Fukuoka Chapter

(Read the archived description for the Fukuoka Chapter)

Fukuoka Chapter Events in 2007

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

Saturday, January 27th, 2007

Identity and Proficiency: Meaningful Approaches to Learning and Assessment

Speaker: Trevor Holster, Siebold University of Nagasaki
Time: 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM (Sat., January 27th, 2007)
Fee (JALT members): free
Fee (One-Day members): 1,000 yen
Prefecture: Fukuoka
City: Fukuoka
Venue: Fukuoka Jo Gakuin Tenjin Satellite Campus (9F), Tenjin 2-8-38, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka-shi map
Description: Language proficiency is central to both teaching and assessment, yet proficiency testing and communicative teaching typically address not proficiency, but behavioristic notions of linguistic performance, failing to address whether learners are authentic users of language and constraining them to mimicry rather than language use. This presentation examines the notion of language proficiency by arguing that the ability to create and project a range of identities is fundamental to becoming a proficient user, and that teaching and assessment must address this use of language. The primacy of language use over behaviouristic performance has profound implications for both materials writers and test designers, and it is argued that the nature of commercial texts and tests precludes this use of language, so it is the role of the classroom teacher to fill this void.

Sunday, February 25th, 2007

Two presentations: one on needs analysis and another on demotivation (see below)

Speaker: Keita Kikuchi, Waseda University
Time: 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM (Sun., February 25th, 2007)
Fee (JALT members): free
Fee (One-Day members): 1,000 yen
Prefecture: Fukuoka
City: Fukuoka
Venue: Fukuoka Jo Gakuin Tenjin Satellite Campus (9F), Tenjin 2-8-38, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka-shi map
Description: First Presentation: A needs analysis study of students in a college English language program

Although needs analysis (also called needs assessment) is claimed to be a critical part of the process of curriculum planning in second language learning (Brown, 1995; Richards, 2001), there are not so many published studies on this topic. In 1994, in his overview of needs analysis studies, West (1994) stated that there have been only a handful of needs analysis studies in the last 25 years. However, in the past decade, there has been an increase in these kinds of studies. For instance, there have been quite a few articles concerning the identification of students' needs in English programs in Japanese university classrooms published through college in-house publications (e.g., Busch, et al, 1992; Kumazawa. 2003; Kusanagi & Kumazawa, 2004; Tachiki, 2002).

This paper provides a report of a recent needs analysis conducted for the program at one campus of Japan's largest university. Based on the questionnaire used in Widdows & Voller (1991), 100 item questionnaires were constructed. Responding to the questionnaire, 434 students were asked their views on their (1) English learning and teaching styles, (2) main objectives for studying English, (3) perceived classroom learning needs, (4) plans to study English in the future, (5) preferences concerning classroom materials, (6) attitudes towards assessment/evaluation, and (7) topics that students are interested in. Results from the needs analysis study concerning these areas revealed both the successes and failures of the curriculum to satisfy the expectations and desires of students and provided valuable insight into the direction further curriculum development must take. In this paper, the summary of the study and the future direction of such needs analysis studies also discussed.

Second Presentation: What can teachers do to avoid students getting demotivated?: Perspectives from recent survey studies.

Student demotivation is relatively new topic to explorer in L2 motivation studies (Dornyei, 2001). Guided by Dörnyei (1998), which found nine salient factors regard to demotivation, interview guides and questionnaires were developed in order to find demotivating factors in Japanese high school English classrooms in this study. Five college students attended two private universities and one public university shared their views toward the demotivation in the interviews. Forty-two students at a public university responded to the questionnaires mainly open-ended response questions. Through qualitative analysis using matrices (Brown, 2001; Huberman & Miles, 1994; Lynch, 1996), five factors were found: (a) individual teacher behavior in classroom, (b) grammar translation method used in instruction, (c) tests/university entrance exam related issues, (d) memorization nature of the class/vocabulary learning related issues, and (e) textbook/reference book related issues. Based on the finding from this study as well as the follow-up study conducated recently (Kikuchi and Sakai, in preparation), the suggestions for language classrooms in other contexts were made and specific strategies for teachers to avoid demotivating students were discussed. After the presentations, active discussion on students' demotivation in participants' context is welcomed.

Biodata

Keita Kikuchi is a visiting lecturer at Waseda University, International Liberal Studies, Tokyo. He holds an M.A. in ESL from the University of Hawai'i at Manoa. His research interests include curriculum development for EFL programs in Japan and second language acquisition, especially individual differences.

Saturday, March 24th, 2007

Developing a Personal Research and Publication Agenda: Research Strategies for Language Teachers

Speaker: Dr. Sandra Lee McKay, San Francisco State University
Time: 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM (Sat., March 24th, 2007)
Fee (JALT members): free
Fee (One-Day members): free
Prefecture: Fukuoka
City: Fukuoka
Venue: Fukuoka Jo Gakuin Tenjin Satellite Campus (9F), Tenjin 2-8-38, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka-shi map
Description: Please note that this event is free and open to the public. Fukuoka JALT is co-sponsoring the first three hours of this weekend Temple University Japan Distinguished Lecturer Series

The purpose of this presentation is to introduce novice researchers to research methods that can be used to investigate L2 teaching and learning. The presentation will begin with a general introduction to major research purposes and types, with special emphasis on the differences between quantitative and qualitative research.

Bio: Professor Sandra McKay has taught at SFSU, Stanford, Georgetown University, and Temple University Japan. She has been involved in teacher education programs in Chile, Japan, Hong Kong, Hungary, Laos, Latvia, Morocco, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, and Uruguay as a Fulbright scholar and as an academic specialist for the U.S. Dept. of State. Professor McKay was editor of the TESOL Quarterly from 1994 to 1999. She has published articles in the Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, the Harvard Educational Review, the Journal of Second Language Writing, the Modern Language Journal, TESOL Quarterly, and TESOL Journal. She has written and edited numerous books. Her books, Teaching English Overseas: An Introduction, and Teaching English as an International Language: Rethinking Goals and Approaches (both published by Oxford University Press), reflect her interest in the teaching of English in a global context. Her most recent book is Researching Second Language Classrooms (Lawrence Erlbaum, 2006).

Saturday, May 19th, 2007

Two Presentations by Terry Fellner

Speaker: Terry Fellner, Saga University
Time: 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM (Sat., May 19th, 2007)
Fee (JALT members): free
Fee (One-Day members): 1,000 yen
Prefecture: Fukuoka
City: Fukuoka
Venue: Fukuoka Jo Gakuin Tenjin Satellite Campus (9F), Tenjin 2-8-38, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka-shi map
Description: Presentation 1: Developing Writing Fluency Through Blogs.
This presentation will examine the use of student blogs to improve writing fluency among Japanese students studying English at a Japanese university during the summers of 2004, 2005, and 2006. In each year, a group of fourth year foreign language majors participated in a seven-day integrated CALL program. All three programs included a variety of F2F tasks and computer based tasks, integrated into a blended learning environment with blogs as the main writing task. All the students involved were considered to have low English proficiency and low motivation.

The presenter will first outline the integrated program and describe in what context student blogs were used. Fellner will then briefly discuss the seven criteria for CALL task selection (Fellner & Apple, 2006a). Following this, the presenter will introduce their definition of writing fluency (Fellner & Apple, 2006b), which was used as a basis for measuring learner gains in writing fluency. By comparing the number of words and word frequency levels in student blogs at the beginning and end of each program a significant improvement in writing fluency was observed. The first day of each intensive course saw students write blog entries consisting of low word counts and utilizing lexical items falling in the most frequent 1000 word level. However, by the end of all three seven-day intensive courses the researchers found that overall word counts increased by an average of over 300 per cent. In addition, there was a substantial increase in the number of 2000 word level items. As a result they are able to conclude that writing fluency was enhanced through the use of blogs.

Presentation 2: Outdoor Language Learning: Taking Learning Beyond The Classroom.
This presentation attempts to explain and justify the use of a new methodology the author refers to as Outdoor Language Learning (OLL) as a useful and beneficial way of enhancing English language learning in both second language (ESL) and foreign language (EFL) situations. The presenter will first explain what is meant by the term Outdoor Language Learning and then describe the theoretical background which supports its implementation in formal education. The presentation will then illustrate that teachers can obtain 10 benefits from using OLL which they should consider in order to enhance their language teaching experiences. Following this the presenter will detail some practical considerations educators must take into account when they are preparing an OLL program for their students. The presentation concludes by proposing that outdoor language learning, while suitable for all language learning situations, may hold particular promise for those contexts which occur in developing countries.

About the speaker: Terry Fellner is an Associate Professor at Saga University in Japan. He has been a language teacher and teacher trainer for over 15 years in North America, Africa and Asia. His current interests lie in the areas of CALL, Outdoor Language Learning, academic writing, and curriculum and materials design.

Sunday, July 15th, 2007

The Temple University and Fukuoka JALT 2nd Annual Applied Linguistics Colloquium (day 2 of 2)

Speaker: Arita, Baldwin, Carter, Cochrane, Connor, Daugherty, DeLint, Farmer, Fryer, Fukuhara, Harland, Holster, Lake, Mineura, Praver, Sonda, Sorensen, Stewart, Tokunaga, Tsuda
Time: 11:30 AM - 4:00 PM (Sun., July 15th, 2007)
Fee (JALT members): free
Fee (One-Day members): free
Prefecture: Fukuoka
City: Fukuoka
Venue: Fukuoka Jo Gakuin Tenjin Satellite Campus (9F), Tenjin 2-8-38, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka-shi map
Description: This is the second day of the 2-day Temple University and Fukuoka JALT 2nd Annual Applied Linguistics Colloquium. The speaker for day 1 will be James Dean Brown. Click here for more information.

July 15 Time, Presentations and Descriptions

11:30-11:55

Pragmatic Markers in English, J. Lake

There are many differences between spoken and written language. One feature of spoken language is the frequent use of pragmatic markers. Although often used in speaking, they are not often taught. This is a work in progress, this presentation will review some of the literature on pragmatic markers and discuss how these pragmatic markers can be taught, tested, and researched for future studies.

12:00-12:25

English Speaking Class Action Research Report, Nozomu Sonda

The present researcher examines his own English speaking class designed to improve conversational skills of high beginners. The learners enjoy speaking English and improve fluency. However, their English has a number of errors. I will discuss what activities work and what errors may need to be treated.

Expectations and Misunderstandings of Critics of English Education in Japan: A Shinsho book guide for language teachers in Japan, Akiko Tsuda

This paper focuses on shinsho books which has possible influence on English education in Japan, and the reasons English language teachers should read. The author selected thirteen books published from 2000 and 2006, overviews the tendency of shinsho writers' profile and frequently discussed topics, and lists problems they have caused.

12:30-12:55

Computer Assisted-Extensive Reading, Jeff Stewart

Recently, Extensive Reading has become popular at Japanese universities. Graded readers, which limit the vocabulary and grammatical forms included in texts are used to ensure that students have access to material that can read easily and enjoyably. However, new technology now makes authentic text more accessible to language learners. A computer program called Backword gives students instant translations of words held under the cursor, greatly increasing the speed and ease with which learners can read authentic text. The speaker details suggestions for adding computer-assisted extensive reading into a curriculum

Learning Strategy Instruction in a High School Conversation Class : Can it Lead to More Effective Learning and Increased Motivation? Robert Cochrane

A report on a study in progress involving the introduction of learning strategies into a weekly high school conversation course. Learning strategies rather than communication strategies are the presented to 8 of 16 classes to investigate whether there is an effect on the test scores in students' general English courses.

1:00-1:25

The usage of please in ESL textbooks, Yukiko Arita

The purpose of this study is to compare the usage of the adverb please in English as a second language (ESL) textbooks with pragmatic analysis research. This presentation will overview functional aspects and syntactic features of please and reveal that these functions and features are still insufficiently taken into consideration in ESL textbooks.

English Around Us, Suzy Connor

There's an abundance of written English in Fukuoka, from basic street signs to interesting advertisements and t-shirts. Not everyone notices, but enough do to warrant addressing it in class. This presentation will demonstrate students' awareness of such English and how teachers can use this in class.

1:30-1:55

Classroom Management: class rules, attendance cards and teacher's homepage, Miki Tokunaga

With low-level and unmotivated students, classroom management strategies are essential. In this presentation, the presenter will share some methods on how to: 1) make sure the students follow the class rules, 2) find out how students are doing in the class, and 3) keep students informed of homework and tests.

Writing with a Purpose: Learning to Write through the Production of a Magazine, Cindy Daugherty & Kathleen Fukuhara

In this presentation, we will explain the advantages and logistics of including a magazine project as a major component of an ESL writing course. This project gives students opportunities to work with their classmates in writing with the meaningful purpose of communicating their own ideas to an audience of readers. A magazine, as a single class-wide project, promotes peer teaching and learning. At the same time, its format can include various styles and genres such that individual preferences can be accommodated.

2:00-2:25

Creating Customized Vocabulary Activities, Trevor Holster

Vocabulary is essential to language learning. This presentation will look at an easy and practical way of identifying problematic vocabulary in texts and creating review activities targeted at individual classes or students using a scanner and free or inexpensive software.

Comparison of Responses to Unsolicited Information Between Japanese and Overseas Passengers: Research on Intercultural Communication or Miscommunication? Atsuko Mineura

I think travelers favorably accept unsolicited information offered by local people when some criteria are met. This research explores what criteria should be met, and if there are any differences in responses between Japanese and non-Japanese travelers.

2:30-2:55

Issues In Testing Speaking, Darcy DeLint & Trevor Holster

Standardized tests typically do not directly test language production, so teachers were surveyed to assess the feasibility of utilizing shared speaking tests. Teachers held incompatible views, making shared tests inadvisable, but there was evidence that informal coordination may give benefits with a much smaller investment of resources.

Using the Internet as a Means of Evaluation, Aaron Sorensen

The presenter will share his experiences with using email and the internet as a means of evaluation. While using email to collect homework may not be new, the presenter will suggest how teachers can simplify this process. In addition, he will offer exercises and useful websites for EFL learners.

3:00-3:25

Authentic Listening and Relevance, Stephen Farmer

This paper presents the results of a study initiated in an attempt to address the issue of poor motivation amongst low-level students at a university in Japan. The study shows that authentic materials can be motivating factors for even low-level students and that available course materials are failing to appeal to the interests of Japanese university students.

Teacher Motivation in the Language Learning Environment, Max Praver & Quint Baldwin

One of the most overlooked areas of second language acquisition is the motivation level of the teacher. In this presentation, we will identify intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, and then discuss the connection between teacher motivation and various job characteristics such as autonomy, institutional support, and relationships. Finally, based on initial data gathered in the research, we will present a number of practical ways that institutions can motivate their teachers and increase the actual quality of teaching.

3:30-3:55

Listening to Learn: Principles for enabling listening comprehension, Peter Carter & Luke Fryer

This presentation will describe and critique current methodologies in L2 listening, and then suggest an alternative approach that treats listening comprehension as a process and not a product. Principles for an effective listening course will be detailed, and participants will then see strategies and tasks that promote real learning demonstrated.

The Role of Volunteer Work Camps in Promoting Genuine Communication, Jane Harland

This presentation will discuss the role of volunteer work camps in promoting genuine communication. The study will focus on a two-week international volunteer camp held at Tokyo Port Wild Bird Park in August 2006. Participants included able-bodied and less able-bodied participants from over 10 countries, and English was used as the official language. The presenter is currently exploring the possibility of weekend camps in Kyushu.

Saturday, July 28th, 2007

The Temple University and Fukuoka JALT 2nd Annual Applied Linguistics Colloquium (Plenary)

Speaker: James Dean Brown, University of Hawai'i at Manoa
Time: 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM (Sat., July 28th, 2007)
Fee (JALT members): free
Fee (One-Day members): free
Prefecture: Fukuoka
City: Fukuoka
Venue: Fukuoka Jo Gakuin Tenjin Satellite Campus (9F), Tenjin 2-8-38, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka-shi map
Description: Plenary: Teaching Fluency for Speaking and Listening , James Dean Brown, University of Hawai'i at Manoa

This presentation will focus on the evolution of my awareness of the importance to fluency of teaching connected speech forms in ESL/EFL classrooms including my recent efforts to compile the literature on the topic and formulate the principles underlying connected speech forms including word stress, utterance stress and timing, elisions, reductions, insertions, intrusions, simple transitions, assimilations, contractions, and combinations of all of the above. In the latter part of the presentation, I will discuss some of the most prominent principles necessary for teaching each of the above.

BIO: James Dean (JD) Brown is Professor of Second Language Studies at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa. He has spoken and taught courses in more than thirty countries ranging from Brazil to Yugoslavia. He has also published numerous journal articles and book chapters (on language testing, curriculum design, research methods, and program evaluation) and authored or co-authored numerous books (on reading statistical language studies, language curriculum, language testing, language testing in Japan, testing L2 pragmatics, performance testing, criterion-referenced language testing, using surveys in language programs, doing research, language test development, ideas for classroom assessment, connected speech, and heritage language curriculum).

Saturday, September 15th, 2007

Using Literature in Teaching Language

Speaker: Dr. Patrick Rosenkjar, Temple University
Time: 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM (Sat., September 15th, 2007)
Fee (JALT members): free
Fee (One-Day members): free
Prefecture: Fukuoka
City: Fukuoka
Venue: Elgala Hall (Daimaru), 1-4-2 Tenjin, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka. Tel: 092-711-5017
Description: Most Japanese students (and many teachers of English as well) believe that poems, short stories, and plays have little or no place in classrooms oriented to developing communicative competence in English or that literary texts are only for advanced learners. In fact, Japanese students often say that the study of both English and Japanese literary texts is boring and difficult. This unfortunate situation is probably the result of teaching literature in the wrong way: choosing extremely difficult texts, relying on word-for-word translation, and lecturing to students (often in Japanese) on literary criticism and the meaning of English texts. For EFL learners, this is surely not the way to develop either language skills or literary appreciation. Is there another way to use literature in the EFL classroom?

The basic premise of this workshop is that, yes, there is a better way. Effective literature-based lessons engage learners and capture their interest. They make learners excited about understanding how language is used to express an author's communicative purpose. They make learners active participants in tasks that lead them to discover objective language features and arrive at their own well-supported interpretations of a text. They teach learners that their own understanding of a text is worthy of respect, if it is supported by evidence from the text. They are the springboard for creative communicative post-reading activities. They make learners want to read further literary texts on their own.

Such lesson outcomes do not happen by accident; teachers must carefully plan for them. This seminar will be firmly based on the theoretical principles behind such lessons, but it will focus most heavily on experiential learning in a workshop format. So, participants will apply the theory to create highly motivating lessons that teach specific language features as a means of understanding poems, short stories, or plays. The main goal is that participants will come away equipped with a clearly defined set of practical skills to use in their own teaching. A second goal that usually is achieved is that seminar participants will themselves gain a fresh appreciation of literature.

Recommended Text: Mick Short, Exploring the Language of Poems

Schedule:

Saturday, September 15, 2:00 to 5:00 p.m., 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. and Sunday, September 16, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Note: Fukuoka JALT is co-sponsoring the first three hours of this weekend Temple University Japan Distinguished Lecturer Series. The first three hours of the seminar are free and open to the public. This weekend seminar is free for Master's and doctoral graduates of Temple University, Japan Campus; the fee for other weekend auditors is 12,000 yen.

Location:

The opening session (2:00 - 5:00 p.m. on Saturday) will be held at Elgala Hall (Daimaru), 1-4-2 Tenjin, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka. Tel: 092-711-5017. The Saturday evening session (6:00 - 9:00 p.m.) and the Sunday session (10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) will be held at Fukuoka Jo Gakuin Tenjin Satellite Campus (9F), Tenjin 2-8-38, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka-shi

Saturday, October 20th, 2007

The Role of Strategies in Communicative Competence

Speaker: Alastair Graham-Marr
Time: 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM (Sat., October 20th, 2007)
Fee (JALT members): free
Fee (One-Day members): free
Prefecture: Fukuoka
City: Fukuoka
Venue: Fukuoka Jo Gakuin Tenjin Satellite Campus (9F), Tenjin 2-8-38, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka-shi map
Description: Communicative Competence consists of grammatical competence, sociolinguistic competence, and strategic competence. Traditionally, classrooms have focused on grammatical competence (grammatical syllabi) and sociolinguistic competence (functional syllabi) leaving strategies to be attended to at the margin. This presentation examines why strategies should be given a stronger presence in classrooms that aim to teach communication. Presented will be background research, SLA theory and practical classroom applications.

Alastair Graham-Marr has his Masters in Applied Linguistics. He's been teaching in Japan for 18 years and currently is full time faculty member at Tokai University. He also works as an editor for ABAX Ltd, a specialty ELT publisher. He has edited and written parts of the Top-Up Listening series and the Communication Spotlight series. His research interests include the effect of output and the value of explicit learning on language acquisition.

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