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聚焦 | 专访TESOL项目主任Kentei Takaya: 培养更优秀的教师
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Kentei Takaya教授在上海纽约大学领导了一个充满活力的TESOL项目，该项目的目标简单而明确——培养更优秀的教师。
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Takaya教授坚信，帮助学生在从教之路上尽力做到最好是十分重要的。说起对语言和学习方法产生兴趣的原因，他回顾了自己的求学和任教生涯：早在于纽约大学斯坦哈特学院TESOL项目——上海纽约大学TESOL项目的姊妹项目——学习期间，他就深受教授和课程中高质量科研经历的启发，对教育研究产生了浓厚兴趣，并继而前往牛津大学深造，取得了应用语言学博士学位。完成学业后，他开启了广阔的国际教学生涯，先后于东亚多个国家和地区的大学任教。如今在上纽大，Takaya教授致力于与学生分享他丰富的专业知识，并将课堂融入最前沿的教学研究之中，打造活跃的教学环境。
在整个TESOL项目中，学生有机会通过直接应用学习到的内容来加强他们的教学实践能力。Takaya教授认为：“学生们除了可以对他们的教学实践进行全面评估之外，还可以参加各种各样的实践练习、小组活动和个人作业。”在Takaya教授的“美式英语结构”这门课程中，他介绍了沟通式语法教学法，并模拟了如何通过沟通进行教学。然后，学生们会分组设计自己的活动并且在课堂上进行演示。Takaya教授在课堂中的所有安排都有一个共同目标，就是要使项目的学生在教学的各个方面都成为更好的老师。
项目2022届在读学生张小莹谈道：“仅仅学习教学理论和方法是不够的，我们需要不断地实践这一过程并进行自我反思，以便我们可以运用这些理论并分享我们自己的教学方法。Takaya教授通过这种方式给我们提供了提升教学经验的机会。”
在教授的理解和支持下，学生获得了作为教师和教育工作者的信心。“在上这门课程之前，我非常害怕语法教学。”小莹说， “Takaya教授的课程完全改变了我的想法，因为它以一种刺激而有效的方式探索了语法教学中的交流和互动方法。通过他细致的讲解和有趣的示范，我开始享受语法教学的乐趣，并且可以轻松地将我自己制定的课程计划应用在教学中。”
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为了确保包容性并鼓励数位素养(digital literacy)，Takaya教授在课程中采用了多种教学技术。“在语言分析课上，我使用游戏化学习平台Kahoot等教育技术工具进行互动式测验，并使用线上投票系统Poll Everywhere来向学生提问并获得即时反馈。这些工具增加了教学的游戏性，使学生可以完全参与到我的课堂中，我也鼓励他们在自己的课堂中使用这些工具。”
对于Takaya教授来说，熟练运用现代教室中的技术对于教育者至关重要，而新冠疫情的爆发，无疑使这对于世界各地的教师而言比以往任何时候都更加重要。因此，他尝试向学生介绍他所知道的所有学习技术，并将其整合到课程中去。
这种混合式学习方法使远程学习者可以通过视频会议和在线论坛的形式来参加课程。先进的学习管理系统可被用于共享作业、阅读材料以及发布视频和博客文章。
Takaya教授充满活力的教学环境不仅使学生更易于学习，也模拟了技术在教育中的积极使用。项目2021届的在读学生凌梅分享道：“在Takaya教授的语言分析课上，他介绍了各种在线工具，并演示了如何将它们融合到语言课堂中。我立刻将这些工具应用到自己的教学中，我的学生感到非常兴奋，都不想下课了！”
2020届毕业生史伟华补充道：“我在TESOL项目学习的两年中，Takaya教授总是乐于与我们分享他的许多智慧。我清楚地记得他是如何耐心地远程为我们提供及时帮助直至深夜。在TESOL的最后一年，我在Takaya教授的指导下进行了一个有关语言学习者常见错误的调查研究项目。多亏了教授对我的悉心指导，我在第九届国际英语教学国际会议上展示并介绍了我的研究成果。”
Takaya 教授表示，TESOL项目提供的丰富学习经历和实践机会为毕业生提供了广阔的职业平台。“ 毕业后， 我们的一些学生在原单位获得晋升，另一些学生则获得了在更著名的学校或机构工作的机会， 还有一些人决定在该领域继续攻读博士学位。我们为所有的学生感到非常自豪。”Takaya教授说。
Takaya的学生同样为他感到骄傲。凌梅认为：“Takaya教授是一位非常和蔼可亲的教授。他总是倾听并尽力帮助我们。他为我们提供了很多自我表达的时间和空间。我们有很多机会在课堂上发表意见，做演讲，甚至举办面向公众的工作坊。”
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这种对教学的热情也延伸到了教室之外，在那里，Takaya教授通过为上海各个学区的英语老师提供职业发展工作坊，与更广泛的社区分享他的最佳教学实践知识。最近的工作坊包括关于沟通式语法教学和阅读与写作教学的讲座。
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2022届在读学生龚逸杰总结道：“无论是从课程计划还是到实际的教学模块，Takaya教授的支持使我倍受鼓舞。我绝对会向所有热衷于教学或希望从事语言教学工作的人推荐这个硕士项目。”
Passionate about teaching and deeply committed to the growth and development of his students, Professor Kentei Takaya shares a love of languages that has spanned a lifetime of learning and academic study. A trilingual speaker of English, Chinese and Japanese, Takaya delivers a practical and student-centric course that allows educators both new and experienced to further their knowledge and professional skills within the classroom at the highest level.
“Each student is a unique individual, so it is vital that the learning process is enjoyable and we strive to help them reach their fullest potential,” says Takaya, Program Director of the two-year MA degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) offered by NYU Shanghai in partnership with the NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development.
Takaya strongly believes in the importance of helping his students be the best teachers they can possibly be. He traces his interest in studying languages and how people learn back to his time in NYU Steinhardt’s long-standing TESOL program in New York City, the sister program of NYU Shanghai’s TESOL degree. Inspired by his professors and the high quality of research in the master’s course, Takaya then went on to pursue his doctorate in Applied Linguistics from Oxford University before embarking on an extensive international teaching career that has included stints at universities in Japan and Taiwan. Now at NYU Shanghai, Takaya focuses on sharing his expertise with his students, grounding his lessons in cutting-edge pedagogical research, and developing an active teaching environment.
He explains further, “I make sure what I teach is something students can immediately apply in their own teaching context. I model ways we can teach based on the theories we explore in class so that students understand how we put theories in practice.”
Throughout the TESOL program, students are provided with opportunities to strengthen their teaching practice and increase their abilities as educators by directly applying their learning. “They will participate in a wide range of practical exercises, group work and individual assignments, in addition to a comprehensive assessment of their teaching practice,” Takaya says. “For example, in my Structure of American English class, I introduce the idea of communicative grammar teaching, modeling how this can be taught communicatively. Students then work in groups to design their own activities which they will then demonstrate in class. All of this has a single objective, to make our students better teachers, in all aspects of their teaching.”
Takaya also strongly encourages his students to undertake individual reflection as a way of understanding and improving their educational practice. Students analyze how learners learn and organize information from their own unique cultural perspectives.
According to current student Zhang Xiaoying, M.A. ‘22, “It is not enough to only learn teaching theories and methods. We need to constantly experience the process and reflect by ourselves so that we can put those theories into use and share our teaching approaches. Professor Takaya provides opportunities to enhance our teaching experience in this way.”
With this understanding and the support of their professor, students gain confidence as teachers and educationalists. “Before taking this course, I honestly dreaded teaching grammar,” says Zhang. “Professor Takaya’s course completely altered my thinking, as it explored communicative and interactive methods of teaching grammar in a stimulating, yet effective manner. Through his careful explanations and engaging demonstrations, I started to enjoy teaching grammar, and I can easily apply the lesson plans I made in my teaching today.”
To ensure inclusivity and encourage digital literacy, Takaya incorporates a wide range of teaching technology during lessons. “In my Linguistic Analysis class, I use educational technology tools such as Kahoot for interactive quizzes, and PollEverywhere to ask students questions and get instant responses,” says Takaya. “These tools add a game-like dimension and allow total participation in my classes, which I then encourage students to use in their own lessons.”
For Takaya, “Familiarity with technology in the modern classroom is vital for educators and the Covid-19 pandemic has made this even more important than ever for teachers worldwide. So, I try to introduce our students to all of the learning technologies I am aware of and integrate them into lessons.”
This blended learning approach allows distance learners to participate in lessons via video conferencing and online forums. Cutting-edge learning management systems are used to share assignments, reading materials, videos and blog posts.
The dynamic learning environment created by Takaya not only facilitates ease of learning for students but also models the active use of technology in education. Current student Ling Mei, M.A. ‘21, shares, “In Professor Takaya’s Linguistic Analysis class, he introduced varieties of online tools and demonstrated how to integrate them in language classrooms. I applied those immediately in my teaching, and my students were thrilled. They did not want the class to be dismissed!”
Alum Shi Weihua, M.A. ‘20, adds, “During my two years studying in the MA TESOL program, Professor Takaya very kindly shared with us much of his wisdom. I remember vividly how he provided us with timely help even when it's already late into midnight via distance learning. In my final year in the program, I worked on a research project investigating language learners' errors under Professor Takaya’s supervision. Thanks to the professor's guidance on my research, I was able to present my research at The 9th International Conference on English Language Teaching.”
According to Takaya, the wealth of experience gained during the program provides graduates with a host of enhanced career opportunities. “Upon graduating, some of our students have been promoted to higher positions within their organizations, others have had career transitions to prestigious institutions and some have decided they want to pursue doctoral study in the field. We are extremely proud of all our students.”
Takaya’s students are also equally proud of him. Ling explains further, “Professor Takaya is a really amiable and nice professor. He always listens and tries his best to help us. He provides us with lots of time and space to express ourselves. We have many chances to have a voice in class, doing presentations and even having our own public-facing workshops.“
A specialist in teacher training, Takaya’s research interests also include intercultural communication, international education and linguistics. “My current research focuses on a needs analysis of English teachers in China,” says Takaya. “Every teaching context is different, and therefore, the needs and support for teachers from different teaching contexts vary. Through my research, I hope to explore the needs and support for English teachers across different teaching contexts to help English teachers become even better teachers.”
This passion for teaching extends outside of the classroom where he shares his knowledge of best teaching practice with the wider community by offering professional development workshops to local English teachers at various school districts in Shanghai. Recent workshops included talks on communicative grammar instruction and the teaching of reading and writing.
Takaya has also served as the Executive Director of University Mobility in Asia and the Pacific (UMAP), an organization that aims to enhance cooperation among higher education institutions within the APAC region and increase the mobility of university students and staff.
Takaya’s enthusiasm for teaching comes through in his lessons, the quality of the MA TESOL program at NYU Shanghai, and in the growth of his students as educators.
Current student Gong Yijie, M.A. ‘22, concludes, “From lesson planning to real teaching modules, the smile and support from Professor Takaya has encouraged me a lot. I would definitely recommend the program to anyone passionate about teaching or wanting to pursue a career in teaching language.”
上海纽约大学与纽约大学斯坦哈特文化教育和人类发展学院合作开设的英语教育硕士项目（TESOL），提供了和斯坦哈特学院常规英语教育硕士项目不同的培养模式。项目的学生将以非全日制方式在上海纽约大学校园及线上平台进行学习，并于第二学年前往纽约进行沉浸式暑期学习课程。项目为时两年，考虑到中国在职英语教师和专业人士的需求，该项目在秋季和春季学期主要于周末授课，暑期沉浸式课程期间则于灵活时间授课。
项目面向教学对象为幼儿园到高中阶段的儿童和青少年的英语教师开设，将提高他们的英语教学技能与课堂内外的组织、管理能力。项目为全英文授课，立足于美国前沿的教学方法，并根据在中国进行英语教学的需求量身打造。师资力量强大，由纽约大学斯坦哈特学院及上海纽约大学教授授课，他们均于美国获得教学资质，精于第二外语学习的教研工作，拥有面向中国学生的多年教学经验。毕业后，学生将获得纽约大学硕士学位（已获中国教育部认可）。
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