Language Event

Coverage of The 47th Annual International IATEFL Conference & Exhibition

April 9-12,2013

Day(4):Thanking Eric Baber & His Team for Their Efforts

On the last day of  the IATEFL Conference,I would like to thank Mr.Eric Baber,IATEFL president, and his team for their undeniable efforts to make such success.

The Conference hosted prominent figures in the world of ELT who delivered useful lectures for teachers and students.The plenary session,Failure Fest, was a great fun ,as I enjoyed it so much.I found it a  unprecedented novel idea that was introduced in an international conference.Most of the sessions are available online for anyone has missed the opportunity to attend them alive via British Council website.Here is the link to the sessions and interviews of the IATEFL speakers:

http://iatefl.britishcouncil.org/2013/sessions/index

http://iatefl.britishcouncil.org/2013/interviews/all

Moreover, one can view the blogs of  Liverpool  IATEFL Registered Bloggers.Here is the link:

 http://iatefl.britishcouncil.org/2013/liverpool-online-registered-bloggers

After viewing or re-viewing the sessions,interviews and blogs,one can get involved into one of the forums that discusses the issues that have been tackled in the Conference.Here is the link:

http://iatefl.britishcouncil.org/2013/forum

Finally, I would say to Mr.Baber and his team'Congratulations!With my best wishes for more success !'

Plenary Session:Dr.Susan Barduhn

 In 2003 , Dr.Barduhn has joined SIT Graduate Institute, where she has been  directing the summer MA in TESOL program ,and now directs the low-residency MA in TESOL program, teaches in the MA in TESOL program, and supervises student teachers all over the world.

Today,in her plenary sessions,she tackled a very vital and critical issue.She related the cultural identity with ELT.In fact,many EFL teachers and EFL educational institutions do not pay much attention to this issue.The issue is that  most of the teachers  teach students the English essential skills:reading,speaking,writing and listening on the account of dipping them into the culture of the language they learn. Recognizing the culture of the language students learn help them  be fluent in that language and be capable of expressing themselves in a perfect fashion on any occasion. But still, we find that some teachers in some regions of the world  depend mainly on covering those previously-mentioned skills in their EFL classrooms.This does not mean that students should discard their cultures or uncloak their cultural identity,but means that students should absorb the foreign language they deal with.That is why I believe that Dr.Barduhn has targeted this issue in her lecture with the purpose of conveying a message for EFL experts related to taking into consideration the cultural identity  issue.

Plenary Session:Mr. Roger McGough

Mr.McGough won a Cholmondeley Award in 1998, and was awarded the OBE in June 2004. He holds an honorary MA from Nene College of Further Education.He was awarded an honorary degree from Roehampton University in 2006  as well as an honorary doctorate from the University of Liverpool on 3 July 2006. He was Fellow of Poetry at Loughborough University (1973-5) and Honorary Professor at Thames Valley University (1993). 

It was great to end the conference with that plenary session for Mr. McGough. The poetic environment made me feel that I was yielding to relaxation  before the weekend .The Session made me recover my memories two decades ago when I was an English literature undergraduate student.During the session, I started to melt into the sweetness of Mr. McGough's poetry recitation.That feeling was adorned with slight laughter and smiles from time to time due to the content of some of his poems.

That was a great choice on behalf of the IATEFL administration to end the conference in that way as it invited the attendees involuntarily to put their life burdens away and  live those relaxing moments with Mr. McGough.

LANGUAGE EVENT

Coverage of The 47th Annual International IATEFL Conference & Exhibition

April 9-12,2013

Day(3):Plenary Session:Dr.JUN LIU

He is a Professor and Head of the Department of English in the College of Humanities at The University of Arizona, and faculty member of both English Language/Linguistics (EL/L) and the Second Language Acquisition and Teaching (SLAT) Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Program. In today's plenary session,he talked about the future of the ELT. Dr.Liu focused upon the nuance of the centent of the EFL courses.For example, he talked about the different EFL courses like EAP,EAL,ESL,etc....He added that the continuous technology is necessary to achieve more success in teaching,especially with all what is related to second language acquisition. 

In his interview with Nik Robinson,he stated that he had read EFL publications that went back from 1967 up till 2012 with the purpose of comprehending profoundly how the development of the second language acquisition takes place.

He advised ,in this interview, the teachers to 'teach less'.He meant that the teacher should give some room for the students to talk and the teacher's talking in the classroom should be less than the students' talking.The teacher should give an opportunity  for the students to explore learning.He advised the teachers as well to be multi-tasked,i.e. the teacher should be familiar with various specializations that could assist them in their EFL classes and be familiar with different EFL courses,EFL,ESL, EAL,etc...

The plenary session and the interview were really rich  where Dr. Liu pinpointed essential elements not only related to the EFL ,but also to  the second language acquisition.

Adrian Underhill

The second prominent figure who was able to give significant information today at IATEFL was Mr.Adrian Underhill.He is a  series editor of the Macmillan Books for Teachers, author of Sound Foundations: Learning and Teaching Pronunciation and an advisor in the development of the new Macmillan English Dictionary.

Mr.Underhill delivered a speech and had interview as well about 'Spontaneity in ELT'.He thinks that the spontaneity is the spirit of  the ELT class  where the teacher can elaborate on the content of the textbook. Mr.Underhill with the collaboration of Jim Scrivener published a book bearing that theme where they shed the light upon 'what can make learning visible?'.

He believes that the teacher should get connected to their students through spontaneity,as the teacher should not only focus on the students' output,but also  what is inside their minds.

He stroke two examples to clarify what he was referring to.For example,if the students are asked to pronounce the word'conference', the teacher will repeat several with different tones of voices and intonation to convey specific message.At this point, the students' faculty of comprehension and perception will try to realize the differences through using their mental capabilities.Another example that was mentioned in his interview with Nik Robinson as well was that if the teacher mentions a sentence,they might repeat the sentence in different ways ,as it  can be informative,exclamatory,interrogative,etc....

Mr.Underhill was attempting to give the pronunciation exercises and practices another deep dimensions as the EFL students would not just benefit from practicing some pronunciation exercises,but attempt to perceive these practices to mold them in everyday communicative English.

David Pardoe

David Pardoe is the programme manager for the Africa Knowledge Transfer Partnerships in Sub-Saharan Africa.In his interview with Nik Robinson,he talked about the tough conditions of the classrooms in some West and South Africa and how the British Council attempts to provide the necessary material to schools that could help the teachers to perform well.He talked about cell phone generator(toy) which replaces the electricity power.He stated that it can be used for 8 hours unceasingly,and how this generator is durable.It costed the British Council GBP 7000 to make it available in different regions of Africa.

IATEFL Failure Test

That was a really interesting show .One could have found some  fun in that show.Many vital figures in the world of EFL took part in this show.We had Andy Cowle,Herbert Puchta, Jermey Harmer,and others were asked to mention some of their personal anecdotes where they had met some failure with the purpose of adding light material to the conference after spending many hours attending serious and dry material.The winner in this show was Rakesh Bhanout.

That was a novel idea to be introduced in an EFL Conference ,but I think that many participant would have loved it.I saw the IATEFL Live Chat and I can tell that many chatters expressed their fond of this show.

Language Event

Coverage of The 47th Annual International IATEFL Conference & Exhibition

April 9-12,2013

Day (2):Plenary Session: Dr.Deniz Kurtoğlu Eken

Dr. Eken  is a Head of School of Languages at Sabanci University in Turkey.It is clear throughout her lecture that she has  distinguished ideas about the  methods of teaching languages.She wants to break all the traditional rules  when the teachers stick to the textbooks without attempting to change the dry material into interesting material that would attract the students' attention and assist them in learning.

Dr.Eken strikes few examples in her lecture about how the teachers can meet any challenges related to any linguistic incomprehension regardless of the students' cultural background.

Dr.Eken was able to add some fun to her lecture ,so that the attendees would not have got bored.I feel that that was appreciated by the attendees as well.

Alan Maley

Mr.Maley is currently the dean of the Institute for English Language Education, and director of post-graduate programs in TESOL at Assumption University, Bangko. Today,he talked about the importance of improvisation ,ast the teachers can not frame themselves into the curriculum of the textbooks ,but they must allocate some time for improvisation as a mental exercise that would help the students to grasp the language in a very practical way and know how to utilize it in everyday life.

Mr. Maley encourages the teachers to set some mental games and exercises ,because the students would get incited to learn.He is against the idea of discarding the old methods of teaching languages ,but to mix the old methods with the new methods ,since the old methods of teaching could support the new methods parallely.

Hywel Coleman

Dr.Coleman is an Honoray Senior Fellow at University of Leeds,U.K.He has much experience in teaching  English to French-speaking students from different French societies.He has been dealing with students from African countries where the mutual interests between the English-speaking population and the French-speaking population exist.

In his interview at IATEFL, he talked about the poor conditions of the education environment  where the West and South African students learn.He said that the classrooms are not equipped with electricity or any educational illustrations.He talked about the sufferance of those students to learn and their persistence to make success inspite of all these harsh circumstances.

Jamie Keddie

Mr.Keddie is a European-based teacher, teacher trainer, writer and presenter. He is the founder of Lessonstream, the site that was formerly known as TEFLclips, winner of a British Council ELTons award.Today,he focused on the importance of the storytelling in the ESL classes as one of the most effective ways of teaching..He is into the Digital Method of teaching English.Throughout his interview,one feels that he is against any teacher who is still using the traditional method of teaching or unable to introduce digital cultures in classes.

Jermey Harmer

Mr. Harmer  is not only  a teacher trainer, an author of books and articles for both teachers and students of English as a foreign or second language,but also a musician.He is able to mix the world of TESL with  the world of music to create some kind of harmony in the TESL classes.

At IATEFL ,he continued to resemble the experience of learning English to that of learning music.

In fact,Mr. Harmer  interviewed a  TESL teacher,Vicky Saummel, from Argentina.Ms.Sammel talked about her experience in using technological tools in the classrooms where that is not something familiar in a Latin American society,but that is challenge for her against any obstacles.

Anne Searle

Ms. Searle talks about the role of the British Council in attempting to facilitate learning English around the world.She talked in her interview at IATEFL about some future plans on behalf of the British Council to make English courses available online for all the ESL students around the world.These courses will tackle developing  various skills that the ESL students would look for.

LANGUAGE EVENT

Coverage of The 47th Annual International IATEFL Conference & Exhibition

(April 8-12,2013)

1st Day: Plenary Lecture:Professor David Crystal

Professor David Crystal delivered an interesting lecture at  IATEFL's plenary session. I enjoyed it so much. Being from Canada, I had to wake up at 4:00 a.m. Montreal time which was 9:00 a.m. in U.K. to attend the event alive before going to work. 

I liked the excerpt of Beatles song  that Professor Crystal had used in his  lecture. The ESL teachers can use some songs that could be suitable for ESL classes ,but unfortunately, there are many students who do not respond positively to such songs.That is attributed to the idea that there are many students from different parts of the world and are unfamiliar with the English or North American cultures. Accordingly, they can not feel the words of the songs and taste the music that could help them like the song and learn new English material.

Professor Crystal talked about Blends .  Here in Montreal where I live ,we use blends that are mixtures of English and French words. For example, we say 'metro card' which refers to the subway card ,but the French word 'metro' is used instead,'dep store' which refers to the convenient store ,but the French word 'Depanneur' has been borrowed into Montreal's English and is abbreviated into "dep',etc....  In Montreal, we have such astonishing blends that even the other Canadian provinces do not anything about. I  think it is vitally important to ask Professor Crystal about his opinion about these types of Montreal English blends ,as he might think that it is a unique linguistic phenomenon in English.

The issue of culture and relating it to learning English is a critical issue. When the ESL students are unfamiliar with the English or North American cultures ,that would represent an obstacle that would prevent them from being fluent in English or being unable to utilize it properly in everyday life.

Professor Crystal in this plenary lecture and in his previous events has been attempting to draw the ESL teachers' attentions to this issue .The ESL teachers have to take into consideration the cultural element when preparing any material for their students or planning any ESL/EFL classes, so that they would attain success in their teaching. 

 





Cambridge English Teacher's Poll

 

 

 

This is the latest poll conducted by Cambridge English Teacher

Poll

How well do you understand the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages?           

I'm an expert.

12% (135 votes)

 

I'm fairly confident, but would like more help with it.

46% (523 votes)

 

I know what it is, but I'm not very confident with it.

31% (354 votes)

 

I have no idea what CEFR is.

12% (133 votes)

 

Total votes: 1145

The 5TH ALTE International Conference

The 5th ALTE International Conference

 

10 -11 April 2014

Paris - France

    

 

Language Assessment for Multilingualism:
promoting linguistic diversity and intercultural communication

The 5th ALTE International Conference is one of the largest multilingual events for the global language assessment community. ALTE Paris 2014 provides an opportunity to hear influential voices, discuss key issues and meet colleagues from around the world. The two day event builds on the success of the 4th ALTE International Conference, held in 2011, by extending the debate into new and fascinating areas. Plenary speakers reflect both the diversity and scope of the event, and the increasingly important field of language assessment.
The conference will take place in Paris, from 10-11 April, at the Maison Internationale, part of the Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris. This distinctive venue provides an ideal meeting point for ALTE's increasingly international audience; Paris is also the home of CIEP (the Centre international d'études pédagogiques), co-host of the conference, and is always a popular destination given its accessibility, wide range of accommodation, and outstanding cultural attractions.

More background on ALTE Paris 2014

Martin Nuttall, ALTE Secretariat provides more background on ALTE Paris 2014:
 

Why is the conference theme particularly relevant?
The theme of multilingualism underpins a number of current issues of global relevance. For example, there is concern that the growing dominance of English may squeeze out less widely taught national languages, an issue at the heart of the multilingualism debate. There is also the drive to increase multilinguistic proficiency, embodied in initiatives such as the Barcelona Agreement - the EU goal that every EU citizen should be able to speak at least two foreign languages. Last but not least, it is ALTE's mission to promote multilingualism by encouraging language teaching, not only for economic or academic improvement, but also for personal enrichment and lifelong learning.
 

This is ALTE's 5th International Conference - how important an event has the Conference become?
As an established event in the conference calendar, the ALTE Conference has become an international forum for debate and discussion, and not only for those with a core interest in the field of language assessment. Previous conference delegates have included policy makers, politicians, teachers and others, and we hope that ALTE Paris 2014 will attract an equally wide ranging mix, include those interested in issues of diversity, for example, or multiculturalism, whether in a corporate or governmental context.
 

What can delegates expect from ALTE Paris 2014?
Given the diverse and international nature of both delegates and speakers, delegates can expect to gain a heightened understanding of the current issues facing the language assessment community. The programme will offer an impressive range of insights and perspectives, and also gives delegates plenty of opportunity to engage in lively debate, and to share interests, concerns and best practice. Altogether, we hope ALTE Paris 2014 will be an enriching and valuable experience.
 

Why Paris?
As an international organisation we deliberately move our conference venue to give as many delegates as possible the chance to attend. Paris is ideally located for an international audience, and is also cost-effective given the wide range of accommodation available. Paris is also the home of our conference co-host (and long standing ALTE member) the Centre International d'études Pédagogiques (CIEP), and also to Alliance Française and CCIP (Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie de Paris), both also active ALTE members.

The English Effect exhibition, London

 

 

The English Effect is an exhibition at the British Council in London, open from 4 April until 29 June 2013.

Discover what the English language means to individuals from across the globe, how English has been shaped by other cultures and languages, and why it should be considered an asset to the UK

 economy.

 

For directions to the exhibition and opportunities to get involved online, please visit The English Effect website. You can also join the conversation on Twitter: #EnglishEffect

 

The exhibition will tour British Council centres around the world after its three months in London