PanSIG 2026 - Building Language Competencies through Community

May 23, 2026, 12:00 AM → May 24, 2026, 11:59 PM Asia/Tokyo

Chukyo University - Nagoya Campus

Gabriela Schmidt (JALT CEFR LP SIG President)

Theme Overview

The theme “Community Building for Language Competency” highlights the vital role of collaboration in fostering effective language education. This conference will focus on three interconnected areas: 

(1) professional development for teachers,
(2) supporting students in developing practical, real-world competencies, and
(3) the role of communities of practice in enhancing teacher and learner development within diverse contexts. 

We will explore how professional development initiatives can empower young and emerging teachers by equipping them with the knowledge, confidence, and networks needed to thrive. At the same time, we will emphasize innovative, learner-centered approaches that build students’ practical language competencies and prepare them for meaningful communication beyond the classroom. 

Central to this vision is the creation of inclusive, multilingual communities of practice, where teachers, learners, and stakeholders collaborate across languages and cultures to share expertise and cultivate mutual growth. By strengthening professional pathways, practical skills, and relational ties, the conference aims to support the development of more equitable and connected language-learning communities in the future.

PanSIG 2026 will be in Nagoya at the Chukyo University on May 23rd and 24th, 2026 with Gabriela Schmidt as conference chair and Phil Nguyen as site chair.

YOU NEED TO SIGN UP FOR AN INDICO ACCOUNT BEFORE REGISTERING FOR PANSIG. This is different from your JALT.org account. You can register for an account here.

Editing_an_Indico_Contribution.pdf

PanSIG: Key Information About Submitting an Abstract

timetable.pdf

Sat, May 23

12:00 AM → 1:00 AM Plenary 4

12:00 AM → 1:00 AM Plenary 5

12:00 AM → 1:00 AM Plenary 6

12:00 AM → 1:00 AM SIG Forum: Art, Research, and Teaching

12:00 AM → 1:00 AM SIG Forum: Mixed, Augmented, and Virtual Realities

12:00 AM → 1:00 AM SIG Forum: Task-Based Learning

12:00 AM → 1:00 AM SIG Forum: Teachers Helping Teachers

12:00 AM → 1:00 AM SIG Forum: Vocabulary

12:00 AM → 12:25 AM Sponsored Presentation (Abax): Making Language Matter: CLIL in Practice

CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) is an approach to English teaching that falls within the broader framework of Content-Based Instruction (CBI). Rather than focusing on isolated grammar or vocabulary, it engages students through meaningful content. CLIL classes offer several advantages, including real-world relevance, deeper cognitive engagement, and enhanced linguistic salience—all of which support second language acquisition (SLA). In addition, CLIL often has a positive impact on learner motivation. Assessment in CBI classes, particularly in the age of AI, also presents important considerations.

Speaker: Alastair Graham-Marr (ABAX Ltd)

12:00 AM → 12:25 AM Sponsored Presentation (Cambridge University Press & Assessment): From input to confidence: How EVOLVE Second Edition gets students speaking

Sponsored Presentation: Cambridge University Press & Assessment

Helping students speak confidently remains a key challenge in many English language classrooms. This presentation introduces the latest edition of EVOLVE, the Second Edition, a six level general English course built on the principle that speaking matters. Informed by insights from language teaching experts and feedback from over 2,000 real students worldwide, EVOLVE places meaningful speaking practice at the centre of every unit through features such as dedicated Time to Speak lessons, real student video content, and carefully scaffolded lesson stages. The session also outlines key updates in the Second Edition, including enhanced grammar support, improved accessibility, and new digital tools on Cambridge One, showing how EVOLVE supports both teachers and learners in making speaking a realistic and achievable classroom goal.

Speaker: Tomoe AOYAMA (Cambridge University Press & Assessment)

12:00 AM → 12:25 AM Sponsored Presentation (Kinseido): Practical Classroom Activities for Developing Critical Thinking in EFL

This presentation introduces a selection of practical classroom activities designed to help EFL learners develop critical thinking skills. Drawing on Bloom’s Taxonomy and task-based language teaching principles, the session will briefly outline a framework for integrating critical thinking into everyday classroom practice.
The focus will be on demonstrating a small number of adaptable activities that encourage learners to engage with different perspectives, express opinions, and support their ideas through discussion. Examples from the In Focus series will be used to illustrate how these activities can be incorporated into a vocabulary-driven, four-skills curriculum.
The session emphasizes practical application, offering teachers a set of ideas that can be readily adapted for use in their own teaching contexts.

Speaker: Charles Browne (Meiji Gakuin University)

KinseidoPresentation.docx

12:00 AM → 12:25 AM Sponsored Presentation (National Geographic/Cengage): Getting STEM Students to Speak with Science Talk

This session introduces Science Talk as a classroom resource to help university STEM students speak more actively in English. It shows how selected units can be used to support communication on science-related topics and everyday academic situations, while offering practical ideas for teachers seeking to incorporate STEM content into communication-focused English lessons.

Speakers: Connor Edwards, Tae Kudo (Kwansei Gakuin University)

12:00 AM → 12:25 AM Sponsored Presentation (OUP): Turning Stories into Speech: Using AI to Connect Extensive Reading and Communicative Competence

Extensive Reading (ER) programs provide learners with the large amounts of comprehensible input necessary for language development. A persistent challenge, however, is helping learners move from input to active language use. This session explores how AI powered digital tools can bridge that gap by connecting ER with meaningful communication practice beyond the classroom. Through role plays, guided conversations with AI chat partners, and pronunciation practice with detailed, individualized feedback, participants will see practical examples of how learners can activate internalized language in low anxiety, engaging contexts to build fluency and confidence.

Speaker: Rob Peacock

12:00 AM → 12:25 AM Sponsored Presentation (Pearson): Preparing Students with Soft Skills Beyond the Classroom

This presentation demonstrates how language teachers can help students develop soft skills such as critical thinking, communication and collaboration, in their classrooms. Enhancing these soft skills — ones AI cannot readily replace — is increasingly important for students’ future lives. The presenter advocates that examining and exchanging points of view can simultaneously improve students’ engagement, communication, critical thinking and language skills. Sample materials, activities and strategies will be introduced, alongside supporting theories.

Speaker: Junko YAMANAKA (Aichi Gakuin Univesity)

12:00 AM → 12:25 AM Sponsored Presentation 10

12:00 AM → 12:25 AM Sponsored Presentation 11

12:00 AM → 12:25 AM Sponsored Presentation 12

12:00 AM → 12:25 AM Sponsored Presentation 13

12:00 AM → 12:25 AM Sponsored Presentation 14

12:00 AM → 12:25 AM Sponsored Presentation 15

12:00 AM → 12:25 AM Sponsored Presentation 16

12:00 AM → 12:25 AM Sponsored Presentation 17

12:00 AM → 12:25 AM Sponsored Presentation 18

12:00 AM → 12:25 AM Sponsored Presentation 19

12:00 AM → 12:25 AM Sponsored Presentation 20

12:00 AM → 12:25 AM Sponsored Presentation 9

12:00 AM → 12:25 AM Sponsored presentation (English Central): Introducing an Open-Source AI-Powered CEFR-Aligned Level Test (OpenALT)

The Open AI Level Test (OpenALT) is an open-source English proficiency assessment designed to estimate learners’ levels using the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). The test integrates vocabulary knowledge, listening response, and short conversational interaction to provide a practical estimate of proficiency aligned with CEFR levels and Can-Do descriptors.

It consists of three components. First, a vocabulary diagnostic measures receptive lexical knowledge using high-frequency items drawn from the New General Service List (NGSL). Second, a listening-response module evaluates learners’ ability to understand short spoken prompts and produce brief responses. Third, an AI-powered conversational task elicits short spoken or typed responses through a chatbot interface.

By combining these components, the test offers an efficient and accessible way to assess communicative ability across CEFR levels.

Speaker: Shinji Ebine (EnglishCentral)

12:00 AM → 12:25 AM Sponsored presentation (Tryalogue Education): What Makes a “Hot Topic”? 4 Keys to Effective Class Discussion

Choosing suitable discussion topics is crucial for encouraging lively interaction among students. But why do some class discussion topics work well in Japan, and others don’t? In this session, the presenter will share some recent findings from a research project conducted among Japanese university teachers. Attendees will explore four simple but essential criteria that can be used for identifying effective discussion topics for Japanese high school or university English classes.

Speaker: Sean Bermingham

9:45 AM → 10:45 AM Plenaries: Opening Ceremony & Plenary 1

9:45 AM Plenary 1

Robert Stroud: Connected Voices, Connected Worlds: Reimagining FLT Communities Together
Across global ELT communities, practitioners are navigating a pivotal moment: technology and AI are accelerating rapidly, yet many learners feel increasingly disconnected from one another. Even with constant online engagement, genuine interaction, intercultural curiosity, and learner confidence can quietly diminish. This plenary examines how ELT educators and community leaders can shape a more human, future focused approach to language learning—one where connection, collaboration, and belonging remain central. Drawing on insights from Culture Club, a global educator led exchange project, as well as current developments in EdTech, AI, and task based learning, the talk demonstrates how intentional design and practitioner driven innovation can transform digital tools into catalysts for community rather than fragmentation. Participants will explore practical, scalable strategies that bridge theory and classroom practice: fostering inclusive communication, designing learner centered intercultural tasks, and building emotionally supportive online and offline ELT communities.

Speaker: Robert Stroud (Hosei University)

11:00 AM → 12:45 PM 08A: Sat morning 08A

11:00 AM Designing Four Skills Materials for a TOEIC Preparation Class

This paper describes the development of pedagogical materials for a university TOEIC preparation course in an EFL context. Using TOEIC listening items as core input, the materials integrate vocabulary, grammar, listening, reading, writing, and speaking activities. Drawing on Nation’s four strands and Understanding by Design, the materials support beginner learners in developing communicative competence while preparing for the TOEIC test.

Speaker: Ms Ayako Taguchi (Self-employed)

11:40 AM Duty or pleasure? University Students’ Motivation towards Extensive Reading

Extensive reading (ER) relies heavily on learner motivation, as sustained and enjoyable reading is essential for progress. This study investigates motivation among Japanese university students enrolled in an ER course aimed at enhancing reading fluency and attitudes toward English. We consider motivational principles, student profiles, and program design. Although students actively engage with ER tasks during the course, findings indicate low motivation to continue reading independently once assessment requirements end.

Speakers: Daniel Scott (Kwansei Gakuin University), Susan Bremner

12:20 PM Promoting stronger language teacher communities through the practice of compassion

Drawing on the narrative of five Japanese university English teachers, this presentation explores how different dimensions of compassion contribute to teachers’ mental well-being and create meaningful spaces for connection within professional communities.

Speaker: Bao Nguyen (Hyogo University)

11:00 AM → 12:45 PM 08B: Sat morning 08B

12:20 PM Consonant Doubling in English: Challenges for Bengali ESL Learners

11:00 AM → 12:45 PM 603: Sat morning 603

11:00 AM → 12:45 PM 604: Sat morning 604

11:00 AM Learning Walks and Contributory Research in Study Abroad Contexts

12:20 PM The Impact of Community on EMI Linguistic Challenges

Combining the findings of two doctoral studies conducted at the same institution in Japan, this presentation examines the linguistic challenges experienced by EMI students and explores how these were frequently heightened or mitigated by peer relations, participation norms, and EMI classroom communities. In particular, we examine how the greater language proficiency and international learning backgrounds of their EMI peers significantly impacted how students experienced—and responded to—their EMI challenges.

Speakers: Peter Brereton (International Christian University), Joe Garner (International Christian University)

11:00 AM → 12:45 PM 605: Sat morning 605

11:00 AM Pragmatic Instruction vs. Study Abroad in Learning Conventional Expressions

11:40 AM Building classroom engagement with high frequency words and digital tools

Speaker: Nick Boyes (Meijo Univer)

12:20 PM The Development of 21st-century Skills Through EFL Project-based Learning

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 21st-century and language skills. The study also highlights design, management, and assessment challenges, and offers implications for the design and implementation of PBL in EFL contexts.

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

11:00 AM → 12:45 PM 606: Sat morning 606

11:00 AM Vipasaana Meditation for Teacher Well-Being: Skills for Everyday Practice

Teacher well-being is essential for strong professional communities and effective learning environments, yet many educators face chronic stress and burnout. Research shows meditation reduces stress and improves resilience (Valosek et al., 2021), while Vipassana enhances physiological regulation and emotional stability (Krygier et al., 2013). This presentation introduces practical Vipassana techniques that teachers can integrate into daily routines to support sustainable well-being and help build healthier, more connected classroom communities overall.

Speaker: Chris Regier

11:40 AM AI and Business Communication: Business Communication SIG Forum:

AI and Business Communication
This JALT Business Communication SIG forum will explore how advances in AI are reshaping business communication and business communication education. The session will feature two short talks, followed by a panel discussion with audience participation. Topics will include changes in traditional business communication skills, the impact of AI on English-mediated business communication, and learners’ perceptions of AI chatbot use in language learning. The forum aims to provide an opportunity to consider from multiple perspectives how AI is influencing communication in business and educational contexts.

Speakers: Prof. Tanaka Hiromasa (Meisei University), Prof. Michael Hofmeyr (Tokyo University of Science)

AI and Business Communication

11:00 AM → 12:45 PM 607: Sat morning 607

11:00 AM SIG Forum: Performance in Education (PIE)

12:20 PM Beats & Pieces: Poetry and Music Performance in University EFL Settings

What happens when poetry, rhythm, and collaboration meet in the EFL classroom? This session explores a creative writing activity in which students write poems in the vein of George Ella Lyon’s Where I’m From, then perform them together over simple beats made with music technology (Teenage Engineering Pocket Operators). Participants will try a short hands-on version of the activity and leave with ideas for integrating poetry, performance, and sound into their teaching.

Speaker: Philip Norton (Kyoto Sangyo University)

11:00 AM → 12:45 PM 608: Sat morning 608

11:00 AM Innovative Inaka: Approaches to Motivate K-12 Rural Educators and Students

This study examines how the rural‑urban divide in Japan limits opportunities for K–12 teachers and students, creating socio‑spatial challenges that restrict academic success. By analyzing MEXT standards and reforms, it critiques the complex reasons behind persistent disparities. Surveys with high school students and interviews with rural educators reveal outdated teaching methods and their impact on developing global citizens. Case studies from Kansai highlight progress and challenges, concluding with practical strategies to close the rural‑urban gap.

Speaker: Ms VictoriaH Bergström (Providence College and Kyoto Prefectural Board of Education)

11:40 AM SIG Forum: Materials Writers: "Co-Creating the Curriculum"

In alignment with the PanSIG 2026 theme of Community, this year’s forum will center on the collaborative nature of content creation. While materials writing is often viewed as a solitary task for the "expert" teacher, this year we want to highlight the bridge between the writer and the learner. To that end, this year’s forum will showcase four presentations focusing on the different aspects of student involvement in materials development.

Speakers: Bethany Lacy (Rikkyo University), Ms Deepti Mishiro (Kobe University), Nicola Hannah (Nagoya City University), Andre Parsons (Hokkaido University of Education - Hakodate)

11:00 AM → 12:45 PM 801: Sat morning 801

11:00 AM SIG Forum: Computer Assisted Language Learning

Speakers: Prof. Anthony Brian Gallagher (Meijo University), Bradley Irwin (Kyoritsu Women's University), Geoffrey Carr (Asahikawa City University), Kevin Wrobetz (Kobe Gakuin University), Luc Gougeon (Sojo University), Michael Hofmeyr (Tokyo University of Science), Robert Dykes (Conference Chair (CALL 2024, PanSIG 2025, SUTLF 2026)), Robert Remmerswaal (Prefectural University of Kummamoto)

12:20 PM Building Pragmatic Competence Through Human-AI Collaborative Learning

This research demonstrates how collaborative human-AI analysis builds pragmatic competence in EFL learners. Comparing native speakers, non-native speakers, and AI models on sarcasm detection revealed shared challenges (60% accuracy for natives, 51% for non-natives). These insights informed a pedagogical intervention where students learned through computational pattern analysis and peer collaboration. Results suggest that community-based exploration of AI-identified patterns, combined with metalinguistic discussion, effectively develops real-world digital communication skills essential for online communities.

Speaker: Oliver Cakebread-Andrews (Kwansei Gakuin University)

11:00 AM → 12:45 PM 802: Sat morning 802

11:00 AM Building interactive speaking skills through 'small talk' activities in JHS

Small talk activities are commonly used in JHS English classes but often lack systematic planning. This presentation proposes a three-year scope and sequence using spaced retrieval and recycling, provides easy-to-follow lesson steps and classroom tips, and supports teachers in creating consistent small-talk routines and dealing with common challenges.

Speaker: Laura Pratt (British Council, Tokyo)

11:40 AM Finding Motivation in Hidden Places: Geocaching for Meaningful English Learning

This presentation reports on a task-based English class using geocaching to engage Japanese engineering students. Geocaching, a GPS-based treasure hunt with a global community, lets learners experience English beyond textbooks. Students participated in video-based learning, cache-hunting, online investigations, problem creation, cache installation, and presentations. These interest-driven tasks promoted active engagement, meaningful language use, and curiosity. Classroom activities and learner reflections will be shared in the presentation.

Speaker: Miki Tokunaga (National Institute of Technology, Kurume College)

12:20 PM Making COIL Work: Addressing the Challenges

While COIL offers significant benefits for English language proficiency and intercultural competence, implementation entails substantial challenges. In this presentation, two experienced COIL instructors share insights from COIL projects at Japanese universities. Key challenges include finding compatible partners, managing language anxiety, navigating cultural communication differences, and coordinating logistics. This presentation offers practical strategies for overcoming obstacles while maximizing the benefits of COIL. The audience will be invited to share their own COIL challenges and advice.

Speakers: Dr Elizabeth Lavolette (Kyoto Sangyo University), Dr Mahboubeh Rakhshandehroo (DWCLA)

11:00 AM → 12:45 PM 803: Sat morning 803

11:00 AM Building an action research community for busy, early career teachers

This presentation applies CDST and ecological perspectives to show how language learning emerges through nonlinear interactions among learners, tasks, and environments—perspectives still underrepresented in Japanese ELT. It clarifies key constructs and links them to practical techniques such as project based tasks, affordance rich environments, and dynamic assessment. It also introduces a scalable action research model for busy early career teachers, offering onboarding support, collaborative structures, light data routines, and tools adaptable to diverse institutional contexts.

Speaker: Dr Noriko Nagai (JALT)

11:40 AM SIG Forum: CEFR and Language Portfolio

CEFR LP SIG Forum - Round table discussion

Speakers: Dr Adiene Susej Roque de Hishiyama (Seikei University), Gabriela Schmidt (JALT CEFR LP SIG President), Dr Noriko Nagai (JALT)

11:00 AM → 12:45 PM 804: Sat morning 804

11:00 AM Graphic-Text Integration in Graded Readers: A Systematic Analysis of Visual-Verbal Design Patterns Across Proficiency Levels

Speaker: Chutipa Kongsombut (Thammasat University)

11:40 AM Effect of Timed & Extensive Reading on Non-English Majors’ Reading Rates

Few studies have examined how lower-level, non-English majors’ reading rates improve through extensive reading. The present study investigates the combined effects of timed and extensive reading on reading rates over one academic year for Japanese non-English major university students (n = 35). The study provides evidence that subjects who read over 150,000 standard words a year show a significant improvement in reading rates while subjects that read less show far more modest reading rate gains.

Speaker: James McCrostie (Daito Bunka University)

12:20 PM What happens after one year of ER?: A case study in progress

Speaker: Toshihiko Shiotsu (Kurume University)

11:00 AM → 12:45 PM 805: Sat morning 805

11:00 AM Trans-speakerism: Building global teachers of Englishes (GTEs) through community

Native-speakerism continues to erode language teachers’ professional identities by privileging “native speakers” over equally qualified educators. Drawing on qualitative research with 12 participants, this talk interrogates how such hierarchies undermine professional legitimacy and inflict psychological harm. It then advances trans-speakerism as a corrective framework and highlights its capacity to reframe professionalism around knowledge, qualifications, and experience. The talk concludes by proposing Global Teachers of Englishes (GTEs) and outlining implications for fairer teacher education and development.

Speaker: Takaaki Hiratsuka

11:40 AM A Multimodal Visual Collective Autoethnography of Vietnamese Teacher Precarity in the Context of English Language Teaching

12:20 PM Japanese University Students’ Attitudes toward English Diversity

This study focuses on the multilingual shift and Global English Language Teaching, which emphasise diverse English varieties and challenge native-speaker norms. Previous research indicates that exposure to diverse English speakers shifts both teachers' and learners' perspectives towards communication-focused usage. Building on these findings, this study examines Japanese private university students' attitudes towards diverse Englishes following instruction from teachers with varied linguistic backgrounds.

Speaker: Hiroki Konishi (Kansai University)

11:00 AM → 12:45 PM 806: Sat morning 806

11:00 AM Social justice educators as emergent strategists for community-building

This presentation introduces emergent strategy, a proactive, relational pedagogy grounded in complexity, intentional adaptation, small-scale interactions that centre relationships, and collective visioning for more equitable futures (brown, 2017). The presenter explains how this framework is enacted by university educators’ micro-level, relational acts, such as their relationship and trust-building with students. Attendees will leave with a conceptual model and concrete, practice-oriented examples so they can use emergent strategy in their own diverse ELT contexts for social justice.

Speaker: Shawna M. Carroll (Capilano University)

11:40 AM Fostering Online Teacher PD Communities: Japan-Philippines Collaboration

This presentation reports on a cross-border professional development initiative connecting English teachers from a national university in Japan and a college in the Philippines. The project used structured online interaction and shared digital spaces to foster trust, identify shared interests, and support organic professional collaboration. Findings show how community-driven design strengthens professional networks and supports sustainable, context-responsive teacher development.

Speakers: Dr Josh Kidd (Utsunomiya University), Rory Banwell (Utsunomiya University)

12:20 PM Pre-Service Teachers’ Imagined Identities in Teaching Philosophy Statements

Speaker: Beibei Ren

11:00 AM → 12:45 PM 807: Sat morning 807

11:00 AM "Catch Fish Effect" for Sustainable Self-Directed Professional Development in HigherEd Language Education

In higher education language teaching, rapid technological change and diverse student needs challenge traditional top‑down professional development, which often fails to produce sustainable growth. This study examines the “catch fish effect” within Self‑Directed Professional Development (SDPD), emphasising educator agency and autonomy. Findings show that self‑guided inquiry enhances motivation, resilience, pedagogical innovation, and job satisfaction. With institutional support, SDPD fosters a sustainable culture of lifelong learning, enabling language educators to thrive in evolving academic contexts.

Speakers: Frankie Har (The Hong Kong Polytechnic University), Mr Jamie SULLIVAN (The Hong Kong Polytechnic University)

11:40 AM Roots & Shoots in the Classroom: Growing Global Citizens through English (LLL SIG FORUM)

Roots & Shoots in the Classroom: Growing Global Citizens through English

As Dr. Jane Goodall reminds us, “Every individual matters. Every individual has a role to play. Every individual makes a difference.” Inspired by her Roots & Shoots movement, this 2026 Lifelong Learning SIG Forum explores how English education can cultivate empathy, environmental awareness, and a sense of global responsibility across the lifespan of learning. Forum participants will share classroom practices and community projects that embody the Roots & Shoots spirit — fostering compassion for people, respect for animals, and care for the planet through meaningful language use. Together, we will discuss how lifelong learning and language education can nurture hope, agency, and positive action in an age of uncertainty. This session invites all educators to reflect on how we can plant seeds of understanding, connection, and kindness through our teaching — helping learners of all ages grow as thoughtful, engaged global citizens. See the full descriptions of the contributions by each of the presenters at: https://living4now.org/growing-global-citizens-through-english-lll-sig-forum-at-pansig-2026/.

Speakers:

Joseph Dias (Aoyama Gakuin University) currently coordinates the Integrated English Program for the English Department at Aoyama Gakuin University and he is the president of JALT’s Lifelong Language Learning SIG.

Catherine Takasugi (Jissen Women’s University) holds a Doctorate in Education from the University of Calgary in Canada. Her current research focuses on multicultural families’ experiences of school refusal in Japan. Alternative perspective, creative style, and storytelling characterize her work. In the classroom she actively cultivates a culture of care ensuring that all students feel welcomed, respected, and valued.

Chiyuki Yanase (Keio University) is a lecturer at several universities in the Tokyo area and a facilitator of the Lifelong Language Learning SIG Forum. She is a strong advocate for wellbeing-focused education and is passionate about incorporating creativity and imagination into her language classes to foster learner engagement, empathy, and holistic development.

Speakers: Prof. Joseph Dias (Aoyama Gakuin University), Dr Catherine Takasugi (Jissen Women's University), Chiyuki Yanase (Keio University)

JALT 2026 Lifelong Language Learning SIG Forum.docx

JALT 2026 Lifelong Language Learning SIG Forum.pdf

Roots & Shoots in the Classroom: Growing Global Citizens through English

Roots & Shoots in the Classroom: Growing Global Citizens through English

11:00 AM → 12:45 PM 808: Sat morning 808

11:00 AM Learning by designing: Children’s media in a university EFL course

This presentation examines how university EFL students develop awareness of audience, value, and accessibility while designing children’s media that is engaging and relevant for younger audiences. Drawing on classroom-based action research, the study analyzes student reflections and project work to identify patterns in how learners conceptualize media for children. The presentation highlights the pedagogical potential of children’s media design tasks for supporting learner development and reflective thinking in university EFL contexts.

Speaker: Roberto Soto Prado (Kanda University of International Studies)

11:40 AM Developing L2 Oracy and SEL via Motivational Effects in PBL Contexts

Speaker: MINGCHIA LIN

12:20 PM Cooperative Learning and EFL Speaking Development: Fluency, Anxiety, and Willingness to Communicate

11:00 AM → 12:45 PM 809: Sat morning 809

11:00 AM Dialogic Pedagogy and Student–Teacher Partnership in Japan

Speaker: Sarah Padfield (Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University)

11:40 AM Beyond Textbook English: How a Japanese Caddie Uses Multimodal Communication Strategies

Speaker: Sachi Oshima (Chuo Gakuin University)

12:20 PM Building Intercultural Community: A Project with Seven Nationalities

This presentation outlines a CLIL course for a class of seven nationalities. It explores how classroom diversity was used to teach cultural and intercultural theory. The session highlights a "Guidebook Project" where multinational groups created practical resources for new international students. The presenter will share the project design, instructions, and grading criteria, offering a framework for building inclusive communities and facilitating intercultural mediation in diverse educational settings.

Speaker: Mariko Yamada (Rikkyo University)

11:00 AM → 12:45 PM 810: Sat morning 810

11:00 AM Developing Intercultural Understanding Through Community in EFL Classrooms

This study explores how intercultural understanding develops through role-based discussions in a multicultural, multilingual university EFL content-based learning course. It examines student interactions with particular attention to moments when assumptions, values, and perspectives become visible and influence interpretation. The findings indicate that students reconsidered and expanded their perspectives through collaborative meaning-making, especially when clarifying and resolving misunderstandings. The study suggests that these co-learning processes, supported by shared leadership, are central to the development of intercultural communication.

Speaker: Kaori Hakone (Osaka Jogakuin University)

11:40 AM DEI in practice: Creating socially just, inclusive, & equitable classrooms

This DEI-sponsored panel explores intersecting dimensions of justice, identity, and inclusion in English language teaching (ELT), highlighting pedagogical approaches that challenge inequitable structures within education that impact classroom communities. Moderator, Michi Saki, invites us to engage in four interrelated presentations: Noriko Ishihara (Hosei University) introduces the concept of linguistic justice, urging teachers to value all languages and varieties equally by integrating multilingual translanguaging and sociopragmatic practices that resist linguistic hierarchies. Yuzuko Nagashima (Yokohama National University) examines native-speakerism through an intersectional framework, revealing how race, gender, and sexuality shape the lived experiences of ELT professionals and calls for equity-oriented pedagogies that dismantle systemic privilege. From a look into classroom-based inquiries, Chhayankdhar Singh Rathore (Konan Women’s University) shares an exploratory journey with female university students that redefines feminism as an evolving, student-centered dialogue, using media and performance to engage gender awareness in meaningful ways. Finally, Davey Young (Institute of Science Tokyo) focuses on inclusive education by advocating for communities of practice (CoPs) that support teachers in addressing the diverse needs of students with disabilities. Join us in these important topics related to DEI for the cultivation of equitable, diverse, and inclusive learning communities.

Speakers: Michi Saki (Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts), Dr Noriko Ishihara (Hosei University), Yuzuko Nagashima (Yokohama National University), Chhayankdhar Singh Rathore (Konan Women's University), Davey Young (Institute of Science Tokyo)

2026 PanSIG DEI panel.pdf

12:45 PM → 1:30 PM Posters - 1F Gallery: Saturday posters

12:45 PM Beyond Vocabulary Size: Vocabulary Depth Links L2 Listening and Brain Connectivity

Speaker: Takara Kenza Allal-Sumoto (University of Hyogo)

12:45 PM Factors for exchange program participation using quantitative text analysis

This study examined factors of decision making to participate in an exchange program by employing quantitative text analysis of interviews from six students. Co-occurrence network of frequently occurring words and correspondence analysis of words revealed differences and similarities in responses such as motivation of language learning and academic learning and mind set of exploring based on short-term study abroad program experience.

Speaker: Akiko Chochol (Shizuoka University)

12:45 PM Other-repair in L2 interaction: A strategy for mutual understanding

Speakers: TILABI YIBIFU (National Institute of Technology, Akita College), Deepti Mishiro (MSBoJ Coordinator/ IAC Commitee Member)

12:45 PM Successful Strategies for Teaching Students with Disabilities: Professional Development for Language teachers

Many foreign language teachers in Japanese higher education institutions lack expertise knowledge of special needs instruction to teach Students with Disabilities (SWDs). Without guidelines, understanding how to adapt teaching approach and learning materials to accommodate these students can be difficult. This study describes successful strategies used to support students with various types of disabilities.

Speakers: Matthew Armstrong (Kyushu University), Tanya McCarthy (Kyoto University)

12:45 PM → 1:30 PM Posters - 2F Yamate Hall: Saturday posters

12:45 PM Connecting Classroom and Community: A TBL Tourism Project

How can EFL students use English beyond the classroom in meaningful ways? This poster presents a first-year project-based English program where students supported inbound tourism through community-connected tasks. Students interviewed local business owners and visitors and produced English magazine-style articles for international audiences. Grounded in TBLT, the project highlights task design, fieldwork logistics, and learning outcomes that are difficult to achieve through classroom-only instruction.

Speakers: Alina Friel (Shokei Gakuin University), Patrick Conaway (Shokei Gakuin University)

12:45 PM Evaluating AI Models for Level-Appropriate Elicited Imitation Materials

This study evaluates three AI assistants' ability to generate level-appropriate Elicited Imitation materials for Japanese EFL learners. This phase of our research utilized the New General Service List and NGSL-Speaking list to define linguistic parameters. A One-Way MANOVA comparing models (Wilks’ Lambda = 0.42, p < .001) revealed that Claude significantly outperformed ChatGPT and Gemini in vocabulary compliance and sentence length precision. These findings establish a foundation for our future phonetic training interventions.

Speakers: Omar Massoud (Meiji Gakuin University), Robert Cvitkovic (Teikyo University), Yoko Kita (Kyoto Notre Dame University)

12:45 PM The Games Fair: Collaboration and Community Building through Games

This poster presentation will showcase a collaborative Games Fair event for the language learning classroom. By using task-based learning practices and encouraging cross-classroom collaboration, the Games Fair presents an engaging and exciting opportunity for student communication, speaking practice, and engagement with the language learning community. The presenters will demonstrate how they implement this extensive classroom activity in which students are encouraged to design, build, and share an original game with students from other classes.

Speakers: Mr Theodore Pare (Kanda University of International Studies), Travis Gasaway (Kanda University of International Studies)

12:45 PM When Mediation Is Not Neutral: Generative AI and Language Learners

Generative AI is often framed as a neutral mediator in language learning, but this poster argues that AI mediation is never neutral. Drawing on sociocultural perspectives, it shows how AI reshapes participation, redistributes effort, and alters task difficulty, emotional load, and learner risk. These shifts affect identity, investment, motivation, and affect, influencing how learners position themselves as language users. The poster foregrounds AI’s mediating role as a starting point for broader discussion.

Speakers: Miguel Campos (Toyo University), Robert Dykes (Conference Chair (CALL 2024, PanSIG 2025, SUTLF 2026))

1:30 PM → 3:55 PM 08A: Sat afternoon 08A

1:30 PM Digital citizenship for ELLs: Building a culture of ethical source use

Speaker: Dr Erin Noxon (Sagano High School)

3:30 PM A course for inbound exchange students to explore their identity in Japan

The presenter will provide an overview of a course he created entitled “A Passion for Japan: Living, Working, and Thriving in Japan.” Implemented at a large nationality university, the course is open to Japanese and international exchange students and uses personal narratives by long-term foreign residents of Japan as a springboard for class discussions about themes such as intercultural communication, cultural identity, and the pros and cons of long-term residency in Japan.

1:30 PM → 3:55 PM 08B: Sat afternoon 08B

1:30 PM Around the Table: Dinner-Table Discourse and the Building of Communicative Competence Through Community

Speaker: Xiaoben Yuan (Akita University)

1:30 PM → 3:55 PM 603: Sat afternoon 603

1:30 PM → 3:55 PM 604: Sat afternoon 604

1:30 PM Between empowerment and uncertainty: EFL teachers in the age of GenAI

This study explores the relationship between the use of generative AI, such as ChatGPT, and teacher agency and well-being among university-level English as a Foreign Language instructors in Japan. Using a mixed-methods approach, it examines the relationships between AI tool use, teacher agency, and emotional well-being. Preliminary findings suggest that the use of AI in language education can act as either an enabling or constraining factor.

Speaker: Olga Li (Toyama Prefectural University)

2:10 PM Integrating AI into the writing process: A balance of analog and digital

Speaker: Daniel Beck (Rikkyo University)

2:50 PM A New Framework for Understanding Timed Writing in EFL Classrooms

Timed freewriting is widely used in EFL classrooms and often evaluated using words per minute (WPM). Drawing on longitudinal classroom data and modality comparisons, this presentation proposes a new framework for interpreting timed writing performance. It explains why WPM often plateaus while linguistic complexity continues to develop, and why learner performance remains stratified over time. The talk offers practical guidance for interpreting timed writing outcomes beyond speed alone.

Speakers: Dr Edo Forsythe (Hirosaki Gakuin University), Steven MacWhinnie (Hirosaki Gakuin University)

1:30 PM → 3:55 PM 605: Sat afternoon 605

1:30 PM Community, Competence, and Conflict: Anger Expression in Japanese Close Relationships

2:50 PM Strengthening oral English skills among ESL students via Poster Presentations

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 collaborative poster tasks to scaffold oral production. Attendees will learn about the relative effectiveness of poster presentations and speaking evaluations for improving oral communication, and practical approaches to implement these strategies in similar classrooms. The study will inform curriculum design and teacher training to better support engineering students’ communicative competence in English worldwide and beyond.

Speaker: Parvathy Ramachandran (Kanazawa Institute of Technology)

3:30 PM Building Language Competencies Through Pre-entry University Programs

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 western Japan. Based on the analysis, pedagogical implications and materials developments will be suggested.

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

1:30 PM → 3:55 PM 606: Sat afternoon 606

1:30 PM Physical activity prior to learning improves vocabulary retention and mood

Physical inactivity is now widespread across all age groups, yet exercise is known to benefit physical, mental, and cognitive health. Building on this, the present study investigated whether a single bout of walking before a learning task improves outcomes. Results show that walking improves vocabulary retention and significantly increases positive affect. These findings suggest that integrating physical activity into educational contexts may support both student well-being and academic performance.

Speaker: Dr Brian Birdsell (Hirosaki University)

2:10 PM Near-Peer Facilitation and Critical Thinking Talk in Game-Based SALC Sessions: A Pilot Mixed-Methods Study

Speaker: Anthony Gloria

2:50 PM Teachers’ Beliefs and Pedagogical Approaches in After-School ELT in Japan

Speaker: Marwa Mannan (Waseda University)

3:30 PM Silence and degrees of appraisal confusion: A barometer for the strength of teacher-student relationships

1:30 PM → 3:55 PM 607: Sat afternoon 607

1:30 PM Improv Principles and Skills to Help Students Make Spontaneous Real Life Communication

This presentation outlines improv principles and skills that are powerful communication tools for second language learners. Skills include learning to communicate in real-life situations without hesitation. Key principles such as “There are no mistakes” and “Yes, and” are introduced to reduce students’ fear of making mistakes. Students are taught not only to accept what others offer, but also to build on those offers. Improv activities and the use of spontaneous improv scenes will be demonstrated.

Speaker: David Gray (Lecturer at Shinshu University, Matsumoto Japan.)

2:10 PM Reading for Change: Contemporary Picturebooks as Social Justice Texts

Speaker: Alison Hasegawa (Rikkyo University)

2:50 PM SIG Forum: Literature in Language Teaching

Daniel Chesmore
Narrative Elements and Ludic Pedagogy in Debate Exercises

Suzanne Kamata
Co-creating “The Cat Café,” a Story for English Language Learners

John Maune
Literature in Language Teaching: the Many Facets of LiLT

John Wolfgang Roberts
A Metafictioning Pedagogy: Close Reading in the age of AI

Anna Shershnova
Fostering Humanization through Teaching Literature in the English-Language Classroom
While contemporary academic skills-based textbooks effectively build real-world competencies in university EFL contexts, research suggests that integrating literature can humanize the learning process. Literature exposes students to diverse perspectives across cultures and time, encouraging them to reflect on and possibly reconsider their own values. This presentation highlights examples of literary works that foster empathy, critical thinking, creativity, and philosophical reflection, while aligning with existing curricula, textbooks, and targeted language skill development.

Joshua Lee Solomon
Roleplaying Games as Collaborative Writing Projects: Developing and Running the Satoko Series

Speakers: Anna Shershnova (Kyoto University of Advanced Science), Daniel Patrick Chesmore, John Maune (Hokusei Gakuen University), John Roberts (Mie University), Joshua lee SOLOMON (Hirosaki University), Suzanne Kamata

LiLT forum Speakers_details.pdf

1:30 PM → 3:55 PM 608: Sat afternoon 608

1:30 PM GILE Forum: Fostering Community in Global Issues Language Education

The Global Issues in Language Education (GILE) SIG Forum will feature presentations and discussions from highly experience GILE educators examining a variety of approaches to fostering and developing connections to community in the global issues language classroom. As global challenges become increasingly complex and interconnected, the importance of addressing global issues, and promoting learner understanding of the myriad ways in which world events impact real communities, remains essential in language education. This forum centers around providing instructors with practical approaches and activities for developing learner understanding of such issues, while emphasizing the connection between complex global issues and communities around the world. Among the topics to be discuss are: “The Importance of Community in Global Issues Language Education,” “From Classroom to Community: Student Conference Participation and Global Issues in a University Seminar,” “Bringing the Power of Nature into our Classroom,” “Making It Real: Using Japan-Based News Articles to Teach Human Rights,” and “Engaging Students with the Local Community: Regional Research on International Themes.” Join us to learn new strategies for addressing global issues, foster a deeper understanding of the impact of global issues upon real communities, and hear discussions about the best ways to address global issues content in your classes.

Speakers: Brent Simmonds (Nanzan University), Judith Kambara (Nagoya City University), Kip Cates (Tottori University), Margalit Faden (Department of Global Studies, Tokai University), Shalvin Singh (Kanda University of International Studies)

2:50 PM Narrating Belonging: Experiences of ELT Teachers in Japan

Speakers: Gretchen Clark (Ritsumeikan University), May Kyaw Oo (Nagasaki University)

1:30 PM → 3:55 PM 801: Sat afternoon 801

1:30 PM Integrating Personalized AI Agents into the Writing Curriculum

Speakers: Prof. George MacLean (University of the Ryukyus), Prof. Norman Fewell (Meio University)

2:10 PM A Taxonomy of AI Prompt Types and Their Relationship to ESL Writing Development in Japan

Speaker: Omar Massoud (Meiji Gakuin University)

2:50 PM The Impact of Generative AI vs. Peer Feedback on Student Engagement: A Longitudinal Study in the Japanese EFL Context

This year-long study compared GenAI-based feedback with peer feedback regarding affective, behavioral, and cognitive engagement among Japanese EFL students (n = 37). Results showed no significant differences between the two groups, suggesting GenAI provides an "equal ground" for sustaining student involvement. While students valued the social aspects of peer feedback, they appreciated GenAI’s speed and objectivity. Findings suggest GenAI is a viable, scalable alternative to peer feedback in writing-intensive language courses.

Speaker: Jerry Huang

3:30 PM Designing Affective AI Language Partners: Evidence for Community Integration

Speaker: Jeanette Dennisson (St. Marianna University School of Medicine)

1:30 PM → 3:55 PM 802: Sat afternoon 802

1:30 PM Interactional Engagement in EFL small talks: Zoom vs. Frame

This study examines interactional engagement in EFL small-talk tasks across Zoom and Frame platforms. Using video recordings and transcripts of Japanese university students’ dyadic interactions, the study adopts an interactional perspective (Young, 2008) to qualitatively examine turn initiation, turn expansion, topic development, and silence management. The analysis explores how technological affordances may shape learner participation in technology-mediated speaking tasks. The study also considers methodological and pedagogical implications for EFL task design and platform selection.

Speakers: Mehrasa Alizadeh (Otemon Gakuin University), Nikan Fujii (Bukkyo University)

2:10 PM Practical Uses of AI for Teachers and Students: An Extended Study

2:50 PM Vibe coding: Practical AI workflows for language teachers

Speakers: Gary Ross (Kanazawa University), Steve Henneberry (島根県立大学)

3:30 PM Beyond Practice: Community-Based Grammar Learning in Vocational Education

Traditional grammar instruction often relies on focus-on-forms drills (Long, 1991), but such practices may not ensure durable acquisition (Wong & VanPatten, 2003). This study adopts a Community of Practice (CoP) framework to examine a three-stage intervention: individual grammar-integrated writing, exemplar analysis paired with collaborative Google Docs writing and peer scaffolding, and an independent transfer task. Results indicate significant gains in grammatical accuracy and writing quality, particularly regarding cohesion, narrative structure, plot consistency, and overall readability.

Speaker: I-Jiuan Ting (HungKuo Delin University of Technology)

1:30 PM → 3:55 PM 803: Sat afternoon 803

1:30 PM Music-Based CEFR Mediation in Intercultural Spanish Learning

Speaker: Dr Adiene Susej Roque de Hishiyama (Seikei University)

2:10 PM SIG Forum: Listening - New Ways in Teaching Active Listening: Contributor Speed Talks

New Ways in Teaching Active Listening: Contributor Speed Talks

Compared to its reading and writing counterparts, listening is often seen as the most difficult of the four skills to master. While written texts are static and allow for unhurried analysis and comprehension, aural texts are transient, time-bound, and require immediate processing, listening provides the learner with challenges encompassed by issues of speed, accent, and spoken discourse patterns.

With these concerns in mind, this forum presents practical tasks developed according to the principles of active listening; an emerging development in EFL that addresses concerns about the passive nature of traditional approaches. Drawing on Goh’s (2018) framework of five task types—transactional, perceptual, metacognitive, interactive, and communicative—this forum consists of six presentations focusing on the active listening activities. Each presentation outlines the objectives and background for each activity before detailing the preparation and procedure needed for practical application in lessons. Caveats and options for each activity are also provided to help adapt each of these tasks for different classroom contexts and levels. Throughout the forum, the presenters will demonstrate how materials and lesson approaches can be applied to these task type principles which showcases their contributions to a forthcoming collection to be published by TESOL Press, including recent innovations in active listening using AI, this year. Using this knowledge, methods can be adapted to feature innovative or active elements to engage learners with their listening, develop new and active ways to use listening skills, and to help teachers to become innovative while boosting learner confidence in the listening classroom.

Speakers: Bethany Lacy (Rikkyo University), Haidee Thomson (Hokusei Gakuen University), Mr Liam Ring (Listening SIG), Dr Mika Ishino (Doshisha University), Dr Naheen Madarbakus-Ring

3:30 PM Recording and Using Unscripted Conversations in the Language Classroom

This practical presentation introduces a simple method for using short, unscripted classroom conversations as materials for listening and speaking activities. It demonstrates how teachers can record conversations with a smartphone, select useful excerpts, and transform them into worksheets. Sample materials and templates will be shared for participants to adapt to their own teaching contexts.

Speaker: Russell Chan

1:30 PM → 3:55 PM 804: Sat afternoon 804

1:30 PM An Analysis of the Choice of Graded Readers at a Japanese University

This presentation will show an analysis of the data provided by the author’s university library concerning which graded readers were borrowed by students over a period of three years. The findings suggest that purchases of graded readers for use by Japanese students should focus on easier books and should include content written specifically for young adults and/or content with which Japanese students are already familiar.

Speaker: Edmund Fec (Tohoku University of Community Service and Science)

2:50 PM Level Appropriate Materials Generation Using CEFR-Trained Models

Speaker: andrew blaker

3:30 PM Prefix Difficulty and Flashcard Learning in Japanese University EFL

Speaker: Barry Kavanagh (Tohoku Gakuin University)

1:30 PM → 3:55 PM 805: Sat afternoon 805

1:30 PM Incorporating Global Englishes into a textbook-based curriculum.

Speaker: Nidal Butt

2:10 PM Early Language Mixing in a Multilingual Child in Japan: A Case Study

This presentation examines early language mixing in a 3-year-old trilingual child (Uzbek, Japanese, and English) in Japan using a short naturalistic audio recording of spontaneous play. Drawing on Wang (2024), the analysis shows that code-mixing functions in problem-solving, emotional expression, imitation, topic shift, and expression of camaraderie (peer awareness). These findings demonstrate that early language mixing is systematic, purposeful, and supportive of social interaction.

Speaker: Zebiniso Izzatillaeva

2:50 PM Barriers for Emergent Multilingual Students Seeking Access to Education in Japan

Japan's linguistic diversity is growing, with over 69.000 students needing Japanese as a second language (JSL) instruction in 2023. JSL students face significant disadvantages: significant dropout rates, lower advancement rates, and unequal access to support. One underexplored factor is Japan's test-centric system, where exams designed for native speakers may misrepresent multilingual learners' abilities. This forum examines a critical translanguaging assessment approach and proposes qualitative research on multilingual teenagers applying to high schools in Kanagawa Prefecture.

Speaker: Niko Catharine Watanabe Schultz (Sophia University)

1:30 PM → 3:55 PM 806: Sat afternoon 806

1:30 PM Language Competencies and L2 Motivation among Indonesian and Japanese EFL Learners

This presentation examines and compares the English learning motivation of Indonesian and Japanese university students using the L2 Motivational Self System (L2MSS). It highlights contrasts between the two groups, drawing on prior research and employability factors that influence motivation. While Japanese learners have been widely studied, Indonesian learners remain under-researched, making this comparison significant. The study aims to show how cultural and educational contexts shape motivation in response to the growing global demand for English proficiency.

Speaker: Olivia Winata Saputra (Prefectural University of Hiroshima)

2:10 PM Developing a CLT Training Course for Pre-Service Teachers

This presentation introduces a communicative language teaching (CLT) training course for pre-service university students preparing to become language teachers. Despite CLT’s theoretical prominence, it remains rare in Japanese classrooms, where grammar-translation methods dominate. The use of reflective activities, practice-teaching tasks, and structured lesson planning to develop an awareness and understanding of CLT fundamentals will be examined. While aimed at pre-service teachers, the issues discussed are of relevance to any educators training instructors in CLT approaches.

Speaker: Shalvin Singh (Kanda University of International Studies)

2:50 PM Essentialness of Empathy for EFL Instructors

Empathy in EFL classrooms is an essential element which positively correlates with greater student engagement, motivation, and outcomes due to teachers’ socio-emotional skill of perception, understanding and adaptation. Rather than an inherent intuition, empathy is a skill that can be developed and deepened through teacher self-reflective practices, leading to greater cognitive (perspective), affective (emotional) and motivational (compassion) empathies.

Speaker: Olivia Allanson (Jalt)

3:30 PM A Collaborative Autoethnography on Vietnamese English Language Educators’ Professional Development and Learning in Language Teacher Associations

1:30 PM → 3:55 PM 807: Sat afternoon 807

1:30 PM Extending communicative learning through learner-generated classroom newsletters for third-age learners

Speaker: Erik Tsuchiya (Nagoya University of Foreign Studies MATESOL Student)

2:10 PM Promoting online supportive community for adult learners of medical English

Speaker: Kazunori Shishikura

2:50 PM ESL Engagement and Achievement in Higher Education Classrooms in Malaysia

This presentation reports on a study examining L2 engagement and English language performance among ESL learners at a Malaysian public university. Using an engagement questionnaire and course assessments in reading, writing, listening, and speaking, the study investigates which engagement dimensions predict language skill performance. Results suggest that while most engagement dimensions did not predict performance, social engagement significantly predicted speaking, highlighting the role of peer interaction in building English language competency.

Speaker: Ida Suhaini Tajul Urus

3:30 PM Building English Confidence Through Classroom Community : A Three-Try Routine in a Japanese Special Needs Setting

1:30 PM → 3:55 PM 808: Sat afternoon 808

1:30 PM Innovative Approaches to Accessibility in Language Learning

Join our panel discussion on accessibility in language learning. Participants will share innovative strategies, technologies, and pedagogical approaches. The discussion aims to highlight best practices that enhance accessibility. Topics will include the integration of assistive technologies, the role of culturally responsive teaching, and the importance of flexible learning environments. Participants will engage in a collaborative dialogue, sharing personal experiences and insights to foster a deeper understanding of the challenges and solutions to making language learning accessible for all.

Speakers: Dr Andrew Reimann (Aoyama Gakuin University), Dr Catherine Takasugi (Aoyama Gakuin University), Natsuki Suzuki (University Lecturer, Tokyo), Ryota Moriya (Chuo University), Teresa Stockwell (Okayama University)

2:50 PM Emotional Experiences and English Learning Outcomes in Technological University Contexts

Speakers: Hsiao-Wen Hsu (Ling Tung University), Ms Tzu-Tung Chang (Ling Tung University)

3:30 PM Implementation Efforts of UDL for Course Material Accessibility

This presentation will elaborate on the implementation of guidelines that were produced by a task group overseeing accessibility of course materials at a university in Japan. The presenters will showcase guidelines for the modification of existing materials and explanatory guides created to support teachers’ understanding of the ideologies, and provide recommendations for how to apply them to their own materials.

Speakers: Rachael Roberts (Kanda University of International Studies), Tiffani Blatchford (Kanda University of International Studies), Travis Gasaway (Kanda Univ of International Studies)

1:30 PM → 3:55 PM 809: Sat afternoon 809

1:30 PM Unpacking high school students’ experiences in Virtual Exchange

Virtual Exchange is increasingly used in foreign language classrooms, yet its impact in secondary education remains underexplored. This qualitative study explored Japanese high school students’ experiences of VE through interviews with current students and recent graduates. The findings showed that students gained confidence and enjoyed interacting with peers through authentic intercultural communication using multimodal tools, while also facing affective, communication, cultural, and contextual challenges. Pedagogical implications based on these findings are also discussed.

Speaker: Miyuki Izuo

2:10 PM SIG Forum: Intercultural Communication in Language Education

Intercultural Communication in the USA: La Bamba, Big Bunny, and Beyond
(Quenby Hoffman Aoki, Rikkyo University)

Spanish has been used in the United States for over five centuries, and 20% percent of the U.S. population currently identify as Hispanic or Latino. While fluency in Spanish is by no means required of those who claim this identity, current events demonstrate that it is particularly important for language learners and teachers to come to terms with America’s linguistic and cultural complexity. The rich history of American popular music sung in Spanish is a thought-provoking and accessible way to achieve this goal.
Starting with the familiar tune “La Bamba,” this presentation will explore developments including the growth of salsa music in New York in the 1960s, the massive popularity of “Queen of Tejano” Selena in the 1990s, and the global fame today of artists such as Luis Fonsi, Cardi B, and Big Bunny. The focus will be kept to artists who are U.S. citizens. However, even with this limitation, there is a wealth of material which can be incorporated into many classroom contexts. Recommended resources will be shared, and participants will be invited to consider their own perspectives on American popular music and Spanish as a vital aspect of intercultural communication which deepens understanding of American language and culture.

Making Intercultural Topics Accessible without Losing Depth: AI-Supported Scaffolding in A1–B1 English Classes (Mohamed, Musa, Faculty of Communication, Tokyo Keizai University)

Intercultural topics can be difficult to teach in beginner EFL classrooms because learners often need substantial linguistic support to engage with them. However, when language is simplified too much, the intercultural content itself can become shallow. This presentation describes a classroom approach that used AI-supported scaffolding to help balance linguistic accessibility and conceptual depth in A1–B1 English classes at a Japanese university. AI was used to adapt prompts, simplify task language, provide vocabulary support, and help students organize ideas before speaking. The presentation focuses on how these supports were implemented in classroom activities and reflects on what appeared to work well, what required teacher adjustment, and where AI risked oversimplifying the topic. The session argues that AI can be a useful tool for making intercultural tasks more accessible, but that teacher mediation remains essential in order to preserve meaningful engagement with cultural issues. Practical examples and suggestions for classroom use will be shared.

Cultivating Global Perspectives Through Country‑Based Inquiry (Jennie Roloff Rothman, Kanda University of International Studies)

This presentation introduces student-driven research that cultivates intercultural awareness while deepening students’ cultural self‑understanding. At the beginning of the academic year, students select a country of personal interest. Over time, they explore aspects of that country before teaching others. The course material often begins with an analysis of Japan before moving to the higher-order thinking skill of application to their country of choice. For example, students learn about the cultural iceberg and apply it to Japan before creating one for their chosen country that identifies both visible cultural expressions and deeper, less observable values and assumptions. Through a series of short presentations, students share findings and insights with classmates, an approach that encourages curiosity and empathy. As the year progresses, topics increase in complexity (e.g., national identity, pathways to naturalization, the historical or contemporary influence of religion). Such topics prompt students to not only analyze other cultures, but also reflect on their own understanding of Japanese culture and its (and their) assumptions. Students gradually build confidence as cultural interpreters while becoming accustomed to culture as dynamic, multifaceted, and interconnected. Participants will see student examples of materials and explore how such tasks foster meaningful global perspectives in the language classroom.

Speakers: JENNIE ROLOFF ROTHMAN (Kanda University of International Studies, JALT SIG Representative Liaison), Mohamed Musa (Tokyo Keizai University), Quenby Aoki (Rikkyo University)

3:30 PM Using VR tours to enhance intercultural experiences

This study examines a 2025 student-led project where a team of international and Japanese university students developed virtual tour workshops to foster cross-cultural understanding among young people. Analyzing survey and interview data from secondary school and Kansai Expo workshops, the researchers investigate VR's role in connecting participants with otherwise largely inaccessible cultures. The presentation demonstrates design strategies for maximizing intercultural communication, outlines specific participant benefits, and provides recommendations for implementing similar immersive projects.

Speakers: Katherine Thornton (Otemon Gakuin University), Mehrasa Alizadeh (Otemon Gakuin University)

1:30 PM → 3:55 PM 810: Sat afternoon 810

1:30 PM Culture, Confidence, and Communication in the EFL Classroom

Speaker: Claudia Tumba (Kotesol, Chuncheon National University of Education, and Kangwon National University)

2:10 PM Utilizing Community Connections to Measure Changes in LGBTQ+ Understanding

As part of a semester-long university course entitled LGBTQ+ Experiences & Media: Reading, Watching, & Listening, course takers read a book, then had a discussion with the author. Surveys were given at three points: before reading, after reading, and after the author visit. While this presentation is primarily focused on a research project, it is hoped that the practical nature of the classroom activities will inspire attendees to try similar activities in their own classes.

Speaker: Tina Brown (Kanda University of International Studies)

2:50 PM Becoming a teacher through community: Identity, opportunity, and membership

Identity research on women in Japanese ELT shows how identity shapes career trajectories (Nagatomo, 2016; Haye-Matsui, 2021). However, less attention has been paid to how competencies develop through sustained community membership, including labour unions. Using a communities of practice lens (Lave & Wenger, 1991; Wenger, 1998) and reflective narrative inquiry (Barkhuizen, Benson, & Chik, 2025; Benson, 2014), I trace my development from eikaiwas to universities. Participants will leave feeling prepared for planning their career trajectories.

Speaker: Dr Julia Kimura (Mukogawa Women's University)

3:30 PM Creating Social Spaces for Autonomous Intercultural Communication

Despite increasing numbers of international students, spontaneous interaction with Japanese students rarely occurs without educational intervention. This presentation reports on an extracurricular exchange workshop designed to enhance learner autonomy and students’ motivation for intercultural communication. Survey and interview data show that short, socially situated conversations promoted autonomous relationship building, reduced anxiety, and increased motivation for interaction and language learning, highlighting the importance of creating social spaces for meaningful engagement in universities.

Speakers: Asami Tsuda (Tokyo International University), Erin Gagatko (Tokyo International University), Kanako Misawa, Kaori Ibuki (Tokyo International University)

4:05 PM → 4:50 PM Plenaries: Plenary 2

4:05 PM Plenary 2

Developing GenAI Literacy through Teacher Communities
Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is a transformative technology that has elicited both praise and concern from L2 educators. To use it effectively and guide students well, teachers must develop GenAI literacy, but the proliferation of new technologies has left many unprepared. Institutions have a responsibility to lead, but individual teacher agency is also vital. This session focuses on teacher-driven action, using the Community of Practice framework (Lave & Wenger, 1991) to show the crucial role of teacher communities in GenAI literacy development. The session introduces formal and informal teacher communities, drawing on personal narratives to demonstrate how teachers can learn and lead. Audience members will be encouraged to consider their current and future roles within teacher communities and will take away practical advice on how to strengthen their GenAI literacy and guide others.

Speaker: Louise Ohashi (Gakushuin University)

Sun, May 24

9:30 AM → 11:55 AM 08A: Sun morning 08A

10:50 AM Designing Effective Reading Response Logs for Literature Circles

11:30 AM Communities in Action: Collaborative Problem Solving in a CLIL Class

This presentation highlights a Global Business course designed using the Content and Language Integrated Learning methodology (Coyle et al, 2010) and incorporating the development of Communities of Learners (Lave & Wenger, 1999). Approaches like Project-Based Learning and Challenge-Based Learning were used, and the course followed MEXTl policy to promote globally competent (gurobaru jinzai) students (MEXT, 2012). For their final projects, students collaborated in self-selected teams on a real-world project of their choice.r choice.

9:30 AM → 11:55 AM 08B: Sun morning 08B

9:30 AM → 11:55 AM 603: Sun morning 603

9:30 AM → 11:55 AM 604: Sun morning 604

9:30 AM International Teaching Internships and Their Impact on Intercultural Understanding and Teacher Self-Efficacy

This presentation reports on a short-term international teaching internship in Thailand for Japanese university students training to become Japanese language teachers. Using pre- and post-program surveys, observations, and interviews, the study examines changes in participants’ intercultural understanding and teaching self-efficacy through this internship program. Results suggest that while language proficiency gains were limited, participants showed increased intercultural awareness and confidence in teaching Japanese.

Speaker: Frances Shiobara (Kobe Shoin University)

10:10 AM AI Chatbot–Mediated Speaking to Raise Awareness of Microaggressions in Japanese University EFL Classes

Speaker: Manami Sato (Kyoto University of Advanced Science)

10:50 AM Japanese University Students’ Perceptions of their Best English Skills

This session reports on eight years of survey data into Japanese university students’ perceptions of their strongest English skill and their preferred learning styles. Over 1300 university students were surveyed about their strongest English language skill and how they most effectively learn. The results of this longitudinal study will be presented, and attendees will learn how this study’s findings will help them address students’ perceived strengths, weaknesses, and learning preferences in their language classrooms.

Speaker: Dr Edo Forsythe (Hirosaki Gakuin University)

11:30 AM Building ISP: A Decade of Innovation in Speaking Skills Development

Speaker: Yin Ling Lui (Chinese University of Hong Kong)

9:30 AM → 11:55 AM 605: Sun morning 605

9:30 AM Pragmatics SIG Forum: Building language competences through community

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 in the fields of arts and fashion. Benio Suzuki will facilitate the forum and chair the question time.

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

10:50 AM The intended and unintended benefits of a simple speaking warm-up activity

Speaker: Mr Tim Pritchard (Seinan Gakuin University)

11:30 AM Motivation Journals: A weekly look into what motivates language learners

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 weekly self-reflections about one’s own motivation and learning can actually increase overall motivation for language learning.

Speaker: Joseph Wood (Nanzan University)

9:30 AM → 11:55 AM 606: Sun morning 606

9:30 AM Fostering Deeper Discussions through Gently Socratic Inquiry

This presentation explores adapting the usage of Dr. Thomas E. Jackson’s Gently Socratic Inquiry (GSI) from teaching philosophy for children to university-level English instruction in Japan. Emphasizing student autonomy and critical thinking, GSI engages learners in student-generated questioning and teacher-facilitated dialogic inquiry. A classroom-based example from a second-year university course is presented, along with procedural variations for broader pedagogical application.

Speaker: Ryan Nakamura (Sophia University)

10:10 AM Whose History Counts? Critical Thinking and Community in Cypriot Texts

Speaker: Sofia Koursarou

10:50 AM SIG Forum: Critical Thinking

The Critical Thinking SIG Forum will feature presentations that propose approaches that encourage critical thinking in language classrooms. Among the topics to be covered this year are using logical fallacies to build safer and more engaged discussion spaces, exploring emotional reactions in media literacy courses, and examining critical thinking through game design.

Speakers: Prof. Ariel Tabak (Temple University, Japan Campus), Mr James Dunn (Meiji University), Mr John Shaw (Westgate), Nidal Butt (Westgate)

9:30 AM → 11:55 AM 607: Sun morning 607

9:30 AM Teaching Presentation Skills with Storytelling Techniques

In this presentation, a method of teaching presentation skills that focuses on the use of storytelling techniques while reading aloud will be introduced. These techniques include (1) body control—using posture, movement, and gestures; (2) breath control—using pauses; (3) speed control—using speaking speed; and (4) voice control—using volume, stress, and pitch. The speaker will show how these techniques can be taught in both presentation and writing classes.

Speaker: Todd Hooper (Setsunan University)

10:10 AM Effect of peer support on speaking task performance.

Speaker: Dawn Kobayashi (Onomichi City University)

10:50 AM No correct answers: Fostering autonomy and creativity in the L2 classroom

This presentation will outline several classroom activities that move away from traditional notions of ‘correct’ and ‘incorrect’ outcomes and focus instead on encouraging students to use all of their extant knowledge to create utterances that are pragmatically appropriate but not merely pro forma. Classroom activities regarding reported speech, use of sense verbs, self-paraphrase, and backchannel utterances will be showcased along with classroom materials for promoting creativity, which is a key component of interactional competence.

11:30 AM Creating an empowering community of language-learners through a film festival

This study examined the second-year implementation of an international film festival as a learning space prioritizing learner empowerment through project-based learning. Participants were surveyed before and after the event using the Learner Empowerment Scale(LES). Results showed that viewing peer work, receiving external feedback from judges, and observing audience responses influenced how students perceived their creative work and its impact. We will also offer practical suggestions for bringing some of the festival-like elements into classrooms.

Speakers: Ashley Ford (Nagoya City University), Kinsella Valies (Sophia University)

9:30 AM → 11:55 AM 608: Sun morning 608

9:30 AM What makes PanSIG…PanSIG? Reflections of Grant Winners

This study explores what makes PanSIG distinctive by examining attendee experiences through the lenses of communities of practice and emotion. Using a qualitative, hand-coded thematic analysis of publicly available PanSIG Transportation Grant reports from 2024–2025, the study identifies recurring themes related to emotion, community, and professional identity. Findings suggest that participants value PanSIG not only for professional learning, but for the sense of belonging, affirmation, and personal growth fostered through participation.

Speakers: Chelanna White (Reitaku University), Kinsella Valies (Sophia University)

10:10 AM Application of differentiated strategies in the Japanese university classroom context (Research Grant winner)

This presentation is funded by a research grant from the PanSIG Organizing Committee

"Application of differentiated strategies in the Japanese university classroom context" will introduce the problem of varied language abilities among 15-20 first and second year engineering students in a general english course and argues for a tailored pedagogy. The presentation will focus on differentiated strategies that work best, how students respond in engagement, motivation and proficiency, and what implementation challenges do teachers face. Using a qualitative design, the study implemented flexible groupings, tiered tasks, scaffolding, technology, collecting teachers' reflective entries and student exit tickets. Expected outcomes will include a practical strategy catalog, recommendations for time allocation and lesson design, and implications for ESL instructions.

Speaker: Parvathy Ramachandran (Kanazawa Institute of Technology)

10:50 AM Motivation, accountability, and cooperation in the ESL classroom

This practice-oriented presentation explores how motivation, accountability, and cooperation can be intentionally designed into ESL classroom activities. Using concrete textbook-based examples, the presenter demonstrates discussion tasks and peer activities that increase student engagement, responsibility, and interaction. Drawing on established second language research, the session highlights practical strategies that encourage participation, reduce silence, and build a positive classroom community over an academic year.

Speaker: John Carle (MW SIG, Kindai University, Oak Hills Press)

11:30 AM Using Student Social-Issue Ratings to Plan SDG-Focused Lessons

Across cohorts from 2022–2026, university students rated the severity of 15 social issues in Japan and worldwide and answered questions about community involvement. They also wrote a short response naming what they thought was Japan’s most severe social issue. These survey results were used to create materials on SDG topics and to frame the lessons. Attendees will get access to the materials.

Speaker: Bethany Lacy (Rikkyo University)

9:30 AM → 11:55 AM 801: Sun morning 801

9:30 AM Iterative AI Feedback in PEEL Writing: EFL Learners’ Reflections

Writing remains a challenge for EFL high school students, but generative AI helps improve drafting, revising, and feedback in PEEL paragraph writing tasks. First year students revised drafts after AI generated feedback and improvements in grammar, vocabulary, and structure were noted. Thematic analysis of the reflections shows AI’s value as a writing aid and stresses the importance of teacher guidance in writing prompts and evaluating feedback. This session shares procedure, samples, and integration strategies.

Speaker: Mr Joselito Bisenio (Ritsumeikan Uji Junior and Senior High School)

10:10 AM The Feedback Loop: How ESL Learners Navigate Autonomy and Trust in ChatGPT Interactions

Speaker: Shuyi Li (University of Tokyo)

10:50 AM Take Control of Your Listening Materials – With AI

11:30 AM Don’t just copy it! Using AI for writing fluency development, editing, and student survey results

Speaker: Nicole Moskowitz (University of Hyogo)

9:30 AM → 11:55 AM 802: Sun morning 802

9:30 AM Connecting Classrooms to Companies: Authenticity Through ALT Feedback

How can we transform textbook grammar into real-world tools? This study connects a junior high school classroom with an external ALT dispatch company to operationalize the conference theme. Students submitted tour proposal videos, received authentic content-focused feedback, and utilized textbook grammar (infinitives/reasons) to refine plans for a final live negotiation. Discover how linking external community resources with the internal curriculum creates a genuine need for communication and transforms learners' audience awareness.

Speaker: 楠本 正義 (札幌市立あいの里東中学校)

10:10 AM A Creative Manga-Based Approach to Promoting English Writing and Learner Autonomy

This presentation introduces a manga-based Project-Based Learning approach designed to enhance English writing skills, learner motivation, and autonomy through contributing to the internationalization of the local community. In a semester-long course, non-English majors create informative English manga to promote local businesses. Manga allows practice of colloquial and academic English, sociolinguistic awareness, and ethical compliance in publication. The author demonstrates activities and discusses how creating manga for real-life purposes fosters practical language competence.

Speaker: Dr Takako Yasuta (Fukushima Medical University)

10:50 AM The Role of Repair Practices and Turn Designs in Task Repetition

11:30 AM Event-Based Learning: An ALT-Led English Performance Day in Elementary EFL

This presentation examines an ALT-led English performance day as an example of event-based learning in Japanese elementary EFL education. Using a mixed methods design, the study explores grammar and vocabulary retention, learner engagement, and alignment with the national curriculum. It establishes an empirical baseline for event-based learning, extends discussions of ALTs' pedagogical roles and instructional leadership, and highlights the potential of EBL to extend English use beyond the classroom.

Speaker: Mariquit D. Camba (Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme)

9:30 AM → 11:55 AM 803: Sun morning 803

9:30 AM TEVAL Forum: AI and Integrity in Language Assessment

This forum explores AI’s influence on language assessment. Jaime Morrish examines how AI may challenge what we mean by “ability” in high-stakes tests. Makito Kawata looks at how test conditions, such as room acoustics, affect fairness and scores. Tophe Zuelke builds on these perspectives to open discussion of classroom use, asking whether AI truly assesses learning or only appears to do so. The panel invites discussion on fairness, feedback, and trust in AI-supported assessment.

Speakers: Jaime Morrish (Sugiyama Jogakuen University), Makito Kawata (Kanda University of International Studies), Tophe Zuelke

10:50 AM Popular Culture as a Platform for Authentic Japanese Language Assessment

Speaker: Maria Angelica Jimenez Otalora (Universidad de Waseda)

11:30 AM Exploring knowledge of English phrasal verbs among Japanese university students

This presentation reports on a study that shows that Japanese university students’ vocabulary size strongly correlates with their knowledge of common phrasal verbs, though several frequent verbs remain poorly known. Despite MEXT policy emphasis, high-frequency multiword expressions may still be under-taught in schools. The findings highlight the need for more systematic instruction of phrasal verbs in English education in Japan.

Speaker: Ian Munby (Hokkai Gakuen University)

9:30 AM → 11:55 AM 804: Sun morning 804

9:30 AM Extensive reading in an undergraduate IELTS community of practice

Speaker: Sara Terre Blanche (Kuroki) (Seijo University)

10:10 AM Which Phrasal Verbs Should Be Taught? A Corpus-Based Frequency Analysis

Speaker: MART CHRISTINE JOHNSTON (Takushoku University)

10:50 AM Research Grant Winner: Asking Effective Follow-Up Questions: Evaluating the Impact of a Conversation Sheet on Student Engagement and Interaction in EFL Conversations

Formulating questions in English remains challenging for Japanese EFL learners (Buda, 2010; Shizuoka, 2020), due to factors such as anxiety (Muroya, 2023), limited communicative practice (Yanagi & Baker, 2016), low oral proficiency (Hamada, 2008), difficulty with Wh-questions (Yonezaki & Yonezaki, 2015), and cultural differences (Takanashi, 2004). To address this, this paper presents the rationale, design, and implementation of a self-devised conversation activity that encourages relevant and effective follow-up questioning, with preliminary findings indicating its effectiveness.

(This presentation is funded by a research grant from the PanSIG Organizing Committee.)

Speaker: Prof. Amanda Gillis-Furutaka (Kyoto Sangyo University)

Revised - PanSIG 2026 Presentation Proposal.pdf

11:30 AM AI+Student Generated Extensive Reading: What Learner Behaviour Reveals

This study examines learner interaction data from an AI-driven extensive reading system that generates stories levelled to reader proficiency. Behavioural measures such as reading speed, completion, and rereading are analysed alongside learner comments and ratings to identify patterns associated with successful and problematic texts. Findings provide insight into how well adaptive generation aligns with learner needs and where mismatches occur. Attendees will have the opportunity to try the system and generate an AI-driven story firsthand.

Speakers: Gary Ross (Kanazawa University), Mark Brierley (Shinshu University)

9:30 AM → 11:55 AM 805: Sun morning 805

9:30 AM Professional learning and identity development within a journal community of practice

This presentation explores the creation and development of the St Andrews Journal of International and Language Education (SAJILE), an international, online-only journal and its Community of Practice (CoP). The presenter, a CoP insider, introduces an ongoing investigation of evolving professional learning and identity within this CoP, using complexity theory and qualitative methodologies: document analysis, interviews, and duoethnography. Attendees will gain insights into initiating and fostering similar CoPs that advance language and international education globally.

Speaker: Thomas Stringer (University of St Andrews; The University of Osaka)

10:10 AM STEM Students’ Perceptions of Translanguaging in General English Courses

Speaker: Ms Ma Wilma Capati (Global Englishes SIG)

10:50 AM Multilingualism: Identity and Belonging.

Speaker: Dr Alexandra Shaitan (Chuo University, Tokyo, Japan)

9:30 AM → 11:55 AM 806: Sun morning 806

9:30 AM Navigating Transitions: Community and University English Teacher Identities

This study explores how professional communities shape the identity development of part-time university English teachers in Japan across career transitions. Using narrative inquiry with two teachers—one who moved into full-time university employment and one who had returned to secondary education—it examines how different forms of community participation influenced identity, well-being, and career decision-making. The findings highlight the central role of collegial interaction and institutional involvement in supporting teachers as they navigate professional change.

10:10 AM SIG Forum: Teacher Development

11:30 AM What the Nagoya Learning Compass Means for Future University English Classes

In 2021, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) issued guidelines on Japan’s Reiwa Style Education (MEXT, 2021), presenting future prospects for education in Japan. These guidelines particularly emphasize a shift from traditional lecture-style classes to more individualized and collaborative learning. Building on this policy, the Nagoya Board of Education released the Nagoya Learning Compass in 2023 (Nagoya Board of Education, 2023), which outlines the educational vision for schools in Nagoya. This framework highlights the importance of fostering independent learners who can (1) identify what they are interested in learning, (2) determine appropriate learning speeds and methods for themselves, and (3) reflect on their performance in order to improve their learning processes. In this way, educational trends and priorities have changed dramatically compared to those of a decade ago. As educational goals shift from knowledge-based to ability-based learning, teachers are now required to reconsider how best to teach students whose learning backgrounds differ markedly from those of previous generations.
In this session, the presenter first explains the background of the guidelines issued by MEXT and the Nagoya Board of Education, and introduces several classroom practices that have already been implemented in schools. Next, by examining a unit plan issued by MEXT, she illustrates how English classes increasingly emphasize output-oriented activities, particularly speaking. Finally, the session discusses future prospects for university-level English education by considering the skills and knowledge that students are likely, and unlikely, to bring with them to higher education.

Speaker: Natsuho Mizoguchi (Nagoya University of Foreign Studies)

9:30 AM → 11:55 AM 807: Sun morning 807

9:30 AM Nontraditional authors in Japanese HE: a collaborative autoethnography

We will showcase our experiences of writing for academic publication from within Japanese higher education (HE) as nontraditional authors, explored through collaborative autoethnography (CAE). Our presentation will pursue two goals: explaining how our CAE helped us better understand our experiences of academic publication and how our experiences can inform others seeking to write for academic publication to address and overcome similar challenges. We also explain how CAE provided a reflexive, supportive space for our empowerment.

Speakers: Elizabeth Oba (National Institute of Technology, Toyama College), Jason Henwood (General Union), Jerry Talandis Jr. (University of Toyama), Mukaddam Khaitova (Hokuriku University), Dr Theron Muller (Waseda University Faculty of Human Sciences)

10:10 AM Leveraging students’ passions for effective language learning

This presentation will outline how a university course centered around students’ passions fosters real-world language competencies, classroom engagement, and agency. Students explore how engaging with a passion promotes health and well-being, sharing their insights and experiences through discussions, reflective journaling, and presentations. Attendees will gain practical insight about how designing a course around students’ interests promotes agency for personalized language learning, increases classroom engagement and motivation, differentiates learning, and honors students' stories.

Speaker: Judith Kambara (Nagoya City University)

10:50 AM Learner Development Sig Forum. Building Community: A Pathway to Language Competence

Presentations are as follows:
Chizuru Gyofu – Fostering Learner Autonomy Through Self-Regulated Learning in Extended EFL Classes
Daniel Hooper and Robert Moreau – Learning, Struggling, Teaching: Language Teachers’ Reflections as Language Learners
Ivan Lombardi - A Classroom Story of Multilingual Learners Figuring Out AI Translation Together
Karin Ebisu and John Bankier – Social Media Strategies for Supporting Language Learners in Language Commons
Kayo Ozawa – Motivation (and Assessment) in Community Building
Mike Nix - An Ethical Practice of Listening for Research Encounters Across Borders

What is the 2026 SIG forum about? In this forum, we explore how language education can foster connection and community across borders. In today’s increasingly interconnected world, language learning is evolving beyond linguistic proficiency to nurture communicators who think critically, act empathetically, and collaborate across languages and cultures. Presentations share both classroom practices and research-based insights into how inclusive, multilingual approaches promote learner agency, intercultural understanding, and community building. Presenters will highlight practical strategies, innovative programs, and studies that examine how educators and learners can co-create equitable, connected learning environments for a more sustainable global future.

Speakers: Chizuru Gyofu, Daniel Hooper (Chuo University), Ivan Lombardi (University of Fukui), John Bankier (Kanagawa University), Karin Ebisu (Kanagawa University), Kimberly Loren Abella Reyes, Mike Nix (Chuo University), Robert Moreau (Meiji University), 佳世 小澤 (Kyoritsu University)

9:30 AM → 11:55 AM 808: Sun morning 808

9:30 AM SIG Forum: Teaching Younger Learners

The Teaching Younger Learners Special Interest Group is dedicated to supporting educators who work with children and adolescents in a wide range of teaching contexts. TYL values practical, research-informed, and classroom-tested ideas that help teachers build confidence, foster belonging, and support meaningful language learning for young people. This forum brings together presenters whose work reflects those priorities through hands-on, reflective, and teacher-useful approaches.

For the first part of the forum, [sorry, still waiting for the final part of the writeup!].

For the second part of the forum, Alexandra Burke will present “Serious Fun: Hands-on ABC Bottle Cap Play: Building Classroom Communities and Foundations for Keyboarding.” In this session, participants will explore how combining fonts, paper, and bottle caps as a reusable tactile resource can support alphabet learning, build reading confidence, and encourage positive peer interaction. Drawing on classroom practice in both large and small-scale settings, Burke will share ways this approach can be used for spelling, vocabulary building, sentence formation, and QWERTY keyboard practice. The session will include a short introduction followed by a hands-on component using prepared materials, giving participants an opportunity to experience the method directly and reflect on how it might transfer to their own teaching contexts. This presentation will be especially relevant for teachers interested in practical, low-cost, and inclusive approaches that support engagement and help build strong foundations for later paper-based and digital learning.

Speaker: Ms Alexandra Burke (Shiga University; The University of Shiga Prefecture)

10:50 AM Negativity bias and the classroom: Tips for helping our students learn.

Speaker: Elisabeth Fernandes

11:30 AM Cooperative Learning in Action: Practical Strategies for English Classrooms

Speaker: Amy Braun (Seto Solan Primary School)

9:30 AM → 11:55 AM 809: Sun morning 809

9:30 AM Building a University Community: Inter-class Collaboration and Exchange

Our presentation details a Japanese language instructor / English language instructor collaboration between the Saitama and Tokyo campuses of an international university. Over the fall 2025 semester, students used pen and paper, online writing, and video exchanges to bridge the J-track and E-track communities, communicating in their target languages about themselves, their cultures, and course content topics. Student impressions through surveys and interviews and instructor reflections on the experience will also be presented.

Speakers: Stephen Bridge (Tokyo International University), Kaori Ibuki (Tokyo International University)

10:10 AM Building Intercultural Competence Through Virtual Exchange Communities

Speaker: Mr Adam Jenkins (Shizuoka Institute of Science and Technology)

10:50 AM Having students find images for cross-cultural comparative concepts

Speaker: Cameron Romney (Kyoto Women's University)

11:30 AM Intercultural Competence in FL Classrooms: Voices from Public Figures

This presentation will introduce results from in-depth interviews with 18 high-profile Japanese professionals with vast international experience in a broad range of fields, including STEM, business, sports, art, music, hospitality, diplomacy, and education. We will discuss: 1. What strategies have successful Japanese professionals developed for effective intercultural communication? 2. Which intercultural competencies are perceived as key for students to live and work across cultures? 3. How can these competencies be fostered through foreign language education?

9:30 AM → 11:55 AM 810: Sun morning 810

9:30 AM GALE Forum: Diverse JET voices in Japan

What does it mean to navigate identity while teaching in a society that often values conformity? In this session, we will explore the lived experiences of three Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs) in Japan who identify as gender-diverse, sexually diverse, and racially diverse. Each speaker will share their personal journey of identity development, resilience, and connection while living and working in Japan.

Speakers: Bernadette Benjamin (Ritsumeikan Uji), Dillon Flores (JET PRogram Presenter), Kurtis Carter (AJET), Mr Terry Tuttle (ISA)

10:50 AM Exploring Language Learning Through Women’s Community Participation

Speaker: Mrs Anisah Ghina Wijayanti (Waseda University)

11:30 AM Raising gender equality awareness through Task-Based Language Teaching

Speaker: Nhat Nam Lien (National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taiwan)

11:55 AM → 12:40 PM Posters - 1F Gallery: Sunday posters

11:55 AM Exploring co-constructed assessment practices in PBL

Speaker: Andy Barfield (Chuo University)

11:55 AM From Classrooms to Collaborative Writing Communities

Speaker: Zoe Barber (Kwansei Gakuin University)

11:55 AM Teaching Pronunciation in Higher Education: Perceptions from KUIS Teachers

This study examines how explicitly pronunciation is taught in English Language Institute courses at Kanda University of International Studies in Japan, and why instructors choose to include or exclude it. Drawing on teacher data, it analyzes instructional frequency, methods, and influencing factors such as beliefs, curriculum constraints, learner needs, and training, aiming to inform teacher development and future curriculum improvement. Participants are encouraged to share their own experiences with similar approaches.

Speakers: Jason Wills (Kanda University of International Study), Rachael Roberts (Kanda University of International Studies)

11:55 AM The origami model of phonology acquisition: Exposure facilitates pathways

Speaker: Marc Jones (Toyo University)

11:55 AM → 12:40 PM Posters - 2F Yamate Hall: Sunday posters

11:55 AM Living on the Edge: Peripherality & Marginality in EMI Communities

This presentation examines how peer dynamics in English-medium instruction (EMI) shape participation beyond linguistic challenges. Using Wenger’s Community of Practice framework, it distinguishes peripherality as an enabling entry position from marginality as restricted access to meaningful practice. Based on a longitudinal narrative doctoral study of seven students at a Japanese university, I found that, although all began peripherally, only some moved toward central participation, while many experienced marginality, isolation, and limited belonging in EMI classrooms.

Speaker: Peter Brereton (International Christian University)

11:55 AM Those who understand, teach: Teacher Development in Jamaica and Japan

Speaker: Ms Krystle Wright (Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine)

11:55 AM Transnational Sisterhood: Career Trajectories of Japanese Women Academics

This poster examines transnational sisterhood between two Japanese women academics who met abroad and sustained collaboration across different regional universities in Japan. Using collaborative narrative inquiry, the study explores how their relationship enabled cross-institutional online learning projects initiated during COVID-19. The presentation demonstrates how informal networks support women academics and foster communities of practice across institutional boundaries. Attendees will gain insights into building sustained partnerships and supporting professional development through relational collaboration.

Speakers: Kayoko Kinshi (University of Hyogo), Akiko Tsuda (Nakamura Gakuen University)

11:55 AM University students’ rankings of social issue severity

In this interactive poster session, audience members will be able to see which social issues more than 100 university students said are the most severe, 1) in Japan and 2) around the world. The poster compares how the same issues are ranked across these two scales and highlights where perceptions differ most. Students also provided written responses explaining what they considered the most severe issue in Japan. Participants will briefly rate the same issues and compare their results.

Speaker: Bethany Lacy (Rikkyo University)

12:40 PM → 2:25 PM 08A: Sun afternoon 08A

12:40 PM → 2:25 PM 08B: Sun afternoon 08B

12:40 PM → 2:25 PM 603: Sun afternoon 603

12:40 PM → 2:25 PM 604: Sun afternoon 604

12:40 PM Building Community: An Exploration of the Potential of a University Seminar

Speaker: Andre Parsons (Hokkaido University of Education - Hakodate)

1:20 PM SIG Forum: College and University Educators (Cultivating Confidence Through Community: Reimagining Peer Review)

This forum, led by editors and chapter authors of Cultivating Confidence in L2 Writing, presents classroom-tested, communication-centered practices that build student confidence, language competence, and sustainable writing communities. Focusing on reimagined peer review, communicative writing tasks, and technology-enhanced methods, presenters showcase collaborative, socially mediated approaches to writing instruction, invite practical discussion on adaptation across tertiary contexts, and emphasize how community-focused pedagogy supports student learning and teacher development, preparing students for future communicative demands effectively.

Speakers: Ashton Dawes (Kanda University of International Studies), Kathryn Jurns (Rikkyo University), Lucas Dickerson (Kwansei Gakuin University), Michael Griffiths (Kwansei Gakuin University), Naoko Kato

12:40 PM → 2:25 PM 605: Sun afternoon 605

12:40 PM Using Common Cloud Applications for Collective Language Evaluation

1:20 PM From Voice to Agency: Student-Led Conferences as Community of Practice

Speaker: Ann Flanagan (Ritsumeikan Junior and Senior High School)

2:00 PM Teaching Microinterventions for Linguistic and Racial Microaggressions: Narratives from Mixed-Heritage Individuals in Japan

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 strategies. Although participants were often nonconfrontational in the past, they reported various strategies for confronting and educating perpetrators moving forward. We summarize these and discuss pedagogical applications.

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

12:40 PM → 2:25 PM 606: Sun afternoon 606

12:40 PM BRAIN SIG Forum: The Social Brain and its Role in Learning

The Brain SIG forum presents five brain-inspired talks focusing on the roles the social brain plays in education, given by five passionate presenters―from up-and-coming educators to well-published experts.The forum includes a theoretical perspective on the social brain in education (Sirisha Kumanduri), expands this with research evidence (Kazunori Shishikura) and critical observations (Harumi Kimura) from the classroom, introduces inspirational techniques of classroom management (Scott Bowyer) and methodology on enhancing cognitive control, a skill your students need (Curtis Kelly).

Speakers: Curtis Kelly (Professor Emeritus, Kansai University), David Scott Bowyer (Nagoya Gakuin University), Harumi Kimura (Miyagi Gakuin Women's University), Kazunori Shishikura (Sophia University), Sirisha Komanduri (Meikai University, Chiba)

2:00 PM Neuroscience informs us that tasks are mandatory, not optional

Speaker: Curtis Kelly (Professor Emeritus, Kansai University)

12:40 PM → 2:25 PM 607: Sun afternoon 607

12:40 PM From Memorization to Critical Thinking: How Random Topics Transform Speaking Assessments

This presentation examines how the use of randomized speaking topics can move assessment beyond memorization and toward authentic critical thinking among second-year high school EFL students. By limiting opportunities for rehearsed or scripted responses, learners are encouraged to analyze ideas, organize their thoughts, and respond spontaneously in real time. The findings indicate that random-topic speaking tasks more effectively reflect genuine communicative competence, while also increasing cognitive demand and promoting higher-order thinking. Overall, this approach offers a more valid and meaningful way to assess speaking performance in language classrooms.

Speaker: Mike Lawrence Ratunil (Ritsumeikan Uji Junior and Senior High School)

2:00 PM Investigating the Impact of Flipped Learning on Foreign Language Anxiety in a Japanese University Context

Speaker: Mr James Broxholme (Kwansei Gakuin University)

12:40 PM → 2:25 PM 608: Sun afternoon 608

12:40 PM Study Abroad Returnees’ Podcast Narratives: Transformation and Identity

This study analyses the podcast narratives of Japanese study abroad returnees to explore transformation, language learning, and identity. Using reflexive thematic analysis, the study highlights how students articulate growth, challenges, and shifting self-perceptions through naturally occurring spoken narratives. Findings suggest podcast style semi structured interviews offer a valuable lens for understanding post-study abroad reflection and learner voice.

Speaker: Thomas Entwistle (the British Council, Japan)

1:20 PM SIG Forum: Study Abroad

The Short Term Overseas Volunteer Program at Kochi University offers a cost-effective alternative to traditional study abroad for Japanese undergraduates. By prioritizing NGO-based volunteering over expensive language schools, the program emphasizes experiential learning and active community contribution. This shift facilitates a transformative experience, cultivating cultural humility and problem-solving skills. This presentation details the logistical framework and pedagogical outcomes of this model, demonstrating how accessible, meaningful engagement fosters authentic global citizenship.

Speakers: Anna Engle (Kyoto Gaidai Nishi High School), Cecilia Noemi Silva (Tohoku University), Edward Escobar (Kyoto Gaidai Nishi High School), Michael Sharpe (Kochi National University), Nick Hallsworth (Seijoh University), Thomas Legge (Momoyama Gakuin University)

12:40 PM → 2:25 PM 801: Sun afternoon 801

12:40 PM Can teachers spot machine-generated English?: Designing a pilot study

This study compares the ability of language teachers, AI checker apps and large language models to distinguish human-written from machine-generated text produced by an LLM (ChatGPT) or translation software (DeepL). This presentation will discuss how texts were produced which were representative of student writing practices. In addition, the design of the study will be described, including use of Claude AI to code the survey in HTML and JavaScript, and how gamification aimed to increase responses.

Speaker: John Bankier (Kanagawa University)

1:20 PM Strategic Communication in Online Tandem Learning: Sustaining Interaction Between English and Japanese Learners

Speaker: Jehan Cruz (Ritsumeikan University)

2:00 PM Virtual Exchange: Developing Critical Language Competencies for Peace

Drawing on a Ukraine-Japan collaboration, this presentation explores Virtual Exchange as a peacebuilding community. We demonstrate how collaborative tasks and human encounters transform critical media literacy into tools for real-world mediation. We introduce a pedagogical framework showing how instrumental and ontological capacities must be nurtured to help students navigate the complexities of conflict reporting. Attendees will gain design strategies and ethical guidelines for conflict-sensitive exchanges that balance critical rigor with deep human connection.

Speakers: Susan Meiki (JALT Business Manager / Okayama University / Poster Chair), Tim Cleminson (Okayama University), Yuliana Lavrysh (Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute)

12:40 PM → 2:25 PM 802: Sun afternoon 802

12:40 PM Analyzing L2 Student-Authored Academic Papers Using Rhetorical Moves Analysis

Speakers: Alexandra Terashima (University of Tokyo), Anna Bordilovskaya (Tokyo City University)

1:20 PM PanSIG Journal Hands-On: Testing Your Knowledge of Submissions

Navigating journal submission systems can be a barrier for many prospective authors. This interactive forum addresses that challenge by introducing the PanSIG Journal’s new Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform through a live demonstration and guided participation. Beyond the technical walkthrough, participants will engage in collaborative activities such as trivia and group-based problem-solving tasks designed to highlight key elements of successful submissions, including manuscript preparation, journal fit, and common pitfalls. Led by multiple editors, the session provides direct insight into editorial expectations while creating a low-stakes, interactive space to explore the publishing process.

Speakers: Andrew Devitt (Westgate), Ezra Vasquez (Kansai Gaidai University), Miguel Campos (Toyo University), Nidal Butt (Kanda University of International Studies), Suwako Uehara (The University of Electro-Communications)

12:40 PM → 2:25 PM 803: Sun afternoon 803

12:40 PM The challenges of creating an Japanese speaking test … for English teachers

Many English teachers in Japan prepare students for IELTS Speaking without ever experiencing a high-stakes communicative speaking test themselves. This interactive session introduces a project that created a Japanese-language speaking test modelled on IELTS Speaking, exploring speaking test design, construct validity, pragmatics, and examiner expectations. Participants will try selected speaking tasks and reflect on the test-taker experience, gaining fresh insight and empathy into what students face in high-stakes speaking tests.

Speakers: Alex Serebriakoff (Momoyama Gakuin Daigaku), Thomas Legge (Momoyama Gakuin University), 容子 夜久 (桃山学院大学)

1:20 PM Do Listening Speed and Vocabulary Prediction Aid in Listening Comprehension?

This study investigated the interaction between speech rate and vocabulary prediction among 100 Japanese EFL students. Using TOEFL ITP® conversations at various speeds (0.75x - 1.25x), results revealed that listening scores consistently exceeded prediction scores (p < 0.001). While speed alone did not determine performance, predictive ability became a critical success factor at high speeds (1.25x, r = 0.59). These findings suggest that systematic predictive strategies may effectively scaffold comprehension during accelerated speech.

Speakers: Emily MacFarlane (Tohoku Gakuin University), Friel Alina (Tohoku University), Jessie Takeda (Tohoku University)

2:00 PM Personalised handwritten homework for CEFR mediation and speaking fluency

This classroom study investigates the impact of personalised, handwritten homework on learner engagement and speaking fluency in two A2–B1 university classes. Students completed eight 100-word texts on self-chosen topics and used them to prepare for mingling tasks focused on different CEFR mediation criteria. The presentation will show findings indicate higher homework completion, increased confidence, and perceived fluency gains, while highlighting motivational differences between classes and a learner preference for greater scaffolding alongside free choice.

Speaker: Mr John Shaw (Westgate)

12:40 PM → 2:25 PM 804: Sun afternoon 804

12:40 PM SIG Forum: Extensive Reading

Dear ER Helpline. This forum will answer some of the common issues that an instructor may face when trying to set up and conduct an ER program at their institution. For example; How do I convince my school that conducting an ER program will be beneficial for the students? How much budget would I need to start, and where can I find it? What books do I need and where do I get them?

Speakers: Mark Brierley (Shinshu University), Noriko Muramatsu (Meiji University Meiji HS Meiji JHS), Patrick Conaway (Shokei Gakuin University), Sandra Yamane (Three Tigers English)

2:00 PM Meaningful reading fluency: A communicative extension task

Speaker: Andrew Devitt (Westgate)

12:40 PM → 2:25 PM 805: Sun afternoon 805

12:40 PM SIG Forum: Global Englishes

Speakers: Natalie Correia, Mr Prumel Barbudo (Meikai University)

2:00 PM Adapting EFL Teaching to Increasingly International Classrooms in Japan

In recent years due to the falling birthrate, Japanese universities and colleges are enrolling increasing numbers of international students, creating more linguistically and culturally diverse classrooms. This presentation explores how a group of instructors at a vocational college have adapted their teaching practices in response, focusing on how instructors have adapted to these contexts. Drawing on classroom-based examples, it also presents practical strategies for inclusive instruction and discusses ongoing challenges faced by educators teaching multicultural classes in Japan.

Speakers: Brett Laybutt (Globiz Professional University), Sean Mitchell (Globiz Professional University)

12:40 PM → 2:25 PM 806: Sun afternoon 806

12:40 PM Japanese University Committees via L2: Competency, Cultural Frameworks, and CDA

1:20 PM When Community-Based Approaches Miss Multilingual Learners in Japan

Community-based approaches such as group work, peer collaboration, and language support classes are widely used to support multilingual learners. Yet participation does not always lead to recognition. Drawing on learner perspectives from research in Japan, this presentation examines how multilingual students may remain unnoticed as multilingual speakers even in supportive environments. Participants will be invited to reflect on how participation and recognition operate in their own teaching contexts.

Speaker: Yulia Kuznetsova (University of Tsukuba)

2:00 PM How Japanese pre-service English teachers position themselves prior to STSA

Speaker: Justin Pool (Osaka Kyoiku University, University of St Andrews)

12:40 PM → 2:25 PM 807: Sun afternoon 807

12:40 PM Community Tasks for Personal Growth and Student Engagement

The classroom can be an exciting place to work with students on developing foreign language skills. Sending students out into the real world to do communicative tasks in the local community can reinforce classroom learning, build social awareness, foster student engagement and promote personal growth. This presentation will demonstrate creative ways to design out-of-class homework assignments that engage students with the local community, promote interpersonal interactions, increase motivation and improve language proficiency.

Speaker: Kip Cates (Tottori University)

1:20 PM Building Classroom Community in a Conversation-Focused English Program Through Exploratory Practice

This study originated from a practitioner research project on reflective diary use. This presentation focuses specifically on how students experienced and contributed to the development of a classroom community in a University English communication course.

Over the six weeks, students' participation, interaction patterns, and emerging needs became central to shaping the classroom environment. By attending to these needs, students actively influenced the direction of lessons through their engagement and preferences.

This presentation shows how a community formed around shared values of practical language learning and mutual support. It illustrates how students navigated their roles as learners, contributed to peer interaction, and informed a flexible approach to teaching.

The session concludes by highlighting how centering students' lived classroom experiences can foster a stronger and more sustainable language-learning community.

Speaker: Ralph Artugue (Sophia University)

12:40 PM → 2:25 PM 808: Sun afternoon 808

12:40 PM SPIN Forum

Join the SPIN Forum at PanSIG 2026 for an interactive discussion designed to bridge the gap between attendees and panelists. This dynamic session explores key learning milestones and professional development, tackling real-world student challenges such as balancing TA responsibilities, gaining teaching experience, and navigating the job hunt. Connect directly with fellow students and SPIN committee members to share insights, ask questions, and build a supportive network. Let’s navigate the academic journey together!

Speakers: Chelanna White (Reitaku University), Natsuho Mizoguchi (Nagoya University of Foreign Studies), Shuyi Li (University of Tokyo)

2:00 PM Difficulties with Spoken English: Qualitative Approaches for Understanding Japanese Learners

This research project aims to show that a more naturalistic and qualitative approach to researching language development is necessary in the Japanese context to capture the non-linear trajectory of development. Though linguistic competence is usually measured through written standardized tests, it may not be an accurate measure in which to view learner development, which is in constant flux. Therefore, an assessment method primarily focused on speech would allow a holistic understanding of language development.

Speaker: Jann Franckleif Pepito Yamamoto (中京大学)

12:40 PM → 2:25 PM 809: Sun afternoon 809

12:40 PM Beyond the Text: Using Transmedia Narrative to Support Reading in Spanish

Speaker: Cecilia Noemi Silva (Tohoku University)

1:20 PM OLE SIG: Ban Papia Papiamentu: Speak the Language of Curaçao!

OLE's Multilingual Café comes to you: This interactive forum introduces participants to Curaçao through its national language, Papiamentu. After an overview of the island’s history and multicultural roots, most of the session focuses on actively learning basic conversational phrases. Through guided practice, participants will gain confidence in greetings, introductions, and everyday expressions. No prior knowledge is required—just curiosity and a willingness to speak.

Speakers: Kinsella Valies (Sophia University), Bertlinde Voegel (Osaka University)

12:40 PM → 2:25 PM 810: Sun afternoon 810

12:40 PM Snapshots of Interculturality: Discursive Analysis of Online Collaboration between Students in Macau and Serbia

This study explores how university students in Macau, China, co-constructed interculturality with Serbian peers in a WeChat exchange integrated into their coursework. Adopting a poststructuralist lens (Dervin, 2016), the pilot draws on Positioning Theory and CDA to analyze WeChat dialogues and interviews. Preliminary findings show that while students successfully maintained a friendly connection, meanings sometimes remained divergent. In dialogues involving students with limited proficiency, questions are raised about the nature of AI-proxied interculturality and what it means to co-construct a community through such mediation.

Speaker: Dunja Radojkovic (City University of Macau)

1:20 PM How do students feel about foreign instructors' emotional displays?

Different cultures have different rules about the display of emotions. Further, fostering a positive emotional climate is important for learning outcomes. But how can ESL instructors from cultures outside of Japan be certain that their emotional displays are perceived as contextually appropriate by their students? This presentation shares the results of a questionnaire about foreign ESL instructors’ emotional displays given to 292 students from universities across Japan, and explores implications for teaching practice.

Speaker: Adam Littleton (Toyo University)

2:00 PM Translanguaging in COIL: Building Language Competencies

2:40 PM → 4:10 PM Plenaries: Panel & Closing Ceremony

2:40 PM Plenary 3

Panel Discussion Theme: Language Education in the Age of AI
This forum offers a space for open dialogue between PanSIG 2026's plenary speakers (Louise Ohashi and Robert Stroud) and the audience. The plenary speakers will each give a short talk (abstracts below) then the moderator will open the floor for questions and discussion topics related to AI and L2 education.

Speakers: Prof. Louise Ohashi (Gakushuin University), Robert Stroud (Hosei University)