Plenary speakers
Don Sparling
Don Sparling studied at the Universities of Toronto and Oxford. After coming to Czechoslovakia in 1969 he taught at language schools in Brno and Prague. In 1977 he joined the staff of the Department of English and American Studies at (what is now) Masaryk University, subsequently serving twice as Chair. From 2000 until his retirement in 2009 he was Director of Masaryk University’s Office for International Studies. He is the co-author (with Jaroslav Peprník and Stella Nangonová) of the four-volume series Angličtina pro jazykové školy and (with Jaroslav Peprník) of the two volumes of Angličtina pro filology, as well as the author of the cult handbook English or Czenglish: Jak se vyhnout čechismům v angličtině.
Don Sparling studied at the Universities of Toronto and Oxford. After coming to Czechoslovakia in 1969 he taught at language schools in Brno and Prague. In 1977 he joined the staff of the Department of English and American Studies at (what is now) Masaryk University, subsequently serving twice as Chair. From 2000 until his retirement in 2009 he was Director of Masaryk University’s Office for International Studies. He is the co-author (with Jaroslav Peprník and Stella Nangonová) of the four-volume series Angličtina pro jazykové školy and (with Jaroslav Peprník) of the two volumes of Angličtina pro filology, as well as the author of the cult handbook English or Czenglish: Jak se vyhnout čechismům v angličtině.
Stephanie Ballotto (Pilgrims)
Stefania Ballotto, South -African-Italian, studied and graduated at The University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa and got a MA degree in Applied Linguistics at The University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England and has a degree in Modern Languages from The University of Udine, Udine, Italy.
She has a diploma in Coaching for Professional and Personal Mastery from The Newfield Network in The U.S.A and is a Master Practioner in N.L.P -London.
She has worked with Howard Gardner in Project Zero, in The U.S.A. and has a diploma in Multiple Intelligence and In Making Thinking Visible from Harvard University College of Further Education in The U.S.A.
She is a teacher, teacher trainer and a trainer of trainer and has been in this profession for 36 years. Stefania works, presents at conferences and delivers workshops worldwide, sharing her research work.
For the past 13 years she is part of the staff of the University of Udine, Udine, Italy, where she lectures and hold laboratories on the Didactics of the English Language, and in the department of “Scienze della Formazione”.
She has been a Pilgrims Teacher Trainer in Canterbury, England for over 15 years and specialises in Methodology for Young Learners, Secondary, CLIL -for young Learners and Secondary - High school, Teaching through Art and Music, Multiple Intelligence and Creative Methodology.
She is also a Cambridge ESOL official examiner.
Her interests and research focus on the development of teachers, methodology, and skills of the 21st. Century, creativity and fostering the joy of learning.
Stefania Ballotto, South -African-Italian, studied and graduated at The University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa and got a MA degree in Applied Linguistics at The University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England and has a degree in Modern Languages from The University of Udine, Udine, Italy.
She has a diploma in Coaching for Professional and Personal Mastery from The Newfield Network in The U.S.A and is a Master Practioner in N.L.P -London.
She has worked with Howard Gardner in Project Zero, in The U.S.A. and has a diploma in Multiple Intelligence and In Making Thinking Visible from Harvard University College of Further Education in The U.S.A.
She is a teacher, teacher trainer and a trainer of trainer and has been in this profession for 36 years. Stefania works, presents at conferences and delivers workshops worldwide, sharing her research work.
For the past 13 years she is part of the staff of the University of Udine, Udine, Italy, where she lectures and hold laboratories on the Didactics of the English Language, and in the department of “Scienze della Formazione”.
She has been a Pilgrims Teacher Trainer in Canterbury, England for over 15 years and specialises in Methodology for Young Learners, Secondary, CLIL -for young Learners and Secondary - High school, Teaching through Art and Music, Multiple Intelligence and Creative Methodology.
She is also a Cambridge ESOL official examiner.
Her interests and research focus on the development of teachers, methodology, and skills of the 21st. Century, creativity and fostering the joy of learning.
Paul Braddock (British Council)
Paul Braddock is the web manager of Teaching English, the British Council’s website for teachers. He lives and works in Barcelona, where he was previously a senior teacher at the British Council YL centre, responsible for the training & development programme. He has lived and worked as a teacher and teacher trainer in Lisbon, Budapest, Tokyo and Hastings.
Plenary: Teaching for Success – finding your way through Continuing Professional Development
How much time do you spend on your professional development? As busy teachers, it can sometimes be difficult to find the time and motivation to focus on our own teaching.
In this talk we will look at why this should be an essential part of our work, as well as what effective development looks like. I will also talk about the British Council’s Teaching for Success approach to CPD and suggest strategies and activities that you can use without having to spend hours outside the classroom.
Paul Braddock is the web manager of Teaching English, the British Council’s website for teachers. He lives and works in Barcelona, where he was previously a senior teacher at the British Council YL centre, responsible for the training & development programme. He has lived and worked as a teacher and teacher trainer in Lisbon, Budapest, Tokyo and Hastings.
Plenary: Teaching for Success – finding your way through Continuing Professional Development
How much time do you spend on your professional development? As busy teachers, it can sometimes be difficult to find the time and motivation to focus on our own teaching.
In this talk we will look at why this should be an essential part of our work, as well as what effective development looks like. I will also talk about the British Council’s Teaching for Success approach to CPD and suggest strategies and activities that you can use without having to spend hours outside the classroom.