The International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language (IATEFL) recently held its 56th annual conference and materials exhibition in the charming spa town of Harrogate in Yorkshire, UK. The conference took place from April 15th to 20th and attracted English language teachers from around the world, making it a truly international event.

People come to IATEFL to make new friends, connect with old ones and stay up-to-date with the latest trends in the ELT industry. This year’s plenary speakers included Evan Frendo who spoke of the mismatch between English in the global workplace and the kind of grammar-based English traditionally taught in schools.

Composer and teacher trainer Charles Goodger gave a poster presentation on the effectiveness of the FunSongs Way, his method of teaching children through original action songs.
Schools and teachers interested in using FunSongs action packs can now buy a FunSongs Licence – full details are available here.

Overall, the IATEFL conference was an amazing opportunity to learn about the exciting changes happening in the world of English language teaching as technology continues to evolve. The days of the traditional grammar-based language course with a single textbook and an audio CD are numbered. Attending the IATEFL conference is a great way to stay ahead of the curve!