Information for Contributors
JALT Journal is a bi-annual, Scopus-approved research journal of the Japan Association for Language Teaching (全国語学教育学会). Aligned with JALT's larger mission to support the research programs and professional development of JALT members, promote excellence in language learning, teaching, and research, and provide opportunities for those involved in language education, JALT Journal publishes high-quality English- and Japanese-language, quantitative and qualitative, theoretically-informed and empirically-grounded studies of relevance to second/foreign language education in Japan. Although emphasis is placed on the Japanese context, JALT Journal values contributions which also transcend geographical boundaries to illuminate the complex interaction between language, language use, people, education, and society across cultural and socio-political contexts.
When possible, submissions to JALT Journal should aim to be both descriptive (What is my data?) and explanatory (Why is my data like this and not otherwise?) in purpose, and further stimulate scholarly debate, to hopefully improve existing applied linguistic scholarship around the world. Areas of interest include but are not limited to the following:
- Bilingualism and multilingualism
- Classroom-based language education
- Cognitive linguistics
- Contrastive linguistics
- Conversation/discourse/critical discourse analysis
- Critical language pedagogy
- Curriculum design and teaching methods
- Intercultural communicative competence
- Language acquisition/learning
- Language policy and planning
- Language testing/evaluation
- Phonetics
- Pragmatics
- Psycholinguistics
- Semantics
- Sociolinguistics
- Syntax
- Teacher training
- Translation and interpretation
- Vocabulary
Note: JALT Publications do not charge author publication fees (e.g., APC). Membership in JALT is not required to submit to or publish in any of our publications.
Guidelines
General
Authors are encouraged to submit manuscripts in five categories: (1) full-length articles, (2) short research reports (Research Forums), (3) theory-grounded essays which may include analysis of primary or secondary data (Perspectives), (4) comments on previously published JALT Journal articles (Point to Point), and (5) book/media reviews (Reviews) either requested by the Book Reviews editor or suggested by the author. Articles should be written for a general audience of language educators; therefore, statistical techniques and specialized terminologies must be clearly explained and their use clearly justified.
Authors are responsible for obtaining permissions for any copyrighted material included in their manuscript submission. When submitting a manuscript based on a thesis or dissertation published in an institutional repository, authors are responsible for checking with the copyright holder for permission to publish portions of the original text.
Style
JALT Journal follows the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th edition, available for download.
Format
Full-length articles must not be more than 8,000 words, including references, notes, tables, and figures. Research Forum submissions should not be more than 4,000 words. Perspectives submissions should not be more than 5,000 words. Point to Point comments on previously published articles should not be more than 675 words in length, and Reviews should generally be around 1,000 words. All submissions must be word processed in A4 or 8.5 x 11” format with line spacing set at 1.5 lines. For refereed submissions, names and identifying references should appear only on the cover sheet. Authors are responsible for the accuracy of references and reference citations.
Submission Procedure
All manuscripts must be submitted online (see Online Submissions section below)
Please submit the following two documents in MS Word format to the appropriate editor indicated below:
- Cover sheet with the title and author name(s), affiliation(s), and contact information of the corresponding author.
- A blinded manuscript, including title, abstract, and keywords, with no citations referring to the author. Do not use running heads and do not include your biographical information. Follow the JALT Journal style sheet.
If the manuscript is accepted for publication, a Japanese translation of the abstract will be required. Authors will also be asked to provide biographical information. Insert all tables and figures in the manuscript. Do not send them as separate files.
Submissions will be acknowledged within 1 month of their receipt. All manuscripts are first reviewed by the Editor to ensure they comply with JALT Journal Guidelines. Those considered for publication are subject to blind review by at least two readers, with special attention given to (1) compliance with JALT Journal Editorial Policy, (2) the significance and originality of the submission, and (3) the use of appropriate research design and methodology. The first round of review is usually completed within 3 months. Click here for more details about the manuscript peer review process.
Each contributing author of published articles and Book Reviews will receive one complimentary copy of the JALT Journal and a PDF of the article (Book Reviews are compiled together as one PDF). JALT Journal does not provide off-prints. Contributing authors have the option of ordering further copies of JALT Journal (contact JALT Central Office for price details).
Online Submissions
Materials in English should be submitted in either Rich Text or Microsoft Word Format (NOT PDF) via our website here. Manuscripts should follow the American Psychological Association (APA) 7th Edition style. Please indicate the type of submission: (1) full-length article, (2) short research report (Research Forums), (3) theory-grounded essays (Perspectives), or (4) comments on previously published JALT Journal articles (Point to Point).
If you do NOT have an account in our system, follow these steps:
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Visit our website here.
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Select REGISTER in the top right corner.
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Complete the personal information.
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Click REGISTER.
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Select JALT Journal. You will see the "About" menu just below the JALT Publications logo. Select "Submissions" under the "About" menu.
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On the "Submissions" page, read the Submissions Preparation Checklist CAREFULLY and then follow the steps to complete your submission. When you upload the manuscript, make sure that it is FULLY ANONYMIZED as explained in the Submissions Preparation Checklist.
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You can check on the progress of your review and on the editing process through your author page in the journal.
If you already have an account registered in the system, follow these steps:
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Visit our website here.
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Log in.
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Select JALT Journal. You will see the "About" menu just below the JALT Publications logo. Select "Submissions" under the "About" menu.
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On the "Submissions" page, follow the steps to complete your submission.
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You can check on the progress of your review and the editing process through your author page in the journal here.
Restrictions
Papers submitted to JALT Journal must not have been previously published, nor should they be under consideration for publication elsewhere. JALT Journal has First World Publication Rights, as defined by International Copyright Conventions, for all manuscripts published. If accepted, the editors reserve the right to edit all copy for length, style, and clarity without prior notification to authors. Plagiarism, including self-plagiarism, will result in articles not being published or being retracted and may also result in the author(s) being banned from submitting to any JALT publication. For further information, see the JALT Publications Statement of Ethics and Malpractice here.
For any general inquiries about English-language submissions, please contact:
Dennis Koyama, JALT Journal Editor
Japanese-Language Manuscripts
JALT Journal welcomes Japanese-language manuscripts on second/foreign language teaching and learning as well as Japanese-language reviews of publications. Submissions must conform to the Editorial Policy and Guidelines given above. Authors must provide a detailed abstract in English, 500 to 750 words in length, for full-length manuscripts and a 100-word abstract for reviews. Refer to the section titled “日本語論文投稿要領” below for details.. Please send Japanese-language manuscripts to:
Masayuki Kudo, JALT Journal Japanese-Language Editor
Reviews
The editors invite reviews of books and other relevant publications in the field of language education. A list of publications that have been sent to JALT for review is published bimonthly in The Language Teacher and can be found here. Review authors receive one copy of the JALT Journal. Please send submissions, queries, or requests for books, materials, and review guidelines to:
Melodie Cook, JALT Journal Reviews Editor
Special Issues
Special issues often make an important contribution to the development of academic discourse in a specific field, because they allow researchers and practitioners to (a) identify an issue or topic of particular relevance to the context in which the journal is read, (b) summarize the key concepts and debates shaping that issue, (c) bring further sophistication to existing academic discourse and identify new research possibilities, and (d) identify key readings for the journal readership. Special issues can also attract new authors and readers to an academic journal, and can be effective means of finding new editors for that journal.
We strongly encourage JALT Journal readers to submit special-issues proposals for the November 2024 issue. When submitting such proposals, please make sure that they adhere to the aims and scope of JALT Journal. Proposals should include: (1) a title which clearly captures the special issue topic, (2) a brief description of the special issue, (3) an account of the motivation behind the special issue and its importance to the field at large, (4) a list of no more than three guest editors with short biographical information, including editorial work experience, and (5) a list of article contributors, with a short description of each article contribution. Please send submissions and queries to:
Dennis Koyama, JALT Journal Editor
Address for Inquiries about Subscriptions, Author Reprints, or Advertising
JALT Central Office
Marunouchi Trust Tower Main Building, 20F, 1-8-3 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku,
Tokyo 100-0005 Japan
Tel: 03-5288-5443 Office Hours: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. (Mon - Fri) JST
(From overseas: +81-3-5288-5443)
Email: jco@jalt.org; Website: <www.jalt.org>
