About AlZELC

The African Lake Zone English Language Consortium (ALZELC) is a teachers’ professional development union of Teachers’ Associations from countries with a close proximity to the East African lakes including Lakes Victoria, George, Albert, Edward and others. Having been conceived in 2017 at a Hornby School conference convened by the United States Regional English Language Office and British Council in Kigali Rwanda, ALZELC’s growing membership, so far, includes the Tanzanian English Language Teachers’ Association (TELTA), Zanzibar Professionals of English Language Teaching Organization (ZAPELATO), the Congolese Language Support Society (CLASS), the Association of Teachers of English in Rwanda (ATER), and the Uganda National English Language Teachers’ Association (UNELTA). The Consortium aims at strengthening the effectiveness with which English language is taught and learned, and how the language impacts on the learners’ and teachers’ individual and collective aspirations. The Consortium is committed to sharing knowledge, skills and values through, among others, an annual conference hosted rotationally by member Teacher Associations.

The ALZELC Conference 2019

Following the first ALZELC conference which was hosted by TELTA in Mwanza, Tanzania, in July 2018, the second one will be hosted by UNELTA at Makerere University in Kampala on Saturday, August 17 and Sunday, August 18, 2019, 8:00 – 17:00.

Who will participate?

Presenters & Speakers

The conference speakers and presenters will be drawn from amongst the ALZELC member Teachers’ Associations, English Language Fellows and Specialists, the British Council, the US Regional Language Office, US Embassies and Consulates, Ministries of Education of the participating countries, international experts on education and English language teaching, and international teacher professional development networks like TESOL International and the IATEFL.

Participants:

Participants will include teachers from across ALZELC member countries (currently Uganda, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania mainland & Zanzibar), including English Access Microscholarship Program teachers. We hope to receive teachers from countries beyond the existing ALZELC fraternity, most likely from Kenya, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Burundi. Primary school teachers are specifically encouraged to participate in the conference since they lay the foundation of language learning in later stages of education. We encourage proposals and participation from across Africa and all the other continents. The ALZELC 2019 will provide an opportunity for intercultural interaction and collaboration.

Conference theme and objectives

Based on the theme: “Ensuring Inclusive, Quality Education and Life-long Learning for all, through ELT,” the conference will focus on fostering educational opportunities for all people with a diversity of abilities arising from their cultural, biological, socioeconomic and other backgrounds. During the conference, teachers and other education professionals will endeavor:

1. To share approaches, strategies and methods to ensure learning is comfortable and effective for large, multi-competence classrooms
2. To address sociocultural and socioeconomic barriers to effective English language teaching in African settings
3. To suggest strategies for rethinking educational policies and practices affecting English language teaching
4. To share effective emerging technologies tenable to English language teaching in low-resourced settings
5. To strengthen the capacity of members of participating Teachers’ Associations to effectively deliver presentations at international professional development conferences

Submit a proposal to present!

If you would like to be one of the presenters, please submit a proposal by June 28, 2019, 23:59. Submit your proposal through the conference Google Form.

Some topics could include, but are not limited to:

• Innovative teaching methodology that reflects quality education and life-long learning
• Research papers and findings about inclusive, quality education for all through ELT
• The interface between policy and practice in regard to inclusive and quality education
• Life-long learning opportunities for English language teachers
• The interface between SDG4 and education: Case studies of best practices
• How to ensure inclusive and quality education through ELT
• The role of technology in ensuring quality education
• How teacher associations can facilitate inclusive and quality education
• Partnerships beyond the classroom: the role of partners and related organisations in ensuring inclusive, quality education (through ELT)
• Ensuring inclusive and quality education in large and low resourced learning environments
• How language teachers can apply Children’s rights/human rights to ensure inclusive and quality education for all

Key dates

1. The deadline for submission of proposals is Friday, June 28, 2019, 23:59.

2. Expect confirmations for successful proposals by Monday, July 15, 2019, 23:59.

3. The conference will be held for two days: Saturday, August 17 and Sunday, August 18, 2019, 8:00 – 17:00.

Contact us…

For further information, please contact us on email: conference.alzelc@gmail.com, telephone: +256 776608039 / +256757033933 / +256 772017397 / +256 785356951