Join the Pilgrims Online International Conference: Humanistic Language Teaching Today!
IATEFL Poland is delighted to invite our members and the wider language teaching community to a unique professional development event organised by the publishers of Humanising Language Teaching (HLT) and The Teacher Trainer Journal – the Pilgrims Teacher Training Online Conference 2026!
Humanistic Language Teaching (HLT) has always been at the heart of the Pilgrims methodology. Under the theme Teaching the Whole Person: Be Inspired, Be Inspiring!, this upcoming conference offers a wonderful opportunity to gain fresh inspiration, refresh your classroom practices, nurture both teacher and student well-being, and connect with an international network of passionate educators.
Key Event Details
- Dates: Saturday, October 10 – Sunday, October 11, 2026
- Time: 14:00 – 17:30 CET (Afternoon sessions)
- Format: Online
- Registration Fee: €46 for 2 days | Early Bird Discount: €36 (if registered by August 31, 2026)
- Certification: Every participant will receive an official Certificate of Attendance.
- Contact & Inquiries: info@pilgrims.co.uk
Why Attend?
In today’s rapidly changing educational landscape, focusing solely on language proficiency is no longer enough — taking a “whole-person” approach is essential. Over two engaging afternoons, prominent global experts will share practical tools and insights covering key topics such as Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), Multilingual Approaches in ELT, Cultivating Compassion and Mindfulness in the Classroom, as well as Educational Leadership and Publishing Your Work.
The conference will be hosted and moderated by renowned teacher trainers Hania Kryszewska and Phil Dexter.
Programme & Speakers
Day 1: Saturday, October 10, 2026
- 14:00 – 14:10 | Welcome & Conference Opening – Hania Kryszewska & Phil Dexter
- 14:10 – 14:55 | Plenary Session: Teaching with connection: Emotions, English as Lingua Franca (ELF), and Critical Language Pedagogy – Alessia Cogo (King’s College / UCL, Editor-in-Chief of ELT Journal)
- 15:00 – 15:25 | The compassionate classroom in action – Anna Pires
- 15:30 – 15:55 | The impact of leadership in education – Mercedes Pérez Berbain
- 16:00 – 16:25 | What you don’t know: Four actionable tips – Nick Michelioudakis
- 16:30 – 17:15 | Plenary Session: Publish or perish? Ways to disseminate your work as an ELT professional – Elisabeth Bekes
- 17:15 – 17:30 | Day 1 Wrap-up & Closing Remarks
Day 2: Sunday, October 11, 2026
- 14:00 – 14:10 | Day 2 Opening Remarks
- 14:10 – 14:55 | Plenary Session: Teaching with the head and the heart: Developing Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in ELT – Anna Hasper
- 15:00 – 15:25 | Storytelling sets us all free: an example of how you and your students can amplify the voices of young Gazans across the world – David Heathfield
- 15:30 – 15:55 | Mentoring as a tool for humanising professional development: Lessons from the BC-PIAP Mentoring Programme in Chile – Silvia Rettaroli & Silvia Luppi
- 16:00 – 16:25 | From classroom to leadership: Authentic communication as the missing skill – Berislav Božanović
- 16:30 – 17:15 | Panel Discussion: Multilingual approaches in ELT – Penny Ur, Amol Padwad & Cina P. Mosito
- 17:15 – 17:30 | Official Conference Closing
Registration & Useful Links
Don’t miss out on the Early Bird special! Register by August 31, 2026 to attend for just €36 (regular fee: €46).
Full conference details: Pilgrims Online Conference 2026
Get inspired and inspire others! We look forward to seeing you online!
