Thought-provoking and inspirational: Day 1 at IATEFL 2014

Today was officially the first day of the IATEFL Conference after yesterday's Pre- Conference Events, although, it was my Day 2.
  I made it to 7 talks in total and even made a trip around the exhibition and time to chat to David Crystal at his book signing!
  I first made my way to the MaWSIG (Materials Writing Special Interest Group) SIG day, which started out with a workshop by Fiona MacKenzie and Russell Whitehead on the challenges and solutions that writers face when writing for digital materials. They examined the similarities and differences between writing for print and digital and then it was over to us. We were given a number of activities and had to discuss how they could adapted for digital purposes.
  After the coffee break and a chat to some other delegates, it was time to get some more pronunciation in because I didn't get enough yesterday!!! Ivelis Montilla presented the results of research she conducted on teaching pronunciation in the Simón Bolívar University in Venezuela. She was followed by Lesley Curnick who demonstrated how we can record students in order to raise awareness of their pronunciation strengths and weakness. She demonstrated how with the help of a set of guided tasks, learners can discover their own strengths and weaknesses, and with the help of their teacher, they can improve their oral production. We heard a recording of a learner at the beginning of the course and then, a second recording of the same text taken from the end of the course.      



  Following a quick chat and photo opportunity with David Crystal, it was time for lunch, and then a dash back to MaWSIG for Rachel Roberts' workshop on how to write effective classroom materials. This practical workshop was applicable to both material writers and teachers alike and provided some valuable tips for getting creative but very definite aims and pedagogical benefits.
  It was then time for another quick dash to the far end of the conference centre to catch Lindsay Clandfield and Duncan Foord perform their Survival Guide. And perform they did! This highly entertaining presentation got us all talking and thinking and splitting our sides laughing!
  Next, we were off to the main auditorium for an invigorating workshop on the importance of listening and receptive pronunciation with Paul Seligson. This was full of fascinating facts about language and very practical tips on how we can raise awareness with our learners of the importance of listening and how we can get them to listen more often and more effectively.
  Finally, we took our seats at the IATEFL Jobs Market Signature Event where the panel discussed and debated the need for more training in this digital age to give teachers advantages in the ELT recruitment process. However, it was most definitely highlighted that technology should be used to enhance our lessons, but not over our lessons. We need to be mindful of the focus and outcomes of the lesson while using technology as a means to deliver these objectives. Likewise, we have to be flexible and have to resort to other means as technology is not always reliable.