Video/Webinar
Teacher Training Plus is a webinar series across four strands that presents best-practice instructional strategies.
Within each strand, we identified three areas of need and designed webinars to address each while also presenting strategies for working in a multilevel class or group and tips to convert in-person teaching techniques to distance learning.
This strand is best for instructors teaching adults who are not native English speakers.
Generously funded by the Dollar General Literacy Foundation.
Upcoming Events
September 22, 2026 | 2:00 PM–3:00 PM ET
Beyond Grammar: Teaching Pragmatics and Cultural Communication
Join us to explore one of the most overlooked aspects of language instruction: pragmatics. While grammar and vocabulary help students form correct sentences, pragmatic competence helps them communicate effectively in real-world situations.
This session will examine the unwritten rules of communication that many native English speakers take for granted, including making polite requests, engaging in small talk, interrupting appropriately, expressing disagreement respectfully, understanding formal and informal register, and navigating workplace interactions. Participants will also explore how cultural expectations shape communication and why misunderstandings often occur even when students use grammatically correct English.
Designed for educators working with adult English language learners at all proficiency levels, this practical webinar will provide classroom strategies and activities that help learners develop the confidence and cultural awareness needed to communicate naturally and successfully beyond the textbook.
Presented by: Steven Reid
January 19, 2027 | 2:00 PM–3:00 PM ET
Building Learner Independence: Teaching Students How to Learn English
One of the greatest gifts we can give our students is the ability to continue learning long after the lesson ends. Adult English language learners spend far more time outside the classroom than in it, making independent learning skills essential for long-term success. In this practical webinar, Steven Reid will explore strategies for helping students become more confident, self-directed language learners regardless of their proficiency level.
Participants will learn how to teach students to recognize everyday opportunities to practice English, set meaningful and achievable language goals, monitor their own progress, and reflect on what is—and isn’t—working. The session will also examine ways to encourage learners to notice English in their daily lives, develop effective learning habits, and build the confidence to continue improving independently. Rather than relying solely on classroom instruction, students can learn to make every conversation, sign, television program, or shopping trip another step in their language-learning journey.
Whether you teach beginning, intermediate, or advanced adult English learners, you’ll leave with practical ideas that empower students to become lifelong learners.
Presented by: Steven Reid
May 4, 2027 | 2:00 PM–3:00 PM ET
Teaching English Through Authentic Materials
Real-world English doesn’t come from a textbook—it comes from text messages, menus, grocery ads, workplace documents, social media, news articles, and countless other materials our students encounter every day. Authentic materials provide meaningful, engaging opportunities for learners to build language skills while preparing for the situations they’ll face outside the classroom. In this practical webinar, Steven Reid will explore how to find, select, and adapt authentic materials for adult English language learners at every proficiency level.
Participants will learn strategies for using everyday materials to develop speaking, listening, reading, writing, vocabulary, and critical thinking skills. The session will examine how the same authentic resource can be modified to challenge beginning, intermediate, and advanced learners through differentiated tasks and thoughtful scaffolding. Attendees will also discover ways to help students become more confident navigating the English they encounter in their communities, workplaces, and daily lives.
Whether you’re teaching one-on-one or in a classroom, you’ll leave with practical ideas and ready-to-use activities that make learning more relevant, engaging, and immediately applicable.
About the Presenter
Steven Reid is the program manager for Literacy Volunteers Charlottesville/Albemarle in Charlottesville, Virginia. He currently oversees more than 200 volunteer tutors, providing training and guidance with curriculum and instruction. In addition to his duties with LVCA, Steven leads a group of program managers and executive directors from community-based literacy organizations from across the Commonwealth of Virginia, focusing on sharing best practices and providing moral support.
He has also taught in Texas, New Hampshire, and Slovakia. When not helping his volunteers and students, Steven enjoys reading, writing, traveling, cooking, and spoiling his two cats, Charlie and Alistair.
This will be Steven’s fifth year presenting and facilitating workshops as part of ProLiteracy’s Teacher Training Plus.