2019 Spring Workshop Handouts

The workshop handout (PDF file) is attached at the bottom of this page. 

TJSC 2019 Spring Workshop

Theme: How to Incorporate ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines into Classroom Instruction

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Suwako Watanabe, Portland State University

Date: Sunday, April 7, 2019

Time: 9:15 am to 3:45 pm (Registration starts at 8:45 am)

Location: Southeast Japanese School & Community Center

Address: 14615 Gridley Rd, Norwalk, CA 90650

Workshop Presentation Summary

In this workshop, I will give an overview of the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines by explaining the key criteria for the Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, and Superior levels. Then, I will demonstrate how the content of the Guidelines translate to development of proficiency in terms of levels in a program, grammar, in-class activities, corrective feedback, assessment, and textbook. In the hands-on section, participants will conduct textbook analysis, create activities to develop functional skills in the three communicative modes, and revise or develop assessment. Participants are encouraged to bring their current textbook and materials.

Biography of the Keynote Speaker

Suwako Watanabe is a professor of Japanese in the Department of World Languages and Literatures (WLL) at Portland State University (PSU). She also serves as Associate Chair for the WLL Department, Section Head of the Japanese Language Program, and Director of the Institute for Asian Studies. She has taught at PSU since 1990. Her research interests include discourse analysis, interactional sociolinguistics, and language assessment. She is a certified trainer and tester of the ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI), a certified rater of the ACTFL Writing Proficiency Test (WPT) and Assessment of Performance toward Proficiency in Languages (AAPPL). She is the current president of the American Association of Teachers of Japanese. She has given 30+ ACTFL workshops and has been serving as a quality assurance advisor for ACTFL Japanese OPI and WPT.