Event
HomeChanges and Challenges in EFL Education in Japan
Sunday, February 19th, 2006, 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Speaker: Shinichi Izumi, Sophia University
Whether and how to teach grammar has long been a contentious issue for foreign language educators. On the one hand, the traditional approach treats grammar as the main focus of teaching, and spends a great deal of time explaining and/or drilling the 'grammar points of the day.' On the other hand, a more recent approach, born partly in reaction to the dissatisfaction with the former approach in order to help students to improve their communicative proficiency, puts emphasis not on the forms per se but on the meaning that language forms convey. The communicative approach has produced far better results with respect to improving students' language ability, but it too failed to deliver the promised results, that is, to help students to become both fluent and accurate in the foreign language.
It is in this historical context that a third approach has emerged which aims to strike a balance between emphasizing accurate language use and promoting meaningful communication. This talk summarizes the background and rationale of this third approach and points out some directions for EFL teaching in Japan.
Dr. Shinichi Izumi is an Assistant Professor in the Department of the English Language at Sophia University.
Organization: Saitama Chapter of the Japan Association for Language Teaching (Saitama JALT)
Cost: JALT Members: free
Non-members: 1000 yen
Venue: Omiya Shimin Kaikan (Omiya station East exit 12 min walk)
Location: Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture, Japan
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