TYL event: EFL Needs and Spaces

Date: June 18, 2023

Time: 10am-12.30pm

Location: Zoom

RSVP:  https://forms.gle/r8CkCtxm5HFHDMcS9

Facebook: https://fb.me/e/1fTAKV34X

This event, sponsored by Tokyo JALT and the TYL SIG, is for teachers of kids to young adults, so teachers of preschool, kindergarten, elementary school, junior high school, and senior high school, are all encouraged to come! As always, there will be great presentations and lots of time for discussion and networking.

Presentation 1: Creating a Need for Children to Speak Out in the EFL Classroom

Abstract:

What progress can be made by educators in encouraging and fostering speaking in Japan's EFL classrooms? Although students may study diligently for tests, these same students are often unwilling or unable to use English to communicate. In spite of teachers' hard work and educational reforms, the problem persists. With a better understanding of what drives students' need to speak and the ability to create meaningful opportunities to use, as well as practice, their English speaking skills, teachers can begin to see results. Including actual lesson footage, this presentation aims to share specific insights and practical tips for creating a classroom atmosphere conducive to speaking.

Bio:

Matthew DeWilde began his teaching career in 1994 at a small Eikaiwa in Tokyo's Sumida Ward. Soon afterwards, he became the main teacher of the first public elementary school English program in Chuo ward and later supported the Arakawa ward's Board of Education in their decision to make English an official subject of their school curriculum. He has 17 years of teaching experience at the preschool level as well. Matthew currently works as head teacher of an afterschool program called "Oshiro Kids" in Setagaya ward. In addition to presenting at seminars and workshops, he and his partner own and operate a teacher development company called "English Uplift". Aside from work, Matthew plays keyboard and sings in the Tokyo area with his band "Ska Face".

Presentation 2: Making Safe Spaces for English Conversation: A Collection of Successful and Less-than-Successful Stories

Abstract: 

As the country continues to welcome back veteran travelers and inspire first-timers to visit Japan at this stage in the COVID saga, different levels of the

service sector from the hotel and restaurant industries to airlines and retail businesses have had to contend with an influx of English-speakers. Several studies have reported that Japanese participants express moderate to high levels of anxiety when having to speak English in the classroom and workplace for reasons relating to perceived cultural differences that come with speaking Japanese versus English, as well as the relatively few opportunities to practice oral communication. At this point when many educators are looking to a post-pandemic English language education landscape, it may be useful to reflect on the ways in which we can create safe spaces for our students to study and use English. In this talk, I will share my experiences working in an eikaiwa with junior high school students for two years and the slow, yet consistent process through which I tried to forge connections both with students and between students. In attempting to create an environment where students could feel comfortable expressing themselves, I was able to see students speak more fluently and confidently, although this was not always the case. Together, I hope we can

discuss what worked and did not work in our classrooms to consider the ways we can improve our learning environments for students and teachers alike.

Bio:

Originally from Montreal, Canada, Pharo Sok is currently an English lecturer at Kyushu Sangyo University. His research interests include discourse analysis with a particular focus on meaning-making in individual and collective narratives, interests which come out of his graduate studies in oral history and former job as a college history teacher. On the teaching side, Pharo strives to create classrooms where students can learn to better express their English-speaking identities. With a strong personal and academic background rooted in multiculturalism and pluralingualism, he is also an advocate of introducing a range of subject positionalities in the classroom to ground Englishes in their diverse sociocultural contexts.

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TYL event - Teaching English to Young Learners Today: The Singapore Experience

Date: Feb 18, 2023

Time: 2pm-5pm

Location: Zoom

RSVP: https://forms.gle/GH39Z6Fvv3vEBHu57

Facebook: https://fb.me/e/3eEbYqOgq

This event, sponsored by Tokyo JALT and the TYL SIG, is for teachers of kids to young adults, so teachers of preschool, kindergarten, elementary school, junior high school, and senior high school, are all encouraged to come! As always, there will be great presentations and lots of time for discussion and networking.

Abstract:

The presentation will first begin with an overview of some of the widely accepted principles for teaching English to young learners. There is general agreement among ELT experts and practitioners that young learners seem to learn best when they are immersed in highly interesting and accessible language, when they get to practice the language in a fun and engaging way and when they get to use the target language for meaningful interactions. They also believe that while some attention to language forms may be needed, the bulk of classroom instruction should be used to expose young children to rich and meaningful language. 

The second part of the presentation will illustrate how these language learning principles play out in a national English language curriculum for young learners in Singapore. Typically starting with receptive skills (e.g., listening to and/or reading highly interesting stories), the learning sequence then extends to productive skills (i.e., speaking and writing), all the while couching the learning in a rich language environment that aims to build greater fluency and enjoyment.

Bios:

Dr Willy A Renandya is a language teacher educator with extensive teaching experience in Asia. He currently teaches applied linguistics courses at the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. He has given numerous presentations at international ELT conferences and has published extensively in the area of second language education. His publications include Language Teaching Methodology: An anthology of current practice (2002, Cambridge University Press) and Student-centred cooperative learning (2019, Springer International). He maintains a large teacher professional development forum called Teacher Voices: https://www.facebook.com/groups/teachervoices/.

Website: Willy’s ELT Corner https://www.willyrenandya.com

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com.sg/citations?user=gHW1fVIAAAAJ

Dr Donna Lim is a lecturer with the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. She specialises in primary English Language (EL) methodology courses. Her interest area is in developing literacy with a focus on teaching writing. She has considerable teaching experience with young learners and finds it fulfilling to work with schools to enhance EL teaching and learning.

Teaching Younger Learners - Imagination and TYL: Within the Self and Across Cultures

Date: October 23, 2022

Time: 2-5 pm

Location: Zoom

RSVP: https://forms.gle/U9UVrwKQo99isyDG6

Facebook: https://fb.me/e/7PDeaoBiP

Abstract: Yoichi Kiyota

Enhancing Intercultural Understanding, Imagination and Communication Skills through Participation in the Art Miles Mural Project and Min-pack Learning Kit Project

This presentation showcases two projects carried out at mainstream schools in Japan.

The Art Miles Mural Project is an international project implemented at high schools around the world. The project aims to develop skills necessary for students to become globally-minded citizens, and to foster an understanding of cultural diversity. Participants need to express ideas effectively with words and through artworks.

Min-pack (みんぱっく) is a learning kit for children developed by the National Museum of Ethnology in Osaka. The kit is sent out to educational institutions in a suitcase. It contains items related to the daily lives of people in different regions around the world, for example clothes and musical instruments, which have been selected by museum curators.

The keyword common to both projects is imagination. The learning activities are based on authentic interactions, creativity and cultural artifacts and not only bring to life different cultures, but also enhance students’ imagination and ability to examine cultures from different perspectives, which can be a driving force to foster intercultural understanding.

Abstract: Ruthie Iida

Encouraging Young Learners to Search for Meaning through Pictures and Props

This presentation, based on homework notebooks and speaking videos done by nursery and elementary age learners, will show how encouraging learners to consistently link their written and spoken work with self-generated images and self-determined props can benefit students as individuals and group members, while enabling teachers to better understand and support them. In addition, young learners can effectively use pictures and props to personalize, predict, elaborate, and enlarge their network of usable vocabulary. By learning to harness their imagination, children can begin to grasp and assimilate meaning effectively and to communicate that meaning to themselves, their classmates, and their teachers. Enlarged to include parents and siblings, this circle can become a child’s first language-learning community: the support system needed to ease their transition into the wider world.  

Bios:

Yoichi Kiyota is Professor of Education at Meisei University in Tokyo, Japan. He has been involved in English language education management, English teacher training and professional development for secondary in-service teachers since 2008. Yoichi has also been an advisor for project-based learning programs and international educational projects at local schools. His current research interests are language learning portfolios and foreign language learning in cooperation with museums.

Ruth Iida has been the owner and head teacher at Rainbow Phonics English School in Hadano City for twenty-three years. She is active in the Tokyo JALT Teaching Younger Learners chapter and received a Best of JALT award in 2019 for her presentation on music and language acquisition. Ruth enjoys developing curriculum for her learners, writing and illustrating stories for them, and engaging in the learning process along with students. She draws inspiration from collaboration with other Eikaiwa owners and teachers as well as online courses, live workshops, presentations, and her own reading. Ruth is an avid participant in the ongoing challenge to understand well enough to teach and be understood by others. 

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Towards Accessible Education for All: Focus on Young Learners

Date: June 12, 2022

Time: 2-5 pm

Location: Zoom

RSVP: https://forms.gle/8wTQmgxGSpVjaNAa8

Facebook: https://fb.me/e/2eQ3eFmBV

Abstract:

Jennifer Yphantides' Presentation

This presentation is for teachers who are interested in learning more about autism from a parent perspective. The presenter will discuss the first symptoms of autism in small children and give specific examples from her own experience. She will also discuss the diagnostic process, supports that are available in the community, and the experience of advocating for services within the school system. Useful, concrete tips will be given to teachers in order to better support these students inside and outside the EFL classroom and to liaise with their parents.

Alex Burke's Presentation 

This presentation will introduce practical ways of supporting neurodiverse learners in the classroom. Participants will learn about adjusting the physical aspects of a learning environment, using strategies to support learners’ working memories, and turning unexpected responses into positive learning encounters. Lastly, the presenter will discuss the Reading Barrier-Free Act of 2019 as well as the long-term outcomes of inclusive teaching.

Bios:

Jennifer Yphantides has been teaching English for 29 years. She has worked in North America, Europe, The Middle East and Asia. She is a tenured associate professor at Soka University in Tokyo, Japan. Her research interests include Diversity and Inclusion in the Foreign Language Classroom, and Women and Minorities in TESOL. She has degrees from McGill University in Canada and from Kings College, London. She also had an MA in TESOL from Columbia University and a Doctorate in Education from Northeastern University in Boston.  

Alexandra Burke has taught (and been a parent) at all levels of the Japanese public school system and currently teaches at university. She has won three Michelle Steele Best of JALT Chapter awards and 2 Best Poster awards at JALT International Conferences on the topic of inclusive teaching methods. She loves listening to audiobooks while gardening and how the camera lens brings the lives of family and friends around the world together.

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February 16th 

Teaching Younger Learners in Tokyo!

Featured presentations and activities:

Essential Tips on Building Confidence as a High School ALT Justine McCabe

Justine will cover essential tips for teaching English as a second language for high school students based on what she has learnt while working as an ALT.

Justine is a high school teacher from Australia, but currently works in Tokyo as an ALT on the JET Programme at a private sports-focused senior high school.

Encouraging Mindfulness and Emotional Literacy in Younger Learners Monika Sadkiewicz

In this presentation, Monika will share with us the methods she has used to help her young charges toward greater self-control and empathy for classmates.

Monika is a multi-lingual preschool and kindergarten teacher skilled in using empathy and other emotional intelligence skills to effectively manage classroom behaviors. She is a trained children's fitness instructor promoting a healthy lifestyle and the importance of self-expression through movement.

TBLT Input-based tasks for EFL Beginners in Japan Daniel George Dusza & Marina Goto (Kanda Institute of Foreign Languages)

Learn how to implement Task Based Language Teaching from elementary school beginner level, with scaffolding to make up for students’ deficiency in both language and communication skills. Participants in this workshop will leave with a clear understanding of how to implement Task-Based Language Teaching for beginners. Input based TBLT for beginners requires scaffolding to make up for the deficit in both language and communication skills. From the research presented in this workshop, we are convinced that TBLT is possible with early beginners and is therefore applicable to elementary school beginners, college, and business English learners.

A Grassroots Initiative Providing On-Line ALT Training - AND - Comparing Monolingual and Bilingual Approaches in Junior High Nathaniel Reed

ALTs' receive little to no training, although they have incredible potential to meet MEXT goals and make a noticeable dent in the quality of education students receive. With no other parties openly intending to support ALTs in supporting the growth of their students, and themselves, I outline a grassroots initiative aiming to do this. I share the ongoing needs analysis that gave rise to this teacher training initiative and how it is being put together.

By 2020 junior high school English teachers are to teach English in English "according to the level of understanding of students" (MEXT, 2015). This presentation reports on a yearlong study in two junior high schools; in one school, I spoke only English (whilst teaching and outside of class), and the other; both English and Japanese. Rich findings from student and co-teacher questionnaires, interviews and observations are put forward. Audience viewpoints are encouraged.

Nathaniel Reed is a British sixth-year ALT for the Niigata City Board of Education and father of two.He received an MA in Applied Linguistics in 2015 and since then worked to develop an open access teacher training site for ALTs (ALT Training Online). Dedicated to improving the quality of education in public schools he has published and presented on this site in addition to conducting classroom based research. In January 2020 he became Regional Professional Development Activities Chair (RPACC), and aims to bring more JALT groups together as well as open awareness of the potential JALT offers to more people.

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February 4th 

GET READY FOR THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR: Pre-school & Elementary

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October 7th 

Tokyo JALT Younger Learners joint event with the Teaching Younger Learners SIG

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November 26th 

SHARE YOUR BEST IDEAS: Junior High & Senior High level

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March 5th

Tokyo JALT and Young Learners Event 

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July 2nd

A workshop for teachers of Pre-school to High School

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December 11th

Inspiring and Workable Classroom Activities

Our first YL event in Tokyo JALT

Program:

• A story Based Approach By Chiyuki Yanase

• Duplik: A game modified for EFL learners By Nick Di Nunzio

• Bringing Prepositions to Life By Ruth Iida

• A School Exchange at Elementary Level By Johan Supatra

• Building a Friendly Environment By Sandra Wigmore & Florence Ito

• Precision Pronunciation By Marc Jones

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