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Teaching Beyond Borders: Redefining Online ESAP Practice and Professional Growth
Conference presentation

Teaching Beyond Borders: Redefining Online ESAP Practice and Professional Growth

Sharon Leslie and Thomas Roche
60th RELC International Conference: Global Trends and Innovations in Language Education: Theory, Research, and Practice in Action, 60th (Singapore, 09/03/2026–11/03/2026)
10/03/2026

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Abstract

Over the past decade, Transnational English-Medium Instruction (EMI) Higher Education (HE) has moved from the margins to the mainstream across the Asia Pacific region. Academic language programs are increasingly taught across borders in virtual classrooms that require new forms of digital competence and professional collaboration. It is from this dynamic context that our study foregrounds the voices of teachers, offering insights into the evolving realities of language online. This presentation shares findings from a phenomenological study examining the lived experiences of teachers involved in the online delivery of English for Specific Academic Purposes (ESAP) as part of an Australian-Chinese university partnership. It documents teachers’ navigation of the complexities of digital pedagogy, curriculum design, and intercultural engagement in the post-COVID era. The study used semi-structured interviews to gain insights into how teachers experienced and interpreted the phenomenon of online academic language teaching. The findings reveal that teachers’ Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) evolved dynamically in response to contextual demands, collaborative problem-solving, and student feedback, highlighting the benefits of workplacebased communities of practice and professional development in supporting this cohort of educators. This presentation situates these insights within broader global trends in language education in transnational education contexts, including innovation, equity, and the integration of theory and practice. It also offers some practical strategies for supporting teacher agency, professional learning, and reflective practice. By foregrounding teacher voices, this session contributes to RELC’s 2026 theme and highlights the transformative potential of online academic language teaching for both educators and institutions.

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