East Shikoku Chapter

(Read the archived description for the East Shikoku Chapter)

East Shikoku Chapter Events in 2007

Events archive by year:
2008 [4]; 2007; 2006 [4]; 2005 [3]; 2004 [7]; 2003 [8]; 2001 [1];

Sunday, January 28th, 2007

Professional Development Workshop: Supporting Young Practitioners

Speaker: Mentored workshop
Time: 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM (Sun., January 28th, 2007)
Fee (JALT members): free
Fee (One-Day members): 500 yen
Prefecture: Kochi
City: Kochi
Venue: Kochi Women's University, Language Lab, 5-15 Eikokuji-cho, Kochi City.
Description: This will be the first of a two-part series of events aimed at supporting young teachers and researchers in our chapter who have limited experience in publishing and presenting. Diverging from our usual conference style with a featured speaker presenting on an aspect of language teaching, this workshop will bring together the excellent human resources available in East Shikoku in a workshop-style event where veteran teachers can provide tips, guidance and support for very active younger teachers who are interested in pursuing academic careers in language teaching. Several work stations will be set up where experienced teachers will be available to offer suggestions on academic publication, academic presentations, graduate study options, materials development and applying for university posts.

During this first PD event, any teacher/researcher/graduate student with limited experience of presenting in an academic conference setting will be partnered with an experienced mentor teacher who specializes in the first-time presenter's field of interest. Mentors will guide presentation preparation, provide academic and material resource support and discuss issues related to giving a paper in an academic setting. At a follow-up PD event in April these first time presenters will be given an opportunity to speak in the standard formal academic setting (20 minute presentation, 10 minute Q&A session). If this opportunity to present attracts a large number of applicants, a second presentation session will be held in June.

We believe this is an important service which East Shikoku JALT can provide: to support and encourage young local teachers and academics who are interested in developing professionally. We hope this PD series will help young teachers and graduate students to reflect on their teaching practice in a supportive and nurturing environment, and further establish our local East Shikoku JALT organization as an inclusive and active presence.

This mentoring service and the opportunity to present an academic paper at our April event are available only to those with active JALT memberships.

Sunday, April 22nd, 2007

Why we should not avoid extensive reading in our classes

Speaker: Rob Waring
Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM (Sun., April 22nd, 2007)
Fee (JALT members): free
Fee (One-Day members): 500 yen
Prefecture: Kochi
City: Kochi
Venue: Kochi Women's University, Eikokuji Campus, Kochi City, Room 351, 3rd floor, administration building (10 meters from main entrance). 5-15 Eikokuji-cho, Kochi City.
Description: This session will explore the various components of any learning program that are needed for successful language learning to take place. Reading is probably the most important skill that we can give our learners. Unfortunately, many of our learners are still unable to read confidently and smoothly by the time they leave our high schools. This session will present an approach to reading that encourages students to read fluently and for enjoyment at the very earliest levels of language ability. This will include the use of graded readers and other student-centred reading materials.

Biodata:

Dr. Rob Waring is Associate Professor at Notre Dame Seishin University in Okayama, Japan. He is an acknowledged expert in Extensive Reading and second language vocabulary acquisition. He has published over 40 articles and has lectured in 15 countries on foreign and second language acquisition. He has just published a set of graded readers for teenagers. He is a board member of the Extensive Reading Foundation, and was Co-Chair of JALT 2005.

Wednesday, May 23rd, 2007

Task-Based Teaching: Sorting out the Misunderstandings

Speaker: Professor Rod Ellis, University of Auckland
Time: 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM (Wed., May 23rd, 2007)
Fee (JALT members): free
Fee (One-Day members): 500 yen
Prefecture: Kochi
City: Kochi
Venue: Kochi University Asakura Campus, room 211
Description: This talk is in four parts. The first part will consider the design of task-based courses and the methodology for implementing tasks in the classroom.

The second part will present my rationale for task-based language teaching (TBLT). I will argue that the development of the implicit knowledge of a second language that is required for effective communication is best achieved by engaging learners in performing tasks. That is, learners can develop their communicative competence (including linguistic competence) through performing tasks, especially if the performance of the task entails attention to linguistic form.

The third part of the talk will examine theoretical objections that have been levelled against TBLT and argue that these are based on fundamental misunderstandings of its principles and methodology. Sheen (1994) and Swan (2005) have criticized TBLT on a number of grounds, including that there is no evidence to show that it works or works better than a more traditional form-focussed approach to language teaching. The

assumptions underlying their criticisms will be examined and a response provided.

The fourth part will address more substantial problems with implementing TBLT in school classrooms, especially those in foreign language contexts. Again, I will suggest a number of possible solutions to these problems.

Rod Ellis biodata:

Rod Ellis is currently Professor in the Department of Applied Language Studies and Linguistics, University of Auckland, where he teaches postgraduate courses on second language acquisition, individual differences in language learning and task-based teaching. His published work includes articles and books on second language acquisition, language teaching and teacher education. His books include Understanding Second Language Acquisition (BAAL Prize 1986) and The Study of Second Language Acquisition (Duke of Edinburgh prize 1995). More recently, Task-Based Learning and Teaching early (2003) and (with Gary Barkhuizen) Analyzing Learner Language in (2005), were published by Oxford University Press. He has also published several English language textbooks, including Impact Grammar (Pearson: Longman). He is currently editor of the journal Language Teaching Research. In addition to his current position in New Zealand, he has worked in schools in Spain and Zambia and in universities in the United Kingdom, Japan and the United States. He has also conducted numerous consultancies and seminars throughout the world.

Sunday, June 17th, 2007

Professional Development Workshop: Supporting Young Practitioners (Part 2)

Speaker: Von Holt, Andrew Oberg, Jennie Kern, Kaoru Watanabe, Sean Burgoine, Maiko Ogasawara, Charlie Robertson, David Grant, Mike Sharpe
Time: 9:30 AM - 3:00 PM (Sun., June 17th, 2007)
Fee (JALT members): free
Fee (One-Day members): 1,000 yen
Prefecture: Kochi
City: Kochi
Venue: Kochi University, Asakura Campus, Humanities Building, 5th floor meeting room.
Description: This is the second of a two-part series of events aimed at supporting young teachers and researchers in our chapter who have limited experience in publishing and presenting. Diverging from our usual conference style of having a featured speaker present on an aspect of language teaching, this workshop has brought together the excellent human resources available in East Shikoku in a workshop-style event where veteran teachers provide tips, guidance and support for our very active younger teachers who are interested in pursuing academic careers in language teaching.

At this, the second stage meeting, our first time presenters will show the results of this collaboration. They will speak in the standard formal academic setting, 20 minute presentation 10 minute Q&A session:

1. Von Holt: Incorporating Multiple Intelligences in the EFL classroom

2. Andrew Oberg: Teaching Words in Chunks

3. Jennie Kern: Extensive Reading in the Eikaiwa Classroom

4. Kaoru Watanabe: A Study of the Effective Use of Communicative Tasks in Japanese Senior High School Settings: Textbook Analysis of Oral Communication I & II

5. Sean Burgoine: 7-Up: Documentary Video Resources for the EFL Classroom

6. Maiko Ogasawara: Classroom Analysis of an Oral Communication class at a Japanese high school

7. Charlie Robertson: Video Storyboarding

8. David Grant: Creating a Moodle-based Extensive Reading Community

9. Mike Sharpe: Creating and Publishing Study Materials for a Specific Audience

Sunday, December 23rd, 2007

Practical Classroom Ideas for Teaching Japanese

Speaker: Takame Ueki-Sabine (University of Tasmania)
Time: 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM (Sun., December 23rd, 2007)
Fee (JALT members): free
Fee (One-Day members): 500 yen
Prefecture: Kochi
City: Kochi
Venue: Kochi Women's University, Eikokuji Campus, Kochi City, 2nd floor, administration building (10 meters from main entrance). 5-15 Eikokuji-cho, Kochi City.
Description: Takame sensei will give a 30-minute workshop on concrete teaching ideas for the Japanese language classroom. This presentation will have participants taking an active (and sometimes physical!) role as she guides teachers through her teaching methods. She will discuss approaches/methods for different levels of Japanese teaching. She requests that participants wear loose and comfortable clothing. Takame will then spend some time to discuss the JATS (Japanese Assistant Teaching Scheme), a ten-month Japanese teaching internship she coordinates for Tasmanian schools. Prospective Japanese teachers will be interested in this unique Australian programme.

Speaker profile:

Takame Ueki-Sabine is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Asian Languages and Studies at the University of Tasmania. She has wide expertise in Japanese as a Foreign Language (JFL) with over 20 years in the field. Takame's guiding principle as a teacher is based on "what would be best for the students" which she has practiced throughout her teaching career. She has received a Teaching Excellency Award and three teaching merits at the University of Tasmania. As coordinator of JATS, she has helped place several local student-teachers in Tasmanian schools.

Find Events

By chapter or SIG
By month
By prefecture

Front page