A summer of sharing and learning together.

Image by Jessica Joh from Pixabay

I'm sure that we are all feeling the need to turn our faces to the sun in order to recharge our batteries after all the stresses of the pandemic. It does look as though our lives will continue to be disrupted for some time yet to come but at EuroCALL we are keen to provide opportunities to learn from our experiences and grow stronger together so that the next academic year can bring greater certainty and security for everyone. 

Of course the annual conference is nearly upon us. To be held online this year the French team have created a wonderful event which has the highest registration numbers we have seen. A good deal of thought and planning has gone in to this virtual event in order to help us share the community spirit we so enjoy at our live conferences and those who have registered can download the event app and start to explore already. 

EuroCALL has always had good links with practising teachers, often running workshop sessions with teacher educators as part of our conferences. Indeed, we moved our conference dates into August in order to make it easier to facilitate teacher participation. This year is no exception. We will be running an online Teacher Outreach event this year which is open to all, whether you are a EuroCALL member of not. There is a small fee for a day pass to this event and all participants will get a EuroCALL digital badge to show their commitment to connecting for professional development. The programme is now live and has a dedicated website. 

Please check it out and share this post with your teacher networks around the world. Registration is now open. 

As an organisation we want to help our community of international language teachers, researchers and developers overcome the challenges experienced due to covid 19 and recover for a better future. Read more about our organisation here. 

March Mingle 2021 - Let's talk!

Announcing our March Mingle!

As an organisation we are 100% driven by our members and always keen to connect and share time together. As announced in the recording above, we have created a March Mingle event so that as many of you as possible can join in, no matter what your time zone. 

Our Mingle will take place on Friday 26^th March 2021. 

There will be two Mingle sessions so you can pick the one that fits your schedule.

These are opportunities to talk all things EUROCALL. 

Please pick one session and join us for an informal community drop-in session.

Mingle session 1: Friday 26^th March 2021 at 10am (UK time)

Link to join: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88482026104?pwd=WGIvbHl1b2ZWMnZBZzdwdUxnTU1mQT09

Mingle session 2: Friday 26^th March 2021 at 2.30pm (UK time)

Link to join: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81910515353?pwd=L3VGQzI2Z1phMytRd2d4cTYrVFdYZz09

We welcome everyone – our members and non-members alike.

There's plenty to talk about and we welcome your participation. We welcome everyone – our members and non-members alike. 

Looking forward to seeing you all there!

Follow updates on Eurocall 2021 conference on twitter

Getting 2021 underway: EuroCALL AGM paves the way for this year's conference.

 

EuroCALL AGM in zoom January 22nd 2021

The invitation to attend our Annual General Meeting:

It was unusually joyful as formal meetings go, especially given we are still in the throes of a global pandemic! You can find all the documentation for the AGM on the EuroCALL website by logging in to the Member's Area.

 

Despite our regrets about missing our physical visit to Copenhagen, we reflected on the fellowship we had enjoyed at the Gathering in the summer where circumstances had led to many new experiences. Our first ever visualisation of our community on our Gathering map and our first ever You Tube channel. Our Treasurer delighted all with his media rich presentation which included a soundtrack and a reminder that EuroCALL has to be prepared whatever the weather:

And so, with this in mind we continue our preparations for the future. The Eurocall 2021 conference website is up and plans are quite advanced despite the many uncertainties. You can follow updates on twitter too. This year we will have a blended conference with some in person possibilities. See the website for details. 

As ever, there will be a rich, research-informed programme, many opportunities to network and learn from this wonderful community. Our Special Interest Groups will host workshops or symposia on the second day and these will be open to all comers online. The conference committee wish us to continue to build upon the wonderful fellowship we all enjoyed at the Gathering and we need your help to help ensure the future of this organisation through expanding our membership. 

Please spread the word, encourage friends and colleagues to join EuroCALL and we can all support each other in overcoming the challenge that is teaching and learning in a global pandemic.