Table of Contents

Photos

Thanks to Antonio for these photos of a happy event!

Presentations – downloads

(1) ALL Presentation promoting (Helen + Anna Lise)

ALL London Trainee reception 26 final ALL Parts 1 and 2 Download

(2) Presentations on ‘A Picture in my Pocket’ and ‘Singing in MFL’

These are available on a page which is private to those who registered. [Password sent via Eventbrite to those who registered].

2026 Trainee Teacher Event – private page

Event Report

Many thanks to Dr Joseph Ford and Jenny Stubbs of the Institute of Culture and Societies who generously arranged for ALL London to be able to hold the ‘ALL London Teacher Reception 2026’ in their centrally located accommodation. We were given such a friendly welcome from the site team and reception, and are very grateful to them.

As people arrived, there was an instant buzz as trainees were encouraged to ‘Find someone who …’. helped along by snacks and drinks. Thanks to the ALL office for providing useful notebooks back copies of ‘Languages Today’, pens, badges and stickers. We trust that these will act as a prompt to Trainees that they will benefit from joining ALL!

After getting to know each opther eter by answering the icebrteaker activty prepared by Wanda, Joe gave an overview of what the institute offers and invited members of the university to take advantage of the Senate House Library located on the top floor.

Helen introduced the London committee – a large, active and welcoming group who proudly describe themselves as a “professional languages family”. She highlighted the branch’s commitment to supporting trainee teachers, celebrating the diversity of London’s language community, and creating spaces where colleagues can meet, share ideas and feel part of something bigger.

What ALL London Offers

Helen outlined the rhythm of the branch’s year:

Two major face‑to‑face events each January and June, featuring plenaries, guest speakers, exhibitions, and parallel sessions for primary and secondary colleagues.
Dedicated trainee teacher support, including CV and interview guidance in January and an end‑of‑course celebration in June.
A thriving online presence, with regular webinars, a “show and tell” slot at the Language Show, and over 150 recorded sessions available on the ALL London website.
Active communication channels, including LinkedIn, WhatsApp, and social media networks, helping members stay connected between events.
Strong partnerships with London’s many cultural institutes, all of whom enrich the branch’s activities and promote language‑related events across the capital.
Involvement in London City of Languages, celebrating the 300+ languages spoken in the city and providing ready‑made resources for schools.

National Perspective

Dr Anna Lise Gordon, former ALL President, shared the national picture of ALL’s work. She emphasised the value of belonging to a wider professional community, from the flagship Language World conference to national webinars that have influenced policy discussions such as the recent GCSE consultation.

Anna Lise also explained the membership categories, highlighting the excellent value for trainee teachers and ECTs, who receive membership at less than half the standard rate for their first two years in teaching. (Less than the price of a coffee a every half term!).

She concluded her talk with a very touching story of an interaction with a learner who embedded a secret in his minibook… (If you weren’;’t here, Ask Anna Lise what it was when you come to an event !)

Membership Benefits

Attendees were shown the full range of benefits available to ALL members, including:

Regular updates on language education
Access to respected publications and practitioner‑led ideas
Discounts on events and resources
Opportunities to contribute to the professional community
A dedicated trainee teacher section on the website
The highly regarded Barry Jones archive, full of timeless advice for new teachers
Special Interest Groups, including the Home, Heritage and Community Languages (HHCL) zone, open to members and non‑members alike

A further 10% discount was offered to those joining with the code alllondon10.

Committee Contributions

Several committee members shared short, practical tips drawn from their classroom experience, giving trainees a flavour of the supportive expertise within the branch. These contributions reflected the ethos of ALL London: practical, generous, and rooted in real teaching. Wanda showed us how to make a ‘minibook, Elisena demonstrated how to use gestures to mime personal pronouns (useful for practising verb paradigms, Liz Fotheringham showed how much language you could elicit from ‘a picture in your pocket’ (thanks to the Internet!), Faris promoted using songs for a wide range of language learning objectives, and Nick demonstrated a pacey game of elimination guaranteed to get the whole class involved using gestures to indicate understanding (or not). He also urged trainees to prepare themselves sooner rather than later for job applications and CVs.

Attendees have access to ‘Picture in my pocket’ and ‘Songs’ on this password-protected page.

Closing Remarks

Helen concluded by thanking speakers, hosts and attendees, encouraging everyone to continue conversations, connect with committee members, and make the most of the resources available. Registrants will receive a link to download the full presentation as a PDF, along with additional materials and their attendance certificate. We hope that the event left participants with a strong sense of belonging, inspiration for the year ahead, and a clear understanding of how ALL London can support them as they begin their teaching journey.

2026 Trainee Teacher Event

Photos

Presentations – downloads

(1) ALL Presentation promoting (Helen + Anna Lise)

(2) Presentations on ‘A Picture in my Pocket’ and ‘Singing in MFL’

Event Report

Archive

Registration

Initial invitation

Planning your visit