THE 18th IATEFL/BESIG International Conference will take place in Monaco, November 11 to 13. It is hosted by the International University of Monaco (IUM), and the venue is the Marriott Hotel.
BESIG (Business English Special Interest Group) is one of the 14 special interest groups of IATEFL. It is a truly professional body representing the interests and serving the needs of the international business English teaching community.
BESIG's members are mainly teachers of business English and include both native and non-native speakers of English. It offers ways to improve expertise in teaching business English and a link with other people in the profession. It performs this well through its annual international BESIG conferences, regional workshops, regular newsletters and reports describing conference papers and workshops in detail. It is a "must" for any teacher who wishes to keep up to date with the latest developments and newest ideas in business English.
At the conference, the following topics will be given full attention: finding a balance between business grammar and business English teaching and learning; improving oral and written business English skills; learner independence and business English; the Internet and business English; the use of ICT (information and communications technology) in business English teaching; the cultural effects on persuasive discourse strategies; English as a lingua franca; teaching business English to advanced learners; learning strategies to reduce plagiarism, etc.
The keynote speaker is Ian Badger, who is from the University of Reading, UK, and has extensive experience of developing courses and systems of language training for business. His publications include "Everyday Business English" "Everyday Business Writing"and "Business English Phrases".
Please note that IUM is located on the border with France and that while the Marriott is situated in the French city of Cap d'Ail, it is only a 100-metre walk. For more information, please go to http://www.besig.org/events/conf2005/index.htm.
