Speaker
Description
Plenary Session
Shoko Sasayama
The ability to communicate effectively in a new language is an essential goal for many second language (L2) learners. A key foundation for achieving this goal is the idea that learners acquire a language best experientially, by using it to engage in and accomplish relevant communication tasks (Dewey, 1938; Long, 2014). But, how should the tasks be selected, designed, and sequenced to support meaningful language learning? Drawing on research from instructed second language acquisition and task-based language teaching, I will explore key principles of syllabus and lesson design that optimize L2 acquisition, with a particular emphasis on the design of tasks. A critical first step towards effective language lessons is to establish clear learning outcomes in terms of target tasks—real-world tasks that students should learn how to perform. With these goals established, pedagogic tasks can be designed strategically to scaffold learners towards developing the language required for accomplishing the target tasks. We know from accumulated research evidence that by changing design characteristics, we can alter the difficulty of a task and thereby encourage L2 learners to focus on different aspects of their production, comprehension, interaction, and learning (Sasayama et al., 2025). Effective lesson design also involves gauging students’ learning through assessment tasks designed carefully to ensure meaningful progress. I will share actual classroom examples to demonstrate these key principles of syllabus, lesson, and task design in practice.
Summary
Based on a large-scale research synthesis on second language (L2) task complexity published recently (Sasayama et al., 2025), I will explore key principles of syllabus and lesson design that optimize L2 acquisition, with a particular emphasis on the design of tasks. With theoretical underpinnings in mind, I will share actual classroom examples to demonstrate the key principles of meaningful learning, teaching, and assessment task design in practice.
| Teaching Context | General |
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