JALT Event

Abstract:
In this workshop, the presenter will lead a session to show the possibilities and pitfalls of introducing corpora in a practical way to the classroom. He will discuss aspects of building the corpus, ways to involve students in its creation and materials development. No prior knowledge of corpus linguistics is required or assumed.
Bio:
Colin Graham has been teaching English in Japan since 1998, prior to which he taught Mathematics and IT in London, as well as spending 10 years in different industries. He is currently the Co-ordinator for JALT’s Teacher Education SIG and Membership Chair for the forming Teachers Helping Teachers SIG. He is interested in learner autonomy, materials writing and professional development. He works for Sumikin-Intercom, a private language school providing English training for business people.

The native speaker of English has competence in how words are sttructured. Quite often a word is a combination of morphemes. This presentation will deal with how morphemes are composed to make words. The word components such as stem, prefix and suffix will be explained and we will be see how crucial it is to have knowledge of word structure as part of the overall competence to speak.

Since April 2009, Imabari City , Ehime has begun utilizing the ‘Eigo Note’. Some areas of Japan have already started to deviate from its stated goal. Mr. Carley will provide background information on the Note. It purpose, problems, and potential. Lessons will be analyzed for linkage from lesson to lesson, usefulness to learners, and teaching feasibility for instructors.

In this workshop, the presenter will lead a session to show the possibilities and pitfalls of introducing corpora in a practical way to the classroom. He will discuss aspects of building the corpus, ways to involve students in its creation and materials development. No prior knowledge of corpus linguistics is required or assumed.
Colin Graham has been teaching English in Japan since 1998, prior to which he taught Mathematics and IT in London, as well as spending 10 years in different industries. He is currently the Co-ordinator for JALT’s Teacher Education SIG and Membership Chair for the Teachers Helping Teachers SIG. He is interested in learner autonomy, materials writing and professional development. He works for Sumikin-Intercom, a private language school providing English training for business people.

Linda Ohama* The director will present her award-winning film, "Obaachan's Garden",
the story of her grandmother, the last living picture bride in Canada when she passed away
at nearly 105 years old. Linda will discuss her work as a filmmaker and educator, and the
importance of preserving personal stories to understand the impact of history, politics,
family and culture on our lives. Sun 21 Jun 13:30-16:00; Nagoya International Center, 3F,
Lecture Room 2, one-day members \1,000. http://www.nic-nagoya.or.jp/en/aboutus/access.htm

In this presentation, Adriana will briefly analyze the importance of using drama techniques as part of the strategies for teaching English to university students. In addition to the analysis of the theory available about this subject, Adriana will present some of the findings of her personal research on educational drama with students of Saitama University, Japan. It is Adriana’s intention to offer a clear outline of the benefits and characteristics of drama as a bridge between language acquisition and language performance, and to provide information that may serve to aid further studies in this area.
The big question behind this presentation is: why should we consider drama as a tool for language learning at university level? Adriana’s answer to this question is ambiguous and probably not what you expect: why NOT? Drama exercises and techniques can contribute in many ways to build an active and enthusiastic learning experience. The list of benefits is long, but Adriana would like to focus on ten essential points that, in her opinion, provide the foundation upon which we can build a better understanding of the reasons why drama techniques should be considered effective tools for language learning. The analysis of these points is the result of a combination of her previous experience with different groups, the research that has provided Adriana with a body of theories about this subject, and the experience and observations collected during the workshops with Saitama University students.

About Adriana E. Edwards Wurzinger
Adriana is an associate professor at Saitama University, Adriana teaches Preparation for TOEIC classes, and academic lectures and speaking classes on Race and Ethnicity; European History of the Middle Ages; Religion, Popular Culture and the Witch-craze in Medieval and Modern Europe; Sociology of Identity; Global Culture; and Presentation Skills (Public Speaking).
Since 2006, Adriana has coordinated and directed five drama workshops for the Center for English Education & Development. Students and teachers alike have shown increasing interest in these theatrical adventures, and the annual workshops have become a popular activity and a trademark of our department. As a coordinator, she wears that badge proudly

In this workshop, the author 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, peer assessment projects and learn how the notion of shared accountability improves language acquisition based on interactional theories of language. Furthermore, the notion of sharing information is central to Task-Based Learning and Teaching; the reporting phase.
Creating portfolios provide students with the chance to learn the skills of reflection, self-evaluation, and critical thinking. All of which can lead them more readily onto the path of independent learning. Come and experience the many ways portfolios can be used in your own teaching situation to promote student generated experiential learning regardless of the age of your students.

Professional development for EFL teachers: Aston University in collaboration with JALT West Tokyo and Tokyo Chapters, Abax, and Toyo Gakuen University invite you to an evening of presentations exploring the topics of task-based learning, and communication.
17.45-18.00: Doors open
18.00-18.45: Form-focused tasks using semantically enhanced input - Andrea Little and Terry Fieldsend (Aston U)
Andrea Little and Terry Fieldsend will describe a small research project using realia (a miniature apartment) to target prepositions. Using Samuda's (2001) design framework, the research investigates whether tasks which illuminate areas of meaning (semantically enhanced tasks) might be effective in leading learners to notice a “gap” in their language, seek language input on a highlighted form, and then apply that form with a greater degree of accuracy and control as a result of their increased appreciation of that particular meaning-form relationship.
18.45-19.00: Break
19.00-19.45: The value of non-evaluation in the research and writing process - Sarah Haas (Aston U) and Andy Boon (Toyo Gakuen U)
It is well-established that giving/receiving feedback is an important part of the research/writing process. However, feedback is often synonymous with evaluation. This is not surprising, given that the established discourse of higher education is evaluative—ideas are moved forward by criticism and debate. However, in certain stages of research, evaluative feedback may not always be the most preferable for some. While not denying the importance of constructive criticism, Sarah Haas and Andy Boon will discuss how non-evaluative interaction may facilitate understanding for the individual teacher/researcher.
19.45-20.00: Break
20.00-20.45: Communication strategies: Why training is helpful - Alastair Graham-Marr (Tokai U and Abax)
We often observe that, all other factors being equal, some people communicate better than others. Communication strategies are often the difference. Learning to use communication strategies is not so much a matter of education as it is a matter of training. We all use and understand such strategies to varying degrees in our first language. The key is having enough experience to transfer these skills over to our second language. Alastair Graham-Marr will look at some of the L1 cultural interference issues with respect to acquisition of strategies and suggest an explanation for differing research results between Asian and European studies.
20.45-21.00: Closing remarks

All students in Japan have some background in poetry
that can be utilized as a springboard for classroom
activities. Poetry can be an occasional classroom
resource material, or the basis for an entire content
course in a foreign language. Jane Joritz-Nakagawa
will bring poems and techniques that can be used at a
variety of language levels, and participants will
brainstorm how they can use poems effectively in their
own classrooms.
Jane Joritz-Nakagawa is a long time resident of Japan
who currently works as associate professor at Aichi
University of Education. She has taught for twenty
years, most of that in Japanese universities.