4th Annual Student Research Conference Held at AUA

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YEREVAN, Armenia – On June 12, 2015, 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 4th Student Research Conference for graduate and undergraduate students in linguistics and applied linguistics, with over 80 participants in attendance.

As is the tradition of the annual Student Research Conference, it was planned and organized by a team of MA TEFL students. The coordinators of this year’s conference were Hasmik Harutyunyan and Venera Melkonyan, both graduating MA TEFL students. Another graduating MA TEFL student, Varduhi Movsisyan, was the convener of the conference.

Thanks to the TOEFL® International Speaker Grant received from the Educational Testing Service (ETS), the organizers were able to invite Dr. Christine Coombe from Dubai Men’s College as the keynote speaker for the conference. In her speech, “Ten Characteristics of Highly Effective EF/SL Teachers,” Dr. Coombe encouraged student-teachers to reflect on what constitutes effectiveness in the field of English as a foreign or second language (EF/SL) and to learn to recognize their strengths and weaknesses as a result of reflective self-evaluation. Dr. Coombe also conducted a workshop entitled “Personal and Professional Strategic Planning for English Language Educators” in which she engaged the participants in various activities aimed at identifying their personal and professional goals and recognizing ways to achieve these goals.

In addition to 31 conference talks and poster presentations from four local universities (AUA, Yerevan Brusov State University of Armenia, Yerevan State University, and Russian-Armenian State University), this year AUA was delighted to welcome a student from Chelyabinsk State University (Russia), who presented a project called “Discourse Markers in Spoken English.”

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 a global education in Armenia and the region, offering high-quality, graduate and undergraduate studies, encouraging civic engagement, and promoting public service and democratic values.