It’s nearly time for IATEFL 2014! I’m sure we’ve all been trawling through the programme pdf and the app, seeing what’s on and getting excited – well, I have anyway! I think anticipation is such a fun part of it all!  

Here are the workshops/talks/events going on that have caught my eye so far:

Wednesday

(Unfortunately I’m going to miss most of Wednesday, but if I were going to be there on Wednesday, my timetable might look like this…)

• Plenary session by David Graddol: English and economic development [at least this I can catch the recording of… I wonder if I will be able to watch some of the live stream while travelling? Time will tell…]

• Session 1: Either EAP writing: getting down and dirty by Richard Hillman [because I’m hoping to be teaching on a pre-sessional course at a university this summer] or Demand High and lost learning by Adrian Underhill [because who doesn’t like watching Adrian Underhill talk!]

• Session 2: Global coursebooks: helpful scaffold or debilitating crutch by Heather Buchanan and Julie Norton [because I participated in the research that fed into this talk and and am curious about the outcome; also because Heather was my tutor and dissertation supervisor during my M.A. ELT at Leeds Met, so I know that what she has to say is good value!]

• Session 3: More than just a worksheet: writing effective classroom materials by Rachael Roberts [because she has a great blog full of useful and interesting ideas, as well as lots of materials writing experience, so I could learn a lot from this session. Plus she’s involved with MaW SIG and has, in that capacity, already commented on some materials I’ve made, so I’m very interested to meet her! 14.05-14.50…will I have arrived yet? Will it be recorded? Have to wait and see…]

• Session 4: Do materials writers have principles? by Jill Hadfield [Another MaW SIG SIG day speaker, and another person I’m interested to meet! Also because I read a lot about materials development during my M.A. and am interested in the topic and the process. The question is, will I make it in time?]

• Session 5: Tech Hacks for classroom activities, materials writing and course design by Andy Johnson [because this workshop sounds really useful and practical and relates to technology AND teaching AND materials writing AND course design – what more could you want! 😉 Hmmm, I might actually have made it to the conference by this point! Here’s hoping!]

• Session 6: Materials Writing Special Interest Group Open Forum  [Please let my flight/trains not be delayed, so I’m at least there in time to go to this session! Golden opportunity to meet other people who are interested in materials writing and the MaW SIG committee!]

Thursday

• Session 1: How to get published in a refereed journal with Graham Hall (08.15 to 08.45) and Plenary session by Kathleen Graves [because I want to be published in a refereed journal at some point and Kathleen’s talk looks really interesting!]

• Session 2: Academic writing materials: from research to online delivery [because this looks like a really interesting materials writing project, involving making and using a corpus.]

• Session 3: A fresh approach to advanced listening practice by Sheila Thorn [because this sounds both interesting and directly useful – ideas to take into the classroom and try with my advanced gang as soon as I get back to Palermo!]

• Session 4: Content, consumption and production: three types of ELT textbook research by Nigel Harwood [because I got to know his name during my studies and I’m intrigued to put a face to it… Also because the talk looks interesting!]

• Session 5: Upgrade! Demand High to bring a grammar lesson alive by Jim Scrivener [because he’s always a pleasure to watch and generally sends you away armed with tons of ideas that you can try out next time you walk into a classroom!]

• Session 6: Sit out – to remember what on earth it is I am going to say in Session 7…

• Session 7: Bridging the gap between learning materials and an English-speaking environment by Lizzie Pinard. [Well, I had really better attend my own talk, hadn’t I!!]

Friday

• Plenary session by Michael Hoey [because who’d miss it! Michael Hoey is awesome – I saw him present at MATSDA last year, never seen a more crazily energetic presenter: should be the perfect way to energise oneself for the day, better than a coffee!]

• Session 1: How do engineers say that? Encouraging academic independence by Julie Moore [because this talk combines my future professional needs – how to EAP – and my current professional interests – how to help learners become more independent!]

• Session 2: Teaching English for Academic Purposes: insights from experience by Penny Ur [because it sounds like it will be a very useful session, where I can hopefully learn from her and everybody else’s experiences, which will help me when I move into EAP teaching]

[Looking at my planner, the next few sessions are where it gets complicated! – read: multiple overlaps!]

• Session 3: I need to choose between… i. Making the most of minimal material by Kate Evans [because personal experience of learning from her means I know what she says is worth hearing! Plus it looks interesting!]; ii. Professional development in the experimental practice jungle by Christina Rebuffet-Broadus and Jennie Wright [because it sounds like a lot of fun as well as useful take-away tips] iii Stepping into the real world: transitioning listening by Sandy Millin [because there will be lots of useful take away and Sandy does awesome stuff!]

Which to choose? Answers on a postcard… 

• Session ? [getting confused now, lots of little numbers in the app!] but the tail-end of the creativity symposium that starts in Session 3 – I’d like to see Brian Tomlinson’s talk Creative use of the coursebook because I’ve discovered we share similar ideas with regards to the role of the teacher and the role of learning materials, and because it sounds like there will be some useful take-away that I can apply directly on my return and beyond.

Saturday

• Session 1: How to move from being a teacher to becoming a teacher trainer with Silvana Richardson and Plenary session by Sugatra Mistry [the first because teacher training is an avenue I’m interesting in exploring in my career and then because Sugatra’s talk sounds intriguing!]

• Session 2: Twenty things in twenty years: this much I know by Hugh Dellar [because his blog has inspired me a lot, as did the talk I saw him do at IATEFL last year. Am looking forward to seeing him talk again and hopefully meeting him this time.]

• Session 3: Write here, write now by Fiona Johnston [because I’m using various online communication platforms with my learners, so this talk interests me as another potential avenue to explore within this.]

• Session 4: Motivating students in the EFL classroom by Elizabeth Davies [because she motivated me hugely when I was a CELTA trainee at Sheffield ELTC and because the role of motivation in language learning is hugely interesting to me – I’ve read a lot about it during the last six months as well as studying it during my M.A.]

• Closing plenary: session by Jackie Kay, to bring it all to an end for 2014. [Shhh, don’t think about that yet!]

What talks are you looking forward to?

Comment and see if you can convince me there’s something else I need to see too! 🙂 – Or help me decide between my clashes…!

Non-talk related things I’m looking forward to:

• Meeting people! As in meeting new people and catching up with old friends/colleagues/various lovely ex-tutors… IATEFL is such a grand social occasion! So please say hi if you see me! 🙂 And all the talking that goes with it. Nothing like a good discussion!

• Leeds Met M.A. ELT/Delta Q and A: I shall be hanging out with the Leeds Met lot, in capacity of ex-student willing to answer questions about my experience, probably on Friday morning during the break. Come and see what it’s all about if you like! 🙂 [Exact time and location tbc – I will update this post with details of location once I know them, so check back if you are interested!]

• The exhibition: When I’m not running like a headless chicken from talk to talk, I must make time to have a look round all the lovely, colourful stands and see what all the exhibitors are so keen to show us all! 🙂

• Just…being part of it: Just being there, part of all the buzz, soaking up all the positive energy and idea-sharing going on – a recipe for motivation and renewed vigour if ever there was one! 🙂

What else have I missed? What are you looking forward to?

Tell me what you’re looking forward to, what you’re excited about,  by commenting on this post: The more excitement, the merrier!

See you in IATEFL in a few days! 🙂