Four academic staff members from the Department of English Faculty of Arts and Letters and the UST Graduate School (GS) together with seven students from GS, along with an alumna from the Faculty of Arts and Letters, showcased their research at the Association Internationale de Linguistique Appliqu茅e or International Association of Applied Linguistics (AILA) 2024 World Congress with the theme, 鈥淟inguistic Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Sustainability鈥�, held from August 11 to 16, 2024 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre in Malaysia.
UST GS and Faculty of Arts and Letters Professor Marilu R. Madrunio, Ph.D presented her paper titled “Memorandum of Agreement on Research Production: How Binding is It?” Her study explored the legal implications of contracts signed between researchers and research center directors at a comprehensive university in Manila, focusing on the specific provisions that are either upheld or neglected in practice. Findings of her study revealed that while the signed contract is valid with essential requisites, gaps in its preparation and enforcement were identified, prompting recommendations for a review of the provisions and research management strategies to improve effectiveness and prevent future litigation.
Meanwhile, Prof. Alejandro S. Bernardo, Ph.D, also from UST GS and Faculty of Arts and Letters, shared his research titled “A Survey of Pedagogical Models for Teaching English in the Expanding Circle.” In this study, he examined instructional frameworks used in regions where English is not the primary language but is increasingly taught, aiming to identify effective teaching approaches suited to these communities. His study showed that although pedagogical models in the Expanding Circle promoted positive attitudes toward English varieties and awareness of its diversity, these models still struggled to achieve coherence and alignment in their instructional design.
During the world conference, Asst. Prof. Joram Kim Corcuera, an academic staff from the UST Faculty of Arts and Letters and a Ph.D student from the UST GS, also presented a part of his dissertation titled, 鈥淭he Bridge Between Language and Sports: Examining Sportscasting Biases in the Construction of Filipino Athletes鈥� Identity.鈥� His study examined media biases in sportscasting through analysis of media coverage and interviews, revealing a duality of biases that shaped athletes’ portrayals and influenced public perception. Corcuera also presented his study in the first AILA Early Career Researchers鈥� Symposium as the representative of the Philippines, where he highlighted the need to manage biases in media practices to better understand their cultural impact and the role of media in shaping the identities of various sports personalities.
Prof. Rachelle Lintao, Ph.D of the UST GS and the Chair of the Department of English, Faculty of Arts and Letters also led her students in the Graduate School, namely: Maria Danielle Albano, who also serves as the English Supervisor of Immaculate Conception Academy, along with Fermina Vergara of UST Senior High School, in presenting their research titled “Utilizing Data-driven Learning in Improving Filipino ESL Students’ Usage of Academic Language in Writing Argumentative Essays.” Their study revealed that by incorporating corpus-based materials and activities in the classes, data-driven learning (DDL) strategies significantly improved students’ academic writing skills.
Additionally, Lintao also spearheaded another paper presentation with her GS students, namely: Corcuera, Edmund Angelo Glory of Bacoor National High School-Villa Maria Annex, Pauline Mae Lim of the UST Junior High School, and Christine Paula Pedro of Maria Montessori School of Quezon City. Their study titled “Using Data-Driven Learning in Developing Modal Verb Proficiency among Selected ESL Learners in the Philippines” examined the effectiveness of the corpus tool #LancsBox in developing modal verb proficiency among ESL learners in the Philippines through data-driven learning and found that DDL is best used as a supplementary tool alongside other primary activities to address additional language challenges faced by students.
Krizza Mae C. Balisong, a Ph.D student at the UST GS, also shared a part of her dissertation titled, “Investigating the Linguistic Features and Metafunctions of Peace Pacts.” This analysis of the linguistic features of written peace pacts from Sadanga and Bontoc, Mountain Province, revealed that while these legal documents contained features shown in previous studies of the language of the law, they also have unique characteristics that described the indigenous communities鈥� context and culture.
In the six-day international research conference, Kreisler Fontamillas, a UST GS Ph.D student and an assistant professor at Romblon State University, also presented a part of his dissertation titled, “Credibility and Admissibility of Forensic Linguists in Philippine Jurisprudence: Legitimizing Their Role as Expert Witnesses.” His paper proposed a legal framework for the engagement of forensic linguists as expert witnesses in Philippine courts, aiming to enhance their credibility and admissibility, which could lead to more accurate and just outcomes in cases involving forensic linguistic evidence.
Ma. Kaela Joselle Madrunio, an alumna from the UST Faculty of Arts and Letters, who is currently an MA Forensic Linguistics student at Aston University, also shared her study titled “Evidentiality and Epistemicity: Stance Taking of Courtroom Interactants in Select Philippine Court Trials.” Her research analyzed the use of stance markers and the interplay of evidentiality, epistemicity, and stance taking in Philippine court trials, which highlighted the importance of stance in ensuring credible and reliable statements. Her initial findings revealed that courtroom participants in Philippine trials predominantly use Filipino stance markers over English, which highlight the influence of cultural and social nuances on bilingualism in legal settings and its potential impact on perceived credibility.
Organized by the Malaysian Association of Applied Linguistics, the 21st AILA World Conference attracted over 1,700 delegates from 69 countries. As part of a trilogy of World Congresses celebrating 60 years of AILA, the event sought to understand the pivotal role of applied linguistics in addressing global challenges and fostering a more equitable world.
The next AILA World Congress, which will be hosted by the Canadian Association of Applied Linguistics, will take place in Vancouver, Canada, from August 8 to 13, 2027.
