BELTA Day 2026 Plenary speakers
Cecília Lemos Harmer: Snack or Substance? Reflections About Bite-Sized Development
Biography
Cecília Lemos Harmer has been working with ELT since 1993 and is currently an insight application manager at Cambridge University Press & Assessment. She has worked as an academic manager, teacher trainer, materials writer and EFL teacher. She’s especially interested in assessment, feedback, correction and lesson observation. Originally from Recife, in the northeast of Brazil, she now lives in Cambridge, UK.
Abstract
Bite-sized professional development is everywhere—short videos, quick tips, micro-courses promising transformation in minutes. But here’s the uncomfortable question: is this really development, or just ‘snacking’?
In this plenary, we’ll challenge the assumption that more “content” equals more growth. We’ll explore why these micro-learning moments often fail to translate into changes in classroom practice —and what it takes to turn fleeting engagement into lasting impact.
Drawing on research and real-world examples, we’ll consider how teachers and institutions can move beyond fragmented engagement toward sustained, purposeful growth.
Join us to rethink what “professional development” really means in an age of constant content—and discover practical strategies to turn small steps into lasting progress.
Jeremy Harmer: Old dogs, new tricks? New dogs old tricks?
Biography
Jeremy P. H. Harmer was born in 1947. He is a popular ELT author, practitioner and trainer.
Harmer was educated in the United Kingdom and graduated from the University of East Anglia with a BA Hons in English and American Studies. He then pursued his MA in Applied Linguistics at the University of Reading. He completed his studies with a Teacher Training certification from International House.
Harmer has taught in Mexico and the UK, where he is currently an occasional lecturer at Anglia Ruskin University. He has trained teachers and offered seminars all over the world. A writer of both course material and methodology, he is the author of methodology titles including How to Teach English, The Practice of English Language Teaching and How To Teach Writing. He also writes Graded Readers.
Abstract
The main purposes of teacher development, either self-medicated or suggested by others, should be, presumably, to understand more, expand minds, go further, be better, feel better. Yet frequently TD boils down to looking at ‘new stuff’, coming to grips with the latest technology, or adopting mind-blowing radical theories and practice which are all the rage.
At times of education shift this kind of TD becomes more and more common. Computers are the answer to successful learning! Using phones in class is THE thing (or maybe the spawn of the devil – ask the Australians!) Online teaching is completely different! Adaptive leaning is killing us (or is it translation technology? I can’t remember). And now AI. AI. AI.
The aim of this talk is to propose an approach to TD which will work with most topics and in most situations so that we can do all the things we mentioned above whatever ‘tricks’ are being introduced and, crucially, whether we are older or younger canines.