Event

Language Learning and Listening: Reducing Anxiety, Improving Ability and Assessing Difficulty (After: Beer garden)

Saturday, July 9th, 2016, 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Speaker: Adam Murray (Miyazaki International College)

Please note the earlier starting time. For beer garden (see below), maximum 20 places available; please RSVP by July 7th.

In the first part, I will talk about the impact of anxiety on foreign language learning. I personally became interested in this area of research from my experiences learning and using Japanese. Although the majority of anxiety-related research focuses on speaking, my research is on foreign language listening anxiety. I conducted a medium-sized study with 176 undergraduate students who were enrolled in compulsory EFL classes for non-English majors at four universities. In this talk, I will talk about the design of the study in both practical and theoretical terms. I will also describe the relationship between listening anxiety and performance on the one-way listening tasks based on the listening section of the TOEIC test. Finally, I will conclude with some ideas for dealing with listening anxiety in the classroom.

In the second part, I will demonstrate a listening website that I have been making for an ongoing KAKEN-funded project. Listening materials were collected from a number of sources to ensure that a variety of text types (e.g. problem-solution, discussion, interview, telephone message, news report etc.) of varying levels of difficulty. I will share preliminary results and give practical suggestions for those who are considering setting up a similar system for their students.

Biography: Adam Murray is an experienced educator who is currently teaching at Miyazaki International College. For almost a decade, Adam has been teaching English as a Foreign Language to Japanese university students. His research interests are listening instruction, materials development, and assessment. His currently the coordinator of the JALT Materials Writers Special Interest Group.

Beer Garden
Following the presentation, Fukuoka JALT will hold its (nearly) annual Beer Garden Event.

• Beer and Highball Sky Garden
• 4,200yen/person
• Starts at 5:30 PM, lasts two hours
• Address: IMS Building 14F, Tenjin,1 Chome-7-11
• Maximum 20 places available; Please e-mail our social chair by 7/6 to reserve your place (fukuokajaltsocial <AT> gmail.com)

Even if it rains, we can go inside.

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

Cost: JALT Members: free
Non-members: 1,000 yen

Venue: Hummingbird (Shibematsu bldg. #302), Tenjin-Shigematsu bldg 3F, 3 Chome-4-8 Tenjin, Fukuoka (map)

Location: Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan

Contact Fukuoka JALT

Trevor Holster