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In this exclusive interview, we sit down with Mariwan Abdalla — the creative force behind @englishwithrahel, one of Instagram’s biggest English teaching accounts with over 2 million followers — to discover how he built a global community of engaged English learners and became a leading voice in the world of digital ELT (English Language Teaching).

Hosted by Edward Eustace, Editor of the King’s Digital ELT Platform, this conversation dives deep into Mariwan’s journey, from humble beginnings to full-time content creator, and the lessons he’s learned along the way.

✨ What you'll learn in this episode:

✔ How Mariwan grew @englishwithrahel to 2M+ followers

✔ Key strategies for authentic growth and engagement

✔ Content creation tips for language teachers

✔ Tools, mindset, and workflow behind successful ELT posts

✔ Advice for educators looking to build a personal brand online

🔗 Follow Mariwan Abdalla

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/englishwithrahel 

Discover the Top 5 AI tools for language learning with renowned educator Russell Stannard. This video highlights tools that are transforming language education, making learning interactive, personalised, and effective. From text-to-speech software to gamified activities, explore these essential tools:

NaturalReader - Text-to-speech for better pronunciation and fluency.

TurboScribe - AI transcription for listening and writing practice.

Google Translate - Instant translation and language exploration.

WordWall - Create and use interactive language games.

YouTube - Language learning channels with subtitles and diverse content.

Rebecca Slinn welcomes Nicky Hockly, a teaching and digital learning technologies expert to discuss questions around digital literacy for teachers and AI in English language teaching. 

Nicky is the Director of Pedagogy at 'The Consultants-E' - an innovative online training and development organisation. Nicky has extensive experience in teaching and teacher training and is an established author in learning technologies and English language teaching and is currently finishing a PhD at the University of Warwick.

Rebecca Slinn is an MA Applied Linguistics and English Language Teaching student at King's College London and one of the editors of the King's Digital ELT SIG web portal. Watch her workshop about possible uses of Generative AI in English Language Teaching.

Edward Eustace is an MA Applied Linguistics and English Language Teaching student at King's College London and one of the editors of the King's Digital ELT SIG web portal. Watch his talk about reviewing lexical collocations in English as the lingua franca.