Dr. Stephen Bax has a PhD from the University of Kent in the area of Discourse, and an MLitt and MSc in Applied Linguistics from the University of Edinburgh, as well as a Postgraduate Certificate in Education from University of North Wales, Bangor. He also holds the Final Diploma in Arabic Translation from the Chartered Institute of Linguists, of which he is an elected Member. He joined the Centre for Research in English Language Learning and Assessment (CRELLA) at the University of Bedfordshire in 2009. Currently, he is a professor of Applied Linguistics.

At CRELLA he is involved in researching language learning, including the use of computers in language learning (CALL), the use of computers in language testing (CALT), and areas of discourse including Computer Mediated Discourse Analysis (CMDA). He also teaches on the MA in Applied Linguistics, and supervises research students. His publications include the book ‘Discourse and Genre’ (2010, Macmillan), as well as leading articles in the fields of teacher education, CALL and ICT, and areas of discourse. His 2003 article on CALL won an Elsevier prize

In terms of the web, he has produced numerous internet-based learning resources for the BBC World Service website, including a major interactive language learning series “Ten Days” for Latin America and internationally, as well as numerous other interactive language learning modules. He has also been interviewed by BBC World Service Radio as a specialist in online language learning and teaching, and has been commissioned to write in the Guardian newspaper on language teaching methodology and on the use of computers in language education.

Dr. Philip Benson earned his PhD from the University of Exeter. He has postgraduate teaching and research supervision experience in several areas, including autonomy in language learning, life history and narrative research, vocabulary and dictionary studies, and qualitative research methods and design. His work on autonomy has won him an international reputation in the field of language teaching and learning. Since moving to HKIEd from The University of Hong Kong in 2005, he has developed research interests in the roles of study abroad and popular culture in language education and teacher development. His research interests include learner and teacher autonomy, research paradigms in applied linguistics, vocabulary and dictionaries, and popular culture and education. His recent publications Benson, P. (2011). What’s new in autonomy? The Language Teacher, 35(4), 15-18; Koh, A., & Benson, P. (2011). Exploring pedagogies in the popular culture and education nexus. Pedagogies: An International Journal, 6(2), 123-129; Benson, P. (2011). Language learning careers as an object of narrative research in TESOL. TESOL Quarterly, 45(3), 545-553; Benson, P., & Chik, A. (2011). Towards a more naturalistic CALL: Video gaming and language learning. International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and Teaching (IJCALLT), 1(3), 1-13; Benson, P. (2010). Teacher education and teacher autonomy: Creating spaces for experimentation in secondary school English language teaching. Language Teaching Research, 14(3), 259-275.

Dr. Martin Bygate received his PhD degree from the Institute of Education, London University. At present, he is Professor of Applied Linguistics and Language Education, Lancaster University.

His major research interest is the interface between different teaching procedures and activities, and students' language use and language learning. A particular interest is the nature of communicative repetition in language learning activities, and its role in language development.

His main publications are Tasks in Second Language Learning (co-authored with Virginia Samuda, Palgrave, 2008), Researching Pedagogic Tasks (co-edited with Peter Skehan and Merrill Swain, Pearson Educational 2001), Grammar and the Language Classroom (co-edited with Alan Tonkyn and Eddie Williams, Prentice Hall, 1994), and Speaking (OUP, 1987), and guest-edited a Special Issue on 'Tasks in Language Pedagogy' for the journal Language Teaching Research (2000). I co-edited the journal Applied Linguistics from 1998-2004, and am on the boards of Applied Linguistics, Language Teaching Research, and Language Teaching.

Tim Collins, Ph.D., is associate professor, ESL and bilingual education, at National Louis University in Chicago, one of the oldest and most reknown colleges of education in the U.S. The author of over 25 textbooks and media publications, Dr. Collins is the founder or co-founder of two technology in education companies, and an early mover in both epublishing and mobile learning with cell phones. He has taught in Spain, Morocco, Taiwan, and the United States.

Dr. Lee Gunderson is a Professor and former Head of the Department of Language and Literacy Education at the University of British Columbia where he teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses in second language reading, language acquisition, literacy acquisition, and teacher education. He has served as a pre-school teacher, a primary-level elementary teacher, a reading specialist, a principal and vice-principal in a bilingual school, and a teacher of the learning disabled. He received the David Russell Award for Research, the Killam Teaching Prize at the University of British Columbia and has been awarded the Kingston Prize for contributions to the National Reading Conference.

He has served as Chair of the Publications Committee of the International Reading Association and is founding Chair of the Pippin Teacher’s Professional Library. He is a Past President of the National Reading Conference. He has conducted long-term research focusing on the academic and language achievement of immigrant students who arrived in Canada between the ages of five and eight. He has published numerous books, including English-Only Education and Immigrant Students in Secondary School: A Critical Examination and ESL Literacy Instruction: A Guidebook to Theory and Practice (2nd edition).

Dr. Eli Hinkel is professor of Anthropology at Seattle University. She has taught ESL and applied linguistics, as well as trained teachers, for over thirty years and has published numerous books and articles on learning second culture, and second language grammar, writing, and pragmatics in such journals as TESOL Quarterly, Applied Linguistics, Journal of Pragmatics, and Applied Language Learning. She is also the editor of the Routledge ESL & Applied Linguistics Professional Series of books and textbooks for teachers and graduate students.

Dr. Angel Lin received her Ph.D. from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, Canada in 1996. Since then her research and teaching have focused on classroom discourse analysis, bilingual education, language policy and planning in postcolonial contexts, sociocultural theories of second language learning, critical discourse analysis, cultural studies, new literacies, and critical education studies. With a background in cultural studies, discourse analysis, sociolinguistics, urban and school ethnography, as well as cognitive psychology of literacy and second language acquisition, she has been a pioneer of innovative interdisciplinary approaches to second and foreign language education and language teaching methodologies, aimed particularly at young people. Dr. Lin is the first Asia-based scholar elected as Member-at-Large of the Executive Committee of the American Association of Applied Linguistics (AAAL) (2007-2010), and the first Hong Kong-based scholar invited to serve as a Guest Editor for a Special Issue in TESOL Quarterly. Her international impact is also reflected in her membership of the editorial boards of several leading international research journals, including Applied Linguistics, International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, British Educational Research Journal, Journal of Critical Discourse Studies, Language and Education, Pragmatics and Society, Linguistics and Education (as Associate Editor), and Pedagogies.

Dr. Michael Lockett, an American educator, storyteller and children’s author, was a teacher and school administrator for 33 years. He is the author of six bilingual children’s books, four audio storytelling CDs and a storytelling DVD for children.  He wrote The Basics of Storytelling (2008) and is a contributing author of The Art of Storytelling (Walsh, 2003). He is the winner of eight American awards for his audio recordings and eleven awards for his children’s books. He has given more than 3000 presentations across 25 states in the USA and has presented internationally.

Dr. Lockett lives in the central part of the USA in a small town called Normal, Illinois. He is called “The Normal Storyteller” because of where he lives.  However, his stories are not normal. Lockett shows his love of books and stories by giving energetic performances for his audiences.  In Taiwan, Hong Kong, China and in South Korea Mike is called as Grandpa Mike.

Dr. Michael T. Nettles earned his doctorate degree in Higher Education from the Iowa State University, USA, 1980. At present, he is the Senior Vice President, Policy Evaluation & Research Center, Educational Testing Service, Princeton, NJ. He conducts research on educational policy in several areas including equity, educational testing and assessment, distance learning, undergraduate student access, and performance and degree progress. He is evaluating a campus diversity program of eleven colleges as well as studying pay, promotion, and tenure equity among college and university faculty, graduate student financial support and achievement, and computerized performance tasks to help students achieve higher standards in mathematics and science. He has authored many books and articles, which appeared in famous journals. His own publications, presentations and papers reflect his broad interest in public policy, student access, opportunity, achievement, and educational assessment at both the K-12 and postsecondary levels.

·     Dr. Yukio Tono received his doctoral degree in from Lancaster University, United Kingdom in 2002. He is currently professor at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. His research interest lies in the application of corpora for foreign language teaching and research. He has been involved in major English corpus building projects such as NICT-JLE, PERC, JEFLL, among others. He also involved in the 5-year large-scale government-based project of compiling a balanced corpus of written Japanese initiated by National Institute of Japanese Language (NIJL). His recent publications are Ishikawa, S., Minamide, K., Murata, M., and Tono, Y. (eds.) (2006) English Lexicography in Japan. Tokyo: Taishukan Publishing Co. (*JACET Award 2008)

·     MeEnery, T., Xiao, R. and Tono, Y. (2005) Corpus-Based Language Studies: An Advanced Resource Book. London: Routledge.

·     Seto, K. & Tono, Y. (eds.) (2012) Shogakukan Progressive English-Japanese Dictionary. Tokyo: Shogakukan. Tono, Y. (2011). TaLC in action: recent innovations in corpus-based English language teaching in Japan. Ana Frankenberg-Garcia, Lynne Flowerdew, and Guy Aston (eds) New Trends in Corpora and Language Learning, pp. 3-25. London: Continuum.

·     Tono, Y. (2011). Application of Eye-Tracking In EFL Learners' Dictionary Look-Up Process Research. International Journal of Lexicography 24 (1): 124-153.

Tono, Y. (2010). Corpus-Based Research and Its Implications for Second Language Acquisition and English Language Teaching. Tien-en Kao and Yaofu Lin(eds.) (2010) A New Look at Language Teaching and Testing: English as Subject and Vehicle. The Language Training and Testing Center, pp.155-173.