Gunma Chapter

(Read the archived description for the Gunma Chapter)

Gunma Chapter Events in 2007

Events archive by year:
2008 [10]; 2007; 2006 [10]; 2005 [8]; 2004 [11]; 2003 [10]; 2002 [9]; 2001 [11];

Sunday, January 28th, 2007

The New TOEIC (r): Understanding and Overcoming the Challenges

Speaker: Grant Trew
Time: 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM (Sun., January 28th, 2007)
Fee (JALT members): free
Fee (One-Day members): free
Prefecture: Gunma
City: Maebashi
Venue: MIT: Maebashi Institute of Technology (Maebashi Koka Daigaku), 460-1 Kamisadori, Maebashi
Description: The TOEIC (r) is the primary tool for assessing English proficiency in Japan and a good score has become a common prerequisite for job and academic placement and advancement. Because of its importance, TOEIC (r) test preparation courses have become a standard part of both College/University and private language teaching curriculums.

This workshop aims to clarify the changes to the test, highlight the impact and implications and for both test takers and teachers and present some approaches to overcoming the problems Japanese learners are likely to face.

During this workshop the presenter will give examples of the new format and use interactive tasks to highlight some of the key challenges test takers will face. Participants will then be introduced to activities that can used to prepare students to improve their scores.

It is intended that participants will leave the workshop with a better understanding of the changes and how these are likely to affect their students and programs, and also with a stock of techniques to better deal with these changes.

Grant Trew, an expert in testing and a long-time instructor of exam technique, has recently authored the Official Oxford University Press Japan Teacher's Guide to the TOEIC (r) Test. All participants will receive a free copy during the presentation written in the language of their choice.

Sunday, February 18th, 2007

Structured Training of Leadership for Cooperative-based Learning Groups

Speaker: Jeff Contreras, Gunma University
Time: 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM (Sun., February 18th, 2007)
Fee (JALT members): free
Fee (One-Day members): 1,000 yen
Prefecture: Gunma
City: Maebashi
Venue: Gunma University, Aramaki Campus, Bldg. GC, Rm. LL123, 4-2 Aramaki-cho, Maebashi
Description: Cooperative Learning has become a common teaching approach for English Language instruction for students in Japan. However, many teachers are finding difficulties in developing effective and productive cooperative learning groups. This presentation is designed to help language teachers to 1) structure cooperative learning groups, 2) identify and structure the training of the appropriate leadership roles and 3) learn how to effectively train group leadership.

Sunday, April 22nd, 2007

Stories to Heal the World

Speaker: Charles Kowalski
Time: 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM (Sun., April 22nd, 2007)
Fee (JALT members): free
Fee (One-Day members): 1,000 yen
Prefecture: Gunma
City: Maebashi
Venue: Maebashi Kyoai Gakuen College, 1154-4 Koyahara-machi, Maebashi, Gunma (tel: 027-266-7575)
Description: This workshop will explore storytelling as a tool both for language learning and for bringing peace to the world. Participants will have the chance to develop their natural storytelling talent, through voice, gesture, and image exercises, and to hear and tell stories on the theme of a peaceful and healthy planet.

Sunday, May 27th, 2007

More Community and Motivation through Coloring

Speaker: Miori Shimada
Time: 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM (Sun., May 27th, 2007)
Fee (JALT members): free
Fee (One-Day members): 1,000 yen
Prefecture: Gunma
City: Maebashi
Venue: Maebashi Kyoai Gakuen College, 1154-4 Koyahara-machi, Maebashi, Gunma (tel: 027-266-7575)
Description: The presenter will discuss and demonstrate activities to strengthen the community of a small group of low-level students and enhance their motivation based on their reading textbook of English anecdotes. The main activities consist of coloring the monochrome illustration of each story at the end of the class and exchanging impressions of these pictures colored by students.

Sunday, June 24th, 2007

Teaching Liaison (Blends) to Enhance Listening Skills/Responsive Skills

Speaker: Asha Van Nimmen
Time: 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM (Sun., June 24th, 2007)
Fee (JALT members): free
Fee (One-Day members): 1,000 yen
Prefecture: Gunma
City: Maebashi
Venue: MIT: Maebashi Institute of Technology (Maebashi Koka Daigaku), 460-1 Kamisadori, Maebashi
Description: By teaching liaison and blending sounds, students are able to understand and process more naturally spoken Englishes. I will discuss ways to teach these skills, ways students can practice, and provide example sentences. I have been analyzing data from classes and private students and developing this method for six years.

Sunday, July 22nd, 2007

Multimedia Showcase in the Age of Web 2.0

Speaker: Hideto D. Harashima
Time: 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM (Sun., July 22nd, 2007)
Fee (JALT members): free
Fee (One-Day members): 1,000 yen
Prefecture: Gunma
City: Maebashi
Venue: MIT: Maebashi Institute of Technology (Maebashi Koka Daigaku), 460-1 Kamisadori, Maebashi
Description: This presentation introduces a variety of multimedia tools/services that realize the concept of Web 2.0. After briefly introducing Web 2.0, the presenter will show how we can enhance language teaching/learning by using cutting edge technologies such as Text-to-Speech conversion, Podcasting, Blog, Internet Radio, Skypecast, YackPack, YouTube, Google, and more.

Saturday, August 25th, 2007

19th JALT-Gunma Summer Workshop at Kusatsu, Day 1

Speaker: Main Lecturer: Alister Cumming, OISE/University of Toronto
Time: 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM (Sat., August 25th, 2007)
Fee (JALT members): 9000 yen including room and board (2 days)
Fee (One-Day members): 9000 yen including room and board (2 days)
Prefecture: Gunma
City: Kusatsu
Venue: Kusatsu Seminar House, 737 Kusatsu, Kusatsu-machi, Guma-ken (venue tel: 0279-88-2212, fax 0279-88-8030)
Description: The workshop is a two-day event of August 25-26, and this is Day 1.

Theme: Writing in English as an L2.

11:00-12:00 Check-in, 12:00-13:00 Lunch, 13:00-13:20 Orientation, 13:30-14:00 Presentation, 14:00-14:30 Presentation, 14:30-15:00 Presentation, 15:30-17:00 Lecture (1), Dr. Cumming, 19:00-21:00 Dinner and Party.

For registration, contact Morijiro Shibayama ��mshibaya@jcom.home.ne.jp��, Tel/Fax 027-263-8522. Your application will be accepted on a first-come-first served basis (max 40).

Sunday, August 26th, 2007

19th JALT-Gunma Summer Workshop at Kusatsu, Day 2

Speaker: Main Lecturer; Alister Cumming, OISE/University of Toronto: Invited Speaker; Razika Sanaoui, University of Toronto
Time: 7:00 AM - 2:00 PM (Sun., August 26th, 2007)
Fee (JALT members): 9000 yen including room and board (2 days)
Fee (One-Day members): 9000 yen including room and board (2 days)
Prefecture: Gunma
City: Kusatsu
Venue: Kusatsu Seminar House, 737 Kusatsu, Kusatsu-machi, Guma-ken (venue tel: 0279-88-2212, fax 0279-88-8030)
Description: The workshop is a two-day event of August 25-26, and this is Day 2.

Theme: Writing in English as an L2.

7:00-8:00 Breakfast, 8:40-10:10 Speech, Dr. Sanaoui, 10:30-12:00 Lecture (2), Dr. Cumming, 12:00-13:00 Lunch, 13:00-13:30 Presentation, 13:30-14:00 Closing & Farewell.

For registration, contact Morijiro Shibayama ��mshibaya@jcom.home.ne.jp��, Tel/Fax 027-263-8522. Your application will be accepted on a first-come-first-served basis (max 40).

Sunday, September 30th, 2007

Students as Editors: Using Online Concordancers

Speaker: Stephen Jennings
Time: 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM (Sun., September 30th, 2007)
Fee (JALT members): free
Fee (One-Day members): 1,000 yen
Prefecture: Gunma
City: Maebashi
Venue: Maebashi Kyoai Gakuen College, 1154-4 Koyahara-machi, Maebashi, Gunma (tel: 027-266-7575)
Description: This workshop will show how students are able to edit their written work after some language awareness activities and online concordance familiarity. Workshop participants will take part in the following steps. 1. Awareness of collocations (using an animated cartoon story); 2. Online corpus familiarization (using the online Collins Concordance Sampler); 3. Discussion of samples of students�f written work and feedback to be given; 5. Editing written work by using online concordance; 6. General discussion.

Sunday, October 14th, 2007

Sign Language in the Language-teaching Classroom

Speaker: Martin Pauly
Time: 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM (Sun., October 14th, 2007)
Fee (JALT members): free
Fee (One-Day members): 1,000 yen
Prefecture: Gunma
City: Maebashi
Venue: MIT: Maebashi Institute of Technology (Maebashi Koka Daigaku), 460-1 Kamisadori, Maebashi
Description: Deaf and hard-of-hearing students are entering mainstream schools and mainstream society. A knowledge of Sign Language may aid teachers and hearing students in communicating with, and creating a more friendly environment for, these students. I am not a specialist in Deaf Education, nor an expert at Sign Language, but I am hoping to introduce the audience to different languages (i.e., ASL and JSL/NS (American Sign Language and Japanese Sign Language/Nihon Shuwa) and a different culture (i.e., Deaf Culture). I will demonstrate some strategies for introducing Sign Language into the classroom and show how they are transferable to a classroom of visually-impaired or older students. I will also explain how I use JSL/NS to introduce ASL and how I have incorporated Sign Language into normal classroom interaction.

Sunday, November 11th, 2007

Teaching International Relations through English: Can It Be Done?

Speaker: Leo Yoffe, Lecturer, Waseda University
Time: 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM (Sun., November 11th, 2007)
Fee (JALT members): free
Fee (One-Day members): 1,000 yen
Prefecture: Gunma
City: Maebashi
Venue: Maebashi Kyoai Gakuen College, 1154-4 Koyahara-machi, Maebashi, Gunma (tel: 027-266-7575)
Description: The presentation will explore the challenges of teaching international relations, and content more broadly, in the Japanese EFL environment. The speaker will discuss his experience of teaching a course on Canada-Japan diplomatic relations and how content-based instruction can contribute to developing students' language and critical thinking.

Leo Yoffe has taught EFL in Japan for 15 years. He also worked as a diplomat at the Embassy of Canada in Tokyo. Currently he is a full-time lecturer at the School of Commerce of Waseda University.

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