DAEJEON, 20 August 2023 – Six lecturers of Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Sabah Branch have presented their research work at the 21st AsiaTEFL International Conference held on August 17-20, 2023, at the Daejeon Convention Centre, Daejeon, South Korea. The English Language lecturers who hail from the Academy of Language Studies were Delia L. Olaybal, Jenny @ Janey Mosikon, Octavia Willibrord, Dr. Alice Wong Su Chu, Dr. Jocelyn Lee Yee Vun and Dr. Choo Siow Chin.

Founded in 2003, the Asian Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language (AsiaTEFL) aims to connect English Language Teaching (ELT) professionals in joint research to address issues and concerns related to the teaching and learning of English in the Asian context. The theme of the AsiaTEFL 2023 Conference is “Celebrating ELT in Asia: Visions and Aspirations.” The aim of the conference is two-fold: (a) to suggest visions for and aspirations of ELT in Asian contexts, and (b) to foster friendships and networking among scholars and practitioners whose research work involves ELT policies or practices in Asian contexts. The conference received more than 1000 participants, of whom one-third attended online.

One of the presenters, Octavia Willibrord, examined the relationship between teachers’ verbal and non-verbal immediacy behaviour and students’ reticence (defined as unwillingness and hesitation) to speak English. Her study suggests that teachers need to be aware of certain non-verbal cues, such as facial expression, tone of voice and body posture, which may lead to students’ hesitation in speaking the second language.

Another English Language lecturer, Jenny @ Janey Mosikon, who co-authored with Delia L. Olaybal, presented on the use of Literature Circles, an approach using role cards to enhance students’ comprehension of literary texts. When asked about her experience of attending the AsiaTEFL 2023 conference, she said, “Most educators are greatly concerned about the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in English classrooms. Some fear that with AI tools, particularly ChatGPT, language instructors may have difficulty in grading students’ actual writing ability. Conversely, some hold the opinion of embracing the technology to enhance students’ writing ability. Such a dilemma has inspired some possible future research collaborations among scholars from different countries within Asia.”

To many of the AsiaTEFL 2023 conference participants, it was a rewarding experience, on both a professional and personal level. The four-day ELT conference was successful in achieving its goals to expand ELT practitioners’ horizons on English education and also to foster friendships and relationships among members of the ELT community in the Asian context. To those interested in the next AsiaTEFL conference, here is a heads-up: the 2024 AsiaTEFL International Conference will be held in Chiang Rai, Thailand, on November 15-17, 2024.