Pre-Conference Event 2010

As part of the annual IATEFL conference 2010, BESIG are holding a full-day Pre-Conference Event (PCE) on Wednesday, 7 April 2010 in Harrogate, UK. Sponsored by Cambridge ESOL (World of Work) and the theme of the PCE is

Business or Business English?

How much business background do business English trainers need to have? Are we responsible for teaching just vocabulary, grammar and communication skills in a foreign language, or do we also need to understand exactly what it is that our clients deal with in their jobs? Is it possible to completely separate the teaching of business English for the teaching of business skills and business content – even if we have not actually worked in the particular business area ourselves?

This issue facing many of us in the Business English field will be discussed in a combination of presentations and workshops. Participants will have the chance to exchange information with others in the field and to experience how these topics are handled by those in different countries and fields of expertise. .

The speakers and their topics in order of appearance are as follows:

Ian Badger: Business English trainers - knowing our limits, developing our competences
Rita & Duncan Baker: Frameworks for task-based learning: how to avoid chucking out the baby with the bath water
Mark Waistell: The Anatomy of a Business English Teacher ... “The Sequel!”
Rhonda Bowen: Professional Business English Training
Bob Dignen: Beyond Language – Towards Communication Coaching
Deshini Chetty: Assessing Business English

Full programme details and registration

The full programme details for the PCE can be downloaded here. We will be delighted to welcome you to this exciting event, and if you would like to register you can do so by clicking here: IATEFL Conference Registration

Event Sponsors

Thank you to Cambridge ESOL for the generous sponsorship of the event

Thank you also to Business Spotlight for their support as event Media Partner