Established in 1968 with the aim to improve language teacher education in the region, SEAMEO RELC has played a key role in bringing together language educators for the past 50 years. Over the past half century, due to the dynamic nature of language as a living entity, language educators and applied linguists have witnessed significant changes in language education. These changes include beliefs about how languages are learned; approaches and methods of language teaching and assessment; curriculum and materials development; and the identities of “native” and “non-native” speakers as teachers of English. Impelled by the rapid forces of globalization and the internationalization of the status of English, it looks certain that the future of language education will be equally dynamic.
The 53rd RELC International Conference seeks to provide opportunities for our profession to critically reflect upon and evaluate existing pedagogical principles and practices, and to envision a future that allows language educators to meet the needs of learners in an increasingly diverse world.
