Upcoming CPD Opportunities Summer 2026
Upcoming CPD Opportunities: Spring 2026
The lighter evenings are getting longer and the temperatures are rising steadily here in Spain! It’s a busy time of year for teachers here, with end-of-course exams and preparation for summer courses in the private sector. If you are lucky enough to have some well-deserved free time coming up and can manage to squeeze in a little self-directed CPD, here is the latest run-down of opportunities available over the next three months.
I will be updating the post regularly, so if I’ve missed something, do let me know in the comments.
Jessica
TITLE: Motivating and engaging young learners
PRESENTER: Helen Kenyon
DATES & TIMES: Tuesday, 2nd June 2026 - 10:00 (GMT+1) and Thursday, 4th June 2026 - 16:00 (GMT+1)
LANGUAGE: English
ORGANISED BY: Cambridge University Press & Assessment
TYPE OF EVENT: Free webinar
SUMMARY
How can we inspire young learners to enjoy using English and actively participate in class? This session shares insights from a recent Cambridge study where children around the world revealed what motivates them, especially when interacting socially in English. We’ll explore what these findings mean for classroom practice and discuss practical strategies to boost engagement, confidence, and enjoyment. Join us to discover ways to prepare your students to use English successfully in diverse, multilingual contexts both within and beyond school.
TITLE: 2nd International ELLRA Conference: Exploring Multilingualism and Diversity in Formal Early Language Learning Contexts
PRESENTERS: See programme
DATES & TIMES: Wednesday 3rd – Friday 5th June 2026
LANGUAGE: English
ORGANISED BY: ELLRA (Early Language Learning Research Association)
TYPE OF EVENT: Face-to-face conference, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
SUMMARY
Exploring Multilingualism and Diversity in Formal Early Language Learning Contexts
In classrooms around the world, children represent a wide range of socio-economic, linguistic, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds. Embracing such diversity through multilingual educational practices not only contributes to acknowledging students’ unique identities but also promotes inclusion and a sense of belonging from a very young age (ELLRA, 2023; Norton & Toohey, 2011; UNESCO, 2025). Therefore, exploring multilingualism and diversity in formal early language learning contexts can provide a greater insight into how children (aged 2-12) learn and engage with languages in diverse classrooms and identify instructional practices which render language education more equitable and inclusive.
Keynote speakers
- María del Pilar García Mayo, Universidad del País Vasco, Spain
- Sabine Little, University of Sheffield, UK
- Sharon Unsworth, Radboud Universiteit, The Netherlands
- Mario López Gopar, Universidad Autónoma Benito Juárez de Oaxaca, Mexico
TITLE: Ten ways to include learners on the autism spectrum this week
PRESENTER: Claire Hart
DATES & TIMES: Wednesday, 10th June -16:00 (UK time)
LANGUAGE: English
ORGANISED BY: Delta publishing
TYPE OF EVENT: Free webinar
SUMMARY
In this session, we will explore how it feels to be a learner on the autism spectrum: its advantages, its challenges and what those who teach learners on the autism spectrum (which is every teacher!) need to know. Then we`ll look at ten things you can do in your classroom this week to include learners who are or may be on the autism spectrum. This will cover: how to identify learners` needs, how to set up the classroom, how to select equipment, how to respond to sensory preferences, how to manage interactions, how to prepare materials and how to raise self-esteem. Here the focus will not be on how to "lower the bar" to accommodate learners on the autism spectrum, but rather on how to make changes which will benefit all learners, regardless of whether or not they are on the autism spectrum.
TITLE: Practical AI with Pearson English Journey
PRESENTER: Chris Morley
DATES & TIMES: Thurs. 11th June. 10:00 (CEST) & 17:00 (CEST)
LANGUAGE: English
ORGANISED BY: Pearson
TYPE OF EVENT: Free webinar
SUMMARY
This hands-on webinar for English language teachers shows how to turn everyday classroom challenges into actionable wins through innovative Teacher and learner tools now available within the Pearson English Journey. We will discuss how these can support personalization, mixed-ability groups, motivation and digital skills, as well as their alignment to courseware, assessment, and certification to drive measurable progress. We’ll demo two new tools: Smart Lesson Generator for instant creation of engaging lesson activities, and Speaking Tutor for extended speaking practice outside the classroom. You’ll leave with ready-to-use strategies and routines you can apply to plan faster, personalize learning, and boost learners’ speaking confidence. References: Pearson English Journey overview; Smart Lesson Generator; Speaking Tutor
TITLE: Creative teaching in large, multilevel classes – webinars
PRESENTERS: María Eugenia Ianiro, Milton Bradbury
DATES & TIMES: Friday, 12th June 15.00–17:15 (UK time)
LANGUAGE: English
ORGANISED BY: British Council
TYPE OF EVENT: Free online webinars
SUMMARY
This is the final event in our webinar series on practical approaches to different teaching contexts. The first session explores how hooks, short breaks and reflection time can help keep large classes focused and motivated. The second session examines ways to build learner autonomy, making large-group lessons more effective and enabling learners to maximise their progress.
Session 1: 15.00–16.00 (UK time)
Engaging learners with hooks, breaks and reflection - Speaker María Eugenia Ianiro
This session explores how three powerful elements - motivational hooks, intentional pauses, and metacognitive reflection - can keep even a large class engaged and energised throughout the lesson. Participants will leave with practical ideas for starting lessons with impact, quick brain break activities and reflective prompts and routines. This webinar is suitable for teachers of primary and secondary learners.
Session 2: 16.15–17.15 (UK time)
Building learner autonomy in multilevel classes – Speaker: Milton Bradbury
In large, multilevel classes, trying to teach everyone at the same time is often unrealistic and can limit both engagement and progress. This session explores simple, practical ways to build structured learner autonomy, so that learners can work at the right level, while the teacher keeps lessons manageable and effective. This session is aimed at teachers of secondary and young adult learners.
TITLE: The Spain Festival of Education
PRESENTERS: Various – see programme
DATES & TIMES: Saturday, 13th June 2026 – all day
LANGUAGE: English
ORGANISED BY: British School of Barcelona
TYPE OF EVENT: General Primary/Secondary Education in-person conference (Tickets from €78)
SUMMARY
The Festival of Education is dedicated to inspiring and empowering educators from all sectors. Our mission is to provide an inclusive platform for sharing innovative ideas, fostering meaningful discussions, and promoting professional growth in a vibrant, relaxed atmosphere.
We aim to cultivate a community where diverse perspectives are valued, and challenging debates are conducted with respect and professionalism. By bringing together passionate individuals dedicated to enhancing education, we strive to shape the future of learning and teaching.
TITLE: Rethinking Intonation Pedagogy in the Age of AI: A Three-Step Plan for Teacher Education
PRESENTER: Stella Palavecino
DATES & TIMES: Saturday, 13th June 2026 - 12:00 PM (UK time)
LANGUAGE: English
ORGANISED BY: IATEFL TTEdSIG
TYPE OF EVENT: Free Webinar
SUMMARY
The webinar will begin by exploring why English intonation is often perceived by teachers as difficult to teach and by learners as difficult to acquire. Participants will reflect on how traditional listen-and-repeat practices may overlook the role of meaning-making and speaker intention in communication. The session will then introduce a practical 1–2–3 lesson framework that integrates dialogic pedagogy and artificial intelligence to support the teaching and learning of intonation. Through guided classroom tasks and AI-mediated materials, participants will experience how short texts can help learners notice, infer, and interpret speakers’ intonational choices. The webinar will demonstrate how AI can assist learners in experimenting with tune selection and producing intelligible spoken texts while maintaining the teacher’s role in prioritizing key intonational features. The session will conclude with practical pedagogical implications and adaptable strategies that teachers can immediately implement to foster learner autonomy and meaningful oral communication.
TITLE: Using Humour to Connect: Creating Brave Spaces
PRESENTER: Annabelle Baumann
DATES & TIMES: Sunday, 14th June 2026 - 15:00
LANGUAGE: English
ORGANISED BY: IATEFL BESIG
TYPE OF EVENT: Free Webinar
SUMMARY
Using Humour to Connect: Creating Brave Spaces is a dynamic, experiential workshop for trainers, facilitators, and leaders who want to use humour as a tool for connection, not performance. This workshop is not about telling jokes or being a comedian. It focuses on using intentional humour to build trust, ease tension, and lower anxiety so people feel safe enough to be brave.
Through an understanding of the theory behind my Chronosoma practice, participants explore the importance of breath and body awareness as foundations for connection. Guided exercises and playful experimentation support participants in learning how to read a room, respond authentically, and use humor to foster inclusion rather than avoidance. These practices help leaders stay present in moments of uncertainty or discomfort and strengthen their ability to support meaningful engagement.
The workshop empowers participants to step onto their platform with clarity and confidence while creating brave spaces that invite deeper connection, clearer communication, and the courage for individuals and groups to take risks and grow together.
TITLE: From Culture to Classroom: Creating CLIL Materials with a Local Voice
PRESENTER: Tamara Jumabayeva
DATES & TIMES: Monday, 15th June 2026 - 13:00 (UK time)
LANGUAGE: English
ORGANISED BY: IATEFL MAWSIG
TYPE OF EVENT: Webinar free to members; Non-member price - £5
SUMMARY
This webinar explores how teachers can design CLIL materials that are both pedagogically sound and culturally relevant, helping learners connect subject content with their own identity and experiences. Drawing on examples from primary-level English and Science lessons in Kazakhstan, we will examine how integrating local culture into worksheets and activities enhances comprehension, engagement, and willingness to communicate in English. The session will highlight practical principles for creating culturally responsive CLIL worksheets, including selecting meaningful contexts, embedding inquiry-based tasks, and balancing global skills with local traditions. Participants will be guided through a step-by-step process of adapting and writing their own materials, ensuring that worksheets do more than practice language—they foster deeper learning, critical thinking, and cultural pride. By the end, attendees will leave with concrete strategies and inspiring examples to enrich their materials writing practice with a strong, local voice.
TITLE: Motivating secondary learners through problem-based learning
PRESENTER: Daniel Vincent
DATES & TIMES: Tuesday, 16th June 2026 - 10:00 (GMT+1) and Thursday, 18th June 2026 - 16:00 (GMT+1)
LANGUAGE: English
ORGANISED BY: Cambridge University Press and Assessment
TYPE OF EVENT: Free webinar
SUMMARY
Problem-Based Learning (PBL) is a powerful way to engage students by connecting lessons to real-world challenges, which ultimately makes learning more meaningful and relevant to their own life experiences. This webinar will break down what PBL looks like in practice and how it can help students think critically, work collaboratively, and take ownership of their learning. Discover practical ideas you can use straight away to make your classroom more interactive and meaningful.
TITLE: Supporting multilingual learners: what can language and science teachers learn from each other?
PRESENTER: Almaz Baraki Cherkos, Eliakimu Sane & Angeline M. Barrett
DATES & TIMES: Tuesday, 16th June 2026, 12.00 – 13.15 (UK time)
LANGUAGE: English
ORGANISED BY: British Council
TYPE OF EVENT: Free webinar
SUMMARY
This webinar explores how collaboration between language and science educators can better support multilingual learners in classrooms. Drawing on research from Ethiopia and Tanzania, it highlights how language-supportive approaches can help learners access subject content, participate more actively, and improve their understanding in science lessons. Participants will engage with key insights from the project and explore practical ways to apply these ideas in their own teacher education and classroom settings.
TITLE: Unlocking Creativity in the CLIL Classroom
PRESENTER: Julia Mena Dobson
DATES & TIMES: Wednesday, 17th June – 16:00 (UK time)
LANGUAGE: English
ORGANISED BY: Trinity College London
TYPE OF EVENT: Free webinar
SUMMARY
This webinar will begin with a conversation on creativity: its role in our daily lives, how it is encouraged (or discouraged) in education and why it is important.
The core of the session will be demo lesson exploring famous works of art. Together, participants will analyse their colours, materials, and composition, and discuss what the artists tried to communicate.
Finally, participants will be invited to create a final piece that reflects the insights gained. Through this process, we will experience how we can use active learning, scaffolding, and critical reflection to foster creativity in our classes.
TITLE: Establishing a language assessment literacy framework for an educational organisation
PRESENTER: Mina Patel
DATES & TIMES: Thursday, 18th June 2026 12:00 PM (UK time)
LANGUAGE: English
ORGANISED BY: IATEFL TEASIG
TYPE OF EVENT: Free webinar
SUMMARY
I will present a study that explored the perceptions of and need for language assessment literacy (LAL) for non-specialist language testing and assessment (LTA) professionals in the British Council. The professionals were employees who work in leadership, marketing, business development, teachers and customer service. They have expertise in these areas and work with LTA but do not have a background or training in it. As testing and assessment needs are changing continuously and test-takers and users are looking for support, resources, and advice in making testing decisions, these professionals have a significant role in the wider LTA eco-system. Yet, to date, they have been under-represented in LAL research.
I will present an overview of the study, the findings and the framework for LAL developed for this population. This study builds on existing work around LAL in the workplace focussing on stakeholders who are sometimes, unwittingly left out of LTA conversations.
TITLE: Ask me anything: Insights and advice from PTE experts
PRESENTER: Magda Woodham
DATES & TIMES: Thurs. June 18th – 12:00 (GMT)
LANGUAGE: English
ORGANISED BY: Pearson ELT
TYPE OF EVENT: Free webinar
SUMMARY
This webinar gives you the opportunity to ask anything about the Pearson Test of English. Join our experts to get answers to your questions, explore test strategies, and learn tips for supporting learners effectively
TITLE: Participatory photography in the ESOL classroom
PRESENTER: Sarah Sheldon
DATES & TIMES: Saturday, 20th June 2026 11:00 (UK time)
LANGUAGE: English
ORGANISED BY: IATEFL ESOLSIG
TYPE OF EVENT: Free webinar
SUMMARY
What if your learners’ phones could become one of the most powerful tools in your classroom?
Join Sarah Sheldon, ESOL teacher, trainer and Director at Learning Unlimited, for a practical and inspiring session exploring how photography can transform language learning.
In this webinar, we will look at how photography enriches and supports language learning in the ESOL classroom – how it can be used as a simple warmer, as part of a lesson, or as the basis for a full course. We will explore how taking and sharing photos brings learning to life, builds community, works well with mixed-level groups, and leads to powerful writing. The session will include looking at examples of both individual and group work, along with activity ideas, top tips, and useful resources.
Participants will leave with fresh, flexible ideas they can use immediately in their own teaching.
TITLE: Assessment Evolved: The ELT Edition
PRESENTERS: Muireann Hendriksen, Nik Peachey, Hebatallah Morsy, Fajarudin Akbar, Mike Mayor
DATES & TIMES: Weds. June 24th – 15:00 (BST) & Thurs. June 25th – 09:00 (BST)
LANGUAGE: English
ORGANISED BY: Pearson ELT
TYPE OF EVENT: Webinar
SUMMARY
Generative AI is transforming language learning and reshaping the way we think about assessment. Join our expert panel for a live discussion exploring how educators can evolve formative assessment practices for the Gen AI era.
Based on Pearson’s new report, Assessment Evolved: The ELT Edition, this webinar will explore:
How AI is changing language teaching and assessment
Why formative assessment matters more than ever
Practical ways to integrate AI meaningfully into ELT classrooms
How teachers can focus on process, thinking, and communication – not just outputs
Strategies to support learning integrity while preparing students for an AI-driven future
You’ll also discover the new ELT Educator Guide, featuring practical classroom strategies and ready-to-use lesson ideas designed specifically for language educators. Choose the session that best fits your schedule: both webinars cover the same material.
TITLE: Inclusive assessments for neurodiverse learners
PRESENTER: Nina Hall
DATES & TIMES: Weds. June 24th – 15:00 (UTC)
LANGUAGE: English
ORGANISED BY: Pearson ELT
TYPE OF EVENT: Webinar
SUMMARY
Assessment is a vital part of our roles as teachers, measuring our success and that of our learners. But with neurodiversity at centre stage in our lives, how can we be sure that our assessments are actually measuring diverse learners' progress and how can we build equity into this vital part of what we do? This webinar will explore how we can do assessment with inclusivity and equity in mind.
TITLE: Assessing Voice in L2 Writing
PRESENTER: Cecilia Guanfang Zhao
DATES & TIMES: Tuesday, 14th July 2026 12:00 PM (UK time)
LANGUAGE: English
ORGANISED BY: IATEFL TEASIG
TYPE OF EVENT: Free webinar
SUMMARY
Voice is a popular concept in English rhetoric and composition, greatly valued in ELA writing classrooms as a key construct included in various writing standards and rubrics. The assessment of voice, however, proves challenging due to its slippery and contested nature. This talk traces how voice scholarship has moved from early debates about its relevance to L2 writing to empirical construct modelling and validation. Drawing on relevant research, I show (1) how voice can be operationalized as a multidimensional construct influencing score-based judgments of text quality; (2) how the dialogic nature of voice explains why even trained raters may still disagree; and (3) how voice and its assessment should be context-dependent, taking into account both language resources and sociocultural affordances across diverse writing environments. The session ends with an interactive discussion of voice construction and assessment in an increasingly more digital, multimodal, tool-mediated, and AI-enhanced multilingual world.
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