With Cebu Normal University (CNU) aiming to improve English teaching skills, several students from the College of Teacher Education (CTE) attended a seminar entitled, “Seminar on the English Language Teaching through Localization, Imitation, Practice, and Standardization” at the Eva Macapagal Memorial Arts Center yesterday.

Keynote speaker Dr. Faramarz Samifani, Assistant Professor in Japan’s Fukuoka International University of Health and Welfare, shared his dissertation on the said topic.

He discussed his formulated method called LIPS (Localization, Imitation, Practice, and Standardization), emphasizing the importance of culture when teaching and learning a language.

LIPS encourages the students to imitate the teacher, allowing the practice of language through role playing, and broadens the learners’ concepts of the English language by exposing them to a variety of contexts.

When asked how he formulated LIPS, Samifani shared that it is through his experience and period development in CNU that enabled him to formulate this method.

“All over 40 years of living in five different countries and travelling more than 10, I suddenly put everything together on how we actually learn language,” he said.

He also furthered that through the seminar, students and teachers will be able to have an idea of what they can do more in the field of teaching as well.

Dr. Maria Nancy Quinco-Candosales, CNU Graduate School Chair, also expressed how seminars like these cause great impact on the students’ perceptions towards work life.

“It is very helpful if we are going to invite most of our successful graduates to come back and share not only what they have learned, but what they can give back in terms of how they have made a difference in the lives of the people,” she added.

Words by Orly Joromat
Photos by Jessa Louise Cabahug and John Paul Fajardo