The 3rd International Conference on Language Teaching and Learning 2023
1-3 December 2023 (ONLINE)

Keynote speakers

"​​Towards critical and decolonial perspectives on writing as a resource for learning and knowledge making "

Prof. Theresa LILLIS

The Open University, UK

Prof. Carolyn MCKINNEY
University of Cape Town, South Africa
Abstract

Our aim is to open up debate about ‘writing’ as a semiotic resource for learning and knowledge making, highlighting ideologies which are fundamentally exclusionary, privileging colonial languages- notably English, standard varieties and monolingual/monomodalism. Drawing on data extracts from empirical research in two different contexts and domains- multilingual primary school classrooms in South Africa, and academic writing for publication in Southern and Central Europe, we will illustrate the specific ways in which orientations to writing, as configured through dominant evaluation regimes, work towards exclusionary practices in education and knowledge making. We will outline what we see as critical and decolonial approaches to writing and offer a heuristic for working towards transformative practices.

About the speaker

Theresa Lillis is Professor Emerita of English Language and Applied Linguistics at The Open University, UK. She has taught across educational levels- secondary, adult education and higher education - and has been researching academic and professional writing for over thirty years with a principal focus on the politics of production and participation. She has published extensively on academic literacies, academic writing in a global context, the sociolinguistics of writing, identity and writing, professional social work writing and ethnographic methodologies. She has collaborated with Carolyn McKinney on methodologies for researching language and on the politics of writing.

Carolyn McKinney is Professor in Language Education at the School of Education, University of Cape Town, South Africa. She is a teacher educator and convenor of the Masters and PhD programmes in Language and Literacy Studies. Carolyn’s research and teaching focus on language policy, language and literacy ideologies and use of languaging-for-learning in multilingual education contexts of the Global South. She is a founding member of the bua-lit language and literacy advocacy collective: . Carolyn has collaborated with Theresa Lillis on methodologies for researching language and literacy, and on the politics of writing.

Abstract

This talk discusses the sustainability of human languages in the AI age, with the focus on metaverse communication. The metaverse is not just some far-off future; it is our present reality. The virtual realm is replete with exciting opportunities to reform a range of domains, from social media, to gaming, to education, and beyond. Through platforms like Roblox and Minecraft, educators can find innovate ways to teach our children. Meanwhile, the option to create your own avatar on a variety of social media sites can mitigate feelings of insecurity and anxiety while fostering a sense of community for many individuals. It goes without saying that our daily lives are becoming increasingly intertwined with digital realities. 

However, technological developments—including the advent of Web 3.0 and the release of generative AI systems to the public, such as ChatGPT—function as a double-edged sword: while the virtual space can be a sanctuary, overflowing with potential, it can also serve as a breeding ground for psychological, emotional, and ethical concerns. Such advantages and disadvantages affect the young and old. As we delve into an exploration of the metaverse, we uncover the importance of individual assessment, as well as the myriad of ways in which online communication can both bridge social divides and build barriers to exacerbate them. It is therefore vital that we understand how to embrace the benefits of the metaverse while remaining vigilant of its challenges. Conversing in the metaverse has never been so easy, yet also so complex.

About the speaker

Jieun Kiaer is the YBM-KF Professor of Korean Linguistics at the University of Oxford’s Asian and Middle Eastern Studies Faculty. Her research encompasses Asian linguistics, focusing on marginalized languages, and multimodal linguistics, including gesture studies. She also investigates the impact of AI on linguistic justice and diversity, with a specific emphasis on minoritized and under-resourced languages.

As a linguist, pragmatist, and specialist in Asian studies, Professor Kiaer has published extensively in theoretical and applied linguistics as well as translation studies. Her work transcends traditional Western, text-centric approaches to language, embracing non-European and multi-modal perspectives to offer a more nuanced understanding of human communication. Her recent publications include Emoji Speak (Bloomsbury, 2023 June) and The Future of Syntax (Bloomsbury, 2023). Conversing in the Metaverse (Bloomsbury, forthcoming)

Find out more about her work here:  

https://jieunkiaerresearch.com/
Abstract

Digital Storytelling (DST) is a unique and powerful way of conveying knowledge and experiences in almost all fields. The use of DST as knowledge transfer media is a perfect choice, especially in classrooms where knowledge and experiences are shared. Indonesian English as Foreign Language (EFL) teachers have little experience in learning DST in PD program and adopting in classrooms. 

This DST PD program gives positive impacts and challenges for teachers from designing lesson and implementing into the classrooms. Teachers shape their positive belief toward Digital Storytelling as the classroom instructional design. They believe that DST could improve all students ‘English skills simultaneously. DST PD programs might offer opportunities foster teachers’ reflective practice through which teachers can learn and enhance their technological literacy (Stenhouse & Schafer, 2019). 

About the speaker

Nur Arifah Drajati is assistant professor of the English Language Education Department of UniversitasSebelas Maret (UNS). She contributed to several reputable journals. Her research interests lie in technology in language learning, TPACK, Multimodal, and Informal Digital Learning of English.