A Look Back at Modern Languages Conference 2011

Recently we sat down with Vicens Colomer, Assistant Director of the Modern Language Department at IH London, to talk about the fifth annual Modern Languages Conference (MoLaCo) on 12 November 2011. 

With separate workshops for Arabic, French, Italian and Spanish teachers, this year turned out to MoLaCo's busiest yet. There were nearly 150 delegates, with several from abroad, at IH London's school in Covent Garden for the conference.
 

Can you tell us about the different workshops this year?

This year we had four workshops running simultaneously - one for each language - with the whole programme in the target language. 

The conference programme for each language included both presentations from expert speakers and a chance for discussion. We had some fantastic guests!
 

What were the main ideas that came out of MoLaCo 2011?

The overall theme planned for the conference this year was the methodology of teaching languages. Interestingly, during the day we noticed that discussions in all of the different workshops particularly focused on using new technologies in class. This is obviously something that is both challenging and exciting for teachers right now, so it was a chance to share resources and advice for using new technologies in the classroom.

What kind of teachers typically attend the conference?

From across modern language teaching in higher education, there were delegates who teach at language schools, in higher education, at language agencies, really from all over.

Why do you think MoLaCo keeps getting more popular each year?

There's nothing like it in London - it's both a chance to find out about current best practice for modern language teaching and to meet other teachers. It's such a great networking opportunitiy.

What are your plans for next year?

As an organiser I'm always looking for feedback and planning ahead to the conference next year. We're planning to set up some online groups for delegates to stay in touch and continue to share ideas during the rest of the year. And we want to hear from modern language teachers about what they’d like to see at MoLaCo 2012, so watch this space for ways to be involved.


Find out more about MoLaCo 2011, including full programmes and details of speakers, on the IH London website.