Category: NEAS News

Read all about it!

Posted on | by Ed Itor

Both at home and globally, NEAS has been engaged in a plethora of activity on behalf of its valued members.

On the home front we have been deep-diving into our 2023 – 2026 Strategic Plan to be discussed further at this year’s NEAS Management Conference. Our Member Engagement Strategy was launched at the beginning of this year 2023 and has produced independent, informative insights into the ELT sector’s wellbeing and integrity. Some areas of good health and recommendations for further nourishment have been identified and NEAS’ response is underway.

Within our ELT community at home, the COPs are thriving, and the QA Standards are being upheld via fruitful discussion. Don’t forget that you too can get involved and become part of any of the COPs, which you will find on the NEAS website here.

In the lead up to the conference, the free Ukraine Workshop Series scheduled for 18 April 2023 is coming together and elements of the Workshop Series will be released from mid-March. This is part of a three-pronged engagement plan in support of Ukraine and we will be meeting the Ambassador of Ukraine, His Excellency Mr Vasyl Myroshnychenko there as well as at the NEAS Management Conference, where he will present the Closing Plenary.  

Overseas, our NEAS CEO, Dr Patrick Pheasant, conducted Management Meetings and Onsite Visits to the campuses of the Australian Centre for Education (ACE) in Cambodia, during a recent visit in February that also involved Dr Pheasant’s speaking engagement at the annual CamTESOL Conference. NEAS was the proud sponsor of this year’s CamTESOL Conference, which featured presentations by local and international experts, researchers and teachers of English.

Next week in Bangkok, Thailand Dr Pheasant will be presenting at the Asia-Pacific Association for International Education (APAIE) Conference, which is being held in partnership with Mahidol University from 13-17 March 2023. At the conference delegates from around the world will share best practice and learn more about the innovative ways in which Asia Pacific universities are partnering across the region and with the world. Dr Pheasant will be presenting on behalf of NEAS together with AUN Secretariat Dr Choltis Dhirathiti and Mr Michael Faye from Asian Australian Education Dialogue (AAED). The theme of their presentation is Partnering with Purpose, chaired by Julie Wilkens McMahon, Regional Director (APAC),Times Higher Education, Australia.

March 2023

Congratulations to Australian Centre for Education (ACE) Cambodia!

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An initiative of IDP Education, ACE has established its position as the premier provider of English Language Teaching (ELT) in Cambodia. Now operating six campuses (five in Phnom Penh and one in Siem Reap), ACE was the first ELT college in Cambodia to achieve NEAS Quality Endorsement. The Centres deliver a wide range of English language courses to students of different ages, from younger learners to adults. The campuses returned to face-to-face delivery at the start of 2022 and total enrolments have returned to 2019 figures. Approximately 25,000 students are currently enrolled, with some 70% being Under 18. The campuses benefit from active and effective marketing, as well as a strong social media presence. Drawing on 30 years of distinguished operations, ACE has established its reputation as a leading ELT provider in the country.

Congratulations to ACE on its continued growth and success!

March 2023

Conference Countdown – 7 weeks away!

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NEAS Lifetime Member Award

With just seven weeks before the start of the 2023 NEAS Management Conference we are excited to throw this spotlight on the NEAS Lifetime Member Award.

The annual NEAS Management Conference sees the presentation of many different awards, but the most prestigious award is the NEAS Lifetime Member Award. Since its inauguration in 2019 there have been four, highly regarded recipients. They are NEAS members who have shown distinguished, meritorious, and sustained service to the ELT Sector and to NEAS and its Quality Endorsement and Assurance process in ELT. 

By popular demand we have extended this year’s Lifetime Award nomination period to 31 March 2023!

This award reflects the quality ideals that NEAS stands for and if you are thinking about nominating someone for this award, we would like to propose the following guidelines – they are by no means prescriptive, but that may help you nominate. 

For example, your nominee should have at least 15 years of English language teaching, leadership and contribution to the ELT community; a demonstrated impact (over time or distance) on building capacity, communication or advocacy by upholding the NEAS quality assurance standards; achieved something significant, such as a great outcome overcoming resistance or challenge while delivering great QA results; driven QA initiatives across multiple NEAS QA Areas, influencing significant cultural change; contributed to and/or delivered a legacy item for the ELT industry. 

Let’s not miss any silent achievers that we know of, in the nomination process! Legacy is one thing that you can’t buy but is important to many intellectuals and teachers who want to know that in the end ‘they made a difference’. 

To assist you in articulating reasons for your choice, you could start with: ”This life member has lived the NEAS values/standards by……”

To nominate your confidential suggestion for the Lifetime Award for 2023, please complete the attached JotForm and submit it by Friday 31 March 2023. Please note the NEAS Board makes the final decision on the recipient/s and all nominations remain in-confidence.

Remember, if you are coming in person, don’t forget to purchase your Gala Dinner tickets here, so that you can enjoy the entertainment, gourmet menu as well as the Awards Ceremony.

March 2023

University Queensland College

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NEAS Congratulates the University of Queensland College (UQ College) on the endorsement of The International Diploma in Language Teaching Management IDLTM as an Online Product.

IDLTM is a seven-month postgraduate qualification designed for experienced ELT managers and prospective managers who are seeking practical management skills and relevant workplace understanding. This course is suitable for experienced professionals working in positions that include operational management responsibilities.

IDLTM was originally developed by the former Institute of Continuing and TESOL Education (ICTE) at the University of Queensland in collaboration with SIT Graduate Institute, USA and Cambridge English. Since its initial launch in 2001, various changes to the course have been instituted to ensure it remains current and able to meet the changing needs of academic managers over time.

In a recent response to the COVID-19 pandemic and following two major curriculum reviews, the course has developed through changes to material and training approaches and has been relaunched in a new entirely online format.

The new, online format incorporates recorded video input sessions for asynchronous viewing, coupled with live synchronous online sessions using, broadly, a flipped classroom approach in an innovative way to replace the previously face-to-face training room sessions. Initial feedback regarding this approach from participants in the first such group has been very positive. One student said ‘’ I’m getting enormous benefits from the IDLTM. It’s as engaging and varied in its interactions and modes of study as I’d hoped it would be, and it’s even more relevant and practical in relation to my work than I’d expected.”, another student commented: “what I’m learning is enlightening, applicable to my situation, and will continue to be useful as I progress in my career”.

February 2023

Congratulations to Macquarie University

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Congratulations to Macquarie University on achieving NEAS Endorsement for its English Medium Instruction (EMI) Course Suite, offered by the Macquarie University EMI Centre. The EMI Centre focuses on designing and delivering bespoke programs for higher education providers using English as the medium of instruction. As part of its customised services, the EMI Centre specialises in developing the English language proficiency of educators, as well as methodology and best practice for teaching in English.

NEAS reviewed the EMI Course Suite using Quality Area K of the NEAS Quality Assurance Framework, focussing the assessment on these key features of the target program: its underlying research; its fulfilment of purpose; its processes for maintaining quality; its uniqueness and innovation; and its contribution to the English Language Teaching (ELT) community. More information on Area K can be referenced here: https://neas.org.au/resources/neas-quality-framework/#area-k.  

The EMI Course Suite was commended for the extensive research undertaken, and the expertise of its staff. The comprehensive needs analysis of the varying markets in Asia Pacific and Latin America, and the flexibility in the development and delivery of bespoke programs to suit client needs, were noted highlights. An EMI Centre Advisory Board has been established to provide ongoing guidance to quality assure the EMI Course Suite, and best practice industry standards are used to validate decisions and design. The EMI Course Suite aims to assist educational institutions globally to address the gap between policy and practice in the delivery of courses in English and enhance the skills of professionals within the client institutions.

February 2023

CamTESOL 2023

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The 19th Annual CamTESOL Conference at the Institute of Technology of Cambodia starts tomorrow and NEAS Australia will be there! This is one of the most significant conferences in the region with over 1000 participants and its theme of “Online and Transnational Delivery of English Language Teaching – Global Views and Perspectives for Being Future Ready” is set to stimulate interesting debate.

The opening Plenary Panel Discussion is sponsored by NEAS Australia and Dr Patrick Pheasant, as part of the panel, will be focusing on Online and Transnational delivery of English Language Teaching (ELT). Through a lens of quality management, this keynote plenary will showcase teaching and learning innovations in High Schools, Vocational Colleges, Universities, and English Language Centres in online delivery, English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) and Transnational ELT Delivery from Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia and Australia, identifying global best practice.  The plenary will also address how the impact of closed borders during the pandemic has affected social, cultural and economic barriers in international education. In many cases virtual learning, virtual mobility and improved technology have become conduits for learners to access quality international education. Now, it is important to secure the quality of Online and Transnational delivery in ELT and by embedding 21st Century skills into our programs and turbo-charging such skills to meet the needs of future generations, Dr Pheasant asserts that we can be future-ready.

In the role of Chief Executive Officer, Dr Patrick Pheasant brings 30 years’ experience in applying drama, TESOL and teacher training methodologies across multiple education sectors around the world. Patrick has extensive experience in change management and leadership development and completed his PhD research at the University of Sydney in using process drama in ELT. Patrick is a past Director at the University of Sydney Centre for English Teaching, past Vice-President of the University English Centres of Australia (UECA) and past Convenor of the NEAS Advisory Council.

February 2023

10 WEEKS UNTIL THE 2023 NEAS MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE!

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Speaker Spotlight

Daljit Rao

Daljit Rao has several years of experience as a University lecturer specialising in key Business Management subjects at the Bachelor and Master Level in Australia. Daljit Rao’s passion for the education industry is an exemplary of her involvement on the Curriculum Advisory Boards at Universities in Australia, India, and Nepal. Ms Rao is an Associate Professor, specialising in key Business Management Masters Level in Australia. 

In 2014 Daljit Rao, established a coaching centre – PEAR Academy Australia, with its coaching and testing centre opened in Bangalore, India in 2018. Today PEAR Academy is an approved OET Premium Preparation centre.  

Neil McRudden

Neil has been teaching English as a Second Language since 2000 at language institutes and universities in Sweden, Malaysia, Germany, and Australia and in many contexts: general, business, examination preparation and bespoke courses for specific companies. More recently, Neil has been at the College at Southern Cross University’s Gold Coast campus as a teacher since 2014, where he mostly teaches English for Academic Purposes (EAP). He also worked in SCU’s Academic Skills department.

Neil completed a Master of Applied Linguistics from UNE in 2020 and is increasingly interested in the design of media-rich and interactive learning tools to further support student learning. 

In just two and half months and we will be greeting you in person and online. The NEAS 2023 Management Conference is shaping up to be jam-packed with informative and interesting activities and we have expanded the space at Doltone House, Darling Island, Sydney to four rooms, as opposed to the previous two. The theme of the conference: The Profession, The Professional and Professionalism in ELT has started to intrigue and discussion around this is already abuzz.

Nowadays, with increased scrutiny into quality standards in ELT, high professional standards are burgeoning and the number of ELT teachers up-skilling and completing Master level degrees in ELT is trending upwards at a rapid rate. ELT “requires a specialized knowledge obtained through both academic study and practical experience” (Torres – Rocha, 2019).

It is generally acceptable to say that ELT teachers and leaders are professionals because they are a “disciplined group of individuals who adhere to high ethical standards and uphold themselves to, and are accepted by, the public as possessing special knowledge and skills in a widely recognised, organised body of learning derived from education and training at a high level, and who are prepared to exercise this knowledge and these skills in the interests of others.”(cited in Professional Standards Council, 2022)

This conference will explore the different professional landscapes in ELT locally and globally and the impact they are having on world economy, education, and future generations.

References

Professions Australia. The Professions, Public Interest and Competition Policy, 2000, cited in Professional Standards Council (2022).

Torres-Rocha, J. C. (2019). EFL teacher professionalism and identity: Between local/global ELT tensions.

If you are coming in person, then don’t forget to purchase your Gala Dinner tickets here, so that you can enjoy the entertainment, gourmet menu as well as the Awards Ceremony.

AREA M: Transnational Delivery, Area N: Foundation Programs

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Demonstrate your commitment to teaching excellence and delivery of trusted education outcomes in your Centre’s Transitional Delivery or Foundation Programs by achieving NEAS Quality Endorsement. 

NEAS launched its purpose-designed Quality Areas in Transnational Delivery and Foundation Programs in 2022, after extensive consultation and trialling.

NEAS advances global Quality Assurance by supporting transnational education providers that offer offshore Academic and English language pathway programs. Congratulations to UOW College Australia for being the first NEAS Centre to be Quality Endorsed in the Transnational Delivery category.

Foundation Programs play a vital role in preparing students for success in higher education and beyond. Congratulations also to Aspire Institute and Macquarie University College for successfully completing a special pilot initiative in 2022 for the Quality Endorsement of their Foundation Programs.

There is no better way to differentiate yourself in a competitive market than by attaining the NEAS tick of Quality Assurance. Trusted by international education for over 30 years, NEAS supports your Centre in providing evidence-based proof of innovation and distinction. Speak to NEAS about Quality Endorsement of your Centre’sTransitional Delivery or Foundation Programs by contacting our Operations Manager, Daniel Yuen, on: d.yuen@neas.org.au.

02 February 2023

TAFE Queensland

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Congratulations to TAFE Queensland English Language College – Southport Campus on completing a successful Quality Review activity! 

TAFE Southport returned to face-to-face delivery with the easing of the COVID-19 restrictions in March 2022 and has since been welcoming international students back on campus. The majority of students come from Japan, Korea, China, Thailand and South American countries. Most students in ELICOS programs are on pathways to VET courses within TAFE South Port.

The Centre is well maintained and provides well-equipped classrooms, spacious breakout areas on all levels, and a well-resourced library area with computers for student use. Feedback from students and staff is highly encouraged and the Centre has implemented an open-door policy and welcomes student and staff feedback at any time.

02 February 2023

La Lingua Language School

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Congratulations to La Lingua Language School on completing a successful Quality Review activity with NEAS. 

La Lingua Language School relocated to its new premises on Level 6, 770 George Street in July 2022. The new campus benefits from a central location and is in close proximity to public transport and amenities. The Centre provides a warm atmosphere and friendly reception and places special attention on engaging ELICOS students in school excursions and celebrations to boost student confidence in using English in a relaxed environment.

La Lingua is currently providing classes in the morning and evening and is further enhancing the student experience by transitioning to a digital educational environment.

02 February 2023