This event, planned by the Mind, Brain, and Education SIG of the Japan Association for Language Teaching, in collaboration with TESOL, introduces the brain-based learning methods that have been developed so far.
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Why this conference? Most of what we know about language learning and teaching has come from linguistics and general education, with very little from brain sciences. Now, as neuroscience and psychology unravel the roles of emotion, attention, and other important aspects of language learning and teaching, we have the opportunity to better inform our profession. The transfer of important findings from brain sciences to language education has been slow, so the purpose of this conference is to bring these findings to our profession in an easy-to-understand and practical way.
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Video Introduction to conference
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Brain Science for Language Teachers at beautiful Kyoto Sangyo University |
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The Brain and Language Learning
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Why this conference? Most of what we know about language learning and teaching has come from linguistics and general education, with very little from brain sciences. Now, as neuroscience and psychology unravel the roles of emotion, attention, and other important aspects of language learning and teaching, we have the opportunity to better inform our profession. The transfer of important findings from brain sciences to language education has been slow, so the purpose of this conference is to bring these findings to our profession in an easy-to-understand and practical way. This event, planned by the Mind, Brain, and Education SIG of the Japan Association for Language Teaching, in collaboration with TESOL, introduces the brain-based learning methods that have been developed so far. |
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For the first time ever, TESOL International is coming to Japan to work with JALT. The conference will be held June 20-21, 2020 at Kyoto Sangyo University. The conference theme is how brain sciences, psychology, and neuroscience can help us become better teachers. The first day, Saturday, will be the TESOL Symposium Day, with three plenary speakers from abroad doing workshops in rotation. The second day, Sunday, will be organized by the JALT BRAIN SIG, with numerous events. This group held a similar conference in Kyoto in 2015. You can see some pictures of it here. |
Important Dates Call for presentations: until April 20 Early bird Registration: until June 1 Hotel & Party Registration: until no spaces left |
TESOL Day
June 20, TESOL Day: three symposium workshops (attend all three) led by our VIP speakers.
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BRAIN Day
June 21, BRAIN Day: a plenary, concurrent presentations, topic talks (shown here), and other special events
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Event speakers
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Sarah Rose Cavanagh, Day 1
The Spark of Learning: Principles of Emotionally Engaging Teaching Traditional views of education assume that reason should reign over emotion, and that the classroom should be a quiet, dispassionate space where students and instructors impartially engage with facts, figures, and theories. However, the field of education is beginning to awaken to the power of emotions to capture attention, mobilize efforts, and enhance memory. Cavanagh will present a wide range of evidence suggesting that targeting emotions in your presentation style, course design, and assignments is a highly potent teaching strategy. |
Michael Burri, Day 1
Moving towards Embodied ELT: Haptic Vocabulary and Pronunciation Teaching Based on the notion that vocabulary and pronunciation need to be taught together, the presenter will introduce two techniques that promote form-focused vocabulary work and intelligible pronunciation: (1) the Butterfly, and (2) the Rhythm Flight Club. The techniques are part of an innovative haptic system that combines movement and touch to actively involve the body and brain in the language learning process. Following an overview of the theoretical underpinnings of haptic teaching, the workshop participants will experience the techniques in a variety of engaging tasks and small group settings. |
Julia Volkman, Day 1
The Neuroscience of Language: A Mind, Brain, & Education (MBE) Perspective Learning a language (or two) happens effortlessly for the infant child. All they need to do is hang out with people speaking the language and, boom, they learn it. But when young and older adults try to learn a language, we’re sometimes like fish climbing a tree. The goal may seem rather unachievable. Yet, what we know about the mind, brain, and education can simplify the learning process and lighten our load. We will take a transdisciplinary view of how the mind, brain, and body work together, particularly in language, and translate that knowledge into useful classroom practice. Topics include plasticity/pruning, neural networks, neural correlates of language, dynamic development of skill, embodied cognition, the biology of stress, and more. |
Stephen M. Ryan, Day 2
Travels with a Brain, Lessons in Learning What happens to our brain when we take it out of familiar surroundings to study abroad? Why does it even entice us to do this? And what can the answers to these questions tell us about learning in general, and learning a new language in particular? This excursion into the field of Mind, Brain, and Education will take us out of the classroom and into Study Abroad contexts, visiting several incidents about how the brain reacts to new and unpredictable contexts, before returning to the classroom to apply some of the lessons learnt along the way. |
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Sarah Rose Cavanagh is a psychologist, professor, and Associate Director of the D’Amour Center for Teaching Excellence at Assumption College. Her research focuses on the connections between emotions and quality of life. Sarah is author of The Spark of Learning: Energizing the College Classroom with the Science of Emotion and HIVEMIND. She gives keynote addresses and workshops at a variety of colleges and regional conferences, blogs for Psychology Today, and writes essays for The Chronicle of Higher Education.
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Michael Burri is a Senior Lecturer in TESOL at the University of Wollongong (Australia). His research interests include pronunciation instruction, teacher education, innovative and context-sensitive pedagogy, and non-native English-speaking teacher (NNEST) issues. Michael has published several open source papers and given more than 40 presentations on haptic teaching. He served as TESOL’s SPLIS Chair (2012-13), and in 2015 he was the recipient of the TESOL Award for an Outstanding Paper on NNEST Issues.
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Julia Volkman is Teaching Fellow for the Neuroscience of Learning Course at Harvard University (Extension School), President of Maitri Learning (an educational publishing company), and a Mentor Montessori Early Childhood teacher. Her research focuses on the development of literacy and aligning teaching methods with scientific understanding. She writes, presents, and consults on neuroscience and pedagogy in the US and abroad.
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Stephen M. Ryan has a passion for Study Abroad. He is also fascinated by the insights into learning offered by brain science. At Sanyo Gakuen University, in Okayama, Japan, he teaches English and works with Study Abroad students, He is also the chief editor of the MindBrainEd Think Tanks, which brings brain science to language teachers.
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