In This Issue
Articles
Assessment is a subject that education professionals in Japan are always talking about, and we are pleased to present two articles on formative assessment in this issue. In our feature article, Christopher Weaver looks at the formative role of the TOEIC IP test as a placement test. In a Perspectives piece, Paul Wicking examines the role that formative assessment can play in the formation of global human resources.
Reviews
The May 2016 issue brings reviews of titles from five different publishers on a range of topics from motivation and autonomy to critical thinking, EAP, curriculum design, and even one on Japanese linguistics. To open, Matthew T. Apple covers Ema Ushioda’s edited volume on motivation in a variety of international contexts. In the second review, James Crocker looks at how critical thinking is understood, taught, and constructed in disciplinary discourses. In collaboration with fellow JALT Learner Development SIG member Jim Ronald, Huw Davies examines how autonomy is viewed in context from a social dimension. Rick Derrah contributes a review of a title of interest to those involved in curriculum design. Mark Rebuck then tackles a comprehensive overview of Japanese linguistics with supplementary multimedia resources and online exercises provided by Cambridge University Press. Gregory Strong critiques de Chazal’s English for Academic Purposes. Blake Turnbull wraps up the book reviews with a look into translanguaging and the notion of a shift from language as a product to language as a practice in language education.
From the Editor
Every issue of JALT Journal is completed with the help, support, and forbearance of a large number of people, but this issue was truly exceptional for the group effort expended by the authors, reviewers, and members of the Pubs team. I’m extremely grateful as always to the many reviewers who take the time to write thoughtful reviews. I also want to thank the authors who stick it out through the very long review process. Special and particular thanks to Greg Scholdt, the Consulting Editor who did extra work for this issue, and as ever to Aleda Krause, the Production Editor, and her wonderful team.
James A. Elwood joins the Editorial Advisory Board from this issue. Jim has served as a capable, reliable, and good-humored additional reader for several years. With this issue we also welcome Eric Hauser as our Associate Editor. Eric has only been on the job a few months but has already proved himself willing to jump in and help with editorial business. I am anticipating relying on him more and more as time goes on.
