INNOVATE ELT 2025
Saturday May 24th (15:00 – 21:00) & Sunday May 25th (10:00 – 15:00)
Get involved, get connected, get inspired!
Oxford TEFL, Barcelona, Spain
The only ELT event you need to attend this year
Find out why
What is the theme this year?
The theme this year is “Your ELT Toolkit” and we will be providing an abundance of opportunities for you to share your ideas with others and fill your own toolkit at the same time.
This could be, for example, a new ELT product which is being developed, a teaching or training technique which has proven to work wonders, or innovative practices in leadership and mangement. There is no limit to what may be found in the ELT toolkit at the Innovate ELT conference this year
Who is the InnovateELT conference for?
The InnovateELT conference is for you if you are passionate about the ELT industry and you are keen to be more involved in discussions about how to make a difference. The theme this year is “Your ELT Toolkit” and we are expecting professionals from all areas of ELT to join us in learning more about the future of the ELT classroom. Delegates can include (but are not limited to):
-
- Language school managers
- English as a foreign language teachers
- Teacher trainers
- EdTech professionals
- Materials writers
- Authors
What type of sessions will I be able to attend?
We aim to provide engaging sessions in a variety of formats. As an attendee of the InnovateELT conference, you will be able to attend four different types of sessions:
- Dynamic workshops (45 minutes)
- Demo lessons with real students (45 minutes)
- Informative talks (30 minutes)
- Mini plenaries (15 minutes)
The conference will have three pathways: teaching, teacher training and management/ teacherpreneurship. Delegates will be able to focus on one area or dip into a mixture of sessions. This will be a great opportunity to delve into many toolkits, whatever context you are working in!
What else can I expect at the InnovateELT conference in 2025?
The InnovateELT conference is different to many other ELT conferences around the world. As well as providing inspiring sessions related to the world of English language teaching and learning, we also pay special attention to the people who have taken the time to join us (yes, you!).
As a attendee, you will be made to feel welcome and you will find connecting with other delegates is easy and hugely enjoyable. We encourage collaboration and we listen to our delegates as well and share our own thoughts.
You will be provided with plenty of opportunities to enjoy our sunny garden, as well as our spacious and modern classrooms. Snacks, coffee and tea will be available throughout the event to provide you with the well-needed fuel to keep you going. By the end of the conference you will feel like you have gathered plenty of ideas, activities and inspiration to take straight back into your own workplace. Join us, and find out for yourself!
Can I be a speaker at this event?
Call for speakers is now open
We are looking for proposals which reflect the theme this year (“YourELT Toolkit”). This could be, for example, a new ELT product which is being developed, a teaching or training technique which has proven to work wonders, or innovative practices in leadership and management. There are four different formats available:
- Dynamic workshops (45 minutes). We encourage the use of materials and group/pair work in these sessions.
- Demo lessons (45 minutes total). We will provide about 8 intermediate students for you to teach. Delegates will observe you teach the students for about 20 minutes, after which you facilitate a discussion of the lesson with delegates and students in groups and together as a whole group.
- Informative talks (30 minutes). The session will be a presentation with some opportunity for audience Q and A.
- Mini plenaries (15 minutes). Your chance to speak your mind to all conference attendees! We will provide a microphone but you will have no visual aids. You can apply to do just a plenary, or a plenary and one other session.
The deadline to submit your talk proposal is February 28th 2025.
Submit your talk proposal here: https://tinyurl.com/se4nhypp
Can I sponsor the InnovateELT conference?
If you have an ELT product or service that you would like to share, why not consider sponsoring the event? As a sponsor of the InnovateELT conference you will:
- Improve brand awareness for your business
- Interact directly with superusers and decision-makers
- Showcase your product or idea to people from across the ELT industry
- Get grassroots feedback from potential customers
- Make contacts with other professionals who can help take your business to the next level
We are offering one package per business which will include:
1 x table in the coffee area to engage with delegates and display your brand and products
1 x coffee break in your name where you can address delegates for up to 5 minutes
1 x post in our social media feed in the run up to the conference
2 x tickets to attend the conference
PLUS your name and logo on our website.
Sponsorship fee: €500
Get in touch at innovateelt@oxfordtefl.com so that we can provide you with more information and find out more about your needs.
Can you help me get a visa to attend the conference?
We provide a visa service in-house (€60 if you need a letter for your visa application). If you require a visa for attending the conference, please contact us at innovateelt@oxfordtefl.com so that we find out more about your needs.
Innovate ELT Conference 2025
Saturday May 24th (15:00 – 21:00) and
Sunday May 25th (10:00 – 15:00)
Oxford TEFL, Barcelona, Spain
Speakers
Our speakers are the movers and shakers of the ELT world. Our typical conference speaker is someone truly passionate about the English Language teaching industry and full of ideas that they want to share with the community.
Duncan Foord
Director of Teacher Training
Jamie Keddie
Teacher trainer, storyteller, author
Andréia Zakime
Trinity DipTESOL Course Director
Lindsay Clandfield
ELT writer and editor
Teresa Bestwick
Teacher trainer and materials writer
Yan Weng
CEO of Funclass & Online English Tutor
Stephen Farren
Director of Studies at IH Belfast
Mah Para Akbar
Exam Prep Instructor and Teacher Trainer
Billie Haase
CELTA Tutor and EdTech Expert
Barnaby Griffiths
Language and communication coach
Unnati Ved
Teacher and Founder of Eager Readers
Nicola Meldrum
Tutor Development Specialist
Ciarán Lynch
EdTech Expert
Elen Evans
Teacher
Crystal Weber
CEO Founder
Claire Bowes
Content Creator and Social Media Consultant
Eva Wegrzecka-Kowalewski
University professor
Rubens Heredia
CELTA teacher
Katya Vornakova
EFL and IELTS teacher
Michael Wang
Founder & CEO of Elixr Technology
Sumati Sharma
ESL teacher
Joanna Ryan
Young Learners Coordinator, teacher trainer
Hamed Hashemian
International teacher/DOS/IELTS tutor
Elisa Turri
EFL teacher in a lower secondary school
Bahador Zarrin
EFL Teacher, IELTS Trainer
Erin O’Byrne
Teacher Trainer
Tamara Jumabayeva
Primary school EFL teacher
Feruz Akbarov
English teacher
Tetiana Myronova
Director of Studies and Teacher Trainer
Sabah Mansouri
EFL teacher & professional speaker
Juan Bautista García
CEO of MockHat and owner of Walken School
Farnaz Memari
GE & BE English Teacher & Teacher Trainer
Lucy Amelia Durance
Infant English Homeroom Teacher, Teacher Trainer and Children’s Author
Anna Guiteras
ELT Content Developer
Aurore Trouvé
Teacher Trainer & ESL teacher
Paloma Gavaldà
English teacher and aspiring teacher trainer
Larisa Guzun
University Lecturer, Teacher Trainer & EFL instructor
Andrew D. Miles
Chairperson at English for Business & Writer
Kirstie Jackson Wilms
Business English teacher
Mariasol Gonzalez
English teacher and English fluency coach
About Duncan
Duncan Foord
Director of Teacher Training
Qualifications: MEd in TESOL, Trinity Licentiate Diploma in TESOL (DipTESOL).
Duncan Foord is a Coach and Mentor for ELT. He is the Director of OxfordTEFL, Barcelona. He has 35 years’ experience in language teaching, teacher training and school leadership and management. He is the author of “From English Teacher to Learner Coach” (with Dan Barber, The Round 2014) The Developing Teacher (Delta Publishing, 2009) and The Language Teachers Survival Handbook with Lindsay Clandfield (Its Magazines, 2008). He is lead trainer on the OxfordTEFL Leadership in ELT course.
About Jamie
Teacher trainer, storyteller, author
Jamie Keddie is a renowned teacher, trainer, Oxford University Press author and storyteller who has inspired educators across more than 40 countries. He is well-known for his innovative story-based lesson plans, featured on his platform LessonStream. Jamie is the author of ‘Images’ and ‘Bringing Online Video into the Classroom’ (both with Oxford University Press), as well as ‘Videotelling: YouTube Stories for the Classroom’ (LessonStream Books, 2017). He is also an affiliate trainer at Norwich Institute for Language Education (NILE) in the UK.
He is the founder of LessonStream – a community of teachers with a passion for story and storytelling.
About Andréia
Andréia Zakime
Trinity DipTESOL Course Director
Andréia Zakime has worked in the field of language teaching for more than 15 years. She has taught young learners and adults, and worked with course design and teacher training. She is currently a Cambridge CELTA tutor based in Barcelona. She is also the co-founder of What is ELT?, a a blog dedicated to teacher development and education.
After many years as a tutor on our Trinity DipTESOL course, she is now our Trinity DipTESOL course director.
About Lindsay
Lindsay Clandfield
ELT writer and editor
Beginning his career on Onestopenglish and iT’s for Teachers magazine, Lindsay’s first big published work were the popular photocopiables for New English File (OUP). He was also the author of courses such as Global, Straightforward (Macmillan) and Studio (Helbling). Lindsay’s writing for teachers includes Dealing with Difficulties (co-written with Luke Prodromou) and Teaching Online (co-written with Nicky Hockly). Both are published by Delta Publishing, and Lindsay is the series editor of the Delta Development Books for Teachers Series.
About Teresa
Teresa Bestwick
Teacher trainer and materials writer
Teresa is a teacher and trainer based in southern Spain. She is a tutor on Trinity Cert and DipTESOL courses and co-author of Teaching Teenagers from DELTA Publishing. She’s currently teaching a variety of one-to-one and group classes online and loves the chance to talk TEFL to folks at in-person events!
She runs an online community for ELT professionals, the TEFL Development Hub, and when not in front of her computer, is often on the search for plants.
About Yan
Yan Weng
CEO of Funclass & Online English Tutor
Yan is a passionate online English tutor with 9+ years of experience teaching Chinese students. She is also a teacher online influencer on RedNote with 60k+ followers and millions of views. She has attracted hundreds of students using RedNote. She is also the CEO and cofounder of Funclass, an all-in-one online tutoring platform with gamification to maximize student engagement and streamline tutoring.
About Stephen
Stephen Farren
Director of Studies at IH Belfast
Stephen Farren has almost 20 years experience in ELT, 15 of which have been spent working for IH. He has been the Director of Studies at IH Belfast since 2022, and has presented at several IHYL conferences.
About Mah
Mah Para Akbar
Exam Prep Instructor and Teacher Trainer
Mah Para Akbar is an ELT Specialist with experience in exam preparation, EAP and teacher training. Born in 2001, she is the second oldest and comes from a family of multiple world record holders. Since 2019, she has been teaching IELTS to groups of 20–25 students from diverse backgrounds and proficiency levels. She has helped thousands of students achieve their target scores, with the majority consistently reaching Band 7.5 or higher.
Currently, she works as a Teacher Trainer for Pearson in the Gulf region, delivering teacher trainings and PTE Unlocked sessions. She is also a member of the Teacher Trainers Team for the British Council. Her additional qualification as an Anti-Money Laundering Specialist has enabled her to design and deliver effective ESP and ESAP courses to candidates from FIs and DNFBPs.
Mah Para also co-founded a non-profit aimed at providing educational opportunities for disadvantaged refugees and children. The pilot Star Reachers Program saw over 250 refugee students from 15 countries enrolling and achieving school-leaving qualifications, including IGCSE and GED.
About Billie
Mah Para Akbar
Exam Prep Instructor and Teacher Trainer
Billie Hasse holds an MA in Communication Research & Phonology, a PGCE in Primary Education, and Trinity College TESOL certifications, with over 15 years of teaching experience. She has helped countless students improve their pronunciation, fluency, and communication skills in the UK, Spain, and online.
Known for her YouTube channel, Billie English, she teaches pronunciation techniques to students and teachers alike. As a CELTA course tutor, she nurtures new teachers and contributes as an educational advisor and content creator for various publishers, sharing her expertise and passion for language learning
About Barnaby
Barnaby Griffiths
Language and communication coach
Barnaby Griffiths Language Consultancy
I’ve been a language and communication coach for the best part of 20 years and a teacher trainer for almost 30 years. My professional aims are to coach English learners to be the best communicators they can be and help language teachers incorporate pioneering teaching and coaching techniques into their skillset. I was a tutor on the Oxford TEFL Diploma course for over 20 years, having co-designed the course with Duncan Foord back in 1998, so I am also able to bring all that experience to my workshops.
About Unnati
Unnati Ved
Teacher and Founder of Eager Readers
Unnati has a Dip Tesol, an LTCL in Communication Skills and an ATCL in Speech and Drama from the Trinity College London. She has more than 8 years of experience as an ELT Teacher. She runs an after-school private centre in Hyderabad, India called Eager Readers for VYLs, YLs and Teenagers. Her centre has Reading and Activity Clubs, Writing Clubs, Speech and Drama Clubs.
She is an international conference speaker and had been a speaker at the Innovate ELT in 2024. She will be a speaker at the IATEFL Conference this year in April 2025 as well. She is also a part of the academic support team at Trinity College London, India Office.
About Nicola
Nicola Meldrum
Tutor Development Specialist
Nicola is a learning designer and freelance ELT specialist. Current projects are focused on developing eLearning experiences for English and Spanish language learners. Her experience also includes teacher training, instructional design and teaching.
About Ciarán
Ciarán Lynch
EdTech Expert
www.ciaranlynch.com
Ciarán a passionate educator with a passion for technology. on a mission to explore the dynamic duo of education and technology. Back in 2009, I embarked on an incredible journey as an educator. Working with NGO’s in Zimbabwe, Uganda, and Palestine I witnessed firsthand the impact of technology to bridge gaps and enhance the learning experience.
I’m EdTech developer with a strong foundation in English Language Teaching (ELT). I specialise in creating innovative, technology-driven solutions that transform learning experiences. From designing custom LMS platforms to building AI-powered assessment tools, I combine technical expertise with pedagogical insight to deliver impactful results. I’m passionate about bridging the gap between education and technology to empower learners and educators worldwide.
About Elen
Elen Evans
TEFL Teacher & Teacher trainer
Elen was born and raised in Wales, and in 1999 she trained as a TEFL teacher so that she could explore the wider world. She has worked in Italy, Portugal, Egypt, the UK, and Spain, as an English teacher, teacher trainer, examiner, director of studies, and as a materials writer.
In 2017 she obtained her BSc (Hons) in Natural Sciences, and she is passionate about making STEM exciting, accessible, and relevant to young learners and their teachers. She coordinates projects in different countries that provide opportunities for children to explore nature and the environment where they live.
About Cystal
Crystal Weber
Crystal Weber is a successful serial edupreneur with a passion for innovation in ELT. As the founder of Crystal Clear ESL (web-based curriculum memberships) and a co-founder of Funclass (gamified virtual classroom), she specialises in interactive curriculum design, edtech strategy, and gamified learning solutions.
With a background in secondary English and online ESL education, she brings expertise in instructional design, sales strategy, and operational leadership. Crystal holds an MA in TESOL Leadership & Management (Distinction) and is dedicated to empowering educators through cutting-edge digital learning experiences.
About Claire
Claire Bowes
Educational content creator
Englii website
Claire started her ELT career in 2018, transitioning to online in 2020. During 2020, her social media journey began, sharing bite-sized English lessons on @englii_insta, amassing 664,000 global followers. In addition, her TikTok, @englii_tiktok, has over half a million followers. Claire is the social media savvy superstar for englii who keeps you learning and is the face of englii online. She is passionate about getting all learners to reach their language goals.
Claire now divides her time between engaging her learner community and collaborating with ELT brands to create educational content.
About Eva
Eva Wegrzecka-Kowalewski
University professor & Academic English coach
Eva Wegrzecka-Kowalewski, Ph.D., has been an educator for over three decades. Her career spans teaching high-school English and Academic English courses in intensive language programs as well as designing and teaching graduate level language assessment and testing courses.
She discovered the power of metaphors in her youth when writing poetry. Her research includes: a content-based interdisciplinary approach to teaching ESL, critical information literacy instruction for graduate international students, and critical thinking skills in intensive language instruction in university programs.
About Rubens
Rubens Heredia
CELTA teacher
Rubens Heredia has been working in ELT for over 20 years, 12 of which in teacher training and course design. He is a CELTA tutor and holds an MA in teacher development.
He is one of the co-founders of the website Whatiselt.com and is also a vlogger for Pavilion ELT.
About Katya
Katya Vornakova
EFL and IELTS teacher
Katya Vornakova is an experienced English language teacher with 12 years in ELT and a strong focus on IELTS preparation for the past four years. She helps students achieve higher scores by integrating AI tools and authentic materials, making test prep more engaging and practical.
Katya is passionate about innovative, tech-driven teaching that connects exam success with real-world language skills.
About Michael
Michael Wang
Founder & CEO of Elixr Technology
Michael Wang is the Founder & CEO of Elixr Technology, a Barcelona/London based startup developing AI-powered immersive learning tools for ELT. With experience teaching English in Russia and Moldova, Michael has spent years working at the intersection of language learning, migration, and intercultural communication.
As a technologist and entrepreneur, he is passionate about leveraging cutting-edge technology to solve real-world challenges in education.
About Sumati
Sumati Sharma
ESL teacher
An ELT professional with 5 years of teaching experience, I hold a Master’s degree in Applied Linguistics and have taught English to learners across various proficiency levels. My approach combines communicative methodologies with a strong focus on pronunciation.
I’m especially interested in integrating educational technology into language learning, particularly AI-powered tools. Passionate about student engagement and continuous professional development, I strive to create inclusive, motivating learning environments that foster language acquisition and build learner confidence.
About Joanna
Joanna Ryan
Young Learners Coordinator, teacher trainer
With 20 years of teaching experience in both Asia and Europe, Joanna has spent her career making learning fun—and helping other teachers do the same. She has taught in classrooms big and small, working with learners of all ages in a wide variety of settings.
Now, as a teacher, trainer, and Young Learners Coordinator, she loves developing and sharing practical, real-world strategies to keep students engaged and classrooms running smoothly.
About Hamed
Hamed Hashemian
International teacher/DOS/IELTS tutor
Hamed is a dedicated English teacher and teacher trainer with 15 years of teaching experience and 7 years in teacher education. With a CELTA, IHCAM, and a Master’s in TEFL, they have led over 300 webinars and facilitated professional development programs both regionally and internationally, collaborating with institutions such as Language Link Russia, and ITI Istanbul.
As a certified teacher trainer accredited by the British Council, Cambridge, and International House, as well as an IDP and Cambridge-certified IELTS tutor, they are deeply committed to ongoing professional growth, regularly participating in prominent ELT conferences and training events across Asia.
About Elisa
Elisa Turri
EFL teacher in a lower secondary school
Elisa a very happy EFL teacher in a lower secondary school in a small town north Milan , and she is also a materials writer for Loescher & Cambridge University Press Italy.
She is passionate about creating meaningful lessons to promote her students’ ability for natural communication, self esteem , confidence, learning to learn skills, autonomy , responsibility and responsability, self evaluation. She is a keen yoga and meditation practitioner.
About Bahador
Bahador Zarrin
EFL Teacher, IELTS Trainer
I am an experienced ELT professional with over 16 years of teaching experience and a CELTA certification from Oxford TEFL. Passionate about equity in language education, I actively research and discuss native-speakerism and its effects on teachers and learners worldwide.
About Erin
Erin O’Byrne
Teacher Trainer
I am a teacher trainer who is passionate about teachers who need easy-to-implement ideas and tasks, and who also understand the value of class community, mindfulness and teacher well-being.
I love my students but I love teachers more and I want you to be able to do your job effectively without the overwhelm and burnout. I also host Everything EFL Podcast.
About Tamara
Tamara Jumabayeva
Primary school EFL teacher
Tamara Jumabayeva Primary school EFL teacher with 10 years experience. Celta certified, Master of Education, edublogger @teachingdays Head of SIGs and YL SIG coordinator in KazAELT.
About Feruz
Feruz Akbarov
English teacher
Feruz Akbarov, a celebrated Uzbekistani educator, holds a BA in English Philology and a Master’s from India. An award-winning TESOL teacher, global presenter, and founder of ETA Uzbekistan, he champions English education, innovation, and international collaboration.
About Tetiana
Tetiana Myronova
Director of Studies and Teacher Trainer
Tetiana Myronova has taught for over 10 years and works as a Director of Studies and Teacher Trainer. With her DIPTesol qualification, she’s currently exploring how educational technology can improve teaching and learning.
Her background combines classroom experience with leadership in education.
About Sabah
Sabah Mansouri
EFL teacher & professional speaker
I am Sabah Mansouri, an experienced teacher of English based in Algeria. I have been teaching for 28years and I continue to be involve in tutoring and support programmes. For me, developing my creativity skills is very important in both professional and personal life.
Lastly, I had an experience with the EVE Mentoring programme jointly organised with ELT Algeria. It has been just amazing at all levels . This wonderful experience encouraged me to share my creative potential and bring as many innovative technics as possible to English teaching .
About Juan
Juan Bautista García
CEO of MockHat and owner of Walken School
As the CEO of MockHat and owner of Walken School, a leading English academy in the south of Spain that has been preparing students for over 10 years, he is a dedicated ELT professional with extensive experience as a teacher, manager, and director.
Passionate about technology’s potential to transform language teaching, he continually explores innovative tools to enhance both online and face-to-face lessons. He believes artificial intelligence can empower educators by streamlining tedious tasks, such as grading, and enabling more efficient, focused teaching for improved student outcomes.
About Farnaz
Farnaz Memari
GE & BE English Teacher & Teacher Trainer
Farnaz is a CELTA- and DELTA-certified English teacher and teacher trainer with 26 years of experience, including 15 years specializing in Business English and English for Specific Purposes (ESP). She has trained teachers and worked with learners from the Middle East, MENA, Far East, and Europe, tailoring lessons to their business communication needs.
Farnaz is experienced in preparing students for exams like IELTS, Cambridge certificates, BEC, Linguaskills (BE), and OET, supporting their professional success. A speaker at IATEFL BESIG, TESOL Spain, and a TESOL trainer with LTI Australia, she blends personal development and art into her teaching methods.
About Lucy
Lucy Amelia Durance
Infant English Homeroom Teacher, Teacher Trainer and Children’s Author
Lucy Amelia Durance is an infant PYP teacher and member of academic management at Agora Lledó International School in Castellón, Spain.
She holds a master’s degree in Bilingual Education and is passionate about teaching and teacher training with vast experience offering teacher training courses, talks, conferences, news articles and seminars about Language Teaching Methodologies and Didactics for institutions such as The British Council, Globeducate, Toddle, TES, Trinity College London, Pilgrims International, CICAE, France Telecom, APAVAC, Enseñanza Bilingüe en España (Bilingual Education in Spain), CEFIRE.
She has recently published a bilingual children’s book called Ogre Dad, Papá Ogro.
About Anna
Anna Guiteras
ELT Content Developer
Anna is an experienced ELT professional with 8 years of teaching and nearly 2 years of expertise in ELT content creation. Passionate about innovation, Anna focuses on creating inclusive, gamified learning experiences tailored to neurodivergent students.
With a strong interest in the combination of technology and education, she is dedicated to developing engaging digital content that meets the diverse needs of learners. Anna is committed to promoting accessibility in language learning and exploring new ways to integrate technology into effective, inclusive teaching practices.
About Aurore
Aurore Trouvé
Teacher Trainer & ESL teacher
Aurore is a Teacher Trainer at Easy School of Languages in Malta and an experienced ESL teacher and French teacher. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Culture and Foreign Languages and is a certified DELTA teacher and Teacher Trainer.
She has worked as a French Coordinator and English Head Teacher in Peru and as an Academic Manager in Malta. Aurore is passionate about helping educators create lessons that engage and motivate students, with a particular focus on integrating technology in the classroom to make lessons more interesting and relevant for learners.
About Paloma
Paloma Gavaldà
English teacher and aspiring teacher trainer
Paloma has been teaching in Barcelona for almost 10 years, and after completing the Trinity Diploma in TESOL, she joined the team of teachers at Oxford House Barcelona.
She also works as a freelance materials writer and mentor for the Escuela Oficial de Idiomas’ “Speak Up” project – an initiative that brings fun and communicative English lessons to maximum complexity high schools in the Barcelona metropolitan area. She aims at becoming a certified teacher trainer soon and is passionate about all things ELT.
About Larisa
Larisa Guzun
University Lecturer, Teacher Trainer & EFL instructor
With over a decade of experience in education management, professional development, and youth policy, Larisa Guzun has been a dedicated activist in these fields. As the founder and principal manager of Moldova’s only teachers’ NGO, META Association of Teachers, Larisa Guzun has spearheaded efforts to support and advance the careers of educators in the country.
Under Larisa’s leadership, the NGO has grown to encompass over 400 members within just four years, working to enhance the quality of education through targeted career development opportunities. The extensive experience Larisa has garnered has enabled the NGO to build strong partnerships with prominent international organizations, including the embassies of the UK and USA, the British Council, and various global associations. These connections have been instrumental in furthering the NGO’s mission and expanding its impact.
About Andrew
Andrew D. Miles
Chairperson at English for Business & Writer
Andrew has been teaching English at companies for over forty years.
Throughout this time he founded two schools in different countries and helped start a third. All three are thriving businesses today.
Andrew has also written several books aimed at business English learners.
About Kirstie
Kirstie Jackson Wilms
Business English teacher
Kirstie Jackson Wilms has been active in ELT since achieving CELTA in 2007. She completed DELTA in 2023 and returned to the classroom as a business English trainer after a period working as a materials developer for an online language school.
Kirstie is currently studying for the MA in Professional Development in Language Education with the University of Chichester/NILE, where her particular interests are learner autonomy and materials design. She is based in Germany.
About Mariasol
Mariasol Gonzalez
English teacher and English fluency coach
Mariasol González is an English teacher, certified neuro-psychoeducator from the Asociación Educar in Buenos Aires. A graduate of Instituto Lenguas Vivas from Argentina, she is currently preparing for the ACC certification from the ICF and completing her thesis for the Educational Technology Bachelor’s at Universidad Tecnológica Nacional focusing on AI-driven solutions to enhance teaching efficiency for adults in brain-friendly environments.
For over 15 years, she has provided individual coaching sessions and in-person group training for adult professionals, particularly in IT, oil & gas, and engineering. She is also the founder of Meetups Bahía Blanca, a monthly event where over 60 adults gather in a casual setting to practise English.
Our Sponsors
Click on the logo to find out more about our sponsor
Transforming lives through the power of communication and performance
Established in 1872, Trinity College London is an internationally recognised and officially regulated examination board, publisher and independent educational charity. We are known for our cultural heritage, academic rigour and pioneering spirit. We specialise in the assessment of communicative and performance skills covering English language, music, drama and combined arts.
Trinity’s English language exams focus on communicative and integrated language skills that people of all ages and from all walks of life need to perform in today’s interconnected world. Our range of qualifications covers every stage of learning, from beginner to advanced. We offer two skills oral assessments and four skills reading, writing, speaking and listening assessments as well as young learner awards.
We support English language teaching with free training and resources, as well as teaching qualifications designed to help teachers throughout their careers — from early practitioners to experienced professionals.
Preply creates life-changing learning experiences by helping people find the magic of the best tutors, a personalized journey, and the motivation that helps people learn and keep learning. Preply is now leading the online language tutoring segment globally and has 700+ employees of over 62 nationalities based across Barcelona, Kyiv, London and the US. Preply is driven by a culture of perfecting the experience they provide to their tutors and learners. You too can join over 90,000 tutors teach more than 50 languages to learners from over 175 countries.
As a Preply tutor, you will be able to:
- Choose your hourly rate and change it anytime. On average, English tutors charge $15-25 per hour.
- Decide when and how many hours you want to teach. No minimum time commitment or fixed schedule. Be your own boss!
- Attend professional development webinars and get tips to upgrade your skills. You’ll get all the help you need from our team to grow.
Start teaching on Preply by opening your profile: Teach online: Become an online tutor at Preply
All tickets include Saturday and Sunday entry, snacks, drinks and an unforgettable experience!
Sessions
During the conference, you will be able to attend plenaries, workshops, informative sessions and demo lessons.
The theme this year is “Your ELT Toolkit” and we will be providing an abundance of opportunities for you to share your ideas with others and fill your own toolkit at the same time. There is something for everyone, regardless of your level of experience. By the end of the conference you will be buzzing with ideas and ready for Monday!
Saturday 24th May 2025
15:00
🕑 15:00 -15:30 – Garden
Registration & coffee
15:30
Plenaries
🕑 15:30 – 16:00 – Garden
Lindsay Clandfield
Teresa Bestwick
16:15
Workshops
🕑 16:15 – 17:00 – Room A
Barney Griffiths
🕑 16:15 – 17:00 – Room B
Memory & the Brain: Optimized Learning through evidence-based teaching
Billie Haase
🕑 16:15 – 17:00 – Room C
DEMO LESSON: From Teacher to Tech: Boosting Pronunciation with AI and Explicit Instruction
Sumati Sharma
🕑 16:15 – 17:00 – Room D
Tech & Tactics: AI and Authentic Materials for Smarter IELTS Prep
Ekaterina Vornakova
🕑 16:15 – 17:00 – Room E
Your past lives can work for you now. Here’s how
Jane V. Sinepol
17:15
Workshops
🕑 17:15 – 18:00 – Room A
Optimizing Your Teacher’s Toolkit: Effective Board Work & Feedback Strategies
Nicola Meldrum
🕑 17:15 – 18:00 – Room B
Small Changes, Big Impact: Inclusive ELT Apps for Neurodivergent Learners
Anna Guiteras
🕑 17.15 – 18.00 – Room C
DEMO LESSON: Enabling Student Uptake of Feedback
Paloma Gavalda
🕑 17.15 – 18.00 – Room D
Did you say predictable? Crafting surprise ELT activities to keep students excited for more
Mah Para Akbar
🕑 17.15 – 18.00 – Garden
Analogue Stage, Digital Cage: keeping your classroom human
Duncan Foord
18:00
🕑 18:00 – 18:30
Coffee Break
18:30
Informative talks
🕑 18:30 – 19:00 – Room A
From AI to Z: Building Your Ultimate AI-Powered ELT Toolkit
Ciaran Lynch
🕑 18:30 – 19:00 – Room B
Visual and Tangible Metaphors as a Remedy to Sentence Structure Mistakes in English
Eva Wegrzecka-Kowalewski
🕑 18:30 – 19:00 – Room C
Empowering Professionals: Brain-Based ELT Strategies for Busy Learner
Maria Sol Gozalez
🕑 18:30 – 19:00 – Room D
Class Builder: Create Digital Worksheets in Just 5 Minutes
Tetiana Myronova
🕑 18:30 – 19:00 – Room E
How to Get Students in China for English Tutoring
Yan Weng
19:15
Workshops
🕑 19:15 – 20:00 – Room A
Power Plays: Modern Board Game Mechanics for ELT materials
Lindsay Clandfield
🕑 19:15 – 20:00 – Room B
Beyond Testing: Engaging Activities to Build Reading Skills
Aurore Trouve
🕑 19:15 – 20:00 – Room C
MockHat Magic: Transforming Handwritten ESOL Test Assessments with AI
Juan Bautista Garcia
🕑 19:15 – 20:00 – Room D
How to use authentic materials to motivate and engage young learners
Elen Evans
20:00
🕑 20:00 – 21:00
Day 1 closing drinks and snacks
Barney Griffiths
Transform your teaching with Language and Communication Coaching techniques
This interactive workshop will equip you with Language and Communication Coaching techniques to enhance your teaching practice.
Based on video clips with real learners, you will complete observation tasks to identify tools and strategies that boost student engagement and enhance learning outcomes.
Billie Haase
Memory & the Brain: Optimized Learning through evidence-based teaching
In this workshop, we’ll explore how understanding the brain’s learning and memory processes can transform your approach to language teaching.
You’ll learn how cognitive functions like memory impact language acquisition and how neurodiversity plays a key role in student learning.
Sumati Sharma
DEMO LESSON: From Teacher to Tech: Boosting Pronunciation with AI and Explicit Instruction
Students use ChatGPT for task-based learning activities to practice pronunciation.
The teacher provides prompts, while ChatGPT offers real-time feedback. This demo explores AI as a teacher aid to enhance interactive, pronunciation-focused lessons.
Ekaterina Vornakova
Tech & Tactics: AI and Authentic Materials for Smarter IELTS Prep
Many IELTS students rely too much on test strategies or AI. In my talk, I’ll share practical ways to use AI tools and authentic materials to make prep more engaging, build real-world skills, and help students achieve higher band scores
Jane Sinepol
Your past lives can work for you now. Here’s how
In guided group and pair work the participants will explore their seemingly irrelevant skills and experiences, then brainstorm the ways to make use of those in their teaching and marketing.
New project ideas and self-confidence boost are the results expected.
Nicola Meldrum and Mark McKinnon
Optimizing Your Teacher’s Toolkit: Effective Board Work & Feedback Strategies
Anna Guiteras
Small Changes, Big Impact: Inclusive ELT Apps for Neurodivergent Learners
Many language learning apps miss small but impactful design changes for neurodivergent students.
This session explores simple tweaks—like readable fonts, focus modes, and adaptive gamification—that improve accessibility and engagement, making ELT apps more inclusive and effective for all learners.
Paloma Gavalda
DEMO LESSON: Enabling Student Uptake of Feedbac
In line with this year’s conference theme, I would like to show an essential technique in my teaching toolkit: the delayed feedback sandwich.
After about 25 minutes of teaching, we’ll discuss the usefulness and potential drawbacks of this technique, and we’ll aim at improving it with your feedback.
Mah Para Akbar
Did you say predictable? Crafting surprise ELT activities to keep students excited for more
Students arriving late & making excuses to leave early? Gazing at the clock & flicking distractedly through pages in the coursebook? Completing communicative tasks mechanically?
Let me show you some fun, surprising and easy ways to get students back on track and excited to learn English!
Duncan Foord
Analogue Stage, Digital Cage: keeping your classroom human.
In this workshop we will explore activities and strategies, which will help reduce the time students spend in class looking at screens and books and increase the time they spend interacting with each other.
Ciaran Lynch
From AI to Z: Building Your Ultimate AI-Powered ELT Toolkit
Discover the A-Z of AI for language teaching! Explore a range of game-changing tools that can transform lesson planning, simplify routine tasks, and drive student engagement.
From making bespoke materials in minutes to precision feedback, learn to elevate your tech skills for teaching.
Eva Wegrzecka-Kowalewski
Visual and Tangible Metaphors as a Remedy to Sentence Structure Mistakes in English
The presenter will demonstrate her innovative approach to teaching sentence structure in English.
By using LEGO blocks and Matryoshkas, Russian nesting dolls, the presenter will walk the audience through visual steps of connecting clauses to create a rich variety of sentences.
Maria Sol Gozalez
Empowering Professionals: Brain-Based ELT Strategies for Busy Learners
Equip ELT teachers with innovative strategies based on neuroscience and blended Learning to enhance adult professional education, maximizing time and learning outcomes.
Tetiana Myronova
Class Builder: Create Digital Worksheets in Just 5 Minutes
In this session, we’ll introduce you to Class Builder, a tool specifically designed for English teachers by English teachers. This platform allows you to create customized digital worksheets using targeted filters—all in just 5 minutes! Simply share a link with your students, and you’re ready to go.
Yan Weng
How to Get Students in China for English Tutoring
In this talk, I’ll introduce the essential tools tutors need to attract students in China, such as WeChat and RedNote, and share practical strategies for using them effectively.
Lindsay Clandfield
Power Plays: Modern Board Game Mechanics for ELT materials
Games have long been part of ELT classrooms, offering fun and learning. However, many rely on traditional games like Snakes and Ladders or Pictionary.
Modern boardgaming has introduced innovative game mechanics. This workshop explores both old and new mechanics
Aurore Trouve
Beyond Testing: Engaging Activities to Build Reading Skills
Coursebooks often focus on testing reading rather than teaching it, leaving students without the techniques they need to read efficiently.
This interactive workshop will explore engaging activities that develop students’ reading skills by integrating top-down and bottom-up processing.
Juan Bautista Garcia
MockHat Magic: Transforming Handwritten ESOL Test Assessments with AI
In this engaging talk, I introduce MockHat—an AI-powered tool revolutionising ESOL writing assessments.
Designed for busy educators, this session reveals how MockHat frees up valuable time normally spent correcting tests outside class, empowering teachers to focus more on teaching.
Elen Evans
How to use authentic materials to motivate and engage young learners
How often do you use authentic materials with young learners? In this workshop we will explore some ways we can exploit authentic materials for classroom use with YLs, drawing from research and my own experience.
You will leave the session with authentic material ideas to add to your ELT toolkit.
Rachel Marie Paling
Workshop: Powering learning through Coaching Conversations
This workshop will explore how to harness neuroscientific research and professional coaching to bring key information to learners to help them learn potentially faster and more effectively. There will be live practise using key coaching conversations.
All tickets include Saturday and Sunday entry, snacks, drinks and an unforgettable experience!
Sunday 25th May 2025
09:45
🕑 09:45 – 10:15
Arrival / Breakfast
10:15
Plenaries
🕑 10:15 – 10:45 – Garden
Andreia Zakime
Jamie Keddie
10:45
Workshops
🕑 10:45 – 11:30 – Room A
Your ELT Digital Toolkit: Creating Content for Instagram, TikTok & YouTube
Claire Bowes
🕑 10:45 – 11:30 – Room B
Handing over the keys: Helping students create their own learning toolkit.
Rubens Heredia
🕑 10:45 – 11:30 – Room C
Using the Johari Window to Facilitate learner Recognition and Materials
Farnaz Memari
🕑 10:45 – 11:30 – Room D
Bridging Art and Language: A creative approach to Learning English
Sabah Mansouri
🕑 10:45 – 11:30 – Room D
Play by YOUR rules!
Elisa Turri
11:45
Workshops
🕑 11:45 – 12:30 – Room A
Reflecting on the basics in our classroom toolkit
Teresa Bestwick
🕑 11:45 – 12:30 – Room B
Sustainable ELT: Eco-friendly practices in the classroom
Stephen Farren
🕑 11:45 – 12:30 – Room C
Stories make the best language teachers
Unnati Ved
🕑 11:45 – 12:30 – Room D
Task It Up: ideas to promote authentic communication in the classroom
Andreia Zakime
🕑 11:45 – 12:30 – Room E
Lights, Camera, Action: Harnessing Vlogging to Transform ELT Classrooms
Feruz Akbarov
12:30
🕑 12:30 – 13:00
Coffee Break
13:00
Informative talks
🕑 13:00 – 13:30 – Room A
AI or EI? Exploring the Power of Emotion VS the Technology in Education
Larisa Guzun
🕑 13:00 – 13:30 – Room C
How to Start Your Own in-Company Training Business
Andrew Miles
🕑 13:00 – 13:30 – Room D
Assessing Students’ Language Learning Strategies for Materials Design and Adaptation
Kirstie Jackson Wills
🕑 13:00 – 13:30 – Room E
Culturally Relevant CLIL: Enhancing Learning Through Kazakh Contexts
Tamara Jumabayeva
🕑 13:00 – 13:30 – Room E
From Text to VR in Minutes: AI-Generated Worlds for Language Fluency
Michael Wang
13:45 – 14:30
Workshops
🕑 13:45 – 14:30 – Room A
A story-based approach to video
Jamie Keddie
🕑 13:45 – 14:30 – Room B
Beyond the Gap-Fill: Practical Tasks to Get Students Speaking
Erin O Byrne
🕑 13:45 – 14:30 – Room C
Classroom Management 101
Joanna Ryan
🕑 13:45 – 14:30 – Room D – TALK
Layering Gamification for Truly Memorable Online Learning
Crystal Weber
14:30
🕑14:30 – 15:00
Day 2 closing speeches drinks and snacks
Claire Bowes
Your ELT Digital Toolkit: Creating Content for Instagram, TikTok & YouTube
Enhance your ELT toolkit by exploring social media content creation! In this interactive workshop, teachers will design engaging ideas for Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Discover effective strategies and tips to make language learning dynamic and leave with practical ideas for your teaching!
Rubens Heredia
Handing over the keys: Helping students create their own learning toolkit
As teachers, we rely on a range of techniques to achieve learning goals and help students. But how can we help our learners continue learning when we are not around?
In this workshop, we will discuss learner autonomy and share strategies and resources to help our students when they
Farnaz Memari
Using the Johari Window to Facilitate learner Recognition and Materials
The workshop explores the Johari Window model, helping teachers meet learners’ needs by gathering “transparent” data, addressing “blind” areas through awareness, uncovering “hidden” fears tied to mistakes, and identifying “unknown” needs, enhancing their ability to support learners more effectively.
Sabah Mansouri
Bridging Art and Language: A creative approach to Learning English
This workshop explores an engaging approach to English learning , combining the expressive power of art with the precision of language.
Get ready to unleash your creativity and enhance your knowledge through hands-on activities and interactive discussions. Discover vibrant and immersive experience
Elisa Turri
Play by YOUR rules!
As teachers we all have some rules as part of our own ELT toolkit – golden rules we play by, rules we break, rules we question, rules we bend, rules we stretch.
In this workshop we will question and explore the rules that inform our teaching and learning.
Teresa Bestwick
Reflecting on the basics in our classroom toolkit
In this reflective workshop, we’ll look at some of the tools we have in our everyday classroom management kit, discussing how effective they are in making the most of the learning environment.
We’ll reflect on measuring progress, differentiation and tweaking learner language, amongst other things.
Stephen Farren
Sustainable ELT: Eco-friendly practices in the classroom
The session will look at ways of reducing the ecological impact of language teaching while enhancing learning.
Sustainability isn’t just environmental speak, it is part of our every day and the workshop will incorporate practical solutions teachers can take away and implement into their practices.
Unnati Ved
Workshop: Stories make the best language teachers
Stories make the best language teachers – A 45 min workshop for teachers on how to use stories and activities to teach language skills.
A complete tool kit with recommendations for a toddler to a teenager.
Andreia Zakime
Task It Up: ideas to promote authentic communication in the classroom
In this workshop, we will explore the role of genuine tasks in the language classroom.
The idea is to incorporate principles of Tasks-based language teaching and other communicative approaches in our planning and teaching that can make the language we teach more memorable and meaningful.
Feruz Akbarov
Lights, Camera, Action: Harnessing Vlogging to Transform ELT Classrooms
The topic explores innovative ways to integrate vlogging into English language teaching. This workshop focuses on enhancing student engagement, motivation, and language skills like speaking, listening, and storytelling.
Larisa Guzun
AI or EI? Exploring the Power of Emotion VS the Technology in Education
In this talk, we will delve into the dynamic interplay between Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Emotional Intelligence (EI) in the context of education. It examines how EI enhances student engagement, empathy, and learning, while AI revolutionizes personalized learning, efficiency, and accessibility.
Participants will gain insights into how a balanced approach, integrating both AI’s and EI’s in teaching.
Andrew Miles
How to Start Your Own in-Company Training Business
This talk is for teachers who want to start their own in-company language training business. It will include tips on how to begin, how to find students and how to manage a teaching business.
Kirstie Jackson Wills
Assessing Students’ Language Learning Strategies for Materials Design and Adaptation
Supporting language learning strategies is one way to approach differentiation and foster learner autonomy in the classroom and beyond. In this talk, you will learn what strategies are (and aren’t), why they are important and some ways to analyse and write materials with strategies in mind.
Tamara Jumabayeva
Culturally Relevant CLIL: Enhancing Learning Through Kazakh Contexts
My talk explores how integrating Kazakh traditions and national identity into English and Science lessons makes learning more meaningful.
By aligning content with students’ cultural background, we bridge the gap between English as an ‘international’ language and its relevance in their daily lives.
Michael Wang
From Text to VR in Minutes: AI-Generated Worlds for Language Fluency
Objective-based, contextual, communication-first learning is the gold standard for fluency—but hard to implement at scale.
We unveil a groundbreaking AI-powered tool that generates bespoke, ready-to-go interactive VR scenarios in minutes—finally making immersive fluency practice accessible to all.
Jamie Keddie
A story-based approach to video
In this workshop, you will learn a simple but original approach to video that brings the story and your students to the front of the class.
You’ll discover how to maximise engagement with the narrative, build storytelling confidence and enhance visual literacy through multimodal storytelling.
Erin O Byrne
Beyond the Gap-Fill: Practical Tasks to Get Students Speaking
Help your students learn language in a more step-by-step, bite-sized way by creating mini-tasks that can be used in different ways, cutting down your prep time. Be ready to create tasks in the workshop to take home!
Joanna Ryan
Classroom Management 101
This dynamic workshop will demonstrate five essential, research-backed strategies for transforming the classroom management skills of any teacher, in any setting, regardless of experience level.
Crystal Weber TALK
Layering Gamification for Truly Memorable Online Learning
Discover how layering gamification—interactive curricula, virtual classrooms, and more—fuels intrinsic motivation and deep engagement. This hands-on workshop explores practical techniques to transform online learning.
Walk away empowered to build high-impact, memorable learning moments.
Theme in 2025: Your ELT Toolkit!
The theme this year is “Your ELT Toolkit” and we will be providing an abundance of opportunities for you to share your ideas with others and fill your own toolkit at the same time.
This could be, for example, a new ELT product which is being developed, a teaching or training technique which has proven to work wonders, or innovative practices in leadership and mangement. There is no limit to what may be found in the ELT toolkit at the Innovate ELT conference this year.
Pricing & Registration
Sales end on 24/05/2025
– SALES ENDED –
€40.00
Super early bird ticket
On sale from November 11th 2024
to December 31st 2024
– SALES ENDED –
€50.00
Early bird ticket
On sale from January 1st 2025
to March 31st 2025
– ON SALE NOW –
€80.00
Standard ticket
On sale from April 1st
to May 26th 2025
– SALES ENDED –
€40.00
Speaker ticket
On sale from March 1st 2025
to March 31st 2025
– ON SALE NOW –
€40.00
Speaker guest ticket
On sale from March 1st 2025
to May 24th 2025
Organiser: Oxford TEFL
Oxford TEFL is an an accredited teacher training school in a great central location in Barcelona, Spain, that provides Trinity DipTESOL, Cambridge CELTA and teacher development courses online and face-to-face in Barcelona. Our trainers are experts in teacher training and active in the ELT industry. We strive to create a positive, dynamic and supportive environment where our students, teachers and trainers can focus on their learning and teaching aims and enjoy the experience of achieving them. The InnovateELT Conference is an extension of the passion we feel for teaching and learning languages.
Be a part of InnovateELT 2025!
Saturday May 24th 15:00 – 21:00 and Sunday May 25th 10:00 – 15:00
Oxford TEFL, Barcelona, Spain
