TESOL 2026 Convention Speakers
We are excited to announce a series of sessions on key topics in English Language Teaching (ELT) and higher education.
SEL for EFL University Students during Wartime
Wednesday, 25 March, 12 – 12:30 pm
O. Chugain, TESOL-Ukraine and O Yashenkova, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, demonstrate the significance of combining social-emotional learning (SEL) and taking part in intercultural projects during military conflicts and share their strategies to improve students’ well-being.
Advancing ESP/EAP in Higher Education: Challenges, Changes, and Creative Responses
Wednesday, 25 March, 12:00 -– 1:15 pm
Presenters O. Chugai, TESOL Ukraine and O. Yashenkova, Taras Shevchenko will discuss how developments such as COVID, Industry 4.0/5.0, generative artificial intelligence, and decreasing student numbers have severely affected universities and teaching. Higher education ESP teachers need to include new technologies and offer more individualized learning paths to respond to the rapid pace of change and innovation and to meet students’ needs.
AI Policies in Higher Education: Pedagogical, Governance, and Operational Dimensions
Wednesday, 25 March, 12:00-12:30 pm
D. Arini, Washington State University explores how artificial intelligence (AI) policies in higher education influence pedagogy, governance, and operations, using the AI Ecological Education Policy Framework (Chan, 2023) and will share insights into responsible AI use in multilingual, inclusive classrooms and developing institution-wide strategies.
Curriculum Design for College Multilingual Writers Using SDGs
Wednesday, 25 March, 1 – 1:45 pm
E. Elturki, University of Illinois explores the design of a first-year composition course for multilingual writers, integrating the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including the curriculum development cycle, sample materials, and practical strategies and resources for designing globally engaged writing instruction for diverse learners in higher education.
A Community College-based English Language Educator’s Pracademic Identities and Trajectories
Wednesday, 25 March, 2-2:30 pm
R. Jain, Montgomery College, reconceptualizes herself as a “transnational pracademic” and specifically explores the practices as well as the affordances and constraints she has experienced intra-institutionally and inter-institutionally over a decade of pracademic identity work in transnational higher education.
Standing with and Teaching MLs in PK-12 and Postsecondary Education
Wednesday, 25 March, 2-3:15 pm
Y. Aljaffery, Augsburg University, and F. Aldajani, University of Toronto look at how educators move beyond language instruction to empower multilingual learners (MLs) academically, socially, and as leaders using classroom practices and supported by school- and campuswide initiatives that validate identities, cultivate belonging, and amplify student voices to foster understanding and drive real change.
AI Ethics in Technical Writing: A Saudi University Study
Thursday, 26 March, 8 -- 8:45 am
G. Kormpas, Al Yamamah University, presents a university-based study on ethical use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in technical report writing. Using Saudi Data & AI Authority and AUNAESACO ethical frameworks, the study examined student behavior, faculty concerns, and instructional practices to offer a model for responsible AI integration in higher education writing-intensive courses.
Effective Strategies for Source Information Integration in Academic Writing
Thursday, 26 March, 9 – 9:30 am
J. Gomez, Universidad Externado de Colombia, reports on strategies combining inductive approaches and structured interventions used by two ELT master’s students learning to use source information in their theses. Features of these strategies and implications for teacher education programs are considered.
Identifying New Opportunities for TESOL Professionals in Higher Education Settings
Thursday, 26 March, 9:30 – 10:15 am
T. Kidwell, American University, P. Vinogradova, American University, and S. Knowles, American University, discuss strategies to manage recent decreases in higher education enrollment in TESOL-related programs. Adapting program requirements, developing and expanding undergraduate programs, proposing general education courses, and offering faculty development can support TESOL programs in higher education settings.
EFL Learners’ Perceptions and Use of GenAI in Academic Writing
Thursday, 26 March, 10 – 10:30 am
P. Wasanasomsithi, Chulalongkorn University and T. Worabantoon, Chulalongkorn University, explore EFL learners’ use and perceptions of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in academic writing and how teachers can motivate learners to use GenAI appropriately and effectively to enrich their language learning.
Feeling Words: Graduate Student Reflections on Teaching L2 Writing
Thursday, 26 March, 1 – 2:15 pm
G. Crookes, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Y. Lee, University of Hawaii at Manoa, A. Tang, University of Hawaii at Manoa, D. Honeycutt, University of Hawaii at Manoa, F.G. Quilodran Peredo, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, and W. Chaisong, University of Hawaii at Manoa share graduate students’ reflections from a seminar on emotions and pedagogy in L2 writing. They explore how emotion-centered coursework fosters critical reflection, emotional literacy, and inclusive teaching practices to inform the design of reflective teacher education grounded in diverse, holistic, and pro-emotional perspectives.
Researcher Training in Saudi Arabia: Boosting Research Output
Thursday, 26 March, 3:30 – 4:00 pm
C. Williams, Akita International University, presents a study of a research training workshop for faculty at a major Saudi Arabian women’s university. Teaching basic language research methodologies and statistical analysis skills increased faculty understanding of and engagement in research activities.
A Mixed-Methods Study of EFL University Students’ Social Consciousness
Thursday, 16 March, 4:30 – 5:15 pm
K. Staley, George Mason University, M. Anugerahwati, Universitas Negeri Malang, and P. Leal, University of Hawaii Manoa report on a study investigating the development of EFL university students’ social consciousness in an undergraduate course in cross-cultural understanding.