ACTA 2018 International TESOL Conference: English Language Learning in a Mobile World

posted by Juergen Kurtz, Justus Liebig University (JLU) Giessen, Germany

The next ACTA International TESOL Conference will be held in Adelaide, South Australia from 2 – 5 October, 2018. The main conference theme is ‘English Language Learning in a Mobile World’.

Driving attention to the reality of local and global mobility for TESOL learners and educators, the conference will contribute to the ongoing examination of the theories and practices underpinning the TESOL field, and will project into future directions, whether as policy, pedagogy, materials design, assessment or community involvement.

In the context of increasing mobility through digital technology as well as global unrest and greater recognition of the need for improved outcomes for indigenous students, the conference offers an opportunity for a re-examination of the profile of our English language learners and the implications for TESOL practice.

The six sub-themes or strands are:

1. English language learners in a mobile world
2. English language learning and teaching for local and global participation
3. Embracing digital technologies in English language learning and teaching
4. Assessment from diverse stakeholder perspectives
5. English as a medium of instruction (EMI)
6. Professional standards and teacher identities in a mobile world

Through these themes, the breadth of mobility will be explored, ranging from local and global relocations to communication and intercultural negotiation across borders. With this in mind, the conference will be a space to critically examine ethical and practical challenges for TESOL.

I really look forward to attending this conference, not only because of my gowing interest in researching augmented reality for EFL textboook development and use,  but also because of the special atmosphere of the ACTA TESOL conferences in Australia. For further conference details, please click here.

 

Employing Augmented Reality for EFL Textbook Development, Instruction, and Learning

posted by Juergen Kurtz, Justus Liebig University (JLU) Giessen, Germany

This preliminary version of a paper submitted for publication in the German (peer-reviewed) journal Fremdsprachen Lehren und Lernen (=Teaching and Learning Foreign Languages; ISSN: 0932-6936) examines the potentials and prospects of augmented reality (AR) for 21st century English as a foreign language (EFL) textbook development and use. Since the utilization of AR to transform and, ultimately, enhance instruction and learning in textbook-driven EFL environments is largely uncharted research territory, particular attention is given to three exploratory questions: How can AR (as an emerging technology) contribute to improving EFL textbooks and textbook use? In this context, what role can AR play in promoting task-oriented foreign language learning in and beyond the EFL classroom? More specifically, what potential does AR hold for fostering more individually tailored instruction and learning? In addressing these questions, the paper seeks to provide a preliminary theoretical foundation for the conceptualization of learning place (the physical location of learning and instruction, including textbooks as physical learning resources) and learning space (the cognitive, affective, and social-interactive dimension of computer-mediated communication and electronically enhanced learning in and beyond the classroom). In research on AR in educational settings, such theoretical groundwork is still missing. It is, however, of great importance for gaining a deeper understanding of hybrid (print, electronic), multimodal, interactive, and adaptive foreign language learning in the digital age. The paper – which focuses on research published in English or in German – ends with a brief presentation and critical appraisal of the ‘Zoom-app’, a pioneering AR-based software for portable computers designed to bring together print-based and digital learning resources for use inside and outside the EFL classroom. Read more.

13th BAAL SIG LLT Conference 2017

posted by Jürgen Kurtz, Justus Liebig University (JLU) Giessen, Germany

The 13th BAAL Language Learning and Teaching SIG will come together again at the University of Central Lancashire (Preston, UK) from Thursday 6th July to Friday 7th July 2017. The conference theme will be: ‘Celebrating the diversity of language teaching’.

Language learning and teaching takes place in diverse settings around the world. The variety of contexts and acronyms such as MFL, EFL, EAL and ESOL can sometimes serve to highlight the differences within this diversity rather than the commonalities. Yet despite the apparent differences such as class size, language(s) learned, age of learners and reasons for language learning, there are many shared concerns. These relate, for example, to target language use, motivation, assessment, role of L1, language learning processes and teacher education.

This conference will encourage participants to consider how the realities of these different contexts throw light upon the many shared concerns that practitioners may have, and how we might all learn from one another.

• What does research into language learning processes tell us about the impact of pedagogy in different contexts?
• How does the learning of additional languages affect first language development?
• What are the shared concerns of teachers of learners of different ages?
• How do we assess language learning in different contexts?
• What are the challenges facing teacher education?

Confirmed plenary speakers:

Professor Victoria Murphy, University of Oxford (EAL)
Dr Chris Jones, University of Liverpool (EFL/ELT)
Professor Suzanne Graham, University of Reading (MFL).

For further information, please click here. This is what I am going to talk about:

‘Employing augmented reality for adaptive learning in and beyond the EFL classroom’  

In many EFL classrooms in Germany, teachers use (and frequently overuse) textbooks and related materials and media. In consequence, classroom discourse is often textbook- and teacher-driven, with a strong focus on form and on accuracy. Taking this into consideration, this talk reports on current research into the development of a future generation of EFL textbooks and accompanying digital materials and media in Germany. The vision for the project is to create a mobile, interactive, and adaptive learning and teaching assistance system for personalized use in and beyond the EFL classroom. The talk will culminate in the presentation of the ‘Zoom-App’, a multimodal prototype software application designed to enhance self-regulated language and culture learning by overlaying supportive digital content onto the physical textbook page.

 

Augmented Reality in and beyond the EFL Classroom

posted by Jürgen Kurtz, Justus Liebig University (JLU) Giessen, Germany

The 7th International CLS Conference CLaSIC will be held at the National University of Singapore, December 1-3, 2016, hosted by the Centre for Language Studies. The conference theme is “Learning in and beyond the classroom: Ubiquity in foreign language education”.  I am pleased to note that my proposal for a paper entitled “Employing augmented reality for adaptive learning in and beyond the EFL classroom” has been accepted for presentation. This is the abstract:

“Crafting a vision of the future is a challenging task. Since future developments are difficult to anticipate, visions are often vague, deficient or even turn out to be completely mistaken. And since they evolve out of interpretations of the past and the present, they are also subjective to a large degree. Even if visions are based on powerful theoretical frameworks, backed up by solid empirical evidence, and developed in ways, they remain uncertain and controversial. How convincing and useful a vision is, however, does not depend on its predictive potential. The value of a vision lies rather in its projective power and in its potential to raise questions that already are or might become increasingly important. Taking this into consideration, this talk reports on current research into the development of a future generation of EFL textbooks and accompanying materials and media in Germany. The vision for the project is to create a mobile, interactive, and adaptive learning and teaching assistance system for personalized use in and beyond the EFL classroom. The talk will culminate in the presentation of the ‘Zoom-App’, a multimodal prototype software application designed to enhance self-regulated learning by overlaying supportive digital content onto the physical textbook page.”

German-speaking readers will find a brief video introduction to the technology and its potentials for foreign language learning and teaching on this website.