Fukuoka Chapter

(Read the archived description for the Fukuoka Chapter)

Fukuoka Chapter Events in 2008

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

Sunday, January 27th, 2008

Teacher Immediacy & Teacher Efficacy (two different presentations)

Speaker: Keita Kikuchi & Quint Oga-Baldwin
Time: 1:00 PM - 3:45 PM (Sun., January 27th, 2008)
Fee (JALT members): free
Fee (One-Day members): 1,000 yen
Prefecture: Fukuoka
City: Fukuoka
Venue: Nakamura Gakuen University, 5-7-1 Befu, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka-shi (Higashi 2 Building, Room 105) map
Description: Our January event will feature two 50-minute presentations followed by a round table dissusion. Please note the different event day, time, and venue. A social dinner will follow this event.

1st Presentation: Studying English Teachers' Immediacy: Insights from the instructional communication field, Keita Kikuchi (Waseda University)

In this presentation, first some key concepts such as teachers' immediacy and teachers' misbehavior (which are discussed considerably in the field of instructional communication) will be explained. After reviewing some key findings from studies in the instructional communication field, the presenter will discuss how English teachers in Japan can put these theories into practice in the daily classroom. Next, the presenter will present a recent study (Kikuchi and Sakai, forthcoming) conducted on English learners' motivating and demotivating experiences in high school based on 656 Japanese high school students and discuss how teachers' behavior can influence students' motivation and demotivation. All English teachers teaching at all levels are welcome to this presentation so that we can actively share how we think about teachers' immediacy and its relationship with learners' motivation.

2nd Presentation: Building Teacher Efficacy in the Second Language Classroom, Quint Oga-Baldwin (Kyushu Sangyo University)

Lack of efficacy is one of the biggest problems facing second language teacher motivation. In order to build motivation in themselves, teachers need to feel that they can affect changes in their students and that their methods are effective. This presentation will first define efficacy and its theoretical foundations, and then discuss how they effect teacher motivation in a second language setting.

Saturday, February 16th, 2008

Distinguished Lecturer Series at TUJ-Fukuoka: Current Perspectives on Task-Based Language Teaching

Speaker: Dr. Rod Ellis (University of Auckland)
Time: 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM (Sat., February 16th, 2008)
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: Task-based language teaching (TBLT) is currently advocated by a number of SLA researchers but has also been challenged by some teacher educators. This seminar will examine the theoretical bases for TBLT and in so doing will address the criticisms that have been leveled at it. Key issues in the design and implementation of task-based courses will be discussed.

Participants in the seminar will be invited to plan a task-based lesson for their own students and consider how they would evaluate the effectiveness of the lesson.

Schedule: Saturday, February 16, 2:00 to 5:00 p.m., 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. and Sunday, February 17, 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.

Texts: Rod Ellis, Task-Based Language Learning and Teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003.

Saturday, May 17th, 2008

Two Presentations by Terry Fellner

Speaker: Terry Fellner, Saga University
Time: 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM (Sat., May 17th, 2008)
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: Dealing with student plagiarism, a processed-based portfolio approach to academic writing.

A concern among foreign language instructors is that of student plagiarism. The ease of finding materials online and copying portions of text without citations makes this problem particularly relevant today. The presenter first examines difficulties instructors have in defining plagiarism and consequently dealing with student plagiarism. The presentation then offers an alternative definition that neatly defines plagiarism for the modern net 2.0 world. The presenter will also illustrate how prevalent plagiarism may be in Japan based upon the results of surveys he has administered to his students and then discuss eight common reasons why students plagiarize university writing assignments. The presentation concludes by stating that a process-based portfolio approach to writing which makes use of legitimate writing strategies, such as Rebecca Howard’s (1995) “patch writing”, can greatly reduce the reasons students plagiarize and instead motivate them to develop a sense of identity in their academic writing.

Presentation 2: Preparing students for the new TOEIC Speaking and writing test.

Two years ago Educational Testing Services (ETS) began offering the new TOEIC Speaking and Writing test in Korea. This new test is meant to be a complement to the traditional reading and writing TOEIC test and when taken together will provide test takers, universities and companies a much better indication of test takers overall English ability. This presentation will examine the new speaking and writing test and discuss what communication skills are actually being evaluated. The presenter will then illustrate how this new form of TOEIC poses particularly difficult challenges to Japanese students as it necessitates that they be not only much more active �" as opposed to passive �" in their language learning but also in their language use. The presentation will require audience participation as it concludes by demonstrating some activities that can benefit students who are studying English in a regular university environment.

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.

Saturday, June 14th, 2008

Two Presentations on using Technology for Language Learning

Speaker: Ian Brown, Kyushu University; Bill Pellowe, Kinki University Iizuka campus
Time: 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM (Sat., June 14th, 2008)
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: Web 2.0 Activities for any Teacher and Class

Much has been said about Web 2.0 sweeping the Internet these days. However what does it all mean for EFL teachers? Particularly how can teachers use Web 2.0 with their classes even if both teacher and students are not overly technical minded. This presentation aims to introduce a number of Web 2.0 websites that teachers may like to try with their classes. This presentation is not about theory but a practical introduction to some examples of these websites and how they might be used. Furthermore, teachers do not need to be computer experts to use these websites nor do their students, and in particular these activities can be used with students of lower levels as well as mid to higher ones.

Not all teachers using CALL have access to sophisticated CALL facilities and in fact some teachers have no access even to computer rooms in their institutions. Free web-based hosting sites, give teachers wanting to use CALL, even in limited circumstances, an opportunity to use CALL by allowing them to set up free independent class ‘home’ sites which include many Learner Management System (LMS) features. Although these class ‘home’ sites are more limited than full-blown LMSs, they are far more featured and education minded than typical blog sites that teachers may already be familiar with. They can be used in a variety of ways to enhance learning and class atmosphere from providing students with information about the class, and supplementary materials to being used for the submission of homework and assignments, and for providing avenues of communication and discussion between teacher and students, and student and student, through, messaging, blogs and discussion boards. In short they offer teachers an opportunity to extend learning beyond the restricted confines of their classrooms. The presentation will introduce and compare four such free potential websites and then introduce an example of how a popular web 2.0 photo sharing website can be integrated with such a site. The presentation aims to be a practical introduction to some new ideas on how CALL and Web 2.0 can be used in education, opening up new areas and potentials for teachers to build on.

Bio

Ian Brown (Master of Ed TESOL) is currently an Associate Professor working on a CALL project at Kyushu University. His teaching background spans over eighteen years with experience teaching in Japan, Australia and Thailand. He has a long interest in CALL, especially in the areas of teacher training and making CALL practical for all teachers. He has worked as a specialist CALL teacher and coordinated an extensive Blended learning EAP program. He has presented papers and conducted training sessions on various aspects of ELT and CALL at conferences and workshops around the world.

Presentation 2: Tools of the Trade: Utilizing the Video-iPod to Deliver Engaging EFL Content

Using only a video iPod, Pellowe demonstrates numerous ways that this new tool can be utilized to deliver both authentic and teacher-created material to the EFL classroom. The video iPod can be used either as a basic stimulus/ schema activator, supplemental support, or as the main content of a language lesson. Learn how to use video, slides (which are more commonly associated with laptops and PowerPoint), photos and audio, including podcasts, to better engage students. Technological tips, along with a detailed handout that includes web-based supplementary materials, will be provided. Come and experience why the iPod is actually an affordable alternative to other technologies such as laptop computers.

Bio

Bill Pellowe has been teaching English in Japan since 1990. He served as Fukuoka JALT's program chair, then president, from 1995 - 2002. He runs ELT Calendar (www.eltcalendar.com), an events calendar for language teachers in Japan.

Saturday, July 12th, 2008

Developing Culturally Sensitive, Communicative Materials for Japanese Junior and Senior High School English Language Learners

Speaker: Dr. Sandra Lee McKay (San Francisco State University)
Time: 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM (Sat., July 12th, 2008)
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: The purpose of this seminar is to develop classroom materials for teaching English to junior and senior high school students that are both culturally sensitive and meaningful. The seminar will begin by establishing criteria for developing materials that promote cross-cultural awareness and meaningful language learning. Next Ministry of Education textbooks will be examined to determine to what extent they meet these standards. Later in the seminar, the presenter will illustrate ways of reframing existing materials and, in some cases, supplementing them with Internet websites and exchanges so that they are more effective.

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).

Free and open to the public. Fukuoka JALT is co-sponsoring the first three hours of this weekend Temple University Japan Distinguished Lecturer Series.

Sunday, July 20th, 2008

Temple University Japan/Fukuoka JALT 3rd Annual Applied Linguistics Colloquium

Speaker: Plenary: David Beglar and presentations by 19 others, see below
Time: 11:00 AM - 4:30 PM (Sun., July 20th, 2008)
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: Principles for Developing Second Language Learners' Lexical Knowledge

David Beglar, Temple University Japan

Researchers have convincingly shown that the primary factor supporting communicative language use is lexical knowledge. The aim of this presentation will be to present six principles for developing second language learners' lexical knowledge and to provide concrete examples of how each principle can be implemented in second language classrooms.

BIO: David Beglar is the program coordinator in Temple University's M.S.Ed. and Ed.D. programs in Osaka. His primary research interests are vocabulary acquisition and language assessment. He is currently completing work on an academic listening textbook (Contemporary Topics, 3rd edition) and is beginning work on a dissertation and thesis writing textbook. He has lived and worked in Japan for 23 years.

Also,

12:00-12:25

TOEIC Bridge: Just a shorter version of TOEIC?, Miki Tokunaga

An introduction to online pop-up dictionaries, Nicholas Bovee

12:30-12:55

Drama-based Activities for the EFL Classroom, Michael Dailey

Low-context testing in high-context cultures, Kate Parkinson

1:00-1:25

Motivation through Autonomy at Cyber University, Robert Cvitkovic

Error in 1st & 2nd Year University English Essays, Huw Tyler

1:30-1:55

Comprehension of an online encyclopedia, Aaron Gibson

Integrating Learning Strategies into the Classroom, Robert Cochrane

2:00-2:25

Interactive Activities for Low-level TOEIC classes, Jane Harland

Testing low-level learner’s knowledge of English vocabulary using bilingual tests: A pilot research report, Jeff Stewart

2:30-2:55

Teaching Politeness Markers, Yukiko Arita & J. Lake

Survey of mobile learning, Aaron Gibson & Jeff Anderson

3:00-3:25

Using popular game shows in the language classroom, Stella Millikan

Using Social Networking Websites to Encourage Interaction Outside the English Classroom, Aaron Sorensen

3:30-3:55

Elementary school teachers’ beliefs about teaching foreign cultures, Wakako Pennington & Cindy Daugherty

Quick, cheap, or good- pick any three: Cloze dictation tests in the classroom, Trevor Holster

4:00-4:25

Bilingualism: What factors can affect bilingualism, Kathleen Fukuhara

Saturday, September 20th, 2008

Tools of the Trade: 3 Presentations on Getting Started in Research

Speaker: Luke Fryer, Trevor Holster, and Peter Carter
Time: 6:30 PM - 8:45 PM (Sat., September 20th, 2008)
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: Students in TESOL courses are often required to undertake research projects, but experience as classroom teachers may not have equipped them with the tools needed to collect, organize, and analyze their data. Three mini-presentations are aimed at introducing important research tools at a level accessible to novice researchers and classroom teachers who may lack specialized backgrounds in research or statistical analysis.

Luke Fryer: Where academic writing begins and ends: An Endnote

Endnote may be the most commonly used referencing software. This presentation will outline why so many academics perceive it to be an indispensable tool for researching and writing. The presentation will include: 1) an overview of its key features, 2) a brief tutorial for getting started with making your own library, 3) elaboration on a few of its often unused but essential features, and 4) a demonstration of how Endnote can be at the center of both your literature search and support the writing of your literature review. Free trial versions of Endnote for Windows or Mac operating systems can be downloaded from http://www.endnote.com/ for audience members who wish to bring a laptop and try the examples hands on.

Trevor Holster: How high can they jump? An introduction to Rasch measurement.

Using classroom tests as research instruments brings up problems of score weighting- raw test scores show how many times a candidate was successful, how many times the candidate jumped, but not how difficult the test items were, how high the candidate can jump. Rasch measurement, using widely available software tools such as Winsteps, makes conversion of raw scores into measures of ability quick and easy, showing how high candidates can jump. This presentation will introduce the basic concepts of Rasch measurement and then demonstrate some simple applications of interest to classroom teachers and researchers. The free Ministeps software (Windows only) is available for download from http://www.winsteps.com/ministep.htm for audience members who wish to bring a laptop and try the examples hands on.

Peter Carter: Getting SPSSed for beginners: A basic guide to data handling.

When teachers first start to conduct their own research, organizing data can be a major source of frustration and confusion. This presentation aims to highlight some of the ways in which teacher-researchers can help themselves by setting up their data handling appropriately. We will look at ways in which Excel can be used alongside the statistics software SPSS to support teachers in their data analysis. A free trial version of SPSS 16.0 for Windows or Mac operating systems can be downloaded from http://www.spss.com/downloads/, and a free trial version of Excel can be downloaded as part of Microsoft Office from http://us1.trymicrosoftoffice.com/default.aspx for audience members who wish to bring a laptop and try the examples hands on.

Saturday, October 11th, 2008

Two Presentations: (1) Shaping Teaching to fit Theories of Learning; (2) Applying the Principles and Active Skills for Communication

Speaker: Curtis Kelly
Time: 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM (Sat., October 11th, 2008)
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: Almost daily, brain studies are giving us a better picture of how learning occurs. Unfortunately, the methods we use in the classroom have not kept pace. The presenter will discuss some fundamentals of learning - such as emotional intelligence, multisensory input, and deep processing - and discuss ways to use them in our language classes. Participants will be asked to redesign traditional lessons to better fit what we are discovering about learning.

Knowing how the brain learns is one thing, but finding ways to use these principles to classroom teaching and materials design is another. In the second presentation, Dr. Kelly will highlight the major questions in regard to designing materials that use brain science and ask the participants to discuss them. He will then show some of the things that worked and did not work in his and Chuck Sandy's attempts to apply these principles to their new Cengage series, Active Skills for Communication.

About the speaker: Popular speaker and writer, Curtis Kelly (EdD) is a Professor of English at Osaka Gakuin University in Japan. He has spent most of his life developing learner-centered approaches for English students, especially those with low ability, confidence, and motivation. He believes learners should be pulled into English study rather than pushed. He has published 17 books and made over 200 presentations at academic conferences on these and other specialties, including adult education, English writing instruction, motivation, theories of learning, and storytelling. He has also hosted weekly television and radio shows in Japan.

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