What are we really teaching when we teach English? Is our role limited to grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and the four language skills, or should we also help our students become critical thinkers, creative communicators, responsible citizens, and compassionate human beings? For many years, this question has shaped my teaching philosophy and inspired me to rethink the purpose of English language education. At the heart of this philosophy lies a vision that has taken shape through the English Festival®: to create a learning environment in which English extends beyond the boundaries of the traditional classroom and becomes a means of authentic communication, creativity, collaboration, and personal expression.
What is the English Festival®
The English Festival® was originally conceived as an educational initiative in 2015 and centered on learning English through theatre, which has remained its creative and pedagogical core ever since.
What began as an educational initiative has gradually developed into a comprehensive and dynamic pedagogical model that continues to evolve through each new implementation. By bringing together language learning, the arts, and meaningful participation, the English Festival® aims not only to develop students’ linguistic competence but also to foster critical thinking, inclusion, confidence, and personal growth.
English as a Vehicle for Cultural Expression
Within the English Festival®, English goes beyond linguistic competence and becomes a vehicle for cultural exploration, creative expression, intercultural dialogue, and critical thinking.
Rooted in my own background in English Language and Literature and my deep connection with literature, the English Festival® approaches English not merely as a subject to be taught, but as a vehicle for creativity, cultural exploration, communication, and artistic expression.
Rather than focusing solely on the final performance, the model places equal emphasis on the learning journey itself. Students engage in meaningful tasks that encourage inquiry, collaboration, creativity, and reflection, gradually transforming the English classroom into a dynamic learning community.
Although English is the starting point, the flexible framework of the English Festival® can also accommodate other foreign languages and multilingual contexts, extending its educational potential beyond the English classroom.
Methodology
Principles of Multiple Intelligences, Project-Based Learning, Collaborative Learning, Drama in Education, Creative Writing, Differentiated Instruction, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and Social and Emotional Learning function as complementary elements of a coherent pedagogical model supporting both language acquisition and holistic student development.
From Page to Stage: Adaptation and Greek Narration
A distinctive feature of the English Festival® is the adaptation of literary or theatrical works for educational performance. Every English Festival® production begins with a literary work selected and adapted by the teacher into a theatrical script, while preserving the spirit of the original. The adaptation is then published as a book with its own ISBN before being brought to life on stage. Greek narration is also an integral element of the theatrical structure. Inspired by the tradition of the Chorus in Ancient Greek theatre, Greek narration accompanies the English dialogue, serving as a bridge between the dramatic action and the audience and making the performance more accessible.
Creative Forms of Learning
Beyond its theatrical core, the English Festival® embraces diverse forms of artistic and cultural expression, including poetry set to music, songs, dance and choreography and cultural presentations.
Student Participation
Student participation in the English Festival® extends far beyond acting. Learners can take on a wide range of performance, creative, organisational, and technical roles according to their interests, talents, and strengths. These may include event hosting and presentation, central narration, acting, digital and creative production, set design, arts and crafts, costume selection, lighting, sound operation, backstage support, and team coordination. Students may also contribute through ensemble work, student direction and leadership, and peer mentoring, with more experienced students supporting their peers throughout the process. This variety of roles enable each student to develop autonomy, responsibility, confidence, and a sense of belonging within the group.
Rehearsals
Rehearsals are an important stage of learner-teacher collaboration. The real educational value of the English Festival® lies in everything that happens before the curtain rises.
Outreach & Recognition
An important dimension of the English Festival® has been its outreach beyond the school community. As part of this process, I chose to submit aspects of my educational work to the ELT Excellence Awards, demonstrating how educators can actively seek opportunities to share their practice with the wider educational community. This resulted in two Silver Awards: one in 2023 for the English Festival® 2022 Poets Set to Music and another in 2026 for the English Festival® 2025 The Importance of Being Earnest & Poets Set to Music in the Innovation category. Such recognition is not an end in itself; rather, it provides an opportunity for educational practice to become visible, to be evaluated beyond its immediate context, and to reach and potentially inspire a wider community of educators.
Conclusion
So, what are we really teaching when we teach English? The English Festival® has shown me that, when students are inspired and actively involved, language learning can become a truly transformative educational experience.
