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Invited Speakers
Meet Our Invited Speakers We are proud to welcome a distinguished group of scholars, educators, and thought leaders who will share their insights, research, and experiences at the 2026 KOTESOL International Conference. Our plenary and featured speakers represent a wide range...Basic page 2026 KOTESOL International Conference July 29, 2025
About the team
The 2026 KOTESOL International Conference is chaired by Dr. Meerbek Kudaibergenov and co-chaired by Gabriela Villafradez. The conference program is overseen by Gabriela Villafradez working closely with Michael Free, Associate Program Director,...Basic page 2026 KOTESOL International Conference July 29, 2025
Call for proposals
2026 KOTESOL International Conference "Criticality, Innovation, and Compassion: Rethinking Language Education in Times of Change" May 16–17, 2026 Sookmyung Women's University, Seoul, South Korea In-person and asynchronous Korea TESOL (KOTESOL) is a non-...Basic page 2026 KOTESOL International Conference July 29, 2025
Conference Venue
Conference Venue: Sookmyung Women’s University (SMU) The face-to-face portion of the conference will be held at Sookmyung Women's University's 2nd Campus Prime Building, Renaissance Building, and Centennial Hall Campus map: here Registration is in the Prime...Basic page 2026 KOTESOL International Conference July 29, 2025
David Shaffer - Invited Speakers Director
David Shaffer, PhD, has been organizing ELT conferences for many years. He has served on two dozen KOTESOL international conference committees in director-level positions, and as invited speakers director for a number of years. He has served as KOTESOL national conference...Bio's 2026 KOTESOL International Conference August 6, 2025
Gabriela Villafradez - Program Director
Gabriela is an English teacher from the UK with over nine years of experience in language education across diverse international settings. She holds a BSc in psychology from Goldsmiths, University of London, and an MA in applied linguistics and TESOL from the University of...Bio's 2026 KOTESOL International Conference August 6, 2025
Meerbek Kudaibergenov - Conference Committee Chair
Meerbek Kudaibergenov obtained his PhD from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in 2021. He serves as an assistant professor at Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Seoul, South Korea. With a keen focus on Eastern and Central Asian contexts, his...Bio's 2026 KOTESOL International Conference August 7, 2025
David Shaffer - Financial Affairs Director
David Shaffer, PhD, has years of experience in conference organizing and financial affairs. He has served on two dozen KOTESOL international conference committees in director-level positions, as national conference joint chair, and as chapter conference chair. In addition, he...Bio's 2026 KOTESOL International Conference August 14, 2025
2026 KOTESOL International Conference Proposal Submission Form
Submissions were accepted September 20, 2025 - January 31, 2026 Thank you for your interest in the 33rd Korea TESOL International Conference! Submissions are now CLOSED. Registration for accepted presenters will open on March 1, and pre-registration for regular...Webform 2026 KOTESOL International Conference August 22, 2025
Submission Guidelines
The 33rd Korea TESOL International Conference "Criticality, Innovation, and Compassion: Rethinking Language Education in Times of Change" May 16–17, 2026 In Person (Sookmyung Women's University, Seoul (+ online asynchronous) Submissions close January 31, 2026!...Basic page 2026 KOTESOL International Conference August 22, 2025
Conference Presenter Travel Grant Application
The results of the travel grant applications were emailed on March 7. Many thanks to all who applied, and congratulations to our two grantees! Thanks to the generosity of KOTESOL lifetime member Kara Mac Donald, we are offering up to TWO travel grants of up to...Webform 2026 KOTESOL International Conference August 24, 2025
Lindsay Herron - Registration Director
Dr. Lindsay N. Herron teaches at Gwangju National University of Education. She has been on the registration team since 2012 and has also served as the international conference chair.Bio's 2026 KOTESOL International Conference September 19, 2025
Rob Dickey - Sponsorship Chair
Rob Dickey has been engaged with KOTESOL since his first conference in 1995, is a past-president for this organization, and has been involved with ELT conferences management for over 25 years (and managed his first professional conference aboard the Queen Mary in 1984!). A...Bio's 2026 KOTESOL International Conference September 22, 2025
Registration Overview
Accepted presenter registration: March 1-April 7 Attendee pre-registration: April 1-May 5 Onsite Registration Hours Saturday, 5/16 08:00-16:00 Sunday, 5/17 08:00-13:00 No passes will be available after 13:00 on 5/17. Note: Only participants...Basic page 2026 KOTESOL International Conference September 25, 2025
Wesley Martin - HR Director
Wesley Martin has been living in South Korea off and on for more than six years, and he is currently teaching at a private academy (hagwon). He also has experience teaching ESL and linguistics to a variety of backgrounds at the university level. He has studied several...Bio's 2026 KOTESOL International Conference October 7, 2025
Lisa MacIntyre-Park - Conference Sales Director
Lisa MacIntyre-Park holds a BEd (TESL) and BA (Hons) from Brock University in Canada and has been teaching English in Korea since 1997. Since 2005, she and her husband have run their own academy in Jeonju, which, incidentally, is where the local KOTESOL chapter has been...Bio's 2026 KOTESOL International Conference January 13, 2026
Maiah Hollander - Publicity Director
Maiah Hollander is an educator and communications professional with experience in corporate communications, classroom teaching, and international education communities. She holds a BA in Communication and Journalism and an MA in Education and Communication, with a focus on media...Bio's 2026 KOTESOL International Conference January 13, 2026
Gabriela Villafradez - Conference Committee Co-Chair
Gabriela Villafradez holds an MA in applied linguistics and TESOL from the University of Leicester, complemented by a Trinity College London CertIBET in international business English training and a Trinity College TESOL Certificate from St. George International. She...Bio's 2026 KOTESOL International Conference January 13, 2026
Sean O'Connor - Logistics Director
Sean O'Connor has been a member of KOTESOL for many years. He has served on the KOTESOL International Conference Committee (ICC) since 2001. For most of those years, he served as director of the Technical Team. His ICC service earned him an Outstanding Service Award from the ICC...Bio's 2026 KOTESOL International Conference January 13, 2026
Mike Peacock - Guest Services Director
Mike Peacock is originally from Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. He has been living in the Daejeon area for 21 years. Mike has been teaching English at Woosong University's Culinary Arts Department for the past 15 years and is currently in my 17th year at Woosong. He has...Bio's 2026 KOTESOL International Conference January 13, 2026
Khan Taekwondo Demonstration Team
Khan Taekwondo Demonstration Team We are thrilled to have the Khan Taekwondo Demonstration Team perform at our international conference. Their powerful demonstrations highlight both the artistry and athleticism of Taekwondo, and we eagerly look forward to an inspiring...Basic page 2026 KOTESOL International Conference February 9, 2026
Michael Free - Associate Program Director
Michael is a university lecturer and instructional designer from the United States with over 15 years of experience in English language education and educational technology across South Korea. He holds a Master's degree in TESOL and several related certifications, and is...Bio's 2026 KOTESOL International Conference February 20, 2026
Presenter Conference Registration
Presenter Registration for the 33rd Korea TESOL International Conference (KOTESOL 2026) IS NOW CLOSED. (Open March 1 - April 7 [KST]) Presenter Registration Fees In-person or hybrid (Zoom) presenter conference pass: 100,000 KRW (80 USD) Video-only...Webform 2026 KOTESOL International Conference February 27, 2026
Conference Frequently Asked Questions 2026
Below are some common questions participants have about participating in the conference. If you have a question, please check here first! Do I need to be a KOTESOL member to participate in the conference? Am I a KOTESOL member? / When does my membership...Basic page 2026 KOTESOL International Conference March 9, 2026
Hotel Accommodations
Those visiting Seoul for the conference may wish to stay at our official conference hotel: Seoul Garden Hotel The hotel is approximately a 15-minute taxi ride from the conference venue, and it's located within an easy walk of a variety of restaurants and shops, as well as...Basic page 2026 KOTESOL International Conference March 13, 2026