Professional development

Professional development is vital for all. TeachingEnglish supports your growth in English language teaching, whether you are a teacher, teacher educator, academic manager, researcher or materials writer.

Here you will find free, self-access, online training and resources designed to develop the skills and knowledge you need as an English language professional.

Our professional development resources are organised by audience (teachers or teacher educators), professional practices and professional development level. The professional practices and professional development levels align with the British Council’s Continuing Professional Development Frameworks for teachers and teacher educators. These two unique frameworks, and the professional practices within them, address the skills and knowledge English language professionals need in their day-to-day working lives and throughout their careers.

Pathways: Planning lessons and courses

Develop your skills in planning lessons and courses with this ready-made pathway of resources for English teachers.

Group of Black students working on a project together outside, looking at a laptop

Rethinking global issues: AI, equity and climate – webinars

Watch the recordings of two practical sessions that will help you rethink AI, equity and climate issues in your classroom.

two teacher educators having a mentoring discussion

Mentoring and professional development – webinars

Watch a recording of our webinar facilitated by Nelson Arditto to explore effective mentoring approaches, feedback strategies, and reflective practice.

diverse group of primary learners sitting at a table with their teacher

Pathways: Teaching English to primary learners

Explore this ready-made pathway of free tools and resources to help you teach English to primary learners.

Diverse group of young learners in a classroom, smiling and reading texts out loud

Creative lesson planning – webinars

Watch the recordings of three webinars to help you inspire your English learners through arts, storytelling and creativity. The live event took place on 14 November 2025.

A mixed-race teacher points to an illustration as she reads a picturebook to her learners in a classroom

Moving between languages: Translanguaging pedagogy with picturebooks

Discover how moving between languages in class can benefit your learners, and learn strategies for translanguaging with picturebooks.

Bringing today’s world into the classroom – webinars

Watch a recording of our November 2025 webinar facilitated by Annamaria Pinter and Helen Sherwin to explore gaming-informed ways to make classrooms more engaging, collaborative, and relevant to learners’ real-world experiences.

A Pakistani female teacher wearing a vibrant orange headscarf in a classroom

World Teachers' Day 2025 Thursday 9 October

Watch recordings of the opening day of our three-day World Teachers’ Day conference. Cecilia Nobre’s plenary explores how teachers can connect, reflect and grow, followed by interactive and inspiring webinars on the themes of CPD and digital technology. The live event took place on Thursday 9 October 2025.

Black woman wearing a brightly coloured dress teaching in front of a blackboard in a classroom in Kenya

World Teachers' Day 2025 Friday 10 October

Watch recordings from day two of our World Teachers’ Day conference. Watch our panel of experts discuss multilingual approaches in the language classroom and watch practical webinars on the themes of multilingualism and 21st-century skills. The live event took place on Friday 10 October 2025.

Mexican teacher looking at the camera whilst standing in front of his classroom of young learners

World Teachers' Day 2025 Saturday 11 October

Watch the recordings from the final day of our World Teachers’ Day conference. Christopher Graham inspires you to teach for a world that cares for the environment and society, and expert teachers from around the world focus on two themes: climate action and how to improve your learners’ speaking and vocabulary skills. The live event took place on Saturday 11 October 2025.

Teaching resources