ELT Colloquium

The ELT Colloquium was organized by Professional Development, English Language Center at UTAS, Ibri-Oman on Thursday 3 June 2021 at 10:00 am GST. The guest speakers were Ms Sharyn Collins from the UK, Dr Mike Kenteris from Greece, and James Papple from Canada.

The following speakers shared their experiences and the takeaways were noteworthy:

The Etiquette of Online Learning

Online learners are yet to become conversant with online etiquette and have varying notions of how they should behave and express themselves during an online English lesson. Therefore, virtual ESL educators are expected to lead by example through their professionalism, especially young learners.

It is not surprising for online ESL students to falter or lose their confidence in class because their anxiety is about not being listened to or receiving questions about uncomfortable subjects. However, by following guidelines on how to act or discuss in class, a language teacher can make students feel more at ease through fruitful and motivating interactions.

 Based on her experiences, Ms Sharyn Collins focused on various rules that need to be implemented to ensure effective teaching and learning. She emphasized professional attire and the use of appropriate body language. Ms Sharyn also underlined the effect of a smiling face and an engaging teaching background. She further added that punctuality is a must and inspiring words and appreciations wields magic on learners' psyche. The takeaways of the presentation were varied and impressive.

Sharyn Collins is a British linguist who speaks six languages. She is an EFL teacher who specializes in pronunciation and communication. She was editor of www.EFLmagazine.com for two years and now she works freelance giving talks `and delivering courses to EFL teachers throughout the world. 

Providing Differentiated Support for EAP Students 

Differentiated instruction caters to the learning needs of students of different abilities. It is a unique approach that tailors instruction to all students' learning needs. All the students have the same learning goal. However, the instruction varies based on students' interests, preferences, strengths, and struggles.Mr James Papple shared various teaching strategies designed to support students of different EAP settings.  Participants were introduced to methods and principles of differentiated instructions to support all students in the language classroom. 

James Papple is the Interim Associate Director at the York University English Language Institute and is the current chair of TESOL's Affiliate network and Professional Council.  He is the co-chair of TESL Ontario's College and University Committee and is a board member of the Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks (CCLB)

Transform your Classes Using the Flipped Learning Approach 

Flipped learning is a pedagogical approach that has gained momentum in language classrooms. Direct instruction shifted from the group learning space to the individual learning space and is transformed into a vibrant, interactive learning environment where the educator guides students to apply concepts and engage creatively in the subjects they learn.

Dr Mike Kenteris gave an informative presentation on how flipping students' learning facilitates educators to establish stronger connections with their learners. Dr Mike shared an interesting description of a practical Flipped Learning class and the best use of students' face-to-face time. He opined that giving students ownership of their learning outside of class and guiding them to learn the language in a cooperative and collaborative learning space will bring about positive and effective results.

Dr Mike Kenteris (M.Eng, M.Sc. PhD) is a professional educator and is a language school owner. Passionate about integrating Flipped Learning through active learning strategies that empower student engagement and build strong learning communities. He has been a TESOL EVO Moderator for the Flipped Learning in Language Teaching session for three years.