Dave Spencer
Dave is a practising secondary school teacher working in Spain. He studied languages at Oxford University and trained to be a secondary school teacher in 1986. He is the author of the best-selling ‘Gateway’ series, the latest edition of which is ‘Gateway to the World’. This will be Dave’s tenth trip to Georgia, and his fourth trip to Kutaisi. Dave is active on social media at
Conference Agenda
10:00 - 10:30
Registration
10:30 - 11:20
Session 1: What makes you say that?':Teaching critical thinking and reading
11:20 - 11:30
Break
11:30 - 12:20
Session 2: Feeling good? You should! English teachers and their amazing superpowers
12:20
Closing and Raffle
Dave Spencer talks in Kutaisi | 21 March 2026
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Talk 1: 'What makes you say that?':
Teaching critical thinking and reading
Nowadays our students have a great variety of texts and information sources just a click away. However, it’s clear to see that unlimited access to information brings risks, too. That’s why today’s teens, in particular, need to be able to evaluate what they read in a rational and open-minded way. In this session I will give practical classroom tips on how to get our students into the habit of thinking systematically and making balanced judgements about the texts, and images, that they are exposed to.
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Talk 2: Feeling good? You should! English teachers and their amazing superpowers
Recently there has been a lot of attention paid to student wellbeing. And, fortunately, this has also made us start to think more about teacher wellbeing too. In this light-hearted but uplifting session my aim will be to remind you all of just how important our profession is, and to remind you of the many unique strengths and superpowers English teachers possess, but that we (and others) sometimes forget, or take for granted. My ultimate aim? For you to walk out of the session feeling great to be an English teacher! (Oh, and you’ll come away with a few energising activities to use with your students too!)
Dave Spencer Talks in Tbilisi | 22 March 2026
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Talk 1: Getting teens talking! Developing oracy in the secondary classroom
Literacy and numeracy have long been the key pillars of education, but the concept of oracy (the ability to use the oral skills of speaking and listening) is relatively new. This webinar will explore the reasons why oracy has become so important in secondary schools today, and will suggest a variety of practical activities that our students can do every day to learn to speak (and think) more effectively, not only in English but in the students’ own language too.
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Talk 2: Write on! Helping students to really improve their writing
‘Why do my teenage students dislike writing so much?’ This is a question that frustrated teachers of teens often ask themselves. This interactive talk will take a realistic look at some of the main reasons why it can be hard to motivate teenage students to write in English. I will suggest some general tips, tricks and strategies that can help us to overcome our students’ reluctance to write. Then we will investigate a variety of practical classroom activities and games that will hopefully help students to realize that writing can, believe it or not, actually be enjoyable.
Dave Spencer
Dave is a practising secondary school teacher working in Spain. He studied languages at Oxford University and trained to be a secondary school teacher in 1986. He is the author of the best-selling ‘Gateway’ series, the latest edition of which is ‘Gateway to the World’. This will be Dave’s tenth trip to Georgia and Tbilisi! Dave is active on social media at
Conference Agenda
10:00 - 10:30
Registration
10:30 - 11:20
Session 1: Getting teens talking! Developing oracy in the secondary classroom
11:20 - 11:30
Coffee Break
11:30 - 12:20
Session 2: Write on! Helping students to really improve their writing
12:20
Closing and Raffle