Eaquals Conference 2025: Highlights from Malta
Eaquals Annual International Conference 2025:
A Global Gathering in Malta
The Eaquals Annual International Conference 2025, held from 27th to 29th March, welcomed over 280 participants from 33 countries across five continents, making it a truly global event for language educators. Among them, more than 120 were first-time attendees, creating a great mix of familiar and new faces. This balance encouraged fresh perspectives, networking, and valuable discussions, making the event a great opportunity to learn from one another.
Day One: Laying the Foundations
The conference commenced with a highly engaging Management Training session delivered by Dr. Giorgio
Iemmolo on Project Management in Education: Models, Case Studies, and Hands-On Practice. This session provided attendees with practical tools and strategies to implement within their institutions.
Simultaneously, Eaquals Inspector CPD sessions took place, offering professional development opportunities for those dedicated to maintaining the highest quality standards in language education.
The Official Opening and Awards
The official opening was led by Lou McLaughlin, Eaquals Executive Director, and Thom Kiddle, Chair of the Board
of Trustees. A touching moment followed as a message from Peter Brown was played in memory of the late Frank Heyworth, one of Eaquals’ founding members, who passed away earlier this year.
The event continued with the Eaquals Awards Ceremony, recognizing this year’s Teacher Award winner, Elif Altali, and the Scholarship Award recipients: Koray Tunc, Kassandra Robertson, Yesim Cekuc, Ozlem Postert, and Mehmet Celikbas (in absentia). These awards celebrate educators making a difference in language teaching.
Keynote Plenary and Expert Sessions
The Tim Goodier Memorial Plenary, delivered by Zarina Subhan, set the tone for the conference
with a thought-provoking session titled Towards Establishing a Common Understanding of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in ELT. This plenary explored how language institutions can reflect and promote the diversity of the global world, moving beyond a box-ticking exercise to making DEI a part of the learning experience.
The remainder of the day featured a variety of concurrent sessions, with attendees selecting from five key strands:
- Best Practice in Language Teaching and Learning
- Course Design, CEFR & Assessment
- Leadership & Management
- Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
- Developments in Language Education
Three Days of Learning, Networking, and Connection
The conference provided a valuable space for attendees to exchange insights, build connections, and continue discussions beyond sessions. A highlight was the Gala Night, a much-loved tradition where participants could unwind, enjoy Maltese hospitality, and strengthen professional ties in a relaxed setting.
Closing Plenary and Exciting Announcements
The final day of the conference concluded with a compelling Closing Plenary by Daniel Xerri, Chairperson of the
ELT Council in Malta, titled Sharing is Caring: Some Lessons on Professional Learning. His talk emphasized the power of collaboration in the ever-evolving field of language education, showcasing how openness to sharing ideas and experiences drives innovation and professional growth.
Following the plenary, Lou McLaughlin and Thom Kiddle revealed the much-anticipated location of next year’s Eaquals Annual International Conference—Berlin, Germany, scheduled for 12-14 March 2026. Additionally, they announced the dates for Eaquals Online, the association’s virtual conference designed to reach an even broader audience, set to take place on 10-11 October 2025.
Our Sponsors and Contributors
The success of Eaquals 2025 would not have been possible without the generous support of our sponsors:
- Platinum Sponsor: Macmillan Education
- Gold Sponsors: Avallain, Pearson, Cambridge, Oxford University Press
- Silver Sponsors: ELT Council Malta, Audio Visual Centre, LanguageCert, Trinity College London, National Geographic Learning, and Guided E-Learning
We extend our gratitude to our speakers, the Eaquals Board of Trustees, and all our attendees. It is thanks to the dedication, expertise, and enthusiasm of these individuals and organizations that the Eaquals Annual International Conference was another successful gathering of language education professionals.
Looking Forward to the Future of Language Education
Lou McLaughlin, Eaquals Executive Director, explained that “At Eaquals, we are always looking for new ways to
support our members and enhance language education. The conference is a key moment to share progress, like the LAPP project—a free assessment course now used by over 450 teachers. We also expanded access to our Frameworks e.g. Teacher Development Framework, Academic Management Competences Framework by translating them into Italian, French, German, and Spanish.
Eaquals is growing, with new members and participants joining from across the world—including Costa Rica, UAE, Morocco, and Georgia—showing how our commitment to quality education is expanding into new regions. This conference reflects that shared dedication, bringing professionals together to exchange ideas and drive progress in language teaching.”
As we wrap up another fantastic Eaquals Conference, we look forward to bringing the community together again in Berlin in 2026. Until then, let’s keep the conversations going and continue working towards excellence in language education.
We invite you to click here for the conference programme and you can view the official conference photographs in the album below.
