SAMPLE PROPOSAL
The Japan Association for Language Teaching
Kyoto Chapter
JALT Unvetted presenter application
Name: John Doe
Contact information (cell and email): 080-1234-5678 john.doe@email.com
Institutional affiliation:Kyoto University
Title of presentation:
The potential of cognates in Japanese to aid language learning
Presentation description (max 250 words)
In recent years, more and more research is being done examining the qualities of
cognates in Japanese. While a handful of studies concentrate on the problems involved with
cognate recognition, the majority of researchers view them as having a vast amount of
potential in aiding language acquisition.
While it is true that there are specific problems involved with cognates, the reality is
that the majority of them can facilitate language learning. In this presentation, such
potential of cognates will be discussed. For example, the presenters will illustrate their
significant coverage of high frequency and academic words. Student attitudes towards
cognates, their usage of them, and a unique training method will also reveal how positive and
motivational introducing cognates in lessons can be. The ease in which teachers can utilize
cognates to create materials will also be shown.
Various problems Japanese students have in utilizing this untapped resource will
also be discussed. Orthographic, phonological, and semantic deviation among cognates will
be reviewed, in addition to other issues, such as testing and affix knowledge. Thus, teachers
in Japan will be able to better understand what steps are needed to enable their students to
better utilize the built-in lexicon of English cognates they already possess.
Presentation abstract (max 50 words): Used for PR
English cognates in Japanese certainly have the potential to aid language learning,
but are not being utilized to their full potential. This presentation will review the steps
needed to be taken to help our students make use of this untapped resource.