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Message from
Country Director,
British Council India
Welcome to Hyderabad for the fifth International English Language Teacher Educator Conference. We are
honoured to once again be co-hosting this event with the English and Foreign Languages University (EFL-U),
working together on the largest conference for English language teacher educators in the world. The British
Council and EFL-U have a shared vision of enhancing English language teaching in India and a firm belief in the
importance of quality teacher education in improving learning outcomes for millions of young people.
The British Council is a cultural relations organisation and one of our core values is that of mutuality. We aim to
bring the best of UK education to India and to partner with Indian educational leaders and practitioners for the
benefit of both our countries. This conference symbolises our commitment to English, to teaching quality and to
the global agenda for progress in education.
The proposed theme is timely from both a national and global perspective. Internationally, the most recent Global
Monitoring Report on the six Education for All goals highlighted quality as its central concern. The foreword of this
report asserts:
An education system is only as good as its teachers. Unlocking their potential is essential to enhancing the quality of
learning. Evidence shows that education quality improves when teachers are supported – it deteriorates if they are
not.
The last decade has seen many positive developments in improving teacher education, including recent initiatives
by the National Council for Teacher Education in India to extend and enhance the quality of initial teacher training
qualifications and the recognition of the importance of continuing professional development for teachers in India
and across the South Asia region.
To achieve quality in education, there must be an emphasis on equity and an overarching agenda of inclusivity. The
individual and diverse needs of teacher educators, teachers and their learners must be accounted for in the
planning and implementation of policy. Mechanisms need to be established and maintained which encourage the
experiences of practitioners on the ground to be utilised in the formation of policy.
Working with our partners we have sought to select the very best and the most relevant speakers from the
hundreds of proposals we received. The comprehensive programme, together with the excellent facilities at the
Hyderabad International Convention Centre, provide some of the key ingredients that we hope will create a high
quality event. We could not have done this without the generous support of our principal sponsors: IELTS,
Cambridge University Press India, Collins India, and British Council Aptis. We thank you for your continued
collaboration and commitment.
We are also very appreciative of the support and advice that has been provided by the English Language Teachers’
Association of India (ELTAI) and the International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language
(IATEFL). Both organisations are committed to the development of communities and networks of teachers, a goal
the British Council is delighted to support.
I wish you all the very best for a successful conference and I look forward to many more such collaborations.
Rob Lynes
Minister (Cultural Affairs) British High Commission
Director, British Council, India
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