On Saturday, March 21, 2026, Professor Emmanuel Manalo presented at a full-day symposium held at the University of Tokyo entitled “Creating practical knowledge based on psychology: From designing and implementing teaching methods to the development of learning support tools.” The symposium was organized by Associate Professor Yuri Uesaka (Graduate School of Education, University of Tokyo) and was attended by approximately 50 participants, including educational researchers, school teachers, educational resource developers, and undergraduate and graduate students in education.
The symposium was structured into three sections, each comprising three presentations: (1) the design and implementation of teaching methods to enhance student learning outcomes, (2) improving English-speaking skills, and (3) the development of tools to support teachers and students.
Professor Manalo’s presentation was part of the second section and was entitled “Practical methods for improving English-speaking skills in EFL classrooms.” In his talk, he outlined key challenges associated with developing English-speaking skills in EFL (English as a Foreign Language) contexts and introduced an approach that he and his research collaborators have been developing and trialling in junior high and high school classrooms.
The approach involves close collaboration with classroom teachers and focuses on helping students develop structured ways of responding in common speaking situations (e.g., asking for information, sharing information, explaining procedures). It also provides concrete procedures – supported by the use of rubrics – for practicing, evaluating, and improving speaking performance. Initial implementations of this approach have shown promising improvements in students’ interactive English-speaking abilities.
