Where you stand determines what you see
Abstract
Perspective is everything. Learning experiences provide opportunities to notice, reflect, and influence not only individual classrooms but how we as teachers perceive language, the learning process, and effective teaching practices. There are not magic pills or technologies (yet!) that enable instant fluency, and learning a language is a continuous, and often fraught, journey. Insights from the language learning experience can be exploited to reaffirm and question practice as well as to gain new perspectives on ELT theory and approaches. This keynote will focus on the stance of the presenter as learner and draw connections to relevant aspects of cognitive science and memory, the ecology of language learning, socio-emotional intelligence, and critical thinking. Reminded and encouraged to notice – and learn – teachers can strengthen their own professionalism while empowering learners to succeed.
Biodata
Jennifer Uhler is the Regional English Language Officer based in Brasilia and works with the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Brazil to support Public Diplomacy programs that promote quality English language teaching and learning. She has previously served as a RELO in Washington, D.C., Indonesia and East Timor, and Central Asia. Before joining the U.S. Department of State, Jennifer was an instructor in the English as a Foreign Language Program at Georgetown University and an adjunct professor of TESOL at American University in Washington, DC. Abroad, she has worked in many capacities, including as an English Language Fellow in Estonia, an English Language Specialist in Austria, a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Romania, a bilingual education teacher in Mexico, and a Peace Corps Volunteer in Slovakia. In addition, she has worked with the University of Montana and the Korean National University of Education in their capstone teacher training program. Jennifer holds bachelor’s degrees in Spanish and English from Augustana College and a master’s degree in TESOL and Language Program Administration from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey. Her professional interests include using technology to enhance teaching, content-based instruction, and curriculum design.