Call for Presentation Proposals: JALT2024 - Moving JALT into the Future: Opportunity, Diversity, and Excellence

• Submission Guidelines
• Advice Regarding Proposals
• Frequently Asked Questions

Session Formats and Types

Choose the format that best suits the presentation that you want to make. Please note that we may suggest an alternative. For example, you may be asked to present for 25 minutes rather than 60 minutes, form a panel with other presenters speaking on a similar topic, or change your planned presentation into a poster session. As online presenting has become more mainstream and viable, JALT may move presentations to an online format. We do our best to avoid such situations, but please understand such a situation could occur.

Please note that there is a maximum of 6 presenters for all session formats.

Formats

1. Research-Oriented Presentation (25 or 60 minutes) These presentations should include a clearly indicated research topic, a brief literature review, an overview of the research methodology and findings, and a discussion of the implications for theory and/or practice. A significantly larger proportion of 25-minute sessions will be accepted.
2. Practice-Oriented Workshop (25 or 60 minutes) This kind of session shows, as well as describes, a technique for teaching, testing, or other education-related matters. This should be a hands-on professional development session that gives attendees the opportunity to learn to do something new. A significantly larger proportion of 25-minute sessions will be accepted.
3. Forum (60 or 90 minutes) Multiple presenters give presentations on a similar topic. A forum can also be convened as a panel discussion (6 presenters maximum). (Each JALT SIG can submit one unvetted forum. Deadline – May 31, 2024.)
4. Poster Session (90 minutes) Poster presentations with charts, graphs, illustrations, and summaries convey information quickly and effectively and allow for short, informal discussion between the presenter(s) and attendees, as attendees circulate within the poster-session area. Poster sessions serve as an important and interactive forum for sharing professional ideas and for receiving feedback.
   • Poster exhibits are set up side-by-side within the session area during the hour before the session and dismantled within the hour afterward.
   • No audiovisual equipment (e.g., no projectors or screens) will be provided.
   • All poster submissions are for face-to-face presentations.

Types

All regularly vetted and unvetted presentations, workshops, forums, and meetings for JALT2024 will be face-to-face.

(As online presenting has become more mainstream and viable, JALT may move presentations to an online format. We do our best to avoid such situations, but please understand such a situation could occur.)

Submission Guidelines

• Please read for detailed instructions and guidance. If you want to go directly to the submission form click the following link - The form is now closed.
• Prepare a title of no more than 60 characters including spaces. Titles must be in English. Titles longer than 60 characters will be cut off at the 60-character mark. As this could negatively influence the vetting of your presentation please be careful of the title length.
• Prepare a summary (maximum of 75 words or 150 Japanese characters) and an abstract (150-250 words or 300-500 Japanese characters). The summary is for the handbook and the abstract is for blind peer review.
  • Use plain text only. Do not format your abstract or short summary with tabs, bold text, bullet marks, or line breaks. Any formatting will be stripped when the document is submitted to the database and sent to the reading committee for blind peer review.
  • Use a single space only after punctuation such as periods/full stops, not double spaces.
• Enter all your submission details following the on-screen guidelines. Please follow the guidelines carefully to ensure there are no problems with your submission.
• All correspondence from the program committee regarding your submission will be via email, so ensure you enter valid primary and secondary email addresses (if available). Check your spam or junk mail folder in case our correspondence is diverted there.
• Once you submit your presentation, you will receive an automatic confirmation email message listing the details of your submission. In most cases this confirmation email will be sent within a few seconds of your submission. This email message is your receipt to show your submission has been received and entered in the conference database. Please keep a copy of this message in case of any queries or problems related to your submission.
• If you DO NOT receive a confirmation message, even after checking your spam or junk mail folder, it means there was probably an error with your submission. In this case, please contact the Website Administrator to check on the status of your submission. In most cases, failure to receive a confirmation message means the presentation details were not submitted correctly. If you have any doubts about whether or not your submission was received, please contact us.
• We will notify presenters in June 2024 with submission results. It is important that you check your email around this time as presenters who do not confirm their intention to present within a month of the notification being sent may be removed from the schedule.
• It is your responsibility to confirm your presentation even if you are away from home or work. The deadline for pre-registering will become available in August 2024.
• Be sure to notify the Conference Planning Team of any changes in your contact address. If we cannot contact you via email, your submission will be dropped.

Important Note

ERRORS IN THE SUBMISSION PROCESS ARE ENTIRELY THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE SUBMITTER. IN CASES WHERE THE VALIDITY OR LEGITIMACY OF A SUBMISSION IS IN QUESTION, A COPY OF THE EMAIL RECEIPT MUST BE PROVIDED AS PROOF OF SUBMISSION BEFORE THE OFFICIAL DEADLINE.

応募手続きに不備があった場合、その責任はすべて応募者にあります。応募の有効性や妥当性に問題が生じた場合、正式に期限内に提出したことを証明するために、受理されたことを示すメールのコピーを提示してください。

You Will Find the Following Sections on the Submission Form

Contact Information - One person must be designated as the contact person. Have his or her email address ready along with all presenter affiliations and JALT membership numbers if available. Also indicate which days, if any, the presenter(s) are not available. Please enter presenter names carefully and check the correct spelling and preferred name format for each presenter taking part in a presentation. Errors in names can result in programming clashes or mistakes in handbook listings. Include correct JALT membership numbers where available to help make the registration process easier. Include a valid email address for each presenter.

Title - Your title must be a maximum of 60 characters and spaces in total. Titles exceeding this limit will be truncated at 60 characters during the submission process.

Promotional Presentations - Indicate whether or not this session will be promoting commercial teaching materials, commercial systems, or other commercial services. All commercial presentations will be designated as “Sponsored” in the conference handbook / online schedule.

Interest Areas - Presentation rooms will be organized according to the interest areas below. They are divided into two main subgroups – A) Learning/Teaching Contexts and B) Content Areas. Presenters need to indicate BOTH which learning/teaching context they are targeting AND which content area they feel the presentation best fits. Details will be on the presentation proposals submission site.

A. Learning/Teaching Contexts

1. College & University Education
2. Conversation/Language School
3. Junior/Senior High School
4. Teaching Children
5. Assistant Language Teachers
6. Teaching Mature Learners
7. General (applicable to any, or at least a range of, teacher/learner populations)
8. Non-teaching Context (for meetings and JALT business sessions)

B. Content Areas (Here is a guide to the content areas based on JALT SIGs.)

1. Japanese and Other Language Teaching & Learning
2. Language Classroom Content
3. Language Skills
4. Learner Development
5. Materials and Assessment
6. Other Learners & Contexts
7. Pedagogy
8. Psychology & Language Learning
9. Sociocultural-Linguistics & Pragmatics
10. Sociopolitical Factors
11. Teacher and Professional Development
12. Teaching Younger Learners
13. Technology
14. Non-teaching Content (for meetings and JALT business sessions)

Language - English and Japanese are the most commonly used languages for presentations but presentations can be delivered in any language. However, abstracts must be submitted in English or Japanese.

Short Summary - The short summary appears in the conference handbook. Short summaries help conference participants decide which presentations are the most appropriate to their interests. The short summary may be written in the language of the presentation. In the short summary, include enough information to convey the main ideas of your presentation. Short summaries are limited to a maximum of 75 words (150 characters in Japanese). Short summaries of accepted presentations may be edited by the conference handbook editors for length and clarity.

Abstracts - Abstracts (maximum 250 words) are evaluated by the Reading Committee to determine which vetted presentations are accepted. Each proposal is reviewed by three Reading Committee members. Alongside the content, context, and format details, the Reading Committee sees only the titles and the abstracts. Please make sure that:

• Your abstract is between 150 and 250 words in English or 300-500 characters in Japanese.
• The presentation's purpose and point of view are clearly stated.
• Supporting details and examples are included.
• The best format (i.e., presentation or workshop, forum, or poster session) has been selected.
• The material outlined can be covered in the allotted time.
• The contents have been carefully edited and proofread.
• Where appropriate, include citations to support your claims. References can be listed separately
• No name or information is included in the abstract that could be used to identify the possible presenter(s).

References - If you include citations in your abstract, list the references in this section.

Advice Regarding Submissions

JALT encourages broad participation and a wide range of viewpoints; however, time and space limitations make it impossible to accept all the proposals submitted. Major factors in the selection process include clarity, appropriateness for the intended audience, quality of research and writing, and indications that the presentations will be well prepared. The Program Committee also tries to achieve a balance of topics and interests.

We do not accept submissions that are not directly related to language teaching or the professional development of language teachers. If you are uncertain whether your proposal meets the criteria, please contact the Director of Conference.

Note that only a limited number of long presentations, workshops, and forum submissions can be accepted, depending on available space. Only those submissions rated highest in the selection process will be considered.

Factors that strengthen:

• The topic and point of view are clearly stated.
• The format is appropriate to the topic.
• The material to be presented fits the time allotted.
• The presenter shows familiarity with current practice and/or research.
• The content of the presentation will add valuable knowledge to the field or present a useful skill.
• The abstract is well written, carefully edited, and proofread.
• The format of the proposal abstract should follow a clear three-step order: background introduction, problem addressed, and finally exactly what will be attended to in the presentation. Make very sure there is no doubt in the mind of the reviewer what the presentation will show, investigate, or discuss.

Factors that weaken:

• The abstract is too short.
• The abstract is too general and no details or examples are given.
• The title is obscure, inappropriate, or unrelated to the content.
• Elaborate equipment is needed.
• The abstract is carelessly written.
• Insufficient time would be available to present.
• Abstract is not appropriate for the requested presentation type.

Factors that can lead to automatic rejection:

• Abstract word count is below 150 words.
• Identifying information is included in the abstract. This includes, but is not limited to: grant numbers, institution names, names of individuals, job titles, or positions held within JALT.
• Derogatory or offensive language is included.

Do ask a colleague to review your proposal before submitting. Even a careful writer may make errors that affect the proposal.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How many proposals can I submit? There is no limit to the number of submissions a single person may make. However, so that as many people as possible may present at the conference, presenters with multiple submissions will be limited to a maximum of one vetted presentation as a main presenter, and no more than two presentations in total. Please note that some exceptions apply (e.g., for plenary speakers) and the final decision rests with the Director of Conference.
2. How many individuals from a single institution can present in a 25-minute short paper presentation or 60-minute long paper presentation? No more than three individuals from any single institution should apply. Any more may result in a presentation being rejected.
3. At the moment, due to various circumstances, I am not sure if I will be able to attend the conference or not. Should I submit a proposal regardless? We ask that you submit proposals only if you plan to attend the conference. We suggest that if your research is as yet unfinished, or you are unsure if you will have the funding or time to attend, it may be more suitable to wait and submit next year.
4. Can I submit a proposal that I have submitted to a previous JALT International Conference? Yes, you can resubmit if you were unsuccessful in the past or were accepted but did not take up the offer. However, if you have already presented the same material at a previous JALT International Conference or your summary and title have appeared in a JALT International Conference handbook (i.e., you cancelled very late), your submission cannot be accepted (and will be removed once this is noticed).
5. How do I register for the conference? Preregistration details will be available on the conference website after August 1st. Online preregistration by credit card is the fastest and simplest way to register for the conference, but if you prefer to preregister via the Japan Post Office, please use the form available in specified issues of the The Language Teacher (for JALT members). Nonmembers in Japan who wish to preregister using the Japan Post Office service should contact the JALT office for a copy of the postal transfer form. The deadline for presenter pre-registration will become available in August 2024.
6. Are there opportunities to submit manuscripts to JALT publications? Presenters are encouraged to submit revisions of their presentation for possible publication in the JALT Journal or The Language Teacher and articles based upon their presentations to the PostConference Publication (See the Conference Handbook for details, or visit the JALT Publications website: jalt-publications.org).

Presentation Equipment

• Each room will be equipped with tables and chairs and a digital projector (for computer display, except poster session rooms).
• You MUST bring your own computer and compatible connecting cables and devices. JALT will NOT provide computers.
• Any other equipment, including speakers, must be provided by the presenter.

Photography and Other Recording

There may be photography, audio recording, or video recording at the conference. By entering the event premises you give consent to the use of your photograph, likeness, or video or audio recording in whole or in part without restriction or limitation for any educational or promotional purpose, or any purpose for distribution. If you do not want to be photographed or videotaped, please notify the individuals capturing the information.

Childcare

We plan on making childcare available onsite. We will be in touch with presenters regarding this once details have been finalised.

JALT Code of Conduct

JALT seeks to provide a safe, hospitable, and productive environment for all JALT members, staff, volunteers, and event attendees, regardless of nationality, ethnicity, religion, disability, physical appearance, gender, or sexual orientation. JALT prohibits any intimidating, threatening, or harassing conduct during JALT events and any socializing related to those events. Harassment includes, but is not restricted to, offensive gestures or verbal comments related to nationality, ethnicity, religion, disability, physical appearance, gender, or sexual orientation, as well as inappropriate physical contact or unwelcome attention. Anyone who is asked to stop harassing behavior is expected to comply immediately. Action taken by JALT may range from a warning to notifying local law enforcement. Any harassment concerns should be brought to the attention of the JALT Code of Conduct Committee, the JALT President, or a member of the Board of Directors. Immediate steps will be taken to resolve the situation. Please see here for further details.