Greetings from the Coordinator: Eric Skier

Hello everyone,

I hope that 2008 has been kind to you. It has been a year of growth for me, and I feel the same applies to our SIG. In November, a number of us met at the JALT National Conference in Tokyo and, as always, it was great to reconnect. The LLL SIG’s presence at this conference was apparent in a number of ways, primarily with our featured speaker, Ms. Neela Griffiths, whom we co-sponsored with the GALE SIG. In a truly inspiring presentation, she discussed the benefits of language learning for one particular group of non-traditional students, Cambodian “Beer Girls.” I hope that we will have the opportunity to collaborate with other SIGs and chapters again in the future.

Second, I am proud to announce that we donated 50,000 yen to help sponsor the Asian Youth Forum (AYF) at this year’s JALT National Conference. Kip Cates, coordinator of the GALE SIG, was the AYF organizer and, when he needed help with finances, a number of SIGs, chapters, and individuals within JALT stepped forward to help.

In 2009, we will be involved with the Pan-SIG conference to be held in Chiba in May and will be active at next year’s JALT National Conference that will be held in late November in Shizuoka. If you are interested in becoming more involved in the SIG, why not step forward in 2009?

Eric
LLL SIG Coordinator