Author: Katherine Reilly

Author & Educator, University Lecturer, English Language & Literature | Public & Motivational Speaker Katherine Reilly is an ELT Teacher Trainer and Author of numerous publications in children’s literature, teaching materials and ICT. Katherine has taught at numerous academic venues and professional events, including the University of Athens, the University of Limassol, the Malta ELTC Conference, and the Innovate ELT Conference at the Oxford TEFL training center in Barcelona. She has also contributed to British Council training sessions, spoken at multiple IATEFL SIGs events, and has delivered a TEDx talk focused on inclusivity, respect, and acceptance in educational settings. Her expertise includes training school faculties in inclusive teaching methodology and diverse educational materials adaptation. Katherine has also contributed to the field as a voiceover artist for various ELT publishers and as a regular contributor to ELT NEWS magazine. She has authored a range of educational materials and creative works, including ‘The Show Must Go On,’ ‘The Adventures of Ben & Friday,’ her guidebook ‘The Road to Femininity,’ and her academic handbook ‘Breaking Barriers – Inclusive Approaches to Modern Language Teaching.’ Katherine has collaborated with Express Publishing to create the Short Tales Series, a collection of 18 readers for young learners designed to enhance language acquisition through engaging stories. Her contributions to Prime Press Publishing include numerous publications, 20 in total, under the alias ‘Catherine R. Jones’, focusing on ELT pedagogy and teaching materials for educators. She has provided training to employees in both public and private organizations, advocating for workplace diversity. Her contributions extend to humanitarian efforts, including teaching underprivileged children and serving as vice principal at the Refugee School of Athens. These experiences inform her research and advocacy for equity in education, emphasizing the importance of accessibility and representation. She has spoken on behalf of organizations which empower and support women, namely ‘Mexoxo’ and ‘Women on Top’ in internationally known conferences such as the ‘Delphi Economic Forum’, ‘Live a Legacy’ and ‘Be an Ally Forum’. As an ambassador of ‘Worldplaces’, an initiative supported in Greece by the Generation Red 2.0 organization, she has strived to promote the rights of all women in today’s workplace. Katherine has collaborated with the Greek National Opera as Production Consultant and has scripted short films and videos for independent filmmakers. She has hosted events such as the annual ‘I’m Positive’ at the Onassis Cultural Centre of Athens promoting HIV visibility, the ELT Excellence Awards in Education, and the award ceremony at the Animasyros Film Festival in Syros. In her free time, she collaborates with a modelling agency as a part-time model for concept photography and is a member of the HUMAN CAST organization which promotes the artistic endeavors of marginalized individuals. In 2023, Katherine starred in Pantene’s advertising campaign for promotion of diverse and inclusive workspaces.
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Symphony in Slang short film 1951

During yesterday’s training at the Foreign Languages Forum in Heraklion, Greece, I mentioned this animated short film produced in 1951. The slang expressions of the time were all incorporated into this masterpiece. Although some are now outdated, many still resonate with English language speakers today. The above YouTube video is NOT the full version; the Vimeo link below, although lower resolution, is. You can also download some notes for Greek students (definitions in both Greek and English) as regards interpretation and use in class.

Materials:

Symphony in Slang PowerPointDownload
Symphony in Slang DefinitionsDownload
Official PosterDownload

Alternate Video link FULL video: https://vimeo.com/100989067

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Training Resources for Gamification Seminar

A huge thank you to all who took part in our training. Below you will find links and my powerpoint file for your consideration.

PowerPoint File:

katherine-reilly-gamification

Genially: Interactive Boardgame (Inversions):

or EDIT here: https://view.genial.ly/627cd40567bf2f0011d35fe7/interactive-content-inversions

Allthingsgrammar: Printable Board Game

https://www.allthingsgrammar.com/grammar-city-free-grammar-board-game.html

Mentimeter: Create your own word clouds and open-end questions

https://www.mentimeter.com/app/home

Quizziz: Create and share your own tests. Also offers printable QR codes

https://quizizz.com/admin/quiz/5d535e853c3272001a04bf18?source=quiz_share

Kahoot: Create and share your own test. Add a tutorial video as well!

https://create.kahoot.it/details/7902fb5c-71c8-4689-9a10-391e0a273327

ESL Printables: Become a part of a large ELT community. Share materials with teachers from all over the world.

https://www.eslprintables.com

Word Search Maker: Create your own word search templates and tailor them to the needs of the students

https://tools.atozteacherstuff.com/word-search-maker/wordsearch.php

Online Puzzle Maker: Create Criss-Cross Puzzles for your students.

https://puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com

Happy Learning!

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Forcing My Students to Sit for Exams

Photo by Keira Burton

By this point in our careers, we’ve practically seen it all. Students who are indifferent to learning a language, others who adamantly insist on pursuing their own educational path of choice – one which does not include learning a foreign language. Perhaps the most pressing of concerns relates to the young souls who literally fall apart in front of our eyes; the children who are stressed beyond words, to the point their grievances and frustrations lead to physical ailments and mental outbreaks.

by Katherine Reilly, originally published in ELT NEWS printed magazine

Continue reading “Forcing My Students to Sit for Exams”