IATEFL BESIG Conference Schedule
in cooperation with IATEFL MaWSIG
Holiday Inn, Munich, 4-6 November 2016
FRIDAY 4 NOVEMBER
13.30 Registration for PCS opens
14.30 – 18.00 Pre-Conference Seminars
We are pleased to be able to offer two excellent seminars on the Friday afternoon before the
main conference begins.
Time
SCHEDULE
13.30-14.30 Registration for Pre-Conference Seminar opens
(General Conference Registration opens at 15.00)
14.30-16.00 Pre-Conference Seminar 1: The future of business English training
16.00-16.30 Coffee break
Location
Foyer
Ballroom
Foyer
16.30-18.00 Pre-Conference Seminar 2: How to write excellent materials
Ballroom
The Pre-Conference Seminars are free of charge for IATEFL BESIG members and for the first 25
IATEFL MaWSIG members.
Please use the code you received from IATEFL Head Office to claim your free registration. If you
did not receive a code, please contact IATEFL at [email protected].
If you are a member of both IATEFL BESIG and IATEFL MaWSIG, please use your BESIG code, as
the number of free MaWSIG places are limited.
You are welcome to attend both sessions or just one. If you do not qualify for the discount, the
regular charge for the Pre-Conference Seminar is GBP 15, whether you wish to attend both
sessions or just one.
If you have any questions, please contact Helen Strong, IATEFL BESIG Events Coordinator, at
[email protected]
We look forward to seeing you in Munich on 4 November!
IATEFL BESIG and IATEFL MaWSIG
1
Pre-Conference Seminar 1: The future of business English training
14.30-16.00
Join us for a discussion on the future of business English training. We have invited four wellknown business English professionals to talk about various aspects of business English training
and how they are likely to develop in the future. The session will be moderated by Mike Hogan
and will follow this format:
14.30-15.00 The four speakers have 5-7 minutes each to talk about their specialist subjects
15.00-15.30 In small groups, the seminar participants discuss questions posed by the speakers
15.30-16.00 In plenary, participants feed back to the speakers following their group discussions
The speakers and the areas they will be focusing on are:
JAMES SCHOFIELD
In-company training
Trainer and business coach
working at Siemens with a
focus on interpersonal
skills. Used to write English
course material, now writes
fiction. Spot the difference.
MIKE HOGAN
Moderator
International Team and
Leadership Trainer and
Director of York Associates.
Author of business English
materials.
CHIA SUAN CHONG
Which English?
Intercultural skills trainer and
teacher trainer based in York,
UK, and resident blogger for
www.etprofessional.com.
CORNELIA KREIS-MEYER
The skills trainers need
Freelance Business and
Technical English Trainer
and Advisor at ISD GmbH
Languages and Communication, a language school
based in Stuttgart.
CLEVE MILLER
Business English materials
Founder
and
CEO
of
English360, a platform that
offers resources for delivering
blended learning to clients.
2
Pre-Conference Seminar 2: How to write excellent materials
16.30-18.00
In this practical session, five experienced ELT authors will demonstrate a range of writing skills.
Each speaker is an expert in their own field, and together they represent a variety of different ELT
contexts. Whether you write materials for your own classes or for publication, in print or digital
format, in a general English or business English context, this interactive seminar will include
writing tips for you.
The session will be presented by Sue Kay, co-founder of ELT Teacher 2 Writer* and the speakers
are:
EVAN FRENDO
Freelance ELT professional,
specializing in Business
English and English for
Specific Purposes. Evan
trains business English
teachers
and
writes
training materials.
RACHAEL ROBERTS
Teacher, teacher trainer and
ELT author, having written,
among other titles, IELTS
Foundation, Premium B1,
the new edition of Total
English Intermediate, and
Navigate B1+ and B2.
JEREMY DAY
ELT writer and editor,
working on a wide range of
digital, print and blended
projects for clients including
the British Council and
Cambridge University Press.
SUE KAY
Co-founder of ELT Teacher 2
Writer and co-author of the
Inside Out and New Inside
Out series published by
Macmillan, and the Focus
series published by Pearson.
KAREN RICHARDSON
Teacher of Business English and
ELT materials writer, co-writes
Macmillan’s
OneStopEnglish
Guardian Weekly news lessons
and the Business Spotlight
lesson plans.
*ELT Teacher 2 Writer is a database of materials writers which also publishes teacher training
modules in the craft and skill of ELT writing. More details at www.eltteacher2writer.co.uk
3
15.00 General conference registration opens
18.30 – 19.45 Opening ceremony
 Welcome to the conference
 Who are BESIG and MaWSIG?
 General announcements
 The David Riley Award
20.00 Evening reception with buffet and networking opportunities in the restaurant, Holiday
Inn, Munich city centre
4
SATURDAY 5 NOVEMBER
8.15 Registration opens
09.00 – 10.30 Opening announcements and plenary
Next generation workplace: Challenges for language and intercultural trainers
in the workplace of the future – a business perspective (Robert Gibson)
Globalization and digitalization are transforming the corporate learning landscape. After a brief
reflection on the development of Business English and intercultural training over the last 25
years, this talk will focus on what these megatrends mean for trainers and material developers in
terms of target groups, content and delivery. What do customers expect? What do clients need
to learn to be successful in the global virtual workplace? What is the future of classroom training
in the world of social media, video platforms, webinars, apps and wikispheres?
This talk will explore ways of meeting these challenges, as well as examine the interplay between
language and intercultural training, and provide you with practical ideas on positioning your
services in this highly competitive market.
Robert Gibson has over 30 years of experience of language and
intercultural teaching and training in education and business.
He began his teaching career as a comprehensive school teacher in
the UK. During this time he was involved in international exchange
projects for the Council of Europe and UNESCO in the UK, Austria,
Poland, Hungary and Germany.
Since moving to Germany in 1985 he has been a Lecturer in English at
the University of Munich, a consultant for vocational education at the
Bavarian State Institute for Curriculum Development and Head of
Business Languages at Ingolstadt School of Management. He is a
former Vice-President of the Society for Intercultural Education,
Training and Research (SIETAR Europa).
In 2000 he joined Siemens AG, a major electronics company with 350,000 employees in 190
countries. He currently leads an international team of specialists which provides intercultural
training and consultancy services for individuals, teams and organizations. He is also adjunct
Professor in Cross-Cultural Management at Bologna Business School.
His publications include Germany (Blackwell), The New Skyline (Klett), Office Files (Hueber),
Intercultural Business Communication (Cornelsen and OUP) and over 70 articles for Business
Spotlight magazine.
10.30 – 10.45 Room change and exhibition
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10.45 – 11.45 Sessions A (60 min)
Session A1 (Ballroom)
Title: Eliminating slavery in the workplace of the future
Speaker: Judy Boyle
Presentation type: Conference theme: "Next generation workplace"
Presentation style: Workshop (60 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
Ethical sourcing, supply chain transparency and consumer knowledge lie at the heart of
eliminating slavery in our daily products, services and industries. Our young business students
today are the consumers, suppliers, corporate leaders and policy-makers for the next several
decades. Their courage and willingness to confront modern slavery can only come about through
well-formed, non-sensationalist, research-driven knowledge of this global, market-driven crime.
Case studies of successful transparent businesses and a leading ethical license will provide the
basis of this interactive, thought-provoking workshop. Participants will discover how they can
contribute to eliminating slavery in the workplace of the future.
Speaker bio:
Judy Boyle has been an ELT teacher, teacher trainer course book writer for over 30 years. Her
academic background includes several years at Harvard, where she was also awarded Teaching in
Excellence recognition. Judy is the founder and CEO of The NO Project, an award-winning global
anti-slavery educational campaign.
Session A2 (Forum 8 – simulcast room)
Title: Helping learners communicate internationally
Speaker: Chia Suan Chong
Presentation type: Conference theme: "Next generation workplace"
Presentation style: Workshop (60 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
English is now used as a lingua franca around the world but what does this mean for us? How can
we oil the wheels of cross-cultural communication? How can we teach learners the
accommodation and adaptation skills they will be needing? Using roleplays, critical incidents and
activities encouraging reflection, Chia will explore some ways we can help our students become
better communicators in the international arena.
Speaker bio:
Chia is a teacher trainer and communications skills trainer based in York. A regular presenter at
ELT conferences, Chia is fascinated by the interplay between culture, communication, language,
and thought. Chia is also a materials developer and has been English Teaching Professional’s
regular blogger (www.etprofessional.com) for the last four years.
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Session A3 (Forum 9)
Title: Finance can be fun – designing activities for accounting lessons
Speaker: Kirsten Waechter
Presentation type: Materials writing
Presentation style: Workshop (60 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
Due to their increasingly international work environment, finance people and accountants need
to improve their English to talk about regulations, principles and standards. That includes
becoming familiar with new accounting principles and new ways of collaboration. Whereas the
figures are often not a problem, teachers are facing the issue of providing language for explaining
financial and accounting issues, handling conference calls with international colleagues and
disclosing information to the auditors and in their reports. In this workshop I will present some
ideas of how to make them more fun, using videos, speaking activities, games and tying in more
interesting topic such as football, for example.
Speaker bio:
Kirsten Waechter has been a business English trainer since 1998. Having taught in-company
courses for many years, today she focuses on teaching business communication, English for
special purposes and intercultural courses. She has been designing her own materials in this field
and providing teacher training.
Session A4 (Forum 10)
Title: Lexis in the cloud
Speaker: Eamonn Fitzgerald
Presentation type: Conference theme: "Next generation workplace"
Presentation style: Workshop (60 minutes)
Audience: Experienced
On behalf of: Business Spotlight
Summary:
"Industrie 4.0" is what the German government calls its strategy for digitizing manufacturing. The
idea is that by linking machines and cloud computing, Industry 4.0 will create intelligent systems
along the entire value chain and the world of production will become more and more networked
until everything is connected with everything else. This Internet of Things will generate vast
amounts of data and a lexis that's native to the next generation workplace. The workshop will
explore the language of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and provide guidelines on where to find
it and how to teach it.
Speaker bio:
Eamonn Fitzgerald is the author of the "English 4.0" column in Business Spotlight magazine. He
taught EFL for many years in Munich, mostly in-company in the financial sector, and he blogs,
mostly about technology, at www.eamonn.com
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Session A5 (Forum 11)
Title: The tailor-made business course
Speakers: Dagmar Taylor
Presentation type: Conference theme: "Next generation workplace"
Presentation style: Workshop (60 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
On behalf of: Ernst Klett Sprachen
Summary:
Business courses often need to be tailored to the specific needs of a company. This can be a
challenging prospect for teachers who may have little knowledge of the company’s business.
In this practical workshop we’ll be looking at what basic components can be used as a framework
for (almost) all business courses. And we’ll be trying out new material which can easily be
adapted to suit the specific needs of a company.
Speaker bio:
Dagmar Taylor is a freelance author, editor, trainer and teacher trainer based near Munich,
Germany. She is co-author of three books in the Klett-Langenscheidt Network Now series and a
regular contributor to Spotlight and Business Spotlight magazines.
Session A6 (Forum 12 – MaWSIG strand)
Title: Writing Business English teacher resource materials
Speakers: John Hughes
Presentation type: Materials writing (MaWSIG strand)
Presentation style: Workshop (60 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
On behalf of: Oxford University Press
Summary:
When talking about Business English materials, we typically think of classroom materials for
students. But a large proportion of materials writing involves writing supplementary resources
such as answer keys, ideas for activities, photocopiable resources and articles for teacher
journals. Supporting your fellow teachers in this way is a rewarding area of writing but these
kinds of materials require a certain writing style and set of new skills. In this workshop we’ll try
out some writing activities aimed at developing the ability to write teacher resources and I’ll also
include lots of tips and practical advice on writing and publishing your own Business English
teacher resources.
Speaker bio:
John Hughes is a trainer and author. He has written many Business English titles and is one of the
main authors on the second edition of the Business Result series from Oxford University Press
(available in January 2017). John also runs ELT materials writing courses for language schools and
has the blog www.elteachertrainer.com
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Session A7 (Forum 13 & 14)
Title: Proficient at what?
Speaker: Paul Dummet
Presentation type: Teaching at proficient level to professionals
Presentation style: Talk (60 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
On Behalf of: National Geographic Learning
Summary:
CEFR level descriptors and published materials suggest a C2 learner profile that is highly
intellectual, academic (even literary) and uber-confident. But as Michael Swan said, there is
something odd about a definition of ‘proficient’ or ‘near-native ability' that disqualifies a lot of
native speakers. So what really makes someone proficient in a language and where are we falling
short of this target? This talk aims to pin down higher level learners’ real needs and, using
examples of TED Talks from Keynote Proficient (NGL), to suggest ways we can make Proficiency
English attainable for the widest range of learners, especially professionals.
Speaker bio:
Paul Dummet's career in ELT began in Oxford in 1987, first as a teacher, then DoS, then Vice
principal of Godmer House School of English. In 1996, he set up his own school which he ran for
10 years, giving it up in 2006 to concentrate on writing full-time.
Session A8 (Forum 15)
Title: Are the ’natives' still the problem?
Speaker: Ian Badger
Presentation type: Conference theme: "Next generation workplace"
Presentation style: Talk (60 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
Seven years ago, at the 2009 IATEFL BESIG conference in Poznan, I talked about the difficulties in
international communication caused by 'native' speakers of English and reported on work I was
doing with UK managers to improve their intercultural and linguistic skills. In an interactive talk, I
will discuss how this training has developed and give details of my work with groups of 'native'
users of English, 'non-native' users and a mixture of both. What are the skills that both groups
need to improve? How can the 'non-natives' help the 'natives' to be more competent
communicators and vice versa?
Speaker bio:
Ian Badger is a partner in BMES, Bristol (www.bmes.co.uk). He is author of the award-winning
Collins English for Business: Listening, the recently-published English for Business Conversations
(ELi Publishing), the B1 and B2 levels of Collins English for Life: Listening, and the multilevel series
English for Business Life (National Geographic/Cengage).
9
Session A9 (Forum 16)
Title: Make way for the millennials: how to prepare Gen-Y for the workplace
Speaker: Andy Johnson
Presentation type: Conference theme: "Next generation workplace"
Presentation style: Workshop (60 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
On behalf of: The London School of English
Summary:
By 2020, millennials, or Gen-Y (those born between 1980 and 2000) will make up 50% of the
global workforce. They are tech-savvy, with a desire to access on-demand learning and a
requirement for constant feedback and coaching. Managers have a lot to consider when
attempting to deliver the kind of career progression millennials expect. But how should we as
educators prepare this group for the workplace? And are they really that different to anyone
else? This workshop will look at the widely-held beliefs about millennials and discuss how, if at
all, we should adapt our training to suit their needs.
Speaker bio:
Andy has been working in teaching and training for the past 13 years, and is responsible for
development within The London School of English and the wider London School group. He has
worked on a range of course materials as well as launching the school’s new online learning
platform.
11.45 – 12.15 Coffee break and exhibition
12.15 – 13.15 Sessions B (60 min)
Session B1 (Ballroom)
Title: Energy and motivation strategies for teachers and students
Speaker: Patricia de Griese
Presentation type: Personal Growth
Presentation style: Workshop (60 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” Now, the question is: How can we
motivate others when our own fire is going out? What are our main energy eaters? And what can
we do about them? What energizes you? Do you know that you can energize your classroom and
yourself at the same time? High-energy classrooms stimulate learning and set off a positive
domino effect. Come to this fun and highly interactive workshop and learn: Why willpower is not
enough How to counteract apathy and get yourself out of a slump.
Speaker bio:
Certified Trainer, Certified Systemic Coach, Workshop Designer and Facilitator, NLP Master
Patricia works with multinationals and public organizations around the world. Her interactive and
brain-friendly workshops cover: teacher development, train-the-trainer, accelerated learning
10
techniques, cross-cultural awareness, emotional intelligence, ESL, presentation, negotiation and
communication skills.
Session B2 (Forum 8 – simulcast room)
Title: Facilitating the development of a credible business-like persona
Speaker: Sylvie Donna
Presentation type: Conference theme: "Next generation workplace"
Presentation style: Workshop (60 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
This talk will present a rationale and activities for facilitating linguistic personality development.
Despite the focus on student-centred classrooms in recent decades, attention is rarely paid to
students’ need for a clearer and more comfortable identity when speaking English, or at least for
identity development to be facilitated by our teaching. There is the implicit assumption in
materials and teaching methods that identity is static and/or that its development is unimportant
while students learn English. In fact, since an English-speaker identity may well significantly affect
a business person’s success levels in international communications, it is helpful to focus on this.
Speaker bio:
Author of the CUP title Teach Business English and experienced BE teacher and trainer, Sylvie
Donna now teaches BE on MA courses at Durham University. She also supports lecturers at
Durham University Business School, which gives her an ongoing insight into issues relevant to
communication in the field of business.
Session B3 (Forum 9)
Title: Secure your future and build your school in the cloud
Speaker: Peter Atkinson
Presentation type: Conference theme: "Next generation workplace"
Presentation style: Workshop (60 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
This workshop will provide practical insights and advice on how you can set up an online school.
We will focus on three core elements: platform, content and delivery. From a field of over 500
LMS options, we’ll narrow down the easiest to set up and manage based on your needs and
capacity. On the content side, we’ll look at tools and techniques to build out your content and
take advantage of your existing materials. Once you have your platform and content in place, you
need to deliver it, so we'll look at how to sell, manage and coordinate your courses.
Speaker bio:
As a business English trainer and founder of BusinessEnglishPod, Peter has focused on
developing online and blended training platforms and content. He is eager to share his insights
into working with different LMS and delivery platforms, as well as practical approaches to
developing content and marketing to diverse audiences.
11
Session B4 (Forum 10)
Title: Using Youtube as a corpus of spoken English
Speaker: Olya Sergeeva
Presentation type: Business English
Presentation style: Workshop (60 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
Youtube is a vast source of subtitled spoken English, ranging from general to business to ESP. In
this workshop I will present a free online corpus tool and quiz maker that my partner and I
created to work and play with this data. I will show how I used the tool to derive insights into
language use in channels for IT professionals, and share a range of classroom tasks and materials
created for a ‘Business English for IT’ course using this insight. Ideas and activities presented in
this workshop will be of interest to BE trainers at large.
Speaker bio:
Olya Sergeeva is a business English trainer based in St. Petersburg, Russia. She teaches, facilitates
teacher development and develops materials and Business English courses for IT professionals in
EPAM Systems, a leading IT company. She blogs about her ELT passions and shares materials at
eltgeek.wordpress.com.
Session B5 (Forum 11)
Title: Podcasts for advanced BE learners: murder, mayhem and education
Speaker: Jennie Wright
Presentation type: Technology / learner autonomy
Presentation style: Workshop (60 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
Podcasts are having a revolution with Serial – the story of a woman’s murder – becoming the
most downloaded podcast ever. For teachers, they provide access to authentic and free audio
and video which we can use to design stimulating tasks and develop our learners’ taste for
authentic listening. In this workshop I’ll share materials and ideas for podcast work in your BE
classroom. We’ll carry out tasks together and you'll leave equipped with handouts to use with
your learners. This workshop is ideal for anyone with learners who travel for business who wish
to develop their listening skills autonomously.
Speaker bio:
Jennie Wright works with Target Training as an InCorporate Trainer®™ and is currently based in
Germany. With over 15 years of experience, her blog teflhelperblog.wordpress.com features free
professional development resources for teachers. She also co-authored Experimental Practice in
ELT: Walk on the wild side which is published by www.the-round.com.
12
Session B6 (Forum 12 – MaWSIG strand)
Title: How to create, set up and practice task-based business scenarios with your clients
Speaker: Gabriella Hirthe
Presentation type: Materials writing (MaWSIG strand)
Presentation style: Workshop (60 minutes)
Audience: Experienced
On behalf of: Pilgrims
Summary:
Learn how you can design a task-based scenario with your client by letting them decide what
they need to specifically focus on and practice in their job. In this workshop, you’ll gain insight on
writing and implementing extremely useful material based on a succession of work-related roleplays that you have designed together with your client to practice communicative situations.
Templates, framework material and examples will be available. This is part of Pilgrims’ successful
teacher-training program, which allows time for teachers to be creative, gives them space to
develop their teaching skills and lets them discover how great they are!
Speaker bio:
B.A., Trinity Dipl. TESOL, CLTC-C and LCCI CerTEB, is a Pilgrims teacher trainer in Canterbury but
also a lecturer at DHBW in Mannheim. Originally from Minneapolis, Gabriella has over 18 years
in-company training experience including DoS at a language school in Stuttgart, as Audi technical
English trainer and in ELT publishing management.
Session B7 (Forum 13 & 14)
Title: Scaffolding for lower-level Business English skills training
Speaker: Dale Coulter
Presentation type: Materials writing
Presentation style: Workshop (60 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
On behalf of: Cornelsen Verlag
Summary:
Arguments against training lower level learners in Business English skills such as meetings and
presentations tend to cite learners’ lack of language as a barrier to success. In this workshop we
will look at different activity types that practise these skills and examine ways in which to set
them up to support learners at lower levels. The workshop will use examples from the new A2
Short Course series from Cornelsen as well as from my own experience.
Speaker bio:
Currently Head of English at IH Zurich-Baden, Dale Coulter is a Teacher, Trainer, Education
Manager and Author of print and digital English materials. His experience lies mainly with
intensive and extensive courses and workshops for people learning English for business. He has
taught in the UK, Italy, Germany and Switzerland.
13
Session B8 (Forum 15)
Title: The German teaching environment: commercial and legal aspects of working as a
freelancer
Speaker: Patrick Mustu
Presentation type: Working conditions
Presentation style: Workshop (60 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
In this workshop, we will discuss worries teachers have outside the classroom: Teaching
requirements and working conditions; Pay – how much do (and should) we earn?; Do we need
fee agreements and do we have to put up with non-competition and penalty clauses?; What
should freelancers know about taxes and other red-tape issues? Drawing on the accounts of
many teachers, including IATEFL, BESIG and ELTA members, who have shared their experience,
problems and documents, we will come across unacceptable working conditions, practices and
contracts, as well as misconceptions and an array of important red-tape issues.
Speaker bio:
Patrick is a lawyer, language trainer and translator based in Düsseldorf, Germany. He specializes
in legal and financial English and has extensive experience in providing language training to law
and accounting firms. Patrick writes for Germany’s leading magazine for paralegals, and he is the
author of English for Tax Professionals (Cornelsen 2012).
Session B9 (Forum 16)
Title: Blended Learning: indispensable practice for the next generation workplace
Speaker: Philip Gienandt
Presentation type: Conference theme: "Next generation workplace"
Presentation style: Workshop (60 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
In this workshop participants will be given the opportunity to trial a host of practical methods as
to how to fuse online, multi-media self-study materials with the unique dynamic of classroombased teaching for the acquisition of Business English in different branches and at differentiated
levels. These methods will, however, be based on well-researched, tried and tested pedagogical
theory in the field of MFL-teaching in the business context. There will also be ample opportunity
for contributions and discussion from the participants.
Speaker bio:
Philip Gienandt is CEO of LinguaTV.com which provides digital language training to corporations
and educational establishments. Philip has worked in several senior management positions in the
education, gaming and media industry. He has a master’s degree from the University of
Mannheim and an MBA from the City University, New York.
13.15 – 14.15 Lunch
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14.15 – 15.00 Sessions C (45 min)
Session C1 (Ballroom)
Title: Teaching as a subversive activity
Speaker: James Chamberlain
Presentation type: BE, Ethics & the Market
Presentation style: Talk (45 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
Trainers of Business English offer a service in return for remuneration. But to what extent does
the transactional nature of this relationship alter our roles as teachers and learners? Does
turning BE teaching into a commodity corrupt the educational ideals that should govern it? In
this interactive talk, we will explore together how the client/provider relationship affects our
personal and social identities, our values and ideal, and the quality of the learning that takes
place. Perhaps the best learning is achieved when we subvert the market context in which it
takes place...
Speaker bio:
James R. Chamberlain is the Director of the Language Centre at the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University
of Applied Sciences near Bonn, Germany. He has been teaching BE since 1984 and training
intercultural communication skills since 1994.
Session C2 (Forum 8 – simulcast room)
Title: The 10-step path to success with low-level business English learners
Speaker: Mike Hogan
Presentation type: Conference theme: "Next generation workplace"
Presentation style: Workshop (45 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
On behalf of: Cornelsen
Summary:
A familiar challenge that low level Business English learners have is the need to build confidence,
progress quickly and become successfully functional when communicating in English. In this talk,
I will share with you 10 essential checkpoints on the journey to achieving these goals.
Examples from the forthcoming new edition of Business English for Beginners A1/A2 (Cornelsen)
will be used, and you’ll leave with a selection of ready-to-go activities and ideas for your training.
Speaker bio:
Mike Hogan is a director of York Associates and specializes in professional language and
communication skills training, international team and leadership training, and teacher training.
Titles published by Mike include the award-winning Basis for Business B1 + B2 (Cornelsen) and
Business English for Beginners A1 + A2 (Cornelsen).
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Session C3 (Forum 9)
Title: Techspeak: building need-based skills for the IT engineer
Speaker: Dolon Gupta
Presentation type: Creating/Customizing content for building need-based skills
Presentation style: Workshop (45 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
Language needs of Indian software engineers offer multiple challenges to the content designer.
They have demanding and erratic work schedules, often need to build specific competencies and
have a preference for short snippets of information. This workshop will explore the following
questions: How is content customised to meet the above challenges? What kind of material
appeals to the software engineer? How is content aligned to the most effective mode of
delivery? How is content fragmented into byte sized chunks yet presented as a coherent whole?
Speaker bio:
Dolon Gupta is the Head of Culture & Language Initiatives function at Tata Consultancy Services.
This function caters to the language and cross-cultural requirements of the organization.
Session C4 (Forum 10)
Title: Six things you'd forgotten you knew about teaching ESP
Speaker: John Allison
Presentation type: Teaching English for Specific Purposes for in-service classes
Presentation style: Workshop (45 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
On behalf of: Macmillan Education
Summary:
The history of Business English teaching has seen a gradual movement from general to specific.
In the past, we made do with general English and a sprinkling of specialist vocabulary; but as
international business environments become more demanding, the next generation workplace
requires a much more integrated approach. How can we meet the growing need to develop a full
range of communication skills within a specialist field? Using examples from Macmillan's new In
Company ESP modules, this workshop will review half a dozen key principles we cannot afford to
forget.
Speaker bio:
John Allison has designed, sold and delivered professional English courses in France since 1980.
He is the author of In Company Case Studies with Mark Powell, The Business with Paul
Emmerson, and the forthcoming In Company ESP modules on Supply Chain Management and
Logistics with Jeremy Townend.
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Session C5 (Forum 11)
Title: Bringing business writing off the page – some practical activities
Speaker: Helen Dennis-Smith
Presentation type: Practical teaching activities for business writing
Presentation style: Workshop (45 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
A workshop demonstrating a practical activity to encourage the use of dictogloss to facilitate
learner autonomy in business e-mail writing. Even in today’s fast-moving office environment, the
formal conventions of business writing have yet to be superseded by the informality now
common in everyday messages. Using dictogloss to introduce learners to the formulaic structures
needed for a job application covering letter will enable learners to more easily identify the
language needed in other genres of business writing. A brief outline and demonstration of a
lesson will be followed by group discussion about other applications of the technique and some
feedback.
Speaker bio:
Helen Dennis-Smith works at Wimbledon School of English, London, where her role includes
teaching business English to young professionals. Her career spans many years in business and
education. In 2015 she spoke at IATEFL and also won a British Council Learning English blog post
of the month award.
Session C6 (Forum 12 – MaWSIG strand)
Title: Innovation and social entrepreneurship in business English
Speaker: Julie Pratten
Presentation type: Materials writing (MaWSIG strand)
Presentation style: Workshop (45 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
On behalf of: Academic Study Kit (independent publisher)
Summary:
Innovation and social entrepreneurship in business English involves connecting innovative
business ideas and creating a new and beneficial form of business English through the eyes of
the social entrepreneur. As teachers we constantly consider how we can do things differently and
how that change could impact our performance and that of our learners; however, how can we
ensure that the business we are teaching is ethical and sustainable and has a positive impact on
the world? This session looks at how we can create business English materials that focus on
social entrepreneurship and ethical and sustainable business models.
Speaker bio:
Julie Pratten is a leading author of business and financial English titles. In 2015 she established
the publishing platform Academic Study Kit and her first book, A-Z of Business English, was the
joint winner of the David Riley Award. Julie is currently developing a business English course that
focuses on sustainable and ethical business models.
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Session C7 (Forum 13 & 14)
Title: ACE It! Advancing personal and learner growth
Speaker: Steve Miller
Presentation type: Conference theme: "Next generation workplace"
Presentation style: Workshop (45 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
SMART goals are widely accepted as the standard way of defining solid, concrete performance
and personal growth objectives. But are they inspiring? Do they really have long-term impact on
the workplace? In this workshop, we'll look at how the ACE coaching model can help identify
outcomes which provide deeper impact and motivation, such as new skills, increased confidence
and even fun! This approach can be applied both for your own personal and professional growth
and for encouraging learners to truly embrace the value language competency can add to their
lives.
Speaker bio:
Steve Miller is a freelance business coach and trainer with a focus on supporting teams to
develop more effective skills for operating in international and multicultural environments. As a
consultant, trainer and leader, he has had the opportunity to work and live in the USA, Poland,
Portugal and Germany.
Session C8 (Forum 15)
Title: Q&A session with plenary speaker Robert Gibson
Speaker: Robert Gibson
Presentation type: Conference theme: "Next generation workplace"
Presentation style: Talk (45 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
This session follows on from the plenary talk "Next generation workplace: Challenges for
language and intercultural trainers in the workplace of the future – a business perspective". It
provides an opportunity for participants to reflect on and discuss the implications of the ideas
presented in the plenary for the future of the business En glish teaching profession. After a small
group discussion, Robert will respond to your questions and comments. The session will be
facilitated by Business Spotlight Editor-in-Chief Ian McMaster.
Speaker bio:
See Page 5.
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Session C9 (Forum 16)
Title: How can we make blended learning work even better to overcome the challenges of the
future?
Speakers: Kate Baade and Nathan Wale
Presentation type: Conference theme: "Next generation workplace"
Presentation style: Workshop (45 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
On behalf of: Target Training GmbH
Summary:
Blended learning is a term that has been around for a long time. Everyone, trainers and clients
alike, seem to have a different understanding of what it actually means. In this workshop we will
look at what blended learning really is (and what it isn't) and how you can add to what you are
already doing. We will make sure you walk away with your own blended learning toolbox and a
clear idea of how to make your blend right for your participants. As the needs of your
participants change, so will your training approach.
Speaker bio:
Kate and Nathan have both been working in the industry and at Target Training for many years in
various roles. At the moment Nathan manages several of our clients and spends a lot of time
delivering soft skills and intercultural workshops around Europe. As well as training, Kate works
primarily on content and staff development.
15.00 – 15.15 Room change and exhibition
15.15 – 16.00 Sessions D (45 min)
Session D1 (Ballroom)
Title: Take your learners to the next level: the leader coach
Speaker: Dana Poklepovic
Presentation type: Conference theme: "Next generation workplace"
Presentation style: Workshop (45 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
Modern organizations need leaders that support the development of their human capital. In
performing this role, known as the leader coach, they unleash the full potential of their teams.
But what skills and attributes does the leader need to coach their co-workers? And how can BE
trainers help learners develop these competencies in class? In this interactive workshop we will
explore the linguistic, emotional and relational skills used in a coaching process. We will also
discuss actual techniques that can be used as activities in the BE class and that add value to the
training process.
Speaker bio:
Dana Poklepovic is a BE and communication skills trainer with over 20 years of experience in
Argentina, Santiago de Chile and New York. She is a Certified Coach and holds a PhD in Modern
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Languages. She heads a consultancy that provides training to companies and teachers and
executive coaching programs.
Session D2 (Forum 8 – simulcast room)
Title: Where are we with BELF? And where are we going?
Speaker: Evan Frendo
Presentation type: BELF
Presentation style: Talk (45 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
As business English practitioners most of us rarely have enough time to keep up with academic
research into business English as a lingua franca, despite its obvious relevance to what we do.
Recent findings have been reported in various places, including “Teaching ELF, BELF and/or
intercultural communication” (JELF, 2015), “ELF in Japanese Academic and Business Contexts”
(Routledge, 2016), as well as several PhDs and journal articles. In this session I would like to
summarise some of this recent research, and discuss practical implications for our work as
business English teachers, trainers and writers.
Speaker bio:
Evan Frendo is a freelance trainer, teacher trainer and author based in Berlin. A frequent speaker
at conferences, he also travels regularly in Europe and Asia to run courses or to work as a
consultant. Since 2014 his main focus has been on developing e-learning courses for corporate
clients – see www.businessenglishguru.com.
Session D3 (Forum 9)
Title: Make your message clear – 'good communication' in a changing workplace
Speaker: Gabrielle Jones
Presentation type: Conference theme: "Next generation workplace"
Presentation style: Workshop (45 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
The growing prominence of collaborative work tools and the changing face of the workplace
itself mean that 'super-mobile' employees need a quicker and more efficient way of
communicating. Over 2 billion deskless workers are now bound to smart devices and social
media, with video-conferencing quickly replacing ‘real’ meetings. Poor communication can grind
work to a halt and miscommunication can quickly spiral into chaos and conflict. This workshop
will present a number of teaching ideas, games and activities to address communication
strategies, including simple techniques to help learners seek clarification and confirmation so
they can better understand and be understood.
Speaker bio:
Gabrielle Jones has been an EFL teacher and trainer since 2000, specializing in business English
and ESP in Ecuador, Spain and Germany. She has a strategic role in a language and
communication training company in Germany, and is responsible for developing training
concepts for corporate clients and for professional development.
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Session D4 (Forum 10)
Title: Teaching ESP 1:1 – Using one:one methodology to beat the big 'S' in ESP
Speaker: Rachel Appleby
Presentation type: Conference theme: "Next generation workplace"
Presentation style: Workshop (45 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
Many teachers have serious worries about teaching ESP, and ESP one:one in particular. And yet,
clients’ needs are becoming increasingly specific. In my experience, this sort of teaching is
extremely rewarding: it’s fun, exciting and energizing, and I’ve usually learnt at least as much as
I’ve taught. This workshop looks at ways of drawing on specific subject matter that teachers are
not expert in, but can relate to and use to good effect. We’ll do this by looking at three real
clients. Join me, and take the plunge!
Speaker bio:
Rachel is a CELTA and LCCI BE trainer, and British Council ATE trainer (Academic Teaching
Excellence) for EMI (English Medium of Instruction) at tertiary level. She has taught on the BA
and MA programmes at ELTE University (Budapest), and is co-author of OUP’s Business one:one
series, and International Express 3.0.
Session D5 (Forum 11)
Title: Error correction in the classroom
Speaker: James Maloney
Presentation type: Teaching approach
Presentation style: Workshop (45 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
Error correction is a fundamental part of the feedback process in the learning environment. How
do we correct our learners and when? In this lively workshop we will be looking at practical
examples of error correction techniques and discussing the differing approaches we may all
employ. In turn this will help us pool knowledge and share our classroom experience in this
everyday but often overlooked theme.
Speaker bio:
Jim works as the Training Development manager at Language Training Center based in Hamburg.
His passion and main focus of interest is in classroom dynamics and how we interact as trainers
with our learners. He has undertaken a number of workshops on this and similar themes. In his
free time he has an undying love of FC St.Pauli.
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Session D6 (Forum 12 – MaWSIG strand)
Title: How to write like a lawyer or a marketer
Speaker: Jeremy Day
Presentation type: Materials writing (MaWSIG strand)
Presentation style: Workshop (45 minutes)
Audience: Experienced
Summary:
Business English and ESP teachers and writers need to understand – and to be able to explain –
the mechanics of writing in a range of genres. In this practical workshop, we’ll explore some of
the techniques used by lawyers to make their writing more formal and impersonal, and those
used by marketers and copywriters to bring it back the other way.
Speaker bio:
Jeremy Day is a full-time freelance writer and editor. He was Series Editor of the Cambridge
English for… series of short ESP courses, and Editorial Director at English360, a blended learning
platform. His current projects are really exciting but confidential …
Session D7 (Forum 13 & 14)
Title: Optimizing professional development for Business English teachers
Speaker: Robert McLarty
Presentation type: Professional development
Presentation style: Workshop (45 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
On behalf of: Pavilion Publishing
Summary:
Teachers choose a career in Business English for a wide range of reasons and motivations. What
can we do to help newer teachers as they try to make the transition from general English to
Business English or from the business world to the teaching world? How can we support them in
terms of professional development and ensure they progress as far as possible? What kind of inservice training can we realistically offer to teachers who are already travelling and teaching most
of the day and how can freelancers do it for themselves? I will look at these questions and offer
some solutions in a fairly hands-on workshop.
Speaker bio:
Robert McLarty has worked in Paris and Oxford as a teacher, trainer and school director. He
currently teaches in Oxford, writes materials, runs teacher-training programmes and edits
Modern English Teacher.
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Session D8 (Forum 15)
Title: The Global Virtual Teams Project: Preparing students for teamwork across cultures, time
and space
Speaker: Rachel Lindner
Presentation type: Conference theme: "Next generation workplace"
Presentation style: Talk (45 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
International organisations are increasingly using so-called Global Virtual Teams (GVTs) as a
potentially cost and time-saving method of bringing together culturally, geographically,
temporally, and functionally dispersed employees for work on collaborative tasks. Although
teamwork of this kind is very pertinent for the Next Generation Workplace, there are few
reported examples of Business Schools preparing students for the communication skills needed
for working in GVTs. In my talk, I outline the rationale, design and practicalities involved in setting
up a GVT project between students of Business and Economics at Paderborn, Brünn and
Ljubljana Universities and provide tips for attendees interested in setting up their own GVT
projects.
Speaker bio:
Rachel has worked as a TESOL teacher and teacher trainer in further and higher education in
Germany for many years. She currently coordinates and teaches English in the Languages for
International Business Studies Department of the University of Paderborn.
Session D9 (Forum 16)
Title: The what, why, who and how of global English
Speaker: Damon Solis
Presentation type: Conference theme: "Next generation workplace"
Presentation style: Talk (45 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
On behalf of: Cornelsen Schulverlag
Summary:
English has undoubtedly established itself as the world's lingua franca and it looks set to stay
there for the foreseeable future. However, with so many people from so many backgrounds using
it on a daily basis, what should we be focusing on when teaching it? In this workshop we'll be
looking at the fundamental concept of Global English, as well as a variety of classroom activities
dedicated to the topic from Cornelsen's Simply Business range of course books.
Speaker bio:
Damon Solis has worked in ELT since 2001. Based in Hamburg, he divides his time between
corporate language training, trainer support and development, material and course concept
development, level assessment and quality assurance. He has experience in the digital learning
environment and is interested in the potential of technology in ELT.
16.00 – 16.30 Coffee break and exhibition
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16.30 – 17.00 Sessions E (30 min)
Session E1 (Ballroom)
Title: Encountering otherness
Speaker: Marina Wikman
Presentation type: Cultural awareness
Presentation style: Talk (30 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
The talk describes a project conducted as part of a crosscultural communication module during
which business students visited and interviewed asylum seekers in the centres in which they
were accommodated. The assignment was to find out about differences in communication and
possible culture shock. On top of the set goals, the project turned out to be an eye-opening and
mind-altering experience for most of the participants. The students’ attitudes and beliefs before
going to the centres, and after having talked to asylum seekers are also described.
Speaker bio:
Marina Wikman works for Satakunta University of Applied Sciences in Finland. She teaches
Business English and Intercultural Communication in English-tuition programmes, the students of
which come from all over the world representing a wide variety of cultures. She has also longterm experience in training people in working life.
Session E2 (Forum 8 – simulcast room)
Title: Teaching English for a more fulfilling career
Speaker: Oksana Hera
Presentation type: Conference theme: "Next generation workplace"
Presentation style: Talk (30 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
Drawing from my experience of teaching English in Lviv (Ukraine), my talk will be based on some
of the most common challenges my learners have to overcome to make their everyday
workplace communication easier and more efficient. I am going to present a set of activities that
my business English learners find helpful, as well as the approaches and techniques I use to
enable my learners to feel more confident and ready to perform better in the fast-changing
international market.
Speaker bio:
Oksana Hera is based in Lviv (Ukraine). She is a CELTA qualified teacher, holding an MA in
Linguistics; IATEFL BESIG member since 2013. She teaches English to adults (general, business
and ESP). Her professional interests lie in materials design, in-company training, learners’ testing
and motivation.
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Session E3 (Forum 9)
Title: What if nobody interrupted in a meeting?
Speaker: Michelle Hunter
Presentation type: Conference theme: "Next generation workplace"
Presentation style: Talk (30 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
Applying the 10 components of a Thinking Environment has been transforming meetings in
companies for two decades. It is the future of how we can work together. Using the same
principles in our teaching practice fuels this move towards improving the quality of everyone’s
thinking – and learning. This talk will introduce the principles behind Transforming Meetings and
discuss how we can teach them to our learners.
Speaker bio:
Michelle has taught Business English since 1999 in and around Stuttgart to pre-service and inservice adult learners. Since achieving a PGC in Business and Personal coaching, she has been
exploring how that learning can be applied to EFL classrooms. She completes her Masters in
Coaching in Education end of 2017.
Session E4 (Forum 10)
Title: More than just English: refining the skills administrative assistants really need
Speaker: Panchali Belde
Presentation type: Business communication
Presentation style: Talk (30 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
How can we help good personal assistants, executive assistants and office managers become
great at what they do? They may need help with finer points of English but this can be developed
while focusing on soft skills, core competencies and intercultural awareness. In this talk, I will
share how I designed a short training course for a group of personal assistants in a law firm. The
participants expected ‘some help with their English’ but gained a lot more from the approaches I
introduced them to. Join me to find out what made this training effective.
Speaker bio:
A practising lawyer in India for six years, Panchali Belde moved to Germany in 2002 where she
started a family and completed her CELTA in 2009. She teaches legal English and runs courses in
skills development for legal professionals. She is interested in English literature, and speaks four
languages.
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Session E5 (Forum 11)
Title: Life on the inside track
Speakers: Dawn Shenton-Schenk and Karen Adam-Bohley
Presentation type: Conference theme: "Next generation workplace"
Presentation style: Talk (30 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
On behalf of: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co, KG, Coburg, an automotive supplier
Summary:
In our capacity as in-house trainers, fully employed by the company, we will give a brief insight
into where the journey of English training at our company began, where we are now and what
the future might hold in store. Our talk will encompass training for our staff in general and for
the younger generation at our company, the apprentices, in particular. During our talk we will
explore the following questions: How can in-house training differ from that of external training
providers? What is special about training apprentices, and how can they be constructively aided
to be successful future communicators and employees?
Speaker bio:
Dawn Shenton-Schenk is an in-house English Trainer at the automotive supplier Brose
Fahrzeugteile in Coburg, Germany. She trains employees’ communication skills in one-on-one
and in group lessons.
Karen Adam-Bohley works for the Training Department of Central Human Resources at the Brose
Group. She is responsible for designing individual programs in foreign language communication
skills for specific functions working in global projects.
Session E6 (Forum 12 – MaWSIG strand)
Title: Designing workplace materials for lower level learners
Speaker: Debbie Barton
Presentation type: Materials writing (MaWSIG strand)
Presentation style: Talk (30 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
On behalf of: marcus evans linguarama
Summary:
Teaching beginner and elementary Business English learners daunts and challenges many
teachers including the more experienced. This session will describe our approach to materials
development for in-service learners who know their jobs but do not have the English they need.
It will look at a needs-based approach and will show how learning strategies and personalisation
are key elements in online and hard copy materials from an early stage of the learners’ language
learning journey.
Speaker bio:
Debbie Barton has thirty plus years’ experience in education and training. She currently writes
teaching, training and online learning resources for Linguarama and is a member of Linguarama’s
internal consultancy team. She is co-author of Delta Publishing’s The Business English Teacher.
Her interests include learning, cultural competence and change management.
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Session E7 (Forum 13 & 14)
Title: Climbing the lattice: teaching Business English in the age of the adult learner
Speaker: Rachael Roberts
Presentation type: Conference theme: "Next generation workplace"
Presentation style: Talk (30 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
On behalf of: Oxford University Press
Summary:
The traditional corporate ladder is vanishing, as people increasingly build careers by taking on
different roles, and acquiring a portfolio of transferable skills. Rather than learning being
something that mainly happens at school and college, the future is likely to be the age of the
adult learner. In this talk, I will look at some of the key principles of andragogy, or adult learning,
and consider how these can be applied to teaching English in the business world. How can we
maximise motivation and engagement, make what we are doing as relevant as possible and
really use the life experience of these kinds of learners? Examples will be taken from the new
OUP course for adults, Navigate.
Speaker bio:
Rachael Roberts has been a teacher and teacher trainer in varied contexts for 25 years, including
teaching Business English. She is also the author of various ELT titles, including IELTS Foundation,
New Total English Intermediate and Navigate B1+ and B2.
Session E8 (Forum 15)
Title: Developing virtual communication skills for international projects
Speaker: Ben Dobbs
Presentation type: Conference theme: "Next generation workplace"
Presentation style: Talk (30 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
Business English is a medium of international communication; this communication may be faceto-face or, increasingly, virtual. Virtual teams are composed of dispersed individuals working
towards a common objective. They are, by definition, connected by technology while being
divided by distance. To work in a virtual team requires a set of competences – linguistic,
paralinguistic, functional, intercultural and interpersonal. This talk will look at how these can be
trained and developed and the importance for the international workplace.
Speaker bio:
Ben Dobbs is an independent international communication trainer, recently working on projects
in the UK, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Russia. He is also an accredited Cert IBET teacher trainer.
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Session E9 (Forum 16)
Title: Teaching Business English over the telephone – outdated practice or wave of the future?
Speaker: Sherri Williams
Presentation type: Conference theme: "Next generation workplace"
Presentation style: Talk (30 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
When I tell new contacts that I teach English over the telephone, it often conjures up images of
fax machines, dial-up modems and other outdated tools. After all, isn’t online teaching with
video chat, interactive whiteboards and flashy graphics the way of the future? In this session,
we’ll explore how going back to the basics with voice-only input can be surprisingly sophisticated
and highly effective for learners, not to mention beneficial for trainers seeking to reduce travel
and prep time.
Speaker bio:
Sherri Williams is a freelance Business English Trainer originally from Massachusetts, USA, now
based in Berlin, Germany. She teaches in-company group courses, private 1-to-1s and telephone
lessons to business professionals across a variety of industries. She is also the current Chair of
ELTABB (English Language Teachers’ Association Berlin-Brandenburg).
17.00 – 17.15 Room change and exhibition
17.15 – 17.45 Sessions F (30 min)
Session F1 (Ballroom)
Title: Stuck in the middle
Speaker: Jasmina Sazdovska
Presentation type: Materials writing
Presentation style: Talk (30 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
This practical workshop will focus on the structure of business presentations. We all know the
basic “tell, tell, tell” format, but often we find that while presenters may be relatively
comfortable outlining and summarising their talks, they somehow lose their way in the middle.
Participants in the workshop will be given several structure templates that they will have to
match with presentation topics. Using these templates can help in training speakers to
successfully navigate the main content of a presentation.
Speaker bio:
Jasmina Sazdovska is a college professor and Academic Area Leader for languages and
management skills at the International Business School in Budapest where she teaches Business
English, Presentation Skills, Meetings, Negotiations and other business communication courses
(email: [email protected]; webpage: jasminasazdovska.weebly.com).
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Session F2 (Forum 8 – simulcast room)
Title: ESP: Becoming a non-expert expert
Speaker: Ben Butler
Presentation type: ESP / Business English
Presentation style: Talk (30 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
On behalf of: The London School of English
Summary:
New or experienced teachers often feel fear when asked to teach or cover a class involving ESP,
professional, business or technical English of which they have little knowledge. This talk will aim
to show that in fact any good teacher can conduct classes on any topic provided their approach
and style follow some simple dos and don’ts. In addition, it will look at how material can be
accessed and adapted to suit a variety of different purposes and how teachers can become
expert facilitators of communication without being subject experts.
Speaker bio:
Ben Butler has over 15 years teaching English experience and works as Courses Manager at The
London School of English. He is Cert TESOL and DELTA qualified and is currently doing the Trinity
DELTM. While teaching he taught a variety of ESP Courses, as well as general English and exams.
Session F3 (Forum 9)
Title: A question of attitude – facing the future with positivity
Speaker: Liz Jolliffe
Presentation type: Conference theme: "Next generation workplace"
Presentation style: Talk (30 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
We’re all noticing that student profiles are changing from hesitant speakers with a B1-B2 level to
a generation of confident speakers who need to polish up their Business English skills. How do
we cope with this change and how do we teach our learners to cope with their bosses’ high
demands? It’s all a question of positive attitude. In this talk, I will examine what attitude actually
is, what could be a benchmark attitude and how we and our students can examine our own
attitudes. It is based on intensive attitude coaching I have conducted at one of my clients.
Speaker bio:
Liz Jolliffe, Chair of ELTAF Frankfurt, is British and has been training Business English for 16 years
in companies and also her cosy kitchen, "Kitchen Coaching" over a hot cuppa. She trained as a
coach seven years ago in order to focus more intensively on her students' individual needs.
www.jolliffe.de.
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Session F4 (Forum 10)
Title: The invincible BE trainer: resilience and self-esteem in action
Speaker: Maribel Ortega
Presentation type: Conference theme: "Next generation workplace"
Presentation style: Talk (30 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
Imagine you are asked to hand in an offer for a BE course, but you are not hired to do the
training. Or maybe you keep being overlooked when applying for teaching jobs even though you
have the experience and qualifications needed, because you are a NNEST. How resilient are you?
Can you bounce back when things don't go as planned? Let's look at the four elements on which
resilience is built, focusing on the importance of confidence and self-esteem to create strategies
for dealing with situations more effectively and keep on moving forward.
Speaker bio:
Maribel Ortega is based in Munich where she works as a freelance in-company trainer and at the
Ludwig Maximilian University.
Session F5 (Forum 11)
Title: Business meetings simulations – the students’ language
Speaker: Mateja Dostal
Presentation type: ESP/BE teaching approaches
Presentation style: Talk (30 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
While business meetings in English are amongst the most essential genres in international
business, it is a question how efficiently students are prepared for them in the Business English
(BE) classroom. The talk will report on the analysis of business meeting simulation data
investigating the use of BE in business meeting simulations at FELU, Slovenia to bring into focus
how patterns of interactions among BE students are structured. The analysis uncovered a range
of communicative competence issues as well as the importance of the awareness of some of the
teaching implications for improving their performance in English business meetings.
Speaker bio:
Mateja Dostal is a lecturer of Business English at the Faculty of Economics, University of Ljubljana
(FELU), Slovenia.
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Session F6 (Forum 12 – MaWSIG strand)
Title: From print to digital: the publisher’s perspective
Speakers: Rachel Daw
Presentation type: Materials writing (MaWSIG strand)
Presentation style: Talk (30 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
How is writing for digital different from writing for print? What kind of differences are often
overlooked by materials writers, designers and even publishers? In this talk, I will try to give an
insight into what publishers look for in good digital materials, as well as shedding some light on
exactly what working in digital publishing means. I will also include a few tips for authors wanting
to get more involved in working on digital projects.
Speaker bio:
Rachel Daw is a Digital Project Manager at Oxford University Press, working on a wide range of
digital products for the Adult ELT market. Prior to joining OUP she taught General and Business
English in Berlin for a year, which is where she first got involved with MaWSIG.
Session F7 (Forum 13 & 14)
Title: Want to get the job? Prepare for a CBI.
Speakers: Akos Gerold and Justine Arena
Presentation type: Conference theme: "Next generation workplace"
Presentation style: Talk (30 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
Do you help clients prepare for job interviews? To get a job nowadays, candidates will most likely
have to do well at a Competency-Based Interview (CBI). These job interviews assess whether a
candidate has what it takes based on past behaviours, which are a more reliable indicator than
the “old school” interview questions. What makes CBIs a challenge is that without proper
preparation it is virtually impossible to do well in them. We will show you how to turn job
announcements and descriptions into CBI questions and how to ensure your clients ace it every
time.
Speaker bio:
Akos Gerold is a business communication consultant dividing his time between Brazil and Europe.
For more information, please visit www.akos-gerold.com. Justine Arena is a business consultant
and a business English trainer. She uses her international business experience to help clients
develop themselves using English as a tool.
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Session F8 (Forum 15)
Title: Things you should be doing when observing real meetings
Speaker: Charles Rei
Presentation type: Conference theme: "Next generation workplace"
Presentation style: Talk (30 minutes)
Audience: Experienced
Summary:
Congratulations! You’ve earned the trust of your client to sit in real meetings to observe and give
feedback. Now what? Well, to start… make sure you find out why you’re invited in the first place.
Next, it’s a good idea to practice your introduction because some people won’t be thrilled you’re
there. This talk will address these items and much more to give you the dos and don’ts of
observation. Bring your questions! We can also shortly discuss what it takes to get this far in a
project and how you can use meeting observation as the springboard for more.
Speaker bio:
Charles Rei is a freelance trainer and coach for communication and English. He works primarily
with international development teams to improve communication. He loves working with
engineers and developers to help them reach their goals.
Session F9 (Forum 16)
Title: Telephoning Live!: One call centre, 6 weeks, 20 learners, 100 calls
Speaker: Louise Bulloch
Presentation type: Conference theme: "Next generation workplace"
Presentation style: Talk (30 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
What to do when a company has a need for training, but the levels and availabilities of the
learners are incompatible? Give the learners what they need! In the space of 6 weeks, 20 call
centre employees received remote, individual targeted telephone training on the phone on how
to handle calls in English. In this talk, trainers will be provided with an organizational framework
and customizable templates to set up similar courses in telephoning, telephone and video
conferencing for learners with specific needs and tight time constraints.
Speaker bio:
Louise Bulloch has been a translator, coach and trainer for general and business English since
1983. A long-term examiner for Cambridge examinations as well as a teacher trainer, she is
Director of Studies at Intercom Language Services GmbH in Hamburg, where she is also a partner.
17.45 – 18.00 Room change and exhibition
18.00 – 19.00 IATEFL BESIG Annual Open Forum (Ballroom) – everyone welcome!
Come along to the Open Forum to find out more about the work of IATEFL BESIG and how the
association can benefit you. Non-members are more than welcome and are encouraged to
attend. Refreshments will be provided.
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SUNDAY 6 NOVEMBER
9.00 Registration opens
9.30 – 10.30 Sessions G (60 min)
Session G1 (Ballroom)
Title: Natives and non-natives: where are we?
Speaker: Ian McMaster
Presentation type: Native and non-native speakers
Presentation style: Talk (60 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
On behalf of: Business Spotlight, Spotlight Verlag
Summary:
Discussions of native and non-native speakers of English — whether learners or teachers — are
highly controversial and often very emotional. These discussions cover many areas, including:
Who communicates with whom internationally? Who are the better communicators? Who are
the better teachers? Is a "native-speaker teacher only" policy a legitimate one for language
schools? Is it a legitimate goal for learners to want to speak like native speakers? What
models/materials should learners be exposed to? What exactly is a native speaker? This talk will
discuss these and other issues, and try to separate facts from opinions. A lively discussion is
expected.
Speaker bio:
Ian McMaster is editor-in-chief of the bi-monthy business communication magazine Business
Spotlight (www.business-spotlight.de). He is a former coordinator of IATEFL-BESIG.
Session G2 (Forum 8 – simulcast room)
Title: Business model teacher: apply a business approach to freelance teaching
Speaker: Justine Arena
Presentation type: Freelance teaching
Presentation style: Workshop (60 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
In this interactive session, the speaker will share some insights that have helped her as a
freelancer. To this end, she will use ideas from business modeling, design thinking and marketing,
encouraging participants to reflect in their own practices. By the end of this session, the
participants will be equipped with some business tools and literature references that will allow
them to re-think and re-design their freelancing practice in order to become a better and more
competitive solo business.
Speaker bio:
Justine Arena is a business consultant and a business English trainer. She uses her international
business experience to help clients to develop themselves using English as a communication tool.
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She lived in Boston for 13 years, where she graduated from Harvard University and worked for
well-known companies.
Session G3 (Forum 9)
Title: The language of leaders
Speaker: Michael Robbs
Presentation type: Language and leadership
Presentation style: Workshop (60 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
In business English we rub shoulders with leaders every day, but does it ever rub off on us? What
exactly is it that makes a leader, anyway? Can those qualities be taught? Can we apply them as
teachers? This practical workshop will unpack the language of leadership, and then go on to
explore how leaders listen, communicate, inspire, collaborate, and persevere. We’ll examine how
we can cultivate these behaviors and then apply them in the classroom, and beyond. Participants
will develop a better understanding of how to teach and apply the principles of leadership, along
with activities to use in class!
Speaker bio:
Michael Robbs has been teaching English for over 20 years. He has an MA in TESL/TEFL and has
co-authored 7 English teaching books. For the past 10 years he has been teacher training and
teaching Business English on-site, on-line, and in-house, with the Hellenic American Union in
Greece.
Session G4 (Forum 10)
Title: Where’s everything going? Where are we going? Business English in a new era
Speaker: Mercedes Viola
Presentation type: Conference theme: "Next generation workplace"
Presentation style: Workshop (60 minutes)
Audience: Experienced
Summary:
We are not living an era of change; we are living a change of era. Power, to a very great extent, is
becoming global and politics remains local. Disruptive innovation is changing our world. There
are no certainties, only questions to be discussed collectively. How are businesses changing?
What is the role of English? What is and what will be our role as business English trainers? In this
workshop, we will discuss these questions, think about this change of era and exchange ideas on
how we see our future.
Speaker bio:
Mercedes holds an MA in TESOL and has been running a language institute for 25 years. She
designs language learning experiences for government-owned organizations, universities and
global companies; designs materials; develops and implements blended language programmes;
and trains new teachers. Mercedes has given talks internationally and she is a TED speaker.
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Session G5 (Forum 11)
Title: Mind mapping for the BE classroom and BE coaching sessions
Speaker: Ron Morrain
Presentation type: Materials writing
Presentation style: Workshop (60 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
This workshop concentrates on mind mapping for the CEFR Levels of B1-B2-C1. Participants will
get an on-hands learning experience for the development of interactive and practical business
related tasks, which also include the integration of technology (via Smartphones) in the learning
process. Concentration is on how to use mind maps in the BE classroom and BE coaching
sessions. Real examples will be looked at for assessment purposes. Participants will leave with
several lessons in-hand to immediately apply within their BE classrooms and BE coaching
sessions.
Speaker bio:
Ron Morrain is co-founder and Director of Studies at the Language Learning Center Duisburg. He
has been active in HRD for over 30 years internationally as a manager and consultant. He is
currently active in the HRD department of the University Duisburg Essen where he is responsible
for staff development programs.
Session G6 (Forum 12 – MaWSIG strand)
Title: How to get started making awesome YouTube video lessons for your students
Speakers: Christina Rebuffet-Broadus
Presentation type: Materials writing (MaWSIG strand)
Presentation style: Talk (60 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
Delight your students with fun videos made by their teacher. (Yes, that’s you! You can do it!)
Let us help you unleash your creativity and reach a wider audience of students and ELT
professionals around the world. We’ll share our secrets for how we shoot and edit videos, plus
dos and don’ts for building a YouTube channel. Get tips on picking equipment, demystifying the
tech, and navigating murky copyright waters. Oh and did we mention video making is a lot of
fun? So come and get inspired with cool ideas. Your students are going to love you for it!
Speaker bio:
Christina is a freelance business trainer who learned that making videos is more fun (and more
effective!) than cold calling when it comes to getting clients. With her YouTube channel Speak
Better, Feel Great TV, she’s on a mission to help French professionals boost their English and
boost their career.
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Session G7 (Forum 13 & 14)
Title: A blended learning course for teaching intercultural competence to university students
Speakers: Judith Mader and Rudi Camerer
Presentation type: Materials writing
Presentation style: Workshop (60 minutes)
Audience: Experienced
On behalf of: Frankfurt School of Finance and Management GmbH and elc-European Language
Competence
Summary:
Intercultural training courses have become a standard feature in higher education today. Yet two
questions remain unanswered in many cases: In view of the great number of theoretical and
practical approaches, what exactly should be the content? “Competence” necessarily includes
practical performance. So how can intercultural communicative competence be trained
practically? This workshop addresses both questions and asks: What are the dis-/advantages of
a) traditional teaching and b) web-based content? Can a pedagogical concept which builds on
blended learning methods provide satisfactory answers? We will discuss our experience with a
blended learning course in intercultural communication for university students.
Speaker bio:
Judith Mader is Head of Languages at the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management and has
published widely. Rudi Camerer directs a consultancy based in Frankfurt & Saarbrücken. Rudi and
Judith co-authored Intercultural Competence in Business English (Cornelsen, 2012).
Session G8 (Forum 15)
Title: The imagined classroom – redesigning for the workplace
Speaker: Roy Bicknell
Presentation type: Conference theme: "Next generation workplace"
Presentation style: Workshop (60 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
We may have to ‘redesign’ the classroom. Workplace diversity now requires a greater alertness
and flexibility of response, which is something learners often feel they lack in real performance.
This two-part workshop aims to address the shift in learning needs. Part one explores how skills
such as speaking and writing can be integrated or extended in classroom activities and improve
‘affordance’ in student learning. Part two explores the didactical implications of developing this
classroom approach. To do this, we’ll focus on two key areas of classroom dynamics which drive
student-teacher interaction: the handling of feedback and the lesson plan.
Speaker bio:
Roy Bicknell lives in Amsterdam where he works as a business English trainer and teacher trainer.
He currently leads the BESIG Editorial Team and is a member of the IATEFL Publications
Committee. Like most educators, Roy is very approachable, so just go and talk to him!
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Session G9 (Forum 16)
Title: Seek first to understand, then to be understood
Speaker: Elena Korol
Presentation type: Conference theme: "Next generation workplace"
Presentation style: Workshop (60 minutes)
Audience: Experienced
Summary:
The aim of this hands-on workshop is to get participants engaged in intercultural communication
while exploring and discussing the issues relating to cultural diversity. I will start with a highlyinteractive STAR story to get participants familiarized with a corporate culture profile of a
Master’s degree Intercultural Communication course designer. After having experienced the
course activities aimed at cultural awareness raising, participants will be encouraged to evaluate
their appropriateness to their teaching contexts. In the end, an opportunity to share and create a
list of resources for developing intercultural competences will be given.
Speaker bio:
Elena Korol is a BE trainer and teacher-trainer at Kyiv national economic university in Ukraine.
She participated in the international E-Teacher Scholarship Program’s Professional Development
Workshop in 2014 (the US) and was the 2015 BESIG Facilitator Scholarship winner. Her areas of
interest are learner autonomy and intercultural communication.
10.30 – 10.45 Room change and exhibition
10.45 – 11.30 Sessions H (45 min)
Session H1 (Ballroom)
Title: What does next generation workplace mean? Staying ahead of our participants
Speakers: Martin Wheeler and Kate Baade
Presentation type: Conference theme: "Next generation workplace"
Presentation style: Workshop (45 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
On behalf of: Target Training GmbH
Summary:
What do we need to do to adapt our training to the demands of the next generation workplace?
One really important step is to develop a very clear idea of what is happening in the wider world
of Training and L&D. In this workshop we will look at key L&D trends for 2016 and beyond. We'll
then carry out an individual audit to assess where you are now, where you need to be, and what
steps you need to take to get there. By the end of the session you'll have a clear idea of what
your next steps are and an action plan to take with you.
Speaker bio:
Martin and Kate have both been working at Target in various management and training roles for
many years. Martin currently manages several of our accounts, while Kate concentrates on
content and staff development.
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Session H2 (Forum 8 – simulcast room)
Title: Leading international projects
Speaker: Bob Dignen
Presentation type: Project management
Presentation style: Talk (45 minutes)
Audience: Experienced
On behalf of: Kogan Page (Management Publisher, UK)
Summary:
International projects, particularly those driving strategic change and innovation, impact on the
lives and careers of business professionals significantly. It is vital that ELT practitioners become
familiar with the dynamics of these project contexts, and knowledgeable about the leadership
solutions applied by project managers. Bob Dignen will give insight into the life of international
projects using case studies co-written with experienced practitioners, taken from his forthcoming
management title, Leading International Projects, published by Kogan Page.
Speaker bio:
Bob Dignen is a director of York Associates. He currently specialises in international team and
leadership training, and international executive coaching. He is an author for Business Spotlight
and of a number of ELT and management publications.
Session H3 (Forum 9)
Title: English360 Challenge: “A day in the life of…” a dolphin trainer? a chicken plucker?
Speakers: Valentina Dodge and Cleve Miller
Presentation type: Materials writing
Presentation style: Talk (45 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
On behalf of: English360 – an open publisher-neutral platform
Summary:
From Dorothy who teaches dolphin trainers at Parc Asterix in France to Katherine who trains
chicken plucking machinery maintenance staff in the Netherlands, the world of business English
language training and materials writing offers a bizarre and never-ending spectrum of niche
contexts. During the IATEFL BESIG (in collaboration with MAWSIG) Munich 2016 event,
English360 are organizing a 36-hour challenge to celebrate this diversity and the creativity of
those working in the “Next Generation’s Workplace”. Come join in!
Speaker bio:
Valentina Dodge is Learning Manager at English360, an open web platform for blended language
learning designed for private language schools, universities, and the corporate market. Cleve
Miller is the Director of English360, has 25 years experience in language training and consulting
in 25 countries and was named a “global expert” by the ASTD. Winner of the 2010 David Riley
Award for Innovation, English360 is used by thousands of educators worldwide, and major
universities and corporate clients on every continent.
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Session H4 (Forum 10)
Title: What else can Business English Trainers do to support their clients with the challenges of
the next generation workplace?
Speaker: Ute Franzen-Waschke
Presentation type: Conference theme: "Next generation workplace"
Presentation style: Talk (45 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
In the first part of this talk I would like to share the findings of my small-scale research project
(WBIS, University of Chester), which focussed on how coaching can help to facilitate
communication and collaboration challenges of multi- and cross-cultural teams in the global
workplace. I used a mix of methods and developed a coaching intervention to support my client
with the above challenge. How Business English Trainers and Material Writers could help learners
to develop the necessary language skills is something I would like to explore together with the
audience in the second part.
Speaker bio:
Ute Franzen-Waschke is founder and owner of Business English & Culture and has delivered
customized in-company communication skills training programs since 2003. Ute holds a PG
Certificate as a Business and Personal Coach of the University of Chester and was awarded her
MA in Coaching and International Business Communication in 2016.
Session H5 (Forum 11)
Title: Did you catch that? Raising awareness of accents and pronunciation variations
Speaker: Kristen Acquaviva
Presentation type: Conference theme: "Next generation workplace"
Presentation style: Workshop (45 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
On behalf of: Cornelsen Verlag
Summary:
Good listening skills in Business English does not just mean being able to understand the
pronunciation of certain native English speaker accents. In an age of virtual meetings and
globalized business, understanding and becoming used to the English of one’s target audience,
whether they come from India, China, or Liverpool, is an essential skill. This hands-on, interactive
workshop first demonstrates the importance of raising learner awareness of different accents
and pronunciation variations, and then provides techniques for helping learners become familiar
with these features through the use of targeted listening activities and films.
Speaker bio:
Kristen Acquaviva is a Business English and ESP trainer, teacher trainer, and materials writer
based in Berlin. She focuses on finding practical solutions to modern classroom issues, such as
the use of learning technologies in corporate training and mixed-level course design.
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Session H6 (Forum 12 – MaWSIG strand)
Title: To write, perchance to dream
Speakers: Mandy Welfare and Dale Coulter
Presentation type: Materials writing (MaWSIG strand)
Presentation style: Workshop (45 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
This presentation looks at the learnings and challenges faced when two fledgling writers take
their first step into the publishing world, including time management, researching the end-user
through the use of various ethnographic methods, and collaboration with a co-author and
editorial team. We will adopt the dual focus of sharing our stories, and YOUR stories, with more
experienced peers while also offering a word of advice for first-time writers, plus opportunities
for hands-on practice with the techniques we refer to. You’ll come away with an insight into how
you could approach your first or even your next writing experience.
Speaker bio:
Mandy Welfare is a Teacher, Teacher Trainer and Writer who has written both print and digital
materials. She’s particularly interested in ESP and authentic materials.
Dale Coulter is a Trainer, Manager and Writer of print and digital business English materials. His
experience is with intensive and extensive courses and workshops for professionals.
Session H7 (Forum 13 & 14)
Title: Moodle, blended learning, online courses for university students – is it worth the hype?
Speaker: Silke Riegler
Presentation type: Online learning
Presentation style: Talk (45 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
A standard at US universities, online learning is slowly making its way into German university
classrooms. The advantages are obvious, but so are the challenges of setting up a program that
benefits students and lecturers alike. In this talk, I will look at the benefits of using Moodle, a free
and open-source learning platform, with university students. Based on my own experience as a
course developer for the Virtual University of Bavaria, I will show examples of my own blended
and online courses, discuss my experience with both formats and share my successes and
challenges during the development and teaching process.
Speaker bio:
Having lived and worked in the US for many years, Silke Riegler is now a university lecturer and
in-company trainer based in Munich. A technophobe only five years ago, she now finds it
impossible to improve her students’ communication and language skills without the use of a
Moodle classroom.
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Session H8 (Forum 15)
Title: What makes a good email? A framework for task creation and writing assessment
Speaker: Mia Aghajari
Presentation type: Conference theme: "Next generation workplace"
Presentation style: Workshop (45 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
In the modern workplace, efficient and effective business writing is one of the most vital skills.
But as teachers, we find it hard to assess writing skills on criteria other than accuracy, and even
harder to create tasks that teach and test other, more communicative, skills. This workshop aims
to provide teachers with a time-saving alternative to the traditional correction approach, using
the CEFR to design simple writing tasks and present a framework for assessing business
correspondence in a valid, yet practical, manner.
Speaker bio:
Mia Aghajari works as a freelance English trainer and materials writer in Cologne. She specialises
in testing and has been a telc examiner since 2009, assessing oral and written skills as well as
writing tasks and test items for tests at levels A2 to C2.
Session H9 (Forum 16)
Title: Whatever happened to the third P?
Speaker: Paul Emmerson
Presentation type: Materials writing
Presentation style: Talk (45 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
In my initial teacher training I was told there were input lessons and output lessons. The first had
the structure PPP (presentation, controlled practice, less controlled practice), and the second
were based around fluency work and tasks. These days things are more flexible, but somewhere
along the way the third P disappeared. It is now conflated, wrongly, with fluency work. In reality
it is a bridge to fluency, mixing the target language with some personalization. This loss has had
negative consequences for teaching, materials and language acquisition. The third P is ripe for a
renaissance in the flipped classroom.
Speaker bio:
Paul works as a writer, website owner, teacher and teacher trainer. He is the author of many
books published by Macmillan (Email English, Business Grammar Builder), and has two websites:
www.PaulEmmerson.com for teachers and www.BEhereBEthere.com for learners.
11.30 – 12.00 Coffee break and exhibition
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12.00 – 12.30 Sessions J (30 min)
Session J1 (Ballroom)
Title: Humour as an essential language skill at the workplace
Speaker: Geoff Tranter
Presentation type: Conference theme: "Next generation workplace"
Presentation style: Talk (30 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
When giving international business presentations or when involved in serious discussions, it is
often useful to be able to incorporate humour in some form. This can help in many ways by
motivating one’s audience or helping to break the ice and it can often contribute to a more
positive atmosphere. Care is required in view of the differences in the sense of humour that
people from different cultural backgrounds, but to have a repertoire of humour skills to be used
when appropriate can prove extremely useful. This session will offer a range of humour-based
teaching activities to promote such skills.
Speaker bio:
Geoff has been involved in all forms of ESP in further, adult and higher education. He has
published materials on the use of humour in English classrooms and has offered a number of
Pecha Kuchas at IATEFL Conferences.
Session J2 (Forum 8 – simulcast room)
Title: A matrix for developing learners' business, language and intercultural skills
Speaker: Helen Strong
Presentation type: Conference theme: "Next generation workplace"
Presentation style: Talk (30 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
The skills that business people need in the modern workplace are becoming ever more
demanding. A knowledge of English is no longer sufficient to be able to function effectively on
the global business stage; people also need good business skills, soft skills and intercultural skills.
But how do we accurately identify which skills to work on and how do we provide opportunities
for our learners to develop them? In this talk I will present an approach for making sense of the
complexity of skills which learners need to develop and give tips on how to integrate several skills
into one task.
Speaker bio:
Helen Strong is a business skills trainer, teacher trainer and materials writer based in the south of
Germany with many years' experience in corporate training. She tutors on the Cert IBET
(Certificate in International Business English Training) for The Consultants-E. Her website is
www.helenstrong.de.
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Session J3 (Forum 9)
Title: Anxiety, reputation and opportunities in business English speaking skills
Speaker: Elizabeth Olivia Sempill Chute
Presentation type: Conference theme: "Next generation workplace"
Presentation style: Talk (30 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
This talk considers teachers' and learners' fears and their real and valid expectations for personal
growth. Moreover, it looks at the costs of ignoring "next generation workplaces". Chute calls for
confidence-building, "personal branding", mindfulness, self-directed learning, leadership skills
and global citizenship to be brought into the BE classroom. Structured interactively in 4 stages,
this talk allows for delegates to reflect on the value of a holistic communicative approach for
Business English SPEAKING classes. Delegates will hear stories which present issues from the
Teachers' and Learners' perspectives and pick up HOW TO tips to use in their Business English
Classrooms.
Speaker bio:
ELTons 2015 New Talent in Writing finalist, Elizabeth Chute’s career spans 30 years’ in TEFL,
Marketing, PR, HR & Training - BA Hons (Italian with French), London l RSA Prep. Cert. TEFL, IH
London l DipM ACIM, Chartered Institute of Marketing l MCIPR Accredited Practitioner, Chartered
Institute of Public Relations.
Session J4 (Forum 10)
Title: Next generation workplace needs next generation learning
Speaker: Kevin Batchelor
Presentation type: Conference theme: "Next generation workplace"
Presentation style: Talk (30 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
On behalf of: Pilgrims
Summary:
The next generation workplace needs next generation learning – learning that is based less on
resources and more on resourcefulness from the learner and the leader of the learning. At
Pilgrims Coaching for Professionals we have already created the Next Generation Learning Space
– a space of freedom to be and the freedom to do. A space where "anything is a possibility". I'll
share our story, our transformation and our extraordinary customer feedback.
Speaker bio:
Kevin Batchelor started life as a ski instructor in the Italian ski school. He started playing the EFL
game in between winters. His passion has always been making the complex simple and providing
learning contexts that go beyond the predictable. He is Programme Orchestrator at Pilgrims.
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Session J5 (Forum 11)
Title: Integrated self-study and in-class use of the Internet with classroom teaching
Speaker: Sylvie Donna
Presentation type: Conference theme: "Next generation workplace"
Presentation style: Talk (30 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
Despite the enormous opportunities for communication offered by the Internet, many teachers
are still not maximising the opportunities for learning and teaching that its use might afford. But
what would a new construction of practice look like? How can we maintain control while also
setting our students free? In this talk I will explain how principles we have hopefully been
applying for decades can easily be applied so as to not only allow but also encourage our
students to explore and enjoy the opportunities available to them in- and outside class, so as to
dramatically improve their English.
Speaker bio:
Author of the CUP title Teach Business English and experienced BE teacher and trainer, Sylvie
Donna now teaches BE on MA courses at Durham University. She also supports lecturers at
Durham University Business School, which gives her an ongoing insight into issues relevant to
communication in the field of business.
Session J6 (Forum 12 – MaWSIG strand)
Title: From writer to editor: developing ESP materials for niche markets
Speaker: Andy Johnson
Presentation type: Materials writing (MaWSIG strand)
Presentation style: Talk (30 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
On behalf of: The London School of English
Summary:
For the past two years I have been responsible for developing a wide range of new and
sometimes quite niche ESP courses for our UK schools and franchise operations. Coming from a
training and materials writing background, I’ve overseen the development and editing of
materials ranging from Medical and Technical English to HR, Insurance and Hospitality. This talk
focusses on the transition from materials writer to Development Manager and the lessons learnt
from working with other writers to produce content. I’ll also give advice to help make the writereditor relationship work for both parties.
Speaker bio:
Andy has been working in teaching and training for the past 13 years, and is responsible for
development within The London School of English and the wider London School group. He has
worked on a range of course materials as well as launching the school’s new online learning
platform.
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Session J7 (Forum 13 & 14)
Title: Establishing new standards for the next generation workplace: observing and developing
teaching in the virtual classroom
Speaker: Darina Phelan
Presentation type: Conference theme: "Next generation workplace"
Presentation style: Talk (30 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
On behalf of: Marcus Evans Linguarama
Summary:
As online tools become part of the landscape of teaching Business English, so too the
development of techniques and criteria for assessing and developing teaching practice in the
online learning world needs to expand. Taking current assessment models (face-to-face and
online), this session describes an ongoing project to adapt these models for use in online
Business English teaching. Fit-for-purpose criteria for assessing and developing online Business
English teaching skills (one's own and others') will be outlined, and the role of practical online
observation tools and approaches in the future of Business English language training will be
explored with audience contributions.
Speaker bio:
Darina Phelan is Group Pedagogical Manager at Linguarama. She works as an (online) teacher,
teacher trainer and materials developer. She also supports Linguarama centres and activity
worldwide in developing and maintaining quality standards in all aspects of the corporate
language training business.
Session J8 (Forum 15)
Title: What we aim to do through business presentations
Speaker: Jasmina Sazdovska
Presentation type: Conference theme: "Next generation workplace"
Presentation style: Talk (30 minutes)
Audience: Experienced
Summary:
This talk will outline the results of theoretical and empirical research into the aims of business
presentations. The research model is based on Speech Act Theory which analyses what we do
with words, e.g. greet, invite, thank, criticise, offer, complain etc. Participants in the talk will be
shown how to analyse the aims of a business presentation and then evaluate how well these
aims are suited to the context. This practical application of the research findings allows
presentation skills trainers to teach their business clients how to tailor their presentations to
achieve their aims more effectively.
Speaker bio:
Jasmina Sazdovska is a college professor and Academic Area Leader for languages and
management skills at the International Business School in Budapest where she teaches Business
English, Presentation Skills, Meetings, Negotiations and other business communication courses
(email: [email protected]; webpage: jasminasazdovska.weebly.com).
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Session J9 (Forum 16)
Title: Linking English progress to the company bonus scheme (case study)
Speaker: Suzanne Vetter-M'Caw
Presentation type: Conference theme: "Next generation workplace"
Presentation style: Talk (30 minutes)
Audience: Experienced
On behalf of: telc
Summary:
Getting busy employees to regularly attend in-company courses is a challenge. Job demands and
deadlines mean that English is not always a top priority. However, sporadic participation is
frustrating for both student and teacher. In this talk I will describe my experience with one
company where employees were given individual goals as to which CEFR level they should reach
by a certain point in time. Fulfilling this goal by passing a telc Business English language test was
then directly linked to the bonus payment. I will talk about the way this influenced student
motivation and the results they achieved.
Speaker bio:
Suzanne Vetter-M’Caw lives near Frankfurt in Germany. After working for an international
company, she became a freelance English trainer in 2004 and now specialises in Business English,
teaching regularly in companies. Apart from being involved in many test development projects,
Suzanne works as materials author for telc – language tests.
12.30 – 12.45 Room change and exhibition
12.45 – 13.15 Sessions K (30 min)
Session K1 (Ballroom)
Title: 10 business speaking activities using visual communication
Speakers: John Hughes and Robert McLarty
Presentation type: Practical classroom activities
Presentation style: Talk (30 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
On behalf of: Pavilion publishing
Summary:
Visual communication is an everyday business tool for presenting and selling new or complex
concepts. That's because images and shapes can illustrate ideas so much more effectively than
words. So why not apply this approach to your Business English lessons? We'll present ten ways
to maximize your students' speaking potential using photographs, Venn diagrams, pyramids,
flowcharts, graphs, infographics, pie charts, organograms, dialogue frameworks, and emoticons.
Speaker bio:
John Hughes and Robert McLarty have worked in Business English for many years as teachers,
trainers and authors. Their latest title is ETpedia Business English, which is a collection of
practical ideas and classroom activities for teachers. They both write for the blog
www.myetpedia.com/elt-blog
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Session K2 (Forum 8 – simulcast room)
Title: Outside of the classroom, who are our Business English students?
Speaker: Christopher Williams
Presentation type: Conference theme: "Next generation workplace"
Presentation style: Talk (30 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
The benefits of understanding Business English (BE) learner’s identity and learner autonomy
offers insights into how these BE learners approach learning on their own, particularly when
using technology. The influential factors of a BE learner’s identity and how their autonomous
behaviours are affected by these identities can offer some answers. The objective of this ongoing
study is on the relationship of the BE learners’ identity and autonomy when the learners are
control of their own learning. Thus far, the study has demonstrated that BE learner’s identity
plays a role in their current autonomous behaviours outside of the classroom.
Speaker bio:
Christopher Williams, M.A., MBA is Pedagogical Manager at Berlitz Deutschland and a research
assistant and PhD student at the Universität Ulm. He has over eight years of Business English
teaching experience and is on Berlitz Germany-wide Work Council. He lectures on human
resources, corporation communication and collaborative learning.
Session K3 (Forum 9)
Title: Empowering students to become better writers of English
Speaker: Bobbi Reiman
Presentation type: Conference theme: "Next generation workplace"
Presentation style: Talk (30 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
On behalf of: Pearson
Summary:
Instructors often find that while students believe they have a solid command of English language,
this is not always the case. In fact, students tend to lack the basic rule of writing in English, which
can ultimately harm them in their future careers in international settings. This 30-minute talk will
highlight the advantages of incorporating Pearson’s MyEnglishLab: Writing into courses for
students of a variety of disciplines. Using a combination of personal teaching experience and
working with MyEnglishLab: Writing, we will explore ways in which to bolster students' writing in
English to hone their skill set for the future.
Speaker bio:
Bobbi Reimann has been a Lecturer for American Studies at the Katholische Universität EichstättIngolstadt since 2006. Prior to that she held teaching positions at Leibnitz Universität Hannover
and Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, where she completed her M.A in Germanic
Studies. She is a former Fulbright, PAD, and Rotary scholarship recipient.
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Session K4 (Forum 10)
Title: Directness, Indirectness, Diplomacy and Politeness: Why It Is So Difficult
Speakers: Ben Dobbs
Presentation type: Conference theme: "Next generation workplace"
Presentation style: Talk (30 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
For building relationships internationally and communicating interculturally, it is necessary for
anyone to manage their level of directness. This is however much more complex than it seems
due to a combination of expectations, context, linguistic variations and complexity, procedures
and communication media. In terms of language, it is much easier for a non-native speaker to be
direct than indirect and this can be problematic. Directness relates inseparably to the issues of
politeness and diplomacy. Here, we will look at these intercultural, linguistic, functional and
interpersonal areas and what action trainers can take to best assist their participants.
Speaker bio:
Ben Dobbs is a business communications trainer and individually accredited Cert IBET teacher
training provider. He frequently delivers training in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, China and Russia.
Session K5 (Forum 11)
Title: 4 simple steps: internet marketing made easy
Speaker: Brod Justice
Presentation type: Practical activities
Presentation style: Talk (30 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
On behalf of: Business-Landing Ltd, www.quantum-websites.com
Summary:
These days, if you are looking to generate more business, you need an online presence. It's easy
when you know how. This practical session demonstrates four simple, low cost or free steps, you
as teachers of Business English can make to market your services online. We discuss business
listings, social media and the value of building your image and presence with your own website,
providing simple tips to save you time and money. The session will give you the confidence and
knowledge to improve your online presence.
Speaker bio:
Brod Justice is a professional digital marketing expert and web developer. His English Teacher
wife convinced him to focus on making digital online marketing understandable and accessible to
non-technical people. He now runs a website company that does just that.
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Session K6 (Forum 12 – MaWSIG strand)
Title: From brief to publication
Speaker: Dagmar Taylor
Presentation type: Materials writing (MaWSIG strand)
Presentation style: Talk (30 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
On behalf of: Ernst Klett Sprachen
Summary:
Searching for the perfect exercise or text for your learners can often be more time-consuming
than writing it yourself. This talk is for teachers interested in writing materials for their own
students or for a wider audience. We’ll look at how to create different types of materials – from
texts and dialogues to grammar explanations and exercises. Author and editor Dagmar Taylor will
lead you through the process pages undergo on their way to publication.
Speaker bio:
Dagmar Taylor is a freelance author, editor, trainer and teacher trainer based near Munich,
Germany. She is co-author of three books in the Klett-Langenscheidt Network Now series and a
regular contributor to Spotlight and Business Spotlight magazines.
Session K7 (Forum 13 & 14)
Title: Developing a mobile vocab app (not just) for students of engineering
Speaker: Christine Sick
Presentation type: Materials writing
Presentation style: Talk (30 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
On behalf of: EUROKEY Software GmbH
Summary:
Based on a survey conducted among more than 500 engineering students at htw saar (University
of Applied Sciences), the "TechnoPlus Englisch VocabApp" was developed to complement a PCbased multimedia language learning program for Technical English and Business English and its
Online Extensions. The app, developed in cooperation with the software company EUROKEY,
does not only cover a number of business and engineering topics but also helps learners to revise
basic general English vocabulary. The underlying app technology can be used by other
institutions to produce their own vocabulary apps to suit the particular needs of their students.
Speaker bio:
Christine Sick is Head of Applied Languages at the School of Engineering of the University of
Applied Sciences (htw saar) in Saarbrücken. Before that, she taught English for many years at
evening schools and also worked for the German National Agency of the EU Programme Lingua,
Actions III/Vb.
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Session K8 (Forum 15)
Title: ESP materials writing: why publishers have failed
Speakers: Patrick Mustu
Presentation type: Materials writing
Presentation style: Talk (30 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
ESP materials need to be aligned not just with the target group, but also with the country they
are used in. Abstract references to the UK and US that do not consider local business settings are
of little use. Language training must be placed in an appropriate context, focus on realistic
content and encompass relevant materials. Taking German consultants in the fields of
accounting, auditing, tax and law as examples, I will demonstrate the shortcomings of current
publications, identify the students’ needs and explore opportunities to meet them.
Speaker bio:
Patrick is a lawyer, language trainer and translator based in Düsseldorf, Germany. He specializes
in legal and financial English and has extensive experience in providing language training to law
and accounting firms. Patrick writes for Germany’s leading magazine for paralegals, and he is the
author of English for Tax Professionals (Cornelsen 2012).
Session K9 (Forum 16)
Title: IGen, Millennials, Gen X and Baby Boomers: Are we ready to take on the generational
challenge of the future workplace in our training?
Speaker: Shanthi Cumaraswamy Streat
Presentation type: Conference theme: "Next generation workplace"
Presentation style: Talk (30 minutes)
Audience: Mixed
Summary:
iGen, Millennials, Gen X, Baby Boomers – four generations in one workplace. How prepared are
today's companies for this generation clash? And are we as BE trainers able to help our clients
deal with it? In this talk, I plan to address these generational challenges and explore with you
what we BE trainers can do to help our clients face these challenges taking into account the
needs of each generation from a Business English perspective.
Speaker bio:
Shanthi Cumaraswamy Streat graduated in Politics and International Studies from the University
of Southampton, UK in 1989. After 20 years in the world of finance in such varied fields as life
assurance, stockbroking, fund management, and wealth management, she re-trained as an
English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Trainer.
13.15 – 14.00 End of conference gathering, raffle (Ballroom)
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