The Language Teacher
August 2004

The Ibaraki Chapter Retreat

Neil Parry

Ibaraki Prefectural University of Health Sciences

Perspectives

. . . with Joyce Cunningham & Mariko Miyao perspectives@jalt-publications.org

In June 1999, the Ibaraki Chapter of JALT held its first Retreat, and since 2001, it has become a regular event in our calendar. The Retreat is a 2-day event lasting from Saturday afternoon until Sunday lunchtime, and from the outset it has been held at the Ibaraki University Lodge in the hills near Daigo in the north of Ibaraki prefecture. Participation is open to anyone, and indeed chapter members frequently invite partners, students, and colleagues (who sometimes also bring their children!), so we are always assured an interesting cross section of language teachers, students, and speakers.

The origins of the Retreat lie in both a desire to provide a less frenetic alternative to the chapter's normal half-day Sunday meetings, where time is at a premium and attendees always have one eye on rushing home and getting ready for the coming week, and in avoiding the work involved in holding a 1- or 2-day mini-conference. The Retreat's motto is Taking time to learn, and the Daigo lodge, which is slightly isolated but easily accessible, has proven to be the perfect venue.

The basic programme has evolved through trial and error, and the core of the Retreat is now two presentations from an invited main speaker, one in the afternoon of the first day and the second in the morning of day 2. From the Retreat's inception, we have been lucky enough to attract as the main speaker a name from the language teaching world; our first speaker in 1999 was David Paul. In 2001, former JALT Vice President Brendan Lyons joined us, followed in 2002 by Laurence Dryden, and Don Maybin in 2003. This year we were fortunate to have as our guest John Fanselow, President of International Pacific College and a former TESOL International president.

Day 1 usually begins in a leisurely manner, with participants arriving after having lunch on the way up and settling in while getting acquainted with the speaker and other participants, or reacquainted with friends they haven't seen for a while. The first main speaker session starts at around 3:00 and is nominally scheduled at 90 minutes, but by the time all questions and discussions have come to an end, it has usually overrun considerably.

The evening's activities open with an extended chapter business meeting, followed by the Retreat party. A major advantage of the presentations being split over 2 days is that the main speaker also stays at the lodge, and this gives participants a real opportunity to talk with her/him at length. It is fascinating to watch the dynamics of the discussion groups, not only in terms of the topics that come up, but also in the way the groups form and reform. A small group will coalesce, often around a particular kind of beer or a tube of Pringles. The discussion will continue for a while, then one or two of the members will go in search of a refill. Often on their way back, something another group is talking about will catch their ear; they will stop and join in for a moment, and, finding themselves drawn into the discussion, pull up a chair and join in. This often continues until the wee hours, but this and overrunning presentations are very much the essence of the Retreat; an opportunity to take time, which is not always present in our day-to-day lives, to learn and share with friends, colleagues, and family members.

Breakfast the next morning is characterised by many bleary-eyed but relaxed people eager to find out what the My Share presentations kicking off the second day have in store. A feature this year was part two of a talk on the Ibaraki dialect by chapter charter member and Ibaraki native Michiko Komatsuzaki. By putting us language teachers into the position of learners again, it provided a renewed opportunity for reflection on the challenges of language learning. The closing event is the second of the main speaker's presentations, starting midmorning and usually continuing on into lunch as we listen, ask questions, talk, and learn.

And so feeling very relaxed and much the wiser, everybody sets off back home. Accommodation and meal charges at the Ibaraki University lodge are very reasonable, and this means that the participation fee for the retreat is only ¥2,500 in all. It must be one of the best bargains around, and the fact that most who have been to one retreat come again is eloquent testament to how valuable we find it and how much we enjoy it.

Neil Parry parry@ipu.ac.jp
Ibaraki Prefectural University of Health Sciences

The Language TeacherAugust 2004

The Ibaraki Chapter Retreat

Neil Parry

Ibaraki Prefectural University of Health Sciences

Perspectives

The Language Teacher
August 2004