KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Allen Davenport
Cambridge University Press & Assessment
KEYNOTE
Exploring Sustainability in ELT – Our Role as Educators
Sustainability is gaining increasing attention in education, and English language teaching is no exception. This session, based on research commissioned by Cambridge University Press & Assessment, explores the role of ELT in promoting sustainability. The talk will cover key themes, including sustainability’s relevance in education, the role of ELT in fostering global citizenship, essential skills and competencies for learners, and practical steps for embedding sustainability in curricula. It will also address emerging research and frameworks guiding sustainability in education. By the end of the session, participants will have a clearer understanding of how ELT can engage with sustainability in a meaningful way, helping learners develop the knowledge and language skills needed to navigate global challenges.
WORKSHOP
Teaching Sustainability in ELT – Practical Classroom Activities
Sustainability is not just a topic for discussion—it’s a skillset that can be developed through engaging, meaningful language learning activities. This interactive workshop will introduce teachers to practical ways of integrating sustainability into their ELT classrooms, using pedagogy aligned with the Cambridge Sustainability Framework. Participants will explore adaptable activities for young learners, teenagers, and adults, focusing on developing knowledge, values, innovation, and transformation skills. Teachers will gain ready-to-use ideas, including sustainability-focused discussion prompts, learning tasks, and creative activities that connect real-world issues to language learning. By the end of the workshop, attendees will leave with concrete lesson ideas and adaptable strategies to seamlessly integrate sustainability into their teaching, helping learners build language skills while engaging with important global topics.
KEYNOTE
Putting 'Sustainability' into English Language Teaching and Learning
Prof. Dr. Stefanie Shamila Pillai FASc
Universiti Malaya, Malaysia
This keynote looks at the relationship between English language teaching and learning and sustainability. To put it into context, firstly, English remains the language with the greatest number of learners and speakers worldwide. Second, the number of English as a first language (L1) is outnumbered by those for whom English is a second (L2) or foreign language (EFL). Third, English is a key global lingua franca and is therefore, an essential tool for international communication. Fourth, the internationalisation of education has led to particular levels of English language proficiency being a must-have for entry into academic programmes teaching with English as an MoI. Fifth, English is often a requirement for many jobs not just in countries where English is the official or main language but also in some countries where this is not the case. Sixth, added to all of these is the fact that there are varieties of English across the globe – not all of which are perceived the same. The emphasis is on English in all these cases when it comes to education, job opportunities, as well as social and economic mobility. These are important considerations in relation to developing a sustainable future for all. Within the context of the SDGs, this keynote will discuss these points in relation to the role of English language teaching and learning and issues of adaptability, accessibility, gatekeeping, and multilingualism with examples from the Malaysian context.
PELLTA
Penang English Language Learning and Teaching Association
ROS Registration No : PPM-017-07-04111990
Website : https://pellta.org/
Email : pelltapenang@gmail.com
Professor Paul Kei Matsuda
Arizona State University, USA
Paul Kei Matsuda is Professor of English and Director of Second Language Writing at Arizona State University. He is Founding Chair of the Symposium on Second Language Writing and Series Editor of the Parlor Press Series on Second Language Writing. Paul has published widely in applied linguistics, writing studies and TESOL, and has received a number of prestigious awards for his publications. A frequent traveler, he has been invited to present keynote and plenary talks as well as lectures and workshops in various countries and regions. He has held visiting professor positions at universities in many countries, giving lectures, workshops, and academic consultations. Paul serves as an English Language Specialist for the US Department of State, and was recently chosen as one of the 30 most impactful Specialists.
Professor Stefanie Shamila Pillai
Universiti Malaya, Malaysia
Professor Dr. Stefanie Shamila Pillai FASc began her career as an English language and literature teacher at a secondary school in Kuala Lumpur after completing her B.Ed. TESL (Hons.) in the UK. She is currently a Senior Professor at the Faculty of Languages and Linguistics, Universiti Malaya (UM), and a member of UM’s Board of Directors. She was previously Dean of her Faculty and headed UM’s Happiness and Social Advancement Research Cluster as well as the Centre for Industry and Community Engagement. Her research interests include varieties of English, particularly Malaysian English, language use in education (including language policy) and in multilingual contexts. She is also known for her work on Melaka Portuguese (Papia Kristang). She was elected as a Fellow of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia and is among the few researchers in the area of Social Sciences to receive the Top Research Scientists Malaysia 2024 award. Her recent publications include the edited volumes, Contemporary Malaysian English Pronunciation and Making Research Count: Bridging Community, Empowering Change and Impacting Society, and chapters in the Oxford Handbook of Southeast Asian Englishes and World Englishes in Their Local Multilingual Ecologies.
