From the President’s desk
As this TLT goes to press, we are in the midst of final preparations for JALT2011, which will be held Nov 18 - 21 in Tokyo. As always, I'm really amazed at the effort the conference team and JALT Central Office has put into the planning of our annual international conference. Be sure to check <jalt.org/conference> to either register for JALT2011 or start to plan your days at the conference!
One administrative matter that we on the Board are currently dealing with is the collection of proxies for our Ordinary General Meeting. A lot has been written about this process in recent TLTs, so let me just say that we are really grateful for your support. I am glad to report that although it is still early in the process, we have already received nearly 30% of the proxies that we need to get. Many thanks! Your patience and support are greatly appreciated.
As always, thank you very much for being a JALT member. We have a lot of interesting initiatives planned for 2012, but we are also very keen to hear your ideas. If you want to give us some ideas of what you hope JALT will be able to do in 2012 and beyond, please send a message to <feedback@jalt.org>. Be seeing you at JALT2011, and best wishes for the holidays!
New JALT Associate Members
JALT’s membership comes from a wide variety of sources, and while the majority of members are from the teaching profession, a small but vibrant group is made up of commercial enterprises. These members are called Associate Members, or AMs, and in this month’s JALT Focus column, we introduce four AMs that have recently joined our organisation.
Apply株式会社アプライ 会社紹介
<pendoku.com>
株式会社アプライは、2009年12月より新事業として、ペン先を文字にタッチさせると音声を再生する音声ペンを活用した教材「ペン読」を開始いたしました。音声ペンは利便性、機能性ともに語学力の向上にとても適した学習ツールです。オリジナル音声ペン「アプライペン」1本で、当社の提供する全ての「ペン読書籍」にお使いいただけます。当社では、幼児向けからTOEIC対策用など幅広いニーズと年齢層に合わせた様々なコンテンツを開発・販売しております。
We started our new publishing business, Pen-doku, or literally, the “speaking pen” in December 2009. Pen-doku can play audio instantly when it is used to scan any of the company’s exclusive literature. This speaking pen is a suitable tool for learning foreign languages because of its many functions and convenience. It even works with all the resources of the original speaking pen, the Apply Pen.
Lexicalport.com
<lexicalport.net>
Lexicalport.com is pleased to announce its affiliation with JALT as a new Associate Member. Lexicalport.com is a new web portal dedicated to publishing paperless “in the cloud” e-learning materials for the ESL/EFL community. Corpus-based research findings and tools or apps, such as free vocabprofilers, concordancers, or collocation tools, are built into the courses to foster learner autonomy while introducing students and teachers to the rich world of internet-based resources.
Serving teachers, students, and institutions that want to use iPads (or other wireless tablets) or notebook and desktop PCs in teacher-led classrooms, these language-learning courses provide all the benefits of CALL technology plus allow teachers and students to interact verbally and dynamically while being online.
A custom-made LMS (Learning Management System) creates class lists, gathers results, auto-generates scoring for radio-buttoned activities, and allows manual scoring of PowerPoint or Word files. An internal messaging system allows teachers and students to send messages and documents to each other from within the same system.
The LexicalPortfolio—a 4-skills lexical approach course, and The Song of Myself—a writing textbook, are also available. Lexicalport.com is designed for false beginners to intermediate-level EFL/ESL students in high school, university, and private language programs.
The Nikkei Weekly
<nikkei4946.com/sb/e_index/index.asp>
Under the banner, “Business News from Japan to the World,” THE NIKKEI WEEKLY is Japan’s only English-language business newspaper for disseminating Nikkei’s economic reporting to a worldwide readership. THE NIKKEI WEEKLY incorporates a selection of major articles published in Nikkei’s four Japanese newspapers to provide professional yet easy-to-read articles on the economy, industry, and finance in Japan and Asia, in precise, polished English.
『THE NIKKEI WEEKLY（日経ウイークリー）』は、日本で唯一の英文経済紙。
日本経済新聞社が幅広く報じる重要ニュースや、企業・トレンド情報などをピックアップ。オリジナル分析記事やコラムを加えて、読みやすくわかりやすい英語でコンパクトにまとめ、週刊英字新聞でお届けします。日常業務のなかで、英語のコミュニケーションを必要とするすべてのビジネスパーソンの方に、必ずお役に立てる内容です。
Okanagan College
<okanagan.bc.ca/international>
Okanagan College was established in 1963, and is accredited by the Government of British Columbia. The College has four campuses located in one of Canada’s most beautiful regions. The area is famous for its hot, dry summers and mild winters, delicious fruit and wine, and incredible recreational opportunities.
We offer more than 120 degree, diploma, and certificate programs to more than 7,000 students. Currently there are approximately 500 international students, including about 60 from Japan. At the College’s Kelowna campus, students seeking to improve their English or enter a full-time academic program may enroll in the “English for Academic Purposes” program. At the intermediate and advanced levels, they have the option of taking ESL only or a combination of ESL and academic courses. At the Vernon campus the “Intensive English Communication” program is intended for students wishing to develop their speaking, listening, and pronunciation skills. Admission to this program is available at the beginning of every month.
For over 20 years, Okanagan College has hosted short-term, group study tours from several Japanese schools, including Ritsumeikan University, Toyota Technical College (Nagoya), and Sanno College.
JALT Notices
JALT2013 Conference Logo Design Contest
Here's a great chance for you to express your creativity outside the classroom, and become part of JALT history at the same time! We are very pleased to announce that we are going to accept logo design submissions for the JALT2013 International Conference, which will be held Oct 25 – 28, 2013 in Kobe. Any JALT member can submit a design.
Submissions must conform to the following criteria:
- Theme: The conference theme is Learning is a lifetime voyage. The logo should reflect this theme. Inclusion of the text is optional.
- Format: Adobe Illustrator or .eps with fonts outlined, all elements in vector format
- Artwork: All artwork incorporated must be original.
- Dimensions: Any size and shape is acceptable, art board frame should be approximately square.
- Deadline: Jun 1, 2012
- Submission: In print form and data file to JALT Central Office (by email <jco@jalt.org> or post. Postal address is on the TLT envelope and JALT website)
The successful designer will receive free admission to the JALT2012 International Conference. The winning entry will become the property of JALT, and JALT reserves the right to adapt or alter the design to fit its needs. For further information, please contact Steve Cornwell, the Director of Program <program@jalt.org>.