15th NEAR Language Education Conference

Saturday 2 Sept 2023, 09:30 → 17:00 Asia/Tokyo

Building 1 Section B (University of Niigata Prefecture)

Join us for the 15th annual NEAR Language Education Conference, in-person again in Niigata City!

The NEAR Language Conference 2023 looks at the future of language learning, both in the classroom and beyond.  In what directions are language teaching and learning headed? What will remain important, and what will become important? How will teachers and students be affected by changes- and how will they create change?

Plenary Session

The plenary speaker will be May Kyaw Oo, speaking on the topic of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).

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09:45 → 09:50 Opening Remarks

10:00 → 10:40 Say a little more: Increasing turn content in student talk

Some teachers may have struggled to increase the amount of student talk beyond these minimized turns. Numerous learning-motivation studies have demonstrated that student language anxiety lessen their L2 speech amount. However, the approach does not focus on how actually they interact in classroom. This presentation will outline ways students can be encouraged to expand their talk. The presenter will detail how students manipulate L1/L2 language choice and speech acts in oral activities and how students attend to their limited L2 proficiency. The findings suggest that students produce the least voluntary L2 speech when they are working on information-gap task-based activities, and they would not develop their chat once the task has been completed. Furthermore, some teaching tips to facilitate more expanded turns will be demonstrated based on the findings. The importance that learners should be given certain learning tips and be explicitly trained to manipulate interactional strategies will be broadly discussed. An awareness of those interactional issues can help both students and their teachers orientate themselves to an interactional view of language with concomitant consequences for teaching and learning.

Speaker: Yosuke Ogawa (Kobe University)

10:00 → 10:40 Shift in Focus from Motivation to Engagement

Motivation is a major focus in second language education research in which educators search to understand learners' thoughts about action and inaction. However, even students with motivation to learn a second language can easily become distracted, and good intentions do not always turn into action. Language learning pedagogical paradigms such as communicative learning and task-based learning emphasize that meaningful action with language develops learning therefore, intention that leads to action is essential in language learning. The construct of engagement shifts the focus from learners' intent to learn toward learners' active involvement in learning. Interest in engagement research has grown in general education and more recently in language education also.
Engagement is active involvement in learning tasks within a learning environment. Engagement is a multidimensional construct that includes behavior and cognitive dimensions along with affective and social dimensions. Engagement is influenced by teachers, peers, and curriculum design. Although engagement may be something many teachers can identify intuitively, learning about it can improve our efforts to intentionally engage learners.
This presentation will explain the engagement construct, and show how researchers are seeking to understand, measure and increase language learner engagement. The presenter will share examples of observing increases in learner engagement with a vocabulary learning curriculum. The end of the presentation will offer participants a choice, either learning some engagement practices for communication classes and discussing them, or viewing samples of engagement measurement tools and discussing their application.

Speaker: Cheryl Kirchhoff (The University of Nagano)

10:00 → 10:40 Strategic Interactions in the Language Classroom

"Role-plays and other simulation-style activities are often used in L2 classrooms to give students chances to practice their speaking skills in a variety of situations. However, most role-plays take the form of prewritten scripts and become exercises in reading more than actual communicative language use. There is a need for a different angle on the traditional role-play, to allow students to use language in ways that are authentic and spontaneous. This presentation will introduce the concept of strategic interactions (SIs), which are role-plays created with built-in conflicts based around scenarios, described by Di Pietro (1987) as a realistic happening involving the unexpected and requiring the use of language to be resolved. In real world settings, language must often be utilized to negotiate and persuade, with approaches adapted to keep the dialogue moving toward a conclusion. SIs mimic this by presenting clear roles and specific conflicts that require communication to reach a solution. They also add the element of dramatic tension and spontaneity, along with opportunities for students to collaborate and co-construct language. Four stages of using SIs will be described: 1) Planning, in which the teacher creates the roles, scenario, and materials for the activity, 2) preparation, in which students work together to think about the scenario and try to predict what kind of language they will need to navigate the situation, 3) performance, in which students make pairs of opposing roles and try to find a resolution, and 4) reflection, in which teachers give feedback and also help students to reflect on their own language usage with transcriptions of their performances. Finally, there will be a discussion of both the successes and challenges observed by the presenter in using these activities with 1st year students at a private medical university.

Di Pietro, R.J. (1987). Strategic Interaction. Cambridge University Press."

Speaker: Martin Sedaghat (Niigata University of Health and Welfare)

11:00 → 11:40 Playing to Learn: Teaching Language, Culture, and Diversity Using Video Game Narratives

Narrative-based video games offer an opportunity to redefine how students learn; in some cases, they can supplement or even replace textbooks as a medium of instruction. Many games involve communication, decision-making, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills. With some preparation, many pre-existing games can be used to not only teach and practice language, but also history, social studies, and various other subjects to all ages or levels of education. Students preparing for foreign exchange language study can play a character who is visiting a foreign country with realistic dialogue to practice. Why only describe I'upiat Alaskan Native culture when you can hear stories told by actual I'upiat while playing a game based on their folklore? Empowering and giving underrepresented populations their own voice to tell their own stories in a way that is more widely accessible, informative, and entertaining makes their stories more accessible to students. By drawing upon the experiences of educators developing video game-based lessons for various student ages and subjects as well as my own classroom and homeschooling experience, I will show how the use of video games as narratives benefits not only language (including second and foreign language acquisition) but also literature, social studies, as well as STEM disciplines.

Speaker: Jermaine GORDON-MIZUSAWA (Ryutsu Keizai University)

11:00 → 11:40 The Future of ChatGPT in Language Learning and Teaching

ChatGPT is the new buzzword and even bugaboo in language education. Debuting in November 2022, ChatGPT 3.5 is already playing a significant role and will continue to shape language learning. After a brief history and a summary of the state of the art, I will share my collaboration with fellow teachers at Nagoya University of the Arts to integrate ChatGPT with The English Gym textbook, various Google Apps, and online resources such as Flippity. I'll provide specific examples of its application in communication, presentation, and reading classes across different proficiency levels and the "prompt engineering" we used to get there. I'll also discuss limitations, teachers' concerns, and necessary teaching adaptations to address students' access to these tools. Considering the future, I'll explore the possibilities of ChatGPT, Bard, Bing, and others, such as live interaction, individualized learning, and immediate personalized feedback, and my aim to acquire the computer skills to deal with some of the limitations of ChatGPT, including its inability to follow longer educational sequences. My ultimate goal in this presentation is for teachers to gain practical ideas and the confidence to impliment and we move into our future in language education using ChatGPT.

Speaker: Steve McGuire (Nagoya University of the Arts)

11:00 → 11:40 Using the SDGs as a springboard to developing academic literacy and language skills

"This presentation/workshop will demonstrate a framework for a seven-week research cycle where the students go from choosing a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) to researching it using authentic materials, collating views and opinions on the SDG through interviewing people outside class, and finally collating their research into a combined presentation and discussion. Over the seven weeks, students learn research skills at the point of need and develop them as they go through the stages in this framework. In the cycle, the students learn to develop note-taking, summarising, vocabulary learning, and referencing skills. They also learn how to research and evaluate websites while summarising and developing their views and opinions on the topic through critical reflection. They then how to learn to go through the interview process. At the end of the cycle, they also develop their presentation skills regarding their performance and slide design. In this interactive workshop, the presenter will go through each stage of the research cycle, and participants will be able to share and discuss how they could adapt the activities to their context. They will also be able to see examples of students' work."

Speaker: James Underwood (Chuo University)

11:40 → 13:00 Lunch

13:00 → 14:00 Advocating for Transformative Change: Addressing Nativespeakerism, Social Justice, Diversity, and Equity in ELT

In this talk, I will address nativespeakerism, social justice, diversity, and equity issues in the ELT landscape of Japan and Southeast Asian countries. My talk will call upon ELT professionals to become advocates for transformative change. Highlighting the consequences of nativespeakerism, I will explore the need for allyship and solidarity within and beyond the classroom. I will also share my journey of activism to challenge discriminatory practices in ELT and DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) Committee’s efforts in making JALT a more equitable association for teachers as incoming chair of the DEI committee. Additionally, I'll touch upon how activism in ELT influenced my role as an art activist for Myanmar, emphasizing the interconnectedness of art and social justice efforts. In line with that, this talk will extend its focus on the importance of integrating social justice themes to foster socially conscious and empowered learners in inclusive ELT classrooms. I will also share practical strategies for promoting allyship and activism with the hope that it will empower educators to act in their institutions and communities and inspire their students and themselves to become citizens with a strong sense of civic agency. By collectively addressing these issues, I hope that this talk will further motivate participants to work towards a more just and equitable world.

Speaker: May Kyaw Oo

14:20 → 15:00 Enhancing Classroom Learning with Microsoft Teams: Exploring the Benefits of an Education LMS

There is a growing trend among educators and students to use various online tools and learning management systems (LMS) such as Google Workspace, Moodle, Canvas, and Blackboard. While many of them are popular and in use today, an LMS designed by Microsoft should not be overlooked. This presentation suggests that Microsoft Teams is helpful and simple for instructors to sign up for and deploy in the classroom without the need for additional assistance. Unlike other LMS platforms, Microsoft Teams will work "out-of-the-box", no additional plug-ins or modifications are required. Moreover, some of the popular software applications used include the Microsoft Office suite, which most companies use today; students can obtain real-time experience both in and outside the classroom. This presentation not only assists in understanding the digital learning platforms used in higher education that use Microsoft Teams as an LMS, but it also leads to necessary recommendations and suggestions for enhancing the usage of Microsoft Teams for Education for a better learning experience for both classroom and in the workplace.

Speaker: Phil Nguyen (JALT Niigata)

14:20 → 15:00 Teaching Environment and Professional Lives of EFL Instructors

The academic backgrounds of EFL instructors in Japanese higher education institutions (HEI) are diverse, unlike those in earlier formal educational institutions. In addition, not all Japanese HEI instructors have started their English teaching careers because of their interests or aspirations. This session will explore the professional lives of three Japanese EFL instructors (including the presenter) who became involved in English language teaching (ELT) without a TESOL qualification, such as a graduate degree or the completion of a relevant certificate programme, or some form of training in English language teaching. In so doing, I will first introduce two concepts that shape this study: 'Apprenticeship of Observation' (Lortie, 1975, 2002) and 'Community of Practice' (Wenger, 1998). This will then be followed by the narratives shared by the participants, collected through in-person semi-structured interviews. The three participants not only differ in the ways and reasons for how they chose or "ended up" in ELT but also in the path they took after their involvement. The focus will extend beyond the participants' personal journeys to their practices in the classrooms, experiences within the programme that they teach, their expectations, and the challenges they encountered. The discussion will also extend to how the difficulties they faced could be mitigated not just for them but could also apply to a wider population of EFL instructors, such as those with little experience teaching in institutional ELT programmes, albeit with relevant qualifications or training. This exploration will provide insights into the overall improvement in ELT in Japanese HEIs.

Speaker: Mizuka Tsukamoto (Ritsumeikan University)

14:20 → 15:00 Use of Machine Translation in English Education

This study explores the potential impact of machine translation (MT) on improving EFL students' writing abilities. Despite some teachers' reservations about MT usage, it can be a beneficial tool when employed appropriately. Yamamoto (2023) investigated whether EFL students' writing skills improved with the guidance of MT provided by their instructor. Findings suggested that lower-level students might benefit more from MT than higher-level students. This research aims to present results from more robust experiments involving a larger sample size with varying English proficiency levels. The study involved students initially writing a composition in English, revising it using MT, and then producing another piece on the same topic without MT after a week. The process was repeated with a different topic using a dictionary instead of MT as a control. Two external expert raters evaluated the blinded and randomized pre- and post-revision writings. Additionally, survey results from participants will be summarized, including their preferences, usage of MT and dictionaries, and the perceived impact of MT on their writing skills.

Speakers: Junko Yamamoto (Osaka Jogakuin University), Philip Head (Osaka Jogakuin University)

15:30 → 16:10 CLIL, EMI or Mandarin+? Taiwan's Path Towards a Bilingual Nation

Educational institutions in Taiwan, from tertiary to pre-school, are currently under immense pressure to reform their English programs in response to the government's "Bilingual Nation 2030" policy. Based on the survey of policy documents as well as voices and practices on the ground, this presentation argues that for a multilingual nation like Taiwan to consider turning itself "bilingual," the stakeholders must consider it pseudo-monolingual in the first place in spite of the government's celebration of its diverse linguistic heritage. This presentation then posits that this may be related to the fact that all officially mandated linguae francae through Taiwan's history have been external languages, and that English is no different in this respect. It goes on to point out that the discrepancies in the implementation of the policy: the main approaches include: Supplanting Mandarin with English as the medium of instruction (EMI); incorporating English language teaching into the content-based classes (CLIL); and maintaining the status quo except some low-stake interactions conducted in English as an auxiliary language (Mandarin+). The future direction of the policy will depend on the ebb and flow of the politics of Taiwan identity.

Speaker: Peter Iori Kobayashi (Niigata University of International and Information Studies)

15:30 → 16:10 Goal Complexes: The role of mastery goals and autonomous reasons for learning

Goal complexes (Sommet & Elliot, 2017) combine achievement goals (Elliot et al., 2011) with reasons for achievement (Ryan & Deci, 2000), and are important because of their relationship with others variables connected to successful L2 learning, such as motivation, grit, self-regulation, and growth mindsets. In short, goals are the what of classroom learning. Achievement goals might refer to mastery or performance orientations. Reasons for achievement may refer to autonomous or controlled reasons. Finally, goal complexes combine these goals and reasons for classroom achievement. An example of a goal complex is "My goal is to answer a lot of questions correctly on the test in this class because I find this a personally valuable goal". This research-oriented presentation is divided into three parts: a description of goal complexes, including their relationship with more familiar SLA-related variables; a report on a study (N = 164) partially replicating Sommet and Elliot which showed that mastery goals, autonomous reasons, and their related goal complexes predicted TOEIC L&R scores; and a call for shifting our learners' to mastery-orientations and growth mindsets.

Speaker: Jean-Pierre J. Richard (The University of Nagano)

16:20 → 16:30 Closing Remarks