Meeting Dates of 2020
- May 23 (Sat) (Business meeting. All members are welcome)
-
Jul 11 (Sat) (Research meeting 1)
-
Oct 31 (Sat) (Research meeting 2)
-
Jan 16 (Sat) or Jan 9 (Sat)* (Research meeting 3 and Shinenkai)
First presentation of 2020
Today the Jacet ESP Kanto SIG had our first meeting of 2020 and the last one for this academic year. Charlie Robertson from The College of Science and Engineering at Aoyama Gakuin University discussed in detail “how the college of science and engineering at his university in Tokyo attempted to incorporate major changes to its English curriculum that had been in place for over 20 years.“
In the near future, we will be announcing more presentations events for the year 2020.
Have a great 2020 and hope to see you at future events.
After the presentation, we all went to Yona Yona Ale for our annual New Year party.
Annual New Years Party at Yona Yona Ale, Omotesando, 2020/01/11
JACET ESP SIG Kanto (January 11th, 2020 Meeting)
JACET ESP SIG Kanto (January Meeting)
Date: January 11, 2020 (Sat) 15:00～17:00
Venue: Room 15501 (5th Floor), Goucher Memorial Building No. 15, Aoyama Gakuin University
Please find the link for the location:
http://www.aoyamagakuin.jp/access/accessmap.html
Program:
15:00~16:00 PROGRAM INNOVATIONS: International Communication for Scientists and Engineers
Associate Professor Charles E. Robertson and Professor David W. Reedy, Aoyama Gakuin University
Abstract:
This presentation details how a college of science and engineering of a major private university in Tokyo attempted to incorporate major changes to its English curriculum that had been in place for over 20 years. Six years into the reformed program, the presenters will illustrate an array of improvements in a department not well-known for its commitment to English education, specifically: implementation of a comprehensive freshmen orientation, integration of a department-wide e-learning system, class streaming based on a standardized test, administration of pre-tests and post-tests, operation of credit-bearing study abroad programs, application of a strict EMI policy, and a CEFR-based curriculum utilizing an EGP to EAP to ESP strategy. The increased promotion of English education has contributed to changes in student attitudes and performance as well as the calibre of incoming freshmen. Students are now aware that English is a crucial element of their tertiary education and that resources are available to assist them to improve their English language skills, including English for science and engineering. The presenters believe that these students now strive for an identity as global scientists and engineers and that the new curriculum, which promotes ESP, has increased learner motivation and autonomy.
Keywords: ESP, curriculum development, English for Science and Technology, learner motivation, autonomy
Bio:
Charles E. Robertson is an associate professor at the College of Science and Engineering at Aoyama Gakuin University, Tokyo, Japan. His research interests include: Second-Language (L2) writing theory and practice, English for Science and Technology (EST), English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) and Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL). robertson@aoyamagakuin.jp
David W. Reedy is a professor at the College of Science and Engineering at Aoyama Gakuin University, Tokyo, Japan. Currently, deputy director of the International Center of Aoyama Gakuin University. Research areas include language policy, effective study abroad programs, computer-assisted language learning, and learner autonomy. dreedy@aoyamagakuin.jp
16:10~17:00 Business Meeting:
SIG officers meetings. Other members are also welcome.
JACET ESP SIG Kanto (October Meeting 2019/10/19)
Dear all JACET ESP SIG Kanto members,
It is with great pleasure that I make the announcement of our October meeting on Oct 19, (Saturday, 15:00-17:00), 2019. We have invited two speakers, Rich Bailey of Tokai University and Robert Gommerman of Chuo University. They will present their research on ESP for graduate students of engineering and EMI program for business majors respectively. I am sure their presentations will benefit our members who are interested in not only an ESP-oriented approach but also EMI education linking ESP with the content of students’ disciplines. Please come to join this event and invite your colleagues and friends.
The details of the talk are as follows:
JACET ESP SIG Kanto (October Meeting)
Date: Oct 19, 2019 (Sat) 15:00 ~17:00
Venue: Room 602, East 1 Building, University of Electro-Communications (電気通信大学)
(UEC Tokyo, 1-5-1 Chofugaoka, Chofu, Tokyo, 182-8585/東京都調布市調布ヶ丘 1-5-1)
Program
15:00~15:30
Presentation 1
ESP for Engineering Graduate Students at Tokai University Rich Bailey, Tokai University (Shonan Campus)
Abstract
In response to the Tokai University Engineering department’s concerns regarding the English levels of their graduate students, two semester-long (14 weeks, once-a-week) ESP courses were created: Technical English for Engineers (TEfE) [required] and English Presentation for Engineers (EPfE) [elective]. While the original unified TEfE syllabus has been phased out in favor of teacher-selected textbooks and a new TOEIC focus, EPfE has evolved over time, especially to meet the needs of different student levels and an increase in international students. The presenter will explain the various curricular aspects of TEfE/EPfE courses including syllabus design, the use of supplemental materials, pedagogical activities, and successes and challenges of the implementation of the courses.
Keywords: ESP, English for Engineering Majors, English for Graduate Students, ,
Bio of Presenter
Rich Bailey has been teaching ESP courses through the International Education Center at Tokai for
Please find the link for the location:
http://www.uec.ac.jp/eng/about/access/ (in English); http://www.uec.ac.jp/about/profile/access/ (in Japanese)
six years. He has taught in Japan for more than ten years and has also taught in the U.S., Fiji, and Kazakhstan. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in physics in 1991, he obtained his master’s degree in TESOL at Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio in 1995.
15:30~15:40 Break
15:40~16:10
Presentation 2
An analysis of preliminary student performance data in an EMI program for economics and business management majors: Are we overstating the importance of prior English proficiency?
Robert Gommerman, Chuo University
In the last few years, several universities in Japan have opened departments with courses and entire programs instructed exclusively in English. As these programs become more popular, it is important to understand the extent to which English proficiency at the onset of studies can predict performance in content classes where instruction, course materials, and support are delivered entirely in English. Data from a newly created business department at a respected Japanese university suggest that prior English ability could not predict performance in two core subjects (Introductory Economics and Business Management). Despite having low English proficiency scores, many students were able to achieve high grades in both subjects, while some students with high proficiency scores did not perform well. While this analysis is still in the exploratory phase, the findings so far could have significant implications for the viability of EMI programs in Japan, and criteria for admission to such programs.
Keywords: EMI, content-based teaching, English proficiency, language performance, Economics and Business Management majors,
Bio of Presenter
Robert Gommerman has been working at universities in the Tokyo area for the last 13 years and currently works as a Specially Appointed Assistant Professor at Chuo University’s newly created faculty of Global Management, a department that operates as an English Medium Instruction (EMI) program. Gommerman plays the central role in coordinating curriculum development and helping to design the program to be one based strongly on data science.
16:10~17:00 Business Meeting:
SIG officers meetings. Other members are also welcome. Discussion includes review of the 2019 JACET national convention, Chapter Journal of Vol 21, January meeting (with Shinenkai), JAAL-JACET convention in November, Chapter finance, and other research activities.
SHI Jie
Chair
JACET ESP SIG Kanto
SIG Chapter Contact: SHI Jie (shi.jie[a]uec.ac.jp) University of Electro-Communications (UEC Tokyo); Shin’ichi Hashimoto (shin.hashimoto[a]tsc.u-tokai.ac.jp), Tokai University; Megumi Nishikawa (egumi- nishikawa[a]tsc.u-tokai.ac.jp), Tokai University
Post JACET ESP Kanto Meeting July 20th, 2019
- Next Meeting-October 19 or 26 2019. The date will be updated shortly.
- January 11th, 2020, JACET ESP Kanto Meeting and Shin Nen Kai.
JACET ESP SIG Kanto (July 20, 2019 Meeting)
It is with great pleasure that I make the announcement of our July meeting on July 20 (Saturday), 2019. We have invited Professor Hiroyuko Obari from Aoyama-Gakuen University to give a presentation on his research of integration of CALL in his teaching of worldviews to Japanese university students. I would like to apologize for sending the announcement late but sincerely hope that you would let your colleagues and friends know of this event and invite them to join us. Professor Obari is a famous and versatile researcher in the fields of CALL and EFL education in Japan. I am sure his talk will provide attendees with insightful views on education and pedagogy on both cognitive and practical levels.
The details of the talk are as follows:
JACET ESP SIG Kanto (July Meeting)
Date: Jul 20, 2019 (Sat) 15:00 ～17:00
Venue: Room 15501 (5th Floor), Gaucher Building No. 15, Aoyama-Gakuen University
Please find the link for the location:
http://www.aoyamagakuin.jp/access/accessmap.html
Program
l 15:00~16:00Utilization of AI and ICT in Teaching Worldviews for Effective 21st Century LearningProfessor Hiroyuki Obari, Aoyama-Gakuen University
Abstract:
A constructivist approach to flipped learning inspires students to activate their brains to create new knowledge and to reflect more deeply and consistently on their learning activities where twenty-first century skills with the 8Cs of effective communication are emphasized in the learning process. One of the critical 8Cs is to learn how to coexist with AI. In the present study, two case studies were carried out for the purpose of enabling students to experience weak AI using smart speakers in the L2 learning process. The focus was on evaluating the use of AI speakers such as Google home mini and Amazon echo dot to determine their effectiveness in improving the English skills of native Japanese undergraduate students. The technologies used included Google Home mini, ATR CALL Brix, Facebook, Line, and online materials related to worldview studies. The first empirical study was conducted with a goal of examining the overall effectiveness of the program in improving the TOEIC test scores of a target group of Japanese students. The investigation was carried out from September 2018 to January 2019, targeting 24 third-year undergraduates who were divided into eight groups, four using Google home mini and four using Amazon echo dot. The participants were required to study their favourite English language programs for four months using AI speakers and to conduct a diary study, sometimes while shooting their studies with a smartphone. Finally, at the end of the training program, students of all eight groups delivered presentations about their research activities using AI speakers with flipped lessons, as well as provided feedback on the study, including its limitations. TOEIC pre- and post-training results (n=24) indicated the training program had assisted the students in improving their overall English proficiency with the help of the AI speakers during the four-month training period, especially their listening comprehension. Additionally, a post-course survey revealed a majority of the participants responded favourably toward the use of AI speakers as a part of their daily life in studying English, and 88% felt its effectiveness had revolutionized their way of learning English. In this presentation, the future use of AI in 21st century learning will be discussed through the results of the target case study.
Keywords: AI, EFL, 21st century skills, Google home mini, Echo dot, TOEIC
Bio:
Hiroyuki Obari is a professor in the College of Economics at Aoyama Gakuin University. He obtained his M.A. in TESOL from Columbia University and Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Tsukuba. He was a visiting academic at the University of Oxford (2007, 2008, 2018, 2019). His research interests include CALL and Educational Technologies
raweb1.jm.aoyama.ac.jp/aguhp/KgApp?kyoinId=ymksgyymggy
l 16:00~16:20 Visiting the CALL facilities of Aoyama-Gakuen University
l 16:20~17:00 Business Meeting:
SIG officers meetings. Other members are also welcome.
JACET ESP SIG Kanto (November Meeting)
JACET ESP SIG Kanto (November Meeting)
Date: Nov 17, 2018 (Sat) 15:00 ～17:00
Venue: University of Electro-Communications (UEC Tokyo), Building East 1, Room 705
(UEC Tokyo, 1-5-1 Chofugaoka, Chofu, Tokyo, 182-8585)
Please find the link for the location:
http://www.uec.ac.jp/eng/about/access/ (in English); http://www.uec.ac.jp/about/profile/access/ (in Japanese)
Program
15:00~16:00 Communication Skills in Increasingly Globalized Japanese Companies
Professor Kazushige Tsuji, Mukogawa Women’s University
Abstract:
The shift towards borderless activities by Japanese companies, regardless of their size, continues to grow rapidly and has become increasingly commonplace. This situation compels personnel working in such companies to acquire pragmatic English communication skills. With an eye on apprehending and attending to English communication skills needed in business, this presentation contends that the development of English use and needs at Japanese manufacturing companies is a good bench mark, as the manufacturing industry is the pioneer of global operations in the Japanese private sector. The presenter shares his research on EBP (English for Business Purposes) and would also like to exchange views on EBP which should be taught at universities in Japan.
Bio of Invited Presenter:
Kazushige Tsuji is a professor in, and current Chair of, the Department of English at Mukogawa Women’s University in Hyogo Prefecture. His research interest includes ESP in business contexts.
16:00~16:30 Discussion on the presentation and EBP and EOP
16:30~17:00 Business Meeting:
SIG meetings and Shinenkai
July 28th, 2018 Meeting Cancelled due to typhoon.
Dear members,
We are sorry that we had to cancel the meeting for today due to the typhoon. We are working on rescheduling this meeting in October or November.
On another note, we will be uploading the Call for Papers this afternoon.
JACET ESP Kanto July 2018 Meeting
Dear all JACET ESP SIG Kanto members,
It is with great pleasure that I make the announcement of our July meeting on July 28 (Saturday), 2018. The themes of this meeting are EBP (English for Business Purposes) and EOP (English for Occupational Purposes). The details are as follows:
JACET ESP SIG Kanto (July Meeting)
Date: Jul 28, 2018 (Sat) 15:00 ～17:00
Venue: University of Electro-Communications (UEC Tokyo), Building East 1, Room 602
(UEC Tokyo, 1-5-1 Chofugaoka, Chofu, Tokyo, 182-8585)
Please find the link for the location:
http://www.uec.ac.jp/eng/about/access/ (in English); http://www.uec.ac.jp/about/profile/access/ (in Japanese)
Program
- 15:00~16:15 Invited Presentation by Kazushige Tsuji (Mukogawa Women’s University)
Title: English Communication Skills in Increasingly Globalized Japanese Companies: A Focus on BELF
(BELF: English as the Business Lingua Franca)
Abstract:
The shift towards borderless activities by Japanese companies, regardless of their size, continues to grow rapidly and has become increasingly commonplace. This situation compels personnel working in such companies to acquire pragmatic English communication skills. With an eye on apprehending and attending to English communication skills needed in business, this presentation contends that the development of English use and needs at Japanese manufacturing companies is a good bench mark, as the manufacturing industry is the pioneer of global operations in the Japanese private sector. The presenter shares his research on BELF (English as the Business Lingua Franca) and highlights key knowledge, skills and experiences related to English, needed in globalized workplaces.
Bio of Invited Presenter:
Kazushige Tsuji is a professor in, and current Chair of, the Department of English at Mukogawa Women’s University in Hyogo Prefecture. His research interest include ESP in business contexts.
- 16:15~17:00 Business Meeting:
SIG Poster at the National Convention
Special 20th anniversary edition of annual report of ESP Kanto
Planning of fall activities
_________________________
SHI Jie
Chair
JACET ESP SIG Kanto
JACET ESP SIG Kanto (January 2018 Meeting)
JACET ESP SIG Kanto (January Meeting)
Date: Jan 13, 2018 (Sat) 15:00～17:00
Venue: University of Electro-Communications (UEC Tokyo), UEC Alliance
Center, 100th Anniversary Hall
(UEC Tokyo, 1-5-1 Chofugaoka, Chofu, Tokyo, 182-8585)
Location: For English, see the attachment; For Japanese Webpage:
https://www.uecalliance.com/access.html
Program of the January meeting (Meeting theme – Academic writing):
1．15:00～16:00 Invited Presentation by Christine Feak (University of
Michigan, USA) (Session via Skype)
Title: Research Article Abstracts for Non-Expert Readers
Abstract: Research article abstracts are an extremely important genre.
When well written, abstracts can increase the chance that a paper will
go out for review, that a well-qualified reviewer will agree to offer
feedback, and that the paper will be read. Writing an effective research
article abstract for one’s peers is challenging enough, but the
challenges are becoming greater as many scientific journals are
expecting authors to provide a second abstract directed at non-expert
readers. These abstracts have a number of different names, including:
lay abstracts, author summaries, and significance statements. My talk
today will focus on this emergent genre and how we might support
students’ efforts to write for non-experts.
Bio of Speaker:
Dr. Christine Feak is a lecturer at the English Language Institute of
the University of Michigan since 1988 and is an experienced ESP
practitioner, researcher, editor and productive author. Among her
numerous ESP/EAP publications, “Academic Writing for Graduate Students:
Essential Tasks and Skills”, “Abstracts and the Writing of Abstracts”, ”
Telling a Research Story” and “Navigating Academia” that she has co-
authored with the famous ESP pioneer Professor John M. Swales are well-
known reference books not only in the US but also in Japan especially in
the EST domain. Her current research interests include the discourse
analysis of academic legal genres, medical writing, the evaluation of
NNS writing, and positioning in graduate student writing.
2．16:00～16:30 Research Presentation by Patrick Foss (Tokyo Medical and
Dental University )
Title: Incorporating the Academic Word List into introductory EAP
classes
Abstract: The Academic Word List (Coxhead, 2000) is a collection of 570
word families which have been shown to appear frequently in a wide range
of academic texts. As such, it is a useful resource in university-level
language education, particularly in introductory EAP classes. However,
simply telling students to “study the list” is unlikely to be effective;
words need to be encountered and used in different contexts in order to
be mastered. The presenter will show how a portion of the Academic Word
List was selected and then incorporated into a course focused on
improving a variety of academic English skills within a communicative
environment.
Bio of Speaker:
Patrick Foss is an associate professor of English in the College of
Liberal Arts and Sciences at Tokyo Medical and Dental University. His
research interests include vocabulary use and development.
3. 16:30～17:00 Business Meeting
4. 18:30～ ESP SIG KANTO Chapter SHINNENKAI: January 13, 2018
We welcome any members of our group even if you cannot join the above
meeting. The restaurant is located in a convenient part of downtown
Tokyo. Anyone can go to the venue directly and join us for the wonderful
Turkish food, good company and the entertainment there. Just drop Shin
Hashimoto a message by email as shown below.
ボスボラス ハサン 新宿店
03-3354-7947
東京都新宿区新宿3-6-11第一玉屋ビル ２Ｆ
https://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1304/A130401/13000925/dtlmap/
■予約日時 1月13日(土) 18:30～
■コース名 ≪ Bコース ≫トルコ料理を堪能できます★（飲み放題の付かないコース
になります）
■コース料金 お一人様 ￥3,750(税込)
Time: 18:30 ～ (right after our SIG meeting)
Restaurant: Bosphorus Hasan (free cultural event included)
Menu: Course B (3,750 yen not including alcohol)
Website: https://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1304/A130401/13000925/dtlmap/
The restaurant is a Turkish restaurant in Shinjuku (just a few doors
down the Yose “Suehiro-tei” very close to Isetan Department Store)
JACET ESP Kanto 