Keynotes

Osman Solmaz, 2025 TESOL Teacher of the Year 
Friday, 21 November, 7:00 – 8:30 a.m. ET

Merging Imagined and Real Worlds: Semiotic Playgrounds for Language Learners

In an age where learners are as likely to express themselves through memes, music remixes, and fanfiction as through essays, language educators are increasingly challenged to meet students where they are—across both real and imagined landscapes. This keynote introduces the pedagogical model of Fictional Linguistic Landscapes in Second Language Teaching and Learning (FLLinL2TL), a framework that merges fan practices with linguistic landscape studies to transform the language classroom into a dynamic space of multimodal exploration, creativity, and critical reflection.

Drawing from classroom-based research and richly illustrated student work inspired by fictional universes like Dune, this talk explores how learners construct and navigate semiotic playgrounds—tattoo designs, election posters, adapted song lyrics, and character-driven social media campaigns—that blur the lines between fiction and reality. These immersive, participatory activities not only foster comprehensive language development, but also empower students to explore questions of identity, power, and sociocultural meaning through narrative design and multimodal composition.

Positioned at the intersection of multiliteracies pedagogy, critical sociolinguistics, and participatory culture, the FLLinL2TL model offers concrete strategies for language teachers to integrate learners’ digital, cultural, and creative worlds into curricular goals. Educators and teacher educators will leave this keynote with new ways of thinking about language learning—ones that honor learners’ voices, extend beyond the classroom, and embrace the rich symbolic terrain where fandom, language, and critical inquiry converge.

About the Speaker

Osman Solmaz is an associate professor at Dicle University, Türkiye. A Fulbright alumnus, he earned his doctorate from the University of Arizona. Throughout his career, he has conducted professional development workshops worldwide, published extensively in respected academic journals, and made significant contributions to both local and global English language teaching initiatives. Beyond the classroom, he has served as vice dean at the Faculty of Education, focusing on student affairs, and currently heads the university’s International Office, playing a key role in the institution’s internationalization efforts.

Neil Anderson

Saturday, 22 November, 5:00 – 6:30 p.m. ET

Preparing Multilingual Learners for Success Through Effective Reading Instruction

Reading is the most important language skill needed for academic success (Stoller, Shin, Grabe, & Conway, in press). Multilingual learners at all levels of education, kindergarten through university and into professional life, need to be successful readers to accomplish the learning and work-related tasks they encounter. It is worth the effort for teachers to acquire the skills needed to provide multilingual readers with a successful learning environment.

Effective reading instruction necessitates that teachers be prepared to integrate the following five principles into instructional practices: (1) providing explicit phonics instruction, (2) establishing clear reading purposes, (3) developing fluent readers, (4) infusing motivational moments into learning, and (5) using Artificial Intelligence appropriately to supplement learning materials.

This presentation focuses on how teachers can increase their skills to integrate these five principles for successful reading instruction of multilingual learners into their repertoire of teaching tools.

About the Speaker

Neil J. Anderson is a professor emeritus of English language teaching at Brigham Young University–Hawaiʻi. Neil also taught at Brigham Young University (Provo, Utah, USA) and Ohio University (Athens, Ohio, USA). His research interests include improving classroom reading instruction, specially building reading fluency; metacognitive awareness training, and learner motivation training. Neil served as president of TESOL International Association from 2001-2002. He also served on the board of directors and as president of The International Research Foundation (TIRF) from 2002-2008. He was a Fulbright Teaching and Research Fellow in Costa Rica (2002-2003) and in Guatemala (2009-2010). Neil has worked with teachers in over 50 countries.