Speaker
Description
This keynote presents findings from a year-long professional development initiative involving over 360 English teachers across the Mekong Delta, aimed at fostering sustainable and globally relevant innovations in English language teaching. Drawing on data from MOOCs, Communities of Practice (CoPs), and teacher reflections, the study examines how large-scale digital learning environments and peer-driven communities can enhance pedagogical transformation in under-resourced contexts. The project explored the integration of inclusive teaching, formative assessment, digital literacy, and communicative language approaches into local classrooms. Teachers adopted strategies such as project-based learning, differentiated instruction, and multimodal assessment, with evidence of increased learner engagement and autonomy. Reflective practices and peer mentoring within CoPs further supported professional growth and knowledge transfer. The findings suggest that when supported by accessible digital tools, localized professional development anchored in collaborative learning can build both teacher agency and instructional sustainability. This study contributes to the discourse on teacher education in the Global South, highlighting scalable pathways for enhancing ELT quality, particularly in rural and semi-urban contexts. It argues for a model of continuous, context-sensitive teacher learning that aligns with global readiness while responding to local educational realities.
Biography
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Phuong Hoang Yen is a lecturer and researcher in English Language Education at Can Tho University, Vietnam. She holds a PhD in Linguistics and an MA in Educational Studies from KU Leuven, Belgium, and a BA in English Language Teaching from Can Tho University. Her academic interests include language assessment, teacher professional development, learner autonomy, and context-responsive innovations in English language teaching. She has contributed to several publications and collaborative projects that explore the practical application of global ELT approaches in Vietnamese classrooms. Dr. Yen is committed to supporting teachers in navigating change and adopting reflective, evidence-informed approaches to teaching. Through her research and community engagement, she continues to explore how locally grounded practices can contribute to wider goals of sustainability and global readiness in English language education.
