Talks, presentations and workshops

We often present at ELT conferences and events. Just select the title below if you're looking for the handout or download from a talk or workshop you have attended.

I'm an English teacher: Should I worry about my accent?

Speaker: 
Event date: 
Saturday, July 31, 2021 - 14:15
Venue: 
BA English House
Location: 
Buenos Aires (Online)
Extra info: 
Plus downloads
I'm an English teacher: Should I worry about my accent? - hancockmcdonald.com/talks/im-english-teacher-should-i-worry-about-my-accent

Many of us who are in the business of teaching English suffer from a feeling of accent anxiety. We are embarrassed that our accent does not match the ideal ‘standard’ accent found in books and dictionaries, and we worry that our speech may not be a good pronunciation model for our students. But perhaps our worries are misguided.

Teaching Pronunciation

Speaker: 
Event date: 
Saturday, May 15, 2021 - 09:15
Venue: 
James Cook Languages
Location: 
Czechia
Extra info: 
Plus downloads
Teaching Pronunciation - hancockmcdonald.com/talks/teaching-pronunciation
In this presentation, I demonstrate examples of three different kinds of pronunciation practice activity: 1. Mazes 2. Maps 3. Rhymes & Raps I explain the different purposes of each, in the context of pronunciation issues which may be problematic for Czech-speaking learners. The slices can be downloaded below.

Mazes, Maps, Rhymes & Raps

Speaker: 
Event date: 
Saturday, April 24, 2021 - 10:00
Venue: 
Nyelviskola Konferencia 2021
Location: 
Online Budapest
Extra info: 
Plus downloads
Mazes, Maps, Rhymes & Raps - hancockmcdonald.com/talks/mazes-maps-rhymes-raps-0
Pronunciation teaching can be a joy – it doesn’t have to be all complicated theory and difficult symbols. With a playful and experimental approach, it can be a part of the lesson that your students look forward to most. In this session, we will try out three very different kinds of enjoyable activity and see how they each serve different purposes

Mazes, Maps, Rhymes & Raps

Speaker: 
Event date: 
Wednesday, April 7, 2021 - 14:30
Venue: 
Saudi TESOL
Location: 
Online
Extra info: 
Plus downloads
Mazes, Maps, Rhymes & Raps - hancockmcdonald.com/talks/mazes-maps-rhymes-raps
Pronunciation teaching can be a joy – it doesn’t have to be all complicated theory and difficult symbols. This is equally true whether you are teaching face to face or online. With a playful and experimental approach, it can be a part of the lesson that your students look forward to most.

Top 6 Pronunciation Issues for Spanish Speakers

Speaker: 
Event date: 
Sunday, March 14, 2021 - 09:45
Venue: 
TESOL-Spain
Location: 
Online
Extra info: 
Includes handouts
Top 6 Pronunciation Issues for Spanish Speakers - hancockmcdonald.com/talks/top-6-pronunciation-issues-spanish-speakers

What are the main pronunciation difficulties which Spanish learners have with English? In this practical session, I will suggest my top six, along with some fun ideas for dealing with them in class. Bearing in mind that the purpose of pronunciation teaching is to help learners become more intelligible, we also consider which features of Spanish-accented English are not problematic.

APIBA: Top 6 pronunciation issues for Spanish-speaking learners

Speaker: 
Event date: 
Saturday, September 26, 2020 - 15:00
Venue: 
APIBA Webinar
Location: 
Buenos Aires
Extra info: 
Plus downloads
Top 6 pronunciation issues for Spanish-speaking learners - hancockmcdonald.com/talks/top-6-pronunciation-issues-spanish-speaking-learners

In this practical webinar, we look at some of the most important pronunciation issues for Spanish-speaking learners of English. A PDF of the slides can be downloaded below. The presentation contains example activities taken from the recently publishd PronPack 6: Pronunciation of English for Spanish Speakers.

Pronunciation: Muscle, Mind, Meaning, Memory

Speaker: 
Event date: 
Thursday, July 30, 2020 - 13:00
Venue: 
TESOL SPLIS Webinar
Location: 
TESOL International
Extra info: 
Plus downloads
Pronunciation: Muscle, Mind, Meaning, Memory - hancockmcdonald.com/talks/pronunciation-muscle-mind-meaning-memory-5

This webinar looks at four kinds of classroom activities and materials for teaching pronunciation. Here are links to the resources mentioned in the talk:

The chart

A maze

Lost in Transcription

Speaker: 
Event date: 
Saturday, March 7, 2020 - 11:15
Venue: 
TESOL-SPAIN 43rd Annual National Convention, 6-8 March
Location: 
Universidad de Salamanca, Facultad de Filologia, Salamanca
Extra info: 
Plus downloads
Lost in Transcription - hancockmcdonald.com/node/622/edit

The results of a short dictation, a simple and easily set up classroom activity, can offer teachers a wealth of information regarding learners’ listening needs. It also brings listening into the classroom in such a way that it’s open to inspection by the learners and teachers together.

IPA: Symbols of Power?

Speaker: 
Event date: 
Saturday, March 7, 2020 - 10:00
Venue: 
TESOL Spain
Location: 
Salamanca. via video link
Extra info: 
Plus downloads
IPA: Symbols of Power? - hancockmcdonald.com/node/618/edit

Phonemic symbols – we love them or hate them, but often for the wrong reasons. For some, they are symbols of an elite accent which is not our own. But there is an alternative way of viewing them which is less prescriptive and more tolerant of accent variation. From this angle, they can be symbols of empowerment.

Mazes, Maps, Rhymes & Raps: Pronunciation Made Practical

Speaker: 
Event date: 
Saturday, February 8, 2020 - 12:45
Venue: 
IH Barcelona
Extra info: 
Plus downloads
Mazes, Maps, Rhymes & Raps: Pronunciation Made Practical - hancockmcdonald.com/node/620/edit

Pronunciation teaching can be a joy – it doesn’t have to be all complicated theory and difficult symbols. With a playful and experimental approach, it can be a part of the lesson that your students look forward to most. In this session, we will take a look at some example activities designed to practise some of the pronunciation features that Spanish learners need to focus on.

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