IAFOR > The Asian Conference on Language Learning (ACLL) > ACLL2019 Overview

ACLL2019 Overview

“Independence & Interdependence”

May 16–18, 2019 | Toshi Center, Tokyo, Japan

The duality of our theme speaks to how each of us as learners, teachers, and researchers – people curious about the world and our place in it – act together to educate. We each bring our independent individual variables to any teaching and learning situation, yet work interdependently to learn from each other and create new connections and meanings.

Language learning and teaching are at once highly personal and individual while also social and embedded in an ecology of inter-relationships. Independence and interdependence cannot exist without each other, so how should this tension and integration inform our academic inquiry into language learning research and practice? Research in self-regulation, self-determination, learner and teacher autonomy, and motivation for language learning is one of several ways to approach these questions, and our host country for this conference, Japan, is a center for such work.

This conference provides opportunities to explore psychological, theoretical and practical aspects of language learning. Whether one’s focus is the impact of technology or the integration of emotions into the classroom, we can and must all rely on each other to best serve students and support them in becoming autonomous, independent language learners who can be successful in an increasingly interconnected and interdependent world. An international, intercultural, and interdisciplinary conference such as this brings us together; to surprise, support, and learn from each other.

ACLL is organised by IAFOR in association with the IAFOR Research Centre at the Osaka School of International Public Policy (OSIPP) in Osaka University, Japan.

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Photo Report

The 9th Asian Conference on Language Learning (ACLL2019) was held in Tokyo, Japan on the theme of independence and interdependence and saw more than 150 academics from over 35 countries.

Above from left to right: Professor Sarah Mercer of the University of Graz, Austria, delivers a Keynote on the “Interdependence of Language Teacher and Learner Wellbeing”; Masaya Mori, Executive Director of the Rakuten Institute of Technology explains how AI technologies can enhance language learning in a Keynote entitled “Transforming Passive TV Viewing into Language Learning with AI”; Author, journalist and CLIL guru, Phil Ball responds to questions following his Keynote on “Consolidating Integration”.

Above top from left-right: Dr Mary Sengati-Zimba, Zayed University, United Arab Emirates; Jennie Roloff Rothman, Kanda University of International Studies, Japan; Dr Satoko Kato, Kanda University of International Studies, Japan; Dr Yasmin Dean, Mount Royal University, Canada (speaking); Professor Ted O’Neill, Gakushuin University, Japan; and Professor Jo Mynard, Kanda University of International Studies, Japan, take part in a lively and interactive featured panel on “Supporting Learners and Learning from Outside the Classroom: An Interdependent Multidisciplinary Approach”. Above bottom from left-right: Professor Keiko Sakui of Kobe Shoin Women’s University, Japan delivers a Keynote on “Gender, Race and Other Factors: Being a Member of Multiple Communities”; and Dr Marco Koeder, digital marketing director of J. Walter Thompson, Japan, discusses “The Power of Randomness: Lessons from (Mobile) Gaming and Behavioral Economics” as they relate to the use of games in learning.

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Speakers

Keynote Speakers

  • Sarah Mercer
    Sarah Mercer
    University of Graz, Austria
  • Phil Ball
    Phil Ball
    Author and Journalist
  • Keiko Sakui
    Keiko Sakui
    Kobe Shoin Women’s University, Japan
  • Masaya Mori
    Masaya Mori
    Rakuten Inc.

Featured Speakers

  • Mary Sengati-Zimba
    Mary Sengati-Zimba
    Zayed University, United Arab Emirates (UAE)
  • Jennie Roloff Rothman
    Jennie Roloff Rothman
    Kanda University of International Studies, Japan
  • Yasmin Dean
    Yasmin Dean
    Mount Royal University, Canada
  • Marco Koeder
    Marco Koeder
    J. Walter Thompson, Japan
  • Satoko Kato
    Satoko Kato
    Kanda University of International Studies (KUIS), Japan

Moderators

  • Jo Mynard
    Jo Mynard
    Kanda University of International Studies, Japan
  • Ted O’Neill
    Ted O’Neill
    Gakushuin University, Japan

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Programme

  • Supporting Learners and Learning from Outside the Classroom: An Interdependent Multidisciplinary Approach
    Supporting Learners and Learning from Outside the Classroom: An Interdependent Multidisciplinary Approach
    Featured Panel Presentation: Yasmin Dean, Satoko Kato, Jennie Roloff Rothman, Mary Sengati-Zimba, Jo Mynard & Ted O’Neill
  • The Power of Randomness: Lessons from (Mobile) Gaming and Behavioral Economics
    The Power of Randomness: Lessons from (Mobile) Gaming and Behavioral Economics
    Featured Presentation: Marco Koeder
  • Gender, Race and Other Factors: Being a Member of Multiple Communities
    Gender, Race and Other Factors: Being a Member of Multiple Communities
    Keynote Presentation: Keiko Sakui
  • Transforming Passive TV Viewing into Language Learning with AI
    Transforming Passive TV Viewing into Language Learning with AI
    Keynote Presentation: Masaya Mori
  • The Interdependence of Language Teacher and Learner Wellbeing
    The Interdependence of Language Teacher and Learner Wellbeing
    Keynote Presentation: Sarah Mercer
  • CLIL – Consolidating Integration
    CLIL – Consolidating Integration
    Keynote Presentation: Phil Ball

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Organising Committee

The Conference Programme Committee is composed of distinguished academics who are experts in their fields. Conference Programme Committee members may also be members of IAFOR's International Academic Board. The Organising Committee is responsible for nominating and vetting Keynote and Featured Speakers; developing the conference programme, including special workshops, panels, targeted sessions, and so forth; event outreach and promotion; recommending and attracting future Conference Programme Committee members; working with IAFOR to select PhD students and early career academics for IAFOR-funded grants and scholarships; and overseeing the reviewing of abstracts submitted to the conference.

  • Satoko Kato
    Satoko Kato
    Kanda University of International Studies (KUIS), Japan
  • Kyungsook Yeum
    Kyungsook Yeum
    Sookmyung Women’s University, South Korea
  • Mika Tamura
    Mika Tamura
    Kyushu University, Japan
  • Diane Hawley Nagatomo
    Diane Hawley Nagatomo
    Ochanomizu University, Japan
  • Joseph Haldane
    Joseph Haldane
    The International Academic Forum (IAFOR), Japan
  • Steve Cornwell
    Steve Cornwell
    The International Academic Forum (IAFOR) & Osaka Jogakuin University, Japan
  • Barbara Lockee
    Barbara Lockee
    Virginia Tech., USA
  • Jo Mynard
    Jo Mynard
    Kanda University of International Studies, Japan
  • Ted O’Neill
    Ted O’Neill
    Gakushuin University, Japan

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ACLL2019 Review Committee

  • Dr Paul Nepapleh Nkamta, North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, South Africa
  • Dr Anes Mohamed, Kansai Gaidai University, Japan
  • Dr Khairul Aini Mohamed Jiri, English Language Teaching Centre, Ministry of Education Malaysia, Malaysia
  • Dr Aini Akmar Mohd Kasim, Universiti Teknologi Mara, Malaysia
  • Dr Diana Hasan, Bung Hatta University, Indonesia
  • Dr Manisha Patil, Y.C. Institute of Science, India
  • Dr Edsoulla Chung, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
  • Professor Jeremy Chambers, Advan College of Languages, Japan
  • Dr Mei-Huei Tsay, Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taiwan
  • Dr Michinobu Watanabe, Toin Gakuen High School, Japan
  • Dr Mehnaz Choudhury, Central Women's University, Bangladesh
  • Dr Norizul Azida Darus, MARA University of Technology Malaysia (UiTM), Malaysia
  • Dr Moriam Quadir, East West University, Bangladesh
  • Dr Raees Unnisa, Qassim University, Ministry of Higher Education, Saudi Arabia
  • Dr Saadia Elamin, Prince Sultan University, Saudi Arabia
  • Professor Stuart Perrin, Xian Jiaotong-Liverpool University, China
  • Dr Suhaily Abdullah, Politeknik Jeli Kelantan, Malaysia
  • Dr Tichie Ann Baena, St. Paul University Dumaguete, Philippines

IAFOR's peer review process, which involves both reciprocal review and the use of Review Committees, is overseen by conference Organising Committee members under the guidance of the Academic Governing Board. Review Committee members are established academics who hold PhDs or other terminal degrees in their fields and who have previous peer review experience.

If you would like to apply to serve on the ACLL2019 Review Committee, please visit our application page.

Apply to Join the Review Committee

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IAFOR Research Centre (IRC) – “Innovation and Value Initiative”

The IAFOR Research Centre (IRC) is housed within Osaka University’s School of International Public Policy (OSIPP), and in June 2018 the IRC began an ambitious new “Innovation and Value Initiative”. Officially launched at the United Nations in a special UN-IAFOR Collaborative Session, the initiative seeks to bring together the best in interdisciplinary research around the concept of value, on how value can be recognised, and measured, and how this can help us address issues and solve problems, from the local to the global.

Learn more about the Innovation and Value Initiative

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Sarah Mercer
University of Graz, Austria

Biography

Sarah Mercer is Professor of Foreign Language Teaching at the University of Graz, Austria, where she is Head of ELT methodology. Her research interests include all aspects of the psychology surrounding the foreign language learning experience, focusing in particular on self-concept, language teacher wellbeing, and positive psychology. She is the author, co-author and co-editor of several books in this area including, Towards an Understanding of Language Learner Self-Concept, Psychology for Language Learning, Multiple Perspectives on the Self’ in SLA, New Directions in Language Learning Psychology, Positive Psychology in SLA, Exploring Psychology for Language Teachers (Winner of the IH Ben Warren Prize), and Language Teacher Psychology. At present, she is Principal Investigator of two major funded research projects examining language teacher wellbeing. She works on the editorial board of various journals, was co-editor of the journal System for several years, is currently vice-president of the International Association for the Psychology of Language Learning (IAPLL), and serves as a consultant on several international projects. In 2018, she was awarded the Robert C Gardner Award for excellence in second language research by the International Association of Language and Social Psychology (IALSP).

Keynote Presentation (2019) | The Interdependence of Language Teacher and Learner Wellbeing

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Phil Ball
Author and Journalist

Biography

Phil Ball is an author and journalist, based in San Sebastián. His book about Spanish politics and football, Morbo: The Story of Spanish Football was recently voted into the 50 Greatest Sports Books of All Time by 442 Magazine and was nominated for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year in England. He wrote the first English-language history of Real Madrid ('White Storm') for the club’s centenary, and his weekly column on Spanish football culture, written for ESPN, ran uninterruptedly from 2001 to 2014.

He also works as an educational consultant for the Federation of Basque Schools and the University of the Basque Country (UPV). He is the co-author of the recent book about Content and Language Integrated Learning, Putting CLIL into Practice (Oxford University Press 2015), and his textbook series for the Basque competence-based curriculum was nominated for the ELTONS Innovation Award in London, in 2016. His comedy about education, 'The Hapless Teacher’s Handbook' (Ebury Press 2007) documents the trials and tribulations of being a young teacher in the English state system, and he is currently writing a work of fiction for children with a major UK publisher.

Keynote Presentation (2019) | CLIL – Consolidating Integration

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Keiko Sakui
Kobe Shoin Women’s University, Japan

Biography

Keiko Sakui, PhD is professor at Kobe Shoin Women’s University in Kobe, Japan. She has been an English language teacher, teacher trainer and researcher for more than 25 years and has worked in Japan, New Zealand and the United States. Her research interests extend to a wide variety of topics including understanding motivation, language teacher training, and the use of ICT in language classrooms. Keiko takes a hands-on research approach by immersing herself in educational settings: talking to teachers and other stakeholders and observing lessons so she can describe educational systems from multiple perspectives. Her most recent project, which is supported by a Japanese government grant, is to investigate English teaching in elementary schools. In a previous grant-supported project she explored different uses of ICT for language learning. She observed and interviewed university teachers and researchers in seven countries including Australia, Singapore, South Korea and the UK in order to develop an analytical framework for digital technology. This practical approach to research on ICT and language learning has led Keiko to experiment with creating her own online materials for teaching English grammar and various soft skills. In her free time, she also enjoys a variety of activities such as running, mountain walking and playing the piano.

Keynote Presentation (2019) | Gender, Race and Other Factors: Being a Member of Multiple Communities
Masaya Mori
Rakuten Inc.

Biography

Masaya Mori joined Rakuten Inc. in 2006 after previously working at Accenture. In his current positions as Rakuten Executive Director and Global Head of Rakuten Institute of Technology, he is in charge of making and implementing strategies of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT) and Big Data solutions, and manages seven institutes around the world. These research institutes have been developing robotics technologies, new AI marketing solutions, image recognition, voice recognition, natural language processing, machine translation, language learning solutions and so forth.

Since July 2017, he has served as the Director of Rakuten life Tech Lab, of Rakuten Life Insurance. He is also Director of the Database Society of Japan, Executive Member of the Japan Institute of Information Technology, Executive member of Nikkei BP IT Innovators, and Board member of the Steering Committee of the Ruby Association. In 2013, Mori was selected as one of the "40 Prodigies" by the Nikkei Sangyo Shimbun newspaper. In 2018, he spoke about Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on behalf of Japan IT companies at the STI Forum, at the United Nations. He has authored books including The Complete Cloud Computing (co-authored, Nikkei BP) and Massive Change in the Web (Kindai-Sales Co).

Keynote Presentation (2019) | Transforming Passive TV Viewing into Language Learning with AI
Mary Sengati-Zimba
Zayed University, United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Biography

Mary Sengati-Zimba is an associate professor and Assistant Director of Public Services at the Library and Learning Commons, Zayed University in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Mary has over 30 years experience as an academic Librarian working with students in Tanzania, Australia and the UAE. Mary will discuss approaches to information literacy and supporting learners in accessing, selecting and using library resources in the UAE and elsewhere to support their assignments and learning. She will also give examples of how these skills build students to become lifelong learners applying skills they have earned in various context.

Featured Panel Presentation (2019) | Supporting Learners and Learning from Outside the Classroom: An Interdependent Multidisciplinary Approach
Jennie Roloff Rothman
Kanda University of International Studies, Japan

Biography

Jennie Roloff Rothman is a Principal Lecturer of Professional Development and Teacher Development in the English Language Institute at Kanda University of International Studies in Japan. She has more than a decade of involvement in the second language education academic community of Japan. She discusses what the ideal growth environment looks like as well as how to go about creating a situated system to support educators’ needs.

Featured Panel Presentation (2019) | Supporting Learners and Learning from Outside the Classroom: An Interdependent Multidisciplinary Approach
Yasmin Dean
Mount Royal University, Canada

Biography

Yasmin Dean is an Associate Professor of Social Work and the Chair of the Department of Child Studies and Social Work at Mount Royal University in Calgary, Canada. Yasmin has a counselling background and has coordinated student services in Canada and the UAE. She shares some of the challenges international students experience when they choose to study in Canada. Yasmin will also discuss the resources faculty and staff need to work effectively with international students.

Featured Panel Presentation (2019) | Supporting Learners and Learning from Outside the Classroom: An Interdependent Multidisciplinary Approach
Marco Koeder
J. Walter Thompson, Japan

Biography

Originally from Germany, Marco holds a Master Degree in Sociology from the University of Bamberg/Germany and is currently writing his PhD thesis on game-of-chance elements in games at the Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies (GSAPS) at Waseda University. He has already presented several papers on this topic at Asian, European and Global conferences of the International Telecommunications Society.

In Germany he was one of the core members of I-D Media, a start-up that went IPO and became one of Europe's biggest digital agencies. He then moved to Tokyo to become the head of Cybermedia, a small digital strategy agency with a focus on the mobile platform. He then joined MRM//McCann Japan as the Digital Marketing Director. Marco is currently the Director of Digital Business for JWT Japan, one of the longest lasting ad agencies in the world.

Marco has been teaching eMarketing and Social Media Marketing for MBA students at the International University. He is also the co-author of Six Immutable Laws of Mobile Business, a business strategy guide published by Wiley in the US/Europe and Korea.

Featured Presentation (2019) | The Power of Randomness: Lessons from (Mobile) Gaming and Behavioral Economics
Satoko Kato
Kanda University of International Studies (KUIS), Japan

Biography

Satoko Kato is a Senior Education Coordinator/Lecturer, at the Research Institute for Learner Autonomy Education (RILAE), Kanda University of International Studies (KUIS), Japan. She is also a lecturer at the Graduate School of Language Sciences, KUIS, teaching “learner autonomy” and “teacher autonomy” as part of the MA TESOL program. She holds an MA in TESOL from Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, and holds a Ph.D. degree in Education and Learning Science from Hiroshima University. She has conducted over 3,800 advising sessions as a learning advisor in the past 12 years aimed at promoting learner autonomy. Her research interests are learner/teacher autonomy, advising in language learning, reflective dialogue, and mentoring in teacher/advisor education. She is also focusing on developing and implementing advisor education programs for learners and teachers, domestically and internationally. She has co-authored two books, Reflective dialogue: Advising in language learning (with Jo Mynard, published by Routledge NY, 2016), and Eigo Gakushu Techo: English Learning Planner (with Hisako Yamashita, published by KUIS press, 2012–2014).

Featured Panel Presentation (2019) | Supporting Learners and Learning from Outside the Classroom: An Interdependent Multidisciplinary Approach
Jo Mynard
Kanda University of International Studies, Japan

Biography

Dr Jo Mynard is a Professor and Director of the Self-Access Learning Centre (SALC) at Kanda University of International Studies (KUIS) in Japan. At KUIS, she advises language learners, and oversees academic support, research and the general direction of the SALC. She also teaches an undergraduate course on Effective Language Learning at KUIS and a graduate course on Learner Autonomy as part of the MA TESOL programme at the KUIS graduate school. She is a part-time faculty member on the Doctor of Education programme in TESOL at the University of Anaheim (USA), an occasional supervisor at the university of Birmingham (UK) on the MA TESOL programme, and an advisor to doctoral candidates at the Education and ICT programme at the Open University of Catalunya (Spain). She has co-edited four books. Two on learner autonomy (2011; 2014), and two on advising in language learning (2012). She recently co-authored a book (with Satoko Kato) on reflective dialogue / advising which was published by Routledge (New York) in August 2015. She has been the editor of SiSAL (Studies in Self-Access Learning) Journal –a peer review, open access publication– since 2010.

Featured Panel Presentation (2019) | Supporting Learners and Learning from Outside the Classroom: An Interdependent Multidisciplinary Approach

Previous ACLL Presentations

Featured Panel Presentation (2018) | Language Learning in a Time of Complexity and Change
Ted O’Neill
Gakushuin University, Japan

Biography

Ted O’Neill is a professor at Gakushuin University, Tokyo, in the Faculty of International Social Sciences. He previously taught at the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Tokyo Medical and Dental University and J. F. Oberlin University. Ted was co-editor of The Language Teacher for the Japan Association for Language Teaching (JALT) and later served on the JALT National Board of Directors as Director of Public Relations from 2012 to 2016. He received an MA in ESL and Bilingual Education from the University of Massachusetts/Boston, USA in 1996 and completed a postgraduate Certificate of Educational Technology and Information Literacy through the Graduate School of Education at the State University of New York in 2014. He is a part of a research group studying implementation of content-based language education and content and language integrated learning in East and Southeast Asia with the generous support of The Research Institute for Oriental Cul­tures at Gakushuin University.​

Ted O’Neill is a Vice-President (at large) of IAFOR. He is a member of the Educational Technology section of the International Academic Advisory Board.

Featured Panel Presentation (2019) | Supporting Learners and Learning from Outside the Classroom: An Interdependent Multidisciplinary Approach

Previous ACLL Presentations

Featured Panel Presentation (2018) | Language Learning in a Time of Complexity and Change
Supporting Learners and Learning from Outside the Classroom: An Interdependent Multidisciplinary Approach
Featured Panel Presentation: Yasmin Dean, Satoko Kato, Jennie Roloff Rothman, Mary Sengati-Zimba, Jo Mynard & Ted O’Neill

This panel provides an opportunity to take a look at the important ways in which language learners are supported from outside the classroom by professionals who are not necessarily language instructors. Taking a multidisciplinary approach, this diverse group of panelists discuss various aspects of supporting colleagues and language learners psychologically, theoretically and practically outside the classroom. Although we may be dealing with many of the same issues, professionals working as advisors, mentors, counsellors, technology specialists, tutors, and librarians often operate independently and have their own resources and networks. This forum provides an opportunity for professionals in diverse contexts to share insights into their practice, learn from each other, and identify overlapping themes in the ways in which we work with language learners and each other.

The panelists will address some of the following important questions:

The panel is an example of how an international, intercultural, and interdisciplinary conference such as this has the potential to bring us together to support and learn from one other.

Panelists

Yasmin Dean
Mount Royal University, Canada

Satoko Kato
Kanda University of International Studies, Japan

Jennie Roloff Rothman
Kanda University of International Studies, Japan

Mary Sengati-Zimba
Zayed University, United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Moderators

Jo Mynard
Kanda University of International Studies, Japan

Ted O’Neill
Gakushuin University, Japan

Read presenters biographies.

The Power of Randomness: Lessons from (Mobile) Gaming and Behavioral Economics
Featured Presentation: Marco Koeder

So called game-of-chance based random virtual item rewards have helped to create a new multi-billion dollar market for free to play mobile games in Asia and for PC and for console games in the West, engaging millions of players to continue to play and pay. Japan was one of the cradles of these mechanics called “Gacha” which started over 10 years ago but little academic research had been made available on this topic in English trying to explore the motivation of players for playing and paying through these elements (Askeloef, 2013, Kanerva, 2015; Yamakami, 2011a, 2011b, 2013a, 2013b, 2014; Shibuya, 2015).

Rational bias effects in free-to-play games and mobile applications have already been mentioned by some game researchers (Hamari, 2011; Paavilainen et al., 2013; Reiners & Wood, 2015; Stockinger et al., 2015; Olli et al., 2016; Zagal et al. 2013).

Behavioral economics, specifically inspired by Kahneman and Tversky's Prospect Theory show uncertainty (game of chance elements) can introduce “bias” to the users' rational decision-making capabilities. When people have to choose between different alternatives that include risks with an unknown probability of the outcome they tend to overestimate small probabilities and underestimate larger probabilities (Kahneman & Tversky, 1979/1986/1992).

Simple “Games-of-Chance” elements seem to motivate people towards behavioral change. Research in behavioral economics has shown that these elements can influence money saving (Kearney, Tufano et al, 2010), adherence to stroke medication (Kimmel, Troxel et al, 2012), willingness for blood donations (Goette, Stutzer, 2008), safer sex practices (Nvqvist, Corno, et al. 2015) as well as help to drive weight loss activities (Volpp, Troxel, et al. 2008).Games-of-chance elements can also enhance extrinsic as well as intrinsic motivation for learning and have already been applied in education environments (Berridge & Robinson, 1998; Howard-Jones, 2011; Howard Jones & Demetriou, 2009; Hong et al., 2009).

This presentation shows the findings of studies related to Japanese mobile gamers and western gamers and their perception of game-of-chance elements. It also shows how these elements have already been used outside of games to create retention and then looks at three Japanese language learning games available today and then tries to start a discussion about what role game-of-chance elements could play in future digital learning environments to drive student’s extrinsic and intrinsic motivation.

Read presenter biographies.

Gender, Race and Other Factors: Being a Member of Multiple Communities
Keynote Presentation: Keiko Sakui

“Independence and Interdependence” is a perfect and timely conference theme to describe the processes of how we learn, teach and research languages. We all bring our own individual factors such as gender, race, and cultural and educational backgrounds into our teaching and researching. At the same time we interact with numerous social factors, which sometimes work as affordances to accomplish what we want, but at the same time they can potentially become obstacles. To further develop the conference theme, in this plenary speech I want to discuss the notion of “communities of practice” (Wenger, 1998) in order to show how factors that contribute to our identity interact with social factors in a given community; and that this helps us analyze and appreciate the fact that professional development as a teacher and researcher can be described as the process of becoming a member of a community. In order to specifically illustrate this point, I will focus on how my identity interacts with social, cultural and political variables in two very different research communities I have recently been involved in: digital technology in language learning and English education in Japanese elementary schools. To illustrate, I initially felt alienated because of my gender in the male-dominated community of language and technology but my position as a university professor helped me feel at ease in the same community. On the other hand, my entry into the community of teachers of young learners was smooth because I am a woman but my university position did not help me share some aspects of the community ethos. In the increasingly rapidly changing society we live in, we simultaneously belong to multiple, different communities, while entering and exiting communities is far more common and frequent than ever before. This makes our life incredibly rich but at the same time makes it more complex and at times even unsettling. This talk will help us reexamine how we can make sense of the process of professional development through the lens of communities of practice by highlighting who we are, where we are, and in which direction we are heading.

Read presenter biographies.

Transforming Passive TV Viewing into Language Learning with AI
Keynote Presentation: Masaya Mori

Rakuten, an internet service company in Japan, has a strategic R&D organization called Rakuten Institute of Technology, or RIT, which works on numerous research projects by considering the impact of new service trends on the technology utilization of business. The big service trends, such as long tail, cloud computing, big data and so on, have increasingly affected the leveraging of technology to internet services. And now, AI (Artificial Intelligence) is getting more and more attention because it is seen as the possibility of changing social infrastructure dramatically. This Keynote Presentation will give some examples of AI projects in RIT and will explain AI-based language learning tools on top of authentic foreign language content in our video streaming business, which is utilized by the National University of Singapore, and others as well. The tools employ state-of-the-art technologies and the treasure trove of Rakuten’s multilingual data. The presentation will also mention how an interdisciplinary team of experts in machine translation, computational linguistics, platform engineering, and cognitive psychology comes together to blend education with entertainment, transforming passive TV viewing into an opportunity for active learning.

Read presenter biographies.

The Interdependence of Language Teacher and Learner Wellbeing
Keynote Presentation: Sarah Mercer

Wellbeing is at the heart of a life well lived. Our emotions, health and general satisfaction dictate whether we flourish or flounder. In life more generally, and language education specifically, wellbeing should be centre stage and the fundamental foundation on which everything else is built. Teachers should be flourishing in their schools and professional roles, as should learners. In a class defined by positive wellbeing, everyone benefits – teachers are less at risk of burnout and tend to teach more creatively, and learners are typically more motivated and have higher levels of achievement. In this talk, I focus on the criticality of wellbeing, showing how and in what ways it impacts language learning and teaching. In particular, I show how teacher and learner wellbeing are interconnected through social relationships and processes of contagion with each impacting the other. As positive relationships are one of the defining pillars of wellbeing, we consider in more detail what the qualities of positive relationships are and how teachers and learners can improve their skills of relating to each other. We also reflect on data from a range of studies investigating teacher wellbeing and consider other key social and individual factors that contribute to teachers flourishing in their professional roles, which also impacts positively on learner wellbeing.

Read presenter biographies.

CLIL – Consolidating Integration
Keynote Presentation: Phil Ball

The title of this conference could not be more pertinent to a practitioner of CLIL (content and language integrated learning). CLIL arose in the mid’ 1990s as a support mechanism for subject teachers and their learners working in a language other than their mother tongues, a fact which immediately marked it as a movement independent of standard language teaching practice but nevertheless dependent on much of the methodological canon that ELT had developed up to that point. CLIL borrowed from the world of language education and yet its principal objective was not to teach language but rather to make use of it.

In CLIL, the interdependency between content and language is much healthier because language is being used at the service of conceptual and procedural knowledge, whereas in traditional ELT the content was the slave to the language objectives. It was probably never meant to be thus, and CLIL has gradually steered language teaching into the general educational fold, giving it new life and providing it with a role as the purveyor of subject-based discourse. Language teachers, who in the past were often independent but isolated in their schools are now more interdependent in their roles as language consultants and helpers. In an interesting counterpoint to the 1990s, when subject teachers were exhorted to borrow from language-teaching practice, now language teachers are paying more attention to the very different world of subject teaching, with its own set of methods and its varied discourse fields.

Content and language were always closely related. Any speech act requires their integration by default. Nevertheless, several educational approaches have done their best to keep them apart, by perpetuating the myth that language is an object of study in itself, and that content needs no focus on the particular language that sustains it. CLIL makes sense of the integration, then maintains and develops it.

This talk will try to illustrate both the independent parameters of CLIL and the features that characterise the connectivity that it promotes, drawing on an award-winning project in the Basque Country.

Read presenter biographies.

Satoko Kato
Kanda University of International Studies (KUIS), Japan

Biography

Satoko Kato is a Senior Education Coordinator/Lecturer, at the Research Institute for Learner Autonomy Education (RILAE), Kanda University of International Studies (KUIS), Japan. She is also a lecturer at the Graduate School of Language Sciences, KUIS, teaching “learner autonomy” and “teacher autonomy” as part of the MA TESOL program. She holds an MA in TESOL from Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, and holds a Ph.D. degree in Education and Learning Science from Hiroshima University. She has conducted over 3,800 advising sessions as a learning advisor in the past 12 years aimed at promoting learner autonomy. Her research interests are learner/teacher autonomy, advising in language learning, reflective dialogue, and mentoring in teacher/advisor education. She is also focusing on developing and implementing advisor education programs for learners and teachers, domestically and internationally. She has co-authored two books, Reflective dialogue: Advising in language learning (with Jo Mynard, published by Routledge NY, 2016), and Eigo Gakushu Techo: English Learning Planner (with Hisako Yamashita, published by KUIS press, 2012–2014).

Featured Panel Presentation (2019) | Supporting Learners and Learning from Outside the Classroom: An Interdependent Multidisciplinary Approach
Kyungsook Yeum
Sookmyung Women’s University, South Korea

Biography

Dr Kyungsook Yeum is the Director of SMU TESOL and the faculty of Sookmyung Women’s University, Seoul, South Korea. She has served on the TESOL Board of Directors, TESOL International Association, USA, 2015-2018.

Dr Yeum’s leadership skills and understanding of the TESOL profession have been honed through her work as Chair of Program Administration Interest Session at TESOL International Association, as National President of Korea TESOL, as Vice President of the Applied Linguistics Association of Korea (ALAK), and also as Conference Chair for the KOTESOL-hosted Pan-Asia Conference. Dr Yeum has served as the Director and Administrative Professor responsible for the TESOL certificate programs at Sookmyung for 20 years. In the process, she has gained a deep understanding of the notion of program quality assurance and leadership.

“TESOL BEYOND” is a term that she created to inspire further innovation within the already globally recognized TESOL institution where she was the Director. “TESOL BEYOND” embraces the notions of taking TESOL beyond conventional classrooms, beyond traditional educational boundaries, beyond national borders, and beyond ‘A’ cultural framework.

Dr Yeum has an MA in TESOL from the University of Maryland. Her first PhD is in English Literature, and she is a University of Macquarie PhD candidate in Applied Linguistics with a concentration in Program Evaluation. Her concentration areas are: Teacher Education, Program Evaluation, Cross-cultural Leadership, and Testing & Assessment.

Mika Tamura
Kyushu University, Japan

Biography

Dr Mika Tamura is Assistant Professor in the International Education Support Center, Faculty of Engineering at Kyushu University in Japan. She is also Coordinator for the International Undergraduate Programs in English at the School of Engineering. Her research interests lie mainly in English for Specific Purposes (ESP), English Medium Instructions (EMI) and International Co-learning. She has a TESOL-oriented MA of English Linguistics and completed her PhD in Social and Cultural Studies.

Diane Hawley Nagatomo
Ochanomizu University, Japan

Biography

Dr Diane Hawley Nagatomo is an associate Professor in the Graduate School of Humanities and Science at Ochanomizu University, Japan. She has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in Japanese universities for more than thirty years. She is the author of 21 EFL textbooks for the Japanese audience, numerous academic articles, and has presented at numerous conferences. Among her books are Exploring Japanese University English Teachers’ Professional Identity (2012) and Gender, Identity and Teaching English in Japan (2016). Her research interests include teachers’ and students’ beliefs, professional identity, gender issues, and materials development.

Previous ACLL Presentations

Keynote Presentation (2018) | Surviving and Thriving in the Gendered Waters of Japan: Ten Women’s Stories
Joseph Haldane
The International Academic Forum (IAFOR), Japan

Biography

Joseph Haldane is the Chairman and CEO of IAFOR. He is responsible for devising strategy, setting policies, forging institutional partnerships, implementing projects, and overseeing the organisation’s business and academic operations, including research, publications and events.

Dr Haldane holds a PhD from the University of London in 19th-century French Studies, and has had full-time faculty positions at the University of Paris XII Paris-Est Créteil (France), Sciences Po Paris (France), and Nagoya University of Commerce and Business (Japan), as well as visiting positions at the French Press Institute in the University of Paris II Panthéon-Assas (France), The School of Journalism at Sciences Po Paris (France), and the School of Journalism at Moscow State University (Russia).

Dr Haldane’s current research concentrates on post-war and contemporary politics and international affairs, and since 2015 he has been a Guest Professor at The Osaka School of International Public Policy (OSIPP) at Osaka University, where he teaches on the postgraduate Global Governance Course, and Co-Director of the OSIPP-IAFOR Research Centre, an interdisciplinary think tank situated within Osaka University.

A Member of the World Economic Forum’s Expert Network for Global Governance, Dr Haldane is also a Visiting Professor in the Faculty of Philology at the University of Belgrade (Serbia), a Visiting Professor at the School of Business at Doshisha University (Japan), and a Member of the International Advisory Council of the Department of Educational Foundations at the College of Education of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (USA).

From 2012 to 2014, Dr Haldane served as Treasurer of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (Chubu Region) and he is currently a Trustee of the HOPE International Development Agency (Japan). He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society in 2012, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in 2015.

Steve Cornwell
The International Academic Forum (IAFOR) & Osaka Jogakuin University, Japan

Biography

Steve Cornwell is the President of IAFOR, and President of the Academic Governing Board. He coordinates and oversees the International Academic Advisory Board, and also serves on the organisation's Board of Directors. He is Chair of the Language Learning section of the International Academic Advisory Board.

Dr Cornwell is Vice President of Osaka Jogakuin University, Japan, where he is also a Professor of English and Interdisciplinary Studies. He helped write and design several of the courses at the New School in New York, and currently teaches on the online portion of the MA TESOL Programme, having been involved with the programme since its inception.

He has also been involved with the Japan Association for Language Teaching (JALT) serving on its National Board of Directors as Director of Programme from 2012 to 2016; where his duties involved working with a volunteer team of over 50 people to organise JALT’s annual, international conference each autumn.

Since 2012 he has been the Committee Chair of Osaka Jogakuin University’s Lifelong Learning Committee and is responsible for their evening extension programme geared towards alumni and community members. He is also the Vice-Chair of Osaka Jogakuin University’s English Education Committee, which is responsible for suggesting policy regarding English education and for developing material for the integrated curriculum.

Previous ACLL Presentations

Featured Panel Presentation (2018) | Language Learning in a Time of Complexity and Change
Barbara Lockee
Virginia Tech., USA

Biography

Dr Lockee is Professor of Instructional Design and Technology at Virginia Tech., USA, where she is also Associate Director of the School of Education and Associate Director of Educational Research and Outreach. She teaches courses in instructional design, message design, and distance education. Her research interests focus on instructional design issues related to technology-mediated learning. She has published more than 80 papers in academic journals, conferences and books, and has presented her scholarly work at over 90 national and international conferences.

Dr Lockee is Immediate Past President of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology, an international professional organisation for educational technology researchers and practitioners. She earned her PhD in 1996 from Virginia Tech in Curriculum and Instruction (Instructional Technology), M.A. in 1991 from Appalachian State University in Curriculum and Instruction (Educational Media), and BA in 1986 from Appalachian State University in Communication Arts.

Previous Presentations

Featured Presentation (2017) | Instructional Designers as Agents of Change: Facilitating the Next Generation of Technology-Enhanced Learning
Jo Mynard
Kanda University of International Studies, Japan

Biography

Dr Jo Mynard is a Professor and Director of the Self-Access Learning Centre (SALC) at Kanda University of International Studies (KUIS) in Japan. At KUIS, she advises language learners, and oversees academic support, research and the general direction of the SALC. She also teaches an undergraduate course on Effective Language Learning at KUIS and a graduate course on Learner Autonomy as part of the MA TESOL programme at the KUIS graduate school. She is a part-time faculty member on the Doctor of Education programme in TESOL at the University of Anaheim (USA), an occasional supervisor at the university of Birmingham (UK) on the MA TESOL programme, and an advisor to doctoral candidates at the Education and ICT programme at the Open University of Catalunya (Spain). She has co-edited four books. Two on learner autonomy (2011; 2014), and two on advising in language learning (2012). She recently co-authored a book (with Satoko Kato) on reflective dialogue / advising which was published by Routledge (New York) in August 2015. She has been the editor of SiSAL (Studies in Self-Access Learning) Journal –a peer review, open access publication– since 2010.

Featured Panel Presentation (2019) | Supporting Learners and Learning from Outside the Classroom: An Interdependent Multidisciplinary Approach

Previous ACLL Presentations

Featured Panel Presentation (2018) | Language Learning in a Time of Complexity and Change
Ted O’Neill
Gakushuin University, Japan

Biography

Ted O’Neill is a professor at Gakushuin University, Tokyo, in the Faculty of International Social Sciences. He previously taught at the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Tokyo Medical and Dental University and J. F. Oberlin University. Ted was co-editor of The Language Teacher for the Japan Association for Language Teaching (JALT) and later served on the JALT National Board of Directors as Director of Public Relations from 2012 to 2016. He received an MA in ESL and Bilingual Education from the University of Massachusetts/Boston, USA in 1996 and completed a postgraduate Certificate of Educational Technology and Information Literacy through the Graduate School of Education at the State University of New York in 2014. He is a part of a research group studying implementation of content-based language education and content and language integrated learning in East and Southeast Asia with the generous support of The Research Institute for Oriental Cul­tures at Gakushuin University.​

Ted O’Neill is a Vice-President (at large) of IAFOR. He is a member of the Educational Technology section of the International Academic Advisory Board.

Featured Panel Presentation (2019) | Supporting Learners and Learning from Outside the Classroom: An Interdependent Multidisciplinary Approach

Previous ACLL Presentations

Featured Panel Presentation (2018) | Language Learning in a Time of Complexity and Change