This session will trace the emergence of a personal drama pedagogy for teaching languages which I have developed over 46 years in 17 countries. The theory stems from Dorothy Heathcote’s Educational Drama praxis using drama as a learning medium. The premise is that drama is education and that language teaching can be enhanced by the use of drama techniques. The two things go hand in hand. A substantial number of students cannot learn language without an element of creativity, thus we will emphasise the need to create a safe environment for oral fluency and fun in language teaching and learning. There will be a little basic theory and lots of action covering classroom management, breathing, body, mime, voice and pronunciation exercises, plus language games for relaxation, concentration and fluency. The teachers will leave with lots of practical ideas for trying out in their language classrooms.

Biodata: Susan has work experience in seventeen countries as a teacher, Head of Department, Director, speaker, webinar presenter, workshop facilitator, consultant, researcher, Professor, author and on-line tutor. As a British Council Consultant and a former Associate NILE, UK, trainer she has trained thousands of teachers in China and Europe since 2005, besides those all over Latin America since 1993. She was Prof. Language IV in Lenguas Vivas and UTN Teacher Training Colleges, Buenos Aires, Argentina. She has co-authored a Resource Book for Teachers Global Issues for OUP and also TDI-TKT On-line Course for Pearson, New York, and published a book with Helbling English through Drama. She is a former Director of the ESSARP Teachers’ Centre in Buenos Aires, a former executive Editor of LACLIL Journal, former Coordinator of English in Action, Ministry of Education, City of Buenos Aires, Argentina, training 20 teachers through blended learning courses to teach English through Drama in Special Education. Founder and Director of SHELTA, Susan Hillyard’s English Language Teachers’ Academy.