BILINGUALISM (BILING)
B-SIG provides support to families who are bringing up children in two or more languages in Japanese contexts. Our newsletter, Bilingual Japan, includes practical information about bilingual parenting, as well as academic and theoretical issues. To request a free inspection copy of our newsletter, email <york@notredame.ac.jp>. Further information can be found at <bsig.org>.
BUSINESS ENGLISH (BUS ENG)
The JALT Business English SIG seeks to develop the discipline of teaching English, conducive to participation in the world business community. We aim to provide instructors in this field with a means of collaborating and sharing best teaching practices.
JALT Business English SIG は、世界のビジネス界に通用する英語教育の発展を目的に持ち、結成されました。連携体制を組み、最善の教育方法を共有することにより、英語教育に携わるインストラクターの皆様のお手伝いを致します。
COMPUTER ASSISTED LANGUAGE LEARNING (CALL)
The JALT CALL Conference has wrapped up for another year and as has become our tradition, in place of conference proceedings, there will be a special Post Conference JALTCALL Journal edition published in December 2013. Presenters from JALTCALL 2013 & the 6th ER Conference are invited to submit papers for the post conference special edition. The deadline for submission is July 31, 2013; guidelines for authors are available at <journal.jaltcall.org/jcjguidelines.html> and questions can be sent to Glenn Stockwell, the JCJ Editor, at <journal@jaltcall.org>.
COLLEGE & UNIVERSITY EDUCATORS (CUE)
PanSIG: The Pan-SIG Conference, 18-19 May at Nanzan University, Nagoya was a convivial and productive event. CUE collaborated with Professionalism Administration and Leadership in Education (PALE) SIG and Gender Awareness in Language Education (GALE) SIG for the event. CUE thanks Diane Nagotomo, Robert Aspinall and Richard Miller who presented within our collaborative triumvirate. Additional thanks goes to local organizers and everyone involved in making this event such a success.
CUE/Vocabulary SIG Symposium: CUE and Vocabulary SIG enjoyed their first collaborative venture. The one-day symposium was held June 29th at Kyushu Sangyo University, and events included a variety of presentations and discussions with Paul Nation, Yo In’nami and Rob Waring.
Upcoming Events: Our next event will be an ESP Symposium organized by Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST). It will be held September 7th, at JAIST in Nomi city, Ishikawa prefecture. For this and other upcoming events, do visit our website: <jaltcue-sig.org/events>.
JALT2013 in Kobe is just around the corner, and CUE will sponsor Featured Speaker Christine Pearson Casanave. She will be speaking and participating in a variety of events including a Featured Speaker Workshop entitled “Ecology of Effort.” Again this year we will hold a joint forum with Teacher Education and Development (TED); this year’s theme is “Voyages in lifelong learning: Stories of impact.” We hope you’ll join us for all the CUE events this year. Also be sure to stop by the CUE desk for a chat.
Contact us at <jaltcue-sig.org/officers> for further information. To join up go to <jalt.org/main/membership>. We look forward to hearing from and seeing you soon!
CRITICAL THINKING (CT)
We are happy to announce the second Critical Thinking SIG Forum. "Exploring critical thinking in language education" will be held at JALT2013 in Kobe this October. This year's forum promises to be even better than our first, held last year to a crowded room of language educators interested in promoting critical thinking. Join our presenters this year – Paul Lai, Peter Quinn and Brian Cullen – as we discuss ideas to better foster critical thinking skills among language learners. We hope to see you in Kobe!
We’re ALWAYS looking for new input from teachers interested in critical thinking themes! We invite your ideas about theory and teaching practices related to critical thinking. Whether it’s a classroom idea, a reflection, or a full research paper, we want to hear from you! Please consider writing for a future issue of CT Scan. Full research articles: 1,500-3,000 words, detailing your research related to critical thinking in language education. Articles that connect theory to classroom practice are encouraged. Classroom reflections: 500-2,000 words, detailing classroom activities that have been used to teach or encourage critical thinking among language learners. Commentaries: 500-2,000 words, detailing personal observations meant to create discussion within our membership with regards to critical thinking in language education. All submissions are welcome at <ctscan.editor@gmail.com>. For more information, visit us at <jaltcriticalthinking.org>. We recommend following JALT Journal style guidelines for your submission. Please refer to <jalt-publications.org/downloads/jaltstyle.pdf> for guidance.
EXTENSIVE READING (ER)
The ER SIG aims to keep you informed about extensive reading. Whether you are new to ER or an old hand, please avail yourself of our resources. One way is our online presence. Check out our website at <ersig.org/drupal-ersig>. Here you can find news from the ER SIG, past issues of the ERJ, links to useful resources and publishers, event information and more. Please visit the site if you haven’t already. “Friend” us on Facebook. Look for JALT ER SIG or use the link on our website. Follow us on Twitter <@ERsigJALT>. Another way is our publications. Become a member of the SIG to receive the paper version of Extensive Reading in Japan in your post and periodic electronic newsletters in your inbox. Also, anyone can access the new online research journal, Journal of Extensive Reading. For information on joining us or accessing these publications, go to the website.
Other upcoming ER Events
Second World Congress of Extensive Reading, September 13-15 at Yonsei University, Seoul
A conference following on from the First World Congress which was co-sponsored by the ER SIG. See the conference website for complete details <er-korea-2013.org>.
Also, please note, the ER SIG Annual General Meeting minutes, including the elected officers for 2013, are available as a PDF on the website at <ersig.org/drupal-ersig/reports>.
FRAMEWORK & LANGUAGE PORTFOLIO (FLP)
This SIG seeks to discuss the CEFR and ELP, and other similar frameworks and their relevance for Japan. There is an emphasis on developing materials to support educators who would like to use these pedagogic tools. The SIG holds periodical seminars focusing on classroom use of the CEFR, among other things. Please refer to <sites.google.com/site/flpsig/home> and <flpsig@gmail.com> for more information, including details about the FLP SIG Kaken Project, Can do statements language education in Japan and beyond publication and download of the bilingual Language Portfolio for Japanese University.
About the The FLP SIG Kaken Project 2012-2014: Development of EAP Textbooks based on the CEFR and Learner/Teacher Autonomy Support Tools
The principal purpose of this research is to develop English language integrated skills textbooks that suitably adapt and apply the principles and practices of 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 supplemental learning materials such as a language portfolio, and autonomy informed resources. You can find more information about related events and the project at <tinyurl.com/FLPKaken>. The plan for the immediate future is as follows: Once the basic details have been decided, we plan to make project teams to create two course books, with publication in April 2014. We outlined, to those who showed interest, how you can get involved in these project teams toward the end of 2012. If you would like more information or have any questions please contact <flpsig@gmail.com>.
GENDER AWARENESS IN LANGUAGE EDUCATION (GALE)
GALE works towards building a supportive community of educators and researchers interested in raising awareness and researching how gender plays an integral role in education and professional interaction. We also network and collaborate with other groups to promote pedagogical and professional practices, language teaching materials, and research inclusive of gender and gender-related topics. We have an ongoing call for papers for our academic journal, The Journal and Proceedings of the Gender Awareness in Language Education Special Interest Group of JALT (or The GALE Journal). Visit our website at <gale-sig.org> or contact us for more details. Please e-mail <coordinator@gale-sig.org> for any GALE related inquiries.
GLOBAL ISSUES IN LANGUAGE EDUCATION (GILE)
Our Global Issues SIG held an exciting program at May’s Pan-SIG conference in Nagoya. This featured a shared SIG forum with Learner Development and Pragmatics on topics such as social justice, the Fukushima disaster, the Model UN and service learning. Make sure to catch our GILE Featured Speaker, NGO activist Daniela Papi, at JALT2013 in Kobe. GILE promotes global awareness, international understanding, and action to solve world problems through content-based language teaching.
Contact us for a sample newsletter or for more information about the SIG's work in “teaching for a better world.” visit <gilesig.org>, our Facebook page or contact Kip Cates <kcates@rstu.jp>.
JAPANESE AS A SECOND LANGUAGE
論文・記事大募集：JALT日本語教育学会では日本語教育論集の発行を計画しています。研究報告、学会発表報告論文、日本語教授・学習法に関する論文、ブック・レビューなど募集。日本語研究者、指導者、学習者の皆様応募お願いします。詳細は、Megumi Kawate-Mierzejewska ＜megumik@temple.edu＞まで。
*Call for Papers: JALT Journal of Japanese Language Education. Japanese as a second language researchers, teachers and learners are invited to submit articles, research reports, essays, and reviews. Please visit our website: <jalt.org/jsl>.
JUNIOR & SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Please visit our website for more information <juniorseniorhighsig.org/wordpress>.
LEARNER DEVELOPMENT (LD)
学習者ディベロップメント研究部会(LD SIG)はオートノミーのある学習とティーチングを発展させるための実践を探求・研究することに関心のある約200 名が世界中から集まって組織する、活発でフレンドリーな研究部会です。私たちは、多様な教育現場でご活躍の皆様の参加を歓迎しています。小学校、中学校、 高校、通信教育、語学学校、大学で指導されている皆様、そして英語以外の言語を教えている教師の皆様も、どうぞご参加ください <ld-sig.org>。
11月23～24日には、東京の学習院大学において、Exploring Learner Development: Practices, Pedagogies, Puzzles and Researchという2日間の学会を主催します。この特別なLD SIG20周年記念大会は生徒、教師、研究者、NGOがあらゆる形の（言語）教育における学習者ディベロップメントおよび学習者オートノミーについての様々な課題に共に取り組み、探究する場となる予定です。ぜひご参加ください。なお、早期申込割引期間は7月31日～9月30日です。詳しい情報について は、<ldsigconference2013.org>をご覧ください。
The Learner Development SIG is a lively and friendly network of around 200 members who are interested in exploring and researching practices that help develop autonomous learning and teaching. We welcome the participation of teachers from diverse teaching contexts, including elementary school, junior high school, senior high school, distance learning, language school, university settings, and teachers teaching languages other than English. For more information please visit: <ld-sig.org>.
On November 23-24, the SIG will be hosting a two-day conference, Exploring Learner Development: Practices, Pedagogies, Puzzles and Research, at Gakushuin University, Tokyo. Please join us for this special 20th anniversary event in which students, teachers, researchers and NGOs will explore together a wide and challenging range of issues to do with learner development and learner autonomy in formal and non-formal (language) education. The pre-registration period is from July 31 to September 30. For more information please visit: <ldsigconference2013.org>.
LIFELONG LANGUAGE LEARNING (LLL)
With the aging of Japan's population, it is now widely accepted that engagement in learning, including language learning, enables an active and healthy life. Therefore, a national organization is needed to distribute resources and information for those teaching languages to adult learners, and those nurturing students who will one day be adults who will have a lifelong perspective on language learning. We are that organization. The importance that JALT places on lifelong learning is reflected in the theme of JALT2013: Learning is a Lifelong Voyage.
The LLL-SIG invites those teaching languages to young, middle-aged, and older adults to share information through our website <jalt.org/lifelong/index.html>, newsletter, at various SIG conferences and events (including the Pan-SIG), and at the annual JALT conference, where an annual LLL-SIG forum is held.
We had a full line-up of fascinating presentations on the topic of lifelong language learning at the stupendous Pan-SIG Conference in Nagoya. They included:
- Enriching study abroad programs, by Marcus Otlowski
- Blended benefits: Computer to classroom to Cambodia, by Don Maybin
- English Rakugo and English teaching, by Tatsuya Sudo
- Learning sign language while reading newspapers, by Martin E. Pauly
- Older students as both teachers and learners, by Tadashi Ishida
Our Facebook page can be accessed at <facebook.com/jaltLLL>. As of this writing, we have nearly 155 likes and we always welcome more. If you "like" us, you will be able to find out about not only our SIG’s events, but you can also get tips about lifelong language learning and teaching, and find out about opportunities and events in the community that stretch your capabilities and broaden your horizons, including volunteering possibilities.
In the past few years, we have received few submissions from our members for participation in the Pan-SIG Conference, the JALT International Conference's annual LLL-SIG forum, or our mini-Conferences. These are great opportunities for you to share the wealth and let others bathe in the brilliance of your experience and knowledge. We welcome you to be part of the programs that are vetted by our SIG’s officers through an allocation of forum slots which our SIG is offered at the international and Pan-SIG conferences. This year we would love to have more presentations coming from the "grassroots." "Don't be shy; give it a try!" is our motto. The theme of our forum at JALT2013 will be "Lifelong Language Learning & Community Involvement."
LITERATURE IN LANGUAGE TEACHING (LiLT)
The Literature in Language Teaching SIG was created in 2011. Our diverse membership engages with literature through film, drama, creative writing, poetry, the short story, classic literature and world literature as well as literature in translation. We welcome those with an interest in cultural studies, politics through literature, language learning and applications of literary texts in different contexts.
Our focus for 2012 was to promote literature-themed events around Japan, including the hugely successful World Storytelling Conference in December in Kobe. In 2013 LiLT SIG is looking to continue this focus at the PanSIG and JALT2013 Conference this year. This year at the PanSIG, which encouraged closer cooperation between groups, we worked with the Critical Thinking (CT) and Speech, Drama & Debate (SDD) SIGs. In our shared forum, Jane Nakagawa and Tara McIlroy discussed the interrelationship of poetry, critical thinking, and speech, drama and debate, and spoke about selecting poetry for content-based classes. Additionally, Dawn Kobayashi (SDD) talked about creativity in language learning through drama and David Gann (CT) discussed critical thinking in ELT. This was followed by a general idea exchange on developing language proficiency through literature, speech, drama, debate and critical thinking. All are most welcome to come along to join the audience, and please, do join in our discussions too!
In 2013 The Journal of Literature in Language Teaching becomes biannual. The first issue of the second volume is now available on our website, <lilt.jalt.org>, published April 2013. The journal is double blind reviewed, it is academic, and it is high quality. And this time it is BIG. This mammoth issue, double the size of our inaugural publication, comprises five Feature Articles, a ‘Literature in Practice’ article (a new section, with a more practical focus) and a conference report, so there is certainly plenty for you to read. Contributions contain discussions of poetry; of TV drama for EAP discussion classes; critical theory; students creating their own creative writing; technologies and reading; and a literary review of the field. Noting also the dramatic increase in the size of the Liberlit Conference this year (ten presenters in 2012, to twenty-four presenters this year) it is evident that ours is an increasingly active field in Japan.
All important guidelines and information for contributors are available on our website <lilt.jalt.org>. You can get in touch with us online through a newly established Yahoo group and Facebook. To join the SIG tick Literature in Language Teaching when renewing your SIG membership. We look forward to welcoming and meeting up with you soon!
MATERIALS WRITERS (MW)
The Materials Writers SIG now has a ‘Members Profiles’ section on its website where SIG members can post materials of their own creation for anyone to download. Even if you are not a member of the MW SIG, please check out the materials available at <materialswriters.org>. Also, if you are interested in posting your own materials on our website, please contact the MW SIG Coordinator at <mw@jalt.org>.
OTHER LANGUAGE EDUCATORS (OLE)
The OLE (Other Languages Educators) SIG will hold its second annual conference at Chukyo University in Nagoya, Oct. 12 & 13. Information/flyers (in various languages) are available at <www.geocities.jp/dlinklist/ENG/OLEkon2013.html>. Send proposals for presentations, workshops, and “my class” lessons etc. to <reinelt.rudolf.my@ehime-u.ac.jp> (T/F 089-927-9359) with the subject OLE2SIG before July 31st 2013. Please inform teachers of languages other than English of this opportunity.
PRAGMATICS
Pragmatics is the study of language from the point of view of users, especially of the choices they make, the constraints they encounter in using language in social interaction and the effects their use of language has on other participants in the act of communication. Interested in learning more about Pragmatics? Looking for something fun and enriching for your classroom? Then check out the Pragmatic SIG’s latest book, titled Pragtivities: Bringing Pragmatics into the Classroom. This book is a practical collection of lesson plans that incorporate pragmatics concepts into classroom activities. See the SIG website at <pragsig.org> for further details.
PROFESSIONALISM, ADMINISTRATION & LEADERSHIP IN EDUCATION (PALE)
PALE’s mission starts from the recognition that language education does not take place in isolation from society or other fields of education. Issues of concern include curriculum design, implementation and maintenance, professional ethics, professional development and evaluation, administrative methodology, leadership dynamics, comparative education, sociological trends in education, employment problems, legal issues, and the demands that societies place on educators. PALE seeks to apprise teachers of research and trends in these issues by organizing conference presentations and through its journal, newsletter, listserv, and website <jalt.org/groups/PALE>.
SCHOOL OWNERS (SO)
Please consider signing up for our newsletter! The sign-up form to SO SIG's free quarterly newsletter is now active on the SO SIG website <schoolowners.net>. To subscribe, visit the site and enter your email address. Subscribers receive articles, freebies and news on upcoming SO SIG events.
SPEECH, DRAMA & DEBATE (SDD)
The Speech, Drama, & Debate SIG (SDD SIG) has another exciting year planned. The focus in 2013 will be on speech and debate, as the focus in 2012 was on drama and oral interpretation. The SDD was a sponsoring SIG for the PanSIG Conference on May 18–19 at Nanzan University in Nagoya. SDD will also have a significant presence at JALT2013, and will sponsor or co-sponsor presentations, workshops, and conferences throughout the year. Volume 2 of Mask & Gavel, the peer-reviewed journal of SDD, will be out in October. If you are interested in submitting an article, contact us at <sdd@jalt.org>. For more information on the SDD SIG and to download Volume 1 of Mask & Gavel, see our public website: <sites.google.co/site/speechdramaanddebatepublicsite/home>.
STUDY ABROAD (SA)
The Study Abroad SIG provides a supportive place for discussing areas of interest regarding study abroad and intercultural training. We welcome submissions for our newsletter, Ryuugaku, and we are looking for new officers to join the team. Visit our new website at <jalt-sa.org> or contact us at <studyabroadsig@gmail.com>.
当研究部会は、留学や異文化教育に関して議論し、また支援できる場を提供しています。当部会のニュースレター“Ryuugaku”への皆様からの投稿をお待ちしております。新役員の募集をしております。詳細は新ウェブサイト<jalt-sa.org>へお問い合わせは、 <studyabroadsig@gmail.com>へお願いします。
TASK BASED LEARNING (TBL)
The TBL SIG was created for teachers and other professionals who currently use or are interested in using task-based approaches in the classroom. It focuses, in particular, on issues related to task-based language teaching and learning in the Asian EFL context. The SIG serves as a useful forum for the exchange of practical teaching ideas, theoretical discussions, and academic studies of TBLT issues. Our journal, OnTask, focuses on both research and theory in the form of feature articles as well as more practical TBLT-informed lesson plans. Potential contributors to OnTask are invited to contact our publications officer, Julian Pigott at <julianpigott@gmail.com>.
TEACHER EDUCATION & DEVELOPMENT (TED)
The Teacher Education and Development (TED) SIG is a network for those who want to help themselves and others become better teachers.
Thank you for your participation in the EFL Teacher Journeys conference which was held in June 2013 and co-sponsored by TED and The Teachers College Columbia University Japan Alumni Association. Further information from the conference can be found at <sites.google.com/site/teacherjourneys>.
TED's newsletter Explorations in Teacher Education welcomes stimulating articles! You can find out more at <jalt.org/ted>. You can also stay in touch with us online by becoming a friend of our mascot, Ted Sig, on Facebook, or following <@tedsig> on Twitter or Google+.
TEACHERS HELPING TEACHERS (THT)
For participation in THT programs, we ask that you prepare two or three presentations and to be prepared to make the presentations a few times so all the event participants can see them. The emphasis is on practical classroom activities with the possibility of linking them up to current theory in ESL pedagogy.
THT-Bangladesh
The tentative dates for Bangladesh are the week of September 2–8. For more information, contact
Steve Cornwall <ojcsteve@gmail.com>.
THT-Kyrgyzstan
The tentative dates for Kyrgyzstan are the week of September 9–13. For more information contact either:
Brent Jones <bjones_jp@yahoo.com> or
Roger Palmer <roger@center.konan-u.ac.jp>.
THT-Laos
Not too early to plan! Scheduled for February–March 2014 with flexible dates. Contact Chris Ruddenklau <chrisruddenklau@yahoo.com> for more information.
Even if you have a vague plan and are interested, please contact the country director of the place you are interested in so we can keep you informed.
TEACHING CHILDREN (TC)
At the PANSIG Conference in May the TC SIG, in conjunction with the JHSH and Bilingualism SIGs, hosted a very interesting and stimulating forum on "Bilingual Children in English Classes in Japanese Schools." For those of you who could not attend the conference, we hope to have a podcast available of the talk on our homepage in the next few weeks.
Even though we are on the verge of the summer holidays and thoughts are no doubt turning to enjoying a well-earned break from teaching, we are nevertheless busy with preparations for JALT Junior this coming October in Kobe. More specific information on the conference will be detailed in the next issue of the TLT, but for now we are seeking volunteers to help us organize the conference. Despite its apparent professionalism, the JALT Junior Conference depends entirely on the hard work of numerous volunteers to make it the success it is, year after year. So please, let us know if you can spare some time to help the SIG either before or during the conference (or indeed, both). We would very much appreciate your help.
If you have any ideas, activities, advice or experiences you would like to share with your fellow teachers, please consider submitting them to some of our upcoming issues of the TLC Newsletter! Email your submissions to the editor at <editor@tcsig.jalt.org>. For more information about the Teaching Children SIG and all our activities, please visit our homepage <tcsig.jalt.org> or TCSIG Facebook page <facebook.com/pages/JALT-Teaching-Children-SIG>.
TESTING & EVALUATION (TEVAL)
The Testing and Evaluation SIG is concerned with all aspects of testing and evaluating language performance and language programs, and welcomes both experienced teachers and those new to this area who wish to learn more about it. Our interests encompass quantitative and qualitative approaches to language assessment, including alternatives to traditional testing such as peer and self-assessment, portfolios, and project evaluation. Shiken, our refereed newsletter, contains a variety of assessment-related articles, including research reports, interviews with prominent authors, book reviews, instructional columns on statistical analysis, Rasch measurement, and assessment literacy.
VOCABULARY (VOCAB)
The VOCAB SIG in partnership with the CUE SIG recently held its Second Annual Symposium on Vocabulary Instruction and Learning at Kyushu Sangyo University. Keynote discussants were Paul Nation and Yo’ In’ Nami. Atushi Mizumoto, Tomoko Ishii, Emilie Masson, Rachel Ruegg, Raymond Stubbe, Tim Stoeckel, Phil Bennet, David Coulson, and Wen-ta Tseng made presentations. You can look forward to the proceedings of the symposium, which will come out in the next issue of the VLI-Journal at <vli-journal.org>. The VOCAB SIG is also proud to announce that our membership has grown to 130 members since last year. We welcome new membership and look forward to this year’s JALT2013 Conference. Poster presentations from the symposium can be viewed at this year’s conference as well.