UK Education Blog

Top 20 Ed Tech Solutions for English Teachers

Manuela Willbold

Enabling technology in the classroom has been one of the most significant changes witnessed in the education sector in recent years.

Technology does not only change the way students interact with their teachers but also how they learn and communicate with their peers. Preparing students for exams and the digital age by using educational technology can tick many boxes as an English teacher.

However, you must ensure you use the best-rated and resourceful online solutions and EdTech products out there to secure ideal learning outcomes for your students.

Some of these might require a monthly or annual subscription including fees for school access, but most schools will be happy to pay if they offer good value for their setting.

Therefore, we have compiled a list of the top-rated 20 Ed Tech products and solutions currently on the market for English teachers.

Disclaimer: All app details listed are based on the latest information available at the time this post was published. The apps have been listed according to the number of followers on social media. 

1. BBC Learning English

bbc-learning-english.

Age range: All ages

Price: Free

BBC Learning English is a digital platform offering resources and activities to help English language learners. 

It lets users improve their speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills. And covers a variety of topics, including news, culture, and everyday life.

Key features:

Available On: Web

Social Presence: 

2. Google Apps for Education

Age Range: All ages

Price: Free 

Google Apps for Education is a suite of productivity and communication tools especially curated for schools and educational institutions. 

It includes all the general Google apps and platforms that English teachers can use to make their lessons more engaging and impactful.

Key Tools:

Key Features

Available On: Web, Android & iOS

Social Presence:

3. Evernote

Age range: All ages

Price: The basic plan is available for free. To learn more about the paid plans with greater features, click here. 

Evernote serves as a robust tool for creating, editing, saving, sharing, and deleting notes. It aids English teachers in crafting notes on various topics for dissemination to students during instruction. 

Key features:

Available On: Web, Android & iOS

Social Presence:

4. Discovery Education

Age Range: K-12 students

Price: Subscription-based, click on this link to fill up a form requesting a price

Discovery Education is a digital learning platform with educational resources and tools for both teachers and students. It includes video content, interactive simulations, virtual field trips, and more, all designed to support and enhance classroom instruction.

Key Features:

Available On: Microsoft Store 

Social Presence:

5. English Central

Age range: All ages

Price: Subscription-based platform, to learn more about the pricing plans, click here. 

English Central is an eLearning platform designed especially for English language instruction. 

It offers interactive video-based lessons, activities, and assessments for improving speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills.

Key features:

Available On: Web, Android & iOS

Social Presence:

6. BrainPOP

Age Range: 3-18 years old

Price: Subscription-based. You need to fill out the access form by clicking here. 

BrainPop is an eLearning platform that offers animated content to support teaching and learning. 

It can be used by schools, homeschoolers, and educators globally. 

The best part of using BrainPop for your class is that it makes learning fun and interactive.

Key Features:

Available On: Web, Android & iOS 

Social Presence:

7. Flipgrid

Age range: All ages

Price: Free

Imagine a tool that allows educators to engage with students through both virtual reality and videos. Enter Flipgrid, a versatile platform enabling teachers to foster interaction via text-based forums and integrate video learning into their classes effortlessly. Teachers can start by creating a group and inviting students, maintaining full control over who joins and what they can access. Next, they will have to post topics—text or video instructions—to prompt student responses.

Key features:

Available On: Web, Android & iOS

Social Presence:

8. iReady

Age Range: K-8 students

Price: To learn more about the pricing click here. 

i-Ready is a comprehensive online learning platform that is designed to support educators with resources, tools, and research. It focuses on two main subjects: English and Mathematics. 

Key Features:

Available On: Web, & iOS

Social Presence:

9. Quizlet

Age range: All ages

Price: Free trial for a month after which you need to subscribe to the paid plan.

Quizlet is a popular eLearning platform offering various study tools and games. These help students learn and memorise information about language learning, science, history, and more.

Key features:

Available On: Web, Android & iOS

Social Presence:

10. Newsela

Age Range: K-12 students

Price: Free; Upgrade available for unique needs and you can contact support for the pricing by clicking here. 

Newsela is a digital learning platform that provides students with access to a vast library of non-fiction articles. But that’s not all. Newsela offers articles written at five different reading levels. 

Thus, it offers a personalised reading experience for students. And it further helps them improve their literacy skills and deepen their understanding of various subjects.

Key Features:

Available On: iOS

Social Presence:

11. Buncee

Age Range: Everyone

Price: 30-day free trial followed by paid plan.

Buncee is an online canvas of sorts created by Capstone. It is a platform for young children and teachers to create presentations and other types of digital content. It also offers a variety of educational games, videos, and fun activities. 

Key Features:

Available On: Microsoft Store 

Social Presence:

12. Read&Write

Age range: All ages

Price: Subscription-based, starting at $9.99 per user per month. To learn more about pricing click here. 

Read&Write is a literacy support tool, which offers text-to-speech and dictation services, specially designed for those with dyslexia and literacy difficulties. It is also ideal for those who have English as a second language. 

Over 20 million people from across the globe use it for reading, writing, and studying.

Key features:

Available On: Chrome extension, Android & iOS

Social Presence:

13. Fast ForWord

Age Range: K-12 students (especially those with language-based learning challenges)

Price: Subscription-based, click here to learn about the pricing.

Fast ForWord is a series of online educational games and exercises for English learning. The games and exercises are designed to improve the student’s language and reading skills. 

It is backed by scientific research and evidence-based methods, which help students build the skills necessary for academic success.

Key Features:

Available On: Purely a web-based tool.

Social Presence:

14. NoRedInk

Age Range: Grade 3 to 5

Price: Free to get started. 

You can request a quote for NoRedInk Premium by clicking here. 

NoR edInk is a steadfast tool that helps students (or anyone for that matter!) improve their writing and grammar skills. 

It offers personalised instructions and feedback through adaptive assessments and interactive lessons.

Key Features:

Available On: Purely a web-based tool.

Social Presence:

15. ScreenPal

Age range: All ages

Price: Click here to learn about different price packages. 

ScreenPal is a platform designed for effortless video recording with just a simple click of the ‘Start Recording’ button. It proves invaluable for English teachers looking to capture lectures, offer feedback to students, or provide demonstrations. Additionally, ScreenPal empowers teachers with features such as adding comments, notes, and highlighting key points, enhancing the teaching process. 

Key features:

Available On: Web, Android & iOS

Social Presence:

16. Storybird

Age range: 3 to 14+

Price: The basic plan with minimum features is available for free. However, you can click here to learn more about the paid plans with advanced features.

Storybird stands out as a premier educational technology tool renowned for enriching students’ writing and language skills. Providing a dynamic platform where students can craft stories using a variety of creative tools and publish them online, Storybird enhances engagement and interactivity in language lessons for educators. Students can delve into creating storybooks, comic books, poems, cartoon strips, and long-form narratives, fostering a space for them to hone their literacy, writing, and literature abilities. 

Key features:

Boasting over 10,000 captivating illustrations sourced from artists worldwide, Storybird empowers young writers to weave unique narratives infused with stunning visuals.

Available On: Web, & iOS

Social Presence:

17. Busy Things

Age Range: Children ages 3-11

Price: Subscription-based (free trial available). You can request a quote by clicking here. 

Busy Things is a one-stop digital platform for children, offering educational games, activities, and resources to support learning and development. 

It offers activities and games designed to be fun and engaging for kids along with resources that can be used by schools, teachers, and parents to make learning fun.

Key Features:

Available On: Purely a web-based tool.

Social Presence:

18. Boclips

Age range: All ages

Price: Free

Boclips offers a vast array of enriching video and media resources tailored for educators. Designed to empower learning, it provides access to exclusive content, including educational podcasts, offering flexibility in learning schedules. Through Boclips, educators gain access to a diverse collection of educational videos sourced globally, facilitating visual learning in today’s digital classrooms. 

Key features:

Available On: Web

Social Presence:

19. Quill

Age range: K-12 students

Price: Free

Quill is an EdTech platform offering writing activities and assessments for K-12 students. 

It helps improve students’ writing skills, primarily by providing instant feedback on grammar, style, and organisation.

Key features:

Available On: Web only

Social Presence:

20. PrepAI

Age range: All ages

Price: You can register for free to avail of the 15-day trial plan following which you can subscribe to any of the plans from here. 

PrepAI is an innovative AI-powered tool designed to transform education and training by enabling educators and trainers to effortlessly generate high-level questions from any content. This cutting-edge solution integrates Bloom’s Taxonomy concepts, categorising learning objectives to produce questions that promote critical thinking and reasoning skills. 

Key features:

Available On: Web

Social Presence:

The Advantages of Ed Tech Products

1. More Interactive Experiences

By using technology students and teachers can get into the subject which they are learning about. One can use simulations, videos, and games to ensure that the students are not just excited with what they are doing but also fully grasping new concepts.

2. Source of Unlimited Resources

Answers to any query that one has can be found with the touch of a button using smartphones, tablets, computers, and the internet with e-safety procedures in place, monitored by the teachers.

3. Required Future Skills

Technology is dominated by businesses and the whole workforce. If technology is not used or implemented in classrooms, then we will not have a prepared generation of students with adequate digital skills needed for employment and general life tasks.

4. Saves Precious Resources

The most overlooked gain of the use of technology is the number of resources that can be saved. Assignments, books, and other things need materials like paper to be executed. The number of such resources will be greatly cut down when they are digitised.

5. Instantly Updated Information

We are aware of items that need constant change and when this occurs, educational resources like textbooks will have to be updated. This is easy to do with technology and offers cheaper and faster ways of updating compared to all books and resources having to be replaced.

6. No Heavy Backpacks

The higher in education that one gets, the more materials one is required to bring each day. However, now you can have it all online stored in a cloud or in your notebook.

The Disadvantages of Ed Tech Products

1. It is a Distraction

Distraction is the largest problem that one has when using technology in education. There is access to great educational resources through useless and time-wasting information like videos and games can also be easily accessed. E-safety and limited access for students is a key factor here for every school to consider.

2. Inappropriate Access

The Internet has a wealth of wonderful information which easily overshadows the number of harmful information. Hateful content, pornographic materials, and violence can potentially be seen by the student and the school has to prevent this from happening by establishing a clear e-safety policy that every teacher and student follows at all times.

3. Very Expensive to be Up To Date

It is true that to be up to date and have the newest technology can be costly. Public schools might struggle with funding the latest ed-tech, but often government funds help here. Less affluent parents could find it difficult to provide their children with the technology they can access at school.

4. Hinders Basic Skills

There is the automation of just about everything in technology. Instead of understanding and learning, one can use their phone to solve a problem. The students need to retain the ability to think for themselves and find their solutions.

5. Fake information on the internet

Children can come across untrue or false information online. This can be a problem where education is concerned when students seek answers to their questions. Schools are responsible for monitoring students’ internet searches and providing them with a skillset to identify and filter false from justified information.

All the Ed Tech products mentioned here help to improve competency in reading, with literacy skills including vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. Additionally, the students will learn how to use such applications safely and competently to enhance their own learning experience. Learn more about e-safety here.

And if you’re an English tutor or teacher looking for online jobs, head here:

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    Author Profile

    Manuela WillboldEditor in Chief
    Blogger and Educator by Passion | Senior Online Media & PR Strategist at ClickDo Ltd. | Contributor to many Education, Business & Lifestyle Blogs in the United Kingdom & Germany | Summer Course Student at the London School of Journalism and Course Instructor at the SeekaHost University.
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