Greg Kessler – Preparing Teachers for the Future
The presenter will address the changing nature of language teaching and learning with a focus on the importance of designing instructional experiences thoughtfully. He will share a number of recent developments related to language and technology, including automated assessment tools, speech and gesture control interfaces, and a variety of forms of natural language processing. Some of the tools and resources associated with these developments have found their way into language learning while others certainly will in the near future. Many of these developments have the potential to dramatically alter learning. They may also threaten or intimidate language teachers and learners. The presenter will share thoughts about the need to embrace these developments as we move toward a new era of language learning: One in which these intelligent assistants and resources may take precedence over classroom instruction. website
hannon Sauro – Fan Fiction, Fan Practices and Language Learnin
Online fan communities and fan sites are home to many different kinds of fan practices, perhaps the best known of which is fan fiction These are fictional stories that reinterpret and remix the events, characters and settings found in books and popular media. Other online fan practices include amateur translation projects such as fan-subbing and scanlation, fansite moderation, and spoiling, in which fans track down and share information via social media for the purpose of speculating about a television show or movie’s plotline before its release.
This talk begins by reviewing research on online fans and their fan practices for language and literacy development in the digital wilds. It then takes an in depth look at the informal L2 language and digital literacy development of a Sherlock fan who joined social media-based fan communities for the purpose of developing her English. The talk then concludes by exploring research from an ongoing project that investigates the integration of fan fiction tasks into the university classroom to support language and literary learning. website