Keynote Speakers

PROF. DR. GONCA YANGIN EKŞİ

Gonca Yangın Ekşi is a Professor in English Language Teaching (ELT) in the Department of Foreign Language Education, Gazi University where she teaches several undergraduate and graduate courses and supervises MA and PhD dissertations. She received her MA in ELT in Hacettepe University, Department of ELT and she holds her PhD in ELT in Gazi University. She has worked in a number of projects including the national project for the development of the national English curriculum for Primary and Secondary schools. She managed an Erasmus KA2 Project with distinguished universities in Turkey and abroad. She has published various research articles nationally and internationally focusing on teaching and learning English as a foreign language. Her research interests include computer-assisted language learning, pre- and inservice teacher education, curriculum and materials development, teaching skills and language components, young learners, use of corpus in language teaching. 

PROF. DR. HASAN BEDİR

Prof. Dr. Hasan Bedir is a graduate of ELT Department Faculty of Education, Cukurova University.  He completed his MA and Ph.D at the same university. He did postdoctoral research at Leed University on teacher education. He is teaching Educational Research Methods, Teaching English to Young Learners and Material Evaluation and Development at undergraduate level; Research Methods and 21^st Century Skills in ELT at MA; Global Citizenship&Education for Sustainable Development and Current Trends in Teacher Education at Ph.D. levels. 

PROF. DR. HACER HANDE UYSAL

Hacer Hande Uysal is a professor at Hacettepe University, the Department of Foreign Language Education, Ankara, Turkey. She received her master’s degree on English Education and her Ph.D. in Foreign Language and ESL Education from The University of Iowa, United States. She served as the founding editor-in-chief in the Journal of Language Teaching and Learning for five years. She also established and directed the Gazi English academic writing and research center. She has published internationally on second language writing, contrastive rhetoric, language policy, and early language education. She directed an ERASMUS+ project named “A Web and School-based Professional Development Project for Foreign Language Teachers of Young Learners” funded by the European Commission (www.sbateyl.org) which resulted in creation of an on-line educational program for early language teachers. 

PROF. DR. ABDULVAHİT ÇAKIR

Prof. Dr. Abdulvahit Çakır graduated from the ELT Department of Gazi Teacher Training College, got his BA degree in Linguistics from Hacettepe University and did his MSc. in Applied Linguistics in the University of Edinburgh. He got his Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics from Gazi University.

Dr. Çakır worked as a professor in the ELT Department of the Faculty of Education and as the director of the College of Foreign Languages, both in Gazi University. He taught English at various secondary schools before starting to teach at the university.  He was a course designer in The State Planning Organisation from 1987 till 1994. He taught Turkish to French students at the University of Human Sciences in Strasbourg between 1995 and 1997. He worked as a member of the Science Board of the Turkish Historical Society between 2018-2021. He is currently a member of the teaching staff at the Faculty of Education in Ufuk University. He is also the head of the Applied Linguistics Association, and the editor of the LTTL journal.

He won several grants or scholarships including Fulbright in 1981 (New York Summer School), British Council in 1982 (MSc in the University of Edinburgh), State Planning Organisation in 1988 and in 1989 (Public Administration and Privatisation Seminars in London and Geneva, USIS in 1993 (TESOL Atlanta and visits to American Universities)

Dr. Çakır presented several papers on language teaching at international conferences. He supervised many MA and PhD theses. He is the author of many scientific articles and the co-author of several books.

ASSOC. PROF. DR. S. İPEK KURU GÖNEN

S. İpek KURU GÖNEN is an Associate Professor at the Department of English Language Teaching (ELT) at the Faculty of Education, Anadolu University-Turkey. She teaches various courses related to foreign language teacher education at both undergraduate and graduate levels supervising MA and Ph.D dissertations as well. Her research interests center on reflective practices in teacher education, technology and language learning/teaching, teaching language skills, and affective factors in foreign language education. She has published various articles nationally and internationally and has worked for national/ international projects regarding foreign language education. Her recent professional endeavors focus on mindfulness in learning and teaching mindfulness practices in foreign language teacher education.

ASSOC. PROF. DR. TAMAR DOLIDZE

Dr. Tamar Dolidze has been actively involved in the activity of academic, government and CSO organizations in Georgia, formerly working as a Chief Specialist at the International Relations Department of Ajara A/R Government, currently occupying the position of Chief Adviser at the International Relations Department of the Constitutional Court of Georgia. Dr. Tamar Dolidze is an Associate Professor of Batumi State Maritime Academy (Georgia), Faculty of Business and Management. Since 2020 she has been elected as an Associate Professor of the Online University – Pegaso International Group (based in Malta) with a subject: Communications and Language Philosophy. Dr. Tamari Dolidze has also been a guest lecturer/visiting professor (Legal English and Business Communications) at foreign universities, participant of Erasmus Teaching Mobility Program; She is a reviewer of the International Journal of Linguistics, Language and Culture, and organizational committee member of Eurasian Multidisciplinary Forum (ESI); A member of the Editorial team of the International Journal of Knowledge and Learning (IJKL) and International Journal of Digital Humanities (Scopus Indexed). She is an Invited /Plenary Speaker at a number of International Conferences and Webinars.

ASSOC. PROF. DR. CHRISTINE COOMBE

Christine Coombe has a Ph.D in Foreign/Second Language Education from The Ohio State University.  She is currently an Associate Professor of General Studies at HCT, Dubai Men's College.  She is the former Testing and Measurements Supervisor at UAE University and Assessment Coordinator of Zayed University. Christine has published 50+ books in various topics in TESOL/ELT.  Dr Coombe serves as the editor of Language Teaching Research Quarterly (2017 to present) and as the Editor of the Scopus-indexed Q1 Brief Reports section of the Asia TEFL Journal (2016 to present). 

Christine has lived and worked in the Gulf for the past 28 years.  In this capacity, she has served as the President and Conference Chair of TESOL Arabia, formerly one of the largest TESOL affiliates in the world.  During her tenure in the Middle East, she has won many awards including: 2002 Spaan Fellowship for Research in Second/Foreign Language Assessment; 2002-03 TOEFL Outstanding Young Scholar Award; TOEFL Board Grant for 2003-04, 2005-06, 2007-08 and 2009-10 for her work in delivering assessment training assessment in developing countries. She served on the TESOL Board of Directors as Convention Chair for Tampa 2006 and was the recipient of the Chancellor’s Teacher of the Year for 2003-04.  She served as TESOL International Association President (2011-2012) and was a member of the TESOL Board of Directors (2010-2013).  Christine received the British Council’s International Assessment Award for 2013 and was named to TESOL’s 50@50 which “recognizes professionals who have made significant contributions to the TESOL profession within the past 50 years.” Dr Coombe is the 2018 recipient of the James E. Alatis Award which recognizes exemplary service to TESOL.  Her most recent honor was being named to the US Department of State’s 30@30 English language specialists in 2021.  This list recognizes ElSpecs who have made an impact on the teaching and training of English language teachers around the world in the last 30 years. 

ASSOC. PROF. DR. ANIL RAKICIOĞLU-SÖYLEMEZ

Anıl Rakıcıoğlu-Söylemez is an associate professor at Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University, Turkey. She received her BA and MA in English Language Teaching from Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University, and she holds a Ph.D. degree from Middle East Technical University in the field of English Language Teaching. She has been a teacher educator in the Department of Foreign Language Education at national and international institutions for more than 15 years. She offers various foreign language teacher education courses at undergraduate and graduate levels. Her research interests include the psychology of foreign language learning and teaching, pre-service teacher education, and professional learning opportunities of practicum experience.

CLAUDIA LOPES

Claudia Lopes has been involved in the educational sector for over 30 years, in a variety of contexts including teaching, teacher training, materials development, and delivering workshops and lectures. She is a psychologist and holds a specialization in psychopedagogy, an MBA in marketing, and is a certified media and information literacy trainer. A strong believer in continuous professional development, her main interests are Active Methodologies and the Science of Learning.

Currently, she is a post-grad student in Neuroscience, Education, and Child Development and works as a Professional Development Consultant at Oxford University Press.