MET workshops

Writing effective proposals for METMs and MET workshops: abstracts, peer review and the MET(M) audience

MET’s banner events are its annual conference – the METM – and its slate of peer-facilitated CPD workshops. Yet many language professionals who have hard-won knowledge and tried-and-tested practices to share don’t feel prepared for the task of writing and submitting a proposal, and others feel they have nothing to present or they simply lack the time to put a proposal together. This workshop will help participants to overcome these barriers and encourage them to take the step of sharing their knowledge and practices with MET members and the wider language-professional community.

Facilitators: Wendy Baldwin and Louise Normandière

Purpose: This workshop will highlight the benefits of speaking at a METM or facilitating a MET workshop, familiarize participants with the two submission processes and, through hands-on work and group discussion, help them to clarify how they can contribute to peer development.

Description: We’ll start by discussing the benefits of sharing our professional expertise and experience by speaking at a METM or facilitating a MET workshop and address some of the barriers that keep people from submitting proposals. Tackling METM presentations first and MET workshops second, we’ll talk about the presentation and workshop formats, the type of content considered suitable for each event, how the submission and peer-review processes work, and what makes for an effective proposal. Participants will split into smaller groups to analyse existing abstracts and identify robust structure and compelling style, then, in a subsequent exercise, brainstorm and clarify their own topic ideas.

Who should attend? This workshop is for any MET members who are interested in presenting at a METM or facilitating a MET workshop. First-time presenters and seasoned speakers/facilitators are equally welcome.

Outcome: By the end of the workshop, participants will have a fuller understanding of what goes into an effective METM or workshop proposal and clearer ideas about how they can contribute to quality peer training at METM26 and beyond.

Preparation: Participants should think about their area(s) of expertise and topic(s) that could benefit other language professionals, as well as whether that content is more suited to a short conference presentation or panel discussion (approximately 35-45 minutes, delivered in person) or a hands-on workshop (usually three hours, delivered online or in person). No matter how well or vaguely defined, bring your ideas and questions to the workshop!

About the facilitators: Wendy Baldwin is the METM25 and METM26 content coordinator. She previously served on the CPD content team and the METM23 content team. Based in Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain, she is an authors’ editor and translator of academic texts in the humanities and social sciences, a structured writing retreat facilitator and an academic writing instructor.

Louise Normandière is MET’s CPD chair and coordinated MET’s online and in-person workshop programme for the 2024 and 2025 CPD seasons, including the main conferences. She also has experience on the METM content team and as a presenter at METM22. Louise is a marketing translator and English language facilitator. She lives in Angers, France.