Dogme in Practice

ELT professional who works as a teacher and teacher educator, materials writer and editor, writer, and speaker. He holds the ECPE, CELTA, DELTA, and TTT, and is currently doing an MA in ELT through the University of Chichester, with a focus on teacher education and assessment.practice and education. This paper is a part of her PhD project of Multilingual Lived Experience and Identity Construction in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China. 

Chapter 1: Scaffolding the Under-30 Bucket List

Brazil | Adults | A1

I am a dynamic ESL/EAP instructor and teacher trainer. My tenure includes 12 years at the American University in Cairo and 13 years at King Abdulaziz University’s English Language Institute in Jeddah. I specialize in creating inclusive curricula that resonate with multicultural audiences, fostering academic success, and managing diverse teaching styles. Her research interests include learner autonomy, advising in language learning, and positive psychology in education. 

Chapter 2: A Rainy Day in Jeddah

Saudi Arabia | Adults | A2 – B1

Brad Barker teaches at the Center for Foreign Language Education and Research (FLER) at Rikkyo University in Tokyo, Japan. His main research interests are spontaneity and improvisation in the language classroom, Dogme ELT, emergent language, and the negotiated syllabus.

Chapter 3: Teeth

Japan | Teens | B1 – C2

Peter Brereton is an English for Liberal Arts Instructor at International Christian University in Tokyo and a freelance teacher trainer. He has been involved in English language teaching since 2005 and has worked in a range of teaching contexts in France, Spain, Australia, Ireland, and, for the past decade, Japan.

Chapter 4: Dogme in Critical Thinking: Working with Emergent Beliefs

Japan | Adults | B1 – B2

Alexandra Burke teaches English at several universities in Japan. She is one of the editors of Barrier Free Instruction in Japan: Recommendations for Teachers at All Levels of Schooling (Candlin & Mynard ePublishing 2024). Received the 2024 JALT mid-career scholar award (research). Her goal is for all students to feel welcome in education.

Chapter 5: Getting Students Into the Zone

Japan | Adults | B1

Jamie Clayton is a Senior Educator at RMIT Vietnam. He has taught English since 2011, in Spain, England, and predominantly in Saigon. These days he is primarily involved in developing language assessments, but still very much enjoys teaching. 

Chapter 6: A Love Story

Vietnam | Adults | A2 – B2

An English teacher from Brazil with Cambridge C2 Proficiency and Cambridge CELTA with a penchant for reactive approaches to teaching. Teaching English since 2012 to both students and English teachers worldwide who aim at developing their level of language awareness, writing better, and passing Cambridge English exams (C1 and C2 levels).

Chapter 7: Teaching Grammar for Exam Preparation at the Point of Need

Brazil | Adults | C1 – C2

My life has always been blessed and fueled by an unwavering passion for continuous learning. During college, I tutored Calculus to first and second-year engineering students, driven by a keen desire to elevate underrepresented individuals to a higher level of expertise. 

Chapter 8: An Off-Grid Lesson Lights Up the Room

Egypt | Young Learners | A1

María José Dearmas has been an ELT teacher for 20 years. She has recently obtained her DELTA. Her professional interest is developing lessons where emergent language is tackled right on the spot, and where differentiated instruction and active learning are fully visible. 

Chapter 9: Dogme as Part of My Delta Journey

Uruguay | Young learners | A1 – B1

Jacqueline Douglas is a freelance teacher and trainer with 25 years of experience on five continents. She’s a materials writer, a Cambridge CELTA and DELTA tutor, and a regular speaker at conferences including IATEFL. When not in the classroom, she enjoys life in her South Cambridgeshire village.

Chapter 10: The Perfect School

UK | Adults | B1

Originally from the US state of New Hampshire, Jeremiah Dutch has lived in Japan for over 25 years. He currently teaches at Rikkyo University in Tokyo and lives in Yokohama with his wife and two daughters. He enjoys reading, writing, running, and following baseball.

Chapter 11: Teaching About Jackie Robinson in Japan

Japan | Adults | C1 – C2

Jenny has been teaching for 8 years in the south of Spain. A teacher and DOS, she is particularly interested in the confines of the language classroom within a traditional language school and how these boundaries can be manipulated and exploited in order to deliver learner-centered classes.  

Chapter 12: Have You Ever Been Bitten By a Shark?

Spain | Teens | A2 – B1

Chapter 13: Seeing the Class Through a Child’s Eyes

Spain | Young Learners | A1

Dylan Gates is a teacher educator, business English trainer, and Dogme advocate. He’s particularly interested in using an ‘unplugged’ approach with adult professionals as he feels they benefit more from participating in instructional conversations than attending teacher-led lessons. When he trains teachers, he always reminds them that ‘learners are the best resource’.

Chapter 14: A Minimal Model for Trainee Teachers

Spain | Adults | B2 – C1

A late learner of English (well into adulthood, through traveling), I have been teaching in contexts as diverse as Kazakhstan, Tunisia, and currently Sri Lanka. I am an avid reader of everything that advocates for progressive education and believe that teachers can contribute to making the world a better place. 

Chapter 15: The Best and Worst Weekend

Georgia | Teens | A1 – A2

Maria Glazunova is a Cambridge-certified ESL teacher, author, and speaker from Ukraine. She has been teaching for 12+ years. Emotional burnout led to a radical change in her approach. After online training with Scott Thornbury, she started to teach without coursebooks. Her focus now is to help tech professionals skyrocket their careers and build confidence with advanced English communication skills.

Chapter 16: Faces Behind the Screens

Ukraine | Teens & Adults | A1 – C1

Carol started in ELT in 2006 as an Adult Literacies and ESOL Worker in Scotland. She has also worked in more formal ELT contexts. She has an MSc in TESOL from the University of Stirling and an EdD from the University of Glasgow, where she now works as an Associate Tutor.  

Chapter 17: Moving to Where the Students Are

UK | Adults | A2 – B2

Chapter 18: That’s My Story!

UK | Teens | A1

MA English Language and Education, Cambridge DELTA. Secondary/ business college language teacher. Language/Public Speaking teacher (Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, since 2015), corporate trainer since 2000. Lives in Vilnius, Lithuania. A passionate learner, teacher, and painter. Her “Telling Stories with Watercolour” workshops are about to appear.

Chapter 19: Sharing the World of Dogme

Lithuania | Adults | A1 – C1

Nick Hamilton works as a teacher and teacher trainer at International House London. When he’s not working, he practices Wing Chun and Tai Chi, enjoys reading and playing guitar, and walks in the countryside of West Somerset where he comes from originally.

Chapter 20: A Personal Anecdote

UK | Adults | A2 – C1

Anna is an experienced teacher and trainer. She worked in ELT in New Zealand and Australia before moving to the Middle East. She is a CELTA tutor and assessor and has written various teacher development courses. She is passionate about anything related to IELTS and making better learning happen. 

Chapter 21: Strategising for IELTS

New Zealand | Adults | B1 – B2

Steven Herder is a professor at Kyoto Notre Dame Women’s University in Japan. He has been teaching EFL since 1989 and continues to enjoy spending time with young people. From 2025, he teaches about women and leadership in a Women’s Career Development program. He shares his teaching philosophy and research at https://jarinefl.wordpress.com

Chapter 22: Windows Into Interactive Teaching

Japan | Teens | A1 – B1

Peter Holly has taught, trained, and managed overseas all his life since leaving university. He has had full-time assignments in Sudan, Hungary, Bahrain, and the UAE – working with the British Council, Ministries of Education, and several ELT publishers. He now works as an ELT freelancer in Hungary. 

Chapter 23: Reuse, Reduce, Recycle

Hungary | Adults | A2 – C2

Jancileidi Hübner holds a Master of Linguistic Studies degree and is a teacher educator in Brazil. Besides her work in higher education, she has taught English to elementary and high school students for around 22 years. Her research interests are focused on the preparation of future English teachers. 

Chapter 24: Magicking Grammar Out of Student Talk

Brazil | Teens | B2 – C1

Originally from a small New England town in the U.S., I’m now a long-time private English language school owner in the countryside of Japan. My MS in TESOL is from Temple University, Tokyo. Although I enjoy language learners of all ages, my special passion is for teaching children.

Chapter 25: Circle Time

Japan | Young learners & Teens | A1 – B2

Originally from the UK, I’ve been living in Colombia since 2015. I’ve taught English in a variety of contexts but now I mostly teach IELTS preparation online.

Chapter 26: Talking Through Tricky Times

Colombia | Adults | B2

I’ve spent just over a decade teaching English. Initially, I taught at private language schools and corporate settings in Indonesia. After gaining my Delta certification in 2020, I’ve been working at IH London where I’ve learnt an invaluable amount from a team of passionate and experienced teachers in a collaborative atmosphere where innovative ideas are shared and there is a focus on learner-centric approaches.

Chapter 27: A Harry Potter Moment

UK | Adults | B2

Delta-qualified teacher of English, German, Russian, and French with over fourteen years of experience, CELTA and Delta M1, M3 trainer, PhD, speaking examiner for Cambridge A2-C2, and exam item writer for Trinity College London. 

Chapter 28: A Teacher Training Lens on Dogme

Russia | Adults | C1 – C2

Khanh-Duc Kuttig, a doctoral student at the Heidelberg University of Education, has an MA in TESOL and works with pre-service teachers in Germany. She is involved in IATEFL’s Teacher Training and Education SIG, TESOL’s Teacher Educator Interest Section, and is Chair of TESOL’s Professional Development Professional Council.

Chapter 29: Teacher Trainees Empowered by Dogme

Germany | Adults | B2 – C1

I worked in Russia for over 15 years, teaching English in different settings and providing teacher training. Two years ago, my family moved to Serbia, and I transitioned to freelancing. Now, I specialize in teaching English for Specific Purposes, particularly in IT and finance, and offer consultations to fellow educators.

Chapter 30: Collaborative Puzzle Solving

Russia | Adults | B1

With almost 20 years of experience, Clariana’s passion for language learning has taken her from Brazil to Italy. Inspired by Paulo Freire, she finds Dogme the perfect approach for creating engaging classrooms that respect diverse learner backgrounds. She fosters teacher communities, empowering instructors and students as their own best resources.

Chapter 31: Finding a New Rhythm

Italy | Teens | B2 – C1

I’ve been an English teacher for five years – working in Spain and the UK. After doing the DELTA course, I started working at International House London where I currently teach exam and general English courses. I love helping people learn and learning so much from my students in turn.

Chapter 32: Cooking Up an Impromptu Lesson

UK | Adults | C1

Degree in Linguistics and TESOL and Trinity CertTESOL. Currently doing my DipTESOL at Oxford House, Barcelona; my research is focused on teacher attitudes towards dealing with emergent language, collaborative peer observation in TD, and developing techniques for dealing with emergent language and teacher listening time.

Chapter 33: Plugged In: Music is Magic

Spain | Adults | A2 – B1

Originally from Ukraine, I have only taught in one workplace since I graduated from university. A lot of my students have become my close friends and even relatives. They are successful internationally and they keep me updated about their careers and life in general. Dogme rocks my world!

Chapter 34: My Lovely Neighbours

UK | Adults | B1

Hang Nguyen is currently an English teacher at a high school in a small town in Phu Yen, Vietnam. She has worked as a teacher for 7 years and obtained her master’s degree in TESOL at a university in Viet Nam. She is interested in English teaching and learning methods, particularly new methods to involve her students of all levels in English language learning.

Chapter 35: An “On-the-Spot” Lesson

Vietnam | Teens | B1

Sandra Ojeda holds an M.A. in TEFL and she has specialised in ICT, Teaching Practice, Research, Inclusive Education, and Sexuality Comprehensive Education. She is an educator at Universidad Autónoma de Entre Ríos and I.S.P.I 4020 in Argentina. She is an active member of the ELT community as a writer and presenter.

Chapter 36: Discussing Gender, Dogme Style

Argentina | Adults | A2 – B1

My three years at International House Costa Rica—a private language school—were among the happiest of my career. I gained invaluable experience, advancing as a CELTA and IHCYLT tutor, IH LAC trainer, and IELTS examiner.

Chapter 37: If You Were a Dogme, Would You Regret Barking?

Costa Rica | Adults | B1 – B2

Toggle Content

I’m an educator with a passion for teaching and always looking to add a fun twist to class. Holding a Cambridge CELTA and a BA (Hons.) in English and TESOL from Coventry University, I’ve embarked on adventurous teaching journeys at the British Council and Avinya Foundation in Sri Lanka.

Chapter 38: Building Blocks with Beginners

Sri Lanka | Young Adults | Pre-A1 – A1

I’m Vida Rahpeima, an English educator with 8 years of experience. I started teaching at 16.  I hold a B.A. in English Teaching. Two years ago, I did my CELTA, and I recently passed my Delta Module One with merit, deepening my expertise. Passionate about guiding students in language learning journeys. 

Chapter 39: Next-Level Motivation for Teenagers

Iran | Teens | B1

Mahdi Ramezani is an accomplished university instructor, teacher trainer, and ESL/EAL educator with a keen interest in researching Second Language Acquisition (SLA) and Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT). With expertise in SLA theory and a passion for teaching, he creates dynamic lessons tailored to diverse learners’ needs, aiming to advance language proficiency and cultural awareness.

Chapter 40: Talking Without Limits

Canada | Adults | B1 – B2

Debora Rocha, a Brazilian educator, was educated in Film Production at UCLA and holds a CELTA certification. With a background in language schools, she now thrives as a freelance online teacher, blending her expertise in education and film to create engaging learning experiences for her students. 

Chapter 41: Life Lessons for 1–1

Brazil | Adults | A2 – B1

Chris Roland is a freelance teacher, trainer, and methodology writer based in Seville, where he has lived, on and off, since 2000. His other teaching posts have included Damascus, Barcelona, and Cádiz. He considers himself a 4×4 all-terrain teacher covering young learners, teenagers, and adult classes.

Chapter 42: Harnessing the Communication

Spain | Young learners | A1 – A2

Valeria Russo holds a PhD in English Language. She is an adjunct teacher of English for Tourism Science at the University of Calabria and was an English Instructor in Higher Education for 3 years. She is currently teaching English at Vocational High School for mechanics.

Chapter 43: Critical Thinking for Trainee Mechanics

Italy | Teens | A1 – B1

Kevin has taught in Chicago, Barcelona, Nanjing, and Tokyo. Recently retired, now “emeritus”, he teaches part-time at a large university in Tokyo. Tech, cycling, and learning Japanese continue to challenge him. 

Chapter 44: Adapting Old Activities to New Contexts

Japan | Adults | B1

I’m a Lebanese EFL teacher, passionate about teaching and learning. Throughout my career, I’ve taken on various roles, from teaching English to leading curriculum development as Head of the English Department. Currently working on my M2 Thesis, I’m studying the impact of Dogme ELT on enhancing 11th graders’ speaking efficacy.

Chapter 45: From a Frown to a Smile: Conversation as Connection

Lebanon | Teens | A1 – A2

Barbara Hoskins Sakamoto is co-author of the bestselling Let’s Go series, and course director of the International Teacher Development Institute (www.itdi.pro). She is an English Language Specialist with the U.S. State Department and has conducted teacher training workshops in Asia, Europe, the Americas, and online.

Chapter 46: One of My Favorite Souvenirs

Japan | Adults | A2 – B1

Having taught business English for over 17 years, Maria is a Cambridge-certified teacher, coach, and blogger with profound hands-on experience in business. Currently, in Alicante, Spain, she is pursuing her Master’s degree at NILE and studying Instructional Leadership at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Chapter 47: There is No Such Thing as a Bad Question

Spain | Adults | B2 – C2

I am an ESL/EAP teacher and teacher trainer based in Toronto with 16 years of experience. I hold a Master’s and Ph.D. in TEFL and have published research papers, but my true passion is conducting action research to help current and prospective teachers enhance their teaching skills. 

Chapter 48: I Wonder Why…

Canada | Adults | B2 – C1

Ally Shepherd is a British teacher, trainer, and manager finishing a PhD in Education Policy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA. She is from the North of England but is often found elsewhere having taught in Europe, S.E. Asia, and North America.

Chapter 49: Teaching OFF the Students

UK | Adults | B1 – C2

Sam Shepherd is an ESOL teacher working in Bradford in the UK, teaching students who have come to live permanently in the UK. At the time of writing, he is finishing a PhD looking at an emergent, responsive curriculum in ESOL on principles drawn from Dogme and from participatory pedagogy.

Chapter 50: Mediating Emergent Language with Beginners

UK | Adults | A1

Bruno Sousa is a teacher and teacher trainer based in Brazil. He has worked in EFL since 2010. He holds the Delta, CELTA, Train the Trainer, TKT CLIL, and CPE qualifications. His interests, currently, revolve around bi/multilingualism, ideology in ELT, and teacher training.

Chapter 51: Dogme as an Unwinding Tool

Brazil | Teens | B2

Charlie Taylor is currently a graduate student in the English and American Studies department at the University of Graz. He taught English at high schools and universities in Taiwan for seven years, and he has published over thirty articles on second language acquisition and English teaching.

Chapter 52: A School Magazine

Taiwan | Teens | B2 – C1

Rachel is a freelance teacher, teacher educator, and ELT blogger from Athens, Greece. You might know her from her blog, The TEFL Zone.  She has taught students of over 50 nationalities, in 6 countries and online. She is currently an assistant tutor on DELTA Module 2 courses. 

Chapter 53: A Trip to Venice

Spain | Adults | B2 – C1

Kata Ujvarosi (DELTA, IH TT, BA in Education, IH CAM, CELTA) is a freelance EFL teacher and teacher trainer collaborating with learners and schools globally, including IH Budapest. She is particularly interested in helping learners communicate globally while fostering positive self-efficacy to facilitate learning and make teaching programmes more learner-centered.

Chapter 54: A Weekend in “Destination Unknown”

Italy | Adults | B1

I am currently in my first year of teaching as an English language teacher at International House London and a former primary school teacher.

Chapter 55: Daring to Go With the Flow

UK | Adults | B1

Christopher Walker is the Director of Studies at International House Bielsko-Biala, where he has been a teacher for fifteen years. Though his work is more administrative these days, he still loves getting into the classroom whenever he can. Outside of teaching, Christopher enjoys writing – both fiction and teaching-related nonfiction.

Chapter 56: Teaching Away From the Test

Poland | Teens | B2 – C1

Marina Yesipenko holds an MA in TESOL and Applied Linguistics, along with DELTA, IHCYLT, CELTA, and NILE certifications. A teacher and trainer for nearly 20 years, her interests include linguistics, teaching methodology, language acquisition, cognitive science, social semiotics, and multimodality.

Chapter 57: Asking Questions of AI

Ukraine | Teens & Adults | B1 – C1

Roslyn Young has over 50 years of experience teaching foreign languages.  She taught English and sometimes French at the Centre de Linguistique Appliquée in Besançon, France. Together with other members of that team, she has been using the approach she describes for intermediate and advanced students for many years.

Chapter 58: One Long Free Conversation

France | Adults | A1 – A2