Tips for your classroom
In this activity, you will refresh some best practices for your classrooms to help the semester proceed as smoothly as possible. Ready?
LET'S GO!
It's the start of the new semester. Meet some of your students:
It’s a new semester and the course is just starting. Meet some of your students!
Yay! I love English. This course is going to be a good challenge for me!
I think I’ve got the level, but I really hope I can get through this course.
I’ll chance it and use AI. What’s the worst that can happen?
Eugh, I’m repeating. Again. So bored of this.
LET'S GET ON WITH THE SEMESTER!
Mission 2
Mission 1
Index
Complete the teaching missions to get the numbers of the key that will allow you to complete this challenge.
Mission 3
Mission 4
Reward
Mission 2
Mission 1
Index
Complete the teaching missions to get the numbers of the key that will allow you to complete this challenge.
Mission 3
Mission 4
Reward
show time!
Some students rely on notes. Some students read. What can you do when you're actually hoping for spontaneous production?
START
Here are some comments that the student has received. How useful are they for him?
Although you have managed to complete the task, your spoken English is difficult to follow due to problems with pronunciation, particularly intonation, rhythm and sentence stress. In addition, you have a noticeable accent and mispronounce a number of words, which also causes strain for the listener.
Overall, your speaking lacks spontaneity and the language you produce sounds like someone reading from a script. As a result, this has affected your marks for each of the criteria for this task.
Your pronunciation is bad and I have to make a tremendous effort to try to understand you. You should not be doing this course.
Your prosodic features only partially support intelligibility, and limited pitch variation reduces expressiveness.
CONTINUE
TOP TIP
QUESTION FOR THE TEACHER
When trying to penalise students for reading, pronunciation is often targeted. Look at the comments. Which are useful and which are not useful for students? Drag and drop the feedback comments to the correct category.
Not useful feedback
Useful feedback
Your intonation is quite flat at the moment, which makes it harder to follow what you’re saying. Focus on using rising and falling pitch to highlight key ideas. Try listening to audiobooks in English and pay attention to the intonation that the reader uses.
Your speaking shows heavy L1 transfer.
There are frequent mispronunciations of words.
Your intonation is very flat.
Some words are mispronounced (e.g., society, anxious). Check out the pronunciation of these in the monolingual English entry in WordReference and practise saying them.
Your first language is influencing your English sounds. For example, the initial H in English is often soft (sounds of English link), as is the R sound (link). Check the rules for -ED endings here. Now practise saying these words: hope, have, really, problem, worked, missed. Then use youglish.com to practice these sounds in sentences.
Your pausing is in the wrong places.
There is no natural chunking in your speech.
question for the teacher
and you're through!
Note that it’s normal for different students to have the same weaknesses. Once you identify a trend, make note of it and address it in your announcements or in dedicated space in the classroom.
You can share tips, resources, anything you do in your face-to-face classes.
Just remember to tell students in their individual feedback where to look for the support they need to keep improving!
NEXT
AWESOME!
THE first NUMBER IS:
Make a note of it. you'll need it later
BACK TO INDEX
Mission 2
Mission 1 ✔
Index
Complete the teaching missions to get the numbers of the key that will allow you to complete this challenge.
Mission 3
Mission 4
Reward
spot the difference
Some students do their own writings. Some students use tools to help them with their writings. Some students use tools to have their writings done for them. Are you confident you can tell them apart?
START
You’ve had some writing submissions come in. Take a look! Are they TGTBT?
Language learning
Learning a language
There are no mistakes in this writing and it is clear and cohesive. But language range is limited at times.
This comes out at a B2 level according to different levelling tools.
NOT TGTBT
The opponents to learning a foreign language might argue that most people do not travel that often outside their own country. In addition to this, out of all the countries in the world, comparatively not many share the same language. Therefore, learning a foreign language will only be useful for the very limited time that one spends in a country where this language is used.
Even though language learning is important, it is not easy to become a master in a language or to start speaking fluently. What is more, it is difficult to keep a lot of new things in your head, especially when you are young. Another thing that is important to mention is that the costs to learn another language are very expensive. Therefore, not everybody can afford it.
There are no mistakes in this writing and it’s a pleasure to read!
This is clearly C2, as confirmed by different levelling tools. TGTBT
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
Title
Title
Write a brief description here
Write a brief description here
CONTINUE
TOP TIP
QUESTION FOR THE TEACHER
Online education offers a level of flexibility that traditional classrooms often cannot match, yet this convenience comes with important challenges. While digital platforms make access to learning easier, meaningful engagement depends largely on the quality of interaction between teachers and students. Without deliberate efforts to foster dialogue and presence, learners may feel isolated despite being constantly connected. For this reason, effective online teaching requires not only technical competence but also a strong commitment to human connection.
CONTINUE
QUESTION FOR THE TEACHER
Online classes can be very useful for learning English. I like studying from home because it saves time and helps me focus better. Sometimes it is hard to feel connected, but the teacher tries to include everyone. We often work in small groups, and this makes speaking easier. Also, clear instructions help me feel more confident. Overall, I think online learning works well when people communicate and support each other.
CONTINUE
QUESTION FOR THE TEACHER
In today's society, many people argue that all national museums and cultural institutions must be free for the public to enter. Others believe just the contrary. That issue is a double-edged sword. Both options seem to have positive and negative aspects.
On the one hand, making all nationals museums free for the public to enter may democratise culture. As a result, people could access it without depending on the money they have. It may help them to open their minds and moreover, it allows them to stay in touch with their own culture, learning about themes like art or history. If I could enter for free, I'm sure I would visit all the museums of my city. It would be amazing!
CONTINUE
QUIZ
and you're through!
There is no single “AI giveaway.” Effective decisions come from noticing patterns, comparing with what you know about the learner, and staying open-minded. Use your professional insight to reach fair conclusions.
NEXT
AWESOME!
THE second NUMBER IS:
Make a note of it. you'll need it later
RETURN TO INDEX
Mission 2 ✔
Mission 1 ✔
Index
Complete the teaching missions to get the numbers of the key that will allow you to complete this challenge.
Mission 3
Mission 4
Reward
Mission 2 ✔
Mission 1 ✔
Index
Complete the teaching missions to get the numbers of the key that will allow you to complete this challenge.
Mission 3
Mission 4
Reward
The missing link
Some students are stronger in writing than speaking. Some students use AI in different ways. How is this addressed within the framework of the course?
START
Students have had their marks back for one speaking activity and one writing activity. There are some rather disgruntled voices emerging from the crowd…
Excuse me!? “As you have been warned, your writing is too good to be true. So I’ve applied the discrepancy rule. Please refer to the course guidelines for more information.” Say what, now!?
What on earth do you mean “There’s a significant discrepancy between speaking and writing. As a result I’ve lowered your writing mark”?
Now this is just completely unfair. Of course my writing is better.
What in fresh hell is this!? Discrepancy rule?!
CONTINUE
TOP TIP
QUESTION FOR THE TEACHER
CONTINUE
QUESTION FOR THE TEACHER
Complete the model feedback to explain why the mark for the writing has been lowered.
In this course, writing and speaking are assessed as <<connected>> productive skills.
At B2 level, students are expected to demonstrate a <<reasonably>> consistent level of language use (vocabulary range, grammatical control, coherence, and ability to express ideas independently) across both skills.
If there is a <<significant>> mismatch between a student’s written performance and their spoken performance, the final mark for writing may be adjusted to reflect the level that can be consistently demonstrated across tasks.
This approach follows the course assessment plan and ensures that grades represent a student’s <<overall>> language ability, not just performance on a <<sing le>> task.
single
reasonably
connected
significant
overall
CONTINUE
QUIZ
And you're through!
But the feedback for the writing doesn’t finish with an explanation of the discrepancy rule. Don’t forget to start this explanation with a comment which addresses the writing itself! If the writing really is TGTBT, complement the amazing vocabulary, impressively complex sentence structure, clear explanation of abstract ideas. With this, there is a strong justification for applying this rule.
NEXT
AWESOME!
THE third NUMBER IS:
Make a note of it. you'll need it later
BACK TO INDEX
Mission 2 ✔
Mission 1 ✔
Index
Complete the teaching missions to get the numbers of the key that will allow you to complete this challenge.
Mission 3 ✔
Mission 4
Reward
Humanising
The learning might be digital. But the teaching is human.
START
Humanising online teaching
Online behaviour and communication can be different from face-to-face situations.
How can you overcome these issues? Some basic steps are:
- Posting a welcome video
- Setting up and monitoring the warm-up activity
- Maintaining visibility
- Participating in Discussions
- Varying the modality of Announcements and feedback (text, video, audio)
- Using student names regularly
But what else? What is something else that is value-add for the work that students do?
CONTINUE
TOP TIP
Here are some key elements in ‘humanised’ feedback. What benefit does each one provide?
Encouragement:
Even if the mark is low and the submission shows a lot of gaps in the student’s linguistic knowledge, there is always something that they can improve. And they need to hear from you that it is possible. Finishing on a high note helps them believe it.
Comment on content:
This shows that you have engaged with the submission and are paying attention!
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
Overview of weaknesses:
This helps justify the mark that you have given them. It is especially important for lower marks.
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
Action points:
This helps students know what to work on. Keep them targeted and achievable. “Improve your grammar” for example is not useful for students.
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
An overview of the main weaknesses of the submission, supported by examples (e.g., “You had some problems with verb forms in the past perfect
A comment on the content of their submission (e.g., “I loved reading about your trip to Ireland. I went last year and had a brilliant time!”
One or two ideas as to how students can improve on their weaknesses.
Title
Title
Title
Title
An encouraging final comment.
Write a brief description here
Write a brief description here
Write a brief description here
Write a brief description here
TOP TIP
CONTINUE
QUESTION FOR THE TEACHER
CONTINUE
QUIZ
and you're through!
And no, not every feedback comment needs to follow this structure. If you’re lowering the writing mark because of a significant discrepancy between that and the spoken submission, this structure will not be suitable. But you can still engage with the content in the writing, even if you think it has been AI-generated. It will help students see that teachers do pay attention.
NEXT
AWESOME!
THE FOURTH NUMBER IS:
Make a note of it. you'll need it...Now
enter the code
Mission complete
You've finished! As teachers, we know that learning is its own reward (cheesy, but it's true!) and we hope the content in this challenge proves useful for the coming semester.
The final step is registering your completion by filling in the Google Form. Remember to scroll down for the submit button.
Have a great semester!
This is likely student-written
Key indicators:
- A combination of simple and compound sentences.
- Description of concrete ideas or personal experiences.
- Some use of cohesive devices.
In all, this sample aligns with the CEFR descriptors applicable to an average B2-level student.
This is actually student-written under exam conditions.
It seems flawless on the surface and some of the language and concepts seem beyond B2 (democratise culture, double-edged sword). At first glance, it would seem AI-generated.
However, the use of the first person, some issues with flow and cohesion strongly suggest that this was student-written. For example, in “people could access it”, when the “it” refers to national museums, “That issue” is more frequently “this issue” in English L1 productions, and the inclusion of the conditional at the end feels slightly forced so as to include an example of a conditional form.
In sum, a very nice piece from a strong B2 student.
About humanising your feedback
Statements which are true:
- Feedback needs to be encouraging.
- Students should have ideas on how to improve after reading their feedback.
- The feedback can make reference to other areas of the classroom where language support is provided.
Statements which are false:
- Students need to be informed of all the mistakes they made in their work.
- Every feedback comment needs to follow this structure.
Teaching is a human profession. Remember to show your students you're more than just an avatar on the screen and that you can help them crack B2!
Key takeaway
And we're back to feedback!
Feedback in any form, be it text, audio or video, needs to be formative, but it also needs some human touches. This comes more naturally in audio and video feedback but it can also be done in text-based feedback too. Something as simple as one sentence referring directly to the student’s work can have positive knock-on effects.
This is likely AI generated
Key indicators:
- High amounts of subordination.
- Fexible use of cohesive devices (such as ‘yet this convenience’).
- A high number of correctly used collocations.
- Regularity in sentence length
In all, there are frequent examples of high-level language use that would be beyond the reach of a typical B2-level student.
Remember that feedback needs to be formative
This means:
- Students need to understand why they have received the mark you’ve given them.
- Students need to be given feedback they can action.
Dealing with TGTBT writings
You’re likely to come across writing submissions that are just TGTBT. But students can arrive there via different paths.
- Use of word processing tools to write and correct the piece.
- Use of AI/translator/tutor to correct the piece.
- Use of AI to generate the piece.
- Development of language skills through engagement with the course materials.
So while it's frustrating to receive AI generated texts, it’s worth remembering that many students use AI as an aid in the writing process.
About the discrepancy rule
Statements which are true:
- Students are expected to show a broadly similar level in writing and speaking.
- Teachers need to be able to explain to students why the discrepancy rule has been applied, using examples from the student’s productions.
Statements which are false:
- A B in writing and C+ in speaking counts as a significant discrepancy.
- A strong writing task can automatically compensate for very weak speaking.
- A difference between writing and speaking always means the student has cheated.
Remember that this rule only applies for significant differences between speaking and writing. And in order to apply it correctly and be able to justify it, written submissions need to be marked at face value.
Key takeaway
What do we mean by significant discrepancy?
We recognise that it is common for there to be a difference between spoken and written productive skills but when there is a huge difference, it’s a red flag.
The rule in the Course Plan which refers to this specifies it’s a significant difference. We’re talking an A in writing and a C- in speaking. A clear 3 or 4 grade band difference. Any smaller and it’s arguably just a difference in skills.
The key is knowing how to explain it. After all, “the discrepancy rule” isn’t something that students know or understand.
Consider the load
When describing weaknesses and addressing action points, remember to not overload the student. Giving them a long list of problems that their work has will likely be demotivating, no matter how encouraging you are in your final comment! Aim to strike a balance!
Tips for your B2 classroom
Laura Styles
Created on February 1, 2026
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Transcript
Tips for your classroom
In this activity, you will refresh some best practices for your classrooms to help the semester proceed as smoothly as possible. Ready?
LET'S GO!
It's the start of the new semester. Meet some of your students:
It’s a new semester and the course is just starting. Meet some of your students!
Yay! I love English. This course is going to be a good challenge for me!
I think I’ve got the level, but I really hope I can get through this course.
I’ll chance it and use AI. What’s the worst that can happen?
Eugh, I’m repeating. Again. So bored of this.
LET'S GET ON WITH THE SEMESTER!
Mission 2
Mission 1
Index
Complete the teaching missions to get the numbers of the key that will allow you to complete this challenge.
Mission 3
Mission 4
Reward
Mission 2
Mission 1
Index
Complete the teaching missions to get the numbers of the key that will allow you to complete this challenge.
Mission 3
Mission 4
Reward
show time!
Some students rely on notes. Some students read. What can you do when you're actually hoping for spontaneous production?
START
Here are some comments that the student has received. How useful are they for him?
Although you have managed to complete the task, your spoken English is difficult to follow due to problems with pronunciation, particularly intonation, rhythm and sentence stress. In addition, you have a noticeable accent and mispronounce a number of words, which also causes strain for the listener.
Overall, your speaking lacks spontaneity and the language you produce sounds like someone reading from a script. As a result, this has affected your marks for each of the criteria for this task.
Your pronunciation is bad and I have to make a tremendous effort to try to understand you. You should not be doing this course.
Your prosodic features only partially support intelligibility, and limited pitch variation reduces expressiveness.
CONTINUE
TOP TIP
QUESTION FOR THE TEACHER
When trying to penalise students for reading, pronunciation is often targeted. Look at the comments. Which are useful and which are not useful for students? Drag and drop the feedback comments to the correct category.
Not useful feedback
Useful feedback
Your intonation is quite flat at the moment, which makes it harder to follow what you’re saying. Focus on using rising and falling pitch to highlight key ideas. Try listening to audiobooks in English and pay attention to the intonation that the reader uses.
Your speaking shows heavy L1 transfer. There are frequent mispronunciations of words.
Your intonation is very flat.
Some words are mispronounced (e.g., society, anxious). Check out the pronunciation of these in the monolingual English entry in WordReference and practise saying them.
Your first language is influencing your English sounds. For example, the initial H in English is often soft (sounds of English link), as is the R sound (link). Check the rules for -ED endings here. Now practise saying these words: hope, have, really, problem, worked, missed. Then use youglish.com to practice these sounds in sentences.
Your pausing is in the wrong places. There is no natural chunking in your speech.
question for the teacher
and you're through!
Note that it’s normal for different students to have the same weaknesses. Once you identify a trend, make note of it and address it in your announcements or in dedicated space in the classroom. You can share tips, resources, anything you do in your face-to-face classes. Just remember to tell students in their individual feedback where to look for the support they need to keep improving!
NEXT
AWESOME!
THE first NUMBER IS:
Make a note of it. you'll need it later
BACK TO INDEX
Mission 2
Mission 1 ✔
Index
Complete the teaching missions to get the numbers of the key that will allow you to complete this challenge.
Mission 3
Mission 4
Reward
spot the difference
Some students do their own writings. Some students use tools to help them with their writings. Some students use tools to have their writings done for them. Are you confident you can tell them apart?
START
You’ve had some writing submissions come in. Take a look! Are they TGTBT?
Language learning
Learning a language
There are no mistakes in this writing and it is clear and cohesive. But language range is limited at times. This comes out at a B2 level according to different levelling tools. NOT TGTBT
The opponents to learning a foreign language might argue that most people do not travel that often outside their own country. In addition to this, out of all the countries in the world, comparatively not many share the same language. Therefore, learning a foreign language will only be useful for the very limited time that one spends in a country where this language is used.
Even though language learning is important, it is not easy to become a master in a language or to start speaking fluently. What is more, it is difficult to keep a lot of new things in your head, especially when you are young. Another thing that is important to mention is that the costs to learn another language are very expensive. Therefore, not everybody can afford it.
There are no mistakes in this writing and it’s a pleasure to read! This is clearly C2, as confirmed by different levelling tools. TGTBT
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
Title
Title
Write a brief description here
Write a brief description here
CONTINUE
TOP TIP
QUESTION FOR THE TEACHER
Online education offers a level of flexibility that traditional classrooms often cannot match, yet this convenience comes with important challenges. While digital platforms make access to learning easier, meaningful engagement depends largely on the quality of interaction between teachers and students. Without deliberate efforts to foster dialogue and presence, learners may feel isolated despite being constantly connected. For this reason, effective online teaching requires not only technical competence but also a strong commitment to human connection.
CONTINUE
QUESTION FOR THE TEACHER
Online classes can be very useful for learning English. I like studying from home because it saves time and helps me focus better. Sometimes it is hard to feel connected, but the teacher tries to include everyone. We often work in small groups, and this makes speaking easier. Also, clear instructions help me feel more confident. Overall, I think online learning works well when people communicate and support each other.
CONTINUE
QUESTION FOR THE TEACHER
In today's society, many people argue that all national museums and cultural institutions must be free for the public to enter. Others believe just the contrary. That issue is a double-edged sword. Both options seem to have positive and negative aspects. On the one hand, making all nationals museums free for the public to enter may democratise culture. As a result, people could access it without depending on the money they have. It may help them to open their minds and moreover, it allows them to stay in touch with their own culture, learning about themes like art or history. If I could enter for free, I'm sure I would visit all the museums of my city. It would be amazing!
CONTINUE
QUIZ
and you're through!
There is no single “AI giveaway.” Effective decisions come from noticing patterns, comparing with what you know about the learner, and staying open-minded. Use your professional insight to reach fair conclusions.
NEXT
AWESOME!
THE second NUMBER IS:
Make a note of it. you'll need it later
RETURN TO INDEX
Mission 2 ✔
Mission 1 ✔
Index
Complete the teaching missions to get the numbers of the key that will allow you to complete this challenge.
Mission 3
Mission 4
Reward
Mission 2 ✔
Mission 1 ✔
Index
Complete the teaching missions to get the numbers of the key that will allow you to complete this challenge.
Mission 3
Mission 4
Reward
The missing link
Some students are stronger in writing than speaking. Some students use AI in different ways. How is this addressed within the framework of the course?
START
Students have had their marks back for one speaking activity and one writing activity. There are some rather disgruntled voices emerging from the crowd…
Excuse me!? “As you have been warned, your writing is too good to be true. So I’ve applied the discrepancy rule. Please refer to the course guidelines for more information.” Say what, now!?
What on earth do you mean “There’s a significant discrepancy between speaking and writing. As a result I’ve lowered your writing mark”?
Now this is just completely unfair. Of course my writing is better.
What in fresh hell is this!? Discrepancy rule?!
CONTINUE
TOP TIP
QUESTION FOR THE TEACHER
CONTINUE
QUESTION FOR THE TEACHER
Complete the model feedback to explain why the mark for the writing has been lowered.
In this course, writing and speaking are assessed as <<connected>> productive skills. At B2 level, students are expected to demonstrate a <<reasonably>> consistent level of language use (vocabulary range, grammatical control, coherence, and ability to express ideas independently) across both skills. If there is a <<significant>> mismatch between a student’s written performance and their spoken performance, the final mark for writing may be adjusted to reflect the level that can be consistently demonstrated across tasks. This approach follows the course assessment plan and ensures that grades represent a student’s <<overall>> language ability, not just performance on a <<sing le>> task.
single
reasonably
connected
significant
overall
CONTINUE
QUIZ
And you're through!
But the feedback for the writing doesn’t finish with an explanation of the discrepancy rule. Don’t forget to start this explanation with a comment which addresses the writing itself! If the writing really is TGTBT, complement the amazing vocabulary, impressively complex sentence structure, clear explanation of abstract ideas. With this, there is a strong justification for applying this rule.
NEXT
AWESOME!
THE third NUMBER IS:
Make a note of it. you'll need it later
BACK TO INDEX
Mission 2 ✔
Mission 1 ✔
Index
Complete the teaching missions to get the numbers of the key that will allow you to complete this challenge.
Mission 3 ✔
Mission 4
Reward
Humanising
The learning might be digital. But the teaching is human.
START
Humanising online teaching
Online behaviour and communication can be different from face-to-face situations.
How can you overcome these issues? Some basic steps are:
But what else? What is something else that is value-add for the work that students do?
CONTINUE
TOP TIP
Here are some key elements in ‘humanised’ feedback. What benefit does each one provide?
Encouragement: Even if the mark is low and the submission shows a lot of gaps in the student’s linguistic knowledge, there is always something that they can improve. And they need to hear from you that it is possible. Finishing on a high note helps them believe it.
Comment on content: This shows that you have engaged with the submission and are paying attention!
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
Overview of weaknesses: This helps justify the mark that you have given them. It is especially important for lower marks.
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
Action points: This helps students know what to work on. Keep them targeted and achievable. “Improve your grammar” for example is not useful for students.
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
An overview of the main weaknesses of the submission, supported by examples (e.g., “You had some problems with verb forms in the past perfect
A comment on the content of their submission (e.g., “I loved reading about your trip to Ireland. I went last year and had a brilliant time!”
One or two ideas as to how students can improve on their weaknesses.
Title
Title
Title
Title
An encouraging final comment.
Write a brief description here
Write a brief description here
Write a brief description here
Write a brief description here
TOP TIP
CONTINUE
QUESTION FOR THE TEACHER
CONTINUE
QUIZ
and you're through!
And no, not every feedback comment needs to follow this structure. If you’re lowering the writing mark because of a significant discrepancy between that and the spoken submission, this structure will not be suitable. But you can still engage with the content in the writing, even if you think it has been AI-generated. It will help students see that teachers do pay attention.
NEXT
AWESOME!
THE FOURTH NUMBER IS:
Make a note of it. you'll need it...Now
enter the code
Mission complete
You've finished! As teachers, we know that learning is its own reward (cheesy, but it's true!) and we hope the content in this challenge proves useful for the coming semester.
The final step is registering your completion by filling in the Google Form. Remember to scroll down for the submit button.
Have a great semester!
This is likely student-written
Key indicators:
- A combination of simple and compound sentences.
- Description of concrete ideas or personal experiences.
- Some use of cohesive devices.
In all, this sample aligns with the CEFR descriptors applicable to an average B2-level student.This is actually student-written under exam conditions.
It seems flawless on the surface and some of the language and concepts seem beyond B2 (democratise culture, double-edged sword). At first glance, it would seem AI-generated. However, the use of the first person, some issues with flow and cohesion strongly suggest that this was student-written. For example, in “people could access it”, when the “it” refers to national museums, “That issue” is more frequently “this issue” in English L1 productions, and the inclusion of the conditional at the end feels slightly forced so as to include an example of a conditional form. In sum, a very nice piece from a strong B2 student.
About humanising your feedback
Statements which are true:
- Feedback needs to be encouraging.
- Students should have ideas on how to improve after reading their feedback.
- The feedback can make reference to other areas of the classroom where language support is provided.
Statements which are false:Teaching is a human profession. Remember to show your students you're more than just an avatar on the screen and that you can help them crack B2!
Key takeaway
And we're back to feedback!
Feedback in any form, be it text, audio or video, needs to be formative, but it also needs some human touches. This comes more naturally in audio and video feedback but it can also be done in text-based feedback too. Something as simple as one sentence referring directly to the student’s work can have positive knock-on effects.
This is likely AI generated
Key indicators:
- High amounts of subordination.
- Fexible use of cohesive devices (such as ‘yet this convenience’).
- A high number of correctly used collocations.
- Regularity in sentence length
In all, there are frequent examples of high-level language use that would be beyond the reach of a typical B2-level student.Remember that feedback needs to be formative
This means:
Dealing with TGTBT writings
You’re likely to come across writing submissions that are just TGTBT. But students can arrive there via different paths.
- Use of word processing tools to write and correct the piece.
- Use of AI/translator/tutor to correct the piece.
- Use of AI to generate the piece.
- Development of language skills through engagement with the course materials.
So while it's frustrating to receive AI generated texts, it’s worth remembering that many students use AI as an aid in the writing process.About the discrepancy rule
Statements which are true:
- Students are expected to show a broadly similar level in writing and speaking.
- Teachers need to be able to explain to students why the discrepancy rule has been applied, using examples from the student’s productions.
Statements which are false:Remember that this rule only applies for significant differences between speaking and writing. And in order to apply it correctly and be able to justify it, written submissions need to be marked at face value.
Key takeaway
What do we mean by significant discrepancy?
We recognise that it is common for there to be a difference between spoken and written productive skills but when there is a huge difference, it’s a red flag. The rule in the Course Plan which refers to this specifies it’s a significant difference. We’re talking an A in writing and a C- in speaking. A clear 3 or 4 grade band difference. Any smaller and it’s arguably just a difference in skills. The key is knowing how to explain it. After all, “the discrepancy rule” isn’t something that students know or understand.
Consider the load
When describing weaknesses and addressing action points, remember to not overload the student. Giving them a long list of problems that their work has will likely be demotivating, no matter how encouraging you are in your final comment! Aim to strike a balance!