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A Seminar: "Focus on Form in ESL/EFL Classrooms"

Sponsored by: Temple University Japan Graduate College of Education, JALT Tokyo Chapter, and JALT Pragmatics SIG.

TUJ Graduate College of Education , JALT Tokyo Chapter, and JALT Pragmatics SIG are pleased to announce the following seminar which will be conducted by Dr. Sandra Fotos.

Abstract

Following the introduction of communicative approaches in second language (L2) teaching in the 1980s, teachers were encouraged to believe that grammar instruction plays little or no role in L2 pedagogy. Now, however, both teachers and researchers agree on the importance of formal instruction for the attainment of accuracy and emphasize the need for a focus on grammar in communicative language teaching. This talk introduces the concept of focusing on form, discusses its evolution and describes its current scope and definition. Different input and output options for integrating form-focused instruction and meaningful communication within the EFL context are presented and discussed.

Speaker (bio-data)

Sandra S. Fotos is professor of English in the School of Economics at Senshu University. Her research interests include bilingualism, the effects of formal instruction on second language acquisition, and computer assisted language learning (CALL). Her books include Studies in Japanese Bilingualism (2000, Multilingual Matters), New Perspectives on Grammar Teaching in Second Language Classrooms (2002, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates), and New Perspectives on CALL for Second Language Classrooms (2004, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates). Her most recent book is Form-focused Instruction and Teacher Education: Studies in Honour of Rod Ellis (2007, Oxford University Press).