Teachers’ Views on English Teaching

accent argot articulation brogue cant The communication conversation dialect diction Languagedictionary discourse doublespeak expression gibberish Teacher idiom interchange jargon lexicon lingua franca A Taste of JALT2011 Special Issue . . . September / October 2012 palaver Volume 36, Number 5 3 Articles from Yoshifumi Fukada, Satoko Hamamoto,parlance Morten Hunke, Paul Lyddon, Takashi Matsuzawa,patois Julian ISSN 0289-7938 Pigott, Yoko Sato, Gregory Sholdt,phraseology Beth Konomoto, ¥950 Michio Mineshima, Chris Stillwell, Kristen Sullivan, and Giancarla Unser-Schutz prose The Japan Association signal Feature Article . . . for Language Teaching slang 23 Masumi Narita introduces a corpus-based onlinesound grammar tutorial prototype speech

THE JAPAN ASSOCIATION FOR LANGUAGE TEACHING 全国語学教育学会 Readers’ Forum . . . style talk JALT2012 31 Simon Bibby interviews Paul Hullah terminology Making a Difference 35 Paul Wicking discusses the role of God in the classroom tongue My Share . . . utterance 39 Classroom ideas from Mary Hillis,verbalization Mark Rebuck, Gwyn Helverson, and Keith Barrs vernacular vocabulary October 12-15, 2012 Book Review . . . vocalization ACT City Hamamatsu, 44 Richard Miles reviews Presenting in English: How to Hamamatsu, Japan voice Give Successful Presentations word wording JALT Publications }} GRASSROOTS Todd Jay Leonard – Fukuoka University of JALT Publications Board Chair Carol Begg Education Ted O’Neill [email protected] Robert Long – Kyushu Institute of Technology Laura MacGregor – Gakushuin University [email protected] t: 029-228-8455; f: 029-228-8199 Bern Mulvey – Iwate University }} OUTREACH Tim Murphey – Kanda University of TLT Editorial Staff David McMurray International Studies [email protected] Yoko Nakano – Kwansei Gakuin University }} TLT EDITORS Jonathan Picken – Tsuda College Jennifer Yphantides Martha Robertson – Aichi University Jason Peppard Regular Column Editors Stephen Ryan – Eichi – Sapientia University Lorraine Sorrell – Macquarie University [email protected] }} SIG NEWS Toshiyuki Takagaki – Onomichi University }} TLT ASSOCIATE EDITOR Jennie Roloff-Rothman Dax Thomas – Meiji Gakuin University David Marsh [email protected] Deryn Verity – Osaka Jogakuin College [email protected] }} CHAPTER EVENTS York Weatherford – Kyoto Notre Dame Gary Wolff University }} TLT ASSISTANT EDITOR Asako Yoshitomi – Tokyo University of [email protected] Tonya Kneff Foreign Studies }} CHAPTER REPORTS }} TLT JAPANESE-LANGUAGE EDITOR }} ADDITIONAL READERS 阿部恵美佳 (Emika Abe) Tom Mahler Dale Brown, John Eidswick, Naomi [email protected] [email protected] Fujishima, Fujirou Fukushima, James }} TLT JAPANESE-LANGUAGE ASSOC. }} JOB INFORMATION CENTER Hobbs, Masataka Kizuka, Greg Rouault, Richard Miller Tim Stewart, Alan Stoke, Toshiko Sugino, EDITOR Bernie Susser, Dax Thomas 迫和子 (Kazuko Sako) [email protected] [email protected] }} CONFERENCE CALENDAR }} TLT WEB EDITOR David Stephan JALT Journal Theron Muller [email protected] }} JALT JOURNAL EDITOR [email protected] }} OLD GRAMMARIANS Darren Lingley }} TLT WEB ADMIN Scott Gardner [email protected] Malcolm Swanson [email protected] }} JALT JOURNAL ASSOCIATE EDITOR [email protected] Melodie Cook Production [email protected] Resources Editors }} COPYEDITING & PROOFREADING }} JALT JOURNAL JAPANESE EDITOR TEAM LEADERS Ken Urano }} MY SHARE [email protected] Dax Thomas & Harry Harris Tonya Kneff & David Marsh }} JALT JOURNAL REVIEWS EDITOR [email protected] }} COPYEDITORS & PROOFREADERS Laura MacGregor, Bryan Gerrard, Chris Greg Rouault }} BOOK REVIEWS [email protected] Robert Taferner Wharton, Kristjan Bondesson, John [email protected] Roberts, Patrick Rates, Luke Rowland, Jerry Talandis, Brad Smith, Myles Grogan, }} PUBLISHERS’ REVIEW COPIES Conference Proceedings David Marsh, Jennifer Yphantides, Brian LIAISON }} EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Birdsell, Decha Hongthong, Darren Elliott Steve Fukuda Alison Stewart Tonya Kneff, Jason Peppard [email protected] Nozomu Sonda Faculty of Integrated Arts and Sciences, }} 和文要旨作成協力者 [email protected] University of Tokushima, 1-1 Minami Josanjima-cho, (JAPANESE ABSTRACTS) }} VETTING COORDINATOR Tokushima 770-8502 (Mariko Miyao) 宮尾真理子 Theron Muller }} TLT WIRED (Junko Noudomi) 納富淳子 [email protected] Ted O'Neill 中安真敏 (Masatoshi Nakayasu) [email protected] }} DESIGN & LAYOUT }} OUTSIDE THE BOX Pukeko Graphics, Kitakyushu Peer Support Group Adam Lebowitz }} PRINTING }} PSG COORDINATOR [email protected] Koshinsha Co., Ltd., Osaka Wilma Luth [email protected] JALT Focus Editors }} PSG MEMBERS Review Paul Beaufait, Loran Edwards, Wilma Luth, }} JALT NOTICES EDITOR }} TLT EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Steve McGuire, Theron Muller Malcolm Swanson Eric Bray – Yokkaichi University [email protected] Steve Cornwell – Osaka Jogakuin College JALT Central Office }} SHOWCASE Frank Daulton – Ryukoku University Kristen Sullivan Michael Furmanovsky – Ryukoku University Urban Edge Bldg. 5F, 1-37-9 Taito, Scott Gardner – Okayama University [email protected] Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-0016 Chiaki Iwai – Hiroshima City University t: 03-3837-1630; f: 03-3837-1631 Masaki Kobayashi – Kanda University of [email protected] International Studies Shirley Leane – Tottori University SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2012 • VOL. 36, NO. 5 | 1

CONTENTS In this month’s issue . . . A Taste of JALT2011 Articles A Taste of JALT2011 Special Issue }} Articles from Yoshifumi Fukada, Satoko elcome to our Taste of Hamamoto, Morten Hunke, Paul Lyddon, Takashi Matsuzawa, Julian Pigott, Yoko Sato, JALT2011 special issue. Gregory Sholdt, Beth Konomoto, Michio W In order to whet your Mineshima, Chris Stillwell, Kristen Sullivan, appetite for the upcoming JALT and Giancarla Unser-Schutz ...... 3 annual conference in Hamamatsu, we’ll be taking our yearly look at Feature Article the highlights of the previous year’s conference presentations. The theme }} Developing a corpus-based online grammar of JALT2011 was “Teaching, Learning, & Growing”, tutorial prototype...... 23 and in this special issue of TLT we showcase ten of the best papers from the 2011 conference proceedings. Our Readers’ Forum selection was based on recommendations from JALT’s hardworking team of proceedings editors, who kindly }} Simon Bibby interviews literature specialist recommended papers which they found especially Paul Hullah...... 31 interesting or insightful. }} God in the classroom...... 35 Yoshifumi Fukada, Satoko Hamamoto, Morten Resources Hunke, Paul Lyddon, Takashi Matsuzawa, Julian Pigott, Yoko Sato, Gregory Sholdt, Beth Konomoto, }} My Share...... 39 Michio Mineshima, Chris Stillwell, Kristen Sullivan, Giancarla Unser-Schutz }} Book Reviews ...... 44 and have all worked hard to provide short summaries of their conference presenta- }} Recently Received ...... 45 tions, ones which reflect both the theme of professional }} Outside the Box...... 47 development and the wide diversity of topics on offer }} TLT Wired...... 48 at last year’s conference. You can enjoy the full versions of these papers as well as dozens of others from the JALT Focus JALT2011 Conference Proccedings at . }} JALT Notices...... 50 }} Showcase...... 51 Continued over }} Grassroots...... 52 }} Outreach...... 58 JALT PUBLICATIONS ONLINE Columns September/October 2012 online access }} SIG News ...... 61 Material from all our publications produced in the last 12 }} Chapter Events...... 70 months requires a password for access. These passwords }} Chapter Reports...... 73 change with each issue of TLT and are valid for a 3-month }} Job Information ...... 79 period. To access our archives: }} Conference Calendar...... 80 [ login: sep2012 / password: 3uCesPuy ] }} Old Grammarians...... 83 }} Membership Information...... 84

}} Online Access Info...... 1

TLT Editors: Jennifer Yphantides, Jason Peppard TLT Japanese-Language Editor: Emika Abe

THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 36.5 • September / October 2012 1 The Language Teacher » Foreword & Information

aste of JALT2011の特別号へようこそ。今年度の Also in this issue, we have a broad range of JALT年次大会に対する皆さんの興味を高めるた thought provoking content for you in our regular T めにも、まずは昨年の大会発表のハイライトを掲 columns. Starting with the Feature Article, 載します。JALT2011のテーマは、”Teaching, Learning, & Masumi Narita outlines the development of a Growing”でした。このTLT特別号では、2011年度の大会 corpus-based online grammar tutorial prototype. 論文集の優れた論文の中から10本をご披露します。これら Next, in our two Readers’ Forum articles, Simon の論文は、JALT大会論文集の編集チームが特に興味深 Bibby interviews Paul Hullah, and Paul Wick- く洞察に富んでいると推薦した論文の中から選ばれたも ing discusses religious belief and expression in のです。 the classroom. To top it off, Mary Hillis, Mark Yoshifumi Fukada, Satoko Hamamoto, Morten Hunke, Rebuck, Gwyn Helverson, and Keith Barrs all Paul Lyddon, Takashi Matsuzawa, Julian Pigott, Yoko Sato, provide useful ideas for the classroom in My Gregory Sholdt, Beth Konomoto, Michio Mineshima, Chris Richard Miles Stillwell, Kristen Sullivan, Giancarla Unser-Schutzの各氏 Share, and provides a review が自分の大会発表の概要を快 of Presenting in English: How to Give Successful く提供してくれました。各論文 Presentations. We hope you enjoy this special は、昨年の大会で提供された教 issue and we’re looking forward to seeing you at 育者の専門能力開発のテーマ the conference in October. や多種多様なトピックを反映し Jason Peppard, TLT Editor ています。各概要の全文は、他のすべての論文同様、JALTウ David Marsh, TLT Associate Editor ェブサイトののJALT2011 proceedingsで読むことができます。この他に、いつものコラムでは、示唆に富んだ様々な内容を用意しています。今月号のFeatureでは、Masumi Naritaが、コーパスに基づいたオンライン文法個別指 Japan Association for 導ツールのプロトタイプの開発の要点を述べます。次に、Reader’s Forumでは、Simon Bibbyが、Paul Hullahをイ Language Teaching (JALT) ンタビューし、Paul Wickingが授業での宗教的信念や表現について議論します。さらに、My Shareでは、Mary Hillis, A nonprofit organization Mark Rebuck, Gwyn HelversonおよびKeith Barrが、授業で役立つアイデアを提供し、Richard Milesが、Presenting The Japan Association for Language Teaching in English: How to Give Successful Presentationsの書評を (JALT) is a nonprofit professional organization 書いています。皆様がこの特別号を楽しんで読まれるよ dedicated to the improvement of language う、スタッフ一同願っています。また、10月の学会で皆様に teaching and learning in Japan. It provides a お会いできることを楽しみにしています。 forum for the exchange of new ideas and techniques and a means of keeping informed about Jason Peppard, TLT Editor developments in the rapidly changing field of David Marsh, TLT Associate Editor second and foreign language education. JALT National Officers, 2011~2012 Submitting material to President: ...... Kevin Cleary The Language Teacher Vice President: ...... Nathan Furuya Auditor: ...... Caroline Lloyd Guidelines Director of Treasury: . . . . Oana Cusen The editors welcome submissions of materials Director of Records: . . . . Aleda Krause concerned with all aspects of language educa- Director of Program: . . . . Steve Cornwell tion, particularly with relevance to Japan. Director of Membership: . . Buzz Green Submitting online Director of Public Relations: .Michael Stout To submit articles online, please visit: Contact To contact any officer, chapter, or Special Inter- To contact the editors, please use the contact est Group (SIG), please use the contact page form on our website, or through the email on our website: addresses listed in this issue of TLT.

2 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • A TASTE OF JALT2011: EXCERPTS FROM THE PROCEEDINGS | 3 Generating agentive TL interaction in TBL projects

ally mediated capacity to act” (Ahearn, 2001, p. Yoshifumi Fukada 112)―during the process.

Meisei University, Tokyo The field of this study: The Meisei Summer School Project (MSSP) タスクベースの学習は、学習者の目標言語による社会的やりとり促進を期待してEFL、ESL環境の両方で広く普及している。筆者は、タスクベー The MSSP was selected as the field of this study. スドプロジェクトで行われる目標言語による社会的やりとりにおいて、学 The MSSP is a social-oriented TBL project where 習者の主体的態度がどのように生成されているのかを調査することにした。筆者は、日本の大学で学ぶEFL学習者を対象としたタスクベースの英 the LLs are required to use their TL for meaning- 語学習プロジェクト、明星サマースクールプロジェクト（MSSP）で５年間 ful purposes in real-life settings outside the class- にわたりフィールドワークを行ったが、その結果、目標言語による社会的 room. This annual TBL project, which started in やりとりにおける日本人大学生の主体的態度は、既に学習者内に形成された個人的要因だけではなく、タスクに関わるいくつかの要因によって 2002, is based at Meisei University and targets も複合的に構築・維持されていることが明らかとなった。 the university’s EFL students. The university students’ main task is to teach English in teams to Japanese elementary or junior high school ask-based learning (TBL) has been students for one week during summer vacation. prevalent as a strong form of communica- The project is student-centered and participants T tive language learning since the 1980s are asked to engage in a number of sub-tasks to (Adamson, 2006). A large number of studies have manage the project: organising publicity; holding provided empirical evidence of the benefits of opening and closing ceremonies; developing tasks implemented in EFL/ESL classes, reporting class schedules and teaching materials; and the EFL/ESL learners’ successful use of their rehearsing lessons before the actual teaching. target language (TL) within meaningful social The undergraduate participants are organised interactions in the process of completing their into teams and start working on these sub-tasks given tasks (for a review, see Ellis, 2003). Past in early April. The MSSP invites about 10 inter- studies, however, have not provided much infor- national volunteers from both non-English and mation on the attributes that sustain TL interac- English-speaking countries/regions from around tion within TBL projects. I conducted fieldwork the world to work with Japanese teammates. research over five years on a TBL project to Volunteers arrive in Japan in late July to join the explore the mechanism of language learners’ Japanese university students one week before (LLs’) active and also sustaining engagement in the MSSP English classes open. The international TL interactions within a TBL project, specifically volunteers and the Japanese participants in each focusing on the LLs’ agency― “the sociocultur- team work together using their TL, English, as a lingua franca (Jenkins, 2007) while prepar- On JALT2011 ing for and teaching their MSSP classes. Their Teaching, Learning, & Growing TL social interactions and TL-mediated social practices within the MSSP were analyzed using The 2011 Conference Proceedings is now the framework of Communities of Practice (CoP) available to JALT members online! (Wenger, 1998). Over 70 papers offering information and ideas to support and motivate you in your Method learning, teaching, and research. During five years of fieldwork in the MSSP, I utilized several different types of research

THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 36.5 • September / October 2012 3 The Language Teacher • A Taste of JALT2011 • Excerpts from the Proceedings techniques including survey (N=171), unstruc- Conclusion tured informal interviews, observation, and The findings of this study cannot be generalized audio-recording of English social interactions to to all TBL projects in all contexts, and the mecha- holistically investigate the Japanese participants’ nisms of LLs’ agency presented here are only a TL interactions with the international volunteers portion of their potential agencies. It is my hope from different perspectives. I employed both this fieldwork will continue in order to further quantitative and qualitative approaches to data illuminate more of the complex language learn- analysis. Triangulation of each type of quantita- ing picture, with the expectation that the results tive and qualitative data enabled multi-layered and findings of this research will help more LLs analyses of the TL social interactions. become active agents in TBL projects, thereby contributing to the further development of TBL Main results in Japanese EFL contexts. By triangulating each data set, it was found that This work was supported by KAKENHI Japanese MSSP participants’ agentive attitudes 22720219. within their engagement of TL interactions were based not only on factors assumed to be Yoshifumi Fukada is Professor in the De- pre-existing before the program, but also the partment of International Studies at Meisei MSSP’s situational factors. Pre-existing factors University, Tokyo. His research interests include included aspirations for communicating in and L2 learners’ and users’ dynamic identities, learning English (n=26, 18.44%), past experiences their agency in their English-learning and (of studying abroad/participating in the MSSP) social interactions (in and out of class), and (n=13, 9.22%), and confidence in English ability their use of English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) (n=2, 1.42%). The MSSP’s situational factors in- in international communities. in the MSSP environment (n=38, 26.95%) with aspirations for mingling with international volunteers invited to the MSSP (n=34, 24.11%), and References working on their given task with international Adamson, B. (2006). Fashions in language volunteers and other Japanese undergraduates as teaching methodology. In A. Davies & C. Elder a team (n=27, 19.15%). It was notable that both the (Eds.), The handbook of applied linguistics (pp. Japanese MSSP participants’ pre-existing internal 604-622). Malden MA: Blackwell Publishing factors and MSSP-related factors complexified and Ltd. strengthened their agency for actively participat- Ahearn, L. M. (2001). Language and agency. ing in the TL interactions. This result is consistent Annual Review of Anthropology, 30, 109-137. with the argument made by Lantolf and Pavlenko (2001) that learners’ agency is not only unique to Bruner, J. S. (1975). The ontogenesis of speech individuals but is also co-constructed. In addi- acts. Journal of Child Language, 2, 1-19. tion, I found that communication breakdowns Ellis, R. (2003). Task-based language learning and frequently occurred during their TL interactions, teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press. which prevented the Japanese participants from Jenkins, J. (2007). English as a lingua franca: maintaining their agentive attitude. However, Attitude and identity. Oxford: Oxford University communication strategies including appealing Press. for assistance to peers and more competent peers’ Lantolf, J. P., & Pavlenko, A. (2001). (S)econd voluntary scaffolding (Bruner, 1975) enabled (L)anguage (A)ctivity theory: Understanding Japanese participants to overcome hurdles and second language learners as people. In M. become more active agents in their interactions. Breen (Ed.), Learner contributions to language Moreover, some novice Japanese students were learning: New directions in research (pp. 141-158). more comfortable engaging in TL interactions Harlow, England: Pearson Education. with more competent old-timer Japanese students. These findings demonstrate how the MSSP Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of practice: as a whole, as well as each of its teaching teams, Learning, meaning, and identity. Cambridge: function as a CoP (Wenger, 1998). Cambridge University Press.

THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • A TASTE OF JALT2011: EXCERPTS FROM THE PROCEEDINGS | 5 Elementary teachers’ views on English teaching

teachers), and approximately 280 teachers par- Satoko Hamamoto ticipated in an English teaching seminar for four successive days each summer. Making full use Yasuda Women’s University, of CALL (computer-assisted language learning), Shou-ei-juku offered efficient learning from the Hiroshima characteristics of English vowels and consonants up to the use of classroom English, alongside the 本論は、広島市立小学校141校の5・6学年を担当する現職教員270名に teaching plan which the Hiroshima City Board 行ったアンケート調査から、小学校英語科の導入に関する教員の見解 of Education prepared. According to a question- を明らかにすることが目的である。『小学校学習指導要領』（文部科学省、2008年）が告示されて、日本の小学校での英語教育が2011年から完 naire survey administered on the last day of 全実施されるにあたり、広島市では「ひろしま型義務教育創造特区」の Shou-ei-juku of 2009, over 90% of the teachers 認定を受けて、2010年から小学校への英語科を完全導入することになっ made positive reviews regarding the teacher た。その条件整備の一貫として、2007年度から2009年度までの3年計画で、毎年夏に約280名の現職教員を対象に、広島市教育委員会と広島市 training outcomes, but actually very few of them 内の大学の共催で教員研修が実施された。受講者の9割以上が教員研 felt confident enough to begin teaching English 修の成果に関して肯定的な評価であったが、小学校英語科を始めること to their young learners. In this article, drawing への懸念や不安は一掃されていないようであった。 upon the results of the survey, I explore possible causes and solutions to various problems which n 2008, the Japanese Ministry of Education, elementary school teachers are experiencing in Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology the introduction of English as a foreign language. I (MEXT) revised its new course of study with It seems that there is no difference between the the introduction of English classes at elementary foreign language activity in the new course of schools from 2011. In response to the authoriza- study and the Eigo-ka of the Hiroshima-gata cur- tion of Gimukyouiku-souzoutokku (MEXT, 2008) (a riculum, as far as targets are concerned. Although specific district for creating original compulsory the latter is learned as a regular subject, unlike education) certified in 2006, Hiroshima city foreign language activities, the target is still founded Eigo-ka (an English course) in 2010 “familiarization.” Therefore, possible factors for based on the Hiroshima-gata curriculum (an teachers’ concern and anxiety are as follows: “If original curriculum for Hiroshima city schools). the goal is just ‘familiarization,’ beginning earlier This Hiroshima-gata curriculum consists of three than the 5th grade is better”; “‘Familiarization’ parts—the improvement of cooperation and con- is not suitable for evaluation”; or “Due to my nection of elementary and junior high schools, own ability of English, I cannot instruct a child the implementation of “an integrated course for to achieve the goal of Eigo-ka (that is ‘familiariza- language, mathematics, and science” from the tion’).” In the survey, in terms of what a teacher 5th grade to the 9th grade, and the enforcement expects the most from a child, an overwhelming of Eigo-ka in the 5th and 6th grades—with the majority had chosen “the will to communicate in intention of establishing children’s proficiency in English” and “a positive attitude toward English language, mathematics, and science, as well as learning.” This expectation is, however, not likely improving their powers of thinking, judgment, to be attained by “familiarization.” Therefore, it is and expression. In anticipation of mandatory thought that a child’s autonomous effort is crucial, elementary school English classes, the Hiroshima as well as a teacher’s support for autonomy, City Board of Education and a private university which facilitates a child’s motivation to study. in Hiroshima city provided teacher training for As Hiroshima city introduced Eigo-ka at elemen- all 5th and 6th grade homeroom teachers in a tary schools from 2010, the year 2009 (when this three-year joint venture during 2007-2009. It questionnaire was administered) was a transi- was named Shou-ei-juku (an English cram school tional period of foreign language education to held in summer vacation for elementary school Eigo-ka. Under such circumstances, it became clear THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 36.5 • September / October 2012 5 The Language Teacher • A Taste of JALT2011 • Excerpts from the Proceedings

that various concerns and anxieties existed among elementary schools, considerable improvement elementary school teachers in three themes of this in teaching conditions accompanying it is indis- survey: the starting date of Eigo-ka, the evalua- pensable. In order to fully exhibit an educational tion of Eigo-ka, and the teachers’ responsibility effect, it is essential that a teacher has adequate for Eigo-ka. There is a generally accepted idea training and understands clearly the target of that it is better to begin foreign language study Eigo-ka. as soon as possible, and this served as a motive As a future task, I would like to investigate to introduce English education into elementary further how English education with no consensus school. However, 44 teachers (16%) among the among teachers is reflected in lessons, as well as 270 responded, “It is too late” to start from the 5th what kind of difference results in actual education. grade in elementary school, and apparently most teachers are cautious in terms of their attitudes Satoko Hamamoto teaches English at Yasuda toward early English education. Moreover, as for Women’s University in Hiroshima. Her research the introduction of evaluation in Eigo-ka, teachers interests include Second Language Acquisi- demonstrated their strong concerns that the tone tion and EFL Teaching Methodology in Japan. of “study” is emphasized and thereby children’s volition is spoiled. It seems that their concern is especially remarkable for introducing English as a subject. Finally, the training for elementary school Reference teachers in Eigo-ka is probably the most important Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science issue. In fact, 217 teachers (80%) had chosen “the and Technology. (2008). Shougakkou gakushuu teacher’s own ability of English” at the head of shidou youryou [Course of study for elementary the cause of concern. If Eigo-ka is introduced in schools]. Tokyo: Tokyo-shoseki.

6 | A TASTE OF JALT2011: EXCERPTS FROM THE PROCEEDINGS Hertz und Pixel: Creative podcasting with adult learners of German for a Japan-wide competition

he year 2011 marked the 150th anniver- Morten Hunke sary of German-Japanese diplomatic T relations. In order to support and celebrate Tokyo University of Foreign the learning of the German language in Japan, a competition for Japanese learners, Hertz und Studies/Aoyama Gakuin Pixel () was initiated calling for fictional audio, audio documentary, fictional University/Onichi Kyokai video, and video documentary entries with any kind of reference to the letter “D”. 日独交流150周年という記念の年であった2011年、日本のドイツ語学習者のためにオーディオ・ビデオコンテスト（Hertz & Pixel）が開催され Students of two German classes at a private た。このコンテストのために、東京にある語学学校でドイツ語を学ぶ壮 language school in Tokyo produced podcasts for 年学習者の2グループが、ポッドキャストを使ったオーディオ作品を作っ the Hertz und Pixel competition. These partici- た。本論では、これら2グループのうちの1つのグループと行った作業が、プランニングからレコーディング、編集を経てどのように最終作品に至っ pants were, on average, in their late 50s and their たかを詳しく述べていく。作品はで試聴可能 language competency level was approximately である。 intermediate to upper intermediate. The process 6 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • A Taste of JALT2011 • Excerpts from the Proceedings of producing the podcasts consisted of planning, groups of two or three picked seven to nine “D” recording, and editing. The learners involved in words out of these and had to come up with a this study opted for presenting their topics in format that (loosely) tied them together. One different forms—drama and poetry. group decided to stick with the poetry format whereas two groups opted for self-developed Audio and podcast production as language drama. Students were asked not to script entire learning tools sentences. After finishing a draft of the story lines, students practiced the dialogues in trial Offering speaking opportunities to students can runs among themselves. Once every group had be a challenge for a language teacher, especially received feedback, the first recording took place. in an environment where the target language (TL) is not frequently used. Egbert (2011) Recording and editing demonstrated why a teacher’s “knowledge and understanding of engagement” (p. 131) with The process of producing the contributions for technology plays a key role in this. However, the competition was spread over six weeks (one even tech-savvy students who are aware of hour initial composition, two hours planning, learning technologies may reject applications two hours recording, one hour editing). On that are not interactive enough (White, 2011). average, three recording sessions were deemed Therefore, when using technology, methodology necessary by the students themselves. Students and the activity types selected are particularly spent considerable time and effort on fine-tuning important (Traxler, 2008). various aspects of their contributions. Producing podcasts has been found to keep Editing was performed in class and consisted motivation high and entice students (Cane & of two parts. First, hesitations and other minor Cashmore, 2008) as it allows students to practise mistakes that the students found undesirable their language skills and use new media (Egbert, were edited out. Second, royalty-free back- 2011). They further offer a high degree of control ground music was chosen by the students and as they can be planned beforehand and edited edited in. After a final edit by the instructor, the after recording (Salmon, 2008). Podcasts can also group revised the edited contributions, which be discussed directly, providing the producer(s) were then submitted. with constructive criticism. The contributions to the competition Preparing the podcasts Three pieces of audio were submitted to the Preparing content Hertz und Pixel competition consisting of two First, the students compiled a list of words fictional dialogue pieces featuring some “D” beginning with the letter “D” as a homework words and one contribution featuring a number task resulting in a list of 75 words. Based on that of self-written haiku and poems. list, students were then given the task of producing haiku (a traditional Japanese poetic form) in Conclusions German in pairs. The focus of this task was on In this project, a group of mature Japanese learn- playful creative activities. After students had ers of German enthusiastically produced audio read their pieces to each other in small groups, contributions to a nation-wide contest. They some very brief trial recordings to familiarize decided on the form and topic of the contributions the students with the process were undertaken. themselves (one poetry and two drama submis- The following week the students voted for their sions). Students spent most of the time during the favourite pieces. A feedback round followed production process on planning and recording. where both the group and the instructor first They developed their own creative potential and gave positive feedback and then moved on to exceeded their own expectations in oral use of the improvement suggestions on aspects of rhythm, TL to a considerable extent. Furthermore, in the stress, intonation, and pronunciation. process of creating and producing the podcasts, students were able to use German in a number Planning phase for the submissions of different ways, especially pronunciation and Following the feedback session, each student prosody, and they strengthened confidence in their selected five words from the “D” list. Then speaking ability. The poetry contribution went on

THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 36.5 • September / October 2012 7 The Language Teacher • A Taste of JALT2011 • Excerpts from the Proceedings

to win the special Issey Ogata prize. The following References haiku is an example from the winning entry: Cane, C., & Cashmore, A. (2008). Students’ podcasts as learning tools. In G. Salmon & P. Damenfußball Nadeshiko Edirisingha (Eds.), Podcasting for learning in Weltmeisterschaft in Deutschland universities (pp. 146-152). Maidenhead, UK: Open University Press. durchhalten, dominieren Egbert, J. (2011). “Engage me! Rules for engagement in CALL. In E. Forsyth, T. Gorham, M. [Women’s football/soccer Nadeshiko Grogan, D. Jarrell, R. Chartrand, & P. Lewis World Cup in Germany (Eds.), CALL: What’s your motivation? Collected Prevailing, dominating] papers on the cutting edge of language learning practice (pp. 123-131). Nagoya, Japan: JALT CALL SIG. Partaking in the contest also allowed students Salmon, G. (2008). The future for podcasting. to work interactively through implementation of In G. Salmon & P. Edirisingha (Eds.), Podcast- feedback sessions and interactions with the audience ing for learning in universities (pp. 169-178). of the competition. In summary, the project was Maidenhead, UK: Open University Press. able to demonstrate that podcasts can be a powerful technological tool in second language education. Traxler, J. (2008). Podcasting in context. In G. Salmon & P. Edirisingha (Eds.), Podcasting for learning in universities (pp. 12-19). Maidenhead, Morten Hunke was educated in Germany, UK: Open University Press. Ireland, and Sweden. Before coming to Japan, White, J. (2011). CALL and the problems faced by he worked in England and Germany. For many the Japanese university system. In E. Forsythe, years, he has been using audio applications with T. Gorham, M. Grogan, D. Jarrell, R. Char- students. trand, & P. Lewis (Eds.), CALL: What’s your The student podcasts can be found online at motivation? Collected papers on the cutting edge of . language learning practice (pp. 139-148). Nagoya, Japan: JALT CALL SIG.

8 | A TASTE OF JALT2011: EXCERPTS FROM THE PROCEEDINGS Japanese university student self-motivation and language learning autonomy

の2つの要素が、学習者の自らの学習をコントロールする能力にどのように影響を与えているかも明らかにされていない。本論では、大学の選択 Paul A. Lyddon 科目の１つである学習者自律に関するクラスで、半期を通して行ったリサーチプロジェクトの結果を検証する。プロジェクトに参加した学生には、 Kanda University of 最初に彼らの動機づけを維持する方法についてのアンケートに回答してもらい、その後、その後、新しい動機づけ維持のテクニックを教えた新しい動機づけ維持のテクニックを教えた。次に、短期間の学習のゴールを International Studies 設定してもらい、自分の用いた動機づけストラテジーと、どれだけゴールに近づいたかの達成記録も毎週つけてもらった。これらのデータとコーこの20年間で、動機づけと自律との相互関係は多くの注目を集めるようスの終わりに提出してもらった自律学習に関するエッセイを比較分析しになってきた。しかし、実際にどのようにして学習者が自らを動機づけ、た。その結果、自律した学習者は、より多様な自己動機づけストラテジーそれを長期間維持するように努めるのかは解明されていない。また、こを用い、また、自分自身の成し遂げたことをよりポジティブに見ていく傾向が認められた。

8 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • A Taste of JALT2011 • Excerpts from the Proceedings

he average matriculating Japanese uni- were modeled. From that week forward, the versity student would need an estimated learners turned in weekly learning logs of their T 1,000 additional hours of instruction progress toward a self-selected short-term goal, before graduation to attain the necessary English along with a checklist of any self-motivational proficiency for academic and professional use strategies they used. (Lyddon, 2011). However, as few learners have At semester’s end, the learners submitted essays even the option of taking sufficient coursework describing and explaining the changes in their for this many contact hours, most will likely awareness, attitudes, and actions in terms of need to exercise considerable autonomy to their understanding of autonomy. The essays achieve such an ambitious goal. were ranked from highest to lowest demonstra- Benson (2011) has defined learner autonomy as tion of autonomy. The middle third were then “the capacity to take control of one’s own learn- excluded to create two extreme groups. Data ing” (p. 58, emphasis added). As Ushioda (2008) were analyzed for the first, middle, and last of noted, however, learners who rely on teachers five collection times. to motivate them are unlikely to exhibit the necessary efforts outside of class to sufficiently Results develop their communicative proficiency. To foster self-motivation, Dörnyei (2001) has suggested The first analysis compared overall strategy use five categories of strategies: between groups. However, independent samples • Commitment control (e.g., imagining the t-tests of mean strategy use revealed no statisti- positive consequences of reaching one’s cally significant differences at the .05 alpha level goal) at any time: t(14) = .067, p = .95 for Time 1; t(14) = .052, p = .96 for Time 3; and t(14) = .764, p = .46 • Metacognitive control (e.g., reminding for Time 5. oneself of one’s deadline) A second analysis compared the numbers of • Satiation control (e.g., modifying an activity learners using strategies in each category at each to make it more fun or more challenging) time (see Table 1). More highly autonomous • Emotional control (e.g., encouraging oneself learners appeared to use more satiation strate- verbally in instances of success) gies. However, two-sided Fisher’s exact tests for • Environmental control (e.g., eliminating use vs. non-use of this category by autonomy sources of interference, such as noise) level were nonsignificant at the .05 alpha level This study examined the relationships between (p = 1.00 for Time 1, p = .13 for Time 3, and p = overall, categorical, and individual self-motiva- .28 for Time 5). In the end, four of the eight most tional strategy use and learner autonomy. highly autonomous learners also indicated using strategies from all five categories, whereas only one of the least autonomous learners did, though Method this result was similarly nonsignificant at the .05 Participants alpha level (p = .28). The 24 participants were third- and fourth-year university students in a 15-week English elective Table 1. High and low autonomy group learner course on learner autonomy at a small, prefectural reports of strategy use by category over time computer science school in southern Tohoku. Time 1 Time 3 Time 5 Category High Low High Low High Low Procedure Commit- 8 7 7 8 6 7 The course followed Scharle and Szabó’s (2000) ment three-phase cycle of raising awareness, changing Metacog- 8 8 8 7 8 7 attitudes, and transferring roles with respect nitive to motivation, learner strategies, community Satiation 3 2 6 2 4 1 building, and self-monitoring. In Week 8, the learners took a Likert survey of the frequency Emotion 7 8 6 6 7 6 Environ- of their self-motivational strategy use in each of 4 5 5 5 5 4 Dörnyei’s five categories. After the survey, appli- mental cations of 31 different self-motivational strategies All 5 1 1 4 2 4 1

THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 36.5 • September / October 2012 9 The Language Teacher • A Taste of JALT2011 • Excerpts from the Proceedings

A third analysis compared the variety of self-encouragement. It is hoped that the develop- strategy categories between groups over time. ment of a more accurate and reliable autonomy Independent samples t-tests at the .05 alpha level measure and a larger learner sample will allow revealed no significant differences in the means for the exact nature of this relationship to be at any of the three data collection times: Time 1 examined more definitively. t(14) = .000, p = 1.00, Time 3 t(14) = .798, p = .44, Time 5 t(14) = .947, p = .36. Nevertheless, the Paul Lyddon is Assistant Director of the English mode for the more autonomous learners was two Language Institute at Kanda University of points higher in the end. International Studies in Chiba, where he teaches Examination of the self-motivation strategy language proficiency courses and oversees the inventory results revealed a two-point difference assessment program. instances of success, where the mode in the low group was rarely, as opposed to often in the high group. Comparison with the weekly checklists References showed frequency of self-encouragement to Benson, P. (2011). Teaching and researching autono- indeed be nominally more prevalent among the my (2nd ed.). Harlow, UK: Pearson Education. most autonomous learners, although one-sided Dörnyei, Z. (2001). Motivational strategies in the Fisher’s exact tests at the .05 alpha level were language classroom. Cambridge: Cambridge nonsignificant (p = .29 for Time 1, p = .50 for University Press. Time 3, and p = .16 for Time 5). Lyddon, P. A. (2011). Training Japanese university English learners for greater autonomy. In Conclusion A. Stewart (Ed.), JALT2010 Conference Proceed- The general results of this study showed no ings (pp. 700-713). Tokyo: JALT. statistically significant relationships between Scharle, Á., & Szabó, A. (2000). Learner autonomy: learner autonomy and self-reports of overall, A guide to developing learner responsibility. categorical, or individual self-motivational Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. strategy use. However, close inspection of the Ushioda, E. (2008). Motivation and good lan- data suggests that the most highly autonomous guage learners. In C. Griffiths (Ed.), Lessons learners may be using self-motivation strategies from good language learners (pp. 19-34). Cam- from a greater number of categories and that bridge: Cambridge University Press. they may also be more likely to engage in verbal

10 | A TASTE OF JALT2011: EXCERPTS FROM THE PROCEEDINGS 数詞と漢語1字助数詞の不規則発音に関する音声学的教授法の効果 Effectiveness of teaching irregular pronunciations of numeral and single-character Sino-Japanese counter compounds using Japanese phonology 松澤隆志 The counting system may be one feature that makes Japanese language difficult to learn since there are many counters to 国際商業機器科技（深）有限公司 affix to numbers, and the numeral and counter compound 圳 is frequently irregularly pronounced. On single-character Sino-Japanese counters, such as satsu for counting books, Takashi Matsuzawa Matsuzawa (2007) proposed teaching four prediction rules for irregular pronunciations derived from Japanese phonology. IBM Solution and Services This paper reports on the effectiveness of this approach with Chinese business people working with Japanese language in (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. China and shows that the initial percentage of correct predic- 10 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • A Taste of JALT2011 • Excerpts from the Proceedings tion for pronunciation improved from 82.20% to 90.64% after おわりに instruction, including regular pronunciation. The study also 日本語学習においては学習の進捗に応じて助数詞が reports that some Japanese language learners established their 導入される。合わせて音声学的な助数詞の不規則発音の own rules for pronunciation prediction. 予測方法を指導するのは意味のあることと考える。

はじめに Takashi Matsuzawa teaches Japanese to business 本研究は、1本（いっぽん）、２冊（にさつ）など、漢語1字 people in Shenzhen, China. His research interests の助数詞と数詞の組み合わせに関して、Matsuzawa（2007 include common issues of practical Japanese. ）の提唱した、日本語の音声学に基づいた四つの規則から不規則発音の発生を予測する方法を明示的に指導した場合の効果について論じたものである。数詞と助数詞の組み合わせにおける不規則発音発生引用文献の理論化、類型化は多数研究されているが、日本語学習 NHK放送文化研究所（1998）「数詞＋助数詞の発音とア者に対し不規則発音の予測法を指導した場合の効果につクセント一覧表」『日本語発音アクセント辞典』、付録いて報告したものは見当たらなかった。 63-89. Matsuzawa, T. (2007). Four rules for Sino- 研究の方法 Japanese numeral-counter pronunciations: 研究目的は、日本語を使用してビジネスに従事する中 From phonological description to pedagogical 国人において、数詞と漢語１字助数詞の組み合わせにつ application. JSLS2007 Conference Handbook, いて、１．現状の正確な発音の予測度は不規則発音を含 151-154. めてどの程度か、２．現状の発音の予測において何か特徴的な事象はあるか、３．Matsuzawa(2007)の提唱する、四つの規則による不規則発音の予測方法は明示的に指導した場合効果があるか、を明らかにすることである。被験者は中国人107名である。 Events at JALT2012 予測の測定には筆者が作成した問題を用いた。139項目の漢語1字助数詞から、発音が規則的になる助数詞と Meet, greet, and find peace at the National 不規則発音を引き起こす助数詞の比率に従って10項目の Geographic Learning Photo Gallery. 助数詞をランダムに選び、それと数詞1から10を組み合わせた100問の発音を予測させた。問題は3組作り、講義前テスト、講義後テスト、一ヵ月後テストに使用した。講義は National Geographic Matsuzawa(2007)の提唱する四つの予測規則を順番に提 Learning, a part of Cengage 示し、演習によって理解の定着を図った。講義は7ヶ月間に渡って、月1回定員20名の教育コースとして実施した。 Learning, proudly presents two groups of astonishing 結果と考察 photographs of the planet, its peoples, and cultures 研究目的１に関しては、数詞と漢語1字助数詞の組み合わせにおいて、講義前の正確な発音の予測は82.20問 as captured by award-winning National Geographic であった。3組の問題には平均して80.01問の規則的な発 photographers and our very own Japan-based lan- 音の組み合わせが含まれており、講義前の予測82.20問は guage instructors. Visit the gallery on the 3rd floor of 平均2問不規則な発音を予測できたように見える。しかし the Congress Center at any time to have a moment 実際には規則的な発音の組み合わせにおいて不規則発 to yourself and leave refreshed and inspired. Vote for 音すると間違って予測したケースもある。従って差の2問というのは、不規則発音を正確に予測できた数から規則的 your favorite images and instantly become eligible to な発音を誤って予測した数を引いたものである。 win an international travel voucher worth ¥50,000. 研究目的2に関しては、被験者の中には独自に数詞の Attend the reception on Saturday afternoon to 1, 6, 8, 10が助数詞と不規則発音を引き起こしやすいと理 meet the Japan-based photographers. For exact 解していたと思われる者がいた。ただ過剰一般化して、不 time of the Saturday reception refer to the Confer- 規則発音を引き起こさない、濁音で始まる助数詞との組み合わせや、6とサ行、タ行で始まる助数詞の組み合わせ ence Handbook or inquire at one of the Conference で不規則発音が起こると予測しているケースが見られた。 Information counters. 研究目的3に関しては、講義前の正確な予測82.20問が講義後は90.64問に有意に上昇し、一ヵ月後も89.45問と指 •Look for information about our other JALT2012 events on 導効果が持続した。したがってMatsuzawa (2007)の提唱 other pages of this issue of TLT. する四つの不規則発音予測規則の指導は効果があると判断できる。

THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 36.5 • September / October 2012 11 12 | A TASTE OF JALT2011: EXCERPTS FROM THE PROCEEDINGS The ideal/ought L2 self gap in Japan

may only be real-life to the extent that a ‘regime Julian Pigott of truth’ (Foucalt, 1980) has manufactured it into existence in the form of entrance exams and University of Warwick TOEIC score requirements (see Seargeant, 2012). Fromm’s (1976) contention that, for bu- 2012年に小学校に入学して大学まで進学する日本の子どもは、英語の必 reaucrats “there is…[no]…conflict between 修授業を少なくとも9年間受けることになる。本論で筆者は、日本の英語 conscience and duty:…[their] conscience is 教育政策は英語を万能薬とする誤った信念に基づいていると主張する。その結果生じる「英語運用能力を持った日本人」へのイデオロギーは日 doing their duty” ( p. 151) could also be seen to 常の現実と食い違っている。なぜなら生徒達はコミュニケーション上の apply to those in education whose best interest ニーズを、日本語で何の不満もなく満たしているからである。この生徒達 is served by maintaining the status quo. Certain が強制されるものと経験するものとのギャップによって、英語の学習が奮起ではなく怒りの原因となりかねない。筆者はDörnyei (2005) の L2 characteristics of mainstream pedagogy and motivational self-system を通して、この状況の動機づけに関する諸相 research facilitate ‘business as usual’ while at を理論化し、英語指導の理論と実践が官僚的過程でいかに合わさり、現 the same time give the appearance of principled 状を巧みに維持しているかを論じる。大規模な改革は現在の政治的・職業的状況では見込めないので、筆者は教師達に、長期的に教室内学習の practice. 人道的観念を追求するよう促す。 Short-termism (Donmoyer, 1990) excludes the longer-term effects of education—potentially profound and, to an extent, unknowable—from he considerable ideological and insti- considerations of explicit, measurable short-term tutional pressure placed on Japanese goals often implemented through increasingly T students in compulsory education to constrictive stipulations on teachers. Exam learn English is often at odds with their personal performance and grades, rather than an enriched desire to do so. In previous research (Pigott, life, increased happiness, the joy of learning, or 2011), I conceptualized this situation through a means of self-expression, are held up as goals Dörnyei’s (2005) L2 motivational self system as of language learning rather than as means to an a gap between the ideal self (what one wants to end. Combined with over-specialization, a short- become) and the ought self (what others want term perspective offers insights into the ‘hows’ one to become). In this paper, I use it as a starting of second language acquisition rather than the point for a discussion of the ethical dimensions ‘whys’: the philosophical, ethical, and ideological of EFL policy, practice, and theory. tenets upon which principled education ought to One pedagogical response to such a gap is to be based. Second, methodological and theoretical re- attempt to stimulate learners’ ideal selves by, ductionism (Chase, 2005) leads researchers to deal for example, having them visualize themselves with trends and numbers rather than human as fluent English speakers (Dörnyei & Ushioda, beings, the result being that “it is not people but 2011). However, before doing so we might first their componentized sub-personal parts that are ask ourselves whether the discourse promoting orchestrating courses of action” (Ushioda, 2009, the ought self is reasonable or feasible. The p. 216). A casual glance through The Language Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science & Teacher or the JACET Journal illustrates the fact Technology asserts that “…Cultivating ‘Japanese that such ‘scientific’ (dehumanized) conceptions with English Abilities’ is an extremely important of language learners are the norm. One wonders issue for the future of our children and for the if simply listening to learners and what they further development of our country” (in Okuno, want from school and life might be more worth- 2007). However, there is evidence that English while than more t-tests and ANOVAs. proficiency in Japan offers limited economic Reform of the current system would presum- value for a relatively small elite, and that the ably involve allowing students to opt out of need for English in the workforce is greatly exag- English classes in high school, offering a wider gerated. In fact, the most pressing need for many 12 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • A Taste of JALT2011 • Excerpts from the Proceedings choice of language study, drastically reducing Donmoyer, R. (1990). Generalizability and the the dependency on testing, and reforming single case study. In E. W. Eisner & A. Peshkin teaching practice away from the transmission (Eds.), Qualitative inquiry in education (pp. 175- of knowledge of English as a linguistic sys- 200). New York, NY: Teachers College Press. tem—quite plainly an inappropriate approach Dörnyei, Z. (2005). The psychology of the language for fostering communicative proficiency. Such learner: Individual differences in second language reform could only conceivably happen in the acquisition. Mahwah, NJ: L. Erlbaum. context of widespread educational reform across Dörnyei, Z., & Ushioda, E. (2011). Teaching all subjects and institutions (in other words, and researching motivation (2nd ed.). Harlow, don’t hold your breath). England; N.Y.: Longman. Perhaps, then, it is up to individual teachers to Foucalt, M. (1980). Power/knowledge: Selected explore alternative approaches within their own interviews and other writings 1972-1977. New classes to offer students a more meaningful and York, NY: Pantheon. enriching classroom experience. A humanistic approach (Rogers & Freiberg, 1994) has the Friere, P. (1972). Pedagogy of the oppressed. Har- advantage of making class time more rewarding mondsworth: Penguin. and fulfilling for teachers and students alike; a Fromm, E. (1976). To have or to be? (1st ed.). New critical approach (Friere, 1972; Shor, 1992) makes York: Harper & Row. the classroom a site of resistance to prevailing Gilbert, F. (2010). What makes a great teacher?, ideology and practice—the teacher as rebel The Guardian. Retrieved from . the acquisition of a certain language skill as Okuno, H. (2007). A Critical Discussion on the concomitant to more fundamental aims such as Action Plan to Cultivate “Japanese with English self-actualization and social change. Abilities.” The Journal of Asia TEFL, 4(4), 133-158. Seargeant’s (2009) contention that “For vast por- Pigott, J. D. (2011). Self and motivation in com- tions of the world’s population English remains pulsory English classes in Japan. In A. Stewart a foreign language—often an obscure and un- (Ed.), JALT2010 Conference Proceedings (pp. necessary one—despite the prominent discourse 540-550). Tokyo: JALT. which promotes its global reach” (p. 63) may not be comfortable reading for those of us involved Rogers, C. R., & Freiberg, H. J. (1994). Freedom in the bureaucratic push to motivate students to to learn (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, N. J.: learn English, but by being aware of the ideologi- Merrill. cal, political, and socio-cultural implications of Seargeant, P. (2009). The idea of English in compulsory English, we can surely approach it Japan:Iideology and the evolution of a global more responsibly as a classroom subject. language. Bristol, UK: Multilingual Matters. Seargeant, P. (Ed.). (2012). English in Japan in the Julian Pigott teaches at Ritsumeikan University era of globalization. New York, NY: Palgrave in Kyoto. He is currently studying for a doctor- Macmillan. ate in Applied Linguistics at the University of Shor, I. (1992). Empowering education: Critical Warwick. teaching for social change. Chicago: University of Chicago Press This paper appears in the proceedings under the Ushioda, E. (2009). A person-in-context relational title “It’s for Your Own (Country’s) Good: The view of emergent motivation, self and identity. Struggle to be a Motivated English Learner in In Z. Dörnyei & E. Ushioda (Eds.), Motivation, Japan.” language identity and the L2 self (pp. 215–228). Bristol: Multilingual Matters. References JALT2012 Chase, S. E. (2005). Narrative inquiry: Multiple October 12-15, 2012 lenses, approaches, voices. In N. K. Denzin & Hamamatsu ACT, Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), The Sage handbook of qualita- Hamamatsu, Japan tive research (3rd ed., pp. 651-679). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 36.5 • September / October 2012 13 14 | A TASTE OF JALT2011: EXCERPTS FROM THE PROCEEDINGS Benefits of short-term study abroad experiences: What impact do they have on Japanese EFL learners’ oral communicative competence?

speaking (DeKeyser, 2007). However, very few Yoko Sato studies examine Japanese EFL learners’ speech data before and after SA. These existing studies Hosei University (e.g., Churcill, 2009; Wood, 2007) are extremely small-scale and have methodological problems, 本論は、短期留学が日本人大学生英語学習者のオーラル・コミュニケー such as a narrow scope and the use of a non-in- ション能力に及ぼす影響について調査した研究の成果を報告する。英語 teractive task in eliciting the data. What we need 中級レベルの経営学部2年生24名が、アメリカの2つの大学での3か月と4 are studies of a reasonable sample size, which か月の短期語学留学プログラムに参加した。プログラムの前後に、ネィティブ・スピーカー試験官により1対1の対面式インタビューが行われ、オー elicit learner data through interactive tasks and ラル・コミュニケーション能力が測定された。この際、語用論的な適切度 assess changes in wider areas of communicative を調査するため、学生のパフォーマンスが試験官に与えた情動的影響に competence (e.g., Canale, 1983; Canale & Swain, ついても、データが収集された。分析の結果、流暢さと一貫性、語彙、情動的影響の項目で統計的に有意な向上がみられた。文法と発音ではそ 1980). This is the first of a series of such studies. のような変化は見られなかった。すべての項目で大きな個人差がみられ The following research question is the focus of たため、3人の学生のケース・スタディが行われ、個人差の理由について this paper: の考察がなされた。 What impact do short-term language SA experiences have on the oral communicative n 2009, the Ministry of Education, Culture, competence of Japanese university EFL learners? Sports, Science & Technology (MEXT) launched I the “Global 30” Project to “dramatically boost… Method the number of … Japanese students studying abroad” (Japanese Universities for Motivated The participants were twenty-four second-year People (JUMP), n.d.; see also MEXT, 2009). An business students. They joined three-month to increasing number of Japanese universities offer four-month ESL courses at two US universities short-term ESL study abroad (SA) programmes as in 2010. During their stay in the US, the students an affordable and accessible means to promote the were asked to submit online monthly reports learning of English and international experiences. about their study and life in general. However, the number of Japanese students study- One-to-one, face-to-face interviews of approxi- ing abroad has been decreasing steadily for the last mately 13 minutes were conducted before and few years. Economic recession, and the introver- after SA by two NS examiners. Each student was sion and risk-aversion amongst young Japanese interviewed once by each examiner. The IELTS have been suggested as major reasons for this trend Speaking test (University of Cambridge ESOL (Fukushima, 2010; Tanikawa, 2011). While these Examinations, 2007) was selected as the basis for may partly explain the phenomenon, the author designing the task. The interviewers assessed each hypothesises that students, as well as their parents learner’s performance using the IELTS Speaking who support them, may also not be convinced of band descriptors (public version). The descriptors the benefits of SA experiences. Universities typi- had nine bands and consisted of the four criteria cally rely on anecdotes or general impressionistic of Fluency & Coherence, Lexical Resource, Gram- remarks in advertising their SA programmes, matical Range & Accuracy, and Pronunciation. rather than presenting empirical data, which may The interviewers were also asked to rate the be more convincing. negative affective impact learner performance There exists a large body of research outside had on them, such as irritation or discomfort felt Japan which investigates the effect of SA on L2 while interacting with the learners. A 5-point

14 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • A Taste of JALT2011 • Excerpts from the Proceedings scale developed by the author (Sato, 2008) was Acknowledgements used, which ranged from “1: very serious” to “5: This work was supported by the Grant-in-Aid none.” This subjective rating provided data on for Young Scientists (Start-up) (#21820044). Some the sociolinguistic appropriacy of learner perfor- other findings of this study were presented at the mance, which was not adequately covered by the 44th Annual Meeting of the British Association IELTS descriptors. for Applied Linguistics (BAAL 2011), September 1- 3, 2011, Bristol, UK. Results As a group, the learners’ band scores significant- Yoko Sato teaches English at Hosei University, ly improved after SA in the areas of Fluency & Tokyo, and is a member of the Study Abroad Coherence and Lexical Resource, although great Committee of the Faculty of Business Admin- individual differences were observed. Significant istration. She holds an MA in TEFL and a PhD negative correlations were found between the in Applied Linguistics from the University of pretest scores and the pretest/posttest changes Reading, UK. Her teaching and research interests in all four areas. Significant improvement was include the impact of study abroad experiences also observed in the rating of the affective impact on L2 learners’ communicative competence, rating. However, great individual differences L2 oral communication problems and commu- were again observed. nication strategies, and reflective learning and In order to explore the possible reasons for the learner autonomy. great cross-learner differences in the pretest/ posttest changes, case studies were conducted References with the three learners whose average band scores changed most among the 24 participants. Canale, M. (1983). From communicative compe- Learner 21 improved in all the four areas while tence to communicative language pedagogy. In the other two learners regressed in all but J. C. Richards & R. W. Schmidt (Eds.), Language Fluency & Coherence. As to the rating of the and communication (pp. 2-27). Harlow: Long- negative affective impact, not only Learner 21 man. but also Learner 5 greatly improved after SA. Canale, M., & Swain, M. (1980). Theoretical Only Learner 3 got a lower score on the posttest. bases of communicative approaches to second These learners’ monthly reports showed some language teaching and testing. Applied Linguis- distinct characteristics. It seems that self-aware tics, 1, 1-47. learners who set realistic and specific goals, and Churchill, E. (2009). Gender and language learn- sought out-of-class opportunities to use English ing at home and abroad. JALT Journal, 31(2): have improved sociolinguistically, though not 141-158. necessarily linguistically. DeKeyser, R. M. (2007). Study abroad as foreign language practice. In R. M. DeKeyser (Ed.), Discussion and provisional conclusion Practice in a second language: Perspectives from The group results suggest that the short-term applied linguistics and cognitive psychology (pp. ESL SA experiences had a positive impact on the 208-226). Cambridge: Cambridge University oral communicative competence of the Japanese Press. university English learners - at least in some are- Fukushima, G. (2010). Reverse Japan’s insular- as. The significant negative correlations between ity. The Japan Times. (8 April 2010). Retrieved the pretest scores and the pretest/posttest score from . scores before studying abroad benefited more IELTS Speaking band descriptors (public ver- through the SA experiences. This is in line with sion). (n.d.). Retrieved from . and pronunciation, in which the participants had Japanese Universities for Motivated People attained comparatively high scores before study- (JUMP) (n.d.). Global 30. Retrieved from ing abroad. The three case studies revealed some . possible causes of cross-learner differences and the importance of considering the sociolinguistic Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science aspect of oral communication. and Technology. (2003). Regarding the Establish- ment of an Action Plan to Cultivate “Japanese with

THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 36.5 • September / October 2012 15 The Language Teacher • A Taste of JALT2011 • Excerpts from the Proceedings

English Abilities.” Retrieved from . Studying Abroad. The New York Times. (20 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science February 2010). Retrieved from . tion (Global 30). Retrieved from . (2007). IELTS handbook 2007. Retrieved from Sato, Y. (2008). Japanese University Students’ . Problems and Communication Strategies in EFL Wood, D. (2007). Mastering the English formula: Speaking: A Descriptive Study Using Retrospective Fluency development of Japanese learners in Verbal Reports. Unpublished doctoral disserta- a study abroad context. JALT Journal, 29(2), tion, University of Reading, Reading. 209-230.

16 | A TASTE OF JALT2011: EXCERPTS FROM THE PROCEEDINGS Sharing experiences with quantitative research

hile many language teachers recognize Gregory Sholdt the benefits of getting involved with W classroom-based research, numerous Kobe University challenges can limit the potential for successful execution of quality research, particularly if Beth Konomoto quantitative methods are employed. In an article looking at language teachers’ research engage- Unaffiliated ment, Borg (2010) identifies conditions that facilitate teacher research and argues “collabora- tions among teachers, and among academics and Michio Mineshima teachers create productive mutually-beneficial social spaces for knowledge creation” (p. 418). Niigata Institute of Technology Collaboration can take a variety of forms that range from joint efforts in the preparation, Chris Stillwell execution, and reporting of a study to simply bouncing ideas off colleagues. One approach to collaboration entails engaging in open discussion University of California, Irvine with peers in order to report on current activities, explore potential projects, and share past experi- 多くの語学教師が教育現場に基づく研究に関与することの利点を認識し ences. This discussion can provide a multitude ながらも、様々な困難な状況のために質の高い研究を行うことがそもそも難しいような場合がある。これは量的な調査手法を用いる場合には特 of benefits including valuable feedback through にそうである。研究における協同は、そのような難題の多くを克服する有 unique insight and varied perspectives based 効な一手段となり得るし、さらに協同の基本形態である他の教師との意 on others’ research experiences. Additionally, 見交換は、自らの研究についての貴重なフィードバックや他の人達の経験からの知見の獲得につながるために、かなりの利点をもたらし得るの teacher researchers can connect with peers である。JALT2011の『量的研究の経験の共有』をテーマとした今回のワ engaged in a shared pursuit and contribute to ークショップは、言語教師に、教育現場に基づく量的研究を行った自らの the success of others’ work. 経験について話し合う協同のスペースを提供すべく計画された。本論には、自らが行った量的研究の経験を共有し、直面した問題点を検討し、同 In order to explore this approach of research じ立場の教師らに助言を与える3人の教師の例が収められている。今回 collaboration through open discussion, a のワークショップは、協同研究の継続と発展につながる同様のイベントや活動のモデルとなり得るだろう。 workshop, Sharing Experiences with Quantitative Research, was offered at JALT2011. Workshop 16 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • A Taste of JALT2011 • Excerpts from the Proceedings organizers sought to help teachers learn from limited conclusions; however, the process helped each other’s experiences with quantitative him to better understand how to form appropri- research, build community, make connections ate research questions and gave him a greater among a group of peers, and attenuate the appreciation of the wealth of mitigating factors isolation typical of the research pursuit. In this that can be encountered in the research process. article, three of the organizers share their own In addition, the project served as a basis for experiences with quantitative research, discuss valuable discussions with colleagues and pro- issues they encountered, and provide advice for vided essential experience to draw upon when their peers. considering the validity of others’ research. He Beth Konomoto shares her story about how discusses how others can benefit from conduct- she got started with quantitative research. ing similar projects. Despite some initial struggles to read research In small groups, the thirty workshop attendees methods course books on her own, she was discussed such issues as difficulties with under- determined to contribute to her professional standing the steps behind quantitative methods, community through research and to better choosing correct designs, interpreting statistical understand background information found in findings, and being isolated during the process. academic articles. By joining an online quantita- Advice generated included careful selection tive research methods class, she was able to of research topics with achievable goals, use deepen her understanding of the formulas and of small-scale studies, and collaboration with common procedures fundamental to quantitative co-workers. Based on the number in attendance research. She made use of online forums to share and the level of participation, this workshop experiences and learn with other teachers on was viewed as a success and a strong indication the same journey. With the support of the class, of the interest in discussing research among completing a small-scale study proved to be a language teachers involved with JALT. The great learning vehicle. She makes several recom- article concludes with several recommendations mendations for teachers looking to take a first for how language teachers, administrators, and step with quantitative research methods professional leaders can encourage and provide Michio Mineshima talks about a quantitative similar opportunities for collaboration. study he conducted and some of the difficulties As Borg (2010) suggests, collaboration and he encountered during the process. Alarmed by dialogue with both academics and other teachers the lack of critical thinking (CT) skills evident can be critical components of successful class- among his college students, he decided to inves- room-based research. Professional organizations, tigate how Japanese textbooks of English were school administrators, academic researchers, compiled in terms of developing learner CT. He and teachers themselves should strive to make classified questions and tasks in these textbooks all aspects of the research process a topic for into seven different types according to their discussion, not just the final results of successful purposes and determined that in the textbooks, studies. much less weight was given to CT in comparison to other skills such as text-based information References retrieval. This research, however, did not go as smoothly as he had planned. He encountered Borg, S. (2010). Language teacher research several problems such as difficulties in defining engagement. Language Teaching, 43(4), 391-429. key concepts and misjudgments in workload estimates. He identifies several crucial steps that can be taken during the planning stages of a On JALT2011 research project. Teaching, Learning, & Growing Chris Stillwell discusses a project that involved using readily available data to gain experience The 2011 Conference Proceedings is now with statistical techniques and explore quantita- available to JALT members online! tive research basics. He used a t-test to compare Over 70 papers offering information and differences in university students’ English ideas to support and motivate you in your placement test scores and final exam scores for learning, teaching, and research. two groups: team-taught classes and non-team taught classes. The simple research design and significant validity concerns only allowed for THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 36.5 • September / October 2012 17 18 | A TASTE OF JALT2011: EXCERPTS FROM THE PROCEEDINGS Considering the relationship between course-based learning objectives and self- directed learning the self-reflective learning cycle. The key ques- Kristen Sullivan tions can be summarized as follows: 1. What if students’ own goals are different Shimonoseki City University from the course-based learning objectives? 2. What if the student’s goal is to “get credit” in 本論は、2011年開催の全国語学教育学会年次大会にて行われた、学生 order to meet graduation requirements? の自律的学習能力を高める教材の効果に関するワークショップにおいて参加者から提示された質問やコメントについて考察するものである。参 3. What if learners have no goals at all? 加者の質問は、学生自身の学習目標と教員が提示する授業の学習目標との間に食い違いがあった場合、学生の教材に対する取り組み方に影響が My understanding of the first question is in あるかどうか、また、自身の学習目標がない学生でも教材を使うことによ terms of control over learning content (and って自律的学習能力を育成できるかどうかに関するものが多かった。本 learning goals) as a critical element of learner 稿では、このワークショップにおいて著者がこれらの質問に答え、口述した内容を踏まえ、その思考をさらに展開させている。学生が自身の学習目 autonomy (Benson, 2011), and a concern that a 標を決定する能力を育成するために、授業の学習目標を提示することの lack of control may cause already self-directed 重要性を訴える。 learners to become disengaged with classroom learning. The second and third questions reflect concerns about so-called “undirected” learners t JALT2011, Paul Collett and I conducted at Japanese universities. These learners will no a workshop on Developing Resources for doubt continue to increase due to the declining A Self-Directed Learning. This workshop birthrate which is reducing competition to enter was based on our own experience of creat- university, and the combined impact of the ing, implementing, and researching materials shrinking job market and the steadfast demand designed to develop learners’ ability to self- among companies for university graduates regulate their learning. The supplementary which is leading to more and more students learning materials we have designed incorporate entering university without a particular purpose a self-reflective learning cycle which supports but to find a job and graduate. learners to plan, monitor, and evaluate their learning. The starting point for engaging with My position is that course-based learning self-reflective cycles of learning is goal setting, objectives can be useful for both types of learner. and our resources encourage learners to embark on two simultaneous learning cycles: one based Course-based learning objectives and self- on their own semester-based learning goal, and directed learners the other based on course-based learning objectives presented to students in the form of can do Benson (2011) defines autonomy as the ability to statements. More details can be found in Collett take control of one’s learning, and suggests that and Sullivan (2010). control over learning content in particular may be “fundamental to autonomy in learning.” I My proceedings article made an initial attempt would by no means wish to deny the significance to further reflect on questions and concerns of choice of learning content; creating chances for raised during the discussion section of our work- personalization and negotiation of the classroom shop. I chose this approach as I felt the concerns agenda is important. However, I do not believe raised were important issues which questioned this means the presentation of course-based one of the core elements of self-regulated learn- learning objectives is detrimental to learning. ing: learner goals and the goal-setting phase of 18 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • A Taste of JALT2011 • Excerpts from the Proceedings

Indeed, in the current tertiary education environ- This work was supported by a JSPS Grant-in-Aid ment in Japan, faculty development advance- for Scientific Research (C) (23520755). ments are in fact calling for more attention to be paid to the setting of clear learning objectives Kristen Sullivan is a lecturer at Shimonoseki and course outcomes. City University and co-writer of Impact Conversa- Here, I would like to make two points to tion 1 & 2. She is interested in the teaching, support the use of course-based learning objec- learning, and assessment of speaking, as well as tives. First, I would argue that many learners interactions between language learning, identity, lack the ability to unpack their personal goals, and language use. and identify commonalities between these and course objectives. The teachers should play a greater role in demonstrating these intersections, References and indeed the connections between course Benson, P. (2011). Teaching and researching autono- objectives and the bigger picture of learning and my (2nd ed.). Harlow, U.K.: Pearson Education using a foreign language outside the classroom. Limited. Second, I would also question whether only Collett, P., & Sullivan, K. (2010). Considering the learning what one is currently interested in, or use of can do statements to develop learner’ knows about, is truly beneficial. If our interests self-regulative and metacognitive strategies. are influenced by our experiences to date, then In M. G. Schmidt, N. Naganuma, F. O’Dwyer, surely wider exposure to different ideas can only A. Imig, & K. Sakai (Eds.), Can do statements in help our learners to further develop. Reconcili- language education in Japan and beyond: Applica- ation between learner goals and course goals tions of the CEFR (pp. 167-183). Tokyo: Asahi can and should be achieved to help self-directed Press. learners get more out of classroom-based learning. Ushioda, E. (2008). Motivation and good language learners. In C. Griffiths (Ed.), Les- sons from good language learners (pp. 306-317). Using course-based learning objectives to Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. guide the “undirected learner” The “undirected learner” is particularly vulner- able as goals are necessary not only to plan cycles of learning, but also to monitor progress, which is crucial to create and maintain motivation (Ushioda, 2008). Here, I would argue that Events at JALT2012 the presentation of various learning objectives Friday Welcome Party, sponsored by OUP might work as a catalyst that guides learners JALT, along with Oxford University Press, will be co- to identify interests and subsequently learning sponsoring the National Conference Welcome Party goals. Our students are not linguists, and so it is understandable that they may lack the knowl- on Friday, October 12th edge and language to identify and express their from 6:30 to 8:30pm in the interests in relation to foreign language studies. Congress Center, Room The explicitness with which can do statements 31. Come to a party where present to learners course content may help them you can see old friends and to better understand what is involved in becom- hopefully meet new ones as ing competent in a foreign language, and this well. There will be refresh- may be a necessary first step for some students ments and light food, so come and start the confer- to formulate their own goals. ence off with a hoot! The conclusion at this stage is that course- based learning objectives may indeed help both •Look for information about our other JALT2012 events on self-directed and undirected learners to identify other pages of this issue of TLT. and articulate their own learning goals. Here, the role of the teacher in mediating this process is no doubt crucial, and in need of further consideration.

THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 36.5 • September / October 2012 19 20 | A TASTE OF JALT2011: EXCERPTS FROM THE PROCEEDINGS Reconsidering visual context through comics

as they reflect the text. Textbooks generally appear Giancarla Unser-Schutz to follow this principle closely, whereas manga today are characterized by a lack of visual-verbal Hitotsubashi University redundancy (Takeuchi, 2005), thus requiring readers to bridge the visual-verbal gap. 近年、視覚教材が語学教育における有効な道具と見なされるようにな Manga, and especially a manga corpus, could ってきたが、それが語学教育にどんな効果をもたらすかを具体的に評 therefore be ideal for reconsidering the effect 価する研究はあまり行われてこなかった。特に、語学教育で効果的に活用される視覚教材には絵とテキストが直接的な関係にあるべきとされ of images in authentic materials on language ているが、教育のために制作されたのではない、いわゆる“authentic learning. My corpus includes the linguistic text materials”の場合は、必ずしもその原則どおりではない。本論では、日 found in five girls’ and boys’ titles, each catego- 本のマンガの実例を用い、authentic materialsにおける絵とテキストの関係を考察するために、マンガのコーパスに見られる言語的特徴を紹介 rized into 8 types (Lines, Thoughts, Narration, し、マンガにおける言葉の非描写的な性質が高い解釈力を必要とするこ Onomatopoeia, Background Text, Background Lines/ とを論じる。実際に使われている(authentic)素材で、視覚的なもの（絵） Thoughts, Comments, and Titles). Categories such と言葉の混在したテキストを使うには、どのような効果が求められているのかをより具体的に考える必要があろう。そのために有効だと考えられ as Onomatopoeia (4.59%) can be assumed to be る活用法をいくつか挙げる。 directly related to the visual, whereas other text types like Thoughts (13.40%), the second most common type, are more abstract, as such non- n recent years, the foreign language teaching vocalized texts are naturally non-redundant. As community has commonly come to consider they form the majority of text (72.83%), however, I visual tools positive for learning, with au- the relationship between image and text for Lines thentic materials like comics seen as particularly has the greatest overall impact. Thus, I used a useful for the doubled goal of gaining student morpheme analyzer on the Lines in the manga interest (Kaneko, 2008). Yet it is not clear how Bokura ga ita (Obata, 2002-2012) (“Bokura” below), visual tools function as the image-text relation- analyzing below the most commonly seen nouns, ship is far from obvious. This paper seeks to fill adjectives/adjectival-nouns and verbs, as well as this gap by reviewing the arguments for visual related points of interest. Bokura, a popular girls’ tools and the differences between textbooks and title, is typical of the genre, with a strong empha- authentic materials, while looking at data from sis on romance and the ‘psychological’ aspects my manga corpus project on text types in manga characteristic of girls’ titles (Schodt, 1996), which and word frequency from one title’s conversa- may mean less direct visual-verbal correlation. tional lines. In total, 982 different nouns were found 3,779 Several arguments have been made for visual times. Of the 64 nouns appearing over 10 times, tools, including that they tap into the different personal pronouns and names were most com- verbal-visual learning paths (Avgerinou & Eric- mon (17.62%, 11.25%). Object nouns—words po- son, 1997) and are initially easier to understand tentially overlapping with the drawings—were than verbal communication (Forceville, 2007). uncommon, with only 5 such nouns seen over 10 Experimental research suggests that incorporat- times. In comparison, 139 adjectives/adjectival ing visual has positive effects on learning (Leem- nouns appeared 886 times. The negation nai (172) ing, Praver, & Atkins, 2010; Yanguas, 2009).Yet and ii/yoi (good/132) were the most common. the results are not universally positive. In a study Of 46 adjectives appearing over 3 times, five de- on how comics help English students, Liu (2004) scribed physical appearances, while 12 described found that they helped low-proficiency readers emotions/personalities. While the former would with harder texts, but seemed ineffective for likely correlate with their drawings, the latter advanced readers, suggesting that comics may would likely only be visualized by characters’ trouble high-level learners looking for cohesive expressions. Finally, 313 verbs appeared 1,900 connections. Visuals thus appear useful in so far times. This implies that many utterances are 20 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • A Taste of JALT2011 • Excerpts from the Proceedings non-sentence fragments as only 54.85% of speech manga learning materials]. Gekkan Nihongo, bubbles included verbs. Potentially-bound verbs 21(5), 28. made up 43.37% of usages, suggesting that sen- Leeming, P., Praver, M., & Atkins, A. (2009). The tence structures are fairly complex and implying influence of pictures and text on task perfor- more abstraction. Of those 55 verbs appearing mance. In A. M. Stoke (Ed.), JALT 2009 Confer- over seven times, potentially-bound verbs (19) ence Proceedings (pp. 231-244). Tokyo: JALT. were the most common, as well as verbs related Liu, J. (2004). Effects of comic strips on L2 learn- to communicating or thinking and expressing ers’ reading comprehension. TESOL Quarterly, opinions. Quoted text was also common, sug- 38(2), 225-243. gesting further complexity. Verbs related to communication were frequent, with Japanese Maynard, S. (2002). Linguistic emotivity: Centrality quotation marks seen 44 times. Reported speech of place, the topic-comment dynamic, and an ideol- using the sentence-final expressiondatte and the ogy of pathos in Japanese discourse. Philadelphia: reported speech particle ~tte were seen 25 and John Benjamins. 125 times respectively, which are inherently one Obata, Y. (2002-2012). Bokura ga ita [We were step away from the drawings. Interestingly, they there]. In Betsukomi. Tokyo: Shogakukan. may also be more than simply reported speech: Schodt, F. L. (1996). Dreamland Japan: Writings on ~tte can also be a topic marker, adding an emo- modern manga. Berkeley, CA: Stone Bridge. tive quality common in manga (Maynard, 2002). Takeuchi, O. (2005). Manga-gaku nyuumon [In- I would argue that these data show that there troduction to mangaology]. Tokyo: Chikuma- is good reason to believe that manga—and other shobou. authentic material—fail to follow the image-text Yanguas, I. (2009). Multimedia glosses and their cohesion rule. This does not make them unviable effect on L2 text comprehension and vocabu- in the L2 classroom, but does suggest that educa- lary learning. Language Learning & Technology, tors must understand the text/image relation- 13(2), 48-67. ship and set specific goals. One viable point might be emotive language. Modal forms such as Yannicopoulo, A. (2004). Visual aspects of writ- sentence final particles are very common (1,135 ten texts: Preschoolers view comics. Educational usages), and can be difficult for learners, yet Studies in Language and Literature, 4, 169-181. even pre-literate children show high comprehension of the emotions expressed by different text styles in comics (Yannicopoulou, 2004). While Events at JALT2012 images may be unhelpful in understanding the Things to do in Hamamatsu meaning of particular vocabulary words, they also offer a sociocultural glimpse of Japan. Mov- Still need more to do after plenary talks, featured ing the focus to tasting the cultural background speakers, workshops, presentations, parties, and of the L2 could be one potential application. socializing with colleagues? Home to world-famous instrument makers Yamaha, Giancarla Unser-Schutz is lecturer at Rissho Roland, Kawai, and others, University, and is working on her PhD at Hi- Hamamatsu is known as totsubashi University. She is currently working Japan’s “City of Music”. on a sociolinguistic analysis of the language of With an active local history manga. reaching back to the Jomon period, there are many places to visit: Hamamatsu References Castle, the Flower and Garden Parks, Nakatajima sand dunes, and the large Hamamatsu Air Park. Avgerinou, M., & Ericson, J. (1997). A review of And of course, there is the marvelous Hamamatsu the concept of visual literacy. British Journal of Museum of Musical Instruments located right next to Educational Technology, 28, 280-291. ACT City tower. For foodies, there are the delicious Forceville, C. (2007). Multimodal metaphor in unagi (eel) dishes, and you can even pay a free visit to ten Dutch TV commercials. The Public Journal of a small but fun unagi pie factory. Semiotics, I(1), 15-34. •Look for information about our other JALT2012 events on Kaneko, S. (2008). Jissen! Manga kyouzai wo other pages of this issue of TLT. tsukatta jugyou [In practice! Lessons using

THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 36.5 • September / October 2012 21

The Language Teacher • FEATURE ARTICLE | 23 Developing a corpus-based online grammar tutorial prototype

Second language (L2) learners are likely Masumi Narita to produce the same kinds of grammatical errors over and over again in their L2 written products despite explicit feedback Tokyo International University and review in the classroom by their writing teachers. In an attempt to address this per- eachers of second language (L2) writing are likely to sistent problem, the present study collected and analyzed 61 learner essays to develop find a number of recurrent grammatical problems in a prototype of a corpus-based online gram- T their students’ written products. These common errors mar tutorial for use outside the classroom. are specifically and repeatedly addressed in the classroom, Quantitative analyses of the learner data but they are still prevalent among language learners regard- revealed problematic features common to less of the target language proficiency. Writing quality cannot the learners: the most frequent grammati- be evaluated by grammatical accuracy alone, but language cal errors and poor management of topical learners need to improve their grammatical competence so progression. These especially prevalent that they can be successful in academic contexts. problems with L2 grammatical knowledge were incorporated into the prototype Then how can L2 grammatical competence of language system for special treatment. The usability learners be enhanced, especially in tertiary educational of the prototype was then evaluated by 26 settings? University students in Japan are not generally ex- undergraduate university students. Their pected to take L2 writing courses throughout their four years. evaluation ratings were overall positive. It is also likely that the students can take a writing class once Constructive feedback obtained from the a week at most, and writing teachers cannot dedicate much students suggests that this corpus-based on- time to grammar-based activities due to many other writing- line grammar tutorial can be a vital asset for related instructional tasks. In other words, it is not realistic improving the L2 grammatical knowledge of for an instructor to focus fully on grammar within the limited learners. time available for in-class teaching and learning.

第2言語学習者は、ライティングの授業で指導教員 Under these constraints in the L2 writing classroom, による明示的なフィードバックを得て復習する機会 possible answers to the question posed in the previous があっても、同種の文法エラーを何度も繰り返す傾 paragraph are to rely more on self-study, self-access materi- 向がある。この根強い文法的な問題に対処するために、本研究では61名の第2言語学習者が産出し als/software such as grammar books, grammar checkers, たエッセイをコーパスとして収集・分析し、教室外 grammar resources at online university writing labs (OWLs), での使用を目的とした、「オンライン文法個別指導 and computer-assisted language learning (CALL) programs. ツール」のプロトタイプをウェブ上に開発した。具体的には、収集したエッセイの量的な言語分析に The learners are encouraged to use these traditional or online より、学習者に共通して頻出する文法エラーに加え resources primarily outside the classroom. Then, the next て、文章の流れのまずさも、共通して見られる課題 question arises: which resources would be more effective for であることが明らかとなった。そこで、特に頻繁に reinforcing grammar skills? 見られるこれらの課題を解決するための「オンライン文法個別指導ツール」をプロトタイプとして開発 Grammar books and paper-printed exercises are portable, し、その使いやすさを26名の学部学生に評価して but they lack the direct interactivity with learners, that is the もらった。その結果、全般的に肯定的な回答が得られた。学生たちから得られた建設的な意見は、本 most prominent aspect of online grammar resources. It is 研究で開発した「オンライン文法個別指導ツール」 important to notice that direct interactions can more actively が学習者の第2言語の文法知識を高めるための貴 involve language learners in the process of working with 重な資源となりうることを示唆している。 the target language. Grammar checkers, which are freely or

THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 36.5 • September / October 2012 The Language Teacher • Featured Article

commercially available, are beneficial in that Rapid advances in computer technology have they can automatically recognize and clean also enabled a combination of a computer-assist- up grammatical errors in writing.1 Although ed language learning mechanism and an elec- this corrective feedback is much favored by L2 tronic learner corpus. As pointed out by Römer writers, its pedagogical advantages are seem- (2011), pedagogical corpus applications have not ingly temporary, because the writers are satisfied been widely implemented, yet the exploratory with their cleaned-up writing and can hardly aspect of corpus-based activities seems to have be empowered to find out relevant things to great potential to improve L2 teaching and learn- develop their grammar skills for themselves. ing practices. In addition, more focus may well Language processing limitations inherent to be placed on “language items that are of central grammar checkers may also restrain the learner’s importance and/or troublesome for learners” learning uptake.2 (Römer , 2011, p. 216). Thus, Römer’s overview An online writing lab (OWL) is well recog- of corpus technology and applications signals nized in western countries to play an essential further possibilities for developing corpus-based role in reinforcing tutoring sessions at a writing online language tutorials. center. In Japan, however, it is only recently that The present study describes a newly devel- universities have begun to establish a writing oped prototype of an online grammar tutorial center and/or an OWL. OWLs offer an exten- based on frequent grammatical errors that were sive and useful guide to grammar resources; found in a corpus of student essays in English. nevertheless, it is undeniable that they are short, The usability of this prototype is also reported digitized versions of paper-based grammar through a questionnaire survey of 26 Japanese books and exercises. They tend to be general- college students studying English as a foreign purpose learning materials and thus sometimes language (EFL). This preliminary study aims to fail to meet specific EFL learners’ needs. Direct explore how learners’ written texts can be ef- interactivity with users is supported, but not fectively used to identify recurrent grammatical promoted as fully as recent computer-assisted errors and how useful web-based interactivity language learning (CALL) programs. tends to be for promoting L2 learners’ awareness Detailed assessment studies of CALL programs of erroneous forms. In what follows, two recent are still sparse, but their pedagogical potential studies relevant to learner corpus-based CALL has been positively reported by several research- programs are reviewed, and then the present ers (Blake, 2011; Boulton, 2009; Johns et al., 2008; research framework is explained in detail. U.S. Department of Education, 2010). Most significantly, Blake (2011) stresses that online Recent studies on learner corpus-based learning “stimulates students to spend more CALL programs time engaged with the second language (L2) materials, which ultimately promotes greater Learner corpora become more powerful linguistic learning” and that this expanded learning time resources when tagged with grammatical errors “constitutes the most important value added or used for error analysis. In error-tagged corpora, with respect to online learning” (p. 21). Chapelle errors are marked using a specific coding scheme (2007) also suggests that CALL tasks could and are thus easy to search for on a computer. provide learners with informative feedback via As mentioned in the previous section, students’ beneficial interactions, thereby raising their L2 grammatical errors are usually treated in the L2 grammatical knowledge as well as promoting classroom, but eradicating them remains difficult. their error awareness. Indeed, these errors are repeatedly produced regardless of the degree of grammatical difficulty. For instance, subject-verb disagreement is one of 1 Grammar checking functions have been built into the students’ recurrent errors, even though this Microsoft Word and are widely used by L1 and L2 writers. Other automatic grammar checkers include the Criterion® type of error seems to be rather easy to avoid. Online Writing Evaluation Service and the Grammarly®, Thus, it could be beneficial to L2 learners if an both of which are designed to detect typical errors made online grammar tutorial for improving error by native speakers of English. awareness is developed and made accessible at Criterion® Online Writing Evaluation Service: any time outside the classroom. Grammarly®: Cowan, Choi, and Kim (2003) developed a 2 Erroneous sentences produced by language learners are computer-assisted language learning (CALL) quite hard to analyze structurally even with the current program, the ESL Tutor, to help Korean ESL state-of-the-art of parsing technology. 24 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • Narita: Developing a corpus-based online grammar tutorial prototype learners recognize and correct their repeated at the TIU writing center, and then they are errors. They collected 359 essays from Korean strongly encouraged to use the online self-access ESL learners enrolled in 4 proficiency-based grammar tutorial. writing courses at the University of Illinois and identified grammatical errors that were still Prototype development recurrent among the higher-level learners. Target errors in the CALL program were chosen based Learner data collection and analysis on two sources: (1) second language acquisition To identify most frequent problems with sen- (SLA) research that reports on frequent errors tence grammar and discourse, 61 essays were made by ESL/EFL learners who speak languages collected in an experimental session at Tokyo typologically similar to Korean and (2) frequent International University. All the participants errors that were found in a sampling of essays were Japanese first-year EFL learners. They produced in the four writing courses. were given 40 minutes to produce an essay on The learner corpus in the ESL Tutor was not the topic “Why are cell phones so popular with error-tagged, so a language processing tool young teenagers today?” without using any called “concordancer” was used to assist in reference tools. identifying persistent errors. In contrast, a All of the essay data were manually annotated fully error-tagged learner corpus was used in by the present researcher with two kinds of the online grammar resource Internet Writing linguistic information: (1) error description Resource for the Innovative Teaching of English and (2) inter-sentential topical progression (for (iWRITE) developed by Hegelheimer and Fisher details, see Narita, 2010). Errors were examined (2006). The learner corpus in iWRITE was a by comparing a learner essay with a version of collection of 45 ESL placement essays for Iowa it reconstructed by a native English proofreader State University. Learner errors were numerically on a word-by-word basis and described accord- coded. Moreover, error descriptions and correc- ing to a set of descriptive categories developed tions were separately prepared and retrieved by Koizumi (2008). Topical progression was so that learners could raise their awareness of annotated based on the procedures described major grammatical errors and also find possible in previous studies (Knoch, 2007; Lautamatti, solutions to these errors. 1978; Schneider and Connor, 1990; Witte, 1983). ESL Tutor and iWRITE differ in the way a Error descriptions of a sample learner essay and learner corpus was implemented into their the same sample essay annotated with topical respective systems. However, both systems were progression are shown in Appendices 1 and 2, designed to help ESL students recognize their respectively. major grammatical errors and learn how to avoid The annotated information was then quantita- the errors through mini-lessons and practice tively analyzed to identify major problems with exercises supported by advanced web interactiv- grammar and topical progression. Among others, ity. With the guidance of an L2 teacher, learners noun countability caused the most frequent are encouraged to use the system, mostly inside errors, which was possibly interrelated with the classroom, to improve their grammatical frequent errors in article use and also in subject- knowledge. The role of the language teacher as a verb agreement. Overuse of conjunctions (such as facilitator is significant, and seemingly elaborate “and,” “but,” and “so”) in the sentence-initial po- data-driven learning procedures may often put sition was also found in the present learner data, high demands on the learners. and these instances were mostly replaced with The pedagogical effectiveness of both systems semantically similar linking adverbials or logical is still under review, but their learner corpus- connectors (such as “moreover,” “however,” and based approach to grammar improvement “therefore”) by the native English proofreader. motivated the present study. Drawing on the The analysis of topical progression revealed advantages of the two systems, a prototype that the topical subject was often the same in of corpus-based online grammar tutorial was successive sentences in the learner data. This developed as a self-learning tool for use outside pattern deviates from the regular pattern of the classroom as well as at the writing center of information structure in English in which “given Tokyo International University. In this education- information” is placed before “new informa- al context, students are given explicit feedback tion” in one sentence and the new information on their significant grammatical errors by their becomes given information in the next sentence. writing teachers in the classroom or by tutors Information structure may vary as L2 learners THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 36.5 • September / October 2012 25 The Language Teacher • Featured Article

become more skillful writers, but trying to follow the basic sequence of information will most likely help them achieve coherence in English- language writing.

Prototype overview The prototype system in the present study was designed to treat the most frequent grammatical errors and poor management of topical progression described in Section 3.1. The target system is aimed at offering a web-based online grammar tutorial with a wide coverage of English grammar, but this initial stage of system development focused on grammatical and discoursal needs that were readily identified through examining the present learner data. Thus, five kinds of learning materials were prepared under two categories as shown below. A. Grammatical Errors Common to Japanese Figure 1. Screenshot of grammatical EFL Learners explanations about missing articles (1) Countable versus Uncountable Nouns To find the answer, learners need to care- (2) Subject-Verb Disagreement fully read a paragraph on the new screen. This (3) Missing Articles paragraph-based exercise obviously takes much B. Linguistic Devices for Textual Coherence/ more time than the conventional sentence-based Cohesion one; however, it could possibly help L2 learners find the proper answer based on contextual in- (1) Linking Adverbials as Logical Connectors formation. Sample paragraphs had been created (2) Given-New Information Structure by a doctoral student, a native speaker of English Compared with conventional language learn- majoring in SLA at the University of Hawaii, in ing systems, the present prototype is unique in a separate study (Narita & Sugiura, 2007). The two ways. First, learners are given grammatical paragraph topics are all familiar to university explanations along with error examples found students, which makes it easier for the students in the present learner corpus. In other words, to understand any paragraph that could appear authentic language errors, not those invented by on the screen. grammarians, are provided for learners. Second, learners are required to read a given paragraph in order to find an answer to each practice exercise; that is, learners are required to gather and analyze contextual information relevant to their grammatical or textual solution. This scheme engages the learners with a discourse beyond isolated sentences, thus expanding their scope of attention in L2. When the “Missing Articles” menu is chosen on the top page of the system, for instance, a new window opens as shown in Figure 1. On this new page, learners are provided with grammatical explanations of how to avoid missing articles with reference to authentic learner errors. They are also encouraged to choose one of the practice exercises prepared at the bottom of the screen. Then, a new window opens to offer one of the exercises as shown in Figure 2. Figure 2. Screenshot of exercise on use of articles

26 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • Narita: Developing a corpus-based online grammar tutorial prototype

When a wrong answer is given by the student, the warning message “Let’s just try that again!” appears on the screen so that he or she can have another try. With the correct answer, a concise discussion of the exercise is presented on the screen and then followed by another exercise. This online tutorial makes it seem like a game while students tackle their own goal of error treatment. Overseas OWLs are also accessible to the students on the screen.

Usability evaluation The prototype was experimentally evaluated in Figure 4. Perceived effectiveness of individual terms of usability by 26 undergraduate students resource components at the School of English Communication of Tokyo International University. These trial users accessed all of the grammatical explanations As is evident from Figure 3, the factors prepared on the web and worked on all of the “Overall Effectiveness,” “Response Time,” grammar exercises. A questionnaire was then “Understandability of Grammatical Explana- given to the students to examine whether the tions,” and “Ease of Use” were evaluated as grammar tutorial under construction could meet positive by more than 80 % of the students. The their needs, that is, enhance their grammatical “Learnability of Grammar Exercises” was evalu- knowledge via self-access learning. This experi- ated as positive by about 70 % of the students. mental session took about an hour and a half. In contrast, the “Volume of Grammar Exercises” was evaluated as positive by less than 50 % of The usability questionnaire was designed to the students. This means that the students in include several factors that might affect user this study were inclined to do more grammar satisfaction and operability. The present trial practice activities. This finding is interesting users were requested to rate their satisfaction considering that they are not so willing to work on a five-point scale (5, 4, 3, 2, 1) ranging from on multiple exercises in the classroom. “most positive” to “most negative” and finish the survey with their free descriptions on the Of the present resource components, linguistic utility of the prototype. Figures 3 and 4 illustrate devices operating on a textual level had a the overall evaluation and the perceived ef- higher percentage of positive responses than fectiveness of individual resource components, those operating on a lexical or syntactic level, respectively. which can be interpreted to be that these textual features are of more instructional value. The two components “Subject-Verb Agreement (in number)” and “Article Use” were positively evaluated by half of the students, whereas about 40 % of the students evaluated them as neutral (= “3”). This may be because the students are often encouraged by their writing teachers to review these grammatical items. It is also important to note that negative feedback was given by about 20 % of the students in their response to “Noun Countability” and “Information Structure.” Possible reasons for this can be found in the following comments and requests that the students Figure 3. User satisfaction ratings freely described in the questionnaire. • The component “Article Use” is the most helpful because our knowledge of article use is unstable. English articles are the most difficult to use, but for this very reason, we need to learn their usage over time.

THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 36.5 • September / October 2012 27 The Language Teacher • Featured Article

• The component “Information Structure” is The students’ positive and constructive quite new and takes time to become familiar feedback seems to acknowledge the potential of with; nevertheless, this component is benefi- the prototype system, although further improve- cial because writing textbooks do not always ments are necessary. Survey results from the include textual features relevant to creating a questionnaire also imply that learner errors can coherent flow of information. be used as a positive resource as long as they • “Noun Countability” and “Subject-Verb are clearly sorted out and incorporated into a Agreement” are sometimes difficult to language learning system in an effective and handle because both lexical and syntactic efficient way. Yet another important implica- features need to be considered in parallel. tion is that L2 grammatical knowledge can be We need a direct link to a lexical look-up reinforced appropriately if learners are naturally service on the web. led to consider inter-sentential relations to find any grammatical solution, in such a way that • It is advantageous to read a given paragraph paragraph-based but not isolated sentence-based to find the answer in each grammar exercise. grammar exercises are accessible to L2 learners. This paragraph can be a writing model for us. • It could be of great benefit if many more Acknowledgments grammar exercises were available to us, I am grateful for the insightful comments of preferably according to the level of difficulty. the manuscript reviewers on an earlier version This enables us to find our own challenge(s) of this manuscript. I am indebted to the Japan to address. Society for the Promotion of Science and the • Grammatical explanations given to learner Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, errors that are familiar to us are fairly under- and Technology for funding this research over standable. The shorter the better, however. the past three years (Grant-in-Aid for Scientific • The online tutorial is helpful and convenient Research, Project No. 20520514, 2008–2010). I also because we can use it whenever we want. thank Mr. Fumiaki Nishihara, a graduate student Moreover, we can repeatedly work on the at the University of Tokyo, for his continuous same exercises after a certain period of time practical support. to reconfirm our L2 grammatical knowledge. Masumi Narita is a professor at the School of These statements suggest that the present Language Communication of Tokyo Interna- prototype is very helpful for Japanese EFL learn- tional University, teaching academic reading ers. To make it more effective, however, more and writing courses. She received a Ph.D. from extensive grammar items and practice exercises the Graduate School of International Develop- need to be prepared along with more concise ment at Nagoya University. Her major research grammatical explanations. Assessment studies interest is in second language writing. She has are also necessary to examine longitudinal effects been conducting learner corpus-based research of the present online grammar tutorial on the in order to explore how Japanese EFL writers students’ writing performance. This web-based can improve their English writing skills not grammar tutorial will be open to the public in only through face-to-face interactions with their the future. writing teacher in the classroom but also through self-access computer-mediated environments outside the classroom. She can be contacted at Conclusion . Learner essays were collected and annotated with information on errors and inter-sentential References topical progression to identify frequent grammatical errors among university students and Blake, R. (2011). Current trends in online subsequently to develop a prototype of a self- language learning. Annual Review of Applied access online grammar tutorial. The prototype Linguistics, 31, 19-35. system was experimentally tested by 26 Japanese Boulton, A. (2009). Testing the limits of data- undergraduate EFL students. The students driven learning: Language proficiency and evaluated the prototype in terms of usability and training. ReCALL, 21, 37-54. provided immediate written feedback.

28 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • Narita: Developing a corpus-based online grammar tutorial prototype

Chapelle, C. A. (2007). Technology and second Schneider, M., & Connor, U. (1990). Analyzing language acquisition. Annual Review of Applied topical structure in ESL essays. Studies in Linguistics, 27, 98-114. Second Language Acquisition, 12, 411-427. Cowan, R., Choi, H. E., & Kim, D. H. (2003). Four U.S. Department of Education, Office of Plan- questions for error diagnosis and correction in ning, Evaluation, and Policy Development. CALL. CALICO Journal, 20(3), 451-463. (2010). Evaluation of evidence-based practices in Hegelheimer, V., & Fisher, D. (2006). Grammar, online learning: A meta-analysis and review of writing, and technology: A sample technology- online learning studies. Retrieved from . Journal, 23(2), 257-259. Witte, S. P. (1983). Topical structure and writing Johns, T. F., Hsingchin, L., & Lixun, W. (2008). quality: Some possible text-based explanations Integrating corpus-based CALL programs in of readers’ judgments of student writing. teaching English through children’s literature. Visible Language, 17, 177-205. Computer-Assisted Language Learning, 21, 483-506. Appendix 1. A sample essay with information Knoch, U. (2007). ‘Little coherence, considerable on topical progression (with topical subjects strain for reader’: A comparison between two underlined) rating scales for the assessment of coherence. Assessing Writing, 12, 108-128. 2006-013 Koizumi, T. (2008). Gakushusha corpus no Why are cell phones so popular with young tansakuteki goyo bunseki kijutsu hoho no teenagers today? gaiyo: NICT JLE Corpus to NICE no data wo (a) I have three reasons. (b) First, cell phones tsukatte (An exploratory study on describing are very useful for us. (c) We can call and learner errors using learner corpora – the NICT send e-mails wherever you are. (d) Second, JLE Corpus and the NICE-NNS). In Sugiura, cell phones have various kinds of systems. (e) M. (Ed.), Shizen gengo shori gijutsu wo oyo-shita For example, we are able to listen the musics, eigo gakushusha no goyo ni kansuru hokatsuteki play games, take pictures and so on. (f) The katsu taikeiteki bunseki (A comprehensive and final reason is, today, almost of the teenagers systematic study on English learner errors have cell phone, so they tend to think that it using natural language processing technolo- is natural to have cell phone. (g) I think, in gies), report of the grant-in-aid for exploratory fact, teenager parents feel relaxed to give cell research (project No. 16652044, 2004-2006, pp. phone their children. (h) Because, it is danger- 71-89). Supported by Japan Society for the ous for children to go out. (i) If children met Promotion of Science. Nagoya University. a dangerous situation, they can contact with Lautamatti, L. (1978). Observations on the de- someone. velopment of the topic in simplified discourse. (j) The cell phones are very useful and con- In Kohonen, V. and Enkvist, N. E. (Eds.), Text venient, so it is popular with young teenagers linguistics, cognitive learning, and language teach- today. (10 sentences; 9 topical progressions) ing (pp. 71-104). Turku, Finland: Afinla. *************************************************** Narita, M. (2010). Topical structure and quality ratings of EFL essays. The Journal of Tokyo < topical progression > International University ‒ The School of Language Direct sequential progression: (b) => (c) Communication, 6, 1-16. Indirect progression: (e) => (f), (f) => (g) Narita, M., & Sugiura, M. (2007). Employing Superstructure: (a) => (b) an online concordancer for learning English Progression break: (g) => (h) adverbial connectors in the EFL writing classroom. Symposium on Second Language Extended progression: (c) => (d), (d) => (e), Writing 2007, Nagoya Gakuin University, (h) => (i), (i) => (j) Nagoya, Japan. Römer, U. (2011). Corpus research applications Appendix 2 is available from the online ver- in second language teaching. Annual Review of sion of this article at .

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The Language Teacher • READERS’ FORUM | 31

Simon Bibby interviews literature specialist Paul Hullah

Simon Bibby: Could you tell us a little bit about we started and know the place for the first time’, yourself, your background, how you came to as Eliot wrote. Other circumstances, prominent work in Japan? among them being that trying to get tenure at a national university was like extracting blood Paul Hullah: Working-class chancer from from stones, necessitated a life/career change. northern England whose intelligent parents con- I applied for and was appointed to my current structively reacted to their own lack of learning tenured position, Associate Professor of British by ensuring that their son grew up surrounded Poetry at Meiji Gakuin University, Tokyo. by books. Taught at Ripon Grammar School by passionate teachers who steered me towards SB: Tell us about your teaching situation: how literature comme fait accompli, their shepherd- does literature feature in your classes? ing skills replicated by fervent Edinburgh University tutors who directed me through a PH: I’m fortunate to be employed in the deconstructionist-feminist PhD (‘The Poetry of Literature Faculty of a university that respects Christina Rossetti’) via an English Literature and intellectual endeavor and teaching that instills Language MA. active modes of critical thinking in students as well as improving English skills. I’m free to teach I taught Shakespeare tutorials at Edinburgh literature in all my classes, specifically British University, freelanced as a music journalist, then poetry, for that’s my job. In all my previous posi- accepted a ‘Visiting’ Professorship at Okayama tions in Japan, though, I found myself having to National University in 1992: a ‘literature teach- apologise for bringing ‘literary’ writings into the ing’ gig which initially was just that but rapidly classroom, ended up smuggling poetry in ‘Trojan became a decade-long microcosm of the way horse’ style, being evasive in staff meetings literature’s place in a curriculum can go from and pretending these wonderfully provocative centre-stage hero to shunned bit-part player. The writings were primarily included to stimulate goalposts were shifted via dictums emanating ‘communicative’ competence. In reality, I from powerful men who’d never stepped inside was asking students to think, actively engage, a classroom but nevertheless thought they knew develop life skills, grow. Those were the ‘tasks’ I how English should best be taught. I pulled based my teaching on, not booking hotel rooms up tent pegs and moved through a series of or buying a packet of fags. short-term Japanese university EFL posts where literature was tolerated, but not encouraged. SB: You run the annual literature conference I adapted. I cheated. I found ways to pretend Liberlit. Can you tell us about Liberlit? literary texts were ‘useful’ CLT-wise. I got involved in JALT, became (maybe still am) the PH: My colleague Mike Pronko and I held the ‘crazy British bloke that shouts about literature inaugural Liberlit conference in 2010, driven by in EFL’. I’d become qualified in TEFL, published a sense of despair at the way literary materials internationally by then. I survived. By 2008 I’d are increasingly overlooked, even spurned as a devoted sufficient energies to TEFL to realize resource for English teachers in Japan. Literary my true love lay in literature: ‘to arrive where texts are vanishing from textbooks and curricula;

THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 36.5 • September / October 2012 The Language Teacher • Readers’ Forum

that’s depressing, distressing. We know scores of cism in the early 1800s. This is no coincidence. teachers who feel the same way, so we decided Pre-Darwinian geological and anthropological to make a stand against the hostile rising tide. ideas disseminated at that time, negating literal Liberlit’s a forum for teachers who believe authority of biblical doctrine, whilst not denying literature has an essential place in any English its allegorical efficacy. Romantic poets were argu- curriculum. ably the first gang of writers to have their own manifesto. As well as foregrounding imagination SB: Is Liberlit for EFL teachers, then? Can and emotion and supporting universal equality, literature advocates and CLT devotees blissfully they embraced uncertainty, eschewing didactic co-exist? dogma. Scholars were saying, we can no longer pretend the Bible answers all our questions; PH : EFL’s a big umbrella and we’re all just trying we have to look elsewhere. They looked to to stay out of the rain. No need to fret. There’s literature for new maps by which to script order plenty of room. Bridges can be built. Whether from chaos, meanings from mayhem, at that Liberlit attendees see themselves primarily as revolutionary historical juncture, when every- EFL teachers or not, they (we) are concurrently thing was changing so fast. 200 years later, our interested in supra-linguistic aspects to learning broken world’s rudderless. We need maps to find that are crucial to maintenance of constantly meaning in our lives more than ever before. They and properly socially-engaged, intellectually- are under our noses. Literary works are timeless, stimulated, maturing minds. This function is not addressing fears, feelings, questions people have fulfilled by one- or two-dimensional ‘language in 2012 just as in 1812. learning’ texts whose modus operandi is mechani- cally to reiterate fixed grammatical patterns and SB: Yet isn’t most literature simply ‘too hard’ stolidly enumerate categorized vocabulary items. for Japanese students? Do they have sufficient vocabulary to deal with literary texts? SB: So you’d object to claims that literature’s irrelevant to student needs? PH: Confidently to engage with, explicate, or discuss a literary text in English, a student PH : Learners are persons, not machines. There will require a certain competence. But that’s a may be as many goals as there are different prerequisite to literary study rather than what we learners, and this is how it should be. But primarily seek to teach. A good curriculum will these goals can usefully be separated into two ensure that courses are in place so students have (overlapping) categories. Some learners want appropriate basics under their belt—competence to improve their communicative English for in reading, writing, and expressing opinions ‘practical’ purposes; others wish to deepen their clearly—before they arrive at literary study knowledge of non-domestic culture, ideas, the proper. A student will learn many new vocabu- arts, areas better explored in English, the L1 of lary items from reading Tennyson’s ‘Ulysses’ these fields. Qualified, experienced, effective but that’s not my prime aim in using that text EFL teachers are best equipped to serve learners in my class. If students come to me desiring to from the former group; teachers competent and improve their TOEFL/TOEIC score, I will gladly skilled in teaching humanities-based literatures point them towards courses designed to do just and critical thinking skills are more appropri- that: courses specifically designed and paced to ate to the latter. We must accept this spectrum, build up and consolidate appropriately-graded work with it. In calling ourselves teachers of chunks of vocabulary and classified, calibrated EFL and/or literary studies, we are. We should grammatical patterns, answering techniques, respect learners’ sundry goals by admitting test-taking strategies and so on. But if a student that we teachers too have different goals, and comes to me wanting to learn about life, art, cooperating with teachers with objectives other culture, history, philosophy, society, and how to ours. Both sets of teachers have a place. Both these affect and effect ways in which people feel are necessary. and think, then I will throw my door open to that SB: But why literature in particular, as opposed student and pull down a book of poems from my to other content-based areas: politics or history, shelf. for instance? SB: What do you say to students who are having PH: The birth of the study of ‘secular’ literature difficulties understanding? in Britain coincided with the rise of romanti-

32 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • Bibby: Interview with literature specialist Paul Hullah

PH: I tell them a poem is like an abstract paint- be holistic: students begin from different starting: suggestively inviting our participation to ing points, so we have to trust ourselves to be construct meaningful encodings of its delib- able to assess progress they’ve made sensitively erately non-didactic content and provocative and with respect to them as individuals. We language and images. I tell them, ‘Consult a have to trust them to be able to accept that. You Japanese translation if it helps you!’ The sooner don’t have to be a rocket scientist to be able to they can get into and connect with the text the evaluate how much a person’s critical thinking better; then they can start exporting themes has matured or not over time. You talk to them, and ideas and processing them. I tell them not listen to them, and it becomes clear. It’s called to worry, but to summon what Keats called communicating. It’s realer and more reliable than ‘Negative Capability’—the ability to know TOEFL/TOEIC scores, which are just measures that there are aspects in everything we cannot of how well you can take a TOEFL/TOEIC test fully comprehend and that we must not let this and no marker of cognition or original thought. imperfect understanding be cause for unease A Polish proverb says, ‘Weighing a pig a hun- or despair. Why? Because life is like that! In dred times won’t make him any fatter.’ this elemental way, what we define as ‘literary’ MIRRORS life. If you spend your life craving SB: So you think that ‘literature’ best facilitates 100% understanding of everything in it, you’ll this process? have a miserable existence and likely go insane. PH: Literary texts reveal the opposite side of a You have to let it go. You have to abandon the coin with which Japanese learners are familiar, quest for the perfect masterpiece and settle for demonstrating that there is no single consum- the imperfect masterpieces that remain. Only mate answer to every question. This ‘eureka’ then can you be content. Reading’s like that too. moment is psychologically liberating, freeing the We should read books as we read life. We can’t mind into heightened learning mode. There’s expect to understand everything, nor should we, data and research, qualitative and quantitative, or that would be the end of things. Literature, confirming this efficacy of literary texts taught in like life, isn’t a solvable scientific equation; it’s English: Raymond A. Mar, Ron Carter, Zawiah an abstract work they can imagine into meaning, Yahya. Choice and creativity are remedial, focusing on parts that communicate with them curative, motivating. And anything can be a and, if necessary, ignoring bits they don’t like ‘literary text’ if it uses language, words, images, or don’t ‘get’. This empowers them, puts them in ways allowing for interpretation beyond the in control, leaves them no longer feeling guilty literal. It’s all in the presentation; provenance about having less than perfect comprehension. is irrelevant. If it makes my students think in They need that negative capability. They need to mature critical ways, I don’t care if a passage was stop striving for perfection. penned by Shakespeare or the bloke who cleans SB: But what about effective assessment? the toilets. There’s no exclusivity, no obligation to ‘authenticity’. What’s ‘authenticity’ anyway? PH: Accountable, something you can back up Everything’s authentic. Everything comes from if someone questions a grade? I prefer the CSE somewhere. evaluation method: Common Sense based on Experience. It’s never failed me as a reliable SB: Can you suggest specific texts for less able indicator of intelligence, of how ‘good’ a student students? is, how well that human being will deal with ‘the PH: For those nervous of ‘poetry proper’, certain real world’. In that respect, TOEFL/TOEIC have modern pop song lyrics seem to me an appropri- failed me miserably and often. And if students ate resource. They fit well our fluid definition want actively to question grades they’ve received? Great! Bring them in. of a ‘literary’ text. They tend to use language (words, images, sounds, poetic devices such as SB: But if there’s only holistic evaluation at the irony, punning, alliteration etc.) in suggestive, teacher’s discretion, how do students know what creative ways that we find more thought pro- targets to aim for? voking than dogmatic, more open than closed. They tend to raise questions as much as attempt PH: The goal is to make meaningful connections to answer them. And they tend to be lexically with a text and be able to express that meaning straightforward, more so than older texts full of clearly, critically, originally. The goal should archaic expressions that take time to explicate. never be to get a certain test score. Grading has to Those older texts are usable, with patience, but THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 36.5 • September / October 2012 33 The Language Teacher • Readers’ Forum

with modern works you can more quickly cut to PH: I suppose that, sweetest of all, literature the chase, the chase being the reader’s response does no harm. How could it? Alone, as Auden and construction of meanings. said, poetry makes nothing happen. Literature is blameless. It invites us to decide. When he SB: You don’t think we need to restrict ourselves was asked to defend ‘dangerous, delinquent’ to the established literary ‘canon’ then? rock and roll in 1956, Elvis Presley said, ‘It frees something in us, lets it loose. I don’t know what PH : The ‘established canon’ is full of texts with it is, but I know it don’t hurt nobody.’ Literature unproblematic vocabulary and grammar. There and the responses it invites ‘don’t hurt nobody’ are countless instances of writing, phrased in either. Literature frees us to find ourselves; it lexis neither difficult nor old, that can, to borrow lets us loose. We’re all searchers, as is should be. Heaney’s analogy, move us more than heat or The more we look, the more we can hope to find. cold. There’s loads of Tennyson and Wordsworth And I know no better window through which to you can use. Christina Rossetti. Blake, Yeats. view the wounded world than literature, and no Philip Larkin, even Eliot. Actually, I can’t think better mirror in which to examine ourselves. of a single author post-1800 who didn’t write at least some stuff that’s grammatically and lexical- SB: Thank you for the interview Paul. ly straightforward. Can you? Anyway, as I said before, ‘it’s not what you teach, it’s the way that Simon Bibby started you teach it’. Wasn’t there a song called that? up the new JALT SIG Literature in Language SB: Okay, the $64,000 question: what about Teaching at the end of curriculum planning? 2011 to promote and encourage the use of PH : It’s about confidence followed by choice. literature in the language Ideally, a curriculum’s constituent parts should classroom. Having combine to nurture students to a point where originally qualified as a high school teacher, they feel empowered enough to make confident Simon has an MA in Educational Technology choices regarding the direction of their own and TESOL from the University of Manchester. learning, providing options from which they He is now studying for his PhD in Applied can select once that power to choose is properly Linguistics at the University of Swansea, in their instilled. In terms of an English curriculum, renowned Vocabulary Acquisition Research this will mean a systematic building up of the 4 Group. He works at The Language Center, skills, with skills ideally used together and not Kwansei Gakuin University. He can be contacted in isolation—so ‘Debate’, rather than ‘Speaking’ at . in this room and ‘Listening’ next door—followed by a gradually-integrated second tier of varied content-based courses. That’s the sort of curricu- Former Miyazaki JALT lum we have at MGU. It works. But teachers are Chapter President Paul important too. You must have good teachers. Hullah currently teaches at Meiji Gakuin Univer- SB: What methodology do you yourself use? sity in Tokyo. A notori- How do you teach? What’s your classroom like? ously vocal campaigner for the use of literature PH: I use the Hullavian Method. I’m an educator, in English teaching, he not an entertainer. You don’t need bells, whistles, is co-founder of Liberlit, or trendy techno-makeovers when what you’re an organization for teaching has timeless themes, resonating depth, ‘Discussion and Defense of the Role of ‘Literary’ universally-connective substance, multiple pos- Texts in the English Curriculum’ . He is himself a prolific author: Rock UK, need to dress up literature. It speaks for itself. I a socio-cultural history of British rock music don’t need a salesman’s skills; what I’m pushing in textbook form, was published this year by sells itself. That’s why it’s recorded. That’s why Cengage Learning, and his fifth collection of it endures. poetry, Homing, was published in the UK in 2011 SB: Anything else to add? by Word Power Books. He can be contacted at .

34 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • READERS’ FORUM | 35

God in the classroom

Paul Wicking Meijo University

Evangelism and ELT: An ethical dilemma For the past 150 years in Japan, Christian evangelism through English classes has been happening in there has been a close relationship between Christian mission Japan for over a century, and is still widespread today. The Japanese and English language educa- desire for English conversation, coupled with a very small native tion. Missionaries and churches Christian community (3% of the total Japanese population, accord- have been heavily involved in ing to Operation World, 2012), makes this country very attractive the English language teaching to Christian missionaries. In addition, there are many Christians profession during this time. Even working in schools and universities, who are not missionaries, yet today, there are many Chris- their faith seeks to find expression in their work. tian ELT professionals working throughout Japan. However, However, there is an ethical dilemma facing this large number of there is a strong view within the Christian educators. In Japan, the teaching of religion is banned in ELT profession that religious public schools. Not only this, but there are strong feelings against beliefs should play no part in proselytization from many within the ELT field. As a Christian the classroom. This places the teacher necessarily feels some desire to share his or her faith, a seri- modern Christian language ous dilemma arises. It is hoped this article will help point the way teacher in a dilemma: in what out of this dilemma. way, if at all, are a teacher’s Christian beliefs to be expressed in class? This paper aims to shed Christian mission through ELT in Japan some light on this question, by Missionaries have been active in this country ever since the ban on examining the nature of religious Christianity was lifted in 1873 (Kohiyama, 2009). Many of Japan’s belief and expression in relation to language pedagogy. top schools were started as a result of Christian influence, such as International Christian University (Tokyo), Doshisha University (Kyoto), Hokkaido University (Sapporo), Nanzan University (Na- この150年間、日本ではキリスト教の布教と英語教育は密接に関係してき goya), and many others. Although English classes at these schools た。その間、宣教師と教会が英語教 do not usually contain any religious content, a teacher’s faith does 育に深く携わってきた。今日でも、キ perhaps exert some influence on his or her chances of employment. リスト教信者である英語教育の専門家は日本中にたくさんいる。しかし、 McCrostie’s job column in the TLT gave advice to increase your 英語教育者の間には、教室内に宗教 chances at landing a full-time position at a Japanese University. を持ち込むべきではないという根強 Amongst some useful tips was this one: い意見がある。これはキリスト教信者である現代の英語教育者にジレンマをもたらす。つまり、果たして教師は “Time to start praying? Another consideration when putting to- クラスで信仰をどのように表現したら gether an application package for a tenured job is that a number よいのか。本論では、言語教育との関 of universities in Japan are Christian institutions. The job ads 連において信仰と表現の本質を考察し、この問題に光を当てる。 from such schools typically call for applicants to show an understanding of the Christian faith… Make your understanding

THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 36.5 • September / October 2012 The Language Teacher • Readers’ Forum

of Christianity explicit in your cover letter or to teaching”, the posting guidelines state that you will probably require divine intervention religion is to be “avoided”. The implicit message to get hired.” (McCrostie, 2010, p.32). is that issues concerning teaching and education should remain separate from issues of faith or While these universities may prefer to hire belief. There was a heated exchange between Christian teachers, many Christian missionar- some members in August 2010, on the topic of ies will start their own English schools, or else religious expression in the forum. Overall there partner with a church to offer English lessons were more posts in favour of silencing references in a church building. Occasionally, missionaries to religion, although admittedly it is hard to may teach English at a non-Christian school know whether these views were just coming in order to supplement their income (known from a vocal minority. The general mood of the as tent-making). According to Operation World forum can be expressed by this post: (2010), there are an estimated 3,500 missionaries working in Japan. It is not known how many of “Hello again. I agree with Sean (and others) these are using English conversation classes to and think that religious references should not gain converts. However, in a convenience sample be included in emails. I’m not very religious of 15 full-time missionaries known to the author, myself but I can imagine that Bible references 87% had been involved in evangelism through must considerably irk the non-Christian mem- English lessons. bers of this list. Let’s stick to the guidelines: In addition to these, there are a lot more NO RELIGION!” (emphasis his). (ETJ, 2010). Christian English teachers who are not full-time These exchanges point to a commonly held missionaries, and so they would not appear assumption that religious belief and teaching in this data, but who nevertheless believe that practice should be kept separate. In fact, this they have a duty to share their faith with others. is just one instance of a much more widely Most estimates of the number of Christians in and commonly held belief in academia that English-speaking countries hover around 30% scholarship and faith are incompatible. Many of the population, and so it would be reasonable believe there is a strong dividing line between to assume that roughly 30% of native English the private sphere (your personal beliefs, your speaker teachers in Japan are Christian. values or ethical viewpoints) and the public And yet, this not insignificant Christian pres- sphere (your research and scientific scholarship; ence has been mostly silent in the field’s profes- Pearcey, 2005). sional discourse. One reason could be that they However, this way of thinking is misguided. are not interested in academic associations such I wish to argue not that faith and ELT shouldn’t as JALT. Particularly, missionaries who work in a be kept separate, but that they cannot be kept church are kept very busy, and most of their time separate. This becomes apparent when we is taken up with church affairs. examine the nature of religious belief and teach- Another reason is that there has been some ing practice. hostility towards Christianity in the halls of academia. There have been charges against Christian English teachers as engaging in ‘evan- The nature of ideological (religious) belief and gelism by stealth’ (Edge, 2003), as having a lack teaching practice of proper qualifications (Pennycook & Coutand- Within the literature, ELT is portrayed as Marin, 2003), and as being tools of Western primarily a means by which to aid students in imperialism (Pennycook & Makoni, 2005). Such the acquisition of English language skills. Most severe charges may make Christians reluctant to of the articles in TLT or the JALT Journal are be open about their faith. Added to this, there is concerned with English language acquisition a generally more widespread belief, even among at a cognitive level. This is only natural, as that some Christians themselves, that matters of is what we as teachers are primarily concerned faith and religion have no place in matters of the with. But one crucial aspect of our profession mind. The two are seen as incompatible. that gets nowhere near as much attention as it As an example, the English Teachers in Japan should, is that of ideology in teaching; and in (ETJ) online discussion forum boasts over 5,500 particular, values. Language teaching is deeply members (ETJ, 2012). Although its purpose is permeated with ideas and values that impact for “discussing issues related to education”, and every aspect of ELT, from classroom practice to “asking and giving advice on matters related curriculum design to assessment and material

36 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • Wicking: God in the classroom development. Language teaching is profoundly a another, within your classroom. And any claim value-laden activity. to the contrary is untenable. As Johnston (2003) writes, a teacher’s personal However, just because faith cannot be kept belief system cannot be separated from his or separate from teaching practice, it does not neces- her teaching practice. That is because teaching sarily follow that teachers should be allowed free is value-laden in three ways. Firstly, teaching is reign to convert students to any particular religious rooted in relation. A relationship is established viewpoint. So, where does one draw the line? between teacher and student. And human relations are essentially in the sphere of morality. How you, The ethical dilemma as a person and a human being, interact with other persons, is primarily a question about morality. Herein lies the ethical dilemma. The evangelical Secondly, all teaching aims to change people. Christian English teacher believes he or she When students walk out of the classroom after has a moral (or divine) imperative to proclaim 90 minutes, and then when they complete their God’s truth to nonbelievers, including his or her course at the end of the semester, one hopes students. However, when it comes to matters of that they are changed individuals. If there is no religion, there is a strongly held view by some change, you have to ask yourself, what was the within the ELT profession that God should be point? One also hopes that this change will be for left outside the school doors. the “better”. What exactly is “better” and what is Is there a way out of this dilemma? The argu- “worse” is essentially a moral matter. ment for a blanket ban on expressions of faith Thirdly, although science and research can give in the classroom cannot be sustained. Yet at the us sound theory and practical methods for teach- other extreme, most would agree that complete ing effectively, in a great number of instances freedom in seeking conversions in the classroom they cannot tell us exactly how to run our is likewise undesirable. Where one stands in classes. What do you do with the kid in the back relation to these extremes will be somewhat con- row who falls asleep every lesson? How hard do tingent upon one’s individual teaching situation. you push the painfully shy girl who cannot utter Obviously, English classes that are held inside two words the whole class? What do you do a church building with students being aware of when the head of the Economics faculty asks you the teacher’s beliefs will carry different ethical to pass a student whom you just failed? demands to classes held in a high school where students have no choice over content or teacher. Johnston writes: “In the decision-making processes of teaching, somewhere along the road However, I do agree with what the dominant rationality ceases to operate effectively. While voices in Christian ELT work are saying. These many attempts at a rational morality have been scholars see ELT as Christian Mission. In other made by philosophers, decisions and actions are words, being a good English teacher and run- motivated ultimately not by reason alone but ning effective lessons is a right and proper also by beliefs held by individuals that cannot be expression of religious faith in itself, without based in or justified by reason alone. I call these blatantly opening a Bible or having a prayer kinds of beliefs faith, because they are based on meeting in class. This stance enables the Chris- a kind of trust we have in our own instincts, tian teacher to express his or her faith in a way often bolstered by our personal experiences but that does not clash with those who are concerned rarely in the certainty that, for example, scientific about religious imperialism. Of course, teaching knowledge can bring.” (Johnston, 2003, p.9; English to the best of one’s ability is a moral emphasis his). imperative shared by many teachers, and not just those of the Christian faith. However, the When Bill Johnston wrote these words in 2003, motivation for doing so is quite different. A great he was a self-confessed atheist. But despite this many Christian leaders in ELT are saying: The atheism, he still argues convincingly that faith quality of your work as an English teacher is the plays a crucial role in our classrooms. It is not best way you can express your faith in Christ possible to separate faith from our pedagogical (also referred to as “being a witness”). beliefs and practices. So whether your faith is Christian or Hindu or Buddhist or secular For example, Donald Snow writes: “Rather humanist or even atheist (and atheism perhaps than being incidental to witness or even evan- requires even more faith than belief in a God), gelism, the quality of CET’s (Christian English this faith will be outworked, in one way or Teachers’) teaching work is the primary vehicle through which they share the love of God with THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 36.5 • September / October 2012 37 The Language Teacher • Readers’ Forum

their students, and also the strongest and clearest ETJ (2012). ETJ e-mail discussion group. Retrieved statement they make about what a Christian from . should be like.” (Snow, 2001, p.65). ETJ (2010). Re: Scripture quotes? Comment posted Susan Wong writes: “When Christian teachers to ETJ forum. Message no. 27334. August 28, diligently prepare for class, listen attentively 2010. to students, are genuinely concerned for their Johnston, B. (2003). Values in English Language students’ well-being, cooperate with colleagues Teaching. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum (especially when wronged), and make an effort Associates. to continually learn and grow professionally, Kohiyama, R. (2009). Women’s education at they are a witness.” (Wong, 2009, p.99). mission schools and the emergence of the Zoltan Dornyei expresses it thus: “I myself modern family in Meiji Japan. In J. Jongeneel, really like the words attributed to St. Francis of P. Ng, C. Paek, S. Sunquist, & Y. Watanabe Assisi: ‘Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words (Eds.) Christian Mission and Education in Modern if necessary.’” (Dornyei, 2009: 156). China, Japan, and Korea (pp.99-114). Frankfurt: All these Christian educators see their role Peter Lang. as not to ‘convert’ students to a religion, but McCrostie, J. (2010). The right stuff: hiring trends to be a force for positive personal and social for tenured university positions in Japan. The transformation. Suresh Canagarajah writes: Language Teacher, 34(5), 31-35 “My faith finds an expression that is larger than Operation World. (2010) Japan. Retrieved from one of merely preaching in the classroom or . the regeneration of everything in life – not just individuals, but social structures, environment, Operation World. (2012) Japan. Retrieved from and knowledge paradigms. Furthermore, the . senting the regenerative values in my everyday Pearcey, N. (2005) Total Truth. Illinois: Crossway classroom life.” (Canagarajah, 2009, p.13). Pennycook, A., & Coutand-Marin, S. (2003). And so it seems that one acceptable solution Teaching English as a Missionary Language. to the Christian teacher’s dilemma is: Be a Discourse: Studies in the cultural politics of educa- good teacher. Do an excellent job. Work hard to tion, 24(3), 337-353. encourage and motivate students and cooperate Pennycook, A., & Makoni, S. (2005). The Modern with colleagues. This is perhaps the best way Mission: The Language Effects of Christianity. that one’s faith in God can be expressed inside Journal of Language, Identity and Education, 4(2), and outside the classroom. As the Apostle Paul 137-155. wrote, “Whatever you do, work at it with all Snow, D. (2001). English Teaching as Christian your heart, as working for the Lord, not for Mission: An Applied Theology. Pennsylvania: men.” (Colossians 3:23). Herald Press. Wong, M. (2009). Deconstructing/reconstructing References the missionary English teacher identity. In S. Canagarajah, S. (2009). Introduction. In S. Canagarajah & M. Wong (Eds.) Christian and Canagarajah & M. Wong (Eds.) Christian and Critical English Language Educators in Dialogue Critical English Language Educators in Dialogue (p.91-105). New York: Routledge. (pp.1-18). New York: Routledge. Dornyei, Z. (2009). The English language and Paul Wicking is a full-time the word of god. In S. Canagarajah & M. Wong lecturer at Meijo University. (Eds.) Christian and Critical English Language His research interests include Educators in Dialogue (pp.154-157). New York: ideology and values in Routledge. language teaching. Paul also Edge, J. (2003). Imperial Troopers and Servants preaches regularly at a non- of the Lord: A Vision of TESOL for the 21st denominational Christian Century. TESOL Quarterly, 37(4), 701-709. church in Nagoya.

38 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • Resources • MY SHARE TLT RESOURCESMY SHARE Quick guide …with Dax Thomas & • Key words: Oral fluency, question formation, Harry Harris discussion, narrative, learner-centered • Learner English level: Intermediate and To contact the editors: above • Learner maturity level: College and univer- We welcome submissions for the sity, adult learners My Share column. Submissions should be up to 700 words describ- • Preparation time: About 10 minutes for the ing a successful technique or lesson teacher to explain the activity plan you have used which can be • Activity time: About 60 minutes, depending replicated by readers, and should conform to the My Share format on the number of students (see ). Please send submissions to . In this activity, a small group of students shares only part of an interesting story with the whole MY SHARE ONLINE: A linked class. The students who are listening need to index of My Share articles can be ask questions, not only to find out the details found at: of the story, but also to find out which member Therefore, this learner-centered activity focuses on improvement of question formation and past tense usage. elcome to this issue of My Share. We’ve got four great activities to Preparation W help you kick off the new term. First, Students should be prepared to tell a short, Mary Hillis has students telling fibs in a group- personal story that the other members of the oriented question-forming activity. Next, Mark class don’t know. The story could be a funny or Rebuck introduces an activity that gets students memorable incident from childhood, something stringing news stories together to form cohesive interesting that the student saw, or an embarrass- presentations. Our third submission sees Gwyn ing moment. The most important point is that Helverson exploring students’ ecological foot- the students choose true stories that no one else print. Finally, Keith Barrs shows how students in the class knows. can study English words in Japanese society using online file sharing. Four great activities, just in time for back to school. Procedure Step 1: In class, put students into groups of 4-6 people. Each student should tell his or her story to the other group members. Students can ask Who’s telling the questions and discuss the stories to clarify their understanding of the details, but students should truth? not let other groups hear them. Mary Hillis Step 2: Each student writes a one-sentence summary of his or her story. The sentence should not Kansai Gaidai Univeristy provide too many details about the story. “When I was a child, I ate an earthworm,” “I saw a man wearing a costume on the train,” or “I fell into a ditch” are all good example sentences. THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 36.5 • September / October 2012 39 The Language Teacher • Resources • MY SHARE

Step 3: The teacher collects the sentences from each student. One group of students goes to News link the front of the class, and all the other students are the audience. The teacher reads one of the one-sentence story summaries from that group presentation aloud to the class. Mark Rebuck Step 4: The objective is for the audience to guess which member of the group told that story. In Nagoya University order to discover whose story it is, the audience asks questions to the group at the front of the room, and each member of the group must answer the question. Of course, only one student Quick guide is telling the truth, and all of the other group • Key words: News exchange, presentation members have imagined their answers. It is the audience’s job to discover who is telling the • Learner English level: Intermediate and truth, and they continue asking questions until above they determine this. • Learner maturity level: University and above Step 5: When the audience thinks they know • Preparation time: For the teacher, minimal who is telling the truth, they stop asking ques- • Activity time: Around 10 minutes per tions. The students vote by a show of hands presentation which group member they think is telling the • Materials: None truth. Then the student who was telling the truth should step forward. Step 6: This activity can continue through other Exchanging news stories, a popular activity in members of the same group. Play continues classes incorporating current topics, involves with the next group. students choosing a news story and, after careful preparation, retelling it (without referring to the news article) to a classmate, who then asks ques- Extension/Variation tions on it. A basic news exchange activity can be This activity could be extended by having found in Sanderson (1999, p. 60), with variations students write narrative paragraphs about their on the theme described in Rebuck and Tanner experiences. (2008). What is outlined below is a follow-up to the news exchange that involves students linking their articles into a cohesive presentation. Since Conclusion preparing for the presentation requires students From my experience with this activity, it is useful to revisit previously chosen stories, the activity and enjoyable because it is learner-centered; promotes the recall and recycling of language. furthermore, the material is student generated, It can thus be effective in promoting vocabulary all students can participate, and because the learning. The inspiration for news link pres- audience is genuinely interested in finding out entations came from the host of BBC Radio 4’s who is telling the truth, appropriate questions discussion programme, Start the Week, who are asked. moves seamlessly between guests by linking one topic with a seemingly unrelated one.

Preparation On JALT2011 Teaching, Learning, & Growing Ideally, students will do the news exchange activity at least five times during a semester. The 2011 Conference Proceedings is now Before doing it for the first time, tell students available to JALT members online! they will use their articles later in the semester Over 70 papers offering information and to make a presentation. Do not, however, give ideas to support and motivate you in your any more information as this could influence the stories they choose and thereby compromise the learning, teaching, and research. activity’s key aim: finding connections between discretely chosen news items.

40 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • Resources • MY SHARE

Procedure stuck in your throat. In fact, recently some children died from choking on konnyaku Step 1: After the final news exchange, tell jelly… .” (Transcribed from a class recording students that in the following lesson they will with minor corrections added) present to the class any four of the stories used in previous news exchanges. Step 2: Explain that when preparing, students References need to think of ways to move smoothly between Rebuck, M., & Tanner, P. (2008). Newspapers stories. Their presentations should not resemble and more: Activities for current topics. Nagoya the NHK news in which separate pieces of news City University, Journal of Humanities and Social are clearly demarcated. Sciences, 9, 97-110. Step 3: Go over some phrases that are sometimes Sanderson, P. (1999). Using newspapers in the employed to segue from one topic to another, for classroom. Cambridge: Cambridge University example: From talking about…, I want to move on Press. to…, Which brings me to my next story, which is…. Step 4: Give some pointers on making presentations. Tell students that, as in the news exchange, they should retell, not read, the story to the What’s your audience. Notes, however, can be used for prompts. If the appropriate equipment is avail- ecological able, encourage the use of visuals; for example, the newspaper article, or just its headline, can be footprint? projected onto the screen as the student speaks. Key words in each presentation can be written Gwyn Helverson on the board or, if sent to the teacher beforehand, collected into a handout. Ritsumeikan University Step 5: On the day of the presentations, tell the students that questions to the presenter are welcome after each presentation, but also ensure post-presentation questions by informing mem- Quick guide bers of the audience that they will be chosen at • Key words: Adverbs of frequency, habits, random to ask their questions. advice, environmental issues • Learner English level: Low-intermediate Conclusion and above Finding links to weave together different news • Learner maturity: University and above stories is a challenging exercise in creative • Preparation time: 20 minutes for vocabulary language use and creative thinking that also worksheets depending on students’ level promotes the recycling of language. It should be and difficulty of quiz used noted that while Step 3 introduces some linking • Activity time: 30 minutes in class, 30 min- phrases, trans-story links need not be explicitly utes homework, 30 minutes follow-up signaled. Below, for example, is how one student • Materials: Computer with Internet access, moved between the following two stories: vocabulary worksheets • Woman filmed dumping cat in wheelie bin in Coventry (BBC News, August 24, 2010) Given recent tragic events in Japan which have • Gov’t study group sets safety standards for kon- highlighted electricity usage, many of our students nyaku jelly (Kyodo News, December 23, 2010) are primed to discuss environmental issues: While “I feel sorry for the woman because nobody we may already realize that our resource consump- likes her now, but I also feel sad for the cat. tion is excessive, how bad is it really? The shocking Anyway, this story shows how much English answer to the question “If everyone lived like you, people care about animals, but it also raises how many earths would we need?” can be found problems about CCTV. It must be scary to be by taking an online quiz about consumption habits. stuck in a wheelie bin for fifteen hours, but I The easy version of the Ecological Footprint Calcu- think it’s more scary to have konnyaku jelly lator quiz includes questions such as “How far do

THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 36.5 • September / October 2012 41 The Language Teacher • Resources • MY SHARE

you travel by car each day?” and “How often do additional worksheet may be necessary to keep a you eat meat?” Aside from a few ecological terms less-focused class in the target language. which must be pre-taught, the Ecological Footprint Step 6: Tell the students to print and bring the Calculator quiz is therefore applicable to a range of last page of their quiz results to class for discus- student levels and is an excellent supplement for sion. A follow-up activity is to have the students textbook activities related to adverbs of frequency give each other advice on how to improve their and habits. eco-friendliness, then compare their ideas to those of the Ecological Footprint experts online. Procedure Step 1: Choose a quiz to match your students’ Conclusion English level and interests. The easiest is at Students will need a certain amount of vocabu- . Click on Footprint Basics, then for example, global hectares is a term they may scroll down to Personal Footprint to get to the not know. Nonetheless, I have used this les- Take the Quiz button. A lengthy, complicated (and son plan with a wide variety of classes, from rather personal) version for advanced-level and/ non-English majors in universities to highly or science students is found at . Click on Select language to get started on students stated that they were stunned by their this quiz. personal rate of consumption and happy to learn Step 2: Whichever quiz you have chosen, first how to reduce it, whereas a few criticized the review grammar and vocabulary for adverbs of quiz’s premises, thereby leading to debate and frequency and habits. further research on the validity of environmental Step 3: To introduce the topic, ask the class, conservation. My ecological footprint? Sadly, it’s “How many earths do you use?” Sharp students 3.6 earths (because of a long commute by car), may ask why earth is pluralized but not capital- and students love to tell me how to reduce it. ized, which you can explain by stating that resource usage has overshot the Earth’s capacity Note: Although these links are currently avail- from .56 earths in 1961 to 1.5 earths today and, able, the sites may be altered in the future. for example, that the average American con- Googling “My Ecological Footprint” should sumes 5.3 earths while the average Bangladeshi enable you to access various versions of the quiz uses just 0.6. Ask about Japan’s rate (4.3), and quickly and easily. what students personally do to conserve resources. One likely response will be “Cool Biz.” Step 4: Put the students in small groups to brainstorm a list of 5-10 questions about habits Photographing, related to eco-issues. Some examples may include “Do you turn off the lights when you leave a uploading, and room?” or “How often do you take a bath?” Have the students switch groups and compare discussing English their questions as you roam the room to assess their work. Go to the board, elicit questions, and words in Japanese compile some of the more interesting or unusual ones (creative groups’ questions may have to be society censored!). Then have the students break into new pairs to interview each other using questions Keith Barrs from their lists. Once again, scanning the room for unusual responses and putting them on the board Kanda University of International Studies to spark discussion is recommended here. Step 5: In a conversation class, you may want to assign the quiz for homework. Students in a reading or computer-related class could take the Quick guide quiz during class. Note that the easy version of • Key words: Flickr, photos, English in Japa- the quiz is available in many languages includ- nese script ing Japanese, so that monitoring and/or an 42 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • Resources • MY SHARE

• Learner English level: Any Step 3: Explain that they should upload the • Learner Maturity: High school, university pictures to the class Flickr website for sharing. Give them the email address and if possible do • Preparation time: 10 minutes (only once) a test run in class to show them the uploading • Activity time: 20 minutes process. Ask the students to write a specified title • Materials: Class Flickr account, students’ in the email’s subject line, such as Movie English email accounts or Travel words in Japanese, which will help for later categorisation. This activity raises awareness of how words Step 4: For the description, ask students to write from the English language are used in the 1) their first name, 2) where they found the Japanese language. Students photograph exam- picture, 3) how the words would appear written ples of English written in Japanese script found in the English alphabet, and 4) a short comment in Japanese society and upload them by email to about anything interesting they noticed with the a class Flickr website. The photos are then used word, such as a spelling or meaning difference, to create specific vocabulary-focused activities or whether they think the word is common in about the similarities and differences in forms Japanese, etc. See Appendix for an example. and functions of these words used in the two Step 6: Remind students to double-check that languages, such as phonological and semantic they have attached the picture to the email, writ- changes. ten a title in the subject line, written a description in the email body, and entered the email address Preparation correctly. After they have sent the email, get them to check the website for their own upload Step 1: Sign up for a free Flickr account , which is a Yahoo-run photo and video Step 7: Encourage students to use the Comments sharing website. and Faves box under each photo on the website. Step 2: Navigate to the Your Account section, This can assist the teacher in seeing what kinds under the You tab, and click on the Emails & of issues are being raised and which are most Notifications tab. In the Upload by Email Options useful for subsequent classroom focus. These section there is an address for email uploading classroom activities can involve learning about which can be changed if necessary by clicking a particular language element raised by the Edit and then Refresh your Address. Copy down pictures and comments, such as the insertion the address for future reference. of vowels after consonants, and then giving the students a quiz to check their understanding. A Procedure further activity could involve having students create flashcards or wordlists of the English Step 1: Do a test upload. Find a photo and attach language and Japanese language version of the it to an email. In the subject line of the email words, just as is done when highlighting differ- enter a title. In the email body enter a descrip- ences between British and American English. tion. Send it to the email address you copied down earlier and it should appear in your Flickr Photostream. You can then click on the photo, and Conclusion edit it (e.g., rotate) using the Actions tab. This activity can help to raise Japanese students’ Step 2: Explain that the activity’s purpose is to awareness of the English which surrounds raise awareness of the variety of English words them in their daily life. As such, it allows the that appear in the Japanese language and to teacher to generate classroom activities related to allow opportunities to compare and contrast Japanese-English language contact, which can be features of the words as they appear and are pedagogically beneficial to Japanese students of used in their L1 and L2. Explain that they English. should look around for English words written in Japanese script (katakana, hiragana, kanji) in places Appendix such as newspapers, sign boards, and product packaging. If your lessons have a theme, such as The appendix is available from the online ver- movies or travel, you can specify the content of sion of this article at .

THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 36.5 • September / October 2012 43 The Language Teacher • Resources • BOOK REVIEWS TLTBOOK RESOURCES REVIEWS not significantly altered, besides replacing the …with Robert Taferner cassette tapes with CDs and sprucing up the layout. What distinguishes it from the glutton of To contact the editor: how to presentation books is the extensive focus on voice, rhetorical devices, and persuasive language, in the middle sections of the book. If you are interested in writing a book review, please consult the list The book is essentially of materials available for review in comprised of seven sec- the Recently Received column, or tions. The first two deal consider suggesting an alternative with successful open- book that would be helpful to our ings and how to utilize membership. visuals, although without BOOK REVIEWS ONLINE: A any technical advice or linked index of Book Reviews can the provision of online be found at: resources. Sections 3-6 are the heart of the text and focus primarily on language and voice. The This month’s column features Richard Miles’ last section deals with evaluation of Presenting in English. handling questions from the audience. Answers for all the tasks are in the back and students can use the CDs to practice on their own. Although the textbook is divided into Presenting in seven sections, there is no real continuity to the sections or to the techniques themselves. Some English: How to may see this as a flaw, but I felt it gave me the freedom to pick and choose freely and design give successful my own course around several points a week. The text certainly suits university students, presentations particularly either English majors, or high-level students either returning from, or intending to [Mark Powell. Andover: Heinle Cengage study abroad. Learning, 2011. p. 128. ¥3,045. ISBN: 978-1- The real strength of this book is its relatively 111-83227-8.] unique focus on language, voice, and rhetoric. The importance of rhetorical devices in pres- Reviewed by Richard Miles, Nanzan entations has been detailed back to the ancient University, Nagoya Chapter Greeks (Atkinson, 2005), but the language difficulties experienced by non-native English speakers are seldom addressed in textbooks (Anthony, Recent years have seen an increase in the number Turk, Yamazaki, & Orr, 2006). With an abundance of EAP textbooks from publishers, particularly of techniques and rhetorical devices to improve dealing with oral presentations. The importance the delivery of a presentation, higher-level and pervasiveness of presentations, certainly students can be pushed beyond giving informa- in Western higher education domains, has been tive presentations and attempt more persuasive widely documented (Zappa-Hollman, 2007), presentations. Some examples of the techniques but unfortunately for those seeking textbooks provided include knock-downs, rhetorical questions, that go beyond structuring and organizing a and machine-gunning, techniques most university presentation, there is a glaring gap in the market. students or even relatively experienced present- Presenting in English was originally published in ers are unlikely to have encountered before. 1996 and has been updated this year, although While techniques such as knock-downs might be 44 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • Resources • BOOK REVIEWS difficult for many students, machine-gunning is Atkinson, J. M. (2005). Lend me your ears: All you relatively simple to understand and incorporate need to know about making speeches and presenta- and gives students of all levels the chance to see tions. Oxford: Oxford University Press. tangible differences in the effectiveness of their Zappa-Hollman, S. (2007). Academic presenta- presentations. Indeed the range in difficulty tions across post-secondary contexts: The between the techniques works well and will discourse socialization of non-native English- keep more proficient students interested while speakers. The Canadian Modern Language still giving weaker students an opportunity to Review, 63(4), 455-485. improve. Students also seem to particularly enjoy the chance to play with the language that these techniques afford them, which is borne out by the enthusiasm they seem to show when Recently using them in their presentations. One criticism I have is that there is a heavy Received focus on business English, which can be irrelevant for non-business majors. Another possible ...with Steve Fukuda complaint teachers and students might have is that there is just too much material in the book, and that one needs a yearlong course to cover A list of texts and resource it all. Not that this is a problem necessarily but materials for language teachers some of my students did mention the fact we available for book reviews in were not able to cover some techniques due to TLT and JALT Journal. Pub- time restraints. However, the vast majority of lishers are invited to submit comments were very positive, noting the useful- complete sets of materials to ness of techniques they had seldom come across. Steve Fukuda at the Publishers’ The book also does not provide anything in the Review Copies Liaison address way of topics or presentation practice guidelines, listed on the Staff page on the inside cover of relating to Japan or otherwise, leaving this TLT. responsibility for teachers and students. I saw this as a positive point as it left it open for me RECENTLY RECEIVED ONLINE to choose relevant topics and challenges for my particular students, and to turn the focus away An up-to-date index of books available for from the business perspective the book is overly review can be found at: concerned with. to recommend Presenting in English for use in university presentation courses, providing they * = new listing; ! = final notice. Final notice items are not basic introductory level classes. The will be removed 30 September. Please make relatively unique focus on rhetorical language queries by email to the appropriate JALT and other techniques makes it a very rich book Publications contact. from which students can begin to understand the nuances and skills that will serve to make them Books for Students (reviewed in TLT) more effective and persuasive speakers. The updated version makes it more visually appeal- Contact: Steve Fukuda ing to students, and the CDs are certainly more [email protected] convenient for teachers and students to utilize. Basic English for Physics. Imura, M. Tokyo: References Cengage Learning, 2011. [10-unit content-based course incl. student book w/ presentation Anthony, L., Turk, D. C., Yamazaki, A. K., & guide, glossary, audio CD, and teacher’s Orr, T. (2006). Q & A: Published advice vs. manual]. real world difficulties. Retrieved from don: Marshall Cavendish ELT, 2005. [4-level business English course starting at A2-level of CEFR incl. student books w/ detachable THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 36.5 • September / October 2012 45 The Language Teacher • Resources • RECENTLY RECEIVED

answer booklet, listening exercise CD, self- Y. Tokyo: Seibido, 2011. [B6-sized vocabulary study workbook w/ audio CD, and trainer’s text containing 1080 words from the TOEIC® guide]. test incl. student book w/ self-study audio * English Sounds, English Minds. Sugimori, M., CD, Linguaporta access, teacher’s manual, and Otsuka, T., Sugimori, N., & Evans, P. Tokyo: review tests]. Kinseido Publishing, 2012. [15-unit listening ! Write Away Right Away. Martin, D. Saitama, JA: skills course incl. student book w/ audio CD, EFL Press, 2010. [12-unit writing skills course teacher’s guide, and script data]. for low-intermediate level Japanese university ! Everybody Up. Jackson, P., & Sileci, S. B. New students incl. student book w/ teacher’s notes York: Oxford University Press, 2012. [7-level and answer key]. course for young learners incl. student books w/ audio CD, workbook w/ online practice Books for Teachers (reviewed in JALT Journal) exercises, class audio CDs, English and Japa- nese versions of teacher’s book w/ test center Contact: Greg Rouault CD-ROM, iTools DVD, and picture cards]. [email protected] * Grammar Practice. Puchta, H., Stranks, J., & Lewis-Jones, P. Crawley, UK: Helbling * Replication Research in Applied Linguistics. Languages, 2012. [4-level grammar course for Porte, G. (Ed.). New York: Cambridge Univer- young learners incl. student books w/ interac- sity Press, 2012. tive CD-ROM]. * The Roles of Language in CLIL. Llinares, * Great Writing. Folse, G., Muchmore-Vokoun, A., Morton, T., & Whittaker, R. Cambridge: A., & Solomon, E. V. Hampshire, UK: Heinle Cambridge University Press, 2012. Cengage Learning, 2010. [5-level writing course incl. student books w/ Examview® Assessment CD-ROM, instructor and student resource website access, and classroom prepa- Events at JALT2012 ration tools]. ! Outcomes. Dellar, H., & Walkley, A. Hampshire, Saturday Best of JALT (Co-sponsored with UK: Heinle Cengage Learning, 2011. [4-level English Central) English integrated skills course incl. student Be sure to join us for the main social event at the books w/ access to online resources and grade conference, the Best of JALT book, review units, interactive whiteboard CD- reception. Co-sponsored ROM, test generator CD-ROM, teacher’s book, by English Central and the audio CD, vocabulary builder, and student chapters and SIGs of JALT, workbook]. the event celebrates the ! Reading Fusion. Bennett, A. E. Tokyo: Nan’un- high caliber presentations do, 2011. [2-level reading skills course w/ extra and publications our or- speaking and writing activities, review tests, ganization is so honored to enjoy. Enjoy a refreshing audio CD, and teacher’s manual]. beverage and live music. Food will also be served. TakeAway English. Loveday, P., Melissa, K., The event takes place on Saturday evening from Trowbridge, S., & Varandani, L. New York: 7:15-9:15 pm. Please join us for this very special McGraw Hill Education, 2012. [4-level young celebration. adult/adult course incl. student books w/ audio CD, workbook, interleaved teacher’s Saturday Cambridge Press Event guides w/ audio CD, TakeAway TV DVD, EZ® In association with the JALT National Conference Test Generator CD-ROM, and online learning 2012 organising committee, Cambridge University center and materials access]. Press cordially invites JALT conference delegates to Time to Talk. Independent Publishers Interna- a party to celebrate the launch of Interchange Fourth tional (I.P.I.), 2012. [4-level communicative-cen- Edition. We welcome you to join us for drinks and tered course for Japanese students incl. student refreshments from 5:30 to 6:30pm. Check the Con- book, w/ audio CD and teacher’s manual]. ference Handbook for the exact location. ! Word Master Approach for the TOEIC® Test. •Look for information about our other JALT2012 events on Tsumatori, C., Matsui, K., Tobe, N., & Inamori, other pages of this issue of TLT.

46 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • Resources • OUTSIDE THE BOX TLTOUTSIDE RESOURCES THE BOX of fluency, which is manifested as the ability …with Adam Lebowitz to play smoothly, with little conscious effort, To contact the editor: and at potentially high speeds. The development of fluency is particularly important when building complex rhythms. In such cases, many “Outside the Box” is a column that drummers learn part of the rhythm (e.g., using not only challenges the community both hands) and when that has been somewhat to address a problem, but proposes a creative solution without concerns automatized, complexify the rhythm (e.g., by of being unrealistic. The focus is on adding the feet). In this way, the development of originality and creativity, not rigor. more complex and accurate rhythms is based on More information on submissions breaking complex rhythms into simpler subcom- can be found online, or contact the ponents and partly automatizing the individual editor. subcomponents before combining them. OUTSIDE THE BOX ONLINE: This same basic approach seems to be used by A linked index of Outside the Box children acquiring their first language and could articles can be found at: be applied to the development of second language speaking skills, using the order in which children acquired their native language. This means that L2 learners would acquire and partly ow many of us teachers have extolled automatize L2 phonological and suprasegmental our charges to “learn language like an features by engaging in extensive listening (see H instrument?” I always do on the first day Postovsky, 1974 for an example of this approach). of the semester, and here at Temple University They would then focus on building and automa- in Osaka, David Beglar outlines a theory-based tizing an approximately 400-word receptive practical approach that transfers music education vocabulary embedded in syntactically simple methodologies to L2 acquisition. sentences (see Bates, Marchman, Thal, Fenson, Dale, Reznick, Reilly, & Hartung, 1994 regarding details of L1 lexical acquisition). That vocabulary would then be put to use productively in utter- Drumming, ances involving simple syntax (i.e., sentences). By allowing learners to focus primarily on one automaticity, aspect of language at a time—phonological features, then lexis, then morpho-syntax—they and the teaching might ultimately display greater levels of accuracy and fluency, and this might result in feelings of increased self-efficacy and motivation of speaking to to continue practicing the language. beginning foreign References language learners Bates, E., Marchman, V., Thal, D., Fenson, L., Dale, P., Reznick, J. S., Reilly, J., & Hartung, J. (1994). Developmental and stylistic variation Cognitive learning theory and research on in the composition of early vocabulary. Child expertise suggest that all forms of adult learn- Language, 21, 85-13. ing have a great deal in common. If that is the Postovsky, V. A. (1974). Effects of delay in oral case, then learning approaches used in various practice at the beginning of second language fields might prove valuable in the field of SLA. learning. Modern Language Journal, 58, 229-239. In the world of drumming, considerable time and energy is invested in developing high levels THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 36.5 • September / October 2012 47 TLT » Resources » TLT WIRED TLT RESOURCESTLT WIRED Get started with Word …with Ted O'Neill Open a new document in Microsoft Word. To contact the editor: Type any text that you want to appear on every progress report. For example, common items might include the course name, the date, and In this column, we explore the descriptive labels, such as Name:, Student Num- issue of teachers and technol- ber:, Quiz average:, Homework average:, and Current ogy—not just as it relates to CALL total:, including a space after each colon. solutions, but also to Internet, software, and hardware concerns that all teachers face. Use Mail Merge Manager We invite readers to submit articles Next, to link an Excel spreadsheet to the newly on their areas of interest. Please con- created Word document, click Mail Merge Man- tact the editor before submitting. ager from the Tools drop-down menu in Word. TLT WIRED ONLINE: A linked index of articles can be The pop-up menu shown below will appear. The found at: mail merge function is available in Word 2008 as well. Progress reports made easy Craig Manning University of Shimane

This article describes how to make printable progress reports from an Excel spreadsheet using the Mail Merge function in Microsoft Word 2011, without much time or effort. Progress reports have been shown to produce small, short-term gains in rates of assignment completion for some students (Clariana, 1992). When distributed periodically, they can be an effective Figure 1. The Mail Merge Manager palette means to encourage students to keep up with showing created descriptive labels their homework. Some tech-savvy teachers make grades available to students online using learning manage- Proceed using the steps below. ment systems, such as Moodle or Blackboard. 1. Select Document Type: Create New > Form However, if students do not check their grades Letters online, a supplemental paper-based progress 2. Select Recipients List: Get List > Open Data report may be worth considering. Source > Select your Excel grade sheet. When prompted, choose Entire Worksheet. 3. Insert Placeholders: From the Contacts tab, drag and drop the appropriate fields to the 48 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • TLT » Resources » TLT WIRED

desired locations in your Word document. formulas in your Excel spreadsheet. For exam- For example, drag and drop the Quiz_aver- ple, the conditional statements below will show age field next to the respective descriptive “Please see me after class.” for any student with label made prior to starting Mail Merge a score less than 70 in column F . “Keep working Manager. hard!” will appear for any student with a score of 70 or higher. “You are doing great!” will be added for any student with a score higher than 80. =IF(F2<70,“Please see me after class.”,“Keep working hard!”) =IF(F2>80,“You are doing great!”)

Time saving tip To save time copying and pasting formulas in Excel, use the auto-fill function by selecting the desired formula to reproduce. Then, scroll over the bottom right corner of the selected cell. When the mouse icon changes to a solid black plus sign “+”, double click. The information in the selected cell will be copied and pasted to the cells below. Any referenced information will be automatically adjusted. So, the F2 in the formulas above would automatically become F3, F4, F5, and so on. This will allow the feedback statements to Figure 2. Location of the Merge to Printer icon. reflect each student’s grade.

Before continuing, highlight everything, make Conclusion it bold, and adjust the font size so that it fills as If you are already keeping a record of your much of the page as possible as shown in the grades in Excel, progress reports can be created example in Figure 2. quickly without much effort. With automated 4. Complete Merge by clicking the Merge to conditional feedback, it becomes easier to give Printer icon in row 6 of the Mail Merge tool at-risk students extra support. This could make a palette. difference for some of your students. Please give it a try. Printing References Since the document was created using a form letter template, it is designed to print one set of Clariana, Roy B. (1992). Rate of lesson completion in data per page. Unless extensive feedback is being computer-based instruction: The effects of progress given, a full page for each student is probably reports on students of different ability. Journal unnecessary. In the printer settings, change the of Computing in Childhood Education, 3(2), number of pages per sheet to four, six, eight, 127-36. or nine. On a Mac, this can be done in Layout, found in the printer settings. On a PC, this can be On JALT2011 done in the main printer menu by changing the Pages per sheet. Print one sheet to see how it looks Teaching, Learning, & Growing before printing them all. Finally, retrieve the The 2011 Conference Proceedings is now progress reports from the printer and cut them available to JALT members online! with a paper cutter. That’s it! Over 70 papers offering information and ideas to support and motivate you in your Adding conditional feedback learning, teaching, and research. To automatically add written feedback that reflects each student’s grade, include conditional THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 36.5 • September / October 2012 49 The Language Teacher • JALT Focus • JALT NOTICES JALTJALT FOCUS NOTICES

learners in over …with Malcolm Swanson 150 countries. To contact the editor: In Japan, over 150 schools have already Contributors are requested by the used our column editor to submit notices solutions. With and announcements for JALT two decades Focus by the 15th of the month, of experience one and a half months prior to behind us, we’re continuing to develop award- publication. winning innovations that improve the lives of JALT FOCUS ONLINE: A listing of people and the operations of organizations every notices and news can be found at: day. Our proprietary, proven method leverages interactive technologies to replicate the immer- sion environment in which people learn their first language. It activates each student’s natural aptitude for acquiring a new language regardless JALT National Officers, 2011–2012 of language background. A multilingual educa- Our elected national officers work with the JALT Execu- tion prepares students to compete and succeed tive Board to administer NPO JALT. They can be con- in a multicultural world. tacted at . For further information or inquiry, please visit }} President: ...... Kevin Cleary our web site . }} Vice President: ...... Nathan Furuya }} Auditor: ...... Caroline Lloyd }} Director of Treasury: ...... Oana Cusen }} Director of Records: ...... Aleda Krause

}} Director of Program: ...... Steve Cornwell ロゼッタストーンは教育界から始まりました }} Director of Membership: . . . . Buzz Green RosettaStone社の創設メンバーの一人、Allen Stoltzfus は大学の研究室で、最初のRosettaStoneソフトウェアを開 }} Director of Public Relations: . . . Michael Stout 発しました。そのソフトウェアは、素晴らしさを認めた教育関係者の間に、瞬く間に広がりました。これがロゼッタストーンのルーツです。 This month, we introduce our newest Associate ロゼッタストーンを授業・講義で活用したり、学習補助 Member, Rosetta Stone. 教材として導入する教育機関が日本でも世界でも増えています。 • 京都造形芸術大学（京都府） Rosetta Stone • 国際教養大学（秋田県） “The best technology-based solutions for • 中京高等学校（岐阜県） learning languages” • 宮崎日本大学高等学校（宮崎） • 麗澤大学（千葉県） Our voice is rooted in education. Rosetta Stone • 一般社団法人YFU helps educators prepare students for lifelong success. Our scalable, interactive solutions have • その他、高校、４年制大学、大学院、独立行政法人、等（敬称略） been used by over 20,000 schools, 8,000 busi- nesses, and 9,000 government and non-profit 詳細・お問い合わせは弊社ホームページまで。 organizations worldwide, and by millions of

50 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • JALT Focus • SHOWCASE JALTSHOWCASE FOCUS give people a chance to help out on a local level …with Kristen Sullivan by contributing their professional services to a social cause. To contact the editor: Reconstruction efforts are still taking place and much work still needs to be done. However, there Showcase is a column where has been a shift in volunteerism toward address- members are invited to introduce ing the needs and concerns of dislocated peoples. themselves to TLT’s readership By connecting teachers with affected people, I in 750 words or less. Research also hope to bring volunteers closer to the realities interests, professional affiliations, that the tragedies have caused. Much debate is current projects, and personal taking place about Japan’s energy policies and the professional development are all best way for the devastated regions to be rebuilt. appropriate content. Please ad- I believe people will be able to more intelligently dress inquiries to the editor. enter that discussion if they have communicated SHOWCASE ONLINE: A listing of Showcase articles can with or spent time with those still struggling. be found at: Recently, we ing with Minna no Te , a support n this issue of Showcase, Jason Bartashius group for Tohoku explains why he started the After School evacuees in Kyoto. I Lessons For Tohoku Children project, and We helped them introduces the project’s current activities. find volunteer English teachers SHOWCASE for an event they organized for children in May. About a dozen or so children and four teachers attended. Together Jason Bartashius we played games and sang songs in English. We hope to organize similar events in the future. Last year after the earthquake happened, I Minna no Te has also helped us promote our wanted to go to Tohoku to volunteer. However, project and, as a result, a few students have due to financial and time constraints, I ultimately applied to take online English lessons. was not able to do so. I decided instead to look for ways to help remotely and by using avail- Another group we are working with is Creative able resources at hand. With friends, I started Action Links (CAL) . CAL has raised money for childcare cent- Children , which aims to help ers and kindergartens in Tohoku. More recently affected children with their educational needs they have begun organizing a new project called and especially English acquisition. I made use of the Habatake Tohoku Kids program, which we will the contacts I have who teach ESL, and created take part in when it commences this October. online listings of schools willing to give tuition This program is for affected junior high and high discounts to dislocated children, publishers will- school students. In the program they will take a ing to discount books, and volunteer instructors leadership training course offered by UTREK, an willing to teach via Skype. NPO based in Tokyo, and online English lessons from our volunteers. As we grow more and more, people approach me with new ideas for expanding. It’s been Lastly, we are now, at the time of writing, exciting being a part of the creativity people helping organize English lessons for Fukushima have been bringing to this project. My goal is to children participating in the Kyoto YWCA home stay program at the end of July. THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 36.5 • September / October 2012 51 The Language Teacher • JALT Focus • SHOWCASE

We are grateful to now be working with CAL our own activities, but also to keep people and UTREK, and to receive support from Minna informed about refugee life and to support the no Te and the Kyoto YWCA. Our biggest obstacle work of others involved in similar projects. has been finding ways to transmit information If you would like to become involved please let about our project to those who could benefit us know. from it. Now that is starting to change; student

applications are beginning to come in for Skype lessons and we’re finding opportunities to Jason Bartashius is the manager arrange lessons in Kyoto. In the future, we’d be of After School Lessons For Tohoku willing and happy to work with other NPOs. Children. He lives in Kyoto. He teaches English in the Kansai Recently, I have been taking on another role area and is a lecturer of Japanese in helping promote the work of other groups Religions for Osaka Gakuin that are helping Tohoku children, such as Minna University’s 2012-2013 Interna- no Te. There’s no doubt that social networking tional Exchange Program. He can has been instrumental in the success of a lot of be contacted at . Facebook page not just to provide updates about JALT GRASSROOTSFOCUS

…with Carol Begg Warm goodbyes To contact the editor: from Mariko The editor warmly invites 750-word Miyao and Joyce reports on events, groups, or resources within JALT in English, Japanese, or a combination of both. Cunningham! GRASSROOTS ONLINE: A listing of By Joyce Cunningham, Ibaraki Grassroots articles can be found at: University, and Mariko Miyao, Tsukuba Gakuin University

In 1998 or thereabouts, Mariko Miyao and I n this issue, we have a bumper column but started as co-editors of the TLT’s Grassroots. you will also notice a major change. After Those were heady times since neither of us had I 14 years of editing this column, Joyce and ever attempted anything similar. Co-editing a Mariko have passed the baton on. I will let them monthly, four-page column (only two-pages say their “warm goodbyes” as they move to then) was a huge challenge. I had just arrived in greener pastures and add that I will continue the Japan and had only two years of JALT under my hard work that they have done for Grassroots. belt. But with Andy Barfield leading the way on the JALT98 programme conference team, we got JALT2012 our feet wet and fast! Thank you, Andy! When I was elected JALT National Programme Chair, October 12-15, 2012 I again had the privilege of working closely Hamamatsu ACT, with lovely, inspiring, and creative people, Hamamatsu, Japan beginning with my own Ibaraki Chapter. The above-mentioned experiences were most helpful to sniff out unsuspecting contributors (evil laugh quickly stifled) and wrestle them into an 52 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • JALT Focus • GRASSROOTS answer of “Yes... all right, OK, (sigh) I will send concentrate on dealing with prospective you something.” Through the years, writers contributors and editing their articles. have come from all over JALT: from the SIGS to This arrangement suited me very well. I the chapters reporting on their challenges and have been able in my part to format the files insights, to conference organizers, to bright lights and contact proofreaders (now copyeditors) in the field, and on and on. and other staff of the TLT production team, all There have been inevitable ups and downs: in front of my computer when I can find time when reporters were most grateful for our sup- in between teaching, attending meetings, and port, dedication and attention, to detail but also taking care of my family. My involvement with times, alas, when our reporters wanted to pull this column and TLT has been great on-the-job their hair out, due to minute changes of a dash to training for me. I have met many interesting a comma, razor-sharp cuttings of precious words people on- and off-line and learned a lot about in a overly long text, etc. On average, drafts teaching and learning English (as well as how were polished 5-6 times; only a very few like Kip to edit Japanese articles occasionally) while Cates or Theron Muller were ever accepted from formatting many teachers' reports over the years. the get go. Others had up to nine drafts before I really hope many more Japanese teachers of being turned over to Mariko Miyao, my dream English will have opportunities to get involved partner. Just when my bleary eyes could focus no in the production of TLT like I have. Mariko longer, Mariko would take over the formatting. Thanks Mariko! So…there remains only for us Mariko’s eagle eyes, without fail, would catch to extend a very warm welcome to Carol Begg, further changes I had glossed over. She is/was the new incoming editor to this column. This wonderful to work with and I am proud to say position is not for the faint of heart but Carol has that we have never had a single bad word or already proven herself to be quick to learn, eager, quarrel in all these years. Mariko has been a rock and enthusiastic. And finally, good luck to you in a sometimes storm-tossed sea. Thank you, all on The Language Teacher team and to the many Mariko-san for keeping our boat on an even keel! members of JALT who have been so kind to us We are also indebted to Malcolm Swanson who both over the years! gets more and more efficient (if that is possible) with each TLT. Thank you, oh prince of JALT! And to you, the many editors and proofers who toiled unceasingly with us, bless you! The adjacent I (Joyce) will be retiring at the end of this academic year, after 17 very good years at Ibaraki possible revisited University in Mito. I may not be at JALT2012, so Dan Waldhoff, Ibaraki University IEP my hugs and deepest gratitude to all I have had the honour of knowing these many years! Instructor So, uhhhhm, Mariko…. Yes, better hand the mike over to you, desu ne? Your turn… Last year, I wrote for this column (January/ Joyce and I started co-editing our column, first February 2012, Vol. 36, Number 1) describing under the title A Chapter/SIG in Your Life, then some steps that I’d taken to make my classroom Perspectives, and now Grassroots. I have truly enjoyed as paperless as possible. Concluding that article, working with Joyce. (You have probably guessed I promised an update telling of changes that her personality just by reading her portion above. must surely come as I smoothed off rough edges She knows how to encourage and make people and sharpened the experience. This article fulfills happy to work with her.)…Joyce is blushing! my promise. In the late 1990s, not many people were Let me begin by qualifying that the systems familiar with networked computers or the I’ve put in place work for me, but more impor- Internet. Because of my background in working tantly they work for my students. They are the in companies in the US, Canada, and Japan customers who must always be right. Today’s before starting my teaching profession, I felt check of page views more comfortable using the then new technology gives a total of 9808. Since only my students have compared to many of my colleagues. Maybe direct access to the page I’ve created and I have because of this, I guess Andy suggested about 90 students, it seems that they are using that Joyce work with me so that she could the tool I’ve given them. The page has been up

THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 36.5 • September / October 2012 53 The Language Teacher • JALT Focus • GRASSROOTS

for just over a year and the traffic has prompted The final change I made to the work submis- Google to advise me that I should monetize sion pages (Google Forms) is the addition of a the site with ads. That is a confirmation of the single text entry field to each submission form. success of my single, simple page on Blogger! Dear Dan invites students to comment, suggest, I’ve implemented changes to make the system and share their thoughts. This might be the most even more user-friendly and efficient. Access to important of the little changes because they do my home page is easier after I changed from the ask questions, make comments, suggest things I blogspot.com address to a private URL that I might like, and share their thoughts! registered a few years ago. My website, , is much faster to input and ing on this topic twice now. With the time I’ve remember. Registering a URL is a simple and in- saved doing less of the busy work that had been expensive process. GoDaddy and Blogger work so frustrating, I have the continuing pleasure of together nearly automatically to prevent what being able to give much more of myself to actual can otherwise be a tedious linking procedure. teaching. Still, I have to admit that many of my Many of my students access the page from esteemed colleagues are daunted by the technol- a smart phone or web-enabled keitai. To make ogy. My next project using the saved time should this less visually complicated, I’ve changed to a necessarily be a step-by-step tutorial to move template designed for clean and functional view- those less confident along the path to technologi- ing on small screens. It isn’t pretty on a computer cal enlightenment! monitor, but so many students use their keitai to access and input work, like book reports, that the change had to be made. The best job in all Last year I handed my students a 17-page booklet that provided first day information of JALT printouts and the syllabus. However, this time at the beginning of the term I gave each only a By Margaret Orleans printed business card with my name, email and Seinan Jo Gakuin University, web access URL details. I showed a video on how to use the system and provided a link to Kitakyushu that YouTube video on my website so students could review and confirm details about the class. Being coordinator of the Best of JALT award I saved paper and making a formal introduction program must be the best job in all of JALT. while presenting my meishi to each student made Upwards of thirty times a year, I get to tell a strong impression. people that some arm of JALT realizes what a Now, I review the syllabus at the beginning of terrific job they are doing. It’s very satisfying to each class using the classroom projector screen be the bearer of so much good news. and my iPad. The students have a very clear The Best of JALT, as I hope everyone in the picture of what they need to do and when it organization knows by now, is an annual award needs to be done without having to print a copy that each chapter and SIG can bestow on the of the syllabus. The iPad also holds all the texts best presentation at the local or regional level I use in all the places I teach: reference books, sponsored by them in the previous calendar all the audio and video files associated with the year. Thus, the awards to be given out at next various texts and dozens of supplemental videos month’s JALT 2012 in Hamamatsu, will be for as well. Checking the syllabus daily is very much presentations made in 2011. The program has like a meeting at the beginning of an office day been around for nearly two decades, having been and this is exactly what I want it to feel like. established under Joyce Cunningham’s tenure as Students read from my projected text; their faces director of programs. are not hidden, turned to their desktops. As someone located in southwestern Japan, I’ve adopted Google Drive as the repository of where national conferences only occasionally all the documents I share with students. These venture, I thought of JALT as the community have been converted from MS Office to .pdf that gathered for our monthly chapter meetings. format. I keep student records in Google spread- I was therefore delighted to be able to recognize sheets that I can access anywhere. Google Drive outstanding local contributions nationally. is secure, big, and free. Taking over the collection of nominations, 54 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • JALT Focus • GRASSROOTS notification of winners, and printing of certifi- ners when looking for outstanding speakers to cates when the previous coordinator retired was schedule for the coming year. We have also been my own way of repaying what JALT had given inspired by the awards to explore innovative me, without needing to stray far from my home formats that other chapters and SIGs are using. computer. For example, Kitakyushu followed Kobe’s lead But, for many years, the Best of JALT lan- in holding a PechaKucha Night and Sendai’s in guished as a small program, often confused with inviting local teachers to interview their most the Chapter-Sponsored Speaker vetting system successful students at a chapter meeting. We for the national conference, and relegated to a have yet to imitate Shinshu’s Annual Charity few minutes before or after the Ordinary General Walk, but we did donate the proceeds from last Meeting at that conference. Chapter and SIG year’s FAB1 to a Tohoku charity. officers weren’t sure if seasoned presenters The Best of JALT, then, is a program that brings were eligible for the award and recipients often joy to its recipients, recognizes their contribution weren’t sure when or where to collect it. to our organization at the local and regional Then, two years ago, Michele Steele, assisted level, and spreads the best ideas in JALT to other by Shirley Ando, raised the profile of the Best local entities. I won’t even mention the magical of JALT. She found a sponsor for the program properties of the award, though one Tohoku in English Central (an e-learning website) and recipient did confide to me that his Best of JALT raised additional money from chapter contribu- certificate was the only thing that remained on tions to first, host a small reception and now his office walls after last year’s 3/11 disaster. a major party at the conference, during which the awards are presented. She collects photos of all the recipients and puts together a display JALTCALL 2012 at the conference. Interest in this highly visible program has accordingly grown. Last year there were thirty-three nominees. So far, this year, Conference report there are forty. If everyone knows the Best of By Adam Murray, CALL SIG Publicity JALT, it’s because of Michele and Shirley. Chair How does one definebest ? We leave that to the discretion of each chapter or SIG. How does one go about nominating the best presentation? This year’s conference was from June 1st to June Again, we trust the nominating bodies with that 3rd in Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Prefecture. The decision. We’ve even expanded the parameters conference was held at the modern Konan Cube, of the award to include publications, in order to the home of Konan University’s Hirao School of open it up to more SIGs, though no one has yet Business. availed themselves of that possibility. Once a The theme of the conference was Beyond Call: winner has been decided, I’m notified, and the Integration, Normalisation, or Separation? Over pleasure for me begins. the years, the conference has grown and draws Traditionally, the award itself has been a nice attendees and presenters from all regions of certificate—first in black and white, now in Japan as well as from overseas. This year was no color—signed by the president and director exception with presentations, workshops, show of programs. Last year, the board of directors and tell demonstrations, and poster sessions added a drawing for one-year TESOL mem- given by delegates from Australia, Canada, berships, which has also raised the cachet of China, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, winning. But, it’s the good news element that the United States, and the United Kingdom. In remains the strongest component of the award, terms of numbers, this year’s conference was the I believe. Witnessing what a shot in the arm largest JALTCALL conference to date, with more the nomination gave to his chapter’s first-ever than 300 attendees. winner made a believer out of one officer who The three-day conference got underway with had long resisted singling out one individual for pre-conference workshops on the evening of an accolade when the year’s calendar was filled June 1st. The well-attended workshops covered a with excellent programs. number of topics such as video processing, game The good news doesn’t end there. Like many mechanics, automated feedback devices, and other chapters, Kitakyushu uses the list of win- project work. The main conference took place on

THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 36.5 • September / October 2012 55 The Language Teacher • JALT Focus • GRASSROOTS

June 2nd and 3rd. Over the two days, more than A few of the comments were: “The party was 100 concurrent presentations were offered. In excellent and a great chance to network,” and addition to the concurrent sessions, one keynote that, “the reception was fantastic - room for and two plenary speeches were delivered. Dr. mingling, alcohol, and food was pretty good.” Stephen Bax’s keynote address was How does We are pleased to officially announce that the technology become fully effective in language educa- 2013 JALTCALL conference will be held at Iwate tion: The social and psychological dimensions of University in Morioka City, Iwate. The dates are education normalization. The first plenary speech being decided and details will be disseminated was Defining roles: Who does what and why by via the JALTCALL SIG’s website Lance Knowles, and the second was Language and our official Twitter account, @JALTCALL. technology: Predictions and unintended outcomes by We hope to see you at JALTCALL 2013! Dr. John Brine. Fortunately, JALT members do not have to wait This year, the conference included the first for next summer to get a dose of CALL training. AJET Forum as an outreach to the ALTs who Any SIG or Chapter who is interested in having are serving throughout Japan. The CALL SIG an experienced CALL practitioner visit an event Program Chair, Tom Gorham, worked with the to provide training or answer questions, should National AJET Chair, Matthew Cook, to arrange contact the CALL SIG Coordinator for assistance. for some AJETs to attend the conference as well The CALL SIG wants to further its efforts at the as to provide a forum for more experienced grassroots level by sharing our experience and CALL educators to share some useful tips. The knowledge with those who are interested. The CALL SIG hopes to expand its outreach to the CALL SIG Coordinator can be reached at . We’re ready to help tional’s efforts, by sharing our experience with our fellow JALT members grow professionally so ALTs at their training sessions throughout Japan. CALL us today! Generally speaking, the conference was well received by the attendees. A relatively large number of attendees responded to a post-conference survey administered by the conference 2012 Fukuoka team and gave great post-conference feedback. An overwhelming majority (98%) of the survey JALT Conference respondents were satisfied with the conference as a whole. The attendees were excited about and Educational the hands-on presentations, which showed what presenters are doing in their classes and Materials Expo how the attendees could try those ideas in their own classes. One attendee said it best by stat- By Kate Parkinson, Fukuoka ing that the presenters “really made it easier to University understand why JALT CALL is relevant to my teaching.” Fukuoka JALT Program Chair When asked what they liked most about the conference, several attendees complimented the • 2012 Fukuoka JALT Conference and venue, Konan Cube, referring to it as, “a very Educational Materials Expo modern conference venue, with easy access to • Sunday, October 28th computers and instant Wi-Fi, which ran without any problems,” and “…an ideal setting for the • 9:00 – 19:00 conference.” • Seinan University, Fukuoka In addition to comments about the venue, attendees commented on the atmosphere of the conference. Typical comments were: “Nice For most JALT members, the year revolves informal atmosphere. Everyone willing to share, around the national conference in the autumn. discuss and assist,” and a “relaxed yet profes- For many of us, it’s the first date to be penciled sional atmosphere.” into the new calendar, top of the list of places to send presentation abstracts, and the final For many attendees, the complimentary recep- destination for the annual university domestic tion was one of the highlights of the conference. conference allowance. The result is an entertain-

56 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • JALT Focus • GRASSROOTS ing and invigorating three days of presenta- about the issues surrounding their jobs. tions, workshops, and socials, during which Another desired outcome of the conference like-minded teachers and researchers renew old is to foster closer ties with other professional connections and make new ones. Face it: it’s fun! organizations. This year we have given a 90-min- At work, however, I’m surrounded by teachers ute time slot to the local ETJ Chapter. To many and researchers who, for one reason or another, observers, JALT is viewed as the organization for never get to attend the national conference. university teachers, and ETJ the organization for Family obligations prevent many teachers from teachers of children. While the respective mem- taking off for a long weekend out of town, while bership lists of each organization might support others juggle multiple part-time jobs that do not this notion to some extent, neither organization provide research or conference budgets. seeks to exclude anyone, and cross-participation Fukuoka JALT tries to bring a little of the in local events such as this should ensure that atmosphere of the national conference to more all local teachers and researchers benefit from a of our members with an annual one-day confer- variety of professional development opportuni- ence. This year we are pleased to welcome Marjo ties. Mitsutomi as our Plenary Speaker. Professor The 2012 Fukuoka JALT Conference is Mitsutomi, of Akita International University, combined with an Educational Materials Expo. will be conducting one of the Featured Speaker National and local publishers will showcase their Workshops at JALT2012, and we’re delighted latest releases and best sellers in promotional that she has agreed to come and present at our presentations, and their materials will be on conference, too. Her observations on common display in the main hall throughout the day. motivators shared by successful second language Representatives will be on hand to discuss your learners from around the world are relevant to 2013 curricula and order your inspection copies teachers in all situations. of textbooks and other materials. In addition to Professor Mitsutomi coming all Naturally, our motives aren’t entirely altruistic. the way from Akita, we are pleased to welcome We hope that an event such as this will boost our presenters from as far afield as Korea, Malaysia, membership and raise our profile in the eyes of and the UK, as well as from Saitama, Hyogo, local professionals who haven’t felt inclined to Chiba, Hiroshima, and Kitakyushu. In total, come to our monthly meetings. The kind offer there will be around 40 presenters at this year’s by Seinan University to hold the conference on conference. The topics are similarly diverse, their campus has considerably reduced the cost including CALL, intercultural communication, of hosting such a large event, and affords us the vocabulary acquisition, teaching in public luxury of waiving the usual One-day Member- schools, and many more. From the beginning, ship Fee for non-members. So, if you’re planning we consciously avoided assigning any particular to be in the Fukuoka area on October 28, drop in theme to our conference in the hope that poten- and see us! tial contributors would feel neither pressured Further information and the full program of nor excluded by any sense of obligation to make presentations is available at . their preferred topic fit. The resulting diversity of proposals we received has led to an eclectic mix of presentations that should appeal to the widest possible audience. Besides bringing a taste of JALT 2012 to Fukuoka, we’re trying to provide professional development opportunities to teach- JALT Apple Store ers in sectors other than college and university. To this end we have received koen-meigi from Don’t forget, JALT the Fukuoka City Board of Education, and the membership brings Fukuoka International Exchange Foundation. added bonuses, such With these certificates, teachers employed in public schools can receive a day off in lieu of as� discounted Apple products attending our conference on a Sunday. With this through the JALT Apple Store. in mind, we re-opened our Call for Presenters, inviting Japanese teachers of English to submit proposals in Japanese. In this way we hope to meet more of our Japanese colleagues and hear THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 36.5 • September / October 2012 57 The Language Teacher • JALT Focus • OUTREACH JALT FOCUSOUTREACH designed by the students, adorn the classroom …with David McMurray walls. Students exchange lucky charms and tissue paper covers made from an assortment To contact the editor: of colored buttons and cut cloth. On PTA days, the students recite poems adapted from classic Japanese literature for their parents to appreciate. Outreach is a place where teachers from around the world can In English class, the students learn the names of exchange opinions and ideas about colors and how to extend greetings. Children all foreign language learning and over Japan are introduced to similar lesson plans teaching. It provides outreach to during the integrated period of study in accord- classroom teachers who would not otherwise readily have access ance with national curriculum guidelines. to a readership in Japan. The When the March 11, 2011 tsunami devastated column also seeks to provide a Japan, Linda Ohama was spurred into thinking vibrant voice for colleagues who volunteer to improve language learning in areas that do of a way to synergistically combine these practi- not have teacher associations. Up to 1,000 word reports cal skills the children had learned from their from teachers anywhere in the world are welcomed. teachers in Canada and Japan. Ohama (2012) Contributors may also submit articles in the form of inter- reveals, “A day after the earthquake, I dreamt views with teachers based overseas. of helping the young people and letting them OUTREACH ONLINE: A listing of Outreach articles can know that there are other young people in the be found at: world who care and think about them.” The earthquake hit mid-afternoon Japan-time, when children were in school and kindergarten, and so many were separated from their families and homes. Promises of money and aid poured into Quilting bees in Tohoku from all over the world, but Ohama, a Canadian art educator and accomplished film Canada and Japan director, worried about the spirits and hearts of the people, especially the children. This is how David McMurray the Kids for Kids quilt project began. Ohama believed that written words of encourage- Sheri Alcordo regularly asks her grade 5 class at ment and colorful drawings by Canadian children Driftwood Public School in Ontario, Canada to could brighten the lives of long-term grieving engage in projects that beautify the school yard children in Tohoku. Ohama therefore recommended and local environment. For example, her stu- her colleagues in Canada to ask their students to dents joined together with parents and neighbors draw, paint, and embroider messages on cloth to plant and paint garden boxes adorned with for children in Japan to read. Cloth is durable and key positive words about their inner city com- embroidery and paint make the drawing colorful munity. Alcordo’s class is a model demonstration and more permanent. Everyone could share their class for equity, inclusion, and cultural relevance feelings through images and a little Japanese and for the Toronto District School Board. She teaches English. In response, young people across Canada a diverse group of children, including those who began making hundreds of cloth letters. have special needs in the areas of ESL, learning Someone suggested joining all of the cloth let- disabilities, and giftedness. ters together by sewing the 25 cm by 25 cm cloth Takaaki Sono teaches his grade 5 students at squares into big 2 m by 3 m cloth letter quilts. Kinko Dai Elementary School in Kagoshima, Schools could hold quilting bees, where students Japan how to paint, sew, and write poetry. and parents could accomplish the task of making He periodically teaches English lessons, too. a quilt to send to Japan. The job of sewing the As a result, colorful water paintings of dream messages would be done as a group to allow homes and environmentally friendly buildings, socialization and all of its added benefits. 58 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • JALT Focus • OUTREACH

The Canada Cloth Letters to being a place of learning, schools are part and parcel of community life. In addition to being Sheri Alcordo asked her grade 5 class at Drift- convenient places to buy supplies, shopping wood Public School in Ontario, Canada to draw malls are places of rest and relaxation for resi- pictures and write messages about hope, peace, dents. The cloth letters from Canadian children and love as a gift for children in Tohoku who had could be displayed at schools and malls where been hurt by the tsunami. The students arranged people could come together to chat and rebuild their messages onto a large canvas quilt. While their personal networks. As murals and wall sewing their creative handicraft, they talked paintings, the quilts could beautify the schools about how grade 5 students in Japan might react and centers in Japan. These combined efforts when they received their gift. became the Canada Cloth Letters project. According to Alcordo (personal communica- The students in Japan who read the letters tion, May 1, 2012), the students wanted to be part from Canada, responded by painting their own of the quilt project because they “were inspired cloth letters and these became the Tohoku Cloth by the sense of community and inclusion it Letters. Since October 13, 2011, the Canada- promotes by bringing others from around the Tohoku Cloth Letters have been on an exhibition world together for a common cause.” Alcordo tour, beginning with an exhibition at the Cana- found the quilt project to be an enjoyable learn- dian Embassy in Tokyo. ing technique that encouraged all students in her class to read and write in an entertaining way. In recognition of her global and local com- Japanese University Students Participate munity outreach activities, Alcordo was named When the Canada-Tohoku Cloth Letters were Omni TV Golden Apple Teacher of the Year displayed at the International University of in 2011 and in 2012 was named Teacher of the Kagoshima, students responded by penning 105 Year by the Premier of Ontario. In receiving her haiku about the sea onto a cloth quilt. A visiting award, she was praised by her school principal graduate student from China, Yili Zhou, con- as an instructor who “willingly and enthusi- tributed the following haiku to the blue colored astically shares her expertise, knowledge and mosaic. resources with others and identifies, fosters and Beyond blue celebrates the strengths of others.” Students say she makes learning fun and challenges them to hydrangea blooms think (Toronto District School Board, 2012). home sweet home More than 20 quilts with messages from Freshman Kaori Kuga and a student nick- children all around Canada were delivered to named Destiny, penned these poems: schools affected by the tsunami and earthquake Get together in Tohoku, Japan. your song makes me Ohama spoke with principals at elementary sit by you schools in Tohoku about the situation they were facing. She learned that emergency assistance had restored power failures, shortages of food, Beach parasol water and gas to communities. She was informed waits for the first customer that financial assistance from overseas had summer day helped alleviate the terrible conditions. The words of encouragement sent by the Canadian Music students composed an original song, children were appreciated and helped to inspire Blue Bird, to sing at a party to celebrate the debut students and teachers who were trying to rebuild of the quilt. At the party, students who had their lives day by day. She learned that schools participated in house-cleaning bees and tree- had been used as emergency shelters. When planting bees in Tohoku, displayed photographs people moved from the shelters to temporary and talked about their volunteer activities. Over housing, the school classrooms were quickly 300 people came to see the cloth letters. Com- restored. School playgrounds would be used to pleted on July 16, the Day of the Sea (Marine build temporary shopping centers. As children Day), the students sent their colorful quilt to went back to school and temporary shopping Hiroshima. Other schools and universities have centers opened up, these activities became sym- joined these quilt-making efforts. These are the bolic of the rebuilding of the town. In addition Japan Cloth Letters. Together the 30 colorful

THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 36.5 • September / October 2012 59 The Language Teacher • JALT Focus • OUTREACH

quilts have become the inspiring and moving To prepare for the wide variety of topics Canada-Tohoku-Japan Cloth Letters. Ohama was asked to address, students had In addition to touring Tohoku, Linda Ohama written questions in advance of the lecture based visits universities in Japan to talk about the project. on information their instructor, Gregory Strong At Aoyama Gakuin University, 250 students and (2002) and his colleagues, had posted on the teachers from the English Department participated university website and an article he had written in her June 5, 2012 lecture. During a 90-minute about her film, Obaachan’s Garden. Questions classroom appearance, she showed photographs to the invited speaker included asking her to of her volunteer efforts and talked about how the describe the emotional journey she experienced Kids for Kids quilt project began. She explained while making the film, and what was it like how young people from the Canadian provinces growing up in Canada with a Japanese grand- of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, mother. Students were also keen to learn how Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec as well as the she felt when she went to the Tohoku region Yukon Territory created a quilt made by patching after March 11, asking “What are your hopes for together hundreds of letters painted on cloths in an Japanese young people?” effort to cheer up the children of farming villages, After touring Japan, the Canada-Tohoku- towns, and cities in northern Japan after the March Japan Cloth Letters will be displayed in schools 11th Earthquake and Tsunami. When displayed and communities in Miyagi Prefecture until in schools, town halls and community centers, the December 30, 2012. The quilts made in Japan quilts beautify the community and create a sense are scheduled to return to Canada in 2013 for of pride in the place students call home (Aoyama Canadian students to enjoy reading. Gakuin University, 2012). A versatile speaker, Ohama was also invited to References talk about the movies she has directed. Another topic of keen interest to the audience was about Aoyama Gakuin University. (2012). Special the awarding of a university degree posthu- Lecture by Linda Ohama. Retrieved from father was unable to complete his studies at the Ohama, L. (2012). Canada Tohoku Japan Cloth Let- University of British Columbia because he had ters. Retrieved from been interned during World War II. The intern- Strong, G. (2002, November 14). Obaachan’s ment of Japanese-Canadians began in December Garden Chronicles. The Daily Yomiuri. 1941, after an attack on American naval and Stueck, W. (2012, May 29). Japanese-Canadians army facilities at Pearl Harbor by Imperial Japan. to receive UBC diplomas 70 years later. The Realizing that Japanese-Canadians had not been Globe and Mail. a threat to national security, in 1988 the Canadian government gave a formal apology and compen- Toronto District School Board. (2012). Driftwood sated the affected citizens. The Canadian univer- garden builds community, pride. Retrieved from sity made amends in June 2012 by asking Ohama

60 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • Column • SIG NEWS TLT COLUMNSIG NEWS including the notions of Third Culture Kids …with Jennie Roloff-Rothman and social status. Please check the JALT2012 schedule for the time and location of this event. To contact the editor: Also, please join Bilingualism SIG for its annual general meeting following the panel discussion. Finally, on Saturday, October 13, from 9 to JALT currently has 26 Special 11 p.m., after the Best of JALT celebrations, join Interest Groups (SIGs) available for members to join. This column pub- Bilingualism SIG for a few beers at a German lishes announcements of SIG events, Beer Hall just minutes from the ACT Conference mini-conferences, publications, or Hall. We hope to see you there! calls for papers and presenters. SIGs Our group has two main aims. One is to wishing to print news or announce- encourage research in the area of bilingualism ments should contact the editor by in Japanese contexts. This is reflected in our the 15th of the month, 6 weeks peer-reviewed journal, Japan Journal of Multilin- prior to publication. gualism and Multiculturalism. Our second aim You can access SIG News online at: is to support families who are raising bilingual children. Our newsletter, Bilingual Japan, contains articles about resources and experiences available to bicultural families. The SIG also works with various chapters to hold local events. The SIGs at a glance SIG’s annual forum and banquet at the National Conference provide an opportunity for members Key: [ � = keywords ] [ & = publications ] [  = other activities ] [  = email list ] [ ^ = online to network with other bilingual families. Further forum] Note: For SIG contacts & URLs, please see JALT’s information at . website . Business English Bilingualism The JALT Business English SIG is intended to develop the discipline of teaching English [ � bilingualism, biculturality, international families, child- conducive to participation in the world business raising, identity ] [ & Bilingual Japan—3x year, Journal—1x community. We wish to provide instructors in year ] [  forums, panels ] [  ] this field with a means of collaboration and JALT Bilingualism SIG proudly presents its 2012 sharing best teaching practices. Forum Bilingual parenting: Minority language JALT Business English SIGは、世界のビジネス界に通 at home, majority language at school. This panel 用する英語教育の発展を目的に持ち、結成されました。連携体制を組み、最善の教育方法を共有することにより、英 discussion will be of interest to parents raising 語教育に携わるインストラクターの皆様のお手伝いを致し children with two or more languages in Japan. ます. The Bilingualism SIG’s panel will discuss the challenges and opportunities of parenting College and University Educators according to the ML@home approach. They will provide useful tips on how and when to use each [ � tertiary education, interdisciplinary collaboration, professional language, dealing with teachers and homework development, classroom research, innovative teaching ] [ & in the ML, resources for maintaining the ML, On CUE —2-3 year ] [  Annual SIG conference, regional and advice about long-term educational options. events and workshops ] In addition, they will discuss issues of culture and identity formation for minority children At JALT2012, CUE is sponsoring featured in a largely mono-cultural society like Japan’s, speaker Garold Murray, and he will hold a workshop titled Identity and Motivation: Imagining a Difference. Garold is the author of numerous publications, the most recent being the co-edited

THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 36.5 • September / October 2012 61 The Language Teacher • Column • SIG NEWS

volume, Identity, Motivation, and Autonomy in Finally, the SIG officers have begun prepara- Language Learning published by Multilingual tions for JALTCALL 2013. Anyone interested in Matters. He frequently gives workshops and lec- helping out should contact the SIG Coordinator tures internationally and has presented profes- for more informa- sionally on five continents. He is an informative tion. and entertaining speaker, so plan on attending his workshop in October! Critical Thinking After last year’s enormous success with our [ critical thinking ] [ & CT Scan—3x year ] joint CUE and Teacher Education and Develop- � ment (TED) forum using a digital kamishibai We are ALWAYS looking for new input from style, we’re doing it again. This year’s forum teachers interested in critical thinking! We title is, What makes the difference: Stories from the invite your ideas about the theory and teaching field, and we’re looking for CUE members to practices regarding critical thinking. Whether it’s share stories about something that has made a a classroom idea, a reflection, or a full research difference in their lives as teachers or in the lives paper, we hope to hear from you! Think about of their students. The format is similar to Pecha writing for our quarterly newsletter, CT Scan, Kucha but with a few variations. Participants or our SIG website today. All submissions are will prepare 10 slides and talk for about 30 welcome at . For seconds per slide, for a five-minute presentation; more information, visit us at . for different audience groups. If this sounds interesting to you, please contact Peter Hourd- Extensive Reading equin at . [ � extensive reading, extensive listening ] [ & ERJ—3x Computer Assisted Language Learning year ] [  Annual ER Seminar ] The ER Colloquium for JALT2012 will be held on [ � technology, computer-assisted, wireless, online learning, self-access ] [ & JALT CALL Journal Newsletter—3x year Saturday, Oct. 13 from 12:40 to 2:10 in Chu Hall. ] [  Annual SIG conference, regional events and work- Featured speakers include: Jeffery Durand, Mi- shops ] [  ] [ ^ ] chael Furmanovsky, Sandra Healy, Stephen Hen- neberry, Jeffery Huffman, Yuka Kurihara, Stuart It has been a busy summer for the CALL SIG. McLean, Scott Miles, Sophie Muller, Michael In addition to our annual conference, the SIG Parrish, Thomas Robb, Stephen Shucart, Andrew played an active role in the 11th Annual PanSIG Sowter, Atsuko Takase, Mamoru Takahashi, Jus- Conference that was held at Hiroshima Univer- tus Wallen, Rob Waring, Matthew White, Akiho sity on June 16-17. We sponsored Dr. Thomas Yamamoto, and Miyuki Yonezwa. Topics to be Cobb (Université du Québec à Montréal), one discussed include: online ER resources, book of the three plenary speakers at the conference. group day, Moodle Reader quizzes on ER books, His talk Literacy: SIGnals of emergence was well the relationship between vocabulary size and received by the conference attendees. Part of reading speed, student responses to the Moodle his plenary speech was recorded and will soon Reader quizzes, choosing a graded reader based be available on our website in the on plot and characters, understanding motiva- Events section. tion in ER, making bilateral differences and an The CALL SIG Forum will be held at the JALT overseas ER outreach program, helping readers National Conference. We will be exploring the find the book they need, reading preferences diverse ways that Apple iPads can be used in in early learners, reading fluency gains among various teaching environments. For example, a nursing students during one semester, measur- professor may use an iPad very differently than a ing the effect of “creativity” in vocabulary quiz junior high school ALT. Likewise, the classroom associated with extensive listening, investigating dynamic in a classroom where only the teacher EL with graded reader CDs, and discussing how has an iPad differs significantly from that of a easy ER materials should be for EFL ER begin- one-to-one iPad classroom. If you have practical ners. experience using iPads in any teaching context The ER SIG Annual General Meeting will be and are interested in presenting in the CALL SIG held in Backstage 3 (Chu Hall) from 3:50 to 4:50 Forum, please contact Tom Gorham at . graded readers will take place at the meeting. 62 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • Column • SIG NEWS

The ER SIG is a place where newcomers learn der Counts: Women in Japanese Higher Education, about ER, and more experienced practitioners and a presentation titled, It’s a Man’s World: Fe- trade ideas, find research partners, and learn male Teachers in Japan. We are also excited to hold about innovations in ER. We host the ER Col- the GALE Forum again this year, which centers loquium at the annual JALT National Conference around the theme of gender and language in the and the annual ER Seminar. We publish a journal ESL Classroom. In addition, we hope that many called Extensive Reading in Japan and will soon be GALE members will attend our annual general publishing a new, free, peer-reviewed, online ER meeting to discuss important issues surrounding journal. Check out our website at for more information. GenderCcounts: Women in Japanese Higher Educa- tion by Diane Hawley Nagatomo, Ochanomizu Framework & Language Portfolio University. Nagatomo’s featured speaker workshop is composed of two parts. The first part [ � curriculum-planning, assessment, language education reform, Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), will be a guided discussion of gender issues that European Language Portfolio (ELP) ] [ & newsletter ] [  influence the lives of Japanese and non-Japanese seminar, workshops, materials development ] [  ] [ ^ ] female and male teachers. The second half will explore ways of interpreting identity formation The Framework & Language Portfolio (FLP) SIG through a guided analysis of data obtained from forum (themes: language portfolios & the FLP Japanese university teachers’ narratives. Upon SIG Kaken Project) will be held Sunday afternoon completion of this workshop, participants should at the conference. The forum will begin with two have a greater understanding of a useful analyti- case studies on the use of language portfolios in cal tool for exploring gender-related issues in educational institutions in Japan, with presenters personal and professional settings. offering hints for possible implementation by the It’s a Man’s World: Female Teachers in Japan audience. The second half will explain about a by Diane Hawley Nagatomo, Ochanomizu government-funded research project, conducted University. Nagatomo’s presentation examines by FLP SIG members, that will research and de- the intersection between gender and professional velop CEFR-informed materials and textbooks. identity in the narratives of seven Japanese fe- Possible future participation in the project by male university English teachers. Their narrative interested parties will also be discussed. Please data suggests that their gender has shaped every refer to for more aspect of their professional lives—from their information on this project. initial selection of English as an area of study, to This SIG wants to discuss the CEFR and obtaining necessary academic qualifications for ELP, and other similar frameworks and their becoming a professor, to how, as professionals, relevance for Japan. There is an emphasis on they are seen by others and to how they assimi- developing materials to support educators who late in their workplaces. would like to use these pedagogic tools. The SIG GALE Forum: Gender & Language in the ESL holds periodical seminars focusing on classroom Classroom. This forum is composed of four use of the CEFR, among other things. Please refer panelists discussing the challenges that instruc- to and for more information, including in the EFL classroom. The four panelists and Kaken info about the FLP SIG Project, for a copy their presentation titles are: Laurel Kamada, of Can do statements in language education in Gender-themed EFL Classes: Challenges and Pro- Japan and beyond and to download the bilingual gress; Frances Shinkai, Gender-sensitive Issues and Language Portfolio for Japanese University . Problems Teachers Face; Jane Joritz-Nakagawa, Gender Awareness in Language Education Gender matters: Materials and Techniques for the Classroom; and Reiko Yoshihara, Teaching Gender [ � gender awareness, gender roles, interaction/discourse Issues in the EFL Classroom. analysis, critical thought, gender related/biased teaching aims Participation from the audience is encouraged ] [ & newsletter/online journal ] [  Gender conference, and welcome! We are also proud to announce workshops ] [  ] [ ^ ] that Reiko Yoshihara is the recipient of GALE’s The GALE-SIG is very proud to sponsor Diane Best of JALT2011 award for her paper entitled: Hawley Nagatomo as one of JALT’s Featured Learning Teaching Gender and Sexuality Issues in Speakers. She will give a workshop, titled, Gen- the EFL Classroom: Where Students and Teachers Stand.” THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 36.5 • September / October 2012 63 The Language Teacher • Column • SIG NEWS

In addition, GALE will have a table with The School House, the JALT Junior and Senior copies of our recent newsletters and journals. High School SIG Newsletter, is accepting Be sure to stop by our table to say hello, relax a submissions for its next edition. We are looking while, and sign up for our annual dinner. New for research articles related to EFL theory or members and old members are welcome! pedagogy, technology articles, lesson ideas, conference reviews, and anything else that Global Issues in Language Education pertains to teaching English in Japanese junior and senior high schools. All submissions and/ [ � global issues, global education, content-based language or inquiries should be made to Robert Morel at teaching, international understanding, world citizenship ] [ . Our goal is to function as & Global Issues in Language Education Newsletter—4x year ] [  Sponsor of Peace as a Global Language (PGL) confer- an instigator, focal point, and clearing house for ence ] [  ] [ ] research into secondary foreign language educa- ^ tion in Japan. In particular, we aim to encourage The Global Issues SIG has prepared an exciting junior and senior high EFL teachers to think set of sessions for JALT2012 in Hamamatsu! about their work and to share the results of their This includes a GILE Colloquium on Making a efforts with others in the form of written or oral Difference: Global Teachers and Learners, a GILE SIG presentations. We also aim to provide a focus Forum featuring innovative teaching activities on within JALT for discussion of issues directly global issue themes and a dynamic GILE display related to the improvement and development of table. Make sure to come and attend these ses- foreign language education in Japan’s secondary sions! GILE aims to promote global awareness, schools. international understanding and action to solve world problems through content-based language Learner Development teaching, drawing from fields such as global education and peace education. Contact us for a [ � learner autonomy, critical approaches to teaching and sample newsletter or for more information about learning, teacher/learner roles, learning processes, learning content, group dynamics ] [ & Learning Learning, 2x our SIG’s work in teaching for a better world. Our year; regular emailings to members; discussion list ] [  website is . For further information, regular local area get-togethers; ongoing practitioner/action email Kip Cates . research & ebook projects; conference grants; research grants; forum at the annual JALT conference ] [  ] Japanese as a Second Language 学習者ディベロプメント研究部会はオートノミーのあ [ � Japanese as a second language ] [ & 日本語教育ニューる学習と教授を発展させるための実践を探求・研究するスレター Japanese as a Second Language Newsletter—4x year ] ことに関心のある者約200名が世界中から集まって組織 [  AGM at the JALT conference ] [  ] する、活発でフレンドリー、そして成長し続ける研究部会です。私たちは、社会文化理論や、教授と学習への批判 At the 38th JALT National Conference, there will 的アプローチ、グループ・ダイナミックス、リテラシーの発 be a JSL SIG Forum entitled, Testing and Evalua- 達、その他の教師と学習者に関わる学際的な分野にも関 tion in Japanese Language Proficiency, and other JSL 心があります。私たちは、多様な教育現場(大学以外)でご related presentations. For further information, 活躍の皆さんの参加を歓迎しています。小学校、中学校、 please contact Megumi Kawate-Mierzejewska at 高校、通信教育、語学学校での指導や、英語以外の言語を教えている教師の皆様、どうぞご参加ください。私たち . は、私たち自身の学習者としての経験と教師としての実会員の皆さま、日頃からのご支援ありがとうございま践、教室内と教室外での学習者の経験における関連性のす。日本語教育研究学会では、10月に浜松で開催される探求に尽力します。私たちの研究部会は、年に2回発行さ第38回全国語学教育学会年次国際大会にて日本語教育れるニュースレター「学習の学習」やＥメール、オンライン研究学会主催のフォーラム『日本語能力の試験と評価』を資料、そして現在進行中の電子書籍の出版プロジェクト計画しております。会員の皆様と秋の大会でお会いできなどを通じて、教師、大学院生、研究者間のネットワークるのを楽しみにしております。を広げます。さらに詳しい情報については、私たちのウェ日本語教育研究部会代表川手-ミヤジェイエフスカ恩ブサイトをご覧ください。 At JALT2012 we hope SIG members and con- Junior and Senior High School ference goers interested in learner development issues will take part in discussions at the SIG’s [ � curriculum, native speaker, JET programme, JTE, ALT, Forum, Defining Learner Development: Different internationalization ] [ & The School House—3-4x year ] Interests. This year over a dozen SIG members [  teacher development workshops & seminars, net- will be doing simultaneous presentations on working, open mics ] [  ] how they define learner development and put the

64 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • Column • SIG NEWS concept into practice in their work as language also directly practical for teachers. He addressed educators. Different practices include, collabora- what he called the misguided literaphobia of tive professional development, collaborative many EFL teachers, noting that the breadth and learning groups, language-learning advising, inclusiveness of literariness reaches far beyond learner autonomy in a CALL-rich environment, what critics tend to assume. Hullah asserted that as well as teaching so that students can critically literature very much has a place in the language transform the world. You are also welcome to classroom, gave multiple examples (from take part in the SIG’s Annual General meeting Shakespeare, Wordsworth, Keats, Wilde, and where we will discuss plans for 2013, including a Auden, to Led Zeppelin, Dylan, and Morrissey) retreat in Tohoku in March and a one-day confer- of how texts can work for students, and argued ence in Tokyo in November 2013. Also, please that literature can hone necessary critical skills check at the start of October for and offer a broader curriculum. LiLT SIG offers details of the Learner Development SIG party at particular thanks to Jonathan Aliponga of KUIS JALT2012! We look forward to seeing and talking for his work in organizing this event, and to with you at the conference! Kobe and Osaka Chapters for their support. Thirdly, the LiLT SIG Forum will be at the Lifelong Language Learning forthcoming JALT2012. The LiLT Forum will have three presentations this year: (1) using [ � lifelong learning, older adult learners, fulfillment ] [ & Told You So!—3x year (online) ] [  Pan-SIG, teaching poetry in the EFL class, a discussion of pedagogy contest, national & mini-conferences ] [  ] [ ] accompanied by many ideas for classroom ^ practice; (2) literature classes to promote critical The energy of older learners who wish to lead thinking and discussion skills in mixed abil- active lives is reverberating all across Japan. The ity, mixed major classes at Akita International LLL SIG aims to help these older learners enrich University; and (3) the pedagogical decisions their lives through language learning. The SIG informing choices of texts and accompanying provides resources and information online at activities in ongoing work for a proposed new . textbook, An Introduction to Literature. Open discussion follows the presentations. All are very Literature in Language Learning welcome! Busy times for the Literature in Language Teach- Fourthly, and finally for the year, mark your ing SIG and plenty to report! calendars and come to The World Storytelling Firstly, our inaugural journal is available for Conference which will be held at Kobe City viewing. Completed in July, the peer-reviewed University of Foreign Studies, Nov. 30-Dec. 2, Literature in Language Teaching Journal is avail- 2012. Among the invited plenary speakers is able on the website. We welcome the famous storyteller and ELT author, Andrew submissions all year round for the journal and Wright, thanks to generous support from various for the newsletters. Email SIG coordinator and groups including Kobe and Osaka Chapters and journal editor Simon Bibby if you have ideas for an article that you information . We’ll think might be suitable for the journal. see you there! Secondly, the mini-conference, Effective Lan- Materials Writers guage Teaching: The Never-ending Challenge held on July 21 was a professionally productive and [ � materials development, textbook writing, publishers and convivial event. Hosted by Kansai University publishing, self-publication, technology ] [ & Between the of International Studies (KUIS) in Amagasaki, Keys—3x year ] [  JALT national conference events ] Hyogo, and co-sponsored by Kobe and Osaka [  ] [ ^ ] Chapters, LiLT SIG, JSHS SIG, Oxford Univer- The Materials Writers SIG is planning a bumper sity Press, Cengage, the Research Institute for program at this year’s conference. Please check Communication, and the Department of English our website for more complete details and times Education of KUIS. In addition to the multiple . We will host a forum, literature-themed presentations throughout and we are pleased to announce our Featured the day, guest speaker Paul Hullah (Meiji Speaker, John Wiltshier. Here is the abstract Gakuin University) delivered an entertaining, for his 90 minute workshop. Wiltshier will first provocative and thoughtful plenary that was explain 7 key factors in successful materials

THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 36.5 • September / October 2012 65 The Language Teacher • Column • SIG NEWS

writing and publishing: idea, difficulty level, Pragmatics piloting, editing, sign-posting, design, and sales. Participants will be shown the importance of [ � appropriate communication, co-construction of mean- each by examining a variety of draft copies ing, interaction, pragmatic strategies, social context ] [ & of currently published course books. In each Pragmatic Matters (語用論事情) —3x year ] [  Pan-SIG draft copy, certain changes were made for good and JALT conferences, Temple University Applied Linguistics reason. Participants will learn, by seeing real Colloquium, seminars on pragmatics-related topics, other examples of how materials go through various publications ] [  ] developmental stages, what to focus on and The Pragmatics SIG looks forward to meeting when (i.e., prioritizing ideas and resources). This many of our members at the JALT National Con- in turn will lead to improvements in quality ference in Hamamatsu. This year we are proud and quantity of their own work. In the last 30 to sponsor Dr. Alan Firth as one of the confer- minutes, participants’ own material will be ence’s plenary speakers. At the conference we distributed for discussion using the 7 key factors will also be launching the third in our Pragmatics explained at the beginning of the workshop. The Resources Series with a special panel that show- owner will then be invited to comment on future cases some of the practical classroom activities improvements or radical changes that might be included in the book, which we like to think of as needed in order to lead to publication. pragtivities. In addition to a wide variety of other In the MW SIG forum, our expert panelists will pragmatics-related presentations, we will also discuss and answer questions on writing specifi- host a Pecha Kucha-style panel on the practicali- cally for the Japanese market. The panelists are ties of doing Conversation Analysis, especially Diane Hawley-Nagatomo, Clive Langham, Don in second language use contexts. Topics will Maybin, Greg Goodmacher, and Hiroshi Ota. include collecting data, transcription issues and Writing for the Japanese market introduces a software, CA data sessions, and basic analytical different set of variables than writing for an considerations. All SIG members are invited to international audience. In this forum, four ex- attend the SIG’s annual general meeting at the perienced speakers discuss audience-generated conference and to catch up with other teachers topics related to these variables. The forum ends and researchers who have an interest in second with a quick-fire Q&A. If you have ever thought language use. See the SIG website at for further details. chance to have your questions answered. Professionalism, Administration, and Other Language Educators Leadership in Education [ FLL beyond mother tongue, L3, multilingualism, second � [ � professional development, ethics, legal issues, leader- foreign language ] [ & OLE Newsletter—4-5x year ] ship dynamics, comparative education, societal demands on [  Network with other FL groups, presence at con- educators ] [ & PALE Newsletter] ventions, provide information to companies, support job searches and research ] The PALE SIG is proud to present at its PALE SIG Forum, Brian Bresnihan from the OLE has issued OLE NL 64 containing (in Department of International Economics at the combination with OLE NL 63) complete informa- University of Hyogo, Kobe, Japan. Professor tion on OLE at JALT2012, including all long Bresnihan teaches English as a foreign language abstracts, summaries and presenters’ abstracts at University of Hyogo. Before this, he did the of the individual presentation by Vannieuwen- same plus administrative and supervisory work huyse on teaching French and the French Forum, in Temple University Japan’s intensive English as well as the German, Spanish and—for the language program in Tokyo and at a small school first time—Chinese Workshops, as well as the in Hiroshima. Between those two positions, he Multilingualism Workshop. All OLE-related spent four years studying at Teachers College, events take place in room 402. Order a free copy Columbia University and teaching English as a of OLE NL 64 with the scheduling details for the second language part-time in a few programs in 30+ presentations from the coordinator, Rudolf New York City. His academic interests, research, Reinelt at . and publications mostly concern classroom practices, Waldorf education, and testing. The title of the PALE forum is, The Misuse of TOEIC Scores in Schools. If you teach or study 66 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • Column • SIG NEWS

English in Japan or South Korea, the TOEIC book, Drama and Improvisation. If you happen to is a part of your vocabulary and you feel like miss them at JALT2012, you can catch Carolyn you know what it is. It is a part of the environ- Graham and Ken Wilson at the First Speech, ment you live in and of your subconscious Drama, and Debate SIG Conference on Tuesday, understanding of the world. Twenty years ago, October 16 in Nagoya at Nanzan University. probably even fifteen years ago, this would not On November 3, the SDD SIG, in cooperation have been the case. Because of good marketing, with the Lifelong Learning SIG and ETJ, will the prestige of the TOEFL, and the modern-day co-sponsor a conference on drama for lifelong belief that everything can be measured quantita- learning in Kanda, Tokyo at Kanda Institute of tively, the TOEIC has become a part of your life. Foreign Languages. On November 30-December The backbone of this talk is details from 2 we will be presenting and performing at the research studies done by the speaker and by a World Storytelling Conference at the Kobe City few others which demonstrate that using TOEIC University of Foreign Studies. On February scores to evaluate students’ progress and/or 22-23, 2013, the SDD SIG, in collaboration with abilities in English language courses is a mis- the Performance Division of the Communication taken use of these scores. The speaker believes Department at the Research Institute of Educa- that TOEIC scores are probably misunderstood tional Development (RIED) of Tokai University, by many people who use them; otherwise, their will co-sponsor a conference at Tokai University widespread usage in situations that are inap- on the use of drama in junior/senior high school propriate would not be taking place. This talk and university English classes. will highlight some of these misunderstandings. During the summer we will sponsor a webinar He also believes that many people have com- on the use of speech, drama, and debate in pletely unreasonable expectations concerning the English classes. In addition, we will publish our possibilities for TOEIC score gains and that using peer-reviewed journal, Mask & Gavel. Send sub- TOEIC scores undermines and misdirects the missions to James Venema at . For more information on all SDD English. These issues will be discussed. All are events and publications, see our website . For information on joining the exciting language education does not take place in isolation SDD SIG, contact Dawn Kobayashi . concern include curriculum design, implementation and maintenance, professional ethics, profes- Study Abroad sional development and evaluation, administrative methodology, leadership dynamics, comparative [ � study abroad, pre-departure curriculum, setting up, education, sociological trends in education, em- receiving students, returnees ] [ & Ryugaku—3-4x year ] [  national and Pan-SIG conferences ] [  ] ployment problems, legal issues, and the demands that societies place on educators. PALE seeks to The Study Abroad SIG provides a supportive apprise teachers of research and trends in these place for discussing areas of interest regarding issues by organizing conference presentations and study abroad and intercultural training. We through its journal, newsletter, listserv, and website welcome submissions for our newsletter, Ryuu- . gaku, and we are looking for new officers to join the team. Visit our new website at Speech, Drama, & Debate or contact us at . This year is a busy one for the Speech, Drama, 当研究部会は、留学や異文化教育に関して議論し、また支援できる場を提供しています。当部会のニュースレ and Debate SIG (SDD SIG). Look for a strong ター“Ryuugaku”への皆様からの投稿をお待ちしておりま SDD presence at JALT2012 with members doing す。新役員の募集をしております。詳細は新ウェブサイト presentations on oral interpretation, speech, へお問い合わせは、へお願いします。 that we are co-sponsoring, with Oxford Univer- sity Press, an Oral Interpretation workshop by Task-Based Learning Carolyn Graham on her Jazz Chants: Fairy Tales book. Equally exciting news is that we are co- The Task-Based Learning (TBL) SIG was created sponsoring, again with Oxford University Press, for teachers and other professionals who cur- a drama workshop by Ken Wilson, based on his rently use, or are interested in using, task-based THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 36.5 • September / October 2012 67 The Language Teacher • Column • SIG NEWS

approaches in the classroom; and focuses, in par- Teachers Helping Teachers ticular, on issues related to task-based language teaching and learning in the Asian EFL context. [ � teacher training, international education programs, lan- We hope that the SIG will serve as a useful forum guage training, international outreach ] [ & THT Journal— for the exchange of practical teaching ideas, 1x year, THT Newsletter—4x year ] [  teacher training theoretical discussions, and academic studies conferences/seminars in Bangladesh, Laos, Vietnam, and the of TBLT issues. Our journal, OnTask, focuses on Philippines, AGM at JALT national conference ] [  ] both research and theory in the form of feature articles as well as more practical TBLT-informed The THT workshops in Bangladesh and Kyr- lesson plans. Potential contributors to OnTask are gyzstan are moving ahead and we are looking invited to contact our publications officer, Julian for participants! The seventh THT/BELTA Pigott at . program will be held on September 12-14, 2012 in Dhaka, hosted by the Bangladesh English Teacher Education & Development Language Teachers Association (BELTA) and the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB), [ � action research, peer support, reflection and teacher while the 4th Kyrgyzstan program at Bishkek development ] [ & Explorations in Teacher Education— Humanities University has been tentatively set 4x year ] [  library, annual retreat or mini-conference, for September 17-19, 2012. The programs are not Pan-SIG sponsorship, sponsorship of a speaker at the JALT limited to SIG members or to those having JALT national conference ] [  ] [ ^ ] membership, so feel free to pass this information The Teacher Education and Development (TED) on to others. If you are interested or would like SIG is a network for those who want to help more information, please email , giving your name and the location you are Our activities include retreats, conferences, interested in. a library of books available for loan, and an Teaching Children Internet discussion group. Our most recent event was the EFL Teacher Journeys Conference, [ � children, elementary school, kindergarten, early child- a mini-conference we held with the Shizuoka hood, play ] [ & Teachers Learning with Children, bilingual— Chapter in June. Our many thanks to everyone 4x year ] [  JALT Junior at national conference, regional who attended and presented for making this a bilingual 1-day conferences ] [  ] [ ^ ] great conference. Our comprehensive newsletter, Explorations in Teacher Education, welcomes JALT Junior at JALT2012 will feature a multitude stimulating articles about teacher education and of presentations and workshops aimed at teach- development. Our next issue—which is due out ers of young learners and teacher trainers. In early this fall—will feature proceedings from the addition, Plenary Speaker Özge Karaoglu from EFL Teacher Journeys Conference. Turkey will talk about technology in the classroom for young learners, and Featured Speaker TED is pleased to announce that at JALT2012 Carolyn Graham from the US will lead a work- we will again coordinate with the College and shop on her popular and effective Jazz Chants University Educators (CUE) SIG to run an method. Make a difference in your classroom of interactive forum. This year’s forum title is, What young learners by attending JALT Junior to get makes the difference: Stories from the field. We’re ideas, techniques and advice. We are planning looking for CUE and TED members to share a great social event too, which will be a great stories about what has made a difference in their chance for teachers to communicate and net- lives as teachers or the lives of their students. work. More details coming soon at JALT2012. The format is similar to Pecha Kucha but with a few variations. Participants will prepare 10 The TC SIG is for teachers of children of all ages. slides (on iPads, paper, or laptops), and talk for We publish a bilingual newsletter four times a about 30 seconds per slide, for a five-minute presentation; this presentation will be repeated JALT2012 several times for different audience groups. For October 12-15, 2012 more information, and to apply, please visit and click on Events. You can also stay Hamamatsu ACT, in touch with TED online by becoming a friend Hamamatsu, Japan of our mascot, Ted Sig, on Facebook, or following him <@tedsig> on Twitter or Google Plus.

68 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • Column • SIG NEWS year with columns by many of the leading teach- The Testing and Evaluation SIG is concerned ers in the field. There is an email list for teachers with all aspects of testing and evaluating of children who would like to share ideas or ques- language performance and language programs, tions . We are always and welcomes both experienced teachers and looking for new ideas and new people to keep the those who are new to this area and wish to SIG dynamic. With our bilingual newsletter, we learn more about it. Our interests encompass particularly want to appeal to Japanese teachers both quantitative and qualitative approaches to and teachers who team teach. Hope you can join language assessment, and include alternatives to us for one of our upcoming events. traditional testing, such as peer and self assess- 児童教育部会は子どもに英語（外国語）を教える全て ment, portfolios, and project evaluation. Shiken, の教師を対象にした部会です。当部会では、この分野で our refereed newsletter, contains a variety of 著名な教師が担当するコラムを含むバイリンガルの会報 assessment-related articles, including research を年４回発行しており、日本人の先生方の参加も積極的 reports, interviews with prominent authors, に募っています。日ごろの活動として子どもに英語を指導 book reviews, and instructional columns on するアイデアや疑問を交換する場であるメーリングリストを運営しています。活発な部会 statistical analysis, Rasch measurement, and を維持していくためにも新会員を常に募集しておりますの assessment literacy. で今後開催される部会の催し物へぜひご参加ください。 Vocabulary Testing & Evaluation The VOCAB SIG recently held an event in May sponsored by Oxford University Press and the [ � research, information, database on testing ] [ & West Tokyo JALT Chapter. This event was titled: Shiken—3x year ] [  Pan-SIG, JALT national conference ] Spreading the Good Word: Introducing the Vocabu- [  ] [ ] ^ lary SIG. The event featured a series of presenta- Joint forum and open discussion by the Testing tions by a diverse range of speakers, all of whom and Evaluation (TEVAL) and Framework and represented excellence in the field of vocabulary Language Portfolio (FLP) SIGs at JALT2012. education for EFL learners in Japan. Individuals What do you consider to be the most important interested in joining and learning more about purpose of assessment? Classroom assessments our SIG should visit the VOCAB SIG at the have traditionally played two important roles: 1) annual general meeting (AGM) at JALT2012 in ranking or certifying learner performance, and 2) Hamamatsu. Members will also present posters providing feedback to stakeholders on the degree from our First Annual Vocabulary Symposium to which learning objectives have been achieved. that was held this past March at the VOCAB SIG Forum. Presenters and poster presentation In the field of language assessment, there has articles can be viewed from our online Vocabulary recently been increasing interest in formative Education and Research Bulletin (VERB) at . Additional SIG news and dia- incorporation of “can-do” statements as both logue can also be found on our Facebook page at assessments and curricular guides. All of these . approaches stress the importance of providing learners with feedback that helps them to not only identify and rectify weaknesses, but also to set goals for the next learning cycle. Is your membership At JALT2012 in Hamamatsu, the TEVAL and FLP SIGs will jointly conduct a panel discussion due for renewal? with audience participation on the topic of “The role of assessment in providing feedback to Check the label on the learners, teachers, and curriculum designers.” envelope this TLT came in for There will be a short presentation from each your renewal date, then go to SIG, followed by open questions to the four panel members. Audience members will also be encouraged to contribute their insights and and follow the easy knowledge. Please join us at JALT2012 to share instructions to renew. Help us and discuss ways in which we can maximize the quality of feedback which our assessments to help you! Renew early! provide to our learners.

THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 36.5 • September / October 2012 69 The Language Teacher • Column • CHAPTER EVENTS TLTCHAPTER COLUMN EVENTS

HAMAMATSU—Annual general meeting and …with Gary Wolff preview of the October JALT Conference. At To contact the editor: this meeting we will have our chapter’s Annual General Meeting, including the election of the coming year’s officers. We will also have a Each of JALT’s 36 active chapters preview of the upcoming JALT national confer- sponsors from 5 to 12 events ence to be held in Hamamatsu. Sun 9 Sep 13:30- every year. All JALT members 16:30; ZaZa City Palette, 5F; ; Free may attend events at any chapter for both members and non-members. at member rates—usually free. Chapters, don’t forget you can add your event anytime to the online HAMAMATSU—The genre-based approach JALT calendar at the URL shown to teaching English, with Inggy Yuliani below. Pribady. This will be an informal dinner and discussion with Ms. Pribady, a secondary school JALT EVENTS ONLINE: You can educator from Indonesia. She has worked on a access all of JALT’s events online at project in one state junior high school in Indo- . nesia, called the Integrated Learning Approach, which uses a genre-based pedagogy to integrate English and environmental studies. This approach provides students with knowledge of environmental issues and raises their awareness s the summer winds down and we enter about protecting the earth from further damage the September/October back-to-school by having them write texts on environmental A season, it’s a great time to get back on issues and discuss them. Thu evening, 11 Oct, track, link up with fellow teachers, and share ide- place and time to be announced; ; For as on teaching and learning. Over the next two members only. months, JALT chapters around the country will be holding a number of exciting events, some of which are related to the upcoming JALT2012 HIROSHIMA—National conference sneak annual conference on Oct. 12-15 in Hamamatsu, preview, and My Share by Hiroshima area all waiting for your participation! speakers. To whet your appetite for the national JALT conference in Hamamatsu, Oct. 12-15, various Hiroshima area speakers will give special FUKUI —Student-centered mini-presentations: previews of their National presentations. Also, Cultivating the communicative competencies of there is a strong possibility that we will do My low-level EFL learners by Sean H. Toland and Share, so feel free to bring a teaching idea or an Jeffrey Crawford. How can educators diminish interesting research finding which you can share the anxiety that accompanies an oral presenta- with the group. For details, see the Hiroshima tion and improve the overall quality of learning Chapter emails. Sun 23 Sep 15:00-17:00; Peace in their English language classrooms? This Park, 3F Conference Room; ; workshop will address this challenging question Non-members ¥500, Students ¥250. by examining a practical and versatile communicative presentation model that is constructed on a task-based learning (TBL) foundation. Partici- HIROSHIMA—Students’ voice and critical pants will be provided with an opportunity to thinking about environment issues through news experience a TBL framework. Sun 16 Sep 13:30- item writing by Inggy Yuliani Pribady. This 15:30; Open University of Japan Fukui Campus, year’s JALT Asian Scholar and Four Corners AOSSA, 7F; ; Non-members ¥1,000, Tour speaker will be coming to Hiroshima Non-member students ¥500. JALT all the way from Indonesia! Pribady is a junior high school English teacher whose 70 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • A Taste of JALT2011 • Excerpts from the Proceedings work has been praised at several international It will conclude with a chance for participant conferences. She will describe ways in which discussion. Sat 8 Sep 18:30-20:00; Kitakyushu appropriate scaffolding teaching and learning International Conference Center, 3F, Kokura; ; One-day members ¥1,000. shape their ideas about the environment in their writing. Mon 8 Oct 15:00-17:00; Peace Park, KITAKYUSHU—Helping our students become 3F Conference Room; ; Non- multicompetent academic writers by Carol members ¥500, Students ¥250. Rinnert, Hiroshima City University. This presentation examines the development of English IBARAKI—September meeting. We have two and Japanese academic writing ability among presentations lined up. First, Using brainstorm- Japanese EFL writers. The presenter will share ing strategies for teaching argumentative writing to results of a long-term, multi-stage research college students in Japan by Naomi Takagi. The project involving participants at various levels of presenter will discuss the use of brainstorming language and writing proficiency, ranging from strategies to reduce students’ cognitive strains high school to post-graduate writers in L1 and and enhance their productivity and enjoyment L2, most recently adding L3 (Chinese, French, in argumentative writing. Second, Using TV or Spanish). Pedagogical implications will be commercials in English class by Joyce Cunning- drawn regarding ways to help students become ham. Tips on useful sites for locating com- better academic writers across languages. Sat 6 mercials as well as educational sites containing Oct 18:30-20:00; Wel-Tobata, Tobata, Kita Kyushu; advertising information and worksheets will ; One-day members ¥1,000. be mentioned, and a variety of commercials viewed. Sun 30 Sep 13:00-16:30; Tsukuba KOBE—New directions in English education— Gakuin University; Please check our website for based on the Report of the committee to discuss the details: . improvement of foreign language ability by Kensaku Yoshida, Sophia University. This presentation IWATE—The M&M’s of teaching English to will cover recent proposals from MEXT to young learners by Kathleen Kampa. Discover improve English education in Japan. Dr. Yoshida the power of music, movement, and multiple is the Director of the Center for the Teaching intelligences (MI) to create a dynamic learning of Foreign Languages in General Education at environment for your students. Music enhances Sophia University and coauthor of the popular memorization, a critical process in language textbook J-Talk. Sat 29 Sep 16:00-18:00; Kobe acquisition. Movement invites students to learn International House, Room 701; ; by doing, a process that builds neural networks Non-members ¥1,000. in the brain and throughout the body. However, are music and movement effective for all learn- KYOTO—Practice makes perfect: JALT2012 ers? In this session, we’ll look at how music and presentation practice sessions. Our regular pre- movement can help young learners succeed in conference event allows Kyoto members present- the EFL classroom. Sun 30 Sep 13:30-16:30; Aiina, ing at JALT2012 the opportunity to practice their Room 602; One-day members ¥1,000. paper or workshop in a relaxed and supportive environment, and to receive some valuable KITAKYUSHU—Connectivism: A learning feedback to make that perfect presentation. For theory for the digital age. Fad or future? by those not presenting, it is a chance to have a taste Michael Phillips. Rapid developments in of what will be on offer in Hamamatsu the fol- information and communication technologies are lowing month. Sun 16 Sep 9:30-12:00 (tentative); having a dramatic impact on how information Campus Plaza Kyoto; Non-members ¥1,000; For is processed, how knowledge is produced, and further information, please visit . how learning occurs. Given the current overflow of available information, Siemens proposes an NAGOYA—ELT2.0 by Michael Stout of Toyo alternative theory of learning, separate from the Gakuen University. Web 2.0 is about user-gener- limitations of behaviorism, cognitivism, and ated content. ELT2.0 is about learner-generated constructivism. This presentation will offer a content. In this workshop, participants will learn theoretical review of connectivist learning theory, how to integrate Web 2.0 tools into ELT classes, and will explore questions still under debate. get some hands-on practice, and come up with THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 36.5 • September / October 2012 71 The Language Teacher • A Taste of JALT2011 • Excerpts from the Proceedings

their own ideas for using learner-generated con- SENDAI—3 Presentations. 1) What Japanese tent in their classes. Some of the work presented university students don’t know about English phonol- in the workshop was supported ogy: A survey and activities by Soichi Ota. Ota will by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research guide us through his research on the problems (23520696). Sun 23 Sep 13:30-16:00; Nagoya Japanese university students face with pronunci- International Center, 3F, Lecture Room 1; ; One-day Making yourself understood through stress-timing members ¥1,000, 1st visit free. by Rick Meres. Meres will explain why stress timing is as important as good pronunciation for OKAYAMA— Students (and teachers) as legiti- being understood in English. 3) The ABC’s: Going mate peripheral participants by Akiko Nagao back to basics, going forward to .... wherever by and Ian Willey. The university context is viewed Lorne Spry. Spry will demonstrate how he helps through the lens of Lave and Wenger’s situated students understand the differences between learning theory. Nagao shows how a Japanese the Japanese and English sound systems. Sun 28 student in Australia attempted to learn the social Oct; Venue TBA; ; One-day members practices of the classroom community. Willey ¥1,000. describes how situated learning theory relates to English teachers at Japanese universities who SHIZUOKA—National conference pre- learn the ropes of scientific editing. Participants view by various presenters. Get a sneak preview will discuss how teachers can help students of some of the presentations that will be made adapt to classroom communities, and how teach- by Shizuoka chapter members at the upcoming ers can handle different roles in various commu- national conference in October. The presenta- nities of practice. Sat 22 Sep 15:00-17:00; NDSU; tions will be followed by our Annual General Non-members ¥500. Meeting (AGM) and officer elections. Sun 23 Sep 14:00-16:00; Kyoiku Kaikan; See our website for more OKAYAMA—Guiding student discussion of details on location: . graded readers by Jason Cox. Student discussion of graded readers within an ER course can SHIZUOKA—In my life: Scrapbooking, conver- be enhanced with guidance from the teacher. sation strategies, body language, and presenta- The presenter will introduce a framework for tions by David Kluge (sponsored by Macmillan analysis and discussion of texts. Demotivation, LanguageHouse). Do our lessons present lan- amotivation, or overmotivation? An action research guage in a way valuable to our students? Con- project by Peter Burden. A study of low-level, versational textbooks use generic characters and non-English majors at a national university situations that place our students’ experiences investigated learners’ perceptions of a number of on the sidelines. This lack of student focus can be factors including English ability, teacher praise, counterproductive when pursuing lesson aims. and test frequency. Attributions of success or Scrapbooks engage students by allowing them failure were gauged to determine affective fac- to use their real-life experiences for real content tors, including learned helplessness, which influ- that is at the right interest level for the particular ence motivation. Sat 27 Oct 15:00-17:00; NDSU; group of students. In this presentation we will Non-members ¥500. explore effective ways of scrapbooking, presenting, and using body language to engage our SENDAI—JALT international conference show- students. Come along and enjoy the fun! Kluge is case. This meeting will provide a chance—espe- a professor of English at Nanzan University. Sun cially for those unable to make it to Shizuoka in 28 Oct 14:00-16:00; Kyoiku Kaikan; See our website October—to watch some of the talented Sendai for more details on location: . presentations or workshops (including featured speaker, John Wiltshier). This is also a great YOKOHAMA—Mini conference: The craft of opportunity for presenters to practice presenting action research by Robert Croker. In this special and get critical feedback on the content, pacing, one-day workshop, a simple look, think, do cycle and slide design of their talks. Sun 30 Sep; Aoba- will be used in the morning workshop to explore ku Chuo Shimin Center, Small Hall; ; what Action Research (AR) is and how it can be One-day members ¥1,000. used in the classroom. In the afternoon work-

72 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • A Taste of JALT2011 • Excerpts from the Proceedings shop, participants will brainstorm AR topics media literacy—empowering university-level and create an AR design. By the end of the day, English learners to access and understand news, participants will have a strong understanding and to sort truth from spin. The second presenta- of what AR is and a plan for how to do one AR tion aims to discuss global issues of scholarly project in their classroom. Sun 23 Sep 9:30-16:30; writing and to provide a practical guideline for Yokohama City University, Yokohama; One-day academic publication. The presenter—a teacher members ¥1,000. and researcher of writing—will share his personal experience of publishing in peer-reviewed English journals. Sun 21 Oct 13:00-17:00; Yoko- YOKOHAMA—Critical media literacy and hama City University, Yokohama; One-day members global issues in scholarly writing: Towards aca- ¥1,000. demic publication by Anna Husson Isozaki and Atsushi Iida. The first presentation is on critical TLTCHAPTER COLUMN REPORTS

AKITA: June—Using social learning technology …with Tom Mahler in the classroom: An introduction by Renaud Davies. The presenter is the Program Advisor To contact the editor: for Akita JETs, and he explained some of the tech tools he uses in his classrooms and for training The Chapter Reports column is new JET ALTs. Using Prezi, a free, non-linear a forum for sharing with the TLT alternative to PowerPoint and Keynote, he readership synopses of presenta- demonstrated an array of online tools and tions held at JALT chapters around presentation tools to help enhance classroom Japan. For more information on instruction. Some of the social-networking tools these speakers, please contact he covered were Glogster, Linoit, Wallwisher, the chapter officers in the JALT Voicetread, and Speakpipe. The second half of Contacts section of this issue. For the presentation was a hands-on demonstration guidelines on contributions, see the Submissions page on our website. of how to hack a Wii remote handset and IR laser pointer to make an interactive whiteboard. This You can access Chapter Reports online at: presentation proved to be highly informative, even for the CALL specialists in the audience. Reported by Stephen Shucart AKITA: May—Brain rules, jewels, and tools by Kim Thorne. This workshop focused on provid- GIFU: May—Empowering young readers with ing teachers with a comprehensive toolkit to use the brain in mind by Maria Nakumura. The with young learners. Thorne employed a lively presentation delved into the mind of the reader. mix of songs and physical activities to illustrate Nakumura explained that we have been read- her thesis of kids having short attention spans, so ing for a relatively short time, about 4000 years interactive and stimulating activities are vital and our brains are simply not hotwired for to their learning. The key to understanding the reading. However once we learn we forget how context of the presentation was her difficult it was. Nakumura outlined five rules detailed, multisensory explanation of brain rules, that empower young learners: anticipation, teaching jewels, and instructional tools. The feeling, movement, repetition, and meaning. She new focus of Japanese education on elementary had developed a three stage flexible program school aged English learners made this a very to assist children’s reading development using timely presentation. topic-based books. The first stage developed Reported by Stephen Shucart interests and oral language. Next came phonics and fluency and finally reading comprehension. Attendees took part in several fun activities that

THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 36.5 • September / October 2012 73 The Language Teacher • Column • CHAPTER REPORTS

put us into the minds of the learner including classes. Born, raised, and educated primarily in drawing and reading to each other, which clearly Japan, there was a point at which his acceptance demonstrated the effectiveness of Nakumura’s to high school was in jeopardy because of his approach. Finally, we examined each rule in English scores. Now, as a professor of English greater detail. Reading aloud to children can and Director of Second Language Writing at raise their anticipation and awareness, and Arizona State University, Matsuda has become expand vocabulary. Meaning and emotion are one of the most prominent names in the field the keys; children are able to relate the story of second language writing theory and written to their own experiences. Repetition can be an discourse. Matsuda made a modest proposal effective learning strategy and can be adapted to attendees: stop evaluating student gram- to suit individual learners. Understanding the mar. First, Matsuda challenged the efficacy of book through meaning-focused learning activi- grammar instruction and corrective feedback. ties gives the students confidence and maintains He put forth that it is impossible for teachers to their interest. Unfortunately the presentation predict what kind of feedback is going to lead to ended but we were able to retire to the local particular language development. By continuing izakaya for further discussion. to evaluate student writing based on language Reported by Brent Simmonds development, Matsuda argued, teachers end up penalizing students for what they themselves cannot teach reliably. Matsuda instead proposed GUNMA: May—Exploring and experiencing on- assessment without evaluation― focus on line materials for second language learning and formative rather than summative feedback as a teaching by Robert Habbick. Habbick swears way out of the grammar-feedback dilemma. In he is not a guru, not a tech guy, not someone the question and answer session that followed, who can “hack into your iPad.” While this may Matsuda gave attendees numerous ideas and be true, he certainly knows more about online examples of how he achieves this style of as- language learning than the average person. In sessment in his own classes. Something tells me the first half of his presentation, Habbick intro- that very few of his students hate their English duced Gunma JALT members to a process called classes. the digital audit: a comprehensive technological Reported by John Larson checklist necessary for a smooth experience in the digital classroom. He also urged caution with his three T’s of technology―it can be treacherous, GUNMA: July—Easy extensive reading in the tricky, but also tanoshii. After a break, attendees arts and sciences by Joseph Poulshock. With logged in and were given the chance to try negative attitudes towards extensive reading, or some online materials, courtesy of Cambridge tadoku, from Japanese students today, Poulshock University Press (CUP). Among CUP’s many recommends a more subtle approach: Call it Big online offerings was Touchstone, an interactive Easy Reading. By inviting students to participate online course in which students can interact in a Big Easy Reading program, they are less with English using activities, games, and video likely to feel intimidated by the extensive nature role-playing. Let’s Talk Online is a companion to of the reading program. Poulshock continues the popular Let’s Talk series, and attendees found by explaining Krashen’s theory of language it quite entertaining and engaging. Cambridge acquisition and input learning, emphasizing English Teacher and Cambridge English Place- that understanding messages is what causes ment Test are affordable ways for teachers and skill development. The most important question students alike to challenge themselves. And last, Poulshock poses for students is, “How much but certainly not least, English360 is a content- time are you willing to spend on English learn- creation and delivery platform, which could ing?” Excluding the importance of building perhaps be described as “Moodle made manage- friendships with other people and the cultural able.” experience that come with study abroad pro- Reported by John Larson grams, Poulshock supports Mason’s suggestion that extensive reading has that same language building potential as these English study abroad GUNMA: June—Grammar feedback in writing programs have. However, teacher direction and instruction: Beyond the yes/no debate by Paul support is the key to success. Poulshock states Kei Matsuda. It is at once amazing and inspiring that helping students define clear cut goals, to learn that Matsuda once hated his English understand how enjoyable and easy achieving 74 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • Column • CHAPTER REPORTS these goals are, and giving students comprehen- likely to blame themselves for academic failures, sive feedback all contribute to successful second while more highly motivated students were language acquisition. Therefore, for second likely to blame their failures on external factors language students who lack the means for study such as the teacher. Falout compared the concept abroad programs, hope is not lost. of a fixed mindset that sees intelligence as a Reported by Daniel Potocki natural gift with a growth mindset which sees intelligence as something developed through passion and effort. The practical implication HAMAMATSU: May—The Shizuoka action highlighted was that praise from teachers has the research and professional development organiza- power to reinforce or change these mindsets and tion (Sharp-do) and Book buddies projects by therefore influence motivation. Falout postulated Marcus Springer and Chris Tebbe. First, Tebbe, that, in order to encourage students to have as representative of JET teachers in Shizuoka growth mindsets full of hope for learning, we prefecture, discussed his efforts to raise the level need to be careful to avoid labeling students as of professionalism of such teachers. Funded able/not able in our feedback. Therefore praise by an educational grant they had applied for, should show genuine interest in students’ learn- Tebbe and Springer (a trainer for JET teachers) ing through applauding effort, use of strategies, have offered a series of training sessions for and wise choices, while being specific, genuine, almost one hundred JET teachers in Shizuoka, believable, and not controlling. focusing on action research as a way to improve Reported by Haidee Thomson teaching. Action research involves a wide variety of things, from video or audio recordings to interviews with learners, and is a way for IBARAKI: May—Ibaraki 2-day mini-conference. teachers to evaluate what is happening in, and Our chapter held a 2-day mini-conference at how to improve the learning occurring in their the National Center for Teachers’ Development. individual classrooms. After this first discussion, The featured presenter, David Barker, gave two Springer talked about another grant-funded very thought-provoking presentations: What is project which he and a colleague had initiated English conversation, and how can it be taught called Book Buddies. This project began as a way on the first day, and What I learned in French to help children from bilingual families cultivate class on the second. Atsushi Iida addressed their English abilities in the culture setting of some of the issues and challenges of teaching Japan. It developed into a monthly English book writing, while Dan Waldhoff updated his Using reading session at a public library for a bilingual contemporary technology tools in the classroom. group and a monolingual group of children. A highlight of the second day was Hidenori Because of the grant money, participants were Kuwabara’s Reasons behind learners’ silence given a book at each session. The project proved and unwillingness in EFL classrooms. After very successful, and Springer plans to reapply several years of not having our mini-conference, for a future grant to continue it. Both presenters we revived it last year. This year’s was our were well organized and passionate about their best-attended activity of the year so we plan to efforts to improve language education in Japan. continue the overnight event. Reported by Dan Frost Reported by Martin Pauly

HOKKAIDO: June—Praising effectively for IWATE: May—Workshop on teaching young positive affect by Joseph Falout. Joseph Falout learners: Brain rules, tools, and jewels by Kim gave a presentation based on research he and Horne. This was the most energizing presenta- his colleagues have done into the importance tion ever! Horne kept us curious and engaged for of student motivation and how it is influenced. the whole time while sharing a little bit of brain He noted that academic emotional baggage science, lots of practical songs, and stories used from past experiences has an influence on how in her classrooms. They were not just for fun, but students feel about their current learning ability, also for teaching some important social skills and and this affects their motivation for studying morals. My favourite story was about a Chinese English. He had found a positive correlation be- boy who could not turn a seed into a beautiful tween motivation and achievement. Stating that flower although everybody else did, but he while motivation fluctuates for most students, stayed honest and was chosen as the emperor. It those with lower motivation levels were more almost brought tears to my eyes! The three doc-

THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 36.5 • September / October 2012 75 The Language Teacher • Column • CHAPTER REPORTS

trines we learned were: 1) exercise boosts brain (muted) animation. Tom and Jerry is good for power, 2) repeat to remember, and remember to advanced students with its fast paced action and repeat, and 3) brains crave curiosity. Although non-speaking characters. this presentation was about teaching young Reported by Charles Ashley learners, we got a lot of ideas for teaching older learners as well. KITAKYUSHU: June—Issues relating to Reported by Harumi Ogawa independently run English language schools by Mark Gibson, Gareth Steele, and Lawrence IWATE: June—Using student mirroring science Chivers. Alternating between individual rotating in the language classroom by Tim Murphey presentations and discussion in small groups or and Harumi Ogawa. Murphey set the stage by collectively, these three school owners shared explaining what near peer role models (NRPM) a lot of very useful information on starting up are and their significance in language educa- a new school or improving or expanding an tion. His talk extended from near peering to existing business, and ways of attracting and diverse peering with various viewpoints such as keeping students in any size or scale of private neuroscience, anthropology, and zoology. Ogawa language teaching. After outlining their range of talked about a pilot study she had conducted us- discussion from starting up through keeping going interview videos of enthusiastic L2 speakers ing, marketing, and management, they focused in her English classes, indicating directions for on the particulars of this line of business, start- her future study in the areas of social learning ing with location, licensing, pricing, size, and and motivation. Murphey’s session included a curriculum. Marketing advice included flyers, lot of inspiring videos that provoked empathy web-pages, word-of-mouth, billboard advertis- and hope for positive inner change, in order to ing, and print media―very welcome for anyone affect the world. It was special to listen to his interested in getting more students, whether original song with lyrics by Gandhi and Michael on a large or small scale. Additionally, insights Jackson while he accompanied himself on guitar. such as regarding potential competition as Reported by Harumi Ogawa potential cooperation—where teachers can pass on students to a more appropriate class level elsewhere and expect the same in return—were KITAKYUSHU: May—Task complexity and shared. Useful direction about what one needs to second language development: Tools to promote succeed included tips on getting everything done speaking by Colin Thompson. Thompson spoke whether you like it or not, as well as maintaining on current trends in task-based learning (TBL) good communication with staff, students and and tools to promote speaking practice. He parents, remembering that no complaints does showed us several interactive speaking tasks not necessarily mean no problems, and on gener- and discussed advantages and disadvantages ally getting most of the fundamentals right most of using them to focus on communication and of the time. grammar. We learned how teachers could Reported by Dave Pite design such tasks for their own classroom use, emphasizing the importance of pre-teaching them, and vocabulary so that students can focus on performance. We all had fun with the activity he showed us using a short video segment from Is your membership a Tom and Jerry cartoon. In pairs, one person turned their back to the video, while the other due for renewal? described what was happening. The person with their back to the video had to make quick notes Check the label on the as to what they understood was happening. envelope this TLT came in for Then together we watched the video and com- your renewal date, then go to pared the notes to it. We all thought that it would be fun for most students (even adults) and challenging. This TBL activity can be used for and follow the easy any level of students by using level-appropriate instructions to renew. Help us material, such as still pictures for low-level to help you! Renew early! students with timed viewing, or slower-paced

76 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • Column • CHAPTER REPORTS

NAGOYA: May—Empowering young readers is taught to be memorized without producing with the brain in mind by Mari Nakamura. the target language. Confidence comes from According to her five rules to empower young English production. Textbooks should produce a readers, Nakamura showed how to involve kids way to let learners output and expose learners to in reading activities: 1) anticipation drives up the English as much as possible. brain power, 2) we feel therefore we learn, 3) the Reported by Kayoko Kato brain loves movement, 4) repetition enhances memory and recall, 5) the brain is a meaning NARA seeker. First, as a prediction activity, she reads : May—Invaluable techniques for teach- Little Cloud by Eric Carle, showing how to evoke ing English to kids under the age of 10 by Lisa children’s anticipation. Second, as a personaliza- Manhart, Catherine Littlehale Oki, Matthew tion activity, she lets her third graders draw a Reynolds, and Catriona Takeuchi. Nara JALT picture based on Little Cloud, give a presentation once again enjoyed practical, applicable, and joy- with their drawings, and make a class book us- ful language teaching techniques and activities for ing them. Third, Nakamura lets them watch their children under ten. Manhart presented her teach- classmates’ mimes, guessing the scene. Fourth, ing practice with music, chants, and songs, which repeated reading develops three important are used as a supplementary or key component. components in reading fluency, accuracy, auto- Some songs blended with phonics, and mime maticity and prosody (expressiveness or melodic enhanced memory retention by repetition and features of the language). Fifth, use a song for kinesthetic activities. Oki introduced some proj- meaningful reading by reading the lyrics aloud ects done in her elementary school, and explained and miming. Her Story Spy worksheet for the the procedures and the strategies for success in fifth and sixth graders is useful for their Reading a limited lesson timeframe: a clear purpose, the Race and Book Talk. For junior and senior high use of realia (e.g., travel brochures), and parents’ school students, Nakamura gives fifteen minutes cooperation. Reynolds enriched the audience with for extensive reading before the lesson starts his research on extensive reading. His reading with an opportunity for Book Talk. sheets, reusable laminated A4 sheets, are used for boosting readers’ confidence in English as well Reported by Kayoko Kato as for confirming their reading comprehension. Takeuchi demonstrated some of Lisgo’s latest NAGOYA: June—Hearts of ELT and minds of materials, and also taught us the importance of ELLs by Najima Janjua. Janjua was surprised bending the rules occasionally depending on in her medical classes to discover that highly- learners’ levels in order to give them a sense of educated Japanese professionals had difficulty in achievement. Friendly discussions ensued with understanding English instructions and answer- cheese and laughter in a post-event party. ing questions in English, while her students from Reported by Motoko Teraoka non-native English-speaking Asian countries had quite a different attitude toward English. NARA To look behind the scenes, she set the stage for : June—Controversies over the current comparing high school textbooks, invaluable policy of English education by MEXT and the teaching language tools, namely, ELT’s hearts. possible contributions of native and non-native Participants were shown samples of textbooks English teachers by Hidetami Nakai. Nara JALT collected from 10 non-native English-speaking revisited one of the most pertinent issues in countries: Afghanistan, China, India, Japan, English language education in Japan. Nakai let Malaysia, Oman, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, the audience look back on his presentation, held and Taiwan. The selection criteria were that the for Nara JALT several years ago, about NESTs textbooks had to be 1) from a non-native English- and NNESTs, and reiterated the importance of speaking country, 2) high school textbooks, 3) NEST-NNEST collaboration and cooperation approved by the respective government, and to deal with the many issues facing ELT profes- 4) used in compulsory English education. The sionals in Japan. The polarized perspective on textbooks were given with a sheet for partici- the English language (the only international pants to fill in each positive and negative side language or linguistic imperialism) and that on and their comments on each textbook. The main English education (skills training or liberal arts) difference is that in Japanese textbooks almost were then explored. One of his main concerns is all the instructions are in Japanese and therefore how ELT can play an important role in enhanc- answers should be given in Japanese. Grammar ing the international understanding that MEXT THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 36.5 • September / October 2012 77 The Language Teacher • Column • CHAPTER REPORTS

pursues. The dominance of the English language “The window was broken.”). Nakamura dem- has affected the opportunities for learners to onstrated how he created an ELT-focused corpus learn other foreign languages. He reminded the for language teachers and researchers, using audience of the fact that foreign language educa- web-based concordance programs and online ELT tion tends to be interpreted as English education. journal articles. Nakanishi also discussed cor- Another feature of his talk was about the norm pora—particularly the COCA (Corpus of Contem- of plurilingualism and pluriculturalism, and he porary American English) online corpus—and how raised the question whether such a norm based to use them to create vocabulary-building exercises on the EU-EC model can be introduced to Japan. for students. Finally, Yunoki demonstrated the Reported by Motoko Teraoka importance of teaching high school learners how to summarize texts they read, using macro rules to glean what elements of a text are important in OKAYAMA: April—Global issues films in summarization. English language teaching by Tom Fast. Com- Reported by Scott Gardner mitted to promoting global awareness at his high school, which belongs to the UNESCO ASP Network, the presenter introduced over OKAYAMA: June—Project work: What is 10 films that he has used, or intends to use, in it and why, when, and how to use it by Paul his content-based approach to language, peace, Moritoshi. Project-Based Language Learning human rights, and environmental education. (PBLL) has been gaining popularity recently, Participants enjoyed watching parts of several especially in post-secondary education in Japan, films before looking at some of the pre-viewing, due to its holistic approach toward expanding viewing, and post-viewing activities the present- and consolidating cognitive, social, and content er had designed to engage students’ interest and knowledge skills. In his June workshop for the facilitate better comprehension. Various activities Okayama chapter, Moritoshi illustrated how to including the use of combinations of sound implement effective project work into EFL classes. on/off and visuals on/off were discussed. The Starting with when it is appropriate to use PBLL, authentic film material, which has been designed he moved through topics including how to make for entertainment rather than classroom use, was PBLL work for the teacher and students, clarify- shown to be an important tool to help students ing roles, and the limitations of PBLL. Moritoshi develop an international understanding, to then presented what he calls the Project Brief, a promote interest in the language used, and to comprehensive and detailed outline, or rubric, have fun in the process. that guides students through their project work Reported by Claire Uchida from start to final presentation. Using his outline from several of his classes as a guide, participants then designed, developed, and presented their OKAYAMA: May—New ideas from new language own Project Brief for an imaginary project-based educators by Sachiko Iwamoto, Tsukasa Na- lesson. Moritoshi made it clear that designing, kamura, Rikako Nakanishi, and Mika Yunoki. implementing, and facilitating PBLL is not a soft Four recent graduates of the Okayama University option but, based upon the growing body of Graduate School of Education discussed their re- empirical literature, a large majority of students search in improving English language education in do seem to enjoy and benefit from it. “Even Japan. Iwamoto showed her in-depth knowledge though Project-Based Language Learning has its of English verbs while talking about difficulties limitations,” Moritoshi said, “it does offer a wide Japanese English learners have mixing up passive range of beneficial educational outcomes.” and ergative verbs (e.g., “The window broke.” vs. Reported by Tony Brunelli

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78 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • Column • JOB INFORMATION CENTER TLTJOB COLUMN INFORMATION A wide variety of business management …with Richard Miller publications claim that specific social skills can greatly enhance the chances of success. So, what exactly is the meaning of social capital? The To list a position in The Lan- Oxford dictionary defines it as “the networks of guage Teacher, please submit relationships among people who live and work online at or email Richard function effectively“ (Oxford Online Diction- Miller, Job Information ary, 2012). As Baron and Markman (2000) state, Center Editor, . Online “specific competencies that help people interact submission is preferred. Please effectively with others can play a significant role place your ad in the body of in one’s success” (p. 106). These skills include the the email. The notice should ability to read others accurately, make favorable be received before the 15th of the month, two months before first impressions and adapt to a wide range of publication, and should contain the following information: social situations. De Janasz and Forret (2008) location, name of institution, title of position, whether state the importance of expanding personal full- or part-time, qualifications, duties, salary and benefits, networks along with continuous refinements of application materials, deadline, and contact information. social skills in order to obtain more social capital. Be sure to refer to TLT’s policy on discrimination. Any job advertisement that discriminates on the basis of gender, They state that “developing and maintaining race, age, or nationality must be modified or will not be relationships with others for the purpose of mu- included in the JIC column. All advertisements may be tual benefit can help individuals search for and edited for length or content. secure employment opportunities, gain access to Job Information Center Online needed information or resources—especially on Recent job listings and links to other job-related websites short notice—and obtain guidance, sponsorship, can be viewed at . always be refined through effort and training so it is definitely possible for all of us to improve if we have the desire to do so. That next dinner appointment may have more relevance than Personal you realize. Effective networkers regularly use social events as a chance to build professional networking, first relationships so it’s important to utilize these opportunities. impressions, and The importance of reputation is connected to social capital. In our day-to-day working lives, social capital in fellow educators often speak about other teachers, some of whom you may or may not know. Japanese academia. People whom you have not yet met may already have formed an opinion of you―-justified, or Brent Cotsworth otherwise. Hence, your reputation may play a role in your next job interview, whether you realize it or not. Most of us have probably been told At this point in the Japanese university calendar things about fellow educators, both positive and a significant number of professional educa- negative, and it’s a fact that bad news seems to tors will begin looking for work for the next travel quicker than good―-a sobering thought. academic year. It’s therefore appropriate to think Psychological studies, such as Tetlock’s (1983), about the importance of personal and profes- suggest that our initial impression of an event or sional social skills, and what role social capital person often influences how we interpret later plays when applying for positions. information, often leading to bias. Therefore, first

THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 36.5 • September / October 2012 79 The Language Teacher • Column • JOB INFORMATION CENTER

impressions and reputation may influence how de Janasz, S. C., & Forret, M. L. (2008). Learn- we think of the same topic at a later stage. ing the art of networking: A critical skill for Endeavoring to have social capital and main- enhancing social capital and career success. tain a positive personal and professional image Journal of Management Education, 32(5), 629-650. could be beneficial the next time you apply for a Social capital. (2012). In Oxford Online Dictionary. job, since your professional reputation may have Retrieved from References Tetlock, P. (1983). Accountability and the perse- verance of first impressions. Social Psychology Baron, R. A.,& Markman, G. D. (2000). Beyond Quarterly, 46(4), 285-292. social capital: How social skills can enhance entrepreneurs’ success. The Academy of Manage- ment Executive, 14(1), 106-116. TLTCONFERENCE COLUMN CALENDAR 4-6 OCT 12—The 10th Asia TEFL International …with David Stephan Conference, Delhi, India. The featured presentation theme will be Tertiary English Education in To contact the editor: Asia. Contact: 4-7 OCT 12—13th National Conference for New listings are welcome. Community Languages and ESOL, sponsored Please email information by TESOLANZ and CLANZ, Palmerston North, (including a website address) to NZ. Contact: the column editor as early as 6-7 OCT 12—The Japan Association for Sys- possible, preferably by the 15th temic-Functional Linguistics (JASFL) Autumn of the month, at least 3 months before a conference in Japan, or Conference, Aichi Gakuin U., Nisshin Campus. 4 months before an overseas Guest speaker will be Christian Matthiessen conference. Thus, 15 Septem- (Hong Kong Polytechnic U.). Contact: ber is the deadline for a De- 12-14 OCT 12—22nd Japanese/Korean Lin- cember 2012 conference in Japan or a January 2013 guistics Conference, Tokyo. Invited speakers conference overseas. Feedback or suggestions on the are Michael Kenstowicz (MIT), Satoshi Kinsui usefulness of this column are also most welcome. (Osaka U.), Seungjae Lee (Seoul Nat’l U.), You can access the Conference Calendar online at: Masayoshi Shibatani (Rice U., Texas), and Akira jk2012> 12-15 OCT 12—JALT 2012, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture. Plenary speakers will be Upcoming Conferences Jeannette Littlemore (U. of Birmingham), John Eyles (Eyles and Associates, Ltd.; EON Founda- 8 SEP 12—CUE ESP Symposium 2012, Nara tion), Suresh Canagarajah (Penn State U.), Özge Inst. of Science and Technology, Keihanna Karaoglu (Terakki Vakfı Okulları), and Alan Firth Science City, Nara. Invited speakers are Judy (Newcastle U.). Contact: Noguchi and Laurence Anthony. Contact: 13 OCT 12—Applied Linguistics Association of Korea: Conversation Analysis and Corpus Lin- 9-10 SEP 12—The 2012 Science and Art of guistics, Aekyung Hall, Hankuk U. of Foreign Language Teaching (SALT) International Con- Studies, Seoul. Invited speakers will be Geoffrey ference, Arau, Perlis, Malaysia. Contact: Sylviane Granger (U. of Louvain, Belgium). Contact: 80 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • Column • CONFERENCE CALENDAR

18-20 OCT 12—GLoCALL 2012: Globalization 9-12 NOV 12—The Association for Language and Localization in Computer-Assisted Language Testing Assessment of Australia and New Zea- Learning, Beijing Foreign Studies U., Beijing, China. land (ALTAANZ): Innovative Language Assess- Plenary speakers will be Mark Warschauer (U. of ment - Challenges and Complexity, U. of Sydney. California, Irvine), Françoise Blin (Dublin City U., Contact: Ireland), Peter Gobel (Kyoto Sangyo U.), Yueguo Gu 10-11 NOV 12—Japan Writers’ Conference, (Chinese Academy of Social Sciences), and Jianqiao Doshisha Women’s College, Kyoto. Contact: Dong (Jiangnan U.). Contact: 18-21 OCT 12 —Second Language Research 15-16 NOV 12—ICT for Language Learning,

Forum 2012, Carnegie Mellon U., Pittsburgh. Florence, Italy. Contact: (Carnegie Mellon U.), Bill VanPatten (Michigan 16-18 NOV 12—TESOL France 31st Annual State U.), Natasha Tokowicz (U. of Pittsburgh), Conference, Telecom Paris Tech, Paris, France. and Patsy Duff (U. of British Columbia). Contact: Plenary speakers will be Mark Powell, Thomas Farrell and Chia Suan Chong. Contact: ers Association (PKETA) International Conference, Pukyong Nat’l U., Busan, Korea. 30 NOV-2 DEC 12—International Conference Contact: speakers will be Steve Wheeler, Agnes Kukulska- Hulme, and Judy Kay. Contact: 20-21 OCT 12—20th KOTESOL International Conference: Perfect Score - Methodologies, 5-7 DEC 12—The Second Conference on ELT in Technologies, and Communities of Practice, the Islamic World, Teheran, Iran. Keynote speak- Sookmyung Women’s U., Seoul. Contact: Ken Hyland, Parvaneh Tavakoli, Cem Alptekin, and Ghazi Ghaith. Contact: 24-25 OCT 12—E4BT (English for Business and Technology) Conference, Bandar Seri Begawan, 6-8 DEC 12—The Fifth CLS International Brunei Darussalam. Contact Language Learning - Framing and Reframing the Issue, Singapore. Keynote speakers will 25-28 OCT 12—The Asian Conference on be Michael Byram (Durham U.), Shengli Feng Education 2012: Learning and Teaching Through (Chinese U. of Hong Kong), Kimi Kondo-Brown Transformative Spaces, The Ramada Osaka, (U. of Hawai’i at Manoa), and Claire Kramsch Osaka. Contact: (UC Berkeley) Contact: Association Annual Conference (JLTA 2012), 16-19 MAR 13—AAAL 2012: Applied Linguistics Senshu U., Kawasaki, Kanagawa. Featured in a Globalizing World, Sheraton Dallas Hotel, speaker will be David Beglar (Temple U., Japan). Dallas, USA. Plenary speakers will be Lera Boro- Contact: ditsky, (Stanford), William Hanks, (UC Berkeley), 28 OCT 12 —Fukuoka JALT Conference and Agnes Weiyun He, (Stony Brook U.), Monica Bookfair 2012, Hakata, Fukuoka. Contact: Heller, (Université de Toronto), Brian MacWhin- ney, (Carnegie Mellon), and Srikant Sarangi, 1-4 NOV 12—FEELTA Pan-Asian Conference (Cardiff U.). Contact: 2012, Far Eastern Federal U., Vladivostok, Rus- sia. Contact:

12-15 OCT 12—JALT2012: 38th Annual International Conference on Language Teaching and Learning & Edu- cational Materials Exposition: Making a Difference, ACT City, Hamamatsu. Contact:

THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 36.5 • September / October 2012 81 The Language Teacher • Column • CONFERENCE CALENDAR

20-23 MAR 13—TESOL 2013 International presentation requests should be sent via e-mail Convention & English Language Expo: Harmo- to Terry Yearley: . Contact: ers will be Alberto M. Carvalho, William Labov, DEADLINE: 30 SEP 12 (FOR 27 MAY 13)—CELS Kurt Kohn, Christine Coombe, Heidi Byrnes, and Symposium 2013: Alternative Pedagogies in the Jun Liu. Contact: English Language and Communication Class- room, Nat’l U. of Singapore. Keynote speakers Calls for Papers or Posters will be Christopher Candlin, Ulla Connor, William Grabe, and Ann Johns. Contact: 13) —IATFL 47th Annual Conference and DEADLINE: 16 NOV 12 (FOR 15-16 MAR Exhibition, Arena and Convention Centre, 13)—3rd International Conference on Foreign Liverpool, UK. Plenary speakers will be David Language Learning and Teaching Conference, Crystal, Deniz Kurtoglu Eken, Jun Liu, Roger Thammasat U., Bangkok. Contact: McGough, and Susan Barduhn. Contact: DEADLINE: JAN 2013 (FOR 10-15 AUG 14)— AILA World Congress 2014: One World, Many DEADLINE: 15 SEP 12 (FOR 23-24 FEB 13)—9th Languages, Brisbane. Contact: Language Teaching: Language and Empower- ment, Phnom Penh. Contact: Annual NEAR Conference: All is New Again - New Experiences, New Challenges, New Voices, DEADLINE: 16 SEP 12 (FOR 3 NOV 12)—The Niigata. Contact: Inst. of Foreign Languages, Tokyo. Call for

Something to look forward to . . . our Featured Speakers at JALT2012!! Charles Browne (English Central) Maximizing Vocabulary Development with Online Resources JALT2012 Carolyn Graham (Oxford University Press) Making it Memorable through Songs and Chants October 12-15, 2012 Marjo Mitsutomi (Cengage Learning K.K.) Hamamatsu ACT, English Education Overhaul: Lessons from Abroad Hamamatsu, Japan Garold Murray (CUE SIG) Imagining a difference: Fostering motivation, identity and autonomy in language learning Ted O'Neill (McGraw-Hill Education) Writing for your readers: Tools and approaches Diane Hawley Nagatomo (GALE SIG) Gender Counts: Being a Female Teacher in Japan John Wiltshier (Materials Writers SIG) Materials Writing: 7 Key Factors Sean Wray (Cambridge University Press) Critical Thinking in EFL: More Brain Fodder, More to Mutter

82 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • Column • OLD GRAMMARIANS TLTOLD COLUMN GRAMMARIANS into the crowded front end, but the driver ...by Scott Gardner said that for safety reasons she couldn’t start driving until everyone was behind the white line on the floor. There was plenty of space in the back, but an old guy standing back there started yelling that no one on the bus wanted Mind the to move anymore and I should just get off and wait for the next one. I “won” this argu- mental gaps ment, however, by asking The buses in my town have the driver to hold the doors been taking sensitivity training. open for 5 more seconds. I Their electronic signs over the then ran out the front and windshield used to say “NOT IN jumped in through the SERVICE”, but recently they’ve back door. I gave the man added the word “SORRY.” I who had shouted at me a have noticed, however, that the smug look as I brushed by Japanese version of the same message—回送中 him, but he seemed quite (kaisouchuu)—has not changed at all. It seems satisfied with the fact that strange to apologize to a small minority of non- he never had to move to accommodate me. Japanese commuters but not care at all about • Forgot to put on my shoes when using the the feelings of the majority population watching airplane toilet. I was groggy and I didn’t helplessly as the bus speeds by their stop. realize I was only in socks until I noticed Speaking of apologetic buses, here’s a list of a man staring at my feet in horror when I some dumb things I’ve done on public transpor- stepped out. tation: • Gloated over correctly answering a difficult • Read someone’s newspaper over his shoul- math problem on a train advertisement for der on the plane. He caught me doing it and “Tokyo University”—only to discover on sarcastically held the page open higher and further reading that the ad was actually for for longer than he needed, to let me finish the Tokyo University-affiliated junior high whatever I was reading. school. • Tried out my smartphone’s music player • Breached airport security for a baguette. A on the Shinkansen, without learning how brochure at Incheon airport showed a French it worked yet. Either there was a special deli in a different concourse from mine, and I speaker setting I didn’t know about, or I just had time so I decided to try it out. Little did I hadn’t plugged in the headphones all the know that heightened security at the airport way; turning up the volume wasn’t helping forbade passengers from hopping back and me much, and I was painfully slow in real- forth between concourses. I went out and izing how it was annoying my fellow riders. found the deli with no trouble, but when I tried to get back to my own gate I had to • Waited obliviously for a flight in the San sign a form, follow an armed guard through Francisco airport while an important gate several locked doors, and go through x-ray change announcement was blaring over my screening again. Even after all that a secu- head. For 30 minutes they were telling pas- rity agent kept me sengers to take a trolley to another terminal, under surveillance but by the time I figured out the message until I boarded my applied to me, the departure time was too plane. The camem- close and they refused even to let me get on bert sandwich was the trolley, let alone hold the plane for me. almost worth it, • Got into an argument with a guy at the op- though. posite end of a bus. I was trying to squeeze THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 36.5 • September / October 2012 83 JALT MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION

The Japan Association for Language • Testing and evaluation Teaching (JALT) • Materials development • a professional organization formed in 1976 支部及び分野別研究部会による例会や研究会は日本 -1976年に設立された学術学会各地で開催され、以下の分野での発表や研究報告が行 • working to improve language learning and われます。バイリンガリズム、CALL、大学外国語教育、 teaching, particularly in a Japanese context 共同学習、ジェンダーと語学学習、グローバル問題、日 -語学の学習と教育の向上を図ることを目的としてい本語教育、自主的学習、語用論・発音・第二言語習得、ます児童語学教育、生涯語学教育研究部会、試験と評価、 • over 3,000 members in Japan and overseas 教材開発。 -国内外で約 3,000名の会員がいます JALT cooperates with domestic and interna- Annual international conference 年次国際大会 tional partners, including (JALTは以下の国内外の学会と提携しています) • 1,500 to 2,000 participants : -毎年1,500名から2,000名が参加します • IATEFL—International Association of Teach- • hundreds of workshops and presentations ers of English as a Foreign Language -多数のワークショップや発表があります • JACET—the Japan Association of College • publishers’ exhibition English Teachers -出版社による教材展があります • PAC—the Pan Asian Conference consortium • Job Information Centre • TESOL—Teachers of English to Speakers of -就職情報センターが設けられます Other Languages Membership Categories 会員と会費 JALT publications include: • The Language Teacher—our bimonthly publi- All members receive annual subscriptions to cation - を隔月発行します The Language Teacher and JALT Journal, and • JALT Journal—biannual research journal member discounts for meetings and confer- 会員はThe Language TeacherやJALT Journal等 - を年2回発行します ences. の出版物を購読出来、又例会や大会にも割引価格で参 • Annual Conference Proceedings 加出来ます。 - 年次国際大会の研究発表記録集を発行します一般会員: • SIG and chapter newsletters, anthologies, • Regular ¥10,000 and conference proceedings • Student rate (undergraduate/graduate in - 分野別研究部会や支部も会報、アンソロジー、研究 Japan) 学生会員（日本にある大学、大学院の学生）: 会発表記録集を発行します ¥6,000 • Joint—for two persons sharing a mailing ad- Meetings and conferences sponsored by lo- dress, one set of publications ジョイント会員（同 cal chapters and special interest groups (SIGs) じ住所で登録する個人2名を対象とし、JALT出版物 are held throughout Japan. Presentation and は2名に１部）: ¥17,000 research areas include: • Group (5 or more) ¥6,500/person—one set of • Bilingualism publications for each five members • CALL 団体会員（５名以上を対象とし、JALT出版物は5名 • College and university education につき１部）：1名¥6,500 • Cooperative learning For more information please consult our web- • Gender awareness in language education site , ask an officer at any JALT event, • Global issues in language education or contact JALT Central Office. • Japanese as a second language JALT Central Office • Learner autonomy • Pragmatics, pronunciation, second language Urban Edge Building, 5th Floor, 1-37-9 Taito, acquisition Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-0016 JAPAN • Teaching children JALT事務局：〒110-0016東京都台東区台東1-37-9 アーバンエッジビル５F • Lifelong language learning t: 03-3837-1630; f: 03-3837-1631; Use attached furikae form at Post Offices ONLY. When payment is made through a bank using the furikae, the JALT Central Office receives only a name and the cash amount that was trans- ferred. The lack of information (mailing address, chapter designation, etc.) prevents the JCO from successfully processing your membership application. Members are strongly encouraged to use the secure online signup page located at .

Oxford University Press Supporting Teachers Throughout Japan Oxford University Press Speakers for JALT 2012

Carolyn Graham/ Featured Speaker Ken Wilson

Author: Jazz Chants, Let's Chant Let's ■ Sunday October 14 Sing, Creating Chants And Songs 13:15-14:15, Room 62 (Oxford University Press) Unmotivated students? Make them curious! Author: Smart Choice How do you motivate and engage a (Oxford University Press) class of low-level, mixed ability young adult learners? Ken will demonstrate some pre-skills work preparation techniques which will have your students desperate to open their books to find out more. ■ Saturday October 13, 15:50-17:20, Room 62 Making it Memorable through Songs and Chants ■ Saturday October 13, @ 17:00-18:30, Room 41 In this Featured Speaker Workshop, participants will learn Can improv activities work in Japanese ways to bring jazz chants into their classrooms and to create classrooms? your own chants to help make a difference in the lives of your There are plenty of improv activities suitable for the Japanese students. classrooms where the language requirement, aims and outcomes are clear and achievable, plus they’re fun, ■ Sunday October 14, 9:00-10:00, Room 62 memorable AND useful. Creating and Performing Jazz Chant Fairy Tales Kristin Sherman In the words of Alan Maley, it is rhythm that “underlies the ability to speak English accurately and with confidence”. Jazz ■ Saturday October 13, chants are a rhythmic expression of spoken American 12:10-13:10, Room 52 English. They are a particularly effective way to teach natural intonation and pronunciation in a fun, engaging way. Social Networking and ELT Pedagogy

Co-Author: Network Is there any evidence that social Join the conversation (Oxford University Press) networking improves the learning process? This workshop gives an overview of the research that indicates Oxford University Press will be giving away social networking provides five key great prizes at the 2012 JALT National benefits to ELT learners and suggests Conference. practical ways instructors can incorporate social-media lessons into their Follow us on: teaching. to find out more information! ■ Sunday October 14, @ 11:30-12:30, Room 54 www.facebook.com/oupeltglobal Twitter@oupeltglobal Harness Social Media for Language Learning Today's global learners need digital literacy skills to succeed academically and professionally. Help your learners harness social media to get more practice communicating in English, Details: www.oupjapan.co.jp/events make English-speaking friends, and find a better job in the future.

3F Tamachi Place, 4-17-5 Shiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo TEL: 03-5444-5454 FAX: 03-5444-6644 E-mail: [email protected] www.oupjapan.co.jp