Session summaries
The language class as a skills incubator Dr. Paola Uccelli, Harvard Graduate School of Education Dr. Uccelli’s session focused on how language learning can help young people prepare for the future and make them active participants in our increasingly complex world. Dr. Uccelli emphasized how sufficient time and resources in the language classroom can support the development of important cognitive and communication skills. Language, she argued, should not simply be seen as a global proficiency but as a repertoire of skills that allows people to communicate effectively in different situations and with people from all over the world.
Preparing language teachers Dr. Alexey Korenev, Moscow State University Dr. Korenev’s session focused on how language teachers can become more effective and successful in their jobs and how teacher training can support that. He noted that the vast majority of language teachers around the world are non-native. Dr. Korenev also highlighted the fact that a good level of general English doesn’t necessarily translate to good teacher’s English, and that there’s a real need to structure teacher training so that core skills are developed effectively. These include listening, error correction, and presentation skills, both inside and outside the classroom.
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