Professor Constant Leung presents a seminar on some of the major debates around using a students' own first language in classroom teaching

About the event

Recent professional literature in English Language teaching (ELT) has shown a renewed interest in bringing students’ own (first) language into the classroom for teaching and learning purposes. However, some of the current conceptualizations of multilingualism and translanguaging have generated extensive debates within applied linguistics and language education, both in terms of theory and practice. 

In this seminar I will seek to provide (a) a brief historical account of the uses of students’ own language in additional/second/foreign language teaching, (b) a description of the current conceptualizations of multilingualism and translanguaging (in relation to language teaching), and (c) a review of the key conceptual and pedagogic issues to be resolved. 

There will be an opportunity for seminar attendees to engage in discussion.

Speaker biography

Professor Leung has worked for many years in the field of second/additional language education. His academic and research interests include classroom pedagogy, content and language-integrated curriculum development, language assessment, academic literacies and language policy. He is also a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences.

How to book

This event is aimed at postgraduate students interested in language teaching.

If you wish to attend this event please send an email to Chris Tang at chris.tang@kcl.ac.uk.

Language Teaching Forum seminar series

This talk is part of a seminar series which provides a forum for language teachers of all levels to engage with theory and research of relevance to language teaching practices.

Guest speakers present original empirical research or theoretical perspectives on a range of issues and applications in areas both on and on the peripheries of the usual postgraduate language teaching and applied linguistics curriculum.

While we will draw upon concepts, perspectives, and theories of language development and learning, the purpose of the forum is to engender dialogue between researchers and practitioners on how research and theory might inform, ground, challenge or otherwise shape practices such as language instruction, materials development, testing and evaluation, curriculum design, computer assisted language learning, ESP, EAP and language policy.