CONFERENCES / WORKSHOPS / TRAINING

(Please note that the date you can see above is  when I started this blog; I update it regularly!)

For more information and details on short workshops, please check out this page: SHORT WORKSHOPS
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HELTA Hamburg, 18 November 2023

 ‘Presentation coaching: delivering value faster!’

Most clients who ask me for help preparing for a talk lack confidence, and have very specific needs. This workshop looks at three clients – a politician, a university department head, an art historian: respectively, giving a keynote speech; delivering rich content with clarity; handling Q+A. I’ll show how ongoing collaboration and evaluation helped them present with impact and success.

PPT slides: 1 HELTA VIP Presentation Coaching prep PDF
Handout:  Presentations Coaching Handout Appleby 2023 HELTA Hamburg Nov 2023

“The confidence to stand up and talk!”

Many of us – as well as many of our students / clients – have to give formal talks or presentations. This could be to a large audience, or to a small group – or even just to one person to ‘sell’ an idea. Most people find this challenge nerve-wracking! Course materials provide lists of “useful phrases”. However, what I need, and what my students specifically find useful, is how to get started, how to engage an audience, and, not least, how to end effectively … and, en route, ways to keep listeners alert!

This workshop will look at hooks and tools to help speakers not just survive but succeed!

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NYESZE Conference, 2023 May 13

“Why do students often mess up tasks?”

“Content is King”* – or is it? We have access to great materials, we have fantastic ideas and we’re ready for class. But are we really ready? There’s another crucial element for effective lessons.

Do our students know exactly what to do at each stage of the lesson? How do we make that clear? Have we planned it up front? And what does this “planning” mean anyway?

This session will take an interactive look at a few key reminders to help make your lessons go like clockwork!

[*Bill Gates 1995]

Handout: Rachel Appleby NYESZE 2023 Talk on Instructions Handout

Ppt slides: Rachel Appleby Instructions NYESZE 13May2023 PPT

 

 

 

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IATEFL Hungary, Creative Cafe 2022 December 2

Our wonderful Ukrainian Space project – how it works, what it is and what it isn’t, and a showcase from two of our volunteer teachers!

 

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BESIG 2022, Gdańsk, PL, 11-13 November

“The confidence to stand up and talk!”

Many of us – as well as many of our students / clients – have to give formal talks or presentations. This could be to a large audience, or to a small group – or even just to one person to ‘sell’ an idea. Most people find this challenge nerve-wracking!

Course materials provide lists of “useful phrases”. However, what I need, and what my students specifically find useful, is how to get started, how to engage an audience, and, not least, how to end effectively … and, en route, ways to keep listeners alert!

This workshop will look at hooks and tools to help speakers not just survive but succeed!

 

Handout: Presentations Confidence Handout Appleby 2022 BESIG Gdansk
Powerpoint slidesPresentations Confidence PPT Appleby 2022 BESIG Gdansk

 

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NYESZE Conference, 2022 October 19

Online workshop: 3-5pm
“Business English – confidence building for teaching advanced-level students”

Advanced learners generally cope effectively at work. They have a good lexical range in their field, and are either fluent but with some mistakes, or instead may lack their desired fluency. However, very often, they may feel they don’t give a good impression, they tend to lack confidence and they are frustrated.This isn’t helped when, sometimes, we too are not sufficiently confident to support them.
This session will demonstrate strategies intended to challenge and motivate advanced students: activate passive vocabulary, iron out mistakes, promote fluency, demonstrate progress, and ultimately build confidence. In the second part of the workshop, participants will be encouraged to try out some online vocabulary tools to help focus on the words our students need, and promote a degree of autonomy.

 

[Részletek, árak, kedvezmények és jelentkezés: https://nyelviskola.hu/nyesze-akademia]

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IATEFL Hungary, 2022 Oct 8 – Siófok

Plenary session: “Your Instructions: the key to effective learning”
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IATEFL 2022, May 16 – Belfast, UK

1.  BESIG Pre-conference event. Do join us! (10am-4pm)

2. Careers’ fair, May 17 – Exhibition Hall 11.25-11.45, + 60′ Q&A

‘How to teach one:one’ 

Slides: Appleby IATEFL2022 Belfast HOW to 1_1 PDF

This session will look at ‘threes’ in three key areas: strategies to run dynamic one:one classes, ways of responding on- the-spot to changing student needs, and how to provide meaningful and varied language practice during class time. It’ll be suitable for those new to one:one teaching, as well as those with experience.

3. Careers’ fair, May 18 – ICC, Room 3A 12.00-12.45

‘Presentation coaching: delivering value faster!’

(for the Budapest Training Institute – a branch of Euroexam International)

Most clients who ask me for help preparing for a talk lack confidence, and have very specific needs. This workshop looks at three clients – a politician, a university department head, an art historian: respectively, giving a keynote speech; delivering rich content with clarity; handling Q+A. I’ll show how ongoing collaboration and evaluation helped them present with impact and success.

Slides: (coming soon)

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2022 April 9

NYESZE Conference

Presentations: Challenge to success with one:one clients
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2022 March 11-18

EMI Course Japan and East Asia

Online intensive training for university lecturers in Japan and the Far East

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2022 February 22
Online workshop
Presentation skills: Delivering Professionally, with confidence!
Thanks to staff at Frankfurt University’s Foreign Language Centre for the opportunity to run this half-day workshop!
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2021 November 13 
BESIG conference (12-14 November, online)
Presentation Coaching: Delivering Value Faster
Most clients who ask me for help on Presentation Skills lack confidence. At B2/C1, they’re acutely aware of what they can do in L1 but can’t do in English, and each expresses specific needs. 
This workshop looks at 3 clients: a VIP politician, an IT expert, and an art historian: winning over an international crowd; delivering complex content with clarity; handling the Q+A. 
I’ll show how ongoing collaboration and continuous improvement helped them present with impact and success.
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2021 August 26, online – Hungary, Czechia & Slovakia
Very much looking forward to this!
Back to the classroom: Digitally improved?

If there’s one thing we’ve all missed while working from home it’s the personal and face-to-face contact – not only with wider family and friends, but also with our students. It’s been a huge challenge, and has tested everyone’s patience. However, it’s also helped us develop a number of skills! So, what have we learnt? What are we now better at? Besides a steep digital learning curve for many of us, I believe we’ve also developed our resilience and empathy. Our students, too, have had to adapt, and be more autonomous and better organised. This session aims to demonstrate how we can transfer and build on these skills in the classroom. We’ll also look out some of best and easiest tricks and tips to bring our course materials to life, and give our students the best possible learning experience.

More information, & registration, here: https://i.emlfiles4.com/cmpdoc/0/9/5/0/8/files/770862_for-the-love-of-teaching_oxford-secondary-conference_august.pdf?dm_i=1Q6M,7F7EU,HPBOXA,U5EGT,1
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2021 June 19
IATEFL Harrogate / online
Careers Fair, “How to …” session
How to teach one:one, .. followed by a Q&A

This session will look at 3 key areas: strategies to run dynamic one:one classes; ways of responding on-the-spot to changing student needs; and how to provide meaningful and varied language practice during class time.

It’ll be suitable for those new to one:one teaching, as well as those with some experience.

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2021 April 24

NYESZE online conference

“Teaching one:one – approaches & strategies, on- & offline”

This session will look at three key areas of effective one:one teaching:

  • strategies to run dynamic classes
  • ways of responding on-the-spot to ever-changing student needs
  • how to provide meaningful and varied language practice during class time.

In each case, we’ll look at how to hand over responsibility to the student.

.. and thanks to participants for suggesting some online tools for one:one teaching:
Virtual Story Cubes: https://davebirss.com/storydice-creative-story-ideas/ (Pintér Adrienne)
Dixit online version: https://www.dixit-world.com/ (Úrbán Ágnes)
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2021 March 27

“Teaching one:one – online and offline strategies”

Workshops for teachers in Hungary. 
Interactivity will be the order of the day .. come along with your zoom and screen annotation tools at the ready!
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2021 February 20 – Saturday, 9am
IATEFL-Hungary Winter Warmer Conference (Plenary session, online)  
The Big Questions: the Why and the How 

Do you ever stop and think specifically about the type of questions you want ask in class? Do you consider the sort of answer(s) you expect to get, and from whom? Do you also think about how to get the best answer out of students – from all students, or just a specific student? What if we could involve different and more students, and elicit richer answers?

In this session, I’ll be focusing on how we can become more aware of what we do, the role questions play in course materials and exam tasks, and – as a result – how we can fine-tune and sharpen our questioning skills. Ultimately, this leads to better student involvement, engagement and challenge.

Handouts – ways to log and record what you do in class:     Questions Action plan Rachel Appleby 2pp      Questions Tasks Rachel Appleby 2pp

(Thanks to my sponsors!)
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2021 February 10
IATEFL Career Guides Programme (online)  
How to teach one:one

In this session, I will look at three key areas:

– strategies to run dynamic one:one classes
– ways of responding on-the-spot to changing student needs
– how to provide meaningful and varied language practice during class time.

This session is considered suitable for both those who are new to one:one teaching, as well as those with some experience.

For online training in teaching one:one, you’ll find me here too!
The Consultants-e
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2020 November 13-15
BESIG Conference (online)

Building / Advanced-level issues: Addressing fluency & lexis (Saturday 1pm CET)
(interactive online workshop)

Advanced learners generally cope effectively at work. They have a good lexical range in their field and are either fluent but with some mistakes, or instead may lack their desired fluency. So they may feel they don’t give a good impression, they lack confidence and are frustrated.

This session will demonstrate strategies intended to challenge and motivate advanced students: activate passive vocabulary, iron out mistakes, promote fluency, demonstrate progress, and ultimately build confidence.

PPT slides: Rachel Appleby Advanced Level issues confidence building PDF

 

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2020 November 7

NYESZE Conference (online), Budapest
Observations & Reflection: learning from others, learning from yourself!
(interactive online workshop)

Although it might seem easier to teach in the same ol’ way, eventually we’ll get bored. Why not exploit a chat over a coffee with colleagues, and borrow some freshness? This session will: – outline a procedure for maximizing ways of reflecting on your classes effectively, – both with peers, as well as for reflecting alone. Both approaches will liven up your teaching, and make your classes more valuable!
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P.A.R.K. Conference Brno: P.A.R.K. 7 November 2020
Plenary talk (online)
(Sadly, this won’t happen for me this year, thanks to Covid19: Talk postponed)

The Teacher as a ‘Professional Question Maker’

As teachers, we ask 200-300 questions a day, but are we really aware of what each question does, of how we’re asking them, and what happens afterwards?
Questions are key in motivation – from engaging our students in the lesson’s topic to enabling them to personalise and “own” new language. We also use questions to organise students and activities, clarify language, and check understanding. Successful lessons will additionally provide the appropriate level of challenge, involve each student and elicit valuable contributions, and promote autonomy.
What if we could do all this even more effectively in every lesson simply by sharpening our questioning technique?
This session will look at the kinds of questions we ask, and raise awareness of the power questions can have in making learning more effective and involving.

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2020 October Corvinus University, Budapest
“How to get published”: 1-day online workshop (closed group)
Loved working through abstracts and procedures, and getting out the Q1 & Q2 journals with Economics staff and PhD students mid-October! Thanks for all your hard work online!

Stack of books on a wooden library shelf, one of them open on top, multicolored book spines background.

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EFLtalks 4 October 2020
“Five top tips to give you the confidence to stand up and talk”
Very much looking forward to celebrating World Teachers’ Day – as well as EFLtalks’ 5th Birthday!
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(Sadly, this didn’t happen for me this year, thanks to Covid19!)
September 2020
EMI English Medium of Instruction / Academic Teaching Excellence Two British Council training courses (for university staff)
Cluj, Romania, 31 Aug. – 4 Sept.  / 7-11 September, 2020
Various faculty members at HU/RO Babeş-Bolyai University in Cluj, Romania
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MELTA (Munich): Online workshop 20 June 2020

Personalised input: minimum prep & maximum impact

In attempts to tailor BE & ESP courses as closely as possible to clients’ needs, we often find ourselves struggling with a huge range of materials – published course books, websites, and on-/offline documentation, including students’ own work-related sources – not to mention various other goodies we cook up ourselves!

This workshop looks at five sources and ways of exploiting them with minimal preparation, but to maximum effect, ensuring the students’ interests remain at the centre of learning.

Handout: Appleby Personalised input Handout PDF 2
Ppt slides: Appleby Personalised input 20_6_20 PPT PDF

Podcasts we listen to: https://padlet.com/rachelappleby/Bookmarks

[Munich Skyline Silhouette by Marian Voicu  fineartamerica.com]

Business Writing: does it still exist? Approaches and activities, on & offline

Every day, we’re bombarded with short, direct messages, attention-grabbing posts, abbreviations & emojis, and visuals galore – not just from friends, but from colleagues and for work too. Social media contributes increasingly to work-related content.

So, what does this mean for ‘business writing’? What’s required now of our learners, and how can we prepare, motivate and help them in class?

This workshop aims to get you thinking about how you and your students write, and how we can stay on top of the game with clear and concise reader-focused texts. 

Emails “from Prince Charles” https://padlet.com/rachelappleby/dfzcanacle9e

 
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EMI English Medium of Instruction / Academic Teaching Excellence – British Council training (for university staff)

2020 February, Tbilisi, Georgia

LOVED Tbilisi, and had an amazing week with participants – THANK you so much!

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2020 February 23, BESIG online webinar

Business Writing: does it still exist? Approaches and activities, on & offline
Every day, we’re bombarded with short, direct messages, attention-grabbing posts, abbreviations & emojis, and visuals galore – not just from friends, but colleagues and for work too. Social media contributes increasingly to work-related content. So, what does this mean for ‘business writing’? What’s required now of our learners, and how can we prepare, motivate and help them in class? This workshop aims to get you thinking about how you and your students write, and how we can stay on top of the game with clear and concise reader-focused texts.
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2020 February 8, Barcelona #IHBCNELT

Business Writing: does it still exist? Approaches and activities, on & offline

Every day, we’re bombarded with short, direct messages, attention-grabbing posts, abbreviations & emojis, and visuals galore – not just from friends, but from colleagues and for work too. Social media contributes increasingly to work-related content. So, what does this mean for ‘business writing’? What’s required now of our learners, and how can we prepare, motivate and help them in class? 

This workshop, for General & Business English, aims to get you thinking about how you and your students write, and how we can stay on top of the game with clear and concise reader-focused texts.

Great examples of social media texts on Padlet from my fabulous #ihbcnelt Barcelona audience – THANK you!
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2019, November 8: Budapest, IATEFL Creative Café – BESIG Strand
Business Writing does it still exist? 
Very pleased to be sharing the floor, for this Friday afternoon regular slot, with Rita and Anna!

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EMI English Medium of Instruction / Academic Teaching Excellence – British Council training (for university staff)

2019 October, Corvinus University, Budapest

Had an excellent week working with staff at Corvinus University – participants were from a very wide range of departments / faculties, incl. Finance, International Studies, Political Science, Marketing&Media, Health Economics, Social Sciences etc! I LOVED the non-stop sharing of ideas and experience, contributions and enthusiasm – thank you!

 

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Teaching One-to-One
(ONLINE training course)
TheConsultants-e

October 2019
Do you teach one:one? General English, Business English, teens, ESP or EAP students?
Sharpen your skills & strategies, familiarise yourself with a wide range of approaches and techniques, learn how to handle error correction effectively – and much more!
I’ve just run the October course – which was a hugely rewarding online experience.
Check out this video, get in touch with me here, or go directly to TheConsultants-e for more info! https://www.theconsultants-e.com/teaching-one-to-one/
Future Dates
1-20 March 2020
More 2020 dates to be confirmed.
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2019, October 4-5 Budapest: IATEFL Hungary Conference 
Writing – a step-by-step guide to success!

To be successful with teens and young adults, we need to tap into their worlds, yet still ensure we meet their goals, and ours. This session looks at writing as a process, involving individual and collaborative work, to enable students to complete successfully a variety of writing / exam tasks.

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Faculty of Civil Engineering & Architecture
September, 2019
Enjoyed a second trip to Osijek, working on Presentations Skills
Univ. staff at the Faculty of Civil Engineering & Architecture in
Osijek, Croatia … and what a building!
 
Thanks, British Council, for the opportunity!
Success with Presentations; Better Emails; Networking and Relationship building with Success
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EMI English Medium of Instruction / Academic Teaching Excellence – British Council training (for university staff)
Cluj, Romania, 16-20 September, 2019
Had an amazing week with staff from 13-14 different faculties working on the ATE EMI course at HU/RO Babeş-Bolyai University in Cluj, Romania – a first for me training there. Extremely rewarding, and fun!
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EMI English Medium of Instruction / Academic Teaching Excellence – British Council training (for university staff)
Budapest, 2-6 September, 2019

Just had a great week with very engaged and enthusiastic participants at Metropolitan University, Budapest – I learnt all sorts of stuff during the afternoon micro-teaching slots – my favourite part of the course!

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Budapest, 24 August 2019: Oxford Teacher Training Conference 2019
Plenary talk:
“The Teacher as ‘Professional Question Maker’: How to sharpen our questioning skills”

As teachers, we ask 200-300 questions a day, but are we really aware of what each question does, of how we’re asking them, and what happens afterwards?

Questions are key in motivation – from engaging our students in the lesson’s topic to enabling them to personalise and “own” new language. We also use questions to organise students and activities, clarify language, and check understanding. Successful lessons will additionally provide the appropriate level of challenge, involve each student and elicit valuable contributions, and promote autonomy.

What if we could do all this even more effectively in every lesson simply by sharpening our questioning technique?

This session will look at the kinds of questions we ask, and raise awareness of the power questions can have in making learning more effective.

Follow-up materials:
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2019 June ELTAF, Frankfurt
Personalised input: minimum prep & maximum impact

 

When the course book just isn’t enough, and you want to respond more closely to your students’ needs and interests, it’s easy to spend hours surfing the web, or rummaging through other books – or even inventing something yourself. Where does the time go?
This workshop looks at five ways to relate easily to our students. Each idea is quick to implement, and will get your students involved and chatting. Their interests will remain at the centre of learning, and they’ll leave class on a positive note, because we’ve demonstrated an interest in them as individuals!
Good for Business and General English adult learners.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Handout ELTAF Appleby Handout PDF

Powerpoint slides: 2019 ELTAF Appleby Personalized input June 2019 PDF

 

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2019 June ELTABB, Berlin 
Observations, half-day workshop

 

 

 

 

Appleby ELTABB 6_2019 References 2pp PDF

Very much enjoyed working with the ELTABB professionals – what a great group!
For those who attended, materials and resources were made available on a padlet*. If you’d like access to this, please get in touch directly with me, e.g. post a comment here. Thanks!

(* Here, for now…!)

page4image39120

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2019 May Corvinus University, Budapest
Class Interaction: 1-day workshop
Very much enjoyed experimenting with on- and off-line tools with staff at Corvinus this week – and it was an extremely interactive & also productive workshop: congratulations to all participants!
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2019 April 27, NYESZE, Budapest

Writing – Tech & Youth: meeting them both half-way

To be successful with Gen Y-Z learners, we need to tap into their worlds and engage them on their terms, yet still ensure we provide constructive lessons with achievable goals. How?
This session outlines steps on a project which led to individual / collaborative writing – new Social Media accounts – and literally thousands of words on online forums with formal texts.

These were the specific Social Media sites I was talking about (the ones my Corvinus students set up) – do check them out!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gastronationpublicwriting/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PESTiVITY
Edublogs: http://ecopesters.edublogs.org/

   

HandoutNyesze Appleby Writing 2019 Handout-19cpsv4

Powerpoint slidesNyesze Appleby Writing 2019 PPT slides-2fxc17r

 

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2019 April 13, P.A.R.K. Conference, Brno CZ

Personalised input: minimum prep & maximum impact

When the course book just isn’t enough, and you want to respond more closely to your students’ needs and interests, it’s easy to spend hours surfing the web, or rummaging through other books – or even inventing something yourself. Where does the time go?
This workshop looks at five ways to relate easily to our students. Each idea is quick to implement, and will get your students involved and chatting. Their interests will remain at the centre of learning, and they’ll leave class on a positive note, because we’ve demonstrated an interest in them as individuals!
Good for Business and General English adult learners.

HandoutBrno Appleby Handout PDF-2esfnic
Powerpoint slides2019 BRNO Appleby Personalized input Apr2019 PDF-1f13zqu

 

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2019 April, IATEFL Liverpool

Very excited to be back at IATEFL UK this year – it’s a rare treat! #EMI

Resolving the challenges of teaching at tertiary level through English  

Many students now choose to study in English, at home / abroad. This is putting enormous pressure on staff to teach their speciality in English (English as the Medium of Instruction – EMI). Additionally, lectures may be packed with students from different cultural backgrounds, with mixed levels of English and subject knowledge. This session demonstrates strategies to promote tutor confidence and effective learning.

The Liver Building www.tinaleaheydesigns

Handoutrachel appleby iatefl 2019 emi handout 4-191l5er
Powerpoint slidesrachel appleby iatefl 2019 lpool emi -23lfzcn

 

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EMI English Medium of Instruction / Academic Teaching Excellence – British Council training (for university staff)
2019 March, Zagreb University, Faculty of Traffic and Transport:

 

 

 

 

An excellent week with extraordinarily motivated participants. Loved learning about the huge range of transport Croatia looks after – boats, ferries, buses, trams – and traffic light co-ordination for the emergency services. Just my thing!
… and we laughed lots.. – ongoing on whatsapp too! 

 

EMI English Medium of Instruction / Academic Teaching Excellence – British Council training (for university staff)
2019 February, Budapest Metropolitan University:

Loved working with staff on this one-week course. We had a great week – very artsy … music, film, wine, tourism – and plenty of business to keep us on the straight an narrow! 

 

 

 

 

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2019 February 9, Barcelona #IHBCNELT

Personalised input: minimum prep & maximum impact

When the course book just isn’t enough, and you want to respond more closely to your students’ needs and interests, it’s easy to spend hours surfing the web, or rummaging through other books – or even inventing something yourself. Where does the time go?
This workshop looks at five ways to relate easily to our students. Each idea is quick to implement, and will get your students involved and chatting. Their interests will remain at the centre of learning, and they’ll leave class on a positive note, because we’ve demonstrated an interest in them as individuals!
Good for Business and General English adult learners.

Teaser video (a quick preview) – 1′  https://www.dropbox.com/s/sncwqq0w6diob2u/Rachel%20Appleby%20IHBCNELT%202019.MOV?dl=0 

Handout:  Rachel Appleby Handout IHBCNELT Feb2019-129j3b6
Slides:  2019 IHBCN ELT Appleby Personalized input BE strand Feb2019 PDF-1juhmhl

Illustration Of City Skyline Barcelona In Chinese Ink is a piece of digital artwork by Don Kuing
https://fineartamerica.com/featured/illustration-of-city-skyline-barcelona-in-chinese-ink-don-kuing.html 

 

 

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EMI English Medium of Instruction / Academic Teaching Excellence – British Council training (for university staff)

 

2019 January, Corvinus University, Budapest
Very much enjoyed working with staff on this one-week course!

2018, December, Bahrain Polytechnic
Very exciting to have run this ‘first’ ATE / EMI course for Bahrain Polytechnic in December.

Read more in the report on EMI globally here:
https://www.britishcouncil.org/education/ihe/news/english-medium-instruction

 

 

 

 

 

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2018 December, Moscow “Trendy English” conference
Making  Speaking Exam Preparation Authentic and Meaningful 

We get stressed about exams, and often there isn’t a connection between what students are learning, and how they’ll be assessed. In this workshop, we’ll look at practical ideas for seamlessly building exam preparation into everyday lessons. When an exam involves real-life tasks, preparation is easier and classes are more fun!

 

Handoutappleby handout 2pp moscow dec 2018 prep for pdf-1yn7ne9
Powerpoint slidesrachel appleby euroexam washback moscow dec2018 pdf-21r61k0

 

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2018 November 
Corvinus University, Budapest
Networking Skills Workshop

Very much enjoyed working with both staff and students on this one-day course – we even got the chance to network at an event we were all presenting at!

 

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2018 November, BESIG – IASI, Romania 
Personalised input: minimum prep & maximum impact

In attempts to tailor BE & ESP courses as closely as possible to clients’ needs, we often find ourselves struggling with a huge range of materials – published course books, websites, and on-/offline documentation, including students’ own work-related sources – not to mention various other goodies we cook up ourselves!

This workshop looks at five sources and ways of exploiting them with minimal preparation, but to maximum effect, ensuring the students’ interests remain at the centre of learning.

~ live wordle with menti.com – industries our students work in:

(c) Thanks to my lovely audience!

Handout:   appleby handout besig 2018 pdf b-1zfafoz
Powerpoint slides: 2018 besig iasi rachel appleby personalized input pdf-1h2r455

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2018 October, IH Kyiv
Making  Speaking Exam Preparation Authentic and Meaningful

We get stressed about exams, and often there isn’t a connection between what students are learning, and how they’ll be assessed. In this workshop, we’ll look at practical ideas for seamlessly building exam preparation into everyday lessons. When an exam involves real-life tasks, preparation is easier and classes are more fun!

 

HandoutRACHEL APPLEBY Authentic Speaking Exam prep Handout 2pp IH Kyiv PDF-1uu8ngl
Powerpoint slidesRachelAppleby euroexam Washback IH Kiev PPT PDF FINAL B-18mj1qo

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18-19 October 2018
Corvinus University, Budapest
Presentation Skills Workshop

It was to great to work with both staff and students on this two-day course. Many thanks for the experience!

 

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2018, October, Hungary – IATEFL
Making  Speaking Exam Preparation Authentic and Meaningful

Yessss – it worked! Live results from my talk, 6.30pm on 5 Oct, 2018 at IATEFL Hungary:

HandoutAPPLEBY Handout 2pp IATEFL HU pdf-186wg85
Powerpoint slidesRachelAppleby euroexam Washback IATEFL HU PPT PDF-12py75e

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EMI English Medium of Instruction / Academic Teaching Excellence – British Council training (for university staff)

2018, September, Turin, Italy
2018, July, Italy: Turin, and Grugliasco (“outer Turin”)
2018, June, Budapest, Hungary

This is a course I love working on! I’m always inspired by the participants who take such a huge step forward to teach in a second language in an international environment. It’s brave, but immensely exciting, and extremely rewarding.

I’ve been running courses in Central / Eastern Europe on a regular basis for the last three years, and am looking forward to more courses in Budapest – and Eger, I hope, – as well as returning to Italy, Turin ( – city of books & film – and of “The Italian Job” fame) in September.

Read more in the report on EMI globally here:
https://www.britishcouncil.org/education/ihe/news/english-medium-instruction

 

 

 

 

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2018, June 6 – Lille, France

 

 

Making teaching personal – how to bring client-led content into your teaching

Teaching Business English is a chance to learn about our students’ professions. But making connections between real-live, authentic events or experiences and students’ own areas of work also enables us to address their motivation. This session looks at how to make such connections – as well use other ways to address students’ language needs. We’ll focus on a range of on-/offline and traditional sources to ensure our clients’ interests remain at the centre of learning.

Handout:  Appleby Lille 2018 Handout 2pp-1yoz0fd

Handout 2: podcast links Appleby Lille 2018 Podcast links-24ao6t7

PowerpointAppleby OUP Lille Client led teaching-za5ink  

* * *

 

2018, May, ELTA – Belgrade, Serbia 

Making  Speaking Exam Preparation Authentic and Meaningful

Both teachers and students often get stressed about exams and often there isn’t a connection between what students are learning, and how they’re going to be assessed in the exam. In an ideal world, what goes on in the classroom should be useful for relevant, but students’ success and progress should also be tested appropriately. When an exam involves real-life tasks, preparation is much less of a chore for the teacher and, additionally, more fun for the student – leading to a positive washback effect on teaching. In this workshop, we will see some practical ideas for how you can seamlessly build exam preparation into your lessons every day.

Handout: APPLEBY Euroexam Speaking exam prep Handout 2pp ELTA 2018-1h3vc8y

Powerpoint slides: RachelAppleby Euroexam Washback ELTA 2018 PDF-279ocro

 

* * *

 

2018, May, Eger – Hungary
Eszterházy Károly University 

The Confidence to Stand up and Talk: Presentations: 7 Top Tips 

Giving a talk in front of a large audience – or even in front of a small group of your peers – can be daunting, and pretty nerve-wracking!
In my experience, it can be particularly challenging to know how to start, how to engage your audience and keep them involved, and, not least, how to end a presentation effectively, without embarrassingly fading away….
This talk highlights a few tried-and-tested ideas to help you 
not just survive your presentation, but perhaps even do a better job at helping your audience understand and follow you – whether you’re a student, a university lecturer, or conference presenter. (There’s always something we can do better!) 

Handout: Appleby Eger 2018May Presentations Handout 2pp-2553msi
Powerpoint slides: APPLEBY Eger 2018May Presentations-135xgbq

 

* * *

2018, April, NYESZE Conference, Budapest

Authentic connections: Addressing individuals’ motivational and language needs in Business English classes

Teaching Business English is a chance to learn about our students’ professions. But making connections between real-live, authentic events or experiences – yours or others’ – and students’ own areas of work also enables us to address their motivation. This session looks at how to make such connections and include invaluable language and skills work, leading to win:win classes for teacher and student!

Handout (for session)Nyesze 2018 Authentic Connections Handout RachelAppleby-2fzkxok
Handout (extra podcast www. links)Nyesze 2018 Podcasts Blogs RachelAppleby-2jn8ai0

Powerpoint slidesAppleby Authentic Connections ppt-1tij1uv

* * *

 

2018, March, OUP Business English Online Conference

Making teaching personal: how to bring client-led content into your teaching

Here’s the introductory blogpost: https://oupeltglobalblog.com/2018/02/22/making-teaching-personal-bring-client-led-content-teaching/

In my webinar on 16 March, I’ll be looking at how we can incorporate real-life and authentic experiences and events into a course plan in a more structured manner, in order to enhance the learning experience through better engagement and higher motivation.
I hope you’ll join me!

Handout: 2018Mar16 OUP BE conf Appleby Client led teaching Handout-1snnhhu
Powerpoint slides: 
2018Mar16 OUP BE conf Appleby Client led teaching PPSX-1nunm7v

* * *

2017, November, Globus / Budapest
& 2017, October, Katedra
Teaching Business English 1:1 – knowing you can do it!

Although many of us teach one:one, some teachers fight shy of Business English, and ESP one:one in particular: teaching clients whose area of speciality we know little or nothing about can be a worrying prospect, and it can be frustrating working with their materials when we’re unfamiliar with the subject matter.

On the surface it seems somewhat daunting, but in my experience, this sort of teaching has been some of the most rewarding I’ve ever done: it’s fun, exciting and energizing, and I’ve usually learnt at least as much if not more than what I’ve taught.

In this talk, we’ll look at how to get over the initial worries that both client and teacher might have, discuss how to find out what we can expect, and investigate ways of addressing the client’s needs and expectations by focusing on three real examples.

I invite you to take the plunge!

Handout: APPLEBY Nov 2017 OUP Business One-one Globus handout 4pp-2kc9737
Powerpoint slides: Appleby 2017 Nov Globus OUP Business one_one PDF-rv59ux

 

* * *

EMI English Medium of Instruction / Academic Teaching Excellence – British Council training (for university staff)

2017, September and November: Maribor & Ljubljana, Slovenia
2017, June, Budapest, Hungary

This is a course I love working on! I’m always inspired by the participants who take such a huge step forward to teach in a second language in an international environment. It’s brave, but immensely exciting, and extremely rewarding. I’ve been running courses in Central / Eastern Europe on a regular basis, for the last two and a half years.

I hope also to be able to take up offers in the near future to run courses in Latin America – British Council centres in Lima (Peru) and Quito (Ecuador) are just two places where students are flocking to learn at university in English – and they’re just as brave as the tutors who teach them.

Read more in the report on EMI globally here:
https://www.britishcouncil.org/education/ihe/news/english-medium-instruction

 Ljubljana – beautiful, but pretty chilly in November!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

… and Maribor,
a top ‘THE’ (Times Higher Education – ranking) University

 

 

 

* * *

 

2017 October  IATEFL 

THE CONFIDENCE TO STAND UP AND TALK!

In classes in school, we often ask our students to give a presentation on a specific topic. Presentations are also common in business contexts. Yet, regardless of age, many find this challenge nerve-wracking. Course materials provide long lists of “useful phrases”, how to use visuals effectively, how (not) to design powerpoint slides, and so on, but still our students lack the confidence to present themselves and their topic in front of an audience.
What my students specifically need is how to get started, ways of engaging their audience and keeping them involved, and, not least, how to end their presentation effectively, without embarrassingly fading away. In choosing a topic, they need an angle on a talk to ensure audience interest, and a logical structure for organising content. Last, but not least, they need help in delivering a talk in a strong and clear voice.
Participants at this workshop will be involved in how to help their students in these aspects. This will include looking at a range of structures to suit a topic, audience and aims, and being able to choose ideas for implementing with the topics their students choose. Participants will also consider how to help students give direction to a talk, and provide a valuable take-home benefit for their audiences.
This workshop will look at hooks and tools to help our students not just survive their presentations, but succeed!

Handout: Handout Appleby 2017 IATEFL Hungary-rtg34g
Ppt slides: PPT slides IATEFL Hungary 2017-wwwwad

 

* * *

 

2017 June 1-3, ILSB Brno

Improve your surfing skills – or, How to ride the waves of positive washback

Both teachers and students often get stressed about exams and perceive a disconnect between learning and the way that achievement is assessed. In an ideal world, the two stages form a single continuum, where both can potentially affect the other to its advantage. When the exam involves real-life tasks, preparation is much less of a chore for the teacher and, additionally, more fun for the student – hence the beneficial washback effect on teaching. In this workshop, we will see some practical ideas for how you can seamlessly build exam preparation into your lessons every day.

Handout: Appleby euroexam Washback ILSB17 Handout PDF-11v9m61
Slides:  RachelAppleby euroexam Washback Brno FINAL PDF -1zbhdk2

Classroom ideas and activites to help you prepare your students for (these) exams: http://www.euroexam.com/exam-preparation-classroom-activities

* * *

2017 April 22, Budapest NYESZE

QUESTIONS: getting them right!

Handout: NYESZE QUESTIONS getting them right Handout PDF -sxr4b6

Slides: NYESZE QUESTIONS getting them right PPT PDF-2dhi1jj

How can we engage our students effectively? We ask questions throughout our lessons, but for what purpose, and with what results? What sorts of questions are going to get the best answers? And are we really interested in the responses? This is a session on effective questioning, and how the right questions can help you promote a communicative class, yet stay focused on language at the same time.

* * *

 

2017 February 4, Barcelona

Take the fear out of teaching ESP 1:1

“F.E.A.R. has two meanings – Forget Everything And Run, OR, Face Everything And Rise
The choice is yours.” Zig Ziglar

Handout:  Rachel APPLEBY ESP 1_1 Handout PDF FINAL
Slides: ESP one-one Appleby IH Bcn Feb2017 PPT slideshow

 

* * *

2016 December, Budapest

Slides: Christmas 2016 BakerStreet RachelAppleby

Handout (prints 2-to-a-page, back to back):
Christmas 2016 BakerStreet RachelAppleby

 

 

 

* * *

 

2016 November, Moscow & Budapest   questions-postits

Business Result: Keeping up-to-date with clients

A session on effective questioning, and how the right questions can help you promote a communicative class, and stay focused on language at the same time.

Handout: oup-business-result-questions-handout
Slides: oup-business-result-uptodate-with-clients-questions-ppt-slideshow

 

* * *

 

2016 November 9, Moscow

 

 

Writing for Success!

writing-for-success

Why is it so challenging getting our students to write in the classroom? Is it the ‘what’, or the ‘how’? To what extent are the activities we set in class typical of real-life activities? This session looks at how we can help students with real writing tasks that they need for exam purposes, and ways in which we can guide them, and motivate them to really develop their skills.

Handout: euroexams-speaking-moscow-2016nov-communicative-tasks-rachel-appleby-handout
Slides: euroexams-speaking-moscow-2016nov-communicative-tasks-rachel-appleb

&

Getting your students to talk for real!

discussions-2In my experience, being able to speak a language means demonstrating that we can use it, get something done with it, and communicate something meaningful. But to do this, we need to practise a lot. It isn’t enough if we just know what words to use, or if we can see these words on paper.
Most people like to talk about themselves, the things they are interested in, and their immediate environment, or even things which annoy them or they don’t like. They like to compare their ideas and opinions. So if we can provide space for communicative activities and information or ideas exchange in the classroom, then they may have a chance to practise in English!

Handout: euroexams-writing-moscow-2016nov-writing-for-success-rachel-appleby-handout
Slides: euroexams-writing-moscow-2016nov-writing-for-success-rachel-appleby
Webinar/Video (27′) of talk (prepared for Tomsk, RU): https://www.dropbox.com/s/f4ho5ar1j8tpjhb/Tomsk_Low.mp4?dl=0

 

* * *

 

2016 November 5, BESIG, Munich

Teaching ESP one:one   Using one:one methodology to beat the big ‘S’ in ESP

Blurb
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.

Slides: teaching-esp-one_one-appleby-besig-nov2016-munich-slides
Handout:  teaching-esp-one_one-appleby-besig-2016-munich-handout-pdf

 

* * *

2016 April NYESZE / 2016 February IH Barcelona

THE CONFIDENCE TO STAND UP AND TALK!

Blurb
confidence
At school, students are often asked to give a presentation on a specific topic. Presentations are also common in business contexts. Yet, regardless of age, many find this challenge nerve-wracking. Course materials provide long lists of “useful phrases”, how to use visuals effectively, and so on, but still our students lack the confidence to do this well. What my students specifically need is how to get started, engage their audience, keep them involved, and, not least, how to end effectively.
This workshop looks at hooks and tools to help students not just survive but succeed!

This talk is suitable for those who teach business English and/or teenagers.

Slides: The confidence to stand up and talk SLIDES
Handout: The confidence to stand up and talk HANDOUT 1
The confidence to stand up and talk HANDOUT 2

 

2015 November, IATEFL BESIG SITGES

LESS IS MORE: GETTING MORE OUT OF SHORT VIDEOS

Blurb
video
In the ever-expanding world of the tools and tricks for language teaching, any motivated teacher will keep up to date, and draw on all possible resources to help engage students, and expand their horizons in English. However, this often comes at the cost of lengthy preparation, or over-challenging students.

When working with videos, too often I’ve been excited by YouTube clips, only to find that either students can’t cope, or I have to spend hours making the materials accessible.

There is now a wealth of published materials – interviews, mini documentaries – which closely address business students’ needs and interests. This talk will show how we can use these videos not only to focus on language and skills, but also inspire students, relate to real-world issues, and also serve as an invaluable stepping stone. The talk looks at options for exploiting these in both standard, and flipped classroom contexts.

Slides: Less is more Videos IATEFL BESIG Sitges Nov 2015 Slides
Handout: Less is more Videos IATEFL BESIG Sitges Nov 2015 Handout
BESIG conference selections – 2page article: Less is more Getting the most out of short videos BESIG Conference Selections Nov 2015 PDF

 

Associated video blog posts:

2015 February & May      VIDEO blog posts on International Express

Integrating video content in the EFL classroom with International Express – Part 4

Integrating video content in the EFL classroom with International Express – Part 4

Please cycleBased on International Express Upper Intermediate U6 video ‘Please Cycle’

 

 

Integrating video content in the EFL classroom with International Express – Part 2

http://oupeltglobalblog.com/2015/02/25/integrating-video-content-in-the-efl-classroom-with-international-express-part-2/
Based on International Express Pre-Intermediate U10 Selexyz bookshopSelexyz-Dominicanen

 

 

2014 November, OUP Kraków
2015 February, IH Barcelona
2015 October, IATEFL Hungary

TOP-DOWN AND BOTTOM UP: SUCCESS WITH READING AND LISTENING

Blurb
heart bookReading and listening in a second language is difficult – but do our classroom exercises really help our learners? This talk will demonstrate strategies for dealing with any text, including those in exams, to provide useful skills for tomorrow, not just for today! (Based on extracts from OUP’s new six-level series, Navigate)

audioSlides: Top down and Bottom up Success with reading and listening Slides
Handout: Top down and Bottom up Success with reading and listening Handout

 

 

2015 June, IATEFL BESIG Summer Symposium, Budapest – Hungary

TEACHING ESP 1:1 – KNOWING YOU CAN DO IT!

Blurb

Although many of us teach one:one, some teachers fight shy of ESP, and ESP one:one in particular: teaching clients whose area of speciality we know nothing about can be a worrying prospect, and it can be frustrating working with their materials when we’re unfamiliar with the subject matter.

On the surface it seems somewhat daunting, but in my experience, this sort of teaching has been some of the most rewarding I’ve ever done: it’s fun, exciting and energizing, and I’ve usually learnt at least as much if not more than what I’ve taught (for better or for worse!).

This talk looks at how to get over the initial worries that both client and teacher might have, discuss how to find out what we can expect, and investigate ways of addressing the client’s needs and expectations by focusing on three real examples.

I invite you to take the plunge!

Slides: IAETFL BESIG Summer symposium Budapest June 2015 ESP one one Slides
Handout: Appleby BESIG 20June2015 Handout

3 Teaching ESP one:one OUP Adult newsletter post:

http://fdslive.oup.com/www.oup.com/elt/general_content/secure/global/teaching_adults/2015_may/287270_oneoneblogpost3espbecwamends.pdf

 

 

2014 April, IATEFL Harrogate  

ADULT LEARNERS: HELPING THEM CLEAR THE NEXT HURDLE  

Blurb

Modern adult learners characteristically stop and start learning, each time with renewed enthusiasm, yet have busy lives! How can we help them make visible progress?

I have three golden rules to support their motivation which I’ll be demonstrating through activities from OUP’s new International Express. All are based around global lifestyle topics, and address English for social and work purposes.  

Slides: Adult learners Helping them clear the next hurdle SLIDES PDF IATEFL Harrogate April 2014
Handout: Adult learners Helping them clear the next hurdle

Associated Blogpost:

 

http://oupeltglobalblog.com/2014/03/26/iatefl-adult-learners-helping-them-clear-the-next-hurdle/

 

2013 November, BESIG Prague

DOES THE CUSTOMER REALLY KNOW BEST? GETTING THE MOST OUT OF IN-COMPANY TRAINING.

Blurb

What is it that makes in-company training such a challenge? How can we, at the same time, provide what learners want when teaching on-site, as well as meet the needs of the company training manager, when we, as teachers, probably know best anyway?
This session will highlight potential conflicts between these groups, in order to focus on the interests which all three parties share, not least, the learners’ need to communicate effectively in work and social environments.

Based on a survey of teachers, learners and company training managers, focusing on language, content and skills, this session will look at ways to solve this problem: providing nuggets of immediately usable language, strategies for dealing with delicate situations in writing or in person, and the ability to communicate effectively and fluently, without ignoring accuracy. The talk will be based on interesting, motivating and hot-off-the press materials from International Express, 3rd edition!

Slides: Does the customer really know best? BESIG Prague 2013
Handout: Does the customer really know best? BESIG Prague 2013 handout

BESIG conference selections – 2page article: Does the customer really know best BESIG Conference Selections Nov 2013 PDF

See also link to related blogpost and webinar under ‘WEBINAR’ pages

SHORT WORKSHOPS

This is where I keep general information about the workshops I run. These are intended for advanced level speakers of English (C1/C2), and focus predominantly on skills, rather than language.

I have been running a range of training courses for over 20 years throughout Europe, and also in the Middle- and Far East, for International House, the British Council, and also as a freelance trainer. My areas of interest include language, communication skills, and supporting staff already working in a teaching environment (teacher training – e.g. EAP staff at universities; teachers of Business English). I also run online training.

I run the workshops below as a freelancer. They are held in English, face-2-face, and a C1 language level is expected from every participant. Group size ranges from 8-12 participants, and workshops are organised “on demand”; i.e. they are not run for individuals who wish to join, but for a group of professionals at an institution. The workshops vary considerably, and are between 1 and 4 days in length. They can, of course, be tailored to your / your group’s specific needs.

 

PRESENTATION SKILLS / Public Speaking (2-4 days): developing strategies for effective audience engagement, increased confidence in delivering a talk, and a clear organisational structure.

 

NETWORKING SKILLS (1-2 days): focusing on getting the most out of conference attendance (before / during / after), and building an on- and offline personal network.

 

CLASS INTERACTION (1-2 days): promoting student engagement and involvement through off- and online tools and strategies.

 

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: OBSERVATION & REFLECTION (half – 2 days):

We’re often too busy to attend long training courses, or read copious amounts of background theory. Yet having a teaching colleague to discuss ideas with can be invaluable in our own development.
This workshop focuses on two areas: (a) how to set up and run a successful peer observation programme, and/or (b) ways of reflecting and working without someone observing / without having to observe another

class, but with the opportunity of mutual and focused peer support / discussions.

 

(Intended for English for Academic Purposes (EAP) / University contexts)
An Introduction: HOW TO GET PUBLISHED (1- or 2-day workshop) (closed group)
Topics covered include: 
  • Research Topics
  • Research Questions
  • Abstracts
  • Journals: Stylesheets
  • Language / phrases
  • Article Structure
  • Building a Network
  • Procedure for Writing / Submitting

 

* * * * *

 

Facilities / Equipment required for workshops:

To run these workshops with a group face-to-face, the following are needed:
– a good sized room with moveable seating and tables/desks for each participant.
– wifi (or internet connection)
– a computer, projector and speakers
– a whiteboard / flipchart+paper, – and suitable pens.
Facilities available for tea/coffee also … is a good idea!

For online workshops, the following will be needed / used:

Zoom (for the video platform)
Whatsapp (for keeping in touch last minute)
Various online tools for interaction, including Google Docs
All participants should be expected to take part with their webcams switched ON (except for during individual activities and breaks). It is uncomfortable – and therefore a little more difficult – to run an extended workshop without being able to see participants’ faces for at least some of the time. Thank you!

 

Should you, your colleagues – or other professionals you know – be interested in hearing more about these workshops, please get in touch with me: rachelappleby18@gmail.com

I am based in Budapest but travel regularly within the region.

rapple18 

#ELTchat summaries

(Please note that the date you can see above is when I started this blog; I update it regularly!)

 

#ELTchat – a twitter discussion with like-minded colleagues, every Wednesday. Do join! http://eltchat.org/wordpress

 

 

 

2017 March 22 #ELTchat

ENCOURAGING SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING

Participants: @fwalkerbcn @fionaljp @rapple18 @EdTechTV @GlenysHanson @Nafooh1988 @TESOLacademic @faleh_muhammad @Marisa_C  [@SueAnnan in the background; missed, thanks to technology …  @angelos_bollas ]

[Image from www.thegazelle.org/issue/63/opinion/ling-2] 

This week’s topic was an area proposed by @ElleninEdmonton and @Nafooh1988

Preamble … Marisa_C pre-empted and attempted to prevent overlap and repetition with a heads-up on three past chats on the topic (although I’m not sure we succeeded!), posted here

  1. Tips for delegating responsibilities to students – training them for autonomy Transcript (Summary not available)
  1. Learner Autonomy: Is it important? If is it, why is it and how can we promote it (should we?)  Summary 6 February 2013      Two definitions from this post were useful: NikkiFortova  “The way I understand it is the learner’s ability to take responsibility for their learning inside and outside the class”, and elawasell  “Learner Autonomy – being able to study on your own, have a say about the direction of learning, responsibility for own learning”. It was later agreed that age and culture were important implications.
    More in the Summary by Bob Knowles @BobK99
  1. Ways to develop learner autonomy: tips for learning outside class time, Summary: http://eltchat.org/wordpress/summary/ways-to-develop-learner-autonomy-tips-for-learning-outside-class-time-eltchat-summary-26012011/ 26 January 2011      Useful starting points from this summary [edited]:

Main goals:
• Make your students independent of the teacher
• Help the learner to become his/her own mentor
• provide students with learning tools
How autonomy starts in classroom:
• Give them choice
• Show them ways of learning
• Use their interesta
• Talk about it in classroom
More in this Summary by Vladimira Michalkova @vladkaslniecko 

Marisa_C also mentioned up-front recent trends and echoes of this topic in Sugata Mitra’s IATEFL 2014 talk.  Here is the summary of a chat on SOLE, and a discussion after Dr Mitra’s presentation: The Future of Learning – Reflections on Sugata Mitra’s Plenary at IATEFL http://eltchat.org/wordpress/summary/sugata-mitra-and-the-future-of-teaching-an-eltchat-summary-090414/

 

I’m not sure we all had time to read the above summaries, but the evening’s tweet-exchange on Encouraging Self-Directed Learning can be summarised and defined under two key areas: issues to be aware of, and ideas to promote Self-directed Learning.

Issues re. Self-directed learning

  • do they want it? (fionaljp); are they motivated?
  • the relationship between motivation and autonomy (Nafooh1988)
  • do sts value the importance of autonomous learning? (rapple18) – yes.. when they perceive learner autonomy as relate to their life outside the class (Nafooh1988)
  • ways of training learners to do what happens naturally out there on the web (Marisa_C)
  • if they are learning outside the classroom, what are they [we?] doing with the data, and who can we make sense of it (Marisa_C)
  • it’s a gradual process: increasing awareness, changing attitudes, changing roles (Scharle & Szabo http://www.cambridge.org/us/cambridgeenglish/catalog/teacher-training-development-and-research/learner-autonomy/learner-autonomy-a-guide-developing-learner-responsibility-paperback) (Nafooh1988)
  • … and never ends (TESOLacademic)
  • Ts need to create the right environment (fionaljp)
  • sts must be aware of own strengths and be able to make the right choices, hence learner training (Marisa_C)
  • metacognitive awareness: Qs become deeper – e.g. how do I learn best? (Marisa_C)

 

Ideas to encourage and promote Self-directed learning

@Nafooh1988
– begin early, – i.e. get them used to the idea
– involving learners in making decisions about their learning
@GlenysHanson
– weaning them off being spoonfed
– the less I chose & explained subjects the more students did
@fionaljp
– Guide them, show them where they can find suitably challenging self-directed learning material
– collaboration and sharing ideas is key to encourage and maintain autonomy
– give [sts] the tools, encouragement but at some point it’s a choice
– get students to write summaries of texts they have chosen [see summary writing ling below]; then share
@Marisa_C
– a new approach to teaching – called “keep it Mysterious and they will WANT to learn it”
– creating a social network of sorts that they will WANT to belong
– getting them to do stuff in English which they’d otherwise do in L1 – [e.g. online / social media if studying in their own country, or having to go to the corner shop if studying in an English-speaking environment / ESOL]
– Vocab challenge can begin with sets of Quizlet cardsready made; later Ss make their own
– Reading challenge – can begin from a list, but later Ss choose own texts
– (via @ShellTerrell) different colour cards for T to monitor degree of autonomy – great for YLs
@TESOLacademic
– autonomy + edtech is more about language use on social media then apps to practice
– huge potential of gamification (not to be confused with Game-base learning EdTechTV)
– asking ss for evidence of autonomous learning, e.g. a learner diary is one way of encouraging ss
@rapple18
– not only about materials, but now we approach them.
– a case of providing a model and a gradual process for sts to take over
– handling data: Facebook post by @nicolaMeldrum looking for platform for collecting data from students’ self-study: suggestions include GoogleForms, and Slack https://slack.com

A few extra links were included by Marisa_C and fionaljp:

http://linkis.com/myenglishclub.com/xqGVw ENGLISH CLUB: self-motivated adults led by one @tarabenwell – sts long on every day, they talk to one another, they lobg and post anything that strikes their fancy and learning on their own
http://www.controlaltachieve.com/2016/11/docs-blackout.html helping sts write summaries – hard copies, or using Google Docs “Black out”
YLs – How to help your students work independently (colored cards) http://linkis.com/blogspot.gr/2ytmG
Capacity Matrices – to describe, document and monitor our learning (via @jayraguda): https://multiplepathways.info/2013/12/31/capacity-matrices-examples-overview/ – ladders or scales, a tool to support student metacognition

On reflection, I’m not sure we took the topic much further on from previous #ELTchats, except that there were different participants, plus there’s never any harm in being reminded of these issues. I think what I might find useful another time would be to focus on specific areas of independent learning and autonomous tasks, e.g.

a) the WHAT, e.g.

  • student materials (e.g. workbook, ‘supplementary’ materials); especially prepared / set-up stuff (designed/prepared/suggested by the teacher .. or later by students – e.g. Quizlet); miscellaneous stuff – e.g. films, articles, etc. (‘authentic’ materials, suggested by T/St); real-life stuff (e.g. buying bread at the supermarket, going to a film, reading a newspaper/magazine/brochure – in an L2 [probably] environment; online social media in English (use of Facebook, Twitter, blogs. etc); etc.

b) the HOW, i.e.

  • student- or teacher-led; competition/challenge/gamification elements; etc.

c) KEEPING RECORDS, comparing and sharing with other students, etc.

  • When / Where / For how long (activity length) / Outcomes (benefits-pitfalls) / Follow-up suggestions

Perhaps a future #ELTchat could drop in to focus on some of this (but by no means all!) – the more focused the topic, the deeper we can go, and perhaps this would be useful!

Thanks to all for joining in last Wednesday – it was great to be part of the group! (It was another reminder that I don’t do #ELTchat often enough!)

… and don’t forget to read the latest from #ELTchat: http://eltchat.org/wordpress/latest

[Excuse the mix of links and hyperlinks.. having tech problems!)

* * *

 

2016 March 2 #ELTchat

METACOGNITIVE READING STRATEGIES

How can we develop metacognitive awareness of reading strategies in our learners? 

strategies which are transferable from text to text, genre to genre and context to context; and students need reading skills they can use regardless of text type; this then developed towards ensuring students are aware of how they read, and how to approach a text. You can read my summary:

http://eltchat.org/wordpress/summary/how-can-we-develop-metacognitive-awareness-of-reading-strategies-in-our-learners-eltchat-summary-02032016/

Original drawing from http://www.adventuresinliteracyland.com/2014/01/concrete-metacognition.html

 

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2013 October 16 #ELTchat

FREER PRACTICE

Ways of really getting students to use Target Language (vocab, grammar, phrases) in tasks / exercises, and/as a means of showing visible progress (Sp, Wr)

Getting students to talk – really communicate with each other in English in a meaningful way – is always an issue for me for a number of reasons. So I was delighted that this topic was chosen for an #ELTchat discussion.

In the precious hour we had for the chat, I felt we covered a lot of ground, from clarifying what we meant by freer practice, to talking about how we get students to use new language, as well as giving feedback and evaluating students on the way (two different things, it was noted!). You can read my summary:

http://eltchat.org/wordpress/summary/freer-practice-ways-of-getting-ss-to-use-target-language-an-eltchat-summary-16102013/

 

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2012 February 22 #ELTchat

IPA: THE THEORY AND BEYOND. Is knowing the IPA essential? Do you use phonemic script in class? Why or why not?

ELTchat IPADealing with pronunciation in the classroom is one of those things that comes naturally to some, is consciously avoided by others, and is a bit of a bête noir for a few. We know these symbols are also something that many students fight shy of, especially at lower levels, and in particular if they are coming to English from a different script (Cyrillic, Arabic, etc.). So it needs handling with kid gloves. Or does it?

You can read my summary:  http://eltchat.org/wordpress/summary/ipa-the-theory-and-beyond-is-knowing-the-ipa-essential-do-you-use-phonemic-script-in-class-why-or-why-not-eltchat-summary-22022012/

OUP BLOGPOSTS

(Please note that the date you can see above is when I started this blog; I update it regularly!)

 

I’m a relatively regular contributor to two OUP online publications. One is the OUP ELT Global blog, http://oupeltglobalblog.com and the other is the OUP Adults newsletter https://elt.oup.com/feature/global/teaching_adults/?cc=hu&selLanguage=hu

I feel privileged to be able to share a few ideas about teaching on these pages.

 

April 2022:

A podcast interview with Susanne Nally, on Teaching Advanced Learners for  the “ESL Breakroom”.

Have a listen, – and then see a summary of some of the key points in the blogposts below!

*****

 

 

February 2019 OUP Adults Newsletter

Communicating effectively in an international workplace

post

 

MAKING TEACHING PERSONAL: HOW TO BRING CLIENT-LED CONTENT INTO YOUR TEACHING

March 2018

post

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TEACHING ADVANCED LEARNERS – series of 4 posts

Sept 2015 Teaching Advanced Learners Post 1 – Overview

http://i.emlfiles4.com/cmpdoc/4/1/3/6/7/files/317049_oup-blog-post-advanced-learners-post-1.pdf?dm_i=1MVU,3M1BU,KOIJSY,CZBT0,1

 

Oct 2015 Teaching Advanced Learners – Post 2 – Grammar  http://i.emlfiles9.com/cmpdoc/4/1/3/6/7/files/322477_oup-blog-post-advanced-learners-post-2-grammar-b.pdf?dm_t=0,0,0,0,0

 

Nov 2015 Teaching Advanced Learners Post 3 – Vocabulary http://i.emlfiles1.com/cmpdoc/4/1/3/6/7/files/328972_oupblogpostadvancedlearnerspost3vocabb.pdf?dm_i=1MVU,3RB6T,KOIJSY,DJFX0,1

 

 

 

Dec 2015 Teaching Advanced Learners Post 4 – Listening

http://i.emlfiles1.com/cmpdoc/4/1/3/6/7/files/337399_appleby-oup-advanced-blogs-post-4-listening-.pdf?dm_t=0,0,0,0,0

 

 

OUP Bus one-one

TEACHING BUSINESS ONE:ONE

1 Getting started, and getting in the right frame of mind


http://fdslive.oup.com/www.oup.com/elt/general_content/secure/global/teaching_adults/2015_march/275527_one_one-blogpost-1b-eb.pdf

2 Strategies and activities to add dimension to one:one classes

http://fdslive.oup.com/www.oup.com/elt/general_content/secure/global/teaching_adults/2015_april/282895_one_one-blogpost-2-strats-and-acts-ecw-edits.pdf

 

 

3 Teaching ESP one:one

 

http://fdslive.oup.com/www.oup.com/elt/general_content/secure/global/teaching_adults/2015_may/287270_oneoneblogpost

3espbecwamends.pdf

 

Teaching business English one-to-one

Nov 2012 29 November 2012 by Oxford University Press ELT 6 Comments

http://oupeltglobalblog.com/2012/11/29/teaching-business-english-one-to-one/

 

 

 

WEBINARS & one-off LESSON IDEAS

(Please note that the date you can see above is when I started this blog; I update it regularly!)

 

ELT LESSON JAM #4
24 October 2020                                                                                               

My idea: “Google Docs. – pros & cons of using one l-o-n-g Google Doc in breakout rooms”

The idea I presented was based on something I’d tried out (for the first time) in a one-day online workshop. I wanted to know if allowing participants to work in 2s or 3s on their own page(s) with a text, but all on one long Google Doc., would work and be effective.

You can see details of what I did in the workshop, as well as the discussion about and application of the methodology here: (3 pages)  Rachel Appleby Summary of Using 1 long Google Doc in breakout rooms.

(If you’re very short of time…)  My Conclusions:

  • it allowed for choice > learner autonomy
  • participants were able to see what others were writing / highlighting
  • only one link had to be shared, and for the teacher, it makes it very easy to see what’s going on “at a glance”
  • caution would be required if doing this with YLs or Teens
  • although I used this in an EAP context (writing journal article abstracts), it has very wide possible applications – e.g. highlighting / noticing language (collocations / phrasal verbs / narrative tenses); underlining ‘favourite’ expressions, – and much more.

You can read lots more, – and how else you could use this – in the link above.

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ELT LESSON JAM
12 September 2020
A ‘first’ for ELT Lesson Jamming on zoom – about 20 ideas shared!

This is mine:

Source: Ellis, M. and Johnson, C. (1994). Teaching Business English. OUP

A = your student
B-E = the people they communicate with (at home / at work, etc.)

Students should think of the following. They may need 5-10′ thinking time before they speak. You could start by asking them to think about just one person they communicate with, get them talking about that and see how they get on before focusing on language, or letting them continue.

1: WHO: 3-4 people they communicate with for work, e.g. HR, a colleague, a client, a provider, etc.
2: WHAT they communicate about (topics, issues)
3: HOW they communicate (email, messaging, Zoom, in person, etc.)

The activity works at almost all levels, with one:one or groups of students. It helps if you / the teacher demonstrates it first, and then feeds in appropriate language / phrases * for students to use. (This could be pre, during, after the first stage, or afterwards – depending on students’ levels, and whether you want them to use new language or revise language.)

The beauty of this idea is that it requires minimal lesson prep. However, don’t be fooled into thinking the teacher doesn’t need to do anything! Once the students have had a few minutes to think of each issue (1, 2 + 3), then when they’re speaking – to you in a one:one context, or to another student – they are providing you with masses of information – language for you to bear in mind (for on-the-spot correction – if appropriate; for examples of good language use; for language they need which you can focus on later, etc.), as well as a wealth of content – issues which you can bring in later in the course. Finding out what students do (in their lives, at work) can sometimes be difficult, but give them a suitable prompt, and they’re off! This is invaluable information to help you tailor your classes to their needs and interest.

NB: It works well as a Test-Teach-Test activity too: students to the task talking about one person; you then ‘input’ / raise awareness of useful phrases, and then students continue, talking about the other people they communicate with.

 * e.g. (depending on level…)

WHO:
I regularly have meetings with …
My boss calls me on Skype every Monday at 11am.
I phone my accountant at the end of each month.
WHAT ABOUT:
Mostly we have to discuss
It’s my job to provide information about
We’re about to launch a new product, so I’m keeping him updated about
HOW:
We usually speak on the phone, but sometimes set up a Zoom call
I have a face-to-face meeting with her each Tuesday afternoon.
She sends me a message when …

Good with late teens, adults and business students.

Enjoy!
For more examples of Framework materials, there’s a link towards the end of this blog post by Evan Frendo.
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2018, March 16, OUP Business English Online Conference

Making teaching personal: how to bring client-led content into your teaching

Here’s the introductory blogpost: https://oupeltglobalblog.com/2018/02/22/making-teaching-personal-bring-client-led-content-teaching/

In my webinar on 16 March, I looked at how we can incorporate real-life and authentic experiences and events into a course plan in a more structured manner, in order to enhance the learning experience through better engagement and higher motivation.

Handout: 2018Mar16 OUP BE conf Appleby Client led teaching Handout-1snnhhu
Powerpoint slides: 
2018Mar16 OUP BE conf Appleby Client led teaching PPSX-1nunm7v

 

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2016 June

BESIG online symposium 2016

My first attempt at a Pecha Kucha (6’40”).

If you’re a member, you can see a recording on the IATEFL BESIG website besig.org. This was a variation (and abbreviation!) of the talks I gave at NYESZE in Budapest, and IH Barcelona earlier in 2016 (see Conference talks).

THE CONFIDENCE TO STAND UP AND TALK! Seven tips and hooks

give-present

 

A number of WEBINARS, usually accompanied by a blogpost on the OUP ELT Global blog https://oupeltglobalblog.com

 

DISCOVER WHAT’S DIFFERENT ABOUT THE NEW INTERNATIONAL EXPRESS

OUP IX UI 33

http://oupeltglobalblog.com/2013/10/29/discover-whats-different-about-the-new-international-express/

Webinar 6 November 2013 link: …

This post and webinar link to the BESIG Prague conference (November, 2013) – see materials above.

 

TEACHING BUSINESS ENGLISH ONE-TO-ONEOUP Webinar 1_1

http://oupeltglobalblog.com/2012/11/29/teaching-business-english-one-to-one/

Webinar 5 December 2012 link: https://ca-sas.bbcollab.com/site/external/recording/playback/link/meeting.jnlp?suid=M.B1BD9B54B71897E5C43DDFFAC955EA&sid=2011204

 

 

TEACHING SPEAKING FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES

A graduate holding a diploma

https://oupeltglobalblog.com/2012/11/07/teaching-speaking-for-academic-purposes/

“… the challenges of teaching speaking skills in an academic context”

Webinar 21 November 2012 link: https://ca-sas.bbcollab.com/p.jnlp?psid=2012-11-21.0734.M.DB2D783804F69DCB042C513A7861E3.vcr&sid=2011204 (the link at the beginning of the blogpost, end paragraph 1)

PUBLICATIONS

(Please note that – if you can see a date above, it’s when I started this blog; I update it regularly!)

 

Course books and teachers books:

Oxford University Press Business Result 2nd edition, Teacher’s Books: Upper-intermediate (2018);  Pre-intermediate (2017)

    

OUP Navigate, Teacher’s Books: C1 (2016); B1+ (2015)

    

OUP International Express Pre Intermediate, and Upper Intermediate 3rd Edition (2014) – Students’ books, co-author

Macmillan The Business (2009) Advanced – Students’ book, co-author

 

 

 

 

 

 

OUP Business Result Advanced (2009) – Teacher’s book co-author

OUP Business One:one Series (2008, 2007, 2006) – Advanced, Pre-Intermediate, and Intermediate+ levels – Students’ books, co-author

             

Articles

‘Turning the clock back. Looking again at listening’ (Oct. 2015), in Modern English Teacher (MET), Pavilion Publishing

‘Teacher qualifications: does your qualification equip you to teach?’ (April 2014) in Modern English Teacher (MET), Pavilion Publishing

Several review articles published in OUP’s ELTJ (English Language Teaching Journal) (‘00, ‘02, ’04; ‘10, ‘12), the last one reviewing the IATEFL 2010 Harrogate Conference Selections https://academic.oup.com/eltj/article-abstract/66/1/128/394541

Several summary articles of talks I’ve given at IATEFL (UK) conferences in the Conference Selections publications, e.g. Harrogate 2014: