JALT West Tokyo, JALT Vocabulary SIG, and Oxford University Press

are pleased to present…

A day of lexical intrigue and discovery…

Spreading the Good Word: Introducing the Vocabulary SIG.

Date: Saturday, May 19, 2012 Time: 10:30 am - 5:15 pm Speakers: Charles Browne, Rory Rosszell, Jeffrey Stewart, Charles J. Anderson, & Rob

Waring. Fee: JALT members, Vocabulary SIG members and TKU faculty: Free!

Non-members/one-day members: ¥1000 #You can join or renew your memberships at the event!

Venue: Tokyo Keizai University, 中会議室５(chu-kaigishitsu 5), 2nd floor, Building 6 See “More Info” link below for online video of simple 12min walk to TKU from station.

Registration : You may pre-register by contacting Andy Boon <andrew.boon@tyg.jp> More Info: <http://jwt.homestead.com/home.html> Contact: <www.westtokyojalt-owner@yahoogroups.com>, or 070-5572-2882 on the day JALT's West Tokyo Chapter, Vocabulary SIG and Oxford University Press are pleased to present an interesting series of presentations by a diverse range of speakers, all of whom represent excellence in the field of vocabulary education for EFL learners in Japan. This is a great opportunity for all ELT professionals who seek to expand their knowledge and gain useful insights which may well assist them with their teaching practice in the English language classroom. All are welcome!

 

Spreading the Good Word…Introducing the Vocabulary SIG

Tokyo Keizai University, 中会議室５(chu-kaigishitsu 5), 2nd floor, Building 6

…Program… 10:30 ► Doors Open 10:45-11:00 ► Introduction to the Vocabulary SIG – Mark Howarth 11:00-11:45 ► Embracing the Vocabulary Challenge in Comprehending Authentic Video Charles Browne, Meiji Gakuin University Although there are now many online resources for accessing authentic video in and out of the classroom, this presentation argues that the gap between the average vocabulary size of typical EFL language learners and the amount of vocabulary needed to comprehend those videos is usually quite daunting. In this session, the presenter will begin by developing the argument for the importance of teaching high frequency vocabulary, citing some of his background research on the serious vocabulary gaps that face EFL learners in Asia. After a discussion of the differences between high frequency vocabulary needed for proficiency in reading and that for listening, he will then describe the theoretical underpinnings of several online scaffolding tools he helped to develop for assisting students to be able to better comprehend unsimplified videos (as well as many freeware and shareware equivalents). Participants will also be introduced to an approach for rating the difficulty of videos by their vocabulary content and simple techniques for developing targeted special purpose vocabulary lists based on corpus research of the transcripts of the video. 12:00-12:45 ► Using  Word  Engine  to  boost  learners’  vocabulary  knowledge  Rory Rosszell, Meiji University Word  Engine   is   an   on-­‐line,   fee-­‐based   vocabulary   study  program   that   incorporates   spaced   repetition  and   allows   learners   to   target   various   kinds   of   vocabulary.   After   introducing   the   program   and  demonstrating  a  number  of  its  features,  I  will  provide  a  description  of  how  its  use  has  been  integrated  into  a  number  of  my  classes  over  the  past  couple  of  years.  Descriptive  and  questionnaire-­‐based  data  will  then  be  introduced  to  provide  a  more  detailed  picture  of  my  students  use  and  perceptions  of  the  program,  and  finally,  the  session  will  round  up  with  an  opportunity  to  ask  (further)  questions.     1:00-2:00 ► Lunch – food and drink courtesy of OUP.

2:00-2:45 ► Creating vocabulary word lists using yes/no checklists Jeffrey Stewart, Kyushu Sangyo University, Swansea University Word lists used in ESL curricula are often organized by word frequency, as this is a strong predictor of their occurrence in text. However, while frequency lists can indicate which words are most important for students to learn, they tell us less about which words students already know. By identifying gaps in students’ knowledge of frequent words, we can create more effective and succinct wordlists. Using a case study involving 2000 learners and checklist tests of 900 words, the presenter will detail how educators can collect, compile and analyze checklist data of their students’ word knowledge. Topics addressed will include scanners, OMR software, and equating estimates of word difficulty under Item Response Theory. Finally, using data collected in the case study, major contributors to word difficulty for Japanese learners will be examined using a logistic regression analysis. 3:00-3:45 ► Utilizing pictures for formative vocabulary instruction Charles J. Anderson, Kyushu Sangyo University This presentation’s intention is twofold. First, it will theoretically justify, then outline, a relatively uncommon but effective way to assist students in acquiring vocabulary knowledge. Second, it will situate this teaching approach within a larger, more important reconceptualization of feedback practice. Drawing on recent research in psychology, neurobiology and language acquisition, this paper will argue that drawing pictures, in conjunction with appropriate feedback, may be the most effective way to encourage logographically literate students to establish a strong initial L1-L2 association for core English vocabulary that can then be elaborated upon. While this research is still largely theoretical, preliminary findings from a large scale ecologically valid, longitudinal study indicate it to be effective in promoting vocabulary acquisition. 4:00-4:45 ► A framework for selecting appropriate online vocabulary learning environments Dr. Rob Waring, Notre Dame Seishin University

This talk will first present an overall view of the vocabulary needs of learners - receptive and productive as well as language focused and fluency-focused activities. We will then examine many of the online resources that can fit this framework from decontextual memorization environments such as Anki, iknow or Quizlet to the more integrated environments such as EnglishCentral and graded reading online. The participants will then be tasked to deciding which ones would best fit their needs. 5:00-5:15 ► Book draw by OUP / Closing remarks

Hope to see you there! J