Invited Speakers

Each year, JALT welcomes two speakers who represent the values, work, and vision of two teachers who served as leaders in our association: the Bill Balsamo Asian Scholar and the Kevin Cleary Invited Speaker.
Thongsouk Keomany
Bill Balsamo Asian Scholar
Inclusivity and Heartfelt Education for ALL Lao People
Saturday November 24, 11 AM – 12 PM, Room 907
Thongsouk Keomany will enliven us with his natural charm, wit, and warm heart as he talks about his students, experiences, and work in the English Department at the National University of Laos. He will first offer a general perspective on the unique context for education in Laos, before giving us an introduction to the National University of Laos, where he has worked for 22 years. In addition he will comment on research he has conducted at the university, including research on the impact of using L1 in teaching English grammar. Next he will speak specifically on inclusive education at NUOL and the LAN Program, including other programs and policies he has worked on related to supporting impoverished and special needs learners. Finally, he will tell us about LaoTESOL, a unique TESOL event, for Lao teachers of English and invited presenters, including information on how to apply to be a presenter at the conference. Over the past 10 years he has assisted with over 180 visits to Laos, mainly by JALT members as part of the popular Lao Program (THT Laos). He feels strongly that high standards of education can only be achieved by teachers who work guided by their hearts and spirits. He invites us all to Laos for an introduction to how they are working to foster this vision there.
Thongsouk Keomany is a lecturer in the Department of English, Faculty of Letters, National University of Laos, as the Deputy Head of Department, responsible for Academic Affairs. He has been teaching English to BA and MA students for 22 years. He is also the author of English Language for Lao Student Textbook Book 3 to 12. He specializes on planning and evaluation and curriculum design.
Mehrasa Alizadeh
Kevin Cleary Invited Speaker
Augmented/Virtual Reality Promises for ELT Practitioners
Sunday November 25, 5:45 PM – 6:45 PM, Room 901
Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are constantly expanding into various fields of education. Thanks to AR and VR, we can now bring a whole new dimension to the realm of language education resulting in enhanced learning and increased motivation and engagement, as evidenced in the literature (Godwin-Jones, 2016). With ubiquitous devices such as smartphones and inexpensive VR headsets, we are able to take a step forward in blurring the boundaries between the real and the virtual world, giving our students immersive learning experiences. However, similar to any new technology introduced, many ELT practitioners are not familiar with or keen on integrating AR/VR-related learning tools and resources into their classes. In order to get the audience more acquainted with AR/VR uses in language education, the presenter will first outline the basic concepts within this area of research and practice. She will continue with demonstrating an AR mobile application, Blippar, and a VR application, Google Expeditions, using smartphones and Google Cardboard. She will also discuss the use of these apps in language learning contexts while providing ideas for augmented/virtual-reality-enhanced classroom tasks and activities. Finally, JALT’s newly formed Mixed, Augmented, Virtual Realities in Learning (MAVR) SIG will be introduced as a way for attendees to further explore AR and VR applications in language pedagogy.
Godwin-Jones, R. (2016). Augmented reality and language learning: From annotated vocabulary to place-based mobile games. Language Learning and Technology, 20(3), 9-19. Retrieved from link
Mehrasa Alizadeh is a PhD candidate at the Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, Osaka University. She holds a BA in English Language and Literature and an MA in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) from Allameh Tabatabai University, Tehran. She taught English for eight years in Iran before moving to Japan in 2014. Her research interests include online course design, development and quality assessment as well as AR/VR applications in language teaching.