On JALT2000 Conference Proceedings
Towards the New Millenium
JALT conferences are always special occasions. They are opportunities to share our research and experience in the teaching and learning of languages, our professional insights, and make plans with colleagues and acquaintances. JALT 2000 in Shizuoka City was particularly special because--in addition to hosting over 1600 attendees and 450 quality presentations--it functioned as a transition between a deservedly proud past and a hopefully bright future.
Each JALT Conference Proceedings, therefore, is important as permanent record of what transpired, of what we have learned as professionals, how we are responding to new trends and challenges, and where we should be heading in the future. Indeed, as we enter the new millennium, it is apparent that change will be more frequent, pronounced, and accelerated, thus it is all the more imperative that we remain informed. We are especially glad to be bringing you this Conference Proceedings, marking as it does the end of the past millennium and the beginning of the next.
The JALT2000 Proceedings is one means of learning what is new in language education and, once again, reflects JALT's diverse backgrounds and interests. The 41 articles that we, the Editors, and our Peer Advisory Board have chosen, are divided into six areas: Change and the Future, Children and Language Education, Curriculum Concerns, Interactions, Across Cultures, and The Practical Teacher. And, we can say, based on the number of submissions that we have received, that interest in JALT and language education is continuing to grow.
Of particular interest are articles by Torikae Kumiko and In Lee, whose thoughts on English language education in their respective countries, Japan and Korea, serve to introduce this edition of the Proceedings. Each looks at the current state of affairs in their countries, considers the demands placed on their education systems by their ministries of education, and roughly sketches what looks to be a challenging road to travel in the years to come. Their insights bear striking congruence and speak directly to the challenges that teachers will be facing not just in Japan, but in other areas of Asia, as other Asian nations seek to emulate Japan and Korea in their approaches to language education, and the changes in curriculum that will be entailed. Their thoughts warrant careful consideration on the part of language educators, especially those brought in from overseas to help fulfill the changes due to be implemented. For Japan, Korea, and other Asian nations, the new millennium brings us a grand experiment in curriculum reform whose results are far predictable.
We are proud to present the latest and representative sample of workshops, demonstrations, essays, and research findings to you. Not only do we hope that they help to inform you about your own profession, we hope they inspire you as well.
Robert Long
Keith Lane
Malcolm Swanson
Gene van Troyer
JALT2000 Proceedings Co-Editors
Copyright
Copyright ©2000 by the Japan Association for Language Teaching. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be used or reproduced in any form without written permission from JALT, except in cases of brief quotations embodied in scholarly articles and reviews.
