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IATEFL is a professional organization founded in 1967 with the goal of “linking, developing, supporting English language professionals worldwide” (IATEFL, n.d.). The organization has a wide reach in Europe and parts of the Middle East and Asia, and even live streams keynote speakers from its conference to 60,000 English language teachers worldwide. The IATEFL conference is held annually in April and attracts approximately 2,500 attendees. The association hopes to support EFL teachers in all parts of the world.

IATEFL is operated by eight trustees who are members and volunteers of the association. Hundreds of volunteers also participate in the governance of the association by volunteering on committees, which are organized by topics such as conference proposals, digital learning, conference organization, scholarships, and membership. Members of IATEFL elect to participate in special interest groups (SIGs). These SIGs allow members to investigate a particular topic related to their work. For example, IATEFL SIGs include Business English, English for Specific Purposes, Global Issues, Learner Autonomy, Learning Technologies, Literature, Materials Writing, Pronunciation, Research, Teacher Development, and Young Learners and Teenagers.

In addition to the annual conference, SIGs offer online webinars and events in various countries. EFL teachers and educators can attend local or regional events or participate online to learn more about the topic and develop their professional network.