Speaker
Description
Global education is an exciting pedagogical field that aims to bring the world into the classroom and take students out into the wider world. How can it empower language teachers to engage their students with the local community, use their language skills on an international stage and prepare them for global citizenship in a multicultural world? This talk will summarize four decades of experience from rural Japan on how to “think globally and teach locally.”
Abstract section 4: Outcomes/results
This presentation provides a thought-provoking case study of how language teaching can promote global awareness, international understanding and world citizenship. The talk will feature a variety of creative ideas on how to design classes, courses and materials on global themes. Participants will learn about the constraints, challenges and opportunities facing global educators in rural regions and gain a greater understanding of how global education principles can be integrated into foreign language programs. The session aims to inspire and encourage language educators to bring the world into the classroom, take students into the world and teach for a better future.
Abstract section 1: Relevance
The JALT 2026 conference theme is “Beyond the Classroom: From Local Voice to Global Impact”. This presentation directly addresses this theme by describing initiatives the presenter has developed in rural Japan that take students out of the classroom, engage them with the wider world and empower them as global citizens. These initiatives are based on teaching ideas and approaches from the field of global education, developed by pioneers such as Kniep (1987), Pike & Selby (1988) and Bentley (1998), and by more recent scholars such as Osler & Starkey (2005), Maley & Peachey (2017) and Jacobs & Crookes (2022).
Abstract section 2: Contribution/research questions
This talk will summarize lessons learned from the presenter’s four decade long career of working as a language teacher and global educator at a national university in Tottori, Japan. It will describe initiatives he has taken with local students in a rural setting to promote global awareness, social responsibility and world citizenship. These range from designing content-based lessons on global themes to organizing out-of-class projects and programs that engage students with the wider world.
Abstract section 3: Content/method
The session will start by outlining the presenter’s background and explaining his rationale for taking a global education approach to language teaching. It will then describe initiatives he has taken to prepare university students in rural Japan for global citizenship. These include designing content-based teaching units on global issue themes (peace, human rights, the environment) as well as community tasks, NGO field trips, international pen-pal exchanges and overseas programs to Mexico, North America and Asia.
Abstract section 5: References
Bentley, T. (1998). Learning beyond the classroom: Education for a changing world. Routledge.
Jacobs, G. & Crookes, G. (Eds.) (2022). Becoming community-engaged educators. Springer.
Kniep, W. (1987). Next steps in global education. American Forum.
Maley, A. & Peachey, N. (2017). Integrating global issues in the creative English language classroom, British Council.
Osler, A. and Starkey, H. (Eds). (2005). Citizenship and language learning. Trentham Books.
Pike, G. & Selby, D. (1988). Global teacher, global learner. Hodder & Stoughton.
| Title | Think Globally, Teach Locally: Lessons from Rural Japan |
|---|---|
| Teaching Context | General |