Teaching & Technology 💻 Technology in the Language Classroom - Where Are We Now? From cassette tapes to AI chatbots in forty years. The technology available to language teachers has transformed beyond recognition - but are we using it as well as we could be? A Brief History of Language Learning Technology Language teaching has always embraced new technology. The language laboratory of the 1960s gave way to video in the 1980s, then CD-ROMs, then the internet, then smartphones, then learning management systems - and now artificial intelligence. Each wave brought new possibilities and new debates about what technology can and cannot replace in human learning. Where We Are in 2026 🤖 AI and ChatGPT Large language models are now in every student's pocket. They can write essays, translate texts, and answer grammar questions instantly. The challenge for teachers: how do we teach with AI rather than against it? 📱 Mobile Learning Vocabulary apps, pronunciation tools, and language ...
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For New Members 📖 What Is ELT? A Primer for Anyone New to Language Teaching in Japan ELT. EFL. ESL. TESOL. Applied Linguistics. If you are new to the world of language education in Japan, the acronyms can feel overwhelming. Here is a friendly, plain-English guide to the landscape. The Key Terms ELT (English Language Teaching) - The broad field of teaching English as a second or foreign language. It covers everything from kindergarten phonics to university academic writing to corporate language training. EFL (English as a Foreign Language) - Teaching English in a country where English is not the primary language - like Japan. Most language teaching in Okinawa is EFL. ESL (English as a Second Language) - Teaching English in a country where English is widely used - like the UK, USA, or Australia. TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) - An umbrella term covering both EFL and ESL. Also the name of a major international teaching organization. Applied Linguistics ...
This Week - Global Summit 2026 🥁 This Weekend - The Global Summit Starts Friday! It is finally here. After months of planning, proposals, and preparation - the Okinawa JALT Global Summit 2026 begins this Friday, October 9. The Schedule at a Glance Friday Oct 9 Conference Day 1 + RBC Citizens Festival Morning and afternoon sessions begin. Evening: RBC Citizens Festival at Onoyama Athletic Park - live music, food stalls, fireworks. Free entry. Saturday Oct 10 Conference Day 2 + Parade Full day of presentations, workshops, and poster sessions. Evening: Traditional Performing Arts Parade along Kokusai-dori from 5pm. Sunday Oct 11 Conference Day 3 + Great Tug-of-War Poster sessions and closing presentations. Hatagashira Parade at 11:30am. Great Tug-of-War at Route 58 at 2:30pm. Closing ceremony and awards presentation. 🏆 Four awards announced at Sunday closing ceremony: Best Presentation, Best Poster, Best Poster Presenter, Best Digital Presentation. Onsite Registration Available Did...
Chapter Contribution 📊 OkiJALT's Scholar Databases - A Gift to the JALT Network Finding the right speaker for a conference or chapter meeting is one of the most time-consuming challenges in JALT chapter management. Okinawa JALT has done the research - and we are sharing it with everyone. Why We Built These When President Norman Fewell returned to the chapter presidency, one of the first things he identified was a gap in the resources available to JALT chapters for finding qualified English-medium presenters. The official JALT lists were, in his view, inadequate and based on non-essential criteria. So he built something better - from scratch. Database 1: General Presenter Database A curated list of 246 prominent English-medium scholars currently affiliated with institutions across Japan, selected on the basis of academic prominence and publication record. 📍 Sorted by city for easy regional recruitment 📚 Average 61 publications per scholar 🏆 Highest publication count: 164 (K...