Level Up Your Communication Skills with the TBLT-Gaming Model
June 28 @ 2:00 PM – 5:30 PM
Venue: Aobaku Chuo Shimin Center Meeting Room #5 (้่ๅบไธญๅคฎๅธๆฐใปใณใฟใผ ็ฌฌ5ไผ่ญฐๅฎค๏ผ
ใใใhttps://maps.app.goo.gl/wGpL3hBsMn1NAac78
Fee:ย Free for JALT members, 500 yen for students, 1000 yen general admission
Speaker:ย James York
Speaker bio: James York is an associate professor at Meiji University, exploring the connection between games and education. His work is mainly situated in language education, including a book with Jonathan deHaan (Freedom to Play) and in several journals including Ludic Language Pedagogy, Foreign Language Annals, and ReCALL. His favourite game is Smash Bros. but has recently developed a chess habit that is taking over his waking hours. He is the founder of the York Game Lab, a game publishing initiative for his seminar class.
Abstract:
This presentation introduces a Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) framework designed to develop all four language skills through and around gameplay, with a particular emphasis on improving communication skills. The framework primarily utilizes analog games, whose unique affordances (such as face-to-face interaction, negotiation of meaning, and social dynamics) make them especially effective for spontaneous language use, and language instruction more generally (the presentation will show connections between analog game play and the TBLT model). However, the framework is equally adaptable to digital games, making it versatile across various teaching contexts.
Originally developed for low-proficiency learners, the framework remains highly applicable in higher-proficiency settings, providing teachers with a flexible structure that balances play and pedagogy. Importantly, gameplay comprises only about one-third of the total activities, with the remaining sessions dedicated to pre-task preparation, analysis, and reflection, ensuring that game experiences lead to meaningful language learning outcomes.
This session will outline the theoretical rationale, implementation process, and classroom-tested results of the TBLT Gaming framework. Participants will leave with a ready-to-use framework and accompanying worksheets, enabling them to immediately integrate game-based TBLT principles into their own classrooms.