Toyohashi Chapter

(Read the archived description for the Toyohashi Chapter)

Toyohashi Chapter Events in 2006

Events archive by year:
2008 [10]; 2007 [12]; 2006; 2005 [10]; 2004 [10]; 2003 [9]; 2002 [8]; 2001 [6];

Sunday, January 15th, 2006

Creating Opportunities for Authentic Communication and Critical Thinking

Speaker: Laura Kusaka and Martha Robertson
Time: 1:30 PM - 4:00 PM (Sun., January 15th, 2006)
Fee (JALT members): free
Fee (One-Day members): 1,000 yen
Prefecture: Aichi
City: Toyohashi
Venue: Aichi University Bldg 5 - room 53A
Description: The presenters will report on the methodology and classroom practices in a Japanese university setting focusing on first-year students enrolled in English classes with focus on spoken communication skills. Using a content-based instruction (CBI) and sustained-content language teaching (SCLT) approach in our respective classes, we report on our attempts to create classroom situations with meaningful content which challenge students� intellectual curiosity. The examples reported involve the use of materials such as videos or student-produced projects. The presenters will suggest that within the existing curricular structure, instructors can initiate such innovation which has the potential to renew students' interest in learning English.

Sunday, February 12th, 2006

Obstacles Facing Efforts to Improve English Language Learning in Japanese Schools

Speaker: Robert Aspinall, PALE SIG coordinator
Time: 1:30 PM - 4:00 PM (Sun., February 12th, 2006)
Fee (JALT members): free
Fee (One-Day members): 1,000 yen
Prefecture: Aichi
City: Toyohashi
Venue: Aichi University, Bldg 5 - room 543
Description: This presentation considers various explanations for the failure of the Japanese education system to provide the country with a number of citizens sufficiently skilled in the use of English, the global lingua franca, to enable Japan to "punch its weight" in international forums. Customs, expectations and beliefs that are suitable to achieving progress in subjects like science and mathematics cause serious problems in the communicative foreign language classroom. This factor, combined with the entrance exam system, helps to explain why Japan has achieved enviable records of achievement in subjects like mathematics and science but suffers from serious problems with English language learning. Finally the presentation will address various possible solutions to some of the problems raised.

This is a joint meeting of Toyohashi Chapter and the PALE SIG.

Sunday, March 26th, 2006

Title: A Magical Journey Through English Land

Speaker: Lesley Ito
Time: 1:30 PM - 4:00 PM (Sun., March 26th, 2006)
Fee (JALT members): free
Fee (One-Day members): free
Prefecture: Aichi
City: Toyohashi
Venue: Aichi University, Bldg 5 - room 543
Description: Sponsored by Longman, this is a complete course overview of English Land, featuring a unit walk-through from all six levels. Join the presenter on an adventure through carefully sequenced age appropriate activities, combined with the perfect selection of Disney characters, stories, and DVD movie clips designed specifically for each age group. Discover the difference in bringing English to life whether you're teaching 6 year olds, 8 year olds or 11 year olds.

Sunday, April 16th, 2006

Storytelling in Language Teaching

Speaker: Charles Kowalski
Time: 1:30 PM - 4:00 PM (Sun., April 16th, 2006)
Fee (JALT members): free
Fee (One-Day members): 1,000 yen
Prefecture: Aichi
City: Toyohashi
Venue: Aichi University, Bldg 5 - room 543
Description: Everyone loves a good story! This workshop is for teachers interested in bringing the power of oral storytelling (personal anecdotes, folktales, jokes, or any other kind of narrative) into their classrooms. The first part will examine the linguistic, cultural, and personal benefits that storytelling can bring to a language class, and help participants develop their own natural storytelling talent through voice, gesture, memory, and other tools of the storyteller. The second part will present classroom

activities to make stories easily understandable by learners of all ages and all levels from beginning to advanced.

Sunday, May 21st, 2006

Annual May Picnic

Speaker: No scheduled speaker
Time: 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM (Sun., May 21st, 2006)
Fee (JALT members): free
Fee (One-Day members): free
Prefecture: Aichi
City: Toyohashi
Venue: Toyohashi Ryokuchi Koen (Takashi station, Atsumi Line)
Description: Toyohashi will hold its annual May barbeque and picnic at the usual place, in Takashi Ryokuchi Park. Those interested should bring along something to eat. As usual we will have a barbeque set up to roast meat, vegetables or whatever.

Sunday, June 18th, 2006

Portfolios as Alternative Assessment

Speaker: Suzanne Bonn, Nagoya University of Foreign Studies
Time: 1:30 PM - 4:00 PM (Sun., June 18th, 2006)
Fee (JALT members): free
Fee (One-Day members): 1,000 yen
Prefecture: Aichi
City: Toyohashi
Venue: Aichi University, Bldg 5 - room 543
Description: This workshop and presentation will offer effective methods for integrating portfolios in the language classroom and for adapting portfolios to learners of different levels, curriculum, and content. The evolution of portfolios will be discussed: simple course file to reflective portfolio to electronic portfolio. Participants will learn how portfolios create learner engagement and self-reflection as well as provide an alternative form of assessment.

Sunday, September 10th, 2006

Interactive Writing for Senior High School and College Creative Writing Classes

Speaker: Takashi Miura
Time: 1:30 PM - 4:00 PM (Sun., September 10th, 2006)
Fee (JALT members): free
Fee (One-Day members): 1,000 yen
Prefecture: Aichi
City: Toyohashi
Venue: Aichi University, Bldg 5 - room 543
Description: This presentation aims at tackling two obstacles that stand in the way of teaching writing communicatively: the lack of audience and community. One of the obstacles is lack of the real audience. In a writing class, it is considered very important for students to have a clear image of the intended audience. However, no matter how we pretend, the real audience in a writing class is the teacher --not a very ideal audience for students. The other obstacle is lack of learners' community. Because of these two obstacles, writing classes can often be boring for students, and simply tedious for teachers. How can we turn the isolated relationship into a writing community, and how can we let students write to real audience (their classmates) in a meaningful context? The presenter is going to propose an answer to these questions based on his college writing classes, together with copies of students' works in various activities.

Sunday, October 15th, 2006

A Longitudinal Tool for Enhancing Student Responsibility

Speaker: Brad Deacon
Time: 1:30 PM - 4:00 PM (Sun., October 15th, 2006)
Fee (JALT members): free
Fee (One-Day members): 1,000 yen
Prefecture: Aichi
City: Toyohashi
Venue: Aichi University, Bldg 5 - room 543
Description: This presentation focuses on an itemized chart system called the Active and Responsible Self-Evaluation List (ARSL) of specific learner behaviors and actions for student self-evaluation and management that are conducted over the course of a school year. Specifically, the items represent a collection of ten behavioral patterns and learning actions that can lead to a greater awareness of each student's responsibility and role towards positively impacting the classroom learning community as a whole. The presenter feels that it is important not only for teachers and students to focus on language and content goals; but to also be aware of communal goals and ways to enhance the learning of all group members.

The presenter will share the system and respective rationale by drawing on techniques and principles largely from the fields of neuro-linguistic programming and Thomas Gordon's Teacher Effectiveness Training (1974). Participants will have a hands-on opportunity to create their own ARSL lists through presenter-lead brainstorming and refining activities. Finally the presenter will offer both quantitative and qualitative feedback from students on the system.

Sunday, November 19th, 2006

National Conference Reports

Speaker: Toyohashi JALT members
Time: 1:30 PM - 4:00 PM (Sun., November 19th, 2006)
Fee (JALT members): free
Fee (One-Day members): 1,000 yen
Prefecture: Aichi
City: Toyohashi
Venue: Aichi University, Bldg 5 - room 543
Description: This year's National Conference will be held November 2 to 5. The theme of this year's meeting is "Community, Identity, Motivation." Toyohashi JALT members who attended the National Conference in Kitakyushu will report about what they saw and experienced there

Sunday, December 10th, 2006

Photographs and Memories: A Fun and Effective Way to Use Memorabilia in the Conversation Classroom

Speaker: David Kluge
Time: 1:30 PM - 4:00 PM (Sun., December 10th, 2006)
Fee (JALT members): free
Fee (One-Day members): 1,000 yen
Prefecture: Aichi
City: Toyohashi
Venue: Aichi University, Bldg 5 - room 543
Description: The presenter has integrated memorabilia into his conversation textbooks for the last ten years. He will explain the rationale, describe the system he uses to integrate memorabilia as an ongoing activity in the course, show some student examples, and let the audience experience the power of this extremely effective and popular tool for generating interesting communication. HOMEWORK: Each participant should bring one piece of personal memorabilia (a photograph, pamphlet, ticket, etc.).

The meeting will be followed by our annual Bonenkai, which everyone is welcome to attend.

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