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    Speakers

    Qatar University 8th Annual International Conference on English Language Teaching

    4-5 November 2023

    Multimodal ELT Pedagogy: Curriculum, Assessment, and Technology

    Day 1: Face to Face 

    Plenary Speaker

    Speakers | Qatar University - Image1 Dr. Liz England


    With an academic career in language teacher education in the United States and on five continents, Dr. England has enjoyed contributing to projects focusing on educational program design, implementation, and evaluation for universities, ministries, and private and government agencies. She has worked extensively in the Middle East and North Africa as well as on both short- and long-term assignments in over 30 countries worldwide. Author of many books, chapters, and journal articles, her recent research focuses on career path development and she has published the first book on the subject in 2019, TESOL Career Path Development: Creating Professional Success (Routledge). Her newest co-edited book (England, Kamhi-Stein, and Kormpas) English Language Teacher Education in Changing Times: Perspectives, Strategies, and New Ways of Teaching and Learning (Routledge, 2023) focuses on our work during the global pandemic.

    Featured Speakers

    Speakers | Qatar University - Image2 Dr. Ahmed Acar


    Ahmet Serdar Acar holds a Ph.D. in Second Language Acquisition and Teaching from the University of Arizona. He has over 20 years of experience in English Language Teaching. As an active scholar, Dr. Acar regularly attends and presents in international conferences. His research interests center around second language writing, genre pedagogy, writing classroom assessment, and L2 writing teacher identity. His research on L2 writing classroom assessment has been published in edited books and peer-reviewed journals. Currently, Dr. Acar is working as a lecturer at the Community College of Qatar in Doha.

    Speakers | Qatar University - Image3 

    Conan Kmiecik

    Conan Kmiecik is the Course Lead and an English Lecturer of business English for the Foundation Program Department of English at Qatar University. With over a decade of experience in English language teaching and international education, Conan is adept in developing experiential language programs and implementing project-based learning approaches. Recently, he has delivered presentations on entrepreneurial education and AI-assisted material development at QU, showcasing his innovative approach to teaching and learning. In addition, Conan serves as the Lead of Program Administration for the FPDE, demonstrating his organizational and leadership skills.

    Speakers | Qatar University - Image4 

    Dr. Silvia Pessoa

    Silvia Pessoa is a full teaching professor of English and Co-Area Head for Arts and Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMUQ).  Her areas of interest are academic, professional, and disciplinary writing which she studies through interdisciplinary collaborations and using Systemic Functional Linguistics genre-based pedagogy. She is an active member of TESOL and AAAL and her work has appeared in the Journal of Second Language Writing, the Journal of English for Academic Purposes, TESOL Quarterly, and Linguistics and Education. She is on the editorial board for English for Specific Purposes and Linguistics and Education.

    Day 2: Virtual

     Plenary Speakers

    Speakers | Qatar University - Image5Dr. Deborah Healey 


    Dr. Deborah Healey was the 2019-2020 President of the Board of Directors of TESOL International Association. She has taught online teacher training courses for the American English Institute and the Department of Linguistics at the University of Oregon, primarily focusing on technology in education. She has also taught both ESL and EFL at community colleges and language institutes. She is a contributor to two TESOL Technology Standards publications, as well as the TESOL Encyclopaedia of English Language Teaching, the Routledge Handbook of Language Learning and Technology, CALL Environments, and A Handbook for Language Program Administrators. She has written and presented extensively internationally (Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and North America – and Qatar TESOL in 2013). Her doctorate is in Computers in Education. See more about Dr. Healey at https://www.deborahhealey.com.

    Speakers | Qatar University - Image6 Dr. Justin Shewell


    Dr. Justin Shewell is the co-designer and primary instructional designer for Teach English Now!, perhaps the world's largest online TESOL certificate program. He is also the author of 50 Ways to Teach Online: Tips for ESL/EFL Teachers and a number of other book chapters and academic articles on the use of Educational Technology in teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL). He holds a Ph.D. in Educational Technology from Arizona State University, and an M.A. in TESOL from Brigham Young University. His interests include technology-assisted language learning in all its forms, increasing student engagement and motivation using technology, increasing teachers' ability to use technology with students by improving their Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge (TPACK), and improving teacher performance with video for reflection. 

     Featured Speakers 

    Speakers | Qatar University - Image7 Aleksandra Popovski


    Aleksandra Popovski is a teacher and teacher trainer with a strong passion for language education. She holds an MA in Professional Development for Language Education from the University of Chichester, where she deepened her knowledge and skills in the field. Her interests include incorporating visual arts into language teaching, exploring effective reading comprehension strategies, and creating original readers for her students. With her expertise and enthusiasm, Aleksandra is committed to helping her students succeed and grow as language learners. Aleksandra is the current President of IATEFL – International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language.

    Speakers | Qatar University - Image8Dr. Chadia Mansour


    Dr. Chadia Mansour is an expert in digital and distance education, applied linguist and experiential learning and language educator with over 20 years of higher education teaching experience in North America and the MENA regions. Currently, she is a professor and courses lead for online and blended learning courses at Fleming College Toronto, Canada. Chadia has been involved in Educational Leadership in the last decade, and served as the director of ESP Program in the US. She also held various volunteering positions such as Executive Board Member (International Association for Blended Learning), Executive Board Member TEFL Kuwait, Chair of Diversity and Inclusion Committee,  Chair of English as a Foreign Language IS, and Nominating Committee TESOL International. Currently, she is serving as Ambassador for the International Council for Distance Education (ICDE) and a member of the ICDE OER Advocacy Committee.

    Speakers | Qatar University - Image9 Dr. Deborah J. Short


    Deborah J. Short, Ph.D. founded Academic Language Research & Training, a consulting company, and provides professional development on academic literacy, content-based English, and English-medium instruction. Dr. Short co-developed the SIOP Model and has directed research and evaluation studies related to English language learners and program designs. Publications include SIOP Model books (Pearson), The 6 Principles books (TESOL), English textbooks like Reach Higher, Inside, and Edge (National Geographic Learning), and professional journal articles. She taught English in New York, California, Virginia, and the DR Congo and presents at conferences around the world. She was TESOL International President for 2020-2021.

    Speakers | Qatar University - Image10
     

    Dr. Shelly K. Taylor

    Shelly K. Taylor, Professor, teaches in the graduate TESOL/Applied Linguistics program at the University of Western Ontario. She has conducted research on plurilingualism in TESOL, EMI, Nepali-Bhutanese refugee children in Canada, and postsecondary youth refugees’ language and literacy development, and examined language policy with regard to multilingual language education in Canada, Denmark, Greenland, and Nepal. She is currently the President of TESOL International Association.