In This Issue
Articles
In the first full-length research article, Thomas Stones discusses the assessment of interactive speaking skills, specifically how rubrics used for that purpose can be considerably refined and improved through the use of many-facet Rasch measurement. The author also recommends strategies for creating rubrics of relevance across assessment contexts. The second article by Clay Williams and Naeko Naganuma looks at L2 vocabulary acquisition among young learners. Through analysis of empirical evidence gathered at seven elementary schools in northern Japan, they note heightened acquisition of L2 vocabulary units among learner-participants through the use of pictures. Their analysis further questions the applicability of the revised hierarchical model, which posits that beginning learners must rely on translation for L2 knowledge development. In the third article, Yoko Suganuma Oi examines the effects of student feedback, to include self-assessment and peer assessment, on students’ writing and perceptions of the writing task. The research is based on survey data collected from nearly 300 students along with 14 follow-up interviews with both students and teachers. The study is of relevance to language teachers who are considering involving their students in the assessment process, while being concerned about the reliability and effectiveness of such assessments.
The Expositions article is by Sowyma Vajjala. In this article, Vajjala provides a broad and informative overview of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the field of applied linguistics. Vajjala brings not only an accessible explanation of how generative AI works, but also shares how applied linguists and language teachers might utilize generative AI in their work, and discusses the moral and ethical implications of AI in applied linguistics. Also of note, is that the author equips the interested reader with a cornucopia of references to delve deeper into the discussion of generative AI.
Reviews
This issue contains the first three of JALT Journal’s new style of book reviews. Based on the Expositions article written by Melodie Cook in the November 2023 JALT Journal issue, we have expanded the scope and modified the style of our reviews. In this issue, we present three reviews following our new guidelines. Julia Christmas provides a review of Hiroe Kobayashi and Carol Rinnert’s, Developing Multilingual Writing—Agency, Audience, Identity. Particularly notable are her comments on how novice and experienced readers may need to familiarize themselves with recent research concepts including multicompetence, complex systems theory, adaptive transfer, multilingual motivation, and translanguaging. In the second review, Mary Hillis and Anastasia Khawaja offer a uniquely structured discussion of English Language Teacher Education in Changing Times: Perspectives, Strategies, and New Ways of Teaching and Learning, edited by Liz England, Lía D. Kamhi-Stein, and Georgios Kormpas. The book focuses on the impact of COVID-19 on teaching, and the review authors discuss their individual and shared perspectives on the concepts raised in the book, such as student wellbeing, teacher training, and teacher resilience, among others. The third review by Mariana Oana Senda and Karmen Siew looks at Naoki Fujimoto-Adamson’s Globalisation and its Effects on Team-Teaching. Both reviewers are former team-teachers, and review the book from their unique perspectives. They highlight various points of interest, ranging from team-teaching around the world to the team-teaching situation in Japan. We hope that readers will enjoy these, and will be inspired to write book reviews for us in the future!
From the Editors
This JALT Journal issue hones in on a pivotal moment in language learning, emphasizing the transformative impact of generative AI in education. The past year has showcased AI’s pervasive influence across educational disciplines, prompting a re-evaluation of the relationship between target knowledge and knower, and more broadly speaking, the production, consumption, learning, and assessment of knowledge. Navigating generative pre-trained transformers (GPT) discourse elicits a mix of fear and excitement, urging a nuanced understanding of how such AI might be applied in learning and research contexts. Discussions of GPT platforms in language learning and research go beyond generic calls for responsible usage; they demand active and ethical engagement by educators and learners with AI-related technologies, so as to fulfill the transformatory and emancipatory purposes of language education.
JALT Journal’s commitment to rigorous research can be seen in how it facilitates critiques and discussions in applied linguistics. Amidst ethical considerations, it is crucial to remember that human control over AI, and the necessary role of human ethics in shaping AI’s integration into education, are imperative. Offering an introductory view of AI in language education, this issue’s Expositions article underscores the powerful constraining and enabling influences of generative AI. In the process, it highlights the need for more research on human agency and ethics in AI-influenced language education. Indeed, JALT Journal encourages readers to refine their knowledge of generative AI as a new and increasingly powerful technology, and in the process, reflect on the centrality of human agency in the larger project of maintaining the integrity and quality of language education.
— Dennis Koyama, Editor
— Jeremie Bouchard, Associate Editor
— Joe Geluso, Assistant Editor
