8th Annual

KSAALT CONFERENCE
CONFERENCE PROGRAM

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Association of

Language Teachers
May 2nd, 2015
Holiday InnAl Khobar, Saudi Arabia
www.ksaalt.org

Welcome from the KSAALT President

Dear Distinguished Guests and Conference Participants,
Welcome to the Eighth Annual Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Association of Language
Teachers (KSAALT) Conference. Our theme, EFL Innovations in a Saudi Context, promises
to provide important windows into the world of the future in academia through the perspectives of outstanding international presenters as well as a multitude of distinguished speakers
from educational institutions throughout the Kingdom.
We welcome our plenary speakers: Dr. John Hughes who has worked in ELT for over
20 years as a teacher, teacher trainer and author; Peter Lucantoni is an Educational Consultant and Teacher Trainer for Cambridge University Press, and is the author and co-author of
several popular course books for students; and Dr. Deborah Short directs Academic Language
Research & Training and provides professional development on academic literacy, contentbased ESL, and sheltered content instruction worldwide.
KSAALT is an organization that began with a handful of teachers in 2006 and has
grown to over 500 members with five chapters: Abha, Khobar, Jeddah, Riyadh, and Yanbu.
This year, Qassim has expressed an interest in opening a chapter and is in the process of fulfilling the initial requirements to do so. KSAALT is a steadfast affiliate of TESOL International, TESOL Arabia, and IATEFL.
The KSAALT Executive Council and Conference Committee thank our major sponsors
this yearthe U.S. Embassy, the American Academy, National Geographic-Cengage and
AlHammad Group. The U.S. Embassy, National Geographic/Cengage Learning and Cambridge University Press have sponsored the keynote speakers for this years annual conference. KSAALT sincerely appreciates these major sponsors for their continued support.
We would also like to thank the following organizations who have provided conference
sponsorship this year. They include Pearson Publishers, ESG, Master English Institute, IDP,
and the British Council. Without their continuous support and confidence in KSAALT, it
would not have become the thriving organization that it is today. We value and anticipate a
long lasting and productive alliance with each one of you.
On behalf of the KSAALT Executive Council, I especially wish to thank the Conference
Co-Chairs, Careemah Choong and Dr. Jad Michaelson and everyone who has served on this
years conference committee for devoting genuine and generous effort to bring this notable
event to fruition.

We hope that you enjoy the 8th Annual KSAALT Conference and wish you professional
growth. We truly value your participation and support for this conference. Thank you so
much for coming and for your attention.
With sincere appreciation,

Malikah Sisay
KSAALT President 2014-2015

Welcome from the Conference Co-Chairs

Dear KSAALT Members, Guests and Conference Participants,

Marhaban bikum and our warmest welcome to the Eighth Annual KSAALT Conference. This year's

conference theme: "EFL Innovations in the Saudi Context" offers us the opportunity to discover and share
new ideas. Sharing is an integral part of the teaching and learning process. We share our knowledge with
our students and they share their knowledge and experience with us. This mutual understanding facilitates
a dynamic relationship between the teacher and the student. We invite all of you to approach this year's
conference with a spirit of sharing and discovering. Share your ideas with others and discover new approaches to teaching. It is our aim that you will share with your students what you have learned at this
conference today.
Keeping this in mind, the day is filled with workshops and seminars that have been selected to be
stimulating and exciting. Each concurrent session will consist of speakers who will share their expertise
and relate it to Saudi students. Attending these sessions might reinforce your knowledge or you might discover new ideas and information that you were unfamiliar with. In either case, you'll have the opportunity
to listen, learn and share your ideas with the speaker as well as other attendees.
This year, in addition to the concurrent sessions, we are offering TOEFL training, a mini job fair
and a Publishers Showcase sessions. We welcome all the attendees to take advantage of this opportunity.
In addition, the keynote addresses will provide a gateway into innovations of teaching. We are
privileged to have as our keynote speakers, Dr. John Hughes, "Critical Thinking in the Age of Screenagers";
Mr. Peter Lucantoni, "Learning Not Spectating"; and Dr. Deborah J. Short, "Strengthening Literacy Skills in
English". All of the keynote speakers are widely regarded as leading experts in their fields and will provide
fascinating insights into their subject matter.
This conference is only possible because of the generous support of our sponsors. We are grateful
to our Diamond Sponsors: Al Hammad Group, Cambridge University Press, U.S. Consulate, National Geographic/Cengage; Emerald Sponsors: ESG and Pearson Publishers; and Topaz Sponsors: Master English
Institute, IDP, British Council and the American Academy. We are also emphatically appreciative to the
following organizations that have continually supported KSAALT: the American Academy, Cambridge University Press, Pearson Publishers, National Geographic/Cengage, British Council, IDP and Master English
Institute.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank the entire 2015 Conference Committee for their
tireless efforts to take KSAALT one step further. Serving on the committee, every member shows his/her
dedication to KSAALT and has a strong belief that a difference for our students can be made. What more
can you ask of professionals than to voluntarily devote their time and energy to benefit their colleagues
and their profession? Indeed, it is an act of a noble cause served by noble people for a noble profession.
To conclude our welcome message, we hope you find the 8th Annual KSAALT Conference to be
stimulating and invigorating. We truly appreciate your support for KSAALT and hope to see you at next
year's conference.
Sincerely,
Careemah Choong
Jad Michaelson, M.D.

Co-Chairs

Welcome from the VP

Dr. Khalid Bin Abdullah Al Hammad
Al Hammad Educational Holding Co.
Vice President
Dear Distinguished Guests and Conference Participants,
I am honored to welcome all of the participants and invited guests to this May event
which is being held in this prestigious location. It is a rare opportunity for us to have this
hall filled with such educationally inclined professionals and academics.
As the Vice President of Al Hammad Educational Holding Co., I have not an iota of doubt
that this event will go a long way to corroborate the existing efforts towards the provision
of a high-standard and globalized education system focusing on enthusiasm and professionalism.
The world of education is dynamic and we follow the trend of its development. Academically, the worlds attention is focusing on more internationally embraced curricula that
provide students with the opportunity to adapt and adjust to the different situations and
environments. This has been OUR PRIME TARGET to achieve since the establishment of
our schools. This has been manifested in the creation of a department for Foreign Education, which is under the supervision of an experienced director and a team of professionally qualified teaching staff predominantly from English speaking countries.
We shall continue to strive on the same path as we believe that the most important
LEGACY that could be given to each and individual child is QUALITY EDUCATION.
I wish you all a fruitful conference.
Thank you.

The 20142015 KSAALT Executive Council

Mrs. Malikah Sisay

President

Dr. Salem Al-Etani

Vice-President

Mr. Thomas Wood

Past President

Mr. Mark W. Murray

Treasurer

Dr. Philline Deraney

Secretary

Mr. Michael R. Betz

Webmaster

Mrs. Wai-Si El-Hassan

Chief Editor

Mr. Ali Laftah

Social Media

Dr. Alia Mitchell

Member-at-Large

Mr. Muhammad Siraj Khan

Member-at-Large

8th Conference Committee

Dr. Jad Michaelson

Co-Chair

Mrs. Careemah Choong

Co-Chair

Mr. Hossam Abulazayem

Treasurer

Mr. Dennis Brittingham

Hospitality

Ms. Jawaria Iqbal

PR

Ms. Desaqila Ramlee

IT/Logo

Mr. Ossama Omar

Publishers/Job Fair Liaison

Mrs. Wai-Si El-Hassan

Program Designer

Dr. Anil Belvadi

Abstract Reviewer

KSAALT Chapters
Chapter
Abha

Chapter Representative
Dr. Afeefa Banu

Jeddah

To be Decided

Khobar

Ms. Pamela Reeder

Riyadh

Mr. Georgios-Vlasios Kormpas

Yanbu

Dr. Osama Barnawi

Email Addresses of Executive Council Members:

Official Website

ksaalt.org

President

president@ksaalt.org

Vice-President

vicepresident@ksaalt.org

Past President

pastpresident@ksaalt.org

Treasurer

treasurer@ksaalt.org

invoices@ksaalt.org

Secretary

secretary@ksaalt.org

info@ksaalt.org

Webmaster

webmaster@ksaalt.org

Chief Editor

publications@ksaalt.org
journal@ksaalt.org

Social Media

socialmedia@ksaalt.org

ksaaltpubmatters@hotmail.com

Conference Program
8th Annual KSAALT Conference Schedule
May 2, 2015
Time

Event

Location

7.45am 8.30am

Arrival and Check-in

Function Hall

8.30am 9.00am

Holy Quran Recitation

Ballroom A

Opening of Conference
Welcome: HRH Prince Saud bin Nayef bin Abdulaziz al Saud
Governor of Eastern Province
Welcome: Mrs. Malikah Sisay, KSA A LT President

Ballroom A

Welcome: Dr. Khalid bin Abdullah Al Hammad

CEO AlHammad Group
Greeting: Mr. Mike Hankey
Consul General, U.S. Consulate/Embassy
Keynote Speaker Introduction: Mrs. Careemah Choong
Conference Co-Chair
9.00am 10.00am

Keynote Speaker I: Dr . J ohn Hughes

Ballroom A

10.10am 11.10pm

Keynote Speaker II: Mr . Peter Lucantoni

Ballroom A

11.10pm 11.25m

COFFEE BREAK & PRAYER

11.25am 12.15pm

Concurrent Sessions A

12.20pm 1.40pm

BUFFET LUNCH

1.40pm 2.30pm

Concurrent Sessions B

2.40pm 3.30pm

Concurrent Sessions C & ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

3.30pm 3.45pm

PRAYER

Ballroom A
Various
Ballroom A
Various
Various/
Ballroom A
Ballroom A

3.45pm 4.45pm

Closing Keynote Speaker: Dr . Debor ah Shor t

Ballroom A

4.45pm 4.50pm

Ballroom A

5.00pm 5.15pm

Dr. Salah H. Sheikh Idris, Director of Foreign Language,

Aspire & Inspire Schools
Closing of Conference: Dr. Jad Michaelson
Conference Co-Chair
Attendance Certificate & Networking

*9.00am 5.00pm

TOEFL Sessions: Dr . May J abr i

Al Tayef

Mini- Job Fair (Open thr oughout confer ence)

Publisher Display (Open thr oughout confer ence)

Function Hall

4.50pm - 5.00pm

Ballroom A
Function Room

Floor Plan of Our Venue

10

Opening Keynote Speaker:

Dr. John Hughes

Plenary Session:
Critical Thinking in an Age of Screenagers
In an age when many of our students receive their information in English via screens and social media, the skill of
'Critical thinking' is enjoying a resurgence in education.
In this workshop, we'll establish an accessible definition of
the term and consider why it's relevant to ELT. We'll also
try out a range of practical classroom activities that develop critical thinking skills through language teaching.
Ballroom A

Concurrent Session B:
Creative Thinking inside the Exam Box
In the speaking and writing papers of examinations students are expected to plan and
generate responses, opinions and ideas in short amounts of time, under pressure, and all
in English. As a result, some students fail to demonstrate their full potential under exam
conditions. So in this session, well look at ways to help students to develop the exam
strategies they need to improve their performance in the speaking and writing papers. In
particular, Ill present practical activities that you can integrate into your exam courses
which will help students think creatively inside the exam box.
KH 3
Dr. John Hughes has wor ked in ELT for over 20 year s as a teacher , teacher tr ainer
and author. He runs training courses (both face-to-face and online) for new and experienced teachers in areas such as Business English and materials writing. His many course
books include Success with BEC Vantage, Spotlight on FCE and Life. He regularly
gives plenaries, talks and workshops at conferences around the world. His blog is
www.elteachertrainer.com.

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Keynote Speaker

Peter Lucantoni
Main Talk:
Learning, Not Spectating
In their Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education (1987), Chickering and Gamson
say that Learning is not a spectator sport. This plenary looks at what active learning is, why it is important, and considers some ways in which it can
best be applied, not least by teachers themselves by
demonstrating active learning via good classroom
practice.
Ballroom A

Concurrent Session A:
Formative Assessment Why and How?
Teachers need to continuously assess their learners in order to make decisions not only
about progress, but also about the steps they need to take in order to address learners
needs. This workshop discusses what assessment means, and ways in which we can use
assessment to increase learner achievement. The workshop also addresses the types of
assessment techniques teachers use in the classroom.
KH 3

Concurrent Session C:
Learning Strategies Create 21st Century Global Learners
This workshop considers what learner strategies are, and how they are linked to learning goals.
We will see that without specific goals and objectives, it is impossible to follow a defined learning
pathway. Furthermore, the issue of which strategies are effective for today's (and tomorrow's)
learners will be discussed. Participants will have the opportunity to think about learning strategies
in a broader sense, and understand that 'not one size fits all'!
KH 1
Peter Lucantoni has been teaching English, training teachers and writing materials for more than 30 years.
He has an MA in TESOL from the University of Edinburgh, where his dissertation thesis focused on the professional development of teachers of English. Peter has lived and worked outside the UK since 1986, in Europe and the Middle East, and is now based in Cyprus. Peter is an Educational Consultant and Teacher
Trainer for Cambridge University Press, and is the author and co-author of several popular coursebooks for
students, including IGCSE English as a Second Language, and Introduction to English as a Second Language, both published by Cambridge University Press. Peter regularly presents at conferences and trains
teachers internationally, both in the public and private sectors, at secondary and tertiary levels.
12

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Association of Language Teachers

8th Annual Conference Schedule

2
Presenter

Topic

Peter Lucantoni

Formative Assessment

Roy, Catherine Karen

Velarde, Jeanneath Dela Guro
ElBeyley, Osama

Blog: Tool for Reflection and

Forming Collaborative online
Communities
Progressive Teaching Through
Blended Instruction
Demand high: promoting
learning in the classroom

Syed, Meraj Tabassum Shabbir

Thaha, Shifan
Gopalakrishna, Nagakala S.
Hall, Charles

Chua, Ethel
Baloch, Sameera Sultan

Limiting Teacher Talk Time

(TTT): An Imperative Tool to
Contemporary Classroom
The Flipped Classroom: An
Impetus to Constructive
Learning
Reading Academically and
Critically: An Experiment
English for Saudi Purposes:
The New ESP
Teaching Tips on Writing
Portfolio as an Assessment and
Learning Tool
Teaching EFL Smartly to
Smart Generation in Saudi
Arabia

Sub-theme

Room

T&A

KH 3

TI

B3

TI

B4

ALC

B1

ALC

Balcony B

TI

Al Aziziah

4S

Balcony A

CSS

KH 1

4S

B2

TI/CSS

KH 2

Sub-Themes
Technological Innovations (TI)
Testing and Assessment (T&A)
Aiding Learners' Comprehension (ALC)
Four Skill Groups: reading, writing, speaking, listening (4S)
Applied Linguistics in the Classroom (ApL)
Culture and Saudi Students in English (CSS)

13

Presenter

Topic

Sub-theme

Room

CSS

B3

TI

KH 3

TI

B4

ALC

KH 2

4S

Balcony B

ALC

B2

4S/T&A

KH 1

T&A

Al Aziziah

4S

B1

ApL

Balcony A

Sub-theme

Room

Informal Assessments Using Online

Games that Promote Rich Interactions
Killing off English

T&A

B4

ALC

KH 3

ALC

B3

Chris Stillson

Material Adaptation: A Predicament for

Practicing Teachers
Learning Strategies Create 21st Century
Global Learners
Why Dont My Students Read?

CSS

Balcony A

Yardley, Joshua

Google Drive for School Administrators

TI

Balcony B

Short, Deborah J. (Dr.)

How to integrate Academic Language

Learning with Subject Area Topics

ALC

KH2

ALC

Al Aziziah

4S

B2

TI

B1

Edwards, Kim

Macro and Micro

Hughes, John (Dr.)

Roney, Stephen Kent

Integrating Technology into Your

Coursebook and Daily Teaching
Using Free Popular Media in EFL

Short, Deborah J. (Dr.)

How to integrate Academic Language

Learning with Subject Area Topics

Albarqi, Ghadah

"Much Ado About" Listening

Hariri, Izdehar (Dr.)

Say it again, please.

El-Hassan, Wai-Si
Muhammedzein, Fatima
Abdelrahman
Ebaugh, Tana

Assessment of Four Skills and Lexile

Measures
I Teach. They Learn. We Assess for
Learning.
Integrating the Four Skills

Wright-Murray, Denise

The Goal is Mutual Intelligibility

Presenter
Garnett, Michael
Hall, Charles
Halim, Tanzina
& Halim, Shanjida
Lucantoni, Peter

ElBeyley, Osama
Tantawy, Shihata
Bhatti, Shams
KSAALT

Topic

Look Back and Wonder: Being a Reflective Practitioner

Poetry Based Activities to Promote EFL
Literacy Skills
Mobile and Blended learning: An EFL
Context
Annual General Meeting

14

KH 1

Ballroom A

A new four-level academic skills course that combines

thought-provoking video from Discovery Education
with a fresh approach to critical thinking.
Visit the Cambridge stand
for more information.

15

16

Concurrent Sessions A
Dr. Catherine Karen Roy

B3

Blog: Tool for Reflection and Forming Collaborative Online

Communities
A blog is an authentic writing practice that gives a sense of immediacy,
allowing students to document their life as a story, engage with classmates, and focus on memorable events. In this experiment, students
were asked to blog in order to reflect on their own language learning as
well as their daily activities. In this presentation the audience will learn
how to teach students to blog to expand English writing and reading
skills.
Catherine K. Roy has a Ph.D. in language and literature from the University of British Columbia
in Vancouver, Canada, as well as a Master's from Toronto University and a BA from McGill University also in languages and literature. She speaks six languages and teaches English at the ELI
of King Abdulaziz University.

Dr. Jeanneath D. Velarde

B4

Progressive Teaching Through Blended Instruction

This paper discusses a recent study on progressive teaching
through blended instruction which is a combination of classroom
and online delivery of education. Guided by Opina, Velarde, and
Sicats concepts of blended teaching strategy, the researcher experimented on personalized teaching materials using face-to-face
and online delivery of instruction to her students. The results of
the study showed that the students who were exposed to this
teaching strategy performed better as compared to their performances in class before they were exposed to it.
The author is a current lecturer at Jubail University College and the former associate professor at
Centro Escolar University, Makati, Philippines. She has been conducting educational researches
for almost eighteen years now - some of which were presented in South Korea, Germany, Italy,
and England.

17

Osama ElBeyley

B1

Demand High: Promoting Learning in the Classroom

What is Demand High? Have we become inured to the communicative method and getting learners to undertake tasks rather
than pushing themselves to their limits? The presenter will present the ideas espoused by Underhill and Scrivener as well as
relate his own findings from his current practice in the classroom. He will also look at its relationship to other current
methodologies, such as Dogme, and suggest some practical ideas for Demand High in the classroom.
Osama Elbeyaly is the Senior Teacher Training Manger at the British Council, Jeddah. He has
delivered training sessions and mentored teachers in the British Council both in Egypt and Saudi
Arabia. Among other ELT trends, he is interested in Teacher Training, Task-Based Learning and
English for Specific Purposes.
Meraj Tabassum Shabbir Syed

Balcony B

Limiting Teacher Talk Time (TTT): an Imperative

Tool of Contemporary Classroom
Todays tech-savvy students are fast-paced/ sound, so
should be the teaching techniques. The present scenario
demands smart and engaging teaching, limiting the
Teacher Talk Time (TTT). Here, the instructor needs to be
a vigilant facilitator, guide and supervisor. A traditional
class has limited attention span in which students listen
for some time, but hear after that. Hence, this imperative
scenario demands learner-centered classroom. Universities in KSA have incorporated learner-centered syllabi along with techniques like

Flipped Classroom, Research-oriented Learning, Social Learning, Consensus Learning,

Jotting Down, Elicitation, etc. in both literature and language classes. This can make
the learning vibrant and resourceful.
Ms. Meraj Tabassum Shabbir Syed is an M.Phil in English Literature, PGCTE (Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching of English) and M.A. English (Gold Medalist). She has 9 years of teaching
experience and has been an Assistant Professor and Lecturer. She has expertise in syllabus design,
curriculum development, and in teaching of EFL/ESP and Literature. She is presently a faculty at
University of Dammam.

18

Dr. Shifan Thaha

Al Aziziah

Flipped Classroom: an Impetus to Constructive Learning

Technology integration in foreign language teaching demonstrates
the shift in educational paradigms from a behavioral to a constructivist learning approach. A flipped classroom is a learning environment
where students learn new content on their own by watching video
lectures or other online sources. The workshop demonstrates how to
flip a classroom using Web Tools: Google Forms, Blogs, Vodcasting
and Wikispaces in order to make classroom instructional time more
collaborative, student-centered and valuable to students.
Dr. Shifan Thaha is an Assistant Professor at Prince Sattam bin Abdul Aziz University, KSA. She
has contributed papers in numerous national and international journals. Her research interests include Learner Autonomy, CALL, Teaching Methods and Curriculum Design.

Nagakala N. Gopalkrishna

Balcony A

Reading Academically and Critically - An Experiment

The QUASAR method of reading is a way of making sure that one gets
the most out of one's academic reading. Reading critically is usually
achieved when students have a working knowledge and understanding
of the topics that they are studying. This is a highly reflective skill requiring stand back" and keep some distance away from the text. It is
designed for and supported all students who are in need to improve
their academic/critical reading skills.
Ms. Nagakala N. Gopalkrishna is a lecturer at University of Dammam, KSA. She has served in
India, Sultanate of Oman and Libya. She has presented and participated in various conferences.
She has also received appreciation for her excellent teaching and hard work from the Ministry of
Education, Sultanate of Oman. Nagakala is a member of TESOL ARABIA & KSAALT.

19

ESG Saudi Arabia

Redefining the future for people and places
ESG is a leading group, from the UK, specializing in college training and education that ensures
all of its programmes are delivered in the English language. ESG aims towards redefining the
future for people and places, hence employs only the best and most skilled teachers to ensure its
students receive the finest education which will later help them pursue their dream careers upon
graduation. Also, ESG works closely with some of the UKs leading colleges to ensure that all of
its education programmes and training are in line and up to date with International Standards and
labour market requirements, which in turn eases their path to a successful career.
Even though ESG started its operations in August 2014, its reputation as one of the leading colleges can be easily
measured by the large volume of applications it has received to join its colleges, from interested high school graduates
to experienced teachers. Its presence can easily be felt in Al Khobar and Al Riyadh as:

ESG Al-Khobar Female College

ESG Al-Quwayiyah Female College (Riyadh)
ESG Al-Quwayiyah Male College (Riyadh)

ESG, with the help of the TVTC, looks to expand its presence in the Kingdom by tapping into potential cities like AlHessa and Medina, through the TVTCs initiative to up-scale and promote local colleges.
ESGs programmes are designed to prepare its students to be work-ready as it equips them with the necessary skills
and training that enables them to contribute immediately to any career they choose to pursue.
In Year 1, students undergo extensive English and ICT studies to prepare them for the in-depth vocational studies that
will be taught in Year 2 and Year 3. In Year 2, which is considered the Associate Diploma year, students will be introduced to the essential skills in addition to basic practical applications, methods and practices pertaining to their chosen
specialization programme.
In their final year, Year 3 or the Diploma year, students undergo more specialized training that will help them develop
and demonstrate in depth understanding of their chosen specialization programme as well as an increased confidence
in its practical understanding and application, thereby enabling them to enter the labour market in an operational, technical, specialized or managerial role upon successfully completing the programme.
All ESG colleges are offering specializations in Business and Information Technology.
Students interested in joining ESG should be eligible as per the below conditions:

The applicant must be a Saudi national or whose either parents are Saudi nationals;
The applicant must have graduated from high school in the past 3 years and not more;
The applicant must have completed the general capacity test provided by the National Center for Measurement and Evaluation.
The applicant must have completed the achievement test provided by the National Center for Assessment in
Higher Education.

ESG will then seek the grades from the National Center for Measurement and Evaluation.
ESG is part of an ambitious and privileged government-sponsored entity called the Colleges of Excellence within the
Saudi National Development Plan aiming towards the development of the Kingdoms technical education and vocational training. ESGs programmes are accredited by the Saudi Ministry of Labour, and students who are successful in
joining ESG will be eligible for a government stipend, which they will receive every study term.
Students, parents, as well as employers and organizations can visit our website for further information at
www.esgsa.com, and can reach us on info@esgsa.com or any of our social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook
at ESGKSA.

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 ESG
.
ESG

.
2012 ESG
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ESG
ESG
ESG

ESG TVTC
.
ESG
.

.
.

.
.
ESG .
ESG
.
ESG :
.
.
.
.
.

ESG

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www.esgsa.com
info@esgsa.com .ESGKSA
.
ESG .

21

Dr. Charles Hall

KH 1

English for Saudi Purposes: the New ESP

The role of English in Saudi Arabia is changing quickly, but approaches have failed to respond to the use of English as a Lingua
Franca [ELF] in the Kingdom and still teach what is erroneously
called General English. If we accept that there is no such thing
as General English, we need to work quickly but efficiently to
make sure that English courses meet the needs of the stakeholders, such as the students, the parents, the government, the world,
and of course, the teachers! Today well look at how viewing all
English instruction as types of ESP can raise academic and real-world English proficiency in Saudi Arabia. Well take EAP as an example of the restructuring and reanalysis
that is necessary for meeting the challenge our students face in Saudi.
Charles Hall, Ph.D., dr.h.c. is Associate Professor of English at Alfaisal University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He is former chair of International TESOL ESP Interest Session. He has led training
workshops sponsored by various organizations, such as the U.S. Department of State and the United Nations, in over 30 countries. He is author or co-author of several texts, such as A merican Legal English [University of Michigan Press].

Ethel Chua

B2

Teaching Tips on Writing Using the Writing Portfolio

The presenter would like to provide some valuable tips on
writing, and how the writing portfolio is being conducted at
JUC-Female branch. Since she initiated the concept about the
use of Writing Portfolio at JUC, the processes, methods, and
the strategies of how this tool is formed, conducted, applied,
and implemented will be discussed. The presenter will end
her presentation by giving a proposal or recommendation to
improve the said writing portfolio in the future.
Ms. Ethel Reyes-Chua has been an English instructor at Jubail University College-Female
Branch since 2010. Her expertise is to conduct researches on different areas, such as motivational strategies, instructional design, material development, and virtual learning environment.
She has presented at various English organizations inside and outside the Kingdom.

22

Sameera Sultan Baloch

KH 2

Teaching EFL Smartly to Smart Generation in Saudi

Arabia
The popularity of smart (digital) devices in Saudi Arabia
supports EFL practitioners to integrate e-Learning in their
teaching effectively. QR codes lend a hand to design a variety of activities and grab the attention of technology enthusiastic learners in EFL classroom. Edmodo LMS enables
teachers, parents and learners to interact virtually on the
same platform. Innovative EFL learning modules and electronic lessons on Blackboard LMS lead learners to linguistic
and communicative competence.
Ms. Sameera Sultan Baloch is a Ph.D. scholar, a teacher trainer and a recipient of Excellence
Award in Teaching and e-Learning. She holds an M.A. in English, an M.Sc. in Women's
Studies and a PG.Dip. in English Language. She also has eleven years of EFL teaching experience with a number of publications to her credit. She is presently a faculty at the University
of Dammam.

KSAALT Publications
KSAALT Academic Journal
KSAALT Student Research Journal
KSAALT Quarterly
For information and enquiries, please email to: publications@ksaalt.org

www.ksaalt.org
23

Concurrent Sessions B
Kim Edwards

B3

Macro and Micro

The four language skills, also referred to as macro-skills, are reading, writing, listening and speaking. While they are separate skills,
they are also related to each other. Speaking and writing are referred to as output or productive skills, while reading and listening
are input or receptive skills.
While it is important to acknowledge and teach these skills separately, it is also important to teach the skills in a combined and integrated manner. Whenever possible, lessons should incorporate the four language skills.
Integrating the skills creates more authentic language use. Rarely is any one of the four language skills used in isolation
in any real situation. People use different skills when dealing with the same subject for a variety of reasons: listening to
a lecture, taking notes, reading over them, discussing with classmates, writing about them in an essay or test. Using
modern communicative strategies to combine all the skills is vital for an effective language classroom.

Kim Edwards began teaching English in 1993 and has established teacher training programs around
the world. She had her own language school which was a huge success, but has returned to teaching
in the Middle East since 2012. Kim has won numerous business awards. She was a Board Member
of the Australian Council of Private Education and Training, Sunshine Coast Tourism, and Sunshine
Coast Education.

Stephen Kent Roney

B4

Finding and Using Vintage Pop Culture in the EFL

Classroom
With the growing availability of educational technology, we have
the opportunity to engage our students in new ways. But where to
find the content we need? In this regard, the value of popular culture in the classroom is at least twofold: it increases motivation,
and it is vital to improving listening and reading skills in particular,
as per the educational theories of E.D. Hirsch Jr. This paper explains the value of vintage pop culture materials, and shows where
to find it free on the Internet.
Stephen K. Roney, B.A., M.A., CELTA, Trinity Dipl., is a past president of the Editors' Association of Canada and multimedia editor for Athabasca University, and has taught EFL for the past
twenty years in the Gulf, Canada, and in the Far East. He is currently at Jubail Industrial College,
KSA.
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Ghadah Albarqi

Balcony B

"Much Ado About" Listening

Listening plays a crucial role in attaining advanced levels in Second
Language Acquisition (SLA). Despite the fact that there is consensus
that listening should be built well to ensure success in SLA, it is the
most neglected skill to teach. This presentation is an attempt to draw
attention to the theoretically grounded pedagogy of L2 listening,
besides aligning it with the most innovative apps and techniques
which pave the way for creating the habit of listening for academic
and
Ghadah Ahmad Albarqi is an instructor at Taif University-English language Center. She has
an M.A. in English Literature, and has taught English to almost all levels of learners. She is a
member of KSAALT and AAAL. Her interest is in implementing social media and innovative
apps in the field of English teaching.

Dr. Izdehar Hariri

B2

Say it again, please!

Saudi students study English as a foreign language for at least six
years before they enroll at a university. Unfortunately, most of
them have not mastered speaking or writing in English at that
stage. Some of them continue at the same level until they graduate
from the university. The focus of this paper is on the methods used
at the school level, how skills can be improved at the university,
which teaching methods could be useful to reinforce these skills.

Dr. Izdehar has a Doctorate degree from Portland State University in the USA. She works as an
assistant professor in the English Department at the University of Dammam. She has written three
books: Improve your English Book (Series I and II), and Basics of Islam in English. She is the
president of Saudi Reading Society which promotes literacy in the community.

25

Wai-Si El-Hassan

KH 1

Assessing Language Skills & Lexile Level

My presentation will begin with the importance of assessment in relation to student learning in Saudi as well as global contexts. A brief
discussion of the interrelationship of the four language skills at different levels, i.e. K-12 and higher education, will be conducted. We will
then examine the efforts made by various organizations to help ESL
learners to build their reading skills within a defined lexile framework
since Reading is prominent in the global context and it is key to academic and career success. Then, we will move on to the application
of lexile measures in an ESL classroom and the focus will be on assessment in terms of reading and writing. Before concluding the assessment of language skills, we will explore the possibility of an application of lexile
measures into assessing listening and speaking skills.
Wai-Si El-Hassan became a qualified teacher in Hong Kong in the 1980s practising teaching of
ESL and technical/vocational subjects. She obtained her M.A. in TEFL from the University of
East Anglia, England. She has 14 years of EFL teaching experience, including testing, and 8 years
of working in university administration in both the UK and Saudi Arabia.

Tana Ebaugh

B1

Integrating the Four Skills

We will focus on discovering what everyday activities we engage in
real life that use the four different skills, and why we use them.
We will then explore authentic contexts in which we use the various
combinations of the four skills, e.g. making appointments, taking
notes, ordering in a restaurant, giving instructions or directions,
telling personal stories. We will brainstorm what resources exist in
Saudi Arabia and/or are available for use in different learning contexts.
Tana Ebaugh is the Acting Country Director for EGA in Riyadh. She holds an MATESOL and is
a Trainer of Trainers. Prior to EGA, she was the Academic Program Director for UCC in South
Korea (teacher training institute), and a Research Associate in the School of Education, University
of Michigan.

26

Denise Wright-Murray

Balcony A

The Goal is Mutual Intelligibility

According to David Crystal (2003), there are three non-native English speakers to every one native English speaker. English language teachers need to consider what is important to produce an
intelligible non-native English speaker who will most likely be
speaking to another non-native English speaker. This requires
changes in the phonology of English as an international language.
The presenter will discuss a proposed pronunciation syllabus The
Lingua Franca Core and its impact on the ELT classroom.
Denise Wright-Murray is a lecturer at Jubail University College. Her interest and research into
mutual intelligibility began at Colorado State University, USA, and developed in Japan, Kuwait,
and Saudi Arabia.

Fatima Muhammedzein

Al Aziziah

I Teach. They Learn. We Assess for Learning.

Assessing language learning does not mean judging learners' attainment in terms of grades or scores of exams as sole indicators
of learners' learning. Instead, it is an ongoing anecdotal process
involving teachers and learners as participants and assessors in
the learning process. However, EFL language learning judgment
is mostly driven by constructed tests and exams. This handicaps
the assessment for student learning and students engagement in
future situations when language is used. Learners tend to study to take exams, and
teachers are forced to prepare them to pass exams. This paper attempts to develop
Saudi learners involvement in assessment for learning through a range of classroom
portfolios and rubrics. Questionnaires will be used to elicit students and teachers opinions about introducing this issue. The findings of the study will be enriched by the conference participants comments.
Fatima Muhammedzein is an assistant professor in the Department of English & Literature, College of Science and Humanities, Salman bin Abdulaziz University. She participated in international conferences and has published papers in international journals. She was a member in
KSAALT 2013 conference committee. Her interest lies in applied linguistics, sociolinguistics,
semantics and pragmatics.
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Facebook.com/NGLearningUK

@NGLearningUK

28

www.YouTube.com/NGLearningUK

Concurrent Sessions C
Michael Garnett

B4

Informal Assessments Using Online Games that Promote

Rich Interactions
This is a seminar for language teachers on how best to use an
online game creator to informally assess students in a fun, engaging
way, based on sociocultural theory, research, and practice in language learning (Nguyen, 2013; van Lier, 2004). Online review
games created by teachers can be used for classroom activities that
encourage students to be effective peer tutors and that reward
them for speaking in the target language.
Michael Garnett has been teaching English in foreign and subsequent language contexts for about 10
years. He has led many professional development workshops for language teachers on computerassisted language learning, most recently at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, Monterey. Michael loves helping people achieve their goals in fun, creative ways.

Shanjida Halim & Tanzina Halim

B3

A Predicament for Practicing Teachers

Text books undoubtedly play an important role for
both students and teachers when they are being
used in ESL / EFL classrooms, but some practitioners claim that there is no single text book
which may be considered perfect. Most of the
time teachers are under a lot of pressure to select a course book for
an ELT Program. However, most of the experienced teachers find that
published materials do not always fulfill the needs of the learners. In
our lecture we are going to emphasize on why and how some teaching
materials can be adapted for students especially in the Saudi context.
Shanjida Halim is a Bangladeshi national, working as a lecturer at the Department of English, College
of Arts & Education for Girls, King Khalid University, Abha. She has an M.A. in English Literature
and an M.A. in English Language Teaching (ELT). She has been teaching at the university level for
15 years.
Tanzina Halim comes from Bangladesh working as a lecturer at the Department of English, College
of Arts & Education for Girls, King Khalid University, Abha. She has an M.A. in English Literature
& Language. She has worked in BRAC University, Bangladesh, and has been in the teaching profession for 17 years.
29

Joshua Yardley

Balcony B

Google Drive for School Administrators

Google is commonly used by instructors to clarify language by
providing translation, images and videos. There are also many free
and easy features that make Google a useful tool for administrators.
This lecture will explain how Drive can be used to share files, record
grades and attendance, reserve classrooms, complete lesson plans,
give feedback on projects, track student behavior, conduct classroom observations, and collect feedback from instructors.
Joshua Yardley has worked in Germany, Mexico, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and the United States. In
addition to teaching, he has worked as a scholarship project manager, CELTA trainer, DELTA tutor
and program coordinator. He has an M.A. in TESL from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville.

Shihata Tantawy

B2

Using English Poetry to Develop Literacy Skills

This presentation will explore teaching English poetry on developing
language literacy skills to students in primary school, intermediate
as well as high school. In searching for methods that would help
students to reinforce their knowledge of vocabulary and reading, as
well as foster their creative writing skills, the researcher has found
out that poems can be used as a useful tool to supplement textbooks to enhance literacy (reading & writing) skills of EFL students.
Mr. Shihata Tantawy is a Ph.D candidate in TEFL, Cairo University, Egypt. He received his
PGCE from University of East Anglia, United Kingdom, in 2009. He obtained his M.A. in 2008.
He has been an EFL instructor since 2002. He presented in many conferences like KSAALT and
TOYC in Saudi Arabia and Qatar TESOL in Doha as well as TESOL Arabia in Dubai. Now he
is working as an EFL Academic Instructor in the Saudi Petroleum Services Polytechnic for
PEARSON Company.

30

Osama Elbeyaly

Al Aziziah

Look back and Wonder: Being a Reflective Practitioner

What does it mean to be reflective practitioners? The presenter will present ideas on long-term professional development projects: a diary, a
portfolio and a teacher development programme. He will also look at how
reflective practice leads to promoting learning in the language classroom
with special reference to the Saudi context. The workshop will include an
open discussion to explore some of the issues brought up in the session.
Osama Elbeyaly is the Senior Teacher Training Manger at the British Council, Jeddah. He has delivered
training sessions and mentored teachers in the British Council both in Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Among
other ELT trends, he is interested in Teacher Training, Task-Based Learning and English for Specific
Purposes.
Killing off General English - Dr. Charles Hall

KH 3

Teaching English to a group of five-year old Chinese children and seventeen-year old Saudis is not the same at all, yet both classes would be
called General English. Just these two examples demonstrate that no
course should be called General English. Each course should match the
needs of the stakeholders. In fact, General English never existed. It
was a nice myth, but its time to kill off this mythunderstanding and
accept that everything is ESP: English for Specific Purposes and every
purpose is specific.
In this interactive presentation, the participants will first be presented with the heart of any
ESP programthe needs analysis. They will be asked to perform a mini-needs analysis from
short scenarios the speaker will give them, such as English for Taxi Drivers, English for Lawyers, or English for Diplomats. Next, they will discuss who the stakeholders are and how
they must be considered as programs are designed. Then, they will work with the speaker
to determine how the needs of those stakeholders, such as students, parents, governments,
and of course, teachers, can be met. Finally, the speaker will help the participants understand how viewing all English instruction as types of ESP can raise academic and real-world
English proficiency. By using these examples primarily from EAP and ESP-tourism, all will be
able to see the restructuring and reanalysis that is necessary for ESP: English for Successful
People.
Charles Hall, Ph.D., dr.h.c. is Associate Professor of English at Alfaisal University in Riyadh, Saudi
Arabia. He is former chair of International TESOL ESP Interest Session. He has led training workshops
sponsored by various organizations, such as the U.S. Department of State and the United Nations, in
over 30 countries. He is author or co-author of several texts, such as A merican Legal English
[University of Michigan Press].
31

Shams Bhatti

B1

Blended Learning: An EFL Context

Utilizing the out-of-the-box approach, the presenter will demonstrate aspects of the journey from CALL to blended learning and
the logic behind this development. He will also share his own use
of technology within the EAL/EFL/ESP context and will present tried

and tested technologically enhanced ESL/EFL classroom activities,

followed by a 30 minutes hands-on workshop and a collaborative
question-and-answer session.
With 19 years of experience, PGCE, M.A. and M.Ed. Educational Technology and TESOL, Shams
Bhatti is currently employed as Senior ITC Teacher (English) at Saudi Aramco. His skills include
EAP, ESP, CALL, MALT, LCA and Education Management.

Chris Stillson

Balcony A

Why Dont My Students Read?

This inquiry will attempt to bring a nuanced understanding
of the reasons that Saudi university students read so seldom and with limited effectiveness. Surveying research
that has only been undertaken in the past forty years, this
study will summarize work in linguistics, orthography, diglossia and the orality / literacy continuum. Concluding
remarks will outline possible reasons for optimism for the
next 40 years.
Chris Stillson earned an M.A. in English Literature at California State University and studied literary theory at Sheffield University, UK. He has taught literature, writing and ESL/EFL courses for
27 years in the U.S., Poland and Saudi Arabia, including 3 years with the United States Peace
Corps. He is currently a member of the Prep faculty at Prince Mohammad University.

32

IDP Educationa proud co-owner of IELTS

IELTS is jointly owned by the British Council, IDP:IELTS Australia and Cambridge English
Language Assessment.

33

Closing Keynote Speaker:

Dr. Deborah Short
Strengthening Academic Literacy Skills in
English
Ballroom A
Teaching reading skills alone is not sufficient to develop advanced academic literacy in a new language. Learners need
support with background schema, academic vocabulary, and
academic oral discourse as well. This keynote identifies new
and confirmed research findings regarding practices for developing academic listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills
among students learning English as a new language. The objectives for this talk are to: 1) report on recent research for
teachers on how best to integrate language and content instruction; and 2) describe instructional practices and technology applications that scaffold the academic literacy process for
students of all proficiency levels and across school settings.

Workshop (Concurrent Sessions B & C)

How to Integrate Academic Language Learning with Subject Area
Topics
To be proficient in English for academic and professional purposes, learners need language and literacy skills that can be applied to subject area knowledge. Teachers must
use methods that make subject area concepts comprehensible to learners of English
while simultaneously developing their reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. The
objectives of this interactive workshop are: 1) to examine video clips to discover how
teachers build academic language from subject topics; and 2) to demonstrate and have
participants practice techniques that develop academic language skills with application to
their own classrooms and learners.
KH 2
Deborah J. Short, Ph.D., directs Academic Language Research & Training, a consulting company, and provides professional development on sheltered instruction and academic literacy worldwide. Formerly she was a Division Director at the Center for Applied Linguistics, Washington,
DC where she co-developed the research-validated SIOP Model for sheltered instruction. She
has directed numerous research studies on English language learners funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Education, among
others. Her publications include journal articles, the SIOPModel book series, and several ESL
textbook series for National Geographic Learning/Cengage. She taught English as a second/
foreign language in New York, California, Virginia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
34

KSAALT Friends
In alphabetical order:

Dr. Brenda Mathis, Rowad A l Khaleej International School

Dr. Desmond Rice, Prince Mohammad University
Dr. Hanadi AbdelSalem, Prince Mohammad University
Ms. Donya S. Eldridge, US ConsulateDhahran
Mrs. Fatma Azam Ali, Master English
Mr. Abdulrahman Abdulghani Al Khalufi, Prince Mohammad University
Mr. Fakhri Mahmoud Al-Jaafrah, Executive Manager, A merican A cademy
Mr. Mahmoud Abdelaziz, IDP
Mr. Mohamed A. Khalil, US ConsulateDhahran
Mr. Thamer Al Subaiei
Prince Sultan University

35

Diamond Sponsors

Diamond Sponsors:
Al Hammad Group
Cambridge University Press
National Geographic-Cengage
U.S. Consulate

36

Emerald Sponsors

Emerald Sponsors:
ESG
Pearson Publishers

Topaz Sponsors

Topaz Sponsors:
American Academy
British Council
IDP
Master English

37

In alphabetical order:

British Council
Cambridge University Press
IDP
Master English
National Geographic/Cengage
Oxford University Press
Pearson Publishers

38

In alphabetical order:

Al Hammad Group
Al Mana Group
New Horizons CLC
EGA
ESG
Protocol
TQ
University of Dammam

39

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Association of Language Teachers

www.ksaalt.org
40