TESOL France
Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages
Members Access
Why join Tesol France?
Membership (read more):
Join now!
Free Annual Colloquium and free workshops, an annual Spring event, a quarterly newsletter, endless networking opportunities and resources...
Language Schools (read more):
Benefit from plenty of exposure and boost the teaching quality at your school, fee includes 4 teacher membership cards, free entrance to events...
Events in Bordeaux
Interested in joining the TESOL France Bordeaux newsletter list? Join here.
Upcoming Events in Bordeaux
Webinar: Supporting Students with Dyspraxia
Dyspraxia is a relatively unknown learning disorder that affects many aspects of an individual's life, including language learning. In this session, you will be given an insight into what dyspraxia is, what signs someone who has dyspraxia might have and what support is out there.
Webinars are free for TESOL France members and non-members.
Event sign-up: https://forms.gle/5wqXiJauongveMgo6
Matt Starr is a qualified ESOL teacher with ten years experience teaching children to adults, in language schools and colleges in Austria, Italy and the UK. For the last three years, he has also been writing ELT exams and material for exam boards and publishers such as CUP and OUP. He wishes to share his own experience of living with dyspraxia.
In-person Workshop
Escaping the Ordinary: Crack the revision code and level up learning with desk-based escape rooms
You can lead a student to textbooks, but you can’t always make them engage! Traditional revision can feel dull, leading to disengagement and surface learning. However, what if we made it an adventure? Discover how desk-based escape rooms can boost motivation, reinforce key concepts, and encourage deeper learning. Following the success of Jen's Game On! session in the TESOL France Spring Day 2025, this extended workshop delves deeper into the approach. Participants will experience what a full desk-based escape room might feel like for students, explore the principles of effective design, and create a draft escape room with their own students in mind.
Jen Cowell is a multidisciplinary academic who has extensive experience teaching English in Higher Education in both France and the UK. For those familiar with Advance HE, she is a Senior Fellow within their scheme. Jen currently works at ESSCA Business School as an Assistant Professor at their Paris campus, where she integrates both digital pedagogies and gamification into the courses she coordinates. Her passion for equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) is also put to good use, as the language department's EDI representative.
Jen Cowell is a multidisciplinary academic who has extensive experience teaching English in Higher Education in both France and the UK. For those familiar with Advance HE, she is a Senior Fellow within their scheme. Jen currently works at ESSCA Business School as an Assistant Professor at their Paris campus, where she integrates both digital pedagogies and gamification into the courses she coordinates. Her passion for equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) is also put to good use, as the language department's EDI representative.
Sign-ups for this workshop will open in February 2026
Calendar
**Future events may be subject to change.
Past Events
3x10minute thesis talks with Q&A
Tuesday 21 October 2025
19.00-21.00
Venue: Koven Coworking
(Bordeaux Centre Ville)
17 Rue Bouquière, 33000 Bordeaux
We are proud to present this 10-minute thesis format for the first time at TESOL France. Three postgraduates (Matthew Stroud, Dr Jeni Peake and Florian Reche) will present their work to a greater English educator audience in 10 minutes or less, with no more than 4 visuals.
This is a free event so feel free to bring a friend!
Florian Reche has taught English in France since 2012. He trained at a drama conservatoire alongside his English studies and took acting and theatrical improvisation courses in his first years as a teacher. After teaching in secondary schools, he moved to higher education in 2015. In 2020, he joined the University of Bordeaux, teaching a range of English courses for STEM students, including eloquence classes, often integrating drama and improvisation techniques. Since 2024, he has been pursuing a PhD studying theatrical improvisation techniques in the teaching and learning of English for intermediate to advanced learners at the University of Bordeaux.
Dr. Jeni Peake has taught English since 2013 in 5 countries and is currently an English language teacher at the University of Bordeaux, France. She has PhD in English Studies and her main areas of study are language hybridity in public spaces, with a particular focus on graffiti and tattoos. She is also interested in second language teaching and innovative teaching courses.Description:
The aim of my thesis was to study English inscriptions in public spaces in France, using Bordeaux as an example. The study focused on graffiti and tattoos (written in private spaces, but visible in public spaces). The aim was to study the interactions between French and English and the appropriation of English by French speakers.
Recent research suggests that the phenomenon of borrowing between languages is becoming increasingly frequent. As a result, it is necessary to study the reasons why English is chosen over French and to explore hybrid words and expressions, words and phrases that are a mixture of English and French, such as "Pichouline forever".
The question of the prestige of English was addressed: a language perceived as prestigious is a dominant language; borrowings are most often made from dominant to recipient languages. But other reasons, just as subjective, were identified through surveys and interviews. The fact that English is present in the public space is proof that the use of English is increasingly becoming a habit for French speakers. The question remains: what process is at work in this flow between languages? Is it a question of bilingualism? These questions prompt others: is it simple contact between languages or a mixture of languages and cultures?
Dr. Alexandra Reynolds is an Associate Professor of English and Linguistics at Bordeaux University. She conducted her own PhD in Linguistics at Sussex University (UK) and currently supervises her own team of doctoral students.
In her introduction, Supervising PhD students in the field of English language studies, she will briefly outline what PhD supervision consists of before giving the floor to her doctoral students Dr. Jeni Peake (recently qualified) who carried out her PhD on tattoos and graffiti written in English in Bordeaux and Florian Reche (2nd Year PhD Candidate) who is working on learning English through improvisation techniques in the English language classroom.
Matthew Stroud is an English Teacher at ENSEIRB-Matméca, Bordeaux INP and a recent MA graduate in Education, Teaching and Learning from the University of Sheffield. His research interest focuses on family language policies and heritage languages, particularly relating to experiences of young adults in the French context. His Masters thesis is titled, Heritage Hindsight: student perception of identity, support and policies of heritage language(s) throughout their childhood & education in France.Description:
Despite attempts to promote regional and foreign languages in recent years, France maintains a long-term commitment to protect and uphold French first and foremost. Speakers of different languages have varying degrees of proficiency, with 15% of foreign-language speakers claiming to have not mastered their language orally, contrary to 77% of regional or French overseas (DROM-COM) language speakers. Such differences invite investigation into the different Family Language Policies (FLPs), school experiences, and perceptions of one’s heritage language. With FLP research often focusing on children and parents, this paper provides a voice for young adults in higher education who may or may not be or have been aware of their evolving relationship to their HL and identity.
Experiences from regional and DROM-COM, European, and non-European HL speakers are explored through qualitative research, utilising questionnaires and focus groups to provide young adults the opportunity to reflect retrospectively on their HL relationship and identity, as well as to express their hopes for their HL(s) in the future. The paper acts as a starting point for teachers, parents and HL speakers particularly in the French context, providing suggestions as to how to connect with and nurture HL relationships and identities within a monolingual-policy-driven context.
Tuesday, 26 August 2025
It is strongly recommended that you bring a sac/ microwavable lunch. The venue is not within convenient walking distance of food service.
Attendance certificates available on request.
| THE PROGRAM | |
| Morning Session |
Welcome and introduction Objectives and program Workshop kit The TOEIC® Listening test The TOEIC® Reading test The learning objectives of the TOEIC test and the classroom TOEIC score report Teaching and learning strategies |
| Afternoon session |
The TOEIC® Speaking test Scoring practice: the TOEIC Speaking test The TOEIC® Writing test Scoring practice: the TOEIC® Writing test Additional resources and summary |
Come and hang out before the summer break!
4 April 2025 (virtual)
TESOL France Bordeaux Goûter Get-Together - Valentin Hanzard on
Friday, 4 April 2025 @ 16:30
Come and join us on Friday for an informal, online get-together where Valentin will answer questions about his work teaching English to those working in the aviation industry, including those in the military.
About Valentin:
I was born in Normandy in 1996 and hold a Bachelor’s degree in English, along with two Master’s degrees. The first is a Master MEEF in Teaching English as a Foreign Language to French learners, and the second is a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) from the University of Sussex in Brighton, specializing in Modern Foreign Languages (French and Spanish) for English learners.
During my first Master's program, I gained experience teaching English to students aged 11 to 20 (secondary school and BTS) in France. Subsequently, I moved to the UK and spent four years teaching French and Spanish to British students. Seeking a new challenge, I returned to France to teach English to a different audience—adults. This led me to join the French Air Force, where I have been teaching English for over two years. Currently, I also serve as the interim Head of the English Department at Airbase BA107 in my colleague’s absence due to deployment.
Throughout my career, I have worked with a diverse range of learners, including air traffic controllers, flight nurses, firefighters, pilots, flight attendants, and auditors. Additionally, I train aviators for the TOEIC (Listening & Reading) exam (I am also a certified Test Center Administrator), given that it is a key requirement for obtaining an English language profile within the Air Force. I also assist students preparing for the Diplôme de Compétence en Langue (DCL) in English and the internal entrance competitive exam (EAE-CI) for the École de l’Air to become officers.
During my first Master's program, I gained experience teaching English to students aged 11 to 20 (secondary school and BTS) in France. Subsequently, I moved to the UK and spent four years teaching French and Spanish to British students. Seeking a new challenge, I returned to France to teach English to a different audience—adults. This led me to join the French Air Force, where I have been teaching English for over two years. Currently, I also serve as the interim Head of the English Department at Airbase BA107 in my colleague’s absence due to deployment.
Throughout my career, I have worked with a diverse range of learners, including air traffic controllers, flight nurses, firefighters, pilots, flight attendants, and auditors. Additionally, I train aviators for the TOEIC (Listening & Reading) exam (I am also a certified Test Center Administrator), given that it is a key requirement for obtaining an English language profile within the Air Force. I also assist students preparing for the Diplôme de Compétence en Langue (DCL) in English and the internal entrance competitive exam (EAE-CI) for the École de l’Air to become officers.
28 February 2025 (virtual)
TESOL France Bordeaux Goûter Get-Together - 27 February 2025
Click on the graphic to go the recording of the call on Lydie's spotify channel!
Come and join us on 27 February 2025 at 18:00 for an informal, online get-together where you can ask Lydie Bureau about her background, how she started teaching and her online and face to face book clubs.
About Lydie:
Lydie is an English teacher in France and she is the founder of Lydie's Book Club an online book club to help people learn English through live readings and discussion workshops. She has been teaching languages for over eight years, first as a French teacher in the UK and in the last three years as an English teacher in the area of Bordeaux. Her aim is to show how reading can help improve English speaking skills and develop students' critical and creative thinking.
You can find more information about Lydie's book club at: https://lydiesbookclub.com/
18 December 2024 (in-person)
Come and join us for an informal gathering of Bordeaux English Teachers at the Blarney Stone 144 Cr Victor Hugo, 33000 Bordeaux. Drop by on 18/12 between 6pm-8pm. We'll supply the tapas so stop by for a drink (during the pub's happy hour)! We appreciate RSVPing so we can make an estimate regarding food and reservation. Feel free to email Dianne at (bordeaux@tesol-france.org) if you have any questions. See you soon!
7 June 2024 (virtual)
TESOL France Bordeaux Goûter Get-Together - Katherine Krieger on
7 June 2024 @ 16:00
Are you an English teaching/ training professional and entrepreneur in France? Are you considering making your business Qualiopi- compliant? Are you not sure if this is the right choice for you an your business? What exactly is a Qualiopi audit?
Come and join us on Friday 7 June at 16:00 for an informal, online get-together where we get to mine Katherine's experience and expertise on managing a small language training center in France and all the trials and tribulations that entails. Please come with your questions and share your experience with the group.
About Katherine:
As the current Manager at Grant & Bates, a language institute in Paris, Katherine oversees a team of 10 trainers, ensuring the delivery of high-quality language training to adult professionals in English, Spanish and French as a foreign language. Most recently Katherine secured the French Qualiopi certification for Grant & Bates.
Since joining Grant & Bates in 2003, Katherine has made significant contributions to the institute, including the creation and updates of materials for English language learners and the development of themed workshops in areas such as the language of meetings and presentations.
Before going into the world of adult language training, Katherine was a Montessori trained early childhood educator at a bilingual pre-school in Paris and conducted after-school English workshops for children, approaching language learning through stories, songs, and games.
As a member of TESOL France since 2015, Katherine remains actively involved and interested exchanges in the international educational community.
The meeting link appear after you have signed up on this registration form. Register at:
https://forms.gle/4wdQvAKSLXPMv1MF9
15 December 2023
TESOL France Bordeaux Goûter Get-Together - Diane Tisdall on 15 December 2023 @ 16:00
Come and join us on 15 December at 16:00 for an informal, online get-together where you can ask Diane Tisdall, PhD. about her background, how she started teaching in Clermont-Ferrand, her unique relationship working with a cooperative, networking with other entrepreneurs and her experience marketing her business, Tisdallish.
About Diane:
I am a newly minted English teacher living in Clermont-Ferrand. I completed my CertTESOL in 2020 at the ELT Hub in Brittany and have set up my own business with the cooperative Appuy Créateurs. Three threads weave their way through my career – education, music and France. I trained as a violinist, combining a teaching and performing career before an interest in violin pedagogy led me to the Paris Conservatoire archives and a PhD in musicology at King’s College London. When a research post came up in Clermont-Ferrand I jumped at the chance! And when it finished, I wanted to stay in France. As a teacher and performer, my interest lies in authentic, clear and engaging communication. I believe that when we exchange new ideas and unpack them together, not only do we grow as individuals but we empower and enrich each other, building a stronger and more outward-looking community. My roots are Anglo-Welsh; I have worked and studied in Australia, Europe and North America.
https://forms.gle/ZqT6n3KMjtifrn977
Registrants will be sent the link the evening before the get-together (Thursday evening).
https://forms.gle/ZqT6n3KMjtifrn977
Registrants will be sent the link the evening before the get-together (Thursday evening).
29 September 2023
Come and join us for an in-person workshop on Chat GPT: Introduction to the use of Chat GPT as a Teacher
Time: 2-5pm
Place: Enseirb-Matmeca, 1 avenue du Dr Albert Schweitzer, 33402 Talence
Arts et Métiers tram line B
Workshop fee: free for TESOL France members, 8€ for non-members.
Objectives:
1. Understand how Chat GPT works
2. How to write clear prompts
3. Ideas for using Chat GPT in class
Must bring:
1. Computer (make sure it is charged)
2. Phone data to access the internet in your computer (or Eduroam configuration on your computer)
Please understand that due to the limitations of this venue, this workshop is limited to 20 people. Rest assured, we will create a wait list if necessary.
28 April 2023
Come and join us on April 28 at 16:30 for an informal, online get-together where you can ask Katie Johnston about her background, her teaching, working in the Southwest, her experience marketing her business and obtaining training for herself.
About Katie:
Katie has worked in adult training and higher education since 2010 in Bordeaux. She started her training organisation, Johnston Training, in 2021 (Qualiopi certified) in order to help professionals bridge the gap between their passive knowledge of English and the interactive language skills required in the international workplace.
She loves practical approaches to teaching, often working on English for Specific Purposes courses and using a task-based learning approach. Working with individuals and organisations who need to feel as professional and efficient when working in English as they do when working in their first language is what she loves.
She has mainly been self-employed throughout her working life and has always been interested in entrepreneurship. Networking, & marketing her work as a Consultant Trainer has been an interesting and challenging journey.
Register on this form.
Registrants will be sent the link the evening before the get-together (Thursday evening).
01 March 2023
Come and join us for an informal get-together where you can ask Christine about her background, her teaching, starting her own company (Naturally English) and her recently acquired ICPF Qualiopi certification.
Bio
Christine spent her childhood surrounded by French and British culture, resulting in bilingual fluency in both languages and cultures. She holds a Masters 2 in History - ERASMUS (University of Bristol), a CERTIBET (Certificate in Business English Training) IHL - University of Cambridge and a Qualiopi certification – ICPF. She has taught and coached in several different capacities (TOEIC preparation, job interview preparation, customer service, English for leisure and business English) working with different clients (Ariane Group, CUB de Bordeaux, University of Bordeaux).
To find out more about her company, you can go to her website (https://www.naturallyenglish.fr/).
Registrants will be sent the link the evening before the get-together (the Tuesday evening before).
24 June 2022
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TESOL France Bordeaux Goûter Get-Together - 24 June 2022 @4pm
Come and join us for an informal get-together where you can ask Caitriona and Ben about their work, their company (http://www.cours-anglais-bordeaux-ecb.fr/) and the trials and tribulations of being entrepreneurs and business owners.
The vast majority of Caitriona's teaching work is with one company and because she is working for a Training company, she doesn't need to have the Qualiopi certificate to offer CPFs. Additionally, she works at engineering school Ensegid.
Ben, on the other hand, only does professional training and engages in contracts directly with the learners. The vast majority are CPF. Ben did training, was audited and was awarded the qualiopi certificate in December. However, the language test he used to certify the training (Linguaskill -previously known as Bulats) was not approved and he found himself in a position of not being able to sell training.
Join us to learn more about Caitriona and Ben's recent experiences with their company ECB and the quagmire that is the French administrative system.
For more complete Bio info, you can go to their website (http://www.cours-anglais-bordeaux-ecb.fr/).
Registrants will be sent the link the morning of get-together (Friday).
Register at: https://forms.gle/npzBrg2ZzNgR9ogX6
13 May 2022
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Bordeaux Regions Goûter Get-Together for May
13 May at 4:00pm on Zoom
Paula Pernell will be our featured guest teacher (from Bordeaux). Come and join us for an informal get-together where you can ask Paula about her background before she started teaching online, why she decided to take up stakes and move to Bordeaux and how she has developed teaching career on various online platforms like SuperProf. Register and you will be sent the link the day of the meet-up: https://forms.gle/f48ucep9c4XZx7yp8
Paula Pernell grew up in the States where she received an MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management in December 1988. Prior to moving to France in September 2019, she lived in Denver, Colorado for 30 years, with her two children, where she ran her own accounting business. She received her TEFL certification from TEFL Toulouse in early November 2019 and since then, she has been teaching exclusively via webcam. She currently uses the Superprof platform as a means of acquiring new students and the Learncube platform to teach.
While the majority of her students are learning Business English, she does have some younger high school students, whom she also enjoys teaching. The things she loves most about teaching are that she gets to meet people who work in many different professions with diverse personalities and interests and the flexibility that remote teaching provides. She believes that, professionally, nothing is more satisfying than having a student get excited about their progress in English! However, personally, an espresso, dark chocolate, and a good book will do the trick.
8 April 2022
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Bordeaux Regions Goûter Get-Together for April
8 April at 4:00pm on Zoom
Julie Kalopsidiotis will be our featured guest teacher (from Toulouse). Come and join us for an informal get-together where you can ask Julie about working as an entrepreneur with young learners, business and general English students, exam courses and teacher training. Register to receive the zoom link at: https://forms.gle/cVcc26HK6xhs7K6x5
Julie qualified with a TEFLA (now CELTA) in 1990 and has been teaching in Europe ever since. She settled in France in 2000 and is currently self-employed. She teaches young learners, business and general English, Exam courses and is a teacher trainer. She is also a Speaking Examiner for Cambridge and is part way through her DELTA. She has been the Regional Coordinator for TESOL France Toulouse since 2019 and is a former member of Ex-Com.
11 March 2022
Register: https://forms.gle/p3Q5YuoQjiVK4kuGA
Goûter get-togethers fall on the second Friday of every month in spring. The theme for Spring 2022 is entrepreneurship
22 May 2021
21 September 2019
The Art of Presentation: Caesar vs. Cicero
'The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves’. By placing more importance on planning and encouraging academic scrupules, we as teachers can prepare students better for the professional world. Lessons are a training ground where mistakes are to be encouraged, but we must change what counts as a mistake. For example, which is worse: the incorrect use of the present perfect, or unthinking and unplanned baloney? This presentation will offer practical, takeaway solutions.
Register for this workshop here.
About Ed Bell:
Edward Bell, originally from Blackburn, Lancashire, studied Latin and French at the University of
Oxford, graduating in 2014 and obtained his CELTA qualification in 2015. He has worked in private
education, setting up his own tutoring services in Paris and developing the RQ methodology
(Repetitive Questioning). Since October 2017, he has been teaching at Télécom ParisTech and put
on the school’s very first Christmas pantomime. Since January of this year, he has been teaching at the Institut Villebon George Charpak, an innovative pedagogy unit linked to Paris-Sud.
This workshop is open to TEACHERS FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE WITH LOTS OF IDEAS OR IN NEED OF IDEAS
Download the workshop flyer.
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Time and date: 10:00-13:00, Saturday 21 September, 2019
Speaker: Ed Bell
Venue: ENSEIRB-MATMECA, 1 avenue du Dr Albert Schweitzer, 33402 Talence Cedex
Tram B, arrêt « Arts et Métiers »
This venue is not open to the public on weekends, therefore, walk-ins will not be possible. Please be sure to fill out the registration form to let us know that you will be coming.
Please use this form to register.
All TESOL France workshops are free for members and 8 euros for non-members.
16 March 2019
The words about us – catching and coaxing the language of the environment
A popular statistic says that people who live in cities are exposed to 5000 advertising messages a day. Despite strict measures to ensure that these messages remain in the L1, the battle against English in our environment seems to be a losing one. This workshop looks at the impact of such exposure and its role in language acquisition. Arguing that it helps students not just with lexis and grammar but also with improving pragmatic competence, we'll share classroom activities designed to help students understand mis-communication and the importance of context, ultimately helping them to become better communicators.
About Andreas:
Besides being employed full time as teacher at the Berufliche Schule für Medien und Kommunikation in Hamburg, where he also runs the Cambridge Examinations Centre, Andreas is a teacher trainer, author and founder of Teachers 4 Schools. Having previously lived in taught in the Jura, he travels extensively, recording the language of the environment and presenting teacher training workshops.
Time and date: 10:00-13:00, Saturday 16 March, 2019
6 October 2018
Pension Seminar for UK and US citizens living abroad
Are you American but in the dark about FATCA, US compliant IRP pension plans and tax reporting obligations? Are you a UK citizen with queries on the financial implications of Brexit for UK residents living in France, particularly UK pension transfers and investment opportunities? If you answered “Yes!” to any of these, then come to the next TESOL France Bordeaux workshop on October 6, 2018.
Robert Hendry, financial adviser at deVere France, will be sharing his insights and knowledge about retirement planning for US and UK citizens living in France. He will give a brief informal presentation and then open up the workshop to answer your specific questions.
Time and date: 10:00-13:00, Saturday 6 October, 2018
Speaker: Robert Hendry
Download event flyer here.
17 March 2018
Time: 10:00-13:00
Speaker: Sophie Martinez and Fiona Manson
DOWNLOAD POSTER
About the Workshop
Learning by doing : Oral practice through games, a French learner approach
Sophie Martinez and Fiona Manson will look at the particular case of French students (from teens to adults) and how to use games as a vehicle to improve English through oral practice.
What do we need to be aware of concerning French learners ?
What is specifically unique about the French ?
How do they learn languages differently than students of other backgrounds?
Considering these questions, we will then look at:
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how to ease and develop speaking skills with French learners
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how to encourage students to overcome their fear of speaking
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how to get rid of the belief of being unable not only to speak English but also to learn, understand and manage it.
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how to teach the language’s various tricks in order to build confidence.
Learning through games is encouraging, motivating and fun, in other words, key attributes that lead to success.
About the Speaker
Passionate about the English language, Sophie went to live in London. Right away, she understood what was needed to be able to quickly converse in English. Sadly, like many other people and teachers, she also came to the conclusion that this was not the way taught in French Schools.
She then decided to go back to France and study English at the University to become a teacher. After she got her degree and went to l’ IUFM (the teacher training Institute in France), she started to teach French students (teens from the age of 11 and adults). Sophie quickly noticed that they all had the same needs concerning the content of the language, as well as always having the same lack in theory and practice. To tackle this, Sophie got an idea which culminated in a game consisting of around 940 cards and an easy and clear grammar book, which gathers all the essentials to lead students to becoming as autonomous as possible when speaking English. Sophie was rewarded with a 1st inventor prize for this teaching game in Bordeaux, October 2014. Her material is now advertised in the popular magazines Go English, English Now and Vocable 2018.
25 November 2017
Storytelling and the Human Library
Time: 10:00-13:00
Speaker: Debbie West
Venue: ENSEIRB-MATMECA, 1 avenue du Dr Albert Schweitzer, 33402 Talence Cedex, Tram B, arrêt « Arts et Métiers »
DOWNLOAD POSTER
About the Workshop
For our November workshop, TESOL France Bordeaux will invite Debbie West to take a look at storytelling skills and activities in the classroom. Storytelling doesn't just have to be about weaving a tale. It can be a skill which further enhances speaking and presentation techniques in English. As there are many ways of telling stories, there are also many ways to use this skill to help students overcome shyness, give structure to content, enhance self confidence, use the power of their voice and improve public speaking skills in English (or any language).
Within the context of storytelling, we will specifically look at the Human Library and what it challenges. The website of the nonprofit humanlibrary.org explains, "The human library is designed to build a positive framework for conversations that can challenge stereotypes and prejudices through dialogue. The Human Library is the place where real people are on loan to readers. A place where difficult questions are expected, appreciated and answered."
In the language learning classroom, the Human Library, can serve as a storytelling activity as it helps give a platform of exchange. Debbie will show us how she has used it in her classes to encourage the imagination of students through storytelling while implementing vocabulary. Additionally, these methods can be used to help students tell their own stories. What is it that they would like others to know about them but were too afraid to mention? When our students can own what is theirs and have others accept it, this becomes a vehicle for change and transforms what they feel they can share. Creativity and ownership are incredibly powerful ways to encourage our students to relate language learning to their lives and to those around them.
About the Speaker
Debbie West is a UC Berkeley graduate and was brought up in a military family.
She has done almost everything from teaching French to being an International Student Advisor in the United States. She now teaches English to all levels and ages here in France. Presently she is the past President of Tesol France and the Paris workshop coordinator. An educator at heart, she sees education as broader than in a classroom and is definitely not very traditional in her methods. She encourages people to get real life experience speaking the language they study. Debbie thinks that all teachers have great potential to be great leaders in and out of the classroom. You can find out more about Debbie at westlanguage.com.
Alongside the workshop, we will be holding a "TROC" of EFL/ teaching books. So, bring all the materials you no longer use and would like to pass on to someone else. |
30 September 2017
IATEFL conference highlights, EFL Conferences round-up and online teacher training
Time: 10:00 a.m -1:00 p.m
Speakers: Claudia Brosnahan and Cate Evans
Venue: ENSEIRB-MATMECA, 1 avenue du Dr Albert Schweitzer, 33402 Talence Cedex
Tram B, arrêt « Arts et Métiers »
DOWNLOAD POSTER
About the Workshop
Our first workshop for the new academic year will be on 30 September. Claudia Brosnahan and Cate Evans will present their IATEFL conference highlights and share their take-aways, including teaching ideas, talk summaries and a look at IATEFL SIG's (special interest groups). We will then take a hands-on approach to adapting these teaching ideas and key activities to your situation and students' needs. In addition, we will talk about other upcoming EFL conferences in and around France and look at training and career development resources that you can pursue online.
Alongside the workshop, we will be holding a "TROC" of EFL/ teaching books. So, bring all the materials you no longer use and would like to pass on to someone else.
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About the Speakers
Cate Evans is a Welsh/Irish teacher with a PGCE (TES/FL) and MA (linguistics) CAPES. She has taught in various places including Sudan, Thailand, Portugal, Spain, England, and France. She worked mainly for the British Council as a teacher and teacher trainer and set up her own training company in Thailand. In France, she has worked in various private language schools as Head of Studies and over 15 years in various Grandes Ecoles, most recently ENSCBP.
Claudia Brosnahan is a teacher trained in New Zealand (M.A in Education) with a French Postgraduate teaching degree. She currently teaches at Bordeaux Institute of Technology, ENSCBP. Her professional areas of interest include intercultural communication, motivation in the classroom, technology-enhanced language learning, and online collaborative projects.
Assessing Creativity and Towards the Flow: a two-part workshop with Wojtek Koszykowski
Date: 18 February 2017
Time: 10:00-13:00
Venue: ENSEIRB-MATMECA
Room L003
1 avenue du Dr Albert Schweitzer
33402 Talence Cedex
Tram B, arrêt « Arts et Métiers »
This venue is not open to the public on weekends, therefore, walk-ins will not be possible.
All TESOL France workshops are free for members and 8 euros for non-members.
Using music in the classroom with Jason Levine (aka Fluency MC)
Date: 3 Dec 2016
Time: 10:00-13:00
Venue: l'Association Bordeaux USA
38, Allées d'Orléans, (Place des Quinconces) 33000 Bordeaux
All TESOL France workshops are free for members and 8 euros for non-members.
Jason Levine is a teacher and entrepreneur. His mission is to connect with as many teachers as possible and provide engaging practice, in and out of the classroom. He helps students learn English through music. His youtube channel hosts numerous videos, totaling over 7 million views. TESOL France Bordeaux has invited Jason to Bordeaux to talk about using music in the classroom and his teaching method/ style. He will also share how he creatively manages his business as Fluency MC.
After his talk, Jason will then moderate a swap-shop style session where everyone is encouraged to share their ideas of how they use music in the classroom.
Interested in learning more? Watch Jason's numerous videos on the Fluency MC youtube channel.
You can also learn more about his background, inspiration and teaching philosophy on this Teaching ESL Online interview and in this interview on the Children Learning English Affectively blog.
Prochain atelier TESOL France Bordeaux: La méthode Montessori et ses applications aux adultes dans l'acquisition de la langue.
Quand: samedi 5 novembre, 2016. 10h-13h
Ou: l'Association Bordeaux USA
38, Allées d'Orléans, (Place des Quinconces) 33000 Bordeaux
Tarif: gratuit pour adhérents du TESOL France. 8€ non-adhérents.
Venez au prochain atelier TESOL France Bordeaux pour les professeurs de langues, sur le thème de la méthode Montessori et ses applications aux adultes. Cet atelier est désigné pour les enseignants avec peu de connaissance de la méthode Montessori. Simonetta Spiga et Maria-Francesca Fenuccio, professeurs d’italien et diplômées Montessori AMI, nous donneront une brève introduction de la méthode et son histoire. Après, elles nous montreront l'application de la méthode aux adultes dans les environnements d'acquisition de la langue. Enfin, Simonetta et Maria-Francesca feront une démonstration d'un cours d’italien. (Cet atelier sera présenté en français et italien.)
Come to the next TESOL France Bordeaux workshop on the Montessori method as applied to adult language learners. This workshop will be aimed at teachers with little to no knowledge of the Montessori method. Italian language teachers Simonetta Spiga and Maria-Francesca, both Montessori certified (AMI), will give a brief introduction of the Montessori teaching method and its history. Then we will look at the application of this method to adults in a language learning environment. Lastly, Simonetta and Maria-Francesca will demonstrate this with a mini-Italian class. This workshop will be conducted in French and Italian.
Panel discussion 9 July - Transitioning : From teacher to administrator
When: Saturday, 9 July 2016, 9:30AM
Where: l'Association Bordeaux USA
38, Allées d'Orléans, (Place des Quinconces)
33000 Bordeaux
All TESOL France workshops are free for members and 8 euros for non-members.
On Saturday 9 July TESOL France Bordeaux will host its last event of the year. It will be a panel discussion: transitioning from teaching to administration. The talk will feature Amanda Gedge-Wallace (Head of Language Studies at the Ecole Nationale de la magistrature), Amanda Prud'hon (IATC Manager, International Advanced Technology Center, Lectra), and Frauke Hummel (Responsable développement Région Sud-Ouest, Conseillère Formation, La Cité des Langues).
All three come from various work institutions (public and private sector) and will speak about by their transitions from teacher to administrator, key challenges and trends/ trajectories they see in the field.
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Amanda Gedge-Wallace has been working in English language teaching in Bordeaux since 1991. She was a vacataire in language schools in and around Bordeaux and then worked directly with companies as an English teacher, mainly out in Ambès (Norsk Hydro, Michelin, Eka Chimie). Then, she became a vacataire at the French National School for the Judiciary in 1998 while working a part-time teaching contract at a primary school in Bordeaux (sublime to the ridiculous!) After 16 years of free-lance teaching, Amanda was appointed to a full-time position to set up and run the language department at the ENM in 2007.
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Soon after arrival in France 1992, Amanda Prudh'on began teaching for a private language school giving lessons to adults (both professional and leisure classes) and some school pupils for holiday courses . She supplemented her hours with additional contracts in higher education institutions (IUT and what is now Kedge). She maintained all three contracts until around January 2000, at which point she focused solely on the contract with Kedge, taking on some admin work for the dept.
In 2007, Amanda obtained a position in the training dept of an international technology company with 2 main tasks: leading the worldwide English training program and running the integration seminar. Over the years, she has had the opportunity to work on other topics within the training dept which has led her to work with the sales team (still in a training capacity). For the past year, she has been in charge of the international demonstration center leading a team of 7 people and coordinating visits for customers from around the world.
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Frauke Hummel has been working as a German teacher and in various administrative roles in a university environment for several years. Responsibilities have ranged from curriculum development to hiring and managing teaching staff to organizing exams and conferences. Currently, she is the manager of staff and languages at La Cité des Langues, Southwest Region, INSEEC Business School
TESOL France Bordeaux Workshop: The conversation-centered classroom
Date: Saturday, 12 March 2016
Time: 9:00AM
Join us for a talk on using conversation as your fundamental teaching tool. Rachel Myers Moore will open up the session with a discussion of some of the theory behind the conversation-centered classroom. The workshop will then open up to the group to share your go-to speaking activities or problem solve any issues that come to mind. Come with questions, ideas, inspirations, notions, assumptions and an eagerness to, perhaps, change your perspective and enhance your teaching methods.
All TESOL France workshops are free for members and 8 euros for non-members.
Google Apps Swap Shop, December 5th 2015
Speaker: LeAnn Stevens Larre
Date: 5 Dec 2015
Time: 9:00-12:00
Venue: l'Association Bordeaux USA
38, Allées d'Orléans, (Place des Quinconces) 33000 Bordeaux
To register or for more information please contact Dianne Chen through our contact page (look for "Regions - Bordeaux" in the list).
Do you ever wonder how to better utilize the tech tools you already know for a better class experience for you and your students? LeAnn Stevens Larre will share with us how to use Google docs to improve students reading and writing skills in a real-time classroom activity that she has personally developed. The swap shop will then open up to all participants, where we can all share what Google Apps we use in and/ or out of the classroom to help us teach and stay organized.
TESOL France Bordeaux MEET and GREET!
Bring a friend!
November 7, 2015 | 10:30-12:30
VENUE: Les Mots Bleus. 40, rue Poquelin Molière, Bordeaux (Hôtel de Ville tram stop)
In this informal meet and greet we will talk about upcoming TESOL France events in Bordeaux and beyond. We will also discuss the current working climate in Bordeaux. What new challenges are you facing as this new school year is under way? Please come (bring a friend, even) and share your point of view.
No need to register. This event will be free for all attendees.
TESOL France Bordeaux Workshop: Organizing Digital Spaces
When: Saturday, 13 June, 2015.
Time: 14:00-17:00.
Where: l'Association Bordeaux USA - 38, Allées d'Orléans, (Place des Quinconces) 33000
Bordeaux (go here for directions http://www.bordeaux-usa.com/ )
To register or for more information please contact Dianne Chen through our contact page (look for "Regions - Bordeaux" in the list).
When we think of career development, we most often think of updating our technological know-how or integrating new and different activities in the classroom. What often gets neglected is how we as teachers organize ourselves. How can we better work together to share information and experiences? How can we minimize our time pushing paper and maximize more teaching time?
For the next TESOL Bordeaux workshop, Nicole Stitch* will share how to organize our own digital space for community sharing and for our own personal organizing. We will look at using online tools such as Dropbox and Wikispaces to help us improve time management and efficiency. We will finalize the workshop with an Agony Aunt session to brainstorm and problem solve resolutions to your technology, organization and time management challenges.
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Nicole Stich received her Bachelor’s degree in Spanish Teaching from Ithaca College (Ithaca, NY) in 2007 and went on to obtain a Master’s in the Art of Teaching from Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD) in 2009. After finishing her undergraduate studies, Nicole served as a member of Teach For America in Baltimore City Public Schools, where she taught high school Spanish for five years. Nicole has been working as an English teacher primarily at Kedge Business School (through the CEL) since September 2013. In addition to her teaching roles, Nicole was unofficially named the digital organization expert, managing online platforms for each of her schools. After a year of floundering in low-tech organizational methods, Nicole began exploring the benefits of digital solutions, and now manages the vast majority of her teaching practice with the help of web-based tools. Her tech-savvy methods were born of necessity: managing the assignments of over 150 students and coordinating with 15 other teachers was only feasible through some kind of digital space. With the help of programs like Wikispaces and DropBox, Nicole has been able to facilitate collaboration and cohesion amongst the teaching staff as well as manage the constant flow of student data, all at the touch of a button.
TESOL France Bordeaux MEET and GREET this Saturday!
Bring a friend!
April 11, 2015 | 10:30am
VENUE: Cafe Verde Nero (24 rue de Ayres, 33000 Bordeaux.)
TESOL France Bordeaux will be hosting a Meet and Greet this Saturday the 11th of April. It will be an informal discussion centered around work "beyond the role of the vacataire." Several speakers will talk about their experiences starting and running their own English teaching companies, working as a translator, completing the CAPES exams and pursuing a DELTA qualification.
This informal setting is a great way for English teachers to share their experiences and learn from others. In fact, it is the perfect opportunity to bring a friend new to TESOL France and introduce them to what we have to offer.
No need to register. This event will be free for all attendees.
Swap Shop in Bordeaux!
October 6th, 2012. 9am-12pm
Organized by Federico Espinosa
Victoire campus of Université Bordeaux Segalen
Theme: "First Lesson".
Technology Workshop
June 9th, 2012. 9:00 - 12:00
Universite Victor Segalen Bordeaux II
A workshop presented by Chesna Flora
Annual colloquium
We hold an international conference, the Annual Colloquium every year in November.
More information, dates, call for proposals and delegate registration are available via the Colloquium page.
More information, dates, call for proposals and delegate registration are available via the Colloquium page.