February 2020 | Updates Vol. 1

8. English in E​arly Childhood: Language Learning & Development online course

9. English for the Workplace online course

10. Addvantage benefits related to Cambridge University Press

11. The computer-delivered IELTS familiarisation test

12. IELTS for teachers monthly webinars and Facebook group

13. FameLab® Cyprus 2020 is now open for applications!

14. Schools Now! Conference 4-5 March 2020, Cairo, Egypt

15. LearnEnglish Teens - Safer Internet Day Resources

Exhibition opening hours

• Friday, 7 February 2020: 16.00 to 20.00
• Saturday, 8 February - Sunday, 9 February 2020: 14.00 to 20.00.

British Council will exhibit at pavilion number 12 supported by IELTS.

Students will be able to talk to our specialised education consultants to obtain first level information about examinations, UK education related services and accommodation options, find out information on exams (IELTS, A levels, IGCSEs) and meet representatives of UK institutions.

Registration is open for the workshop in Nicosia 28 February

The British Council’s trainer Jodi Rigas, who is the Cyprus Principle Internal Moderator for Cambridge International IGCSE English as a Second Language, will be delivering these workshops, making sure that teachers are equipped to raise their learners' level of achievement.

All workshops start at 08.30 and finish at 12.30. Please note that a fee of 20 Euro (non-refundable) is needed to confirm your registration. Payment options available are Bank Deposit and Bank Transfer (check payment instructions). Online Payment is not available for this event.  Kindly make sure you have the payment slip available so you can upload it when registering.

Registration deadlines

• Young Learners: 29 April 2020
• A2 Key for Schools (KET) and B1 Preliminary for Schools (PET): 29 April 2020
• B2 First for Schools (FCE): 15 April 2020
• C1 Advanced (CAE) and C2 Proficiency (CPE): 29 April 2020

To register and more guidance for the Cambridge English Exams, such as examination dates, can be found here.

Registration deadlines

• Normal Stage until 9 March 2020
• Late Stage 1 until 13 April 2020
• Late Stage 2 until 20 April 2020

Payment instructions

You have to deposit the money at any branch of Bank of Cyprus, account utility code 3836 and Turkish Cypriots to the Turkish Bank Account no 7570252 and then email us the deposit slip to contact.exams@cy.britishcouncil.org, within 5 days otherwise the system will cancel your registration.

What is all about

The course is aimed at intermediate-level learners of English who are interested in finding out more about British culture and improving their English language skills.

It takes authentic English in context as its starting point and uses short videos to present a different topic each week, including English as a global language, the countryside, music and literature.

Through taking a step back, we will endeavour to get into the shoes of candidates; to understand their difficulties and provide help on overcoming exam stress. Cambridge Assessment English will provide some useful strategies to help you help your students tackle certain tasks in this component.

Webinar date: 20 February 2020 10.30 am

In case you missed Writing Skills for B2 First for Schools on January 22, the webinar recording is available here.

Understanding IELTS: Writing

Find out what you need to know about the IELTS Writing test and learn techniques and strategies to improve your test performance.

Starts 10 February.

Free online course

This free online course has been created for English teachers; early childhood practitioners; or anyone who is interested in the areas of child development and language acquisition. It will also be of interest to parents of young children, who wish to support their child learning an additional language.

Free online course

Each week, we’ll focus on key aspects of English for the workplace. You’ll watch videos and listen to audio recordings of people searching and applying for jobs, preparing for interviews, taking interviews, starting their new job, and working with new colleagues. Our experienced tutor will examine some of the language used and will draw your attention to useful points that will help you improve your English in workplace contexts.

One free complementary 20-hour “Understanding Assessment” online course per Addvantage member

Find out more about the 'Understanding Assessment' online course. Please read also the terms and conditions. This offer is valid for one teacher per Addvantage member (school/institute), until 31 March 2020.

Register online
 

One free complementary 20-hour “Testing and Assessment” online course per Addvantage member

The 20-hour Testing and Assessment online methodology course is offered for different Cambridge English Qualifications. Teachers may choose from:

• How to teach Cambridge English: Advanced (C1 Advanced)
• How to teach Cambridge English: First (B2 First)
• How to teach IELTS
• Learning Oriented Assessment

This offer is valid for one teacher per Addvantage member (school/institute), until 31 March 2020.

Register online
 

Accessible anywhere at any time, no need to book or register in advance.

Key features and benefits:

• Free full sample version of the computer-delivered IELTS test - Listening, Reading and Writing questions provide 2 hour 30 minutes of questions, exactly like the real IELTS test.
• Both Academic and General Training familiarisation tests available
• Free results provided for Listening and Reading sections
• Accessible anywhere at any time, no need to book or register in advance

Click on the links below to sign up:

• 15 February 2020, 12 p.m. GMT+4
• 15 March 2020, 12 p.m. GMT+4
• 15 April 2020, 12 p.m. GMT+4
• 15 May 2020, 12 p.m. GMT+4

IELTS Teachers Facebook group

We have created a Facebook group to enable you to share your teaching expertise, IELTS lesson plans, preparation resources and tips with other IELTS teachers around the world. It is a great platform to reach out to other IELTS experts with your query and make use of their experience.

Join the group and invite other teachers to join it.

Can you explain a scientific concept to a lay audience in just three minutes?

The Prizes
The ten finalists win a two-day ‘MasterClass’ in science communication lead by a qualified UK trainer, where they will learn media and presentation skills.  

The winner of the final, will win a cash prize of 1000 euro and an all-expenses paid trip to the Cheltenham Science Festival in Cheltenham, UK to compete in the FameLab® International competition 2020. The two runner ups of the national final, will also be awarded cash prizes; 500 euro and 250 euro respectively.

Deadline for application: Tuesday, 10 March 2020

The British Council has been working with Cyprus since 1940. In 2020 we are marking this 80th anniversary with a series of events celebrating cultural relations and exchange between the UK and Cyprus. So, in the context of this year’s celebrations in Cyprus, FameLab is also being organized in collaboration with Scico Cyprus and the Research and Innovation Foundation (IDEK) for the 10th consecutive year.

Developing global learners: preparing young people for life in school and beyond

This year's sub-themes are:

• Internationalizing schools: the role of school leadership
• Global challenges for young people: facilitating intercultural engagement
• Collaborative learning: technology and global communities

You will need to provide proof of payment to your local British Council office before you can register for the conference.  Fees should be paid through your local British Council office, in the same way as you would normally pay for exam entries.

Why not start by watching a new video about Oversharing and your digital footprint in our Video zone? Read an article about online safety and practise your listening skills with a conversation about staying safe online. And if you want to practise writing, find out how to create a poster for your school with online safety tips.