Oxford University Press English Language Teaching

Future-focused learning starts by imagining the world our learners will step into. 🌍🚀 As Geoff Stead and Dr Sophia Mavridi, SFHEA explain, one of the biggest challenges in education is that we're often constrained by today's realities: current curricula, exams, textbooks, and established ways of teaching. But the future won't be shaped by those constraints. Instead, educators and publishers alike need to look ahead and ask: 💭 What kinds of jobs will our learners be doing? 💭 What skills will they need to succeed? 💭 How can we prepare them for a world that's changing faster than ever? By embracing new technologies, experimenting with new approaches, and helping learners develop confidence with digital tools like AI, we can better equip them for whatever comes next. For ELT, this means moving beyond preparing learners for today's assessments and towards preparing them for tomorrow's opportunities: working across cultures, collaborating globally, and adapting to the rapidly evolving digital landscape. 🎬 Watch the full Talking ELT episode now → https://oxelt.gl/4wOQCS6 🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts → https://oxelt.gl/4wMGIkr

Assessment is about much more than measuring learning. In our latest article, we look at the impact of assessment, from shaping classroom learning to influencing educational and career opportunities. Find out why Impact is the first of Oxford's five assessment promises.

We invest in developing teachers, so why do we often assume leaders will simply develop themselves? New thought leadership from leadership and emotional intelligence specialist Cara Cunniff explores the growing challenge of the "accidental leader". Drawing on research, educational leadership insights, and lessons from military leadership development, Cara argues that expertise alone is not enough to prepare someone to lead people. Key questions for educational institutions: 👉 What do we actually expect from our leaders? 👉 How do we identify leadership potential? 👉 Are we deliberately developing leaders, or simply promoting high performers? One idea stands out: Leadership is not a personality trait. It's a capability that can be developed. 📖 Read the full article 💬 Tell us: what leadership qualities do you believe education organisations most often overlook when promoting future leaders?

📣 Registration now open: Language Testing Forum 2026 -> https://oxelt.gl/3UIEh4x We're delighted to announce that registration is now open for Language Testing Forum (LTF) 2026, hosted by Oxford University Press in Oxford – one of the UK's longest-running and most influential conferences in language testing and assessment. 🎯 Theme: Methodological Choices in Language Assessment: Traditions and New Directions LTF brings together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers from across the language testing community to share ideas, discuss developments, and explore practice. ✨ Join us for two days of presentations, discussions, and networking with colleagues from across the field of language assessment. 📍 Oxford, UK 📅 13-15 November Register now to secure your place -> https://oxelt.gl/3UIEh4x

Teaching Gen Alpha isn’t about adding more technology. It’s about rethinking what learning looks like. A few ideas from this panel that stick: • They’re “doers” – they learn best through creating, not consuming. • Motivation depends on relevance and meaning, not just engagement. • Attention isn’t lost; it’s shaped by instant feedback and stimulation. • Collaboration and social skills still need to be explicitly taught. • Technology is expected, but balance matters as much as access. And one key mindset shift for leaders: don’t just adapt to Gen Alpha, help shape how they learn, think, and interact. Watch the full session -> https://oxelt.gl/4x1obRT 💬 What’s been the biggest shift you’ve seen with your learners?

Could AI supplement the learning of critical skills outside the classroom? In this clip from our latest Talking ELT series on Digital Pedagogy, Geoff explores how AI tools could support one of the most important, and often most difficult, aspects of language learning: fluency.He highlights three ways it could help: 1️⃣ More opportunities to speak: AI-powered conversation tools allow learners to practise speaking whenever they want, not just during lesson time. 2️⃣ Immediate, personalised feedback: learners can receive feedback on fluency, pauses, repetition, and delivery, helping them identify areas for improvement. 3️⃣ A low-pressure environment for practice: a safe space where learners can build confidence, experiment with language, and develop speaking skills before using them in real-world situations. However, he maintains that effective learning still depends on good pedagogy; rather than discouraging the use of AI, we should be exploring how it can complement teaching and create more practice opportunities. How do you see AI supporting critical skill development in the future? 🎬 Watch the full conversation in episode 3 →https://oxelt.gl/4zj2Chi 🎧 Listen to the full conversation wherever you get your podcasts → https://oxelt.gl/4wMGIkr

Many of us can remember the teacher who shaped our learning. But who prepares the people responsible for leading those teachers? Research from the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and YouGov found that 82% of people enter management roles without formal management or leadership training, creating what it calls a generation of "accidental managers".   Many people are given responsibility for others because they have excelled in their professional role. But professional expertise and readiness to lead people are not always the same thing. So we're interested in your perspective:   In your experience, what most often leads to a first leadership role in education?   We're exploring this question ahead of: 1️⃣ An upcoming article (Leaders Are Made, Not Born by Cara Cunniff) 2️⃣ The ELT Leadership Forum 2026, taking place this September, where education leaders will come together to discuss the future of leadership, innovation and institutional success.   Vote below and share your thoughts in the comments.   Source: CMI & YouGov, Taking Responsibility: Why UK PLC Needs Better Managers (2023).

Pedagogy is often the missing link. 🔑🔗 There's no shortage of well-meaning people building digital tools for education. But as Geoff Stead explains in this clip from our Talking ELT series on Digital Pedagogy, many new projects stumble because they don't fully understand how the learning pathway actually works. The technology might be impressive. The intentions might be good. But without strong pedagogical foundations, digital tools risk becoming shiny distractions rather than effective learning experiences. For language learning and teaching, this matters more than ever. When we're choosing or building digital tools, the question shouldn't just be "what can it do?" but "does it support how learners actually acquire language?" That's the difference between a tool that engages and one that truly teaches. 🎬 Watch episode two now → https://oxelt.gl/4bHs6uM 🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts → https://oxelt.gl/4wMGIkr

Are we teaching Gen Alpha… or competing with their world? In this short extract from the ELT Leadership Forum, the panel challenges a common assumption about today’s learners: they’re not disengaged; they’re differently wired. Gen Alpha are the most technologically immersed generation in history, shaped by constant stimulation, fast information, and instant reward. Which raises a question for all of us: Are our classrooms designed for how they learn today? Watch the full session -> https://oxelt.gl/4q5VUXV (Erika Galea, Ph.D. (UCL) and Olga Sayer)

The August edition of the Oxford English Assessment Edit is here! This month's edition brings together the latest insights, recognition updates and more from Oxford English Assessment, including: 📋 A new research survey exploring the priorities, challenges and opportunities facing higher education institutions 📖 A look at the new English Language Good Practice Guide from BALEAP and BUILA 🗣️ Expert insights into one of the biggest challenges in English language assessment: measuring speaking proficiency fairly, consistently and reliably.