2023 JALT Study Abroad SIG Conference
November 4th, 2023 - Takachiho University, Tokyo
November 4th, 2023 - Takachiho University, Tokyo
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Main Room (1401)
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Room 2 (1404)
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Room 3 (1405)
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Room 4 (1305)
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08:30-09:00 Arrival
09:00-09:15 Opening Remarks
09:15-10:00 Keynote Address: Exploring the Changing Landscape of Study Abroad
Simon Humphries, PhD - Kansai University
Simon Humphries, PhD - Kansai University
In line with the theme of this conference, Changing Trends in Study Abroad - The Past, The Present, And The Future, Simon will draw upon his experience—and feedback from students, colleagues and partner universities—to explore the changing landscape of study abroad by answering the following questions:
1. How have the pandemic and changing economic climate impacted SA programmes?
2. How can we improve students’ experiences before, during and after SA?
3. What are the future opportunities and challenges?
1. How have the pandemic and changing economic climate impacted SA programmes?
2. How can we improve students’ experiences before, during and after SA?
3. What are the future opportunities and challenges?
10:00-10:45 Panel discussion
Join us for an informal panel discussion about studying abroad. Our panelists will share insights from their experiences, discussing the impact and lessons learned during their time overseas. This session is not only an opportunity to hear from those who've been there but also a platform to share ideas and ask questions about international study. We invite you to participate and benefit from the collective wisdom and experiences shared.
10:45-11:00 Break
11:00-11:40 Research and Practice in Overseas Studies Program
Cecilia Ikeguchi - ISS, Gakushuin University
Cecilia Ikeguchi - ISS, Gakushuin University
Study abroad is not new (Lee, 20122), but research in study abroad is a relatively new field (Richmond, 2020). Increase in overseas study programs has drawn significant scholarly attention and has been widely discussed in both theoretical and practical research. There is a need to update and make a systematic critical appraisal of research methods to point towards appropriate directions.
This paper reviews selected articles and resources in order to help fuel ideas and inform approaches to running international programs. It also examines how actors involved in SA programs: sending institution, host institution, national policies and students, can better help students blend academic content with personal experience. The overall goal is to allow theories to meet with the realities and lean towards practical and reflective aspects before, during and after the program. After all, John Dewey reminds us “We do not learn from experience… we learn from reflecting on experience."
This paper reviews selected articles and resources in order to help fuel ideas and inform approaches to running international programs. It also examines how actors involved in SA programs: sending institution, host institution, national policies and students, can better help students blend academic content with personal experience. The overall goal is to allow theories to meet with the realities and lean towards practical and reflective aspects before, during and after the program. After all, John Dewey reminds us “We do not learn from experience… we learn from reflecting on experience."
11:45-12:25 The Pros, Procedures and Processes of The Journal of Worldwide Education
Robert Dilenschneider - Jichi Medical University
Robert Dilenschneider - Jichi Medical University
Publishing in The Journal of Worldwide Education is an opportunity for educators to both share information about study abroad issues and to enhance their professional academic background. Unfortunately, although the data within studies may be sound, sometimes submissions have been rejected because they were not formatted or written well. Therefore, based on the experience as the former Publications Chair, editor and reviewer for the Study Abroad Special Interest Group, this presentation will discuss three points. First, it will discuss the pros or benefits of submitting to the journal for professional development. Second, this presentation will discuss the different procedures or formats to use when writing studies, reports, book reviews and interviews. Last, the presentation will reveal the typical processes of reviewing and editing that submissions undergo. At the conclusion of the presentation, attendees will have a solid understanding of how to prepare submissions for The Journal of Worldwide Education.
12:30-13:30 Lunch (list of options)
12:30-14:00 Student Poster Session
In this session, students will showcase posters detailing their study abroad experiences. This offers an excellent opportunity for them to practice their English and share their insights. We encourage everyone to engage by asking plenty of questions!
14:00-14:40 The Transformative Effects of SA on Students' Capacity to Speak
Simon Humphries - Kansai University
Simon Humphries - Kansai University
In Japan, students often remain silent during English classes (King, 2014). Studying abroad can provide a natural intervention as learners are exposed to different values (Deng & Peng, 2021). To understand the impact of any intervention, we need to explore prior learning experiences and the lasting effects. Using retrospective timeline graphs (Falout, 2016), focused essay journals (MacIntyre et al., 2011), and exploratory interviews, the presenter investigated fluctuations in the capacity to speak (CTS; Humphries et al., 2020) of four undergraduate English majors. Results indicated that the participants had low CTS before SA as they feared making errors or expressing opinions. During SA, their CTS increased with other nationalities who shared their interests. The presenter will discuss the implications for education providers who want to help students prepare for studying abroad, integrate during the sojourn, and use practical English after they return.
14:45-15:25 A Synthesised Approach to Pre- and Post Study Abroad Second Language Proficiency Assessment
Michael Sharpe - Kochi National University
Michael Sharpe - Kochi National University
The challenges and pitfalls of assessing the linguistic outcomes of overseas language study programs will be familiar to those involved in SA program planning and administration at Japanese schools. The presenter will discuss these issues with reference to personal context, and describe a synthesised approach to pre- and post study abroad second language proficiency assessment that is being developed in response. This approach utilises three assessment protocols to measure a) student’s self-perception of their language proficiency b) their language knowledge c) their pragmatic (spoken) language skills. The approach as been trialled with two groups of students embarking on a short-term SA courses in Australia, Canada, Malaysia, New Zealand, the U.K, and U.S during the spring and summer recesses of 2023. The results of these trials will be discussed.
15:30-16:10 Post-Study Abroad Intercultural Development: Making Up for Missed Opportunities
Todd Allen - Kansai University
Todd Allen - Kansai University
Studying abroad (SA) offers a unique opportunity to develop interpersonal, linguistic and intercultural communication (IC) skills. However, the significance of IC skills often goes unaddressed during and after the SA experience. Thus, this study examines (1) Japanese students’ IC experiences during a one-year SA and (2) their perceptions of post-SA IC development through several experiential activities (e.g., situational judgement tests and linguistic landscape projects). The results show that students often do not complete explicit IC activities during their sojourn. Subsequently, many students enrol in IC post-SA to better understand and integrate their SA experiences. Moreover, students appreciate the value of reflecting on their experiences post-SA when completing formal experiential activities in an IC class. Overall, this study underscores two critical insights: the need for explicit IC education during SA programs and the frequent use of post-SA activities to compensate for missed opportunities.
16:10-16:20 Break
16:20-17:10 AGM
19:00-21:00 Social event (in Shibuya)
08:30-11:00 Room not in use (see sessions in the Main Room)
11:00-11:40 Academic Discourse Socialization on a Postgraduate Preparation Course
Richard Arber - Tokyo University of Foreign Studies/Meiji University
Richard Arber - Tokyo University of Foreign Studies/Meiji University
Postgraduate study abroad can create a number of challenges for L2 students. The dominance of English as the language of 'research' means that international students must quickly adapt to the established rhetorical ideologies and discourse practices of their chosen field. This presentation analyses the reflections of 10 students, collected during two focus group discussions, who have recently completed their pre-masters training. This cohort attended courses in research methods and an EAP program aimed at helping them produce a dissertation of independent research in preparation for postgraduate study in the UK. Discussion themes covered participant attitudes towards academic conventions, personal writing practices, perception of native-language, understanding genre, and cultural tolerance. By looking at how academic language has been conceptualised and internalised by learner-researchers, this study seeks to share how students understand the culturally values embedded in this learning experience.
11:45-12:25 Presentation cancelled - room not in use
Presentation cancelled - room not in use
12:30-13:30 Lunch (list of options)
12:30-14:00 Student Poster Session (see Main Room)
14:00-14:40 海外留学における期待・不安要素について〜大学生に対する事前事後の調査から〜
Masaichi Uchida, Ayami Kato, & Lauren Landsberry - Okagakuen University
Masaichi Uchida, Ayami Kato, & Lauren Landsberry - Okagakuen University
本発表は、日本人大学生の約1年間の海外留学経験につて、アンケートを基に考察する。この留学は、語学研修と保育士資格を取得する専門留学で構成されている。留学前後で使用したアンケート項目は、留学への期待と不安、語学・専門以外に得たこと等である。また、留学に対する満足度と英語力との関係についても取り上げ、英語力が満足度に関わるかという点について検討する。これにより、さらなる効果的な留学支援システムを構築する一助になると考える。
*This presentation will be conducted in Japanese.
*This presentation will be conducted in Japanese.
14:45-15:25 Priming Our Students for Successful Learning in SA
Stephen M. Ryan - Sanyo Gakuen University
Stephen M. Ryan - Sanyo Gakuen University
We have known for a long time (Allport, 1954) that just being there is not enough and research evidence (Vande Berg et al., 2012) to this effect continues to accumulate. Without the correct preparation, contact with a target culture is as likely as not to result in negative impressions and reinforced stereotypes. If students are to learn from and grow through everyday encounters at their SA destination, they must be equipped with skills, attitudes, and tasks that prime them for success.
The presenter will first explain why learning from everyday encounters, rather than foreign language proficiency or subject-matter mastery should be the main focus of SA. He will then outline a series of pre-departure activities, in-country tasks, and post-experience reflections. These are designed to nurture a spirit of inquiry in the students, equip them to explore their new cultural environment, and support them in forming and testing hypotheses about it.
The presenter will first explain why learning from everyday encounters, rather than foreign language proficiency or subject-matter mastery should be the main focus of SA. He will then outline a series of pre-departure activities, in-country tasks, and post-experience reflections. These are designed to nurture a spirit of inquiry in the students, equip them to explore their new cultural environment, and support them in forming and testing hypotheses about it.
15:30-16:10 Enhancing International Mindset: The Crucial Role of High-Quality Input & Output in Educational Settings
Hiroyuki Obari - Aoyama Gakuin University
Hiroyuki Obari - Aoyama Gakuin University
Uncovering shared commonalities among students from varied backgrounds is vital for cultivating global citizens who espouse mutual respect and understanding for all. Deeply comprehending ontology and worldviews is foundational in nurturing a global mindset. In my pedagogical approach, I conscientiously integrate diverse worldviews while fostering heightened cross-cultural sensitivity. This educational method entails inviting foreign speakers, inclusive of native English speakers affiliated with Campus Crusade for Christ (located in Japan), to share their distinctive faith and perspectives, thereby offering students a tapestry of cultural and philosophical insights. Through a committed 30-week instructional period, students markedly enhance their English proficiency and presentation capabilities. More crucially, they develop a broadened international mindset, exhibiting a newfound openness and reverence towards a spectrum of worldviews and cultural nuances. This strategic educational initiative plays an indispensable role in equipping students with the requisite skills and empathy to effectively navigate and contribute positively to our intricately multicultural and interconnected global tapestry.
16:10-16:20 Break
16:20-17:10 AGM (in the Main Room)
19:00-21:00 Social event (in Shibuya)
08:30-11:00 Room not in use (see sessions in the Main Room)
11:00-11:40 短期語学研修を通じた学生の異文化コミュニケーション上の成長について
Takamasa Yamada - Aichi Gakuin University
Takamasa Yamada - Aichi Gakuin University
愛知学院大学文学部グローバル英語学科では、毎年、2年生を対象とし、西オーストラリア大学（University of Western Australia）主催による短期語学研修（夏季休暇中）への参加を義務付けている。筆者は、本年度8月に引率者として、本研修に参加し、3週間の研修期間中、かなり近い所で学生を観察することができた。本発表では、プログラム内容及び学生による事後評価を紹介した後、現地学生との交流を通じて、本学学生がどのような異文化コミュニケーション上の気付きや成長を得たのかについて論ずる。
*This presentation will be conducted in Japanese.
*This presentation will be conducted in Japanese.
11:45-12:25 英語圏留学による日本の大学生の英語学習への動機、学習プロセスの変化
Yuko Ueno - Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts
Yuko Ueno - Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts
本研究は英語圏留学によって英語学習への動機、学習プロセスがどのように変化するのかを調査する。約１年間の留学プログラムに参加した日本の女子大学生34名を対象に質問紙とインタビューを併用した研究方法を用いて留学前後で調査を実施した。結果、学生は留学中に動機や目標をもって能動的な学習を制御する傾向にあり、留学は内発的動機付けを高め、自己調整学習を助長させる効果があることが示された。
*This presentation will be conducted in Japanese.
*This presentation will be conducted in Japanese.
12:30-13:30 Lunch (list of options)
12:30-14:00 Student Poster Session (see Main Room)
14:00-14:40 Task Difficulty in Short-Term Study Abroad Experiences
Paul Horness - Soka University
Paul Horness - Soka University
Previous short-term study abroad (STSA) research has focused on specific language tasks, but not on the relationships between the different tasks. Analyzing the different task activities students do during the study abroad (SA) experience will help in planning SA tasks. As STSA programs expand, administrators need to assess the program’s goals and objectives which have been changing as the length of stay changes. This study examined how participants viewed task difficulty in a STSA program. The tasks involved in-class and outside-class communicative engagement. Over three years, 256 participants in one 10-day study abroad program were asked to rank 20 possible tasks according to difficulty on a 6-point Likert scale. Based on a Rasch model analysis, the most difficult tasks were related to buying items at stores while listening to lectures by teachers was deemed easiest. An implication for a SA program is preparing students for tasks they find difficult.
14:45-15:25 Using Soft CLIL to Prepare Students to Study Abroad
Morgen Livingston - Salesio Gakuin Junior & Senior High School
Morgen Livingston - Salesio Gakuin Junior & Senior High School
I will describe the process of how I use aspects of the soft CLIL teaching approach to prepare students for studying abroad. I start by explaining how I collect useful data on what students need before going abroad by asking the right questions. Next, I briefly overview the (soft) CLIL framework and which parts I believe best apply to preparing students to study abroad. By comparing the needs I have found with CLIL, I then show how I plan lessons and activities to target the following: reading and writing strategies to know, learn, and use key terminology as it arises; listening and speaking strategies to minimize miscommunication and successfully navigate classes taught entirely in native-level English; and the need to be in environments which mimic what it will be like to study abroad. I will close with some example activities I have made using this thought process.
15:30-16:10 What is (Probably) Acquired but Not (Always) Measured in Study Abroad and Virtual Exchange? Making a Case for Researching Interactional Competence
Sajjad Pouromid - Kansai University
Sajjad Pouromid - Kansai University
Studying abroad (SA) and participating in virtual exchange (VE) are believed to play facilitative roles in language learning. While pre/post proficiency tests provide empirical evidence for whether such experiences enhance language learning, there may be some aspects of language proficiency that remain unassessed. This presentation makes a case for exploring the development of Interactional Competence (IC) as an underinvestigated aspect of proficiency by reporting on the preliminary results of a longitudinal conversation analytic study comparing the development of IC in two groups of learners in a SA and a VE program. The analysis focuses on how these novice L2 learners developed their linguistic repertoire and expanded their interactional inventories to perform conversational alignment activity. The presentation provides extracts from different intervals in the two datasets to illustrate how participants in each group went through different paths to develop their IC demonstrated through various focal practices carried out at each stage.
16:10-16:20 Break
16:10-16:20 AGM (in the Main Room)
19:00-21:00 Social event (in Shibuya)
08:30-11:00 Room not in use (see sessions in the Main Room)
11:00-11:40 Finding New Partner Schools - Getting the Most Out of Partner School Visits
Thomas Legge - Momoyama Gakuin University
Thomas Legge - Momoyama Gakuin University
In this presentation, the presenter reflects on his experiences visiting 15+ possible partner schools in Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines and Thailand.
The presentation will touch upon visit planning, scheduling, getting the most out of school visits, assessing teaching quality, information gathering, and what to do when returning to Japan.
It will also briefly discuss partner school visits from the perspective of university administration and some of the hurdles and challenges to be overcome in getting new school partnerships up and running.
The presentation will touch upon visit planning, scheduling, getting the most out of school visits, assessing teaching quality, information gathering, and what to do when returning to Japan.
It will also briefly discuss partner school visits from the perspective of university administration and some of the hurdles and challenges to be overcome in getting new school partnerships up and running.
11:45-12:25 Study and Work Abroad Preparation Class
Patrick Rates - Takasaki University of Commerce
Patrick Rates - Takasaki University of Commerce
Study and work abroad have become pivotal for personal, academic, and professional growth for students. This presentation aims to show how students are given the steps to think about studying or working abroad in class. How to equip students with the necessary skills and insights to navigate the challenges and opportunities presented by studying and working abroad. The primary objective of the workshop is to provide participants with a comprehensive overview of studying and working abroad.
12:30-13:30 Lunch (list of options)
12:30-14:30 Student Poster Session (see Main Room)
14:00-14:40 Atypical Hodophiles and Promotional Study Abroad Video Projects
Delano Cannegieter - Takachiho University
Delano Cannegieter - Takachiho University
What kinds of students want to study abroad? What is their reasoning for embarking on such an adventure that requires them to leave their pets, friends, partners, family and part-time jobs behind? How do future hodophiles overcome issues regarding finances, English ability and course credit transfers?
The presenter will describe how university students in a Pre-Study Abroad class created promotional videos addressing their hopes and fears about studying abroad. During this term-long project, students navigated interpersonal conflicts, technological glitches, and cross-cultural expectations in order to complete this task. Instructors who are interested in team-building activities, leadership, and computer literacy skills may find this kind of creative, pre-departure project to be challenging but also professionally fulfilling. On November 4th, the presenter hopes to share some stories of success (SOS) as well as some pitfalls to avoid.
The presenter will describe how university students in a Pre-Study Abroad class created promotional videos addressing their hopes and fears about studying abroad. During this term-long project, students navigated interpersonal conflicts, technological glitches, and cross-cultural expectations in order to complete this task. Instructors who are interested in team-building activities, leadership, and computer literacy skills may find this kind of creative, pre-departure project to be challenging but also professionally fulfilling. On November 4th, the presenter hopes to share some stories of success (SOS) as well as some pitfalls to avoid.
14:45-16:10 Room not in use (see sessions in Rooms 2 and 3)
16:10-16:20 Break
16:10-16:20 AGM (in the Main Room)
19:00-21:00 Social event (in Shibuya)