EAL Symposium Series
Everyone is a Language Teacher
Building Bridges Across Content and Language
Puchong 🇲🇾 | Kobe 🇯🇵 | Shanghai 🇨🇳 | and more cities to be announced!
We Heard You.
After three successful years in Shenzhen, the EAL Symposium is going regional. Driven by overwhelming feedback and a growing demand for practical, school-wide language strategies, we are expanding to three new hubs in 2026.
The movement is coming to you. We believe language belongs in every classroom—from Math and Science to PE and the Arts. Join our growing community of educators dedicated to dismantling silos and ensuring that every teacher is empowered to be a language teacher.
Mar, 2026
Sep, 2025
Jan, 2025
Integrated Strategies
Practical methods for embedding
language support directly into math, science, arts, and PE.
Innovation Labs
Collaborative work sessions to
transform new ideas into concrete,
school-specific action plans.
Table Topics Café
Low-stakes, high-impact peer discussions focused on classroom identity, belonging, and shared experiences.
Professional Networking
Structured sessions to build a lasting support community of EAL specialists
and content teachers
Language is at the heart of every learning experience.
Whether in mathematics, science, physical education, or the arts, the ability to communicate ideas and express understanding depends on language.
The 2026 EAL Symposium Series brings together educators who believe that language learning belongs everywhere. This is more than a conference—it is a cross-regional movement to dismantle silos and build school-wide cultures of linguistic inclusion.
"I would recommend this symposium to anyone looking for practical advice and ideas on EAL teaching and learning which can easily be incorporated into lessons, planning and assessments."
— Leanne Rees, Secondary EAL Teacher at The British School of Guangzhou
Choose your location
Join us at one of our three regional hubs. Every event features the same core format, essential questions, and expert-led Innovation Labs.
Oct 17 Sat
Puchong,
Malaysia
Taylor’s International School
Nov 7 Sat
Kobe,
Japan
Marist Brothers International School
Nov 21 Sat
Shanghai,
China
YCIS Puxi
Essential Questions
Participants will explore practical strategies, share classroom experiences, and learn from colleagues across disciplines. Together, we will ask:
How do content-area teachers integrate language learning into their practice?
What does it look like when language and subject knowledge grow side by side?
How can schools create environments where every teacher feels confident supporting language development?
This conference is not just about listening—it is about participating, exchanging, and taking action. You will leave with concrete strategies, renewed inspiration, and a community of peers to lean on long after the event ends.
About the Series Host
Celina Mathews
Founder of Fluency Compass
Celina Mathews is the EAL Program Lead at Shekou International School, where she designs and leads school-wide approaches to multilingual learning. She specializes in building inclusive language support systems, developing adaptive language assessments, and strengthening collaboration between EAL specialists and classroom teachers. Celina is also the founder of Fluency Compass, an adaptive, AI-enabled language proficiency assessment platform that empowers schools to make informed decisions about student support and growth. She is passionate about data-informed practice, multilingual identity development, and building communities of educators who learn together.
Why Attend?
By the end of the symposium, participants will:
Gain practical strategies for embedding language learning into content teaching.
Learn from peers across subject areas, sharing both successes and challenges.
Build an action plan for their school through Innovation Labs.
Connect with a growing network dedicated to supporting multilingual learners.
Explore tools and resources from sponsors that can support teaching and learning.
Register Now
Register Now
Oct 17 Sat
Puchong, Malaysia
MYR 859 MYR 630
Nov 7 Sat
Kobe, Japan
JPY 28,000
Nov 21 Sat
Shanghai, China
CNY 1,500 CNY 1,100
Don't let paperwork wait. Go ahead and register, and you can handle the approval process once the invoice arrives.
Agenda Highlights
Presentation Sessions
Across three main sessions, participants will have the opportunity to attend multiple presentations from educators working in different subject areas. You’ll be able to choose from a wide range of practical, content-focused ideas. Presenters will include SIOP-certified teachers, science and PE specialists, homeroom educators, and more—ensuring a strong focus on the intersection of language and content teaching.
Table Topics Café
Sometimes the most valuable professional learning comes from an informal conversation over coffee.
At the Table Topics Café, participants will engage in small-group table discussions on designated themes—ranging from language learning strategies to fostering identity and belonging in the classroom. Lightly structured prompts will help spark ideas, but the heart of the learning happens through shared experience and peer exchange.
This café-style segment also features sponsor booths and conversation tables, giving participants a chance to hear directly from partner organizations about innovative tools, resources, and services that support language development across K–12 classrooms. Whether exploring a new learning platform, discovering multilingual resources, or learning from sponsor expertise, participants are invited to connect, ask questions, and gather ideas to bring back to their school communities.
Interactive Networking
Relationships are the foundation of professional growth. We’ll host a structured interactive networking session designed to help you meet new colleagues, make professional connections, and expand your support network across schools and regions.
Innovation Labs
Ideas are powerful, but they only transform learning when they are acted upon. That’s why this conference builds in dedicated Innovation Lab time for school teams. These collaborative sessions give educators the chance to translate conference takeaways into concrete action plans tailored to their school contexts.
Become a Speaker
We are inviting educators to share practical, classroom-tested ideas that help all teachers support language development across subject areas. If you are integrating language and content in your practice, experimenting with new approaches, or leading work to improve outcomes for multilingual learners, we would love to hear from you.
Share your practice and help strengthen language-rich teaching in every classroom:
Register Now
