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Equipped with a wealth of Business English teaching experience and a passion for digital content, Umut Ergöz, Academic Operations Coordinator for Bridge Corporate Language Learning, has recently joined the IATEFL Business English Special Interest Group (BESIG) as its newest Non-Committee Content Curator & Poster Volunteer. Umut shares how he intends to leverage his background and experience in this niche, the responsibilities his role entails, and how this chance to connect and support more Business English teachers will contribute to his professional growth.
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The value of IATEFL Business English SIG
In continuously promoting connections among ELT professionals and keeping them abreast of industry trends and best practices, the International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language (IATEFL) provides avenues such as regular events, partnerships with teacher associations, and access to journals and other published studies for its members. On top of these, the organization also fosters the professional advancement of ELT professionals in specific areas or niches of the English teaching field through its Special Interest Groups (SIGs), which range from young learners to ESOL to learning technologies SIGs.
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Get CertifiedOne of these special interest groups, the Business English Special Interest Group (BESIG), encourages its members’ professional development through a variety of programs and activities, from forums to workshops, and published Business English teaching resources. Joining this special interest group benefits Business English educators in a myriad of ways. For new Business English teachers, membership can be particularly valuable as they receive support from fellow members, be it for building their skills in teaching adult professionals or addressing issues. Meanwhile, experienced teachers can expand their networks and share valuable knowledge and experiences with other members.
Making connections and sharing expertise
Given his background in teaching Business English, teacher training, online content curating, and web design, Umut was motivated to apply for the Content Curator & Poster Volunteer position by the opportunity to pass on his knowledge about teaching, cultures, and language learning to other educators.
“I applied because firstly, I wanted to share my experience and knowledge with other Business English teachers,” he said. “I felt it was time to give something back to the Business English area. I love sharing my knowledge and experience with others and thanks to social media, different events, and channels, it is extremely easy to do so now. Secondly, I am a digital native. I was born into social media and the internet. My entire life was curating and seeing different content on the internet. Because of that, I felt like it was the right position for me.”
For Umut, his new role at IATEFL BESIG also complements his current position at Bridge as the Academic Operations Coordinator, as both will give him a chance to connect with and learn from ELT professionals from around the world.
“At Bridge, I work with 100 teachers from more than 40 countries every day and as I teach them different things, I am learning from them at the same time,” he said. “Meanwhile, being the Content Curator & Poster Volunteer at BESIG will allow me to have more connections and networking opportunities with amazing professionals. It also allows me to teach and learn from the experienced BESIG team. Overall, I think the experiences I will gain from my role at BESIG will have a positive impact on my work at Bridge.”
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Apply TodayThe role of Content Curator and Poster Volunteer
As IATEFL BESIG’s new Content Curator and Poster Volunteer, Umut will be mainly in charge of sourcing high-quality content from various sources, such as videos, articles, images, and infographics. In addition, he will organize curated content into thematic collections and collaborate with the social media team to develop content strategies and themes for upcoming campaigns. “It’s extremely exciting for me! I love developing strategies for campaigns and sharing infographics,” he commented.
In selecting and developing content, Umut can also leverage his expertise and experience in teaching Business English by putting himself in Business English teachers’ shoes. “To make posts more interesting and attention-grabbing, you have to understand the hardships Business English teachers are going through. Also, to design campaigns for Business English-related activities, you have to know what it’s like to teach Business English classes. You should also be able to see it from different perspectives, like the corporate side, the sales side, and the teacher experience and student experience sides,” he pointed out.
Learn how to create engaging multimedia content for Business English learners.
Staying in tune with the industry
In his role at Bridge Corporate Language Learning, Umut closely works with a global staff of teachers by providing regular training, organizing events like workshops, and publishing Bridge’s monthly Teacher Connection newsletter. Now, working with IATEFL BESIG will allow him to further help Bridge teachers stay on top of trends and keep them informed on news in the English teaching field. Moreover, Umut sees getting involved with BESIG publications and events as an opportunity to learn about developing activities for Bridge teachers as well.
“Curating different types of content for BESIG will allow me to make our workshops more professional; plus, it will give me some ideas for the newsletter,” he said. “I feel lucky that my positions at Bridge and BESIG complement each other.”
As he steps into his new role at BESIG, Umut looks forward to meeting and learning from the team with whom he will work.
“I am looking forward to collaborating with amazing minds,” he said. “Thanks to organizations like Bridge and BESIG, you meet with amazing people, your horizon widens immediately, and you never see the world the same way anymore. I love learning and teaching. Learning is about 95 percent of teaching. So, I guess I am looking forward to both learning and teaching.”
