SUMMARY
The 2 presenters will introduce the Immediate Method, developed in
Japan by French teachers several years ago (see their website for more
details http://www.almalang.com/about.html) They will show how they
use it in their university language classes (although the method is
also used in J and SHS. What is "immediate" about this method? Simply,
the instructor drills the class in a small number of grammar and
lexical items that are grouped around a central theme, and, after
allowing some time for independent practice, the instructor then
"tests" students individually or in small groups by requiring them to
"immediately" use what they have learned in conversation.
The developers of this method have created textbooks to be used with
it, but it is possible to use this method with other textbooks or no
textbook. The presenters will describe how they use this method both
with and without the official textbook.
BIO - MARC
A linguist by education and personal history, Marc learnt French from
his mother, English from his father, and has taught himself other
languages since then, with varying success. He came to Japan with the
Black Ships, and is now full-time at some university in Nara he can
never remember the name of.
BIO - KORY
A musician by education and necessity, Kory decided to become an
English teacher rather than an employee of a fast food restaurant. He
has taught in English in Canada, Korea, and Japan. He is currently
working at 5 universities in Kansai. He plays in a hard rock band and
writes music with a few friends. For 5 years he played in a Funk `n'
Soul band called BumpSkool.
The presenters have been using this method for ages, at least two
years, and have used it both with the IM textbook and with other
(required) texts. They have used the method with both English majors
and with non-majors, in small (15 students) and large (50 students)
classes. They will report the successes and problems they have
encountered using this method, and ways they have adapted it.
As long as nobody asks any long questions, we can all be finished
early and go out for a drink afterwards!
