Building and promoting holistic education in English language teaching.

The conference theme reflects current trends in the education sector in a global context.

Understanding the context of increasingly rapid global educational integration, the trend of integrating holistic education into English language teaching is becoming prominent, not only providing academic knowledge but also effectively equipping learners with the skills to solve challenges in their studies and in life. This year, VUS TESOL 2024 returns with the theme: "Building and Promoting Holistic Education in English Language Teaching for Students," offering many useful perspectives and materials on holistic education with high applicability in teaching in today's era.

The conference brought together nearly 30 leading speakers from both Vietnam and abroad.

The event featured nearly 30 leading expert speakers from VUS's prestigious partners such as National Geographic Learning, Oxford University Press, Macmillan Education, Cambridge University Press and Assessment, along with numerous representatives from various agencies, English teachers at all levels, and students from provinces and cities in Vietnam and neighboring countries.

Throughout the event, thematic sessions covered a wide range of topics, from practical approaches to improving English language teaching through digital platforms and breaking down phonetic teaching barriers to fostering a passion for learning English in students. These sessions were divided into plenary and specialized sessions, allowing participants to freely choose which sessions interested them.

Attending the conference as a special guest, Associate Professor Dr. Vu Thi Tu Anh, Deputy Director of the Department of Continuing Education, Ministry of Education and Training, shared: "VUS is an English education system that demonstrates excellence in expertise, which I highly appreciate. The 20 VUS TESOL sessions represent a persistent journey through challenging periods such as the pandemic and digital transformation, demonstrating the high level of community responsibility of a foreign language center within the national education system. This year's theme of Holistic Education is excellent, providing a good opportunity for teachers to access innovative educational trends and motivating them to embrace change."

Steven Happel, Senior Academic Manager at VUS, concluded the opening ceremony by saying, "I hope this will be an academic gathering for all of us, creating an exciting and enlightening one-day exploration into the ever-changing world of English language teaching."

Opening the conference, Kieran Donaghy, an expert from Oxford University Press (OUP) , shared his insights on the topic "Multimodal literacy in ELT - how to develop holistic communication skills?".

The speaker explored and, together with the audience, analyzed in depth the key concepts of observation and presentation, as well as how to apply these concepts to classroom practice. Simultaneously, he clarified the significance of multimodal literacy for teaching methods and content.

In addition, speaker Iris Thiri Su from ELI Publishing summarized research in her presentation "Stress-Free Test Strategies: Equipping YLE Learners with Effective Techniques. " During the session, Iris Thiri Su emphasized the importance for teachers in helping students develop social and emotional skills, just as they develop classroom learning skills.

Notably, a new update to VUS TESOL is the introduction of The Debate, which addresses the question: Should learners focus on test results or the values ​​and skills acquired from the classroom? Participants in this debate include Allen Davenport (Cambridge University Press), Andrew Duenas (National Geographic Learning), Blue Melia (Macmillan Education), and Kieran Donaghy (Oxford University Press). The four experts are divided into two groups to present their viewpoints. Participants gain a more multifaceted and comprehensive perspective on the issue, as well as the opportunity to ask questions and contribute their opinions to the speakers.

VUS TESOL - The central hub for connecting and sharing among educators.

In its journey to nurture the aspirations of young Vietnamese people by cultivating their foreign language skills, VUS understands the crucial role of teachers – those who directly accompany students, helping them take steps forward each day towards a bright future. Understanding that teachers not only need to improve their teaching skills but also need to update their knowledge of new educational trends to be more creative in their lessons for young people, VUS always creates opportunities for the community to participate in completely free professional development courses with leading experts in the field, such as VUS TESOL.

Since its first conference in 2006, each VUS TESOL conference has featured topics that reflect the latest global educational trends. All share a common goal: to provide engaging insights and inspire groundbreaking ideas for the future of English language teaching in Vietnam and the region.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/vus-tesol-2024-xay-dung-va-thuc-day-giao-duc-toan-dien-trong-giang-day-tieng-anh-185240629122349103.htm