We are delighted to announce that our sixth and last plenary speaker for the 21st ELTA Conference will be Tamrika Khvtisiashvili, an English Language Specialist, who has taught, given numerous workshops and facilitated professional development for teachers in the United States, Russia, Estonia, Uzbekistan, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Germany, Tajikistan, India and Palestine.
Teachers, Sailors of the Sea
A sailor sets out to the open waters with no intention of taming the waves or controlling the weather but with the goal of working with the forces of nature. Whether shipping goods from one shore to another or adventure, a sailor’s work requires courage, flexibility, and knowledge. A teacher does not enter their classroom looking to dominate the students and control their thinking. A (good) teacher wants to spark curiosity, build from prior knowledge with meaningful connections, and work with their students to accomplish something worthwhile. Some sailors drown when the weather changes. They are not able to read the shifting winds, and they cannot react in time. A skilled sailor will have to know how to adapt quickly and efficiently to keep the boat from capsizing. Quick reflexes, focus on solutions and learning how to fix minor repairs are among some of the traits that make or break a good sailor, as well as a good teacher. I will address the specific skills one must learn when navigating the currents and the body of water surrounding our boats and/or classrooms.
Tamrika Khvtisiashvili taught as an Assistant Professor at the University of Utah in the United States and Alfaisal University in Saudi Arabia, teaching courses in Linguistics, Methodology and Anthropology, as well as directing the University Preparatory Program for women. She received her PhD in Theoretical Linguistics and M.A. in TESOL from the University of Utah and the University of Frankfurt, where she was a DoBES fellow and a recipient of NSF funding. Her research interests are language teacher education, linguistics, anthropology, and intercultural communication. Her dissertation research was on linguistic documentation and revitalization practices of indigenous and endangered languages of the Caucasus.
We are excited to welcome Tamrika to be a part of the 2023 ELTA Serbia Conference and look forward to sharing her work with us!
Find out more about the Conference: cutt.ly/2023-elta-serbia-conference
For further information, please get in touch with the ELTA Office at office@elta.org.rs or hello@elta.org.rs if you wish to support the event.
