In This Issue

This issue contains one Perspectives article, two Expositions articles, and four book reviews.

Articles

The main articles in this issue combine to create a rather coherent narrative, advocating the importance of language education, education in general, and calling for dynamic approaches to teaching and learning to meet the challenges of language education in diverse settings. In the Perspectives article by Hengzhi Hu and Harwati Hashim, the authors consider the role of English-Medium Instruction (EMI) in higher education as EMI expands across the globe. They take stock of limitations and challenges learners might face with EMI in countries where English is not the primary language of study throughout compulsory education. The authors explore how Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) might be used to support EMI and introduce the concept of CLIL-ized EMI. The authors frame CLIL-ized EMI as a flexible approach that integrates language support into content instruction without requiring the full structural transformation associated with traditional CLIL. Rather than offering a prescriptive approach, the authors position CLIL-ized EMI as a context sensitive and dynamic approach that can be adapted to diverse situations. 

The first Expositions article is an overview of Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) by none other than the prominent scholar and applied linguist, Rod Ellis. In this Expositions piece, Ellis shares insights into his professional life and motivation for moving away from Second Language Acquisition (SLA) and toward TBLT. Ellis responds to criticism toward and common misunderstandings about TBLT, and disentangles core principles of TBLT from task-supported teaching. Ellis defines ‘task’ in TBLT, explains how to measure performance and learning, and provides insight into sequencing tasks, dividing lessons into stages, incorporating explicit instruction, and dealing with individual differences in the classroom. Finally, Ellis highlights the importance of being able to adapt TBLT to different contexts to meet different student needs and levels and provides examples of how this might be achieved.

In the second Expositions article, Professor Akira Machida tackles the question of whether or not it is worth the investment to learn a new language when large language models (LLMs) and generative AI can achieve many language tasks for us. Through the lens of Cognitive Linguistics, Machida explores theoretical affinities between Cognitive Linguistics and contemporary LLMs. Drawing on work from Usage-based approaches, construction grammar, connectionism, neuroscience, and more, this article further serves as a rich overview of cognitive linguistics and theories of language acquisition. Machida explains that if one views language simply as an instrumental tool, where communicative efficacy is the only goal, then perhaps AI solutions are sufficient. However, ultimately, Machida argues that foreign language learning offers an irreplicable intellectual and cultural value that AI technologies cannot replace, and that foreign language learning can be conceptualized as cognitive and humanistic development.

Reviews

In this issue, we are pleased to offer four book reviews. The first, by Lachlan Jackson is a critical review of Social Justice in Language Education: Taking Action, written by Albert Biel and Fabian Maria Esleben. In his review, Jackson provides background on the increased body of research challenging the notion that teaching is merely a neutral and technical endeavour, unrelated to politics and ethics, and that there is indeed a trend towards language teachers concerning themselves with a broader range of issues. While acknowledging that “The collection offers a predominantly Eurocentric (German) perspective,” Jackson asserts that  “Japan-based readers will certainly discover numerous insightful commonalities (and contrasts) with their own teaching contexts upon which to reflect.” The second review, also of a critical examination of current practice in ELT, by Zoya Erdevig, deals with the issue of race in JPB Gerald’s Antisocial Language Teaching: English and the Pervasive Pathology of Whiteness. According to Erdevig, “While Gerald writes from the perspective of a U.S. scholar, his insights into whiteness, linguistic hierarchy, and inequity have global relevance, including in EFL contexts such as Japan, where native-speaker status often outweighs teaching qualifications.” 

Emily MacFarlane is the author of our third review: Professionalising English Language Teaching: Concepts and Reflections for Action in Teacher Education by Andrzej Cirocki & Wolfgang Hallet. Echoing issues from the second review, namely that “Recent research has also highlighted concerns that there is a tendency in the ELT industry to prioritise commercial considerations and native-speaker marketing over genuine pedagogical qualifications, thereby undermining professional standards”, MacFarlane explains the volume’s purpose, namely “to provide clear guidelines to help direct teachers, both experienced and otherwise, towards professional excellence”. However, she notes that while there was much helpful information in the book, she was hoping for more practical suggestions. In the end, she felt it was written more for seasoned researchers in such a way that may prove a little intimidating for early-career teachers. Last, but not least, our final review comes from Greg Rouault in which he evaluates The Art of Intercultural Business Communication: A Competency-Based Approach by Bertha Du-Babcock and Richard D. Babcock. While noting a number of shortcomings, Rouault concludes by saying that the authors, on balance, have succeeded in presenting a comprehensive framework integrating language, international business, and intercultural variables to explain how business communication operates in contexts and recommends this book to “researchers and thesis supervisors who have an established agenda investigating business communication theories and constructs,” as well as  teachers of EMI courses in culture, management, and international relations. As always, we hope you will enjoy reading these reviews.

From the Editors

This issue of JALT Journal brings together theory grounded essays that cut to core issues in language, language learning, and education in general. As Professor Machida argues in his Expositions piece, learning a new language is more than just learning to communicate with people, it is learning new customs, cultures, traditions, and new ways of thinking. Despite ever-evolving tools that facilitate communication, the importance of language learning remains as consequential and enriching as ever. As English Medium Instruction (EMI) becomes more common at the university level in Japan, preparing new generations of learners to meet and profit from this challenge is important. Professor Ellis reminds us of how Task-Based Learning and Teaching (TBLT) can be leveraged to promote language learning and learning in general. A TBLT approach to language education may indeed help prepare English language learners for the transition into EMI. Likewise, EMI programs may draw on lessons from Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) approaches to education in the vein of Professor Hu and Hashim’s call for CLIL-ized EMI. 

This issue is also the first issue to feature Joe Geluso as editor, Paul Leeming as associate editor, and Robert Lowe as assistant editor. In addition, the editors have been in regular contact with Mayumi Kashiwa who has truly hit the ground running making valuable contributions as the new Japanese language editor. Melodie Cook and Cameron Flinn as the reviews editor and the production editor, respectively, continue their generous work to keep JALT Journal replete with reviews and in great looking condition. Thanks to everyone for their selfless contributions and keen eyes on detail. JALT Journal would not function without you. We hope readers enjoy the content of this issue and we thank you for reading JALT Journal. 

— Joe Geluso, Editor

— Paul Leeming, Associate Editor

— Robert Lowe, Assistant Editor