National Workshop on Foreign Language Learning and Teaching 2021
Teaching English in non-English speaking countries is an enduring challenge due to the rapid changes of today’s world that is marked by an unprecedented competition, so continuous research is highly required. From this perspective, the aim of this workshop was to reveal the current challenges in language teaching and learning and to figure out specific ideas to solve these by giving EFL teachers opportunities where they share their experiences.
In this national workshop, five different speakers shared their experiences regarding learning and teaching English as a foreign language. In the first session, Dr. Momen Yaseen M.Amin from Gasha Technical Institute tackled the Foreign Language Policy in the Light of Sociopolitical Developments: A Case of English in Kurdistan Region, Mr. Hiwa Fouad and Reman Sabah from Tishk International University focused on Do we Teach a Textbook or Language proficiency? In the second session, Mr. Karwan Karim from Tishk International University gave an overview of Teaching Punctuation and Mechanics. Finally, Mr. Rizgar Qasim Mahmood from Salahaddin University delved into Assessing Writing: Formative and Constructive Feedback.
The Objectives of the workshop were to:
- improve curriculum and syllabus,
- update the policies in curriculum and syllabus designing,
- give specific recommendations to foreign language learners and teachers in terms of communication and creativity,
- reflect upon the demands of the 21st-century globalized market,
- strengthen and enlarge the EFL teachers network in the region.
The English Language Teaching department is planning to hold other national and international workshops so as to create collaboration with other academic institutions, both public and private, where sharing different ideas and experiences results in better learning and teaching environment.
For more information, please check the TIU website: https://education.tiu.edu.iq/elt/
