Archive Copy.
Pre-Conference Workshop Abstracts Bios
Teaching Adults (General) Strand
- Michael Long
Task-Based Language Teaching: Design, Implementation and Evaluation
This workshop will explain the rationale for genuine task-based (not task-supported) language teaching, and illustrate the six main steps and components in the design, implementation, and evaluation of TBLT programs: (i) needs analysis, (ii) syllabus design, (iii) materials writing, (iv) methodological principles and pedagogic procedures, (v) task-based, criterion-referenced assessment, and (vi) formative and summative program evaluation. What are TBLT’s strengths and weaknesses? What do research findings and program evaluations show about TBLT’s effectiveness? What are the key remaining research issues? Which contexts and conditions are optimal and less than optimal for TBLT?
Biographical Sketch
Mike Long is Professor of SLA at the University of Maryland. Recent publications include the Handbook of SLA, co-edited with Catherine Doughty (Blackwell, 2003), Second Language Needs Analysis (Cambridge, 2005), Problems in SLA (Lawrence Erlbaum, 2007), The Handbook of Language Teaching, with Catherine Doughty (Wiley-Blackwell, 2009), Sensitive Periods, Language Aptitude, and Ultimate L2 Attainment, with Gisela Granena (John Benjamins, 2013), and Second Language Acquisition and Task-Based Language Teaching (Wiley-Blackwell, 2014). Email: mlong5@umd.edu
- Scott Thornbury
The Learning Body
The separation between mind and body – a fundamental “truth” in modern Western thought – is succumbing to a view that thinking, and hence learning, is “embodied,” i.e., that the mind extends beyond the grey matter of the brain, and is realized, at least in part, through gesture, movement, and physicality. What might this mean for (second) language learning? In this workshop, I’ll review developments in this exciting new field, and (very tentatively) suggest some applications.
Biographical Sketch
Scott Thornbury is currently curriculum coordinator on the MA TESOL program at The New School in New York. His previous experience includes teaching and teacher training in Egypt, UK, Spain, and in his native New Zealand. His writing credits include several award-winning books for teachers on language and methodology. His most recent book is Big Questions in ELT, available as an ebook from The Round. He has also authored a number of journal articles and book chapters on such diverse subjects as voice-setting phonology, corpus linguistics, speaking instruction, learner autonomy and embodied learning. He is series editor for the Cambridge Handbooks for Language Teachers. His website is www.scottthornbury.com
- Ahmar Mahboob
Providing Effective Feedback
This workshop is designed to help teachers develop strategies for providing effective feedback to their students. Based on an analysis of authentic data, we will start the session by identifying factors that relate to how teachers tend to provide feedback to their students. We will then outline a step-by-step approach to providing effective feedback. In doing so, I will share resources and protocols that can be adopted by teachers in their own contexts. We will then work together to both analyse feedback and provide feedback on sample texts.
Biographical Sketch
Ahmar Mahboob teaches linguistics at the University of Sydney, Australia. Ahmar has worked in the areas of English language learning/teaching, English language teacher education, identity management, language policy and practice, minority languages, NNEST studies, pidgin and creole languages, Systemic Functional Linguistics, and World Englishes. Ahmar has published six authored/edited books, four special editions of journals, and over 50 papers and articles. He is Co-Editor of TESOL Quarterly (with Brian Paltridge).
- Gabriel Diaz Maggioli
Visual Thinking Strategies: Using Art in ELT
In this workshop we will explore how the use of art in the ELT classroom can promote rich and meaningful learning experiences. Using the concepts of Visual Thinking Strategies developed by the Museum of Modern Art in New York, we will learn how to use painting and sculpture as a motivator while engaging students in sustained oral dialog. The simplicity of the framework to the presented, coupled with extensive research on its success, make it an ideal tool for the modern language educator.
Biographical Sketch
Gabriel Diaz Maggioli is Director of University Language Learning and Teaching at The New School, a progressive university in New York where he also directs the Master of Arts in TESOL. A frequent presenter at local and international conferences, Gabriel has contributed to the professional development of colleagues in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. His research centers on Mediational Learning Theory within a sociocultural perspective. His most recent book, Teaching Language Teachers: Scaffolding Professional Learning, addresses this perspective. Gabriel has also acted as Consultant or Project Leader for UNESCO, UNICEF, The European Union, the British Council, the Department of State, the World Bank, and the Inter American Development Bank.
- David Hayes (Brock University)
Working with Teachers: Understanding and Controlling Our Experience
This workshop profiles a number of ways in which teacher-trainers can use the experience of teachers to better understand how change occurs in their professional lives. Participants will be involved in several hands-on activities which are designed to help us to reflect on our own professional learning, the necessary foundation for understanding and helping others to learn. It examines how trainers might deal with critical training incidents and concludes by looking at ‘targets for change’ and how these changes might be accomplished within busy professional lives.
Biographical Sketch
David Hayes, PhD, is Graduate Program Director, Department of Applied Linguistics, Brock University, Canada. He has extensive experience of English language teacher education in Asia and has worked on a number of projects with the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation. Outside of his university teaching and research, most recently he has been involved in the design of an in-service training program for primary English teachers in Madhya Pradesh, India and in laying the groundwork for the evaluation of a nationwide in-service trainer development program in Sri Lanka.
Young Learner Workshop Strand
- Fiona Copland (Aston University)
Teacher Power! Activities That Work from Teachers Who Know!
In this workshop, I will present a number of activities from a very special book – Crazy Animals and Other Activities for Teaching English to Young Learners. It is special because all the activities in the book have been suggested by young learner teachers and because it is a free British Council resource. The workshop will ask participants to try out the activities and then to suggest changes to them to suit their own context.
Biographical Sketch
Fiona Copland is Senior Lecturer in the School of Languages and Social Sciences at Aston University. She is Course Director for a portfolio of MSc programmes by distance learning in the field of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) by distance learning. Some of the areas she has researched and published in are teacher education, teaching English to young learners, and linguistic ethnography. Fiona is Director of the Centre for Language Education Research at Aston (CLERA) and a UK Higher Education Academy National Teaching Fellow.
- Herbert Puchta (IATEFL YLT-SIG)
The Importance of Values in Teaching English to Young Learners and Teens
Teaching English to children and teenagers hasn’t become any easier over the last decade or so, in spite of apparent attempts to support teachers in their important day-to-day work with a wide range of materials, a far more precise description of the language they are teaching, and the latest technology. As teachers, we frequently experience classroom situations that make us realise that we are not just teachers of a foreign language, but also educators, and that we therefore need to help children and teens to understand and take on board important values. However, trying to do this can be a big challenge and lead to resistance rather than insight. In this session we will look at what values are and why they are important to convey to our students. We will explore various models of how to respectfully influence students’ values and help them to understand the importance of value-based behaviour. Examples will include teacher congruency, the power of stories and metaphors, and interventions that students will not see as preachy or alienating, but which will help them to grow up responsibly and make wise and safe decisions for themselves.
Biographical Sketch
Herbert Puchta holds a Ph.D. in ELT Pedagogy. For several years, he was Professor of English at the Teacher Training University in Graz, Austria. He has been a plenary speaker at numerous international conferences and has conducted workshops and given seminars in more than 50 countries. He was also President of IATEFL (the International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language). For almost three decades, Herbert has done research into the practical application of findings from cognitive psychology and brain research to the teaching of English as a foreign language. Herbert has co-authored numerous course books as well as articles and resource books. His latest resource books, all published with CUP, are Teaching Young Learners to Think, Grammar Songs and Raps, and Get on Stage! His latest course book is Super Minds for primary students.
- Barbara Hoskins Sakamoto (IATEFL YLT-SIG)
Teaching Reading and Writing in Every Class
One of the best ways for students to acquire a large vocabulary is to read, and one of the best ways for them to strengthen their understanding of grammar is to write. Even if it were possible to have separate reading and writing lessons, it’s not ideal. Skills are most effectively learned together, in context: students learn to understand meaning through listening and speaking, learn to read language they already know orally, and then learn to write language they can read. This means that if we have limited contact time with students (like, one hour a week), we need to teach reading and writing in every class. In this workshop, participants will learn simple, effective ways to do this and have an opportunity to practice techniques they can take back to their own classrooms. The presenter will share examples of student-generated reading and writing projects and demonstrate how teachers can include all four skills in every lesson.
Biographical Sketch
Barbara Hoskins Sakamoto earned her secondary English teaching certificate and her MATESOL degree in the USA, and has taught English and ESL in the US, and EFL in Japan. An EFL teacher and teacher trainer since 1985, she has conducted workshops throughout Asia, the USA, and Latin America. Barbara's motto is "Always try new things," so these days, when she's not teaching, writing, or giving workshops, she's exploring the potential of new technologies for collaboration and professional development. You can often find Barbara online working with teachers around the world as Program Director for International Teacher Development Institute (iTDi.pro) or on her award-winning blog, Teaching Village. Barbara is co-author of Let's Go, one of the world's best-selling English courses for children, published by Oxford University Press.
- Kalyan Chattopadhyay (IATEFL YLT-SIG)
Evaluating and Adapting Published Listening Materials for Young Learners and Teens
In this workshop, I will first provide some input on the principles of second language listening instruction, framework of listening skill clusters (Anderson 1985, Rost 2011), and design of listening materials. Then teachers will be given some listening materials to examine. We will explore and establish what teachers already know about second language listening instruction and design of listening materials. They will be asked to suggest changes they may like make to them to use with young learners and teens. In the process, an attempt will be made to prepare a checklist for evaluating and adapting published listening materials which will help teachers organize, develop, and clarify their ideas related to second language listening materials for classroom instruction.
Biographical Sketch
Kalyan Chattopadhyay, Assistant Professor and Director of the English Language Centre, Bankim Sardar College, University of Calcutta, has been working as a teacher trainer, lecturer, and researcher in a range of contexts. An MA TESOL & ICT and PhD holder, Kalyan was Hornby Trust (UK) scholar at the University of Leeds. He has given plenary and invited talks in Cambodia, China, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, UK, and Vietnam. His latest course book, published with CUP, is Cambridge Listening and Speaking for Schools, Book 9. He is currently Joint Coordinator of IATEFL’s Young Learners and Teenagers SIG, and Vice President of AsiaCALL. More about him is available at http://www.kalyanchattopadhyay.com
- Joe Dale (IATEFL YLT-SIG)
Promoting listening and speaking, pronunciation and confidence with the iPad through multimedia language learning
This workshop will explore practical ideas on how iPads can facilitate collaboration and foster creativity in the young learners’ classroom through personalized language learning journeys and workflows. We will look at how the multi-modal device can help learners access higher order thinking skills, cater to multiple intelligences, and create new ways of working, putting the learning right in the children’s hands. Joe Dale will walk you through how iOS devices can be used for consuming and creating multimedia content drawing on a range of skills. We shall look at a range of apps for recording and editing audio, combining images with a voiceover, and creating engaging animations and narrated slideshows that appeal to children and help to improve listening and speaking skills. Suggestions of YOUR favorite apps are welcome too.
Biographical Sketch
Joe Dale is an independent languages consultant from the UK who works with a range of organizations such as Network for Languages, ALL, The British Council, the BBC, Skype, Microsoft and The Guardian. He is host of the TES MFL forum, former SSAT Languages Lead Practitioner, a regular conference speaker, and recognized expert on technology and language learning. He has spoken at conferences and run training courses in Europe, North America, the Middle East, the Far East, and Australia. He was a member of the Ministerial Steering Group on languages for the current UK government and was short-listed for a NAACE Impact Award in 2013 too. Joe was recently described in a Guardian article as an “MFL guru” and “the man behind the #mfltwitterati.”
Joe was key in updating the ICT elements of the QCDA SoW for KS2 Primary French; he also designed games for Heinemann's “Expo.” Joe has featured in several Education Guardian articles and has himself both written for and been quoted by the TES. Joe has also written for the TES ICT blog and produced video tutorials for the CILT 14-19 website. Joe recently starred on a Teachers TV program and has spoken about the Rose Review proposals on BBC Radio 4. His blog, www.joedale.typepad.com, has been nominated for four Edublog Awards.
Professional Development Workshop Strand
- Casey Barnes (Kyunghee University)
Digging into Diversity: Multiple approaches that get everyone on board!
In this workshop teachers will experience a variety of differentiation techniques that have been successfully incorporated into EFL and ESL classrooms at every level. Participants will engage in activities from the perspectives of students and facilitators for both language and content-based classroom activities that can be adapted for use for a range of content, ages, and classroom environments. Among the elements that will be presented and workshopped are assessment strategies, culturally sensitive differentiation, cooperative learning grouping styles and activities, and methods for developing a class community sense of cooperation and shared success.
Biographical Sketch
Casey Barnes started teaching EFL in Seoul in 2005. After two years in a middle school, he went to the USA to pursue a Master's degree in English and ESL. During his stay, he taught English and Creative Writing in an American high school, before returning to Seoul to teach for an additional two years in a public high school. He has recently been teaching full time at Kyung Hee University, Seoul.
- Carolyn Westbrook (Southampton Solent University)
Top Tips for Language Testing
Designing tests and assessments can be quite a challenge and sometimes it seems like the more we know about language assessment, the less we understand it! In this workshop, we will consider the traits being tested by various types of items on receptive skills tests and how to write effective multiple choice items. We will also analyse some rating scales, highlighting key points to be considered when designing and using rating criteria.
Biographical Sketch
Carolyn Westbrook is a Senior Lecturer in English as a Foreign Language at Southampton Solent University. She has over 20 years’ experience of teaching General, Business and Academic English and is a teacher trainer who gives teacher development seminars both in the UK and abroad. She has an MA in Applied Linguistics for Language Teaching and is CELTA and DELTA qualified.
- Michael Griffin (Chungang University)
Cultural Explorations for Teachers: Beyond Confucianism and Excuses
Too often the training for newer teachers in Korea comes in the form of lists of things to do and not do combined with simplistic and superficial explanations of Korean culture. In this session, through interactive discussions, we will explore culture in the classroom on a deeper level. Participants will be equipped with strategies and lenses for exploring and culture and potential confusions and hiccups in the workplace.
Biographical Sketch
Michael Griffin has been involved with English teaching for nearly 15 years. He has worked as a teacher, teacher trainer, trainer-trainer, curriculum developer, substitute teacher, assistant director, and mentor. Intercultural awareness, curriculum development and reflective practice are some of his main interests. His blog is http://eltrantsreviewsreflections.wordpress.com/.
- Anne Loseva (iTDi)
Teachers and Students Learning More through Recording
Audio and video recording as an activity type in class is often reduced to that of students’ presentation speeches. In this session the presenter will offer to take a broader view of its potentials, looking at what can be recorded and how to approach output afterwards. Participants will have an opportunity to reconsider recording as a useful multipurpose tool that can supply authentic material for language improvement and reflection.
Biographical Sketch
Anna Loseva has been teaching English for over 9 years in a variety of contexts in Moscow, Russia. She’s a proud iTDi Associate and can also be found writing for TeachingEnglish website and her own blog. Anna is enthusiastic about teacher and student self-development, with reflection being part of it.
- Tana Ebaugh (INTERLINK Language Centers)
Lesson Planning with Frameworks
Every day in class is a journey. Understanding the symbols on a map provides us with information about destinations, the terrain, amenities. Maps do not dictate these things, but provide us with the knowledge to make the choices. Maps themselves come in different types and highlight different information, each with a purpose. In this session we will explore a variety of frameworks, looking at their construction and purpose, and why we might choose one over another for our journey.
Biographical Sketch
Tana Ebaugh, the Director for Training and Development for INTERLINK Language Centers (projects in the US and Saudi), holds an MATESOL from the SIT Graduate Institute and is a World Learning/SIT Trainer of Trainers. Her academic interests lie in the process of change, reflective practice, and professional development. Email tebaugh@interlink.edu
