JALT Event

Abstract:
The sudden emergence of AI chatbots has shifted all of our thinking around education and we’re all trying to find our footing. While there are a lot of opinions, one thing is clear: this technology isn’t going away. This three part practical workshop will focus on helping professors in the English language classroom understand the implications of Artificial Intelligence and how to use it moving forward. Part one will cover an understanding of AI in education and its implications, both good and bad. Part two will give suggestions for educators using it as a part of theirlesson planning and grading to save time and customize content. Part three will hone in on using AI directly with students on their learning journey and how to actively incorporate it into classroom lessons. Please bring  your computers so that you can test the waters and see what's possible!

Bio:
Brent Warner is a California-based award-winning professor focusing on integrating technology and innovation into the language learning process. He works with teachers and organizations across the globe to provide practical advice for helping English Language Learners take advantage of tech to help them communicate more clearly. He blogs about technology integration in the ESOL classroom for TESOL International, and he is the co-host of The DIESOL Podcast, focusing on innovation in ESOL. He also recently launched AIinESL.com, a site focused on helping teachers understand how we can use Artificial Intelligence in the language learning classroom.

Venue: Kobe Gakuin University Kobe Sannomiya Satellite (Kobe MINT, 17th floor)

＊Pre-registration is required.  Registration form will open soon.

Kobe JALT website: https://www.kobejalt.org
 

For the first time after the Covid 19 restrictions were lifted, Nara JALT holds a social gathering after the MyShare event. With the benefit of the event venue location, a cable car ride leads you to the eatery area near Mt. Ikoma, where you can pick out your favorite dishes from various types of restaurants. With your appetite satisfied, a journey through Hozanji Temple awaits you. If you want to be a savvy temple visitor, Etsuko, an officer of ours will guide you through the charms of Hozanji Temple. Those who wish, please come back to the Hozanji Station at 13:45 after lunch. The tour will take approximately an hour. Bring your colleagues, friends, or even family members to enjoy a spring day out and expand your personal network.

Summary of the Event

Date: April 7th, Sunday

Time: 12:30 – 15:00 pm

Meeting place and time: Seisei Building Lobby at 12:00 (after the MyShare event)

Fee: 290 yen for one-way cable ride (Cable car leaves at 12:20)

Lunch Location: 14-1 Monzencho, Ikoma, Nara 630-0266

https://maps.app.goo.gl/qNLJccVBdW6fT9gHA

Hozanji Temple Location: 1-1 Monzencho, Ikoma, Nara 630-0266

https://maps.app.goo.gl/cYQQER8Kv2XYocgo8

Important Note 1. This event will follow the MyShare event so if you don't plan to attend the MyShare but want to join the social event please meet in the Seisei building lobby at 12.00 Ikoma Seisei Building

Important Note 2. You do not need to register for this event. Please just join us at the meeting point by 12.00 noon. 

Schedule:

12:00pm - 12:30pm - Travel from Seisei building to Hozanji station.

• Cable car up Ikoma Mountain to Honzan-ji station (290 yen per person, available every 20 minutes). Eat at Maharajyaya (Around 1600 yen per person +/-). It will take around 15 minutes from Seiseu to Tori-mae station, take the cable car up the mountain, and then walk to our destination.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/Jkt1rbeiwXr2fw3f6

12:30pm - 13:45pm - Lunch time. 摩波楽茶屋 https://maharajyaya.net/. Take a group photo. 

13:45pm - 14:00pm - Visit Honzan-ji temple. 

• Walk to Honzan-ji temple. It will take 11 minutes +/-. 

https://maps.app.goo.gl/19mAZBKWWfYdFW3E7

14:00pm - 15:00pm - Honzan-ji temple tour.

• Etsuko Nishi will give a 1 hour tour of Honzan-ji temple and share some interesting insights about the place. There are a total of 8 temple buildings if one wants to see them all. 
• Attendees can stay longer or leave earlier if they like. We’ll try to wrap things up around 15:00 pm. Walking down the mountain takes 20 minutes. Taking the cable car down the mountain to Tori-Mae is available until 23:10 pm.

Cost: This event is free to join for all participants, however all travel costs and food costs are payable on an individual basis. Please refer to the information provided above for the estimated costs of food and transport. 

At YMCA Building, March 31st, Sunday, 16:00-18:00

This is a very special event, and it is based around stories. Someone once said, "stories help us to ennoble ourselves, and to help us become the people we dream of being." At this event, we bring together three different speakers from three different backgrounds, one, who is Japanese, one, who is American, and one, who is English.

Eiko Tsunekawa is running a language school in Nishi ward. Before starting her business, she worked at three language schools including an onboard English school on a ship that goes around the world. She have also worked as an interpreter at Hiroshima G7 Summit last year. She loves traveling, snowboarding and scuba-diving.

Amanda McCartney's story covers a diverse range of teaching experiences, beginning with her role as a JET participant, where she immersed myself in Japanese culture and education. Transitioning to a private hire ALT and later serving as HR staff for an ALT dispatch company, she honed my skills in communication and intercultural understanding. She now works as a Global Competence Instructor at a private high school in Hiroshima, teaching a student-centered curriculum focused on 21st century skills. She's also working on obtaining my US teaching license credential.

Shaun WIlbraham started his story in teaching seven years ago. He currently teaches in four different places. He began his career with zero experience and built his portfolio up. He considers himself a bit of a rogue when it comes to teaching, choosing to teach in more unorthodox ways than conventional ones. He believes in the power of creativity and innovation to engage students and cultivate a passion for learning that extends beyond traditional education.

This event is free for all language teachers and JALT members.

JALT Matsuyama Presentation

Scheduled for July 21, 2024

Abstract

Developing an English speaking anxiety questionnaire: Face-to-face vs. Online

Speaking English as a foreign language is considered a priority, yet it is a daunting task for many English language learners (Wang, 2021; Maher & King, 2022). This induces speaking anxiety and hinders learners from performing in the classroom. Despite efforts to develop strategies to reduce anxiety levels, the diverse classroom formats pose challenges in identifying where students experience speaking anxiety. In Japan, the anxiety levels between face-to-face and online classes remain under-researched. Therefore, a questionnaire was developed to investigate Japanese undergraduates' speaking anxiety in face-to-face and online learning contexts. The presenter will share how the questionnaire was developed from past literature, how the questions were designed to focus on the learners' experiences, and the findings of the questionnaire. Educators who are interested in learning more about their students and how to create low-anxiety classroom environments are welcome to participate.

Bio

Emily Choong is a lecturer at Utsunomiya University and a Master’s candidate. Her current research interests include foreign language anxiety, speaking skills, and language attitudes. She has been actively involved in JALT holding local and national-level membership positions, and volunteering at conferences. This year, she is one of the conference co-chairs for JALT2024 in Shizuoka. Emily is also originally from Malaysia, meaning her idea of treating herself when not working is having afternoon tea or a fun-filled foodie day out.

Endorsements: Matsuyama City; Matsuyama City Board of Education（後援:　松山市、松山市教育委員会）

We will have a short talk about Extensive Reading from Jordan Rivera on Sunday 28 April 19:00-20:00. The event will involve a short 20-30 minute casual talk from our PresentER, followed by around 20-30 minutes of questions and discussion. PresentERs takes place on the last Sunday of each month online on Zoom. It is free for anyone to attend.

Jordan's talk will be about his experience teaching at a vocational school where the first year curriculum requires students to do extensive reading via the Xreading platform. The majority of their reading occurs outside of class. In general, the students aren’t fond of it and usually end up cheating the system and the quizzes, and a large part of the potential language benefit intended by the ER portion of the curriculum goes wasted. 

In order to turn their ER into an interactive experience, Jordan usually dedicates some class time to group reading activities based around checkpoints, quizzes, and discussion.

After the presentation, there will be plenty of opportunities to ask questions. 

Elements of Drama in the EFL Classroom: Featuring ChatGPT as the Bogeyman
This online presentation-workshop aims to explore the potential of using
elements of structured Process Drama (PD) as a teaching approach in the Japanese
university EFL classroom. The session begins with a surprising fact about drama and
education, which highlights the importance of structured drama in exploring and
addressing social issues and themes in collaborative and creative ways in the L1
context. The presentation then draws parallels between the humanistic approach to
education and PD, which itself evolved from the 1960s Drama-in-Education (DiE)
movement. Within the context of SLA, the structure of a process drama framework and
its rationale for inclusion in the EFL classroom will be then briefly discussed. 
The next discussion-based section of the session will use ChatGPT as the topic
for participants to learn about and experience five of the six stages of PD. This aims to
provide participants with the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of how
structured drama can be used to enhance intercultural language learning and explore
social issues/current affairs. 
Bio
Eucharia Donnery (PhD) is a coordinator at the World Language Center, Soka
University, Tokyo. Her background is diverse and includes drama-based pedagogy in
Second Language Acquisition (SLA), Content Language Integrated Learning (CLIL),
Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC), emerging AI technologies and
background in computer assisted language learning (CALL), gender studies, and the
humanistic approach to education. Other interests include reading, running, and Muay
Thai kickboxing.

The presentation will be April 20th 2024 from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm

This will be an online event (Zoom -Akita JALT members with be sent a Zoom link for the presentation)

All others who would like to join can Email Akita jalt at akita@jalt.org

Attention all Eikaiwa Teachers!  Come and join the Spring edition of the Eikaiwa Forum. As usual, everything will be online and free. Teachers and professionals from the Eikaiwa industry can share their experiences, discuss teaching techniques, network with other educators, and broaden thier horizons.

This Spring's speakers are: 

Darcey Barge will be giving a presentation on Understanding Burnout as Experienced by Eikaiwa Teachers

Darcey obtained an MA from the Graduate School of Intercultural Communication, Rikkyo University, Japan.  Her research interests include the emotional identity of language teachers. Her MA research examined burnout among English teachers in the private sector in Japan. She will be working at Rikkyo University and Tokyo Kasei University from April 2024

Trevor Sitler will be giving a presentation on A Qualitative Study of Corrective Feedback in Small Classrooms. 

Trevor recently graduated from the University of Birmingham with an MA in TESOL. His research interests include corpus linguistics, register analysis, and TBLT. Having worked at an Eikaiwa for nine years, from April he will start working at Kindai University, Ryukoku University, and Kobe International University. 

Event Information

• Event type: Presentation and workshop
• Date: Sunday, 14 April 2024, 13:00
• Location: Campus Plaza Kyoto, 6th Floor Ritsumeikan Room (find maps and directions HERE)
• Price: JALT members free, 1-day membership ¥1000 (free if accompanied by a JALT member

Abstract

Navigating research publications in TESOL requires a nuanced understanding of its landscape, which is both challenging and rewarding. This joint presentation delves into the intricacies of TESOL publishing, offering insights and strategies for scholars and practitioners alike. Participants will explore the fundamentals of journal submission processes and learn to decipher reviewer feedback with precision. From identifying pertinent journals to mastering manuscript preparation and submission, attendees will gain invaluable knowledge to enhance their publishing journey. Drawing on real-world examples and best practices, this session equips TESOL professionals with the tools necessary to communicate their research and pedagogical innovations with impact. Through case studies and practical tips, scholars and practitioners will embark on a transformative journey toward scholarly dissemination and professional growth. Join us as we unravel the complexities of TESOL publishing and commence a collaborative endeavor toward academic excellence and global impact!

Schedule

• 13:00 – Opening remarks
• 13:05 – Presentation by Dr. Peter I. De Costa
• 13:25 – Presentation by Dr. Takaaki Hiratsuka
• 13:45 – Group Discussions
• 14:05 – Break
• 14:15 – Questions and comments
• 14:45 – Closing remarks

Attendees are welcome to join Peter and Taka for coffee and/or dinner after the event as they wish. When registering for the event, please indicate if you would like to join for coffee (near Kyoto station) and/or dinner (in Arashiyama).

About the presenters

Peter I. De Costa is a Professor in the Department of Linguistics, Languages & Cultures and the Department of Teacher Education at Michigan State University. As a critical applied linguist, his research areas include emotions, identity, ideology and ethics in language learning, language teaching, and language policy. He is the co-editor of TESOL Quarterly and the President Elect of the American Association for Applied Linguistics.

Takaaki Hiratsuka is a Professor of Applied Linguistics at Ryukoku University in Kyoto, Japan. His recent book publications include: Narrative inquiry into language teacher identity: ALTs in the JET program (2022, Routledge), Team teachers in Japan: Beliefs, identities, and emotions (2023, Routledge), and Native-speakerism and trans-speakerism: Entering a new era (in press, Cambridge University Press).

Let's get ready for the upcoming school year with a Materials Exchange! Attendees are asked to bring some kind of classroom material or idea they can present in five to ten minutes. Lesson plans, activities, games, textbooks, worksheets - anything is welcome! Attendees will take turns explaining their materials in groups, with multiple presenters introducing their materials at the same time. After all group members have presented, members will be shuffled to different groups so everyone can hear about a wide variety of materials. After the exchange, we will have drinks, snacks, and conviviality.
 

You’ve heard about AI’s possibilities generally … come for a hands-on experience with actual tools. (And join us for optional drinks and eats after the meeting ...)

Co-sponsored by Tohoku JALT.