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Sessions Asia/Seoul

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All times are in Asia/Seoul which you can change.

  • Apr 10th • 12:00 • >24hr • Enter virtual here • - • - • - @ Discord

    Join our Discord* server to interact with other participants, share resources, talk with presenters or sponsors, ask questions to the conference committee, receive time-sensitive announcements, and more! * Discord is a chat app similar to Slack. It's fairly intuitive, and it supports text, audio, and video discussions. Click the location link for this "session" to join the conference Discord. Here is the link: https://discord.com/invite/6c98MqyrTR (Copy and paste into a browser).

  • Async • - • Technology / Online Learning / CALL / MALL • Research Paper (25 mins)

    Benefits of VR for English education such as increasing engagement (Hu-Au & Lee, 2017), reducing affective filter (Schwienhorst, 2020) and public speaking anxiety (Godefridi et al., 2021), and raising students’ motivation (Tai, Chen, & Todd, 2020) are reported. Thirteen students in a two-week online study abroad program offered by a university in the U.S. to improve public speaking and acquire ICT knowledge took three VR lessons before the program. In this presentation, I will present the results of pre-and post-TOEIC speaking tests before the VR lessons and the public speaking lessons in the program, an analysis of pre-and post-questionnaires developed with reference to Can-do descriptors of CEFR Companion Volume (Council of Europe, 2020), and an analysis of students’ journals about the VR and the public speaking lessons. The possibility of integrating VR lessons prior to online or onsite study abroad programs will also be discussed.

  • Async • - • Technology / Online Learning / CALL / MALL • Research Paper (25 mins)

    The long-term impact of the global pandemic on international education makes it imperative to better understand international students’ learning experiences in virtual learning contexts. Despite the importance of emotion in online learning (Torres & Evans, 2020), it has received scant attention in the studies on emergency remote teaching (ERT) experiences. Informed by an integrated model of Community of Inquiry (CoI) and emotional presence (Majeski et al., 2018), this study investigated the roles of emotional presence in ERT and the influential factors by interviewing 12 English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) students who virtually pursued their graduate programs at a Canadian university during the pandemic. Findings of the research show that instructors’ and peers’ emotional perception and understanding played a vital role in shaping students’ learning experiences. Factors such as instructors’ approachability, ways of communication and course design had significant impacts on emotional presence in ERT. Implications for providing effective emotional support are also discussed.

  • Async • - • Culture & Cross-/Intercultural Literacies & Communication • Pecha Kucha

    The purpose of this session is to highlight how collaborative group discussions on historical fiction can help facilitate cultural understanding. The session will begin by briefly discussing the research of Jaran Shin, who suggests that teaching historical fiction both helps with language proficiency while also developing cultural knowledge. The speaker will then introduce the historical fiction novel “Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet,” which gives students an understanding of both past and current racial and class tensions in the United States. The speaker will then describe collaborative discussions on the novel in the form of Discussion Circles, which allow students to form their own hypotheses about characters and events, form their own questions about the target culture, and shape their understanding of the United States. Attendees will come away with an increased awareness on the usefulness of historical fiction and peer discussion for developing cultural knowledge, especially in the context of Discussion Circles.

  • Async • - • Motivation / Identity / Agency • Research Paper (25 mins)

    This study investigated the effects of different sequential arrangements of informal and formal cooperative learning (CL) on students' motivation, basic psychological needs, and perception of the value of CL in university classrooms. Students in two university EFL classes engaged in both types of CL in a different order. At the end of the study, they were asked to reflect on their CL experiences. Written student comments were collected and analyzed using KH-coder, a text mining system. Results showed that students who participated in formal, then informal CL, seemed to focus more on their lack of English language competence and were less intrinsically motivated than students in the other class. Students who engaged in informal, then formal CL, appeared to build feelings of peer compassion and have higher intrinsic motivation. Findings suggest that teachers should attend to the sequence of engagement when conducting informal and formal CL in university EFL classrooms.

  • Graduate Student Showcase
    Async • - • Research Methodologies & Approaches • Graduate Student Showcase

    One of the art-based research practices which can be adopted for qualitative research is poetic inquiry. A number of qualitative researchers have found poetic inquiry a beneficial method to illuminate aspects of the human condition and experiences. In this presentation, I will share how I adopted poetic inquiry in my current doctoral research which explored the lived experiences of EFL teachers in Indonesia as they entered their early career. I will demonstrate how I created poems from the narrative data/interview transcripts. One of the emerging themes was the struggles of the EFL teachers as they transitioned into online teaching. Through poetic transcription, the voices and emotional dimensions of participants‚ experiences could be strongly represented. I suggest that poetic transcription strategy be adopted by researchers who wish to look at their data from a new perspective.

  • Async • - • Task-/Project-Based Learning (TBL/PBL) • Research Paper (25 mins)

    This presentation reports on a newly implemented Business English curriculum utilizing business case studies focused on corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Seven intact “Career English” university classes participated in a semester-long course following the new curriculum. Preliminary findings show that the course increased student motivation, interest, and engagement, as well as practical knowledge of business English and the ability to communicate in business settings. Grounded in task-based language teaching, case studies require learners to critically analyze real-life problems faced by companies, develop feasible solutions, and suggest courses of action. In the language learning classroom, this method gives participants the opportunity to enhance communication skills, negotiate meaning, learn business discourse and correspondence, and critical thinking. Furthermore, case studies meaningfully integrate content and language learning. For this course, learners were asked to investigate a company’s CSR policies and propose solutions that contribute to the SDGs.

  • Async • - • English for Specific/Academic Purposes • Research Paper (25 mins)

    The importance of courses on languages for specific purposes has gained more attention in foreign language departments. On the one hand, these classes have been shown to provide students with benefits that go beyond learning a foreign language, such as increasing students’ motivation and critical thinking. On the other hand, not only students, but the community as a whole benefit from these classes, as students are better prepared for their work they will have to do later on in a foreign language (for a review, Brown & Lee, 2015). For example, a doctor who has learned English for Medical Professionals can attend both English- and other language-speaking patients. However, not many departments are able to include such classes into their curriculums. Either they lack professionals versed into teaching such courses, they do not have enough time to implement them in an already full curriculum, or they do not have the monetary resources to hire the appropriate instructors (Macedo, 2019). This study explores the possibility of offering the same benefits as those gained through courses on languages for specific purposes when teaching a traditional foreign language class. Specifically, this study explains how a Spanish advanced debate class (proposed to help students reach an advance knowledge of speaking in Spanish) included materials traditionally found in a Spanish for the Science class (e.g., vocabulary activity or texts). Students gained in vocabulary, grammatical structures associated with the field of science and were ready to deliver a very coherent and solid debate on a difficult topic for them. Not only the benefits were found in how they delivered a speech on a topic related to sciences, but also the benefits transferred to their writing skills, when they were asked to write an argumentative text on this same topic. This presentation will also propose ways on how the techniques and materials traditionally found in a language for specific purposes course can be implemented into any foreign language classroom, specifically English as a foreign language. REFERENCES Brown, H. D., & Lee, H. (2015). Teaching principles. P. Ed Australia. Macedo, D. (2019). Decolonizing foreign language education. The Misteaching of English and Other Colonial Languages. NY: Routledge.

  • Async • - • English for Specific/Academic Purposes • Research Paper (25 mins)

    Foreign Language Anxiety is known to interfere with the acquisition, retention, and production of the target language. Based on a previous study conducted on language learning anxiety, which investigated anxiety-causing activities as well as student beliefs, it was determined that the teacher plays a key role in helping students mitigate foreign/second language anxiety in the classroom. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate student beliefs on the role of the teacher in decreasing feelings of anxiety and determine how teachers can better assist students to overcome these anxieties. The findings revealed that a teacher’s relationship with students is a major component of a student’s academic success and emotional well-being. The study conducted followed the qualitative method of research, with participants consisting of 1st and 2nd Year university English majors, in a communicative course.

  • Async • - • Writing • Research Paper (25 mins)

    Using citations effectively and incorporating secondary sources in academic writing add credibility to the author and help avoid plagiarism. Selecting and integrating academic material in one’s argument requires careful analysis and evaluation of texts, analytical thinking and critical reading skills, as incorrect practices often lead to violation of academic integrity or false interpretation of the original texts. Students are aware of the importance of citing sources correctly, yet its complexities present numerous challenges. The study investigates first year undergraduate students’ citation practices in an Academic Writing course at an American university in the UAE. Surveys were conducted with 72 students of various nationalities and academic majors taking the course to identify areas where they struggle with citing sources. Findings also reveal that through their experiences they not only appreciate the importance of academic integrity and research but also critical reading analysis and the construction of cogent arguments. However, in order to master the skills of using citations correctly, students require teachers' constant support and reinforcement.

  • Async • - • Research Methodologies & Approaches • Pecha Kucha

    Photo Voice is a qualitative research method for community-based participatory research to document and reflect reality. It was first used in rural China to learn about the lives of women farm workers (Wang and Burris, 1997).The women used their photographs to make an impact on the region’s policies. Since then, it has been used around the world as a vehicle for social change. In most cases, Photo Voice is used as a type of action research with participants as an integral part of the research process, using pictures they take to develop new ideas and solutions to challenges. Participatory photography through photo voice creates a space for discussion and action on issues of student engagement, school reform, and social services. (Examples can be found at https://photovoice.org/projects/) Drawing from this relatively new field, a group of teacher leaders in Cambodia decided to apply the Photo Voice technique as a way to understand the community and develop language and communication skills in English and Khmer. This Pecha Kucha will introduce Photo Voice, showcase student projects, and discuss how this type of participatory research led to understanding stakeholders’ needs and assets all while building the language skills of participant researchers and students.

  • Async • - • Speaking / Conversation / Pronunciation • Research Paper (25 mins)

    This presentation has no theory, only primary sources. It is based on 10 years of Korean university freshmen conversation classes, with approximately 1500 students and 4500 conversation test transcripts. The conclusion is that if teachers will simply step aside and let freshmen speak, their speaking will improve at least 50%. Candidly, it is sinfully easy to improve their speaking ability, because candidly, their speaking ability is so low. All freshmen have had a decade of grammar-based English, and most cannot smoothly tell you what they had for lunch. For most of them, saying two self-composed sentences back-to-back would be a 100% improvement. There is absolutely no grammar, because attention to grammar in university freshmen slows down, inhibits, gums up, reduces speaking ability. This brings up the billion dollar question: Is real-world speaking ability an academic skill? YES. Clear confident speaking ability is the sign of an educated person.

  • Async • - • Critical Pedagogy/Perspectives • Pecha Kucha

    The EFL classroom is a great place for students to ask and answer important questions and develop their language while doing so. The question is how can a teacher facilitate this? In this pecha kucha, the presenter will offer some handy guidelines based on his own experiences. These include how to frame important questions for students (justice), how to get them engaged with those questions (debate), and how they can be taught to argue more persuasively (rhetoric). This presentation includes an overview of the concept of justice (taken from “Justice” by Michael Sandel), which can inform the design of debate/discussion classes. It also includes an outline of the presenter’s preferred approach to implementing pair/small-group debates in EFL classes with minimal preparation. Finally, the presenter will suggest an accessible way to teach students to argue more convincingly based on a 3-part definition of rhetoric: ethos, logos, and pathos.

  • Async • - • Applied Linguistics / Second Language Acquisition • Research Paper (25 mins)

    Ample research in the field of pragmatics has confirmed the effectiveness of explicit instruction. However, this body of knowledge has been largely limited to the study of intermediate second language learners. This narrow focus leaves teachers of beginner and advanced students with little guidance when it comes to the instructional design concerning pragmatic skills development in face-threatening scenarios. Based on a 2021 study of negative pragmatic transfer among Japanese university students, this presentation explores how the research into negative transfer and L2 proficiency can serve as a guide for teachers who are planning and conducting pragmatic instruction, such as refusals or requests. Grounded in extensive data and experience teaching Japanese English learners, the presenters will introduce their metapragmatic instructional approach and several classroom activities in order to illustrate how to teach pragmatically appropriate responses to learners at all levels of proficiency. Presentation takeaways will be applicable in global contexts.

  • Async • - • Critical Pedagogy/Perspectives • Workshop (50 mins)

    Building off McNeill (2021) examining the value of the L1 in ESL/EFL classrooms, the presenters introduce the role of exploring students’ L1 and EFL identities as a means for teachers to understand their students’ personal L1 Korean socio-linguistic identity, and the relationship with and negotiation of their English identity. Leveraging awareness of students’ L1 and EFL identities places learners in a position of language informers, offers a form of socio-cultural dialogue, and expands the English language learning experience. With this, the presenters share activities and projects for how EFL teachers can explore the complex interrelationships between language and culture, and their students’ sociocultural identities through explicit discussions in their classrooms. Language learning is more than words, and it is beneficial for language learning in and outside of the classroom.

  • Async • - • Assessment / Testing • Research Paper (25 mins)

    In recent years, more researchers have been assessing speaker interactional competence (IC), a concept that builds on earlier models of communicative competence. In contrast to earlier models of communication, IC more explicitly accounts for the co-constructed nature of talk. IC consists of interactive listening, topic development, dealing with communication breakdowns, inviting contributions, and responding accordingly (May et al., 2020). The roots of IC are conversation analysis (CA), a fine-grained and powerful form of analysis, but one that requires training and experience. As a result, there are currently few widely-used rubrics for assessing IC. In this presentation, I will describe how I created this rubric for assessing IC. As this research project is ongoing, I will examine some initial data in the form of audio recordings and transcripts, discuss some preliminary findings, and suggest possible improvements for future versions.

  • Async • - • Listening • Research Paper (25 mins)

    Learners encounter common L2 listening difficulties, such as time commitments, repeated mistakes, and activities in their lessons. Research suggests that journals can help learners reflect on their performance, plan their approaches to listening, and help learners attend to their real-time listening difficulties. This study analyzed 60 Japanese university learners’ listening journals to understand their out-of-class listening selections. Learners completed one homework journal for five weeks, using metacognitive knowledge prompts to reflect on their listening selections, task ease and difficulties, and their listening goals. The results showed that learners selected familiar listening resources. Learners reported that familiar accents and listening texts with visual aids were beneficial, while speed and unfamiliar topics contributed towards listening difficulties. Learners’ reported listening for key words, manipulating the speed, and listening in sections as goals in their future listening lessons. The presentation concludes by outlining how to use learner journals in listening lessons for educators to use in their own classrooms.

  • Async • - • Vocabulary • Research Paper (25 mins)

    Although textbooks in foreign language programmes provide teachers with support, attending to specific vocabulary difficulties remains challenging. Understanding the vocabulary load of textbooks can help teachers use accessible materials and clear instruction in the curriculum design process. Research suggests textbooks are not adequately covering high-frequency vocabulary, so further analysis is needed to ascertain the lexicon of textbooks and understand their suitability for learners in varying contexts. This study outlines research using a general word list and a Japanese-context word list to investigate the lexicon of two commercially published textbooks. The results show that although the vocabulary load of each unit in the textbooks become increasingly difficult, overall, the textbook is too lexically demanding for Japanese-tertiary level students, with knowledge of 8,000 words necessary for comprehension. Finally, pedagogical implications, including the use of word cards and vocabulary quizzes to assist the needs of students will be discussed.

  • Async • - • Writing • Research Paper (25 mins)

    This study explored the felt sense, unspeakable senses, of EFL writers through their experience of writing in English using the following research questions: What felt sense do EFL writers express? What does writing in English mean for these writers? This study adopted the TAE (Thinking at the edge) approach to examine the emotions related to writing in English for three Japanese EFL learners. Data from the participants’ ten TAE worksheets following the seven phases of the TAE process (Tokumaru, 2011) and individual interviews were collected. The findings indicated that participants struggled to clarify their ideas due to the differences in expressions between Japanese and English. They also had difficulty organizing their thoughts into paragraphs, which negatively affected their confidence in using English. However, they revealed that their sustained efforts to write using L2 highlighted the importance of developing their writing proficiency and building their sense of achievement regarding writing in English. This presentation provides a discussion on teaching writing based on writers’ felt sense of English writing.

  • Async • - • Technology / Online Learning / CALL / MALL • Workshop (50 mins)

    Note taking is a skill that is simultaneously recognised as essential for effective studying, yet often neglected in terms of teaching. This is particularly prevalent in an ESL/EFL context where many curriculums fail to implement a systemised approach to taking notes. The repercussions are significant as students who do not know how to organise their learnings are far more likely to submit work that is substandard. This presentation will look at the importance of note taking and the benefits it provides in terms of improved comprehension, increased memory retention and maintaining an organised record of learning. A system called Zettelkasten will also be explored which transforms note-taking from a memory retention tool into a powerful platform for critical thinking and creativity. The final stage will present an application called ‘Obsidian’ that provides a digitised approach to note-taking and will aid teachers and students alike in optimising the learning process.