At the Language College Conference...

I'm been fortunate enough to have been allowed to attend the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust (SSAT) Language College conferences for a few years, since I started work at my current school. This year, being held at The Belfry, the home of a fantastic (ly expensive) golf course not too far from Birmingham. For the uninitiated, the two day conference gives teachers from the various Language Colleges around the country to meet up and have a nose at what everybody else is doing. The SSAT has a list of Lead Practioners, Language teachers who are chosen by the SSAT to deliver training to other teachers, and they are all here, with most doing a session of some kind.

I really enjoy coming here, seeing some familiar faces, and meeting new ones, but again I'm struck by the size of the event compared to previous years. Having also attended Language World many times as well, it would seem that the recession has had an effect on the exhibition. Maybe I'm wrong, but it would just appear that way.

So far today, I've heard Dr Lid King update us on the state of MFL at the moment, and have also seen Neil Jones deliver a very rapid presentation full of creative ideas for language lessons. One to download from the SSAT site when it gets uploaded. (Next week, apparently). Sara Sullivan is also doing a session worth going to, and I might pop along to Louise Royd's session on blogging, just to see how another school do it.