ELF Highlights: Cali ELT Conference

I really should be posting these...at least I'll know that someone actually reads them if they're on the blog!

Name: Erin Lowry
State of Residence: Ohio
Country: Colombia
Host Institution: Centro Colombo Americano Manizales

Highlight 16
Date: May 8 & 9, 2009
Title: ELF Tells Tales at 17th Cali ELT Conference
Participants: 55

From children to adults, folktales have a certain ageless appeal. As EFL teachers, it can be a struggle to engage students in reading, and even more so in the writing process. How can teachers personalize what is taught and motivate their students to develop these skills? Retelling well-known stories and local fables is one such way. Some elements of folklore are common to all cultures, while others are distinctive. This workshop will provide participants with activities that combine the students’ knowledge of local tales, drama techniques, and the integration of skills along with the examination of cultural differences.

On May 8th and 9th, Senior English Language Fellow Erin Lowry traveled to the Colombo Americano in Cali to share two workshops at their 17th ELT Conference and Book Fair, titled “Best Practices in ELT.” 55 conference participants attended ELF Lowry’s workshops, where they shared tales, took part in various reading and writing activities using folk stories, and brainstormed ideas for using local stories in their own classes.