Many English teachers at secondary level tend to avoid literature in their classes, as it’s associated with historical surveys of classic works that they encountered at university, which are often written in older varieties that are difficult to understand. Scholars have explored ways to counter this, and our session is part of such an approach. We’ll look at passages from three contemporary authors – Xiaolu Guo, Jhumpa Lahiri and Yiyun Li – which are written in what I call “the zero style”. This is a type of writing that mostly employs shorter simple sentences. In comparison with older works it has a narrower range of vocabulary. Cultural references that depend on a traditional Euromerican education are either avoided or explained. Thus, it is often accessible to a greater number of people of different cultural, linguistic, historical, and geographic backgrounds, who speak English as a second language. Many of its finest writers (but not all) are exophonic, that is, English is for them a second, or even third language. Guo is especially interesting as the narrator is learning English throughout the course of one of her novels, A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers (2007), and so what the narrator views as errors to be corrected are an integral part of the author’s style. 

Join this demo lesson to see literature through the eyes of learners and take part in tasks promoting multi-lingual pedagogy and integration of L1 (inspired by Dr Eowyn Crisfield: Inclusive approaches with multilingual learners.)

In this workshop, we will look at selected literary texts written in, or dealing with, non-standard English.
The texts in question are "Disnae Matter" by Irvine Welsh, "Joebell and America" by Earl Lovelace, and "Mother Tongue" by Amy Tan.
The session will provide practical tips on how ELT teachers can utilize these works to expand their students’ understanding of the diversity of the English language and the literature produced in it.
The focus of the individual activities will be on both language skills (e.g. reading) and systems (e.g. vocabulary).
This workshop is primarily intended for high school teachers working with upper-intermediate and advanced students. However, provision will also be made for lower-level students.

The necessity to be competent in understanding and interpreting both written and spoken English is vital in today’s global society. Among various approaches to meeting this demand, corpus linguistics offers a highly efficient method by using corpora to demonstrate the purposes and circumstances in which words are used. This study explores the advantages of employing meticulously designed corpora, including parallel corpora, in teaching English as a lingua franca (ELF) and facilitating translation for better understanding, thereby promoting cross-cultural competency. The recent advancements in communication and the increasing need for intercultural cooperation necessitate effective communication skills. This work examines a pedagogical framework for integrating ELF corpora findings into English Language Teaching (ELT) curricula. Utilizing data from extensive ELF corpora and parallel corpora, including the British National Corpus, the study identifies key linguistic features characteristic of ELF communication. It proposes a shift from traditional native-speaker models to a more inclusive approach reflecting the global use of English. Strategies for implementing ELF findings in ELT, such as developing teaching materials, designing classroom activities, and assessing learner outcomes, are discussed. Potential challenges in adopting an ELF perspective and solutions to foster ELF awareness among educators and learners are also addressed. By aligning ELT with the realities of global English use and incorporating parallel corpora for enhanced translation and understanding, the study aims to equip learners with the skills necessary for effective communication in diverse international contexts.

English as a lingua franca (ELF) has been understood in various ways – as a function, a variety or varieties, a set of practices or even a conscious strategy. For ordinary language users, these distinctions may be completely irrelevant. But language teachers are in a different position. Because they are viewed societally as language experts and norm authorities, they often find themselves facing a number of dilemmas, including the selection of varieties or variants and speaker models and the ongoing question of what, how and when to correct, both generally and in formal assessment processes. Language teaching thus comprises a diverse repertoire of metalinguistic practices, and the integration of the topic of ELF only adds to these. The Language Management Framework (LMF) is a sociolinguistic approach examining the multitude of ways in which people behave toward language, with a focus on the so-called language problem. The aim of the workshop is to become familiar with the framework, consider teachers as language managers, and explore avenues for teaching which apply it to real-life examples. These will include prompted teacher reflections of their own positions within local language policies on the macro-, mezo-, and micro levels, their experiences with language problems, and the context of

multilingualism, English and English teaching in the Czech Republic. Among others, we will touch upon questions of language for communication vs. language as the expression of identity, personal preferences for individual varieties, individual speaker variation and accommodations in interaction.

The concept of English as a lingua franca (ELF) embodies the intricate tapestry of linguistic diversity and cultural richness that characterises our interconnected world. With English serving as the lingua franca of our global community, millions of individuals from diverse sociocultural backgrounds engage with the language daily, shaping it into a truly global phenomenon. Gone are the days of considering English solely with its native-speaking origins; today, it belongs to the world. This workshop invites English language teachers to delve into the multifaceted realm of ELF-aware pedagogy, which celebrates the myriad non-native varieties of English and embraces the unique sociolinguistic and sociocultural identities of its users. Through an egalitarian and humanistic lens, we will explore how ELF-aware pedagogy can be seamlessly integrated into English language classrooms, enriching the educational experience for both students and educators alike. Drawing from a fusion of rigorous research findings and practical classroom experiences, this workshop offers tangible strategies for incorporating ELF-aware principles into teaching practices. From adapting the given contextual features to fostering inclusive classroom environments, attendees will gain insights into the transformative potential of embracing linguistic diversity within English language teaching. Furthermore, we will navigate through the advantages and challenges inherent in adopting the ELF-aware paradigm, providing participants with valuable pedagogical recommendations to navigate this dynamic terrain effectively. Join me as we embark on a journey towards a more inclusive and culturally responsive approach to English language teaching, where the vibrant spectrum of ELF-awareness serves as a catalyst for meaningful learning experiences and intercultural understanding.

This workshop is tailored to provide practical solutions for English language teachers seeking to integrate English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) into their teaching practices and course materials. Delving into insights from research conducted on widely used English coursebooks, participants will explore the implications of ELF awareness in English language teaching (ELT) and course material preparation and evaluation. Throughout interactive sessions, attendees will delve into discussions and activities geared towards identifying practical solutions for integrating ELF into their classes. Also, they will explore classroom materials in context-sensitive and real-life focused ways embracing varieties in English use as well as the diversity of sociolinguistic and sociocultural orientations. Emphasis will be placed on the ways to incorporate ELF into English classes, along with approaches for evaluating, selecting, adapting and/or creating course materials to reflect the dynamic and authentic nature of ELF communication marked with variability, flexibility and intense endeavours to maintain intelligibility. Empowered with newfound knowledge and through collaborative engagement and shared experiences, the participants will depart with a deeper understanding of how to adeptly navigate the complexities of ELF integration and foster more inclusive learning environments for their students. 

Comprehensibility, or to the extent to which a speaker can be easily understood, is a fundamental principle of successful communication, and a primary aim of language learning for many second language (L2) learners. Over the past decade, comprehensibility has gained prominence in the light of the rapid development of English as a lingua Franca (ELF) around the globe when speakers of different linguistic, cultural, and professional backgrounds use English to communicate. Despite its critical role in communication and significance in L2 teaching, learning and assessment, comprehensibility remains a less examined and rarely discussed topic in language curricula and L2 teaching material development. Even when comprehensibility is considered in pedagogic contexts, it is often discussed in terms of only the phonological aspects of speech (e.g., segmental features of pronunciation) and in reference to ‘a native speaker norm’. In this workshop, we aim to present a new framework for understanding and analysing comprehensibility for communication and pedagogic purposes. We evaluate some current teaching and learning practices before using hands-on activities to introduce some instructional strategies teachers can use to encourage comprehensibility in language classrooms.

This workshop explores activities designed to be carried out in task cycles to teach BELF pragmatics. The activities are designed with three principles in mind: the need to include pragmatics instruction in English language teaching (ELT), re-address pragmatic competence in light of ELF, especially in business contexts, and the effectiveness of TBLT in delivering pragmatic instruction. Activities are devised to reconceptualize pragmatics in business in light of ELF to showcase the current reality of the ability of multilingual speakers to adjust to the situations and the interlocutors. BELF pragmatic strategies such as preempting strategies, resolution strategies, and explicitness strategies, including self-clarification, self-correction, repetition, retelling, cooperative overlap, and collaborative completion, are scrutinized in the activities. Additionally, ELF assessment strategies, such as giving learners a say in assessing competence, to showcase the innovative directions that English language teaching and learning could take. The participants will switch between teacher and learner hats while participating in different segments of the workshop activities.

The course focuses on the pedagogical use of AI tools in the preparation phase of the lesson. In three main 20-minute blocks, participants will learn in detail about three AI tools and methodological tips for working with them.
 and methodological tips for working with them. Each block will be complemented by 2 further tips, the blocks will be arranged according to the lesson structure following the Evocation-Awareness-Reflection model. Considerable time will be devoted to discussion so that participants can take away methodological tips useful for their classes.

Kurz je zaměřen na představení a praktické vyzkoušení aplikací umělé inteligence (AI) ve výuce cizích jazyků. Účastníci se seznámí s nejnovějšími AI nástroji, které jsou přístupné bez nutnosti registrace, a naučí se, jak tyto aplikace efektivně začlenit do své výuky. Během workshopu si účastníci vyzkouší aktivity v roli žáků podle modelu E-U-R (evokace – uvědomění – reflexe), což jim umožní lépe pochopit možnosti a přínosy AI pro jazykové vzdělávání. Diskutovány budou také konkrétní digitální kompetence, které jsou prostřednictvím těchto aktivit rozvíjeny. Absolvováním tohoto workshopu získají účastníci nejen důležité znalosti o AI aplikacích, ale také praktické dovednosti pro jejich využití ve výuce.

A live workshop presenting a selection of practical ideas for learning languages with AI.

Practicing a language with AI tools can take many forms, including conversation preparation, role play, games, media creation, grammar practice and drills, and cultural exploration.
In this practical workshop, Kerstin Cable from AI Language Club will invite participants to explore and experiment with various AI-driven language learning activities. We will demonstrate and test the diverse possibilities we have developed and shared with our students.
Participants will be given a tour of the AI Language Club tutorial library and shown how immersive practice can be implemented in a variety of learning scenarios like the Pronunciation Pro, Recipe Generator, or Travel Planner. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own devices to try the prompts and AI tutorials during the workshop.

This workshop aims to demonstrate how linguistic landscape (LL) tasks—the language we observe in everyday settings—can be utilized to develop learners’ awareness of English as a Lingua Franca (ELF). The goal is to provide English language teaching professionals with practical, LL-centered activities to enhance awareness of ELF and Global Englishes (GE) in educational settings. Participants will learn how to design and implement LL tasks that encourage students to critically engage with the English language in their immediate environments, thereby promoting a nuanced understanding of its global and local functions.

Through hands-on activities, participants will discover how to use LL as a pedagogical tool, fostering critical literacy and sociocultural awareness. The workshop will discuss the pedagogical implications of LL tasks, illustrating their potential to transform language teaching practices by integrating real-world linguistic observations into the classroom.

The session will conclude with discussions on how LL-oriented activities can be applied to develop inclusive, reality-based language teaching methodologies that reflect the pluralistic nature of English usage globally.