Kaiser Presents on Language Instruction, Technology

 

DJ Kaiser, associate professor and coordinator of Teaching English as a Second Language in the School of Education, will present on findings from his recent trip to South America, which was funded in part by a Faculty Research Grant.

Applications for 2016-2017 Faculty Research Grants are being accepted through Nov. 16.

Kaiser also conducted preliminary research for a U.S. Fulbright Scholars Grant, which will begin March 2016 in Uruguay. Kaiser has worked to gain a clearer picture of Ceibal en Inglés and English language teacher and teacher preparation in Uruguay.

Members of the Webster University community are invited to attend any of the two-part sessions:

Tuesday, Sept. 29

Democratizing English: Expanding English Language Instruction in Uruguay will focus on how Uruguay is providing instruction to public school children in a system where most primary school teachers have not been trained to be English teachers.

Noon-1 p.m. Brown bag (abbreviated version)
6-8 p.m. Public talk (with discussion)
Conference Room of Emerson Library (101 Edgar Rd.)

In 2008, Uruguay’s government and ministry of education made it a requirement that all primary school students in Uruguay study English. Topics will include a brief history of Uruguay’s foreign language instruction, teacher preparation in Uruguay, and their innovative Ceibal en Inglés project that brings English teachers to the classroom through teleconference.

Tuesday, Oct. 27

Technology in Bloom: Expanding Teleconference Language Instruction in Uruguay will describe how a pilot project teaching 48 groups of students in 2012 has expanded to more than 3,600 groups in 2015 with plans for further expansion.

Noon-1 p.m. Brown bag (abbreviated version)
6-8 p.m. Public talk (with discussion)
Conference Room of Emerson Library (101 Edgar Rd.)

Ceibal en Inglés provides English language instruction to public school students in Uruguay by teleconferencing an experienced English language teacher into the classroom. Topics will include data on the expansion of Ceibal en Inglés; addressing technological, linguistic, and pedagogical issues; and plans for further expansion.