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"Empowering your learners - developing learner autonomy"
At the Annual Spring Seminar 2021 we will be looking at how to empower your learners by giving them the necessary strategies to become better learners in the classroom and more independent learners when on their own. The challenge will be to work on a combination of knowledge and skills as well as students’ attitudes and understanding of how to take control of their learning.
We look forward to seeing you at the Spring Seminar!
Content
Plenary Sessions: Saturday morning
1st Plenary: “Getting our heads round Learner Autonomy”
Ben Knight, Director of ELT Research and Teacher Development - Cambridge University Press
The first plenary session will begin by clarifying what is meant by Learner Autonomy and why it is important for teachers to develop. How Learner Autonomy can be understood within the context of other transferable core skills like collaboration, communication, critical thinking, etc. – as set out in the Cambridge Life competences Framework, will be looked at. This will include an exploration of how these competences include a combination of knowledge, skills and attitude. Leaner Autonomy will be broken down into is key components – particularly: a) learning skills and strategies, b) taking control of own learning, and c) reflecting on and evaluating learning.
2nd Plenary: “Getting our students into Learner Autonomy”
Ben Knight, Director of ELT Research and Teacher Development - Cambridge University Press
The focus of the second talk will be on what this means for teachers. Ways of developing each of the components of Learner Autonomy will be looked at. How can your students’ use of learning strategies be developed by you? What can you as teachers do to encourage your students to take control of their learning? And how can you help them reflect constructively on how they are learning, and make their own decisions on what they need to work on next? A number of useful activities will be suggested and there will be an opportunity to share ideas.
The Workshops:
The workshops will look at selected tools and activities in more detail and from a practical perspective. All CEFR levels from A2 to C2 will be covered as well as suggestions as to how to apply the ideas and the strategies learned about in the plenary sessions to all exam components. All the skills required in the exams will be looked at and ideas presented to support the main topic of the weekend.
On Saturday afternoon the two workshop sessions will look at helping your learners become better learners both in and outside the class. The first afternoon session will look at your students becoming better learners during class time. The second session, after the coffee break, will be Part 1 of the 3 sessions on helping your students become better learners outside the class.
The three parts (sessions) will focus on:
- reading and writing skills (Saturday afternoon)
- language (Sunday Session 1)
- listening and speaking (Sunday Session 2)
Offline and online tools/ suggestions such as dictionary training, note-taking, good participation habits, LMS (Learning Management Systems), web quests, etc. will be discussed to give you a variety of ways which you can use to motivate your students to be more independent in their learning.
A look at Cambridge resources such as Test Bank, Practice makes Perfect, etc. as well as how to use course books effectively on this journey to independent learning will be included.
Benefit from:
- Excellent plenary and workshop sessions with experts
- Several interesting and practical workshops from A2 - C2 level
- Cambridge English Handbooks for teachers and other free support material
- 20% discount at Book Exhibition (various Publishers)
- New: Exhibitor presentations
- 4 for 3 Special Offer for Schools
- Delicious refreshments and wonderful location
- Apéro and Gala Dinner on Saturday evening and Entertainment Programme
Participants
Whether you teach exam preparation classes, conversation or literature courses, you will benefit from this seminar and will not want to miss this opportunity for your own development and that of your students. In addition, your students will be able to apply new strategies to areas of learning other than their English classes.
You will benefit not only from what the presenters will be showing you but also from the ideas of your colleagues and there will be numerous occasions for that exchange to happen. Join us for an enriching and productive weekend.
Speakers
(click photo for bio-data)
|
Ben Knight |
John Potts |
Edmund Dudley |
Tim Black |
|
|
Sinéad Laffan |
Zoltán Rézműves |
Thom Kiddle |
Rob Dean |
Agenda
Saturday, 6 March 2021
| 08.45 - 09.30 | Registration / Coffee Foyer Forum |
| 09.30 - 10.00 |
Welcome and Introduction |
| 10.00 - 11.00 |
1st Plenary: “Getting our heads round Learner Autonomy” |
| 11.00 - 11.30 | Coffee Break / Book Exhibition Foyer Forum |
| 11.30 - 12.30 |
2nd Plenary: “Getting our students into Learner Autonomy” |
| 12.30 - 13.30 | Lunch / Book Exhibition |
| 13.30 - 14.00 | New: Exhibitor Presentations (new, 10-minute presentations by exhibitors) |
| 14.00 - 15.45 |
Workshops A2 - C2 |
| 15.45 - 16.15 | Coffee Break / Book Exhibition Foyer Forum |
| 16.15 - 17.45 |
Workshops A2 - C2 |
| 18.15 - 19.00 19.00 - open |
Apéro in the old wine cellar dating back to the 17th Century Gala Dinner and Entertainment Programme |
Sunday, 7 March 2021
| 08.30 - 09.00 | Coffee Foyer Forum / Book Exhibition |
| 09.00 - 10.30 |
Workshops A2 - C2 |
| 10.30 - 11.00 | Coffee Break / Book Exhibition Foyer Forum |
| 11.00 - 12.30 |
Workshops A2 - C2 |
| 12.30 - 13.30 | Lunch / Book Exhibition / End of Seminar |
Exhibitors
Accommodation
Please see our suggestions for hotel accommodation below. Please call or email the hotel directly to reserve your room and mention that you are a Spring Seminar participant of Swiss Exams when reserving with hotel Bocken.
1. Hotel Bocken
www.bocken.ch / www.bocken.ch/bocken-video.php
Special Rates:
Single room incl. breakfast CHF 171 (per room) instead of CHF 190
Double room incl. breakfast CHF 234 (per room) instead of CHF 260
Limited number of rooms available – first come, first served - inform the hotel that you are a Spring Seminar participant of Swiss Exams.
Please contact:
Bocken
Bockenweg 4
CH-8810 Horgen/ZH
Phone 044 727 55 55
Email: info@bocken.ch
2. Hotel Meierhof
Special Rates:
Single room incl. breakfast CHF 165 (per room)
Double room incl. breakfast CHF 190 (per room)
Please contact:
Hotel Meierhof
Bahnhofstrasse 4
CH-8810 Horgen/ZH
Phone 044 728 91 91
Email: mail@hotelmeierhof.ch
Limited number of rooms available – first come, first served - inform the hotel that you are a Spring Seminar participant of Swiss Exams.
Please note:
A shuttle bus transport will be provided to the conference venue for those staying at the Hotel Meierhof.
Contact
If you require further information or assistance please contact us:
| Swiss Exams Cambridge English Exams Centre Zürcherstrasse 46 CH-8400 Winterthur www.swiss-exams.ch |
Manager Marketing & Communications - Sina Fehr |
In case of emergency on the seminar day or if the office is closed, please contact our Helpdesk / Hotline:
Telephone: 0900 884 884 (-.70/min)