This event, sponsored by Tokyo JALT and the TYL SIG, is for teachers of kids to young adults, so teachers of preschool, kindergarten, elementary school, junior high school, and senior high school, are all encouraged to come! As always, there will be great presentations and lots of time for discussion and networking.
Presentation 1: Creating a Need for Children to Speak Out in the EFL Classroom
Abstract:
What progress can be made by educators in encouraging and fostering speaking in Japan's EFL classrooms? Although students may study diligently for tests, these same students are often unwilling or unable to use English to communicate. In spite of teachers' hard work and educational reforms, the problem persists. With a better understanding of what drives students' need to speak and the ability to create meaningful opportunities to use, as well as practice, their English speaking skills, teachers can begin to see results. Including actual lesson footage, this presentation aims to share specific insights and practical tips for creating a classroom atmosphere conducive to speaking.
Bio:
Matthew DeWilde began his teaching career in 1994 at a small Eikaiwa in Tokyo's Sumida Ward. Soon afterwards, he became the main teacher of the first public elementary school English program in Chuo ward and later supported the Arakawa ward's Board of Education in their decision to make English an official subject of their school curriculum. He has 17 years of teaching experience at the preschool level as well. Matthew currently works as head teacher of an afterschool program called "Oshiro Kids" in Setagaya ward. In addition to presenting at seminars and workshops, he and his partner own and operate a teacher development company called "English Uplift". Aside from work, Matthew plays keyboard and sings in the Tokyo area with
his band "Ska Face".
Presentation 2: Making Safe Spaces for English Conversation: A Collection of Successful and Less-than-Successful Stories
Abstract:
As the country continues to welcome back veteran travelers and inspire first-timers to visit Japan at this stage in the COVID saga, different levels of the
service sector from the hotel and restaurant industries to airlines and retail businesses have had to contend with an influx of English-speakers. Several studies have reported that Japanese participants express moderate to high levels of anxiety when having to speak English in the classroom and workplace for reasons relating to perceived cultural differences that come with speaking Japanese versus English, as well as the relatively few opportunities to practice oral communication. At this point when many educators are looking to a post-pandemic English language education
landscape, it may be useful to reflect on the ways in which we can create safe spaces for our students to study and use English. In this talk, I will share my experiences working in an eikaiwa with junior high school students for two years and the slow, yet consistent process through which I tried to forge connections both with students and between students. In attempting to create an environment where students could feel comfortable expressing themselves, I was able to see students speak more fluently and confidently, although this was not always the case. Together, I hope we can
discuss what worked and did not work in our classrooms to consider the ways we can improve our learning environments for students and teachers alike.
Bio:
Originally from Montreal, Canada, Pharo Sok is currently an English lecturer at Kyushu Sangyo University. His research interests include discourse analysis with a particular focus on meaning-making in individual and collective narratives, interests which come out of his graduate studies in oral history and former job as a college history teacher. On the teaching side, Pharo strives to create classrooms where students can learn to better express their English-speaking identities. With a strong personal and academic background rooted in multiculturalism and pluralingualism, he is also an advocate of introducing a range of subject positionalities in the classroom to ground Englishes in their diverse sociocultural contexts.
