The

Language
Teacher <jalt-publications.org/tlt>

Feature Article My Share

3
EAP as a Bridge to EMI: Learning from 12 Classroom ideas from Mike de Jong,
the UK Luke Houghton, Jamie Reay, and Susan
Gregory Strong Brennan

TLT Interviews JALT Praxis

9
An Interview with Henry Widdowson
16 TLT Wired
Chantal Hemmi, Graham Mackenzie, &
Katsuya Yokomoto 19 Younger Learners

22 Book Reviews

24 Teaching Assistance

27 The Writers’ Workshop

31 Old Grammarians

The Japan Association for Language Teaching

Volume 43, Number 6 • November / December 2019
ISSN 0289-7938 • ¥1,900 • TLT uses recycled paper
 JALT Publications
JALT Publications Board Chair
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}} TLT EDITORS
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 NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2019 • Vol. 43, No.6
Contents In this month’s issue . . .

W
Feature Articles e hope that this arrival of The Language Teacher’s
}} EAP as a Bridge to EMI: November/December issue in your mailbox finds
Learning from the UK. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 you well and that your autumn semester got off to
a great start. It’s an honor to rejoin the TLT staff as Co-editor
TLT Interviews after a brief six-year break from JALT Publications to finish my
PhD. It’s been enlightening to reflect on what has changed and
}} An Interview with Henry
Widdowson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
what hasn’t since I last filled this role from 2007 to 2009.
We would like to thank Kazuko Sako, who has been an
excellent Japanese Language Associate Editor, for all of her
JALT Praxis contributions to our journal in that role, and to welcome
}} My Share. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Mami Ueda, who will be taking over for Kazuko. Thankfully,
}} TLT Wired . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Kazuko will stay on at TLT as a Japanese Proofreader and
}} Younger Learners. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Translator. We should also thank our Japanese Language
}} Book Reviews. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Editor, Toshiko Sugino, for staying on in that role and for all
}} Recently Received . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 of her tireless work for our journal.
}} Teaching Assistance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 In this issue we have one Feature Article by Gregory
Strong, who discusses how English for academic purposes
}} The Writers’ Workshop . . . . . . . . . . . 27
(EAP) classes can serve as a bridge to English-medium in-
}} SIG Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 struction (EMI). Gregory uses data from interviews with UK-
}} JALT Notices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 based EAP program directors and course leaders to outline
}} Old Grammarians. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 potential benefits and what factors can help contribute to the
success of such programs.
Other As we close out 2019, we are also finishing The Language
}} JALT Membership Information. . . . . 30 Teacher’s 35th year of continuous publication under this title.
This is a perfect opportunity to thank all the all-volunteer
staff who help and have helped to contribute to our journal’s
JALT Publications Online continued success. As a JALT membership journal, it very
much ‘belongs’ to the membership, so I would encourage
Material from The Language Teacher (TLT)and
JALT Journal (JJ) published in the last six months you to consider how you might contribute. Specifically, we’re
requires an access password. These passwords always interested in receiving well-written and thought-out
are only available to current JALT members. To contributions to our peer reviewed columns, Feature Articles
access the latest issues of TLT and JJ: and Readers’ Forum. The other column editors would also
https://jalt.org/main/publications likely be happy to hear from you about your ideas. If you have
To explore our unrestricted archives: an idea for a column that you would like to see in TLT, an-
http://jalt-publications.org other suggestion, or would like to ask about an idea you have,
please get in touch. The best way to contact us is through the
Follow us for the latest information and contact page at jalt-publications.org.
news on JALT Publications: We hope you enjoy this issue. Here’s hoping for another 35
years and more of The Language Teacher!　　
 facebook.com/jaltpublications — Theron Muller, Coeditor, The Language Teacher
 #jalt_pubs
Continued over

Learning to Teach TLT Editors: Theron Muller, Nicole Gallagher

Teaching to Learn TLT Japanese Language Editor: Toshiko Sugino

THE LANGUAGE TEACHER 43.6 • November / December 2019 1

 The Language Teacher • Foreword & JALT Information

こ
のThe Language Teacher 11/12月号がお手元に届 2019年の締めくくりと同時に、The Language Teacherが
く頃には、皆様お元気にすばらしい秋学期のスタ 現在のタイトルになってからの35周年の節目の年も終わ
ートを切られていることと思います。博士課程修了 ります。これは我々のジャーナルの発展のために、これま
のためJALT Publicationsから6年間という長いようで短い でボランティアでご尽力くださったスタッフすべてに感謝
お休みを頂いた後、共同編集者としてTLTに再び参加す の意を示すこの上ない機会です。JALTメンバーのための
ることを大変光栄に思っております。かつて私がこの同じ ジャーナルとして、その会員の皆様にTLTは文字通り 「属
役目を担った2007-2009年から、何が変わり何が変わって して」 います。皆様ご自身にも、どのような貢献ができる
いないのかを省察することは、知的で刺激に満ちた経験 のか、是非検討していただきたく思います。とりわけpeer
です。 reviewed columns やFeatured Articles やReaders’Forum
今月号まで、日本語のAssociate EditorだったKazuko に、 よく練られかつ熟考された原稿をお寄せいただきたい
Sako）迫和子）に感謝の意を表したいと思います。彼女 と思います。他のコラムの編集者たちも、皆様の見解に喜
は秀でた日本語副編集者として我々のジャーナルに多大 んで耳を傾けるでしょう。TLTのコラムに掲載したいと思う
なる貢献をしてくれました。また、その仕事を引き継いで 見解や、新しい提案をお持ちだったり、今お持ちのアイデ
くれるMami Ueda （植田麻実） に歓迎の意を表します。幸 ィアについて意見を聞いたりしたい場合には、ぜひご連絡
いなことに、Kazukoは今後も日本語の校正と翻訳担当 をください。我々に連絡を取る際にはjalt-publications.orgの
者としてTLTにとどまってくれます。また日本語編集者の 「問い合わせページ」 を使って頂くのが最良の方法です。
Toshiko Sugino (杉野俊子)には、これからもこの職にとど 皆様が今月号を楽しんでくださることを願っています。
まってくれること、そしてTLTのための彼女の精力的な仕 次の35年、そしてさらにその先へThe Language Teacherが
事すべてに感謝致します。 続きますよう願いを込めて!
今月号にはFeature Articleとして、Gregory Strongの論文 — Theron Muller, Coeditor, The Language Teacher
を掲載しています。彼は、学術目的の英語（EAP） の授業
がどのように教授言語としての英語 (EMI)への橋渡しとな
りうるかを論じています。Gregoryは、英国のEAPプログラ JALT2019
45th Annual International
ムのディレクターとコース・リーダーへのインタビューから Conference on Language Teaching
得られたデータを用いて、プログラムの潜在的なメリット and Learning & Educational
や、どのような要因がこのようなプログラムの成功に貢献 Materials Exhibition
できるかについて述べています。 WINC AICHI, Nagoya City,
Aichi, Japan
November 1–4, 2019

The Japan Association for Language Submitting material to

Teaching (JALT)
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2 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • http://jalt-publications.org/tlt

 FEATURE ARTICLE
EAP as a Bridge to EMI:
Learning from the UK
Gregory Strong
Japanese universities are increasing their course offerings
through English-medium instruction (EMI) and even full-de-
gree English-taught programs (ETP), but language proficien-
cy and the integration of language support courses and EMI
classes remain challenges. English for academic purposes
(EAP) courses might be used as a bridge to EMI coursework
just as they assist international students coming to study in
the UK. UK EAP programs are explored through statistics on
international students, a description of testing and degree
entry language requirements, and semi-structured interviews
with 10 EAP program directors and course leaders who out-
line program funding and autonomy; program perception by
university communities; teachers, course materials, goals, and
objectives; program and teacher evaluation; teacher support
and faculty development.
日本の大学では、教授言語としての英語（EMI: English as a Medium
for Instruction）の授業や、すべての単位を英語で修得するプログラム
（ETP: English-Taught Programs）が増えてきているので、英語能力測
定試験や学術目的のための英語（EAP: English for Academic Purposes）
を大学の入学試験に利用するという、より伝統的なアプローチを考察す
ることは有益である。英国におけるEAPプログラムが、そのモデルとして
役立つと思われる。本論では、EAPプログラムを次の点から考察する。
まず、英国における留学生の試験や入学要件の統計について述べる。次
に、プログラムディレクターやコースリーダーとの（臨機応変に質問を変
える）半構造化面接のデータについて述べる。前述の両者は、プログラム
の資金と自治、大学コミュニティーによるプログラムの認知、教員・教科
書・目的、プログラムと教員の評価、教員支援と専門能力の育成などを
意図する。さらに、日本の学習課程が本アプローチを採用する方法を探
るための提案を行う。
E
nglish-medium instruction (EMI) is steadily
increasing at Japanese universities with 40.9%
offering it in the most recent MEXT survey
(2017, p. 59). The Japanese government has encour-
aged this growth to help internationalize higher
education, raise academic standards, improve the
profiles of Japanese universities, and attract interna-
tional students (Yokota & Kobayashi, 2013). The latter
effort forms part of a global trend with an increasing
number of universities teaching academic subjects
through EMI to attract more international students
(ie. Dearden & Macaro, 2016; Doiz, Lasagabaster &
Sierra, 2013). In 2013, the government economic
revitalization strategy formulated the goal of attract-
ing 300,000 international students by 2020 (Nihon
Keizai Saisei Honbu, p. 56). Morizumi (2015) credits
government funding of programs such as the Global
30 and the Top Global University Project with the
increase in EMI coursework.
THE LANGUAGE TEACHER 43.6 • November / December 2019
ARTICLES
But Japanese universities promote EMI for a more
important market: the domestic one. Summarizing
a survey of 258 institutions offering EMI cours-
es, Brown (2015) noted that “preparing Japanese
students for global job markets and improving their
JALT PRAXIS
language skills were the top rationales” (p. 420).
The next four reasons were attracting domestic
students, offering content better taught in English
than Japanese, improving the university’s profile,
and responding to the government’s call for greater
internationalization. Bringing international stu-
dents to Japan ranked only seventh. Furthermore,
Yokota & Kobayashi (2013) observe that for many
Japanese students, taking EMI coursework in Japan
serves as a convenient and financially appealing
JALT FOCUS
alternative to studying overseas.
Students’ Language Proficiency and EMI
The chief obstacle to adopting EMI coursework at
Japanese universities seems to be the low English
language proficiency of many Japanese students. For
example, Chapple (2015) examined questionnaire
and feedback data from 89 Japanese students in
two EMI courses at two “second tier” universities
(those just below the level of institutions receiving
government funding in the Global 30 Project). He
found that 74 of the students had enrolled in EMI
courses “to improve their English,” but 74% found
the courses too hard and 34% gave up, dropping out
or officially withdrawing (pp. 4–5). Sauzier-Uchida
(2017) at Waseda University, one of 13 institutions
chosen in 2009 for the Global 30 project and in
2014 for the Top Global Universities Program,
stated that the average 509.8 TOEFL-ITP scores
for freshmen in the School of Political Science and
Economics (SPSE), a B1 CEFR level, was not high
enough for the faculty’s EMI classes (p. 5).
The UK as a Model: A Description
Many students in Japan lack the language proficien-
cy to take EMI coursework; similarly, so do many
international students entering the UK to study at
universities there. The EAP approach taken by UK
universities toward integrating international stu-
3
 The Language Teacher • Feature Article

dents might be worth considering in Japan. The UK
has evolved national guidelines and is second only
to the U.S. for the size of its English language edu-
cation industry. There were 442,375 international
students seeking degrees and professional certifi-
cation contributing £25.8 billion to the economy in
the years 2014-2015, creating or supporting 944,000
jobs (HESA, 2019, Universities UK, 2019).
International Students Entering UK Universities
The UK lists 167 institutions offering undergradu-
ate and post-graduate degrees (HESA, 2019). These
range from 15 international students at St. Mary’s
University, a research facility with 990 students, to
the 15,725 at University College of London which
has a total of 37,905 students.
International students from non-English speaking
countries primarily enter UK universities by taking
the International English Language Test System
(IELTS). Typically, to enter a university department,
out of a possible total of 9, a candidate’s IELTS score
must reach 5.5 for a department like Nursing and 6.5
for one requiring higher language skills like Law. A
student scoring low can retake the IELTS test and
re-apply. Alternately, if a student scores nearly high
enough, the university may make a conditional offer
provided the student enrols in a pre-sessional course
supplied by the university’s EAP program, for which
the student pays tuition. This intensive EAP course,
taken before the regular semester begins, emphasizes
study skills, academic reading, writing, and language
development. Finally, if a student’s scores are too low
for a conditional offer, the student may take a foun-
dation course, and after one or two semesters, gain
entry. Additional in-sessional lectures on academic
skills as well as writing conferences support students
during their university studies.
Standards for EAP Programs in the UK
These programs are attached to universities
through semi-independent language centers and
institutes, or attached to particular departments.
The British Council which also assesses language
schools and other institutions has accredited 41
EAP programs at universities (British Council,
2019). The British Association of Lecturers in
English for Academic Purposes (BALEAP), a profes-
sional educational organization promoting learn-
ing, teaching, and research in EAP, has accredited
27 university EAP programs (BALEAP, 2019). In
both cases, an assessor observes classes (limited to
16 students or less) and student library access, and
reviews instructor qualifications. The British Coun-
cil also examines institutional standards for health
and safety, advertising, protection of copyright, staff
management, administration, and suitable facilities.
BALEAP assessors, working solely with universities,
emphasize the institutional context, course man-
agement, teaching and learning, teacher qualifi-
cations, and professional development. Although
seeking accreditation is voluntary, subsequent
British Council and BALEAP endorsements provide

Table 1. EAP Program Informants and Enrolments in 2017

Name Enrolment International EAP unit Position
Students
1 Alpha University 20,220 4,810 Center Director
2 Beta University 32,515 7,275 Center, Faculty of Social Course leader
Sciences
3 Beta University 32,515 7,275 Center, Faculty of Social Course leader, past
Sciences acting director
4 Gamma University 21,655 2,805 Language Institute, Course leader
Faculty of Humanities
5 Delta University 18,385 5,060 Center Director
6 Epsilon University 29,370 3,935 Center, School of Arts Course leader
and Humanities
7 Zeta University 15,840 4,115 Institute Director
8 Eta University 13,550 3,580 Student Services Course leader
9 Theta University 10,330 4,695 Center Course leader
10 Iota University 30,565 9,990 Center Course leader

4 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • http://jalt-publications.org/tlt

 Strong: EAP as a Bridge to EMI: Learning from the UK
institutions with a competitive advantage in attract-
ing international students.
Interviews with EAP Program Personnel
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10
participants at nine different UK programs in order
to describe EAP programs in terms of their place
within universities, their curricula, the operation of
student assessment, and faculty and program evalu-
ation. The participants worked in supervisory roles
as center directors and course leaders. They had
extensive experience in English language teaching,
from 10 to 41 years, and had either an MA or a PhD
in the field. The group of participants was a sample
of convenience recruited at educational confer-
ences, through social networks, or by contacting the
personnel listed on university websites.
Interview questions were derived from descriptions
of language curriculum development and organization
(Brown, 1995; Richards, 2001). Answers were recorded
and transcribed and common themes identified.
Table 2. Questions for EAP Program Informants
1. How is your EAP program perceived within
the university community?
2. What part do teachers, course materials, and
goals have in the program?
3. What types of student assessments are used
in your EAP program?
4. How do you evaluate your program and your
teachers?
5. What types of faculty development does
your program offer?
Results
University Perceptions of EAP Programs
Most participants felt their university never appre-
ciated their contributions, especially the financial
ones. The Epsilon course leader commented, “They
weren’t even aware of how much money we were
making for them . . . I think we make a million and
a half [pounds].” A few like Alpha University’s center
director took the opposite position: “We’re about
preparing students effectively for undergraduate
and post-graduate study and therefore increasing
the number of students who are able to move into
those courses. We’re a full part of the university.”
An EAP unit’s designation impacted its status
according to the Zeta University program director.
The Zeta program was unusual because of its history
of research and of publishing EAP textbooks. The
THE LANGUAGE TEACHER 43.6 • November / December 2019
university eventually granted institutional status to
the unit which gave it more autonomy and access to
funding. In contrast, the Eta University program co-
ordinator described being attached to the university
administration as a service unit and their personnel
ARTICLES
termed “instructional support.” At another EAP unit,
Beta University, instructors had less prestige and
fewer benefits than faculty in a traditional university
department. A course leader and the past acting di-
rector contrasted the differences between working in
the center and in a traditional university department:
I have one hour of prep and marking time for
one hour of teaching. People in Education have a
2-to-1 ratio, more marking and prep. The expla-
nation has always been, “We’re academic. You’re
JALT PRAXIS
language teachers.”
At times, university instructors with inadequate-
ly prepared international students in their classes
blamed their university’s EAP program. The Epsilon
course leader complained, “The finger is pointed
at us sometimes, ‘How on earth did you pass that
student?’” He countered that some students might
have entered the university with a high IELTS score
and never even studied in the EAP Program.
JALT FOCUS
Teachers, Course Materials, and Goals
Most students in EAP programs take a summer
pre-sessional. If they pass, they enter the university
in the fall term. The sudden brief influx of stu-
dents means that there are not enough full-time
teachers to meet the demand in any EAP program,
and adjunct staff members are hired on short-term
contracts and given course materials and very strict
guidelines and supervised by full-time teachers. The
Eta University coordinator explained:
We’re incredibly prescriptive in our pre-session-
al. So, we’ve got learning outcomes. We’ve got
handbooks for the tutors [“teachers” in North
American English], handbooks for the students.
We outline all the learning outcomes for the
overall course.
Participants described how a course leader,
program director, or assistant director takes the
responsibility for a curriculum. Teaching materials
ranged from wholly original ones created by the
staff to combinations of textbooks and original
materials developed over a number of years. In one
case, these original materials were published com-
mercially. Materials were designed to be similar to
the reading and writing tasks that students would
encounter in future studies.
However, a single short intensive EAP course
serves more as an introduction to academic skills
5
 The Language Teacher • Feature Article
rather than thorough preparation for students en-
tering a broad range of departments. The Eta Uni-
versity program director commented, “You’ll have
an engineering student sitting next to a humanities
student.” A few participants described additional
English for Specific (ESP) courses for international
students who had been accepted into specific de-
partments such as Nursing, Accounting, or Pharma-
cy. The departments concerned paid EAP programs
to develop and staff these courses; however, because
of this expense and personnel requirements, there
were not many of these courses.
Student Assessments lowance to conferences as well. A further impetus is
Pre-sessional courses have a final assessment to
determine if students graduate and start their degrees.
Some programs employ the Test of English for Aca-
demic Purposes (TEAP). This four-skill test, developed
in the UK, often serves as a follow-up to the IELTS
test because of its similarity. Other programs as-
sessed students solely by coursework done. The Delta
University director described an “integrated academic
process approach” where students had to successfully
complete tasks such as reading journal articles, book
chapters, and attending academic lectures.
Evaluating Teachers and Programs
All EAP program informants described a comput-
er-graded evaluation form common to all univer-
sity departments. In addition, most programs had
course leaders or program directors conducting
classroom observations, particularly of new faculty.
At Eta University, annual observations were even
conducted of full-time instructors.
One formative evaluation unique to the UK,
but found in every university department, is the
staff-student liaison committee. Each class elects a
representative to meet at least twice over a semes-
ter with a department administrator and to raise
any student concerns about the class. This forma-
tive evaluation shapes the teacher’s course while
students are still taking it and communicates to
the students that they have an active role in their
education.
Faculty Development
University administrations in the UK provide faculty
development in the form of workshops, opportu-
nities for faculty exchanges overseas, and a perfor-
mance review of full-time faculty. For this review, a
senior faculty member in each department conducts
a one-to-one meeting with each of his or her col-
leagues and asks them to describe their professional
6 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • http://jalt-publications.org/tlt
development that year. Though a good review can
lead to a bonus, these are very restricted; at Beta Uni-
versity, only the top 3% of the faculty are eligible. In
contrast, adjunct faculty is only given pre-service ori-
entations, provided with course curriculum guides,
library access, and photocopying privileges.
However, EAP programs benefit from their asso-
ciation with BALEAP. The organization provides an
annual institutional membership so that if a univer-
sity has this membership, all their faculty members,
whether full-time or adjunct, are entitled to free
attendance at all BALEAP conferences held that year.
Sometimes, EAP programs offer a transportation al-
also from BALEAP which offers an individual teacher
accreditation program consisting of three levels,
which encourages continuing professional devel-
opment and provides certification, which is helpful
when teachers apply for positions in EAP programs.
Discussion
This examination of UK EAP programs offers
suggestions that might improve EMI programs in
Japan. As described earlier, they offer standardiza-
tion of testing and entrance requirements, and an
introductory EAP course for students who need it.
Support for these steps is already found in the liter-
ature on EMI in Japan. Chapple (2015) argued that
EMI classes need language support and planning for
entry requirements, personnel, and pedagogies. He
proposed an introductory course to enable stu-
dents “to work their way up into high level content
courses” (p. 9). Brown (2017) found only 8% of the
118 institutions he surveyed offered EMI programs
that provided targeted EAP classes. He concluded
that EMI programs would improve with bench-
marks for student performance, proficiency testing
upon entry, and “better coordination between EMI
and the students’ language classes” (pp. 15–17). The
interviews described in this paper outline the main
features of UK EAP programs and potentially new
directions for EMI programs in Japan.
University Perceptions of EAP Programs
In the UK, EAP programs and their contributions
are seldom recognized in the wider university com-
munity. Also, other university faculty are critical of
the abilities of international students that graduate
from EAP programs. In Japan, EMI programs are
also marginalized; in this case because few stu-
dents have high enough English proficiency to be
successful in EMI coursework. Brown (2015) found
that “more than three-quarters of EMI programs
served less than 10% of students with most serv-
 Strong: EAP as a Bridge to EMI: Learning from the UK
ing fewer than 5%” (p. 419). Sauzier-Uchida (2017)
warned that students and faculty associated with
EMI coursework “risk being disassociated from the
core of an institution” (p. 11). In her case, only 8.7%,
or 87 freshmen of the 991 at the School of Political
Science and Economics at Waseda University took
EMI courses.
Teachers, Course Materials, and Goals
EAP faculty in the UK often have lower status
as language teachers rather than university re-
searchers. Likewise in Japan, EMI program faculty
members are frequently undervalued. Tsuneyoshi
(2005) estimates that teaching in English and
preparing an EMI course requires four to five times
as much work for Japanese teachers, making it an
unattractive assignment. Furthermore, Brown and
Iyobe (2013) note that EMI programs often employ
foreign teachers on short-term contracts whose
expertise and insight into their programs are lost
every few years when personnel change.
Whether or not UK EAP programs primarily use
textbooks or original materials with their students,
their goal is to integrate academic tasks into their
curricula. This is seldom the case with English
language classes that are meant to support EMI
coursework in Japan. Instead, the classes emphasize
traditional language teaching. Galloway, Kriukow,
and Numajiri (2015) found that of the five Japanese
universities they studied most students and teach-
ers reported dissatisfaction with their university’s
language support which was often unavailable,
irrelevant, expensive, or was badly publicized. Only
Akita International University produced EAP course
materials tailored for such students’ needs as aca-
demic writing (p. 21).
Student Assessments
In the UK, assessments are either based on the
IELTS exam, similar types of testing, or on students’
performance on academic tasks similar to those
they will undertake in their university studies. In
Japan, there are no national standards for EMI, and
universities offer courses based on their personnel
and on their students’ abilities. This makes it chal-
lenging for students to transfer between institu-
tions and sometimes makes it difficult for them to
study abroad.
Evaluating Teachers and Programs
EAP programs in the UK are similar to EMI pro-
grams in Japan in that students evaluate their class-
es and teachers. However, a very unusual feature of
THE LANGUAGE TEACHER 43.6 • November / December 2019
all UK university departments is the staff-student
liaison committee which has the potential to im-
prove a class while students are still taking it. Such
a committee facilitates improved communications
between teachers and students and might also offer
ARTICLES
possibilities for EMI program development and
evaluation in Japan.
Faculty Development
In the UK, EAP programs stress professional de-
velopment among the fulltime faculty more than
EMI programs do in Japan. Brown (2017) found
two-thirds of those in his survey did not report any
faculty development for personnel teaching EMI
JALT PRAXIS
courses. He noted that faculty development has
only been mandatory in Japanese universities since
2007 and Brown characterized it as often perfunc-
tory with low levels of faculty engagement. Un-
fortunately, universities in both the UK and Japan
often overlook the many adjunct faculty members
who teach in their programs. BALEAP in the UK
serves an important role by offering additional
teacher certification and by offering institutional
memberships which include adjunct faculty. Profes-
sional organizations such as JACET or JALT should
JALT FOCUS
do the same for adjunct teachers in Japan.
Conclusion
An exploration of the integration of international
students into academic studies in English through
EAP programs in the UK shows the importance of
standardization, testing, and evolving appropriate
curricula. National guidelines need to be developed
and long-term institutional commitments be made
to EMI coursework in Japan. Institutions should
recognize the burden on Japanese teachers of cre-
ating content for EMI courses and for teaching in
English and provide compensation either financially
or through reduced departmental duties. Institu-
tions also need to offer better contracts to foreign
teachers employed as language support for these
courses in order to retain experienced instructors
and increase their motivation. Faculty development
for all teachers involved in EMI coursework is re-
quired and a better integration of content and lan-
guage teaching. Language programs in Japan that
have traditionally emphasized communication skills
need to move toward greater specialization, provid-
ing EAP coursework to support students learning
content through English. Overall, the expansion of
EMI in Japanese universities calls for a broad-based
approach to implement it effectively.
7
 Strong: EAP as a Bridge to EMI: Learning from the UK
References
BALEAP. (2018). Accredited Institutions. Retrieved from
https://www.baleap.org/about-baleap/ accredited-
institutions
British Council. (2018). Accredited Centers A-Z. Retrieved
from https://www.britishcouncil.org/education/
accreditation/centers.
Brown, J. D. (1995). The elements of language curriculum: A
systematic approach to program development. New York:
Heinle & Heinle.
Brown, H., & Iyobe, B. (2014). The growth of English
medium instruction in Japan. In N. Sonda & A. Krause
(Eds.), JALT 2013 Conference Proceedings. Tokyo: JALT.
Brown, H. (2015). English-medium instruction in Japan:
Discussing implications for language teaching. In P.
Clements, A. Krause, & H. Brown (Eds.) Focus on the
learner. Tokyo: JALT. doi.org/10.2167/beb337.0
Brown, H. (2017). Current trends in English-medium
instruction at universities in Japan. OnCUE Journal,
10(1), 3–20. Retrieved from https://jalt-publications.
org/sites/default/files/pdf-article/jalt2017-pcp-036.pdf
Chapple, J. (2015). Teaching in English Is Not Necessarily
the Teaching of English. International Education Studies,
8(3), 1–13. doi:10.5539/ies.v8n3p1
Dearden, J. & Macaro, E. (2016). Higher education
teachers’ attitudes towards English medium
instruction: A three-country comparison. Studies in
Second Language Learning and Teaching, 6(3), 455–486.
doi:10.14746/sllt.2016.6.3.5
Doiz, A., Lasagabaster, D., & Sierra, J. (2013).
Globalization, internationalisation, multilingualism
linguistic strains in higher education. Studies in Higher
Education, 38(9), 1707–1421. doi:10.1080/0307507
Galloway, N., Kruikow, J., Numajiri, T. (2015)
Internationalisation, higher education and the growing
demand for English: An investigation into the English
medium of instruction (EMI) movement in China
and Japan. ELT research papers 17.02, British Council.
Retrieved from https://englishagenda.britishcouncil.
org/research-publications/ research-papers/
internationalisation-higher-education -and-growing-
demand-english-investigation-english-medium
Higher Education Statistics Agency. (2019). HESA
website. Retrieved from https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-
and-analysis/students/where-study
Japan Student Services Organization. (2019). Retrieved
from http://www.jasso.go.jp/en/about/statistics/intl_
student/data2015.html
MEXT. (2017). Heisei 27 nenndono daigakuniokeru
kyouikunaiyoutounokaikakujyoukyounituite [Japanese
university reforms including those in educational
contents]. Retrieved from http://www.mext.
go.jp/a_menu/koutou/daigaku04052801/__ics Files/
afieldfile/2017/12/ 13/1398426_1.pdf
THE LANGUAGE TEACHER 43.6 • November / December 2019
Morizumi, F. (2015). EMI in Japan: Current status and its
implications. Educational Studies, 57, 119–128.
Nihon Keizai Saisei Honbu (Headquarters for Japan’s
Economic Revitalization). (January 13, 2013). Japan
Revitalization Strategy. Retrieved from https://www.
ARTICLES
kantei.go.jp/jp/singi/keizaisaisei/pdf/en_saikou_jpn_
hon.pdf
Richards, J.C. (2001). Curriculum development in language
education. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Sauzier-Uchida, E. (2017). The practice of teaching
English to prepare Japanese students for English-
medium instruction course in an era of global
competition for knowledge. WINPEC Working Paper
Series No.E1617. Waseda Institute of Political Economy,
Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan. Retrieved from
http://www.waseda.jp/fpse/winpec/ assets/.../2017/03/
JALT PRAXIS
No.E1617auzierUchida _0321.pdf
Tsuneyoshi, R. (2005). International strategies in
Japan: The dilemmas and possibilities of study
abroad programs using English. Journal of Research in
International Education. 4(1), 66–86.
Universities UK. (March 6, 2017). Retrieved May 30, 2018
from http://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/news/Pages/
International-students-now-worth-25-billion-to-UK-
economy---new-research.aspx
Yokota, M., & Kobayashi, A. (2013). Internationalization
JALT FOCUS
of Japanese Universities and the International Mindset of
Japanese Students. Tokyo: Gakubunsha. (Published in
Japanese).
Acknowledgements
The author would like to thank the participants
who agreed to be interviewed for this study and the
editors and colleagues who have commented on
various drafts.
Gregory Strong, professor
and language coordinator
at Aoyama Gakuin Uni-
versity (Tokyo) English
Department for the past
26 years, now works as an
educational consultant
with research interests
in curriculum design and
faculty development. As
both teacher and educator
of teachers in Japan, China,
and Canada, his publica-
tions include chapters in
various TESOL books, a biography, works of fiction,
and graded readers. He can be reached at greg-
strongtokyo@gmail.com
9
 [JALT PRAXIS] TLT INTERVIEWS
Torrin Shimono & James Nobis
TLT Interviews brings you direct insights from leaders in the field of language learning, teach-
ing, and education—and you are invited to be an interviewer! If you have a pertinent issue you
would like to explore and have access to an expert or specialist, please make a submission of
2,000 words or less.
Email: interviews@jalt-publications.org
An Interview with Henry
Widdowson
Chantal Hemmi
Graham Mackenzie
Katsuya Yokomoto
Sophia University
Welcome colleagues! For the
last issue of 2019, we present
a very special interview with
Professor Henry Widdowson,
an acclaimed authority in the
field of applied linguistics who
has made great contributions
to the development of com-
municative language teaching.
In this conversation, Professor
Widdowson discusses English
Language Learning in Japan
in the context of Content and
Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), English Medium
Instruction (EMI), and English as a Lingua Franca (ELF).
Professor Widdowson is Emeritus Professor at the Uni-
versity of London, was Professor of Applied Linguistics
at Essex University and is currently Honorary Professor
at the Department of English and American Studies at
the University of Vienna. He has published extensively
on English language teaching and applied linguistics.
Here he was interviewed by Chantal Hemmi, an Asso-
ciate Professor, Graham Mackenzie, a Project Associ-
ate Professor, and Katsuya Yokomoto, a Lecturer at the
Center of Language Education and Research at Sophia
University.
Graham Mackenzie: One thing that you have written
a lot about is the ownership of English, and with the
growth of CLIL and EMI, in Japan we have lots of
content teachers who don’t necessarily have English as
their first language. I wonder if you thought this may
cause a shift in the way the ownership of English is
thought about, and a shift away from native speaker
models in English language learning?
Henry Widdowson: Well yes, I think it does be-
cause native speakers don’t own the subject, nor do
they own the language. If one takes the view that
these developments in CLIL and EMI are ways of
recognising how the linguistic resources available in
English can be made use of, or in the case of CLIL,
how they can develop a sense of how to make use of
language by reference to the subject, then there is
no logical reason why the E in EMI or the L in CLIL,
should be modelled on native speaker norms. One
has to ask what the appropriate language is, what
language is appropriate to the purpose, and that
purpose may not at all require that either students
or teachers conform to the norms of native speaker
usage or standard forms.
Graham Mackenzie: So, do you think that these sorts
of developments may mean there will be less of a ten-
dency in classrooms to have native speaker like compe-
tence as the desired target for learners of English?
It depends, because I think certainly with CLIL, and
with EAP, it was clear that people could make use
of English very effectively without conforming to
native speaker norms. So then if people have devel-
oped what I call a “communicative capability” which
allows for, and gives momentum to, further learn-
ing, that raises the question as to whether the objec-
tive of ELT, which traditionally is linguistic compe-
tence, (which really means the competence of the
native speaker), actually is an appropriate objective.
The important thing at the end of the course is not
how far learners can approximate native speaker
norms but how far they have invested in a capabil-
ity for further learning because the end of a course
marks the end of teaching, but in many ways the be-
ginning of learning. So, I think that when one asks
questions like “Well, what is a language used for?”
and we recognise that it varies in the form it takes
depending on what purposes it is required to fulfil.
This inevitably raises the question about why what
has been traditionally conceived of as the necessary
norm of native speaker competence has always been
set as the objective. This is really the significance of
ELF (English as a Lingua Franca) because it’s clear
that people engage with each other, relate to each
other, achieve communicative objectives, and nego-

10 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • http://jalt-publications.org/tlt

 The Language Teacher • JALT Praxis: TLT Interviews
tiate their relationships and their meanings without
conforming to native speaker norms. They have the
capability to do it, and the more they do it, the more
demands are put on their capability. And then their
linguistic resources will extend. So, what becomes
clear from the evidence of ELF, is how effectively
people in diplomacy, business negotiation, conflict
resolution and so on, strategically use the language
to achieve their objective. It’s that kind of strategic
capability that presumably, one needs to focus on in
the teaching of language.
Katsuya Yokomoto: Related to communicative capa-
bility, some Japanese teachers of English here are still
worried about their language proficiency in English, so
what general advice would you give to those teachers?
Well, my general advice would be “Don’t worry so
much!” The point that I would make is that correct-
ness, which is really what they are worried about, has
more to do with correct comportment and etiquette,
than it has to do with communicative effectiveness.
And this attitude to me is a deeply entrenched feeling
that communities have, that their identity is invested
in their language. It was very clear in Germany in the
1930s for example—one language one people. The
language and the community were seen to be very
closely related. Although you can’t, of course, argue
that with English, nor to varying degrees with some
other languages, including Spanish. But there is still
a deeply entrenched feeling that somehow “My lan-
guage is my social identity.” Now, I don’t know Japan
well enough to make any statement about this, but
my impression is that because Japanese is so closely
linked with being Japanese, it’s quite natural for peo-
ple to feel that language, the correct social behavior,
and the conformity to social norms, are deeply en-
trenched. English must also, therefore, have norms of
correctness which we must conform to or otherwise
we are not behaving correctly. It’s a sense of proper
behavior, of comportment, rather than communica-
tion. Those countries which don’t have this strong
sense of lingua cultural identity, I think are more
likely to accept the idea of English as a Lingua Franca,
or accept the idea of non-normative use of language
more readily. And also, I suppose historically, because
there has been in the past anyway, a close associa-
tion of language learning with learning the spoken
language. The problem is that, of course, speaking
a language is the most potentially face-threatening
activity and it’s very difficult, even if you wanted to,
to change the way you speak. To change the way you
write is much easier, which is why accent tends to
be so well imprinted in people’s behavior. But if you
say, “You’ve got to speak like a Brit” that’s a terrible
burden for anybody! And anyway, which Brit? Which
THE LANGUAGE TEACHER 43.6 • November / December 2019
British person are you talking about? Most people in
Britain don’t speak in the way that textbooks tell you
that you should speak.
Katsuya Yokomoto: Within Japan there are many dif-
ferent kinds of settings, for example elementary school
ARTICLES
teachers are not language experts, they have to teach
very many subjects. In junior high and high school,
they are English teachers and in higher education
English teachers teach English and also subject teachers
use English to teach their subjects. But when we all aim
for students’ learning of the language, what should we
keep in mind as we are trying to help them?
Again for me, the first thing to question is whether
there is such a thing as “the language.” There is an
JALT PRAXIS • INTERVIEWS
assumption that there is “an English language” and
that is what is described in reference books, and
that is linguistic competence or communicative
competence based on native speaker norms, and
that is “the language.” My own view is that this is
a fiction. There is no such thing. I mean people
believe there’s a language, and when it comes to the
notion of language and community, it’s important
for people to think there is a language because it
holds them together as a community. But we can
shift focus and ask, “How do people use language?”
or “How do people communicate?” The key to this
is that if one shifts the focus to communication,
how people use linguistic resources to commu-
nicate, what linguistic forms are needed for their
purposes? Then I think you get a very different set
of objectives for learning. The objectives then are,
how do you actually motivate learners to use lan-
guage? Often in the past when they have attempt-
ed to use the language, they have been penalized
JALT FOCUS
because their use has not been sufficiently correct.
Even if the teacher says “well, we’ll let that pass,” the
learner knows that sooner or later they are going
to have to go back to get it right. And this focus on
correctness, conformity to native speaker norms,
inhibits the real language learning process which is
the ability to extend your communicative resources
from what you’ve already got in your own language
to other linguistic resources, which we call English
or French or whatever it is. Why? Because it gives us
a wider possibility for interaction with other people,
and in so doing extends further our resource. The
objective has to be some kind of dynamic invest-
ment in subsequent learning. And my own feeling
is that once students have got that learning mo-
mentum, your job is done. That’s it! You can do no
more! Now, the problem is that assessment requires
conformity. The real problem is that what is educa-
tionally desirable is in conflict with what is insti-
tutionally required. The institution requires that
11
 The Language Teacher • JALT Praxis: TLT Interviews
at the end of the course, there is a measurement
as to how far the learners have achieved the objec-
tive. So, these tests are actually tests of teaching.
They’re not tests of learning. In other words, they
test the extent to which teaching has succeeded in
making the learners conform. No matter how much
learning has taken place, which may in fact be a very
good dynamic investment for something to follow,
that doesn’t count unless it’s also correct. Tests are
predicated on the primacy of teaching. But the diffi-
culty is that institutionally speaking, it’s difficult to
see how else you could provide a test because you’ve
got to have something that’s measurable. What I’m
talking about, capability, is not so easy to measure.
Competence is easy to measure as you check it
against the standard norm. This is related to CLIL
and EMI, and education in general. The real con-
temporary questions are “How do we decide what
is educationally desirable, what is good for learners,
and what is institutionally constrained?” And, the
real challenge is that institutions will want to sim-
plify because they want something measurable and
reliable, something straightforward that you can
explain easily. However, education is not like that.
Graham Mackenzie: Perhaps teachers need to find a
balance?
Well, first of all, I think they need to understand
that there is this conflict. In the academic field, this
has become clear with publishing because what
controls educational development in the universi-
ties now is publishing. The publishers tell us what
we are to teach basically, and what research we
should do.
Chantal Hemmi: I’m reminded of McNamara and
Sato’s work, looking at non-native raters’ evaluations
of students. I think it’s very positive that researchers are
looking into that aspect of things. I think our paradigm
has to change a little when we think about equity in
education in a diverse world because we tend to regard
correctness in reference to the native speaker norms. It’s
probably a new field that will open up a lot of research
opportunities.
Yes, well particularly when we talk about EMI and
EAP, and ELF, Barbara (Seidlhofer) will tell you for
example, that when she talks to people in conflict
resolution or business people, they are not interest-
ed in how correct someone’s English is at all. It isn’t
an issue for them. The issue is “Can we get along?”
“Can we arrive at an understanding?” And you can
well imagine how complicated this is. If you look at
the kind of international negotiations that are going
on around the world, what language does Trump
use when he talks? English. What language is used
12 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • http://jalt-publications.org/tlt
in the European Union for this disastrous Brexit?
English. What language is being used for those
seeking asylum in Europe? English. Marie Grazia
Guido has done some interesting work on the
use of English as a Lingua Franca in immigration
situations with asylum seekers. There, the problem
often occurs that the immigration officers have a
concept of English which has been impressed upon
them in their schooling: correctness – “Are you C1?”
or “Are you C2?” and so on. If an asylum seeker is
from Ghana, he or she will naturally use Ghana-
ian English, which is a World English variety. So,
the Ghanaian will be using what the immigration
officer thinks is incorrect English. And so, their con-
cepts of English are in conflict because they have
different norms of what is appropriate, and you can
imagine that people are judged, as they have always
tended to be, on the language they speak. And we
all know that we tend to judge people as educated
or non-educated, or foolish or arrogant by the lan-
guage they use. Now if the judgement is based on
native speaker norms, there are a lot of people that
are in trouble if we persist in using that as the only
effective measure of language learning.
References
Guido, M. G. (2017). ELF in migration. In J. Jenkins, W.
Baker, & M. Dewey (Eds.), The Routledge handbook
of English as a lingua franca (pp. 544–555). Abingdon:
Routledge.
Sato, T., & McNamara, T. (in press). What counts in
second language oral communication ability? The
perspective of linguistic laypersons. Applied Linguistics.
Seidlhofer, B., & Widdowson, H. (2018). ELF for EFL: A
change of subject? In N. Sifakis & N. Tsantila (Eds.),
English as a Lingua Franca for EFL Contexts (pp. 17–31).
Bristol: Multilingual Matters.
Widdowson, H. G. (1994). The ownership of
English. TESOL Quarterly, 28(2), 377–389.
 [JALT PRAXIS] MY SHARE
Steven Asquith & Lorraine Kipling
We welcome submissions for the My Share column. Submissions should be up to 600 words
describing a successful technique or lesson plan you have used that can be replicated by read-

ARTICLES
ers, and should conform to the My Share format (see the guidelines on our website below).
Email: my-share@jalt-publications.org • Web: http://jalt-publications.org/tlt/departments/myshare

Hi, everyone, and welcome to the final edition of My

Share for 2019. Perhaps it is only me, but each year it Student Photojournalism
is always with an element of surprise that I find myself
already in November. It often seems as if the year has Project
slipped by barely noticed, but then taking stock, I tend
to be fairly satisfied with much of what I have accom- Mike de Jong

JALT PRAXIS • MY SHARE

plished. Of course, there are glaring omissions – not
enough time spent on personal goals, devoting more Aoyama Gakuin University
energy to long-term professional development, and
sharing more of my ideas and research. If you have sim- dejong@aoyamagakuin.jp
ilar thoughts, perhaps you would like to spend a little
time writing up an idea for My Share. All contributions
are greatly appreciated by us, and also, bring value to Quick Guide
both the authors and the wider teaching community. »» Keywords: Journalism, news, media
The authors of this edition’s four articles have excelled »» Learner English level: Advanced
themselves in providing innovative ideas for a variety of »» Learner maturity: University
teaching contexts. In the first article, Mike de Jong in- »» Preparation time: 20 minutes
troduces a photojournalism project, in which, students
»» Activity time: Three class sessions
learn how to create and present original narratives us-
ing photos often taken on their phones. I love the way »» Materials: Mobile phones or cameras, access to
this project engages learners’ creativity while having computers and printers
them develop practical skills in presenting real world
issues. In the second article Luke Houghton presents a It is said that a picture represents a thousand
version of spot the difference with a really cool twist, it words. That is certainly true in journalism, where
is personalised to the students! This idea, with multiple
different variations and extensions would be a fantastic,
photos can tell dramatic stories about poverty, war,
fun activity for almost any class. In the third article Ja- pollution, and other social issues. For students,
mie Reay invites you to turn your Business English class- learning about journalism by taking photos opens

es into an episode of the popular TV series ‘Dragon’s
Den’. This wonderful idea not only scaffolds students
through the use of the TV show but also provides them
with the opportunity to deliver an authentic sales pitch.
In the final article, Susan Brennan, explains an interac-
tive method of students practising cohesive language
such as conjunctions, using a matching game. Lorraine
and I hope that you have an opportunity to try these
great ideas, and that you all have a fabulous festive pe-
riod.
—Steven Asquith
TBLT in Asia 2020
The 5th Biennial Conference of the JALT TBL SIG
Ryukoku University, Kyoto • June 20 – 21, 2020
Confirmed plenary speakers: Martin Bygate (Lan-
caster University) and Shoko Sasayama (Educational
Testing Service)
Call for papers now open. See https://tblsig.org/
conf/call-for-papers/ for details.
JALT FOCUS
their world to the power of the media in a demo-
cratic society.
For this assignment, students use their own
cameras or mobile phones to tell journalism-style
stories with photography. Learners must take a
series of 9-10 photos around one theme; perhaps a
social issue in their neighbourhood, an event such
as a local festival, or an issue that impacts friends or
family. All photos must work together to support
this theme, and short captions must be provided
to explain the content. Students are told that high
quality images and expensive printing are not nec-
essary for this assignment. The goal is storytelling,
not photo perfection.
Preparation
Students are asked to bring in smartphones or cam-
eras for the first session.

THE LANGUAGE TEACHER 43.6 • November / December 2019 13

 The Language Teacher • JALT Praxis: My Share
Procedure
Step 1: The instructor prepares students for this as-
signment with a brief lecture on famous photojour-
nalists and their work. Here, the work of Magnum
photojournalists W. Eugene Smith and Robert Capa
could be used. In particular Capa’s photos from the
Spanish Civil War and Smith’s work in exposing the
Minamata scandal in Japan are excellent examples.
Step 2: Students are given some photos in which
a narrative is clearly present. They are then asked
to suggest captions. Working in groups, they also
discuss possible themes for their own projects. This
prepares students for producing their own photo
narratives.
Step 3: The instructor confers with each student
to discuss themes and topics. Further instructions
about story-telling narratives could also be ex-
plained at this point.
Step 4: Students begin the assignment by shooting
photos outside of class.
Step 5: The following week, students bring in their
first photos for review. Gathered in groups, students
analyse each other’s work, while the instructor also
gives an assessment on the photos and themes. Fur-
ther advice about developing story-telling narratives
is also useful at this point.
Step 6: Students shoot more photos outside of
class and complete their assignments by providing
captions and printing off their work. They also
prepare their photos for an in-class “exhibition” the
following week.
Step 7: Students participate in an in-class photo
“exhibition” where they share their completed
assignments with classmates. Each student is asked
to give a brief presentation explaining their photos
and narratives. Invitations might be offered to other
classes to see the photo “exhibition.” This gives the
photojournalism students motivation to produce
professional-quality work.
Step 8: Assignments are handed in to the instructor
for grading.
Conclusion
This assignment allows students to further develop
their language skills, while gaining a better under-
standing of photojournalism and the power of the
media. They get hands-on experience in producing
a journalistic assignment and learn to take pho-
tographs that tell stories. As they work on their
projects, students develop new vocabulary and com-
munication skills, and expand their English fluency
and pronunciation. This project proves enjoyable, as
14 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • http://jalt-publications.org/tlt
students have fun while learning about an import-
ant aspect of the news media.
Resources
Magnum Photos. (n.d.) Retrieved from https://www.
magnumphotos.com/photographers
What’s the Difference?
Luke Houghton
British Hills
lukehought@hotmail.com
Quick Guide
»» Keywords: Descriptive language, prepositions of
place, speaking, listening, turn-taking
»» Learner English Level: Lower intermediate and
above
»» Learner maturity: Junior high school and above
»» Preparation time: 10 minutes
»» Activity time: 10 - 15 minutes
»» Materials: Two different photos of your classroom
(see preparation), note paper for students
This is a communicative pair activity that requires
students to use descriptive language and questions
for clarification and detail. The activity is easily per-
sonalized to individual classes and can be extended
into collaborative projects for students.
Preparation
Step 1: Take two photos of your classroom without
students present. Label these A & B. There should
be ten differences between the first and second
photo: for example, one photo before and one
photo after a lesson, desks moved, windows opened
or closed, or the spelling of words on the board
altered. Ensure there are both obvious changes and
less obvious ones. Note these changes yourself for
reference later.
Step 2: Print off enough pictures for one A & B pho-
to set per pair of students.
Procedure
Step 1: Ask students to form pairs facing each other,
and give each student note paper.
Step 2: Explain that each pair will have two photos,
and race to find ten differences in ten minutes by
 The Language Teacher • JALT Praxis: My Share
describing and asking questions about each other’s
photo. The first pair to write down all ten (or the
most, if not all are identified) differences and show
the teacher is the winner.
Step 3: Elicit and pre-teach target language, as neces-
sary, for example “Where are the textbooks? What is
written on the board? There is a bag under the chair.”
Step 4: Hand out photo A to one of each pair, and
photo B to their partner. Ensure students cannot
see their partner’s photos.
Step 5: Start a timer for 10 minutes (variable).
Step 6: Monitor and note language needs as pairs
complete the activity.
Step 7: Once the time is up, declare the winner.
Step 8: As a class, go over the ten differences, noting
the correct language forms on the board.
Step 9: Once the activity is finished, address any
language needs noted.
Step 10: Set pairs to make their own photo sets to
challenge others next class (see extension).
Variation
This is easily modifiable by changing the photos.
Your classroom is easily adapted, and you can in-
troduce surprising elements such as a giant stuffed
panda in the teacher’s chair. You can also use other
areas of your school, or elsewhere. The more inter-
esting the differences in familiar settings, the more
students will be engaged.
The competitive element of the activity can be
removed if inappropriate. Instead, have a second set
of photos prepared for early-finishers.
Extension
As an extension ask pairs to take their own two
photos in their free time, writing down ten differ-
ences and then challenging other pairs in the next
class. Turn it into a creative project by having the
two pictures tell a story: a picture of their living
room first tidy then filled with deflated balloons
and empty bottles hints at a party in between, for
instance. Once students have identified all the
differences in their friends’ photos, they can explain
what they think happened in the time between the
two pictures. Classes can also create sets of pictures
to challenge other classes.
Conclusion
This activity provides learners with the opportunity
to practise verbal and non-verbal communicative
THE LANGUAGE TEACHER 43.6 • November / December 2019
strategies to convey information, offers teachers an
opportunity to identify areas of language need, and
can be personalized for each class, engaging and
motivating students to complete the task.
ARTICLES
Dragon’s Den for Business
English Students
Jamie Reay
Josai International University
jamiereay@yahoo.co.uk
JALT PRAXIS • MY SHARE
Quick Guide
»» Keywords: Multimedia, business pitch, peer
evaluation
»» Learner English level: Intermediate and above
»» Learner maturity: University
»» Preparation time: 2 hours
»» Activity time: Two 90-minute lessons
»» Materials: Dragon’s Den (DVD from Amazon, or
watch on YouTube), laptop, display, whiteboard,
pens
This activity enables students to use teamwork,
creativity and organizational skills to formulate and
present a business idea. The first lesson sets the
scene, provides examples of business pitches for the
students, and gives them a chance to practice their
listening skills. In the second lesson the students
pitch their business plan to teacher and peers, who
evaluate before deciding whether to invest in it.
JALT FOCUS
They then reflect and give feedback on each other’s
pitches.
Preparation
Choose an episode of Dragon’s Den of relevance to
your students. Pre-watch the episode and make a
note of useful vocabulary or cultural references that
might need explaining.
Procedure
Lesson 1
Step 1: Put students into groups and get them to
discuss what constitutes a good business plan. Get
each group to share their ideas with the class and
make notes.
Step 2: Introduce the premise of Dragon’s Den:
Contestants pitching their business ideas to poten-
15
 The Language Teacher • JALT Praxis: My Share
tial investors - the dragons.
Step 3: Pre-teach any difficult language points or
cultural references from the episode.
Step 4: Watch an episode of Dragon’s Den. Tell
students to make notes about how the ideas are
pitched, the questions the dragons ask, and why the
dragons invest in the product
Step 5: Review the episode, asking students for the
ideas they made notes on. Ask the students to re-
flect on how these ideas link to their original ideas.
Step 6: Tell the students they will participate in
their own Dragon’s Den and each group has to
think of their own product, something that they as
students might need or find useful.
Step 7: Prepare a pitch following some of the busi-
ness plan ideas discussed in class. Each pitch should
be 2 to 3 minutes long. Review points on how
to give a good pitch. For example: attracting the
investor’s attention, highlighting your USP (unique
selling point), being sure of the facts and figures
about your product and knowing the competition.
Lesson 2
Step 1: Give students 10 to 15 minutes preparation
time. Then select 4 students from other groups to
be your fellow ‘dragons’.
Step 2: Sit with the other dragons at the front of the
class, ask the ‘pitchers’ to stand in front of you and
begin the pitches.
Step 3: After each pitch, encourage the dragons to
ask questions to the contestants, and then decide
whether to invest or not in their product. Dragons
must give reasons why they invested or not. What
attracted them to the product, why they thought it
would succeed, and so on.
Step 4: Repeat step 2 and 3 until all the pitches are
complete, using different dragons each time. Get
each group to give feedback on which pitches they
thought were good and the reasons why.
Conclusion
This lesson proved to be one of the most popular
on my Business English course. The first lesson pro-
vided the students with the context and words that
they could utilize in pitches, while the role play ele-
ment of the second lesson really allowed students to
shine. Students who had been quiet throughout the
course surprised me with their imaginative pitches,
or in their role as an authoritative dragon.
16 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • http://jalt-publications.org/tlt
Let’s Stick Together
Susan Brennan
Seikei University
sbrennan@ejs.seikei.ac.jp
Quick Guide
»» Keywords: Integrated activity, split sentences,
conjunctions, review
»» Learner English level: All levels
»» Learner maturity: Elementary
»» Preparation time: 15 minutes
»» Activity time: 10-15 depending on number of
students
»» Materials: Paper, scissors, selection of sentences
Let’s Stick Together is an active and, at first, chaotic
integrated activity that encourages students to interact
and listen carefully to one another while focusing on
making logical connections. This activity is perfectly
suited to the revision of coordinating and subordinat-
ing conjunctions. Variations are only limited by the
teacher’s imagination and preparation time.
Preparation
Decide what aspect of language you are going to re-
view. Depending on the number of students, write
half that number of sentences using the target lan-
guage. Type the sentence, leaving a space between
the two clauses, for example I don’t want to put on
weight, but… /…I love eating pizza and ice-cream.
Print the sentences, and cut so that each sentence
half is on an individual strip of paper.
Procedure
Step 1: Tell students you are going to give them half
a sentence. Demonstrate on the board by writing a
sample sentence, for instance I don’t want to put on
weight, but … and …I love eating pizza and ice-cream.
Explain that the ellipsis (three dots) indicate whether
it is the first or second half of the sentence. Drawing
boxes around the half sentences will help first timers.
Step 2: Tell students they will get one sentence half
and they must memorise it. No writing it down or
telling anyone.
Step 3: Shuffle the strips of paper and go around the
class having students randomly draw a strip.
Step 4: Give students 1-2 minutes (depending on the
level), then retrieve the strips.
 The Language Teacher • JALT Praxis: My Share
Step 5: Students get up and walk around the class.
Students with an ‘end half’ should wait for the stu-
dent with a ‘start half’ to speak first. When they think
they have found each other, they come and say it to
the teacher. If they are correct, they can sit down.
Step 6 (optional): Sentences can be redistributed
and the activity repeated. Students often want to
have another go—especially if they’ve remembered
their half incorrectly and been unsuccessful (or last)
at finding their match.
Variations
Lower level students can be allowed to carry their
slips with them. In addition to conjunctions, this
activity also works well for reviewing preposition-
al phrases and conditionals. I have also used this
activity to review classroom rules at the end of the
first lesson, for example Students should have a file
which…/…they use only for this class. Teachers can
also have students write their own sentences in
pairs on blank strips of paper.
Extensions
For intermediate to high level students in smaller
groups, the sentences can also be part of a lon-
ger, coherent passage. Once the sentence halves
THE LANGUAGE TEACHER 43.6 • November / December 2019
have been matched (and been confirmed by the
teacher), the students must then put themselves in
order. This activity is challenging, but students are
motivated to get it right. With the teacher cheering
them on, they get a real sense of satisfaction when
the story is told correctly from start to finish.
ARTICLES
Conclusion
Let’s Stick Together is a challenging activity that
utilises students’ speaking, reading and listening
skills. It works best when it focuses on a grammar
point, such as cohesive devices or coordinating
conjunctions. In my experience, this activity works
best at the end of a lesson that has been heavy on
reading, writing or grammar.
JALT PRAXIS • MY SHARE
Hiroshima JALT 2019 Conference & Book Fair
Working Together—Learning Together
Saturday, Nov 30 & Sunday, Dec 1 2019
A weekend celebrating the collaborative aspects of
language learning and education. Join us for an in-
formal tea on Saturday, and presentations, seminars
and workshops on Sunday.
Further details at https://sites.google.com/view/
hiroshima-jalt/conference
JALT FOCUS
17
 [RESOURCES] TLT WIRED
Edo Forsythe & Paul Raine
In this column, we explore the issue of teachers and technology—not just as it relates to CALL
solutions, but also to Internet, software, and hardware concerns that all teachers face. We invite
readers to submit articles on their areas of interest. Please contact the editor before submitting.
Email: tlt-wired@jalt-publications.org
Web: http://jalt-publications.org/tlt/departments/tlt-wired

patterns can be discovered and visualized using

Visualizing Patterns to technology. A digital text can be searched for a par-
ticular language pattern. Once found, the pattern
Help Language Learners can be colorized, enlarged and labelled. This is akin
to using a powerful version of the find and replace
John Blake function found in Microsoft Word. Using technol-
ogy to foreground patterns helps language learners
University of Aizu acquire language by increasing the chance that
<jblake@u-aizu.ac.jp> learners notice the target language (Truscott, 1998).

Natural Pattern-Matchers The Power of Regular Expressions

Humans are natural pattern-matchers. In fact,
noticing patterns has made us better hunters
and better farmers. Our brains are wired to find
patterns. We can discern patterns even when no
pattern exists. Figure 1 shows a random pattern, but
I bet your mind can create a pattern.
Regular expressions, aka regex, are powerful search
tools used to find predetermined patterns. Re-
gex have been described as “mutant wildcards on
steroids” (Christiansen & Torkington, 2003). Regex
work within computer programs or scripts. JavaS-
cript, a language often used to control the behaviour
of web pages, commonly makes use of regex.
For example, when you enter a credit card
number online, but omit the final digit, regex and
JavaScript work together to generate an error mes-
sage. Microsoft Word also provides a graphical user
interface that uses regex searches. This is accessible
from Advanced find on the dropdown menu of Find
on the Home tab.

Figure 1. Rorschach inkblot card.
Patterns in Language
Language is permeated with patterns. Some pat-
terns are easily perceived, such as the presence of
prepositions before noun phrases. Having students
highlight prepositions and then underline any noun
phrases that follow the prepositions can help learn-
ers notice the pattern of prepositional phrases. The
ability to recognize patterns is considered to be one
of the traits of good language learners.
Using Technology to Reveal Patterns
To learn a language structure or usage, students
must first notice it and its pattern. Many language
Regex in AntConc
Teachers familiar with corpus tools may have
already noticed an option to search corpora using
regex. Laurence Anthony’s ever popular and free
concordance tool, AntConc, includes this feature as
one of the Search Terms options on the Concordance
tab. A simple regex search can help you look up two
words at once by simply inserting a pipe between
two words (e.g., much | many). This search, shown
in Figure 2, finds either much or many. This search
could be used to help students notice the pattern
that much is commonly used before uncountable
nouns while many comes before plural nouns.
I will introduce three language learning tools that
visualize patterns.

18 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • http://jalt-publications.org/tlt

 The Language Teacher • JALT Praxis: TLT Wired
Figure 2. Regex search in AntConc.
Passive Voice Detector
Regex can be used to discover particular language
features. For example, passive voice follows a pre-
dictable pattern (1):
(1) Subject + be + past participle
The following examples (2, 3, 4) show passive
voice being used in different tenses with regular
verbs (i.e., those ending in -ed):
(2) This office will be cleaned soon.
(3) The bank was robbed by two boys.
(4) They are being questioned.
A basic regular expression can be used to discover
passive voice when the past participle is regular and
ends with -ed.
Once the regex has discovered (or matched) the
pattern, JavaScript can be used to colorize verbs.
To use the passive voice detector, simply input a
text into the submission box and any verbs in the
passive voice will be highlighted (see Figure 3).
Figure 3. Passive Voice Detector (Tyler, 2019).
THE LANGUAGE TEACHER 43.6 • November / December 2019
Pronunciation Scaffolder
The Pronunciation Scaffolder (Blake, 2019) was spe-
cially created for Japanese learners of English. This
tool uses regex to help students read presentation
scripts or other formal texts aloud. Users select the
aspects of pronunciation that they need help with.
ARTICLES
Figure 4 shows a screenshot of the Pronunciation
Scaffolder interface.
JALT PRAXIS • TLT WIRED
JALT FOCUS
Figure 4. Pronunciation Scaffolder interface.
The Pronunciation Scaffolder uses colour, size and
symbols to visualize pronunciation features, such as
intonation, word stress, and difficult sounds.
The Pronunciation Scaffolder can be accessed on
any web-enabled device. Each student can input a
text, for example a dialogue. This enables students
to work on texts according to their interest and
level. Users are recommended to focus on the first
four elements (pausing, intonation, content word,
and word stress) before trying the others. Students
practise reading the annotated texts aloud. Once
they have built up confidence, they can work with a
partner. As a follow-up activity, students could act
out or record the dialogue.
19
 The Language Teacher • JALT Praxis: TLT Wired
Closed-question Responder
Regular expressions can also be used to help gener-
ate examples of language use. The Closed-question
Responder identifies the patterns of closed ques-
tions—those that are usually answered with yes or no.
On identifying the pattern used, the responder auto-
matically generates positive and negative answers. A
screenshot of the responder is shown in Figure 5.
Figure 5. Closed Question Responder (Blake, 2018).
Students can input questions as many times
as they like, making changes and seeing how the
suggested positive and negative answers are altered.
This type of experimentation is a form of discovery
learning in which students use trial and error to
learn how English works. This learning method not
only encourages active learning, but also allows for
personalization by users who decide the content
of the sentences they input. Students particularly
enjoy trying to create a question that the responder
is unable to answer appropriately.
Second Annual Performance in Education SIG
in Sapporo Conference/2020 JALT Hokkaido
Winter Language Teaching Conference
February 1–2, 2020 (just before the Snow Festival,
although there will be activities available for the
whole family)
Hokusei Gakuin University in Sapporo
Getting Creative: Avenues to Successful
Practices in EFL
https://qrgo.page.link/u1hJj
This year the PIE SIG will join with
JALT Hokkaido Chapter, Brain SIG,
and Critical Thinking SIG. The PIE
SIG conference will be embedded
in the Hokkaido Chapter’s 2020
JALT Hokkaido Winter Language
Teaching Conference. The PIE SIG
is now accepting presentations on
performance in education. Call for Papers and Registration
information is on the conference website. Deadline for Call
for Papers is October 27, 2019.
20 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • http://jalt-publications.org/tlt
Conclusion
Why not try out the Passive Voice Detector, Pro-
nunciation Scaffolder or Closed-question Respond-
er? If you want to suggest a language pattern that
you would like to be visualized for your students,
feel free to drop me a line.
Perhaps, some tech-savvy readers can make use of
regex to visualize syntactic structures or lexical sets
that are the most relevant to their students.
References
Anthony, L. (2019). AntConc [Computer Software]. Tokyo,
Japan: Waseda University. Retrieved from http://www.
antlab.sci.waseda.ac.jp/
Blake, J. (2018). Visualizing language: Using regex
and JavaScript. JALT 2018 Technology in Teaching
Workshop. Retrieved from https://john6938.github.io/
JALT2018TnT/
Blake, J. (2019). Pronunciation Scaffolder ver 3.0 [Online
Tool]. Retrieved from https://jb11.org/pronscaff.html
Christiansen, T., & Torkington, N. (2003). Perl Cookbook:
Solutions & Examples for Perl Programmers. O’Reilly
Media, Inc.
Truscott, J. (1998). Noticing in second language
acquisition: A critical review. Second Language Research,
14(2), 103–135.
Tyler, S. (2019). Passive Voice Detector [Online Tool].
Retrieved from https://datayze.com/passive-voice-
detector.php
East Shikoku JALT Chapter
Donna Brinton:
Dispelling Pronunciation Myths
Saturday, December 7 – 16:30–18:00
Kochi University of Technology (Eikokuji Campus)
JALT Four Corners tour
Toyohashi JALT is really looking forward to once
more welcoming a Four Corners Tour speaker. This
year it is Donna Brinton, She will talk on the topic:
‘Dispelling Pronunciation Myths: Best Practices for
Teachers’ from 1:30 to 4:00 on Sunday 24th Novem-
ber at our regular meeting place at Room 541 in
Building 5 at Aichi University’s Toyohashi Campus.
Do join us at Toyohashi in Aichi Prefecture and en-
joy our friendly and supportive atmosphere. We look
forward to seeing you!
 [JALT PRAXIS] YOUNGER LEARNERS
Mari Nakamura & Marian Hara
The Younger Learners column provides language teachers of children and teenagers with
advice and guidance for making the most of their classes. Teachers with an interest in this field
are also encouraged to submit articles and ideas to the editor at the address below. We also
welcome questions about teaching, and will endeavour to answer them in this column.
Email: younger-learners@jalt-publications.org
A MEXT-Funded App for
Japanese Teachers of
Young Learners
Rob Hirschel
Jon Rowberry
hirschel@m.sojo-u.ac.jp
jrowberry@m.sojo-u.ac.jp
Rationale
The Japanese government has capitalized on the
2020 Tokyo Olympics to boost business, construc-
tion, culture, technology, tourism, and education.
Among the most ambitious plans are the new cur-
ricula for English language education in elementary
schools to be enacted by academic year 2020 (MEXT,
2017). For fifth and sixth graders, the new curricula
shifts English from an ungraded foreign language
activity to a mandatory, assessed subject that pupils
study each year for 70 classroom hours--double the
previously allotted 35. Third and fourth graders begin
studying English as a foreign language activity for 35
hours each year, whereas the previous requirement
for fourth grade and below was zero. Ohashi (2018)
stated that “some schools do have activity-based
English in earlier years though such provision is the
exception rather than the norm” (p. 112). One signifi-
cant implication is that Japanese homeroom teachers
are now expected to teach considerably more English
language content than ever before.
The problem is that many teachers may lack con-
fidence both in teaching and in speaking very basic
English (Kobayashi, 2018; Nakajima & Ozaki, 2013;
Yamauchi, 2018). At present, university certification
programs for elementary school teaching only re-
quire a course in English oral communication, and
not all prefectures require demonstration of English
ability to pass prefectural licensing exams (Fukushi-
ma, 2018). Furthermore, a 2014 MEXT survey of
3,181 teachers in charge of foreign language activ-
THE LANGUAGE TEACHER 43.6 • November / December 2019
ARTICLES
ities found that 83.2% did not possess any qualifi-
cations in English proficiency or English education
(Fukushima, 2018). To prepare current teachers for
the new English classes, Yamauchi (2018) explained
the MEXT pyramid model whereby trained teacher
JALT
leaders impart their expert knowledge to subleaders
JALT
who again pass the same knowledge along to col-
PRAXIS
leagues. However, citing 2014 MEXT data reporting
PRAXIS• YOUNGER
416,475 full time teachers (and 34,956 part-time
teachers) at Japanese elementary schools, Yamauchi
expressed concern that “MEXT is appointing only
1,000 teachers as leaders to be ready for the coming
2020” (2018, p. 152). Numbers aside, even very basic
English proficiency is not something that can easily
be gleaned second-hand or even third-hand.
JALT
Website and App Development
LEARNERS
FOCUS
Concern over teacher preparedness led our team
to consider the development of a website and app
that could support teachers in the self-study of
very basic English phrases useful for the classroom.
Our project began with a needs analysis (reported
by Hirschel, 2018). The needs analysis, informed
by observations of six English lessons in three local
schools and by informal interviews with teachers,
JALT FOCUS
found that teachers appeared adept at basic greet-
ings and display questions (e.g., How is the weather
today?). The 2018 study concluded that teachers
might benefit most from studying and practicing
language for directions and basic classroom man-
agement. For example, though each formal greet-
ing at the lesson’s start (e.g. Hello, everyone) was
expressed by the teacher in English, only one in
five instances of “next” was spoken in English, and
all three instances of “let’s practice” were voiced in
Japanese. Very simple language such as these words
and phrases can truly benefit teachers.
It is important to note that mere knowledge of
useful phrases is not sufficient for teachers to be able
to use them in the moment, in the classroom. MEXT
instructional materials include teacher phrases for
most lessons, and it is likely that most teachers do, at
least occasionally, review these phrases and expres-
sions. Without practice, however, it can be very diffi-
cult to find the language one needs in the moment.
21
 The Language Teacher • JALT Praxis: Young Learners
A further issue to consider is that many elemen-
tary school English lessons are taught by a Japanese
Homeroom Teacher (HRT) in collaboration with
an international Assistant Language Teacher (ALT).
One concern in such team-teaching situations is
that when the ALT makes an English contribution,
the HRT, for ease of comprehension (or simply out
of habit) may inadvertently sabotage comprehen-
sible input by promptly giving a Japanese transla-
tion (Shino, 2019). This situation could possibly be
remedied by having a set of go-to classroom phrases
which the ALT can be reasonably confident that the
HRT will understand.
With the above goals in mind, our team has de-
veloped a website and companion app that is free of
charge and provides users with language in context
that they can practice with several types of exercis-
es. Technological limitations and finite resources
have necessarily restricted the types of content that
can be offered, but we hope that teachers never-
theless find these resources useful. Some of the key
features are described below.
Animated Videos of Language in Context
The lesson modules
in the first section
of the app present
useful classroom
language in con-
text via animated
videos. “Miho,
please come here”;
“Please guess”; “Let’s begin”; and “What is enpitsu in
English?” are some of the many target phrases and
patterns covered.
Target Language Cloze Tasks
Users manipulate the target language presented in
videos by dragging and dropping the words into the
correct positions. Users can return to the video at
any point to hear the language again. When check-
ing answers, users are shown green checks for cor-
rect answers and red x marks for incorrect answers.
Each activity can be attempted multiple times.
22 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • http://jalt-publications.org/tlt
Elicitation Activities
Elicitation activities require users to translate the
target language from Japanese to English, listen to
the model answer, and repeat after the model.
Model:
Everyone, please
stand up.
Model: Please
make lines.
Shadowing Activities
Shadowing activities focus on the target language
for different classroom contexts. Teachers first prac-
tice with a recorded model and text. They subse-
quently shadow the audio without textual support.
Vocabulary Development
Several sections present useful
vocabulary along with audio
models. The content includes
everyday items, timetables,
numbers, school subjects, and
dates. In addition to basic
practice in memory retrieval
and pronunciation, there is content provided in
question and answer format, in practice translation
exercises for phrases and short sentences, and in
listening comprehension quizzes.
Fluency Building
Available for the website (but not for the App) is a
fluency building task that prompts users to speak in
English, records the user’s answer, and automatical-
ly plays a model response. The user then can listen
to their answer and self-assess their response.
Limitations
One concern is that the activities may appear
to suggest that there is only one correct English
expression in a particular context. For example,
“Please make lines” could just as easily be conveyed
by “line up, let’s make lines” or any number of
permutations. The target audience, however, are
teachers with minimal English proficiency, and so
we have decided to present just one expression for
clarity and simplicity.
 The Language Teacher • JALT Praxis: Young Learners
Another concern is the extent to which the
language presented reflects the language individual
teachers need to conduct their English classroom
activities. Much of the content prepares teachers to
facilitate activities presented in previously pub-
lished resources, which with the introduction of
new textbooks and materials, may no longer be fully
relevant. Furthermore, it is not possible to cover
the classroom language useful for each individual
teaching context. For these reasons, we encourage
international teachers working with Japanese HRTs
to discuss what additional classroom expressions
may be useful and to help facilitate the HRT being
able to use those expressions.
A final concern is the degree of ease with which
users can navigate the app and website. We have
done our best to simplify navigation within the
confines of the platform and have also attempted
to make the site more accessible through short
instructional videos.
Future Directions
Despite the limitations noted
above, we are hopeful that this
app and website may be useful for
teachers. Initial feedback has been
positive, though we have had some
difficulty reaching our intended
audience. Teachers and other par-
ticipants who attended our presentations and work-
shops were often those who already appeared com-
fortably proficient in basic classroom English. We
encourage teachers working alongside HRTs who
might benefit to have a look at these resources and
consider introducing them. EIGO can be navigated
in either Japanese or English. The app can be found
by searching for EIGO in the App store for Apple
devices or in the Google Play store for Android. The
website version can be accessed through elemen-
glish.org, preferably using the Chrome browser.
Finally, the authors hope that this article leads
to discussion among HRTs and ALTs about what
English language is helpful in different classroom
contexts and how best to prepare teachers to use
this language without hesitation.
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant
Number 15K02089.
THE LANGUAGE TEACHER 43.6 • November / December 2019
References
Fukushima, M. (2018). English for elementary school
teachers in Japan: Ways of enriching teachers’
experience in learning and using English. TUINS
Journal of the Faculty of Child Development and
Education, 9, 39-56.
ARTICLES
Hirschel, R. (2018). Teacher talk in the elementary school
EFL classroom. Bulletin of Sojo University, 43, 31-41.
Kobayashi, Y. (2018). A suggestion about English as a
subject in elementary schools: Teaching reading with
picturebooks. ICU Language Research Bulletin, 32, 55-64.
MEXT. [文部科学省]. (2017). 小学校学習指導要領
[Elementary School Course of Study]. Retrieved
from http://www.mext.go.jp/component/a_menu/
JALT
education/micro_detail/__icsFiles/afieldfi
le/2018/09/05/1384661_4_3_2.pdf
JALT
Nakajima, S., & Okazaki, H. (2013). Qualitative research
PRAXIS
on Japanese elementary school teachers and assistant
PRAXIS• YOUNGER LEARNERS
language teachers’ perceptions about foreign language
activities: Transition of English learning from
elementary school to junior high school. University of
Toyama Bulletin of the Faculty of Human Development,
8, 181-199.
Ohashi, Y. (2018). Innovation and the assessment
of elementary school English in Japan: Issues and
concerns. Fukuoka Jo Gakuin University Bulletin, 4, 111-
125.
Shino, A. (2019). Collaborative use of English and
Japanese by HRTs, ALTs, and pupils in English lessons
in a Japanese primary school. The Bulletin of the
Graduate School of Education of Waseda University,
separate volume, 26, 217-230.
Yamauchi, K. (2018). Teaching English at primary school
in Japan: Current situation and the issues. The Asian
EFL Journal, 20, 142-155.
JALT FOCUS
Rob Hirschel teaches at the Sojo
International Learning Center
(SILC), at Sojo University in
Kumamoto. He has experience
teaching English at various levels
in both Japan and the US. His
research interests include CALL,
vocabulary acquisition, and affec-
tive factors in the classroom.
Jonathan Rowberry is Director
of the SILC. He has experience
teaching English at secondary
and post-secondary level in both
Japan and the UK. He has pub-
lished articles on diverse topics
including curriculum develop-
ment, assessment of listening
skills, learner agency, and active
learning.
23
 [JALT PRAXIS] BOOK REVIEWS
Robert Taferner & Stephen Case
If you are interested in writing a book review, please consult the list of materials available for
review in the Recently Received column, or consider suggesting an alternative book that would
be helpful to our membership.
Email: reviews@jalt-publications.org
Web: http://jalt-publications.org/tlt/departments/book-reviews

This month’s column features Brendan Garland and
Kevin Thomas’ review of Four Corners Book 2.
Four Corners Book 2
[Jack C. Richards & David Bohlke. Cam-
bridge: Cambridge University Press, 2019.
pp. vii + 154. ¥2,850. ISBN: 978-1-108-
56021-4.]
Reviewed by Brendan Garland & Kevin
Thomas, Asia University
short listening about TV preferences, and a grammar
explanation followed by fill-in-the-blank exercis-
es. Finally, there is a Keep Talking segment, which
leads to pair and group activities in the back of the
book. The quality of these varies, but the better ones
provide a break from the more confined vocabulary
and grammar lessons and a chance to use the target
language in a less controlled activity. The pedagogy
is communicative and task-based, with each section
ending with an “I can” statement (e.g., “I can talk
about types of TV shows I like”), which suited the
needs of our learners. Part B focuses on oral commu-
nication, including functional language and pronun-
ciation. Section D alone contains extended reading

F
and writing activities in a variety of textual genres.
our Corners is a This section also includes a final speaking activity
series of four English intended to integrate everything learned in the unit.
textbooks leveled
One significant change in this edition is the inclu-
according to the Common
sion of Presentation Plus software. This is a down-
European Framework of
loadable file which works as an all-in-one solution
Reference (CEFR; Council
for class materials. It can be used with interactive
of Europe, 2001), each split
whiteboards, screens, and projectors. Audio files
into twelve general topic
and answers are embedded in the electronic text
themed units. Four Corners
that forms the core of the software. It includes all
2: Second Edition is intend-
other materials (e.g., videos and workbook), and
ed for CEFR A2 learners.
links to online resources. It even offers the option of
The authors use the book
embedding your own files and links in the existing
four times a week for 45
text. All this makes it unnecessary to bring materi-
minutes for a pre-interme-
als such as DVDs and CD players to class. The new
diate English communication course. Four Corners 1:
interface is smoother than previous versions, with
First Edition was reviewed in The Language Teacher
less glitches. Drawbacks include the fact that the
(Andrews, 2016); therefore, this review discusses
software is not compatible with tablets and requires
changes made between the editions, text content,
relatively up-to-date computers.
and supplementary material.
Changes to the textbook are cosmetic, with many
Each unit of Four Corners has four sections sharing
photos changed to illustrate target language more
a theme. These sections are clearly influenced by
clearly. The photographs and design were assessed
Nation’s four strands framework of second language
positively in a class survey to gauge learners’ opinions
acquisition, with each focusing on a mix of listen-
of the book. However, minor mistakes have been
ing and reading, speaking and writing, fluency, and
added, including a duplication of an illustration and
language skills development (Nation, 2007). Units
the mislabeling of activities on the DVD worksheets.
begin with a warmup intended to activate existing
schemata. Sections A and C of each unit are com- The main strength noted by the authors and their
prised of vocabulary and grammar focused activities, colleagues was the user friendliness of the text.
starting with vocabulary matching exercises. For ex- Sections within units are self-contained, with clear
ample, Section A of the television themed unit 6 has presentation, practice, and production elements.
a matching activity involving types of TV shows, a The amount of grammar and vocabulary in each

24 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • http://jalt-publications.org/tlt

 The Language Teacher • JALT Praxis: Book Reviews
section seems appropriate for the designated CEFR
level, allowing students to utilize language provid-
ed in the units without being overwhelmed. The
unit topics are common in most widely-publicized
English language teaching (ELT) textbooks and
were easily comprehended and appreciated by re-
spondents according to the class survey. The topics
also give the teacher a good base for supplementary
activities. In addition, an increase in difficulty of vo-
cabulary and grammar as the book progresses gives
it a logical structure.
Although chapters being self-contained is useful
for the teacher, there could have been more recy-
cling of previously introduced language through-
out the book; earlier units may be forgotten as
the course progresses. The reading, writing, and
listening tasks are staged and lack authenticity as
noted by Andrews (2016) and Thomas (2017), which
may have led to some students describing the book
as too easy.
Overall, Four Corners is accommodating and
provides a solid base for a vocabulary and gram-
mar based general English course. As noted, more
integration of language as the book progresses and
greater authenticity would make the textbook more
attractive. However, the book is logically structured
and has a range of supplementary materials for ex-
pansion. This material breaks up the monotony of
following the units, which can be repetitive. In con-
clusion, the book can be recommended for teachers
who teach short lessons and need a book to provide
a basic curriculum.
References
Andrews, R. (2016). Four corners book 1. The Language
Teacher, 40(6), 28-29.
Council of Europe. (2001). Common European framework
of reference for languages: Learning, teaching, assessment.
Cambridge, U.K: Press Syndicate of the University of
Cambridge.
Nation, I. S. P. (2007). The four strands. Innovation in
Language Learning and Teaching, 1(1), 1-12. doi: 10.2167/
illt039.0
Thomas, K. (2017). L1 literacies and possible implications
for the communicative language teacher. CELE Journal,
25, 99–120.
JALT2019
45th Annual International
Conference on Language Teaching
and Learning & Educational
Materials Exhibition
WINC AICHI, Nagoya City,
Aichi, Japan
November 1–4, 2019
THE LANGUAGE TEACHER 43.6 • November / December 2019
Recently Received
Julie Kimura & Ryan Barnes
pub-review@jalt-publications.org
ARTICLES
A list of texts and resource ma-
terials for language teachers
available for book reviews in TLT
and JALT Journal. Publishers are
invited to submit complete sets
of materials to Julie Kimura at the
Publishers’ Review Copies Liai-
son address listed on the Staff page on the inside cover of TLT.
Recently Received Online
JALT PRAXIS • BOOK REVIEWS
An up-to-date index of books available for review can be
found at: <http://jalt-publications.org/tlt/departments/
recently-received>.
* = new listing; ! = final notice — Final notice items will be
removed on December 31. Please make queries by email to
the appropriate JALT Publications contact.
Books for Students (reviews published in TLT)
Contact: Julie Kimura — pub-review@jalt-publications.org
! Discovering Cool Japan — Tsuda, A., Kinshi, K., & Valvona,
C. Tokyo: Seibido, 2019. [This text has been adapted from
the NHK program Cool Japan. The units are structured into
two parts. First, participants go out to report on an aspect
of Japanese culture. This is followed by a studio discussion
where people from different countries talk about the differ-
ences between Japanese culture and their own. In addition
to exposing learners to several varieties of global English,
this coursebook also develops the ability to convey Japa-
nese culture to the world in English. It comes with mid-term
and end-of-term tests as well as mini-tests for each chapter.
CD, DVD, and teacher’s manual available.]
Innovation in language teaching and learning: The case in Ja-
pan. — Reinders, H., Ryan, S., & Nakamura, S. (Eds.). Tokyo:
Palgrave Macmillan, 2019. [The series covers recent devel-
JALT FOCUS
opments in learner-centered approaches and the impact of
technology on learning and teaching.]
Pocket Readers—The following are by Boon, A. Tokyo: Hali-
co Creative Education, 2018.
! The meeting: Book 4. [A graded reader in a business
context. In Book 4, as the new employee, you are going to
chair your first business meeting.]
! The email: Book 5. [A graded reader in a business
context. In Book 5, you have to deal with many emails in
your inbox. You are invited to attend an email training
workshop.]
! Entertaining overseas visitors: Book 6. [A graded reader
in a business context. In Book 6, you are going to look
after and entertain two business guests arriving from the
United States.]
* First business trip overseas: Book 7. [A graded reader in
a business context. In Book 7, you are asked to attend a
conference in London, England.]
* The office conflict: Book 8. [A graded reader in a business
context. In Book 8, there is a big conflict between you and
a colleague at work.]
* The product launch: Book 9. [A graded reader in a busi-
ness context. In Book 9, you are asked to be in charge of a
new product launch.]
25
 The Language Teacher • JALT Praxis: Teaching Assistance

* The mentor: Book 10. [A graded reader in a business
context. In Book 10, you are promoted to a new position
and asked to mentor a new employee.]
! Speaking for Presentations — Robinson, L. Tokyo: Try-
alogue, 2019. [A two-level coursebook featuring a wide
variety of speech topics with well-ordered activities that
allow speakers to organize their ideas and prepare their
presentations. Useful sentence structures are provided, and
high-frequency vocabulary is frequently recycled. There are
QR code links to videos of sample presentations. The series
is suitable for CEFR A2-B1.]
Winning formula for the TOEIC® L & R test (Revised Ed.). —
Akaida, T., & Bruce, J. M. Tokyo: Cengage Learning, 2018.
[Revisions reflect updates to the new question format used
in the TOEIC® Listening and Reading test. Students will
learn test-taking strategies and tactics in each unit.]
Books for Teachers (reviews published in JALT
Journal)
Contact: Greg Rouault ­— jj-reviews@jalt-publications.org
Learning strategy instruction in the language classroom:
Issues and implementation — Chamot, A. U., & Vee Har-
ris, V. (Eds.) Bristol, England: Multilingual Matters, 2019.
Practical research methods in education: An early research-
er’s critical guide — Lambert, M. (Ed.). Abingdon, England/
New York, NY: Routledge, 2019.
* Rethinking TESOL in diverse global settings: The language
and the teacher in a time of change — Marr, T., & English,
F. New York, NY: Bloomsbury Academic, 2019.

[JALT PRAXIS] TEACHING ASSISTANCE

David McMurray
Graduate students and teaching assistants are invited to submit compositions in the form of a speech, appeal,
memoir, essay, conference review, or interview on the policy and practice of language education. Master’s and
doctoral thesis supervisors are also welcome to contribute or encourage their students to join this vibrant de-
bate. Grounded in the author’s reading, practicum, or empirical research, contributions are expected to share an
impassioned presentation of opinions in 1,000 words or less. Teaching Assistance is not a peer-reviewed column.
Email: teach-assist@jalt-publications.org

S
This issue’s vibrant essay in the Teaching Assistance col-
umn was written by Yinmon Htun, a Teaching Assistant
(TA) at Kagawa University located in Shikoku. Having
completed medical school and a two-year clinical in-
ternship in Myanmar, the author is currently in her final
year of a doctorate course in the Department of Pedi-
atrics. An afterword was provided by Takashi Kusaka,
a professor at Kagawa University who advised Yinmon
Htun to try a stint as a TA.
Ian Willey, a professor of English at Kagawa Universi-
ty who also observed a few of the TA’s lessons, empa-
thized with her feelings about facing students. Noting
that one’s natural speaking voice is often one’s writing
voice, and that it can take time in the beginning to
learn how to speak in front of others, Willey surmises
(Personal Communication, 2019), “I would not be sur-
prised if most teachers (and doctors) were to describe
themselves as introverts, at least to some degree. I
guess you have to be when you’re required to spend
long hours studying.”
Small Group Teaching:
The Experiences of an
Introverted TA
Yinmon Htun
Kagawa University
ince my final year of med school in Myanmar,
I’ve always wanted to try something new. I
wanted to get out of my comfort zone. Hence,
I decided to do research in Japan, a country where
I lived for a couple of years when I was little. Being
able to communicate in the Japanese language was
my advantage. In Myanmar, I prepared for study-
ing in Japan by passing the Japanese language N1
examination, which helped me stand out in getting
a scholarship—an important source of financial sup-
port when studying abroad.
I joined the Department of Pediatrics. The depart-
mental members are dedicated to the better under-
standing of brain damage in newborns. When I first
arrived in Kagawa, I was appointed to be a research
student for six months. At that time, I didn’t have
my own research project yet. Adding to my worries,
my supervisor was absent because he was studying
abroad. A professor, therefore, suggested that I
try clinical observation at the Neonatal Intensive
Care Unit, which could be useful in my future as a
clinician and also for my current doctoral studies.
Learning medical terms in the Japanese language
was the greatest barrier I had to overcome (and I am
still hitting that wall). Case conferences and ward
rounds were extremely devastating because I didn’t
understand a single word. However, my senior
colleagues have been kind enough to be patient
and understanding. They wanted to welcome me

26 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • http://jalt-publications.org/tlt

 The Language Teacher • JALT Praxis: Teaching Assistance
as a part of the team. Because of them, my clinical
knowledge improved a lot.
During my first year of doctoral studies, my su-
pervising professor suggested that I should try small
group teaching with undergraduates in pediatric
clinical rotation. At that time, I was trying to get ac-
customed to the new environment. I had numerous
things to learn, and I also had a personal reason why
I was terrified of this job offer.
Since this column is about teachers and teaching
assistants, let me describe myself a bit more and
share my beliefs. Most remarkable teachers are
extremely outgoing. They have excellent verbal
skills that draw the students in. On the other hand,
I am extremely introverted. I am empathetic, but a
bad speaker. My passion has always been writing. I
am far from the image of a good teacher. I couldn’t
imagine myself standing in front of people and
talking for an hour!
On the other hand, I wanted to try teaching
because I believed that teaching would help me
improve my skills in Japanese medical terms. Also, I
wanted to assist my colleagues. Eventually, I decided
to take the job to teach 5th grade medical students
who had just started clinical rotations. After discus-
sions with my senior colleague, I came up with the
most basic theme: Examination of healthy newborns.
My lectures were to be conducted once every two
weeks. The lectures would take about an hour.
Small group teaching, unlike teaching in a lecture
hall, requires engagement with each student. In ad-
dition, we must be able to provide knowledge that is
useful in clinical situations. However, these stu-
dents were just out of the lecture-room stage, and
had just started their fifth-year clinical rotations.
The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit focuses mainly
on how to resuscitate newborns. So, at the same
time, TAs are responsible for smoothly transitioning
students from bench to bedside. Therefore, lectures
must be simple but not boring. To fulfill this, most
clinical teachings in Japan use teaching aids such as
dummies and simulators. Examination of healthy
newborns is slightly different from resuscitation
of the newborns. For resuscitation, dummies and
simulators are excellent tools. They are specifically
designed for common situations that we’d come
across in daily practice. However, examination of
healthy newborns involves analyzing facial features,
skin changes, warmness of the skin, and so forth.
At first, I used a dummy, but it was ineffective. This
was probably due to the absence of features I men-
tioned above. I came to realize that choosing appro-
priate teaching tools is very important. Eventually, I
decided to use plenty of pictures and videos.
THE LANGUAGE TEACHER 43.6 • November / December 2019
ARTICLES
JALT PRAXIS • TEACHING ASSISTANCE
Figure 1. Author with a group, teaching class.
When I started teaching, my lectures were prob-
ably boring. In the first few years, I struggled with
teaching the class itself. I worried about wheth-
er the ice-breaking process would go smoothly.
According to my supervisor, other than for fresh-
men, first encounters in the classroom with med-
ical students often don’t go smoothly. I also felt
some stress when trying my best to focus on how
I should explain myself in the Japanese language.
If my explanations in Japanese were to mislead the
students, they might always remember that wrong
information. Eventually, as an ice-breaking process,
I tried to talk more about myself, and the current
projects that I do. Research is a more familiar theme
for me, which helped me feel confident enough
to talk about it. After that, I’d listen to students
introduce themselves and I would ask about their
hobbies, what they’d planned for vacation, and so
forth. I’d try to ask questions based on their brief
JALT FOCUS
talk. I tried to be attentive and immediately ask
questions about what I didn’t understand. I put the
importance of listening to the students; this is an
advantage for introverts. By doing so, it was very
interesting to learn about students because they all
had diverse backgrounds and life goals which make
them unique individuals. In that way, small group
teaching helped me realize how important it is to
listen to everyone.
After breaking the ice, we connected with each
other by engaging with each other. Luckily, I am in
my late 20s so my age is quite close to the students.
This was also an advantage for students because
they felt familiar enough with me to ask questions
about anything (Figure 1). Some told me that they
had visited my country! Another advantage that
helped me is that I am from a different background
with different experiences and do different research
than other TAs. During the lecture, I could also tell
students about the different clinical situations in
27
 The Language Teacher • JALT Praxis: Teaching Assistance
our two countries and how doctors solve problems
differently.
Figure 2. Clip shot from a TA presentation.
Most importantly, I tried to accept the fact that
not every student was interested in pediatrics
(Figure 2). Not everyone can be in the mood for
attending lectures. At times, most students were
sleepy. But sometimes the class was flooded with
questions. In small group teaching, it is relatively
easy to observe the individual condition of the
students. If they are taking a lot of notes, I’m sure
they are interested. Some might not take notes but
do listen attentively. Some just fall asleep. There-
fore, after a brief talk and a few minutes of teaching,
I always decide quickly whether or not I should
change my lesson plan by skipping some parts of
the textbook, but still teach enough to emphasize
important information (Figure 3). Lesson planning
surely requires flexibility.
Figure 3. Author displays a textbook.
I am not regularly evaluated but sometimes, I re-
ceive good feedback for being succinct and informa-
28 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • http://jalt-publications.org/tlt
tive. To be honest, I want some negative feedback
too so that I can improve. Overall, I am quite happy
about my class.
My teaching experience may somehow be different
from that of the typical teaching assistant. I consider
myself a kind of friendly study-mate. Perhaps I am
the one who is getting the most out of the small
group teaching classes. I’ve gained new knowledge
through the clinical questions my students ask me.
I’ve learned about cultural differences and individ-
ual differences from my students. That has led me
to be more open-minded and patient. Small group
teaching provided me with a good opportunity for
self-evaluation and self-reflection. My class may not
be the most captivating and entertaining one at my
university, but there is a small joy in it. Accepting the
challenge to teach has shown me how rewarding it
can be to step outside my shell and share stories with
people so we can motivate each other.
Takashi Kusaka, a medical professor at Kagawa
University, shared the following advice to conclude
this essay:
The best way to learn is teaching others. Learn-
ing is particularly important in research to find
out one’s objectives; to figure out the methods
that lead to results. I personally thought that it
might be useful for Yinmon to have the oppor-
tunity to teach others to learn about her own re-
search and eventually about herself. She is trying
to fit into the role as a TA as much as she can. I
believe that this experience will be helpful in her
further studies and future career.
Presentations related to the OLE SIG at the
45th International JALT Conference
in Nagoya, Nov. 1–4, 2019
• Enhancing the Professional Development of Teachers
— Morita, et al. [Saturday, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM; Rm
1004]
• Students’ Performance on the Language Stage — Sil-
va, et al. [Saturday, 3:15 PM – 4:45 PM; Rm 1004]
• Carefully Adapted Teaching to Support Learners — Ja-
hedzade, et al. [Saturday, 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM; Rm 1004]
• FFI in the Foreign Language Classroom — You [Satur-
day, 6:45 PM – 7:10 PM; Rm 1004]
• Using L1 in the ESOL Classroom: Spanish Example —
Umberger [Saturday, 6:45 PM – 7:10 PM; Rm 1008]
• Allophone Learners on the Rise in Japan — Szirmai, et
al. [Sunday, 11:45 AM – 1:45 PM; Rm 1005]
• Short Units for Introductory German as 2FL — Reinelt
[Sunday, 12:20 PM – 12:45 PM; Rm 1008]
• French Forum: Teachers Promoting Learner Agency —
Fortin, et al. [Sunday, 3:25 PM – 4:55 PM; Rm 1004]
• Kazakh Language in the Process of Latinisation — Ibra-
yeva, et al. [Sunday, 5:10 PM – 5:35 PM; Rm 1004]
 [JALT PRAXIS] WRITERS’ WORKSHOP
Jerry Talandis Jr.
The Writers’ Workshop is a collaborative endeavour of the JALT Writers’ Peer Support Group (PSG). Articles in
the column provide advice and support for novice writers, experienced writers, or nearly anyone who is looking
to write for academic purposes. If you would like to submit a paper for consideration, please contact us.
Email: peergroup@jalt-publications.org • Web: http://jalt-publications.org/psg
Is Something Too Good
to Be True? Ethics in
Publication
Anthony Brian Gallagher
o here I am trying to get publications under my
belt, and along comes a very kind senior who
has just written his paper after the conclusion
of his study. He asks me if I can check the English be-
fore he submits it to his chosen journal, and I notice
he has my name written on his draft as a co-author.
Surely this is too good to be true, no? Well, yes, it is.
Gift Authorship
Being listed as an author for doing little or no work
on a project is called “gift authorship.” This situa-
tion is caused by a failure to follow standard ethical
guidance on carrying out any sort of research (Japan
Society for the Promotion of Science, 2015): “The
principal investigator is responsible for conducting
research activities appropriately and, therefore also
responsible for ensuring that all procedures are care-
fully followed according to various ethical policies and
guidelines as well as managing personal information,
data, and intellectual properties” (p. 74). In order to
avoid confusion and impropriety at a later date,
this is the moment to thank your senior for their
kind offer and clearly point out that this would put
you both in a very difficult situation. It is ethically
improper and would misrepresent both of you and
the research because authors are held accountable
for their research; It is not okay to list someone as
an author who did not actually contribute to the
research. Such people can be acknowledged for
their cooperation, but they should not be listed as
authors (Japan Society for the Promotion of Sci-
ence, 2015).
Another example of gift authorship is when you
have written a paper and try to include a famous
or authoritative person in the same field in order
to give weight to your own writing. Alternatively,
THE LANGUAGE TEACHER 43.6 • November / December 2019
ARTICLES
 
you may wish to include a friendly colleague with
the idea that they reciprocate someday to include
you as a co-author on their research paper. These
are dangerous decisions because gift authorship
is improper and violates research ethics by both
JALT
parties in the giving and receiving of authorship.
JALTPRAXIS
To avoid any problems, make sure you can clearly
articulate the roles that each listed author played
PRAXIS• WRITERS’JALT
in the project. Adopting this stance will command
understanding and respect for your integrity.
Ghost Authorship
In contrast to gift authorship is the practice of
“ghost authorship.” This occurs in the rather unfor-
tunate situation when you are truly the deserving
author, but the co-author does not give you credit
WORKSHOP
for what you have done. This is one of the perils of
collaboration—it can have a huge negative impact
FOCUS
on your career and workload. Estimating the con-
tributions of your time and effort on a project can
be difficult to gauge unless you have a long stand-
ing, trust-based relationship with the co-author(s).
Sometimes the work we do in one project does not
bear fruit and fails to get published. However, all
is not lost. Often unpublished work can be repur-
JALT FOCUS
posed in other projects, serving as a building block
for exploring new areas of inquiry and strengthen-
ing literature reviews.
Duplicate Posting
What happens when you have a falling out with
your colleague(s) and your collaboration ends? In
this unfortunate situation, the question of who
can lay claim to the research becomes complicated.
The difficulties may be compounded if the research
involves layers of ethical committee approvals,
contains sensitive or private information, or the
findings are not approved for inclusion in anoth-
er project. If you and your colleagues separately
present on the same set of results as if it were solely
your own work, this can result in a waste of other
researchers’ time and resources as they go about
reviewing or replicating your work for their own
research. This “duplicate posting” can happen when
researchers attempt to make themselves appear
29
 The Language Teacher • JALT Praxis: The Writers’ Workshop

more impressive than they actually are. Although
not as clear a violation of research ethics as fabri-
cation, falsification, or plagiarism, this practice is
prohibited by many journals and academic orga-
nizations and should be redacted where possible
(MEXT, 2014).
Salami Publishing
Ok, so what happens if I am simply a single author
with no large funding, no partners, and I just want
to get as many publications as I can before my next
job interview? There is a danger here because the
act of dividing up my one research project into
multiple smaller studies is referred to as “salami
publishing.” It is a way of artificially exaggerating
our accomplishments. Many papers that reap the
same results are not promoting the advancement of
science. This practice will be discovered by hiring
committees that investigate your research, and
won’t help your job prospects. People who evalu-
ate candidates are obligated to recognize salami
publishing and act accordingly. If you are found out
by one university to have done this, it will follow
you around and possibly tarnish your entire career,
all because of a short-term need to increase your
publication count for a particular job.
In conclusion, there are a multitude of factors
that can land you in trouble when it comes to re-
search ethics that go well beyond the basics of pla-
giarism, fabrication and falsification. Gift and ghost
authorship, duplicate posting and salami publishing
are common traps to be avoided by all researchers,
new and experienced. A common theme connecting
these dubious practices is the desire to cut corners
and make things appear more than they really are.
Stay vigilant and avoid that “too good to be true”
opportunity at all costs. Your very career may de-
pend on it.
For more information on the topics covered in
this short article as well as other issues related to
the ethics of research publication, please refer to
For the Sound Development of Science—The Attitude
of a Conscientious Scientist. This excellent book has
been edited by the Japan Society for the Promotion
of Science Committee and printed by Maruzen
Publishing.
References
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Editing
Committee (Eds.). (2015). For the Sound Development of
Science—The Attitude of a Conscientious Scientist. Tokyo:
Maruzen Publishing.
Japan, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and
Technology. (2014, Aug 26). Guidelines for Responding to
Misconduct in Research (pp. 1–31). Tokyo: MEXT.
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and
Technology (文部科学省 Monbu-kagaku-shō).
Available at http://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/jinzai/
fusei/__icsFiles/afieldfile/2015/07/13/1359618_01.pdf

[JALT FOCUS] SIG FOCUS

Joël Laurier & Robert Morel
JALT currently has 26 Special Interest Groups (SIGs) available for members to join. This column
publishes an in-depth view of one SIG each issue, providing readers with a more complete picture
of the different SIGs within JALT. For information about SIG events, publications, and calls for
papers, please visit http://jalt.org main/groups.
Email: sig-focus@jalt-publications.org • Web: http://jalt-publications.org/tlt/departments/sig-news

forming, lying, congratulations, compliments…and

Pragmatics SIG
What is Pragmatics?
Pragmatics is concerned with how we communi-
cate, whether we use words or nonverbal means.
This may sound rather simplistic and unbelievably
general, yet it covers the true range of what is
involved. A quick scan of research in pragmatics
reveals studies of politeness, apologies, making ex-
cuses, leave taking, sarcasm, reprimands, gratitude,
humor, criticism, requests, refusals, inferences, in-
the list goes on. Unfortunately, most of these areas
are considered to be too challenging for language
learners, and, if brought to class attention, they are
utilized as simply one-off exercises.
For students to truly learn a language, they need
to be made aware of the situation, specifically to
whom they are speaking, where they are, and what
message they wish to convey and its outcome. To
put it simply, they need to be situationally appro-
priate. Textbooks and the classroom generally strip
the context in an effort to make the language more

30 THE LANGUAGE TEACHER Online • http://jalt-publications.org/tlt

 The Language Teacher • JALT Focus: SIG Focus
generalizable. However, it should be the other
way around. Teachers should create clear situa-
tions where students can literally ‘feel’ themselves
within that very context such that it is they who are
expressing themselves, and not just repeating or im-
itating. Having these experiences under their belt,
it is they themselves who can then generalize their
own experiences to other instances. This is student
autonomy.
Why Should People Be Interested in Pragmatics?
There is one thing that all of us share: we know
how to be appropriate in our first language, and we
know when norms have been crossed. Our students
may not know this in their L2, and while some of
their norms are the same as ours, there are others
that could result in negative repercussions. A large
proportion of the norms we have learned in our
L1 are, unfortunately, unconscious. We have been
socialized into our language and our culture to the
point where we assume that these norms are ‘com-
mon sense.’ They are NOT. This is why research and
inquiry into pragmatics is so important.
One positive feature of pragmatics is that it is
so wide ranging that every teacher can find some-
thing of interest to teach. Whether it is to become
[JALT FOCUS]
Malcolm Swanson
This column serves to provide our membership with important information and notices regarding the organ-
isation. It also offers our national directors a means to communicate with all JALT members. Contributors are
requested to submit notices and announcements for JALT Notices by the 15th of the month, one and a half
months prior to publication.
Email: jalt-focus@jalt-publications.org • Web: http://jalt-publications.org/tlt/departments/jalt-focus
JALT at JACET2019
Cooperation with Domestic Affiliate at
JACET’s 58th International Convention
The Japan Association for College English Teach-
ers (JACET) held their 58th annual international
convention August 28–30 in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan at
Nagoya Institute of Technology (NIT). Affiliate or-
ganizations, this included JALT, were able to attend
the JACET Academic Affairs Committee meeting on
August 28th. This was a great way to start the three
days of conferencing that took place. At the meet-
ing colleagues met and exchanged ideas for how to
bring together the various initiatives each orga-
nization are doing independently, as a way to not
THE LANGUAGE TEACHER 43.6 • November / December 2019
more involved in research, or to simply attempt to
raise awareness of students to pragmatic norms,
all teachers can find a good anchor in pragmatics.
The Pragmatics SIG is a good place to find other
like-minded teachers.
ARTICLES
What does the Pragmatics SIG offer?
Activities: In addition to our members’ presenta-
tions, every year we organize a pragmatics-related
forum at the JALT international conference and the
Pan SIG conference. We hold face-to-face meetings
organized by members in different regions. You
can listen to pragmatics-related podcasts available
online.
JALT PRAXIS
Publications: Pragmatic Matters https://www.prag-
sig.org/cv is an online newsletter published three
times a year with research articles, practical activi-
ties, and reports on conferences and events.
We have an ongoing book series, Pragmatic
Resources, about research and pedagogical practice.
An upcoming book, Pragmatics Undercover, explores
how we can make textbooks more pragmatically
useful.
Web presence: Check our website at http://www.
JALT FOCUS • SIG FOCUS
pragsig.org, and the Pragmatics SIG Facebook page.
NOTICES
only enhance the individual affiliates, but also build
and strengthen bonds between organizations. For
example, we reviewed affiliate agreements with the
goal of updating them across all groups. Doing so
makes working and member relationships stronger
and more beneficial. We also discussed how JACET
SIGs (Special Interest Groups) could collaborate
with other affiliate SIGs. This is something that can
immediately be acted upon and made real. Ulti-
mately, the coordination and collaboration between
organizations benefits not only our constituent
members, but also the language communities that
we serve. (A full copy of the minutes of the meeting
are available upon request and will be posted in the
2019 conference JALT Executive Newsletter with
the Domestic Affairs Committee report.)
31
 JALT MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION
The Japan Association for Language
Teaching (JALT)
• A professional organization formed in 1976
- 1976年に設立された学術学会
• Working to improve language learning and teach-
ing, particularly in a Japanese context
-語学の学習と教育の向上を図ることを目的としています
• Almost 3,000 members in Japan and overseas
- 国内外で約 3,000名の会員がいます
http://jalt.org
Annual International Conference
• 1,500 to 2,000 participants
- 毎年1,500名から2,000名が参加します
• Hundreds of workshops and presentations
- 多数のワークショップや発表があります
• Publishers’ exhibition - 出版社による教材展があります
• Job Information Centre
- 就職情報センターが設けられます
http://jalt.org/conference
JALT Publications
• The Language Teacher—our bimonthly publication
- 隔月発行します
• JALT Journal—biannual research journal
- 年2回発行します
• JALT Postconference Publication
- 年次国際大会の研究発表記録集を発行します
• SIG and chapter newsletters, anthologies, and con-
ference proceedings - 分野別研究部会や支部も会報、アン
ソロジー、研究会発表記録集を発行します
http://jalt-publications.org
JALT Community
Meetings and conferences sponsored by local chapters and
special interest groups (SIGs) are held throughout Japan.
Presentation and research areas include:
Bilingualism • CALL • College and university education •
Cooperative learning • Gender awareness in language ed-
ucation • Global issues in language education • Japanese
as a second language • Learner autonomy • Pragmatics,
pronunciation, second language acquisition • Teaching chil-
dren • Lifelong language learning • Testing and evaluation
• Materials development
支部及び分野別研究部会による例会や研究会は日本各地で開催
され、以下の分野での発表や研究報告が行われます。バイリンガリズ
ム、CALL、大学外国語教育、共同学習、ジェンダーと語学学習、グロー
バル問題、日本語教育、自主的学習、語用論・発音・第二言語習得、児
童語学教育、生涯語学教育、試験と評価、教材開発 等。
http://jalt.org/main/groups
JALT Partners
JALT cooperates with domestic and international partners,
including (JALTは以下の国内外の学会と提携しています):
• AJET—The Association for Japan Exchange and
Teaching
• IATEFL—International Association of Teachers of
English as a Foreign Language
• JACET—The Japan Association of College English
Teachers
• PAC—Pan-Asian Consortium of Language Teaching
Societies
• TESOL—Teachers of English to Speakers of Other
Languages
Membership Categories
All members receive annual subscriptions to The Language
Teacher and JALT Journal, and member discounts for
meetings and conferences. The Language TeacherやJALT
Journal 等の出版物が１年間送付されます。また例会や大会に割引価
格で参加できます。
• Regular 一般会員: ¥13,000
• Student rate (FULL-TIME students of
undergraduate/graduate universities and colleges
in Japan) 学生会員(国内の全日制の大学または大学院の学
生): ¥7,000
• Joint—for two persons sharing a mailing address,
one set of publications ジョイント会員（同じ住所で登録す
る個人2名を対象とし、JALT出版物は2名に１部): ¥21,000
• Senior rate (people aged 65 and over) シニア会員(65歳
以上の方): ¥7,000
• Group (5 or more) ¥8,500/person—one set of publi-
cations for each five members グループ会員(５名以上を
対象とし、JALT出版物は５名ごとに１部): 1名 ¥8,500
http://jalt.org/main/membership
Information
For more information please consult our website
<http://jalt.org>, ask an officer at any JALT event,
or contact JALT’s main office.
JALT Central Office
Urban Edge Building, 5th Floor, 1-37-9 Taito, Taito-ku,
Tokyo 110-0016 JAPAN
JALT事務局：〒110-0016東京都台東区台東1-37-9
アーバンエッジビル５F
t: 03-3837-1630; f: 03-3837-1631; jco@jalt.org
Joining JALT
Use the attached furikae form at Post Offices
ONLY. When payment is made through a bank
using the furikae, the JALT Central Office receives
only a name and the cash amount that was trans-
ferred. The lack of information (mailing address,
chapter designation, etc.) prevents the JCO from
successfully processing your membership appli-
cation. Members are strongly encouraged to use
the secure online signup page located at https://
jalt.org/joining.
 [JALT PRAXIS] OLD GRAMMARIANS
Scott Gardner old-grammarians@jalt-publications.org
Opinions Are Like Avatars...
O
ne of my least favorite things in the world
to do—down there with drinking laxative
shakes before a colonoscopy and removing
wood splinters from under my toenails—is reading
reader comments at the end of an online news story.
This is a monumentally depressing task which I
somehow often end up doing despite my better judg-
ment. I suffer through each grammatically suspect,
civically bar-lowering online comment about the
news, and I soldier on, hoping the next comment
will restore at least some of my faith in humanity. It
never does.
Back in the old days of made-of-paper newspa-
pers, reader response was different. First, there was
an “opinion” section in each day’s paper, where
we could read as many as five or six thoughtfully
composed “letters to the editor” which had been
written by other readers whom it was easy to tell
were doing so out of a sense of moral and civic duty.
Another, more immediate kind of reader response—
available to me at least—was the harrumphing and
the snide retorts of the person who happened to be
reading the paper at the time: usually my dad. For-
tunately these responses were somewhat limited, as
there was only one paper in the house each day, and
he had it to himself most of the time. Besides, Dad
was actually a pretty good-natured guy, so it was
mainly only football scores and liberal politicians
that raised his ire when he saw them in the paper.
Reader comments on news sites today are like a
bus station full of patience-impaired sociopaths,
each holding a newspaper of his/her own and
reading the same story at the same time. Each
commenter—acting behind an identity-masking
moniker like “i’mrightyou’rewrong” or “censor-
this”—has decided at least two things: A, the
particular article in question is one more datum in
a mountain of evidence signaling the impending
demise of civilization; and B, other commenters
who question his/her authority on A are suffering
from either genetically-inherited or self-inflicted
stupidity. You can imagine that, if they all actually
were in the same room with newspapers in hand,
they’d be rolling them up and batting each other
on the head with them.
THE LANGUAGE TEACHER 43.6 • November / December 2019
ARTICLES
I myself have never dared comment on an online
news story. But I did once write a letter to the editor
of a newspaper. At one point in college I dreamed
of being an environmental activist, and I decided to
create a campaign to “erase” the giant 50-year-old
JALT PRAXIS
block-letter school initials that were whitewashed
on the bare slope of a mountain behind the uni-
versity. I sent a carefully-worded letter to the local
newspaper, saying it was a tragedy to see such a
beautiful mountain face marred by this glaring,
self-important set of alphabetic icons pointing at
the sky, like a basketball-game taunt to aliens or
North Korean satellites passing overhead: “We’ve
got spirit, how ‘bout you?!”
When I saw my letter published in the paper I
JALTOLD
beamed like an award-winning novelist. I couldn’t
wait to see what responses would follow, even dis-
FOCUS
agreeing ones. For two weeks I checked the paper ev-
ery morning for a reply to my ecological indictment
GRAMMARIANS
of the university’s hubris. The result: goose eggs. No-
body said a word. What’s worse, it was autumn and
the football season was starting, so the school hired a
crew to go up on the mountain and give the letters a
fresh coat of paint. My campaign was ended.
Of course I was disappointed, but secretly I had
to acknowledge to myself that the main point of my
exercise was not to start an environmental move-
ment but to see my name in the newspaper. The
opinion page was my “mountain,” if you will. Not
even Dad the football fan griped about my letter,
probably out of familial respect. He might have,
though, if “censorthis” had written it instead of me.
The TD SIG will host a Video in Language Teacher Edu-
cation forum on Tuesday, December 3, at Toyo Univer-
sity’s Hakusan campus. An interactive evening of pre-
sentations and interviews, featuring Professor Steve
Mann from the University of Warwick, and other invited
speakers. Visit https://td.jalt.org or email the SIG at jalt.
td.sig@gmail.com for more information.
33
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