Sunday, January 15, 2006 (1:30 PM - 4:00 PM ) in room 453 in Building 5 of Aichi University.
Creating Opportunities for Authentic Communication and Critical Thinking
Speakers: Martha Robertson and Laura Kusaka

Martha and Laura reported on methodology and classroom practices in a Japanese university setting, focusing on first-year students enrolled in English classes with the emphasis on spoken communication skills. Using a content-based instruction (CBI) and sustained-content language teaching (SCLT) approach in their respective classes, they reported on attempts to create classroom situations with meaningful content which challenge students' intellectual curiosity. The examples reported involve the use of materials such as videos or student-produced projects. The presenters suggested that within the existing curricular structure, instructors can initiate such innovation which has the potential to renew students' interest in learning English.

Read about last month's meeting.