ELT in Brazil

You might’ve noticed that, at ELT in Brazil, we talk about ELT from a different perspective from what you usually find out there.

We invite you to join us for a one-day online event on October 24th, from 9h to 18h, to explore key principles of instructed second language acquisition.

While most training sessions and courses focus on how to teach English, we decided to flip things around and investigate how languages are learned —so that we can teach in a way that facilitates this process.

We want to understand what language is and how learners acquire a second language so that we can design courses, lessons, interventions, and assessment systems aligned with research findings in Second Language Acquisition.

That is to say, understanding how learners go about acquiring an L2 and teaching accordingly is real learner-centeredness—not just lip service.

We have also come to the realization that most teachers haven’t had the opportunity to reflect on these issues and often resort to teaching strategies that fit the status quo—a.k.a. coursebook-driven ELT.

Though there is a general feeling that “there’s no method in modern ELT” and terms like “principled eclecticism” and “post-method” are thrown around at events, current mainstream ELT remains strikingly methodical.

Reflecting on standard classroom practices, mainstream ELT operates under several implicit assumptions about SLA:

• Grammar can be taught proactively.
• The teacher can choose what grammar rules will be taught and when.
• Grammar mirrors the treatment it receives in mainstream textbooks.
• Textbook grammar rules are psychologically real.
• These grammar rules are acquired through rounds of practice.
• It is beneficial for learners to have declarative knowledge of textbook rules.
• These grammar rules can and should be taught and mastered in isolation, one at a time.
• Language acquisition is the automatization of textbook grammar rules.

The thing is, all of these assumptions are demonstrably false. If coursebook-driven ELT is based on flawed assumptions regarding the nature of language and acquisition, we cannot expect it to be the most effective pedagogy.

It simply can’t be.

For that reason, ELT in Brazil is hosting a one-day online event on October 24th to share what we’ve been studying together.

Across 7 interlinked sessions delivered by 7 dedicated educators, you will:

• Gain a clearer understanding of the nature of language and how it is acquired
• Understand the difference between explicit and implicit knowledge/learning
• Critically analyze coursebooks to see why traditional units often conflict with SLA
• Investigate Dogme ELT and Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT)
• Explore authentic assessment alternatives
• Learn how to integrate these principles into a coherent teaching framework

In short, you’ll bridge the gap between SLA theory and classroom practice.

Programme:

The Ebook is a PDF with all the slides from all sessions, suggested reading, reflection questions, and tiny experiments you can try in your lessons.