News from the Business English SIG

‘How to Turn Teenagers into Business Experts’

Our October workshop is ‘Write It. Notice It. Say It.’ with Lucy Tilney. Business English teachers often work with busy professionals who have little time for homework yet still need opportunities to reflect on language, notice patterns, and develop spoken confidence. This interactive workshop explores how short learner diaries can become a rich source of authentic language for developing grammar, pronunciation, and speaking, while providing highly personalised teaching material that requires little or no preparation from the teacher. Drawing on almost 20 years of intensive English immersion teaching, where adult professionals live and learn in her Bristol home, Lucy shows how learner- generated language reveals individual needs and creates highly personalised learning opportunities. Through authentic diary extracts, audio recordings, discussion, and breakout activities, participants will explore the simple sequence in the workshop title: write it, notice it, say it.

The workshop takes place on Saturday, 17 October at 15.00 (UK time). Places are limited, so please register for the workshop as soon as possible. This event is free to attend for IATEFL members; the ticket price for non-members is GBP15.00. Certificates will be sent to everyone who attends.

Our November workshop is ‘Continuous Needs Analysis in the Age of AI: Designing Learning Journeys that Evolve with the Learner’ with Ricardo Bruns. Needs analysis has long been recognised as one of the cornerstones of Business English and English for Specific Purposes (ESP) practice. We also know that learners’ communication needs are a moving target, continually shaped by new projects, changing responsibilities, evolving stakeholders, and unexpected professional demands. Yet in practice, needs analysis is often concentrated at the beginning of a programme, while subsequent decisions rely largely on the teacher’s intuition and occasional learner feedback.

This workshop explores how artificial intelligence (AI) can help us bridge that gap. Rather than focusing on AI as a tool for generating lesson plans or classroom materials, we will examine how it can support a continuous needs analysis process throughout the entire learning journey. From initial discovery meetings and proposal writing to session planning, reflective practice, and ongoing course redesign, participants will explore practical workflows that enable learning programmes to evolve alongside their learners’ professional contexts. Through discussion, authentic examples, and collaborative activities, the workshop invites Business English practitioners to rethink needs analysis not as the starting point of a course but as the thread that connects every stage of it.

The workshop takes place on Saturday, 14 November from 15.00 to 17.00 (UK time), and you can register for the workshop now. This event is free to attend for IATEFL members; the ticket price for non-members is GBP15.00. Certificates will be sent to everyone who attends.

‘The Break Room’

Need a break? Then slip on your slippers, grab a coffee or tea, get a doughnut, and join us at The Break Room, our monthly meetup – members and non-members alike, everyone is welcome! The idea is to provide a platform where we can meet up informally and have a chat, which is a great chance to catch up with IATEFL BESIG friends and make new ones. As always, we meet on the last Wednesday of the month, so the next meetup is on Wednesday, 28 October at 18.00 (UK time). We hope to see you there, and you can follow this link for the log-in details.

39th Annual IATEFL BESIG Conference

IATEFL BESIG conference programme

The programme for the 39th Annual IATEFL BESIG Conference in Vienna is out, and we are excited about the wonderful mix of ideas, voices and perspectives! A huge thank you to all our speakers for their contributions. With more than 60 sessions, new session formats and a lot of food for thought, there is so much to look forward to. Additionally, our social programme offers plenty of opportunities to catch up with familiar faces, meet new colleagues, and enjoy beautiful Vienna together.

Come and join us from Friday, 20 November to Sunday, 22 November. Explore the programme and book your place. We are looking forward to seeing you in Vienna!

Call for volunteers: social media content posters

Would you like to get involved with IATEFL BESIG and help us connect with the wider Business English community? We are looking for volunteer social media content posters to support our online presence and help us share BESIG news, events and activities across our social media channels. The role involves posting pre-prepared content according to a schedule, ensuring accurate formatting and tagging, and helping us keep an eye on comments and messages.

You don’t need to be a social media expert – basic knowledge of Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn, or a willingness to learn, is enough. We are looking for reliable, detail- oriented volunteers who can commit approximately one to two hours per week, and successful applicants will be appointed for a three-year term. The application deadline is Saturday, 17 October. If you are interested in joining us, please read the full role description and apply.