2nd Edition Online English Teacher Conference Programme

We are excited to announce we are hosting our second annual Online English Teacher Conference on 23 June 2023! With sessions throughout the day and an array of expert speakers, this conference aims to start the conversation of how online teaching can be the better normal.

Register for the sessions listed below. You can access the registration form here!

 

Opening plenary. 09:00-10:00 CET

Information coming soon

 

Kevin Clare: Teaching Speaking Skills to Mixed Level Learners. 10:00-10:30 CET

In “Teaching Speaking Skills to Mixed Level Learners,” we explore engaging strategies for enhancing oral proficiency in diverse student groups. This 30-minute session will showcase practical techniques to differentiate instruction, effectively address learners’ varying needs, and foster inclusive, dynamic environments that boost all students’ confidence and competence in English speaking skills.

 

Andrew Duenas: Finding your online voice. 10:00-10:30 CET

Do you have a “teacher voice” in the classroom? Many teachers use physical changes in breathing and articulation, linguistic changes in choices of structures, and also metalinguistic changes such as conveying a certain personality through tone. When the linguistic signal is dependent on hardware and Internet strength, it’s important to put your best voice forward into the microphone! In this workshop, we’ll practice some techniques that professional speakers use to develop and project a strong, healthy, and charismatic voice. By the end, you’ll be able to combine several factors to produce different styles of voices that serve as communicative input for your students.

 

Laura Wilkes: Taking Action Towards Your Goals: Making It Happen. 11:00-11:30 CET

In this talk, we will explore the power of goal-setting and how it can help us achieve our personal and professional aspirations. We will delve into what a goal is, and how to set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals that can be broken down into smaller, manageable steps. We will also discuss the importance of reflection, taking action, reviewing, and adjusting our goals as we progress towards them. By the end of the talk, you will have practical strategies and insights that will help you set and achieve your goals, both in your personal and professional life.

 

Olena Gyrych: Teaching, not testing, spelling with Spelling Journals. 11:00-11:30 CET

The presenter will demonstrate a Spelling Journal which uses various techniques to teach and practice spelling. These techniques move away from just testing spelling and develop learner autonomy. Participants will have the opportunity to try out different practical spelling activities which they can use in their own adult classes.

 

Peter Fullagar: Everybody’s normal: LGBTQIA identities in ELT. 11:00-11:30 CET

In this session, we’ll look at the whys, hows, and whats of inclusion in materials and how this can be applied to LGBTQIA+ identities. There will be some interactive aspects to the session as well as signposts to useful resources.

 

Karina Zew: The Power of Professional Development: Teachers Toward the Future. 12:00-12:30 CET

Professional development is necessary to keep up with current learning trends in the language classroom. The future is in the classroom here and now because teachers are preparing learners for tomorrow. Teachers need to be the advocate for the students, learn the new technology and ensure their assessment methods are the most up to date to succeed in preparing students for future careers. School administrators can work together with teachers to plant seed for change. Professional development is powerful because it results in less burnout, increased energy, ideas, creation, onus of profession, and overall, it helps with teacher retention. This discussion-based workshop will cover 21st century skills for the classroom and some of the latest trends for Continual Professional Development.

 

Natasha Horvath: Choosing and adapting learning materials for adult learners’ needs. 13:00-13:30 CET

This presentation will discuss strategies for choosing learning materials appropriate for our learners. On the other hand, it will provide ideas on how to adapt the materials provided by the language school, so they are more suitable for our learners’ level, learning aims, interests, and learning style.

 

Sarah Flores: Challenging Your Students With Free Talk. 13:00-13:30 CET

Everyone needs a good challenge and free talk is an excellent time for the student to put into practice the things they’ve learned. However, this is also one of the most difficult tasks for the teacher since there’s no script. Here’s how to challenge them, keep them happy, and ensure both of you are successful.

 

Thu Thu Niang: Planning grammar lessons using AI tools. 13:00-13:30 CET

In this talk, Thu Thu will highlight the benefits and limitations of using ChatGPT and other AI tools. Then she will share her insight and experience on using these tools to plan grammar lessons. Participants will gain practical tips on planning grammar lessons employing these tools.

 

Martine Ellis: Wellbeing-Driven Productivity for Exhausted Online Educators. 13:00-13:30 CET

Martine is a writer, speaker, coach, and educator whose work is rooted in the belief that achieving personal and professional success starts with prioritising your mental and physical wellbeing. Through her expertise in productivity and lived neurodivergent experience, Martine empowers individuals and organisations to achieve their goals and work-life harmony. Martine’s commitment to spreading her message is evident in her work leading professional development and scholarly activity at The Guernsey Institute; she brings a contagious enthusiasm and passion to everything she does. In her precious downtime, you’ll probably find Martine chasing her mischievous dog across one of Guernsey’s beautiful beaches or adding a few stitches to her latest embroidery project.

 

Social Activity: World Picnic. 14:00-14:30 CET

One of the advantages of teaching online is that we can connect with people from all over the world. Let’s take a break from the sessions and have some fun sharing facts about how you like to picnic. In this social activity, participants will be able to enter a raffle. So don’t miss it!

 

Beata Schmidt: Listen Up, Everyone: Bottom-up and Top-Down Listening Strategies. 16:00-16:30 CET

While listening in the classroom often focuses on bottom-up proficiency in grammar, vocabulary, and basic pronunciation, I will suggest in this presentation that top-down strategies such as knowledge of discourse, background, sociolinguistic context, and coping strategies are just as important for successful listening comprehension.

 

Rachel Tsateri: Teaching (not testing) writing online. 16:00-16:30 CET

Writing is often neglected in the (online) classroom. We tend to assign written tasks for homework, which means we end up testing students’ ability to write rather than teach them the skill. In this talk, I will share some ideas for helping students improve their writing skills in the online classroom.

 

 

Closing plenary. 17:00-18:00 CET

Information coming soon.