Speaker
Description
There have been numerous studies, papers, and books that have stated that pair and group activities can evaluate one's learning of a second language (L2). Swain, Kinnear, and Steinman (2015) have stated that "student-student interaction can constitute a vigorous ZPD". In the field of Sociocultural Theory, there are topics like near-peer role models and Zone of Proximal Adjusting (ZPA; Murphey, 1996) which discuss how students can contribute to their peers' L2 learning, even more than with teacher-centered activities. The presenter will discuss her current research on how group cohesion, either pair or group activities, has worked in her elementary first-grade classroom in Japan. The class of 26 students has an array of English levels and different strengths, which the teacher uses to arrange each pair and group (Porter, 1986). The presentation will take a look at activities that teachers can use in their classrooms, especially for those who teach elementary students, that promote group cohesion in doing and completing activities in the L2, thus letting the students be the main stakeholders of the L2 learning. The presentation will answer the question "Is it possible for young learners to produce their own L2 learning?"
Bio: Amy Braun is currently teaching first grade at Seto Solan Primary School in Seto, Aichi. She is also pursuing a Masters in TESOL at Nagoya University of Foreign Studies. Amy has been teaching for 12 years, primarily when young learners.
