ELI at Kanda University of International Studies

ELI Senior Lecturer, Joachim Castellano, was selected to represent Japan as an Apple Distinguished Educator (ADE). The ADE Program has been running since 1994 and exists to recognize and support visionary and innovative educators. Joachim recently attended a conference in Bali, Indonesia where he participated in workshops and seminars related to the role of technology in education. On his return, he kindly ran a workshop for colleagues where we learned some practical iPad tricks that we can use with our students.

When asked about his experience, he told us: “The best thing about the ADE Institute was meeting dedicated educators worldwide and hearing about their innovative and inspirational practices. I realized that it is not technology alone that’s transformational: it’s the teachers use of technology that can revolutionize learning.”

Learn more about this group of innovative educators online at: https://www.apple.com/education/apple-distinguished-educator/

Joachim Castellano at the ADE conference (photo by Daniel Woo)

18 new lecturers joined the ELI at Kanda University of International studies. This cohort is comprised of 17 teachers and one learning advisor. Lecturers arrived from the following countries: Australia, Canada, Japan, Russia, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The lecturers have brought a wealth of educational experience with them. For example, Caroline Hutchinson, of Cardiff, Wales, has taught in Yamaguchi prefecture high schools on the JET Programme, in Budapest, Hungary as a business English teacher, and at RMIT University in Hanoi, Vietnam. Caroline also added, “I used to be a salaryman.”

New members are shaping the future of the ELI with their research interests. James Atcheson, from Forth Worth, Texas, said, “Critical theory is interesting because it provides teachers with a framework to establish a strong link between what’s happening in the classroom and what’s going on in the society outside the classroom, the so-called “real world.”

The management team has changed as well. Dr. Paul Lyddon joined the ELI as the assistant director of curriculum. Dr. Michael Torpey retired and Assistant Director Phil Murphy has been promoted to the Director of the ELI.

2012 marks Phil’s 15th year here. Dr. Murphy explained his top goal as, “to help create the optimal environment for students to develop as language learners and lecturers to grow professionally whether it be teaching, advising, and/or researching.”

The first semester is nearly done. Shawn Hupka, from Windsor, Ontaria comments, “So far, Kanda’s been great. It’s exciting to share ideas and work with so many instructors from all over the world,” said Shawn cheerfully.

Shawn Hupka and Caroline Hutchinson, new ELI lecturers.

Kanda University of International Studies hosted the Advising for language learner autonomy: A Learner Autonomy SIG event last Saturday, November 12th. The conference focused on language advising. Conference convener Dr. Jo Mynard added, “As far as I know, there has not been an event dedicated to advising in eleven years, so the time was definitely right for this conference.”

Plenary speakers included University of Birmingham’s Lucy Cooker and Macquarie University’s Dr. Chris Candlin. Aside from the main speakers, there were eighteen presentations, one workshop, ten posters and ten virtual presenters, who beamed their talks in from remote locations around the world. Talks focused on the field of advising for language learner autonomy. Although most delegates were from Japan, others hailed from over ten countries. “Advising for language learner autonomy is quite a specialist and emerging strand of applied linguistics, so I was really happy that we managed to attract over one hundred delegates,” reflected Dr. Mynard. For those who could not attend, some information, including presentation slides are still available on the conference website. More photos from the event can be seen here.

At the start of April, sixteen new lecturers joined the ELI at Kanda University. The group consists of fifteen teachers and one learning advisor. They hail from the United States, Great Britain, Australia, or New Zealand with a variety of education and research experience. For example, Tam Roman, from Pennsylvania in the US, has taught in a wide variety of contexts from high school students in Hyogo as a JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme) to Chilean park rangers.

The new lecturers are eager to contribute to the body of research produced at the ELI. Alex Worth, from Brighton in the UK, looks forward to “investigating the Dogme Theoretical Approach and interpersonal relationships and how they influence learner outcomes.”

Thinking about what she would like to accomplish at the ELI, Liz Lammons, a new learning advisor from New Jersey in the US says, “I’d like to have a positive impact on colleagues and students…to inspire them to a lifetime of learning.”

From left: Liz Lammons, Tam Roman, and Alex Worth