Cooperation between IATEFL Poland and British Council

Dorota Chromińska is talking with Tony O'Brien, the director of British Council, about new developments in the cooperation between IATEFL Poland and British Council.

In another exciting development, a Memorandum of Understanding between IATEFL Poland and the British Council has been signed. What does this mean for IATEFLERs? Well,as Tony O'Brien outlines it in the above intereview there will be a pooling of resources, with both organisations contributing to each other’s newsletters. The BC have an in-depth newsletter aimed at teachers, so that would be an obvious outlet for inspiration and articles from our members. Their e-newsletter for learners, meanwhile, is full of topical and cultural articles which would give you useful materials for your lessons. We will give the BC a section in our publications, so look out for future inputs from them in our newsletters (paper and electronic versions).

We will work more closely together with regard to events. One such future event is likely to be an on-line link-up with the IATEFL World Harrogate Conference, in April 2010, when IATEFLERs can not only watch sessions from Harrogate, but also send in questions to major speakers, and join in topical forums and debates. This plan is already ‘in the pipeline’, with a probable venue in Warsaw for a communal gathering of interested teachers, whilst BC centres around the country will also provide teachers with on-line access to the Harrogate Conference. The ‘voice of Poland’ will clearly be heard ‘loud and clear’ not only at Harrogate, but also around the world, for the on-line Conference links are truly global. If this venture proves to be a success, then what next? Our own annual Conferences will be the next step in the process of engaging more and more teachers in the on-going events. Those who cannot attend a Conference will still be able to listen in and contribute to the sessions, and talk to the major speakers such as Paul Seligson, Jeremy Harmer, Mario Rinvolucri, Ken Wilson, etc. Excited? We are. We hope you will be, too.

Further details about Harrogate will be announced in the New Year. Let 2010 be the beginning of a very fruitful partnership between IATEFL and the BC!