JALT Event

This is an event where chapter members and other interested parties will swap ideas for lesson plans, activities or other language teaching/learning interactions. Bring 2 or 3 of your favorites (one-page introduction with any necessary handouts) and go away with a fistful of ideas from other teachers.

This event has been postponed to Sunday, June 7, 2009 due to the spread of a new-flu in the area.
Space is limited. Please contact Shirley Ando at kobejalt@gmail.com by Sunday, May 31 to join us in barbeque and/or if you need childcare. For more details go to: http://jalt.org/events/kobe-chapter/09-06-07

This study asked 144 first year university students who filled in end-of-semester student evaluation of teaching surveys (SETs) about their beliefs about their English learning experiences and whether these beliefs have influenced how they evaluate. Little is known about the actual processes students follow when responding to evaluation forms. What do first year university students think about their English learning experiences up to the present time, and do these experiences influence how they evaluate their university English classes?
Dr Burden has presented widely on student evaluation in Japan, Korea and Australia. He has published internationally in "Teaching and Teacher Education", "System" and "Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education" journals as well as in TLT and "JALT Journal".

Through this one hour workshop, educators can discover techniques to tap into a learner's use of English through comics. Educators will be able to see how manga is a relevant tool in helping reluctant learners to share language and for instructors to channel instruction.

This presentation will examine the interview discourse of athletes, coaches and supervisors who participate in the national sports of four countries (Australia, Korea, China and Japan). Differences will be discussed and theories considered for these differences.

Music plays a special role in people's lives, partly because of the effect that it has on the mind and the body. We will learn about those effects, focusing on music's usefulness in the language classroom. We will be listening to various kinds of music and discussing the useful qualities of that particular music. You will be provided with a list and description of how, and when to use music, and what music to use.
Please bring your iPod/MP3 player, or favorite music or song on an MD, CD, or cassette tape. Be ready to tap your feet.

Lena Okada has been training elementary school teachers to teach English for almost two decades.
She has an array of impressive credentials, and a wealth of knowledge and experience behind her.
She has great passion and enthusiasm for her topic and a comprehensive understanding of the internal workings of Japanese elementary schools
and their educational objectives.
Her very comprehensive presentation will include;
Curriculum guidelines.
Teaching Aids;
Creating Teaching Aids
When and how to use them.
ALTs
The role of the ALT in the classroom.
How to effectively use ALts.
What and when to teach?
Grade specific advice on what and when to teach.
When to introduce reading/writing.
Detailed demonstrations on using,
Story telling
Games/quizzes
Worksheets.

West Tokyo, Yokohama, Tokyo Chapters, Pragmatics SIG and Tokai University are co-sponsoring a professional development symposium featuring a dozen presentations, poster sessions, and a two-part workshop led by Dr. John Fanselow, comparing practices used in teaching input and output. See http://jwt.homestead.com/home.html for further details and a map. Sat 25 April 10:00-17:00.

Topic: Analyzing Grammar Mistakes in College Composition Classes
Abstract: During the 2008 academic year, Kenlay Friesen and Peter Gray analyzed the grammar and punctuation mistakes made by 20 second-year university students in their English Composition classes. Four essays by each student written throughout the year (April, July, Sept. and Dec) were analyzed in order to determine how often students made each type of mistake and how much the students did or did not improve throughout one year of instruction. This presentation will describe how this research project was set up, the difficulties and limitations of analyzing composition mistakes, the results of the research, and suggestions for improving how to teach English composition based on the research results and the teachers' classroom observations.
Biography:
Peter Gray is a professor in the English Department of Hokusei Gakuen University. Originally from California, he has lived and taught in Japan for 27 years.

Topic: Incorporating Art into Language Education
Abstract: The presenter will explain why and how she incorporated art into English classes for her elementary-level university students. In language education, visual images can help students overcome vocabulary problems when they are trying to understand stories in textbooks. As well, Parson (2004) states that art in an integrated curriculum enables students to experience different view points and helps them to think and to visualize on a larger scale. Moreover, art can create the kind of positive classroom atmosphere which Lightbown and Spada (1999) feel is necessary for increased student motivation.
With this in mind, the presenter hoped that art activities would allow her language students to explore their personal interests and raise their self-esteem, thereby contributing to motivation in the classroom. Indeed, as the students tried to complete the assigned activities, they began to look inside of themselves and felt satisfied when they found ways to express their thoughts while presenting their works to other students.
The presenter will share actual student works with the audience during the presentation, and the various art activities will be explained in detail. Discussion will also be encouraged as the presenter hopes to explore and expand her ideas along with the audience.
Links to her presentations include:http://www.jalt.org/pansig/2008/HTML/Shimada.htmhttp://www.jalt-publicat...