AIS stands for Akita Interpreting Service. It is the name of a group in Akita interested in learning and improving interpretation skills (between English and Japanese). Naoto Sato in Noshiro heads the group. Mr. Sato is an excellent interpreter.
AIS Interpreting training session started in the summer of 2000. At the beginning it was called "WG" or "World Games" group, not "AIS" group. The participants attended the session to prepare for interpreting for the Akita World Games, which was held in the summer of 2001. After the World Games, we renamed the WG group into AIS group because we wanted to continue to brush up our skill even after the Akita World Games.
We hold a meeting on the first Sunday of every month. There are two sessions on the day -- morning session (10:00AM to noon) and afternoon session (1:00PM to 3:00PM). The venue is Joinus, which is right in front of Senshu Park in Akita City. Joinus in Akita City
AIS interpreting training session
Picture Album: 22
the schedule for the comming months in 2012:
March meeting on March 4th, the first Sunday
April meeting on April 1st, the first Sunday
May meeting on May 13th, the second Sunday.
Mark your calendar, please.
Upcoming!
Sunday, February 5th, 2011
Morning session:
Afternoon session:
Guest Speaker: Steve Shucart
Topic: Belize: History, Food, and Culture
where: Joinus in Akita City Joinus
room: kenshushitsu #6 (3F)
time: 10:00AM - 12:00PM (morning session) 1:00PM - 3:00PM (afternoon session)
Sunday, January 15th, 2011
Morning session:
1) current English words often used in December 2011
2) shadowing: Learning Revolution
3) translation from Japanese to English using a movie "Being there"
3 people attended.
Afternoon session:
Guest Speaker: Peter Legg
Topic: We need to put more emphasis on teaching how to learn.
After almost 13 years of teaching English as a Foreign Language in Akita, to
all manner of class sizes, ages, professions, backgrounds, and proficiency
levels, both inside and outside the public education system, the ongoing
challenge for me continues to be finding the best way to help students learn
the language. I keep coming back to the obvious: teaching methodologies
aside, those who learn better are the ones who know how to learn. Knowing
'how' to learn is often ignored (as though it were obvious) - but it's
about as obvious as knowing how to teach (not obvious at all!). I want to
talk today about the language teaching/learning process and some of the
external factors which influence this, especially in Japan.
8 people attended.
Sunday, December 11th, 2011
Morning session:
1) current English words often used in November 2011
2) shadowing: Learning Revolution
3) translation from Japanese to English using a movie "Guess who's coming to dinner"
4 people attended.
Afternoon session:
Guest Speaker: Jennifer Ichikawa
Topic: THE INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN'S BUNKO ASSOCIATION (ICBA)
A great opportunity to explain about the INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN'S BUNKO ASSOCIATION (ICBA) to a very wonderfully adept audience who then translated my talk into Japanese with much aplomb!
I was cordially met by Mr. Takeshi Suzuki who helped with parking and then the meeting began.
I explained the general aim of ICBA, which was founded by Mrs. Opal Dunn, first in Tokyo as Dan Dan Bunko in 1977. Later in UK in 1983.
Mrs. Dunn first came to Japan in 1971 accompanying her husband who was with the British Embassy, British Council. A remarkable lady, an expert in her field of children's language education and an author of childrenfs books. Now at the wonderful age of 82 she visits Japan regularly. Mrs. Dunn was awarded the 'Order of the Rising Sun' from the Emperor in 2009. Mrs. Dunn has also received awards for her work from the Ministry of Education, Japan.
ICBA is a NGO/NPO voluntary run mini library for bi-lingual, bi-cultural or multi-cultural children. They are not Juku.
ICBA is staffed by volunteers, many of whom are mothers. Foreign language Bunko in Japan also include Native Speaker volunteers.
Now, in Japan, ICBA exist in English, French, German and Korean.
Now, there are 16 Bunko alone in UK and ICBA now exists in France, Germany, Australia, Brazil, Italy and America and still growing.
I explained how Shonan Echo Bunko in Kamakura helped me and my children adjust to life in Japan by supporting our cultural background. Bunko is still with me and that is why I started the ICBA in Akita three years ago.
I hope that the numbers of children with international background will join ICBA wherever they are. For further information please contact: akitawaves@cap.ocn.ne.jp
Thank you all for a very enjoyable Sunday afternoon and Compliments of the Season to you all.
7 people attended.
Sunday, November 13th, 2011
The meeting is canceled and will be postponed to December meeting.
Sunday, October 2nd, 2011
Morning session:
1) current English words often used in September 2011
2) shadowing: Learning Revolution
3) translation from Japanese to English using a movie "Guess who's coming to dinner"
4 people attended.
Afternoon session:
Guest Speaker: Stephanie Assmann
Topic: History and Democracy in Germany
Taking present Germany as an example, this presentation traces the meaning and characteristics of democracy.
Starting from the Greek origin of the term 'democracy' which means 'rule of the people', I will first explain main
characteristics of a democracy such as political elections, the separation of power and the legal protection of human
and civil rights before I outline the development of democracy in the history of Germany between 1919 and today.
Germany is an example for the vulnerability and fragility of democracy. The first attempt to establish a democracy
in the Weimar Republic (1919-1933) did not succeed and ultimately led to the destruction of democracy by the Nazi
terror regime between 1933 and 1945, the Second World War and the Holocaust, the unprecedented persecution and
mass murder of Jews in Europe.
After the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945, the four allied powers Russia, France, Great Britain and the United States
of America separated Germany into four sectors which led to the formation of two German states, the Federal Republic
of Germany - a parliamentarian democracy - and the German Democratic Republic - a socialist state under political
leadership of the Soviet Union.
Divided Germany with different interpretations of democracy became a symbol of the Cold War which culminated in
the building of the Berlin Wall separating West Berlin - part of the Federal Republic of Germany - from East Berlin,
the capital of the German Democratic Republic. This presentation concludes with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989
which marked the beginning of democracy in a reunified Germany, a country firmly committed to membership in
the European Union.
5 people attended.
Sunday, September 4th, 2011
Morning session:
1) current English words often used in August 2011
2) shadowing: Learning Revolution
3) translation from Japanese to English using a movie "Guess who's coming to dinner"
6 people attended.
Afternoon session:
Guest Speaker: Adrian Paterson
Topic: Vocabulary acquisition
8 people attended.
Sunday, August 21st, 2011
Morning session:
1) current English words often used in July 2011
2) shadowing: Learning Revolution
3) translation from Japanese to English using a movie "Guess who's coming to dinner"
5 people attended.
Afternoon session:
Guest Speaker: Peter Legg
Topic: The 'Black Swan'
The 'Black Swan' - any event which is unforseen, but which has a very large impact on the course of our lives or on the course
of history. It's important because analysts in most fields tend to attempt long term projections based on historical trends or relatively
obvious indicators, without consideration for the big, unexpected events which tend to turn our expectations on their heads. Our problem
is not that we do not learn from the past, but that we learn the wrong lessons!
7 people attended.
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