Plenary session Tuesday 21 April
English language - the coloniser. A black female leader's response
with Patricia Angoy

English is just one language in which we think, learn, ideate and develop egalitarian communities with others. How then do leaders in International Schools honour ancestral heritage and engage with the colonial harms of the past and present? This plenary session will focus on one experience of international school leadership, across three continents; Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe and Africa. 

About Patricia

I am an international educator, philanthropist, activist and writer, born in Georgetown, Guyana during the colonial period. My early academic study was in the UK at the universities of London and Warwick. Later, at Harvard and Johns Hopkins in the USA on their post- graduate programmes, and finally at the University of Exeter where I was awarded my doctoral degree. My thesis (2022) is titled: Decolonising Leadership in International Education – one black life: one perspective. 

I first started teaching in 1979 in the East End of London, then as a volunteer in rural schools in coastal Ecuador before moving to Chile where I worked extensively in British and international schools; at primary, secondary and university levels. My last post was as Head of School at Waterford Kamhlaba UWCSA, from which I retired in December 2022. In the intervening years I have led educational teams in Chile, Togo, Cuba, Ecuador and Luxembourg.

Plenary session Wednesday 22 April
Emergent language: how we see it and what it can be
with Richard Chinn and Danny Norrington-Davies

The term emergent language has firmly embedded itself in ELT discourse since it appeared as a key tenet of Dogme ELT. Emergent language refers to working with the unexpected language needs of learners, but does it mean the same thing to everybody? In this session, we explore how our understanding of emergent language has evolved through conversations with teachers in various contexts, showing that however the term is understood, the learners should always be at the forefront of the conversation. We will focus on the dynamic nature of emergent language and consider its potential in supporting learners’ language development. 

About Richard and Danny

Richard is a teacher educator working between International House London and King’s College London, where he currently contributes to the MA TESOL programme. He has taught English and supported teachers in a wide range of global contexts, including Asia, Central and South America, Europe, and Africa. He is co-author of the ELTons finalist book Working with Emergent Language (Pavilion). His current research focuses on classroom interaction, teacher education, and teacher development.

Danny is a teacher and teacher-trainer working at International House London. He has worked in several countries, and his interests in ELT are emergent language, authenticity, materials design, creativity, and ways of looking at grammar. His first book, ‘Teaching grammar: from rules to reasons’ was published by Pavilion in 2016. He is also the co-author of the book ‘Working with Emergent Language (2023), also by Pavilion. Both books were ELTONs finalists for teaching innovation. When he’s not in a classroom, you can find him on his allotment trying to grow things.

Plenary session on Thursday 23 April
Reimagining language education for peace in our divided world
with Larisa Kasumagić Kafedžić 

This plenary explores the use of peace pedagogies in language education within polarized communities, conflict-ridden global settings, and politically militarized environments. It will explore how political-ideological shifts shape new realities for language classrooms and assert the necessity of prioritizing pre-service and in-service language teacher education in reform efforts towards peace education. The central argument claims that language classrooms must become spaces for (re)humanizing education against political fragmentation, normalization of violence, commercialization of childhood and technocratic approaches to learning and teaching, by ensuring learners gain values required for peace communication and nonviolent conflict transformation through social interactions and engaged transformative learning. The lecture will conclude with specific examples of integrating children’s and young adult literature and arts to effectively teach sensitive issues and controversial topics across diverse levels and cultural settings. 

About Larisa

She holds an MPS in International Development and Education from Cornell University and a Ph.D. in English Language Pedagogy and Intercultural Education from Sarajevo University. Professor Kasumagić- Kafedžić is an associate professor at the University of Sarajevo’s Department of English Language and Literature in the Faculty of Philosophy. For 25 years, she has been active in the field of peace education, language and culture teaching, youth development programs, and the study of nonviolence and intercultural pedagogy. She is the founding president and a member of the Peace Education Hub established at the University of Sarajevo in early 2020. 

Plenary session on Friday 24 April - morning
5 things I wish I’d known when I started teaching
with Laura Patsko

I’m approaching 20 years in ELT and have had quite a ‘squiggly’ career path, moving back and forth between teaching, training, materials development, research, writing, learning experience design… When I pause and reflect on that journey, there are many things I wish I’d known when I was just starting out – about language, about professional development and about the huge diversity of human beings behind the labels ‘teacher’ and ‘learner’. In this plenary, I’ll focus on just a few to share with you! 

About Laura

Laura Patsko is a learning experience designer, consultant, researcher, teacher and trainer. After a BA in Linguistics, she began her ELT career with a CELTA, then a Delta, later becoming a teacher trainer herself and gaining an MA in ELT & Applied Linguistics. She has worked on a wide range of projects in a wide range of contexts, and nowadays has a portfolio career comprising mainly training, research and learning design. She specializes in ILXD (inclusive learning experience design), in teaching/learning in low-resource contexts, and in language learning and communication in diverse cultural and international settings, particularly the pronunciation of English in lingua franca contexts. Outside work, you’ll probably find her doing crafts, hiking up mountains, learning a new language or training her awesome little dog, Hero. 

Plenary session on Friday 24 April - afternoon

Teaching at a turning point
with Rachael Roberts

Language teaching has entered a period of rapid change, as tools, institutions and learner expectations shift around us. Yet the greatest risk to our profession may not come from technology or markets, but from the ongoing and increasing pressures that lead teachers to stay quiet, adapt endlessly, and undervalue their expertise. This plenary examines how these dynamics develop across different contexts, and how greater awareness of our value, impact, and professional judgement can support a future in which language teaching remains respected, sustainable, and deeply human.

About Rachael

Rachael Roberts has worked in English language teaching for more than thirty years, in roles including teacher, teacher trainer, academic manager and materials writer, across a wide range of contexts in the UK and internationally. She has authored a number of ELT courses, and has trained and mentored teachers at different stages of their careers. Today, through Earn Learn Thrive, she runs a coaching and professional development practice supporting freelance and self-employed language teachers and trainers to develop sustainable ways of working and build businesses that honour both their expertise and their learners’ needs.