Each year IATEFL gathers detailed feedback from the several thousand delegates at its annual international conference in order to establish what were the most talked about topics and themes, and the most popular presentations, from the 600+ academic sessions which make up the IATEFL International Conference.
A broad selection of the speakers on those topics are then invited to re-present their session to an online audience as part of a three-day ‘IATEFL Themes’ Online Conference.
It’s no surprise that Artificial Intelligence, and its impact on teaching, learning, lesson planning, material creation, assessment, research, academic and school management, and so much more throughout our profession was top of the tree. As a professional community we are coming to terms with its growing impact, understanding the benefits, but also the dangers, and absorbing how it will impact each of us personally, and all of us as a profession. So, no prizes for guessing that one, but what did our delegates and volunteers highlight as other areas of interest this year?
Project work with young learners, storytelling with learners in areas of conflict, helping staff through perimenopause, supporting neurodivergent learners, teaching black culture in the classroom, translanguaging, using classroom walls as a tool for student engagement, training experienced teachers, teacher development and CLIL, identity in ELT leadership, promoting assessment as learning, and fostering learner autonomy, represent a sample of the cross-section of topics which were identified in 2026.
This highlights the breadth and depth of the areas of focus for a profession facing unprecedented challenges, but nonetheless a community continuing to be committed to advancing English language teaching for the benefit of learners and practitioners alike.
The IATEFL Themes Online Conference runs from Friday 6 November to Sunday 8 November. It includes sessions on all the themes mentioned above, as well as many more. You can view the programme here. Registration is £15, and free for IATEFL members. Click here to register.