We’ll consider ‘desire paths’ and reflect on how human behaviour naturally subverts the planned environment. What are the implications for language students and teachers? Participants will be tasked to look out for instances where students’ needs diverge from the lesson plan/syllabus – and to note how they (as teachers) feel and/or respond.

To teach more responsively, we need to be aware of the dynamic between spontaneous classroom interaction and the linear syllabus. Given that most of us work within a linear curriculum, what is the scope for opening up the classroom space to include unplugged teaching sequences – and what are the benefits for language learners?