This will be a two-step conference focused on the broad issues of language pedagogy involved in the selection and use of “authentic video” materials in the language classroom. Hosted by our European area studies consortium (Cornell and Syracuse) and the Language Resource Center, this event will be open to teachers in all languages.

On Monday, May 5, the speakers will first each give presentations and answer questions. Professor Vandergrift's talk will focus on the part of listening comprehension in SLA, the constraints for the learner in listening, and the role instructional settings can play in developing comprehension. Professor Rifkin will speak about the selection of multimedia materials, their presentation for greatest learning effect, and their integration into the all-skills curriculum. In the afternoon, we will set a practical materials project involving a specific setting and sets of materials for teaching a particular language, have them show how they each would approach it, and engage the audience in question and answer about the deployment of these materials.

The second day, Tuesday, May 6, the language teachers from Cornell University and Syracuse will meet for an all-day workshop to develop specific uses of video materials for their own classrooms and to reconcile their use with the various demands of their curriculum. Teachers, in groups where appropriate, will be encouraged to do some preparation in consultation with the LRC, to have media materials available to work with. The workshop will not be focused on the technical aspects of video delivery, but technicians and facilities of the LRC will be available for consulting. After a series of work sessions, the participants will share their results so that all can learn from the projects the others have devised. Both speakers will be available on Tuesday to consult with groups on their projects and to comment on the final presentations.

[Information from their website]
Teaching grammar often means giving students grammar rules and then having students practice the rules in drills and exercises. Students do learn about grammar this way, but they don’t necessarily learn to use it for their own communicative purposes. Grammaring is a dynamic process. It is what enables ESL/EFL students to use grammar structures accurately, meaningfully, and appropriately. In this Virtual Seminar, we will learn about grammaring, how it is learned, and how to teach it.

Presenter

Diane Larsen-Freeman is Professor of Education, Professor of Linguistics, and Research Scientist at the English Language Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA. She is also a Distinguished Senior Faculty Fellow at the School for International Training in Brattleboro, Vermont. Her recent books include The Grammar Book: An ESL/EFL Teacher’s Course (2nd edition, co-authored with Marianne Celce-Murcia), Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching (2nd edition), Teaching Language: From Grammar to Grammaring, and Complex Systems and Applied Linguistics (co-authored with Lynne Cameron). She is also Series Director for Heinle’s Grammar Dimensions: Form, Meaning, and Use, just out in its 4th edition.