The acquisition of a new language raises questions of subjectivity and desire, the problems confronted by the learner are not just technical or mechanical but involve complex issues of identity: “Who am I when I speak this language?” or alternatively “can I be me when I speak it?” (Deborah Cameron). This practical workshop will look at learner autobiographies and analyse how students can be empowered to find a personal space, where they can reflect on identity, fashion their own voice and claim their right to speak.

Questions of Identity handout

This talk focuses on global voices and international speech communities, diverse contexts to which learners can easily relate. We then discuss the concept of “transcultural flows” i.e. how cultural forms can evolve in disparate ways in today’s globalised world. We will cover areas such as hip-hop and football, seeing how these global phenomena can be reinvented by practitioners and fans and thus transcend cultural and national boundaries.  We will suggest that something similar happens with English and those who speak it. Rather than present the language as a monolithic standardized code, it follows then that we should celebrate its diverse voices, registers and genres.

Go with the transcultural flow website handout

This workshop  analyses ways we can counter the classroom fatigue and frustration felt so many of our advanced learners, encouraging them to look forward to future challenges rather than back to their previous learning experiences. We  look at how changes to syllabus design can open up the possibility to study lexical chunks and fluency aids so needed by advanced students but often not regarded by them as ‘new vocabulary’.

We look at the importance of bringing the outside world into the classroom, updating and personalizing our teaching materials to help learners develop an intercultural awareness and guide them through the subtleties of spoken discourse, among other things. We  finish by analyzing the importance of visual media and show an example which provides sympathetic role models that can help advanced learners’ language learning and motivation.

Advanced abridged powerpoint

Countering Classroom Fatigue handout

Thanks to digital technology, never have we been able to access, create and manipulate such a great variety of images in so little time. This workshop analyses ways images have been traditionally used in the language classroom – as visual aids or as prompts to language production – and seeks out some alternative which place the image at the centre of our classroom practice. Among others, we study how images can be exploited in their own right and used to foster intercultural awareness in class. In doing so, we will attempt to develop a visual literacy, presenting tasks which feature many different image types – icons, maps, artworks, visual aids, etc. – and encouraging students to interpret, rather than simply describe, these images.

click here to see an abridged version of the powerpoint

click here to see a handout for the talk

Intercultural awareness and plurilingualism are central concerns of the Common European Framework, challenging the way ‘target culture’ is traditionally treated in ELT materials. This practical talk looks at research into learner autobiographies and the conclusions that can be drawn from students’ observations about their own language learning. It promotes the use of global and local topics and learner-generated tasks in which students are encouraged to seek out a space where they can fashion their own voice and vision of English.

Click here to see the handout for the talk

Click here to see an abridged version of the powerpoint