Franz Hoppenstedt is a highly experienced Educational Consultant with over 22 years involved in the educational world building up a career beginning as a teacher, becoming a teacher coordinator, teacher trainer, conference speaker and educational consultant. He has trained teachers in public, private and language schools across the Latin American region. For the last 13 years, Franz has been helping educational institutions by giving talks, trainings, and workshops in Education, Blended Learning, Flipped Classroom, Technology in Education among many other topics in countries such as Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Panama, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Argentina, Colombia, and Peru. He has participated as a Speaker in National conferences in Mexico such as Regional Chapters of MEXTESOL, the National MEXTESOL Convention, BBELT, FIID as well as special events for the Ministry of Education in states like Nuevo León, Coahuila, Tamaulipas, Chiapas, Tabasco, and Veracruz to name a few. He has also participated in International educational events such as TESOL, the “Congreso de Educación a la Vanguardia” for MEDUCA in Panama, a National Educational Congress in Costa Rica, and a Training Tour for teachers across Peru.
Ponencia: Using Language as a Vehicle, not as Objective for Learning
When teachers tell students to memorize and repeat the grammar rules, a negative unconscious response is triggered. When people must go to school, a sense of anxiety and reject arises. Let’s face it! Nobody likes school! Although, on the other hand, learning has always been fun since it is a human condition… We are constantly learning about the things we are interested in. So, what if we used that natural human condition to exploit it in the classroom? What if we could eliminate the anxiety of going to school, the grammar, the vocabulary, etc.? In this interactive workshop, we will explore innovative strategies for shifting students’ focus from language mechanics to content understanding in a language-learning classroom. Recognizing that language proficiency varies among students, the aim is to equip educators with tools and techniques to foster an inclusive learning environment where the emphasis is on understanding and engaging with the content-related topics and themes, rather than language proficiency. The workshop will cover topics such as scaffolding techniques, visual aids, collaborative learning, and the use of technology to support a content-focused language instruction. Participants will engage in hands-on activities, discussions, and scenario-based problem-solving, leaving with practical strategies to implement in their classrooms. This workshop is ideal for educators seeking to enhance student engagement and promote equity in diverse learning environments.