Pre-Conference Workshops

Workshops will be organized on 1 - 2 December 2008. Topics include:

- Creativity in World Englishes

Conducted by Professor Edwin Thumboo

- World Englishes: Theory and Methodology in the Classroom

Panel Chairs: Professor Margie Berns & Dr. Aya Matsuda

The workshop is divided into four parts. The Introduction consists of opening remarks by the workshop organizers (15 minutes), followed by the participants filling out a brief questionnaire about their experiences, expectations and goals (15 minutes). In Unit One, Aya Matsuda will speak on "World Englishes: Theory in the Classroom" (40 minutes) followed by a question and discussion period (20 minutes). After a short break (10 minutes), Unit Two will begin with Margie Berns speaking on "Communicative Language Teaching in World Englishes Classroom" (40 minutes). This will be followed by a question and discussion period (20 minutes). Unit Three will be devoted to a free discussion period among all participants (50 minutes). The focus will be on soliciting creative suggestions that deal with the participants' concerns, and identifying resource materials for classroom use.

- 'Informations is confusing us'

Variation in World Englishes - Implications for the Classroom

Chair: Professor Andy Kirkpatrick

In this workshop we shall look at examples of linguistic variation across different varieties of English - including both 'traditional' and 'new' varieties - and consider the implications and/or problems associated with so much variation for the classroom.

Examples of phonological, lexical, syntactic and rhetorical variation will be provided and we shall consider which variants might be adopted and/or allowed or 'forbidden' from the English language classroom and for what reasons.

- Open Forum (for the public)

Chair: Dr. Andrew moody

Plenary Session

Professor Kingsley Bolton

Keynote Session

Dr. KK Luke
'Stress and intonation of Hong Kong English'

Focus Lectures

Professor Shikaripur N. Sridhar

Professor Ravinder Gargesh
'Linguistic convergence in India in the context of World Englishes'

Professor Andy Kirkpatrick
'English in Southeast Asia: friend or foe to users and to local languages?'

Professor Tam Kwok Kan
'Bilingual metaphor: examples from Hong Kong and Singapore writings'

Special Thematic Panels

Seven thematic panels will be organized during the three-day Conference. The topics are

- Intelligibility, Hybridity and Discourse

Panel Chair: Professor Cecil L. Nelson

- Linguistic and Literary Creativity in Hong Kong and China

Panel Chairs: Professor Kingsley Bolton & Ms. Xu Xi

- WE in Africa: Controversies and Identities

Panel Chair: Professor Eyamba G. Bokamba

- World Englishes and International Call Centres

Panel Chairs: Professor Kingsley Bolton & Professor Kamal K. Sridhar

- World Englishes and Pop-Culture: Contexts and Creativity

Panel Chair: Dr. Andrew Moody

- World Englishes in Business

Panel Chair: Dr. Stanley van Horn

- World Englishes in World Religions

Panel Chairs: Professor Rajeshwari Pandharipande & Professor Jonathan Webster

Official Symposium

An official symposium will be organized in the afternoon of 5 December 2008. The symposium will focus on the topic 'World Englishes: Issues and Challenges in the Context of Changing Realities'. The first part of the symposium is reserved for individual presentations by symposium speakers while the second part will be an open forum.

Panel Chair: Professor Vijay Bhatia

Conference Banquet

The Conference Banquet on 4 December 2008 will honour the scholarly and literary achievements of Emeritus Professor Edwin Thumboo at the National University of Singapore.