The 2023 Agen Workshop
July 24th-29th Agen France
The Home of European TPRS Conferences
Comprehensible Input Methods and TPRS
If you're a language teacher who...
- • Believes that teaching a foreign language should be fun and exciting?
- • Wants to see engaged, happy students?
- • Has students who pay more attention to their phones than to you?
- • Has to talk over your students?
- • Needs more students in your classes to keep your job?
- • Is trying to prepare weak students for a difficult exam?
Then Teaching with Comprehensible Input could be what you are looking for
About the Agen Workshop
No matter what method they say they use, every successful teacher gives their students the comprehensible input needed to acquire language.
At the Agen Workshop, we put Dr Stephen Krashen’s work at the heart of our classroom practice.
Teaching with Comprehensible Input and TPRS is spreading around the world.
The Agen Workshop began with 15 teachers in 2013. There were 120 in 2019, coming from 24 different countries, including South Africa and Korea.
Join us to discover a wide range of “game-changing” strategies and a community of dedicated teachers who keep coming back for more.
- • More than 30 hours of Professional Training
- • Afternoon and evening coaching sessions
- • 60 hours of presentations to choose from
- • Choose to be a student or an observer in 15 hours of Language Labs in French, Spanish, Mandarin, English or Breton, with debriefings.
- • Meet participants from Spain, Germany, Ireland, Sweden, Turkey, Canada, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Korea, etc.
Relax and make new friends
You can start the day with one of the Language Lab sessions, where you may be either a student or an observer, watching an expert teacher at work using Comprehensible Input. If you like, you can have a short session of putting into practice some of the techniques you’ve seen demonstrated. Then a Coach will lead a debriefing session with the Lab teacher. Leaving plenty of time to find a small (and inexpensive) restaurant nearby to chat with new friends about what you observed during the morning over a good meal.
In the afternoon, choose three presentations from the twelve available.
There are also evening sessions available at the Stim’otel, our partner that offers special prices for Workshop participants.
The school, hotels, restaurants, shops, museums and the train station are all within easy walking distance
What people say about us
"It's the highlight of my summer .... The Agen Workshop is THE conference I look
forward to every year because of you and the rest of the presenters and coaches and
the participants. I love everyone and that's because of the family atmosphere that you
create!"
Scott Benedict
California
"Thank you for organizing such a great event. I feel so enriched by meeting so many
wonderful, interesting, knowledgeable people, and my head is full of new terms and
ideas. I really needed all of that and I have so much to think about and act on , it's both
challenging and inspiring. Please pass on my happy thoughts and thanks to all those
people who worked so hard to make my stay richer and happier."
Alva McSherry
Ireland
"Thank you for a wonderful conference! I really enjoyed being there and learned so many
new CI strategies and met so many fascinating people."
Donna Delahoussaye Bennett
New York
3 simple steps to get started
1
Reserve your place
2
Book your travel
3
Meet new friends, learn new skills and inspire your students
Where We Are
Lycée Saint Caprais
8 Rue Raspail
47000 Agen, France
Frequently asked questions
We are interested in any method which privileges Comprehensible Input, which favors Acquisition over Learning. Our presenters often have evolved in the TPRS tradition, but we also welcome those who use Story-Listening, Automatic Language Growth, Story Asking, etc.
Learning involves a conscious, mental effort at retaining language in our short-term memory, in the hopes that with enough practice it will become long term. Acquisition is the completely unconscious storing of language in our subconscious where it can be used spontaneously when there is a need. Traditional teaching methods are aimed at Learning. CI teachers use techniques that favor Acquisition.
Dr. Stephen Krashen, Dr. Beniko Nanki Mason, Susan Gross, Laurie Clarcq, Cécile Lainé, Ben Slavic, Dr. Diane Neuabauer, Kelly Ferguson, Michele Whaley, Kirstin Plante, Scott Benedict, Jason Fritze, Teri Wiechart, Hélène Cormier, Jim Tripp, Karen Rowan, Dr. Liam Printer, Margarita Perez Garcia, Alice Ayel, Adriana Ramirez, Hélène Colinet, Janique Vanderstocken, Elicia Cardenas, Carol Bausor and many many more have presented at our conference. Many teach in Europe and are familiar with conditions there. We are happy to welcome new presenters with interesting topics.
We have always wanted to be “family friendly”. Any member of your family may attend the morning language labs free of charge. Currently we have scheduled French, English, Spanish, Mandarin and Breton classes. Latin and German may be added. If you need a baby sitter during the morning sessions, let us know so that it can be arranged. There is a free guided tour offered by the town Wednesday afternoon, and we are planning our own orientation tour Monday morning. Besides the many historical sites in and around Agen, the largest water park in Europe is just across the river, a short bus ride away. Bikes can be rented at the train station.
There are international flights to Paris, Toulouse or Bordeaux. A high speed train (TGV) from either Toulouse or Bordeaux will get you to Agen in an hour. If you fly into Paris, the train trip to Agen will take a little over three hours.
No. The train station, the hotels, the Lycée St. Caprais where the conference is held and dozens of small, inexpensive restaurants are all within walking distance.
The Stim’otel offers a special price to Agen Workshop participants. Appart’City and Ibis are also within walking distance of the train station. There are many comfortable residences in the town center listed with Airbnb.
Although language classes start Monday at 8:30, you may register at any time before the opening ceremony at 3:00 pm. Language Lab classes are every morning, Monday through Friday. Presentations and Round Tables are held during the afternoon sessions, Monday through Friday. Saturday morning there is a plenary session and a picnic. In all, there are over 35 hours of professional development.
“Our primary purpose as coaches is to provide a safe and comfortable environment for the person being COACHED to practice with the guidance of a Coach and the support of their peers. ” Teri Wiechart. During a Coaching session, you can try out something you’d like to do in class and get helpful, positive feedback. Or you can simply observe others. Or you can help another teacher by playing the role of their student. It’s a safe but powerful, hands-on experience
At the end of each Language Lab session, Observers are asked to sit with a Student of a language they speak fluently and chat with them. These informal conversations allow Students to use the language in an authentic, unrehearsed situation while allowing Observers to put into practice some of the techniques they have seen used by more experienced teachers.
We accept Presentation Proposals at any time between the 1st of January and the 1st of May, 2023. You will be asked to furnish a description of your presentation, a short biography and a list of your technical needs.