Abstract

Motivation is a crucial aspect in any field of learning where a lack of it can lead to the abandonment of a task despite initial enthusiasm. When learning a language, this could mean failure to attain any meaningful level of proficiency. This presentation gives the results of a study into teachers’ perceptions of motivation of second language (L2) learners in a private language school situated in London. It explains factors that boost or hinder students’ desire to learn while increasing understanding of learner motivation in this context and applying this to course design and teacher approach. Results suggested lessons that are stimulating and personalized to learners help to generate motivation while the teacher should endeavour to create a communicative, inclusive environment in the classroom. Regular feedback is important and should be delivered in a constructive and motivating way. However, mixed ability groups and excessive use of a learner’s L1 can result in demotivation. Furthermore, teachers should utilize contextual factors such as groups having mixed cultural backgrounds while being mindful of external factors e.g., integrating with the local community, which may undermine a learner’s drive to study. The presentation will be useful for teachers wishing to improve motivation among their students in the adult ELT context.

Abstract

PBL really changed my style and method of teaching English. I always believed in active learning where students were a part of the activity by moving around and seeking information, but instead of just doing an activity for the sake of completing the activity, I learned to include the students in the actual construction of the projects as well as the completion of it. This method requires the teacher and student to be on a more equal level as ideally the teacher has created a space where the student feels encouraged to use their personal experiences and knowledge to complete the project before them. The workshop will require participants to bring their ideas so we can use a PBL pedagogy to create lesson ideas and materials that are thought-provoking and engaging. PBL can be used to design a semester long curriculum centered around one project, or mini-projects for each class or set of classes. Participants will see examples of different kinds of curricula.

Abstract

Recent research on lesson study has shifted focus from assessing teachers’ competence and learners’ achievement to emphasizing teachers' efficacy. This research presents a case study of eight Vietnamese teachers of English at a university in the Mekong Delta working in a Zoom-aided lesson study group that prepared them for teacher development in teaching English as a foreign language. Qualitative data from interviews and observation were analyzed using thematic analysis. By conducting lesson study, the teachers indicated they were fully aware of the important roles of lesson study in their professional development strategies. They declaimed lesson study, involving a small group of teachers collaboratively designing, teaching, and refining a single lesson could provide a platform for mutual learning, collaboratively designing more effective lesson plans that focus on learning goals and rendering timid teachers more confident in having their teaching observed by colleagues. As a result, they improved their self-efficacy in instructional strategies, classroom management, and student engagement.

Abstract

English is a language rich in verb tenses, and using verb tenses correctly is essential for speaking English. At the same time, differences and nuances of meaning between tenses can be hard to teach and even harder to learn. Many different strategies and techniques exist for teaching verb tenses both implicitly and explicitly. All of them come with innate advantages and disadvantages from a pedagogical point of view and all speak to different learning styles and profiles. While students are increasingly unmotivated in the classroom, they are increasingly motivated to watch videos on social media and streaming services. These same videos, film clips, film and static film shots can provide, however, the optimum audio and visual format to teach, review, recycle and reuse verb tenses in a motivational setting while exploring uses of the present, past and future timeframes as well as the nuances between the simple tenses, the progressive tenses, and perfect tenses. This presentation will explore how to leverage moving images and derived still images to teach English verb tenses implicitly and explicitly in both writing and speaking.

Abstract

Brain-based learning is an instructional approach informed by neuroscience, emphasizing teaching strategies that align with the brain's natural learning processes. This method focuses on creating an engaging, supportive, and cognitively stimulating environment to improve memory retention, critical thinking, and the application of knowledge. Key strategies include active learning, integrating multisensory experiences, fostering emotional connections, and accommodating the brain's natural attention-rest rhythms to optimize learning outcomes. These strategies aim to support students holistically, addressing both their cognitive and emotional needs.

Formative assessment enhances brain-based learning by offering ongoing, real-time feedback to inform both teaching and learning practices. Through tools such as quizzes, peer feedback, discussions, and reflective practices, teachers can identify gaps in understanding and adjust their instruction accordingly. At the same time, formative assessment empowers students by fostering self-assessment and metacognitive skills, both essential for long-term learning and personal growth. These assessments encourage students to take ownership of their learning journey, promoting intrinsic motivation and self-directed improvement.

Together, brain-based learning and formative assessment form a complementary framework for fostering a student-centered classroom environment. This integration promotes a deeper understanding of subject matter while simultaneously enhancing cognitive, social, and emotional development. The synergy between these approaches supports a holistic educational experience that prioritizes continuous improvement and lifelong learning. By addressing the diverse needs of learners, educators can create dynamic, inclusive spaces that maximize learning potential and prepare students for future challenges.

Abstract

This presentation will explain how teachers can use free tools and methods to create tailored wordlists for their English for Special Purposes (ESP) courses as well as important considerations needed to create such lists. The presenters will show how to use frequency as well as significance to create a vocabulary list for an ESP course. This ensures that words that exist in both the specialized corpus as well as in a standard English corpus can be treated separately if they have an increased significance in the specialized corpus. The method used in this presentation to determine significance is ‘keyness’. Keyness helps identify important words for a specific field by highlighting terms that are statistically more common in that specialized context than in everyday language.

This presentation can be used as a guide for any educator or researcher interested in creating a corpus-based vocabulary list for a specialist English subject, regardless of their experience in the topic.

Abstract

Continuous professional development is necessary for teachers to improve their skills and continue to flourish in their careers. Reflective Practice (RP) is an approach to professional development which directs teachers to consider situations that arise in their work with open minds in order to make positive changes in their practice. Many teachers resist RP, experiencing it as time-consuming and isolated. This workshop will provide teachers with a model of collaborative RP which invites teachers to work together through discussion to build community and improve teaching. Topics covered will include what reflection is, how to have effective discussions, and what focuses reflective discussion might have. A model discussion topic will be used to explore these issues.

Abstract

This paper was an attempt to investigate the benefits and challenges of the implementation of the Project-based Approach to English for specific purposes classes in Vietnam. The advantages and the difficulties were identified through conducting the survey, the interviews with students and the classroom observations after trial lessons in one semester. The benefits of the application of the Project-based Approach shown in the study include improving the specialized and English knowledge, developing students’ 21st century skills, enhancing students’ media literacy skills. Besides, both the teachers and students encountered certain difficulties when working with the Project-based Approach including time management, students’ overuse of mother tongue, students’ weak presentation skill and students’ passive participation in the project work. Some implications for better Project-based Approach practices in English for specific purposes classes were provided.

Abstract

In our roles as educators, how can we best engage and motivate our students, as well as supporting them in their linguistic journeys? In this workshop, commonalities across various teaching environments are considered and how the use of drama-based activities in the EFL classroom can meet with learner needs. The participants are encouraged to reflect upon their own teaching practices, before moving into practical activities that can be adapted into various educational environments. The workshop starts with drama-based activities that are non-verbal before moving into vocal exercises and culminates with holistic drama games.

Abstract

With the advancement of digital interactive tools, peer feedback plays an increasingly significant role in the ongoing assessment of productive skills. However, there still exists a research gap in improving the quality and efficiency of this feedback type in writing courses. To address the matter, this study proposes a mixed model of quantitative peer scoring and qualitative written feedback requiring the students to justify their marking with concrete evidence and reasoning. The dual-purpose Cognito form offers a comprehensive list of assessment criteria to evaluate an academic essay under five sections: accuracy, complexity, cohesion/organization, academic style, and intertextuality/citations. Moreover, the five open-ended questions corresponding to each cluster and one general comment allow ample space for students to compose written feedback with their explicit justification of their analytical scoring of their peers’ academic essays. The findings synthesized from 170 entries collected asynchronously in a College Writing course indicate that the peer assessment is well-structured, and systematically aligned with the rubric while the written feedback showcases the students’ substantial development of metacognitive procedural knowledge via their using the metalanguage in the assessment rubric, citing relevant evidence, and reasoning the scoring with a sophisticated level of criticality.

Abstract

It is easy to create fun and effective vocabulary lessons with the help of a combination of freely available digital resources. This presentation will introduce a few useful sites and discuss how they can be used to make teaching and learning vocabulary less tedious. Participants will leave with ideas for building a stock of adaptable lessons that can keep the classroom activities moving between digital and hard copy tasks, as well as between whole class, group or individual work. It will be shown how easy it is to use AI to create bilingual resources even if the teacher does not speak the students’ first language or when the class contains students with different language backgrounds.

Abstract

The role of listening comprehension, one of the four skills included in any integrated language teaching program, is undeniable. Yet, a review of the literature reveals that unlike reading comprehension, listening comprehension has not benefitted from as much study or empirical knowledge. According to Kim (2016) the emerging evidence from studies show that listening skills require “a higher order skill that requires multiple language and cognitive skills.” Such higher order skill development has been shown to benefit from explicit teaching of strategies and meta-language to assist in decoding and understanding listening texts (Graham,Santos & Brophy, 2014). Going beyond repetitive practice, showing and discussing with students what strategies to use in order to identify, record and communicate the comprehensive meaning of a listening text is an important component of the active support required to find main ideas, details and inferred meanings. At Champasack University, the researchers developed lessons to teach strategies and optimize exercises for a 2nd year class of English majors as a supplement to their text, Active Listening, 2nd edition ( Brown & Smith, 2007). The researchers developed a supporting syllabus, instruction plan, a pre-and posttest, lesson plans, and exercises. Results will be shared from this preliminary trial, executed between December 2024 and January 2025. The presenter-researchers will discuss the background and details of their preliminary trial. Samples of the instruction and exercises will be demonstrated, engaging the audience in the activities and discussion. Ready-to-use formats will be shared for continued expansion of this enhanced skills approach to teaching listening classes.

Abstract

In the dynamic landscape of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) education, reflective practice has emerged as a critical pedagogical approach for enhancing teaching effectiveness and learner engagement, particularly within the context of ESL environments. This research investigates the multifaceted impact of reflective practice on teaching and learning ESP courses at Hanoi Metropolitan University, Vietnam, addressing a significant gap in understanding how systematic reflection can transform language instruction and student learning outcomes.  The study employs a mixed-methods research design, combining qualitative phenomenological interviews with quantitative survey data from 17 ESP instructors and 98 third- year English - majored students. By utilizing reflective journals, structured interviews, and pre- and post-intervention assessments, the research explores how intentional reflective strategies influence pedagogical approaches, student motivation, and language acquisition in ESP contexts. The findings reveal that systematic reflective practice significantly enhances instructors' professional development, promotes more contextualized and learner-centered teaching methodologies, and substantially improves students' language proficiency and learning autonomy. Participants demonstrated increased metacognitive awareness, with ESP instructors reporting greater adaptability in course design and students showing enhanced critical thinking and communication skills. The research contributes crucial insights into reflective practice's potential for transforming ESP education in Vietnamese higher education settings. By illuminating the intricate connections between reflection, pedagogical innovation, and language learning, this study offers valuable recommendations for curriculum development, teacher training, and pedagogical strategies in ESP contexts.

Abstract

As communicative competence is receiving more attention in primary and secondary education in Japan, active learning has been introduced into an increasing number of elementary and secondary schools. However, this is not always the case with universities. English courses in many universities in Japan remain teacher-fronted and grammar-focused, partly due to their dependence on part-time teachers, which causes difficulty using a standardized program for all classes. This presentation introduces you to the theory and practice of a project-based English program that is focused on the interest of each student and is designed to develop communication skills gradually from general levels to academic levels over three years. The presentation also describes how the author revised the traditional, skill-based English curriculum of his department so that the communication-oriented, project-based English program could be combined with other skill-focused English courses.

Abstract

The study examines variations in student involvement in fostering learner-centeredness in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education at a university in Vietnam. After an eight-week general English program, 298 non-English majors shared their perspectives on key aspects of learner-centered approaches, such as teaching methods and strategies, student involvement in the educational process, assessment, and roles of teachers and students in the classroom. Findings from questionnaires and interviews reveal significant differences in perspectives among students of varying language proficiency levels, especially their involvement in the teaching and learning process. For example, lower-proficiency students reported feeling excluded, as lecturers rarely consulted them on curriculum content and teaching and evaluation methods. Also, these students often lacked opportunities for independent work or sufficient time for questions and answers (Q&A) sessions. While no differences were found regarding feedback on teachers’ roles in the classroom, the sense of exclusion from the educational process could profoundly affect lower-level students’ self-confidence.  The findings, therefore, suggest that prioritizing student involvement, especially among lower proficient students, is more critical than emphasizing teacher professional development in the current EFL context.

Abstract 

At the core of effective teaching lies a desire to engage students in meaningful and productive activities. Drama serves as a powerful resource in the language classroom, offering transformative potential to shape personalities, refine behavioral norms, and foster individual autonomy. This presentation examines the relevance of drama in contemporary education by exploring pedagogical trends and providing educators with theoretical and practical insights for integrating drama into their curricula. The presentation will introduce several well-known dramatic techniques, such as simulation, role-playing, hot-seating, and improvisation, discussing their potential applications in L2 classrooms. Example activities will be introduced and the audience will be invited to participate. At the end of the session, participants will have time to ask questions and also share how they have used theatre activities in their own classrooms.

Abstract

In the recent three decades, task-based language teaching has attracted attention from researchers, teacher trainers and teaching materials developers. They have conducted a lot of investigations to prove the effectiveness of this method in different circumstances of teaching (Sanchez, 2004). Thus, along with the access to communicative language teaching, task-based language teaching has become a teaching method which has been used more and more by curriculum designers and coursebook writers. In order to maximize learners’ autonomy and realize the target of learner-centered approach and practice-oriented learning, English language teachers at Hanoi Pedagogical University 2 have applied this method into teaching speaking skills for second-year English major students in the faculty of English. After doing survey questionnaires, the benefits as well as the limitations of using this method for teaching speaking skills for the students have been clearly shown. This paper mainly focuses on summarizing the typical characteristics of task-based language teaching, then presenting the findings of applying this method into teaching speaking skills in fact, with a view to promote the effectiveness of using it in teaching and learning language skills in class.

Key words: task-based language teaching, speaking skills, English major students, benefits, effectiveness

Abstract

            Project-Based Learning (PBL) is defined as “…a teaching method in which students learn by actively engaging in real-world and personally meaningful projects.” This methodology empowers students by involving them in real-life situations. It is student-centered and promotes student-independent learning and team involvement. 

     The PBL experience at Savan Centre, entitled ‘Visit USA’, was a two-month project offering students 16 hours of PBL class time. Initially, tutors provided an overview of the USA to their tutees. Each group then discussed and chose specific states and places they wanted to visit. The groups chose Minnesota, Texas, Alaska, Hawaii, New Orleans, Hollywood, and Disney World. During the presentation of their project, each tutee was required to speak and present their specific place for one to two minutes with the group presentation being about six to eight minutes. We even sang Mickey Mouse song when we visited Disney World! 

     This PBL project immersed students in a virtual exploration of the United States and then focused on specific places.  By simulating real-world experiences, students developed a deeper understanding of the United States and its history, and by using technology, tutors guided their tutees on a virtual journey, exploring diverse landscapes, cultures, and historical sites. Furthermore, the projects fostered critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaborative skills. Learning English was more interesting when using PBL because students were not just learning language; they were using language to learn about the world.  

Abstract

 The integration of reflective practice, such as feedback from teachers and peers and self reflection in micro-teaching has emerged as an effective approach in preparing pre-service English teachers for curriculum innovation. Research has well acknowledged that reflective practice is a significant element in learning to empower language teachers to become a more competent teacher (Alt & Raichel, 2021; Farrell, 2021; Lee & Mori, 2021; Mann & Walsh, 2017) [1,2,3,4]. Inspired by Farrell's (2015) [5] idea of promoting reflective practice in L2 education, this study adopted social constructivist theory to investigate the extent to which this practice had impact on the instructional strategies of pre-service teachers at a public Vietnamese Teacher Training University. Thirty-two pre-service teachers participated in a fifteen-week ELT methodology course, engaging in lesson planning, micro-teaching, feedback and self-reflection. The findings indicate that these pre-service teachers benefitted from teacher feedback, peer feedback and their own self-reflection to critically analyse their pedagogical approaches and align them with the communicative language teaching principles outlined in the curriculum reform. The results suggest that the integration of reflective practice in micro-teaching provides valuable insights for pre-service teachers to critically reflect on their microteaching before carrying out actual practicum. Teacher trainers may incorporate reflective practice in association with social constructivist approach to language teacher education.

Abstract

Academically, grammar is crucial in mastering foreign languages in general and English in particular.  English grammar is not only necessary but also compulsory for English major students or non-English major students. Nevertheless, learners find it difficult to follow correct grammar rules, especially with non-English major learners. Educators and researchers around the globe have studied and applied a variety of learning methods to improve learners’ English grammar. The application of problem-based learning has been one of these methods. This research was set out to investigate the effectiveness of problem-based learning in improving non-English major students’ grammar competence at a university in Hanoi, Vietnam. Data instruments such as tests, observation, questionnaires, and interviews were implemented with the participation of fifty-two non-English major third-year students. Findings indicated the effectiveness of problem-based learning in non-English major students’ improvement in their grammar and students showed their good attitudes towards problem-based learning and considered it an efficient method in improving their grammar. However, students also encountered some problems when doing problem-based learning, in which their low level of English made them unconfident when delivering oral presentations. From the research results, recommendations for better using problem-based learning have been given to teachers and educators in their English classes.

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing the way we teach English writing, bringing both opportunities and challenges for teachers. This paper looks at how English teachers in Vietnam are using AI tools to improve writing skills, based on interviews and classroom observations with 10 tertiary educators.

The study shows that tools like Grammarly, ChatGPT, and Google Translate help students improve their grammar, vocabulary, and writing structure. Teachers appreciate the immediate feedback, personalized learning, and greater student engagement these tools provide. However, there are also challenges, such as students relying too much on AI, concerns about plagiarism, and the need for students to think critically about AI-generated content. Many teachers also mentioned a lack of training on how to best use these tools in their teaching.

This study highlights the need for teacher training, step-by-step learning activities, and promoting digital literacy among students. For teachers in Vietnam, key takeaways include: (1) Teach students to use AI ethically, such as checking AI-generated content for accuracy; (2) Use AI tools in a balanced way so students don't depend too much on them; (3) Use tasks that encourage independent thinking; and (4) Provide training for teachers to learn how to use AI effectively in writing lessons. These tips will help teachers make the most of AI while strengthening students’ writing skills.

Abstract

Games are fun way to practice English It can be a really motivating way to learn a language. Games are also great for children who are shy or worried about making mistakes. It can give them an opportunity to communicate in English in a safe and fun way. It’s a good idea to think about how students will recall a word when sitting for an exam and use this as your starting point to determine how you want your students to remember what you have taught them.

Keywords: Motivate to learn a language, recall vocabulary, practise English, remember words

Abstract

The UNSDGs are everywhere. While English may be the global lingua franca, the UNSDGs have become somewhat of a common language that has allowed many a voice for a call to action. This workshop will show how three teachers at a university in rural Japan have been using the UNSDGs as content for teaching English based on equipping their students with the ability to express complex ideas in simple English. Students need to own their messages to communicate them effectively. Participants in this session will see authentic materials from a classroom. Those in attendance will also brainstorm ways of creating materials and incorporating them into their own classrooms.