Prof. Daniel Xerri, an Associate Professor at the Centre for Academic Literacies and English Communication Skills, delivered an invited plenary talk at the annual conference organised by the International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language (IATEFL).

The conference was held in Edinburgh and was attended by around 2,500 delegates. The IATEFL Conference is a four-day event dedicated to celebrating the English Language Teaching (ELT) profession. It features over 500 academic sessions, an exhibition showcasing the latest innovations in ELT, and many networking opportunities. It brings together professionals from across the globe.

Prof. Xerri’s plenary was entitled ‘Teachers and Classroom Research: Ownership, Relevance, and Conceptualisations’. Language teachers are sometimes described as having a difficult relationship with classroom research. In his talk, Prof. Xerri explored how the underlying reasons for this are related to who owns the research process, its relevance for teachers and learners, and the way research is conceptualised. He examined how rethinking what research consists of can empower teachers to be owners of the process on their terms, for their professional needs, and in ways that are relevant to their contexts, learners, and practice.

Prof. Xerri is a seasoned international conference speaker who has delivered more than 50 invited talks around the world, most of which have consisted of plenaries and keynotes.