By: Ismail Al-Balushi

English Language Teacher, Zeyad bin Al-Muhallab School

As an English language teacher who consistently looks for professional improvement, attending Oman 23rd International ELT Conference at Sultan Qaboos University was an enriching experience on various levels. This year’s conference carried the theme, “Future-Ready ELT: Merging Language Learning with Critical Life Skills.” This theme reflects the fact that teaching English in today’s world goes beyond just teaching grammar, vocabulary, and the four skills—it also involves equipping and preparing students to use English in real-life situations.

Professor Linda Bradley, specialist in language learning and digital technology, delivered the plenary session, highlighting the development of learners’ critical life skills through student-centred learning and meaningful assessment. She discussed empowering students to take responsibility for their learning and cultivating their life skills through collaborative learning. The session also emphasised the importance of students’ active participation, promotion of autonomy, and integration of AI in learning. With the rise in the use of AI in teaching and learning, many paper presentations focused on its application.

I attended a paper presentation titled, “Moving Toward AI Usage in Teaching Speaking English in Omani Public Schools.” This topic caught my attention as I am a teacher at a public school and my students face challenges in speaking skill. The study aimed to investigate the impact of AI tools on students’ fluency in speaking . The results of the study demonstrated significant improvements on students’ speaking fluency after using AI tools. Such presentations help teachers to find solutions to the challenges they face with their students. Another paper presentation that attracted my attention was titled “Boosting English Language Skills through Local Linguistic Landscapes.” It aimed to connect classroom learning with real-world contexts. The session provided practical strategies and actionable insights for participants. These paper presentations offer teachers opportunities to apply the strategies in their own classrooms.