The target audience for this workshop is: Foreign Language Teachers
In our multilingual society, developing cross-cultural communicative competencies is increasingly important for mutual understanding. As foreign language teachers, we are constantly trying to focus on finding real life activities in order to create a communication-based and standards-driven curriculum for our students. In our language classes we find it important to address the necessary skills students must acquire for the 21st century using proficiently the creative technology tools now available. It is equally essential to offer greater opportunities for students’ engagement, for working in collaborative teams, for developing critical thinking skills and for managing precious time and resources.
Having all this in mind, we decided to focus on developing these approaches in our classes:
- Project-based learning, inspired on the communicative task-based approach for language learning theory with the use of technology.
- Flattening the classroom by connecting with schools around the world for regular pen-pal/ visual exchanges, global programs (twictée) and for sharing class projects.
- Developing a metalanguage in class by using Rachel Hawkes's theories on promoting oral exchanges in a foreign language class, Project zero's visible thinking routines (Harvard University) and the IB Learner Profile.
After attending your workshop, participants will...
- Empower attendees with ideas on how to make languages alive in class by providing real communicative contexts.
- Share resources, projects and ideas on how to support the development of speaking and writing skills in a foreign language class.
