Osaka Extensive Reading SIG

Over the last few weeks I have been visiting a number of teaching events and conferences up and down the country, meeting a lot of enthusiastic and knowledgeable people in the English language industry.

As I mentioned before here, I presented at the Hokkaido JALT conference in May. Last month I made it to three events. First, I attended a mini-conference in Niigata, where I was able to put on a display of materials for the examinations we promote and organise up & down the country. The disappointment of the day was listening to a famous professor announcing that his university was designing a new entrance test...not because I want people like that to see the value of Cambridge ESOL examinations, but because of the utter meaninglessness of moving the goalposts again. Schools and jukus etc will only teach to the test, not English to a better standard for the benefit of language learning and acquisition. Groan from me.

Shinshu JALT's meeting in Matsumoto I have previously posted on.

This weekend I was in Osaka holding down a table again, displaying Cambridge ESOL material as well as some support publications from Cambridge University Press - thank you John Letcher for your help. There I met a fellow Centre owner Malcolm and spent the day talking with teachers from the Kinki region, catching up with publisher reps, and seeing a very good presentation from the guru of extensive reading Rob Waring. The man talks an awful lot of sense and is inspirationally keen on extensive/graded reading.

I did not enjoy trying to negotiate the public transport system in Osaka; Umeda station was built by rabbits from Watership Down, it's a warren down there! A very good day out, if a little far. Highlight of the trip = seeing the British Lions win on Saturday night (even if there was a noisy cover band playing non-stop!). Low point? Kicking over my celebratory can of beer on the Shinkansen :(

Niigata Conference - JALT

Another early morning departure and this time a quick cruise up the expressway to Niigata.

I was attending the inaugural N.E.A.R. Language Education Conference at the University of Niigata Prefecture, trying to help out a colleague promote his product Wordpress and at the same time get some mileage for our Cambridge ESOL exams.

This is the first time I've set up & manned a display at one of these events (after my debut last week presenting in Sapporo, seem to be on a roll), so I was not at all sure what to expect. I was confident, after all the conferences, workshops etc I have been to over the years that I could do a lot better than a good number of the sales reps I have seen 'in action'. Unfortunately, I was located in such a crummy place barely five people found me before lunch - and there was no 'lunch' around. The afternoon was no better so I decided to go find people instead. Bizarrely, I met people from Shikoku, Hokkaido, Sendai, Ibaraki, Sado island.

Also met Theron Muller, who I have a lot of time for and admire his undying enthusiasm for teaching and professional development; less so Shinshu JALT attendees who are either blind or just plain rude.

I really hope this Conference kicks on next year and in years to come; it seems to me the organisers are keen and well intentioned. It is always good to meet teachers who are really trying to make a difference. Well worth a 600km round trip for the day!