This document summarizes John Blake's Texts and Tools Lab at the University of Aizu. The lab creates online tools to solve English language problems. Current tools include a pronunciation scaffolder, error detector, and tense identifier. Funded projects include a feature visualizer and tense identifier version 3.0. Future projects include a language feature detector and authorship analysis. The lab holds weekly meetings and uses online platforms like Slack and Trello. Students have presented work at conferences in Hong Kong and Japan. John Blake's role is to ensure students can complete projects efficiently and graduate theses on time while also collaborating on creating posters and articles. The lab has an international atmosphere with collaborators from several countries.

1. John Blake, Associate professor
Center for Language Research, University of Aizu
Texts and Tools Lab
Textual analysis and technology-enhanced tools
Texts & Tools Lab
Create practical online tools to
solve real-world English
language problems

2. Texts and Tools Lab:
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Texts and Tools Lab:
Present perfect tense identified
for six types of verbs

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Texts and Tools Lab:
Explanation 1

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Explanation 2

10. Texts and Tools Lab:
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Current project: Feature visualization

11. Projects
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Current tools
Pronunciation scaffolder, ver.2.0 (Elm and JavaScript)
Error detector ver.4.0 (JavaScript)
Tense identifier ver.2.0 (JavaScript)
Move visualizer ver. 2.0 (ReactJS and Google Cloud)
Current funded projects 2018/9:
Feature visualizer using (JavaScript)
Tense identifier ver. 3.0 (Python)
Interactive language website (Ruby, MySQL and JavaScript)
Preposition visualizer (Golang)
Texts and Tools Lab:

12. Projects
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New Projects for 2019 onwards:
Language feature detector (Python , Flask)
Authorship analysis (Python , Flask)
Computerized language assessment (Python, Flask and ReactJS)
Tense and time visualizer (Python , Flask and ReactJS)
Texts and Tools Lab:

13. You
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Best:
• Excellent English
• Excellent programming skills
• Interested in natural language processing
Acceptable:
• Willing to improve English and programming skills
Necessary
• Keen
• cheerful
• hardworking
Not acceptable:
• No programming
• Repeated missed deadlines
Conference presentations by students:
• B4 student: Paper presentation, Hong Kong, Dec 2017
• B3 student: Poster presentation, Japan, Sept 2018
• B3 student: Paper presentation, Japan, Nov 2018
Texts and Tools Lab:
Lab
• Meetings are held in English
• Regular seminars – research method, etc.

14. My role
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Project manager Research adviser Collaborator
Ensure you can create
your tool / task effectively
and efficiently
Ensure you complete
your Graduation Thesis
on time
Work with you to create
poster and short articles
Texts and Tools Lab:

15. Life in the TNT Lab
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Weekly lab meeting (Sem A|B)
• Project tracking – deadlines, milestones
• Progress report
• Problem solving
Online platforms – Slack, Trello
• Meeting logs, documents and code
Improve your resume:
• Presentations and publications
• Use English as main language
International atmosphere
• Collaborators with researchers in the UK, India, Hong Kong and Thailand
Texts and Tools Lab:

16. Texts & Tools Lab
John Blake
jblake@u-aizu.ac.jp
If you want to join the TNT
Lab, email me to arrange
an appointment.