Upcoming CPD Opportunities Spring 2026
Upcoming CPD Opportunities: Spring 2026
Spring is springing again here in the northern hemisphere, and with the change of seasons comes the new blogpost with the latest batch of (mostly free and online) CPD opportunities. I’ve been posting these seasonal summaries for over three years now! If you look back at post from previous years, there’s not very much to see, as I delete events after they have happened. However, I have saved the original (full) posts and it’s remarkable how they serve as snapshots of the zeitgeist and hot topics in ELT at the time.
Looking forward to this season, it is clear that everything AI continues to assert its dominance, but the human side – in particular, diversity, equity, belonging and inclusion – are right up there with it!
As usual, please let me know in the comments if I’ve missed anything.
And hope to see some of you in TESOL-SPAIN in March, and IATEFL in April!
Jessica
TITLE: Fostering Transversal Competences in Language Teaching
PRESENTER: Isil Ozdemir
DATES & TIMES: Tuesday, 7th April 2026 – 11:00 - 11:40 (CET)
LANGUAGE: English
ORGANISED BY: EAQUALS
TYPE OF EVENT: Free Webinar
SUMMARY
Language classrooms today are no longer limited to teaching grammar and vocabulary; they have the potential to become spaces where learners engage with the world more meaningfully — especially when global or sustainability-related themes are used intentionally. Such themes allow learners to explore real-world issues through language, helping them connect classroom learning to their lives and experiences beyond it.
Within this framework, fostering transversal competences — including global, critical, and creative literacies — becomes a key aim of language education. These competences not only help learners question information, consider multiple perspectives, and express ideas in original and informed ways, but also strengthen core language skills by giving them a meaningful communicative purpose.
This webinar focuses on practical, classroom-friendly ways of integrating these competences into everyday teaching. It introduces adaptable frameworks that transform familiar reading, writing, and discussion tasks into opportunities for inquiry, reflection, and creative expression. By grounding language teaching in sustainability and SDG-related contexts, the session illustrates how global issues can serve as meaningful vehicles for developing both language proficiency and deeper thinking.
Participants will leave with practical insights and flexible strategies to design lessons that inspire curiosity, empathy, and critical awareness across diverse teaching contexts.
TITLE: Intelligenza artificiale come partner di studio per studenti di italiano
PRESENTER: Arco Jannuzzi
DATES & TIMES: Tuesday, 14th April 2026 – 11:00 - 11:40 (CET)
LANGUAGE: Italiano
ORGANISED BY: EAQUALS
TYPE OF EVENT: Free Webinar
SUMMARY
L’intelligenza artificiale è tanto inevitabile quanto complessa da integrare nelle classi di lingua. Questa presentazione vuole provare a dare una prospettiva dell’IA non come nemico giurato delle nostre classi, ma come partner di studio per gli studenti, in particolare in situazioni di italiano LS, quindi non appreso in Italia, nelle quali uno dei problemi più grandi è l’utilizzo delle abilità comunicative al di fuori del contesto-classe. Nel webinar verranno proposte alcune attività per provare a potenziare le abilità di comprensione del testo scritto (reading), produzione del testo scritto (writing) e produzione/interazione orale, tutto autogestito dagli studenti con l’aiuto dell’intelligenza artificiale.
TITLE: Fostering Authentic Communication in the Young Learner Classroom
PRESENTER: Katy Kelly
DATES & TIMES: Wednesday, 15th April – 16:00 (UK time)
LANGUAGE: English
ORGANISED BY: Trinity College London
TYPE OF EVENT: Free Webinar
SUMMARY
In this webinar we will explore some of the challenges teachers face when trying to develop speaking skills in class. We will look at the reasons that speaking in class can be a source of frustration for both teachers and learners alike. By unpacking some of the reasons, we will gain a better understanding of what our learners need and what we can do to allow, support and cultivate authentic communication in our young learner classes. We will look at how the Your Way to GESE book series has been designed to put learner voice and real-world application of language at the forefront and how this approach strengthens real-world communication.
TITLE: Understanding your context
PRESENTERS: Rabia Shafi and Nadia Tuati, Claudia Tumba
DATES & TIMES: Friday, 17th April 2026 – 12:00 – 14:15
LANGUAGE: English
ORGANISED BY: British Council
TYPE OF EVENT: Free Webinars
SUMMARY
In the first event in our series of webinars on practical approaches for your teaching context, two of our course tutors will introduce strategies for making your teaching relevant to your learners, your classroom and your wider context. The second session focuses on designing projects that celebrate local culture and cultural exchange while building communication, teamwork and creativity. These activities strengthen learner confidence and place an understanding of culture and context at the heart of your classroom.
Session 1 (12:00 – 13:00, UK time) : Understanding your context: A practical introduction - Rabia Shafi and Nadia Tuati
In this practical introduction to the professional practice Understanding your context, our course tutors will explore how you can adapt materials and resources to suit your learners' needs, interests and backgrounds. They will share resources and strategies for teaching large, mixed-level classes. You will find out how your learners' home languages and cultures can become valuable resources in the classroom.
Session 2 (13:15 – 14:14, UK time) : Culture, confidence and communication in the EFL classroom - Claudia Tumba
This workshop will give you practical ideas to help you celebrate culture in your classroom through collaborative projects. You will learn how to design a clear project framework for learners to present cultural content, which will help them develop communication skills, collaboration and creativity. Including cultural content in your classes can encourage empathy and intercultural understanding as well as boosting learner confidence. Join us to find out more!
TITLE: Integrating Socio-Emotional Learning in the Teenage Classroom
PRESENTER: Nancy Katsikari
DATES & TIMES: Tuesday, 21st April 2026 – 11:00 - 11:40 (CET)
LANGUAGE: English
ORGANISED BY: EAQUALS
TYPE OF EVENT: Free Webinar
SUMMARY
This presentation aims to equip EFL teachers working with teenage learners with effective strategies and tasks targeting the teenager of the 21st century.
During adolescence students experience significant emotional, social, and cognitive development which can affect them profoundly. Socio-Emotional Learning (SEL) plays a crucial role in fostering emotional intelligence, empathy, and interpersonal skills, which are essential for personal and academic success, and it is believed that it can help teenagers go through this sensitive period of their life. Join us to explore how by integrating SEL into our classrooms, we can create a supportive learning environment that promotes holistic growth.
TITLE: Quiz vidéo en FLE : de la création à l’impact en classe
PRESENTER: Salma Alamassi
DATES & TIMES: Tuesday, 28th April 2026 – 11:00 - 11:40 (CET)
LANGUAGE: Français
ORGANISED BY: EAQUALS
TYPE OF EVENT: Free Webinar
SUMMARY
Pour améliorer les compétences des apprenants en langues, il faut adopter des pratiques centrées sur la communication et la progressivité, il faut aussi proposer des tâches basées sur des situations réelles pour favoriser la production orale et écrite, et combiner de la compréhension écrite et orale avec l’utilisation des matériels pour enrichir le lexique et bien pratiquer la grammaire, l’enseignement explicite du vocabulaire et des structures en contexte. Favoriser l’apprentissage actif par projets, jeux de rôle et travail collaboratif pour développer l’interaction, la fluidité et la confiance suite d’une évaluation formative régulière avec feedback constructif et autoévaluation pour ajuster les objectifs individuels sont aussi nécessaires. N’oublions pas la différenciation des ressources et des parcours pour répondre aux besoins et styles d’apprentissage plus l’intégration des technologies pour la pratique autonome. Lors de ce webinaire, la présentatrice expliquera comment mettre en œuvre ces méthodes en classe de FLE en s’appuyant sur plusieurs plateformes et des quiz interactifs. Elle mettra particulièrement l’accent sur les quiz vidéo : création, intégration pédagogique, modalités de production par les apprenants et usages en classe, ainsi que l’évaluation des résultats obtenus. La présentatrice partagera son expérience en proposant des activités concrètes, illustrées par ses propres productions et celles des apprenants.
TITLE: Neurodiversity: inclusive pedagogy, fostering effective learning for all
PRESENTERS: Andrea Vinkler & Kate Trafford
DATES & TIMES: Tuesday, 28th April 2026 - 10:00 (GMT+1) and Thursday, 30th April 2026 - 16:00 (GMT+1)
LANGUAGE: English
ORGANISED BY: Cambridge University Press & Assessment
TYPE OF EVENT: Free Webinar
SUMMARY
Build a toolbox of inclusive teaching strategies designed to foster the effective learning of both neurodivergent and neurotypical learners. This session will examine inclusive pedagogy through the framework of the Universal Design for Learning, then dive into practical ideas for presenting information and giving feedback, responding to common learner struggles, and fostering learner autonomy. With intentional practices, you can help create learning spaces where every student feels valued, supported and able to thrive.
TITLE: How schools retain talented and capable teachers
PRESENTER: Professor Qing Gu OBE FRSA FAcSS
DATES & TIMES: Tuesday, 28th April 2026, 12.00 – 13.15 (UK time).
LANGUAGE: English
ORGANISED BY: British Council
TYPE OF EVENT: Free Webinar
SUMMARY
Please note that the content of this webinar is tailored for teacher educators and teachers who are engaged in facilitating the professional development of others.
Teacher retention remains a pressing challenge in many education systems worldwide. Drawing on research-informed knowledge about teachers’ work and lives over the last two decades, this webinar will share fresh insights into the significance of school organisation in retaining teachers. Join us to find out how and why so many teachers are able to remain committed and passionate about making a difference in their classrooms despite working with similar policy, structural and practical challenges that face many schools globally.
TITLE: Co-Creation in Action: Building a Collaborative Syllabus with Real-World Impact
PRESENTERS: Egveniia Dudnikova & Jane Langley
DATES & TIMES: Tuesday, 5th May 2026 – 11:00 - 11:40 (CET)
LANGUAGE: English
ORGANISED BY: EAQUALS
TYPE OF EVENT: Free Webinar
SUMMARY
This webinar explores how engaging teachers as active partners in syllabus and materials development can lead to richer, more authentic learning experiences and stronger learner outcomes. Drawing on SEDA’s recent curriculum redevelopment process, the session showcases a practical model of collaborative course design where teachers contribute ideas, real-world content, and classroom insights that directly shape the syllabus.
Rather than treating the syllabus as a static document created solely by academic managers, this approach reframes it as a living, evolving framework that grows through structured teacher participation. By creating clear pathways for teacher input—such as collaborative planning sessions, materials‐collection facilitation, and reflection channels—we have developed courses that are more relevant, inclusive, and aligned with learners’ real needs.
The webinar will share examples of how teacher-generated content has enriched tasks, project work, and life-skills integration across levels. It will also examine the academic management benefits of co-creation, including increased teacher ownership, improved consistency, and a stronger link between classroom practice and institutional quality assurance requirements.
Participants will leave with actionable strategies for introducing or strengthening collaborative syllabus development in their own context, even with limited time or resources, and with ideas for fostering a culture where teachers feel empowered to shape the curriculum they teach.
TITLE: Creating an inclusive learning environment: teacher tips and takeaways
PRESENTER: Ben Goldstein
DATES & TIMES: Tuesday, 5th May 2026 -10:00 (GMT+1) & Thursday, 7th May 2026 - 16:00 (GMT+1)
LANGUAGE: English
ORGANISED BY: Cambridge University Press and Assessment
TYPE OF EVENT: Free Webinar
SUMMARY
Join us to discover tips and techniques for creating an inclusive classroom atmosphere for both neurodivergent and neurotypical learners. The session will explore topics including encouraging peer learning, developing empathy and fostering a sense of community. You will leave with practical ideas for developing trust, belonging and psychological safety that will enable every learner to actively engage in the classroom. This webinar is designed for teachers working with secondary and adult learners.
TITLE: Lesson design: what makes a successful lesson?
PRESENTER: Scott Thornbury
DATES & TIMES: Tuesday, 19th May 2026 - 10:00 (GMT+1) & Thursday, 21st May 2026 - 16:00 (GMT+1)
LANGUAGE: English
ORGANISED BY: Cambridge University Press & Assessment
TYPE OF EVENT: Free Webinar
SUMMARY
Planning a language lesson typically involves identifying a linguistic aim (a ‘teaching point’) and organising a sequence of activities to achieve this outcome. But how realistic is this? Do learners really learn what we set out to teach? And does this approach accommodate the diversity of needs and abilities typical of every classroom? In this webinar we will suggest ways that planning can maximise learning opportunities, rather than limit them. The session is designed for teachers working with learners of all levels and ages.
TITLE: You, the editor: Avoiding common task design pitfalls
PRESENTER: Luiz Otávio Barros
DATES & TIMES: Tuesday, 26th May – 13:00 (UK time)
LANGUAGE: English
ORGANISED BY: IATEFL Materials Writing SIG
TYPE OF EVENT: Free Webinar
SUMMARY
Designing language learning tasks is not just about creativity; it also means following certain principles that are rarely addressed in teacher training courses. Since many of these principles only become clear through feedback from others, I’ll share some of the editorial feedback I’ve received over the years to show how to recognize and avoid common task-design pitfalls. With examples from different proficiency levels, I’ll demonstrate how small tweaks in wording, sequencing, or layout can make a big difference in learning outcomes.
Participants will take on the role of editor as we look at flawed samples (including some generated by AI!), try to spot the problems, and discuss possible fixes. They will leave the session with a checklist of red flags and some practical self-editing strategies they can use when creating their own materials.
TITLE: Africa ELTA International Conference
PRESENTERS: Various (See programme)
DATES & TIMES: Friday 29th – Sunday 31st May 2026
LANGUAGE: English
ORGANISED BY: Africa ELTA
TYPE OF EVENT: Face-to-face conference, Nairobi, Kenya
SUMMARY
Save the Date! The 10th Africa ELTA Conference is coming to Kenya
Zetech University, Mang’u Campus, 29–31 May 2026
Theme: ELT in Africa: Carving a Way Forward
Stay tuned for the Call for Speaker Proposals, coming soon!
hashtag#AfricaELTA2026
Registration/Info tbc
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