Anke Zondag is an assistant professor at Nord University. She teaches within English didactics, with special interests in drama-based pedagogies and literature from English-speaking countries.
Anke Zondag has an academic and practitioner background within second language instruction. She has worked as an English and German teacher in Norwegian schools and has been a mentor for newly-educated English teachers.
Throughout her career, she has used her practical knowledge as an improviser in second language teaching.
Dissertation Title:
Improvisation: A Playful Pressure to Speak. A study into student teachers’ experiences with facilitation of spontaneous English speech and the development of speaking confidence in English.
Trial Lecture Title:
Researching EFL learners’ willingness to communicate with action research methodology. Implications for school and teacher education.
Schedule:
Trial Lecture: 5 June 2023, 10:00 a.m.
Doctoral Defense: 5 June 2023, 12:00 pm
Location: Nord University, Levanger, Auditorium Daniel Mortenson
The defense will be chaired by faculty Pro-Dean Wenche Rønning.
Both events will be streamed. The link is forthcoming.
Doctoral Defense Committee:
- First Opponent: Professor Sarah Mercer, University of Graz, Austria
- Second Opponent: Associate Professor Kim-Daniel Vattøy, Volda University College, Norway
- Committee Chair: Associate Professor Nayr Ibrahim, Nord University
Project Supervisors:
- Associate Professor Annelise Brox Larsen, University of Tromsø – Norway’s Arctic University (main supervisor)
- Associate Professor Tale Margrethe Guldal, University of Agder, Kristiansand, Norway (co-supervisor)
About the PhD Project:
Because most real-life foreign language speech is unpredictable, spontaneous speech must be practised in the English language classroom. Reluctant speakers are, however, a common challenge. This project explored how improvisation activities facilitated spontaneous English speech practice and stimulated the development of speaking confidence. The research focused on English teacher education and ensuing school practicums. The overall findings showed that improvisation activities provided safety through their enjoyable, collaborative and playful character. High levels of positive engagement among learners were found. Facilitation of spontaneous speech practice took place through embodiment, immediacy, engagement and enjoyment. The enjoyment of collaborative improvisation created a playful pressure to speak. A variety of language registers was practised through role embodiment. Student teachers who experienced high degrees of enjoyment and intense engagement, reached a “spontaneous speech mindset” and increased their speaking confidence.
The trial lecture and defense are open to the public. The dissertation is available for advance reading from Senior Advisor Geir Fjeldavli– geir.o.fjeldavli@nord.no