Maria Luz Elena N. Canilao is Associate Professor and the current English Department Chair at the Ateneo de Manila University. Her works focus on Philippine Englishes; Global Englishes; translanguanging; trans-speakerism; teacher and learner agency; and language planning and policy. She is an ACELT (Ateneo Center for English Language Teaching) teacher trainer and consultant. She has worked with various institutions including the Department of Education (DepEd), the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and the British Council, Philippines. She is an educator and mentor whose primary advocacy is the empowerment of learners and teachers in multilingual contexts.
In today’s complex and confusing AI age, innovating pedagogical practices is crucial. However, there is NO single formula for doing it, given the different learning needs of our students and the distinct teaching contexts of our educators. What may be effective in my classroom may be useless in yours, and what may be achievable in your classroom may be unworkable in mine because our teaching and learning resources and access to these resources may differ. While we may follow unique paths in realizing our goals, we may all apply the principles of agency, flexibility, and creativity to enhance our ELT (English language teaching) methods in our fast-changing world. By doing so, we may create safe and inclusive spaces for learners and teachers and promote diversity and equity.
Thus, my presentation will focus on case studies drawn from the investigations I have conducted and co-conducted with colleagues to illustrate how agency, flexibility, and creativity in ELT are exercised in both resource-challenged and well-resourced contexts. My research discoveries reveal how the principles of trans-speakerism and translanguaging are employed in empowering learners and teachers. The findings show the factors that impact the way teachers respond to several challenges and how they meet and overcome these situations. I will also discuss the implications for language policies and teacher education and share my reflections on how I have applied these notions in my own classrooms. Moreover, recommendations will be given to inspire teachers in enhancing their approaches and to guide researchers in exploring these fields.