Learner Development SIG Community Activities 2012
Updated 18 May 2012
Local area get-togethers
In 2012, local get-togethers (where LD SIG members get together to discuss their learning, teaching and researching practices and interests) will continue taking place in Tokyo, as well as take off in Hiroshima, Nagoya and the Kansai area.
Hiroshima get-togethers:
In Hiroshima, we’re continuing to meet at the monthly Learner Development get-togethers in the Ryugakusei Kaikan near Hiroshima station, a place that offers classrooms for use free for groups such as ours - international, educational, non-profit... I'm tempted to tell them that the dozen or so people who have joined us over the past few months profit in various ways, but then we might have to pay for the facilities! We are a fairly mixed bunch of people - teachers from kindergarten to university have joined the get-togethers, teachers of Japanese as well as English, brand new teachers and not so new teachers, one learning adviser, and one model autonomous learner (Akiko Awa, LD SIG membership awardee) who reminds what we're meeting for.
We continue to combine a focus on learner development with one on teacher development, and are variously reading through and reporting on three books: the Japanese and English versions of Learner Autonomy: Mapping the Terrain, Leni Dam's Learner Autonomy, and Thomas Farrell's Reflective Language Teaching: From Research to Practice.
We have been meeting on Friday evenings, followed by a meal together for whoever is free. Recently, now classes have started again, some of us have trouble meeting on Friday evening and we are considering other options, such as meeting on Saturdays or having more online interaction. Please get in touch if you would like to join us.
Kansai get-togethers:
Advance notice for your diaries! The next LD SIG Kansai get-together will be on the 28th July at Konan Women's University, 2-5pm. We are also hoping to have a social event in the evening. This will be a chance to reflect not only on a busy semester but also a lot of great events that will have taken place by then. We will also start looking forward to an equally busy autumn.
Nagoya get-togethers: Next meeting coming soon
Tokyo get-togethers:
Next meetings May 20 & June 24, 2012Please join us if you can!
We hope that many SIG members will be able to take part in these different local SIG meetings. For more information, contact the local area get-together coordinator(s) nearest to you. For contact details please see the officers page.
- Hiroshima: Jim Ronald
- Kansai: Ellen Head, Phil Brown, Steve Brown, and Richard Silver
- Nagoya: Darren Elliott
- Tokyo: Andy Barfield, Rachelle Jorgenson, and Stacey Vye
Background to the local area get-togethers
In the 1990s when the Learner Development SIG started out, we tried to do things a little differently by holding small meetings, without a presenter, where people could talk with each other directly about their interests. Since JALT2006, members of the Learner Development SIG across Japan have been re-connecting with this original combination of learner and teacher development. Different local groups have been getting together to talk about learner and teacher development issues of central concern to those taking part.
Reflections from previous local area get-togethers
- 13 September 2009 Greater Tokyo Get-Together Reflections -- Particpants' reflections on "Using Narratives in Second Language Research"
- 14 September 2008 Greater Tokyo Get-Together Reflections -- Particpants' reflections from the September 2008 gathering, scaffolding, part two.
- 13 July 2008 Greater Tokyo Get-Together Reflections -- Particpants' reflections from the summer 2008 gathering focused on scaffolding.
- 13 January 2008 Greater Tokyo Get-Together Reflections -- Partipants' reflections on this year's first Tokyo get-together.
- Third Tokyo Local Gathering Report -- This story from the 13 May (2007) local get-together in Tokyo includes reflections from participants.
- Second Tokyo Local Gathering Report -- This story from the second local get-together in Tokyo includes reflections from participants.