Event website - TESOL Arabia

6th Annual ESP Conference
Saturday, April 30, 2016
6th Annual ESP Conference
NEW DIRECTIONS IN ESP EDUCATION:
TECHNOLOGY, PEDAGOGY & CURRICULUM
TIME
ACTIVITY
8:00-9:00
Conference Registration
9:00-9:20
Opening
9:20-10:05
PLENARY SESSION 1
Welcome address
Opening Address by Khalifa University President
Peter Davidson: Assessing EAP: The Case for Authentic Assessment
10:05-10:45
10:45-11:30
Refreshments – Networking
Poster Session by Zayed University Students: 'Using English for Research Purposes'
PLENARY SESSION 2
Ellen Loos: The Future of ESP for Professionals: Its Vision, Research Gaps, and Direction
CONCURRENT SESSIONS 1
11:30-12:10
(40 minutes)
Ahmed Ali Saleh Al Ajmi: An Investigation into the
Metadiscourse of Omani EFL Students’ Academic
Writing
Neil McBeath: EAP – Could we be more specific
Yuri Vedrashko: Economy of teaching-learning practice:
a case for Dependent learning (Roundtable Discussion)
Hassan Alzubair: Dynamics of Text and Context in
Translating
Faith Nightingale & Jennifer Benaggoun
Integrating technological tools into ESP classes at university
CONCURRENT SESSIONS 2
12:15-12:55
(40 minutes)
13:00-13:45
Dr. Tony Waterman: Conducting an Effective Needs
Analysis
Dr. Joseph Helou: Cementing Vocabulary
Mohamed Molhim: Co-teaching of ESP courses: When
theory meets practice
Elizabeth Rainey: Radio-An Extra-Curricular
Multimedia Approach
Mohamed Taha Abdelhady: Teaching English for the German Dual Education system. Use ESP to Cover specific
issues in business environment; cultural diversity in the work place. (Workshop)
Lunch – Networking
CONCURRENT SESSIONS 3
13:45-14:55
(40 minutes)
2:30-3:15
Dr Wafa Zoghbor: Teaching English for Academic
Purposes to Emirati Students through Mobile Learning.
Holi Ibrahim Holi: Rethinking the Role of Arabic in an
English Medium Engineering Programme: Omani
Students' Experiences
Besma Allegui: Assess with Plickers
Edith Flahive: iPads in the Classroom: Help or
Hindrance? Students Speak
Kristy Kors: Being Specific
Panel Discussion: Reflecting on the theme of the Conference
Panalists: Ellen Loos; Dr. Joseph Helou; Dr Wafa Zoghbor; Yuri Vedrashko;
Dr. Tony Waterman; Neil McBeath
3:15 – 3:30
Book Raffle (Sponsored by Smart Book – Abu Dhabi) - Certificates - Conference Closing
ABSTRACTS AND PRESENTERS’ BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENTS
PLENARY SESSION ONE
Assessing EAP: The Case for Authentic Assessment
Because ESP, and hence EAP, focuses on the needs of students in their target situation, it makes sense to use authentic
assessment when assessing students taking an EAP course. This is because authentic assessment uses assessment tasks that
replicate the types of tasks that students will be required to do in their target situation. In this talk I will outline more succinctly
what authentic assessment is, contrasting it with traditional assessment. We will then look at a needs analysis to determine what
is that university students actually do. This needs analysis will inform the development of a range of authentic EAP assessment
tasks that I will present. By the end of this talk I hope to have convinced you that authentic assessment has the potential to
produce more accurate assessments of a wider range of EAP constructs, that it is more likely to have a positive backwash effect,
and that it is a better predictor of academic success, than traditional type testing.
Peter Davidson currently teaches at Zayed University in Dubai, having previously taught in New
Zealand, Japan, the UK and Turkey. Peter has edited a number of books including Teaching and
Learning Vocabulary in Another Language (2007, TESOL Arabia), Evaluating Teaching Effectiveness in
ESL/EFL Contexts (University of Michigan Press, 2007), and The Cambridge Guide to Second Language
Assessment (2012, Cambridge University Press). He is particularly interested in vocabulary teaching
and acquisition, teacher evaluation, and language testing. Peter.Davidson@zu.ac.ae
PLENARY SESSION TWO
The Future of ESP for Professionals: Its Vision, Research Gaps, and Direction
As compared to other TESOL ESP fields, such as English for Academic Purposes (EAP), ESP for Professionals has a brief record in
research. This presentation will identify the knowledge gaps in research at this historical point, particularly in the TESOL research.
Correspondingly, students who represent diverse disciplines within international business can be provided with TESOL-based
English for Specific Business Purposes (ESBP) practitioners, and the research gaps may be filled with increased understanding of
this burgeoning area. The presentation will be concluded by a look into the promising future and direction of TESOL’s ESBP
multicultural communications and multicultural competencies within ESP for Professionals.
Ellen Loos has been an ESP corporate language consultant and instructor for global corporations,
training professionals whose first language was not English in Boston and in Cambridge. Students
include those from the Brazilian energy and renewables sector, the European Space Agency,
Japanese venture capitalists, Chinese scientists, multinational engineers, Indian nanoengineers,
German IT managers, and Middle Eastern telecommunication executives. She is the author of English
for Specific Business Purposes: Pedagogical Approach and Curriculum for Professionals of Diverse
Disciplines (2015). Currently she is a communication consultant and HR trainer for companies in the
Research Triangle, moving to Abu Dhabi this year. thinkers.home@gmail.com
CONCURRENT SESSIONS 1 (11:30-12:10)
An Investigation into the Metadiscourse of Omani EFL Students’ Academic Writing
This presentation reports on an ongoing study which investigates the use of metadiscourse markers across three disciplines in an
Omani EFL context. The study strives to answer some questions raised by the researcher and find out solutions to problems faced
by students when using metadiscourse markers in their academic writing.
Every written text often consists of two main parts: propositional content which deals with information about the external reality
and metadiscourse which helps in organizing the text, revealing the writer’s attitude towards the text and engaging the readers in
the written product. Metadiscourse falls into two interpersonal categories which are interactive and interactional. In order for
students to produce coherent texts, they need to employ sufficient metadiscourse markers. EFL students should be exposed to an
appropriate metadiscourse instruction. This is because metadiscourse instruction has a positive effect on students’ writing
quality. Yet, it is of utmost importance to closely investigate the use of metadiscourse features in EFL students’ writing, pinpoint
the challenges they have and propose solutions to such challenges. This presentation reports on an ongoing study which seeks to
answer the following research questions: (1) What are the metadiscourse markers used by Omani EFL students across three
disciplines (IT, IBA & ELT)? (2) How frequently are metadiscourse markers used across the three disciplines? (3) Is there any
significant difference in the use of metadiscourse markers across the three disciplines? (4) What are the causes of the problems
the students have with using metadiscourse markers in their writing? (5) How can teachers help their students use metadiscourse
markers effectively in their writing? This study employs both quantitative and qualitative approaches comprising frequency
counts and text analysis of Omani undergraduate students’ academic writing from three different disciplines: International
Business Administration (IBA), Information Technology (IT) and English Language Teaching (ELT), using Hyland’s (2005)
interpersonal model for metadiscourse. The audience will be involved in discussing this study and their feedback and comments
on improving it will be encouraged.
Ahmed Ali Saleh Al Ajmi is a lecturer in Applied Linguistics/TESOL. He has Master of Education
(TESOL), Bachelor of Education (English), International Diploma in Language Teaching Management
(IDLTM), and Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA). He has presented widely
worldwide and published research papers in international peer-reviewed journals. Ahmed’s research
interest includes English for Academic Purposes (EAP), Academic Writing, Teacher Education and
Research Methodology and Statistics. ahmed.ali.alajmi@gmail.com
Economy of teaching-learning practice: a case for Dependent learning
The mainstream understanding of “good” teaching-learning practices has been driven by the assumption that students should
become more “autonomous” learners, more “independent” from their teachers as they get closer to the end of the course and
eventually become “life-long” learners. Does this publisher-manufactured equation “Good teaching = more Independent
learning” bring promised results? Who benefits from this overarching pedagogic strategy? What educational or psychological
theories inspired and nourished this trend? It may be worth taking stock of these mainstream conventional assumptions, along
with re-examining their theoretical premises and resultant pedagogic values.
The presenter of this round-table discussion will make a case for Dependent learning practices in ESP and EFL in general and
examine premises that underpin the current mainstream trend of Independent, autonomous, life-long learning. He will present
samples of activities that encourage more Dependent language learning, aligning them with relevant theoretical frameworks, and
will facilitate a further discussion of definitions, along with potential effects of both Dependent and Independent learning
strategies, from the perspectives of syllabus design, selection of instructional materials, assessment, feedback and needs analysis.
Yuri Vedrashko has been teaching EFL courses for more than 15 years. He started as an ESP
instructor in the US and continued his ESP practice in Ukraine and then in Taiwan. He delivered his
original ESP courses to a number of different companies in various professional and cultural settings.
For over a decade, he’s been delivering his original interactive instructional materials and automated
assessments online through his Moodle website. His professional interests include syllabus design,
development of interactive instructional materials and automated assessment. At present, he’s
teaching an IELTS course at Higher Colleges of Technology in Abu Dhabi. yvedrashko@hct.ac.ae
EAP – Could we be more specific?
This paper will examine the recent rise in interest in English for Academic Purposes (EAP). It will trace the development of EAP as
a particular sub-genre of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) before suggesting that a further distinction must be drawn.
In January 2016 Modern English teacher devoted approximately half an issue to different aspects of EAP teaching, but it was clear
that much of the data was drawn from experience in the United Kingdom. This paper will suggest that there is a significant
difference between teaching EAP in an immersion setting, and teaching it on Preparatory Year Programmes in institutions that
use English as a Language of Instruction (ELI).
The paper will also draw a distinction between English for General Academic Purposes (EGAP) and English for Specific Academic
Purposes (ESAP). It will argue that the latter is more motivating, as no students enter tertiary education with the aim of becoming
Foundation Level. From the outset, they envisage themselves as future members of specific discourse communities (Medicine;
Engineering; Law) and it will be argued that this ambition should be encouraged, if only by increasing the face validity of the
materials they use.
The paper will conclude by offering examples of some EGAP and ESAP materials currently in use at the Sultan Qaboos University
in Oman, and it will be demonstrated how these might be altered to better engage students’ interest.
Neil McBeath teaches at the Sultan Qaboos University in Oman. He was formerly a uniformed
Education Officer in the Royal Air Force of Oman (1981- 2005). Refusing to renew contract, he spent
two years in Saudi Arabia, teaching for BAE Systems (2005-2007), before returning to the Sultanate.
nmcbeath@squ.edu.om
Dynamics of Text and Context in Translating
Texts and contexts are seen as essential components of any communicative act. The presenter will bring to discussion the
significance of text and context in translation; and practitioners will be engaged in evaluating the efficacy of both in rendering
comprehensible the communicative act of translating.
Via analytical review of scholarly works, this presentation aims to establish the concepts of text and context, and their relevance
to comprehensibility and, thence, to translating. It will also hint to the problem of cultural differences in a literary text and how
they may hinder or enhance translation.
The issue is depicted from the standpoint of the theory of translation and linguistics where the discussion of translation is guided
1
mainly by Vygotsky’s (1978) concept of language and context. Language is seen by Vygotsky as “artefacts” created by humans
under specific cultural (culture specific) and historical conditions, and as such they carry with them the characteristics of the
culture in question. Text and context are, then, inextricably intertwined, and, therefore, there arises the need for taking both text
and context onboard when translating.
Findings will show that texts can become a baffling rambling if divorced from context, and “artefacts” can be barren expressions,
unwarranted juxtaposing of words if text and context are not used for mutual explanation.
The presentation will promote a discussion on translating as a communicative act that encompasses both linguistic and contextual
aspects; and practitioners, as well translation users, will be challenged to cast a fresh eye on the act of translating.
References
Vygotsky (1978 cited Lantolf 1994, 2002)
Lantolf, J.P., 2000. Introducing sociocultural theory. In: Lantolf, J. P., ed. Sociocultural theory and second language learning.
Oxford University Press, 1-26
Hassan Alzubair Mabloul (Ph. D. candidate) has worked as an English Language educator for 25 years
before taking up legal translation. His three master degrees are in education and translation.
Institution: ADP GHQ, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Contact number: 00971506717150
E-mail Address: hassanalzubair@yahoo.com
Integrating technological tools into ESP classes at university
Technology enhanced language learning is revolutionising the way that English language is being taught. Integrating technology
into language learning is inevitable these days; students expect to use their devices, not only to learn, but to also be entertained
in the classroom. Using technology can help stimulate and motivate learners, especially with technically challenging language,
such as ESP. ESP can cause difficulties for learners due to the specialised nature of the language. However, by using technology,
learners can more easily connect with the language and often, find it easier to learn, remember and reuse. This paper looks at the
use of technology in three ESP courses at one university in the United Arab Emirates and gives further suggestions on activities
that could be implemented on other courses. It shows how using technology in the classroom can interest learners, get them
more involved in classroom activities and can help them become more autonomous. By giving students technological tools that
contextualize the language, it helps increase language levels as well as digital literacy.
Key words: ESP, digital literacy, university level
Faith Nightingale
MA/DELTA qualified, EFL lecturer specializing in teaching tertiary level students. Experience at Middle
East universities, designing bespoke courses and exam preparation. Interests include curriculum
design, ESP and teacher development.
Jennifer Benaggoun
English lecturer with experience from universities and colleges in the USA and UAE. Specialised in
designing and teaching ESP, college preparatory and professional writing courses. Interests include
curriculum design, ESP and identity of LLs. Faith.Nightingale@adpoly.ac.ae
Jennifer.Benaggoun@adpoly.ac.ae
CONCURRENT SESSIONS 2 (12:15-12:55)
Conducting an Effective Needs Analysis
Tony’s presentation covers one key aspect of his doctoral thesis on materials writers’ activities: needs analysis (NA). All the
participants in the study are active materials producers working mainly in tertiary education in the Sultanate of Oman with their
writing focusing on general English, ESP and EAP courses.
My paper outlines major elements from the literature on conducting an effective NA with my research question asking: how do
materials writers view NA and what strategies do they employ to collect appropriate and sufficient data to inform their syllabus
design and subsequent course materials?
My study explores NA from an interpretative and socially-constructed viewpoint using both quantitative and qualitative data. The
resulting themes are presented, analysed and then discussed in relation to the relevant literature. Whilst the study’s writers, as a
representative group, select a wide range of NA tools, as individuals their NA processes lack breadth and efficacy in terms of best
practice. Moreover, they rarely canvass all key stakeholders in the process and their NA is often compromised by both internal
and external restrictions. This suggests that writers would benefit from support to increase their knowledge and application in
terms of NA strategies. Such support is therefore readily applicable not only to teachers and writers in the Arabian Gulf but also to
educationalists worldwide. I conclude the presentation by linking potential forms of support for writers to my implications and
then invite questions from conference delegates. Target audience: researchers; writers; and teachers-as-writers.
Dr. Tony Waterman has thirty-plus years ELT experience in the UK, Europe, South-east Asia, South
America and the Middle East. He has been a CELTA and DELTA trainer and an international examiner.
He has specialized in ESP course production and has written twenty-plus ESP courses for the Omani
military. He has also had a teacher’s book published by Garnet, UK. He has a certificate and diploma
in teaching English, a Master’s from the University of Reading, UK and a Doctorate from the
University of Exeter, UK. His major field of study is materials production. tonyinoman@gmail.com
Co-teaching of ESP courses: When theory meets practice
This presentation will shed light on teacher training in ESP courses and the need for a co-teaching approach led by an ESP teacher
and an industry expert. By embracing this technique, students are argued to be more appreciative having the field expert
available to increase their exposure to the specific industry knowledge, language and culture. The audience will be familiarized
with how gaining Knowledge about the field directly from expert’s hands-on experiences can assist in developing awareness of
industry values and hence decrease students’’ anxiety about future career development. The presentation will illustrate how The
ESP teacher would also benefit from the opportunities of this partnership with the expert’s specific knowledge. Summing up,
some suggestions on how to implement this approach making this academic-professional partnership workable and teachable will
be offered.
Mohamed Molhim graduated from the London Metropolitan University with an MA in TESOL and
applied Linguistics. He has been working in the Gulf for over 15 years. During this time he has given
numerous presentations on a wide range of topics. All his presentations focus on being adaptable
and practical to all students regales of levels or ages. Molhim is currently teaching at University of
Sharjah. His research interests include, among many, Action Research, ESP and CALL.
mmolhim@sharjah.ac.ae
Cementing Vocabulary
Acquiring an ample range of vocabulary is one of the indispensable rudimental pillars that constitute a steadfast mastery of a
language. English is famous for being the fastest growing among all other languages, which justifies its acquisition of the highest
number of neologism and coinage entries. Therefore, if students wish to attain good commend of the English language, they are
to have an opulent package of vocabulary; however, they are not the sole constituents responsible for achieving such a feat. I
believe that instructors bear the bigger brunt in bringing about a fruitful execution of a lucrative accomplishment. On the other
hand, most students agonize to retain or even remember newly learnt words, which may foster a feeling of frustration,
disappointment, or disinterest. Besides all the aforementioned, should students succeed in building up a stratum of newly learnt
vocabulary, they soon find that this acquired bulk of words is thinning into oblivion. Here again I reiterate that students are not
the sole culprits of such a petering out. As a consequence, an unsolicited question poses itself here: where is the problem and
what is the solution? The problem, I believe, lies in what we sometimes present to our students: dreary drilling, and mindnumbing methods and methodology that are bereft of the element of interest. If we do not harness our students with a gluing
element while introducing new words, they will no sooner learn them than remember that they have forgotten them; hence, we
will then actually be teaching our students how to forget. What is the solution then? Well, my presentation will attempt to unveil
a new approach that guarantees cementing newly learnt vocabulary in our students’ minds.
At first, I’d like to display the most commonly used, rather cliché, methods some teachers implement. After shedding light at
those methods, I will present the new approach I have personally experienced to be invariably successful and helpful to our
students to retain a lasting, cemented fixation of the new words introduced.
Dr. Joe Habib Helou
Assitant Prof. - Chairperson of the Engl. Dept. at City University College of Ajman; UAE
Harnessed with over 25 years of teaching English at school and university levels, training teachers of
English, and counseling in several countries in the Middle East, Dr. Helou has encapsulated the
essence of his several years of experience into workshops, presentations, and seminars that he
shares with educators and other members in the field of teaching and training. Dr. Helou is a
published author with international recognition. One of his books, Jack and Mary, is a 109-page,
lipogrammatic thriller written without using any letter ‘e’. Jack and Mary has been nominated for the
Guinness Book of World Records.
Dr. Helou currently assumes the position of Assistant Prof. and Chairperson of the English Dept. at
City University College of Ajman, UAE. j.helou@cuca.ae
Radio-An Extra-Curricular Multimedia Approach
Extending language teaching beyond the confines of the classroom to extra-curricular activities is a dynamic way to engage both
teacher and students alike. Using the medium of radio, the Writers’ Club at ADMC promotes the live discussion of poetry, from
Shakespeare to co-translations of students own contributions from Arabic and teachers’ compositions. This encourages the
development of interview skills and advanced technical production, the creation of a cultural hub and comes as a welcome
release from the pressure of high stakes assessments. With global events scheduled for the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s
death, broadcasts feature students enjoyment of this major world celebration.
Elizabeth Rainey currently teaches in the General Education Department at the Higher Colleges of
Technology, Abu Dhabi. She has a BA Hons from Trinity College, Dublin in Medieval, Renaissance and
Modern English Literature and Theology (1984), MA TCD (1992) and MA Linguistics and TESOL
Portsmouth (2010). In addition to exhibiting Cityscapes, she has also published, most recently Reality
and Illusion (2012), while The Art of Emirati Storytelling (MCR 2016,) is forthcoming and Ukaz
Revisited: The al Nabati Vernacular Tradition in the Emirates in Bardic Chairs (under preparation:
Skylight Press, 2016) is also pending. Interests include poetry, folklore, linguistics, comparative
literature, musicology, translation studies and TESOL. erainey@hct.ac.ae
(Workshop) Teaching English for the German Dual Education system. Use ESP to Cover specific issues in business environment;
cultural diversity in the work place.
ESP has been an issue that is largely thought to be developed in order to meet the international requirements. Teaching Culture
diversity programs for international students within the frame work of ESP proved to be a success story that has more than one
benefit. Classes that deals with culture diversity in work environment is organized under special curriculum design in order to add
to the German students in DHBW Heilbronn and in Heidenheim both language skills and content knowledge about the culture
diversity topic. The target group is students of DHBW who are under the umbrella of Dual Education system in Heilbronn. The
other group is the International students in Heidenheim. A special arrangement for classroom activities as well as individual/peer
reviewed activities are managed in order to foster language skills and topic awareness. Special assessment tools are designed as
well in order to test the validity of teaching and delivery. The workshop shall cover techniques and activities used to implement
EOP/ESP for international students. It will cover challenges and lesson learnt as a result of this ongoing experience whether for
curriculum development, activities management, or assessment tools.
Mohamed Taha Abdelhady has been working in the field of capacity building for more than 17 years.
He is an international trainer who delivers different academic and business related training modules
in DHBW in Germany, DAAD Cairo, and TU-berlin Elgouna.
Currently he is a lecturer in the GUC for Business communication in the MBA program. He started his
career in Sadat Academy by teaching adults and post graduate diploma candidates then he joined
the AUC as teacher trainer and as an ESP teacher..
He has been conducting TNA to many firms through different affiliations and business partners in
several fields. He develops material and he tailors courses and business educational programs in
different sectors of industry among which are telecommunication, Banking, FMG.
He holds a Master degree in adult education from the AUC and a number of trainer certificate and
diplomas from the AUC. mohamed.taha@guc.edu.eg
CONCURRENT SESSIONS 3 (13:45-14:55)
Teaching English for Academic Purposes to Emirati Students through Mobile Learning.
The presentation showcases the implications of mobile learning in teaching English for academic purposes to male students in
English composition courses at Zayed University. The presentation discusses these implications in a) teaching the four types of
writing rhetorical modes; narrative, descriptive, comparison and contrast, and cause and effect, and b) providing direct and
indirect corrective feedback to students' errors on four main categories: morphological, syntactic, lexical and mechanical errors.
Dr. Wafa Zoghbor is an Assistant Professor at Zayed Univeristy, Abu-Dhabi and she teaches English
composition courses at the University College. She received Sheikh Rashid Award for Academic
Excellence (in 2012) and Kirkdale Customer Advocates Award (in 2009). Dr. Zoghbor is currently
the Assistant Dean of Research in the UC and the Membership Secretary at TESOL Arabia.
Rethinking the Role of Arabic in an English Medium Engineering Programme: Omani Students' Experiences
The aim of the presentation is to report Omani students' experiences with the role of Arabic in their English-medium engineering
programmes. Three groups of engineering students were interviewed to explore their views about the role of Arabic as a mother
tongue in their engineering core subjects classes. The presentation explains how can L1 empower learners and enable them to
transform into active learners who produce output, negotiate meaning and seek clarification and help from their classmates
during their English-medium engineering classes. The presenter will review some focal theories, concepts, controversies and
debates related to the use of English as medium of instruction (EMI) in an engineering context. The presentation will offer some
insightful ideas and tips for ESP practitioners and researchers and the audience will be involved in discussing the study preliminary
findings and recommendations.
Holi Ibrahim Holi Ali is an English language lecturer at Rustaq College of Applied Sciences in the
Sultanate of Oman. He has a B.A in English & German, MA in applied linguistics, CELTA, and he is
currently pursuing his PhD in applied linguistics and TESOL in the University of Huddersfiled, UK. He
has presented at national, regional and international conferences and published extensively. His
interests include ESP/ ESP AND EMI-related issues. howlli2@yahoo.com
iPads in the Classroom: Help or Hindrance? Students Speak
The increased affordability and functionality of mobile technology compared to technologies previously used in education means
they can support learning in new ways both within and outside the classroom. The tablet has been reported to have a positive
impact on students’ engagement with learning. A consistent finding, however, in several studies is that the tablet could
potentially be a distraction when used in class for non-educational purposes. Furthermore, some educators are wary that the iPad
may become the centre of the classroom instead of being used as a tool for learning. Nevertheless, research studies have
concluded that technology may enhance the learning process, but cannot replace the lecturer. Many researchers have noted that
the three key components for success with e-learning are: prior ownership and experience of using technology, the technological
infrastructure, and the lecturer.
This presentation will investigate male Emirati students’ perceptions of traditional learning versus mobile learning, within the
context of locus of control. Literature in the field will be reviewed and the findings of this mixed methods study, derived from
surveys and interviews, will be discussed. Participants will be encouraged to share their own context.
Edith Flahive (B.Ed, RSA DELTA, MA TESOL, MBA Educational Leadership), is a faculty member at Abu
Dhabi Men’s College. Prior to joining the HCT, she worked with young learners in the UAE. She has
also taught in Ireland and Spain. Her research interests include learner autonomy, classroom
methodologies, teacher development, and leadership. She has presented both nationally and
internationally and has published in the fields of research methods, school leadership, learner
differences, vocabulary acquisition, and alternative teaching methods. eflahive@hct.ac.ae
Assess with Plickers
Formative assessment is the key to keeping track of the students’ progress in all courses including English for Specific Purposes
(ESP) courses. With the recent advances in technology, ESP teachers are provided with various digital tools such as Kahoot and
socrative that allow them to give instantaneous feedback. Research has revealed that the use of digital tools to provide formative
assessment can enhance engagement and boost students’ motivation (Carnevale, 2005, Lepper et al, 2005). However, in contexts
where the students use their own devices to answer the teacher’s questions, there are always some challenges. There is
sometimes a battery that needs charging or a network that is down. The tool itself can become boring after being used over and
over again. This presentation will demonstrate how Plickers _paper clickers can be used effectively to gather formative
assessment data in a health and safety course. Plickers does not involve technology devices on the side of the student. Students
are assigned a Plicker card with answer choices on the card. The questions can be projected on a smartboard and the students
hold the card in the appropriate direction. The teacher just needs to use his/her device to scan the students’ answers. Answers
will be shown instantaneously on the smartboard. In this session, he presenter will identify potential uses and benefits of using
Plickers to review special terms in a health and safety class and will deliver a Plicker quiz.
Besma Allagui is an ESL instructor at Rabdan Academy. She has experience teaching various
ESP and General English courses. She enjoys experimenting with technology to improve her
students’ English skills. besma.allagui@yahoo.fr
Wiki-mediated Collaborative Writing as an Effective Pedagogical Tool: Analyzing Iranian ESP Learners’ Writing
Performance, Autonomy, and Perceptions of Uses of Wikis
This study was aimed at investigating the impact of wiki-mediated courses, compared to non-wiki courses, on the students'
writing performance and sense of autonomy in ESP collaborative writing classes. Moreover, the students’ perceptions of the wikis
and the advantages and disadvantages of these tools were explored. In this sequential explanatory mixed methods design, the
researcher selected 46 undergraduate students, majoring in computer and mechanic engineering fields. To achieve this aim,
primarily, the students were homogenized through the administration of an IELTS academic writing test. These students were in
intact groups and were randomly divided into two groups with 25 learners in the experimental group and 21 students in the
control group. To gather data, two writing tests and two questionnaires of students' perceptions of the wikis and learners’ sense
of autonomy were administered to the students. More, a semi-structured interview was conducted with 12 volunteer
participants. To analyze the data, an analysis of covariance (ANCOVE) was run and the results revealed that there was a
statistically significant difference between wiki and non-wiki users in the experimental and control group respectively in terms of
their writing performance (p<0.05), although it did not change the ESP learners' sense of autonomy. Afterward, the learners’
responses to the perception questionnaire and semi-structured interviews were analyzed using frequency count and descriptive
statistics. According to the results, the participants had a clear perception of the wikis and preferred to continue this method in
their ESP writing classes rather than following a conventional approach.
Masoomeh Estaji is Assistant professor of TEFL at Allameh Tabataba’i University. She holds a Ph.D in
TEFL from Allameh Tabataba’i University. She has participated, presented, and published numerous
papers on methodology, testing, and teacher education. Her research interests include language
testing and assessment, teacher education, and ESP. mestaji74@gmail.com
Hoda Salimi holds an M.A. in TEFL from Allameh Tabataba’i University. Her areas of interest are ESP,
CALL, and Teacher Education.
Being Specific
As the world seems to get smaller and the working environment increasingly international, English for Specific Purposes is
becoming increasingly popular. In this session we will define what this term really means; what we should be focusing on in the
classroom; and generally what we need to know about the subject. We will demonstrate how these ideas can be incorporated
into the lesson.
Kristy Kors
Kristy Kors has a BA (Hons) from Leeds Metropolitan University and a CELTA. She taught English as a
foreign language for several years before joining Express Publishing as an ELT Consultant. She now
participates in seminars and conferences around the world, where she enjoys sharing ideas on the
latest methodological advances and benefitting from the insight of colleagues.
alex@expresspublishing.co.uk
“School Radio” Demonstration
School Radio is a creative, engaging and exciting medium that would allow your students to:
Express their views, engage in lively debates and explore their creativity
Develop their speaking and listening skills, build confidence and raise literacy standards
Your students will also gain real world skills using the same tools as professional radio
broadcasters!
School Radio is part of the Broadcast Radio group, which boasts 18 years’ experience of
supplying the radio industry with software, hardware and technical support.
With more than 430+ School Radio installations to date, School Radio are the UK’s largest
provider of broadcast radio technology for education with decades of experience in developing
and installing professional broadcast radio software worldwide.
The range of solutions and packages offers Primary and Secondary Schools, Academies,
Colleges and FE/HE Universities a cost effective, professional way to introduce radio as a key
part of everyday school life achieving a majority of the National Curriculum Standards.
Publishers Present at the event: