JALT Event

Date & Time: November 6 (Wednesday) 18:00-20:00
Location: KUT, Eikokuji Campus
Speaker: Professor Klímová Blanka, Faculty of Informatics and Management, University of Hradec Králové
Title & Abstract:  The Use of AI in Foreign Language Education

This lecture on “The Use of AI in Foreign Language Education” will discuss how Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies are revolutionizing the field of language education. It will provide an overview of various AI applications, such as conversational agents, which are used in foreign language education, illustrating how they can contribute to personalized and immersive learning experiences. In addition, the lecture will explore several research studies where AI tools have been integrated into foreign language learning and teaching, generating different learning outcomes. In conclusion, the lecture will focus on specific examples of the so-called Best Practices that demonstrate how AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT) can personalize language teaching materials to cater to individual learner needs.

Saturday and Sunday at the 2024 JALT Conference in Shizuoka, PSG will be holding manuscript,  abstract, presentation and research idea consultations at their table in the EME section. Feel free to bring your printed documents or data on a tablet or PC for constructive and friendly advice on your work.

JALT2024 Pre-presentations!
Come see some of what's in store in Shizuoka

Empowering Educators: Disability Rights and Reality in Japan
Teresa Stockwell, Gavin Thomas
This presentation explores the experiences of educators with disabilities in Japan, examining both progress and ongoing challenges.

Examining Accommodations for Learner Diversity With UDL
Heather Suzuki
This presentation discusses accommodations made by Japanese university English teachers for diverse learners including those with disabilities or special learning needs.

I Am Not a Robot: Teaching Soft Skills in Language Classes
Aubra Bulin
In the age of GenAI, what can teachers do to solidify their place in education? In this session, language teachers will reaffirm their roles by considering the importance of teaching soft skills.

Postponed for a future date: Boosting Student Speaking Success with Positive Self-Talk

Finding ways to boost student speaking ability remains a burning issue in Japan. I hope you will join me in this session where I will explore the potential of positive self-talk to improve students’ speaking performance. Since self-talk can mediate students’ emotions and performance during tasks (Tod et al., 2011), it can provide insights into students’ experiences during stressful situations such as speech assessments. In the first part of this presentation, I will discuss the research findings from an experimental study on the effect of positive self-talk on university students’ speaking performance. Then in the second interactive part of the presentation, we will explore methods for promoting positive self-talk in speaking tasks.

Registration: Send your name so we can get an accurate count of people for the event. Please include if you are JALT
member or not. Please send to Wayne Malcolm at wamalcolmjalt2008@gmail.com

Join us for a morning of thought-provoking presentations from. All bases are covered from writing for beginner-level
college students to those learning language in different ways to service learning. If you are curious about
how AI is involved in language learning, we have that covered as well. If you are curious about poster
presentations and what that may entail, we have that covered.

Emi Hennessy will be starting our program with a preview of her JALT2024 presentation. Following will be Dale
Jeffery will be doing a poster presentation that he recently gave at a conference in New York City at Columbia
University. Closing out the trio of presenters is Kelly King who will discussing service learning and engaging
local immigrant/migrant communities. All these topics resonate with either our current or collective situations.
Each presenter will present for 25-minutes. After, there will be 5 minutes for immediate questions and answers.
There will also be 15-minutes after all three presentations are complete for further discussion. We are looking
forward to having you in attendance for this great event!!!!

PROGRAM
09:35AM – 10:00AM – Emi Hennessy: Enhance L2 Writing?: AI for Beginner-Level College Students
10:10AM – 10:35AM – Dale Jeffery: Traditional vs. AI-Driven Translation Sources in Language Learning
(Poster Presentation)
10:45AM – 11:10AM – Kelly King: Reflections on Creating a Service-Learning Curriculum to Connect University
Students and Local Immigrant/Migrant Youth

Words are not stored at specific places on the brain in some kind of database. Instead, they are connected to complex, but flexible, models built on first-hand experiences in the world. In other words, language, like cognition is “embodied.” It is stored in the sensory-motor routines that fire in encounters. To make meaning from language, the brain simulates those past experiences. That is one of the reasons why stories are so effective as a teaching tool. They are multisensory and experience oriented. It is no wonder that (according to one study) information in stories is learned twice and quickly and retained twice as long as information in lectures. But there are other reasons why stories fit the brain as well, reasons that are truly amazing and will probably change your view of the brain forever. Be prepared to be surprised, moved, and changed, and bring your own story related to teaching as well. 

脳が言語をどう扱うか、そしてなぜ脳は物語を好むのか言葉は、脳の特定の場所の何らかのデータベースに保存されるわけではありません。その代わりに、言葉は、世界での直接的な経験に基づいて構築された複雑だが柔軟なモデルと結びついています。言い換えれば、言語は認知と同様に「具体化」されています。言語は、遭遇時に発動する感覚運動ルーチンに保存されます。言語から意味を引き出すために、脳はそれらの過去の経験をシミュレートします。これが、物語が教育ツールとして非常に効果的である理由の 1 つです。物語は多感覚的で、経験志向です。（ある研究によると）物語の情報は講義の情報の 2 倍速く学習され、2 倍長く保持されるのは不思議ではありません。しかし、物語が脳に適している理由は他にもあります。それは本当に驚くべきもので、おそらくあなたの脳に対する見方を永遠に変えるでしょう。驚き、感動し、変化する準備をしてください。そして、教育に関連するあなた自身の物語も持ってきてください。

Speaker, writer, and professor emeritus of Kansai University, Curtis Kelly (EdD.), is a brain nerd.  He is one of the founders of the JALT BRAIN SIG and producer of the MindBrainEd Think Tanks. He has written over 30 books including the Cambridge Writing from Within series, and the soon-to-be-published Abax The Snoop Detective School: Interactive Tasks for English Learners. He is partial to difficult learners; his life mission is “to relieve the suffering of the classroom.”

講演者、作家、関西大学名誉教授のカーティス・ケリー（教育学博士）は、脳オタクです。JALT BRAIN の創設者の 1 人であり、MindBrainEd シンクタンクのプロデューサーでもあります。ケンブリッジ ライティング フロム ウィズイン シリーズや、近日出版予定の Abax The Snoop Detective School: Interactive Tasks for English Learners など、30 冊以上の著書を執筆しています。学習困難な生徒に目がなく、人生の使命は「教室の苦しみを和らげること」です。

Abstract Presenter 1: Shino Takahashi : Effectiveness and Challenges of K-code, the Learning Tool to Recognize and Write katakana and Kanji with 6 Lines
日本語： K-code－6つの線でカタカナと漢字を見分けたり書いたりできる学習ツール－の効果と課題
Mastering Japanese kanji is challenging for non-kanji background learners, especially in regions like Ehime Prefecture with limited study opportunities. This presentation examines the hypothesis that the K-code learning tool, effective in university settings, can enhance kanji literacy among “Foreign Nationals as Residents.” The study involved beginner learners with non-kanji background in Ehime, using a comparison of kanji glyphs by pre-post test and qualitative feedback. Results showed increased comfort with writing kanji and improved recognition, confirming K-code’s effectiveness. To maximize impact, instructional methods must cater to diverse learner needs and readiness, allowing effective concentration in short, focused sessions.
For more information about K-code, please access the following URL: https://k-code.net/
非漢字圏の日本語学習者、特に愛媛県のような外国人散在地域で学習機会が非常に限られている地域の「生活者としての外国人」にとって、日本語の漢字習得は非常に大きな壁となっています。本発表では、大学で有効性が確認されたKコードという学習ツールが、「生活者としての外国人 」の漢字リテラシーを向上させることができるという仮説の検証を行います。愛媛県内の非漢字圏の初級学習者を対象に、事前・事後の漢字字形比較と質的フィードバックを行った結果、彼らは書字に抵抗感がなくなり、漢字を識別する力も一定程度身につき、整った字体の文字が書けるようになっていたことが判明し、K-codeの有効性が確認できました。しかし、K-codeによる指導を最大限効果的にするためには、多様な学習者のニーズとレディネスにも配慮した、短時間で集中的に効果的に学習できるような指導方法が必要であることも示唆されました。
 なお、K-codeについてより知りたい方は、https://k-code.net/ でご確認ください。

Shino TAKAHASHI, Institute for International Relations, Ehime University
I hold an M.A. in Asian Studies with a specialization in Japanese linguistics from the University of British Columbia, where I also served as a Japanese Teaching Assistant. Since 2003, I have been dedicated to teaching Japanese to international students at Ehime University. My research delves into the interactions between Japanese speakers and learners, and I am passionate about advancing Japanese language education within local communities.

ブリティッシュ･コロンビア大学アジア学部で、日本語授業のTAをしながら日本語言語学の修士号を取得しました。2003年に帰国後は、愛媛大学の留学生の日本語教育を担当しています。専門分野は、日本語母語話者と日本語学習者の接触場面ですが、最近は地域の日本語教育に積極的に関わっています。

Abstract Presenter 2: Emmanuel Mariano Lopez : The Challenges of Teaching French as a Second foreign language
「第二外国語としてのフランス語教育の課題」
Is It Worth Studying a Second Foreign Language?  One of the most sensitive aspects of teaching French is the disparity in motivations, much broader than in English classes, between students who are genuinely eager to learn and those who are compelled to attend courses.
With verb conjugation, noun gender, and adjective agreement, French is a slightly more precise language than English, but it is also more difficult to teach. Moreover, the pronunciation of letters and syllables, which is different from English, disorientates some students unable to understand that the same alphabet can have a dual reading system. Last but not least, can the laziest students be held back? When the decline of his department is at stake, the teacher has no choice but to engage in a popularity contest…

「第二外国語を学ぶことは必要か。」
フランス語教育における問題の一つに、学生間の学習意欲の差がある。これは英語の
授業で見られる個人差よりも顕著で、学ぶ意欲がある学生と、単位取得のためにだけに受講している学生とではモチベーションに大きな違いが現れる。 動詞の活用、名詞の性、形容詞の一致など、フランス語は英語よりも文法体系が複雑 な分、教える上での難しさもある。その上、英語とは異なる文字や音節の発音があるため、同じアルファベットに別の読み方があることを理解できず、最初につまずく学生もいる。 また、成績が悪くやる気のない学生を留年させるべきかという問題もある。学科や学
部の存続が懸念される状況下では、教員は十分な学生数を確保する必要があり、残念ながら、 人気取りを意識しなければならない。

Emmanuel Mariano LOPEZ, Matsuyama University (Lecturer)
エマニュエル マリアノ ロぺズ 松山大学（講師）
Emmanuel Mariano Lopez is a graduate of several prestigious French institutions, including Paris Sorbonne University, Hautes Etudes Internationales (HEI) and the Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales (Inalco). His specialisms are International Relations and Applied Linguistics. He has taught, among other places, at Nihon University and Jochi University; he is currently working at Matsuyama University.
He considers foreign language studies as a tool for opening people up to the world. Indeed, language classes are an opportunity to shape students into the honnête homme (“a well-educated, non-pedantic man of manners” as defined by the French philosopher Montaigne), which was the moral ideal in the seventeenth-century Europe, and the raison d’être for teaching the humanities at universities.

権威あるフランスの教育機関であるパリ・ソルボンヌ大学、高等国際研究大学院（HEI）、フランス国立東洋言語文化研究所（Inalco）にて学業を修める。専攻は、応用言語学、国際関係学。上智大学、日本大学でフランス語講師を務めたのち、現在は松山大学にて勤務。外国語学習は人々をより広い世界へと導くツールである。事実、語学の授業は、オネットム（フランスの哲学者モンテーニュの定義によると「教養があり、謙虚で礼儀正しい人」）を育てる機会と考えられ、17 世紀ヨーロッパの道徳的理想像であった。また、今日の大学においても、教養教育は人文学の存在価値の一つとして考えられている。

Featuring talks on TBLT by
Dr. Shoko Sasayama (Waseda Univ.)
Designing effective language lessons: Insights from TBLT research
Prof. Marcos Benevides (J. F. Oberlin Univ.)
From learner needs to task outcomes: Practical tools for the classroom
October 20 (12:45~17:00) @ Toyohashi Arts Theatre PLAT
https://maps.app.goo.gl/SCXinVojQ65cGAeN7

Local speakers:
Dr Alan Thompson (Gifu Shotoku Gakuen University)
ELF, or English rejigged
Diverse users in diverse settings have rejigged English in just about every dimension—prosodic, syntactic, pragmatic, etc. It’s an ecosystem of repertoires, improvisation, competition, and selection, but it is still thought of—by its users, learners, and teachers—as a thing. This short presentation will show a few samples of the variation, explore some of its sources, and grapple with the question, ‘How do we teach it?’

Alan Thompson (PhD Toronto) teaches at Gifu Shotoku Gakuen & digs language contact, translation, literature in learning.

Erik Tsuchiya (Nagoya University of Foreign Studies)
The impact of introducing CLT with conversation strategies to young learners
The main purpose of this research was to determine what impact conversation strategies (CS) have on 4th grade public elementary school students (N=28) English speaking and conversation talking time. The research was conducted through a survey, reflection log, and an informal video recording assessment. The pre/post survey showed that students liked English class more from April to July, enjoyed talking with classmates in English, wanted to speak and write more in English, and thought that English was important for the future. Most students reported that they could use openers and closers. Reflection sheet data was mixed, some categories improved, and some did not. Video recording assessment revealed that all students used openers, most used closers, few students used rejoinders, and fewer than half could ask the unit question in English. Results of the research are inconclusive and this Research is ongoing so this presentation focuses on teaching practices and research methods.

Erik is an assistant language teacher for city of Kitanagoya. He is also MA TESOL student at Nagoya University of Foreign Studies

Phil Nguyen (Chukyo University)
Canva for Lively Poster Presentations in Your Classroom
This presentation will show how powerful Canva is in designing a poster presentation event for your classroom, which remains invaluable in both the academic and professional world. Poster presentations are a great way of expressing different ideas and topics, and they offer a more collaborative and less anxious atmosphere. With its easy-to-use design features, students can use Canva to help make various designs and templates to create their very own posters.
This presentation will identify the benefits of using poster presentations.
I will demonstrate how Canva's templates and customization options can support students and professionals in designing posters that not only look professional but communicate their ideas powerfully and effectively. This workshop is open for anyone who is new to Canva or poster presentations or those who want to see a case study of how to use it in their classrooms.

Phil Nguyen teaches at Chukyo University in Nagoya. When he's not teaching, he's almost too active in JALT, holding positions such as JALT Niigata Treasurer, JALT PanSIG Conference Treasurer, JALT TASC Committee, JALT Web Admin Services Committee, SPIN Committee, and JALT International Conference Site Chair & Senior Chief Technical Support Analyst.

SPIN Student Forum @ the Grand Forum

SPIN Student Presentations Handbook

Presenters and abstracts:

Saki Suzuki (Graduate School of Intercultural Communication, Rikkyo University)
Proposing the Online Learning Environment to Maintain Learning Motivation
Due to the rapid shift to online learning during COVID-19, concerns arose over declining motivation, especially with the postponement or cancellation of study abroad programs. This study uses Zoom interviews and SCAT analysis to explore factors affecting motivation in online environments, aiming to design a learning space that promotes autonomy and sustains Japanese language learning.

Saki Suzuki is the master student of Intercultural Communication, specialising in Japanese Language Education.

Noor, Meezab e (Gifu Shotoku Gakuen University) 
The Different Selves I Express as a Plurilingual Person 
Plurilingual individuals may express different aspects of their personality in their different languages. In this poster presentation, a student explores her English, Urdu and Japanese selves, presenting extracts from her diary in which she reflects on her language experiences alongside examples of her language production (e.g. poems, social media posts, and video clips). She discusses how her demeanor, movements, eye contact, and subject matter changes according to the language she is speaking.  

Meezab eNoor is a  third-year undergraduate student at a Japanese university. She is from Pakistan. She intends to go to graduate school. 

Ryoya Shoji (Graduate School of Nanzan University)
Analysis of English Synonyms, Meaning “Extremely Happy”
The research explores the differences between four English expressions: “over the moon,” “on top of the world,” “on cloud nine,” and “in seventh heaven.” It provides illustrations of these expressions and proposes a more effective guideline for English learners. This study analyzes the expressions from the next perspectives: their origins, example sentences, encyclopedic meanings, and questionnaire data. This research will help advanced English learners sound more like native speakers.

Ryoya Shoji is a second-year graduate student at Nanzan University. He works part-time at a high school. 

Saki Matsuura (Nagoya University of Foreign Studies)
Teacher Experience and Teacher Identity
Even if they teach the same course subject, individual teachers have their own teacher identity. Those teacher identities may be based on their personalities or their learning experience, or perhaps they have also re-formed those while teaching and interacting with their students. The presenter, as a student majoring in English Education, will examine how teachers from their teacher identities that best fits themselves and their students from the perspective of a teacher student.

Saki Matsuura is a second-year student at Nagoya University of Foreign Studies.

RSVP
https://forms.gle/TSh6biW1sq1VdQ9w9

Presenter Lily Thukral introduced participants to the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework, showing us how it can be an effective tool for pedagogical reflective journaling. The focus was on the CoI's three core elements—cognitive presence, social presence, and teaching presence—and how they can be used to enhance reflective practice and improve language teaching. We had an active group of seven participants (not a bad number for our small chapter!), and Lily guided us to share and reflect on our teaching experiences in group discussions. We learned to apply the CoI framework to analyze our teaching experiences, identify areas for improvement, and develop strategies to enhance student engagement and learning outcomes. The CoI framework is a tool we can use going forward to help us reflect more consistently and concretely.

Bio: Lily Thukral, MA, is an English educator and intercultural specialist based in Tokyo. Her recent research examines the Community of Inquiry framework to enhance language teaching through reflective practice. Lily lectures at various universities and conducts workshops on cultural competency, regularly integrating CoI principles into her language education approach.

Please join the first in a series of Osaka JALT Online Forums. Martin Spivey will present simple and effective corpus tools for high school and university EFL learners. Here is a brief introduction to his talk: 

Although the concept of using corpora in language education has been around for a while (Johns, 1986), it is still considered quite niche, and various factors have limited its widespread application in the classroom (Poole, 2020). However, there is an increasing number of online corpus tools available that are easy to access and require little training for teachers and students alike. In this talk, a brief explanation of what a corpus is and the different types of corpora that currently exist will be given, followed by a practical demonstration of a selection of free and simple corpus tools that instructors can use to promote learner autonomy and give their students the opportunity to explore authentic language for themselves during in-class activities or outside the classroom. 

Martin Spivey is originally from the UK and has been teaching EFL to students of various ages and levels for almost two decades. He has an MA in TESOL from the University of Birmingham (UK) and is currently teaching EAP courses at Akita International University and Akita University. His main research interests are corpus-assisted discourse analysis and learner corpora study.

The event is FREE for everyone.

Abstract

How does academic publishing influence the career capital of foreign language teachers in Japan? In this workshop, we will explore how academic publishing shapes our career paths and share strategies to become more productive and engaged writers.

In this workshop, participants will discuss the importance of publishing and explore tools to enhance productivity and enjoyment in writing. I will share my favourite productivity tips and tools, including the Pomodoro Method and Focusmate. The Pomodoro Method and Focusmate help combat lack of focus. I will then introduce applications including Write-or-Die and Scrivener. Write-or-Die provides rewards for continually writing and consequences for slowing down. Scrivener is a word processor that can help writers of all kinds, including academics and fiction writers.

This workshop will most benefit foreign language teachers who seek to enhance thwart writing productivity and discover new ways to find ways to let the academic writing process spark joy.

Speaker's Bio

Julia Kimura earned her Ph.D. in Education through Temple University, where she researched a community of practice comprising female foreign language teachers. She is a lecturer at Mukogawa Women’s University, where she teaches undergrads and graduate students in the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Her research interests include communities of practice, gender, and pedagogy, specifically extensive reading. Recent publications include “Enthusiastic volunteers. Reluctant feminists.” GALE Journal (2023) and “Publish or perish? Publish and flourish!” OnCUE (In press). Dr. Kimura is a proud JALT member and is thoroughly enjoying her term on the Board of Directors as Director of Membership.

Pre-registration is required here.