IH Director of Studies' Conference
It’s an established date in the diary of all •International House Directors of Studies; the first weekend in January is •conference time! This is their opportunity to hear from some of the leading authors and academics in the fields of second language education, publishing and management. The conference is organised by International House World Organisation (IHWO) and takes place in London every year.
The three full days of presentations and workshops included illustrious guest speakers such as Scott Thornbury, Russel Stannard and Martin Parrott, in addition to discussions and seminars on a variety of topics including educational tools and equipment (e.g. the use of interactive whiteboards), career development and training options, management topics and administrative issues. The talks succeeded in stimulating, informing and challenging all of the attendees, including three representatives form IH Berlin PROLOG: Felix Breitkreuz (DOS for German as a Foreign Language), Sebastian Taylor (DOS for English) and Jody Wohmann (IHWO Modern Language Coordinator for German).
The conference also provides a great opportunity for exploring partnerships with other schools within the International House network, the chance to network and establish new contacts with other DOSes from all over the world (86 DOSes and senior teachers from 61 different schools attended) and a platform to communicate the latest and most interesting developments from across the network.
Key news related to the expansion of IHWO’s professional development and teacher training programmes, with more and more courses offered both in face-to-face and online versions. Teacher training and further development are cornerstones of IHWO’s work and reflect the organisations commitments to the highest standards of teaching across the organisation. IHWO has also revamped its website and is now offering free membership to the •IH Club to both current and former students at International House schools, enabling relationships to be maintained long after courses have come to an end. We will keep you posted on further news from the conference!