ELT Glossary — English Language Teaching Terms
A comprehensive glossary of English Language Teaching terminology. Each term includes a definition and how Edooqoo helps teachers apply the concept in practice.
A
Autonomous Learning
Students taking responsibility for their own learning. Edooqoo's Student Hub enables autonomous learning through self-paced flashcards, worksheets, and homework.
B
Blended Learning
Combining face-to-face instruction with online activities. Edooqoo enables blended learning through live sessions, homework, Student Hub, and flashcards.
Backwash
See Washback Effect. The impact of assessment on curriculum and teaching practice.
C
CEFR
Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. A 6-level scale (A1-C2) for describing language proficiency. Edooqoo generates worksheets calibrated to all CEFR levels.
Cloze Test
A text with words removed (gaps) that students must fill in from context. Edooqoo's 'Gap Text (Cloze)' exercise type generates AI-created cloze tests.
Collocation
Words that naturally occur together (e.g., 'make a decision', 'heavy rain'). Edooqoo generates exercises testing collocational knowledge at each CEFR level.
Categorization
Sorting words or concepts into groups. An Edooqoo exercise type that develops vocabulary organization and semantic relationships.
Communicative Competence
The ability to use language effectively in real communication. Edooqoo develops this through dialogue practice, discussion questions, and situational exercises.
D
DSLM
Dynamic Student Learning Model. Edooqoo's proprietary 4-layer system for tracking student progress: Event Log → Metrics → Profile → Decision Engine.
Differentiation
Adapting teaching materials to meet individual student needs. Edooqoo automates differentiation by personalizing worksheets based on each student's CEFR level and skill gaps.
Dialogue Practice
Completing or creating conversational exchanges. An Edooqoo exercise type for practicing situational English and functional language.
Discussion Questions
Open-ended questions requiring extended responses. An AI-assisted exercise type in Edooqoo for developing speaking and writing fluency with teacher review.
Describe Picture
Writing about an image, describing what you see and inferring meaning. An AI-assisted picture exercise in Edooqoo with teacher review.
E
ESL
English as a Second Language. Teaching English to non-native speakers in an English-speaking country. Edooqoo is built for ESL teachers.
EFL
English as a Foreign Language. Teaching English to non-native speakers in a non-English-speaking country. Edooqoo supports EFL teachers worldwide.
Error Correction
Identifying and fixing mistakes in written text. An Edooqoo exercise type where students find grammatical or vocabulary errors in sentences.
Exponential Decay
A mathematical model where recent data is weighted more heavily than older data. Edooqoo's DSLM uses exponential decay to ensure mastery scores reflect current ability.
F
Formative Assessment
Ongoing evaluation during learning to provide feedback and adjust instruction. Edooqoo's homework and live session features support formative assessment.
Flipped Classroom
Students learn content before class and practice during class. Edooqoo supports this: assign reading/exercises as homework, then use Live Session for interactive practice.
Fluency vs. Accuracy
Fluency is smooth, natural communication; accuracy is grammatical correctness. Edooqoo exercises target both — discussion questions for fluency, error correction for accuracy.
G
Gap-fill
An exercise where students fill in missing words in sentences or texts. Edooqoo offers both sentence-level (Fill in the Blanks) and text-level (Gap Text) gap-fill exercises.
I
Input Hypothesis
Krashen's theory that language acquisition occurs when learners receive comprehensible input slightly above their current level (i+1). Edooqoo's CEFR calibration ensures appropriate input level.
Interlanguage
A learner's developing language system between L1 and target language. Edooqoo's error correction exercises help students notice and correct interlanguage errors.
L
Listening Comprehension
The ability to understand spoken language. Edooqoo generates 5 types of audio exercises with AI-generated speech for listening practice.
Learning Roadmap
A structured sequence of next learning steps based on student goals, skill evidence, pacing context, and teacher review.
L1 Interference
When a student's first language patterns negatively affect their English. Edooqoo's AI can target common L1 interference errors in exercises.
Lexical Approach
Teaching language through chunks and collocations rather than individual words. Edooqoo's matching, categorization, and collocation exercises support lexical learning.
M
Mastery
A score (0-100) indicating how well a student has learned a specific skill. Edooqoo tracks mastery per nano-skill with exponential decay weighting for recency.
Matching Exercise
Connecting items from two columns (words to definitions, sentence halves, etc.). A versatile exercise type in Edooqoo for vocabulary and comprehension.
Multiple Choice
Selecting the correct answer from several options. Edooqoo offers text, audio, and picture-based MCQ variants with objective auto-checking.
N
Nano-skill
A granular, specific competency tracked by Edooqoo's DSLM — e.g., 'B1.grammar.present_perfect.negative'. Enables precise identification of skill gaps.
Negative Prefixes
Prefixes that create opposite meanings (un-, in-, im-, ir-, dis-). A specialized Edooqoo exercise type for word formation practice.
O
Odd One Out
Identifying which item doesn't belong in a group and explaining why. An Edooqoo exercise that tests vocabulary categorization and reasoning.
P
Paraphrasing
Restating ideas using different words while keeping the same meaning. An AI-assisted exercise type in Edooqoo that develops productive vocabulary skills with teacher review.
Placement Test
An assessment to determine a student's current language level. Edooqoo's Welcome Test is a 49-question AI placement test covering all skills.
Productive Skills
Speaking and writing — skills where students produce language. Edooqoo exercises like paraphrasing, discussion questions, and describe picture develop productive skills.
R
Reading Comprehension
The ability to understand written text. One of Edooqoo's 29 exercise types — AI generates original texts with comprehension questions at any CEFR level.
Receptive Skills
Reading and listening — skills where students receive and understand language. Edooqoo's reading and listening comprehension exercises develop receptive skills.
Register
The level of formality in language use (formal, neutral, informal). Advanced Edooqoo exercises (C1-C2) practice register awareness and switching.
S
Spaced Repetition
A learning technique that reviews material at increasing intervals to optimize long-term retention. Edooqoo's flashcards use the SM-2 spaced repetition algorithm.
SM-2 Algorithm
SuperMemo 2, a spaced repetition algorithm that calculates optimal review intervals based on recall difficulty. Used in Edooqoo's flashcard system for vocabulary retention.
Scaffolding
Providing structured support to help learners achieve tasks just beyond their current ability. Edooqoo's AI scaffolds exercises by adjusting difficulty to the student's level.
Sentence Transformation
Rewriting sentences using different grammatical structures while preserving meaning. An AI-assisted exercise type in Edooqoo, common in Cambridge exams, with teacher review for open-ended answers.
Summative Assessment
Evaluation at the end of a learning period to measure achievement. Edooqoo's progress tracking and Welcome Test provide summative data.
T
TEFL
Teaching English as a Foreign Language. A qualification for teaching English abroad. Edooqoo helps TEFL-certified teachers create materials efficiently.
TESOL
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. An umbrella term covering both ESL and EFL. Edooqoo serves the entire TESOL community.
True/False
Determining whether statements are correct or incorrect. Available in text, audio, and picture variants in Edooqoo.
Task-Based Learning
Learning through completing meaningful tasks rather than drilling grammar rules. Edooqoo's discussion questions and describe picture exercises are task-based.
W
Word Order
Arranging scrambled words into correct sentences. An Edooqoo exercise type that practices syntax and sentence structure.
Washback Effect
The influence of testing on teaching and learning. Edooqoo's exam preparation exercises create positive washback by practicing exam-format skills.
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