Passion for Language Jönköping, Sweden, June 13-14, 2013 Call for papers: The aim of the conference is to inspire researchers to explore new methods to support language learning. Our vision is to gather teachers and researchers from all language disciplines, in order to discern common problems and research areas. We will dedicate a special focus to performing arts and drama, since these art forms integrate all four language skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing ) and can be a useful tool to enhance motivation – exciting things can happen when we involve body, mind and medium in learning activities. In the latest national curricula (Lgr11, Lgy11) for Swedish at secondary school and the upper secondary school levels, it is stressed that students should meet different kinds of texts, performing arts and drama, as well as other aesthetic writing, in order to develop language, identity and comprehension of the world. The multimodal perspective on texts is even more pronounced in the curricula for English and Modern Languages, where drama and film, written as well as orally presented literature and fiction occupy a central position. Teaching languages puts many demands on the teacher, no matter which language is taught – Swedish, English, Chinese, Hindi, Spanish, French or Arabic – and regardless of whether these are first or second languages. The teacher has to take into account numerous and complex parameters such as the learner’s socio-cultural back-ground, diverse forms of intelligence and learning styles. The motivation for learning a language plays an important part, however, and depends both on the individual’s personal interests and on processes in the peer-group. Such premises influence the teaching situation and challenge the teacher to make appropriate choices among both alternative and more conventional teaching methods. In an age where modern technology offers increased possibilities to integrate different media and modalities in teaching and learning practices, teachers are thus confronted with a wide range of choices. Planning and preparation become even more urgent, but also sufficient knowledge about guidelines and curricula and how they describe what students are expected to achieve. Themes: - Drama and Language Teaching The stage is a space and a medium where several forms of expression can converge in a creative situation. Drama provides intense communication contexts that involves all the participants faculties and invites them to immerse in a multimodal language environment. How do theatre and other performing arts contribute to language teaching and enhance learning today? Which are the premises for integrating drama with other learning activities at school? How do students act and react when language learning turns into action and performance? - - Innovative Methods for Language Learning In Europe today, foreign language studies are losing ground and at several educational institutions courses are discontinued for financial reasons. To raise awareness of the value of mastering your mother tongue and languages more generally, it becomes increasingly important to reflect on how we can adapt teaching approaches to current needs. New tools for language studies are constantly being produced and can be accessed through the internet and on the technology market. How do language teachers choose and integrate these tools in their teaching? In which ways can for example new social media be used in the language classroom or to support learning outside the classroom? At the same time, innovative methods are not only based on new technology, but also on new perspectives on the situation of language learning, where communication now occupies a central position. Equally important is to consider how our teaching approaches meet the rapidly evolving needs and interests of language students today. Language options for presentations: Swedish / English / French / Spanish / German Abstract length: 200 words The abstract should be written in English, mention the author’s name, institution and country, as well as the theme and the language for the presentation. Abstracts should be sent to: Passionforlanguages@hlk.hj.se before: 30 March, 2013. Notification of abstract acceptance: 30 April, 2013. Presenters do not pay any conference fee and are automatically registered with the notification of abstract acceptance. Registration: Participants are kindly asked to register for the conference before 1 May, 2013, on the web site: www.hlk.ju.se/business-and-society/conferences/passion-for-language The conference fee is 500 :- per day. It is possible to choose days in the registration formula. The fee covers only conference participation. Programme: 13 th of June Registration until 11.00 Keynote speakers: Professor Sangeeta Bagga-Gupta , Örebro University, Sweden Mai Yoshino , Gakushuin University, Tokyo, Japan Professor Catherine R. Moore , Western Illinois University, USA Panel and workshops Mai Yoshino (Japan), Christian Arin (Teateri, Jönköping), Omar Porras (Teatro Melandro, Colombia) 14 th of June Sessions all day
↧