1996 - Fukuoka JALT Events Archive

Fukuoka JALT's Book Fair 1996
David Nunan, featured speaker
Our 16th annual book fair was our largest ever, with 634 people attending. 18 publishers participated. This was the first year that publishers had the opportunity to make an additional presentation in Japanese, an effort to reach out to those in the teaching community who feel more comfortable digesting large amounts of information in their native language. Highlights included a plenary presentation by David Nunan. Among the more well-known speakers were Ritsuko Nakata, Marc Helgeson, and David Paul.

Self-Access Pair Learning (SAPL)
Mariko Goto Higuchi
February 25, 1996
Mariko Goto Higuchi's presentation aims to introduce Self-Access Pair Learning (SAPL), and show how she has used it in her classes at several universities and at an open college seminar. SAPL enables each student to do something 100% of the class time, and allows each student to speak for half of this time. This is something that a teacher-oriented class can never hope to achieve. Under the SAPL system, students spend the class working in pairs, using the target language. It provides the necessary language learning techniques and environment that are congruent with >brain science.< These techniques will maximize the effectiveness of your language instruction. Unfortunately, the typical English class in Japan lacks these learning techniques and this environment. Although it is not easy to use SAPL in an ideal way in may college situations, there are ways that teachers can learn from SAPL how to optimize studentsp learning in most teaching situations.
Mariko Goto Higuchi is an associate professor at Kyushu Institute of Technology in Iizuka. She teaches English and Cognitive Linguistics. She is interested in how we actually communicate with each other through languages; her research areas at present are in the field of Cognitive Linguistics. She has worked on revising the curriculum at her institution for several years, and would like to help change the English educational system in Japan as a whole some day.

Cartooning In The Classroom
Chris Chase
March 31, 1996
Chris Chase's presentation will explore the many different ways in which teachers can use cartoons and drawings in the language classroom. The demonstration will be divided into two parts.
First, we will look at some of the ways in which drawings and cartoons can be used to stimulate and facilitate English communication. Participants will take part in some information gap activities and language/drawing exercises. The presenter will also describe classroom projects where students have illustrated idioms, metaphors, stories and the lyrics to songs. Participants will be asked to do some group activates and also to share and develop some of their own ideas.
In the second part of the presentation, the presenter will provide tips on ways teachers can improve their own drawing skills and find a cartooning style comfortable to them. One of the goals here will be to help dispel the myth that artistic ability is a rare thing. Drawing skills can be developed by anyone if they put the time into it, know how to go about improving their skills, and learn to enjoy the drawing process as an end in itself. By demonstrating some of the ways in which the presenter himself developed his own abilities, it is hoped that participants will be encouraged to begin drawing cartoons on their own, and begin using them in their classrooms.
Christopher Chase teaches at Seinan University in Fukuoka, and is an author/illustrator published through Intercom Press.

Activating Large Classes
A Workshop on Conversation Texts for Beginners, False Beginners & Intermediate Level Students
Paul Shimizu
April 24, 1996
This presentation will take the form of a workshop where participants will be taken though a variety of activities such as information gap activities, interviews, surveys, pair and small Ggroup activities, card activities and brainstorming.
One text will deal with the beginner or false beginner who needs confidence-building material which is simple, challenging and interesting. Thus text is grammar based in order to keep students focused on the target language. Very little of the target language is given directly to the students. Thus students use language which they have had to study to some extent before they use it.
The other text serves as a launch-pad for conversation. Students who use this text should be at about the intermediate level, preferably with a desire to speak English. This text is topic based so students can easily develop their conversational skills by naturally wandering through the various grammar points within a topic or sub-topic or a totally unrelated topic which has been naturally jumped into.
The workshop will have the participants involved in both levels of conversation. The methodology is not of course unique to these books. Much of what will be covered could possibly apply to your existing texts.
Paul Shimizu has been teaching for nearly 20 years (7 in Japan). He currently teaches at Futaba High School.

On-Going Teacher Development for Junior & Senior High School Teachers (in Japanese)
May 19, 1996
Prof. Nobuyuki Takaki
Abstract unavailable in English

Second Annual Teaching Kids Workshop
June 23, 1996
Various speakers, including Christine Chienn, Phil Stewart, Chris Muffet and Bill Pellowe. Several small-group workshops happening simultaneously, like a workshop fair.

Motivating Large Classes Through Simulation Activities
Yasuo Nakatani
July 14, 1996
This workshop explores all aspects of organizing large-scale simulation activities. Simulation activities motivate students and give them self-confidence; the effectiveness of simulation activities will be examined by viewing extracts from a videotaped class and the results of a student survey. Participants will then experience the simulation activity firsthand. A discussion on the effective organization of simulation activities will follow, and participants will brainstorm ideas to create a useful lesson which motivates students and gives them self-confidence.
Yasuo Nakatani teaches at Nakamura Gakuen College in Fukuoka.

Starting Your Own Neighborhood School
Marcus Pizzorno
September 14, 1996
Three months after coming to Japan, the presenter, Marcus Pizzorno, opened his own school. After 2 days, he had over 30 students. After 2 months, he had over 60 students. Now, 2 years later, he has over 100 students and 2 full time teachers. He now advises foreigners and locals on how to open and run small, profitable neighborhood style schools. Come to the September meeting for advice on how you can make your own successful start.
Marcus Pizzorno, owner and founder of Takao English School, is the owner of Pizzorno Enterprises, a consultancy firm specializing in helping individuals reach the untapped market of neighborhood schools. He can be contacted at fax/phone 092-929-0506.

Recipes for Super Classes
Aleda Krause
October 13, 1996
How do children learn a foreign language? They learn related vocabulary, structures and dialogues when presented in a context; they learn to listen before they learn to speak, they learn by imitating a model, and they learn through repetition and recycling. Most of all, they learn when they're having fun. The presenter, Aleda Krause, will demonstrate games, songs and activities that teach the way children learn, including Sing-a-Grams, Find Its, and Color the Spaces. Come learn a myriad of ideas!
Aleda Krause has taught adults and children for over 20 years. She believes children learn best through fun and play. She is currently writing a children's series for Prentice Hall Japan. She is the founder of the JALT National Special Interest Group for Teaching Children. She can be contacted at aleda@gol.com.

Using the Internet for Language Education
November 17, 1996
Five hands-on Internet workshops in large Internet-connected computer labs. Beginning and advanced internet users alike will find these workshops informative. Computer lab assistants will be on hand to give individual help (in English and Japanese) during the workshop if needed. Presentations in English and in Japanese.
Speakers include:
Thomas Robb, PhD., Chair of the Department of English, Faculty of Foreign Languages at Kyoto Sangyo University. He is co-ordinator of their CALL Laboratory as well as the school's Computer Literacy course with 1800 registered students. He has over 20 years experience with computers and is the co-founder of the Student List project, Manager of TESLHELP and the TESLJB-L list, and technical editor for TESL-EJ, the electronic journal for the ELT profession. He was active in JALT both as president and Executive Secretary in its formative years.
Prof. Shuji Ozeki, Assistant Professor (Jokyouju) at Chubu University.
Nikolas May, the owner of Anoraknid Consulting, a Macintosh troubleshooting and training company which specializes in creating internet websites. He is also the editor and publisher of the Gaijin Gleaner, Kyushu's largest independently-owned newspaper, and of Gleaner Online. He can be reached at 092-522-0498.

Drama in the Lesson
Jack Migdalek
December 8, 1996
Drama utilized in the language lesson can be an ideal way to bring into practice the language that your students are learning. It can be an enriching and stimulating way for students to experience and enjoy the language of study. Drama-based problem solving activities take the pressure and focus off language, allowing it simply to function as a vital, communicative tool by which tasks are achieved. This workshop is designed to inspire ideas and strategies for the implementation of drama into your own teaching situation/s. It also addresses the (unique) nature of Japanese students and Japanese learning environments in regard to the above.
Jack Migdalek has worked in theatre and drama in education in both Australia and the United Kingdom. Jack is based in Kitakyushu and teaches English at Meiji Gakuen and West Japan Institute of Technology. He is the author of the textbook "Making Conversation" (published by Intercom Press).