Andréia Zakime, who talked about the effectiveness of the use of images in engaging students in the practice of English outside the classroom, talks about her experience at the Image Conference in Valetta, Malta.
1. What did you enjoy about The Image Conference?
Getting together and exchanging ideas with professionals who are interested in making better use of images in the classroom, the very high quality of the plenary sessions and workshops, not to mention the amazing location and very warm welcome from everyone at the ELT Council in Malta.
2. How was The Image Conference different from other conferences you’ve been to?
The fact that it clearly aimed to discuss a particular aspect of teaching – a very common practice that is many times overlooked in teacher education – made the conference unique. Participants had the chance to share different perspectives and explore new ideas, and the common thread of the discussions made the experience really profitable.
3. What were the main discussion points to arise in The Image Conference?
Definitely the positive impact images can have on teaching and learning, promoting cognitive and affective engagement and connecting the classroom to the real world. The underlying message in many of the talks and workshops was on the power of visuals to get students discussing social issues, which I personally consider of vital importance to our practice.
4. Where would you like to see the next edition of The Image Conference held?
I’d love to see the Image Conference held somewhere in South America again – Santiago, Buenos Aires or Sao Paulo would be great locations!
Andréia Zakime is a teacher, teacher trainer and course designer. She works at the Academic Department of Cultura Inglesa São Paulo and holds an MA in Publishing and Editorial Design. Andréia has a keen interest in the use of student- generated content to enable learners to act as protagonists in the learning process.
