As the IATEFL Slovenia representative, Jožica Nuč attended the conference in Belgrade on 14 and 15 May 2026, joining educators from across Europe and beyond in a professional exchange focused on the future of English language teaching.
Her report captures the spirit of this year’s theme, “No Borders, Just Bridges: The Global Reach of English Teaching”, and reflects on the value of a conference that brought together teachers, trainers, school leaders, publishers, and educational technology practitioners. Across different roles and regions, many discussions centred on shared challenges in education today, including differentiation, assessment, workload management, inclusive task design, responsible technology use, and teacher wellbeing.
One of the most valuable features of the conference was its strong practical focus. Rather than staying in the world of abstract theory, presenters offered strategies that teachers could adapt and apply immediately in their classrooms. Sessions on formative assessment explored low preparation techniques such as exit tickets, single point rubrics, and clear success criteria, showing how assessment can provide more meaningful feedback while still remaining manageable for teachers. Practical, useful, and not requiring three extra hours of planning, which is always a welcome combination.
Teacher wellbeing was given equal importance. Sessions explored sustainable professional practices such as planning within manageable time frames, using batch feedback techniques, and developing collegial observation practices. These discussions acknowledged the increasing demands placed on teachers and emphasised the importance of protecting professional energy and maintaining long term motivation.
Jožica Nuč has a degree in English and German and has worked as a language teacher for 40 years. As a retired teacher, she now teaches adults at LU Rogaška Slatina. She is the coauthor of the English coursebook for primary schools “Reach for the Stars”, has conducted many Comenius projects with her students, and has presented workshops at international events including the Language Label Event, IATEFL Slovenia conferences, HUPE Croatia conferences, ELTA Serbia Conference, BETA IATEFL Bulgaria, and the IATEFL Liverpool Conference.
Read the article here.
