Ehsan Gorji is an Iranian teacher and educator with 18 years of experience in English language education. He collaborates on various ELT projects with different language schools around the globe. Ehsan currently owns and manages THink™ Languages and also works as a TED-Ed Student Talks Leader.
Learning has always been an interesting topic to explore in the language education industry. Every week, a lot of webinars are delivered on how learning another language could be more successful, lots of articles are written on how to maximize learning, and many discussions take place between teaching colleagues about how they could surprise their language learners with more amazing tasks and games. In our lesson plans, too, we put learners into focus and try to write learning objectives that will benefit them in the real world.
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But is it the whole picture? What if we wear our critical glasses and review what has happened? Think about your recent classroom teaching face-to-face or online, and reflect on what actually happened:
Learning might not be the whole thing, learning is individual, made with our own learner agency, affected by our choices as we learn, scaffolded by teachers’ techniques and principles, and some of which will succeed and others which might not. Learning experiences are more realistic in that they recognize learners as the ones who should learn, who are the agents of this experience and go through it, and therefore who live the experience in the world around them. As teachers, we usually do our best to help the class create their various learning experiences within one lesson; experiences which might be different in size, shape, joy and productivity.
Learning experiences are what learners love their classes for. They do not necessarily fancy the learning we provide them; they are vulnerable human beings, with all their strengths and weaknesses, hopes and disappointments, good and bad days, and falls and rises throughout their learning journey. From their point of view, exciting stages of lessons give them a chance to deepen their learning, and useful assessments take them to the next stages of exploring. Meaningful education prepares them for different ages of life.
Soft skills can be fitted into any educational context. They fill the gaps between the huge training pieces as the lesson progresses. We call them life skills since they can be transferred to living experiences outside of the classroom. We call them future skills because they follow a lifelong learning pattern and develop endlessly. We call them power skills because they act as powerful tools to help learning experiences grow as they bring what is real in the world around them.
Imagine a reading lesson in which the soft skill of critical thinking is also scaffolded within tasks and subtasks. Think about a writing class where learners learn how to analyze problems and extend reasoning. Consider an interactive online grammar practice that respects learners’ creativity and does not accept only one answer. Think of opportunities your classes have to become familiar with, practice and follow up with such power skills: Like when learners discover the full potential of a foreign language as they leave meaningful messages under a post in social media, as they practice time management and meeting deadlines through classroom projects, when they realize what good feedback is like and practice receiving and delivering it in groupwork, etc.
Soft skills provide learning experiences with the added value of broadening other related skills. Now that learning has become a learning experience that respects learners' abilities, soft skills can help ease the lesson and make it more enthusiastic. Moreover, soft skills can be transferred to other classes, at home, in college and at work. Learning experiences, too, if accompanied by the correct soft skills as they are accumulating, can find their way through study life, career journey, and more importantly, life as a whole. The common concept that believes English for employability deals with business English needs a revision here: English for employability is the fruitful English language usage and package of soft skills which together make jobs more interesting and offices and companies more desirable to work in.
The challenge is that learning experiences are not created easily. We must bridge the gap between what will be conveyed (the language systems and skills) and who will experience them (language learners), which is a careful and thoughtful thing called design. Learning experience designs have 10 features in common:
A. They ask for creativity from the experiencer (or learner).
B. They are simple and fun.
C. They are fully planned but are flexible toward learners’ failure or low pace.
D. They are minimal and have huge white space for learners to glow.
E. They call for soft skills in presentation, practice and production.
F. They work best if assessed for learning, not of learning.
G. They are more enjoyable once learners’ daily routines, such as digital gadgets, online presence, etc., are employed.
H. They do not negate teachers’ roles but level them up to enablers for each learner’s growth capacity.
I. They continue outside classroom walls or screens.
J. They are co-created with learners as agents for their own learning.
Where should you start when designing new learning experiences for your English language learners? Here is a practical roadmap to the amazing domain of learning experience design.
If 2025 taught us anything, it’s that educators who lead with heart, ingenuity and resilience help students thrive. Your creativity drove the momentum. Your learners set the direction. Our role at Pearson was to support your journey with tools that save time, create impact and open more opportunities for your students.
Here’s your Educator Wrapped for 2025.
In international education, admissions are just the beginning. While securing a place at a university is a massive milestone for a student, measuring success continues for them from the moment they arrive on campus. Institutions know that academic performance, engagement and retention are shaped long before the first lecture begins, and one of those critical factors is English language proficiency.
Students who begin their studies with the right level of English are better equipped to participate fully in academic life. They understand course material, contribute to discussions and complete assignments with confidence. This foundation does not support individual achievement; it also strengthens the entire learning environment.
That is why reliable proficiency testing is more than an admissions tool. It is a strategic investment in student success.
Universities have long understood the connection between language readiness and academic outcomes. When students are placed correctly, they are more likely to thrive. Misplacement, on the other hand, can lead to frustration, disengagement and even dropout.
Reliable testing helps institutions avoid such pitfalls. It ensures that students are matched to the right level of study, reducing the need for remedial support and improving retention rates. For universities, this translates into stronger performance metrics and a cohesive student experience overall.
The Pearson English Express Test is designed to support this journey before day one. With fast, secure and trusted results, it gives both students and institutions the clarity they need to move forward with confidence.
It delivers certified scores within 48 hours, allowing universities to make timely decisions and students to begin their academic journey without delay. It is AI-powered scoring and alignment with CEFR and GSE frameworks ensures accuracy, while remote proctoring and identity verfication protect the integrity of the results.
This combination of speed, precision and security makes the Pearson English Express Test more than just a test but a strategic tool for long-term success
For universities, adopting the Pearson English Express Test is not just about streamlining admissions; it is about strengthening the entire student lifecycle. By ensuring that potential students are linguistically prepared, institutions can reduce academic risk, improve retention and enhance their reputation for supporting international learners.
The Pearson English Express Test helps universities to demonstrate a commitment to quality and care. It shows that they are not just admitting students, they are setting them up for success.
In a competitive global education market, institutions need solutions that go beyond the basics. The Pearson English Express Test offers a smarter, more strategically driven approach to language assessment. One that not only supports them getting into university, but also from application to graduation.
By choosing the Pearson English Express Test, universities are investing in outcomes that matter: academic success, student satisfaction and long-term institutional positive impact.
Across classrooms, holidays show up as stories, songs, recipes, colors and customs. For English educators, they also offer language tasks that build communication, intercultural understanding and community. The key is to celebrate in a way that’s inclusive, academically rich, and respectful of diverse beliefs and backgrounds. Here are some activities you can do this festive season with minimal fluff and maximum impact, each tied to clear language objectives.
