Blog Archives

Sustainability has been one of IATEFL’s main strategic focuses for quite a few years now, and each year we share what we are doing on our website 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:

Practical initiatives IATEFL has taken as an association

• All members of IATEFL receive the association’s bi-monthly magazine ‘IATEFL Voices’ digitally. This has a considerable impact on paper and ink usage, as well as the carbon impact of not sending thousands of magazines around the world each year.
• New this year! Each edition of IATEFL Voices has a section dedicated to sustainability. In addition, the 300th edition of Voices was entirely dedicated to the topic of sustainability with articles and featrues from across the world and acorss the profession.
• The IATEFL Membership Card is now sent to all members in digital format. Not only does it contain more useful information, but more importantly it has removed the use of plastic cards and the carbon impact of postage.
• We have significantly reduced the amount of paperwork, forms and letters we print and post to members. This includes member registration and renewal, membership renewal reminders, invoices and receipts.
• All committee meetings are run online, or face-to-face at the annual conference. This reduced the amount of IATEFL-related travel, as well as making the most of the opportunity presented by the annual international 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.

Practical initiatives at IATEFL’s annual international conference

• One of our international conference’s headline plenary sessions in Edinburgh is dedicated to the topic of sustainability.
• 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.
• 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.

Practical initiatives taken at 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]

As you may know, 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 to projects dedicated to building communities through learning English. It is sponsored by Macmillan Education, International House London and International House World Organisation.

The previous Simon Greenall Award winner was the Dau Dau Project run by Sirhajwan Idek and Nurazilah Othman of Keningau College in Sabah, Borneo, Malaysia. Their work uses folk tales, such as storytelling, dance and puppetry, to bring together the different peoples of Malaysia and to help them understand each other better.

This year’s winner is the Happy Teachers’ Mentorship Programme which has originated and is coordinated by Venice Irving. This programme offers six months coaching to help new teachers who lack developmental opportunities to improve their teaching and develop their careers. Annie Thompson, a DELTA trainer at International House London, will work as mentor with Venice at The Happy Teachers’ Mentorship Programme to develop and expand her own programme. 

Annie states that “This is a very interesting project and I am really excited about it!”
Venice mentions that “Mentoring with Annie is progressing well. I have learned how to match participants, set clear communication channels and schedules, encourage reflection and feedback, and evaluate program outcomes with the mentees and mentors in the programme”

Although there is a main winner, here are a few highly commended projects that have also been featured in this years Simon Greenall Award as well

Meet the Street is a programme based in Nice and coordinated by Clare Catchpole, enabling English learners and local entrepreneurs to meet and engage in English. Clare is also having mentoring from Lucy Horsefield, Simon Greenall Award committee member.

Malaysia & Japan Collaboration: Education Beyond Borders originated and is coordinated by Emi Nakamura (Japan) and Ann Michelle (Malaysia); a partnership that links a class in Konosu City, Japan, with a class in Sabah, North Borneo, Malaysia, strengthening ties through ideas exchange, technology, teamwork and understanding. 

UQ Voices Choir originated from Vicki Bos at the University of Queensland in Brisbane Australia. Through choral rehearsal and performance this thriving choir builds a lasting community as well as English language development for overseas students. This choir is open to anyone for the duration of their studies in Brisbane.

On August 3, I presented a webinar on using games as a powerful tool in teaching vocabulary. In this webinar, we explored practical and creative strategies for teaching vocabulary to young learners, specifically those between the ages of seven and eight, to make the process more fun and memorable. Finding ways to make vocabulary teaching engaging and effective can be quite challenging for educators. This webinar was designed to address these challenges and assist educators in overcoming them by providing a range of techniques, practical tools, and digital resources to enhance their teaching methods.

The webinar discussed the theoretical background and the importance of keeping young learners active and engaged. It highlighted the need to avoid sedentary learning as it forces learners to ‘zone out’ and remain passive in the process of learning. Play and movement should not be considered as a break from learning. Adding movement and play to our lessons does not mean we have to set learning aside. On the contrary, they are a fundamental aspect of teaching since they
enhance learners’ interest and attention. Movement is the key to an enjoyable learning experience while games not only motivate students but also improve their retention of new words. They provide a meaningful context for language use and interaction.

We also delved into neuroscience and explored how our teaching practices affect how our students behave. Traditional practices of vocabulary teaching (in the form of endless bilingual lists, memorization, or rote learning) create barriers to learning and can lead to disengagement and therefore unsettled behaviour. When students are not engaged, they get bored and choose to opt-out, which means that not only will they cease listening but also that it is quite likely to start misbehaving out of boredom. 

In the second part of the webinar, some lively and multisensory activities and techniques were introduced. Young learners have a strong need for multisensory input and that is why they benefit greatly from activities that engage multiple senses, such as TPR games (i.e. games that associate words with physical actions). The games presented in the webinar were mainly flashcard games that combine visual, auditory, and kinesthetic elements. This way educators manage to cater to the diverse learning styles and needs of their students. The flashcard games presented focused on alternatives to choral repetition to introduce and practise new vocabulary. The games focused not only on listening and speaking but also on practising spelling. Some extra games were also shared which aimed to combine vocabulary with grammar and help students practise new vocabulary in context.

The webinar also introduced digital tools and resources to enhance vocabulary teaching. These digital tools were: Kahoot, Quizlet, Quizzziz and Worldwall.

• Kahoot: A game-based learning platform where teachers can create quizzes and games that make vocabulary practice fun and competitive.
• Quizlet: A tool for creating flashcards and study sets that students can use to review and test their vocabulary knowledge (in class or at home)
• Quizizz: Similar to Kahoot, this platform allows teachers to create and share quizzes that can be played on the interactive board or using devices (eg. mobile phones or tablets)
• Wordwall: A tool that lets teachers create interactive games and activities to practise vocabulary, such as matching exercises, spinning wheels, etc.

These tools can provide opportunities for additional vocabulary practice and also provide instant feedback to learners. They offer interactive and engaging ways for children to practise and reinforce vocabulary either in the classroom or at home.
This webinar was aimed at educators who seek creative and engaging ways to spice up their teaching methods. Whether you are a new teacher looking for teaching practices or digital resources to enhance your teaching, or an experienced educator seeking new ideas and inspiration, this webinar provided practical tools to support your teaching and create dynamic lessons. By the end of the webinar, participants had a toolkit of activities and techniques that they could use to support their vocabulary teaching and create engaging vocabulary lessons.

In conclusion, using games as a powerful tool to assist your teaching methods can transform your vocabulary lessons as well as an enjoyable experience for your young learners. By incorporating movement, play, and games into their lessons, educators can create a dynamic learning environment where every single student participates. This webinar provided techniques and tools to inspire and assist you.

IATEFL members can watch the original webinar again by logging into their account and going to this link

About Angeliki Daviti

Angeliki Daviti holds a BA in English Language and Literature and an MA in Teaching English as a Foreign Language, both from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. With over 15 years of experience as an EFL teacher, she has been a school owner since 2014. Her school received two silver awards for Creativity and Excellence in Language Teaching at the 2021 ELT Excellence Awards in Greece. In 2022, she was honored with the ELT Excellence Award for Excellence in School Facilities and presented her award-winning teaching approach at the Foreign Languages Forum and Book Exhibition, Thessaloniki, Greece. In 2023, Angeliki began contributing articles to Project Parenting (https://www.projectparenting.gr/), aiming to share her expertise and insights to help parents make informed decisions about the best educational systems for their children. In May 2024, she participated as a speaker at the ELTA Conference in Serbia, where she conducted a workshop on vocabulary teaching to young learners.

Learning through volunteering is one great reward. It is nothing less, in fact, than all the 21st-century skills we can gain as volunteers which we would otherwise need to pay for in a corporate environment. Besides the most obvious benefits, i.e. professional development in ELTAs and working with exceptional colleagues, skills development should also be mentioned. Because most ELTAs are volunteer-driven learning communities, there are no paid positions to execute the jobs, therefore teachers who volunteer have to learn and do everything. In these volunteer positions, we know very quickly how to create a budget, run meetings, negotiate with others (often with external stakeholders), keep the books, edit journals, and the list is endless. Apart from these, volunteers also
benefit from developing academic skills, how to write, and how to get published, depending upon the stage of one’s career.

Soft skills are a crucial area, too. For instance, being responsible, being dependable, delegating, sharing work, overseeing, making sure that things are done and being tactful are all important soft skills. Therefore, people skills or interpersonal skills can be the main facet and, just as well as networking, social connections and the career opportunities that come along are also honoured. Interpersonal skills refer to the ability to effectively communicate, interact, and collaborate with others. These skills include active listening, verbal communication, nonverbal communication, empathy, teamwork, negotiation, conflict resolution, and leadership.

On the other hand, intrapersonal skills relate to one’s ability to understand and manage oneself. These skills involve self-awareness, emotional intelligence, self-regulation, motivation, resilience, and introspection. Intrapersonal skills are crucial for personal development, self-improvement, and maintaining mental and emotional well-being. Both sets of skills are essential for success in various aspects of life, including personal relationships, professional environments, and individual growth. Another asset is the natural process of leadership development which comes along inadvertently, often supported by mentoring or coaching, or at turning points in educators’ careers, from learning to teaching; from teacher to teacher trainer, from journal editor to materials writer, and so on, on the teacher career ladder. If we look deep and hard into ourselves and remember our very first attempts to present, to guide others, we recognise how much we have progressed over the years. This gives us the confidence and encouragement to mentor or coach younger colleagues and help them become the best possible selves of themselves.

The development of effective management and leadership prowess refers to the process of acquiring and honing the skills, knowledge, and qualities necessary to excel in managerial and leadership roles. It involves cultivating a range of competencies that enable individuals to effectively lead teams, drive organizational success, and inspire others to perform at their best.

Some key components of developing effective management and leadership prowess could be strategic thinking, communication skills, decision-making, emotional intelligence, team building and motivation, adaptability and change management, problem-solving, ethical leadership, delegation and empowerment, and continuous learning and development. Developing effective management and leadership prowess is an ongoing journey that requires self-reflection, learning from experiences, seeking mentorship, and actively working on improving oneself as a leader and manager.

In a learning organization, intrinsic benefits refer to the internal rewards and motivations that individuals experience as a result of engaging in learning and personal growth within the organizational context. These benefits contribute to employees’ sense of fulfilment, satisfaction, and well-being, ultimately fostering a positive organizational culture. Some intrinsic benefits in a learning organization include a sense of purpose, personal growth, increased motivation, autonomy, a sense of achievement, innovation and creativity, collaboration and teamwork, adaptability and resilience, a positive work environment, employee engagement and retention. Overall, intrinsic benefits in a learning organization contribute to higher employee satisfaction, engagement, and performance, ultimately driving organizational success and competitiveness in the long run. 

Volunteering in learning organizations comes with various responsibilities, as individuals contribute their time, skills, and efforts to support the organization’s mission of promoting learning and development. Some accompanying responsibilities of volunteering in learning organizations include commitment, professionalism, reliability, collaboration, adherence to policies and procedures, flexibility, feedback and reflection, respect for diversity and inclusion, etc. By fulfilling these responsibilities, volunteers play a vital role in supporting the learning organization’s mission and making a positive impact on the individuals and communities it serves.

About Beatrix Price

Beatrix works as a teacher and a teacher trainer at the Language Pedagogy Department, School of English and American Studies, ELTE university, Budapest. She has extensive experience in teaching both children and adult learners. Her current PhD explored EFL teachers’ continuing professional development supported by teachers’ associations.

As with the previous two PRELIM projects, PRELIM 3 matched 25 teaching associations around the world with EnglishUK member institutions to collaborate on a project to benefit teachers in that teaching association’s country or region. For PRELIM 3 the focus was on developing resource materials, and the projects ran from December 2022 until March 2024. Once again the projects were a partnership between the British Council, English UK and IATEFL, project managed by the Norwich Institute for Language Education (NILE). PRELIM 1 (2020/21) and PRELIM 2 (2021/22) aimed to improve the English language competence of participating English teachers and increase their confidence in the classroom.

All 25 partnerships delivered the primary output for the project and, as a result, new resource packages for English language teachers are available in 25 countries. Each package was informed by a needs analysis of the context and designed with local relevance, feasibility and ease of use in mind. Although dissemination was ongoing at the end of the project, feedback from the Teaching Associations and their teachers on the value of the resources was very positive.

The UK-based institutions, along with their Teaching Association partners identified a wide range of benefits to them of participating in the project. Improvements were reported by both parties in knowledge and skills in relation to several areas of ELT materials design and evaluation, project management, international collaboration, working with remote partners, and (especially for the UK-based institutions) collecting and analysing feedback data. The Teaching Associations also noted how being part of the project had enhanced their local profile. They also felt that the project had confirmed or enhanced their views about the UK as a source of expertise in ELT.

You can read the overall project report as well as finding out more about each of the individual initiative here: https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/publications/case-studies-insights-and-research/partnered-remote-language-improvement-prelim-3

 

The board of trustees were delighted to welcome a group of teacher educators from China to the recent IATEFL International Conference in Brighton, and also to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with 21st Century English Education in China. In keeping with IATEFL’s mission of linking, developing and supporting English language teaching professionals worldwide, the intention of this Memorandum is to facilitate knowledge exchange and foster international collaboration.

Aleksandra Popovski-Golubovikj, IATEFL President, emphasized the significance of global collaboration in advancing educational goals. She added:

“IATEFL is thrilled to collaborate with 21st Century to offer more opportunities and benefits to English teachers in China and beyond,” she stated. “We look forward to partnering with 21st Century English Education to raise teaching standards and enhance learning experiences globally.”

Zhang Haigang, deputy editor-in-chief at 21st Century, hailed the signing of the MoU as a milestone in global English language education collaboration. He expressed optimism about the prospects for increased dialogue, joint training projects, and resource sharing between the two organisations, believing that this partnership will enhance the quality of English language teaching in China and foster greater interaction and exchange among Chinese ELT professionals with their peers worldwide.

As part of the collaboration, Aleksandra and IATEFL Chief Executive, Jon Burton, are looking forward to attending the 2024 Global English Education China Assembly, held by 21st Century English Education from 25th to 28th July in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, China. 

IATEFL received five excellent nominations from members to be the next Vice President, and then President of IATEFL. As a consequence an election was held, including an online hustings, for members to decide on their chosen candidate.

Christopher Graham received the highest number of votes and so is the successful candidate.

We would like to thank all five of our strong candidates for putting themselves forward for this election, for participating in an excellent online hustings, sharing their thoughtful ideas and visions, and demonstrating their support for IATEFL. We would also like to thank so many of you for participating in, or viewing, the hustings and for voting.

Chistopher will take up his new role at the IATEFL Annual General Meeting to be held in April.

Other members to join the Board of IATEFL trustees in April are Andy Hockley as in-coming SIG Representative, and Georgia Papamichailidou as in-coming Chair of the Digital Committee.

Dear IATEFL members,

With the awful increase in global conflicts, and in particular the terrible humanitarian crisis in the Middle East, we felt it was important to be open and clear on IATEFL’s position, the reasons behind it, and our desire to best support the English language teaching profession around the world.

Perhaps the best starting point is to say that, as with all of our members, we abhor the use of violence and the human suffering of peoples for whatever reason, wherever they take place in the world, whatever their race, nationality, religion, creed, gender or other characteristic. This is clearly something we can all agree on.

Each circumstance and tragedy raises understandable outrage from members, often with varying views on the events, and often with a sense of helplessness and a question of ‘what can I do?’ As a board of trustees we have all been affected by these feelings ourselves as individuals, but then there is a question of whether we can speak for the entirety of our membership in a constructive and consistent way in every conflict, and which all members feel they can associate themselves with. Do we have the knowledge and understanding of each global event in order to say anything other than that we abhor violence? This challenge has been tested more than ever with the current situation in the Israel-Gaza conflict, and we have received heartfelt, emotional and at times angry comments from members from a range of perspectives. These, of course, make us continually reflect on what is the right thing to do, whether we have taken the right path, what more we can or should do, whilst being faithful to our guiding principles and aims for all our members. We have done this with the best intentions, and have aimed to draw a line between our own feelings and what the association should do and say. We are sorry if some feel we should have taken a different path, and sincerely hope that this article can shine a light on our intentions and actions.

As trustees the foundation for our actions, or inactions as some might claim, are the association’s published policies, which have been carefully drafted over many years. The most pertinent of these is our ‘Mission, goals and practices’. It states that:

We feel strongly that all ELT professionals should be respected and that everyone has the right to be treated fairly. We aim to be an inclusive association which welcomes diversity and respectful debate. In our own practices and policies, we act in ways that encourage this diversity and professional discussion. We oppose discrimination of any kind in ELT, as outlined in our Code of Conduct. We do not, however, get involved in specific campaigns, issues, or politics, at a local, national or international level, and do not favour or prioritise the needs of one group of teachers over another. Our aim, therefore, is to provide a forum where educators from anywhere in the world can come together to learn from each other and to offer mutual professional support.

Resulting from this, IATEFL has seen its role as being focused on issues specifically relating to, or affecting, the English language teaching profession, with an aim of being as inclusive of all views, perspectives and circumstances as possible, and within a community founded on respect of others. It has not historically made statements on global events, including conflicts and wars.

At the start of 2022 IATEFL did, however, issue a statement on Ukraine when it was invaded.

IATEFL’s thoughts are with all those caught up in the current war in Ukraine
We wish to stand in support of all IATEFL members, as well as IATEFL Associate teaching associations, who oppose and condemn this conflict not of their own making, wherever they are located. IATEFL is a global association dedicated to international cooperation, education, exchange and understanding. We believe now, as much as ever, these values are vitally important.

Following this, IATEFL has continued to be an inclusive association, working with teachers and teaching associations in Ukraine, and also in Russia and Belarus where teachers might not have influence over the actions of their country, and might not agree with the stance of their country’s leadership, but with our focus being on supporting English teachers wherever they are.

We are, sadly, very much aware of current conflicts in many parts of the world such as Sudan, Yemen, Syria, Myanmar, Congo to name but a few, as well as in and around Gaza. We are sure we speak for all of our members around the world when we reiterate our abhorrence of violence, war and human suffering in each and all of these conflicts. Our hearts go out to those affected directly, and indirectly.  We have, and will continue to, support teachers and teaching associations in every part of the world, and this includes our IATEFL Associate teaching associations PATEFL and ETAI.

We would therefore like to reiterate and extend the sentiments expressed in the above statement, originally made in 2022 relating to Ukraine, that we unreservedly oppose and condemn violence against others for whatever reason, and remain dedicated to international cooperation, education, exchange and understanding. This includes all those caught up in current conflicts around the world. We consider this a timeless statement that reflects our position on all armed conflicts, regardless of who is involved. We also ask all members to continue to treat each other with respect, which is surely the basis for, not only our global community, but for the world as a whole.

The Board of Trustees of IATEFL

We are delighted to announce that IATEFL has received a range of awards for events it ran in 2023.

What is The Fair List?

The Fair List encourages and celebrates gender balance among speakers at plenary, keynote and/or panelist level at UK events for teachers of English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) and teachers of English as a foreign language (TEFL). You can find out more about their important work here.

What was IATEFL awarded for?

1. The IATEFL monthly webinar series
2. Associates Day at the 2023 IATEFL International Conference in Harrogate
3. Plenary speakers at the 2023 IATEFL International Conference in Harrogate
4. Early morning ‘How to’ sessions at the 2023 IATEFL International Conference in Harrogate
5. ‘Career Zone How to sessions’ at the 2023 IATEFL International Conference in Harrogate
6. The MaWSIG Pre-Conference Event at the 2023 IATEFL International Conference in Harrogate
7. The TTEdSIG Pre-Conference Event at the 2023 IATEFL International Conference in Harrogate
8. The joint LTSIG and LITSIG Pre-Conference Event at the 2023 IATEFL International Conference in Harrogate
9. The BESIG Pre-Conference Event at the 2023 IATEFL International Conference in Harrogate
10. The joint YLTSIG and LASIG Pre-Conference Event at the 2023 IATEFL International Conference in Harrogate
11. The joint PRONSIG and TDSIG Pre-Conference Event at the 2023 IATEFL International Conference in Harrogate
12. The RESIG Pre-Conference Event at the 2023 IATEFL International Conference in Harrogate
13. The TEASIG Pre-Conference Event at the 2023 IATEFL International Conference in Harrogate
14. The joint IPSENSIG and LAMSIG Pre-Conference Event at the 2023 IATEFL International Conference in Harrogate
15. The ESOLSIG Pre-Conference Event at the 2023 IATEFL International Conference in Harrogate
16. The ESPSIG Pre-Conference Event at the 2023 IATEFL International Conference in Harrogate