Applications are now being accepted for the Spring 2012 Telephone Counseling Training Program. No prior counseling experience is required. It’s a tremendous opportunity to take part in meaningful work that is challenging and rewarding. The training sessions will take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM, with an introductory session on Saturday, February 18th and a closing session on Saturday, May 12th. Potential candidates may contact TELL to arrange an interview before the training at 03-4550-1191. Learn more about TELL and its services at their Web site. Not only teachers, but also mature students, who are over 21 years of age and have excellent English skills, are welcome to join the training.

EVENT: TELL Training for telephone counselors
WHEN: From February 18, 2012 – May 12th 2012
WHERE: Wesley Center (Click HERE for a map)

To reserve a spot, or for more information about the training, contact Vickie Skorji at lls.assist@telljp.com.

You may download the 2012 academic year schedule by clicking on it!

Born in Mississippi in 1956, Steve Gardner is an accomplished blues musician and photographer, having studied photojournalism at the University of Southern Mississippi and blues from the “School of Hard Knocks.” After working as a photojournalist in the States, he came to Japan, where he has freelanced for Japanese magazines as well as for Time and Newsweek. The interest in the blues that he found in Japan led him to create a picture book on Mississippi and the blues, Rambling Mind (1994). His first CD, “Rambling With The Blues” (2002) is this book’s musical counterpart. His latest CD, which he recorded in New Orleans, Louisiana, is “Walkin’ the dog” (2008). Through his music, and stories, Steve Gardner will take us on a journey to Mississippi and show us where the blues came from — both geographically and spiritually.

EVENT: Open Lecture
WHEN: October 27, 2011 (Thursday) 1:15 PM -- 2:30 PM
WHERE: Sagamihara Campus, Room D-316

IE Core and Seminar teachers, as well as teachers of Reading I or II, should feel free to bring their classes to this special event. Professor Strong has distributed corresponding teaching materials to Core teachers. If any other teachers are interested in these materials, please let us know.

Some of you might be thinking about doing some sort of volunteer activity to relieve the hardships of those still suffering in the northeastern part of Japan due to the earthquake and tsunami. Please refer to the Foreign Volunteers Japan blog in order to find some ideas. The opportunities are not limited to foreign volunteers.

Cheers,
Joseph Dias

On the behalf of the English Department and the IE Program committee, we would like to express our deep condolences for those lost in the March 11th earthquake and tsunami, and our sympathy to their families and friends. It is our hope that sufficient resources will reach all those left homeless or injured by the calamity. The last three weeks have been trying for us all, compounded by the tense atmosphere engendered by the nuclear plant crisis. No doubt, if you haven’t already done so, you may wish to explore various ways that you can help with the relief effort by accessing a list of options offered on the Tokyo English Lifeline’s website.

Although other universities in the Kanto area have decided, for various reasons, to delay the start of the academic year until May, we will begin ours as scheduled, from the second week of April. You may download the schedule for the 2011-12 academic year at: http://tinyurl.com/4wb5vmj. Teachers may view the IE Orientation schedule at: http://www.aogaku-daku.org/498-2/.

We sincerely wish you all the best in the coming academic year. Considering the circumstances, it may be difficult for us to concentrate on our classes. Hopefully, we can start the year with a renewed awareness of the importance and fragility of the people around us and make every moment count.

Joseph Dias & Gregory Strong
IE Program Co-coordinators

Many language teaching organizations, such as TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages) and JALT (Japan Association of Language Teaching) are making use of Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking services to better connect with their members. Here’s a Facebook community page recently created for the Lifelong Language Learning Special Interest Group of JALT. Feel free to explore it.