Speaker
Description
As Viet Nam continues transitioning from EFL towards a more ESL-oriented approach to English education, many teachers face the challenge of balancing curriculum requirements with students’ need for more opportunities to actually use English. In many classrooms, textbook-focused and exam-oriented instruction can limit classroom interaction, student engagement, and ultimately reduce students’ confidence in speaking. As a result, many students see English mainly as a subject they need to pass rather than a tool they can use to express themselves and connect with others.
This workshop focuses on practical strategies for transforming traditional textbook activities into engaging communication tasks that encourage student engagement, interaction, and purposeful language use. Drawing on classroom experience, the session demonstrates how grammar drills and scripted speaking exercises can be redesigned into group discussions, problem-solving tasks, presentations, interviews, and personal opinion-sharing activities. Particular attention is given to creating low-pressure speaking activities that help students build confidence and develop greater willingness to communicate in English.
Participants will experience sample activities, analyze examples of lesson adaptation, and collaborate to redesign textbook tasks into more meaningful experiences for communication. The workshop aims to provide teachers with practical and adaptable approaches for increasing learner engagement while helping students see English as a relevant and useful part of their future lives.
Biography
Max Goldberg is a Peace Corps Volunteer currently teaching English at THPT Ung Hoa A High School in Van Dinh, Hanoi, Viet Nam. Previously, he designed the curriculum and taught elementary-level Chinese in an after-school program at a public school in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. His teaching interests include communicative language teaching, student engagement, and increasing students' confidence in spoken English. He is particularly interested in practical teaching approaches that are adaptable to large, mixed-level classrooms. Working within a public high school context in Viet Nam, Max has focused on adapting textbook-based lessons into more interactive communication activities. His classroom experience has shaped his interest in helping students move beyond memorization and scripted responses toward more authentic English use. In addition to classroom teaching, Max helped establish the English club at THPT Ung Hoa A, where he supports student-centered learning initiatives designed to encourage greater interest in English communication and learner participation.
| Affiliate type | Vietnamese public school |
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