We are pleased to announce that our 4th TEFL Praxis Conference (2025) will be held at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia. Dr. Naomi Wilks-Smith from the RMIT School of Education will serve as Conference Chair.

After our March 10 Conference registration and welcome reception, Conference plenary, research presentations, and Executive Council meetings are set for March 11 (hybrid/online) and March 12 (in-person) with classroom observations and EAL educational field excursions planned for March 13-14. Conference program and abstracts are here.

Send your Conference presentation proposal to: office ‘at’ telfpraxis.org. The deadline is February 7, 2025 (CLOSED).

4th International TEFL Praxis Conference information

Dates: March 11-12, 2025
Hybrid Conference: RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia & Online via Zoom

Keynote Speaker
Dr. Robyn Cox, Professor of Literacy Education, University of Tasmania

Conference Fees

  • Two days in-person (includes networking reception; *does not include meals or accommodation) Members: 20,000 yen or $200 AUD / Non-members: 25,000 yen or $250 AUD
  • One-day in-person (March 11 or March 12) Members: 15,000 yen or $150 AUD / Non-members: 20,000 yen or $200 AUD
  • One-day online (March 11 only) Members: 15,000 yen or $150 AUD / Non-members: 20,000 yen or $200 AUD
  • Student online (March 11 only) Members: 5,000 yen or $50 AUD / Non-members: 8,000 yen or $80 AUD
  • Student in-person (1 or 2 days) Members: 7,000 yen or $70 AUD / Non-members: 10,000 yen or $100 AUD

Register for the conference (Registration closed)
To register for the conference, please send an email to: office ‘at’ teflpraxis.org. Include your name & conference option from above. Payment instructions and invoice details, as well as Zoom link information, will be provided after email registration and conference payment have been completed.

Presentation Proposals (Closed February 7, 2025.)
Accepting presentation proposals related to the following themes:

  • Classroom-based TEFL research
  • Best practice pedagogical approaches/rationales
  • Researcher-practitioner collaboration in TEFL
  • Exploratory practice
  • Action research
  • Interpretive research
  • Technology in TEFL classrooms

Send proposals to office ‘at’ teflpraxis.org. Include your name, affiliation, title (concise titles only: 10 words maximum), abstract (150 words or less) and bio (max 50 words).

Conference Program (all times Australia Eastern Standard Time – AEST)

4th International TEFL Praxis Conference Schedule & Abstracts

Monday, March 10: Conference registration and welcome reception (16:00-20:00)

Tuesday, March 11: (online + physical attendees; RMIT University, 020.01.007 Court Room 3)

12:30-13:00: Welcome/Opening Address (Conf. Chair: Naomi Wilks-Smith, RMIT University)

13:00-13:45: Plenary Lecture                                                                          

Dr. Robyn Cox (Professor of Literacy Education, University of Tasmania, Australia)
The ESL policy context in Australia: How ESL teaching got entangled in
literacy outcomes in schools
In the later part of the 20 th century Australia had a strong reputation for quality ESL/EFL teaching, this was led mainly by the AMEP government funded centres and programs. The materials developed by teachers in these centres were innovative and led practice internationally. However, successive government funding cuts and a movement away from mass post war immigration led to the reduction of Adult ESL programs and some significance changes in the way ESL was delivered in schools. This paper will briefly map this journey and provide an analysis of how EAL/D programmes currently sit in schools. Further to this the rise of ELICOS centres and Adult migrant language programs will be briefly discussed.

Professor Robyn Cox is currently Editor in Chief of the ALEA journal, Australian Journal of Language and Literacy and is involved in initial teacher education at the University of Tasmania in Launceston. Robyn is well known in the fields of teaching early reading, EAL/D and teacher preparation. Robyn has an almost 40-year career as a teacher and teaching educator.

13:50-14:10: Research presentation

Paul Daniels (Kochi University of Technology, Japan)
The Role of AI in Prosody Analysis: Insights and Innovations
Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming work and learning, significantly impacting teaching methods, learning processes, and administrative tasks. Language learning is experiencing rapid growth in AI-assisted applications, especially for speaking activities. Generative AI is able to guide learners through authentic speaking exercises, such as open-ended questions, and provide detailed feedback on speaking skills. AI Chatbots, being primarily text-based, traditionally assess speech in two steps: converting audio to text and then analyzing the text. However, text-based assessments fail to capture nuanced prosodic features such as intonation, stress, rhythm, and loudness. Recent advancements in generative AI enable Chatbots to analyze speech directly without transcription. This development has important implications for speech assessment, allowing a deeper understanding of spoken communication. This study evaluates the accuracy of generative AI in assessing prosody of students’ recorded voice data from a variety of speaking tasks. As AI-powered applications such as this continue to be refined, assessment may become more accessible, equitable, and aligned with individual learners’ unique goals and contexts.

Paul Daniels is a Professor of English at Kochi University of Technology in Kochi, Japan. He is currently on the Editorial Board of international journals such the CALL Journal, the JALTCALL Journal, and the TEFL Praxis Journal. He has published extensively in language learning and technology with a focus on project-based learning and CALL.

14:10-14:30: Research presentation

Susan Rook (RMIT University, Australia)
Mirrors, Windows and Sliding Glass Doors in Australian Classrooms
The metaphors of mirrors, windows and sliding glass doors, first developed by Emily Style and then extended by Rudine Sims Bishop, are literary devices that welcome experience and accordingly, enhance enjoyment, agency and learning.  Mirrors are stories that validate the experiences of new entrants to unfamiliar, windows grant a view into the other cultures and sliding glass doors extend windows to provide deeper reflection. This presentation will discuss how these devices can be used in multi-ethnic classrooms and those with (EAL/D) students in Australia to engender engagement and therefore scaffold progress, in all elements of primary literacy. Six effective texts will be highlighted to illustrate how the metaphors of mirrors, windows and sliding glass doors work in practice with suggestions of activities that can be used to reflect the experiences of EAL/D students.

Dr. Susan Rook is a lecturer in Literacy. Her work to date has involved working with schools to implement creative pedagogies into the teaching of reading and to promote diversity in texts.  Susan is interested in giving students agency over both their response to texts and in their writing choices.

14:30-14:50: Research presentation

Gerardine McCrohan and James Broxholme (Kagawa University, Japan)
AI in EFL: Teacher Perceptions and Training Needs
The rapid rise in student use of AI-generated text has sparked interest in how EFL teachers perceive and respond to it in academic contexts. This pilot study examined university-level EFL teachers’ ability to identify AI-generated writing and their awareness of AI-detection software. Teachers (ages 30-60s) with 5 to over 20 years of experience analysed five passages; three AI-generated and two student-written. None correctly identified all AI-generated texts, highlighting the challenge for teachers in distinguishing AI content. The study also revealed low awareness of AI-detection tools. Among those who were aware of these, most believed them to be reliable with only one teacher questioning their accuracy. Age and teaching experience did not influence teachers’ ability to identify AI texts or their views on detection software. The findings call for professional development to help teachers effectively integrate AI into EFL instruction. 

Gerardine McCrohan is an Associate Professor at Kagawa University. Her research interests include willingness to communicate, exam preparation, medical English, and teacher development.
James Broxholme is an Adjunct Lecturer at Kagawa University. His research interests include neurolinguistics, cognitive linguistics, and teacher development.

14:50-15:20: Break

15:20-15:40: Research presentation                                                                

Ian Isemonger and Saori Nishikawa (Kumamoto University, Japan)
The Online Student Connectedness Survey: Testing Inherited Measurement Models and Offering an Alternative Model
The presentation deals with the issue of establishing a good measurement model for the Online Student Connectedness Survey (OSCS; Bolliger & Inan, 2012), and in particular for the Japanese population. The OSCS is an instrument designed to measure different aspects of student connectedness in online settings. Online settings present obstacles to student connectedness not present in traditional face-to-face classrooms. Student connectedness, whether with the teacher or peers, contributes to the atmosphere of trust required for cognitive mediation to occur. The notion of cognitive mediation is critical to learning and can occur as teacher-to-student mediation or peer-to-peer mediation. Different measurement models for the OSCS have been offered by previous authors including Bolliger and Inan (2012) and Zimmerman and Nimon (2017). We present results which test these inherited models, and then move on to discuss a measurement model which we have recently revised, and which is more appropriate for the Japanese population.

Ian Isemonger is a Professor at Kumamoto University where he teaches on undergraduate and postgraduate programs.
Saori Nishikawa is an Associate Professor at Kumamoto University where she teaches on undergraduate and postgraduate programs.

15:40-16:00: Research presentation                                                                   

Mark Johnson (Kochi University, Japan)
Collaborating for Learning and Wellbeing in University EFL Lessons
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, learning situations in some university settings did not entirely revert to the way things were before. Technology use in particular has changed, including many lessons remaining asynchronous and others adapting hybrid or blended learning approaches. Given these circumstances, I investigated the role of face-to-face English conversation lessons in the current situation and explored how these classes may offer unique affordances for both learning and socially situated wellbeing of some learners related to the communicative and collaborative nature of tasks employed in the learning context of this study. These tasks included group discussion, conversation, peer feedback, peer assessment, analog game-based learning, and collaborative storytelling. Data was gathered through student reflections, surveys, and follow-up interviews and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis.

Mark Johnson is a TESOL educator and researcher interested in ludic language pedagogy, peer interaction, place-based education, and collaborative storytelling. He is currently studying an MA in TESOL at the University of Birmingham and teaching and advising in a variety of contexts in Kochi, Japan.

16:00-16:20: Research presentation

Daniel Portman and Hannah Landes (Azrieli College of Engineering, Jerusalem, Israel)
Analyzing Language Learner Interactions with Chatbots to Enhance Speaking Practice
As AI-driven chatbots gain traction in language learning, their potential to personalize learning and enhance learner autonomy is increasingly recognized. At our engineering college, we have developed chatbots to support students in preparing for live assessed engineering simulations. To understand how these interactions might contribute to language practice, we have employed systemic functional linguistics to analyze the quality of learner-chatbot exchanges. Initial findings have revealed that students often ‘field shift’ away from the expected discourse, providing valuable insights into their chatbot utilization. These and other results not only seek to inform pedagogical practices but also offer practical implications for practitioners looking to leverage AI-driven chatbots in language instruction.

Daniel Portman teaches and develops curricula for English, presentation skills, and intercultural communication at Azrieli College of Engineering Jerusalem. He also serves as his department’s representative at Azrieli’s Center for Excellence for Innovative Teaching. His research interests include English for professional purposes, English teacher education, and teaching/learning writing.
Hannah Landes teaches English at Azrieli College of Engineering Jerusalem. She is a partner in digitizing the courses, including AI. Hannah also serves as the pedagogical coordinator of the CPD program of the Higher Education in Israel Network of English Teachers, aligning English teaching/learning with the CEFR.

16:20-17:00: Research presentation

Mark Fraser (University of Wollongong, Australia) and Charles Robertson (Aoyama Gakuin University, Japan)
How Prepared are They, Really? Exploring Language Preparedness Among International Science and Engineering Students in EMI Contexts
Studies that explore the experiences and difficulties faced by linguistically diverse international students (LDIS) attending Australian universities is well represented in the research literature. However, moving beyond the Covid period and given the unknown impacts of recent policy changes around international student caps, little research informs ways on providing adequate support for LDIS at points of transition at Australian universities. More specifically, studies that focus on English language preparedness among LDIS majoring in science and engineering at Australian universities are lacking. This presentation reports on an exploratory study into the relationship between perceptions of preparedness and language development specific to LDIS enrolled in engineering and science disciplines and English language pathway programs at an Australian university. Findings from teaching staff, LDIS and programme administrators given during semi-structured interviews and focus groups show significant misalignments between perceptions of preparedness and expectations of performance. The findings point to a need for greater awareness toward the factors that contribute to levels of LDIS preparedness so they can engage more effectively in their chosen programmes. The presenters will discuss the implications for program design and adequate support.

Dr. Mark Fraser currently teaches in both undergraduate and postgraduate courses in the University of Wollongong, School of Education, specialising in TESOL. Mark’s main research interests include critical reflection, professional identity, and teacher development. One of his greatest passions is to share stories about ways to enhance effective teaching practices.
Charles E. Robertson is an Associate Professor in the College of Science and Engineering at Aoyama Gakuin University, Tokyo, Japan. His research interests include preparedness for overseas study, second-language (L2) writing practice, English for Science and Technology (EST), and Computer-Assisted Language Learning.

17:00: Closing remarks (Naomi Wilks-Smith, Conference Chair)

18:30-20:00: Conference Reception and Dinner

Wednesday, March 12 (in person session; RMIT University, 020.01.002 Court Room 2)

09:00-09:20: Research presentation                                                          

Aya Yamasaki (Kochi University of Technology, Japan)
Integrating English Central and AI: Advancing EFL Abilities and Autonomy
Achieving a balance between receptive and productive skills is crucial in English education. While Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT) has encouraged teaching English in the target language at junior high and high schools, leading to improved proficiency (MEXT, 2023), tertiary education lags in fostering input and output skills. Surveys indicate that 56.5% of university students prioritize speaking skills, yet most report minimal progress (Benesse i-Career, 2023). Furthermore, 90% of students cite limited opportunities for daily English use despite motivations driven by communication and high test scores (Okayama University, 2023). Online platforms leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) offer opportunities to enhance learning efficiency, promote autonomy, and reduce anxiety. In this presentation, I discussthe integration of English Central (EC) with a speaking chat robot into a non-English major college curriculum, highlights student feedback on its benefits, and offers practical strategies for creating an effective EFL environment.

Aya Yamasaki is an Associate Professor at Kochi University of Technology, Japan. She holds an MA in TESOL, and her research interests include computer- and mobile-assisted language learning, learner motivation, and learner development. She can be reached at canada1214japan@gmail.com.

09:20-09:40: Research presentation                                                                

Dana Lingley (Doshisha University, Japan)
Corrective Feedback in Academic Writing Workshops
Establishing effective corrective feedback strategies in university-level academic writing courses poses a challenge to both language teachers and students. Communicating corrective feedback effectively and in a timely manner are crucial elements in the process. Without careful consideration and planning, students might not understand the feedback, potentially leading to a repetition of the same errors. Implementing a workshop style classroom approach has the potential to improve student academic writing by boosting the effectiveness of how the corrective feedback is disseminated. In more traditional lecture based academic writing classes, conditions allow for students to avoid participating, to repeat the same errors, and delays from submission to feedback. A workshop approach can foster continuous feedback during the writing process and provides flexibility for the teacher to employ various types of corrective feedback to meet diverse student needs. Feedback can come in the form of direct feedback on form from peers or indirect and metalinguistic feedback from the teacher. This repetitive cycle of writing, feedback, and rewriting enables students to make continuous revisions leading to more polished final submissions. This presentation will outline the implementation of a workshop approach to academic writing classes, the advantages of this method of instruction, and common pitfalls to avoid.  

Dana Lingley has been teaching EFL in Japan and Mexico in various contexts for 25 years. He is currently an assistant professor in the Faculty of Global Communications at Doshisha University. His research interests center on motivation, peer learning, learner engagement, and CLIL. 

09:40-10:00: Research presentation

Fumi Takegami (Kumamoto Prefectural University, Japan)
Fostering Critical Thinking and Language Skills Through Short Stories
Developing critical thinking (CT) skills is crucial in higher education, as it involves systematically analyzing information to make informed decisions and challenge existing beliefs. However, critical thinking is not typically an automatic outcome of coursework, making its instruction challenging. This study focuses on classroom-based strategies to enhance critical thinking, demonstrating how literature can facilitate the development of critical thinking skills and language skills. It discusses the complementary role that literature plays in developing CT skills, and focuses on the genre of the short story as an applicable resource. Feedback from a student questionnaire is included to provide insights into their perspectives. The study employs a praxis-oriented approach, emphasizing the practical application of theoretical concepts. This methodology highlights the importance of not only understanding critical thinking theory but also implementing practical strategies to cultivate the skills and to enhance language learning in higher education settings.

Fumi Takegami holds a MA TESOL degree and a PhD in Applied Linguistics. Her research is classroom-based, focusing on designing and teaching educational courses in language development. Her recent interest has been on alternative pedagogies for critical thinking courses in an English mediated instruction (EMI) context.

10:00-10:20: Research presentation

Matthew Miller (Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Japan)
The Influence of CEFR-J x 28 on Language Education
The Lingua Test Center (LTC) heads the CEFR-J x 28 Project at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (TUFS). This project creates language assessment tests in 28 languages based on CEFR-J “can-do” descriptors. LTC then administers these tests at TUFS, analyzes the results, and revises the test items. Through this test production and research, LTC hopes to assist teachers and administrators in creating better foreign-language tests, lessons, and courses. This presentation will first provide a background and explanation of the project and then focus on how its work is being applied.

Matthew Miller works for the Lingua Test Center at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. He has almost 30 years of experience in TEFL and material development. He has served on various test-making and steering committees related to university entrance examinations.

10:20-10:50: Break

10:50-11:10: Research presentation

Naomi Wilks-Smith (RMIT University, Australia)
Using Gestures in Second Language Education
Gestures are often used as a pedagogical tool for language teachers and learners. This presentation will describe the impacts of Intentional Teaching Gestures on second/ additional language education from a range of research undertaken by the presenter. The impacts on both teaching and learning will be explored and suggestions for practical classroom application will be discussed. Considerations for varied education contexts, language learner ages, and language and cultural differences will also be discussed. The presentation will include opportunities for audience discussion, demonstration and collaborative interactions.

Naomi Wilks-Smith is a Senior Lecturer, Languages and TESOL education specialist, teacher and researcher in the School of Education at RMIT University. Naomi’s work involves the integrated scholarship of research and education practice and often includes industry partners in schools as well as cross-School, external and international collaborations.

11:10-11:30: Research presentation

Darren Lingley and Sean Burgoine (Kochi University, Japan)
Nurturing Authenticity in EFL Student Writing: Integrating Process, Genre and Product Approaches
In this presentation, we focus on how students are guided through a traditional process approach to writing in the context of publishing a genre-specific product for an authentic audience. We describe how genre and process approaches are integrated, first through explicit teaching about text types like campus newspapers. The process approach we use to support student writing for the KU Campus News features a six-stage draft and feedback process, including peer feedback, and culminating in face-to-face (F2F) individual conferencing to polish the final published product. 

Darren Lingley is Professor of Intercultural Communication in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Kochi University, Japan. His research explores the concept of ‘authenticity’ in ELT, and how language teachers pedagogically mediate authentic texts and materials.
Sean Burgoine is an Associate Professor in Applied Linguistics in the International Studies Course at Kochi University, Japan. His research interests include Pedagogic Phonetics and Phonology, World Englishes, and the use of English as a Lingua Franca.

11:30-11:50: Research presentation

Gordon Bateson (Kochi University of Technology)
Enhancing Moodle’s AI Subsystem to Analyze Student Work
This session presents a practical approach to integrating AI into Moodle for analyzing students’ spoken English submissions. The system enables teachers to configure interactions with any AI engine, allowing audio and video files to be transcribed, assessed for vocabulary sophistication, grammatical complexity, and fluency, and accompanied by automated feedback. Unlike external AI-based grading tools, this Moodle-integrated approach is free, flexible, and powerful, providing instant feedback while seamlessly incorporating scores into the Moodle gradebook. The presentation will outline previous methodologies for provisional scoring based on linguistic metrics, introduce this year’s enhancements supporting video and transcription analysis, and demonstrate the new system’s design, implementation, and preliminary results. Attendees will gain insight into how AI can streamline assessment, enhance learning outcomes, and improve student engagement—all without requiring advanced technical knowledge.

Gordon Bateson is from the UK and has lived and worked in Japan since 1990. He researches the use of computers to assist language teaching and learning and develops methodologies and software to help his students get the most from the Moodle learning management system (LMS).

12:00-13:30: Lunch at The Roof (StandardX Hotel)

13:30-14:00: Awards Ceremony

14:00-15:00: TEFL Praxis Journal Editorial Advisory Board Meeting

15:00-16:00: Executive Council Treasurer Report/Financial Statement

16:00-16:30: Executive Council Steering Committee Meeting

16:30-17:00: Executive Council Officer Elections (2025-2027)

17:00-17:30: Annual General Meeting (AGM)

Thursday, March 13

Field excursion: Languages and Multicultural Education Resource Centre (LMERC)

Friday, March 14

Field excursion: Primary school visit, EAL/D education and classroom observations.