Biodata of Speakers

Adrian Foster has been DOS and ADOS in a number of institutions worldwide including the Cambridge Centre for English Studies, where he worked with visiting scholars on EFL curriculum and materials design. He is currently working at the BNN Center in Phnom Penh and takes a particular interest in materials development and course design. 

Alan BowMan has an MA from the University of Hawaii. He currently teaches at Kwansei Gakuin University, Japan. He has lived and worked in several Asian countries and is interested in the relationship between the arts and communication. With interests in illustration and anime he brings a unique perspective to the classroom.

Alan Klein is employed with the US State Department’s English Language Fellow Program and is currently a lecturer at the Institute of Foreign Languages (IFL). He has taught English or been a teacher-trainer in Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Laos, and Spain. He previously served as a K-12 ESL Coordinator in Portland, Oregon.

Alice Murray is the English Education Outreach Program Coordinator for the American Center, U.S. Embassy, Burma. She has been a teacher trainer since 1994 and was the first English Teaching Fellow in Cambodia at the University of Phnom Penh. Alice has also worked with teachers in Russia and Slovakia.

Allyson Keane teaches English on the University Preparation Program at RMIT Vietnam.  She has taught English in Vietnam, Turkey and Australia.  Prior to beginning her teaching career, she worked in media research and marketing and has also taught business and computing subjects.  Allyson’s particular ESL interests are CALL, pronunciation and critical thinking as a fifth macro skill.

Amy Szarkowski is a clinical psychologist who teaches in the Faculty of Comparative Culture at Miyazaki International College in Japan. Dr Szarkowski teaches topics such as psychology, counseling, human relationships, and abnormal psychology. She co-teaches with Professor Ed Rummel, helping students to learn psychology content through the English language.

Andrew Foley is Director of Studies at the Australian Centre for Education (ACE). He undertook undergraduate and postgraduate studies at the University of Adelaide in Spanish, English and Applied Linguistics.  He has lived and worked in the United Kingdom, Australia, Spain and now Cambodia. His teaching interests are in the use of authentic materials and English for Specific Purposes. He has written several articles for ESL publications and has been a presenter at both TESOL and linguistics conferences.

Cecilia Johnson is currently a VSA English Language Adviser attached to the English Language Support Unit (ELSU) at the Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP). She holds a BA and a Diploma in TESL from Victoria University, Wellington. In New Zealand she taught ESOL for ten years to local and international students at Whitireia Polytechnic in Wellington.

Chea Kangarith is presently a Year Four student at the Institute of Foreign Languages (IFL), majoring in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL). He is at the moment teaching English at the Institute for Development of Education and Agriculture. He also graduated from the University of Management with Marketing as a major.

Chea Theara is currently a Year Four student in the BEd program (TEFL) at the Institute of Foreign Languages (IFL). He also works as a part-time English teacher at SITC International English School. He graduated from the National University of Management and majored in Tourism Management in 2004.

Chhoeung Kiriroath is currently a teacher trainee and a senior student at the Institute of Foreign Languages and National University of Management respectively. He has been working in the field of ELT for more than two years. He also works as an English teacher at SITC International English School.

Christopher Allen has been teaching EFL for 20 years.  He has taught in China, USA, and in Thailand. He is currently the ELT Consultant for Pearson Education Indochina.  He regularly conducts teacher-training workshops throughout Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Indonesia), so he is very aware of the challenges that Cambodian teachers face.

Clarence Shettlesworth is Regional Co-ordinator East Asia of the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations. He works with centres and partners in examination administration and supervision of Speaking tests.  He has an MA in Linguistics, University of Reading (UK) and extensive experience of working in education in the region.

Clyde Fowle is Regional Consultant/Trainer for Macmillan Education, East Asia. He has extensive experience of teaching English, managing language programs and teacher training in Asia. He holds an MA in TESOL from Sheffield Hallam University and has published several articles in the field of ELT.

David Nunan is Chair Professor of Applied Linguistics at the University of Hong Kong, a position he has held since 1994. He also holds concurrent positions as Dean of the Graduate School of Education, Newport Asia Pacific University and Senior Academic Advisor to GlobalEnglish Corporation. He has also held positions at Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, the Regional Language Centre, Singapore, and Macquarie University in Sydney. He has published over 100 scholarly books and articles on the impact of English as a global language as well as task-based language teaching, a method he pioneered in the 1990s.

Dek Sovannthea has been teaching and working at the ELSU for three years. He graduated from the Institute of Foreign Languages in 2001. Nowadays, he is teaching an elective course in Essay Writing. In addition to his teaching, he is working as a student records coordinator. In August he is going to the United States to pursue an MA.

Edward Rummel has an MA in TEFL from Southern Illinois University - Carbondale and has been teaching university language courses in Japan since 1998. He is currently an assistant professor at Miyazaki International College where he teaches courses in the teacher-certification program as well as content-based language courses. His academic interests include curriculum design and materials development.

Ek Chanboreth is a fourth year student in the Bachelor of Education at the Institute of Foreign Languages (IFL) and he is also an MBA student at the Economy and Finance Institute (EFI) in a program sourced through Charles Sturt University in Australia. He has been a teacher of English for two years.

Frances Westbrook, an American, has been living in Thailand for two years. She is currently an English Language Fellow, working out of AUA Language Centre in Bangkok. She works on teacher education and development throughout Southeast Asia. She has a Masters degree in Applied Linguistics from the University of Illinois, Chicago. She has taught English in Eastern Europe and the United States.

George Mano has been teaching ESL in Japan for the past nine years.  He has co-authored two textbooks currently on the market and two others which are currently under consideration by publishers.  He has also given workshops and presentations at several international TESOL conferences.

Helen Nankervis is an experienced English for Academic Purposes teacher who has specialised in preparing students for tertiary study both in Australia and overseas. Her initial training was as a secondary school teacher and for many years she taught Higher School Certificate (HSC) to Australian students in Victoria. Most recently, Helen has been teaching at Latrobe University Language Centre in Melbourne. In 2002-2003 she taught Australian Development Scholarship (ADS) students at the Australian Centre for Education (ACE) in Cambodia. She has also co-ordinated and taught on programs in Indonesia and China conducted by Australian tertiary institutions, preparing students for higher education (up to Masters Level) in Australia.

Janice Dahlman currently teaches English at RMIT University in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. She holds a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Development with an emphasis in TESOL and is a certified ESL public school teacher. She has taught TESOL to students of a variety of ages in the US and as well as in Thailand, China, and Vietnam.

Jeremy jones is a Senior Lecturer and Convener of the TESOL and Foreign Language Teaching Program at the University of Canberra. He has taught EFL/ESL and language teacher education in the Middle East, Japan, Vietnam and Cambodia. He has researched and published in the areas of learner autonomy, language anxiety, CALL, intercultural rhetorical styles and language teacher education.

John Eyles is a Senior Lecturer at Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand. He is Chair of the EON Foundation, director of the Living Classroom Network and owner of consulting firm Eyles and Associates. In 1998 he co-founded an online English language publisher (www.english-to-go.com).

KATE McPHERSON is a TESOL Teacher Trainer in the English Language Centre at the University of Tasmania.  Her TESOL work includes high school teaching positions in the UK and West Africa, adult migrant and international student teaching in Australia, Saudi Arabia and Fiji as well as teacher training in both graduate programs and the University of Cambridge CELTA program.  She is also involved in IELTS testing and examiner training and she is a member, and past chair, of the TESOL Professional Development Committee.  She recently completed her doctoral dissertation with Macquarie University, Sydney. 

Keuk Chan Narith is currently working at the Institute of Foreign Languages, English Department, Royal University of Phnom Penh. He holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Linguistics from the Regional Language Centre (RELC), Singapore. He has seven years experience in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) and English for Specific Purposes (ESP). Currently his main responsibilities are training English teachers and providing academic counseling to trainees and students.

Khan Bophan has been an English lecturer at the Institute of Foreign Languages (IFL) since obtaining his Bachelor of Education (TEFL) degree in 2001. He holds a Graduate Diploma in Applied Linguistics from the Regional Language Centre, Singapore. His academic interests include teaching writing, curriculum development, and English for Specific Purposes (ESP).

KOUN CHAMROEUN has a Bachelor’s Degree in TEFL from the Institute of Foreign Languages, Royal University of Phnom Penh, and a Masters in Applied Linguistics from King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), Thailand. He has several years of experience in teaching EFL students in Cambodia and Thailand, plus some experience as a trainer for the TEFL1 Training Program at Spencer International, Chichester College, based in Phnom Penh, Cambodia and Bangkok, Thailand. Currently, he is working as the Professional Development Program Manager at IDP Education Australia, Phnom Penh.

Kruy Virak has been an English lecturer at the Institute of Foreign Languages (IFL) for seven years. As part of his career, he has attended many conferences focusing on curriculum design and teacher development. His interests include working on curriculum issues and developing materials.

Lai Ching Lillian Wong works at the English Centre, University of Hong Kong.  She has coordinated, developed and taught various courses to help language teachers develop IT skills. Her PhD study is in the area of IT in ELT and teacher professional development. Recent publications include an article entitled ‘Innovation and change: information technology and in-service teacher education (University of Hong Kong Press, 2005).

Lance Jackson teaches high school students at the International School of Phnom Penh (ISPP). He has taught ESL students at every level from primary school to adults. Since arriving in Cambodia two years ago, Lance has taught at the Australian Centre for Education (ACE) and produced and presented shows on CTN television, the highest ratings TV channel in the country. He holds a Master’s Degree in Applied Linguistics and a Graduate Diploma in Education.

Lawrence Levy is currently at Kyoto Bunkyo University, Kyoto, Japan. His publications and presentations focus on classroom techniques to encourage learner - learner interaction and creating literacy programs in minimal resource environments. He has presented both papers and workshops on these themes in Chile, China, Nepal, Thailand and Vietnam.

Le Cong Tuan is a lecturer in English at Can Tho University. He holds an MA in Applied Linguistics from the University of Queensland, Australia. Courses taught include General English, Writing Skills, Semantics, and Pragmatics. Interests include education innovations and technology in education.

MENG SENG HENG is a Cambodian teacher trainer at the Regional Teacher Training Centre (RTTC). Trained by the Cambodian Secondary English Teaching (CAMSET) project, he has worked for the Centre for British Teachers (CfBT) Education Services and for a range of both public and private sector organisations. He also received overseas training in the United Kingdom. Meng is a professional trainer with extensive experience in language and management training programs. He has designed and developed English language programs, training of trainers programs in English and Khmer languages and customised training programs for specific needs.

Merin Waite is Director of Singielts Training in Singapore. He is currently working as a consultant for the British Council where he is writing their new critical thinking/creative learning courses and working with students on the Global Village project.  He is a trustee of the EON Foundation.

Michael Clifford studied Social Anthropology in Northern Ireland.  He has taught English in several European countries.  He has also worked in Europe in the music industry and in photo-journalism.  In the 1990s he undertook an MA in TESOL at the University of London and shortly after came to Cambodia to teach English.  He has maintained interest in his original field of study and has presented two papers at the RUPP Socio-Cultural Congress.

Michael Otier is currently on a six-month sabbatical from a government sponsored university in the United Arab Emirates. There he is active as an EFL lecturer and process writing materials designer. His most recent career highlight was teaching a cohort of pre-MA degree students at an institute in Phnom Penh to prepare them for graduate school studies in Australia.

Nguyen Hai Quan is a lecturer in English at Can Tho University, Vietnam. His interests include EFL teaching methodology, intercultural communication and classroom-based research. He has published both locally and regionally.

Nick Rea has an MA TEFL and Diploma in TESOL. He has over ten years experience teaching English and is currently the ESL Coordinator at Northbridge International School in Phnom Penh. Previously he taught for seven years at the Australian Centre for Education (ACE), Phnom Penh. His main professional interests are promoting oral fluency and academic writing.

Nin Savuth taught English for four years before becoming a lecturer in the English Department of the Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP). He has attended many workshops concerning TESOL and has developed a special interest in testing. He is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Sociology.

Om Soryong is currently a deputy head of the English Department at the Institute of Foreign Languages (IFL), Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP). He holds a Master’s Degree of Science in Instructional Design from Southern Illinois University, USA, and a Graduate Diploma in TESOL from the University of Canberra, Australia. He has been involved in curriculum/syllabus design and development and Teaching English as a Foreign Language in the Bachelor of Education in TEFL and Bachelor of Arts in English courses at the Institute of Foreign Languages for more than ten years. His areas of expertise include teaching methodology, curriculum development, and instructional design.

Pan Somaly is a program coordinator and lecturer of English of the English Language Support Unit (ELSU), Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP). She earned her MA in Russian Language and Literature in 1992 in Russia and an MA in TESOL in 2003 in the USA.

Peter Bainbridge is a CELTA tutor at RMIT University, Vietnam. He has taught Academic English for a number of years in Vietnam, Cambodia, England and Japan. His Master’s degree thesis was in pronunciation. He is also currently an IELTS examiner in HCMC, Vietnam.

Philip CHAN is an Assistant Professor in the School of Education and Languages. He has published book chapters on literature in EFL curriculum and teacher development. He is working on two curriculum research projects in Hong Kong and has conducted teacher workshops on materials development in a number of EFL resource-scarce environments.

Pich Pheak Tra is currently working at the Department of English, the Institute of Foreign Languages (IFL), Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP). He graduated from the IFL in 2003. He previously taught General English classes at the Hello American Institute in Phnom Penh.

Presentacion Maano Fong is currently a PhD (Education) candidate at the University of Canberra, Australia. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from the Philippines, a Diploma in Teaching English as a Foreign Language from Macau, a Diploma in Applied Research for Language and Education from Hong Kong and a Master of Arts in the Teaching of English as a Second Language from the USA. She works as a Lecturer and Teacher Supervisor at the Faculty of Education, University of Macau, and has been involved in the training and professional development of Macau pre-service and in-service EFL/ESL English teachers since 1993.

Randall Livingston has eighteen years ESL teaching experience in the USA, India and now at Kwansei Gakuin University, Japan. He has presented papers related to second language acquisition over the past two years in India, Turkey, Japan and the USA.

Richard Boyum is the Regional English Language Officer (RELO) for the US Embassy in Bangkok. He has an MA in TEFL and Bilingual Education from Georgetown University and a certificate in Distance Education from Texas A&M University. During his career Richard has served as a classroom teacher, teacher-trainer and program administrator in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, South America and Southeast Asia. He also served on the TESOL Board of Directors and was Director of the State Department Office of English Language Programs.

Richard Flynn works  on the UsingEnglish.com ESL website. He has created many ESL online resources and learning materials, and has also co-authored CALL software, including a concordance and a text analyser.

Robert Shrubsall has taught English in Nigeria, Malaysia and Nepal. He was English textbook advisor in Bangladesh and Cambodia, and he is currently Dean of the Faculty of Liberal Arts, Asian University, Thailand.  From 1996 – 2001 he advised on the production of the ‘English For Cambodia’ textbook series in the Cambodian Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MoEYS) Pedagogic Research Department.

Sou Boramy has been working in the English Language Support Unit (ELSU) program at the Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP) since 1995. She graduated with an MA in ELT from the Institute for English Language Education, Assumption University (Thailand) in 2003. Currently, she is teaching General English and Essay Writing. She chose this topic “A Study of English Speaking Problems Encountered by Cambodian Students Studying at the English Language Support Unit of the Royal University of Phnom Penh” because it relates to her background of learning English. She started learning English through speaking.

Stephen Moore is a senior researcher at the National Centre for English Language Teaching and Research (NCELTR) at Macquarie University in Australia. His research interests include discourse analysis, English for Specific Purposes, and testing and evaluation. He taught English in Phnom Penh in 1994/5 and 1998-2000.

Steven Boswell comes from Washington DC. He has been a wandering EFL teacher since 1968. He has taught in Chad, Laos, the United States, Kuwait, Burundi, Palestine, China, Turkey, Vietnam, Tibet (China) and Cambodia. He has been at the English Language Support Unit (ELSU) of the Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP) since 2000, where in addition to teaching he advises the ELSU’s management team and mentors new and less experienced teachers. He has a Master’s degree in Applied Linguistics from Indiana University (USA).

Ted O'Neill holds an MA in ESL Education from the University of Massachusetts in Boston. He has taught in the US and Japan for many years and is currently an instructor at Obirin University in Tokyo, Japan. His professional interests include CALL and teacher development.

Thom Kiddle has taught EFL for eight years, in three continents. He is currently working at the British Council, Bangkok, teaching English to adults and teens. He also writes for the Bangkok Post Learning Post. He was awarded the 2004 Cambridge DELTA prize as the first person to achieve a triple distinction in the DELTA.

Thomas Blair teaches academic writing, freshman composition, argumentative writing and research methods at Akita International University in Akita, Japan. His training and research interests include folklore and the interfaces between orality and literacy, oral composition and performance (verbal dueling in North Thailand), and strategies used in argument, especially in cross-cultural contexts.

Tim Clifford is in his thirtieth year as an educator. Originally trained at Melbourne University as a Physical Education and mainstream English teacher, he began teaching ESL in 1988. He gained a Graduate Diploma in TESOL from Deakin University in 2001 and currently teaches at both the British Council and PSBIntellis in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. 

Tith Mab earned his BEd (TEFL) in 1995 at the Institute of Foreign Languages (IFL), Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP). He received his Master of Education in Teaching Studies in 1999 from the University of Sydney, Australia. He also gained a Higher Graduate Diploma in Higher Education Management from Chulalongkorn University (Thailand) in 2002. He is currently the Coordinator of the English Language Program and also a lecturer at the IFL. He has taught many subjects including Literature Studies, Teaching Methodology, Foundations of Education and Communication Skills.

Vong Chorvy is currently a lecturer in the English Language Support Unit (ELSU). He has been working as a lecturer at the ELSU and at the Institute of Foreign Languages (IFL) at the Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP) since 1998. He earned his Master’s degree in TESOL from the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) Australia in 2003.