Saturday Morning Sessions
Saturday 0900-0950
Fun and Effective Classroom Game Activities (R404)
David Paul, Language Teaching Professionals
What Is “Deep Learning” in the 2022 Revised English Curriculum: A Reflection on Concept-Based Curriculum and Instruction (R405)
Eunjee Ko, Namseoul University
The New Technologies in Learning and Teaching in Post-COVID19 Time (R406)
R. Prum, Institute of Technology of Cambodia
The Red Carpet to Having Oscar-Winning Learners (P105)
T. Ferreira Severo, Nancang Qihua Academy Bilingual School
Teaching the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Cultivating Empathy and Cross-Cultural Understanding (P203)
A. Busso, Tokyo International University
Saturday 0900-0925
A Corpus-based Study on Word Use of University Website News (P103)
J. Hsu, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology
C.I. You, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology
Saturday 0930-0955
Developing Postsecondary EFL Students’ Academic Language/Literacy Through an Integrated Approach (P101)
E. Erdenebaatar, National University of Mongolia
U. Maamuujav, University of California, Irvine
Shaping EAP Writing Success: Feedback Practices for Optimal Outcomes (P102)
V. Chang, University of Melbourne
A Study on the Vocabulary Needs of Vietnamese Learners in EMI Programs (P103)
J. Hsu, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology
V.D. Tan, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology
Enhancing EFL Learners’ Listening Comprehension in English Podcasts With Live Caption (P104)
Y.H. Chao, National Taiwan Normal University
Enhancing English Language Learning Through Conversations With AI Avatars in Virtual Reality (P201)
Y. Saito, Chuo University
Harmonizing Vocabulary Acquisition: Exploring Lexical Coverage in Pop Song Lyrics for Adolescent Language Learners (P202)
Y.W. Chiu, National Taiwan Normal University
The Linguistic Stage: Motivation in Global Language Learning (P204)
Z.J. Waber, Wenzhou-Kean University
Saturday 10:15-12:00
Opening Ceremony
Plenary:
Meeting Halfway with Learners (Samsung Hall, Centennial Building)
Boyoung Lee, AnySpeak
Fun and Effective Classroom Game Activities
David Paul, Language Teacher Professionals
If learning itself feels like a game, and if children feel that they are discovering a fascinating new world of English through games that they would also enjoy outside the classroom, it is much more likely that the children will be motivated to learn English both in the class and between lessons away from the classroom. And it is much more likely that they will use English in their daily lives. How do we go about achieving this in practice? This presentation will look at examples from two different approaches: gamification and games-based learning.
Gamification of a lesson means having an overall game theme that ties a lesson together and having engaging game elements that are applied during the course of a lesson. Individual activities within a gamified lesson may or may not be games. For example, the theme of a lesson might be space exploration, and each child or each team could have a rocket that travels through space, discovering planets and avoiding dangerous monsters or aliens. A games-based lesson is different. In a games-based lesson, much, and maybe all, of the learning and practice of English is through individual games. The second part of this presentation will look at examples of classroom games and everybody will play some of these games.
David Paul graduated with an MA from Cambridge University, specializing in social psychology. In the early 1980s, he started teaching by himself in an apartment in Hiroshima, and this quickly grew into a successful group of schools that also had franchises in Korea and Thailand. His schools became centers for the professional development of teachers in the region, running teacher training courses and setting up MA programs with British universities. He also founded ETJ (English Teachers in Japan), a free volunteer group that supports teachers in Japan and currently has around 10,000 members. As his schools grew, he had opportunities to write ELT coursebooks and resource books, including Finding Out, Teaching English to Children in Asia, Communicate, Communication Strategies, and Songs and Games Phonics. Most of these books became best sellers. His schools closed in 2010, and he then established Language Teaching Professionals to continue to support the professional development of teachers. He also has an active Language Teaching Professionals channel on YouTube, where he uploads teacher training videos for teachers of young learners; an active Teaching English Around the World group on Facebook; and other social network groups and pages that support teachers.
What Is “Deep Learning” in the 2022 Revised English Curriculum: A Reflection on Concept-Based Curriculum and Instruction
Eunjee Ko, Namseoul University
This study explores the design of the English education curriculum as concept-based curriculum and instruction (CBCI) to achieve “deep learning” highlighted in the 2022 revised curriculum. Conducting a literature review on CBCI and the concept-based teaching methodology in the International Baccalaureate program, the analysis of the 2022 English curriculum was undertaken to extract knowledge-based concepts grounded in the structures of knowledge and process. Process-based concepts were also derived from the domain of Understanding and Expression within the English subject. Building on these findings, the study proposes a statement for exploring the English curriculum with meaningful conceptual understanding, utilizing checklists and scaffolding methods from CBCI. In conclusion, the study offers suggestions for restructuring the English education curriculum based on CBCI, providing guidance for teachers to enhance their expertise in redesigning units and lesson plans aligned with the 2022 revised curriculum's emphasis on deep learning.
Eunjee Ko is a dedicated educator and Namseoul University lecturer for the IB Educator Certificate course, with 15 years of experience as an English teacher in the Chungnam Provincial Office of Education. Contributing to the academic community as a Korean freelance translator and revisor for the IB’s MEP Department, she holds IB MYP and DP Educator certificates and an MA in teaching English as a foreign language from IGSE in Korea. Focusing on the 2022 revised curriculum, concept-based curriculum and instruction (CBCI), and IB education, Eunjee is currently pursuing a doctoral program at Korea National University of Education, exploring curriculum development intricacies and teacher training aspects. A Gold Prize recipient at MELTA’s 5th MIRCELE Conference, she aspires to share valuable insights with Korean English teachers, emphasizing both curriculum reconstruction and teacher training.
The New Technologies in Learning and Teaching in Post-COVID19 Time
R. Prum, Institute of Technology of Cambodia
Nowadays, we can say we are in post-COVID or we continue to live with COVID-19. This virus COVID-19 teaches us several things. As a teacher-researcher, we have to do research for tools to help us in teaching and learning. When we talk about the COVID-19, we can say that we benefit from this this virus several lessons for our professional practices. Technology is one of the ways giving us possibilities for teaching/learning in the most difficult times. On the other hand, the e-books can help a lot. The researcher attempts to work with students at Institute of Technology of Cambodia (ITC) (from 1st year to 5th year). In addition, he tried to work with students from École Catholique des Arts et des Métiers (ECAM). The results obtained are very significant. They allowed the researcher to draw out the conclusions and propose recommendations for future work.
Prum, Rithy - Institute of Technology of Cambodia
Teacher of English (since 1988) and teacher of French (since 2010). He is a teacher-researcher at Institute of Technology of Cambodia. He works a lot with new technologies.
The Red Carpet to Having Oscar Winning Learner
T. Ferreira Severo, Nancang Qihua Academy Bilingual School
It has been said many times before that the classroom is a stage and many of us, teachers, have taken up a variety of roles in the endless quest to make learning more appealing, accessible, and fun for our students, or shall I say audience? The issue with being a star teacher is that the classroom seizes being the soughtafter student-centered environment, affecting students' language development. So how about getting them to be under the spotlight in day-to-day lesson activities? Develop creative, dynamic, and simple tasks to get the little ones to blossom into star learners!
Ferreira Severo, Tatiana - Nancang Qihua Academy Bilingual School
Tatiana Severo has been in EFL/ESL for over 26 years and worked as a teacher, material developer, teacher trainer, and academic coordinator. She has taught different nationalities and ages in the UK, Brazil, and is currently teaching young learners and TOEFL IBT in China.
Teaching the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Cultivating Empathy and Cross-Cultural Understanding
A. Busso, Tokyo International University
The October 7th attack served as a reminder of the interconnectedness of our world and the impact of global events. As an English teacher, this prompted me to re-evaluate the purpose of my work and to question the role of language education. How can I better equip my students to engage in informed discussions about real-world challenges they face? ELT has evolved beyond linguistic acquisition. Today, it encompasses the broader role of English as a world language and as a tool for bridging cultures to promote peace. Teachers are increasingly recognizing the connections between ELT and peace education (PE). In this workshop, the presenter will draw upon their personal insights and hands-on experience in teaching about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in a Japanese EFL university. Participants will leave equipped with concrete tools and a renewed vision for integrating PE as a critical pedagogy that fosters empathy and cross-cultural understanding.
Busso, Alexis - Tokyo International University Alexis
Busso (ORCID: 0009-0007-3283-8288) has an MA in language teaching from the University of Oregon. Her research interests include gamification, pragmatics, process-based learning, and intercultural communication. Alexis has taught in Colombia and the U.S. and is currently a lecturer at Tokyo International University.
A Corpus-based Study on Word Use of University Website News
J. Hsu, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology
C.I. You, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology
A Corpus-based Study on Word Use of University Website News This study investigated English news from the university websites of Canada, America, and Taiwan. A mini corpus was compiled from 9 university websites (3 Canadian, 3 American, and 3 Taiwanese). An online corpus analysis instrument, N-Gram Extractor (Lextutor), was applied to identify English words and bundles. The news themes, words, and bundles from the websites were examined. The findings showed: (1) The themes of Canadian universities were the most diverse, and Technology and Arts are the only two shared themes among the 3 countries. (2) To understand university website news, an ESL/EFL reader needs at least 15,000 for Canadian, 9,000 for American, and 5,000 words for Taiwanese university websites respectively. (3) The bundles in the American corpus were the most diverse, contrasted to the other two. The current study calls for an inclusion to incorporate the word use, i.e., single words and bundles, in classroom practices and material preparation.
Hsu, Jeng-yih Tim - National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology.
Dr Jeng-yih Tim Hsu is an associate professor currently teaching at Department of English, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
You, Chen-Huey Idan - National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology
Ms. Chen-Huey Idan You is currently a graduate student in MA Applied Linguistics and TESOL, Department of English, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Developing Postsecondary EFL Students’ Academic Language/Literacy Through an Integrated Approach
E. Erdenebaatar, National University of Mongolia
U. Maamuujav, University of California, Irvine
"This practice-oriented workshop presents pedagogical strategies based on systemic functional linguistics (SFL; Halliday, 1994) to unpack Sustainable Development Goals developed by the United Nations. The pedagogical objectives are: 1) to build academic language skills, 2) to develop content knowledge, and 3) to promote youth advocacy and action on a global issue. An emerging body of SFL-oriented research at the intersection of language and content demonstrates that teaching language in connection with content has a powerful impact on student learning (Schall-Leckrone, 2022). Beyond the pedagogical goals of developing language skills and content knowledge, we show how these pedagogical strategies can be used to promote youth participatory action research (YPAR) and advocacy. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a collection of 17 interconnected objectives to be reached globally over the next 15 years by all countries, serve as a valuable source that provides students comprehensive knowledge on global and national priorities for development.
Erdenebaatar, Erdenetuya - National University of Mongolia Erdenetuya
Erdenebaatar is an English language instructor of more than 20 years in the Foreign Language Center in the School of Science at the National University of Mongolia. She has taught academic reading, writing, and language courses to undergraduate and graduate students. Her research focuses on teaching methodology for academic literacy development.
Maamuujav, Undarmaa - University of California, Irvine
Undarmaa Maamuujav is a research scientist in the School of Education at the University of California, Irvine. She has taught academic literacy and writing courses at California State University, Los Angeles and University of California Irvine. Her research focuses on academic writing and literacy development of multilingual learners of English at both secondary and postsecondary levels.
Shaping EAP Writing Success: Feedback Practices for Optimal Outcomes
V. Chang, University of Melbourne
This study explores the impact of feedback on English for Academic Purposes (EAP) writing at a Taiwanese university. It specifically examines how macro-level (content and structure) and micro-level (language form) feedback influence student writing proficiency and learning experiences. Through two case studies involving teacher and student interviews, along with analysis of teacher feedback and student writing revisions, the study reveals that students tend to show greater efficacy and preference for macro-level feedback. This finding suggests that addressing broader aspects of writing is more beneficial for EAP skill enhancement. It challenges the traditional focus on micro-level language details. The insights highlight opportunities for enhancing feedback practices in similar educational contexts, contributing to the global conversation on effective feedback approaches in EAP writing. The study offers educators practical strategies to refine feedback practices, ultimately aiming to improve EAP student learning outcomes.
Chang, Vicky - The University of Melbourne Vicky
Chang, pursuing her PhD at the University of Melbourne and holding a Master's in TESOL from Columbia University, has 17 years of experience teaching EAL and EAP writing in the U.S., Taiwan, and Australia. She is now focusing her extensive teaching background on research in EAL/EAP writing, writing assessment, and feedback literacy, bridging practical teaching with academic study.
A Study on the Vocabulary Needs of Vietnamese Learners in EMI Programs
J. Hsu, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology
V.D. Tan, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology
The critical role of vocabulary in EFL education has been receiving an increasing amount of attention, centering on words needed to perform within academic contexts. While past studies predominantly focused on EFL learners in high school settings, this study addresses a gap by investigating the vocabulary size of Vietnamese graduate students enrolled in English-Medium-Instruction (EMI) programs at a public Taiwanese university. The study, including 46 students from four academic disciplines, employed a 14,000 Vocabulary Size Test, TOEIC tests, and VocabProfiler (Lextutor) to measure receptive vocabulary. Notable findings include: (1) TESOL students exhibited the largest vocabulary, followed by IMBA, Electronic-Engineering, and Industrial-Engineering-and-Management. (2) A positive correlation between vocabulary size and English fluency was identified. (3) To comprehend 95% of English lectures, TESOL students needed 10,000 words, while Electronic-Engineering required 6,000, and IMBA/IEM needed 4,000. The results inform EFL and EMI educators, highlighting the significance of tailored vocabulary teaching for academic success.
Hsu, Jeng-yih Tim - National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology.
Dr Jeng-yih Tim Hsu is an associate professor currently teaching at Department of English, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Tan, Vo Duy (Alan) - National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology
Mr. Vo Duy Alan TAN is currently a graduate student at MA Applied Linguistics and TESOL, Department of English, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Enhancing EFL Learners’ Listening Comprehension in English Podcasts With Live Caption
Y.H.. Chao, National Taiwan Normal University
Podcasts, with their high accessibility, portability, and autonomy-promoting features, are powerful tools for extracurricular language learning, especially in honing listening skills. However, the absence of visual aids in podcasts, compared to videos, may lead to challenges in comprehension and a decline in motivation for L2 learners. Inspired by the success of video captioning in enhancing L2 learners' video comprehension, this study explores whether adding captions to podcasts yields similar benefits. Through a one-group pretestposttest design and a subsequent questionnaire, this study investigates how the intervention of Live Caption enhances the listening comprehension of Taiwanese EFL learners in English podcasts, along with their feedback on this technology-mediated learning strategy. Results indicate that real-time captions contribute to the improved comprehension of local items, and learners express positive attitudes toward this technology while providing insights for future development. Implications are drawn for educators to assist learners in podcast listening by incorporating captions.
Chao, Yi-Hsuan - National Taiwan Normal University Yi-Hsuan
Chao is a dedicated master's student in the Department of English (TESOL track) at National Taiwan Normal University. Her academic focus centers on technology-assisted language teaching and learning, revealing her commitment to innovative education approaches.
Enhancing English Language Learning Through Conversations With AI Avatars in Virtual Reality
Y. Saito, Chuo University
With the emergence of Generative AI technologies like ChatGPT, English language learning through Virtual Reality (VR) is entering a new phase where English learners can practice English with AI avatars. This study aims to address the possibility of improving students’ English proficiency and lowering foreign language anxiety using a VR platform, Immerse, in which students can practice speaking with AI avatars at different VR scenes. Eight Japanese students practiced speaking with AI avatars in the VR platform. Before and after the practice, the researcher conducted a speaking test and a foreign language anxiety questionnaire. Video recordings of their practice were analyzed, and perceived usefulness, ease of use, and playfulness about the platform and their intention to continue using it were measured after the practice. The results of the study will be presented, along with pedagogical implications in using AI avatars in diverse of VR scenes for English language learning.
Saito, Yukie - Chuo University
Yukie Saito obtained a MA in TESOL from Teachers College Columbia University and a Ph.D. in education from Temple University. She is a professor at the Faculty of Global Informatics of Chuo University. She has been interested in pragmatics, English teachers’ cognition and classroom practice, CEFR, and EdTech. Her main research interest is the application of VR in English education.
Harmonizing Vocabulary Acquisition: Exploring Lexical Coverage in Pop Song Lyrics for Adolescent Language Learners
Y.W. Chiu, National Taiwan Normal University
This study explores the lexical coverage of pop song lyrics, focusing on EFL learners. Although the songs are popular among learners, there is limited research on their potential as language learning materials. Examining the vocabulary needed for 95% and 98% coverage of Billboard Hot 100 chart lyrics, the study compares these findings with other text genres, including movies and TV programs. Results indicate that 4,000 and 9,000 words are required for the respective coverage percentages. The study suggests that pop song lyrics are suitable for senior high school and college students, advocating for a tiered approach to facilitate incidental learning. Limitations include the exclusive focus on lexical meaning of pop songs, leaving room for future research to explore the meaning of slangs and idioms in song lyrics.
Chiu, Yu-Wen - National Taiwan Normal University
Yu-Wen Chiu is a researcher and educator currently pursuing a master's degree in the TESOL track. Specializing in language acquisition, her focus centers on innovative approaches to language learning, especially for EFL students.
The Linguistic Stage: Motivation in Global Language Learning
Z.J. Waber, Wenzhou-Kean University
This paper explores the complex nature of motivation in language learning, drawing on Dörnyei's (2005) L2 Motivational Self-System (L2MSS) and emphasizing motivation as a dynamic, recursive process. The inverse relationship between experience value and reflection intensity is akin to the dramatic tension in a play, where positive experiences drive sustained engagement, while negative experiences may lead to disengagement. This paper explores how the dynamic interplay of language community association and identity development informs pedagogy, incorporating growth mindset, grit, and foreign language enjoyment through the lens of the Ideal L2 self or the "character on the stage" in a language community. The paper concludes with pedagogical considerations related to sustaining positive recursive motivation cycles and fostering the development of additive language learner identity in a plurilingual society in language classrooms via the growth mindset and Ideal L2 self-constructs.
Waber, Zachary Joel - Wenzhou-Kean University
Zachary Waber is a lecturer of English Studies at Wenzhou-Kean University and a recent graduate of Oxford University. His research interests include Global Englishes, Corpus Linguistics, and Code-Switching. He is especially interested in exploring the sociolinguistic functions of L1 in the production of English as an International Language.
