The English in Southeast Asia (ESEA) Organization has as its main objective the promotion of teaching and research in English language and literature in the Southeast Asia region. The organization is the result of the collaboration between the member institutions in eleven Southeast Asian and Oceanic countries and territories. Like the English in Southeast Asia (ESEA) conferences in the past, the 15th ESEA Conference, organized by the Department of English of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities (FSH) of the University of Macau (UM), will provide a valuable forum for faculty and postgraduate students engaging in research and teaching in English language and literature. The conference will convene in Macao at the University of Macau Library between 9 and 11 December.
The conference this year, with a theme of “Our Diverse Communities”, will feature five keynote speeches to be delivered by world-renowned linguists and English language and literature teaching experts. Prof. Zohreh Sullivan (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA) will share her experience and expertise in the teaching of world literature composed in English, particularly Joseph Conrad’s novels. Prof. David Graddol (City University of Hong Kong) and Prof. K.K. Luke (Nanyang Technological University) will analyze the present and future of Hong Kong English, including its prosodic features. Prof. Salikoko Mufwene (University of Chicago) will outline the role of English as a world lingua franca and explain the importance of English from the perspective of language evolution. Prof. Rod Ellis (University of Auckland, New Zealand), a prominent figure in English as a second/foreign language research, will share his experience and research findings in task-based foreign language teaching and learning.
The first keynote address will be delivered on 9 December between 9:00 and 10:00 a.m. at the STDM Auditorium of the University of Macau Library. Further details of the conference programme and abstracts of the speeches can be found at: http://www.umac.mo/fsh/de/esea_keynote_speakers.htm
Media are cordially invited to this ESEA Conference. For further inquiries, please contact the Information and Public Relations Office of UM at (853) 83974100 or 83974325.