JALT2018 Plenary Video Series: Lindsay Clandfield “Diversity, Inclusion and Authenticity in ELT Materials"

JALT’s fourth video in the JALT2018 Plenary Video Series has been uploaded. Watch Lindsay Clandfield’s plenary session, “Diversity, Inclusion and Authenticity in ELT Materials” at https://youtu.be/JhrPWoj_Mzc
Lindsay Clandfield was one of the plenary speakers at the 2018JALT International Conference. His title was, “Diversity, Inclusion and Authenticity in ELT Materials,” and the session took place on Saturday Nov, 24, 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM. His talk was sponsored by Atama-ii Books.
Plenary Session Abstract:
When we talk about what else we teach apart from vocabulary and grammar, the topic of “the real world” comes up with great frequency. Variously, we mean real-world English (i.e. unscripted, accented), real-world people (diverse characters, language models), real-world tasks (practical, engaging, useful) or real-world contexts (topical, inclusive, believable). In practice, however, reflecting the real world in ELT materials is more problematic than it may appear–and it may not even be entirely desirable. After all, whose reality are we modeling, and for whom? What are our editorial constraints? How authentic can something remain when it’s placed into a classroom? And why is it that sometimes the most artificial situations, language, and tasks can provide the most enjoyment and potential learning? In this plenary, we will examine some the issues and problems with our obsession with authenticity, especially as it relates to our teaching materials and attempts to reflect the real world in our classrooms.
Bio Statement:
Lindsay Clandfield is an award-winning writer, teacher, teacher trainer and international speaker in the field of ELT. He has written more than ten coursebooks for language learners and is the co-author of various methodology books for teachers, including the new book Interaction Online published by Cambridge University Press. He is also responsible for various self-publishing projects, notably the round (www.the-round.com) and Extreme Language Teaching (www.exlt.wordpress.com).
The theme of JALT’s 44th Annual International Conference on Language Teaching and Learning & Educational Materials Exhibition was “Diversity and Inclusion.” JALT2018 was held at the Shizuoka Convention & Arts Center (Granship) in Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, from Friday, November 23, to Monday, November 26, 2018. For details on JALT’s upcoming conference as well as other past conferences, please see the conference page on our website.
JALT2019 will be held at WINC AICHI in Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture, from 1 – 4 November 2019. Our theme in 2019 is “Teacher Efficacy, Learner Agency.”