Workshop: Discourse Analysis and L2 Teaching and Materials Development
Date/time: July 23 - 24, 2012, 9:30 am to 4:30 pm
Location: The Pennsylvania State University, University Park campus
Registration Information: http://calper.la.psu.edu/profdev.php?page=reg
Description:
The workshop is designed to address the concept of discourse analysis and demonstrate the wealth of its applicability to language teaching (L2 and Heritage). There will be step-by-step activities that provide opportunity for teachers to hone their own sensitivities to the target language(s) as well as to guide their students in discovering how language works—at a level beyond traditional textbook-based explanations. In the first half of the workshop, we will answer the following questions:
- What is discourse analysis?
- How can the analysis of naturally occurring language (both spoken and written) enhance our own understanding of language?
- How can teachers of language (L2 and Heritage) use authentic discourse more effectively in classroom practice?
We will introduce basic concepts within discourse analysis: Modality (spoken, written, technology-mediated); Genre (e.g., conversation, lecture, narrative, how-to, expository writing, essay, letter to the editor, journal writing); Innovative approaches to the teaching of "grammar" within discourse.
The workshop will also provide hands-on practice in designing innovative, discourse-based lessons and teaching materials that reflect the 5 Cs of ACTFL’s National Standards (Communication, Cultures, Comparisons, Connections, and Communities). From this perspective, the materials that we design will naturally integrate the so-called four skills of reading, writing, speaking, and listening, in addition to naturally integrating discussions of culture.
We will work with language samples using English as the primary language for discussion, in addition to snippets from Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Persian to further illustrate. Participants are free to work with any language(s) they choose for any level of proficiency, from elementary to advanced. The presenter has some knowledge of these and other languages and served on the task force for the creation of the Korean National Standards.
Presenter: Susan Strauss (CALPER)
Event website: http://calper.la.psu.edu/profdev.php?page=workshops
Contact Person: Gabriela Appel, CALPER Program Coordinator, gxa9@psu.edu