Creative ways to praise your students 💪🏻😊

Meaningful praise can boost self-esteem, spark joy, and fuel a student’s motivation to grow.
As English teachers, we have a variety of phrases to uplift and encourage our students 👏

Here’s a list of fun and effective ways to show appreciation for their progress:

⭐ Well done!
✔️ Great job!
➡️ You nailed it!
✨ That’s impressive!
⬆️ Keep it going!
🔥 You’re on a roll!
❤️ Love the effort!
🌟 Brilliant work!
👏 Amazing!
💯 Super impressive!
✅ You’re improving every day!
💪 I’m proud of how far you’ve come.
☀️ Your progress is shining through.
✅ You’re getting the hang of this!
⚡ Your hard work shows!

What are your go-to phrases when praising your students?
Let’s inspire each other! 🤩

Вриваємось у тренди!
Ми вирішили згенерувати викладача Yappi за допомогою ШІ — і ось вона:
стильна, відкрита, з кавою в одній руці і laptop з новим уроком — в іншій. І завжди з фразою “no stress, we’ll figure it out!” 😌

Бо викладання — це не лише про граматику й лексику. Це ще й про стиль, настрій, вайб, який ми передаємо учням щодня 🧡

Трошки креативу — і навіть звичайний день перетворюється на подію 😊

Бути викладачем — це теж мистецтво 🎭

Easter warm-up idea 🐣

Want a quick, meaningful way to bring some Easter energy into your lesson this week?

🐣 Activity: Easter Idioms & Expressions

📚 Idioms to introduce:
🥚 No spring chicken – someone who’s not young anymore
🥚 To put all your eggs in one basket – to risk everything on one plan
🥚 To egg someone on – to encourage someone to do something (often risky)
🥚 A good egg – a kind, reliable person
🥚 Walking on eggshells – being overly careful not to upset someone

🧠 Main steps (10–15 min):
1️⃣ Quick match-Up (3–5 min)
Students match idioms to their meanings in pairs or small groups.

2️⃣ Mini-dialogues or examples (5–8 min)
Each pair picks one idiom and creates a super short dialogue or sentence using it.

3️⃣ Share some findings (2–3 min)
Have a few students read theirs aloud. Vote for:
✔️ Funniest
✔️ Most natural
✔️ Most creative

💡 Why it’s a hit:
✔️ Light & engaging
✔️ Builds seasonal vocabulary
✔️ Perfect for a smooth class start

Save this activity and use it in your lessons 🤩

Чи помічали ви, як ваші студенти (а можливо, і ви самі?) часто вставляють у мовлення слова на кшталт «like», «OK», «so», «you know»?

Якщо вам теж знайоме це відчуття — ця ☑️СТАТТЯ може стати корисною знахідкою.

У ній детально розглядається:
• Чому ми (та наші учні) так часто вживаємо слова-паразити;
• Як вони впливають на ясність і плавність мовлення;
• Чим їх можна замінити, щоб звучати впевненіше та природніше.

Рекомендуємо до прочитання як викладачам, так і студентам!
Ось посилання 👉🧡 Слова-паразити в англійській

How to deliver a successful demo lesson

Demo lessons are not just a formality — they’re an opportunity to showcase your teaching style, connect with students, and prove your value 🤩
Here’s what the Yappi Team 🧡recommends to deliver a confident, effective class:

🧭 Plan with structure.
Have clear stages: warm-up, target language, practice, and feedback. Timing matters.

🗣 Prioritize student-talking time.
Let students speak at least 70% of the time — you’re the facilitator, not the lecturer.

💬 Use real-life tasks.
Choose activities that reflect your learners’ needs — especially in business contexts.

🔄 Stay flexible.
Tech issues? Unexpected questions? Stay calm and adapt — it shows professionalism.

✅ Give constructive feedback.
Correct gently, encourage progress, and keep it student-focused.

🌟 Bring confident, positive energy.
Your attitude sets the tone. Be relaxed, clear, and engaged.

👉 A great demo isn’t about being perfect — it’s about connection, clarity, and creating space for students to shine.

Tag ❤️ if you find it useful

When you open ChatGPT to prep a Business English task…
But five minutes later you’re questioning your life goals, career choices, and the meaning of success 😅

You: “What are we meant to do in this life?”
ChatGPT: Let’s explore that in Present Perfect Continuous.

What’s the strangest thing ChatGPT has helped you process while planning a lesson?

5 effective ways to revise vocabulary

Want your students to actually remember the vocabulary you teach? 😊
Here are 5 engaging techniques to make vocabulary stick — and make learning fun!

1️⃣ Flashcards & Visuals
🃏 + 🖼️ = memory magic!
Use flashcards (physical or digital like Quizlet) with visuals to boost recall. Try games like “What’s missing?” or “Odd one out” for a twist!

2️⃣ Context & Storytelling
📖 Words come alive in stories.
Get students to create short stories, role-plays, or real-life dialogues using new words. It helps them see the why behind the vocabulary.

3️⃣ Games & Interactive Activities
🎲 Learning = playtime!
Incorporate Taboo, Pictionary, Bingo, or Kahoot into your lessons. These games add movement, excitement, and repetition without the boredom.

4️⃣ Recycling & Spaced Repetition
🔁 Don’t teach and forget.
Bring old vocabulary back regularly through warm-ups, exit tickets, or creative writing prompts. Repetition over time = retention for life!

5️⃣ Personalisation
🧠 + ❤️ = long-term memory.
Encourage students to make vocabulary theirs. Let them create personal connections, vocabulary journals, and examples from their own lives.

Teaching listening🎧✨

Listening isn’t just pressing play and hoping for the best! It’s a skill that needs structure, strategy, and practice.
Here’s a solid framework to level up your lessons:

🔹 Pre-Listening – Activate background knowledge, set context, pre-teach key vocab. Think: brain warm-up!
Examples:
• Predict from a picture or title
• Discuss guiding questions
• Pre-teach tricky vocabulary

🔹 While-Listening – Guide learners with clear tasks: listen for gist, details, or attitude. Training ears, not testing memory!
Examples:
• Tick items you hear ✅
• Match speakers to statements
• True/False or Multiple Choice

🔹 Post-Listening – Reflect, discuss, create! Make the input meaningful.
Examples:
• Summarize in pairs
• Share opinions
• Role-play based on the audio

Make listening active, purposeful, and fun! 😄🙌🏻

Якщо Віталік Козловський впорався…
то, можливо, й ти колись побачиш обличчя всіх студентів на Zoom-уроці 😅

Або провести урок, коли всі камери вимкнені, а тиша така, що чутно, як скролить хтось TikTok 📱

Але ми все одно викладаємо, з прикладами, жартами і надією, що студенти слухають!
І ми тримаємось. Бо ми — викладачі 👩🏻‍🏫
Нас не зламає ні тиша в чаті, ні чорні квадрати на екрані 💪🏻

Пиши в коментарях, скільки камер було ввімкнено сьогодні у тебе — рахуватимемо “рекорди” разом! 😊

Сьогодні команда Yappi святкує День вишиванки!

👕🌸 Ми одягнули наші найкрасивіші вишиванки, щоб показати любов до українських традицій, повагу до культури та єдність.
✨ Для нас вишиванка — це не просто одяг. Це символ сили, пам’яті та ідентичності.

We’re proud to share this day with our English community!
Culture and language go hand in hand — and today we wear our identity with pride. 💙💛

Let this be a reminder that in every class, we not only teach grammar and vocabulary, but also share values, spirit, and stories that matter. 😊

Happy Vyshyvanka Day from Yappi Team! 🧡

How to assess speaking effectively and fairly?
Let’s break it down into something practical and teacher-friendly 💬✨

🎯 Top 5 speaking criteria every teacher should use:

1️⃣ Fluency – Is the student able to speak smoothly without too much hesitation? Are they speaking at a natural pace?

2️⃣ Accuracy – Are their grammar and word choices mostly correct? Are mistakes frequent or occasional?

3️⃣ Range – Do they stick to simple structures, or do they attempt more complex grammar and varied vocabulary?

4️⃣ Pronunciation – Is their speech clear and understandable? Are there issues with sounds, stress, or intonation?

5️⃣ Coherence – Are their ideas well-organized? Do they use linking words like however, first of all, in my opinion?

🎙️ Great speaking tasks to use:
📌 Picture description or storytelling
📌Role-plays (e.g., at the airport, in a meeting)
📌Opinion-based questions
📌Short presentations on familiar topics
📌Problem-solving or debate activities

📊 Pro Tip: Use a 1–5 scale per criterion to make feedback specific and trackable.

💡 Extra tips:
✨ Record students for progress tracking (and fun reflection!)
✨ Encourage peer & self-assessment — it builds confidence
✨ Give actionable feedback: “Next time, try using more linking phrases” or “You used great vocabulary today!”

What’s your go-to speaking activity?
Share it in the comments!

🎬 Коли студент каже: “Мені ця граматика не потрібна”
А ти вже бачиш, як на горизонті злітає Bird of Pray 🕊️🎤

Цей момент, коли ми — викладачі — розуміємо:
🧠 Знання не зайві
💬 “Розумію, але не можу сказати” — не рівень
⚠️ І рано чи пізно, пташка таки “зайде” 🐦

👩‍🏫 У кого ще траплявся цей класичний сюжетний поворот у кар’єрі викладача?

Діліться своїми історіями — разом смішніше (і трохи терапевтичніше) 😅

Do you want your students to speak more clearly and confidently? 🗣️

Teach them shadowing — a technique where they repeat what they hear in real time, mimicking native speakers.

It improves:
✅ Pronunciation
✅ Rhythm & intonation
✅ Listening skills
✅ Speaking confidence

🛠️ How to do it:
1. Choose audio (1–2 mins): podcast, TED Talk, or a YouTube clip
2. Listen once without speaking
3. Repeat with transcript — copy tone, stress & speed
4. Repeat without transcript — echo naturally
5. Record their version and compare it to the original
6. Practice daily — just 10–15 mins makes a big difference!

💡 Teacher tips:
🔹 Start with slower, clear speech
🔹 Focus on chunks, not individual words
🔹 Encourage emotion and tone copying
🔹 Use content they enjoy (TV scenes, movie quotes, dialogues)

Shadowing turns passive listening into active fluency training.
Try it in class or assign it as homework! 📚

💻 ONLINE MEETINGS: TECHNICAL ISSUES — готова ідея для інтерактивного заняття з бізнес-англійської!
Шукаєте актуальну тему з практичною лексикою?
Цей урок — саме те, що потрібно!

🔍 Студенти дізнаються:
🎯 Як англійською сказати “у мене завис екран”?
🎧 Що відповісти, якщо не почув запитання?
📡 Як ввічливо пояснити проблеми з інтернетом?

🧩 Урок включає:
— реальні сценарії з онлайн-зустрічей
— активну лексику (mute, unmute, share, freeze, join, leave)
— вправи на відпрацювання мови та діалоги
— цікавинки про онлайн-етикет у різних країнах

✨ Плюс інтерактив: “Guess the false fact” — завжди оживляє дискусію!

🎓 Підійде для рівнів B1+ і вище. Ідеально для корпоративних студентів, або фахівців у міжнародному середовищі.

👉 Пройти урок

🌞 3 low-prep activities for summer 🌴
Looking to keep your students engaged during warmer days and lighter summer schedules? ☀️

These quick, effective activities bring sun and smiles to any classroom — minimal prep, maximum speaking! 😎

🌴 1. Would you rather: Summer Edition
📍Level: B1–C1
🗣️ Skills: Speaking, fluency, conditionals

🧩 How to do it:
- Ask fun “Would you rather…?” questions like:
“Would you rather swim in the ocean or hike in the mountains?”
- Have students explain their choices in pairs or small groups.
🎁 Bonus: Get them to create their own questions!
👉 Great for sparking discussion and practicing second conditionals.

🍦 2. Summer bucket list: Writing task
📍Level: A2–B2
✍️ Skills: Writing, future forms

🧩 How to do it:
- Students write 5–7 things they want to do this summer.
- Use structures like:
“I’m going to…”, “I might…”, “I hope to…”
- Share in pairs or turn into a short paragraph or “vision board.”
👉 Perfect for goal-setting and future forms review!

🌞 3. Summer Idioms
📍Level: B1–C1
🧠 Skills: Vocabulary, figurative language, real-life English

🧩 How to do it:
- Teach 5–7 summer-related idioms:
“Dog days of summer,” “catch some rays,” “hot under the collar,” etc.
- Match idioms to meanings, complete-the-sentence games, or act them out!
🎁Bonus: Have students create memes, comic strips, or short dialogues.
👉 Great for boosting vocabulary and cultural fluency.

📌 Save this post for your next sunny lesson!

Free online tool: Visuwords

Tired of boring word lists? 🥱 Bring vocabulary to life with Visuwords — a free, interactive tool that helps students see how language connects! 🧠✨

🔍 What is it?
Visuwords is a visual dictionary + thesaurus where words come alive in colorful mind maps.
Students can explore:
🔁 Synonyms & antonyms
🧩 Word types (nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc.)
🗣 How words are used in context

💡 Why teachers love It:
✅ Boosts vocabulary retention
✅ Encourages independent learning
✅ Great for visual learners
✅ Helps students “think in English”

👩‍🏫 How to use it in class:
🖥 Show a new word on Visuwords at the start of a lesson
📝 Let students explore 1–2 words for homework
🎯 Use it during writing tasks to find stronger word choices
🧠 Challenge advanced learners to explain the web of connections

🔗 Try it out: www.visuwords.com

🧠 The one thing I wish I knew when I started teaching…

When I was a new teacher, I believed I needed to:
💯 Plan perfect lessons
🗣 Talk all the time to "keep it flowing"
🧾 Stick to the plan, no matter what
🎯 Focus on grammar over connection
❌ Correct every single mistake in class

But here’s what I wish someone had told me:

💡 Connection > Perfection
The magic doesn’t come from perfect lesson plans. It comes from:
✨ Listening to students more than speaking at them
✨ Creating a safe space to try, fail, and try again
✨ Letting silence be okay — learning takes time
✨ Being flexible and human — even mid-lesson
✨ Sharing a laugh, a story, or a cultural moment

What I’ve learned:
✅ It’s OK to change the plan when students need something else.
✅ You don’t have to know it all. Be curious with your learners, not above them.
✅ Teaching is a conversation, not a performance.

🌱 If I could go back and tell my first-year self one thing, it would be:
👉 “You’re allowed to grow. So are your lessons.”

💬 What do YOU wish you knew when you started teaching?