Call for Panelists
The JALT Bilingualism SIG
2010 Panel Discussion at the JALT International Conference
Nov. 19-22, 2010 Nagoya, Japan
“Higher Education Options for Bilingual Students”
The selection of a college or university, and field of study, is one of the most significant decisions a high school student faces in his or her young life. For bilingual/dual nationality children, as well as their parents, the decision-making process is sometimes influenced by the child’s dual (or multi) linguistic and cultural identity. This panel will explore what these influences are and the various higher education options, both domestic and foreign, that a bilingual/bicultural high school student faces. Some of the issues to be considered include…
- The academic, emotional, and psychological readiness a young person needs to successfully study abroad.
- Common academic, cultural, and personal issues of studying in a foreign country.
- Application procedures, costs, scholarships, etc. of studying abroad.
- The value in Japan of a degree earned abroad.
- The value abroad of a degree earned in Japan.
- International programs in Japanese universities.
- How universities perceive applicants who graduated from international high schools versus applicants who graduated from public or private high schools.
Panelists should have direct personal and/or professional experience in the topic area. Presentations can be either in English or Japanese, and will be 15-20 minutes in duration. Panelists are responsible for their own travel and registration expenses.
Contact Ron Murphy, Program Chair, at
Murphy@iec.ehime-u.ac.jp
Latest journal out now
Volume 15 of the Japan Journal of Multilingualism and Multiculturalism (多文化・多言語研究) is now available. All SIG members receive a free copy. If you are not a member, but still want to read the journal, please contact us to order a copy. The journal is now accepting submissions for its 2010 issue. See the Call for Papers for further details.
Bilingualism forum in Kobe
A bilingualism forum was held in conjunction with the Kobe Chapter of JALT on Sunday 7th June 2009. Mary Goebel Noguchi and Tim Greer spoke on the theme "Living in two languages: Codeswitching, biliteracy and the bilingual child". Around forty people attended and the event was followed by a casual barbeque dinner.
Download a poster in PDF
The BSIG now has publications on every milestone on the road to bilingualism. Its new collection of articles is written from the perspectives of the individuals concerned, their parents and researchers. The monograph includes firsthand reports and interviews from
- families and individuals who use three or more languages in their daily lives,
- children of monoracial couples who were raised in another country.
- families in which one parent is Japanese.
There is also a section in which the authors interview others and report their findings.
