BESIG Webinar: The best teaching resource? Our students?

BESIG's first ever online event was set up to explore and discuss the implications of the current move in Business English towards totally needs-based, learner-focused language training. Four leading business and general English professionals were invited to share their views and discuss with an online audience the demands and benefits of individually tailored language training.

Date & Schedule

This entirely web-based event took place at 14.00 (Berlin time, i.e. UTC/GMT +2 ) on 1 June 2010. The schedule was as follows:

14.00 Lindsay Clandfield: Language learners: resource-full, but not necessarily resourceful!
14.15 Candy van Olst: Demand and Supply – start with the student!
14.30 Ian Badger: Providing business-critical language training
14.45 Luke Meddings: Engaging hard-to-reach learners through conversation
15.00 Panel discussion and Q & A with online audience

Unfortunately, due to technical problems Candy was not able to take part in the event as planned.

Recordings of the event

Recordings of the talks and the panel discusion that followed can be viewed here below, or if you prefer on BESIG's YouTube Channel by clicking here: Webinar. The videos have been uploaded in HD quality which means that for optimum viewing you should select the 720 HD setting (A) and then either a larger viewing screen size (B), or fullscreen (C) - as shown in this screenshot. With these settings you should be able to follow the conversations that were conducted in the conference room text chat window.

Luke Meddings

Luke has been teaching, writing and training in ELT for 23 years. He is a co-founder of the dogme in ELT movement and his first book, “Teaching Unplugged” (co-written with Scott Thornbury) was published in 2009. In 2010 it won a British Council ELT on award for Innovation.

Engaging hard-to-reach learners through conversation
Case studies from unplugged one-to-one teaching.

Part 1

Part 2

Lindsay Clandfield

Lindsay is a teacher, trainer and writer from Canada, now based in Spain. His most recent projects include the blog www.sixthings.net and Macmillan's new course for adults Global.

Language learners: resource-full, but not necessarily resourceful!
Some of the most common word combinations with resource are natural, human, financial, management and use. I will look briefly at how each of these can be interpreted when talking about language learners, with a focus on using learners as resource and learner resource management.

Ian Badger

Ian is a business English author and a trainer/consultant for international companies. He is co-author of the four-level series of course books and self study guides ''English for Business Life', (Heinle Cengage) and editor/author of the 'English for Work' series (Pearson Longman). Ref: www.bmes.co.uk

Providing business-critical language training
Bringing together the expertise and resources of the company, the learner and the trainer to provide effective 'business-critical' language training. Examples from current projects will be presented

Part 1

Part 2

Panel discussion

Members of the audience were invited to ask the panel questions either using the text chat function in the room or using a headset to speak directly to the panel members.

Part 1

Part 2

Venue

The event took place in the new IATEFL online conference room which makes use of Adobe Connect Pro web conferencing technology.

Moderators

The online event was organised by Carl Dowse and was moderated by Mercedes Viola in Uruguay, and by Cornelia Kreis-Meyer and Carl in Germany.

Click here for any further information you may need concerning the event or if you would like to provide feedback or suggestions.

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