UNITED KINGDOM
SRI LANKA
INDIA
BRITISH COUNCIL

United Kingdom
Andrew Stokes
Co-Founder
Clarity Language Consultants Ltd., UK

Andrew Stokes studied Modern and Medieval Languages at Cambridge University and went on to gain teaching qualifications. He worked for the Ministry of Education in Spain, for the University of Science, Malaysia and for the British Council for several years. In 1992 he co founded Clarity, the educational and training software publisher of which he is now Managing Director.

Topic: Using ICT to help bridge the gap in soft skills in the transition from education to the Workplace
Abstract: This talk will look at the cross-over point between education and employment. It is at this interface, which should be smooth, that stresses and cracks are appearing. Primary among these is a mismatch in the perception of the soft skills required by a graduate. Industry expects graduates to be able to operate in an international business environment; most teachers have little or no experience of such an environment, and in any case aim to equip their students to excel academically. What practical steps can we take to resolve this situation?
Over the last three or four years the Web has evolved in a way that enables much greater cooperation and reciprocity both between different organisations in the same field (for example groups of colleges within a state) and between collaborating organisations in different fields (for example education and industry). In this talk we will focus on how a single Web-based application can enable the creation, delivery and monitoring of materials aimed at the specific needs of learners, as perceived from both sides of the divide.

Conrad Heyns
Director of Studies for Special Projects
International House London, UK

Conrad has taught and trained teachers in Cape Town, Sydney, Tokyo, Santa Monica, San Francisco, Portland and London. He is a CELTA assessor, an oral examiner for FCE, CAE, CPE and IELTS. He was Director of Teacher Training for International House USA and is currently Director of Studies for Special Projects at International House London. One of these projects is the China ELT project – a 3-phase teacher training programme for teachers across China.

Topic: Training the light fantastic Download the presentation
Abstract: International House London is currently working with a partner, Shanghai General Plan Institute of Education to deliver blended learning teacher training courses to teachers in different regions of China. From the project’s inception as a preparation course for the Teaching Knowledge Test (TKT) it has developed into a 3-stage ELT programme focusing on teacher training and language development in the Chinese context. In this talk Conrad Heyns, Director of Studies for Special Projects, International House London will describe the 3 different stages:

			Stage One – Preparation for the TKT
			Stage Two – Teaching Skills and language development.
			Stage Three – Training the Trainer and educational management.

He will review the websites for Stages One and Two, discuss the content of some of the face-to-face training and outline the training of Local Tutors. The Chinese Education Bureaus and International House General Plan are all committed to leaving a legacy of trainers capable of delivering cascade training to future teachers. The question is - just how does one deliver a 3-stage teacher training programme to 2000 teachers all across China? It's an organic process at best with a large dose of cultural awareness!

Neil Jones
Principal Research and Validation Coordinator
Cambridge ESOL, UK

Neil Jones holds an MSc and PhD in Applied Linguistics from the University of Edinburgh (UK), the latter on the application of item response theory. In Cambridge ESOL his role as Principal Research and Validation Coordinator involves working on innovative developments including item banking and computer-adaptive testing.

Topic: Language benchmarking. Download the presentation.
Abstract: Benchmarking implies a sequence of steps:

			Adopt or develop standards;
			Set target performance levels with respect to those standards;
			Implement instruction to achieve targets;
			Assess learning outcomes with respect to the standards.

For languages a useful standard is available in the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), which since its publication in 2001 has been very widely adopted, in Europe and beyond. The CEFR provides a model for discussing the teaching and learning of languages, and also defines a set of levels of proficiency in can-do, functional terms. This presentation will introduce the CEFR, and show how it can serve as a point of reference for the steps of a benchmarking exercise: defining target levels, designing instruction, and constructing assessments which validly assess learning outcomes. This is a currently an important area of interest and development for language assessment, where Cambridge ESOL, an active participant in the development of the CEFR, continues to break new ground. The presentation will also include a brief review of the range of Cambridge ESOL’s activities.

Professor Gillian Salmon
Professor
University of Leicester, UK

Gillian joined the University of Leicester in the UK in 2004 as Professor of E-learning & Learning Technologies, after 16 years with the Open University Business School. She is known for her research and practice in the arenas of development and change for successful e-learning processes and preparing for Learning Futures. Her research and practice spans the role of ICT in enabling change in Higher Education, through the development of research-led e-learning strategy, to pedagogical innovation in a wide variety of forms including mobile learning, wikis and blogs.

Topic: Learning Futures: towards the new world of blend. Download the presentation.
Abstract: Almost every educational institution, and every training department, throughout the world is attempting to change to accommodate new ways of learning, blending the best of the old and new. Many are seeking true ‘transformations’, others are more cautious. Almost every teacher, trainer, HR department, school, college and university is (sometimes desperately) seeking ways to understand the future and direct his or her teaching towards the new world of blend.
Prof Gilly Salmon explores the future from her research perspective. The physical environment includes the means to research, the archives of past learning and the presentation of new knowledge, the resources for learning and living, the people and the (for many) unparalleled and pervasive ‘atmosphere’ of scholarship. The first kind of off-campus extension to learning is familiar to us - field trips, clinical practice, gallery visits. However…’online’ is a learning environment too. The scope, depth and breadth of possibilities have grown exponentially over two decades.  Millions of people experience electronic networked environments, in their variety of guises, as communities and as libraries, each providing access to untold riches for knowledge generation and sharing. Of course the online space is much less organised or controlled compared to the physical academy. Time works differently. Interdisciplinarity is the norm not the exception. Contributions are scrutinised for their usefulness rather than the status of their author. Hierarchies are less obvious. The importance of personal identity (and the associated potential for discrimination) is more complex, often with different constructs in different contexts. Ownership is based less on monetary benefactors and more on commitment and knowledge. More recently, one way communications media such as radio and TV have been somewhat swamped by interactive and participative approaches- Web 2.0 take the stage! As educators of the 21st Century, we have to put more effort into design and delivery for successful learning as a result. Professor Salmon examines the Learning Futures for all, through her research, practice and a wide range of examples. Not for the faint hearted though!

Helen Kaczmarek
Deputy to Head of Skills for Employability Unit
Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, UK

Helen is deputy to the Head of the Skills for Employability Unit. The new Department will take forward strategies to meet their ambition that adult skills levels in the UK should be world class.

Topic: Skills for Life
Abstract: Around 5 million adults in England have poor literacy skills and would not achieve even the lowest standard we expect from 16 year old school leavers. Many more do not speak English as their first language and are at risk of isolation. In 2001, the Government launched Skills for Life, the national strategy for improving adult literacy, language and numeracy skills. The Strategy has been extremely successful and has exceeded targets to date, with over 1.76 million people achieving a first qualification. But looking forward, in an increasingly competitive global economy, with a much greater emphasis on higher skills, we need even greater urgency in our efforts to improve literacy and language skills. We cannot afford to let those who are most at risk of exclusion drop further behind. Yet, at the same time, we are faced with even more demand for English language learning; with easier movement between European nations and continuing economic migration from around the globe, we have to take some tough decisions about the focus for adult English language learning: who should Government prioritise for funding and what innovative resources we can develop to help meet demand? We have already invested heavily in resources to modernise our support package for learners, but will need to do more in the future to offer the best service to learners.

Dr. Ray Mackay
ELT Consultant, UK

Dr Ray Mackay has an M Ed from Edinburgh University and his PhD supervisor was Roy Harris, Emeritus Professor of General Linguistics, University of Oxford. His teaching career has spanned the globe - Kenya, Morocco, Scotland, Poland, the erstwhile Czechoslovakia.... In India, Ray has worked on behalf of the British Council in Assam, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Orissa and West Bengal. Ray has written several books and his numerous articles have been published in international journals like the Modern English Teacher, English Language Teaching Journal and Practical English Teaching. Ray is also a farmer and member of a crofting community in the Scottish Highlands.

Topic: Policy framework to support closer links between Education and Employmen
Abstract: Ray's talk is a personal, anecdotal account of his extensive experience as a British Council ELT consultant across the world, with special reference to projects in India. He has worked on behalf of the Council in India for over 15 years now. As an outsider who is also an insider, thanks to his extensive engagement with the Council, Ray is in a unique position to offer insight into what kind of involvement with the public education sector in India works and what does not. In the course of his presentation he will also offer his take on how large-scale teacher training programmes should be evaluated.

Rod Bolitho
Academic Director
Norwich Institute for Language Education (NILE), UK

Prior to being the Academic Director at the Norwich Institute for Language Education (NILE) he was Assistant Dean of International Education at the College of St Mark & St John in Plymouth where he worked for 17 years. Altogether, he has delivered training or consultancy services in over 40 countries, including a spell as trainer and visiting consultant to the CBSE Curriculum project in India in the nineties.  He is author or co-author of a number of books and articles including (with Brian Tomlinson) of Discover English (Macmillan-Heinemann), a language awareness workbook for teachers and advanced learners and (with Tony Wright) Trainer Development (2007).

Topic 1: English for the World of Work (EWoW) Download the presentation
Abstract: It is an innovative project targeting students in Romanian Vocational Schools, which cater for the 14-18 age range. In the nineties, most of the British Council-funded projects and much of the attention at Ministry level in Romania was focussed on ELT on the ‘mainstream’ at secondary and tertiary level, and the vocational sector has been something of a ‘poor relation’.  Since the turn of the century, however, Vocational Education and Training (VET) in general has slowly but surely been given more attention in educational reforms across Europe.
This talk presents some of the achievements of EWoW and looks at the potential of this kind of initiative for:

			making language instruction more relevant to the future employment needs of vocational students
			involving students in decision-making about their language classes
			enhancing students’ self confidence and self-esteem by giving them more responsibility in their own learning process
			cross-curricular and interdisciplinary co-operation between teachers

Topic 2: Professional Development for Teachers: bottom-up and top-down perspectives
Abstract: This talk examines the dimensions of professional development from the points of view both of teachers and of the managers and institutions they work for.  It will include a historical overview of differing interpretations of professional development as well as some informed speculation about the paths it might move along in the near future, taking into account the incredible speed of change both in education and in the world at large.  I will argue that if educational institutions are to prepare their students to meet the evolving needs of society and the employment market they need to look after the continuing development needs of their most valuable resource: their teachers.  Listeners will be challenged to rethink their own understanding of development and to reassess their own needs as well as the needs of those they work with and for.  The talk will conclude with some suggested strategies and action points for teachers and managers.

Tom Power
Lecturer in Education
Open University, UK

Tom Power is a lecturer in education at the Open University, where he has worked on a variety of teacher professional development programmes incorporating innovative approaches to ICT, from 2000 onwards. These projects have included ‘the Learning Schools Programme’, which trained 160,000 teachers in the use of ICT to support teaching and learning; ‘TeachandLearn.net’, a ‘whole-school’ online professional development project, and ‘Teacher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa’ (TESSA), an Open Educational Resource programme, developing and disseminating the ‘building blocks’ for constructing teacher professional development courses between 19 African institutions.

Topic: Is there a role for Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in supporting the professional development and classroom practice of English language teaching in South Asia? Download the presentation

Abstract: This paper considers the intersection of two of the conferences key themes: the professional development of teachers, and blended learning incorporating a range of technologies. This paper will draw upon the findings of a range of research and development projects that have sought to harness the potential of ICTs for teacher professional development and classroom practices, with particular emphasis on schools serving disadvantaged communities in the global south. The objective of the paper is to critically reflect upon:

			the capacity of Open Educational Resources to support teacher education across institutional and national boundaries
			Innovative practices with mobile ICTs in rural schools
			Trends in access, use and capacity of mobile phones and mobile phone networks in the global south generally, and in Bangladesh in particular. There is a lot of rhetoric about the potential of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for the transformation of education and development in the global south. Yet despite more than a decade of significant investments in ICT worldwide to benefit education, important gaps remain in the current knowledge base about the use of ICT in education (InfoDev, 2005), particularly regarding the experiences of impoverished, often rural, communities. At the same time, there is an increasing and unprecedented adoption of mobile technologies in developed and developing countries alike (e.g. Leach, 2006). A growing literature is available on the potential of mobile technologies for improving professional practices (e.g. Naismith et al. 2005; bridges.org, 2004). Soloway (2002) has argued that mobiles provide an opportunity for making major changes in educational and other settings. This paper emphasises the socio-cultural nature of learning (e.g. Lave and Wenger, 1991) in which the development and use of tools (technologies) and artefacts are integral to any form of learning, including teacher learning (Bruner, 1996). The primary research reported here also stresses the importance of placing the experiences and voices of participants at the heart of research and innovation (Friere 1972).

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Anil Wijesinghe
Chairman
Council for Business with Britain (CBB), Sri Lanka

Anil Wijesinghe has been a prominent Sri Lankan businessman for more than 20 years. Anil is currently the Chairman of the Council for Business with Britain (CBB). The Council for Business with Britain was formed on July 18, 2000, with the merger of the Sri Lanka - UK Business Council and the British Business Association (BBA) with the objective of promoting two way trade between Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom (UK) and maintaining and fostering a harmonious business relationship between Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom. Anil has been the driving force behind CBB’s current involvement in a national teacher training course for English teachers in Sri Lanka.

Topic: Forging Partnerships – Industry and Education. Download the presentation
Abstract: This presentation focuses on a case study of the Council for Business with Britain’s (CBB) involvement in teacher training in Sri Lanka. Since 2005 as part of CBB’s corporate social responsibility it has funded teacher training projects in partnership with the British Council. CBB’s vision for the future is to build the capacity of young people. English is essential in this arena as it is the link language for commerce, the international language and the language of the workplace. English is increasingly the preferred language of business communication in Sri Lanka. It acts as the key link language between local communities and across international boundaries. It is widely recognised that standards in state schools are low, teachers are inexperienced and trained in outdated methodology. Teacher training is the most cost effective and efficient way of having a large impact on the language skills of the youth of Sri Lanka. Cascading teacher training is the most effective way of reaching a large audience. The current teacher training project functions on two levels: training mentors to facilitate the distance course and training teachers through the distance course. This presentation reviews and evaluates the success of the CBB partnership with the British council in this field.

Dr. Hemamala Ratwatte
Senior Lecturer / President
Department of Language Studies, Open University of Sri Lanka / Sri Lanka English Language Teachers Association (SLELTA)

Dr. Hemamala Ratwatte holds a PhD in Psycholinguistics and Second Language Acquisition from the University of Edinburgh, UK and obtained her BA (Hons.) in English from the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. She is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Language Studies, Open University of Sri Lanka. Hemamala is also an author and co-editor of the text book / audio cassettes for General English for the Advanced Level, the highest National Examination in English in Sri Lanka. She was the Vice-President of SLELTA from 2004-2006 and is the current President.

Topic: Reversing language policy. Download the presentation
Abstract: Within the last decade SL has seen several policy changes with regard to medium of education. In 2000, the once discredited English medium was reintroduced to state sector education and, at present a debate is underway as to whether tertiary education should be offered only in the medium of English. The policy changes, as pointed out by Tsui (1996) are the outcome of the ‘complex interplay of endogenous as well as exogenous factors’. The exogenous - that English is the preeminent language of science and scholarship, of international politics, trade and commerce. The endogenous is more complex;   English, being the language of the elite in post colonial Sri Lanka is and has been the gateway to opportunity to those who can effectively function in the language. At the same time in the increasingly globalizing context, English, for the majority, is a principal source of failure, frustration and discrimination –A further endogenous factor unique to Sri Lanka, but one which is critically important for the future of the country, is the internal conflict between the different language speaking communities and the need for a ‘neutral’ language.  Two key factors that form the backdrop to this debate are the changing associations English and the National languages have acquired in the last two decades and the socio-economic impact of the different media of instruction in the state and private education.
This paper deals with the questions and the challenges posed by the changes in educational policies and whether they can effect the desired transformation i.e. reduce the socio-economic disparities, foster better understanding between the different communities and, produce a generation better suited to competing in a globalised world or whether the inadequacies in the bilingual education policy programme and its implementation will exacerbate the inequalities.

Nirmali Hettiarachchi
Principal
The Academy of English and Drama, Sri Lanka

Nirmali Hettiarachchi has been a teacher of English Language and Literature and Drama for over 40 years. She has worked with the Ministry of Education in Sri Lanka serving on committees that design syllabi and have been on teams that train teachers of English around the island. Nirmali was a founder member and Vice President of SLELTA (Sri Lanka English Language Teachers Association for 6 years. She is also the Principal and sole proprietor of The Academy of English and Drama.

Topic: Bridging the gap – Education and Employment

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Dr. Sandhya Chintala
Director Education Initiative
NASSCOM

With a long and rich experience in education management, both nationally and internationally and in industry and academia, Dr Sandhya Chintala is currently the Director of the education initiative at the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM), the premier organization that represents and sets the tone for public policy for the Indian software industry.  With all her research and publications related to the successful development and implementation of communication skills integrated with formal and non-formal methods of teaching,  Dr Sandhya Chintala presently leads in the design of a roadmap for NASSCOM’s education initiatives with a view to making India the preferred global destination for all IT and IT Enabled Services requirements.

Topic: Bridging the gap – Education and Employment

Dr. Kalyankumar Datta
Professor, Electrical Engineering department & Former Director, School of Education Technology
Jadavpur University, India       

A recipient of various awards for academic excellence including the prestigious Academic Excellence Award of Defense Research and Development Organisation, Dr Datta, Professor in Electrical Engineering with a long teaching and research experience was formerly the Director, School of Educational Technology, Jadavpur University in Kolkata. He is a Fellow, Institution of Engineers (India), Fellow, IEE (UK) and Member, IEEE (USA)

Topic: A Multi-modal approach to Computer Aided Language Learning
Abstract: The advent of Computer and communication technologies has overwhelmed every domain of human endeavour, language learning is no exception. Computer Aided Language Learning (CALL) is an active area of research and development. The authors take Jadavpur University experience as an example to highlight the essential features of CALL.
School of Education Technology, Jadavpur University, had undertaken a number of efforts on language teaching and learning. Experienced from a Computer Aided Instruction (CAI) package on Philology and a Textual Analysis Programme for Indian Languages, the authors extended experiments in teaching non-English foreign languages. In an effort to utilize these powerful technologies, the authors, here, give an account of the processes involved in making a stand-alone Computer Based Training (CBT) programme on teaching Russian to Bengali-speaking learners and also the development of a portal for teaching Portuguese to English-speaking learners. It is emphasized that, such powerful technologies must be supported by logical analysis, careful need based planning for optimum usage to yield desired result. Proper classification of learners, proportioning of electronic versus classroom training, proportioning different modes of learning (like stand-alone, on-line, assignments, face-to-face, interactivity-based exercises and practice), pedagogical and methodological considerations, normalization are some of the involved considerations for using computers and communication technologies in teaching and learning of Languages.
Based on the feedback of users on the training packages of the two languages mentioned, the article discusses some of the methodologies that can be utilized for teaching/improving English to South-East Asian countries where the belongingness to the local languages and cultures have strong roots and where some form of indigenization of English language has already taken place. In the opinion of the authors, the social phenomenon of language learning can not, possibly, be left totally to machines. It is argued that, it is the mix of machine based learning in different usage of interesting modes of dissemination, an imaginative use of interactivity techniques for practice and evaluation, and above all, the social, cultural and human touch that can make the language learning through technology a fruitful proposition.

Dr. Nandita Chatterjee
Principal Secretary,Department of School Education
Government of West Bengal, India

A senior member of the Indian Administrative Service, Dr Nandita Chatterjee is Director of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India. Having specialised in development economics and medical sociology, she has held a number of key positions at national and international levels. She is an alumni of Presidency College, Kolkata, University of Manchester, UK and World Bank Institute, Washington DC.

Topic: Bridging the gap – Education and Employment

N. S. Prabhu
ELT Consultant

A renowned name in the English Language Teaching scene in India and overseas, Prabhu specialized in linguistic science at the University of Reading, UK. Following a long experience of  teaching and research, he steered the British Council’s programmes as English Studies Officer in Chennai. Author of numerous articles published in Indian and international professional journals, Prabhu is known internationally for conducting five-year class room experiment referred and described as the ‘Bangalore Project’ in the book, Second Language Pedagogy, published by Oxford University Press.

Topic: Challenges for a Global Second Language
Abstract: Questions about language arise when speakers of one language need to learn and use another, as a second or additional language. Such questions about English constitute large challenges today because English has become the second language of the world, with a greater need to learn it than ever in the past. Three such challenges deserve to be highlighted :

			Quality: Unlike the learning of the mother tongue, the learning of a second language varies between learners in terms of its quality, pace and reach. Quality can vary from an internalization of the underlying system, supporting language use that is flexible, adaptable and able to meet new situations, to a mere memorization of fixed phrases  employable in predicted situations. An effort to promote quick, purpose-oriented learning leads typically to phrase-book knowledge while the development of an internal system takes its time and yields varied results. The challenge today is to meet the demand for large-scale, job-oriented learning without moving too far towards fixed-phrase parroting.
			Dominance: The acquisition of a second language can result either in an enrichment of one’s linguistic repertoire, together with an enlargement of cultural horizons, or in a gradual disuse of the mother tongue, accompanied by a cultural loss. A global second language with steadily increasing uses can easily become the dominant language for large populations, thus causing large-scale loss of languages and cultures. The challenge is how to prevent or minimize this loss without denying people’s linguistic wishes and related economic needs.
			Market pressure: The English language today is not just a facilitator of worldwide communication, cooperation and trade ; it is also a product with a worldwide market. Resources for teaching and learning –books, tapes, films, discs etc, as well as courses of instruction – can sell on unprecedented scales and therefore receive ingenious and aggressive sales techniques, including in particular motivated pedagogic advice or expertise. It is a big challenge to withstand the resulting noise and push so as to make sound and sensible choices.

Dr. Pramatha Nath Basu
Professor
School of Education Technology, Jadavpur University, India

An electrical engineer with specialisation in computer aided technology, Dr Pramanatha Nath Basu is currently Professor at the School of Education Technology, Jadavpur University, and Kolkata with a combined experience of over 35 years in teaching and industry. Having demonstrated innovation and leadership in the field through a number of senior positions that he has held, he has contributed significantly to the development and introduction of computer aided teaching and learning programmes for supplementing class room teaching.

Topic: A Multi-modal approach to Computer Aided Language Learning

Uma K Raman
Head Skills Enhancement Division
HCL BPO, India

Currently heading the Skills Enhancment Division of HCL BPO, Ms Uma Raman has directly been involved in the training of more than 10,000 fresh graduates for the BPO sector. A former principal of the Army Public School, Allahabad, she has a long experience in writing, editing, publishing and training with an active involvement with the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) theme.

Topic: Bridging the gap – Education and Employment. Download the presentation

Vijay Gupta
Head Advocacy and Communication
Azim Premji Foundation, India

Following 16 years of rich experience with Wipro Corporation, Vijay Gupta leads Wipro’s engagement with the school education system in India which now spans to more than 1000 schools and 10000 teachers and school leaders. Vijay also leads on the advocacy function of the Azim Premji Foundation whose primary objective is to enhance the quality of education in the country at all levels.

Topic: Forging Partnerships – Industry and Education. Download the presentation.
Abstract: Wipro’s engagement with education is at the primary level. It is much easier for the corporates to work at the higher education level, given the proximity with employment market. However, primary and secondary level education is fundamental to building quality manpower. Wipro, by strategy, works with partner organizations across India. The idea is grow this network of partners and build its capability to serve the demands for good education among schools. Working with education system and partners has led to a lot of learning.

M. S. Ananth
Director
Indian Institute of Technology Madras, India

Dr Ananth joined IIT Madras as a faculty in the Department of Chemical Engineering in 1972 and become the Director in 2001 after holding various senior positions.  He has been one of key persons associated with the preparation of The Strategic Plan of IITM – Vision 2010. His research interests are in Molecular Thermodynamics and Mathematical Modelling. He has several publications in international journals and is a referee for many journals in Chemical Engineering. He has been awarded the Herdillia prize for excellence in basic research in Chemical Engineering by the IIChE and the R.W. Fahien Alumni Award for “Distinguished Professional Contributions” for the year 2003 by the Chemical Engineering Department of University of Florida, USA.  He is a Fellow of Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers and the Indian National Academy of Engineering. He is a consultant for many chemical industries in South India.

British Council

Chris Gibson
Director South India
British Council

Chris Gibson holds a master’s degree in Applied Linguistics from Lancaster University, UK and is Director of the British Council’s work in South India since September 2006. Earlier, he was based in Belgrade and was responsible for the British Council’s work in Serbia and Montenegro (former Republic of Yugoslavia).

Topic: Project English: Reaching millions in India and Sri Lanka. Download the presentation
Abstract: How can the British Council help? One of the key aims for British Council is to provide quality English language teaching, training, certification and support – from learners to corporate users to academics to governments. With the expertise of teaching or certifying 1.5 million learners every year, globally, we are in a unique position to be able to offer the best global resources to address the skills shortage that industry is facing. Be it policies, teacher training, assessment parameters, curriculum development, benchmarking, learning or practical usage, we can play the catalyst role and offer solutions that support the need for an ever increasing employable talent force. Our vision is that every teacher and learner of English in India and Sri Lanka will have access to English language resources from UK.

Sujata Sen
Director East India
British Council

Director of British Council’s East India operations based in Kolkata, Sujata Sen has a rich background and experience in journalism and publishing.

Topic: Policy framework to support closer links between Education and Employment
Abstract: An account of her interaction with the industry seeking training in communication skills and how far the current state of education system is able to meet the industry needs.

Jill Coates
Head Corporate Training
British Council, India

Jill began her career as a language teacher working in Spain, Indonesia and the UK. In 2004, Jill joined the British Council in Sri Lanka where she worked on a two year project with HSBC to create internal training and trainer-training programmes for offshore contact centres throughout South and East Asia. Jill is currently interested in intercultural communication training for the global workplace.

Topic: Professional development of teachers and blended learning incorporating a range of technologies. Download the presentation
Abstract: NASSCOM estimates that 553,000 people are currently employed in the ITES/BPO sector.  It has been estimated that a further 320,000 jobs for English speaking Indian professionals will be created by 2010, which is likely to outstrip supply, increasing issues of staff retention. In spite of generating one of the world’s largest populations of new graduates each year, India’s highly skilled workforce lacks the fluency in English required by global companies. How will industry face these challenges in the short to medium term?
The British Council is working with global companies in India to develop language development programmes to manage young people’s transition from education to work.
The programmes address:

			Role profiling – what type and level of skills do we require?
			Recruitment – how do we ensure the right ‘fit’?
			Time efficient training interventions – how do we get the maximum impact in the shortest time?
			Sustainable internal training capacity – how do we grow and develop?
			External benchmarking and accreditation – how do we retain the best people?

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