World Teachers' Day 2024 Saturday 5 October

About this event

The British Council's World Teachers' Day conference is a global online event, featuring practical webinars by and for English teachers all over the world. In 2024, the event took place over three days: Thursday 3, Friday 4 and Saturday 5 October, World Teachers' Day. There are 18 webinars in this year's programme.

About the sessions

Session 1: Improving workplace skills training

Speaker:

Girish Mulani

Session information:

The session focuses on the shift towards prioritising learner experience over formal learning when teaching adults and business English. This webinar shows how there is now a focus on outcome indicators rather than effort indicators in modern workplace skills training. In this practical session, you'll also learn tips tested in workshops with adults and discover what participants have found most impactful. 

Session 2: What can we teach with stories?

Speaker:

Lucy Amelia Durance

Session information:

This webinar explores how storytelling can enhance learners' language skills and address their diverse needs. Teachers compare traditional and modern storytelling techniques, delve into digital storytelling, discuss storytelling's role in promoting Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and examine how storytelling can address gender and cultural roles.

Session 3: Why teach grammar communicatively?

Speaker:

Mohammad Nabil

Session information:

Are you tired of the same old grammar drills and memorisation exercises? If so, watch this webinar to discover how to teach grammar in meaningful contexts, allowing your learners to acquire language skills naturally and express themselves with confidence and clarity. You also learn effective assessment strategies that measure your learners' communicative competence. 

Session 4: Can English teachers use STEAM activities?

Speaker:

Jasmina Stuhli

Session information:

In this webinar you see an example of project-based learning (PBL) in lower secondary using the STEAM approach. Examples of such projects include investigating air pollution and finding out whether songs really can help you learn English! The webinar takes you through the phases of such a project, and how it integrates the language curriculum with learning about science, technology, engineering, the arts and maths, as well as improving learners' 21st-century skills.

Session 5: How can teachers use short stories?

Speakers:

Shimona Tyagi

Session information:

This session highlights the importance of short stories in an English language classroom. We begin with understanding what short stories are, and the various elements they usually contain. Finally, we see strategies and tips to employ to help build your confidence in using short stories in the classroom

Session 6 – Plenary: Building teacher communities, building learning

Speakers:

Stephen Mander and Rabia Shafi

Session information:

This closing plenary session by two of our Courses for Teachers Facebook tutors shows you the many advantages of actively participating in an online teacher community like ours. You also get tips for successful online learning and discover the essential ingredients for effective self-directed learning. Last but not least, we explore what free online courses we're offering this term, and how to sign up!

About the speakers

Girish Mulani is an experienced teacher from India who works online with the British Council delivering Professional Skills and English lessons to business English clients. As well as teaching adults, Girish is also a teacher trainer and holds certificates in training from NILE and the British Council. He's currently based in Thailand.

Lucy Amelia Durance is an infant teacher at an international school in Spain. She also works as a language department coordinator and leads the reading community in her school. She holds a master’s degree in bilingual education and is passionate about teaching and teacher training around the topics of reading, stories and creativity. 

Mohammad Nabil is a teacher from Egypt who is also an international educator, ELT author and podcaster with Educast, of which he is the founder. He has a passion for sharing practical ideas with teachers around the world, and empowering educators through professional development programmes.  

Jasmina Stuhli is an experienced teacher from Bosnia and Herzegovina with a degree and a master's in English language and literature. In recent years, she has focused on applying a STEAM approach in her English lessons and presenting this to other teachers at conferences. 

Shimona Tyagi is currently working in Delhi as a teacher and curriculum developer for primary and lower secondary-aged students. As well as teaching, she has also mentored in-service teachers in conducting their classroom-based research. Her areas of interest include storytelling and how it can be used to develop interest in reading. 

Stephen Mander is one of our Courses for Teachers Facebook tutors. He is a teacher and teacher educator working in Portgual, and has over 20 years of experience working with teachers and students in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Europe. He holds a DELTA and, since 2015 has been running and designing training and mentoring programmes for both experienced and novice teachers and teacher educators. 

Rabia Shafi is also one of our Courses for Teachers Facebook tutors. She's a teacher educator and materials developer with over 20 years of experience working with educators across Asia, the Middle East, the Americas, and Africa. She holds an MPhil in Applied Linguistics. Rabia designs and implements training programs for teachers and teacher educators in public schools. She lives and works in Pakistan.