Otemon Gakuin University, Ibaraki City, Osaka, Japan 追手門学院大学（大阪府茨木市）
New Beginnings
Saturday, November 30 and Sunday, December 1, 2019
2019年11月30日（土）〜 12月1日（日）
Pre-conference SAC tour (SAC見学会): Friday, November 29 １１月２９日（金）
New beginnings offer hope, excitement, energy, and an opportunity to see with fresh eyes. They can be a time of change or rejuvenation, and a time to aim high and set new goals. They can also be a time of challenge, with unforeseen issues to tackle and needs to support as people face new demands and adapt to unfamiliar environments. In self-access language learning, there are new beginnings for learners every year, as freshers begin their university lives. There are also new beginnings for faculty, learning advisors, and staff as they receive training or orientation, take on new roles, and form new teams. Self-Access Centers (SACs) and Language Learning Spaces (LSS) may be newly opened or redesigned. New projects may be begun, new technologies introduced, or new approaches attempted. We hope that this theme encourages participants to reflect on the ways that new beginnings are approached, managed, cultivated, and supported in their diverse work environments.
Plenary Speaker 基調講演: Dr. Luke Carson
Stepping Back, Stepping Out and Moving Forward: SALCs as drivers of future focused education
In line with the conference theme of ‘New Beginnings’, this plenary takes the start of a new era, the Reiwa era in Japan, as its inspiration. Rather than focusing on a specific aspect of SALCs themselves, this discussion takes a step back from the day-to-day realities of working within and developing learning spaces, and focuses rather on larger movements happening in society, with a view to what these mean for what SALCs could or should be.
Exponential change and globalisation are powerful aspects of our present and future existence that arguably require significant adjustments to educational models. My talk will make the case for a transdisciplinary approach to understanding and tackling this situation from the prospective of learner development and future needs. This discussion will be situated in the cultural context of Japan and its educations systems.
In their short history in Japan, SALCs have been a driver for educational change. Although no two SALC are the same, this plenary makes the argument that they can play a central role in promoting and developing future-focused education within their institutions.
Dr. Luke Carson is an Associate Professor in the International Studies Faculty at Hiroshima City University. He also serves as a PhD and doctoral supervisor in the area of learning for a number of universities. Dr. Carson has been involved in Self-Access language learning for the past two decades, working across a variety of SALCs as a Learning Advisor, a SALC coordinator, and a SALC consultant. These experiences have involved developing new SALCs, designing and delivering the educational programmes and opportunities available, the training of staff and the administration of the centres themselves. Examples of his publications in this area are:
Mynard, J., & Carson, L. (2012). (Eds.). Advising in language learning: Dialogue, tools and context. London, UK: Longman.
Carson, L. (2012). Developing a deeper understanding of learning processing during unguided learning tasks. Studies in Self-Access Learning, 3(1), 6-23. Retrieved from https://sisaljournal.org/archives/march12/carson/
Carson, L. (2015). Human resources as a primary consideration for learning space creation. Studies in Self-Access Learning, 6(2), 245-253. Retrieved from https://sisaljournal.org/archives/jun15/carson/
Carson, L. (Forthcoming, 2020). Inside the independent learning experience: Cognition, metacognition, and emotion. Educational Psychology Series. London, UK: Routledge.
Conference Schedule スケジュール
Pre-conference SAC tour (REGISTRATION NOW CLOSED)
Friday, November 29 3 p.m. ~
1) Ritsumeikan University – Beyond Borders Plaza – Ibaraki campus
2) Otemon Gakuin University – E-CO (English Cafe at Otemon) – Ai campus
Further information about the tour will be sent to those who register for it. Deadline for registering for the SAC Tour is Friday, November 8th.
Conference
Saturday, November 30 All day: 9:30 a.m. ~ 5 p.m.
Saturday, November 30 6 p.m ~: Networking event
Sunday, December 1 Morning only: 9:30 a.m. ~ 1 p.m.
Conference Programme プログラム
We will be continuing with our environmentally-friendly policy of not printing out handbooks.
Wifi will be available at the conference (look for signs at the venue), but we recommend that you download the program in advance.
Pre-registration
The deadline for attending at the early bird rate closed on November 1st. However, you may still pre-register using this form, which will allow us to prepare your name badge before the conference. You may even choose to furikomi your conference fee (at the late/on-site rate) to avoid queues on the Saturday morning!
Registration Fees 参加費
Pre-registration (Must have pre-registered and paid* by November 1st):
JASAL Members: ¥2500
Nonmembers: ¥3000
Undergraduate students: ¥500
Late/On-site registration:
JASAL Members: ¥3000
Nonmembers: ¥3500
Undergraduate students: ¥0
*Overseas participants may pay cash on the door.
Networking Reception 懇親会 (REGISTRATION NOW CLOSED)
Saturday evening, 6 p.m. ¥4,500 (Advanced payment by furikomi only by November 1st. Non-Refundable. Places are limited. Apologies, but this event is not open to undergraduate students as alcohol will be served.)
Venue: 藁焼き 個室居酒屋 た藁や 茨木店
1-chōme-2-１０ Ekimae, Ibaraki, Osaka 567-0888
072-697-9080
https://goo.gl/maps/bEcg5edqSkscaqxB6
Networking Lunch Bento on Sunday ネットワーキングランチ
¥1,100 (Advanced payment by furikomi only by November 1st. Non-Refundable.) Wrap up the conference by eating a bento lunch on-site with other participants. (Optional!)
Family Area 家族用スペース
The conference will provide a Family Area, where your partner and child or children can relax while you enjoy the conference. It’s free of charge and, of course, partners and children do not need to pay the conference fee. There are also two small parks only two-minutes’ walk from the venue.
Access アクセス
The conference will take place at Otemon Gakuin’s Sojiji campus (circled), which is a 12-minute walk from JR Sojiji station, and a 20-minute walk from Hankyu Sojiji station. Please note that this is a different location from the university’s Ai campus, where the SAC Tour will take place the day before the conference.
Access information in English here.
The Japan Association for Self-Access Learning 