We welcome submissions of proposals for symposia to be given on Thursday April 28 2011 and presentation workshops to be given Friday April 29 and Saturday April 30, 2011.
Please fill out the proposal form and email the form, with attached details, to 2011 Conference Committee. Proposals will be reviewed immediately after the deadline and emails sent out well before the end of January 2011 so that you can make your plans.
For information, email the 2011 Conference Committee.
Friday Keynote Speaker: Michael Swan Michael Swan is a writer specializing in English language teaching and reference materials. His interests include pedagogic grammar, mother-tongue influence in second language acquisition, and the relationship between applied linguistic theory and classroom language-teaching practice, and he has published a number of articles on these topics.
Keynote speech: The Baby And The Bathwater: Accuracy, Fluency And Realism.
Language and language learning are complex. There are an enormous number of linguistic elements and learning activities which can be considered for inclusion in a language course. Unfortunately we can't do everything: we haven't got nearly enough time. Prioritization is vital if instruction is to be cost-effective. What are the core elements which our language courses MUST include? What can learners be left to access for themselves? And what can we simply leave out?
Friday afternoon workshop: What Exactly is Grammar?
We all know what grammar is - until somebody asks us. The session will look beyond the rather unhelpful dictionary definition ('rules for changing the form of words and combining them into sentences'), to consider the following questions: What exactly is 'grammar'? Why do languages need it? Why do different languages use grammar in such different ways? What grammar do learners really need - and do they all need the same? What grammar do teachers really need?
Saturday Keynote Speaker: Roy Lyster
Roy Lyster is Professor of Second Language Education in the Department of Integrated Studies Education at McGill University in Canada. He has a PhD in Applied Linguistics as well as a B.Ed. and M.Ed. from the University of Toronto, and an MA from the Universite de Paris VII. His research focuses primarily on immersion and content-based classrooms, including both observational and experimental studies of teacher-student interaction, form-focused instruction, and corrective feedback. He is author of Learning and Teaching Languages Through Content: A Counterbalanced Approach, published by Benjamins in 2007.
Keynote speech: Integrating Focus on Form and Meaning Through a Counterbalanced Approach
For years now, there have been calls for second language instructional practices that include a dual focus on both form and meaning without compromising one at the expense of the other. Yet, such a dual focus in second language teaching continues to be challenging, for many reasons. This talk will address some of the pedagogical challenges and propose solutions by exploring a counterbalanced approach that integrates both form-focused and meaning-oriented instruction as complementary ways of promoting continued second language growth. The talk will illustrate, through reference to classroom-based research, how counterbalanced instruction encourages frequent shifts in learners' attention between form and meaning as they process the target language through noticing and awareness activities in conjunction with opportunities for production and interaction.
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