Trinity at IATEFL 2025: talks, workshops and exciting launches

Tuesday 8 April

Philip Horne – Degree of interaction in computer-based pragmatic speaking tasks

It is important for second language learners not only to develop linguistic competence but also to understand contextual conventions to navigate situations such as complaining or disagreeing. This is otherwise known as pragmatic competence. This talk presents a study of computer-based speaking tasks simulating authentic interaction. It has practical applications for both classroom teaching and larger-scale standardised testing.

Philip Horne is the Head of Technical Content at Trinity College London. He has worked in English language teaching and testing for sixteen years, working in Europe, North Africa and East Asia, as well as in the UK. He has delivered teacher training in language assessment literacy and item writing around the world. He holds a Cambridge Delta, an MA in Language Testing, and is currently pursuing a PhD in assessing pragmatics in computer-based tests at Lancaster University. He regularly presents his research at international testing conferences.

Time:
15:50-16:20

Room:
Sidlaw

Wednesday 9 April

Ben Beaumont – Strategies to improve speaking skills: More than lexis and fluency

The Saussurian dichotomy of language knowledge and usage is a teaching approach long consigned to history. But how far have we progressed with integrating linguistic skills with performance strategies? Focusing on helping learners communicate their desired message, this talk reviews current practice and suggests how practical techniques that incorporate logic and discoursal rhetoric can help learners achieve their communication goals.

Ben Beaumont is an educator and researcher who specialises in teacher development in ELT and English-medium instruction contexts. Having worked in teaching, assessment and training roles in a variety of sectors, Ben is keen to share emergent good practice with peers, helping support a balanced, localised and contextual approach to teacher development. As Head of Teacher Strategy and Publishing at Trinity College London, Ben’s work allows him to critically engage with, and research, teachers’ professional development practices, with the ultimate goal of maximising opportunities for effective learning.

Time:
10:35-11:05

Room:
Fintry

Wednesday 9 April

Emma Meade-Flynn – Listening up: Helping teachers move beyond the comprehension approach (TCLP-sponsored talk)

"Teach! Don’t test!" is a common refrain when it comes to listening skills. However, teachers wanting a more process-oriented approach often face challenges finding suitable material and frameworks. This session explores how teachers have developed effective listening lessons using alternative frameworks and material. Participants will evaluate training tasks and teaching materials and identify how to adapt them for their context.

Emma Meade-Flynn is a teacher and teacher-trainer based in Ireland with over twenty years' experience across the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Her interests include teacher development, teaching listening and task-based learning. Outside of teaching, she enjoys planning her next adventure and recreating the dishes from her travels.

Time:
12:20-13:05

Room:
Ochil 2

Wednesday 9 April

Trinity Pop-Up Session – Skills development in the 21st century: Empowering you and your learners

Speakers: Martin Oetegenn & Ben Beaumont

This session explores practical resources to help develop learners’ skills in critical reasoning, creativity and collaboration. It will introduce Trinity’s teaching and learning materials, including free resources such as NoteLab English, skills development guides, online events and the innovative Skill Up! app, along with Trinity’s new skills-based coursebooks. The session will demonstrate how these tools can create engaging lessons while building key 21st-century skills. Attendees will also learn how Trinity’s exams and qualifications complement these resources, giving learners opportunities to apply these skills in real-world contexts.

Martin Oetegenn is Language and TESOL Manager at Trinity College London, overseeing digital content for teaching and learning. He presents webinars and speaks at ELT conferences worldwide. An English teacher since 2004, he has worked in private schools, universities and businesses globally. Since 2011, he has been a teacher trainer, consultant and examiner, specialising in online learning and bespoke training in Younger Learners and CLIL.

Time:
13:40-13:55

Room:
Atrium

Thursday 10 April

Andrew Fleck – Quality control in the development of language tests big and small

Language tests remain central to language teaching and learning, and all such tests benefit from quality control and validation processes. This presentation details the processes at the heart of the test cycle — writing, review and editing — and suggests how procedures currently used in large-scale testing organisations can be adapted for use within schools and language centres.

Andrew Fleck has over two decades' experience teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and English for Academic Purposes (EAP) in Europe, South Korea and Britain. For the past five years, he has been writing, reviewing and managing test content for Trinity College London. In 2023, he completed an MA in Language Testing at Lancaster University. His dissertation on task types in listening tests was highly commended by the Caroline Clapham IELTS Masters Award committee.

Time:
14:05-14:35

Room:
Sidlaw

Thursday 10 April

María Eugenia Ianiro – Teaching from the inside out: Metacognition in teacher education programmes (IATEFL Teacher Trainer Scholarship Winner)

Fostering metacognitive skills can shape pre-service teachers into reflective, effective and lifelong learners. True learning is not passive; it emerges when students actively wrestle with new ideas and try to make sense of what they are learning. This session illustrates how integrating metacognitive strategies into teacher education programmes can help future educators manage their learning journeys more effectively.

María Eugenia Ianiro has over twenty years of experience in English language teaching. She has taught at all levels and now focuses on training future teachers. She delivers workshops and presentations, both online and face-to-face. Her interests include methodology, metacognition, continuous professional development for teachers, inclusive education and socio-emotional learning.

Time:
14:50-15:20

Room:
Lammermuir 2