Although English language teaching professionals are commi ed to ongoing continuous professional ... more Although English language teaching professionals are commi ed to ongoing continuous professional development, economic and workload factors may impede their ability to a end a traditional 2-day annual conference. Teachers have turned to social media as an alternative approach to self-directed professional development. In particular, Twi er has become the choice of many educators with its potential for networking and collaboration. There are scheduled Twi er chats held regularly on a variety of topics of interest to language teaching professionals, including #CdnELTchat. In addition, connected educators have built a community of practice on the Twi er platform and provide inspiration and support to their colleagues online. In this article, four connected educators who have found their community on Twi er share their stories of how they got started on Twi er, how they connected with each other, and what they value about the open Twi er platform. Bien que les professionnels de l'enseignement de l'anglais s'engagent à poursuivre un perfectionnement professionnel continu, des facteurs économiques ou des charges de travail peuvent les empêcher d'assister à une conférence annuelle tra-ditionnelle de 2 jours. Les enseignantes et enseignants trouvent dans les réseaux sociaux une solution de rechange qui leur permet de veiller à leur propre perfec-tionnement professionnel. Twi er, notamment, est le nouveau choix de nombreux éducateurs et éducatrices en raison des possibilités de réseautage et de collaboration qu'il présente. Des sessions de clavardage ont régulièrement lieu sur une variété de sujets présentant un intérêt pour les professionnels de l'enseignement des langues, et ce, notamment sur #CdnELTchat. Qui plus est, les éducatrices et éducateurs connectés ont construit une communauté de praticiens sur la plate-forme Twi er et fournissent une inspiration et un soutien à leurs collègues en ligne. Dans cet article, quatre éducatrices connectées qui ont découvert leur com-munauté sur Twi er décrivent comment elles ont commencé à se servir de Twit-ter, comment elles se sont connectées les unes aux autres, et ce qu'elles apprécient le plus sur la plateforme ouverte de Twi er.
Canadian Modern Language Review-revue Canadienne Des Langues Vivantes, 2011
Although considerable research has examined the use of literature in the second language (L2) cla... more Although considerable research has examined the use of literature in the second language (L2) classroom, there has been less investigation into the integration of learners' personal stories in the English as a second language (ESL) classroom. Following Wajnryb's (2003) categorizations of story as language learning, genre, and the creation of what she termed a 'storied classroom,' this study explores the ways in which learners' stories are used in the ESL classroom. Five ESL instructors and nine adult ESL learners enrolled in ESL classes at a settlement agency in Edmonton were interviewed about the practice, benefits, and challenges of incorporating personal stories into the L2 classroom. Participants perceived that story promoted language learning, an understanding of genre, and community building, while also enhancing authenticity, affect, and motivation. This article provides guidelines and recommends resources for using personal story in the adult ESL classroom.
Although English language teaching professionals are commi ed to ongoing continuous professional ... more Although English language teaching professionals are commi ed to ongoing continuous professional development, economic and workload factors may impede their ability to a end a traditional 2-day annual conference. Teachers have turned to social media as an alternative approach to self-directed professional development. In particular, Twi er has become the choice of many educators with its potential for networking and collaboration. There are scheduled Twi er chats held regularly on a variety of topics of interest to language teaching professionals, including #CdnELTchat. In addition, connected educators have built a community of practice on the Twi er platform and provide inspiration and support to their colleagues online. In this article, four connected educators who have found their community on Twi er share their stories of how they got started on Twi er, how they connected with each other, and what they value about the open Twi er platform. Bien que les professionnels de l'enseignement de l'anglais s'engagent à poursuivre un perfectionnement professionnel continu, des facteurs économiques ou des charges de travail peuvent les empêcher d'assister à une conférence annuelle tra-ditionnelle de 2 jours. Les enseignantes et enseignants trouvent dans les réseaux sociaux une solution de rechange qui leur permet de veiller à leur propre perfec-tionnement professionnel. Twi er, notamment, est le nouveau choix de nombreux éducateurs et éducatrices en raison des possibilités de réseautage et de collaboration qu'il présente. Des sessions de clavardage ont régulièrement lieu sur une variété de sujets présentant un intérêt pour les professionnels de l'enseignement des langues, et ce, notamment sur #CdnELTchat. Qui plus est, les éducatrices et éducateurs connectés ont construit une communauté de praticiens sur la plate-forme Twi er et fournissent une inspiration et un soutien à leurs collègues en ligne. Dans cet article, quatre éducatrices connectées qui ont découvert leur com-munauté sur Twi er décrivent comment elles ont commencé à se servir de Twit-ter, comment elles se sont connectées les unes aux autres, et ce qu'elles apprécient le plus sur la plateforme ouverte de Twi er.
Canadian Modern Language Review-revue Canadienne Des Langues Vivantes, 2011
Although considerable research has examined the use of literature in the second language (L2) cla... more Although considerable research has examined the use of literature in the second language (L2) classroom, there has been less investigation into the integration of learners' personal stories in the English as a second language (ESL) classroom. Following Wajnryb's (2003) categorizations of story as language learning, genre, and the creation of what she termed a 'storied classroom,' this study explores the ways in which learners' stories are used in the ESL classroom. Five ESL instructors and nine adult ESL learners enrolled in ESL classes at a settlement agency in Edmonton were interviewed about the practice, benefits, and challenges of incorporating personal stories into the L2 classroom. Participants perceived that story promoted language learning, an understanding of genre, and community building, while also enhancing authenticity, affect, and motivation. This article provides guidelines and recommends resources for using personal story in the adult ESL classroom.
Uploads
Papers by Bonnie Nicholas