May 2012 ELT Event

Dear BRAZ-TESOL friends,

I am delighted to announce our May 2012 event in Natal:

Beyond Formulas, Towards Results

DATE | 26 May 2012

VENUE | FACULDADE MAURÍCIO DE NASSAU | Avenida Engenheiro Roberto Freire, 1514 – Capim Macio, Natal – RN, 59080-400 | (84) 3344-7800| mauriciodenassau.edu.br/ | Google Maps: http://g.co/maps/m8zdc

PROGRAMME

14:00 – 14:15  Opening (Room 114)

14:15 – 15:05  Plenary – Promoting individual attention within large groups (Room 114)

15:05 – 15:30  Break

15:30 – 16:30  Concurrent Workshops (Rooms 112 & 113)

16:30 – 17:30  Plenary – Beyond formulas, towards results. (Room 114)

17:30 – 17:50  Closing & Raffle (Room 114)

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PLENARY | Eduardo Santos

Promoting individual attention within large groups. (Room 114)

Teaching English to large groups may sometimes lead to the lack of learner’s individual attention. Is it possible to address the needs of individual students and still keep the others engaged in the lesson? This talk aims at discussing key issues suggested by the Demand-High Teaching movement and identified in my own classroom observations.

Eduardo Santos (BA in Languages, UFPE) has been working in the ELT industry for over 10 years. He worked for private language institutions and OUP in the past. He is now a freelance academic consultant and teacher trainer based in Recife. Eduardo is currently completing the Cambridge DELTA.

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WORKSHOPS

The power of body language in the EFL Classroom (Room 112) | Ana Beatriz M. M. Guilherme & Teresinha Iris Viana

The purpose of this workshop is to show the importance of body language in the process of teaching and learning. Participants will have access to specific information about the use of body language as a natural process of communication and will take part in a variety of simple activities for children, adolescents and adults that can supplement their classes in a fun, interactive way.

Ana Beatriz M. M. Guilherme is a language teacher and director of ProEnglish. She is currently completing a lato sensu postgraduate programme in ELT at Universidade Potiguar. Beatriz is also the current vice-president of the BRAZ-TESOL Natal chapter.

Teresinha Iris Viana is an experienced language teacher having worked with learners of various levels and age ranges. She is currently teaching at ProEnglish.

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Assessing free-speaking activities (Room 113) | Dyêgo Saraiva & Patrícia Guedes

In this workshop participants reflect upon a range of different free-speaking activities according to specific criteria as proposed in a training course developed by ELT author Scott Thornbury. Participants will experience a speaking activity, will reflect upon criteria for assessing such activities and will be encouraged to apply these criteria for a range of speaking activities.

Dyêgo Saraiva holds a degree in Letras from UFRN (2007) and is a CELTA certified teacher. He also holds a lato sensu postgraduate degree in ELT from UFRN.

Patrícia Guedes has 10 years of experience in English teaching and holds the ICELT. She is currently pursuing a degree in Letras at UFRN.

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PLENARY | Steve Barlow

Beyond formulas, towards results (Room 114)

One of the ways of interpreting the history of English teaching is to see it through the lens of trends, methods and approaches: which have been in vogue at which point in time? These trends often reflect radically different views of language and language teaching.

This presentation will try to give participants a bird’s-eye view of the most significant approaches over the last decades and suggest what we have learnt from the experience of embracing these trends. Even though we appear to be lacking an all-encompassing method in contemporary teaching, everyday choices we make while we are teaching may well be a result of the beliefs that our predecessors had in choosing method A over method B. As a result, various researchers appear to have reached consensus views of what can be considered sound, present-day classroom practice. The main focus of this  presentation will be on the implications of these views, and participants will be asked to reflect if they  are relevant to their everyday teaching.

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REGISTRATIONS

To register, please send your name, phone number and institution to braztesolrn@gmail.com by 25 May, 2012 (Friday). This is a free event and we have a limited number of seats, so we are forced to operate on a first-come first-serve basis (as soon as we reach the maximum number of participants, registrations will close).

For further information, please contact Ercília Dâmaris at braztesolrn@gmail.com

All the very best,

Fernando Guarany Jr

President

BRAZ-TESOL RN

www.braztesol.org.br

www.btrn.org

“The more we are, the stronger we become”

Teaching Unplugged Course with Luke Meddings in Natal, Brazil | July 2012

Click here to download the course Information Sheet and Registration Form.

View a larger version of the poster here or download the PDF version.

Looking back, looking forward

Founded in early 2010, the BRAZ-TESOL Natal Chapter is commited to generating professional development opportunities for the ELT community in Rio Grande do Norte (and beyond). We would now like to share with you some of the activities we organised in 2011 and others we are planning for 2012. If you would like to collaborate with us in the organisation of events or have any suggestions, please do contact us through. You can also find us on Facebook  and Twitter.

“The more we are, the stronger we become.” | Some members of the BRAZ-TESOL Natal Chapter at a recent event: (From left to right) Ercília Dâmaris, Dyêgo Saraiva, Fernando Guarany, Wadson Correa, Patrícia Guedes, Andrea Zielke, Fiona Porpino, Janaína Weissheimer and Beatriz Guilherme.

1. 2011 started with Classroom Language Course for 15 teachers in partnership with the British Council. In this 30-hour (two-week) course held at ProEnglish school in Natal, participants had the opportunity to reflect on and discuss their English language teaching theory and practice through a number of workshops guided by course tutor Fernando Guarany. The topics ranged from Presenting New Language to Giving Instructions, Pronunciation to General Classroom Management.

2. In July there were two events: a) Tips on How to Develop a Teaching Career with trainer Julian Kenny (reported here ) and, three weeks later, b) Teacher trainer and author Paul Seligson who discussed perceived strengths and weaknesses of teachers on several CELTA courses he’s tutored in Brazil.

3. In October we gathered at Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN) for the BRAZ-TESOL – 25 Years Making a Difference in ELT event. The event had Andrea Zielke sharing her experience taking the CELTA course, Janaina Weissheimer with the talk Netlearning: Beyond the Wow! Factor and Fernando Guarany who discussed the principles behind Dogme,a pedagogy of bare essentials.

4. Our November event, Creative Ideas for Effective Language Teaching, invited teachers to submit proposals for presentation. There were three workshops and talks presented by individual speakers: Dyego Saraiva, Rafael Freire, Patricia Guedes and one workshop presented by Daisy Kelly, Janaina Oliveira, Lucimara Patrício and Elaine Câmara.

5. Before the year was over, BRAZ-TESOL Natal chapter president, Fernando Guarany opened the UFRN: I Jornada de Ensino de Inglês como Língua Estrangeira (JEAILE) with the talk ‘On Being a Teacher’ discussing through the use of metaphor how teachers from different backgrounds and contexts might view the profession.

2012 also promises to be a truly exciting year for the BRAZ-TESOL RN community. There are already two events confirmed: a one-day seminar to take place in late May and a teacher development course in July. More details very soon.

Stay tuned!

13th BRAZ-TESOL National Convention

Come and share.

Come and network.

Come and teach.

Come and have fun.

Come and learn.

Come and experience the 13th BRAZ-TESOL National Convention in Rio.

The more we are, the stronger we become.

Find out more on www.braztesol.org.br

UFRN: I Jornada de Ensino de Inglês com Língua Estrangeira (JEAILE)

Dear ELT Professional,

We would like to encourage you to participate in this important English Language Teaching event organised by UFRN Professors Orlando and Janaina:

I Jornada de Ensino de Inglês com Língua Estrangeira (JEAILE)

Venue: UFRN | Sala C4 – Bloco II

Time: 8.30 – 12:30

Information: especializacaodeingles@gmail.com

The PDF with the event’s programme is available here.

Looking forward to seeing you,

Fernando Guarany Jr

President

BRAZ-TESOL RN

www.btrn.org

www.braztesol.org.br 

 

I JEAILE Programação

Creative Ideas for Effective Language Teaching

Dear Friends,

The end of 2011 is drawing near, but we still have time for one more ELT event in Natal:

Creative Ideas for Effective Language Teaching

DATE | 26 November 2011

VENUE | ESCOLA LÁPIS DE COR |Rua Amintas Barros, 2823 – Lagoa Nova  Natal – RN, 59063-250 84 3231.2305 | http://www.lapisdecornatal.com.br/ | Google Maps: http://g.co/maps/6cmy6

PROGRAMME

14:00 – 14:15 | Opening

14:15 – 15:00 | Concurent Sessions 1 & 2

15:00 – 15:30 | Coffee Break

15:30 – 16:15 | Concurrent Sessions 3 & 4

16:15 – 16:45 | Raffle and Announcements

16:45 – 17:00 | Closing

 SESSIONS

1. Classroom Management: Ideas to Promote Interaction in EFL Classes | Dyêgo Saraiva | Presentation

In this presentation, participants will be invited to reflect upon their practice concerning classroom management both in small and large groups. We will discuss effective ways of calling students’ attention, grouping for different tasks/activities, promoting more interaction, as well as other features of classroom management. In the end, participants will analyze a sample of a lesson plan having in mind what they were exposed in the session.

Dyêgo Saraiva holds a degree in Letras from UFRN (2007) and is a CELTA certified teacher. He is currently following a programme in ‘Especializaçao em Ensino de Lingua Inglesa’ at UFRN which should be completed in December 2011.

2. One to One 101 – What to Consider When Taking the First Steps into Private Classes | Rafael Freire | Presentation

Private one to one classes have always been part of any teacher’s life, whether going to students’ houses or having students over. Teaching one to one might sound easy and just like a hobby, but it really isn’t. It requires a lot of effort, research and hard work from the teacher. During this presentation, aimed at those who already teach or are taking the first steps into teaching private classes, I am going to quickly analyze and talk about the different aspects of teaching private students and one to one classes, covering a wide range of topics such as needs analysis, materials development, dress code and teacher behaviour, how to evaluate students using the Common European Framework (CEF), the role of the teacher, the advantages and disadvantages of one to one classes and I will also show an example of an “approach” I used with one of my students and myself when preparing for the TOEFL exam effectively.

Rafael Medeiros has been an EFL teacher for about 5 years. He is currently teaching regular classes at Yázigi Natal and private one to one classes at J&R – Serviços em Inglês: professores particulares, tradutores e intérpretes.

3. Teaching Young Learners: Some Simple and Effective Ideas | Daisy Kelly, Janaina Oliveira, Lucimara Patrício and Elaine Câmara | Workshop

Some people believe teaching kids is too chaotic to be theoretically explained, and that keeping their attention is really a herculean task. We however, would like to share some simple techniques which will show that we can not only go beyond playing in the classroom, but also keep kids’ attention in spite of their varied interests. Although teaching kids is no stranger to storytelling, songs, games and craft making, we would like to present a simple yet effective way of using them to prepare for a productive class, of which content will be better assimilated by the children.

Daisy Kelly, Janaina Oliveira, Lucimara Patrício are EFL teachers at ESCOLA LÁPIS DE COR BILÍNGUE and Elaine Câmara is an EFL teacher at ESCOLA MAPPLE BEAR.

 4. Portfolios: The Development of the Four Skills in Multimodal Activities | Patrícia Guedes | Presentation

The presentation introduces the concept of a portfolio, followed by background information on how the project started. I will then describe how the project was to affect the main areas it involved, namely homework and assessment. Next, I will show some samples of students’ work and their feedback on the project. Finally I will present numbers concerning students’ participation and the changes to be made for the following semester. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions at the end of the presentation.

Patrícia Guedes has 10 years of experience in English teaching, holds an ICELT and is particularly interested in the use of multimodal activities in ELT.

REGISTRATIONS

To register, please send your name, phone number and institution to braztesolrn@gmail.com by 25 November, 2011 (Friday). This is a free event and we have a limited number of seats, so we are forced to operate on a first-come first-serve basis (as soon as we reach the maximum number of participants, registrations will close).

For further information, please contact Ercília Dâmaris via braztesolrn@gmail.com

All the very best,

Fernando Guarany Jr

President

BRAZ-TESOL RN

www.braztesol.org.br

www.btrn.org

“Together we’re stronger”

BRAZ-TESOL Natal RN – November 2011 Event – Call for Papers

25th Anniversary Event: Slides

Hi, everyone.

Many thanks for celebrating with us yesterday at UFRN.

As promised, here are the slides for Janaina Weissheimer‘s, Andrea Zielke‘s and Fernando Guarany‘s presentations.

Janaina Weissheimer netlearning | Andrea Zielke | Fernando Guarany DOGME ELT Simplified

We are currently writing a report and preparing a photo gallery which should be posted soon. So, be on the lookout!

Cheers,

Dyêgo Saraiva | BTRN Helper

October 2011 Event: BRAZ-TESOL – 25 Years Making a Difference in ELT

Dear friends,

To celebrate BRAZ-TESOL’s 25th Anniversary, we have organised a special event for the ELT community:

BRAZ-TESOL: 25 Years Making a Difference in ELT (8 October 2011 at UFRN)

TALKS

Netlearning: Beyond the Wow! Factor

Times have changed and electronic media dominate students’ lives as part of an increasingly connected world. In this context, teachers who don’t help students develop a whole new repertoire of skills and practices seem to be doing them a disservice. This talk aims at reflecting on the impact of new media on foreign language teaching and learning, more specifically, video games, wiki technology, podcasts and mashups. Some of the issues discussed in light of digital technology are:  collaborative learning; collective intelligence; active engagement, and the new roles that both teachers and learners perform. The talk provides opportunities for participants to examine ways of thinking about new media associated with their use and implications for foreign language teaching and learning.

 

Janaína Weissheimer is Professor at the Foreign Languages and Literatures Department at UFRN and permanent member of its Post-Graduation Programme on Language Studies. Her main areas of interest are cognitive aspects of SLA (Second Language Acquisition), bilingualism, and technology-mediated foreign language learning and teaching. She taught at Cultura Inglesa in Porto Alegre and Salvador for over 17 years and is a Cambridge Oral Examiner.

 

Dogme ELT: A Pedagogy of Bare Essentials

In his 2000 article ‘A dogma for EFL’, author Scott Thornbury argued that real communication in the language classroom was being buried under an avalanche of materials (course books, photocopies, CDs, DVDs, etc). He suggested it was time for a change. It was time to focus back on the people in the classroom through ‘a pedagogy of bare essentials,’ later named Dogme Language Teaching. In this session participants should gain a bird’s eye view of the three pillars of Dogme. Through a conversational style participants will have the opportunity to discuss and reflect on the key principles of this ‘approach’ and what it has to offer.

 

Fernando Guarany is an ELT enthusiast and a frequent conference speaker. He works at Cultura Inglesa Natal as a teacher and Cambridge ESOL examiner. He has delivered both online and face-to-face teacher training for the British Council for a number of years. His main interests include practical applications for academic theories, continuing professional development (CPD) and online distance education. Fernando is co-founder and current president of the BRAZ-TESOL RN chapter. He’s on twitter: @fguarany

 

Programme

14:00 | Opening: Welcome and BRAZ-TESOL’s Mission by Ana Graça Canan (UFRN);

14:15 | A warmer by Wadson Correia (Cultura Inglesa/UFRN);

14:30 | Netlearning: Beyond the Wow! Factor by Janaina Weissheimer (UFRN);

15:20 | Coffee Break

15:40 | Professional Development: A teacher’s account by Andrea Zielke (Yázigi);

16:00 | Dogme ELT: A Pedagogy of Bare Essentials by Fernando Guarany (Cultura Inglesa);

16:50 | Closing.

Date | Saturday, 8 October 2011

Time| 14:00 – 17:30

Venue| UFRN |Bloco 2 |Sala i16

Registrations| to register, please send your name, phone number and institution to braztesolrn@gmail.com by 5 October, 2011. This is a free event and we have only 60 seats available, so we will have to operate on a first-come first-serve basis (as soon as we reach 60 participants, registrations will close). We will kindly ask you to re-confirm attendance 24 hours prior to the event.

For further information, please contact Ercília Dâmaris or Patrícia Guedes via braztesolrn@gmail.com

All the very best,

Beatriz Guilherme

First Vice-President

BRAZ-TESOL RN

www.braztesol.org.br

www.btrn.org

Job opportunity

Dear Friends,

We are pleased to share the following job opportunity with the local ELT community:

English Teachers

are invited to apply for a Language Consultant position!

We are an International Publisher looking for professionals who:

have strong interpersonal skills;

have commercial awareness;

are enthusiastic and energetic;

function well in teamwork;

are results-oriented;

have a driving license and availability to travel.

 Please send your CV to curriculos.envio@gmail.com

All the best,

Fernando Guarany Jr

President

BRAZ-TESOL Natal RN

www.braztesol.org.br

www.btrn.org