2027 KOTESOL International Conference
The Hidden Dimensions of Educators:
Shining a Light on Identity, Labour, and Well-Being
May 15 - 16, 2027
Sookmyung Women's University, Seoul, South Korea
In-person and asynchronous
Korea TESOL (KOTESOL) is a non-profit professional association dedicated to advancing research, sharing knowledge, and fostering intercultural exchange among English educators and learners in Korea. Since its establishment in October 1992, KOTESOL has served as the official affiliate of the TESOL International Association in Korea and holds associate membership with the International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language (IATEFL). It is also a founding member of the Pan-Asian Consortium (PAC), a regional network comprising JALT (Japan), ThaiTESOL (Thailand), ETA-ROC (Taiwan), FEELTA (Russia), and PALT (Philippines). Each year, KOTESOL furthers its mission by hosting an international conference that brings together professionals from around the world to exchange scholastic ideas, research, and best practices.
About the 2027 KOTESOL International Conference
On May 15 and 16, 2027, KOTESOL will host its 34th International Conference at Sookmyung Women’s University in Seoul, South Korea. KOTESOL invites educators, researchers, and practitioners from diverse sectors in the field of English language teaching to explore the interconnected themes of criticality, innovation, and compassion in ELT. All those involved in English language education, regardless of level, setting, or background, are welcome to participate.
Conference Themes
Sustaining our efficacy as educators, our productivity as scholars, and our overall well-being requires a critical examination of current teaching conditions. Structural inequities, invisible labour, institutional cultures, professional identity strains, and job precarity pose significant risks to our physical, mental, and emotional health. These systemic difficulties can no longer be relegated to the margins; they must become a central priority.
Reflecting the core theme of the conference, the KOTESOL International Conference Committee 2027 seeks to foster a collaborative dialogue. By providing a platform for the diverse voices within our community, we aim to collectively identify, analyse, and confront the hidden dimensions of academic life with optimism, resilience, and assurance.
KOTESOL encourages submissions addressing, but not limited to, the following thematic strands:
Conference Strands
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Teacher Identity, Professional Subjectivities, and Intersectionality
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Teacher Agency, Professional Autonomy, and Voice
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Educational Labour, Professional Rights, and Institutional Cultures
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Mentoring, Communities of Practice, and Professional Support
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Teacher Well-Being, Mental Health, and Professional Sustainability
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Physical Health, Safety, and Sustainable Teaching Practice
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Teacher Education, Professional Learning, and Continuing Professional Development
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Reflective Practice, Exploratory Practice, and Practitioner Research
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Sustainability, Critical Pedagogy, Ethics, and Social Justice in EFL
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Artificial Intelligence Discourse, Educational Technologies, and Digital Literacies
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Transnationalism, Mobility, Translanguaging, and Global Englishes
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Emotion, Affect, Care, and Relational Pedagogies
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Teacher Precarity, Educational Labour, and Changing Professional Landscapes
Got another idea? Alternative session strands are welcome; contact us!
Submit a Proposal
Timeline Overview
The call for conference proposals opens October 1, 2026, and closes January 20, 2027.
- Early-Bird Proposals Accepted: October 1, 2026 - November 20, 2026
- Early-Bird Proposal Acceptance Notification: December 7, 2026
- Regular Proposals Accepted: November 21, 2026 - January 20, 2027
- Regular Proposal Acceptance Notification: March 1, 2027
Submit a Proposal Here
(to view, must be logged in at koreatesol.org)
Proposals on a wide variety of topics are welcome, particularly those in the spirit of the theme.
Proposal Submission Guidelines
Detailed Guidelines
Shorter version guidelines
KOTESOL welcomes proposals for individual or group presentations.
- Research Report/Paper: 25 minutes (in-person or online)
- Workshops: 50 minutes (in-person only)
- Dialogues/Roundtables: 50 minutes (in-person only)
- Panel Discussions: 50 minutes (in-person only)
- Poster Presentations: 50 minutes (in-person or online [Padlet or PDF])
- Graduate Student Showcase: 15 minutes (in-person or pre-recorded video; research only; must be enrolled in a graduate program at the time of submission)
- Pecha Kucha: 20 slides, 20 seconds each (pre-recorded video only)
Submitted proposals should include:
- Title (no more than 12 words or 70 characters including spaces)
- Abstract (up to 150 words). No name or information should be included in the abstract that could be used to identify the possible presenter(s). This includes research grant numbers and university names.
- Session Format (workshop, research presentation, panel, etc.; in-person, pre-recorded video or Zoom)
- Session Topic (see above)
- Presenter(s) Biographical Profile(s) (up to 60 words)
Please submit proposals in English only. However, presentations can be conducted in either Korean or English.
Please note that:
- An individual may submit a maximum of two (2) proposals as the lead or sole author.
- Additional participation as a co-presenter or panellist is permitted in up to three (3) additional sessions.
Fair Review Process
To ensure equity and impartiality, proposals will undergo double-blind peer review. Authors must avoid self-identifying references to their own prior work within the proposal and abstract. For example, avoid phrases like “as we demonstrated in our pilot study (Author, Year)…”
Communication & Notification
All correspondence will be directed to the lead presenter. Accepted presenters (and all co-presenters) must register for the conference by a specified date to confirm their session. Failure to register promptly may result in disqualification and replacement in the conference lineup.
Publishing Opportunities
Besides being able to submit work (as KOTESOL members) to our research journal, the Korea TESOL Journal, accepted presenters can publish in KOTESOL Proceedings 2027, a post-conference compilation of papers, including both research presentations (2,500-5,000 words) and other presentation reports (2,000 words), all reviewed.
Please note:
After a proposal has been submitted, it cannot be edited. Careful proofreading is therefore strongly recommended. The use of generative AI tools such as Bard or ChatGPT, or proofreading software such as Grammarly, may be employed to assist in this process.
All co-presenters must be included in the submitted proposal. The submitter is regarded as the lead presenter and is therefore responsible for ensuring that all co-presenters receive the necessary information regarding conference registration, KOTESOL membership, schedule updates, and other relevant details.
Certain presentation types may be delivered online through pre-recorded video. During the submission process, the format (in-person or online) must be selected. For the online format, a high-quality pre-recorded video (or, in the case of a poster presentation, a Padlet or PDF) is required for sharing on the conference platform. For the in-person format, presenters are expected to participate onsite in Seoul at the scheduled time.
Membership in KOTESOL is required of all presenters, including co-presenters, prior to the commencement of the conference. Membership is not required at the time of proposal submission; however, if a proposal is accepted, membership must be obtained.
The fee for membership is:
- 50,000 KRW / 40 USD for domestic members residing in Korea
- 70,000 KRW / 56 USD for international members residing outside Korea
- 30,000 KRW / 24 USD for undergraduate students enrolled in a bachelor’s or associate’s degree programme.
This membership fee is in addition to the conference registration fee (to be announced). New/Renewed Membership and Conference Registration is best handled concurrently.
As credit card payments cannot be processed by KOTESOL, fees must be paid via bank transfer, PayPal, or Wise.com.
All proposals must represent work that has not previously been presented at a KOTESOL International Conference.
Multiple proposals may be submitted; however, no more than two (2) proposals from any single presenter can be accepted. Additional participation is permitted as a co-presenter or panellist in up to three (3) further sessions.
All presenters must abide by the KOTESOL Code of Conduct and the KOTESOL Ethical Standards for Research and Publication.
Contact & Further Information
Please monitor the KOTESOL website for updates. Please contact the Program Director, Meerbek Kudaibergenov (conference.program@koreatesol.org), if you have any questions.
We look forward to your contributions to inspire critical reflection and educational innovation at the 2027 KOTESOL International Conference.
