22 October 2011

Making it REAL - Conference, Sèvres (France)

Some of you may be interested in attending this conference right after the TESOL France Conference.

Over the last three years the REAL2 project, co-financed by the European Commission, has worked to set up a Network of Language Teacher Associations in the form of a sustainable membership organisation. As the project draws to its close, join us this November in the beautiful former Sèvres Porcelain Works on the outskirts of Paris to discover more about what has been achieved so far and how to get involved in our ambitious initiative to give a voice to Europe’s language teachers.

Our Objectives

The conference will enable you to:

  • find out more about how the new European Network of Language Teacher Associations (REAL) is working to support associations and defend linguistic diversity in Europe ;
  • share your concerns, ideas and experiences about the world of teaching and learning languages with other like-minded professionals;
  • get practical tips and ideas on how to run your association ;
  • debate and exchange about key aspects of linguistic policy affecting language teachers and learn more about how you can change things.


Our approach

The seminar will be based around three types of activities led by experienced speakers from associations, schools and universities:

  • Plenary sessions given by leading lights in the language teaching world such as Prof. Michael Kelly (University of Southampton, UK) and Uwe Mohr (Goethe Institut, Belgique) focusing on the activity of the Network and wider issues on languages and European linguistic policy interpreted simultaneously in English, French and German;
  • Practical workshops to share good practice on running language teacher associations, to find out about how associations can be involved in European projects and to help define REAL’s political stance on key political issues.
  • A roundtable for exchange and debate on the role of individual language teacher associations in Europe.

In addition to these sessions, there will be a whole host of more informal opportunities for networking and dialogue.

Participants will also have the possibility to display disseminate material from the projects and association activities that they are already involved in. All sessions will provide adequate time for questions and answers.

Target group

  • Active members of language teacher associations
  • Members of organisations involved in language learning and teaching

Languages

The REAL network is firmly in favour of protecting European linguistic diversity. As the most widely spoken and learnt languages in Europe, English, French and German have been chosen as the conference’s main working languages. There will of course be many opportunities to use other EU languages given the diversity of those attending.

See the full programme here: http://www.real-association.eu/content/making-it-real-final-conference-sevres-france#tabset-tab-2

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