JALT Oita Symposium 2025 Highlights

John B. Collins
Rethinking English as a “Compulsory Subject” at Japanese High Schools
Presentation Summary:
This presentation takes a closer look at the commonly held belief that English is a compulsory subject for all Japanese high school students. While many in the TESL profession assume that every student studies the same English courses for three years, this isn’t actually the case. Based on an examination of curriculum documents from public and private high schools in Oita Prefecture, the presentation shows that there are significant differences in which English subjects are offered. In fact, only English Communication 1 is compulsory, while the other five official MEXT subjects (English Communication 2–3 and Logic & Expression 1–3) are often optional. As a result, students in different programs—especially those in specialized or technical courses—may study much less English overall, affecting their skills development and leading to wide differences in proficiency by the time of their graduation. These variations can create gaps in ability when students enter university, highlighting the need for approaches that support the skills development of students with diverse learning levels and needs. The presentation will explore how these curricular differences arise, what they mean for teachers.

William Priest and David Priest
Syllabus Bot-chan: Easy Access Syllabus on the AI Frontier
Presentation summary:
This work-in-progress examines the effectiveness of a generative AI chatbot syllabus compared to standard text-based syllabuses, in terms of utility, student engagement, and final outcomes. In our previous studies, we examined the impact of visually enhanced syllabuses and discovered that final outcomes were not significantly affected. However, we found that student impressions of instructors were improved. In the current study, we are examining how a chatbot-as-syllabus (in combination with standard text-only and visually enhanced syllabuses) impacts student final outcomes, perceptions of instructors, and ongoing awareness of assignments and grades. This study will be concluded at the end of Fall semester, in February 2026.

Ellada Kralikauskas
Precedent Phenomena in Language Learning: Cultural Literacy and Student Awareness
Presentation summary:
Precedent phenomena (PPs) are culturally loaded names, phrases, and situations that refer to well-known history, literature, media, or social ideas. Native speakers usually understand these references automatically, but second-language learners often miss them. As a result, students may read the words correctly but lose important cultural and evaluative meanings in the text.
This presentation introduces a project that examines how PPs appear in three popular ESL/EAP reading textbooks: Making Connections Intro, Reading Explorer 2, and Prism Reading 3. I collected 416 examples and coded them by type, function in the text, how accessible they are for learners, and how they could be used in teaching. The findings show that academic readings contain many small cultural signals that influence how readers interpret events, judge ideas, or understand arguments. These signals often stay “invisible” to students unless teachers draw attention to them.
From a cultural communication perspective, PPs are not only hidden difficulties but also useful tools for developing cultural literacy and pragmatic competence. In this session, I will show examples from the textbooks, explain the coding system, and offer practical ideas for helping students notice and understand these expressions in the classroom.

Sarah Padfield
Critical Pedagogy Against Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric: Fostering Awareness and Resistance in University Classrooms
Presentation summary:
Japan’s current political landscape has seen an intensification of anti-immigrant rhetoric, mirroring global trends of scapegoating migrants for economic and social issues such as the rising cost of living and over-tourism. Prime Minister Takaichi’s administration has pledged to pursue stricter immigration laws, while the Minister of Immigration has made numerous inflammatory public statements regarding foreigners and their “threat” to Japanese society. These narratives are amplified by sensationalist media and social media platforms, fueling public anxiety and prejudice.
Against this backdrop, this presentation draws on a Freirean pedagogical framework to explore the impact of anti-immigrant rhetoric on university teachers and racialized international students in Japan. I ask how English language educators can foster critical awareness and resilience in their classrooms in the face of such political and media-driven hostility. I will share classroom practices that foreground dialogue about privilege, power, and systemic oppression, equipping students with the analytical tools needed to challenge misinformation and discriminatory messages. By implementing critical pedagogy, educators can help students not only improve language skills, but also become active participants in resisting xenophobic discourses, ultimately nurturing more inclusive and socially conscious learning environments.

Todd Beuckens
Inductive Language Learning Through Interactive Spreadsheet Design
Presentation Summary: This presentation shows how Excel and Google Sheets can be used to craft interactive, puzzle-style vocabulary and grammar worksheets that support inductive learning—offering creative alternatives to traditional materials.

NPO The Japan Association for Language Teaching

JALT2025 International Conference

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