Abstracts - Plenary Sessions
The 2007 conference had three plenary speakers. Associate Professor Seamus Fagan from the University of Newcastle (Australia) delivered the opening plenary on the subject of varieties of English and the role of non-native teachers of English. Professor JoAnn (Jodi) Crandall from the University of Maryland Baltimore County (USA) delivered the second plenary on the subject of integrating writing into the teaching of English at all levels. Ms Mary Jane Hogan from IELTS Australia delivered the closing plenary on the subject of assessment in the teaching of English internationally.
“The emergence of Asian Englishes and the role of bilingual teachers in teaching English in Asia”
The last twenty years has seen an expediential expansion of the teaching and
learning of English across Asia. This has been driven by Asian governments
perceiving that the learning of English was important for their long term
economical and political goals. It has
also been driven by Asian parents who have a desire to improve the English
language skills of their
children, perceiving that obtaining English language proficiency for their
children will enhance their future prospects.
The expectation of these two stakeholders is that the
students involved will gain proficiency in “standard English”. The reality is
that very few of these students ever gain “native speaker-like” proficiency in
English. Coinciding with this expansion has been the emergence of different
varieties of Asian English. This paper will discuss the emergence of these
varieties and the growing pride in Asian Englishes. In order for Asian English
to develop further Non-Native-English Speaking Teachers (bilingual teachers) need
to be affirmed in their teaching and during their training made aware of the
importance of the varieties of Asian Englishes and what realistic level of
English proficiency the majority of students may attain. The paper will also
look at the impact of these developments on the teaching of English in
Cambodia.
Seamus Fagan has been involved in EFL/ESL for more
than twenty seven years in Lesotho, Egypt, the UK and Australia. Seamus has
been Director of Studies of the Central Queensland University Language Centre at
Rockhampton, Director of the University of Newcastle Language Centre, and is
currently Director of the University’s English Language and Foundation Studies
Centre, which includes the Language Centre, International Foundation Program,
the Learning Support Program, Open Foundation, Newstep and Yapug. Seamus has
been on the Council of English Australia, the peak body for the English language
industry in Australia, for more than 14 years, and for the last two years he has
been the Chair of English Australia. Seamus also served as the English Australia
representative on the Board of the National ELT Accreditation Scheme (NEAS) for
four years. He has also been on the organising committee of the NEAS Director
of Studies Conference since its inception. Seamus’s area of interest is
“World Englishes” and more specifically “Asian Englishes”.
Click here to download Semus Fagan's presentation file.
“The power of writing: integrating writing into EFL at all levels”
Writing is frequently the most neglected skill in EFL. There are a number of reasons for this including large classes, limited time, and concerns about one’s own writing. But writing is too important to neglect. It is one of only two forms of output, allowing us to see our students’ learning, and unlike speaking, it provides a lasting record which both teacher and student can learn from. Moreover, writing provides a means of developing both fluency and accuracy, though the activities for doing so may be quite different.
This presentation will focus on ways of integrating writing into EFL classes at all levels, even with beginners, with suggestions of a number of activities. It will also provide suggestions for addressing some of the difficulties that have led to its neglect.
Jo-Ann (Jodi) Crandall directs the Language,
Literacy & Culture Ph.D. Program at the University of Maryland Baltimore County
(UMBC), where she also teaches in the MA TESOL program. She has written more
than 100 books and articles and spoken in more than 30 countries on teacher
education, program design, and educational policy, with a special focus on
content-based instruction, writing, and cross-cultural communication.
Dr. Crandall was President of TESOL and WATESOL and of the American Association
of Applied Linguistics (AAAL). She received a B.A. degree in English and
Spanish from Ohio University, an M.A. in American Literature from the University
of Maryland College Park, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Sociolinguistics from
Georgetown University.
Click here to download Jodi Crandall's presentation file.
“Assessment and its place in international ELT”
For many teachers, ‘assessment’ is an area little explored. It has frequently had an unimportant position in teacher-training courses. However, when teachers find themselves in schools, they often discover that assessment is very important in their work, and that educational institutions place great importance on it. Ideally, the best kind of assessment should have a positive effect on how well students learn.
Increasingly, assessment is playing a greater role in the teaching of English in an international context. The dominance of the major international English language proficiency tests, such as IELTS and TOEFL, is having an impact on the way English is taught as a foreign language. This influence should not necessarily be regarded as unfortunate or negative. The use of international benchmarks in teaching, whether of English or of any other subject, can have a very positive impact on improving quality in education at an institutional and national level, and at the personal and individual level, the achievement of an internationally recognised English qualification brings many benefits. In addition, well-designed, international English language tests can have positive washback into the ELT classroom. This paper will explore the exacting standards according to which international English language proficiency tests are produced, and the role of such assessment in setting international benchmarks in ELT.
Mary Jane Hogan is the IELTS Principal Examiner, Australia, working for the IELTS test partners: Cambridge ESOL Examinations, the British Council, and IDP: IELTS Australia. Mary Jane has taught English to adult migrants and international students in Australia from the early 1980s. She has a strong interest in language testing, particularly issues in using international standardised tests. She has been an IELTS examiner since 1990, and has also conducted training sessions for IELTS Examiners and Examiner Trainers, as well as presentations to stakeholders, in Australia, New Zealand, the UK and in North America.As Principal Examiner, her responsibilities include involvement in question paper production, test development, and standard setting in the IELTS test.
Click here to download Mary Jane Hogan's presentation file.