2015-2017
Newsletter Archives

​This fall 2017 edition of our Global Issues Newsletter contains: (1) a description by James Taylor of a college EFL unit he designed to raise awareness of mental health issues among Japanese students using on-line videos, World Health Organization materials and comments from professional rugby players, and (2) a stimulating article by Caroline Hutchinson on ways to promote empathy among English language learners through the critical study of cross-cultural encounters in history. Our special feature this issue carries on the theme of history with ideas for teaching about the 1927 US-Japan Friendship Doll Exchange. This historical peace education initiative involved the exchange of over 12,000 dolls between Japanese and American children in the late 1920s. It aimed at building international peace and goodwill among young people in the face of rising nationalism, xenophobia and militarism – an all too relevant challenge for us even today. Also in this edition is a report on last spring’s IATEFL 2017 conference in Glasgow, a conference preview of JALT 2017 and a round-up of global education news from around the world. 

​This spring edition of our GILE Newsletter comes out as the Golden Week holidays in Japan are about to begin. This issue features: (1) a description by David Williams of how his university hosted a summer program for Asian students, (2) an article by Monisha Bajaj on how to set up a human rights club in your school, and (3) a report by Tomoko Sugihashi on a Volunteering in English course in which students translated letters between Japanese sponsors and foster children in developing countries. Our special theme for this issue is Teaching about Jackie Robinson, the first black baseball player in the US Major Leagues whose achievement is marked each year on April 15th. This special section includes ideas, activities and resources on Robinson’s life and on the US civil rights movement. We finish with a report on last fall’s JALT 2016 conference in Nagoya as well as a round-up of all the latest global education news. 

​Our special theme for this issue is Teaching about the Rio Olympics complete with ideas, activities, and resources to help you teach about the Summer Olympics in Brazil. Other newsletter features include conference reports on IATEFL 2016 (UK) and on Pan-SIG 2016 (Okinawa). We wrap up this issue with a call for your messages to celebrate our 100th newsletter as well as a round-up of all the latest global education news. Have a great summer and enjoy the Olympics!

Since March is Women’s History Month, our special theme for this edition is “women’s issues” featuring an International Women’s Day Quiz plus profiles of related books and movies. Also included are a report on last fall’s JALT 2015 conference in Shizuoka, a list of upcoming events for the year 2016 plus a round-up of all the latest global education news and information.

This summer 2015 newsletter features: (1) a critical essay by Ayaka Ihara that asks whether English education in Japan promotes nationalism or internationalism, (2) a call by Ryota Morita for teachers to consider the special needs of  students with vision disabilities, and (3) an article by Paul
Mathieson on what language instructors can do in their classes to teach against ethnic and national stereotypes. This summer marks the 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War – a unique chance for us to learn from a violent past and teach for a future of peace. To  commemorate this, we include a special section on Teaching about World War II and Japan which includes a variety of ideas, activities, books, films and other resources. We finish out this issue with a report on the spring 2015 IATEFL conference, with a number of peace appeals from Japan and overseas plus a round-up of recent global education news, events and information.

• Abstracts of articles on global themes from ELT journals and the media
  News and announcements from language teaching organizations
  Conference Report: Global Issues at IATEFL 2015 (Manchester, UK)
  English Education in Japan: Where Is It Going? by Ayaka Ihara
  Raising Awareness of Learners with Special Needs by Ryota Morita
  Dealing with Stereotypes in the Japanese EL Classroom by Paul Mathieson
  Special Feature: Teaching about Japan and World War II
  Language teaching textbooks on global education themes
  Book Profiles: Resources for teaching about stereotypes and about WWII

Our February newsletter features two key articles: (1) a peace education project by Kathryn Tanaka where students chose, read and presented works on the theme of war, and (2) an outline by Bob Ashcroft of how to use movies in class to promote language skills, cultural knowledge and socio-political awareness. Special reports look at this fall’s JALT 2014 national conference in Tsukuba and Peace as a Global Language (PGL) in Kobe. Our special feature is on youth activists with profiles of figures such as Malala Yousafzai and Craig Kielburger. We also include a list of teachable moments for the year 2015, a report on the 13th Asian Youth Forum in Bangkok plus a round-up of global education news and information.

• Abstracts of articles on global themes from ELT journals and the media

• Conference Report I: Global Issues at JALT 2014 (Tsukuba, Japan)

• Event Report: The 13th Asian Youth Forum (AYF 13) in Bangkok, Thailand 

• Conference Report II: Global Issues at PGL 2014 (Kobe, Japan)

• Teaching Peace and the Atomic Bombings in EFL by Kathryn M. Tanaka 

• Using Movies to Teach English, Culture and Socio-Politics by Bob Ashcroft 

• Upcoming Events: Teachable Moments for the Year 2015 

• Special Feature: Teaching about Malala and Other Youth Activists 

• Language teaching textbooks on global education themes 

• Book Profiles: Resource Books about Youth Activists

This summer edition of our Global Issues Newsletter features: (1) a description by Alexander Nanni and Joseph Serrani of an academic English course they designed in which students analyze the social and environmental impact of international corporations, (2) an article by Martin Mielick on how to raise awareness of student identities through media analysis of social issues in Japan such as the (over-) use of English loan words, and (3) a special report by Kathryn Tanaka and her colleagues about the reactions of their Japanese students to the testimony of a Filipina comfort woman and the teaching materials their students created to promote better understanding of this issue. Our special theme for this issue is English for Terrorism featuring an EFL textbook designed by the Islamic State (ISIS) to promote English skills, hate and violence. We also include conference reports on TESOL 2017 and Pan-SIG 2017 as well as a list of global education resource books about child refugees and children around the world. Enjoy! 

Greetings for the New Year! This (much delayed!) fall 2016 issue of our GILE Newsletter features: (1) a description by Kendra Staley of how she and her EFL students in Colombia, South America use social media to combat prejudice and stereotypes, (2) a practical article by Mark Shrosbree explaining how Youtube videos can be used to help teachers bring global issues into the classroom and (3) a report by Kathryn Tanaka on a service learning project which engages Japanese university students in learning English translation skills in order to support a national hospital for Hansen’s Disease. Also included is an overview of last summer’s JACET 2016 national conference in Hokkaido, a report on the recent 15th Asian Youth Forum held in Taiwan, profiles of resource books on the topic of “service learning”, a list of upcoming events and anniversaries for the year 2017 plus a round-up of all the latest global education news and information. 

​To mark World Refugee Day on June 20th, we include a “call-to-action” article by Andrew Beiter and Joseph Carb on the Syrian refugee crisis as well as a special section on “teaching about refugees” featuring class activities, resources, books, movies plus lists of celebrity activists and famous people who were refugees. We wrap up this issue with a report on the recent spring TESOL 2016 conference in Baltimore as well as a round-up of all the latest global education news and information. 

Our autumn 2015 newsletter features: (1) an article by Zelinda Sherlock that takes a critical look at the content, values and assumptions embedded in English textbooks used in schools in Japan, and (2) a set of lively comments from an on-line debate moderated by British ELT expert Ken Wilson on the question of “Should we talk about global issues in the ELT classroom?” This fall marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations in 1945. To commemorate
this, we include a special section on Teaching about the  United Nations which includes a UN quiz for your students as well as a variety of teaching ideas, activities and  resources. This issue also includes reports on this spring’s PanSIG conference (in Kobe) and this summer’s national JACET conference (in Kagoshima). We finish off this edition with a list of global issue calendars for the year 2016 plus a round-up of all the latest global education news and information.

• Abstracts of articles on global themes from ELT journals and the media
  News and announcements from language teaching organizations 
  Conference Report: JACET 2015 (Kagoshima) 
  Conference Report: Pan-SIG 2015 (Kobe)
  Should We Talk about Global Issues in the ELT Classroom? by Ken Wilson
  Japan’s Textbook Inequality: Cultural Bias and SLA by Zelinda Sherlock 
  Special Feature: Teaching about the United Nations
  Resources and information on global issue topics and organizations 
  Language teaching textbooks on global education themes
  Global issue calendars and datebooks for the year 2016

Our spring 2015 newsletter features: (1) an article by Beverley Lafaye on using non- fiction films on global themes for oral communication classes, (2) a selection by David Deubelbeiss of on-line games that practice English while raising awareness of social issues, and (3) a report by Brent Simmonds on last fall’s Education for Sustainable Development 2014 world conference held in Nagoya, Japan. Our special feature for this newsletter is Teaching about Destructive Cults. This thematic section, chosen to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the 1995 Aum Shinrikyo sarin
attacks in Tokyo, includes a variety of ideas, activities, books, films and other resources for teaching students about – and protecting them from – religious cults. We finish out this issue with a report on the TESOL 2015 conference in  Toronto plus a round-up of global education news, events
and information.

• Abstracts of articles on global themes from ELT journals and the media

• News and announcements from language teaching organizations

• Conference Report: Global Issues at TESOL 2015 (Toronto, Canada)

• Non-Fiction Film in the Oral Communication Class by Beverley Lafaye

• My Top 5 On-line Games on Social & Global Issues by David Deubelbeiss

• Education for Sustainable Development (ESD 2014) by Brent Simmonds

• Special Feature: Teaching about Destructive Cults

• Language teaching textbooks on global education themes

• Book Profiles: Resource books for teaching about destructive cults