The TD SIG will be holding our annual forum designed to promote the sharing of professional stories at the JALT 2026 International Conference which will be held Nov 20th – 22nd in Nagoya.

This year’s forum theme is ‘The Development of Teachers: Outside the Classroom’.

The forum format will be an interactive workshop for which are looking for three workshop leaders.

Within a 30-minute session, each workshop leader will:

• Share a personal story connected to their teaching or professional context that relates to the forum theme.
• Actively involve participants in discussion, reflection, or idea sharing related to that story.
• Create opportunities for attendees to connect the workshop content to their own experiences, and to ask questions, share comments, or offer insights.

Possible interactive elements may include (but are not limited to):

• Rotating discussion groups.
• Prediction or reflection activities based on prompts at the beginning of the session.
• Problem–solution discussions.
• Pair or small-group work.
• Written responses used during the workshop.
• Role-plays, mingling activities, or experience-sharing tasks.

Submit your proposal via the Google Form here by February 28th.

We’re excited to open the call for proposals for the TD SIG Forum at PanSIG 2026 which will be held May 23rd – 24th in Nagoya.

Submit a proposal that explores an approach to building language competencies through community. Some possible themes include:

• Collaborative learning strategies
• Cultivating resilience, adaptability, motivation
• Integrating real-world experiences with language learning
• Utilizing technology to foster community
• Innovative assessment practices
• Building teacher collaborations and communities
• Communities of practice for course design and implementation
• Creating teacher development through mentoring and support systems

2-3 presenters will be selected with each presentation lasting 30-45 minutes (including 10-15 minutes of discussion). The presentation should include an interactive element exemplifying the practice and serving as a basis for discussion. This interaction can be devised with discussion rounds, collaborative tasks, pair/group activities, or in other ways.

For more details, access the Google Form here and submit your proposal by February 28th. Let’s collaborate and build language competencies through dynamic community-driven discussions!

Mark your calendars! The 17th Annual NEAR Language Education Conference x Teacher Journeys Conference is happening on Saturday, June 28th, 2025 in Niigata!

This year’s theme is: “Teacher Journeys, Student Journeys: Leading and Learning”. Join us as we explore how educators and learners grow, lead, and inspire one another through personal and professional journeys. 

We’re thrilled to welcome Wayne Malcolm (Senior Lecturer, Fukui University of Technology & JALT Director of Conference) as our plenary speaker, presenting: “Representation Matters: My Journey on the Learning Road”

Venue: Niigata University of International and Information Studies Chuo (Furumachi) Campus https://maps.app.goo.gl/4iYa8ZcnGxPdtyFR9

Fees: JALT members ¥3,500 | Non-members ¥4,500 | Students ¥500

Scan the QR code or open the following form for registration details: https://forms.gle/1CrJDgbUZvWZ9pvv5 

Ready to dive into Agency & Autonomy in Language Learning?

Join us for the Teacher Development SIG Forum at JALT Pansig Conference 2025!

Saturday, May 17th |  16:55–17:55
 Building 3, Room 201
 Kanda University of International Studies, Chiba

 Featuring:
 Joan M. Kuroda – “Developing Teacher Autonomy Through Reflective Practices: Intersubjectivity and Communication”
 Chuck Gloria – “Lyrics as Language: Collaborative Songwriting for Expressive Agency in the EFL Classroom”

 Don’t forget to stop by our SIG table in Building 3, Room 107 — we’d love to connect

More info & registration: https://pansig.org/2025

The Teacher Development SIG are thrilled to announce that we have teamed up with the JALT Niigata Chapter for an exciting collaboration: the joint NEAR Language Education Conference x Teacher Journeys Conference.

Date: June 28th 2025 (Saturday)

Location: Chuo (Furumachi) Campus of Niigata University of International and Information Studies – https://maps.app.goo.gl/4iYa8ZcnGxPdtyFR9

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.

We cordially invite you to share your insights and experiences through a presentation. Whether your focus aligns with the theme of teacher/student journeys or encompasses broader language education topics, we eagerly anticipate your contributions.

To submit your abstract, please use our user-friendly Google Form to streamline the submission process. You can expect a response regarding your submission within 1-2 weeks. A quick turnaround time allows you to plan ahead and prepare for our upcoming conference.

Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of a transformative dialogue on education. Your unique perspective could inspire colleagues and help them shape the future of teaching and learning. We look forward to receiving your submissions and welcoming you to Niigata for what promises to be an enlightening collaborative event.

Submission Guidelines:  

• Presentation length: 25-minute talk, 40-minute talk (including Q&A), and 1-hour poster presentation.

• Submission deadline: March 23rd, 2025. 

• Submission procedure: Applications submitted online

  • Abstract (for vetting): 250-300 words        

  • Summary (for the conference handbook): 150-200 words

PanSIG2025 will be held May 16-18 2025 at Kanda University of International Studies in Mihama Ward, Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture.

The Teacher Development SIG is inviting researchers, instructors, and practitioners to submit proposals for our forum at PanSIG focused on autonomy and agency in language education. 

The forum will highlight approaches and experiences with fostering learner autonomy and agency in educational settings. This topic is especially timely as we recognise that our learners often demonstrate a strong sense of both individual and collective engagement in their learning, while also expressing a desire for greater freedom in their learning journey.

Possible themes for the forum include:

• Blended learning
• Collaborative learning and peer-to-peer interactions
• Critical pedagogy and critical thinking
• Formative assessment and feedback practices
• Learner autonomy and learner-centered approaches
• Metacognitive skills and reflective practices
• Self-regulated and self-directed learning
• Teacher autonomy and teacher agency

We welcome a wide range of perspectives on these themes and encourage submissions from both new and experienced presenters.

Presentation Format:

• Presentations will be either 20 or 30 minutes in length (depending on number of presenters) followed by 10-15 minutes of discussion time.
   
• Forum discussions are interactive by design, and we encourage presenters to incorporate engaging elements such as scaffolded rounds, collaborative tasks, or other creative formats to encourage participant involvement.

Submission Process:

After submitting your proposal through the Google Form, you can expect feedback within 1 week of your submission. If your proposal is accepted, we will support you throughout the presentation process to ensure you have everything you need for a successful session.

You can submit your proposal via the Google Form until March 10th. Please email jalt.td.sig@gmail.com if you have any questions.

The TD SIG will be holding an interactive workshop-style forum at JALT 2024:

 Date: Sunday, November 17
 Time: 12:00 – 13:30
Place: Room 908

This unique, interactive workshop format offers more engagement and collaboration than a traditional presentation, so bring your curiosity and ideas! We look forward to seeing eager educators ready to connect and learn. See you at JALT 2024!

The TD SIG’s Teacher Journeys conference will be held in-person at Tokyo City University (Setagaya Campus) on Saturday, October 12th.

The presentation schedule is currently being prepared. In the meantime, pre-registration for the conference is now open and is ¥2,000 for JALT members and ¥3,000 for non-JALT members. Click here to pre-register.

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. We look forward to seeing everyone on the conference day!

Teacher Journeys is back! This year, the conference will be held in-person at Tokyo City University (Setagaya Campus) on Saturday, October 12th.

We invite you to submit a proposal and share your unique experiences as a teacher. Our 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. Don’t miss out on this chance to make an impact!

You can propose either a 30-minute presentation or a 75-minute workshop, both of which will include time for Q&A.

Please use this Google Form to submit your proposal: https://forms.gle/UBd5rH6St3zJ3xRP8

Join the TD SIG Forum at PanSIG 2024 with our three panelists and dive into their take on the “Boon and Bane of Digitalized EFL Education”.

Although we commonly share the recent period of tech-based EFL lessons, we may differ as to which side of the fence we are on: the boon side or the bane side. This forum features presenters who will share their specific views and experience of recent large-scale technology implemented lessons, realizations and revelations stemming from those, and how their technology use connected to fundamentals of EFL education/lessons. Our interactive discussion with the audience centers on either support for increased use of technology (boon) or the notion that technology is overused and/or inefficient (bane).

Our three presenter topics relate to: (1) the paradox of advancing educational technologies, such as AI and VR, and their demand for educators to not only deeply understand these tools but also to increasingly apply traditional teaching methodologies; (2) the implementation of Virtual Exchange (VE) to maximise learning outcomes by offering students more comprehensible input while encouraging output and the negotiation of meaning; (3) the need to avert overreliance on technology tools and common classroom failures by supplementing traditional pedagogical approaches more strategically with technology to create unique opportunities exclusive to language classrooms.

Date: Sunday May 26th
Time: 10:10 – 11:40
Room: 2-703