Conference Theme: Contemporary Issues in Language Education
For this edition of TALFL the conference planning committee has chosen a deliberately broad theme. The issues worthy of discussion with regards to language education are plentiful and may include topics related to challenges inside and outside of the classroom. Thus, we encourage presentations examining a wide range of areas including (but not limited to) teaching methodology, technological innovations, language policies, assessment, materials development, language acquisition, and the promotion of bi-/multilingualism.
Keynote Speaker
Dr. Amanda Brown is an associate professor of linguistics at Syracuse University. She investigates the psycholinguistic effects of multilingualism and associated implications for language pedagogy, assessment, and teacher preparation. She teaches courses in second language teaching/learning and holds administrative positions in graduate programs in linguistics and language teaching.
Keynote: “Rethinking Use of the L1 in L2 English, French, and Arabic Classrooms”
Whether to use the native language in second/foreign language (L2) classrooms is a question every teacher-in-training asks, and it has been labeled “the most important theoretical and pedagogic question facing both the research and practitioner communities today” (Macaro 2014: 10). Clearly, language learners need to receive input and produce output in the L2. However, requiring exclusive use of the L2 in classrooms, i.e. full immersion, has been criticized and labeled a 'monolingual' view of pedagogy (Hall & Cook, 2012). In this review of a series of experimental studies on twelve second/foreign language classrooms in English, French, and Arabic at different proficiency levels, I show that strategic use of learners’ native (L1) or other languages does not hinder acquisition of the L2 and may even have additional benefits.