SPELT holds 38th International ELT Hybrid Conference

Continuing its mission of empowering teachers with the latest trends in teacher education, research and educational development, the Society of Pakistan English Language Teachers (SPELT) held the 38th International ELT Hybrid Conference on Saturday and Sunday.

Titled ‘ELT: Emerging Trends Across The Globe’, the conference was held in Karachi in collaboration with the Oxford University Press, Pakistan, and was co-hosted by the Habib Public School, Karachi.

The conference aimed at strengthening effective networking and dynamic collaboration among language practitioners at all levels and across all spectrums. It provided the participants ample opportunities to interact with national and international ELT experts and researchers.

SPELT focuses not only on English language teaching and research but also on other areas in education, such as educational leadership and management, early childhood education, and classroom management techniques and strategies.

It is wholly committed to improving the standards of English language teaching and learning by offering exceptional possibilities to Pakistani teachers at affordable costs. SPELT acknowledges its association with institutions with great regard, which is why it invited them to the conference in the interest of professional development of their faculty.

Participants were invited to join the SPELT Conference 2022 either virtually or in-person to avail the excellent opportunity of professional enhancement with the experts. The registration for the conference was on a first come, first served basis.

A distinguished panel of national and international teacher trainers, scholars and educators spoke on a number of pressing and relevant topics highlighting current and emerging trends in new and innovative trends in teacher training and educational development.

This year’s conference featured three keynote speakers: Prof Ivor Timis from the Leeds Beckett University, UK (‘It’s Good to Talk: Making the Most of Classroom Speaking Activities’); Dr Gabriel Kleckova, TESOL Past President (‘Seeking Success: What Matters in English Language Teaching’); and Dr Gabrial Diaz Maggioli, President IATEFL (‘Teacher Education Practices that ENABLE Teacher Learning’).

The distinguished group of plenary and featured speakers included luminaries and scholars such as Dr Bimali Indrarathne, University of York, UK; Dr Nader Ayish, Khalifa University, UAE; Dr Christine Coombe, HCT Dubai College for Men, UAE; Dr Naziha Ali Jafri, General Civil Aviation Authority, UAE; Dr Tayyaba Tamim, LUMS, Pakistan; Sahiba Khatoon, MUET, Pakistan; Dr Wanli Zhao, Xi’an Jiaotong University and Xianyang Normal University, China; and Dr Shahid Abrar-ul-Hassan, Yorkville University, Canada.

They covered a wide range of topics such as ‘Surmounting the Challenges in Authentic, Alternative Assessment’, ‘In Pursuit of Translingual Educational Space’, ‘The Quest for Academic Excellence in ELT’, ‘Learning Difficulties and Inclusive Practices in ELT: Teacher Awareness’, ‘Research Education and Literacy for Educators in Times of Change’, ‘Reframing English Language Teaching Within a Social Justice Theory’, ‘Pleasure Reading Among ELLs: Challenges and Possibilities’, and others.

A panel discussion on contemporary national trends in ELT was also featured in the conference, where leading ELT experts from Pakistan discussed the growing demand and prospects of the profession. Dr Fatima Rehan Dar, CEO and Managing Partner, Oak Consulting, moderated the session.

The panellists included Dr Humaira Irfan, Associate Professor, University of Education, Lahore; Dr Sumera Umrani, Associate Professor, Applied Linguistics/TESOL, Institute of English Language and Literature, University of Sindh, Jamshoro; Dr Amjad Saleem, Department of English and Applied Linguistics, University of Peshawar; Prof Dr Habibullah Pathan, Centre of English Language and Linguistics, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro; and Abbas Husain, Director, Teachers Development Centre, Karachi.

Presented in collaboration with the Oxford University Press and Durbeen/Government Elementary College of Education, Hussainabad, the Teacher Stories session was an important highlight of the conference. Selected English language teachers from around the world narrated to the audience their stories of achievement, resilience, innovation and challenges.