Workshops
Workshops are designed to engage participants in active learning over a period of one or two full days. The approach includes a variety of activities in which successful classroom teaching and learning are not only discussed but also experienced first hand.
1. What research on language learning tells us about language teaching. Major findings of second language acquisition research are reviewed. Based on these findings, classroom structures and activities for effective language teaching are proposed and practiced.
Target audience: In-service and pre-service teachers in second and foreign language programs at all levels.
2. Comprehension in second language acquisition: Listening and reading as the basis for language acquisition. Comprehension has been proposed as the most important basis for second language learning. The opportunities and limitations of comprehension-based approaches are reviewed. Suggestions for increasing their effectiveness are proposed and experienced first hand.
Target audience: Teachers and curriculum developers for second and foreign language programs at all levels.
3. The challenge of teaching English to non-academic adult learners. Adults who have limited literacy and metalinguistic skills benefit from conversational and interactive approaches with clear feedback. In this workshop, teachers participate in activities they can adapt for use with these learners.
Target audience: Teachers and curriculum developers for adult education programs, especially those serving immigrants.
4. Form-focused instruction and feedback on error in communicative, content- and task-based language teaching. Classroom research on form-focused instruction and error treatment is reviewed. Teaching techniques for providing focus on form and feedback in instructional contexts where the focus is primarily on meaning (including academic subjects) are illustrated and practiced.
Target audience: Teachers of second and foreign languages to adolescent and adult students in school settings.
5. Foreign language instruction for young learners: Expectations, pedagogical approaches, and research findings. In many schools throughout the world, instruction in foreign languages — especially English — is begun in early primary school. Expectations for what such early instruction can accomplish are often out of step with research evidence. Nevertheless, with appropriate pedagogy, teachers — including those with limited skill in the language and limited training for foreign language teaching — can provide a valuable base on which students can build their subsequent learning. This workshop draws on classroom research to propose pedagogical approaches that can be effective in the foreign language context.
Target Audience: Teachers, educational administrators, and teacher trainers in foreign language contexts.