Conference Journals

One of ELTA's main goals is to act as a forum for English educators. We'd like to thank all our supporters and presenters for sharing their experience and knowledge with us.

Please bear in mind that not all presentations at conferences are accompanied with a slideshow or printed texts to use as resources. All posted material on the ELTA Albania webpage has been supplied by the author for the explicit purpose of sharing and falls under the guidelines of ELTA Albania's Content Submission Agreement.

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English for the World of Today
4th National Conference of Teachers of English
November 6-7, 2008, Berat, Albania

Personalizing Your English Classroom - Fannie Daou, Express Publishing
ELP and the Intercultural Element; Educating Respect for Diversity - Ludmilla Stefani
To Act or Not to Act - Fannie Daou, Express Publishing
Making Washbacks and Rubrics Work - Nancy Ackles
Using English in Research - N. Mehmeti
Teaching with Fun and Games in Higher Levels - Aida Branez
Using Authentic Texts and Materials - Adam Neblock
Building Leadership Skills with Gifted Students - Ymer Leksi

Professional Teacher Development in the New Millennium
Educating the Future Today – Journal of the First Conference of the English Language Teachers’ Association of Albania
June 12-13, 2004, Elbasan, Albania
Edited by Paul Wilson, British Council, Albania

Foreword – Ludmilla Stefani

Classroom Techniques
•Using Role Play in the Classroom – Andy Halvorsen
•Nobody is Right or Wrong – Fitore Sulejmani
•Advantages and Challenges of Role-play – Sonila Tanku
•Using Stories for Classroom Activities – Bledar Vrapi

Developing Productive Skills
•Text Easification – Flora Gaba and Shpresa Kokushta
•Effective Writing Tasks in the EFL Classroom – Antonela Pero
•Journaling to Fluency: Journal Activities to Develop Language Fluency – Cindy Rauth
•Looking at Oral Feedback: A View From the Other Side – Peter Quamo

Learner-Centered Approaches
•Influencing Process and Outcome: The Learner as a Resource – Eliona Balilaj
•The Student is the Textbook – Craig Dicker
•Cooperative Education in the EFL Classroom – Andrew Gridinsky

Pedagogical Issues
•Communication in Schools – Natasha Azisllari
•Conceptualizing the “Shape” of the Lesson: The Logistics of Learning – Dominik Lukes
•Changing Roles of Teachers and Learners in Contemporary Language Education – Zoltan Poor
•New Approaches in Teaching English to Young Learners – Zoltan Poor
•Should the Native English Teacher Be Expected to Emphasize Speaking? – Kenneth Samuels

Other Subjects
•What is the English Language Teaching Contact Scheme? – Zoltan Poor
•European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML): Innovative Approaches in Language Education – Zoltan Poor
•Bringing Media into the Classroom – Vilma Tafani
•Ways and Forms of Teaching Vocabulary – Katina Drenova

Foreword

ELTA is an association which has been active in Albania for over two years. It was founded by a group of dedicated English teachers who saw the need for greater cooperation, integration, and professionalism in the field of English language teaching.

ELTA’s mission is fostering collaboration and cooperation among teachers of the country and of the region and also providing teachers with opportunities for growth. The professional development of teachers will in turn raise educational standards and improve student performance in schools.

ELTA has been active throughout Albania and has established links with counterparts in neighbouring countries.

ELTA organized its first regional conference with the theme, "Professional Teacher Development in the New Millennium."

The conference took place over a two-day period (June 12-13,2004) and was hosted by the University of Elbasan with the full support of the Albanian Ministry of Education and the Institute for Pedagogical Research. A total of 24 workshops and plenary were presented by native English speaking educators as well as by experienced Albanian teachers of English.

The conference aimed at connecting both English teachers of Albania and those of the region. This event served as an ideal venue to improve ELT (English Language Teaching) in Albania as this international exposure will increase the competency and professionalism of Albanian English teachers. It is these teachers who will prepare the new generation to enter Europe as an equal partner in the new millennium; a time when English is increasingly recognized as an international language and a vital means of establishing and maintaining international relations.

This conference helped build a solid foundation for ELTA and helped the organization realize its stated mission.

Thanks to the great support of the Institute of the Pedagogical Research and personally its director Erlehta Mato, ELTA is having all the materials of the conference published in this book.

This book represents the work and commitment of many individuals who gave what time and resources they had available to participate in the organization of the Conference.

I would like take this opportunity to extend a sincere thanks and congratulations to all those who participated in the Conference and made it happen.

Finally, a special thank you to the American Embassy and the British Council in Tirana which have been supporting ELTA in all its activities.

Ludmilla Stefani

ELTA President, July 27, 2004