March 2025
PD Update
The Latest Professional Development Events and News
Our Professional Development (PD) webinars are designed to inspire and inform ELICOS professionals, and over the coming six weeks we have an exciting lineup for you. Join us for insightful and practical sessions on:
- Academic Vocabulary
- Inspiring teachers to set professional development and career goals
- Designing assessment in an age of Gen AI
- Unlocking first languages in the classroom
Check out the event listings below and don’t forget to register to secure your spot!
Upcoming PD Events
Academic Vocabulary: Building Knowledge and Use
Webinar: 25 March, 3.30pm-4.30pm (AEDT)
This webinar will focus on the importance of academic vocabulary to English learners preparing to study at university, providing techniques and resources to support the development and assessment of knowledge and the use of academic lexis. Presented by Professor Averil Coxhead, Victoria University of Wellington.
Inspiring Teachers: Strategies for Career and Skills Development
Zoom Workshop hosted by the Academic Managers SIG: 2 April, 3:30-4:30pm (AEDT)
This interactive online workshop, facilitated by the English Australia Academic Managers Special Interest Group, will equip academic leaders with practical strategies to inspire, guide, and support teachers in setting and achieving meaningful performance and career goals.
Assessment SIG ‘Staffroom Table’ Chat Session
Webinar hosted by the Assessment SIG: 10 April, 10.00-10.45am (AEST)
Join members of the Assessment Special Interest Group for an informal discussion around David Boud’s recent English Australia webinar entitled ‘Designing assessment in an age of GenAI’. The chat will focus on how ELICOS centres are adapting their assessment in light of Generative AI. Members can watch the webinar ahead of the Staffroom Table via our Webinar Library.
Unlocking First Languages in the Classroom: Making Space for Linguistic Inclusion in ELT
Webinar: 8 May, 3.30pm-4.30pm (AEST)
This webinar explores how drawing on learners’ own languages can enhance inclusion, foster collaboration, and strengthen communication skills. This session makes the case that embracing linguistic diversity helps students engage more deeply, build confidence, develop stronger plurilingual skills, and take pride in their linguistic identities. Teachers will learn how to apply practical strategies to create a more supportive and effective learning environment.
For access to all of our upcoming PD events please visit our events webpage.
English Australia Conference – Call for Abstracts
We’re excited to invite you to submit an abstract for English Australia’s 2025 Conference—the ‘must-attend’ event for the ELICOS sector.
As we navigate ongoing policy shifts, rapid developments in Generative AI technologies, and evolving student needs, the 2025 English Australia Conference will explore how ELICOS institutions are adapting, evolving, and leading in this environment. You can read about our theme of Adapting, Evolving and Leading here.
Abstracts are due on 5 May. To help you get inspired and get started, visit our conference website for:
- tips on crafting your abstract
- suggested topics to spark ideas
- detailed submission guidelines
- our presentation formats.
Find out more and submit abstract
2025 Action Research in ELICOS Program
This month, we launched the 2025 Action Research in ELICOS Program with an energising two-day workshop at Navitas English Sydney! Under the expert guidance of Professor Anne Burns, participants from ELICOS centres around Australia focused on learning the differences between action research and traditional research, refining their research areas, and discovering how to collect data within their own classrooms.
This year’s theme—‘Promoting Formative Feedback and Assessment: Using Generative AI to Enhance Personalised Feedback on Language and Develop Essential Life Competencies’—couldn’t be more timely. With GenAI still dominating discussions in education, our researchers will explore how to harness its potential in the English language classroom. The findings are set to be highly relevant and impactful for educators everywhere.
Congratulations to the teachers who were chosen to take part in the 2025 Action Research Program:
- Jamina Coyne and Matthew Knowles, Navitas English Perth
- Diana Gitman and Amelia Mercieca, UNSW College
- Karen Kim, EF Brisbane
- Martin Sanchez Lagos, Torrens University
- Natasha Sarooshi, The University of Adelaide English Language Centre
- Ruby Zhang, Centre for English Teaching and Learning Hub, The University of Sydney
The Action Research in ELICOS Program is generously sponsored by Cambridge.
2025 QLD PD Fest:
A Celebration of Learning and Connection!
This year’s QLD PD Fest on Saturday 22 March, was a vibrant celebration of learning and community, with 220 educators and sponsors gathering at UQ College for a day of insights, collaboration, and fresh ideas.
The event opened with a moving performance by the UQ Voices student choir, followed by an inspiring plenary from the choir’s facilitator Vicki Bos on ‘Building Community’. Next, Dr Peter Crosthwaite got everyone thinking with his deep dive into AI in English for Academic Purposes, exploring how AI-generated feedback compares to human feedback and if GenAI-produced academic writing can approximate human-like production of academic stance and register features, among other topics.
The 20 breakout sessions throughout the day were packed with practical strategies for the classroom, and the presentations wrapped up on a high note with The Queensland Institute’s interactive closing plenary on icebreakers and student engagement. The day ended with well-earned networking drinks and nibbles.
A huge thanks to our gold sponsors—Pearson, Language Cert and IELTS—and our other supporting sponsors, Cambridge University Press, The Queensland Institute, and UQ College. Your support helps to keep grassroots teacher development thriving!
Thank you as always to the QLD PD Fest committee for their dedication to this event. The committee includes Jo Kwai from John Paul College, Iain Mathieson from UQ College, John Smith and Kerry Sutcliffe from GELI and Jane Roberts from Sarina Russo Institute.
We hope to see you at one of our exciting online or in-person events soon.
Regards
English Australia
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