InnovateELT 2022 Conference by Oxford TEFL – get involved!

Over the last few weeks here at Oxford TEFL, we have been excitedly making our preparations for this year’s InnovateELT conference! Now in its eighth edition, the event will take place online on Friday 30th September, and in Barcelona on Saturday 1st October. As always, it promises to bring together the freshest new ideas from teachers, trainers, leaders, and others who make our industry what it is. Want to get involved? You’re in the right place! Whether you’re a seasoned participant or totally new to InnovateELT, read on to find out more…

What is InnovateELT?

InnovateELT is an annual conference set up in 2015. As the name suggests, its aim is to discuss the role of innovation in language education and celebrate some of the most exciting things happening around us. We pride ourselves on being different from other conferences you may have attended. But what makes us stand out?

• Combination of experienced and newer speakers: attendees have the chance to learn from seasoned professionals as well as up-and-coming figures within the industry.
• Special focus on networking: we include social events, discussion opportunities, quizzes, games and more. 
• Wide variety of attendees: statistics from previous events show that we attract delegates from the fields of teaching, training, management, publishing, EdTech and many others.
• Community feel: the factors above plus the fact that the conference takes place at our working language school in Barcelona mean that InnovateELT has a great atmosphere.

Each year, we provide focus for our attendees and speakers by choosing a theme. Previously we have explored the future of TEFL, eco concerns in the industry, recovery from the pandemic, and more. Hopefully by now you are feeling curious, so…

What’s the theme of InnovateELT 2022?

We’re glad you asked! This year’s theme is ‘All Together Now: focusing on our shared goals in the increasingly diverse world of TEFL’.

So how did we select the theme? Well, our industry has always prided itself on being diverse and inclusive. With teachers, trainers and students based all over the world, a wide variety of ideas and perspectives have influenced our practice. In recent years, this trend has only accelerated. The online format is increasingly popular while at the same time we have continued to innovate our in-person teaching and training. We mustn’t forget, however, that our shared goals remain unchanged: improving learner outcomes and increasing the accessibility of ELT worldwide.

It is these shared goals that will be explored at InnovateELT 2022. Our new, flexible format offers online and in-person elements that you can mix and match however suits. We feel that this reflects this year’s conference theme – we aim to bring together the best of what both have to offer. Ready to explore ideas from some of TEFL’s foremost figures and network with professionals from all over the world? InnovateELT is the conference for you!

How do the different formats work?

As we saw above, this year we are offering maximum flexibility to our delegates and speakers! Participants can attend one or both days at their convenience. Here’s what to expect:

Friday 30th September online

2020 and 2021’s events necessarily took place online. This taught us a great deal about how to bring the InnovateELT magic to a zoom event. Feedback from delegates and speakers was generally excellent, with the enjoyment and effectiveness of the networking aspects particularly praised. Some of our favourite comments read:

What a fantastic weekend full of interesting people and useful content. I came away from it feeling really connected, which I’ve not felt in a while! – Traci Dailey, iELT 2021 speaker

Probably the first and only time I’ve ever said that I enjoyed spending two days on Zoom! – Emily Bryson, iELT 2021 delegate

Saturday 1st October in-person

So perhaps you can tell by now that we feel we’ve got the online format right! However, 2022 also marks the return of our highly popular in-person event. This allows us to take advantage of the modern facilities and beautiful terrace at Oxford House in Barcelona. If you’ve been missing face-to-face professional development and are ready to reconnect offline, Saturday’s InnovateELT sessions are well worth checking out. As a little bonus for those who will be joining us in-person, we will be running a social event with drinks, nibbles, and one or two surprises. This will take place from 18:00 – 20:30 on the Friday evening and is a great way to get to know delegates and speakers.

You can see, then, that both formats have lots to offer! We have decided not to repeat any plenaries, workshops, or social events between the two days. This means that we’d encourage you to come along on Friday and Saturday if you can, and indeed that’s what most who have purchased tickets so far are choosing to do. Variety’s the spice of life, right?!

How can I get involved?

Give a workshop

*Our Call for Papers deadline is this Friday 1st July at 12:00 Spain time. You can make your submission here*

If you have an idea to share with other professionals, you may wish to submit a proposal to speak at InnovateELT 2022. You will remember that we are focusing this year on our shared goals. For this reason, we are looking for talks which explore the following:

• Practical classroom ideas: how can these be adapted to different formats and classroom contexts?
• Continuous Professional Development: how can teachers and managers best exploit the increasing accessibility and variety of CPD on offer?
• Innovation: what’s new in your area of interest, and what does this mean for teachers, trainers and leaders?
• Community: how can teachers form, join and maintain in-person and online communities that aid them in achieving their shared goals?
  

If you have a suggestion for a talk or workshop that relates to our conference theme but doesn’t touch on the above areas, we’d also love to hear from you! Year after year, we have been extremely impressed with the creativity and ingenuity of our contributors. Never spoken at a conference before? Never fear! We welcome first-time presenters and are available throughout to provide any support you might need. Just remember that we are looking for dynamic, interactive talks that will leave attendees brimming with ideas!

Attend InnovateELT 2022

Whether or not you intend to propose a workshop idea, we hope you will join us as a delegate at InnovateELT 2022! As we have seen, this will allow you to attend up to eight dynamic workshops, three social events, and at least two dynamic networking sessions. For the best price, take advantage of our Early Bird offer. This allows you to save up to 50% on the cost of your ticket and is by far the most affordable way to join us. Take heed, however! These tickets are strictly limited in number, and only available until Sunday 3rd July. Click here to take advantage of this offer now.

Sponsor us

Bringing together as it does the decision-makers in our industry, InnovateELT also provides a fantastic opportunity for sponsorship. If you’d like to share your product or service with superusers from the world of TEFL, check out our sponsorship pack! As you will see, there is a variety of competitively priced packages on offer, with options to connect with delegates in-person, online or both. With projected sales of over 400 tickets and attendees from more than 25 countries, this event might be just what your organisation needs to get your message out there! Here’s what our sponsors have had to say:

It’s great that one day is run in-person! I’ve missed it – it all sounds so promising 🙂

2022 sponsor

It’s a good event with a varied audience and it helps raise our profile within the industry.

2019 sponsor

We are always on-hand to discuss any alternative sponsorship suggestions you may have. However large or small your organisation, feel free to contact me at [email protected]. We are also very open to sponsorship from local food and beverage brands who may wish to share their tasty fare with our delegates and spread the word about their brand!

What else is there to look forward to?

By now, I hope you’ve seen that InnovateELT 2022 has a lot to offer. One perk that we haven’t yet mentioned is the prizes on offer. These have yet to be finalised, but typically include some or all of the following:

• A free 60-minute coaching session
• A Teacher Development Course worth €350
• Discounts on any of our courses (CELTA, DipTESOL, specialised workshops etc.)
• Membership of our online teaching community, Oxford TEFL Connect

There are also a few other surprises waiting for our delegates which I won’t give away right now. All in all, InnovateELT looks set to be our best conference yet and we hope to see as many of you as possible joining us and getting involved. It seems only fair to give the final word to Oxford TEFL Director, Duncan Foord:

“InnovateELT is a highlight of the year for Oxford TEFL, and for me personally. I am consistently impressed with the fresh new ideas our speakers bring, and it’s great to see teachers from all corners of the world getting together. This year, we are looking forward to further refining our virtual event, while also inviting people to join us at our home base in Barcelona. Overall, I’d say that InnovateELT has something for everyone, and it will be fantastic to welcome attendees old and new later this year.”

To buy your ticket for InnovateELT 2022 click here.

Submit your proposal for a workshop here.

Email [email protected] for any other information (including about group discounts)