How teachers can use the GSE for professional development

Fajarudin Akbar
Fajarudin Akbar
A teacher helping a teenage student working at her desk in a library
Reading time: 4.5 minutes

As English teachers, we’re usually the ones helping others grow. We guide learners through challenges, celebrate their progress and push them to reach new heights. But what about our own growth? How do we, as educators, continue to develop and refine our practice?

The Global Scale of English (GSE) is often seen as a tool for assessing students. However, in my experience, it can also be a powerful guide for teachers who want to become more intentional, reflective, and confident in their teaching. Here's how the GSE has helped me in my own journey as an English teacher and how it can support yours too.

About the GSE

The GSE is a proficiency scale developed by Pearson. It measures English ability across four skills – listening, speaking, reading and writing – on a scale from 10 to 90. It’s aligned with the CEFR but offers more detailed learning objectives, which can be incredibly useful in diverse teaching contexts.

I first encountered the GSE while exploring ways to better personalize learning objectives in my Business English classes. As a teacher in a non-formal education setting in Indonesia, I often work with students who don’t fit neatly into one CEFR level. I needed something more precise, more flexible, and more connected to real classroom practice. That’s when the GSE became a turning point.

Reflecting on our teaching practice

The GSE helped me pause and reflect. I started reading through the learning objectives and asking myself important questions. Were my lessons really aligned with what learners at this level needed? Was I challenging them just enough or too much?

By using the GSE as a mirror, I began to see areas where I could improve. For example, I realized that, although I was confident teaching speaking skills, I wasn’t always giving enough attention to writing development. The GSE didn’t judge me. It simply showed me where I could grow.

Planning with purpose

One of the best things about the GSE is that it brings clarity to lesson planning. Instead of guessing whether an activity is suitable for a student’s level, I now check the GSE objectives. If I know a learner is at GSE 50 in speaking, I can design a role-play that matches that level of complexity. If another learner is at GSE 60, I can challenge them with more open-ended tasks.

Planning becomes easier and more purposeful. I don’t just create lessons, I design learning experiences that truly meet students where they are.

Collaborating with other teachers

The GSE has also become a shared language for collaboration. When I run workshops or peer mentoring sessions, I often invite teachers to explore the GSE Toolkit together. We look at learning objectives, discuss how they apply to our learners, and brainstorm ways to adapt materials.

These sessions are not just about theory: they’re energizing. Teachers leave with new ideas, renewed motivation and a clearer sense of how to bring their teaching to the next level.

Getting started with the GSE

If you’re curious about how to start using the GSE for your own growth, here are a few simple steps:

  • Visit the GSE Teacher Toolkit and explore the learning objectives for the skills and levels you teach.
  • Choose one or two objectives that resonate with you and reflect on whether your current lessons address them.
  • Try adapting a familiar activity to better align with a specific GSE range.
  • Use the GSE when planning peer observations or professional learning communities. It gives your discussions a clear focus.

Case study from my classroom

I once had a private Business English student preparing for a job interview. Her speaking skills were solid – around GSE 55 – but her writing was more limited, probably around GSE 45. Instead of giving her the same tasks across both skills, I personalized the lesson.

For speaking, we practiced mock interviews using complex questions. For writing, I supported her with guided sentence frames for email writing. By targeting her actual levels, not just a general CEFR level, she improved faster and felt more confident.

That experience reminded me that when we teach with clarity, learners respond with progress.

Challenges and solutions

Of course, using the GSE can feel overwhelming at first. There are many descriptors, and it can take time to get familiar with the scale. My advice is to start small: focus on one skill or one level. Also, use the Toolkit as a companion, not a checklist.

Another challenge is integrating the GSE into existing materials, and this is where technology can help. I often use AI tools like ChatGPT to adjust or rewrite tasks so they better match specific GSE levels. This saves time and makes differentiation easier.

Teachers deserve development too

Teaching is a lifelong journey. The GSE doesn’t just support our students, it also supports us. It helps us reflect, plan, and collaborate more meaningfully. Most of all, it reminds us that our growth as teachers is just as important as the progress of our learners.

If you’re looking for a simple, practical, and inspiring way to guide your professional development, give the GSE a try. It helped me grow, and I believe it can help you too.

Additional resources

Read our blog posts 'Improving professional development with 'Teaching with the GSE' and 'GSE Teacher Toolkit: Teaching mixed ability classes'. 

Learn about the GSE

About the author

Fajarudin Akbar is an English teacher, a teachers' community facilitator, and an educational technology practitioner based in Indonesia. He has a passion for continuous professional development, global education, and Open Educational Resources. Fajar helps students and teachers unlock their potential by making learning more personalized, practical, and purposeful.

More blogs from Pearson

  • A woman walking through ferns in the woods
    10 creepy cryptids you should know about
    By Charlotte Guest
    Reading time: 4 minutes

    Cryptids are creatures that are often unseen and mysterious. They are shrouded in legends and stories that have been passed down for generations, making them a fascination for humans for centuries. If you're looking to add a little more creativity to your story writing, learning about these elusive beings can be a great way to do so. In today's post, we'll take a closer look at some examples of cryptids, to get your imagination racing.

    What are cryptids?

    Cryptids are mythical creatures or beings whose existence cannot be proven by science. Some may claim to have seen them but there's usually no solid proof of the encounter. They exist in folklore, mythology and urban legends. Cryptids can be found in cultures all around the world, from the Loch Ness Monster in Scotland to the Chupacabra in Latin America.

    Here are ten cryptids you'll want to learn about this Halloween season:

    Barghest

    The Barghest is a ghostly black dog cryptid that appears in the folklore of Yorkshire and Lancashire. It is often associated with misfortune, and sightings of this ominous creature continue to be reported.

    Owlman

    The Owlman is a humanoid creature with owl-like features such as red eyes, wings and feathers. Sightings of this mysterious creature have been reported around the village of Mawnan Smith in Cornwall, adding an eerie twist to local legend.

    The Kraken

    The Kraken is a legendary sea monster of gigantic size and octopus-like appearance, said to dwell in the deep sea and feasting on ships that are unfortunate enough to come across it.

    Water Leaper (Llamhigyn Y Dwr)

    The Water Leaper, also known as the Linton Worm or Lindworm, is a Welsh cryptid believed to inhabit bodies of water such as ponds and rivers. Descriptions vary, but it is often depicted as a fearsome water-dwelling creature.

  • a woman sat on her phone on a bench outside
    12 autumn words worth learning this fall
    By Charlotte Guest
    Reading time: 3 minutes

    Autumn (or fall, depending on where you are) is a season full of color, changing weather and cozy traditions. It is also a great time to learn new English vocabulary. Some autumn words are useful in everyday conversation, while others are unusual words that can help you sound more natural and descriptive.

    Here are some autumnal English words to add to your vocabulary.

    1. Crisp

    Crisp can describe cool autumn weather, especially in the morning. Not to be mistaken for the British potato snack. Example: “It was a crisp autumn morning.” It can also describe something that makes a sharp sound when you touch or eat it, such as a dry leaf or an apple.

    2. Foliage

    Foliage means the leaves of trees and plants. In autumn, the leaves can change from green to yellow, orange, red and brown. Example: “The autumn foliage was beautiful.” This word is useful when talking about nature and landscapes.

    3. Russet

    Russet is a reddish-brown color often associated with autumn leaves. Example: “The trees were covered in russet and gold leaves.” It is a less common word, so it can be a fun addition to your vocabulary.

    4. Mellow

    Mellow can describe something soft, calm or gentle. It is often used to describe autumn colors or light. Example: “The garden was filled with mellow autumn colors.” It can also describe music, flavors or a relaxed person.

    5. Harvest

    A harvest is the process of collecting crops from fields and farms. It usually happens in late summer or autumn in many parts of the Northern Hemisphere. “The farmers began the apple harvest in September.” You can also use harvest as a verb: “The farmers harvested the pumpkins.”

    6. Equinox

    An equinox is a time when day and night are approximately the same length. The autumn/fall equinox marks the start of astronomical autumn in the Northern Hemisphere. It is a useful word for talking about seasons and the natural world.

    7. Squirrel

    You may see squirrels collecting food and preparing for colder weather during autumn. Example: “A squirrel was hiding an acorn under the leaves.” Try learning the phrase “squirrel away”, which means to save or hide something for later.

    8. Drizzle

    Drizzle means light rain made up of very small drops. Example: “It was drizzling when we left the house.” Unlike heavy rain, drizzle is usually light and gentle.

    9. Gloomy

    A gloomy day is dark, grey or lacking in sunlight. Example: “The weather was cold and gloomy.” You can also use gloomy to describe a person, place or situation that feels sad or depressing.

    10. Rustle

    Rustle is the soft sound made when leaves, paper or other light materials move. Example: “We could hear the leaves rustling in the wind.” It can also be used as a verb: “The wind rustled the leaves.”

    11. Cozy

    Cozy means comfortable, warm and relaxing. It is often used when talking about autumn and winter. Example: “I love spending a cozy evening at home.”

    12. Petrichor

    Finally, here is an unusual one: petrichor. Petrichor is the earthy smell that you can sometimes notice after rain, especially when rain falls on dry ground. Example: “I love the smell of petrichor after an autumn shower.” You won't hear it every day, but it is a great example of how English has specific words for things we experience.

  • woman working on a laptop in a library
    Is remote testing as rigorous as traditional exams?
    By Alice Bazzi
    Reading time: 2 minutes

    Does taking an English test remotely make it less rigorous? Not necessarily. What matters is how the test is designed, scored and delivered – not simply where it is taken. For universities and governments, this is important. English test scores can help organizations make decisions about study, admissions and other opportunities.

    They need to know test results are reliable and comparable, wherever and whenever a test is taken. A strong test starts with good test design. PTE Express assesses four core English skills: speaking, listening, reading and writing. The test uses a structured format to assess how candidates use English in different situations.

    Tasks can include understanding spoken information, responding to questions and producing written answers. This is important because a rigorous test is not simply a difficult test. It should measure the English skills it is designed to measure and give candidates a fair way to show what they can do.