Webinars
 from IH London

Summary: This webinar looks at the outcome of experiments that two teachers did with different approaches to language lessons, namely shallow-end TBL, deep-end TBL and dogme and explores the difference in focus on emergent language that the teachers found themselves naturally focussing on. With practical ideas to help you consider your own language work and how to do teacher-led experiments in the classroom, this will definitely give you food for thought. 

This webinar examines what we mean by metacognition and explore some of the arguments for incorporating it into the ESL classroom. Alongside looking at the theoretical benefits of metacognition, this talk also provides practical ideas and tips for introducing it into your lessons. 

Experiencing a sense of stagnation is a common feeling when students reach the intermediate level. This session is designed to address the typical challenges they encounter during this phase, and provide teachers with tools to empower and help our learners overcome the infamous intermediate plateau.

Great lessons start with great tasks! In this webinar, we explore how to select, design and implement engaging tasks that drive learning. You can discover easy, low-prep ways to assess learners' needs, structure lessons using a task > teach > task approach and how to get the most out of tasks in your classroom. 

In this session, we explore the role of emergent language in interaction and consider ways in which we can develop this important skill. 

After learners take part in communicative tasks and discussions, post-task feedback often focuses on sentence or phrase level language. In this workshop, we will look at ways teachers can help learners reconstruct what they said into longer texts, and how these can be used to work with emergent language and explore the reasons why learners are using specific forms. 

Summary: How often do you use AI in you classroom? Do you simply dabble, or is AI now a big part of how you plan and organise you day? Join Attila as he talks about the role of AI in our current practice, how we can use AI to in the context of a flipped classroom, and how AI usage is going to continuously shape and form what we can do when using it to learn a language.

Emergence offers fresh situations, already energised, arising for real, in the moment, from exactly the people that are present. The class could become a living interaction rather than the enactment of a plan. But how do we accept this offer? We have to improvise, but how? We don’t discuss it. We will explore this theme, for new and experienced teachers.

Mediation is one of four activities identified in the CEFR Companion Volume published in 2020 as being essential for expediting real life communication. But what is meant by mediation and is it something that we can easily and effectively implement into our day-to-day planning and teaching?

This workshop shows how we can use mediation skills to help our learners approach language as an authentic whole rather than individual parts. It demonstrates how speaking, listening, reading and writing rarely occur independently but instead co-exist in meaningful communication. I argue that the best place to start is by interrogating the belief that language consists of four skills and two systems operating separately with grammar as the benevolent dictator.

Have you ever struggled to find new ways to introduce or practise grammar and vocabulary? Are you interested in another way to blend all the skills? Dictogloss can help you with that while also developing your students' soft skills such as collaboration and autonomy. The best thing about Dictogloss is that you can use it with any level and any age group! This webinar will show you exactly what Dictogloss is, guide you through its key steps, and show you how you can adapt it based on your teaching context. 

This interactive workshop looked at our favourite revision tasks and we discussed how, when and why we used them with our students. There is no recording for this workshop, however, the slides have links
to a padlet with a whole lot of different ideas for revision. Click here to see the slides. 

Stories have always played an important role in language teaching, although traditionally they were used mainly as vehicles for grammar practice or written ‘compositions’. In this talk I want to review these uses of narrative, while suggesting that stories can serve other key purposes as well, such as personalizing the content of the lesson and creating opportunities for genuine communication. I’ll share some of my favourite storytelling activities. I’ll also make the point that the stories we tell about teaching provide valuable material for teacher development, for, as Oliver Sachs said, ‘each of us is a biography, a story’.

Task-Based Learning (TBL) centres meaningful communication in our lessons; it offers a viable and credible alternative to lessons built around studying and practising a single grammar point. But what is a task, exactly? And why is it worth incorporating TBL into our courses? And can it work with teenagers? This webinar will answer these questions and more, providing practical tips for designing task-based lessons and offering examples of tasks we can use with our groups, particularly teens and young adults. 

If human beings can ‘catch’ fog from the air and turn it into water, then why can’t students ‘catch’ grammar (and other language) in the same way? What can we do to help them become good at taking language for themselves?.   In this talk I will suggest that ‘what we give our attention to is what thrives’ and show examples of how this might be achieved because it is only when students start taking language for themselves that we can truly believe they are on their way to a mastery of the language.

Summary: In this webinar, we explore how, when and why we can adapt and create learning materials that best meet the wants and needs of our learners. We discuss how this is relevant for all types of classrooms, from YLs through to business English and exam preparation classes and also consider ways in which we can share materials we believe will benefit others’ language learning classrooms.

Discover how AI tools can enhance language teaching in this practical webinar. We explored some tools and applications of AI that can help you save time and energy, provide ideas and inspiration for personalized learning, language assessment and classroom engagement. Designed for both tech-savvy and beginner educators, this session will equip you with some actionable strategies to integrate AI into your teaching practice, helping to improve student outcomes and streamline your workload. Join us to unlock some of the potential of AI in language education!

In this webinar, Michael looks at materials design, turning his focus to lead in tasks. He explores how they are used and and the importance of a well-designed lead-in.

As an experienced ESL teacher and an educational technology enthusiast, Thu Thu Naing has been utilising ChatGPT in her lesson planning. In this webinar, she will share her insights and experience and provide practical tips and advice on how to use ChatGPT in lesson planning. 

"Why does lesson planning take so long?" We've all said this to ourselves at one time or another, feeling frustrated and tired. Is there another way? Well, Joanna is here to pass on her top tips to streamline the planning process. 

Summary: In this practical workshop we shared our experience of formative assessment in class and consider what we do now and how we do it with YLs and upwards. We discussed and explored the challenges we face in effectively implementing formative assessment, with a particular focus on speaking activities. Together we looked at some formative assessment tools we can use in class and make an evaluation of them for our contexts and learner needs. With the use of some real examples of different formative assessment used for speaking, we considered the potential benefits with regard to motivation and engagement along with overall higher levels of attainment. Through a final collective reflection task, it is hoped everyone will be able to decide on, take away and try out an assessment idea for their class.

Great lessons start with great tasks! In this webinar, we explore how to select, design and implement engaging tasks that drive learning. You can discover easy, low-prep ways to assess learners' needs, structure lessons using a task > teach > task approach and how to get the most out of tasks in your classroom. 

Want to know more about connected speech? Discover when and how to integrate it into lessons and get ready to explore a variety of engaging and motivating activities that will raise awareness of and allow practice with connected speech. 

This interactive workshop will look at what makes a good listening task for learners, how to design tasks to develop decoding skills, encourage deeper thinking and help learners reflect on their own skills and strategies.

Struggling to find the right audio for your learners ? Maybe the available options feel too scripted, too inauthentic, or just not engaging enough. This webinar will guide you through sourcing, creating, and effectively using audio materials to better match your students' listening needs and interests—enhancing their learning experience with relevant, meaningful listening practice.

In this very practical session, we look at how to structure speaking tasks to better engage our teenage learners. We consider how to support both reticent and low-level speakers, as well as covering teacher input, monitoring, scripted dialogues, modelling, pair work and whole group conversations. There are examples and anecdotes from Chris's own classes. Suitable for new teachers and seasoned veterans alike.

Having students who won't speak is a common experience to all teachers. We ask the question - why aren't they speaking and is there something we can do about it? This practical workshop will present ways that IH London teachers have experimented to support our learners in their speaking and also in their silence.

Everyone loves a song, right? But why use them in the classroom and are there other things we can do instead of a gapfill? Together we will look at different activities you can use in your lessons to engage and inspire learners with songs. 

Summary: This webinar aims to link dyslexia with spelling skills using the latest scientific insights. It explores dyslexia's effects on reading and spelling, highlighting evidence-based strategies for spelling challenges. The workshop delves into the neurological aspects of dyslexia and its implications for teaching and promotes effective teaching methods based on research. It also covers the science of learning, incorporating cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and education research to improve educational practices for dyslexic learners. Participants will gain a deep understanding of dyslexia, practical spelling strategies, and how the science of learning can enhance educational methods to support all learners, particularly those with dyslexia.

Mediation is one of four activities identified in the CEFR Companion Volume published in 2020 as being essential for expediting real life communication. But what is meant by mediation and is it something that we can easily and effectively implement into our day-to-day planning and teaching?

This workshop shows how we can use mediation skills to help our learners approach language as an authentic whole rather than individual parts. It demonstrates how speaking, listening, reading and writing rarely occur independently but instead co-exist in meaningful communication. I argue that the best place to start is by interrogating the belief that language consists of four skills and two systems operating separately with grammar as the benevolent dictator.

So many teachers talk about how writing remains one of the most intimidating things to teach. Where do you start? How do you motivate students to write? Should it just be part of a language review or is it reasonable to get learners to actually practise the skill in itself?  In this session, we’ll look at different aspects of writing that we can look at in lessons, how writing can be part of a lesson or a lesson all in itself! I’ll also share some of my favourite writing lessons with you, and how these can be adapted or utilised in your classrooms.

In this webinar, we'll look at the difference between exam classes and other kinds of classes, explore common exam tasks and you'll get practical ideas to use in your classes to help your learners get as much as they can out of exam preparation lessons. 

Summary: Having trouble organizing your board? In this webinar I will be looking at some simple techniques for planning a board, and how a well-thought-out whiteboard can add an extra level of support for our learners.

Keeping young learners and teens motivated and maintaining a well-managed classroom can feel like a juggling act—but it doesn’t have to be. In this practical session, we’ll explore simple, effective strategies to boost engagement, encourage positive behaviour, and create a classroom environment where students feel empowered to succeed. With real classroom examples and ready-to-use tips, this webinar is perfect for teachers looking to bring more energy, clarity, and confidence to their large YL and teen classes.

Everyone wants their learners to be engaged but what does this really mean? In this webinar we'll look at different kinds of engagement and you'll get tips on how to emotionally engage your learners in the classroom. 

In this interactive webinar we explore what we mean by mixed level classes and how “being a mix” plays out between learners. We consider the challenges for us and them, by sharing our experiences and talking about how we’ve tried to overcome these. In order to explore the options available to us when working with mixed level classes, we evaluate some common practices. Together we’ll share what we have tried and what’s worked and what has worked less well and consider why. Through practical examples and by focusing on specific activities we’ll consider some possible simple tricks and tweaks we can make to our activity choices, set-up and outcomes. By the end of the webinar, you will have a better understanding of how we can support mixed level classes and maximise participation and learning. 

You’ve spent the whole evening creating a wonderful lesson to only see your learners slowly zoom out during the delivery. Have you ever had that experience? Well, don’t worry you are not alone! Motivation is a complex concept but is essential to make learning happen. In this interactive workshop we explore how social-emotional competences (SEC) can help create the conditions for motivation. We explore the concept of motivation before zooming in on practical SEC-based strategies that can facilitate student motivation in the classroom, face-to-face or online.

Summary: This session is primarily focussed on managing tween and teen behaviour in the classroom, and many of the ideas can be adapted for other age groups. In this session we will look at some of the reasons behind behavioural issues with teenagers in the classroom. We will look at a range of ways that we might deal with the behaviour, both in terms of preventive and remedial interventions. You will come away with some practical ideas to try out in your lessons and might see your teens in a different light.

Summary: This webinar aims to link dyslexia with spelling skills using the latest scientific insights. It explores dyslexia's effects on reading and spelling, highlighting evidence-based strategies for spelling challenges. The workshop delves into the neurological aspects of dyslexia and its implications for teaching and promotes effective teaching methods based on research. It also covers the science of learning, incorporating cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and education research to improve educational practices for dyslexic learners. Participants will gain a deep understanding of dyslexia, practical spelling strategies, and how the science of learning can enhance educational methods to support all learners, particularly those with dyslexia.

Students with Special Educational Needs are becoming more and more recognised in ELT contexts, but many teachers don’t feel confident providing the appropriate support. In this talk, you’ll learn the reasons behind some types of behaviour you come across in classrooms and different ways to respond. Then we’ll discuss small changes you can make to your teaching methods, lesson plans and materials to include all of your students. These ideas will open up your classes to a variety of creative and engaging activities that will help you promote your students’ range of strengths and create a positive learning environment for everyone. You will also take away action points and resources you can try in your classes straight away to give you the confidence to celebrate and harness the rich diversity that a range of people create.

Summary: In this workshop participants learned to identify some of the ways in which trauma may present in the classroom explored trauma-informed teaching and learning strategies considered how these strategies may be applied in different face-to-face teaching situations explored post-traumatic growth and useful strategies for fostering this in classroom

Summary: In this practical workshop we shared our experience of formative assessment in class and consider what we do now and how we do it with YLs and upwards. We discussed and explored the challenges we face in effectively implementing formative assessment, with a particular focus on speaking activities. Together we looked at some formative assessment tools we can use in class and make an evaluation of them for our contexts and learner needs. With the use of some real examples of different formative assessment used for speaking, we considered the potential benefits with regard to motivation and engagement along with overall higher levels of attainment. Through a final collective reflection task, it is hoped everyone will be able to decide on, take away and try out an assessment idea for their class.

Summary: Keeping young learners and teens motivated and maintaining a well-managed classroom can feel like a juggling act—but it doesn’t have to be. In this practical session, we’ll explore simple, effective strategies to boost engagement, encourage positive behaviour, and create a classroom environment where students feel empowered to succeed. With real classroom examples and ready-to-use tips, this webinar is perfect for teachers looking to bring more energy, clarity, and confidence to their large YL and teen classes.

Summary: In this very practical session, we look at how to structure speaking tasks to better engage our teenage learners. We consider how to support both reticent and low-level speakers, as well as covering teacher input, monitoring, scripted dialogues, modelling, pair work and whole group conversations. There are examples and anecdotes from Chris's own classes. Suitable for new teachers and seasoned veterans alike.

Summary: In this interactive webinar we explore what we mean by mixed level classes and how “being a mix” plays out between learners. We consider the challenges for us and them, by sharing our experiences and talking about how we’ve tried to overcome these. In order to explore the options available to us when working with mixed level classes, we evaluate some common practices. Together we’ll share what we have tried and what’s worked and what has worked less well and consider why. Through practical examples and by focusing on specific activities we’ll consider some possible simple tricks and tweaks we can make to our activity choices, set-up and outcomes. By the end of the webinar, you will have a better understanding of how we can support mixed level classes and maximise participation and learning. 

Summary: Teaching teenagers is often seen as a challenge. Much of this perception seems to stem from the way adolescent students are taught, leading to unpredictable reactions and, oftentimes, conflict. This webinar explores some characteristics of the teenage stage of cognitive development, their implications in the classroom, and some practical ideas on how we can address them to foster a more effective and positive learning process.

Summary: Do you want to tap into your creative resources whilst also doing your bit for the environment? Then come and join us in this interactive, paper-light webinar. We will explore paper-light practical activities for your learners that you can take straight into the classroom, online or face-to-face. All you need is some images, a whiteboard, some paper and your creativity!

Summary: Task-Based Learning (TBL) centres meaningful communication in our lessons; it offers a viable and credible alternative to lessons built around studying and practising a single grammar point. But what is a task, exactly? And why is it worth incorporating TBL into our courses? And can it work with teenagers? This webinar will answer these questions and more, providing practical tips for designing task-based lessons and offering examples of tasks we can use with our groups, particularly teens and young adults. 

Summary: This session is primarily focussed on managing tween and teen behaviour in the classroom, and many of the ideas can be adapted for other age groups. In this session we will look at some of the reasons behind behavioural issues with teenagers in the classroom. We will look at a range of ways that we might deal with the behaviour, both in terms of preventive and remedial interventions. You will come away with some practical ideas to try out in your lessons and might see your teens in a different light.

Summary: Everyone loves a song, right? But why use them in the classroom and are there other things we can do instead of a gapfill? Together we will look at different activities you can use in your lessons to engage and inspire learners with songs.

Summary: Discover how AI tools can enhance language teaching in this practical webinar. We explored some tools and applications of AI that can help you save time and energy, provide ideas and inspiration for personalized learning, language assessment and classroom engagement. Designed for both tech-savvy and beginner educators, this session will equip you with some actionable strategies to integrate AI into your teaching practice, helping to improve student outcomes and streamline your workload. Join us to unlock some of the potential of AI in language education!

Summary: How often do you use AI in you classroom? Do you simply dabble, or is AI now a big part of how you plan and organise you day? Join Attila as he talks about the role of AI in our current practice, how we can use AI to in the context of a flipped classroom, and how AI usage is going to continuously shape and form what we can do when using it to learn a language.

Summary: As an experienced ESL teacher and an educational technology enthusiast, Thu Thu Naing has been utilising ChatGPT in her lesson planning. In this webinar, she will share her insights and experience and provide practical tips and advice on how to use ChatGPT in lesson planning. 

Summary: Do you want to tap into your creative resources whilst also doing your bit for the environment? Then come and join us in this interactive, paper-light webinar. We will explore paper-light practical activities for your learners that you can take straight into the classroom, online or face-to-face. All you need is some images, a whiteboard, some paper and your creativity!

Summary: Teaching one-to-one is very rewarding but comes with its own unique set of challenges. This webinar explores practical activities and ways to engage learners when teaching one-to-one primarily online but also face-to-face. We look at the following areas: Methodologies and approaches that underpin one-to-one teaching, Students' expectations and how to identify them, Key considerations when teaching one-to-one, activities to do with students in a one-to-one setting, how to manage feedback effectively.

Summary: Experiencing a sense of stagnation is a common feeling when students reach the intermediate level. This session is designed to address the typical challenges they encounter during this phase, and provide teachers with tools to empower and help our learners overcome the infamous intermediate plateau.

Summary: How can we teach beginners without using translation in class? "I don't speak their L1, how can I teach them?". Based on Celia' experience in the UK and Türkiye where smiles and patience were as crucial as the lesson plans themselves. 😃 So, in this webinar, she shares her approach ( backed by literature) to teaching beginners, emphasising the importance of building a strong foundation in both vocabulary and grammar. Teachers will learn strategies for creating a supportive and engaging learning environment that caters to the needs of their lovely beginner students. By the end of the webinar, teachers will have a set of effective techniques for introducing new language concepts, fostering confidence, and encouraging early language use among their beginner learners. 

Summary: This talk will look at the main ways in which Business English differs from General English teaching, and will give some practical advice about approaches and language focus appropriate to this context. You might also have particular questions you would like to ask and I’m happy to answer these. I hope you'll come away with a clearer idea of what's involved and more confidence in how to approach Business English.

Summary: In this webinar, we'll look at the difference between exam classes and other kinds of classes, explore common exam tasks and you'll get practical ideas to use in your classes to help your learners get as much as they can out of exam preparation lessons

Summary: Teaching one-to-one is very rewarding but comes with its own unique set of challenges. This webinar explores practical activities and ways to engage learners when teaching one-to-one primarily online but also face-to-face. We look at the following areas: Methodologies and approaches that underpin one-to-one teaching, Students' expectations and how to identify them, Key considerations when teaching one-to-one, activities to do with students in a one-to-one setting, how to manage feedback effectively.

Summary: This webinar on teaching one-to-one tips and techniques covers:
• Key differences between one-to-one and group classes
• Learner-Centred Planning
• Teacher-Learner Roles and Classroom Management
• Motivation and Morale
• Balance Skills and Systems
• Features in One-to-One Classes
And ends with some very helpful tips and techniques for class and for getting students!

Summary: In this workshop participants learned to identify some of the ways in which trauma may present in the classroom explored trauma-informed teaching and learning strategies considered how these strategies may be applied in different face-to-face teaching situations explored post-traumatic growth and useful strategies for fostering this in classroom

Summary: This webinar looks at a series of insights from the world of counselling that can be brought into teaching (and managing). It takes some theoretical and practical ideas from psychotherapy, and shows how these can be used to enhance classroom practice and classroom management, to develop strategies for working with students on a 1-1 basis, and to be better able to understand and work with learners of a variety of backgrounds, learning styles and attachment patterns. These are explored using a series of case studies taken from the presenter's own teaching experience, and the session aims to provide a series of practical take-aways that can be used in everyday teaching practice and in relationships with colleagues.

Summary: Experiencing a sense of stagnation is a common feeling when students reach the intermediate level. This session is designed to address the typical challenges they encounter during this phase, and provide teachers with tools to empower and help our learners overcome the infamous intermediate plateau.