Editor’s note: ChatGPT was used to help create the following announcement.

TIRF is partnering with TESOL International Association and inviting educators, researchers, and graduate students to the 2025 TESOL-TIRF Research Symposium—a fully online professional development event that brings together global voices in English language education. Using the theme “Where Curiosity Meets Collaboration,” this symposium is designed to deepen participants’ engagement with classroom research and evidence-informed practice.

From June through September 2025, the event offers asynchronous and synchronous learning opportunities. The symposium begins in mid-June 2025 with asynchronous discussions, offering participants a month-long opportunity to explore four thematic strands through video lectures, expert-moderated discussion boards, quizzes, and curated readings. Then, from July 14 to 17, participants will join four live, interactive 90-minute workshops, diving deeper into each theme through presentations and small-group discussions with experts from TESOL and TIRF.

Symposium Strands:

  1. Classroom-Based Research and Learning: Led by Dr. Özgehan Uştuk (Hong Kong Polytechnic University), this strand explores accessible approaches such as action research and lesson study to support practitioners in turning their classroom curiosities into systematic research engagements.
  2. Teaching Methods: This strand will be managed by Prof. Julie Choi (University of Melbourne) and Dr. Rafaela Cleeve Gerkens(University of Melbourne). Focused on Arts-Rich Translanguaging Pedagogy (ARTP), this portion of the Research Symposium examines how multimodal, multilingual, and culturally responsive practices can transform traditional literacy instruction and increase learner engagement and identity development.
  3. Professional Learning: Led by Katherine Lobo (Newton Public Schools, Massachusetts), this strand explores the full spectrum of professional growth for language educators—from classroom teachers to university professors—highlighting how goals, workshops, research, and networking contribute to career-long learning. Participants will engage in interactive discussions to share ideas, deepen their understanding of development opportunities, and find new ways to both receive and offer meaningful professional support.
  4. Emerging Technologies: This strand, led by Dr. Lana Hiasat (Higher Colleges of Technology, Dubai) explores the transformative role of AI in modern education, offering educators hands-on strategies to enhance assessment, personalize instruction, and engage students through creativity and gamification. Participants will gain practical experience with cutting-edge tools while also learning best practices for promoting academic integrity, critical thinking, and responsible AI use in the classroom.

What Participants Can Expect

  • Deep engagement with like-minded professionals in a supportive, global online learning community
  • Opportunities for networking, mentoring, and collaborative inquiry
  • Recognition through digital badges and a certificate of completion for full participation

Key Dates

  • Registration Deadline: June 9, 2025
  • Asynchronous Sessions: June–September 2025
  • Live Online Workshops: July 14–17, 2025

Registration:

Details on pricing and registration are available on the TESOL-TIRF Research Symposium website. Whether you’re a classroom teacher, academic, or emerging researcher, this symposium offers the tools and insights to support your professional growth in a research-informed environment.