Event

Form-focused instruction: State of the art

Tuesday, September 9th, 2008, 7:10 PM - 8:40 PM

Speaker: Sandra Fotos, Senshu University

Following the introduction of communicative approaches in second language (L2) teaching in the 1980s, teachers were encouraged to believe that grammar instruction plays little or no role in L2 pedagogy. Now, however, both teachers and researchers agree on the importance of formal instruction for the attainment of accuracy and emphasize the need for a focus on grammar in communicative language teaching. This talk introduces the concept of focusing on form, discusses its evolution and describes its current scope and definition. Different input and output options for integrating form-focused instruction and meaningful communication within the EFL context are presented and discussed.

Dr. Sandra S. Fotos is professor of English in the School of Economics at Senshu University. Her research interests include bilingualism, the effects of formal instruction on second language acquisition, and computer assisted language learning (CALL). Her books include Studies in Japanese Bilingualism (2000, Multilingual Matters), New Perspectives on Grammar Teaching in Second Language Classrooms (2002, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates), and New Perspectives on CALL for Second Language Classrooms (2004, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates). Her most recent book is Form-focused Instruction and Teacher Education: Studies in Honour of Rod Ellis (2007, Oxford University Press).

Organization: Tokyo Chapter of the Japan Association for Language Teaching (Tokyo JALT)

Cost: JALT Members: free
Non-members: 1000 yen

Venue: Temple University Japan Room 213

Location: Tokyo, Tokyo Metropolis, Japan

Contact Tokyo JALT

Tokyo JALT (gmail)

Tokyo JALT (Teaching Young Learners)