A founder of Focus.Study and an interdisciplinary educator, Irina designs personalized ELT curricula while mentoring and inspiring fellow English teachers. Guided by her passion for movement and cold plunges, Irina lives and creates in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Walking to Learn: The Neuroscience of Movement and Memory

In a world where learning often feels confined to desks and screens, what if the key to unlocking cognitive potential lies in something as simple as a daily walk? This session delves into the neurobiological benefits of walking—enhanced spatial memory, improved focus, and brain rewiring—and explores how integrating movement into learning can craft more inclusive, stimulating, and effective educational experiences. Discover practical, research-backed strategies to harness the power of walking, fostering both student engagement and well-being in a way that aligns with the Pura Vida ethos of simplicity and connection to nature.

A practising state school teacher and a methodologist, a teacher educator, Teachers Teach Teachers Director of Studies, the winner of the Lexical Lab scholarship for lexically-oriented teachers (IATEFL).

The Nuts and Bolts of the Lexical Approach

Marking 30+ years since Michael Lewis’s ‘Lexical Approach’, many teachers claim to teach “lexically” intuitively — yet struggle to achieve consistent results. Are we really maximising students’ potential with lexical approaches, or are we merely confusing them? This talk dissects the gap between instinct and impact, unveiling “pure vida” techniques to implement the approach consciously. Join the shift from accidental to intentional teaching and discover how to transform vague intuition into structured, measurable strategies that boost students’ confidence in real-world communication.

Artem is a Cambridge Presenter, a CELTA qualified teacher, a Delta graduate (with Merit) and a Stanford University Alumnus. He has recently published a series of best-selling books for teachers and was nominated for Reader's Choice Award.

Materials Light Teaching

Materials Light Teaching is an approach that minimizes reliance on prepared materials and maximizes student interaction, creativity, and real-world communication. This lecture explores its principles, benefits, and practical applications in language teaching. Participants will discover low-material activities that enhance engagement, adapt to diverse classroom contexts, and encourage student-generated content. The session also addresses common challenges and strategies for effective implementation. Teachers will leave with practical ideas to create dynamic lessons using minimal resources while fostering meaningful language learning experiences.

I have been teaching students with dyslexia for 7 years, both online and offline, working with various age groups. I hold  TKT 1, 2, 3, YL, CLIL, and TEFL. I completed two master’s degrees simultaneously, one of which is in speech therapy. I taught students in a group of 80 students in China.

Adapting the educational environment for students with dyslexia: creating a safe and supportive classroom environment.

During my talk, I’ll share practical strategies to help dyslexic learners thrive while learning English. We’ll explore inclusive teaching methods, the use of assistive tools, and ways to provide emotional support to reduce anxiety and build confidence. I’ll also share my experience of collaboration among parents, children, and specialists, and how tailored approaches and flexible assessments can empower these students to succeed academically in a nurturing and supportive classroom environment.

Linguist, teacher of English. Currently teaching English and History of music at Moscow State Institute of Music. Degree in teaching English, CELTA (A), CPE (A), IELTS (8.5). 17 years of teaching experience (including 9 years at the Grammar Department in Moscow State Linguistic University). Concert pianist, PhD in Arts.

Developing soft skills through IELTS preparation: a necessity and an opportunity

In my talk I will focus on the soft skills relevant for IELTS preparation. Since the exam is designed for people who plan to work or study abroad, it is no wonder that it tests (and thus encourages to develop) a whole range of employability skills, which is another name for soft skills. You will learn how IELTS tasks help develop problem solving, flexibility, higher level thinking skills and other core skills in an integrated way as well as how we can work on the tasks to harness their potential.

The owner of a neurolanguage school, a devoted English and French teacher with over 15 years of experience, a speaker of ELT and neuropedagogy events. My primary areas of interest are teaching students with difficulties, neuro-teaching methods and SEL approach.

New generation speaking clubs: developing life and soft skills to make students successful in future.

What do we do in class to help our students lead an organized and fulfilling adult life in future? Teaching English to teens is becoming not only teaching a language. It’s about their personal development, acquiring life skills and building essential abilities. To accomplish this run new generation speaking clubs where TRIZ techniques are mixed with neuroteaching methods, team building contributes to positive group dynamics and SEL approach creates safe and friendly space for students to grow mentally and emotionally.

Nadezda has been teaching English for 14 years, mainly working with teenagers. She was a Cambridge CELT-S tutor and holds CELTA A, DELTA Module 1, CPE A certificates. Nadezda is a blogger and a co-host of a methodology podcast Тичер.FM.

Helping teenage learners understand and process emotions

The talk will cover two areas:
• helping teenagers identify and understand emotions, both their own and the ones of other people;
• developing relationship skills, especially in a group.
The listeners will participate in a brainstorming session and share their ideas on two real-life classroom cases. They will also get ideas of practical low/no-prep activities, which can be incorporated into almost any regular lesson as a life skill development component.

With 13 years of ESL teaching experience, Julia has spent over 8 years training educators. A Fulbright Scholar and holder of CELTA, CELTA YL, DELTA Module 1, Train the Trainer, she’s committed to nurturing both her students and colleagues alike.

Soft Skills: from Learning to Teaching

The increasing focus on soft skills corresponds with projected ELT trends in 2025, emphasizing the importance of nurturing creativity, adaptability, and productivity among students. Yet, how can we teach skills we have not developed ourselves? One might question the credibility of an English teacher with only A2 proficiency; why should the same not apply to soft skills? In my talk, I will address how educators can cultivate these essential skills for their personal growth before effectively teaching them to students.

Degree: VSU 2009; linguistics, foreign languages teaching ELT qualifications: IH-Teacher Trainer, CELTA, TKT; CPE experience: 16 years of teaching and teacher training in Russia and abroad (including IH-Voronezh, IH-Moscow, IH-Mexico, IH-Almaty, language camps at BKC-Moscow and “Orange” school in Saint-Petersburg)

Feedback skills for you to thrive!

The workshop will focus on exploring feedback as a powerful tool for creating a safe and productive communication climate within an educational institution. What are the 15 types of feedback and when each one is due? How shall we design feedback so that our collaboration blossoms? Which 5 models would help a teacher to formulate and deliver their feedback to students, parents or peers more effectively? And at last.. What is the wisdom behind receiving feedback from others? Dive in!

Teacher, translator, and ed-tech enthusiast specializing in teaching adults, including experts in finance, IT, oil and gas, metals and mining. My mission is to help people communicate freely anywhere, be it a Q&A session or a coffee break.

"Why don't I see any progress?" Tracking techniques you probably have not tried

Students and teachers often feel discouraged due to lack of apparent progress with certain skills or overall learning. However, perceived growth could be misjudged due to the type of optics used: conventional tests either evaluate the skills we acquire against certain criteria or the knowledge we gain over a period of time (i.e. unit, term, semester). What can we learn from comparing our performance at different points in time, and how do we even approach data collection and analysis?

Julie is a teacher of high-level learners and teacher trainer (TKT, CPE 'A', MSLU) specialising in C1/C2 levels, speaking clubs and methodology. She has co-authored several courses on methodology and the book "Reinventing your continuing professional development journey".

Space to Learn: How Environment Impacts Learning

How does lighting, fresh air and the way the chairs are set up influence learning? While teachers may not always have control over their classroom’s layout, small changes can make a big impact. In this hands-on session, you will experience how to use space — whether physical or virtual — to create more connection and rapport. Discover some practical strategies to transform any environment into a more dynamic, student-centered space.

Victoria is an English teacher for YLs with 12+ years of experience. She uses Shaggy puppet to create safe, engaging online lessons. A methodologist, author of Shaggy Phonics, course creator. Holds a master’s in Linguistics, Celt-P, and TKT YL certificates

Puppet Power: boosting engagement in Young Learners

The key challenges of teaching young learners online are maintaining attention, managing group dynamics, and creating a safe and engaging virtual environment. All of them can be solved with.. a puppet. Victoria will share practical strategies for using puppets to get kids engaged, manage their behavior, and develop their soft skills. By the end, teachers will have 5 actionable ideas for integrating puppets into their lessons and will understand how to use puppets confidently to start transforming their online lessons.

Tatiana Fanshtein is a devoted online school owner, teacher trainer, blogger and writer. More than 5000 teachers succeeded at work thanks to her courses. Tatiana's expertise lies in teaching speaking and creating comfortable learning spaces both offline and online.

CARE (Clarity, Adventure, Reliability, Ease) in learning: teaching meaningful communication skills

How to teach in AI era and kill two birds with one stone: meet our students new needs and stick to the language? Take CARE (stands for Clarity, Adventure, Reliability, Ease) in learning: teach meaningful communication skills. It includes both working on language-wise issues and real-life essential skills like making a message clear, managing your emotions, active listening. In my talk I'll share a staged plan on implementing teaching skills of meaningful communication in your classroom to achieve better results.

A practicing teacher specialising in adults and high-level teens. ESL blogger and a proud holder of CELTA, CPE, CAE and TKT certificates.

How a teaching journal helped me see my students' needs

I always knew that CPD is important so I visited conferences and took courses. But it was about me, not about the students. In my talk I want to share a story of the discovery and tell about the benefits of keeping a teaching journal. This simple CPD tool shifted the focus towards my students' needs and changed my teaching tremendously. In the talk I'll tell you how to organise the activity and about all the possible problems which might arise.

CLIL- methodologist at Pavlovo school, founder of CLIL project HappyMe and author of HappyMe CLIL program. I hold MA in TESOL and MSc in Chemistry. I’m also a cello-player. My interests are CLIL and holistic development in English classrooms.

Very Young Learners of English: what lexical chunks to teach?

Have you ever wondered what language VYL need in order to engage effectively in English with their peers? If your answer is ‘yes’, I invite you to join my talk to find the answer together. In my talk I’ll share with you my research results focusing on VYL’ speech in MT when interacting with their peers. We will find out what language VYL actually should be taught and discuss how that can be achieved through a holistic approach in ELT.

Teacher trainer and course designer at Trendy English, mentoring English teachers in the "Teacher for Everyone" program. An experienced English teacher Co-author of the courses focused on teaching adolescents and group dynamics. Passionate about invisible learning

Cracking the Code of Motivation: Understanding Learner Types to Foster Classroom Success

Ever wondered how to keep students motivated in learning a foreign language? This presentation explores Gerchikov’s framework of student motivation and how building rapport transforms classrooms. Discover unique learner characteristics, identify your teaching style, and gain strategies to adapt your approach. By the end, you’ll have tools to create an inclusive, motivating environment that fosters success for every student.

I have been teaching English since 2017 in my offline school "Manhattan".I have a collection of TKT, TKT young learners. In 2020 I did my CELTA course, in 2021- Train the Trainer course and passed CPE exam.

Every Student Matters

Every student in a group deserves feedback which is specific, focused on progress and motivating. However, while teaching groups, teachers tend to give group feedback or correct individual learners mistakes, which demotivates or inhibits some of the learners progress . At Yarconf teachers will get practical tools :1) how to increase the opportunities for individual feedback in a group ;2) how to vary the forms of individual feedback; 3) how to make learners engage with feedback.

Alexandra is a passionate teacher-enthusiast with over 17 years' experience teaching English to students of all ages. She has been a director of studies since 2015 and is a CAE and TKT modules 2-3 holder, and now an educational games designer.

Coffee drips and brain dips: Smarter habits to combat fatigue in the classroom

The teachier you become, the fewer breaks you take. It’s natural. You throw yourself on classes with those in desperate need of only you. Your body protests in the most natural way—by draining your energy. What if we replay all your actions in a more brain-friendly way? What if your brain stays active from morning till evening? Is it real? - Indeed it is! Come! Rewind your day with me in the most natural for your body awareness way!

B-Smart (Britannia) language centre English teacher, teacher trainer. Practical teaching experience of more than 20 years. Cambridge certificates in language and teaching. Participant of Yarconf24.

Study skills : teaching students to learn

Learning is not only about vocabulary, grammar and fun. It's also about self-regulation, self-assessment, understanding instructions, working with information, developing cognitive and organisational skills. In my talk I'm going to share our school's research and practical experience of teaching students to learn.

I’m an English teacher with almost 10 years of experience helping students see the value in authentic writing. By combining humour, creativity, and collaboration, I make learning engaging and meaningful for teenagers in my pink-themed studio and beyond.

Blog on the wall: Authentic writing with no pressure

How can we turn reluctant teenage writers into engaged storytellers? Blog on the Wall brings authentic writing to life by transforming essays into a collaborative, low-pressure experience. Through open discussions, real-world topics, and peer feedback, students find purpose in their writing and build connections with their classmates. This session will share practical strategies for adapting textbook tasks, inspiring creativity, and making writing a meaningful part of the learning process. Walk away with tools to foster writing skills and classroom community.

•Smart Education academic director since 2018
•English teacher and psychologist
•Work with all ages •Cambridge exams preparation
•Methodologist, author of courses and webinars for teachers
•CAE, CPE, TKT, IH-CAM (advanced methodology) certificates
•Speaker of international conferences

5 Strategies for Safe Conflict Resolution

Effective conflict management is an essential part of any school daily routine. However, teachers and managers might not be aware of how to deal with conflicts safely. As a practicing psychologist I’d like to tell listeners what types of conflicts exist, how not to lose temper when it comes to a conflict as well as to give practical tools for conflict resolution among students, colleagues, managers and clients.

Maria Maksimova, senior methodologist of "Ankor". 15 years of work experience: watched 1000 lessons, gave 700 feedbacks, conducted 250 seminars. Annual participant of the summer school for teachers “More than School”, semifinalist of the all-russian competition “League of Lecturers", 2023

Teach. Engage. Enjoy: How to hook minds and be the teacher they adore

How to keep students and teachers engaged. Start with the teacher as a person, his engagement in learning. How to ignite this passion in ourselves, how to teach ourselves to tune in creatively. I will talk about what I do to want to teach. Then - talk about the creative skill of creating lessons, the “hooks” on which we “catch” the attention of students. Bonus - bad advice from a perfectionist teacher.

Nadezhda Manokhina is a self-employed teacher (14 years) and a mother (1 year). Having accomplished quite a lot in her teaching career (TESOL, IELTS, CPE), a year ago she found herself yet again reevaluating achievements and career goals.

This is not Sparta: how to embrace life changes and retain your professional self

As teachers, we strive to create a safe space for our learners, while demanding only perfection from ourselves. However, sometimes life gets in the way and we can't carry on the way we used to. How to retain your true self and balance life and career? How to let go of a mask of 'a dauntless warrior' and be yourself? In my talk, I'll share my journey to embracing imperfectionism and feeling fullfilled both as a professional and a mother.

Katerina Stashevskaya is an EFL teacher, teacher trainer, educational games designer and a blogger. Her main areas of interest are teaching young learners and teenagers. Katerina strongly believes that learning should be fun and enjoyable at any level.

Does AI Make Us Better EFL Teachers or Just Lazy?

Is AI a tool for innovation or a risk to creativity in EFL teaching? Is there a risk that it will make us stop thinking? In this session, I’ll share practical tips for integrating AI into your teaching practice, along with highly effective prompts I’ve designed to help me optimize my lesson preparation. Whether you’re an AI enthusiast or skeptic, you’ll leave with actionable strategies to harness AI’s potential while preserving the human touch that makes teaching impactful. Join me to rethink EFL teaching in the age of AI!

A freelance teacher of high-levels and course-developer MA in Linguistics, CiSELT, CPE (A) More than 14 years of experience: university, college, Cambridge preparation centre teacher, private tutor Currently, running an intellectual discussion club for adult-students, most of whom are teacher-learners

The Art of Asking Questions: How to Promote Class Discussion.

Have your class conversations ever fallen flat? Do you struggle at times to keep your students engaged and motivated to speak up their minds? Sometimes, the quality of the discussion is determined by the quality of the questions we ask. In this session, I will share my formula of a good question, which I hit on after conducting more than a thousand speaking sessions, and offer some practical tips for enhancing your questioning prowess and making your class discussions flourish.

Elena Matveeva is a freelance English language teacher for adults and teenagers with 25 years of experience, a teacher trainer, materials writer and a career advisor. Ekaterina Matveeva has been teaching English at the Dmitry Nikitin School for 3 years during which time she has also volunteered at YarConf.

Three-dimensional approach in teaching teenagers: where social, emotional and rational meet

In our talk we are going to present a three-dimensional approach to teaching teenagers which caters for their social, emotional and rational needs. The participants will be provided with activities that will help teenagers acquire skills that will be useful both in and out of class. Creating safe learning environment, adding some entertaining elements as well as working on self-reflection, discipline, time-management, communication and team work inevitably leads to good results in language acquisition making teenagers more mature, autonomous and successful.

Artem Sigaev and Valeriia Rabusova are Foreign Language Teachers at ITMO University, St. Petersburg. With diverse degrees and over six years of experience, they create engaging materials based on films and series and foster supportive learning environments for English learners.

Boosting Speaking and Listening Through Authentic Video Materials

This talk explores the impact of authentic video materials on enhancing speaking and listening skills in language learners. By integrating real-world videos (movie and TV series extracts) into the curriculum, educators can create immersive learning experiences that promote engagement and improve communicative competence. Attendees will gain insights into effective strategies for selecting and utilizing video content, as well as practical tips for fostering active participation and critical listening in the classroom.

Anastasia Khodakova, PhD, has 17 years of experience teaching English and teacher-training. She is a TESOL member, NATE member, head of Language center “Hi Time”, presenter at international and national conferences, author of 20 books on methodology and exam preparation.

3 simple tools every teacher has to engage students on the spot

Have you ever felt that in the middle of your carefully crafted lesson students’ attention is drifting away? Maybe, it’s just hard for them to focus on the material? Is it possible to grab, revive and rivet students’ attention without any time-consuming preparation? The speaker will present a range of activities with three simple tools every teacher always has: markers, cards and questions. The participants will learn practical tips and activities to engage students on the spot without any preparation.