Hello, and welcome to another monthly edition of JALT Talk, the announcements newsletter of the Japan Association for Language Teaching. Our headline news is that proposals to present at the JALT2026 International Conference are due March 8th, so be sure to submit your proposal soon! JALT2026 will be family-friendly -- read details and a testimonial below.
In this issue:
JALT International Conference NewsJALT2026 Basic details:
Call for presentation proposals due March 8th
The deadline for proposals is Saturday, March 8, 2026.
To help you through the process of submitting your abstracts, we've posted an abstract submissions video to YouTube: https://youtu.be/HAPxW3bXKic
Please see the JALT2026 website for details.
Childcare Available
Professional childcare will be available at JALT2026 to help care for your children during the conference.
Here is a testimonial from JALT2025 presenter Natalie Donohue:
I am so impressed and grateful that this [childcare] service is offered! It really did make it feasible for me to attend a professional development event despite having a young child. I think this is a wonderful initiative to make professional development accessible for parents with kids (especially over a weekend). I have never been to a conference which has offered childcare before, but I hope more conferences follow JALT's lead in considering this!
Guardian and Caregiver Program
One guardian or caregiver may accompany you at the JALT2026 conference without charge if you would like to have someone available to:
After registration opens, you can arrange this by contacting jco@jalt.org
JALT2026 t-shirts, hoodies, bags and more!
JALT2026 conference goods have been added to our online shop! Also, you can still get JALT 50th Anniversary T-shirts, hoodies, keychains, hats, stickers, more! As well as goods from recent conferences. https://suzuri.jp/JALT/products
Nominations are now being accepted for the 2026 JALT Board Of Directors and Auditor elections. The nominations period shall be open from February 16th, 2024 to March 16th, 2026. Any JALT member in good standing may nominate any JALT member in good standing, including themselves. Details: https://jalt.org/2026/02/16/call-for-nominations-for-2026-board-of-directors-elections/
On February 15th at the JALT Executive Board Meeting, Kinsella Valies (the JALT National Elections Committee Chair) asked the members of the current board whether or not they intended to run for re-election. President: Clare Kaneko, Director of Membership: Julia Kimura, Director of Conference: Wayne Malcolm, Director of Public Relations: William Pellowe, and Auditor: Grant Osterman indicated that they would like to step down. All other members of the BOD stated their intention to run for re-election.
JALT receives a number of job advertisements each month. If you're looking for a new position, please check out our job posts on our JALT Publications site: https://jalt-publications.org/tlt/departments/career-development-corner/jobs
The Nagoya-Gifu Chapter of JALT is seeking papers on EFL topics. We are a double-blind, peer-reviewed journal.
Deadline is March 31, 2026
Have a K-12, ages 0=18 classroom idea, activity, or research insight to share? The School House welcomes submissions year-round, so you can submit whenever you are ready. Submissions link: https://tyl.jalt.org/the-school-house/submit-an-article-to-the-school-house
PanSIG is an annual conference organized by many of the Special Interest Groups (SIGs) of JALT.
Plenary Speakers have been confirmed:
We're looking forward to seeing you at PanSIG 2026!
Information about past PanSIG conferences (including photos, conference handbooks, etc.) can be found in the PanSIG Archive .
JALT's Osaka Chapter will hold its 16th Annual Back to School Conference on Sunday, April 26th, at Osaka Jogakuin University. The deadline for presentation proposals is March 15th.
The Listening SIG is delighted to announce their next annual event in affiliation with the JALT Kyoto Chapter and JALT Nara Chapter.
MEES 2026 is co-sponsored by the JALT Iwate-Aomori Chapter and Hachinohe Gakuin University.
Also, MEES announces the Featured Workshop by James York titled, "TBLT Gaming -- A Practical Framework for Teaching with Games."
JANET is the Japan Association for Nursing English Teaching. JANET is a Domestic Affiliate of JALT.
TEVAL TalkTime is the Testing and Evaluation SIG's informal space for sharing ideas, exploring assessment topics, and connecting with colleagues in a relaxed, collaborative environment. TalkTimes are intentionally flexible and discussion-driven. We welcome (and encourage!) your presentation and/or participation in sessions such as:
Whether you have a fully formed idea or just the beginnings of a question you’d like to think through with others, TalkTime is the perfect space. If you or someone you know would like to host or participate in any of the formats above, please fill out the event form.
A new year marks the season of new beginnings! The new academic year means that some of us are moving on to new jobs, perhaps even in new cities.
To ensure you stay connected, we'd like to remind you to update your mailing or email address if it is changing. Keeping your information current ensures you receive JALT publications and news without any interruptions.
For this symposium, we want to do something a little different. While the JALTCALL Conference continues to showcase high-quality research, this event places skills development at the forefront. The focus will be on hands-on, interactive workshops, guided discussions, and collaborative sessions designed to help teachers build skills they can immediately use in their classrooms.
Get your research out there and broaden the scope of presenters and topics at JALT events! Register here: JALT Speakers Bureau ・ JALT 講師バンク. Registering is not a commitment to present, but will allow a more streamlined approach to connecting with potential speakers outside of personal networks. Please note that all questions are optional and will be used by program chairs to help them ensure that their speakers represent the great diversity within JALT.
If you are a JALT Officer looking to use this resource, you can view the Speakers Bureau by logging into the jalt.org website --> View the officer resources --> Click on the "Programs and Events" tab. Please ensure that you keep all information strictly confidential and contact speakers for professional purposes only.
Below you'll find JALT events until the end of March, 2026. For events in April and beyond, and for details about the events below, please see https://jalt.org/events
Ibaraki JALT Chapter
Presentations by chapter members sharing classroom practice, teaching tools, and research-informed approaches
February 28, 1:00 PM-5:00 PM
Kyoto JALT Chapter
Research in and Researching Eikaiwa (Online via Google Meet)
March 6, 6:00 PM-8:00 PM
Computer Assisted Language Learning SIG
JALTCALL Spring Symposium-Teacher Development
March 7, 12:30 AM-5:00 PM
Teaching Younger Learners SIG
Positive Discipline Chat Lounge 5
March 8, 10:00 AM-11:30 AM
Nagoya & Gifu JALT Chapter
TYL (Teaching Young Learners) Forum: From Students to Teachers: What You Actually Need in Your First Month
March 14, 1:00 PM-5:00 PM
JALT Tochigi Chapter & Pragmatics SIG
[Hybrid] Noriko Ishihara: Reflecting on the sociopragmatics of microaggressions in L2 teaching and intercultural communication
March 14, 3:00 PM-5:00 PM
Fukuoka JALT Chapter
[Hybrid] Classroom Strategies for Fostering Independent Learning Among Lower Proficiency EFL Students
March 14, 3:30 PM-5:30 PM
Toyohashi JALT Chapter
Spring Talkshop
March 14, 4:00 PM-6:00 PM
Kitakyushu JALT Chapter
Reducing Foreign Language Anxiety Through the Use of Table-Top Roleplaying Activities
March 14, 5:30 PM-7:30 PM
Yokohama JALT Chapter
My Share: Teachers share practical classroom ideas, tools, and techniques
March 15, 1:00 PM-4:00 PM
Gunma JALT Chapter
Syllabus Development with Action Research in an English Writing Class
March 15, 2:00 PM-5:00 PM
Matsuyama JALT Chapter
Designing English for Veterinary Students: ESP in Action & Sparking Motivation: Practical Activities for Extensive Reading
March 21, 2:00 PM-4:00 PM
JALT Zoom for Professional Development (ZPD) Networking Event
March 31, 8:00 PM-9:00 PM
Preregister: https://go.jalt.org/zpdrsvp
If interested in representing JALT at one of our international partner conferences, please complete the following Google form (https://forms.gle/ERn7KiYjM4E5QVoHA) and contact international@jalt.org
That's all for this month. You can subscribe and / or access back issues here. Alternatively, if you'd rather not receive more information from JALT, you can unsubscribe here: https://hosted.jalt.org/membermail/unsubscribe-success.php?c=227
Best regards,
Bill Pellowe
JALT Director of Public Relations
pr@jalt.org
https://jalt.org