2nd International TEFL Praxis Conference - Kiến Thức Cho Người lao Động Việt Nam

Nội Dung Chính

March 9-10, 2023

Location

Hybrid Conference: Kaiyu, Tosashimzu, Japan & Online via Zoom

Keynote Speaker

Ian Isemonger, Kumamoto University

Conference Fees

In-person two days (includes networking reception; *does not include accommodation): Members 20,000 / Non-members 25,000
Online two days (Zoom) Members 15,000 / Non-members 20,000
One-day only (In-person, Thursday, March 9 or Friday, March 10): Members: 8,000 / Non-members 10,000
One-day only (Online, Thursday, March 9 or Friday, March 10): Members: 8,000 / Non-members 10,000

Register for the conference

To register for the conference, please send an email to: [email protected]. Include your name & conference option from above. Payment instructions and invoice detail will be sent after registering via email.

Presentation Proposals

Accepting presentation proposals related to the following themes. Deadline for proposals is February 28, 2023. Please send proposals to: [email protected]. Include your name, title, abstract and bio.

Classroom-based TEFL research
Best practice pedagogical approaches/rationales
Researcher-practitioner collaboration in TEFL
Exploratory practice
Action research
Interpretive research
Technology in TEFL classrooms

Conference Program (all times JST)

Thursday, March 9

13:00-13:30: Welcome and Opening Address
Conference Chair: Aya Yamasaki, Kochi University of Technology

13:30-14:30: Plenary Lecture
Prof. Ian Isemonger (Kumamoto University, Japan)
Some excursive thoughts on education and emerging generative Chatbots

14:30-15:00: Research presentation
Paul Daniels (Kochi University of Technology, Japan)
Advancements in automated grammar scoring

15:00-15:30: Break

15:30-16:00: Research presentation
Ian Isemonger and Junya Hirano (Kumamoto University, Japan)
Adaptation of the online student connectedness survey for the Japanese population

16:00-16:30: Research presentation
Aya Yamasaki (Kochi University of Technology, Japan)
An approach to supporting autonomous English learners in a TOEIC class for non-English majors: A pilot study

16:30-17:00: Research presentation
Naomi Wilks-Smith and Li Ping Thong (RMIT University, Australia)
Using filmed storytelling as a vehicle for language and culture

18:30-20:00: Awards ceremony and reception

Friday, March 10

09:00-09:30: Research presentation
Gordon Bateson (Kochi University of Technology, Japan)
Comparing the automatic grading of student writing using ChatGPT, DeepL and the Essay (Auto-grade) plugin for Moodle

09:30-10:00: Research presentation
Dana Lingley (Doshisha University, Japan)
Teacher impartiality in choosing authentic materials

10:00-10:30: Research presentation
Sean Burgoine and Darren Lingley (Kochi University, Japan)
Sharing community stories through film: Transcription and translation for subtitles

10:30-11:00: Research presentation
Dorothy Daniels (Northeastern University, Boston, USA)
A lifelong learning journey in language teaching and research

11:00-12:00: Panel Discussion: ChatGPT: Implications for TEFL

12:00-13:00: Lunch

13:00-14:00: TEFL Praxis Journal Editorial Advisory Board Meeting

14:00-15:00: Executive Council Officer Reports

15:00-15:30: Executive Council Committee Steering Meeting

15:00-16:00: Annual General Meeting (AGM)

2nd International TEFL Praxis Conference Schedule with Abstracts

Thursday, March 9

13:00-13:30: Welcome and Opening Address
Conference Chair: Aya Yamasaki (Kochi University of Technology)

13:30-14:30: Plenary Lecture
Prof. Ian Isemonger (Kumamoto University)
Some excursive thoughts on education and emerging generative chatbots

14:30-15:00: Research presentation
Paul Daniels (Kochi University of Technology, Japan)
Advancements in automated grammar scoring
Automated grammar scoring can be effective in EFL environments where language tasks are structured in a clear and formulaic manner. Researchers have found that with structured tasks, automated scoring can be as reliable and consistent as human raters. However, automated grammar scoring is limited when it comes to language tasks that are more creative or exploratory in nature. Automated scoring can also struggle with effectivity evaluating more advanced aspects of language such as the flow of ideas, coherence. Overall, automated grammar scoring can be a useful to evaluate standardized language tasks with non-native speakers, particularly with shorter structured tasks. This presentation will discuss how a web service called Deepl.com can assist with scoring grammar of EFL language tasks that tend to be shorter and more structured compared to higher-level language tasks for native writers. Deepl.com is typically used as a translation tool but can be repurposed to generate a model L2 sample. The Deepl.com model can be compared to the learner sample in order to generate a score via a script that searches for the differences between the model and the student sample. In addition to identifying grammatical differences, the script can also automatically score language tasks based on word length, average sentence length, and vocabulary level. The presenter will demonstrate how this tool can be effectively implemented into a language learning curriculum.

Paul Daniels is a Professor of English at Kochi University of Technology in Kochi, Japan. He is currently on the Editorial Board of international journals such the CALL Journal, the JALTCALL Journal, and TEFL Praxis Journal. He has published extensively in language learning and technology. His research focuses on project-based learning and CALL.

15:00-15:30: Break

15:30-16:00: Research presentation
Ian Isemonger and Junya Hirano (Kumamoto University, Japan)
Adaptation of the online student connectedness survey for the Japanese population
It is increasingly recognized that an important part of learning in the classroom is peer-to-peer learning (or social learning), and that the teacher (expert) to student (novice) relationship is not the only learning axis. Working in pairs and small groups supports such social learning, and associated research has emerged. Central among the factors influencing such social learning is that peer bonds need to be formed (connectedness) so that learners feel comfortable expressing themselves. The issue of student connectedness is obviously more challenging in the online setting than in the face-to-face setting. If the issue of connectedness in the online setting is to be researched, instrumentation is necessary. One contribution which has come in this area is the Online Student Connectedness Survey (Bolliger & Inan, 2012), but this instrument has yet to be translated and adapted for the Japanese population. This presentation covers research work focused on addressing this requirement.

Ian Isemonger is a Professor at Kumamoto University and teaches in the Department of Communication and Information Studies. He also teaches in the Graduate School of Social and Cultural Sciences.

Junya Hirano is a Professor at Kumamoto University and teaches in the Department of Communication and Information Studies. He also teaches in the Graduate School of Social and Cultural Sciences.

16:00-16:30: Research presentation
Aya Yamasaki (Kochi University of Technology, Japan)
An approach to supporting autonomous English learners in a TOEIC class for non-English majors: A pilot study
Because of the limited time for studying English at a technological university, non-English major students are required to study English autonomously. Therefore, it is essential to teach specific learning methods in class so that students can work independently and create an environment where they can study outside of class. In this study, we introduced learning methods, learning support systems (Moodle and StudyPlus), and a vocabulary learning application (Quizlet) in a TOEIC class for non-English majors and examined their effects on the subjects’ English learning. We compared pre-and post-TOEIC scores taken before and after the semester. The results showed significant differences in listening and reading scores and the percentage of correct answers for vocabulary. The results of a questionnaire administered after the class indicated that the students learned how to study in class, Quizlet was useful for vocabulary learning, and the students’ increased motivation to study English.

Aya Yamasaki is a lecturer at Kochi University of Technology in Japan. She has a MA in TESOL. Her research interests include Computer/Mobile-Assisted Language Learning, learners’ motivation, and learner development.

16:30-17:00: Research presentation
Naomi Wilks-Smith and Li Ping Thong (RMIT University, Australia)
Using filmed storytelling as a vehicle for language and culture
The presentation will share one aspect of a research grant project that has involved an international collaboration focussing on the sharing of language and culture through the medium of filmed storytelling by school students. The presentation will focus on students from the remote indigenous community of Garrthalala in the Northern Territory of Australia and their sharing of a community story through filmed storytelling. Community home language use and culture, and the learning of English as an additional language will be discussed. The use of filmed storytelling as both a vehicle for the sharing of language and culture and for learning about other languages and cultures will be explored.

Naomi Wilks-Smith is a lecturer in the School of Education at RMIT University in Melbourne Australia. She is an experienced educator and researcher whose work focuses on Languages and TESOL education. Naomi is committed to the integrated scholarship of research and education practice and her work includes industry partners in schools as well as cross-School, external and international collaborations. She has received awards and grants for her work.

As a Digital Media designer and Senior Lecturer, Dr Li Ping Thong has vast experience practicing, teaching and researching in a myriad range of digital media specialisations, including 2D/3D animation, interactive media, app development, motion design, digital illustration, serious games, Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR). Dr Li Ping Thong was the Program Manager of the RMIT Bachelor of Design (Digital Media) program from 2018-2020 and led a dynamic team of academic staff in the future-focused delivery of one of the most successful digital media undergraduate degrees in Australia. An experienced design practitioner in the industry, she is also an experienced educator, having over 16 years of internationalised higher education teaching experience across Malaysia, Vietnam and Australia.

18:30-20:00: Awards ceremony and reception

Friday, March 10

09:00-09:30: Research presentation
Gordon Bateson (Kochi University of Technology, Japan)
Comparing the automatic grading of student writing using ChatGPT, DeepL and the Essay (Auto-grade) plugin for Moodle
While tools to assist the input, correction, dictation and translation of text have gained common use in recent years, the last 6 months has seen the emergence of two AI tools in particular that look set to revolutionize language teaching. Specifically, the multi-language translation technology at DeepL.com, and the text generation technology known as “ChatGPT” are both awesomely useful and terrifyingly realistic in the results they can produce. In this presentation, we will examine the feedback that student writers can get from these tools, and the automated scoring that is possible.

Gordon Bateson was born, raised and educated in the UK but has lived and worked in Japan since 1990. He researches the use of computers to assist language teaching and learning, and develops methodologies and software to help his students get the most from the Moodle learning management system (LMS).

09:30-10:00: Research presentation
Dana Lingley (Doshisha University, Japan)
Teacher impartiality in choosing authentic materials
Choosing and implementing appropriate and balanced materials that allow students to form opinions independently is one of the main tasks facing EFL instructors engaged in content-based instruction. A learning environment where students can analyze and evaluate information from varying sources should lead to increased critical thinking abilities and higher levels of learner engagement. This talk outlines how the presenter approaches choosing and delivering authentic materials based on international issues and the role of teacher impartiality in the process.

Dana Lingley teaches at Doshisha University in Kyoto, Japan.

10:00-10:30: Research presentation
Sean Burgoine and Darren Lingley (Kochi University)
Sharing community stories through film: Transcription and translation for subtitles
In this presentation, we will share preliminary findings from our experience in working at the school and community level to work with students to film their performance of an annual traditional dance in the rural mountain village of Kagami in Kochi, Japan. This international project, Community Banashi: Stories of Place from Australia and Japan, is dedicated to sharing language and culture through films. Collaborative international projects like ours face constraints on multiple levels in aligning language learning needs, access to school and community resources, and institutional restraints on project funding that limit the creativity and flexibility required of projects that blend art, culture, language, and technology. Against the background of these ongoing challenges, we will touch specifically on how the challenging transcription and translation process works with respect to the technique of subtitling the films with the help of EFL and JFL university students to make language and culture accessible.

Sean Burgoine is a Lecturer in Applied Linguistics in the International Studies Course at Kochi University, Japan. His research interests include Pedagogic Phonetics and Phonology, World Englishes, and the use of English as a Lingua Franca.

Darren Lingley is Professor of Intercultural Communication in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Kochi University, Japan. His research explores the concept of ‘authenticity’ in ELT, and how language teachers pedagogically mediate authentic texts and materials. Primary research interests include analysis of spoken language and intercultural pragmatics.

10:30-11:00: Research presentation
Dorothy Daniels (Northeastern University, Boston, USA)
A lifelong learning journey in language teaching and research
This presentation will explore a lifelong learning journey in language teaching and research. The researcher will touch upon her educational career and post-career research and give an overview of her doctorate research. She will also justify how lifelong learning can help to stay connected, enhance self-esteem and avoid cognitive and memory decline.

Dorothy Daniels is a life-long educator and learner, and most recently has completed her doctorate degree (EdD) from Northeastern University at the age of 79.