A Narrative Approach to Teaching Pragmatics and Intercultural Awareness

Date: Monday, September 16 (6:30-7:30)

Place: KUT/Kochi Prefectural University, Eikokuji Campus, Room A104

Prof. Noriko Ishihara will facilitate a workshop discussing a narrative approach to instructional pragmatics and intercultural communication. She will illustrate the approach through her own story and its interpretation. This will lead into a discussion about possible ways teachers can use their stories to teach pragmatics with their best effort not to stereotype others and essentialize cultures

Noriko Ishihara, Ph.D. is Professor of Applied Linguistics/EFL at Hosei University, Japan. She facilitates teachers’ professional development courses in Japan and the U.S. on language teaching methodology, pragmatics, and intercultural communication. Her research interests include instructional pragmatics, identity and language learning, language teacher development, and peace linguistics.

Date: Saturday, June 15, 2019 (12:00-6:00)
Venue: Ehime University, Johoku Campus, Faculty of Education, Building 4, 4F
Multi-media Zone (Room 42) and Room 41
愛媛大学城北キャンパス 教育学部4号館4階　マルチゾーン型教室(42番)及び41番
Sponsors: Matsuyama JALT, East Shikoku JALT, Oxford University Press Website: East Shikoku JALT – http://esjalt.org JALT Members and students: free One-Day Member Fee: 1000 yen

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Date: April 21st, 2019
Time: 3:00-5:00pm
Place: English Cafe, Olive Square, Kagawa University
Speaker: Andrew Caldwell
Topic: Dictogloss: Improve Motivation and Participation

Dictogloss: Improve Motivation and Participation

Do you have trouble getting unmotivated students to participate in class? Do you have troubles finding an effective activity for classes with students of varied abilities? Andrew will introduce an interactive and cooperative activity which allows students to integrate the four language skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing into one activity. Dictogloss (also known as Grammar Dictation) is quite different to traditional dictation. It is a type of information gap activity that requires the learners to interact with each other in order to complete a target task. Dictogloss is also an effective motivational tool because it encourages lower-level students to participate in groups and to become more actively involved in their own language learning. Additionally, it also helps to develop the students’ grammatical competence. It was first developed in Australia and can be used with students ranging from junior high to university. Continue reading →

MyShare (Icebreakers)
Kagawa University
Olive Square, English Cafe
Feb. 3rd, 2-4pm

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Speaker: Kaori Watanabe (MA Candidate) Global Society Studies, Humanities, and Social Sciences Program, Graduate School of Integrated Arts and Sciences, Kochi University

Date &Time: Thursday, January 10 (6:30-7:30)

Place: Meeting Room 2 (2F) Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Kochi University, Asakura Campus

Abstract: The aim of this presentation is to introduce ‘tasks’ in Japanese-language education, especially in classroom situations overseas. Based on recent international interest in Japanese pop culture, such as ‘anime’ (animated cartoons) and ‘manga’ (comic books), Japanese-language learners’ motivation and purpose of study has been changing. Because of such changes in the needs for Japanese-language study, a communicative pedagogy and methodology are gradually being introduced. While there are various kinds of textbooks for ‘Japanese as a foreign language’, with many of them aimed at improved communication, the present content of these textbooks often consists of grammar-based instruction. Thus, revised textbook content and pedagogy is required. Continue reading →