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THORPE Todd

    Major in Global Studies　Associate Professor
Last Updated :2024/04/25

Researcher Information

Degree

  • Master of Arts in TESL/TEFL（Birmingham University）
  • B.Ed (Secondary Education)（University of Alberta）

URL

J-Global ID

Profile

  • After graduating from the University of Alberta with a degree in Secondary Education, I went backpacking through Fiji, New Zealand, Australia and Hawaii and eventually made my way to Japan where I found a new passion for international education. This fresh enthusiasm led me to pursue a Master of Arts degree in TESL/TEFL with a dissertation focus on study abroad preparation.

    Throughout my time in Japan, my experiences as an educator and as a learner of Japanese language and culture have enabled me to see international education from different perspectives. Through these perspectives, I have gained a deeper understanding of the needs of students as well as valuable knowledge to analyze my own individual culture and my approach to teaching and learning. I am proud to share my experiences with my students and forever curious to discover what the world has to offer.

    My research interests are active and experiential learning. I am actively involved in two student conferences called the Japan English Model United Nations (JEMUN) and a corporate problem solving conference called the Asia Community Engagement (ACE) conference. Get in touch if you are interested in collaborating.

Research Interests

  • Problem solving   Community Engagement   Simulation-based Learning   Active Learning   LEGO®︎Serious Play®︎   会話分析   コーパス   ネゴシエーション   Model United Nations   

Research Areas

  • Humanities & social sciences / Foreign language education

Academic & Professional Experience

  • 2008/04  Kindai University国際学部准教授

Education

  • 2002 - 2005  University of Birmingham  MA in TEFL/TESL
  • 1993 - 1997  University of Alberta  Secondary Education

Published Papers

  • Innovative Teaching Methods to Integrate and Internationalise Learning Environments at Japanese Universities
    Todd Thorpe
    Conference Proceedings (AC 2018 in Prague) 151 - 157 2018/08 [Refereed]
     
    Conference Proceedings of the AC 2018 in Prague
  • Using LEGO®︎Serious Play®︎ to Foster Communication in Intercultural English Problem-Solving Discussions
    Robert Dunn; Calum Adamson; Todd Thorpe
    Journal of International Studies (2) 41 - 54 2017/11
  • Creativity and collaboration: using CALL to facilitate international collaboration for online journalism at a Model United Nations event
    Sheehan, Mark D; Thorpe, Todd; Dunn, Robert
    Critical CALL-Proceedings of the 2015 EUROCALL Conference 502 - 506 2015/12 [Refereed]
    ダウンロード
  • Improving Online Forums for Pre-Conference Multicultural Collaboration and Communication
    Todd Thorpe; Shigehiro Haruki; Andrew Atkins
    HICE 2015 Conference Proceedings 431 - 444 2015
  • Thorpe, T; Sheehan, M.D; Sarich, E; Dunn, R
    JALT PanSIG 2015 Conference Proceedings. JALT Publications (全国語学教育学会) 198 - 204 2015 [Refereed]
  • Problem Solving and Community Engagement at a University Student Conference.
    Sheehan, M.D; Thorpe, T; Dunn, R; Sarich, E
    JALT PanSIG 2015 Conference Proceedings. JALT Publications (全国語学教育学会) 177 - 182 2015 [Refereed]
  • Todd Thorpe
    CHAOS 近畿大学大学院文芸学研究科 10 (10) 101 - 118 2187-7114 2013/03 [Refereed]
  • Preparing Students for a Model United Nations
    Todd Thorpe
    Kobe City University of Foreign Studies Journal 82 49 - 72 2012/03 [Refereed]
  • Passport to Study Abroad: Preparing Students for the Journey of a Lifetime
    Todd Thorpe; Co-author; Ross Miller
    2010 PAC-KOREA TESOL International Conference Proceedings. Seoul: PAC 2011/09 [Refereed]

Books etc

MISC

Research Grants & Projects

  • Japan Society for the Promotion of Science：Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research
    Date (from‐to) : 2016/04 -2019/03 
    Author : Mark Sheehan
     
    Investigator Sheehan and Thorpe acquired LSP facilitator qualifications. Through practical implementation, the LSP facilitators gained a deeper understanding of the LSP method, specifically in relation to group problem solving. The results of this research include the development of a number of unique methods to engage learners in problem-solving workshops using the Lego Serious Play Methodology. The results can be implemented at Model United Nations Conferences and in numerous fields of education that require collaboration and creativity.
  • Japan Society for the Promotion of Science：Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research
    Date (from‐to) : 2014/04 -2018/03 
    Author : ZENUK-NISHIDE Lori
     
    To rectify this gap of empirically-grounded materials and methods for the teaching of academic spoken negotiation, teaching materials were created and piloted from our Model United Nations simulation negotiation data. Negotiation phases were analyzed by discourse analysis; and conversation analysis of relationship development, identity, face management, and emotional expression. The piloted materials for teaching negotiation in six Model United Nation courses included participation in the following simulations: The National Model United Nations (November, 2016, hosted by Kobe University of Foreign Studies; March, 2017, United States; November, 2017, Canada; and March, 2018 United States); the Japan University English Model United Nations (Kobe, June, 2017); and the Tsukuba English Model United Nations (Tsukuba, December, 2017).
  • Japan Society for the Promotion of Science：Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research
    Date (from‐to) : 2011 -2013 
    Author : ZENUK-NISHIDE Lori; TATSUKI Donna; THORPE TODD
     
    This 3-year project examined what Japanese non-native-English speakers negotiating at international university Model United Nations (MUN) with native and other non-native speakers of English are lacking. This research was accomplished in three stages: 1) By critically evaluating English ELT materials on negotiation for non-native English speakers-identifying what vocabulary, grammar and functions are being targeted, the rationale and data sources. 2) Scholars collaborated with spoken corpus experts and four corpora began to be constructed. MUN negotiation data was collected from native English speakers and non-native English speakers in Japan, Europe and Asia; 3) Through applied conversation analysis, an analytical framework studying the orders of talk-in-interaction, we were able to learn how social acts in MUN negotiation are packaged and delivered in linguistic terms.

Committee Membership

  • 2016/09 - Today   Japan English Model United Nations Conference   Conference Organizing Committee
  • 2014 - Today   Asia Community Engagement Conference   Conference Organizing Committee
  • 2006/02 -2018/02   JALT   Study Abroad SIG

Other link

researchmap


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