Skills Development Conference 2025

(No linguistics knowledge necessary) Have you ever been asked a question like: “Sensei, we spell ‘dogs’ with an ‘s,’ but why do we pronounce the ‘s’ as a ‘z’ sound? Shouldn’t ‘s’ be ‘s’? The English language is filled with patterns like these that native or near-native speakers follow unconsciously, and often without realizing why. Everything quirky about the English language happens for a reason, and these reasons have to do with the underlying linguistic processes that guide how we produce sounds. This linguistics workshop will be a brief look into the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of just a few of these processes to help round out ALTs’ knowledge about the language they teach. With just a little foundational linguistics, you can better understand why your students may make certain mistakes more often than others, create more informed lessons and activities, and be more prepared to answer student questions about English pronunciation.

Presentation

Ever found a great activity that doesn’t quite fit your needs? This workshop will focus on different techniques for adjusting, altering and recombobulating games to meet the moment. We will discuss how to alter difficulty, change the target grammar, and inject fun into different activities. By learning the tools to adapt activities participants will be better equipped to handle ESID in the classroom.

Presentation

Printout

Are you and your students tired of reading about History of Clocks, Universal Design, and Endangered Animals? Are you still looking for fun ways for ES kids to use their newly acquired phonics skills? Do you want to get your students hooked on reading? Look no further! In this workshop, we will talk about why we are making books, read some of the most beloved stories ALTs have created, and finally, you will get to create your very own children’s books. This is also a great activity to try with your SHS students.

Workshop Summary

Children’s Book Author Debut PPT

Story Prompts

Google Drive Link to file with stories made during SDC

This workshop is going to be all play, no work! I will be sharing with you some Games and Activities I have used in the rehearsal room during my time working as a theatre professional. These games aim to get your students up and moving, create a lively classroom, and most importantly, make English fun! These activities will focus mostly on students using vocabulary and speaking practice. I’ve used these in my own classes of ES and JHS with great success, and they can be easily adapted for any age level. A heads up, this workshop will require lots of physical movement and performing throughout the entire workshop, so if you’re keen, bring your playful spirit and get ready to get loose, get funky, and get down to the beat, and let’s play some games!

Theatre Games to Use in the Classroom Explanations and Resources

Posters are more than classroom decoration! Want your students to talk more, show what they’ve learned, and enjoy English class?  In this hands-on workshop, you’ll discover how guiding students to create their own posters helps them express ideas, practice speaking, and deepen their understanding. Plus, you’ll try it out yourself and hopefully, leave with ready-to-use classroom ideas.

Poster Power PPT