Bringing Language Learning to Life through a Humanistic Approach

Simon Marshall

15 November 2014

8:30am-4:30pm

Library Lecture Room

Wellesley College

This professional development day is suitable for university instructors, teaching assistants, and middle/high school teachers in foreign language programs. Although the four workshops will be conducted in English, the aim is to make them practically oriented and applicable to the teaching of any language. 

Simon Marshal’s work is firmly rooted within the tradition of Humanistic Language Teaching (HLT) which aims to increase learners’ self- confidence and awareness, as well as their proficiency as language learners. He regards the engagement of ‘the whole person’ (C. Rogers) as essential for maximising effective learning. Each and every individual brings a whole tapestry of experiences and inner resources into the classroom, which, in turn, provides enriching and vivifying resources for language lessons. As such, each learner becomes a ‘living syllabus.’

Breakfast, lunch and coffee breaks provided

For more information, contact Flavia Laviosa at flaviosa@wellesley.edu

Program

8:30-9:00 Registration and Breakfast

9:00-9:30 Methodological introduction followed by four workshops

9:30-11:00 Speak Out! Encouraging Learners to Speak in the Classroom

This presentation/workshop will examine why learners are sometimes reluctant to speak English in class and how to help them overcome this reticence. The importance of learner preparation time, relevance, safety and challenge will all take centre stage. We will experience and examine a number of practical exercises which focus on both accuracy and fluency which aim to encourage learners to express themselves with a greater sense of confidence and freedom. We will examine a range of activities which are suitable for beginner level and above, including the exploitation of visual materials and how to personalise topics and make them relevant and motivating for the speaker.

11:00-11:15 Coffee break

11:15- 12:30 Lively Listening. Listening to people in the here-and-now

A great deal of classroom listening material is pre-recorded by speakers unknown to the learners. This practical workshop will show how the teacher and students can become dynamic listening resources themselves, adding drive and authenticity to a language skill that can be anxiety inducing for many language learners. The focus will be on developing the listening skill rather than merely “testing comprehension.” Activities will focus on listening to small samples of language intensively (micro-listening) and also larges stretches of speech for more general comprehension (macro-listening). Reference will also be made to the role of neurological research into the role of mirror neurons in human communication.

12:30-1:30 Lunch break

1:30-3:00 ‘An Error is a Gift to the Class’

Following these words of Caleb Gattegno, founder of the Silent Way, this practical workshop will encourage the view that errors are not something to be avoided at all costs but are natural, inevitable and essential developmental stages in the language learning process. Errors provide the teacher with the perfect opportunity for genuine and relevant input. We will examine our own attitude towards errors and how it is possible to establish a classroom environment where learners may become freer “from the tyranny of the correct answer.” Why, when, if and how to correct both spoken and written errors will be also central questions addressed in this session. 

3:00-3:15 Coffee break

3:15- 4:30 Movement and Drama. Strategies for creating a more dynamic classroom

Classrooms can be exclusively sedentary environments, especially for the learners. This may lead to physical and mental inertness. This workshop will offer a variety of practical activities using gesture, mime, movement and small - scale drama aimed at enhancing language learning. Activities aimed practising grammar, vocabulary and the four skills will all feature in this lively and high energy session. We will experience how even simple movement and drama based techniques can enliven, energise and add zest and enjoyment to teaching and learning. There is no need to have previous experience of drama to benefit from this workshop – simply a willingness to participate!

Simon Marshall is a teacher educator, conference presenter, course designer and academic manager with more than thirty years’ experience in ELT. He has held positions of responsibility at a number of well-respected organisations, including International House, The British Council and Pilgrims at the University of Kent, where he has taken a major role in developing and promoting their internationally renowned suite of humanistic teacher training courses.  Simon has extensive experience as a tutor on Cambridge University CELTA (Certificate in Teaching English as a foreign Language) and DELTA (Diploma in Teaching English as a Foreign Language) programmes. He is also a Senior External Assessor on the former scheme.  Simon has presented at wide range of international events, including several IATEFL Annual Conferences. Currently, he is mainly based within the UK but has previously worked for a number of years in Latin America and Spain. His professional life has seen him travel to more than thirty countries in all. He has had a number of articles published in publications such as “The ELT Professional,” “The Teacher Trainer” the webzine “Humanising Language Teaching.”

--