ABOUT THESE TASKS
These tasks are for anyone who enjoys thinking about issues in #TESOL & #AppliedLinguistics. They encourage you to access You Tube talks and to critically reflect. If you are already on social media (SM) Personal Learning Networks (#PLNs) you may wish to share and perhaps comment through your established channels. If you are not, but would like to get a bit more into it, then we provide some suggestions. Our task focuses on our particular Keynote talks and SM outlets. However, you could of course use any talks that you like and post on other networks such as Instagram or Tik Tok. Many students on registered courses will be on an institution-based Virtual Learning Environment (#VLE) such as Moodle or Blackboard which are ideal spaces to share with others on your course. Course leaders, teachers, lecturers and academics may want to encourage your staff and\or students to undertake such activity – many of our talks are ideal input material for Continuing Professional Development (#CPD) as well as the #flippedclassroom. Completing a task like the one below will hopefully help to develop your own PLN via SM as a professional space.
GETTING STARTED
Our YouTube channel is available from our homepage at WWW.TESOLacademic.org However, the tasks below encourage you to work through several steps before watching a talk. Task 1 is an optional starting place, if you fancy the challenge and feel it may be helpful to survey the field. Once you’ve completed the table below you’ll need to check your answers from our #GoogleDocs database https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/17m_ALDQRzKeLRlJYyLkEchpD4PY1qxBu_zdK52xYj1A/edit?usp=sharing and looking at our Keynotes which are classified as “KN” and are listed in column F “Ref”.
Task 1 SURVEYING the FIELD:
A – Pre-viewing task. Before you start to explore some of the talks in more detail it’s a good idea to get an overall sense of who is working in what particular area. Try and match the numbers (Keynote speaker) to the letters (key words in the title). NOTE – in some cases key words are clearly linked to a specific Keynote speaker, but a number will prove more difficult, it is suggested that you start with the obvious ones and come back to the rest after that. Don’t worry if you can’t get them all.
| KEYNOTE SPEAKER | Keywords in title |
| 1 Keith Johnson | A mediation between researchers and practitioners |
| 2 Anne Burns | B critical dimensions in applied linguistics |
| 3 David Nunan | C transcultural issues |
| 4 Amy Tsui | D task-based pedagogy |
| 5 David Little | E psychology in language teaching and learning |
| 6 Paul Nation | F language testing |
| 7 Martin Cortazzi | G methodology and a personal pedagogy |
| 8 Jennifer Jenkins | H development of and issues in Applied Linguistics |
| 9 Alastair Pennycook | I form-focused instruction |
| 10 Vivian Cook | J vocabulary size tests |
| 11 Tony Lynch | K intercultural communication |
| 12 Robert Phillipson | L growth of ELT and for TESOL professionalism |
| 13 Ted Rodgers | M comprehensible input and excessive testing |
| 14 Adrian Holliday | N SLA for language teachers |
| 15 Mike McCarthy | O complexity theory |
| 16 Nina Spada | P materials and coursebooks |
| 17 Stephen Krashen | Q genre and EAP |
| 18 Rod Ellis | R English as a Lingua Franca |
| 19 Diane Larsen-Freeman | S linguistic imperialism |
| 20 John Swales | T action research |
| 21 Glenn Fulcher | U spoken corpora |
| 22 Scott Thornbury | V expertise and teacher development |
| 23 Sarah Mercer | W L2 listening |
| 24 Brian Tomlinson | X learner autonomy |
B – Check your answers – some are probably more obvious than others and if you are unable to complete them all you can always Google these speakers for more about their work.
Task 2 WATCHING, REFLECTING, SUMMARISING:
Choose a specific Keynote YouTube talk to watch. Think about the topics that interest you; the understanding that you already have; the influential scholars who you’ve heard of or read about etcetera.
As an optional extra before watch a specific Keynote from start to finish you may want to note a few questions that you think or hope will be answered in the talk. As you watch note the answers and/or make notes on what for you are key takeaways. Reflect on the content and whether it influences your thinking and\or what implications it may have for your practice.
Task 2A SHARING on socials:
If you are on a TESOL or Applied Linguistics course you may have a VLE as part of your course. Use this and\or your existing additional networks to share the YouTube talk and include something from your notes or ask a question. If you are new to this and yet to establish a PLN on SM you might want to look at … 2B, 2C or 2D.
Task 2B SHARING on X \ TWITTER:
Write a very short “critical reflection summary” of the Keynote in a Tweet which includes a link to the YouTube talk and #TESOL. If space allows include @tesolacademic within the Tweet and we may retweet (RT) to our followers which hopefully helps you to generate a conversation and grow your network.
Task 2C SHARING on FACEBOOK:
As for Tasks 2 A&B, but share the link, together with a critical reflection summary on the TESOLacademic Facebook Group. Note: TESOLacademic is a closed moderated group – you need to join, but we do not become friends, so please don’t ask! All posts go to the editor for approval before going live (see guidelines on the Facebook page).
Task 2D COMMENTING on our YOUTUBE CHANNEL
Why not add a comment to the video and start a dialogue about its content?
It is hoped that you have found these suggestions interesting and relevant, if so please keep sharing.
TESOLAcademic.org 