Instructor Activities

Tuesday, October 20th, 2022
4:30 PM - 6:00 PM

Location: AMLF - Lab 3
Language(s) of Delivery: English

Click here to register: 
https://forms.office.com/r/bA3Yqv8PSq 

For more information, please contact: haluk.tuncay [at] mcgill.ca (subject: Discussion%20Group%20Event, body: Hello%20Haluk%2C%0A%0A)

Engaging Students in the Assessment of Participation: A Pilot Project in Language Courses

When it comes to participation, instructors often wonder whether students understand what is expected of them and how in-class students’ performance can be assessed judiciously. In this presentation, Dr. Alejandra Barriales-Bouche and Dr. Sun-Young Kim will describe a pilot project on participation in German and Spanish language classes from Winter 2022 that was guided by the following questions: How can we assess in-class participation fairly? Based on the idea that students’ involvement in shaping their learning experience deepens their motivation, how can we engage students in assessing their own participation?

The presenters will show the following in their presentation:

1) how they communicated their expectations on participation to students through descriptors rather than rubrics,
2) which steps they took to engage students by incorporating self-assessment assignments in their courses,
3) what the students’ perspective and feedback was according to a survey run at the end of the project.

The presentation will conclude with reflections on the lessons learned and a discussion with participants.

Presenters:

Dr. Alejandra Barriales-Bouche received her Ph.D. in Hispanic Literatures and Linguistics from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 2003. Before joining the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures at McGill in 2012, she was Associate Professor at Suffolk University (Boston). She also taught at Mount Holyoke College and Concordia University. In the field of language teaching methodology, her interests include the use of technology in language courses and the integration of culture and literature in language classes.

Dr. Sun-Young Kim earned her Ph.D. in German Studies at the University of Michigan. Before joining the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures at McGill in 2012, she taught German at the University of Toronto, York, University of Michigan and Kalamazoo College. Her interests in the field of language pedagogy include teaching literature in language courses and integrating technology in language classes.

Tuesday, February 15th, 2022
4:30 PM - 5:30 PM

Location: AMLF - Lab 3
Language(s) of Delivery: French & English

Click here to register: 
https://forms.office.com/r/xAvGSCc76Z 

For more information, please contact: haluk.tuncay [at] mcgill.ca (subject: Discussion%20Group%20Event, body: Hello%20Haluk%2C%0A%0A)

Providing written corrective feedback in real time: the case for collaborative writing

In this event, the speakers, Gabriel Michaud, Assistant Professor at UDEM, and Kevin Papin, Assistant Professor at UQAM, will present the results of their study, which aimed to explore the possibility of providing synchronous written corrective feedback while students were engaged in collaborative writing tasks.

They will highlight types of feedback that were preferred by teachers and students, student’s reactions to the feedback and discussions that ensued, and the perceptions of both teachers and students regarding the benefits and limitations of this new practice. Implications for the language classroom will also be discussed.

Presenters:

Gabriel Michaud is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Education at the Université de Montréal. His research interests include task-based language teaching, second language grammar and vocabulary development, and written corrective feedback.

Kevin Papin is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM). His research focuses on the pedagogical use of different technologies (e.g., virtual reality, speech technologies) for L2 learning, in relation to willingness to communicate, vocabulary and pronunciation.

Friday, February 19th, 2021
3:00 PM - 3:45 PM

Online, via Zoom

For more information, please contact: haluk.tuncay [at] mcgill.ca (subject: Discussion%20Group%20Event, body: Hello%20Haluk%2C%0A%0A)

Interactive Session:

Why Online Language Teaching (OLT) is special and what the research tells us?

For this session, attendees will be asked to watch two pre-recorded presentations by Murphy-Judy & Russell and then engage with the presenters during a 45 minute live session of review and discussions, in which they will explore online language teaching (OLT) through their questions and comments.

Through research on several critical factors in online language learning, the presenters will offer some best practices in online language teaching design and implementation. The session will also focus on discussing what the attendees would like to explore in more depth about the video presentations they watched before coming to the session and the challenges they face in their teaching contexts.

Access to recordings will be provided upon registration.

Presenters:

Kathryn Murphy-Judy, Associate Professor of French, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). Coordinator of Languages, Direcor of L.S.E.E.
Victoria Russell, Professor of Spanish and Foreign Language Education at Valdosta State University (VSU), Coordinator of Online Programs for the Department of Modern and Classical Languages.

Tuesday, January 26th, 2021
3:00 PM - 4:30 PM

Online Discussion Group, via Zoom 

For more information, please contact: haluk.tuncay [at] mcgill.ca (subject: Discussion%20Group%20Event, body: Hello%20Haluk%2C%0A%0A)

Discussion Group: Engaging L2 Learners Online

AMLF, McGill University

This discussion group will be focused on the potential tools, available research on educational technology and best practices on increasing the student engagement in online language learning settings.

Scope:

Exchanging ideas, existing knowledge and past experiences on tools that promote online learner engagement.

Defining online language learner engagement and discussing about potential educational technology to support instructors.

Outline:

• 3 Layers of Interaction - Diagnosis
• Breakout Rooms Discussion: In which layer do L2 learners have the lowest engagement in your course? Why? Are there any specific challenges on your course pertaining to any layer?
• Existing research on online learner engagement
• Recommended online tools for engaging language instruction
• Breakout Rooms Discussion: How can these technology improve your courses? Have you used similar apps? Do you see potential in them?
• Best practices and use cases
• Q&A Session

Thursday, March 12th, 2020

4:30-6:00PM

McLennan Library Building, rm MS-10 (Basement)

3459 McTavish St.

For more information, please contact: jennica.grimshaw [at] mcgill.ca

Teaching with Tasks: A Principled Approach

Gabriel Michaud, Faculty Lecturer, McGill University

Tasks have been used increasingly in second language classrooms to promote acquisition. They aim at reproducing real-life situations where learners have to rely on their own resources to achieve a communicative goal. Most task-based methodologists (Ellis et al., 2019; Long, 2015; Willis & Willis, 2007) see a need for form-focused instruction within a task, but they disagree on the way it should be done. In this talk, Prof. Michaud will be presenting several task-based methodologies and principled options to integrate form-focused instruction within a task.

Thursday, February 13th, 2020

4:30-6:00PM

McLennan Library Building, rm MS-10 (Basement)

3459 McTavish St.

For more information, please contact: jennica.grimshaw [at] mcgill.ca

Increasing access to L2 grammar practice exercises with technology

Stephen Bodnar, Postdoctoral Fellow, McGill University

This workshop addresses a familiar challenge in L2 instruction, providing learners with tailored practice opportunities, and introduces a new Content-based Language Learning Instant Exercise (COLLIE) tool that instructors can use to quickly generate computerized L2 French grammar practice exercises from arbitrary documents on the web. During the workshop we present the tool's noticing, awareness and output exercises and provide hands-on opportunities for participants to generate and try out their own exercises. In doing so we hope to obtain early-stage feedback on the design and usefulness of the exercises, and stimulate discussion on how such a tool can be integrated into classroom-based language instruction.

Wednesday, November 20th, 2019

4:30-6:00PM

McLennan Library Building, rm MS-10 (Basement)

3459 McTavish St.

For more information, please contact: natallia.liakina [at] mcgill.ca

Suggestions on using grammar checkers in the L2 classroom

Paul John, Associate Professor, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières

Dr. Paul John of l'Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières will present on how to use grammar checkers to provide automatic feedback on L2 writing errors. Results of a research project (John & Woll, 2019) that assesses the extent to which three grammar checking tools (Grammarly, Virtual Writing Tutor and MS Word): i) actually flag all errors; ii) provide accurate replacement forms; and iii) avoid ‘false alarms’ (forms mistakenly flagged as errors) will be presented, followed by hands-on activities that can be easily adapted for use in the language classroom. 

Thursday, October 24th, 2019

4:30-6:00PM

McLennan Library Building, rm MS-10 (Basement)

3459 McTavish St.

For more information, please contact: natallia.liakina [at] mcgill.ca

Student response systems: Overview and affordances

Kevin Papin, Faculty Lecturer, McGill University

Student response systems (SRS) are increasingly used in the field of L2 teaching. The variety of platforms, however, makes it difficult for teachers to choose the one that best suits their needs and those of there students. Therefore, this workshop offers an overview of the features and affordances of some the most popular SRS, such as Kahoot!, Socrative, and PollEverywhere. Participants will engage in a hands-on activity which will spark discussion on the strengths and limitations of such tools while inviting participants to share good practices.

The presentation will be delivered in French, but questions are welcome in English.

Thursday, May 2nd, 2019

1:45-3:15PM

McLennan Library Building, rm MS-10 (Basement)

3459 McTavish St.

For more information, please contact: natallia.liakina [at] mcgill.ca

Peer interaction and peer feedback in the second language classroom: How can we get them to work?!"

Masatoshi Sato, Associate Professor, Universidad Andrés Bello, Chile

Are you frustrated with pair and group activities? Do your students rely on their first language? Do they work together well? Or, do they simply get bored and disengaged? In this talk, I will discuss research of peer interaction and peer corrective feedback, especially from a pedagogical point of view. I will zero in on (a) interaction patterns that are more effective than others, (b) learner psychology required for peer interaction to be effective, and (c) the nature of peer corrective feedback in comparison to teacher feedback. I will then introduce some pedagogical approaches designed to increase the effectiveness of peer interaction and feedback; namely, task approach, training approach, and psychological approach. Throughout the talk, I will use hands-on activities that instructors can bring back to their classroom.

Thursday, April 11th, 2019

4:30-6pm

McLennan Library Building, rm MS-10 (Basement)

3459 McTavish St.

For more information, please contact: natallia.liakina [at] mcgill.ca

How does it feel to use that word? Linking cognition and emotion for social transformation

Angelica Galante, Assistant Professor, Concordia University

Vocabulary is one of the most important areas in language learning. Past second language acquisition research has shown that several teaching strategies can be successful for vocabulary learning such as extensive reading, inferencing, and attention to form (Nation, 2013). While these strategies are effective, they primarily focus on cognitive learning processes and little attention has been given to the connection between language and emotion. Recently, calls have been made for pedagogies that embrace affective dimensions of language learning, including meaning-making of vocabulary embedded in sociocultural dimensions (Galante, 2019; Hare, 2011; Swain, 2013). In this talk, I will present practical classroom tasks that promote meaning-making during vocabulary learning: translanguaging, digital stories, plurilingual identity, and dramatic action-oriented tasks. I will then present results from research I have conducted with adolescent and adult learners to show how language teaching through a sociocultural lens can take vocabulary learning to the next level: by linking cognition and emotion vocabulary becomes socially relevant, memorable, and transformative. A discussion about the implementation of these tasks in language classrooms will follow this talk.

Tuesday, March 12th, 2019

4:30-6pm

McLennan Library Building, rm MS-10 (Basement)

3459 McTavish St.

For more information, please contact: natallia.liakina [at] mcgill.ca

What about the language I teach, then?  Pratiques interlangagières en classe de langue seconde avec des adultes plurilingues

Caroline Dault, Faculty Lecturer

Translanguaging, approches plurielles, pratiques plurilingues, comparaisons interlangagières… les approches pédagogiques incluant des références aux langues connues des apprenants pourraient comporter des avantages sur le plan de la valorisation de l’identité linguistique des apprenants (Cummins, 2001) et de leurs capacités de réflexion métalangagière (Horst, White & Bell, 2010). Elles seraient particulièrement bénéfiques notamment pour des étudiants internationaux en contexte universitaire (Galante, 2019). Or, nombreux sont les questionnements quand vient le temps d’utiliser de telles approches en salle de classe : quelles activités interlangagières choisir, dans quel contexte, pour quel public, avec quel objectif?

Cet atelier aura pour but de vous amener à explorer les possibilités d’exploitation interlangagière dans vos contextes d’enseignements respectifs. Il vous permettra 1) de découvrir une approche basée sur les comparaisons langagières et de discuter des réactions à cette approche à la lumière de données recueillies dans une classe de francisation (Dault & Collins, 2017); 2) de partager vos pratiques interlangagières actuelles; 3) d’envisager des activités interlangagières qui pourraient être mises en place dans votre contexte d’enseignement et de réfléchir aux difficultés qui pourraient survenir, ainsi qu’aux moyens de les contourner.

'

Thursday, November 8th, 2018

4:30-6pm

McLennan Library Building, rm MS-10 (Basement)

3459 McTavish St.

For more information, please contact: natallia.liakina [at] mcgill.ca

Incorporating Student-Produced Videos in Foreign Language Teaching: A Pilot Application of YouSeeU

Alejandra Barriales-Bouche and Sun-Young Kim, Faculty Lecturers

Videos have gained an increasingly dominant presence in everyday life, especially because of the widespread accessibility to technology. How can we use student-produced videos efficiently in foreign language education? What instructional tools are available to incorporate videos in the classroom easily? This workshop highlights the use of the application YouSeeU that allows students to create and share their own videos with their classmates and instructor(s) through myCourses (McGill’s Learning Management System). Based on a one-year pilot application of YouSeeU in McGill German and Spanish elementary-to-advanced language courses, this workshop will 1) explore the pedagogical benefits of using simple student-produced videos in the foreign language classroom, 2) present a sample of activities that demonstrate different uses of the application in language teaching, 3) address evaluation methods, and 4) discuss student feedback on the use of this program. In the second half of this workshop, participants will get a hands-on introduction to YouSeeU. Computers and demo accounts will be available during the workshop. No advanced registration required.

Thursday, April 5th, 2018

4:30-6pm

McLennan Library Building, rm MS-10 (Basement)

3459 McTavish St.

For more information, please contact: natallia.liakina [at] mcgill.ca

The potential of Thinglink virtual reality tool for second language learning

Kevin Papin, Faculty Lecturer

Information and communication technologies (ICT) have been the focus of extensive research in the field of second language (L2) acquisition (Chapelle, 2007). However, in the recent years, the emergence of virtual reality (VR) as a technology accessible to the general public has provided researchers with a new field of study and experimentation. VR can be defined as an immersive digital environment similar to the real world, giving the user the feeling of being there (Schroeder, 2008). We usually distinguish between two types of VR (Schwienhorst, 1998): hard VR (using head-mounted displays) and desktop VR (relying on 360 photos or videos displayed on a computer, tablet or phone screen). Recently, online platforms like RoundMe or Thinglink have started to offer user-friendly VR creation tools.

This workshop explores the potential of Thinglink (more specifically Thinglink 360) for the creation of engaging tasks for Montreal-based classrooms. Participants will also take part in a hands-on activity and will be encouraged to reflect on the potential use of Thinglink for their classroom activities. 

Thursday, November 16th, 2017

4:30-5:30pm

McLennan Library Building, rm MS-10 (Basement)

3459 McTavish St.

For more information, please contact: natallia.liakina [at] mcgill.ca

Using media in second language advanced course

Dr. Pouneh Shabani-Jadidi, Senior Lecturer

The aim of this paper is threefold: 1) to discuss the acquisition particularities of the advanced level students, 2) to study the use of content-based - in this case media material - in teaching advanced level students, and 3) to investigate the impact of teaching such material on the students’ writing ability and overall proficiency. The content-based material that has been studied in this paper is media, in general and newspapers, in particular. I will begin by discussing various relevant topics, including the analysis of advanced level students’ language acquisition as far as language processing is concerned. In addition, I will discuss how the use of media, and in particular newspapers, as the main material in an advanced course will impact students’ writing skill and overall proficiency level.

Friday, October 27th, 2017

12:30-2:30pm

McLennan Library Building, rm MS-37 (Basement)

3459 McTavish St.

For more information, please contact: natallia.liakina [at] mcgill.ca

Task-based language teaching: the added-value of Learning Branch

Kevin Papin and Alida Soucé, Faculty Lecturers

Since the 90s, task-based language teaching (e.g. Ellis, 2003) has become the central paradigm in second language acquisition. Revolving around the notion of communicative task (Nunan, 1991), this approach aims at fostering L2 communication by placing the learner in authentic communicative situations relevant to real-life needs. Research findings feature a wide range of means to reach that goal. Those include the use of ICT, which help to create authentic simulations in which each learner can progress at his/her own pace.

Learning Branch is an online platform that has the potential to enhance language learning, due to its ability to easily adapt to task-based approach. This workshop will explore the technical functionalities of this new tool and suggest practical applications to teach second languages in McGill university’s context. We will also engage in a group discussion on the creation of meaningful activities within the task-based framework. 

Thursday, March 16th, 2017

4-5:30pm

McLennan Library Building, rm MS-37 (Basement)

3459 McTavish St.

For more information, please contact: natallia.liakina [at] mcgill.ca

Making Your Class Click: Exploring the Use of Student Response Systems in Foreign Language Teaching

Dr. Alejandra Barriales Bouche

Student response systems (SRS, previously known as clickers) are increasingly common in higher-education institutions. Despite their growing popularity, the use of SRS in language classes is still scarce. This workshop will explore the pedagogical benefits of using SRS in the foreign language classroom. It will present a sample of activities that show how SRS can be used for a variety of purposes in language teaching and it will discuss student feedback on the use of Polling @ McGill in Spanish courses. Participants in this workshop will get a hands-on introduction to web-based polling systems, such as TurningPoint Cloud. McGill participants interested in designing their own polls can register their TurningPoint account in advance.* Computers will be available during the workshop.

* To register your TurningPoint account, go to http://kb.mcgill.ca/it/easylink/article.html?id=1557 and follow the instructions on “Step 1” under “How to request/access” (heading “Instructors”).

Wednesday, February 8th, 2017

4-6pm

Room MS-74 of the McLennan Library Building

3459 McTavish St.

For more information, please contact: natallia.liakina [at] mcgill.ca

Strategies to Support Learning Language in Context

Dr. Carolyn Samuel

Have you ever wondered how to address vocabulary questions from students that have no simple explanation, such as when a certain preposition should be used? Have students ever expressed to you the frustration they feel when a dictionary or a thesaurus can’t help them with appropriate vocabulary use? These, and related questions, will be addressed in a two-hour workshop designed to raise participants’ awareness of how to support students of different proficiency levels with learning language in context.

You will be introduced to vocabulary building strategies by experiencing an abbreviated language “class” taught by the workshop facilitator. Then, you will work in pairs or small groups to design and discuss possible applications of the strategies for use with your students. Emphasis will be on teaching and learning collocations, and using a concordancer—a software tool that can support students in becoming independent and “critical thinking” language learners. Ideally, one person in each pair or small group will have a laptop or tablet with internet connection, but participants who are not online will still be able to actively engage with the workshop material. By the end of the workshop, you will be able to:

• Describe the concept of “collocation” for your students.
• Use a concordancer to search corpora (bodies of language) for collocation examples.
• Interpret quantitative and qualitative search results.

The workshop will be held in Room MS-74 of the McLennan Library Building. From the Service Point entrance at 3415 McTavish, pass the reception desk and continue down the long hallway. Where the hallway comes to a “T”, turn right. MS-74 is the first room on the right.

Thursday, November 10th, 2016

4pm

McLennan Library Building, rm MS-37 (Basement)

3459 McTavish St.

For more information, please contact: natallia.liakina [at] mcgill.ca

Task-Based Language Teaching: What Research Says About How It Can be Implemented in the Classroom

Gabriel Michaud

Task-based Language Teaching (TBLT) has been attracting a lot of attention in recent years, both from a research and a practical point of view. Briefly put, the goal of TBLT is learning through communicative tasks that are relevant to second language learners. This workshop aims to present the theoretical foundations of this approach while giving practical ways of implementing TBLT in the classroom.

Thursday, October 27th, 2016

2:30pm to 4pm

McLennan Library Building, rm MS-37 (Basement)

3459 McTavish St.

For more information, please contact: natallia.liakina [at] mcgill.ca

Processes and Products of Technology- Enhanced Project-Based Language Learning (TEPBLL)

Dr. Liudmila Klimanova

This talk will discuss the potential for Technology-Enhanced Project-Based Language Learning (PBLL) and Project-Based Telecollaboration (PBT) to transform foreign language education. PBLL's intersections with content-based instruction, task-based language learning, and performance assessment make it an ideal conduit to ground foreign language teaching on real life tasks and measurable learning outcomes.

Tuesday, March 29th, 2016

4h30pm to 6pm

McLennan Library Building, rm MS-37 (Basement)

3459 McTavish St.

For more information, please contact: natallia.liakina [at] mcgill.ca

Les outils du Web 2.0 en classe de langues : pourquoi et comment les intégrer ?

Web 2.0 Tools in the Language Classroom: Why and How to Use Them?

Sarah Anthony et Prisca Fenoglio

La présentation se fera en français. We welcome questions and discussions in English.

Ni obligation ni évidence, encore assez peu incorporé dans la formation formelle mais sujet bien présent dans la littérature scientifique actuelle, l’utilisation des outils du Web 2.0 en classe de langues soulève des interrogations légitimes, telles que pourquoi et comment les intégrer ? On est ainsi en droit de se demander ce qu’ils apportent à l’enseignement et à l’apprentissage des langues. Inspirées par la notion qu’ « educational innovations that shape classroom practice [are linked] to heightened forms of engagement and, in turn, to student persistence » (Tinto,     « Research and Practice », p. 5), nous nous intéressons à évaluer l’impact de l’intégration des outils du Web 2.0 sur la motivation des enseignants et des apprenants et sur les apprentissages de ceux-ci.

Nous détaillerons lors de notre atelier plusieurs manières d’intégrer des outils du Web 2.0, et nous inviterons les participant(e)s à en utiliser certains. Ces propositions d’intégration ont pour objectifs, par exemple, de favoriser la créativité, la collaboration, le partage et l’ouverture à l’autre. Nous parlerons aussi des situations inattendues auxquelles peuvent être confrontés les enseignants dans leur utilisation de ces outils et donnerons quelques conseils pratiques.

Friday, March 11th, 2016

1:30pm to 3pm

McLennan Library Building, rm MS-37 (Basement)

3459 McTavish St.

For more information, please contact: natallia.liakina [at] mcgill.ca

The media and the message: what does the educational technology mean to us, the language teaching community?

Bill Wang

Half a century ago, when Marshall McLuhan formulated such concepts as “the medium is the message” and “media is the extension of human body,” he inspired many to think more critically and philosophically about the nature of media or technology in relation to human society and the impact of the then relatively new, electronic media such as radio and television on our living experience. Today, as computer-based and Internet supported educational technology continues to advance at an unprecedented speed, it is time for us, the language teachers, to think about the technological impact on our teaching and learning. In this talk I’d like to ask and discuss these questions: how have we been affected by educational technology in our teaching so far? Are the technological impacts or potentials merely manifested in the enhancements of specific pedagogical effectiveness? Will applications of the educational technology gradually or even inevitably change our conceptions of and approaches to language teaching and learning?  If so, how? It is impossible, of course, to answer all these questions fully, given the limited time and insufficient knowledge we have so far in understanding the media – the new educational technology. However, it is important to think about these questions so that we can be better prepared as teachers in the era of technological revolution. We shall not be left behind.