AFTER THE CONFERENCE
Zosia Grudzińska
Zosia_g@wp.pl
I have just come back from the IATEFL-Pl International Conference in Poznań. Actually, I was not a participant, I just flitted by, visiting only one event: a panel discussion on the "Role of the Teacher", hosted by Peter Whiley. I abstained from the conference for family and personal reasons, but I just could not resist the temptation of accepting the invitation to the afore-mentioned discussion... as "an expert"! (Talk about being conceited?) Well, to tell you the truth, it was a sinecure; every member of the audience considered themselves experts on the given topic, and quite justifiably, too. They hardly let me nor the other panel guests say a line or two...
The discussion ranged from “just hot” to “heated beyond endurance”… and the time was too short to cover all the angles. Plenty of people left the room unsatisfied after the hour and a half scheduled for the event. Which only proves such initiatives could become the hub of vocational conferences instead of traditional "A Wise Man preaches – The Humble Listeners sit mummified..." presentations!
Any comments from the floor, please?