Session descriptions and materials

Saturday plenary
A sessions (Saturday 10.45 - 11.30)
B sessions (Saturday 11.40 - 12.10)
C sessions (Saturday 12.20 - 13.05)
D sessions (Saturday 13.05 - 13.50)
E sessions (Saturday 14.00 - 15.00)
F sessions (Saturday 15.30 - 16.30)
G sessions (Saturday 16.45 - 17.45)
AGM (Saturday 18.00 - 19.00)

H sessions (Sunday 09.00 - 10.00)
J sessions (Sunday 10.30 - 11.30)
K sessions (Sunday 12.00 - 13.00)

Saturday 09.00 - 10.30: Plenary

Business English – Current State and New Directions

This joint plenary brings together three strands of Business English: language teaching, communication skills training and soft skills development. Three practitioners present three different aspects of our evolving discipline.

Gabriele Eilert-Ebke from Henkel will look at language training in a corporate context. As language training manager, she will present the company's view of the language requirements - for managers and for the average employee in a globally operating company with worldwide affiliates. In particular she will address the question of how these requirements can be specified and met.

Evan Frendo will turn his attention to trends in communication skills training. As Business English moved from a focus on language to a concern with communication, the teaching and publishing approach tended to isolate skills such as presentations, telephoning, and negotiating. Though these are clearly important, communication skills can be seen as sharing many features. Evan will look two key areas common to a range of communication skills: identity (how we display to each other who we are), and rapport management (how we use language to improve or disrupt our relationships with other people).

Jeremy Comfort will move Business English beyond language and communication into the domain of soft management skills. He will present the case for making a difference in international competence by concentrating on leadership skills in English. In particular, he will demonstrate a set of competencies for working in virtual teams and show how these can be integrated into classroom training programmes.

Saturday 10.45 - 11.30 Sessions A1 - A10

A01 - Carolyn Walker: Motivating students of Business Management

Type: Talk (On behalf of Garnet Education). Audience Type: mixed. Timing: 45

Summary: What is the best way to motivate students in the language classroom? How can teachers ensure that effective learning continues outside the classroom? This talk will consider some of the key factors in language learning motivation, focusing on students of English for business management. In particular, ideas and materials for the development of the reading ability in the context of business will be presented.

Biodata: Carolyn Walker is a lecturer and an EFL teacher at the University of Exeter, UK, where she is currently a programme director for a pre-master’s course in English and business management. Her academic interests include motivation and self concept in language learning, reading in a foreign language, and English phonology and phonetics.

A02 - Ian McMaster: Teaching English as an international language - what now?

Type: Talk. Audience Type: mixed. Timing: 45

Summary: There has been much discussion in recent years about English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) as an alternative to the traditional native-speaker models. But there is disagreement about what this form of English really is and about whether and how it should be taught. This talk will look at some practical ways forward for trainers and publishers.

Biodata: Ian McMaster is editor-in-chief of Business Spotlight magazine (www.business-spotlight.de) and a qualified business English teacher.

A03 - Matt Firth: ELP needed? Course design in English for Legal Purposes

Type: Talk. Workshop. Type: mixed. Timing: 45

Summary: English is the lingua franca of the international legal community, but what legal English do lawyers need to be able to communicate effectively in international commercial practice? This workshop will consider the various areas of law and associated English language and skills that can contribute to an effective course, drawing on both the presenter’s and participants’ experience of English for Legal Purposes. We will discuss some of the many task and text types available to ensure a motivating and worthwhile course, and produce a model syllabus for trainers of law students and lawyers preparing for work in an international legal environment.

Biodata: Matt is senior lecturer in English for Legal Purposes (ELP) on the Business Law programme at the University of Augsburg, Germany. His research interests include materials development for ELP and blended learning in ESP. He has recently co-authored a series of online tasks in ELP for Cambridge University Press.

A04 - Adrian Pilbeam: Trainer training in the intercultural field

Type: Workshop. Audience Type: mixed. Timing: 45

Summary: Business English trainers often want to incorporate intercultural communication activities into their training. Some may even be called upon to deliver courses with a major intercultural focus. But there is little formal training in this field. Two years ago, LTS in Bath launched a five-day trainer training course to fill this gap. The course has already been run successfully 12 times in Bath and abroad. In this interactive presentation I will describe the main components of the course - 'Developing intercultural training skills' - and demonstrate a range of activities and materials that we use on it.

Biodata: Adrian Pilbeam is the Director of LTS Training and Consulting in Bath. He has been a business English trainer for 25 years; for the last 15 years he has also worked extensively as an intercultural trainer, designing and running intercultural training and trainer training courses for corporate clients worldwide.

A05 - Cynthia Tilden-Machleidt / Anna Nabirukhina: Targeting cultures through target language English

Type: e-learning. Audience Type: mixed. Timing: 45

Summary: Cross-Cultural Contacts is an online intercultural exchange project between the Berlin School of Economics (FHW) and the St. Petersburg State University of Economics and Finance. In this project we involve our students in cultural e-learning by means of our ILIAS platform. Whereas many exchange programmes work with two target languages, we address the more typical business situation: two cultural/regional groups are confronted not only by the challenges of each other’s cultures, but by English as a foreign language as well. For about 18 months we have been preparing activities and exercises to increase cultural awareness and facilitate resolution strategies arising from cultural conflicts. Throughout the fall semester 2005 we implemented storytelling and scenario cases to identify cultural stereotyping. Since then we have created open spaces for free dialogue in conferences and between individual students. Our exchange project will be continued in September 2006. In our presentation we would like to offer a general progress report of this project. We’ll include ideas about methods we have had in the last year and some tips on how to use the ILIAS open source platform.

Biodata: Prof. Dr. Anna Nabirukhina: Head of the English Language Department at the St. Petersburg State University of Economics and Finance, Foreign Language Institute; spent a year (1998-99) in the U.S. at Kansas University (KU), where she was involved in intercultural learning and diversity; conducted a 2-year e-mail cultural exchange project with the London School of Economics.

Cynthia Tilden-Machleidt, M.A.: Lecturer/coordinator of Business
English at the Berlin School of Economics (FHW); conducts cross-cultural training in businesses and higher education; VLE cultural exchange(German-English) with Monika Totten at M.I.T. in 1999-2000.

A06 - Cancelled

A07 - Dr Blanka Frydrychova Klimova: Motivation for Learning Business English

Type: Talk Audience type: mixed Timing: 45

Summary: What makes students enthusiastic enough to learn Business English? The conference talk will introduce several motivation incentives for learning Business English at the Faculty of Informatics and Management of the University of Hradec Králové in the Czech Republic. Both the students’ motivation factors and teacher’s assumptions will be discussed in detail in the talk. Moreover, participants will be also introduced to a few parts of the course which is taught as a blended course. That means students are exposed not only to the traditional face-to-face tuition but also to e-learning teaching. Finally, advantages and disadvantages of the blended learning will be mentioned.

Biodata: PhDr. Blanka Frydrychová Klímová, M.A., Ph.D. teaches at the Faculty of Informatics and Management of the University of Hradec Králové. Her main field of interest is teaching business English. In addition, she runs courses in culture and history of Great Britain and the USA. Her main subject of interest at the moment is an analysis on formal written English. She is happily married and has a son, who keeps all the members of the family permanently busy.

A08 - Deborah Capras / Meg Engelmann / Carol Scheunemann: Podcasting: an innovative way to brush up your business English!

Type: Materials (On behalf of Spotlight Verlag). Audience type: mixed. Timing: 45

Summary: The potential benefits of podcasting for students of English can be huge. Podcasting can be a motivating, fun and an innovative way to learn business English. But where to start? Finding, not to mention creating, pedagogically sound podcasts is a time-consuming and, more often than not, frustrating affair. This session will provide an overview of podcasts in business English teaching. In particular, we will look at the podcasts produced by Business Spotlight and discuss ways to integrate them in your classroom and blended learning instruction. We’ll provide practical ideas for the busy business English teacher and student.

Biodata: Deborah Capras is Content Manager for Business Spotlight Online. She is a qualified business English trainer and experienced teacher trainer. Meg Engelmann is the author of the trainers’ supplement Business Spotlight in the classroom. She is also a qualified business English trainer and experienced teacher trainer. Carol Scheunemann is an editor at Business Spotlight magazine and is responsible for its audio products. She is an experienced business English trainer.

A09 - Luigi Cosenza: Teaching Brain-to-Brain for Business (B2B4B)

Type: Workshop. Audience Type: mixed. Timing: 45

Summary: “Homo Sapiens adult brain urgently seeks help in building competence in the use of English for business purposes. First and foremost, the required teacher(s) will need to have a grasp of brains and adult language learning but, ideally, will also have expertise in intercultural communication, experience in the business world and an ability to blend the delivery.” A rather tall order for one person - so let’s join forces in a workshop to start scratching the surface from the brain’s point of view!

Biodata: Luigi Cosenza BA, FIA, DipTEFLA, MA(TESOL) worked in the business world as an actuary before making the transition to teaching. In addition to designing and delivering Financial English and business English courses, he is also involved in teacher training, teacher education and language project consulting. His business, Cosenza Learning Continuum, services corporate and academic clients in Germany, Italy and the UK.

A10 - Dilys Parkinson: Specialist dictionaries: cinderellas or fairy godmothers?

Type: Materials (On behalf of Oxford University Press). Audience Type: mixed. Timing: 45

Summary: Do you and your students or clients use specialist dictionaries? Are they just used for simple chores (checking meanings or pronunciation) and then ignored? In this talk we look at the different types of specialist dictionaries available – native speaker, bilingual and monolingual - and consider the pros and cons of each. Then we take a closer look at the monolingual specialist learners' dictionaries, a much underrated resource. With a wave of the magic wand, we see how their use can enhance any learning situation and increase the knowledge and confidence of people using English in their working lives.

Biodata: Dilys Parkinson is a Senior Editor in the ELT Dictionaries Department at OUP. After a lifetime of teaching, including ESP and EAP in a variety of contexts, she joined OUP and has worked on a range of learners' dictionaries, most recently developing and editing the new Oxford Business English Dictionary.

Saturday 11.40 – 12.10 Sessions B1 - B9

B01 - Songphorn Tajaroensuk: Business English for the Automotive Workplace in Thailand

Type: Talk. Audience Type: mixed. Timing: 30

Summary: In a rush to become the ‘Detroit of Asia’, a needs analysis project is launch to upgrade the proficiency of English among the automotive personnel. In the survey of needs analysis in 3 types of workplaces: the European/American- owned, the Japanese-owned, and the Thai-owned, English has become the ‘lingua franca’ of the industry even in Japanese companies. The English needed is surprisingly not the technical English or EST but Business English. Findings from this research will be used to develop the core curriculum and benchmarks for English for the automotive workplace.

Biodata: Songphorn Tajaroensuk is associate professor at the School of English, Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand. She is actively involved in the Ph.D Program in English Language Studies, which is the first in Thailand.

B02 - Eric Baber: Using Internet Conferencing for Business English Teaching

Type: e-learning. Audience Type: mixed. Timing: 30

Materials available: PowerPoint presentation

Summary: This presentation (which will itself be given via Internet conferencing from Cambridge, UK) will demonstrate how Internet conferencing tools such as Skype or Microsoft NetMeeting can be used for live, online Business English teaching. It will discuss teaching one-to-one and small groups; creating and using language exercises collaboratively; the sharing of work-related documents and files between the client and the trainer; and the challenges of dealing with students in different time zones. The audience in Milan will, of course, be able to see, hear, and interact with the speaker who will be giving the presentation from the UK.

Biodata: Eric Baber is director of NetLearn Languages, an online-only language school, and a freelance e-learning consultant. He is online course designer for Royal Holloway University of London and tutor for the Institute of Education. He has recently published the book "Teaching English with Information Technology", Modern English Publishing 2005.

B03 - Gozde Yirmibesoglu: LEARNING ENGLISH AND THE MARKET

Type: Talk. Audience Type: mixed. Timing: 30

Summary: The world economy is becoming more competitive, more global and increasingly dominated by information and communication technology. Thus, the issue of a common language plays the primary role within the globalization process of the market. The individual of this century needs to learn English in order to find a reliable job and lead a financially secure life. This study identifies the attitudes of university students towards the link between the business world and the globally used language, English. By exploring the departmental and the regional differences and investigating the approach of the students based on their gender and family background, it aiat finding out the motives of the university students at Basic English Department in Turkey while making their preferences to enter the university.

Biodata: I am an instructor at the Basic English Department at the Middle East Technical University. I have been teaching English since 1994. Moreover, I am a Ph.D student at the same university. My dissertation is completed and I am going to have my degree pretty soon. I presented papers before at international conferences in Rome, Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

B04 - Azra Ahmed: Weblogs: A tool for language enrichment in the teaching/learning of Business English?

Type: Talk Audience Type: mixed Timing: 30

Summary: Weblogs have multi-disciplinary applications in education. They can be used for content delivery, knowledge sharing, bonding, and doing collaborative work. Faculty use blogs to promote dialogue, and support teaching and learning; students use them for personal expression and at times as a course requirement. This presentation explores the potential of blogs as learning spaces for students in an ESP setting. It refers to literature on the subject, describes how blogs have been used for the teaching/learning of Business English at the Aga Khan University, Karachi. The paper concludes that blogging has the potential of being a dynamic tool for educators.

Biodata: Azra Ahmed, a Senior Instructor at the Aga Khan University Centre of English Language, has an M TEFL (Allama Iqbal Open University), a Diploma in Tourism Management (Schloss Kleisheim- Salzburg), an RSA COTE (Cambridge, UK) and an Online Education and Training [language] (Institute of Education, University of London).

B05 - Sandra Wagner: How to set up a writing skills programme

Type: Talk Audience Type: mixed Timing: 30

Summary: After heading a writing skills programme at a UN agency for over three years, I would like to present the programme as a model for coaching in professional writing that could be set up in a company or organization, either by a freelance trainer or by a language school. I will present the basic concept of the programme, explain how it works and highlight aspects that make it effective.

Biodata: Sandy Wagner is a freelance English teacher. At the moment she works mainly as the writing skills consultant at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Bonn and as a guest lecturer for Business English at the University of Applied Sciences in Sankt Augustin. She has been teaching EFL since 1980 and Business English since 1997

B06 - Rob Anderson: Knowing other cultures: a necessary tool for international business communication

Type: Talk Audience Type: mixed Timing: 30

Summary: Social interaction relies on attributed meaning and intended meaning coinciding. We can’t understand why individuals and organisations act as they do without considering the meanings they attribute to their relationships and environment. The essence of culture is the shared way groups of people understand the world. This talk aims to look at how two cultures, Italy and Britain, view the world in often different ways and how the two cultures aim to resolve problems of relationships and the environment diversely. The talk will propose the need for a systematic awareness of cultural differences in a global business environment and that 'understanding states of mind', our own and consequently other people’s, is essential for effective cross-cultural communication.

Biodata: I have worked as teacher/teacher trainer in Portugal, the UK and Italy. Was Senior Language Expert in China in 1994-5. Now a 'ricercatore' doing research into discourse analysis in the field of economics.

B07 - Simona Mitocaru: What Does Business Communication Really Mean for Pre-Experience Learners?

Type: Talk. Audience Type: mixed Timing: 30

Summary: The paper is a case study of the impact that Business communication has on pre-experience learners, this time undergraduate students in Economics. Most of the times, students do not know what to expect from this course, and this renders the trainer’s task to motivate them very difficult.

Biodata: Simona Mitocaru is an assistant lecturer at the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, "Al. I. Cuza" University, Iasi, Romania.

B08 – Dr Olga Karpova / Dr Konstantin Averboukh: Teaching English Business Terms in Russian Classroom

Type: Talk. Audience Type: inexperienced Timing: 30

Summary: Mastering English business terms in Russian classroom in the situation of global communication is a very burning problem for specialists teaching Business English in the world. The presentation contains ideas of using special texts and LSP dictionaries for the teaching process with special reference to new business English vocabulary textbooks based on electronic corpora. The problem of borrowings is being discussed with regard to Russian language and other Eastern European languages. Proposal of compiling glossaries and indices of new BE teris given based on the results of Russian users' sociological survey. Analysis of users’ perspective in English LSP business dictionaries and users' needs/demands will be discussed.

Biodata: Olga Karpova, professor, Doctor, Head of English Philology, Department, Ivanovo State University, Russia. Has more than 2000 published papers in Russia, UK, Finland, Norway, etc. Among them - 7 books on English Modern Dictionaries, LSP dictionaries and authors reference works. Member of European Association of Lexicography, Head of lexicology and Lexicography Section of Russian Applied Linguistics Association. Konstantin Averboukh, Doctor, Professor of Moscow State Social University. He is the author of 150 works and 3 books on terminology and terminography.

B09 - Chongrak Liangpanit: Designing the Business English Curriculum for Thai Undergraduates

Type: Talk. Audience Type: mixed Timing: 30

Summary: Urged by the global international business trends, Khon Kaen University commissioned a needs analysis project to prepare for the launching of the first Business English Program of its kind for Thailand. Data were gathered from different sources, namely, pre-university students, graduate students majoring in English, personnel in the business sector as well as the government sector. The results are used as a basis for designing the curriculum to produce the first group of undergraduates from Thai state universities majoring in Business English. The draft of the proposed curriculum will be discussed and relevant issues raised.

Biodata: Chongrak Liangpanit is a Full-time lecturer at the Department of Foreign Languages, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Khon Kaen University.

B10 - Cheryl Sullivan: This wine is corked! Identifying the communicative needs of the professional sommelier

Type: Talk with activities Audience Type: mixed Timing: 30

Summary: Since 1987, the British Chamber of Commerce for Italy (BCCI) has steadily developed and expanded on a set of proficiency exams for business people required to interact with English speakers. These exams are available at various levels corresponding to Council of Europe B1, B2 and C1, and are targeted at English for Business, with special modules for the needs of lawyers, environmentalists, and most recently sommeliers. The Enological English Module came about as a logical follow on to courses being conducted for the Associazione Italiana Sommeliers (AIS), and while their format certainly parallels the linguistic aspects covered in all the other exams, there were a few interesting and innovative twists to be dealt with.

A wealth of authentic wine-related material is available, allowing examiners to evaluate sommeliers’ reading and listening skills; but the most interesting aspect, which this seminar will look at, concerned identifying the key features of typical communicative events sommeliers are involved in and how their specific skills, technical knowledge and precise terminology are brought to bear when participating in these events.

Biodata: B.A. Literature Carleton University, DELTA Cambridge UCLES, Cheryl Sullivan, founder of English Expertise and member of the British Chamber of Commerce for Italy (BCCI), is a Canadian who has lived in Italy since 1994. She has worked as teacher/trainer in Canada as well as Italy and has taught EFL since 1995 and in 2002 became an accredited sommelier. In an effort to combine work with pleasure she proposed a series of English courses to the Associazione Italiana Sommelier (AIS) in 2004, and at the beginning of this year initiated a collaboration between the BCCI and AIS for the sommelier English proficiency exam, which was launched in October.

Saturday 12.20 - 13.05: Lunch, or sessions C1 - C4

C01 - Nick Brieger: Success with ILEC; Success with Legal English

Type: Materials (On behalf of Summertown Publishing). Audience Type: mixed Timing: 45

Summary: 'Success with ILEC' is the 2nd in the 'Success with ……' exam series, published by Summertown. ILEC (International Legal English Certificate) was created by Cambridge ESOL and Translegal to meet the needs of law students and newly-qualified lawyers for an exam through which to demonstrate competence in law-related English. In this workshop we will look at:

the scope of Legal English
the elements of Legal English tested by ILEC
task types within ILEC
the construction of Legal English courses and the skills needed by trainers

Biodata: Nick Brieger's interest in things legal can be traced back to a first degree in law. In recent years, he has returned to the legal fold, designing and delivering language and communication training for lawyers from:

private practice
corporate legal departments
international organisations

'Success with ILEC' will be published by Summertown in 2007.

C02 - Julian Wragg: The Evolution of Technology and Value of Online English Language Learning

Type: Talk (On behalf of Global English Corporation). Audience Type: mixed Timing: 45

Summary: Developed by a team of leading linguistic experts, led by Dr David Nunan - a former President of TESOL - GlobalEnglish is the leading provider of Online English Learning and Support for Business Communication. Over 400 of the world’s largest multinational corporations are using GlobalEnglish to improve the Business English communication skills of their employees. This presentation will summarise Dr Nunan's pedagogical approach to learning English online and discuss his Seven Principles of Sound Instructional Design: Scaffolding, Interactivity, Task-Based Learning, Multisensory Learning, Pacing, Repetition, and Inductive & Deductive Learning.

Biodata: Julian Wragg, based in London, is the GlobalEnglish Director responsible for client relationships in the UK, Europe and the Middle East. With 17 years experience in the e-Learning and Internet marketplace, Julian has extensive experience in implementing strategic learning solutions with multinational corporations throughout Europe and the Middle East.

C03 – Dr Andrea Koblizkova: Motivation Factors for Raising Target Communicative Competence Level

Type:Talk. Audience Type: mixed Timing: 30

Summary: The paper deals with the concept of Business English teaching at the University of Pardubice. The initial and target levels of students are outlined, the study materials and required final performances are demonstrated (DVD projection of a student conference). Further, the role of tutorials and TOEIC international exam as supportive and additional instruments for English communicative competence development is being described.

Biodata: Andrea Koblizkova: since 1997 has been involved in English for Specific Purposes at the Philosophical Faculty, University of Pardubice. She specializes in presentation skills and managerial competences, reflecting her educational background (Management and English Studies) in language courses design.

C04 – Niki Joseph: Serious Play: Young Learner techniques in the Business classroom

Type: Talk. Audience Type: mixed Timing: 45

Materials available: PowerPoint presentation

Summary: Is Business English teaching really that different from young learner teaching? In an end of year evaluation form, a Portuguese client has said that they want more songs, more games and more fun. As the teacher of this Upper Intermediate class, I would like to see more tangible progress and more (time) investment from them. This talk will compare and contrast these two seemingly different ways of teaching. I will look at the class’ ways of learning, their openness to new techniques and their reactions to playful techniques borrowed from the YL classroom.

Biodata: Niki Joseph is a teacher and trainer based in Lisbon. She is DOS/part owner of Language Project, a Cambridge ESOL team leader and is currently Joint Co-ordinator of the YLSIG.

Saturday 13.05 - 13.50: Lunch, or sessions D1 - D5

D01 - Ilangovan Padmanaban: Listening to or reading business reports: Which is primary?

Type: Talk. Audience Type: mixed Timing: 45

Summary: Listening to a BBC report on the failed DOHA trade round in Geneva (24 July 2006) and reading about it in an English daily, I found out that I was able to understand the gist of the spoken text better than the written one. Although the printed text mentioned the strong farm lobby and the forthcoming mid-term congressional elections in November in the US (analyses) for the failure, the spoken text presented few distractions and kept returning to the central idea: the US was not likely to give up either on DOHA or the WTO.

I will present how intonation, prosodic and other meaning-making factors led to my greater understanding of the gist of the report than the many analyses that the printed text offered. I will also show how it is essential to sequence spoken Business English texts before written Business English texts in the syllabus that would tap into basic human understanding.

Biodata: I am a teacher trainer, teacher of BE and materials writer. Have co-written a series for children as well as for technical college students in India. At present, editing a 35-book series for CUP, India.

D02 - Sorry, cancelled.

D03 - Ian MacKenzie: Authentic materials revisited

Type: Talk. Audience Type: mixed Timing: 45

Summary: We're quick to notice a bad translation, but even 'good' translations tend to have their flaws – how often do you choose to read translated novels? Various researchers have argued that translations in general show a tendency towards explicitation, disambiguation, simplification, grammatical conventionality and a lack of creative idio. All of which sounds exactly like the kind of synthetic texts some people (who, me?) write for teaching business English! This talk will consider the role of authentic and teacher-designed material in the classroom, and what kind of input our learners need.

Biodata: Ian MacKenzie works in the Translation and Interpretation School at the University of Geneva. His Professional English in Use – Finance was published this year by CUP.

D04 - Lisa Förster / Dörte Gluchowski: Using current technology in one-to-one teaching

Type: Talk. Audience Type: mixed Timing: 45

Summary: One-to-ones with business people almost always means devising a tailor-made curriculum for the individual student (very often a highly technology-literate one!). How can you see eye to eye with your student in terof technology? We are going to show a number of ways how computer hardware (laptops, memory sticks, projectors, ipods …) or software (the internet, pc-progra) can support the busy teacher, give you the competitive edge and allow you to react in record time in case your student insists on a change of plan.

Biodata: Lisa Förster Lisa is the author of a number of Business English books published by Haufe Verlag in Germany ("Die besten Bewerbungsmuster Englisch", "Karrierefaktor Business English", "Business English live", "Business English - Useful Phrases"). A trained translator, interpreter and political scientist she has been working as a business English teacher for about 15 years and did her CertTEB in 2004.

Dörte Gluchowski Dörte is a certified translator and interpreter, holds a CELTA and did her CertTEB this year. She co-authored "Karrierefaktor Business English" from Haufe-Verlag in Germany.

D05 - Nagalakshmi Mysore Gundu Rao: Healthy Interdependence by Empowering Independence

Type: Talk Audience Type: mixed Timing: 45

Summary: Conflict- resolution has become the watchword of present day corporate world. I would like to examine in my paper, that I propose to present in the BESIG conference, principles drawn from ancient wisdom that could be of benefit to the Conflict- resolution has become the watch word of present day corporate employees. Combining ancient Indian vedic shastras (precepts) with the modern day management principles is the core of my topic. This can bring about changes in the personality of an individual, create positive attitudes, reduce stress and control conflicts in an organization. I wish to focus my attention on five important precepts, which are absolutely important for reaching great heights and to lead quality lives.

Biodata: I am a full time lecturer in English at Sri ayachamarajendra Polytechnic, Bangalore, India. My area of instruction is Business English for diploma students as well as the MBA students who I train on part time basis. I have earned M.A. and M.Phil degrees in English. I also have a P.G.Diploma in Journalism and Diploma of the proficiency in Counselling.

Saturday 14.00 - 15.00: Sessions E1 - E10

E01 - Keith Harding: What do ESP specialisms have in common?

Type: Workshop. Audience Type: mixed Timing: 60

Summary: It might be thought that, by definition, specialisms in ESP will not have much in common with each other. For example, what could a doctor, a plumber, a motor mechanic, and a meteorologist have in common when it comes to language needs? In this talk I will try to define the common areas shared by these and other specialisms. I will show how it is possible to design generic frameworks, exercises and activities for ESP programmes whilst remaining aware of the very specific needs of each particular course. The talk will focus on the needs of vocational ESP learners and will be illustrated with examples from Oxford English for Careers

Biodata: Keith Harding was born in London and educated at St Albans School, and at King's College Cambridge. He completed a Ph.D. in History at the University of Sussex in 1983, before beginning his career in EFL. He worked in language schools in Brighton and International House, London, before joining St Giles International where he has worked as a teacher, teacher trainer (CELTA), Director of Studies, and, since 1994, as Principal. He has worked at both the London Highgate and San Francisco centres. He completed his RSA Diploma in 1985, and has taught all levels and aspects of EFL. For Oxford University Press he has written Going International (1998), and co-authored High Season (1994) and International Express Intermediate (new edition, 2005). He is currently involved in the Oxford English for Careers series

E02 - Mark Waistell: "The Court Fool, not a Foolish Courtier"

Type: Talk. Audience Type: mixed Timing: 60

Materials available: PowerPoint presentation

Summary: “The Court Fool, not a Foolish Courtier” …or how to become a consultant. Much of our work as Business English Teachers involves a degree of consultancy, perhaps by accident. Is it possible for us to establish ourselves as true management consultants in the field of Business English for corporate clients? This "talk-with-interactive-bits” takes a sometimes serious, sometimes light-hearted look at the world of consultancy. What is a consultant? What makes a successful consultant? How do I become one? What would I have to do as a consultant? How do I persuade companies that I have become one? How do I make mega-bucks? All this (and more) will be revealed....and no consultancy fee will be charged!

Biodata: Mark Waistell is Senior Partner at Accent International, Managing Partner at AccentVirtual and Senior Consultant at Accentuate. He has worked in EFL and ESP for 29 years as teacher, teacher-trainer, DOS, principal, materials writer and consultant. Today, he works in general management, business development, consultancy ...and teaching. He spends quite a lot of time speaking at conferences and seminars all over the world for both teaching and business audiences. He is probably much younger than he looks.

E03 - Alun Phillips: Is anyone here Spanish? Ideas for developing intercultural awareness

Type: Workshop. Audience Type: experienced. Timing: 60

Materials available: PowerPoint presentation (2Mb)

Summary: Intercultural training for business people may often go no further than briefing them on what to do or not to do when dealing with specific cultures. This workshop will be look more at underlying values/beliefs. Participants will take part in several hands-on activities which can be exploited to good effect in Business English training. The focus will be on how language and non-verbal behaviour can lead to unwelcome misunderstandings. We will discuss ways we can get our students to observe and reflect on what happens in these situations, as well as ways in which they could be managed better.

Biodata: I work as a freelance trainer in several large companies (Benetton, Geox) in the Veneto area of Italy. I recently completed an M.Ed in ELT from Sheffield University. I am particularly interested in the intercultural side of business communication, as well as course evaluation and the use of authentic business/management materials in ELT.

E04 - Peter Anderson & Robert Ratto: QFG: the creation of a group of quality language schools in Italy

Type: Talk. Audience Type: Mixed. Timing: 45

Summary: The need of an Association of quality languages schools in Italy who work together with the idea of creating a consortium. The schools in the Group are specialised in Corporate Language Training. The idea would be to create a strong bind between the schools which would work together, exchange information, experiences and ideas which would enhance the level of quality of the schools and staff, a standardization process, the implementation of an internal benchmarking system. However, the most important aspect would be the develpoment of a strong marketing structure. The services offered would be the traditional: language training and translations at a high quality level, sell specialised courses in the UK and branch out into Management Training involving professionals in Britain who are BESIG members.

Biodata: Peter Anderson was born in London and grew up trilingual. His family moved to Italy when he was a teenager and he completed his education in this country. He's been teaching English in Italy for 28 years and opened his own school in Bergamo in 1996. He is QFG Secretary.

Bob Ratto was born in England from an Italian family and grew up bilingual. He completed his education in GB. With his wife he opened a school in Rome 15 years ago. He's QFG Chairman.

E05 - Svetlana Kandybovich / Anna Sokol: How to Simulate

Type: Workshop Audience type: mixed Timing: 60

Summary: He who can, does. He who cannot, teaches. He who teaches well, simulates.
This workshop will explore a sure one-fits-all technique for teaching Business English. It will give you ideas:

How to simulate business environment.
How to simulate when you teach English for …everything.
How to simulate when you teach pre-experienced students.
How to simulate when you teach experienced students.
How to simulate.

Biodata: Svetlana Kandybovich and Anna Sokol have been teaching business English and English for anything (ranging from tourism to PR) at Minsk State Linguistic University, Belarus for nearly twenty years (taken together). Both are currently enrolled in PhD studies in the field of innovative Business English teaching.

E06 - Alexander Biewald: Three concrete feedback points for students' presentations

Type: Workshop Audience type: mixed Timing: 60

Summary: In class, my BE students simulated they were entrepreneurs who, by means of presentations, had to prove to the Business Development Authority that their business ideas would be viable. I’ll show you some video segments of both fantastic and lackluster presentations to analyze the effectiveness of what the students say and do. Specifically, our focus will be on the setup of the introduction, the inclusion of background information, and the value of argumentation. The workshop objective will be to fine-tune our skills in giving precise, constructive feedback to help our students develop from conveyors of dry information to eloquent presenters.

Biodata: Once a freelance English teacher, I've now been teaching English at the FH KufsteinTirol since 2001. I have a bachelor’s in German Language & Literature, and am now taking steps to get a master’s to help me follow my newly discovered research interests in teaching English.

E07 - TBC

E08 - Dr Helen Bicknell / Marina Zvetina: Bologna: from Vienna to Milan

Type: Workshop Audience type: experienced Timing: 60

Summary: The survey results received during and after the conference in Vienna will be presented, followed by two case studies of how BE and other language courses have changed at the universities of applied sciences in Mainz and Wiesbaden since the introduction of the BA/MA programmes. Participants will then be encouraged to share their experiences with the group. Topics will include the implications of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), quality control and the introduction of fees for MA courses. What are the implications of these processes for BE teachers working in European higher education? Are the Bologna aibeing achieved?

Biodata: Dr. Helen Bicknell, University of Applied Sciences Mainz, Business English Lecturer
ELTAF, IATEFL Liaison Officer. Research areas: European Industrial Relations, Corporate Governance,
International HRM

Marina Zvetina, MA, University of Applied Sciences Wiesbaden, Germany. Language Centre - Academic Staff and English Instructor, ELTAF Website Coordinator (English Language Teachers’ Association
Frankfurt/Rhine-Main-Neckar)

E09 - Guy Brook-Hart: Business Listening: Behind the Scenes

Materials available: PowerPoint presentation

Type: Workshop Audience type: mixed Timing: 60

Summary: This workshop will study the writing process for producing Business English listening materials. It examines how listening tasks, particularly those preparing for BEC Vantage and BEC Higher are constructed, some of the pitfalls in writing them, and issues regarding the listening scripts. By understanding the thinking behind how listening tasks and tests are constructed in published materials, we may find strategies for ourselves as teachers and for our students to improve their listening abilities and exam performance. The talk will contain examples from Business Benchmark.

Biodata: 30 years teaching English, including Business English, in Egypt, Kuwait, France, Britain and since 1983 for the British Council, Spain. Writer for British Council / Open University Business English Project (World Class English for Business). British Council Online English Courses (Upper Intermediate and First Certificate). British Council IELTS CD Rom
Publications: Instant IELTS (CUP 2004). Business Benchmark Upper Intermediate/Vantage (CUP 2006). Business Benchmark Advanced/Higher (CUP - publication early 2007)

E10 - Publishers Panel.

Stephen Ferron moderates a round-table discussion featuring representatives from a range of business English publishers. Topics will include (but are not limited to) how materials are selected and marketed, what editors do, the effect of new media on traditional publishing, and the future of textbook publishing.

Saturday 15.30 - 16.30: Sessions F1 - F10

F01 - Tonya Trappe: Separating the men from the boys

Type: Publisher (On behalf of Pearson Longman) Audience type: mixed Timing: 45

Summary: All too often, so-called “upper-intermediate” courses resemble intermediate ones in terof content and level. Sophisticated business students and professionals at this level need to be stimulated and challenged. The new level of the Intelligent Business series developed by Longman in partnership with the Economist is a truly challenging course for upper- intermediate students. Using material from the course, Tonya Trappe will be looking at ways of presenting the issues, concepts and language adapted to this level in an appealing and motivating manner.

Biodata: Tonya Trappe is one of the authors of Intelligent Business a Longman course developed in partnership with the Economist. She has been teaching in Paris for the last 20 years and has also taught in North Africa, Germany and Ireland. She is currently the director of a school in the Paris region.

F02 - Adrian Wallwork: Euroglish and how to avoid it

Type: Materials Audience type: mixed Timing: 60

Summary: Do your students write in Euroglish? Five nouns where one verb would do, glued together in an abstract, impersonal, verbose, hyperbolic style? The Skills Focus sections of the new edition of International Express Upper Intermediate (OUP) aim to get students to write reader-oriented rather than writer-focused emails and documents. The talk will concentrate on: position of key info within a phrase; use of verbs rather than nouns; conciseness; and building a relationship with the reader. This is not a direct sales presentation, though a few extracts from International Express will be included.

Biodata: Adrian Wallwork teaches English to business people and Phd students in Pisa, Italy. He is the author of several business English course books for OUP, as well as general English books for the BBC and CUP. He also works for the Italian National Research Council and has published several books for the Italian market.

F03 - Paul East / Kevin Westbrook: Using existing resources in Technical English lessons

Type: Workshop Audience type: inexperienced Timing: 60

Summary: A workshop for the less experienced teacher of Technical English where you will get practical ideas and hands-on practice in adapting material that can be found on the Internet or in existing, perhaps non-technical, books.

Biodata: Kevin Westbrook is a freelance English trainer and translator, specializing in Business English and Technical English. Currently doing an MA in Applied Linguistics for Language Teaching at Southampton University. E-mail: kevin@languageservicesco.com
Paul East is the owner of The Pyramid Group which provides a range of ESP training. www.thepyramidgroup.biz

F04 - David Heitler: Okay, I've done my needs analysis. What do I do now?

Type: Workshop Audience type: mixed Timing: 60

Summary: "We give them the course we were going to give them anyway" or "we build the whole course around their requirements" are the two opposite poles, perhaps. But can we define a procedure that - as near as possible - gives our students exactly what they require? In this workshop we will be looking at what needs analysis results are most helpful to us, how we can use our course content to focus more accurately on students’ needs, and how we can manage the resources we have to provide even greater value from our courses.

Biodata: David has taught English since 1981 – and business English since 1988 – in Germany and England and has published materials for OUP, Pons and Longman. He has been involved in teacher development since the mid-eighties. He loves wine and malt whisky and feels quite lost without a good book to read!

F05 - Bill Mascull / Jeremy Comfort: Best Practice

Type: Workshop (On behalf of Thomson) Audience type: mixed Timing: 60

Summary: Best Practice in business has become critical. In business communication it means developing competence in language, communication and intercultural understanding. Best practice, a four-level business English course, provides learners with, and stimulates them to use, essential business language in realistic contexts – face-to-face and on the phone, by email and in other written contexts. At Intermediate and Upper-intermediate levels, published next year, the course also systematically develops the key skills of professional communication – influencing, active listening and transparency of communication – as well as key areas of intercultural awareness – understanding the impact of company and country culture as well as developing flexibility to operate across cultures. We will be illustrating how the threads of this innovative approach are intertwined, with opportunities for participants of experience and use the materials themselves.

Biodata: Jeremy Comfort is one of the founders of York Associates. He specialises in training managers to work internationally – to lead tea, to run projects and to motivate people from different cultures. He has published extensively in Business English and more recently, in the area of intercultural training.
Bill Mascull is the author of a number of business English coursebooks, vocabulary books and dictionaries, including Best Practice (Thomson) and Business Vocabulary in Use (CUP). Ha has taught in Sweden and France, and is now based in Bristol, UK.

F06 - Dr Rudolf Camerer: Intercultural competence and language competence: What's the difference?

Type: Talk Audience type: experienced Timing: 60

Summary: Intercultural Competence (IC) has become a major issue for most companies both at a European and at a global level. Yet small and medium size companies, while readily investing in foreign language training, often hesitate when it comes to intercultural competence. HR-managers, it see, feel that the subject is vague and insubstantial and that there is no way of verifying whether a training session has been a success or a failure. This presentation provides an outline of the aiand methods of both IC and language training and attempts to clarify to what extent there are distinctions between the two, as well as to demonstrate how intercultural and language training in fact go hand in hand.

Biodata: German, 25 years in adult education and language competence testing, presently in language consulting

F07 - Tom Smith / Stephanie Ashford: The multi-tasking trainer and the shift from taking notes to giving feedback

Type: Workshop Audience type: mixed Timing: 60

Materials available: Handouts * Overhead slides

Summary: Taking detailed language notes during speaking activities involves careful listening, high-speed writing, and 'left-brain' processing such as ordering, analysing and prioritising. The subsequent feedback phase is characterised by a shift to an interpersonal approach requiring a different set of skills. This workshop demonstrates ways of optimising the shift using authentic extracts from business English speaking activities, and offers practical tips for honing skills in taking language notes and channelling them into effective feedback. It promises to be a highly interactive event – so be sure to bring along a fast pen!

Biodata: Tom Smith is a Business English and communication skills trainer in companies and higher education in southern Germany. As well as TEFL qualifications and an MA in English, he is experienced in a range of advanced group facilitation methods. In addition to his current teaching work he is completing a D.Phil at Sussex University, UK.

Stephanie Ashford co-ordinates the Business English programme at a German university, and works as a freelance trainer in companies. In addition to this, she writes coursebooks and resource materials for teachers, and is currently studying for an MSc in TESP at Aston University, UK.

F08 - John Allison: Meeting the need for blended learning

Type: Workshop (On behalf of Macmillan Education) Audience type: mixed Timing: 60

Summary: This workshop looks at the case for blended learning and how
Business English teachers can respond to learners' needs in this area.
The first part of the session attempts to define blended learning, to examine students' needs, and to establish criteria for a successful programme. We then take a closer look at some of the new technologies available, and consider just how well they serve the learner. Finally, using samples from a new Macmillan course to be published in January 2007, the session will illustrate how blended learning can help teachers respond to a variety of student needs, learning styles, contexts and constraints.

Biodata: John Allison has designed, sold and delivered professional English courses for corporate clients in Lyon and Grenoble since 1980. After many years of squeezing in teaching between sales and management responsibilities, he is now happy to spend more time in the classroom and on language audits. As Director of R&D at Infolangues, he takes a particular interest in new technologies and blended learning. He is the author of In Company Case Studies (Macmillan, 2005) with Mark Powell, and of a forthcoming Business English course.

F09 - Sorry, cancelled

F10 - Duncan Baker: A cold ice-lolly on a warm beach

Type: Talk Audience type: mixed Timing: 60

Materials available: PowerPoint presentation

Summary: We always need the right tool for the job. I shall explore, briefly, the different kinds of courses we run for English for business. I shall look at the different audiences and student groups and try to analyse some of the ways to match horses for courses - cold ice-lollies on warm beaches. I shall be asking the audience to match their probleand their solutions. But there will be BIG input.

Biodata: Duncan Baker runs Lydbury English Centre with his wife Rita - and has been doing so for 21 years. He was a submarine navigator and then diplomat. He speaks good Arabic and reasonable French. Training corporate clients to use English for what they need is his current passion.

Saturday 16.45 - 17.45 Sessions G1 - G10

G01 - Evan Frendo: Teaching the language of business meetings

Type: Talk Audience type: mixed Timing: 45

Summary: Many of our learners need to use English in meetings at work, and as Business English teachers we must be prepared to deal with this need. But where do we start? What language is used in meetings anyway? Can we even pin it down? And what activities are best suited to teaching it in the classroom? In this presentation I will explore some of these issues by looking at recently published research and materials, as well as some of my own ongoing research, and discuss how these might help us in our teaching.

Biodata: Evan is a freelance trainer and author based in Berlin, where he is working on an EdD focusing on small talk within an intercultural business communication context. As well as being a regular presenter at conferences, he has also published various books and articles over the years, the most recent of which are How to teach Business English, (Longman, 2005), and the Double Dealing series of coursebooks Summertown, 2004-2006, with James Schofield).

G02 - Jason Gregory: Assessing low level ESP

Type: Talk (on behalf of publisher). Audience type: Mixed. Timing: 30

Summary: For many years ESP has concentrated on learners, who have already attained a good working knowledge of General English. Frequently however in the vocational area relatively low level students require specific knowlegdge and usage and have tended to be neglected.

EDI have developed an ESP test - LCCI Foundation English Language Skills Assessment (FELSA) aimed at elementary level and above candidates, which is available both in online and paper-based formats.

The presentation will provide details on the type of questions and topics used in an ESP assessment at elementary level - FELSA and guidance on how preparation for the test can be integrated in the training course.

Biodata: Jason Gregory is the International Business Devleopment Manager has been working for EDI for 6 years managing their LCCI English International Qualifications.

G03 - Judith Mader: Principles of Testing and Assessment in Relation to English for Specific Purposes

Type: Workshop (On behalf of TELC - The European Language Certificates) Audience type: mixed

Timing: 60

Summary: This will be a presentation of the principles behind the TELC range of English examinations. In the presentation I show how the principles underlying the production of TELC examinations can be of use to all teachers when producing classroom tests as well as standardising assessment procedures in their institutions. This will be a workshop involving active participation. I do not intend to go through the TELC examinations as I will be available throughout the conference to answer questions on these and will also have plenty of material with me. The session is intended for anyone involved with assessment procedures.

Biodata: I am a member of the academic staff and chief editor at WBT, the producers of TELC The European Language Certificates. Originally from England I have lived in Germany for many years and been involved with many aspects of teaching and particularly testing.

G04 - Ken Taylor / Bob Dignen: 50 Ways to.......

Type: Round Table (On behalf of Summertown Publishing) Audience type: mixed Timing: 45

Summary: Summertown Publishing’s new series “50 Ways to…” is designed as self-access learning materials full of practical tips, tools, techniques and exercises. The books are aimed at intermediate to advanced students who work internationally and they combine language learning with international communication skills. The authors - Bob Dignen and Ken Taylor - will start by presenting the ”50 Ways” concept and will explain the rationale behind each of the books. The rest of the session will take the form of an interactive round table discussion and will be dictated by the audience’s interests and questions.

Biodata: Ken Taylor is an experienced international trainer and facilitator. He has lived for longer periods in South East Asia, Scandinavia, Germany and Africa. Besides his training work and his work on the “50Ways” project, Ken writes articles on international communication skills and is the co-author of a self-access e-learning product.

Bob Dignen is a director of York Associates. He specialised in intercultural training for international project tea. Bob produces the business communication skills section of Business Spotlight magazine and has developed titles for the Down to Business Minimax series. He is also co-author of the Cambridge University Press course English365.

G05 - Marjorie Rosenberg: Business English or Business Skills?

Type: Workshop Audience type: mixed Timing: 60

Summary: What are we actually teaching our learners? It is possible to completely separate the teaching business English from business skills even if we don’t come from a business background ourselves?
In this workshop, participants will be able to try out various activities which include both business language and skills used in business. Participants will discover for themselves where the distinction lies and how they can make use of these ideas in their own teaching situations.

Biodata: Marjorie Rosenberg teaches English and methodology in Graz, Austria and trains teachers throughout Europe concentrating on topics such as teaching business English, NLP, learning styles, cooperative learning and multiple intelligences. Some of her publications include In Business, CUP 2005, Communicative Business Activities, öbvhpt 2001, as well as textbooks for Austrian schools.

G06 - Alan Cargyl: Output – Feedback: how to use what they say

Type: Hands on workshop Audience type: mixed Timing: 60

Summary: This hands on, discussion and practical workshop will examine the output-feedback task based approach to Business English. It will look at the questions: what is the purpose of feedback and how should it be given? It will show the methodology to be a client focused, time efficient and needs based method of raising pre intermediate plus, business experienced learners awareness of native speaker English in terof grammatical patterns, fixed and semi fixed expressions and collocations and of the differences between their own language and English. The workshop will use examples of non native utterances collated from task based output.

Biodata: Alan Cargyl is a language trainer at the International House executive centre in London. He has taught English for Business for 11 years and has presented in various conferences.

G07 - Julio Gimenez: A corpus of business emails: Bridging the gap between intuition and actual use

Type: Talk Audience type: mixed Timing: 45

Summary: This talk shows preliminary results of a project that aiat building a small corpus (50, 000 words) of business emails. The talk briefly explains the rationale behind the corpus and illustrates various applications that the corpus offers. The main section of the talk focuses on demonstrating how the corpus can help researchers and teachers of BE narrow the gap between institution and guidelines in writing manuals, and actual use. The talk closes with an examination of implications for corpus-based teaching and materials development. Participants will receive handouts with samples of data and examples of activities.

Biodata: J.C. Gimenez teaches EAP/ESP at Middlesex University. He has researched and published on business email communication in various international journals and several edited collections.

G08 - Prof Patricia Kennan: Bridging the gap between Economics and Reading Skills

Type: Talk Audience type: mixed Timing: 45

Summary: This talk, the result of research and experimentation, discusses a thematic but essentially hands-on approach to the acquisition of reading skills in a highly specialised area of knowledge such as the ‘umbrella’ subject of economics, with its mixture of technical lexes and cultural studies. After discussing the suitability of material, the talk goes on to illustrate techniques for dealing with student motivation, memory recall methodology, as ell as reading strategies, like exploiting advantages, facing unknown words, not getting caught up in detail.

Biodata: Professor of English Language at the University of Vercelli (East Piedmont). Main specialisation rhetorical studies, now working on word coinage in contemporary English.

G09 - Susan Lowe / Louise Pile: Developing students’ business communication skills

Type: Hands-on workshop Audience type: mixed Timing: 45

Summary: How can BE learners use mobiles effectively when doing business, write a short email without being rude, entertain visitors and maintain interest during a presentation? With its learner-centred approach the Delta Business Communication series offers pre-intermediate / intermediate students a range of flexible resources to perform effectively in today’s business environment.

Biodata: The speakers are the authors and series editors of the Delta Business Communication skills series. Both have extensive experience in teaching BE abroad and in the UK; in the BE teacher training; and in writing and editing a range of BE and education publications, both in print and multi-media.

G10 - Veronica Dal-Bianco: Teaching a blended learning business English course - before, during & after

Type: Talk. Audience type: mixed Timing: 45

Summary: Many trainers today will find themselves having to teach a blended learning course with no previous experience of this type of methodology and no suitable training available. This session describes my personal experience in designing and delivering an advanced Business English course to a group of postgraduate students in Austria.

Biodata: Veronica Dal-Bianco grew up in Scotland, moved to Vienna in 1974 where she worked as a biochemist & mother, before retraining as an EFL teacher. She now works at the FH Burgenland in Austria, coordinating the language department and teaching general & business English classes. She is also a freelance CELTA tutor & language trainer.

Saturday 18.00 - 19.00 AGM

Annual General Membership meeting at the British Council Milan

Sunday 09.00 - 10.00: Sessions H1 - H10

H01 - Liam Brown: Business Communication: don't look to the future - it's here already!

Type: Talk Audience type: mixed Timing: 45

Summary: This presentation looks at the nature, form and content of business communication and shows how it has changed in history but most definitively over the past ten years. The assumptions that underpin much business communication training are no longer valid. We identify four key changes, and look at the communication strategies and skills individuals will need to be realigned to these changes. We examine a number of communication contexts – email, presentation and letters, to see what impact these changes will have on what we present to our clients as appropriate and on our teaching methodology and syllabus

Biodata: Liam Brown is Manager, Training and Development, British Council English & ExaDivision where he oversees communication, professional and management skills training for staff in the global Teaching Centre and Examinations network. He has worked in Singapore, Hong Kong, Spain, Saudi Arabia and Nigeria as teacher, trainer and manager.

H02 - Sarah Stats: Unlocking Culture: Cross cultural training in a business environment. Details to be confirmed.

H03 - Paul East / Kevin Westbrook: An introduction to virtual learning environments

Type: Workshop Audience type: mixed Timing: 60

Summary: EFL teachers are usually very aware of the technological resources available to them, but are often prevented from using them by the perceived barriers to use raised by the technology itself, or by doubts concerning the effectiveness of such technology. Starting from the point of view that the use of technology should be led by pedagogical factors, this workshop will be a hands-on introduction to virtual learning environments (VLEs), what they are, and what can be done with them. Participants will have the opportunity to see a VLE from the student's perspective and then to consider how to use it as a teaching tool.

Biodata: Kevin Westbrook is a freelance English trainer and translator, specializing in Business English and Technical English, both in-company and for university courses. He is currently doing an MA in Applied Linguistics for Language Teaching at Southampton University. E-mail: kevin@languageservicesco.com

Paul East is the owner of The Pyramid Group which provides a range of ESP training. www.thepyramidgroup.biz

H04 - Sorry, cancelled

H05 - Jeremy Comfort: Managing People across Cultures

Type: Materials Audience type: experienced Timing: 45

Summary: Managing People across Cultures is a project to produce online learning materials for managers working internationally. It consists of nine video episodes in the life of an international project plus 30 audio recordings of interviews with actual international managers. The topics include Feedback, Roles, Representation and Conflict. The project has been sponsored by Konstanz University of Applied Science and the company Henkel.

Biodata: Director of York Associates. Trainer mainly working on developing the international competence of our clients - workshops and seminars on intercultural understanding, leading international projects and team building. Author of numerous Business English materials.

H06 - Elizabeth Renshaw: Making Advanced Writing Fun

Type: Workshop Audience type: mixed Timing: 45

Summary: Writing classes can be hard-going sometimes... This session aito examine ways of making the writing classroom a little bit more interesting. Bring your suggestions along too!

Biodata: Elizabeth Renshaw is a lecturer at an International University in Bonn, Germany, and teaches business and academic writing to advanced students.

H07 - Byron Russell: Having your cake, and eating it: the Macmillan English Campus

Type: e-learning (On behalf of Macmillan Publishing Limited) Audience type: mixed Timing: 45

Summary: Business executives may appreciate the convenience and flexibility of online learning, but also demand the social interaction and peer support that only face to face teaching can provide. The answer may be a blended approach in which receptive skills and grammar are practised in an online environment, thereby allowing teachers to focus on productive skills development in the classroom. Macmillan English Campus is new online programme which is designed to supplement and complement face to face learning with extensive online practise. This presentation outlines the criteria behind the new programme’s development and summarises the benefits of a combined approach, concluding with a short demonstration.

Biodata: Byron Russell has over fifteen years’ experience in educational publishing, and has presented at numerous international conferences. He taught EFL in Italy before taking up his first publishing post and holds a post-graduate certificate (TEFL) from the University of Cambridge.

H08 - Svenja J Schilling: Learner Autonomy & BE: Doing vs. Making Grammar Exercises

Type: Workshop Audience type: experienced Timing: 45

Summary: This workshop focuses on student involvement in creating customized job-related training materials as valuable features particularly for corporate clients. Getting learners to actively train the English tenses in everyday business communication requires personal involvement. How? Teamwork, consolidation, practice. For students, sessions become lively, motivating and effective by creating their own personalized grammar exercises. Concentrating on tense usage I would like to encourage all experienced trainers to bring along your own creative exercise ideas to get the students to practice their speaking skills. Let’s share, discuss and maybe compile exercises ideas.

Biodata: Born in Kiel, Germany, in 1965, my now 11 years' experience in teaching BE include study skills, EFL management and teacher training. As a Diploma qualified BE teacher (LCCI) I joined with colleagues to establish "associated trainers & translators" representing an LCCI examinations centre as well as providing corporate clients with BE and ESP.

H09 - TBC

H10 - Lionello Fabris: It's not only the students that need Business English in universities

Type: Talk Timing: 45

Summary: As part of their staff training program the University of Udine decided to organise English language courses for all its employees. After carrying out an extensive needs analysis and placement test it was decided to arrange General English courses for the lower levels and Business English/ESP classes for the highest levels. In my talk I would like to illustrate the results of the needs analysis, how the courses were organised and their content, and how we used the intranet facility to give student support. Moreover, I will outline the problewe faced and how we plan to develop the English language program in the future.

Biodata: I have been a teacher of English in N.E. Italy for over 20 years and a BE/ESP trainer and teacher trainer for over 15 years. I have taught at the Economics Faculty of the University of Udine since 1987 and have organised BE/ESP courses for state institutions, private schools and companies.

Sunday 10.30 - 11.30: Sessions J1 - J10

J01 - Ian MacKenzie: 'Content and Language Integrated Learning,' Professional English, and the Future of ELT

Materials available: PowerPoint presentation

Type: Publisher (On behalf of Cambridge University Press) Audience type: mixed Timing: 45

Summary: In many countries children now start learning English in primary school, and later study other subjects through the medium of English. Unlike the "foreign learners" of old, many of them become proficient in the language and go on to use it for multiple purposes. This talk will consider this development and its implications for the future of the ELT profession. It will especially consider the use of English for professional purposes, and introduce Professional English in Use – Finance and other In Use titles.

Biodata: Ian MacKenzie teaches in the Translation and Interpretation School of the University of Geneva. His Professional English in Use - Finance was published by CUP this year.

J02 - John Bradley: OUP One:One - One to One teaching

Type: Workshop Audience type: mixed Timing: 45

Summary: Optimise Your One-to-One Teaching Time
Are your one-to-one students pushed for time? Do you often fall into just chatting without goals or structure? Do your student’s sponsors demand to see evidence of progress? In this presentation we will consider the challenges faced by the one-to-one teacher and demonstrate, with examples, how Business One:One meets these challenges face to face by:

providing a framework within which you can customise or extemporise as much as you want
encouraging the teacher and learner to work together as equal partners and
measuring and recording the learner’s progress

Biodata: John Bradley B.s.C Econs, DOB 29/03/51 Director of Education, International House Spain. One of the largest International House schools. Head of Business English Programmes since 1995. Co- author of Business objectives Pairwork and the new OUP serious Business One:One. Considerable experience in one to one programmes, has developed the successful Telephone English Courses.

J03 - Sharon Jordan: Computer-based Business English Assessment at Cambridge ESOL

Type: Talk (On behalf of Cambridge ESOL) Audience type: mixed Timing: 45

Summary: This talk looks at how Cambridge ESOL’s two main business English products, BEC and BULATS, continue to develop due to advances in technology and testing, and the increasing demand for business English tests generally, and computer-based tests specifically. There will be a presentation of CBBULATS, a computer-adaptive test delivered via CD-ROM, which continues to increase in popularity, and the newly-developed Computer-based BEC, which is due to be launched in 2007, using the Cambridge Assessment Connect Framework internet delivery system. The session will specifically look at how both of these CB tests work and at the benefits that CB testing brings.

Biodata: Sharon Jordan is Co-ordinator for BULATS (Business Language Testing Service) at University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations (Cambridge ESOL), and works specifically on Computer-based BULATS. She is also involved in the development of computer-based testing generally at Cambridge ESOL.

J04 - Jennifer Singer: From BE to TE: Could you be a Technical English trainer too?

Type: Talk Timing: 45

Summary: I would like to speak about the similarities and differences in teaching business and technical English. I plan to cover at least some of the following areas in relation to this topic: communication skills, professional content, discourse, cultural aspects, trainer profile and some examples of activities I've used as a technical English trainer.

Biodata: Jennifer Singer is a recent addition to the York Associates team (Nov 2005). Before that she resided in Berlin, Germany working as an English and communications trainer in various companies and schools, including Lufthansa, Minol and KPMG. Her previous position saw her as a key account manager at Siemens where she became more aware of differences in working as a trainer in business and technical English. She also has a university degree (BA) in Political Science and received her certTIEB in 2000.

J05 - Lalitha Murthy: Training Indian Software Engineers in Business English - A Practical Approach

Type: Talk Audience type: mixed Timing: 45

Materials available: PowerPoint presentation

Summary: While India's 1 million Software Professionals are globally renowned for their exceptional technical abilities, many of them lack the ability to communicate effectively in English. Most Indian software companies address this critical training gap via out-sourced short/intensive workshops which have little, or no lasting effect on the participants. I wish to present my experiences and share practical ideas in training over 800 software professionals over the last 3 years at Tata Consultancy Services Ltd, India. My methodology has proved to be an effective solution to their specific training needs; a method that ensures participants are able to reflect on, practice and internalize learning. My perspective has also been enriched via participation in the ongoing feedback loop as an in-house employee (vs. an external trainer). I believe that these learning strategies can be used by Business English trainers the world over, especially those who train Asians.

Biodata: I am, at present, a Consultant in Business English based at Bangalore, India, working with TCS Ltd, which is the largest Software Company in India employing over 60,000 people worldwide. I have been a teacher for high school students for over 15 years and a trainer in Business English since Aug 2000. I also train engineers for the BEC Examinations conducted by the University of Cambridge.

J06 - Dr Olesia Lupu: BE Higher Education Learner - A Case Study

Type: Talk Audience type: mixed Timing: 30

Summary: The presentation deals with the Romanian Higher Education Business English context. A central point in this talk is that of a pre-experience learner response to task-based textbooks and materials in a HE Business English class. Do the learners need more content in this context or language practice? The presenter will explore language and communication activities which proved successful in this context. Finally, the challenges for Romanian students will be outlined and suggestions and solutions shared and discussed with the audience.

Biodata: Olesia Lupu (PhD) has been teaching Business English for five years at the "Al.I. Cuza" University in Iasi, Romania. She has a special interest in innovative teaching and materials design for BE.

J07 - John Hughes: Communication skills on the line

Type: Materials (On behalf of Macmillan Education) Audience type: mixed Timing: 45

Summary: Business English has for many years, separated skills such as 'Telephone' English from, for example, 'Presentation' English or 'Negotiating' English. However, this workshop will demonstrate how 'English on the telephone' embraces all the communication skills. Through a series of practical activities we'll look at what we actually say on the phone and what the future technology demands we will teach.

Biodata: John Hughes has been working in ELT since 1992. He has lectured and taught in Poland, Austria, Italy and the UK. He has been a director of studies for two business English and ESP departments and is currently running a teacher training department in Cheltenham, UK. Most of his writing is related to business English or teacher training and he is the author of Telephone English (Macmillan, 2006), In Company Test CD (Macmillan, 2005) and has also written materials for the Business Focus, Profile and Quick Work courses (OUP).

J08 - Rachel Roberts: Get SET for in-company training

Type: Talk (On behalf of City & Guilds) Audience type: mixed Timing: 45

Summary: Formal assessment is not always suitable for an in-company training environment. Busy executives and rigid syllabuses do not sit comfortably together. This presentation looks at the positive impact City & Guilds Spoken English Tests for Business can have on language and communication training done within a business context. It also demonstrates the ease with which assessment can be incorporated into this environment. During this hands-on talk we will examine the key features of the examination suite and take a practical look at how to develop some of the essential language and communication skills needed in business.

Biodata: Over 11 years experience of managing and providing high quality in-company language and communication training. Business degree and experience running own business. Master degree in TESOL – specialising in Learner Strategies and Autonomy. Currently Product Manager for the City and Guilds International English Qualifications.

J09 - Catherine Whitaker: *English for Business Life*: tailoring a course book to fit your students’ needs

Type: Publisher (On behalf of Marshall Cavendish ELT) Audience type: mixed Timing: 45

Summary: A good business English textbook needs to be genuinely flexible and easy to customise to meet students’ needs. This talk will demonstrate how the *English for Business Life* series from Marshall Cavendish ELT offers teachers the flexibility of three different tracks through the material and features which encourage both learners and teachers to relate the material to their own work situations. It will also discuss what we can define as core business English – the aspects that are common to almost every job and situation – and how changes in business communication are affecting the language and skills our students need for work.

Biodata: Catherine Whitaker has worked in publishing for over 10 years in the UK, USA, South Africa and France. She is an International Sales Manager for Marshall Cavendish ELT based in Paris. Previously she represented Summertown and taught Business English at BTL in Paris in sectors including insurance, marketing and banking.

J10 - Amy Krois-Lindner: Authentic texts in the ESP classroom: ideas and approaches

Materials available: PowerPoint presentation

Type: Talk (On behalf of Cambridge University Press) Audience type: mixed Timing: 45

Summary: This talk explains how ESP teachers can approach authentic texts to adapt them for the classroom. The talk will use examples of material from Cambridge University Press’s new course book, International Legal English (co-authored by the speaker), which prepares learners at the level of CEF B2 –C1 to use English for the study and the practice of law as well as for the new Cambridge ESOL International Legal English Certificate examination. The primary objective of the session is to introduce a practical approach to ESP materials development which combines the insights and methods of the lexical approach, the functional approach, and genre analysis.

Biodata: Amy Krois-Lindner, originally from New York, teaches English language skills at the University of Vienna. She is also an instructor of English at the Vienna University of Technology. Together with TransLegal, she has written International Legal English (Cambridge University Press, 2006).

Sunday 12.00 - 13.00 Sessions K1 - K9

K01 - TBC

K02 - TBC

K03 - Dr Teun De Rycker: Turning Down Business-to-Business Proposals Diplomatically

Type: Talk Audience type: mixed Timing: 45

Summary: Writing negative news messages constitutes a skill critical to interpersonal success and effectiveness in many people’s professional lives. Few researchers, however, address the issue of communicating negative information outside the job application process and/or across different cultures. In this talk I would like to partly remedy this situation by reporting the results of a small-scale corpus study into English rejection letters written by both native US and non-native Flemish speakers in response to a business-to-business proposal. The data were obtained from an international business game that took place annually between 1994 and 2005.

Biodata: Teun De Rycker is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Economics and Business Administration, Lessius Hogeschool, Antwerp, Belgium. His mission and meal ticket is “teaching” business English to non-native pre-service students. His research interests include vocabulary and writing skills. Want to find out more? Visit his homepage at www.lessius.eu/derycker.

K04 - Pete Sharma: Business English and the Macmillan Campus

Type: Publisher Audience type: mixed Timing: 45

Materials available: On presenter's website - http://www.te4be.com

Summary: The Macmillan English Campus is an innovative learning platform for students. It comprises a searchable database of web based materials, along with an electronic vocabulary notebook, powerful course-building tools, web quests and a range of other exciting features. Earlier this year, Macmillan added a suite of new business English materials to the Campus. This presentation will present some of this new material, and demonstrate how integrating on-line exercises can enhance a business English course. It will provide practical examples of “blended learning” both inside the classroom, and as a way of promoting learner independence.

Biodata: Pete Sharma is a lecturer, author and teacher trainer. Pete reviews software, and has written books on technology in language teaching. He writes a weekly business English e-lesson for Macmillan. His Masters dissertation evaluated the Macmillan English Campus. His next book (2007) as co-author is on Blended Learning. Visit: www.te4be.com

K05 - Dr Luminita Cocarta / Sorin - Toma Andrei: Aspects of Business English Acquisition in a Romanian Context

Type: Talk Audience type: mixed Timing: 45

Summary: There are many factors influencing a foreign language acquisition. Students' level of proficiency in their native language, for instance, including metalinguistic development, as well as knowledge of rhetorical patterns and variations in genre and style affects acquisition of a foreign language. Then, their goals in learning that language may determine how lexically-elaborate and grammatically accurate their utterances will be and how much energy they will spend to understand messages in the target language. The paper focuses on how students in Romanian universities acquire Business English and especially on those instances in which learning specific vocabulary might go wrong: inappropriate use of vocabulary, inability to retrieve vocabulary that has been taught, wrong level of formality etc.

Biodata: Luminita Cocarta is an Associate Professor in Applied Linguistics and International Relations, at "Al. I. Cuza" University from Iasi, Romania. She published a few books in the above mentioned fields: Episodes in Business English, 2003; Episodes in Business Communication, 2004, Insights into Business English 2005; English Language Today, 2005 and others. She has been teaching Business English since 1992.

Sorin-Toma Andrei is an MA in International Relations with a special interest in intercultural communication.

K06 - Dr Goeran Nieragden: MORE THAN READING: THINGS TO DO WITH TEXTS IN CLASS

Type: Talk Audience type: mixed Timing: 45

Summary: The reading of texts in class forthe staple diet of many BE lessons, with the tastiness depending heavily on the (subjective)relevance to the students' personal concerns. Yet interest may drop if the only activity offered is the standard "one student doing the loud reading" & "all others doing the silent reading along". I will suggest ways of making text-work involve, and appeal to the whole class through partner and team exercises. These include vocabulary hunts, translation, re-translation (=use of L1+L2), summarizing, responding, concluding, re-arranging, listening, speed - gist - detail - section - reading.

Biodata: Goeran enjoys wearing different teaching hats. Holding a Ph.D. and an M.A. in English Literature and Linguistics, he teaches English Literary Studies at Cologne University, English for Business and Law at the city's University of Applied Sciences, and a variety of in-company courses. He has published widely in English Studies.

K07 - Paul Emmerson: Ten Top Tips

Type: Talk Audience type: mixed Timing: 45

Summary: Here are my ten top tips for Business English – ideas and techniques that I’ve been using recently in my own teaching. Some are ‘big picture’ issues with practical implications, others are things to try on Monday morning. All should provoke reflection. (This is a non-commercial presentation).

Biodata: Paul Emmerson works as a writer, teacher and teacher trainer. He is the author of books published by Macmillan (most recently Essential Business Grammar Builder) and CUP (Five Minute Activities for Business English). He has worked as a teacher trainer all over Europe and is a regular presenter at international conferences.

K08 - Margaret Fowler: Testing Legal English against International Standards: An introduction to Cambridge ILEC (International Legal English Certificate)

Type: Talk (On behalf of Cambridge ESOL). Audience Type: mixed. Timing: 60

Summary: The new Cambridge ESOL ILEC exam tests candidates' competence in using legal English at B2/C1 level on the Common European Framework and as such, offers those working or studying in the legal field an opportunity to measure their ability in all four language skills against international standards. This talk will cover all parts of the exam and will look at how teachers can help their students prepare for it. There will be handbooks and sample papers to take away.

Biodata: Margaret Fowler has been operating in the Italian ELT sector for over twenty years now. For the last twelve she has been Examinations Manager at the British Council Milan, the largest Cambridge exacentre in Western Europe. Just recently she has taken up the post of ExaManager Italy. Margaret holds an MBA and she is a qualified CELTA trainer. She gives numerous seminars every year all over Italy and beyond and she is also the author of a number of ELT reference books.

K09 - James Schofield: Murder, mayhem and mistresses - business English meets 'Double Dealing'

Type: Publisher (On behalf of Summertown Publishing) Audience type: mixed Timing: 45

Summary: Have you or your students ever felt that business English could be more fun than just learning how to order pencils from stationery or give a presentation about departmental reorganization? If so, the 'Double Dealing' series (B1, B2, C1) might be the right material for you. This author presentation gives an overview of the unusual features of these popular course books. Attendees will receive a free copy of the new 'Double Dealing' C1 level, plus classroom CD.

Biodata: I have worked in Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Spain, the UK and Germany inside both terrific and terrifying companies, and with a range of business English learners from the mildly eccentric to the deeply sinister. It is their stories that fill 'Double Dealing'.

K10 - Maggie Milne: In the News

Type: Talk (On behalf of British Council) Audience type: mixed Timing: 45

Summary: The BBC Learning English website is a free resource which offers a range of materials and activities for teachers and learners of English. This workshop explores ways of exploiting one of these resources: News English: Words in the news with ESP learners.

Introduction

Advantages of using Words in the news

Aimed at language learners, yet still ‘authentic’
Adaptable – can be used for vocabulary study, as a base for discussions, development of a range of listening and reading skills
Good for boosting learner confidence
Can be used for one-to-one lessons and with small or large groups of learners
Helps develop learner independence
The archive enables teachers to select materials related to syllabus topics
Can be used with a range of levels from intermediate upwards
Advantages of using Words in the news
Aimed at language learners, yet still ‘authentic’
Adaptable – can be used for vocabulary study, as a base for discussions, development of a range of listening and reading skills
Good for boosting learner confidence
Can be used for one-to-one lessons and with small or large groups of learners
Helps develop learner independence
The archive enables teachers to select materials related to syllabus topics
Can be used with a range of levels from intermediate upwards

Biodata: Maggie Milne has over 20 years experience in teaching and academic management. She has worked in several countries in Asia and Europe and taught and designed courses across a broad spectrum of ELT including GE, ESL, Teacher training and ESP. She is currently Deputy Director, British Council, Milan.