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A Recap of TESOL France Colloquium 2024
Teachers from all over France and around the world descended on Paris for the TESOL France Colloquium 2024, held from November 15th to 17th. This annual event brought together educators for a weekend of learning, networking, and collaboration.
Why Intercultural Competence Matters and How to Measure It
Our Academic Relations Manager, Celestina CARDOZ-MAURY, presented on the topic of Empowering Students through Intercultural Competence (ICC). In her presentation, Celestina emphasized the critical role that teachers play in fostering intercultural competence among their learners. It is essential to recognize that teaching with intercultural competence is equally as important as teaching for intercultural competence. This requires educators to prioritize developing their own intercultural competence before guiding and assessing their students in this domain.
Research highlights that students thrive when educators draw on their own intercultural skills to create an inclusive and supportive classroom environment. By adopting an intercultural approach, teachers can effectively tackle common challenges, such as navigating their own cultural identities, understanding the diverse cultural backgrounds of their students, building a sense of community in the classroom, and addressing complex conversations with sensitivity.
Every student’s learning experience is shaped by their cultural context, just as every teacher’s instructional style is influenced by their personal background and experiences. This means educators need to continuously reflect on their teaching practices and incorporate culturally enriching strategies that enhance overall learning.
Understanding and measuring intercultural competence is crucial in understanding your learners. While over 30 ICC assessment tools are available, the ETS Research Institute provides a free ICC framework for teachers and institutions. This framework divides intercultural competence into three key dimensions: Approach, Analyze, and Act.
Approach
This dimension focuses on attitudes, such as fostering a positive cultural orientation, embracing ambiguity, and cultivating cultural self-efficacy. It moves beyond a general positive attitude to actively valuing diversity and showing a willingness to engage with different perspectives.
Analyze
The Analyze dimension emphasizes self-awareness, social monitoring, perspective-taking, and applying cultural knowledge.
Act
The final dimension involves behavior and emotion regulation. It recognizes that behaviors which are acceptable in one culture may be inappropriate in another, emphasizing the importance of adapting one’s responses in cross-cultural situations.
The framework can be downloaded for free on the ETS Research website here.
Positive Education & Mental Health Literacy
The colloquium kicked off with the Opening Plenary featuring Alicja Gałązka’s keynote entitled “Empowering Minds: Integrating Positive Education and Mental Health Literacy into Language Teaching.” Gałązka emphasized the crucial role of educators in promoting student well-being through positive psychology. Here are some key points from her presentation:
- Positive Education: The importance of integrating positive psychology into education was emphasized. Gałązka discussed how fostering positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishments can enhance both student well-being and academic performance.
- Practical Strategies: Gałązka provided practical strategies for teachers to incorporate mental health literacy into their classrooms. This included activities and approaches to help students develop resilience, manage stress, and build positive relationships.
- Empowerment through Education: The keynote underscored the idea that empowering students with knowledge and skills related to mental health can lead to better outcomes both in and out of the classroom. Her talk was well-received and sparked meaningful discussions on how educators can adapt to the changing needs of their students by embracing these holistic approaches.
3 Top AI Tools for Teachers
The colloquium was filled with various workshops and sessions. Annie Tran’s session, titled “Harnessing the Wizardry of AI with 3 AI Tools,” was particularly interesting and well-attended. Tran introduced three AI tools—Perchance, ElevenLabs, and Kapwing—that can enhance multilingual learning environments. She demonstrated how these tools can create more inclusive, efficient, and effective language teaching practices. For example, AI can help bridge language gaps in diverse classrooms, while personalized learning platforms can tailor educational content to individual student needs.
The session included live demonstrations of each tool, where participants accessed the tools on their phones or computers, showcasing their capabilities in real-time. This hands-on approach allowed attendees to see the practical benefits and potential challenges of integrating AI into their teaching. Tran engaged the audience with interactive activities and encouraged questions throughout the session.
Brain Science to Improve Learning
The morning concluded with Terry Small’s “Engaging the Brain: Using Brain Science to Improve Learning,” offering practical tips for enhancing student learning and engagement. The session was lively and interactive, filled with humor and real-life examples. Small’s engaging style kept the audience captivated and made complex concepts accessible. Here are some highlights from his engaging and informative presentation:
- Terry Small discussed how understanding brain science can significantly enhance teaching methods. He emphasized that knowing how the brain processes information can help educators design more effective learning experiences.
- He provided numerous practical strategies for teachers to implement in their classrooms. These included techniques for boosting student attention, improving memory retention, and making learning more enjoyable.
- Some of the key takeaways included the importance of state and strategy in learning, the top brain-learning principles, and the impact of music on learning. He also shared the #1 study technique reported by students.
Terry Small’s session provided valuable insights into leveraging brain science to improve student learning outcomes. Attendees appreciated the session for its practical insights and the immediate applicability of the tips shared. Many found the session inspiring and left with new ideas to implement in their own teaching practices.
Conclusion
The TESOL France Colloquium 2024 was yet another great opportunity for learning, networking, and being together as teachers. It offered educators valuable insights and practical strategies to enhance their teaching practices and support student well-being. Looking forward to next year!