Department of English Language Education, EDUHK

ELE's Open Knowledge Poster ( #46)

A skill-specific perspective on AI-mediated informal digital learning of English (AI-IDLE): Examining the contributing roles of L2 writing motivation and enjoyment

Scan the QR code to read the paper! 📄👇

Academic Visit to Universitas Negeri Jakarta (UNJ)

From 10–14 August 2026, Dr Ju Seong Lee visited Universitas Negeri Jakarta (UNJ) as a visiting professor, hosted by Prof. Setia Budi, Professor of Materials Chemistry and Head of the Cooperation and Internationalization Center.

During the visit, Dr Lee:
• Gave a public lecture on IDLE, digital ecosystems, and sustainability to around 100 applied linguistics participants.
• Led a GenAI-assisted academic writing workshop for around 40 chemistry faculty/students.
• Discussed potential research collaboration.
• Introduced ELE and EdUHK programmes to UNJ colleagues.

A productive week of academic exchange and exploring future collaboration.

🎓✨Congratulations to Dr KOHNKE, Lucas for being the awardee of the Network Citation Award 2026. 🙌👏

🎙️Today, we launched the first episode of our ELE Exchange Podcast!

📌Available on:
▶️YouTube: https://youtu.be/48efkyXaGOw
🎧Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4F6KhDGTB8z7I9ZlPBDh3e?si=EQQVkskJQMGCkks4xzJ0LQ
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/mo/podcast/episode-01-digital-teaching-platform-new-opportunities/id6791918025?i=1000777188666

🎧 Host: Dr Mik Fanguy, Department of English Language Education, EdUHK

👩‍🏫✨This episode features an interview with Dr. Ming Curran, an assistant professor at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University who researches online tutoring markets. Discover the economics of digital education and the lifestyles of online teachers. Whether you’re seeking a flexible side gig or considering a career shift, this episode is for you. 💡📚

🎓✨Prof. Angel Mei Yi LIN has been selected to receive the AAAL Distinguished Scholarship and Service award for 2027.

Congratulations on this incredible achievement! 🙌👏

Strengthening EdUHK (ELE)–UPI Collaboration

On 14 July 2026, EdUHK welcomed three representatives from Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI):

1. Prof. Wawan Gunawan – Dean, Faculty of Language and Arts Education (FPBS)
2. Dr Yanty Wirza – Vice Dean (Student Affairs & Partnership), FPBS
3. Dr Ari Arifin – Division Head, Innovation and Intellectual Property Development

During the visit, the delegation met with EdUHK colleagues, toured the Library and Future Classroom, and engaged with ELE colleagues to discuss potential joint publications, research projects, and other forms of academic collaboration.

This visit follows the recent establishment of a university-level Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between EdUHK and UPI. It provides a basis for further collaboration and academic exchange between the two institutions.

Prof. QIAO Shen, Maggie from Department of English Language Education (ELE) recently led a series of Professional Development workshops on AI literacy for teachers at Sha Tau Kok Central Primary School. The Principal Lam highly commended this initiative in his recent publication! 📰✨ Full text link can be found here: https://edu.hkej.com/php/article.detail.php?aid=63912

At ELE, we believe the future of education relies on equipping teachers. Through this collaboration, local teachers explored several innovative AI tools to inspire students' creativity and critical thinking through interactive dialogue.

This successful partnership is now leading to the creation of a "AI Education Learning Circle" among HK local schools! 🏫✨ We are proud to bridge academia and practical teaching to shape a human-centric future for AI in HK English education. 🚀

Listening to People, Learning with Communities: ELE’s Indonesia School Visits

We’re grateful for the opportunity to visit schools and connect with local education communities in Indonesia.

From 18–20 June 2026, Dr Ju Seong Lee and the research team visited two secondary schools in Solo. They later visited a boarding school and a public school in Malang from 26–27 June 2026. During these visits, the team met school leaders, observed classrooms, listened to students and teachers, and tested an AI tool in real classroom settings. These conversations offered valuable insights into the needs and realities of local schools and classrooms.

Dr Lee and Ms Chuxu Yu also had the opportunity to work with undergraduate and postgraduate students at Universitas Brawijaya (UB), sharing research methods and introducing the CALF model (Complexity, Accuracy, Lexis, and Fluency). They also contributed to teacher development through Training of Trainers sessions on AI in ELT and IDLE coaching as part of the TEFLIN professional development programme, coordinated by Prof. Zuliati Rohmah at UB.

At Universitas PGRI Kanjuruhan Malang, Dr Lee and Ms Yu shared ongoing AI and IDLE projects funded through both internal and external grants with students and faculty members. These interactions reinforced the importance of working closely with local educators and communities, particularly in regions where additional support is needed. ELE remains committed to co-developing meaningful projects with local partners while supporting the growth of emerging researchers.

A heartfelt thank you to all the school leaders, teachers, students, and university partners for their warm hospitality, generous sharing, and meaningful collaboration.

Sharing AI in ELT Research with 2,000+ Teachers in Indonesia

Funded by ELE’s Teaching Development Grant (TDG), Dr Ju Seong Lee and his research team, including RPg and EdD students, have been exploring how AI chatbots and AI toys can support learners’ emotional engagement and willingness to communicate.

On 19 June 2026, the team was invited to lead a workshop, “How Teachers Can Use AI to Support Classroom Learning”, hosted by Guru Juara, Indonesia’s online teacher professional community with over 1 million subscribers. The session attracted 2,000+ teachers through Zoom and YouTube livestream.

It was encouraging to see research conducted at ELE being shared directly with teachers across borders, helping bridge the gap between research and classroom practice. This reflects ELE’s ongoing commitment to innovative, high-quality research and meaningful knowledge transfer that benefits educators and communities.

On June 26, Dr. Lucas Kohnke delivered an invited seminar to over 170 secondary school teachers in Hong Kong, organized by the Education Bureau. The session explored practical strategies for using literary texts, fostering creativity and higher-order thinking, and adapting AI-enhanced approaches to support gifted learners in secondary English classrooms.

A wonderful opportunity to exchange ideas with dedicated English educators.