Manado, September 15, 2026 — The English Education Study Program (Tadris Bahasa Inggris), Faculty of Tarbiyah and Teacher Training (FTIK), IAIN Manado, successfully organized an International Guest Lecture Webinar under the theme “Preparing Future English Teachers for Multilingual, Multicultural, and Technology-Rich Classrooms.” The event was held online via Zoom on September 15, 2026, bringing together distinguished speakers, lecturers, students, and academic participants to discuss contemporary challenges and opportunities in English language education.

The international guest lecture was officially opened by Dr. Nur Hayati, Acting Dean of the Faculty of Tarbiyah and Teacher Training (FTIK), IAIN Manado. In her opening remarks, she welcomed the speakers, moderator, lecturers, students, and participants and highlighted the importance of preparing prospective English teachers to respond effectively to increasingly diverse, multilingual, multicultural, and technology-enhanced learning environments.

The webinar featured two distinguished guest speakers who addressed different dimensions of the main theme.

The first speaker, Prof. Dr. H. Langgeng Budianto, M.Pd., presented the topic “Navigating the New Semiosphere: Digital Communication, Multimodal Discourse Analysis, and Applied Linguistics.” His presentation explored the transformation of communication in contemporary digital environments and the growing significance of multimodality in language use and language education.

Prof. Langgeng explained that communication in modern classrooms and digital spaces is no longer constructed solely through spoken and written language. Meaning is increasingly produced through the interaction of text, images, sound, video, gestures, and other semiotic resources. This development has significant implications for applied linguistics and English language teaching, particularly in preparing future teachers to understand and facilitate communication in increasingly multimodal learning environments.

The second speaker, Dr. H.C. Aslam Khan Bin Samahs Khan, Academic Director of ERICAN Education Group and Vice President of NAPEI Malaysia, delivered a presentation entitled “English Language Education in the AI-Infused Global Setting: From Policies to Practice.”

His presentation focused on three central dimensions: navigating innovation, empowering educators, and shaping the future of English Language Teaching (ELT). He discussed how the increasing integration of artificial intelligence into education is transforming teaching practices, learning environments, and the professional competencies required of educators.

Dr. Aslam emphasized that future English teachers need to develop not only technological competence but also the ability to use emerging technologies critically, ethically, and pedagogically. Educational institutions, therefore, need to prepare prospective teachers to integrate technology in ways that support meaningful learning while maintaining the essential role of teachers in guiding, facilitating, and humanizing the educational process.

The session was moderated by Muh. Hasan Basri, M.Hum., from Universitas Sam Ratulangi. He facilitated the discussion and question-and-answer session, connecting the speakers’ presentations with broader issues related to multilingualism, multicultural education, artificial intelligence, digital literacy, multimodal communication, and the changing roles of English teachers.

The discussions throughout the webinar reflected the relevance of the main theme, particularly as future English teachers are increasingly expected to teach learners from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds while simultaneously adapting to rapidly evolving educational technologies.

Through this International Guest Lecture, the English Education Study Program of IAIN Manado sought to provide students with broader international perspectives on the future of English language teaching. The activity also strengthened the Study Program’s commitment to preparing prospective English teachers who are linguistically responsive, culturally aware, technologically competent, and professionally prepared to teach in dynamic twenty-first-century classrooms.

The event is expected to contribute to students’ academic and professional development while strengthening international academic engagement within the English Education Study Program, FTIK IAIN Manado.