Bio:
İpek KURU GÖNEN is an Associate Professor at the Department of English Language Teaching (ELT) at the Faculty of Education, Anadolu University-Turkey. She teaches various courses related to foreign language teacher education at both undergraduate and graduate levels supervising various MA and Ph.D. dissertations as well. She has been working as a teacher trainer for over 20 years. Her research interests center on reflective practices in teacher education, technology and language learning/teaching, teaching language skills, and affective factors in foreign language education. Her recent professional endeavors focus on mindfulness in learning and teaching, implementation of mindfulness in foreign language teacher education, and mindfulness practices in English language teaching. She has published various articles nationally and internationally and has worked on national/ international projects regarding foreign language education.
Title and Abstract of the Talk:
Mind the Class Mind the Learning: Mindfulness as a New Approach to Instruction for English Language Teaching Practitioners
There has been a growing interest in the integration of mindfulness-based practices (MBPs) into teaching and learning contexts. Although mindfulness has strong roots and practices in health and general well-being, its applications in education have recently taken attention from researchers and practitioners. In L2 teaching and learning, integration of MBPs has been reported to increase motivation towards FL learning, promote creativity and positive emotions, decrease stress and FL anxiety as well as foster the learning of language skills and academic achievement. This presentation aims to put mindfulness under the spotlight as a novel approach to L2 instruction by providing the theoretical rationale behind it based on recent SLA theories and Polyvagal Theory adapted for L2 learning and teaching. Moreover, this presentation focuses on the practical implications of integrating mindfulness into English language teaching/learning environments by suggesting various samples of instructional practices such as guided breathing exercises and meditation practices along with language teaching materials that can be used in the actual classrooms for the teaching of language skills and areas. In the post-method era in which teachers are encouraged to construct classroom-oriented pedagogical practices, mindfulness offers various benefits for enhancing language classrooms and promoting the well-being of both teachers and learners. This presentation has insights for language educators and practitioners to implement mindfulness as a new approach to cultivate enriched language teaching/learning experiences and create effective L2 environments.
Key Words: Mindfulness in L2 teaching/learning, mindfulness in English language teaching/learning, mindfulness-based practices.