Plenary Speakers

Dr. Keith Folse

Professor of TESOL at the University of Central Florida

Dr. Keith Folse is a Professor of TESOL at the University of Central Florida where he teaches in several programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels. He has taught English for 40 years in the US, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Japan, and Kuwait. He has also taught French in the US and Spanish in Japan. In addition to teaching languages, Dr. Folse is also an avid language learner and has studied six foreign languages: French, Spanish, Arabic, Malay, Japanese, and German.

Dr. Folse’s research focuses on best practices in teaching, learning, and remembering vocabulary. He has published articles in TESOL Quarterly, MexTESOL Journal, TESOL Journal, TESOL Arabia, and other journals. He has written 78 books on a variety of topics for both students and teachers. including The Grammar Answer Key (University of Michigan Press) and the Great Writing series (National Geographic).

Dr. Deena Boraie

Vice President for Student Life at the American University in Cairo

Dr. Deena Boraie is the Vice President for Student Life at the American University in Cairo. Dr. Boraie is currently the Senior Advisor to Egypt’s Minister of Education for assessment, examinations, and curriculum.

Dr. Boraie is a language testing expert and an assessment and evaluation consultant and trainer with extensive experience working with education projects and organizations in Egypt and the region. She is a Trustee of the International Research Foundation for English Language Education (TIRF). She is Past President (she served as President from 2013-2014) of the TESOL International Association, a large U.S.-based international association for Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages. She has published and presented extensively at international conferences on assessment literacy, language testing and assessment, teacher beliefs, student and teacher motivation, teacher professional development and English as a lingua franca. Dr. Boraie holds a PhD in Education (language testing) from the University of Wolverhampton in the UK.

Nicky Hockly

Director of Pedagogy of TCE (The Consultants-E)

Nicky Hockly is Director of Pedagogy of TCE (The Consultants-E). She is a teacher, trainer, international plenary speaker, consultant, and author of several prize-winning methodology books about technology in ELT.

Dean Blaine

York Press - Sphinx

Dean Blaine has spent his career as a writer and educator. For years, he taught English as a second language, and he has written and edited English assessment tests for a number of publishers. He has specialized in helping students learn the proper use and pronunciation of American English, and is an expert in fields including music, science, history, art, and literature. He has worked with ESL students ranging in age from five to 18, and taught English at all levels from beginner to advanced. Dean has also worked as a journalist in the United States, contributing travel articles and other stories to magazines, newspapers, and online outlets; including Norwegian Cruise Lines, Hyatt Hotels, and Booking.com. His work has taken him to more than 30 countries, and six continents. He had the pleasure to visit Egypt in 2008, as a guest of the Egyptian Tourism Authority, and was immediately enthralled by the people. the food, and the unmistakable ancient history. Dean resides in Los Angeles, California.