Description:

Your Attention Please! Do Captions Increase Language Learning?

Sue Gass (Michigan State University)

Morning Session (9:30-11:45)
This presentation will focus on the classroom use of listening-based videos with a particular focus on the use of captions for language teaching/learning in foreign language classrooms. Dr. Gass will present results from studies in which the focus was on differences in how captions are used and their relative usefulness depending on language, proficiency, and order of presentation (with and without captions). This research includes an examination of eye-tracking data from English learners of Spanish and Chinese and Arabic learners of English. The eye-tracking data, coupled with working memory data, provides insight into the attentional focus of captions and the potentially resultant split-attention effect. The presentation will end with a discussion of pedagogical implications.
Workshop Session (11:00-12:00)
Building on the idea of attention, the workshop will focus on speaking activities and the Interactionist Approach. Speaking activities are often used to reinforce what has been learned. However, in this workshop, the focus will be on speaking activities that are used to promote language learning. We will see particular examples of how we can use speaking as a way of learning with constructs such as attention, interaction, and feedback being primary in the discussion.
CLI Fall Orientation
Friday, September 16, 2016
Annenberg G22 & G15

Schedule
8:30-9:00 Breakfast (Annenberg G22)
9:00-9:30 CLI/Weinberg/MMLC Remarks (Annenberg G15)
9:30-10:30 Presentation by Susan Gass
10:45-11:00 Break
11:00-12:00 Workshop by Susan Gass