Presentation Abstracts
9:00 – 9:30
HUM 127
Well Begun is Half Done! Warm-up Activities in EFL Classroom
The warm-up phase is
a crucial part of the lesson, offering opportunities for the teacher to create
a learning-conducive atmosphere. An effective way to create such an atmosphere
is to lower the affective filter through laughter, competition, and enjoyment
during warm-up activities. The presenters start with a short demonstration, and
then explain the advantages of using warm-up activities introduce some examples
of warm-up and suggest some useful resources for teachers in EFL settings.
9:00 – 10:00
HUM 133
Reel to Real: Using
Movies to Engage Your Students
Lynn Craig, Yann Grall, & Jeannie Wong
Our presentation will focus on using movies for high
intermediate-advanced ESL/EFL students in an academic setting. We will show how
using audiovisual materials enhances the acquisition of the four skills:
listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The audience will have the
opportunity to view movie clips and see how they could be used as an alternative
to standard materials in developing learning activities.
9:00 – 9:30
HUM 202
Using a Storybook
with EFL Children
The presenter will discuss
the importance of the balance of the four language skills according to her
field study using storybooks for fifth graders, beginning level students at a
public elementary school in Busan, Korea. The storybooks contributed to
developing students’ linguistic proficiency -- such as vocabulary, grammar,
pronunciation, and literacy skills. In addition, students were interested in
reading the storybooks and established positive attitudes toward learning
English.
9:30 – 10:00
HUM 127
Performance-based Assessment: Instructional
Activities in the EFL Oral Communication Classroom
Soyoung Jeong
& Yoshimi
Takada
Performance-based
assessment can evaluate learners’ oral production skills directly and
effectively, which traditional paper-and-pencil tests cannot do. The presenters
will discuss the effectiveness of performance-based assessment with a special
focus on instructional activities in oral-communication courses at EFL
secondary schools. They will introduce a variety of classroom activities that
can also be used for assessment, which overcome some challenges of the EFL
context such as large classes and lack of student motivation.
9:30 – 10:30
HUM 202
Beyond Literacy: Incorporating Critical Pedagogy into the Adult ESL Classroom
Angela Hobbs, Wilma Kwan, & Cara Statucki
The presenters will discuss the
development of critical pedagogy as an
approach for empowering ESL learners to make connections between language
learning and issues of concern in their daily lives. They will include
practical tips and ideas for incorporating critical pedagogy into both
non-academic and academic ESL classrooms. The presenters will illustrate critical
pedagogy in action, showing examples from their own curriculum design project,
current texts, and interviews with those who use this approach.
9:30 – 10:00
HUM 587
Grammar
Games: A Movement Away from the Monotony of Drills
Jennifer Peters
& Alexa Poeter
Have you ever seen a
sea of faces, glazed eyes staring, cheeks bulging with stifled yawns? If the
answer is yes, perhaps you’ve taught grammar for writing at the academic level.
Teaching grammar can be challenging, but it’s necessary to help students
express complex ideas accurately and develop their own writing styles. The
presenters will demonstrate how incorporating games into a grammar lesson plan
can liven up a class while giving students the practice they need.
10:00 – 10:30
HUM 127
Say Cheese!
Developing Learner-Centered Projects in the ESL Classroom with Photography
Charlotte Cox
& Yasueh
Kawamorita
Looking for ways to
connect the classroom to real life and place learners’ lives at the center of
your class? Photography can promote language acquisition and stimulate writing
in the ESL classroom. The presenters will offer their experiences teaching two
different lessons utilizing learner-generated photography as a tool for writing
in ESL classes at a high school and an adult school. This presentation will
include examples from the classroom of student-generated photos and the
corresponding writing.
10:00 – 10:30
HUM 133
Between Two Worlds: Understanding and Meeting
Generation 1.5 Students’ Needs
Generation 1.5 students
have received at least part of their K-12 education in the US and have
immigrant parents. Working with these students, who are “in-between” two worlds
both culturally and linguistically, poses challenges to composition and ESL
teachers. After discussing these students’ needs, the presenters will outline
typical errors of Generation 1.5 students, and offer practical suggestions for
the composition or ESL teacher, such as grammar mini-lessons, conferences, and
effective commenting on students’ compositions.
10:00 – 10:30
HUM 587
Everybody Stand Up: Getting Students Moving
in the ESL Classroom
Having students
stand up can enhance audio memory if the listeners have to perform an activity
related to spoken materials. When our ESL students are encouraged to
participate interactively their physical motion activates long term memory of
new materials, especially when connected to an “event” or “story.” The presenter will offer kinesthetic
learning activities based on her experiences using them in her own adult ESL
classes. Three kinds of memory-enhancing activities will be shown.
10:30 – 11:00
HUM 127
English Only? Walking the Fine Line of Power &
Production in ESL Classrooms
What is the place for L1/L2 in your current/future ESL classroom?
English-only policy in ESL classrooms will be discussed. The presenter will
then offer her own philosophy: While there is a place for L1 in the English
language classroom, group work should generally be done in L2. How can teachers
motivate students to use L2 in group work? Practical strategies will be
presented.
10:30 – 11:00
HUM 133
Sex, Lies, and Video Clips: Using TV
Commercials to Teach Language and Culture
Guanjun (Kathy) Fang
& Steven (Hao-Wen)
White
TV commercials. Who needs them?
You do! Ads are highly exploitable – but remarkably underutilized – in the
EFL/ESL classroom. Mass culture – specifically the well-crafted TV commercial
-- is an art form that can teach language sskills, content, and culture. Uncle
Steve and Auntie Guanjun want you [to use TV
commercials]! Be
all that you can be [in the EFL/ESL
classroom]! Come to our presentation and find out how you can Reach Out and
Touch Someone.
10:30 – 11:00
HUM 202
Using Activity Guides in an ESL Adult Classroom Kyung Hee Lee
Research shows that ESL adult students learn English by carrying
out the social, functional, everyday uses of their language to survive in
English speaking countries. The presenter will show how Activity Guides from
local community centers and the City Parks And Recreation Department can be
effective authentic teaching materials for ESL adult classes. This presentation
will include sample activities to utilize Activity Guides in the ESL classroom.
10:30 – 11:30
HUM 587
Teach English Through Drama in Almost Any
Context! -- Three Approaches
Yoko Kinoshita, Jamie Terhune, &
Kyung-Ah Woo
This presentation
will include some practical ideas for using drama in ESL/EFL contexts. The first presenter will
address how using role-play in a low-beginner ESL class is not only possible
but also motivates students to take risks with language. The second presenter
will discuss motivating and challenging intermediate and advanced ESL students
through playwriting and simulation activities. The third presenter will focus
on increasing cultural awareness through script reading and analysis in an EFL
context.
11:00 – 11:30
HUM 127
Raising Cross-cultural
Awareness in TESOL: Understanding Communication Styles of Japanese
Students
Kaori
Hashimoto & Reiko
Miyakawa
Being shy and
reserved, or reluctant to initiate conversation is the typical image of the
Japanese student in ESL classrooms. The presenters will share results of their
survey and discuss the socio-cultural background of Japanese students and its
influences on their communication styles in English. This presentation will
offer suggestions on how to promote learners' awareness of different cultures
and communication styles in the ESL/EFL classroom. Some practical ideas of
classroom activities will be provided.
11:00 – 11:30
HUM 133
Beyond Words: Nonverbal Communication in the
Communicative Language Classroom
The face-to-face interaction among all people in the language classroom requires the instructor to
understand more than just the words taught. There is powerful and ever-present
information exchanging between people apart from the verbal aspect, called
nonverbal communication. The presenter will highlight the major principles and
many practical applications of nonverbal communication with the objectives of
improving cultural awareness, enhancing interpersonal and class- room dynamics,
and enriching the overall quality of classroom language learning.
11:00 – 11:30
HUM 202
Using
Literature to Promote Oral Fluency and Critical Thinking Skills
Students in ESL/EFL
classrooms have difficulty thinking critically and expressing their ideas
fluently. The presenter will share her experience using literature as a
foundation to stimulate students’ critical thinking and speaking skills in an advanced
level classroom. Guidelines and strategies for using literature across
different levels and context will also be offered.
11:30 – 12:00
HUM 127
TOEFL: From Grammar to Communication
Kveta Kneprova &
Robert Miller
The Educational
Testing Service will launch a new Internet-based TOEFL test this year in
September. The TOEFL iBT, or Next Generation TOEFL, will have a more integrated
approach to the skill areas. This major change to the TOEFL will have several
implications to the structure of TOEFL preparation classes. The presenters will
introduce the content and format of the TOEFL iBT and discuss the pedagogical
implications relevant for designing curriculum for TOEFL preparation courses.
11:30 – 12:00
HUM 133
I Sang, You Sing, We Will Sing in the EFL/ESL Classroom
“Music is something
we are all touched by. No matter what culture we’re from, everyone loves
music.” (Billy Joel). Songs are an important part of our language learning
experience, and have a role on the classroom. The presenter will demonstrate
some pre-, during-, and post-listening activities with songs. Then she will
discuss the criteria for selecting songs and other tips for using music in the
EFL/ESL classroom. She will provide websites and other resources.
11:30 – 12:00
HUM 202
Learning in
Lock-Up: Rationale and Curriculum for Teaching ESL in Correctional Facilities
This presentation will focus on the positive effects of educating
non-native speakers in correctional facilities, beginning with statistics on
rates of recidivism before and after educational programs. The presenter will
then cover the challenges of both teaching and learning in the prison
environment. Some of these challenges include administrative issues, such as
dealing with prison administration and staff, the educational backgrounds of
the students, and appropriate curriculum choices that truly address students’
needs.
1:30 – 2:00
HUM 114
Using Films in
Japanese High School English Classes: Edutainment or Entertainment?
Is filmed-based
instruction really effective, or is it just fun? The presenter will discuss the
results of her study of Japanese high school students and teachers to determine
the effects of using films on English learners. The presenter will conclude
with some implications and suggestions on using films in ESL/EFL classes, based
on the voices of the students and teachers.
1:30 – 2:00
HUM 133
Teaching EFL in Mexico: Realities, Challenges, and Opportunities
Brett Fechheimer
Are you interested in
teaching English in Mexico, California’s closest international neighbor? The
presenter will look at the trends and realities of English-language instruction
in Mexico. He will describe what an EFL teacher there should expect and offer
information and advice about how to obtain a teaching job in Mexico. With the
ties between Mexico and the United States growing ever closer, this
presentation on EFL in Mexico is especially relevant and topical.
1:30 – 2:00
HUM 582
The Reading-writing
Connection and the Bridge between Theory and Application
Kerstin Carson
The reading-writing
relationship in L2 composition was born out of theories in the
reading-writing connection for L1 student writers. It is an area in TESOL that
has grown considerably over the past 20 years. This presentation is an overview
of past and present theories and hypotheses in research on the reading-writing
connection in L1 and L2 learners, and examines ways in which teachers can
capitalize on this knowledge through the use of learning-centered, classroom
activities.
2:00 – 2:30
HUM 114
Language Anxiety in Japanese EFL Learners
The considerable
number of studies related to language anxiety shows that this is a crucial
factor in foreign language learning, but there are very few studies of Japanese
EFL learners’ language anxiety. The presenter will present her study of
Japanese junior high school students’ perceptions of their anxiety speaking
English. She will then show how teachers can help students keep language
anxiety at manageable levels.
2:00 – 2:30
HUM 133
Building a Community of Language Users in the
ESL classroom: Teachers speak out!
The presenter will share the results of a
survey he conducted on strategies and techniques ESL teachers use to promote
and encourage group cohesiveness in the language classroom. The presentation
will address what practicing teachers consider characteristics of a cohesive
and cooperative group of learners, and how they promote a sense of community in
the ESL classroom. Practical suggestions for building and maintaining group
cohesiveness in the ESL classroom will be offered.
2:00 – 2:30
HUM 582
Using Authentic Materials with
Lower Level ESL/EFL Students
Pei-Chi (Peggy) Shih
& Tzu-Wei
(Jennifer) Kao
Authentic materials
can help bring the real world into the classroom, spicing up the ESL class and
creating a more positive attitude toward learning. The
presenters will explain what authentic materials are, provide tips for getting
started, and demonstrate activities that effectively use authentic materials in
a lower level ESL/EFL classroom.
2:00 – 2:30
HUM 587
“I See Your Point, But…” Assessing Group Discussion Skills in Pre-
Academic ESL
ESL students need skills for discussing
controversial topics in an American university classroom, yet these skills are
rarely taught or assessed. The presenter will share a discussion skills unit
and assessment she created and used in her advanced oral communication skills
class at the American Language Institute (ALI). She will briefly explain the
content of the unit, and then focus primarily on the assessment she designed,
concluding with practical suggestions for the classroom. Handouts and samples
of materials will be provided.
2:30 – 3:00
HUM 114
Takin’ It to the Streets: An Easy Activity
That Takes Pronunciation Outside the Classroom
The presenter will discuss
a pronunciation activity she developed and researched in her
high-intermediate/advanced level pronunciation course. The activity, Spy on
Yourself, encourages learners to practice new pronunciation in fluent speech
outside the classroom in order to make the bridge from the classroom to use in
real-life. The presenter will offer tips about the activity as well as show
student feedback. Handouts of the activity sheets will be provided for your
use.
2:30 – 3:00
HUM 133
Karaoke? In the ESL Classroom?
Many times Karaoke is seen
as just a "party" element that is wild and fun. But what if Karaoke
was able to produce a creative, enjoyable,
and effective learning environment? The presenter will demonstrate the benefits of using Karaoke in the language classroom especially in
a project developed specifically for a pronunciation class. A few tips on how to incorporate Karaoke into language classrooms will also
be presented.
2:30 – 3:00
HUM 582
Somethin’s Cooking in the ESL Classroom
Rob Beckley
& Tom Edwards
The presenters will demonstrate
ways to use the universal human need to prepare food to create cooperative,
communicative tasks for English language learners. As subject matter, this
theme is meaningful and relevant for most learners, regardless of level, skill,
or educational setting, and allows for a variety of teaching/learning
opportunities. The presenters will discuss some of these settings, list ways to
use this theme in teaching different language skills, and demonstrate two short
tasks.