Conference Chair: Thomas Orr, Ph.D.
Associate Conference Chair: Doug Sawyer, M.A.
On November 8, 1997, roughly 70 participants from Japan and abroad gathered at the University of Aizu for Japan's first major conference devoted solely to ESP. Working under the conference theme "English for Specific Purposes: Present Circumstances, Future Needs," participants listened to speeches and presentations, questioned panelists, and discussed issues of concern with each other in an attempt to better understand ESP and consider how it might be applied more effectively in Japan.
The plenary was given by Dr. Tony Dudley-Evans, one of the editors of "English for Specific Purposes: An International Journal" and a popular thesis advisor for teachers working toward master or doctoral degrees in ESP from the University of Birmingham in England. The intent of the speech was to define ESP for conference participants and describe activities that characterize the work of ESP. Following the plenary was a panel discussion comprised of three members: Tony Dudley-Evans (the keynote speaker), Morijiro Shibayama (director of JACET's ESP SIG), and Kin'ei Yoshida (sophomore, University of Aizu).
Two major goals for the conference were to significantly advance professional networking among ESP specialists in Japan and to provide some direction for the ESP movement that has just begun to gain momentum here.
Information on the conference can be found at: http://www.u-aizu.ac.jp/~t-orr/J-ESP-Conference.html