Business Issues 111

Geoffrey Chaucer once said, “Time and tide wait for no man.” Interestingly, time respects gender equality; it waits for no one, irrespective of their identity. On this note, as we venture further into 2024 (albeit tardy with our new year wishes), I trust the year has begun positively for you. Here at IATEFL BESIG, we are delighted to present the inaugural edition of Business Issues for 2024. It has been a bit of a wait, but believe me, it is well worth it. In the 111th edition, I am pleased to offer a blend of classic Business Issues content and fresh, engaging reads, tailored for you, my dear readers. Additionally, I am thrilled to introduce our new Joint Coordinators, Marjorie Rosenberg and Sarah Plochl, along with Silke Riegler who is taking on a new role – Online Events Coordinator, Birte Horn stepping in as the Administration and Membership Coordinator, and Katerina Apostolaki as the Media Coordinator. Welcome aboard, ladies! We kick off with our advice column, Dear BESIG, where Marjorie and Sarah share insights on a member query. You will be sure to discover how to be an active BESIG community member (if you are not already). Have you ever wondered what makes BESIG tick? BESIG: behind the Scenes unveils it all. And, while we warmly welcome Marjorie and Sarah, we bid farewell to Maria Szugfil and Rob Howard. In BESIG Rewind, Maria and Rob share their experiences and advice. For those who missed the 36th BESIG Annual Conference in Stuttgart (like yours truly), fear not; I bring the conference to you. From pictures courtesy of Galinha to survey feedback by Sarah Plochl, conference quotes from Lucy Tilney, Danielle Zvengrowski, and Marjorie Rosenberg, to a report by Jane Carvell and Kirsten Waechter’s summary of a panel discussion with Patrick Mustu – it is all here. Our 2023 conference scholarship winners, Uma Tadema and Catherine Chen-Fliege, also contribute. Seeking advice on leveraging AI for content creation? Look no further. In Copyright and AI, Uma Tadema, Vicky Margeri, and Birte Horn guide you through the AI and content creation landscape. Furthermore, Patrick Mustu enlightens us on an ongoing pandemic that is native speakerism and Mike Pina offers insights on preparing ESL students for job interviews. Concluding this mammoth edition are our Business Issues classics: Kirsten Waechter’s BOT report and a review of One-to-One: An Updated and Practical Guide to Teaching by Rob Howard and Andrzej Stęsik, courtesy of Oksana Hera. Dive into our world. Learn. Flourish. Excel. And if you wish to contribute to Business Issues, you know the drill. For details, refer to the previous page, thank you muchly.
Until the next edition,
Shweta