Month: July 2023

Anaheim University will hold an online Open TESOL Conference on Sat. Aug. 6th PDT open to the public at no charge. The Anaheim University 2022 TESOL Residential Session will be held online from Thursday, August 4th to Saturday, August 6th, 2022 PDT for Anaheim University TESOL students and graduates. AU TESOL graduates may register to attend up to 2 of the non-public sessions at no charge. The sessions will be led by Anaheim University’s distinguished TESOL faculty and guest speakers, including: Dr. Masatoshi Sato, Anaheim University TESOL Professor Dr. Rod Ellis, Anaheim University Senior TESOL Professor & Founding Department Chair Dr. Sandra McKay, Anaheim University TESOL Professor Dr. David Nunan, David Nunan TESOL Institute Director & founding Dean of the Anaheim University Graduate School of Education The online residential session is part of Anaheim University’s online graduate degree programs in TESOL: Online Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (MA in TESOL) Online Doctor of Education in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (Ed.D. in TESOL) Tentative 3-Day Schedule (Subject to change)  All times are Pacific Daylight Time (PDT). Click here for a World Time Converter.  * Session Numbers 10, 11, 12 & 13 in red are open to the public at no charge. Abstracts What has meta-analysis taught us about SLA? A bird’s eye viewLuke Plonsky, Ph.D. Research synthesis and meta-analysis (RS/MA) comprise a powerful means of aggregating empirical findings and advancing knowledge within a given research domain. RS/MA also provide secondary researchers with a number of benefits that improve upon traditional reviews. Consequently, the field of instructed second language acquisition (ISLA) has turned increasingly to meta-analysis as the preferred means to provide stable syntheses of empirical findings of a given set of questions. This talk takes a bird’s-eye view on the field of ISLA by considering what we can learn about second language (L2) learning and teaching from the large and growing body of meta-analyses in this domain. In particular, we will discuss the effectiveness of L2 instruction as observed in the contexts of L2 grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and pragmatics and others. In addition to exploring overall effects in these domains, we will also consider a range of moderators that explain systematic variability in observed effects. Practical implications will also be discussed. The roles of language proficiency and study abroad in Japanese students’ receptive pragmatic competenceRod Ellis, Ph.D. Click here for Bio This study investigated the pragmatic competence of 50 Japanese English major students, divided into two groups, one of which participated in a study abroad (SA) program and the other stayed at home (AH) taking normal university classes. Two novel tests were used to measure two aspects of the students’ pragmatic competence. The Irony Test measured their ability to identify negative and positive irony. The Metapragmatic Test measured their ability to identify inappropriate speech acts and their understanding of why they were inappropriate. Results showed that, compared to a group of native speakers, the students had difficulty in identifying both irony—especially positive irony—and speech act inappropriateness. The students’ language proficiency was related to their metapragmatic ability but not to their ability to detect irony. A comparison of the SA and AH students revealed a small advantage for the former in the Metapragmatic Test but not in the Irony Test. Supporting language learners’ autonomy beyond the classroom: Options for research and practiceJo Mynard, Ph.D. Click here for Bio In this session, we will look at ways that language learners can be supported outside the language classroom in terms of opportunities, resources, and linguistic and personal support (Mynard & Shelton-Strong, 2022a/b). Common practices in our field include the provision of self-access facilities, events and learning communities, peer support systems (Peeters & Mynard, 2021), and skills practice centers. However, in order for these resources and opportunities to be meaningful, learners need to be able to take charge of their overall learning process by planning, monitoring and evaluating their learning and managing their motivation as well as their affective and social processes. Much of this awareness raising can start within the classroom, but learners will also need individualised support outside the classroom (Kato & Mynard, 2016, 2022; Mynard & Kato, 2022). We will look at the role that advising in language learning (ALL) plays in this process i.e., the intentional use of reflective dialogue that helps learners to develop their autonomy. Finally, we will look at ways these outside-class support services can be researched. Using Technology to Motivate LearnersHayo Reinders, Ph.D. Click here for Bio What stays the same when everything changes? One of the most profound and perennial challenges language teachers face is how to best engage learners in the language learning experience. Rapidly and regularly changing learning environments, assessment processes and instructional practices can challenge learners in finding and expressing their voice but also offer opportunities for teachers to draw on the affordances of the increased range of educational tools and settings available to them to open up new ways to encourage learner participation. In this practical talk I will draw on three decades of best practice in online, blended and hybrid learning to share recommendations for turning the potential downsides of our changing situations into likely benefits for improving our teaching by encouraging greater learner participation and interaction. Specifically, we will look at ways in which technology can provide more agency to both teachers and learners alike and support language learning beyond the classroom. Memories from the Classroom: Outstanding Teachers’ Recollections of Their Own TeachersKathleen Bailey, Ph.D. Thinking back on your own life as a student, do you remember a teacher who particularly inspired and encouraged you? Was there someone who had a positive influence on you when you were young, who may have even helped lead you to your career as an educator? And conversely, did you know a teacher who discouraged you – who made you feel, at some point in your schooling, that you were not capable of accomplishing very much? Decades of research have shown (not surprisingly) that teachers are a major factor in students’