NATIONAL CONFERENCE FOR TEACHERS OF ENGLISH · SINCE 1984

Empowering ELT:
Digital Shifts,
Human Connections, & Impactful AI Use

Costa Rica's most important National Conference for Teachers of English returns in hybrid format: 20 hours of professional development, in-person sessions, plenary talks and 6 interactive live webinars.

DATES July 8 & 9, 2026
VENUE CCCN Los Yoses, San Jose
FORMAT Hybrid · In-person + Virtual
Register for the conference See program
Registration is open
NCTE globe
20 hours of PD 2 days of content
in hybrid format
LOCATION CCCN Los Yoses
San Pedro, Costa Rica
DAY 2 VIRTUAL 6 live webinars
free for teachers
About the conference

The space where English teaching is reinvented.

Since 1984, the National Conference for Teachers of English Costa Rica has been the leading platform in the region for promoting innovative practices in English language teaching. It brings together teachers from the public and private sectors of Costa Rica and around the world in a unique space for professional exchange.

For this 41st edition we explore the profound changes that the age of artificial intelligence is bringing to education. We will look at how to integrate AI into the English classroom in ways that strengthen critical thinking, language acquisition and inclusive pedagogy — without losing the human essence of teaching.

See the 5 thematic strands
41st consecutive edition of the conference, since 1984.
20h of certified professional development across 2 days.
+15 sessions, workshops and webinars with national and international speakers.
The program

Two days. One comprehensive program.

Day 1 in-person in San Pedro: ceremonies, plenaries, concurrent sessions and networking spaces. Day 2 fully virtual: 6 interactive live webinars.

DAY 1 · 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Wednesday, July 8
IN-PERSON · SAN PEDRO
9:00 am
Opening Ceremony & Morning Plenary · Max Bigman Official opening with CCCN and U.S. Embassy authorities, followed by the inaugural keynote on AI and ELT pedagogy. See details →
Plenary
10:30 am
Coffee Break Coffee, networking and publisher booths.
Break
11:00 am
Morning Concurrent Sessions 3 simultaneous rooms — 90-min workshops and talks. See catalog →
Sessions
12:30 pm
Lunch Break Lunch on your own (not included). Suggestions in Los Yoses.
Break
2:00 pm
Afternoon Plenary Talk · Junuen Mondragón Human connections in the digital classroom. See details →
Plenary
3:30 pm
Afternoon Coffee Break Afternoon recharge and networking.
Break
4:00 pm
Afternoon Concurrent Sessions 4 simultaneous rooms — second workshop block. See catalog →
Sessions
5:30 pm
Networking & Raffles Publisher raffles and social networking space — open to presenters, sponsors and in-person attendees.
Social
DAY 2 · 8:00 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 9
VIRTUAL · 6 WEBINARS
8:00 am
Interactive Webinar 1 · Nik Peachey Teaching Best Practices. See details →
Webinar
10:00 am
Interactive Webinar 2 · Lucian Alexandrín Assessment · CEFR & rubric creation. See details →
Webinar
12:00 pm
Interactive Webinar 3 · Sara Rehman Inclusive Education · UDL and SEL. See details →
Webinar
2:00 pm
Interactive Webinar 4 · Betsy Parrish Teaching Young Learners · Gamification and storytelling. See details →
Webinar
4:00 pm
Interactive Webinar 5 · Camilo Sánchez Moving Forward · Prompting with a Purpose: AI Strategies for the ESL Classroom. See details →
Webinar
6:00 pm
Interactive Webinar 6 · Laura Baecher Conference closing · Communities of Practice. See details →
Closing

Each webinar runs 90 minutes · live audiences of 150–200 teachers.

Secure my access

The full program by room will be published in the coming days. Registered participants will receive early access to the personal planner.

Session catalog

All activities, in one place.

Explore every session, workshop and webinar of NCTE 2026. Click any card to see the full detail — speakers, audience, format and registration.

See details →
Opening Ceremony + Plenary Moving Forward

Opening Keynote — AI and the new pedagogy of ELT

Max Bigman Max BigmanStanford GSE · 🇺🇸 United States

Official opening with CCCN and U.S. Embassy authorities, followed by the inaugural keynote on how artificial intelligence is reshaping English teaching and what pedagogical decisions we should make as educators.

See details →
Concurrent Best Practices

AI in Action: Everyday Tools and Classroom Ideas for Busy Teachers

Junuen Mondragón Junuen MondragónNat Geo Learning · 🇲🇽 Mexico

A practical, no-fluff tour of AI tools busy teachers can use tomorrow: lesson-prep shortcuts, quick formative checks and classroom activities that don't require extra training.

See details →
Concurrent Moving Forward

Education Needs Infrastructure, Not Apps

Jay Lee-Gopalan Jay Lee-GopalanJinso

Why sustainable progress in ELT depends less on the next app and more on the systems, training pipelines and support structures that make good teaching possible at scale.

See details →
Concurrent Inclusive Ed.

Adding Emotion to an AI Assisted Learning Experience

Oscar Víquez Oscar VíquezUniversidad Latina de Costa Rica · 🇨🇷 Costa Rica

Cognition isn't the whole story: how to design AI-assisted learning experiences that recognize and respond to learners' emotional states.

See details →
Concurrent Moving Forward

From Reflection to Action: Designing Meaningful Learning Experiences in ELT

Jonathan Acuña Jonathan AcuñaCCCN · 🇨🇷 Costa Rica

From curriculum design to the classroom: how frameworks like flipped learning, multimodal literacy and metacognition turn into truly meaningful ELT experiences.

See details →
Afternoon Plenary Best Practices

The Art of Teaching in the Age of Algorithms

Junuen Mondragón Junuen MondragónNat Geo Learning · 🇲🇽 Mexico

What stays irreplaceably human about great teaching as algorithms take on more of the classroom's routine work — and how to design lessons around that.

See details →
Workshop Best Practices

“Designing Communicative Listening Tasks with AI Support”

Mark Cormier Mark Cormier & Pablo TorresCCCN · 🇨🇷 Costa Rica

Hands-on workshop: design real communicative listening tasks using AI to generate audio, distractors, comprehension and personalized feedback.

See details →
Concurrent Assessment

From Information to Inspiration: The New Mission of ELT Teachers

Marcela Vaglio Marcela VaglioPearson · 🇨🇷 Costa Rica

When AI can deliver information instantly, the teacher's mission shifts from transmitting content to inspiring learning. What that shift means for how we plan, teach and, yes, assess.

See details →
Concurrent Best Practices

Supporting English Language Professionals: Resources from the U.S. Embassy Panama's Regional English Language Office

Juan Carlos Rivera Juan Carlos RiveraU.S. Embassy Panama · 🇵🇦 Panama

A practical guide to the free programs, materials and professional development opportunities the Regional English Language Office makes available to teachers across the region.

See details →
Interactive Webinar Best Practices

Practical AI tools for the English classroom

Nik Peachey Nik PeacheyPeacheyPublications · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom

A tour of AI tools that are actually useful for ELT: task generators, pronunciation evaluators, conversational tutors and more.

See details →
Interactive Webinar Inclusive Ed.

“Teaching for Global Citizenship in the Age of AI”

Lucian Alexandrín Lucian Alexandrín🇺🇸 United States

How the English classroom is a privileged space for cultivating critical global citizenship — and which AI practices help or hinder that goal.

Day 2 · 10:00 am Zoom · 90 min · 200 seats
Register →
See details →
Interactive Webinar Moving Forward

“Human Centered AI: Balancing Innovation and Authentic Learning”

Sara Rehman Sara Rehman🇺🇸 United States

How to decide when AI accelerates learning and when it replaces it. Practical principles to design student-centered experiences.

Day 2 · 12:00 pm Zoom · 90 min · 200 seats
Register →
See details →
Interactive Webinar Young Learners

Gamification & storytelling for Young Learners

Betsy Parrish Betsy Parrish🇺🇸 United States

Design unforgettable English experiences for preschool and primary children, combining narrative, play and digital tools that respect their attention.

See details →
Interactive Webinar Moving Forward

Prompting with a Purpose: AI Strategies for the ESL Classroom

Camilo Sánchez Camilo SánchezJinso · 🌎 International

Most teachers using AI are leaving results on the table because of how they ask. A hands-on look at prompting strategies that turn generic AI output into classroom-ready material.

See details →
Closing Webinar Moving Forward

Communities of Practice — Conference closing

LB Laura BaecherHunter College · 🇺🇸 United States

NCTE 2026 closing: how to turn what was learned in these 2 days into a sustained community of teaching practice — local, regional and digital.

Thematic strands

5 strands that articulate the conference.

All talks, workshops and webinars belong to one of these five strands — designed with the organizing committee to reflect the current urgencies and opportunities of ELT in the region.

01

Teaching Best Practices

Innovative, proven strategies for high-quality English teaching.

  • Lesson planning & the 4 skills
  • Scaffolding & flipped learning
  • 21st-century skills
  • Feedback in the digital era
02

Assessment

Tools and practices to observe and measure real language progress.

  • Standardized tests
  • CEFR awareness
  • Formative assessment
  • Teacher certification
03

Inclusive Education

Cases and strategies to make the English classroom more inclusive.

  • Social Emotional Learning
  • UDL in the classroom
  • Digital & global citizenship
  • Low-connectivity contexts
04

Teaching Young Learners

Practical strategies for preschool and primary children learning English.

  • Phonemic awareness
  • Storytelling & reading
  • Gamification
  • On-screen engagement
05

Moving Forward

Learnings, challenges and opportunities for 21st-century teacher education.

  • AI in learning
  • Autonomy in hybrid environments
  • Action research
  • Communities of Practice
Featured speakers

Voices shaping the future of ELT.

A preliminary selection of the main speakers. The full list of presenters will be published progressively.

Moving Forward
Max Bigman
Max Bigman Keynote Speaker United States Day 1 · 9:00 am · In-person
Best Practices
Junuen Mondragón
Junuen Mondragón Plenary Speaker + Concurrent Mexico Day 1 · Morning & Afternoon
Best Practices
Mark Cormier Pablo Torres
Mark Cormier & Pablo Torres “Designing Communicative Listening Tasks with AI Support” · Workshop Costa Rica Day 1 · 4:00 pm · In-person
Moving Forward
Jonathan Acuña
Jonathan Acuña Concurrent Session Costa Rica Day 1 · 4:00 pm · In-person
Best Practices
Nik Peachey
Nik Peachey Interactive Webinar United Kingdom Day 2 · 8:00 am · Virtual
Inclusive Ed.
Lucian Alexandrín
Lucian Alexandrín “Teaching for Global Citizenship in the Age of AI” · Interactive Webinar United States Day 2 · 10:00 am · Virtual
Moving Forward
Sara Rehman
Sara Rehman “Human Centered AI: Balancing Innovation and Authentic Learning” · Interactive Webinar United States Day 2 · 12:00 pm · Virtual
Assessment
Marcela Vaglio
Marcela Vaglio Concurrent Session Costa Rica Day 1 · 4:00 pm · In-person
See the full session catalog →
The hybrid format

One registration. Two ways to join.

Sign up once and you'll get every Zoom link by email. Coming to San Pedro on Day 1? Save your spot for the in-person sessions when you register — seats are capped per room.

Join us in San Pedro
Day 1 · In‑person

90-minute concurrent sessions of 20–40 teachers at CCCN Los Yoses, plus both plenaries, coffee breaks and the closing networking session. Save my spot per session — seats are limited.

  • Publisher booths, networking, raffles
  • Plenary talks with international speakers
  • Save my spot for Day 1 in-person sessions
Save my spot for Day 1 →

Join from anywhere
All Zoom links · Both days

Day 1 plenaries (live stream) and all 6 Day 2 interactive webinars with 150–200 teachers. Polls, chat, breakout rooms — every link delivered to your inbox after registration.

  • Every Zoom link delivered by email
  • Recorded sessions for replay
  • Certificate of hours attended included
Go to registration →
Registration

One registration. All of NCTE 2026.

A single sign-up gets you the entire conference. Everyone who registers receives — in one confirmation email — every Zoom link needed to join the Day 1 plenary streams and the 6 Day 2 interactive webinars. If you can join us in San Pedro for Day 1, save your spot for the in-person sessions when you sign up.

One registration · Full conference

NCTE 2026 Registration

July 8 & 9 · Hybrid · In-person + Virtual
Free
for every teacher
Everyone receives
  • Every Zoom link, by email
  • Both Day 1 plenaries (live stream)
  • All 6 Day 2 interactive webinars
  • Live Q&A with every speaker
  • Official 20h certificate
Coming to San Pedro?

Day 1 in-person rooms are capacity-limited. After registering, use Save my spot to reserve a seat in each concurrent session you want to attend live at CCCN Los Yoses.

  • Reserve seats in concurrent rooms
  • Coffee breaks, networking & raffles
  • Publisher booths & on-site networking
Register for NCTE 2026 → Save my spot for Day 1 →

No card required. Just your name and email — one form, full program. Save my spot opens after you register.

An institution or group of 5+ teachers? Write to ncte@centrocultural.cr to coordinate a single group registration for your institution.
Acknowledgements

Sponsors and Partners

The organizations and institutions that support NCTE 2026.

Sponsors

AI in Education
Jinso

AI-powered tools and infrastructure for the modern English language classroom.

jinso.com ELT Publisher
National Geographic Learning

Authentic, real-world content for content-based English language teaching.

eltngl.com

Partners

Institutional Partner
U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica

Co-sponsors NCTE 2026 and takes part in the Day 1 opening ceremony.

cr.usembassy.gov Institutional Partner
MEP Costa Rica

Endorses NCTE 2026 as a certified professional development activity for public-system teachers.

mep.go.cr
I want to sponsor NCTE 2026 →
Frequently asked questions

We answer your questions.

If you can't find an answer here, reach out directly to the organizing team. We reply in less than 24 business hours.

ncte@centrocultural.cr
There is one single registration for the whole conference — free for every teacher. After filling out the form once, you'll receive one confirmation email with every Zoom link you need: both Day 1 plenaries (live stream) and all 6 Day 2 interactive webinars. The certificate of hours attended is also issued at no extra cost.
Day 1 in-person rooms are capacity-limited, so after registering you'll use the Save my spot action on each concurrent session you want to attend at CCCN Los Yoses. Plenaries, coffee breaks and the closing networking session are open to everyone present — only the concurrent rooms require reserving a seat in advance.
Groups of 5 or more teachers from the same institution can be registered together under one form on behalf of the institution. Write to ncte@centrocultural.cr with the subject "Group registration NCTE 2026" and we will coordinate the process and bulk-deliver Zoom links and in-person spots.
The conference is delivered 100% in English. All sessions —plenaries, concurrent sessions and interactive webinars— run in English, including those by national speakers. Q&A and materials are also in English.
The conference takes place at CCCN Los Yoses, San Pedro, San José. The area has several lodging options just minutes away on foot. We recommend looking for hotels in Los Yoses, Barrio Escalante or San Pedro. For specific inquiries, write to ncte@centrocultural.cr.
The full speaker list and the program by room will be published soon on this site. Already-registered participants will receive an email with early access to the planner.

Join the conference that defines English teaching in Costa Rica.

More than 4 decades convening the ELT community. This edition, the conversation is about AI, human connection and the classroom of the future.

Register for NCTE 2026 →
Staff Members · CCCN team

Boarding pass validator

Scan an attendee's QR (or paste their NCTE-XXXXXX code) to confirm registration and mark check-in at the entrance.

Open validator →