Conferences are meant to serve the purpose of professional development. The word ‘development’, however, can be interpreted in several ways. For many it entails merely a quantitative change in the number of activities with which a teacher can amaze students.  In our interpretation, professional development is different in the sense that it is qualitative in nature. Development entails articulating views and beliefs and juxtaposing them; challenging the views of others; and exposing your own views to challenge. In the process of exchanging and discussing ideas, your beliefs are either confirmed at a more complex level or are re-evaluated, reshaped and revised. The presentations at the 9th IATEFL-Hungary conference provided a great deal of opportunity for that, and that is why we have given this issue the title: Challenging views.

We requested several articles, and we are happy that even if everybody we asked has not honoured us with the written version of their talk, many have done so. We also had earlier submissions, which we are including in this issue because they make the  reader see some common preconceptions in a new light.

This volume opens with Enyedi Ágnes’s conference plenary disturbing our views about the nature of culture teaching in EFL. She introduces the concept of linguistic acculturation  and points  out the role of the teacher in helping learners get over ‘linguistic culture shock’. Our international contributor, Charles Alderson, explodes a number of myths regarding the elements that constitute effective language teaching. He argues that it is not the number of teaching hours or the number of pupils taking private lessons that makes a difference in student performance, but the quality of the instruction.

Szerencsi Katalin discusses the role of grammar in task-based, communicative language teaching, and expresses her hope that the baby of structural awareness has not been thrown out with the bathwater.  Magnuczné Godó Ágnes examines the pros and cons of using reflective practice in teacher education. She articulates her concern that an effective method is being neglected when teachers or teacher educators make the excuse that their circumstances are unfavourable. This issue’s student researcher, Fehér Endre, who is a recent graduate of the Teacher Training College in Szombathely, presents the results of his research on student motivation in three different types of secondary schools.

 In the My Classroom section, first Holló Dorottya and Lázár Ildikó provide us with tips on adding a multi-cultural focus to common language learning activities, then a group of teacher trainers from the Bell Schools describe how to provide successful inset courses.

We are pleased to publish several reviews of books listed in the October issue, and promise to review the others in May. Do check the new list of publications that are available for reviewing.

Those who were unable to attend the IATEFL-H Conference, can get an idea of what they missed from Csibi Erzsébet’s account in the EVENTS section. Those who stayed away this time will surely know what to do next year: come by all means and pack for cold rooms.

In the IATEFL section, Illés Éva, the new president of IATEFL-Hungary, introduces the members  of the newly elected committee. The British Council pages include Nagy Edit’s report on the Joint English Examination Reform Project, and Peter Brown’s account of two projects initiated recently by the Council.

We thank all contributors both for sending in their articles and for bearing with us in the reviewing and revising process. In Volume 50 No. 3 of ELT Journal, the editor, Keith Morrow, quotes one of his predecessors in commenting “You get what you publish”. So be it. We look forward to your submissions for the May issue on language and linguistics (deadline March 15), or for the October issue (deadline is August  1).

Ready for some challenges?  Then off you go!

Edit H. Kontra and Kormos Judit Editors