Best of JALT2009 Conference

Description: Nagasaki area presenters who attended the JALT2009 Conference in Shizuoka this past November will each present summaries of particular presentations seen, and share results, impressions, and materials. This is our first full meeting of 2010, and are all welcome.

Karen Masatsugu will summarize three presentations she attended on the teaching of English in Japanese elementary schools. The presentations offered three different perspectives: teacher-training for Japanese elementary school teachers, the use of cooperative learning in the elementary school classroom, and the long-term effectiveness of English Learning at Elementary School (ELES) on JHS English proficiency.

Richard Hodson will report on one presentation that addressed the theme of the JALT 2009 conference ‘The Teaching-Learning Dialogue: An Active Mirror’, directly. On the topic of teacher talk, which mirrored action research that he has carried out in his own classroom, and that all EFL teachers can and should do. However, not all good presentations reflected the conference theme. What does a conference theme mean in practice? In the second half of his report, he will present a brief analysis of presentation trends from the JALT conference over the past few years, to give a picture of the shape of the conference and how it is evolving, that should be of interest to those hoping not only to attend, but also to present at future JALT conferences.

Tim Allan will give an overview of relevant results from three meetings held during the JALT2009 Conference (presidents, general, and executive board.) He will also explain two important themes before, during, and after the Conference: first, the emergence of collaborative communities and mini-conferences such as MASH, Nakasendo, and the pan-Kyushu conference in Saga; second, the growth of online teaching communities within Facebook, Twitter, JALT Forums, etc.

Incidentally, this meeting will also be a great chance to see the second-last day and night of the annual Nagasaki Lantern Festival, which runs this time from February 14-28, 2010. For the festival site, please see www.nagasaki-lantern.com/index_2.html

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Contact Nagasaki JALT Chapter:

URL: http://www.kyushuelt.com/jalt/nagasaki.html

Tomoko Maekawa:

maekawa728@hotmail.com

Tim Allan:

allan@kwassui.ac.jp

Upcoming Events for Nagasaki JALT Chapter:

Saturday, April 17th, 2010

Jokes and Cartoons in the EFL Classroom.

Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Location: Nagasaki