Teachers' Day 2011

8th Teachers' Day

Helping learners mediate between cultures

SCHEDULE

OPENINGWelcome and introduction
9:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.

For the university:

The University President Prof. Dr. Volker Linneweber

 

For the Ministry of Education:

Superintendent of Schools Saarland Joachim Mohr

 

For the department:

Prof. Astrid M. Fellner

  
PRESENTATION 
9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

Wolfgang Hallet (Gießen)

 

Mediating between languages and cultures. The manifold processes and competences of interlingual communication.

  
10:30 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.COFFEE BREAK
  
WORKSHOPS 
11:15 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.Debbie Coetzee-Lachmann (Osnabrück)
 

Developing and using rating scales to assess performance on mediation tasks

This workshop explores ways in which teachers can frame the rating process and the application of rating scales based on an understanding of the social mechanisms governing communication and on the quality criteria for language testing. The aim is to provide teachers with a framework that can support them in making reflective, confident judgments and in giving learners helpful feedback on their performances on a specific task. Drawing from socioliterate theory and from the literature on language testing, scales used to rate performance on mediation tasks will be analysed as to identify possible problems they pose for the rating process and ways of addressing these.

  
 Judy Copage (Wolverhampton)
 

Dictionary skills for active use: How production dictionaries help in developing writing and speaking skills.

This workshop will look at the use of production dictionaries in mediation tasks in the classroom and for exams. Most students are aware of traditional reference ('look up') dictionaries, but how can we train learners to use a different kind of dictionary to develop a rich vocabulary for writing and speaking?  We will examine how production dictionaries work, and suggest some activities that teachers can use with their classes.

  
 Matthew George (Frankfurt)
 

Mediation is not translation.

The film „Lost in translation“ starring Bill Murray and Scarlet Johansson through its title explains a lot of the problems which occur when mediating between two languages and cultures.
So instead of translating you need to mediate between the cultures. Therefore appropriate tasks and materials are needed in the classroom.
This workshop offers a look at different materials and tasks which are available in textbooks and will show ways of adapting them using different cooperative learning techniques.

Furthermore the workshop will look at creating situations in the classroom where all pupils are activtaed and engaged in learning.
  
 

Wolfgang Hallet (Gießen)

 

Constructing tasks for interlingual mediation

Der Workshop befasst sich mit verschiedenen mehrsprachigen
Kommunikationssituationen, die Sprachmittlungsakte erfordern. Die
Teilnehmer/innen diskutierten die jeweils erforderliche Art der
Sprachmittlung, betten die Sprachmittlung in thematische und in
Sprachlernkontexte ein, ordnen sie Klassenstufen oder Lernjahren zu und erstellen  Aufgaben, die Sprachmittlungsakte initiieren.

  
 Klaus Schmitt (Saarbrücken)
 

"Who is s/he? What did s/he say?" Small Talk in Alltagssituationen für den Unterrricht aufbereitet.

Not everybody speaks English so very well—aber muss er das, damit man ihn versteht? Get to know some (native) English speakers from all over the world—straight from my hometown. Real people talking about their lives—or anything else?

  
 Dorothee Schütz (Saarbrücken) und Henry Rademacher (Saarbrücken)
 

Mediation in the classroom: Socio-cultural subtleties and knowing your audience

Mediation means different things to different teachers and learners in the foreign language classroom.  In our workshop, we will take a look at a handful of tasks one can use in mediation classes, focusing on socio-cultural subtleties of everyday situations.  Workshop participants will discuss the utility of various teaching ideas, paying particular attention to the needs of their learners.  Examples from school exams (including those from Berufsbildende Schulen) will be used, as will a variety of written texts and audio/visual media.

  
12:45 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.LUNCH BREAK
  
PRESENTATION 
1:45 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.Roger Charlton
 

Mediation in the facebook era

  
2:45 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.COFFEE BREAK
  
WORKSHOPS 
3:15 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.Debbie Coetzee-Lachmann (Osnabrück)
 see above
  
 Judy Copage (Wolverhampton)
 see above
  
 Matthew George (Frankfurt)
 see above
  
 Klaus Schmitt (Saarbrücken)
 see above
  
 Dorothee Schütz (Saarbrücken) and Henry Rademacher (Saarbrücken)
 see above
  
  
  

LOCATION

Saarland University 
  
Presentationsbuilding A3 3 (Aula)
Workshop Coetzee-Lachmannbuilding C5 3, room 4.08
Workshop Copagebuilding C5 3, room 3.24
Workshop Georgebuilding C5 3, room 2.06
Workshop Halletbuilding A3 3 (Aula)
Workshop Schmittbuilding C5 3, room 1.20
Workshop Schütz and Rademacherbuilding C5 3, room U13
  
Book exhibitionbuilding A3 3 (Aula)
  
(see university map) 

 

PARKING

Since parking on campus has become very expensive (€ 4,00/ hour), we suggest you park in one of the parking garages (€ 1,00/hour, € 3,00/day).