Invited Speakers

The rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has led to an explosion of tools designed to support English language teaching (ELT), from automated content creation to assessment and feedback. However, many of these innovations continue to serve largely unchanged educational goals. This plenary argues that AI is not simply a new set of tools, but a catalyst for rethinking the foundations of ELT itself. Drawing on a framework that considers needs, language and learning objectives, materials and methods, and evaluation, the talk explores how AI challenges what we teach, why we teach it, and how learning is supported and assessed. Extending this perspective beyond the classroom, it also looks at how similar developments are reshaping research practices, including the growing use of agentic systems for literature review, analysis, and writing. Through practical examples, including recent work integrating corpus linguistics and AI, the plenary encourages educators to reflect critically on current practices and consider new

Laurence Anthony is Professor of Applied Linguistics at the Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Japan, and a founding member of the Center for English Language Education in Science and Engineering (CELESE). His research focuses on language data science, AI, corpus linguistics, educational technology, and English for Specific Purposes (ESP). His recent work explores the integration of AI into language research and pedagogy. He is best known for developing the widely used corpus analysis toolkit AntConc, for which he received the National Prize of the Japan Association for English Corpus Studies (JAECS).

This lecture will discuss current approaches to the study of English in the Asian region, with particular reference to the notion of Asian Englishes. It will then review empirical research on higher education the Asian region, including Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, and South Korea. Finally, the lecture will consider the implication of such trends for English language teaching across Asia, including such societies as Thailand, where traditionally English has been regarded as a “foreign” rather than “second” language.

Kingsley Bolton is Professor Emeritus at the University of Stockholm and Research Fellow at Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines. He has held previous academic positions at Nanyang Technological University (Singapore), City University of Hong Kong, and The University of Hong Kong. A leading scholar on English in Asia, he has published extensively in the field. His major works include The Handbook of Asian Englishes (co-edited with W. Botha and A. Kirkpatrick, 2020), which won the 2021 PROSE Award for outstanding academic research in Language and Linguistics. He is also co-editor of the Routledge Handbook of English-Medium Instruction in Higher Education (2024), and Chief Editor of The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of World Englishes (2025). In addition, Professor Bolton serves as Co-Editor of the journals Educational Studies (Routledge) and World Englishes (Wiley), and Series Editor of the Routledge Multilingual Asia (Routledge) book series.

The growing use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is reshaping research, writing, and publishing practices, prompting renewed questions about what counts as research quality. This presentation argues that as research practices change, our indicators of quality may need to be rethought. It introduces a five-dimensional framework for research quality in the age of GenAI: transparency, methodological rigour, ethics, social value, and human accountability. Drawing on data from expert reviewers and PhD students, it highlights both alignment and tension in the interpretation and evaluation of the framework. The presentation also examines findings from a large-scale study of GenAI declarations in published articles, showing that disclosure practices can be uneven and superficial, raising concerns about fear of disclosure and a resulting transparency paradox. Implications are outlined for researchers, lecturers, and administrators seeking to develop context-sensitive practices and policies for responsible GenAI use in academic research, writing, and publishing.

Marie Yeo is a Senior Language Specialist at the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization Regional Language Centre (SEAMEO RELC) in Singapore. She has been involved in English language teaching, teacher development, and educational project management across Australia, China, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Singapore. She is Co-Editor of the RELC Journal.  Her work focuses on generative AI, academic integrity, language assessment, academic publishing, and CLIL/EMI. Her article “Academic Integrity in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Authoring Apps” (TESOL Journal, 2023) was among the earliest applied linguistics publications on generative AI. She has also co-authored “Generative AI Tools and Assessment: Guidelines of the World’s Top-Ranking Universities” (Computers & Education Open, 2023) and “Study Quality in the Age of AI” (TESOL Quarterly, 2025), which examine institutional policy and research quality in AI-supported work. Her current research explores how GenAI is reshaping academic publishing, authorial identity, and assessment practices.

In this talk, I will explore the pivotal role of metacognition in ELT research. Metacognition, the ability to think about one’s own thinking, is fundamental to language acquisition. I will first examine its impact on core skills: in vocabulary learning, it empowers learners to select and evaluate effective memorization strategies. In reading, metacognition drives comprehension through predicting, questioning, and monitoring understanding. For writing, it involves the planning, drafting, and revising processes essential for clear communication. The discussion will then shift to cutting-edge research on metacognition in the digital age of Generative AI. This new frontier requires a redefined metacognitive awareness to ensure technology acts as a genuine scaffold for language development, not a crutch that inhibits independent thought.

Mark Feng Teng is an Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics at Macao Polytechnic University. His research specializes in second language vocabulary acquisition, reading and writing. In recent years, he transferred his research to GenAI from the perspective of metacognition. He is recognized as one of the top 2% most-cited researchers (single year) worldwide (2021–2025) and career-long impact (2024-2025) in the area of Language and Linguistics by Stanford University. He is the founding president of Global Digital Applied Linguistics Association (GloDAL). He is co-editor for Reading in a Foreign Language, Asian Journal of English Language Teaching, and editor-in-chief for International Journal of TESOL Studies, Applied Language Sciences, and Digital Applied Linguistics.

As online intercultural collaboration becomes increasingly common in higher education, this study examines how English is used as a lingua franca (ELF) in Zoom-mediated interaction between Thai and Japanese university students. Focusing on interactional practices rather than linguistic accuracy, the study explores how participants negotiate meaning, utilize multimodal resources, and develop intercultural awareness in digital learning spaces. Data from repeated online interactions and learners’ reflections reveal the use of ELF-oriented strategies such as clarification requests, confirmation checks, reformulation, and strategic non-repair to maintain mutual understanding. Zoom’s multimodal affordances, including chat functions and visual cues, also support communication. The findings highlight learners’ growing awareness of English as a flexible communicative resource and underscore the pedagogical value of ELF-oriented online interaction in multilingual Asian higher education contexts.

Natjiree Jaturapitakkul, Ph.D. is Dean and Assistant Professor at the
School of Liberal Arts, King Mongkut’s University of Technology
Thonburi (KMUTT), Thailand where she teaches English courses for
undergraduate students and graduate students in the Applied English
Studies program. She earned her Ph.D. in English as an International
Language from Chulalongkorn University, specializing in language
assessment and testing.

Her research interests include English language teaching and learning, language assessment and evaluation, test development, and standardized language testing. More recently, her work has expanded to English as a Lingua Franca (ELF), online intercultural communication, and English use in multilingual Asian contexts, particularly in digitally mediated learning environments. She has published in Scopus- indexed journals and presented her research at national and international conferences. Her current work focuses on connecting assessment-informed practices with meaningful English communication and innovative language learning in contemporary higher education settings.

This talk re-examines the concept of academic vocabulary in light of recent developments in artificial intelligence, particularly AI-generated texts. Traditionally, academic vocabulary has been defined and operationalised through corpus-based word lists derived from human-authored texts. However, the increasing prevalence of AI-mediated discourse raises important questions regarding the stability and relevance of these established norms. Drawing on corpus linguistic approaches and emerging evidence from AI-generated language, this presentation explores how patterns of lexical use may be shifting in contemporary academic communication. It also introduces an exploratory perspective on AI-informed vocabulary resources as complementary tools rather than replacements for traditional lists. The talk concludes by discussing implications for English Language Teaching, emphasising the need to foster learners’ lexical awareness, critical engagement with AI, and adaptability in an evolving linguistic landscape.

Associate Professor Dr. Piyapong Laosrirattanachai is a lecturer at the Department of Hospitality Innovation and Intercultural Communication, Faculty of Hospitality Industry, Kasetsart University, Thailand. He holds a PhD in Linguistics and specialises in corpus linguistics, vocabulary studies, and English language teaching. His research focuses on lexical profiling, word list development, and the application of corpus-based methods to investigate language use in academic and professional contexts. More recently, his work has explored the impact of AI-mediated texts on academic discourse and vocabulary use. He has published in international journals indexed in Scopus and is actively engaged in interdisciplinary research at the intersection of language, technology, and education. His current projects examine how emerging digital tools are reshaping language learning and teaching practices.