VicTESOL Symposium 2026-Presenter Information

Event Running Order

Time	Session / Location	Presenters / Topic
8:15–8:45 Registration – Foyer
8:45–9:15	Welcome Lecture Theatre (Room 230)	Angela D’Sciascio – VicTESOL President Welcome to Country – Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Corporation Professor Marek Tesar, Dean of Education, University of Melbourne Helen Leeson, General Manager LWA
9:15–10:00	Morning keynote Lecture Theatre (Room 230)	How does learning happen? From classroom to theory (and back again) David Nunan, Professor Emeritus at the University of Hong Kong and Distinguished Research Professor at Anaheim University, California
		Room 227	Room 217	Room 218	Room 219	Room 213
10:00–10:30	Breakout presentations – Set 1 (20 minute presentations)	Teacher-researcher collaboration within a pronunciation teaching and learning program: putting research into the classroom, putting the classroom into research Dr Shem Macdonald + more Target: Adult/school-level	Translating translanguaging theory into local classroom practice Associate Prof. Naomi Wilks-Smith + more Target: Primary	SHIFTing Identities: From Tension to Transformation in EAL Teacher Practice Dr Biljana Ivanova-Milosheva + more Target: Adult	Language Difference or Disorder Anh Phan Target: Broad	Critical Language Pedagogy in Practice Dr Lachlan James Target: Adult
10:30–11:00 Morning tea – Foyer area
11:00–11:45	Breakout presentations – Set 2 (45 minute sessions)	“Dimensional thinking” about grammar using AI (Interactive Session) Dr Chris Corbel Target: Broad	Science of Reading Comprehension Part 1 (Panel Discussion) La Trobe University Target: School sector	Breaking the silence: Creating inclusive pathways for Deaf AMEP learners (Interactive) Jacky Springall + others Target: Adult	Teaching the noun group as a versatile tool to improve student outcomes (Workshop) Lynette Lyngard Target: School sector	Podcast sound check TBC
11:50–12:35	Breakout presentations – Set 3 (45 minute sessions)	Workshop: Language Remix: Write a rap and a song in one lesson Charlie Thompson & Carmel Davies	Science of Reading Comprehension Part 2 (Panel Discussion) La Trobe University Target: School sector	Creating Learner-Centred Lessons: Restoring Back to Students the Agency for Learning (Workshop) Ms Vidhatri Vittal Target: Adult sector	Implementing a whole-school systematic and targeted EAL/D Program from ELC to Year 12 (Presentation) Trish Tynan St Peters Girls School, Adelaide Target: School	Podcast TBC
12:35–1:20 Lunch – Foyer area
1:20–2:05	Breakout presentations – Set 4 (45 minute sessions)	How the Arts can turbo charge language learning (Workshop) Carmel Davies and Sharon Duff	Innovative Frameworks for Engaging CALD and EAL Families Ms Helen Chan Target: School sector	Integrating Language and Content in the Classroom for EAL/D Students Associate Professor Marianne Turner & Dr Kylie Bradfield Target: Schools	Building the Picture: Creating Holistic Learner Profiles to Explore Additional Learning Needs in EAL Learners (Workshop) Simone Cassidy Target: Broad	Nil scheduled
2:10–2:35	Breakout presentations – Set 5 (20 minute sessions)	Exploring community-based mentors’ diverse perspectives on their engagement in a TESOL graduate practicum Dr Oksana Razoumova Target: Adult	Navigating Belonging: Immigrant Women’s Experiences of Early Childhood Education Assoc. Prof. Anne Keary + more Target: Early Childhood	Beating the Odds: Reclaiming Engagement in a hybrid learning model Dr Paul Li Target: General		Nil scheduled
2:35–3:00	Breakout presentations – Set 6 (20 minute sessions)	Workshop: Re-situating CLIL knowledge through teacher co-design: scaffolding language-for-thinking for new arrivals transitioning to mainstream subject literacies Dannie Wang Target: Schools	Teachers’ voices: Stories of innocence and experience Dr Rob Nelson (Assoc. Professor) Target: Broad	“Teaching Ageing English Language Learners: A Narrative Gerontological Inquiry into Educational Justice” Jo Le + more Target: Adult	Making multilingual students’ analytical thinking visible (Presentation) Associate Professor Julie Choi and Kailin Lui Target: School sector	Nil scheduled
3:00–3:45	Afternoon keynote Lecture Theatre (Room 230)	Prudence Meggitt
3:45	Thank you and closing remarks	VicTESOL Committee Volunteer
4:00 pm Food and drinks – Foyer Area

Morning Keynote:

Professor Emeritus and Distinguished Research Professor David Nunan. (University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Anaheim University, USA)

Biography

David Nunan is Professor Emeritus at the University of Hong Kong and Distinguished Research Professor at Anaheim University. He is a Past President of TESOL International and a Trustee at The International Research Foundation for Language Education (TIRF). In 2007, he was named by Business Review Weekly as one of the 50 most influential Australians working abroad. In addition to his academic publications, he has published 14 textbook series for children, adolescents, and young adults, which have sold over 5 billion copies worldwide.

Keynote Presentation: How does learning happen? From classroom to theory (and back again)

You’ll see I’ve taken a liberty with the symposium’s title. I’ve done so because the classroom is specifically constituted to facilitate learners, which makes it a reasonable place to begin the search for insights into the question that frames the talk. The assumption is that learning – in our case, English language learning by multilingual students – happens in the classroom. But does it? I want to suggest that the classroom shows us less about what learners can do than about what its conditions allow us to see. I’ll open by addressing that claim, and by saying a few words about the nature of research, before turning to the body of the talk.

There I’ll present and analyse a framework Julie Choi and I have developed over a number of years – the three-pillars framework – which underpins and gives insight into how learning happens. Its first pillar is the integration of affect and cognition. Its second is what the learner brings: schematic knowledge, lived experience, funds of knowledge, identity, aspiration, dark funds. Its third is the constitutive conditions under which learning occurs: tools, timeframes, modes, interactional spaces. The argument that holds the three together is that the second pillar is not simply given. What a learner brings becomes visible, or stays hidden, according to the third – so an apparent deficit in the learner is often a deficit in conditions, and a question of which competences a given classroom is equipped to recognise.

I’ll conclude by suggesting ways you might apply, or contest, the framework against the realities of your own classroom.

Breakout Presentations – Set 1

Teacher–researcher collaboration within a pronunciation teaching and learning program: putting research into the classroom, putting the classroom into research.
Dr. Shem Macdonald, Ms Elizabeth Keenan, Ms Emily Tucker, Dr Beth Zielinski

Abstract
Teacher–researcher collaboration around the teaching of oral communication skills / pronunciation at a centre for adult EAL learners is the focus of this session. For over a decade teachers and researchers have been discussing and researching the initiative at the centre and exploring how innovation in pronunciation pedagogies have been implemented and the response of teachers and learners to these changes.

Presenter Biographies
Shem Macdonald has been a lecturer and researcher in TESOL and is currently teaching EAL to adults at Box Hill Institute.
Elizabeth Keenan is an EAL teacher and professional learning coordinator at Carringbush Adult Education.
Emily Tucker is an EAL primary school teacher at Western English Language School (WELS). She also has experience teaching EAL to adults.
Beth Zielinski is an independent researcher who has been a university lecturer and researcher.

Translating translanguaging theory into local classroom practice
Associate Professor Naomi Wilks-Smith, Dr Sue Rook, Dr Lynne Bury, Professor Robyn Cox

Abstract
This presentation reports on a scoping review of peer-reviewed research on translanguaging in Australia. It also draws on our ongoing work with teachers in a primary school. Our work illustrates how teachers can incorporate students’ full linguistic repertoires into classroom practice, particularly in the area of writing.

Presenter Biographies
Naomi Wilks-Smith is an Associate Professor, Languages and TESOL education specialist, teacher and researcher in the School of Education at RMIT University. She is particularly interested in innovative approaches for language learning and is passionate about embracing learners’ languages and linguistic and culturally inclusive practices. 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. Naomi strives for educational impact through research translation and research value creation and has been awarded grants for her work.

SHIFTing Identities: From Tension to Transformation in EAL Teacher Practice
Dr Biljana Ivanova-Miloshevska, Dr Oksana Razoumova

Abstract
How can tensions in EAL teaching become resources for professional learning and transformation? This presentation introduces SHIFT: Story the moment, Highlight the tension, Interpret collaboratively, Fuse experience and concepts, and Transform identity and practice. Derived from the Dialogic Partnerships in Learning for Development (DPLD) framework, SHIFT offers EAL teachers a flexible, research-informed process for overcoming challenging workplace experiences, developing new understandings, and

Presenter Biographies
Dr Biljana Ivanova-Miloshevska is an early career researcher who has recently completed her PhD on TESOL teacher identity. She teaches education units at undergraduate and postgraduate levels at the College of Arts, Business, Law, Education and Information Technology at Victoria University, Melbourne. She has twelve years of experience in a range of areas including tertiary and secondary teaching, professional translating and interpreting. Her research focuses on language teacher professional identity, teacher education, professional practice and professional development from a Vygotskian perspective.

Dr Oksana Razoumova has been involved in formal education and training in various teaching and non-teaching roles, locally and internationally for over 25 years. Her current professional activities are informed by extensive leadership and mentorship experience in ELICOS, vocational and higher education sectors, and by substantial work on collaborative projects with industry partners. Her professional interests – centred on the value of capability building through active and authentic learning, the imperative for assessment to be both meaningful and aligned with professional purposes, and the cultivation of reflective practitioners through work-integrated learning – are intrinsically connected to a broader philosophical inquiry into the purpose and nature of education, knowledge and language.

Language Difference or Disorder
Anh Phan

Abstract
“They’re just learning English”… or is there more going on? Language difficulties experienced by EAL students are often attributed to the process of learning an additional language, meaning underlying language disorders can be overlooked. This session will explore key indicators of language disorder and the practical information educators can gather to support informed decision-making around further assessment and support.

Presenter Biographies
Anh is a dual-qualified Speech Pathologist and teacher whose practice is informed by 11 years of teaching and curriculum development at an English language school, alongside her current work within the Department of Education’s Student Support Services. She works collaboratively within multidisciplinary teams to support students’ communication, learning, behaviour, and wellbeing. She is particularly interested in language and literacy development, and supporting educators to better understand and respond to the needs of multilingual and neurodivergent learners.

Critical Language Pedagogy in Practice
Dr Lachlan Jackson

Abstract
This presentation reports on the development of a Critical Language Pedagogy (CLP)-informed content-based English course in a Japanese university. It introduces the CLP notion of “codes” to show how YouTube clips can promote discussion about prevalent language ideologies in Japan. In the teaching sequence described, issues pertaining to native speakerism and raciolinguisitc identities are explored. Common criticisms of CLP are addressed.

Presenter Biographies
Lachlan Jackson is Professor of English at Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto, Japan, where he coordinates the College of Law’s English language programme. He also works as a part-time English lecturer at Kyoto University. Lachlan is interested in critical approaches to language teaching, and is currently working on a government-funded research project in which he is investigating the viability of critical language pedagogies Japanese university EFL. His writing has appeared in such publications as ELT Journal, The Language Teacher, JALT Journal, Asian Englishes and The Journal of Asia TEFL.

Breakout Presentations – Set 2

“Dimensional thinking” about grammar using AI
Dr Chris Corbel

Abstract
Naming and explaining the grammatical dimensions of form, meaning and use helps teachers and students hold on to writing as something authored – a decision about who is speaking, to whom, and why. This session will compare a “dimensional analysis” of a short text by a teacher with one by Google’s Gemini, examining the choices and teasing out the implications for a “dimensional thinking pedagogy” using AI.

Presenter Biographies
Chris was most recently a lecturer in language and literacy and coordinator of Grammar for Language Teachers in the Faculty of Education at the University of Melbourne. He has had extensive experience as a teacher, teacher-trainer and manager in post-compulsory, vocational and tertiary education, in the public, not-for-profit, and private sectors, leading curriculum, professional and resource development projects, managing teaching and learning support units, and teaching and researching curriculum and pedagogy from an applied linguistics perspective. He has had over 50 years’ experience with the AMEP.

Science of Reading Comprehension
Dr. Lilly Yazdanpanah (La Trobe University), Lecturer
Dr. Amir Sadeghi (La Trobe University), Senior Lecturer
Dr. Tessa Weadman (La Trobe University), Lecturer
Ms. Amity Adley (La Trobe University), Postgraduate Researcher

Abstract
How can educators better support reading comprehension in linguistically diverse classrooms? This panel brings together research and classroom practice to examine how orthography, vocabulary, background knowledge, inferencing, and metacognition shape EAL/D learners’ reading development. Participants will gain culturally responsive, evidence-informed strategies for identifying reading needs and strengthening comprehension.

Presenter Biographies
This panel brings together three La Trobe University academics and an independent EAL education consultant with expertise in literacy, multilingual learning, metacognition, speech-language pathology, and teacher education. Collectively, they draw on research, classroom, clinical, and system-level experience to advance inclusive, culturally responsive, and evidence-informed approaches to language and literacy education.

Breaking the silence: Creating inclusive pathways for Deaf AMEP learners
Ms. Jacky Springall, Ms. Huong Nguyen, Manager, AMEP City Campus Box Hill
Mr. Salomon Gerber, Deaf teacher, AMEP city campus, Box Hill

Abstract
Deaf migrants face unique barriers to learning English and settling in Australia. Drawing on 3 years of experience developing a targeted AMEP program for Deaf learners, this workshop explores the challenges, partnerships, and practical strategies that underpin successful delivery. Participants will gain insights into program design, classroom approaches, and learner support, while experiencing a hands-on Auslan learning activity highlighting the relationship between Auslan and written English.

Presenter Biographies
Jacky Springall has spent her EAL career working in the AMEP program in Victoria in roles spanning teaching, curriculum and resource development, research and Education management. Jacky is currently working in the AMEP program at Box Hill Institute (BHI) and has been the project manager for the Innovative projects for Deaf and Hard of hearing AMEP clients.

Huong Nguyen has a background in both EFL and EAL and has worked in the AMEP in the Northern Territory and Victoria. For the past 9 years Huong has been managing BHI’s busy AMEP city campus. Huong has been the instigator and manager of the programs for beginner Deaf AMEP learners at BHI.

Salomon Gerber joined the BHI inaugural AMEP Deaf Program in 2024 and has worked alongside AMEP teachers in delivering customised English language programs for Deaf migrants and refugees. As a Deaf migrant, interpreter and multilingual communicator, Salomon brings both professional expertise and lived experience to his role. Fluent in Auslan and other sign languages, he is passionate about supporting Deaf learners to build language, communication and confidence in a culturally safe and inclusive learning environment.

Teaching the noun group as a versatile tool to improve student outcomes
Mrs Lynette Lingard

Abstract
This workshop will explore the many ways we can use knowledge of the noun group to teach other aspects of language. It will give teachers insights into the strengths that students can gain by using the noun group as a tool to improve their writing, from adding detail to their texts to learning how to incorporate their research and note-taking into sentences. We’ll begin with some theory and then move into exploring and engaging in practical activities for the classroom.

Presenter Biographies
Lynette worked with Education Queensland from 1998 until 2021, first as a regional EAL/D specialist and then in the role of Principal Advisor EAL/D. Her role focussed on building teacher capability in the areas of explicit language teaching, supportive pedagogies for EAL/D learners, Systemic Functional Linguistics and whole school literacy. Lynette has presented at numerous conferences on topics covering both literacy and EAL support.
Since 2017, she has worked as a Tutor Trainer across Australia and internationally with Lexis Education, and is currently working as part of a Lexis
Education team on the Victorian Department of Education’s EAL Curriculum and Assessment Support Program. Lynette also works as an independent EAL and Literacy consultant, and has worked with numerous individual schools, Education Qld’s High School Preparation Program, the Wollongong Diocese, Brisbane Catholic Education, and Independent Schools Queensland.

Breakout Presentations – Set 3

Language Remix: Write a rap and a song in one lesson How the Arts can turbo charge language learning.
Carmel Davies, Charlie Thompson ( see above)

Abstract
Carmel and Charlie combine rhythm and language to engage students, stimulate learning and bring language alive. In the workshop teachers will write and perform a rap and a song using language from their classrooms.

Presenter Biographies
Carmel Davies is co-founder of Urban Lyrebirds, a leading independent EAL publisher. Resources include the Sing with me! song books, Sing with me stories, Passages 1, 2 and 3 and May Street stories.
Carmel has delivered workshops on song and story Australia-wide, focussing on literacy development, speaking skills and confidence building.
Charlie Thomson’s current PhD research with UniSQ, focuses on how hip-hop pedagogy can be effectively implemented in various school settings and highlighting the connections between hip-hop and teaching English. Charlie has over two decades’ worth of experience as an educator, academic, writer and musician.

Creating Learner-Centred Lessons: Restoring Back to Students the Agency for Learning
Ms Vidhatri Vittal Mallya

Abstract
Ready to move beyond the comfort zone of your lesson plan? Discover how creating opportunities for students to exercise greater control over the pace and depth of learning can transform engagement, confidence and outcomes. This practical, interactive workshop equips TESOL educators with learner-centred strategies that empower students to take ownership of their learning and thrive.

Presenter Biographies
Vidhatri is a TESOL Teacher at Swinburne University, Melbourne. She has taught EAL to adult learners in Australia for seven years in different roles. In India, she worked as a Lecturer in English Literature for undergrad programs, and in the role of a schoolteacher she taught a variety of programs including English, yoga and Life Skills to students of different age-groups. Vidhatri is passionate about working with adult migrants and building their confidence in using English in everyday life.

Implementing a whole-school systematic and targeted EAL/D Program from ELC to Year 12
Trish Tynan

Abstract
Transforming EAL/D Provision: Building Whole-School Capacity for Inclusive Practice
Explore the strategic implementation of a signature, systematic and targeted TESOL Program from ELC to Year 12.
This practical session shares evidence-based TESOL pedagogies, relevant differentiation strategies, ACARA EAL/D Learning Progressions, moderation assessment and compliance tools.
Re-discover high-impact teaching strategies that strengthen teacher capacity and efficacy.

Presenter Biographies
As the inaugural EAL/D Specialist at St Peter’s Girls’ School in Adelaide, Trish Tynan’s lead initiatives implemented ELC to Year 12 school-wide EAL/D provisions. As an exemplary educator, curriculum coordinator and middle management leader, her specialist expertise in ‘Teaching English to Students of Other Languages’ (TESOL) is coupled with her leadership experience in implementing projects and developing and evaluating policies, which steer and guide the practices of others.

Trish Tynan has been an integral pedagogical leader in the establishment of the South Australian IPSHA EAL/D Collegial Group, of which she is President. Her international teaching experience and post-graduate qualifications inform her exemplary practices to improve teacher efficacy. Trish’s influence has inspired colleagues’ differentiation practices and re-awakened reflective shifts in practice to improve EAL/D student learning outcomes.

Breakout Presentations – Set 4

How the Arts can turbo charge language learning.
Carmel Davies, Charlie Thompson ( see above)

Charlie Thomson’s current PhD research with UniSQ, focuses on how hip-hop pedagogy can be effectively implemented in various school settings and highlighting the connections between hip-hop and teaching English. Charlie has over two decades’ worth of experience as an educator, academic, writer and musician.

Innovative Frameworks for Engaging CALD and EAL Families
Ms Helen Chan

Abstract
How can schools move beyond passive translation to build authentic partnerships with CALD and EAL families? This session provides strategic frameworks to dismantle communication barriers and elevate community engagement. Participants will discover how to ethically leverage AI to decode complex academic metrics and deliver culturally responsive, aspirational student feedback to engage students’ families. You will receive practical resources to enhance the communication workflow of your school.

Presenter Biographies
As an experienced English as an Additional Language (EAL) specialist teacher, I have served as the Head of EAL (P-12) since 2024. Certified as a Lead Teacher under the Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher (HALT) national framework in 2026, I specialise in instructional coaching, innovation of pedagogical strategies, and curriculum development. In my dual role, I serve as the International Student Coordinator and lead the diversity and inclusion committee by driving the school’s CALD Strategy. Committed to fostering academic excellence, I lead school-wide initiatives that support multilingual learners and empower teaching teams to deliver high-impact, inclusive instruction.

Integrating Language and Content in the Classroom for EAL/D Students
Associate Professor Marianne Turner & Dr Kylie Bradfield

Building the Picture: Creating Holistic Learner Profiles to Explore Additional Learning Needs in EAL Learners.
Simone Cassidy

Abstract
How do we distinguish disability needs from language needs for EAL learners? This interactive workshop will explore how teachers can build holistic learner profiles and recognise when further assessment is warranted. Participants will trial a range of approaches including first language assessments and classroom observations. Drawing on innovative practice from the UK, we will consider how strengthening our practice can lead to more equitable access to disability and inclusion for EAL learners.

Presenter Biographies
Simone started her professional life as a language teacher (EAL and Japanese) and for the last 15 years, has been dedicated to improving educational outcomes for refugee-background learners. Simone has experience working as a School Support Officer and Research Lead at the Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture and served as an Education Advisor in the Refugee Minor Program, providing education support and advocacy to Victoria’s unaccompanied humanitarian minors.
Through this work, Simone gained deep insight into the systemic gaps that affect refugee-background learners, particularly those who have learning difficulties or disabilities.
In 2024, Simone was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to explore UK practices in identifying and supporting EAL learners who have additional learning needs, building on her long-standing commitment to inclusive and responsive education systems.

Breakout Presentations – Set 5

Exploring community-based mentors’ diverse perspectives on their engagement in a TESOL graduate practicum
Dr Oksana Razoumova

Abstract
Professional experience is essential to TESOL teacher preparation, yet Australia’s diverse ELT sector requires universities to partner across varied educational contexts. How can mentors in community-based settings, including RTOs and Learn Local centres, assist in this process bringing their unique perspectives on mentorship? Findings reveal three interconnected dimensions of community-linked mentorship: personal sensemaking, professional empowerment, and stakeholder ecosystem building.

Presenter Biographies
Dr Oksana Razoumova has been involved in formal education and training in various teaching and non-teaching roles, locally and internationally for over 25 years. Her current professional activities are informed by extensive leadership and mentorship experience in ELICOS, vocational and higher education sectors, and by substantial work on collaborative projects with industry partners. Her professional interests – centred on the value of capability building through active and authentic learning, the imperative for assessment to be both meaningful and aligned with professional purposes, and the cultivation of reflective practitioners through work-integrated learning – are intrinsically connected to a broader philosophical inquiry into the purpose and nature of education, knowledge and language.

Navigating Belonging: Immigrant Women’s Experiences of Early Childhood Education
Associate Professor Anne Keary, Dr Sun Yee Yip, Dr Nurlaily

Abstract
Join us for an insightful presentation featuring a compelling short film that highlights the voices of six immigrant women from Egypt, Ukraine, China, South Korea, and Indonesia. Filmed speaking in their home languages, these women share their immigration experiences, aspirations, and identity journeys positioned by a backdrop of Early Childhood Education. Gain practical insights into fostering inclusive environments and building strong family partnerships that cultivate a sense of belonging.

Presenter Biographies
Anne Keary is an Associate Professor with the Faculty of Education, Monash University. Her research, teaching and engagement work enhances the provision of socially-just education in diverse cultural and linguistic educational settings. Anne’s teaching interests are in the fields of early childhood education, bi/multilingualism and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages [TESOL]. Her research employs a qualitative intergenerational longitudinal approach and explores social and cultural understandings of families and communities, and how they shape and are shaped by educational opportunities.

Dr Sun Yee Yip is a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Education at Monash University. Her research focuses on migration, multilingualism, belonging, and culturally responsive education. She works with immigrant educators, families, and communities to understand how educational settings can better support inclusion, participation, and equitable opportunities for culturally and linguistically diverse learners.

Dr Nurlaily completed her PhD in TESOL at Monash University, Australia. Her research interests include bi/multilingualism, language and identity, and English for Specific Purposes. She previously worked as a teacher educator in higher education in Indonesia and currently works as a sessional academic and research assistant in the Faculty of Education at Monash University.

Beating the Odds: Reclaiming Engagement in a hybrid learning model
Dr Paul LI

Abstract
After the COVID lockdown, the emergence of Zoom teaching has made online education more accessible. However, that achievement does not translate well to student engagement. Although researchers (mainly in the United States) have reported various findings on student engagement on a face-to-face context, there is a dearth of studies in the ELISCO context, particularly in a hybrid learning mode. As an instructor, I have a keen interest in probing the forces driving student engagement inside and b

Presenter Biographies
Dr Paul Li is currently a tutor at Australian Catholic University and an ELICOS instructor at both Deakin University and Monash College. Prior to that, Dr Li has been an Arts and Humanities Programme Co-ordinator at Lingnan University in Hong Kong. He has gained over a decade of marketing and consulting experience with multinational professional services firms. Paul holds a doctoral degree in education on student engagement, dual master degrees in Asian Studies and educational research. His bachelor degree is in Translation.

Breakout Presentations – Set 6

Re-situating CLIL knowledge through teacher co-design: scaffolding language-for-thinking for new arrivals transitioning to mainstream subject literacies
Ms Dannie Wang

Abstract
Collaborating with secondary EAL practitioners, this co-design study examines how pedagogical theories from Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) and its extension, Pluriliteracies Teaching for Deeper Learning (PTDL), can be localised to inform pedagogical practices that support the development of subject-specific thinking skills in New Arrivals Program (NAP).

Presenter Biographies
With ten years’ experience working with EAL students, Dannie currently works with the Department of Education, supporting mainstream teachers to adopt EAL-informed practices for multilingual learners through online and face-to-face professional learning. She is also a PhD candidate at the University of Melbourne, with research interests in teacher education, professional learning, and language education pedagogy and curriculum.

Teachers’ voices: Stories of innocence and experience
Associate Professor Rod Neilsen

Abstract
This presentation explores how language teacher knowledge, experience and identity influence the development of their reflective practice and the extent to which they apply research to their classroom pedagogy. It focuses particularly on critical moments in the professional journeys of language teachers, drawing on the chapter ‘Teachers’ Voices’ from our recent book ‘Navigating TESOL’ (Neilsen & Shokouhi, 2026).

Presenter Biographies
Rod Neilsen is an Associate Professor in TESOL/Languages Education at Deakin University. He taught and trained English language teachers for many years across four continents. He currently teaches Masters courses in TESOL, and is co-convenor of the Deakin Research group Transforming Professional Lives, Learning, and Leadership (TPLLL). His research interests include language teacher professional development, language awareness, multilingualism in education, and language teacher mobility. He was chief editor of TESOL in Context from 2015-2021 and has guest-edited recent special issues. His co-authored book Navigating TESOL (Routledge) was published in early 2026.

Teaching Ageing English Language Learners: A Narrative Gerontological Inquiry into Educational Justice
Thanh Huong Hang Le (Jo), Dr. Nashid Nigar (to be confirmed)
Dr. Seham Al‑Shwayli (to be confirmed)

Abstract
This presentation explores ageing English language learners through the perspectives of narrative inquiry and narrative gerontology. It examines how teachers understand older multilingual learners, challenging deficit views of ageing and learning while highlighting learners’ identities, life experiences, multilingual resources, and contributions. The session offers insights into inclusive adult EAL practice and demonstrates how narrative approaches can support educational justice, belonging, and

Presenter Biographies
Thanh Huong Hang Le (Jo) is a University of Melbourne MTESOL graduate and a multilingual educator at AMES Australia. Her research explores ageing, multilingualism, adult language education, and educational justice through narrative inquiry and narrative gerontology. Drawing on extensive experience teaching English to migrant and refugee learners, she is interested in inclusive pedagogies that recognise learners’ lived experiences, identities, and strengths. Her work seeks to bridge research and practice to support equitable learning opportunities for culturally and linguistically diverse adults.

Making multilingual students’ analytical thinking visible
Associate Professor Julie Choi, Ms Kailin Liu (Secondary EAL Teacher, Glen Waverley Secondary College)

Abstract
How can teachers make multilingual students’ analytical thinking visible? Drawing on a Year 10 EAL film analysis unit, this presentation examines arts-rich translanguaging pedagogies that bring students’ ideas, experiences, and multilingual resources into classroom learning. Through classroom examples and research findings, we show how multimodal approaches can support analytical thinking, engagement, and disciplinary literacy in secondary classrooms.

Presenter Biographies
Julie Choi is Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Melbourne. Her research explores arts-rich translanguaging pedagogy, multilingual meaning-making, and educational approaches that support learners from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Through collaborative partnerships with teachers, schools, families and community organisations, she develops pedagogies that draw on students’ linguistic, cultural and multimodal resources to support learning, participation and academic achievement.

Kailin Liu is an early career secondary EAL teacher whose work focuses on creating inclusive classrooms that recognise and build on multilingual students’ linguistic and cultural resources. She has collaborated on a range of practice-based research and professional learning projects exploring translanguaging, multilingual identity, and innovative approaches to literacy development. Her work bridges classroom practice and educational research, with a commitment to improving learning opportunities for multilingual young people.

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