My suggestions would include:

1. Incorporating authentic materials

2. Using digital storytelling in the classroom

I have some additional thoughts:

1. Alternatives to lecture-memorization instructional design

2. Student motivation and demotivation (things that make students less motivated)

3. Choosing technology

4. Gamification

5. Student-centered active learning

6. Task-based instructional design

Thanks to Hulya Avci, Lizzie Abderrahim and Michael W. Marek for the comments & suggestions.

The proposed workshop shall be offered to the English teachers who teach at secondary (senior school) and tertiary (college) levels, in Tamilnadu, India; and to the researchers pursuing doctoral programmes in the field of ELT.

This, I believe, shall be the first among a series of workshops for teachers & researchers. The purpose is to educate / refresh the theoretical foundations of current trends in English Language Teaching / Assessment, and to provide a platform for experience sharing amongst the participants.

I welcome others too, to share your suggestions on the above lines.

Impact of IR4.0- is the education sector ready? are educators prepared? what is to expect? how to adapt?

The role of the L1 in the ESL or EFL classroom. The constructive uses of the mother tongue(s) in foreign language classrooms.

you say above that

The purpose is to educate / refresh the theoretical foundations of current trends in English Language Teaching / Assessment, and to provide a platform for experience sharing amongst the participants.

do you have the freedom to choose whatever you like?

do you have any means of contacting participants before they arrive at the workshop?

since the group is quite disparate- teachers and researchers- might it be an idea to start from their prior experiences- what are the issues that most feel are important? - which aspects of current trends would most be interested in exploring..?

and then base your decision-making about the focus of the workshop series on what they suggest.. you will not be able to 'please everyone'.. but it might help make the workshops 'relevant' to local needs and interests.

I think you need to start talking about ELT as an interdisciplinary field that extracts theories form cognitive linguistics, socio-linguistics, psychology, sociology,...etc. I think this is the correct base from which you can branch to handle several other topics. In sociolinguistics, present the communicative competence as a starting point. When it comes to psychology, take about motivation, attitudes, anxiety, learners' aptitude...etc. Regarding cognitive linguistics, you need to summarize the developmental errors, interlangues, ...etc. As such the attendants will be aware of the important topics of English language teaching. Examine the first chapter of this reference for details:

https://elt502ciu.wikispaces.com/file/view/Introducing+Second+Language+Acquisition.pdf

Thanks a lot, Hulya Avci , Gordon Dobie , Martin Wedell , and Ahmed Seleem for your thoughtful suggestions.

The question is still open for suggestions.

In my opinion, one of the topics to be included could refer to cross-curricular bilingual teaching based on the principles of Content and Language Integrated Learning. The method provides the benefits thanks to a dual-focused approach that aims at teaching subjects through a foreign language. Communicative competence, cultural awareness, preparation for working life, increased motivation are the benefits of the method implementation into practice. Though the results of research into CLIL method implementation have also shown the method creates positive attitude towards foreign language learning, develops critical thinking and social skills, disadvantages of the method should be discussed too, e.g. a lack of CLIL teaching materials, teacher training programmes to prepare the CLIL subject and language teachers, implementation of the CLIL principles into practice considering age and fluency levels, both local and global needs and requirements, etc.

Hi,

I have some thoughts

How about focusing on in service teachers who teach TEYL (5-7 year olds, 7-11 year olds)

Material design

Interactıve Web2 tools training

Generation Z (Who are they?, What do they want? How can we meet their needs?)

I also agree with Mr Wedel. Why not just ask your trainees what they need and want?