Fukuoka JALT:

Teaching Children: Theory and Practice

Date: Saturday, June 14th, 2003 Time: 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Speaker: Curtis Kelly, Heian Women's University

Description:
This event is co-sponsored by CSELT (Center for the Study of English Language Teaching) at Fukuoka Jo Gakuin University.
Curtis Kelly will discuss four topics on teaching English to children.

1. MEXT policies & problems regarding the elementary English instruction
   The presenter will start by discussing the situation in Asia, the situation in Japan, the MEXT policy, and problems in implementing it. He will also discuss his research, funded by the Ministry of Education, to assess elementary school teacher training needs, and develop a prototype teacher training Web site.
2. General theories and methods for teaching English to children
   The presenter will discuss the key theories on how children learn languages and methods for teaching it. The theories will include the Critical Age Hypothesis, Multisensory Input, Deep Processing, Noticing, and Ahn's Model of Bilingual Acquisition. Methods will include traditional methods, indirect methods, songs, guessing, etc.
3. Developing a model (theory) on how Japanese kids learn English
   The presenter will describe development research methodologies and then have the participants use it. Based on the theories above, and their own experiences, the participants will generate a list of criteria for teaching English to kids.
4. Designing an activity or lesson based on the model
   Participants will design lessons that conform to these criteria.

About the presenter: Curtis Kelly, a resident of Japan and author of ten books, is a professor of English at Heian Women�s University. In addition to teaching writing, his specialties are adult education and Web-based training. He has just completed a study on the training needs of Japanese elementary school English teachers, and he is currently developing on-line training for them with a Ministry of Education Grant.

Organization: Fukuoka Chapter of the Japan Association for Language Teaching (Fukuoka JALT)

Cost: free

Venue: Fukuoka Jo Gakuin University, 3-42-1 Osa, Minami-ku, Fukuoka-shi 811-1313 (Phone: 092-581-1492, Fax: 092-575-4456) [map]

Location: Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan

Contact Fukuoka JALT

Website: www.fukuokajalt.org