EAL Symposium 2026 | Shenzhen
Everyone is a Language Teacher: Building Bridges Across Content and Language
Venue: Shekou International School, Shenzhen- Net Valley Campus
Dates: March 7, Saturday, 2026
Time: 8:00AM - 5:00PM
Date
March 7, 2026
Saturday
Location
Shekou International School, Shenzhen - Net Valley Campus
Price
Super Early Bird: RMB 900 pp
Expires on Dec 19, 2025
Audience
ELL/EAL Specialists, Homeroom Teachers, and any teaching staff
About the EAL Symposium
Language is at the heart of every learning experience. Whether in mathematics, science, physical education, or the arts, the ability to communicate ideas, express understanding, and build connections depends on language. This conference brings together educators who believe that language learning does not live only in the English classroom—it belongs everywhere.
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.
Host
Celina Mathews
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.
Super Early Bird Now Open!
RMB1500
RMB 900 pp
Expires on December 19, 2025
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:
Join us in Shenzhen
This conference is designed for educators who believe in the power of language as a tool for learning, inclusion, and growth. Whether you teach English, lead a homeroom, or specialise in a subject area, you are part of the journey. Everyone is a language teacher—and together, we can make language learning thrive in every classroom.