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AKITA JALT meetings in 2017

December see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Dr. Malcolm Sim, AIU Date: Saturday, December 9th Title: Investigating Learner Agency: An Example from AIU Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Join-us Room: Floor 3, Room 5 *Join-us is the building next to the Akita Kenmin-kaikan 秋田県民会館 in front of the Senshu Park. Map: http://www.akisouko.com/joy/access.html Fee: JALT Members and students - Free; Non-members - 500 yen Abstract: This presentation describes a pilot research project that involved the controlled introduction of volunteer international students into an EAP speaking and listening class in an overall attempt to (a) gauge the academic and communicative benefits for the Japanese students involved, (b) assess the experience from the perspective of the international students, and (c) investigate the potential for such an effort to be expanded program-wide.The pilot study, held at Akita International University with a single group of EAP students, took place within an existing speaking and listening program. The findings from the pilot suggest that the introduction of international students to a preparatory EAP program can provide a range of benefits to Japanese students seeking to enter EMI environments. Despite reporting levels of anxiety in the high to extreme ranges, none of the Japanese participants expressed a desire to leave the pilot program or end it prematurely. In fact, the opposite was observed with individuals universally expressing a desire to move forward. In addition, the volunteer international students also commented positively on their experience in the program. The study produced five key findings from the target group: a) raised intention to use English more outside the classroom, b) lessening of anxiety around pronunciation and mistake-making, c) strengthening of individual resolve to not allow their fears to dominate their progress, d) increased self-belief in their ability and heightened motivation to take further steps to work independently, and e) reduced negative sentiment towards international students.The presentation will conclude with a brief outline of more recent efforts in EAP at AIU that have involved the first full introduction of the Integrated Discussion program into the entire EAP Speaking and Listening syllabus. Presenter Information: Dr. Malcolm Sim is currently an Assistant Professor in the faculty of international liberal arts at Akita International University (AIU), Japan. Since arriving at AIU in early 2014 he has taught on a range of subjects in the English for Academic Purposes (EAP) program (Advanced Speaking & Listening/EAP106, Advanced Research Writing/ENG150, Global Issue Analysis & Discussion/ENG103, and Professional Digital Communication/ENG171) and is currently teaching Introduction to English Studies/ENG120, Speech Communication-Social Pragmatics/ENG102, and Cross-cultural Pragmatics Seminar (COM220). Dr. Sim has been involved in language education for over 19 years and has worked both in Australia (6 years) and Japan (13 years); the majority of this time employed at the university level. His interests lie in applied linguistics and psychology and how they interact in TESOL contexts. In the years ahead, besides maintaining his strong interest in TESOL, Dr. Sim plans to continue teaching and developing a selection of skills and content-based courses that will deliver applied instruction to a diverse range of students studying in an EMI environment here in Japan. As someone involved in education, Dr. Sim believes helping others on the path to achieving their full potential is truly the ultimate reward.

upcoming October see the meeting pictures Guest speakers: Dr. Yo Hamada, Akita University Date: Saturday, October 21st Title: Teaching EFL leaners shadowing for listening Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Akita International University Room: D101 (in the D Lecture Building) Access Information: http://web.aiu.ac.jp/en/campusmap http://web.aiu.ac.jp/access (in Japanese) http://web.aiu.ac.jp/en/access (in English) Fee: JALT Members and students - Free; Non-members - 500 yen Abstract: In the workshop, the main points of shadowing for EFL learners are summarized. There are five topics; (1) What is shadowing?; (2) General effectiveness of shadowing; (3) Shadowing for more effective use; (4) More on shadowing; (5) Limitations of past studies and future direction. Based on each topic, the presenter will summarize the main points, and also interact with the audience, involving discussion occasionally. Presenter: Dr. Yo Hamada is an associate professor at Akita University. He holds a Master's degree in TESOL from Temple University and a doctoral degree in Education from Hiroshima University. He has been researching shadowing and recently has published a book, titled Teaching EFL Learners Shadowing for Listening: Developing learners' bottom-up skills, from Loutledge (2016).

September see the meeting pictures Guest speakers: Yuichi Tagane and Naeko Naganuma, AIU Date: Saturday, September 23rd Title: Student-generated Methodologies to End Academic Dishonesty in Extensive Reading Programs Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Join-us Room: Floor 3, Room 7 *Join-us is the building next to the Akita Kenmin-kaikan 秋田県民会館 in front of the Senshu Park. Map: http://www.akisouko.com/joy/access.html Fee: JALT Members and students - Free; Non-members - 500 yen Presenters: Yuichi Tagane is a lecturer of the English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Program at Akita International University in Japan, specializing in Second or Foreign Language Teaching Methods, Corpus Linguistics, and Applied Linguistics.​ Naeko Naganuma is an assistant professor in the English for Academic Purposes program at Akita International University. Her research interests lie in use of technology in classrooms, flipped teaching and learning, reading and vocabulary instruction, and Pragmatics. Abstract: In this presentation, the presenters will demonstrate how Extensive Reading (ER) has gained popularity in English language classrooms and share methods to discourage potential problems which may arise when implementing ER programs. In recent years, ER has become an accepted methodology in increasing student reading fluency. However, there are issues that teachers face when implementing an ER program. The present study, completed at a small English medium university in Japan, addressed a key problem in ER program implementation: student academic dishonesty. The presenters will detail different types of academic dishonesty identified through student interviews and teacher experience. In addition, practical methodologies that are useful in countering academic dishonesty will be elaborated.

July see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Dr. Erin Mikulec, the School of Teaching and Learning at Illinois State University, USA Date: Saturday, July 22nd Title: Cartoon Creations: Facilitating Creative Language in the English Classroom. Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Yugakusha (in the ohiroma) Access information: http://www2.akita-kenmin.jp/~yugakusha/04riyou.html Fee: JALT Members and students - Free; Non-members - 500 yen Abstract: In this interactive workshop, participants will engage in an activity where they will use cartoons to create short scenarios. Participants will be guided through the process, which will develop in four stages and supports creative language use and expression through speech and movement. Participants will perform their final scenarios for the group. Creativity and a good sense of humor will be encouraged. About the Speaker: Dr. Erin Mikulec is an Associate Professor in the School of Teaching and Learning at Illinois State University in Normal, IL, USA. Dr. Mikulec received her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in second language acquisition, foreign language education, and TESOL from Purdue University. Her research interests include teacher education, international education, and second language studies. Dr. Mikulec has taught foreign language at the secondary and university levels. While completing her master’s degree with Middlebury College in Spain, she taught English at a local elementary school. She has also given workshops in English language and English language teaching to groups on campus from Germany, Thailand, and Panama. Dr. Mikulec served as the Interim Director of the English Language Institute at Illinois State University in 2016. In spring 2014, Dr. Mikulec was a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Helsinki in Finland, where she studied teacher education and taught English at schools throughout the area. She serves as director-at-large for the International Society for Language Studies, where she also serves as conference co-chair and co-editor for the Readings in Language Studies book series. Dr. Mikulec is currently serving as a Visiting Professor at Akita International University.

June see the meeting pictures Guest speaker:Prof. Naoko Taguchi Modern Languages Department, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, U.S.A. Date: Saturday, June 24th Title: Globalization and second language pragmatics research: A perspective from intercultural competence Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Yugakusha (in the ohiroma) Access information: http://www2.akita-kenmin.jp/~yugakusha/04riyou.html Fee: JALT Members and students - Free; Non-members - 500 yen Abstract: Globalization has brought about a transformation in traditional practices of second language (L2) pragmatics research, most notably in the areas of lingua franca communication, bilingual/multilingual pragmatics, and intercultural competence (Taguchi & Roever, 2017). These areas represent the current globalization trends in a larger field of Applied Linguistics, and concurrently their impact has started to be revealed in L2 pragmatics research. This presentation focuses on the area of intercultural competence and its influence in L2 pragmatics. With globalization, the goal of language learning has shifted from approximating native speaker norms to becoming an intercultural speaker who is sensitive to other cultures and aware of his/her own cultural position to mediate across linguistic and cultural boundaries (Byram, 2012; Wilkinson, 2012). In this presentation, I will first discuss definitions, theoretical models, and key characteristics of intercultural competence. Then, I will propose a relationship between intercultural competence and pragmatic competence by drawing on the common construct of adaptability. This relationship will be illustrated in my most recent study (Taguchi, Xiao, & Li, 2016), which examined the contribution of intercultural competence and social contact to the development of pragmatic knowledge among American students studying Chinese in a study abroad program in Beijing. I will conclude my presentations with directions for future research.

April see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Prof. Cherie Brown, English for Academic Purposes Program, Akita International University Date: Saturday, April 22nd, 2017 Title: Modifying Textbooks to Maximise Vocabulary Acquisition Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Join-us Room: Floor 3, Room 7 *Join-us is the building next to the Akita Kenmin-kaikan 秋田県民会館 in front of the Senshu Park. Map: http://www.akisouko.com/joy/access.html Fee: JALT Members and students - Free; Non-members - 500 yen Abstract: The presentation describes the findings of a textbook analysis study undertaken by the presenter and a colleague at AIU, which was subsequently presented at the Vocab@Vic conference, and then published in "Vocabulary Learning and Instruction". The presenter will outline key findings of the research and will describe the subsequent impact these had on practical aspects of vocabulary teaching/learning in the AIU EAP classroom. Ways of modifying reading texts and vocabulary tasks contained in commercial (or required) textbooks, to enable 'deep processing' of vocabulary and to improve acquisition potential, will be described. Results of a follow-up study in which these modifications were employed showed that there was a statistically significant gain in the GSL high-frequency vocabulary knowledge of the students in the experimental group. Practical applications to other learning contexts will be suggested, and participants will engage in activities they can adapt for use in their own classrooms, with the specific goal being to improve learners' knowledge of high-frequency English general and/or academic vocabulary. Opportunities for participants to develop greater understanding of current vocabulary learning and teaching research and practice will also be discussed.

March see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Dr. Pat Dougherty Date: Saturday, March 25, 2017 Title: The History and Mission of Teachers Helping Teachers Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Join-us Room: Floor 3, Room 6 *Join-us is the building next to the Akita Kenmin-kaikan 秋田県民会館 in front of the Senshu Park. Map: http://www.akisouko.com/joy/access.html Fee: JALT Members and students - Free; Non-members - 500 yen Abstract: Teachers Helping Teachers (THT), a SIG of JALT was founded by members of the Himeji City Chapter of the JALT in 2004. THT fulfills its mission by providing teacher-training workshops that exhibit practical, student and teacher friendly approaches to English education that are informed by current research in the field. Since its inception, THT has given annual teacher development programs in Bangladesh, Laos, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Kyrgyzstan. They have also just begun programs in Maya mar and in Nepal. The presentation will outline the history of Teachers Helping Teachers and explain its current mission and future plans. About the presenter: Dr. Patrick Dougherty is a professor of international liberal arts at Akita International University. He is one of the founding members of Teachers Helping Teachers and helped to run the organization as vice-president, president, and coordinator from 2008 – 2010. Currently, he served THT as the Chair of Publications and as Co-Coordinator for the Bangladesh THT program.

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AKITA JALT meetings in 2016

December see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Mr. James Reid from Akita International University Date: Saturday, December 10th, 2016 Title: Transmedia Teaching Framework: from group projects to curriculum development Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Join-us Room: Floor 3, Room 6 *Join-us is the building next to the Akita Kenmin-kaikan 秋田県民会館 in front of the Senshu Park. Map: http://www.akisouko.com/joy/access.html Fee: JALT Members and students - Free; Non-members - 500 yen This presentation describes the Transmedia Teaching Framework: a social-constructivist approach to education designed to empower learners to be active co-creators of knowledge. The framework is theoretically built on the concepts of Transmedia Storytelling, Participatory culture and Multiple Intelligence Theory. It can be integrated into the Flipped Classroom method, and practically addressed using content based instruction (CBI) and project-based learning (PBL) approaches. I will describe how the framework has been developed and integrated into the EAP Reading curriculum at Akita International University (AIU). I will show examples of the high level work students can produce, outline specific assessment criteria, and demonstrate how students learn from previous cohorts. The Framework is easy to implement and gives the opportunity for technologically-challenged teachers to immediately integrate technology in their modules, develop technological skills by collaborating with their students, and assume the role of content and language expert. About Mr. James Reid: James Reid is a Lecturer at Akita International University in Japan, where he teaches Academic Reading. He holds a BA in History, an MA in Applied Linguistics and is studying for a PhD in Higher Education at Lancaster University. His recent research involves the activation of intrinsic motivation in university settings through the use of student generated storytelling. He has written a number of papers on how emergent Internet-based social affinity spaces can be co-opted for educational purposes – both in terms of student and teacher development.

October see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Mr. Mark deBoer, Akita International University Date: Saturday, October 22nd, 2016 Title: Ecological dynamic assessment - Increasing levels of agency in an online environment Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Join-us Room: Floor 3, Room 6 *Join-us is the building next to the Akita Kenmin-kaikan 秋田県民会館 in front of the Senshu Park. Map: http://www.akisouko.com/joy/access.html Fee: JALT Members and students - Free; Non-members - 500 yen To define the term ecological dynamic assessment (eDA), the presenter will first introduce two dynamic assessment theories (interventionist and interactionist) and discuss them from a Vygotskian point of view. Next, the ecology of the classroom, both online and face-to-face will be discussed with respect to learner agency and appropriation, and how a tools-and-results activity can be used to create a collaborative environment. Online learner dialogue will be shown, revealing instances of collaboration and dynamic assessment using both language and content. Ecological DA brings new possibilities for educators looking to increase levels of agency in an online environment, and also to help learners acquire life skills that they can apply outside the classroom.

September see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Mr. Yuichi Tagane and Ms. Colleen Pritchett, Akita International University Date: Saturday, September 24th, 2016 Title: Developing Learner Autonomy through a Selection of Practical Reading and Writing Activities Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Join-us Room: Floor 3, Room 6 *Join-us is the building next to the Akita Kenmin-kaikan 秋田県民会館 in front of the Senshu Park. Map: http://www.akisouko.com/joy/access.html Fee: JALT Members and students - Free; Non-members - 500 yen Abstract: As students acclimate to university life, they often are encouraged by teachers to take their education into their own hands by becoming responsible for their own learning, what teachers refer to as 'being an autonomous learner.' While most teachers try to balance stick-and-carrot motivation, from the student perspective it usually boils down to either having more tasks to complete for explicit credit (viewed as a stick) or to the broad, and most likely ignored, realm of 'self-study' (a dangling carrot). Both can pose a problem because students may not see the carrot in the 'self-study' tasks and may resent the stick used in credit-based assignments, lamenting as just having more work. Mr. Tagane and Ms. Pritchett are therefore interested in ways to blend such motivation to successfully grow autonomous learners that more readily take personal responsibility inside and outside of the classroom for their own English improvement. In this joint presentation, 'autonomy' is approached from the perspective of student initiative and volition and the discussion is on a selection of practical activities for the classroom. Mr. Tagane will examine the benefits of using M-reader, an online quiz system for Extensive Reading (ER) program for both teachers and students, and Ms. Pritchett will lead a dialogue on autonomy and collaboration in writing.

July see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Alex Pinar, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of International Liberal Arts, Akita International University Date: Saturday, July 23rd, 2016 Title: "The Use of Biographical-Narrative in Language Teaching." Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Yugakusha (the Japanese style room) Access information: http://www2.akita-kenmin.jp/~yugakusha/04riyou.html Fee: JALT Members and students - Free; Non-members - 500 yen Abstract: This presentation describes biographical-narrative research and proposes different methodological suggestions for its use in applied linguistics. This kind of qualitative research, also named narrative inquiry, is a methodology that is used with the aim of understanding different phenomena from individual experiences. By using narrative research it is possible to study aspects such as second language acquisition processes, cultural awareness, and intercultural sensitivity development, from the students’ perspective. The biographical-narrative research encompasses different approaches and modes of data collection, such as dairies and linguistic life stories. This presentation focus on linguistic life stories and describes how to use and analyze them in second language acquisition research. It is divided into three parts. First, there is a brief presentation of biographical-narrative research methodology and its objectives. Second, it describes the different means of data collection, with an emphasis on linguistic life stories. Third, it proposes suggestions on how to analyze and interpret the life stories, and how to present the results obtained from the analysis.

June see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Mr. Ben Shearon Date: Saturday, June 25th, 2016 Title: Money 101: Personal Finance, Investing, and Retirement for Residents of Japan Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Join-us *Join-us is the building next to the Akita Kenmin-kaikan 秋田県民会館 in front of the Senshu Park. Map: http://www.akisouko.com/joy/access.html Room: Floor 3, Room 6 Fee: JALT Members and students - Free; Non-members - 500 yen Abstract: Many teachers in Japan would like to get their finances in order, but aren't quite sure where to start. This exposes them to three big potential dangers: not doing anything, doing the wrong thing, and being taken advantage of by ‘advisors’ or financial institutions. This workshop will cover basic aspects of personal finance and investing, as well as specific investing and retirement options for residents of Japan. A reading list of websites and recommended books will also be provided. Come with questions, and leave with information and a road map of where to find answers. Putting your financial affairs in order is like planting a tree: the best time to do it was twenty years ago. The second best time is now. About the presenter: Ben Shearon is an English teacher based in Sendai, Japan. He is passionate about extensive reading and personal finance. Ben runs the teaching blog sendaiben.org and the personal finance site retirejapan.info.

May see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Dr. Peter McCagg, Vice President of Akita International University Date: Saturday, May 28, 2016 Title: Metaphorically Speaking: Empowering EFL Learners Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Akita International University Room: D101 (in the D Lecture Building) Fee: JALT Members and students - Free; Non-members - 500 yen Access Information: http://web.aiu.ac.jp/en/campusmap http://web.aiu.ac.jp/access (in Japanese) http://web.aiu.ac.jp/en/access (in English) Abstract: In 1980, George Lakoff and Mark Johnson published their seminal work, “Metaphors We Live By.” In 1999, they published a follow-up volume, “Philosophy in The Flesh.” In the intervening decades, research on conceptual metaphor blossomed, and today, we know that even beginning EFL learners can benefit from a basic understanding of metaphor, and in particular, primary metaphors in English. A learner who knows, for example, that KNOWING IS SEEING or UNDERSTANDING IS HOLDING or THINKING IS MOVING will have a greater chance of appreciating idiomatic expressions such as the following: · Let’s shine a light on this subject. · Try to bring the topic into focus. · We’re in the dark about his intentions. · I couldn’t grasp her meaning. · That is a slippery idea. · That concept went right over my head. · I don’t have much time, so I’ll need to jump right to the conclusion. · Can you follow my drift? · If not, let’s back up and go over it again. This presentation begins, though with some thoughts on the nature of polysemy, or the fact that most words in any language are imbued with multiple senses—a feature of language that underlies the nature of metaphor. If you find yourself with time prior to the session, and wish to get in a good frame of mind to enjoy our time together, consider what you know about the “simple” English word ‘on.’ You may know more than you realize. Bio: Peter McCagg is Vice President for Academic Affairs at Akita International University. Prior to coming to AIU, he was Director of New York University’s American Language Institute, and before that, for many years, he worked at International Christian University as a member of the faculty, and over time, as the Director of ICU’s English Language Program, Chair of the Division of Languages, and Dean of International Affairs. His academic background is in applied and cognitive linguistics. For fun, like any good language learner, he likes to play with words.

April see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Paul Chamness Miller, Ph.D. Date: Saturday, April 23, 2016 Title: The Effectiveness of Recasts in the Language Classroom: A Meta-Analysis Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Join-us Room: Floor 3, Room 6 *Join-us is the building next to the Akita Kenmin-kaikan 秋田県民会館 in front of the Senshu Park. Map: http://www.akisouko.com/joy/access.html Fee: JALT Members and students - Free; Non-members - 500 yen Abstract: In order to examine what we know and understand about the effectiveness of recasts in the second language classroom, this paper presents the results of a meta-analytic review of the current research on recasts. Initial analysis showed an average weighted effect size of 0.38. A Q-statistic test revealed that the studies contain heterogeneous data, where significant difference occurred in the type of treatment given to the participants, the type of grammatical structure studied, and in the difference in the second language being studied.

March see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Patrick Dougherty Date: Saturday, March 26, 2015 Title: Creating a Student Friendly, Technology Supported, Course Delivery System: A Tale from the Middle East. Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Join-us (Join-us is the building next to the Akita Kenmin-kaikan 秋田県民会館 in front of the Senshu Park. ) Map: http://www.akisouko.com/joy/access.html Room: Floor 3, Room 6 Fee: JALT Members and students - Free; Non-members - 500 yen Based on work that I did when I was Chair of Graduate Studies in Education at the Higher Colleges of Technology in the United Arab Emirates, I'll share findings from several studies that examined a special course delivery system that was developed to serve the needs of Emirati women as they faced the challenge of embarking on graduate studies.

AKITA JALT meetings in 2015

December see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Ben Grafström, Akita University Date: Saturday, December 12, 2015 Title: Teaching Haiku and Haiku Composition to English Language Learners Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Student Support Center, Akita University Room: 2nd Floor Meeting Room (秋田大学 教育推進総合センター２Ｆ) Map: http://www.akita-u.ac.jp/honbu/info/magazine/outline/pdf/2014/40.pdf Fee: JALT Members and students - Free; Non-members - 500 yen Summary: The presenter teaches an English immersion-style course titled "Journey to the Interior" at Akita University. This presentation introduces the two-pronged approach that he took to the planning and preparation of the course. The first approach he took was to make the English language-course content-based: the course is an in-depth study of the haiku poet Matsuo Bashō's Oku no hosomichi. The second approach he took was to design class activities that fostered active-learning vis-à-vis a writer’s workshop. During the presentation the presenter will introduce the course materials that he uses as well as guiding participants through some of the writing exercises that he did with his students. For educators who wish to design similar content-based courses, he will also be discussing some of the successes and obstacles that he discovered. Bio: Ben Grafström holds a B.A. in English from Susquehanna University in central Pennsylvania and an M.A. in East Asian Language Civilizations (Japanese Literature) from the University of Colorado at Boulder. In 2009 he experienced Matsuo Bashō's Oku no hosomichi himself by following in the haiku poet's footsteps and travelling the "narrow road to the interior." He has been on the faculty of Akita University since 2012.

October see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Bryan Hahn, Akita International University Date: Saturday, October 24, 2015 Title: English as a Co-Language: Perspectives by the Foreign Language Learner Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Join-us Room: (Floor 3, Room 6) *Join-us is the building next to the Akita Kenmin-kaikan 秋田県民会館 in front of the Senshu Park. Map: http://www.akisouko.com/joy/access.html Fee: JALT Members and students - Free; Non-members - 500 yen Summary: This research examines the language learning attitudes of English at four universities in one Japanese prefecture. All four schools have different requirements for the amount of English they need to learn to earn an undergraduate degree. The purpose was to investigate whether attitudes about English might have changed today compared to a decade and a half ago, when then Prime Minister, Keizo Obuchi was objurgated for proposing that English be a second official language in Japan. Consequently, it compares the cross-disciplinary attitudes of 305 students and elicited questions about the role of English in Japan including whether or not English should become an official language. Based on percentage positive response ratings, the results showed that students believe English education would increase their chances of finding a good job. Students also favor making English compulsory in Japan. However, many of the respondents were dissatisfied with their level of English proficiency despite a desire to learn the language. Paradoxically, students generally disfavor changes to the foreign language curriculum and the vast majority oppose adopting English as a co-language in Japan. This reluctance to change, which is omnipresent at the federal level, might explain why Japan consistently ranks near the bottom in TOEFL iBT scores. Bio: Bryan Hahn is a Lecturer at Akita International University. He works in the English for Academic Purpose (EAP) department and has been with the university since 2013. He also teaches part-time at Akita Prefectural University. Bryan has also taught English at universities in Korea. He comes from Los Angeles and worked for both the public and private sectors. It's in Los Angeles where Bryan taught ESL to students from more than 30 different countries. He holds a B.A. in Journalism and an M.A. in TESL.

September see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Rachael Ruegg, Taku Sudo, Hinako Takeuchi and Yuko Sato, Akita International University Date: Saturday, September 26, 2015 Title: Peer tutoring: A whole new world of academic support Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Small Lecture Room 1 at Collage Plaza (It is located on the second floor of the building of Akita Meitokukan High School.) Map: https://goo.gl/maps/fN9DL Fee: JALT Members and students - Free; Non-members - 500 yen Summary: This presentation will introduce the Academic Achievement Center (AAC) at Akita International University (AIU), a center which employs peer tutoring to support students. The AAC has been successful in helping AIU students, both tutors and tutees, to succeed academically. The purpose of the presentation is to share the practices employed by the center which may be useful to others who have similar centers or who would like to offer such support to their students, as well as teachers who are interested in different pedagogical styles and approaches. The presentation will begin with an overview of the curriculum at AIU, the theoretical background of peer tutoring and how the peer tutoring is conducted in the center. The presenters, who all work in the AAC, will then discuss cultural aspects affecting the center, what they consider to be the benefits of peer tutoring as well as the kinds of students who request support from the AAC and their motivations and expectations. Bio: Rachael Ruegg is PhD candidate at Macquarie University and a lecturer at Akita International University. She has been teaching English for over 10 years in New Zealand, Germany, China, and Japan. Her research interests include vocabulary, assessment, and writing. Other presenters, Taku Sudo, Hinako Takeuchi and Yuko Sato, are students at Akita International University.

July see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Rachael Ruegg, Akita International University Date: Saturday, July 25, 2015 Title: Why, What and How of Teaching and Learning English Vocabulary Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Join-us Room: (Floor 3, Room 6) *Join-us is the building next to the Akita Kenmin-kaikan 秋田県民会館 in front of the Senshu Park. Map: http://www.akisouko.com/joy/access.html Fee: JALT Members and students - Free; Non-members - 500 yen Summary: Words are the basic building blocks of the language and the most important factor influencing language proficiency. Despite learning English for 6 years in junior high school and high school, many Japanese students report feeling that they lack sufficient English vocabulary. This presentation will briefly explain why vocabulary is such an important aspect of language. The presenter will then introduce which vocabulary should be learnt, and in which order. Following this, she will explain how vocabulary should be learnt for maximum effectiveness. Finally, she will share some tools that can be used by teachers and learners to help in their vocabulary teaching and learning. Bio: Rachael Ruegg is PhD candidate at Macquarie University and a lecturer at Akita International University. She has been teaching English for over 10 years in New Zealand, Germany, China, and Japan. Her research interests include vocabulary, assessment, and writing.

June see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Donald C. Wood, Akita University Date: Saturday, June 27, 2015 Title: Medical English and Medical Anthropology for Large Classes Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Join-us Room: (Floor 3, Room 6) *Join-us is the building next to the Akita Kenmin-kaikan 秋田県民会館 in front of the Senshu Park. Map: http://www.akisouko.com/joy/access.html Fee: JALT Members and students - Free; Non-members - 500 yen Summary: Large class size is of the most common problems facing teachers of English in Japanese medical schools and similar environments. Another is not being able to provide such students with instruction tailored to their needs and interests, such as Medical English (or EMP—English for Medical Purposes), often due to a lack of control over the curriculum, and to inadequate medical science knowledge. This presentation will outline the developmental course of Medical English education at Akita University over the last 15 years, and discuss the current situation in detail, while paying special attention to the ways in which the two aforementioned problems have been overcome. Bio: Donald C. Wood is an associate professor in the Department of Medical Education at the Akita University Graduate School of Medicine, where he has worked since completing a doctoral degree in cultural anthropology at the University of Tokyo in 2004. Prior to that, he earned BA and MA degrees in anthropology from Texas A&M University (1994 and 1999, respectively). He spent more than 15 years researching social conditions at the Hachirogata reclaimed land area in Akita Prefecture, which culminated in the publication of Ogata-Mura: Sowing Dissent and Reclaiming Identity in a Japanese Farming Village, by Berghahn Books (NY) in 2012 (scheduled for release in paperback in October of 2015). He has also investigated tourism and the effects of depopulation in the Akita region, and was a contributor to the edited volume Japan’s Shrinking Regions in the 21st Century (Cambria, 2011). He has been chief editor of the Research in Economic Anthropology book series (Emerald, UK) since 2005. In recent years, Donald has been investigating the life and writings of Yoshida Saburo (1905-1979), a farmer / lay ethnographer who grew up in the foothills of Mt. Kanpu on the Oga Peninsula, and has enjoyed contributing articles to Kyoto Journal. He can be reached at wood@med.akita-u.ac.jp.

May see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: John Campbell-Larsen, Kyoto Women's University Date: Saturday, May 30, 2015 Title: Teaching the spoken language; Reported speech Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Join-us Room: (Floor 3, Room 6) *Join-us is the building next to the Akita Kenmin-kaikan 秋田県民会館 in front of the Senshu Park. Map: http://www.akisouko.com/joy/access.html Fee: JALT Members and students - Free; Non-members - 500 yen Summary: This presentation describes some of the central findings of Corpus Linguistics and Conversation Analysis concerning spoken English, such as marking, reported speech and spoken narrative. The presenter describes practical methods of how to teach these items, illustrating with video of classroom interactions and handout materials. In the second part, this presentation outlines the background, implementation and results of a project designed to increase learners’ ability to use reported speech in English. The presentation will look at reported speech in ESL textbooks, and in the academic literature, and will detail how to teach students this vital skill. Video data of student speaking will be used to illustrate the development of students’ ability to report speech in interaction. Bio: John Campbell-Larsen has taught English in Japan for 20 years and currently holds the position of Associate Professor at Kyoto Women’s University, Kyoto Japan. He gained his M.A in TESOL from the University of Birmingham and his research interests include conversation analysis, semantics and teaching the spoken form of the language.

April see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Thomas E. Bieri Date: Saturday, April 25, 2015 Title: Activating Extensive Reading Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Join-us Room: (Floor 3, Room 7) *Join-us is the building next to the Akita Kenmin-kaikan 秋田県民会館 in front of the Senshu Park. Map: http://www.akisouko.com/joy/access.html Fee: JALT Members and students - Free; Non-members - 500 yen Summary: Extensive reading has recently become a well-known technique for language study and many programs and individual instructors have been incorporating it into their language teaching practice. However, many educators may not have confidence that they fully understand what ER is or how they can take advantage of the benefits. To help build that knowledge and confidence, this presentation and workshop will include a general introduction to the principles of extensive reading, particularly as defined by Day and Bamford (1998, 2002) and a brief discussion of how practices may differ from these principles. There will also be an explanation and demonstration of a variety of types of materials available. We will continue with a demonstration and practice of several classroom activities related to extensive reading and discussion of ways of managing and tracking student reading. Bio: Thomas E. Bieri is an EFL instructor at Nanzan University, Nagoya, Japan, with over 25 years’ experience working in higher education, including positions in the USA, Australia, and Japan. He is the Coordinator of the Extensive Reading SIG and the Associate Member Liaison for the Computer Assisted Language Learning SIG of the Japan Association for Language Teaching. He holds a BA in Women's Studies from the University of California, Berkeley, an MA in Applied Linguistics from the University of Southern Queensland, and a graduate certificate in Educational Technology from Michigan State University.

March see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Ben Shearon, Tohoku University Date: Saturday, March 28, 2015 Title: Running a 4-skills Extensive Reading Class Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Join-us (Map: http://www.akisouko.com/joy/access.html) Room: (Floor 3, Room 6) *Join-us is the building next to the Akita Kenmin-kaikan 秋田県民会館 in front of the Senshu Park. Fee: JALT Members and students - Free; Non-members - 500 yen Summary: Extensive Reading can be a wonderful source of comprehensible input for students, particularly in Japan where such input is often lacking. Many students find ER empowering, interesting, and effective. ER can also form the base of a 4-skills English class, providing the content for students to speak, listen, and write about. This workshop will provide an overview of a 4-skills extensive reading class developed over the last six years at Tohoku University. It will include examples of student work and practical advice for incorporating ER into any English curriculum. Bio: Ben Shearon was born in Germany, but claims to be British. He has lived in Sendai since 2000. At Tohoku University Ben is responsible for the Extensive Reading program (1500 students per year) and graded reader library (15,000 volumes). He co-authored the ER@TU Extensive Reading at Tohoku University Manual and has contributed to international ELT textbooks and graded reader series. Ben also works as a teacher trainer, conducting presentations and workshops throughout Asia. His main areas of interest are program and curriculum design, Extensive Reading, self-access and technology in language learning, and presenting skills. In his free time Ben serves on the school board of Nika Junior and Senior High School, and is Director of Cambridge English, a private language school in Sendai.

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AKITA JALT meetings in 2014

December see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Yo Hamada, Akita University Date: December 6, 2014 Title: Let's Examine Ondoku-based Learning Strategies from Various Perspectives Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Akita University, Tegata Campus（秋田大学　手形キャンパス） http://www.akita-u.ac.jp/honbu/info/magazine/outline/pdf/2014/40.pdf Room: General Education Building #1 1st Floor #107(一般教育棟一号館1階 107教室) Fee: JALT Members and students - Free; Non-members - 500 yen Summary: This workshop focuses on learning strategies for listening and communication from three different perspectives, as a teacher, as a learner, and as a researcher. The presenter’s university has developed a unique English language learning environment, called the ALL (Autonomous Language Learning) ROOMs, in which teachers teach about SLA and learning strategies to student staff members, and the student staff members assist students’ English learning by using the knowledge and the strategies. The presenter describes the learning strategies and would like to consider their effectiveness by examining them from a teacher’s perspective, a learners’ perspective, and a researcher’s perspective. Particularly, the presenter will introduce various types of “Ondoku” based activities including shadowing, dictogloss, repeating, dictation, and so forth. In order to do so, the presenter introduces the activities academically and practically, and the participants will experience the activities to examine them thoroughly. Bio: Yo Hamada is an Assistant Professor at Akita University. He holds a Master’s degree in TESOL from Temple University and a doctoral degree in Education from Hiroshima University. Approximately working for two years in Tokyo and three years in Akita at a high school, he has started teaching at a university. His principle research is incorporating theories into classroom teaching practice. His research area covers listening with a focus on shadowing, and demotivation.

November

October see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Brent A. Jones, Konan University Date: Saturday, October 25, 2014 Title: Content-Based Instruction Workshop Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Yugakusha （遊学舍） http://www2.akita-kenmin.jp/~yugakusha/index.html (Yugakusha is the log building located at the entrance of the Japanese Red Cross Akita College of Nursing (日本赤十字秋田看護大学) Room: (Kenshushitsu #2) Fee: JALT Members and students - Free; Non-members - 500 yen Summary: Content-focused language teaching approaches such as Content-Based Instruction (CBI) and Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) continue to gain both recognition and credibility. In this workshop, participants will be introduced to both the theory and practice of such approaches, with special emphasis on the affective learning domain. After looking at the various benefits and challenges of a content-focuses approach, the presenter will introduce an example of a theme-based CBI program that is currently being used in a tertiary-level English program for management course students in Japan. The aim here is to highlight for participants each step in the instructional design process as well as some of the various considerations at both the macro (curriculum) and micro (task) levels. Participants will then be challenged to consider the motivational merits of implementing a content-focused approach in their own teaching contexts, and be presented with a list of suggested readings for further exploration. Bio: Brent A. Jones has taught ESL/EFL in Hawaii and Japan since 1987, and has been involved in teacher training since 2002. He has worked in corporate training programs at Sony, Mitsui Trading, Hitachi Shipbuilding, Nestle, and Sumitomo Chemicals. He was formerly the coordinator of the Business English Program at Kobe Gakuin University, and is currently the Director of Language Programs for both the Management Course and Study Abroad Course at Konan University, Hirao School of Management. His major research interests are L2 learning motivation, extensive reading, curriculum development, instructional design, content-focused approaches to language instruction and creativity.

September see the meeting pictures Guest speakers: Carlos Budding, AIU & Cherie Brown, AIU Date: Saturday, September 6, 2014 Title: Using TED Talks to facilitate Large Group Discussions Time: 10:00AM – 12:00PM Place: Join-us (Map: http://www.akisouko.com/joy/access.html) Room: (Floor 1, Room 1) *Join-us is the building next to the Akita Kenmin-kaikan 秋田県民会館 in front of the Senshu Park. Fee: JALT Members and students - Free; Non-members - 500 yen Summary: In a classroom TedTalks have the power to educate, influence, and inspire. This presentation/workshop will show how TedTalks serve as a catalyst for instruction, discussion and cognitive stimulation. This presentation/workshop will demonstrate how TedTalks are used within a preexisting curriculum to help build background knowledge, increase confidence, help presentation skills, plus fortify all four skills. This presentation/workshop is not about using video in the classroom. It is about generating motivation for lifelong learning. One major advantage of working with the students who enter our upper-intermediate speaking classes is their high level of motivation. The purpose of this presentation/workshop is to show participants one method of helping students focus that motivation towards not only their own English skills but also developing skills that will help them along all of their lives. This presentation/workshop will demonstrate the steps taken to connect TedTalk videos to classroom curriculum. Instructions will be given to demonstrate how to prepare the students for the different roles they receive in order to prepare for watching TedTalks. One role is that of audience member, the other role is that of presenter. Students given the role of audience watch a video and prepare to discuss the video in class. Students given the role of presenters watch the same video and then prepare a presentation where they summarize the video, gather additional information on the speaker and/or topic, and finally generate discussion questions for the classroom. The presenters first present the information to the audience and then lead a discussion with the members of the audience. Prior to the day of presentation though, students are explicitly taught various discussion techniques such as controlling the floor, interrupting, answering questions, and changing the topic. An optional rubric will be shown to participants to demonstrate how this activity can be assessed. This presentation/workshop will teach participants, how with little effort from the instructor, a classroom can reap an enormous learning reward. Bio: Carlos Budding is an Assistant Professor at AIU. Primary focus of instruction is Speaking and Listening for advanced level students. He also teaches Spanish for beginners. He has two MA's - Linguistics from Gallaudet University in Washington DC, and Curriculum and Instruction from George Mason University. Cherie Brown is an EAP lecturer at AIU, currently teaching on the EAP speaking/listening and academic reading programs. Co-author of Max Vocab: Journeys in the English Language, and Partners in the Classroom she has also written for “English-to-Go,” an online teaching and learning resource site, and regularly contributes to teacher-development programs in developing Asia. Her collaborative work in project-based learning earned the University of Otago Language Centre, New Zealand, the inaugural ‘N.Z. International Excellence in Tertiary Teaching Award ’. Current interests include ELT materials analysis and development, particularly in relation to vocabulary acquisition.

July see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Bryan Hahn, Akita International University Date: Saturday, July 26, 2014 Title: Reading for Automaticity Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Join-us (Map: http://www.akisouko.com/joy/access.html) Room: (Floor 3, Room 6) *Join-us is the building next to the Akita Kenmin-kaikan 秋田県民会館 in front of the Senshu Park. Fee: JALT Members and students - Free; Non-members - 500 yen Summary: Many Japanese students learning English do not develop language skills naturally. This includes reading. Students often focus on too many reading tasks at the same time so they do not comprehend what they read. As a result, it's important that they reach automaticity in order to read at full comprehension. Dubin and Bycina (1991) state that reading at a rate of 200 words per minute is necessary for full comprehension. Not only will students begin to understand what they read, it makes the task of reading much more enjoyable. This might explain why the vast majority of my students self-admit to never having read a book written in English from cover to cover. The act of reading becomes too laborious making them want to give up. Students can be taught to read faster by reading in "chunks", or having the ability to see multiple words at the same time. This quantitative study will examine if teaching students to read in "chunks" will significantly improve their reading rate over the course of one semester. Participants are students at Akita International University enrolled in advanced level Reading. Students will be given a pre-test, followed by weekly practice of reading in chunks and timing their reading rate to determine progression, and conclude with a post-test at the end of the term. It is hypothesized students' reading rates will be significantly higher during post-test results compared to pre-test results. Understanding the concept of automaticity will assist teachers in orchestrating a successful reading class. Bio: Bryan Hahn is a Lecturer at Akita International University. He works in the English for Academic Purpose (EAP) department and has been with the university since 2013. He also teaches part-time at Akita Terrsa in Goshono to both children and adults. Bryan has also taught English at universities in Korea. He comes from Los Angeles and worked for both the public and private sectors. It's in Los Angeles where Bryan taught ESL to students from more than 30 different countries. He holds a B.A. in Journalism and an M.A. in TESL.

June see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Joe Sykes, Akita International University Date: Saturday, June 28, 2014 Title: The complex stories behind autonomous learners Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Join-us (Map: http://www.akisouko.com/joy/access.html) Room: (Floor 3, Room 6) *Join-us is the building next to the Akita Kenmin-kaikan 秋田県民会館 in front of the Senshu Park. Fee: JALT Members and students - Free; Non-members - 500 yen Summary: Recent research in the field of learner autonomy has shifted from the psychological view, which treats the learner in isolation from their environment, to the sociocultural view, in which the learner is an integral part of the sociocultural context. In this vein, this presentation examines the stories behind the success of three language learners, who recently passed the stringent English language requirements for entry to a top-tier international arts university, in Japan. Although very different, all three stories feature high levels of learner autonomy. Using the Grounded Theory methodology, the data was analyzed through four inter-related theoretical “lenses”: learner autonomy; motivation; identity and sociocultural context. The interplay between these four factors is examined, leading to the conclusion that they are all complex adaptive systems, nested within the larger SLA complex adaptive system. The defining characteristics of complex adaptive systems shown in the data are: dynamic; emergent; nested; sensitive to changes in environmental conditions; adaptive and unpredictable. The nature complex adaptive systems will be explained in relation to the participants’ stories and the pedagogical implications with possible interventions will be discussed. Bio: Joe Sykes has worked in English education for the last 12 years, teaching in language schools in Japan and New Zealand, Akita University, and Akita International University, where he currently works as a lecturer in the department of EAP (English for Academic Purposes) and the coordinator of the LDIC (Language Development and Intercultural Centre).

May see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Chris Sato, Windsor English School Date: Saturday, May 24, 2014 Title: Creativity in the EFL classroom: creating and adapting original material to the needs and interests of different students Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Yugakusha (Watch out, folks! DON’T GO TO JOIN-US this time!!! Yugakusha is the log building located at the entrance of the Japanese Red Cross Akita College of Nursing (日本赤十字秋田看護大学) Fee: JALT Members and students - Free; Non-members - 500 yen Summary: This presentation will be in two parts: a talk and then a workshop. The first part will highlight the challenges of running a one-teacher school which caters to all ages and types of student: from young children to high school students to intensive courses for adults to company classes for local businessmen/women. The second part will draw on my recent experiences of creating my own original materials, and adapting them to each of the classes. The audience will be divided into groups and given a range of authentic stories taken from the Internet. Each group will have to use their imagination to adapt the material to a learning experience for specific classes. Bio: Chris Sato has been teaching English for 25 years. During that time he has taught in 4 countries - UK, Austria, Germany and Japan - and to range of different students: as an ALT in junior high schools in Austria; teaching business English in companies in Germany and Ibaraki, Japan; preparing foreign students for Cambridge examinations in the UK; teaching English majors at university and junior college in both Japan and Germany. For the past 15 years he has been an independent teacher with his own private school in Yurihonjo City.

April see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Jonathan Stimmer Date: Saturday, April 26, 2014 Title: Exploring English and Foreign languages in the Elementary School Classroom Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Join-us Join-us is the building next to the Akita Kenmin-kaikan 秋田県民会館 in front of the Senshu Park. Room: Floor 3, Room #6 Fee: JALT Members and students - Free; Non-members - 500 yen Summary: In 2011 English and Foreign language became a mandatory subject in Elementary school education. Many schools are already teaching English from 1st year to 6th year. How can we help Home Room Teachers and ALTs bring about enriching English and Foreign language programs for all grade levels? How can these schools go beyond textbooks? Where does one start when teaching younger grade levels when there are no textbooks and no set curriculum for teaching English and Foreign language? How can we go beyond the classroom to make the experience of students as international as possible? How do we nurture their excitement and curiosity for a life of enjoying foreign language and international experiences? This presentation will address these questions and others, as we explore English and foreign languages education in elementary schools. Bio: Jonathan Stimmer graduated from the City University of New York School of Unique and Interdisciplinary Studies with a BA in International Relations and Economics. He currently works for the Mitane-cho Board of Education and teaches at 6 elementary schools and 3 junior high schools. He regularly facilitates teacher trainings and teaches workshops on English, International Studies and Team Teaching. He has been a JET North Block Leader of Akita Prefecture since April 2013.

March see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Tomohisa Machida, Akita International University Date: Saturday, March 22nd, 2014 Title: Teachers' reactions to team-teaching with ALTs and an example of a teacher training session Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Yugakusha (Watch out, folks! DON’T GO TO JOIN-US this time!!! Yugakusha is the log building located at the entrance of the Japanese Red Cross Akita College of Nursing (日本赤十字秋田看護大学) Fee: JALT Members and students - Free; Non-members - 500 yen Summary: This presentation will examine elementary-school teachers' reactions to team-teaching with native English-speaking ALTs. Hiring native English speakers as ALTs caused affective and pedagogical changes among classroom teachers. Although classroom teachers were uneasy about working with native English-speaking ALTs, they recognized the benefit of using native English speakers for improving students' communicative competence. Their dedication for teaching students overrode their anxiety. Participants will see the importance of local government’s leadership for successful implementation of team-teaching. Bio: Tomohisa Machida is an Assistant Professor in the Graduate School of Global Communication and Language at Akita International University. He earned his M.A. (TESL) and Ph.D. (Elementary Education) at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (IL, USA). He had a 12-year teaching experience as a junior high school English teacher in Tokyo and also worked at Tokyo Board of Education. His research interests include elementary-school English education, foreign language anxiety, and teacher education.

AKITA JALT meetings in 2013

November see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Terri Lee Nagahashi, Akita Prefectural University Date: Saturday, November 16, 2013 Title: Making the Most of Study Abroad Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Yugakusha Fee: JALT Members and students - Free; Non-members - 500 yen Summary: This presentation reports on an innovative faculty-led study abroad program. The program was designed to support the curricula of the Faculty of Bioresource Sciences at Akita Prefectural University and took place in Oregon, USA during the summer of 2012. Results of the post-trip questionnaire suggest that this program produced multiple benefits including enhanced intercultural awareness, increased motivation for learning English, and improved research, writing and presentation skills. This presentation is intended for those who are interested in developing short-term study abroad programs and learning more about Oregon, USA. Key factors that promote successful short-term study abroad programs are discussed. Bio: Terri Lee Nagahashi holds an M.A. in TESOL from the School for International Training (Vermont, USA). She has been teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) for over thirty years in the United States, Mexico, Sweden, and Japan. She is currently an Associate Pofessor at Akita Prefectural University (Akita campus). Her research focuses on pedagogies of engagement.

September see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Sarah Louisa Bircheley, Toyo Gakuen University Date: Saturday, September 28, 2013 Title: Hard Pressed to Succeed without Soft Skills Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Join-us Room: (Floor 3, Room 6) Fee: JALT Members and students - Free; Non-members - 500 yen Summary: This workshop explores the professional skills necessary for success in international business with a particular focus on Soft Skills and how we can approach these in the classroom. The presenter will begin by defining Professional Skills and how they are taught in universities in Japan, before arguing for the cautious introduction of a Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) approach for business students. The content of a Professional Skills course – a key feature of which is the awareness-raising of soft skills - is explained and defined. This includes a Professional Skills for International Business (PSIB) can-do framework that has been developed to assess such skills. She will then share the results of a pilot qualitative analysis of students’ perceptions of the necessity of soft skills for international business in Japan. The second half of the workshop asks participants to engage in a selection of practical activities that have proved useful in raising awareness of soft skills among Japanese learners. The session concludes with a discussion about professional skills, soft skills and CLIL in the Japanese university context. Bio: Sarah Louisa Birchley is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Business Administration, Toyo Gakuen University, Tokyo (Business Communication, Organizational Behavior, Professional Skills) and part-time faculty at the University of Tokyo (Academic English) and New York University ALI, Tokyo (Marketing). Sarah undertook her MA and doctorate at the University of Bath, UK. Her doctoral research explored Sensemaking in Higher Education. Achieving a better understanding of how people communicate, particularly in workplace settings, and how this is connected to management and education is what motives Sarah in her research. She presents often on Higher Education Management, the Marketing of HE and various aspects of Business Communication. Sarah is an active member of JALT and the Association for Business Communication.

July see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Philip L. McCasland, Fukushima University Date: Saturday, July 27, 2013 Title: Designing supplemental materials to study American culture through literature Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Yugakusha (Watch out, folks! The venue is not Join-us! Yugakusha is the log building located at the entrance of the Red Cross University. ) Room: Kenshushitsu 1 Fee: Members and students - Free; Non-members - 500 yen Summary: Creating engaging, authentic, quality classroom materials completely from scratch proves challenging for today's busy teachers. However, adapting and supplementing materials from an already established textbook or classic piece of literature may be a more reasonable expectation. By adapting an existing textbook a teacher can provide a host of additional resources and exercises, thus giving students many more avenues for fluency and skill improvement. In this workshop I will begin by providing several principles of materials design and ask the participants to describe what they consider appropriate materials for their teaching contexts. I will then demonstrate how supplemental materials can be gathered and designed according to the needs of students. In this section I will demonstrate the steps taken to develop these materials, including some low-tech, non-computer ones. Finally, I will ask the participants to brainstorm and outline several possible designs that may be appropriate for their own classroom use. Several examples that will be used include Akimoto & Hamada's American Justice in Focus with John Grisham's, The Rain Maker; John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men; and F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. Bio: Philip has been teaching in tertiary education in Japan for fifteen years, and is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Business and Economics at Fukushima University. His current projects include designing and implementing annual overseas business internships and research on linguistic analysis of advertising and marketing.

June see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Rachael Ruegg Date: Saturday, June 22, 2013 Title: Facilitating written feedback on students' writing Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Join-us Room: kenshushitsu 6 Fee: Members and students - Free; Non-members - 500 yen Summary: This presentation will give advice to teachers about how best to go about facilitating written feedback on students' writing. Teachers of writing often wonder when to give feedback, how to give it, how much to give and how often. In addition to this there are different sources of feedback – Should the teacher give feedback on every assignment? How about peer feedback, is it really useful? The presenter conducted research in this area over a period of one year with 71 Japanese students. During the one year period she collected all student writing and the feedback they received. In addition to this, she asked the students to complete questionnaires at the beginning and end of the academic year, received their writing test scores at the beginning and end of the academic year and conducted follow-up interviews with 12 of them after the academic year was over. In this presentation she will use the results of her research to give advice about how to facilitate written feedback on students' writing taking into account students' perceptions of feedback they receive, which feedback they notice and use, what they do with that feedback, what leads to improvement in writing ability and the ways in which different feedback affects learner confidence in their writing ability. Bio: Rachael Ruegg is PhD candidate at Macquarie University and a lecturer at Akita International University. She has been teaching English for over 10 years in New Zealand, Germany, China and Japan. Her research interests include vocabulary, assessment and writing.

May see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Mamoru "Bobby" Takahashi & Stephen Shucart Date: Saturday, May 25, 2013 Title: Motivating students by talking about novels Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Joinus Room: Kenshushitsu 6 Fee: Members and students - Free; Non-members - 500 yen Bio: Mamoru "Bobby" Takahashi and Stephen Shucart teach English at Akita Prefectural University, Honjo Campus. Summary: Experts say that students read more graded readers (GR), if teachers talk about books with enthusiasm. In this presentation, we will talk about two types of stories: character-driven novels and plot-driven novels. In general, the action is focused internally in character-driven novels and externally in plot-driven novels. With many concrete illustrations, the audience will learn the different patterns of development in these two types of novels and will become better classroom guides for extensive reading.

April see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Christine Winskowski Date: Saturday, April 20th, 2013 Title: Online Tools for Teaching and Learning Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Akita Prefectural University, Honjo Campus Map: http://www.akita-pu.ac.jp/language/EN/location.html Room: CALL kyoshitsu (Second Floor of Kyotsu-shisetsuto) Christine Winskowski teaches at Iwate Prefectural University Morioka Junior College. Join us for a tour of cool online tools – several will be devoted to tools for teachers, several tools for students, and of course some work for both. Online sites may include places to easily construct an online lesson, text-to-speech, quiz construction, rubric construction, graphic organizers, whiteboards, and mindmapping.

AKITA JALT meetings in 2012

December see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Adrian Paterson Date: Saturday, December 15th, 2012 Title: The role of vocabulary in the language classroom Time: 1000-1200 Place: JOIN US Room: Kenshushitsu # 5 (Third Floor) Abstract: Vocabulary is an essential part of language, however it is also an often neglected and misunderstood part of language teaching. In the first part of this presentation, Adrian will give a general introduction to some basic principles and concepts related to vocabulary acquisition, in particular; defining what vocabulary is, what it means to know a word, and how vocabulary is acquired, stored, and retrieved. In the second part he will lead a discussion of ways that teachers can help students to improve the depth and breadth of their vocabulary knowledge. Profile: Adrian Paterson is an assistant professor at Akita University. He has an MA in linguistics from Osaka University of Foreign Studies and been teaching full-time in Japanese universities for 10 years. His research interests include; vocabulary, formulaic language, language testing, and complexity theory.

November see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Cory Koby Date: Saturday, November 24th, 2012 Title: English Debate in Japanese High School Time: 10:00AM – 12:00PM Place: JOIN US Room: Kenshushitsu #7 (on the 3rd floor) Preview: Reflecting on his experience training and coaching teams twice in the All-Japan High School English Debate Tournament, Cory will present on the challenges and rewards of engaging Japanese high school students in English debate. Confidence building, communication skills development, leadership training, critical thinking, and time management are all highlighted as benefits of debate generally, and we will also explore additional benefits specific to language learners who debate in L2. Presentation attendees will walk away with a clear understanding of the process and procedures involved in debating. Bio: Cory Koby is a tenured faculty member at Sendai Shirayuri Gakuen Jr./Sr. High School and serves as JALT Sendai's English publicity officer. He is currently taking a MA in ELT from the University of East London. His research interests include L1 interference in SLA, and learner motivation.

October 15th JALT National Conference in Hamamatsu Date: Saturday, October 12th to October 15th in 2012 Click here for all information related to the conference.

October see the meeting pictures Akita-JALT will host this year's JALT National Conference Balsamo Asian Scholar, Indonesian Junior High School teacher, Inggy Yuliani Pribady. She will speak about genre pedagogy and how to assist students to think critically and learn deeply via scaffolded writing tasks. The event is free of charge and open to all. Guest speaker: Inggy Yuliani Pribady Date: Friday, October 5th, 2012 Title: GENRE PEDAGOGY TO LEAD STUDENTS' TO A HIGH STAKE OF LEARNING: STUDENTS' VOICE AND CRITICAL THINKING ABOUT ENVIRONMENT ISSUES THROUGH NEWS ITEM WRITING Time: 17:30 to 19:00 Place: Akita International University Room: D building room 104 Fee: free of charge abstract: Genre pedagogies have drawn on Systemic Functional Linguistic theory, which views language as a social semiotic system, i.e. a resource for making meaning in social context (Eggins & Martin 2002). It is the idea that the grammar of the English Language is a system to facilitate certain kinds of social and interpersonal interaction, represent ideas about the world and connect these ideas and interaction into meaningful text and make them relevant to their context (Halliday, 1978:12). This paper aims to describe ways in which appropriate scaffolding teaching and learning activities in genre pedagogy can be provided to guide the students to shape their ideas critically to the issues of environment in their writing. The scaffolding takes the form of a particular sequence of activities known as teaching and learning cycle which are Building Knowledge of The field, Modeling of the Text, Join construction and Independent Construction. BIO: Inggy Yuliani Pribady holds a Master of English Education degree from Indonesia University of Education. She is an English teacher at 2 Junior High School in Bandung, Indonesia. She presented her research paper at National Seminar on Foreign Language Teaching 2011, Malaysia and at CamTesol 2012 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.She also has got a scholarship to have training and present her paper at ISCF 39, 2012 in Sydney Australia. Her research interests include language learning strategies and sociocultural factors in foreign language acquisition.

September see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Kathy Kampa (Kids teacher) Date: Saturday, September 29th, 2012 Title: The M&M's of Teaching English to Young Learners Time: 10:00AM-12:00PM Place: JOIN US Room: Kenshushitsu-7 Fee: Members and students - Free; Non-members - 500 yen Abstract: Discover the power of music, movement, and multiple intelligences (MI) to create a dynamic learning environment for your students. Music is celebrated in many cultures around the world. Its universality can be found in its shared structures. Music enhances memorization, a critical process in language acquisition. Movement invites students to learn by doing, a process that builds neural networks in the brain and throughout the body. However, are music and movement effective for all learners? Do we need more ways for students to learn? In this session, we’ll look at how music and movement can help young learners succeed in the EFL classroom. We’ll look at how multiple intelligences strategies can complement music and movement. We’ll explore ways in which these strategies can be used immediately in your classroom. Join us as we sing, move, and let all of our intelligences soar! BIO: Kathleen Kampa has specialized in working with young learners. In her 30 years of experience in teaching children, she has created songs, chants, and movement activities targeted at young learners’ needs. Kathleen and her husband Charles Vilina are co-authors of Magic Time, a starter level English course for young learners published by Oxford University Press. She is also a co-author of Everybody Up, a new primary course published by OUP. Kathleen has written extensively on music, movement, and multiple intelligences, and has given numerous workshops in the US, Canada, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Finland, Holland, and Jamaica.

September Akita-JALT SPECIAL SESSION with JALT National President, Kevin Cleary Saturday, September 29 (After Kathy Kampa's presentation and Annual General Meeting Business) From 13:00 in JoinUS Room #5 (3rd Floor) Agenda – Will be talking about all things JALT – upcoming conference, new initiatives, and how JALT is trying to assist members all over Japan accomplish their goals. All are welcome, and the session is free of charge.

July see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Joe Falout, an assistant professor at Nihon University Date: Saturday, July 21st, 2012 Title: Motivating communities of practice for teachers Time: 10:00AM-12:00PM Place: JOIN US Room: Kenshushitsu-7 Fee: Members and students - Free; Non-members - 500 yen Speaker & Bio: Joe Falout, an assistant professor at Nihon University, researches, publishes, and presents internationally about teacher and learner motivation with regards to English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts. Summary: Even the most motivated teachers can at some point feel exhausted, isolated, and ineffective—the classic symptoms of burnout. Avoiding burnout and maintaining motivation is important for feeling professional satisfaction and lasting through a full career of teaching. In this workshop we will focus on personalizing ways that participants can regain and maintain their motivation through three principles — managing emotions, joining communities, and boosting efficacy. The presenter will provide a theoretical base from social psychology, and use anecdotes to illustrate particular points. Workshop participants will be asked to explore their own pathways toward increasing their sense of control, autonomy, and relatedness within their work environments and professional communities of practice.

June see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Renaud Davies Date: Saturday, June 23rd, 2012 Topic: Technology in the Classroom Time: 10:30AM-12:30PM Place: Akita International University, B-101 Fee: Members and students - Free; Non-members - 500 yen Bio: Renaud is the Program Advisor for Akita-JET ALTs. He uses an array of internet tools and other technology in his classrooms to enhance the learning of his students. He will share some of his methods with us.

May see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Kim Horne (Kindergarten teacher) Date: Saturday, May 26th, 2012 Title: Workshop for teachers of young learners Time: 10:00AM-12:00PM Place: JOIN US Room: Kenshushitsu-6 Cost: JALT members - free; Student non-JALT member - free; Non-JALT members - 500 yen This workshop will focus on young learners. The flow of the presentation will be interactive and filled with stimulating activities. Participants will be highly encouraged to roll up their sleeves and get involved with what is happening. This will be very relevant for teachers from elementary to high school. Those who are independent and teach children are also recommended to attend. Spread the wod

April see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Takaaki Hiratsuka (University of Auckland) Date: Saturday, April 14th, 2012 Title: Interwoven Stories Told by High School JTEs and ALTs Time: 10:00AM-12:00PM Place: JOIN US Room: Kenshushitsu-6 Cost: JALT members - free; Student non-JALT member - free; Non-JALT members - 500 yen Summary: Japan has used team teaching by Japanese Teachers of English (JTEs) and Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs) in daily English lessons through the JET programme for more than two decades. The issue of teachers’ as well as students’ perceptions of their participation in this programme has begun to attract attention. This presentation will share stories from a four month research project that took place at two Akita high schools. Through this project I hope to make contributions particularly to the field of Second Language Teacher Education (SLTE) by sharing stories from the project and facilitating thoughtful discussions. Those attending this session are highly encouraged to participate in the discussion by sharing their classroom teaching stories.

March see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Susumu Hiyama (Akita Prefectural University) Date: Saturday, March 24th, 2012 Title: Old English for Today Time: 10:00AM-12:00PM Place: JOIN US Room: Kenshushitsu-6 Cost: JALT members - free; Student non-JALT member - free; Non-JALT members - 500 yen Summary: The term "Old English" (henceforth OE) refers to the English language from the eighth century to the eleventh century. "What are the fundamental differences and similarities between OE and Modern English?" "What do we gain from studying OE?" "What does it take to study OE?" Through my presentation and various activities, I hope to: (1) let the audience find their own answers to these questions, (2) show that studying OE can be fascinating in its own right, and (3) how it may enhance our understanding of Modern English.

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pictures of the meetings in 2012
pictures of the meetings in 2011
pictures of the meetings in 2010
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pictures of the meetings in 1998-2000
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go to monthly meetings in 2012
go to monthly meetings in 2011
go to monthly meetings in 2010
go to monthly meetings in 2009
go to monthly meetings in 2008
go to monthly meetings in 2007
go to monthly meetings in 2006
go to monthly meetings in 2005
go to monthly meetings in 2004
go to monthly meetings in 2003
go to monthly meetings in 2002
go to monthly meetings in 2001
go to past meetings in 2000
go to past meetings in 1999
go to past meetings in 1998

AKITA JALT meetings in 2011

November see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Laurel Kamada Date: Thursday, November 24th, 2011 Title: Ideologies/Stereotypes that Japanese-learners of English take to class Time: 6:00PM-7:30PM Place: AIU Room: D - 105 (Main Lecture Hall Building next to the Library) Cost: Free Abstract - Ideologies/Stereotypes that Japanese-learners of English take to class: Identities of 'Japaneseness' and 'The Other' from Elementary School to University This presentation looks at ideologies and stereotypes that Japanese learners of English take to class with them by reporting on two studies. One is a Monkashou-sponsored project in elementary schools around Japan looking at how children perceive themselves as Japanese and also their images of foreigners and mixed-ethnic (half) people in Japan. The other study examined how university students expressed themselves concerning various intercultural communication topics from the standpoint of their own identities as Japanese. Results showed that both children and university students were often not aware of their biased and stereotypical worldviews. Even while both children and students expressed their awareness of newer, globalizing ideologies of diversity, they still tended to reveal stereotypical notions of foreigners in Japan by often drawing on older, dominant discourses of homogeneity, conformity and gender inequality to express themselves. Finally, I look at the effects of English education over time on these ideologies.

October see the meeting pictures Presentation and Annual General Meeting Guest speakers: Ms. Ibuki Aiba, Ms. Reika Maruyama, and Ms. Megumi Kimoto Date: Saturday, October 29th, 2011 Title: The learning environment at AIU for EAP students and foreign students studying Japanese Time: 10:00AM - 12:00PM Place: Akita International University Room: B-103 Cost: JALT members - free; Student non-JALT member - free; Non-JALT members - 1,000 yen The presenters are AIU Japanese Language Teaching and English Language Teaching graduate students. The topic is the learning environment at AIU for EAP students and foreign students studying Japanese. They did a survey and will discuss the preliminary results of the study. This is a warm-up for what they will present at JALT National. This is our annual general meeting so some other topics will be discussed, but the graduate students will go first. We will also ratify our constitution.

September see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Cameron Romney Date: Saturday, September 24th, 2011 Title: Typography and document design for classroom materials Time: 10:00AM - 12:00PM Place: Akita International University Room: B-103 Cost: JALT members - free; Student non-JALT member - free; Non-JALT members - 1,000 yen Abstract: Many teachers give students handouts of some sort in the classroom. Whether these are in-class activities or homework, the content of the handout is only half of the document. The other half is the visual elements: graphics, page layout, typography, etc. While lots of thought and energy went into the creation of content, often the visual elements of the document are ignored. Teachers should be concerned about these elements because research has shown that the visual design effects comprehension, motivation, etc. The presentation will review research related to visual design and then cover some of the basics of document design including: typeface (font), line spacing, white space, lines/shapes and clip art/graphics and offer some suggestions for best practices. Participants should come away from the presentation with a greater understanding of what the visual elements of a document are and how visual elements affect a reader’s comprehension and motivation. Bio: Cameron Romney first came to Japan in 1998 and has taught in a number of educational environments since then. He holds an MA in Applied Linguistics from the University of Colorado at Denver and his main area of research is visual communication and L2 learners. He is currently a Sr. Adjunct lecturer in the Center for Foreign Language Education at Momoyama Gakuin University in Osaka, Japan.

July see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Ken Schmidt, Tohoku Fukushi University, Sendai Date: Saturday, July 30th, 2011 Title: Building a Course in Extensive Reading for Non-English Majors Time: 10:00AM - 12:00PM Place: Akita International University Room: B-105 Cost: JALT members - free; Student non-JALT member - free; Non-JALT members - 1,000 yen Abstract: Ken will describe his university-level, elective EFL course focusing on extensive reading with graded readers. Because this is the only English course many of these non-English majors take in a given year, speaking, listening and writing—in addition to reading—are brought into play, with in-class emphases on interactive book- and vocabulary-related activities, and reading speed. Key components of the course (independent reading program, initial class reader, in-class activities) will be presented. Student response to the course (in terms of performance and questionnaire results) and action research possibilities will also be discussed. Audience participation and discussion are encouraged. Bio summary: Ken has been teaching English in Sendai for 20 years, and running extensive reading programs—in a variety of contexts—over the past fifteen years. Ken is also current president of JALT Sendai, and is greatly looking forward to his first chance to spend time with JALT colleagues in Akita and Iwate.

June see the meeting pictures Guest speakers: Joe Sykes and Yo Hamada, ALL at Akita University; Marjo Mitsutomi, LDIC at Akita International University; and Ayumi Fujita, CILL at College Plaza Date: Saturday, June 18th, 2011 Meeting Topic: Autonomous Language Learning: Efforts in Akita City Time: 10:00AM - 12:00PM Place: Akita University Student Support Services building - 2F Cost: JALT members - free; Student non-JALT member - free; Non-JALT members - 1,000 yen We will have three speakers who will give short talks about autonomous language learning and the programs they coordinate. Marjo Mitsutomi will start us off with a short introduction to the Language Development and Intercultural Center (LDIC) at Akita International University, which is open to the public. After her talk Ayumi Fujita will speak about what happens at the Center for Independent Language Learning (CILL) at College Plaza in downtown Akita City. It is also open to the public. Finally, Joe Sykes and Yo Hamada will talk about Akita University's current effort to motivate students to extend their learning options. Recently, these two newly hired instructors were tasked with the job of starting what has become the Autonomous Language Learning (ALL) rooms. It is open to all AU students, and while Joe and Yo coordinate its overall operations there is a large student presence in the day to day operations, as students organize and run many of the activities that involve the use of the rooms. The second half of the session will be more of an open discussion about the challenges and opportunities that autonomous language learning offers. This will be a roundtable type discussion where everyone involved can feel free to share his/her ideas and experiences. Schedule: 1000 - 1100 - Individual speaker talks; 1110 - 1200 - Roundtable discussion on autonomous language learning Opening remarks: 1000 - 1003 - Wayne Malcolm Marjo Mitsutomi - 1005 - 1015 Ayumi Fujita - 1020 - 1030 Joe Sykes and Yo Hamada - 1035 - 1100 Break - 1100 - 1110 1110 - 1155 - Open discussion on autonomous learning. 1150 - 1152 - Closing remarks - Wayne Malcolm

May see the meeting pictures This will be an all-star presentation of the Akita-JALT members who presented at the 2010 Nagoya National Conference. We had a good number of people at Nagoya carrying the banner of Akita-JALT. Here is what we will see: Date: May 28th, 2011 Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: AIU Room: B-103 Admission: Free for JALT members/ 1,000 yen for non-members/ 500 yen for non-member students 14:00 - 14:05 - Opening Remarks - Wayne Malcolm, President - Akita-JALT 14:10 - 14:30 - Carlos Budding - Lights, Camera, Action - Using drama and theatre in the language classroom 14:35 - 15:55 - Sean Arnold - Developing leaders through reading and discussion 15:00 - 15:20 - Bobby Takahashi and Steve Shucart - Using narratives in the classroom (this will actually be there 2011 presentation topic...sneak preview) 15:25 - 15:45 - Wayne Malcolm (and Takaaki Hiratsuka) - Latest developments of 'Investigating and exploring non-judgmental stances' 15:50 - 15:55 - Closing remarks - Wayne Malcolm, President - Akita-JALT

April Officers Meeting Date: April 23rd, 2011 Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Yugakusha Community Center Room: Yugakusha Showakan 1 F "Ohsetsuma" We will be discussing chapter business like future meetings, ideas for raising membership, and ways to get members to participate more actively at chapter meetings, and other things like the general state of language learning in Akita.

March see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Takaaki Hiratsuka Date: March 19th, 2011 Title: JET Program In Action Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: AIU Room: B-103 Admission: Free for JALT members/ 1,000 yen for non-members/ 500 yen for non-member students Abstract: What seems to be one peculiar change in English education that Japan has witnessed is the continuous development of the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program. The JET Program is believed to be the largest and best-documented team teaching program in the world. However, very few appear to know what actually occurs between Japanese teachers of English (JTEs) and foreign assistant language teachers (ALTs) in the classroom. In order to increase the understandings of the JET program, participants will be familiarized with the relevant literature and be introduced to the joint action research in which my ALT colleague and I are engaged. BIO: I am a Japanese teacher of English at Akita Futatsui high school who has an MA in English Language Teaching from Akita International University. I love reading books; that is, when I am not playing futsal.

AKITA JALT meetings in 2010

December see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Claudine Bennent Date: December 11th, 2010 Title: Theatre Training for Teachers: Actors' Techniques Keep Language Teachers In-shape and Ready for Class Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: AIU Room: B-103 Admission: Free for JALT members/ 1,000 yen for non-members/ 500 yen for non-member students Description: This workshop is designed to introduce participants to voice techniques and exercises used to train actors, but that have been adapted to the lifestyle and demands of teachers. They will learn how to improve their projection and articulation; develop a voice that students want to listen to; as well as protect their voices from long-term damage. Additional details: PLEASE WEAR COMFORTABLE CLOTHES YOU CAN BE ACTIVE IN. SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES WILL INSTRUCT PEOPLE TO SIT ON THE FLOOR, STRETCH, AND MOVE AROUND. CLAUDINE RECOMMENDS WOMEN WEAR PANTS. SKIRTS AND OR DRESSES MIGHT PREVENT WOMEN FROM FULLY PARTICIPATING. ALSO, IT IS RECOMMENDED EACH PERSON BRING A TOWEL OR SOMETHING TO SIT ON. AGAIN, SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES CALL FOR SITTING ON THE FLOOR, STRETCHING, BEING PHYSICALLY ACTIVE.

November November 19th - 23rd - 2010 JALT National Conference in Nagoya

November see the meeting pictures this will be a presentation given by the Asian Scholar who will be attending this JALT National Conference this year. Soryong Om - JALT Asian Scholar/Four Corners Tour Speaker presentation. He will be speaking about Teaching and Learning English in Cambodian High Schools: Challenges and Prospects. Guest speaker: Mr. Soryong Om, Deputy Head of English Department, Institute of Foreign Languages, Phnom Penh, Cambodia Date: Thursday, 18th November, 2010 Time: 18:30 - 20:00 Place: Akita International University Room: D Building, Room 104 (D-104) Cost: Free Presentation Abstract: English was introduced to high schools in Cambodia as a foreign language component of the high school curriculum in 1992. Despite some significant progress since its inception, the teaching of English has, however, faced considerable challenges in terms of class size, methodology, syllabuses, enthusiasm, students' proficiency level, and learning environment. Many high school teachers seem complacent about the way they teach English, for they believe that as long as they stick to the syllabuses which were adopted by the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports for all high schools, they have achieved their course goals. Also, many students take a carefree attitude towards English learning. As a result, they end up having enormous difficulty with English communication despite six years of English study, from grade seven to grade twelve. This paper will identify the challenges that impede the progress of English teaching and learning in Cambodian high schools and look at the chances of its success in an attempt to revitalize the ELT field in high schools in particular and in Cambodia as a whole. Extended Speaker Bio: Om Soryong is currently the deputy head of the English Department of the Institute of Foreign Languages, Royal University of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. He holds a Master’s Degree of Science in Instructional Design from Southern Illinois University, USA and a Graduate Diploma in TESOL from the University of Canberra, Australia. He has been involved in curriculum/syllabus design and development and teaching English as a foreign language in the Bachelor of Education in TEFL and Bachelor of Arts in English courses at the Institute of Foreign Languages for more than 10 years. His areas of expertise include teaching methodology, translation, curriculum development, and instructional design. He has a special interest in learner motivation and the use of humour in the classroom. He is also a member of the CamTESOL steering committee.

October see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Marc Helgesen Date: October 23rd, 2010 Title: ELT and the Science of Happiness: Positive psychology in the classroom Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Akita International University Room: B-103 Admission: Free for JALT members/ 1,000 yen for non-members/ 500 yen for non-member students ELT and the Science of Happiness: Positive psychology in the classroom Positive, motivated students -- engaged in what they are studying and with each other -- learn more. How do we facilitate that positive attitude in the classroom? This activity-based session looks at ways positive psychology (TIME magazine calls it "The science of happiness") can be combined with clear language learning goals for active, invested learning. This is more than "positive self-talk". It is sharing with our students the concrete behaviors that happy people engage in. We'll look at the set-point of personal affect and the tipping point of positivity ☺ Speaker: Marc Helgesen (Miyagi Gakuin Women's University) is author of more than 100 professional articles, books and textbooks including the popular English Firsthand series and has lead teacher development workshop on 5 continents. He is professor at Miyagi Gakuin Women's University, Sendai and adjunct at Teachers College Columbia University, MA Program, Tokyo. He maintains a website on this topic at this website.

September see the meeting pictures Annual General Meeting Date: September 25th, 2010 Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Akita International University Room: Room B-103 Admission: Free for JALT members/ 1,000 yen for non-members/ 500 yen for non-member students Agenda: 1) Presentation/discussion by Hiratsuka Takaaki and Wayne Malcolm concerning student-teacher interaction and the stances teachers take in the classroom while making and implementing decisions; 2) Discussion of Akita-JALT business; 3) Officer core elections On the agenda for the meeting will be a presentation by Hiratsuka Takaaki and myself concerning our recent research study into student-teacher interactions within the classroom, and how teachers make and implement decisions. Our study is in the first phase (of 3), and we would like to share some of our preliminary findings with you. We want the constructive criticism of our fellow members as we know you are practitioners who value professional development. Next on the agenda will be discussion of Akita-JALT business, as well as what is happening at the national level that will affect us (I will elaborate more on national news later). Lastly, we will hold officer elections (I will send a separate email about this). Once again, there are many things to discuss so if you have some time please come and join us at Akita International University, room B-103 from 1400 to 1600. Second, I would like to elaborate on two points concerning JALT-National. One, in the July/August 2010 edition of The Language Teacher you should have received the ballot for this year’s officer elections at the national level. This will take place at the national conference. I encourage you all to attend (if you choose to please register as soon as possible). If you have not done so already please fill in the ballot and send it back to JALT Central Office. If you have any questions about nominees ask me; I know them all. And second, in the September/October 2010 edition of The Language Teacher you should have received some forms concerning the national constitution and Tokyo NPO law. Please fill in and post the forms by the deadline on the envelope - November 10, 2010. This is a very important procedure that will determine how voting at the national level is handled. You need to be involved in this. Please read the information carefully and vote for what you believe. That said, as a member of the Executive Board Committee I can safely say these amendments will only help JALT. Again, if you have any questions do not hesitate to email me, or you can call at 080-3148-1990.

July see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Natsumi Onaka, Associate Professor, Iwate University International Center /尾中夏美（岩手大学国際交流センター准教授) Date: July 10th, 2010 Title: Extensive Reading and ICT contents: guiding university students to be better English readers /多読教材とＩＣＴコンテンツ−大学生の英語 を読む力を伸ばすために Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: AIU (Akita International University) Room: B-103 Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students Taking the globalization of society into consideration, being able to read English text efficiently is one of the most eligible skills for university graduates. It is necessary for them to read fast with good comprehension. Some of them must learn tactics in order to be better readers. In this presentation, the presenter, Natsumi Onaka, will discuss how she is trying to develop a user-friendly program which combines graded readers with the pre-reading, post-reading, speed-reading, and extra-supporting activities for poor readers. They would be stored as a database in a server, applying the concept of e-learning. Since this program is in the process of production, positive questions and comments are welcome. グローバル化する社会に人材を送り出す大学にとって、専攻のいかんを問わず学生に一定の英語力を付けて卒業させることは重要な使命と言えるでしょう。単に課題が読めたかどうかの確認にとどまらず、長い英文の大意を素早く正確に理 解するという技能は自然に身につくのを待つのではなく、積極的な指導が望まれます。本発表では、多読教材と読書前、読書後、速読、そして読むのが苦手な学生のための特別トレーニングの独自教材をE-ラーニングのシステムのフォーマットに取り入れた現在開発中のプログラムについて解説します。現場の先生方からの建 設的な質問やコメントなど歓迎します。

June see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Joe Sykes Date: June 12th, 2010 Title: Metaphor Elicitation as a Means of Investigating Learner Beliefs and Facilitating Reflection Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place & Room: Akita University, Student Support Center 2nd Floor Meeting Room Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students As part of the research study for his master's thesis, Joseph Sykes explored the beliefs of English language learners by getting them to compose original metaphors. This not only articulated the students' conscious and subconscious thoughts, it also gave them a way to reflect on what it means to be a language learner. Mr. Sykes will take us through the main areas of his study, after which he will conduct a short workshop on metaphor and how using metaphor can articulate our beliefs as learners of language, teachers of language, researchers, etc. Mr. Joseph Sykes is a member of Akita-JALT. Mr. Sykes also teaches at Akita University. He will be deepening our knowledge of metaphors and how they can help language learners express their beliefs. For anyone learning a language this is useful knowledge to understand. Mr. Sykes will be delivering a presentation on this subject at this year's PAN-SIG conference held in Osaka, May 22nd and 23rd.

May see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Peter Ross Date: May 29th, 2010 Title: Understanding Students' Non-Verbal Behavior: What does that silence mean anyway? Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Joinus (This is near the huge pond at the bottom of Senshu Park on Hirokoji Street) Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students Little classroom research exists on the feedback that students give to language teachers from moment to moment during the course of a lesson, and how teachers respond to such feedback in planning the next steps in their lesson online; i.e. in real-time. Participants in this workshop will have the opportunity to develop their skill at detecting and responding to online student-to-teacher verbal and gestural feedback. Videotaped samples of student feedback will be presented for observation, analysis and discussion.

April see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Marcos Benevides from ABAX Date: April 24th, 2010 Title: Intensively Extensive: How my experience as an ESL learner has contributed to my teaching and writing Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Sunpal Akita-Gakushushitsu 2, 4th Floor at Akita City Bunka Kaikan*** Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students The speaker will present his personal story as a language learner and demonstrate the impact it has made on his classroom practice as well as on his material writing. He will suggest how all teachers can directly, immediately--and often surprisingly--benefit from a careful autobiographical exploration of their own learning experiences. Benevides is an assistant professor at J. F. Oberlin University in Tokyo, and the co-author of popular ELT titles "Fiction in Action: Whodunit" (ABAX, 2010) and "Widgets: A task-based course in practical English" (Pearson, 2008). ** For a free sample of Marcos' work visit the ABAX website and see his new book "Fiction in Action: Whodunit" (ABAX, 2010). *** Guide to Location: See map. Just for your information, if you know where the Akita City and Prefectural offices are, this place is down the road. It's a 10 to 15 minute bus or taxi ride from the Akita City JR Station.

March see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Takaaki Hiratsuka Date: March 27th, 2010 Title: What Language Should We Be Using In Our Classrooms? Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: AIU (Akita International University) Room: B-103 Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students Abstract: With the growing English education fever in Japan in mind, it is high time to consider what would be the ideal in-classroom-language for teachers to use in daily English lessons. There is a debate about whether native English-speaking teachers (NEST) or non-native English-speaking teachers (NNET) are best for in-class instruction, as well as the use of L1. This discussion and workshop will talk about this issue, and others, from the perspective of the presenter, who studied Akita high school students and how they reacted to English and Japanese usage in the classroom. It seems that students prefer using L1 and L2 depending on the purpose. What do you think? You thoughts, opinions, stories are welcome with open arms. About the speaker: Takaaki Hiratsuka is a full-time Engish teacher at Futatsui senior high school as well as a graduate student at Akita International University. His current reserach interests include teacher education, World Englishes, and discourse analysis. He plays futsal in his freetime.

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pictures of the meetings in 2012
pictures of the meetings in 2011
pictures of the meetings in 2010
pictures of the meetings in 2009
pictures of the meetings in 2008
pictures of the meetings in 2007
pictures of the meetings in 2006
pictures of the meetings in 2005
pictures of the meetings in 2004
pictures of the meetings in 2003
pictures of the meetings in 2002
pictures of the meetings in 2001
pictures of the meetings in 1998-2000
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go to monthly meetings in 2012
go to monthly meetings in 2011
go to monthly meetings in 2010
go to monthly meetings in 2009
go to monthly meetings in 2008
go to monthly meetings in 2007
go to monthly meetings in 2006
go to monthly meetings in 2005
go to monthly meetings in 2004
go to monthly meetings in 2003
go to monthly meetings in 2002
go to monthly meetings in 2001
go to past meetings in 2000
go to past meetings in 1999
go to past meetings in 1998

AKITA JALT meetings in 2009

December see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Phil McCasland, Director of Programs for JALT Date: December 12th, 2009 Title: Using TV Commercials as Language Teaching Tools Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: AIU (Akita International University) Room: B-103 Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students Abstract: TV commercials provide a host of pedagogical possibilities for any language class. One 30-second ad brings authentic linguistic and cultural content that can be integrated into various communicative activities. A commercial is not just a 30-second ad; it’s a story, a scene, a cast of characters, a dialogue, an array of emotions and even a bit of humor—the real dynamics of communication. The technology is basic (a computer, MP4 player and TV monitor) but the content delivered through appropriate commercials will bring English to life for your students. They will naturally react to the situation while empathizing with the characters and experiencing an emotional and often humorous side of English. Students are also motivated to improvise and modify the content while using the specific context as a framework for such co-creating and expanding. This technique borrows much from the methodology of using films in language education where listening and observing serve as foundational skills that naturally lead to discussion, critical thinking, role play, and writing activities. In this workshop I will demonstrate several methods for incorporating TV advertising into your class. I will also share some student examples while discussing the benefits, the technology, and a selection matrix. Biographical data for each presenter.: Philip McCasland is an Associate Professor at Fukushima University—Faculty of Economics and Business Administration; has lived and taught English in universities in Japan for more than 12 years; is the National Director of Programs for the Japan Association for Language Teaching (JALT); taught in Korea for one year; has research interests that include business English, extensive reading, and administrative structures.

October see the meeting pictures This meeting will be part presentation, part election, and part discussion on the future of the Akita chapter. Date: October 24th, 2009 Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: AIU (Akita International University) Room: B-103 Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students First, The Presentation - Wayne Malcolm will be giving a short presentation on motivation regarding students, and teachers. He will share some of his ideas on how to keep both parties motivated. Next, The Election - You may or may not know, but long time chapter president, Takeshi Suzuki has stepped down. He, and the other Akita Chapter officers appointed Wayne Malcolm to be Acting President. There needs to be an official election choosing the next president. This is the time for those who might want to be president to put in his/her name. After the new president is chosen, he/she will facilitate a discussion on the future of the Akita Chapter. Please bring ideas to share, as all members have a voice.

September see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: officers and participants Date: September 26th, 2009 Title: My Lesson Plan Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: AIU (Akita International University) Room: B-103 Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students The main theme is "My Lesson Plan." Each officer will present what he/she does in their classrooms. They will share one or two of their lesson plans with the members at the meeting. The participants are expected to bring some of their ideas and classroom activities to share with everyone. All can certainly learn something from one another.

July see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Alastair Graham-Marr Date: July 25th, 2009 Title: Relating Culture to the teaching of communication strategies Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: AIU (Akita International University) Room: B-103 Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students Abstract: This workshop will examine the ties between culture and the use of communication strategies in L1 and will look at the extent to which communication strategies employed in a learner L1 transfer naturally to English. It will then look at the two broad categories of communication strategies, affective strategies and management strategies. Participants will be asked to consider the possibility that students from different cultural backgrounds may differ in their need to be introduced to communication strategies. The use of affective strategies may differ between speakers from different cultures and how the use of management strategies may be affected by cultural differences in the employment of politeness strategies. Finally, the workshop will examine whether or not learners of English within an Asian context benefit from the explicit teaching of communication strategies and if so how these strategies might be introduced to learners. Biography: Alastair Graham-Marr, M. Appl. Ling., has been teaching in Japan for over 20 years. He has presented at conferences in Thailand, the UAE, the US, Taiwan, Korea, Brazil and is a frequent presenter in Japan. For the past five years he has been an instructor on the David English House / OUP Certificate in Teaching Japanese Students course. Alastair is also author of Communication Spotlight: Speaking Strategies & Listening Skills, a series of textbooks for Oral Communication classes for high-school and college level students and is a full time teacher at Tokai University in Kanagawa.

June see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Dr. John F. Fanselow Date: June 20th, 2009 Title: Try the opposite! Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: AIU (Akita International University) Room: B-103 Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students abstract of "Try the opposite!" During the workshop, we will pretend we are teaching at a school with the admonition TRY THE OPPOSITE! displayed in every classroom. Beneath the admonition are these rules: N e v o a s t d w. N a s t u w i a s t i t m. N e g o a s t e g. N a a s q-w q s a “W d t m?” o “W c w s t r t t?” N a s t r o c w o s. N a s t r o a t e a g t t p l. N s w s a “v g, e, w” a s r. N p d l p. N t s w t a g t l d a l. Or Never explain vocabulary or ask students to define words. Never ask students to use words in a sentence to illustrate their meaning. Never explain grammar or ask students to explain grammar. Never answer any student’s question-word questions such as “What does this mean?” or “Why can’t we say this rather than that?” Never ask students to repeat or copy words or sentences. Never ask students to read orally as their eyes are glued to the printed lines. Never say words such as “very good, excellent, wonderful” after students respond. Never prepare detailed lesson plans. Never tell students what they are going to learn during a lesson. During the workshop, we will generate ways to follow the admonition and follow the rules listed below the admonition. To ensure that the alternative practices are related to your day-to-day teaching, please bring one of the textbooks you use to the workshop. One of my central goals will be to illustrate ways you can with much less time and energy generate alternative activities with whatever textbooks you are using. information about the presenter: John has been involved in exploring teaching since 1961 in many countries, including many years in Japan. He believes that the only way to understand teaching is to transcribe short segments of lessons and analyze them in a playful way from many perspectives, much as those interested in drama analyze plays to understand them. Analysis to John means asking how activities we think are good are bad and how activities we think are bad are good.

May see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Jon Dujmovich Date: May 23rd, 2009 Title: From Curiosity to Competency: Intercultural Activities for the ESL/EFL classroom Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: AIU (Akita International University) Room: B-103 Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students Abstract: Language educators often speak of using techniques and activities appropriate for each stage of language learning. But when it comes to incorporating cultural learning in the language lessons, there is usually very little consideration given to the learners' developmental stage of intercultural learning. The consequences of ill-matched activities can lead to reaffirmed or deeper cultural misunderstandings, and little or no growth in intercultural competency. In this workshop the presenter will demonstrate and discuss how to incorporate culture-based activities into the ESL/EFL classroom according to the learners' intercultural developmental stage, age, language ability, and other factors. All activities and techniques demonstrated are grounded in intercultural communications theory and methodology coupled with ESL pedagogy. The presenter will provide opportunities to experiment with ideas and activities in a participant workshop format while demonstrating how the activities can be adjusted for learning stage appropriateness. Presenter Biography: Jon Dujmovich is an adjunct lecturer in the Department of Comparative Culture at Aichi University (Toyohashi) and Department of International Communication at Shizuoka University of Arts & Culture. He has over 15 years experience as a language teacher and corporate cross-cultural trainer in Japan. Jon is currently involved in developing a multicultural education training program for K-12 teachers in conjunction with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). In 2007 he was awarded a research award from the Suruga Institute for "The World in My Neighborhood Project," an EFL intercultural communications pilot course for 3rd year Junior High School students endorsed by the Shizuoka Prefectural Board of Education.

April see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Colin Graham Date: April 25th, 2009 Title: The Corpus in the Classroom Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: AIU (Akita International University) Room: B-103 Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students Abstract: In this workshop, the presenter will lead a session to show the possibilities and pitfalls of introducing corpora in a practical way to the classroom. He will discuss aspects of building the corpus, ways to involve students in its creation and materials development. No prior knowledge of corpus linguistics is required or assumed. Bio: Colin Graham has been teaching English in Japan since 1998, prior to which he taught Mathematics and IT in London, as well as spending 10 years in different industries. He is currently the Co-ordinator for JALT’s Teacher Education SIG and Membership Chair for the forming Teachers Helping Teachers SIG. He is interested in learner autonomy, materials writing and professional development. He works for Sumikin-Intercom, a private language school providing English training for business people.

March see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Yasuhiro Imai, Ph.D. Date: March 14th, 2009 Title: Recasting emotions in SLA: Insights from learning as a social transaction Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: AIU (Akita International University) Room: B-103 Admission: Free for all the participants Abstract: What is the role and meaning of affect in second language acquisition (SLA)? Language practitioners have tackled this important question by exploring various affective factors, such as language anxiety, second language (L2) motivation, and the neurobiological mechanism. Nevertheless, serious discussions of the integral component of affect, emotions, have been rarity. This scholarly attitude reflects particular assumptions to conceive affect and learning, which can be characterized as individualistic, cognitive, dichotomous, and product-oriented. While acknowledging the contribution made by the previous research paradigm, I propose a complementary perspective that calls for more substantial attention to the wide range of emotions in language learning. I take a particular view that emotions are not just a learner's inner, private workings that merely filter cognitive functioning. Rather, emotions--in any forms--can mediate development, especially when learning is considered a fundamentally interpersonal transaction. By presenting actual data from a study, I illustrate how a group of learners discursively manifested, shared, and co-constructed their emotional attitudes toward their group work and how such emotional intersubjectivity pushed the group, in their knowledge co-construction, to challenge assigned tasks and materials. Finally, implications of the proposed perspective will be considered. Biostatements: Yasuhiro Imai is Lecturer at the Centre for the Teaching of Foreign Languages in General Education of Sophia University. His interests include emotions in second language learning, collaborative learning, and discourse analysis. He has taught EFL to Japanese university students.

AKITA JALT meetings in 2008

November see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Bobby Mamoru Takahashi & Stephen Shucart Date: November 22nd, 2008 Title: Content-Based Instruction: A tale with two flavors Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: AIU (Akita International University) Room: B-103 Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students Summary: Content-Based Instruction (CBI) is a methodology that utilizes a theme-based curriculum rather than focusing on the traditional forms, functions, situations or skills. We will examine two different types of CBI course: one a four-skills practical English course on the theme of global climate change, and the other a conversation course based on science fiction DVDs. Both Bobby Mamoru Takahashi & Stephen Shucart teach at Akita Kenritsu University.

October see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Anthony S. Rausch Date: October 25th, 2008 Title: English Story Cycle: What, Why and How Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: AIU (Akita International University) Room: B-103 Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students English Story Cycle: What, Why and How 英語ストーリ・サイクル：何を、なぜ、どうやって This presentation will introduce English Story Cycle as an approach to elementary school English in Japan. The presentation will detail what the English Story Cycle idea is, why it is appropriate for elementary school English in Japan, and how to conduct English Story Cycle, either as the basis for the overall curriculum or as a meaningful add-on to any other curriculum. Handouts will be provided, along with materials for a mock English Story Cycle sequence and samples of story books that have been used. この講習は英語ストーリ・サイクルを小学校英語教育への指導方法の一つとして提案するものです。独自のカリキュラムを使うか、あるいは文科省のカリキュラムを基に何か付け加えて使うかを考慮しながら、英語ストーリ・サイクルが何を意図するものか、なぜ小学校英語教育にふさわしいのか、そしてどう指導していくのか。これまで使った教材を共にプリントを準備し、模擬授業を行います。 Note 1: Although the books that will be introduced are published by the major textbook publishing companies in Japan, the presenter has no financial interest in the materials. Note 2: To the degree possible, materials and presentation will be offered bilingually, in English and Japanese. 注１：紹介する本は大手出版会社によるもので、講師は教材などからの利益は一切ない。 注２：教材と講習は英語と日本語のバイリンガルで行われる。 Speaker: Anthony S. Rausch is a member of the English Department of the Faculty of Education at Hirosaki University. He has taught English in a variety of circumstances and at a variety of levels for over 15 years. His current interests are elementary school English education and teacher training.

September see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Carlos Budding Date: September 27th, 2008 Title: An Introduction to American Sign Language Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: AIU (Akita International University) Room: B-103 Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for one-day members, 500 yen for students This workshop is primarily intended for those individuals who have a desire to learn some basic information regarding American Sign Language (ASL). The workshop will have 2 foci: first to understand a little of the history/theory of ASL, and second to learn some basic signs. In the first part of the presentation, participants will be exposed to some of the basic linguistic theories that apply to American Sign Language (ASL). Ideas of what makes a sign, and what linguistic rules govern how a sign is made will be presented. Participants will also learn a brief history of how ASL came about in The United States and what challenges ASL is facing in a time of globalization. During the second part of the presentation, participants will be exposed to a typical “sign class”, that is a class taught completely in silence and using only ASL, gestures, and some writing. Students will be taught the manual alphabet, numbers, and some signs intended for basic communication. Brief Educational and Professional Biography I began learning ASL at the age of 16. Prior to becoming a teacher, I was a Sign Language Interpreter working primarily in the educational setting for almost 10 years. I earned two Master’s Degrees, one in Linguistics from Gallaudet University, and the other in Education from George Mason University. As a teacher, I taught ESOL to deaf and hearing students in the US and I was also an adjunct instructor at George Mason University teaching assessment for language teachers. Currently, I am a lecturer working at Akita International University where, aside from teaching English to highly motivated and intelligent students, I also co-teach in a club teaching both ASL and Japanese Sign Language (JSL).

July see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Susan Duggan Date: July 26th, 2008 Title: What Do Your Students Really Think of Your Classes? – Achieving More Effective Course Evaluations Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: AIU (Akita International University) Room: B-103 Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students Description: Do you know what your students really think of your classes? Can you know this from conventional course evaluation forms? Are the course evaluation forms which many colleges and universities make their students fill out giving teachers accurate and meaningful feedback? If not, what can we do about it? This workshop has two parts. In the first part, the presenter will bring up problems of standardized course evaluation forms with evidence from interviews with students. 　As students filled out a course evaluation form, they were asked, “What does this item mean?” and “Why did you choose that number for your answer?” Participants are invited to comment on and discuss the surprising results. In the second part of the workshop, participants will consider how to improve course evaluation forms and how to attain more efficient feedback from students about classes. The presenter will offer models and aids for meaningful course evaluation. Participants may use these to improve on course evaluation forms or think of alternative methods of evaluation. If you have a course evaluation form which you would like to discuss or work on, you are welcome to do so. By the end of the workshop, participants should be able to think more critically about course evaluation, and determine more confidently the best way to elicit their own students’ opinions and observations on their learning. Biodata: Susan Duggan has been an English teacher at Iwate Prefectural University since 2005 and also teaches “Preparation for Study at a University in an English-Speaking Country” at Iwate University, “English Education for Children” at Morioka University and German to the general public. After working as a high school teacher of English and German in Britain, she came to Iwate in 1991, where she worked in public and private high schools for thirteen years, first as an ALT and then as a high school teacher.

June see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Mark Neufeld Date: June 21st, 2008 Title: Debate and Structured Discussions in the EFL Classroom Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: AIU (Akita International University) Room: B-103 Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students Description: In the first hour of the presentation I discuss the teaching of debate in the college EFL classroom. For those unfamiliar with debate, I examine the format of parliamentary-style debate, along with the vocabulary and methods involved in teaching and conducting debates in an English class. Then I open the discussion up to those attendees who have taught debate so that we can share our experiences and opinions. In the second part of the presentation I describe a technique I've developed over the last six years or so that I call "Structured Discussions". The technique can be taught to high school and college students with high-beginner to advanced English ability, and can be used in oral English or integrated skills classes. It incorporates many of the skills associated with debate, but does not require the learning of specialized vocabulary or debate procedures. It can be done in pairs or small groups, and can be easily tailored to the students' needs and interests. The activities leading up to actual structured discussions include brainstorming, outlining, and practicing conversation management skills. Students get a chance to read, write and speak target vocabulary and grammar in a structured and systematic way, and I've found that by the end of a unit even weaker students are able to handle discussions lasting 15 minutes or longer. Biography: Mark Neufeld has an M.A. in Education (Emphasis in ESL) from the University of Colorado in Denver, Colorado, U.S. He is an assistant professor at Sakura no Seibo Junior College in Fukushima, where he has taught English for 15 years. Before that he taught at Sakura no Seibo High School for two years and at Berlitz Language School in Tokyo for 4 years.

May see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Lesley Ito Date: May 24th, 2008 Title: Lesson Planning: As Easy As Pie! Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: AIU (Akita International University) Room: B-103 Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students Description: Lesley Ito, owner of BIG BOW English Lab in Nagoya will present a simple and easy-to-use "Pie Chart" system for consistently creating high quality, balanced lesson plans and for keeping a manageable record of what has been taught throughout the year. Teachers who use the "Pie Chart" system will be able to easily create a curriculum that incorporates all four skills and school owners who employ teachers will be able to maintain high quality control in all classes. Lesley Ito's bio: Originally from Florida, Lesley Ito is an EFL teacher, private language school owner and teacher trainer in Nagoya with over 15 years of experience.

AKITA JALT meetings in 2007

November

October see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: James Hobbs (Iwate Medical University) Date: October 27th, 2007 Title: Recipes for success in teaching medical English Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: AIU (Akita International University) Room: B-103 Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students ABSTRACT Even to native English speakers, a medical case report or research paper abstract can seem like a linguistic minefield of tortured grammar and impossibly complex technical terms. Many teachers, doubting their own ability as well as that of their students to cope with such material, may choose to base courses for medical students on doctor/patient conversations, or on texts written for a non-specialist audience, such as newspaper or magazine articles. This is understandable, and ELT publishers offer many titles based on such content. However, such material, despite often containing relatively little language of use to medical students, can actually be more difficult for students to cope with than authentic medical texts. Drawing on his own experience of teaching second- and third-year medical students, the presenter will show how students can be taught to decipher complex technical terms with ease, and to identify the structure and key content of case reports and research paper abstracts. Participants will try out some simple classroom activities, and there will be ample time for questions and discussion. While the presentation will be of particular interest to those who teach medical students, it will also appeal to anyone who wishes to see how a science-oriented ESP class can be taught by a teacher with limited background knowledge, provided the teacher is willing to invest some time and effort in exploring the subject area.

September see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Mamoru Takahashi Date: September 29th, 2007 Title: Action Log and Topic-Based Instruction Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Joinus (Joinus is in downtown Akita at the entrance of Senshu Park) Room: No.5 seminar room Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students Action Log and Topic-Based Instruction This presentation will show you how to use Action Log (AL) in your classroom. AL is a kind of action research. It is a tool that enables you to know what students are thinking. The second  theme in this workshop is how to conduct  topic-based instruction in the classroom. We know that merely exposing students to a piece of knowledge only once is not enough to improve their English skills. During the workshop, you will experience how to organize teaching materials under a specific theme or topic. Mamoru Takahashi is teaching English at Research and Education Center for Comprehensive Science, Akita Prefectural University.  His current areas of interest include Content-based Communicative Instruction,  Computer Assisted Language Learning, Autonomous Learning, and Action Research.

July see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Grant Trew (Oxford University Press) Date: July 28th, 2007 Title: The New TOEIC Test : Understanding and Overcoming the Challenges Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: AIU (Akita International University) Room: B-103 Admission: Free (Oxford University Press sponsored) The TOEIC ® Test 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 ® test preparation courses have become a standard part of both College/University and private language teaching curriculums. The change to the test format in May 2006 has significant implications both for students and educators, who will need both an understanding of the changes and appropriate preparation to deal with them. This workshop aims to clarify the changes to the test, highlight the impact and implications 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 be used to prepare students to improve their scores. An overview of the format and implications of the new Speaking and Writing tests will also be included. 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 Oxford Tactics for the TOEIC® Series Speaking and Writing Tests Student Book and the Official Oxford University Press Japan Teacher's Guide to the TOEIC® Test. All participants will receive a free copy of the Teacher's Guide during the presentation written in the language of their choice. Participants are also welcome to fill out inspection copy request forms for a copy of the Student Book.

June see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Michael Todd Fouts Date: June 23rd, 2007 Title: STEP EIKEN: An insider's guide to Japan's national English test Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: AIU (Akita International University) Room: B-103 Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students presentation summary: Part 1: Who is STEP? What is EIKEN? A crash course in the history, purpose, and content of the EIKEN Test in Practical English Proficiency—one of the world's most widely administered language tests, and yet one of Japan's best-kept secrets. Find out how EIKEN items are developed and who does it, and why it's the scariest job in the world. Part 2: EIKEN goes global Until four years ago, EIKEN was virtually unheard of outside Japan. Now the test is recognized for admissions at hundreds of institutions in North America and Australia. What happened? The growth of EIKEN from domestic test to global qualification, and the potential impact on education in Japan. Bio: Michael Todd Fouts is International Operations Manager and Chief Editor at the Society for Testing English Proficiency (STEP), where EIKEN is produced by a team of 200 writers, editors, and advisors. Fouts has worked in Japan since 1990 as a teacher and test developer.

May see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Martin Pauly (Tsukuba University of Technology) Date: May 26th, 2007 Title: Sign Language in the Language-teaching Classroom Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: AIU (Akita International University) Room: B-103 Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students abstract: 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. Biodata Martin Pauly has been at Tsukuba University of Technology, Division for the Visually Impaired, for 15 years. He holds offices in the JALT Ibaraki Chapter, the Bilingualism SIG and the TOL SIG. His current areas of interest include the use of sign language in the language-teaching classroom, children's bilingualism, tai chi chuan and running marathons as a guide runner for blind athletes.

April see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Jarrett Dave, Ragan Jr. Date: April 21st, 2007 Title: The Power of Stories to Teach and Motivate Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM (the time changed!) Place: Yugakusha (next to Akita Red Cross Hospital) 秋田県ゆとり生活創造センター遊学舎：　Tel:018-829-5801 Room: Kenshushitsu #2 Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students * It will be the last presentation since Dave Ragan is going to leave Akita on April 23rd. Story telling has been the preferred method of teaching since ancient times. It is still used in many societies as a way to help people understand the world. From the stories we hear and tell we learn right and wrong, and what is deemed useful and wasteful. In socio-cultural terms we construct our identity along with others in our society through the stories we tell. In neuroscience terms stories help us make patterns of neurons in our brains that are used to shape and control our behaviors, thoughts and beliefs about what is possible and impossible for ourselves and for our society. The presenter would like to discuss the effectiveness of motivational stories in the language classroom as both a tool for language learning and for enhancing learning strategies, thus improving the learners’ motivation for language acquisition. He will share one or two of his favorite motivational stories that he uses to help himself and his students construct a more useful way of looking at and hopefully tackling the world of learning English specifically and life in general. The participants will then be asked to share their successful motivational stories in pairs or small groups. I hope the participants will go away with a better appreciation of the power of stories to both teach language, and enhance motivation and practical learning skills.

AKITA JALT meetings in 2006

December see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Terri Lee Nagahashi (Akita University) Date: December 9th, 2006 Title: Fostering Positive Changes in Students' Beliefs about Learning English Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: AIU (Akita International University) Room: B-103 Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students Abstract Becoming proficient in English as a foreign language (EFL) is a challenging task for many students in Japanese universities. Plagued by negative appraisals, low motivation and an inability to direct and sustain learning efforts, students' progress is often slow. Previous research in this area has found that the university entrance examination system and the role of higher education are two critical factors that impact students' appraisals, motivation and progress. Several key characteristics of this system, and potential strategies for improvement, will be addressed in this presentation. First, an explanation of the Japanese education system will be provided, as well as demonstrating how this system creates negative appraisals and restricts students' opportunities for self-directed learning. Second, the traditional role of higher education and its impact on students’ motivation and progress will be examined. Third, the results and implications of a novel interventional study of learning English in a Japanese university will be presented. The interventional study was designed to foster positive changes in students' beliefs about learning English and to enhance their motivation for learning. The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of allowing students in four EFL classes opportunities to explore various learning resources, identify their personal learning preferences, experiment with language learning strategies, and set short-term learning goals. The participants in this study consisted of 82 students (80 Japanese and 2 Chinese) registered in required and elective courses at Akita University. The students participated in a three-step process designed to bring about a positive change in their beliefs about learning English as a foreign language through enhanced motivation and reduced anxiety. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses of post-intervention student questionnaires revealed that the process produced positive results in terms of increasing students' exposure to English language learning resources, increasing the number of language learning strategies they utilized, improving the ability to set and reach short-term learning goals, reducing anxiety, and enhancing enjoyment for learning. Bio: Terri Lee Nagahashi has been teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) for over twenty-five years in the United States, Mexico, Sweden, and Japan. She is currently a full-time faculty member of the International Communication Studies Department of Akita University.

November Community, Identity, Motivation JALT 2006 Kitakyushu International Conference Centre, Kokura, Kitakyushu, Japan November 2-5, 2006 detailed information

October see the meeting pictures Guest speakers: Christine Winskowski and Susan Duggan Date: October 21st, 2006 Title: "What did you think of the course? - Understanding Students' Course Evaluations" Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: AIU (Akita International University) Room: B-103 Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students Christine Winskowski, who teaches English and American Studies at Morioka Junior College,(Iwate Prefectural University), has written and presented on the topics of students' course evaluations and the teaching of culture. Susan Duggan, who teaches English at Iwate Prefectural University, specializes in English for medical and health professions. Do you wonder what students are thinking when they fill out those end-of-semester course evaluation forms? Ever wondered why someone picked a 5 instead of a 6? A 4 instead of a 5? Since the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology mandated the administration of course evaluation forms in 1996, their use in Japan has sharply risen. In other countries, use of course evaluation forms is widespread, if still controversial. Since Japan has newly adopted this approach to teacher evaluation, we feel it is important to be clear what such instruments tell us, and what they don't tell us. We decided to find out what students are thinking by interviewing 10 students as they filled out their evaluation forms. Following a recent line of research, we asked students to explain their understanding of the items' interpretation, and the reason for their ratings. While our findings are still at the pilot phase, it is very clear that students interpret items differently from one another, and base their ratings on different criteria (some of which seem only loosely connected to teaching effectiveness). These results reinforce the notion that course evaluation forms are at best low-precision instruments. In this talk, we will offer a little background on issues surrounding course evaluation forms, then present our preliminary findings (in the context of related research). Finally, we look forward to inviting your comments and discussion – please join us!

September see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Mike Plugh Date: September 30th Title: Assisting Learners: One ALT's Experience Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: AIU (Akita International University) Room: B-103 Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students, free for AIU students Being an ALT means different things for different people. With few standardized guidelines about how an ALT is to be used, schools are left to build relationships with their new foreign staff on their own. For this reason, the range of ALT experiences is vast and varied. In my presentation, I hope to shed light on some of these experiences and the things I've learned about feelings on both sides of the team teaching system. My main focus, however, will be my own experience teaching at a SelHi, or Super English Language High School. Some of the important points that will be covered are: 1. How I got here. 2. I'm not an English teacher... 3. What value do I bring, contrasting the JTE's lessons? 4. Differences in teaching English Course and Regular Course students. 5. Where do I draw my teaching resources from? 6. My thoughts on the future of the JET Programme.

July see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Stephen Shucart Date: July 22nd, 2006 Title: ESP- Adapting a US High School Science Textbook for the Classroom - Redux Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: AIU (Akita International University) Room: B-103 Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students, free for AIU students This is a talk on how I adapted a high school science textbook for the language classroom based on Neal Anderson's ACTIVE READING series. The original presentation was given before the classes had actually begun. This talk presents the reaction to the classes, plus improvements that have been added, including listening to science essays on an iPod nano. Stephen Shucart has been Associate Professor of English at Akita Prefectural University, Honjo campus for the last 7 years.

June see the meeting pictures Guest Speaker: Mark Cunningham Date: Saturday, June 24th, 2006 Topic: Using a "College Success" textbook for university English students and on ways to use content in general Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: AIU (Akita International University) Room: B-103 Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students, free for AIU students Info: Mark Cunningham; tel. 0188-86-5968 “College success” courses and textbooks help new students adjust to an environment where they must take more responsibility for their learning while avoiding the many problems that contribute to high dropout rates at many US universities. They are an increasingly common feature in US higher education. This article considers how the language of learning skills and strategies in college success courses textbooks can provide both a useful foundation for integrated-skills, content-based language instruction and valuable opportunities for reflective learning about other cultures, about the distinctive culture of the university, and about learning itself. The presentation describes experience with the use of a college success textbook in an advanced English for Academic Purposes class during five terms in an intensive English program. Student surveys, interviews, classroom video, and student-generated and instructor-generated materials and activities are discussed, along with student’s views of tasks used in conjunction with the text and the extent to which they brought about improvement in specific areas such as vocabulary and reading speed and comprehension. . The remainder of the presentation will focus on practical techniques for using content. *notice: The scheduled speaker, Stan Pederson, cannot come due to a mistake of Akita JALT arrangement. My apologies -- especially to those who had planned to listen to his presentation. Takeshi Suzuki

May see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Taeko Okamoto Date: May 27th, 2006 Title: Using "Kamishibai" in ESL/EFL Classrooms for Students of All Ages Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: AIU (Akita International University) Room: B-103 Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students This workshop demonstrates how the traditional Japanese art of kamishibai picture storytelling can be implemented in ESL/EFL teaching. Ready-made commercialized kamishibai stories, magazine pictures, hand-drawn pictures, and photos will be used. Reading, listening, speaking, and writing are involved. Live kamishibai storytelling will also be done by the presenter-storyteller. Taeko Okamoto, has supervised practicing teachers with TESOL,Teachers College, Columbia University, and is presently an ESL Consultant and a kamishibai storyteller for local TV, schools, libraries, and other institutions. She has done kamishibai presentations/workshops at Japan Education Center, Japan America Community Outreach, Japan Children's Society, Japan-America Communication Corp., NY, and NYTESOL, State University of New York at New Paltz. Please join us and hear her stories!

April see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Martha Clark Cummings Date: April 22nd, 2006 Title: A writing workshop for teachers with stories to tell Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: AIU (Akita International University) Room: B-103 Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students This workshop is for anyone who has a language learning story to tell. Through a series of exercises, using the techniques of published writers, the presenters, who write fiction and non-fiction, will guide the participants through the writing and sharing of their stories. The workshop has three goals. The participants will learn how to bring their stories alive through writing and sharing. The participants will learn to help others, including their students, to write their stories. Professor Cummings is a member of the Center for Language Research at the University of Aizu in Aizu-Wakamatsu, Japan. For more information: click here to go to Martha Clark Cummings' website

February see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Steve Brown (current national JALT president) Date: February 25th, 2006 Title: A Drama Approach in an Autonomous Learning Environment Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Yugakusha (next to Akita Red Cross Hospital) Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students ** Dinner with Steve Brown: After the usual meeting we plan to have dinner at Gokura, a Japanese restaurant in Alve. The cost will be 4,000 yen. If you would like to participate in the dinner, please send email to Takeshi Suzuki by February 18th. Drama in the language classroom is often thought of as just a series of 'techniques' or 'fun activities' aimed to get students actively using the language, but it can be so much more. In this presentation, Steve Brown links the theory and practice of a drama approach to the area of learner autonomy, arguing that the two areas make an extremely effective combination in the language classroom. He will give a practical demonstration of how such an approach has been used at university level, actively aiming to engage learners in the learning process and encouraging them to work together as a group, sharing the responsibility for their own learning. This won't be just a talk: participants should expect to be actively engaged and have fun! Jalt Open Mike The presentation will be followed by an Open Mike session, when everyone can chance to ask questions, suggest ideas and share their concerns, complaints and opinions. Enjoy a no-holds-barred session with JALT's current President, Steve Brown! Brief Bio Steve Brown is a Professor at Konan Women's University in Kobe and is currently JALT's President. He's been teaching in Japan for 21 years and before that in the UK and Kuwait. He's interested in autonomy in language learning and has been Coordinator of the Learner Development SIG, as well as serving as Site Chair and Programme Chair at recent national conferences.

AKITA JALT meetings in 2005

December see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Alastair Graham-Marr of ABAX Publishers Date: December 10th, 2005 Title: two topics (see below) Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: AIU (Akita International University) Room: B-103 (not in the library!) Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students *Alastair Graham is Contributing Editor to Top-Up Listening and author of Communication Spotlight. 1) Teaching Listening to Low Level Learners: The Importance of Script and of Suprasegmental Phonology Teaching listening effectively means teaching both phonology and knowledge of discourse. That is, giving students a solid awareness and working knowledge of the phonology of natural connected speech - elisions and liaisons, weak forms and reductions - helps develop their 'bottom-up' decoding skills while developing student knowledge of discourse, particularly of scripts (those discourses in English that tend to follow a set pattern) helps develop their 'top-down' predictive skills. 2) Teaching the Strategies of Speaking: Helping Students with Fluency, Involvement and Clarification strategies All of us use strategies when we speak. We use strategies to confirm or clarify what we're saying and what we're hearing. We use strategies to show interest, to maintain and develop conversations. We use strategies that help with fluency. Learners of English in particular use strategies to compensate for their lack of language. This talk introduces a new speaking and listening text, Communication Spotlight, that in addition to giving students practice in talking and helping them with the means to do so, helps students be aware of strategies.

November see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Abdullah Abri Date: November 12th, 2005 Title: English teaching in Oman Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: AIU (Akita International University) Room: B-103 (not in the library!) Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students We are delighted to have Akita University graduate student Abdullah Abri present on English teaching in Oman. Included will be an overview of Oman and its culture, as well as Oman's educational system and the role of English in Oman. One special topic will be an overview of the Arabic language and its effect on learning English. This promises to be a fascinating talk! (Mark Cunningham, program chair)

October JALT 2005 Grandship Shizuoka, Japan October 7th - 10th, 2004 detailed information

September see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: AIU Travel Service Club members and advisors Date:September 10th, 2005 Title: AIU Travel Service Club Research Trip to Thailand Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: AIU (Akita International University) Room: D-201, the second floor room in the AIU library Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students AIU Travel Service Club will describe their volunteer/NGO research trip to Thailand in March 2005. This description will include: their language, culture, and monetary preparations; their impressions; and what they learned about Thailand and NGOs. The club members and advisors will also comment on the usefulness of this sort of experience for learners of English. After the meeting we will have an election for Akita JALT officers. Please volunteer to work as an officer in 2006 at the meeting.

July see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Jeff Maggard (Assistant Professor, Akita International University) Date:Saturday, July 16th, 2005 (Warning: the date is the third Saturday, not the fourth Saturday) Title: Comparing Japanese, Cambodian, and Thai University Students: How Racial/Ethnic Attitudes, Intercultural Contact, Study Motivation, and English Ability Interact Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: AIU (Akita International University) Room: D-201, the second floor room in the AIU library Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students Abstract Research suggests that increasing cultural contacts and financial investments in NE and SE Asia are influencing the people of these regions as a byproduct of globalization. This series of studies investigated English proficiency, attitudes toward “foreigners,” and contact with foreigners among Japanese, Thai and Cambodian university students. Samples were collected from Japan (southern Kyushu). Cambodia, (17 university EFL classes in Phnom Penh) and Thailand (randomly selected university classes in Bangkok). Results from the original study in Japan indicated that the contact variable was a significant factor in obtaining English proficiency. In Thailand and Cambodia this was not found to be the case. Moderate positive significant correlations were found between English proficiency and contact in Cambodia and Thailand but a number of other independent variables played a role and contact was not deemed to be the significant predictor of English ability these countries. Discussion focuses on relating the results to the social contexts of Japan, Cambodia, and Thailand and suggestions are made for future research.

June see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Jason Good Date:Saturday, June 25th, 2005 Title: Bilingual Education in Asia and Content Materials Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: AIU (Akita International University) Room: D-201, the second floor room in the AIU library Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students Jason Good (Asia representative for Houghton Mifflin and English Exchange) will give an update on developments in the growing area of bilingual education in selected Asian countries along with a demonstration of content-area materials used in language classes. Summary: It seems common these days to say that Japan is lagging behind the rest of Asia with its English education, but what exactly is the rest of Asia doing with regards to English education, especially for their kids? What is being taught at the bilingual schools? We'll look at both the bilingual movement across Asia, as well as take a closer look at the North American-based reading curriculum and content materials being used by many of these schools. Many of the ideas that will be discussed can apply directly to any age group, whether children, university or adults! Bio: Jason taught English in Japan before becoming Asia representative for Houghton Mifflin. He travels around Asia visiting bilingual schools and English schools that use American-based content curriculums.

May see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Catlin Hanna and Christine Winskowski (Iwate Prefectural University) Date: Saturday, May 28th, 2005 Title: Learning Styles and Learning Cycles Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: AIU (Akita International University) Room: D-201, the second floor room in the AIU library Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students Learning happens all the time and in many different settings. While we are always learning, we do not all learn the same way. In this presentation we will explore the idea of the learning cycle and learning styles. Developed by David A. Kolb,, the LSI is a simple questionnaire that allows you to identify your preferred way of learning new information. In addition to interpreting your own scores on the LSI, a　discussion will follow and you will learn practical ways to adapt teaching to the learning cycle and to students with different learning styles.

April see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Thomas Warren-Price Date: Saturday, April 23rd, 2005 Title: DYSLEXIA: I've heard of it. But what really is it? Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: AIU (Akita International University) Room: D-201, the second floor room in the AIU library Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students Abstract: Dyslexia and Language Learning (In the UK, self-made millionaires are significantly more likely to suffer from the condition than the rest of the population!) This presentation will help you develop an awareness of DYSLEXIA (and DYSPRAXIA). Dyslexia is a condition that affects people from all educational and social backgrounds. Discovered and acted upon early enough, dyslexia can significantly alter the way we teach or learn. Besides just jumbling letters, any assumptions that dyslexia is a byword for stupidity and laziness will be dispelled as we examine the other fundamental common symptoms. Some dyslexia awareness activities will be included. This talk is applicable to educators, parents, students and - in fact, everybody is most welcome. Profile: Thomas Warren-Price, himself dyslexic and a former recipient of remedial instruction, is an English teacher at Sendai Ikuei Gakuen High School. He has been teaching in Japan for seven years and is currently distance learning for an MA in TEF/SL from the University of Birmingham.

AKITA JALT meetings in 2004

November JALT 4 Corners Meeting see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Susan Barduhn Date: Wednesday, November 24th, 2004 Title: Activating the Lexical Approach and Making Vocabulary Memorable Time: 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Place: AIU (Akita International University) the same campus as MSU-A Room: Room D-201 (AIU Library) Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students *** Susan Barduhn is one of Plenary Speakers for JALT2004 for National Conference. more information Abstract: The Lexical Approach is one of the latest methodologies in ELT. This workshop will explore its theory and execution. The age-old dilemma remains, however, of how to make vocabulary memorable for students. We will be looking at how memory is processed in the brain and considering how we and our students remember things. Biodata: Dr. Susan Barduhn is an Associate Professor at the School for International Training and the former President of IATEFL. She was a teacher trainer at International House London for ten years. She has also taught and trained in Colombia, Portugal, Spain, Kenya, Switzerland and the U.S. Her special interests are teacher development and teacher thinking. Susan is the Past President of IATEFL and an Associate Professor at the School for International Training in Vermont, USA. She was a teacher trainer for many years in England and has also taught in Colombia, Kenya, Portugal, and Spain. Her special interests are teacher development, teacher thinking, and intercultural communication. Susan believes that language learning for life, for responsible global citizens, must include cultural awareness. Her work involves recognizing the cultural baggage that both teachers and students carry. No two people are identical representatives of the same culture. Thus, possible goals for cultural instruction through language include helping students to recognise that all people are different and to develop skills to evaluate and refute generalizations. She also looks at ways for teachers to reflect and develop through dialogue journals.

JALT 2004 30th Annual International Conference on Language Teaching and Learning & Educational Materials Exposition Nara, Tezukayama University Gakuenmae Campus November 19th - 22nd, 2004 For more information click here.

October 1) Mini-Presentation and 2) Business Meeting see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Thomas E. Blair Date: Saturday, October 23rd, 2004 Title: "An Overview of Moodle: Course Management System for Language Teaching" Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: AIU (Akita International University) the same campus as MSU-A Room: Library Computer Lab Second Floor (*Please note that we will use the room - not B103) Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students 1) Mini-Presentation Abstract: This will be a brief overview of the various components or "modules" of Moodle, a free, multilingual course management system (CMS) or "virtual learning environment" (VLE) with which colleagues and I have been experimenting over the past 2-3 months. These modules include: assignments; forums; glossaries; journals; lessons; quizzes; resources; surveys A message from Thomas E. Blair: Since time for this meeting's presentation is limited, we will not be able to use a workshop format (maybe we can do this at some future time if enough members are interested). Instead, I will merely take the audience through an informal tour of my current course syllabi, delivered via Moodle, in order to display the capabilities, advantages, and disadvantages of this system. (If some members would like to experiment on their own, I should be able to host an account for them and/or explain how to set up their own accounts.) Biodata: Tom Blair is currently teaching EAP Writing and Freshman composition at AIU. Over the past 25+ years, he has taught ESL writing, composition, argumentative writing, critical thinking, introduction to literature and various other courses in Thailand, Hawaii, and, before coming to Japan in 1995, the San Francisco Bay Area (at San Jose State University, Cal State Hayward, Chabot Community College, and Solano Community College, among others). His current interests include CALL, rhetorical analysis and critical thinking, and the teaching of argumentative writing in an ESL context. 2) Business Meeting *** In the business meeting we will have time to choose Akita JALT officers for 2005. a) Selection of 2005 officers: A case might be that the current officers are willing to continue their services in their current positions if they are so asked with the approval of participating members on the day. On the other hand, feel free to volunteer for any positions if you are interested. There will be an election if more than two would volunteer for the same position. b) Akita JALT monthly meetings: What do you think about the monthly meetings we have had in 2004? Any comments will be appreciated. You are also encouraged to bring up ideas or suggestions on what kind of presentations or workshop you would like to have in 2005. c) Any frank feedback, comments or criticism from you on Akita JALT will be welcomed. JALT is a national wide NPO to help language (English and others) learners and teachers to be more successful. Thanks to your support and active participation Akita JALT has been having a good year in 2004.

September see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Christopher Hoskins Date: Saturday, September 25th, 2004 Title: Using Short Texts for Integrated Skills Practice in Second Language Acquisition Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: AIU (Akita International University) the same campus as MSU-A Room: Room B103 Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students Akita International University faculty member and Associate Professor Christopher Hoskins will present on a topic that will help us understand new and interesting ways to teach all four skills in combination: integrated skills. Abstract This presentation will begin by first presenting a selected list of listening, reading, speaking and writing activities, all of which can be done separately, or in combination with a short text of one to three paragraphs. Participants can then experience the activities from the standpoint of a student using the materials a student would use. Following this experience, teacher's texts will be distributed among participants who will then be asked to comment on activities they experienced as a student in a question and answer session and discuss merits ways to formulate questions and alternative ways to structure and manage the activities.

July see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Michiko Sugita Date: Saturday, July 24th, (2004) Title: Viva! Japanese teachers of English! Theme: Monolingual classes vs Multilingual classes; Native speaker teachers vs Non-native speaker teachers Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: AIU (Akita International University) the same campus as MSU-A Room: the library Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students Summary: As a Japanese teacher of English for a high school, I've come to the conclusion that Japanese teachers are better at managing English classes in high school. Given that we have monolingual classes and a big class size, as well as that we spend most of the time being together with our own students as homeroom teachers, the classroom in Japan is quite unique. I videotaped some of our classes, so I might show them to you as a starter of my speech. I will also talk about my day-to-day work, analyze some classes of mine and other teachers, then I'd like to set up my own goal as a teacher at the end of the speech. Biodata: Teach English in high school for 16 years. Chuo Senior High, Akita Technical High and currently teaching at Minami Senior High. Attended teachers' workshops in Cambridge, Canterbury, U.S.Davis, and best of all the first SETS at MSU-A! Interested in Psycholinguistics, especially FLLA (Foreign Language Learning Anxiety) and received a grant by the Ministry of Education to study FLLA at Univ. of Texas at Austin for 6 months in 1996. In 1998, wrote a research paper for STEP (Eiken) on FLLA among English teachers. Cowriter of an authorized textbook, 'English for Engineers' (Jikkyo-shuppan). At the moment, in charge of the first-year students of English Course at Minami Senior High School, which is designated as SELHi (Super English Language High School) project by the Ministry of Education.

June see the meeting pictures Two for One!(Two one-hour presentations) Guest speaker: 1) Mary Brooks 2) Mark Landa Date: Saturday, June 26th, (2004) Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: AIU (Akita International University) the same campus as MSU-A Room: B103 Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students *** The room B103 is not air conditioned. Dress comfortably! *** The room is on the ground floor of the building we used to have our meetings in. *** Please park your cars in the library parking lot. "Online and onsite: the American ESL classroom" with Mary Brooks Mary Brooks will share her reflections on teaching language and educating language teachers in online/onsite environments. While teaching a totally online course is still a bit unusual, designing a hybrid course, using online features in a traditional classroom, has interesting possibilities. The presenter will explore the issues (both challenges and advantages) and good practices of online/onsite language education. There will be time for questions and discussion. BIO: Mary Brooks is Director of the English Language Institute at Eastern Washington University, where she has worked for 16 years. She has taught EFL in Zambia, Korea, and The People's Republic of China. Her background also includes teaching ESL in intensive language university preparation programs in this country. Currently, she is working on online course development with video conferencing components. "A Pronunciation Workout" with Mark Landa English pronunciation is often seen as a major obstacle for Japanese students. Get ready for a refreshing look at pronunciation work with Mark Landa! Mark Landa, in his own words: "I began my career in ESL/EFL at Otaru University of Commerce where I taught for three years. I returned to the University of Minnesota to do an M.A. in ESL and then took an ESL job at the American School of The Hague (Netherlands), a K-12 International School. Four years later I moved back to Minnesota and was hired as the Director of the Minnesota English Center, a job I held for 20 years. During this time, I spent three summers teaching and traveling in China and a one-year leave of absence (1990-1991) to help in establishing MSUA. At the University of Minnesota, I also directed an annual program for teachers from Japan through the Ministry of Education and CIEE. In 1996 I was hired to teach ESL and teacher education courses at Eastern Washington University. In the meantime, I finished my Ph.D. in Second Languages and Cultures Education at the University of Minnesota in 2000. A year later I was hired as, my current job as Program Director at Mukogawa Fort Wright Institute in Spokane, Washington."

May see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Brad Blackstone Date: Saturday, May 29th, (2004) Title: the SETS program Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: AIU (Akita International University) the same campus as MSU-A Room: B103 Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students *** The room, B103, is on the ground floor of the building we used to have our meetings in. *** Please park your cars in the library parking lot. Brad Blackstone, assisted by the multimedia wizardry of David Weaver, will describe the Summer English Teachers' Seminar (SETS) held in Yokote in August 2003 for approximately 60 Akita secondary school English teachers. Topics include program goals, preparation and organization, the innovative methods used for presenting seminar topics, skill areas covered, and participants' reactions. The review of the program will be followed by a panel discussion of SETS trainers and participants.

April see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Dr. Nantarika Chansue Date: Saturday, April 24th, (2004) Title: Using English in Thailand: Is It Different from Japan? Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Joinus ((Joinus is in downtown Akita at the entrance of Senshu Park) Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students Dr. Chansue will describe English language education in Thailand at all levels and discuss the use of English in commercial and professional life, with a final focus on this question: Why is the use of English in Japan and Thailand - two Asian countries with similar histories - so different? Dr. Chansue has been reported on CNN for her repairs of turtle shells with fiberglass! Dr. Nantarika Chansue is Associate Professor in the Faculty of Veterinary Science at Thailand's leading national university, Chulalongkorn University. Educated in Thailand, Japan, and the United States, and a frequent visitor to Japan, Dr. Chansue is known internationally for her work on aquatic animals. She has developed new techniques in the area of fish surgery and articles on her work on turtle shell repairs with artificial materials have appeared in publications such as Mini World, the English language learners' newspaper. Dr. Chansue also lectures annually at Miyazaki University. She holds a PhD from the College of William and Mary, Virginia. A Masters in Business Administration, and recently completed a graduate degree in law. She also holds a Diploma in Gemological Science, NAUI certified dive instructor and has won trophies for pistol shooting. At present, she is currently enrolling in a Masters of Mass Communication program in Bangkok.

March see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Stephen Shucart Date: Saturday, March 27th, (2004) Title: ESP [English for Special Purposes] - Adapting an American High School Science Textbook for the ESL/EFL Classroom Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Joinus Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students summary: In this talk I will explore how to use an American science textbook in a university-level English class. I used the ACTIVE READING series of textbooks by Neal Anderson as a basis for my adaptation. I shall first give a detailed explanation his ACTIVE READING methodology, then show how it can be used to generate various exercises for a General English course. I shall also explain how each class will be organized. The talk will be illustrated with handouts of examples from the textbook, and samples of the activities I created based on the ACTIVE READING methodology.

February see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Dave Ragan Date: Saturday, February 28th, (2004) Title: Learning Maps Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Joinus Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students * Don't forget to bring a set of colored pens or pencils to the workshop. a message from Dave: In this workshop we will learn the basic rules of creating Learning Maps, also known as mind maps. We will create Learning Maps as a group and then discuss how this skill can be used for teaching or learning English. If time permits we will then do a quick small group learning map from a reading about learning maps. Hello, I am pleased to announce the first Akita JALT meeting of the year, which will be a workshop presented by Dave Ragan. "Learning Maps" is an excellent technique. It helps you to learn to think about relevant issues more clearly and identify, organize and display them in rich detail your way. Don't miss an opportunity! Please bring a set of colored pens or pencils with you, which will be necessary to create your own mind maps at the workshop. I am sure you will enjoy it. Takeshi Suzuki

AKITA JALT meetings in 2003

December see the meeting pictures Business Meeting Date: Saturday, December 13th (2003) Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Joinus 1) What is a JALT national conference? This year we had JALT 2003 in Shizuoka between Nov. 21st and Nov. 24th. Steve Shucart attended the meeting and will talk about what he saw. Dave Ragan will talk about his most recent JALT conference. Any other participants who attended this year or in the past are encouraged to give their accounts about their experiences. 2) An election for Akita JALT officers: It looks that most of the current officers are willing to continue their services in their current positions if they are so asked. With your approval, their positions will be confirmed. On the other hand, feel free to volunteer for any positions if you are interested. There will be an election if more than two would like to volunteer for the same position. 3) Reviewal of Akita JALT monthly meetings: A list of the past monthly presentations will be handed. You will be asked which ones you evaluated most or preferred most. The result will be reflected on our lineup for 2004 and later. You are encouraged to make any ideas or suggestions on what kind of presentations or workshop you would like to have next year. You will also tell us specific ideas on your interested topics or guest speakers if you have any. 4) Any frank feedback, comments or criticism from you on Akita JALT will be appreciated on the day. They will help us to have better Akita JALT. 5) The new institution Akita International University will be formally starting next April with the recent official approval from Ministry of Education. Congratulations from Akita JALT! We would like to maintain a close and friendly relationship with the new AIU from 2004 just like we did with MSU-A. Hope many can come on Dec. 13th. See you. Takeshi

JALT 2003 29th Annual International Conference Keeping Current in Language Education Granship Conference Center, Shizuoka, Japan November 21st - 24th, 2003 For more information click here. Takeo Kawamura, Minister of Education, Culture, Science, and Technology (MEXT), will be one of the panelists in a panel discussion called “JALT Open Forum on English Education Reform” on Sunday, Nov. 23, at the 29th JALT International Language Conference at Granship Shizuoka Convention and Arts Center, Nov. 21-24. Takeo Kawamura, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, and Technology Kiichi Matsuhata, President, JASELE, Okayama University Mamoru Morizumi, Vice President, JACET, Obirin University Morijiro Shibayama, Auditor, JALT, Surugadai University Yasushi Akashi, Former Undersecretary General of the United Nations Hideo Oka, Professor, The University of Tokyo Yoshida Kensaku, Professor, Sophia University Allen Tamai Mitsue, Professor, Bunkyo Gakuin University Tadashi Shiozawa, Professor, Chubu University James Swan, President of National JALT

October see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Christine Winskowski Date: Saturday, October 18th (2003) Title: Integrating Culture into the Language Course Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Joinus Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students SUMMARY: To integrate culture into the language classroom, where does one start? Culture, after all, is a huge topic. One could conceivably do “holidays and “food,” and then go on to “customs,” “religion,” and “shopping,” and so on. But where does it all end? And how does one know when enough culture topics have been taught, and the course is…well…finished? In this presentation, I propose using a template approach for the teaching of culture in language courses. This involves identifying a limited number (say 6-12) of target country characteristics and values which underlie the customary behaviors and language being taught. These key characteristics and values are then systematically linked to the language being taught. The purpose of this approach is to leave students with a coherent outline (the template) of cultural principles that explain the language and social patterns they are learning, rather than a sequence of disconnected facts and customs. Some illustrations will be provided for integrating culture with English materials. Discussion will follow the presentation and a break. Attendees are encouraged to bring texts or materials to discuss how the template idea might work in their classes. We may also address related issues, e.g. teaching culture of pluralistic countries (like the U.S.), socio-politically sensitive topics, and students’emotional preparedness to understand deep cultural differences. BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT: Christine Winskowski is recent arrival to Japan from the U.S. and teaches in Iwate Prefectural University’s Dept. of International Cultural Studies. She designed and directed the ESL Program at Lewis University in Illinois, and has taught in a number of states (her favorite being Hawaii). She also taught in China in the early 1980s. Her interests include culture and language, discourse analysis, and recently the lexical approach to language teaching.

September see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Mark Cunningham Date: Saturday, September 27th (2003) Abstract: See below Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Yugakusha (Be careful! The venue is not Joinus today) Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students For those who are not familiar with the location of the venue, click below. Yugakusha is right next to Akita "Sekijuji" (Red Cross) Hospital in Aramaki, Kamikitate. Abstract: Akita JALT member Mark Cunningham will demonstrate texts in Falcon Press's new multiskills illustrated picture process series: English for Everyday Activities (Lawrence Zwier), The English You Need for the Office (Susan Dean and Lawrence Zwier), and The English You Need For Business (Mark Cunningham and Lawrence Zwier). These texts and the accompanying activity books are designed for a wide range of skills levels and can be employed using a variety of techniques. Come and join the fun!

August see the meeting pictures the speaker: John F. Fanselow Date: Wednesday, August 27th (2003) Title: Workshop "Your rapport was great, but. . .!" Time: 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Place: Joinus in Akita City (Joinus is in downtown Akita at the entrance of Senshu Park) Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students Your rapport was great, but. . .! Discussions of teaching usually involve judgments. During the workshop, we will develop ways to look at our teaching practices in non-judgmental ways by analyzing transcribed exchanges from tape recordings of classes. As we analyze the transcripts, we will learn new ways to discuss our teaching practices and new ways to generate alternative practices. In medicine, literature, and many other professions, analysis of data is the norm rather than judgments about practices. (Participants who bring a page of transcriptions from one of their classes will be given a small token of appreciation.) The guest speaker, former TESOL President, is Professor Emeritus of Columbia University and now heads International Pacific College, in NZ. If you would like to know more about the speaker (including his picture), click here.

July see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Takayuki Yoshizawa Date: Sunday, July 27th (2003) Title: Action Research in my classroom: How to develop learner autonomy based on shadowing and extensive reading Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Joinus in Akita City Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students * We will have a discussion after the presentation about the topic. abstract: As for the teaching of English in Japanese classroom settings, there are several much-disputed questions to be considered. His first concern is how to motivate the students to become active and autonomous learners capable of learning on their own by activating their knowledge and interests outside the classroom than relegate them to the position of passive recipients of language materials solely given by the teacher. In view of this he will introduce what he has done for several years (Shadowing for communication and extensive reading) in his classroom on video and have input into how the teaching of English could be better. The guest speaker would be happy if his presentation could be a start of further discussion at the meeting. bio data: The guest speaker has taught English at junior high school for 14 years, currently working at Omagari Minami JH. He got the 49th Nakamura Eigo Kyouiku Award in 2001. Mr. Yoshizawa has no experience of studying abroad and calls himself a pure Japan made-learner. Also he comments that he is an agonizing person between English and club activity because he is in charge of a club and has to spend a lot of time for it.

June see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Naoto Sato Date: Saturday, June 28th (2003) Title: Think in English and Keeping Journals Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Joinus in Akita City Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students (Joinus is in the center of Akita City near Senshu Park. The parking lot might be crowded.) Naoto Sato is one of the most successful autodidacts (autonomous or self-learners) in learning English you have ever met. The presenter has acquired extremely high English skills not to mention his famous interpretation ability. No, he has not studied or lived outside Japan. Yes, he has learned it all on his own. Attend his presentation and you will be able to learn how he has done it. the outline of his presentation: 1) demonstration (*) 2) Great interest in English in junior high school 3) Encounters with Dr. Toru Matsumoto, his "Think in English" Method (**), Mr. and Mrs. Billings (an American missionary couple he met at age 16) 4) Keeping journals and monologs and benefits that come out of the habits(***) 5) Interpretation 6) Lifelong pursuit of English ____________________________________________________________________ * At the beginning of his presentation we will have a demonstration of his interpretation. During the period a native English volunteer and a Japanese will be asked to make a short, off-the-cuff speech in English and Japanese respectively. Naoto Sato will translate what they say both consecutively and simultaneously. ** The speaker will talk about his "encounter" with the late Dr. Toru Matsumoto, in particular reference to the impact he got from one of his major works: "THINK IN ENGLISH." For your information Dr. Matsumoto used to be one of the best English educators in Japan and was famous for his NHK radio program "Eikaiwa". *** Naoto Sato will center his talk around his habit of keeping journals (diary) in English. In fact, he formed the habit of doing so when he was in his first year of high school. He has kept the good habit over the past three decades because he is convinced that it's an effective way of improving English. He'll bring some of his journals to the meeting including old ones.

May see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Thorfinn Tait Date: Saturday, May 17th (2003) Title: Why can't Japanese speak English? Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: Joinus in Akita City Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students 11 people attended the meeting.

April see the meeting pictures Guest speaker: Debbra McClintock Date: Saturday, April 26th (2003) Title: Japanese English education observed by an ALT Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: (Room No. 1) Joinus in Akita City Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students Debbra McClintock worked as an ALT in Akita for three years. After her talk we will have discussion. 1: Joinus is in the center of Akita City near Senshu Park. 2: This year most of our meetings will be held at Joinus. 3: Warning: You should expect not much parking space available at Joinus in the afternoon. 10 people attended the meeting.

March see the meeting pictures Guest speaker:John Small Date: Saturday, March 8th (2003) Title: Putting Words in Their Mouths: Dictogloss, Shadowing and Summarizing Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: GH-300, MSU-A (Minnesota State University Akita) Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students Putting Words in Their Mouths: Dictogloss, Shadowing and Summarizing This presentation will cover three activities that give students structured language practice: dictogloss (grammar dictation), shadow talking and summarizing. With dictogloss, students actively recreate the spoken text, discuss differences and missing information with partners, and participate in a review of the grammar of individual sentences. The presenter will also explain some variations on the standard dictogloss method. Finally, the presenter will provide extension activities that involve a picture story that corresponds to the dictogloss narrative. This series of extension activities give students the chance to master the vocabulary, grammatical structures, and pronunciation/intonation of a given narrative. Dictogloss narratives can be easily prepared and tailor made for classes of any level or interest. Shadow talking and summarizing exercises, which are easy to prepare and paperless, will also be explained. Shadow talking, which simply involves the repetition of spoken input, can be done out loud or silently by students. After explaining and demonstrating the basic method, the presenter will provide shadow talking warm-ups that can serve as a supplement to any lesson. Students are provided relevant vocabulary, shadow talk a narrative, summarize for their partners, then may give a similar talk based on their own experiences. Summarizing an article with a mind map will also be covered. Presentation materials come from the presenters self-published, non-profit, global issues textbooks. Bio: I've been living in Japan for almost six years now, first in Nara, then Nagasaki, now in Kumamoto at Kumamoto Gakuen University. Before that I taught composition at colleges in Vermont (northeastern U.S.). Writing is a hobby and I frequently contribute to Kansai Time Out magazine. I self-published Global Stories last year and am working on two more texts, Inspiring Stories and Nature Stories (you can see info about it at <www.karmayogapress.com>). When I get more time I'll resume other hobbies such as learning to play guitar, playing "go," and hiking. Kumamoto Gakuen University 2-5-1 Oe Kumamoto, 862-8680 14 people attended the meeting.

February see the meeting pictures and report Guest speaker:Koki Dobashi Date: Saturday, February 22nd (2003) Title: How can teachers bring about language learning based on learning strategy at junior high school? --- A practical approach for the development of  learner autonomy --- Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Place: GH-300, MSU-A (Minnesota State University Akita) Admission: Free for members, 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students The guest speaker will talk about 60 minutes. After his presentation the participants will have discussion on the topic. Mr. Dobashi is keenly interested in listening to your frank comments or ideas from the audience during the discussion time.  summary:    Quite a few studies have reported that use of learning strategy is an effective way to develop learner autonomy.  But most of them address adult education in foreign countries. The objective of this study is adjustment of those theories of learning strategy to the reality of English education of junior high school level in Japan.  bio data:   Koki Dobashi holds a Masters of Education Degree from Akita University. He has taught English at junior high schools since 1991. He is currently working at the Akitaken Sougou Kyouiku Center. His research interest includes application of pragmatics to junior high school texts, learning strategies, and the systematic use of classroom English.  19 people attended the meeting.

****** See the pictures!******
pictures of the meetings in 2012
pictures of the meetings in 2011
pictures of the meetings in 2010
pictures of the meetings in 2009
pictures of the meetings in 2008
pictures of the meetings in 2007
pictures of the meetings in 2006
pictures of the meetings in 2005
pictures of the meetings in 2004
pictures of the meetings in 2003
pictures of the meetings in 2002
pictures of the meetings in 2001
pictures of the meetings in 1998-2000
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go to monthly meetings in 2004
go to monthly meetings in 2003
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