Inaugural Lecture of Professor Tan Bee Tin

Inaugural Lecture of Professor Tan Bee Tin

A journey into interest and creativity in language teaching and learning

By Faculty of Arts and Education

Date and time

Location

201-440 (Building 201, Room 440)

10 Symonds Street Auckland, 1010 New Zealand

About this event

  • Event lasts 1 hour

The Faculty of Arts and Education invites you to join us in celebrating Professor Tan Bee Tin's achievements by attending her inaugural lecture.

Venue: University of Auckland B201 | 10 Symonds Street, Auckland

Lecture hall: Lecture Theatre 201-440

Time: Lecture 5.30pm | Drinks Reception 6.30pm

About the lecture:

A journey into interest and creativity in language teaching and learning

Drawing on over two decades of experience, I will reflect on my research journey into the roles of interest and creativity in language teaching and learning. Among the many perspectives used to understand students’ complex language learning behaviours, interest and creativity stand out as key drivers of deeper, more meaningful learning. I will begin by discussing how my research into the concept of interest started, what it has revealed, and how it can complement creative approaches to language instruction. Focusing on four key elements of language teaching—topics, texts, tasks, and talk—I will explore how creativity and interest intersect to foster student engagement and improve language learning outcomes. Finally, I will examine how creativity is understood in the field of language education and outline core principles that educators can apply to support playful and imaginative language use among learners.

About the speaker:

Tan Bee Tin began her career as an English language teacher in Myanmar (Burma) and joined the University of Auckland in 2004. She holds an MA in Applied Linguistics and TEFL from Rangoon University (Myanmar), an MA in TESOL from the Institute of Education, University of London (UK), and a PhD in Applied Linguistics from University College Chichester (Southampton University) (UK). She is currently a Professor of Applied Linguistics and Language Teaching in the School of Cultures, Languages and Linguistics at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. Her teaching focuses on creativity and materials development for second language instruction.

Her research interests lie in language education across Asia, and she has conducted studies in diverse contexts including Nepal, Indonesia, and Myanmar. She has published extensively in the areas of language teacher education, language creativity, learner interest in language learning, and English language teaching in under-resourced environments. She is the author of Unpacking Creativity for Language Teaching (Routledge, 2022) and Stimulating Student Interest in Language Learning: Theory, Research and Practice (Palgrave Macmillan, 2016).

Think GREEN! - registration is for catering purposes only, no need to print out your ticket

Getting to the venue: The Faculty of Arts and Educations' buildings are conveniently located at the heart of the University's City Campus and are easily accessible via many forms of public transport. For further information on public transport schedules, visit the Auckland Transport website. For those driving in, further information on parking options can be found here.

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FreeSep 4 · 5:30 PM GMT+12