Teaching Unplugged is led by Luke Meddings, award-winning author, international speaker and co-founder of Dogme ELT.
Who is this course for?
This is a course for anyone who wants to teach more responsively, focus on language at the point of need, and collaborate with their students on content creation.
What will you achieve?
You will do some classic unplugged tasks and work on the emergent language; you’ll see how meaningful, motivating classroom content can be derived from everyday life; you’ll work on your own unplugged tasks and lesson design, and have the chance to try them out with your peers; and explore how unplugged practice can co-exist and flourish in the wider teaching context.
Led by Luke Meddings, award-winning author, international speaker and co-founder of Dogme ELT. Luke co-wrote Teaching Unplugged with Scott Thornbury (2009), and has trained extensively on the approach since then. Dogme in Practice, another collaboration with Scott Thornbury, appeared in 2025.
– Experience, understand and use ELT materials for different teaching contexts
-Build your confidence in using a variety of techniques and approaches for teaching language and skills
-Explore ways to motivate and engage learners
-Share teaching experiences with other professionals
View the Sample Timetable nowWhat will Teaching Unplugged cover?
Click the boxes below to find out more.
Experimental Teaching Approach
Together trainiees will trace the trajectory of ELT methodology over the past 50 years, including the role of Dogme and other ‘experimental’ approaches; consider how learning needs have evolved; and explore the benefits and the challenges of unplugging in our own teaching contexts.
Responsive Teaching
Trainiees will discuss their experiences of responsive teaching at different times, in different schools and in different classes; they will consider where the space for unplugged is in their own practice, and how to make the most of it.
Trainiees will do some classic unplugged tasks together and work on the emergent language; they will see how meaningful, motivating classroom content can be derived from everyday life; trainiees willwork on their own unplugged tasks and lesson design, and have the chance to try them out with their peers; and we’ll explore how unplugged practice can co-exist and flourish in the wider teaching context.
About Luke Meddings
Luke Meddings was born in London in 1965, and grew up in East Sussex, England. He graduated from Oxford University in 1987 and trained as an ELT teacher at International House, Piccadilly, before working at Frances King School of English.
After a two-year spell as Deputy Editor of the EL Gazette he co-founded Lilian Bishop School of English, an experimental language school in London where he was able to put ideas derived from his teaching and journalism into practice – in particular the realisation that most people were now coming to the UK not ‘for’ English, to learn it from scratch, but ‘with’ English, to use and improve it.
Luke has trained extensively giving talks and short courses in Algeria, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Poland, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey and the UK.
In 2000 he co-founded the Dogme in ELT movement with Scott Thornbury, and contributed a column and blog on the subject for the Guardian news.
Luke and Scott published Teaching Unplugged with Delta in 2009, and the book won a British Council ELTon Award for Innovation in 2010.
Dogme in Practice, another collaboration with Scott Thornbury compiling teacher narratives from around the world, was published by iTDi in 2025.
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Here is a Sample Timetable. Please note, this only gives an indication of what you will learn on the course.
| 2 weeks | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
|
Week 1 9:00-12:00 |
Activities for Ice-breaking Activities for diagnosing language and skills needs Designing needs analysis for your learners |
Exploiting dialogues for listening / speaking Using dialogues for language teaching How to make your own dialogues |
Exploiting short clips, animation and short films for language and skills work How to choose clips for language teaching How to create your own film activities |
Teaching grammar creatively Exploiting a guided discovery approach to grammar How to design your own noticing activities |
Lexis activities that work Using or not using the mother tongue with lexis How to create meaningful lexis activities that get learners using the language |
|
Week 2 9:00-12:00 |
How to develop listening skills rather than just test them Decoding and meaning-building activities How to choose your own texts and design your own listening activities |
Modern pronunciation activities and techniques Working with sounds Working with connected speech How to keep drilling and other repetition activities fun |
Teaching 1:1 online/offline How to work with emerging language Correcting and extending learner language (written and spoken) |
Storytelling How to use stories to develop the 4 skills Using a TBL framework when designing linked skills lessons |
How to review language Activities and games for developing memory and recall How to train learners to keep and use lexical notebooks |
Trainee Accommodation
Homestays & Residences
We want your time in London to be super comfortable! Live with a welcoming host family to immerse yourself in British culture or stay at a modern student residence within Zone 1/2 of London.
Homestays ResidencesAny questions? Ask our Sales team
Get in touch
Book a Calendly consultation to speak with a course advisor on the phone or over a video call. Alternatively, you can complete our online Enquiry Form and our team will contact you via email or a phone call.
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