Presentation
Lectures and Conference Presentations
The list below is a sample of the types of lectures and presentations delivered at conferences and professional development events over recent years.
Below this, there is another list, showing specific presentations that have been given to different audiences over the past twenty years.
1. First, second, and bilingual language acquisition from birth to adolescence.
Myths about the ease with which children acquire languages are examined in light of research in homes and schools. Implications for school-based programs are drawn.
Target audience: In-service and pre-service teachers in K-12 schools, both ESL and mainstream. Also appropriate for teachers of English as a foreign language in non-English-speaking countries.
2. Transfer-appropriate processing: Research on memory and the transferability of learning as a framework for classroom second language instruction.
Cognitive psychology has provided evidence that the context and processes that are present during learning influence the ability to retrieve and use information. Applications to second language teaching are explored.
Target audience: Researchers and graduate students in applied linguistics.
3. Time and timing in second language teaching.
The biggest challenge faced by most second and foreign language teachers is the limited time available for learning. Based on research findings, suggestions are made for making the best use of limited classroom time.
Target Audience: In-service and pre-service teachers in second and foreign language classes. Also appropriate for policy-makers and administrators in school programs.
4. Putting form-focused instruction in its place.
Should form-focused instruction be isolated from meaning-focused activities in content-based and communicative second language teaching? Or should it be integrated into those activities? Research and experience suggest a “place” for both approaches.
Target audience: Teachers and program developers for second and foreign language teaching at all levels.
5. Weaving the strands. What are the components of an effective foreign language course?
Students and teachers agree that learners need both instruction that is focused on the formal features of language (grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary, etc.) and opportunities for language use that emphasizes meaningful interaction, but what is the right balance? In this workshop, the four strands for a language course that have been proposed by Paul Nation will be the starting point for examining how different types of activities contribute to foreign and second language learning both in and out of the classroom.
Target audience: Teachers and program developers for second and foreign language teaching at all levels.
6. Bridging the gap.
Researchers and teachers have much to learn from each other, but it is not always easy for them to communicate successfully with each other. This presentation reviews some of the reasons for the lack of communication and suggests some remedies.
Target audience: Teachers, teacher educators, and textbook writers for second- and foreign-language programs.
Lectures and conference presentations (1995-2020)
How can a course in SLA help an immersion teacher? Webinar for students at the University of Minnesota. September 24, 2020.
Finding the time for language learning. Presentation to faculty and students at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. February 13, 2020.
Research on Second Language Acquisition in and for the classroom. Keynote at REAL Conference, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON. May 10, 2019.
In it together. Plenary address to the conference of the American Association for Applied Linguistics. Atlanta, GA. March 10, 2019. Co-presenter: Nina Spada.
The treasures of bilingualism. Webinar for Oxford University Press’s ELTOC (English Language Teaching On-line Conference). March 2, 2019.
Putting form-focused instruction in its place. Presentation at Cornell University’s Language Resource Center, Ithaca, NY, October 25, 2018.
Learning content and language together: How hard can it be? Presentation at Conference on CLIL, Curtin University, Perth, Australia, November 10, 2017.
TIME. And time again. Presentation at Victoria TESOL, Melbourne, Australia. November 2, 2017.
The importance of LANGUAGE(S) in content-based approaches to language learning. Presentation at La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia, October 31, 2017.
All politics is local…and so is language teaching. Keynote at the Sixth International Conference on Immersion and Dual-Language Education. Minneapolis, October 22, 2016.
All in good time: Making classroom minutes count. Workshop at the Sixth International Conference on Immersion and Dual-Language Education. Minneapolis, October 20, 2016.
Must we reinvent the wheel? Or can we adapt it? Keynote at the Sixth International Conference on Foreign-Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics. Sarajevo, Bosnia, May 14, 2016.
New developments in second language acquisition research. Workshop for the Regroupement des responsables de l’enseignement de l’anglais language seconde and the Regroupement des conseillères et conseillers pédagogique: Anglais langue seconde. Montreal, Quebec, February 11, 2016.
Rewards and challenges of content-based language teaching. Talk at Sophia University, Tokyo. January 26, 2016.
Effective ways of adopting CLIL in Japanese classrooms. Dialogue with Yuki Yamano. Oxford University Press. Tokyo, January 24, 2016.
How languages are learned: What can teachers learn from the research? Keynote at the International Symposium on Japanese Second Language Learning. NINJAL (National Institute for Japanese Language and Linguistics), Tokyo, January 23, 2016.
How can CBLT enrich ESL teaching? Keynote at the SPEAQ (Société pour le perfectionnement de l’enseignement de l’anglais, langue seconde, au Québec) Convention, Montreal, November 2015.
Language learning: It’s about time! Workshop at the SPEAQ Convention, Montreal, November 2015.
Research and teaching: Bridging the gap. IATEFL, Manchester, UK, April 2015.
Research and teaching: Bridging the gap. With Nina Spada. TESOL. Toronto, March 2015.
Content-based language teaching: Something to talk about. Tea with TESOLERS. TESOL, Toronto, March 2015.
The effects and perceptions of orally-provided corrective feedback. Colloquium discussant at AAAL. Toronto, March 2015.
Content-based language teaching: Something to talk about. Canadian Association of Second Language Teachers, AGM & Networking Day, Keynote address. Ottawa, ON, September 19, 2014.
Research and teaching: Bridging the gap. With Nina Spada. TESOL, Portland, OR, March 27, 2014.
Content-based language teaching: Something to talk about. International House DOS Conference, Greenwich, UK, January 10, 2014.
How languages are learned, fourth edition. With Nina Spada. TESOL, Dallas, TX, March 2013.
Great expectations in 2012: Revisiting the link between L2 research and L2 teaching. Annual keynote for Second Language Studies Program at Ohio State University, October 15, 2012.
Making the minutes count in foreign language teaching. Keynote address to the Association for Language Awareness. Montreal, July 2012.
Transfer-appropriate processing: How can we ensure that classroom learning is transferable? Plenary address at Eclipsing Expectations conference, Sabanci University, Istanbul, Turkey. June 2, 2011.
Comprehension in second language acquisition: Listening and reading as the basis for language acquisition. Concurrent session at Eclipsing Expectations conference, Sabanci University, Istanbul, Turkey. June 3, 2011.
Vocabulary learning: “This could take a while.” Plenary address to ETAS 2011 (English Teachers Association of Switzerland). Luzern, Switzerland. January 2011.
Form-focused instruction and feedback on error in communicative, content- and task-based language teaching. Workshop at the 2011 conference of ETAS (English Teachers Associaiton of Switzerland). January 2011.
What does research on second language learning tell us about teaching? Foro de estudios en lenguas internacional, Chetumal, Mexico. October 2010.
What research on language learning tells us about language teaching. Plenary address at ITBE 2010 (Illinois TESOL and Bilingual Education). Naperville, IL. February 2010.
Vocabulary learning: From sprint to marathon. Presentation at the international TESOL convention. Boston, MA, March 27, 2010.
Just how easy is it for a child to learn a second language? Breakout session at ITBE 2010 (Illinois TESOL and Bilingual Education). Naperville, IL, February 2010.
Teaching foreign languages to children in school. Lecture for teachers and teacher trainers. Ministry of Education of Chile. Santiago, October 29, 2009 and Universidad católica de Temuco, October 30, 2009.
The TESL Centre: The first 35 years. Keynote address at the celebration of the 35th anniversary of the TESL Centre, Concordia University. Montreal, November 22, 2009.
Weaving the strands in foreign language classrooms. Plenary address for language instructors and professional development staff. Defense Language Institute, Monterey, CA, March 4, 2009.
Finding a place for form-focused instruction in classroom second language acquisition. Lecture at the Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco, México. November 6, 2008.
Putting form-focused instruction in its place. Plenary address for language instructors and professional development staff. Defense Language Institute, Monterey, CA, February 8, 2008.
Something different: Language focused learning in communicative ESL. Presentation to RASCALS (ESL teachers in Quebec’s Collèges d’enseignement général et professionel). Bromont, QC, May 29, 2008.
What does practice perfect? Presentation at SPEAQ (Société pour la promotion de l’enseignement de l’anglais langue seconde au Québec. Montreal, November 8, 2007.
How languages are learned. Workshop at Colorado TESOL meeting. Denver, November 3, 2007.
L2 pronunciation ability: What you hear or what you say? Co-authors Pavel Trofimovich, Randall Halter, Hyojin Song. Paper presented at the Second Language Research Forum, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, October 12, 2007.
Interaction-based research in the L2 classroom. Co-author Nina Spada. Paper presented at the American Association for Applied Linguistics. Costa Mesa. April 23, 2007.
Just do it! Professional development in a dual language program. Co-authors Liliana Minaya-Rowe, Abie Benítez, Pedro Mendía. Workshop at TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages). Seattle, March 24, 2007.
Easy as pie: Children learning languages. Teachers College, Columbia University. Community Forum lecture. September 26, 2007.
Instruction and language development. Colorado TESOL conference. Denver, November 2, 2007.
Perfecting practice. British Association of Applied Linguistics/Irish Association of Applied Linguistics. Cork, Ireland. September 7, 2006.
The role of input in the development of L2 pronunciation: Comprehension versus production.Co-authors Pavel Trofimovich and Randall Halter. Paper presented at the SPEAQ (Société pour la promotion de l’enseignement de l’anglais, langue seconde au Québec) Convention, Quebec, November 2006.
Integrated or isolated form-focused instruction? Co-author Nina Spada. Paper presented the TESOL Convention, Tampa, March 18, 2006.
Fair trade: Two-way immersion. Paper presented at the SPEAQ (Société pour la promotion de l’enseignement de l’anglais, langue seconde au Québec) Convention, Montreal, November 11, 2005.
Are learners aware of L1 influence? Co-authors Ahlem Ammar and Nina Spada. Paper presented at the SPEAQ (Société pour la promotion de l’enseignement de l’anglais, langue seconde au Québec) Convention, Montreal, November 11, 2005.
Learner awareness of L1 influence on question formation. Co-authors Ahlem Ammar and Nina Spada. Paper presented at the Second Language Research Forum, New York, October 9, 2005.
Transfer-appropriate processing as a framework for classroom second language acquisition. Second Language Research Forum 2005, New York, October 8, 2005.
Something to talk about: Content-based language teaching. SPEAQ-Campus 2005. Montreal, January 29, 2005.
Cross-linguistic influence on L2 performance: The role of form-focussed instruction. IX Foro de Lingüistica Applicada. Cholula, Puebla, Mexico. May 22, 2004.
Content-based instruction in second language learning. Paper presented at the SPEAQ (Société pour la promotion de l’enseignement de l’anglais, langue seconde au Québec) Convention, Quebec, November 2004.
How to be effective in 45 hours. RASCALS (College teachers of ESL in Quebec) annual convention. Collège Limoilou, Beauport, Quebec. June 2, 2003.
Form-focussed instruction: Integrated or separated? Paper presented at the SPEAQ (Société pour la promotion de l’enseignement de l’anglais, langue seconde au Québec) Convention, Montreal, November 2003.
What’s your question? Paper presented at the SPEAQ (Société pour la promotion de l’enseignement de l’anglais, langue seconde au Québec) Convention, Quebec City, Quebec, October 2002.
The importance of meaning in explicit form-focussed instruction. Co-authors Nina Spada and Joanna White. Paper presented at the Second Language Research Forum. Toronto, Ontario. October, 2002.
Whose mother is it anyway? Learning possessive determiners in English. Co-author Joanna White. Paper presented at the annual conference of the American Association for Applied Linguistics. St. Louis, February 2001.
Is that what you meant? Conversation and feedback in the ESL classroom. 29th annual convention of SPEAQ (Société pour la promotion de l’enseignement de l’anglais, langue seconde, au Québec).Sainte Hyacinthe, Québec, November 2, 2001
What teachers say; what learners hear. Annual conference of TESL Nova Scotia. Halifax, NS, October 26, 2001.
Time and timing in second language teaching. Plenary workshop at conference of TESL Nova Scotia, Halifax, NS, October 27, 2001.
Input filters in SLA. The 10th annual conference of EuroSLA (The European Second Language Association). Krakow, Poland, September 9, 2000.
When are Francophone students ready to learn his and her? Co-author Joanna White. Paper presented at the SPEAQ (Société pour la promotion de l’enseignement de l’anglais, langue seconde au Québec) Convention, Quebec City, Quebec, October 2000.
Degrees of intensity: A comparison of student outcomes in different versions of intensive ESL. Co-authors, L. Collins, N. Spada, & R. Halter. Paper presented at the annual conference of the Canadian Association of Applied Linguistics, Congress of the Social Sciences and Humanties, University of Alberta, Edmonton, May 27, 2000.
Quantity and quality of time in L2 instruction. Co-authors Laura Collins, Nina Spada, & Randall Halter. Paper presented at the Second Language Research Forum, Minneapolis, MN, September 23-36, 1999.
Time and time again: Amount and intensity of time in second language learning. Paper presented at SPEAQ (Société pour la promotion de l’enseignement de l’anglais, langue seconde, au Québec), Co-authors Laura Collins, Nina Spada, & Randall Halter. Laval, Quebec. October 1999.
Comparing Models of Intensive English: Outcomes, Advantages and Challenges. Co-authors: Laura Collins, Randall H. Halter, & Nina Spada. Annual convention of SPEAQ (la société pour la promotion de l’enseignement de l’anglais, langue seconde, au Québec), Quebec City, Quebec. October 1998.
Hey! Look at this! What do learners notice in implicit and explicit instruction? The Fourth International Conference of the Association for Language Awareness, Quebec, June 26, 1998.
Future perspectives in SLA: Classroom research and the relationship between research and pedagogy. The Twentieth Anniversary Symposium for Studies in Second Language Acquisition, Bloomington, Indiana, April 1998.
Coping with complex language and subject matter: Inuit students in Northern Quebec. Co-author: Nina Spada. American Association for Applied Linguistics. Seattle, March 1998.
How many words? Co-author: Randall Halter. SPEAQ, Laval, Quebec. October 1997.
Teaching: The right thing at the right time. Co-author: Nina Spada. SPEAQ, Laval, Quebec. October 1997.
L1 constraints in interlanguage judgements of grammaticality. Co-author: Nina Spada. Second Language Research Forum (SLRF), East Lansing, MI, October 1997.
A question of timely enhancement. Co-author: Nina Spada. American Association for Applied Linguistics. Orlando, March 1997.
Teaching at the right time. Plenary address for PennTESOL. Philadelphia, November 2, 1996.
More teacher-friendly research on classroom second language learning (symposium). Annual convention of SPEAQ (la société pour la promotion de l’enseignement de l’anglais, langue seconde, au Québec), Laval, Quebec. October 1995.
The role of grammar teaching and learning in ESL in Quebec secondary schools. Round Table participant. Annual convention of SPEAQ (la société pour la promotion de l’enseignement de l’anglais, langue seconde, au Québec), Laval, Quebec. October 1995.
SEMINARS, WORKSHOPS, and SHORT COURSES (1995-2018)
Content-based language teaching. Webinar for Oxford University Press, October 28 and 29, 2014.
Quality, quantity, and timing in ELT. Webinar for Oxford University Press. October 23 & 25, 2012.
Multilingual development in early childhood. Credit course for M.A. & PhD students in applied linguistics, Concordia University, May-June 2009.
Form-focused instruction and feedback on error in communicative, content- and task-based language teaching. Workshops for language instructors and professional development staff. Defense Language Institute, Monterey, CA, March 2-6, 2009.
Weaving the strands. Workshop for foreign language teachers at the Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco, México. November 7, 2008.
Fundamentals of language learning for teachers of ELLs in mainstream classrooms. Workshop for College of Education faculty. East Stroudsburg University, East Stroudsburg, PA, April 18, 2008.
Swimming in the mainstream: English language learners at school. Lectures to students, faculty, and cooperating teachers. East Stroudsburg University, East Stroudsburg, PA, April 17, 2008.
Teaching English to adult learners. Workshop for instructors, staff, and volunteer tutors for Catholic Charities of New Mexico. Albuquerque, NM, March 15, 2008.
What research on language learning tells us about language teaching. Workshops for language instructors and professional development staff. Defense Language Institute, Monterey, CA, February 4-7, 2008.
Child language acquisition. Lecture to students in applied linguistics program. Teachers College, Columbia University. September 25, 2007.
The role of comprehension in second language acquisition. Workshops for language instructors and professional development staff. Defense Language Institute, Monterey, CA, June 4-7, 2007.
The role of practice in second language learning. Course to doctoral students and research groups at the University of Barcelona. May 2-4, 2007.
Take it apart or mix it up? Form-focused instruction in SLA. Presentation to the PEAKS Conference for Graduate Students at Northern Arizona University. March 9, 2007.
Being there – again: Memory and second language acquisition. Presentation to annual meeting of TESOL/Lingustics program at Central Connecticut State University, April 28, 2006.
Isolating or integrating grammar in foreign language instruction. Presentation to foreign language teachers and students at Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT. April 11, 2005.
Putting form-focused instruction in its place. Presentation to the foreign language faculty of Georgetown University. Washington, DC, April 7, 2003.
Full-day teacher training workshop for teachers of ESL, bilingual education, and world languages. Norwalk Public School System, February 13, 2004.
The importance of form-meaning mappings in explicit form-focused instruction. Presentation to graduate students in Applied Linguistics at Georgetown University, based on research with Nina Spada and Joanna White. Washington, DC, April 8, 2003.
Second language learning in the classroom. Graduate course in the Applied Linguistics Summer Institute at the Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA. July 15-26, 2002.
La situation de l’anglais langue seconde au Québec. Participant in Round Table discussion at 29th annual convention of SPEAQ (Société pour la promotion de l’enseignement de l’anglais, langue seconde, au Québec).Sainte Hyacinthe, Québec, November 2, 2001
Second language research and classroom teaching. Seminar for ESL instructors and TESL Centre, Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, Nova Scotia. October 26, 2001.
Recasts as feedback in the second/foreign language classroom. Presentation at Colloquium on Second Language Acquisition, University of Pittsburgh. October 17, 2001.
Instructed second language learning. Invited discussant for 12 papers presented at conference on instructed second language learning. Brussels, Belgium, August 24-26, 2000.
Workshop for teachers at the Collège André Laurendeau on the relationship between research in second language acquisition and the teaching of English as a second language at the CEGEP level. January 2000.
How languages are learned: Short course at the Summer University of the University of Stockholm. Sodertalje, Sweden. August 1997.
Second language acquisition: Issues for adult learners. Workshop for Federal Judges’ Language Training Program of the Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs. July 30, 1996.
Contrasting patterns in classroom lexical environments. Dyffryn Conference on Vocabulary Acquisition, University of Wales, Swansea, April 1996.
The importance of timing in focus on form in second and foreign language teaching. SLATE Forum, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, September 14, 1995.