2022 was a mixed bag for us all, with many tumultuous events, and that pandemic still lurking in too-close-for-comfort. However, at ELTABB, we still managed to give it some vibrancy, thanks to the effort and ingenuity of our members. While many of us were moved by the political situation in Ukraine, we enjoyed slowly being able to get together in-person again, we hosted some fantastic events, wrote some fascinating articles and, when nobody expected it, we saw some major changes to the Board. But one thing at a time…
Here’s a complete roundup of the ELTABB year – everything you need to know about what went on in 2022!
16 New Members
16 new members joined our association in 2022, which now amounts to a total number of 176 ELTABBers. A warm welcome to everyone who signed up last year – we hope that you like what you’ve seen so far!
20 ELTABB Events
We organised/took part in 20 events last year. Those included:
1 Demonstration at the Brandenburger Tor
To kick off the year, a group of ELTABBers joined the demonstration for Ukraine at the Brandenburger Tor.
Our aim was to express our solidarity with our Ukrainian colleagues and friends, and, of course the Ukrainian people as a whole.
7 Professional Development Events
7 professional development workshops were held, thereof one in-person staff room event with PJ Ryan and one hybrid workshop with our own Vicky Allan.
In addition to that, the popular Inter-ELTA Members’ Day went into its third round. In 2022, it was hosted by ELTAS, with contributions from the other ELTAs. Shout-out to Slobodan Kelecevic for an intriguing pechakucha talk on working remotely in intercultural environments!
9 Stammtisch Socials and 2 Digital Get-Togethers
We met up at different locations to talk shop, network and have a fun time at the biergarten/Markthalle/Christmas market. It was great to catch up in person after such a long break, and we all enjoyed it a lot!
Besides that, we offered two online get-togethers for our members from abroad (and those who prefer digital meetings).
1 Special Highlight: Expolingua
Although ELTABB has been part of the Expolingua Language Fair for many years, last year was a special one.
In June 2022, Expolingua was held outside for the first time. Thanks to our amazing team of volunteers, we had two hot but productive and fun days at the beach, where we were able to draw attention to the association and introduce ELTABB to the fair visitors. Kudos to the ELTABB Events Team: Daniel (see photo), Eleanor, Thomas, PJ, Ken, Emmeline, and Sandra.
Did You Know?!
We’re looking for volunteers for the Events Team! If you’re interested in organising events and getting to know ELTABB, you’re welcome to help us with workshops and stammtisch socials. It is fun, you will learn a lot and make some awesome new friends as you go along.
For more info, contact Daniel at events@eltabb.com.
10 ELTABBer of the Month Interviews
10 ELTABBer of the Month interviews were published by our Membership Coordinator, Eleanor Johnston and Kit Flemons (Vice Chair/Newsletter and Journal Editor).
Thank you to Eleanor and Kit for keeping the interview series going, so we all got the chance to get to know some of our members!
12 Newsletters
12 newsletters were sent out by our newsletter editor Kit Flemons. Their distinctive cadence made them a joy to read, as our members reported. 🙂
17 Journal articles
The journal team (Sandra Roggenkamp and Kit Flemons) published 17 articles in the ELTABB Journal, covering a broad variety of topics.
Some of last year’s highlights included:
- Teaching English with Rhythm and Rhyme
- an interview with the hosts of the well-known YouTube channel “Easy English”
- a step-by-step guide on creating visuals for the ELT classroom
We are always looking for help with the journal, so if you’d like to try your hand at writing or editing, just drop us a mail at journaleditor@eltabb.com.
2.5k+ Followers on Social Media
We can say without exaggeration that 2022 was the year of growing our social media presence. Our goal was to build on what we already had, with a clear focus on LinkedIn as a business platform.
Have a look at the numbers below:
493 professionals followed ELTABB on LinkedIn
Our LinkedIn channel grew by an impressive 51.69 % this year! This is largely thanks to regular and frequent posting, as well as a colourful content mix. You can follow ELTABB on LinkedIn here.
1188 people followed ELTABB on Facebook
ELTABB’s Facebook channel saw an increase of 18.8 %, with a total amount of 1188 followers. Through interaction with ESL groups, other ELTAs and ELT-related platforms, we were able to increase our followership. You can find our Facebook profile here.
942 people followed ELTABB on Twitter
With 942 subscriptions, the number of followers on Twitter slightly increased by 0.53% in 2022.
If you are a Twitter person, you can follow us on Twitter here.
In addition to the above, our Communications Coordinator Slobodan Kelecevic created a brand new Instagram channel, as well as ELTABB’s first promotional video.
1 New Instagram channel
Our brand new Instagram channel has 71 followers as of now. Check out ELTABB on Instagram here.
1 Official ELTABB video
Thanks to our Communications Coordinator, Slobodan, we finally have an ELTABB promo video!
Just click on the image above to watch the video. Feel free to like and share. 🙂
Changes to the Board
Due to our Chair, Treasurer and Membership Coordinator leaving ELTABB for professional reasons, there were some major changes to the Board in 2022. Thanks again for all their hard work!
2 EGMs
In order to navigate the above-mentioned changes, we called two Extraordinary General Meetings. This allowed us to elect new board members and to prepare the legal ground for a hybrid Annual General Meeting granting all attending members the right to vote.
Sandra Roggenkamp (previously Vice Chair and Events Coordinator) replaced Christopher Chandler-Kroll as Chair. The role of Vice Chair was taken on by our Newsletter and Journal Editor Kit Flemons, while Daniel Plumridge took on the role of Events Coordinator.
Jennifer Knaeble stepped in as Treasurer (replacing Ryan O’Shea).
Eleanor Johnston (Eltabber-of-the-Month Interviewer and Web Admin) took on the role of Membership Coordinator (replacing Stephanie Anderson) in a non-board capacity.
A big thank you and good wishes to the old Board members – and congrats to the new Board members, most of whom are standing for election again this year.
Here’s to a productive and joyful 2023 with all of you!
***
Sandra is ELTABB's Chair and the current editor of the ELTABB journal. She holds an MA in English and is passionate about brain-friendly language learning and teaching. Likes Shakespeare and Venetian lute music.
“12 newsletters were sent out by our newsletter editor Kit Flemons. His distinctive cadence made them a joy to read, as our members reported. 🙂”
Awwww! Thanks, dear readers!
Really impressive! Thank you for all the energy and enthusiasm. ELTABB goes from strength to strength.
Great work ELTABB-team!