THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 37.1 • January / February 2013 1 the Language Teacher » Foreword & Information

accent argot articulation brogue cant The communication conversation dialect diction Languagedictionary discourse doublespeak expression gibberish Teacher idiom interchange jargon lexicon lingua franca January / February 2013 Feature Articles . . . palaver parlance Volume 37, Number 1 3 Diane Hawley Nagatomo takes a look at the issues faced by housewives teaching in the cottage eikaiwa businesspatois ISSN 0289-7938 Melodie Cook investigates expatriatephraseology English teachers’ ¥950 9 perceptions of Japanese university entrance examinationsprose The Japan Association signal Readers’ Forum . . . for Language Teaching slang 15 Jonathon Brown discusses the role communicativesound language teaching plays in raising students’ motivationspeech

THE JAPAN ASSOCIATION FOR LANGUAGE TEACHING 21 Matthew Sung interviews ELT expert Alan Waters 全国語学教育学会 style 25 Marian Wang puts JALT members’ questions on The Comprehension Hypothesis Extended to Stephen Krashentalk terminology JALT2013 Learning is a My Share . . . tongue lifelong voyage utterance 29 Classroom ideas from Jane Lightburn, Michael Ernest, and Greggory Wroblewski verbalization October 25-28, 2013 vernacular Kobe International Conference Center & Book Review . . . vocabulary International Exhibition Hall vocalization 35 Andrew Philpott reviews Scraps voice word wording JALT Publications }} GRASSROOTS Shirley Leane – Tottori University JALT Publications Board Chair Carol Begg Todd Jay Leonard – Fukuoka University of [email protected] Education Ted O’Neill Robert Long – Kyushu Institute of Technology [email protected] t: 029-228-8455; f: 029-228-8199 Laura MacGregor – Gakushuin University }} OUTREACH Theron Muller – University of Toyama David McMurray Bern Mulvey – Iwate University TLT Editorial Staff Tim Murphey – Kanda University of [email protected] International Studies }} TLT EDITORS Yoko Nakano – Kwansei Gakuin University Jason Peppard Regular Column Editors Jonathan Picken – Tsuda College David Marsh Martha Robertson – Aichi University [email protected] }} SIG NEWS Stephen Ryan – Eichi – Sapientia University Jennie Roloff-Rothman Lorraine Sorrell – Macquarie University }} TLT ASSOCIATE EDITOR Toshiyuki Takagaki – Onomichi University Carol Begg [email protected] Dax Thomas – Meiji Gakuin University [email protected] }} CHAPTER EVENTS Deryn Verity – Osaka Jogakuin College Gary Wolff York Weatherford – Kyoto Notre Dame }} TLT ASSISTANT EDITOR University Tonya Kneff [email protected] Asako Yoshitomi – Tokyo University of }} TLT JAPANESE-LANGUAGE EDITOR }} CHAPTER REPORTS Foreign Studies 阿部恵美佳 (Emika Abe) Tom Mahler }} ADDITIONAL READERS [email protected] [email protected] Dale Brown, John Eidswick, Patrick Foss, } Naomi Fujishima, Fujirou Fukushima, }} TLT JAPANESE-LANGUAGE ASSOC. } JOB INFORMATION CENTER James Hobbs, Masataka Kizuka, Paul EDITOR Richard Miller Lyddon, Greg Rouault, Tim Stewart, Alan 迫和子 (Kazuko Sako) [email protected] Stoke, Toshiko Sugino, Bernie Susser, Jerry [email protected] }} CONFERENCE CALENDAR Talandis Jr., Jennifer Yphantides }} TLT WEB EDITOR David Stephan Theron Muller [email protected] JALT Journal [email protected] }} OLD GRAMMARIANS }} JALT JOURNAL EDITOR }} TLT WEB ADMIN Scott Gardner Darren Lingley Malcolm Swanson [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] }} JALT JOURNAL ASSOCIATE EDITOR Production Melodie Cook Resources Editors }} COPYEDITING & PROOFREADING [email protected] TEAM LEADERS }} MY SHARE }} JALT JOURNAL JAPANESE EDITOR Tonya Kneff & David Marsh Dax Thomas & Harry Harris Ken Urano [email protected] }} COPYEDITORS & PROOFREADERS [email protected] Laura MacGregor, Bryan Gerrard, Chris } }} JALT JOURNAL REVIEWS EDITOR } BOOK REVIEWS Wharton, Kristjan Bondesson, John Robert Taferner Greg Rouault Roberts, Patrick Rates, Luke Rowland, [email protected] [email protected] Brad Smith, Myles Grogan, David Marsh, }} PUBLISHERS’ REVIEW COPIES Jennifer Yphantides, Brian Birdsell, Decha LIAISON Hongthong, Darren Elliott, Tonya Kneff, Conference Proceedings Jason Peppard, Sadira Smith, Donny Steve Fukuda }} EDITORS-IN-CHIEF [email protected] Anderson, Mary Kiyoko Ohno, Glenn Magee, Michael Holsworth Alison Stewart Faculty of Integrated Arts and Sciences, Nozomu Sonda University of Tokushima, 1-1 Minami Josanjima-cho, }} 和文要旨作成協力者 [email protected] Tokushima 770-8502 (JAPANESE ABSTRACTS) }} TLT WIRED 宮尾真理子 (Mariko Miyao) }} VETTING COORDINATOR Edo Forsythe 納富淳子 (Junko Noudomi) Theron Muller [email protected] 中安真敏 (Masatoshi Nakayasu) [email protected] }} OUTSIDE THE BOX }} DESIGN & LAYOUT Adam Lebowitz Pukeko Graphics, Kitakyushu Peer Support Group [email protected] }} PRINTING }} PSG COORDINATOR Koshinsha Co., Ltd., Osaka Loran Edwards JALT Focus Editors [email protected] }} JALT NOTICES EDITOR Review }} PSG MEMBERS Paul Beaufait, Loran Edwards, Steve McGuire, Malcolm Swanson }} TLT EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Theron Muller [email protected] Eric Bray – Yokkaichi University }} SHOWCASE Steve Cornwell – Osaka Jogakuin College Frank Daulton – Ryukoku University JALT Central Office Kristen Sullivan Michael Furmanovsky – Ryukoku University [email protected] Scott Gardner – Okayama University Urban Edge Bldg. 5F, 1-37-9 Taito, Chiaki Iwai – Hiroshima City University Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-0016 Masaki Kobayashi – Kanda University of t: 03-3837-1630; f: 03-3837-1631 International Studies [email protected] JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 • VOL. 37, NO. 1 | 1

CONTENTS In this month’s issue . . . Feature Articles appy New Year! Welcome to the first issue of }} The advantages and disadvantages faced by TLT for 2013. If you are reading this, then we’ve housewife English teachers in the cottage H somehow managed to survive the predicted Ma- industry Eikaiwa business...... 3 yan Apocalypse of 2012, and can all breathe a collective }} The multipurpose entrance examination: sigh of relief. The New Year is always a time of change, beliefs of expatriate ELT faculty. . . . . 9 and we have a few changes to announce here, too. First of all, we’re pleased to announce that Carol Begg, who Readers’ Forum currently edits our Grassroots column, will become our new Associate Editor. Also, we say goodbye to Ted }} Initiation, preservation, and retrospection: O’Neill, our TLT Wired column editor. Thank you for all The Role of CLT in the L2 motivational your hard work at TLT over the years, and all the best process...... 15 with your new position as JALT’s Director of Public }} Language teaching methodology and teacher Relations. Ted will be replaced by Edo Forsythe, whose education: Trends and issues—An interview name will be very familiar to members of JALTCALL. with Alan Waters ...... 21 Good luck, Edo! We’d also like to welcome several new }} Dr. Stephen Krashen answers questions on The members to our production team: Donny Anderson, Comprehension Hypothesis Extended. . . 25 Michael Holsworth, Glenn Magee, Mary Kiyoko Ohno, Resources and Sadira Smith. Welcome aboard! And a big thank you to all the other people behind the scenes, without }} My Share...... 29 whose work hard TLT would not be possible. }} Book Reviews ...... 35 We begin the year with another exciting issue jam- }} Recently Received ...... 36 packed with a fascinating mix of articles. Firstly, Diane Hawley Nagatomo takes a look at the issues faced by }} Outside the Box...... 37 housewives teaching in the cottage eikaiwa business. }} TLT Wired...... 39 No doubt, many of these issues will be very familiar to those of us who have ever taught privately. In our other JALT Focus Feature Article, Melodie Cook investigates expatriate English teachers’ perceptions of Japanese university }} JALT Notices...... 40 entrance examinations. Meanwhile, in Readers’ Forum, }} Showcase...... 42 Jonathon Brown discusses the role communicative lan- }} Grassroots...... 43 Continued over }} Outreach...... 47 JALT PUBLICATIONS ONLINE Columns }} SIG News ...... 50 January/February 2013 online access }} Chapter Events...... 57 Material from all our publications produced in the last 12 }} Chapter Reports...... 61 months requires a password for access. These passwords change with each issue of TLT and are valid for a 3-month }} Job Information ...... 68 period. To access our archives: }} Conference Calendar...... 72 [ login: jan2013 / password: ] }} Old Grammarians...... 74 }} Membership Information...... 76

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TLT Editors: Jason Peppard, David Marsh TLT Japanese-Language Editor: Emika Abe

THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 37.1 • January / February 2013 1 The Language Teacher » Foreword & Information

の時であり、我々もいくつか変化のお知らせをします。ま guage teaching plays in raising students’ motiva- ず、現在Grassrootsコラム編集者のCarol BeggがTLTの副 tion, Matthew Sung interviews ELT expert Alan 編集者になったことをお知らせします。さらに、TLT Wired Waters, while Marian Wang puts JALT members’ コラム編集者のTed O’Neillにさよならを言います。Tedは questions on The Comprehension Hypothesis 長年TLTのために尽力してくれました。今後は、JALTの Extended to Stephen Krashen. We also have three 広報担当理事として活躍してくれることと思います。Ted great classroom activities to share with you: Jane の後任は、Edo Forsytheです。JALT CALL会員にはおな Lightburn describes a writing project in which じみの人です。Edo、頑張ってください。また、TLT制作協 students expressed their feelings and ideas about 力チームに、Donny Anderson、Michael Holsworth、Glenn the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, Michael Ernest Magee、Mary Kiyoko Ohno、Sadira Smithが加わりました。皆さん、ようこそ！また、陰で支えてくれている他の全て sets out a fun dialogue memorisation exercise, の皆さんに感謝の言葉を述べます。皆さんの協力なしに and Greggory Wroblewski helps his students はTLTの発行は不可能です。 learn new vocabulary using Anki, a computerised 今年も様々な素晴らしい記事が満載の新年号をお届 flashcard system. In Book Reviews,Andrew けします。まずは、Diane Hawley Nagatomoが、小規模 Philpott takes an in-depth look at an innovative な英会話学校などで教える主婦が直面する問題点につ student-centred textbook, Scraps. いて調べます。その問題点の多くは、個人で教えた経験 Traditionally, New Year is a time for reflection があるかたには、きっと身近な内容であると思います。も on the past year and making resolutions for the うひとつのFeature Articleで、Melodie Cookは、日本の大 new one, and at TLT we all resolve to make our 学入学試験に対する日本居住中の（英語圏からの）英語 publication better than ever. Enjoy! 教師の認識について調査します。一方、Readers’ Forum では、Jonathon Brownが、学生の動機を向上させる際に David Marsh, TLT Coeditor コミュニケーションの道具としての語学教育が果たす役割について議論します。Matthew Sungは、ELT専門家けましておめでとうございます。TLTの2013年初のAlan Watersにインタビューをし、Marian Wangは“the 頭号にようこそ。皆様がこの新年号を読んでいる Comprehension Hypothesis Extended”に関するJALT会員ということは、2012年に予想されていたマヤ暦のの質問をインタビューでStephen Krashen に聞きます。まあた、3件の素晴らしい授業用アクティビティの紹介をしま予言による世界滅亡をなんとか免れて、安堵のため息をついている頃だと思います。新年というのは、いつも変化す。Jane Lightburnは、学生が2011年の東日本大震災について自分の感情やアイデアを表現したライティング・プロジェクトを説明します。Michael Ernestは、楽しみながらできる会話暗記の練習を提示し、Greggory Wroblewskiは、 Japan Association for デジタルなフラッシュカードであるAnkiを使用して、学生が新しい語彙を学ぶのを手助けします。Book Reviews(書 Language Teaching (JALT) 評)では、Andrew Philpottが、革新的な学生中心の教科書であるScrapsを詳しく分析します。 A nonprofit organization 伝統的に新年は、過ぎ去った1年を振り返り、新しい年 The Japan Association for Language Teaching (JALT) is の決意をする時です。スタッフ一同、TLTをますます素晴 a nonprofit professional organization dedicated to the らしい出版物にするよう決意いたします。お楽しみに！ improvement of language teaching and learning in Japan. It provides a forum for the exchange of new ideas and David Marsh, TLT Coeditor techniques and a means of keeping informed about developments in the rapidly changing field of second and foreign language education. Submitting material to JALT National Officers, 2013~2014 The Language Teacher President: ...... Kevin Cleary Vice President: ...... Nathan Furuya Guidelines Auditor: ...... Caroline Lloyd The editors welcome submissions of materials concerned with all aspects of language education, particularly with Director of Treasury: ...... Oana Cusen relevance to Japan. Director of Records: ...... Roehl Sybing Submitting online Director of Program: ...... Steve Cornwell To submit articles online, please visit: Director of Membership: ...... Buzz Green Director of Public Relations: . . . . . Ted O’Neill To contact the editors, please use the contact form on our Contact website, or through the email addresses listed in this issue of TLT. To contact any officer, chapter, or Special Interest Group (SIG), please use the contact page on our website: .

2 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • FEATURE ARTICLE | 3 The advantages and disadvantages faced by housewife English teachers in the cottage industry Eikaiwa business

The eikaiwa [conversation] business in Diane Hawley Nagatomo Japan is a multi-billion dollar industry, and yet very little empirical research Ochanomizu University has been conducted on its teachers or its students. An online survey focusing on the pedagogical and personal is- FL research in Japan generally focuses on issues surround- sues of one group of eikaiwa teachers ing formal education, but there is scant attention paid to (foreign women who are married E eikaiwa [conversation] schools, the students, or the teachers, to Japanese men) was constructed even though this is a multi-billion yen business with more than and distributed. Results from the 31 30,000 full- and part-time teachers, of whom nearly 15,000 are respondents indicate an ongoing over- lapping struggle with their teaching in non-Japanese (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, 2005). balancing their families’ personal and Looking at issues that surround eikaiwa teaching is important if financial needs, their relationships we want to understand English language learning in the Japanese with their students, and the gendered context, not only because eikaiwa supplements formal English constraints imposed upon them by instruction for students, but because it is also seen by many as a Japanese society. The paper ends with consumptive activity to support a casual hobby for either “pleas- a call for more research of all eikaiwa ure and enjoyment,” or as a serious “lifelong hobby driven by teachers in more eikaiwa contexts. intellectual curiosity” (Kubota, 2001, p. 475). One reason why there is little research conducted in the eikaiwa 日本における英会話産業は今や数十億ドル産業だが、それに携わる教師や生徒につい context may be because most eikaiwa teachers are not academ- ての実証的な研究はこれまでほとんど行わ ics engaging in and writing up empirical research. Bueno and れていない。本論では、英会話学校の教師 Caesar (2003), in their introduction to their collection of essays of （いずれも日本人男性と結婚している外国人女性）を対象に、教育に関する問題およ English teachers’ personal experiences, explain that the difficulty び個人的な問題についてのオンライン調査 they had in collecting essays from teachers in various teaching を実施した。31名の教師より得た回答から、 contexts was because “the people who teach below the college 彼女らがそれぞれの家庭の問題や経済的な level, for the most part cannot write…. they are younger, their 問題、生徒たちとの関係、そして日本社会が課している女性特有の制約といった複数の training is poor, their time is usually brief, and their motivations 問題とバランスを取りながら、教育活動を行 have more to do with adventure and travel than commitment to うことに常に苦労している現状が明らかに the classroom” (p. 15). Although it is true that youth and tempo- なった。最後に、本論は、今後より多くの英会話学校の教師について、さらに多くの研 rary residential status may describe many eikaiwa teachers, it is 究が行われる必要性を喚起する。 important to acknowledge that not all are young, impermanent, or undedicated. In fact, numerous eikaiwa teachers, for various reasons, have made Japan their permanent home and eikaiwa teaching their career.

THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 37.1 • January / February 2013 The Language Teacher • Feature Article

To better understand language learning and emerged from the tree nodes: flexibility, relation- language education in Japan, issues concerning all ships with students, and money. eikaiwa teachers need to be examined. This exploratory study, however, first focuses on one particular Discussion group: foreign women married to Japanese men. Because of gendered expectations of women in Ja- Flexibility pan, particularly of housewives and mothers, these The most commonly cited advantage of eikaiwa women’s experiences may be somewhat different teaching was the flexibility it offered in balancing from other groups of eikaiwa teachers. The question work and family lives. This was particularly true that guided this study, therefore, was: What are the for those those with small children when teaching advantages and disadvantages for these women privately to babies, children, and their mothers. teaching English conversation in their homes and Lessons are held at times and in places that are their local communities? mutually convenient. Sometimes students’ mothers babysit while they teach, and sometimes the partici- The participants, data collection, and data analysis pants’ children join in the lessons. This arrangement enables teachers like Amy and Liz to work with- An Internet questionnaire was constructed on out worrying about childcare. Women with older Survey Monkey, which included twenty ques- children also schedule their teaching around their tions designed to obtain biographical data and families’ needs and limit their number of classes. Ka- to elicit formation about the women’s current ren, for example, says that she tries not to work too English teaching situations (see Appendix). A much or she feels that she is neglecting her children. request was made for respondents who teach English in their homes or in their local communi- Another advantage of private teaching (as ties in two popular e-groups for foreign women opposed to working for an eikaiwa school) is the married to Japanese men. opportunity to develop tailor-made curriculum according to individual pedagogical styles. Linda says: Thirty-one women responded to the questionnaire. They come from the USA (9), Canada (7), No commute! No bosses! I can make the rules Great Britain (6), Australia (3), Germany (2), to suit both me and my students. Flexibility (to New Zealand (1), Poland (1), Scotland (1), and a point) if there is a family crisis. I like being able the Philippines (1). The participants range in age to tailor classes to each group of students and not from 28 to 62 and live in 21 prefectures through- feel bound by a curriculum that is time-based. out Japan. Nearly all have bachelor degrees in various subjects such as anthropology, law, Private teaching also enables the women to literature, social welfare, history, nursing, library select students, unlike teachers at conversation science, and TESOL. Two have MAs (TESOL and schools who generally teach whoever enrolls English literature), two have PhDs (Veterinarian in the program. Anna, for example, chooses to Science and Biochemistry), and one is currently teach only women and children. Although Jenny enrolled in a doctoral program. Teaching experi- has not turned anyone away yet, she likes having ence ranges from less than five years to more the option to “terminate classes without having than thirty years. They teach between one to to go through the channels of a regular company, thirty classes per week; their students range in nor just grin and bear it” when children repeat- age from preschool to retirees; and they teach edly misbehave. in places such as their own homes, community There is, however, something of a downside to centers, students’ homes, language schools, the flexibility that private eikaiwa teaching offers. company offices, and coffee shops. Scheduling lessons around a family’s conveni- The answers to each question were uploaded to ence could result in a loss of income and a loss of a qualitative data analysis software (NVivo), and opportunity because many English learners want coded into two categories that NVivo calls “free to study during what could be called “eikaiwa nodes” and “tree nodes” that can be conceptually prime time”: evenings and weekends. Neverthe- linked to other nodes (see Bazeley, 2007). I organ- less, most participants reported cutting down or ized the data into two free nodes (advantages and eliminating weekend classes to spend this time disadvantages) and to numerous tree nodes to with their families. Ellen says the “evening hours examine recurring themes (Miles & Huberman, are the hardest part about English teaching work 1994). Due to space limitations, the discussion for mothers, so I’ve pretty much vetoed late-after- that follows focuses on only three themes that noon and early-evening lessons in exchange for a more relaxing evening routine with the kids.” She 4 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • Hawley Nagatomo: The advantages and disadvantages faced by housewife English teachers in the cottage industry Eikaiwa business wants more daytime classes, but as noted by other don’t think I am. While I don’t think it makes women, they are not always easy to find. Ellen my lessons or teaching skills bad, I do think feels that her decision not to teach at night has that it means I’m not doing the best possible eliminated her chances to obtain full-time work in job that I can. juku (cram schools) or in companies. Several participants find difficulty in balancing Relationships with students teaching and family, especially those who operate eikaiwa businesses and teach many classes per The second theme concerns the positive and week. Anna, for example, has approximately 100 negative aspects of the teacher-student relation- students attending the language school she runs ship. Conversation teaching often creates blurred from her home. Although she takes weekends lines between teachers and students. Friendships and school holidays off, maintaining a duel develop where personal stories are exchanged, identity as a teacher and as a parent is not easy, meals are shared, alcohol is drunk, and events as her comment below illustrates: are celebrated. Annie formed a book discussion group with her students, and Mary has learned I feel that my children missed out on a lot “the most amazing things” from her class of when they were younger, as they’d come home retirees, such as “double rainbows, flying pump- from school and have to be quiet, and were not kins, mukade [poisonous caterpillars] medicine, able to talk about their day with me till much the name of any kind of flower you can possibly later in the evening. I had to be very strict with imagine, cheap restaurants, daggers disguised as them about loud noise and in particular sibling hair ornaments.” Pamela’s lessons with two stu- fights in the next room. They were punished dents who have been coming to her for 15 years severely for the smallest infraction because I are “more talking than teaching.” As Becky puts found that if I let a bit of squabbling go, it esca- it, her lessons are like a gathering of friends, but lated quickly. I feel that I was too hard on them with the bonus of getting paid. but it was the stress of having mothers in the However friendly the student-teacher relation- classroom listening to my kids punching and ship may be, money does exchange hands. If screaming at each other in the next room. the financial line is crossed, tensions can and Another struggle exists for women who are do develop. For example, Mary’s friends and solely in charge of their businesses. Kathy, who neighbors are sometimes relaxed about paying rents an apartment to use as a classroom, has lesson fees on time, and she dislikes it when insufficient student enrollment to warrant hiring they ask for discounts for missed classes. One of another teacher. She must always be available Tracy’s adult students, also a friend, changed to to teach, even if ill, because she cannot afford a different (and more expensive) class but didn’t to cancel classes. Amy, whose teaching partner understand why she should pay more. Addition- left Japan after the March 11 earthquake, is ally, English lessons occur during pre-established concerned about not having a back-up teacher times, unlike time spent with friends, which is for the same reason. Although Anna has an office generally more fluid. Students like to linger after assistant and a tax accountant to assist with a lesson, but the teachers, especially those who paperwork, she complains: teach at home, do not like this, and as Maria complained, “It’s difficult to send students away I can’t escape from work—it’s always there after the lesson is over.” in the next room, waiting for me. Nobody to It is important to note that not all private hide behind. The work must be done and it students become friends. Some teachers feel they must be done by me, which makes taking any are being taken advantage of. Anna, for example, time off at all hard. disliked that some of her students felt free to call Furthermore, preparing appropriate teaching her any time, and Jenny felt that her privacy was materials for private lessons is, according to Clau- invaded when mothers wandered freely about dia, Jenny and Maria, time consuming. Mindy her home while she taught their children. and Anna worry about maintaining consistent Finally, nearly all the participants felt that and high-quality English lessons without interac- students displayed rudeness and demonstrated tion with other teachers. Mindy reports: a lack of respect toward them as friends and as teachers when they suddenly cancelled, failed It’s hard to stay self-motivated and maintain to attend, or quit classes altogether with no or further [my] own education. To be honest, I explanation. THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 37.1 • January / February 2013 5 The Language Teacher • Feature Article

Money taught for a similar organization for many years about ten years previously. The third theme discussed in this paper concerns the positive and negative attitudes toward ei- Finally, a real financial concern for some of kaiwa income. Some participants felt grateful for these women is the necessity to earn enough, the money, especially if they had been trained in but not too much. In Japan, a dependent wife fields where finding related employment would of a salaried worker is entitled to earn up to be difficult. Anna explained, “It’s the best income 1.3 million yen per year and still be eligible for that I could make with my qualifications in my social benefits. Exceeding this limit results in a area of Japan.” substantial financial loss and creates an obliga- Women without financial necessity to work, or tion to pay for ones own insurance, pension, women who receive a steady income elsewhere and taxes. Thus, to make financial independence (such as from secondary or tertiary institutions), worthwhile, annual income must exceed three expressed satisfaction with their eikaiwa “pocket million yen. Although some of the women in this money.” For some, however, eikaiwa income initially study were apparently able to earn this amount, earmarked for “treats” began to supplement their the instability of eikaiwa teaching makes becom- families’ living expenses. Anticipated eikaiwa income ing financially independent risky. has even led to home mortgages being taken out and children being enrolled in private schools. Conclusion Unfortunately, maintaining a steady eikaiwa This is the first of a series of studies that I hope to income to support fixed expenses is difficult conduct with eikaiwa teachers in Japan. Although because of the unreliability and unpredictability of the current study focused on only one particular the eikaiwa profession. English students often move group of teachers, I believe that the issues that on to “learn” something else, so recruiting new emerged from this study may resonate with all students is essential. However, according to several current and former eikaiwa teachers. For teachers participants, there is competition from a surplus of who make their living through eikaiwa teaching, eikaiwa teachers who are willing to teach for less. particularly those who permanently reside in This has made Kathy consider leaving the eikaiwa Japan, the financial instability of this profession business altogether because she currently has no may be a constant source of worry. Even if a personal income after expenses are deducted. great amount of time, money, and energy is in- Anna, whose income is carefully calculated into her vested into recruiting and maintaining students, family’s mortgage payments, also worries: “There there is no guarantee of a consistent and steady is little financial security. Nothing to stop everyone source of income. How, then, does this influence deciding to quit tomorrow or go somewhere else if the student-teacher relationship as described a newer, cuter school opens nearby.” earlier, and how does this influence the quality Because of the difficulty in maintaining a of eikaiwa lessons that teachers hope to give and steady income, several women expressed prefer- that students hope to receive? ence for working for eikaiwa schools. However, Female eikaiwa teachers’ experiences may Sandy complains she is sometimes treated as a be somewhat different from their male coun- “disposable” commodity, and Liz feels that her terparts, especially those who must balance school underpays her. Schools can only afford to family life with teaching. It is unlikely (although hire teachers if they have students, so teachers certainly not inconceivable) that a male teacher like Pamela (who is dispatched to companies for would bring his children to his lessons or organ- three-month contracts) constantly worry about ize his teaching schedule around his family’s contract renewal. dinner hour. Therefore, further investigation is Additionally, as Carol discovered, it is difficult warranted to determine how prevalent gendered to obtain work in eikaiwa schools after having attitudes in Japan shape issues surrounding taught at home while raising children: eikaiwa, which may not only influence how students and teachers interact with each other, Although I am qualified and have taught for but also student preference for a male or female many years, albeit mostly at my house, teacher (e.g., Bailey, 2007). a young interviewer asked me ‘You’re really just a home-maker, aren’t you?’ He made it The necessity of limiting one’s income to obvious he didn’t really consider me a seri- maintain tax dependency status may not be a ous candidate for the position, although I had consideration to those who are not married to Japanese salaried workers, but it is to women like 6 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • Hawley Nagatomo: The advantages and disadvantages faced by housewife English teachers in the cottage industry Eikaiwa business the participants in this study. If it is perceived that Diane Hawley Nagatomo has married eikaiwa teachers teach only as a “hobby” been living and teaching in Japan or for “pocket money,” how do these attitudes de- since 1979. She is an associate termine the teachers’ and their students’ attitudes professor at Ochanomizu Univer- toward English language learning? sity and has a PhD in linguistics This study touched on issues surrounding from Macquarie University. Her what I have called “the cottage industry eikaiwa research interests include lan- business.” Clearly more qualitative and quan- guage teacher identity, language titative investigation into all types of eikaiwa learner identity, and materials development. She teachers—both Japanese and non-Japanese—and has authored and co-authored numerous EFL the conditions surrounding all eikaiwa teaching textbooks for the Japanese market. Her most contexts is warranted. Not all language learning is recent book, Exploring Japanese University English related to entrance exams or to advancing oneself Teacher’s Professional Identity, was published in in business, as Kubota (2011) argues. Language 2012. She can be contacted at . taken by many Japanese language learners. Future areas of inquiry of these teachers could include in- Appendix depth interviews and classroom observations to 1. Are you currently married to or in a long-term relation- gain insight into how individual eikaiwa teachers ship with a Japanese national, or have you ever been teach and how they interact with their students. married to or in a long-term relationship with a Japanese Questionnaire surveys distributed to a greater national? number of teachers could uncover reasons why 2. What is your nationality? these teachers are in Japan, what their level of 3. How old are you? education and experience is, and how they carry 4. What prefecture do you live in? out language teaching in their various teaching contexts. It would also be interesting to survey 5. How many years have you been teaching English in Japan? and interview eikaiwa students to determine the 6. On average, how many classes per week do you teach? impact of eikaiwa on their language learning. Such 7. How many students do you currently have? investigation into this type of language pedagogy 8. Where do you teach? is necessary to broaden our understanding of how 9. What kind of students do you teach? English is taught and learned in Japan. 10. Please describe your educational background. 11. Please describe your current teaching situation. References 12. What do you think are the “pros” of your English teaching Bailey, K. (2007). Akogare, ideology, and ‘charisma situation? What do you like about it? man’ mythology: reflections on ethnographic 13. What do you think are the “cons” of your English teaching research in English language schools in Japan. situation? What do you dislike about it? Gender, Place & Culture, 14(5), 585-608. 14. Do you have any comments about your relationships with Bazeley, P. (2007). Qualitative data analysis with your students? NVivo. London: SAGE Publications. 15. Do you have any comments about the income you earn Bueno, E. P., & Caesar, T. (Eds.). (2003). I wouldn’t from language teaching? want anybody to know: Native English teaching in 16. How has your English teaching situation changed over Japan. Tokyo: JPGS Press. time? If so, in what ways? How have you adapted to the changes? Kubota, R. (2011). Learning a foreign language as 17. Do you have, or have you ever had a student that you leisure and consumption: Enjoyment, desire, could consider to be a “successful” English learner? If so, and the business of eikaiwa. International Journal of please describe that students and what you think hap- Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 14(4), 473-488. pened to make that student successful. Miles, M. B., & Huberman, M. (1994). Qualitative 18. How do you balance your English teaching with your fam- data analysis: An expanded source book (2nd ed.). ily and private life? Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publishing. 19. If you could change anything about your current teaching Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. (2005). situation, what would you change? 2005 Survey on Selected Service Industries. 20. If you have any comments or thoughts about teaching Retrieved from .

THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 37.1 • January / February 2013 7 advert The Language Teacher • FEATURE ARTICLE | 9

The multipurpose entrance examination: Beliefs of expatriate ELT faculty

Entrance examinations for Japanese universi- Melodie Cook ties have come under fire from various sources for having a negative influence on communicative language teaching (Cook, University of Niigata Prefecture 2010; Sakui, 2004; Sato & Kleinsasser, 2004), for being less valid and reliable than any tertiary-level expatriate ELT faculty members in they could be (Brown, 2000; Leonard, 1998; Murphey, 2004), and for largely not Japan participate, alongside their local colleagues, having been written by experts (Aspinall, M in entrance examination creation. However, many 2005). While these criticisms may be valid expatriate teachers express dissatisfaction with their institu- to some extent, it is important to realize tion’s tests, mainly because they believe that these examina- that university entrance exams may only tions fail to function as language tests should, in other words, marginally serve pedagogical purposes; their to provide pedagogically-useful information. The English economic, social, and public relations func- portions of entrance examinations have been criticised tions may, in some cases, even outweigh widely in the literature for a seeming lack of validity and educationally-related concerns. This paper reliability (Brown, 2000; Leonard, 1998; Murphey, 2004), for presents some initial findings from an ex- their influence on how English is taught in Japan, especially ploratory Japan-wide study of tertiary-level, expatriate English teachers’ perceptions of to the detriment of communicative language teaching (Cook, entrance examination creation (specifically 2010; Sakui, 2004; Sato & Kleinsasser, 2004), and because they with regard to the English portion) and are not constructed by testing experts (Aspinall, 2005). results reveal that these tests may be fulfill- In general, expatriate ELT faculty members in Japan are ing more functions than we might at first likely to come from integrationist academic cultures (Hol- expect. liday, 1992) which are “skills-based, task-based, participatory, process-oriented, problem-solving, and consultative” (p. 228). 日本の大学入試は、「コミュニカティブ・ランゲー In addition, these teachers tend to possess, at the minimum, ジ・ティーチングに負の影響を持つ」（Cook, 2010; Sakui, 2004; Sato & Kleinsasser, 2004）、「妥当 an MA in TESL and are likely to have taken courses in testing 性・信頼性に欠ける」(Brown, 2000; Leonard, and assessment as part of their graduate school requirements. 1998; Murphey, 2004)、「概して専門家によって作 In graduate school, they may be taught for example, that 成されていない」(Aspinall, 2005)、など、様々な研究から批判を浴びてきた。これらの批判はある程 language tests should serve one of four purposes (Hughes, 度妥当かもしれないが、大学入学試験における教 2003): to test proficiency by measuring people’s “ability in a 育的な目的の役割はごくわずかに過ぎないと認識 language, regardless of any training they may have had in することが重要である。入試の経済的・社会的・広報的機能が、場合によっては、教育関連の関心を上 that language” (p 11); to evaluate the achievement of people 回ることさえある。本論では、日本全国の高等教育 or courses, by assessing how they succeed at fulfilling 機関に従事する外国人英語教師の入試問題作成（ language-course-related objectives; to diagnose or identify 特に英語の試験）への認識に関する探索的研究か “learners’ strengths and weaknesses… primarily to ascertain ら得られた初期の調査結果を提示し、その結果、入試が当初の予想以上に多くの機能を果たす可能性 what learning still needs to take place” (p. 15); or to place があることを明らかにする。 candidates, in which case tests “… are intended to provide information that will help place students at the stage (or in the part) of the teaching programme most appropriate to

THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 37.1 • January / February 2013 The Language Teacher • Feature Article

their abilities” (p. 16). In other words, graduate purposes does English on entrance examinations students are likely to be taught that language serve?” tests should serve primarily pedagogical purposes. Method However, in Japan, language tests used as entrance examinations seem to have additional Data were collected using snowball sampling non-pedagogical functions as well. According to (Dornyei, 2003) over a three-month period via literature on entrance examinations in Japan in online survey and then by follow-up open-ended particular, these tests may also serve social, eco- interviews. The 15 respondents who agreed to nomic, and political purposes (LoCastro, 1990), participate in a follow-up were interviewed via demonstrate a university’s status and selectivity Skype, telephone, or in person. For this study, (Blumenthal, 1992; LoCastro, 1990; Shimahara, Cresswell’s (2009) generic guide for analysis and 1978), and indirectly measure students’ diligence interpretation was followed. Responses men- (Frost, 1991; LoCastro, 1990) and intelligence tioned in this paper were follow-up answers to (Kariya & Dore, 2006; LoCastro, 1990). It is survey questions Q34: “What do you think the likely that these purposes are familiar to local purpose of your university’s English portion of (Japanese) ELT faculty, who tend to come from the entrance examination SHOULD BE?” Q35: a collectionist academic culture (Holliday, 1992) “What do you think the purpose of your uni- which is subject-oriented and hierarchical, and versity’s English portion of the entrance exami- who have been raised in Japan and gone through nation IS?” Q36: “Do you think the majority of the Japanese educational system. Shimahara Japanese English-teaching faculty agree with (1978), in writing about a much earlier version of your opinions?” and Q39: “What do you believe the Center Test, stated explicitly that the test “is would improve the effectiveness of the English an arbitrary device for social placement (emphasis portion of your university’s entrance examina- mine), rather than a pedagogical instrument” tion?” (p. 263). However, how clear is this to expatriate ELT colleagues who haven’t been raised and Participants schooled in Japan? Thus, the research question Table 1 provides brief biographical informa- guiding this particular study was “According to tion for those who participated in the follow-up expatriate ELT university faculty members, what interviews.

Table 1. Biographical information of participants

Pseudonym Nationality Highest level of education attained Years teaching in Japan Type of university Austin British PhD Linguistics 6-10 Technical College Cabby American MA Education 11-20 Private Cheryl American PhD Applied Linguistics 11-20 Private David American MA TESL 11-20 Private Debbie American PhD Linguistics 30-40 National Diogenes American MA TESOL 31-40 Private Jack Australian M.Ed. Language and Literacy 1-5 National Education Joe Canadian MSc. Applied Linguistics 11-20 National Mauve American MA Comparative Literature and 6-10 Private Alternative Education Mike British MA 11-20 Private Paul British MA Modern Languages 21-30 Private Phil American M.Ed. TESOL 1-5 National Sam Canadian M.Ed. TESOL 1-5 Private Sarah British MSc TESOL 11-20 Private Steve American MA TESOL 1-5 Private

10 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • Cook: The multipurpose entrance examination: Beliefs of expatriate ELT faculty

Results I remember that coming up at a meeting Minority report: Entrance examinations DO where we were, somebody was trying to de- serve pedagogical purposes cide whether to fail someone… and the point was made, “Well, they passed our English For a few participants creating the English exam, so we know they can handle… the cur- portion of their institution’s entrance examina- riculum here.” And I was thinking, “We don’t tions, there seemed to be congruence between know any such thing!” the kinds of test purposes that are commonly studied at graduate school and the tests created at their institutions. For example, Paul said he Not for achievement believed that questions on his university exam Other participants said they felt entrance ex- were based on the English textbooks the major- ams do not assess what is learned in secondary ity of his institution’s applicants were known schools. For instance, Jack lamented the lack of to have used, because in his case, his institution relationship between the test and the high school explicitly knew which high schools’ students curriculum, in other words, that his institution would be sitting the test. In other words, it was not viewing its entrance examination as an seemed to Paul that the test was testing students’ achievement test. It seemed to be, in his opin- achievement. Sarah and Cheryl also felt that ion, constructed by teachers who “…obviously their respective institutions strove to ascertain if weren’t very familiar with what had been going students had retained what they learned in high on for the previous five or ten years in the high school. Sarah said, “… when we did create the school curriculum.” This sentiment was echoed test together that was the feeling I got, that they by Mauve: “Judging from their selection of (en- were very carefully checking what the students trance examination) texts, that they’re asking for were supposed to have learned and the test was the students now, I don’t get the impression they to show if they had done that.” Cheryl also said have much idea of what goes on in high school.” that most of the test creators were familiar with Achievement, according to Mike, is difficult to high school English class’ contents and attempt- assess because the levels of language required, ed to ensure that at least the vocabulary on the in his opinion, of “all universities” are generally exam was familiar to test takers. beyond the true ability of Japanese high school students: Majority report: Entrance examinations DON’T serve pedagogical purposes I think, as far as I can tell, all the universities use reading passages that are way above the However, the majority of the other respondents reading level of students, right? So, the issue explicitly said that they believed their institu- is really how much higher is it than the actual tions’ examinations purposes had no pedagog- reading level of the students who are taking ically-related function. In particular, they said it. Like, I’ve heard at __ City University, they that their exams were not testing proficiency, use texts of a reading level of 9. That means a achievement, or placement. native speaker in year 9. Which is massively above… the average Japanese reading level is Not for proficiency at about 4 or 5. Several participants did not see the entrance This sentiment is echoed by Phil, who related examinations at their institutions as proficiency that it would be difficult to assess students’ tests. Debbie, for one, felt that her institution’s achievement in high school if that curriculum test was “…not about English ability exactly… were not sufficiently covered, especially with so the questions are not really designed to see regard to the higher-ranking universities in how proficient a person is at English” (accord- Japan. Joe confidently asserted that at his institu- ing to her definition of “proficiency” which she tion at least, achievement or communicative acknowledged may be different from that of English was definitely not what was being asher local colleagues). Cheryl also said that she sessed: “It’s not for real-world English; it’s not an didn’t feel that her institution’s test assessed achievement test based on high school English...” proficiency, although she did think there was an Achievement in English did not seem to be the assumption among non-English-teaching faculty, goal at Steve’s institution either. “It doesn’t really however, that the test did indeed assess it: feel like they care too much about how much has actually been retained in regard to English.”

THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 37.1 • January / February 2013 11 The Language Teacher • Feature Article

Not for placement ing. There’s certain elements of the test that A few participants said they felt entrance exami- have to be translated … and that’s a very nations did not aid in placing students in classes. typical kind of question on tests. However, if Jack believed that his institution’s test was the students can’t understand the general, the clearly not for placement, although he felt that overall reading itself, they cannot translate “a lot of people make a very foolish assumption” very well.” about entrance examinations being so. Joe, too, According to her, students’ ability to suc- said explicitly that he felt his institution’s test cessfully “turn English back into Japanese” is was “not as placement.” considered to be clearly linked to intellectual prowess. Joe felt that the purpose of his institu- Entrance examination purposes tion’s entrance examination was to determine if potential students could “handle academic work Participants did, however, cite a host of other in English at the university level”: purposes of entrance examinations at their institutions, such as to see how well students could I would say it’s for … especially a national perform on tests, to reveal students’ IQ levels, to university … one of the purposes is to indi- provide funding for institutions through test ap- cate if the students are academically capable. plication fees, to stratify students in society, and Secondly, it should in some way show that the to promote institutions to the public. student is cognitively prepared or able to deal with … being an academic, being a student at Tests of test-taking skill a university, so we want to see that cognitive Some respondents, such as Phil, felt that entrance skills and basic intelligence come through. So examinations were designed to see how well stu- it’s really ways of showing that you can han- dents could perform on tests, likening learning dle English at an academic tertiary level and test-taking skills to learning how to dance: that you’re prepared for it psychologically. A lot of them (students) will waste a lot of Sources of revenue time just studying test-taking skills and … A large number of expatriate ELT faculty you really don’t want to study something, members, such as Diogenes and Phil, said there’s a way to get around through guessing, they believed that “the test fee is an important you can spend a lot of time just figuring out contribution” and “a payoff for the school.” how to do well on the test. You know, think Austin, who at the time of this study worked of it as a dance. You don’t really have to have at a lower-ranked technical college, believed a good sense of rhythm if you know which that this was the only reason for his university’s technical movements to do. entrance examination, saying that “the kids pay about 10,000 yen or something. I don’t know Indicators of intellectual ability and/or academic how much it is; they pay a lot to do the test, and potential they’re not being tested.” David offered a similar response as well, quoting a similar fee. Mike esti- Some respondents felt that entrance exams may mated that between 15,000-20,000 students took be used to demonstrate students’ overall intellec- his university’s test each year at around 25,000 tual ability and to predict their academic achieve- yen per test. ment in university. Debbie and Joe, both teaching At the other end of the spectrum was Cabby, at highly-ranked tertiary institutions, believed working at a failing institution he described as that the purpose of English on their entrance ex- “not very competitive.” He said that the test aminations is to determine students’ overall intel- fees collected from prospective students hoping lectual ability as well as their potential to succeed to enter the few remaining still-healthy depart- in an academic environment. At Debbie’s institu- ments at his university helped compensate for tion, giving students translation questions was those which were ailing, such as the English considered the best way by the local members of department: the English department to determine this: Now the childhood education department … It’s a test of intellectual ability and … the test the junior-college level of the four-year faculty has a couple of relatively-long readings … as well, I think 125 seats is their maximum and and the students translate parts of the read- they fill up every year. They might turn away 12 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • Cook: The multipurpose entrance examination: Beliefs of expatriate ELT faculty

15-25 students each year, and a few of those Cheryl said that she’d heard from some might end up in the English department, but people at her institution that “We don’t actually other than that, there’s no department that’s need the test, but we have to have one for PR hitting the maximum number of seats allowed. purposes.” Similarly, Austin told me that at his And so it’s to collect (fees); they’ll take anyone former failing institution there really was no now. The test fees are important for the school. selectivity, so the test day was used as a time for test interviewers to “tell the students all the good points about the school.” Paul, more intimately Tools for social stratification connected with the PR process at his institution, For Mike and Steve, entrance examinations said he believed that the test’s purpose was to served a primarily gate-keeping function. Ac- communicate with potential students: cording to Mike: I’ve always seen that the test needs to com- … the tests have only one purpose, which is to municate with its target audience and that’s get students who are at a certain level overall where the akahon (Red Book containing past in maths, English, and so on, because they add tests) became so important because the target up the scores together, right? You don’t get in audience became the jukus (cram schools) and based on English. You get in based on three the high school teachers who would advise subjects or five subjects. So, it’s just to distin- students to come to our school. guish between them so that, you know, the A As a response to falling enrolment numbers ranking university gets the top 5% and then and a corresponding decline in ability levels, his next one down. There’s no other function. institution decided to change its focus in order to Sam echoed this sentiment, using the TOEFL attract larger numbers of potential students: test and its purpose abroad to contrast the situa- Our primary consideration was not, “Is this tion in Japanese universities as well as the use of the right level of difficulty for students com- language tests in Japan as gate-keeping tools by ing to take the test?” because then we would employers: have set a test that was so ridiculously easy that we would do nothing for the reputation This other thing, too, is entrance exams for for- of the school. Our consideration was “how eign universities are, at least… recently, they’re does this look in the akahon?” and then we’ll supposed to determine whether students are find a way to admit people. able to do the kind of tasks they would be doing if they entered the university, right? And This might explain why Diogenes felt prevented that’s what the new TOEFL’s supposed to be from introducing questions on his university’s doing, testing the ability to do university work, examination which he felt would truly reflect right? But for university entrance exams in the actual ability of the usual applicants to his Japan, I don’t think it’s that at all. … and you institution. When he “submitted some easier have English exams for companies, for jobs questions that [he] thought reflected the abilities of where the person will never be required to use the students … that didn’t work.” Thus, perhaps it. It’s just a way to separate people. one of the most important functions of entrance examinations is to promote the image of the school. Tools for public relations Conclusion Interestingly, the most commonly-cited purpose mentioned by respondents was that entrance As this exploratory study seems to indicate, exams were generally used to promote their insti- expatriate ELT university faculty seem to under- tutions. Some participants said that because of a stand, as literature on entrance examinations in decline in applicants, almost any prospective stu- Japan suggests, that entrance examinations at dent who took the entrance examination would Japanese universities serve a myriad of pur- be guaranteed a seat at the school. In other words, poses, many of them unrelated to pedagogy. One these institutions did not face a problem of select- purpose, to promote the image of the univer- ing, but rather attracting prospective students. sity, appears to stand out as one of the primary “Did they really need an examination?,” I asked. reasons why these examinations exist, even at According to Jack, “If the university doesn’t have universities that may, in reality, not require them. a test, it can’t call itself a university.” Perhaps expatriate ELT faculty feel critical about the English portion of entrance examinations THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 37.1 • January / February 2013 13 The Language Teacher • Feature Article because what they have learned about language Creswell, J. W. (2009). Research Design: Qualita- test development may have focused exclusively tive, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches on the pedagogical aspects of language testing (3rd ed.). California: SAGE Publications. while ignoring the sociocultural contexts in Dornyei, Z. (2003). Questionnaires in second which language testing takes. Further research language research: Construction, administration needs to be done in order to determine how to and processing. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum incorporate a broader perspective into language Associates, Publishers. testing courses. In any case, it must also be Frost, P. (1991). “Examination hell.” In E. R. acknowledged that in Japan, as well as in other Beauchamp (Ed.), Windows on Japanese education countries, examinations serve a much wider range (pp. 291-305). New York: Greenwood Press. of purposes, and whether we agree with them Holliday, A. (1992). Intercompetence: Sources or not, if we hope to introduce improvements or of conflict between local and expatriate ELT innovations, we would have a better chance of personnel. System , 77(2), 223-234. success if we could convince our local ELT col- Hughes, A. (2003). Testing for language teachers (2nd leagues that such improvements would advance ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. the overall reputation of our institutions. Kachru, B. (1992). The other tongue: English across It may also be important for expatriate ELT cultures. Urbana: University of Illinois Press. faculty to more critically think about the kinds Kariya, T., & Dore, R. (2006). Japan at the meri- of recommendations for test design that they tocracy frontier: From here, where? The Political are taught in graduate school, especially if they Quarterly, 77, 134-156. study at inner circle institutions but work in outer or expanding circle countries (Kachru, Leonard, T. J. (1998). Japanese university 1992). What works in such teachers’ home cul- entrance examinations: An interview with tures, where most pedagogical recommendations Dr. J.D. Brown (Publication). Retrieved from originate, may be applicable only to a limited ex- . faculty are mindful of the culture in which they LoCastro, V. (1990). The English in Japanese uni- live and the purposes to which these tests are versity entrance examinations: A sociocultural ultimately put, and if they keep in mind that any analysis. World Englishes, 9(3), 343-354. changes they suggest need to take into account Murphey, T. (2004). Participation, (dis-)identifica- the multi-functional nature of entrance examination, and Japanese university entrance exams. tions in Japan, they may have a greater chance at TESOL Quarterly, 38(4), 700-710. improving their institution’s tests (that is to say Sakui, K. (2004). Wearing two pairs of shoes: Lan- making them more pedagogically sound), should guage teaching in Japan. ELT Journal, 58(2), 155-163. not only they, but also local ELT faculty, deem it Sato, K., & Kleinsasser, R. C. (2004). Beliefs, prac- necessary and worthwhile to do so. tices, and interactions of teachers in a Japanese high school English department. Teaching and References Teacher Education, 20, 97-816. Shimahara, N. K. (1978). Socialisation for college Aspinall, R. (2005). University entrance in Japan. entrance examinations in Japan. Comparative In J. S. Eades, R. Goodman & Y. Hada (Eds.), Education, 14(3), 253-266. The ‘big bang’ in Japanese higher education (pp. 199-218). Melbourne: Trans Pacific Press. Blumenthal, T. (1992). Japan’s juken industry. Melodie Cook has been Asian Survey, 32(5), 448-460. teaching at the tertiary level Brown, J. D. (2000). University entrance examina- in Japan for 16 years. Her tions: Strategies for creating positive washback research interests include on English language teaching in Japan. Shiken: language teacher education in JALT Testing and Evaluation SIG Newsletter, 3(2), Japan, entrance examinations 2-7. as perceived by non-Japanese language teachers, and the Cook, M. (2010). Offshore outsourcing in-service use of supplementary educa- teacher education: The long-term effects of a tion (cram school) by interna- four-month pedagogical program on Japanese tional families in Japan. She can be contacted at teachers of English. TESL Canada Journal, 28(1), Melodie Cook . 60-76.

THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • READERS’ FORUM | 15

Initiation, preservation, and retrospection: The role of CLT in the L2 motivational process

This paper examines the role Com- Jonathan David Brown municative Language Teaching (CLT), a popular language teaching approach, plays in second-language (L2) motivation by University of Yamanashi analyzing the characteristics of CLT in tandem with the motivational process. Using Dörnyei and Ottó’s (1998) model of L2 narguably, motivation plays an important role in motivation as a framework, three major education and its effects on language learning have components of motivation are identified: been well documented (see Dörnyei, 2005; Gardner (1) initiation, (2) preservation, and (3) ret- U rospection. Based on these components, & Lambert, 1972; Krashen & Terrel, 1983; Sternberg, 2002). the role CLT plays at the various stages of Though motivation is only one variable determining the L2 motivational process, as identified language learning success, research has shown that it is by Dörnyei and Ottó (1998), through particularly important because of its ability to compensate initiation, preservation, and retrospec- for deficiencies in learners’ aptitudes (Gardner & Lambert, tion is investigated. In doing so, this study 1972). What is of greatest concern to teachers, however, is the presents evidence of the importance CLT fact that motivation can be manipulated—it is not fixed but plays in fostering students’ motivation, dynamic in nature (Dörnyei, 2005). This presents teachers thereby advocating its effectiveness in with both the opportunity and responsibility to facilitate stu- ESL/EFL classrooms in Japan. dents’ motivation, and, when done properly, assure learning success. Perhaps one of the most obvious and effective ways 本論は、第2言語(L2)学習の一般的な語学教授法であるコミュニカティブ・ランゲージ・テ of accomplishing this is through implementation of teaching ィーチング(CLT)の役割を、動機づけの過程 methods and approaches that assist in motivating students. と並行してその特徴を説明することで検証した。Dörnyei & Ottó (1998)のL2学習における The purpose of this study is to examine an approach that 動機づけを枠組みとして使用し、動機づけの3 appears to be particularly adept at this: Communicative つの主要な構成要素を（1）始まり、（2）維持、 Language Teaching, or CLT (Bingham, 1997; Hiep, 2007; （3）回顧と識別した。これらの構成要素を基盤 Rabbini & Diem, 2006). To demonstrate the role CLT plays とし、L2学習の動機づけの様々な段階における CLTの役割を研究した。本論では、CLTが生徒 in L2 motivation, this study examines motivation in tandem のやる気を育てるのに重要な役割を担うことを with the components of CLT along a continuum. In doing so, 例証し、日本のESL/EFLクラスに効果的である theoretical corroboration is found that advocates the impor- ことを論じる。 tance CLT plays in fostering motivation and its effectiveness in ESL/EFL classrooms in Japan.

THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 37.1 • January / February 2013 The Language Teacher • Readers’ Forum

Communicative Language Teaching Swain, 1984; Norris & Ortega, 2000; Spada, 1997; The theory of communicative competence Savignon, 1972). Moreover, CLT views errors as an indication of learning progress and a basis on The approach of CLT is based on the theory of which to develop procedures which assist in im- communicative competence. First proposed by proving those areas (Lightbown & Spada, 2006). Hymes (1972), the theory of communicative This suggests that CLT is not meant to function competence claims that to effectively communi- as a lone approach but rather in collaboration cate in a language, one must know how to use with other methods to address learners’ weak- the language appropriately in regards to social nesses without criticizing or condemning them and situational contexts. Though definitions of for mistakes. communicative competence may vary slightly (see Breen & Candlin, 1980; Canale & Swain, 1980; Savignon, 1972, 1991, 2001), most agree that Motivation communication should be central to comprehen- According to the above description, it is easy to sion and production and should determine both envisage how CLT might contribute to the foster- the content and mode of learning. CLT emerged ing of motivation among L2 learners; however, from this postulation. Therefore, CLT’s goal is in order to form a more authoritative basis for not simply to improve language skills, but to this view, it is necessary to establish a practicable demonstrate the interdependence between com- definition of motivation with which to proceed. munication and language (Richards & Rodgers, The trouble is, however, motivation is a very 2001). This is accomplished through classroom complex psychological phenomenon with count- procedures that provide meaningful communica- less facets and is nearly impossible to thoroughly tive interactions. define within the limits of a single model. Even so, this does not mean that it is impossible to The importance of meaningful interaction know what motivation looks like. In fact, according to Gardner (2005), a motivated person is CLT appreciates, however, that for a communi- identifiable in terms of two telltale conducts: (a) cative interaction to be meaningful, it must be engagement in a goal-directed activity and (b) directly relevant to the learner beyond the class- expenditure of effort to reach that goal. room. Accordingly, development of communicative activities should be genuine for the learner. Moreover, CLT activities are designed to be coop- The dynamic nature of motivation erative not competitive. Because communication As Gardner (2005) explains, however, what competence requires reciprocal actions, activities complicates matters is that a goal can give rise to should not pit students against one another but motivation within most anyone, but individual encourage teamwork. In this way, students and differences are found in what one does after their needs come before syllabi’s objectives and becoming motivated; in other words, the extent emphasis is placed on structure in the function of to which effort is expended differs from person language, rather than structure for the service of to person. Furthermore, a number of studies the function. have shown that motivation can lose its intensity, particularly in school contexts (see Benson, 1991; Meaning and correctness Berwick & Ross, 1989; Dörnyei 2005; Tachibana, Matsukawa, & Zhong, 1996), demonstrating that Critics of CLT, however, argue that exclusive motivation is continuously fluctuating (Dörnyei, emphasis on communication and lack of explicit 2005). This suggests that motivation must not instruction and correction could lead to early only be initiated at some point, but must also be fossilization of errors (Lightbown & Spada, sustained from its point of instigation until the 2006), but to claim CLT is centered exclusively goal is acquired. From this perspective, motiva- on meaning is somewhat of an exaggeration. tion can be viewed as a process. Though CLT regards errors as less important, proponents of CLT do not recommend entirely abandoning the components of language. In fact, Motivation as a process most studies have shown CLT positively contrib- The idea of motivation as a process is not a new utes to L2 learners’ fluency and communicative concept. Dörnyei and Ottó (1998) define moti- abilities when implemented alongside form- vation as “the dynamically changing cumula- focused instruction (see Genesee, 1987; Harley & tive arousal in a person that initiates, directs,

16 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • Brown: Initiation, preservation, and retrospection: The role of CLT in the L2 motivational process coordinates, amplifies, terminates and evaluates large majority of Japanese junior high and high the cognitive and the motor processes whereby school students (LoCastro, 1996; Morrow, 1987). initial wishes and desires are selected, prior- Therefore, despite the fact that examinations are itized, operationalized and acted out” (p. 65), capable of giving rise to motivation, initiation and derived a process model from this definition cannot be maintained; as a result, exams should that identifies three stages within the evolution not be considered a suitable method by which of motivation: to initiate—let alone—preserve the motivational 1. Preactional Stage – The learner must choose process. CLT, on the other hand, can help fulfill or have a reason to pursue a specific goal or these factors in two ways. task. Firstly, CLT is designed to be incorporated 2. Actional Stage – The learner’s attention and into other curricula as a way to better meet the interest on the task at hand must be “main- individual needs of learners, so that everything tained” and “protected.” students need to know to enter university can still be covered, while at the same time the focus 3. Postactional Stage – The learner reflects back of the class is being shifted to the learner (Savi- on his or her past experiences, which often gnon, 2001). Because of this, the student has the determine the learner’s future motivation. opportunity to choose why he or she is pursuing The first stage implies an act of initiation— English (in addition to examinations) and what there must be a rationale behind the desire to he or she would like to focus on in that pursuit, pursue and a decision to commence the pursuit. initiating the L2 motivational process. Secondly, The second stage suggests preservation, in that because the student is studying for his or her the individual must have a desire, will, or drive own “self-perceived goal” beyond the purpose of to continue towards that goal and consequently passing an examination, CLT effectively sustains preserve the pursuit. The third and final stage him or her while at the preactional stage, which addresses retrospection. At this stage, the con- easily leads the learner into the actional stage. cept that past experiences can dictate reactions towards the L2 and L2 community and thereby affect any future interactions is recognized. Preservation: Actional Stage Using this model as a framework then, we can Because of the rather long span of time it takes define motivation as a dynamic process of (1) to acquire a language, maintaining and preserv- initiation, (2) preservation, and (3) retrospection. ing students’ motivation is an important aspect Armed with this understanding, let us now of learning English (Dörnyei, 2005). Though CLT explore how CLT assists to bring about and carry may present a way from stage one to stage two, learners through this process. the responsibility of holding students’ interest in English rests on the shoulders of the teacher. CLT in the motivational process This, however, does not mean CLT is ineffective at preservation; only that the teacher must Initiation: Preactional Stage consider appropriate ways to implement the The Japanese Ministry of Education curriculum approach to sustain motivation. guidelines states the goals for English instruc- As discussed earlier, activities in CLT should tion in Japan are “to develop students’ ability to be genuine and authentic so that students feel understand and express themselves” (as cited in they are applicable to their lives. In Japan, for Savignon, 2001); nevertheless, much of the focus example, ordering at a restaurant in English is in ESL/EFL classrooms remains on grammatical generally not considered an “authentic” task and and lexical aspects without any meaningful pur- therefore would not be effective at preserving pose behind the tasks (Brown, 2004). Of course, most students’ motivation since such a task this is largely due in part to the exam-centered lacks practical applicability for them. Addition- type of education that is prevalent in Japan. ally, conversational English may be useful for Passing an exam can certainly motivate a students who regularly experience intercultural student initially, but the fact is this motivation contact (Kormos & Csizér, 2007), but the reality is will inevitably lose momentum—it cannot that direct direct contact with English-speaking maintain itself. Once the exam is completed, foreigners is minimal for the majority of motivation is often lost because the student was Japanese. This does not suggest, however, that only motivated for this one purpose: passing Japanese are not exposed to English. In fact, the exam (Takanashi, 1991). This is the case for a Japanese are regularly exposed to what Kormos

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and Csizér (2007) term, “L2 cultural products.” and indecipherable pronunciation as negative Teachers in Japan can take advantage of this. motivational factors. Foreign television programs, movies, and As Dörnyei (2005) explains, students who fail music enjoy great popularity among Japanese. because of what they believe to be the result of Implementing these sorts of cultural products their own ability or lack thereof, are generally into the CLT classroom can be one effective way reluctant to continue learning a L2, resulting of preserving, as well as increasing, learners’ in the motivational process petering out at this interests in English, and, thereby, their motiva- point. This can be truly devastating to a learner’s tion to study and learn. And, because English motivation because, if this occurs, it is unlikely is a foreign language in Japan, indirect contact, the process will be reinitiated in the future. CLT, that is, contact with “cultural products,” is however, can assure that this does not happen. much more likely to occur. As a result, students’ Because CLT should operate at only one step motivation will be more easily maintained and beyond the learner’s level—in accordance with protected than with tasks that do not represent Krashen’s (1981) Input Hypothesis, which authentic experiences with the language (Kor- states that acquisition occurs when L2 learners mos & Csizér, 2007). receive comprehensible input (i+1), i represent- Furthermore, exposure to such cultural prod- ing language competence and +1 representing ucts has a profound effect on learners’ perspec- input above this level—a learner should never tives and attitudes (Kormos & Csizér, 2007). feel incapable in a CLT classroom. Furthermore, According to Gardner (1982, 2005), attitude is due to CLT’s focus on communicative interac- important because it dictates one’s reactions tion over correctness, students’ participation towards the L2 and L2 community, and those in the activities, rather than their performance, reactions are usually determined by past experi- should take center stage in regards to student ences with the L2. By presenting students with assessment. This eliminates the need for formal positive interactions with the target language, grading where students are made aware of each CLT assists in both preserving motivation and and every mistake. Instead, CLT teachers can providing experiences on which students can focus on students’ strengths and build their favorably reflect, thereby ushering in the third confidence, thereby providing students with a and final stage of the L2 motivational process: positive experience, rather than one in which the postactional stage. they feel is representative of their failures and poor abilities. Retrospection: Postactional Stage Conclusion The majority of Japanese ESL/EFL learners are aware of the importance of English in today’s In this paper we have explored how CLT creates ever-globalizing world. In fact, most Japanese an interest and excites students about English hold bilingualism in high regard and consider it by focusing on the learners and their needs to be a highly attractive attribute, and more and and desires, providing them with meaningful more domestic companies are requiring their purposes for learning beyond extrinsic factors employees to be proficient in a foreign language, such as passing an examination, thereby initiat- usually English. Yet despite these positive ing the preactional stage of L2 motivation. We perspectives/attitudes, it is not uncommon for have also seen that CLT preserves that interest learners to continue to wrestle with their nega- and excitement among students at the actional tive past experiences with English. stage by considering students’ direct and indirect In her study of unsuccessful language learners, exposure to English and creating authentic tasks Nikolov (2001) found that, in spite of a favorable accordingly. Lastly, we have observed how CLT view of speaking foreign languages, participants offers students an enjoyable experience that they struggled to get past the adverse learning condi- can look back on favorably and, in turn, preserve tions one must suffer through to learn those that motivation to learn English in future activi- languages. Japanese often acknowledge English ties at the postactional stage. By taking indi- as a useful language to know, but complain vidual learners’ abilities into account and never about how difficult it is to learn. Many grow overwhelming them or exceeding their levels, disillusioned with English, citing rote memoriza- CLT can help to encourage students in their tion of vocabulary, overly complicated grammar, pursuit of L2 acquisition. Observing CLT in the context with the motivational process, as identi-

18 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • Brown: Initiation, preservation, and retrospection: The role of CLT in the L2 motivational process fied by Dörnyei and Ottó (1998), we have come Genesee, F. (1987). Learning through two languages. to a better understanding of the role CLT plays in Rowley, Mass: Newbury House motivation. Furthermore, we have demonstrated Harley, B., & Swain, M. (1984). The interlanguage and identified not only why CLT is effective at of immersion students and its implications motivating students, but also in what ways it is for second language teaching. In A. Davies, C. effective. In doing so, this study has presented Criper, & A. Howatt (Eds.), Interlanguage (pp. the advantages of applying CLT in ESL/EFL 291-311). Edinburgh: Edinburgh University classrooms in Japan. Press. Hiep, P. H. (2007). Communicative language References teaching; unity within diversity. ELT Journal, Benson, M. (1991). Attitudes and motivation 61(3), 193-201. towards English: A survey of Japanese fresh- Hymes, D. (1972). On communicative commen. RELC Journal, 22(1), 34-48. petence. In J. B. Pride & J. Holmes (Eds.), Berwick, R., & Ross, S. (1989). Motivation after Sociolinguistics (pp. 269–93). Harmondsworth: matriculation: Are Japanese learners of English Penguin. still alive after exam hell? JALT Journal, 11(2), Kormos, J., & Csizér, K. (2007). An interview 193-210. study of inter-cultural contact and its role Bingham, A.L. (1997). A case for using CLT with in language learning in a foreign language Japanese university English conversations environment. System, 35, 241-258. students. TESL Reporter, 30(1), 34-41. Krashen, S. D. (1981). Second language acquisition Breen, M., & Candlin, C. (1980). The essentials and second language learning. Oxford: Pergamon of a communicative curriculum in language Press. teaching. Applied Linguistics, 1(2), 89-112. Krashen, S. D., & Terrell, T. D. (1983). The natural Brown, R. A. (2004). Motivation for learning approach: Language acquisition in the classroom. English among Japanese university students. London: Prentice Hall Europe. Bunkyo University Journal, 13. Retrieved from Lightbown, P. M., & Spada, N. (2006) How . University Press. Canale, M., & Swain, M. (1980). Theoretical bases of communicative approaches to second language teaching and testing. Applied Linguis- tics, 1(1), 1-47. Dörnyei, Z. (2005). The psychology of the language JALTCALL 2013 learner. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Dörnyei, Z., & Ottó, I. (1998). Motivation in ac- Conference & tion: A process model of L2 motivation.Working Papers in Applied Linguistics:Vol. 4 (pp. 43-69). 6th ER Seminar London: Thames Valley University. Gardner, R. C. (1982). Language Attitudes and May 31-Jun 2, 2013 Language Learning. In E. Bouchard Ryan & H. Giles (Eds.), Attitudes towards language varia- Shinshu University, tion (pp. 132-147). London: Edward Arnold. Matsumoto, Nagano-ken Gardner, R. C. (2005). Integrative Motivation and • Call for Proposals open now! Second Language Acquisition. Canadian Asso- ciation of Applied Linguistics/Canadian Linguistics • Email: [email protected]; Association Joint Plenary Talk. Retrieved from [email protected] . Gardner, R. C., & Lambert, W. (1972). Attitudes and motivation in second-language learning. Rowley, MA: Newbury House.

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LoCastro, V. (1996). English language education Sternberg, R. J. (2002). The theory of successful in Japan. In H. Coleman (Ed.), Society and the intelligence and its implications for language language classroom (pp. 40-68), Cambridge: aptitude testing. In P. Robinson (Ed.), Individual Cambridge University Press. differences and instructed language learning (pp. Morrow, P. R. (1987). The users and uses of 13-44). Amsterdam: Benjamins. English in Japan, World Englishes, 6, 49-62. Tachibana, Y., Matsukawa, R., & Zhong, Q. X. Nikolov, M. (2001). A study of unsuccessful (1996). Attitudes and motivation for learn- language learners. In Z. Dörnyei & R. Schmidt ing English: A cross-national comparison of (Eds.), Motivation and second language acquisi- Japanese and Chinese high school students. tion (pp. 147-167). Honolulu, HI: University of Psychological Reports, 79, 691-700. Hawai’i Press. Takanashi, Y. (1991). Eigo gakushyu ni okeru Norris, J. M., & Ortega, L. (2000). Effectiveness togoteki doukizuke to doguteki doukizuke no of L2 instruction: A research synthesis and yakuwari [The role of integrative and instru- quantitative meta-analysis. Language Learning, mental motivation in English language learn- 50, 417-528. ing]. Bulletin of Fukuoka University of Education, 40(1), 53-60. Rabbini, R., & Diem, R. (2006). CLT and motivating learners to communicate. In K. Bradford- Watts, C. Ikegushi, & M. Swanson (Eds.), JALT Jonathan Brown has taught 2005 Conference Proceedings. Tokyo: JALT. English in Japan for nearly Richards, J. C., & Rodgers, T. S. (2001). Approaches 10 years and currently and methods in language teaching (2nd ed.). New lectures at the University of York: Cambridge University Press. Yamanashi. Prior to that, he was an elementary school Savignon, S. (1972). Communicative competence: English teacher in Kofu, An experiment in foreign language teaching. Phila- Japan and helped in devel- delphia: Center for Curriculum Development. oping and implementing the Savignon, S. (1991). Communicative language city’s ESL/EFL curriculum. teaching: State of the art. TESOL Quarterly, Jonathan’s areas of interest 25(2), 261-77. in research are writing, rhetoric, intercultural Savignon, S. (2001). Communicative language communication, and team teaching. teaching for the 21st century. In M. Celce- Murcia (Ed.). Teaching English as a second or foreign language (pp. 13-28). Boston, MA: Heinle & Heinle. Spada, N. (1997). Form-focused instruction and Save the dates! second language acquisition: A review of classroom and laboratory research. Language JALT2013: Learning Teaching, 30, 73-87. is a Lifelong Voyage Oct. 25-28, 2013 JALT Apple Store Kobe International Conference Center and Portopia Hotel Don’t forget, JALT membership brings Port Island, Kobe added bonuses, such • Call for Presentations opens �as discounted Apple products Jan. 01, 2013 through the JALT Apple Store. • Deadline is Apr. 22, 2013

20 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • READERS’ FORUM | 21 Language teaching methodology and teacher education: Trends and issues An interview with Alan Waters

several books and numerous journal articles. He Chit Cheung Matthew is interested in all the main aspects of the theory Sung and practice of ELT. Matthew Sung (MS): What do you think have Lancaster University been the major changes in ELT methodology over the last two decades or so? What main challenges do they present for our profession? dopting appro- Alan Waters (AW): In answer to the first of priate teaching these questions, I think it depends on whether A methods and you are talking about theoretical or practical designing suitable teach- developments. As I have tried to explain in a ing materials are among paper on the subject that appeared in ELT Journal the major concerns of in October last year (Waters, 2012), if you look at language teachers around the ‘professional discourse’ (major publications, the world. Although conference presentations, electronic discussions, many teachers are eager and so on), the main theoretical developments to findthe ‘best’ or most over the last 20 years or so range from the ‘post- effective ways of teach- method condition’ (the idea that prescribed ways ing, there are no easy of teaching such as Audiolingualism are not a answers, given the wide credible basis for methodology), through ‘ap- range of sociopolitical propriate methodology’ (the idea that the most contexts in which teaching takes place. In this effective kind of methodology will be based on interview, Alan Waters, a leading expert in the sociocultural norms of the teaching situation) English language teaching (ELT) from Lancaster to, ironically enough, a renewal of ‘methodism’, University, talks about the trends and issues one caused by the way that a ‘communicating surrounding language teaching methodology, to learn’ approach is increasingly advocated as materials design, as well as teacher education the single best method. In the latter approach, in ELT. With extensive experience in the field, learners use language to solve problems and (in Alan has taught English as a foreign language theory, at any rate) acquire a knowledge of gram- and taken part in teacher training projects in mar and so on as a by-product of the commu- various parts of the world, and has published nication work. Examples of methods based on

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this approach are the strong form of task-based To try to also answer the second question, learning and teaching, Content and Language- it therefore seems to me that the main chal- Integrated Learning, and so on. So strongly lenge which this state of affairs presents to our has a ‘communicating to learn’ approach been profession is how to somehow adopt an overall advocated by the professional discourse over perspective on language learning and teaching the last 10–15 years that Prodromou and Mishan which is much more ‘grounded’ in the prevail- (2008) refer to it as “methodological correctness” ing realities of ELT as it occurs in most parts of (pp. 193–194). the world―an overall view that is much more However, if you look at the practice side of ‘English as foreign language’-oriented, rather the matter, a rather different picture emerges. than ‘native-speakerist’, in other words. There is Of course, it is difficult to generalize about what certainly good, solid, classroom-based research actually happens at the classroom level in terms evidence to support a ‘learning to communicate’ of methodology, for all sorts of reasons there isn’t approach (see, e.g., Lightbown & Spada, 2006, space to go into here, unfortunately (though see pp. 179–180), whereas there is also a lack of the paper of mine referred to above). But it can evidence to support the use of a ‘communicating be argued that major international course books to learn’ approach for the development of new (sets of published teaching materials), because of language knowledge (see, e.g., Swan, 2005). their popularity and the way their design is based So the problem is not a shortage of empirical to a great extent on feedback from practitioners, data on the matter. Rather, in my view, it is the provide a way of getting some kind of idea of relatively lack of ‘voice’ given to the ‘ordinary’ what a large number of teachers, working in a practitioner in a profession increasingly domi- wide range of situations around the world, regard nated by top-down academic ideology (Waters, as effective methodology at the practice (i.e., 2009b). Ironically, however, because of their rela- classroom) level. Now, if you look at the kind of tive power and authority, academics themselves methodology that is in editions of books like this, are probably those who are in the best position such as the New Headway series, from about 15 to reverse this state of affairs, by doing more years ago (Soars & Soars, 1996) and then compare to critically question hegemonic viewpoints it with the one in more recent editions of the same about ‘common-sense’ methodological practices, book (Soars & Soars, 2009), as I did as part of the and by conducting more research of their own research for the same paper already referred to, which looks at ELT methodology from a more you find (a) the methodology in both editions ‘bottom-up’ perspective (such as in the example hasn’t really changed much at all over the years, of the analysis of the two New Headway editions and (b) it is mainly a ‘learning to communicate’ outlined above). one in nature—in other words, first the grammar MS: Your mention of teaching materials just now and so on is studied, and then there are lots of prompts me to ask how you see this aspect of practice exercises and skills-based activities to ELT in relation to current trends in theorizing help the learners gradually put it into practice. and research? As should be obvious, these conclusions show that there has been very little development AW: Well, I think the first thing to say is that over the last 20 years or so at the practice level, teaching materials, especially in the form of despite the very different kind of methodology course books, even though they are one of the that has been advocated at the theoretical level main and most important features of most ELT over the same period. There are various possible classrooms, have hardly been ‘on the map’ at all reasons for this state of affairs, of course, but in in terms of applied linguistics until relatively my view the main one is the continuing hegemo- recently. This is because they have traditionally ny of the ‘native-speakerist’ concept of foreign been viewed with suspicion from an academic language learning (Holliday, 2006). By this I point of view. Thus, in Allwright (1981), a very mean that the native speakers who dominate the influential article, it was argued that, since professional discourse tend to advocate a form of research shows that classroom learning opportu- language teaching methodology based on the L1 nities occur as a result of unpredictable interac- experience of learning English, that is, a ‘natural- tion among the learners and between them and istic’ approach occurring in an L1 environment. the teacher and the teaching materials, course But such a learning context is, of course, almost books and so on cannot in any way predetermine the opposite of the typical classroom-based EFL what learning will actually take place. This lent situation. support to the view that teaching materials were

22 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • Sung: Language teaching methodology and teacher education: Trends and issues only of very limited value, and that whenever practice as much as vice-versa―a much more possible, learning would be better without desirable state of affairs, in my view. them―the position adhered to by approaches such as ‘Dogme’ language teaching (Meddings MS: In-service teacher training programmes & Thornbury, 2009). However, as research have been in place in many countries in order discussed in Hutchinson and Hutchinson (1996) to help teachers face change in the curriculum. shows (cf. Prabhu, 1992), course books can play How effective are these training programmes in an important role in reducing the unpredict- helping language teachers acquire new teaching ability of classroom interaction to manageable ideas and cope with the implementation of these proportions, thereby enhancing the potential for innovative ideas? uptake of learning opportunities, and they can AW: also play an important educational role beyond Unfortunately, there is plenty of research the classroom as well. evidence to show that in-service training (INSET) programmes are frequently ineffective (see, e.g., Subsequently, there has been greater interest Waters & Vilches, 2012, p. 3). However, they do in the study of teaching materials on the part of have the potential to be a vital part of helping applied linguistics. However, this has tended to teachers to cope with the seemingly never-ending take the form of bemoaning the extent to which stream of educational innovations so many of they do not conform to the findings of second them are on the receiving end of these days, so it language acquisition (SLA) studies (see, e.g., is important for them to be as effective as possible. Tomlinson, 2001), even though experts in SLA One way of attempting to make this the case is to themselves do not regard the findings as so far identify what tends to go wrong in INSET at pre- providing a basis for prescribing language teach- sent, and to then try to re-design it in such a way as ing methodology (see, e.g., Ellis, 2009). Another to lessen or prevent the problems from occurring. strand of theorizing sees course books as potential ‘Trojan horses’ for free-market economics Some recent research in this area that I have and other sociocultural values, which are seen to been involved in (see Waters & Vilches, 2012, be negative (see, e.g., Gray, 2010), and evaluates pp. 4–5) shows that there are usually two main them accordingly. Thus, although the course problems with INSET: book and other kinds of teaching materials are at 1. the content tends to compromise top-down last becoming more of an object of study within teaching ideas, which are often impracticable applied linguistics, the approach is still largely a at the classroom level; top-down, ‘linguistics applied’ one, rather than 2. lack of support for post-training, school- being based on attempting, in the first instance, based implementation efforts. to come to terms with teaching materials in their As the research findings in Waters and Vilches own right, that is, a more bottom-up, ‘theorizing (ibid.) indicate, to solve the first problem, the from the classroom’ stance, although there are development of new teaching ideas ‘needs to some recent, more heartening signs of such ‘ma- start from where people are’ (Wedell, 2009, p. terials research’ being attempted by Dr. Richard 177). In other words, while being open to innova- Smith and his associates at the University of tion, curriculum development should be rooted Warwick, England (see < tinyurl.com/cpkrczc>; firmly in the realities of the typical classroom, cf. Waters, 2009a). It seems to me that, in fact, such as the level of knowledge and skills of such a grass-roots approach ought to be the teachers and their conditions of service, the starting and end point of all ELT research, that is, motivation and abilities of the learners, the role we need to be sure that, in the first instance, we of the assessment system, the resources available, understand the rationales behind current peda- and so on. Without being based on a foundation gogic practices, and whatever other theoretical of this kind, the content of INSET has little hope perspectives we also bring to bear on the matter of being successfully implemented. need to take into account the context in which the form of ELT being studied operates. From The second problem occurs mainly because the such a perspective, rather than all ELT course amount of time, energy, understanding, motiva- books being dismissed out of hand as woefully tion and support needed for teachers to success- atheoretical, as tends to occur at present, it might fully implement new teaching ideas tends to be instead be possible to see how different designs woefully underestimated. As the same study of of them give rise to different pedagogic possibili- ours already mentioned indicates (pp. 16–21), for ties, and for theory to thereby be informed by this problem to be avoided, it is important that

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the following aspects (among others) are paid English language learning materials: A critical careful attention to: review (pp. 193–212). London: Continuum. • making sure the teaching institution authori- Soars, L., & Soars, J. (1996). New Headway: Inter- ties have sufficient understanding of and mediate student’s book (2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford commitment to the new teaching ideas; University Press. • providing teaching materials which incorpo- Soars, L. & Soars, J. (2009). New Headway: Inter- rate the new teaching ideas; mediate student’s book (4th ed.). Oxford: Oxford • enabling teachers to collaborate closely dur- University Press. ing the implementation process in order to Swan, M. (2005). Legislation by hypothesis: The provide mutual support, jointly solve ‘teeth- case of task-based instruction. Applied Linguis- ing’ problems, and so on; tics, 26(3), 376–401. • regular, systematic and supportive observa- Tomlinson, B. (2001.) Materials development. In tion of and feedback on teachers’ attempts to R. Carter & D. Nunan (Eds.), Teaching English implement the new ideas. to speakers of other languages (pp. 66–71). Cam- So, in a nutshell, making INSET work more bridge: Cambridge University Press. effectively means, above all, working with Waters, A. (2009a). Advances in materials design. appropriate teaching ideas in the first place, and In M. H. Long & C. J. Doughty (Eds.), The then providing the proper kind of follow-up handbook of language teaching (pp. 311–326). support for putting them into practice. New York: Wiley-Blackwell. Waters, A. (2009b). Ideology in applied linguis- MS: Thank you for sharing your thoughts about tics for language teaching. Applied Linguistics, these topics with us! 30(1), 138–143. AW: My pleasure―thank you very much for Waters, A. (2012). Trends and issues in ELT giving me the opportunity to do so! methods amd methodology. ELT Journal, 66(4), 440–449. Waters, A., & Vilches, M. L. C. (2012). “Tanggap, References tiklop, tago” (receive, fold, keep): Perceptions Allwright, R. L. (1981). What do we want teach- of best practice in ELT INSET. ELT Research Pa- ing materials for? ELT Journal, 36(1), 5–18. pers. London: British Council. Retrieved from < Ellis, R. (2009). Second language acquisition, www.teachingenglish.org.uk/publications>. teacher education and language pedagogy. Wedell, M. (2009). Planning for educational change: Language Teaching, 43(2), 182–201. Putting people and their contexts first. London: Gray, J. (2010). The construction of English: Culture, Continuum. consumerism and promotion in the ELT global coursebook. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Chit Cheung Matthew Holliday, A. (2006). Native-speakerism. ELT Sung recently completed Journal, 60(4), 385–387. a PhD in the Department Hutchinson, T., & Hutchinson, E. G. (1996). The of Linguistics and English textbook as agent of change. In T. Hedge & N. Language at Lancaster Whitney (Eds.), Power, pedagogy and practice University, UK. He also (pp. 307–323). Oxford: Oxford University Press. holds a first-class degree and a Master of Philoso- Lightbown, P. M., & Spada, N. (2006) How phy in English from the languages are learned (3rd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University of Hong Kong. University Press. His recent publications Meddings, L., & Thornbury, S. (2009). Teaching include journal articles in unplugged. Peaslake, Surrey: Delta ELT Publish- Changing English, English ing. Text Construction, English Today, Journal of Gender Prabhu, N. S. (1992). The dynamics of the lan- Studies, and The Language Teacher. He is currently guage lesson. TESOL Quarterly, 26(2), 161–76. researching on issues relating to global English- Prodromou, L., & Mishan, F. (2008). Materials es, sociolinguistics and language education. used in Western Europe. In B. Tomlinson (Ed.),

24 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • READERS’ FORUM | 25 Dr. Stephen Krashen answers questions on The Comprehension Hypothesis Extended Dr. Krashen (SK): YES! In fact, self-selected Marian Wang reading, done over a few years, is a wonderful way to prepare for all those exams. Japan has Kobe University become a major center for research in this area, thanks to Beniko Mason, Junko Yamanaka, Atsuko Takase, Rob Waring, David Beglar, Tom tephen Krashen Robb, Akio Furukawa, and many others. is Emeritus S Professor of Q2: I have noticed that a lot of graded readers in- Education at the Uni- clude comprehension questions and vocabulary versity of Southern exercises. Isn’t this counter to what extensive California. He is best reading is supposed to be? known for developing the first comprehen- SK: Yes, this is counter to the ideas underlying sive theory of second Dr. Krashen and his advisory extensive reading, and for two reasons: language acquisition, committee 1. The time is much better spent reading more introducing the concept than answering comprehension questions of sheltered subject matter teaching, and as the or doing vocabulary exercises; (see e.g., co-inventor of the Natural Approach to foreign Mason’s research on efficiency, Mason & language teaching. He has also contributed to Krashen, 2004). (Exception: Some questions theory and application in the area of bilingual may stimulate thinking and discussion, education, and has done important work in the resulting in cognitive development. This is area of reading. He was the 1977 Incline Bench possible, but I have never seen it happen Press champion of Venice Beach and holds a from the questions I have read that follow black belt in Tae Kwon Do. He is the author of reading selections). The Power of Reading (2004) and Explorations in 2. Questioning readers on what they read pro- Language Acquisition and Use (2003). His recent motes a strange kind of reading: Rather than papers can be found at < www.sdkrashen.com>. being absorbed in the text, readers will read JALT’s Extensive Reading SIG brought Dr. in preparation for answering questions and Stephen D. Krashen to the Fifth Annual Exten- will try to learn and remember vocabulary rd sive Reading in Japan Seminar, and on July 3 , while they read. The kind of reading that really he spoke to approximately 150 people at Kobe’s counts (and in general the kind of input that International House. Kobe JALT’s Membership counts) is COMPELLING: The message is so Chair prepared a form for participants to write interesting that there is no focus on form; in down questions for Dr. Krashen. The following fact, the reader may not even be aware of the questions received responses and have been language the text is written in (Krashen, 2011). modified for brevity and accuracy. Q3: What do you think about rereading?

Q1: Will reading work for high school and junior SK: It depends. If it is mechanical rereading to high school students in Japan? build fluency, I think it is a waste of time: Fluency

THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 37.1 • January / February 2013 The Language Teacher • Readers’ Forum

is a result of building reading proficiency through of comparisons of beginning and intermediate lots of interesting reading (Beglar, Hunt, & Kite, methods (foreign language instruction in the 2011). If it is rereading because the book is so US), and studies of SSR. wonderful the students want to read it again, it is very good. Students will acquire new grammar Q8: There are many homeroom teachers and and vocabulary. I would never require rereading. parents who are skeptical about the comprehensive approach and a big challenge is how to ask Q4: Do you have any advice for motivated them to be patient. Do you have any advice on students who are poor readers? what to tell them? SK: I would first try the obvious: SK: I have no advice on dealing with colleagues • Make sure there is lots of comprehensible and but here is an idea that might help parents: Offer COMPELLING (not just interesting) read- a free intermediate advanced English class taught ing available (Krashen, 2011): comic books, using comprehensible input methodology. Then graphic novels, magazines, and/or novels they will see for themselves. that students that age really want to read. Q9: Do you still insist that production (speak- • Allow some time for Sustained Silent Read- ing/writing) is not essential for learners to learn ing (SSR), but don’t require students to bring to speak or write in a foreign language? their own books. Make sure there are good things to read that are easily available. SK: I know this point is contentious, but the • Don’t require book reports for SSR. research is very clear: Output is not essential― more writing does not result in better writing, • Include read-alouds of books that might be more speaking does not result in better speaking. interesting as part of the class. But speaking is helpful, because it encour- The main thing is lots and lots of easy, highly ages input (conversation) and makes you feel interesting reading. more like a member of the “club” that uses the language. And writing is a powerful means of Q5: What is the role of comprehensible input in solving problems, and thereby making yourself speaking? smarter (Krashen, 1994, 2003). SK: According to the comprehension hypothesis, Q10: What should writing center counselors be speaking is the result of language acquisition, not advising students of? the cause. We don’t learn to speak by speaking; rather, we build up the competence for speaking by SK: There is a limit to how much we can help listening and by reading (of course, reading alone students write more accurately in the short run. won’t do the job). This has been confirmed by a Only a few aspects of the written language are number of case histories showing that the ability to teachable and learnable. Of course in the long speak “emerges” gradually as a result of listening. term, it is wide reading that is responsible for developing writing style. Writing center coun- Q6: With only comprehensible input, is it possible selors can, however, help students understand to improve TOEFL or TOEIC scores dramatically? how to use writing to make themselves smarter SK: Oh yes. That’s exactly what Mason (2006, and solve problems, in other words, help them 2011) has reported in a series of studies with master the composing process (Best source = the intermediate adult EFL students in Japan. They work of Peter Elbow, e.g., Elbow, 1972). Un- did only free voluntary reading, with no classes derstanding the composing process has helped and very little or no self-study. And in all cases me tremendously. Please also see the articles they made very impressive gains on standard- on writing on my website at . Q7: Does the comprehension hypothesis work in Q11: Does phonics help second language acquir- foreign language as well as in second language ers? situations? SK: The assumption is that since phonics has been SK: Most of the research supporting the compre- shown to be helpful in first language development, hension hypothesis comes from foreign language it will be helpful in second language development. situations, not second language. This is true But this assumption is not fully correct.

26 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • Wang: Dr. Stephen Krashen answers questions on The Comprehension Hypothesis Extended

We have to distinguish two kinds of phonics 1. “Immerse” yourself in the language by in- instruction: Intensive, systematic phonics, in teracting with speakers. This will help if you which we teach all the major rules in a strict are already an intermediate and can under- order to all students; and basic phonics, in which stand at least some authentic input. It won’t we teach only the straightforward rules, rules help beginners. that both teachers and students can remember 2. A special program in which subject matter is and actually apply to texts to make them more taught through the second language. I refer comprehensible. In English, basic phonics con- to this as “sheltered” subject matter teach- sists of the most frequent pronunciation of initial ing and it can work very well if students consonants (e.g., the first “b” in “bomb” but not are intermediates (who can understand the the last one) and the most frequent pronuncia- instruction) tion of vowels. 3. A program similar to (2) but any use of the There are two reasons to reject intensive student’s first language is forbidden. This is systematic phonics: (1) The system that must be not desirable: Use of the first language can consciously learned has too many rules, the rules help if it helps make input more compre- are too complex, and the rules have too many hensible, that is, by providing background exceptions; (2) Intensive systematic phonics information. (It can delay progress if it is instruction doesn’t help in reading for meaning. used instead of the second language, that is, As Smith (2003) notes, many phonics rules are for translation). “unreliable … there are too many alternatives and exceptions … 300 ways in which letters and sounds Q13: Have you ever seen Washoe (the chim- can be related” (p. 41). His most famous example panzee who acquired an impressive amount of is the fact that each of these uses of “ho” has a dif- sign)? ferent pronunciation: hot, hoot, hook, hour, honest, SK: house, hope, honey, and hoist. Smith points out No I haven’t, but my daughter and son-in-law that even if a reader knew the rules, these words visited Washoe before she died and communicated cannot be read accurately from left to right, letter with her using sign. I hope to meet Cosmo, the by letter: The reader needs to look ahead. amazing talking parrot: Betty Jean Craige has invited me to her home to meet Cosmo next time I Some have claimed that the rules of phon- am in Athens, Georgia. (For a description of what ics that appear not to work very well can be Cosmo can do, see Craige, 2010). repaired and should be taught, but attempts to state better generalizations have resulted only in Q14: Have any studies been done into the effect more complex rules that are only slightly more of peer correction? efficient (Krashen, 2002). Let me suggest a simple procedure: If the SK: There are no studies demonstrating that peer teacher has to look up the rule before coming correction, or non-peer correction, has a lasting to class, that rule is too complex to teach. If the effect. In many studies, correction has no effect. teacher doesn’t remember it, the students won’t When it has an effect, it is small, and only occurs remember it either. when the conditions for Monitor use are met, confirming that correction influences conscious Intensive, systematic phonics instruction does learning, not acquisition. In my opinion, the not help children in real reading. The impact of most compelling papers on the impact of correc- intensive phonics is clear on tests in which chil- tion have been written by John Truscott (1996, dren pronounce lists of words in isolation, but it 1999, 2004, 2005). is not significant on tests in which children have to understand what they read. Thus, intensive Q15: How can we control for the influence of phonics instruction only helps children develop out-of-class/in-class variables in research? the ability to pronounce words in isolation, an ability that will emerge anyway with more read- SK: Even with studies using experimental and ing (Garan, 2002; Krashen, 2009). control groups, there are variables that cannot be measured or controlled. One way to deal Q12: Does “immersion” help second language with this is to keep doing lots of studies. If 25 acquirers? studies are done, and the conditions are slightly different in each one (different teachers, time of SK: “Immersion” is a confusing term and can be day, amounts of outside reading, etc.), we can be used in at least three ways: confident that our results are valid. The interest- THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 37.1 • January / February 2013 27 The Language Teacher • Readers’ Forum

ing thing about self-selected or extensive reading Krashen, S. (2004). The power of reading: Insights is that we keep getting the same results in both from the research (2nd ed.). Portsmouth, NH: correlational studies and in case studies. Heinemann. Krashen, S. (2009). Does intensive decoding Q16: What research directions would you instruction contribute to reading comprehen- advise? What should research be measuring? sion? Knowledge Quest, 37(4), 72–74. SK: The research so far has been very, very Krashen, S. (2011). The compelling (not just impressive. Free Voluntary Reading/Extensive interesting) input hypothesis. The English Reading works in a wide variety of situations, Connection, 15(3), 1. and lots of different measures have been used. I Mason, B., & Krashen, S. (2004). Is form-focused am most excited about cases in which language vocabulary instruction worthwhile? RELC acquirers only read for pleasure, and show Journal, 35(2), 179–185. dramatic gains, without study, studies of the Mason, B. (2006). Free voluntary reading and kind Mason (2006) has done. And of course it autonomy in second language acquisition: would be good to see if extensive reading works Improving TOEFL scores from reading alone. with other target languages. I know of only one International Journal of Foreign Language Teach- study that has looked at this, done by Hitosugi ing, 2(1), 2–5. and Day (2004). Mason, B. (2011). Impressive gains on the TOEIC after one year of comprehensible input, with Acknowledgement no output or grammar study. International Journal of Foreign Language Teaching, 7(1). Kobe JALT would like to thank Dr. Stephen D. Krashen for responding to questions from the Smith, F. (2003). Understanding reading: A psycho- audience. linguistic analysis of reading and learning to read. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. References Truscott, J. (1996). The case against grammar correction in L2 writing classes. Language Learning, Beglar, D., Hunt, A., & Kite, Y. (2011). The effect 46(2), 327–369. of pleasure reading on Japanese university Truscott, J. (1999). What’s wrong with oral EFL learners’ reading rates. Language Learning, grammar correction. Canadian Modern Language 62(2), 1–39. Review, 55(4), 437–456. Craige, B. J. (2010). Conversations with Cosmo. Truscott, J. (2004). Evidence and conjecture on Santa Fe, NM: Sherman Asher Publishing. the effects of error correction: A response to Elbow, P. (1972). Writing without teachers. New Chandler. Journal of Second Language Writing, York, NY: Oxford University Press. 13, 337–343. Garan, E. (2002). Resisting reading mandates: How Truscott, J. (2005). The continuing problems of to triumph with the truth. Portsmouth, NH: oral grammar correction. International Journal of Heinemann. Foreign Language Teaching, 1(2), 17–22. Hitosugi, C. I., & Day, R. (2004). Extensive reading in Japanese. Reading in a Foreign Language, Marian Wang is Associate Pro- 16(1). fessor at Kobe University. Prior Krashen, S. (1994). The input hypothesis and to teaching, she worked for its rivals. In N. Ellis (Ed.), Implicit and explicit international organizations in- learning of languages. (pp. 45–77). London, cluding Catholic Relief Services England: Academic Press. (Macedonia), Oxfam America, Krashen, S. (2002). Defending whole language: the World Trade Organization, The limits of phonics instruction and the and Partners for Democratic efficacy of whole language instruction.Reading Change. She holds an M.A. Improvement, 39(1), 32–42. in TESOL from the Monterey Institute of International Studies and an M.A. in Krashen, S. (2003). Explorations in language acqui- Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School at sition and use: The Taipei lectures. Portsmouth, Tufts University. She is the Membership Chair NH: Heinemann. for the Kobe Chapter of JALT. She can be contacted at . 28 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • Resources • MY SHARE TLT RESOURCESMY SHARE …with Dax Thomas & Real life, real Harry Harris English, the Tohoku To contact the editors: 2011 earthquake We welcome submissions for the My Share column. Submissions should be up to 700 words describing a suc- Jane A. Lightburn cessful technique or lesson plan you have used which can be replicated by Aichi Gakuin University readers, and should conform to the My Share format (see ). Quick guide Please send submissions to . based activity MY SHARE ONLINE: A linked index of My Share articles can be found at: »» Learner English level: Intermediate and above »» Learner maturity: University »» Preparation time: 30 minutes to set up the blog, 10 minutes to assign the essay and letter »» Activity time: 3 class periods, 90 minutes each »» Materials: Computer classroom with Internet elcome to the first 2013 edition of My access, regular classroom Share. In this issue we have four very W interesting activities for you. Jane Lightburn has her class writing essays, blog This activity is a university-level intermediate posts, and letters of encouragement to students writing course project that allows students to affected by the 2011 disaster in the Tohoku express their feelings and ideas about the 2011 To- region. Michael Ernest offers up an activity to hoku earthquake disaster in three different ways. aid students in memorizing dialogues in class. There are three parts. The first is a 150-160 word Greggory Wroblewski brings students into the essay on the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami computer classroom to study vocabulary. Finally, disaster. It is a general narrative-style essay. The Eddie Van Der Aar uses Bingo to get students second assignment is a blog post. Students read practicing rejoinders. Four great activities to help one news story about the disaster and then write kick off the new calendar year. Enjoy. a news summary or editorial-style essay. It is both a computer skills class and an English-language media writing assignment. The third assignment is a real-life task in which students write letters of Is your membership encouragement to an actual group of students in the Tohoku region and the teacher sends these let- due for renewal? ters to a non-profit group for sharing with a class Check the label on the envelope this of students in the affected region. TLT came in for your renewal date, then go to and Preparation follow the easy instructions to renew. Step 1: For the first assignment, prepare a sam- Help us to help you! Renew early! ple essay for students on the topic of the Tohoku disaster of 2011. Prepare a handout of ideas on how to write a general essay about it. THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 37.1 • January / February 2013 29 The Language Teacher • Resources • MY SHARE

Step 2: For the second assignment, set up a a reading circle activity, which creates a sense of blog (I used Google’s ) on which closure to the project. students will write their blog posts. Organize an Conclusion Internet access classroom for the day of writing so they can write as a group. Prepare a sample This activity is one way in which university news summary and editorial with an attached teachers can help students process what hap- hard copy of a news story on the disaster for pened in the Tohoku earthquake disaster. As students to read before blogging. this disaster was in Japan, the students here are in a unique position to reflect and write about Step 3: Before the third task, contact an NPO it. This activity is a creative approach to the group connected with the disaster relief to initi- topic using three writing tasks: general essay, ate an exchange of information so that student blog post and letter writing. Finally, the effort letters of encouragement can be sent to a particu- of using English for a positive and meaningful lar group of students through that association. purpose—in this case of writing to Tohoku junior In this case, I used the group Teachers for Japan high or high school students who are also learn- (teachersforjapan.org), an English teacher volun- ing English—can be a motivating experience for teer group based in Sendai. Once in contact, you Global English student writers. can organize where the letters of encouragement should be sent. Appendix Procedure Part 3 of the assignment: letters of hope to students in theTohoku area. Students write a letter of encourage- Step 1: In the first class, ask students to write ment. Some of the language in these letters includes a short narrative-style essay about the Tohoku the following points: earthquake of 2011, based on their primary experience or reactions to the disaster. Set a word 1. A short self-introduction limit, perhaps 150-160 words for an intermedi- 2. Phrases/words of encouragement that include ate-level class. Allow about 90 minutes to write. key values such as hope, courage, patience, strength, Essays are turned in at the end of class. For lower appreciation, love, happiness, fearlessness, content- levels, provide sample topic sentences. Circulate ment, peace, etc. and assist students with any grammar problems 3. An English letter salutation (Dear…) and valedic- they encounter as they write. Return the essays tory (Yours truly or Sincerely). with corrections by the next class. Have students draft a final version for use in the third class. Sample: Step 2: Before the second class, ask students to check the news about the Tohoku earthquake. It could be any news source, from an online news- May 2011 paper to YouTube. Students write a blog post Dear Tohoku students: either in the form of a news summary or an editorial in the second class. This is a news writing HI!! My name is ______. I’m a Global Eng- assignment, not a personal narrative essay. The lish student at Aichi Gakuin in Nagoya. I live in post should be about 150 words. Have students Gifu which is pretty close to Nagoya. I study Eng- print out their blog posts. Write your comments lish. We heard about the big trouble you had and and corrections. Return them in the next class. the earthquake. I think you are very courageous! Step 3: Students write personal encouragement You are trying your best to keep going to school letters (see Appendix for an example) in the next after such a big disaster! We are sending you all class on good quality paper. This is a creative our thoughts of love and patience too! letter writing assignment. Send the letters on to Good luck with your studies! You are great! the NPO, which will then deliver them to the students in the target area. Step 4: Share feedback from the NPO with Yours truly, students to underscore that they have used their ______English for real-life application. If possible, have a class group share of the finished first essays as

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

Procedure Disappearing Step 1: Explain to students that they are going to practice a conversation with their classmates. dialogue Write the dialogue on the classroom board as follows: Michael Ernest (Example dialogue) Nagoya Communication Arts A: Excuse me. Hi! Could you help me please? Vocational College B: Sure. What’s the matter? A: Uhhh. I think I’m lost. Could you tell me the way to the Hilton Hotel? B: Yeah, it’s pretty close. Just go straight down Quick guide this road and turn left at the intersection. »» Key words: Memorization, review A: OK. »» Learner English level: High beginner to intermedi- B: Then go straight for a hundred metres or so ate and it’s on your right. »» Learner maturity: Junior high school and above A: Great. Thanks so much for your help. »» Preparation time: About 10 minutes to write out B: No worries. the dialogue and explain the activity Step 2: Model the conversation and have stu- »» Activity time: About 15 minutes dents repeat with conversation-style intonation. »» Materials: Whiteboard/blackboard Step 3: Ask students to stand up, find a partner, practice the dialogue once, change roles, and Memorization activities can provide students then find another partner with whom to practice. with a fun, relatively easy challenge that can help Demonstrate in front of the class with one stu- build vocabulary and grammar bases that can be dent to give students an idea of what you expect. accessed years later when needed. The following Tell students they have to practice for 10 min- activity involves students practicing a piece of utes or, alternatively, give them a set number of dialogue, written on the classroom board, that partners to practice with instead of a time limit. is gradually erased by the teacher as students After a couple of minutes, remove two or three practice with their classmates. It can easily be words from the board (e.g., straight, down, for), re- adjusted for individual class levels and incorpo- placing them with underlined spaces. Continue rated into more communicative approaches. to remove more words every couple of minutes until almost all of the dialogue is erased. Step 4 Preparation : After 10 minutes, have students sit back down and ask them for feedback. Was it dif- Step 1: Create a dialogue between two partici- ficult? Could they do it? Students are often pants that reflects the language from a unit of surprised at their ability to successfully memo- study but also includes extra phrases or vocabu- rize and model a complete dialogue in English, lary that may be of interest to students. It is best which can have a very positive, motivating to make the dialogue as close to a real communi- effect. As an extension, you can choose two cation event as possible. students to stand up and complete the dialogue Step 2: Adjust the dialogue to the level of the in front of their classmates. If they have trouble, class. In higher level classes, I have used prompts other classmates can assist them by giving them in square brackets, such as [Greeting], [Re- hints. sponse], and [Clarification] rather than including explicit phrases. This provides an extra challenge Conclusion and gives the dialogue a more natural feel. That is, students in higher level classes can choose Despite being a fairly dry concept for a class- their own greetings and responses rather than room activity, memorizing a dialogue in English simply reading from the text on the board. presented students with a challenge they seemed to enjoy. As the conversation was carefully scaffolded and adjusted to the level of the class, almost all of the students were able to success-

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fully memorize it with little to no assistance. new information. Many flashcard applications The challenging aspect of the exercise kept them track user performance over time and test engaged and acted as a motivational tool. Stu- accordingly in the future. The more difficult to dents obtained a notable sense of achievement at recall—based on user input—the sooner the card being able to complete the challenge successfully. will be presented for review. By focusing on the They also enjoyed using very casual phrases not difficult terms, such software increases study covered in their textbooks, such as “No worries”. efficiency by eliminating needless review of easy If this kind of rote-memorization is overused, it terms every time. Finally, these applications can can become boring and counterproductive for regularly sync to cloud storage so that study ses- students, but as an occasional review or intro- sions can end in one location and pick up exactly ductory activity, it provides a fun challenge. where the user left off in another. Besides a wide variety of freely downloadable shared decks, including vocabulary lists from Obunsha’s popular Target series, most flashcard applications enable easy creation of custom word Using computer- lists. Likewise, in the TESOL classroom, students can create personal decks to study for next based flashcards week’s test or next year’s Eiken. Additionally, both audio tags and images can be added to aid to introduce recall. In the following lesson plan, a free cross-plat- and review new form desktop client named Anki is used to help students study for a vocabulary test. vocabulary While the lesson plan can be adapted for any level, for simplicity’s sake, I will describe a junior Greggory Wroblewski high school lesson set in the school computer lab in which the upcoming textbook chapter The New School University (New York) contains a vehicle-themed vocabulary list. One World Language Services (Kitakyushu, Japan) Preparation Step 1: Reserve the school’s computer lab for one 50-minute class period and procure a copy of students’ target vocabulary list. Quick guide Step 2: Obtain example images of each vocabu- »» Key words: Computer-Assisted Language Learning lary item from their target list, using Google Im- (CALL), flashcard software, vocabulary ages or another image search engine, and burn to »» Learner English level: Beginner and above a CD-R. »» Learner maturity: Junior high and above Step 3: Briefly familiarize yourself with Anki’s »» Preparation time: 25 minutes installation and features ahead of time. »» Activity time: 50 minutes »» Materials: Internet enabled computers, one CD-R, Procedure target vocabulary list Step 1: Lead students through the simple installation process found at . The seemingly endless stream of new vocabu- Step 2: Have students download a sample deck lary can seem an insurmountable obstacle to and verify student understanding of the diffi- a language learner, and the sheer volume of culty-rating scale from 1 (forgot completely) to 4 new terms and grammar points included on (remembered perfectly). standardized English tests makes efficient study Step 3: Lead them to create a new custom deck essential. and demonstrate how to input information for Fortunately, Computer-Assisted Language flashcard creation. Learning (CALL) can greatly enhance the speed Step 4: Pass around the images CD and instruct with which language learners acquire and retain students to copy it for later use. If the instructor

32 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • Resources • MY SHARE has access to official student e-mail addresses, as in the case of a university setting, the image Rejoinder bingo: files can be e-mailed to the students in advance to save time. Getting beyond Step 5: Once everyone has entered the terms from the vocabulary list, the instructor should “me too” demonstrate correct pronunciation for each term and students should create audio tags by clicking the record icon. Eddie Van Der Aar Step 6: Demonstrate image attachment and Okazaki Women’s Junior College instruct students to use the copied images to complete their picture cards. Step 7: Students should drill the new vocabulary using the onscreen flashcards until the deck Quick guide is finished (i.e., until they have scored at least »» Key words: Showing agreement/disagreement, a 2 on every card). The instructor should walk rejoinders, accuracy around the room to ensure that each student »» Learner English level: Intermediate practices the correct pronunciation following »» Learner maturity level: High school to university each audio cue. »» Preparation time: 10 minutes Step 8: Encourage students to review their decks once a day in the computer lab or at home after »» Activity time: 45 minutes downloading the free software. They should »» Materials: Blank bingo sheets (Appendix A), list of continue to review daily until completion of the rejoinders test for that particular chapter’s vocabulary. Students generally have no trouble using the Conclusion ubiquitous “me too” in conversation. This activity Flashcard applications such as Anki are also is a way to reinforce and reacquaint students with frequently available for mobile devices. Since a variety of rejoinders they probably rarely use. so many young people already own an iPod It is especially useful for distinguishing between Touch/iPhone or spend a great deal of time in rejoinders used for positive and negative state- front of the computer anyway, lesson plans like ments. It can easily be made more challenging. the one above offer an opportunity to introduce them to convenient language learning tools for Preparation use both in and out of the classroom in an ongoing and cumulative fashion. Whether for weekly Copy and distribute the blank bingo sheets (Ap- vocabulary tests or eventual Eiken certification, pendix A). Have the rejoinders written on the CALL and flashcard software offer a fun, con- board or projected onto a screen for the students venient way to marry young people’s love of to easily see (a sample list is shown in Appendix technology with the educator’s desire to hone B). students’ English skills. Procedure Step 1: Have students form groups of 4-6. Never had an article Step 2: Have students select an equal number published before? Lacking of rejoinders for both positive and negative confidence, or just unsure of statements. Have students write the rejoinders what to do? randomly in the bingo sheet spaces. They can TLT’s Peer Support Group can help. only write each rejoinder once. They can, however, write rejoinders with the same meaning, for example, So do I, and I do, too. At this stage, Learn to write with the help of our it is important that students give a little thought experienced collaborative to which rejoinders they will most likely need writing team. rather than racing to fill the blanks (see Appen- dix C for an example of a completed sheet).

THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 37.1 • January / February 2013 33 The Language Teacher • Resources • MY SHARE

Step 3: The first student in each group makes Appendix A: Blank Bingo Sheet a positive statement for the other students to hear. Each student responds with an appropriate rejoinder. For example: S1: I have finished my economics report. S2: So have I. S3: I haven’t. FREE S4: I have, too. Students should respond even if they do not have an appropriate rejoinder written on their sheet. If they have the correct rejoinder written down, they should cross it off. They can only cross one square each turn. Each student takes a turn making a positive statement. Appendix B Step 4: Conduct a second round of statements. List of rejoinders for positive sentences This time, each student makes a negative statement. Once each student has made a negative So did I. I have, too. I do, too. statement, the students continue with another I did, too. So have I. So do I. round of positive statements. The teacher should monitor, encourage creativity, and prompt for I didn’t. I haven’t. I don’t. specific kinds of statements if needed to help the So will I. I can, too. I am, too. students get bingo. I will, too. So can I. So am I. Step 5: The game continues until each group has I won’t. I can’t. I’m not. a winner. Groups who have winners early on can easily continue the quest for another bingo until List of rejoinders for negative sentences the allotted time is up. I don’t, either. I didn’t, either. I haven’t, Extension Neither do I. Neither did I. either. Neither have I. If time permits, have students report on some- I do. I did. thing they found in common with another group I have. member. For example, ‘She enjoys swimming I won’t, either. I can’t, either. I’m not, either. during the summer, and so do I’. Neither will I. Neither can I. Neither am I. To extend this even further, the activity can be I will. I can. I am. run again. Students should continue speaking and add more information after they have said Appendix C: Completed Example their rejoinder. I haven’t, I don’t, I can’t, So do I. I did, too. Conclusion either. either. either.

The intention with this activity is to allow prac- I’m not, I have, So am I. I can. I won’t. tice of rejoinders in a controlled setting. Students either. too. are generally motivated and not threatened by the activity as it is a game. The language that must be produced to elicit the rejoinders is not I didn’t. I will. FREE I don’t. I haven’t. given, so it allows for students to express themselves freely and meaningfully. Using the ideas I didn’t, I can’t, I can, too. So am I So did I. in the extension allows the activity to be more either. either. communicative and fluency-orientated. Neither Neither I don’t . I do, too. I am, too. am I. will I.

34 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • Resources • BOOK REVIEWS TLTBOOK RESOURCES REVIEWS Each character in the book provides his or her …with Robert Taferner own scrap page and dialogue, which serve as models for students and help to contextualise To contact the editor: learning. Lesson A is divided If you are interested in writing a into four sections: book review, please consult the list Brainstorm, Scraps, of materials available for review in Interview, and Prepare. the Recently Received column, or Before doing listening consider suggesting an alternative activities, it is important book that would be helpful to our that students “activate membership. prior knowledge, BOOK REVIEWS ONLINE: A make predictions, and linked index of Book Reviews can review key vocabulary” be found at: (Richards, 2008, p. 10). Scraps does this in the Brainstorm section. This is a good lead-in This month’s column features Andrew Philpott’s activity as it gets evaluation of Scraps (3rd Edition). students interested in the topic and prepares them for the coming listening activity. In the Scraps section, students look at some example scraps from the unit’s character. Whilst looking Scraps (3rd Edition) at the scraps, students listen to the person [Brian Cullen & Sarah Mulvey. Nagoya: talking about his or her scraps and answer comprehension questions about the dialogue. In Perceptia Press, 2008. pp. 80. ¥1,995. ISBN: the Interview section, students listen to a dialogue 4-939130-84-7.] in which the character is being interviewed. Reviewed by Andrew Philpott, Students can shadow read the interview, practice pronunciation with the teacher, and read it with Kwansei Gakuin University a partner. In relation to designing good listening activities, “the post-listening phase typically Scraps is a unique topic-based, student centred involves a response to comprehension and ESL textbook focused on students making a scrap- may require students to give opinions about a book about their lives. It can be used as a main topic” (Richards, 2008, p. 10). This is achieved text or supplementary material for a conversation, at the end of Scraps section and in the Interview discussion, or presentation class. This book is ver- section, where students interview three other satile in that it can be adapted and used for any students, using the same questions they just age group from junior high school level to adults. heard in the interview. Finally, students prepare However, it is ideally suited for university level for their presentations. Students are introduced students, pre-intermediate, and above. to relevant vocabulary and expressions they will need for their presentation. They are also asked The textbook has eight units with a review to start thinking about what type of scraps they unit coming after Unit 4 and Unit 8. Each unit is would like to use for their own presentation. divided into Lesson A and Lesson B. Lesson A Students are then asked to prepare their own focuses on preparing a scrap page while Lesson scrap page as homework to complete Lesson A. B focuses on presenting it. Each unit looks at the life of a different character and focuses on Lesson B starts with a cardboard page for a relevant topic (e.g., music, books, family, and pasting scraps onto which can be pulled out school) in his or her life. when finished. Students then present their scraps to the class and the audience will listen, THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 37.1 • January / February 2013 35 The Language Teacher • Resources • BOOK REVIEWS

make notes, ask questions, and then finally speaking about topics that are relevant to their judge who gave the best presentation of the day. lives, which is important as “students are only The final two pages of each unit consist of the motivated to learn things that are important Scraps Magazine, which extend the topic with a and meaningful to them” (Biggs, 1995, p. 83). reading passage, comprehension and discussion This textbook allowed students to be creative questions, and a crossword activity which and provided an open environment for them to recycles the vocabulary of the unit. learn about each other’s lives whilst improving At the end of the textbook, there are sections their English skills. It is good for building for useful presentation language, extra students’ vocabulary and international cultural conversation questions, and the scripts for all knowledge, while improving their listening and the recordings in the book. The teacher’s guide speaking skills. This book would work well in is provided free online at with many tips, students are left with a scrapbook at the end of teaching techniques, and the answer key which the course that will be a good memento for them. will guide teachers smoothly through the course. Generic worksheets for each unit that allow References teachers to get the most out of each student’s scraps are also provided free online. Biggs, J. (1995). Motivating learning. In J. Biggs & D. Watkins (Eds.), Classroom learning (pp. I used this textbook in my pre-intermediate 82-102). Singapore: Prentice Hall. and intermediate communicative English classes, which range from six to twelve students. Richards, J. C. (2008). Teaching listening and These classes meet three times a week, for 90 speaking: From theory to practice. Cambridge: minutes per class. This book was suited for these Cambridge University Press. classes because it really got students actively

* = new listing; ! = final notice. Final notice items will be removed 31 January. Please make Recently queries by email to the appropriate JALT Publi- Received cations contact. ...with Steve Fukuda Books for Students (reviewed in TLT) Contact: Steve Fukuda [email protected] A list of texts and resource * All about Money and the Economy. Mintzer, R. materials for language teachers A. Tokyo: Asahi Shuppan-sha, 2012. [Reading available for book reviews in course book for university students w/ 22 TLT and JALT Journal. Pub- readings from best-selling Japanese author lishers are invited to submit Akira Ikegami incl. glossary of technical terms complete sets of materials to and downloadable CD]. Steve Fukuda at the Publishers’ Business Venture. Barnard, R., & Cady, J. Oxford: Review Copies Liaison address Oxford University Press, 2011. [3-level speak- listed on the Staff page on the inside cover of ing and listening course designed for low-level TLT. learners incl. student books w/ class audio CD, teacher’s guide w/ extension activities and RECENTLY RECEIVED ONLINE workbook activities]. An up-to-date index of books available for ! English Sounds, English Minds. Sugimori, M., review can be found at: Otsuka, T., Sugimori, N., & Evans, P. Tokyo: skills course incl. student book w/ audio CD, teacher’s guide, and script data].

36 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • Resources • RECENTLY RECEIVED

Global Concepts. Knudsen, J. Tokyo: Nan’un-do, * Surprising Japan! Gordenker, A., & Rucynski, J. 2012. [16-unit reading course for English for Tokyo: Shohakusha, 2013. [15-unit university international understanding incl. student’s level course book w/ readings about Japan and book w/ 3 review units]. Japanese culture based on author’s column in ! Grammar Practice. Puchta, H., Stranks, J., The Japan Times incl. smartphone application]. & Lewis-Jones, P. Crawley, UK: Helbling * World Link. Stempleski, S., Morgan, J. R., & Languages, 2012. [4-level grammar course for Douglas, N. Hampshire, UK: Heinle/Cengage young learners incl. student books w/ interac- Learning, 2011. [4-level series for young adult/ tive CD-ROM]. adult learners from false beginner to high ! Great Writing. Folse, G., Muchmore-Vokoun, intermediate level incl. student CDs, online A., & Solomon, E. V. Hampshire, UK: Heinle workbooks/video workbooks, lesson planner Cengage Learning, 2010. [5-level writing w/ teacher’s resources CD, and interactive course incl. student books w/ Examview® presentation tools kit]. Assessment CD-ROM, instructor and student resource website access, and classroom prepa- Books for Teachers (reviewed in JALT Journal) ration tools]. Contact: Greg Rouault * Hooray, Let’s Play! Gerngross, G., & Puchta, [email protected] H. Crawley, UK: Helbling Languages, 2012. [3-level course for very young learners incl. ! Replication Research in Applied Linguistics. teacher’s book, DVDs, Audio CDs, story cards, Porte, G. (Ed.). New York: Cambridge Univer- flashcards, and a hand puppet]. sity Press, 2012. Pandy the Panda. Villarroel, M., & Lauder, N. ! The Roles of Language in CLIL. Llinares, Recanati, Italy: ELI Publishing, 2010. [3-level A., Morton, T., & Whittaker, R. Cambridge: course for young pre-school learners incl. Cambridge University Press, 2012. 8-unit student books, activity books, and teacher’s books w/ CDs]. TLTOUTSIDE RESOURCES THE BOX am Nfor from the Universities of Tsukuba …with Adam Lebowitz and Saitama explains how the world of S drama can motivate both students and To contact the editor: SLA professionals. He is an expert on this subject because he originally came from his native “Outside the Box” is a column that Cameroon on a Bunkacho (Agency for Cultural not only challenges the community Affairs of the Government of Japan) Scholarship to address a problem, but proposes to study traditional Japanese dance and theater. a creative solution without concerns of being unrealistic. The focus is on originality and creativity, not rigor. More information on submissions can be found online, or contact the Methods of editor. OUTSIDE THE BOX ONLINE: teaching English A linked index of Outside the Box articles can be found at: through drama I participated this summer in a TEFL graduate course entitled Methods of Teaching English through Drama, tutored by Professor Gary Carkin at South New Hampshire University, to

THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 37.1 • January / February 2013 37 The Language Teacher • Resources • OUTSIDE THE BOX

learn the critical areas of applied drama, scripted does not need to be a trained drama expert to drama, readers’ theatre and process drama. use drama in the classroom. Classroom drama Applied drama consists of a wide variety of should be a standard part of teacher-training activities including warm-up exercises, mime, curricula. role-playing, and simulations. Teachers can assist students in imitating, mimicking, and expressing Further Reading themselves through gestures and facial expres- Process drama: sions. Scripted drama in ESL/EFL is informal perfor- Bowell, P., & Heap, B. S. (2001). Planning process mance with no audience and limited costumes drama. London: David Fulton Publishers. and props and allows students to educe speech Kao, S. M., & O’Neill, C. (1998). Words into behaviors that have been previously taught in worlds: Learning a second language through the classroom. Emphasis is not usually placed on process drama. Stamford, CT: Ablex Publishing. the performance (product) but on the rehearsal (process). Students are guided through the Applied Drama: rehearsal process to complete accuracy in order to communicate during a performance. Duff, A., & Maley, A. (2007).Drama techniques Readers’ theater is a dramatic presentation of in language learning. Cambridge: Cambridge a written work. No memorization, costumes, University Press blocking, or special lighting is needed. Readers hold scripts, and the focus is on reading the text Scripted Drama: with expressive voices and gestures. This makes Case, D., & Wilson, K. (1979). Off stage: Sketches comprehending the text meaningful and fun for from the English teaching theatre. London: students. Heinemann. Process drama is created by teachers and students working together to identify and explore a fictional role by a selected group. It requires Readers’ Theater: language used in meaningful and authentic Montgomery, C. Haiku (1993). In B. Ross (Ed.), situations where the focus is on problem posing Haiku moment: An anthology of North American and problem solving. Teachers support students’ contemporary haiku. P.138-9. Clarendon, VT: Tut- communicative efforts, model appropriate tle Publishing. behaviors within situations, and challenge their responses as co-creators and actors. General: These drama techniques can help language learners stay motivated, gain confidence, Carkin, G. (2003). Ten plays for the ESL classroom. develop fluency, and build up clearer speech in Manchester: Carlise Publications. the course of language acquisition. The teacher

"Wow, that was such a great lesson, I really want others to try it!" 「すばらしい授業！、これを他の人にも試してもらいたい！」 Every teacher has run a lesson which just "worked." So, why not share it around? The My Share Column is seeking material from creative, enthusiastic teachers for possible publication. 全ての教師は授業の実践者です。この貴重な経験をみんなで分かち合おうではありませんか。My Share Columnは創造的で、熱心な教師からの実践方法、マテリアルの投稿をお待ちしています。 For more information, please contact the editor. 詳しくは、ご連絡ください。

38 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • TLT » Resources » TLT WIRED TLT RESOURCESTLT WIRED SIG, I am always looking for ways to share my …with Edo Forsythe experiences with fellow language professionals, as well as enriching my own bag of tech tools by To contact the editor: learning what others are doing. I look forward to helping you all get your classrooms Wired. In this column, we explore the issue of teachers and technol- Mixing it up ogy—not just as it relates to CALL For my first column, I would like to share a solutions, but also to Internet, software, and hardware concerns website which I find extremely helpful not only that all teachers face. for my students, but also for my own language maintenance: The Mixxer . is a free website for tact the editor before submitting. language exchange and practice with native or TLT WIRED ONLINE: A linked index of articles can be fluent speakers of dozens of languages. While found at: there are a number of websites designed for foreign language study, sites like The Mixxer provide users an opportunity to write something in a foreign language and have native speakers or more proficient non-native speakers correct Jump into The or comment on the text with suggestions for improvement. On these websites, native Japanese speakers can write something in English and Mixxer have it checked or corrected by others. They can also help others learn Japanese by commenting By Edo Forsythe on other users’ posts written in Japanese. These interactions can help Japanese EFL students reetings from beautiful Hirosaki in develop relationships with English speakers Aomori prefecture. I am excited to relieve learning Japanese as they take turns correspond- G Ted O’Neill as the editor of the Wired col- ing in each language. Once they feel comfort- umn. I thank him for this wonderful opportunity able with each other, both parties can choose to and for his continued service to The Language access Skype via The Mixxer to continue their Teacher and to JALT. I know I have big shoes to interaction in a synchronous environment using fill and I’m anxious to jump right in! First, please text, audio or video chat. The ability to easily allow me to briefly introduce myself. I have been teaching English and American cultural studies at Hirosaki Gakuin University for three years. Prior to that, I served in the U.S. Navy as a Russian translator for 21 years and spent the final 6 years teaching Russian. I have been interested in CALL and technology in language learning since my own days as a foreign language student, and that interest intensified when I became a teacher. As an active member of the JALT CALL THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 37.1 • January / February 2013 39 TLT » Resources » TLT WIRED

move from asynchronous writing exchange to website for language learning. Some have even synchronous audio or video interaction makes continued using it on their own. The Mixxer preferable to similar websites, such as The Mixxer has a Japanese version of their site Livemocha and Lang-8. for those students who are not proficient enough or comfortable enough to engage the web totally Using The Mixxer in class in English. The Language Interface box on the left side of the homepage has buttons to change In my general English classes, I demonstrate how the site’s language. The Mixxer has also recently to create an account and find language partners added tools to make the site more attractive to on The Mixxer early in the semester. Then, I as- educators. Teachers can create a class group and sign my students to use The Mixxer to post their invite native speakers to join the class, giving written homework assignment for comment and the teacher more control over who is interacting suggest that they find an English-speaker who is with the students. studying Japanese and provide feedback to that person’s Japanese writing. The Mixxer makes this I hope that you find this tool helpful in quite easy. To ensure that all students receive language learning and teaching. I’ve had great feedback, I personally make comments to each success finding Russian speakers with whom student’s English post even if others have also to practice writing and speaking, and there commented. The final step for my students is to are thousands of language learners speaking incorporate the feedback they have received on dozens of languages waiting for you and your their original post and submit a corrected final students to join in the mix. Questions about draft to me for grading and comment. This final using The Mixxer can be directed to . the feedback they have been given and to notice My goal for the future of the Wired column is to where their English needs improvement. Once use it as a forum for sharing successful examples students have completed this process twice, most of technology in the language classroom. If you of them understand how they can use the site for have a tool, website, or piece of hardware you’d their own English practice. I only require stu- like to share, please contact me at and we’ll work to help and students have commented in their end- you share your experience with your fellow TLT of-course surveys that they enjoyed using this readers. Until next time, stay wired! JALTJALT FOCUS NOTICES …with Malcolm Swanson President’s Message To contact the editor: Happy New Year! Contributors are requested by the As I write this, it has been just a month since column editor to submit notices our wonderful JALT2012 conference in Hama- and announcements for JALT matsu. Many thanks again to all the organizers, Focus by the 15th of the month, presenters, and attendees who made JALT2012, one and a half months prior to Making a Difference, such a great conference! In publication. the coming months you will be hearing a lot JALT FOCUS ONLINE: A listing of about our exciting plans for JALT2013, Learning notices and news can be found at: is a Lifelong Voyage, which will be held Oct 25-28, 2013.

40 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • JALT Focus • JALT NOTICES

JALT2013 Call for Presentations JALT National Officers, 2012–2013 Whether you are an experienced teacher or Our elected national officers work with the JALT Execu- tive Board to administer NPO JALT. They can be con- someone who is just starting out teaching, you tacted at . do not want to miss JALT2013 “Learning is a Lifelong Voyage” from Oct 25-28, 2013 in Kobe. It }} President: ...... Kevin Cleary is going to be a great conference with hundreds }} Vice President: ...... Nathan Furuya of presentations, workshops, and forums, as well }} Auditor: ...... Caroline Lloyd as some great plenaries and featured speaker workshops. }} Director of Treasury: ...... Oana Cusen In addition to attending some of these presen- }} Director of Records: ...... Roehl Sybing tations, you can also be an active participant by }} Director of Program: ...... Steve Cornwell giving one. Start the Year of the Snake off right by submitting a proposal. Join the voyage and be }} Director of Membership: . . . . Buzz Green part of JALT2013. The Call for Presentations has }} Director of Public Relations: . . . Ted O’Neill opened and will remain there until the deadline of Apr 22, 2013. Please visit to submit your proposal! As a new Board of Directors was installed Go to for all the latest at the Ordinary General Meeting we had at information! JALT2012, we held a “handover” meeting in mid-November to aid the transition between outgoing and incoming directors and the two 2013 JALT Executive Board Meetings boards in general. At this meeting, we welcomed 2013-1 TOKYO our new members, Director of Public Relations, • February 2-3, 2013 Ted O’Neill, and Director of Records, Roehl Sybing, and had a final chance to meet officially • National Olympics Memorial Youth Center with their predecessors, Michael Stout and Aleda (NYC), Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Krause. As a group we discussed feedback on JALT2012, made plans for the upcoming two 2013-2 KYOTO years, and came to agreement on various management issues. In addition, we had breakout • June 29-30, 2013 meetings to discuss items that involved smaller • Campus Plaza Kyoto groups or transitioning directors. Most chapters and SIGs are experiencing simi- 2013-3 KOBE lar changes in leadership, and we hope that they • JALT Annual International Conference, Oc- will also succeed in helping the new officers get tober 25-28 off to a flying start. We really appreciate all the energy that JALT volunteers bring to any project, • Kobe Convention Center, Portopia, Kobe, and stand ready to help all members and officers Hyogo have a better experience with JALT. If you have any ideas or suggestions for JALT or the BoD, PanSIG2013 Call for Presentations please let us know at . Thank you again for your membership and The Call for Presentations for the JALT Pan- contributions to JALT, and best wishes for 2013! SIG2013 Conference to be held May 18-19 at Nanzan University, Nagoya, can be found at Kevin Cleary (or do a websearch for PanSIG2013). The theme is “From Many, One: Collaboration, Cooperation, Community.” The deadline for submissions is Feb 15, 2013.

THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 37.1 • January / February 2013 41 The Language Teacher • JALT Focus • SHOWCASE JALTSHOWCASE FOCUS

to become a better teacher; …with Kristen Sullivan and while this is still true, I later realized that I have To contact the editor: other motivations for doing so. It’s important to me Showcase is a column where that I can someday move members are invited to introduce into a position that will themselves to TLT’s readership offer more opportunities in 750 words or less. Research and choices so that when interests, professional affiliations, my children grow older, I current projects, and personal can continue to challenge professional development are all myself. However, some appropriate content. Please ad- people have questioned dress inquiries to the editor. why I feel the need to do it now while my children SHOWCASE ONLINE: A listing of Showcase articles can are so young. While still in daycare, my children be found at: can stay longer and can even go on Saturdays, so waiting several more years until the time is right to find that as teenagers, my children need me more n this issue of Showcase, Amanda Yoshida than ever. Now, I can depend on the wonderful offers insights into the life of a busy working daycare system offered in Japan, so that I can still I mom, who is also studying for a master’s make time to work and study before picking them degree in TESOL. up at the end of each day.

Time Management Amanda Yoshida Every morning, I wake up at 4:00 AM to study until 6:00 AM, and then I wake up the kids so we Why try to do it all? can all get ready for work and daycare. I try to For the past ten years, I have been working full leave work on time so I can fit in a study session time as an English teacher at a public secondary from 4:45 PM to 6:30 PM. Recently though, I have school where I teach grades 9 – 12. I have two had to decrease my studying time in order to young children who attend daycare. I am also fit in some daily walks and exercise at my local working towards a master’s in TESOL through gym, at the request of my doctor. Sweet drinks Anaheim University and will graduate later in and snacks ordered during my coffee shop study 2013. People often remark on how amazing it is sessions were seriously affecting my waistline that I can do it all. The truth is that I cannot do and cholesterol levels. The kids stay home with it all and that many important things have been my husband on most Saturday mornings, and either outsourced or postponed until I graduate. I go someplace quiet to study and to attend my Essentially, I have reorganized my life so that Saturday online lectures from about 8:00 AM I can handle studying, working and raising a to 11:00 AM. The rest of the weekend is consid- young family. (Notice that I did not use the word ered sacred for family togetherness; however, I balance. There is no such thing.) spend much of that time cleaning the house and grocery shopping. When a paper deadline looms, After I returned from maternity leave for my I make arrangements with my husband to stay younger child three years ago, I decided it was with the kids for the entire Saturday so I can go now or never, and I found a well-structured out and work on my paper. When it is conveni- master’s in TESOL program that fit my lifestyle. ent for my work schedule, I take an afternoon or My initial reason for getting a master’s degree was full day off to write my papers at home. 42 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • JALT Focus • SHOWCASE

Time for personal hobbies only occurs during program and that I have friends who understand vacations from work and the breaks between and offer empathy when I need it. I am espe- courses at my graduate school. I take advantage cially grateful to colleagues and mentors who of these breaks by continuing to wake up early encourage me and offer knowledge and ideas. and working on personal projects, such as One of the best parts of this whole experience digital scrapbooking, writing, Internet shopping, was that one of my colleagues, Adrianne Verla, organizing and cleaning, all while watching a started a graduate program at the same time. She variety of rented DVDs. sits next to me at work, and no matter how little support we feel from the peanut gallery, at least Staying Motivated we have each other. Every chapter I read, every paper I write, and every course I finish brings me one step closer Amanda Yoshida is currently pursuing a mas- to my degree. It’s been a long road to get here, ter’s degree at Anaheim University and has been and at the time of this writing, I am taking my working at a high school in Chiba for over ten last course at Anaheim University. I feel grateful years. Her interests include class-based assess- that my husband, though impatient and lonely at ment, writing and teachers’ perspectives. She can times, has supported me throughout my degree be reached at . JALT GRASSROOTSFOCUS Amongst the growing variety in the garden of …with Carol Begg JALT Special Interest Groups is the Literature in Language Teaching (LiLT) SIG. A newly sprung To contact the editor: collection of teachers and researchers is joining together for the first time to promote literature in the language classroom in Japan. This intro- The editor warmly invites 750-word duction to the SIG invites JALT members to join reports on events, groups, or resources within JALT in English, Japanese, or a us during this time of growth. Here we’ll also combination of both. explain a bit about our motives and goals for the SIG. GRASSROOTS ONLINE: A listing of Grassroots articles can be found at: Why: creating the LiLT SIG Literature is widely used in language classrooms in Japan. However, for some of us already involved in teaching literature or those with a literature background, it seemed unusual that Creativity and no literature SIG was created in JALT before now. Indeed, in 2010, when we looked around collaboration: for a place to discuss literature with other JALT members we found that literature was distinctly Introducing the conspicuous by its absence from the SIG scene. In contrast, the UK’s IATEFL Literature, Media Literature in Language Studies and Culture SIG is both well established and highly active, with a yahoo group boast- ing 600 members. Rather than try to tack on our Teaching SIG current interests to another SIG less focused on literature, the LiLT SIG was created. This now Simon Bibby & Tara McIlroy means that for the first time in Japan, JALT members can find a place dedicated to active discussion about literature in EFL. THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 37.1 • January / February 2013 43 The Language Teacher • JALT Focus • GRASSROOTS

Here’s what LiLT is all about, from our website From little acorns, the SIG has been growing mission statement: steadily, and soon expects to make the significant move upward from ‘forming’ to ‘affiliate’ status Literature in Language Teaching (LiLT) SIG in the JALT garden. This also means we are formed in 2011 to encourage and promote the growing in number while growing in diversity. use of literature in the language classroom. We’d like to create a model for understanding Appropriately chosen literature provides real literature’s impact and its role and impact in content, to engage and motivate our language language teaching in Japan. Our members are students. The literature itself provides ready- very much welcomed to join the SIG executive made context for learning that is so often lack- team to volunteer time, skills, and ideas to the ing in our EFL situation. SIG’s development. Speak to one of the current chairs to find out more about volunteering with What: current goals & future directions the SIG. Reach us through our website . Send us an email As a JALT SIG, our collaboration with other to make contact. To join the SIG, please tick the branches of the JALT tree is vital to our growth. Literature in Language Teaching SIG box when We plan to develop these links and focus on you are renewing your JALT membership. three key areas: • Conference support: In 2012 our key aim was to support a variety of literature-themed events around Japan. We plan to continue this commitment in 2013. We’ll be at PanSIG The 2012 in May; attending for the first time. Anyone interested in submitting a proposal linked Independent with literature is encouraged to make contact with the SIG. Collaborative projects are par- Learning Association ticularly welcomed. • Forums and promotion: To share ideas Conference in about research and teaching the SIG has established an online forum for members, Wellington, New which also serves as a place where ideas can be developed. All SIG members are invited Zealand to join this group. • Publication: the SIG has created a peer-re- Vick L. Ssali, viewed publication, the Journal of Literature in Language Teaching which will be a bian- Aichi Gakuin University nual journal from 2013. Information about submissions is available on our SIG website . This will be freely available in keeping with the trend towards open-source peer-reviewed work.

Who: warmly welcoming a range of interests This SIG is for those already teaching literature in Japan as well as anyone interested in using literature to teach culture, media, film, and the The 5th Independent Learning Association 2012 humanities. The LiLT SIG brings together people was held at Victoria University of Wellington who want to bring literature into focus in ELT from Thursday, August 30th to Sunday, Septem- in Japan. At the JALT National Conference this ber 2nd. It was under the theme Autonomy in year, new SIG members expressed both relief and a Networked World. With three pre-conference happiness that finally a group with their interests workshops, five plenary sessions and over 110 in mind had finally been created. Current mem- presentations, practitioners and researchers had bers hold a range of positions in universities and lots of chances to exchange ideas on fostering schools across Japan. learner autonomy in a rapidly changing lan- 44 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • JALT Focus • GRASSROOTS guage-learning field. The beauty and calmness and the results of a survey-based study that of Wellington; the wonderfully relaxing location investigated learners’ self-efficacy beliefs and of Victoria University; the sincerely welcoming self-regulation strategies, the English Café they spirit of the Kiwis, and the meticulous precision set up at Okayama University, is an example of of the organizers, all helped make this confer- what I discussed in my own co-presentation on ence a memorable occasion. I tried to attend as the necessity of teachers and innovators expand- many sessions as possible in order to have as a ing classrooms into language interaction spaces. wide a feel for the conference as possible. Overall, the presentations and plenary sessions Mike Levy, a professor of second language I attended were of very high quality. Not only studies at the University of Queensland, was the the big names in the field of independent learn- first keynote speaker and he talked about the ing, but also other researchers and practitioners need for teachers to find ways of making the best from all over the world gave well-researched and use of the technologies students bring to class. inspiring reports on the efforts at their respective The title of his presentation was The Students’ institutions to develop and nurture autonomy in Voice in Designing Optimal CALL Environments: language learning. Approaching questions of autonomy and independ- The organizers must also be commended for ence in a networked world, and he succinctly sum- a job so well done. From the scheduling of the marized what the conference was mainly about. presentations to the constant supply of relevant He argued that teachers should tap into such information, I have no doubt that most, if not all popular tools as mobile apps, online dictionaries the delegates, appreciated the good work that and many others. He argued that although they went into the organization of this international may not be perfect, they will be very useful in conference. From the student interns to the the creation of effective technology-mediated conference co-conveners themselves, all the learning environments in the future. organizers were always at hand to guide the Another keynote speaker who went to the core participants in any way required. The catering of the theme of autonomy in language learning is another area that must be commended. Being was Andy Gao, an associate professor at the Uni- provided with food and snacks during both tea versity of Hong Kong. He expounded on what and lunch breaks spared us the hassle of run- he called, “the fundamental interaction” between ning in and out of the venue to look for shops the currently popular concepts of autonomy and and cafes. One would sometimes feel we were agency. He claimed that autonomy, traditionally getting more than what we had paid for. defined as “the ability to take charge of one’s One area that I found wanting was the size of own learning’” (Holec 1981:3), is specific to the rooms. They were too small for almost all the individual learner and is self-regulatory. He presentations I attended. Many attendees would described Agency, on the other hand, as the total be seen squatting or standing during sessions. sum of the universal, sociocultural factors that Besides this, however, this 5th Independent drive learners on to the path of autonomous Learning Association Conference was a pleasure language learning. He argued that agency is to attend, and personally I am already looking therefore the universal prerequisite for the forward with high hopes to the next one in genuine practice of autonomy. Bangkok, Thailand in 2014. Japan and JALT were noted for their big presence. Over 70 of the 180 or so delegates were Japan-based teachers and researchers! Many of You’ve done the research, read the them described the various programs they are literature, and thought a lot. . . involved in, at their respective institutions, to help students take the all- important step from being language learners to being language users. What next? One of my own favorite presentations was by Garold Murray, Naomi Fujishima, and Mariko Write it up and submit it to The Uzuka of Okayama University. Their presenta- Language Teacher of course! tion, The Power of Place: Autonomy and Space, See the Submissions Page on our outlined the importance learners attach to lan- website for more information! guage interaction spaces as they transform them into places of action in their language learning process. The presenters’ description of events THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 37.1 • January / February 2013 45 The Language Teacher • JALT Focus • GRASSROOTS

Gu Yueguo delivered the first plenary on the AILA 2011 study of language as lived experiences and how these experiences shape language and human agency, contrasted with Halliday’s Conference Report view of language encoding experience. Barbara Seidlhofer looked at how English as a lingua and World Congress franca (ELF) challenges the conventional ways of defining languages and user competence under 2014 Preview the dominance of Anglo-American interests. Malcolm Coulthard highlighted evidence Greg Rouault from one of the hybrid disciplines of applied Konan University, Hirao School of linguistics, forensic linguistics. Ex-journalist and editor of the Journal of Sociolinguistics, Allan Bell, Management operationalized Ricoeur’s Interpretive Arc for discourse work with hermeneutics in interpret- ing media texts. Diane Larsen-Freeman closed the final day lobbying for a reformulation of the term second language acquisition (SLA) into the more dynamic second language development (SLD) where (a) regressing may occur, (b) there is no common endpoint, and (c) learners actively The International Association of Applied Lin- transform their linguistic world, not conform to guistics (AILA) held its 16th triennial conference it. in Beijing, August 23-28, 2011 . Since its inception in 1964, this was sia, individual papers, workshops, and posters in the first visit to China. Having been hosted ten over 25 areas of concentration, as well as invited times in Europe, and around the world in Mon- symposia and the Research Network Symposium treal, Singapore, Sydney, Madison, and in Tokyo (ReNs). These ReNs support AILA’s objectives in 1999. The host affiliate, China English Lan- to contribute to the development, exchange, guage Education Association, is one of AILA’s 32 and dissemination of scientific knowledge and national affiliates offering membership services practical experience in the broad subject areas of and professional development resources for over applied linguistics. For me personally, I was able 8,000 linguists, practitioners, and policy makers. to: preview a presentation by Vijay Bhatia before Upon registration, in addition to the high he arrived at JACET in Fukuoka; get advice from quality conference bag and requisite promotional Ken Hyland on videotaping learner interactions materials, three well-indexed documents (Confer- with ICT applications in the in-class writing ence Program, Conference Program Abstracts, and tasks my colleague and I have a research grant Conference Guide), each the thickness of a typical for; and confirm with Peter MacIntyre the feasi- conference handbook, pointed to the scale of the bility of my idea to investigate Dörnyei’s ideal event. Furthermore, different than the array of self in narrow context ESP users. Making the trip course books for students promoted in the mate- was worth it just to receive a list of references rials exhibition at many conferences for language from Naomi Storch from her work on collabora- educators, the sponsors on display at AILA tive writing for the same ICT research grant included the major academic publishing houses, studies. I also had a fully-equipped room to give with a focus on their journals and professional my own presentation on learner attitudes toward development titles, staffed by editors looking for using Archie Comics in EFL reading, which was proposals. as sparsely attended for obvious reasons. The five main days of the conference included Convenient accommodations and amenities keynote presentations from five plenary speakers were readily available and the Beijing Foreign covering the range of fields and sub-disciplines Studies University (BFSU) site was very acces- addressed in applied linguistics and the 2011 sible with three buildings used for presentations. World Congress theme: Harmony in Diversity: The 170 volunteers in orange T-shirts were Language, Culture, Society. Following opening especially happy to find someone to speak not addresses by the host organization dignitar- only English with, but also French and Japanese. ies and Martin Bygate (President of AILA), Plenary speakers, presenters, and delegates 46 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • JALT Focus • GRASSROOTS alike spent the hour-long lunch break in the Language educators and researchers may be cafeteria chatting. The fair weather allowed interested to know that AILA 2014 will be held the free, outdoor evening receptions to go off in Brisbane, Australia from August 10-15, 2014, a without a hitch, although some falsely expected rather convenient time in the academic calendar these would replace their dinner every night in Japan. However, please note that AILA also rather than serve as social functions. The off-site has a very early deadline for proposal submis- Congress Party was well attended, In fact too sions. Details can be found on the AILA World much so for the seats available, but when Henry Congress 2014 website< www.aila2014.com/> Widdowson is standing in the lobby at the cock- with specific guidelines for abstract submissions tail lounge table next to yours it is tough to pull on the theme One World - Many Languages to be rank. The conference schedule included one free available at from January 2013 until the able at the conference site. I booked online and deadline in April 2013. Early bird registration was able to visit the Great Wall and Ming Tombs, will close a year later in April 2014. The over- and saw the Olympic structures from a distance. view of AILA 2014 given by the conference In addition, once a taxi could be negotiated, it co-chairs at the closing ceremony in Beijing along was possible to see the evening sites downtown, with the Australian Night reception suggested which I was fortunate to do one night in a group, that the Land Down Under will be the place to which included my professors from Macquarie. be in August 2014 for the 17th World Congress of Applied Linguistics. JALT FOCUSOUTREACH English and Japanese language skills. When she …with David McMurray is granted a master’s degree from a university in Japan she is not going to search for work in To contact the editor: an office in Tokyo that would value her strong interpersonal skills. Outreach is a place where teach- Shanshan Chen ers from around the world can studies in Japan be- exchange opinions and ideas about cause she wants to try foreign language learning and her hand at creative teaching. It provides outreach to classroom teachers who would writing in Japanese, not otherwise readily have access English, and Chinese, to a readership in Japan. The her mother tongue. column also seeks to provide a She has an aesthetic vibrant voice for colleagues who volunteer to improve language learning in areas that do view of education. She actively looks for ways not have teacher associations. Up to 1,000 word reports to become educated in learning how to feel, and from teachers anywhere in the world are welcomed. how to know. Maley (2010, p. 5) suggests that Contributors may also submit articles in the form of inter- creative writing draws “heavily on intuition, close views with teachers based overseas. observation, imagination, and personal memo- OUTREACH ONLINE: A listing of Outreach articles can ries.” Chen has turned to poets for direction. She be found at: is inspired by poets like R.S. Thomas (2002) who wrote in 5-8-5 syllable haiku-like form: “Poetry is that / which arrives at the intellect / by way of the heart.” She agrees with the 19th century master hanshan Chen doesn’t study foreign poet Kobayashi Issa when he referred to foreign- languages for pragmatic purposes. She ers in distant lands who are seeing the same moon S no longer devotes herself to achieving at the same moment: 名月もそなたの空ぞ毛唐人 high scores on examinations the way she used meigetsu mo sonata no sora zo ketôjin (harvest moon / to do at university in China. She isn’t interested up in that sky for... / Chinese, too!). in landing a job as a translator with her fluent THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 37.1 • January / February 2013 47 The Language Teacher • JALT Focus • OUTREACH

a flower and wrote about her mother’s gorgeous Learning haiku in garden on Prince Edward Island.

English by way of Peonies in bloom summer days in sweet perfume the heart Mother’s garden grows Shanshan Chen By making the quilt I learned that drawing The International University of or painting pictures at the same time as writing Kagoshima Graduate School haiku helps me to share my feelings. Thinking about the people who were hurt by the tsunami and trying to cheer them up by writing poems When I want to read haiku and learn how to was a difficult challenge. I shared my feelings write haiku in English I turn to the page in Hig- in English by writing haiku, stroking with a ginson’s The Haiku Handbook in which he wrote, paintbrush, and methodically sewing patches “The primary purpose of reading and writing onto a quilt. haiku is sharing moments of our lives that have moved us” (1982, p.7). Well-written haiku al- When I participate in low the composer to capture moments in time, haiku workshops with experiences, and perceptions that can be of- people from around the fered to readers. At the deepest level, this is one world I have observed of the great purposes of all art, and especially that some of the Japanese literature. Haiku is literature, and it is critiqued participants seem to place in literary journals around the world (McCarty, great value on writing 2008). I keep current on opinions about interna- about what people feel. In tional haiku by reading the New York Times and traditional Japanese aesthetic, feelings inspired Los Angeles Times, newspapers that regularly by a picture of a falling flower can be as beautiful print articles on haiku. as peonies in full bloom. For example, when I attended a workshop organized by Seinan To learn ways to teach haiku in English I look Jo Gakuin University and the Kitakyushu for ideas in journals such as TESOL Journal, JALT Chapter of the Japan Association for Language Journal, and TLT (Svendson, 2002; Rodriguez, Teaching(JALT) on Nov. 3, 2012, Chizuko Miya- 2004; Duppenthaler, 2006), and listen to doctoral fuji from Kitakyushu wrote the following haiku candidates of literature at conferences (Iida, to reveal that a less-than-perfectly-round moon 2010). Ways to combine haiku with popular in the sixteenth day of its cycle can be as beauti- learning techniques in the classroom appear ful as the perfect full autumn moon. on language teaching websites such as IATEFL Online where teach- Only one ers share ideas such as asking learners to write a silver sixteenth moon haiku about a story from a graded reader to help silent night them encapsulate the significance of the plot or to resonate with the author. When I compose haiku in English and want to Chinese, British, and Japanese students joined share them with readers around the world I turn instructors from Japan, Canada, the US, and to newspaper websites such as the Asahi Digital New Zealand at the workshop. I was honored and Mainichi to be given time to conduct a slide presentation Interactive . I took part in a unique way to write the way students approach writing about their and share haiku by making a quilt for students feelings in haiku. in Tohoku (Ohama, 2012). Japanese students and International haiku contests challenge people exchange students from several countries wrote to pen well-written poems that have internation- haiku in English onto cloth patches that were al appeal. I am currently interested in contests sewed to form a huge mosaic (McMurray, 2012). held in Kyushu where I attend university. For the For example, Megan Hood from Canada painted first time, the Japan Women’s Haiku Convention 48 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • JALT Focus • OUTREACH invites foreigners to enter in a haiku competition Brian Robertson won second prize for a poem leading up to their National Women’s Haiku about a child wanting to hold the moon. The Conference in Kitakyushu on March 3 Sun, 2013. master poet Issa Kobayashi (1763 –1827) wrote The International Kusamakura Haiku Competi- about such childish feelings: Meigetsu wo totte tion has been held for 17 years and attracts kurero to naku ko kana (The child sobs / “Give it to participants from around the world. Last year’s me now!”/ bright full moon) winning haiku by George Swede from Canada about the tragedy at the Fukushima Nuclear The moon out of reach Plant was selected by the judge (Kumamoto City, 2011, p. 49) not so much because of the “irony in a child wades in a pond the seemingly impassive twinkle of stars” but full of it because “on the other hand there exists a connection to an ancestral knowing.” Hiroko Takahashi from Tokyo, a previous grand-prize winner also wrote about a child. no-go zone Experiences with children bring out feelings in the twinkle of stars veteran writers. in the Ukedo River The full moon The West Japan Industry has given child to me and Trade Convention I rear her Association has convened 12 haiku events. Seinan Jo Gakuin University in I entered the following poem in the contest that Kitakyushu has hosted I wrote one night, when I was on the phone with 3 contests. This year, 512 a friend who lives very far away. We had sud- haiku penned in English denly stopped talking. There was no need to say were received from 326 more, we were both busy taking photographs of haikuists in 26 countries, including many non- the moon at the same time. My haiku didn’t win, English speaking countries (Seinan Jo Gakuin, but writing it helped me share a moment in my 2012). This was a really good opportunity for me life that deeply moved us. to meet haikuists from around the world and read about what they care about. Ramona Linke On the phone-- from Germany personified trees. “do you see it too?” maple moon Autumn light— the trees breathing out References their shadows Duppenthaler, P. (2006).Establishing guidelines for writing haiku in English. The Language Mario Massimo Zontini from Italy entered Teacher, 30(6). this delicious poem about boy who likely has Esposito, J. (1997). A Poem in the Process: Haiku fat cheeks. Ron C. Moss from Australia won the as an Alternative to Brainstorming. JALT contest with a haiku about faces. Journal, 19(2). Higginson, W.J. (1992).The Haiku Handbook: How Full autumn moon to Write, Share, and Teach Haiku. New York: in the child’s dreams Kodansha. pumpkin cake Iida, A. (2010, May 9). Using Haiku to Develop Communications Skills. Paper presented at the meeting of the Omiya Chapter of the Japan Mountain train Association for Language Teachers, Omiya. faces in a passing window Kumamoto City (2011). 16th International Kusam- lit by the moon akura Haiku Competition. Kumamoto: Author.

THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 37.1 • January / February 2013 49 The Language Teacher • JALT Focus • OUTREACH

Maley, A. (2010). The art and artistry of language Rodriguez,O. (2004). Spice Up Your Classes With teaching. The Language Teacher, 34(4). Haiku. EFLIS News, 4(2). McCarty, S. (2008). Internationalizing the Essence Seinan Jo Gakuin.(2012).Kitakyushu International of Haiku Poetry. Taj Mahal Review: An Interna- Haiku Event. Retrieved from . McMurray, D. (2012).Quilting bees in Canada Svendson, A. (2002). Season it with Haiku. and Japan. The Language Teacher, 36(5). TESOL Journal, 11 (38) p.7. Ohama, L. (2012). Canada Tohoku Japan Cloth Let- Thomas, R.S. (2002). Collected Later Poems: 1988- ters. Retrieved from . 2000. London: Bloodaxe Books. TLT COLUMNSIG NEWS

…with Jennie Roloff-Rothman Bilingualism [ � bilingualism, biculturality, international families, child- To contact the editor: raising, identity ] [ & Bilingual Japan—3x year, Journal—1x year ] [  forums, panels ] [  ] JALT currently has 26 Special Are you raising bilingual children in Japan? Join Interest Groups (SIGs) available for the Bilingualism SIG to receive our newsletters members to join. This column pub- (three times a year) containing practical advice lishes announcements of SIG events, and information on raising bilingual children, mini-conferences, publications, or calls for papers and presenters. SIGs education in Japan, and resources for parents wishing to print news or announce- and teachers. Membership also includes a copy ments should contact the editor by of the peer-reviewed Japan Journal of Multilingual- the 15th of the month, 6 weeks ism and Multiculturalism, the world’s premier prior to publication. source for scholarly articles on bilingualism in You can access SIG News online at: Japanese contexts. B-SIG also supports members who are researching and writing academic papers. Business English SIGs at a glance The JALT Business English SIG is intended Key: [ � = keywords ] [ & = publications ] [  to develop the discipline of teaching English = other activities ] [  = email list ] [ ^ = online conducive to participation in the world business forum] Note: For SIG contacts & URLs, please see JALT’s community. We wish to provide instructors in website . this field with a means of collaborating and sharing best teaching practices. Pan-SIG 2013 JALT Business English SIG は、世界のビジネス界に通用する英語教育の発展を目的に持ち、結成されました。連 The Call for Papers for the JALT PanSIG2013 携体制を組み、最善の教育方法を共有することにより、英 Conference to be held May 18-19 at Nanzan 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 University, Nagoya, can be found at via a web search College and University Educators for PanSIG2013. The theme is From Many, One: Collaboration, Cooperation, Community. The dead- [ � tertiary education, interdisciplinary collaboration, professional line for submissions is February 15, 2013. development, classroom research, innovative teaching ] [ & On CUE —2-3x year ] [  Annual SIG conference, regional events and workshops ]

50 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • Column • SIG NEWS

All CUE members receive the refereed publi- The ER SIG will be working in cooperation cation, OnCUE Journal (ISSN:1882-0220). Pro- with several other SIGs to bring you exciting spective authors should check out our helpful events this spring. Firstly, we are a Sponsor- author’s template and guidelines at . A slideshow on basic statistics with the TED and THT SIGs. This partnership for SLA educators is available at . Details about the OnCUE Jour- development that should be quite interesting. nal sections can be found at . Our website also provides useful in- University in Nagoya, and we hope that you’ll formation about how to use APA formatting and join us at this exciting event. statistics at . For more Two weeks later, from May 31- June 2, in coop- information about CUE SIG news and events, see eration with the CALL SIG, we will be holding a the CUE website at , follow <@ joint event encompassing both JALTCALL2013 jaltcue> on Twitter, or join JALT-CUE on Face- and the 6th Annual ER Seminar at Shinshu book or Yahoo Groups . University in Matsumoto. In keeping with tradi- tion, ER presentations and plenary sessions will Computer Assisted Language Learning be concentrated on Sunday, but we think this event will be a great opportunity to enjoy the [ � technology, computer-assisted, wireless, online learning, self-access ] [ & JALT CALL Journal Newsletter—3x year energy of two conferences at once and to find out ] [  Annual SIG conference, regional events and work- more on how extensive reading and educational shops ] [  ] [ ^ ] technology can be synergistic. We hope you’ll join us for this exciting and unique occasion. The JALT CALL SIG will be publishing informa- Please go to the ER SIG website at to tion about our upcoming annual conference, find detailed information and links. JALTCALL 2013, in the next month or two, so Also, we would like to encourage anyone keep checking the SIG website interested in starting an ER program but doesn’t or follow us on Twitter <@JALTCALL>. Also, have enough resources, as well as anyone who is the SIG will be looking for people to help with presenting research on ER, to use our website to the JALTCALL Conference. Anyone interested learn about our grant programs. should contact the SIG Coordinator . Finally, the post-conference Finally, our new peer-reviewed publication, special edition of the JALT CALL Journal will be Journal of Extensive Reading, should release its published in December so people should check first articles online via Open Journal Systems out the Journal archives on the SIG website . of Japan have been working to make this journal a reality. Feel free to use our website to find the Critical Thinking latest information and a link to the journal. [ � critical thinking ] [ & CT Scan—3x year ] Framework & Language Portfolio We are ALWAYS looking for new input from [ � curriculum-planning, assessment, language education re- teachers interested in critical thinking themes! We form, Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), invite your ideas about the theory and teaching European Language Portfolio (ELP) ] [ & newsletter ] [  practices regarding critical thinking. Whether it’s seminar, workshops, materials development ] [  ] [ ^ ] a classroom idea, a reflection, or a full research pa- This SIG wants to discuss the CEFR and ELP, and per, we want to hear from you! Think about writ- other similar frameworks with respect to their ing for our quarterly newsletter, CT Scan, or our relevance for Japan. There is an emphasis on SIG website today. All submissions are welcome developing materials to support educators who at . For more informa- would like to use these pedagogic tools. The SIG tion, visit us at . holds periodical seminars focusing on classroom Extensive Reading use of the CEFR, among other things. Please refer to for [ � extensive reading, extensive listening ] [ & ERJ—3x more information, including info about the pub- year ] [  Annual ER Seminar ] lication Can Do Statements in Language Education in Japan and Beyond, and download the bilingual Language Portfolio for Japanese University. THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 37.1 • January / February 2013 51 The Language Teacher • Column • SIG NEWS

‘The FLP SIG Kaken Project 2012-2014’: The groups ranging from Amnesty International to purpose of this research is to develop English Educators for Social Responsibility to UNESCO. language integrated skills textbooks that suit- Contact us for a sample newsletter or for more ably adapt and apply the CEFR for the higher information about the SIG’s work in “teaching education context in Japan. To support learner for a better world.” Visit or contact and teacher autonomy as well as the classroom Kip Cates . implementation of the text, we will aim to develop supplemental learning materials such Japanese as a Second Language as a language portfolio, and autonomy informed resources. For more information, please visit [ � Japanese as a second language ] [ & 日本語教育ニュー . The plan for the スレター Japanese as a Second Language Newsletter—4x year ] [  AGM at the JALT conference ] [  ] immediate future is: 1. decide the basic details, 2. make project teams that will create two course 論文・記事大募集：JALT日本語教育学会では日本語教 books, and 3. publish the books in April 2014. 育論集の発行を計画しています。研究報告、学会発表報告論文、日本語教授・学習法に関する論文、ブック・レビ We have outlined, to those who show interest, ューなど募集。日本語研究者、指導者、学習者の皆様応 how you can get involved in these project teams 募お願いします。詳細は、Megumi Kawate-Mierzejewska toward the end of 2012. For more information, ＜[email protected]＞まで。 please contact . *Call for Papers: JALT Journal of Japanese Lan- Gender Awareness in Language Education guage Education. Japanese as a second language researchers, teachers and learners are invited to [ � gender awareness, gender roles, interaction/discourse contribute articles, research reports, essays, and analysis, critical thought, gender related/biased teaching aims reviews. Please visit our website: . ] [ & newsletter/online journal ] [  Gender conference, workshops ] [  ] [ ^ ] Junior and Senior High School GALE works towards building a supportive [ � curriculum, native speaker, JET programme, JTE, ALT, community of educators and researchers in- internationalization ] [ & The School House—3-4x year ] terested in raising awareness and researching [  teacher development workshops & seminars, net- how gender plays an integral role in education working, open mics ] [  ] and professional interaction. We also network and collaborate with other groups to promote The 2012 Educational Development Seminar: pedagogical and professional practices, language Learning Through Communication will be held teaching materials, and research inclusive of February 23 - 24, 2013. The theme is Reading gender and gender-related topics. Ongoing call Activities in English and this event is being for papers for the academic journal. Visit our co-sponsored by the JALT Junior-Senior High website at and contact us for more School Special Interest Group (JSHSIG) and details. Please email Tokai University, RIED. Keynote speakers are Dr. for any GALE related inquiries. John F. Fanselow, Professor Emeritus of Teach- ers College, Columbia University and Professor Global Issues in Language Education Ehara Yoshigaki from Kanagawa Prefectural Institute of Language and Culture Studies. [ � global issues, global education, content-based language In this two-day workshop, participants will teaching, international understanding, world citizenship ] [ have the opportunity to explore a complete & Global Issues in Language Education Newsletter—4x year planning-to-practice framework, including edu- ] [  Sponsor of Peace as a Global Language (PGL) confer- cational goals, lesson design, materials creation, ence ] [  ] [ ] ^ and teacher-student interaction. They will also GILE aims to promote global awareness, in- be invited to discuss meeting the challenges of ternational understanding, and action to solve implementing MEXT’s Revised Course of Study, world problems through content-based language including ways to: 1. conduct classes primarily in teaching, drawing primarily from the fields of English, 2. provide students with more meaning- global education, peace education, environmen- ful and enjoyable English reading experiences, tal education, and human rights education. The and 3. nurture the communication skills students SIG produces a quarterly newsletter, organizes need to participate in today’s globalized society. presentations for local, national, and interna- This event is free of charge, but capacity is tional conferences, and maintains contacts with limited to 30 participants. The venue is Tokai

52 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • Column • SIG NEWS

University’s Yoyogi Campus, Tokyo. The target Lifelong Language Learning audience for this workshop is junior/senior high school English teachers, university faculty in [ � lifelong learning, older adult learners, fulfillment ] [ & charge of teacher training courses, and research- Told You So!—3x year (online) ] [  Pan-SIG, teaching ers in the fields of pedagogy, materials develop- contest, national & mini-conferences ] [  ] [ ^ ] ment, and teacher development. Registration deadline is January 31, 2013. For further informa- The energy of older learners who wish to lead tion, go to or contact Chizuru Muramoto, Communi- LLL SIG aims to help these older learners enrich cation Department, RIED at (03) 3467-2211, ext. their lives through language learning. The SIG 2203 or at . provides resources and information online at . Learner Development Literature in Language Teaching [ � learner autonomy, critical approaches to teaching and learning, teacher/learner roles, learning processes, learn- It has been a busy time for the Literature in ing content, group dynamics ] [ & Learning Learning, 2x Language Teaching SIG as it continues to grow year; regular emailings to members; discussion list ] [  and develop. As 2013 begins we have plans for regular local area get-togethers; ongoing practitioner/action an interesting year ahead - which promises to be research & ebook projects; conference grants; research just as busy! grants; forum at the annual JALT conference ] [  ] The SIG welcomes Tara McIlroy as joint 学習者ディベロプメント研究部会はオートノミーのあ coordinator of the SIG along with Simon Bibby. る学習と教授を発展させるための実践を探求・研究する Tara teaches at Kanda University of International ことに関心のある者約200名が世界中から集まって組織 Studies in Chiba. Simon is based in Kansai so する、活発でフレンドリー、そして成長し続ける研究部会 we now have Kanto and Kansai representatives. です。私たちは、社会文化理論や、教授と学習への批判 We hope to be able to plan events with greater 的アプローチ、グループ・ダイナミックス、リテラシーの発達、その他の教師と学習者に関わる学際的な分野にも関 efficiency for increased effectiveness. Get in 心があります。私たちは、多様な教育現場(大学以外)で touch with the SIG with questions or comments ご活躍の皆さんの参加を歓迎しています。小学校、中学 at . 校、高校、通信教育、語学学校での指導や、英語以外の To cap a busy and successful year, the World 言語を教えている教師の皆様、どうぞご参加ください。私 Storytelling Conference, held November 30 - 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 December 2 at Kobe City University of Foreign 実践、教室内と教室外での学習者の経験における関連性 Studies, brought together a broad and talented の探求に尽力します。私たちの研究部会は、年に2回発行されるニュースレター「学習の学習」やＥメール、オンラ group of speakers and performers. Weaving tales イン資料、そして現在進行中の電子書籍の出版プロジェ about hope, inspiration, love, life and tragedy for クトなどを通じて、教師、大学院生、研究者間のネットワー the participants helped to connect the threads of クを広げます。さらに詳しい情報については、私たちのウ our various backgrounds. LiLT members could ェブサイト. をご覧ください。 mingle with the invited speakers at this event. With five plenaries and concurrent sessions over We welcome the participation of teachers from the three-day conference, attendees were spoilt diverse teaching context, including elementary for choice. Congratulations to the organising school, junior high school, senior high school, committee, particularly Lori Zenuk-Nishide and distance learning, language school, university Donna Tatsuki, who both put in much work in settings, and teachers teaching languages other the literature and ELT calendar, helping to create than English. Our plans for 2013 include a retreat a wonderful event. In addition to the help that and volunteer activity in Tohoku March 2-3, we at LiLT gave, a big thanks to the generous forums at JALTCALL, the PanSIG conference, supporters of this event, which included the the annual JALT conference, plus a 20th Anni- JALT Kobe and Osaka chapters. versary Learner Development SIG conference in Tokyo November 23-24. For further information, Next, we’re gearing up for the PanSIG in May, including details of our SIG grants for 2013, with deadline for submissions in February. LiLT publication projects, and local get-togethers will be attending for the first time so be sure to in Hiroshima, Kansai and Tokyo, please go to get involved if you are looking for an opportu- . nity to do so! For greater communication between members, we created a Yahoo group. Make sure to join the

THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 37.1 • January / February 2013 53 The Language Teacher • Column • SIG NEWS

group for conversations with LiLT members; Pragmatics suggesting collaborative projects and sharing ideas for upcoming events are most welcome. [ � appropriate communication, co-construction of mean- A Facebook page and group have also been ing, interaction, pragmatic strategies, social context ] [ & made for publicity and connects the SIG to the Pragmatic Matters (語用論事情) —3x year ] [  Pan-SIG JALT website. To join the SIG, tick ‘Literature in and JALT conferences, Temple University Applied Linguistics Language Teaching’ when renewing your SIG Colloquium, seminars on pragmatics-related topics, other membership. publications ] [  ] Finally, a call for contributions to the Journal of The Pragmatics SIG is currently calling for Literature in Language Teaching. We will become a submissions to the third volume in its Pragmat- biannual publication from 2013, and are looking ics Resources series, a collection of ‘pragtivities’. for submissions. All important guidelines and Titled Bringing Pragmatics into the Classroom, this information for contributors are available on our book will be a practical collection of lesson plans website . We look forward to work- that incorporate pragmatics concepts into class- ing with you in 2013! room activities. See the SIG website at for further details. Materials Writers Professionalism, Administration, and [ � materials development, textbook writing, publishers and publishing, self-publication, technology ] [ & Between the Leadership in Education Keys—3x year ] [  JALT national conference events ] [  ] [ ] [ � professional development, ethics, legal issues, leader- ^ ship dynamics, comparative education, societal demands on The Materials Writers SIG now has a ‘Members educators ] [ & PALE Newsletter] Profiles’ section on its website where SIG mem- PALE’s mission starts from the recognition that bers can post materials of their own creation language education does not take place in isola- for anyone to download. Even if you are not a tion from society or other fields of education. member of the MW SIG, please check out the Issues of concern include curriculum design, materials available at . implementation and maintenance, professional Also, if you are interested in posting your own ethics, professional development and evalua- materials on our website, please contact the MW tion, administrative methodology, leadership SIG Coordinator at . dynamics, comparative education, sociological Other Language Educators trends in education, employment problems, legal issues, and the demands that societies place on [ � FLL beyond mother tongue, L3, multilingualism, second educators. PALE seeks to apprise teachers of foreign language ] [ & OLE Newsletter—4-5x year ] research and trends in these issues by organizing [  Network with other FL groups, presence at con- conference presentations and through its jour- ventions, provide information to companies, support job nal, newsletter, listserv, and website . OLE has put up a special issue on the OLE Speech, Drama, & Debate Coordinator’s Ehime University homepage containing all OLE related presentations at What a busy few months for the SDD SIG! We JALTCALL2012 and PanSIG 2012, including had a successful JALT2012 in October with OLE-sponsored guest speaker Tom Cobb’s excellent co-sponsored workshops by Carolyn lecture. To view and download this for personal Graham and Ken Wilson, followed soon after purposes, please go to . As usual, OLE also Conference at Nanzan University in Nagoya plans to gather all presentations at JALT2012 featuring Carolyn and Ken (special thanks to and make them available as a compendium on Karl O’Callaghan and Oxford University Press), the same homepage some time after the confer- and then a wonderful co-sponsored event at ETJ ence so check back soon. For more and details of Tokyo at KIFL with excellent audience numbers upcoming OLE activities, contact the coordinator (20-30). The SDD SIG was well-represented at at . the World Storytelling Conference November 31-December 2 in Kobe. The first volume of our peer-reviewed journal, Mask & Gavel, came out

54 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • Column • SIG NEWS at the beginning of October. (Download a copy Teacher Education & Development at or go to the JALT website [ � action research, peer support, reflection and teacher SIGs and click ‘Link to development ] [ & Explorations in Teacher Education— Website.’) 4x year ] [  library, annual retreat or mini-conference, Our next event is the Dramatic Classrooms Pan-SIG sponsorship, sponsorship of a speaker at the JALT conference February 23-24 at Tokai University- national conference ] [  ] [ ^ ] Yoyogi Campus (Tokyo) co-sponsored with The The Teacher Education and Development (TED) Performance Division of the Communication SIG is a network for those who want to help Department at the Research Institute of Educa- themselves and others become better teachers. tional Development (RIED) of Tokai University Our activities include retreats, conferences, a li- and the JSHS SIG. For more information, check brary of books available for loan, and an Internet the SDD public website at the URL mentioned discussion group. TED’s comprehensive news- above. letter Explorations in Teacher Education welcomes stimulating articles! Our current issue features Study Abroad proceedings from the engaging EFL Teacher Journeys Conference held on June 24, 2012 in [ � study abroad, pre-departure curriculum, setting up, receiving students, returnees ] [ & Ryugaku—3-4x year ] [ Shizuoka city (with Shizuoka JALT). Featured  national and Pan-SIG conferences ] [  ] speakers Dr. Patrick Kiernan of Meiji University, and Wilma Luth of Hokkai Gakuen University The Study Abroad SIG provides a supportive both have articles in the issue, as do many other place for discussing areas of interest regarding interesting presenters from the event. Find out study abroad and intercultural training. We wel- more about TED at . You can also come submissions for our newsletter, Ryuugaku, stay in touch with us online by becoming a and we are looking for new officers to join the friend of our mascot, Ted Sig, on Facebook, or team. Visit our new website at or following him <@tedsig> on Twitter or Google contact us at . Plus. 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 Thanks to everyone who came out to the TED- ター“Ryuugaku”への皆様からの投稿をお待ちしておりま CUE forum at JALT National this year in Hama- す。新役員の募集をしております。詳細は新ウェブサイト matsu! This was a great event that highlighted へお問い合わせは、へお願いします。 theme of “making a difference.”

Task-Based Learning Teachers Helping Teachers The special edition of OnTask, which is devoted [ � teacher training, international education programs, lan- to the presentations of our successful Task-Based guage training, international outreach ] [ & THT Journal— Learning and Teaching in Asia conference, was 1x year, THT Newsletter—4x year ] [  teacher training released in December. conferences/seminars in Bangladesh, Laos, Vietnam, and the Philippines, AGM at JALT national conference ] [  ] TBL SIG was created for teachers and other professionals who currently use or are interested We recently finished up our conference forum, in using task-based approaches in the classroom. and Yokohama JALT chapter THT showcase It focuses, in particular, on issues related to for their chapter meeting on November 18. Our task-based language teaching and learning in the upcoming events are Laos (February-March, Asian EFL context. The SIG serves as a useful fo- dates flexible) and Vietnam (early June), so if you rum for the exchange of practical teaching ideas, are interested, please contact Joe Tomei, JALT theoretical discussions, and academic studies THT-SIG Coordinator . The of TBLT issues. Our journal, OnTask, focuses on programs are not limited to SIG members or to both research and theory in the form of feature those having JALT membership, so feel free to articles as well as more practical TBLT-informed pass this information on to others. If you are in- lesson plans. Potential contributors to OnTask terested or would like more information, please are invited to contact our publications officer, email , giving your name Julian Pigott at . and the location in which you are interested.

THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 37.1 • January / February 2013 55 The Language Teacher • Column • SIG NEWS

Teaching Children Testing & Evaluation

[ � children, elementary school, kindergarten, early child- [ � research, information, database on testing ] [ & hood, play ] [ & Teachers Learning with Children, bilingual— Shiken—3x year ] [  Pan-SIG, JALT national conference ] 4x year ] [  JALT Junior at national conference, regional [  ] [ ^ ] bilingual 1-day conferences ] [  ] [ ] ^ The Testing and Evaluation SIG is concerned with TCSIG and the International Teacher Develop- all aspects of testing and evaluating language per- ment Institute (iTDi pro) are proud to present formance and language programs, and welcomes esteemed educator and web expert, Özge both experienced teachers and those new to this Karaoglu, as the host of a series of online ‘webi- area who wish to learn more about it. Our interests nars’ this January. Building on the success of her encompass quantitative and qualitative approaches wonderfully stimulating plenary and workshop to language assessment, including alternatives at the 2012 JALT Conference, Özge will be show- to traditional testing such as peer and self assess- casing some of the exciting possibilities for using ment, portfolios, and project evaluation. Shiken, our web tools that make learning fascinating and fun refereed newsletter, contains a variety of assess- for both students and teachers. For more infor- ment-related articles, including research reports, mation, please visit the TCSIG website , blog , instructional columns on statistical analysis, Rasch the TCSIG Facebook page , or the iTDi.pro website . Vocabulary Submissions are now being sought for the 2013 The Vocabulary SIG thanks you for your participa- PanSIG Conference to be held in Nagoya in May. tion in activities at this year’s JALT National Confer- We would particularly like to encourage first ence in Hamamatsu. The conference was a great suc- time presenters to consider giving a short talk, cess and we had the pleasure of signing up 12 new holding a workshop, or joining a panel discus- members, bringing our total membership to 115. sion on any aspect of teaching young learners. We also warmly welcome submissions for This year several executive positions have presentations in Japanese. changed. Co-Coordinators will be Aaron Gibson & Raymond Stubbe, Program Chair Jeffrey Stewart, If you have any ideas, activities, advice or Membership Chair Mark Howarth, Treasurer Quint experiences you would like to share with your Oga-Baldwin, Publications Chair Tomoko Ishii & T J fellow teachers, please consider submitting Boutorwick, Publicity Chair Alonzo R. Williams and them to some of our upcoming issues of the TLC the Member-at-large will continue to be Rob Waring. Newsletter! Email your submissions to the editor at . As always we publish our bulletin VERB (Vocabulary Education and Research Bulletin) twice The TC SIG is for teachers of children of all ages. a year and the fall issue is out. To read online We publish a bilingual newsletter four times a or to make a submission for upcoming issues year with columns by many of the leading teach- please see the Publications page on our website: ers in the field. We are always looking for new . We are looking forward ideas and new people to keep the SIG dynamic. to the 2013 Vocabulary SIG Symposium, which With our bilingual newsletter, we particularly will be in Kyushu at Kyushu Sangyo University want to appeal to Japanese teachers and teachers on June 29. The proceedings from the 2012 who team teach. There is an email list for teach- Symposium are online in the first issue of the ers of children who would like to share ideas or online journal Vocabulary Learning and Instruction questions . Hope you (VLI) at . can join us for one of our upcoming events. 児童教育部会は子どもに英語（外国語）を教える全て The Vocabulary SIG is a special interest group の教師を対象にした部会です。当部会では、この分野で (SIG) of the Japan Association for Language Teach- 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 ing. The Vocabulary SIG aims to provide a forum for を年４回発行しており、日本人の先生方の参加も積極的 focused research and discussion in specific regard to 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 vocabulary acquisition. We aim to offer both teach- 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 ers and researchers a place to connect regarding を運営しています。活発な部会 how learners improve vocabulary knowledge, how 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 to test their knowledge, and how these theoretical で今後開催される部会の催し物へぜひご参加ください。 aspects connect to classroom practice. 56 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • Column • CHAPTER EVENTS TLTCHAPTER COLUMN EVENTS

emerging scholars in Japan pursuing academic …with Gary Wolff publishing and how those authors describe their motivations and goals toward academic writing. To contact the editor: Sat 19 Jan, 19:00-21:00; JR Gifu Station, Heartful Square - 2F (East Wing); One-day members ¥1,000, 1st visit free. Each of JALT’s 36 active chapters sponsors from 5 to 12 events every year. All JALT members GIFU—Music and EFL - Play it, sing it, learn it! may attend events at any chapter by Brian Cullen, Nagoya Institute of Technology, at member rates—usually free. and Jim Smiley, Tohoku Bunka Gakuen Univer- Chapters, don’t forget you can add sity. For this harmonic event, the presenters will your event anytime to the online explore various applications of music and song JALT calendar at the URL shown below. in EFL. Research supporting the use of music in education will be discussed in order to demonstrate that music and song can facilitate learning JALT EVENTS ONLINE: You can for adults as well as children. Cullen and Smiley access all of JALT’s events online at . will then follow this with practical techniques for integrating this great resource into your lessons to achieve the best ways of promoting language learning. Sat 16 Feb, 19:00-21:00; JR Gifu Station, Heartful Square - 2F (East Wing); One-day members ¥1,000, 1st visit free. FUKUI—Applying dynamic assessment in the Japanese elementary school’s foreign language classrooms by Galina Hristoskova-Shimo. HAMAMATSU—Delving into the minds of This presentation will focus on the application “bad” students, and Second language learning and use of Dynamic Assessment (DA) in the during a short-term homestay program by Jun Japanese elementary school’s foreign language Harada, Dokkyo Junior & Senior High School classrooms. DA investigates the learners’ and Rikkyo University. This event will be in potential language development and therefore two parts, the first looking at the presenter’s offers a more in-process view of their develop- experience, both in New York City and Japan, ment. Through in-classroom activities as well as of learning about the unique characteristics of students’ and teachers’ comments and examples, unmotivated learners. In the second part, the this presentation will aim to inform, display, and possibilities for duplicating the homestay experi- promote DA to attending classroom and research ence abroad in English classrooms in Japan will practitioners. Sun 10 Feb, 13:30-15:30; Open be considered. Sun 20 Jan, 13:30-16:30; ZaZa City University of Japan Fukui Campus, AOSSA, 7F; Palette, 5F; ; Non-members ¥1,000. ; Non-members ¥1,000, non-member students ¥500. HIROSHIMA—Active participation through student response systems by Bill Pellowe, Kinki Uni- GIFU—The voices of academic publishing in versity, Fukuoka. Motivate your students to stay Japan by Theron Muller, University of Toyama. focused through student response systems (SRS). In academic publishing literature, the storyline The presenter will demonstrate a variety of ways is about increasing pressure on academics to to use SRS in your classroom, both low-tech (e.g., publish, often described as ‘publish or perish.’ students holding up colored papers) and high-tech What’s largely missing from this picture is (a free, open-source system for iPod Touch and discussion and consideration of authors’ motiva- other mobile browsers). Sun 20 Jan, 15:00-17:00; tions for pursuing academic publication. Muller Peace Park, 3F Conference Room; ; will share preliminary data from research into Non-members ¥500, students ¥200.

THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 37.1 • January / February 2013 57 HIROSHIMA—Book reports by Dawn Kobayas- EFL classroom by Bern Mulvey. The study of hi, Miki Shibata, Richard Gabbrielli, Susan foreign literature allows unique insights into other Meiki, Tim Buthod, and Fuyuko Ruetenik. periods and cultures, not to mention provid- Six teachers will give book reports: Creativity in ing examples of proper language usage. This Language by J. Swan, Grammar Acquisition and presentation introduces methodology that allows Processing Instruction by A.G. Benati and J.F. teachers to overcome any obstacles and to utilize Lee, Teaching for Success by Mark Fletcher, The literature in the classroom. Sun 24 Feb, 13:30-16:00; Geography of Thought by R. Nisbett, Learning New Aiina, Room 602; One-day members ¥1,000. Languages by T. Scovel, and Intercultural Com- munication by A. Holliday. There will be some KITAKYUSHU—TOEIC vocabulary teaching time for discussion about each book topic. Sun 17 applying CLIL by Takashi Uemura. Content Feb, 15:00-17:00; Peace Park, 3F Conference Room; and language integrated learning (CLIL) is a Non-members ¥500, students ¥200. pedagogical approach to develop L2 learners’ communicative competence by focusing on both IBARAKI—February meeting (Co-sponsor: GALE teaching subject and language. However, there SIG). First, From dutiful daughters to English has been little research on implementing the professors: How gender shapes the professional lives CLIL approach in TOEIC courses. First, the pre- of Japanese female university English teachers by senter will explore the theoretical framework of Diane Hawley Nagatomo. This presentation CLIL and its effectiveness in TOEIC vocabulary examines the role of gender in the professional teaching. Then, he will demonstrate a TOEIC identity development of seven Japanese female vocabulary seminar applying the CLIL approach. university English teachers ranging in age from Sat 12 Jan, 18:30-20:00; Wel-Tobata, Tobata; ; One-day members ¥1,000. Integrated speaking tasks used for teaching and assessment by Rie Koizumi. This presentation KITAKYUSHU—Love that dog: Making a introduces integrated speaking tasks that can be difference with multimedia by Linda K. Kadota, used for teaching and assessment, and ways to Matsuyama Shinonome College. Inspired by implement the tasks in the classroom context. Sharon Creech’s Love That Dog, this presentation Sun 17 Feb, 13:00-17:00; Tsukuba Gakuin Univer- introduces ways to utilize multimedia in class- sity; . room activities to add color and fun to reading lessons. Multimedia elements (text, sound, IWATE—Online tools for teaching and learning video, animation, and graphics) are combined in #2 by Christine Winskowski, Morioka Junior ways that hold students’ attention by stimulat- College. Join us for a tour of cool online tools— ing multiple senses simultaneously. They are for teachers, for students, and some for both. powerful tools to help students build analytical The world of online tools now includes online reading and writing skills, as well as confidence lesson construction, text-to-speech conversion, in their abilities. Multimedia can make a signifi- quiz construction, rubric construction, graphic cant difference when teaching poetry. Sat 9 Feb, organizers, whiteboards, flowchart construc- 18:30-20:00; Wel-Tobata, Tobata; ; One-day members ¥1,000. multimedia/video annotation, and more. As time permits, we will tour some of Winskowski’s KYOTO—Writing for communicative purposes: favorites and some audience selections. Remain- Application of genre-based approaches to ESP ing tools will be indexed on a handout—explore courses and Writing for academic publication: at your leisure! Sun 27 Jan, 13:30-16:00; Aiina, Challenges for multilingual scholars by Atsushi Room 602, One-day members ¥1,000. Iida, Gunma University. Dr. Iida will give two talks—a workshop looking at university writ- IWATE—February meeting. First, Fun TOEIC ing classes, and a presentation discussing the classes: A ‘how to’ by Yurina Azuma. This presen- challenges for non-native speakers of English to tation introduces proven pedagogical practices publish in English language scholarly journals. The that allow for effective TOEIC instruction in an second presentation will be of particular interest to interesting—even fun—atmosphere. Azuma the Japanese members of our teaching community. has been teaching English for 10 years. Second, Sat 12 Jan, 14:00~16:30 (provisional); Campus Plaza Communicative methods for using literature in the Kyoto; ; Non-members ¥500.

58 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • MATSUYAMA—Captivate your students with Nagoya International Center, 3F, Lecture Room 1; < CAPTUR by Paul Shimizu, Intercom Press. nic-nagoya.or.jp/en/e/about-us/access-hours>; One-day CAPTUR is a handheld, low-tech device which members ¥1,000, 1st visit free. allows the questioner to get answers from ALL students at the same time. The presenter will OKAYAMA—Active participation through run a workshop showing how CAPTUR can run student response systems by Bill Pellowe. simple, teacher-led activities as well as having Motivate your students to stay focused through students question each other in small groups. student response systems (SRS). The presenter This method can generally enhance your current will demonstrate a variety of ways to use SRS textbook, worksheet, or wall chart use. Sun 13 in your classroom, both low-tech (e.g., students Jan, 14:15-16:20; Shinonome High School Kinenkan, holding up colored papers) and high-tech (a free, 4F; One-day members ¥1,000. open-source system for iPod Touch and other mobile browsers). Sat 19 Jan, 15:00-17:00; Ten- MATSUYAMA—Calibrating oral assessment jinyama Bunka Plaza; ; Non-members ¥500. Kochi University. This workshop will cover issues in assessing oral output in small group OKAYAMA—Revisiting CBI (content-based interaction. Participants will use four rating instruction): Theory and practice by Akemi scale bands—keeping the conversation going, Morioka. This presentation gives an overview quality of content, grammar/vocabulary intel- of theories that support Content-Based Instruc- ligibility, and pronunciation intelligibility—to tion (CBI) and some examples of its practices. assess three sets of Japanese learners. Teachers By revisiting CBI, which has been around for a interpret rating scales differently, so it is impor- while now, Morioka would like participants to tant to establish common evaluation standards share the teaching philosophies and approaches when examining oral proficiency for placement we each embrace, and consequently, remind our- purposes. Sun 10 Feb, 14:15-16:20; Shinonome High selves of our missions: what, how, and why we School Kinenkan, 4F; One-day members ¥1,000. teach languages at our institutions. Second presentation: E-learning trends: Lessons from experts in NAGOYA—The voices of academic publishing/ four different countries by Keiko Sakui and Neil Narrative inquiry in the classroom by Theron Cowie. This presentation will describe a project Muller, University of Toyama. In academic in which the (non-techie) presenters interviewed literature, the increasing pressure to publish is dis- experts in four countries (Japan, New Zealand, cernible. Muller will share research into emerging Singapore, and the UK) about trends in using scholars in Japan pursuing academic publishing technology for language learning. A report on and their writing motivations/goals. The second ideas learnt from these expert teachers include half considers how the voices of the students are definitions of e-learning, advice about pedagogi- often lost when evaluating production by measur- cal approaches, a list of recommended e-learning ing accuracy, fluency, and complexity. We will step tools, suggestions for institutions who wish to back to reflect on student voices and what insights implement e-learning programs and teacher they may reveal. Sun 20 Jan, 13:30-16:00; Nagoya training, and a discussion of student reactions to International Center, 3F, Lecture Room; ; One-day members Hall; Non-members ¥500. ¥1,000, 1st visit free. SENDAI—Two presentations: 1) DIY Neuro- NAGOYA—Music & EFL - Play it, sing it, ELT – Making your textbook more brain-friendly learn it by Jim Smiley and Brian Cullen. In this by Marc Helgesen. This practical session will presentation, we will explore the use of music look at seven ways we can make our current and song in EFL. Research supporting the use of textbooks more brain-friendly. Marc will show music in education will be discussed in order to examples using English Firsthand. 2) Four good demonstrate that music and song can support ways to motivate children and one bad one! by John learning for adults as well as children. We will Wiltshier. Wiltshier will outline four principles follow this with practical techniques for integrat- that can increase children’s motivation to become ing this great resource into your lessons in the best active learners, supported with examples from ways to facilitate learning. Sun 17 Feb, 13:30-16:00; his new series, Our Discovery Island. One bad

THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 37.1 • January / February 2013 59 idea for trying to motivate children will also YAMAGATA—University students’ communica- be discussed. Sun 27 Jan, 14:00-17:00; Aobaku tion English by Steve Ryan. Sat 12 Jan, 13:30-15:30; ChuoShimin Center; ; Members free, Yamagata-shi, Kajo-kominkan; Non-members ¥1,000. one-day members ¥1,000. YAMAGATA—Translation between Japanese, SENDAI—Looking forward to changes in English, and German by Reinhold Grinda. Sat secondary education by Jim Dochterman, 9 Feb, 13:30-15:30; Yamagata-shi, Kajo-kominkan; Cory Koby, and Austin Lantz. Our three local Non-members ¥1,000. organizers will be joined by representatives of various concerned parties for a series of short YOKOHAMA presentations. Following this, a panel discus- —Imagining an L2 self through sion will invite audience participation as we classroom practice by Garold Murray. This discuss wholesale changes in the core language workshop explores how teachers can apply education curriculum here in Japan, which will Dörnyei’s L2 Motivational Self System model commence in April 2013. Whilst particularly af- in their classrooms. A brief overview of the fecting high school, implications for junior high key constructs will be provided. Participants school as well as tertiary education also will be will have the opportunity to consider specific discussed. Sun 24 Feb, 14:00-17:00; Location TBA; suggestions for classroom practice in relation to ; Members free, one-day members their own teaching context. Participants will then ¥1,000. work together to produce activities designed to help students imagine themselves as speakers of the target language. Sun 20 Jan, 13:00-16:30; TOKYO—Teaching content in multilingual Kannai Hall (Youth Center), Yokohama; One-day classrooms by Dr. Heath Rose. This workshop members ¥1,000. will explore the issues surrounding the teaching of content through the English language in mul- YOKOHAMA tilingual classrooms. The workshop will touch —Applying principles of social on a number of issues connected to pedagogy, psychology for better classroom management by including teaching content with language sensi- Leander Hughes. This presentation introduces tivity (CLIL), curriculum design and assessment several principles from social psychology which in multilingual classrooms, and recent paradigm can help your students make the right choices shifts away from using native speaker norms about how they spend their time in your class. as a yardstick for non-native English speaker Becoming more aware of these principles will performance in higher education. Wed 9 Jan, help you employ them to even greater effect. Af- 18:00-19:30; Sophia University Yotsuya Campus ter introducing each principle, we will share our Bldg. 10, 3F; Reservations necessary: ; JALT members free, one-day members it or hope to apply it in our respective contexts. ¥1,000. Sun 17 Feb, 13:00-17:00; Kannai Hall (Youth Center), Yokohama; One-day members ¥1,000.

An Introduction to Online Dramatic Classrooms Learning Management Systems Conference for Language Teachers Feb 23–24, 2013 John & Billy Martyn at Tokai University, Jan 18th (Fri) 18:00-20:00 at Sophia Yoyogi Campus (Tokyo) University, Bldg 10, Rm 301 Co-sponsored by the Speech, Drama, and Learning management systems (LMS) can help teachers Debate SIG and The Performance Division reduce the time and effort they spend on manual tasks such as creating and grading assignments, and of the Communication Department at organizing and sharing course materials. Our first the Research Institute of Educational session will offer an opportunity to learn about different Development (RIED) of Tokai University. LMSes, including Language Cloud, a new LMS designed For more information, check the SDD SIG’s for language education. public website at or go to the JALT website

60 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • Column • CHAPTER REPORTS TLTCHAPTER COLUMN REPORTS

GUNMA: September — Empowering student …with Tom Mahler presentations with PechaKucha by Sylvan Payne. Death by PowerPoint. There are To contact the editor: 300,000,000 PowerPoint users around the world right now. 30,000,000 PowerPoint presenta- The Chapter Reports column is tions are being prepared right now. 1,000,000 a forum for sharing with the TLT PowerPoint presentations are being given right readership synopses of presenta- now. And half of them are terrible. Students tions held at JALT chapters around around the world see these bad presentations Japan. For more information on and mistakenly think that the PowerPoint style these speakers, please contact of presentation is all there is. They learn to give the chapter officers in the JALT PowerPoint presentations, and in turn teach Contacts section of this issue. For future generations how to give them. The vicious guidelines on contributions, see the Submissions page on our website. cycle continues. But there is hope. PechaKucha is a new style of presentation where presenters are You can access Chapter Reports online at: only given 20 slides and 20 seconds to present each slide. Slides progress automatically, forcing the presenter to be succinct, racing their slide deck. Sylvan Payne sees the PechaKucha 20X20 GIFU: September — ELT 2.0 by Michael Stout. presentation style not only as a confidence- Participants at this workshop were introduced building classroom activity, but also as a neces- to the next generation of English Language sary component of a paradigm shift away from Teaching, otherwise known as ELT 2.0. This PowerPoint. Payne was able to show Gunma form of ELT is based upon an “architecture of JALT members his successful implementation participation,” where all of the content is learner- of PechaKucha in his classes and successfully generated. As such, students spend a lot of introduced the many benefits of PechaKucha, time interacting with each other, producing and namely: it’s short, high-interest, practical in large responding to peers via a range of new technolo- classes, and most of all, fun. The meeting ended gies. with a group discussion about the various ways Professor Stout introduced 12 web-based Gunma JALT attendees use presentations in their applications for facilitating this brand of ELT. As classrooms. well as old favorites such as Blogger, Flickr and Reported by John Larson Fotobabble, some lesser-known applications with great potential for use in the language classroom GUNMA were also presented. For example, Quizlet allows : October — Students’ voices and criti- students individually, and even whole classes cal thinking about environmental issues through working together to create their own flashcards news item writing by Inggy Yuliani Pribady. for vocabulary learning. These cards can then Genre pedagogies have drawn on Systemic be automatically turned into a mini online test. Functional Linguistic theory, which views lan- For classes that are more creatively inclined, guage as a resource for making meaning in social Toondoo, Makebeliefcomix, Goanimate and context—also known as a semiotic system. It Dvolver aid students in creating short cartoons embodies the idea that the grammar system of the or animated presentations. English language facilitates certain kinds of social and interpersonal interaction, represents ideas All in all, there is a whole host of applications about the world, and connects these interactions available on the Web, most for free, that can be and ideas into a meaningful and relevant con- used to inspire creativity and personalization in textual scheme. Pribady’s presentation described the language classroom. ways in which appropriate scaffolding teaching Reported by Paul Wicking and learning activities in genre pedagogy helped her students to critically shape ideas to the issues THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 37.1 • January / February 2013 61 The Language Teacher • Column • CHAPTER REPORTS

of environment through their writing. This eight criteria was provided for evaluating infor- scaffolding took the form of a particular sequence mation, along with a checklist researchers can of activities known as ‘teaching and learning look to when searching sources. Due to a lack of cycle,’ namely Building Knowledge of The Field, coverage, she has found in typical writing course Modeling of the Text, Joint Construction and books, including those for academic writing, Gil- Independent Construction. fert next shared an extensive set of handouts for This meeting fell on the same day as the teaching citation and avoiding plagiarism. The Maebashi Festival and was located very near materials went from working through the search the center of the action—afterwards, it was the menu of an online database to scanning abstracts privilege of Gunma JALT attendees to introduce to outlining specific details to be aware of in our guest to her first Japanese festival. APA citations and reference lists. Participants in the workshop had a chance to understand how Reported by John Larson the models can be introduced in class with time leftover to work both through samples of practi- HAMAMATSU: September — Annual general cal exercises for teaching citation and referencing meeting/informal Q&A with Steve Cornwell. Eri when writing research papers and graduation Gemma, Dan Frost and Jon Dujmovich presented theses. Lunchtime provided an opportunity to the chapter officer reports for the year prior, thank outgoing officers Wendy Tada, Andrew followed by elections. Coordinating Committee Philpott, and Rika Tanaka, to recognize the Positions filled were Treasurer (Gemma), Public- ongoing efforts of Treasurer – Shigeo Sakata and ity Coordinator (Frost), Programs Coordinator Publicity Chair – Cecy Wales and to welcome (Dujmovich), Membership Coordinator (Colin newly elected Jason White, David Lees, and Verstrepen) and President (Dujmovich). Sup- Jennifer Vizcaya as President, Program Chair, porting positions filled were Facilities (Santiago and Membership Chair respectively. Cortez), Reception (Pierre Allard) and Meetings Reported by Greg Rouault Reporter (Susan Sullivan). As Hamamatsu was the host city for the 2012 JALT National HOKKAIDO conference, Steve Cornwell—JALT National : October — Genre pedagogy to lead Director of Programs—and representation from students to a high stake of learning: Students’ the National Conference Committee, provided voices and critical thinking about environmental attendees with a preview of some of the 2012 issues through news item writing by Inggy JALT National Conference events and activities. Yuliani Pribady. Pribady, a JALT 2012 Balsamo A casual question and answer session followed. Asian Scholar, kicked off her JALT Japan tour It was noted that members would host and be at our meeting in Sapporo. She is a junior high invited to dinner and discussion with the JALT school teacher in Indonesia and her report about 2012 Balsamo Asian Scholar Featured Speaker, the English curriculum in Indonesia had us Inggy Yulaini. all intrigued. In Indonesia, the public schools are given a curriculum framework but also Reported by Susan Sullivan the freedom to independently create their own curriculum sensitive to the school’s situation HIMEJI: October — Research and resources and context. Students start learning English from and Teaching students about plagiarism and grade one in elementary school, and from junior citation by Susan Gilfert. Coinciding with the high school it is the language of instruction for AGM and election of new officers, where three the subjects of math, art, science and technology. relatively new members came forward to take on Referring to systematic functional linguistics roles, Himeji Chapter hosted two presentations (SFL) and a genre based approach (GBA), by Susan Gilfert. Drawing on her qualifications Pribady went on to describe how students work and professional work as a librarian, a teacher of on projects (content based learning) which Advanced Writing for ESL in the US, and years give them further opportunity to study a topic of experience teaching EFL in Japan, Gilfert (sometimes linked with their studies in science first outlined where academic researchers and or technology) in English. A four-stage model advanced students can locate information and was described where students build knowledge find credible resources. Sources were differenti- of the topic through critical reading. A text is ated between those used to become generally then given as a model and the teacher gives informed about a field and those providing more explicit instruction on its structure, grammar and rigorous academic or scholarly content. A list of language features. Next, the teacher and students 62 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • Column • CHAPTER REPORTS critically discuss the topic and students work on studying commercials as well as planning together to create texts. Finally, students inde- and producing student-generated commercials. pendently write draft texts, which are teacher Throughout the presentation, Cunningham and peer reviewed, edited and then published. offered opportunities for attendees to analyze Products of this process were presented: these sample commercials for effectiveness and useful- included posters and videos in the genre of news ness as teaching materials. items on global warming and environmental Reported by Naomi Takagi issues created by students. The presenter also spoke of regular class interaction with an English class in South Korea via Skype through the Brit- IWATE: September ― The M&M’s of teaching ish Council Schools Online program. She em- English to young learners by Kathleen Kampa. phasized the need to accept different varieties/ Kampa talked about the power of music, move- accents of English and this program was giving ment, and multiple intelligences (MI) to create a her students experience in communicating using dynamic learning environment. She explained English as a lingua franca, while also making that music enhances memorization as well as a friends abroad. specific critical process in language acquisition. Correspondingly, the movement invites students Reported by Haidee Thomson to learn by doing, a process that builds neural networks in the brain and throughout the body. IBARAKI: September — Idea-generating tools: However, an important question was, “Are mu- Applications to teaching argumentative writing sic and movement effective for all learners?” At to groups of college students in Japan by Naomi this session, we learned to incorporate different Takagi. Takagi presented her research on using elements of MI and help young learners succeed brainstorming and brainwriting (Pin Cards) as in the EFL classroom. It was interesting to learn part of group writing projects in EFL classrooms that I was “Picture Smart.” I never thought I was! in Japan. Her classroom observations and Reported by Harumi Ogawa student reactions suggest that the EFL students may respond more favorably to brainwriting (Pin Cards) than to brainstorming for its effec- KITAKYUSHU: September — Connectivism: A tiveness in generating a number of useful ideas. learning theory for the digital age. Fad or future? However, in terms of enjoyableness, they may by Michael Phillips. Phillips posited the need for prefer brainstorming as it helps to enhance the a new theory of education to cover 21st century sense of solidarity among group members. She changes in information processing and com- concluded her presentation, stating that spend- munication technologies. We all brainstormed ing time on idea generation may be beneficial together and watched a short film depicting how because students can mull over the subject, look quickly things are changing and assessed whether into their own knowledge and experiences, and new critical thinking skills are being taught in learn from others, all of which are conducive to the modern classroom, or if it is just the case of their growth as writers and thinkers. recycled skill-sets being delivered at faster speeds. Using T.V. commercials in English class by He reported that digital literacy is moving from Joyce Cunningham. In this interactive pres- learning and storing to accessing information and entation, Cunningham discussed the use of that creating has supplanted evaluating. commercials in order to enhance EFL learners’ Siemens (2004/5) maintains that behaviorism, cultural and linguistic literacy. After exploring cognitivism and constructivism need a concept advantages and disadvantages of commercials as driven by the understanding that decisions are teaching materials, she emphasized that instruc- based on rapidly changing knowledge founda- tors need to reflect on and tailor their objectives tions. After a theoretical review of connectivist accordingly. For instance, if the aim is to enhance learning theory which considers new meanings of students’ understanding of the target culture, the ‘learning and knowledge’ that would meet the class may look into aspects such as the com- needs of learners in the digital age, present and mercial’s audience, explicit & implicit messages, future, we were encouraged to discuss in small or use of non-verbal communication. If the goal groups how this information could impact our is to learn language in context, the class may teaching practice. focus on reviewing grammar, pronunciation, or The presentation finished with a thought- words and expressions used in the commercial. provoking video clip which outlined some The class could also spend an entire semester ways of accessing information on the web and THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 37.1 • January / February 2013 63 The Language Teacher • Column • CHAPTER REPORTS

underscored the necessity of good teachers to debate about real-world issues in a MUN setting thus disseminate it all into something in which gives learners ample opportunity to develop students can relate and respond. their English and critical thinking skills. (2) L2 Reported by Dave Pite Motivation: Natural Sciences vs. Liberal Arts by Karl Hedburg. The presenter reported on a questionnaire-based quantitative study concern- KITAKYUSHU: October — Helping our students ing factors that motivate these two groups of become multi-competent academic writers by tertiary students. Pedagogical implications were Carol Rinnert. From a three-hour presentation also discussed. (3) Using Manzai to energize delivered in half the time, we got an impression slow learners at university by Ted Bonnah. For of what is involved in researching the develop- Bonnah, manzai-themed student presentations ment of English writing abilities among EFL were a successful twist on the traditional students in Japan. presentation-style lesson for his low-ability and In the U.S. Rinnert taught composition at Boise low-motivation learners. Performances captured State University and researched Japanese writers on video kick-started lively student-reflection there. She found they tended to go from specific sessions in class and were a treat to watch for to general, in contrast to their American coun- members in attendance. terparts. After coming to Japan, she teamed up Reported by Gretchen Clark with Hiroe Kobayashi at Hiroshima University, encountering new trends in multilingualism— NAGOYA particularly a tendency to downplay the hitherto : September ― ELT 2.0 by Michael favored focus on monolingual mastery of the Stout. Web 1.0 is the original Internet, ‘read target language—and the realization that in- only’, but to Web 2.0, anybody can post user-gen- tercultural speakers and writers are potentially erated content, like Twitter, Mixy, and Facebook. superior role models. Alternatively, attention is ELT 2.0 is the next generation of ELT based shifting to Vivien Cook’s (1991) notion of multi- on an “architecture of participation”, which competence (the compound state of a mind with builds on the power of collective intelligence. two grammars) as a standard of evaluation. Stout uses Blogger as a tool of his projects using learner-generated content. At the beginning of Results were reported of Rinnert and Kob- his lessons, he handed out an intensive reader ayashi’s long-term, multi-stage research project and its comprehension questions. Next, he gave and their implications for improving multi-com- out a detective story as extensive reading. He petent academic writing. Diagrams illustrated had students make comprehension questions, essay structures in three different languages as quizzes and add their own stories to the original. demonstrated by different writers; “think-aloud” The other class students also contributed com- techniques helped show changes over time and ments to the story from their cell phones, which how repertoires of writing knowledge expand then created conversation among them. Stout and are internalized. Discussion followed shared several useful applications for lessons: regarding adaptation of this model and implica- Voicethread, Fotobabble, Xtranormal, and so on, tions for teaching, such as goals and methods of giving these instructions: 1. choose a theme for writing instruction. the project, 2. determine the final outcome, 3. Reported by Dave Pite experiment with different applications, 4. choose an application and make a model, 5. structure KYOTO: September — Annual general meet- the project, 6. introduce the application to the ing and ‘Practice makes perfect’ practice event learners, 7. share the final outcome, 8. evaluate for the national conference. Chapter officer the application. With an iPad provided by Stout, elections for 2012-2013 started the meeting each group made their own lesson plan per his followed by three presentation rehearsals for instruction. the Hamamatsu National Conference, with each Reported by Kayoko Kato session succeeded by 10 minutes of feedback concerning content, delivery, and visuals. (1) NARA: September ― Ways that work in Learning to make a difference at the Model U.N. teaching children by Takako Watanabe and by Calum Adamson. Keeping with the confer- Kazuo Watanabe. A twelve-year-old Japanese ence theme of ‘Making a Difference’ Adamson girl made a several-minute speech fluently in outlined Kyoto Gaidai Nishi High School’s English and another student said she did not like Model United Nations(MUN), and argued that 64 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • Column • CHAPTER REPORTS her English teacher at junior high school con- Both presenters emphasized that SLT focuses on ducting class in Japanese. These were excerpts how people gain knowledge themselves in their from a video recorded at Watanabe English various respective communities (perhaps even School, where Takako Watanabe, an experienced unconsciously), and is not meant to measure the bilingual English teacher, has implemented an result of any formal teaching process, even in a immersion teaching program in an interactive classroom context such as Nagao’s study. learning environment. Her teaching principles Reported by Scott Gardner and Richard Lemmer are founded in language-conscious content teaching, which is essentially based on Harold Palmer’s principles of language teaching. Here, OKAYAMA: October — Guiding student discus- grammar is not intensively learned at the school. sion of graded readers by Jason Cox. In Cox’s ER Instead, students are given a great deal of course at a local university, students discussed exposure to graded readers in the school library, graded readers in class. The students didn’t where thousands of books are kept. Books are an know how to talk about books and needed indispensable study tool for the students, in that language help. Cox gave them a set of phrases they learn how English texts are organized, find to discuss the books, as well as questions to ask discussion topics for interactive activities, and their partner about genre, setting, character, etc. can also examine English writing techniques. This helped discussions in class but not the final In fact, they copy some pages of a book into test outcome. Eventually, Cox produced a rubric their own notebooks and from this understand which had all the required discussion elements. sentence structures and grammatical functions. In sum, while the students needed some help Watanabe’s challenges continue, as she started with the language to analyze and discuss texts, to teach math and science in English too, but they greatly benefited from a detailed discussion always enjoys new challenges. by rubric. Reported by Motoko Teraoka Reported by Magnus Kuwahara

OKAYAMA: September — Students (and OKAYAMA: October — Demotivation, amoti- teachers) as legitimate peripheral participants vation or overmotivation? An action research by Akiko Nagao and Ian Willey. Both speakers project by Peter Burden. Without motivation, approached Lave and Wenger’s Situated Learn- according to Burden, learning cannot take place. ing Theory from different perspectives. Nagao Here, the presenter gave questionnaires to low- presented a case study of a Japanese student level non-English majors at a national university, assimilating into her ESL class in Australia. She where the students’ described extremely nega- displayed evidence of the student starting in the tive feelings towards English classes in high “periphery” of the classroom community and school. Burden blamed the test-driven learning through experience approaching the “core” or environment. Demotivated students believe they feeling that she has achieved relative mastery cannot learn English: in order to blame factors in the community. Nagao described this process other than intellect, they don’t study. Further- in terms of SLT and the Community of Practice more, teachers attend less to low-ability students. concept (both which share ideas with Vygotsky’s Burden suggests the following remedies: let the Zone of Proximal Development). students know their importance to the teacher than class performance, help students to be goal Willey turned the lens toward Japan-based oriented so they can enjoy success in class, and EFL teachers and their various communities of teach learning strategies. practice, specifically as editors for others’ academic research papers. He also took a case-study Reported by Magnus Kuwahara approach, interviewing several EFL instructors with no background in medicine who neverthe- OMIYA: September — Omiya chapter’s AGM less edit medical research papers for colleagues. and monthly event. Several new executives were By analyzing their behaviors and attitudes, elected. A productive discussion of chapter goals Willey hoped to measure how these respondents was had; good things can be expected over the move from the periphery of this particular next year! situated learning context toward becoming Keiko Kikuchi “experts” at what they do (though even as they During the event, presented on master the process, they may not be accepted as her efforts to teach students issues surrounding equal members in the community of authors). nuclear power behind the backdrop of Japan’s THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 37.1 • January / February 2013 65 The Language Teacher • Column • CHAPTER REPORTS

recent problems. The audience was shown from a survey he administrated on what his materials and information that Kikuchi used in students know about English phonology, which classes, which interested all involved. led to a discussion of what possibly causes the A second presenter, Evelyn Asaka, conducted lack or shortage of English listening proficiency a workshop on activities for a wide range of and “katakana” pronunciation among Japa- group sizes and abilities. Participants could gain nese university students. In the latter half, he insights on activity design. presented some tips to design better listening activities based on a number of studies and sug- Reported by Brad Semans gested a couple of activities that he’s been using to improve his students’ English listening skills. SENDAI: September — This was a very special This was a great opportunity for our members to month for our local chapter as we enjoyed a gain insight from not only a very talented young visit by JALT National President Kevin Cleary. educator, but also a successful product of the Our regular meeting was preceded by a lively very system that we all strive to improve. The board meeting, during which we engaged in rhythm of English: Making yourself understood discussion of the now-approved overhaul of through stress-timing by Rick Meres. Meres JALT’s information management system. This explained that good pronunciation is one of the was followed by two very well organized keys to making oneself understood. But proper presentations: What benefits should a language stress-timing is another key element. The amount teaching association provide to its members? by of time it takes to say something depends more Kevin Cleary. It is very important for a profes- on the stress-timing in the sentence than the sional association to understand the needs of its actual number of syllables. Understanding the members and do its best to meet them. During relationship between the stressed and unstressed this discussion, we identified some unmet needs syllables is what helps make the speaker under- that members have in regard to our relationship stood. Meres presented our chapter with some with JALT, and did our best to generate ideas on very revealing independent and unpublished how JALT can better serve us. With a room filled research he undertook strictly to satisfy his with passionate and active members, we hope professional curiosity, and our members were that Cleary brought home with him a bounty of amazed with the results. Meres was able to em- ideas to guide him in his continued leadership pirically demonstrate that the Japanese ear is not of the organisation going forward. Creating a well-tuned to native-like timing and pronuncia- Lifelong Learning Community by Kevin Cleary. tion—in stark opposition to a much better ability After a short break, we completely shifted gears to decode “Katakana” English, whilst evidence and enjoyed a great look into both Cleary’s collected from residents of Mere’s hometown in professional life and personal interests. He America were the complete reverse. The ABC’s: advocated that one of the strongest motivators Going back to basics, going forward to ... Wher- for adult language learners is the chance to join ever by Lorne Spry. Spry gave a presentation of and participate in a community of like-minded how he helps students understand the differ- people. Cleary discussed the key factors neces- ences between the Japanese and English sound sary to create an environment where learners systems. We were able to understand Spry’s flourish, welcome new members, and build up a lifelong dedication to fostering improvements in community of practice. Materials development, the skills of his students. peer support strategies and classroom manage- Reported by Cory Koby ment issues were also discussed. The presenter highlighted his success with an English Through SHINSHU Cinema class, and openly shared strategies for : September — Making your own employing a teacher’s area of interest into a sus- chants is easy and fun and Using picture books tainable lifelong language learning community. in English classes by Mayuka Habbick. In the first workshop, after providing some back- Reported by Cory Koby ground to chants in the ESL/EFL classroom, Habbick led participants through the basics SENDAI: October — Focus on speaking- 3 of creating them. She illustrated how through presentations. What Japanese university creating their own chants, students can learn students don’t know about English phonology: without undergoing tedious drills. Simultane- A survey and activities by Soichi Ota. In the ously, they can personalize their learning and first half of the presentation, Ota presented data unconsciously acquire the rhythm and intonation 66 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • Column • CHAPTER REPORTS of English. Participants tried creating their own YOKOHAMA: September — The craft of action chants, then Habbick offered advice on how to research by Robert Croker. Just in time for the make them more realistic and communicative. new university semester, Robert Croker gave In Using picture books in English classes, Habbick the participants of the September Yokohama illustrated numerous ways picture books can be JALT meeting the tools needed to plan and do used as learning tools in the EFL class. Citing their own action research in class. In a daylong Wright (1995), she stated that reading stories to workshop, first Croker explained that action EFL learners should promote language aware- research is used for teacher self-improvement: ness and communication and provide stimulus to help teachers improve their ways of teaching, for speaking and writing. She stressed the impor- develop new ideas, tasks and activities, or solve tance of piquing young learners’ curiosity and problems in their classrooms. Croker went on providing ways in which they can personalize to describe how action research can be used to the stories. According to Habbick, the learning accomplish these personal goals. Next, some process should progress from feeling to imaging participants were invited to begin planning to speculating to organizing to expressing. The their own action research projects with the help workshop culminated in her “JJ [Joy of learning, of Croker and the other participants through Joy of teaching] Book Review” activity based on brainstorming ideas and discussion. The last part the book “The Carrot Seed” by Krauss/Johnson. of the presentation focused on ways to develop Reported by Mary Aruga effective questionnaires for gathering information. The participants were finally encouraged TOKYO to start their own action research projects which : September — The future of language will later be presented at a poster presentation in learning: A new learning management sys- November 2013 at Yokohama JALT. tem by Language Cloud and the US Embassy. The presenters led an enlightening panel discus- Reported by Tanya Erdelyi sion on the challenges and successes using technology as part of language education, including YOKOHAMA: October — Global issues in some significant predictions of how the learning scholarly writing: Towards academic pub- experience will change the new cloud-based lication by Atsushi Iida and Critical media technologies entering the market. literacy by Anna Husson Isozaki. In the first Reported by Shunsuke Kuwayama presentation, Iida shared case study data which focused on some of the difficulties and pitfalls of TOKYO trying to publish in peer-reviewed journals. She : October — “Projects international” facilitated discussion of several different issues project-based learning by Language Cloud and and attendees were challenged to review their the US Embassy. This presentation focused own ideas about and direct experiences with on Projects International (PI), a network of academic publication. The first issue discussed educators working to develop student’s com- was the problems experienced by any would-be municative competence to participate positively writer. Iida then focused more specifically on in a global society. The presentation looked at the challenges experienced by writers for whom the PI philosophy and method of project-based English is not their first language. Apparent learning, reviewed past projects and discussed biases towards “native speaker” English were how similar initiatives can be developed brought up, as well as possible prejudices against in classrooms throughout Japan. Writing non-Western rhetorical styles. Also found in the center in India: Offering tutoring services to case study data were apparent gross misinter- students with diverse backgrounds by Ranjit pretations regarding the purpose of submitted Rodrigues and Ashok Dange. For a second year, works, where readers who reviewed them faculty from the Chowgule College in Goa pre- for potential publication appeared to entirely sented and discussed the results of an important misunderstand the purpose of the submitted study conducted through their writing center, work. After the case study data was shared, and explained how the results of this study participants continued to investigate possible affects facilitation of the center. Questions such solutions and types of things writers might have as “Should sessions be conducted in the native or to consider before submitting a work. The final target language?” were addressed among others. message by the presenter was a very positive Reported by Shunsuke Kuwayama one, emphasizing that although a work might be refused by one journal, the refusal should not THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 37.1 • January / February 2013 67 The Language Teacher • Column • CHAPTER REPORTS

be taken personally, and the author should be stories was emphasized. Nearly half of this prepared to submit the work to other journals. presentation then involved participants logging The second presentation examined ways to on to computers and exploring the very long and foster critical thinking skills when engaging comprehensive list of media websites that could with English media. Isozaki teaches several be of use to students in a classroom setting. By higher-level classes of future journalists, but the clicking on the links provided by Isozaki and information she provided could be applied to visiting the sites themselves, participants were any teaching situation that uses English media able to experience a nice hands-on guide to in the classroom. Isozaki gave some ideas on increasing critical media literacy. how teachers can undertake the challenge of Reported by Paul Nehls fostering critical thinking skills in their students. The importance of acknowledging media bias and finding multiple sources for the same news TLTJOB COLUMN INFORMATION

…with Richard Miller Labour contract law amendments: To list a position in The Lan- guage Teacher, please submit Recruitment online at or email Richard Miller, Job Information indicative of Center Editor, . Online change? submission is preferred. Please place your ad in the body of the email. The notice should Damian J. Rivers be received before the 15th of the month, two months before Osaka University publication, and should contain the following information: location, name of institution, title of position, whether full- or part-time, qualifications, duties, salary and benefits, The issues surrounding limited-term contracts application materials, deadline, and contact information. within the domain of foreign language education Be sure to refer to TLT’s policy on discrimination. Any job have been under scrutiny from various commen- advertisement that discriminates on the basis of gender, race, age, or nationality must be modified or will not be tators within the sociocultural context of Japan included in the JIC column. All advertisements may be for many years. These issues are multidimen- edited for length or content. sional, inherently complex, and cannot be exten- Job Information Center Online sively documented within the limitations of this particular section. However, the most pertinent Recent job listings and links to other job-related websites can be viewed at . ployment instability and the anxiety generated from perpetual cycles of employment change, as well as the psychological, physical and monetary On JALT2011 hardships of periodically moving the family Teaching, Learning, & Growing unit. Even for those without family connections, The 2011 Conference Proceedings is now available the nomadic lifestyle that limited-term contracts to JALT members online! Over 70 papers offering tend to promote often inhibits the formation information and ideas to support and motivate you of sustainable collegial relationships, restricts in your learning, teaching, and research. workplace involvement in long-term initiatives, denies emotional attachment to a specific place

68 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • Column • JOB INFORMATION CENTER

(i.e., developing a sense of home or belonging), renewal of fixed-term employment contract[s]… and undermines sincere dedication to one’s con- for the purpose of stabilization of the employ- tracting institution. Such are the demands of an ment of fixed-term employees”. Although the almost obsessive-like quest to continually search amendments are now written into legislation, of for improved working conditions. significance to the current discussion is the fact Recent developments in government legisla- that: tion have reignited familiar concerns with the [t]he amendments to the conversion of fixed- extensive use of limited-term contracts across term employment contracts to employment all domains of employment—consequently the contracts without definite periods and prohi- future of contracted workers is again under bition of imposing unreasonable employment review. This article draws attention to the change conditions due to existence of a fixed-term in legislation and considers how it is intended to will come into force as of the date specified better protect limited-term contracted workers. It by a subsequent cabinet order which will be also shows a number of recent foreign language within 1 year of the amendment’s date of education teacher recruitment advertisements promulgation. (Anderson Mōri and Tomot- posted on the JREC-IN website; with these we sune, 2012: 1) examine whether current advertisements are indicative of changes for the better, for the worse, For many foreign language teachers employed or a continuation of a status quo mentality on limited-term contracts it is this observa- characterized by ambiguity and ambivalence. tion which should be of immediate concern, The original “Labour Contract Act” promul- especially considering that for decades so-called gated on December 5 2007 (Act No. 128) asserts native-speaker teachers have been predominantly, in Article 17(2) that with regard to fixed-term although not exclusively, consigned to employ- labour contracts “an employer shall give con- ment categories and institutional roles largely sideration to not renewing such labor contract marked as being peripheral in their positioning repeatedly as a result of prescribing a term that is and temporal in their existence (see Houghton shorter than necessary in light of the purpose of & Rivers, 2013). Anderson Mōri and Tomotsune employing the worker based on such labor con- (2012: 1) further detail how: tract” (Translation provided by the Japan Insti- tute for Labour Policy and Training, 2008). While [t]he amended law allows fixed-term contract the English language version is somewhat open employees with contract periods of over 5 to interpretation, the underlying meaning seems years in total to convert their employment to be that employers should consider refraining contract to an employment contract without a from repeatedly renewing term-limited contracts definite period by requesting to their employ- when there exists an employment position ers. The contract period calculation for the that purports a more long-term appointment. conversion shall not include any fixed-term However, as many foreign language teachers contract periods which commenced before are aware, it is certainly common practice to see the date of enforcement. In addition, if there teachers on limited-term contracts periodically is a period of inactivity exceeding 6 months rotated out of the workplace, only to be replaced during which no employment contract was by another teacher charged with performing the executed, any fixed-term employment -con exact same role under the exact same conditions tract periods lapsing before such blank period (i.e., the role continues to exist but the individual will be excluded from the calculation of the employee is deemed surplus after a certain total contract period. The employee’s request period of time). must be made before the expiration of the current term of his or her fixed-term employment On March 23 2012 the government submitted contract with a total contract period exceed- the “Bill for Partial Amendment of Labour Con- ing 5 years. tract Act” to the Diet with the intention of having it written into legislation during the immediate Of utmost significance within the suggested session. Indeed, Tokyo-based law firm Anderson revisions are the proposed amendments deal- Mōri and Tomotsune (2012: 1) confirm in a recent ing with repeated renewals for employees on bulletin that the proposed amendments “came limited-term contracts. They stipulate that after into force as of the date of promulgation (August being contracted for a single or combined period 10 2012)”. The amendments are officiallyintended of five years (starting from some point during fis- to better address “the proper execution and cal 2013, although one can assume that this will THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 37.1 • January / February 2013 69 The Language Teacher • Column • JOB INFORMATION CENTER

be April 1), the contracting organization has an often a less experienced candidate. Although not obligation to then make the employee permanent stabilizing the working conditions of limited-term (i.e., contracted without a fixed term-limit) if the contract workers in higher education, this would employee requests that such action be taken. mean that common limited-term contract struc- Although this sounds promising, the outline tures and configurations such as the three-year above also reveals a potential exit-strategy for renewable once (total of six years) structure, the employers to avoid term-limited contract work- two-year renewable three times (total of six years) ers demanding to have the term-limit removed structure, and the five-year renewable once (total after a period of five years, namely the six month of 10 years) structure would cease to be utilized, non-contracted cooling off period. For example, thus ultimately reducing, rather than extending, an employee could technically be employed for the potential period of term-limited employment. a duration of exactly five years before being told As Okawa Kazuo, Chairperson of the Osaka to ”go away and come back in six months” for Lawyers’ Union for Labour, wrote on June 15 another term-limited period of five years. It is not 2012 (in a statement on behalf of the organization hard to imagine that certain institutions of higher translated and made available by the General education will become creative with this six Union ), while the amendments are legally un-contracted employees an extended vaca- intended to “achieve a society where limited- tion or personal research period, thus allowing the term contract workers will be able to continue employer to reset the clock on the five-year term working without worrying about their jobs… limit. However, the most obvious concern is that there is a danger that it might make the posi- employers will instead simply move to restrict tion of limited-term contract workers even less employees to a period of employment spanning stable by legislation” (The General Union, 2012). no more than five years before continuing the Intrigued by the paradoxical nature of this posi- current trend of replacing them with what is tion, during a fixed period of one month between

Table 1. Summary of Foreign Language (English) Teacher Recruitment Advertisements Posted on the JREC-IN website between October 11 and November 12 2012.

Contract Maximum Date Posted JREC-IN # Original Contract Extension Employment Period 2015/04/01- 1 2012/11/12 #D112110410 2013/03/01- 2015/03/31 4 years 2017/03/31 Yearly until 2 2012/11/10 #D112110374 2013/04/01- 2014/03/31 4 years 2017/03/31 Pending 3 2012/11/09 #D112090253 2013/04/01- 2017/03/31 4 years Review 4 2012/11/03 #D112110137 2013/04/01- 2017/03/31 None 4 years 2015/04/01- 5 2012/11/03 #D112101606 2013/04/01- 2015/03/31 4 years 2017/03/31 Pending 6 2012/11/03 #D112110113 2013/04/01- 2017/03/31 4 years Review 2015/04/01- 7 2012/11/03 #D112110101 2013/04/01- 2015/03/31 4 years 2017/03/31 Yearly until 8 2012/11/01 #D112101234 2013/04/01- 2014/03/31 5 years 2018/03/31 Yearly until 9 2012/10/27 #D112101140 2013/03/31- 2014/03/31 4 years 2017/03/31 Yearly until 10 2012/10/13 #D112100607 2013/04/01- 2014/03/31 4 years 2017/03/31 11 2012/10/11 #D112100494 2014/04/01- 2017/03/31 None 3 years 70 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • Column • JOB INFORMATION CENTER

October-November 2012 all full-time contracted available to them once their contracts expire or foreign language (English) teacher recruitment once they have been employed for a combined advertisements posted on the JREC-IN website period of five years. Once the five-year period were profiled in order to reveal potential evi- of employment expires in fiscal 2018, it will be dence that the amendments designed to better interesting to see how contracted workers across protect term-limited contract workers might all sectors of employment react, and whether the actually contribute to increased vulnerability “Bill for Partial Amendment of Labour Contract within the workplace. It should be made explicit Act” actually serves its stated purpose to better that the information presented in Table 1 is not protect them. This is of course based upon the intended to represent data in any experimental, optimistic premise that term-limited workers controlled or research-based sense, but rather it (especially foreign language teachers) will actu- represents a general summary of observations ally be allowed to reach the milestone of five years made throughout the month concerning the use combined employment. of limited-term contracts. Although not providing reliable grounds for References comprehensive conclusions, the information in Table 1 appears to reveal that higher education Anderson Mōri and Tomotsune Law Firm (2012, institutions are actively aware of the potential September). Labor and Employment Law implications should an employee be allowed to Bulletin, 30. Anderson Mōri and Tomotsune Law. surpass five years of combined employment. In all Retrieved from . to terms never extending beyond five years, Houghton, S.A. and Rivers, D.J. (Eds.) (2013). thus making them ineligible for the move from a Native-Speakerism in Japan: Intergroup Dynam- term-limited to an open-term contract scheme. It ics in Foreign Language Education. Clevedon: should also be noted that the apparent favouring Multilingual Matters. of a four-year limited-term of employment is Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training significant. This can be attributed to the fact that (2008). Labor Contract Act (Act No. 128 of De- the legal amendments concerning the shift from cember 5, 2007). The Japan Institute for Labour temporal to indefinite entity were only stated Policy and Training: Tokyo. to come into force within an unspecified period The General Union (2012). Statement Regarding starting 1-year from the date of promulgation the Labour Contract Law Revision Bill Concerning (August 10 2012). Therefore, and despite as- Limited-Term Labour Contracts. Retrieved from sumptions that this date will be April 1 2013, the enews.generalunion.org/LabourContractLaw.pdf. four-year limited term of employment ensures an extra layer of protection for institutions from the possibility that term-limited contracted workers will: a) be able to reach to five years of combined employment, or b) have any legal recourse concerning the non-renewal of a limited-term contract after a period of only four years. To repeat, the issues surrounding term-limited contracts are multidimensional and inherently complex. In contributing this article, my intention is simple – to increase awareness among fellow teachers concerning the questionable ways The call for papers for the 5th Annual NEAR in which term limited-contracts and the legal Conference is now open. This year’s theme legislation surrounding them is currently changing. With access to such information it is hoped is All is New Again: New Experiences, New that teachers currently searching for new posi- Challenges, New Voices. This is the pre- tions, attending interviews, and pondering over miere event on the JALT Niigata yearly employment offers starting in 2013 will be better placed to understand the primary reasons why calendar so don’t miss it. their contracts are structured in a particular man- ner, be aware of the legal grounding behind such contracting practices, and understand the options

THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 37.1 • January / February 2013 71 The Language Teacher • Column • CONFERENCE CALENDAR TLTCONFERENCE COLUMN CALENDAR Innovations, Issues, & Insights, SEAMEO …with David Stephan Regional Language Centre, Singapore. Contact: Click on “Seminar.” To contact the editor: 20-23 MAR 13—TESOL 2013 International Convention & English Language Expo: Har- New listings are welcome. monizing Language, Heritage, and Cultures, Please email information Dallas Convention Center, Dallas, Texas, USA. (including a website address) to Keynote speakers will be John Hunter, Thomas the column editor as early as Nakayama, Suzanne Panferov, Aram deKoven, possible, preferably by the 15th and Bonny Norton. Contact: before a conference in Japan, or 8-12 APR 13 4 months before an overseas —IATEFL 47th Annual Conference conference. Thus, 15 Janu- and Exhibition, Arena and Convention Centre, ary is the deadline for an April Liverpool, UK. Plenary speakers will be David conference in Japan or a May conference overseas. Crystal, Deniz Kurtoglu Eken, Jun Liu, Roger Feedback or suggestions on the usefulness of this McGough, and Susan Barduhn. Contact: You can access the Conference Calendar online at: 17-19 APR 13—6th PELLTA International Bayview Hotel, Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia. Contact: Upcoming Conferences 25-28 APR 13—ACLL 2013 Third Asian Conference on Language Learning Confer- 25-26 JAN 13 —33rd Thailand TESOL Interna- ence: Shifting Paradigms: Informed Responses, tional Conference: “E” novation and Communi- Ramada Osaka, Osaka. Contact: Hotel, Khon Kaen, Thailand. Contact: ence on Technology in the Classroom Confer- 23-24 FEB 13 —9th Annual CamTESOL Confer- ence: The Impact of Innovation: Technology and ence on English Language Teaching: Language You, Ramada Osaka, Osaka. Contact: Contact: Alternative Pedagogies in the English Language 15-16 MAR 13 —3rd International Conference & Communication Classroom, Nat’l U. of on Foreign Language Learning and Teaching Singapore. Keynote speakers will be Christopher Conference, The Ambassador Hotel Bangkok, Candlin, Ulla Connor, William Grabe, and Ann Bangkok, Thailand. Contact: Johns. Contact: < nus.edu.sg/celc/symposium/ 16-19 MAR 13—AAAL 2013: Applied Linguistics index.html> in a Globalizing World, Sheraton Dallas Hotel, 31 MAY-2 JUN 13—JALTCALL 2013, Shinshu Dallas, Texas, USA. Plenary speakers will be University, Matsumoto. Contact: Lera Boroditsky, (Stanford), William Hanks, (UC 3-5 JUN 12—4th Annual Conference of Berkeley), Agnes Weiyun He, (Stony Brook U.), Canadian Association of Applied Linguistics: Monica Heller, (Université de Toronto), Brian Pronunciation of Second Language Learning and MacWhinney, (Carnegie Mellon), and Srikant Teaching, U. of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada. Sarangi, (Cardiff U.).Contact : common.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=79> 17-18 JUN 13—2nd Annual International 18-20 MAR 13—48th RELC International Conference on Language, Literature and Lin- Seminar: Assessment in Language Education: guistics, Hotel Fort Canning, Singapore. Contact: 72 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • The Language Teacher • Column • JOB INFORMATION CENTER

Many Languages, Brisbane, Australia. Contact: 29 JUN 13—The Annual JALT Vocabulary Symposium, Kyushu Sangyo U., Fukuoka. DEADLINE: 31 JAN 2013 (FOR 17-19 APR Featured discussants will be Paul Nation and 13)—6th PELLTA International English Lan- Yo In’nami. Contact: Malaysia. Contact: Testing Research Colloquium: Broadening DEADLINE: 15 FEB 13 (FOR 18-19 MAY Horizons: Language Assessment, Diagnosis, and 13)— JALT PanSIG 2013, Nanzan U., Nagoya. Accountability, Seoul Nat’l U., Seoul. Contact: Contact: WEBSITE/JALTPanSIG2013/Call_for_Papers. 30 AUG-1 SEP 13—JACET’s 52nd International html > Convention, Yoshida Campus of Kyoto U. DEADLINE: 17 FEB 13 (FOR 25 MAY 13)—5th Featured speakers will be Susan Bassnett (U. of Annual NEAR Conference: All is New Again - Warwick), Ken Hyland (U. of Hong Kong), and New Experiences, New Challenges, New Voices, Toru Iiyoshi (Kyoto U.). Contact: Niigata. Contact: Calls for Papers or Posters DEADLINE: 30 APR 13 (FOR 14 SEP 13)—The DEADLINE: 21 DEC 12 (FOR 17-18 JUN 2nd Extensive Reading World Congress, 13) Sookmyung Women’s U., Seoul, Korea. Contact: —2nd Annual International Conference on Language, Literature and Linguistics, Hotel Fort DEADLINE: 30 APR 13 (FOR 26-28 OCT Canning, Singapore. Contact: —The 11th Asia TEFL International Confer- CALL OPENS: JAN 2013 (FOR 10-15 AUG ence, Ateneo de Manila U., Manila, Philippines. Contact: 14)—AILA World Congress 2014: One World,

JALT2013 Call for Presentations Whether you are an experienced teacher with years of experience or someone who is just starting out teaching, you do not want to miss JALT2013 “Learning is a Lifelong Voyage” from Oct 25-28, 2013 in Kobe. It is going to be a great conference with hundreds of presentations, workshops, and forums, as well as some great plenaries and featured speaker workshops. In addition to attending some of these presentations, you can also be an active participant by giving one. Start the Year of the Snake off right by submitting a proposal. Join the voyage and be part of JALT2013. The Call for Presentations has opened and will remain there until the deadline of Apr 22, 2013. Please visit to submit your proposal! Go to for all the latest information!

THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 37.1 • January / February 2013 73 The Language Teacher • Column • OLD GRAMMARIANS TLTOLD COLUMN GRAMMARIANS ...by Scott Gardner • Raised by wolves method: This method seems well suited to learning the language of wolves, but would probably be less successful applied to human languages. Crystal • Total telekinetic response (TTR): With this method the learner “intakes” the material in methodology his textbook from across the room. Unfortu- nately, in my preliminary tests learners have I want my own original teaching had trouble even opening the books teleki- method. I want my name at- netically, let alone reading them. tached to a revolutionary pedagogic practice that turns language • Boke tsukkomi method: The learner intention- learning on its head. I want kids throwing their ally makes funny linguistic mistakes in order desks out of school windows, gleefully shouting, to induce sharp but comic reproaches from “We’ll do it the Gardner Way!” Or “Gardner- her interlocutor. Linguistic patterns may ing Goes Great!” Every time neurophysiologists or may not be learned this way, but at least discover something new about language centers everyone has a pretty good time. in the brain, I want the BBC calling to ask for my thoughts on the subject. • Garden path method: Students put in groups parse sentences made trying to reason out, But what will my method actually incorpo- grammar, rank and type them. The instructor rate? I haven’t quite got that worked out yet, supplements with drills of repeat patterns although I’m pretty sure that autonomy should manifest in learner structures grasp. be involved. And I really think that sociocultural factors should play an important role. And • English through drinking games: Particular pencils—my method definitely needs to include structures—say, for example, minimal pairs pencils. I’ve wrestled with a few ideas for a sure- like liquor and fire language learning methodology, but while kicker—are tested these ideas look exciting on paper, I worry about by being assigned whether they would actually work in real life. to shot glasses, Let me share my most promising ones with you: some filled with • Eating your words language learning: This con- whiskey and oth- sists of writing L2 compositions in a stream- ers with water. The of-consciousness learner listens to flow for 30 minutes a word and drinks from what he believes to at a time without be its appropriate glass. (Glasses are refilled pausing, then wad- as needed.) My studies show that listening ding up the paper comprehension improves remarkably in the and swallowing it. first 20 minutes of the test, but then deterio- A variation on this rates quickly after one hour to levels worse method involves than when testing started. consuming not the paper, but rather the eraser residue that • Innuendopedia: This method consists of using results from two hours of test taking. suggestive and off-color phrases to teach more mainstream language. I’ve had trouble • Electroshock phonology: Electrodes placed on finding a publisher for the textbook I wrote the ears assist the learner in achieving the implementing this method. proper tongue curls necessary to differenti- ate /r/ and /l/.

74 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • TLT » Column » OLD GRAMMARIANS

• Wash your mouth out with soap method: A vari- precise moment the teacher (or “language ation on Innuendopedia. I took a clue for this dealer”) suggests through small whispers, method from my own parents, but found “You speak French very well.” After repeat- that it was more effective forunlearning par- ed subjection to the method the learner tends ticular vocabulary than for learning it. to shift among these multiple personalities at random, and very likely at least one of them • Multiple personalities method: Through careful will speak French. exposure to a combination of hallucinogenic • “My theory doesn’t like you” method: Driven aromas and psychedelic by ideology, the teacher relentlessly pushes a art films, the learner certain teaching regimen on students wheth- reaches a fugue state in er they appear to be benefiting from it or not. which, personality-wise, Any pedagogical failures are attributed to she is capable of becom- student anomalies and lack of funding, and ing a number of differ- not to the method itself. ent people. At the right

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Save the dates! JALT Journal is a refereed research journal JALT2013: Learning is of the Japan Association for Language Teaching a Lifelong Voyage (全国語学教育学会). Oct. 25-28, 2013 It invites practical and Kobe International Conference theoretical articles and Center and Portopia Hotel research reports on second/ foreign language teaching Port Island, Kobe and learning in Japanese and • Call for Presentations opens Asian contexts. Jan 01, 2013 For more information and • Deadline is Apr 22, 2013 submission guidelines see

THE LANGUAGE TEACHER: 37.1 • January / February 2013 75 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 .