ELT News Think Tank

This Month's Think Tank Panel

Marc Helgesen

Peter Viney

Chuck Sandy

Curtis Kelly

Panelists: Marc | Peter | Chuck | Curtis
Date: November 2001

Topic: "How do I get the most out of teaching conferences?"

Peter Viney

After twenty-five years of attending several conferences a year, I've been a whole year without attending one, since IATEFL in Budapest this time last year. I had one of the best meals in my life, centred around a Hungarian fish stew cooked in a huge pot in the garden on a crisp clear autumn evening … well, that's one way to get the most out of conferences. Seriously, one of the most important aspects of conferences is socializing with other teachers - exchanging notes, comparing salaries, grousing about management, and of course having memorable fish stews with new-found friends. In fact, I first met Marc after a talk I gave in Sendai in just such a manner many years ago.

The conference itself will consist of plenaries, smaller sessions and publishers' demos. The book exhibition will be better than you'll ever see in a store, and you should allocate time to browsing the books on display at leisure. During major sessions it's quieter, and if you restrict yourself to breaks you'll be fighting through the crowds.

The plenaries take the attention, but you should explore what else is on offer with care and make a careful timetable. Some of the best things I've seen have been small group talks. Usually (though not always) I'm at conferences with a publisher, and the bare fact is that publishers foot much of the bill for these affairs. There is always an edgy discussion about which talks are commercial and which are non-commercial. In defence of we text book authors, very few now do demos which consist of 'Look at page 32. There's a nice picture' (though it's not unknown). I'd have to say that the very best talks I've seen in twenty-five years have been publisher-sponsored - I'm missing a few, but stand-outs include Conrad Schmidt, Louis Alexander, Robert O'Neill (many times), Colin Granger, Guy Wellman, Michael Swan, Paul Seligson and of course my ex co-author Bernard Hartley. All were highly accomplished, informative whether you were interested in the book or not, and in themselves were demonstrations of teacher skills in action. When you're watching highly experienced teachers and presenters, you might learn more from how they say it than from what they say.

On the other hand (no names here) some of the worst and least accomplished talks were by acclaimed theorists. One gave a lecture on the visual aspect of language teaching using a close-typed 10 point OHP in front of 1000 people. Another great name cleared 80% of the large hall in a European city I won't name. People got up and walked out, and because metal ashtrays hung on the back of the chairs, every person who stood up knocked one to the floor with a resounding clatter. A senior academic in charge of video at a major European university took 30 minutes to get the equipment working and then spent most of their talk bent over the video with their bottom facing the audience (note how carefully I used the neutral 'their'). They hadn't bothered to check / learn how to use the equipment before the talk.

The best plenary I've ever seen (and I had to follow straight on with my plenary which was terrifying) was by a non-specialist, the author Bill Bryson, who spoke in Mexico City brilliantly with great erudition. So, it's slightly unpredictable.

I think teachers empathize with the speaker and are willing them to do well. I know I always do. As someone who has given hundreds of talks and presentations, I have to admit that my nightmares are often of giving talks to restive audiences. As they say, it's bad enough when someone answers a mobile phone during your talk. The worst is when they get bored and make a call during your talk!

My final advice is to take quantities of effervescent vitamin C tablets with you. They really do cut the hangovers.

Panelists: Marc | Peter | Chuck | Curtis

Peter Viney, Freelance ELT Author

Co-author of New American Streamline & Grapevine. Peter's Web site

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