Today@Dal

All sessions will take place in the Killam Library, Room B400. For you more information and to register for these and/or any CLT events visit www.learningandteaching.dal.ca

1. Writing Correction in the Linguistically Diverse Classroom
Monday, February 6, 2017 from 1:00 to 2:30 pm
Classes in all departments at Dalhousie and King’s are increasingly diverse, with speakers of English as a first, second, or additional language learning side by side. How to approach the design and correction of writing assignments, research papers, and exam essays can be challenging when your class contains students at a range of English proficiency levels. How do we design assignments and exams to ensure fairness for all students? Should we be sticklers about the fine points of grammatical accuracy or overlook errors that don’t inhibit communication? How can we assure our correction practices best align with course goals? This workshop will include discussion, activities and sharing of research findings and best practices in the area of writing correction and multilingual writers.

2. Foundations for Student Success: High Impact Practices for a Diverse Mix of Students
Wednesday, February 22, 2017 from 1:00 to 3:30 pm
These new students entering our university – they are such a diverse mix! We are a team of instructor/researchers who work closely in guiding our students through an introductory course, with a common objective of providing our students the foundations needed for success in university. In this session we will share our research results and stories about how we employ both the research and high impact practices to improve both the teaching journey and student outcomes. We will also put participants through a structured controversy / experiential learning exercise as an example of how we employ experiential learning tools in our classes.

3. CLIL strategies and their place in the university teaching contexts in Canada
Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) is an educational approach used in English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) contexts around the world. In English-speaking countries, with universities and higher education aiming at internationalization, there are more students and instructors in almost every department who are English as an additional language speakers. The question is: “Is there a place for CLIL strategies in EAP classes and also in a mainstream university contexts where English is the first language?” If you are teaching a group of international students, or are an international instructor teaching your academic content in English, you might be thinking how effectively can I make the connection between the content I am teaching and English language, or is English language a challenge to understanding and delivering content for international teachers and students alike?

This 90-minute workshop will help you explore responses to these questions. You will participate in discussion and activities on how CLIL principles including theory and strategies can assist you in understanding your international contexts’ needs and add the ingredient of effectiveness to your teaching.
March 27, 2017 from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm