Speakers

World Conference on Foreign Language Education

Past Speakers

Ms. Helen Pattio Combe

Helen PATTIO COMBE is the National Department Head of Languages and Cultures at Quest Education Group, a group of vocational schools in France, specializing in video games and cybersecurity and has been an English teacher since 2016. She holds a MA in Applied Linguistics and TESOL from the University of Portsmouth, an Instructional Leadership Certificate from Harvard University, and she is finishing her second MA, in Management, Leadership and TESOL at the University of Portsmouth where she is writing about Promoting the role of the multilingual teacher of English in higher education. She is starting her Doctorate in Education at the University of Portsmouth this fall focusing on teacher education, plurilingualism and interculturalism.

Ms. Vanesa Torres-Cano

She works at a Spanish university (UVic-Universitat Central de Catalunya) (Barcelona) as an English professor in the Nursing degree program and the Early Childhood Education degree program. She teaches subjects related to ESP (English for Specific Purposes), and her areas of interest include ESP, EMI (English-Medium Instruction), CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning), and Flipped Classroom (FC).

Ms. Yulia Puspita Arum

Yulia Puspita Arum is a master student at the Faculty of Education, Monash University, taking a Master of TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). Her research interest is innovation in ELT, silence pedagogy, integrating neuroscience into pedagogy, curriculum development, as well as the use of technology-based English teaching and learning.

Ms. Farida Abderrahim

She is a professor in Education, holds a Master in Education, University of Aberystwyth, Wales, UK and a Ph. D. in Education, University of Swansea, Wales, UK. Her language teaching interests: Teaching English as a Foreign Language, English for Specific Purposes, Task-based language Teaching, Pedagogical Grammar, Pedagogical Phonetics, Written Expression, Oral Expression, Testing, Research Methodology, Research Design, Language Acquisition, Cognitive Psychology, Cognitive Linguistics, Textbook Evaluation, and Textbook Development.

Dr. Maksym Vakulenko

A Ukrainian Scholar Affiliated at Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences.

His current research is focused on development of the Ukrainian wordnet, he is also interested in terminology, phonetics, semantics and other areas of applied linguistics.

Dr. Dorela Kaçauni

Session chair

Dr. Dorela Kaçauni is an English lecturer with extensive experience and expertise in English language teaching and academic research. Currently serving as a Full-time English Lecturer at "Fan S. Noli" University in Korçë, Albania since February 2013, she holds a Doctor of Science Degree in Linguistics with a focus on Didactics. Dr. Kaçauni has contributed significantly to the field through her research on topics such as teaching English to young learners and the role of children's literature in language education. Her publications span prestigious journals and international conferences, reflecting her commitment to advancing pedagogy. With strong communication and organizational skills, she excels in course design, content creation, and student evaluation, supported by proficiency in educational technologies.

Dr. Jacqueline Żammit

Dr. Jacqueline Żammit is a renowned academic and practitioner in the field of Maltese pedagogy, with a particular focus on teaching Maltese as a foreign language. She holds a PhD in the acquisition of Maltese as a foreign language, a Master of Arts Degree with Distinction in Maltese Linguistics, and a First Class B.Ed. (Hons) Degree in Maltese and Early and Middle Years from the University of Malta. Before joining the University of Malta's Department of Languages and Humanities in Education, Faculty of Education, Dr. Żammit accumulated over fifteen years of pedagogical experience. She has worked with primary, secondary, and tertiary schools and academic institutions, teaching Maltese as both a first and foreign language, as well as Spanish as a foreign language. In her current role, Dr. Żammit serves as a researcher and design consultant in teaching and learning Maltese as a foreign language. She has taught Second Language Acquisition pedagogies and introduced Maltese as a foreign language at several universities, including the Universities of Edinburgh, Cork, and Antwerp.

Mr. Eric Maitrejean

Eric Maitrejean is the Head of the Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago, and a Lecturer in French and Interpreting Techniques. He has been a member of the International Association of Conference Interpreters (AIIC) and the Vice-President for Latin America and the Caribbean of The American Association of Language Specialists (TAALS). Having provided translation and interpreting services for several companies and regional and international organisations, both in Trinidad & Tobago and the wider Caribbean, Eric Maitrejean coordinates the UWI Post-Graduate Diploma in Interpreting Techniques and is the Director of the Caribbean Interpreting and Translation Bureau (CITB) in Trinidad and Tobago.

Ms. Rini Sipahutar

Rini Sipahutar, a PhD student at National Dong Hwa University, specializes in psychology and education equity. With a Master of Science in psychology, she previously worked extensively as a therapist and educator for children with special needs. Currently, Rini is dedicated to teaching Indonesian as a foreign language, integrating strategies for inclusive education and promoting cultural understanding alongside language proficiency.

Dr. Esther Nieto Moreno de Diezmas

Lecturer at the Faculty of Education and Chair of the Department of Modern Languages of the University of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain

She holds a BA in English Philology, a BA in French Philology, a BA in Spanish Philology, a BA in Law, and a PhD in English Studies. She has participated in 11 international and national research projects, and written 82 contributions in indexed international scientific journals, and books, and chapters with prestigious publishing houses (Peter Lang, Springer, Palgrave, Brill, Thomson Reuters, among others). She has presented her contributions in international conferences and has been a visiting scholar in diverse countries such as India, United Kingdom (Belfast, Cardiff, and Southampton), Italy (Bologna, Milan), Moldavia, Romania and Spain, among others. She is the Principal Investigator and founder of the research group DILEAR.

Dr. Seyit Ahmet Çapan

Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Education and Chair of the Department of Foreign Languages Education of Harran University, Turkey.

He holds his PhD in English language teaching. He has joined several projects and presented in several international conferences. He has published book chapters and research articles on English language teaching. His research interests include language teacher education, intercultural competence, integration of technology into language classrooms and individual differences. He currently works as an assistant professor and is the chair at English language teaching department of Harran University, Turkey.