Call for Proposals 2024

NATESOL Annual Conference 2024 Call for Proposals

Submission deadline: 20 March 2024

NATESOL’s 40th Anniversary of Classroom Research and Practice in English Language Provision

Saturday 11th May 2024

Online via Zoom

Confirmed Plenary Speakers

Dr Melanie Cooke (Kings College London)

Mike Beaumont (Founding Chair of NATESOL)

For the last 40 years, throughout the many turning points and developments of language teaching, NATESOL has been a space for teachers and researchers to share and develop their practice. We have always regarded Action/Classroom Research as a key component of this.

So, for our 40th anniversary annual conference, we invite speakers who have implemented and investigated an innovative approach to teaching and learning within key themes of English language teaching (listed below). The conference will also include a panel survey/discussion of the development of TESOL and its main developments over the life of the Association.

This is an online conference so we welcome speakers from across the globe and across the field of English language teaching including ESOL, EAL/ELL, EFL and EAP.

In a world where our professional lives are so busy, this event will be a space for us to consider what developments have occurred in the last 40 years and also hear from current, active teachers/researchers so that we can take away some practical suggestions for our own teaching.

Key themes

In this conference, then, we welcome presentations, workshops or posters which address the following broad themes:

• Course design (e.g. materials writing, collaborative planning, co-constructed curriculum).
• Approaches to active learning (e.g. participatory pedagogies, problem-based learning).
• Teaching strategies (e.g. genre-based approaches to texts, developing oracy skills).
• Inclusion and accessibility (e.g. providing for complex needs, approaches to differentiation).
• Integrated assessment (e.g. giving effective feedback, process-based approaches).
• Developing 21st century skills (e.g. sustainability, employability, digital literacies).
• Digital pedagogies (e.g. making use of technologies, online / hybrid teaching).
• Linguistic and culturally responsive teaching (e.g. multilingual classrooms, decolonisation).
• Approaches to research in education (e.g. exploratory practice, action research).

What to expect

The 2024 NATESOL conference provides an opportunity to share practice and meet fellow teachers in a friendly and open atmosphere. Once again, we have chosen to hold this event online in order to welcome people from both our local and global community. Joint presentation proposals are welcome. We also offer a range of mentoring for first-time speakers or for those who might feel unfamiliar with the online platforms.

Formats for contributions

Live presentations

• Either 30 or 15 minutes long.
• For anyone wanting to share practice / research findings.
• We offer mentoring for first-time presenters.
• Please note, this is not a space for planned research or research in process (see Posters).

Pre-recorded presentations

• 15 minutes long.
• For anyone wanting to share practice/research findings.
• The recording will need to be shared with conference organisers before the event.
• The presenter will need to be available to participate in simultaneous chat discussions during the session.
• We offer mentoring for first-time presenters.
• Please note, this is not a space for planned research or research in process (see Posters).

Live workshops

• 45 minutes.
• For anyone who wants to interactively share and demonstrate their practice.
• We offer mentoring for anyone who may be unfamiliar with leading online workshops.
• Please note, this is not a space for planned research or research in process (see Posters).

Posters

• For anyone who is planning or in the process of conducting research.
• Posters will be shared on an interactive platform.
• We offer mentoring for anyone who needs support when designing an online poster.
• The researcher will need to be available to answer questions using a microphone and chat during the conference.

Deadline for the Papers:

• Please submit your proposal by the end of the day on Friday 1st March 2024.
• Submit your proposal by completing the online form at this link:

https://forms.gle/Hp1rPiLj91zBXaz76

• If you have any questions or problems with your submission, please email natesolcommittee@gmail.com and one of our volunteers will get back to you.

Conference fees:

• Speakers free; Members £10; non-members £15; Unwaged & students £5. (NATESOL is a not-for-profit organisation. This year, we are keeping our fees as low as possible due to the current economic climate). A percentage of the conference ticket sales will be donated to our charity ESOL organisation, partner, Heart and Parcel.
• Certificates of attendance: Free to members, speakers & volunteers; £5 for non-members.