TESOL France
Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages
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Colloquium 2007
So to Speak: Spoken Communication Skills
Si je puis m'exprimer ainsi
Program
| Plenary Sessions |
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Jane Arnold | Speak Easy | |
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Ron Carter | Spoken Grammar, Written Grammars: From Corpus to Classroom | |
Workshops |
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Jane Arnold | IMAGINE THAT! Using Mental Images in Language Teaching | |
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Diane Boardman | Pronunciation - Incorporating it into the Language Learning Process from Day One | |
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Ron Carter | Teaching Frequent Words and Chunks: Perspectives for Spoken English | |
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Csilla Ducrocq | Using QUICKTOOL to Help Students Prepare for Speaking Activities in the Classroom | |
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Danyal Freeman, Ella Leung and Neera Sharma | Teaching and Assessing Impromptu Speaking in a University Setting |
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Evan Frendo | Rapport in Spoken Business Communication | |
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Charles Hall | Hearing Global English: Listening Materials and the Non-native Speaker | |
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Nathalie Hascoët | Pour une Connaissance des Faits de Langues de la Langue Maternelle dans l'Apprentissage de la Deuxième Langue: Exemple de l'Oral en Français et en Anglais | |
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Mike Howard | London Tests of English – The Thematic Approach | |
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Zhivka Ilieva | Stories in Spoken Communication Skills Development: Teaching English to Young Learners | |
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Jamie Keddie | Corpora in the Classroom | |
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Bernard Moro | From Input — whatever its form and format— to 0ral 0utput: Empowering Learners towards Full Speaking Autonomy Through the Use of IT. Paradoxically, a very humanistic approach. | |
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Sarah Philpot | Using IELTS Preparation to Improve Students' English Speaking Competence | |
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Jeanny Prat and Christine Malnoy | Eh bien… parlez maintenant ! La perspective actionnelle du CECRL à l'ouvre dans la formation des professeurs des écoles. | |
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Chaz Pugliese | Grammar Ain't What You Thought It Was | |
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Muhammad Shaban Rafi | SMS Text Analysis: Language, Gender and Current Practices | |
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Catherine (Kate) Riley | Cross Class Student Debates | |
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James Schofield | Reading Aloud in the Business English Classroom | |
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Paul Seligson | If You Really Want Your Students to Speak English | |
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Nataliya Smila, Svitlana Radziyevska |
Formal Presentation & Informal Small Talk: How to be Effective | |
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Ya-Chen Su | Promoting Intercultural/Interpersonal Communication and Understanding: Incorporating Interview Projects in Taiwan's College EFL Classes | |
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Ivor Timmis | Teachers Telling Tales | |
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Laurence Whiteside | Practical Phonetics in the Classroom | |
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Dave Willis | The Logic of Spoken English – and How to Teach it | |
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Jane Willis | Speaking Spoken Language: A Task-based Approach | |
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William Yeago | International Qualifications for Professional English: ILEC and ICFE | |
Plenary Sessions
Speak easy
by Jane Arnold
All aspects of language learning and use can be made easier by taking into consideration the affective factors involved. In this presentation we will see how a greater awareness of affect can help us to become more effective as teachers of English. We will be considering how attention to the "inside" and "between" the people in the classroom can facilitate spoken communication and the entire language learning process.
All aspects of language learning and use can be made easier by taking into consideration the affective factors involved. In this presentation we will see how a greater awareness of affect can help us to become more effective as teachers of English. We will be considering how attention to the "inside" and "between" the people in the classroom can facilitate spoken communication and the entire language learning process.
Spoken Grammar, Written Grammars: From Corpus to Classroom
by Ron carter
This plenary talk explores recent research into the differences and distinctions between spoken and written grammars in English. The different processing constraints in spoken and written language mean that spoken grammar has certain marked grammatical constructions and it is argued that the more we know about these spoken features the more likely it is that we can help learners with different levels of formality in English. The study of spoken grammar is defined, about the notion of choice in language and about materials development for the teaching of English as a whole.
This plenary talk explores recent research into the differences and distinctions between spoken and written grammars in English. The different processing constraints in spoken and written language mean that spoken grammar has certain marked grammatical constructions and it is argued that the more we know about these spoken features the more likely it is that we can help learners with different levels of formality in English. The study of spoken grammar is defined, about the notion of choice in language and about materials development for the teaching of English as a whole.
Workshops
IMAGINE THAT! Using Mental Images in Language Teaching
by Jane Arnold
sponsored by Helbling Languages
This workshop will begin with a brief introduction to the importance of mental imagery for our cognition and learning according to current research in psychology and the neurosciences. We will see how this affects language learning and will explore many practical ways to incorporate imagery in the classroom. Mental images can help our students comprehend written and spoken texts as well as stimulate speaking and writing. Working with mental imagery can help us make our classroom a more creative and productive place to be.
Jane Arnold teaches ELT methodology at the University of Seville. She has numerous publications, including Imagine That! Mental Imagery in the ELT Classroom, with Mario Rinvolucri and Herbert Puchta (Helbling Languages) and Affect in Language Learning (CUP). She has worked with language teachers in several countries in Europe, in Morocco, Turkey, Algeria, the United States, Argentina and Singapore.
sponsored by Helbling Languages
This workshop will begin with a brief introduction to the importance of mental imagery for our cognition and learning according to current research in psychology and the neurosciences. We will see how this affects language learning and will explore many practical ways to incorporate imagery in the classroom. Mental images can help our students comprehend written and spoken texts as well as stimulate speaking and writing. Working with mental imagery can help us make our classroom a more creative and productive place to be.
Jane Arnold teaches ELT methodology at the University of Seville. She has numerous publications, including Imagine That! Mental Imagery in the ELT Classroom, with Mario Rinvolucri and Herbert Puchta (Helbling Languages) and Affect in Language Learning (CUP). She has worked with language teachers in several countries in Europe, in Morocco, Turkey, Algeria, the United States, Argentina and Singapore.
Pronunciation - Incorporating it into the Language Learning Process from Day One
by Diane BoardmanIn my practice I have found that 2nd (and 3rd) language learners come to me, after learning English, with basic pronunciation problems that I believe could be targeted from the very beginning of their language learning. This interactive talk will focus on some basic pronunciation skills which English language teachers/trainers can provide their students from the very first language lesson, and continue to provide for more advanced students. Read document
Diane Boardman, M.A., CCC-SLP, is a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist, born, raised and living in NYC. Since 1998 she has worked with clients wishing to improve their pronunciation of American English both through her private practice and at Hunter College, City University of New York. Her clients have included individuals from over 35 countries. Most recently, Ms. Boardman presented seminars for foreign medical students in pronunciation and effective doctor/patient communication at the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine. Previous to becoming an SLP, Ms. Boardman was a professional dancer and choreographer, touring extensively throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Teaching Frequent Words and Chunks: Perspectives for Spoken English
by Ron Carter
sponsored by CUP
This workshop looks at some key questions in classroom approaches to spoken English with a particular focus on the development of conversational skills in different contexts and on how using the most frequent words in the language can enable greater fluency. The workshop also looks at how corpus-based insights can inform classroom materials. Co-author of this year's British Council Innovation Award-winning Cambridge Grammar of English, Ronald Carter is Professor of Modern English Language in the School of English Studies, University of Nottingham. He has published extensively in the fields of language education, applied linguistics and literary-linguistic studies. He is co-author of Exploring Spoken English and Exploring Grammar in Context, and co-editor of The Cambridge Guide to Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages for Cambridge ELT.
sponsored by CUP
This workshop looks at some key questions in classroom approaches to spoken English with a particular focus on the development of conversational skills in different contexts and on how using the most frequent words in the language can enable greater fluency. The workshop also looks at how corpus-based insights can inform classroom materials. Co-author of this year's British Council Innovation Award-winning Cambridge Grammar of English, Ronald Carter is Professor of Modern English Language in the School of English Studies, University of Nottingham. He has published extensively in the fields of language education, applied linguistics and literary-linguistic studies. He is co-author of Exploring Spoken English and Exploring Grammar in Context, and co-editor of The Cambridge Guide to Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages for Cambridge ELT.
Using QUICKTOOL to Help Students Prepare for Speaking Activities in the Classroom
by Csilla Ducrocq
QUICKTOOL is an open-source exercise generator created at Université Paris Sud, Faculté d'Orsay. It is an integral part of WIMS, a digital learning/teaching platform. Besides the more traditional types of exercises, it can be used to create exercises for phonology practice and exercises to identify various language items. WIMS and QUICKTOOL present several advantages over other exercise generators as you can: create virtual classes; set up discussion forums; have your exercises marked automatically; create authentic exercises easily by exploiting the huge amount of language in on-line corpora (e.g. British National Corpus); use several different media types with the same exercise; share exercises with colleagues, etc.
Csilla Ducrocq has been teaching English for 20 years in Hungary and in France in continuing education and after completing her RSA Diploma at Université Paris Sud, Faculté d'Orsay she gave several in-house training sessions in the field of using multimedia in language teaching.
QUICKTOOL is an open-source exercise generator created at Université Paris Sud, Faculté d'Orsay. It is an integral part of WIMS, a digital learning/teaching platform. Besides the more traditional types of exercises, it can be used to create exercises for phonology practice and exercises to identify various language items. WIMS and QUICKTOOL present several advantages over other exercise generators as you can: create virtual classes; set up discussion forums; have your exercises marked automatically; create authentic exercises easily by exploiting the huge amount of language in on-line corpora (e.g. British National Corpus); use several different media types with the same exercise; share exercises with colleagues, etc.
Csilla Ducrocq has been teaching English for 20 years in Hungary and in France in continuing education and after completing her RSA Diploma at Université Paris Sud, Faculté d'Orsay she gave several in-house training sessions in the field of using multimedia in language teaching.
Teaching and Assessing Impromptu Speaking in a University Setting
by Danyal Freeman, Ella Leung and Neera Sharma
Students in Hong Kong see impromptu speaking as the most difficult yet the most useful speaking activity. This presentation describes our concerted efforts to design courses and materials to address various problems of handling impromptu speech. The presenters will first demonstrate a successful model for teaching impromptu speaking. Samples of materials used will be discussed. Specific references will then be made to how native speakers manipulate pitch to manage topics and veneer coherency into impromptu speech. The outcomes of this data are the formulation of two intonation rules from a genuinely communicative context and a general framework for intonation teaching. Finally, samples of assessment tools and criteria for learners of different levels to achieve will be presented to encourage reflection on effective ways of improving the teaching of impromptu speech.
Danyal Freeman is an English language instructor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and has taught at universities in the UK and Taiwan. His research interests include spoken discourse analysis and corpus linguistics.
Ella Leung has been teaching at the English Language Teaching Unit of The Chinese University of Hong Kong since 1999. She mainly teaches oral communication courses. Her areas of interest are rhetoric, the teaching and learning of spoken English, and intercultural communication.
Neeraja Sharma has been teaching at the English Language Teaching Unit of The Chinese University of Hong Kong since 1993. She teaches pronunciation, grammar and oral communication courses. She is interested in designing communicative activities and language exercises based on authentic materials with a view to improving classroom interaction.
Students in Hong Kong see impromptu speaking as the most difficult yet the most useful speaking activity. This presentation describes our concerted efforts to design courses and materials to address various problems of handling impromptu speech. The presenters will first demonstrate a successful model for teaching impromptu speaking. Samples of materials used will be discussed. Specific references will then be made to how native speakers manipulate pitch to manage topics and veneer coherency into impromptu speech. The outcomes of this data are the formulation of two intonation rules from a genuinely communicative context and a general framework for intonation teaching. Finally, samples of assessment tools and criteria for learners of different levels to achieve will be presented to encourage reflection on effective ways of improving the teaching of impromptu speech.
Danyal Freeman is an English language instructor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and has taught at universities in the UK and Taiwan. His research interests include spoken discourse analysis and corpus linguistics.
Ella Leung has been teaching at the English Language Teaching Unit of The Chinese University of Hong Kong since 1999. She mainly teaches oral communication courses. Her areas of interest are rhetoric, the teaching and learning of spoken English, and intercultural communication.
Neeraja Sharma has been teaching at the English Language Teaching Unit of The Chinese University of Hong Kong since 1993. She teaches pronunciation, grammar and oral communication courses. She is interested in designing communicative activities and language exercises based on authentic materials with a view to improving classroom interaction.
Rapport in Spoken Business Communication
by Evan Frendo
sponsored by Summertown Publishing
People use language to build and develop relationships all the time. In an intercultural business communication context this use of language to manage relationships is not always easy to get right. In this session we will examine two short extracts from the real world of spoken business communication, and analyse the language the speakers use to build and develop their relationships. We will then discuss ways such language might be taught within the context of the teaching of English as a foreign language.
Evan Frendo has been involved in business English training and consulting for over thirteen years, mainly working with German companies. Most recently he has been involved in running teacher training programmes in India, Thailand and Taiwan. He has written or co-authored various books, including How to Teach Business English, published by Longman, and the Double Dealing Course book series published by Summertown. He is currently based in Berlin, where he is researching the nature of small talk within the context of intercultural business communication, and how this can best be taught to business English learners.
sponsored by Summertown Publishing
People use language to build and develop relationships all the time. In an intercultural business communication context this use of language to manage relationships is not always easy to get right. In this session we will examine two short extracts from the real world of spoken business communication, and analyse the language the speakers use to build and develop their relationships. We will then discuss ways such language might be taught within the context of the teaching of English as a foreign language.
Evan Frendo has been involved in business English training and consulting for over thirteen years, mainly working with German companies. Most recently he has been involved in running teacher training programmes in India, Thailand and Taiwan. He has written or co-authored various books, including How to Teach Business English, published by Longman, and the Double Dealing Course book series published by Summertown. He is currently based in Berlin, where he is researching the nature of small talk within the context of intercultural business communication, and how this can best be taught to business English learners.
Hearing Global English: Listening Materials and the Non-native Speaker
by Charles HallWe usually think that as a profession we have gone beyond the belief that English is British or American. However, many native and non-native instructors insist that all recorded materials be produced with native accents. Consequently, it is still rare to hear ‘global accents' in listening materials.
In this session, I will explore quickly the notion of accepted vs. acceptable pronunciation, review the current status of non-native voices in recorded materials and make suggestions for ways to expand the role of global accents and thereby give the non-native in ELT a voice.
Charles Hall has done teacher training sponsored by various organizations, such as the U.S. Department of State and the United Nations, in almost 30 countries. Hall has held two Senior Fulbright awards. He has been coordinator of University of West Bohemia's Summer TEFL training courses in the Czech Republic since 1990 and was founder and director of TEFL summer training at Peking University for several years. Hall's newest book is the co-authored American Legal English (2nd ed. University of Michigan Press, 2007). He was the 2005 Chair of the ESP Interest Section for International TESOL.
In this session, I will explore quickly the notion of accepted vs. acceptable pronunciation, review the current status of non-native voices in recorded materials and make suggestions for ways to expand the role of global accents and thereby give the non-native in ELT a voice.
Charles Hall has done teacher training sponsored by various organizations, such as the U.S. Department of State and the United Nations, in almost 30 countries. Hall has held two Senior Fulbright awards. He has been coordinator of University of West Bohemia's Summer TEFL training courses in the Czech Republic since 1990 and was founder and director of TEFL summer training at Peking University for several years. Hall's newest book is the co-authored American Legal English (2nd ed. University of Michigan Press, 2007). He was the 2005 Chair of the ESP Interest Section for International TESOL.
Pour une Connaissance des Faits de Langues de la Langue Maternelle dans l'Apprentissage de la Deuxième Langue: Exemple de l'Oral en Français et en Anglais
by Nathalie Hascoët
Cette communication propose une réflexion sur la relation qu'entretient l'oral de la langue maternelle (français) avec la deuxième langue (anglais). Dans une perspective linguistique et à la lumière de la théorie des opérations et des principes de co-locution et co-énonciation, on définira ce qu'est l'oral et les principes énonciatifs qui le sous-tendent. A partir d'exemples tirés de corpus audio et vidéos de productions en anglais de francophones et anglophones, on présentera les constituants du préambule oral du français et de l'anglais. On se questionnera enfin sur un dispositif possible de sensibilisation à l'oral spontané dans nos formations LANSAD.
Nathalie Hascoët, DILTEC Tâches et dispositifs, Paris III - Paris VI. As an agrégée I taught English to LEA and LANSAD students at Paris VII. I then realized how little space was given to oral in French studies. So I decided to write my “Doctorat” on spontaneous speech, which meant I should work on intonation. But, that would only work if gestures were included, which I did. So now, I concentrate on the interferences between French (as mother tongue) and English (as second language), and investigate gestures in non-native speakers of English. I also develop research in “didactique des Langues” at Paris VI where I am now, concerning the teaching of English for Special Purposes.
Cette communication propose une réflexion sur la relation qu'entretient l'oral de la langue maternelle (français) avec la deuxième langue (anglais). Dans une perspective linguistique et à la lumière de la théorie des opérations et des principes de co-locution et co-énonciation, on définira ce qu'est l'oral et les principes énonciatifs qui le sous-tendent. A partir d'exemples tirés de corpus audio et vidéos de productions en anglais de francophones et anglophones, on présentera les constituants du préambule oral du français et de l'anglais. On se questionnera enfin sur un dispositif possible de sensibilisation à l'oral spontané dans nos formations LANSAD.
Nathalie Hascoët, DILTEC Tâches et dispositifs, Paris III - Paris VI. As an agrégée I taught English to LEA and LANSAD students at Paris VII. I then realized how little space was given to oral in French studies. So I decided to write my “Doctorat” on spontaneous speech, which meant I should work on intonation. But, that would only work if gestures were included, which I did. So now, I concentrate on the interferences between French (as mother tongue) and English (as second language), and investigate gestures in non-native speakers of English. I also develop research in “didactique des Langues” at Paris VI where I am now, concerning the teaching of English for Special Purposes.
London Tests of English – The Thematic Approach
by Mike Howard
sponsored by Pearson Language Assessments
A key feature of the London Tests of English is that they are theme-based. The tasks that make up any one test paper are linked to each other by virtue of their subject matter. The thematic approach is not new or unusual in ELT, of course, although it is not common in testing. This talk will give an overview of the London tests of English and discuss the advantages of themes and scenarios in testing and how these help us map the exams to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
Mike Howard came to France in 1992 as a musician touring in a band. After meeting his future wife (and waving goodbye to the camper van!) he decided on a career in teaching. This included three years spent at the Calandretta – a local Occitan school in Montpellier. Following this he spent three years as a trainer for AFPA where he first became involved in national projects developing evaluation and certification. After studying for an MBA at Sup de Co Montpellier (where he won the Prix d'excellence) he now works as the Business Development Manager for Pearson Language Assessments – developing a network of Test Centres throughout France and Switzerland and promoting the London Tests of English.
sponsored by Pearson Language Assessments
A key feature of the London Tests of English is that they are theme-based. The tasks that make up any one test paper are linked to each other by virtue of their subject matter. The thematic approach is not new or unusual in ELT, of course, although it is not common in testing. This talk will give an overview of the London tests of English and discuss the advantages of themes and scenarios in testing and how these help us map the exams to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
Mike Howard came to France in 1992 as a musician touring in a band. After meeting his future wife (and waving goodbye to the camper van!) he decided on a career in teaching. This included three years spent at the Calandretta – a local Occitan school in Montpellier. Following this he spent three years as a trainer for AFPA where he first became involved in national projects developing evaluation and certification. After studying for an MBA at Sup de Co Montpellier (where he won the Prix d'excellence) he now works as the Business Development Manager for Pearson Language Assessments – developing a network of Test Centres throughout France and Switzerland and promoting the London Tests of English.
Stories in Spoken Communication Skills Development: Teaching English to Young Learners
by Zhivka Ilieva
The workshop presents a few stories and examples of lessons related to them, aiming at communication skills development. The final activity to each story is connected to creating dialogues using the story and students' previous knowledge. The dialogues are partially planned by cards with roles; the students are stimulated to be creative both in creating the dialogue and transmitting the message (using various communicative strategies). The materials developed will be provided. Parts of the most interesting students' dialogues will be presented (on video or tape, or just read).
1998-1999 Zhivka Ilieva was a teacher of English at the Petko Sleveikov Comprehensive School, Dobrich, Bulgaria. Since 1999 she has taught and been a teacher trainer at the Pedagogical College (Shumen University), Dobrich, Bulgaria. Her students are future Nursery and Primary School Teachers who will also teach English. I teach groups of Primary school teachers who want to become teachers of English. She finished her PhD thesis in Methodology of Teaching English. The thesis is dedicated to Developing Oral Communicative skills in EL Primary Classroom through Stories.
The workshop presents a few stories and examples of lessons related to them, aiming at communication skills development. The final activity to each story is connected to creating dialogues using the story and students' previous knowledge. The dialogues are partially planned by cards with roles; the students are stimulated to be creative both in creating the dialogue and transmitting the message (using various communicative strategies). The materials developed will be provided. Parts of the most interesting students' dialogues will be presented (on video or tape, or just read).
1998-1999 Zhivka Ilieva was a teacher of English at the Petko Sleveikov Comprehensive School, Dobrich, Bulgaria. Since 1999 she has taught and been a teacher trainer at the Pedagogical College (Shumen University), Dobrich, Bulgaria. Her students are future Nursery and Primary School Teachers who will also teach English. I teach groups of Primary school teachers who want to become teachers of English. She finished her PhD thesis in Methodology of Teaching English. The thesis is dedicated to Developing Oral Communicative skills in EL Primary Classroom through Stories.
Corpora in the Classroom
by Jamie Keddie
sponsored by onestopenglish.com
Technology should be a means rather than an end to language learning and in this highly practical workshop we will put this idea into use. We will see how user-friendly corpora such as internet search engines, the iTunes music store, online film scripts and even your own hotmail account can be used:
sponsored by onestopenglish.com
Technology should be a means rather than an end to language learning and in this highly practical workshop we will put this idea into use. We will see how user-friendly corpora such as internet search engines, the iTunes music store, online film scripts and even your own hotmail account can be used:
- To promote learner autonomy.
- To create motivating and communicative classroom activities.
- To answer questions such as “What is the difference between no and not?”
- To create investigative homework activities.
- To raise awareness of the difference between spoken and written forms of language.
Jamie Keddie lives and teaches in Barcelona. He writes for Onestopenglish and has also had articles published in The Guardian, Modern English Teacher, English Teaching Professional, IATEFL Voices and Humanising Language Teaching.
From Input — whatever its form and format— to 0ral 0utput: Empowering Learners towards Full Speaking Autonomy Through the Use of IT. Paradoxically, a very humanistic approach.
by Bernard Moro
No one can speak well without structured work upstream of their speech. The problem is we don't want this preparatory work to freeze our learners in space and time when a natural oral performance is required. There are strategies regarding how we can prepare them. Strategies to allow them to better extract information instead of being enslaved by it, strategies to better gain confidence, use the many tools available and activate their personal skills. Empowering them to the point they can take off and fly and progress solo without their instructor, this is what the language teacher should strive to obtain.
Initially a professional illustrator, now professeur agrégé at the Social Sciences University, Grenoble, Bernard Moro has produced software applications for language classes and co-authored a successful language course Flying Colours for upper secondary pupils; built didactic websites for a series of Council of Europe workshops. He designed his university language centre website, which he regards as a crucial tool for implementing foreign language policies in his institution, in particular all CEFR-related evaluation approaches. Also webmasters Language Learning Resource Center, a portal towards online resources used as a didactic environment for their courses.
No one can speak well without structured work upstream of their speech. The problem is we don't want this preparatory work to freeze our learners in space and time when a natural oral performance is required. There are strategies regarding how we can prepare them. Strategies to allow them to better extract information instead of being enslaved by it, strategies to better gain confidence, use the many tools available and activate their personal skills. Empowering them to the point they can take off and fly and progress solo without their instructor, this is what the language teacher should strive to obtain.
Initially a professional illustrator, now professeur agrégé at the Social Sciences University, Grenoble, Bernard Moro has produced software applications for language classes and co-authored a successful language course Flying Colours for upper secondary pupils; built didactic websites for a series of Council of Europe workshops. He designed his university language centre website, which he regards as a crucial tool for implementing foreign language policies in his institution, in particular all CEFR-related evaluation approaches. Also webmasters Language Learning Resource Center, a portal towards online resources used as a didactic environment for their courses.
Using IELTS Preparation to Improve Students' English Speaking Competence
by Sarah Philpot
sponsored by the British Council
This workshop will be in two parts. Firstly and briefly, we will look at the format of the IELTS Speaking Test and discuss the speaking skills it assesses. Secondly, we will do a number of practical activities that will help students to prepare for the test. Since these activities are designed to improve both the students' fluency and accuracy in spoken English, they can be used with any group of students who need to improve their communication skills.
Sarah Philpot, BA Hons, MA, RSA DELTA, is from the UK. She has worked with adults, young learners and trainee teachers in England, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Palestine and Brazil. She has been teaching in Paris for nearly 8 years at the British Council and the University of London Institute in Paris as a teacher and teacher trainer. Her publications include Spotlight on Grammar published by Macmillan, Building Blocks published by Delta and Headway Academic Skills published by Oxford University Press.
sponsored by the British Council
This workshop will be in two parts. Firstly and briefly, we will look at the format of the IELTS Speaking Test and discuss the speaking skills it assesses. Secondly, we will do a number of practical activities that will help students to prepare for the test. Since these activities are designed to improve both the students' fluency and accuracy in spoken English, they can be used with any group of students who need to improve their communication skills.
Sarah Philpot, BA Hons, MA, RSA DELTA, is from the UK. She has worked with adults, young learners and trainee teachers in England, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Palestine and Brazil. She has been teaching in Paris for nearly 8 years at the British Council and the University of London Institute in Paris as a teacher and teacher trainer. Her publications include Spotlight on Grammar published by Macmillan, Building Blocks published by Delta and Headway Academic Skills published by Oxford University Press.
Eh bien… parlez maintenant ! La perspective actionnelle du CECRL à l'ouvre dans la formation des professeurs des écoles.
by Jeanny Prat and Christine Malnoy
Nous avons été amenées à prendre à un dispositif, mis en place depuis l'an dernier, de formation en langues des enseignants de primaire titulaires, dispositif qui, du point de vue des formés, mêle une partie de travail autonome à distance à partir de ressources accessibles sur une plateforme collaborative (sur deux semaines), et une partie de travail en présentiel, en rebond, animé par une formateur/trice sur une demi-journée (3h). Nous présenterons quelques exemples de taches et d'activités que nous avons conçues et menées à cette occasion, puis nous (nous) poserons la question : anything new under the sun?
Christine Malnoy enseigne actuellement en lycée et en écoles primaires depuis 1989, Jeanny Prat, en collège. Elles travaillent ensembles à la formation des enseignants de primaire depuis une quinzaine d'années et depuis 2 ans également à celle des enseignements du 2nd degré, au Centre IUFM de Bourg-en-Bresse, Académie de Lyon. Elles ont été co-conceptrices de Busy Box (anglais en primaire – 2002) dont elles ont assuré le conseil pédagogique, et dont l'entrecroisement ‘démarche de projet' et ‘approche socio-constructiviste' a permis une intégration précoce de la perspective actionnelle du Cadre Européen Commun de Référence pour les Langues.
Nous avons été amenées à prendre à un dispositif, mis en place depuis l'an dernier, de formation en langues des enseignants de primaire titulaires, dispositif qui, du point de vue des formés, mêle une partie de travail autonome à distance à partir de ressources accessibles sur une plateforme collaborative (sur deux semaines), et une partie de travail en présentiel, en rebond, animé par une formateur/trice sur une demi-journée (3h). Nous présenterons quelques exemples de taches et d'activités que nous avons conçues et menées à cette occasion, puis nous (nous) poserons la question : anything new under the sun?
Christine Malnoy enseigne actuellement en lycée et en écoles primaires depuis 1989, Jeanny Prat, en collège. Elles travaillent ensembles à la formation des enseignants de primaire depuis une quinzaine d'années et depuis 2 ans également à celle des enseignements du 2nd degré, au Centre IUFM de Bourg-en-Bresse, Académie de Lyon. Elles ont été co-conceptrices de Busy Box (anglais en primaire – 2002) dont elles ont assuré le conseil pédagogique, et dont l'entrecroisement ‘démarche de projet' et ‘approche socio-constructiviste' a permis une intégration précoce de la perspective actionnelle du Cadre Européen Commun de Référence pour les Langues.
Grammar Ain't What You Thought It Was
by Chaz Pugliese
When does ‘must' not express obligation but, rather, logical deduction (in US/English)?
What's the difference between ‘less' people and ‘fewer' people?
Three minutes IS up or three minutes ARE up?
Spoken language has been traditionally neglected by grammarians, largely because it was thought there was no difference between spoken language and written language.
Nowadays, however, we have the opportunity to redress the balance. Thanks to the numerous corpora that have been collected we know that spoken language dances to its own waltz. In this workshop we will:
When does ‘must' not express obligation but, rather, logical deduction (in US/English)?
What's the difference between ‘less' people and ‘fewer' people?
Three minutes IS up or three minutes ARE up?
Spoken language has been traditionally neglected by grammarians, largely because it was thought there was no difference between spoken language and written language.
Nowadays, however, we have the opportunity to redress the balance. Thanks to the numerous corpora that have been collected we know that spoken language dances to its own waltz. In this workshop we will:
- See why it is important that our learners understand how spoken language works
- Look at a handful of exercises that can make the learners at all levels be aware of and practice spoken grammar.
Chaz Pugliese is a teacher and trainer working out of Paris. Chaz is associated with Pilgrims, UK and has trained dozens ofd teachers from all over Europe and beyond. His current interests are: creativity and motivation issues, spoken grammar, materials design, learners' anxiety, and teaching without materials. A regular presenter at international conferences, Chaz has published over 70 articles on various aspects of ELT methodology, as well as two book chapters on creativity and the application of Multiple Intelligences. Theory in the ELT context (both for Pearson Malaysia). He is currently working on a book on creativity for teachers (forthcoming DELTA), and co-authoring another one (with Simon Mumford and Mario Rinvolucri) on spoken grammar. When he's not working, he enjoys spending time with this family and playing his beloved National guitar.
SMS Text Analysis: Language, Gender and Current Practices
by Muhammad Shaban Rafi
This article tests the assumption that SMS language is like a pidgin in every speech community. The article also examines the assumption that a great motor of SMS lives among females whose lexical and morpho-syntactic choices are different from males. It further speculates influence of SMS language on language of media. One hundred messages were taken randomly from 20 cell phones and perceptions of 25 males and 25 females were recorded on an ordinal scale for analysis. The text was analyzed to look into lexicology, morphology and syntactic levels of texters, and influence of SMS on language of commercials. The results show that a novice intelligible language has evolved through SMS, which is influencing language of media. A significant difference is found between male and female texters' linguistic properties.
Read paper
This article tests the assumption that SMS language is like a pidgin in every speech community. The article also examines the assumption that a great motor of SMS lives among females whose lexical and morpho-syntactic choices are different from males. It further speculates influence of SMS language on language of media. One hundred messages were taken randomly from 20 cell phones and perceptions of 25 males and 25 females were recorded on an ordinal scale for analysis. The text was analyzed to look into lexicology, morphology and syntactic levels of texters, and influence of SMS on language of commercials. The results show that a novice intelligible language has evolved through SMS, which is influencing language of media. A significant difference is found between male and female texters' linguistic properties.
Read paper
Cross Class Student Debates
by Catherine (Kate) Riley
An outline, including video clips, of this extremely successful and highly enjoyable technique will be followed by a ‘real time' debate with the Colloquium participants to illustrate exactly how it works. Students engage in a lively and informed debate of a hot topic chosen by them. The nature of the activity means they have to use not only language skills but also considerable critical thinking skills. As the moderator is always a student (the teacher literally takes a back seat) learners are central to the whole learning experience, from choice of topic to follow up language focus.
Research fellow at the University of Trento, Italy, where she lectures at the Post Graduate School of International Studies on both undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Modern Languages and Literature. Kate Riley has over 20 years' experience teaching all ages at all levels, from pre-school to Higher Education and continuing education courses. She is also responsible for non-specialist English Language at the University Language Centre and also leads a University-High School project aimed at building a bridge between language teaching in secondary and tertiary education. Her main interests are CLIL language awareness, student autonomy, learning strategies and learner empowerment. Publications: About English, 2004, Carocci Editori Roma.
An outline, including video clips, of this extremely successful and highly enjoyable technique will be followed by a ‘real time' debate with the Colloquium participants to illustrate exactly how it works. Students engage in a lively and informed debate of a hot topic chosen by them. The nature of the activity means they have to use not only language skills but also considerable critical thinking skills. As the moderator is always a student (the teacher literally takes a back seat) learners are central to the whole learning experience, from choice of topic to follow up language focus.
Research fellow at the University of Trento, Italy, where she lectures at the Post Graduate School of International Studies on both undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Modern Languages and Literature. Kate Riley has over 20 years' experience teaching all ages at all levels, from pre-school to Higher Education and continuing education courses. She is also responsible for non-specialist English Language at the University Language Centre and also leads a University-High School project aimed at building a bridge between language teaching in secondary and tertiary education. Her main interests are CLIL language awareness, student autonomy, learning strategies and learner empowerment. Publications: About English, 2004, Carocci Editori Roma.
Reading Aloud in the Business English Classroom
by James Schofield
sponsored by Summertown Publishing
Why on earth should I get my business English students to read aloud in class?
In this workshop I will look at some reasons why this deeply unfashionable activity deserves a place in the business English classroom and we will then go on to do various reading aloud activities that practise different skills. The texts will be drawn from the Summertown "Double Dealing" course books and readers, but the activities are transferable to any teaching situation. Come and see if they are useful for you too!
James Schofield has worked for various organisations including the British Council around the world. He is now a senior communication consultant at Siemens in Munich. He is married and has seven children and is currently trying to write a best-selling airport novel so he can send them to university.
sponsored by Summertown Publishing
Why on earth should I get my business English students to read aloud in class?
In this workshop I will look at some reasons why this deeply unfashionable activity deserves a place in the business English classroom and we will then go on to do various reading aloud activities that practise different skills. The texts will be drawn from the Summertown "Double Dealing" course books and readers, but the activities are transferable to any teaching situation. Come and see if they are useful for you too!
James Schofield has worked for various organisations including the British Council around the world. He is now a senior communication consultant at Siemens in Munich. He is married and has seven children and is currently trying to write a best-selling airport novel so he can send them to university.
If You Really Want Your Students to Speak English
by Paul Seligson
This lively, highly practical talk begins from the premise that many teachers find it difficult to persuade their students to speak English in class, particularly at lower levels. We will look briefly at the reasons for this, from the point of view of both teacher and student. I will then suggest a series of simple, effective ways to improve the situation, which include:
This lively, highly practical talk begins from the premise that many teachers find it difficult to persuade their students to speak English in class, particularly at lower levels. We will look briefly at the reasons for this, from the point of view of both teacher and student. I will then suggest a series of simple, effective ways to improve the situation, which include:
- an easy-to-implement system for oral testing
- realistic continuous assessment
- some great activities for encouraging fluency as much as accuracy, and
- some more novel ideas like oral and aural homework.
Fun and useful for any teacher who really wants to prioritise speaking!
Paul Seligson has been teaching and training worldwide since 1978, including a year in Oran and 2 in Paris. An MA in TEFL, CELTA assessor & LCCI and Trinity examiner, his many publications include Helping Students to Speak for the Richmond Teacher's Handbook Series, which he also edits, English File & New English File Elementary & Pre-Intermediate (OUP) and English Teacher's Portfolio (British Council, Brazil). He lives in Brighton. Click here to e-mail
Formal Presentation & Informal Small Talk: How to be Effective
by Nataliya Smila, Svitlana Radziyevska (TESOL Ukraine)
We all know the value of effective communication, but that's often easier said than done. Almost all productivity and all satisfaction in professional and personal relationships is the result of effective collaboration and coordination with others. On the other hand, the real cost of ineffective communication is huge. Replacing people, diminished productivity and innovation, and the strain on frayed emotions generates a huge drain on capacity. Effective communication improves productivity. And a message clearly communicated once will increase the time available to act on it. Better communication comes from understanding and effectively utilizing its operative components. Teachers are expert in wordsmith, the verbal component of communication, but never pay much attention to the non-verbal components of tone, body language and listening. During the workshop participants will discover common mistakes presenters make that leave people confused and bored, and lead to unproductive meetings and wasted time. They will learn through practice, discussion and extensive one-on-one feedback how to deliver a message with enthusiasm and charisma that results in more wins, greater productivity and effectiveness.
Nataliya Smila is a teacher of Psychology for English language medical students at National Medical University, Kyiv Ukraine. Nataliya was initially a teacher of English language and literature. Later on she completed Master's Degree program in Teaching Techniques and PhD program in Psychology. Nataliya has published several articles on issues related to Computer Assisted Language Learning, applied linguistics, lexicology and discourse analysis, lingua-cultural aspects of human communication, English for Specific Purposes, personality and professional development, problem solving in communication. She occupies the position of Treasurer at TESOL-Ukraine and also serves on the editorial board of the TESOL-Ukraine Newsletter.
Svitlana Radziyevska is a senior teacher of Business English at the National Academy of Management, Kyiv, Ukraine. Before taking up a teaching position in the Academy she taught in schools and higher education establishments while completing a PhD program in Linguistics. Svitlana has written and published on issues related to cognitive explorations of language and linguistics, text linguistics and discourse analysis, lingua-cultural aspects of human communication, English for Specific Purposes, and use of computers, video, audio in EFL classes. She is the President of TESOL-Ukraine and also serves on the editorial board of the TESOL-Ukraine Newsletter.
We all know the value of effective communication, but that's often easier said than done. Almost all productivity and all satisfaction in professional and personal relationships is the result of effective collaboration and coordination with others. On the other hand, the real cost of ineffective communication is huge. Replacing people, diminished productivity and innovation, and the strain on frayed emotions generates a huge drain on capacity. Effective communication improves productivity. And a message clearly communicated once will increase the time available to act on it. Better communication comes from understanding and effectively utilizing its operative components. Teachers are expert in wordsmith, the verbal component of communication, but never pay much attention to the non-verbal components of tone, body language and listening. During the workshop participants will discover common mistakes presenters make that leave people confused and bored, and lead to unproductive meetings and wasted time. They will learn through practice, discussion and extensive one-on-one feedback how to deliver a message with enthusiasm and charisma that results in more wins, greater productivity and effectiveness.
Nataliya Smila is a teacher of Psychology for English language medical students at National Medical University, Kyiv Ukraine. Nataliya was initially a teacher of English language and literature. Later on she completed Master's Degree program in Teaching Techniques and PhD program in Psychology. Nataliya has published several articles on issues related to Computer Assisted Language Learning, applied linguistics, lexicology and discourse analysis, lingua-cultural aspects of human communication, English for Specific Purposes, personality and professional development, problem solving in communication. She occupies the position of Treasurer at TESOL-Ukraine and also serves on the editorial board of the TESOL-Ukraine Newsletter.
Svitlana Radziyevska is a senior teacher of Business English at the National Academy of Management, Kyiv, Ukraine. Before taking up a teaching position in the Academy she taught in schools and higher education establishments while completing a PhD program in Linguistics. Svitlana has written and published on issues related to cognitive explorations of language and linguistics, text linguistics and discourse analysis, lingua-cultural aspects of human communication, English for Specific Purposes, and use of computers, video, audio in EFL classes. She is the President of TESOL-Ukraine and also serves on the editorial board of the TESOL-Ukraine Newsletter.
Promoting Intercultural/Interpersonal Communication and Understanding: Incorporating Interview Projects in Taiwan's College EFL Classes
by Ya-Chen Su
The emergence of the incorporation of culture into EFL education is a growing trend in Taiwan. Economic globalization, coupled with the status of English as the most widely disseminated and ubiquitous international language, is the primary impetus propelling this trend. The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of the interview project on Taiwanese students' EFL learning and cognitive developing in understanding native English speakers and their cultures. Data were collected through surveys, oral and written reports, classroom observation, and interviews. Results indicated that participation in the interview project helped facilitate the development of cross-cultural awareness and communication skills by providing opportunities for students to gain insight into the values of target language countries, learn to view their own culture in new ways, develop interview and intercultural communication skills, increase their confidence in learning English, and view authentic communication as the goal of EFL learning.
Ya-Chen Su received a PhD from the Department of Curriculum Studies at Indiana University, Bloomington, USA. She is an associate professor in the Department of Applied English at Southern Taiwan University of Technology, Tainan, Taiwan. Her specializations are second language acquisition, EFL reading instruction, and EFL reflective teaching.
The emergence of the incorporation of culture into EFL education is a growing trend in Taiwan. Economic globalization, coupled with the status of English as the most widely disseminated and ubiquitous international language, is the primary impetus propelling this trend. The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of the interview project on Taiwanese students' EFL learning and cognitive developing in understanding native English speakers and their cultures. Data were collected through surveys, oral and written reports, classroom observation, and interviews. Results indicated that participation in the interview project helped facilitate the development of cross-cultural awareness and communication skills by providing opportunities for students to gain insight into the values of target language countries, learn to view their own culture in new ways, develop interview and intercultural communication skills, increase their confidence in learning English, and view authentic communication as the goal of EFL learning.
Ya-Chen Su received a PhD from the Department of Curriculum Studies at Indiana University, Bloomington, USA. She is an associate professor in the Department of Applied English at Southern Taiwan University of Technology, Tainan, Taiwan. Her specializations are second language acquisition, EFL reading instruction, and EFL reflective teaching.
Teachers Telling Tales
by Ivor Timmis
In recent years, there have been huge advances in the description of spoken English. These advances in knowledge, have, however, made relatively little impact on ELT materials and methodology, partly because doubt has been cast on the value of native speaker spoken language in an era of international English. I will argue that it is worth drawing learners' attention to features of native speaker spoken English. I will outline how teachers' anecdotes might be exploited to raise awareness of spoken English, and give examples of the tasks we might use and the features we might focus on. Read document
Ivor Timmis teaches at Leeds Metropolitan University. He has many years experience as an EFL teacher and teacher trainer, but more recently he has been involved in teaching on the MA in Materials Development and in materials writing projects for China, Singapore and Ethiopia as part of the Postgraduate Unit in the School of Languages. He is interested in the teaching of spoken language, having completed his PhD – the place of spoken grammar in ELT at Nottingham University. He is also interested in combining the lexical approach with a text-driven approach to teaching.
In recent years, there have been huge advances in the description of spoken English. These advances in knowledge, have, however, made relatively little impact on ELT materials and methodology, partly because doubt has been cast on the value of native speaker spoken language in an era of international English. I will argue that it is worth drawing learners' attention to features of native speaker spoken English. I will outline how teachers' anecdotes might be exploited to raise awareness of spoken English, and give examples of the tasks we might use and the features we might focus on. Read document
Ivor Timmis teaches at Leeds Metropolitan University. He has many years experience as an EFL teacher and teacher trainer, but more recently he has been involved in teaching on the MA in Materials Development and in materials writing projects for China, Singapore and Ethiopia as part of the Postgraduate Unit in the School of Languages. He is interested in the teaching of spoken language, having completed his PhD – the place of spoken grammar in ELT at Nottingham University. He is also interested in combining the lexical approach with a text-driven approach to teaching.
Practical Phonetics in the Classroom
by Laurence Whiteside
Teaching the phonetic alphabet can often be a chore, and getting the students to produce the right sounds even more so. However, knowledge of phonetics can be a powerful tool for students. This workshop will cover:
Teaching the phonetic alphabet can often be a chore, and getting the students to produce the right sounds even more so. However, knowledge of phonetics can be a powerful tool for students. This workshop will cover:
- Discussion of the merits of teaching phonetics
- Ways of making sessions more active and fun, including a few things you can do on Monday morning.
- If there is time, some of the limitations of the phonetic alphabet.
Laurence Whiteside began teaching EFL/ESL in 1993. He has taught English and Spanish to children, adolescents and adults in Spain, the UK and now France. In addition to teaching languages, he has been the head of a languages department and a union officer. He has lived in France for two years, working firstly as a "lecteur" in a university in a suburb of Paris, then as a secondary schoolteacher after passing the Capes examinations. He became involved in TESOL France in 2006 and is an active member of the Executive Committee. When the stresses of teaching become too much for him, he enjoys karate and following the fortunes of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club.
The Logic of Spoken English – and How to Teach it
by Dave Willis
sponsored by OUP
Spoken English is often described as untidy, disorganised, even ungrammatical. But the fact that we all use it effectively and successfully belies these descriptions. We will look at samples of spontaneous spoken English and list its salient features. We will go on to discuss why it is the way it is. Finally we will look at pedagogic strategies to make our learners more aware of the nature of spontaneous spoken language, and will design exercises to capitalise on this awareness. Read document from author's website
Dave Willis has worked for over forty years as a TEFLer around the world. He recently retired from his post as senior lecturer at Birmingham University, where he taught mainly on MA TEFL/TESOL distance programmes. His areas of interest are task-based methodology and pedagogic language description, on which he has published widely. His latest books are Rules, Patterns and Words: Grammar and Lexis in ELT (CUP 2003) and, with Jane Willis, Doing Task-based Teaching (OUP 2007). Apart from writing and conference going helives in happy retirement in the English Lake District, playing bad golf, walking and enjoying family life.
sponsored by OUP
Spoken English is often described as untidy, disorganised, even ungrammatical. But the fact that we all use it effectively and successfully belies these descriptions. We will look at samples of spontaneous spoken English and list its salient features. We will go on to discuss why it is the way it is. Finally we will look at pedagogic strategies to make our learners more aware of the nature of spontaneous spoken language, and will design exercises to capitalise on this awareness. Read document from author's website
Dave Willis has worked for over forty years as a TEFLer around the world. He recently retired from his post as senior lecturer at Birmingham University, where he taught mainly on MA TEFL/TESOL distance programmes. His areas of interest are task-based methodology and pedagogic language description, on which he has published widely. His latest books are Rules, Patterns and Words: Grammar and Lexis in ELT (CUP 2003) and, with Jane Willis, Doing Task-based Teaching (OUP 2007). Apart from writing and conference going helives in happy retirement in the English Lake District, playing bad golf, walking and enjoying family life.
Speaking Spoken Language: A Task-based Approach
by Jane Willis
sponsored by OUP
Getting language learners to engage fully in spontaneous interactions in lass is not always easy. And one reason is that we tend to teach grammar of written language. So what can be done to encourage learners to speak? In this workshop we shall take a close look at the different kinds of spontaneous spoken language and discuss how a task-based approach could generate richer spoken interaction. We shall also look at different ways to set up tasks and follow them up so that learners really want to engage in speaking activities. If you can, bring a specific task to work on during the workshop. Read document
Jane Willis has worked extensively overseas as an English teacher, trainer and writer. She has recently retired from Aston University, Birmingham, UK, where she taught English and worked for 12 years on their Distance Learning Masters in TESOL & TESP programmes. She continues to travel widely as an ELT consultant, speaking at international conferences. Her prize-winning books include A Framework for Task-based Learning (Longman), English for Primary Teachers with Mary Slattery (OUP), and, co-edited with Corony Edwards, Teachers Exploring Tasks in English Language Teaching (PalgraveMacmillan, 2005). She and her husband Dave have just written Doing Task-based Teaching (OUP, 2007).
sponsored by OUP
Getting language learners to engage fully in spontaneous interactions in lass is not always easy. And one reason is that we tend to teach grammar of written language. So what can be done to encourage learners to speak? In this workshop we shall take a close look at the different kinds of spontaneous spoken language and discuss how a task-based approach could generate richer spoken interaction. We shall also look at different ways to set up tasks and follow them up so that learners really want to engage in speaking activities. If you can, bring a specific task to work on during the workshop. Read document
Jane Willis has worked extensively overseas as an English teacher, trainer and writer. She has recently retired from Aston University, Birmingham, UK, where she taught English and worked for 12 years on their Distance Learning Masters in TESOL & TESP programmes. She continues to travel widely as an ELT consultant, speaking at international conferences. Her prize-winning books include A Framework for Task-based Learning (Longman), English for Primary Teachers with Mary Slattery (OUP), and, co-edited with Corony Edwards, Teachers Exploring Tasks in English Language Teaching (PalgraveMacmillan, 2005). She and her husband Dave have just written Doing Task-based Teaching (OUP, 2007).
International Qualifications for Professional English: ILEC and ICFE
by William Yeago
sponsored by Cambridge ESOL
We are confronted today with multi-nationalization and its commercial, financial and legal implications. The spoken language required of us to communicate has become increasingly more professional and more specialized. Cambridge ESOL has created two new ESP certifications to respond to these changing needs: 1) ILEC, “International Legal English Certificate” and 2) ICFE, ‘International Certificate in Financial English'. They are designed to assess candidates' ability to understand spoken and written English in a number of realistic contexts that legal and financial professionals are likely to encounter in their daily working lives. Of the four papers – Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking, this talk will focus on the speaking part of the exams. How and what exactly is being tested? How is speaking in a legal or financial context different than speaking in other contexts? How can we strike the balance between the use of technical terms and communication?
William Yeago practiced law for over 10 years in California. He currently teaches legal English at universities, bar associations and language schools in Paris. He is an advisor to the International Legal English Certificate (ILEC), has contributed to the book International Legal English (CUP) and is the Translegal representative for France and the Benelux countries.
sponsored by Cambridge ESOL
We are confronted today with multi-nationalization and its commercial, financial and legal implications. The spoken language required of us to communicate has become increasingly more professional and more specialized. Cambridge ESOL has created two new ESP certifications to respond to these changing needs: 1) ILEC, “International Legal English Certificate” and 2) ICFE, ‘International Certificate in Financial English'. They are designed to assess candidates' ability to understand spoken and written English in a number of realistic contexts that legal and financial professionals are likely to encounter in their daily working lives. Of the four papers – Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking, this talk will focus on the speaking part of the exams. How and what exactly is being tested? How is speaking in a legal or financial context different than speaking in other contexts? How can we strike the balance between the use of technical terms and communication?
William Yeago practiced law for over 10 years in California. He currently teaches legal English at universities, bar associations and language schools in Paris. He is an advisor to the International Legal English Certificate (ILEC), has contributed to the book International Legal English (CUP) and is the Translegal representative for France and the Benelux countries.
Annual colloquium
17/11/2023 to 19/11/2023
Online registration now available!
Cité Scolaire Internationale Honoré-de-Balzac