Annual Conference

NaraJALT is proud to Co-Sponsor the

SIETAR Kansai September 2024 meeting

Profanity across cultures: What is taboo and why profanity exists

Speaker:        Amanda Gillis-Furutaka (Kyoto Sangyo University)

Date:              September 28, 2024 (Saturday)   Time: 14:00-17:00

Fee:                Free for members and students; non members: 500 yen

Language:     English

Venue:                        Nishinomiya Daigaku Koryu Center (ACTA East Tower 6F, Room 2)

                        2 minutes from Hankyu Nishinomiya Kitaguchi station

https://www.nishi.or.jp/access/sonotashisetsu/daigakukoryu/daigakukoryu-gaiyo.html

Social event: Optional dinner, reservations required by Sept 21; 2024

contact fujimotodonna@gmail.com

Description: 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.

Date: October 26-27, 2024
Location: Naha, Okinawa, Japan
Call for Presentations Link: https://forms.gle/qRQEtn8N3Z5q5Dqd9 
Registration Link: https://forms.gle/auqR2qsTLXjPgXVK9 
OkiJALT Website: www.okijalt.org 

Deadline for Presentation Submissions: June 30, 2024, 23:59 JST

The Okinawa Chapter of the Japan Association for Language Teaching (JALT) and JALT’s Teaching Young Learners Special Interest Group (TYL SIG) are pleased to announce the 21st Century Language Teaching Conference 2024, to be held October 26-27, 2024, in Naha, Okinawa. The conference provides a platform for language educators, researchers, and professionals from around the world to share their insights, experiences, and research findings in the field of language teaching and learning.

We invite submissions for presentations, posters, and workshops on a range of topics related to language teaching and learning. Accepted proposals may be eligible for publication in post-conference proceedings. 

Possible areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Teaching younger learners (0-18 years)
• Language acquisition and learning
• Task-based language teaching
• Technology in language teaching
• Second/foreign language acquisition
• Intercultural communication
• Content-based instruction
• Pedagogical approaches and techniques
• Assessment and evaluation
• Teacher training and professional development
• Language policy and planning
• All other related topics

Submission Guidelines:
応募方法：

1. Titles and abstracts should be written in English (150-250 words for abstracts) or Japanese (300-500 characters for abstracts).
   タイトルと概要：英語（150-250語）または日本語（300-500字）
2. Indicate your preferred format (presentation, poster session, or workshop).
   形式：プレゼンテーション、ポスターセッション、またはワークショップの希望形式を示してください。
3. Provide a brief biographical statement (less than 50 English words or 100 Japanese characters) for each presenter.
   発表者情報：簡単な略歴（英語の場合50語以内、または日本語で100字以内）を提供してください。
4. Call for presentations: Submit your abstract and speaker information via this link.
   論文募集：概要と発表者情報はこのリンクから提出してください。
5. Individuals who wish to attend as non-presenting attendees, please click here to register.
   発表者以外の参加者として出席したい方は、こちらをクリックして登録してください。

Important Dates and Details:

• Conference Dates: October 26-27, 2024
• Deadline for Submissions: June 30, 2024, 23:59 JST
• Notification of Acceptance: July 15, 2024
• Conference Fee:
  • ¥5,000 advanced registration & payment (JALT Members)
  • ¥10,000 advanced registration & payment (non-JALT Members)
  • ¥7,000 on-site registration (JALT Members), cash only
  • ¥12,000 on-site registration (non-JALT Members), cash only
• Deadline for Presenters’ Payment: July 31, 2024
• Deadline for Non-Presenter Advanced Registration & Payment: October 18, 2024

Presenters will be notified by email on or before July 15, 2024 with submission results. For more information and updates, please visit www.okijalt.org.

We look forward to seeing you at the 21st Century Language Teaching Conference 2024!

Performance in Education activities can be special presents for our students to help them celebrate any occasion, be it a holiday or the end of a unit. Help us prepare to belatedly commemorate Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s . . . or even the end of a unit or semester! Come share your celebratory activities and performances.

Theme: PIE for Every Occasion
Dates: November 1-3, 2024

Call for Submissions

Registration

Schedule

November 1, 2024 (Friday): Officers Planning Meeting, Cultural Event (xx), Networking Event

November 2, 2024 (Saturday): 9:00 Registration, 10:00-17:00 Presentations, 6:30-8:30 Networking Dinner: St. Marc Bakery and Restaurant (Owariasahi)

2nd Party: Ryusenji no Yu  Supersento

November 3, 2024 (Sunday): 9:00-12:00 Presentations, 12:00-12:30 Clean-up, 12:30-13:30 Lunch, 13:30-17:30 Officers Evaluation and Planning Meeting

JALT PIE SIG, in collaboration and cooperation with various JALT groups, are proud to sponsor this conference. The theme of the conference is “Training Our Future: Teaching Younger Learners (0-18 Years Old).” The primary focus of this conference will be on the teaching of performance activities to children from nursery school to high school. Performances are welcome. Of course, presentations on general PIE activities, research, and performances also are welcome!

Site: Elan Hotel, Shinano-machi, Nagano (5-minute walk from Nojiri Lake Resort) Multi-Purpose Room 
Theme: Training Our Future: Teaching Younger Learners (1-18 Years Old)
Dates: August 23-25, 2024

Call for Submissions

Registration

Schedule

August 23, 2024 (Friday): Officers Planning Meeting, Cultural Event (“Kurohime Dowa-kan” Kurohime Museum of Fairytales, includes folktales of the region [https://douwakan.com/]), Networking Event

August 24, 2024 (Saturday): 9:00 Registration, 10:00-17:00 Presentations, 6:30-8:30 Networking Dinner: St. Cousair Winery Restaurant 

August 25, 2024 (Sunday): 9:00-12:00 Presentations, 12:00-12:30 Clean-up, 12:30-13:30 Lunch, 13:30-17:30 Officers Evaluation and Planning Meeting

Invited Speakers: Kenn Gale, TYL Representative; Darren Kinsman; Kevin Bergman

𝐉𝐀𝐋𝐓 𝐂𝐔𝐄 are pleased to announce our forthcoming 𝐄𝐒𝐏 𝐒𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐮𝐦, which will be held 𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 with the 𝐉𝐀𝐋𝐓 𝐈𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞-𝐀𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐢 Chapter, on 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟏 at 𝐈𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲.

Registration for the pre-event dinner on September 20th is open until September 18th at 23:59. All forms at the link below.

Event Registration now open!

https://events.jalt.org/event/21/registrations/

Nara JALT Co-sponsored Event:
SIETAR Kansai presents: Women’s Mini Film Festival.

Details: March is Women’s History Month, so in celebration: Women filmmakers: Past, present, and future
Language: English

About the Film Festival presenters:
PAST: Tamarah Cohen taught English at the university level and made several thought-provoking films as well as transforming hundreds of student
presentations into interactional video-based teaching material. She retired early to devote herself 100% to her cat sanctuary in Kyoto.

PRESENT: Felicity Tillack is an Australian writer and filmmaker who has made several feature and short films based in Japan. She has an active YouTube channel, Instagram and TikTok series–all of them explore Japan and its culture. Her debut 2019 film,“Impossible to Imagine,” a romantic film dealing with identity and bicultural issues is streaming on Amazon Prime (those without Prime can watch the film on Vimeo (rent or buy) Watch this before the event (due to time constraints)

FUTURE: Seunghyun Lee, is a designer and videographer from Seoul who has recently made a short feminist-leaning video based on a Korean legend. She is currently working on using video to bring to life the oil painting and personal records of Jang-Mi, an up-and-coming artist, who is painfully aware of Korean society’s anti-women currents. This collaboration is new and innovative, and it promises to open interesting perspectives in the world of art and film.

For more information please refer to the main SIETARKansai website Link: SIETAR Kansai

Date: Saturday, March 30, 2024

Time: 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm 

Location: Nishinomiya Daigaku Koryu Center (ACTA East Tower 6F Room 1)
2 minutes from Hankyu Nishinomiya Kitaguchi station

Cost: Free for JALT members, students, and SIETAR members. ¥500 for all others

For those interested there is a dinner planned after the event (see below)

Social event (optional): Dinner after the session at a nearby restaurant
Reservations are required by March 27 (Wed). Contact: fujimotodonna@gmail.com

⭐️ Conference Theme:

Creating and sharing in the language teaching context

⭐️ NEAR Conference Date:

June 29th 2024 (Saturday)

⭐️ Conference Venue:

NUIS Furumachi Campus (📍Niigata City)

⭐️ Submission: 

Online Form

⭐️ Submission Guidelines: 

• We are accepting proposals for presentations and poster sessions in the following areas
  • applied research, curriculum design
  • teaching practice / pedagogy
  • materials development　
  • assessment and evaluation　
     
• Presenters are invited to explore original ideas, novel approaches and fresh perspectives. Papers which balance theoretical frameworks with practical applicability are preferred. 
   
• Presentation length: 40 minutes (including Q&A).
   
• Submission deadline: March 31st, 2024. 
   
• Submission Procedure: Applications submitted online.
  • Abstract (for vetting)　250-300 words        
  • Summary (for the conference handbook): 150-200 words 
     
• Vetting decisions announced: April 30, 2024. 

Friday, Dec 1, 7-9 pm
Join us for an enlightening workshop that delves into the profound global and local applications of narrative inquiry within the realm of language teacher identity research. Narrative inquiry is a meticulous examination of “how individuals employ stories to construct meaning from their experiences in fields of inquiry where comprehending phenomena from the perspectives of those who undergo them is of paramount significance" (Barkhuizen et al., 2014, p. 2). Language teacher identity, on the other hand, encapsulates the manner in which educators perceive themselves as instructors and how they are perceived by others in their role as educators. Throughout this workshop, Professor Barkhuizen and Professor Takaaki Hiratsuka will elucidate the intricacies of narrative inquiry and the concept of language teacher identity. They will underscore the profound advantages of equipping researchers with a deep understanding of narrative inquiry’s fundamental principles in the context of language education. Additionally, they will emphasize the importance of educators being mindful of the evolution of their identities within the specific contexts in which they operate.

Gary Barkhuizen is Professor of Applied Linguistics at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. His teaching and research interests are in the areas of language teacher education, teacher and learner identity, study abroad, and narrative inquiry. Originally from South Africa, he obtained his MA from Essex University in the UK, and his doctorate from Teachers College, Colombia University. His latest book is Language Teachers Studying Abroad: Identities, Emotions and Disruptions (2022, Multilingual Matters).

Takaaki Hiratsuka is Professor of Applied Linguistics at Ryukoku University in Kyoto, Japan, where he supervises master’s and PhD students, both Japanese and non-Japanese, in related fields of language teacher education and narrative inquiry. His recent book publications include: Narrative Inquiry into Language Teacher Identity: ALTs in the JET program (2022, Routledge), Team Teachers in Japan: Beliefs, Identities, and Emotions (2023, Routledge), and Native-speakerism and Trans-speakerism: Entering a New Era (in press, Cambridge University Press).

This event is co-sponsored by the Kobe, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, and Hokuriku Chapters of JALT, and will be held online as part of the 4-Corners Tour in which invited speakers at the annual international JALT conference give additional presentations throughout the country before and after the conference.

The language teaching industry is constantly changing, and advancements in the science of mind and brain have the potential to transform language teaching methods. The joint JALT Nankyu Chapter and the JALT Mind, Brain, and Education Special Interest Group (BRAIN SIG) conference aims to examine how the latest research on the mind and brain can be practically applied in educational contexts. We invite proposals from both members and non-members of the BRAIN SIG to make this conference informative and inspiring. Attendees can expect to gain a deeper understanding of how mind, brain, and education intersect, and how this multidisciplinary approach can enhance language teaching practices. 

Happily, we are continuing to hold SUTLF in-person at the Sojo International Learning Center in Kumamoto as well as online. We invite researchers, educators, and learners to share their knowledge and work in the fields of brain science and language education. In the spirit of collaboration, we are not limiting presentations only to the field of neuroscience, psychology, cognitive neuroscience, and neurolinguistics, but also to more generalized research in the field of language education as a whole. We hope to foster an event where both presenters and attendees can share and be inspired by presentations and workshops in the areas of brain science and language teaching. We hope you will join us on Saturday, February 3rd for a day of professional development and networking opportunities.  

As with SUTLF 2023, this conference will offer opportunities for both in-person and online presentations, as well as dual-purpose rooms in which live speakers can be streamed to online attendees. Please be sure to mark yourself as attending either online or in person when you register. 

Language Schools’ Contributions to Lifelong Learning (LLL-SIG FORUM)

DETAILS: November 26; Room 401 / (Presentation ID: 581) / 11:35-13:05

Abstract:

The focus of this forum will be on the contributions language schools in Japan have played in fostering a lifelong learning ethos. Topics that will be addressed include considerations that go into planning and establishing a language school, the greatest challenges posed by maintaining them, and good practices in recruiting, training, and retaining teachers. The role of language schools in the whole ecosystem of Japanese language education will also be addressed.

Speakers: 

* Amy Cordell Long

* Catherine Takasugi

* Lesley Ito

Joseph Dias (discussant)

__________

Catherine Takasugi

Title: Building a community, providing a service, and reaching the lonely: Eikawa Schools do more than just teach English. 

Summary:

Maple Leaf English school served a Saitama community successfully for 14 years. It evolved from a once a week kitchen table classroom to 5 days a week creative yet effective and structured language program. While the school reached roughly 100 students in its peak, COVID-19, changing family needs, and personal burnout led to its closure in 2021. The school was primarily focused on language acquisition; however, the multitude of spin-off learnings and benefits for the community, teachers, and clients were also substantial. 

Biography:

Catherine Takasugi (she/her) is a part-time university lecturer at Aoyama Gakuin University and Daito University. She is also a full-time doctoral candidate at the University of Calgary in Canada. The interrelationship of school refusal in Japan for biethnic families, neurodiversity, and sense of belonging at school, is the area that she is currently researching. If you have an experience with school refusal in Japan she invites you to send her a email (catherine.takasugi@ucalgary.ca) or come engage in conversation with her during the conference.

_____________

Lesley Ito

Title: Toward a new Eikaiwa school model: Engaging content focused on literacy development

Summary:

After attending a week-long seminar in Cambridge, where she met 22 different teachers from 11 different countries, Lesley Ito came back determined to create a unique kind of Eikaiwa school. Wishing to move away from the typical Ekaiwa model of the 1980s and 1990s where students came to short classes with low expectations of progress, she started a new school exclusively for young learners with 90-minute classes, a CLIL curriculum, a strong focus on literacy, and an extensive reading library. Students made considerably more progress with English at this new school and student retention greatly improved. While it was never the original intention, the school attracted many returnees and international pre-school graduates, to the point where these students currently comprise half of the student body. However, there have been many challenges with teaching staff and new student recruitment.

Biography:

Lesley Ito is a well-known teacher, teacher trainer, school owner, and award-winning ELT materials writer based in Nagoya, Japan. She has taught in Japan since 1992 and owns BIG BOW English Lab, an Eikaiwa school for children with a CLIL curriculum, a strong focus on literacy, and an extensive reading library.  She received her MSc in Teaching Young Learners from Aston University in 2018.

_________________

Amy Cordell Long

Title: Becoming an established brand in the local community.

Summary:

Amy opened Dave and Amy English School with her husband in 2004. It now has 4 schools with over 500 students. In the initial years, many students quit around 5th or 6th grade to attend cram school. We don’t have this problem anymore. Many students stay until they leave for university. It’s great to see the students mature, growing in confidence and English ability. Many have never left Japan but are nearly fluent. Even better is when those who graduated bring their own children to study. Once you are well known and well respected in the community, retaining students and recruiting new ones is easy.  

Biography:

Amy came to Japan straight from university in 1996. She thought she would stay for one year, but 27 years, a husband, and 2 kids later, she’s not going anywhere. In addition to running Dave and Amy English School, she has written ESL kids’ textbooks and teaches at a JHS in Shinagawa.   

DISCUSSANT: Joseph Dias (Lifelong Language Learning SIG Coordinator)