BC TEAL 2026 Annual Conference

The primary objective of this session to initiate a meaningful conversation about how academic support units can continue to build effective, student-centered services at a time when there’s shrinking staff capacity and growing workloads. The session focuses on the creation of Learning Commons – central hub of academic support and its connection with Writing Centre and English Studies faculty to develop academic resources that support the core skills – Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing. 
The discussion will also focus on the challenges faced with student engagement and active collaboration with faculty members. It also sheds light on to the manner academic support units as well as faculty members are at the front lines of taking care of students well-being in high stressful situations. 

GenAI can help EAL instructors tap into scalability to fill in the gaps when providing individualized feedback, saving hours of typing out every suggestion. Drawing on personal EAP classroom this academic year, the research focus is practical, using GenAI to enhance instructor-guided feedback on writing and speaking tasks to include personalized examples and practice for each learner. The presenter will share tailored prompts focusing on common learner weaknesses in writing structure (e.g., clarity, organization, and word choice) and on suprasegmentals in pronunciation (stress, rhythm, intonation), without overwhelming students or instructors. The goal of the session is to share what worked and what didn’t. Successes included prompts that stayed focused on one skill at a time, feedback delivered in digestible formats, and practice activities that could raise student’s awareness and help to self-identify weaknesses for future tasks. Challenges included trying to do too much for each stage of the assignment and producing feedback that felt too long. The session will link each challenge to a practical adjustment that attendees can adopt immediately. Survey results reporting student reactions and preferences will also be discussed when receiving AI feedback, including hesitation to trust AI feedback and the importance of Instructor guidance. By the end of the session, attendees will leave with a set of prompt templates to use for scalable, individualized feedback prompts while, hopefully, avoiding some of the pitfalls. 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly shaping how learners access information, communicate, and learn languages. From translation tools and grammar checkers to AI-generated images, videos, and voices, learners are interacting with AI daily—often without the skills needed to understand how these tools work or how to use them safely, critically, and effectively.
This session introduces a new AI literacy course  in Avenue.ca for adult ESL and settlement-focused language programs at CLB 1-4.  The activities are  aligned with the Avenue Learner Standards for Technology-Enhanced Language Learning (TELL). The course supports learners in building a foundational understanding of AI and generative AI, recognizing AI-generated and manipulated content, and developing awareness of how AI can both support learning and be used to mislead or cause harm.
The course is highly visual and experiential. Learners engage with a wide range of AI-generated images, videos, and audio samples to observe how realistic AI content can appear. Hands-on activities guide learners through identifying common features of AI-generated media, checking sources, and questioning accuracy. Several AI engines and AI-powered language learning tools—such as translation, pronunciation, and writing support apps—are introduced, with step-by-step instructions that help learners use these tools effectively while understanding their limitations.
The presentation will showcase how the course integrates interactive tasks, guided discussions, and reflection activities that promote learner agency and critical thinking. Participants will also see how the course explicitly addresses Avenue standards related to digital safety, ethical technology use, and independent learning.
Attendees will leave with practical insights into designing AI-aware lessons, concrete examples of learner-friendly activities, and strategies for supporting learners as they navigate AI tools and information in their everyday lives and communities.

This panel examines how classroom‑based volunteering can serve as a meaningful developmental pathway for language learners seeking future roles in education. In a TEAL landscape marked by rapid change, access barriers, and shifting learner demographics, volunteering creates space for learners to strengthen their language proficiency, workplace readiness, and emerging pedagogical identities through authentic participation in instructional environments. These practices align with the 2026 conference theme Rooted and Relevant: EAL Approaches in a Changing World, emphasizing flexible, learner‑centered approaches that respond to current sector challenges. 
Our focus is on learners who have limited access to full‑time language programming, including graduates of settlement‑language programs, temporary residents such as CUAET visa holders, and Stage 2 learners navigating fragmented or constrained educational pathways. Their experiences illustrate how volunteering can bridge structural gaps, foster confidence, and support career exploration within Canadian educational contexts. The session’s objectives are to: demonstrate how volunteering enhances language development, communication skills, and learner confidence through situated practice; illustrate how classroom volunteering supports workplace competencies and early pedagogical awareness for learners pursuing education‑related career pathways; and provide instructors with strategies for identifying, mentoring, and integrating learner‑volunteers in ways that benefit both volunteers and classroom communities. 
The panel includes multiple perspectives: one presenter examines language‑learning gains associated with classroom volunteering; another highlights how volunteering builds workplace readiness and community connections; a third discusses how volunteer engagement nurtures interest in education careers and supports foundational teaching skills. The chair synthesizes these insights, situates them within broader TEAL sector shifts, and facilitates discussion on practical implications for instructors and programs. Participants will leave with evidence‑informed strategies for leveraging learner‑volunteer strengths, fostering inclusive community‑rooted practices, and responding to sector challenges in ways that remain both rooted in learner needs and relevant to evolving TEAL contexts.