Dear JACET ESP Kanto members,

I hope this message finds you well. It is my pleasure to announce that our next meeting will be held on January 22, Saturday, 2022, on ZOOM. Please refer to the following for the detailed meeting ZOOM setup, program, title, abstract, and the bio of the speaker.

• ESP Kanto January Zoom Meeting
• トピック: ESP Kanto meeting
• 時間: 2022年1月22日 03:00 PM 大阪、札幌、東京
  • Zoomミーティングに参加する
  • https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82796361015?pwd=b0o0Mk5KZkozMWM1Nk9GTDFMYUNqdz09
  • ミーティングID: 827 9636 1015
  • パスコード: 926288

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Program:

1. 15:00-16:00 Research Presentation
2. 16:00-17:00 Discussion & Business Meeting

Presentation

• Title: Developing and evaluating a computer-based speaking test for Japanese university admissions
• Presenter: Zhou, Yujia, project lecturer at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies

Abstract

With the internationalization of Japan, developing university students’ speaking skills is becoming vital; however, very few universities in Japan use an originally developed four skills-based entrance test that includes a speaking component. At this meeting, I will introduce a computer-based speaking test that has been developed as a selective assessment for Japanese university admissions. The test, called British Council TUFS-Speaking Test for Japanese Universities (BCT-S), was jointly developed by Tokyo University of Foreign Studies and the British Council. Aptis, an international test developed by the British Council, serves as its platform, whereas the contents and the delivery system have been adapted to meet the specific needs of Japanese university admissions. In the presentation, I will introduce the background of the test development and the challenges the developers encountered. I will also discuss the empirical validity evidence collected during the test development process as well as the plans for future validation studies. This presentation is intended to provide Japanese university teachers an opportunity to consider how they might effectively utilize speaking assessments to promote the teaching of speaking skills in their classroom.

Bio of the presenter

Yujia Zhou is a project lecturer at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, where she teaches undergraduate courses on English skills and a graduate course in teaching and assessing speaking skills. She graduated from Tokyo University of Foreign Studies with a Ph.D. in language testing and has been involved in the development and validation of a computer-based speaking test for Japanese university admissions since 2017. Her current research interests include the validation of computer-based speaking tests and improving students’ critical thinking skills through group discussions and debates.

Dear JACET ESP Kanto members,

I hope this message finds you well. It is my pleasure to announce that our July meeting will be held on October 30, Saturday, 2021, on ZOOM. Please refer to the following for the detailed meeting ZOOM setup, program, title, abstract, and the bio of the speaker. Please register from the link below by October 20, Wednesday, 2021.

https://forms.gle/qZnDivdiWJaFBRj98

ESP Kanto July Zoom Meeting
Time:: 2021 年 10 月 30 日 03:00 PM 大阪、札幌、東京 Zoom ミーティングに参加する
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86869021104…
Meeting ID: 868 6902 1104
Passcode: 898805

Program:

• 15:00-16:00 Research Presentation
• 16:00-17:00 Discussion & Business Meeting
  Presentation
• Title: Technology-enhanced vocabulary learning: a longitudinal study
  Presenters:
  1. Michael Sharpe, Kochi National University, Kochi Prefecture, Japan
  2. David Grant, National Institute of Technology, Kochi College (Kochi Kosen)
  
• ABSTRACT:
  In this presentation, we will report on a longitudinal study on intentional (direct) and incidental (indirect) vocabulary learning in a technology-enhanced learning context. The study has been conducted over a 31-month period commencing April 2019 with a group (n=160) of EFL learners at a Japanese junior engineering college. In the intentional component of the study, during the study period participants studied vocabulary online using a subscription-based vocabulary learning resource (WordEngine), and for the incidental component read extensively from a library of graded readers, which was monitored through MReader. Results at the intermediate waypoint showed vocabulary increase among participants in the range of 835 – 5973 words with a mean across the group of 2875. From these results, we have concluded that a synthesized, technology-enhanced learner-directed approach to vocabulary learning can be effective for certain learners across a range of abilities and may be applicable to other classroom contexts.
  
  1. BIO of the presenters:
     a. Michael Sharpe has been teaching at the university level in Japan for 18 years and is currently tenured faculty and
     deputy director of the International Education Program at Kochi National University. Research interests include
     EST/EAP, academic literacies, digital text analysis, extensive and intensive reading, global competency education
     and assessment, the origins and evolution of English, English as a Lingua Franca, and Global Englishes.
     b. David Grant has taught English at all levels of the Japanese education system for 25 years. He is an Associate Professor at the National Institute of Technology, Kochi College (Kochi Kosen). His current research interests include vocabulary acquisition, extensive reading, computer-assisted language learning, and English for specific purposes.

Dear all members of JACET ESP Kanto,

I hope this message finds you well.

It is my pleasure to announce that our July meeting will be held on July 17, Saturday, 2021, on ZOOM. Please refer to the following for the detailed meeting ZOOM setup, program, title, abstract, and the bio of the speaker. Please register from the link below by July 14, Thursday, 2021.

https://forms.gle/qZnDivdiWJaFBRj98

ESP Kanto July Zoom Meeting

Time: 2021年7月17日 03:00 PM 大阪、札幌、東京

Meeting URL Zoomミーティングに参加する

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87442668684?pwd=THdCRTVZNWZ4MzJCV25vckwrMU5wZz09

Meeting ID: 874 4266 8684

Passcode: 768634

Program:

1. 15:00-16:00 Research Presentation
2. 16:00-17:00 Discussion & Business Meeting

Presentation
Title: Using automatic speech recognition to develop speaking skills

Presenter: Professor Paul Daniels, Kochi University of Technology, Kochi Prefecture, Japan

ABSTRACT:

Using automatic speech recognition to develop speaking skills can assist Japanese English-language learners who have few opportunities to speak English outside of the classroom. Further, creative solutions need to be explored that maximize speaking opportunities and prepare learners for standardized language tests that contain a speaking component. With the aid of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) technology, in conjunction with automatic speech recognition (ASR) technology, learners can receive additional extensive speaking opportunities which can lead to improved English communication skills. This presentation will introduce how CALL and ASR can be effectively deployed in the language classroom to prepare learners for online speaking exams and to provide additional extensive speaking opportunities. The presenter will outline several online speaking platforms that are designed to automatically score student speech and provide individualized speaking feedback. The presenter will also introduce an open-source speech assessment question-type for Moodle (an open-source content management system) which he has been developing over the past six years. The system employs Google’s speech recognition engine to transcribe student speech into text which is then automatically scored using a phoneme-based algorithm. The speech assessment question-type is freely available via Github.com and is compatible with the latest versions of Moodle.

BIO of the presenter:

Paul Daniels has been using technology in the language classroom for the past 30 years in both the USA and Japan and actively leads international workshops on computer-assisted language learning topics. His current research involves speech recognition and how it can be used to engage learners in speech practice.