Plenary speakers Conference 2025

Rob Howard

Rob Howard is the owner of the Online Language Center and Business Language Training Institute. He is a teacher, trainer, ELT author and frequent worldwide speaker on Business English, Teacher Development, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, teaching online, and using or not using technology and AI. He is the current IATEFL Poland president, past Joint Coordinator of the IATEFL BESIG and IATEFL BESIG Web and Online team, member of the EdYOUfest Academic Team, founder of the Independent Authors & Publishers and EFLtalks and has presented for Gallery Teachers Masterclasses, iTDi TOEFL training, ELI Publishing, Macmillan Publishers, and IATEFL LTSIG, to name a few.

Plenary talk: THE 'Y' IN HYPE: AI vs. A-why

In an era where AI is transforming the landscape of education, EFL teachers are navigating a world of rapid technological innovation. However, as artificial intelligence (AI) continues to advance, it raises a critical question: is it truly the future of language learning, or is it merely part of the latest hype? In this session, we will delve into the powerful capabilities of AI in the EFL classroom and examine the "why" behind its increasing prominence. Through insightful discussions and real-world examples, we will explore both the promises and the potential pitfalls of incorporating AI tools into language learning. Teachers will walk away with a clearer understanding of when AI can enhance teaching, when it may fall short, and how to leverage these technologies meaningfully, ensuring that we don’t just chase the buzz but thoughtfully consider the “why” behind the integration of AI in EFL education.

Aleksandra Jevtovic

Aleksandra Jevtovic holds a Master’s degree in English Language and Literature from the University of Novi Sad and is a certified CELTA teacher. With over 30 years of experience in English language teaching, Aleksandra has focused primarily on preparing students for Cambridge English exams at all proficiency levels. She has also mentored English methodology students at the University of Novi Sad and has been actively involved in teacher development. Her contributions include delivering talks and leading workshops at various international ELT conferences. Her professional interests include fostering a love of reading through extensive reading projects and exploring the use of drama in English language teaching.

Plenary talk: Is There Room for Poetry in the AI-Powered Classroom?

As AI transforms how we teach English, poetry remains essential for fostering creativity, emotional literacy, and deep language engagement. This session explores how poetry supports English learning even in tech-driven classrooms, and how AI tools can enhance—rather than replace—poetic expression. Discover practical strategies and activities that blend tradition with innovation, proving that poetry still belongs at the heart of English education.

Svetlana Dimitrova-Gyuzeleva

Svetlana Dimitrova-Gyuzeleva is an associate professor in Pedagogy at the Foreign Languages and Cultures Department of New Bulgarian University. She is a Sofia University graduate, who holds an MPhil degree in English and Applied Linguistics from the University of Cambridge and a PhD degree in FLT Methodology. She has long and varied experience of teaching English as a foreign language, as well as of teacher training in both pre- and in-service contexts. Some of her most notable publications include the Pedagogical Portfolio for Foreign Language Teacher Trainees (2004), The Professional Training of Foreign Language Teachers (2007), Practical English Grammar (2008), etc. She is also an experienced ELT materials writer who has contributed to the creation or revision of many English coursebooks (e.g. Hopscotch (for grades 2-7), English in Motion (for grades 5-7), Close-up (for grades 9-12), etc.), and also an expert ELT test-designer and evaluator, whose services are often enlisted by the Ministry of Education and Science.

Plenary talk: Aligning our Teaching and Assessment Practices with the Multimodal Dimensions of Language Behaviour

The Companion Volume to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (2020) has not only enriched our understanding of the essence of communicative competence and language behaviour, but also underlined the importance of adopting a more functional, pro-active approach to the teaching of the target language which goes beyond the traditional practice of the four skills (reading, listening, speaking and writing) for their own sake, zooming in on what learners can actually do with the acquired linguistic competence when they communicate in a variety of contexts, constructing and conveying meaning multimodally, through all channels of communication (verbal, visual, auditory, kinesthetic), i.e. the focus is now on the four modes of communication: reception, production, interaction, and mediation.

The presentation briefly outlines the content of this new concept of foreign language communicative competence and goes on to illustrate how it reflects on our classroom practices and assessment techniques when developing the modern learners' multimodal literacy in the foreign tongue.

Sylvia Velikova

Sylvia Velikova holds a PhD in Psycholinguistics and is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Modern Languages at the University of Veliko Tarnovo (UVT), Bulgaria. She has been involved in both initial English language teacher education and continuing professional development (CPD) for teachers for over 20 years. Currently, she is Deputy Head of the Department of Continuing Education and Additional Qualification at UVT, which offers CPD programmes for teachers, including courses leading to a Professional Qualification Degree (ПКС).

Sylvia has been involved in a wide range of national and international projects, including initatives of the European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML, Council of Europe) and the British Council Bulgaria. From 2010 to 2014, she served as President of the Bulgarian English Teachers’ Association (BETA). She is currently a member of the Executive Committee of the Fédération Internationale des Professeurs de Langues Vivantes (FIPLV), an NGO of UNESCO and the Council of Europe, where she serves as Publications Officer.

Sylvia has authored and co-authored publications in the areas of applied linguistics, psycholinguistics, and teacher education and development.

Plenary talk: Small questions of great impact: Teacher research for CPD

How often do we pause and ask ourselves: What’s really happening in my classroom? How can I enhance my expertise as a language teacher? This talk will explore how enquiry or asking simple questions about our own practice can lead to great insights, more effective teaching, and better learning for our students. We’ll look at how research isn’t just for academics and why it should be seen as a natural part of what teachers do every day. We’ll consider examples from Bulgarian teachers of English who have used classroom research to transform their classroom practice and to boost their continuous professional development (CPD). This session will also offer practical ideas for starting your own classroom research, tips on writing about your findings, and ways to use research to share best practice with colleagues. What could you discover about your own teaching? How could small questions grow into powerful tools for professional growth and positive classroom change? Let’s find out together.

Aleksandra Popovski

Aleksandra Popovski is a teacher, teacher trainer and consultant with a strong passion for language education. She holds an MA in Professional Development for Language Education from the University of Chichester, UK where she deepened her knowledge and skills in the field. Her interests include teacher professional development, multimodality, incorporating visual arts into language teaching, and exploring effective reading comprehension strategies. She is particularly interested in reading as a tool for exploring and discussing issues such as social (in)justice, diversity and inclusion with learners of English. Aleksandra is also passionate about 'no single stories', i.e. writing and exploiting stories about countries, cultures, and communities that are usually excluded from published ELT materials. Aleksandra is Past President and Current Vice President of IATEFL (International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language).

Plenary talk: Mediation for Real-World Communication

English language classrooms are not just spaces for learning grammar and vocabulary; they are training grounds for real-world communication. Mediation, as outlined in the updates to the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference), offers a powerful lens through which we can rethink our teaching practices. But what does mediation actually look like in diverse ELT contexts, and how can we make it meaningful for our learners? This plenary explores the role of mediation in English language teaching, highlighting how teachers can support learners in bridging linguistic and cultural gaps, facilitating understanding, and collaborating across differences. We will examine how mediation activities can support learners in using English purposefully and confidently in real-life situations.

Keneward Hill

Keneward Hill was born in Peterborough and has a BA (German and Spanish), PGCE (German and French) and a TESOL Diploma. He has worked as a teacher at the British Council since 1999. Keneward has significant experience of preparing students and examining for internationally recognised English language tests. He is a CELTA and DELTA course tutor and regional DELTA tutor. He does translating and editing and has co-written English textbooks. He likes singing, cooking and swimming (not at the same time!).

Plenary talk: Modern Eclecticism

In this modern world, progress is happening at a dizzy pace. Those who grew up and were educated in classrooms where you could feel the chalk dust in your throats, as the teacher’s white block screeched as they made cringing line after line on the blackboard, will smile as they click the buttons that give access to worlds, or even alternate universes, of information. We can find out answers to questions that we couldn’t even have thought of asking only a few years ago. With artificial intelligence, we become aware that all the knowledge that exists is ours for the scrolling. Nothing is beyond us any more. We are masters of all that can be known – it is only a click away. We can peruse images of things around us in our lives, as well as from the most distant corners of whatever reality we can set our sights on. We are lords of all the information in whatever reality we choose to poke a stick at. But in this situation, who are we? What are we? How do we feel? And how does any of this matter to us? Does the very fact that we have the sum off all facts at our fingertips mean that we can process any of it? Can we delve into this ocean of knowledge and scoop up anything that is of meaning? Can we determine what is important and what is utterly lacking in significance? With a view that supports modern eclecticism, we must be willing to embrace the seemingly infinite possibilities that modern technology affords us, selecting what aspects of all that is within reach can be of use to us. And we must set about applying what can be gained in a discerning way, otherwise this broth of factlets will take on a meaninglessness of its own. We need to understand that the significance of each iota of wisdom will be different for each individual, precisely because we are all individuals. If we are capable of making a symbiosis of the arcana of raw knowledge and the sense of what touches people on a personal level, there is a chance that those of us in the realm of the dissemination of understanding might reach the people around us with positive results. In other words, there’s a whole bunch of tech stuffs out there, and let’s do good things with it, but let’s not forget that people are people first, and a heart beats in each of us.