PanSIG 2026 - Building Language Competencies through Community

Session

605

23 May 2026, 11:00

0号building/6-605 (Chukyo University)

67. Pragmatic Instruction vs. Study Abroad in Learning Conventional Expressions

Vahid Rafieyan (Yamanashi Gakuin University)

23/05/2026, 11:00

PRAG: Pragmatics

A. Research-oriented Oral Presentation (25 minutes)

This study compares the effects of pragmatic instruction and educational sojourn on L2 learners’ knowledge of English conventional expressions. Findings show that explicit pragmatic instruction leads to significantly greater gains than study abroad alone. Interpreted through the Noticing Hypothesis, the results highlight the role of awareness in pragmatic development and support integrating...

117. Building classroom engagement with high frequency words and digital tools

Nick Boyes (Meijo Univer)

23/05/2026, 11:40

VOCAB: Vocabulary

B. Practice-oriented Presentation (25 minutes)

High-frequency vocabulary words boost fluency and TOEIC scores, yet many EFL learners struggle to retain and use them. This presentation demonstrates online tools for extracting high-frequency words from course materials, creating tests, and reviewing them as a learning community. Attendees will learn how to use digital versions of the NGSL and TOEIC wordlists to build students’ motivation,...

124. The Development of 21st-century Skills Through EFL Project-based Learning

Mr Josh Kidd (Utsunomiya University), Rory Banwell (Utsunomiya University)

23/05/2026, 12:20

CUE: College and University Educators

B. Practice-oriented Presentation (25 minutes)

This presentation examines how project-based learning (PBL) in a Japanese university EFL course supports the development of 21st-century competencies. Across three projects that focused on real-world tasks, students used English for research, collaboration, problem-solving, and dissemination of their work. Questionnaires, outcomes, and interview data indicate the enhancement of important...

50. Anger Expression in Japanese Close Relationships

Bryan Jennings (Yamagata University)

23/05/2026, 13:30

PRAG: Pragmatics

A. Research-oriented Oral Presentation (25 minutes)

This presentation examines how anger is expressed in Japanese close relationships, focusing on interactions among friends and family members. From a pragmatic perspective, it explores how patterns of anger expression are shaped through participation in social communities. Using Japanese media discourse as data, the study considers how such patterns contrast with English interactional norms and...

229. Strengthening oral English skills among ESL students via Poster Presentations

Parvathy Ramachandran (Kanazawa Institute of Technology)

23/05/2026, 14:50

CUE: College and University Educators

B. Practice-oriented Presentation (25 minutes)

This practice oriented study examines oral presentation strategies used by engineering majors in an ESL classroom, focusing on speaking evaluations and poster presentations. I developed this practice after observing students’ limited oral communication—many were shy, reluctant to speak, and lacked confidence. The intervention responds to these needs by offering low-stakes pair speaking and...

94. Building Language Competencies Through Pre-entry University Programs

Dr Hiroyo Nakagawa (Osaka Jogakuin University and College), Dr Kaori Hakone (Osaka Jogakuin University), Dr Tamara Swenson (Osaka Jogakuin University)

23/05/2026, 15:30

CUE: College and University Educators

A. Research-oriented Oral Presentation (25 minutes)

This study examines pre-entry education programs for incoming first-year students, cultivating their technological literacy and academic skills to transition from high school to university. This presentation analyzes an in-depth semi-structured interview with the developer of the pre-entry curriculum. The participant is a mentor and administrator at a learning center at a private university in...

263. Pragmatics SIG Forum: Building language competences through community

Benio Suzuki (Utsunomiya University), Saki Araki (Daito Bunka University), Yosuke Ishii (Seijo University)

24/05/2026, 09:30

Yosuke Ishii will consider the underexploited language potential of classroom “mini communities” of students working in groups or pairs and propose activities for students to both improve their language abilities and feel part of these communities. Saki Araki will report a preliminary investigation of the specific English language needs of professionals within working life communities in Japan...

227. The intended and unintended benefits of a simple speaking warm-up activity

Mr Tim Pritchard (Seinan Gakuin University)

24/05/2026, 10:50

CUE: College and University Educators

B. Practice-oriented Presentation (25 minutes)

​​This talk introduces a simple lesson warm-up activity. Firstly: students share any good news or bad news in pairs or groups. Secondly: the teacher asks students to share news with the class. Intended benefits of each step, and solutions to possible problems, will be discussed with classroom anxiety (Horwitz, Horwitz & Cope, 1986). Unintended benefits reported by students are discussed along...

203. Motivation Journals: A weekly look into what motivates language learners

Joseph Wood (Nanzan University)

24/05/2026, 11:30

CUE: College and University Educators

A. Research-oriented Oral Presentation (25 minutes)

This presentation examines how raising students’ awareness of their own motivation can impact how they feel about their language learning. For the study, students wrote weekly at home in motivation journals about what motivated or demotivated them each week. Data collection comes from 15 university students and includes surveys, interviews, and motivation journal entries. The data show that...

38. Using Common Cloud Applications for Collective Language Evaluation

George MacLean (University of the Ryukyus), Norman Fewell (Meio University)

24/05/2026, 12:40

CUE: College and University Educators

B. Practice-oriented Presentation (25 minutes)

Traditional grading often struggles to capture teamwork nuances and delivers feedback too late to drive student growth. This session demonstrates a practical system for combining instructor, peer, and self-evaluation using Google Workspace. Learn to use Google Forms and Sheets to automate scoring and streamline feedback for group projects. Ideal for online or hybrid settings, this low-cost...

165. From Voice to Agency: Student-Led Conferences as Community of Practice

Ann Flanagan (Ritsumeikan Junior and Senior High School)

24/05/2026, 13:20

GILE: Global Issues in Language Education

B. Practice-oriented Presentation (25 minutes)

This practice-oriented presentation explores student-led conferences as a community of practice in EFL education. By positioning students in leadership roles, student-led conferences foster agency, transformative learning experiences, learner autonomy, and practical language use. Drawing on the presenter’s experience in a private Japanese secondary school, the presentation shares strategies...

82. Teaching Microinterventions for Linguistic and Racial Microaggressions

Aurora Tsai (University of Tokyo), Daisuke Kimura (Waseda University)

24/05/2026, 14:00

GILE: Global Issues in Language Education

A. Research-oriented Oral Presentation (25 minutes)

Although microaggressions frequently attack racial minorities’ personhood and portray them as linguistically deficient, few studies have investigated how language educators can support learners’ resilience and response strategies. This study examines reflections from 70 Japanese mixed-heritage individuals about their encounters with microaggressions and their confrontation and coping...