The Tokyo JALT Journal

A Note from the Editorial Team

Dear Tokyo JALT members,

We are very pleased to announce that there will be a ‘relaunch’ of the Tokyo JALT Journal, with the first issue of the new format planned for 2023. While the original journal featured peer-reviewed research articles, the new format of the journal will focus less on primary research, and operate more as a forum for chapter members to share their voices and collaborate as a professional and research community. The journal will focus on the following types of paper:

Perspective pieces - In this kind of paper, we encourage readers to share their experiences, reflections, and opinions as teachers or researchers. These could include classroom experiences, professional concerns, or unique challenges that may be of interest to chapter members, and to the language teaching community more broadly.

Practitioner responses - In this kind of paper, chapter members may write a reflection or a response to research that they have read, or to an event they have attended. The goal of these papers is to get a ‘practitioner’s eye view’ on discussions that are ongoing in the field of applied linguistics, and consider the relevance of research for practice.

Research ‘work in progress’ reports - While the new journal will not focus on primary research, this kind of paper provides a space for members to share details of ongoing projects, in order to encourage an awareness among readers of the kind of work being carried out by other members, and to foster collaboration and dialogue between members working on similar topics. This will NOT prevent authors from publishing the final research results elsewhere.

 ‘Research workshop’ pieces - These will be short, invited papers based on responses to questions about research posted on social media by the editors. Each year, the editors will initiate discussion around a topic related to research (methodology, ethics, practicalities, etc.) on the Tokyo JALT Facebook page. On the basis of this ensuring discussion, the editors will invite a small number of people to write up their responses more formally for publication in the journal.

We are very excited about the new direction of the journal, and look forward to collaborating with chapter members on this new project.


Robert J. Lowe

Jesse Reed

Editors


Call For Papers - 2024

The Tokyo JALT Journal (TJJ) is calling for the submission of papers. 

For the next issue of the Tokyo JALT Journal, we are looking for: 

(Please see above for details of these) 

All papers should be 1000-3000 words in length, and written in accessible language.


Submission guidelines

If you have an idea for a piece you would like to submit, please contact the editors first with your idea at: tokyo.jalt.editor@gmail.com. Following this, the editors will invite authors to make a full submission.

Initial suggestions for papers for the next issue should be sent by December 15th, 2023, and the deadline for final submission of articles will be March 31st, 202.


Invited papers

The editors will also be prompting discussion on social media with our research workshop questions, and will invite people to write up their contributions to these discussions as short journal pieces (max. 1000 words). Keep an eye out on social media for these discussions, and contribute if you feel comfortable doing so, and want a chance to publish your contribution in the journal!


Contact

To submit ideas for papers, or to make inquiries, please contact the editors Robert J. Lowe and Jesse Reed at:

tokyo.jalt.editor@gmail.com


1. Filipino ALTs in Japan: A Case Study of their Experiences and Identity as Non-Local

Ana Mindog

An article that examines the negotiation of professional identity among Filipino ALTs, and considers how they are perceived by students and how they perceive themselves.

2. Using Free Software to Optimize Repeated Oral Reading

Tomoyuki Kawashima

An article that provides new data and insights on the effectiveness of read-aloud activities for high school students in Japan.

Journal Link: TJJ Volume 5 - 2022

1. Japanese Students’ Attitudes Towards ELF and Their Own English

Mark Hanbury

2. Concurrent Cues of Communication: Japanese Students’ Use of Verbal and Visual Signposts during Writing Tutorials

Dan Ferreira

3. Using Content Analysis to Identify L2 Motivation and Efforts to Learn English

Jean-Pierre Joseph Richard and Suwako Uehara

4. Understanding the Causes of Sociopragmatic Breakdown in English Communication Classes Taught by Native Speakers at Japanese Universities

Steven Brooks

1. Success Motivates and Negativity Deflates: A Language Teacher’s Diary Study 

Amanda J. Yoshida

2. Japanese EFL Students’ Reading Test Performance and Perceptions of Working in Small Groups in Highly-Structured Cooperative Learning Activities 

Hungche Chen and Chuanning Huang

3. The “What’s New? Line Game 

Gary J. Wolff

4. Teaching Train Directions 

Mark Hanbury

1. Learner Development Outreach Translation Project for Tohoku

Sayuri Hasegawa, Andy Barfield, Ted O’Neill, Rob Moreau, and Mayumi Takizawa

2. Considering Context: The Implementation of Visual Thinking Strategies [コンテクストの考察：ビジュアル・シンキング・ストラテジーの実施]

Elizabeth Yoshikawa

3. Globalization and English as a Foreign Language: Exploring Paths Towards Educational Change in Japan

Linamaria A. Valdivia 

4. Effects of Teaching Pedagogies on Motivational Variables of Japanese English L2 Learners: A Comparative Study

Alan G. Harper

5. L1 Pragmatic Transfer in English Meetings: An Analysis of Japanese Turn-Taking and Consensus-building Behaviors

Josef Williamson

1. In Japan, English is Still a Good Investment 

Josef Messerklinger

2. How Do You Practice W/H Questions in a Natural Way?

Shaun Iwasawa

3. Adding Structured Pronunciation Practice to University Oral Communication Classes

Mark Hanbury

4. The Inclusion of “I don’t know” on the Vocabulary Size Test

Dawn Lucovich

5. Textbook Review – Genius English Communication

Linamaria Valdivia

6. Letters From Our Visiting RTTP Experts

Nicholas Proctor, Stephanie Jass, David Moser