JALT Event

The workshop is a two-day event at a seminar house with genuine hot spring up in the mountains. The theme is English Grammar and Politeness. Dr. Leech will give two lectures on the separate topics: 1) How English grammar has been changing; 2) Politeness: is there an East-West divide? There will also be presentations by participants. Please find both the details and the registration form by clicking the tag, "Flyer in English (Word File)" at the URL, "http://harahara.net/JALT/kusatsu.htm". Registration for participation (40 places) as well as for presentation (5 places) will be accepted on a first-come-first-served basis.

Positive, motivated students -- engaged with their subject and each
other -- learn more. How do we facilitate that? Attitude. The new field of
“positive psychology” offers ideas. Traditional psychology focuses on
mental illness. Positive psychology focuses on mental health: What do happy,
mentally healthy people do? TIME magazine calls it “the science of
happiness.” Language learning is informed by educational psychology. This
session will experiment with tasks combining positive psychology with
language learning goals.
Bio Data:
Marc Helgesen is author of more than 100 professional articles, books and
textbooks including the popular English Firsthand series and has led teacher
development workshop on 5 continents. He is a professor at Miyagi Gakuin
Women's University, Sendai and adjunct at Teachers College Columbia
University, MA Program, Tokyo

Vocabulary learning is probably the most difficult and time-consuming aspect of learning a foreign language. But it can also be enjoyable! This presentation will focus on ways of helping students learn and retain vocabulary. An overview of computer programs will make it easier to choose the best program for one's learning/teaching situation.

A meeting to share ideas for the upcoming academic year, to discuss the future of Chiba JALT, and to select people willing to serve as officers and take an active role in running the chapter, to replace those who need to step down.

The seminar is a celebration of some of the differences in international cultures in
terms of etiquette, hygiene, forms of greetings, body language, food and drink,
with special emphasis on different learning styles and differing views on what
constitutes a good student, a good teacher and a good course.
The seminar will also explore how sometimes minor differences can lead to
tensions and misunderstanding, and suggest a cross-cultural strategy for working
in an international environment and for exploiting cross-cultural issues in the classroom.
Bio Data
James Banner is Director of External Courses at Hilderstone College, UK. He directed
the RSA Diploma in Teaching Foreign Languages to Adults, which Hilderstone piloted
with the University of Edinburgh, and a Certificate Programme in TFLA for Hilderstone
College in conjunction with Kent Adult Education and the University of Kent. He has
wide experience of teaching and training at all levels both in Britain and abroad and
has published articles on language teaching and cultural issues. Also, he has regularly
presented seminars on behalf of the British Council in Italy, Germany, Brazil, Spain and Japan.
Tea, Book Fair, Chapter Planning Meeting: 15:30-17:00
Please read the details of the moring presentation in a separate notice.

This seminar will explore fertile areas and techniques for teaching vocabulary. These areas will
include art and design, cult objects, fashion, icons and figures from popular culture. This will
be especially useful for teachers of teenagers/young adults and young professionals.
Techniques covered will include memory exercises, word circles and learner training ideas.
OBJECTIVES
To provide teachers with some new ideas for vocabulary development and materials that they will be able
to adapt to their own use in class. The seminar will also serve as an opportunity to brush up on
pronunciation and current idiomatic use in British and American English.
Bio Data
James Banner is Director of External Courses at Hilderstone College, UK. He directed the RSA Diploma
in Teaching Foreign Languages to Adults, which Hilderstone piloted with the University of Edinburgh,
and a Certificate Programme in TFLA for Hilderstone College in conjunction with Kent Adult Education
and the University of Kent. He has wide experience of teaching and training at all levels both in Britain
and abroad and has published articles on language teaching and cultural issues. Also, he has regularly
presented seminars on behalf of the British Council in Italy, Germany, Brazil, Spain and Japan.
Lunch: 12:00-13:30 Join us in walking to, and dining at, a restaurant close to the campus.
The afternoon presentation will start at 14:00. See the separate notice for details.

TOEIC, Listening and Reading Test is used to assess non-native English proficiency and is currently the standard measure of English ability in Japan. This presentation will look at what the TOEIC test is, what it is used for, and how it is changing.

Keynote Speaker: Mari Nakamura.
Title: Exploring the Power of the Picture Book-Based Curriculum in Young Learners’ Classrooms
Summary:
Good quality picture books have enormous potential as a tool for English language teaching. However, it often feels daunting to design a curriculum around a picture book. In this interactive workshop, you will first examine who children are as language learners, what sort of learning environment we want to provide to our children, and how picture books can support their learning. Then the presenter will demonstrate how to design a four skills program using a popular children’s story as a springboard. By participating in the designing process and trying out several fun classroom activities, the audience will see the picture book-based curriculum in a whole new light.
Bio: Mari Nakamura, a popular children's author and co-author, has been giving numerous teacher training sessions all around Japan and writing educational articles while teaching young learners at her own school, English Square, in Kanazawa City. She is most well-known for her dynamic and practical workshops. She has earned the Postgraduate Diploma from the MSc in TEYL program at Aston University, and is volunteering as the ETJ Ishikawa Group Coordinator.
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Taka Ishii
Abstract: Dr. Ishii will present on common types of learning disorders affecting children, symptoms - what to look out for, forms of treatment, what happens if ignored. He will present in Japanese with a PowerPoint presentation in English at the same time. Handouts will be in English and Japanese. He is able to answer questions in English.
Bio: Dr. Taka Ishii is a psychiatrist at Sapporo Medical University.
Panel Discussion: Teaching Children
Host: Mari Nakamura
Target Audience: Parents
Language: Japanese

As teachers, how can we…
• learn or at least use all of our students’ names?
• help our students feel comfortable with us and with each other?
• encourage them to work together and help each other?
This is a workshop for anyone interested in these questions. We will start with some simple name games, progressing through to increasingly challenging team work activities. The latter portion of the workshop is open for a discussion and idea exchange.
This workshop will feature lots of active participation, so please wear comfortable clothing, and come prepared to share your favorite name learning and group building activities with everyone else. Come on down to Kyotofor a great afternoon of group building activities!

Speaker biodata:
Warren Decker currently teaches at Momoyama Gakuin University in Osaka. Formerly he was in Sendai on the JET program where he taught at elementary, junior high, and special needs schools. After two years as an ALT, he became the Chief Educational Advisor in the Sendai City Board of Education, responsible for professional development of 70 ALTs. He has a Master's degree in English Education from the University of North Carolina. Outside of the classroom, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two children and exploring mountains.

The DREAM Management workshop introduces a thought provoking alternative model of management designed for the ELT context. DREAM, an acronym, suggests policies that will help keep quality teaching and learning as the core value of the institution. The workshop introduces the DREAM principles while at the same time causing reflection on current coordinating and management practices. Through the sharing of the DREAM principles and each other’s experiences, participants will leave with ideas on how to improve as managers, to bring the best out of themselves and their staff.
Speaker Biodata
John Honisz-Greens is a Associate Lecturer of English in the School of Policy Studies at Kwansei Gakuin University. He has been living in Japan for 12 years and his academic interests also include Socio-linguistics, EAP Writing, and Vocabulary acquisition.