Event

Using Intercultural Communication Theories for ALTs and JTEs to successfully understand each other.

Saturday, November 16th, 2013, 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Speaker: Rob Fritz (Nagasaki University)

Since its conception, team teaching in Japan has become a well-established teaching method. Everyday in classrooms across Japan, ALTs (Assistant Language Teachers) and JTEs (Japanese Teachers of English) are team teaching in order to realize the Ministry of Education�fs goal of "promoting grassroots internationalization�." However, team teaching has received much more criticism than praise. Among the reported problems are: JTEs failing to explain to ALTs about class structures and procedures, ALTs feeling underused and frustrated, and neither ALT or JTE having a clear understanding of their teaching role. Understandably, all of these issues affect an efficient learning and teaching process in the classroom. However, most of these issues originate from the very nature of intercultural working relationships. The potentially different ideologies of ALTs and JTEs cause miscommunication and misunderstanding, as each educator is using their own system of cultural beliefs and values to evaluate and negotiate meaning.

This workshop will present how understanding intercultural communication theories can help ALTs and JTEs understand each other better. The presenter will show how recent research from the Intercultural Competence for Professional Mobility (ICOPROMO) can be adapted to show the intricacies of intercultural communication that exist between two workers from different socio-cultural background. A framework of intercultural training for ALTs and JTEs will also be suggested. This will be a mixed format presentation and in order to find the audiences�f own intercultural competence, audience participation will be encouraged.

Organization: Nagasaki Chapter of the Japan Association for Language Teaching (Nagasaki JALT)

Cost: JALT Members: free
Non-members: 1,000 yen (free for students)

Venue: Dejima Koryu Kaikan, 2-11 Dejima machi, Nagasaki shi map

Location: Nagasaki City, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan

Contact Nagasaki JALT

Luc Roberge