Partner Organization Event

Dear ALL Members,

We are thrilled to invite you to the ETJ (English Teachers of Japan) event in Tokyo on February 3rd at Otsuma Women’s University. The event includes a series of presentations and forums hosted by ALL SIG Members and officers covering a wide array of accessibility issues.

Event Site
https://ltprofessionals.com/expos/?fbclid=IwAR23CG30l9nwdOHyushEh-2g4qfl...

Location
https://www.google.com/maps/dir//35.6906148,139.7436355/@35.6873365,139.7363291,15.01z/data=!4m2!4m1!3e2?entry=ttu

Saturday, Feb. 3rd

• Accessibility in Practice by Natsuki Suzuki and Andrew Reimann (11:15 AM - 12:00 PM, Room 525): Engage in practical discussions about accessibility issues and strategies for a diverse range of students.

• Diverse Ways of Meeting Diverse Needs by Natsuki Suzuki, Rinka Ishino, Mokuren Yokozeki (2:15 PM - 3:00 PM, Room 525): Learn about accommodating diverse student bodies in Japanese schools.

• Building a Rainbow between Students, Methods, and Materials by Natsuki Suzuki, Rinka Ishino, Mokuren Yokozeki (4:15 PM - 5:30 PM, Room 525) : A discussion on customizing teaching methods to support learners at various educational levels.

Sunday, Feb. 4th

• Be the Key by Catherine Takasugi (11:15 AM - 12:00 PM, Room 525): A compelling talk based on doctoral research about biethnic youth in Japan, exploring the impact of neurodiversity and cultural elements on school attendance.

• Accommodations for Students with Specific Learning Difficulties by Michael Y. Yap (12:30 PM - 1:15 PM, Room 336): Discover effective teaching accommodations for language learners with diverse needs.

*For more information see abstracts below

This event promises to be an invaluable platform for sharing ideas, strategies, and experiences in making language learning more accessible. Whether you are a teacher, administrator, or student, your participation will contribute greatly to this important conversation.

Looking forward to your presence at this enlightening and transformative event!

Warm regards,
Joseph Kelley

Accessibility in practice
11:15-12:00 Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024

5th Floor, Room 525
Natsuki Suzuki, Andrew Reimann

This talk addresses key issues affecting accessibility in different contexts. Topics considered include supporting a diverse range of students with learning differences. Participants will engage in practical discussions led by experienced professionals in the field. Presenters’ goals are to raise awareness of accessibility issues, by sharing ideas, strategies, and experiences.

Diverse ways of meeting diverse needs

2:15-3:00, Saturday Feb. 3, 2024
5th Floor, Room 525

Andrew Reimann, Ryota Moriya, Natsuki Suzuki, Catherine Takasugi, Mike Yap

Japanese schools are struggling to catch up to their western counterparts by providing an array of accommodations for students with various developmental, emotional, and psychological issues, but teachers are often still left to fend for themselves. This roundtable will show teachers how they might accommodate to more diverse student bodies.

Building a rainbow between students, methods and materials
4:45-5:30 Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024
5th Floor, Room 525
Natsuki Suzuki, Rinka Ishino, Mokuren Yokozeki

Presenters will discuss activities and materials they use to reach, inspire and motivate different learners. By spending time outside class, getting to know students, the presenters demonstrate how to creatively customize methods to best support learners, highlighting challenges, methods and outcomes in elementary, junior and senior high schools.

Be the Key

11:15 -12:00 Sunday Feb. 4, 2024

5th Floor, Room 525
Catherine Takasugi

Based on current doctoral research focused on understanding families’ experiences of youth refusing to attend school in Japan.

When biethnic youth in Japan refuse to go to school there are an array of factors contributing to the absences. Neurodiversity has a significant impact on school attendance. Cultural elements also contribute in both negative and positive ways in terms of framing the experience and finding solutions. In this brief presentation I will share what I have learned from parents of school refusers regarding that key element in getting kids back to school. A teacher, a parent, a friend, or a sport can make all the difference for a family who is experiencing school refusal. Come learn how you can be that key!

Accommodations for students with specific learning difficulties

12:30 PM-13:15 PM Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024
3rd Floor, Room 336
Michael Y. Yap

It’s the beginning of the school term. Your materials are ready, activities are prepared, and the lesson is ready to go. Then you hear, “Some students have some learning difficulties. Please support them.” What now?
Learn the different types of accommodation that can be used in teaching and supporting language learners with diverse needs.

World Immersive Learning Labs Symposium 2025
April 13–15, 2025 | Kyoto, Japan
Hosted at Kyoto University of Foreign Studies (KUFS)

Join us for the World Immersive Learning Labs Symposium 2025, a premier international gathering of educators, researchers, and technologists focused on the transformative power of immersive technologies in education and training. Returning to its roots, the symposium will be hosted once again at the Kyoto University of Foreign Studies, where the inaugural event took place in 2023. Following a successful second symposium at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (TUFS) in 2024, this year's event promises to bring new insights, collaborations, and innovations to the forefront.

Explore cutting-edge developments in virtual and augmented reality, metaverse applications, and immersive learning strategies while enjoying the inspiring backdrop of Kyoto’s rich cultural heritage.

Visit the official website for updates and more details:
worldlearninglabs.com

Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with global leaders and pioneers in immersive education!

Registration for JALT member presenters is free!  Register here: https://forms.gle/ouCpMWdC3CcCFGwS9

Profanity is expressed in many ways, both visually and auditorily. Its history is arguably as old as human communication itself. Profanity is a cultural construct and is culture-specific. Words, symbols, or gestures that are considered taboo change constantly. This workshop will explore profanity from past to present including: (1) Exploration of what is taboo in our own (English and non-English speaking) cultures. (2) An historical overview of changes in the use of profanity. An explanation of why we sometimes swear unintentionally, and insights into the extraordinary power of profanity. (3) Reflections on our attitudes towards profanity, and the directions in which profanity is evolving (or possibly declining) in our own cultures.

Amanda Gillis-Furutaka is from the UK and taught in a variety of countries before she made Japan her home. For the last 31 years, she has been teaching and researching at Kyoto Sangyo University. Her research interests reflect different stages of her life and have included global issues, teaching culture through films, bilingualism, international schooling, Extensive Reading, popular music, and most recently, brain science. She came across the fascinating topic of profanity when in search of the answer to why profanities burst unbidden from her mouth in certain situations when normally she is politely spoken. She would like to share what she has learned and invite discussion to broaden her understanding of the role of profanity in other English- and non-English-speaking cultures.

The meeting venue is a short 2-minute walk northeast of Hankyu Nishinomiya Kitaguchi station at the Nishinomiya Daigaku Koryu Center (ACTA East Tower 6F)

This event is organized by SIETAR Kansai, and co-sponsored by the Osaka and Nara Chapters of JALT.
An optional dinner party at a nearby restaurant will follow the meeting. Contact Donna Fujimoto at fujimotodonna@gmail.com by Sept 25 to sign up.

EVENT REPORT- AWSD 2nd Anniversary Event co-sponsored by CEGLOC and JALT Ibaraki Chapter (2024-01-31)

IBARAKI, January ―the Academic Writing Support Desk（AWSD） at Tsukuba University celebrated a second anniversary to inform their commitment to helping students enhance their academic writing skills at the Center for Education of Global Communication (CEGLOC). The presenters, organizing teams, and tutors, mostly foreign graduate students, took turns showing how the AWSD was organized and what activities they were engaged in by sharing the results of the questionnaires on their program, which the participants could guess among four options. According to the AWSD, they collaborate with tutees seeking assistance with academic writing and provide a course with 30 minutes of face-to-face and online consultations. Especially the AWSD offers additional initiatives such as a study tour at Waseda University Writing Center and a Haiku competition, to engage in the art of Japanese short poetry. The AWSD's activities currently gain positive student feedback and are expected to facilitate students who want to study overseas immensely. In the second part of the AWSD anniversary event, Professor Louise Ohashi of Gakushuin University lectured with the title “Using AI for Writing Development” as a keynote speaker. In the wake of the AI revolution, she did a practical demonstration and tried out some effective tools during the session. She referred to an example where a Japanese author who won a prestigious literature award with her work collaborated with AI. Ohashi gave the participants some brainstorming sessions, where the participants discussed what points they think, are great when they used it.  In Ohashi's viewpoints on AI in academic writing, she considered AI as "someone" who could help learners without judgment while she supported Vygotsky's theory of “Zone of Proximal Development” and “guidance” and also addressed the Ministry of Education's perspective about the use of ChatGPT in universities and technical colleges. Then she explored the question if it was desirable to use AI in academic writing, considering the concern of cheating and the problem of creativity that should be developed in students. She also shared her practice of image generation created by AI.  She stressed teachers should need precise control over AI when used in the classroom. Furthermore, she introduced additional tools such as PoE AI, DeepL, Perplexity, and the latest version of Kahoot as effective aids to improve student’s writing skills. In summary, Ohashi's presentation offered valuable insights into the integration of AI into academic writing classes.

LLL & ALL SIG Mini Conference in Conjunction with ETJ

We are thrilled to invite you to the ETJ (English Teachers of Japan) event in Tokyo on February 3rd and February 4th at  Otsuma Women’s University. The Expo includes a series of presentations and forums hosted by JALT’s Lifelong Language Learning (LLL) Special Interest Group and the Accessibility in Language Learning (ALL) Special Interest Group. The LLL and ALL SIGs are holding their joint Mini Conference at this Expo.

To view the overall schedule of the entire ETJ Expo offerings (with the LLL and ALL-affiliated presentations clearly marked), refer to these PDFs, which correspond to each day of the conference Saturday, Feb. 3rd and Sunday, Feb. 4th.

Saturday schedule

https://ltprofessionals.com/wp-content/uploads/Tokyo-Schedule-Saturday-4.pdf

Sunday schedule

https://ltprofessionals.com/wp-content/uploads/Tokyo-Schedule-Sunday-4.pdf

This event promises to be an important platform for sharing ideas, strategies, and experiences in making language learning more accessible and sustainable throughout the life span. Whether you are an experienced teacher or just starting out in the profession, your participation will contribute enormously to this engaging dialogue.

See the abstracts below to get a better idea of what the presentations in the ALL and LLL stream of the conference will be focused on.

Looking forward to your presence at this enlightening and transformative event!

Clear skies,

Joseph Dias

Lifelong Language Learning SIG Coordinator

Fee: ETJ members: 500 yen each day

Non-members can join ETJ free of charge on the day of the Expo or online at:

https://ltprofessionals.com/etjform

—— SATURDAY PRESENTATIONS (all in Room 525)——

Be the Key

     11:15-12:00 Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024 

     5th Floor, Room 525

     Catherine Takasugi

Based on current doctoral research focused on understanding families’ experiences of youth refusing to attend school in Japan. When biethnic youth in Japan refuse to go to school there are an array of factors contributing to the absences. Neurodiversity has a significant impact on school attendance. Cultural elements also contribute in both negative and positive ways in terms of framing the experience and finding solutions. In this brief presentation I will share what I have learned from parents of school refusers regarding that key element in getting kids back to school. A teacher, a parent, a friend, or a sport can make all the difference for a family who is experiencing school refusal. Come learn how you can be that key!

Diverse ways of meeting diverse needs

     2:15-3:00, Saturday Feb. 3, 2024 

     5th Floor, Room 525

    Andrew Reimann, Ryota Moriya, Natsuki Suzuki, Catherine Takasugi, Mike Yap

Japanese schools are struggling to catch up to their western counterparts by providing an array of accommodations for students with various developmental, emotional, and psychological issues, but teachers are often still left to fend for themselves. This roundtable will show teachers how they might accommodate to more diverse student bodies.

Building a rainbow between students, methods and materials

      4:45-5:30  Saturday,  Feb. 3, 2024 

      5th Floor, Room 525

      Natsuki Suzuki, Rinka Ishino, Mokuren Yokozeki

Presenters will discuss activities and materials they use to reach, inspire and motivate different learners. By spending time outside class, getting to know students, the presenters demonstrate how to creatively customize methods to best support learners, highlighting challenges, methods and outcomes in elementary, junior and senior high schools.

—— SUNDAY PRESENTATIONS ——

Activities to foster a lifelong learning approach to food culture

       11:15 AM - 12:00 PM, Sunday,  Feb. 4, 2024

       5th Floor, Room 525

       Joseph Dias

The presenter will introduce activities that have been developed over a 10-year period for a CLIL course that helps students better appreciate food by considering global issues in the context of World Food Day, and by looking at cultural aspects through poems, restaurant reviews, cookbooks, and award-winning food blogs.

Accommodations for Students with Specific Learning Difficulties

      12:30 PM - 1:15 PM,  Sunday,  Feb. 4, 2024 

      3rd floor, Room 335

       Michael Y. Yap

It’s the beginning of the school term. Your materials are ready, activities prepared and lesson ready-to-go. Then you hear, “Some students have a disability. Please support them.” What now? Learn the different types of accommodation that can be used in teaching, and supporting language learners with diverse needs.

Language teacher wellbeing: How we can enhance it

      4:45 PM - 5:30 PM,  Sunday,  Feb. 4, 2024 

      5th Floor, Room 525

      Chiyuki Yanase

The advancement of technology, global environmental changes, and the ongoing pandemic have added extra stress and responsibilities to language teachers. This presentation delves into the critical topic of language teacher wellbeing, examining its impact on educators and students. It explores activities and strategies to enhance teacher wellbeing by highlighting practical approaches to promoting mental, physical, and emotional health.

Photographs of the routes from three nearby stations

From Ichigaya

https://ltprofessionals.com/wp-content/uploads/Ichigaya-Expo-Route-Photos-1.pdf

From Hanzomon

https://ltprofessionals.com/wp-content/uploads/Hanzomon-Expo-Route-Photos.pdf

From Kudanshita

https://ltprofessionals.com/wp-content/uploads/Kudanshita-Expo-Route-Photos.pdf

-------------------

You are welcome to attend for the whole of the Expo or just drop in for a while. Each presentation lasts 45 minutes and is independent from the other presentations, so you can come and go as you please.

Here is some information you may find helpful:

What to do when you arrive

Please go to the registration desk on the 3rd floor of building G.

Address

Building G, Otsuma Women's University, Chiyoda Campus, 12 Sanban-cho,, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-8357

Directions

https://ltprofessionals.com/wp-content/uploads/Otsuma-directions.pdf

Google maps link

https://www.google.com/maps/dir//35.6906148,139.7436355/@35.6873365,139.7363291,15.01z/data=!4m2!4m1!3e2?entry=ttu

In conjunction with JALT Ibaraki and JALT Tokyo Chapter and the University of Tsukuba,  the Academic Writing Support Desk (AWSD) second anniversary event will take place on Wednesday 31st January 2024 between 3.00pm and 5.00pm (in-person and online). 

Louise Ohashi will be presenting on Using Machine Translation for Writing. You can also find out more about how the writing desk supports learners and learn about the tutor training program at AWSD. This event is FREE and open to all. 

Please fill out this registration form to receive your Zoom Link/Information for the event. Registration will close on Tuesday 30th January 2024 at 12pm (JST).  

Looking to discuss real-world case studies and examples from many countries and contexts of post-pandemic learning environments and programs, this event will bring together industry professionals and academics. Leading experts from international universities will be present to share their knowledge and talk about the most recent technologies that are reshaping learning settings and the nature of learning environments.

For more details: https://worldlearninglabs.com/
You may submit your abstracts and proposals through our CMT site: (https://cmt3.research.microsoft.com/WILLS2024/)

Please join us at the first event of the year!

Date/Time: January 28, 2024  13:00 - 16:00 (Doors open @ 13:00)

                                            Followed by Social @ HUB

Location: Keio University Hiyoshi Campus - Raiosha bldg 2F 来往舎ビル・中会議室 #9 on map

https://www.keio.ac.jp/en/maps/hiyoshi.html

Please contact us for Zoom Link <yojaltpresident@yojalt.org>

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Marc Doyle - A Pedagogy of Vulnerability

Abstract: In this presentation, 'A Pedagogy of Vulnerability', Marc will discuss the use of Arts-Based curriculum and pedagogy within the EFL classroom. Topics covered will include, a brief introduction to Arts Based Research (to provide a framework for this approach), sample assignments, examples of student work and a detailed breakdown of one assignment from start to finish as a way to examine the pros and cons of this approach. Participants will be invited to share difficulties they might have in implementing an Arts-Based approach in the EFL classroom.

Bio: Marc Doyle has been teaching and living in Japan since 2012. He received a Masters in Visual Arts Education from the National College of Art & Design in Ireland. Having taught Visual Arts at third level in Ireland he continued to do so, in English, at Tama Art University in Tokyo. From April 2024 will take up a position as English Lecturer in the Center for Language Education & Research at Sophia University. His research interests include Art-Based Research, Inquiry Based Learning, Scholartistry, Relational Aesthetics, Vulnerability, Diversity, Student Centred Learning, CLIL and Pedagogy Design.

Will Tiley

Abstract: The role of art in education has been a common debate topic for decades and was even a key part of the philosophy of American educational reformer John Dewey. The role of art in an educational environment has been explored fairly extensively and has shown that art can encourage academic development (Catterall et al.,1999), problem solving (Malley & Silverstein, 2014), self-expression (Heilig et al., 2010) and willingness to display learning publicly (Burton et al., 1999), in addition to providing unique opportunities to both challenge higher level learners and help lower level learners contribute to classes in a more meaningful way (Fiske, 1999). Despite the clear desirability of these outcomes in language education too, not much research has been done into the role that art can play in language education, leading to a gap in the literature waiting to be explored!

This presentation aims to share the ideas and experiences gained from teaching an art based CLIL elective course. While teaching a full art and language course may not be practical for most, there are several elements of this approach that can be taken, adapted and applied to English courses of almost any scope and level. This presentation aims to break down several of these elements in a way that other teachers can apply in their own way and bring a little artistic colour and flair to their lesson plans.

Bio: Will Tiley, originally from Bristol in the UK, is currently teaching at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU) in Beppu, Oita. Despite other research interests including encouraging accurate vocabulary use in speaking and exploring teacher identities as teacher/learners, the role of art in language education has quickly become his main research focus. What started as a small pet project on art discussions in the language classroom has led to the creation of a Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) elective course on Western visual art and art history, while also hosting regular art events at the APU Self Access Learning Center (SALC).

Rob Olsen - Pigs and Personalities

Abstract: Norton (2000) defines identity as “how a person understands his or her relationship to the world…and how the person understands possibilities for the future.” One possible way students can learn more about their identity while receiving second language input is by partaking in personality tests in an ESL classroom. This presentation will introduce The Pig Test which is a light-hearted personality assessment activity that introduces a variety of personality-related vocabulary while providing students with opportunities for self-discovery and reflection.

This presentation begins with an illustrated lesson on a variety of personality terms and the model conversation that will allow each person to discuss the personality test’s assessment.  It then proceeds to each participant drawing a pig.  This is followed by an explanation of how each illustration will be interpreted.  Pairs of participants will then evaluate each other’s pigs and discuss their findings.  The lesson concludes with time for questions and comments.

References

Norton, B.  (2000).  An Identity Approach to Second Language Acquisition.  Routledge.

Bio: Rob Olson is an Associate Professor in the Center of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Hokkaido University of Science.  His research interests include Pragmatics with a focus on repairing mistakes and misunderstandings and learning vocabulary.  He is an illustrator and writer who has self-published two comic books comparing U.S. and Japanese culture and two children’s books.  His hobbies include scuba diving, cycling and finding excuses to be absent from staff meetings. He can be contacted at robert@hus.ac.jp

The Listening Conference 2023 
A JALT Listening SIG/JALT Tokyo and JALT Yokohama event
Saturday 15th July 2023

Register for The Listening Conference 2023 –

Our next Listening SIG event will be the JALT Listening SIG Conference on Saturday 15th July. The JALT Listening SIG Conference has been organized together with JALT Tokyo Chapter and JALT Yokohama Chapter. The whole day event will showcase some of the latest listening research, teaching, and learning presentations from the field. The conference is scheduled to run from 10am to 4pm with over ten presentations scheduled in two rooms for the entire day. This is our second SIG event and we will be a face-to-face event. There will be a social on Friday 14th and also one to wrap up the conference on Saturday 15th. Eateries and lunch options are nearby and of course, you can take in the sights and sounds of Tokyo Teleport over this long weekend. We have created a registration form for those who are interested in attending. Please complete the form before the deadline so we can plan a safe conference, following COVID-19 regulations.  We look forward to seeing you in Tokyo on Saturday 15th July!

To register for the event: – https://forms.gle/AvM3sL5NNpX4oC5M6

More information: https://jaltlistening.wordpress.com/2023/04/15/the-listening-sig-conference-2023-2/

Conference Date: Saturday 15th July 2023 (10am-4pm)

Location: Plaza Heisei, Tokyo (Tokyo Teleport Area) - Access: https://www.jasso.go.jp/en/ryugaku/kyoten/tiec/access.html 

If you would like to find out more, then please contact us at listening@jalt.org

Tokyo Chapter: https://sites.google.com/view/tokyojalt

Yokohama Chapter: http://yojalt.org/

Listening SIG Website: https://jaltlistening.wordpress.com/ 

Canva is an online graphic platform that is free to use by students, teachers, and various learning institutions. Emily Choong, JALT-Membership Liaison, and Phil Nguyen, JALT Technology, Advisory and Support Committee (TASC) demonstrated how through the use of various templates and royalty-free resources, posters and other learning materials can be created easily. (Co-hosts: TD, LLL and ALL-SIG, JALT Niigata Chapter)
As we work to address diverse learner needs, ALL-SIG will continue collaborating with various groups to share classroom approaches, identify solutions that increase engagement in teacher- learner-peer relationships. Together, we can make learning environments more accessible and barrier-free for all.