A.prof. Russell Cross

Melbourne Graduate School of Education,

The University of Melbourne,

Australia

 

"What might it take for changes to ELT to be truly disruptive, innovative, and transformative?"

Disruptive. Innovative. Transformative. These are words we hear again and again—and again!—not only in the field of education, but the world around us more generally. They are concepts, ideas, and images evoked by not only the theme of this year’s conference with its focus on ‘changing approaches’ and ‘expanding dimensions’, but also that of last year, and its attention to ‘action and innovation’ as it relates to the teaching of English language. But what does it take to be a true “game changer” when it comes to being genuinely disruptive, particularly in the profession of languages teaching?

This presentation aims to both challenge and unsettle some of the professional claims we make about being innovative and transformative. In doing so, it aims to stimulate critical reflection on the need to question whether some changes we claim might be innovative really do live up to such promises, while also highlighting the need to be appreciative of certain constancies if we are to build a recognisable, shared body of practice as a professional community. However, it then does attempt to tackle the question of what might it take for a pedagogical innovation in ELT to be truly disruptive? It unpacks three provocations in response to this aim:

• Language teaching that isn’t driven by a focus on communication (or grammar either, in case you were wondering!)
• English teaching that isn’t preoccupied with language understood as English, and
• Teaching learners what they don’t seem ready to learn

None of this seems to make sense, but with reference to significant key developments in the areas of content and language integrated learning, translanguaging, and social constructivism, I explore innovative shifts in our field that I argue do offer genuine opportunities to disrupt and transform practice, and think anew about potentialities and possibilities for ELT in any context, whether they be sites for second or foreign language learning, or with learners from beginners through to advanced.

Russell Cross is Associate Professor in Language and Literacy Education within the Melbourne Graduate School of Education, where he leads their research and teaching initiatives in the area of bilingual education, with a focus on content and language integrated learning (CLIL). His research focuses on “teachers' work”, with particular attention to the social, cultural, and political dimensions of teacher professional knowledge and practice from a Vygotskian sociocultural perspective. Recent publications include Curriculum Integrated Language Teaching: CLIL in Practice, edited with Kim Bower, Do Coyle, and Gary Chambers (Cambridge University Press, 2020).
(https://findanexpert.unimelb.edu.au/profile/170539-russell-cross)

Mr. Jeremy Harmer

ELT author, practitioner, and trainer

United Kingdom

 

"Future perfect? Past imperfect? Or vice versa? What we have learned."

We’ve all been through a lot in the last two years but what, if anything, have we learned from the testing experiences we have endured, both professionally and personally? And how do we take those lessons into a future where, hopefully, life returns to some semblance of normal?

It seems to me to be a question of addressing what we thought we knew, what we know now and how to blend those together into classroom practices (real or virtual) to take us forward into a successful future. Here goes!

Jeremy Harmer, who did his initial training (and worked at) International House, London, is a writer of methodology titles, learner literature and coursebooks. A trainer and a teacher. He has a BA from the University of East Anglia and an MA in Applied Liguitics from the University of reading, UK. Among his titles are The Practice of English Language, How to Teach English and Essential Teacher Knowledge (Pearson), and Trumpet Voluntary and Solo Saxophone (Cambridge University Press). He is a member of the writing team for Jetstream, an adult course from Helbling. He has been a course designer and tutor on the MA TESOL at the New School New York and an occasional tutor at the Norwich Institute of Language Education (NILE). Away from ELT Jeremy enjoys life as a practising musician, singer-songwriter and spoken-word performer.

Dr. JoAnn (Jodi) Crandall

Professor Emerita of Education
University of Maryland

United States of America

 

"Preparing Global Citizens for the 21st Century: The Role of Content-Based Language Instruction"

Content-Based Language Instruction (also referred to as Content and Language Integrated Instruction) has a valuable role to play in preparing global citizens in an increasingly interconnected world. It builds content knowledge and offers the possibility of integrating the “21st century skills” of critical thinking, problem solving, communication, and collaboration. It also fosters authentic use of the language, with real purposes and audiences, in a range of print and digital literacies and in contexts that promote authentic and often intercultural communication. These skills can be introduced as early as primary education and be expanded as students move through secondary school and the university to achieve more advanced language, literacy, and content knowledge and skills needed for both academic and professional purposes.

Dr. JoAnn (Jodi) Crandall is Professor Emerita of Education at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where she co-directed the MA TESOL Program and established the PhD Program in Language, Literacy, and Culture. Previously she was Vice President of the Center for Applied Linguistics, where she led efforts on refugee and international education. She is author of more than 140 publications on ELT and has edited several textbook series for National Geographic Learning.

A former President of International TESOL, WATESOL, and the American Association for Applied Linguistics (AAAL), Dr. Crandall is frequently invited to speak at national and international conferences and has provided professional development in more than 60 countries. She has received many awards, including the Distinguished Scholarship and Service Award from AAAL, Lifetime Achievement Awards from WATESOL and Maryland TESOL, and the Outstanding Graduate Faculty Member from the UMBC Graduate Student Association. More recently, as part of the 50th anniversary of International TESOL, she was selected as one of 50 TESOL professionals who have made outstanding contributions to the TESOL profession and as one of 30@30 who have made a lasting impact on the English Language Specialist Program of the US Department of State and the field of TESOL worldwide.

Dr. Pamela Humphreys

Director,

Macquarie University College,
Macquarie University,
Australia

 

"Changing Approaches and Expanding Dimensions: A Case Study of Innovation"

Dr Pamela Humphreys has worked in international education for over 30 years in Europe, Asia and Australia. Currently the Director at Macquarie University International College (MUIC) & English Language Centre (ELC), she has oversight of English language programs, Foundation, Diploma, Undergraduate Certificates, and a suite of online test preparation products. She is also the Director of the Macquarie EMI Centre, the first in the region to explicitly focus on English Medium Instruction. Over her career, Pamela has been a teacher, examiner trainer, teacher trainer, and manager for ELICOS, pathways programs and higher education courses. Under her leadership, she and her teams have won over 10 national and institutional awards and citations, including the prestigious OLT Program Award for the Griffith English Language Enhancement Strategy. Pamela has also been the recipient of leadership awards, and her PhD thesis, on the construct of English language proficiency in higher education, won the IEAA Outstanding Thesis Award for Contribution to International Education. In 2021, Pamela was the recipient of the English Australia John Gallagher Bursary for her significant contribution to the ELICOS sector. She is a member of the NEAS Advisory Council, Convenor of the English Australia Post-entry and Academic English Special Interest Group, and Treasurer of UECA. Dr Humphreys is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (Advance HE); Senior Fellow of IEAA; and a TEQSA Expert. She publishes on academic language and learning, and English as a Medium of Instruction and maintains a strong interest and involvement in teacher education and language assessment.

Dr. Marie YEO

Senior Language Specialist,

SEAMEO Regional Language Center (RELC),

Singapore,
RELC Representative

 

"Teacher Agency in Online Continuous Professional Development: Why and how teachers should engage in e-CPD"

COVID-19 has prompted a transformation in the delivery of continuous professional development (CPD) from face-to-face to online modes (e-CPD). The online mode has made it possible for training providers to reach a wider audience, and learning platforms offer the potential for courses to be developed, then easily packaged and distributed. In consequence, teachers now have many more e-CPD choices, leading to choice overload, learning fatigue and dropout. This presentation looks at why teachers should engage in e-CPD and how they can make effective choices from the many online offerings. Drawing on the experiences of ASEAN teachers of English enrolled in a range of online professional development courses, the presenter will discuss how teachers can use competency frameworks to pinpoint their competency gaps. The presenter will then identify features of effective online courses to help teachers make good e-CPD choices. The presentation will conclude with a call for teachers to exercise agency in choosing and participating in e-CPD so that we can become joyful learners navigating our own professional development journeys.

YEO Marie is a Senior Language Specialist at the SEAMEO Regional Language Center (RELC) in Singapore, where she teaches on a range of teacher education programs. For the past 30 years, she has taught English, trained teachers and trainers and managed educational projects in countries including Australia, China, Cambodia, Singapore and Vietnam. Her current areas of interest are Language Assessment, Teacher Professional Development and Blended Learning. Marie is currently Editor-in-Chief of the RELC Journal and her most recent publications include a guide book on teacher professional development, a chapter on flipped learning and a journal article on academic publishing.

Dr. Masitowarni Siregar

Lecturer in Doctoral Program of Applied Linguistics,

Graduate School of Education,
Universitas Negeri Medan,

Indonesia,
TEFLIN Representative

 

"Language Teacher's Training and Assisting Program using the R2L Approach to increase students' Literacy in Indonesia"

Students' Literacy in Indonesia is still unsatisfactory. This is indicated by the data from Programme for International Students Assessment (PISA) Report released in 2019, showing Indonesia was in the 74th rank of Literacy from 79 countries. Based on this result, Ministry of Education, Culture, Researh and Technology of Indonesia had set a Program aiming at increasing students' literacy. The program was designed by giving Training and assisting to Language teachers by using the R2L Approach. The R2L Approach is an Approach originated by Rose D., & Martin, J (2012) in Australia and has been gaining success in increasing students Literacy in many countries. There are four basic stages in the R2L Approach; Preparing, Detailed Reading, Joint Construction and Individual Construction. The Language Teachers Training and Assisting Program using the R2L Approach implemented had been successful in empowering teachers in implementing the R2L approach and in elevating students' motivation and attention in Literacy program in Indonesia.

SIREGAR MASITOWARNI is an English Lecturer at English Department, Faculty of Languages and Arts, Universitas Negeri Medan. She was the Head of English Educational Study Program for 8 years before she assigned to be the Head of English and Literature Department. Currently she is the Second Vice Dean of Faculty on Finance and Staff Affairs. In TEFLIN she is now the Coordinator for the Region of Provinsi Sumatera Utara. She has conducted and published research on English Teaching in Indonesia. Her interest is especially in the role of pedagogical translation in foreign language teaching.

Dr. Thanakorn Thongprayoon

Dean,
International College for Sustainability Studies,
Srinakharinwirot University,

Thailand,
Thailand TESOL Representative

 

"Analyzing Virtual Intercultural Communication Classroom Discourse"

This presentation is primarily based on a study on the exploration of fully online classroom discourse as a consequence of the rapid shift in the emerging teaching and learning mode due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The virtual setting was an international undergraduate program where English is used as a medium of instruction at an international college in Bangkok. The author developed the analytical framework to analyze the virtual classroom discourse to examine if it was different from the typical classroom discourse. Also, the features of the virtual classroom discourse from a number of virtual classroom sessions were video recorded and analyzed using an interpretive methodology focusing on features of discourse among teacher-students interaction, and students-students interaction during discussions and question-and-answer sessions. The findings showed that the discourse of virtual intercultural communication classrooms was somewhat different from typical classroom discourse. Those findings could promote better understanding of how students think, perceive, learn, and function while uttering and being silent in virtual classroom events. Students’ virtual appearances and interactions while in fully online sessions directly indicated the degree of students’ willingness to communicate in virtual classroom discourse. The implications for virtual classroom teaching and learning will be shared and discussed.

THONGPRAYOON Thanakorn holds a Ph.D. in Science of Education and Learning Management. He is the Dean of International College for Sustainability Studies, Srinakharinwirot University in Bangkok, Thailand, and the program committee member of the B.A. program in Language and Intercultural Communication (international program). He is now serving as the Head of Public Relations for Thailand TESOL Organization. His research interests vary from English language teaching and learning, intercultural communication, teaching professional development to media literacy.

Mr. Theara Chea

Tutor,

School of Professional Practice and Leadership,
Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology,
University of Technology Sydney (UTS),
Australia

 

"Preparation for Expanding Dimensions in Global ELT: What Cambodian Teachers do for their Professional Learning"

Mr Theara CHEA is a tutor in the School of Professional Practice and Leadership, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, University of Technology Sydney (UTS). With his academic background in Applied Linguistics and English Language Teaching, Theara's research interests include professional learning in the workplace and adult learning. His recent research project investigated Cambodian EFL teachers’ preferences for informal professional learning activities and their perceptions of institutional support for their learning. Theara has worked as an EFL teacher and teacher educator at various universities in Cambodia and at colleges in Sydney, before moving on to UTS. His extensive experience in teaching English to different groups of local and international students, and working at different multinational companies and colleges, has contributed tremendously to his strength in cross-cultural communication.

Sponsored by

Mr. Dan Golden

IELTS Preparation Manager,

Wall Street English,
Thailand

 

"Teaching your Students to Write GREAT IELTS Task 1 Essays"

"Teaching your Students to Write GREAT IELTS Task 2 Essays"

Dan Golden has spent over 15 years helping candidates prepare for the IELTS test by improving their English skills and developing their confidence in their own abilities. He spent 12 years in a variety of teaching and administrative roles with IDP English in Bangkok, consistently challenging and motivating students to do their very best. He is equally comfortable working with high school and college students, university lecturers, government officials, military officers, and corporate leaders.

In addition to his roles as a teacher and an IELTS examiner, Dan has led multiple successful IELTS teacher training seminars for IDP in Cambodia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and Japan. He currently manages the IELTS preparation program for Wall Street English Thailand.

Prior to moving to Bangkok in 2005, Dan worked in the corporate world in both San Francisco and Los Angeles, California, including positions with both Deloitte Consulting and The Charles Schwab Corporation. His understanding of the business world enables him to draw from a wealth of experience working with groups and individuals from a variety of backgrounds in teaching IELTS preparation courses as well as corporate classes and teacher training workshops.

Sponsored by

Paul Woodfall

Regional Training Co-ordinator for Middle East and Central Asia,

Oxford University Press

 

"Mitigating the Effects of Pandemic Disruption: Assessment and Giving Effective Feedback for Learning in ELT."

The rapid changes that we have seen in our societies over the last two years have necessitated responses from all sectors of society, not least in education. Many children and adult learners of English have seen their studies interrupted or simply abandoned due school closures. Attempts at providing online solutions have been patchy due to poor technological infrastructure (urban-rural / rich-poor digital divide) and variable digital literacies.

Assessment processes (both for and of learning) are critical in online and f2f learning (upon school reopening), the training of teachers in how to best exploit existing skillsets and modalities of teaching (blended and flexible learning) and the role parents play in this process, are all key areas that we need to address if we are to meet the demands of learning today.

In this session we look at the importance of re-establishing actual levels of language proficiency after this hiatus in learning. Reliable and easily administered tests are required give teachers and administrations an understanding of students’ levels and needs. Once these are established, assessment for learning will play an increasingly critical role in the process with teachers and learners engaging in constructive feedback that informs the next steps of learning.

We discuss practical examples of how The Oxford Placement Test can satisfy the need to establish benchmarks among the student population and how effective feedback practices can help address the demands of a more learner-centred approach to language learning in these uncertain times.

Paul Woodfall, B.A (Hons), Dip.Tefla, Dip Ed. Man., is OUP’s Regional Training Co-ordinator for Middle East and Central Asia. He has given training workshops from K1 -12, and trained English Faculty at universities in several different countries around the world including: Spain, UAE, KSA, Iran, Turkey, Lebanon, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and the Sultanate of Oman.

He has lived and worked in the region for over 20 years. Before joining OUP in 2011, Paul was ICT Co-ordinator, Team Leader for CELA exams, an IELTS examiner for 9 years (IELTS examiner trainer for six of those years) as well as teacher and teacher trainer based at the British Council in Dubai, UAE.

Specifically interested in “learning by doing”, his main goal is to promote a greater understanding of student-centred, enquiry-based learning approaches, with the overall aim of encouraging critical thinking and the development of good study skills at all levels during the educational process.