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Upcoming Events
Upcoming Events
October 2025 Event - Scrabble Contest and Hiroshima JALT Annual General Meeting
Sorry again about the late posting of this newsletter. (New Year's Resolution: Send out earlier notifications!)
This is to give you the details of the Inter-University Scrabble Contest and Hiroshima JALT Annual General Meeting, both held on Saturday the 13th of December on the 10th floor at Eikei University - just 5 minutes or so from Hiroshima Station.
The Scrabble Contest is open to all, and it's a great place to meet and socialize with other teachers, to get to talk with motivated students, and maybe even to play a game of Scrabble, or to "manage" a table as students play. We start at 1pm, but feel free to join us later, or leave early, if you are not accompanying competing students.
Our Hiroshima JALT AGM will take place at 5pm at the same place, and we aim to finish the meeting by 6pm.
We won't have an official end-of-year party, but if you're free, let's see who is free and go out for dinner together!
At the AGM, we will report how the year has been for Hiroshima JALT - program, publicity, membership, finances, and more. For now, though, we are glad to report that we are still going - and in a position to continue in 2026!
One thing we will do is vote for Hiroshima JALT officers for 2026. Candidates listed here were either self-nominated or were nominated and indicated that they would serve the position gladly if elected. If voting online, please check all the candidates you support. You can either vote online via the link or in person at our Annual General Meeting at 5pm on Saturday the 13th at Eikei University, following the Inter-University Scrabble Contest. But not both!
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSexGYrGEQ3QS0alVyTkESVnXV1c6wWV2Dg91Cj3wBXoCoAXQQ/viewform
At the AGM, there may be on the spot nominations for positions for which we have no one nominated as yet. Or for Program Chair, which Jim Ronald is willing to stand for - as we must have a Program Chair! Naturally, these will be welcome - and please consider it yourself! - but there will be no opportunity for online voting. We thank you for your understanding about this matter.
And look forward to seeing you there! If you are not able to join us, we wish you all the best for Christmas and the end of the year - and look forward to seeing you in 2026.
Jim Ronald
HiJALT President
hiroshimajalt.president@gmail.com
Saturday, 13 December 2025. 1:00pm (Scrabble Contest) & 5:00pm (Annual General Meeting)
What
Scrabble Contest and Annual General Meeting
When
Friday, 21st November 2025, from 6:30pm
Where
Saturday, 13th December, 2025
From 1:00pm - Scrabble Contest
From 5:00pm - Hiroshima JALT Annual General Meeting
Hiroshima JALT Officer Positions
President
The job of the president is to keep communication running smoothly within the JALT Hiroshima chapter and between the chapter and JALT. The President keeps in contact with other JALT groups on BaseCamp, and must attend two JALT Executive Board meetings per year, online or in person, and will vote on behalf of the chapter during those EBMs. The President stays in contact with the other officers and assists in any plans and projects. The President will preside over the Annual General Meeting (AGM), where there will be reports from the chapter officers followed by the annual election, which may be initiated online prior to the AGM
Treasurer
The Treasurer has the responsibility of making payments on behalf of Hiroshima JALT and of keeping track of its finances. When an officer pays for something on behalf of the SIG, they complete an Officer Expense Claim (OEC) which the treasurer checks and then reimburses from the SIG account. The treasurer also prepares a Monthly Accounting Summary (MAS) to show what money has come in and gone out of the account during the past month. Once a year, the treasurer works out a budget together with the president and other officers and submits this to JALT.
Membership Chair
The work of the Membership Chair is two-fold: One responsibility is welcoming new members of the SIG, while the other is gently reminding members who have not paid their membership dues to do so. The Membership Chair downloads a list of members from the JALT website each month and checks a file to quickly find which members joined over the month and any who have lapsed. The Membership Chair also keeps the officers appraised of membership trends and makes plans for recruiting new members.
Program Chair
The Program Chair is responsible for planning and organizing the chapter events during the year. As such, in consultation with chapter members and others, the Chair also identifies potential speakers for our SIG. These speakers can present for in-person events or for Zoom sessions. The Chair keeps in contact with what is happening at JALT through the use of BaseCamp. It is also important to be in contact with the other chapter officers, keeping in mind what type of activities will be attractive and useful for chapter members.
Publicity Chair
The Publicity Chair’s main role is to publicize the chapter to others, both within and outside of JALT. The Publicity Chair keeps up to date with all other officers to ensure that chapter members know what the chapter is doing or planning to do. The Chair helps in producing emails and flyers that announce upcoming chapter events. The Chair should be on BaseCamp in order to be aware of what other groups are doing and in order to make announcements about chapter-related events. When possible, the Publicity Chair can also post announcements about chapter-related events on social media channels.
Member-At-Large
The Member-At-Large is a supporter of the chapter, and agrees to be an officer who can be called upon by any of the Chapter officers when their assistance is required.
October 2025 Event - Backward Sneak Peek
are free to join us on Friday the 21st of November for Backward Sneak Peek (of the JALT conference), the event listed in our last newsletter. We'll be meeting in the Fukushi Center in Big Front, in front of Hiroshima Station.
Our room this time is the Volunteer Study Room ボランティア研修室 on the 6th floor of Big Front and the meeting time is from 6:30-8:30pm.
For this special meeting, people who presented at or attended the JALT International Conference in Tokyo from 31st October to 2nd November will be sharing what they did or learned. JALT officers Martyn McGettigan (Membership Chair), Monika Szirmai (Program Chair) and I will be ready to report; Martyn on his presentations (on using student videos in class) and on getting financial support for research and joining conferences, and Monika and I reporting about presentations or workshops we attended. If you were there and would like to be sure of a 10-15 minute "sharing time", let me know that you will be there with something to share by emailing me at jmronald@gmail.com.
Monika would also like to use our meeting to propose some guest speakers for Hiroshima JALT for the first half of next year. She will be stepping down as Program Chair but would like to help the incoming officer by setting up two or three events in advance. So if you have suggestions for this - even yourself! - please join us there or let me know in advance.
Speaking of stepping down, we will have our Annual General Meeting following the Inter-University Scrabble Contest at Eikei University on Saturday the 13th of December.
An important part of the AGM is our annual election of Hiroshima JALT officers. All the positions -- see below -- are one-year positions, and many of the current officers are not in a position to continue, so this could be a great opportunity for you to join our team. The first step is for potential candidates to be nominated on this form. As it says, you can nominate any Hiroshima JALT member in good standing, including yourself, to run for a volunteer officer position for the one-year term. We will confirm membership status for anyone nominated, and also willingness to stand for the position for anyone who is nominated by someone other than themself.
I'll stop here for now, but be in touch again soon, with more details about the Scrabble Contest, AGM, and party after, on the 13th of December.
We hope to see you at the events!
Jim Ronald
HiJALT President
hiroshimajalt.president@gmail.com
Friday, 21st November 2025 6:30pm - 8:30pm ~ Backward Sneak Peek
What
Backward Sneak Peek of the recent JALT 2025 Conference
When
Friday, 21st November 2025, from 6:30pm
Where
Hiroshima Fukushi Center, 6th floor, Volunteer Study Room ボランティア研修室
https://maps.app.goo.gl/rEs6FY31yobdzK5G9
How much?
FREE for all attendees
Pre-registration required for provided lunch
Hiroshima JALT Officer Positions
President
The job of the president is to keep communication running smoothly within the JALT Hiroshima chapter and between the chapter and JALT. The President keeps in contact with other JALT groups on BaseCamp, and must attend two JALT Executive Board meetings per year, online or in person, and will vote on behalf of the chapter during those EBMs. The President stays in contact with the other officers and assists in any plans and projects. The President will preside over the Annual General Meeting (AGM), where there will be reports from the chapter officers followed by the annual election, which may be initiated online prior to the AGM
Treasurer
The Treasurer has the responsibility of making payments on behalf of Hiroshima JALT and of keeping track of its finances. When an officer pays for something on behalf of the SIG, they complete an Officer Expense Claim (OEC) which the treasurer checks and then reimburses from the SIG account. The treasurer also prepares a Monthly Accounting Summary (MAS) to show what money has come in and gone out of the account during the past month. Once a year, the treasurer works out a budget together with the president and other officers and submits this to JALT.
Membership Chair
The work of the Membership Chair is two-fold: One responsibility is welcoming new members of the SIG, while the other is gently reminding members who have not paid their membership dues to do so. The Membership Chair downloads a list of members from the JALT website each month and checks a file to quickly find which members joined over the month and any who have lapsed. The Membership Chair also keeps the officers appraised of membership trends and makes plans for recruiting new members.
Program Chair
The Program Chair is responsible for planning and organizing the chapter events during the year. As such, in consultation with chapter members and others, the Chair also identifies potential speakers for our SIG. These speakers can present for in-person events or for Zoom sessions. The Chair keeps in contact with what is happening at JALT through the use of BaseCamp. It is also important to be in contact with the other chapter officers, keeping in mind what type of activities will be attractive and useful for chapter members.
Publicity Chair
The Publicity Chair’s main role is to publicize the chapter to others, both within and outside of JALT. The Publicity Chair keeps up to date with all other officers to ensure that chapter members know what the chapter is doing or planning to do. The Chair helps in producing emails and flyers that announce upcoming chapter events. The Chair should be on BaseCamp in order to be aware of what other groups are doing and in order to make announcements about chapter-related events. When possible, the Publicity Chair can also post announcements about chapter-related events on social media channels.
Member-At-Large
The Member-At-Large is a supporter of the chapter, and agrees to be an officer who can be called upon by any of the Chapter officers when their assistance is required.
October 2025 Event - JALT Four Corners speaker talk and discussion
At last the summer heat has come to an end! And you'll be glad to know that Hiroshima JALT is waking up again! (Though we did have a wonderful collaborative event with IBAJ/AIC World at the end of August - thank you, Monika for setting that up :-) )
We hope it's been a good summer for you, and we wish you all the best for the second half of the academic year - classes, research, writing, presenting and, throughout maybe, learning! And we hope that HiJALT will be a meaningful part of all that for you.
This newsletter will start with a list of upcoming events and other news, then give more information about each, so feel free to scroll down to the parts that are of most interest to you.
1. Monday, 27th October 6:00pm~ JALT Four Corners speaker talk and discussion
Ladomchanh Khantry: Language Learners in Laos: Making bridges, bringing down barriers
2. Late November (date and venue to be confirmed - probably a Friday evening)
Backward Sneak Peek, review of the JALT International Conference.
3. 13th December, 1:00pm~ Inter-University Scrabble Contest (Eikei University)
4. 13th December, 5:00pm~ Hiroshima JALT Annual General Meeting (venue to be confirmed)
with Hiroshima JALT officer elections (also available online)
5. 13th December, 7:00pm~ HiJALT end-of-year dinner (venue to be confirmed)
6. A really exciting-sounding job opportunity at Kagawa University's Global Cafe!
7. A couple of publishing opportunities - this might be just what you're looking for!
Jim Ronald
HiJALT President
hiroshimajalt.president@gmail.com
1. Monday, 27th October 6:00pm~ JALT Four Corners speaker talk and discussion
What
Ladomchanh Khantry: Language Learners in Laos: Making bridges, bringing down barriers
(in association with Japan Association of Language Teachers (JALT), Teachers Helping Teachers (THT) Special Interest Group (SIG), and JALT Gender Awareness in Language Education (GALE) SIG)
When
Monday, 27th October, from 6:00pm
Where
Address: Otemachi Mansion, 3 Chome-3-27, Naka Ward, Otemachi, Hiroshima, 730-0051
Next to MyStays, near The Knot
https://maps.app.goo.gl/FNJveq4M578Bb1Kh9
How much?
FREE for all attendees
Pre-registration required for provided lunch
2. Late November (date and venue to be confirmed - probably a Friday evening)
Backward Sneak Peek, review of the JALT International Conference.
If you are presenting at the conference, or if you are going as audience, come and share what you did or saw and learned! To be sure of a 10-15 minute "sharing time", let me know - jmronald@gmail.com - that you will be there with something to share.
3. 13th December, 1:00pm~ Inter-University Scrabble Contest (Eikei University)
Mostly for university students, but high schools and individuals can join and play. We'll be sharing a poster to promote the event soon; in the meantime, start thinking who you can get interested in this!
4. 13th December, 5:00pm~ Hiroshima JALT Annual General Meeting (Eikei University) with Hiroshima JALT officer elections (also available online)
We'll have plenty of opportunities for you to join us - and will be sending out a nominations form soon. Working together is a great experience, as it the AGM. Let me know if you're interested in knowing about how you can be involved and would like to know more!
5. 13th December, 7:00pm~ HiJALT end-of-year dinner (venue to be decided!)
Why not make a day of it - Scrabble, AGM, and dinner together!
6. A really exciting-sounding job opportunity at Kagawa University's Global Cafe!
The details are here:
https://jrecin.jst.go.jp/seek/SeekJorDetail?id=D125101506
7. A couple of publishing opportunities - this might be just what you're looking for!
JALT Learner Development SIG:
New LD SIG Book Project: Learner Development in the Age of AI
Deadline for proposals: January 5th 2026
We are excited to announce a new book project which will give us an opportunity to explore together the myriad ways in which AI is affecting our professional lives and, more specifically, how it is impacting Learner Development. We warmly invite you to submit a proposal for one of two kinds of article:
EITHER
a background piece that stakes out the territory and raises questions about our and our students' use of AI and how this relates to Learner Development (approx. 5,000 words)
OR
a 'My Share' style piece that explains how you and your students are negotiating the use of AI in your Learner Development practices. (approx. 2,000 words)
The book will be published in November 2027. The deadline for proposals is January 5th 2026. Please click here to see the detailed bilingual Call for Papers.
https://tinyurl.com/yn9urecu
JALT Pragmatics SIG
Call for Papers for JALT Pragmatics SIG BOOK 7
Pragmatics and Our Changing World: Globalization and Diversity (tentative title)
Editors: Akiko Chiba, Donna Fujimoto, Noriko Ishihara, Jim Ronald, Benio Suzuki, and Stachus Peter Tu
Deadline for abstracts: November 30th, 2025
Globalization can be characterized by a range of features we face today, including diversity, superdiversity, and dynamic intercultural contact. You may also think of high physical or virtual mobility, (language) standardization, or advancement of (generative) AI technologies. Or in the midst of globalization fueled by rapid development of technologies and linguistic discrimination, perhaps you are focusing on widening socioeconomic gaps and fostering equitable and inclusive communities in the language classroom and beyond.
Regardless of how you interpret globalization, the questions are: How does it shape and affect the way we teach and learn pragmatics? How do you perceive the needs of learners in today’s globalized world? How do you respond to these needs when you teach pragmatics?
There can be a lot of innovative ideas we can learn from, so share your thoughts by contributing a chapter! Yours could be a lesson plan, conceptual, or empirical paper, as long as it is of explicit relevance to pragmatics.
Pragmatics SIG members and non-members are invited to contribute a short chapter. The main contributions would be lesson plans teaching pragmatics, interaction, intercultural communication, discourse, etc., keeping the impact of globalization in mind. If you already teach pragmatics or have written a lesson plan, you might consider re-visiting it to boost the dimensions related to globalization. Lesson plan submissions should include the following:
a. Introduction including your interpretation of globalization (or an aspect(s) of globalization you are focusing on)
b. Context including your target audience (e.g., age, grade-level, proficiency, goals in learning the L2, intercultural experiences), time recommended for instruction
c. Goals of the lesson and rationale for the instructional choices
d. Step-by-step description of the lesson, including tasks and student handouts/worksheets
e. Options for formal/informal assessment
f. Variations, caveats, and reflections
g. References and appendices (if any)
Your contribution must be your original work that has not been published or submitted for publication elsewhere. That said, not much in this world is totally new, so if your contribution is inspired by or is an extension of someone else’s work, acknowledge your sources: attribute or give citations for activities or ideas which had their roots in other people's lessons, presentations, or publications.
Each contribution should be 1200-1500 words (all inclusive). This will be an e-book for ease of distribution, especially overseas.
If you are interested, enter your information and abstract in the following Google Form by November 30, 2025:
https://forms.gle/MDp7Q1j2uTahmVWy8
We hope to see you at the events!
Upcoming Events
Upcoming Events
August 2025 Event - IBAJ-JALT Regional Collaboration Day
"Voices in Education"
Hello, and summer greetings from us at Hiroshima JALT. We hope the summer has gone well for you!
First, here is an update of a special event that is happening very soon:
Voices in Education: IBAJ – JALT Regional Collaboration Day
Saturday, 30th August 2025, from 09:30 – 16:30
AIC World College of Hiroshima Elementary School (near Hiroshima Station)
It will be a day full of presentations that will stimulate, challenge, and entertain us, on topics that include student voice and agency, social and emotional learning, asking questions, language learning and AI, professional development, IB students at university, and peace and interaction. The full schedule is below and more information on presenters can be found in the PDF below.
The event is free, and air-conditioned and even includes a free lunch *** for those who pre-registered ***. (Everyone else, please bring your lunch with you!)
You can register using the link below, or using the QR code on the information flyer at the end of this newsletter.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfGUym-VlfUEE3OMLDw919ZfLbshWLV40kP1JcQt7M_CNN7qA/viewform
Beyond this, in late November, we are planning a special JALT Conference-related event. If you are presenting at the conference in Tokyo, we would like to invite you to present for us in Hiroshima. And if you are attending the conference, why not come and share what you learned there? We’ll be in touch again soon, but this is just a quick heads-up to invite you to be part of this JALT Conference MyShare.
In mid-December (probably Saturday the 13th, to be confirmed) there is one more special event: Hiroshima’s Inter-University Scrabble Contest. This is an event that involves many students, mostly university students, and many teachers who join to help out, or even to play some Scrabble! This is a fun social event in itself, and we are also planning to go out to eat together after this. Why not join us?
Last, but certainly not least, we are planning an event focused on Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs) in Hiroshima for early 2026 (January or February): experiences, challenges, discoveries, lessons, and even mistakes you want to share! If you are an ALT and would like to be involved in this event in some way, please get in touch with Jim Ronald (jmronald@gmail.com) and we can start planning together!
As the summer vacation draws to a close, we wish you all the best with all you are doing, and look forward to meeting at a time when our plans and your schedules and interests meet.
If you would like to be more involved with JALT, join us! We have a Program Chair, Membership Chair, Publicity Chair, Hospitality Chair, Treasurer, and Chapter President – and each one of us would welcome some support: a chance to learn, be involved, and step up to one of these positions as the opportunity arises!
Jim Ronald
HiJALT President
hiroshimajalt.president@gmail.com
2025 IBAJ-JALT Regional Collaboration Day
What
An all day event with multiple speakers reflecting on the topic of "Voices in Education"
When
Saturday, August 30th 2025, 09:30 - 16:30
Where
AIC World College 広島 初等部
https://maps.app.goo.gl/XTmR6rjUX2YtCEGK9
How much?
FREE for all attendees
Pre-registration required for provided lunch
IBAJ and JALT (ENG).pdfMay 2025 Event - Teachers dealing with Disabilities in Japan:
Living with ALS and Perspectives on Inclusion
Dear members and friends of Hiroshima JALT,
First, welcome if you have just joined us recently! We hope that Hiroshima JALT will continue to be a meaningful part of your life as a language teacher in Hiroshima - and beyond.
Following David Paul in March and George Higginbotham and Nick Kasparek in April, we look forward to welcoming Gavin Thomas and Teresa Stockwell on Saturday the 24th of May, to help us learn more about the circumstances of teachers with disabilities in Japan. See below for more details.
Look forward to seeing you there if you can join us! Also, feel free to contact our Program Chair Monika Szirmai if you would like to add to the wide range of events here at Hiroshima JALT.
And all the best with your life and teaching in May - may we and our students steer clear of the dreaded "go-gatsu byo!"
Jim Ronald
HiJALT President
hiroshimajalt.president@gmail.com
May 2025 Event - Teachers dealing with Disabilities in Japan
What
This two-part session explores both the personal and professional realities of living and teaching with a disability in Japan.
When
Saturday, 24 May 2025, 3:00pm - 5:00pm
Where
Hiroshima Fukushi Center, 5th floor, 2nd meeting room (the big one!)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/rEs6FY31yobdzK5G9
How much?
FREE for JALT members and students
500 yen for non members
April 2025 Event - An English Program at a New University
with George Higginbotham & Nick Kasparek
Dear members and friends of Hiroshima JALT,
Our April event, is happening very soon (see below), Saturday, April 12th at 3pm so make a note of the date! George Higginbotham and Nick Kasparek will be giving a talk on running a program at a new university, which promises to be very interesting with lots of practical information.
Our May event is scheduled for Saturday, May 24th, 3:00-5:00pm at Hiroshima Fukishi Center, 5F, Meeting Room 2 and will feature Gavin Thomas and Teresa Stockwell presenting "Teachers with Disabilities in Japan: Living with ALS and Perspectives on Inclusion". It looks like a great evening and we will be send out more details in the near future!
We wish each of you all the best as the new school year starts, and hope that we may continue to support your professional development in lots of ways, both academic and socially. Please tell us if there is any way that you feel that we can be doing this better!
Looking forward to seeing you at the workshop
Jim Ronald
HiJALT President
hiroshimajalt.president@gmail.com
April 2025 Event - An English Program at a New Universitywith George Higginbotham & Nick Kasparek
What
George and Nick will discuss how an English program is run at a new university, within the context of an English-medium liberal-arts faculty. With the first cohort graduating this March, this is a timely opportunity to reflect on how the English program is supporting students in their quest to become part of a global workforce. While participants will be familiar with some of the approaches, due to the goals and relatively high-proficiency levels on entry, the university is also able to implement less traditional methods of improving students’ communicative and academic competencies. Following an explanation of the program, the presenters will be happy to go into greater detail on specific issues and will also welcome any suggestions on potential ways to strengthen what is still a fledgling program.
When
Saturday, 12 April 2025, 3:00pm - 5:00pm
Where
Eikei University Hiroshima, 7th Floor, Room 703
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Ymvcvug186Kk6xDKA
How much?
Free to all
Welcome offer!
Welcome offer!
As part this year’s focus on younger learners, we’re pleased to announce a new pricing policy for students and non-members.
Your first HiJALT seminar is free, and the next two are half price.
Non-members: Students:
1st seminar: FREE 1st seminar: FREE
2nd seminar: 500 yen 2nd seminar: 500 yen
3rd seminar: 500 yen 3rd seminar: FREE with the price of your 2nd seminar
Walk in visitors are welcome and encouraged! Please contact our membership team for further details.
Hiroshima JALT usually hosts events online via Zoom, or in-person at International Conference Center Hiroshima (ICCH) in the Peace Park or Hiroshima YMCA, both of which are located in central Hiroshima.
Hiroshima JALT usually hosts events online via Zoom, or in-person at International Conference Center Hiroshima (ICCH) in the Peace Park or Hiroshima YMCA, both of which are located in central Hiroshima.
If you have ideas or requests for speakers or events, please send an email to our Program Chair at hijaltprogramme@gmail.com. To join our mailing list, please complete the form below.
If you have ideas or requests for speakers or events, please send an email to our Program Chair at hijaltprogramme@gmail.com. To join our mailing list, please complete the form below.
Call for Volunteers:
Call for Volunteers:
Hiroshima JALT relies exclusively on volunteer leadership to keep the chapter running as smoothly as possible. If you have not volunteered in the past but would like to step up at any time, please get in touch soon! If you are interested or would like to know more about the various possible roles, please contact the following officers anytime:
Jim Ronald, President (hiroshimajalt.president@gmail.com)
Shaun Wilbraham, Programme Chair (hijaltprogramme@gmail.com)
Minal Zehra, Treasurer (hijalt.treasurer@gmail.com)
Martyn McGettigan, Membership Chair (martynmcgettigan@hotmail.com)
Matthew French, Publicity Chair (hiroshimajalt.publicity@gmail.com)
Volunteering is not only good for the Hiroshima JALT community but also looks good on a CV. It is a great opportunity to get involved and contribute to your community. We sincerely hope you will consider applying your talents, whatever they may be, to Hiroshima JALT's cause. We are now looking to fill co-chair positions that entail shadowing an elected officer in order to become familiar with the ins and outs of the job.
Useful Links
Useful Links
Submit a proposal to present for Hiroshima JALT at one of our monthly chapter meetings here (Google Form).
Read our latest newsletter here.
See job postings here.
Join JALT or renew your membership here.
Learn how to get involved and get the most out of JALT here.
Contact us at: hiroshimajalt.publicity@gmail.com
Visit us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Hiroshima-JALT-165483106820785/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/hiroshimajalt
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