The second day was a series of presentations on different topics related to teaching languages and concluded with a preparation for the cultural fair. It was also a chance to discuss and learn about teaching pronunciation and best practices for interactive learning. Using Psycholinguistics to Teach Pronunciation was the first presentation given by Dr. Robin C. Barr who has been teaching linguistics at American University since 1996. The presentation was engaging and very insightful on the topic of psycholinguistics. The afternoon presentations were based on the selection of every FLTA and we were sent into breakout rooms for each of the presentations. The ones I attended were “Best Practices for Interactive Learning” and “Get them Speaking! How to Motivate Learners Through Helpful Self-Assessment”. The first one was a discussion on how to engage students and make the teaching practices more student-centered and fun. 

I participated by sharing my experience using activities that target students’ critical thinking skills and mentioned my reading of the book Where Great Teaching Begins by Anne R. Reeves. The second presentation was as interesting and interactive as well. Dr. Paula Winke, who is a professor at Michigan State University, talked about two classroom assessments that can be used repeatedly in our language classrooms to measure our students’ growth in speaking over time.