Unforgettable English classes

• 19:30
• online Zoom

BRAIN-BASED TEACHING FOR 1:1 AND GROUPS ELTAU workshop with Rachelle Williams. This highly interactive and practical 3-hour workshop is designed for English teachers who want their lessons to be more engaging, memorable, and learner-centred, whether they are teaching one-to-one students or groups. Grounded in the principles of Training from the BACK of the Room! (TBR), the workshop introduces how the brain learns best, and how teachers can design English lessons that improve attention, confidence, retention, and real language use. Rachelle Williams is a facilitator, learning designer, and Certified Training from the BACK of the Room! (TBR) Trainer who helps teachers design lessons that are engaging, memorable, and learner-centred. With over a decade of experience designing and facilitating learning across a wide range of settings, Rachelle specialises in applying brain-science-based learning principles to real teaching challenges, including working with individual learners and groups. Her work focuses on helping educators move beyond over-explaining and into lessons where learners actively use, reflect on, and remember what they learn. Through her consultancy Furnell Projects Ltd, Rachelle supports teachers, trainers, and facilitators to create safe, inclusive learning environments where learners feel confident to participate and experiment with language. She is known for her energy, warmth, and practical approach, and for making evidence-based teaching ideas easy to apply in everyday lessons. Based in London and endlessly curious, Rachelle brings insights from her global experiences into the workshops she designs — always with a focus on connection, clarity, and meaningful learning. LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rachelleawilliams

Site-seeing

• 19:00
• online Zoom

Informal online event with Paula Rodrigues to look around and try out some educational sites for activity planning. Itinerary: • Guided tour: Paula will show us around two sites, and demo example activities that she’s created using them. • Independent exploring: all of us can try them out for ourselves • Travellers’ tips: ideas share of any similar sites which we can recommend to each other Tuesday April 28th 19:00 – 20:30 (you’re welcome to come even if you need to leave earlier) Register using the button below. Free for members of any German ELTA. Guests welcome by agreement.

Snapshots of learning

• 14:00
• online Zoom

REFLECTIVE TOOLS TO NOTICE AND NURTURE EMERGENT LANGUAGE ELTAU workshop with Lewis Jaquest Working responsively with emergent language* can feel challenging or even overwhelming when teachers want to be both credible and confident in the moment. Snapshots of Learning presents teachers with a set of practical, sustainable reflective tools designed to help them notice and nurture emergent language more effectively. Drawing on insights from the first beta run of the Emergent Language Toolkit course, this workshop introduces simple but powerful strategies and tools that support real-time decision-making and foster sustainable learning. Participants will explore a range of interactive, easy-to-adapt activities including reflective warmers, micro-review cycles and tracking tools that make learner language visible and give teachers clear next steps for developing it. By the end of the workshop, teachers will leave with a suite of ready-to-use reflective tools that boost confidence, support reactive teaching and help learners take charge of their own progress. Lewis Jaquest has worked in ELT since 2007 and now runs wordsmithery.elt, where he helps teachers become more credible, confident and sustainable in the way they work with emergent language. His approach blends practical tips, creative tools and reflective strategies that support real-time noticing and responsive teaching. Following his IATEFL 2025 presentation on the Emergent Language Toolkit, Lewis has just completed the first beta run of the accompanying teacher course, guiding a cohort of experienced teachers through frameworks and hands-on practices for working creatively with learner language. He also writes The Creative Business, a monthly newsletter for teachers exploring reflective tools for noticing and nurturing emergent language and ways to build sustainable, confidence-rich teaching habits. https://wordsmitheryelt.com/

VOICE workshop + AGM

• 14:00
• vh Ulm

VOICE WORKSHOP WITH FRANCES LUCEY Invitation to get mouthy Start the new year with some ‘brr’ ‘mmmm’ and ‘oooooh’. In this one-hour workshop, opera singer Frances will demonstrate and practice with us some exercises to care for and strengthen our voices – one of the most important tools in our teachers’ toolbox! Facial muscles and lungs will also get some care and attention. This event will be followed by our AGM. Free for ELTAU members, guests €10. Find out more about Frances Lucey

inter-ELTA pub quiz

• 19:00
• online Zoom

Following our moderated peer Q&A in October, get ready for some questions of a different kind in November Sign up, come along, form a team, give yourselves a team name and dive into some inter-ELTA interaction. We will bring 5 rounds of 7 questions, you bring yourselves and your own beverage. The quiz takes place via Zoom, using breakout rooms, relying on everyone’s honesty to make it a fun night. We have questions to tickle your brain cells and your taste buds and maybe even give you itchy feet. Some will require deep thinking, others will have you wading around in the shallowest areas of your knowledge. Maximum team size 6 people. 9€ per team. No minimum team size. Payment details will be sent with the registration confirmation.

Language Trainer Lounge

• 18:00
• vh Ulm, Kornhausgasse

An evening of questions and answers, jointly hosted by ELTAU and O’Connor Language and Communication for Business • Networking, snacks and drinks • Moderated peer Q&A • Book exchange Join fellow educators, coaches, and communication pros at our interactive Language Trainer Lounge. Discover fresh strategies, exchange proven techniques, and supercharge your teaching toolkit. Whether you're new to the field or a seasoned trainer, this is your space to connect and grow. Bring your questions, knowledge and experience to this exciting, 60-minute peer Q&A moderated by Cinthia Köksal. The Q&A will be preceded by splendid snacks, prosecco and alcohol-free cocktails kindly provided by O’Connor, and during this time we’ll meet and talk with our fellow attendees, guided by some prompts. Moderator bio Cinthia Köksal is a Marketing Manager, Business English Trainer and International Skills coach for O’CONNOR Language and Communication for Business with 18 years of experience in her field. In her free time, she writes songs and novels and enjoys a good workout. She has a business degree with majors in Marketing and Management. Cinthia grew up in Malaysia but now lives in Ulm with her husband and son.

From cautious steps to confident strides

• 16:00
• vh Ulm, Kornhausgasse

TIPS FOR IMPROVING INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS COMMUNICATION ELTAU workshop with Ian McMaster More and more people need to communicate internationally in English. This often involves the challenges of different working styles and cultures, which can lead to misunderstandings and even conflict. In such situations, it is essential to be able to communicate clearly and effectively. But how can we best help our clients to become more effective communicators? In this workshop, we will look at how focusing on improving “micro skills” can lead to significant improvements in communicative effectiveness. This might involve incremental steps in developing listening skills — for example, allowing business partners more time to develop their arguments or asking more clarification questions — or small improvements in the way we structure and present information. We will brainstorm a range of key micro-skills for clients to work on and ways in which these can be practised in the classroom. Participants will be encouraged to peer-share their own “hacks” for improving communication through small changes in behaviour. ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Ian McMaster is a business communication consultant, author, and journalist. He was the editor-in-chief of Business Spotlight magazine from 2001 to 2021 and editor-in-chief of Spotlight magazine from 1995 to 2003. Ian is a former coordinator of the IATEFL Business English Special Interest Group (BESIG) and a regular speaker at international conferences. Free for members of any German ELTA, 20€ for external guests.

Lights, lego*, action!

• 19:00
• online

An ELTAU 'fireside': 60-minute online event to learn about and share practical ideas on using realia (*not just lego!) in online classes, with James Dowling : • Optimizing your Space: Learn how to set up your physical environment for maximum engagement (James) • Toys and Tools: Discover essential equipment to bridge the gap between the physical and digital. (James/All) • Creative Realia: Share/demonstrate ideas for incorporating real-world objects into online ESL classes. (All) For members of any German ELTA.

Build your self-confidence and overcome inner fears

• 10:00
• online

AN ELTAU ONLINE WORKSHOP WITH ANDY LEAL According to Arden University’s confidence index, nearly two-thirds of adults lack confidence, with a third stating this affects their mental health and well-being. I’m guessing that most people reading this description will be able to empathise with at least one of those sentiments. On the flip side, Psychology Today maintains that increased self-confidence leads to greater motivation, more resilience, improved relationships and a stronger sense of your authentic self. Whilst recognising that low self-confidence can be rooted in often traumatic past experience, this workshop will argue that confidence, as such, is a skill that can be developed. We will explore ways to do just this and examine techniques to overcome blocks to performance – both our own and those of our students. Bio: Andy Leal has been working as a language and international people skills trainer for the past thirty years. As the owner of O’CONNOR Language and Communication for Business, he works together with a team of 20 trainers to support corporate clients perform their jobs better when working in English. He has also developed the Core24 international people skills programme together with Bob Dignen from ILP. This workshop draws on the Core24 module Build Confidence and Resilience.