JALT Event

After too long of a hiatus, we are happy to announce our next event coming this June. Once again featuring our local talent, this time our very own Chapter President.

Date: 6/16, Sunday, 15-17:00
Location: Online
Fee: Free
Registration: https://forms.gle/DM7uLGy9oTpAVNWb8

Abstract

XReading has become a popular platform for many ESL educators to conduct extensive reading in their classes. The convenience and accessibility of XReading can and continues to provide an enjoyable reading (and also listening) experience for students all over the world. From personal experience however, there are issues that arise with the use of XReading. The cost which can be prohibitive for some students and institutions, reading material that does not suit readers’ interests (Collett, 2018, Sartika 2020), and the ‘gamification’ of the experience with quizzes and metrics – which can obfuscate the experience of reading. Howarth and Bollen (2019) found in their research that of the 730 second year university students introduced to XReading, only half were interested in continuing it after a semester.

What if instead of micromanaging the minutiae of reading rates, accuracy, and comprehension – students were given an opportunity to read things they were genuinely interested in. Leaning into the original goal of extensive reading – that being reading for pleasure. For this project students were asked what types of material they were interested in reading. Then the researcher used ChatGPT and Dall-E to create graded readers for the students.
This research set out to answer the following questions:

1. Can AI generated graded readers improve students motivation in reading English?
2. Will students notice a difference if graded readers were written by AI?
3. Can students enjoy reading AI generated graded readers?

This presentation will be divided into three parts:
– A brief overview of AI, Large Language Models and the current state of Generative AI.
– An overview of the research project.
– A workshop on how graded readers were created using AI.

Bio
Miguel did his undergraduate in engineering and international studies with a major in Japanese at the University of Technology, Sydney. Once upon a time he was an engineer and worked for Toshiba Corp in Australia. He came to Japan in 2009 and worked as an ALT teaching all levels from kindergarten to high school to corporate. Miguel has an MA in Education majoring in TESOL with the University of Wollongong. His research interests include both Computer Assisted Language Learning and Extensive Reading.

Peter Burden

Okayama Shoka University "What's Going On?" What Happens When English Becomes an Elective Subject

While English has long been seen as important to enable people to communicate via the global lingua franca, and the Japanese government has long promoted the notion of "global citizens", at least one university in Okayama has made English an elective subject among a menu of foreign languages. This has led to a dramatic shift in the number of students in my classes which surprised me. Student attitudes towards English are often stored as episodic memories, and a survey administered with 120 students sought a picture of retrospective motivation to study English during high school. While results may appear intuitive to some, there are many interesting insights, useful as a springboard to discussion about the role of English in your institution and society.

Jason Lowes

Fukuyama University “Are they getting this?”: Using questions to effectively assess understanding and to improve student engagement

It is a truism that the most effective way to learn something new is to connect it to something already known. As teachers, how can we know what knowledge each student brings to each lesson? Similarly, after carefully explaining some point or leading a class through a text, how can a teacher determine whether students are ‘getting it’? The answer to these two questions is, obviously, to ask them. This, in turn, creates several more questions: How should the teacher ask?, What should the teacher ask?, and When should the teacher ask? This presentation will explore possible answers to each of these questions and more. There will be opportunities for the participants to experience various questioning formats and offer their own opinions and answers.

～ Tottori JALT Presents ～   

Empathy in Intercultural Communication 「異文化コミュニケーションと共感力」

みなさま、いかがお過ごしでしょうか？鳥取JALTの次回のイベント開催が決定致しました。6月30日（日）の14時から16時までの開催予定となりました。鳥取JALT一同、皆様のご参加を心よりお待ちしております。語学教育に関係する仲間同士、親交を深めるいい機会ですので、是非ご参加くださいませ。詳細につきましては、以下をご覧くださいませ。なお、お近くに興味をお持ちの方がおられましたら、ぜひ添付ファイルの転送をお願い致します。

Hello again from Tottori JALT. We are happy to announce that Tottori JALT's next event will be on Sunday, June 30, 2024, from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Click here to download a promotional poster with the basic event schedule and presentation information. Please visit our website often for up-to-date information and please forward this message to anyone you think might be interested in the event.

日付・Date:  6月30日（日）JUNE 30th (Sunday) 

時間・Time: 2:00pm ~ 4:00pm　14時～16時  (13:45～ 受付開始) (Room open from 13:45) 

　• 13時55分までにご着席お願いします。• We request that you be seated by 13:55 so that all members, including those working at the event, can get a chance to enjoy the entire presentation. Thanks in advance for your cooperation.

演題・EVENT TITLE:  Empathy in Intercultural Communication 「異文化コミュニケーションと共感力」

講師・Presenter: Lynne Murphy of Shimane University リン・マーフィー氏　（島根大学）

概要・Presentation Abstract:

　Successfully navigating intercultural communication can be challenging because impediments such as language barriers can hinder the flow. Adding a dose of empathy, however, enables smoother navigation, and this can be done by simply tweaking the language that we use when we communicate in an intercultural context. The presenter will enlighten you as to how you can tweak your language towards enabling empathic engagement so that you can elevate your intercultural communicative experience.

　異文化間のコミュニケーションというのは、単一文化間におけるコミュニケーションとは違う難しさがあります。その原因となるのは言語の壁をはじめとして、言語の背景にあるもの、平等主義や階層原則などさまざまな要素が含まれます。しかし、これを解消するための鍵となるのが共感力です。共感力を意識することで異文化間のコミュニケーションが圧倒的にスムーズになるのです。今回のプレゼンテーションでは、異文化間のコミュニケーションを円滑にするための共感力、言語の役割、その使い方についてお話したいと思います。

講演者略歴・Presenter's Bio: 
　Lynne Murphy is from Ireland and received her Master’s in Applied Linguistics in 2018. Previously an ALT, she now works at Shimane University’s Faculty of Medicine. アイルランド出身。ALTを経て、現在島根大学医学部に勤務。2018年応用言語学修士修了。2012年日本語能力試験N1合格。

場所・Event Location: 鳥取大学 (湖山キャンパス)  Tottori University (Koyama Campus)  

　• 広報センター 2階 Ｃ室（正門を入ってすぐの左側にある建物です）

　• Tottori University - In Room C (2F) of the Koho Center, which is just inside the main gate

交通・Transportation:

　• 汽車：最寄り駅は「鳥取大学前駅」です。 Train: Get off at Tottori Daigaku-Mae Station.

　• 車：大学の構内に来客用駐車場があります。 Car: Parking is available on campus.

出席料・参加費：

　★JALT 会員は無料

　★JALT 非会員は1000円

　☆学生は500円

 Cost:

　★JALT Members: FREE

　★Non-members: 1000 Yen

　☆Students: 500 Yen

Event up-to-date information, presentation abstracts, presenter bios, or questions:

• Homepage (Primary) : https://jalt.org/groups/chapters/tottori

• Homepage (Google Sites) : https://sites.google.com/view/tottori-jalt/

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Tottori.JALT

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Tottori_JALT

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/TottoriJALT

• Email: Tottori@jalt.org  or  Tottori.JALT@gmail.com 

• Sign-up and receive the Tottori JALT Events & Information E-Newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/cwqoPr

★☆★☆★ 

We at Tottori JALT look forward to seeing you at Tottori University on Sunday, June 30th (6月30日) from 14:00 pm.

Warm regards, 

Christopher J. Hollis, Kieren Enright and Miyuki Miyachika

Tottori JALT Publicity Officers

“Learning to Teach, Teaching to Learn”

★☆★☆★ ★☆★☆★ ★☆★☆★ ★☆★☆★ ★☆★☆★

対象となるのは、英語教育に関わるすべての人で、小中学生から、高校生、大学生、社会人に

英語を教えておられる皆様、是非この機会にご参加下さいませ。

We encourage all involved in foreign language education to take advantage of this opportunity.

★☆★☆★ ★☆★☆★ ★☆★☆★ ★☆★☆★ ★☆★☆★

* Click here for a PDF of the event information (in English) 

* イベントに関する日本語での詳細は、こちらをクリックしてください (in Japanese)

_________________________

Click here to sign-up and receive the monthly Tottori JALT Events & Information E-Newsletter.

こちらをクリックしてご登録いただくと、鳥取JALT主催のイベント案内をお送り致します。

_________________________

Click here to see a copy of our most recent "Tottori JALT Events & Information E-Newsletter" online.

鳥取JALTの最新のイベント情報やニューズレターをご覧になるには、こちらをクリック下さい。

_________________________

Contact Email: Tottori.JALT@gmail.com or Tottori@JALT.org (RSVP not required)

Julia Kimura will give two presentations - 1. Productivity for foreign language teaching professionals. 2. What can JALT do for you? What can you do for JALT? [1. 外国語教育専門家の生産性 2. JALTはあなたのために何ができますか？JALTのために何ができますか？]

by Julia Kimura

1. Productivity for foreign language teaching professionals

Foreign language instructors have great demands on their time. Most demands fall into three main categories: teaching, administration, and career and professional development. A teacher’s most important job is preparing for classes. Because teaching is a demanding profession, time management is critical. In this first of two talks, I share motivational and productivity tips which help me make it through the semester. In order to stoke and sustain motivation, working with other teachers, setting reminders, and tracking goals can help us stay on top of our many tasks. Productivity tips include organizing work carefully, as well as scheduling what tasks to work on and when to work on them. Digital productivity tools will be introduced. The talk will end with participants exchanging advice on how to be a more productive and efficient foreign language instructors.

2. What can JALT do for you? What can you do for JALT?

As illustrated in the previous talk, foreign language instructors in tertiary institutions have three main demands on their time: teaching, administration, and career and professional development. In the first part of this second talk, I will address this third demand by focusing on the benefits of JALT membership, including networking opportunities, available research and conference grants, and discounts to events. In the latter part, I will answer how JALT can work for you by showing how participating in JALT can foster career development and create opportunities for professional and personal growth. Like-minded colleagues in JALT can provide accountability and support, which help us to survive—and thrive. The second talk will end with participants exchanging advice on how to derive more out of JALT membership and how to encourage colleagues to join.

Julia Kimura earned her PhD from Temple University in 2021 and is now a lecturer in the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at Mukogawa Women’s University. She is a proud JALT member and serves as Director of Membership for 2023-24. jkimura@mukogawa-u.ac.jp

1. 外国語教育専門家の生産性

外国語指導者は、多くの時間を要求されます。その多くは、「教えること」「管理すること」「キャリアと専門能力の開発」の3つに大別されます。教師の最も重要な仕事は授業の準備です。「教えること」教えることに対して要求の多い職業であるため、また、「管理すること」は時間管理が非常に重要です。2回に分けてお話しするうちの一つ目の講演は、学期を乗り切るのに役立、やる気と生産性を高めるコツをご紹介します。やる気を奮い立たせ、持続させるためには、他の教員と協力とリマインダーを設定し、目標を追跡することで、多くの仕事をこなすことができます。生産性を高めるコツとしては、仕事を注意深く整理すること、どの仕事にいつ取り組むかスケジューリングすることなどが挙げられます。講演の最後には、参加者同士でより生産的で効率的な外国語講師になるための意見交換を行います。

2. JALTはあなたのために何ができますか？JALTのために何ができますか？

一つ目の講演で説明した高等教育機関の外国語講師は、教育、管理、キャリア・専門能力開発という3つの主要な要求を時間に対して持っています。二つ目の講演の前半では、JALT会員のメリットである交流の機会、研究助成金、会議助成金、イベントの割引などに焦点を当てながら、「キャリアと専門能力の開発」この3つ目の需要についてお話しします。後編では、JALTに参加することでキャリア開発がどのように促進され、専門的・個人的な成長の機会が創出されるかを示すことで、皆さんのために役立つかをお答えします。同じ志を持つJALTの仲間は、説明責任とサポートを提供します。2回目の講演では、JALT会員からより多くのものを引き出す方法や、同僚にJALT会員になるよう勧める方法について、参加者同士でアドバイスを交換し合う。

木村じゅりあ氏は2021年にテンプル大学で博士号を取得、現在は武庫川女子大学薬学部で講師を務め。彼女は2023-24年度の会員担当理事を務める。jkimura@mukogawa-u.ac.jp

Sunday June 16th 2024     14:00-16:00

M215, Aidai Muse Building, Ehime University Johoku Campus

<https://www.ehime-u.ac.jp/overview/access/johoku/>

JALT Members and students: free                *One-day members: 1000 yen 

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

This is an opportunity for you to meet with local language teachers in the Hokuriku Region. The focus is classroom activities for beginner or lower level English learners. Please come and share your ideas to the group. Please send an email to wamalcolmjalt2008@gmail.com if you would like to attend or present. We look forward to seeing you then.

More information (and PDF advertisement) will be added soon. Check back for the latest update.

We will have a short talk about Extensive Reading from Travis Past & Jose Camino on Sunday 30 June 19:00-20:00. The event will involve a short 20-30 minute casual talk from our PresentERs, 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.

Travis Past and Jose Camino will be talking about their experience of running the ER Podcast for almost two years and how it changed and contributed to shape their ideas about ER. Together they had the chance to discuss ER and ER-related topics with numerous guests including early ER proponents, graded reader authors, and with ER practitioners in different countries  and in languages other than English. Most importantly, they had a fantastic time and can't wait to start talking about it!

After the presentation, there will be plenty of opportunities to ask questions.  

Mark your calendars! On Saturday, August 3, the ER SIG will sponsor a 1-day online event featuring a plenary speaker as well as short presentations by a variety of speakers from around the ER community. We hope you will join us for this special day of ER presentations!

2024年8月3日にオンラインERイベントを行います。基調スピーカーとERコミュニティーの様々なスピーカーによるショートプレゼンテーションを行います。

Link to the pdf flyer pictured above

Zoom link to join the event:
https://zoom.us/j/93103420181?pwd=MVF5aUN0RmljdFdNRkphRjlETXB0dz09

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PLENARY SPEAKER: Mintra Puripunyavanich
"Exploring Extensive Reading in Thailand"
タイにおける多読

Abstract:
Extensive reading (ER) has been implemented usually as part of English courses at primary and secondary schools and universities in Thailand for nearly 30 years (Puripunyavanich, 2022). Despite being around for many years, it seems that ER in Thailand is still in its infancy. A recent study shows that around 25% of the self-proclaimed ER practitioners in Thailand did not understand the core tenets of ER, namely reading a lot of easy materials fluently and with high comprehension (Waring & Puripunyavanich, in press). This plenary session will explore the nature of ER programs at the tertiary education level in Thailand to illustrate how ER is implemented. It will also identify key challenges in implementing ER and highlight the efforts to promote ER in Thailand.

Bio:
Mintra Puripunyavanich, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of English at Chulalongkorn University Language Institute (CULI). She was a co-founder of the Thailand Extensive Reading Association (TERA) and the first Chair of TERA. Her research interests include extensive reading, materials development, and English for Economics and Business. 

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Rebecca Calman
"Readers' Guidance, Support for Learners' Book Choices through Book Lists, Displays, Book Reviews and Book Talks"
選書の支援

This presentation will look at supporting the extensive reading program through providing readers’ guidance in the form of various materials. One important feature of extensive reading is reading for interest or pleasure. Reading lists and bibliographies that focus on a particular topic, author or series and library displays of books highlighting a topical or a seasonal theme can provide students with suggestions about what they might like to read. So do peer-generated book reviews, book talks and presentations. Peer feedback can highlight both positive and negative points of reading materials for students’ future reading choices. Sample materials will be shown. A discussion of generating students recommended books through written and oral feedback will also be presented.

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Lesley Ito
"The Effectiveness of Various Methods for ER Motivation on Children in an Eikaiwa School"
児童への多読指導

As there is little research about children and ER motivation in an EFL context, it can be tempting to look at what works or doesn't work in English-majority countries and assume it also holds true for EFL. After reviewing available research conducted in the USA on book whispering, shared reading, peer-to-peer recommendation, and teacher read alouds (TRA), the presenter embarked on an Action Research project to discover the effectiveness of these methods on students in an Eikaiwa school in Japan. The Action Research project involved ninety-one young learners and used multiple questionnaires, in-class voice recordings, and book borrowing data. The recently published results showed great differences in what methods were positively or negatively rated by students and which actually resulted in students borrowing more books from the school library. 

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FEATURED SPEAKER: Kazuma Fujii
"Comparing Vocabulary Levels in Extensive Reading Materials and English Textbooks for Junior and Senior High School: Promoting Extensive Reading in Formal English Education in Japan"
中学校英語検定教科書と多読用図書の語彙レベルの比較研究

Abstract:
This presentation explores the appropriate levels and types of extensive reading books for effectively integrating extensive reading into formal English education in junior and senior high schools in Japan, from the perspective of vocabulary level. In this study, we created a corpus from four types of junior high school MEXT-approved textbooks across three grades and four types of high school MEXT-approved textbooks across three grades, as well as Graded Reader materials ranging from YL 0.1 to 1.0 (approximately 130,000 words) and Leveled Reader materials ranging from YL 0.1 to 1.0 (approximately 130,000 words). Using the New Word Level Checker, we conducted a comparative analysis of the vocabulary levels required to reach 95% and 98% coverage. The results of this study indicate that Graded Readers at YL 0.5 to 1.0 can be suitable materials for many school students in Japan, as they do not surpass the vocabulary levels of their textbooks.

Bio:
Kazuma Fujii, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor at Nagaoka University of Technology.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Paul Goldberg
"7 Tips to identify cheating, 11 tips to reduce cheating"
学生のチートを見抜くコツと減らすコツ

Giving students the freedom to select the books that they read, one of the main principles of extensive reading, is a double-edged sword. The ability to choose empowers each student to find a book that matches their individual interest and reading ability.  However, with greater freedom comes greater responsibility, and invariably, there will be students who take advantage of this freedom by cheating. This is an inherent drawback to extensive reading because teachers have less control and therefore less oversight over their student’s learning.  Fortunately, there are some simple, concrete steps that teachers can take to identify students who have cheated, and steps they can take to reduce the likelihood of students cheating in the first place. In this session, the owner of Xreading will explain a number of these steps that can be used by teachers whether they are using a digital or physical library with their students. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ben Shearon
"Creating a Junior High School Reading Program"
中学校の読書プログラムづくり

Coming soon! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Corinna V. Goto & Mark Brierley
"Socio-cultural aids provided in Manga and Children's books for ER in German"
ドイツ語多読における漫画や児童書による背景知識

Extensive reading is well established in English, with a range of graded materials that have been given objective levels, for example on the Kyoto Scale or with Yomiyasusa Levels. In German, there are fewer resources and less research available, and there is no established leveling system beyond publishers’ CEFR recommendations. Two opportunities for extensive reading with few resources are children’s books and manga. While Japan is a large market for English language graded readers, German readers are aimed at the European market, and Japanese readers may face more comprehension difficulties due to unfamiliar settings or illustrations that do not support reading comprehension. The presenters have started a research project on how socio-cultural knowledge on the other hand can aid readers in their understanding. The investigation will create a database for ER in German and focus on manga and children’s books and the perceived difficulties and aids looking at Japanese learners of German.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kurt Ackermann
"Connecting Stories: Enhancing Global Awareness Through Extensive Reading"
多読を通して学ぶグローバル認知

Extensive Reading (ER) programs offer second language learners exposure to social issues and influential figures through graded readers. However, learners rarely choose such books independently. In Hokusei Junior College's ER course, which uses Xreading as the primary source of graded readers, the instructor reads selected short books to students in class. Reading aloud is beneficial and allows the introduction of various topics. Introducing topics spontaneously can seem unnatural, but connecting them to special days provides a natural segue and sparks interest. Special days like Earth Day, World Bee Day, Malala Day, and World Chocolate Day offer opportunities to introduce relevant books. This practice not only engages students but also enriches their understanding of global issues, even if the curriculum is not specifically designed for it. By linking books to these special days, instructors can enhance the educational value of ER programs and broaden students' perspectives on important global topics.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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.

1. Barbara Hoskins Sakamoto

BIO: Barbara Hoskins Sakamoto is co-author of the bestselling Let's Go series, author of "The role of technology in early years language education" (in Early Years Second Language Education: International Perspectives on Theories and Practice)  and director of the International Teacher Development Institute (www.iTDi.pro). She is an English Language Specialist with the U.S. State Department, and has conducted teacher training workshops in Asia, Europe, the Americas, and online. 

ABSTRACT: In this presentation I’ll introduce ways that teachers can incorporate technology tools into their teaching to make learning more inclusive and accessible for all students, but especially for those who need extra support. I’ll try to answer some questions I often hear from teachers, such as When should I consider combining tech and touch? How do I decide? How can I add one more thing to my lesson planning when I’m already overloaded? I’ll introduce some simple guidelines to help you decide when and how to combine tech and touch activities that will save you time ( and maybe your sanity, if you’re feeling overloaded). And finally, we’ll do this with real-classroom examples, showing you step-by step how to create some simple but very effective tech and touch activities. 

2. Budi Azhari Lubis

BIO:  Budi Azhari Lubis is a teacher and co-founder of English Zone, a language school based in Tegal, Central Java in Indonesia. He began his formal ELT career during his high school years as an EFL Teacher in the TAGORE English Course, based on a student-centered teaching approach from India.  After graduating from the State University of Medan in Sumatra, Budi continued his teaching career, working with both children and adults at language schools throughout Indonesia. He is a teaching and learning enthusiast who believes that we grow as individuals through connecting with others and sharing ideas. He also believes that anyone who dares to teach must continue learning.

ABSTRACT: In the constantly changing world of English education, combining technology with tactile hands-on learning activities can have a strong and lasting influence on children’s learning. The dynamic interplay between tech and touch can transform any young learner classroom in a positive and powerful way. However, when access to state-of-the art technology is unreliable or even non-existent, educators must use any available resources to provide meaningful and effective lessons. My presentation will focus on the unique difficulties faced by Indonesian EFL teachers lacking access to stable infrastructure and especially the strategies they use to overcome the challenge of keeping English learning both relevant and motivating.  As educators, we must also be problem-solvers; my presentation will highlight how teachers can make use of resources available to them to give their learners the benefits of both tech and touch. 

3. Naoko Araki Amano 

BIO: Naoko Amano, an Eikaiwa owner and teacher, has twelve years of experience teaching English to young learners at her language school, the Yellow Banana Academy, based in Kishiwada, Osaka. Her journey as an educator has been shaped by her own experience of collaborative learning as well as a passion for intercultural exchange. Inspired by her daughter’s introduction to and progress in English language study, Naoko embarked on her career as a Japanese teacher of English, working to foster communication between local Japanese teachers of English and non-Japanese native English speakers working in Japan. Through a variety of courses as well as a study abroad program to Cairns, Australia, Naoko challenges her students to achieve excellence, to explore the world around them, and to share their knowledge through collaboration. 

ABSTRACT : In my presentation, I will use the term “touch” to mean making connections. Real learning takes place when students' hearts are touched, and parents are more willing to support their childrens’ learning journey when they are included as well. As a teacher of young learners in a language school, I must do both: touch the hearts of students and communicate effectively with parents. By using a variety of technology such as the online dictionary Gamerize, I can help my students practice English outside the classroom in an enjoyable way. Also, the classroom management system ClassDojo enables me to stay in close communication with parents and students as well as tracking attendance. Please join my presentation to see how the effective use of technology can not only enhance students’ learning experience but also build solid communication and trust with parents, facilitating better attendance and better participation in school and study abroad events. 

We will have a short talk about Extensive Reading from Tamao Eryu on Sunday 26 May 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.

Tamao is a school librarian in a private junior high and high school in Tokyo. She works together with the English teachers to support the ER program. There are many schools that have ER programs running without the support from the library. She will give insights on the reasons for this and offer advice to schools that have such programs.

After the presentation, there will be plenty of opportunities to ask questions.  

This event is co-sponsored by Tochigi JALT and Filipino English Teachers in Japan - Global.

Listen to inspiring stories of resilience and transformation as these current and former ALTs (Assistant Language Teachers) navigate their lives in language teaching in Japan.

Presenter 1:  Maria Theresa Niibori
Title: Navigating challenges and enhancing Asian ALTs effectiveness in the classroom

The presentation will explore the challenges faced by Asian English teachers in teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL). It will discuss the unique challenges encountered by many Asian teachers in the EFL classrooms in Japan.  These include language proficiency, cultural differences, teaching strategies, and student expectations.  By examining these challenges, the presentation aims to provide insights and recommendations to support Asian English teachers in enhancing their teaching effectiveness and promoting successful language learning outcomes.

Maria Theresa Niibori is an ALT at a municipal senior high school in Matsudo, Chiba Prefecture.  She likes movie bingeing and going out with friends.  Having taught in the Philippines before coming to Japan, and being an officer in a teacher organization, she has been passionate about working and collaborating with teachers in numerous teacher training workshops to assist aspiring Filipino English teachers.  Living in Japan for almost half her life gave her the first hand experience on how culture plays a very crucial role in teaching.

Presenter 2:  Ellie Fujimoto
Title:  A Filipino ALT’s vignettes of resilience and gratitude

This talk will tackle both the challenging and positive experiences of an ALT from an Asian country. The speaker will also share how he overcame these challenges and highlight the Filipino teacher character that can be an asset for English education in Japan.

Ellie Fujimoto is a naturalized Japanese who was born and raised in the Philippines. He finished his BA (Psychology-Communication and Media Studies) at University of the Philippines. He came to Japan in 2011 and worked as an ALT for Toyohashi (Aichi) BOE from 2014 to 2022. He has an MA in Linguistics (TESOL) from Sophia University. At present, he is the head of the English program at Hinode Gakuen Elementary School where he teaches 1st to 6th grade CLIL classes. Outside of work, he serves as president of the Filipino English Teachers in Japan - Global, an organization that helps aspiring English teachers from the Philippines and other Asian countries fulfill their dreams and contribute in the betterment of English education in Japan.

Presenter 3:  Kyle Undem
Title:  Making the Transition from ALT to University Teaching

Making the transition from ALT to university teaching can be a challenging and perhaps even intimidating journey. This talk covers all the steps Kyle took shifting from working as an ALT on the JET Programme in junior high schools to receiving his first job teaching at a university in Japan. Drawing from his ten years of teaching experience across multiple contexts in Japan, Kyle shares some of the challenges and rewards of this process, basic tips for meeting the requirements most universities are looking for, as well as additional insights and suggestions from his journey to university teaching. Kyle hopes his story will inspire others to continue to pursue their teaching careers in Japan.

Kyle Undem is a former participant of the JET Programme (Yamaguchi Prefecture, 2010-2012) and has lived and taught in Japan for nearly ten years. He completed an MA-TESOL at Hamline University (2021) and currently teaches in the Center for Education in General Studies at Konan University in Kobe, Japan where he is currently developing a course on music history. His research interests include L2 identity, L2 motivational systems, systemic functional linguistics, and equal opportunity for all learners of English. He also enjoys photography, running, learning Japanese, and writing songs.

Presenter 4:  Emily Choong
Title:  Cross-cultural Connections: Navigating Professional Development

This presentation delves into the transformative journey of a teacher in Japan who aimed to foster deeper connections within her community. Initially arriving in Japan as an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT), Emily Choong began volunteering at JALT to enhance her teaching skills, develop meaningful relationships, and discover her identity as a teacher. Drawing from her experiences, she shares her stories on fostering inclusive environments, leveraging community resources to shape her professional identity, and successes and failures in building bridges across communities in Japan and beyond. Now teaching in a university setting while pursuing her master’s degree, Emily hopes that her experience will help others to build meaningful connections with those around them, whether physically or virtually, as they navigate unfamiliar environments in their professional lives.

Emily Choong is a lecturer at Utsunomiya University and a Master’s candidate. Her current research interests include foreign language anxiety, speaking skills, and language attitudes. She has been actively involved in JALT holding local and national-level membership positions, and volunteering at conferences. This year, she is one of the conference co-chairs for JALT2024 in Shizuoka. Emily is also originally from Malaysia, meaning her idea of treating herself when not working is having afternoon tea or a fun-filled foodie day out.

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