Iatefl Literature SIG

Iatefl Literature SIG Connecting ELT, Literature, Extensive Reading & the Arts We are a multinational and multicultural community. We belong to different genders, races and creeds.

The Literature SIG promotes teaching and research in literatures in English and the creative arts in general. Our events and publications are aimed at teachers, teacher trainers, researchers and trainee teachers who are interested in working with prose fiction, poetry, extensive reading, film, drama, interactive media, music, the visual arts and creative writing to promote language learning. Who W

e Are
We are English language teachers, teacher trainers, lectures, researchers, TESOL students, writers, publishers and education managers who are interested in promoting the use of literature and the creative arts in the field of English language teaching and learning. We live and work in a number of different countries all over the world. We all speak English but also a variety of other languages and dialects. We teach in a variety of contexts, from primary education to postgraduate degrees. Our students are young learners, children, adolescents, adults and mature students. What unites us is the belief that literature and the arts have an important role to play in ELT education. Not an IATEFL member yet? Join now! https://www.iatefl.org/join-now

Some of the many reasons to join IATEFL:
discounted rates at all IATEFL events, including the annual international conference
discounts on a range of English language teaching magazines and journals from a wide range of publishers
monthly eBulletin with information and news from the association
IATEFL Voices, our bi-monthly publication, delivered to you online or by post
Conference Selections, our publication of presentations made at the IATEFL international conference
monthly webinars and attendance certificate for those you attend, as well as access to previous recordings
searchable archive of articles, publications, interviews and webinars
submit a proposal to speak at a virtual or face-to-face IATEFL event, including the international conference
get your work published in one of our publications, including IATEFL Voices and our online blog platform 'Views'
join one or more of our 16 Special Interest Groups and keep up to date in your particular areas of interest
member-only scholarship opportunities to attend the international conference
build your professional network, volunteer on one of the committees, vote on who leads the association and have your say!

And that's a wrap! The LitSig committee would like to say an enormous thank you to everyone who presented at and attende...
27/04/2026

And that's a wrap! The LitSig committee would like to say an enormous thank you to everyone who presented at and attended our PCE and showcase day! We had a great time and are bursting with new ideas for teaching literature in the EFL classroom.

And as they say, after the conference, is before the conference. See you all next year in Birmingham – it's going to be amazing!!





What should materials for using literature in the EFL classroom really look like? 📚In this thought-provoking session, Am...
22/04/2026

What should materials for using literature in the EFL classroom really look like? 📚
In this thought-provoking session, Amos Paran explores powerful frameworks that bridge theory and practice, helping teachers rethink how literature can be used meaningfully in language teaching. From school editions of novels to coursebooks and teacher handbooks, this talk dives into what has shaped materials in the past decade, and what we can learn from it.
He offered five principles for turning our materials for using literature into meaningful and purposeful resources.

An insightful session at the LitSIG showcase 2026 delivered by Aikaterini Artemis Tsatsak📚 “The wor(l)ds we see on the p...
22/04/2026

An insightful session at the LitSIG showcase 2026 delivered by Aikaterini Artemis Tsatsak
📚 “The wor(l)ds we see on the page: Extensive Reading’s effects on Social-Emotional Learning” explores how combining Extensive Reading with SEL can help learners build empathy, awareness, and imagination; going beyond language learning to develop the whole person.
Can reading shape not just skills, but hearts and minds too? This talk dived into exactly that.

LitSIG showcase continues with Geoff Hardy-Gould who shares insights from experienced C2-level readers who’ve tackled 20...
22/04/2026

LitSIG showcase continues with Geoff Hardy-Gould who shares insights from experienced C2-level readers who’ve tackled 20+ novels in English within a “book club”. We discovered how reading shapes language growth, and where it can help or hinder.

🎶 How can Black music, film, and literature transform the EFL classroom?At LItSIG Showcase 2026, Martin Moling explores ...
22/04/2026

🎶 How can Black music, film, and literature transform the EFL classroom?
At LItSIG Showcase 2026, Martin Moling explores creative ways to teach Black culture, drawing on everything from blues to hip hop, to spark critical thinking and deeper language learning.

Reimagining the EFL classroom through feminist perspectives ✨📖Eugenia Carrión Canton’s session explores how feminist lit...
22/04/2026

Reimagining the EFL classroom through feminist perspectives ✨📖
Eugenia Carrión Canton’s session explores how feminist literature can spark language development, intercultural awareness, and critical citizenship. By engaging with inclusive, dialogue-driven approaches, it shows how classrooms can become spaces for reflection, connection, and socially engaged learning.
Because language teaching isn’t just about communication, it’s about empowering voices.

Barbara Lapornik explores the power of literature to unpack today’s complex social realities 🌍📚LitSIG showcase 2026 begi...
22/04/2026

Barbara Lapornik explores the power of literature to unpack today’s complex social realities 🌍📚
LitSIG showcase 2026 begins with this session which dives into how contemporary postcolonial novels can help learners engage with cultural complexity, critical thinking, and intercultural communication. Through close reading and interactive tasks, it connects theory with classroom practice in meaningful ways.
A great reminder that stories don’t just reflect the world, they help us understand it.

Our Voices, Our Future 🎤✨We closed out the LitSIG PCE with a high-energy "Voices from the Audience" session, expertly ...
20/04/2026

Our Voices, Our Future 🎤✨
We closed out the LitSIG PCE with a high-energy "Voices from the Audience" session, expertly led by Laura Hadwin.
Instead of just listening, we got moving! We rotated through four interactive stations, tackling everything from our "Crystal Ball" predictions to practical strategies for overcoming the fears surrounding AI in the classroom.
The Highlight: Seeing the poster papers fill up with innovative ideas gathered after a day full of learning. There is so much collective wisdom in this community!
It’s clear: AI and digital media aren't just tools; they are catalysts for a new era of literary engagement. 🚀📚

Russell Stannard delivered the third talk at the IATEFL LitSIG PCE, a masterclass in practical EdTech for the literature...
20/04/2026

Russell Stannard delivered the third talk at the IATEFL LitSIG PCE, a masterclass in practical EdTech for the literature classroom. Here’s the quick rundown:
🛠️ The Toolkit
* Google Storybooks: Collaborative, AI-enhanced storytelling to help students visualize narratives.
* Vibe Coding: Designing custom apps and tools specifically tailored to your unique classroom needs.
* NotebookLM: A powerhouse for synthesizing research, generating content, and prepping presentations in record time.
💡 The Goal
The session moved beyond theory into hands-on implementation, showing how teachers can use AI as a creative scaffold rather than just a shortcut.

The Iatefl LITSIG PCE continues! Rebecca Flämig shares a fascinating talk on immersive storytelling, thinking about how...
20/04/2026

The Iatefl LITSIG PCE continues!

Rebecca Flämig shares a fascinating talk on immersive storytelling, thinking about how picturebooks and VR both create powerful multimodal narrative experiences.
Picturebooks may seem simple, but through the interplay of text and image, they invite a kind of “deep reading” (as explored by Janice Bland) that encourages readers to slow down, interpret, and emotionally engage. They build presence in subtle, imaginative ways.
VR, on the other hand, takes that sense of presence further, placing the user inside the story world. With interactive environments and embodied perspectives, VR narratives shift us from observers to participants.
The “VR story world” approach allow us to design narrative spaces that users don’t just follow, but inhabit. It raises interesting questions about agency, attention, and how stories are experienced across media.
From page to headset, both forms show that immersion isn’t just about technology, it’s about how stories invite us to see, feel, and be present.

Take a look! Inspiring sessions exploring literature in the EFL classroom and beyond! 🔍 Highlights include: 📖 Teaching s...
17/04/2026

Take a look!

Inspiring sessions exploring literature in the EFL classroom and beyond! 🔍 Highlights include: 📖 Teaching social and cultural complexities through postcolonial novels 🧠 Exploring Frankenstein through brain-based interdisciplinary approaches 🌸 Feminist literature in the EFL classroom 🎬 Teaching Black culture through music, film, and literature 📊 Insights into advanced learners’ reading beliefs 📚 The impact of extensive reading on social-emotional learning ️ Practical ideas for using EFL.

️Featuring speakers such as Barbara Lapornik, Sodia Lakovidou, Eugenia Carrión Canton, Martin Muling, Geoff Hardy-Gould, Aikaterini Artemis Tsatsaki, and Amos Paran.

☕ And don’t miss the open forum at the end of the day: a great chance to connect, reflect, and share ideas with fellow educators!

Check out the flyer for times and rooms, and start planning your day ⬆️




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