A Night of Inspiration: Honoring Our Webinar Presenters on Innovation in EFL

We are thrilled to celebrate the resounding success of tonight's webinar, «Engaging Students with Thematic English Language Activities» masterfully organized bydedicated School Counselors, Thalia Chatziyannoglou (PE06/DIDE G' Athens) and Vasiliki Papaioannou (PE06/DIDE A' Athens). The event offered a wealth of practical ideas and profound insights into creative EFL methodologies.

Vivi Hamilou, Head Teacher and experienced EFL educator at the 4th Primary School of Almyros, brought her extensive background—spanning over 25 years and including an MA focused on technology-enhanced learning—to the fore. Her recognized commitment to pedagogical innovation, which earned her a Silver Award in 2025 for teacher training design, speaks to her deep belief in the transformative power of creativity and inclusive methodologies. Vivi’s expertise, particularly in the fields of educational technology and Project-Based Learning, grounds her work in fostering student voice, ensuring that her innovative approach is both theoretically sound and highly effective in the classroom.
Her presentation, «Bringing Texts to Life: Using Drama Techniques to Empower EFL Learners in Primary Education» provided actionable strategies to revolutionize everyday lessons. By showcasing simple, low-preparation techniques like role-play, freeze-frame, and story dramatization, Vivi demonstrated how to transform standard textbook tasks into meaningful, engaging experiences. This approach is invaluable for boosting students' speaking confidence and improving language retention, while simultaneously promoting essential student collaboration. Her practical examples, drawn directly from Greek coursebooks, proved that inclusive, creative learning is accessible to all educators.

Anna-Elizabeth Ladia-Hunter shared her passion for early-years education, drawing on her significant experience as a former EFL Coordinator and CLIL Coordinator (Content and Language Integrated Learning). Her background is rooted in curriculum development and materials design, where she successfully led teams in integrating language skills with subject content to create holistic and innovative learning environments. Anna-Elizabeth’s enthusiasm for fostering a love for learning in young minds is evident in her commitment to creative approaches that are both engaging for children and demonstrably effective pedagogically.
Her timely presentation, «🎃 Halloween in the Young EFL Classroom: Culture, Language & Play» offered a refreshing look at how to seamlessly integrate cultural topics into kindergarten and early primary EFL lessons. Beyond a brief overview of Halloween’s origins, Anna-Elizabeth provided a treasure trove of simple, age-appropriate ideas, including specific songs, games, and craft activities. Her suggestions empowered teachers to use a culturally relevant topic to effortlessly enhance language acquisition, ensuring that lessons are fun, meaningful, and perfectly pitched for young learners.

Garyfallia-Maria Fragkogeorgi (also known as Filitsa) is an accomplished English teacher and Deputy Head Teacher whose work is characterized by its international scope and focus on project-based learning. Holding a Master's in Educational Administration, her expertise in securing numerous quality labels through her extensive involvement in Erasmus+ and e-Twinning projects highlights her commitment to collaborative, high-standard European education. Her teaching methodology brilliantly integrates ICT to promote creativity and collaboration across vital themes like health, environment, and culture, positioning her as a champion for innovative and inclusive practices.
Her session, «‘Kids Talk about Nature’: Bringing English to Life through Experiential Learning» offered an inspiring case study of a successful multinational e-Twinning project involving kindergarteners from 15 countries. The project's unique strength lay in its methodology: developing early English speaking and listening skills in 5- to 6-year-olds through collaborative, play-based activities conducted in natural outdoor settings. This presentation showcased how experiential learning, supported by ICT tools, can transform language acquisition into a meaningful, real-world experience, achieving significant developmental outcomes outside the traditional classroom walls.

Margarita Kosior, is an educator, materials writer, storyteller, and children’s author, who shared her unique vision for linking language teaching with ethical responsibility. In recent years, Margarita has channeled her creative talents into the Tales of Strays Campaign, a powerful initiative that actively uses education and storytelling to advocate for companion animal welfare. Her diverse professional background provides a compelling foundation for teaching not just language skills, but also empathy, values, and civic engagement.
Margarita’s powerful session, «Teaching for a better tomorrow through creative expression» provided an invaluable blueprint for motivating students to become agents of positive change. She demonstrated how EFL teachers can leverage materials writing and storytelling to awaken students’ creativity and artistic expression. Crucially, the session showed how to guide students to use that expression—their art, their voice, and their language skills—to fight for an important social cause. This presentation was a moving reminder that language teaching is a profound vehicle for personal development and global citizenship. 🌍

I must thank every single person. 

Our presenters: the wealth of knowledge you shared today was truly exceptional, and the extra time we took was a testament to the value you delivered. 

Our attendees: thank you for allowing us that little extra time! We appreciate your flexibility and the focused attention you gave to the material, even as we pushed the clock. We trust that the time invested today will pay dividends. 

Thank you all, once again, for making this seminar such a success." ✨