Simple and Effective Corpus Tools for High School and University EFL Learners

Please join the first in a series of Osaka JALT Online Forums. Martin Spivey will present simple and effective corpus tools for high school and university EFL learners. Here is a brief introduction to his talk: 

Although the concept of using corpora in language education has been around for a while (Johns, 1986), it is still considered quite niche, and various factors have limited its widespread application in the classroom (Poole, 2020). However, there is an increasing number of online corpus tools available that are easy to access and require little training for teachers and students alike. In this talk, a brief explanation of what a corpus is and the different types of corpora that currently exist will be given, followed by a practical demonstration of a selection of free and simple corpus tools that instructors can use to promote learner autonomy and give their students the opportunity to explore authentic language for themselves during in-class activities or outside the classroom. 

Martin Spivey is originally from the UK and has been teaching EFL to students of various ages and levels for almost two decades. He has an MA in TESOL from the University of Birmingham (UK) and is currently teaching EAP courses at Akita International University and Akita University. His main research interests are corpus-assisted discourse analysis and learner corpora study.

The event is FREE for everyone.

Profanity across cultures: What is taboo and why profanity exists -- a presentation by Amanda Gillis-Furutaka of Kyoto Sangyo University

Profanity is expressed in many ways, both visually and auditorily. Its history is arguably as old as human communication itself. Profanity is a cultural construct and is culture-specific. Words, symbols, or gestures that are considered taboo change constantly. This workshop will explore profanity from past to present including: (1) Exploration of what is taboo in our own (English and non-English speaking) cultures. (2) An historical overview of changes in the use of profanity. An explanation of why we sometimes swear unintentionally, and insights into the extraordinary power of profanity. (3) Reflections on our attitudes towards profanity, and the directions in which profanity is evolving (or possibly declining) in our own cultures.

Amanda Gillis-Furutaka is from the UK and taught in a variety of countries before she made Japan her home. For the last 31 years, she has been teaching and researching at Kyoto Sangyo University. Her research interests reflect different stages of her life and have included global issues, teaching culture through films, bilingualism, international schooling, Extensive Reading, popular music, and most recently, brain science. She came across the fascinating topic of profanity when in search of the answer to why profanities burst unbidden from her mouth in certain situations when normally she is politely spoken. She would like to share what she has learned and invite discussion to broaden her understanding of the role of profanity in other English- and non-English-speaking cultures.

The meeting venue is a short 2-minute walk northeast of Hankyu Nishinomiya Kitaguchi station at the Nishinomiya Daigaku Koryu Center (ACTA East Tower 6F)

This event is organized by SIETAR Kansai, and co-sponsored by the Osaka and Nara Chapters of JALT.
An optional dinner party at a nearby restaurant will follow the meeting. Contact Donna Fujimoto at fujimotodonna@gmail.com by Sept 25 to sign up.

Cost for JALT Members: Free for JALT & SIETAR members & full-time students

Cost for non-JALT Members: 500 yen

Osaka JALT Back to School 2024 - Schedule

We are pleased to welcome you to Osaka Jogakuin University for the 2024 Back to School Conference.

Registration will begin at 9:30 on the second floor.

Please refer to the schedule below for the room numbers and presentation contents:

Presentation Abstracts and Presenter Bios can be found here.

Osaka JALT Back to School 2024

Back to School 2024 is Osaka JALT’s 14th annual spring conference aiming to share ideas on a wide range of topics related to language teaching and learning to help everyone in the new academic year. This year's conference will again be in person at Osaka Jogakuin University, near Tamatsukuri station on the JR Loop Line and Nagahori Tsurumi-Ryokuchi Metro line. It will also again be an Open Campus day at OJU, so there will be additional presentations on Phonetics and Korean that participants in the conference can attend as well.

Click here to PRE-REGISTER. It's not required, but it will help us have a better idea of how many to expect and will help expedite things at the conference registration desk.

Everyone who attends the conference is required to agree to JALT's Code of Conduct.

Registration opens at 9:30am, and the first presentations begin at 10am.

We will conclude at around 5:30pm.

Click here to see the tentative SCHEDULE for the day. To make the most of our limited time together, we strongly encourage everyone to bring a bento lunch that can be eaten at the outdoor picnic tables, weather permitting, or in the cafeteria, or in any classroom other than Room 209 (the amphitheater).

Click here to read more about the PRESENTERS and their PRESENTATIONS. There will also be displays by Pearson, the General Union, and JALT's Materials Writers SIG.

We look forward to seeing you at OJU on Sunday, April 28th for what is sure to be another great day of learning and networking!

Hanami social in Osaka Castle Park

Sunday, April 14, 2024 - 12:30pm to 4:30pm

Come join us for some friendly peer-, near-peer-, and community mentoring and networking at our annual hanami social in Osakajokoen (Osaka Castle Park)! It's FREE and open to everyone, so please bring family, friends, colleagues, students, pets, and acquaintances, or come alone if you prefer. All are welcome! Look for our blue JALT banner on the south side of the park, due south of the castle (and south of the south moat), and directly north of the NTT Building and to the west of the bus parking area. It's a short easy walk from Morinomiya or Tanimachiyonchome metro stations or JR Loop Line. We'll have plastic sheets to sit on and a few snacks to share, so stop by with a beverage and possibly more food to share, and maybe an additional sheet to sit on to be sure we have plenty of room to stretch out. Most importantly, be sure to bring a happy vibe to celebrate the cherry blossoms, the coming of spring, and the start of the new academic year! 
Please stop by whenever you can for as long or as short as you like. We look forward to seeing you! 

In case of rain, this event may be canceled, so please check back closer to the date to be sure it's on. Fingers crossed for good weather!!