JALT Event

With the growing English education fever in Japan in mind, it is high time to consider what would be the ideal in-classroom-language for teachers to use in daily English lessons. There is a debate about whether native English-speaking teachers (NEST) or non-native English-speaking teachers (NNET) are best for in-class instruction, as well as the use of L1.
This discussion and workshop will talk about this issue, and others, from the perspective of the presenter, who studied Akita high school students and how they reacted to English and Japanese usage in the classroom. It seems that students prefer using L1 and L2 depending on the purpose. What do you think? You thoughts, opinions, stories are welcome with open arms.

This seminar will consider the development of Lexical Competence from several
points of view. Through a review of some of the core research in second language
vocabulary acquisition we will first try to dispel some of the "myths" about vocabulary
learning that are still prevalent among classroom practitioners and researchers. After
developing a basic understanding of how vocabulary should be tested, taught and
learned, we will then move on to consider a range of classroom vocabulary teaching
and testing techniques based on current research. Finally, we will look at and get
hands on practice in using a variety of online tools for testing, teaching and
conducting research on second language vocabulary acquisition. Papers required for
those who take this course for credit will ask participants to use and assess one of
the many online tools in the context of current research in this area.
This seminar is co-sponsored by Temple University Japan. The first three hours (Saturday, 2 to 5 p.m.) are free and open to the public.

Title: Common sense in vocabulary teaching
Abstract: This session will look at some of the theoretical underpinnings to any vocabulary program. We'll look at the differences between direct and incidental vocabulary acquisition, and a systematic method to learn lots of words quickly. Following this will be an explanation about how to balance all the aspects of vocabulary learning.
Title: Extensive Reading the missing piece of the puzzle
Abstract:
In this presentation, the presenter will put forward the case why Extensive Reading should be an indispensible part of every language program. This will be done by referring to current thinking in vocabulary acquisition and reading, and by looking at the linguistic task facing the language learner. The implications of this will be discussed in detail to provide substantial evidence to show that Extensive Reading and Extensive Listening are the missing piece of the puzzle in most language programs. He will then show why Extensive Reading should not be considered optional, or a luxury, but a core part of all language programs.

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Dr. Rob Waring is an acknowledged expert in Extensive Reading and second language vocabulary acquisition. He has published and presented widely on these topics and serves as advisor to numerous institutions on the development and maintenance of Extensive Reading programs. An Associate Professor at Notre Dame Seishin University in Okayama. Professor Waring is a founding board member of the Extensive Reading Foundation. He is also author and series editor of the Foundations Reading Library and series editor of the Footprint Reading Library published by Cengage/Heinle.

This presentation details some of the findings from ongoing research exploring the views language educators hold about culture, the application of culture in the language classroom and the potential effects, positive or negative, on language learners. Whether or not it is a given that culture is inextricably linked to language proficiency, the presenter asserts that it is important to explore the nature of such connections when determining a path for language acquisition.

Literature circles are a fun and engaging way for learners to explore fiction, but can they be used equally well in content-based courses? In this presentation/workshop the presenter will describe how to set up a content-based discussion circle, give participants hands-on experience, and describe the preliminary results of research he is undertaking in this area.

Steve Quasha won the 'Best of JALT 2009' award for his presentation on 'Exploring Portfolio Assessment in the EFL classroom.
He is also the JALT CUE Sig Coordinator and Gifu JALT Program Chair.
In this workshop, the presenter will demonstrate how portfolio assessment plays an integral part in his communicative English courses at a Japanese women's university. Participants will experience tasks and activities that will enable them to successfully develop their own grading rubrics, coordinate peer assessment, and learn why shared accountability improves language acquisition based on interactional theories of language.
Creating portfolios provide students with the chance to learn the skills of reflection, self-evaluation, critical thinking and independent learning. Portfolios can be used in a variety of teaching situations to promote student generated experiential learning.

* 次回：2010年4月17日（土）14:00-16:00
* 場所：出島交流会館4F
* 発表者：リチャード・ホドソン 「長崎県立大学」
* 演題： 「英語の授業でのジョークや漫画」
* 参加費：会員・学生—無料　非会員—Y1000.
「非会員が初めての人を連れてきた場合はそれぞれ500円でOK」
Can you tell a joke in English?How can learners be encouraged to experiment with humour, and what materials can teachers provide to help them do so? Telling, even understanding, a joke in a foreign language is a challenging activity demanding considerable linguistic skill, but one that provides learners with valuable opportunities for practice, access to cultural knowledge, and also to the cognitive and affective benefits of creative language play.
Recent research into the role of humour in the EFL classroom has begun to suggest guidelines for the selection and use of humorous input materials. This presentation will report on two investigations into the classroom application of these guidelines. In the first study, a series of jokes linked to everyday forms and functions found in typical communication classes and texts was introduced in a university oral communication class, encouraging learners not only to explore the principles and processes behind English jokes, but also to start experimenting with humour by rating, adapting and recreating them.
In the second investigation, students rated and wrote captions for a series of newspaper cartoons. Peer-rating of student output was compared with ratings given by native speakers of English. As well as reporting on the detailed findings of these two studies, the presentation will discuss both the broader linguistic, and specifically humour-related factors that they suggest may be significant in the selection of humorous input material for EFL classes.
Contacts for this meeting: allan@kwassui.ac.jp or leave a voice mail message at 080 6392 5688.

Presentation 1 - 18:30-19:30: Since 2009, the Ministry of Education has been accepting applications for research funds in English. This presentation will detail the procedures and pitfalls involved in successfully applying for government sponsored research grants. Examples of applications are shown so that the audience can understand what should be done.
Presentation 2 - 19:30-20:30: Many second language researchers use survey research to explore latent constructs and students' attitudes toward learning. This presentation will explain some of the mistakes that researchers commonly make in doing survey research, explore methods for determining well grounded items. There will be some hand-on activities to construct a questionnaire together and understand the idea with other participants.
Presenter bio: Keita Kikuchi is a Junior Associate Professor at Tokai University, Japan. After obtaining an M.A. in ESL from the University of Hawai'i at Manoa, he has taught English in Singapore and in Japan. His research interests include curriculum development and second language acquisition, especially individual differences.　

In this workshop, participants explore how the use of music in the classroom creates a relaxed language learning environment that strengthens teaching and learning activities-- even lessons that focus on grammar and TOEIC test preparation. No musical talent is required for this workshop and ready-to-use materials will be provided that are suitable for EFL learners from junior high school to adults.

Bio
Rintaro Sato
Rintaro Sato is an associate professor in the Department of English Education at Nara University of Education. His research interests include intake and output processing, feedback and negotiation of meaning. Before he came to Nara , he taught English in public high schools in Hokkaido for over 15 years. It’s very difficult for him to stop playing rugby( though he is not young ). Email: rintaro@nara-edu.ac.jp
Summary
Title: English teaching in the Japanese EFL Environment. How Efficacious?
In the presentation I discuss how English can effectively be taught in the Japanese EFL (English as a foreign language) context. In this environment, learners do not often have an actual need for communication in English. It is rare for them to have exposure to English; Rather, English is taught as a knowledge-based subject; Some students study it for tests or entrance exams. Thus I believe teachers should create teaching approaches for this input scarce in EFL situations. In learning English, the utilization of tasks has been gaining a high profile recently, and the long-established traditional teaching methodology based on the Presentation-Practice-Production (PPP) model is now being replaced by Task-Based Language Learning (TBL) in SLA. (Skehan, 1998). However, in the Japanese EFL learning environment, we might be skeptical of the effectiveness of TBL in grammar teaching. In the presentation, the suitability of TBL and PPP in the Japanese school context and the effectiveness of PPP from the point of view of skill acquisition theory will be discussed. I also discuss effective teaching from other aspects.