Gamification, Learning Walls, Cultivating Changemakers, Learner Autonomy & Dogme: Sketchnoting the Twinkl ESL Conference 2026
Twinkl ESL understand how fantastic sketchnoting is for English language learners, so they invited me to take visual notes of their conference AND to encourage participants to sketchote. This blog post shares some of my reflections and visual recordings.
The Benefits of Sketchnoting
There are many benefits to sketchnoting in the English language classroom. It helps learners to process and remember information. It also deepens their attention, allowing them to focus on the lesson.
At school, I was the student who was busy staring out the window and daydreaming. It wasn't that I wasn't interested in the lesson, I just found it hard to focus.
When I got into sketchnoting, all that changed. When I attend a workshop, webinar or conference, I'm actively engaged in listening.
Additionally, my notes now leave a visual imprint on my memory - and are so visually appealing that I actively WANT to look at them again.
Encouraging Educators to Sketchnote
At the Twinkl ESL Conference 2026, my goal was to encourage other educators to get sketchnoting.
In my session, I covered some simple ways to doodle ELT related icons such as books, pens and notepads. I also shared my top tips for lettering and writing fun headings.
Most of all, I wanted to share my advice for turning off the inner trolls. Sketchnoting is not about creating a masterpiece work of art. It is about getting messy with your ideas in a visual way.
It's not art, it's communication. It's about using a visual process to think, learn and remember. Process, not perfection.
You can view the recording of my webinar: Sketchnoting Sparkle, here:
A Sketchnoting Competition
To encourage English language teachers to sketchnote, Twinkl ran a competition. Any participant who shared a sketchnote with #TwinklESLConference2026 would be in with a chance of winning 3 months free access!
With such a great prize, the stunning entries piled in, bringing a smile to my face every time.
Well done to all participants and winners. You can view the winners in this post (click the image):
Sketchnote: Nihilist ELT: From Heteronormy to Autonomy by Bruno Albuquerque
This session really made me stop to think. Bruno advocates for an overhaul of our teaching practices. In many ways, we stick to the status quo; using the same teaching strategies and techniques - perhaps at the detriment to our learners.
His message was clear. We need to step away from over preparing and towards tailoring lessons to learners' needs.
You can view his session on YouTube here or by clicking the sketchnote below:
Sketchnote: Words in Action, Voices for Change by Berna Aslan
Berna has an infectious energy and her passion for teaching really shone through. I found her session so inspiring. All students can be changemakers, and all teachers can support learners to make the world a better place.
We often forget how powerful we are, but this webinar was a reminder.
You can view Berna Aslan's webinar recording on YouTube here or by clicking the sketchnote below:
Sketchnote: Led by Learners: Using Learning Walls to Build Inquiry, Voice and Global Citizenship by Yasemin G Ozlu
The walls of our classrooms can often be underused and overlooked learning experiences. Yasemin inspired us all by sharing some of the supercool wall based activities she does with her learners - and her students responses.
In this sketchnote, I share some of the key takeaways, but you really need to see those walls to believe them. They are incredible.
You can watch Yasemin's webinar recording here or by clicking the sketchnote:
Sketchnote: Gamifying Global Citizenship: Interactive ESL Activities for Engagement by Trang Hong (Jim) Nguyen
How can we keep our learners motivated? How can we help them to forget they are using English and just use it? Gamification, of course.
In this session, Trang Hong amazed us all with fun teaching ideas to bring the classroom to life. Escape rooms, challenges, missions. His session was bursting with ideas.
You can watch the full session on YouTube here or by clicking the sketchnote below:
Get Started with Sketchnoting: Online Course
If you'd like to give sketchnoting a go, you're in the right place. Why not start with my video above? Then you can download my FREE Sketchnoting for ELT Professionals Guide. Then, once you're hooked, do my course.
Free Guide: Sketchnoting for ELT Professionals
Online Course: Sketchnoting for English Language Teachers
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