18th annual spring conference south charleston, wv · 1 wvtesol conference at-a-glance...

Exploring Beneath the Tip of the Iceberg: Cross-Cultural Communication, Technology, Public Policy and Standards.

WVTESOL

18th Annual Spring Conference

South Charleston, WV

Friday and Saturday April 17 and 18, 2015

Hosted by: Marshall University COEPD Graduate ESL Program

MUGC South Charleston 100 Angus E. Peyton Drive

South Charleston, WV 25302

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WVTESOL CONFERENCE AT-A-GLANCE

Pre-Conference: Friday, April 17, 2015 MUGC, Academic and Technology Center

1:00-

4:00

Pre-Conference Workshop: CALL for the Unconnected, by Plenary Speaker

Claire Bradin Siskin, especially for K-12 teachers.

4:30-

5:30 WVTESOL Board Meeting

6:00-

8:00 Meet and Greet: Taste of Asia, South Charleston

Conference: Saturday, April 18, 2015 MUGC, Academic and Technology Center

8:00-

9:00

Registration: AC Lobby

Morning Refreshments: AC 104

Visit Displays: AC Lobby and AC 104

9:00-

9:45

Welcome and Keynote Address (45 min.): Claire Bradin Siskin: AC Library

“Can We Explore the Whole Iceberg with Technology?”

9:45-

10:00 Break (15 min.)

10:00-

10:40

40-Minute Concurrent Sessions:

Video Production: A Powerful Framework to

Engage Students in L2 Learning (Gomez,

Ballesteros Soria, & Morado Vazquez)

Conjunctive Realizations in ESL and Scholarly

Writings (Zhao)

ITP TOEFL Preparation Reading and Grammar

Activities (Pereira da Silva)

Students' Anxiety in EFL and ESL Classrooms

(Lyra)


ELL Connections: A Model for

Providing Professional

Development for Classroom

Teachers (Morgan, Levake, &

Moats)

Measuring Student Learning

Outcomes and MyEnglishLab

(Napolitano)

Below the Surface: Examining the

Meaning of English Articles

(White)

iCan (Wolfe)

10:40-

10:50 Break (10 min.)

10:50-

11:30


Webquest: An Adventure in Learning

(Villanueva & Matute)

What Makes Collaboration Successful?

(Gripper)

L2 English Acquisition Through Content Based

Technology Courses (Asberry & Garcia

Penalver)

Why Electives Matter? The Important Role

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that Electives Play in Higher Education ESL

Programs (Patnaik)

11:30-

11:45 Break (15 min.)

11:45-

12:15

30-Minute Round Tables:

K-12

Adult Education and Literacy

Higher Education

12:15-

1:15 Lunch and Membership Meeting: AC Library

1:15-

1:30 Break (15 min.)

1:30-

2:10


On the Road Again: Top Tips for Traveling

Teachers (Moats, Levake, & Morgan)

Raising a Bilingual Child: Why and How?

(Jiang)

Focus on Speaking Standards: Planning for

Production (Braidi)

ESL Students’ Language Anxiety in In-class

Oral Presentations (Chen)


Beneath the Tip of the Iceberg:

Exploring Students' Common

Underlying Proficiency to Assist

Vocabulary Development (Wolfe &

Hickey)

Look Ma! No Pen, No Paper, No

Prep: Portable Activities for the

ESL Classroom (Hutchens)

Using Digital Survey Tools for

Formative and Summative

Assessment (Dombroski)

A Sustainable ESL Model for

Everyone (Ritchie)

2:10-


2:20-

3:00


Barriers to School-Based Latino Parental

Involvement: Considerations for School

Personnel Working with Latino Immigrant

Families (Montgomery)

Challenges of Being an English Language

Teacher Educator in Libya (Entisar)

Teaching Effectiveness from the Perspective

of Systemic Functional Genre Theory (Hong &

Mitchell)

3:00-


3:20-

4:00


The Use of Music in the Language Classroom (Talada)

What Every Immigrant Needs to Know, But May Not Ask (Ritchie)

Integrating Various Skills through Collaboration in the Higher Intermediate Level

(Bradley & Elougli)

4:00-

4:30

Closing, Evaluation, Textbook Giveaways: AC Library

Please hand in a completed evaluation for a chance to participate in the textbook

giveaways.

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SESSION DESCRIPTIONS

TIME LOCATION DESCRIPTION

MUGC,

Academic and Technology

Center

FRIDAY Pre-Conference Schedule

1:00-

4:00 AC Library

Pre-Conference Workshop:

CALL for the Unconnected Claire Bradin Siskin

4:30-

5:30 AC 105 WVTESOL Board Meeting

6:00-

8:00

Taste of Asia,

South

Charleston Meet and Greet

SATURDAY Conference Schedule

8:00-

9:00

AC 104 &

AC Lobby Registration and Visit Displays

8:00-

9:00 AC 104 Morning Refreshments

9:00-

9:45 AC Library

WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS WVTESOL President Katie Mehle

WVTESOL Conference Chair Beth Campbell

KEYNOTE ADDRESS Claire Bradin Siskin

“Can We Explore the Whole Iceberg with Technology?”

9:45-

10:00 BREAK (15 minutes)

Session

I

10:00-

11:30

90

Minutes

CONCURRENT SESSION I – 90-Minute Workshops (10:00-11:30)

Audience:

K-12

Room:

AC 213

ELL Connections: A Model for Providing Professional

Development for Classroom Teachers Lesley Morgan, Cari Levake, & Jessica Moats, ELL Specialists,

Harrison County Schools

Instructing ELLs is a collaborative relationship between the ELL teacher and classroom teacher. Often ELL Teachers struggle with having numerous teachers, schools, and students spread

throughout their county. Many classroom teachers have had little experience of working with ELLs. This session will

provide participants with a professional development example

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that was designed and effectively delivered in Harrison County to give much needed instruction to classroom teachers on the

basics of language acquisition, new English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS), and classroom modifications. Participants will experience a modified version of the

professional development with opportunities to engage and question the presenters. This session would be ideal for

content area teachers requiring foundational information on teaching ELLs or ELL Specialists seeking a model for

professional development. The session will provide ideas on reaching out to classroom teachers. Participants will be provided with a model they can take back to replicate in their

counties.

Audience:

Higher

Education

Room:

AC 211

Measuring Student Learning Outcomes and MyEnglishLab

Lynn Napolitano, Pearson English Language Teaching Specialist Measuring Student Learning Outcomes and MyEnglishLab will

walk you through how blending classroom or face-to-face instruction with a powerful digital tool, enriches student

learning and student learning opportunities, but also keeps the instructor better informed on student success and mastery. When your students are using MyEnglishLab, you instantly

have access to a wide range of useful diagnostic tools. The information these tools provide ensures that valuable

classroom time is spent on activities that meet the real needs of your students. The intuitive grade book provided with MyEnglishLab enables teachers to see at-a-glance, how their

students are progressing and can be viewed for the whole class or individual students. The presenter will show participants

how critical data can be extracted via MyEnglishLab that shows student progression, student interaction rates, time on task and outcomes assessment. The presenter will discuss how this

data can be effectively used in tracking student progress.

Audience:

Higher

Education

Room:

AC 214

Below the Surface: Examining the Meaning of English Articles

Dr. Benjamin White, Assistant Professor, Marshall University Traditional rules for articles (THE, A/AN, Ø) merely scratch at

the surface of language form. They often seem arbitrary (e.g., THE with oceans but Ø with lakes), use hard-to-define

terminology (e.g., definite, specific, generic), and inevitably have exceptions. This workshop dives below the surface to consider the meaning of articles. The audience is presented a

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framework that prompts teachers and learners to view the grammar of English articles as a series of conceptualizations to

be experienced, not as a series of rules to be memorized. At its core, the framework provides a three-way distinction: schematic images symbolize abstract conceptions for noun

phrases headed by THE, A/SOME, and Ø. Through hands-on activities, audience members apply the framework to a range

of article uses and gain a deeper understanding of the English article system.

Audience:

K-12,

Adult Literacy

Room:

AC 210

iCan Shawn Wolfe, ESL Program Developer, RESA 3; Karla Hickey,

ESL Instructor, RESA 3

Workshop goals: Encourage participants to consider a holistic approach to teaching English language learners by exploring

basic theoretical assumptions of learning over time. Bring awareness to how social learning theories support the implementation of Common Core State Standards by being

inclusive of learners' identities, culture, minds, and unique funds of knowledge when helping them negotiate meaning and

construct knowledge. Workshop objectives: Participants will briefly model examples of instructional strategies rooted in various learning theories

through a guided role-play to compare and contrast effectiveness. Participants will experience a hands-on

application of socio-cultural and socio-cognitive theories of learning through a learner's perspective as they use LinguaFolio in a simulated classroom environment to reflect on

their abilities to complete real-world tasks. Participants will discuss how LinguaFolio and social learning theories can

support the implementation of Common Core State Standards and implications for instruction including: teaching strategies, motivation, self-regulation, assessment, and classroom

management.

CONCURRENT SESSION I-A — 40-Minute Sessions (10:00-10:40)

Session

I-A

10:00-

10:40

40

Audience:

K-12,

Higher

Education

Room:

AC 103

Video Production: A Powerful Framework to Engage Students in L2 Learning Dr. Susana Gomez, Head of the English Department, University

of Valladolid, Nuria Ballesteros Soria, Spanish Graduate Teaching Assistant, West Virginia University, and Maria Morado

Vazquez, Spanish Graduate Teaching Assistant, West Virginia University

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Minutes

Session

I-A

10:00-

10:40

40

Minutes

Language learning is a multi-sensory process and video not only allows us to put into practice different communicative

skills - listening, speaking, reading and writing- with one resource, but also provides us with a perfect tool to motivate students in language learning. The aim of this talk is to present

a European Union innovative and educational project –PopuLLar: Motivating Secondary School Students to Learn

Languages with Relevant Media (www.popullar.eu)- which promotes the use of video production to create a successful

creative learning environment. Students participating in this project make their video productions with a song they have created, thus, incorporating music as another powerful and

motivating ingredient in language learning. Participants then are able to combine their love for video and music, with

creativity, literacy, digital competencies, group collaboration and, most importantly, use of foreign languages.

Audience:

Higher

Education

Room:

AC 105

Conjunctive Realizations in ESL and Scholarly Writing Dr. Jun Zhao, Associate Professor of English, Marshall University

Though ESL writings have been extensively studied, fewer

studies have been conducted on lexico-grammatical choices by ESL writers from the functional approach. Following Martin and Rose (2007), the researcher compares how conjunctive relation

is realized in 20 ESL academic writings and scholarly articles. Additive, consequence, adversative and temporal conjunctives

are explicitly employed by both groups. Scholars use more adversatives to entertain or counter different possibilities than student writers. To introduce the organization of the paper,

scholars also use temporal conjunctives, which are often used by ESL writers to indicate the sequence of events, a function

often seen in narratives. In addition, scholars use causative verbs, prepositions and nouns for semantic/logical connections. The low frequency of those linguistic features in ESL writings

indicates the challenging nature of such usage for ESL writers, and renders their writings less academic. This study bears

important pedagogical implication for ESL writing development.

Audience:

Higher

Education

Room:

AC 204

ITP TOEFL Preparation Reading and Grammar Activities

Lindsei Pereira da Silva, Full-Time Instructor, West Virginia University

This session will include activities used in an ITP TOEFL

Preparation course in an Intensive English Program. Individual games. Essential reading comprehension skills for the TOEFL, such as identifying the main idea and the organization of ideas

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will be discussed. However, there will also be some practical grammar activities that go beyond the “multiple-choice

format”. The purpose of these activities is to help students improve their English proficiency as well as learn how to use the knowledge they already have in a more efficient way while

taking a standardized test.

Audience:

Adult Literacy

Room:

AC 206

Students’ Anxiety in EFL and ESL Classrooms

Deborah Lyra, Graduate Teaching Assistant, West Virginia University

For many people when we mention anxiety related to a classroom the first thought is a language course that they have

taken in the past. Several authors have researched how students are affected by anxiety in different types of learning

environment. Researchers have extensively investigated the influence of learning anxiety both in settings where English is learned as a foreign language (EFL) and where it is learned as

a second language (ESL). The purpose of this research is to review the literature on foreign and second language anxiety in

order to examine how anxiety can influence language learning in EFL and ESL classrooms and to present some strategies that can help to lower students’ anxiety.

10:40-

10:50 BREAK (10:40-10:50)

CONCURRENT SESSION I-B — 40-Minute Sessions (10:50-11:30)

Session

I-B

10:50-

11:30

40

Minutes

Audience:

K-12

Room:

AC 103

Webquest: An Adventure in Learning Zaida Villanueva, Graduate Teaching Assistant, West Virginia

University and Angela Matute, Graduate Teaching Assistant, West Virginia University

Nowadays, second language learners in an ESL are used to working with Information and Communication Technologies

(ICTs), such as PowerPoint, Blogs or even Wikis. Incorporating ICT tools in the language classroom may increase student motivation and engagement thanks to the endless possibilities

they offer. However, the constant technological evolution can pose a challenge for teachers who want to adopt these tools in

their classes. This session focuses on the introduction of Webquests, a relatively underused tool, which offers almost

endless possibilities for innovative lessons. The session begins with a survey to determine participant familiarity with ICTs in general and with Webquests in particular. Following the

survey, the session will cover the pros and cons of Webquests, tips for adapting them to different levels and ages, and a

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demonstration of a Webquest project. Participants will also be given techniques and resources for developing their own

Webquest-based activities.

Audience:

K-12

Room:

AC 105

What Makes Collaboration Successful? Erin Gripper, Lead ESL Teacher, Marion County Schools

Successful collaboration between K-12 mainstream and ESL teachers can provide a powerful support system for English

language learners. This session will look at the challenges that come in working with various teachers in multiple locations and strategies to overcome these challenges. The strategies

highlighted in the session are ones used and perfected over the last five years as an itinerate PK-12 ESL instructor. Some of

the strategies include: Co-planning and Co-teaching, Flexible Communication, Administrative Support

Audience:

Higher

Education

Room:

AC 204

L2 English Acquisition through Content-Based

Technology Courses Drake Asberry, Instructor, WVU Intensive English Program Clara Garcia Penalver, Instructor, WVU Intensive English

Program Technology in English Language Learning classrooms can

motivate students to learn, resulting in better language acquisition. Following motivational-based research, the Intensive English Program at West Virginia University

implemented a content based, multilevel technology series for ESL students. Successive courses provide knowledge of English

structures and vocabulary as well as survival life skills. Course material focuses on applicable software platforms and suites currently used at West Virginia University to prepare students

for university requirements. In addition, since technology requirements continue to increase for daily activities, course

principles can also be tailored to adult English learners wishing to obtain survival English skills such as entry-level employment. The multilevel system shows that even students

with extremely limited English can benefit from content-based technology courses. Students can progress to proficient

average computer users in English while acquiring specialized English vocabulary and complex grammar structures necessary to function in English dominated environments.

Audience:

Higher

Education

Why Electives Matter? The Important Role that Electives

Play in Higher Education ESL Programs Dr. Sumeeta Patnaik, Academic English Coordinator, INTO-

Marshall University

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Room:

AC 206 Elective classes in higher education ESL programs are often

considered filler classes or extensions of core classes. A review of the literature shows that elective courses help students learn a variety of skills that allow students to improve their

language skills through content-based coursework where students are given opportunities for cultural adaptation, social

productive language skills, and interpersonal feedback. Using elective courses from the INTO Marshall program as an example, this presentation will demonstrate how the INTO

Marshall academic team developed elective courses for Academic English, expanded elective courses to include all

levels of Academic English, and created content-based learning that improved students' language skills in the areas of

listening, speaking, pronunciation, writing, reading and critical thinking, both in academic and social situations.

11:30-

11:45 BREAK (11:30-11:45)

ROUND TABLE INTEREST SECTIONS (11:45-12:15)

11:45-

12:15

30

Minutes

K-12

Educators Round Table Session

Room: AC 204

Adult Education and

Literacy Providers Round Table Session

Room: AC 210

Higher Education

Providers Round Table Session

Room: AC 214

12:15-

1:15 AC Library

LUNCH

MEMBERSHIP MEETING

1:15-

1:30 BREAK (1:15-1:30)

CONCURRENT SESSION II – 90-Minute Workshops (1:30-3:00)

Session

II

1:30-

3:00

90

Minutes

Audience:

K-12

Room:

AC 210

Beneath the Tip of the Iceberg: Exploring Students’ Common Underlying Proficiency to Assist Vocabulary Development

Shawn Wolfe, ESL Program Developer, RESA 3, and Karla Hickey, ESL Instructor, RESA 3

Taking the rigorous academic demands of Common Core State Standards into consideration, this workshop will: Utilize Jim

Cummins' Common Underlying Proficiency framework to address the differences between BICS and CALP. Demonstrate

the importance of permitting students to use their L1 to assist L2 acquisition. Provide a tool for teachers to categorize

vocabulary of digital texts according to research-based frequency lists and academic word lists. Practice vocabulary

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learning strategies that require little or no preparation based upon research by Paul Nation.

Audience:

K-12

Room:

AC 211

Look Ma! No Pen, No Paper, No Prep: Portable Activities for the ESL Classroom

Robert Hutchens, ESL Instructor, INTO-Marshall University The presenter will offer communicative activities, accumulated

over many years of classroom experience that can be used to enliven grammar, writing, listening, and speaking lessons.

They can also be sequenced into a curriculum for a creative drama class. The activities include games, role-playing, improvisations, and story-writing techniques. The activities

presented have been chosen because they require virtually no preparation, allowing the teacher who has the activities in

mind to use them spontaneously, when a lesson is needed on short notice, or is in need of energizing. The activities will be

presented in workshop format, and supported with a handout including both activities demonstrated and others.

Audience:

Higher

Education

Room:

AC 213

Using Digital Survey Tools for Formative and Summative Assessment

Mike Dombroski, Lecturer, Ohio University-OPIE

This workshop will show participants how they can use online survey tools like Google Docs and Socrative for assessment of students. An overview of current online tools will be given so

that participants understand what is available for them to use. Participants will see a demonstration of how the applications

work, examples of ways to use them with students, and how to take the information and use it for assessment. Participants will have the chance to create, experiment, and collaborate

with others on using the tools.

Audience:

Adult Education

and Literacy

Room:

AC 214

A Sustainable ESL Model for Everyone Heather Ritchie, Intercambio

This interactive workshop will highlight successful Adult ESL programs around the country – from school districts, to literacy

coalitions, to churches. We will identify key success factors when working with non-English speaking adults and how this

may impact the sustainability of your program. For example, many immigrants cannot commit to yearlong programs – their home or work may not accommodate it. Did you know that in

many cultures, books are cherished? Are you connecting with your community because word of mouth may be your biggest

recruitment vehicle? How will you evaluate curriculum and will

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every adult ESL curriculum accomplish the same goals? What about very beginner English - are you set up to help students

succeed? Objectives: Workshop participants will be able to (1)

immediately use materials provided to help them start,

expand, or improve upon their current program and (2) use easy-to-implement tips, and strategies going forward.

CONCURRENT SESSION II-A — 40-Minute Sessions (1:30-2:10)

Session

II-A

1:30-

2:10

40

Minutes

Audience:

K-12

Room:

AC 103

On the Road Again: Top Tips for Traveling Teachers Jessica Moats, Cari Levake, & Lesley Morgan, ELL Specialists

Harrison County Schools

Enrollment growth, budget constraints, and requirements for highly qualified teachers have put a demand on school systems to provide enough ELL teacher instruction. Many school

systems have teachers that must travel to multiple schools—often within a single workday. Participants will take part in an

interactive presentation exploring innovative ideas for the itinerant teacher and revisiting favorite ideas of traveling teachers. Presenters will draw from their extensive experience

providing instruction and support in twenty-four schools that the presenters work in weekly. The session will open with an

interactive activity. Next, the presentation will move through several teaching tips for itinerant teachers. At the mid-point of the presentation, presenters will utilize a think-pair-share

strategy for audience input about teaching ideas from their experiences. Next, the presenters will give examples of their

favorite teaching tips through student work samples and technology. Lastly, the presenters will open more discussion.

Audience:

K-12

Room:

AC 105

Raising a Bilingual Child: Why and How? Dr. Xiangying Jiang, Associate Professor, West Virginia

University

The influence of bilingualism has been much debated. Early researchers discouraged the learning of a second language and believed that bilingualism hindered cognitive growth and

caused mental confusions. Recent studies, however, have demonstrated strong positive effects of bilingualism on

children's cognitive development, metalinguistic ability, and cognitive reserve. Multiple factors influence a child’s bilingual development and various strategies have been adopted to raise

children bilingually. This presentation will summarize recent findings on the effects of bilingualism, discuss factors

influencing bilingual development, and evaluate different approaches to raising a bilingual child.

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Audience:

Higher

Education

Room:

AC 204

Focus on Speaking Standards: Planning for Production

Susan Braidi, Associate Professor, West Virginia University

The standards for speaking, either in the new West Virginia English Language Proficiency (ELP) Standards (Policy 2417) or the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages

(CEFR), outline specific learner outcomes for speaking. In addition to the outcomes for interactional and presentational

speaking is a focus on “clear and coherent grade-appropriate speech” (WV Standard 9) as well as “accurate use of standard English” (WV Standard 10). Research shows that different

classroom planning activities can affect task outcomes in different types of speech production. The session begins with a

brief examination of different types of planning characteristics that can influence learner production (e.g., rehearsal, strategic,

within-task, guided). Participants then explore task-specific planning strategies to help support the development of learners’ spoken production. The goal of the session is to

explore the means of building our learners’ speaking abilities towards specific ELP standards.

Audience:

Higher

Education

Room:

AC 206

ESL Students’ Language Anxiety in In-Class Oral

Presentations Yusi Chen, Graduate Student, Marshall University

The effect of language anxiety on L2 production has intrigued researchers for decades (Horwitz, 2010). Although L2

classroom anxiety has been investigated much in L2 studies, L2 speaking anxiety in in-class presentation settings have not received much attention. This presentation reports on the

researcher’s initial case study of three Chinese ESL students’ speaking anxiety in class presentation settings in two Speaking

Classes at the INTO program, Marshall University. Triangulated data were collected in this study to examine a) the connection and factors between the students’ speaking anxiety and their

presentation performance, and b) self-regulating strategies deployed by the students. This study will contribute to an

understanding of the effects, causes, and self-regulating strategies regarding the connection between L2 speaking anxiety and in-class presentation settings. It further sheds

some pedagogical insights in presentation task designs, teachers’ scaffolding of ESL students’ presentation skills, and

students’ self-regulation strategies on their anxiety.

2:10-

2:20 BREAK (2:10-2:20)

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CONCURRENT SESSION II-B — 40-Minute Sessions (2:20-3:00)

Session

II-B

2:20-

3:00

40

Minutes

Audience:

K-12

Room:

AC 105

Barriers to School-Based Latino Parental Involvement: Considerations for School Personnel Working with Latino Immigrant Families

Jonathan Montgomery, TESOL Graduate Student, Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Although most immigrant families place a great deal of hope in U.S. schools and value education as essential for advancement,

many may not be prepared to initiate or respond to school-based invitations for involvement. As a result, school personnel

often tend to take a "deficit-oriented" view of Latino parental involvement, assuming these parents lack the interest, time, skill, English fluency, or knowledge to become involved in their

children's education. Exclusionary practices such as monolingual communications or limited attempts at outreach to

Spanish-speaking parents further perpetuate the gap between school personnel and Latino parents. As such, making efforts to expand Latino parent’s school-based involvement is vitally

important in order to facilitate positive student outcomes. This presentation will identify some of the barriers to school-based

Latino parental involvement, as well as culturally appropriate strategies for counselors and other school personnel to more effectively work with this population.

Audience:

Higher

Education

Room:

AC 204

Challenges of Being an English Language Teacher in

Libya Entisar Elsherif, Graduate Student, Indiana University of

Pennsylvania English language teacher education has gone though many

phases and changes in Libya. My dissertation investigates the effectiveness of Libyan English language teacher education

programs in preparing Libyan student teachers to become English language teachers. As part of my dissertation, this presentation focuses on my journey as a Libyan English language teacher educator with the aim of opening dialogue to Libyan English language educators and sharing experiences.

The presentation will explain my challenges of being an English language teacher educator in Libya. It will focus on my

experiences as a student teacher, an inservice teacher, a teacher educator, and a graduate student in the US. This is to show how I was able to develop my understandings and

personal views about teacher education during my PhD study at IUP. The presentation gives me voice and an opportunity to

network with scholars of same interest.

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Audience:

Higher

Education

Room:

AC 206

Teaching Effectiveness from the Perspective of Systemic Functional Genre Theory

Dr. Hyo Chang/Bob Hong, Associate Professor, Marshall University and Stephen Mitchell, Graduate Student, Marshall University

Traditionally current ESL writing instruction has focused on

teaching either target texts as a whole or on teaching clause-level phenomena without making an explicit connection

between the two levels of text and grammar. Although more recent approaches to teaching writing, such as Swales’ genre theory (2004), deal with more delicate textual flows in various

academic texts, they still lack in making a connection between lexis, grammar, and text. In this presentation, we will a)

discuss some common problems with current teaching practices, and 2) explain various ways in which the Systemic Functional Linguistic (SFL) genre perspective can be adopted in

teaching to bridge the gap between the three levels of grammar, text, and context. In order to demonstrate the

effectiveness of the SFL genre theory, we will then explicate sample narrative texts from ESL writers with SFL genre instruction, and connect the theory to the actual practice of

teaching.

3:00-

3:20 BREAK (3:00-3:20)

CONCURRENT SESSION III — 40-Minute Sessions (3:20-4:00)

Session

III

3:20-

4:00

40

Minutes

Audience:

K-12,

Higher

Education

Room:

AC 105

The Use of Music in the Language Classroom Mollie Talada, Graduate Assistant, West Virginia University

Research has shown a definitive link between the cognitive

processing of language and of musical sound. Music has also been shown to be an effective teaching tool in the ESL classroom. Despite the theoretical studies that draw

connections between musical aptitude and linguistic ability, few studies have shown the efficacy of using music to improve

student motivation and students’ perceptions of learning. This presentation provides empirical data showing the benefits of using music-based instruction in the classroom and highlights activities that focus on a four-skills approach to engaging learners through music. Both traditional and technology-

enhanced approaches will be provided.

Audience:

Higher

What Every Immigrant Needs to Know, But May Not Ask

Heather Ritchie, Intercambio

15


Education

Room:

AC 204

This engaging and interactive workshop will illuminate the

tremendous scope of legal, systematic and cultural knowledge a newcomer to the United States needs to know to succeed. Whether it’s a simple as knowing to stay in your car if you get

stopped by the police or how close is too close when engaged in conversation. A wide range of topics will be covered using,

The Immigrant Guide to help participants understand how different life is in the US. Sample topics will be reviewed and

then modeled for how to conduct a workshop to teach this information. This interactive workshop has always been a success because of the breadth of subject matter. Objectives:

By the end of the workshop, attendees will be able to teach adult learners about cultural knowledge in the U.S. using a

ready-made tool, and refer learners to supports for legal and systematic issues.

Audience:

Higher

Education

Room:

AC 206

Integrating Various Skills through Collaboration in the Higher Intermediate Level

Kae Bradley, Instructor, INTO-Marshall University and Siham Elougli, Instructor, INTO-Marshall University

In many of today’s ESL classrooms, importance may often be given to one skill/set of skills over others. In fact, each skill

may focus on only one individual student-learning outcome (SLO). One problem may be that students may not appreciate

ways in which all skills are interrelated to serve the same end result. The idea is to create an assignment where more than one SLO from at least two different classes are approached in

the same assignment. If three teachers are teaching the same students from the same level three different skills/sets of skills

(Writing/Grammar, Reading/Vocabulary, and Speaking/Listening), for instance, each teacher will grade the same assignment using his/her own rubric from his/her class to

assess the work of each student based on the agreed-upon SLO. There are many benefits to implementing this strategy,

namely practicing English using one skill/set of skills and applying it across all skills.

4:00-

4:30 AC Lobby CLOSING, EVALUATION, TEXTBOOK GIVEAWAY

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Keynote Speaker: Claire Bradin Siskin

Ms. Siskin is an enthusiastic practitioner of computer-assisted language learning (CALL). She has given presentations and workshops in 17 countries and recently returned from a 10-month term as a Senior English Language Fellow in India.

Before that, she directed the ESL Writing Online Workshop (ESL-WOW) Project at Excelsior College in Albany, New York. She currently serves on the Board of

Directors of TESOL. She is a past chair of the Executive Board of the Computer Assisted Language Instruction Consortium (CALICO). She has served on the editorial boards of both Computer Assisted Language Learning Journal and

CALICO Journal. Her principal interests are faculty development and the effective use of technology in language learning.

WVTESOL Executive Board (2014 - 2015)

President: Katie Mehle Vice President: Beth Campbell

Past President: Cathy Shank Secretary: Andrea Karnoupakis

Treasurer: Mary Posa K-12 Representatives: Jessica Moats & Lesley Morgan Adult Education Representatives: Karla Hickey & Shawn Wolfe

Higher Education Representatives: Amine Oudghiri-Otmani & Kristen Williams Advocacy: Jane Wagner

Webmaster: Katie Mehle

WVTESOL would like to thank...

Our WVTESOL conference committee

o Beth Campbell: Conference/site coordinator o Katie Mehle & Cathy Shank: Publicity, website updates o MU INTO: Registration

o Kristen Williams: Publisher displays & donations o ???: certificates

o Board and Area Representatives: Proposal review o Sumeeta Patnaik: Proposal coordination, conference program o ????: requesting donations from local businesses

Exhibitors for their generous raffle donations and conference sponsorships o Lynn Napolitano

o Pearson English o Oxford University Press o Fisher Hill Publishers

o Cengage Learning

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o Ballard-Tighe

o Cognella o Janice Yearwood

Area Businesses for donations

o ??? Marshall University’s College of Education and Professional Development,

Elementary & Secondary Education Program, and Graduate ESL Program for co-sponsoring the conference

o Kay Lawson, Michelle Harris, Lisha Tignor, Casie Magee and ??? for

office, registration, and organizational support Marshall’s Elementary and Secondary Education for printing the programs

and certificates o Harold ___, her, and her for their assistance

South Charleston Conference and Visitors’ Bureau

Marshall University South Charleston’s Office of Information Technology Marshall University and INTO volunteers

Special thanks to TESOL International, for their support of Claire Bradin Siskin’s Plenary and Workshop.

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Campus Guest Wireless Access

When you attempt to access the web, you will be redirected to a log-in page. Simply enter any valid email address and you will be

granted web access.

CONFERENCE NOTES

18th annual spring conference south charleston, wv · 1 wvtesol conference at-a-glance...

Documents