HERE. - English Teachers Association of Switzerland

Workshop descriptionsWorkshops Session A: Saturday 13.30 – 15.00 (90 minutes)A1 Thomas Strasser • Mind the app! Simple but effective internet tools for the EFL classroomWorkshopThis practically-oriented workshop will explore the impressive potential of educational Web 2.0tools (e.g. educational internet tools for the PC) that can also be used even by those who arenot computer savvy. The workshop will focus on methodological design (i.e. how the presentedtools can be efficiently used in the EFL lesson) rather than on complex technological issues,emphasizing instead the advantages of simple but highly effective internet applications (e.g. freee-learning tools) for the EFL classroom. Using simple applications, the workshop will show howthe internet can be used in order to design effective EFL blended-learning sequences supportingthe students’ speaking, writing, listening, and reading skills. Teachers will be able to immediatelyuse in their own lessons some of these tools: Wordle, Audioboo, Little Bird Tales, Storybird,Learning Apps, Cueprompter, Toondoo, Mailvu, Padlet, Flipsnack, Voki, Markup, Tricider, etc.A2 Sarah Fabel • IELTS writing: the dreaded "Task 1"WorkshopThis workshop is aimed at people preparing students for the IELTS test or those interested inseeing how marking criteria are applied to written work. Using published candidate scripts andband descriptors, we will concentrate on the written part of the test and examine two tasksthat candidates have to attempt during the test. We will discuss the usual pitfalls and reasonswhy candidates don’t get the scores they need and/or believe they deserve for their efforts,with special emphasis on the requirements for Task 1.A3 Linda Walsh • Teaching the phonemic symbols at primary school levelWorkshopStudies have shown that the earlier students are exposed to the sound of a language, thebetter their future learning experience of that language will be. Pronunciation is the key to this.This fun, practical workshop is intended to show teachers at primary school level how tointegrate the symbols into their lessons in a sustainable, fun, and motivating manner. Theworkshop is suitable for teachers with and without experience. An electronic classroom toolhas recently been added to the series, which makes teaching these symbols even easier.A4 Geoff Tranter • Ten years later: revisiting and rediscovering the CEFRWorkshopThe positive influence of the CEFR since its publication in 2001 is visible everywhere: just lookat any publisher’s catalogue, any language school’s programme, or any testing system’s testportfolio. And yet some questions still need to be answered, for example: What does the CEFRmean for ESP? and What does the CEFR mean for testing? The workshop will address thesequestions and invite teachers to discuss the extent to which the various aspects of the CEFRaction-based approach need to be reassessed and reprioritized in ESP teaching and testing.A5 Chrissi Flordies • Express yourself: getting students to communicateWorkshopStudents often struggle to express themselves and may lack confidence in their own opinions aswell as in sharing them. This workshop offers easy-to-use activities requiring few or no materialsthat will help students to get to know each other, build confidence, develop language skills, andget them talking and sharing their ideas. This is a practical, fun session, and teachers will leavewith a range of ideas that they can immediately use in the classroom.Thun • page 32 • ETAS 30th Annual Conference and AGM