This presentation was given at the 2014 ALT Skill Development Conference in Aomori, Japan. The audience consisted of Assistant Language Teachers (ALT) and Japanese Teachers of English (JTE) from around Aomori prefecture. The content is about improving students' confidence in English and provides some suggestions for engaging students in learning activities to instill confidence.

1. By Prof. Edo Forsythe
Hirosaki Gakuin University

2. Navy Russian Translator
English and American Studies
Professor

3.  Building students’ confidence
in English
 Classroom techniques
 Technology for English study

4. What is confidence in a foreign language?
Confidence is built through:
- use of authentic materials
- an alert learning situation
- development of communication skills
- students exposed to culture.
(Garcia & DeFeo, 2014)

5. Today’s students need to know
WHY English???
“Engage them or enrage them”
(Prensky, 2009)

6. English: not just another school subject
English is a muscle!
English is like cotton candy.
English is a toy—
PLAY WITH IT!!!

7.  Language learning = sociocultural activity
 Development must be scaffolded for
maximum effect
(Vygotsky; Lantolf & Thorne, 2007)
 Authentic materials provide sociocultural
relevance to lessons
(Brown & Yule, 1983)

8. Confidence
Motivation
Practice
Providing practice opportunities
leads to confidence
Teachers need to model
confidence

9. 3 Types of Activities
• Total Physical Response (TPR)
• Shadowing
• Storytelling

10. Total Physical Response (TPR)
-Get the students moving
-Reinforces language
-Allows practical use
of the language
Knowledge = Confidence

11. Shadowing
Immediately repeating after someone else
-Improves listening skills
-Reinforces pronunciation
-Speeds up fluency
(Murphey, 2001)
Fluency = Confidence

12. Shadowing
From a high school English textbook:

13. Storytelling
Students put new words & grammar into
practice about a topic they know about
- Realistic use of the language
- Reinforces vocab & grammar
- Activates learning
Language use= Confidence

14. After teaching the dialog
and practicing the grammar,
have the students create
dialogs of their own.

15. Storytelling
-Create a story
about a picture
“The woman is
walking her dog.
She is going to the
store to buy ice
cream…”

16. Total Physical Response (TPR)
Shadowing
Storytelling
Active learning OUTSIDE the textbook.
Engage your students & build their
CONFIDENCE!!

17. Now let’s practice thinking of
activities to engage our students to
build their confidence.

18. Who has a cell phone?
Technology brings the world to
you!
Connect with the English-speaking
world to improve your English

19. Tools for practicing English:
 YouTube
 Smartphone Apps

26. When discussing culturally relevant topics, find
an appropriate YouTube video to show or
recommend.
Halloween
Thanksgiving Day parade
Holiday decorating & parties
Independence Day
celebrations

27. Smartphone Apps to practice English:
Duolingo Hello-Hello
(Free) English
(Lesson 1 Free)

30.  Can use in class with the students or suggest
they download them.
 As schools get technology, ask them to install
these (or other) apps
 THOROUGHLY check out apps before you try
to add them to classes.

31. YouTube
- English Videos; Cultural information
Smartphone Apps

32.  Building students’ confidence
in English
Practice Confidence Motivation
 Classroom techniques
TPR; Shadowing; Storytelling
 Smartphone Apps
Duolingo; Hello-Hello

33. Slides available at:
www.slideshare.net/EdoForsythe/
Contact me via email at
forsythe@hirogaku-u.ac.jp
Questions?