This year's end of season seminar/workshop was held at Ace English Malta, Bay Street Complex on Saturday 1st December 2018. It was very well attended by almost 150 members. All session received very positive feedback from those who attended.
The workshops were as follows: First session - 09.30 - 11.00
Alan Marsh: Making Grammar Sexy We all know great activities to practise grammar but many learners and teachers seem to accept that the actual focus on a new grammar point is inevitably dry and boring. Well, here are some of my favourite ways of making grammar 'sexy' - memorable because each approach engages the emotions or the mind, or both. Some are tried and tested, all have a creative 'twist'.
Jean Sciberras: “Creativity is contagious – pass it on!” Albert Einstein Why do students find one course book more appealing than others? Is it down to layout and colourful pictures? If images are so motivating, then why not use famous paintings to engage students? This creative, practical workshop will explore how paintings can be used to develop various language skills and sub skills and enrich students by exposing them to a variety of world cultures.
Joseph Mallia: Motivation for learning in the classroom – comparing teachers’ and adult learners’ viewpoints This session will compare teachers’ and learners’ views and experiences for developing motivation in the classroom. We will also look at managing students from varying cultural and educational backgrounds with different expectations. Additionally, we will select different situations and develop practical tips as to what we can do to keep learners’ interest alive and fresh.
Ian Scerri: Values and short films in language teaching: a report on Kieran Donaghy’s session at IATEFL 2018 Although the teaching of values is often overlooked in language education, it is a vital area. In this session, Kieran examines the importance of values in language education and proposes practical activities designed around short films, which encourage teachers (and students) to reflect on a number of values and the issues when trying to teach them.
Pam Borg:What is Augmented Reality (repeat session from 2018 ELT Conference) What is Augmented Reality (AR)? How is AR being used in ELT? What are the most appropriate age range and language skills for AR? Where can I find AR resources? Is it just a passing trend or a teaching and learning tool for the future in ELT? Find out the answers and even more in this innovative digital technology workshop.
Second session - 11.30 - 13.15 Aleksander Mitovski: Functional Ways to Functional Language Do you have lesson materials and you want to do something different with them? How about communicative activities that involve using functional language? This workshop will help you get the most out of planning and adapting a lesson, and will give you a better understanding of how and why to focus on functional language in your lessons.
Erna Jacob: TED talks Are you interesTED? In what? Whatever your answer is, you will find a video on TED.com that inspires you and that inspires your students. Critical and creative thinking, endless topics and jaw-dropping stories. We will look into ways to use TED Talks in your classroom. Come! Dig in! Design and share your lesson!
Jean Theuma:That’s wrong! How to give feedback That’s wrong! How to give feedback – No one likes to be told they are doing it wrong but, sometimes, students will need to be corrected in class. In this session, Jean will look at various ways to give students correction and effective feedback on their language production, so that they feel supported and guided.
Laura Alcarez and Michael Beirne: Total Physical Response Learning Language-learning in childhood involves observing and imitating gestures, behaviour and sounds. Participants in this workshop will deepen their understanding of how TPR is such an effective learning strategy. They will practise fun TPR-based activities and will then be able to adapt them and take them straight into their future lessons.