About

For over 50 years, the International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language, (IATEFL) has been linking, developing and supporting English language teaching professionals worldwide. From our humble origins in 1967 as a forum for English language teachers (ELT) and other professionals to make contact with one another and share ideas, we are now one of the largest and most internationally representative teaching associations in the world.

IATEFL is a global professional membership association, and a UK registered charity, and yet we remain a community. We support teachers and other ELT professionals in their professional development, and provide a platform where they can offer their views, exchange research and teaching experiences and learn from each other.

Some key links:

History of IATEFL

IATEFL was founded in 1967 and since then its focus has been on helping to link, develop and support English language teaching professionals worldwide. In 2017, we published A History of IATEFL as a celebration of the first 50 years of IATEFL. The authors, Shelagh Rixon and Richard Smith, undertook a hugely complex research project to accumulate the resources and information required to write this book and we are grateful and immensely proud of the finished product. To understand the significant role IATEFL has played in the development of ELT to date, why not have a read? You can also purchase a printed copy for yourself via our Online Shop

IATEFL is where I meet colleagues with similar interests to me, and find out what's new in English language teaching.
Marie Annick
Course Director
France