Page 22 - ELG1704 Apr Issue 446

NEWS

A conference that bucks

convention

Rakesh Bhanot reports on the first major ELT conference for teachers
in Iran and tells the Gazette about the changes that made it happen

OLDING interna- and online training sessions) to
tional conferences in establish a network of teachers Hamed Saber
Iran, especially those and trainers that finally became
relating to cultural is- Ielta, which in 2013 became an
Hsues such as language associate of Iatefl. It took anoth-
teaching and learning, has been er four years to organise its first
difficult in the past. international conference.
Until recently, the official The idea of a conference for
attitude regarding English teachers was new for many of
has been ambivalent, but the the mostly young delegates and
government now seems to there was an atmosphere of joy
be taking a more pragmatic and even pride at the event.
view towards what some have Although English is taught at RAKESH’S VIEW FROM TEHRAN
previously referred to as ‘the school, many parents also send
language of the enemy’. The their children to the growing
few ELT conferences that have number (around 10,000) of I am in a taxi with Carol Read, erstwhile President
been held in the past were private institutions for extra of Iatefl, and we are travelling from Imam Khomeini
mostly limited to universities, language tuition. As in other International Airport to the venue of the first ever
and thus not accessible to prac- countries, there is concern about conference of the Iranian English Language Teachers
tising teachers of English. the gap between the traditional Association (Ielta). Neither of us has been to the Islamic
But recently, the Iran English forms of teaching in state schools Republic of Iran before, and we are keen to learn as
Language Teachers Association and the more communicative much as possible given the paucity of information
(Ielta) held its first conference, approaches adopted by the presented in Western media about this major country.
‘Global innovations, local im- private sector. ‘What’s the population of Tehran?’ we ask the driver. ‘It
plementation: putting ELT theo- Many believe that by ex- depends! During the day, it’s about 15 million, but at
ries into practice’, in Tehran. It posing all teachers to innova- night it’s only about 10 million,’ he replies with a smile.
featured many local and inter- tive approaches to language Judging by the lengthy queues of cars on the road so
early in the morning, he is probably not exaggerating.
national speakers including ELT teaching at conferences such as
guru Jeremy Harmer, primary Ielta 2017, the overall stand- Carol was president when Ielta became affiliated to
Iatefl in 2013, and we are both looking forward to
specialist Carol Read and Ira- ards can be raised. However, participating in this inaugural event with over 700
nian linguist Hossein Farhady. native speakers attending the delegates from all over Iran, and a few of us from the
And it was well attended, with event said the level of English UK and other countries.
more than 700 delegates and 80 displayed by the delegates was Following a spectacular opening, we settle in for three
invited guests, and proved to be already impressive. days of discussion and debate. What impressed all the
a major success. Organising such conferences delegates from other countries was not only the high
The conference, aimed at with international guests is not level of English of the delegates (many had an MA or
teachers from both state schools easy given the need to seek the a PhD) but also how keen they were to develop their
and the private sector as well as cooperation of government professional skills. It was also unusual to see such a
academics and researchers, was officials and the fact that most high percentage of male participants – around 40 per
the brain child of Bita Rezaei, foreigners have to apply for a cent – at an ELT conference.
director of the Hermes chain rather expensive business visa The conference will remain memorable for many reasons
of language schools and Ielta in order to attend. Yet Ielta has but for the overseas delegates it will be difficult to
president. Having identified the shown that it is possible, and forget the number of selfies and other photos in which
need for a teachers association, most delegates, local and foreign, we were invited to appear. Thanks, Bita Rezaei, Ielta
president and event organiser, for the experience.
she worked tirelessly (organising look forward to the next one.
a series of regional workshops Maybe next year?

editorial@elgazette.com 23

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