ELT in Brazil

The BRAZ-TESOL conference is just around the corner, and I know how scary it can be for teachers who are traveling alone and who have never been to the conference before. As a BTIC veteran — posh, right? — I reckon it to be my duty to share some words of wisdom and some advice to help you have the best time possible at our conference.

Check the program in advance

The program is already available here. Notice that there are a ton of sessions happening at the same time? That is not a mistake; that’s how huge these conferences are. This means you’re gonna have to choose your favorite session among many others happening at the same time. Add the session and the room where it is happening to your calendar. Pro tip: choose a backup session. In case your favorite session is full (30 seats in each room, aside from the auditorium), you’ll have just a couple of minutes to relocate to another room.

Don’t feel like you need to watch everything

You might get conference burnout, for real. Judiciously go through the program and find those sessions that really interest you. Don’t choose one session per slot; choose the sessions you want to attend. It is okay, and recommended, that you take breaks every once in a while. For instance, imagine there are two sessions you want to attend in the morning and none at around noon that you’d love to go to. Perhaps this might be an opportunity for you to take an early lunch and nap at the hotel before the afternoon sessions.

Find a group

If you’re traveling alone and don’t know anyone else who’s going to the conference, connect with the SIGs or Chapters to find some teachers with common interests. The SIG mornings are a great opportunity to meet like-minded teachers. Walk up to them, introduce yourself, smile wide, and I’m sure you’ll have a conference-mate to prance around with. I mean, I met my wife at a BRAZ-TESOL conference; anything can happen.

Go to the happy hours

Even if drinking is not your thing, I wouldn’t skip the happy hours. This is where networking is done. At BRAZ-TESOL conferences, you’ll find folks involved in ELT in a myriad of ways. There are teachers, trainers, writers, editors, coordinators, directors, freelancers, and all kinds of hard-working people — and hard-working people often enjoy resting and networking after the day is done.

Get your LinkedIn profile ready

Instagram is fun and great for showing your marketing skills. However, it is important to have a pristine LinkedIn profile to be able to share your digital CV with people at the conference. Have a look at some active LinkedIn members (myself included) and check how profiles are designed. I’m sure you’ll not regret taking the time to craft your profile on this professional social network.

Oh, and come say hello if you see me around! I’m always happy to connect with teachers 😃

And here’s a challenge: how many sessions can you find that do not advocate for coursebook-driven, PPP-based ELT?