The British Council’s prestigious awards recognising excellence and innovation in English language teaching, the ELTons, has announced an exciting new chapter for this year’s programme with the launch of the ELTons Festival of Innovation.
Once primarily focused on recognising achievements from sector innovators and ed-tech companies, a new two-day festival around the ELTons Innovation Awards will open its doors to teachers, learners and businesses, welcoming new audiences and sparking vibrant new discussions across the entire English language education community.
The festival, scheduled for 19 – 20 November 2024, aims to bring together around 10,000 innovators, business and education leaders, researchers, educators, and students from 100 countries worldwide, making it a major event in the field of English language education.
The first day of the festival will take place online, spanning global time zones, taking place on Tuesday 19 November, and is free to join from anywhere in the world. The festival provides an inclusive opportunity for everyone to be a part of this unique experience. Interested attendees can register now using this link here.
The festival will feature a comprehensive programme with a total of 20 sessions, including headliner presentations, interactive debates and roundtables, lightning talks, and workshops. Key topics to be addressed include:
- Will AI-enabled translation reduce the need to learn languages in the future?
- How can we best prepare students for a complex and ever-changing world?
- Is virtual learning now better than learning in real life?
In a special guest speaker session, the British Council will also present ‘The evolution of English: exploring innovation through language’. This session marks the organisation’s 90th anniversary with a unique exploration of the English language and its development over the past nine decades, with a focus on the ‘Future of English’ and how the language we use will define the next generation.
On the following day, Wednesday 20 November, the ELTons 2024 winners will be revealed on the festival website and a celebration of the finalists will take place at the British Council’s headquarters in Stratford, London.
For the first time, a set of eight Outstanding Achievement Award winners will be revealed from across regions and continents worldwide.
Mark Walker, Director English & Exams at the British Council said: "For over 20 years, the ELT sector has led the way in global innovation in education. I am excited to see our ELTons programme expand and engage a broader audience of English language learners, teachers and organisations worldwide. We will be offering a series of thought-provoking sessions that are accessible across all time zones, enabling more people to participate.
"We are also pleased to continue celebrating the remarkable achievements of this vibrant global community of innovators through the ELTons Innovation Awards. Congratulations to all the finalists, and I look forward to meeting many of you during the festival this November."
The British Council ELTons Awards for Innovation in English language education is now in their 22nd year.
This year the British Council received a record number of over 200 ELTons awards entries from 60 countries around the world.