Bio:

Fernando Rubio currently serves as the Director of the Center for Language Study (CLS) at Yale University. He previously held the position of Director of the Second Language Teaching and Research Center at the University of Utah. Over the past two decades, he has been actively involved in various professional organizations, including The Modern Language Association, The College Board, and ACTFL. HE also served as president of the National Federation of Modern Language Teachers Associations.

Professor Rubio’s research interests lie in the fields of Applied Linguistics and Teaching Methodologies, with a focus on technology-enhanced language learning and teaching. He is the author of two textbooks, Tercer Milenio, Kendall-Hunt (2009), and Juntos, Cengage (2018). Additionally, he has co-edited the volume Hybrid Language Teaching and Learning: Exploring Theoretical, Pedagogical and Curricular Issues, Heinle (2012), and co-authored Creating Effective Blended Language Learning Courses: A Research-Based Guide from Planning to Evaluation, Cambridge UP (2020), which was honored with the 2019-2020 MLA Mildenberger Prize.

Professor Rubio has contributed numerous articles and book chapters on subjects related to second language acquisition, assessment, and technology-enhanced language teaching. He has also held roles as the Principal Investigator on two Language Flagship Grants and a Title VI National Language Resource Center grant. Presently, he serves as the Principal Investigator on several large grants from the US Department of Education and Department of Defense.

Title and Abstract of the Talk:

Implementing a focus on form in the communicative language classroom

Although communicative language teaching has been generally successful in promoting learners' speaking and listening abilities, it has often been criticized for its lack of specific attention to form, which often results in learners that are unable to progress beyond a basic survival level of proficiency. This workshop presents an approach to teaching that facilitates attention to form in the context of a communicative activity. After a brief description of the model and the analysis of practical examples, participants will have the opportunity to develop learning activities with a focus on form using authentic materials.

Keywords: Focus on form Communicative language classroom Using authentic materials