Our Advice:
Unless you have training in neuroscience or psychology, the notion of including brain science in your presentation might sound daunting, but it is not as hard as you might think. Start with a topic you are interested in, that you know is of value to language teachers. Then think about how it might be related to the brain. By taking a little time to do Internet searches you are almost certain to find a lot of information you can use to enrich your topic.
For example, let's say you want to talk about Extensive Reading. By searching "extensive reading brain motivation" you are bound to come up with a number of discussions on your topic that might also connect you to more substantial studies. A search of "stories brain" will lead you to neuroscientists talking about the neurotransmitters released during moving stories that shape our emotional reaction, and then learning. You will also find studies in educational psychology on how information given in stories is learned faster and remembered longer. Including some of that information in your presentation (though maybe not all, and little on brain anatomy) is likely to help us as listeners find new areas we want to learn about.
If you talk on Engaging Materials, you might read up on what the brain pays attention to and its effects on learning.
If you talk about Classroom Management, you might read up on the positive and negative effects of stress (cortisol), or why learners need to move around once in a while to increase blood flow and cognitive function.
Unless you have training in neuroscience or psychology, the notion of including brain science in your presentation might sound daunting, but it is not as hard as you might think. Start with a topic you are interested in, that you know is of value to language teachers. Then think about how it might be related to the brain. By taking a little time to do Internet searches you are almost certain to find a lot of information you can use to enrich your topic.
For example, let's say you want to talk about Extensive Reading. By searching "extensive reading brain motivation" you are bound to come up with a number of discussions on your topic that might also connect you to more substantial studies. A search of "stories brain" will lead you to neuroscientists talking about the neurotransmitters released during moving stories that shape our emotional reaction, and then learning. You will also find studies in educational psychology on how information given in stories is learned faster and remembered longer. Including some of that information in your presentation (though maybe not all, and little on brain anatomy) is likely to help us as listeners find new areas we want to learn about.
If you talk on Engaging Materials, you might read up on what the brain pays attention to and its effects on learning.
If you talk about Classroom Management, you might read up on the positive and negative effects of stress (cortisol), or why learners need to move around once in a while to increase blood flow and cognitive function.
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Here are some past presentation topics that taught us about language teaching, but also how the brain learns: Using Dual coding, verbal and visual, to improve listening skills Teaching vocabulary: Taking advantage of how words are stored in memory Teaching students evidence-based learning techniques Reducing test anxiety Predictive language processing and grammar study Motivation and lesson planning Useful Sources: |
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For ideas, look through our MindBrainEd Think Tanks (and subscribe below, it's free). Here are some other sources you might find useful:
APA Psych Learning Curve Neuroscience News TED Talks Brain Science Podcast
