Speaker
Description
As Vietnam repositions English from a foreign language to a second language and expands English-medium instruction (EMI), educators face a critical question: how can technology enrich learning without weakening the core skills learners must develop for themselves? This issue is especially important at a time when digital tools and AI can improve access, feedback, efficiency, and engagement, but can also reduce opportunities for students to build authentic language ability, writing competence, creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and learner agency.
This session examines how educators can distinguish between technology that supports learning and technology that diminishes skill development. It offers principles and practical suggestions for designing tasks, classroom interaction, and assessment in ways that preserve authentic student thinking, communication, and independence while making purposeful use of digital and AI tools. The session concludes with recommendations for teachers, school leaders, and policymakers seeking to support Vietnam’s ESL transition in ways that are pedagogically sound, contextually appropriate, and sustainable.
Biography
Andrew Tiffany – Manager, Regional Academic Services – National Geographic Learning
Andrew Tiffany is the Manager, Regional Academic Services, for National Geographic Learning in Asia. 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, multiple TEFL certifications, and has worked with both EFL learners and international school learners from ages PreK-12, both in English and subject content such as IB & AP courses and international exams like the SAT, ACT and TOEFL exams.
Andrew has taught some complex subjects such as physics and 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 to make learning more enjoyable and more effective.
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