Elderly learners in focus at JALT
The Yomiuri Shimbun
On the theme of "Authentic English and Elderly Learners: A day of sharing theory and practice," six experts in English teaching made presentations on their studies and discussed the issues with about 30 participants at a mini-conference held at the Temple University Japan Azabu campus in Tokyo on June 24.
If adult language learners should be taught English differently from younger learners, in what way should the teaching differ? After explaining and dismissing some myths related to learning and the older brain, Osaka Gakuin University Prof. Curtis Kelly said that discussion and personalization were import!ant in teaching elderly learners. He also identified students' readiness to learn as a key factor in adult education.
Kelly, who holds a doctorate in adult education, asked participants to discuss the needs of adult learners and what and how to teach them. He then introduced the theory of Malcolm Knowles, an influential professor of adult education who popularized the concept of "andragogy," which he defined as "an emerging technology for adult learning."
The themes of other presenters were varied--"Examining Age Effects on Communication Behavior!s," by Rieko Matsuoka (professor at the National College of Nursing); "Energize Your Students with Power!" by Eric Skier (lecturer in English at Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences); "Listen Carefully and Say That Again: Providing Learners with an Authentic Situation for Communication" by Naoko Yamaga (lecturer at Tokyo Junshin Women's College); "Shadowing Instead of Silence: Helping Learners to Make Conversation" by Julia Harper-Tanaka (English-language teacher) and "Apology or Complaint?--Japanese Elderly People's Pragmatic Strategies" by Sayoko Yamashita (professor at Tokyo Medical and Dental University).
Harper introduced her research results on the effect of shadowing in teaching elderly learners at beginners' level. Harper recorded their English conversations and showed how their hearing ability improved after they practiced shadowing. She listed the benefits of shadowing--easily done and fun; allows learners to converse and negotiate meaning by using the language of others rather than creating new language; and allows for meaningful repetition practice.
Yamashita made a presentation based on her study of the way elderly Japanese people speak in realization of a particular speech act. She explained that elderly Japanese apologize and complain differently from Japanese people of other age groups, as well as differently from native speakers of English who live in the United States. Based on the data from a picture-based questionnaire, which was intended to elicit apologetic responses from participants of various ages, Yamashita conducted group interviews with some elderly Japanese to learn more about their behavior!al and psychosocial reasoning. She concluded that studies using subjects from different generations are necessary in cross-cultural or international pragmatics.
The mini-conference was organized by the Graduate College of Education at Temple University, Japan Campus and the Japan Association for Language Teaching.
(Jul. 6, 2007)
The Yomiuri Shimbun
On the theme of "Authentic English and Elderly Learners: A day of sharing theory and practice," six experts in English teaching made presentations on their studies and discussed the issues with about 30 participants at a mini-conference held at the Temple University Japan Azabu campus in Tokyo on June 24.
If adult language learners should be taught English differently from younger learners, in what way should the teaching differ? After explaining and dismissing some myths related to learning and the older brain, Osaka Gakuin University Prof. Curtis Kelly said that discussion and personalization were import!ant in teaching elderly learners. He also identified students' readiness to learn as a key factor in adult education.
Kelly, who holds a doctorate in adult education, asked participants to discuss the needs of adult learners and what and how to teach them. He then introduced the theory of Malcolm Knowles, an influential professor of adult education who popularized the concept of "andragogy," which he defined as "an emerging technology for adult learning."
The themes of other presenters were varied--"Examining Age Effects on Communication Behavior!s," by Rieko Matsuoka (professor at the National College of Nursing); "Energize Your Students with Power!" by Eric Skier (lecturer in English at Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences); "Listen Carefully and Say That Again: Providing Learners with an Authentic Situation for Communication" by Naoko Yamaga (lecturer at Tokyo Junshin Women's College); "Shadowing Instead of Silence: Helping Learners to Make Conversation" by Julia Harper-Tanaka (English-language teacher) and "Apology or Complaint?--Japanese Elderly People's Pragmatic Strategies" by Sayoko Yamashita (professor at Tokyo Medical and Dental University).
Harper introduced her research results on the effect of shadowing in teaching elderly learners at beginners' level. Harper recorded their English conversations and showed how their hearing ability improved after they practiced shadowing. She listed the benefits of shadowing--easily done and fun; allows learners to converse and negotiate meaning by using the language of others rather than creating new language; and allows for meaningful repetition practice.
Yamashita made a presentation based on her study of the way elderly Japanese people speak in realization of a particular speech act. She explained that elderly Japanese apologize and complain differently from Japanese people of other age groups, as well as differently from native speakers of English who live in the United States. Based on the data from a picture-based questionnaire, which was intended to elicit apologetic responses from participants of various ages, Yamashita conducted group interviews with some elderly Japanese to learn more about their behavior!al and psychosocial reasoning. She concluded that studies using subjects from different generations are necessary in cross-cultural or international pragmatics.
The mini-conference was organized by the Graduate College of Education at Temple University, Japan Campus and the Japan Association for Language Teaching.
(Jul. 6, 2007)