Creative Use of Silence
Date: Saturday, July 24th, 2010 Time: 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Speaker: Joseph Shaules
Silence in a classroom can be terrifying. It can signal a lack of understanding or an activity that isn't working. But this presentation will argue that rather than fearing silence, teachers need to consciously use it in creative and pedagogically sound ways.
We will examine "mindscaping" -- the art of managing sound and silence in the classroom. We will discuss Caleb Gattegno's concept of "ogdens" and the role of silence in language planning. We will look at cultural differences in expectations about silence in the classroom, and learn techniques to use silence in classroom management. We will see that how we use silence can reveal hidden assumptions about the role of the teacher and how people learn languages. This presentation will ask you to reflect on, and possibly rethink your approach to the use of sound and silence in the classroom. A goal of this reflection is a greater development of the ability to be perceptive of the learning needs of students.
Speaker Profile: Born in California, Joseph Shaules (PhD) has worked in language and intercultural education for more than 20 years. He is a specially appointed associate professor at the Rikkyo Graduate School of Intercultural Communication in Tokyo. He is a successful author, with books including Identity (Oxford University Press), and Deep Culture: The Hidden Challenges of Global Living (Multilingual Matters). His most recent book is A Beginner 's Guide to the Intercultural Experience (Intercultural Press). He is a co-presenter of the NHK television program English Through the News. He does intercultural training in Japan, and has lived and worked abroad (Mexico, Japan, and France) for more than 20 years. He is proficient in English, Japanese, French and Spanish. He created the PICO Intercultural Learning System and is the director of the Japan Intercultural Institute.
Organization: Sendai Chapter of the Japan Association for Language Teaching (Sendai JALT)
Cost: JALT Members: free
Non-members: 1,000 yen
Venue: Aoba-ku Chuo Shimin Center Meeting Room 1. Address: 2-1-4 Ichiban-cho, Aoba-ku
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