Nobuyuki Hino
Osaka University
Pedagogical insights from Japan’s experience in teaching EIL: Challenges and hopes
This talk will explore the prospects of Education 5.0, the conference theme, from the perspective of EIL (English as an International Language). The teaching of EIL, or GE (Global Englishes) with a broader definition, is often perceived as a recent development. In Japan, however, interest in the learning of EIL gained momentum early on. For example, in the 1970s, two books claiming “Japanese English” to be a variety of EIL turned out to be national bestsellers, despite the Expanding Circle environment where the ownership of English was not expected. In this presentation, partly drawing on my four decades of classroom practice in teaching EIL at Japanese universities, I will discuss pedagogical suggestions derived from Japan’s experience in EIL education, with regard to such aspects as models, materials, and methods. While some factors may be specific to Japanese linguaculture, I hope that these insights will have useful implications, especially for Expanding Circle countries with sociolinguistic contexts similar to Japan.
Nobuyuki Hino (Ph.D.) is Professor Emeritus at Osaka University, currently serving as Professor/Language Section Chair in the Institute of General Education at Otemon Gakuin University. A pioneer in teaching English as an International Language (EIL), he is best known for his book EIL education for the Expanding Circle (Routledge).
Julio C Rodriguez
University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
Enabling Transformative Language Learning Experiences
Advances in digital technologies in the last decades have made it possible to conceive of language learning experiences which generate meaningful and engaging interactions between learners and speakers of the target language. Project-based language learning (PBLL) is a method that has the potential to enable such transformative language learning experiences. Years of research on PBLL have resulted in the identification of instructional design features whose combination is likely to result in projects that actively engage students with real-world issues through the construction of meaningful products that are designed for and shared with an audience beyond the instructional setting. This presentation will provide an overview of the relevant research as well as of the key instructional design features that can help guide the design of PBLL. Using those features as reference, we will explore project designs that are informed by pedagogical frameworks and practices such as content-, place-, and community-based instruction. Our exploration will be anchored to four primary project design features, namely the identification of a real need, the definition of a project purpose, the collaborative construction of a product, and the inclusion of community partners.
Julio C. Rodriguez (Ph.D., Iowa State University) is director of the Center for Language & Technology at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and two sponsored programs: the Hawai‘i National Foreign Language Resource Center (U.S. Department of Education) and the Language Flagship Technology Innovation Center (Defense Language & National Security Education Office, U.S. Department of Defense). He has over 30 years of experience in instructional design and technology integration into teaching and learning. Within the broad area of instructional technology, he is primarily focused on faculty development programs, project-based learning, simulated experiences for world languages, and online course design.
Woralan Kongpolphrom
Chulalongkorn University
“Revitalising English Language Teaching and Learning: Insights from Students and Instructors”
The primary aims of the research were, firstly, to explore first-year students’ and instructors’ opinions on the fundamental English 1 course a university in Bangkok, Thailand, and, secondly, to examine their suggestions for course improvement. The research was conducted employing both quantitative and qualitative methods. The secondary data of 3,314 responses of the first-year students from the university’s questionnaire survey were analysed. Since students were allowed to write their additional comments in the questionnaire survey, thematic analysis was also used to analyse the data. In addition, semi-structured interviews with six course instructors were conducted to obtain instructors’ opinions on the course and later analysed using thematic analysis. The statistical findings revealed that overall, students held positive views of the fundamental English 1 course, with instructors being the most pivotal. However, students’ comments provided greater insights of mixed views regarding the course in general, course content and materials, assessment and evaluation, and teaching and learning methods, and these opinions pose challenges for the course providers. In the same vein, the findings from the interviews with the instructors provided positive perceptions towards the course in terms of the course in general, course content and materials, assessment and evaluation, and teaching-learning methods. Useful suggestions were obtained from both students and instructors. The findings demonstrated that there is still some room for course improvement based on the opinions of these two key stakeholders.
Woralan Kongpolphrom is an instructor at Chulalongkorn University Language Institute. She obtained her Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics from Birkbeck College, M.A. in English Language Studies and Methods from University of Warwick and B.A from Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn University. Her research interests include classroom discourse, business communication, and corpus linguistics.
Joel C. Meniado
SEAMEO Regional Language Centre, Singapore
Teaching Writing in the Age of AI: Practices of Language Teachers in the ASEAN Region
Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) has changed how L2 writing skills and subskills are taught and learned. Many learning institutions have allowed the responsible use of varied generative AI tools to facilitate the development of L2 writing skills of English language learners. L2 writing teachers have also adopted new “pedAIgogies” to leverage the affordances of generative AI in transforming L2 writing instruction. Since 2023, many conceptual articles have reported the amazing affordances of generative AI tools and their potential impacts on L2 learning including L2 writing skills development, but none has reported empirical evidence from L2 classrooms particularly from the Southeast Asian region. This paper investigated how ESL/EFL teachers in the ASEAN region have used generative AI tools in teaching L2 writing at various grade/proficiency levels. In addition, it aimed to examine how generative AI tools are integrated into various stages of L2 writing instruction. Lastly, it aimed to survey the insights of language teachers about using generative AI in L2 writing instruction in various contexts. The findings of this study along with their various implications for L2 writing pedagogy, assessment, and language teacher professional development will be discussed during the presentation.
Dr. Joel C. Meniado is a language specialist at the SEAMEO – Regional Language Centre (RELC) in Singapore, where he teaches a range of courses on ELT pedagogy, technology integration, and research. Prior to joining RELC, he was a language teacher educator/trainer in Southeast Asia and the Middle East.
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