2023 was an eventful year for ELTABB, in more than just one way. Come along with us and take a look in the rear view mirror to see what happened at your local friendly teachers’ association over the seasons.
22 New Members
22 new members joined ELTABB (compared to 14 cancellations). This means our overall membership has grown to 190.
A warm welcome to all our newcomers! We’re looking forward to meeting you at one of our events very soon!
Remembering John O’Dwyer
Sadly, longtime ELTABB member John O’Dwyer passed away at age 80 in 2023.
John was one of the driving forces behind founding the association, and an active member for many years.
He will be fondly remembered for his kindness, generosity and sense of humor.
You can find an interview with John here.
16 ELTABB Events
16 events for teachers were organized. These included professional development workshops, stammtisch socials and a fair presentation. Here are a few more details:
6 Professional Development Events
Our CPD events were a mix of online, in-person and hybrid. We covered a wide range of topics, including graphic facilitation, migration matters, implementing the new CEFR framework and using LinkedIn for professional self-marketing. Also, a big shout-out to Mandy Welfare and Annie Heringer for introducing the EAP Stammtisch for those teaching in academia!
7 Stammtisch Socials and 2 Digital Get Togethers
7 stammtisch socials and 2 digital get-togethers were organized by the events team. It was a lot of fun to catch up and talk shop with our ELT colleagues and friends! We tried out a variety of new places and had some memorable nights out under the stars.
1 Special Highlight: Expolingua
As in previous years, ELTABB had a stand at Berlin’s biggest language fair, Expolingua.
7 enthusiastic members managed the booth, made friendly connections with exhibitors and brought the idea of ELTABB home to interested visitors.
A big thank you to our Expolingua team: Kath, Jennifer, Miro, Mike, Galina, Emmeline and Sandra.
12 Newsletters
12 monthly newsletters were sent out in 2023. Their creative, inviting tone made them a joy to read and inspired quite a few members to attend our events at short notice.
11 Journal articles – and a big milestone
2023 was a very special year for the ELTABB Journal – we published 11 posts, including our 100th article!
We are proud of what we have achieved over the years, from the early beginnings in 2019 to becoming a full-fledged online resource for ESL professionals across the globe.
We are very grateful for the support and contributions of our dedicated guest writers, editors, and readers who have made this milestone possible.
Thank you all for being a part of our journey – here’s to many more articles, insights, and collaborations in the future!
2.9k Followers on Social Media
ELTABB’s social media following increased by over 15% in 2023, resulting in a total amount of roughly 2900 subscribers (compared to 2500 in 2022). While Facebook (+1.6%) and Twitter (-2.4%) are still our biggest platforms, LinkedIn is rapidly catching up, with a 24.7% increase in followership in 2023. ELTABB’s smallest and newest channel (Instagram) grew by a promising 110 % in 2023.
Changes to the Board
Eleanor Johnston joined the 2023 Board as Membership Coordinator, while Katherine Robinson stepped up to replace Ken Powell as Secretary.
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Here’s to a fun-filled and productive 2024 with all of you ELTABBers!
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.
