JALT Event

Abstract: As a materials developer I am always looking to add value to my courses and provide out-of-class activities that enable learners to prepare and review target language productively, flexibly, and enjoyably. While developing a nursing English series I discovered ZenGengo. Using this Online Learning Support system has proved transformative, both in how I create materials and how I manage my classes.
This workshop uses the Bedside Manner nursing English series to demonstrate the wide range of online activities that can be created using ZenGengo, and shows the ease with which these activities can be applied to effortlessly and objectively evaluate learners, while putting the outcomes firmly in their own hands.
 
要旨：教材開発者として、私は常にコースに付加価値を与え、学習者が生産的かつ柔軟に、そして楽しく目標言語を予習・復習できるような授業外アクティビティを提供したいと考えています。看護英語シリーズの開発中に、私はZenGengoに出会いました。このオンライン学習サポートシステムを使用することで、教材の作成方法とクラスの管理方法の両方が大きく変わりました。
このワークショップでは、「ベッドサイドマナー看護英語」シリーズを使い、ZenGengoを使って作成できる幅広いオンライン・アクティビティを紹介し、その成果を学習者自身の手にしっかりと委ねながら、簡単かつ客観的に学習者を評価するために、これらのアクティビティが簡単に適用できることを示します。

Matsuyama JALT
would like to invite you to
an Afternoon with
 
Melodie Cook
Alex Burke & Davey Young
Ten Tips for Teaching Neurodiverse Students
神経障害の生徒を教えるための10のヒント
This presentation will be hybrid with Dr. Cook attending in person at Ehime Prefecture International Center (EPIC)Room #2 and Ms. Burke and Dr. Young joining via zoom.
Date: Saturday March 15, 2025
Time: 14:00 – 16:30
Location: Ehime Prefecture International Center (EPIC)Room #2
愛媛県国際交流センター 〒790-0844 愛媛県松山市道後一万１−１
https://www.epic.or.jp/access/index.html
On Zoom
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88445118225?pwd=RDsFhWbbbeB1uW8BvUsFUXPKwQiO6K.1
Meeting ID: 884 4511 8225  Passcode: 730541
Cost: Free to JALT Members / Students & *One-day members: 1000 yen

In this presentation, Dr. Melodie Cook, Dr. Davey Young, and Ms Alexandra Burke will offer teachers of all levels ten simple ways to engage their neurodiverse students. In this presentation, they will introduce practical hints for teachers, such as how to organize their classes, which fonts they should use for materials, how students should be grouped, how to offer assignment choices, and much more. The suggestions are based on a summary of research done for the book Barrier-Free Instruction in Japan: Recommendations for Teachers at all Levels of Schooling, published by Candlin & Mynard. The presenters’ hope is that teachers will come away with ideas that will help make their classes more accessible to all students.
このプレゼンテーションでは、メロディ・クック博士、デイビー・ヤング博士、アレクサンドラ・バーク女史が、あらゆるレベルの教師に対して、神経障害のある生徒を惹きつける10の簡単な方法を提案します。このプレゼンテーションでは、どのように授業を構成するか、どのフォントを教材に使うべきか、どのように生徒をグループ分けするか、どのように課題を選択させるかなど、教師にとっての実践的なヒントを紹介します。これらの提案は、『日本のバリアフリー指導』のために行われた調査のまとめに基づいている： Candlin & Mynard社から出版された『Barrier-Free Instruction in Japan: Recommendations for Teachers at all Levels of Schooling』（日本におけるバリアフリー指導：あらゆるレベルの学校教育における教師のための提言）のために行われた調査の要約に基づいている。発表者たちの願いは、教師たちが自分の授業をすべての生徒にとってより利用しやすいものにするためのアイディアを持って帰ってくれることである。

Dr. Melodie Cook is a professor at the University of Niigata Prefecture. She recently published a co-edited a book on barrier-free education in Japan with Alexandra Burke and Dr. Davey Young entitled Barrier-Free Instruction in Japan: Recommendations for Teachers at all Levels of Schooling, published by Candlin & Mynard. Her research interests include large-scale testing, gender in education, teacher education, multicultural family experiences in Japan, and most recently, helping teachers understand how to better engage their neurodiverse students.
メロディ・クック博士は新潟県立大学教授。最近、アレックス・バーク、デイビー・ヤング両博士と日本のバリアフリー教育に関する本を共同編集： Candlin & Mynardより出版。主な研究テーマは、大規模テスト、教育におけるジェンダー、教師教育、日本における多文化家族の経験、そして最近では、神経障害のある生徒によりよく関わる方法を教師が理解できるようにすることである。

Ms. Alexandra Burke has taught at all levels in the Japanese public education system, from kindergarten to university, since 2005. Her professional background is public policy and equity. Alex has been working with teachers on how to help neurodiverse students in the mainstream classroom context. She is a JALT2024 Mid-Career Scholar Award recipient and has presented within Japan and overseas.
アレクサンドラ・バーク氏は2005年以来、幼稚園から大学まで、日本の公教育システムのあらゆるレベルで教えている。専門は公共政策と公平性。アレクサンドラ・バーク氏は、主流派の教室で神経障害のある生徒を支援する方法について、教師たちと協力してきた。JALT2024ミッドキャリアスカラー賞受賞者。

Dr. Davey Young is Associate Professor in the Institute of Liberal Arts at the Institute of Science Tokyo. He began his career in education working with at-risk student populations in Seattle public schools, including providing language support for immigrant and refugee students. This experience led to his commitment to furthering education as a human right for all people. He holds an MA TESOL from Seattle Pacific University and a PhD in International Studies (Comparative Education) from Waseda University’s Graduate School of Asia Pacific Studies. His research is focused on ELTs’ preparedness to teach students with disabilities.
デイビー・ヤング博士は東京理科大学教養学部准教授。シアトルの公立学校で、移民や難民の生徒の言語サポートなど、リスクのある生徒集団の教育に携わる。この経験から、すべての人々の人権である教育の向上に尽力するようになる。シアトル・パシフィック大学でTESOL修士号、早稲田大学大学院アジア太平洋研究科で国際学（比較教育学）の博士号を取得。障害のある生徒を教えるELTの心構えについて研究している。

Endorsements: Matsuyama City; Matsuyama City Board of Education（後援:　松山市、松山市教育委員会）

Date and Time: March 15 (Saturday)14:00 – 16:00
Location: Ehime Prefecture International Center (EPIC)Room #2
愛媛県国際交流センター 〒790-0844 愛媛県松山市道後一万１−１
https://www.epic.or.jp/access/index.html

Cost: JALT Members and students: free        *One-day members: 1000 yen
Payment method
Note: If you are planning to join online as a one-day member, please pay the fee to the following bank account:   
Shinsei bank: Account number: 400 1656054 (柳在熙 Jaehee Ryu)
Branch:本店(Head office)、Account type : 普通(Saving account)

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The JALT Critical Thinking Special Interest Group (CT SIG) is happy to announce the speakers for our spring online event, Thinking about Thinking 2025. This event will be held on February 15, 2025, from 15:00 to 17:15. The event is free to attend. To register for the event and to get the Zoom link and code for it, fill out the following form.

https://forms.office.com/r/xTpTwdpEKb

Here are the presentations that will be featured:

Critical Thinking and Legal Ethics through Media Content

James D. Dunn - Meiji University

Critical Thinking and Autonomy: Integrating Self-Regulated Learning and Generative AI

Dennis Koyama - Sophia University

The Role of Exit Tickets and Learning Journals in Building Self-Reflection and Autonomy in EFL Young Learners

Pipit Prihartanti Suharto - Universitas Pendidkan Indonesia

Enhancing Student Learning with Visible Thinking Routines

Rob Peacock - Oxford University Press

Fostering Critical Thinking in EFL with Collaborative Quiz Networks

Matthew Akingbade - The Palms English After School (Gakudou) Organization

How the Use of Slang Might Enhance Vocabulary Retention, Critical Thinking, and Overall Engagement for English Learners

John David Garrett - Foreign Services Training Institute, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

JALT Oita Symposium 2025 

On Saturday, January 25, join us for what promises to be an insightful evening filled with thought-provoking discussions and opportunities to connect with fellow educators while exploring fresh approaches to engaging learners.

This year’s symposium features presentations on key themes, including AI in language education, practical strategies for student engagement, insights from complexity theory, and translanguaging in Japanese classrooms.

 See flyer and timetable for full session details.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Our Chapter's first meeting of the year will be an online gathering. Come chat with the officers, and feel free to give us feedback on what you'd like to see for presentations this year and next year at our chapter. Also, Jim Smiley will be giving a presentation. 

Jim Smiley - 'Pedagogising'

How can reading instructors develop materials that support engagement beyond traditional comprehension? This presentation introduces ’pedagogising’: an innovative approach that creates a structured sequence of interactive activities, transforming a static reading passage into a dynamic learning experience that promotes critical engagement with the text.

Zoom link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82928680741?pwd=DnqROxezaNzRxe2ZVZ9rWfFtUiLaIw...

We will have a short talk about Extensive Reading from David Schneer on Sunday 26 January 19:00-20:00. The event will involve a short 20-30 minute casual talk from our PresentER, followed by around 20-30 minutes of questions and discussion. PresentERs takes place on the last Sunday of each month online on Zoom. It is free for anyone to attend.

Although Extensive Reading is often discussed and implemented in English language learning programs in Japan, especially universities, it is less common in K-12 English medium international schools. David has set up Extensive Reading libraries throughout his career in international schools in Japan, Singapore and Indonesia. In this presentation he will discuss his experiences with ER in an international school context, including the successes, challenges and varied community perspectives. 

Are you interested in the Direct Method?

Would you like to experience a lesson from a student's perspective?

Do you want to learn some basic Ukrainian?

Then this lecture is just for you!

In this session, Andriana will conduct a Ukrainian language lesson for novice learners using the direct method, where only the target language is used for instruction, in contrast to typical methods that employ both the target language and a medium language (e.g., English). The lesson incorporates common practices from Japanese as a Second Language (JSL) instruction, and Tomoseki will provide insights into the background of this method and ongoing reforms in JSL education, especially in terms of grammar instruction.

The lesson will give participants the chance to feel what it’s like to be a student learning a language they don’t know at all. At the same time, it will show just how much can be learned — and taught — using the Direct Method when the right strategies and planning are in place.

This session is part of a larger research project. Participants will be invited to complete a short questionnaire to share their thoughts and experiences. The survey is optional, but it will help us better understand how the Direct Method functions in actual teaching and learning situations. Additionally, the perspectives and opinions of other language teachers would be very valuable.

Andriana Holubka is Assistant Professor in the Global Initiative Center at Gunma University and a new member of Gunma JALT. An aspiring researcher, she is a graduate of Kyiv National University. Andriana moved to Japan from the Ukraine in 2022, after the start of the Russian invasion of her home country. She has been a student at Gunma University, and worked as an ALT in the Primary School Affiliated with Gunma University.

Tomoseki Watanabe is Lecturer and International Exchange Coordinator at the Global Initiative Center, Gunma University. He is a graduate of International Christian University, a new member of Gunma JALT, and a life-long learner of English. Tomoseki taught Japanese in CIS countries and is a former specialist in Japanese Language Education for The Japan Foundation.

Abstract

This presentation will give an overview of my master’s dissertation titled: The Role of the L1 at an Eikaiwa: Preferences of Adult Learners and Instructors.

Students who seek instruction at eikaiwa (English conversation) schools in Japan seem to be looking for an authentic L2 experience. However, the concept of “authenticity” in the L2 classroom may vary among individuals. Does the use of Japanese (the L1) by students or instructors inhibit learners from having an “authentic” experience? With recent literature highlighting the pedagogical benefits of L1 use in L2 learning e.g., translanguaging and code-switching, I sought to explore instructor and learner opinions of its use. Instructors and adult learners at an eikaiwa were asked their opinions on English-only policies and if they thought the L1 was beneficial in class. I also sought to determine if there was a proficiency effect (Carson and Kashihara, 2012) among different levels of students. 

In addition to discussing L1 use in the classroom, this presentation will explore the eikaiwa context and the lack of research, and stigma surrounding it. Throughout the presentation, I will provide discussion topics for participants to reflect on their own beliefs about L1 use in the classroom. 

Angela R. Wolf holds a Master of Arts in TESOL (University of Birmingham), a Bachelor of Science in TV/Digital Film, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (SUNY Fredonia). Her research interests include L1 use in the L2 classroom, gender, the L2 self, CLIL, and learner motivation. She is currently an Assistant Professor at Aichi University.

RSVP: https://forms.gle/G7bDd7viNfvxh47m9

Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/1EAS1xu1gX76Mrey9

 Learner corpora are ‘systematic collections of authentic, continuous and contextualized language use (spoken or written) by L2 learners stored in electronic format’ (Callies & Paquot, 2015). For EFL instructors, examining student language production through corpora can improve one’s understanding of such issues as frequent spelling and grammatical errors, and over/under-use of particular words or phrases by learners at different proficiency levels. This presentation will begin with an overview of some of the key findings from learner corpus research to date. The focus will then shift to a look at the ICNALE suite of corpora (Ishikawa, 2023). Participants will be given a brief explanation of the various corpora available, followed by useful insights into the spoken and written language production of Japanese university students. I also present the provisional findings of an ongoing co-investigation into lexical bundles in argumentative essays and monologues taken from two ICNALE subcorpora. Finally, I will offer recommendations and advice on how teacher practitioners can best utilize learner corpora for their own pedagogical purposes.

Back to School 2025 is Osaka JALT’s 15th annual spring conference sharing ideas on a wide range of topics related to language teaching and learning in a low-key environment to help everyone in the new academic year. This year's conference will again be in person at Osaka Jogakuin University, near Tamatsukuri station on the JR Loop Line and Nagahori Tsurumi-Ryokuchi Metro line. It will also again be an Open Campus day at OJU, so there will be additional presentations that participants in the conference can attend as well.

The Call for Presentations is now open via this link. The deadline for submissions is Saturday, March 15, 2025.

Please mark your calendar and plan to join us on Sunday, April 27th for what is sure to be another fantastic day of learning and sharing at OJU!