Todd Beuckens

ELLLO Productions / Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University

About

I am a part-time lecturer in English at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU) in Beppu, Japan, and the creator of ELLLO (English Listening Lesson Library Online), one of the first, largest, and most frequently visited free ESL listening sites on the Internet. I hold an M.A. in Learning, Design, and Technology from San Diego State University, as well as a CELTA. Over the past 25+ years, I have taught English to learners of all ages and levels, primarily in Thailand and Japan.

Sessions

All Levels Merging EL and ER into Extensive Viewing Videos with Captions more

Sat, Sep 6, 10:30-11:15 Asia/Tokyo

This presentation will highlight how to create extensive reading content in video format that is free, fun, and effective. Teachers and materials writers can learn how to generate an endless supply of engaging media content that students can read through captions. The emergence of AI and various online tools, such as VEED.IO, has made it easy to provide captions for video and audio content. As a result, both the extensive listening and extensive reading movements are now merging with the development of extensive viewing. This presentation will demonstrate how teachers can create or find content for any level and how to add captions to videos to help students increase their reading time. Additionally, the presentation will explore the differences between reading blocks of text in paragraph format and reading captions on various devices, as well as how captions can serve as a bridge for developing a love for reading.

All Levels How to Create a Free Online ER Library and Assignment Tracking System in 20 Minutes more

Sun, Sep 7, 11:45-12:30 Asia/Tokyo

Extensive reading (ER) programs help students build fluency, but many schools face two major challenges: providing accessible reading materials and tracking student participation. Building a physical library can be expensive and time-consuming, and teachers often lack tools to monitor engagement effectively. This presentation will demonstrate how to create a free, online ER library and assignment tracking system using tools such as ELLLO, ER-Central, Google Docs, Blogger, and Google Forms (or Microsoft equivalents). Participants will see how to set up the system in less than 20 minutes, organize level-appropriate materials, and make the library accessible on mobile devices. The session will also show how teachers can collect reading logs automatically and generate simple progress reports. By the end, attendees will understand the full process of building an online ER program that is easy to manage, sustainable, and completely free.