Global Insights in English Education: Insights from Visiting Lecturer Dr. Noor Alhusna Binti Madzlan on Enhancing ESL Teaching Quality

On June 20, 2025, the Master’s Program in English Education hosted an International Visiting Lecturer via Zoom meeting, themed “Enhancing ESL Teaching Quality for English Teachers in a Globalized World”. The event featured Dr. Noor Alhusna Binti Madzlan, a Senior Lecturer and Coordinator for Language at the Faculty of Languages and Communication & Centre of Pedagogical Research & Innovation, Sultan Idris Education University, Malaysia.

The lecture was attended by the Head of the Master’s Program in English Education, Maslatif Dwi Purnomo, M.Hum., Ph.D., the Secretary of the program, Ms. Reflina, and all students of the Master’s Program in English Education, Faculty of Islamic Education and Teacher Training, UIN of North Sumatera Medan. Mr. Bahrul skillfully moderated the event.

In his opening remarks, Maslatif Dwi Purnomo, M.Hum., Ph.D., Head of the Master’s Program in English Education, highlighted the significance of this event as part of the program’s regular activities to foster research, collaboration, scholarship, student exchange, and international title ability, ultimately enhancing the quality of education.

Dr. Noor Alhusna Binti Madzlan delivered a comprehensive presentation covering essential topics such as the key characteristics of effective English teachers, language competence including syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic competence, the CEFR framework, and strategies for improvement to enhance English teachers’ linguistic competency. She also shared insights into the Malaysian context, discussing how English is taught as a second language in the country.

A dynamic discussion session followed, where students posed thought-provoking questions, including Mr. Bahrul’s inquiry about managing students who get distracted by laptops and notebooks, Ms. Nurraida’s question on building confidence in speaking English as a non-native speaker, which Dr. Noor Alhusna addressed by encouraging fearless practice and suggesting activities like watching videos and role-playing, and Ms. Effadila’s query about ensuring teachers become advanced learners without over-relying on AI tools like ChatGPT, to which Dr. Noor Alhusna responded by highlighting the importance of collaborating with AI to achieve the best results.

The lecture concluded with the presentation of an appreciation certificate to Dr. Noor Alhusna Binti Madzlan, paving the way for potential future collaborations to enhance education quality. This event underscores the commitment of Maslatif Dwi Purnomo, M.Hum., Ph.D., Head of the Master’s Program in English Education, to fostering international partnerships and improving teaching standards.