First Meeting in 2014 - Sunday, Feb, 9th

Aloha,The meeting has NOT been cancelled but expected attendance will be low with highways and local roads closed.Enjoy the snow!



全国語学教育学会
     The Japan Association for Language Teaching  -JALT- 

Sunday, Feb, 9th, 10:00 – 17:00 Meeting

  Presentations:
 

1. University Accreditation: It's Impact on EFL Teaching (10:00-12:00)
by Bern Mulvey (Iwate University) 

As of 2004, all universities in Japan must submit to an external accreditation evaluation, to be repeated every seven years. The universities receive written assessments in multiple categories from one of four official accrediting agencies. These assessments are intended to provide detailed evaluations of curriculum appropriateness and teacher effectiveness, not to mention school/program effectiveness in meeting mission objectives. All reports are publicized. The universities also receive grades: pass, probation, or fail. In other words, at least in theory, university accreditation represents an unparalleled opportunity to achieve meaningful, lasting educational reform in this country--particularly (as stated prominently on the Ministry of Education's website) in the area of English language instruction. However, the ongoing lack of consensus (even within MEXT) regarding such things as desired learning outcomes and appropriate measurement tools has resulted in a situation that is both increasingly complex and, especially with regards to EFL classes and their (often non Japanese) instructors, troubling. This presentation examines the ramifications of, not to mention the opportunities afforded by, this new policy. I focus particularly on the current problems (e.g., the unrealistic expectations (both of faculty and students), the resulting Faculty Development "monster," etc.) yet address as well the potentially very positive impact on EFL education and educators in Japan. Having served as Dean of a Japanese university undergoing accreditation, headed a university accreditation committee and authored major sections of the 100-page official accreditation report, my discussion will include first-hand observations not elsewhere available in English. 

Bern Mulvey has written books, academic and newspaper articles, essays and poems in English and Japanese, with work published, among other places, in Higher Education Policy, Japan Studies Review, American Language Review, Continuing Higher Education Review, Michigan Quarterly Review, Poetry, The Missouri Review, JALT Journal, Nibutani Ainugo Kyoushitsu, Times Higher Education Supplement, The Language Teacher, EL Gazette, ELT News, Asahi Shinbun, etc. Bern Mulvey's second book, Deep Snow Country, won the 2013 Field Poetry Prize and will be published in early 2014. His first book, The Fat Sheep Everyone Wants, won the Cleveland State University Poetry Center Prize and was published in 2008. He also has had two award-winning poetry chapbooks published: Character Readings (Southeast Missouri State University Press, 2012) and The Window Tribe (White Eagle Coffee Store Press, 2005). The former dean of Miyazaki International College, he currently is a professor at Iwate National University.

2. Reducing repeaters (14:00-14:30)
by Rika Otsu (Tokiwa University) & Francisco Gonzales (Oyama high school)

We investigated the attitudes of Japanese students repeating EFL classes in a university setting towards the classes and their teachers in order to find suitable ways to reduce the number of students who have to repeat classes. Preliminary results of a questionnaire indicated that the teacher’s enthusiasm and knowledge positively affected student success. Our presentation will discuss the role of teachers in motivating students in the language classroom. 

Rika Otsu is currently teaching English and other related subjects at Tokiwa University in Ibaraki prefecture. Her research interests include motivation, collaborative learning, Literature Circle, and English education for children.

Francisco E. Gonzales earned his MS in TESOL from California State University, Fullerton. He currently works as an ALT at Oyama High School in Tochigi Prefecture. His research interests include EFL/ESL motivation, pronunciation, and Japanese foreign language educational policies.


3. The ALTs and Japanese English Education: Perception Changes, 
Obstacles and Opportunities (14:45-16:15)
by Bern Mulvey (Iwate University)

In this presentation, I argue five things: 
 1) Given the goals initially set, the JET Program has been mainly successful. 
2) There is a dangerous gap, however, among MEXT, teacher and public perceptions of both the success of the program and the efficacy of English language instruction overall.  
3) In addition, JET faces serious demographic and economic challenges. 
4) In order to survive, the overall goals of the program, including the respective roles of both ALTs and JETs, need to be reexamined. 
5) The potential exists for a stronger, even more successful program. 

4. Business Meeting (16:30-17:00)

Ibaraki Christian University (Building #5 - 5100 and 5101) Hitachi, Omika

Sunday, Feb, 9th, 10:00 – 17:00
(Doors open from 9:30. No pre-registration required!)
JALT Members: Free    Non-Members: 500 yen 

Support the Chapter Book Fair!
Donate your unwanted books – and get used books for 50 yen!

How to get there:










Sunday, December 8, 13:00 – 17:30
at
Ibaraki University, Humanities building Room C205
 (Doors open from 12:45 a.m. No pre-registration required!)

Presentations:

1. Looking Back on Influences of Child Raising after 25 Years
by Martin Pauly (13:00~13:30)

I will reflect on events which influenced our family in attempts to raise our boys bilingually. The influence of the JALT Bilingualism SIG, advice from others, experiences in forming a Play Group and later a Saturday School, the local school, are topics to be touched on.

Martin has been a member of the Bilingualism SIG since its inception. He has been at the Tsukuba University of Technology for 23 years and will retire next March.


2. Featured Speaker Presentation
Raising Bilingual Children in Japan
by Mary Nobuoka (13:45~ 15:15)

Join us for a talk about the basics of raising children to be bilingual with Mary Nobuoka, coordinator of Bilingualism SIG, a special interest group of the Japan Association of Language Teachers. Mary will talk about the advantages and challenges of raising bilingual children in Japan, education options and ideas for supporting your child’s language skills. Q&A will follow.
Mary is currently raising her bicultural, bilingual, 11-year-old son in Yokohama. She also teaches bilingual children literacy skills in an active "Saturday school" in Sakuragicho. We’re looking forward to this informative talk for those of us at the beginning of our bilingual journey.


3. Bilingual in Japan: German and Japanese– Reflecting theory and experience in language acquisition –
by Gabriela Schmidt (15:45~16:15)

“Bilingual” in Japan is often focused on Japanese / English (American English). But there are a lot of children living in Japan with a bilingual or trilingual or even more languages from various countries. As a linguist I would like to reflect the theoretical background of natural (not instructed) language acquisition and the experience I had by raising my son in a mostly Japanese environment with a German speaking mother. Comparing my way with the insights I gained from talking to other parents, I will include some experience from teaching German in the French School in Tokyo to children, young people with an amazing multi-cultural and multi-lingual background. The critical age – timeframe (2-3 years old, 6-7 years old and 12-13 years old) seems to be very important to become really bilingual, and language is culture and gives an identity.

Mainz University (Germany) MA in Philosophy, Ph.D. in Comparative Linguistics, since 1993 teaching German in Korea, since 1998 in Okinawa and Kanto, actually at Tsukuba University. First interested in how to teach
conversation (linguistics-pragmatics), later in the CEFR, a big impact had my degree for Intercultural
Communication 2012 at Jena University.

4. Code-switching of Bilingual Teachers in EFL Classrooms
by Naomi Takagi (16:15~16:45)

Summary: Code-switching is a discourse phenomenon of changing from one language to another and is commonly observed in bilingual conversations. The use of code-switching in language classrooms has been controversial. It is a pedagogical asset for bilingual teachers to communicate effectively with their students, but it can also deprive students of the opportunity for maximum exposure to the target language. This presentation will discuss preliminary findings of when and why instructors use code-switching, what effects it has on students, and in what situations code-switching may serve useful purposes.

Naomi Takagi has taught ESL reading and writing as well as academic, technical, and professional communication as a graduate student at an American university, and currently teaches general English courses at Ibaraki University. Her recent research addressed the use of group-thinking techniques for improving argumentative writing of EFL students.

5. Business Meeting (17:00~17:30)

Sunday, December 8, 13:00 – 17:30
at
Ibaraki University, Humanities building Room C205
 (Doors open from 12:45 a.m. No pre-registration required!)

JALT Members: Free    Non-Members: \500 

JALT Ibaraki chapter meetings are open to all interested in learning and teaching languages. Abstracts for the presentations and access information for the venue, as well as further information for future events are available on the chapter home page.

. . . and afterwards join us for the
Annual Chapter Year-End Party
Starts at 17:45 p.m.! At Coji Coji

Ibaraki University is here:

View Larger Map

Support the Chapter Book Fair!
Donate your unwanted books – and get used books for \50!

1. 25年間の子育ての影響を振り返って 発表者 Martin Pauly(13:00~13:30)
バイリンガルという環境で、子育てにおける家族に影響を与えた出来事を振り返ってみようと思います。 JALT Bilingualism SIG の影響や他の人からの助言、小規模保育グループや言語補習校、地元の学校にお ける経験などのことについて触れたいと思います。
Martin さんは、Bilingualism SIG の設立以来の会員で、筑波技術大学で 23 年間教鞭をとっています。ま た、来年の 3 月には退職の予定です。
2. 基調講演 日本におけるバイリンガル子育て 発表者 Mary Nobuoka (13:45~ 15:15)
全国語学教育学会(JALT)の special interest group(SIG)のひとつである Bilingualism SIG のコーディネ ーターである Mary Nobuoka さんのバイリンガル子育てについてのお話に参加しましょう。今回は、日 本におけるバイリンガル子育ての利点と挑戦、またあなたのお子さんの言語技術の向上を支援する教育 的な方法やアイディアについてのお話があります。
Mary さんは、横浜で 2 つの文化と言語を持つ 11 歳の息子さんの子育て中です。桜木町にある言語補習 校では、読み書きの技術をバイリンガルの子ども達に教えています。バイリンガル教育の旅路が始まろ うとしている方々のために、このような有益な情報を伝えられることをうれしく思います。
3. 日本におけるバイリンガル:ドイツ語と日本語 -言語習得における理論と経験を振り返って- 発表者 Gabriela Schmidt(15:45~16:15)
日本では「バイリンガル」と言えば、よく日本語と英語(アメリカ英語)に焦点が当てられますが、日 本には様々な国の出身のバイリンガル、トリリンガル、あるいはそれ以上の言語を使用する子ども達が います。言語学者として私は、自然な(指導されたものではなく)言語習得の理論的背景を紹介し、私

がドイツ語を母国語とする母として、日本語という言語環境において子育てをした経験を振り返ってみ たいと思います。私の子育て法と他の保護者との話の中から得た見識を比較しつつ、東京のフランス人 学校における驚くべき文化的・言語的背景を持つ子ども達へのドイツ語教育から、いくつかの体験談も 取り上げてみたいと思います。臨界期(時間枠は、2-3 歳、6-7 歳と 12-13 歳)はバイリンガルになるた めに非常に重要な時期で、言語は文化を表し、アイデンティティを与えます。
Mainz University(ドイツ)において哲学修士及び比較言語学博士。1993年より韓国でドイツ語を教えて いましたが、1998年からは沖縄と関東地方(筑波大学)で教鞭をとっています。はじめは、会話(言語 学語用論)を教えることに興味がありましたが、後にJena Universityで行われたIntercultural Communication 2012で、CEFRが私の専門分野に大きな影響があり、興味の中心となっています。
4. EFLの授業におけるバイリンガルの指導者の使用言語コードスイッチ 発表者 Naomi Takagi(16:15~16:45)
発表概要:コードスイッチとは、使用言語がある言語からもう1つの言語へ変更されるディスコース(発 話の連続)の現象で、バイリンガルの会話の中でよく見られます。言語を教える授業でのコードスイッ チの使用については今まで議論されてきました。学習者と効果的なコミュニケーションをとることはバ イリンガルの指導者にとって指導上の利点となります。しかし、それは学習者から目標言語に触れる機 会を奪ってしまうことになります。今回の発表では、いつ、どうして指導者がコードスイッチするのか、 それが学習者に対してどのような効果があるのか、どのような状況でコードスイッチが効果的な目的を 満たしているかについてのこれまでの研究報告に取り上げたいと思います。
Naomi Takagiさんはアメリカの大学で大学院生として、学術、技術、専門的コミュニケーションに加え、 第二言語としての英語のライティングやリーディングも教えていました。現在は、茨城大学で一般英語 を教えています。また、外国語として英語を学ぶ学習者に対する議論形式ライティングを向上させるた めのグループシンキングの使用についての調査・研究を行っています。
5. 支部会(17:00~17:30)
12 8 日(日)13:00 17:30
at
茨城大学人文学部棟 C205
(受付は 12:45 からです。事前登録は必要ありません。どなたでも参加できます)
参加費: JALT 会員:無料 1 日会員:¥500 学生:無料 語学教育にご興味のある方はどなたでも JALT 茨城支例会に参加できます。講演の要旨や会場までの交通
手段、また、これからの行事などについては茨支部のホームページをご覧ください。
..そして、茨城支部忘年会 に参加しましょう。 Coji Coji で 17:45 から始まります!
           茨城支部ブックフェアーの支援にご協力ください!
あなたの使わなくなった書籍を寄付してください。また、古本を 50 円にて販売しております!