Yokohama Chapter

(Read the archived description for the Yokohama Chapter)

Yokohama Chapter Events in 2007

Events archive by year:
2007; 2006 [11]; 2005 [10]; 2004 [11]; 2003 [9]; 2002 [10]; 2001 [8];

Sunday, January 14th, 2007

Word Associations and Vocabulary Development through tasks

Speaker: Philip Shigeo Brown
Time: 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM (Sun., January 14th, 2007)
Fee (JALT members): free
Fee (One-Day members): 1,000 yen
Prefecture: Kanagawa
City: Yokohama
Venue: Shakai fukushi kaikan, 10 minutes walk from Yokohama station West (Nishi) Exit. See map at http://www.progress.co.jp/members/jinsyakyo/common/map/map-kaikan.html
Description: How do we learn new words? What connections do we make between words? How can we use our knowledge of the mental lexicon to further our learners�flexical development?

This workshop, based on classroom research, leads through a series of tasks to examine word associations, exchange teaching ideas, and consider how to encourage students to explore their own lexical development, better understand relationships between words, and further empower themselves with regards to learning and teaching vocabulary.

We will aim to achieve four things:

1)deepen our knowledge and understanding of word associations and the mental lexicon;

2)discuss pedagogical implications for teaching and learning vocabulary, including fostering learner autonomy and implementing vocabulary learning strategies;

3)share classroom experiences, and bridge the gap between theory and practice, linking research, teaching and learning; and

4)practice learning by doing.

Mini- bio: Brown is in his fifth year in Japan teaching English conversation to children and adults, as well as ESP. He has taught part-time at university and had three years experience as a teacher trainer. Brown is a member of JALT, ETJ, Korea TESOL, Asia TEFL, and the ELT Research Support Group and is currently undertaking an MA TEFL/TESL at the University of Birmingham.

Sunday, February 18th, 2007

Discourse, Teaching and Video Journals

Speaker: Colin Skeates
Time: 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM (Sun., February 18th, 2007)
Fee (JALT members): free
Fee (One-Day members): 1,000 yen
Prefecture: Kanagawa
City: Yokohama
Venue: Ginou Bunka Kaikan (Skills & Culture Center) near JR Kannai & Yokohama Subway Isezakichojamachi [See yojalt.bravehost.com for details & a map]
Description: If I were to begin this presentation description with keywords, they would be video, discourse, classroom application and unresolved questions. The presentation will begin with a look at what we use video-cameras for. Next, with participation from willing audience members, we shall video record conversations and see what is so great about using a video camera as an observation tool. The newly created footage will then in turn be used as a backdrop to investigate some aspects of spoken discourse. Before the break, a summary of the first half will be provided.

Part two begins with a focus on classroom application of video recording. A quick review of current usage of video recording in language teaching precedes a case study of how video-journaling has been used at one university. The seminar concludes with questions to the audience and reflections on video-journaling and video.

Colin Skeates (Seisen University) is in the final stage of his MA TEFL/TESL from Birmingham University. With a degree in market research, he has 10 years experience teaching EFL, Marketing, and Professional Development courses in various countries including Thailand, Canada and Japan. He is interested in studying languages, applications of technology in language learning, and teacher education. He can be reached at colin.skeates@gmail.com.

Sunday, March 11th, 2007

Imparting Language Skills and Critical Thinking Habits through Teaching Academic Writing

Speaker: Ron Thornton
Time: 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM (Sun., March 11th, 2007)
Fee (JALT members): free
Fee (One-Day members): 1,000 yen
Prefecture: Kanagawa
City: Yokohama
Venue: Ginou Bunka Kaikan (Skills & Culture Center) near JR Kannai & Yokohama Subway Isezakichojamachi [See yojalt.bravehost.com for details & a map]
Description: Exploiting a certain success in developing academic writing and critical thinking skills in college English writing-speaking classes, this workshop presentation will challenge participants to formulate and critically defend ways of romanizing Japanese and/or hypothesizing on the historical origins of the Japanese language and then to critique their experience. It will be argued that this method affords maximum classroom exposure to the target language and achieves measurable results in a range of language skills.

Sunday, April 8th, 2007

Teaching Micro-Skills for the TOEFL iBT Speaking Tasks and Integrated Writing Task

Speaker: Terry Yearley
Time: 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM (Sun., April 8th, 2007)
Fee (JALT members): free
Fee (One-Day members): 1,000 yen
Prefecture: Kanagawa
City: Yokohama
Venue: Ginou Bunka Kaikan (Skills & Culture Center) near JR Kannai & Yokohama Subway Isezakichojamachi [See yojalt.bravehost.com for details & a map]
Description: Many Japanese students take the TOEFL test each year with the aim of studying, either at universities abroad, or at universities offering English programs such as Sophia and Waseda. The objective of this workshop is to share ideas on how best to prepare students for the TOEFL iBT. Yearley will introduce some of the micro-skills, such as skim reading, scanning, and note-taking, that will help students not only with the TOEFL test, but also with future academic study. Yearley believes that the primary goal of TOEFL iBT test preparation is for students to learn the necessary skills for academic study in the medium of English, and that the iBT itself is a secondary goal. He is therefore concerned with how to best help students achieve both these goals. Thus the workshop will not only be helpful for teachers of the TOEFL test, but also offer hands on ideas to take back to high-school and university classrooms.

Mini-Bio: Terry Yearley has been teaching EFL in Tokyo for 5 years. He has been teaching TOEFL preparation skills at schools in Tokyo for 3 years.

Sunday, May 13th, 2007

Brazilian or Japanese: choosing the best education

Speaker: Toshiko Sugino (National Defense Academy)
Time: 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM (Sun., May 13th, 2007)
Fee (JALT members): free
Fee (One-Day members): 1,000 yen
Prefecture: Kanagawa
City: Yokohama
Venue: Ginou Bunka Kaikan (Skills & Culture Center) near JR Kannai & Yokohama Subway Isezakichojamachi [See yojalt.bravehost.com for details & a map]
Description: According to a 2004 Immigration Control Office survey, Nikkei-Brazilians account for nearly 300,000 of the 2 million registered foreign nationals in Japan. Why do some Nikkei-Brazilian parents choose Portuguese-mediated Brazilian schools over Japanese public schools for their children�fs education? Are there issues of identity shift and identity crisis involved? Sugino will share her investigation of factors that affect these children�fs language learning from historical, socio-political, and socio-economic perspectives.

Sunday, June 10th, 2007

Dynamite Debates: A Case Study

Speaker: Tom Anderson
Time: 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM (Sun., June 10th, 2007)
Fee (JALT members): free
Fee (One-Day members): 1000 yen; students 500 yen
Prefecture: Kanagawa
City: Yokohama
Venue: Ginou Bunka Kaikan (Skills & Culture Center) near JR Kannai & Yokohama Subway Isezakichojamachi [See yojalt.bravehost.com for details & a map]
Description: Every autumn, Anderson teaches a debate class in an interdepartmental program at a large private university. In this presentation, he will discuss ways in which he has made this class a workshop learning environment. We will look at team formation, learning contracts and team member roles, preparation including learning about debate elements, the debate itself, and evaluation. He will also present student feedback and examine how debate could be adapted for lower level students. Audience discussion and questions will be warmly appreciated.

Tom Anderson has taught English in Japan for over twenty years. He currently teaches at Aoyama Gakuin University and Tokai University.

Sunday, July 8th, 2007

Teaching Yoga to Children through English

Speaker: Elizabeth Knight
Time: 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM (Sun., July 8th, 2007)
Fee (JALT members): free
Fee (One-Day members): 1,000 yen
Prefecture: Kanagawa
City: Yokohama
Venue: Ginou Bunka Kaikan (Skills & Culture Center) near JR Kannai & Yokohama Subway Isezakichojamachi [See yojalt.bravehost.com for details & a map]
Description: This workshop begins with a 75 minute Yoga class. Following the lesson, there will be a discussion on how Yoga can be used as a supplement to your regular lessons or as an extra activity for your students to participate in after school. Knight will introduce some games the students can do without them even knowing they are doing yoga. In the US, more and more schools are introducing Yoga. Why? For one, this helps put students in a calmer �gmode�h. It also helps students focus more in the classroom. The poses students do in Yoga are stretches that work the inner body organs, build a stronger mind through shoulder stands, bridges, etc. This is not a skill that demands strength or follows the lines of competition, but allows students to get know themselves and at the same time have fun. Yoga has been increasingly featured in the media, but geared towards adults who are looking for a healthier life. Children also need a healthier environment to grow up in. Why not start now?

Please bring the following:

�� A long bath towel

�� Comfortable clothing: sweats, loose fitting

�� Water

�� A positive mind (-)

Mini-bio: Knight has been working for the Yokohama Board of Education for the past 10 years as a Foreign Consultant. She is in charge of all junior and 11 senior high schools teaching English, working closely with JTEs as well as with AETs.

She has been doing Yoga in Japan for over a year. During this time, she took a one month intensive teacher�fs training course in the area of Hatha Yoga, Sivananda. Although the yoga training focused on adults, she also learned how to teach students from toddlers to high school age, including in school situations, since yoga is expanding in the school system in the west. Knight is certified in teaching Yoga to people of all ages.

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