Nara JALT Events 2013

Events Calendar 2013

Nara_Chapter_events_2013

There are still several exciting events to come this year! next years schedule is already looking exciting and packed!!

June 2013 Event: 40 acres and a Mule ４０エーカーとラバ：４０年間の教員生活を振り返って & 20 Tatamis and a Calpis

Bonnie Yoneda & Jim Swan will offer us a walk down memory lane as they recount their experiences as English educators in Japan. So all those who know Bonnie and Jim and all those who are interested in acquiring some wisdom from these sages please come along.

Presenters: Bonnie Yoneda and  James Swan

Date: Sunday 9th June

Time: 4:00pm – 5:30pm

Venue: Yumekaze hall (near Nara Park)

Cost: Free for JALT members, ¥500 for visitors

Presentation Details:

Bonnie Yoneda: originally from the Midwest United States, has been residing in the Kansai region for the past 40 years.
She has an M.A. in Applied Linguistics from the University of Kansas and has been teaching full-time at Osaka Shoin Women’s University for 38 years. She has also worked part-time at a number of universities in Osaka and Nara. Her field of interest is Fairy Tales and Storytelling.

40 Acres and a Mule
For those of you who know American history, perhaps you’ll recognise the above phrase and for those of you who don’t, why not join us in an afternoon journey into the story of one woman’s experiences teaching in Japan for the past 40 years. Learn about the changes that have taken place in the field and the role JALT played in her life.

Jim Swan: has lived in Japan for a bit shy of 40 years, too, and counts Bonnie as his very first friend when he and his family moved to the Kansai area. He will join Bonnie in encouraging the other JALT members to help us remember things. Jim’s active involvement with JALT began in 1981, back in the days when the only Kansai area chapter was Osaka. Fresh from grad school and having fallen into a teaching environment for which he was woefully unprepared, Jim high-tailed it into the big city for morale support at the first possible opportunity.

After six years in Tokyo as an exchange student and conversation school English teacher, Jim and family spent two years at the University of Hawaii, returning to Japan in 1981 with his MA in hand and a foot in the door at Osaka University of Economics and Law. Four years there were followed by seven years at Baika Womens College, and finally 20 years on the tenured faculty at Nara University, from which he retired in 2012.

So please come along for a day of reflection and insight and gain from the vast experience that these two veterans of the English teaching community in Japan can offer!

EASY, JAZZY PHONOLOGY for CHILDREN and HANAMI PARTY

Easy Jazzy Phonology for Children. Followed by Nara JALT’s annual hanami party in Nara Park.

Date and Time:  Sunday, 7 April 2013 – 10:15pm – 11:45pm

Speaker:  Mayuka Habbick

Mayuka Habbick is coming down to Nara to share with us her knowledge and ideas on Easy jazzy phonology for young learners.

This will be followed by our annual Hanami Party in Nara Park. Please bring family and friends (both to the event and the Hanami) and enjoy the beauty of spring. (BYO food and refreshments)

Easy Jazzy Phonology for Children
Followed by Hanami in Nara Park

Location:  Nara Chusho Kigyo Kaikan

Guide to Location:  Guide to Location

Fee. FREE

THE PRESENTATION. 

Phonological awareness is a vital issue for all English learners to acquire the four skills, listening, speaking, reading and writing.

It determines how well children will move on to reading and writing.

Phonological awareness is not related to the meaning of words, or to letters. 

It is the most important thing to teach, before teaching phonics.

In this presentation, Mayuka will talk about the importance of phonological awareness along with demonstrating activities to use in the classroom.

Chanting is one of the best ways to foster phonological awareness.

It’s fun and easy to make your own with your students.

 MAYUKA HABBICK

JJ Education organizer, EPIC (English Pronunciation Improvement Center) chief director, IGS 

(Institution for a Global Society) K-6 director and curriculum designer, GIFTED teacher and advisor, 

E for ju: director,

 LEGO Education certified trainer and educational concept developer.

Teacher and teacher trainer, workshop and seminar organizer and presenter for parents and teachers, and events for children.

Working together with Carolyn Graham for the last seven years, conducting teacher training sessions and children’s concerts.

World Storytelling Conference. KOBE.

Nara JALT is jointly sponsoring,  with many other chapters, including Kyoto, Kobe, Osaka, Himeji……the WORLD STORYTELLING CONFERENCE. Practically on our doorstep in KOBE, from Novemeber 30th ( Friday) to December 2nd ( Sunday).

Sign up now for workshops, there are limited places, so avoid disappointment. 5 Plenary speakers, and 45  presentations, not to be missed! AND there are no fees. Does it get any better? For full details please see the homepage, you can also find them on Facebook .Hope we see you there.

2012 Kansai JALT Year-end Event

This year the baton for hosting the Kansai JALT end-of-year event has been passed on to Kyoto Chapter and it is to be held in the informal surroundings of Tadg’s bar in downtown Kyoto. With a wide selection of food and drink available, as well as wonderful views of Gion and the eastern mountains, we’re looking forward to a great chance to watch an eclectic mix of informative and entertaining presentations, and meet up with old colleagues and new people from around the Kansai JALT community. Kyoto JALT is looking forward to welcoming you on December 15th! 

Call for presentations
Following previous events in Nishinomiya we welcome proposals for Pecha Kucha style presentations — 20 slides, 20 seconds per slide, giving a total of 6 minutes and 40 second per presentation. We hope to provide a wide variety of topics that include, but are not limited to, the following themes:
Teaching & learning
Personal & professional development
Classroom successes of 2012
Arts, culture & travel

Please send proposals to <jaltkyoto@gmail.com> by November 25th with the following information:
1) Name of presenter(s)
2) The title and a 150-word summary of your presentation

Access
Tadg’s is a short walk from Keihan Sanjo station, and about 10 minutes from Hankyu Kawaramachi station, so it is easily accessible from Kobe, Nara, and Osaka.
From Keihan Sanjo/Kyoto Subway Sanjo Station: Take Exit #7, walk across the bridge, take the the first right onto Kiyamachi Dori. Walk for about 100 metres, Tadg’s is on your right on the 8th floor of the Empire building.
From Hankyu Kawaramachi Station: Take Exit #1-north, walk north along Kiyamachi Dori for about 10 minutes, cross Sanjo Dori and continue for about 100 meters, Tadg’s is on your right on the 8th floor of the Empire building.

Details
Venue: Tadg’s, Empire Building 8th Floor, Kiyamachi Dori, Sanjo Agaru, Kyoto
Date: Saturday, December 15th, 2012
Time: 18:00 to 20:00 (although there is no need to leave the venue at this time!)
Cost: Free for all!

For the latest information please visit <kyotojalt.org>.

Report from Nara JALT Annual General Meeting 2012

The Nara Chapter AGM was attended by 10 people in total. The main topic on the agenda was the nominations for chapter officers. I regret to report that this year the chapter received zero nominations for chapter officers. This means that after the current JALT year ends at the end of the annual international JALT conference in Hamamatsu this October, the chapter will likely be unable to function as a full chapter.

If you have any questions, concerns, or you would like to help the chapter continue by volunteering as a chapter officer, please direct your correspondence to the chapter’s email address. It will be maintained at least until the end of the conference in October. 

Thank you for your concern.