The 7th Annual International Conference, organized by the Bangladesh English Language Teachers Association (BELTA) with the British Council as its lead partner, was held in Dhaka from 2 January to 4 January 2015.
It created a huge interest among English teachers, trainers, policy makers, materials writers, researchers, & technologists related to English language teaching and learning from home and abroad. The event brought together nearly 500 English language educators and professionals from around the world and provided opportunities to create pathways into the effective practice of English language teaching. There were plenary and featured speakers as well as paper presentation, workshops, panel discussions and debates involving English language educators and professionals.
The British Council organised a number of signature events including the keynote speech and two panel discussions on contemporary issues in language education and development. The keynote speaker, Dr Peter Medgyes, Professor Emeritus, Applied Linguistics and Language Pedagogy, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, talked about the bright side of being a non-native teacher which was very encouraging for the English teachers of Bangladesh whose first language is not English.
There was a strong presence of policy makers and influencers including the Education Minister and Secretary of Bangladesh and the Deputy British High Commissioner, who all highlighted that networks of local teachers can play a significant role in the dissemination of updated knowledge and the exchange of ideas, as well as creating awareness of the challenges and opportunities in the field of English Language teaching and learning.
