LD SIG: 2016 Kansai Get Together #2 Report
Meeting held January 17th, 2016, 10:30 – 12:30
In attendance: Richard Silver, Ann Flanagan, Gretchen Clark, Mary Hillis, Jennifer Teeter, Katherine Thornton, Chris Fitzgerald and Anita Aden

Kansai Get-together #2 Photo, 17 January 2016
Following introductions of names and workplaces, the 2nd Kansai Get Together attendees engaged in an interactive discussion about topics of research interest, which lasted almost 2 hours. Throughout the discussion, there were two threads that surfaced many times: writing and CEFR.
Among the ideas shared, some of the topics discussed were:
Self access learning centres and self-directed journals: these resources help students to choose a specific language focus and receive a checklist of ‘can do’ statements, based on the CEFR A1 – C2 levels. These ‘can do’ checklists can be used as self-assessment guides by students and / or as feedback assessment from teachers.
Going forward, we decided to bring some writing materials for sharing and discussion in the next get-together. The possibility of holding a Kansai student-teacher event in the future was discussed.
Kansai Get Together #3 is scheduled for February 14th at 10:30 at Hito Machi Koryukan Community Centre in Kyoto.
Please download the LD-SIG-Kansai-GT-Flyer 3 to share with colleagues.
Links to tech tools and main topics discussed:
A. Microsoft Word: is now available as an app.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/microsoft-word/id586447913?mt=8
B. Simple English Wikipedia:
https://simple.wikipedia.org
C. Paul Raine: Wikicloze article: http://jalt-publications.org/tlt/departments/tlt-wired/articles/3859-wikicloze-web-based-tool-creating-interactive-cloze-tests-si
D. Turn It In :
http://turnitin.com/
E. Periscope:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/periscope/id972909677?mt=8
F. Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)
http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/linguistic/cadre1_en.asp
G. FLP-Portfolio SIG sponsored event
CEFR conference held in Osaka on March 26-27 at Osaka University – Nakanoshima Centre.
https://sites.google.com/site/flpsig/critical-constructive-assessment-of-cefr/criconcefiii-march-2016
Anita’s notes of attendees’ comments:
- Currently, Hiroshima Bunkyo Women’s University connects all English classes to the CEFR (and/ or the CEFR –J) standards.
- Checklist of skills for paragraph writing with the CEFR are used and students’ skills being assessed and built upon throughout the course.
- Recommendation from Ann for Ritsumeikan Sr high school: Combine EAP and ESP classes
- Format structure activities of peer editing for lower level students
- Teach the use of direct statements for positive peer feedback and indirect statements for correcting mistakes.
- Business ‘can do’ statements are used to write detailed goals and follow up assessments.
- Kansai Gaidai’s writing centre holds 40 minute sessions with tutors (international exchange students) – students must choose a card that clearly identifies the topic area for the tutor session: grammar, structure, vocabulary, etc.
- CEFR benchmarks and checklists are made to help students in their self-assessment and to more accurately evaluate their current level of ability.