Hello everyone,
Thank you to all the speakers and attendees for our first ‘My Share’ online meeting on Sunday June 14th. It was a great experience to discuss online teaching. ≧◠‿◠≦✌ Below is our next speaker and the details about her presentation. Join us for our second online meeting (by ‘Zoom’). You do not have to be registered with Zoom. If you would like to take part, please go to: https://jalt.org/groups/chapters/toyohashi. and send a request message to ‘Contact Toyohashi Chapter’. (っ◔◡◔)っ ❤

Speaker:
Originally from Nova Scotia, Canada, Jean Taylor came here thirty years ago to teach high school in Shizuoka and is still at it. Along the way she’s written a number of side-readers as well as speaking and listening materials for that age group. Now that her own kids are fairly self-sufficient, she’s excited about starting a new full-time job at Eiwa Jr./Sr. High and working with others to foster enthusiastic learners. ᕙ(^▿^-ᕙ)

Event Theme:
School trips, which take place in the second year at Japanese high schools, are a major event in the lives of students here. At the speaker’s high school, around 150 students in the ‘academic course’ go to California for two weeks, living with a family there. For some this is a highly anticipated prospect; for others it is a major source of stress. Through surveys taken just before and after the trip, the speaker has delved into what effects the experience has on such points as their interest in speaking English and their confidence in their abilities. Follow-up questionnaires have also been used to try to trace exactly what caused changes in students’ attitudes. In the second year of the study, a questionnaire in the first class in April ascertained the students’ starting point in terms of attitude towards English and the upcoming trip in order to see what effect classes might have on their motivation and interest in English as the year went on. From within the wealth of data that was produced, a clear picture emerged of the effects of this two-week overseas homestay-style school trip, which will be described by the speaker. ᕙ(`▿´)ᕗ