1. Is Big Brother watching you watching (or not)? The next UCL Centre for Applied Linguistics Research Seminar is at 14:00 UK time this Wednesday, 19^th January: Understanding the role of attention in second language acquisition: Empirical contributions from eye-tracking with Aline Godfroid from Michigan State University. Abstract below; register here https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfoTH7NxDdv7Rnp5rBCXGv_xRpP3kkUAR-YsHgexY87zgxYkw/viewform

2. This coming Saturday, 22^nd January, at 11:15 UK time, IH World are offering a Free Training Day for ELT Academic Managers and Trainers with:

George Pickering – ‘The principled manager: leading with the head and the heart’

Marie Willoughby – ‘Shifting sands: Causes, impacts and strategies to manage Trainer Trainer Imposter Phenomenon’ and

Lucie Cotterill – ‘Stepping into the Unknown – Future-proofing your Language Teaching Organisation’

More info and registration here https://ihworld.com/events/events/free-training-day-for-elt-academic-managers-and-trainers-2022/

PDF of programme and talk abstracts below – just in case, like me, it’s not immediately clear to you what Marie Willoughby is talking about. NB: you need to register by Thursday 20^th January.

3. The second in the TESOL Master Class series from China is at 11:30 UK time this Wednesday, 19^th January. Lixian Jin from the City University of Macau will be talking about Approaches for Teaching Intercultural Communication Skills in ELT. More info and registration here https://tesol.21elt.com/lecture – scroll down the page a little.

4. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) now has a Girls’ Education Department, and here’s a blog post by the head of that department, Emma Spicer, on Educating girls despite a global pandemic https://blogs.fcdo.gov.uk/fcoeditorial/2021/12/21/educating-girls-despite-a-global-pandemic/

Emma’s department leads on the implementation of the FCDO’s five year plan for girls’ education, ‘Every girl goes to school, stays safe, and learns: Five years of global action’ https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/986027/FCDO-Girls-Education-Action-Plan.pdf PDF below in case that’s easier to access.

5. And, finally, meet the Feelings Monster! https://youtu.be/3O7S_wUdI0w More info, ideas and materials here https://create.kahoot.it/profiles/cf9a98a0-0186-4a3f-b92f-2c54ee9df3d5