JALT2025 will feature three inspiring plenary speakers who will share their insights related to the conference theme.

Meet the Plenary Speakers

Meet the plenary speakers at Room 511 during the conference (times and days TBC).

Click on the speaker’s name to jump their profile:

• Plenary Speaker: Naoko Taguchi
• Plenary Speaker: Shoko Sasayama
• JALT Junior Plenary Speaker: Masato Kaneko 金子　正人

Plenary Speaker: Naoko Taguchi

Affiliation: Northern Arizona University

Plenary Session

Saturday, November 1st, 2025 at 10AM (Large Hall)

Title: Intercultural competence in language learning: Challenges and perspectives

As societies around the globe are becoming increasingly transcultural, there has been a keen interest in higher education to produce students who can function effectively in intercultural settings. Correspondingly, many universities situate intercultural learning as part of their strategic plans, promoting it through general education requirements, language courses, and study abroad programs. Hence, development of intercultural competence, broadly defined as “a complex of abilities needed to perform effectively and appropriately when interacting with others who are linguistically and culturally different from oneself” (Fantini, 2006, p. 12), has become an important mission of higher education today. Yet, many challenges and questions still remain when implementing this mission. For example, there is no uniformed agreement in definitions and constructs of intercultural competence. Methods and measures for assessing intercultural competence are diverse, making it difficult to choose one appropriate measure. Most importantly, the question on how intercultural competence develops has been under-addressed. In this presentation I will first review these challenges with a survey of the current literature. Then, I will present my research tracing students’ development of intercultural communicative competence (ICC) in an English-medium university in Japan. I will conclude my presentation with implications and future directions of ICC research.

Plenary Workshop

Saturday, November 1st, 2025 at 5:35PM (Room 402)

Title: Teaching Pragmatics: A Case of Japanese Speech Style

Pragmatics is the study of linguistic forms, how they are used, and what meanings they create in social contexts. In this workshop, we will first look at the definition of pragmatic competence by studying three key dimensions involved in the competence: (1) knowledge of form-meaning-context mappings, (2) interaction abilities, and (3) agentic choice-making capacity. Specifically, we will discuss how these dimensions are reflected in Japanese speech style (i.e., desu/masu and plain forms). Then, we will examine interview excerpts coming from international students enrolled in a study-abroad program in a Japanese university. The excerpts present various confusions that the students experienced with the use of speech style in the local community. Workshop participants are invited to discuss the excerpts and think about what kind of advice they can provide to the confused students. The final part of the workshop involves material development. Participants design an instructional activity for teaching Japanese speech style and present the activity for peer feedback.

Plenary Speaker Bio

Naoko Taguchi is Professor of Applied Linguistics at Northern Arizona University where she teaches courses in TESOL and linguistics. Her research interests include second language pragmatics, technology-enhanced language learning, and intercultural communication. Her recent book publications include The Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics Pragmatics Volume (co-edited with Daniel Kadar, in press) and Teaching and Learning Pragmatics in the Globalized World (special issue with the Modern Language Journal, 2021). She is currently the co-editor of Language Learning (Wiley) and Applied Pragmatics (John Benjamins). She also serves on the editorial/advisory board for 12 journals and book series.

Plenary Speaker: Shoko Sasayama

Affiliation: Waseda University, Tokyo

Plenary Session

Saturday, November 1st, 2025 at 4PM (Large Hall)

Title: Designing tasks for meaningful L2 teaching and assessment

The ability to communicate effectively in a new language is an essential goal for many second language (L2) learners. A key foundation for achieving this goal is the idea that learners acquire a language best experientially, by using it to engage in and accomplish relevant communication tasks (Dewey, 1938; Long, 2014). But, how should the tasks be selected, designed, and sequenced to support meaningful language learning? Drawing on research from instructed second language acquisition and task-based language teaching, I will explore key principles of syllabus and lesson design that optimize L2 acquisition, with a particular emphasis on the design of tasks. A critical first step towards effective language lessons is to establish clear learning outcomes in terms of target tasks—real-world tasks that students should learn how to perform. With these goals established, pedagogic tasks can be designed strategically to scaffold learners towards developing the language required for accomplishing the target tasks. We know from accumulated research evidence that by changing design characteristics, we can alter the difficulty of a task and thereby encourage L2 learners to focus on different aspects of their production, comprehension, interaction, and learning (Sasayama et al., 2025). Effective lesson design also involves gauging students’ learning through assessment tasks designed carefully to ensure meaningful progress. I will share actual classroom examples to demonstrate these key principles of syllabus, lesson, and task design in practice.

Plenary Workshop

Sunday, November 2nd, 2025 at 1:45PM (Room 402)

Title: Designing meaningful L2 vocabulary instruction

This workshop focuses on the design of effective vocabulary instruction as a way of fostering learners’ ability to communicate in a second language (L2). We begin by reviewing the importance of vocabulary learning as a critical foundation for the improvement of L2 communication ability as well as the different types of vocabulary knowledge, from receptive to productive, that are necessary for successful communication. We then consider approaches to teaching and learning vocabulary based on insights from instructed second language acquisition and task-based language teaching. Research findings indicate that effective L2 vocabulary learning relies on repetition, active use, and contextual learning, with a focus on both word form and meaning (e.g., Nation, 2001; Schmitt & Schmitt, 2020). The question is: How best can these elements be integrated into an L2 classroom? Working with examples from the Official TOEFL Vocabulary Guide, we will explore learner-centered techniques for designing tasks, lessons, individual practice, and assessments that will support meaningful L2 vocabulary development. Given the growing role of technology in L2 instruction, we will also discuss how technology can assist L2 vocabulary learning, especially for self-study. Participants will be invited to engage in hands-on creation of their own teaching materials that emphasize the activation of vocabulary knowledge for communication purposes.

Plenary Speaker Bio

Dr. Shoko Sasayama (Ph.D., Georgetown University) is an Associate Professor at Waseda University, where she teaches Applied Linguistics courses and manages a college-wide English language program. Prior to joining Waseda, she worked as a researcher at ETS and as a professor at the University of Tokyo. Her research mainly focuses on second language acquisition, task-based language teaching, and assessment. She is a strong advocate for the use of research for improving L2 education in Japan and beyond.

JALT Junior Plenary Speaker: Masato Kaneko 金子　正人

Affiliation: Yokohama City Minami Yoshida Elementary School 横浜市立南吉田小学校

JALT Junior Plenary Session

Sunday, November 2nd, 2025 at 11AM (Large Hall)

Title: 「多文化共生の学校づくり」

横浜市立南吉田小学校は、2025年4月現在、全校児童577人の半数以上（58.5%）が外国籍または外国につながる児童（以下外国籍等児童）で、つながる国や地域は20におよぶグローバル化のすすんだ学校である。学校では、増え続ける外国籍等児童の日本語教育と多文化共生教育に力を入れ、学校教育目標の一つに「多様性を尊重できる子ども」を掲げ「誰一人取り残さない」をモットーに様々な取組を行っている。

JALT Junior Plenary Workshop

Saturday, November 1st, 2025 at 1.20PM (Room 405)

Title: 「海外編入児童の受入れに必要な教職員の連携について」

外国籍等児童を受け入れる上で欠かせないのが職員間、支援者間の連携である。子どもの得意不得意を理解し、友達関係や家族関係の悩みを把握し、安心して学校生活を送れる環境づくりをする。そのためには担任と国際教室担当の連携をベースに、支援者との情報共有を大切にしている。心のケアではスクールカウンセラー、家庭生活の悩みやトラブルは、SSWを介して区役所、児童相談所など関係機関と連携して解決に向けて動く。本人の意志と関係なく来日しているケースがあることから、心のケアをしていくことは大切なことである。

JALT Junior Plenary Speaker Bio

Masato Kaneko 金子　正人 (校長 Director)
横浜市立南吉田小学校校長
95年から3年間台北日本人学校勤務。文科省「JSLカリキュラムの開発に係る協力者会議」委員。その後教育委員会事務局やこども青少年局勤務を経て現職。
学校ホームページ　https://www.edu.city.yokohama.lg.jp/school/es/minamiyoshida/