Dr. Stephen Krashen
- Professor Emeritus of Education, University of Southern California
Bio
A highly influential and prolific author, linguist, and researcher, Stephen Krashen has written over nearly 500 books and articles in the fields of literacy, language acquisition, neurolinguistics, and bilingual education. A global advocate of reading and the importance of the role of reading in language acquisition, his publications have received numerous awards, including the Mildenberger Award (Modern Language Association) and the Pimsleur Award (American Council of Foreign Language Teaching). In 2005, Dr. Krashen was added to the International Reading Association’s Reading Hall of Fame.
Dr. Nooshan Ashtari
- University of Southern California
Bio
Nooshan Ashtari, Ph.D. has spent the last two decades teaching languages, graduate/undergraduate courses, and conducting research in various countries around the world. Additionally, she has 10+ years of consultation work experience for major EdTech companies and projects including educational and language acquisition tools using Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality, and Augmented Reality. Her dedication to such projects and the advancements made during her involvement have played a pivotal role in bringing various innovative educational tools using state-of-the-art technology. She enjoys working collaboratively and cross-functionally with engineering, product, design, marketing, R&D, and business teams. Her main research interests include technology and education, virtual reality and mixed-reality environments, heritage language development, and reading in second language acquisition (SLA). You can see some samples of her work via the following links: VR book, heritage language book, book chapter, translation, research article, magazine paper, Award of Excellence in Education, TV interview, podcast, keynote presentation.
Title
An economical and effective way to achieve high levels of English in Taiwan
Abstract
The field of second language teaching is experiencing new challenges, such as establishing English as an official second language in Taiwan, but we have the benefit of recent research results that may be of use. Most important, it appears that we retain the ability to subconsciously acquire language throughout our lives and acquisition is far more powerful than learning via “study.” It occurs in only one way: when we understand what we hear or read. “Accent” is a concern of nearly all second language acquirers. Our conclusion is that accent is marker of “club membership,” the group we feel we belong to. We can develop excellent accents in our second language at any age, but are reluctant to use them because we do not feel like members of the group that uses the accent. Finally, we think we think we perceive accents when they aren’t there, influenced by the appearance of the speaker. Accent, in some cases, is the mind of the listener.
Dr. Dorothy Chun
- Professor Emerita of Education and Applied Linguistics, University of California, Santa Barbara
- Editor-in-Chief, Language Learning & Technology
Bio
Dorothy M. Chun was a Professor in the Department of Education from 2009-2020. She received her Ph.D. from UC Berkeley in historical Germanic linguistics but transitioned to the fields of second language acquisition and applied linguistics shortly thereafter. Her passion has been researching and exploring how second languages are learned and how technology can be leveraged to enhance the learning of language and culture. Her research areas include L2 phonology and intonation, L2 reading and vocabulary acquisition, computer-assisted language learning (CALL) and telecollaboration for intercultural learning. She has conducted studies on cognitive processes in learning with multimedia and has authored courseware for language and culture acquisition. Her research has investigated how computer applications can help speakers of non-tonal languages learn tonal languages by visualizing the pitch curves they produce and comparing them with the pitch curves of native speakers. Other research projects involve using online communication tools to help second language learners interact with native speakers of the L2, thereby being exposed to authentic language use and having the opportunity to co-construct knowledge with their peers about another culture. She is currently on a team developing Immersive Virtual Reality games for literacy development and on another team that received Meta Quest headsets to be used with the Immerse app for language learning. Since 2000, she has been the Editor in Chief of the online journal Language Learning and Technology and in 2004 became the founding director of the Ph.D. Emphasis in Applied Linguistics at UCSB.
Title
Integrating AI and Immersive VR for Language Learning and Teaching
Abstract
By many accounts, Taiwan is at the forefront of CALL research and applications (Chen et al., 2021) and in particular, with regard to Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) for language teaching (Huang et al., 2021, 2023). At the moment, teachers and researchers alike, both in Taiwan and world-wide, are grappling with the opportunities and challenges posed by Large Language Models, such as ChatGPT, for educational purposes. At the same time, investigating how the unique affordances of high immersion VR (presence and agency) might benefit both language learning and EMI courses is necessary (Chun et al., 2021; Tai & Chen, 2021), in addition to studying the affordances of embodied cognition and social interaction (Dooly et al., 2023; Ratcliffe & Tokarchuk, 2020). This presentation will offer suggestions for principled integration of AI and IVR technologies that might bring us a step closer to promoting embodied language learning with authentic social interaction.
Dr. Yu-Ju Lan
- Professor Department of Chinese as Second Language, National Taiwan Normal University
- Editor-in-Chief: Educational Technology & Society.
Bio
Dr. Yu-Ju Lan is a Research Chair Professor in the Department of Chinese as a Second Language at National Taiwan Normal University. She is currently the Editor-in-Chief of Educational Technology & Society, Associate Editor of Language Learning & Technology, and on the editorial board of Ampersand. She is the founding president of the Taiwan Pedagogy and Practice in TELL Association. Her research interests include technology-enhanced foreign language learning, virtual reality, AI Chatbot, and online synchronous teacher training. Dr. Lan has proposed the principles of designing tasks and VR contexts based on empirical evidence. As the need for using VR in learning grows, her pioneering works could provide essential implications for academia, education, and industries. For her outstanding research performance, she was awarded the Outstanding Research Award by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), Taiwan, in 2022.
Title
Language Learning in the Metaverse: Opportunities and Challenges
Abstract
The Metaverse is an emerging technology that provides a virtual environment for individuals to interact with each other and digital objects in an immersive and interactive manner. This speech will discuss two key areas related to the Metaverse and language learning. Firstly, it will discuss the potential advantages of using Metaverse for L2 learning, including the opportunities to practice language skills in an authentic cultural context and interact with L1 speakers. Secondly, the speech will address the challenges and potential negative effects that researchers and educators should consider when they use Metaverse in language learning, such as addiction, antisocial behavior, and ethical issues. In summary, this speech aims to provide insights into the opportunities and challenges presented by the Metaverse for language education and to point out future research trends.
Dr. Kathryn Murphy-Judy
- Professor of French in the VCU School of World Studies
Bio
Dr. Murphy-Judy is currently Professor of French in the VCU School of World Studies, where she instructs all levels of French and teaches Francophone media and, occasionally, the graduate level Methods of Teaching Foreign Languages for the VCU School of Education. She led the team that created the degree program, Liberal Studies for Early and Elementary Education; she was its first Director and resumed the directorship in 2014 until its closure in 2021. She has received numerous awards for her teaching, service, and scholarship, notably the CHS Awards for service and mentoring and the FLAVA Distinguished Service Award.
Dr. Liudmila Klimanova
- Assistant Professor of Second Language Acquisition and Technology, University of Arizona
Bio
Dr. Klimanova is Assistant Professor of Second Language Acquisition and Technology at the University of Arizona and a faculty member at the doctoral program in Second Language Acquisition and Teaching (SLAT). Her doctoral dissertation was devoted to the issues of identity enactment in language exchange chatrooms and social networking platforms. She is a recipient of 2015 ACTFL/MLJ Emma Marie Birkmeier Award for Best Doctoral Dissertation Research in Foreign Language Education. Her current research focuses on social and psychological aspects of multimodal identity representation in multilingual online chat, telecollaboration, and the digital humanistic frameworks of learning. Dr. Klimanova’s recent projects examine the role of digital experience in cultural learning within the framework of digital humanistic pedagogy. She currently serves as associate chair of CALICO CMC SIG, and executive committee officer and sector head at AAUSC (American Association of University Supervisors, Coordinators, and Directors of Language Programs).
Title
I.D.E.A.: Considering Critical Dimensions in Pedagogy and Practice in Technology Enhanced Language Learning and Research
Abstract
As instructional technologies emerge, they have been routinely hailed as tools promoting inclusivity, diversity, equity, and access (I.D.E.A.) for students and teachers alike. Research shows, however, that these tools are only marginally successful for underserved and vulnerable student populations for a host of reasons (Ortega 2017). Indeed, emergency remote teaching (ERT) online in the wake of COVID-19 has exposed the extent to which learning outcomes were negatively impacted by systemic forms of discrimination (Adam 2020). Yet, it is not the technologies that are at fault but rather underlying biases, assumptions and barriers found in the language learning environment (Anya 2021); the privileging of learning approaches and modalities designed by and for majority group learners (Rohs & Ganz 2015); limited access to appropriate and sufficient hardware, software, and broadband speed (Atski & Perrin 2021); problematic environmental conditions conducive to attention, focus, and perseverance; unsupportive social and emotional learning contexts and skills; a lack of tutoring, scaffolding, and support structures and offerings; and what is called the monolingual problem in TELL and beyond (Bluendgen-Kostens 2022, Ortega 2017, Sauro 2016). This plenary looks to problematize pedagogies and practices in TELL and consider critical approaches and agendas in TELL practices in the hope of finding pathways toward more diverse, equitable, accessible, inclusive, meaningful and pluricultural intercultural communication.
Dr. Pamela Humphreys
Title:
EMI and the Sustainable Use of Translanguaging
Abstract
The global use of English as the medium of instruction (EMI) is growing in non-anglophone contexts with the assumption that it brings about ‘a double positive’ of content as well as language development for our students. One challenge in such settings is the place of the first language (L1), the second language (L2 i.e. English) and the opportunity to use both to facilitate learning through translanguaging. This presentation will overview EMI and its increasing adoption in ASEAN, with a focus on translanguaging as a sustainable pedagogical stance that can enhance both content and English language teaching.
Dr. Thi Ngoc Yen Dang
Title:
Exploring the lexical challenges of academic spoken English: Implications for EMI programs
Abstract
To succeed in English-medium university programs, students need to understand not only their reading materials but also various kinds of academic spoken English (e.g., lectures, seminars, lab sessions, tutorials, conference presentations). Despite this need, many learners expressed difficulty with comprehending academic spoken English and the lack of vocabulary knowledge is frequently mentioned as one of the biggest reasons for this difficulty. To help students overcome this problem, it is essential to explore the lexical challenges of academic spoken English from multiple perspectives (corpora, learners, and teachers). In this talk, I will review the findings of a small but growing number of studies investigating academic spoken vocabulary and their implications for EMI courses. In particular, I will organize the talk around five key questions: (a) how many words are needed for comprehension of academic spoken English, (b) how well learners know these words before studying in English-medium university courses, (c) how well lists of academic written words cover the vocabulary in academic spoken English, (d) what the core words in academic spoken English is, and (e) what could be done to help students learn these words. Directions for future research will be also covered in the talk.
Dr. Christy Lao
Title:
Comprehensible/Compelling Multimedia and Second Language Development
Abstract
In the summer of 2022, a group of college students from all over California went on an adventure of exploring a nontraditional way of learning Chinese in San Francisco. The majority are non-heritage Chinese learners and are from diverse ethnic and social-economic statuses, and geographical locations. Language acquisition takes place when receiving abundant compelling and comprehensible input. However, it is difficult to find Chinese language materials that are both high interest and low vocabulary.
Memorizing a thousand unique Chinese characters is a daunting task that can terrify any learner. Without like-minded peers and a Chinese aural, visual, and print-rich environment, learning Chinese could be tense. In this project, multimedia is utilized to create organic and rich Chinese language environments to make the acquisition of Chinese interesting and less intimidating.
In this study, we will share our research and practice on utilizing digital technology to provide students with interesting Chinese materials otherwise difficult to obtain for their Chinese development. The finding of this research demonstrates the potential of integrating language acquisition theories and technologies to help students develop language competency in the 21st century.