Exhilarating and inspirational: 2025 IATEFL in Edinburgh, Scotland

Robin Gingerich, LAKMA Board member

Exhilarating and inspirational. These two words describe my experience at the International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language (IATEFL) conference in Edinburgh, Scotland in April 2025. The organizers filled the schedule with so many interesting and insightful sessions that I felt I was at a banquet of delicious information with a table of hundreds collegial guests.

The overall tenor of the conference was friendly, cooperative, and supportive. Teachers, researchers, administrators, and publishers were genuinely interested in connecting and cooperating. I proudly represented LAKMA at the Associates Day, connecting with dozens of other representatives of national associations of English teachers from around the world. Associates Day promoted networking and mutual cooperation.

Throughout the week, IATEFL conference attendees represented the global world of English teaching. I witnessed a talented group of Hornby scholarship recipients present their inspirational projects in Zimbabwe, Turkey, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan, Mexico, and Iraq. As part of another presentation about English programs in Ukraine, we watched a video of children logging into their English classes from secure bunkers and their continued resilience.

Each day opened with a plenary speaker. Tuesday’s plenary speaker emphasized classroom research for social responsibility. Wednesday’s speaker challenged us to consider how cognitive psychology sheds light on how our students’ brains learn vocabulary. On Thursday, the speaker gave compelling reasons to engage in classroom research.

Several themes ran throughout the sessions. First, the push for sustainability is strong; we must consider how our resources, materials, staff, and topics contribute to a sustainable, global world. Second, AI is here to stay; we can strengthen our digital literacy as we utilize AI for English language learning and teaching. Third, inclusion inspires us to create open, welcoming spaces for students’ voices to be heard. Inclusion leads us to consider social emotional learning, student autonomy, and empathy for our learners and our colleagues. I went to 6-7 sessions each day, including a refresher session by the British Council on using the CEFR criteria for supporting arguments in academic writing.

I also stepped onto an IATEFL conference stage as I offered a talk geared to academic writing teachers. The title of my talk was “Key concepts for academic writing instructors: Differentiation and fluency.” I acknowledged the fast-paced changes in the field of academic writing. I outlined pedagogical practices that utilize differentiation and fluency development to enhance coherence and cohesion in writing.

On the final day, LAKMA was represented again. Vilda Kiauntye, Kaunas Jonas Jablonskis gymnasium, partnered with Viola Wiegand from the University of Stirling for a presentation titled, “Supporting students in their preparation for writing under exam conditions.” LAKMA should be proud of Vilda’s work and her presentation!

Exhilarating and inspirational. At the end of the conference, I was both exhilarated and inspired by the topics, the information, and the networking. Thank you to LAKMA and IATEFL for supporting professional development.