Monthly Update December 2025
✨Happy Holidays!✨
Dear members,
Welcome to our December 2025 Update.
As the year draws to a close, we hope you are all having a good end to the first term.
We’re delighted to present our Winter Webinar Programme, sponsored by Ascentis, which will be running from January 2026. The programme brings together a range of engaging and practical sessions, and we look forward to welcoming you back in the new year. You’ll find full details and booking information below.
We’re also very pleased to announce that we have now launched the Annual Conference 2026 website, along with the ticket booking platform. You can explore the programme outline, venue information and key dates online, with more updates to follow soon.
There is also still time to submit a proposal to deliver a workshop at the Annual Conference 2026. If you’re interested in sharing your practice or research, we’d love to hear from you.
You’ll find further information on all of the above, as well as the latest sector news and upcoming events, in this update.
As we head into the break, we wish you all a restful and happy holiday, and a very good start to 2026.
If you have any queries, please get in touch with us by emailing info@natecla.org.uk or calling 07443 601 298.
All the best,
Laura, Doeon and Irene
NATECLA National Centre
NATECLA Stands Against Racist Attacks on ESOL Provision
NATECLA Scotland has added its support to an open letter responding to the recent targeting of ESOL classes by far-right protesters in parts of Scotland. Developed by Stand Up to Racism Scotland and supported by several education and trade union organisations, the letter condemns the racist misinformation being used to attack ESOL learners and community-based provision.
NATECLA strongly condemns these actions and urges political leaders to challenge hate-fuelled narratives and the scapegoating of refugees and migrants.
NATECLA Annual Conference 2026
We’re delighted to share that the NATECLA Annual Conference 2026 website is now live and the ticket booking system is open.
After a sold-out event last year, the conference will take place on 26–27 June 2026 at Conference Aston, Birmingham, and we’re very pleased to confirm NOCN as our main sponsor.
The website includes key information about the venue, ticket options and an overview of the programme. It will be updated regularly as the programme develops.
Call for workshop proposals
In the meantime, we’re on the lookout for passionate ESOL practitioners from across the sector to help make this our best conference yet.
We’re seeking 1-hour workshops that have an interactive element and will appeal to ESOL teachers, managers, volunteers and other related professionals practising in the UK and Ireland.
Submission deadline: Friday 9th January 2026.
Here are some suggestions of suitable topics to inspire you:
Practical teaching skills
Digital skills and teaching online
Assessment 14-19 learning Embedding ESOL in vocational programmes
Supporting Pre-entry / ESOL literacy learners
Trauma informed practice
Teaching mixed ability groups
Exhibitors and sponsors
Don’t miss the chance to showcase your brand at the NATECLA Annual Conference 2026! Our thriving exhibition area offers the perfect opportunity to connect with ESOL and ELT professionals from across the UK and Ireland.
Whether you’re interested in sponsoring the event or having a stall, we have packages to suit your needs. Enjoy high-quality catering, comfortable overnight accommodation, and endless networking opportunities in a professional setting.
NATECLA Webinars
❄️ Our new winter webinar programme is here! ❄️
Our webinars take place approximately every two weeks on weekdays, with sessions offered at different times to try to accommodate everyone’s schedule.
Can’t make the live session? No problem! All webinars are recorded, and a recording will be shared with you, accessible for up to a month after the event.
A big thank you to Ascentis for sponsoring this term’s webinar programme.
Webinars cost £30 per person, with NATECLA members paying a reduced rate of £5.
How drama techniques enliven the ESOL classroom
Title: How drama techniques enliven the ESOL classroom
Date: Thursday 8 January 2026
Time: 16:00 - 17:30
Presenters: Esther Willkey and Camilla Fletcher
Discover how rehearsal room strategies – combined with narratives and language from playwrights such as Shakespeare – can enliven your ESOL teaching. This interactive webinar will show you how to use these drama approaches to accelerate language learning, build self-confidence and resilience, and watch your learners flourish.
Be More Squirrel: Listening to and Acting on Learner Language
Title: Be More Squirrel: Listening to & Acting on Learner Language-entry Prep!
Date: Thursday 22 January 2026
Time: 19:00 - 20.15
Presenter: Sam Shepherd
Think of your lesson as a tree — its roots in students’ experiences, its branches formed by their interactions. Traditional lesson planning can make us act like gardeners, trimming away anything that doesn’t fit our objectives, and missing rich learning opportunities along the way..
Safe, Seen, Supported - Trauma-informed Teaching for Young Learners
Title: Safe, Seen, Supported - Trauma-informed Teaching for Young Learners
Date: Thursday 5 February 2026
Time: 19:00 - 20:15
Presenter: Michaela Hendriks
How can we help young learners build greater resilience? Many have been through difficult and even traumatic experiences, and part of both healing and learning is creating opportunities to grow resilience within a trauma-informed practice.
How can second language acquisition theory support our learners?
Title: Acquiring language in the ESOL classroom: how can second language acquisition theory support our learners?
Date: Thursday 26 February 2026
Time: 19:00 - 20:15
Presenter: Sam Pepper
In this session Sam will introduce some second language acquisition theories which inform the way ESOL classrooms, materials and activities are set up. Sam will be sharing loads of classroom ideas, materials and recommended activities which reflect the key themes of these theories.
How the Neuroscience of Trauma Helps Us Understand Behaviour
Title: How the Neuroscience of Trauma Helps Us Understand Behaviour
Date: Thursday 12 March 2026
Time: 12:30 - 13:45
Presenter: Sheila Mulvenney
In this workshop we will consider what neuroscience can tell us about the impact of trauma on the brain and behaviour. We'll then explore some practical strategies to support students and help them to regulate their emotions and get back to learning.
Participatory photography in the ESOL class
Title: Participatory photography in the ESOL class
Date: Thursday 26 March 2026
Time: 12.30 - 13:45
Presenter: Sarah Sheldon
More details to be shared soon!
Other events from NATECLA
NATECLA Scotland Branch Forum-Scotland’s ESOL Literacies Readers – 2 years on
Title: Scotland’s ESOL Literacies Readers – 2 years on
Date: Thursday 15 January 2026
Time: 19:00- 20:30
Presenter: Hannah Avison
Join NATECLA Scotland in this free forum- Two years on from the launch of our ESOL Literacies readers and our online forum about ways to use them in class, we are back to introduce some worksheets to accompany the readers and to talk about even more things you can do as follow up activities.
Ideas Swap for Voluntary ESOL
Title: Ideas Swap for Voluntary ESOL
Date: Friday 23 January 2026
Time: 13:00 – 15:00
Cost: Free for people working in the voluntary sector.
Come along to an ideas exchange for supporting people learning English. Share your tips, activities or resources that worked well, in an informal 3-minute presentation.
If you’d like to know more, please contact Sharon at: linguatrust@outlook.com
👉 NEW Date- NOCN and NATECLA Life Skills Teachmeet
Date: Tuesday 3 February 2026
Time: 12:30 - 13:30
Location: Online
Cost: Free
Theme: Life Skills
Join us in this Teachmeet, sponsored by NOCN, to share teaching ideas on how general core skills are being developed to support progression and enhance learning experiences for ESOL learners.
💡 We need your 4 minute presentations on topics including:
🔹Digital literacy – using smartphones, email and online forms
🔹Civic participation – accessing services and understanding rights
🔹Health & wellbeing – communicating health needs
🔹Financial & practical skills – reading bills, forms and letters
🔹Work-readiness – workplace communication and job-search basics
🔹Social English – everyday conversations and confidence building
👉 Submit your application to present here
Or just come along to learn from others!
Natecla ESOL managers’ meeting
Title: Natecla ESOL managers’ meeting
Date: Thursday 12 February 2026
Time: 14:00 - 15:30
Join the next network meeting for ESOL managers working in Further Education(FE), adult education and third sector settings across the UK and Ireland.
A full agenda will be shared shortly.
Save the date! - NATECLA Midlands Branch Winter Conference
Title: NATECLA Midlands Branch Winter Conference
Date: Friday, 13 February 2026
Time: 13:00 to 16:30 (arrival and registration from 12.30)
Place: Brasshouse Languages, 1st Floor, Library of Birmingham, Centenary Sq, Birmingham B1 2ND, UK.
More details will be shared soon!
Connect, Share and Collaborate on NATECLA’s Member Discussion Forums
Did you know that as a NATECLA member, you have access to a growing suite of online discussion forums designed to help you connect, share ideas and collaborate with colleagues across the ESOL and community languages sector?
Whether you’re an ESOL teacher, manager, researcher, trainee, or teacher trainer, there’s a dedicated space for you to exchange resources, ask questions, and contribute to the professional conversation.
Our forums cover a wide range of topics including:
ESOL teaching and training – for teachers, trainees and teacher trainers to share experiences and best practice.
Digital specialists in ESOL – to explore tools and technology in language learning.
Equality & Diversity Working Group – for members committed to inclusive practice.
Events and Management Council forums – to support planning and leadership discussions.
Volunteers in ESOL, Community language teachers, and Teaching young learners (14–19) – for sharing practical ideas and advice.
Whether you want to ask for teaching tips, discuss research, or stay connected with NATECLA initiatives, the forums offer a supportive and professional space for conversation.
👉 Access the forums now via the Members’ Platform — open to all personal members and staff from institutional member organisations.
Join the conversation and be part of the collective voice shaping the future of ESOL and community languages teaching.
Voluntary Sector ESOL Needs Analysis
The Voluntary Sector ESOL Working Group would like to invite organisers and volunteers to take part in their first ever Needs Analysis. Your responses will help them identify priority topics and preferred formats for CPD in the coming year.
The survey is also available via their Padlet, where you can find further information about resources and upcoming events for the Voluntary ESOL Sector. It only takes a few minutes to complete.
Deadline to complete the survey: 4 January 2026
After the summer break, it’s a great time to focus on professional development.
At NATECLA, we understand that high-quality, affordable, and practical in-house training for ESOL departments is hard to find. That is why we offer a training service, connecting highly rated teacher trainers with further education colleges, adult and community education services, and private training providers, including those in EFL.
Our goal is to help teachers and managers to develop practical teaching skills. Our expert trainers offer a variety of 90-minute, half-day, or full-day sessions, all tailored to your department’s needs. Some of our sessions include:
Trauma-informed ESOL
Online ESOL Teaching
Creating Active ESOL Learning Programmes
Best practice in developing, sharing and using ESOL resources
ESOL and Neurodiversity
Embedding ESOL in mainstream courses
Basic literacy for ESOL learners
Teaching pronunciation
Differentiation: stretching and supporting learners without over-stretching teachers
Giving effective feedback
Happiness and wellbeing in the ESOL classroom.
IATEFL discount for NATECLA members
NATECLA is an associate member of IATEFL, so all our individual members can benefit from discounted IATEFL membership
IATEFL Individual membership: £74 per year.
IATEFL Associate Individual Membership: £27 per year.
Resource of the Month
Suno is an AI tool that allows users to create simple songs by pasting or writing their own lyrics and selecting a musical style (or letting the tool choose one automatically). It can be used by teachers to generate songs based on specific topics or language points for classroom use. Suno also allows users to record their own voice, making it a flexible option for creating personalised listening materials.
It can be used for a range of classroom purposes, for example:
Turning grammar rules or sentence patterns into memorable songs.
Supporting pronunciation, stress and rhythm practice through repeated listening.
Creating listening activities using familiar or learner-generated content.
Adapting songs to specific topics, units or exam themes.
Encouraging learners to write their own lyrics to practise language creatively.
Share your story with NATECLA
We love hearing from our members! Whether it’s a success story, a useful teaching tip, an inspiring resource, or a special moment from your ESOL lessons or journey—we want to showcase it!
Your contribution could be featured in our social media posts to inspire and connect our community.
Here are some ideas of what you can share:
What you love about teaching ESOL
Why you joined NATECLA
A recent classroom success
Any challenges you’re facing
Classroom tips or activities that have worked well for you
Jobs and volunteer opportunities
Join NATECLA’s EDI Working Group
The NATECLA Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Working Group is looking for new members. We meet - briefly, online about once a term. After publishing the member survey last year, we plan to curate resources to support and embed inclusion and could do with some help.
If you’d like to get involved, we’d love to hear from you! You can reply directly to this post, send a message on LinkedIn, or email naema.hann@gmail.com. We would love to hear from you.
ESOL Skills for Life Assessment Scrutineer (Gateway Qualifications)
Gateway Qualifications is seeking experienced ESOL Skills for Life Assessment Scrutineers to support the development of high-quality assessment materials.
Requirements:
Level 6 qualification (or equivalent experience) in a relevant subject
Experience developing or reviewing assessments
Understanding of assessment regulations
Experience with an Awarding Organisation
This flexible, self-employed role is ideal for professionals with specialist ESOL knowledge who value remote working and continuous professional development.
Closing Date: 22 Dec 2025