Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ufuk Ataş and Dr. Özlem Erdem Çavdar, faculty members of our department, participated in the 16th International METU ELT Convention, held at Middle East Technical University in Ankara on May 8–9, 2026. The convention was organized by the METU School of Foreign Languages under the theme “Voices Beyond Algorithms: Reclaiming the Human Touch in Language Learning.”

Dr. Ataş and Dr. Erdem Çavdar presented their paper titled “Reimagining the Human Touch in ELT: Identity Negotiation among Literature and Translation Majors during Practicum,” which they co-authored with Dr. Ertin from Bartın University. The study examined how students from English Language and Literature and Translation and Interpreting departments negotiate their professional identities during practicum.

The presentation contributed to discussions on alternative pathways in teacher education, teacher identity, practicum experience, and the notion of the “human touch” in English language teaching. In line with this year’s convention theme, the study is significant in emphasizing that language teaching in the age of technology and artificial intelligence should be approached not only through technical and cognitive dimensions, but also through human, experiential, identity-related, and pedagogical dimensions.