In This Issue
Articles
We are pleased to present a number of different pieces in this issue of JALT Journal. Our feature article is by Takaaki Hiratsuka and Gary Barkhuizen, who use a grounded theory approach to explore the effects of Exploratory Practice on teachers’ perceptions, in a team-teaching context. This issue also features a Perspectives piece on MEXT’s new Courses of Study. Samantha Hawkins examines the dictate that high school classes be conducted principally in English, and suggests an approach that is more open to the use of Japanese in class. Finally, we include a Research Forum in which Rebecca Kato and Kenneth Reeder interview study abroad participants to show how their expectations of the experience were met and how this changed their perceptions.
Reviews
The first of our seven reviews is from Annette Bradford, who examines a title covering the historical development of Japan’s foreign language education policies and the roles played by teachers and the private sector in that development. In the second review, Brett Cumming looks at the topic of writing collaboratively. George Higginbotham reviews Paul Nation’s second edition of Learning Vocabulary in Another Language. The fourth review is by Anna Husson Isozaki, who covers Norton’s expanded look at identity in language learning. Then, Garold Murray summarizes an edited collection of papers on the self in language learning and teaching. In the review on Spanish language acquisition, Cecilia Silva tackles one of the 500-plus page handbooks from Wiley Blackwell. Finally, Shawn R. White analyzes an overview of quality assurance in distance education and e-learning in the Asian context from a balanced systems perspective.
From the Editor
Working on this issue, my first issue as editor, has made me even more appreciative of all the hard work Melodie Cook contributed to the journal for the past 4 years. I am sure many authors are grateful for her thoughtful and thorough editing, and I personally am indebted to her for the prompt and kind help she was always willing to give. Although I will miss the day-to-day interactions with her, I am happy that she will stay on as a consulting editor. I hope I can uphold the standard that she was able to maintain.
As ever, I would like to acknowledge Aleda Krause, whose work is invaluable in turning JALT Journal from files on an editor’s computer to what you are holding in your hand today. Aleda’s guidance on many aspects of the journal is always much appreciated, but especially now as I step out on my own.
Last, I’d like to thank the authors who chose to submit their work to JALT Journal and persevered through a very long editorial process. And of course, we couldn’t do anything without our editorial board members and occasional readers, along with our consulting editor for statistics, Greg Scholdt. I’m very grateful for everyone’s contribution to this issue.
Anne McLellan Howard
