Hosts Helen & Sinem from the IATEFL Teacher Development Special Interest Group talk about issues within teacher development in various contexts.
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In this episode, Sinem and Rachael Roberts, a seasoned ELT professional with over 30 years of experience, discussed her career evolution from classroom teaching to teacher training, academic management, and materials writing. Rachael highlighted the complexity of language education and the importance of understanding its relational and contextual nature. She shared her journey into business…
In this episode, Helen and Caroline Door talk about her journey from education marketing to teaching English. At the IATEFL 2026 conference in Brighton, she presented on managing young learners' sensory needs, drawing from personal experiences and research. Caroline highlights the importance of addressing sensory factors like light and temperature to improve learning environments. She emphasises…
In this episode, Helen talks with Natalia Wright, an experienced ELT practitioner and academic with over 30 years in the field, outlining her professional journey and key influences. Natalia completed her BA in 1990, later earning an MA from the University of Chichester and a doctorate from the University of Glasgow. She currently teaches at the American University of the Middle East in Kuwait.…
In this episode, Anna Loseva chats with Helen. She shares her ELT to EAP journey from tutoring at 19 to teaching in Moscow, Japan, and Vietnam. She highlights the impact of supportive and communicative management and workplace environments, the value of professional community (Twitter, ITDI), and her focus on academic skills in higher education. Proud of moving to Japan in 2015, she encourages…
In this episode, Helen chats with Matthew Ellman, a teacher, trainer, and author, discussing his journey from music to accounting and then ELT. He highlights his work with Cambridge University Press, focusing on teacher development and training, and they discuss Matthew's dissertation on video-supported feedback, which won the British Council's MA Dissertation Award in 2018. They also consider the…
In this episode, Helen interviews Emma Walker of Pronunciation with Emma , who describes her journey from early reading support work at age 16 through linguistics studies, CELTA, and a TESOL master’s to becoming a pronunciation specialist and major YouTube educator. Emma explains how her passion for phonetics and classroom experiences with learner listening difficulties led her to focus on…
In this episode, Helen and Emily discuss her eclectic career, including teaching, teacher training, authoring books like Voices for National Geographic Learning, running online courses, and creating doodle and sketchnote visual resources. Emily describes teaching ESOL learners from refugee backgrounds and embraces a nomad lifestyle, traveling while working remotely. She highlights persistent…
In this episode, Cecilia Lemos-Harmer and Adrian Underhill explore how language learning is deeply connected to identity, emotion, and embodiment, rather than being a purely intellectual process. Adrian argues that effective language development happens when learners feel psychologically safe, engaged, and willing to experiment with new sounds and expressions. He emphasises the teacher’s role in…
Helen and Dr Harry Kuchah Kuchah reflect on his lifelong ELT journey, beginning with helping classmates in Cameroon and moving through roles as a primary-teacher educator, UK-based researcher, Ministry of Education policymaker, IATEFL President, Chair of the British Council’s English Language Advisory Group, and Director of the University of Birmingham’s MSc TESOL programme, where he also mentors…
In this episode, Helen and Ana Paula Biazon Rocha discuss Ana’s journey in ELT, emphasizing her passion for pronunciation and teacher development. She started teaching at 17 in Brazil, influenced by her family of educators and legacy. Anna's interest in pronunciation stemmed from personal challenges and feedback from teacher trainers – while seeking to improve, she discovered a passion. She…
