 |
| Daigaku eigo kyouiku gakkai |
|
 |
Last updated on July 4, 2006 |
| This information is currently under revision. The updated information will be provided as soon as possible. |
| HISTORY AND OBJECTIVES |
[CONTENTS] |
The Japan Association of College English Teachers (JACET), originally a subsidiary of the Institute for Research in Language Teaching, was founded as an independent organization in 1962. JACET was established in a time of educational reform, in order to improve the state of English language education. Those involved were strongly convinced of the need to solve college-level problems relating to English language education so as to improve the teaching of the subject at all levels of the educational system.
In the early years, the primary activities of the organization were the sponsorship of an annual convention, held in the autumn, and the publication of JACET Reports, a newsletter containing the proceedings of the conventions. One hundred and forty people attended the first convention, which was held at the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies.
In 1967, with the financial support of the Fulbright Commission, the first JACET Summer Seminar was held. This was a turning point for the organization because in its wake JACET began to experience a rapid growth in both membership and influence. The membership, 140 at the time of founding in 1962, jumped to 1,350 in 1980, and has now reached 3,000. District-based activities grew with the rising membership, and, consequently, local chapters were formed (Kansai, 1972; Tohoku, 1981; Chubu, 1983; Chugoku-Shikoku, 1984; Kyushu-Okinawa, 1984; Hokkaido, 1986). JACET's growth, however, has not been confined to Japan: in April, 1982, the Japan Association of Applied Linguistics (JAAL) was established in JACET in order to engage in activities on a more international scale. In August, 1984, JAAL in JACET became an affiliate of the Association Internationale de Linguistique Applique (AILA). The primary objectives of JACET today are consistent with those of the past: the development of English language education in Japan. JACET also offers its members opportunities to exchange information on topics relevant to its goals and supports a variety of academic activities, some of which appear below. |
|
| ACTIVITIES |
[CONTENTS] |
| I. Conventions |
[CONTENTS] |
| 1. Annual Conventions |
[CONTENTS] |
Since JACET was established, annual conventions have been held in the autumn. During the first nine years of its history, these were composed of presentations, discussions, and lectures, and were of a one-day duration. In 1972, however, another day was added, thus making more programming possible. Eventually, the need for a more extensive program became apparent, and a third day was added, starting with the twentieth convention (1981). The expanded format has allowed the organization to offer participants a stimulating and varied program of events. The convention in 1998, for example, had 110 presentations altogether, consisting of 51 papers, 19 reports on classroom practice, 7 case studies, 2 VTR presentations of class work, 8 symposiums, 7 workshops, 4 posters and 12 lectures. Participants have included many overseas scholars.
In the beginning, Tokyo was the sole venue of conventions, but with organizational growth came the need for geographical dispersion. In 1986, it was decided that Tokyo be the convention site every third year, and that two other districts would serve as venues for the other years.
Since 1981, each convention has been assigned a theme. A list of convention themes and host universities for the past ten years is as follows: |
| 27th (1988): |
"Education in Japan and in Other Asian Countries," Shikoku Christian University |
| 28th (1989): |
"Diversification of English Language Education," Seinan Gakuin University |
| 29th (1990): |
"Foreign Language Teaching and Higher Education in Japan," Kanda University of International Studies |
| 30th (1991): |
"Cross-cultural Communication through English Education--What Can We Do for Globalization?" Hokkaido University |
| 31st (1992): |
"University English Education and the Mombusho's Revised Standards," Waseda University |
| 32nd (1993): |
"Innovations in College English Education," Tohoku Gakuin University |
| 33rd (1994): |
"New Directions in College English Education--Focusing on Real Needs," Aichi Shukutoku Junior College |
| 34th (1995): |
"Language Acquisition and the Teaching of English," Seijo University |
| 35th (1996): |
"Cross-cultural Interaction and the Teaching of English," Ohtani University |
| 36th (1997): |
"Teaching English in Multicultural Contexts," Waseda University |
| 37th (1998): |
"English Education in the Global Community," Shujitsu Women'sUniversity |
|
| 2. Chapter Conventions |
[CONTENTS] |
| Each chapter has its own regional conference once or twice a year, featuring presentations, lectures, and symposiums. |
| II. English Teaching Seminars, FD Seminars, and Summer Seminars |
[CONTENTS] |
English Teaching Seminars
These seminars aim at helping attendees solve problems of English teaching at junior and senior high school levels. Seminars have been held with the following themes: "English Teaching and Communication," "What is Communicative Activity?" "Directions of English Teaching Reform," and "The Search for New Classroom Methods." The seminars are normally held at the end of March.
FD Seminars
FD (Faculty Development) seminars began with a view to increasing the quality of research and teaching among members and deepening their friendship. Seminars have been held with the following themes: "College English Education--Curriculum Reform and After," and "College English Education--Screening Methods and Entrance Examinations." The seminars are normally held in December.
Summer Seminars
Approximately thirty college English teachers were selected each year to take part in the JACET Summer Seminar, usually held at the InterUniversity Seminar House, Hachioji, Tokyo. The seminar employed the "English Village System":attendees were asked to lodge and study together. Thirty-six scholars from abroad have participated in the seminars. Lecturers have included Sir Randolph Quirk and Dr. Wilga Rivers. Distinguished participants from abroad have customarily been asked to become honorary members of JACET. The 11th and 20th seminars were held in Hawaii in conjunction with the LSA Summer Institute and TESOL Summer Institute. The venue of the 21st seminar, held in 1987 at the AILA World Congress, was at the University of Sydney. The 23rd and 26th seminars took place at Cambridge University in 1989 and 1992. There were twenty-eight summer seminars before being discontinued in 1995. With the changing times, they seemed to have fulfilled their role. |
| III. Public Lectures and Study Meetings |
[CONTENTS] |
JACET has held over 250 public lectures in Tokyo and other major cities in Japan. Distinguished scholars from abroad are given an opportunity to address members and other interested parties on topics relevant to the teaching of English.
Monthly study meetings, at which speakers discuss topics on language teaching, methodology and applied linguistics, have been held more than 190 times in the Kanto-Koshin'etsu area since 1971. Similar meetings are now held by all regional chapters. |
| IV. Research Committees |
[CONTENTS] |
| 1. The Development of English Language Tests |
[CONTENTS] |
| This committee originated from a 1969 survey on listening skills that evolved into a joint effort with the COLTD organization (Council on Language Teaching Development) to develop a test of aural English. The venture has produced the JACET-COLTD Listening Comprehension Test Form A (1975) and the JACET Listening Comprehension Test Form B (1980), followed by junior versions, the JACET Basic Listening Comprehension Test Form A (1989) and Form B (1995). Over 250,000 students have taken the tests. In 1996, the Kansai Chapter produced an Intermediate English Listening Comprehension Test. |
| 2. The Development of Teaching Materials |
[CONTENTS] |
| The Committee was formed in 1973 as a result of a survey of English language teaching at colleges and universities. It has published three textbooks (See Section VIII). In 1981, A Survey of Reading Materials, a booklet containing a list of basic words compiled by JACET, was published. ELT textbooks include Language and Culture Books 1 and 2 in 1977 and 1980, as well as several others. |
| 3. Reports on Recent Developments in TESL/TEFL Overseas |
[CONTENTS] |
| The Committee gathers information from abroad on recent developments in the area of language teaching and applied linguistics. The Committee had a column on TESL/TEFL topics which appeared regularly in Eigo Kyoiku: The English Teachers' Magazine, Taishukan Publishing Co., Ltd. from July, 1987, to March, 1992. |
| 4. Applied Linguistics |
[CONTENTS] |
| The Committee functions as a liaison between AILA and JACET and publishes The JAAL Bulletin. It holds occasional public lectures by guest speakers from abroad. Its national conferences on applied linguistics have been held three times a year since 1990. |
| 5. Research Project on College English Teaching in Japan |
[CONTENTS] |
| The Committee publishes reports financially supported by the Ministry of Education. To date, it has issued the following: General Survey of English Language Teaching at Colleges and Universities in Japan--Teachers' View (1983), --Students' View (1985); A General Survey of English Language Teaching at Senior High Schools, Junior High Schools and Primary Schools (1988); A General Survey of English Language Teaching--College Graduates' Views (1990). These publications have had considerable impact on foreign language education policies in Japan. |
| 6. Educational Media and English Teaching |
[CONTENTS] |
| The Committee has been exploring issues related to computers in the teaching of English. It is engaged in developing software for use in college-level English programs. It has also organized three workshops on personal computers. |
| 7. Educational Problems |
[CONTENTS] |
| The Committee has been working on various problems related to the teaching of English in Japan. Upon the revision of the standards for establishing colleges and universities, the committee organized a nationwide special group to draw up The College English Language Education Handbook (1) & (2), a guide to these changes, in 1992 and 1996. |
| 8. English Literature |
[CONTENTS] |
| The Committee seeks to relate the study of literature written in English to the teaching of English as a foreign language (TEFL). It holds regular study meetings and occasional public lectures. In 1987, it published a collection of essays (See Section VIII) on the subject of reading. This Committee had a column on how to treat literary material in Eigo Kyouiku in 1992. |
| 9. English Usage |
[CONTENTS] |
| The Committee investigates various aspects of English usage, such as word meanings, collocations, and expression patterns with a view to contributing to EFL. |
| 10. JACET Special Interest Groups |
[CONTENTS] |
| With the advent of a new JACET SIG system in 1995, the following special interest groups have been formed: |
Hokkaido Chapter
CALL / Classroom-centered Research / Vocabulary Teaching & Learning / Discourse Analysis
Tohoku Chapter
English Grammar / Culture in TEFL
Kanto District
Materials Development / Reformation of English Teaching / Literature / SLA / Testing / University Examination / Language Contact / Discourse / Pragmatics / Cross-cultural Learning / English Lexicography / Oral Communication / English Usage / Global Education / Audio Language / ESP / Bilingualism / Language Policy / Digital Communication / Critical Thinking
Chubu Chapter
Error Analysis / Politeness / World Englishes / ESP
Kansai Chapter
Materials Development / Discourse Analysis / School Grammar / Foreign Language Education Abroad / Listening Tests / Teaching of Literature / Reading / Teaching Writing / Spoken English / SLA
Chugoku-Shikoku Chapter
College English Teaching in Asia / Audio-visual Materials Development
Kyushu-Okinawa Chapter
English Education in East Asia / ESP / English & Computers |
| V. External Activities |
[CONTENTS] |
| Through its numerous external activities, JACET has made valuable contributions to the field of education. In November, 1972, for example, JACET represented research organizations on English education in Japan at a conference known as "The Gathering for the Betterment of English Education in Japan." A decade later, the organization submitted a request to the University Entrance Examination Center that a listening component be included in entrance examinations. Then, in May, 1983, JACET broadened its scope and influence when it became an affiliate of the Science Council of Japan. In December of that year, the group submitted a report on English curricula to the Minister of Education, and in November, 1985, JACET presented the Ad Hoc Committee on Education and the Ministry of Education with a report entitled "A Proposal for the Development of Foreign Language Teaching." Furthermore, in 1988 and 1989 JACET made proposals aimed at reforming teacher licensing at the secondary level. In 1991, JACET was invited to two hearings by the University Council while it was preparing its report to the Ministry of Education. Finally, it should be noted that JACET has had a long and cooperative relationship with organizations engaged in similar pursuits; e.g., the Institute for Research in Language Teaching, LLA (The Language Laboratory Association of Japan), JALT (The Japan Association of Language Teachers), ZEN'EIREN (The National Federation of Prefectural English Teachers' Organizations), and the British Council. |
| VI. International Activities |
[CONTENTS] |
Summer seminars abroad, lectures by visiting scholars from abroad, and the designation of JAAL in JACET as the official representative in Japan of AILA all indicate that JACET is extending its reach beyond the shores of Japan. Furthermore, there is every indication that this international trend will continue. At the 1987 AILA convention in Sydney, Australia, Ikuo Koike, then Vice President of JACET, was elected vice president of AILA, and the AILA Executive Board and the International Committee meetings were held in Tokyo in May, 1989.
The AILA convention in Amsterdam in 1993 was attended by nearly 100 JACET members, and the one in Finland in 1996 by over 200. There have also been increasing contacts with RELC (Regional Language Center) in Singapore and KATE (The Korean Association of Teachers of English). Similar exchanges started with IATEFL (International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language) in 1993 and were formalized in 1997. In 1999, the first AILA convention in Asia will be held at Waseda University, Tokyo, with the theme of "The Roles of Language in the 21st Century: Unity and Diversity." |
| VII. The JACET Prize |
[CONTENTS] |
| From a fund established in 1977 by Yoshio Ogawa, Natsuo Shumuta, Kikuo Miyabe, Sakae Serizawa, Hiromichi Oginome and others, awards are given annually to those who have made a significant contribution to college and/or general English education in Japan. Since 1994, it has been renamed, the "JACET Award for Excellence in Research," and two new categories have been added:JACET Awards for the "Most Promising Newcomer" and for "Excellence in Teaching." |
| VIII. Public Relations and Publications |
[CONTENTS] |
| 1. The JACET Bulletin |
|
| This refereed journal is now published twice a year in English. Its aim is to promote research on college English education and related fields. Each issue contains scholarly papers contributing to the improvement of English education in Japan: Numbers 1 (1970)-29 (1998) extant. |
| 2. JACET News |
[CONTENTS] |
| This quarterly publication keeps all members informed of the activities of the Association. One of four annual issues, published in March, is in English. |
| 3. The Membership Directory |
[CONTENTS] |
| This annual publication is distributed to all JACET members. |
| 4. Other publications in English |
[CONTENTS] |
A Critical Survey of Japanese University English Entrance Examinations, Kaitakusha, 1971, 1972
Lectures on English Language Testing and Teaching by John B. Carroll, Taishukan, 1972
JACET Listening Comprehension Test, Form A and Form B, Kaitakusha, 1975, 1980
Language and Culture, Book 1 and Book 2, Eichosha, 1977, 1980
Gems of English Prose and Poetry, Eichosha, 1980
JACET Basic Comprehension Listening Test, Form A and Form B, Kaitakusha, 1989, 1995
Studies in Applied Linguistics, Lieber Publishing Co., 1990
Interactive Reading, Asahi-Shuppan, 1993
Dynamic Reading, MacMillan Language House, 1996 |
| IX. Organization |
[CONTENTS] |
| 1. Membership |
[CONTENTS] |
There are four kinds of membership.
Regular membership:
Open to all persons teaching English at Japanese colleges and universities and those interested in college English teaching. Dues are JPY8,000 per year. Members receive the JACET Bulletin, the JACET News, the Membership Directory, and information about research meetings. Members are encouraged to contribute articles and papers to JACET publications and are entitled to participate in the Association's activities.
Institutional membership:
Open to established research/educational institutions, libraries, colleges, etc., whose goals are in harmony with those of JACET. Annual dues are JPY20,000. Institutions are entitled to restricted privileges. Please refer to the original version of JACET regulations in Japanese for further details.
Supporting membership:
Business organizations dealing in English teaching materials are invited to be supporting members. Dues are JPY30,000. Supporting members are entitled to restricted privileges.
Honorary membership:
Distinguished overseas scholars are selected for making special contributions to JACET. Some of the thirty-seven honorary members are: John B. Carroll, John Fanselow, David Crystal, Charles J. Fillmore, William Labov, George Lakoff, Geoffrey N. Leech, Kenneth L. Pike, Sir Randolph Quirk, Wilga M. Rivers, John L. M. Trim, John C. Wells and Henry Widdowson.
Number of Members:
2,764 members; 2,608 regular, 46 institutional, 73 supporting, and 37 honorary.(as of July 25, 2003) |
| 2. Officers |
[CONTENTS] |
JACET has one president, one vice president, several directors, trustees, and two auditors. The Research and Planning Committee reports to the board of directors. The members of the Committee work for the directors in charge. Each chapter has a chapter president, a director, and several managers.
The officers for the 1998 academic year:
Honorary President: Kajiki, Ryuichi
President: Tanabe, Yoji
Vice President: Suzuki, Hiroshi
Board of Directors: 20
Auditors:2
Advisers:8
Chapter Presidents: 6
Trustees: 112
Managers:29
Research and Planning Committee Members: 198 |
| 3. JACET Chapter Secretariats |
[CONTENTS] |
| See ---> http://www.jacet.org/secretariats.html |
| Copyright © 2006 JACET All rights reserved |
|
|
About JACET