Understanding and Teaching Visually Impaired Students

Understanding and Teaching Visually Impaired Students

LotfiAhmedUAE University

Understanding and Teaching Visually Impaired Students

The goal of this workshop is to introduce basic knowledge of the blindness field in real-life situations, in which the teacher can interact with sensitivity and confidence with students who are visually impaired.Concepts to be covered are: etiquette (proper words and actions) that should be used when interacting with persons who have visual impairments.

M Lotfi Ben Ahmed has been an ESL lecturer and Counselor at the UAE University since 1992. He holds a BA in English, MA in Applied Linguistics and has taught French and English in the USA, the UK, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates. He has presented on cross-cultural issues, and Special Needs education in local and international conferences in UAE, Tunisia, Qatar, Canada, USA and Japan.

GracielaAlchiniITESM Puebla

Technology That Contributes to Collaborative Learning

Collaborative learning helps students develop both their language and personal skills. At the same time, the use of technology appeals young learners and can contribute to class interaction. In this session, we will briefly present the main elements, advantages and possible obstacles of this learning technique , and discuss in which cases technology can foster collaboration.

Graciela Alchini is an Argentinian teacher of English (IES Lenguas Vivas, Buenos Aires) living in Mexico, with 30 years' experience in universities and in-company courses. She also holds a Master’s degree in Distance Education (UTEM, Santiago , Chile). She is certified in Collaborative Learning , Ethics and Citizenship by ITESM, where she has been a full-time teacher for 11 years.

VickyAllenFreelance

American Sign Language as a Bridge to English

Classrooms consist of students with varying combinations of learning styles and this session will explore using American Sign Language (ASL) as a tool to help EFL teachers facilitate and enhance the teaching of English as a foreign language for all learners. Participants will learn and practice 15 specific ASL classroom management signs to immediately use in their own teaching environment.

Vicky Allen has a master's degree in Deaf Education. Her varied teaching experience includes teaching High School deaf students, American Sign Language (ASL) for college credit and ESL at the college level in the UAE. She has presented workshops and published on using ASL to aid in teaching English as a foreign language. She now resides in Spain.

AngelAndersonThe Cultural English Centre

Act It Up - Adapted Instant Theatre

Few would disagree that drama activities stimulate students and fewer still would disagree that personalisation helps more meaningful learning. In instant theatre, the audience creates their own story and then acts it out. Normally, this is led by a professional actor, but in adapted instant theatre, anyone can do it! In this very interactive session we'll look at how to set up an instant play and then discuss how to exploit it afterwards. (No acting experience necessary!)

Angel Anderson is based at The Cultural English Centre, Linares, Jaén, and has been teaching for more than three decades, mainly in Spain, and is a great advocate of personalised learning and CLIL. Throughout his career he has been involved in teaching, teacher training, course development and management, but is happiest in a classroom surrounded by teens, or younger, and helping run the schools theatre club.

TriciaAudette Tringlish

The Faces of a Teacher

Every experience brought to the classroom comes from who we are. Knowing oneself is crucial to knowing our students as "we teach who we are" (Palmer). Like the hands on a clock that change with time, so do the faces of a teacher. Let's explore how self, subject and student connect in the classroom.

Tricia Audette is a Master of Teaching graduate from the University of Calgary and has been involved in education for several years. She participated in Teaching Across Borders and taught for the Calgary School Board, before moving to Spain where she currently resides. She uses entertainment as her platform to generate excitement in second language acquisition and has become accustomed to interacting with large groups through performance, workshops and presentations.

JennyBartlett International House Coimbra

Teacher Survival Skills: Reflective Practice in Classroom Management

In today’s fast-moving world teachers have a wide range of tools to use. However, we still have to respond effectively to the daily challenge of dealing with the different individuals in our classrooms. The session will look at what motivates students and look at strategies for managing conflict and student expectations.

Jenny Bartletthas been teaching in Portugal since 1986 and has been Director of Studies for the last 14 years. She works at International House Coimbra and her current ares of interest include mtivation and classroom management.

ElizabethBeer Hyland Language Centre

Say it Again: Making Pronunciation Fun for Young Learners

The traditional approach of ‘I say, you repeat’ to test pronunciation gets boring very quickly to young infant or primary learners. This session will suggest engaging ways of encouraging students to say the target language repeatedly and correctly, while making it memorable.

Elizabeth Beerhas been teaching for eleven years in Europe and South-East Asia and enjoys teaching both young learners and adults. She started her teaching career at Hyland Language Centre, Madrid. She has obtained her CELTA, CELT-YL Extension, DELTA and Diploma in Early Childhood Education. In 2015, Elizabeth returned to Hyland Language Centre as Director of Studies.

MichaelBennett Humanitas Bilingual School

Origami: A Gateway to Transversal Project-based Learning

Project based learning opens students to a holistic viewpoint which profoundly enhances their learning. In this workshop I will share 3 or 4 origami activities that provide transversal learning and how they can be used to generate projects to propel students into an active learning experience which they will never forget.

Michael Bennett has been working as a Primary Educator for over eight years in Madrid. He has dedicated his career to designing activities and exploiting children’s creativity in CLIL environments. He has given various conferences presenting his no-textbook philosophy on teaching and continuously investigates how to maximize student’s learning, while allowing children to be just that, children.

KatherineBilsboroughOUP MelissaThomson British Council

Technophiles and Technophobes

Despite growing confidence in EdTech many teachers still prefer traditional practices. In this workshop a technophile and a technophobe will demonstrate dual approaches to classroom activities, making sure the focus is always on the content and not on the tools. We hope to encourage low-tech teachers to try out more technology and to provide ‘Plan Bs’ for ‘just in case’.

Katherine Bilsboroughhas been working as a teacher, trainer and ELT author for more than 25 years. She’s written course books for OUP, Macmillan, Richmond, Burlington, Anaya, Edelvives, Planeta D’Agostini, SM and others. She also develops online courses and materials for the British Council and BBC. Katherine co-curates the Free and Fair ELT Facebook page. She’s the technophobe in today’s duo.

Melissa Thomson works for the British Council in Bilbao, teaching kids, teens, and adults. She also works in teacher training for the British Council; face to face with teachers in Bilbao, and online with teachers from around the world. She has also taught Englishand trained teachers in Scotland, Vietnam, Japan, Thailand and China. She is the technophile in today's duo.

HamishBinns Saint Louis University - Madrid Campus

Instruments as a Means of Multisensorial and Transversal Education

The implementation of CLIL in schools today demands new perspectives on teaching, and is breaking through the archaic divisions that have traditionally separated academic subjects. This talk is a demonstration of how instruments can serve as an aid to explain physics, geography, history, culture, crafts, and recycling, as well as music and English!

Hamish Binns is Programs Director for ESL and Modern Languages at Saint Louis University - Madrid Campus, but has also worked at a Rudolph Steiner school and in various language academies giving business classes, and runs a yearly English language summer camp in Extremadura. He holds a MA in Human Sciences from Oxford University, is a composer, and plays the bagpipes.

AlisonBlairOxford University Press España

Thinking in Shapes

This workshop is primarily directed at primary school teachers in bilingual schools. It will look at how children can develop their thinking skills, for example comparing and contrasting, classifying, sequencing and analysing cause and effect by using a variety of graphic organisers. All examples will be taken from the natural and social sciences curriculum. Please come ready to think!

Alison Blair has taught primary children in Galicia, Madrid and Andalusia as well as working at the British Council, on professional development courses for primary English teachers. She has also worked with teachers in many countries. She has co-authored courses with Jane Cadwallader, among them Galaxy (OUP) Big Jungle Fun (Richmond English), and most recently Think, Do, Learn (Oxford Educación).

TinaBlatnik Freelance

Listening Unplugged!

Have you ever wondered why our students grumble every time they hear the next task is going to involve a listening comprehension? Are you eager to get a more enthusiastic response without really breaking sweat? Focusing on both micro- and macro-listening activities, this workshop will help you break the routine and liven up your listening lessons.

Tina Blatnik is an English teacher from Slovenia who also holds a Master’s degree in American studies. She has experience with teaching students of different ages and abilities and regularly attends conferences and seminars both in Slovenia and abroad. One of her focuses is also cultural context of the language, because she believes this makes students competent users of the English language.

DubravkaBlažić HUPE

Mnemotechniques

Metaphors and associations are powerful instruments which help us memorise and make sense of certain concepts, words, structures and even pronunciation. First we will mention intelligence, Triune Brain Theory, synaptic connections and linking ideas. Some metaphors and associations will be shared with the participants in order to help them make their teaching easier and happier.

Dubravka Blažić is a teacher, teacher trainer and textbook author, currently employed at a Foreign Language Centre and a grammar school in Zagreb. 36% of Croatian children use her book in primary education, as well as children in Bosnia. She is an experienced lecturer and the treasurer of the Croatian association of English teachers called HUPE.

MichaelBrand Pearson

Bringing Real English into the Classroom

What does ‘authentic English’ mean and how can we get our students to speak and understand it? In this session, we will look at how using authentic material can benefit our learners. And through practical examples of engaging class activities, we will consider how to make this material accessible and how to get the most out of it.

Michael Brand is a Teacher Trainer for Pearson. A passionate linguist, he studied French and German at Durham University, then a PGCE in Modern Languages. He has taught in England and Spain and has experience in the public and private sectors and across the primary and secondary school spectrum and adults. He has a particular interest in motivational teaching methodology.

DanielBrint British Council Madrid Adults

Using Literary Texts in the Language Classroom

Literary texts taken from novels, short stories, plays or poetry provide students with a means of learning English while developing a deeper understanding of how English is used to communicate ideas, experiences and opinions. In this practical session Daniel Brint will explore ways of using this invaluable teaching resource to engage and motivate students.

Daniel Brint (PhD) teaches English at the British Council Adult Centre Madrid where has also written and given courses on teaching literature for the secondary curriculum. He has lectured for UNED summer courses, tutors online teacher training courses for CAM, writes course book literature materials for CUP and runs book and poetry discussion groups in Madrid.

TonyBruno Penny Lane English school

Learning English through Music and Film

Learning English through and film is something students love. However we often find ourselves falling short of ideas to motivate and challenge them. In this session we will look at different ideas from lexical and grammatical activities to pronunciation and class projects. Participation is required from the audience. This workshop is for teachers in the private and public sector.

Tony Brunois a teacher and the director of Penny Lane English school in Seville. He has been teaching from very young learners to adults for 15 years. He is also a Cambridge examiner.

LuisCabrera Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

Public Speaking in TEFL: Reduce Anxiety and App Now!

Most students are usually scared when they speak in class or when they have to do it in front of an audience. Becoming a confident speaker requires learning a variety of techniques involving body awareness, self-confidence, pronunciation, grammar command, and above all, attitude and motivation. Let's explore the world of public speaking taking advantage of technology, specifically Apps.

Luis Cabrera graduated from the Mexican American Institute in Mexico City and has worked at the Foreign Language Teaching Center, UNAM for 24 years. He has given workshops on public speaking and pronunciation in ArgentinaTESOL, BrazTESOL, TESOLSpain, MexTESOL and GreeceTESOL. He conducted educational TV programs at TVUNAM in Mexico and at CCTV in China.

ScottCampbell Hyland Language Centre

In the Critical Think Tank

Jump into the critical think tank and take part in various critical thinking activities. "When your students are learning well, they are employing the logic of their own thinking as a tool in learning.” -Dr. Richard Paul. This practical session will give ideas about how to integrate critical thinking into your adult or secondary classroom.

Scott Campbell is Assistant Director of Studies at Hyland Language Centre, Madrid and his experience ranges from young learners to advanced examination classes. He is particularly interested in learner autonomy by fostering creativity, critical thinking, and student-centered learning. Scott is currently mentoring teachers through teacher training sessions and observations for professional development. He is also a Cambridge ESOL speaking examiner.

MartaCervera Pearson

Assess 4 Success

As primary teachers we need to be extremely aware of the importance of assessment in helping out students reach their learning goals. In this talk we will first discuss the increasing focus on external exams at the primary level before investigating 3 key concepts vital to understanding effective evaluation and putting it in practice.

Marta Cervera is an English teacher, certified educational consultant and certified trainer. She currently works as a Teacher Trainer for Pearson and also collaborates as a pedagogical assessor on the Educación3.0 project. Involved in education since 1991 she soon discovered and fell in love with educational technology which she has been implementing in her classes for 13 years.

CarolineChapman Lacunza - IH San Sebastian

Say It Again, Sam! Practical Pronuncation Actitivites for Everyday Use

English pronunciation can be challenging for learners yet HOW they sound is AS important as the words they know how to use! In this highly practical session, participants will have the chance to try out quick and engaging classroom activities to practise and raise students’ awareness of the sounds, stress and rhythm in English. Ideas for even the busiest of classrooms!

Caroline Chapmanis based in the North of Spain has been teaching English to children and adults for over 14 years. She is also a trainer and writer. Along with the DELTA and IHCYL, Caroline also has trained with Jolly Phonics and is currently studying to teach very young learners. Her interests include exploring new technologies in the classroom.

Jane CatherineDelaney Cambridge English Language Assessment Madrid

A Practical Guide to CLIL

CLIL is very much a buzzword these days, especially in primary education. This session will look at some of the issues and the methodology behind the initials, and give practical ideas for primary classes.

Jane Delaney is a very experienced teacher and teacher trainer. She has worked on many different courses and projects, and is a CELTA tutor and Presenter for Cambridge English. She runs a Cambridge Examinations centre in Tarragona, and is now studying for a PhD in CLIL as well as working in a primary school.

TimDenny Freelance

Integrating Culture into the Classroom: Globalization, Trivia and Music

Using cultural content is a fun and easy way to develop English conversation skills in high school and adult students. At the core of the conversation is the student cultural experience. The scope of this "hands on" workshop will show how culture can spark conversation. Three lessons on cultural topics of globalization, trivia, and music will be showcased.