HKU-NCL Joint Webinar (Nov 27th, 2025)

Abstract

Talk 1: Measuring Thai Medical Teachers’ Readiness for English-Medium Instruction (by Dr. Navaporn Snodin)

Abstract

English-medium instruction (EMI) is becoming increasingly common in medical education across Thailand, yet how ready medical teachers feel to teach through English and how they navigate the realities of EMI classrooms remains underexplored. This talk draws on a mixed-methods study investigating Thai medical educators’ readiness and lived experiences with EMI. I will highlight emerging patterns from both survey and interview data that reveal the complexity of teaching medicine in multilingual, internationalised contexts. Rather than focusing solely on the English language, the discussion invites reflection on how institutional policies, disciplinary norms, and classroom practices intersect to shape inclusion and instructional quality. The talk will consider what meaningful support for EMI teachers might look like in practice and how such initiatives could strengthen international medical education in Thailand and beyond.

Talk 2: The vocabulary teacher’s competencies (VTC) framework (by Dr. Clarence Green)

Abstract
How do we best train k-12 teachers to deliver high quality vocabulary instruction? This question motivated me and Professor Averil Coxhead (developer of the Academic Wordlist) to conceptualise a competency framework for effective vocabulary teaching. In this talk, I’ll discuss our proposed Vocabulary Teachers’ Competencies (VTC) framework, based on an integrative review of consensus areas around the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that support effective vocabulary teaching. The VTC organizes teacher training into three domains: 1) Knowledge of Vocabulary Research and Resources, 2) Vocabulary Analysis and Instructional Skills, and 3) Professional and Socio-cultural Capabilities. Each domain involves six competencies. The VTC provides a flexible, non-prescriptive reference point for teachers and teacher-educators that can adapt to evolving research. This framework can support program planning in pre-service teacher preparation, serve as a self-assessment tool for individual teachers, and guide in-service professional development. By thinking through the competencies that teachers need to deliver effective vocabulary, the VTC aims most of all to enhance classroom outcomes for students.

Speaker

About the Speaker

Navaporn Snodin is Lecturer in Cross-Cultural Communication at Newcastle University, UK, where she is teaching English in the World and Language & Intercultural Communication modules. She has published in various books and journals, including World Englishes, Asian Englishes, Asia Pacific Journal of Education, the Oxford Handbook of Southeast Asian Englishes, the Routledge Handbook of English Language Teacher Education, and the Critical Intercultural and English Language Issues in the Internationalisation of Higher Education.

Dr Clarence Green is an Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education, University of Hong Kong. His research focusses on vocabulary, literacy, first and second language acquisition, and language psychology. He holds a PhD in Linguistics (University of Melbourne), and was formerly a k-12 teacher (Victorian Institute of Teachers, Ontario College of Teachers). He is Associate Editor of the Asia Pacific Journal of Education, and Pedagogies and editorial board member of the Journal of English for Academic Purposes, Journal of Psycholinguistic Research and the Australian Journal of Linguistics. He is the recipient of the 2025 UKLA/Wiley Research in Literacy Education Award.

Date

Nov 27th 2025

Time

5-6 PM (HKT)

Location

Zoom