Hands-on show’n’tell event
2024-04-27 15:00 - 18:00 (Europe/Berlin) | VHS Arabellapark (first floor), Rosenkavalierplatz 16, München, Germany
Come one, come all to this spring’s hands-on show’n’tell event, where you’ll have an opportunity to meet, socialize and present one or more of your favourite classroom activities! As usual, beverages and a plethora of tasty cakes will be on hand.
When: April 27, 2024, 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Where: VHS Arabellapark, Rosenkavalierplatz 16
For more information, please contact info@melta.de

Idea & Good Practice Swap Shop, online and run by Helta in Hamburg
2024-05-04 11:00 - 13:00

Creating Lexical Notebooks with a Psycholinguistic Approach
2024-05-18 16:00 - 17:30 | Online, Webinar
Summary
In this online workshop, which was also held at this year’s IATEFL conference in Brighton, participants will explore and try out some interactive techniques to record vocabulary using both a lexical approach and psycholinguistic principles that are combined in a lexical notebook. The presenter, Olena Gyrych, will demonstrate how to engage learners in recording new lexis based on different learning styles and promote learner autonomy in keeping lexical notebooks. The presentation, which will last one hour, will be followed by a question and answer session. See you there!
Register at: info@melta.de
About the presenter

Olena is a qualified DELTA and TYLEC teacher and a teacher-trainer with more than ten years of experience teaching general and ESP English for adults and young learners, creating materials and delivering training sessions for teachers in Ukraine and the Middle East. She has presented in various online and offline conferences, including TESOL and IATEFL. She has experience teaching in the Administration of the President of Ukraine, the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, Qatari Emiri Royal Naval Forces and large corporations. She is also an organiser of the Psychology Speaking Club in Ukraine and Qatar, a certified Mental Heath First Aider and an international coach.

ELTAU update/catching up session on AI 2 event last month
2024-06-06 19:00 - 20:30
ELTAU will be holding an update/catching up session on our AI 2 event last month, where you can bring questions [on the session] or any experiences you would like to share. It will be on Thursday 6 June for [upto] 90 minutes from 19:00.
(please use the following Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81984061032?pwd=[REDACTED]
This session is open to those who did not attend the hybrid session on 20 April, so please spread the word to your members or others that you believe will be interested.

Indirect Learning Strategies
2024-06-08 15:00 - 18:00 | VHS Arabellapark (ground floor), Rosenkavalierplatz 16, Munich, Germany
Please note: This in-person event will be preceded at 2:30 p.m by a meet-and-greet session with coffee and cake.
Summary
In this hands-on workshop we will look at what is meant by indirect learning strategies and their importance in encouraging effective language learners. Participants will take part in a variety of activities that will develop the use of indirect strategies in our ELT classrooms and leave with a sound knowledge of what LS are, some food for thought as well as something fun to try in class on Monday.
Rebecca Oxford (1) classified indirect strategies in three groups; metacognitive strategies including planning and evaluating learning, affective strategies that deal with anxiety and encouragement, and social strategies which help improve social skills such as cooperation and empathy. We will look at why these skills are so important in the language classroom and give practical activity ideas that will enhance their use.
(1) Oxford, R. 1990 Language Learning
Register at info@melta.de
About the presenter

Rachael Harris is a qualified SEN coordinator and teaches ELT, literature, and media studies in a secondary school in Geneva, Switzerland. She has published various materials and articles in these fields, including her latest book, Activities for Developing Learning Strategies with Delta publishing. She is joint coordinator for IATEFL Inclusive Practices & SEN SIG and is passionate about discovering how all learners learn best.
VHS: Rosenkavalierplatz 16 (ground floor)

ELTAF Webinar: Creativity in the face of increased technology with Nik Peachey
2024-06-15 17:00 - 18:30
Creativity is not only an essential feature of language use but, with the rise of AI, it will be a key skill for employability over the coming decade. With classrooms moving progressively towards more tech orientated delivery how can we ensure that we don’t lose one of the most fulfilling and engaging aspects of learning?
In this session I will share a range of techniques and activities that will enable teachers to add a creative element to their teaching, whether it’s online or face to face. We will also look more closely at how we can help our students develop their creative thinking and problem-solving skills by looking more carefully at the creative process and how we apply different types of thinking.
By the end of this session, you should have a better idea of how creativity works as well as a collection of activities you can use with your students to stimulate their creativity and add another dimension to their language learning.
Register now

Dr Luke Prodromou presents: Shakespeare: Our contemporary? - The bard in the age of AI
2024-07-11 17:00 - 18:00
The ICC-Languages is delighted to extend a warm invitation to you for our July webinar.
Do not miss it! This is the last webinar before our summer break.
Dr Luke Prodromou presents: Shakespeare: Our contemporary? – The bard in the age of AI

Date: July 11 (Thursday)
Time: 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm (Central European Time)
Participation: free
For time zone references, please click here

Speaker
Dr Luke Prodromou has a BA from Bristol University in English, an MA in Shakespeare Studies from the Shakespeare Institute, Birmingham University, a Diploma in Teaching English as a Second Language (Leeds University), and a PhD (Nottingham University). His PhD thesis was published as English as Lingua Franca: A Corpus-based Analysis (Continuum, 2010). He is the author – with Lindsay Clandfield – of the award-winning Dealing with Difficulties and numerous textbooks for students of English.
Abstract
Is Shakespeare still relevant today? What does his work have to say about the issues facing us in the 21st-century? Is he outdated or is his voice as powerful and as important as ever? On the one hand, there are those who say many of his works should no longer be taught to school kids or performed on the modern stage at all. In this webinar, I will argue that he is, indeed, as relevant as he ever was, and was, in many respects, ahead of his time.
In this webinar, I will look at the way Shakespeare presents the tragedy of war, its causes and its consequences. I will also look at plays in which he tackles rebellion and even revolution against the state: what position does he take on these ever important issues. Is he a radical, a conservative or neither?
Come along to the talk, and see if you agree that Shakespeare is, indeed, still our contemporary, and has a lot to teach the 21st-century, the age of artificial intelligence, with his genius and natural intelligence.
Click here to register

Penny Ur: From conflict to complement and games in the language classroom
2024-07-13 10:00 - 13:00 | Online, Webinar
Online, Webinar
Summary
This webinar has two parts.
Part 1: From conflict to complement
A number of controversies in ELT have given rise to hot – sometimes acrimonious – debate: for example, task-based language teaching (TBLT) as against presentation-practice-production (PPP). In this session I will look at a selection of such apparently opposing positions and explore how they might be combined in a principled and adaptable approach to effective English language teaching and teacher courses.

Part 2: Games in the language classroom: A good thing? A waste of time? It depends.
This talk will begin by defining what a ‘game’ is, and will then go on to explore the place of games in the language classroom. It cannot be taken for granted that because a game is connected to English and keeps students happily employed it is therefore worth doing. Many so-called language-learning games simply waste time on fruitless ‘busy-ness’, and may irritate serious students who realize that they are not learning much. I will try to identify some characteristics of genuinely learning-rich games, with examples, and suggest some ways in which routine classroom procedures can be transformed into game-like and enjoyable activities while clearly promoting effective engagement with target language features or providing rich opportunities for fluency practice.

To register, please send an email to: info@melta.de

About the presenter
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.

Melta Beergarden Social 2024
2024-07-20 18:00

BESIG Online Symposium - Creating Customised Content with the Help of AI Tools
2024-09-28 10:00 - 18:00
Discover how generative AI can revolutionise the way we create customised materials for our learners. Our expert speakers will dive into key questions such as:

How can we effectively integrate generative AI tools in the classroom?
What are the game-changing benefits and potential pitfalls?
How can we leverage these tools to maximize learning outcomes?
What knowledge should we impart to our learners about using generative AI?

Expect practical demonstrations of AI classroom tools that you can start using right away.
Speakers include: Alex Asher, Joe Dale, Kirsten Holt, Melanie Hussell, Parisa Mehran, Nik Peachey, Pete Sharma, Russell Stannard, Rob Szabo, Jo Szoke and Phoebe Tsai
Free for IATEFL members
20 GBP for non-members
Registration closes at 4pm UK time 25 September.
For further information, please contact Silke Riegler at silke.riegler@t-online.de

Working in international teams: what can we do better and how can AI help?
2024-10-12 14:30 - 17:45 | VHS Arabellapark (first floor), Rosenkavalierplatz 16, München, Germany
Please note: This in-person event will be preceded at 2:00 p.m. by a meet and greet session with coffee and cake.

Summary
More and more people work in international teams, whether as leaders or team members, face-to-face or remotely. This can be stimulating but typically involves different working styles and cultures, leading to potential misunderstandings and conflict. Using content from the book Trainingsbuch Business English (Haufe), participants will be encouraged to reflect on how they can encourage clients to develop effective strategies for international collaboration. We will also explore ways in which artificial intelligence — and “intelligent artificiality” — can improve team performance and help to achieve better business results.
To register, please send an e-mail to: info@melta.de

About the Presenter
Ian McMaster is a business communication consultant and author and has been a MELTA member for more than 30 years. He was editor-in-chief of Business Spotlight from 2001-2021 and is a former coordinator of IATEFL BESIG. His latest book (in English with Bob Dignen) is Trainingsbuch Business English (Haufe).

Online event: TRUE STORY! Winning Hearts & Minds through Storytelling
2024-10-19 10:00 - 14:00 | Online, Webinar
Summary
In this highly practical and interactive session, we’ll explore the why, what and how of storytelling for business and professional purposes. We’ll identify the most effective storytelling technique. And we’ll try out awareness-raising activities based on authentic video clips as well as simple narrative-frameworks that will coax a compelling story out of the shyest speaker!
To register, please send an e-mail to: info@melta.de

About the presenter
Mark Powell has been involved in Business English as a trainer, director of studies, publisher and instructional designer since 1989. He has also been an accredited teacher trainer with both the London Chamber of Commerce & Industry and Trinity College London, running the Cert TEB and Cert IBET more times than any other individual trainer. A popular keynote speaker at educational conferences all over the world, his bestselling titles include In Company (Macmillan), Presenting in English (Heinle-Cengage Learning), Dynamic Presentations and International Negotiations (both Cambridge University Press). More recently, he has turned his attention to the fertile middle ground between language and soft skills development and is currently setting up a training company to focus on this emerging market – Soft Skill Studio.

Online HELTA Workshop
2024-11-09 14:00 - 15:30

Direct learning strategies to support learner skills
2024-11-16 10:00 - 12:00 | Online, Webinar
Summary
After looking at indirect learning strategies in our face -to- face workshop earlier this year, in this webinar we will be delving into direct strategies and looking at ways to help your students learn how to improve skills (such as reading, writing, etc.) and learn vocabulary and grammar as well as looking at effective exam preparation. As always with Rachael, after a lively session, participants will come away with food for thought and something fun and useful for the next class.
To register, please send an e-mail to: info@melta.de

About the presenter
Rachael Harris is a qualified SEN coordinator and teaches ELT, literature, and media studies in a secondary school in Geneva, Switzerland. She has published various materials and articles in these fields, including her latest book, Activities for Developing Learning Strategies with Delta publishing. She is joint coordinator for IATEFL Inclusive Practices & SEN SIG and is passionate about discovering how all learners learn best.

37th Annual IATEFL BESIG Conference
2024-11-22 - 2024-11-24
This year’s IATEFL BESIG will take place at Urban Valley Resort and Spa, Trig Wied Ghollieqa, San Gwann, Malta. The conference will begin at 14.00 on Friday, 22 November and end at 13.00 on Sunday, 24 November.
The conference theme is “Business Frontiers – Creating the future together”. Talks and workshops will focus on business English learning technologies, teaching practices, future-proofing and employability, sustainability and teaching in the global world.
Proposals for talks and workshops are welcome. The deadline for submissions is July 15, 2024. You can find the guidelines and the possibility to upload your proposal here.
Online registration for the conference will close on 18 November, although you can still register onsite in Malta. Follow this link for more information and to register for the conference.
Accommodation in Malta is available for a special rate at the resort. Email address for reservations is: reservations@urbanvalleyresort.com using code “IATEFL BESIG 2024”. The deadline for conference rates is 31/08/24.

Melta Christmas party 2024!
2024-12-07 19:00 - 23:00
Christmas is coming and the goose is getting fat …
And Melta is preparing for its annual Christmas Smash!
If you’d like to present or (try out!) a Christmas activity
that we can share in our classrooms,
just let us know in advance or simply present it then and there!
When: from 7p.m. on December 7, 2024
Where: at the VHS, Rosenkavalierplatz 16,
U-Bahn 4, Arabella Park
Melta will supply the drinks and we can all share
your wonderful culinary specialities …
Motto: caring is sharing!
The evening programme will also include:
Our annual – books, cds, teaching materials contributions – sale.
All contributions welcome!
All proceeds go to Ukraine’s school fund!
And Phyllis will be there to lead the Carols on the piano.
– Should you have any special wish for your favourite Carol – let us know.
As always: please register,
so that we have an idea of how many to expect –
at info@melta.de
CU there
The Folks at Melta

Making grammar teaching enjoyable and memorable with Alan Marsch
2025-01-25 10:30 - 12:00
Learners (and sometimes teachers) often link the teaching and learning of grammar with words such as ‘boring’ and ‘difficult’ and they tend to associate grammar with a heavy focus on memorisation of ‘rules’. This session looks at ways of making the presentation and practice of grammar more engaging, enjoyable and memorable for learners, using (slightly) creative techniques which also contribute towards ‘noticing’ and remembering what otherwise may pass them by and in some cases to ‘deeper processing’ and therefore internalisation of challenging grammatical concepts. Oh yes, we might have some fun, too!
This session is appropriate for any teachers who teach grammar, so teachers of learners aged 10 upwards.
Click here to register

AI fireside
2025-02-20 19:00 - 20:00
Informal online event to learn about, discuss and share practical ideas on AI topics:

Short talk on latest news/developments – James

Q&A – attendees and James. What would you like to know/ understand better/ make better use of?
Our experiences and thoughts – everyone

Thursday 20th February 19:00 – 20:00
Register HERE link. Then you will receive the link to the Zoom call by email.

Business English Evolution - Key takeaways from BESig Malta 2024
2025-03-06 19:30 - 21:00
The 37th Annual IATEFL BESIG Conference, held in Malta from November 22 to 24, 2024, centered on the theme “Business Frontiers – Creating the Future Together.” The conference addressed five key topics:

Business English learning technologies: AI, online teaching, platforms, tools, and resources.
Teaching practices: Transferable activities, learning strategies, and best practices from the
Business English classroom. Future-proofing our industry and our clients’ jobs: Marketability, well-being, and employability.
Sustainability: The role of Business English in promoting positive social change, inclusivity, and sustainable practices.
Global world: Managing multicultural business and classroom environment.

Approximately 20% of the conference content focused on AI and technical skills, while the remaining 80% emphasized human-centered soft skills. This highlights the growing importance of mastering professional communication and intercultural competence—now more essential than ever for trainers.
How do you, as a trainer, integrate these skills into your lessons?
In this webinar, I will provide a concise summary of the key takeaways from the BESIG Malta Conference. This will be followed by a panel discussion, interactive role-playing activities, and shared experiences to deepen our understanding and to solidify our expertise.
Register here

Melta is marching again in this year’s St. Patrick’s day parade
2025-03-16
There will be 67 groups marching and Melta will be No. 44 in the line!
So, do come and join us to march proudly under that MELTA banner!
Date: Sunday, March 16
Meeting time: 11:30
Meeting place: Wedekind Platz (near McDonald’s)
If you think you’ll be joining us, please drop an e-mail to info@melta.de so we’ll have an idea of how many people to expect!
CU there (in green)!
All good wishes from your
Melta Committee

PRICING Q & A FOR FREELANCE TEACHERS AND TRAINERS
2025-04-05 14:00 - 16:00
Pricing is a topic that challenges many freelance language professionals. In this webinar, we want to help you with your pricing problems.
To make the session as relevant as possible, we will be addressing your specific questions. When you register for the webinar, let us have your questions on the topic. What do you want to know about pricing? What do you have most difficulty with? What do you want to improve?
We’ll take the most common questions and work together to bring you answers that you can apply to your specific work situation.
In his first career, Mike Allison learned how to consistently quote higher prices than the competition and still book the work. Since switching to business English training, he continues to be fascinated by pricing dynamics and its role in the sales process.
Register here

Let’s Talk Business Impact!
2025-05-10 10:00 - 12:00 | MVHS, Rosenkavalierpl. 16, München, 81925, Germany
Speaker: Anna Wilby, English teacher, Business English expert. and teacher trainer
Business Impact is a new and innovative business English course aimed at levels B1 to C1, available in both print and digital form. Its content is up-to-date and relevant, and its modular structure is unique in that it enables trainers to use the material either as a course, or to choose modules flexibly, according to the needs and interests of their learners.
This workshop will introduce you to the material, explore its features, and focus on how you can get the most from it in the context of your business English courses, in order to enhance the learning and enjoyment of your learners.
Code: 6505
Please, click here to register!

IATEFL highlights
2025-05-16 17:30 - 19:30

Think like Leonardo Da Vinci and teach your students too!
2025-05-17 10:30 - 12:00
In this interactive, experiential webinar we will study and practice the seven Da Vincian principles so that you can try them out yourself with the intention of taking them into your language classroom to help your students develop their own creative thinking in English. The session will be largely interactive with very little theory. We will be DOING!!!!
To register: https://eltaf.de/future-events/

Canva ELT materials: create smarter, teach better
2025-05-24 11:00 - 13:00

Talking pictures with Robert Kirstein
2025-06-14 10:30 - 12:00
Activities revolving around texts and audios are commonplace in language classrooms. But do we really exploit the full potential of the many great visuals available in our materials? In this webinar we’ll be taking to heart the old saying ‘A picture is worth a 1000 words’ by exploring the various possibilities pictures and illustrations provide. We’ll be focussing on ways in which you can use images to help consolidate and expand your students’ vocabulary and grammar. You’ll have the chance to try out a range of activities based on photos and illustrations in various course books, and which you can adapt for use with other materials. Come along, enjoy English, enjoy pictures and enjoy yourselves!
To register: https://eltaf.de/future-events/

Show'n'Tell Workshop
2025-06-28 14:30 - 18:00 | VHS Arabellapark (first floor), Rosenkavalierplatz 16, München, Germany

Melta Summer Beer Garden Social
2025-07-19 18:00 | Braunauer Hof am Isartor, Frauenstr. 40, München, 80469, Germany

GMF conference 2025
2025-10-10 - 2025-10-11
GMF Bayern e.V.
Gesamtverband Moderne Fremdsprachen Bayern
Save the date: GMF conference 2025, at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität in Nuremburg on October 10-11, 2025
GMF is an association dedicated to modern language teaching. This year’s conference is focused on the topic “Quality assurance in foreign language teaching in times of teacher shortages”.

There will be keynote speeches, workshops and plenty of opportunities for exchanging ideas and networking

Updates on the programme will be published in due time at: https://gmf-bayern.de

ELTABB online workshop: Cut the Noise: Turning your clients into clear communicators with Vicky Margari
2025-10-11 10:00 - 12:00
In today’s hybrid workplaces, even highly skilled professionals can struggle with unclear emails, endless back-and-forth and miscommunication across channels. We trainers often try to address these challenges by telling, explaining and teaching. But real transformation takes more than that. In our role, we are in a unique position to give our clients more than just language lessons. We can empower them with insights and tools to work better together.
In this online workshop, you will:

try out practical activities for building clarity in digital communication, including helping clients identify and cut noise in their daily work,
discover strategies to help clients choose the right channels and habits, so messages are delivered and received with greater impact and efficiency,
collaborate with fellow trainers to address real workplace communication challenges, sharing ideas and adapting approaches for different contexts.

You’ll walk away with a toolkit of ideas and approaches to partner with your clients as they reflect, challenge assumptions and transform how they communicate at work.

Bio:
Vicky Margari spent two decades in hospitality, customer service and insurance, leading teams, before moving into business English training. Although she was steeped in language rules from an early age and is still a bit of a language nerd, her business background taught her that the real communication issues professionals face go far beyond language. Vicky’s mission is helping virtual teams communicate more clearly and confidently across digital channels in today’s multi-communicating, fast-changing work environments.

ELTABB members: free. Please RSVP on the Ning.
Other ELTA members: free. Email events@eltabb.com to get the link
Non-members: €10. Email events@eltabb.com to book your place
