Sixth International Conference

Competency-Based English Teaching :

Theory and Reality

ITB Bandung Indonesia

21^st – 23^rd February 2006

Call for Papers

The Sixth International Conference - jointly organised by Institut Teknologi Bandung in Indonesia, the British Council in Indonesia and the University of Leeds in the UK - focuses on the theme of competency-based English teaching.  Competency-based teaching is an issue which is much discussed at present, but at the same time there is widespread uncertainty as to what it involves and how – if at all – it differs from more familiar approaches to English language teaching.  The Conference aims to clarify ideas about what competency-based teaching means (that is, the ‘theory’) and to present reports on what it means in practice (i.e. the ‘reality’).

 The Conference will be particularly relevant for language teachers in schools and universities, teacher educators, policy makers, curriculum designers, textbook authors and other language education specialists from Indonesia and from other parts of the world.

 Proposals for papers and workshops are invited in three key areas :

 1.       What does ‘competency-based’ teaching mean?

·         Where do ideas about competency-based teaching come from?

·         Is a competency-based approach suitable for every subject?

·         Is a competency-based approach equally suitable for learners at all levels, from primary school to university and beyond?

·         What do the regulations about the competency-based curriculum in Indonesia (‘KBK’) actually say?

·         Why is there so much uncertainty about what ‘competency-based teaching’ actually means?

 2.       What are the implications of a ‘competency-based’ approach?

·         What should a competency-based curriculum look like?

·         What implications does a competency-based approach have for ways of teaching?

·         What learning and teaching materials are suitable for a competency-based approach?

·         How should new teachers be prepared for working with a competency-based approach?

·         How can experienced teachers best be introduced to competency-based language teaching?

·         What implications does a competency-based approach have for the assessment of learners?

 3.       What does ‘competency-based’ language education look like in practice?

·         What difficulties have been experienced in attempts to introduce a competency-based approach to the teaching of English?

·         What success stories have there been in competency-based approaches to English language teaching?

·         How have schools and universities in Indonesia responded to the introduction of ‘KBK’?

·         What experiences have education systems in other parts of the world had with competency-based language teaching?

 This event builds on the achievements of the five previous conferences :

1995  Teaching English to University Undergraduates in the Indonesian Context : Issues and Developments

1997  English in High Schools and Universities in Indonesia : Bridging the Gap

2000  Testing and Evaluation in the Context of Undergraduate English Language Teaching in Indonesia

2002  Autonomy : Perspectives from the English Language Classroom, Challenges for English Language Teaching Organisations

2004  Teaching English to Young Learners : Why and How?

 The Bandung International Conferences have established a reputation for exploring issues of immediate concern to the ELT community in Indonesia, while also attracting significant numbers of participants from other parts of the world.

 The Conference organisers invite English language educators in schools and universities, education administrators, textbook writers, curriculum designers researchers, students and all those interested to submit abstracts of papers (45 minutes) or workshops (90 minutes).

 31  October 2005            Deadline for receipt of abstracts. Please use the Proposal Form. Abstracts                                               should be sent to the Conference Organising Committee.

19 December 2005          Announcement of accepted proposals 

9 January 2006              Deadline for early registration. Early registration fee is Rp 450.000,-.  Please use the Registration Form

6 February 2006              Receipt of complete papers

21-23 February 2006       Conference.  Normal registration fee is Rp 500.000,-. 

Accommodation can be booked through the Conference Organisers; further details will be sent to all who register for the Conference.

Enquiries to:

UPT Pusat Bahasa

Gedung Lab. Tek. VIII Lantai 1

Institut Teknologi Bandung

Jalan Ganesha 10

Bandung 40132 Indonesia

Tel/Fax international : +62-22-250-5674; within Indonesia : 022-250-5674

Email. bcjkt_itb_leeds@yahoo.com