Just on the topic of multiple means of representation and engagement—there are a few features and techniques that really make a difference, especially in diverse classrooms.
One last feature that’s worthwhile exploring: if you’ve recorded a video of yourself teaching, and it’s your video on YouTube, you can click “More” and access your own transcript. That’s extremely helpful. You can strip out the timings and just take the text. There’s a lot you can do with that transcript. If you’re using AI tools, you can easily use it to create lesson summaries or additional learning content.
One thing I want to point out is that ChatGPT, even without a special login, is surprisingly good at translations—often better than what you’ll get in autogenerated YouTube captions. So, if a student is trying to translate content but finds the captions lacking, they can simply go to ChatGPT and ask, “Translate this to Japanese,” for example. The results can be impressively accurate. When I’ve shown students how to do this, they’ve found it genuinely helpful. What’s especially important is that translations can provide students with essential confirmation of what they’ve heard in another language.
Another useful strategy for students who don’t have English as their first language: PowerPoint’s live captions feature. It doesn’t matter what the presentation is—you can just open up a blank PowerPoint. Head up to the relevant menu and select “Always Use Subtitles.” You can change the subtitle language to whatever you like—say, Chinese, while speaking in English—and then present your slides. As you speak, your words are translated and displayed in real time. When demonstrating this to students, I usually get it set up on the classroom screen. Ultimately, though, the goal is to help students develop the routine themselves so they can use it independently. This way, they can listen to the lesson in English and see the translation in their chosen language, giving them dual confirmation and enhancing engagement.
To recap: these are simple practices that can become classroom habits. By tightening up your routines—regularly recording lessons, making use of translation and text-to-speech tools, and practising good content organisation—you can meet a lot of the inherent diversity in your classroom. These strategies naturally support students’ varied backgrounds and learning needs, making the classroom a more accessible and engaging place for everyone.