Abstract: In the age of technology, we are provided with ever increasing numbers of tools and online practice modes that we can use with our students. However, for best use, these tools must be understood, tailored to our students, modified to match their needs, and push the limits of our imaginations. In this presentation, we talk about multimodal online tools: what they are, and what they aren’t with some advice on how to navigate them. We also invite teachers to discuss and try out some of the multimodal tools that we have created and use at Tohoku University. Furthermore, we present some of our findings and encourage conversations about the future of multimodal online tools in the EFL classroom.
Speakers:
Ryan Spring is an associate professor at Tohoku University where he works with his colleagues to manage and deliver the English curriculum for general education classes. His PhD is in applying cognitive linguistics to second language acquisition and his current research interests include: Objective Measures of L2 Speech and Writing, Curriculum Evaluation, Statistics and Visual Media and Technology in EFL Education.
Jessie Takeda is a lecturer at Tohoku University, where she teaches 4-skill general academic English courses to 1st and 2nd year students alongside colleagues Ryan and Emily. She holds a master's degree in TESOL. In addition to classroom instruction, she specialises in designing educational materials that are both engaging and pedagogically effective, with a strong emphasis on aesthetic quality and intuitive use.
Emily MacFarlane is an experienced English language educator teaching Academic Reading and Writing, and Academic Listening and Speaking at Tohoku University. She is actively engaged in ongoing research on paragraph writing and fluency with her colleagues and is dedicated to enhancing academic English skills among university students.
