The Language Teacher
04 - 2000
Introduction
At the JALT99 Conference in Maebashi, a friend and I were discussing the negative reactions a few participants were openly expressing about the time they were having there. Groaning, he said, "You know, you don't go to a party, then complain later about the good time you didn't have. Why should a conference be any different? It's only what we make it -- it is OUR conference!" Sage words, I thought, and they came to mind as we put this TLT focus issue together.
So, why do an introspective issue? At the risk of "navel gazing," as one ex-editor put it, we felt that devoting one issue to "what is TLT?" would give our readers more of a feel for what actually takes place between the covers of the world's only monthly, all volunteer-run, language teaching publication! More importantly, we wanted to show that TLT is very much the members' publication, and that the only limits on what can take place on the pages we print are the amounts of input, energy, material, and creativity we receive from our readers. To carry my friend's analogy further, this publication is every readers' "party," so if we are not "having fun," perhaps we need to ask ourselves what we can do to make it better!
And what can you do? Firstly, let us know openly what you'd like to see in TLT. Last year, a number of our readers did just that by taking part in a readership survey, with the results reported in this month's Opinions & Perspectives column. Secondly, submit your own material for publication, and there's an article on JALT Publications inside that will tell you how. Finally, join the TLT team and assist us with what we do. If you're interested, contact either myself or Paul Lewis (see the staff list on page 37 for contact details).
Other features in this issue include a review of the history of TLT by one of JALT's "institutional memories," Larry Cisar. There's also an overview of our Peer Support Group -- an exciting project in collaborative editing that we've begun, a report on the experiences of a group who edited one of our special issues, an inside look at the monthly workings of TLT, plus much more. And if reading this issue motivates you to put finger to keyboard, then we look forward to hearing from you.
Lastly, I'd like to offer a farewell to two familiar faces. Bill Lee is unfortunately finishing his term as Editor. Bill guided TLT through some of its rockiest moments during the 1999 fiscal crunch, and we'll miss his steady hand at the helm. Also, after developing it to being one of TLT's most widely read features, the editor of our popular My Share column, Sandra Smith, is moving on. We wish them both well, and thank them for their work with us (welcome to Sandra's replacement, Scott Gardner, who has risen through the ranks to this new position). On a personal note, I'd also like to express my sincere appreciation and gratitude to all the current staff of TLT, whose patience and professionalism have made my transition to the editor's chair a relatively painless one.
Happy reading!
Malcolm Swanson
TLT Editor
Oh, by the way, if you were looking for the Submissions Guide and Staff List, you'll now find them at the back, along with information on joining JALT.
All materials on this site are copyright © by JALT and their respective authors.
For more information on JALT, visit the JALT National Website