Hello, and welcome to another monthly edition of JALT Talk, the announcements newsletter of the Japan Association for Language Teaching. I hope your summer has been relaxing. For many of us, our new classes are starting in a couple of weeks. To get your mind back on track, why not attend JALT's ZPD networking event Tuesday evening (August 29th, 8 PM) for back to school ideas, networking with likeminded professionals, and sharing stories from your summer with friends both old and new: http://bit.ly/ZPDRSVP. Also, among the announcements below you'll find a half dozen (6) My Share activities for the first class of the semester selected from our TLT archives. I hope you find an idea or two to add to your repetoire!
In this issue:
Job listings
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
JALT2023 Conference Preview: The Language Teacher - September 2023 (Issue 47.5)
The September issue of TLT contains all the information you need to prepare for this year's conference, including articles by the main speakers, workshop information, and accommodation and travel information. Look for it in your mailboxes, or head to our website to download a copy: https://jalt-publications.org/tlt/issues/2023-09_47.5
JALT2023 Hotel Registration through JTB and JALT
As in past years, JALT is teaming up with JTB ("Japan Travel Bureau", 株式会社ジェイティービー) to offer hotels for the weekend. With the Tsukuba marathon taking place the same weekend as JALT2023, and considering the number of hotels in Tsukuba that closed due to the COVID shutdown, we strongly encourage all attendees to book on their own or through the JALT website as soon as possible. Click here for the JALT / JTB hotel page: https://jalt.org/conference/jalt2023/accommodation
If you're booking on your own, one recommendation from locals is to check out Tsuchiura. From Tsuchiura, you can take a bus to Tsukuba Conference Center in 23 to 30 minutes. You can reach Tsuchiura from Shinagawa, Tokyo, and Ueno on the JR Joban-Line.
JALT2023 Plenary Speakers
We have a great lineup of plenary speakers for JALT2023:
Read more about our plenary lineup here: https://jalt.org/conference/jalt2023/plenary-speakers-2023
Unfortunately, Akiyoshi Yonezawa (Tohoku University), who was previously announced as a plenary speaker, will not be able to attend the conference due to a schedule conflict.
JALT2023 Preview Videos:
We have more on the way, so please subscribe to our channel to get notified: https://www.youtube.com/@npojalt
Presenters at JALT2023: You MUST register by 1 October 2023 to remain in the program
See https://jalt.org/conference/jalt2023/registration-guide
You'll be able to take advantage of the early-bird pre-registration discounts, so that's a good thing. Please note that for some fees, you could save money by joining JALT first, and not only get a lower conference fee but also reap the other benefits of JALT membership.
Attendees at JALT2023: Early-bird discount deadline is 31 October 2023
See https://jalt.org/conference/jalt2023/registration-guide for details about the various pricing tiers for JALT2023. Registration is now open, so you can register today!
Please note that for some fees, you could save money by joining JALT first, and not only get a lower conference fee but also reap the other benefits of JALT membership.
JALT2023 Conference Fee-Waiver Scholarships: Apply by September 15th
JALT wants to provide opportunities for JALT members and members of JALT's institutional partners who would like to present at the JALT2023 International Conference but are unable to due to a lack of financial support. A fee-waiver scholarship was set up to support educators in our field financially. For details on eligibility and applying, please see https://jalt.org/conference/jalt2023/scholarships
JALT2023 Postconference Publication: Call for Submissions
All noncommercial presenters at JALT2023 are cordially invited to submit a paper based on their presentation for publication in the official 2024 Postconference Publication, Growth Mindset in Language Education. In the same way that presentations were vetted prior to the conference, conference papers will also be subjected to peer review. The Publication also functions as an important reference point for foreign language teaching in Japan and beyond. We would therefore like to strongly encourage all presenters to submit a paper.
https://jalt-publications.org/proceedings/guidelines
Reminder: JALT is looking for interns for the 2023 International Conference.
If you've attended one of our Annual International Conferences before, you'll remember seeing these volunteers in pink t-shirts helping with registration, the cloak room, presentation timing, and more. If you know university or graduate school students with English skills that they'd like to put to use, please refer them to our "Call for interns" page. Some universities actually fund teachers to bring a group of interns each year as part of a work internship experience.
Take a look at what our interns have been doing at past conferences by browsing this photo album of Pink Shirt interns over the years. We also have a short recruiting video on YouTube (with Japanese subtitles).
Activities for the First Class of the Semester from our TLT Archive
For many of us, September is a new semester with new classes. If new classes in your situation means that most of the students in the class don't know each other very well yet, the following activities may inspire you.
A request from Julia Kimura, your Director of Membership:
When renewing your JALT membership, please consider opting in to allow JALT to forward your name and e-mail address to our Associate Members. We appreciate their generous support because it is a source of revenue, which helps us to keep overall costs down. A complete list of JALT's Associate Members is here: https://jalt.org/main/associate-members
The PanSIG 2024 Call for Presentation Proposals is scheduled to open November 1st, and close January 15th. For details about PanSIG 2024, please see https://pansig.org/2024
PanSIG is an annual conference usually held in May, and organized by many of the Special Interest Groups (SIGs) of JALT. Information about past PanSIG conferences (including photos, conference handbooks, etc.) can be found in the PanSIG Archive.
JALT CUE SIG 2023 Conference: Pre-registration ends September 1st
JALT's College and University Educators (CUE) SIG invites you to its 30th anniversary conference, CUEing for Success! Pre-registration closes September 1st. There are 1-day and 2-day options, with or without provided bento options. You can register here at EdZilla: https://cue2023.edzil.la/ticket/info
Please see the conference website for more information about this conference: http://cueconference.org
Call for submissions for The Listening Post journal (JALT Listening SIG)
Issue 2 of The Listening Post is scheduled to be published in early 2024.
The Listening Post seeks quality, empirically-based and theoretically-focused articles on listening research methods, the teaching of listening and the learning outcomes from listening in various language learning contexts. Submissions related to listening and other language skill development and/or other complementing components (i.e., resources) that are related to second and foreign language acquisition, will be considered. If you would be interested in reviewing articles for our journal too, please contact us.
Please send your submissions or contact us to discuss your idea at listening@jalt.org
New Listening Post Guidelines are now available online! https://jaltlistening.wordpress.com/new-the-listening-post-guidelines/
You can see the first issue here: https://jaltlistening.wordpress.com/2023/03/19/the-listening-post-1-1/
Call for short presentations and poster presentations for the JALT October Grand Forum October 8th (Gifu, Nagoya and Toyohashi JALT Chapters)
On Sunday, October 8th, 1pm to 4pm, you are invited to join the October Grand Forum, cohosted by Gifu, Nagoya and Toyohashi Chapters. The venue is attached to Gifu JR Station at the Juroku Plaza Building, 4th Floor.
Our plenary speakers are:
We are calling for short presentations and poster presentations. Student presenters are most welcome! If you would like to present, please complete the Call for Presentations: https://forms.gle/S7nL3BNMYi9CrQrM7 The final deadline to submit is September 23rd.
We also have some great sponsors for our event who you will hear more about soon.
The 62nd JACET International Convention (August 29-31)
JACET (Japan Association of College English Teachers) will hold the 62nd JACET International Convention from August 29th (Tue.) to August 31st (Thu.), 2023, at Meiji University in Tokyo. JACET and JALT are affiliate organizations. For more information about this conference, please see the JACET Convention website.
Call for presentations for the 42nd Thailand TESOL International Conference 2024 due August 31st
Thailand TESOL and JALT are affiliate organizations. For more information about this conference, please see http://tesol.conferences.in.th.
Call for presentations for the PALT 2023 International Conference due August 31, 2023
PALT is the Philippine Association for Language Teaching, Inc., an affiliate of JALT. For more information about this conference, please see https://www.paltphilippines.com.
Call for presentations for IATEFL 2024 International Conference due September 13th, 2023
IATEFL is the International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language. IATEFL's 57th International Conference & Exhibition will be held April 16-19, 2024. IATELF is an affiliate of JALT. For more information about this conference, see https://www.iatefl.org/conference/home.
Please note that you must be an IATEFL member to submit a proposal. JALT members can join IATEFL for a significant discount.
Call for presentations for the 28th NELTA International Conference 2024 due November 3rd, 2023
NELTA is the Nepal English Language Teacher's Association. NELTA and JALT are affiliates. For more information about this conference, please see https://www.nelta.org.np/conference/28.
Recent JALT Publications
For a full list of all of JALT's publications (including SIGs, chapters, and conferences), please see https://jalt.org/main/publications
JALT has published the JALT Postconference Publication: Learning from Students, Educating Teachers—Research and Practice - Issue 2022.1; August 2023. The papers published in the PCP cover a range of topics, concerns, and experiences of the language teaching professionals who presented at the 2022 JALT International Conference in Fukuoka. https://doi.org/10.37546/JALTPCP2022
JALT has published The Language Teacher - Issue 47.5; September 2023. The Language Teacher, or TLT as we usually refer to it, is JALT's bimonthly publication. The September issue of TLT contains all the information you need to prepare for this year's conference, including articles by the main speakers, workshop information, and accommodation and travel information. https://jalt-publications.org/tlt/issues/2023-09_47.5
JALT's Art, Research, and Teaching SIG has published ART Newsletter: July 2023. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gT0aJvbXcf4kteO5c1sM-cJP3av24Kdw/
Reminder: Call for presentation proposals: Teacher Development SIG's Teacher Journeys 2023 Conference
Since 2011, Teacher Journeys has evolved in many ways: from a face-to-face annual conference to a collection of curated videos online, and to a synchronous online conference. Yet, one feature has remained constant: it is one of the best venues for teachers across Japan and beyond to share reflections on their classroom situations.
This year, Teacher Journeys aims to facilitate a continuous dialogue between presenters and viewers culminating in a synchronous online conference on December 16th, 2023. Whether you want to share a well-thought educational insight with your colleagues or engage in exploratory conversation with your peers, Teacher Journeys is the place to be.
The deadline for proposals is August 31st. For more information, check out the conference website: https://tj.td.jalt.org/submission-guidelines/
Reminder: JALT Awards Nominations due September 11th, 2023
JALT has awards for teachers and researchers at various stages of their careers: Early Career Excellence Award, Mid-Career Scholar Award, and Lifetime Achievement Award. Any member is welcome to nominate another JALT member for an award--simply complete the Google Form in English or Japanese by 23:59 on Monday, September 11, 2023.
Nomination form: https://forms.gle/1NKYski3HPRNvCSQ6
Upcoming JALT Events
Event details: https://jalt.org/events
29 August 2023 (Tuesday), 8:00pm-9:00pm
[Online Event] JALT Zoom for Professional Development (ZPD) Networking Event
Featuring back-to-school ideas and topics of professional interests
Preregister: http://bit.ly/ZPDRSVP
02 September 2023, 9:00am to 5:15pm
15th NEAR Language Education Conference
http://nearconference.weebly.com
Co-hosted by the JALT Niigata and JALT Nagano Chapters
06 September 2023, 7:00pm
PSG Professional Development Workshop Series: Dr. Jeremy White
Hosted by the JALT Writers' Peer Support Group (PSG) and co-sponsored by JALT Shizuoka and JALT Ibaraki Chapters, the SPIN (Student Peer Interation Network) Committee, and JALT CALL SIG.
10 September 2023, 1:30am to 4:00am
Turning Trauma into Triumph: Communicative Language Teaching helps L2 students
JALT Toyohashi Chapter
10 September 2023, 10:00am to 12:00pm
[Online event] Nara JALT MyShare Event 2023
Nara JALT Chapter
10 September 2023, 3:00pm to 5:00pm
[Online event] Professional Development Needs of Elementary School Teachers of English
Okayama, Matsuyama and Tottori JALT Chapters
15-18 September 2023, 6:00pm to 12:00pm
CUE Conference 2023
JALT College and University Educators SIG
Location: University of Toyama (富山大学) in Gofuku, Toyama
Conference website: https://cue2023.edzil.la
16 September 2023, 9:30am to 5:00pm
ICLE & GILE Joint Conference 2023
A face-to-face joint event between the JALT ICLE (Intercultural Communication in Language Education) SIG and the GILE (Global Issues in Language Education) SIG.
Location: Kanda University of International Studies
Conference website: https://jalticle.org/course/view.php?id=6
16 September 2023, 6:00pm
Disruptive Innovation in Business Education: CLIL, PBL, and Our Community of Practice
Gifu JALT Chapter
16 September 2023, 6:00pm
Early finishers: What do students do when they finish tasks early, what does this tell us about tasks, and how should we treat early finishers?
Fukuoka JALT Chapter
16 September 2023, 6:30pm
The New General Service List (NGSL) Project: A Modular Approach for the Systematic Development of 2nd Language Vocabulary
Nagoya JALT Chapter
17 Septebmer 2023, 2:00pm to 4:00pm
[Online] Using Google Apps and ChatGPT for Language Learning
Matsuyama JALT Chapter
23 Septebmer 2023, 1:00pm
Workshop for English Teachers of Young Learners
JALT Teaching Younger Learners SIG
24 September 2023, 9:00am-3:00pm
Edcamp Nagoya 2023
Nagoya JALT Chapter
27 September 2023, 7:00pm to 8:30pm
What's in a mother tongue? How my relationship with Romanian changed over the years
JALT Other Language Educators SIG
28 September 2023, 7:00pm
Listening SIG Members' Meet up
The Listening SIG are proud to present our quarterly members meet up. LS369 is for members and potential members to meet online. Join us to network with other members, ask any questions related to listening teaching, learning, and research or simply come and say hello. In this session, we will be talking about metacognitive approaches and how to apply these to the L2 listening classroom. Please complete the registration form: https://forms.gle/ZCTaLufzQpWMvnW57
29 September 2023, 8:00pm to 9:00pm
Judit Kormos & Shungo Suzuki: Investigating second language fluency
Tokyo JALT Chapter
07 October 2023, 10:00am
2023 JALT Vocabulary SIG Annual Symposium
JALT Vocabulary SIG
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=153
Best regards,
Bill Pellowe
JALT Director of Public Relations
pr@jalt.org
https://jalt.org