Engelska för högstadiet och gymnasiet Webbkonferens

Logga in via länken som mailas kl 08.00 på konferensens första dag. Föreläsningarna publiceras senast kl 09.00. Du kan välja fritt bland föreläsningarna och titta när du vill samt så många gånger du vill.

1. Ideals and Realities: Teaching Mixed Ability Classes

Groups of students are comprised of individuals, each one with specific interests, motivations and academic experiences. In English classes, another variable is English proficiency, including previous exposure and access to the language. This combination often results in classes with widely mixed abilities. As a teacher, you might face challenges in planning and delivering effective English lessons that allow all students to reach stated course goals. This presentation aims to

• identify factors relevant to mixed ability English classes
• consider what challenges teachers of such groups face
• discuss strategies for success in teaching linguistically heterogenous groups
• apply principles in order to make materials and tasks more or less challenging to accommodate mixed ability groups.

Joseph Siegel is a senior lecturer at Stockholm University and Örebro University, where he teaches courses in language teacher education and applied linguistics. He has published a number of articles on various aspects of second language teaching and development. His new book Teaching English in Secondary School: A handbook for teachers (2022) combines international perspectives on second language education with the Swedish context.

2. Effektiv ordinlärning i engelskundervisningen

Många elever förstår betydligt fler engelska ord än de själva använder. Hur hjälper vi dem att utöka sitt ordförråd produktivt, särskilt i spontant tal? Hur väljer vi vilka ord som eleverna ska möta i undervisningen? Vilka ord är mest användbara, och hur arbetar vi systematiskt med dem? Föreläsningen utgår från aktuell forskning om ordinlärning och ger förslag på hur lärare kan arbeta med nya ord i klassrummet utifrån planering, formelstrukturer och produktiv kunskap.

Per Snoder är fil.dr i språkdidaktik vid Stockholms universitet. Han undervisar lärarstudenter i engelska och forskar om ordkunskap. Hans nya bok Ord och uttryck i språkundervisningen (2022) sammanfattar teori och forskning om ordinlärning i ett andra/främmande språk. Per har en bakgrund som engelsklärare på högstadiet och gymnasiet.

3. Sämre på svenska men bättre på engelska? Trender i läsförståelse bland svenska tonåringar

Oron för elevers minskade läsning är stor och larmen avlöser varandra, men vad visar egentligen forskningen? En nypublicerad studie har samlat in material från de verbala delarna i högskoleprovet, för att undersöka hur trender i akademisk läsförståelse har sett ut bland svenska tonåringar 2012–2018. Resultatet visar två tydliga men motsatta mönster. Samtidigt som ungdomarnas förmåga att förstå akademiska ord och texter på svenska har en nedåtgående trend, har deras akademiska läsförståelse på engelska blivit bättre. Hur kan vi tolka detta resultat, och vilka konsekvenser får det för engelskundervisningen på högstadiet och gymnasiet?

John Löwenadler är docent i språkdidaktik vid Göteborgs universitet, där han undervisar i språkdidaktik och forskar om olika aspekter av språkinlärning.

4. Writing Skills – Practical Strategies for the Classroom

All of our students have enthusiastic writers inside them that are trying to get out. As teachers, we need to give our young writers the tools they need to get started quickly on each text, communicate their ideas clearly, and finish up! How can we inspire and challenge each individual student at the right level? Which mistakes are important to catch and correct? Which grammar points are useful to teach, and in what order? How do we give feedback that keeps student motivation high? And how do we do all these things without burning ourselves out in the process? Bring a pen or a laptop so we can try out some fun ways to break down writing skills into a series of small, separate exercises.

Gail Davison Blad is an American-born journalist-turned-English-teacher with more than 20 years’ experience of teaching English at mellanstadiet, högstadiet, gymnasiet, Komvux and Yrkeshögskolan. She is the author of Really Inspiring, Boost Your English, Write On 1–3 and a co-author of the Wings 8 and Wings 9 workbooks. She has also written a young adult novel, The Same Stars, designed for use in the classroom.

5. The Role of Literary Texts in the Swedish EFL Classroom: Why, What and How?

Due to the sparse guidelines in the syllabus of English regarding literary texts, EFL teachers must make certain decisions based on their individual interpretations. Some pertinent questions arise in this regard. A recent study focuses on the decisions and dilemmas of upper secondary EFL teachers in Sweden, with respect to literary texts. The presentation will take you through of the results of the study as well as present some important conclusions and advice regarding classroom use of literature:

• Why should teachers focus on literary texts in EFL?
• What are or should be the functions of these texts?
• What texts should a teacher choose?
• How should these texts be approached?

Catharina Wolcott is a lecturer in English at the University of Skövde. She is also a qualified upper secondary teacher of English and Spanish with 15 years of teaching experience at this level. Catharina’s presentation is based on her PhD thesis The Role of Literary Texts in the Swedish Upper Secondary EFL Classroom: The Teacher Perspective (2022).

6. Why African Literature? The Value of Teaching African Writing in Sweden Today

African novels have been flourishing in the world literary market this past decade, with authors like Abdulrazak Gurnah receiving the Nobel Prize for Literature and Damon Galgut winning the Booker Prize. Does this upturn in interest in African fiction give readers an understanding of what it is like being black in the political afterlives of colonialism and apartheid? In this talk, we will address the ways in which African literature enables teachers to build new ways of addressing racism, without creating feelings of guilt, anger and distrust in the classroom.

Ashleigh Harris is Professor of English Literature at Uppsala University. She was born in Zimbabwe and studied in South Africa, where she also taught at university level before coming to Sweden. She is the author of Afropolitanism and the Novel: De-Realizing Africa (2019) and is currently working on a monograph entitled Literary Form Beyond the Book in Southern Africa.

7. Learning English through games

Games have great potential for language teaching, far beyond being entertaining and motivating. When games are used correctly, students practise the very skills they need to be successful users of the language, both in the classroom and in the world outside. Playing with and/or against others also makes students engaged to a degree which is hard to achieve through other means. In this lecture, you will learn how to harness the power of games, not merely to make lessons more interesting, but ultimately to help your students take their English to the next level.

Olle Linge is a language teacher, lecturer and writer, with a special interest in second language acquisition. He teaches professional development courses for language teachers at Uppsala University and Chinese for specific purposes at Linköping University.

 8. Pronunciation – Why, When and How in Secondary School?
Pronunciation instruction is sometimes neglected by English teachers, but when taught correctly, pronunciation can contribute greatly to students’ confidence in English and their ability to be understood. This interactive presentation guides you through the principles from the current curriculum, presents research about pronunciation and gives you concepts and tools for empowering your students’ oral proficiency.

• Why is pronunciation difficult to learn?
• What is the connection between pronunciation and listening?
• Which aspects of pronunciation should we focus on and which are less important?
• How can we help students who have difficulties with pronunciation?

Mara Haslam, Ph.D, is a Senior Lecturer in English at the Department of Teaching and Learning at Stockholm University. She has been a language teacher and a teacher educator for more than 20 years. Her research focuses in part on helping to identify which aspects of English pronunciation are most important for communication.