This session contextualizes and operationalizes key tenets of the action-oriented approach, providing attendees with opportunities to consider applications of this cutting-edge educational research in their own teaching contexts. The first part of the session presents a background of the key concepts behind the Action-oriented Approach (Piccardo & North, 2020), including the notions of agency, affordances, and mediation, as defined by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages Companion Volume (Council of Europe, 2020).

The second part of the session invites participants to engage in and create action-oriented tasks, which will include

• the creation and use of real-world learning scenarios
• the notion of backward design with the use of “can-do” descriptors
• student self-assessment and awareness-raising mediation rubrics, and
• the production of an action-oriented artifact.

Participants will leave with an understanding of what the action-oriented approach is, why it benefits language learning, and how it can be used in English language classrooms in various curricular contexts.

TESL Ontario members will receive four (4) PD hours for their participation.

Meet Our Facilitators

Rebecca Schmor is an English for Academic Purposes instructor, graduate research assistant, and PhD candidate at the University of Toronto. She has taught and conducted research with higher education institutions, ministries of education, and private language schools in Canada, China, Cuba, Germany, and Italy. Her research on plurilingual teacher identity and inclusive language education has received provincial and national awards.

Dr. Giacomo Folinazzo holds a PhD in Language and Literacies Education from OISE-University of Toronto. He has taught languages for 20 years, in Canada, Italy, and Japan. Dr. Folinazzo maintains an active academic life with research, publications, training sessions, workshops and conference presentations in Europe, North America, and the Middle East. His research interests revolve around language teacher training, language education, the CEFR, linguistic mediation, and the Action-oriented Approach.

Refreshments and light lunch included in registration fee.

Registration Fees
$49.00 (plus taxes) – TESL Ontario Member
$69.00 (plus taxes) – Non-Member

A special 20% group discount rate is available – $200.00 (plus taxes) for five (5) registrants. To purchase a group registration, please contact membership@teslontario.org.