Schedule

Schedule

07 October 2014

WELCOME AND PLENARY TALK
9:00 - 10:30 Plenary talk: Adrian Underhill (Macmillan) - Dark Matter and the Jazz of Teaching and Learning
  When teaching we usually start our lessons using a plan developed beforehand. As the unpredictable starts to occur we depart from the plan and the class becomes a living interaction rather than the enactment of a script. The same happens when jazz improvisers depart from the sheet music.

Such improvisation makes up the bulk of most lessons yet remains 'invisible'. I therefore call it the dark matter of teaching, which is not represented in the plan, course book, training or supervision, and so is neither observed nor developed. I will explore this theme and offer suggestions for making this dark matter of improvisation visible, discussible and improvable in order to enjoy more spontaneity, engagement and challenge in our lessons.
 
COFFEE BREAK
10:30 - 11:00 
 
WORKSHOPSFirst round
11:15 - 13:001. Adrian Underhill (Macmillan)
Demand High and Working Live: Challenging the full learning potential of our students(This workshop will take place only once—the first round)

The workshop begins with a discussion of whether we ‘cover material’ rather than focus on the potential for deep learning, and whether our coursebooks prioritise the mechanics of task over learning itself.

We will try out ways to demand high by raising the ‘doable’ learning challenge for our students and thereby getting more from our coursebooks, and ways to work live by meeting students at their learning edge using spontaneous responses to student utterances. I will propose some possible qualities of a ‘demand high mind set’.

 
2. Matthew George (Cornelsen)
Cooperative learning (exact title to be announced)
 

Combining cooperative learning strategies with task based learning enables teachers to make learning more effective in the classroom. Pupils use the language they already have at their disposal to complete a task on their own, in pairs and in groups . Cooperative learning methods helps pupils to improve their social competence and helps them to do the task cycle in English.

It is, however, vital that the tasks are meaningful, motivating and produce and end product.

In this workshop participants will carry out tasks using cooperative learning strategies and methods. At the end they will reflect on the effectiveness und success of the tasks. Furthermore we will discuss the different methods for evaluating pupils’ performance , individually and in the group.

 
3. Günther Sommerschuh (BMS)
Listening, Viewing and Responding
 

Based on audio and audio-visual texts various techniques will be demonstrated and tried out, which focus on the different levels of text comprehension.

The activities take a new look at dictations, mirror authentic responses to texts and include bottom-up as well as top-down comprehension strategies.

 
4. Richard Martin
Using storytelling in the classroom
In this practical workshop participants first learn how to tell a story freely and effectively. Second, they meet a range of language teaching methodology based on storytelling. The telling and the listening of these powerful folk tales lead to activities which engage students in more meaningful learning. By improving their own communication, participants learn to teach these vital communication skills to their students.
 
 5. Martin Genetsch (Klett)
Task-Based Language Teaching: Concepts and Methods
 In this workshop we will have a closer look at the concept of Task-Based Language Learning (TBLL) and examine its potential for teaching a foreign language. It will be argued that TBLL is a robust method that is not only theoretically sound but also provides a pragmatic framework for everyday teaching which lends itself to teaching content and language matter at the same time. After a brief introduction that places TBLL in the context of theories of learning, central principles of TBLL such as task-design for different age groups will be discussed and suggestions will be made as to how core problems of TBLL such as vocabulary learning, the use of course materials and error correction may be dealt with. Special emphasis will be put on how task instructions, input materials and scaffolding help to design differentiating learning environments and help the teacher to promote competencies for every pupil so that central standards may be met.
 
6. John Hudson
Improvisation games in teaching English

John's workshop will look at how to use Improvisation in the classroom as an aid to learning English.

Improvisation is such a creative tool for interactive learning. It helps create awareness, body language, comprehension, verbal skills, brainstorming, empathy, humour and acting skills. Besides that, it is a load of fun.

 
7. Marise Lehto (Pearson)
Developing a principled and plausible methodology through the medium of Action Research

The road to developing our professional knowledge can be a rocky one and our chosen route may have differing impacts on our classroom, our continuing professional development as well as that of our learners. Drawing on the principles of action research, this practical 90-minute workshop will focus on the potential for both teacher and learner development through the implementation of certain actions strategies in order to support development of ‘independent professionalism’ (Leung 1993).

We will also explore the differences between methodology, method and approach and critically explore how action research supports the current state of the art move towards a ‘postmethod pedagogy’ (Kumaravadivelu 2001:537), considering the advantages and limitations of such an approach as well as the implications this may have on a teacher’s commitment to the concept of best practice. We will conclude with a discussion on potential areas for future development and the participants will leave with a clear set of personalized action strategies to apply to their daily teaching.

 
LUNCH BREAK
13:00 - 14:00 
  
WORKSHOPSSecond round (See First round for abstracts.)
14:15 - 16:001. Harald Weißling (Cornelsen)
A Text a Day – Using Modern Text Types in the EFL Classroom (This workshop will take place only once—the second round)

Teachers of foreign languages face new challenges when it comes to working with texts. Changes in society, cultural developments and the widespread use of modern media have led to an increasing number and variety of text types.

Digital texts are available at any hour, messages spread almost in real time. Texts today are ‘added’, ‘connected’, ’cut’, ‘pasted’,’ linked’, ‘liked’, ‘posted’, ‘shared’ … Messages and written texts tend to become shorter, and students seem to struggle more with longer or more complex types of writing.

New forms of texts gain more relevance. To name a few: graphic novels, picture stories, photos, comics, cartoons, maps, statistics, recipes, audio and sound files, documentary and feature films … New genres and varieties as well as paralinguistic features need to be decoded; heterogeneous classrooms, students’ backgrounds and their dispositions, abilities and knowledge need to be taken into account. A new literacy is needed in our classrooms, and federal curricula allow for it. The workshop invites participants to have a closer look at all kinds of texts and how they can be dealt with in EFL classes. The focus will be on the early secondary level but strategies can be used in more advanced courses as well.

 
2. Matthew George (Cornelsen)
Cooperative learning (exact title to be announced)
 
3. Günther Sommerschuh (BMS)
Listening, Viewing and Responding
 
4. Richard Martin
Using storytelling in the classroom
 
 5. Martin Genetsch (Klett)
Task-Based Language Teaching: Concepts and Methods
  
6. John Hudson
Improvisation games in teaching English
 
7. Marise Lehto (Pearson)
Developing a principled and plausible methodology through the medium of Action Research
 
WRAP UP AND RAFFLE
16:00 - 16:30

 

 

Location: Saarland University

PresentationBldg. A3.3 (Aula)
Workshop Underhill Bldg. A3.3 (Aula)
Workshop GeorgeC5.3, Room 4.08
Workshop SommerschuhC5.3, Room U13
Workshop MartinC5.3, Room 3.24
Workshop GenetschC5.3, Room 2.09
Workshop HudsonC5.3, Room 2.06
Workshop LehtoC5.3, Room 1.20
Workshop WeißlingC5.3, Room U10

 

Book exhibition

Building A3 3 (Aula)

 

(See university map)

Parking

Since parking on campus has become very expensive, we suggest you park in one of the parking garages (€1,00/hour, €3,00/day).