PanSIG Event

Teachers and students continue to face new challenges as well as new opportunities in language education. Teaching fully/partially online, reimagining the traditional classroom, and redeveloping materials are but a few of the issues we have all experienced. This year we will continue to focus on sharing our ideas, strategies, and experiences accommodating learners with diverse needs. This furthers ALL-SIG’s goal of developing both a framework and a network for accessible language learning. We are all looking forward to seeing you at the conference. All participants interested in sharing their stories, strategies, or experiences are welcome.

PanSIG is an annual conference which will be held from May 24 to May 26 in Fukui. It is organized by many of the Special Interest Groups of JALT. This year TEVAL is sponsoring plenary speaker Dr. Daniel R. Isbell, assistant professor from the Department of Second Language Studies at the University of Hawai’I at Mānoa. His keynote Hype and High-Tech Language Tests: Staying Grounded with Language Assessment Fundamentals will be from 10am on Saturday, May 25. 

Daniel R. Isbell is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Second Language Studies at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, where he teaches courses and supervises MA and PhD students in language assessment. He serves on the the editorial boards of the journals Language Testing and TESOL Quarterly. His primary research interest is language assessment, and he has conducted research on diagnostic assessment, self-assessment, rater effects, repeated test taking and proficiency development, test equating, specific purposes language testing, and vocabulary in context. His interests also include instructed second language acquisition, ranging from L2 pronunciation to language learning apps. To learn more about Dr. Isbell and his upcoming keynote address at PanSig 2024, read this recent interview with him in the current issue of Shiken

TEVAL is pleased to announce a forum with PanSig 2024 Plenary Speaker, Dr. Daniel R. Isbell to be held at 1pm on Saturday, May 25. This will be a chance tor TEVAL members to ask any questions or raise any concerns they may have regarding language assessment. The informal, conversational type setting is sure to be conducive to some interesting discussion so make sure you put this event in your calendar! Everyone is welcome to submit any questions or issues they have in advance and if you wish, this can be done anonymously using the following google doc: https://forms.gle/y3DGTxRv696hz3jL9.

We strongly encourage you to make the most of this opportunity and submit any questions you have regarding language testing. We look forward to seeing you at this PANSIG forum!

Daniel R. Isbell is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Second Language Studies at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, where he teaches courses and supervises MA and PhD students in language assessment. He serves on the the editorial boards of the journals Language Testing and TESOL Quarterly. His primary research interest is language assessment, and he has conducted research on diagnostic assessment, self-assessment, rater effects, repeated test taking and proficiency development, test equating, specific purposes language testing, and vocabulary in context. His interests also include instructed second language acquisition, ranging from L2 pronunciation to language learning apps. To learn more about Dr. Isbell and his upcoming keynote address at PanSig 2024, read this recent interview with him in the current issue of Shiken

There will be an informational session on November 18th at 8:00 PM for people interested in learning more about writing presentation abstracts for PanSIG 2024. 

Future abstract workshop opportunities will include the December ZPD (December 12th, 8:00 PM), December 19th (8:00 PM), January 11th (5:00-7:00 PM), and the January ZPD (for JALT National abstracts; January 30th, 8:00 PM).

Please register in order to receive the Zoom link for this meeting. Link

Teachers and students continue to face new challenges as well as new opportunities in language education. Teaching fully/partially online, reimagining the traditional classroom, and redeveloping materials are but a few of the issues we have all experienced. This year ’ s SIG forum, “Accessibility in Practice ” , will continue to focus on sharing our ideas, strategies, and experiences accommodating learners with diverse needs. This furthers ALL-SIG’s goal of developing both a framework and a network for accessible language learning. We are all looking forward to seeing you at the conference. All participants interested in sharing their stories, strategies, or experiences are welcome.

Looking back on... looking forward!

Join us one last time to:

1. chat about this year's PanSIG;

2. Q&A sessions with online pre-recorded presenters;

3. share your feedback about the conference to make PanSIG 2024 even better.

What are you waiting for? Use the following form to register for the event.

See you on June 10th, from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM on Zoom!

The JALT PANSIG 2023 conference
PanSIG 2023, Kyoto Sangyo University, Kyoto

Friday 12th – Sunday 14th May 2023

The JALT PanSIG 2023 Conference will take place from May 12th to 14th 2023 at Kyoto Sangyo University (京都産業大学) in Kyoto. It will be a face-to-face event with live broadcast sessions and pre-recorded video presentations.

The theme for PanSIG 2023 is “Looking forward” to sustainable futures in language education. Based on what we have learned through the experiences of recent years, we feel it is time to look forward and focus on what lies ahead, both in terms of expectations and planning. The goal of the conference is to establish and foster connections between people.  We hope to build on the work of other contemporary conferences “(Re)Imagining Language Education” (PanSIG 2022) and “Designing Future Society for Our Lives” (2025 World Expo in Osaka).

Yo Hamada

Overview of shadowing: the theory and practice

In this presentation, a teaching and learning technique called shadowing will be reviewed and a practical demonstration on how to use it in the classroom will be given. In shadowing, learners repeat what they listen to as simultaneously as possible. Practicing shadowing helps learners to improve their listening comprehension and pronunciation skills. The presentation will consist of four parts. First, an overview will detail the basic theoretical background of shadowing, mainly in terms of the listening process and skill acquisition theory. Second, shadowing variations will be shown with examples. A number of shadowing-related activities introduced in different books and studies are occasionally referred to by different names, and some of these variations can become confusing. Therefore, in this presentation, the presenter will explains each shadowing type by demonstration. Third, a sample procedure of how to conduct a shadowing-based class will be introduced. The presenter will also include his own experience of using shadowing in the classroom to help the participants understand the technique better and use it in the classroom effectively.  The presenter will answer questions from the participants throughout and at the end of the presentation.

Yo Hamada is an associate professor at Akita University. He holds a Master’s degree in TESOL from Temple University and a doctoral degree in Education from Hiroshima University. His research areas include listening and pronunciation. He has published Teaching EFL Learners Shadowing for Listening (Routledge Research in Language Education) and more than 20 papers about shadowing.

Dates: May 12th-14th, 2023 (session time to be announced)

Venue: Kyoto Sangyo University, Kyoto

More information: https://jaltlistening.wordpress.com/new-jalt-pansig-2023-2/

PanSIG 2023 will be held from Friday, May 12 to Sunday 14, 2023 at Kyoto Sangyo University (京都産業大学) in Kyoto City and the theme is: “Looking forward.”

PanSIG is an annual conference usually held in May, and organized by many of the Special Interest Groups (SIGs) of the Japan Association for Language Teaching (JALT). The conference brings together leading scholars and practitioners in language education from Japan, Asia, and throughout the world. It is meant to be a smaller, more intimate conference than the annual international JALT conference (which is held each fall), and is a place where SIG members can network with each other.

The pandemic has given teachers and students new challenges as well as new opportunities in language education. Teaching fully/partially online, reimagining the traditional classroom, and redeveloping materials are but a few of the issues we have all experienced. This year ’ s SIG forum, “Sustainable Inclusivity: Practical Solutions for Supporting Learners ” , will continue to focus on sharing our ideas, strategies, and experiences accommodating learners with diverse needs. This furthers ALL-SIG’s goal of developing both a framework and a network for accessible language learning. We are all looking forward to seeing you at the conference. All participants interested in sharing their stories, strategies, or experiences are welcome.

The PanSIG 2023 Conference Committee is looking forward to meeting both PanSIG veterans and new interested educators during this social & abstract writing support event. It will be the best opportunity to learn more about the event, ask questions, and meet new people. You can also reach out directly to the committee to know more about available conference grants and receive feedback on your call for presentation drafts. Come join us! Open to everyone. You don't have to be a JALT member to participate. Click here to register.