To mark the anniversary of my 30th year as a full-time teacher, I want to share thirty things I’ve learned during my years in the classroom, in publishing, online and on the conference circuit. I will cover themes as diverse as creativity, empathy, extensive reading, extensive watching, gender equality, learning styles, older learners, memorisation, multiculturalism, […]
Talks
I can provide engaging and dynamic talks and presentations for conferences and events as well as professional development sessions for your institution. The talks detailed in this section were written as 60 or 90 minute sessions, but I can adapt them to create workshops of up to four hours.
All my talks and presentations are grounded in my extensive experience as a teacher, teacher trainer and materials writer.
Here is a selection of talks and workshops that I have given recently. However, I have many more and am always developing new sessions, so please get in touch if there is a particular topic within my area of expertise that you’re interested in.
Although the teaching of values is often overlooked in language education, it is a vital area. In this session, I will examine the importance of values in language education and propose practical activities designed around short films, which encourage teachers and students to reflect on values. Participants will go away with activities and ideas designed around […]
The advent of the digital revolution and the Internet, the proliferation of mobile devices, which allow us to easily and proficiently capture moving images; the introduction of inexpensive, accessible and user-friendly editing tools; and the emergence of distribution sites such as YouTube and Vimeo, have changed the way moving images relate to society, education and […]
In this session we will examine the importance of empathy in language education and propose practical activities which encourage teachers, teacher trainers and students to be more empathetic.
In this session we will explore how film-making can be used in the language classroom and beyond.
In this hands-on workshop we’ll explore how short films can be used in the classroom. We’ll look at how we can use short films to promote creativity among both teachers and students, and oral and written communication by doing communicative activities based around a variety of short films. The session will be very practical and […]
Narrative and moving images are powerful tools in language teaching and learning.
Moving images are an excellent aid to learning new words and expressions. In this practical session we will look at a range of classroom activities inspired by short films, film clips and videos which can help students learn and remember vocabulary. These activities have all been tried and tested in the classroom. Participants will get […]
In this practical session we will look at how new and more experienced writers can write effective and engaging video and film activities for ELT. Participants will come away from the session with a better understanding of the importance of video in ELT materials, how to preview suitable videos, and practical ideas for exploiting video […]
In this talk, I discuss the evolution of the image and the significant role it can play in our lives if we are active participants in what we see and what we create. Through the deconstruction of a short film made specifically to illustrate this concept, I explain a new visual manifesto for this age […]