JALT International 2012

We have a bumper programme lined up this year! To whet your whistle, have a look at this list:

  • Saturday Oct 13 13:20--14:20 MW Featured Speaker: John Wiltshier talk: ELT publishing and youWhy do it - love or money? How to get started? What dangers should I be aware of? These questions together with an outline of the overall process will be addressed in a straight-talking manner from the presenter's personal experience. The presentation will be informative, aiming to save you time and energy from doing things the wrong way. Interaction welcome throughout, with the final 15 minutes set aside for specific questions from the floor.
  • Saturday Oct 13 17:35--19:05 MW Panel Session: Forum: Writing for the Japanese market
    Speakers; Greg Goodmacher, Diane Hawley-Nagatomo, Kevin Cleary, Clive Langham, Don Maybin, will discuss Writing for the Japanese market as this introduces a different set of variables than writing for an international audience. In this forum, four expert and experienced speakers discuss audience-generated topics related to these variables. The forum ends with a quick-fire Q&A. If you have ever thought of publishing a textbook in Japan, this is the ideal chance to have your questions answered.
  • Sunday Oct 14 15:45--17:15 MW Featured Speaker: John Wiltshier workshop: Materials Writing: Seven Key Factors
    John will first explain 7 key factors in successful material writing and publishing: idea, difficulty level, piloting, editing, sign-posting, design and sales. Participants will be shown the importance of each by examining a variety of draft copies of currently published course books. Participants will learn what to focus on and when and will be able to discuss material using the 7 key factors explained at the beginning of the workshop.

Besides these key events, there will be dozens of materials-related presentations for our edification.

Materials Related JALT Chapter Event

Thoughts on ELT Materials Development

Shizuoka Chapter

Date and Time:  Sunday, 26 February 2012 - 2:00pm - 4:00pm

Speaker:  Marcos Benevides

Marcos will outline his how his experience as an ESL learner influenced his approach to teaching, and in turn how both continue to inform his work as a writer of ELT materials. This presentation will be of interest to most teachers at any level, but especially to those who want to explore some of the complex connections between learners, teachers, and coursebooks.

Bio: Marcos co-authored Widgets: A task-based course in practical English (Pearson, 2008) and Fiction in Action: Whodunit (Abax, 2010). He is currently series editor for the upcoming Choose Your Own Adventure graded reader series (McGraw-Hill, 2012). He has received the Duke of Edinburgh English Book Award and the British Council International Award for Innovation, both for Whodunit. It was the first time that a coursebook written in Japan has won either award, and the second time in history that one book has won both. He currently lives in Tokyo and teaches at J.F. Oberlin University.

Location:  Kyoiku Kaikan (B1)
Guide to Location:  Link to meeting location
Fee for JALT members:  Free
Fee for one-day members:  1,000 yen