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THE 1ST TESOL ARABIA

SIG CONFERENCE

IN COOPERATION WITH T-PLUS

Dubai Men’s College

Dubai

May, 1-2, 2015

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Welcome!

Dear delegates,

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the 1st TESOL Arabia SIG Conference which is being run

in conjunction with T–Plus, a training and professional learning organization from Turkey. We offer

all our delegates from Turkey a warm welcome to Dubai.

This conference is designed to showcase the variety of SIGs (special interest groups) within TESOL

Arabia and the important work they do in offering professional development opportunities to TESOL

professionals both in the UAE and abroad via overseas workshops and online courses.

These two days will include sessions from the TESOL Arabia SIGs, presenters from Turkey and other

presenters from the Gulf region. These sessions will give perspectives on teacher training and

development from a number of national and international contexts on a variety of themes which

resonate across borders.

Thanks go out to everybody who has made this conference possible: our partners at T-Plus, our host

institution, Dubai Men’s College, our presenters, and a special thank you to Christine Coombe who

has been a driving force from the start to make this event a reality.

This programme provides you with information on TESOL Arabia SIGs and T-Plus, the schedule and

the abstracts and bios of our presenters. On behalf of the TESOL Arabia family, I wish you all a

fruitful conference and hope that this will be the first of many.

Best wishes,

Mick King

TESOL Arabia SIG Coordinator

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SIG Objectives

To provide a channel for SIG-related information To facilitate networking, discussion and the exchange of ideas between members To encourage research and professional development in the SIG specialist areas

To organize varied events to cater to membership needs and interests

What do SIGs do?

TESOL Arabia Special Interest Groups (SIGs) cater to and promote current and anticipated specialized interests,

issues and trends within their field and membership by providing coordination and leadership for interested

members, and organizing varied events and opportunities for collaboration, involvement and engagement by

diverse modes and approaches within their specialist area.

Who are the SIG leaders?

SIG Leaders are enthusiastic volunteers looking to share their knowledge, grow within their field, learn new skills,

initiate professional development opportunities and develop their area of interest. Roles include: editor, organizer,

webmaster, online facilitator, treasurer and administrator. Contact the SIGs or the SIG Coordinator to find out

more!

SIG Membership

TESOL Arabia members can join 2 SIGs, but they are welcome to attend the events organized by any SIG free of

charge, as well as participate in all SIG activities online. Contact the SIG Leaders for more information.

SIG Events

SIG events take place regularly across the UAE and may often be organized jointly with Chapters. Events include

workshops, presentations, training courses, hands-on computer training, visits and tours, panel discussions and

conferences such as CTELT.

SIGs at the TESOL Arabia Annual Conference

At the TESOL Arabia Annual International Conference, SIGs give sessions on their specialization, participate in

related professional development courses and may host an invited expert to speak on their theme. They may

also organize a meeting of their members or a session to promote their theme.

SIG Publications

Some SIGs are also active in the realm of publications, ranging from online newsletters to magazines, edited

volumes of research and CTELT Conference Proceedings.

SIGs Online

SIGs often offer online activities in the form of discussion groups, collaborative wikis, nings, synchronous events

and websites. Check the individual SIG pages for details and links.

SIGs Abroad and Outreach

SIG teams not only connect with TESOL Arabia’s overseas members, they also establish international networks

for the further exchange of expertise and innovations, often linking up with experts in their field worldwide. SIG

representatives present overseas, and collaborate with similar organizations elsewhere in the world on joint

ventures. Some SIGs also actively seek out opportunities to undertake volunteer training initiatives abroad.

Don’t delay, get involved today!

For more information visit http://www.tesolarabia.co/sigs/

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T-PLUS is the acronym of TRAINERS’ PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AND UNLIMITED SHARING

The mission of T-PLUS is to contribute to the development of teacher education and in-service professional learning within university sector language programs through collaboration and open exchange of practice.

T-PLUS was set up in December 2012, and currently, a total of 45 universities out of the approximate 190 in both Turkey and Northern Cyprus are being represented by at least one person. As of April 2015, the number of individual T-PLUS members is 185.

T-PLUS aims to:

• discuss issues of concern in the areas of teacher/trainer training and professional development in institutions with or without a Continuous Professional Development Unit (CPDU);

• encourage, initiate and improve sharing of experiences and expertise among institutions; • support institutions that aim to set up and sustain a TTU; • raise mutual awareness of the activities and approaches to teacher training issues, such as

observation, classroom research, reflection, professional development etc., in other institutions;

• build relationships and links between teacher trainers and teachers to become teacher trainers in different institutions;

• cooperate in research-based activities that will help understand teacher/trainer needs for both personal and professional improvement within individual contexts;

• help provide national and international speakers at the events that will cater to the needs of teacher trainers with respect to the changing needs of teacher training as well as basic teacher training needs;

• help improve the quality of ELT in Turkey;

The T-PLUS group holds regular meetings: twice a year and one and a half day events in April/May and November/December. T-PLUS events are hosted by different universities in Turkey and Northern Cyprus. Events are organised by the T-PLUS committee members in collaboration with the host institutions. The T-PLUS event provides formal lectures given by key-note speakers, mini-presentations by T-PLUS members and guided round-table/focus group discussions where teacher trainers raise their issues and share different implementations in various institutions. T-PLUS events are aimed at members of Teacher Training Units or teachers who are involved in some sort of teacher training activity in their institution. Events also create an opportunity to improve teacher trainers’ network to be able to improve cooperation and collaboration among institutions. There is no fee for participation.

For more information visit http://www.tplusturkey.org/

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FRIDAY SCHEDULE

Time Event Titles and presenters 09:00-09:30 Registration

09.30-10:00 Welcome address

Mick King – TESOL Arabia SIG Coordinator Bahar Gün – T-Plus

10:00- 11.00 Plenary Trainer Development: How to Obtain and Enhance the Necessary Skills

Simon Phipps ROOM L115 B121 B250

11:00-11:45 Concurrent

session

Students’ Perceptions on Elective & Compulsory

Leadership Courses Hilal Onat

Belinda Southby LM SIG

Welcoming Action Research in English Preparatory Schools Zeynep Mine Derince Aslı Yılmaz Ercan

Utku Kara

Who Am I? Where Am I? What Am I Supposed to

do here?: Language Instructors Working in Academic (Testing &

Curriculum) and Administrative Offices

Hayriye Avara Mine Karaman

12:00-12:45 Concurrent

session

Assessment Conceptions Among

Teachers of English in an EFL Context

Sahbi Hidri TAE SIG

The Use of Culturally-Familiar Literature in

the EFL Classroom Sadaf Khalil Ahmad

IL SIG

Rising to the challenge: Leading through action

research

Mick King Faiza Umar

TTD SIG

12:45-13:45 Concurrent

session

From Training to Development: The

Third Level Naziha Ali

APPLE PIE: Enhancing Enquiry, Discovery and Collaboration

with iPads Safwa Abdul-Aziz

The Role of Mentorship: A Closer Look into the

Depths of Collaboration Perihan Cayirezmez

Sinem Eskikoy

13:45-14:45 LUNCH

14:45-15:45 Featured speaker

Impact of Reflection Training on EFL Teachers’ Perceptions and Practices Bahar Gün

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SATURDAY SCHEDULE

Time Event Titles and presenters 09:30-10:00 Registration

ROOM L115 B121 B250

10:00- 10:45 Concurrent

session

Mission Possible - Dealing with Teacher

Resistance Yasemin Yilmaz

The Process of Team Development in a

Learning Institution Nezaket Özgirin

Sharon Leach Çeltek

The Effects of Classroom Observation Policy on the Teaching and Learning Process in

an ELT Environment Connie Mitchell

TAE SIG

11:00-11:45 Concurrent

session

Adult Learning and Second Language

Acquisition: Teaching Implications

Mick King SIG Coordinator

Continued Professional

Development in Higher Education Racquel Warner

TTD SIG

Simple Meditation and Breathing Techniques

for Equanimity and Stress Relief

Susanna Bloss LM SIG

12:00-12:45 Concurrent

session

Deepening Understandings with

Critical Classroom Practices

Zeynep Mine Derince

Role of Culturally Friendly Materials in

Enhancing Foreign Language Learning

Meretguly Gurbanov

In or Out, or Both? Researching for

innovations to nurture autonomous EFL

learners Mehmet Boyno

12:45-13:45 Concurrent

session

TESOL Arabia's Current & Future

Online PD Opportunities

James Buckingham EDTECH SIG

Fostering Independent

Learning Among EFL Students

Ola Marie Abu Orouq Sadaf Khalil Ahmad Wesam Mohammad

IL SIG

The Role of Coursebooks in the ESL

Classroom Mohamed Azaza

RESEARCH SIG

13:45-14:45 LUNCH

14:45-15:45 Featured speaker

Mentoring: An Essential Component of Leadership Development Christine Coombe

LM SIG

15:45-16:00 Closing address

Mick King – TESOL Arabia SIG Coordinator Bahar Gün – T-Plus

Christine Coombe – LM and TAE SIG

THIS SCHEDULE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE

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PLENARY

Trainer Development: How to Obtain and Enhance the Necessary Skills

Simon Phipps

Friday, May 1, 10:00-11:00

L115

This talk will focus on what it means to be a 'trainer' in today's ELT world, and will consider the requisite skills, knowledge and personal characteristics needed to be an effective educator of teachers. The first part will look at the concept of teacher learning and explore ways in which teachers can be helped and guided in their journey from 'novice' to 'expert'. The second part will outline key issues in the process of becoming a 'teacher trainer' and will offer suggestions which can help novice or budding trainers to endure a smoother transition. The third part will consider ways in which trainers can sustain and further enhance their training skills. The last part of the talk will discuss ways in which T-PLUS can contribute to the development of training skills and expertise among its different members.

Bio:

Dr. Simon Phipps is Director of ATI (Anatolia Training Institute) in Ankara, and also a freelance teacher training and educational consultant. He worked as Deputy Director of Bilkent University School of English Language in Ankara for 20 years, where he was responsible for in-service teacher training and development. He designed and directed an in-house MA programme (Management in Education in ELT), and taught MA courses on linguistics, lexis and educational management. He set up and ran the Centre for Instructor Development, Education and Research (CIDER), and also helped establish a group of ‘English Language Teacher Education Researchers’ (ELTER) in Turkey. He has worked in ELT in the UK, Germany and Turkey since 1985, and has been involved in teacher education since 1989. He has worked on Cambridge ESOL courses (such as CELTA and DELTA) since 1993, and has been an External Assessor for the DELTA course since 1997 as well as Principal Examiner for Module 3 since 2008. He has a PhD in Education, from the University of Leeds, UK, with a focus on teacher beliefs. His current professional interests include teacher cognition, teacher learning, teacher education research, and educational management.

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FEATURED SPEAKERS

Impact of Reflection Training on EFL Teachers’ Perceptions and Practices

Bahar Gün

Friday, May 1, 14:45-15:45

L115

The amount of research conducted on teacher education is rapidly increasing in recent years; however, the research looking into the effectiveness of teacher education is rather scarce. In this talk, I will present the results of a qualitative study carried out with a group of EFL teachers in Turkey. The study aims at exploring “Teacher Learning” as a result of a three-month reflection training course focusing specifically on the differences the course made on the participant teachers’ perceptions as well as their classroom practices. The data was collected through surveys, journal entries and semi-structured interviews as well as classroom observations. The results of the study suggest that although the impact of the training appears to be quite positive, more in-depth studies of this kind should be carried out to make sounder recommendations for enhancing the impact of such training courses.

Bio:

Asst. Prof. Dr. Bahar Gün holds BA, MA and PhD degrees in ELT. She currently works at the Izmir University of Economics as the Head of Teacher Development Unit (TDU) in the School of Foreign Languages (SFL). She is in charge of in-service teacher training and teacher development programs. Her research interests include EFL teacher education in general, and teacher cognition and reflective teaching and learning in particular. She is also a CELTA & ICELT tutor, and an OTA trainer.

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LM SIG Featured Session

Mentoring: An Essential Component of Leadership Development Christine Coombe

Saturday, May 2, 14:45-15:45

L115

Mentoring has been traditionally defined as “a deliberate pairing of a more experienced person with a less experienced one, with the agreed-upon goal of having the less experienced person grow and develop specific competencies” (Murray, 1191, p. xiv as cited in Kahmi-Stein & de Oliveira, 2010). Such a view of mentoring assumes that mentors, much like classroom teachers, have little to gain from the mentor-mentee relationship. In this session, the presenter will propose an alternative view of mentoring, one where both the mentor and mentee take and create learning opportunities to grow personally and professionally. She will then offer recommendations on how to have a successful and productive mentor-mentee relationship.

Bio:

Christine Coombe has a Ph.D in Foreign/Second Language Education from The Ohio State University. She is currently on the English faculty of Dubai Men's College in the United Arab Emirates. Christine is co-editor or co-author of numerous publications including: Practical Guide to Assessing English Language Learners (2007, University of Michigan Press), Evaluating Teacher Effectiveness in EF/SL Contexts (2007, UMP), Language Teacher Research in the Middle East (2007, TESOL), Leadership in English Language Teaching and Learning (2008, UMP) and Applications of Task-based Learning in TESOL (2010, TESOL) and The Cambridge Guide to Second Language Assessment (2012, Cambridge University Press). Christine has worked in the Arabian Gulf for 22 years. She has served as TESOL Arabia President and has won many awards including the 2002 Spaan Fellowship for Research in Second/Foreign Language Assessment; 2002-03 TOEFL Outstanding Young Scholar Award; TOEFL Board Grant and the British Council’s International Assessment Award (2013). Most recently she chaired the TESOL Tampa 2006 Convention and received the Chancellor’s Teacher of the Year Award (2003-04). She served as TESOL President (2010-2013).

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Presenters by A-Z (including abstracts and bios)

Connie Mitchell

The Effects of Classroom Observation Policy on the Teaching and Learning Process in an

ELT Environment

Classroom observation can be viewed as the purposeful examination of teaching and/or learning events through systematic processes of data collection and analysis. Sheal (1989) has shed light on how feedback can often cause teachers to react in defensive ways and lead to useful feedback not being heard. This session will be to elicit an interactive discussion about the current policies for classroom observation and feedback practices and their impact on the teaching and learning process in an ELT environment.

Dr Connie Mitchell is currently the Chairperson for the English Department as well as the Director of the Teaching and Learning Center for the Women’s Campus at Prince Sultan University. She teaches in the Applied Linguistics and Translation programs. She has taught in Saudi Arabia for the past 15 years. Her professional areas of interest include linguistics, TEFL, professional development, program assessment, quality assurance in education, and accreditation.

Hayriye Avara& Mine Karaman Who Am I? Where Am I? What Am I Supposed to do here? Language Instructors Working in

Academic (Testing & Curriculum) and Administrative Offices, A Case of School of Foreign Languages at Hacettepe University

This talk will share the results a qualitative study on the pre-experience/knowledge levels as well as the in-service training needs of the instructors who worked in curriculum, testing and administrative offices at the School of Foreign Languages at Hacettepe University. The objective of this study is to determine the pre-experience/knowledge levels as well as the pre- service training needs of the instructors working in these offices.

Bios:

Mine Karaman has been an instructor of English at the School of Foreign Languages at Hacettepe University since 1998 and has been a CPDU member at her institutiton for two years. She is also an MA student at the Department of ELT at Hacettepe University.

Dr. Hayriye Avara has been an Instructor of English at Hacettepe University since 1998. She has worked in various academic and administrative offices at her institution. She worked at the Victorian School of Languages in Melbourne, Australia for five years.

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Hilal Onat and Belinda Southby Students' Perceptions on Elective and Compulsory Leadership Courses

Our primary focus in this study is to investigate and assess the self-perception of university students on leadership issues after being involved in leadership skills courses run at two different universities, Hacettepe University of Ankara, Turkey and the Higher Colleges of Technology of Dubai in the UAE.

Bios: Hilal Onat is an ELT Instructor at Hacettepe University in Ankara, Turkey and Assistant Coordinator of the Selective Courses Unit. She also serves as Erasmus Coordinator and is a member of the LM SIG executive board. She holds an MA in ELT and RSA Diploma. She is currently teaching ELT and Foundations of Leadership for students at Hacettepe University Belinda Southby works in the General Studies department at Dubai Men's College, HCT. She is currently teaching Leadership, Community Service Learning and Spoken Communication.

James Buckingham TESOL Arabia's Current & Future Online PD Opportunities

An introduction to the various online Professional Development Opportunities already realized with support from TESOL Arabia and those planned for the coming year. These currently include Facebook page, Flipboard magazine, Ning (social media site), Learning2Gether (weekly online video chat) and Twitter. We have also initiated a digital badge award system using Credly to recognize self-directed Professional Development. Plans for the future. We are expanding on the current Digital Badges offerings to recognize still more self directed Professional Development efforts AND creating a set of online tutorials on 21st century teaching skills (adapting those used by Algonquin College, Canada).

Bio: James Buckingham (MA Adult Ed, MA - Online Distance Ed, TEFL Dip) is an Educator / Education Technologist in the University College program of Zayed University (Abu Dhabi, UAE). He is currently spearheading the digital badges and online PD tutorial projects for TESOL Arabia.

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Mehmet Boyno In or Out, or Both? Researching for Innovations to Nurture Autonomous EFL Learners

As a social event, learning English as a foreign language requires students implement collaboration, cooperation, negotiation, self-initiation, self-regulation, and scaffolding; and assess and manage their learning processes, occurring both in-class and out-of-class as the components of learner autonomy (LA). This study illustrates my in-class LA applications supplemented by out-of-class applications.

Bio: Dr Mehmet Boyno holds a PhD degree in ELT. He conducts research on learner autonomy, educational drama, ESP, and professional development. He is responsible for world-wide LA-related events for AILA ReNLA.

Meretguly Gurbanov Role of Culturally Friendly Materials in Enhancing Foreign Language Learning

ELT materials in Turkmenistan need an urgent improvement. Learners pick up new language faster and better in friendly environments. Introducing culturally-friendly materials would be an excellent alternative and an easy way for enhancing foreign language learning. The author will describe ways of introducing culturally friendly materials to the Turkmen ELT context. Bio: Dr. Meretguly Gurbanov, (MA TESL), PhD (English) is a lecturer at the International Turkmen-Turkish University, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. His areas of study include CLIL, culture in ELT materials, syllabus design and materials production

Mick King Adult Learning and Second Language Acquisition: Teaching Implications

This session considers some of the challenges adults face in learning a second language and some affective and pragmatic measures that TESOL practitioners can take to help them overcome these challenges. Attendees will be invited to share their own experiences of these challenges from both teaching and learning perspectives.

Bio:

Dr Mick King is TESOL Arabia SIG Coordinator and Senior Lecturer in Education and Foundation Studies at Middlesex University Dubai, where is also a Teaching Fellow. He has recently completed his EdD from Exeter University, and holds an MA in Educational Management and a PG Cert in Higher Education.

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Mick King and Faiza Umar

Rising to the Challenge: Leading through Action Research

This presentation tracks the leadership journey of a teacher as she navigates her way through an action research project to promote the use of digital media in a university foundation programme. During the process she faces many barriers. A narrative style is used to focus on those barriers and show how she was able to overcome them. It also demonstrates how change management theory and leadership styles were used to inform the decisions she made, and thus how theory is linked to practice in the action research process. The major barriers discussed fall into three categories; personal, institutional and stakeholders. Personally, the challenges were around her lack of experience in leading research and the resultant crises of confidence. From an institutional perspective the challenges around insider research are discussed, along with the resistance faced from stakeholders towards the changes involved in the research project. The good news is that the project had successful outcomes and the teacher developed key skills in leading and managing change. This presentation will be of interest to teachers who would like to lead research in their own institutions but are fearful of the obstacles they may face.

Bios:

Dr Mick King is TESOL Arabia SIG Coordinator and Senior Lecturer in Education and Foundation Studies at Middlesex University Dubai, where is also a Teaching Fellow. He has recently completed his EdD from Exeter University, and holds an MA in Educational Management and a PG Cert in Higher Education.

Faiza Umar has been teaching English to non-native speakers for over 12 years and is currently employed as a lecturer for Academic Writing on the International Foundation Programme at Middlesex University Dubai. She has a Master’s Degree in Education (Leadership, Management and Change) from Middlesex University and also holds a Masters Degree in English Literature from Kinnaird College, Pakistan.

Mohamed Azaza The Role of Coursebooks in the ESL Classroom

It is argued that a coursebook can be a potential tool for teachers’ own professional development as well as a structured document which can provide a secure framework within which pedagogical choices can be made. However, it can also be argued that a coursebook prescribes content, sequencing, activities and assessment and therefore limits teachers’ choices and freedom in the classroom. The purpose of this discussion paper is to gain an understanding of the role and use of coursebooks in effective teaching and learning. It also discusses how coursebooks could limit teachers’ creativity and encourage rigidity in teaching. The discussion facilitator will introduce the two opposing views and then invite the attendees to take part in the discussion. The presentation is part of a series of themed discussions and debates facilitated by the Research SIG which will be presented at TESOL Arabia Chapter and SIG events this year.

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Bio:

Mohamed Azaza holds an M.Sc. in TESOL from Aston University and a DELTA from the University of Cambridge. He has published and presented on areas as diverse as teacher professional development, professional communities of practice, teacher leadership, curriculum and materials design, differentiated instruction, emotional intelligence and cross-cultural communication. Mohamed is the current chair of TESOL Arabia’s Research SIG and the President of TESOL Arabia Toastmasters Club.

Naziha Ali

From Training to Development: The Third Level

Trainers are increasingly challenged to justify their uniqueness to department heads, institutions and client organisations. Evaluation is a significant tool that assists in validating the worth of trainers and their training. Participants are guided through an overview of a contemporary evaluation model focused on measuring the impact of training.

Bio:

Dr Naziha Ali, the current President of TESOL Arabia, is a Corporate Learning and Development Specialist. She works at Emirates Aviation College in Dubai.

Nezaket Özgirin and Sharon Leach Çeltek The Process of Team Development in a Learning Institution

Effective organizations seem to have certain common characteristics some of which are: shared vision and goals; shared expectations; a learning environment or organization; and professional leadership. This interactive session aims to demonstrate the process and various activities used to improve interaction and communication among partners and team members to encourage better practice in Sabanci University- School of Languages (SU-SL).

Bios:

Nezaket Özgirin, who has MA-TEFL and RSA/DOTE, has been teaching at Sabancı University (SU-SL) since 2003 and is a member of Team-Development Group and T-Plus Committee. Her current interest areas are motivation, the exploitation of podcasts and videos, and web2 tools.

Sharon Leach Çeltek is a teacher at SU-SL. She is involved in the SLTEP, the Team Development and Developmental Observation Groups and the DELTA. She is interested in mindfulness.

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Ola Marie Abu Orouq, Sadaf Khalil Ahmad & Wesam Mohammad Fostering Independent Learning Among EFL Students

Getting students motivated to work independently in an efficient way has always been a difficult task for teachers around the globe. The Learning Enhancement Center (LEC) within the Achievement Academy Bridge Program at the American University of Sharjah is a center designated specifically for independent student work. Because of the nature of the LEC, we have developed tasks for students that encourage independent work and allow for a smooth class experience. Moreover, we have attempted to create a peaceful environment that promotes independent learning for all students. Overall, we would like to argue that independent learning is invaluable for ESL students as it can be extremely enriching, permitting each individual student to work at his or her pace, in whatever skill they need improvement in. We believe some teachers may struggle with getting students to do independent work in the classroom and we would like to share some of our techniques and methods that we have been successfully used within the LEC.

Bios:

Ola Marie Abu Orouq has been teaching in the Achievement Academy Program for three years now. She spent four semesters serving as LEC Coordinator. She has her MA in English Literature from Philadelphia University in Jordan. Shortly after obtaining her MA, she traveled to Saudi Arabia and worked as an instructor at Najran University and King Faisal University.

Sadaf Khalil Ahmad earned an MA in TESOL from the American University of Sharjah. During her undergraduate and graduate studies at AUS, she worked as a writing center tutor, a graduate student teacher and an assistant researcher. After the completion of her MA program, she worked as a language instructor at the Achievement Academy Bridge Program, AUS. Currently she teaches high school students and conducts teacher training workshops. Her areas of interest include critical pedagogy, curriculum design and development, World Englishes and emotional intelligence.

Wesam Mohammad earned a Master of Arts in Linguistics from Philadelphia University, Amman. She also has a Certificate in Teaching English Language to Adults (CELTA) from Cambridge University, London. She has worked with different age groups and has taught courses in academic and general English. She has taught for 12 years at institutions such as University of Philadelphia, University of Preston and American University of Sharjah. She is particularly interested in the teaching of vocabulary and reading and assessment.

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Sadaf Khalil Ahmad The Use of Culturally-Familiar Literature in the EFL Classroom

Insights from Cultural Studies and related fields significantly influence the discipline of language learning and teaching in modern times. Literature shares an intrinsic relationship with language and culture and therefore can serve as a teaching resource for both language and culture. Cultural Schema Theory anticipates that cultural-familiarity facilitates the reader’s comprehension of literature. The diversified nature of English literature today raises the question whether the focus should remain on American and British literature in EFL classrooms.

This study sought to learn about the views of EFL instructors at the post-secondary level in UAE on the significance of literature in language teaching and the use of culturally-familiar literature in EFL classrooms. It also aimed to find out whether reading CFL positively impacts the reading comprehension of EFL students compared to reading culturally less-familiar literature. An analysis of the research data revealed that instructors acknowledge the significance of literature in teaching the target language and are in favor of using CFL. The results of comprehension tests confirmed that cultural-familiarity positively impacts the reading comprehension of EFL students.

Bio:

Sadaf Khalil Ahmad earned an MA in TESOL from the American University of Sharjah. During her undergraduate and graduate studies at AUS, she worked as a writing center tutor, a graduate student teacher and an assistant researcher. After the completion of her MA program, she worked as a language instructor at the Achievement Academy Bridge Program, AUS. Currently she teaches high school students and conducts teacher training workshops. Her areas of interest include critical pedagogy, curriculum design and development, World Englishes and emotional intelligence.

Perihan Cayirezmez and Sinem Eskikoy The Role of Mentorship: A Closer Look into the Depths of Collaboration

In this workshop, the participants will get the chance to explore the guidelines and steps of the Mentorship Program with various hands-on practices. Also, the participants will experience what it means to be a mentee and what skills/qualities being a mentor entails through a series of real life scenarios. Bios: Perihan Çayırezmez graduated from METU and holds an M.A in ELT from Hacettepe University. She’s been in the ELT world for 17 years and is a teacher trainer at Istanbul Bilgi University.

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Sinem Eskiköy graduated from Hacettepe University and holds an M.A in ELT and a DELTA. She’s been in the ELT field for 11 years and is a teacher trainer at Istanbul Bilgi University.

Racquel Warner Continued Professional Development in Higher Education

Continued Professional Development (CPD) is a pivotal factor in increasing the quality of education in universities. The manner in which CPD is currently conceptualized and delivered is often linked to employment contracts within universities and is a condition of service for full-time staff. In this paper the promotion and impact of CPD is examined as a key success indicator. Although the policy on staff development is established at the institutional level, the complex array of challenges being faced by lecturers today require granting greater autonomy to individuals to consider CPD that best fits their needs in a manner that has a positive impact on their engagement with students. This paper reflects the current challenges and examines the impact of CPD and concludes by suggesting some essential strategies of CPD that are explicitly aimed at enhancing teaching. Bio: Racquel Warner holds a Master’s degree in TESOL from the University of Wollongong in Australia. She is a doctoral student with Exeter University with research interests in Learner Autonomy, Professional Development and Educational Leadership. Racquel has been an educator for over 20 years and is the currently the chair of the Teacher Training and Development (TTD) Special Interest Group of TESOL Arabia. She also serves on the conference committee for that organisation.

Safwa Abdul-Aziz APPLE PIE: Enhancing Enquiry, Discovery and Collaboration with iPads

This presentation will demonstrate real solutions and spark new ideas for subject teachers in an e-learning classroom. The presenter will walk through her personal steps of creating, managing and maintaining the classroom of the future. Participants will learn how to incorporate technology in the classroom in a way that is transformative (SAMR), and allows for limitless student creativity and discovery. Participants will also review instructional and collaboration tips and techniques for successful project-based learning (PBLs).

Bio:

Safwa Abdul-Aziz is 10+ year English teacher and e-learning trainer who lives and works in the UAE. Safwa is currently teaching and completing authorization as an Apple Professional Development trainer.

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Sahbi Hidri Assessment Conceptions among Teachers of English in an EFL Context

This study investigated teachers’ conceptions of assessment (TCoA) in an EFL context. Extant research (New Zealand (Brown, 2006), Cyprus (Brown & Michaelides, 2011), Hong Kong (Davison, 2014), etc.) has shown that such conceptions have been addressed using a four-factor original TCoA inventory (Brown, 2006). Data were collected by a questionnaire administered to secondary (n=336) and university (n=206) teachers. Factor analyses (exploratory factor analysis (EFA), parallel analysis (principal component analysis (PCA)), dimension analysis and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA)) using SPSS version 22.0 and AMOS version 21.0 were examined with a total sample of 542 teachers. Results indicated that the data did not fit the original four-factor model of TCoA inventory, thus yielding a model that ranged from 3 to 6 factors of conflicting indicators, which in turn delineated teachers’ misconceptions about assessment. Implications for future research on TCoA are also discussed.

Bio: Dr. Sahbi Hidri is an Assistant Professor of applied linguistics at the Faculty of Human and Social Sciences of Tunis, Tunisia. Currently, he teaches at the Rustaq College of Applied Sciences, Oman. He is the founder of Tunisia TESOL and the Arab Journal of Applied Linguistics. His research interests focus on language assessment, testing and evaluation, assessment literacy, validation of test specifications, SLA, dynamic assessment, and assessment literacy.

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Susanna Bloss Simple Meditation and Breathing Techniques for Equanimity and Stress Relief

This session will look at some of the benefits of meditation and- alternate nostril breathing. Both these techniques are superb ways to re-energise us when we feel stressed, or out of balance. They are easy to do and it takes a minimal amount of time to reap the benefits of these simple but powerful techniques. At the end of the session you will have acquired two additional skills to add to your stress-management toolbox.

Bio:

Susanna Bloss has taught English in Japan, Australia, Portugal, UK, and now the UAE. She has a Master’s Degree in ELT. Her main area of interest outside ELT lies in stress management in the teaching environment and how simple psychotherapeutic techniques can greatly help us in our demanding contexts. Susanna has a Practitioner Diploma in Clinical Hypnosis, and is an accredited teacher of Raja Yoga.

Zeynep Mine Derince, Aslı Yılmaz Ercan and Utku Kara Welcoming Action Research in English Preparatory Schools

This research aims to put forward the in-class Action Research experiences of practitioners. The practitioners implemented the changes according to the problem posed, collected data, and analysed the results. The findings suggest that when the practitioner is involved in all the steps of the research, the expected change is achieved.

Bios:

Zeynep Mine Derince is an English instructor at School of Foreign Languages. Her research areas include critical literacy, language planning and policy, curriculum design, and English as a Lingua Franca.

Aslı Yılmaz Ercan has extensive experience in ELT. Her research interests include teacher development and mentoring. She is recently involved in “Action Research Project” held by many universities nationwide.

Utku Kara, currently TDU Coordinator at Marmara University, School of Foreign Languages, is recently involved in Action Research studies as a result of an observation project.

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Zeynep Mine Derince

Deepening Understandings with Critical Classroom Practices

This exploratory study introduces ‘Critical Literacy’, a teaching method that provides possibility for critical inquiry and deepens understandings of the role of background knowledge in an English class. The findings propose learners become more engaged when social realities of their own lives and their communities become a part of learning.

Bio:

Zeynep Mine Derince is an English instructor at School of Foreign Languages. Her research areas include critical literacy, language planning and policy, curriculum design, and English as a Lingua Franca.

Yasemin Yelbay Yilmaz Mission Possible- Dealing with Teacher Resistance

If you have a heavy workload, are tired and have job security would you still run from one CPD activity to another? The answer in my working context is no. In this talk I will present how we overcame teacher resistance through a new model based on choice and personal development. Bio:

Yasemin Yelbay Yılmaz has 20 years combined experience as teacher, trainer and administrator. She is head of the CPD Unit at Hacettepe University. She holds a PhD in applied linguistics and her main interests are teacher education and neurolinguistics. She lives in Ankara with her family and her cat Sophie and enjoys learning new languages.