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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

Backwash

See Washback Effect. The impact of assessment on curriculum and teaching practice.

Blended Learning

Combining face-to-face instruction with online activities. Edooqoo enables blended learning through live sessions, homework, Student Hub, and flashcards.

C

Categorization

Sorting words or concepts into groups. An Edooqoo exercise type that develops vocabulary organization and semantic relationships.

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.

Communicative Competence

The ability to use language effectively in real communication. Edooqoo develops this through dialogue practice, discussion questions, and situational exercises.

D

Describe Picture

Writing about an image, describing what you see and inferring meaning. An AI-graded picture exercise in Edooqoo.

Dialogue Practice

Completing or creating conversational exchanges. An Edooqoo exercise type for practicing situational English and functional language.

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.

Discussion Questions

Open-ended questions requiring extended responses. An AI-graded exercise type in Edooqoo for developing speaking and writing fluency.

DSLM

Dynamic Student Learning Model. Edooqoo's proprietary 4-layer system for tracking student progress: Event Log → Metrics → Profile → Decision Engine.

E

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.

ESL

English as a Second Language. Teaching English to non-native speakers in an English-speaking country. Edooqoo is built for ESL teachers.

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

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.

Formative Assessment

Ongoing evaluation during learning to provide feedback and adjust instruction. Edooqoo's homework and live session features support formative assessment.

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

L1 Interference

When a student's first language patterns negatively affect their English. Edooqoo's AI can target common L1 interference errors in exercises.

Learning Path

A structured sequence of learning activities based on student needs. Edooqoo's Welcome Test assigns one of 4 paths: Comfort, Guided, Accelerated, or Target.

Lexical Approach

Teaching language through chunks and collocations rather than individual words. Edooqoo's matching, categorization, and collocation exercises support lexical learning.

Listening Comprehension

The ability to understand spoken language. Edooqoo generates 5 types of audio exercises with AI-generated speech for listening practice.

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 automatic grading.

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-graded exercise type in Edooqoo that develops productive vocabulary skills.

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

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-graded exercise type in Edooqoo, common in Cambridge exams.

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.

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.

Summative Assessment

Evaluation at the end of a learning period to measure achievement. Edooqoo's progress tracking and Welcome Test provide summative data.

T

Task-Based Learning

Learning through completing meaningful tasks rather than drilling grammar rules. Edooqoo's discussion questions and describe picture exercises are task-based.

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.

W

Washback Effect

The influence of testing on teaching and learning. Edooqoo's exam preparation exercises create positive washback by practicing exam-format skills.

Word Order

Arranging scrambled words into correct sentences. An Edooqoo exercise type that practices syntax and sentence structure.

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Related Resources

About Edooqoo · Pricing · All 29 Exercise Types · Prompt Library · ELT Glossary · How It Works