JALT Event

On defining “good” language learners
This workshop will examine the notion of “good” language learners (GLLs) in terms of learner characteristics from second language acquisition literature. GLLs in two different contexts will be discussed: traditional compulsory classrooms and private language schools. The hypothesis that certain learner characteristics may be more advantageous in one learning environment than the other will be offered. After an explanation of different learner factors and contexts, participants will create their own GLLs for one of the teaching contexts. A group discussion of the selected traits will be followed by a brief presentation from one teacher’s point of view of GLLs. Some ideas on how learners can become “better” will also be considered. Final comments and questions related to the topic will then be addressed.
University listening classes: less product, more process
Field (1998) points out that a large amount of listening practice “focuses upon the outcomes of listening, rather than upon the listening process itself, upon product rather than process.” This three-part presentation promotes the de-emphasis of product in university listening classes. It will be argued that more attention be given to the process of listening if the skill is to be used beyond the classroom. Part one of the presentation will describe the current state of listening classes taught at one public university in Japan. This will be followed by a description of how direct listening strategy training was incorporated in one of these classes in an effort to teach the process of listening. Preliminary results from triangulated research into student use of and reaction to strategy instruction will be shared. Finally, in a segment related to curriculum innovation, the presenter will describe steps that might be taken to promote and implement such a shift throughout the university’s English department.
Joe Siegel has been teaching in Japan for 7 years, and has also volunteered in ESL classrooms in the US, UK, and Turkey. He has experience teaching in conversation schools, elementary schools, and universities. Currently studying towards an MA in TESL/TEFL through the University of Birmingham (UK), his research interests include learner autonomy, listening, strategy use and teacher talk. Joe is always interested in participating in education-based discussion and teacher development. He can be reached at jojo.siegel@gmail.com.

Abstract:
Based on an analysis of example sentences in English writing textbooks for Japanese senior high school students, this presentation shows how traditional gender roles, represented by the mother staying home and the father working outside the home, still persist there in spite of an increasing number of working women in society. Although a certain degree of awareness of gender issues is shown in the sections dealing with gender equality or gender-neutral expressions, gender imbalances still exist in the current textbooks and need to be corrected. The presenter urges that more efforts should be made to raise awareness about sexism in textbooks and take action against it.
For further details, please visit the JALT Sendai webpage at: http://jaltsendai.terapad.com/
Biographical note:
Fumie Togano received an MA in TESL from Saint Michael's College and has been teaching English at Hosei Daini High School in Kanagawa for more than 10 years.

Presenters (teachers) will explain projects they have done in class with students. Some actual students will also give presentations about the class projects they have participated in and give their impressions of the experience.

Ideas and activities for getting the year started on the right foot and in the right direction.
15-30 mins. allotted for each of 5-8 presenters.
Contact Simon or Kevin if you'd like to participate as a presenter!

The next meeeting will be held on Saturday 24th of January. The theme will be "My Share". This will be a chance to share any aspect of your classroom routine or practical tops which you have found successful. Based on the experience of our first three events, we predict this exchange of ideas will lead to a very fruitful discussion.
The title "My Share" is the same as the monthly column in The Language Teacher, in which teachers share their best teaching method, tip or exercise. The advantage of doing this in our monthly meeting is the chance for feedback and shared wisdom.
If you would like to present your brilliant classroom method oractivity in this event, please contact us at the address below. A presentation time of between 10~15 minutes, plus discussion time, would be great. The emphasis is on practical sharing, so an informal style will be fine.

Using music in the classroom is not just about filling in the blanks. Prisca Molotsi will show us how music can be used in various ways to enhance language learning. During her dynamic presentation, Prisca will explore ways that music can foster a deeper understanding of and heightened interest in various facets of English such as expressions, idioms, pronunciation and grammar. Audience participation is an integral part of Prisca's presentation style, so be prepared to have fun!

Our annual international conference. Friday, 20 November is a preparation day. There will be Technology and Teaching Workshops aimed at helping teachers develop their computer related skills in the afternoon, some workshops sponsored by JALT's Associate Members and international affiliates in the early evening. Saturday, Sunday, and Monday (21-23 November) will have a wide range of presentations, workshops, and symposia. The final afternoon (Monday) will be devoted to more workshops sponsored by JALT's Associate Members and international affiliates.

In this workshop, Charles LeBeau, shows how speech, presentation, debate, and discussion can be integrated into a systematic four-level approach that develops clearer thinking, clearer speaking, and better overall language skills. At the first level, the author introduces simple templates to help learners organize their message clearly. At the second level, participants look at how complex communication strategies can be broken down into “bite-size” pieces, easily digested by the learner. At the third level, participants explore how simple graphic organizers make persuasion and argumentation accessible to even low-level learners. At the final level, participants can experience how principle-based discussion breaks discussion into clear, easily definable skills.

Research on student motivation often assumes that students are either motivated or not motivated; but this can cover up complex and evolving reasons for student behaviour. The two presenters critically examine their students’ classroom behaviour from alternative perspectives to motivation including resistance, identity and imagined communities. Key patterns of student behaviour, the influence of social and cultural factors in explaining them, and implications for teaching and teacher development are outlined.
Keiko Sakui is Associate Professor at Kobe Shoin Women’s University, Japan. She teaches EFL classes as well as teacher education courses, and is Director of the Foreign Language Education Centre. She has several publications in journals such as System, ELT Journal, and JALT Journal. Her most recent publication is on student resistance in Japanese universities in Narratives of learning and teaching EFL (2008) published by Palgrave Macmillan. Her research interests are teacher and learner beliefs, classroom management, and critical pedagogy.
Neil Cowie has been an English teacher in the Foreign Language Education Centre of Okayama University in Japan since 2004. Prior to that he taught in various universities, language schools and businesses in Japan and the UK. He has a Doctorate in Education from Exeter University and a Master’s Degree in Teaching English for Specific Purposes from Aston University, UK. His research interests include collaborative teacher development, student resistance, and exploring the connections between emotion and language learning and teaching.

This workshop, part II of a 2-part series of workshops, begins with a brief review of part I, about the use of (1) Hunter's infostructure maps and (2) Cmap Tools.
This workshop will demonstrate how to go beyond "I do mapping in my class" by means of various constraints and techniques that lead the learner to the use of specific language forms and patterns. This is germane: how many 'constructivist' tasks do you know of that actually lead the learner to specific language behaviors?
Full details are available athttp://eng.core.kochi-tech.ac.jp/eastshikoku/
The workshops are announced in map form athttp://cmapspublic.ihmc.us/servlet/SBReadResourceServlet?rid=12249912795...