English (Japanese below๏ผๆฅๆฌ่ชใฎใ็ฅใใใๅพใซ็ถใใพใ):
Dear JALT Community,
I hope you all are doing well.
Last week, I proposed to the JALT Board of Directors and the JALT2021 Conference Planning Committee that the JALT2021 face to face conference be canceled and the entire program be shifted to an online platform. I put forth this proposal based on the prevailing infection rate in Japan, the current inconsistent rollout of the vaccine around the country, and the overall burden of planning the current situation places on us. In the end the current structure of the face to face conference does not warrant the risk, in my assessment, of moving forward with a face to face conference for 2021. The conference has been so scaled back with key elements canceled that the conference would not provide the same experience it has in previous years – no educational materials exhibition, no social events, limited onsite food choices, etc. Finally, making this decision now allows us to maintain zero financial risk in terms of venue cost and all the planning a face to face conference entails – travel, lodging, insurance, meals, etc. We can cancel our venue reservation up to August 12 and pay nothing, but canceling after August 12th, JALT would be responsible for 2 to 6 million yen in cancellation fees, as well as other fees to construction contractors, canceled hotel rooms, etc. Making this decision now prevents the risk of losing that money.ย
In June, I was much more optimistic as the vaccine rollout got started that by this time infection numbers would subside because vaccinations would have surged. While vaccinations are being administered fairly well in certain parts of the nation, we are still seeing states of emergency in other parts, and in some parts vaccinations have been halted depending on the age category you are in. Based on this information, planning for a face-to-face conference seems unwise, and a risk we do not have to take.
This decision is one I do not take lightly in proposing. I have spoken with members of the conference planning team, taken a poll of all planning team members, spoken with JALT Central Office staff, the Board of Directors, even personal friends outside of JALT who are language teachers. I feel this is the best way to manage the financial and organizational risk to JALT moving forward.ย
Further, I see the best dates for the online conference as Friday, November 12 to Monday, November 15. This would allow easier re-planning for the majority of presenters who were face to face to keep their current plans. Those who chose online would be asked to move to the weekend of the 12 to 15. Presumably, they may be more flexible having chosen online in the first place. At least that is my hope. This conference will be one weekend, not spread over two weekends.
Thankfully, JALT has an online platform option that many of us know and have used over the past year. This year we have a much more knowledgeable team to work with Gary Ross and Stephen Henneberry of Edzil.la in order to bring upgrades and improvements to his conference platform so that we can have an even better conference experience than last year.ย
For over 45 years JALT has built a certain identity of a community of practice that is focused on building professional networks and social ones. Last year we had to shift to an online experience in order to maintain these networks. That did not diminish the potency of JALT. We just had to look at everything through a new lens and maximize the good that came from that. This year we have the opportunity to build on the good that came out of last year. In 2022 when we are really in the clear for a face to face conference we will have a real opportunity to integrate a robust and tested online platform into what we do best, plan and execute a face to face conference. So, I see these past conference experiences as transitions into what JALT can really be, leveraging the technology of an online platform to enhance the face to face experience because let there be no doubt, the JALT conference will be one defined by the face to face experience. Anything else cannot present the best of JALT.
Thank you for your patience, support, and understanding as we continue planning for JALT2021 as an online conference taking place from November 12 to 15.
Be well and stay safe.
Sincerely,
Wayne Malcolm
Director of Program
NPO JALTย
ย
JALTใณใใฅใใใฃใฎ็ๆง
ๆใๅณใใๆใ็ๆงใซใฏใๅ
ๆฐใงใ้ใใใฎใใจใจๅญใใพใใ
ๅ
้ฑใ็งใฏJALT็ไบไผใจJALT2021ๅคงไผไผ็ปๅงๅกไผใซใJALT2021ๅนดๆฌกๅฝ้ๅคงไผใฎๅฏพ้ขๅผใฎๅคงไผใไธญๆญขใใใใญใฐใฉใ ๅ
จไฝใใชใณใฉใคใณใซ็งป่กใใใใจใๆๆกใใใใพใใใใใฎๆๆกใฏใๆฅๆฌใงใฎๆๆ็ใฎ้ซใใใๅฝๅ
ใงใฎใฏใฏใใณใฎไพ็ตฆใๆฎๅใใฆใใชใใใจใใพใ็พ็ถใงใฏไผ็ป้ๅถใธใฎ่ฒ ๆ
ใๅคงใใใใจใชใฉใ่ๆ
ฎใใฆ่กใฃใใใฎใงใใ็ตๅฑใฎใจใใใ็พๅจใฎๅคงไผใฎ้ๅถๆง้ ใฏใ2021ๅนดใซๅฏพ้ขๅผใงๅคงไผใๆ่กใใใชในใฏใซ่ฆๅใใใฎใงใฏใชใใจ็งใฏๅคๆญใใใใพใใใๆๆใฎๅฑ็คบใใชใใไบคๆตใคใใณใใใชใใไผๅ ดใงใฎ้ฃไบใฎ้ธๆ่ขใ้ใใใฆใใใชใฉใไธป่ฆใช่ฆ็ด ใใญใฃใณใปใซใใใใใใไพๅนดใฎใใใชไฝ้จใๆไพใใใใจใใงใใพใใใใใใซไปๅใฎๆฑบๅฎใซใใใไผๅ ด่ฒปใใๅฏพ้ขๅผๅคงไผใฎไผ็ปใซๅฟ
่ฆใชๆ
่ฒปใๅฎฟๆณ่ฒปใไฟ้บๆใ้ฃ่ฒปใชใฉใฎ็ตๆธ็ใชในใฏใใผใญใซใใใใจใใงใใพใใไผๅ ดใใญใฃใณใปใซใใใซใใใใ8ๆ12ๆฅใพใงใฏ็กๆใงใใใใใไปฅ้ใฏใ200ไธๅใใ600ไธๅใฎใญใฃใณใปใซๆ้ใๅทฅไบๆฅญ่
ใธใฎๆๆฐๆใใใใซใฎใญใฃใณใปใซๆใชใฉใJALTใ่ฒ ๆ
ใใใใจใซใชใใพใใไปๆฑบๆญใใใใจใงใ็บ็ใใใญใฃใณใปใซๆใๅคฑใใชในใฏใๅ้ฟใใใใจใใงใใพใใย
6ๆใฎๆ็นใงใฏใใฏใฏใใณใฎๆฅ็จฎๆฐใๅฝๅๆฅๅขใใฆใใใใใๅคงไผ้ๅฌๆๆใพใงใซใฏๆๆ่
ๆฐใ่ฝใก็ใใ ใใใใฏใฏใใณใฎไพ็ตฆใๅงใพใใ ใใใใจๆฅฝ่ฆณ็ใซ่ใใฆใใพใใใใใใใไธ้จใฎๅฐๅใงใฏๆฅ็จฎใ้ ่ชฟใซ่กใใใฆใใใใฎใฎใไปใฎๅฐๅใงใฏใพใ ็ทๆฅไบๆ
ใ็ถใใฆใใใๅนด้ฝขใซใใฃใฆใฏๆฅ็จฎๅใณๆฅ็จฎไบ็ดใไธญๆญขใใใฆใใใจใใใใใใพใใใใใใฎๆ
ๅ ฑใซๅบใฅใใฆใๅฏพ้ขใงใฎๅคงไผใ่จ็ปใใใใจใฏ่ณขๆใงใฏใชใใๅใๅฟ
่ฆใฎใชใใชในใฏใงใใใจๆใใใพใใ
ใใฎๆฑบๆญใฏใ็งใ่ปฝใ
ใใๆๆกใใใใฎใงใฏใใใพใใใๅคงไผไผ็ปใใผใ ใฎใกใณใใผใจ่ฉฑใๅใใ้ใญใไผ็ปใใผใ ใฎใกใณใใผๅ
จๅกใซใขใณใฑใผใใๅใใJALTไบๅๅฑใฎในใฟใใใ็ไบไผใใใใซใฏJALTไปฅๅคใฎๅไบบ็ใชๅไบบใงใใ่ชๅญฆๆๅธซใใกใซใ็ธ่ซใใพใใใไปๅพใฎJALTใฎ่ฒกๆฟ็ใป็ต็น็ใชในใฏใ็ฎก็ใใใใใซใฏใใใฎๆนๆณใๆๅใงใใใจ็งใฏ่ใใฆใใใพใใย
ใใใซใใชใณใฉใคใณๅคงไผใฎๆฅ็จใจใใพใใฆใฏใ11ๆ12ๆฅ๏ผ้๏ผใใ15ๆฅ๏ผๆ๏ผใๆ้ฉใ ใจ่ใใฆใใพใใใใใซใใใๅฏพ้ขๅผใฎ็บ่กจ่
ใฎๅคงๅใฏ็พๅจใฎไบๅฎใ็ถญๆใใใพใพใ็ฐกๅใซ่จ็ปใ็ซใฆ็ดใใใจใใงใใใจ่ใใพใใใชใณใฉใคใณใงใฎ็บ่กจใ้ธๆใใๆนใฏใๆ็ธฎใงใฏใใใพใใใ12ๆฅใใ15ๆฅใฎ้ฑๆซใซ็งปๅใใฆใใใ ใใพใใใใใใใใงใซใชใณใฉใคใณใงใฎ็บ่กจใใ้ธๆใชใใฃใฆใใๆนใ
ใงใใฎใงใใใๆ่ปใซๅฏพๅฟใใฆใใใ ใใใฎใงใฏใชใใใจ้กใฃใฆใใใพใใไปๅใฎๅคงไผใฏใใตใใคใฎ้ฑๆซใซใพใใใใฎใงใฏใชใใใฒใจใคใฎ้ฑๆซใซ็ตฑๅใใฆ้ๅฌใใใใใจใซใชใใพใใ
ใใใใใใใจใซใJALTใซใฏใชใณใฉใคใณใปใใฉใใใใฉใผใ ใจใใ้ธๆ่ขใใใใ้ๅป1ๅนด้ใซ็งใใกใฏใใใๅฉ็จใใฆๅใใพใใใไปๅนดใฏใEdzil.laใฎGary RossๆฐใจStephen Henneberryๆฐใจใจใใซใๅคใใฎ็ฅ่ญใๆใฃใใใผใ ใใใชใณใฉใคใณๅคงไผใฎใใฉใใใใฉใผใ ใซๆนๅใจๆน่ฏใๅ ใใๆจๅนดใใใใใใซ่ฏใๅคงไผใไฝ้จใใฆใใใ ใใใใใซใชใใพใใใย
JALTใฏ45ๅนดไปฅไธใซใใใใใใญใใงใใทใงใใซใงใใคใฝใผใทใฃใซใชใใใใฏใผใฏใๆง็ฏใใใใจใซ้็นใ็ฝฎใใๅฎ่ทตใณใใฅใใใฃใจใใฆใฎใขใคใใณใใฃใใฃใ็ฏใใฆๅใใพใใใๆจๅนดใฏใใฎใใใชใใใใฏใผใฏใ็ถญๆใใใใใซใใชใณใฉใคใณใงใฎๅคงไผ้ๅฌใซ็งป่กใใใใๅพใพใใใงใใใใใใงใJALTใฎๅฏ่ฝๆงใๅคฑใใใใใจใฏใใใพใใใงใใใใใในใฆใๆฐใใใฌใณใบใง่ฆใใใใใๅพใใใ่ฏใ็นใๆๅคง้ใซ็ใใๅฟ
่ฆใใใใพใใใไปๅนดใฏๆจๅนดใฎๆๆใใใใซ็บๅฑใใใใใฃใณในใใใใพใใ2022ๅนดใซใฏใๅฏพ้ขๅผใฎๅคงไผใ้ๅฌใใใใพใใใใใฎใจใใฏใๅ
็ขใงใในใๆธใฟใฎใชใณใฉใคใณใปใใฉใใใใฉใผใ ใใ็งใใกใๆใๅพๆใจใใๅฏพ้ขๅผๅคงไผใฎไผ็ปใจๅฎๆฝใซ็ตฑๅใใ็ตถๅฅฝใฎๆฉไผใจใชใใงใใใใใชใณใฉใคใณใปใใฉใใใใฉใผใ ใฎๆ่กใๆดป็จใใฆๅฏพ้ขๅผใฎๅคงไผใๅ
ๅฎใใใใใจใงใJALTใฏ็ใฎๆๅณใงใฎJALTใซใชใใใจ่ใใฆใใพใใใใไปฅๅคใฎใใฎใงใฏใJALTใฎ้ญ
ๅใๅๅ
จใซไผใใใใจใฏใงใใพใใใ
11ๆ12ๆฅใใ15ๆฅใพใง้ๅฌใใใJALT2021ใฎใชใณใฉใคใณๅคงไผใซๅใใฆใ็ๆงใฎใ็่งฃใจใๅๅใๆฏ้ใจใใ้กใ็ณใไธใใพใใฉใใ็ใใพใๅ
ๆฐใงใๅฎๅ
จใซใ้ใใใใ ใใใ
ใฆใงใคใณใปใใซใณใ
JALTๅคงไผไผ็ปๆ
ๅฝ็ไบ
JALT2021 will be online November 12-15 (In-person conference has been canceled)
โข
