Long-time Kansai resident Larry Metzger is visiting from his current teaching post in Qatar where he serves as Vice President of Qatar TESOL. He'll share his perspectives on making the multi-faceted transition from Japan to Qatar, characteristics of Arabic learners of English, raising 3rd culture children in the Middle East, the Japanese/Expat community in Qatar, and more. He'll also access the Qatar University online portal to demonstrate their use of Blackboard, anti-plagiarism software, discussion boards, and so on. Those interested in setting up collaborative cross-cultural research, teaching, and summer school projects between students studying to be teachers in the Gulf (UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar) and Japan, are particularly encouraged to attend.
Larry's specialty at Qatar University is in teaching research-based academic writing in the argumentative and problem-solution genres across the curriculum using Blackboard and online search engines (J-stor, Pro-quest, E-brary, Lexis nexus, and others). He piloted the Safe Assign anti-plagiarism software used now in all classes to curb collusion and plagiarism. In May, he gave a workshop on writing course reforms to teachers at the International Conference on Education (ICE 2009) at the University of Brunei. He has also written and received an MEPI (Middle East Partnership Initiative) grant for $50,000 from the US State Department for Qatar University to establish a democratically elected student senate. Currently, as Vice President of Qatar TESOL, he is setting up the national and international network to expand and develop effective Special Interest Groups within the Gulf, Iran, and Asia. He is interested in connecting with teachers and schools interested in skype-, pod-cast-, and email-exchanges or discussion boards on global topics among teachers and students.
Doors open at 1:30, presentation starts at 2:00. Dinner party afterward at a nearby beer garden with all you can eat/drink for 3500 yen. Please contact us at osakajalt@yahoo.com if you'd like to join us just for the party as details may change prior to Saturday.
