Working with Language at the Point of Need
2026-06-20 15:00 - 18:00 (Europe/Berlin)
In-person Workshop
When: June 20, 2026
Time: 3 p.m.-6 p.m. (Coffee & cake from 2:30 p.m.)
Where: Rosenkavalierplatz 16, Arabella Park U-Bahn
Focusing on the classroom as a space for skilled improvisation, the workshop shows how teachers can work with learners’ language as it emerges in real time. Participants will explore how to create opportunities for meaningful talk, adapt materials to encourage learner contribution, and respond to language at the point of need. Through practical, classroom-ready activities, the session demonstrates how noticing, testing and refining language can be integrated into communicative tasks without losing focus on meaning.
Drawing on classroom examples, the workshop will share strategies for:

creating space for emergent language in meaning-focused interaction
helping learners engage with grammar as a dynamic, meaning-driven process

developing teachers’ confidence in noticing, selecting and responding to learner language

adapting materials and tasks to support flexible, responsive teaching

Participants will leave with a repertoire of practical activities and clear principles they can immediately apply in their own contexts, supporting learners to develop language in ways that are timely, relevant and genuinely communicative.
To register, email info@melta.de
Richard Chinn is a teacher educator based in London and he works on MA and BA programmes at King’s College London. He is also involved in pre- and in-service teacher training courses at International House London. He has taught English and trained teachers in Central and South America, Asia, Africa, and Europe and regularly delivers talks and workshops for teachers. His professional interests are in emergent language, classroom interaction, language teaching methodology, and teacher development. He is co-author of the book ‘Working with Emergent Language’ published by Pavilion ELT, 2023.

Webinar with Penny Ur
2026-07-11 10:00 - 11:30
Webinar with Penny Ur July 11: 10:00-11:30 Register at info@melta.de
Is repetition boring? Not necessarily! Vocabulary review activities in English language teaching. In order to master a new vocabulary item, a learner needs to
encounter it many times: probably between 6 and 16. The problem for the teacher is how to provide for meaningful re-encounters with new vocabulary while maintaining student motivation and interest. In this workshop, we shall look at and experience a number of interesting vocabulary-review activities, and identify some useful underlying principles.
Penny Ur has extensive experience as an English teacher in primary, secondary and tertiary education and has taught courses for teachers at Oranim Academic College of Education and Haifa University. She has also lectured extensively at conferences worldwide. She is particularly interested in practical aspects of effective English language teaching, and the place of research as a source of professional knowledge. She was for ten years the editor of the Cambridge Handbooks for Language Teachers series. Her books include Grammar practice activities (2nd Edition) (2009), Vocabulary activities (2012), A course in English language teaching (2012), Discussions and more (2014), Penny Ur’s 100 tips (2016), Penny Ur’s 77 tips for vocabulary teaching (2022), all published by Cambridge University Press.
In 2013 she was awarded the OBE (Officer of the British Empire) by Her Majesty the Queen for services to English language teaching, and in 2022 the ELTons Outstanding Achievement award by the British Council.

Room to Grow
2026-07-16 14:30 - 18:00
