ELT Calendar

Sunday, June 24th, 2007

Teaching Children Conference in Kagoshima
Time: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Speaker: Various
Organization: Kagoshima Chapter of the Japan Association for Language Teaching
Location: Kagoshima City, Kagoshima Prefecture
Short description: "Meeting the Goals of the Elementary School Curriculum" For more information please go directly to our conference website: http://jalt-kagoshima. org/prog/conference/TCC2007.

Authentic English and Elderly Learners: A Day of Sharing Theory and Practice
Time: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Speaker: Curtis Kelly, Rieko Matsuoka, Eric M. Skier, Julia Harper-Tanaka, Naoko Yamaga, and Sayoko Yamashita
Organization: Lifelong Language Learning Special Interest Group, Japan Association for Language Teaching
Location: Tokyo, Tokyo Metropolis
Short description: The conference will offer an opportunity for teacher-researchers to share their findings on teaching EFL life-long learners from a pragmatics point-of-view.

Promoting Life-long Learning (day 2 of 2)
Time: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Speaker: Featured presenters Deryn Verity and Heidi Nachi Evans plus others
Organization: College and University Educators Special Interest Group, Japan Association for Language Teaching
Location: Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture
Short description: Join us for this two-day mini-conference in Nagoya. See jaltcue-sig.

The First JALT Pragmatics SIG and Teaching Old Learners SIGs joint mini-conference
Time: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Speaker: Curtis Kelly, Yamashita Sayoko, Matsuoka Reiko, Eric Skier, Julia Harper-Tanaka and Yamaga Naoko.
Organization: Pragmatics Special Interest Group, Japan Association for Language Teaching
Location: Tokyo, Tokyo Metropolis
Short description: Cosponsored by: Temple University Japan Campus (Graduate College of Education), JALT Tokyo and West Tokyo Chapters JALT Pragmatics SIG, JALT Teaching Older Learners (TOL) SIG.

Kagoshima Teaching Children Conference
Time: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Speaker: Patricia Oe, Mayuka Habbick, Naoko McLellan, Todd Hakuraku, Jan O'Laughlin, Melinda Kawahara, Carolyn Lloyd, Emi Sugita, Martin Nutthall, Aleda Krause, Yayoi Aoki, Julian Warden, Michelle Nagashima
Organization: Teaching Younger Learners Special Interest Group, Japan Association for Language Teaching
Location: Kagoshima City, Kagoshima Prefecture
Short description: The theme is 'Meeting the Goals of the Elementary School Curriculum. For more information please go directly to our conference website.

Osaka - Certificate Course in Teaching Japanese Students
Time: 10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Speaker: David Paul, Rob Waring, Alastair Graham-Marr, Grant Trew
Organization: ETJ Certificate Course (English Teachers in Japan)
Location: Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture
Short description: A one-day certificate course in teaching Japanese adults and teenagers. Topics covered: * Motivating and remotivating Japanese students * Teaching communicative competence * A practical approach to exam preparation * Dealing with vocabulary For further information and to apply, go to www.

Teaching Without a Text - Using Student-Generated Material
Time: 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Speaker: Chris Wolf
Organization: ETJ Ehime (English Teachers in Japan)
Location: Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture
Short description: Most teachers use a textbook when they teach. This presentation is for those people who don't always want to use a text, but are unsure of what to do when the text is gone.

UTU Forum 2007
Time: 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Speaker: Louis Carlet (NUGW), John McNeil (GU), Kazuko Shimizu (PTLU)
Organization: University Teachers Union
Location: Tokyo, Tokyo Metropolis
Short description: "Universities Now - Jobs and Education Under Attack!" How can we protect our jobs, improve conditions on campus, and defend educational standards? Discuss the issues at the UTU Forum 2007.

Exchanging teaching ideas, and Renewing Yamaguchi group
Time: 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Speaker: Various speakers
Organization: ETJ Yamaguchi (English Teachers in Japan)
Location: Yamaguchi City, Yamaguchi Prefecture
Short description: After a long recess, the Yamaguchi-ETJ group is restarting with our June 24 meeting. We will not only exchange useful ideas or share the problems we have, but also discuss how our organization could become more active and useful for ourselves.

'Ancient Cobblestone Stained with Lifeblood' and Other Speech Contest Titles to Avoid
Time: 1:30 PM - 4:00 PM
Speaker: Joe Booth
Organization: Hokkaido Chapter of the Japan Association for Language Teaching
Location: Sapporo City, Hokkaido Prefecture
Short description: In the conception and development phase, the presenter will discuss what kind of speech topics are appropriate and how to guide students through the process of putting their ideas into a coherent and meaningful speech.

Who is STEP? What is EIKEN?
Time: 1:30 PM - 4:00 PM
Speaker: Todd Fouts,International Operations Manager and Chief Editor at the Society for Testing English Proficiency (STEP)
Organization: Iwate-Aomori Chapter of the Japan Association for Language Teaching
Location: Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture
Short description: Part 1: Who is STEP? What is EIKEN? A crash course in the history, purpose, and content of the EIKEN Test in Practical English Proficiency - one of the world's most widely administered language tests, and yet one of Japan's best-kept secrets.

International English as a Performance Phenomenon
Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Speaker: Kensaku Yoshida, Sophia University, Tokyo
Organization: Fukui Chapter of the Japan Association for Language Teaching
Location: Fukui City, Fukui Prefecture
Short description: For the majority of people in Asia, English is an "International" language, which is not necessarily related directly to any of the so-called mother-tongue Englishes.

Teaching Liaison (Blends) to Enhance Listening Skills/Responsive Skills
Time: 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM
Speaker: Asha Van Nimmen
Organization: Gunma Chapter of the Japan Association for Language Teaching
Location: Maebashi City, Gunma Prefecture
Short description: By teaching liaison and blending sounds, students are able to understand and process more naturally spoken Englishes. Asha Van Nimmen will discuss ways to teach these skills, ways students can practice, and provide example sentences.

Perspective on Learner Demotivation
Time: 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Speaker: Joseph Falout
Organization: Sendai Chapter of the Japan Association for Language Teaching
Location: Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture
Short description: Abstract: Research shows the strongest influence on learner motivation is teacher behaviors, and past demotivation correlates with present negative affect and proficiency.