My brain doesn’t switch off. Ever. I’ll be watching TV and — boom — I’m already thinking, “How can I use this in class?” Is it a blessing or a curse? Honestly? Both. But mostly a blessing, because sometimes it leads to something really cool. Like this.
There’s a programme on Asturian TV called El Picu — and picu means “peak” or “mountaintop” in Asturian. The concept is simple: contestants answer questions, and with each correct answer, they climb a little higher up the mountain. First team to reach the summit wins.
I watched it and thought: my students would go absolutely mad for this.
I have the idea, Gemini builds the app
I have zero coding skills. But I do have Gemini, and that’s all I needed.
I won’t pretend it requires no preparation at all — you do need a bit of know-how about how to prompt it effectively — but the process itself is surprisingly straightforward. I described what I wanted, iterated a little, and before long I had a fully functional classroom game called The Picu: B2 ESL Alpine Expedition.
I show the game on the interactive whiteboard and the moment students see those mountain tracks, something shifts. Smiles appear. Someone always goes “Yuhuuu, we’re playing today!” — and yes, we are. But we’re also learning. That’s the whole point.
Here’s my low-tech twist on it:
I divide the class into 4 teams
Each group has paper and a pen
When the sentence appears, they discuss and write their answer. They have 30 seconds for this.
At my signal, everyone holds up their paper at the same time (no copying!)
Groups that got it right? Their climber moves up the mountain
First team to reach the Picu wins
What I particularly love is that multiple teams can be awarded points in the same round And if a question is too hard? Just hit Skip and move on. No fuss.
Teaching today goes far beyond simply delivering content. It’s about connecting with students, motivating them, and creating learning experiences that genuinely spark their interest. Of course, textbooks are useful—they provide structure and consistency. But relying on them alone often makes it difficult to truly engage students, especially in a world filled with dynamic, interactive content.
That’s where AI comes in, since it allows us to adapt our teaching in ways that were unthinkable just a few years ago.
Another important aspect is keeping education aligned with the times. While a PowerPoint presentation can still do the job, varying your methods—using multimedia, storytelling, or digital tools—can dramatically boost engagement and retention.
Yes, it takes time. I won’t pretend otherwise. But here’s the good news: once you start creating your own content, it becomes not only incredibly rewarding, but also a little addictive. Seeing your students light up with curiosity and enthusiasm? That’s the real magic.
Today, I’m going to show you how to create a personalized animation using your own image as a reference—only this time, we’re turning it into a fun and expressive 3D cartoon character!
Here’s an example of what I mean:
If you listen closely to the song, you’ll actually catch the names of the AI tools I used to bring this animation to life. Cool, right? Let’s break it down, and make sure you don’t miss a thing.
Step 1: Upload Your Photo and Describe It with Gemini
First things first—upload a photo of yourself toGemini and ask it to describe the image in detail. I used a clear photo of my face, and Gemini generated a description of my facial features that I could use as a base for the next step.
Once you have that description, here comes the creative magic! I gave Gemini the following prompt:
Create this image. Now turn this woman in the image into a 3D-rendered cartoon standing in front of a vintage microphone on a stage. She is wearing a beautiful long white dress and orange feather earrings. Her expression appears happy, and she has one hand gesturing outward, palm up. The background features dark red or brown velvet curtains, softly illuminated by warm, orange spotlights on either side of the character. The floor appears to be a dark, reflective surface, suggesting a stage setting. The overall lighting creates a dramatic and somewhat intimate atmosphere, focusing attention on the central figure.
Step 2: Create Different Scenes for Your Animation
Now that you’ve got your main character and setting, it’s time to create different scenes to bring your animation to life. This is where the real storytelling begins!
To keep consistency, I asked Gemini to recreate the same woman in the same stage setting, but with a new pose and perspective. Here’s the prompt I used next:
“Same woman, but now it’s a closer shot. Her hand is gently holding the vintage microphone, and she’s looking slightly to the side with a soft smile. Keep the background the same—velvet curtains, warm lighting, and stage setting.”
This keeps the mood and aesthetic consistent while adding variety and motion to your final animation. From here, I continued generating different versions by tweaking the prompt just a little each time—like changing her expression, pose, or camera angle:
“Same woman, turning slightly as if introducing a song.”
“Same woman, mid-laugh, hand over her heart.”
Tip: Always mention “same woman” and “same setting” in your prompts. That helps Gemini maintain visual consistency across all your scenes.
Step 3: Animate Your Image with Kling
Alright, now it’s time to bring your character to life! 💃
To animate the image, I used a free tool called Kling. It’s super easy to use and surprisingly powerful. Here’s what I did:
Open Kling and select the Video feature.
Upload the image you created earlier with Gemini.
In the prompt box, describe the movement or action you want your character to perform.
For example, I used this prompt:
“Singing and moving her head elegantly and slowly, as if dancing with the music.”
And just like that—Kling turned my 3D cartoon into a living, breathing (well, almost!) performer on stage.
You can repeat this step with different images or prompts to create multiple clips for your animation. The key is to keep your prompts clear and gentle to match the mood and style of your scene.
Step 4: Add a Voice or a Song (Your Choice!)
Now, what comes next really depends on what you want your animated character to do. Do you want her to sing? Speak? Narrate a story? You’ve got options!
In my case, I wanted the woman to sing, so here’s what I did:
I used ChatGPT to help me write original lyrics—super fun and creative!
Then, I took those lyrics and used Suno, an AI music generator, to turn them into a full song with vocals and background music.
But hey—maybe you’d prefer a talking character instead of a singer. Totally fine!
Alternative option:You can simply record your own voice or generate a voiceover using tools like ElevenLabs or a text-to-speech platform.
Step 5: Put It All Together in a Video Editor
Now it’s time to assemble your scenes and audio into one smooth, eye-catching animation. For this part, I used Canva—yep, the free version works great!
I uploaded each animated clip, added my audio (the song I created in Suno), and arranged everything on a timeline to build the final video. You can also add:
Captions or subtitles
Transitions between scenes
Background music or sound effects
Title screens or fun text animations
Watching your idea come to life—frame by frame—is honestly kind of addictive. And yes, it’s sure to impress and totally motivate your students! Ready to try!
Have you ever wondered whether you should say risk or danger, or what makes a threat different from a menace? These words all relate to harm or trouble, but they’re not exactly the same—and choosing the right one can really sharpen your English. I
In this post, you’ll find clear and simple definitions, each one explained with examples where only one word fits. And to make things even more fun, we’ve turned it into a mini game inspired by Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Can you pick the right word under pressure?
Here we go!
Danger
Definition: A general term referring to the possibility of harm, injury, or negative consequences. It is often immediate or imminent.
Example: Driving at high speed through a foggy road presents a danger to all passengers.
Peril
Definition: A more intensified or extreme form of danger, often involving a high likelihood of serious harm or death. Note: “Peril” is more literary or formal in tone than “danger.”
Example: Mountaineers caught in an avalanche are in peril—their lives are at significant risk.
Threat
Definition: The possibility or expression of future harm, often intentional or directed. A threat may not be immediate but implies a potential for conflict, damage, or danger.
Example: A hostile email from a rival company can be perceived as a threat to your business operations.
Hazard
Definition: A source or condition that can cause harm or damage if not managed. Hazards are often discussed in health and safety contexts. Difference from danger: A hazard is the source, while danger is the condition or situation that may result.
Example: Chemical spills in a laboratory are a serious hazard that must be addressed immediately
Menace
Definition: A person or thing that is persistently troublesome, harmful, or threatening. The word carries a strong connotation of nuisance or long-term disturbance. Stylistic note: “Menace” can describe both people and abstract concepts and often implies social or moral concern.
Example: The gang operating in the neighbourhood has become a real menace to the community.
Risk
Definition: The probability or likelihood that harm will occur. It is often measured or calculated, especially in fields like finance, engineering, or healthcare.Difference from danger:Risk is about possibility, while danger is about the actual presence of harm.
Example: Investing in a startup involves risk, as you may lose your capital if the company fails.
Term
Focus
Immediacy
Connotation
Example
Danger
Harmful situation or condition
Imminent
Neutral/serious
Standing near a live wire
Peril
Severe or extreme danger
Critical
Formal/literary
Lost at sea during a storm
Threat
Possibility or intent of harm
Future
Negative/hostile
A cyberattack warning from a hacker
Hazard
Source of potential harm
Latent
Technical/safety
Oil on a kitchen floor
Menace
Nuisance or ongoing harm
Ongoing
Strongly negative
A dictator seen as a menace to global peace
Risk
Probability of harm occurring
Theoretical
Neutral/analytical
Investing in volatile stock markets
Let’s play!
Answers explained
1. Chemical __________ that could cause severe respiratory issues.
✅ Correct: hazard
❌ Danger – too general, lacks the focus on the source.
❌ Risk – not about probability, but about an object/source.
❌ Threat, peril, menace – these imply intent, intensity, or agency, which a chemical lacks. → Only “hazard” fits: it’s used technically to describe potential harm from substances.
It’s been a long time since I haven’t written a post for primary teachers and A1 learners, but hey! This one’s for you!
If you’re just starting your reading journey—or helping little ones do the same—Google’s Read Alongis the perfect tool to make learning fun! While designed primarily for children, these stories can still be valuable for adult learners focusing on reading skills and pronunciation practice. The child-friendly content doesn’t diminish its effectiveness as a learning tool for readers of any age. For me and my adult students, it just makes the whole activity more visually appealing while still focusing on the same goal—helping you improve your reading and pronunciation.
What is Read Along?
It is a FREE tool (yep, no cost at all!) that helps students learn to read and pronounce correctly while having fun. It works both as an app and online, making it super accessible for everyone.
How does it work?
Meet Diya, the friendly reading buddy!
She listens to students and helps them then they struggle with reading
Students can choose from hundreds of levelled stories
Students can earn badges and rewards as they read
Ready to pronounce? t is important to activate the microphone.
Diya, the reading buddy, will prompt you to pronounce; or alternatively, you can click on the words to hear them being pronounced.
Why do I like it?
There are four levels of stories, each with a different level of difficulty. The higher the level, the more challenging the reading—so you can progress at your own pace.
You can listento individual words in a story, and there are also fun activities where you get to record yourself reading aloud! Perfect for practicing pronunciation and building confidence!
Uses AI to offer real-time feedback
Completely inclusive and accessible for all learners
Helps students gain confidence and fluency in reading
So, whether you’re a teacher looking to support your students or a beginner reader wanting to improve pronunciation, Read Along might be the tool for you.
For over 30 years, I’ve been a proud pescatarian—a semi-vegetarian, if you will—happily skipping steak. Let me tell you, being “the one who doesn’t eat meat” in a region, Asturias, famous for its chuletones and fabada can make for some hilarious and eyebrow-raising moments: from explaining my choices at barbecues to finding the right food for me in a menu full of meat choices, I’ve collected plenty of anecdotes along the way.
So, in this lesson aimed at B2 + students, we’re going to explore the fascinating world of vegetarianism—a topic that sparks some seriously interesting conversations.
Ingredients of this lesson plan.
Warm-up: speaking and a fun video
Introducing Vocabulary with a home-made IAnized 🙄 video: Vegan vs Vegetarian
Vocabulary
Speaking: two corners
Scattergorix Game
WARM-UP: Speaking and one of my Favourite Videos
To kick things off, I’ve got a video I’ve been using for years to introduce this lesson. Now, I’ll admit that the quality is terrible. It’s grainy but it’s absolutely hilarious, and I just can’t bring myself to part with it. Before we jump into it, though, let’s set the scene with a couple of thought-provoking questions:
Have you ever gone on a date with someone who was vegan? How did it influence your choice of restaurant or food?
Do you think food choices (like being vegan) should be a factor when choosing a partner? Why or why not?
LISTENING:Note-taking: Vegan vs Vegetarian
Time to clear up the terms vegan vs. vegetarian, often confused! I’ve made a quick video using AI magic to explain the basics.
Students watch the video and jot down the key differences. In retelling the main differences, make a point of writing key vocabulary on the board.
Do we need a vocabulary exercise? Absolutely! The more words we know, the more we can express ourselves—plain and simple.
Speaking Practice
Let’s get moving with an expressing opinions activity! It’s all about taking a stand—literally.
Step 1. I’ve kept it simple—just grabbed three plain sheets of paper, and wrote I agree, I disagree, and I can’t decide, and stuck them in the corners with blue tack.
I agree
I disagree
I can’t decide (optional, if you have a larger group).
Step 2. I display the first statement, Being a vegetarian is the best choice for both personal health and the planet . Once students decide whether they agree or disagree with the statement, and before they stand up, I offer some guidance by suggesting ideas they can use to explain their position on the statement.
So, if they AGREE, they can use these reasons;
Reduces risk of chronic diseases (heart disease, diabetes)
High in nutrients like fibre, antioxidants, and vitamins
Avoids animal cruelty in factory farming
Lower carbon footprint and reduced resource use (water, land)
Helps combat deforestation and biodiversity loss
If they DISAGREE, they can use these
Risk of B12, iron, and protein deficiencies without careful planning
Limited food options in some cultures or regions
Costly and hard to access plant-based substitutes
Large-scale plant production can also lead to deforestation and water use
Step 3. they are ready now. Sudents move to their corner and discuss with like-minded peers for about 5 minutes.
Step 4. After about 5 minutes, they’ll pair up with someone from a different corner and try to change their mind—debate time!
For the next statements, they’ll have a moment to prepare their reasons before standing up and choosing their corner.
After hard work comes the reward—this time in the form of a game! Have you ever played Scattergorix? In this round, the list of categories is all about food. Hey!!! And yes, I got a little help from ChatGPT. Sometimes, it’s not so easy to come up with something for every category.
These are the rules of the game and below, the home-made game I created for my students.
Meet Diya, the friendly reading buddy!
