5th Student Research Conference

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YEREVAN, Armenia – On June 11, 2016, the American University of Armenia (AUA)’s Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) program and the Center for Research in Applied Linguistics (CRAL) held the 5th Student Research Conference for graduate and undergraduate students in linguistics and applied linguistics, with over 100 participants in attendance.

As is the tradition of the annual Student Research Conference, it was planned and organized by a large team of MA TEFL students. The coordinators of this year’s conference were Lusine Galstyan and Amalya Meliksetyan. Setrag Hovsepian was the convener of the conference.

The conference featured student projects from universities across the country including the Gyumri State Pedagogical Institute, Vanadzor State University, Yerevan Brusov State University of Armenia, Yerevan State University, and AUA. The interactive sessions, workshops, and poster presentations covered a broad spectrum of topics in teaching, assessment, translation, and linguistics provided opportunity to 53 presenters to talk about their projects and receive feedback in a stimulating and safe environment.

The invited keynote speaker, Dr. Raichle Farrelly, from St. Michael’s College, USA gave a inspiring talk on social justice in English language teaching. She talked about the role of English language educators in advocating for the rights of those who are often oppressed and are on the margins of society.

This year, for the first time, the conference expanded to include professional workshops conducted by experts in the field that invited participants to have detailed discussions on specific aspects of English language teaching. The workshops provided a platform for participants to interact and learn from the experts and walk away with ready to use tools and techniques to implement in their own classrooms.

In addition, recruiters from leading educational institutions and organizations attended the career fair that was held in the framework of the conference for the first time. This gave opportunity to our attendees to meet employers and discuss employment opportunities.

Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia and affiliated with the University of California. AUA provides US-style education in Armenia and the region, offering high-quality, graduate and undergraduate studies, encouraging civic engagement, and promoting public service and democratic values.