Upcoming – April 26, 2015 – Thomas Bieri – Activating Extensive Reading

Location: AIINA, ROOM 602
Date April 26,  2015
Time: From 1:30pm – 4:30pm(13:30-16:30)
Cost: Free for JALT members. ¥1000 for non-members. ¥500 for full-time students.
Contact: iwatejalt@hotmail.com or jasohill@gmail.com phone/fax: 019-663-3132

Extensive reading has recently become a well-known technique for language study and many programs and individual instructors have been incorporating it into their language teaching practice. However, many educators may not have confidence that they fully understand what ER is or how they can take advantage of the benefits. To help build that knowledge and confidence, this presentation and workshop will include a general introduction to the principles of extensive reading, particularly as defined by Day and Bamford (1998, 2002) and a brief discussion of how practices may differ from these principles. There will also be an explanation and demonstration of a variety of types of materials available. We will continue with a demonstration and practice of several classroom activities related to extensive reading and discussion of ways of managing and tracking student reading.

Bio: Thomas E. Bieri is an EFL instructor at Nanzan University, Nagoya, Japan, with over 25 years’ experience working in higher education, including positions in the USA, Australia, and Japan. He is the Coordinator of the Extensive Reading SIG and the Associate Member Liaison for the Computer Assisted Language Learning SIG of the Japan Association for Language Teaching.  He holds a BA in Women’s Studies from the University of California, Berkeley, an MA in Applied Linguistics from the University of Southern Queensland, and a graduate certificate in Educational Technology from Michigan State University.