Guest speaker: Takame Ueki-Sabine (University of Tasmania)
Title: Practical Classroom Ideas for Teaching Japanese
Place: Kochi Women’s University, 2nd floor seminar room (directly above the main entrance)
Date/Time: December 23rd, 2:00-3:30 p.m.
Professor Arifa Rahman talks on teacher reflection in EFL settings.
Event Announcement
East Shikoku JALT along with Kochi Women’s University Faculty of Cultural Studies is delighted to sponsor an event by this year’s Asian Scholar, Arifa Rahman, Professor of English Language & Teacher Education at Dhaka University, Bangladesh.
Speaker: Professor Arifa Rahman
Title: Developing a Reflective Approach in EFL Teaching
Content:
Since much of what happens in teaching remains unknown to the teacher, experience alone may be insufficient as a basis for development. Hence the role of reflection in a teacher education program is emphasized.
Besides teaching, analyzing and sharing ideas with peers and the supervisor, participants maintain a portfolio throughout the course to record experiences and reflections. With its on-going critical element, it is argued that reflective teaching can serve as a means of contributing to one’s professional development.
Profile:
Arifa has wide experience (25 years) in course design, materials development, teaching, administration and research, and has several publications to her credit. She has a PhD from the Institute of Education, University of London and is currently serving a second term as President of Bangladesh English Language Teachers Association (BELTA).
Date, Time and Place:
Friday evening, November 30th, 6:30-7:30 p.m. (Kochi Women’s University, 2nd floor seminar room)
**East Shikoku JALT Year-end party will be held just after the presentation (details to follow soon)
Dr. Dieter Hillert, University of California, San Diego
Details: Sunday, October 14th, Kochi Women’s University, (2:00-3:30)
** 2nd floor seminar room, immediately above the main lobby
Guest Speaker: Dr. Dieter Hillert (University of California, San Diego)
Title – “Talking Heads: Language in Context of Brain and Cognition”
12th East Shikoku JALT Conference
Professional Development Series: Supporting Young Practitioners
Sunday, June 17th (9:30-3:00)
Kochi University, Room 136
Click below on the ‘Continue reading’ link to view presentation schedule and abstracts.
We would like to extend extend a sincere and warm thank you to Professor Rod Ellis who journeyed all the way to Kochi to discuss his views on task-based language teaching. This East Shikoku JALT event attracted over 100 educators who traveled from Tokushima, Ehime, Kagawa, and Hiroshima. A video tape of Professor Ellis’ talk will be posted soon and his slide presentation is available in PowerPoint or HTML format.
You can also download his entire speech as a 54mb WMV file
or as a MP4 file in an AVI wrapper. The WMV file will only open with Windows Media Player. View more images of this event
Date: Wednesday, May 23rd, 2007
Start: 7:00 PM (19:00)
Title: Task-Based Teaching: Sorting out the Misunderstandings
Speaker: Professor Rod Ellis, University of Auckland
Description: This talk is in four parts. The first part will consider the
design of task-based courses and the methodology for implementing tasks in the classroom.
The second part will present my rationale for task-based language teaching (TBLT). I will argue that the development of the implicit knowledge of a second language that is required for effective communication is best achieved by engaging learners in performing tasks. That is, learners can develop their communicative competence (including linguistic competence) through performing tasks, especially if the performance of the task entails attention to linguistic form.
The third part of the talk will examine theoretical objections that have been levelled against TBLT and argue that these are based on fundamental misunderstandings of its principles and methodology. Sheen (1994) and Swan
(2005) have criticized TBLT on a number of grounds, including that there is no evidence to show that it works or works better than a more traditional form-focussed approach to language teaching. The
assumptions underlying their criticisms will be examined and a response provided.
The fourth part will address more substantial problems with implementing TBLT in school classrooms, especially those in foreign language contexts.
Again, I will suggest a number of possible solutions to these problems.
Rod Ellis profile:
Rod Ellis is currently Professor in the Department of Applied Language Studies and Linguistics, University of Auckland, where he teaches postgraduate courses on second language acquisition, individual differences in language learning and task-based teaching. His published work includes articles and books on second language acquisition, language teaching and teacher education. His books include Understanding Second Language Acquisition (BAAL Prize 1986) and The Study of Second Language Acquisition (Duke of Edinburgh prize 1995). More recently, Task-Based Learning and Teaching early (2003) and (with Gary Barkhuizen) Analyzing Learner Language in (2005), were published by Oxford University Press. He has also published several English language textbooks, including Impact Grammar (Pearson: Longman). He is currently editor of the journal Language Teaching Research. In addition to his current position in New Zealand, he has worked in schools in Spain and Zambia and in universities in the United Kingdom, Japan and the United States. He has also conducted numerous consultancies and seminars throughout the world.
Venue Location: Kochi University Asakura Campus, room 212
One-Day Member Fee: 500 yen
JALT Member Fee: free
City / Prefecture: Kochi / Kochi
Guest Speaker: Rob Waring
Title: Why we should not avoid extensive reading in our classes
Date: Sunday, April 22
Location: Kochi Women’s University, Room 351
Time: 13:00-14:30
Abstract:
This session will explore the various components of any learning program that are needed for successful language learning to take place. Reading is probably the most important skill that we can give our learners. Unfortunately, many of our learners are still unable to read confidently and smoothly by the time they leave our high schools. This session will present an approach to reading that encourages students to read fluently and for enjoyment at the very earliest levels of language ability. This will include the use of graded readers and other student-centred reading materials.
Profile:
Dr. Rob Waring is Associate Professor at Notre Dame Seishin University in Okayama, Japan. He is an acknowledged expert in Extensive Reading and second language vocabulary acquisition. He has published over 40 articles and has lectured in 15 countries on foreign and second language acquisition. He has just published a set of graded readers for teenagers. He is a board member of the Extensive Reading Foundation. Rob was Co-Chair of JALT 2005.
The next meeting for the East Shikoku Chapter is on Sunday, January 28th, 2007 from 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM.
This will be the first of a two-part series of events aimed at supporting young teachers and researchers in our chapter who have limited experience in publishing and presenting.
The meeting is at Kochi Women’s University, Language Lab, 5-15 Eikokuji-cho, Kochi City..
Cost for non-JALT members: 500 yen; for JALT members: free
Psychometrics in Applied Linguistics
Ian Isemonger
Ian Isemonger of Kochi Women’s University talked the group through the
methodology behind the creation of psychological instruments: constructions and
operationalizations. An intelligent discussion ensued.
Event Announcement
Psychometrics in Applied Linguistics
Ian Isemonger
In this presentation, Ian Isemonger, Associate Professor at Kochi Women’s University, will give a presentation entitled Psychometrics in Applied Linguistics. After a general survey of how psychometrics is relevant to applied linguistics, this presentation will focus on instruments that claim to measure various psychological constructs. These instruments are frequently suggested to teachers as a means of profiling students in the classroom so that they can assist those with particular problems or needs. This presentation will explain the psychometric theory behind such instruments, and methods for determining their validity, so as to enable teachers to make better choices of instrument.
Ian is a specialist in psychometrics and has recently been published in Studies in Second Language Acquisition (in press, March, 2007) where he has criticized Rod Ellis in a rebuttal to a major study of the psychometrics of implicit and explicit knowledge. He has also published in other leading international journals such as Educational and Psychological Measurement. Ian’s teaching background over 13 years in Asia includes posts at four universities in Thailand, Korea and Japan.
Place: Kochi Women’s University, Eikokuji Campus, Room 351, 3rd floor (signs will be posted). 5-15 Eikokuji-cho, Kochi City.
Date: Saturday, December 16th
Time: 1:00 – 2:30
Cost for one-day members: 500 yen; for JALT members: free
This workshop, held in conjunction with JALTCALL, featured three 45-minute hands on presentations and an electronic poster session. In the main presentations, Paul Daniels & Timothy Gutierrez – Delivering Digital Content through Moodle, showed how an open-source content management system can be utilized to support in-class language learning activities. Lawrie Hunter presented on Effective PowerPoint presentations, guiding his audience through techniques for effective use of PowerPoint in the language classroom. Hunter suggested useful tips for the design, content and use of this software. Davey Leslie, in his presentation, The website as narrative: scripting a site with a notepad and a cup of coffee, shared ideas for creating unique sites based on his experience as a professional website developer and language teacher.
In the poster session’s unique digital format, presenters were assigned a table with four notebook PCs with Internet access, digital video and still cameras. Presenters demonstrated digital course content, useful websites, student projects, and educational lessons, giving their audience hands-on time with their software and content. Posters were presented by Marcus Otlowski– Online learning sites, Sean Burgoine – Using mobile phones/digital cameras for storytelling, Michael Sharpe – Mobile blogs, Charlie Robertson – Use of video storyboarding, Paul Daniels and Tim Gutierrez – Moodle: Classroom Use, and Ian Isemonger– An online-refereed journal for students.
View more images here.
East Shikoku JALT Chapter 