Rector Jun Liu engages in dialogue with renowned linguist at 2023 International English Education China Assembly

The 2023 International English Education China Assembly, with over 1,600 experts and professionals in English education from around the world, continued its concurrent sessions today at Taipa campus, City University of Macau. With the theme “Enhancing English teaching through research,” Rector Jun Liu of CityU engaged in a thought-provoking dialogue with Professor David Nunan, Emeritus Professor at the University of Hong Kong, and Professor Xue Yueting from South China Normal University. They explored the relationship between teaching and research, highlighting the International Research Foundation for English Language Education (TIRF), which supports young scholars in English language education research. The event was also broadcasted online, fostering interactive and lively discussions among the three guests and participants.

Professor Jun Liu, as the first Chinese President of TIRF, discussed the foundation of TIRF in 1998 as an internationally recognized organization that brings together top resources in English language education and is dedicated to international English education and development research. The foundation's board of directors consists of leading experts and scholars from international English education organizations and institutions worldwide. As a non-profit organization, TIRF's mission is to enhance the research capabilities of young scholars, fund outstanding doctoral dissertations, promote the latest research findings and resources in English language education, and lead and support the dissemination, application, and development of international English education and research globally. During the event, Professor Jun Liu also shared the successful practices of TIRF in providing intellectual support for the development of English education in mainland Chinese schools, as well as the upcoming work plans and projects.

In the dialogue, Professor David Nunan introduced the founding history of TIRF. He emphasized the synergies between teaching and research, and highlighted the importance of research as a key component of an academic career. Professor Nunan expressed that TIRF fully supports the career development of English educators through its rich resources and various projects.

Professor Xue Yueting, a recipient of TIRF’s doctoral dissertation grants, shared her experience in applying for the grants and how her career has advanced through participation in various TIRF projects. She emphasized the complementary nature of teaching and research, explaining that her research topics emerged from the classroom teaching experiences, and the research findings can be directly applied to enhance classroom teaching.

During the event, participants raised questions and engaged in lively and extensive discussions regarding challenges in collecting research samples, professional growth for educators, research topics, and career development.

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With the theme of "Opening up new prospects in education cooperation worldwide," the 2023 International English Education China Assembly kicked off yesterday. The event aimed to discuss research, teaching practices, and future development trends, attracting academics, scholars, high school and primary school teachers, and educators to participate. Today, there were 13 parallel sessions and approximately 140 sharing sessions covering a wide range of topics, including Teaching Reading and Writing, Task-based Language Teaching, Teacher Education and Professional Development, Language Testing and Assessment, Curriculum Development and Material Design, Global Communication of Chinese Culture, Global Competence Cultivation, and Language Testing and Assessment.

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