1. This one’s nothing to do with English at all, as it works with the three most common modern foreign languages in the UK (French, German and Spanish), but it will I hope be of general language learning and teaching interest (and in the meantime I’ll look for one for English) – the MultiLingProfiler from the UK National Centre for Excellence for Language Pedagogy (NCELP) https://www.multilingprofiler.net/

2. I’ve included a couple of pieces on the uses of AI (Artificial Intelligence) in education recently. Here’s a blog post on the same topic from Nick Saville of Cambridge Assessment https://www.cambridgeassessment.org.uk/blogs/education-artificial-intelligence/

Nick claims that “there is a huge opportunity to improve learning outcomes with the appropriate use of digital technology, such as the use of artificial intelligence (AI) that is specifically designed for educational purposes.”

3. The next in the Queen’s University Belfast Centre for Language Education research seminar series, at 13:00 UK time next Friday, 6th August, is A primer on second language English pronunciation assessment with Dr Talia Isaacs from the University College London Institute of Education. More info and registration here https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-primer-on-second-language-english-pronunciation-assessment-tickets-162302664639

4. Something a little different from the Finborough Theatre – an online performance of Masks and Faces https://youtu.be/9aTlHSECRcE which includes a cameo performance from a well-known theatre critic that suggests they made the right choice of career!

A little more info on play and production here https://finboroughtheatre.co.uk/production/masks-and-faces-or-before-and-behind-the-curtain/

5. And, finally, two video tours of the city of Edinburgh. Subtitles instead of a commentary, which works quite well, on this first one https://youtu.be/ODmoTtNedvc

and here’s another starring two men in kilts and accents https://youtu.be/BQuNDitswRc Subtitles available!