Speaker bio: Emily MacFarlane is an Assistant Professor in the Center for Liberal Arts Education at Tohoku Gakuin University, Sendai.  Her most recent research is on improving speaking fluency in Japanese university students.

Abstract: This workshop equips EFL teachers with research-backed techniques to dramatically improve students’ speaking fluency through structured practice and strategic communication training. The session will also introduce fluency research findings examining an online fluency tool for first-year university EFLstudents. This research explores the impact of filler words on speech rate, the effect of repeated tool usage on fluency improvement, and student perceptions of both the online tool and their own fluency development. Designed for Japanese EFL contexts, the workshop addresses common challenges including students’ silent pauses, accuracy obsession, and unnatural rhythm patterns. Teachers experience each technique firsthand before learning practical implementation strategies, classroom troubleshooting, and fluency-focused assessment methods. Participants will leave with concrete tools to transform hesitant speakers into confident communicators.

Venue: Aobaku Chuo Shimin Center Meeting Room #2 (青葉区中央市民センター 第2会議室）
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JALT Members or First-time Attendees free; Students 500 yen; all others 1,000 yen