Marcela Cintra – 19
Some weeks ago I was talking to a colleague about going to conferences as she said she was not very fond of such events. Her reasons were very plausible: more of the same, an enormous amount of money she could be spending on something else, spending time she could be using for other things. This week during the 50th IATEFL conference, I was inspired by all the committed and hard working professionals I met, the workshops, talks and plenaries I attended and decided to write about reasons why ELT professionals should attend conferences, seminars, workshops, webinars…
- To learn. I strongly believe all professionals need to keep learning to make a difference in their field. Working in education, ELT professionals should embrace learning, change and innovation even more. Not only because learners change, the language changes, but also because nothing in our profession is stuck and we areaccountable for the changes we provoke in our learners.
- To broaden our minds and understand different contexts. We usually restrictour perspectives by looking at our reality solely in our own contexts. In international conferences we have a chance to observe diverse contexts – learners’ profiles, local culture, learning aims, etc. – and refresh the way we look at our own.
- To listen to great ELT professionals. During conferences you have the chance to attend talks by experienced presenters or interesting newcomers. In addition to reading what they write about, you may have a chance to get new ideas straight from what they share. It is also a chance to discuss their publications if you feel like doing so.
- To present something. It seems to be an effective way of challenging ourselves. A solid presentation will involve research, experimentation and critical thinking when looking at what we gathered. Not to mention the thrill to speak in front of a crowd of professionals who are not necessarily from the same background as you. It brings us the chance to grow professionally.
- To question what we do. Either by listening to someone who does things differently and influences us to rethink our routines, our own way of thinking, or by provoking discussions by throwing questions during forums, pannel discussions or chats. In any case, it is our role as professionals to reshape ELT if we dream of a better future for the field.
- To network and build bridges for projects, discussions, collaboration or someone to keep in touch with to help you look at your context from a different perspective. It connects to previous points in broadening our minds and keeps us connected to the world outside our day-to-day environment for a more critical view of what we do.
- To contribute to solid professionalism in the field of ELT. Together we can build respect to our own profession, collaborate towards higher standards to ourselves. Participating in conferences reveals a great degree of commitment to our field and may impact not only our growth, but also the perception of external stakeholders, the way our students and the society see us as professionals.
Finally, it is important to remember we can all attend online events, if travelling is not possible, and act locally to discuss ideas and innovations. All it takes is a will to learn and do something different, to grow professionally and collaborate towards higher standards to our field.
What do you think? What was the last event you attended?
Looking forward to hearing from you.
