Communication Failure and the Gricean Maxims

We often tell our students that they can learn as much from making mistakes as they can from getting it right.

But not all communication failures are caused by misapplying the present perfect or being unable to pronounce the difference between long and short ‘i’. No, they are caused by people flouting or violating maxims for successful interactions suggested by the philosopher Paul Grice

The aim of this session is understanding these maxims, what flouting or violating them might involve, how to avoid that, with the aim of improving our students overall communication skills in English - and possibly beyond!

Listening: linking skills development and pronunciation

Students often find listening the most difficult of the four skills. It is because when people are speaking English at natural speed, they are using all sorts of pronunciation features that make their speech sound different from what students expect when they see written English text. Therefore, understanding pronunciation features and then training the ear to decode authentic speech are the fundamental steps in helping learners progress in listening comprehension. These two are exactly the focuses of my session.

На этой сессии вы:

• проанализируете, какие особенности английского произношения больше всего влияют на понимание устной речи;
• сравните традиционный формат урока на аудирование с process approach, направленным на развитие навыка декодирования;
• познакомитесь со стратегиями и упражнениями, которые помогут студентам развивать умение декодировать, чтобы лучше понимать беглую речь.

Presence for Progress: How Teacher Engagement Drives Student Success

Presence in the classroom is widely recognised as a crucial element of effective teaching, yet it remains one of the most ambiguous and poorly understood concepts. Is it simply the charisma that some teachers seem to have and that draws students in? More importantly, does it truly impact student progress?

This interactive talk will delve into the critical role of teacher presence in enhancing student engagement, motivation, and learning outcomes. Participants will examine the core components of 'being present' and explore evidence-based strategies to create a more focused, responsive classroom. You will leave with practical tools to improve student interactions, strengthen relationships, and foster a deeper connection with your learners.

На этой сессии вы:

• проанализируете концепцию “присутствия” учителя на уроке и его проявления на различных уровнях;
• ознакомьтесь с результатами научных исследований, которые подчеркивают значимость такого присутствия для повышения мотивации учащихся и улучшения образовательных результатов;
• получите практические инструменты, которые помогут вам усилить свое влияние на учебные достижения, раскрыть свою профессиональную индивидуальность и наладить более эффективные отношения с учениками.

Weathering the Storm: Strategies for Managing Conflict in the Classroom

Teachers who work with groups are aware that it is normal for a group to go through a period of conflict, also known as ‘storming’. What we are seldom taught, however, is how to deal with those tricky situations. In this session, we are going to explore the possible reasons for classroom discord – from disruptive behaviour to a clash of personalities – and the strategies you can apply in order to make your classroom a space that is collaborative and conducive to learning.

На занятии вы:

• узнаете о частых причинах недовольства и конфликтов в группе;
• получите проверенные исследованиями методы разрешения конфликтов;
• проанализируете несколько кейсов с конфликтными ситуациями;
• научитесь выбирать оптимальную стратегию для разрешения конфликта.

Think Again: Cognitive Biases and How to Outsmart Them

Teaching is constant decision-making. As educators, we make countless choices — big or small — that can impact student learning and achievement. But what is our decision-making process influenced by and is it purely rational? Get ready to go beyond the realm of conscious reason and harness the power of unconsciousness to teach better.

На этой сессии вы:

• узнаете, что такое ошибки мышления, или когнитивные искажения, и откуда они берутся;
• поймете, почему учителям полезно о них знать;
• проанализируйте, как ошибки мышления влияют на поведение, эмоциональное состояние и процесс принятия решений;
• научитесь их распознавать и узнаете практические способы им противостоять.

Polina Kordik

Self-efficacy is your personal estimation of how able you feel about doing a specific task in a specific situation. It also determines how much you can endure the challenge that the task or situation brings.

Research has shown that high self-efficacy of a teacher can boost student’s success, the level of engagement in the classroom, and the overall wellbeing of the teacher. Positive self-efficacy beliefs are shown to be a catalyst for professional development.

In my talk, we will learn about teacher self-efficacy and the recent research on this topic, see what benefits for teachers and learners it entails and look at factors that can positively influence and promote its development in every teacher.

Jean-Marc Dewaele

In this talk I will argue that if foreign language (FL) emotions play a crucial role in FL learning and performance. How learners feel in the classroom affects how well they perform and how much effort they invest in the learning process. Good performance further boosts positive emotions and reduces the negative ones. Research has shown that Foreign Language Enjoyment and Peace of Mind emerge when learners engage in appropriately challenging tasks which give them a degree of control, allow them to be creative, authentic, and involve collaboration. Negative emotions are kept at bay in a positive emotional atmosphere where there is mutual trust, respect, humour, and a clear plan for progress.

Chengchen Li

Task-based language teaching (TBLT) has predominantly focused on task features, cognitive learner factors, and negative emotions, particularly anxiety. This narrow focus risks portraying learners as emotionless or perpetually anxious. In this talk, I will advocate for the importance of exploring a broader range of learner emotions in TBLT. The presentation is divided into three parts. First, I will outline the rationale for investigating diverse learner emotions, drawing on key insights from positive psychology, educational psychology, and cognitive psychology. Second, I will present findings from two empirical studies examining task emotions—enjoyment, anxiety, and boredom—in L2 speaking and writing contexts. Finally, I will discuss the pedagogical implications of these findings and their potential to inform more emotionally responsive TBLT practices.

Tammy Gregersen

Given that language teachers’ propensity toward stress and burnout is quite significant, we need to take steps to protect our personal and professional wellbeing. Furthermore, research suggests that when teachers are in a positive “headspace”, their learners also thrive. This presentation delves into strategies that teachers can sculpt and adapt to suit their individual ecologies. Among such strategies are those that address: 1) self-beliefs; 2) motivation; 3) emotions; and 4) physical wellbeing.

Christina Gkonou

Emotions are at the center of all human behaviour, and teaching and learning are no exception. Teaching, in particular, requires careful handling of teacher's own emotions and that teachers also demonstrate empathy, enthusiasm, and optimism in order to influence their learners’ emotions positively. Despite the inherent importance of teacher emotions and well-being in the process of teaching, existing research has been disproportionately less than that on language learner emotions (Gkonou, Dewaele, & King, 2020).

In this talk, I take stock of what we already know about language teacher emotions in terms of specific emotions felt as part of one’s practice, challenging moments experienced throughout one’s career, and positive psychology. I discuss how this knowledge can help us to better understand teachers and inform classroom practice. I then reflect on what we still potentially do not know about how language teacher emotions work and what possible new directions we can take within research and teacher education to address this important, yet often neglected, side of teaching.

Stephen Ryan

In this presentation, I consider the role of academic theory and research in the professional lives of language teachers. In particular, I hope to show how psychology represents a highly practical resource for language teachers. Good teachers already understand psychology—it is a key factor in the everyday classroom decisions they make—but often this is at an intuitive level. I aim to demonstrate how a more sophisticated understanding of concepts from educational psychology helps teachers to better understand both their own teaching and the potential within their learners. Finally, I make the case that greater engagement with theory and research can make language teaching even more rewarding over the long term.