Plenary Speaker: Marc Helgesen

Marc is professor emeritus at Miyagi Gakuin and a prolific author with over 200 articles, books, and textbooks to his name. His notable works include “English Teaching and the Science of Happiness” published by ABAX and the “English Firsthand” series by Pearson.

Marc will speak to us about “Happiness 3.0,” focusing on integrating elements of the Science of Happiness (positive psychology) and the concept of “Awe” (as in “awesome”) into teaching. Marc has been a featured or invited speaker on similar topics at numerous conferences internationally, and we are looking forward to what he has prepared for us for NEAR 2024.

Below please find the preliminary information about Marc’s session:

Happiness 3.0

The Science of Happiness (Positive Psychology) has been with us for over 20 years. “Awe” (as in the “awe” in awesome) is a new addition. We’ll review elements of PosPsych and look at ways to help learners notice and experience awe. From profound (Fuji-san at sunrise) to simple things that beg notice: A dandelion forcing its way through a concrete sidewalk to bloom. Birds singing and children in a park. We’ll explore ways to “play” with these in our English classes.

For more information on our past conferences, visit https://jalt.org/groups/chapters/niigata.