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 were 18 webinars in this year's programme.
About the sessions
Session 1 - Plenary session: Reflections on the future of English
Speaker:
Michael Connolly – Director of English and School Education
Session information:
As the British Council celebrates its 90th birthday, Michael Connolly reflects on the English language in the 21st century. This plenary talk outlines the key trends that are shaping the teaching and learning of the English language, and explores the complex factors that will shape its global future.
Session 2: Using mindfulness techniques in class
Speaker:
Blanka Pawlak
Session information:
This workshop looks at the foundational principles of mindfulness and how mindfulness practices can positively impact both teachers and learners. You'll see specific techniques and strategies to use in the language classroom to enhance learners' emotional well-being, improve concentration and grow resilience. Mindfulness can contribute to a positive and nurturing learning community.
Session 3: Using low-tech resources in projects
Speaker:
Nnenne Ben-Ekechukwu
Session information:
This interactive workshop explores low-tech strategies for low-resource contexts that work regardless of budget or location. You can see how a basic mobile phone recorder can be used in the 'My Wonders' set of activities where learners share cultural elements from their countries ('wonders'), learn idioms and collaborate. This webinar gives you activities to help boost your learners' communication skills.
Session 4: A picture is worth a thousand words
Speaker:
Jennifer Jean Lowe
Session information:
Using visual representations of language to accompany verbal explanations is an invaluable tool. Together we look at how to make language less abstract and more visible, therefore easier to understand and remember. The easiest and most obvious application of using visuals in ELT is to teach new vocabulary, including polysemous words or phrasal verbs. We also see how visuals can be used to teach grammar and much more. No drawing skills required!
Session 5: How can you best manage your resources?
Speakers:
Boma Karibo and Salome Ikokoyo
Session information:
This workshop gives practical ideas to help you make the most of available and newly generated resources. You are shown time-management tips to help teachers plan lessons, grade work and manage classroom spaces and learner behaviour more effectively. Finally, the session explores managing finances and fundraising. We help you focus more of your time on instruction, and less time on resources.
Session 6: Using movies to practise speaking
Speakers:
Samantha Alfaro Prospero
Session information:
In this practical webinar, you learn four techniques for using movies or other clips (music videos or trailers) with beginners to practise speaking and listening skills, improve pronunciation, recognise grammar patterns and extend vocabulary. You also learn how to make these copyright-free clips, using free and simple AI tools.
About the speakers
Michael Connolly is the British Council Director of English and School Education. Michael began his career in 1998 in Japan, working as a language assistant, and has since worked in a variety of teaching, teacher training and academic management roles in Spain, Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, the Occupied Palestinian Territories and India.
Blanka Pawlak has worked in ELT since 2014 and works in Poland with learners of English for Specific Purposes. She's a DELTA-qualified teacher and a teacher trainer as well as a meditation practitioner and a cognitive neuroscience student, and she's interested in neuropsychology research.
Nnenne Ben-Ekechukwu got her English degree in Nigeria, a postgraduate degree in education, a master's in psychology and is now studying language acquisition. She taught at Slum2school, mentoring learners from disadvantaged communities. Witnessing technology limitations in her home country fuels her passion to find innovative solutions for the classroom.
Jennifer Jean Lowe is a teacher and tutor based in Milan, Italy. She works with learners of all ages and levels in her own private language school and is also a researcher working with major publishers. She is a regular presenter at international conferences and writes articles on grammar, semantics, corpus linguistics, the history of English, and using visuals in teaching.
Salome Ikokoyo has a decade of teaching experience and currently teaches full-time while also being the head of the education unit at a private tertiary institution in Nigeria, overseeing English language programming. She is fluent in three international languages and supports multilingual education policies.
Boma Karibo moved from teaching at the secondary level in Nigeria to lecturing at college. Passionate about language pedagogy, Boma equips polytechnic students with strong communication skills, emphasising the impact of language mastery on academic, professional, and personal success.
Samantha Alfaro Prospero is a language teacher with four years of experience teaching English, Spanish and German to young learners and adults. She has worked in various public schools in Mexico and two secondary schools as a Spanish Language Assistant in England. She is currently working in a public university in Mexico, teaching English and German.