Speakers

Plenary Speakers

Stephen Krashen

Stephen Krashen received a PhD. in Linguistics from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1972. Krashen has among papers (peer-reviewed and not) and books, more than 486 publications, contributing to the fields of second-language acquisition, bilingual education, and reading. He is known for introducing various hypotheses related to second-language acquisition, including the acquisition-learning hypothesis, the input hypothesis, the monitor hypothesis, the affective filter, and the natural order hypothesis. Most recently, Krashen promotes the use of free voluntary reading during second-language acquisition, which he says "is the most powerful tool we have in language education, first and second."

Rod Ellis

Rod Ellis is Research Professor in Curtin University (Australia), visiting professor at Shanghai International Studies University and Emeritus Distinguished Professor of the University of Auckland. He is also a fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand. He has written extensively on second language acquisition and task-based language teaching. His most recent (co-authored) book is Task-based Language Teaching: Theory and Practice (2020) published by Cambridge University Press.

Featured Speakers

Deborah Short

DEBORAH J. SHORT, Ph.D. is TESOL International Association’s President for 2020-2021. She founded and directs Academic Language Research & Training and provides professional development to educators on content-based ESL/EFL, sheltered instruction, and academic literacy worldwide. As a division director at the Center for Applied Linguistics, she co-developed the research-validated SIOP Model for sheltered instruction. She has directed research and evaluation studies on English learners and program designs for the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Rockefeller Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Her publications include The 6 Principles books (TESOL International Association), the SIOP Model books (Pearson), Reach Higher and other ESL textbooks for primary and secondary students (National Geographic Learning), and research articles in professional journals such as TESOL Quarterly , Language Teaching Research, Theory Into Practice, and EURASIA Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education.

Dr. Short received her doctorate in bilingual/multicultural education from George Mason University (Virginia). She served on TESOL’s Board of Directors (2013-16) and taught ESL/EFL in New York, California, Virginia, and Zaire (DR Congo). She has presented at conferences around the U.S. and in Canada, Europe, South America, the Middle East, China, and New Zealand.

Shaikha Al Remaihi

Shaikha Al-Remaihi is the Head of English at the Educational Supervision Department of the Ministry of Education & Higher Education, Qatar. She manages language specialists overseeing English departments in public schools. Most of her experience as a teacher was at the secondary stage. She worked as a supervisor for 3 years and was responsible for developing a training program for English coordinators in the semi-independent schools in Qatar. She was the head of the “English language Curriculum Standards & Resources Committee“, which was launched in 2016-2017. She has presented as invited, featured and plenary speaker in recognized national conferences and was a featured panelist at 2015 Qatar TESOL international conference.
Her goal as a HOD is to provide all the support needed to attain excellence in the teaching of English language that would enable students in public schools to develop skills required to join the labor market and/or enroll in higher educational institutions. Shaikha holds a Bachelor of Art degree in English language from Qatar University and a Diploma in Counselling.

Harry Kuchah

Harry Kuchah Kuchah is Lecturer in Language education at the University of Leeds. He has also been involved in a range of teacher education and materials development initiatives in sub-Saharan Africa, South East Asia and Europe. More recently, he has served as a consultant with the Council of Europe in Albania, with Windle Trust International in South Sudan and with the British Council in Afghanistan, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea and Senegal. Harry was recognised as one of TESOL International Association’s 30 upcoming leaders in ELT globally in 2016. He is currently President of IATEFL, Joint Coordinator of the Teaching English in Large Classes international network (TELCNet) and member of the British Council English language Advisory Group. His research interests include Teaching English to young learners, English medium education, language teacher education and context appropriate pedagogies and he has published in these areas.

Andy Curtis

Dr. Andy Curtis received his M.A. in Applied Linguistics and English Language Education, and his Ph.D. in International Education, both from the University of York in England. He has been the Director of the English Language Teaching Unit at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and the Executive Director of the School of English at Queen’s University in Canada. He is currently teaching online within the Graduate School of Education at Anaheim University, based in California, USA. From 2015 to 2016, he served as the 50th President of the TESOL International Association. In 2016, he received one of the Association’s 50-at-50 Awards, when he was voted one of the Fifty Most Influential Figures in the Field, over the last 50 years. Over the last 30 years, he has published 150 articles, book chapters and books, and worked with more than 50,000 language educators in more than 50 countries. In recent years, he has been at the forefront of the development of two new fields, Peace Linguistics, and Virtual Reality for Language Education. He is based in Ontario, Canada, from where he works with language education organizations all over the world.

Dudely Reynolds

Dudley Reynolds is Co-Area Head of Arts and Sciences and Teaching Professor of English at Carnegie Mellon University Qatar. He served as President of TESOL International Association in 2016-2017 and has been a teacher and researcher of multilingual language learners for over 30 years working primarily with learners of English. In addition to language education policy, his research addresses developmental patterns in additional language learning, curricular and pedagogical approaches to literacy development, teacher education and learning.

Shelly Sanchez

Shelly Sanchez Terrell (@ShellTerrell) is an award winning digital innovator, international speaker, and the author of Hacking Digital Learning: Ways to Launch EdTech Missions, The 30 Goals Challenge for Teachers, Teacher Reboot Camp, and Learning to Go. She has trained teachers and taught learners in over 20 countries as a guest expert and ambassador for the U.S. Embassy. She was named Woman of the Year by the National Association of Professional Women and received a Bammy Award as the founder of #Edchat. Her greatest joy is being the mother of Savannah. She currently enjoys being a STEM teacher and curriculum writer for Harmony Schools District in Houston, Texas, as well as an adjunct professor for graduate courses helping teachers integrate technology effectively.

Okon Effiong

Okon teaches English in the Foundation Program, Qatar University. Before Qatar, Okon taught in Nigeria, UK and Japan. He is a member of the Board of Directors, TESOL International Association and was the Chair of the Diversity & Inclusion Committee, Chair-elect of EFL Interest Section and a member of Nominating Committee of TESOL International Association. He is the Founder and Past President of Africa TESOL and was the President of Qatar TESOL (2014/15). 
Okon has presented as invited, featured and plenary speaker at internationally recognized conferences in different parts of the world. His research interests are in foreign language anxiety, task-based learning and professional associations. He has published in peer-reviewed journals and co-edited a volume on the Role of language Teacher Associations in Professional Development (Springer, 2018).
Okon is passionate about professional development of English language teachers and has, in the past five years, been actively involved in organizing international conferences in Qatar and Africa. He holds a PhD in Applied Linguistics from University of Southampton, UK. He also has an MSc in Applied Genetics, MA TESOL, and a PG Diploma in Management and Information Technology.