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The Simon Greenall Award celebrates the life and work of Simon Greenall OBE, teacher, trainer, materials writer, President of IATEFL, trustee of International House. The Award offers mentoring, promotional visibility and a grant for projects dedicated to building communities through learning English. It is sponsored by Macmillan Education, International House London and International House World Organisation.

We’d like to congratulate all those who applied, and especially those selected as highly commended, and in particular the winning project. Huge thanks to volunteers who will be providing mentoring on these projects.

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Winner of the 2026 Simon Greenall Award announced

English on the Mountains
This project enables children in the remote Pomak villages across Xanthi and Rhodope in northern Greece to learn English where it is not taught in schools. Hundreds of children aged 4-18 attend year-round online lessons and meet in summer schools. They learn through play, art, storytelling, environmental projects and entrepreneurship. They develop confidence, make friends and find pathways to further education, new knowledge and skills.

“I am grateful and excited our project has been selected for the award … it will open the door…” Fay Marinides: Originator and coordinator, Anatolia College of Thessaloniki, Northern Greece.

George Pickering, former IATEFL Trustee, will offer mentoring to Fay at English on the Mountains to develop a plan for succession and for on-going teacher development. George is an educational coach, trainer and consultant with management experience in private and state ELT sectors. He has mentored senior managers in a range of educational contexts and is academic director of the English UK Diploma in English Language Teaching Management.

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Highly commended applications in 2026:

Ukraine Speaks English
This project provides free online English-speaking classes for Ukrainian children aged 4-18. The aim is to enhance their language skills in a safe community setting, offer new skills and knowledge through speaking clubs, art classes, yoga classes, book clubs and storytelling activities. These informal sessions are delivered daily, linking students to a community of volunteer teachers, librarians, scientists, and other professionals from around the world.

Olena Zhupanova – Project Manager.
https://vchysia.org.ua/en/

Katja Preston will offer mentoring to help with the evaluation of communication skills to enable the project to demonstrate how it achieves its aims. This will support their international fund-raising. Since 2003 Katja has worked in a broad range of ELT schools on six continents. For 5 years she been Assessment and Training Coordinator for International House World Organisation. She is passionate about supporting teaching professionals to develop their skills.

The Good Games Project
This is a community-driven English learning initiative. Participants learn English naturally through playing board games in structured sessions led by trained youth facilitators. The sessions involve storytelling, discussion, strategy and collaboration. The project creates inclusive environments where students can practise speaking without fear of making mistakes. The aim is to build a sustainable English-speaking community.

Khalifa Affnan: Originator and coordinator
https://sites.google.com/moe-l.edu.my/thegoodgamesproject
https://www.facebook.com/kvceurekahub

Shaun Wilden will offer mentoring to help integrate language learning into the board game sessions in a structured and intentional way, so that game-playing can be recognised as a meaningful and serious learning approach. Shaun is an ELT teacher and trainer with a passion for board gaming. He is particularly interested in how modern boardgame mechanics can be utilised to support ELT, and encourage interaction, problem-solving, and meaningful language use. Shaun is the current Vice President of IATEFL

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The Simon Greenall Award 2027

The 2027 Simon Greenall Award will open for application 1st November 2026 at https://www.macmillanenglish.com/simon-greenall-award-2027

Previous Simon Greenall Award winners 2024:

The Happy Teachers’ Mentorship Programme Originated and coordinated by Venice Irving in Jamaica
https://teachenglishcaribbean.wordpress.com
Mentor: Annie Thomson

2022: The Dau Dau Project originated and run by Sirhajwan Idek & Nurazilah Othman of Keningau College in Sabah, Borneo, Malaysia.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLV8X8t3WqXOIlv6c0Muu8rspRWw4sZ_ro&si=sfOi6MwHEZ-19tf7
Mentors: Jill and Charlie Hadfield

As a member benefit, sharing your work during the IATEFL Monthly Webinar Series is an opportunity for your informed research, practice, and/or experiences to reach a global audience. Typically, audiences range between 80-150 participants from many different countries.

From a participant’s perspective, the goal of this series is to engage a wide variety of teachers in different contexts and with varying levels of experience with ELT concepts, practices, and experiences that they may not otherwise be able to interact with.

Who can submit a proposal? Any current IATEFL member, though priority will be given to those who have not led an IATEFL Monthly Webinar Series since at least September 2025

What topics are recommended? Nearly everything has its place, but topics that make one go ‘oh, that’ll be different than what we’ve all heard before’ with descriptions that concretely demonstrate this are rated higher than vague, uninspired repetition.

When are the dates? Usually the first Saturday of the month from 15:00-16:00 UK on Zoom Webinar

Will speakers be paid an honorarium? No, this is part of IATEFL’s charitable aims and thus everyone is volunteer.

How do I submit a proposal? Please complete the online webinar proposal form by 6 July 2026. Submissions will be considered by the IATEFL Membership Committee and selected to balance teaching context, geographical location, and topic area across the series.

We look forward to receiving your proposals!

Tyson Seburn, Chair

IATEFL Membership Committee

Each year we share what we are doing to address our sustainability with the aim of being open, accountable and hoping to promote shared best practice. With this in mind, we also actively study other membership associations and event organisers to see how else we can improve, as well as seeking ideas and input from our members. We include environmental impacts in all areas of decision-making and planning within the association, and this results in clear, tangible steps as outlined below:

IATEFL as an association

• We have launched a new ‘Green IATEFL’ mini-website, which includes toolkits with ideas for how to be more sustainable for: teachers, teacher educators, institutions, teaching associations, materials designers and publishers.
• All IATEFL publications are now published and shared with members in digital format. Not only does this eliminate the impact of paper and ink use and the carbon impact of posting these throughout the world, but our digital-format publications are also more inclusive with members being able to read at a font size of their choice, access through mobile phone, tablet or computer, use ‘read out loud’ tools if required, download and search for specific topics or contributors.
• Each edition of IATEFL Voices has a section dedicated to sustainability with voices from across the profession and across the world.
• IATEFL Membership Cards is now sent to all members in digital format.
• Member registration and renewal, membership renewal reminders, invoices and receipts are all digital, rather than paper-based processes.
• All committee meetings are run online, or face-to-face at the annual conference.
• We have very significantly increased the ratio between our online events and our face-to-face events throughout the year.
• Delegates and exhibitors register for all IATEFL events online.
• The limited printing we still do is on forestry commission assured sustainable paper and using natural (as opposed to synthetic) inks.
• We have a programme of regularly reviewing our online and digital footprint, and removing from the internet and archiving content and files wherever and whenever possible.

IATEFL’s annual international conference

• Our delegate badges are printed on hard-wearing paper cards, without needing plastic badge holders.
• We have recycle bins for delegate badges and programmes, as well as around the venue for all other waste.
• We use recycled cardboard signage for delegate information. This is also reused for future events wherever possible.
• Delegates are invited to bring their own water bottle and refill it from the free water fountains around the venue.
• Our printed conference programme is printed using a company in the same town/city as the conference venue to reduce unnecessary transportation.
• We promote the use of public transport (negotiating discounts for delegates wherever possible) and car shares as ways for delegates to travel to and from the conference. The equally applies to IATEFL staff travelling to work at the conference.
• We encourage speakers to share their handouts and PowerPoints online, rather than printing out lots of copies in order to give to delegates.
• Our Exhibitor Manual is now web-based to reduce the need for printing.
• We encourage exhibitors to think and be more environmentally aware, celebrate the steps they have taken, and share our environmental objectives with them.
• Our delegate bags are sourced with environmental credentials, and reusability, in mind to avoid them being single-use items.
• Delegates are sent a digital certificate of attendance for the conference, which they can choose to print out if they wish, or store digitally.
• We engage with the venue to identify their sustainability credentials, making clear this is part of our decision-making process. We share and celebrate where significant steps have been taken.
• We request that the catering provider offers a range of options for delegates, including white meat, fish, vegetarian and vegan options, but avoiding red meat due to its higher carbon impact.

IATEFL Head Office

• We have a Sustainability Champion as part of our Head Office team, and sustainability is a key agenda point on every staff meeting.
• Head Office staff have moved to partial working from home. This has substantially reduced the carbon impact of travelling to work, as well as energy usage at Head Office.
• We use one communal printer/photocopier at our Head Office for the limited printing we do, rather than powering individual printers, each with their own consumables.
• We have an ongoing strategy of digitising information and data wherever possible, to avoid printing and unnecessary use of paper.
• Old computer equipment is donated to relevant charities. In this we prioritise charities which use such equipment for training and reuse, rather than recycling by default.
• We recycle paper, boxes, containers and soft plastics, with our shredded organisational paperwork being used locally as beddings for animals.
• We use tea towels, Tupperware pots and plates, cups, glasses and cutlery to avoid disposable and throw-away alternatives.
• Our heating is set on timers to ensure no energy is wasted overnight, on working from home days, at weekends, and in areas of the building and times of the year when heating is not required.
• Our staff car share and use public transport for work travel where and whenever possible.

If you have an idea or suggestion for how IATEFL can further reduce its carbon footprint please email your idea to: [email protected]

We are very aware that the current situation in the Middle East is causing serious disruption and uncertainty for many members of our community. Our thoughts are with everyone affected, and we fully understand that some participants who had planned to attend the conference may face difficult decisions about travel if the present situation continues.

We are monitoring the situation closely and will communicate promptly should there be any change to the status of the conference. However, there are currently no plans or expectations of any changes to the conference, therefore the standard conference terms and conditions remain in effect.

As outlined in our booking information, we have always strongly recommended that participants take out personal travel insurance to cover circumstances that may prevent them from attending, including unexpected events that affect travel plans. Unfortunately, IATEFL is not able to accept responsibility for any travel or accommodation costs incurred if individuals decide to cancel their attendance or are prevented from travelling. We understand that this may be disappointing and appreciate the challenges that some of our members are currently facing. If the situation changes and affects the conference arrangements directly, we will of course update everyone as soon as possible.

In the meantime we will continue to ensure that the IATEFL International Conference is a safe, enjoyable and valuable experience for all our delegates, speakers and exhibitors.

Please visit our conference website for more information about the event.

A call went out for the next IATEFL Vice President (then becoming President) and the next IATEFL Treasurer as the current members in those roles come to the end of their terms at the next IATEFL Annual General Meeting in April 2026.

We were lucky enough to receive three nominations for Vice President, and two for Treasurer, all from very strong candidates. As such, an election was held with all IATEFL members encouraged vote. Each candidate shared their ideas, their reasons for standing, and their experience and background with our global community.

The nominees who received the highest number of votes were Shaun Wilden for the role of IATEFL Vice President, and Wioletta Bielecka for the role of IATEFL Treasurer.

The Board of Trustee would like to thank Maria Diakou and Vicky Saumell for being nominated for the role of Vice President, and Rob Howard for being nominated for the role of Treasurer. The strength of the candidates standing clearly made for a difficult choice for members to make.

We wish Shaun and Wioletta every success as they prepare to take on their new roles.

IATEFL Trustee and Special Interest Group Representative Andy Hockley was recently invited to represent IATEFL at the 1^st Regional English Language Teachers’ Conference organised by the British Council at Çukurova University in Adana, Türkiye, on the 22^nd and 23^rd November 2025.

This two-day event brought together teachers, mostly from state schools, from across Türkiye, to share practical approaches, classroom strategies, and professional insights.

Themes of the conference included the thoughtful use of artificial intelligence in English teaching, inclusive classroom practices, teacher wellbeing and resilience, and strengthening communities of practice.

As well as giving a workshop entitled “Wellbeing and engagement for teachers”, Andy took part in two plenary panels: “Growing Together – Professionalism and Communities of Practice in English Teaching” with members of diverse bodies from around Türkiye, and “Building Stronger Communities of Practice for Professional Growth” with leaders from teachers’ associations in the country.

We are excited an introduce a new kind of membership for schools, training centres, universities, businesses and other institutions working in English language teaching.

Our Chair of the IATEFL Digital Committee, Georgia Papamichailidou and President, Christopher Graham recently spoke at the 14th ELT Malta Conference from 24 – 25 October 2025 at the Old University in Valletta.

Georgia delivered a talk titled The Diary of a Green Leader, as part of our ongoing Action for Green IATEFL initiative. Her session focused on practical techniques that international education leaders can apply within their institutions to promote sustainability, not only of resources, but also of staff wellbeing and the wider environment. She explored three key dimensions of  values-based leadership: intergenerational responsibility, leadership decisions, and emotional sustainability.

Chris did a plenary session entitled (What’s So Funny ’Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding?, that explored the extra benefits that come from integrating sustainability into our teaching such as developing students’ empathy, their knowledge base, and their awareness of who in society has and uses agency. Chis ran a follow-up workshop with delegates applying some of the ideas to course materials. 

Many thanks to the ELT Council Malta for a great event.

On October 21, IATEFL was introduced to 500 language school managers at the Encourage Education China Conference. Trustees Georgia Papamichailidou (Chair of Digital Communications) and Bethany Cagnol (Treasurer) co-presented an online session titled “Glocalizing Language Educator Development: A Developmental Trajectory from Local Praxis to Global Competence.”

Their talk explored practical strategies for supporting educators’ professional growth through the Global Reflection Framework, highlighting how reflective practice, relational understanding, and community building can transform local teaching insights into globally relevant competencies.

IATEFL warmly thanks the Encourage Education China Conference organizers for the invitation and for the opportunity to showcase IATEFL’s ongoing commitment to connecting and empowering language education professionals worldwide.