British Council Organizes Flagship New Directions South Asia Conference 2025

In this flagship conference, the British Council has brought together the experts from UK and other countries to discuss the changing scenario of English language learning as well as its assessment.

Study Abroad: The British Council has organized its flagship conference New Directions South Asia 2025 in New Delhi today. It is a two-day event which started today and will conclude on February 22, 2025. The New Directions South Asia 2025 conference focussed on English language learning and its assessment. The event witnessed the presence of senior members of the British Council.

Professor Barry O'Sullivan OBE, Director of English Language Research at the British Council addressed the conference on the theme - "Technology and tradition: The changing face of assessment in English language learning systems."

Duncan Wilson, Managing Director, BC Education India said, "It is inspiring to see this landmark conference come to life, bringing together such diverse expertise from across South Asia and beyond to address the evolving landscape of English language assessment. By hosting New Directions South Asia in India, we're convening the region's thought leaders to shape the future of English language assessment, empowering India and the wider South Asian region to compete, collaborate and thrive on the world stage. With this, we continue to strengthen our mission of empowering learners, educators and institutions to thrive in an increasingly multilingual and technology-driven world."

Professor Barry O’Sullivan OBE said, "India's ambition to become a global knowledge economy relies heavily on its ability to foster a multilingual workforce. The launch of New Directions in South Asia today marks a significant milestone in our journey of driving innovation in English language assessment worldwide. The rich discussions unfolding here demonstrate how bringing together thought leaders, educators and policymakers under one roof creates a meaningful dialogue on the intersection of technology and tradition. This collaborative platform ensures that our assessment practices continue to evolve in step with learners' needs in today's rapidly changing world."

More Details Of British Council New Directions South Asia 2025

Participants from various countries talked about the evolving demands of the interconnected and multilingual educational systems. The panel discussion saw participants from Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan apart from India. The event served as a platform for the regional and international leaders in education including academics, educators, policymakers, assessment experts and teachers to meet and discuss the language.

Amol Padwad, Retd. Director, Centre for English Language Education, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar University, Delhi chaired the panel discussion on ‘The vision for English language assessment in South Asia’.

He said, “Reimagining English language assessment in South Asia comes with both challenges and opportunities due to the region’s rich linguistic diversity and rapid digital transformation. Through platforms like New Directions South Asia 2025, we can collectively shape assessment practices that are both academically rigorous and culturally responsive to South Asian learners' needs."

The panel discussions are centered around – AI in English language, English for Employability, the role of English in Multilingual Education Contexts, and assessing young learners.

Victoria Murphy, Professor of Applied Linguistics and Director of the Department of Education, University of Oxford said, “The discussions at New Directions South Asia highlight our shared commitment to developing assessment approaches that respect young learners' developmental stages while preparing them for future success. By combining research-backed methodologies with emerging technologies, we can create assessment frameworks that are both rigorous and child-friendly, supporting the unique needs of young language learners across the region."

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