Amazing Events for TESOL MTH Northern Greece: August - September 2025

 

     Welcome to our August Update! 

Our August Webinar will take place on Wednesday 6th August at 18:00, just before we close down the entire country to go on holidays!  

In this event, we will be listening to two experienced EFL teachers employed in the public sector, each of whom will be discussing exciting topics. Efthymia Damtsi will be presenting the interactive new books the Greek Ministry of Education has produced and how to teach creatively with them, while Evita Liliou will be discussing how we can start our school year with some amazing first-day activities.   The topics concern all of us, not only EFL Teachers in the public sector. 

As always, we will be looking forward to seeing you at the Exhibitions by PALSO Northern Greece on 25th and 26th August at Macedonia Palace Hotel and at the International Publishers Exhibition on 31st August 2025.

  At the International Publishers Exhibition, the TESOL MTH /NG Presentation will be entitled: 

''What, on earth, can I do with this reading? Nothing works!' 

This session will feature a theoretical part, but it will revolve around actual examples of reading texts and demonstrate activities on them. 

Do not forget: IP is going to take place at The Grand Hotel (Thessaloniki, Monasteriou 305 - Close to KTEL) 

Link to the programme: https://www.ip-exhibitions.eu/events/autumn-25-thessaloniki-ip-exhibition/ 

Date: Sunday 31st August 2025 

Time: 17:00-17:50 

Stop Press! Great News! 

Our local ELT field owes a lot to a great trainer and a person who was introduced to us through Lilica Couri and the ETC training sessions: Mario Rinvolucri. 

Mario passed earlier this year (February 2025). He frequently visited Greece (in fact, he started his teaching career in Athens) and he presented plenaries  at TESOL Greece and TESOL MTH/NG Conferences. He was a legend who breathed fresh air into old stories to turn them into teaching materials with a twist. TESOL MTH / NG is going to devote this year's Welcome Back Day Conference to honor the Memory of Mario the teacher, the trainer, the writer, the person who left us the legacy of Pilgrims and the amazing (FREE!) online magazine Humanizing Language Teaching. You can find a link to the latest copy here: 

https://www.hltmag.co.uk/aug25/

The link to the Welcome Back Day Conference will be sent on the Friday prior to the event. 

Many thanks to Pilgrims (Phil Dexter and Hanna Kryszewska) for their ideas and cooperation. Many thanks to IP and Philip Dietschi who is helping us with the promotion and hosting of the event and finally a huge thanks to our speakers! 

IATEFL Vice President to present webinar for TESOL MTH/NG

 

 On Sunday 15th June at 17:00 on Zoom TESOL MACEDONIA-THRACE, Northern Greece is happy and extremely honored  to be hosting IATEFL Vice President 

Ms Aleksandra Popovski!     

The title of the session is Visual Thinking and Multimodality. 

      

The speaker wrote about the session: 

Visible Thinking, developed by Project Zero, is a flexible and systematic research-based conceptual framework designed to integrate students' cognitive development with content learning across various subject areas. By making thinking visible through structured routines, this approach encourages deeper engagement, critical reflection, and meaningful knowledge construction. In the webinar, participants will engage in hands-on activities and practical demonstrations of Thinking Routines with multimodal texts, gaining actionable strategies to implement in their own classrooms.

A few words about our speaker

Aleksandra Popovski is a teacher, teacher trainer, and consultant with a strong passion for language education. She holds an MA in Professional Development for Language Education from the University of Chichester, where she deepened her knowledge and skills in the field. Her interests include multimodality, incorporating visual arts into language teaching, and exploring effective reading comprehension strategies. She is particularly interested in reading as a tool for exploring and discussing issues such as social (in)justice, diversity and inclusion with learners of English. Aleksandra is also passionate about 'no single stories', i.e. writing and exploiting stories about countries, cultures, and communities that are usually excluded from published ELT materials.

TESOL Macedonia-Thrace Northern Greece Welcomes Penny Ur!

 Penny Ur to present Webinar on Textbooks for TESOL MTH/NG 

For TESOL MTH/NG members it is always a pleasure when Penny Ur presents plenaries. On Sunday 23rd March at 17:00 we will have the pleasure of listening to Penny discussing Textbooks and their application in today's educational environment. 

​On Sunday 30th March, we will be happy to welcome you to the TESOL Macedonia-Thrace, Northern Greece Stand at the International Publishers' Exhibition at the MET Hotel. You will be able to find information about our next events and we do hope you will stick around to join our TESOL MTH Session with Maria-Araxi Sachpazian, entitled: 

​The session will take place at the Sirocco room. 

In keeping with our long-standing agreement with the International Publishers' Exhibition, we will be holding a live happening at our stand for a lucky draw that will give two free memberships to two new TESOL MTH/NG members. The membership will start counting when we are back in action as ELTA NG. 

Please visit the link to find out more information about the IP Exhibition: 

https://www.ip-exhibitions.eu/events/spring-25-thessaloniki-ip-exhibition/?utm_source=einvitation&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=TESOL_Macedonia_Thrace_Northern_Greece

Next Event: March 2025

Spring-Autumn 2025 Programme of Events to be announced soon. 

 

IATEFL DIGITAL CHAIR TO RUN JANUARY WEBINAR

 IATEFL DIGITAL CHAIR TO RUN JANUARY WEBINAR 

Ms Georgia Papamichailidou became an IATEFL Trustee last April when she took over the leadership of the IATEFL Digital Committee. Apart from being a thoroughly delightful person, Georgia is a Greek 

(actually from Thessaloniki) who makes us proud for her career devopment in the UK. Georgia will be presenting a session entitled: 

Integrating AI tools in ELT Education: Successful Strategies, Ideas and Tools

The event will be held on Zoom for members only (link has already been sent) 

on Sunday 19th January at 17:00

Georgia wrote about her session: 

As AI tools become more prevalent in our daily lives, many educators feel the pressure to incorporate them into their teaching, often dedicating significant time to exploring these technologies. In this session, we will be exploring the integration of AI methods focusing on fostering critical thinking, peer- collaboration and addressing potential challenges.

As this is our Vasilopita Event we have a special treat for you all. At the end, there will be a lucky draw for a FREE Annual Associate Membership of IATEFL paid by TESOL MTH/NG! Come and start the New Year on the right foot! 

Green IATEFL and You! YES YOU! November 2024 Event online

 

November Event: IATEFL Vice-President Christopher Graham to present at the TESOL MTH/NG November Event 

                                                                        

  Sunday 17th November at 17:00 on Zoom 

 

Tesol Macedonia-Thrace, Northern Greece is honoured to be hosting a webinar led by IATEFL Vice-Chair Mr Christopher Graham. Chris is going to talk to us about the new IATEFL initiative Green IATEFL, a venture that should concern us all. 

The speaker wrote about his session: 

''IATEFL has launched a new initiative around the interface between sustainability and ELT. We will be looking at both classroom applications and opportunities, and also establishing IATEFL as a thought leader in the field. And we need your inputs.''          

Chris Graham took over as Vice-Chair of IATEFL in April 2024 when Gabo Diaz-Maggioli stepped down at the end of his successful term. Chris has worked in ELT for many years and was the one of the founders of ELT Footprint. His current work is with EFL teachers and students in fragile and fractured communities around the world. More than that he is a warm person and a professional who donates his time not only to IATEFL but also to EVE (Equal Voices in ELT) a non-profit association that helps teachers work on their presentation skills, thus enabling them to present at conferences.

Join us on Sunday 17th November at 17:00 on Zoom to talk about sustainability in language teaching.

TESOL MTH OCTOBER 2024 WEBINAR

 

                October Webinar with Agnes-Alice Mariakaki 

  We are so happy to have Ms Alice Mariakaki, a loyal friend and ardent supporter of our association presenting a webinar for our members on Sunday 20th October at 17:00. 

The link for the session has been emailed to the members of our association. 

​

Alice wrote about her session: 

Unlock the potential of digital native students by understanding the neuroscience behind their language learning. Discover how their brains are wired for rapid information processing and how to leverage their strengths. Learn effective strategies to engage the Tik Tok generation and create a stimulating environment that fosters their natural curiosity. This talk will focus on practical strategies to empower your students to unlock their ability to learn and thrive.

To honor Agnes and to give more to our members we have decided to have a giveaway. Two of our members who will be present at the webinar will win a copy of Alice's latest book.

Back in Action! News from TESOL https://draft.blogger.com/?hl=el&tab=jj&authuser=2MACEDONIA-THRACE Northern Greece

Conferences in Thessaloniki 

26th and 27th August 2024 at Macedonia Palace Hotel 

PALSO Two-day Conference & Exhibition 

Visit our stand and find out about our events. Our thanks to the Board of Palso Northern Greece for offering us a stand free of charge. 

Sunday 1st September 2024 at The MET Hotel Thessaloniki

INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHERS' EXHIBITION 

Visit our stand at attend the TESOL MTH/NG Professional Development Session. 

To thank Mr Dietschi for the hospitality TESOL MTH/NG offers TWO FREE Memberships to Teachers who have not been members of TESOL MTH/NG so far. This membership will become active once the rebranding is over. 

Until then, like all of us, these members will be attending the events free of charge. 

Information about the session 

Programme of Events up to December 2024

A number of stellar speakers have agreed to offer sessions for TESOL MTH/NG until December 2024. We thank them from the bottom of our hearts and welcome them to our association. 

We kickstart our monthly events on Sunday 15th September at 17:00 with Our Welcome Back Day Conference, which is free for all to attend. Please feel free to share this link with friends. 

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85436388547

We wish you a happy school year and hope to see you in person at Palso Northern Greece and The International Publishers' Exhibition. 

Dr Anne-Margaret Smith to present May Webinar of TESOL MTH NG

 

                                 May Webinar 

After a restful Easter Break and just before the exams, a long-standing friend and supporter of our association Dr Anne Margaret Smith will be presenting a webinar entitled ''Attention and Concentration in ELT'' a topic that concerns many of us. 

The date for the Webinar is the last weekend free of Exams, Sunday 12th May 2024 at 17:30 on Zoom  

To read about our speaker who needs no introduction, you can visit https://eltwell.com/elt-well/anne-margaret/

April Webinar on Sunday 28th April 2024

 Katerina Mantadaki presenting at TESOL MTH Northern Greece 

    In one of our last events for this academic year, a distinguished member of our academic community, Ms Katerina Mantadaki, ELT Senior Educational Consultant & Teacher Trainer, will be presenting in our April Event.

Ms Mantadaki will be developing the topic

''The ABCs of Values: Inspiring Values through English Language Teaching''

The webinar will be held on Sunday 28th April at 17:30-18:30 on Zoom. The link will be sent

the members of our association.

Ms Mantadaki wrote about her session:

This seminar emphasises how English teachers can incorporate values into the EFL classroom. Beyond words and grammar, language shapes how we perceive the world and interact with others. By integrating values such as kindness, respect and empathy, students learn to appreciate diversity, build character and collaborate to make a positive impact on the world. Join us to discover practical strategies for nurturing these values in the EFL classroom and empowering students to become compassionate global citizens.

Despite the fact that Ms Mantadalki needs no introduction, this is a short bio of our speaker. 

Ms Mantadaki MSc, holds a Master’s Degree in Social Neuroscience, Social Pedagogy & Education. With over 25 years of experience, she has established herself as an experienced EFL Teacher, specialising in instructing students with Dyslexia and other Special Educational Needs (SEN). Currently serving as the Senior Academic Consultant and Teacher Trainer at Express Publishing, she aims at advancing educational practices in EFL teaching. Her scientific interest lies in Neuroscience, Educational Technology, as well as Positive and Inclusive Education, reflecting her dedication to fostering accessible, affective and effective learning environments.

Programme for the 29th Annual International Conference: Embracing the Future of ELT

Welcome to  29th Annual International 29th Annual International Conference of 

TESOL MTH/NG 

30th and 31st March 2024 

                                         

February Webinar: Mr Eftychis Kantarakis Presenting for TESOL MTH NG

 

February Webinar & Call for Papers

We are incredibly happy to be welcoming a loyal friend of TESOL Macedonia-Thrace, Northern Greece and a TESOL Greece ex-board member, Mr Eftychis Kantarakis. 

Eftychis is an ELT professional who knows the Greek as well as the International EFL Market better than anyone. He is a teacher, teacher trainer EMEA, Sales Manager for NGL Greece and Cyprus and he's also a TESOL Greece advocate.

On Sunday 25th February 2024 at 17:00 we will have the pleasure of listening to Eftychis who will be presenting on 

Social & Emotional Learning towards SDGs in ELT

The link has alreayd been emailed to TESOL MTH NG Members

 

​The speaker wrote about the event 

Education does not change the world. Education changes people. People change the world (Paulo Freire). The principles of SEL can shape the way we teach in ELT. But can they change the world? In this talk we will ponder how SEL can also be used towards achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals and making a difference in our world. Exciting existing projects towards that will also be discussed.

​We thank Eftychis for accepting our invitation and we do hope to see you all there. 

Our call for papers for the 29th Annual International Conference of TESOL MTH NG  (digital) to be held on 30th and 31st March  is out and you can find it here: https://forms.gle/YRTFA58WrYSjZ6pLA 

You can share a lesson idea, a way you worked out to solve a problem you were facing, or your action research.  

​The deadline for paper submissions is March 5th 2024

​During this month's webinar with Eftychis we will announce our Plenary speakers. 

Call for papers 29th Annual Conference TESOL MTH/NG: 30th and 31st March 2024

Our 29th Annual International Conference of TESOL MTH/NG will be held on Saturday and Sunday 30th and 31st March 2024. 

•     Call for papers: https://forms.gle/Y9d1P5oMksZ97hp3A 
•     Deadline for submissions: 5th March 2024 
•     Programme announcement: 21st March 2024 

Plenary speakers to be announced soon. 

            Events for February - March & April 

Our next webinary is on Sunday 25th February 2024 at 17:00. The topic of the session is Social and Emotional Learning towards SDGs in ELT. Join us on Zoom. The link will be sent to members on Friday 23rd February. 

TESOL Macedonia-Thrace, Northern Greece January 2024 Event

 

     Adrian Underhill presenting a webinar in January 2024 
for TESOL MTH/NG!

  We are delighted to be inviting you to a webinar with the one and only Adrian Underhill. 

The session will be held on Sunday 14th January 2024 at 17:00. 

The link will be sent to only the members of TESOL MTH/NG on Friday 12th January 2024. 

The speaker wrote about his webinar:

In this webinar I  will suggest that our current system of pronunciation teaching is based on several faulty assumptions and as a result our pronunciation teaching methodology is in an evolutionary cul de sac. For example, pronunciation work is (still) a kind of add-on rather than being fully integrated into everything that happens in the classroom. And behavourist assumptions are still alive and well although perhaps in a more colourful and usable form. I will propose some contrasting assumptions that could free us up to see the experience of pronunciation differently and to imagine different learning activities with different outcomes. I will illustrate some of these activities.

 Adrian Underhill needs no introduction. He is the series editor of the Macmillan Books for Teachers, author of Sound Foundations: Learning and Teaching Pronunciation and an advisor in the development of Macmillan English Dictionary. After working as a teacher and trainer for many years and as director of the International Teacher Training Institute at International House in Hastings, Adrian now works as an ELT consultant and trainer. As past president of IATEFL, Adrian started the first IATEFL interest group which was in Teacher Development. His current interests include not only pronunciation teaching, but applications of complexity theory and holistic thinking to learning and to the way we teach and work. Find out more about our speaker by visiting his website: https://adrianunderhill.com/

TESOL MTH / NG CHRISTMAS EVENT Sunday 2nd December with Maria Polychrou

 Christmas Event 2023 
Ms Maria Polychrou presenting: SantAct!  
Sunday 2nd December 2023. 

   Join TESOL Macedonia-Thrace, Northern Greece on the first Sunday of December (3/12) at 17:00 

   on Zoom to see what we can do for Christmas in your classroom. 

The title of the session is 

Let's SantAct! 

  Dropping a lot of fairy dust and ample Christmas Spirit the one and only Maria Polychrou will take us through activities that bring the spirit of Christmas to our classroom, while promoting language learning activities. 

 The speaker has written about the event: 

Is Christmas just around the corner but still you haven’t planned anything regarding classroom activities? This is the webinar you need! All these drama-based activities, Santa’s Christmas whispers, improvisations, Christmas drama challenges and differentiated role playing ideas will definitely inject some festive holiday spirit into your lessons!

Would you like to hear Maria and Maria being funny about the event? Well, watch a live done spontaneously at the Foreign Language Forum this past August! Press the link below! 

Video on our Christmas Event

Join us! The link will be sent to members on Friday 1/12! 

Caterina Skiniotou Presenting for TESOL MTH / NG on Sunday 19/11

 

          November Webinar: Skills and Strategies for Reading and Writing Exams in 21st Century. 

On Sunday 19th November members of TESOL MTH/NG are invited to a webinar at 17:00 on Zoom. 

The topic of our session will be directly related with exam skills and our speaker is the IATEFL Learning Technologies SIG Member and ex-Chair of TESOL Greece, Ms Caterina Skiniotou. 

Watch this short video to find out more about the session. 

 Caterina Skiniotou has told us that she will share active links to tools that teachers can use for exam training. The link to the session will be sent to members on Friday 17th November 2023. 

OCTOBER EVENT on SUNDAY 15th OCTOBER 2023 at 17:00

 Our next event is a digital one. It will take place on Sunday 15th October 2023 at 17:00. The room will open about 5 minutes before. Members need to be there to honor our speaker and to start promptly. 

Our speaker is Ms Magdalena Wasilewska, who has been a teacher for over 25 years. She's a graduate of the American Studies Center at Warsaw University and postgraduate studies in Psychology of Children and Teens at SWPS University. Magdalena specializes mainly in teaching teens and preparing them for Cambridge exams. Her interests include brain friendly teaching, neuroscience, using videos and films in the class and building strong relationships with students because children and teenagers don't learn from the teachers they don't like.

The speaker wrote about her session: 

The brains of teenagers develop in a completely different way during adolescence and that fact directly influences the way they should be taught. In this practical webinar you will learn how teens' brains function and how we, as teachers, should put this knowledge into practice. You will leave the webinar with hands-on tips and exercises ready to use on Monday classes.​

​We will send you the zoom link on Friday 13th October 2023. 

Welcome Back Day Conference of TESOL Macedonia-Thrace, Northern Greece

 

   Let's celebrate together our Welcome Back Day Conference face to face. 

Sunday 24th September 2023 at 11:00 

(Arrival time 10:30 and approximate end round 13:00)  

at the Amphitheatre of the Central Library of AUTH (map below)

We are happy to invite our members and friends of TESOL MTH/NG who would like to join our association to a wonderful opportunity to discuss Reading Comprehension Skills for different levels of the CEFR. As mentioned before, this event is a spin-off from last year's conference in Larissa. 

We would like to present our two speakers Ms Marina Kollatou and Ms Zafi Mandali and their sessions.   

  Ms  Marina Kollatou holds a BA from the faculty of English language and Literature of the University of Athens. She has completed her postgraduate studies in the Organization and Administration of Education (University of Thessaly) and in The Teaching of English as a Foreign/International Language (Hellenic Open University). She holds a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Ioannina. Marina is an EFL teacher in the public sector and a Senior High School Head teacher who currently works as an Education Consultant for English teachers. She is also President of English Teachers’ Association of Larissa (ETAL). In our WBDC, Marina will be presenting a session entitled: Teaching reading strategies. Why, how, what for? The speaker has written about her session: In an era characterized by generating too much information for us to access, let alone process and digest, in the little  spare  time we have for reading, youths do not usually demonstrate any keenness on reading long texts, articles, or literature in their mother togue, even worse in a foreign language like English. They prefer to have a look at titles or read short texts by people summarizing or commenting on either fiction or non-fiction texts. Therefore, now it is more necessary than ever before that teachers should guide learners so that they develop into strategic readers or, in other words,  effective, self-regulated readers.

Μs Zafi Mandali, holds a BA in English Language and Literature from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and an M.A. in Applied Linguistics from the University of Essex. She is an active teacher, teacher trainer, storytelling coach and educational consultant who has given a number of presentations, published a number of articles and authored four books, E.A. Publications. She has recently retired from the position of director of studies, Department of English of Ελληνογερμανική Αγωγή, after a tenure of 25 years. Her soft point is storytelling in education and samples of her work are uploaded on www.eltstorytelling.com  and her Eltstorytelling facebook group. In our WBDC, Zafi will present a session entitled: Keys to unlocking new reading texts.

The presenter has written about her session: Different points of entry to reading texts unlock different angles of its context. How do we best set the stage for the new text and which mechanisms do we use to link existing to the new knowledge? With the moving image, as vital communication medium transcending languages and cultures, teachers have fresh points of entry to texts in class. Our workshop will showcase tried and tested reading techniques, adjusted to present day educational needs and means. Participants will walk off with concrete evidence of how to help students understand, personalize, organize and assimilate lexical, grammar or content information in texts.

The board of TESOL MTH/ NG would like to remind all members who would like to renew or all prospective members of our association that this is your last opportunity to join with the reduced price of 30 euro instead 45 euro for 12 months, including our conference and the conference of TESOL GREECE as well as reduced membership rate for IATEFL. Additionally, this Sunday 24.9 the board has decided that all proceeds will go to the victims of the Thessaly floods as a small token of our concern and worry. 

Between the two sessions, there will be a coffee break with coffee and cookies from Miltos Catering.  

                                                                  Map to the venue 

Why should I visit the TESOL MTH/ NG stand at the Exhibitions this week?

 

 5 reasons to come by the TESOL MTH/NG stand at the Exhibitions in Thessaloniki, August 2023 

If you are thinking ' I know TESOL MTH/NG! Why should I come by the stands?' 

​Let us list the five reasons! 

1 If your membership was taken out at this time last year, you need to renew it again. If you are a lapsed member, this is your time to re-register. And we have good news.  For ALL the August Exhibitions and for Welcome Back Day Conference which will be  

held face-to-face on 24th September 2023 at the Amphitheatre of the Central 

Library of the Aristotle University, we have a reduced price at only 30 euro (from 45) for the annual membership. If you are a student (BA or MA in a state or private university) you will pay 25. 

2 Get the yearly programme of our Events for 2023-24 nd find out about 29th Annual International Conference Embracing the future of ELT'' which will be held in February 2024, face to face. 

3 Since we do not have a session in the PALSO Exhibition or at the FORUM, we have 

     decided to 'give' you a session to watch later! How? Well, we are not going to 

     spoil the surprise! 

4  Get your copy of the latest issue of ELTesaser, Volume 80, Summer 2023 

5 Find out how you can join IATEFL on an Associate Membership at a fraction of the original cost and find out the pathways these open for you! 

  So, where will the stands be? 

On Thursday 24th and Friday 25th August, you will find us at the PALSO NORTHERN GREECE, 34th Conference and Exhibition at the Macedonia Palace Hotel. 

This is a link to the programme where you can also reserve your spot: 

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/658406630957?aff=posts&fbclid=IwAR1ng2gZ722JDfJL3wiDi5HhdD5JzrGHmO3xh1YjbmFUctt4v77pxjfIe6A

​

​On Saturday 26th August we will be at the CAPSIS Hotel and at the 2023 Foreign Language Forum organised by ELT NEWS. 

The link to the programme is here   https://flforum.gr/the-cities/2023-autumn-thessaloniki-saturday-26-august

​

Finally, on Sunday 27th August 2023 we will meet you all at the MET Hotel and at the International Publisher's Exhibition. This is the link to the programme:https://www.ip-exhibitions.eu/events/autumn-23-thessaloniki-ip-exhibition/

You will notice that once again our host Mr Philip Dietschi has given TESOL MTH NG a 50' minute session entirely free of charge. This autumn TESOL MTH/NG is represented by Ms. Tanya Livarda and Ms Maria-Araxi Sachpazian who will present Activities to kickstart your school year which are Playful! Positive! Practical! 

If you work in a school or meet educators who have not joined TESOL MTH/NG, spread the word: At the IP we are holding TWO lucky draws for educators who want to try joining TESOL MTH/NG for the first time. 

The Executive Board of TESOL MTH/NG would like to thank the Board of PALSO Northern Greece, ELT News Ms Anastasia Spyropoulou and Mr Dimitris Spyropoulos and Mr Philip Dietschi for hosting our non-profit association entirely free of charge in their events. It really means a lot! 

Looking forward to seeing you at the Exhibitions! 

The Executive Board of TESOL MTH / Northern Greece