How do you create space for learner voice and choice? In what ways do you build autonomy, foster engagement, or differentiate for diverse needs in your context?

Saturday, 8 November 2025, 8am — 12.30pm

Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Danang

HCMC

Workshops in HCMC

View event photos on Flickr

Scanning for Success: Practical ways of using QR codes in the classroom.

JOHN King

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Abstract

Like a lot of technology, QR codes have slowly made their way into various aspects of our lives over recent years, from scanning advertisements and exploring products to ordering and paying for a simple cup of coffee. But have you ever thought about how this simple tool could be used in the classroom?

In this workshop, I want to share some of the ways I have been experimenting with QR codes in different areas of my own everyday teaching practice at RMIT. There will be the opportunity to explore and discuss authentic materials that show how this technology can help boost learner engagement and participation, can allow for more personalisation and easier differentiation, and can even open the door to completely new types of classroom activities. We’ll also look at practical advice to help you easily bring QR codes into your own classes.

With all these tools and tips, you will hopefully leave the session feeling qualified and ready with some quality resources for quick results in the classroom!

Bio

JOHN King (M.A. Linguistics and German) is a Senior Educator and Curriculum Specialist at RMIT University, where he has been teaching Academic English for just over three years. Before that, he spent another six years teaching teenagers and young adults at different universities and IELTS preparation centres across Ho Chi Minh City.

A fan of quiz shows and boardgames, John loves finding new ways to engage his learners and challenge the way they think about topics, and he is always looking for new tools and resources that support learners to take control of their own learning.

Teaching grammar with awareness of learner needs

MICHAEL Graham

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Abstract

This is a practical session exploring approaches to teaching grammar, covering meaning, form and pronunciation.

We will begin by examining the issues inherent in the way course books approach the topic (read the rules and do the exercises), before establishing the distinction between inductive and deductive approaches to teaching grammar. Participants will then explore the advantages and disadvantages between the two approaches.

The session moves on to examine how meaning is dealt with, exploring the importance of ulitising context and highlighting the significance of using concept checking questions, and timelines (where appropriate). Participants will practice this, as well as participate in a demo and try some drilling themselves. The session will finish with a brief review of form before a review of what we have covered.

The approach in this session is very much task based with plenty of opportunity for participants to discuss and to practice.

Bio

MICHAEL Graham (BA Hons, PGCE, CELTA, DELTA) is a teacher at RMIT university. Prior to working at RMIT, he was a CELTA trainer for 9 years and is an approved DELTA trainer. He has trained teachers in Europe and Asia. He has over 20 years of EFL teaching experience and prior to working in EFL was a qualified primary school teacher in the UK. Michael is interested in catering to learners' needs and providing them with communicative language practice. He also cares deeply about developing teaching skills.

Practicing grammar with awareness of learner needs

MICHAEL Graham

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Abstract

This session is focused on providing meaningful opportunities for language practice, and how teachers can manage these tasks to ensure that learners benefit from them.

We will begin by establishing what controlled and freer practice tasks are, and participants will evaluate a number of tasks, deciding if they are more controlled or more free.

After that, some discussion questions will encourage participants to think about the benefits and issues connected to controlled tasks and about how monitoring and decision making are central to ensuring that learners benefit from these stages.

Participants will share their feelings about freer practice before moving on to discuss why freer practice should be the goal of any grammar lesson, highlighting the fact that if learners cannot use the language they are exposed to in the classroom, the teaching we have done is of limited value.

Teachers will look at a range of problems connected to freer production activities and will discuss together how they might overcome these. Finally, they will look at some language points and consider what kind of tasks would generate the language, before working together to identify what communicative goals could be set, to motivate production.

Bio

Making Production Meaningful: A Student-Centered Framework for Purposeful Language Tasks

TIN Mai

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Abstract

Have you noticed students struggling to engage meaningfully with speaking and writing activities? Many language learners today show a significant gap between their receptive and productive skills, often due to traditional teacher-centered approaches that focus on listening and reading rather than encouraging students to actively speak and write. Students frequently complete production tasks without clear purpose or personal investment, leading to mechanical output rather than authentic communication.

With this challenge in mind, I have developed a research-driven framework that puts students at the center of productive task design. This framework empowers learners to take ownership of their language production by connecting tasks to their interests, needs, and real-world communication goals.

The workshop will begin with some input on the basic parameters of productive practice and why it should be purposeful. After using the framework to critique some example materials, attendees will then design their own task using the framework provided and will reflect on their own teaching practices. Attendees will leave the workshop ready to apply the framework to their own teaching context to increase student production in class.

Bio

TIN Mai, Educator and Study Success Specialist.

Tin is an experienced educator who holds a Master of Arts in Teaching TESOL from the University of Southern California. He currently teaches Academic English at RMIT Vietnam in Saigon. With 13 years of language teaching experience, Tin's areas of interest include researching and implementing strategies to help students become more effective and engaged learners. Tin is passionate about empowering his students to reach their full potential through innovative teaching methods and a learner-centered approach.

Happy Classes Help Teachers Teach and Learners Learn

DAVID Oakley

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Abstract

Positive class rapport enables better student focused learning. When there is increased understanding of how each student prefers to interact, and how they position themselves in a learning environment, each student believes their needs are being addressed, and morale improves overall. Understanding how rapport is lost and gained helps teachers foster a postive classroom experience for all learners.

This workshop is an opportunity to reflect on classroom and student experiences and emerge with an improved direction or refresher on how to make a classroom more pro-active. Takeaways from the session will be simple effective ways to register and manipulate classroom rapport to improve attention in class. The workshop will focus on reasons for loss and gain of class rapport; methods to improve morale; analysis of the structure of a lesson; and an investigation into the different types of students and the flexibility of classroom atmospheres. Participants will analyse theory, share knowledge, and receive guidance on how to regulate and improve the overall classroom atmosphere.

Bio

Mr. DAVID Stuart Oakley MA TESOL, IDLTM, CELTA

Senior Educator SEUP RMIT

David is a senior educator, mentor, mentor advisor in the English Department at RMIT. He is involved with placement testing, advising, teaching, course development, and improvements in materials.

Having taught for 23 years, 17 in Vietnam, 3 in Poland, and 3 in Thailand, David has a wealth of experience that he brings to the department. David has been an examiner for Cambridge ESL, has taught English for Specific Purposes in banking, and logistics,

David presented in Borneo, Malaysia on The Memory Palace Technique, and Teacher Talks RMIT twice before on Vocabulary Acquisition. He is interested in teacher training and neurological differences between different learners.

From Learners to Teachers: Peer Teaching for Student-Centered Vocabulary Acquisition

HAN Ngo

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Abstract

This workshop explores how the peer teaching approach can make vocabulary instruction more engaging and student-centred in English classrooms. Inspired by Joseph Joubert’s observation that “To teach is to learn twice,” participants will experience learning from the student’s perspective by preparing, presenting, and practising new vocabulary with their peers. The session supports the theme of “Putting Learners First” by modelling communicative tasks that encourage learner autonomy, voice, and responsibility. Instead of teacher-led instruction, the workshop demonstrates how students can become active participants in the vocabulary-learning process, using a range of communicative activities that promote genuine interaction and purposeful language use. Attendees will collaborate to design, deliver, and reflect on vocabulary tasks, gaining practical strategies and adaptable resources they can immediately apply in their own teaching contexts. The workshop provides frameworks and guidance for implementing peer teaching, as well as group reflection on the challenges and benefits of active learning. Participants will leave equipped with concrete ideas to enhance vocabulary acquisition and increase learner engagement across different English classroom settings.

Bio

HAN Ngo holds a Master of TESOL and is currently an English Educator at RMIT’s School of English and University Pathways. With eight years of teaching experience and two years in teacher training, he brings a wealth of practical expertise to language education. Han’s professional interests include active learning strategies, critical thinking development, and vocabulary acquisition, alongside testing and assessment practices. He is passionate about fostering student autonomy and implementing innovative approaches to engage learners in diverse teaching contexts.

Asking Good Questions to Enable Student-Centered Practice

ANDREW Tiffany (Cengage)

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Abstract

We believe that engaged students are motivated students, and motivated students have something to say. By engaging students in class with a mix of authentic content and good questions, we can encourage students to speak more and participate more freely in student-centered activities. In this session, we will look at using a range of questions – including lower-order thinking skill questions and higher-order thinking skill questions – to encourage students to produce and practice more language, especially by speaking. We will also share ideas for setting up these activities with the kinds of scaffolded support that students might need to engage more fully, so that they will do more and practice more in class. We will also share ideas with each other; be sure to bring along your own activity ideas and be ready to listen to others, so you have more activities to take back to your own classes after this event.

Bio

ANDREW Tiffany is a Senior Academic Consultant and teacher trainer for National Geographic Learning. Andrew has over 30 years of teaching experience, with 20 of these focused on teaching and teacher training in Asia. He has a Masters degree, TEFL certifications, and has worked with both EFL learners and international school learners from PreK-12, both in English and subject content, including IB & AP courses and international exams like the SAT, ACT and TOEFL).

Andrew has taught some complex subjects such as physics or math in the past, and he tries to share ideas in simple ways that make sense to his learners. He also tries to find ways to engage and motivate students through the content that they are working with. Andrew is active internationally in Learning and Development with teachers and other professionals, working on ways to modernize learning assets and methods.

Hanoi

Workshops in Hanoi

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Putting Learners First: Creating Student-Centered Classrooms

NICHOLAS Skews

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Abstract

An interactive workshop that explores practical strategies for transforming classrooms into dynamic, student-centered learning environments. The workshop will examine how shifting the focus from teacher-led instruction to learner-driven engagement fosters autonomy, critical thinking, and deeper understanding. Participants will explore ways to adapt their methods to diverse student needs and learning styles.

Through interactive activities, collaborative discussion, and real-world examples, we will investigate how to design lessons that encourage active participation, peer collaboration, and authentic problem-solving. Three featured activities include: (1) a Lesson Re-Design Challenge, where participants adapt a teacher-led lesson into a student-centered one; (2) Student Voice Mapping, to brainstorm ways students can shape learning goals and assessment; and (3) a Choice & Challenge Menu, designing differentiated tasks that cater to varied abilities and interests.

The session will also address common challenges in implementing student-centered approaches, such as managing varied abilities, balancing curriculum requirements, and fostering intrinsic motivation. Educators will leave with a toolkit of adaptable strategies, ready-to-use classroom activities, and a clearer understanding of how to cultivate an inclusive learning culture where students are active co-creators in the educational process.

Bio

NICHOLAS Skews is Learning and Teaching Lead at SEUP in Hanoi. He has been teaching at RMIT for over 5 years and has taught for over a decade across four different countries. He has a passion for teacher training and development. He has also presented at conferences in Vietnam, Cambodia and South Korea on various topics from textbook adaptation to teacher-led professional development. He holds multiple certificates from Cambridge University and International House, a diploma from the University of Queensland, a bachelor's degree from the University of Roehampton and a master’s from the university of Sunderland.

KAPOW! Using Comic Book Language and AI to Smash IELTS.

PAUL Stanton

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Abstract

English language learners, especially younger learners, are sometimes bombarded with academic texts and course books that they often find boring and puts them under a lot of pressure. This can lead to students feeling demotivated and stressed in their English or IELTS lessons. However, many educators are sometimes unaware of the power of Manga and the positive effects these comics books have on our students here in Vietnam. Manga and Anime are so heavily ingrained in our students' lives that these could be exploited. By tailoring our IELTS lessons to incorporate Manga with the help of Chat GPT, teachers can make a much more encouraging learning environment and see our students become more excited, more motivated and learn the language necessary for a high achievement in the IELTS test.

This workshop will share successful tried and tested classroom activities that exploit Manga comics in conjunction with Chat GPT, which could help learners learn language more effectively and deeply; becoming more fluent in the process. Participants will leave the session with practical ideas of how to use and exploit comic books and AI platforms so their learners can learn new language points and improve all the four skills in English.

Bio

PAUL Stanton is an English Language Educator with RMIT University and teacher trainer with over 17 years’ experience of teaching in Vietnam within academic institutions and private language centers. He holds an MA in TESOL and Second Language Acquisition, a Cambridge DELTA, as well as a CELTA. Due to the power of reading Manga comic books over the years, he is now fluent in Vietnamese.

From Correction to Connection: Feedback Habits that Empower Learners

MATT Kelly

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Abstract

Formative assessment is often referred to as “assessment for learning,” but in busy classrooms it’s easy for it to take a back seat to tests and final tasks.

This session brings the focus back to how ongoing feedback can really make a difference to learners’ progress. Using examples from everyday classroom practice, I’ll share simple, low-prep ways to check understanding, keep track of learning, and guide students step by step.

We’ll look at how to build in quick checks for understanding and feedback at different points in an activity, not just at the end. Small, well-timed moments of feedback can stop confusion before it spreads, boost learner confidence, and keep students actively involved. The session also draws on ideas from critical pedagogy, treating feedback not as top-down correction but as a dialogue that empowers learners to take more ownership of their learning.

Participants will leave with practical strategies they can adapt straight away, showing how formative assessment and effective feedback can turn everyday classroom tasks into real learning opportunities.

Bio

MATT Kelly is Academic English Manager for the English for University Program at SEUP, Saigon South Campus. With 15 years’ teaching experience in England, Vietnam, and Japan, he has worked across pre-sessional courses, teacher training departments, language centres, and publishing companies. At SEUP, he has also served as National Coordinator for the New Initiatives Department. Matt is particularly interested in teacher development and approaches that empower learners, encourage reflection, and foster collaborative classrooms where students take an active role in their own learning.

Integrating Employability Skills into the English Classroom: Practical Strategies for Student-Centered Learning

BRETT Blumenthal (Pearson)

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Abstract

In today’s fast-changing world of work, English proficiency alone is no longer enough. Employers increasingly value human skills such as collaboration, critical thinking, and communication—skills that enable learners to thrive in both academic and professional contexts. At the same time, English teachers are asking: how can these future skills be taught, practiced, and assessed within the language classroom?

This interactive workshop explores practical ways to integrate employability skills into everyday English lessons. Drawing on Pearson’s Global Scale of English (GSE) and Skills Development Framework, participants will examine how soft skills can be mapped to language objectives and embedded in classroom tasks. Together, we will explore activities that connect core ELT practices with future-focused skills, including a collaborative brainstorming activity on adapting “Collaboration” for the classroom. Teachers will leave with concrete strategies and ready-to-use examples from Pearson courses such as English Code, Focus, and Business Partner.

By the end of the workshop, participants will have experienced how small changes to familiar activities can help learners build both their English and their employability—ensuring classrooms truly put learners first.

Bio

BRETT Blumenthal is a DELTA-qualified education consultant and Regional Teacher Development Manager at Pearson. With over 20 years of teaching and leadership experience in Vietnam and the U.S., he specializes in teacher training, product integration, and curriculum development. Brett has delivered workshops and training sessions across diverse educational contexts and managed academic programs at leading institutions in Vietnam. He is passionate about empowering educators and enhancing student outcomes by integrating innovative methodologies with practical classroom strategies. His current focus is supporting teachers across Southeast Asia to create student-centered, future-ready classrooms.

Danang

Workshops in Danang

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Used Correctly: AI’s Potential to Tutor and Empower Language Learner Autonomy in IELTS Speaking

DANIEL Almon

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Abstract

According to globally released IELTS data for 2023-2024, speaking received the lowest average score for Vietnamese test-takers.

Tutoring is an effective means to address this due to in-depth relationships formed between tutors and students, identifying issues then tailoring educational interventions. While most cannot have unlimited access to 1:1 speaking tutoring, increasing numbers can download AI platforms supplementing language learning on smart devices.

In this workshop, we will explore AI’s potential to be optimized into the role of an IELTS speaking examiner. This exploration extends into AI as a tutor, providing individualized feedback (grammar & vocabulary) through analyzing the transcripts of the ChatGPT logged conversations, although there are constraints. However, with guided use, these limitations can actually promote learner autonomy and critical thinking skills.

By the end of this workshop, attendees will use prompts to make ChatGPT act more similarly to IELTS speaking examiners; experiment with using ChatGPT as a speaking examiner, including asking suitable follow-up questions for Speaking Part 3 topics; and critically examine the feedback from ChatGPT.

Bio

DANIEL Almon is an English language teaching professional with over 15 years of experience in the field, with approximately 13 years in Vietnam; first in HCMC (2 years), Hanoi (3.5 years), and currently living in Danang (7.5 years). He is currently an educator at RMIT and has created and delivered multiple workshops representing IDP as an IELTS expert, in addition to other private ventures. Notable previous institutions he has worked for includes the British Council Hanoi (Academic Coordinator for their adult, IELTS, and high school offerings), ILA (Senior Teacher), and Toin University of Yokohama through Westgate.

Dan has built on his Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology (First Class Honours) with the CELTA (Pass A) teaching qualification and the DELTA (Diploma in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). Moreover, he has been experimenting with enhancing learning with technology for almost a decade now, and how EdTech has the potential to empower learner autonomy.

Application of Technology to Differentiate Instruction for Students in English Classes

Nguyễn Thị Thuỳ LINH

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Abstract

Students differ in many aspects, not only language proficiency. Even when students are placed into classes according to their English level, they still vary in their interests, motivation, and learning styles. As a result, it is important for teachers to take these differences into consideration in order to maximise the learning opportunities of all students. This workshop will present a practical, technology-supported approach to differentiate instruction for English classes. First of all, in Part 1, the rationale for differentiation would be explained. Then, the workshop would clarify what to differentiate, including content, process, and product of the teaching, with concrete examples in practice. Finally, Part 3 of the workshop would demonstrate how specific technology functions would be useful for teachers reaching differentiated instruction. Participants will leave with a Differentiation Planning Worksheet that maps learner profiles to Content–Process–Product options and aligns each with the potentially appropriate technological tools.

Bio

Nguyễn Thị Thuỳ LINH is a lecturer at VNUK Institute for Research and Executive Education, The University of Danang, teaching English and soft skill subjects. She holds a Master’s degree in Educational Sciences and is currently pursuing a PhD (in first year), focusing on teachers’ professional competence in technological use. With nearly 15 years’ experience teaching English across upper-secondary and tertiary contexts, she strongly believes that learners are different, and learner autonomy is essential for long-term effectiveness of education. Her interests include teacher education, technological application, and English for Academic Purposes (EAP). Linh’s work aims to make technology purposeful in language classrooms.

Collaborative Approaches to Teach Students to Understand Cohesion in Texts

Phan Thị Mỹ LINH & JACK Patrick Crean

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Abstract

In Vietnam, and in many other countries, approaches to reading are often heavily focused on test strategies, such as preparing learners for the various IELTS reading question types. What is less commonly taught is how to understand cohesion in texts, often referred to as the glue that keeps texts together. Understanding how different features of textual cohesion connect ideas in texts allows students to better understand overall meaning and textual flow and sequencing. In the long run, this empowers them to better understand texts and therefore have more success with comprehension tasks.

This workshop will showcase a number of cohesion-focused mini lessons that teachers can integrate into their own reading classes for elementary level and above. They allow students to understand cohesion within and between sentences through collaborative scanning and analysis of vocabulary referencing and substitution, pronominal referencing, referencing in relative clauses, and understanding cohesive device and subordinate conjunction functions.

Attendees will leave this session with a framework to present cohesive features in texts to learners, as well as engaging and collaborative mini activities they can facilitate in their classrooms to help their learners comprehend this crucial reading skill.

Bio

Phan Thị Mỹ LINH (BA International Studies, BA English, CELTA) is a Student Engagement and Administrative Officer at RMIT Danang with over eight years of experience in English education and academic administration. She has taught IELTS, TOEIC, and Communicative English to learners ranging from secondary students to working professionals and has guided many to achieve their IELTS targets. At RMIT, Linh has contributed to academic administration, study club coordination and management, program development, teacher support, and TA training. Her areas of interest include student engagement and motivation, individualized learning strategies, and fostering learner autonomy.

Jack Patrick Crean is a 28-year-old Irish educator living in Danang. He has 7 years of teaching experience in Vietnam (4 years in Public and International School teaching and 3.5 years in RMIT Vietnam). In the School of English and University Pathways in RMIT Vietnam, he teaches IELTS, TEEN, and Corporate Business English courses and is also a Professional Learning Specialist. He holds a bachelor's degree in history and English, a master's degree in education, a CELTA, and a U.S District of Colombia teaching license in Physical Education and ESOL. Jack is passionate about improving student motivation in the classroom by making the learning environment engaging and inclusive for all students, and by empowering students to become autonomous and independent learners who are ready for university and the working world.

Empowering Learners: Promoting Student Agency in the Classroom

Trần Thị THANH

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Abstract

Student agency is the key driver in creating a student-centered classroom. When students are empowered to make their choices, to set their personal goals and take responsibility for their learning process, they not only enhance their academic performance and critical thinking skills but also build their resilience and intrinsic motivation.

This session will explore the concept of student agency, highlight its importance in nurturing lifelong learners, and share some practical strategies to design learning experiences that promote autonomy, voice, and choice. The presentation will focus on the integration of these strategies into everyday English classrooms through progressive scaffolding – starting with guided support and gradually releasing responsibility to students. Participants will experience hands-on activities such as designing personalized learning pathways, co-constructing success criteria, and using feedback to promote critical thinking skills.

By the end of the session, participants will leave with actionable takeaways: templates for scaffolding agency, a toolkit of ready-to-implement activities designed to create student-centered classrooms where students feel seen, heard, and empowered to shape their own learning journey.

Bio

Trần Thị THANH is the Managing Director of Sky-Line Global School, Head of English Department & Vice Principal of Sky-Line School. She is an experienced educator with over 15 years of experience in ESL. She has background and experience in ESL teaching in both schools and language centres. With extensive experience in teaching and teacher training, she is passionate about innovative pedagogy and student-centered learning. She is committed to improving English language education across diverse learning contexts in Vietnam.

Saturday, 8 November 2025, 8am — 12.30pm

Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Danang

Workshops in HCMC

Scanning for Success: Practical ways of using QR codes in the classroom.

Workshops in Hanoi

Putting Learners First: Creating Student-Centered Classrooms

Workshops in Danang

Used Correctly: AI’s Potential to Tutor and Empower Language Learner Autonomy in IELTS Speaking

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