This essential event will feature the following two topics.
Over 25 years ago, Dinsmore (1985) documented the phenomenon of silence in the Japanese EFL classroom. It can be argued that this problem still persists today. This presentation will explore instances of silence in the Japanese classroom, provide an overview of the Dinsmore paper, and introduce the audience to a number of strategies that can help break the silence and get students engaging in meaningful communication. Audience members will be asked to try out a number of tried and tested speaking games and also be encouraged to share their ideas for getting students talking to one another in the L2.
You walk into the classroom. The students are at the back chatting with friends, sitting in silence, checking their phones, or resting their heads on the desks. Then, suddenly, the bell sounds. It is the start of the class. How do we as teachers change the classroom dynamic to one where learning can take place for all concerned? How do we create an environment and experience that will spark our students' natural curiosity and eagerness to develop? Once in action, how can we help nurture and sustain their interest throughout the lesson when learner motivation is constantly at threat. This presentation will provide an overview of D�rnyei's motivational teaching practice model (2001), describe its practical application in the L2 classroom, and explore strategies for generating, maintaining and protecting student motivation. The audience will be invited to share their own experiences of and suggestions for stimulating teen spirit.
About the speaker: Andy Boon is an Associate Professor at Toyo Gakuen University, Tokyo and has been teaching in Japan for around 18 years. He holds a PhD from Aston University. His research interests include teacher development, action research, motivation and more. He has published and presented on his work extensively both in and outside of Japan. He is also author / co-author of a number of textbooks and graded readers.
*PLEASE NOTE that registration will start at 1 PM. We then hold our chapter Annual General Meeting (AGM) from 1:20 to around 1:50. The event advertised will start around 2 PM.