Third National Symposium On English Language Teaching and Research

Preparatory Studies Centre

The Preparatory Studies Centre of the University of Technology and Applied Sciences (UTAS) – Ibra, conducted the Third National Symposium on English Language Teaching and Research on the 25th of April 2024.

The symposium aimed to provide a platform for English language teachers to share their experiences and solutions to the challenges they face in teaching English.

At the award ceremony, Dr. Hafedh Said Al Rahbi, Assistant Vice Chancellor of UTAS-Ibra, presented plaques of appreciation and certificates to the Keynote Speaker and the Guest Speaker. Dr. Abdullah Khalfan Al-Azri, Deputy of the Assistant Vice-Chancellor, and Dr. Thuraya Khalifa Al-Riyami, Deputy of the Assistant Vice Chancellor of UTAS-Ibra, presented honors to the presenters and the organizing committee.

The symposium was led by Dr. Hilal Aamir Al-Hajri, HoC-PSC, and convened by Dr. Kodhandaraman Chinnathambi. The symposium began with a keynote address by Prof. Ali Al Issa from the Department of Curriculum & Instruction at Sultan Qaboos University. The keynote speech focused on "Using Critical Applied Linguistics to Produce a Code of Professional Ethics and Values at a Foundation program English Language". Following this, Dr. Abdullah Al-Hassani from the Department of English Language and Literature at Rustaq College of Education delivered his speech on "Towards a Framework for Learner Autonomy in Constructionist Learning: Analysis of Pre-Service English Language Teachers' Perspectives in the IELTE Context of Oman".

After a short break, Dr. Badri Abdulhakim Mudsh from UTAS-Salalah, Ms. Muzna Al-Siyabi from the Ministry of Education, and 10 lecturers from PSC, UTAS-Ibra presented their research papers in concurrent sessions related to language acquisition, integrating technology in teaching, critical thinking, online games, and research in ELT.

Around 91 lecturers, comprising of both full-time and part-time staff from PSC, as well as members of the College Council of UTAS-Ibra, took part in the symposium. Dr. Abdullah Salim Al Muqbali from UTAS head office, along with around 20 lecturers in English, and teachers of English from Al-Sharqiyah University and the Ministry of Education also attended the event.

The event was livestreamed on YouTube, allowing English lecturers from other UTAS branches across Oman to participate remotely and benefit from the symposium.