Silver, and Bronze winner in each of the five categories, there are 15 chances for educators and their schools to win.?

    Gold winners will receive a trip to a regional professional conference, including flight and hotel, as well as up to ?500 in credit for professional development.?

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    Embracing AI for the new school year

    提交者 Thomas Gardner
    Reading time: 2 minutes

    Back-to-school season is the perfect time to introduce something new into your teaching toolkit. With advancements in technology, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly important for educators to incorporate into their workflow and beneficial for students. Here are some practical ways AI can enhance your classroom experience this new school year.

    AI saves valuable time

    One of the biggest challenges teachers face is finding the time to plan and create engaging lessons. AI can maximize your time by generating word sets, images and activities. Imagine having a virtual assistant that can suggest fresh ideas for your lessons, create tailored resources and even develop entire lesson plans. By automating these time-consuming tasks, AI allows you to focus more on teaching and interacting with your students.

    How AI can help

    • Lesson planning: Generate detailed lesson plans and activities.
    • Lesson inspiration: Get new and creative ideas for classroom activities.
    • Resource creation: Develop word sets, images and other teaching materials.

    As you prepare for the upcoming school year, consider how integrating AI tools can elevate your teaching practice, making your lessons more engaging while freeing up precious time for interactions with your students.

    Personalized learning and targeted feedback

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    Benefits of AI in personalization

    • Personalized lessons: Adapt lessons to suit individual learning styles.
    • Targeted feedback: Provide specific feedback to help students improve.

    Creating an inclusive classroom

    ?AI can play an important role in creating an inclusive classroom environment. AI can generate visuals, audio, videos and text, or a combination of all four, catering to different learning preferences. This ensures that all learners, regardless of their learning styles or abilities, have access to the same educational content.

    AI in inclusion

    • Multimodal content: Use various formats to cater to different learning preferences.
    • Accessibility: Ensure that all students can engage with the material.

    Supporting independent learning

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    AI tools for self-study

    • Independent learning: Foster a culture of self-directed learning.
    • Self-study resources: Provide tools and platforms for students to use at home.

    Integrating AI into your teaching practice can revolutionize the way you educate and engage with your students. From saving time on lesson planning to creating an inclusive classroom and supporting independent learning, the benefits are significant.

    Want more AI tips and tricks for the classroom? Join us on the page for the next video in our series.