| Marian Wang - Abstracts |
Kwansei Gakuin University, Language Center #1 Using the News to Understand Different Perspectives The media played an important role in putting Japan in the spotlight of the world in March. Through the foreign media, the victims of Tohoku were portrayed as being patient, proud, tolerant, calm, community-minded, and civil. The Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), on the other hand, was depicted as being non transparent and passive. The Japanese media followed in the footsteps of the western media when covering the Tohoku victims but were not as forthcoming with the news concerning TEPCO. As a result, many Japanese people began to doubt what was being told to them from the local media and relied more heavily on other media sources. News often provides an opportunity for students to learn about current issues from different angles. When students read articles in their own language about an issue and then compare what is being said about this topic in foreign media sources, they are often surprised by the multiple viewpoints. This workshop will focus on how news can be used for students to become active news reporters on a shared topic and give a simulated news report that involves interviewing key witnesses and officials. #2 Music to Stimulate Interest in Learning English When Japanese students are asked to select western music they like, they often choose the Beatles, the Carpenters, and ABBA. Although the music of these artists do provide significant learning opportunities, Japanese students often fall back on music that they had been exposed to by their English teachers. Activities that enable students to choose more modern artists and do a peer teaching activity based on lyrics expose learners to a variety of music that may encourage them to continue to listen to foreign music. The purpose of this workshop is for participants to discuss ways to bring music to the classroom, and how music could be used to explore ways to expose students to a more enjoyable and natural way of learning English. #3 Peer Teaching Peer teaching, students acting as teachers to share important language issues or ideas, may be beneficial to language learning and confidence building. Moreover, it provides an opportunity for peer teachers to use materials that they have selected as relevant for their peers. Often times, this gives the EFL teacher an opportunity to learn about what topics intrigue their students and how creative students can be in coming up with unique teaching methods. The English teacher can videotape peer teaching sessions and have the peer teachers reflect on their experience so that they will improve in their teaching over time. The purpose of this workshop is for participants to engage in a roundtable discussion about the benefits and drawbacks of peer teaching. Biographical Statement: Marian Wang is currently an Instructor of English as a Foreign Language at the Language Center at Kwansei Gakuin University. She has an MA in TESOL from the Monterey Institute of International Studies and an MA in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. She has volunteered for Teachers Helping Teachers (THT) in Kyrgyzstan, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and the Philippines. |