In Bilbao our 10th Annual Teachers' Conference will gather together a wide range of themes related to the professional practices mapped out in our continuing professional development framework. Don't miss out on our complete programme!
Suitable for Teachers with all levels of experience.
Using multilingual approaches, Planning lessons and courses.
This year we´ll introduce and explain certain points about storytelling, its potentials to reach the audience, create attention and passion for learning. Offer some tips for the teacher to do his own storytelling sessions.
Alabazan will explain and show their offer of four storytelling sessions, each for different ages: 4-6 year-olds, 7-11 year-olds, 12-16 year-olds and adults. This year we’re offering a session based on the life of Billie Holiday for adults which is useful to work with the lyrics of certain songs.
These shows can be in English or in English and Basque with one or two storytellers on stage.
The members of Alabazan Company are Bego Gomez, Pedro Ruiz and Joaquin Ponte. They have worked as storytellers since 1996; they have done storytelling sessions for kids and adults, in Spanish, Basque and English. They do workshops as well to create stories and give talks to share their passion for the spoken word.
Suitable for more experienced teachers.
Understanding learners, Promoting 21st century skills.
Learning a language is a way of learning to see the world under a different light and enhanced seeing and feeling are the real reasons to create. This session will look at a few activities based on music, art and literature that aim at helping students develop their linguistic skills as well as their imagination and creativity. You will have the chance to try out parts of the activities for yourself during the session.
Annie Altamirano (MA ELT & Applied Linguistics, King’s College, University of London) has over 30 years’ experience as a teacher, teacher trainer and materials developer. She has co-authored courses for children and adolescents and develops online and digital content for several international publishers. She is currently working on several writing projects for children and adolescents. Her main areas of study are critical thinking skills, creativity and motivation. She is also interested in developing materials for students with special needs.
Suitable for teachers with all levels of experience.
Continuous professional development.
This session will present our experiences in the implementation of a professional-life assessment system. The aim is for us to show and share with other teachers how we have created and developed a practical methodology to improve student´s life skills using assessment platforms, tools and coaching activities in order to get real developing skills before the students start their in-company training. Attendees will have the opportunity through practical examples to learn how to implement active learning methodologies to achieve transversal assessment skills for a whole centre.
This project has been awarded First Prize for Quality and Innovation in Career Guidance 2015 by the Ministry of Education.
Laguage: Spanish
More than 20 years teaching in San José de Calasanz VET School. Job Orientation Coordinator, I am responsible for the following programs:
Associate professor in entrepreneurship and innovation programs with TKNIKA, Innobasque, DEMA. Several prizes entrepreneurship and innovation projects by ODCE, CEDEFOP. Participating in international mobilities and congress for teachers.
Suitable for teachers with all levels of experience.
Promoting 21st century skills, Planning lessons and courses.
Enhancing listening skills is vital for communication, but not all students have either an extrinsic or intrinsic motivation. How can we deal with this in a class? In this talk we will provide you with some ready to use activities that have proven to be useful in our lessons. Adaptable for all ages.
Mª Antonia Castro is the Director of the Escuelas de Idiomas Ebenen in Torrejón de Ardoz and has over 20 years experience in EFL as well as DaF (German) teaching. She is doing some research on how to change attitudes towards the learning of foreign languages in Spain. She is co-writing materials for promoting communication in EFL and DaF teaching.
Silvia Benítez has been an English and German language teacher at Escuela de Idiomas Ebenen for fifteen years. She is especially interested in learning processes and psychology applied to the language teaching. She is co- writing materials for promoting communication in EFL and DaF teaching.
Suitable for teachers with all levels of experience.
Managing resources, Promoting 21st Century skills.
In this workshop session I will be looking at how television commercials (spots) can be used for a range of engaging and creative lessons at almost any level. We will discuss how these activities are structured and consider a number of ways of exploiting these audio-visual materials by focusing on the relationship between language, image and themes. Students of all ages – but especially younger students – inhabit an intensely visual world where messages are conveyed with immediacy and creativity. By bringing examples of these into the classroom and using them to promote communication and fluency we are tapping into a highly effective resource and engendering student participation and learning.
Dr Daniel Brint has taught English language and literature in the USA, Italy, the UK and Spain. He has worked for the British Council in Madrid since 1992. As well as teaching, teacher training and materials development, Daniel also runs novel and poetry discussion groups. He has previously given training sessions on using literature, film and creative writing in language teaching.
Suitable for more experienced teachers.
Managing the lesson, Educational policies and practices.
This session will look at work place stress, particularly focussing on stress as part of teaching, but will also examine stress as experienced by students. The idea is to examine the issue and suggest practical solutions aimed at reducing stress.
Working with words has been the dominant feature of my life. For the last ten years I have taught English at the British Council in Bilbao, to all age ranges and levels. I am also interested in teacher and student welfare, and am the health and safety officer at the British Council.
Suitable for teachers with all levels of experience.
Using inclusive practices.
Learning phonics through play enables children to explore reading at early stages by being actively involved in their own learning. In this session we will focus on creative activities to make learning phonics more memorable and effective.
Mariela Collado is a teacher of English and a teacher trainer with 23 years teaching experience. She is CELTA qualified and she runs her own language school in Alicante and prepares Primary and Secondary school teachers for Oposiciones. She has been collaborating with Oxford University Press Spain since 2001, and she has also been running workshops at International Conferences.
Suitable for teachers with all levels of experience.
Understanding learners, Continuous professional development, Educational policies and practices.
This talk will shed light on the challenges teachers face when dealing with multicultural settings and we will look at how teachers can better prepare themselves to deal with a more global culture in classrooms.
BA (Hons) University of Northumbria Newcastle. 13+ years of teaching experience. Resident earthling.
Suitable for teachers with all levels of experience.
Assessment. Teaching Very Young Learners.
Assessment is something we have to do but we don’t always love doing it. This workshop will provide a range of practical assessment strategies and tips for your Primary ELT classroom. Time will be given to revise the tools and terminology, as well as to discuss the pros and cons of each. The focus will be on both formative (while they’re learning) and summative (once they’ve finished) assessment techniques.
Ana’s thirty year career as a teacher and, later, trainer has scanned all sectors and age groups. However, she is especially interested in Infant and Primary Education, as well as CLIL. She holds a Diploma, the Spanish CAP and an M Ed in Applied Linguistics. Currently, she runs a language school in Galicia and works as a language assistant in a primary school.
Suitable for teachers with all levels of experience.
Promoting 21st Century skills
Model United Nations, also known as Model UN or MUN, is an extra-curricular activity in which students typically roleplay delegates to the United Nations and simulate UN committees. This activity takes place at MUN conferences, which are usually organised by a school or university MUN club. Thousands of school and university students around the world participate in Model United Nations, which involves substantial researching, public speaking, debating, and writing skills, as well as critical thinking, teamwork, and leadership abilities.
Nicola Dignum: Holding a degree in Engineering Management from the University of Hertfordshire, a Masters in Innovative Manufacturing from Cranfield University and is a qualified paralegal, Nicola worked several years in London for Clear Channel International before moving to Bilbao in 2002. After spending various years working at St. Georges School in Leioa, Nicola started to work in the English department for secondary and Bachiller at Colegio Ayalde in September 2012. In January 2014, Nicola introduced the activity Model United Nations into the school, an activity which many schools and universities participate in around the World. Nicola is responsible for preparing the students to attend international conferences which are simulations of the United Nations, conferences which are held in English. After starting with a group of five students, currently Nicola is working with 45 Ayalde students, helping other schools within the COAS educational group to introduce this activity into their schools and is organising the first conference of MUN Bilbao, which will take place 26 - 29 January 2017. Nicola’s wish is to see more Spanish schools participating in Model United Nations, an activity which offers many skills to its participants.
Christina Connell: A student in 2 Bach in Ayalde, who started doing MUN two years ago. Her eagerness and passion to change the World has led her to be the Secretary General of the upcoming MUN Bilbao 2017 conference.
Leyre Tejedor: 2nd Bach student in Ayalde planning to study International Law at university. In October 2015, she attended her first MUN as a judge in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at a conference in London. Since then, she has helped to organise two one-day conferences in Ayalde and is the Head of Communications for MUN Bilbao 2017. She is also returning to the London conference in October 2016 as the Registrar for the ICJ
Suitable for teachers with all levels of experience.
Knowing the subject, Using inclusive practices.
In this talk we look at the challenges of meeting very young children’s needs in the classroom while teaching them a new language. Karen presents activities related to children’s developmental stages, focusing on creating an environment of safety through routines while putting play and exploration at the heart of all that we plan and do. A variety of activities involving chants, songs, stories, crafts and games will help you create a fun and language-rich environment for your very young learners.
Karen Elliott has taught English for over 20 years in many different countries. She is especially interested in topic, story and play-based learning and using synthetic phonics to develop pronunciation and literacy skills. Karen teaches at the British Council Bilbao and writes EFL materials for CUP UK and Spain.
Suitable for teachers with all levels of experience.
Understanding learners, Continuous professional development, Using multilingual approaches.
Shocking, surprising and inspiring. Welcome to a new style of teacher convention talk! Welcome to FRED Talks! Three 12 minute talks based on the TED.com style, followed by discussion, debate, dissent and perhaps drinks as we’ll never be able to talk about everything in such a short time ;-)
FRED Talks (Fun, Relevant, Engaging Discourse) includes:
The idea is to present ideas for teachers to reflect upon and debate. After the three FRED talks we will open the session to the audience to discuss the concepts raised.
Rob Hextall & John Hird have taught English in several countries since the early 1990s. Together they have built up extensive experience in all aspects of the trade including teacher training, material production, school ownership and of course, uncountable hours of classes with all kinds of learners.
In 2010 they co-founded the cooperative English Coaching Projects (in Vitoria) and they use this platform to continuously question, explore and innovate in English language learning.
Suitable for more experienced teachers.
Managing resources, Assessing learning.
In this talk I will present different activities and worksheets for teachers to use in the classroom. The ideas and projects, which can be adapted according to age and level, involve children (and teenagers!) in their reading, and will improve their comprehension.
We will look at ways of promoting reader autonomy and encouraging reluctant readers.
Finally, we will discuss the pros and cons of using class sets and how we can assess our students’ reading in more creative and motivating ways.
The talk will draw on classroom experiences and research.
Gillian has lived in Bilbao for over 20 years and teaches at the British Council. As well as participating in a book group, she has also led 3 others, one aimed at teenage readers.
Suitable for teachers with all levels of experience.
Managing resources - communal spaces
In this talk I will discuss last year´s Center Project at the British Council Bilbao. Those who attend will get hands on experience of the material and a wealth of ideas to use in their own schools.
I am the Creative Projects and Displays Coordinator in the British Council, Bilbao. In this role I have developed and managed many projects which aim to bring life and conversation to the communal areas in our center. Designed to involve everyone who visits the school, my projects take the learning experience beyond the classroom.
Suitable for more experienced teachers.
Continuous professional development.
This talk will argue for the value of Action Research as a developmental tool in teaching. It will present the session giver’s experiences of setting up and managing such an initiative in the centre where he works. It will revisit the principles of reflective teaching upon which Action Research is based, present some ways to better focus research questions and give you some ideas for different ways to collect qualitative data. It will also present some concrete examples of research investigations which have been done in a British Council Teaching Centre context.
Aidan Holland has been working in English Language teaching for the last eleven years and is currently Senior Teacher for Professional Development at the British Council Teaching Centre in Somosaguas, Madrid. Since completing the Cambridge DELTA in 2011, he has gone on to complete a Masters in TEFL with the University of Birmingham. He is currently a member of the annual British Council Teachers’ Conference organising committee.
Suitable for teachers with all levels of experience.
Continuous professional development.
Do you ever feel your students’ pronunciation is not improving as fast and steadily as you had hoped it would? This fossilization might well be the result of, among others, 1. non-target rules having become fixed in the learner's interlanguage, 2. the learner’s first language can have significant influence on the level of accentedness and intelligibility of the new language and 3., to mention just a few, the learner finds it really difficult to change their pronunciation once a certain level of fluency has been reached.
Come join Chris’ interactive workshop and find out how you can help your students start dreaming about the de-fossilization of their English pronunciation.
Chris Kunz: ELT Professional in Argentina, Australia and UK for over 20 years. Senior Director of Studies at Kensanglia Schools of English, Buenos Aires. Has lectured in different countries on ELT Methodology, Advanced Language for teachers and English Phonetics and Phonology since 1997.
Has been involved with the Anglia ESOL Examinations Testing Services since 1996. Is the Anglia Director within the Ibero-American Network. Holds the Cambridge/RSA Certificate and Diploma in ELTA.
Main interests: "Evolution and Change in Spoken English", "Diversities of English Accents" and "English Language Teaching Resources".
Now divides his time between Chichester College, England, as EFL Lecturer, where he teaches all levels, and Anglia ESOL Examinations in Latin America, Spain and Portugal.
Facilitator/ Interlocutor in UK for several exam boards for Skills for Life Examinations. Has delivered the Phonology Modules of LSC Skills for Life Quality Initiative Professional Development Programme in UK.
Senior Speaking Assessor and Speaking Assessor Trainer for Anglia ESOL Examinations since 1997.
Suitable for teachers with all levels of experience.
Understanding learners, Knowing the subject.
We will explore freely available online phonetics material and how to exploit them in the classroom in a meaningful and memorable way.
There will be hands-on activities using handouts, games and internet resources, with tips on using the activities to best effect at various age levels. Participants will try out some activities that students do in class including team games and bingo, and will have the opportunity to exchange ideas.
If you feel your students need help with their pronunciation but need a new approach, this talk will give you some playful ideas to help your students’ progress with their speaking skills.
Millie has 11 years’ experience of teaching ELT in Bilbao and Edinburgh, working mainly with teenagers and adults in multilingual and monolingual classes. She is currently working at the British Council in Bilbao where she completed the DELTA 3 years ago and the TYLEC last year. She has been focusing on creative writing in the classroom and teaching phonemes and pronunciation. Millie also specialises in preparing students for Cambridge exams and working with Proficiency-level students.
Suitable for teachers with all levels of experience.
Understanding learners, Planning lessons and courses.
This talk will consider what assumptions we have about children in Early Years and look at how we can use this knowledge to create activities that are rich in language learning opportunities whilst at the same time bringing in early learning theory. We will consider the role of play and how we can use structured play in routines and activities. We will look at how we can use project and art work as a platform for communication and what we can do to harness their energy and enthusiasm.
Joanna has been working in ELT for 20 years as a teacher, academic manager and teacher trainer. Joanna runs the Primary and Early Years Department in the British Council Somosaguas. She is on the European EY product development team and advocates using EY development areas as a framework for holistic learning. Joanna is DELTA qualified, holds a diploma in Early Childhood development and is a tutor on the BC/Trinity TYLEC.
Suitable for more experienced teachers.
Understanding learners, Using inclusive practices.
Teen classes can sometimes be tricky to motivate. In this session I plan to present some activities I have used this year with my teenage groups that have been fun, motivating and student centred. I plan to cover activities which make use of internet tools, and activities that need no classroom technology at all so that there is something for everyone!.
Amanda has been teaching EFL and CLIL in the Bilbao area for more than 15 years. She is also an experienced teacher trainer and materials writer. She currently works in a large school near Bilbao, at the British Council, Bilbao and for Oxford University Press.
Suitable for more experienced teachers.
Young Learners, 21st century skills.
How can we ensure that our primary learners develop complex cognitive thinking? In this session we will look at a few simple techniques that will engage your learners and really get them thinking.
In this session I plan to present 3 simple strategies for developing thinking skills with primary learners. Each strategy can be easily applied to different content areas and each is simple to set up in class, both for EFL teachers and for CLIL teachers. The inspiration for these strategies comes from theories such as inquiry-based learning and visible thinking routines, and they have all been tried and tested in my own primary classes. As each is a technique rather than an activity, they are easily adaptable to different levels and abilities, and I will talk about how to adapt each for pre-reading level learners too.
Amanda has been teaching EFL and CLIL in the Bilbao area for more than 15 years. She is also an experienced teacher trainer and materials writer. She currently works in a large school near Bilbao, at the British Council, Bilbao and for Oxford University Press.
Suitable for more experienced teachers.
Understanding learners, Planning lessons and courses.
Language learners are constantly trying to update their vocabulary but having problems recording and recalling words. This workshop will look at the role of memorization and how we can help students with their vocabulary acquisition. We also look at ways to encourage our students to record and use new expressions by using practical classroom and out of class activities.
Gerard has taught English in Italy, the U.K., Serbia, Egypt and Spain and worked as a teacher trainer in the U.K., New Zealand, Mexico and Spain. He has a DipTEFLA and an MA in Engluish Language Teaching. He is a CELTA and DELTA trainer at IH Barcelona and a CELTA assessor. He is a co-author of Next Generation, a Bachillerato coursebook. He has also written several teacher books for McGraw Hill (Platform) and Heinle (Outcomes). He is a board member of TESOL-SPAIN as Online Resources Officer and Webmaster. He is also an ambassador for the Disabled Access Friendly campaign.
Suitable for teachers with all levels of experience.
Promoting 21st century skills, Integrating ICT.
What do we mean when we talk about ‘authentic English’ 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 and motivating class activities we will consider how to make this material accessible and best exploit it to give our students real English for the real world.
Elena Merino is a Teacher Trainer for Pearson and teacher at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya. She’s worked as a teacher for over twelve years in different contexts and for different types of students and learning styles. PhD in Communication and Multilingual Education, she’s concerned about meaningful tasks that engage students to communicate in English.
Suitable for teachers with all levels of experience.
Planning lessons and courses, Integrating ICT.
I’m a primary teacher: how can I keep my classes dynamic and my students interested? In this session we’ll look at ten top tips every primary school teacher should bear in mind in order to keep their students on their toes, make certain that learning is taking place and ensure that lots of fun is had into the bargain too! From the best ways to present language to continuous assessment for learning to using technology productively, you'll find a wealth of ideas to be taken away and used on Monday.
Elena Merino is a Teacher Trainer for Pearson and teacher at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya. She’s worked as a teacher for over twelve years in different contexts and for different types of students and learning styles. PhD in Communication and Multilingual Education, she’s concerned about meaningful tasks that engage students to communicate in English.
Suitable for teachers with all levels of experience.
Knowing the subject, Managing resources.
Ever thought about using poems in the classroom with your young learners? Not always sure where to start, or would like some more ideas? This practical session will look at different ways that children can have fun with words, rhyme and rhythm, while at the same time practising + consolidating aspects of grammar, vocab and pronunciation.
Julie Mills has been working as teacher + teacher trainer in the Basque Country for many years, working both freelance and for the British Council. She lives in Portugalete and also taught English for some years in the Primary school in Colegio Santa Maria. She enjoys helping her students learn using all types of literature – with poetry being a particular favourite.
Suitable for teachers with all levels of experience.
Continuous professional development.
This talk will use a case study of an action research cycle carried out in the British Council Bilbao to illustrate the practical considerations relevant to this type of research. It will discuss what this and other AR experiences taught us about how to maximise the many advantages and avoid the potential pitfalls associated with this approach. The final part of the talk will consist of a presentation of the results of one of the more ambitious and successful of the action resource projects.
Robert began his career in EFL in Portugal in 1995 and since then has taught in Barcelona, England and Colombia and he now manages adult courses in British Council Bilbao. In addition to a lot of classroom teaching, his career has involved teacher training, academic management and the management of corporate teaching contracts. Within teaching his interests are ‘guided discovery’ and teaching centre management. Outside of work Robert is working on a novel and likes to try to keep fit.
Guy has been teaching in Bilbao for 13 years and has been at the British Council since 2009. He is also an active speaking and writing examiner for Cambridge. “My background in Theatre and arts has made me passionate about getting students to read as much as possible.” “I believe myself to be a respectable “friki” and am knowledgeable in British comics and fortean themes.”
Suitable for teachers with all levels of experience.
Understanding learners, Managing the lesson.
A practical bag of activities to stretch the speaking skills of your Secondary learners. We will be trying out some techniques for tackling shyness and aloofness, and that well-known teen affliction: “nothing-to-say”. Ideas include motivating tasks to expand their vocabulary, work on their pronunciation and bolster their confidence.
Rebecca has developed courses and seminars for ELT teachers in Spain for over 20 years. She coordinates the Teacher Development Unit for British Council Bilbao, is an IELTS examiner, TYLEC trainer and DELTA local tutor. She has experience in teaching in bilingual and trilingual infant , primary and secondary schools, although all her teaching of late has revolved around CLIL, whether moderating online CLIL Essentials courses or at the chalk face with primary and secondary teachers getting to grips with this inspiring but sometimes daunting method. In her spare time Rebecca volunteers for TESOL-SPAIN as their Media Officer.
Suitable for teachers with all levels of experience.
Integrating ICT.
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. I hope to encourage low-tech teachers to try out more technology and to provide “Plan Bs” for “just in case”.
Melissa Thomson works for the British Council in Bilbao, teaching kids, teens and adults. She also works in teacher training on face-to-face courses with teachers in Bilbao and online with teachers around the world. She has also taught in Scotland, Vietnam, Japan, Thailand and China. She’s a technophile.
Suitable for teachers with all levels of experience.
Knowing the subject. Young learners.
Are you recently qualified or have been given young learner classes for the first time this year? Have you been told to include synthetic phonics in your classes? No idea what it is or where to start? Well, come along to this session and I will explain the mechanics, how to incorporate it into classes and where to find resources to help.
Alix Tregenza is a qualified primary school teacher with 10 years’ experience in public schools in the north west of England. After moving to Spain, she started work at the British Council Bilbao and local schools where she developed a great interest in the teaching of synthetic phonics to very young learners. She is actively involved in teacher training, particularly training teachers to use phonics in the classroom.
Suitable for teachers with all levels of experience.
Understanding learners.
EU OSHA uses its animated character “NAPO” to communicate without speech essential messages on how to stay safe and healthy, and as part of its “life-course” approach has created a “teachers toolkit” containing lesson plans that can be downloaded for free and used in the classroom. The material is aimed at students aged 7 – 11 and covers issues such as identification of hazards and risks, skin protection and back care. https://www.napofilm.net/en/using-napo/napo-for-teachers.
The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU OSHA) is the EU’s information source for occupational safety and health. It works with policy-makers, researchers, employers, workers and professionals to protect Europe’s current and future workers.
Part 1 – Communication & digital competency activities
Part 2 – Learning to learn & think activities
Suitable for teachers with all levels of experience.
Understanding learners, Planning lessons and courses.
In this session you will try out 2 or 3 activities for developing & practising skills for 21st century living (e.g. critical thinking, creativity, digital literacy, etc.). The aim is to analyse ways we can develop our own and students' 21stC life skills (and simultaneously their English) in engaging and relevant ways. The activities we use have been developed in a participatory manner with students through Classroom Research. We will reflect on the activities, the process for developing them, and discuss how you can adapt and use in your own classes.
Josh is an educational technology researcher, teacher & lifelong learner.
Suitable for teachers with all levels of experience.
Continuous professional development, Integrating ICT.
Trinity's Integrated Skills in English (ISE) is a contemporary four skills qualification intended for young people and adults - typically at school, college or university. It is also suitable for teachers and other adults who require a respected English language qualification.
ISE assesses students’ ability to interact in English in an authentic and meaningful way through the use of integrated reading and writing tasks and integrated speaking and listening tasks. Preparing for ISE builds real-life English skills and transferable skills required for academic study and employability.
Robin is a freelance teacher, teacher educator, and materials writer. He has been in ELT for over 30 years, and regularly collaborates with Trinity College London, and Oxford University Press. His main interests are teacher education and pronunciation, a subject on which he has published numerous articles. In 2010 he published Teaching the Pronunciation of English as a Lingua Franca, a title in the OUP Handbooks for Language Teachers series.
Suitable for less experienced teachers.
Managing resources, Assessing learning, Using inclusive practices.
This talk aims to provide you with some quick and some not so quick writing activities you can use and adapt for your learners. Some will be technology free but some will require you to test them out during the session using the appropriate IT tools. We will also look at a few hacks to help your learners get to grips with some basic writing formats.
Annabella has been teaching EFL for 7 years with 4 at the British Council, Bilbao. As well as a degree in French and Linguistics, she has a Masters in teaching for secondary school from Deusto University. In 2014 she completed the Teaching Young Learners Extension Certificate (TYLEC) run by Trinity and the British Council. She is particularly interested in using literary sources to provide teens not only with language work but also with cultural aspects of English speaking countries.