University of Nizwa International English Language Teaching Conference 2027
(UoNELTC 2027)

The Implementation of Future Skills in the Age of AI: ELT through Digital Pedagogies, Translation, and Literature

📍 The Initial Campus of University of Nizwa, Oman | Thursday 21 & Friday 22 January 2027 | 🌐 Hybrid (in person & online)

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About the Conference

The Foundation Institute and the Department of Foreign Languages at the University of Nizwa warmly invite scholars, researchers, educators, language professionals, and students from Oman and around the world to participate in the 2nd University of Nizwa International Conference on English Language Teaching (ELT). Building on the success of the inaugural conference, this international gathering will explore the theme “The Implementation of Future Skills in the Age of AI: ELT through Digital Pedagogies, Translation, and Literature.”


The conference will be held in a hybrid format, offering participants the opportunity to attend and contribute either in person or online, thereby enabling wider participation from Oman and around the world.


The conference will provide a dynamic platform for sharing innovative research, effective practices, and emerging ideas across English language teaching, technology, translation, and literature. The programme will feature keynote addresses, research presentations, interactive sessions, and opportunities for professional networking.


A dedicated Poster Presentation will also provide education professionals from different institutions across Oman with an opportunity to showcase their research, exchange ideas, and engage with academics and fellow researchers.


Call for paper brochure Call for paper poster Conference Poster

Conference Tracks

Track 1: Digital Pedagogies in ELT: AI Integration and Future Skills

Possible areas include:
  • AI-Powered Language Learning Environments
  • Curriculum Innovation and 21st-Century Skills
  • Language Teacher Training and AI Literacies
  • Teacher Agency and Learner Agency
  • AI Learners’ Literacies
  • Teacher and Learner Digital Competencies
  • Quality Management in Education
  • Adaptive and Personalized Language Learning
  • AI-Supported Assessment and Evaluation in ELT
  • AI Ethics

Track 2: Digital Translation for ELT in the Age of AI

Possible areas include:
  • AI-Assisted Translation and Machine Translation in ELT
  • Translation in Language Education (ELT) and Translator Training
  • Translation Education: Quality Assessment, Ethics, and Human–AI Collaboration

Track 3: Digital Literature for ELT in the Age of AI: Creativity and Interpretation

Possible areas include:
  • Digital and Multimodal Literature in ELT
  • Interactive Fiction and Digital Storytelling
  • Teaching literature in the AI era
  • Indigenous voices in literary curricula in ELT

Keynote Speakers

Prof. Christina Gitsaki

Prof. Christina Gitsaki

Zayed University, United Arab Emirates

Prof. Christina Gitsaki is Research Coordinator at the Center for Educational Innovation, Zayed University, where she oversees the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning programme and supports faculty research on teaching. Her research centres on educational technologies in teaching and assessment, with a particular interest in mobile learning, alongside language pedagogy and teacher education. She previously served as UNESCO Chair in Applied Research in Education in the UAE and as Dean of the Foundations Program at the Higher Colleges of Technology, and earlier taught and supervised doctoral students at the University of Queensland. She has authored or edited 12 books and is a former executive board member of TESOL Arabia.

Dr. Willy A. Renandya

Dr. Willy A. Renandya

National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (Online Keynote)

Dr. Willy A. Renandya is a faculty member at the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, and a widely cited voice in English language teaching and applied linguistics. He is best known for his work on extensive reading and listening, L2 motivation and evidence-based classroom practice, and for urging teachers to re-examine long-held beliefs about how languages are learned. His recent writing turns to AI in the language classroom, including the place of reading as a foundational skill in AI-enhanced L2 learning, which speaks directly to the conference theme of future skills in the age of AI.

Dr. Peter Mitchell

Dr. Peter Mitchell

Majan University College, Oman

Dr. Peter Mitchell is Head of the Faculty of English Language Studies at Majan University College, with around twenty years of experience in higher education. He began as a British Council language assistant and went on to found an academic department at a leading university in Russia. His expertise spans ELT, teacher education, reflective practice and intercultural communication, and he has taught more than 70,000 learners worldwide through Coursera. He holds degrees from Durham, Oxford, Pennsylvania and Derby, and is a Senior Fellow of Advance HE. He has also taken part in institutional discussions on how AI is reshaping teaching and assessment.

Dr. Sarah Hopkyns

Dr. Sarah Hopkyns

University of St Andrews, United Kingdom

Dr. Sarah Hopkyns is an Assistant Professor at the University of St Andrews. After more than a decade teaching in the UAE from 2012, she brings a deep understanding of Gulf higher education. Her research covers language and identity, language policy, translingual practice, linguistic landscapes and English-medium instruction. She is the author of The Impact of Global English on Cultural Identities in the United Arab Emirates and co-editor of Linguistic Identities in the Arab Gulf States, both published by Routledge. Her work on translanguaging and cultural identity in Arabic-English university settings connects the conference to the cultural and literary dimensions of language education.

Dr. Khaled Sharaf Ahmed Al-Shehari

Dr. Khaled Sharaf Ahmed Al-Shehari

Qatar University, Qatar

Dr. Khaled Al-Shehari is an Associate Professor of Translation Studies in the Department of English Literature and Linguistics at Qatar University. He holds an MSc and a PhD in Translation Studies from the University of Manchester. His current research examines the integration of artificial intelligence in translation and innovative approaches to teaching translation, and he has also studied language and communication in crisis settings. He is co-author of The Arabic-English Translator as Photographer (Routledge). His expertise brings the translation subtheme of the conference into direct conversation with AI and future skills.

Important Dates

Milestone Date
Call for Papers Opens 6 October 2026
Conference Registration Opens 6 October 2026
Abstract Submission Opens 6 October 2026
Abstract Submission Deadline 24 November 2026
Notification of Acceptance 15 December 2026
Early Registration Closes* 29 December 2026
Final Poster Submission Deadline 7 January 2027
Conference Programme Releases 12 January 2027
On-site Registration 21 & 22 January 2027
Conference Days 21 & 22 January 2027
Full Paper Submission Deadline 9 February 2027

Conference Information

Abstract Submissions

We welcome abstracts for paper presentations and postgraduate research posters. Please review the relevant submission guidelines before submitting your abstract.

Paper Presentations

Open to researchers, teachers, teacher educators, and M.A. and Ph.D. students engaged in English language teaching and related fields from around the world.

Submission Guidelines

Oral Presentation Abstract Guidelines

Abstracts should:

  • be between 300 and 350 words;
  • have a clear, specific, and informative title;
  • clearly state the purpose and focus of the presentation;
  • for research-based presentations, briefly describe the research design/methodology, key findings, and pedagogical implications;
  • for practice-based presentations, clearly describe the teaching context, approach or innovation, and implications for English language teaching;
  • clearly indicate what participants can expect to learn or take away from the presentation; and
  • be written in clear academic English and not include the authors’ names or institutional affiliations in the abstract text if a blind review process will be used.

Evaluation Process:

  • All submitted abstracts will be reviewed by the conference scientific committee and authors will be notified of the outcome following the review process.
  • At least one of the authors of accepted abstracts need to register for the conference using the registration link and should present the research at the conference on the scheduled date and time communicated to you.
  • Authors of selected abstracts will be invited to develop and submit the full paper to the Arab World English Journal (AWEJ). Kindly refer to the publication opportunity section for further details.

Submission Enquiries: For enquiries related to paper abstract submissions, please contact uoneltc@unizwa.edu.om.

Research Posters

Open to education professionals from different academic institutions across Oman.

Submission Guidelines

Poster abstracts should:

  • be between 300 and 350 words;
  • have a clear, specific, and informative title;
  • clearly state the purpose and focus of the poster;
  • for research-based posters, briefly describe the research design/methodology, key findings, and pedagogical implications;
  • for practice-based posters, clearly describe the teaching context, approach or innovation, and implications for English language teaching;
  • clearly indicate what conference participants can expect to learn or take away from the poster; and
  • be written in clear academic English and not include the authors’ names or institutional affiliations in the abstract text if a blind review process will be used.

Evaluation Process:

  • All submitted abstracts will be reviewed by the poster review committee, and authors will be notified of the outcome following the review process.
  • Authors of accepted abstracts will receive the official poster template, which will be shared with them along with the notification of acceptance.
  • Authors of accepted abstracts must prepare their posters using the official poster template and submit them via proposed links.
  • At least one of the authors of accepted abstracts need to register for the conference using the registration link and should present your poster at the conference on the scheduled date and time communicated to you.

Submission Enquiries: For enquiries related to poster abstract submissions, please contact uoneltc@unizwa.edu.om.

Registration

Please review the registration fee table below before proceeding with your registration.

  • Authors may choose to complete their registration either before or after receiving notification of acceptance.
  • All authors who wish to present and receive a Certificate of Presentation must register individually and participate in the conference according to the accepted presentation mode.
  • For each accepted submission, at least one registered author must present the work according to the accepted presentation mode.
  • A Certificate of Presentation will be issued only to authors who have registered and presented their work at the conference.
  • Submissions for which no author has completed registration by 29 December 2026 will be removed from the conference programme.
  • UoN-affiliated faculty, staff, and students are required to upload a clear photograph of their valid UoN ID card instead of a payment receipt for verification.
Registration Link
Participating Category In-person Online UoN Affiliated
Paper Presentation (per person) OMR 20 / USD 52 OMR 20 / USD 52 Free
Poster Presentation (per person)
[Education Professionals across Oman]
OMR 5 / USD 13 N/A Free
Conference Attendance OMR 5 / USD 13 Free Free
Publications Opportunity

Selected full papers presented at the conference may be considered for publication in a special issue of the Arab World English Journal (AWEJ), a well-established international journal in the field of English language teaching and applied linguistics, subject to the journal’s standard peer-review, processing, and acceptance terms. Please read the submission guidelines: https://awej.org/submission/

  • Authors may indicate their interest in this publication opportunity when submitting their abstracts
  • Expressing interest does not guarantee an invitation to submit, peer review, or publication.
Arab World English Journal (AWEJ)
Acknowledgment

The University of Nizwa English Language Teaching Conference Committee gratefully acknowledges the valuable support and guidance of Prof. Khairi Alzubaidi, Editor-in-Chief of the Arab World English Journal (AWEJ), in supporting the conference's publication opportunity.

We also extend our sincere appreciation to Dr. Willy A. Renandya for his valuable guidance, encouragement, and support during the development of the conference.

Registration Fees

Participating Category In-person Online UoN Affiliated
Paper Presentation (per person) OMR 20 / USD 52 OMR 20 / USD 52 Free
Poster Presentation (per person)
[Education Professionals across Oman]
OMR 5 / USD 13 N/A Free
Conference Attendance OMR 5 / USD 13 Free Free
Beneficiary Name UNIVERSITY OF NIZWA
Swift Code BMUSOMRXXXX
Account No 0381012681350062
Bank Name Bank Muscat
Country Oman
IBAN No OM030270381012681350062

Registration Link

Sponsors & Partners

Hotels

Here are some nearby hotels

IntercityHotel Nizwa

IntercityHotel Nizwa

★ ★ ★

20 Km from the Venue

Golden Tulip Nizwa Hotel

Golden Tulip Nizwa Hotel

★ ★ ★ ★

6.5 Km from the Venue

Nizwa Hotel Apartments

Nizwa Hotel Apartments

★ ★ ★

10.8 Km from the Venue

Contact

Email: uoneltc@unizwa.edu.om