The JACET ESP-Kanto SIG & JALT FLP SIG will jointly hold a two part presentation and discussion:
The CEFR in general, the CEFR in Japan, the CEFR and ESP.
This will be followed by an introduction/invitation to the
FLP SIG Kaken project,
which will research and develop CEFR-informed materials and textbooks.
Venue: Tokai University, Takanawa Campus (about a 15 min. walk from Shinagawa station,
see (< link not available anymore>). Room number 4304
Date: July 7, 2012 (Sat.) Time: 3 to 5:30pm.
Schedule: 3-4pm The CEFR and its application to ESP instruction (15 min. break)
4:15 to 5:15pm Introduction/invitation to the FLP SIG Kaken project
If interested, we may go out for a drink and/or light meal nearby afterwards.
Registration by email is favoured. Please send an email indicating your name and affiliation, with a subject line of [ESP FLP event registration] to <espflpevent@gmail.com> by Monday, July 2nd.
Please see the promotional flyer attached below.
3-4pm The CEFR and its application to ESP instruction
(Morten Hunke, Alexander Imig, Fergus O’Dwyer & Maria Gabriela Schmidt)
This presentation will first outline the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) in general. We start to explain its development and implementation in Europe, along with the fundamental principles and practices related to the CEFR. In general it can be said that the CEFR tremendous potential for language learning, and it has had a profound effect on language teaching in the European context and beyond – especially in higher and adult education.
The next phase of the talk will outline the potential and actual affects on language education in Japan, and refer to specific examples from classroom and institutional contexts. With the great demand of quality assurance (in particular the higher education sector), the considerable influence of the CEFR is expected to increase.
The final section of the talk will deal with the possible relationships between the CEFR and English for Special Purposes (ESP) pedagogy. Throughout the presentation the presenters will emphasize teamwork, and participants will work together to answer relevant questions regarding this final topic.
4:15 to 5:15pm Introduction/invitation to the FLP SIG Kaken project
(Naoyuki Naganuma, Alexander Imig & Fergus O’Dwyer)
Explain about a government-funded research project, conducted by FLP SIG members, that will research and develop CEFR-informed materials and textbook. This will lead onto discussion of possible future participation in the project by interested parties.
The purpose of this research is to develop an English language integrated skills textbooks that suitably adapt and apply the CEFR for the higher education context in Japan. Furthermore, in order to support learner and teacher autonomy and to support the classroom implementation of the text, we will aim to develop supplementary learning materials such as a language portfolio, and autonomy-promoting resources.
In the initial year of the project, in order to assess the need and availability of CEFR-informed resources, we will conduct basic research that analyses texts in relations to the correlations to the CEFR, a survey of teacher needs, and gather examples of actual classroom practices in Japan. In the following year, we will develop the textbook materials, with a piloting of the text to determine effectiveness and to assess the need for revisions in the final year.
In the main part of the presentation we will overview current progress, and address some issues related to teacher needs and classroom practices. There will be a chance for interaction throughout proceedings.
Bio of presenters
Morten Hunke was educated in Germany, Ireland, and Sweden. Before coming to Japan he has been working teaching a number of languages in England, Germany, and Sweden. He is particularly keen to help students improve their communicative skills using the CEFR and helping them to become more autonomous in their own learning.
Alexander Imig (Chukyo University), has been teaching German as a second language since 1991, with previous positions in Berlin and Prague. He was a lecturer at Aichi Prefectural University from 2001 to 2007 and has been an associate professor at Chukyo University in Nagoya since April 2008. His fields of study include rhetoric and curriculum development, especially in multilingual circumstances.
Naoyuki Naganuma, Ph.D., is a lecturer at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. His research interests are mainly language learning motivation and language testing. He was a committee member of several Super English Language High Schools (SELHi).
Fergus O’Dwyer is currently based at Osaka University. His current interests include assessment, the implementation of the CEFR, cultural conceptualisations, and Dublin, Irish and World Englishes.
Maria Gabriela Schmidt, MA in Philosophy, Ph.D. in Comparative Linguistics, has taught German in several institutions in Japan since 1998. She is interested in understanding linguistically and pragmatically the culture of spoken language, and is hooked on the CEFR and its useful implications for language teaching.