Public Lecture Series 2025
- 05 Apr, 2025 - 03 May, 2025 | 9:30am-12:00nn
- Online (ZOOM)
- Seminar
- English
- Department of English Language Education
Public Lecture Series 2025
E-certificates of attendance will be issued to participants.
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In access-limited regions like Indonesia, where household incomes average $280/month (UNICEF, 2020), English learners face scarce resources and minimal speaking practice, stifling proficiency. IDLE empowers youth through free digital tools (YouTube, apps), enabling self-directed, interest-driven learning. A 2024 initiative trained 25 teachers across 22 schools (2,820 students aged 8–19), doubling English exposure (261→510 mins/month) and increasing speaking practice by 143% (234→570 mins/month). Enjoyment (3.67→4.50/5), confidence (3.25→3.72), and communication skills (+10.3 points) improved, with 12 schools integrating IDLE into curricula. Aligned with UNESCO SDGs 4 (Quality Education), 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and 17 (Partnerships), this series highlights how university-school-industry collaboration tackles language barriers. IDLE exemplifies digital innovation and cooperative action to expand equitable access, foster engagement, and advance oral proficiency, driving inclusive global participation.
About the Speaker:
Dr. Ju Seong LEE is Acting Head and Associate Professor in the Department of English Language Education at the Education University of Hong Kong. His work focuses on informal digital learning of English (IDLE) and its social impact.
In this seminar, we will discuss a study (n=357) that looks at how collaborative note-taking behaviors affect learning performance and note quality. I will introduce a novel framework that views collaborative writing as a way to encode information and measures the completeness of notes as a way to evaluate storage. In the study, my coauthors and I analyzed key behaviors such as how much text was produced, how often participants edited each other’s notes, the frequency of writing sessions, and turn-taking. Using a two-level correlation analysis, we uncovered crucial relationships among these variables. Key findings include the following: 1) For better individual learning performance, students should write more and interact more with each other’s notes, but not necessarily write more frequently; 2) For better group learning performance, groups should focus on adding content rather than removing it; and 3) For higher-quality notes, groups should divide tasks rather than work on them together intensively. Participants in the seminar will also have the opportunity to try out collaborative note-taking for themselves, allowing for a hands-on experience that reinforces the concepts discussed. Join us to explore these findings and their implications for improving learning performance through online collaboration.
About the Speaker:
Dr. Mik Fanguy is an Assistant Professor in the Department of English Language Education at the Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. His research interests include online collaborative learning and instructional design in online settings.
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Registration link: https://eduhk.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bkCJBwgXWoMFr5s
As U.S. higher education institutions promote diversity, transnational multilingual students encounter a reality where linguistic and cultural differences are often marginalized. This talk explores the experiences of four international students navigating a predominantly White, English-monolingual liberal arts college in the rural United States. While the institution outwardly supports multiculturalism, systemic barriers—including social exclusion, linguistic policing, and U.S.-centric curricula—complicate these students’ sense of belonging. Drawing on in-depth interviews and classroom observations, I discuss how multilingual students must constantly negotiate their identities, often oscillating between assimilation and resistance. Despite these challenges, they carve out spaces of belonging through affinity groups, shared cultural interests, and selective social interactions. However, these connections remain fragile, shaped by the transient nature of international student experiences and the limited institutional support for linguistic diversity. This lecture highlights the urgent need for intuitions of higher education to move beyond performative diversity initiatives and embrace genuine multilingual inclusion. By recognizing and valuing transnational perspectives, universities can foster more equitable learning environments that truly reflect the globalized nature of education today.
About the Speaker:
Dr. UYSAL, Huseyin is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of English Language Education at The Education University of Hong Kong. He holds a PhD degree in ESOL/Bilingual Education from the University of Florida. His scholarship is driven by the values of social justice and grounded in understanding power, identity, and inclusivity in linguistically and culturally diverse schools. He is currently serving as the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Education for Multilingualism.
The development of critical digital literacies (CDL) as a pedagogical goal has been widely acknowledged. This talk will introduce how the operation of power within digital contexts shapes knowledge and identities in ways that privilege some and marginalize others. Secondly, you will discover how to integrate technology and generative AI tools with English language learning and teaching from a critical perspective. Exploring the affordances and constraints of several tools, you will understand both ethical and social perspectives on digital activities for learners' CDL development.
About the Speaker:
Dr. Ellen Yue Zhang is an Assistant Professor in the Department of English Language Education at the Education University of Hong Kong. Before joining EdUHK, she worked in English education and teacher preparation at the university level in Mainland China. Her research focuses on language teacher identity, Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL), and critical inquiries and pedagogies. Her research has been published in journals such as RELC Journal, Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, System, ELT Journal, Computer Assisted Language Learning, Journal of Language, Identity & Education, Language Awareness, ReCALL, and Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development.
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Registration link: https://eduhk.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0qAUrvPGTo1tDZI
Metacognition, defined as an individual’s awareness and understanding of their cognitive processes, plays a pivotal role in educational discourse. In second language (L2) writing literature, research indicates that metacognitive writers exhibit heightened awareness and regulation of their mental processes, as well as the ability to use metacognitive strategies to manage, regulate and enhance their writing. Previous studies have demonstrated that metacognitive thinking significantly develops in children during early years, and that metacognitive instruction can lay a solid foundation for this development, enabling students to build on these skills throughout their academic journey. Importantly, metacognition does not develop automatically in students. Rather, teachers play a crucial role in cultivating students’ metacognitive abilities, underscoring the necessity for metacognitive instruction. This presentation will explore the role of metacognition in L2 writing, elucidate the principles of metacognitive instruction, and provide participants with practical strategies for integrating metacognitive practices into the writing classroom.
About the Speaker:
Dr. Pauline Mak is an associate head and assistant professor in the Department of English Language Education at the Education University of Hong Kong. Her research interests encompass language assessment, second language writing, and second language teacher education. Her publications have appeared in a number of international journals, such as RELC Journal, System and TESOL Quarterly.
This lecture delves into the essential constructs of agency and autonomy within the context of second language learning and teaching. Agency refers to the capacity of learners (individuals) to act purposefully and make choices in their educational journeys, while autonomy encompasses the ability to take control of one’s own learning. By defining these key constructs, the lecture lays a foundational understanding of their significance in language education. The lecture then examines the practical implications of integrating agency and autonomy across different educational sectors. In tertiary education, the focus is on empowering students to take ownership of their learning trajectories, particularly in self-directed and research-based contexts. In secondary education, the emphasis shifts to balancing structured curricula with opportunities for student choice and voice, fostering critical thinking and independence. At the primary level, the discussion highlights the importance of nurturing early autonomy (young learners’ independence and decision-making skills) through play-based and exploratory learning. Through this exploration, the lecture aims to highlight innovative pedagogical approaches that embrace agency and autonomy, ultimately enhancing language learning outcomes and preparing students for lifelong learning.
About the Speaker:
Dr. Peter Huang obtained his PhD degree in Applied Linguistics from University of Hong Kong. He has been working as a language teacher educator for more than 20 years in mainland China, Singapore, and Hong Kong. His research is in autonomy/agency/identity in second language education, TESOL teacher education, educational ethnography, and metacognition in language learning. He has published extensively in these areas in CSSCI-indexed journals and international journals including System; Language Teaching Research; The Modern Language Journal; TESOL Quarterly; Language, Culture and Curriculum; Journal of Language, Identity & Education; Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development; Asia Pacific Journal of Education; etc.
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Registration link: https://eduhk.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_004Mw86rLAH3Xhk
Considering the significant role vocabulary plays in second language (L2) learning and the widespread use of technology, there is a pressing need to better understand the effectiveness of digital methods for teaching and learning vocabulary. Among these methods, serious games are gaining increasing attention from researchers. A search of the Web of Science core eight database, Scopus, Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), ProQuest databases yielded 617 potential publications, which were then subjected to a set of inclusion and exclusion criteria, resulting in 94 publications. Subsequently, we carefully checked the references of the 94 included studies and found 20 additional publications. In total, 114 publications were included that were suitable for review. In this review, the researchers examined serious digital gameplay for L2 vocabulary learning based on four aspects: (1) the titles of serious games and learning context i.e., English for Specific Purposes (ESP), English for Academic Purposes (EAP), and General English (GE), (2) the serious game elements that enhance students’ L2 vocabulary knowledge in classrooms, and (3) the participants of the reviewed studies in classrooms. The findings from this review showed that Quizlet (8, 5.06%), Kahoot (7, 4.43%), Baicizhan (5, 3.16%), Hangman (3, 1.89%), and The Conference Interpreter (3, 1.89%) were the most popular serious games including educational gamified platforms mentioned in the included publications. Moreover, (135, 85.44%) of the serious games in the included publications focused on GE vocabulary knowledge. Furthermore, motivational context (90, 78.94%), multimodality and competitive context (42, 36.84%) were the most frequently cited serious game elements in the included publications, which contributed to students’ L2 vocabulary learning. The majority of the reviewed studies were conducted among tertiary education students (64, 55.65%). However, serious games are also designed to address the needs of students at preschool, primary, and secondary education levels. These findings can provide valuable insights for stakeholders in English Language Teaching to utilize serious games more effectively in classrooms.
About the Speaker:
Dr. Ali Soyoof is a research assistant professor at the Department of English Language Education, The Education University of Hong Kong. He has published a number of quality papers in seminal journals in language and linguistics and education, namely, Computer Assisted Language Learning, System, Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, Education and Information Technologies, Teaching and Teacher Education, and some others.
While multilingual and multimodal strategies have shown promise in older students, their impact in early primary settings, especially with children requiring special educational support, is just beginning to be understood. This study at Hong Kong primary schools reveals how co-teachers in Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) environments harness these dynamic approaches to engage young learners in Information Report writing about animals.
Through analysis of video-taped lessons, I will showcase how teachers collaborate to create vibrant and inclusive learning experiences and show they skillfully use language and various semiotic resources to help students co-construct thematic patterns, manage classroom dynamics, and highlight student achievements in specific subjects. My study suggests that successful CLIL teaching is not just about planning but also embracing spontaneity and adaptability to cater to diverse learners. This talk will illuminate how expanding teacher collaboration with flexible, innovative strategies can transform the educational landscape for young learners with special needs, fostering engagement and success across different disciplines. This session will also offer insights into how thoughtful teaching practices can make a real difference.
About the Speaker:
Dr Yiqi LIU is Assistant Professor the Department of English Language Education and Acting Head of the Centre for Language in Education at The Education University of Hong Kong. Yiqi has an interdisciplinary intellectual scholarship in sociolinguistics, content-and-language-integrated-learning (CLIL) /English-medium instruction (EMI) /language-across-the-curriculum (LAC) in primary, secondary and higher education, and critical cultural studies.
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Registration link: https://eduhk.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8p7oKmdBkzd8rhY
Certificate
E-Certificate of attendance will be issued to participants.
Enquiries
Please contact ele@eduhk.hk
