The GISIG Committee is a team of practising ELT professionals, located in four different countries. All of us are unpaid volunteers, who are committed to raising the profile of global issues within English language teaching. We actively encourage and invite all our members to get involved in the activities of the SIG. If you have feedback, ideas for future projects or collaborations, or would like to join the committee, please get in touch!
Rajaa Abu Jasser (Gaza) – Joint Coordinator
Rajaa Abu Jasser is an EFL teacher of large classes of children based in Gaza, Palestine – a context with very limited resources and a very challenging working environment. She’s also the Gaza based coordinator of the Hands up Project charity and is responsible for connecting Palestinian teachers with remote volunteers around the world. She loves the opportunities for intercultural learning that this work provides. | Email
Nick Bilbrough (UK) – Joint Coordinator
Nick Bilbrough is a teacher, teacher trainer and author of methodology books for language teachers. He founded the Hands up Project charity in 2016 as way to develop the English language skills of young people in Palestine through storytelling, remote theatre and intercultural communication. He’s particularly interested in context specific teacher training approaches and in English as a tool to amplify the voices of the oppressed. | Email
Linda Ruas (UK) – Publications
Linda Ruas now teaches ESOL and CELTA at a London FE College, manages the New Internationalist Easier English wiki, and also works with English teachers in Guinea Bissau and other West African countries via WhatsApp. Linda’s main interests are human rights, equality, justice and social issues in Africa. | Email
László Hajba (Hungary) – Online
László Hajba is a freelance ELT teacher and materials writer based in Budapest. He is also the national coordinator of the PeaceCamp project, bringing together Jewish, Palestinian, Hungarian and Austrian teenagers and refugees every year to discuss issues of peaceful coexistence. His interests include gamification, critical pedagogy, peace education and LGBTQ+ issues. | Email
Hind Elyas (Saudi Arabia) – Publications/Events
Hind Elyas is an English Instructor at Niagara College in KSA. She is the Executive Secretary at Africa ELTA, the Incoming Chair of the TESOL International PDPC and an Advisory Board Member at National Geographic. Hind was selected as a 2021 TESOL International Leadership Mentoring Award recipient and an Ambassador for the 2021 TESOL International Convention and English Language Expo. Growing up in the UK and Saudi Arabia, Hind developed an interest in different cultures, social diversity and change, the reason why she joined the the Global Issues SIG | Email
Gergő Fekete (Hungary) – Online
Gergő Fekete is based in Budapest where he works as a teacher of English and German at primary and secondary level. Using his CELTA, he is also active in international summer camps teaching English to multicultural groups. His study and work experience abroad sparked his interest in global issues, diversity, and creativity in language teaching, which guided him to IATEFL’s Global Issues SIG in 2016. | Email
Patrice Kané – Online
Patrice Kané is an EFL teacher and pedagogical advisor at a secondary school in Mali. He has been involved in ELT since 2021 and has delivered training for teachers under the British Council English Connects project. Patrice is the President of a local teachers association in Dioïla and also a member of Malian Association of Teachers of English (MATE). | Email
Owain Llewellyn – Online
Owain is an environmentalist and language teacher who took part in direct action to prevent oil companies from drilling in Cardigan Bay. As a language teacher, he had the opportunity to raise awareness of environmental issues and bring the dialogue about sustainability into the classroom. He is the creator of ELT Sustainable. His professional interests are EdTech integration and global citizenship. He has an MA in ELT and is now an EAP tutor and year lead at the University of Wales. | Email
Milena Jakičević – Events
Milena is based in London and works as a Development Editor at National Geographic Learning (NGL). She’s previously taught English as a foreign and second language in a variety of countries, including Spain and the UK. Milena’s keen interest in social justice within language learning and education only increased after obtaining her MA in Applied Linguistics and entering the ELT publishing scene. She’s passionate about social justice, LGBTQIA+ rights & representation as well as the genuine and diverse inclusion of migrant voices within language learning materials. | Email
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