Annual Conference

This is a three-day event for language educators and researchers featuring presentations, workshops and roundtable sessions. Unlike previous years, Friday is a full day of presentations, and the conference will finish on Sunday. The workshops that used to be held on the Friday will move to an online event in summer, details TBA. Over the weekend, we run a conference within a conference called "JALT Junior," which is an affordable option for teachers of young learners.

• 2025年10月31日(金)〜2025年11月02日(日) 東京都渋谷 国立オリンピック記念青少年総合センター 
  〒151-0052 東京都渋谷区代々木神園町3-1
• Friday, October 31 - Sunday, November 02, 2025 • National Olympics Youth Memorial Center, Tokyo, Japan
  3-1 Yoyogikamizonocho, Shibuya, Tokyo 151-0052

Full details: https://events.jalt.org/event/37/

We at JALT Niigata are thrilled to announce that we have teamed up with the Teacher Development SIG for our main event this year: The 17th Annual NEAR Language Education Conference x Teacher Journeys Conference. This exciting collaboration promises to be a landmark event under the theme “Teacher Journeys, Student Journeys: Leading and Learning.”

At the heart of education lies a profound truth: both educators and learners embark on unique paths of growth and discovery. Our conference explores the rich range of experiences that shape our educational identities, from the initial steps into the world of learning to our ongoing development as teachers and students. These journeys not only define who we are but also influence how we teach, learn, and connect with one another in the classroom and beyond.

Creating Community: Learning Together 8 (CCLT8) is an informal, supportive conference, taking place on Sunday, December 22, from 12:00-17:00 at Otsuma Women’s University, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. 

Students and teachers are invited to share their experiences, ideas, perspectives, and puzzles, related to the theme “Stories of Collaborative, Sustainable, and Transformative Learner Development.” 

Collaborative: 

• involving learners collaborating with each other, with their teachers, or with the groups communities, and networks outside the classroom

Sustainable: 

• being sustained over the academic year(s), or beyond 

Transformative: 

• involving learners or teachers developing new understandings, ideas, perspectives, or ways of learning/teaching

To involve both learners and teachers in exploring these aspects of learner development, we aim to keep presentations informal and interactive, so digital displays/poster presentations will be the main format of the day. 

Multiple digital displays/posters sessions will take place at the same time, in three rounds of 40 minutes, with spaces for discussion and reflection at different points. 

It’ll be great to see you there!

James Underwood & Ken Ikeda 

(CCLT8 co-organizers)

In honor of our pilot course in Event Planning at Sojo University, this year's conference will focus on collaborative and cooperative learning in language education. The conference will be the result of student collaboration with each other and cooperation with teachers in planning, structuring, and implementing a professional event. Students in the Planning Project course, or 企画プロジェクト：国際的学会, through learner-focused activities, shared responsibility of goals, dynamic work and community will organize SUTLF 2025. Course instructors and affiliated teachers will also play role in affecting task distribution, differentiation of goals, and facilitating engagement and success. As such, this year's theme revolves around classroom environments, tasks, activities, and goals that facilitate a collaborative learning structure. 

We invite professionals in the field of language education from all over Japan to join us for presentations and posters that explore the topics of collaboration and cooperation between students and teachers, as well as for networking and professional development opportunities.  

The Global Englishes SIG Online Conference 14th December 2024

We are delighted to announce that Mayu Konakahara will be the plenary speaker at our second online conference which will take place on 14th December 2024. The conference will be free to attend and it will take place between 9am and 6pm Japan standard time. More information about the conference, including how to register, will be announced closer to the time. But for now, you can read about our plenary speaker and the talk she will be giving by visiting our website.

https://jaltgesig.wordpress.com/jalt-ge-sig-conference-2024/

The JALT Hokkaido Winter Language Conference 2025 - Teaching Tools for the Classroom

This year, JALT Hokkaido and the Performance in Education (PIE) JALT Special Interest Group are hosting a two-day conference at different two locations in Sapporo

• Saturday, February 15th : Sapporo Cultural Arts Community Center (SCART)
• Sunday, February 16th:  Hokkai-Gakuen University Toyohira Campus on Sunday, February 16th.

Call for Papers has now closed

The JALT Hokkaido Winter Language Conference 2025 - Teaching Tools for the Classroom

• Sunday, February 16th, Hokkai-Gakuen University

We are lucky enough to have the renowned CALL/MALL expert Dr. Louise Ohashi give her keynote lecture on ChatGPT as a Tool for L2 Education and also a workshop on Building AI Literacy Through Exploration.  Abstracts and Bio click here.

Publicity Officer Bob Ashcroft held an interview with Dr Louise Ohashi to talk about her upcoming presentation at the 2025 JALT Hokkaido Winter Conference.  Click here

Conference Fees:

• JALT Members, JALT Hokkaido Local Members, and students: 
  Pre-registered FREE / At the door ¥1,000
• Non-members: Pre-registered ¥2,000. / At the door ¥3,000

Click  here to register

Performance in Education (PIE) JALT Special Interest Group

- Saturday, February 15th : Sapporo Cultural Arts Community Center (SCART)

Click here to register and to see conference fees

The 2024 Nara JALT Conference will be held at Nara Women’s University* on December 1st.

Access: https://koto.nara-wu.ac.jp/gakusei/ryugaku/AI_NWU_e/access_map_e.html

We have another great lineup of speakers this year.

The program has five presentations throughout the day, with plenty of time during and after for networking.

Nara JALT 2024 Program:

9:00–9:15: Opening

Presentation 1

9:15–10:00: Erin Noxon
Thirty Essential Google Tricks Every Educator Should Know

Presentation 2
10:15–11:00: David Eckford

The Benefits and Challenges of Teaching Traditional Japanese Arts in a Study Abroad Program

Presentation 3

11:15–12:00: Olga Li and Akiko Mokhtari 

Enhancing Inductive Learning through AI-Assisted Paraphrasing and Prompt Engineering

12:00–13:30: Lunch

Presentation 4

13:45–14:45: Eric Martin

High-frequency Vocabulary: Understanding the Words that Our Learners are Likely to Know (and Those They Don't)

Invited Speaker Presentation

15:00–16:00: Ben Tanaka

Ten Easy Steps to Sort Your Finances Out in 2024

16:00–16:15: Closing

16:15–17:00: Social Gathering

*Please note there will be no online version

More about Ben Tanaka (Invited Speaker)

Ben Tanaka (also Shearon) was born in Germany, grew up in northern Spain, yet claims to be British. He retired from formal work in 2022. He has been running RetireJapan since 2013 to help people living in Japan learn more about personal finance, investing, retirement, and life in Japan. He also helps his wife run a medium-sized English school and writes various things. Please see his website (RetireJapan) for more information.

Thank you to this year's sponsors

OUP and the JALT CALL SIG are sponsoring this conference. We thank both organisations for their sponsorship and encourage CALL members to attend the conference. All attendees are encouraged to interact with the OUP staff member, who will provide a book display for those interested.

We look forward to seeing everyone for another informative and social annual conference.

Teacher Journeys is back! This year, the conference will be held in-person at Tokyo City University (Setagaya Campus)on Saturday, October 12th. Teachers' stories are instrumental in shaping our professional growth and practices. This event is a prime opportunity to inspire and connect with others, enriching our collective understanding and contributing to our development as educators!

Date: December 8 (Sunday), 9:30–17:30

Location: St. Ursula Eichi Elementary – Middle – High School; Ipponsugimachi, 1−1−2, Sendai; map

10 min. walk from Yakushido Station, Subway Tozai Line; Limited parking available

Presented by JALT Sendai, MY School, and St. Ursula Eichi Elementary – Middle – High School, the Tohoku ELT Expo is a one day mini-conference that offers quality presentations and materials displays for language teachers in any context: college, jr. & sr. high, elementary, kindergarten and private language school. Presentations will be given by speakers from around Japan and the Sendai/Tohoku region. The aim is to provide top-class presentations and publishers’ material displays for every kind of English teacher.

A large number of presentations will be given by speakers from around the nation and from the Sendai/Tohoku region. Presentation slots are available, so please jump in and share your teaching ideas or research at any level—children to adult. Sessions are generally 45 minutes (30-40 minute presentation with 5-15 minutes for questions & discussion). 

Plan to attend this highlight of our program year! Fill out our pre-registration form to help us plan, and to make sign-in faster on the day of the event.