The Learner Development SIG is organizing forums at three JALT conferences in 2026: PanSIG 2026, JALT CALL 2026, and JALT 2026. These forums bring together presentations and discussions related to learner development, learner autonomy, and related areas of practice and research.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the LD SIG forums in 2026, including forum organizers, presenters, discussants, and participants.

Below are the details of the 2026 LD SIG forums.

(1) PanSIG 2026 (May 23–24, 2026)

Forum title: Building Community: A pathway to language competence. 

Forum date and time: 24 May 2026, 10:50  (1h 5m)

Forum overview: In this forum, we explore how language education can foster connection and community across borders. In today’s increasingly interconnected world, language learning is evolving beyond linguistic proficiency to nurture communicators who think critically, act empathetically, and collaborate across languages and cultures. We invite proposals that share both classroom practices and research-based insights into how inclusive, multilingual approaches promote learner agency, intercultural understanding, and community building. Presenters are encouraged to highlight practical strategies, innovative programs, or studies that examine how educators and learners can co-create equitable, connected learning environments for a more sustainable global future. 

Presentations

Title: Fostering Learner Autonomy through Self-Regulated Learning in Extended EFL Classes 

Presenter(s): Chizuru Gyofu 

Abstract: This presentation explores how self-regulated learning (SRL) can foster learner agency and sustained engagement in extended 105-minute EFL classes. In this required course, many students, particularly non-English majors, struggle to maintain concentration and often lack effective study habits. To address this, I implemented a classroom-based action plan grounded in Zimmerman’s (2002) SRL cyclical model. The course was structured into two five-week SRL cycles, guiding students through goal setting, strategy use, self-monitoring, and reflection. Through scaffolded support and repeated practice, students gradually developed greater awareness of their learning processes and began to take more responsibility for their learning. Preliminary observations suggest that SRL practices can help students build self-efficacy, sustain engagement during extended lessons, and develop transferable learning skills. This presentation shares practical classroom strategies and discusses implications for fostering learner autonomy in inclusive learning environments.

Title: Social Media Strategies for Supporting Language Learners in Language Commons 

Presenter(s): Karin Ebisu, Yuka Ono, and John Bankier 

Abstract: Language Commons (LC) is a self-access center where students from all departments can learn languages independently and collaboratively. It provides a flexible learning environment where students can access resources, participate in events, and connect with peers who share similar language goals. The first author manages the LC’s Instagram account, which shares information about the center, student interviews, event announcements, and effective language learning strategies. This presentation introduces social media strategies used on Instagram to support language learners and foster meaningful connections between international and local students. In the first year of the Instagram account, student engagement was relatively low, and many students were unaware of LC activities and events. Although useful information was being posted, the content did not reach a wide audience. To address this issue, we redesigned our posting strategy by adding short videos, clearer visuals, simplified text, and interactive elements such as polls and question boxes. We also adjusted the posting schedule to maintain consistency and improve visibility. As a result of these changes, the number of followers increased by approximately 500 over the past two years, bringing the total to 736. More importantly, student participation in language exchange and cultural events increased fivefold. This growth made it possible to expand events from twice per semester to once a week. In this presentation, we will share specific examples of effective Instagram posts, content strategies, and practical techniques that self-access centers can use to enhance student engagement and promote collaborative language learning communities. 

Title:  Learning, Struggling, Teaching: Language Teachers’ Reflections as Language Learners 

Presenter(s): Daniel Hooper and  Robert Moreau 

Abstract: This presentation outlines and discusses a reflective dialogue between two university language teachers exploring how their experiences as autonomous learners of Japanese have shaped their pedagogical beliefs and practices. Framed by scholarship on learner autonomy, advising, and empathy, we will examine how out-of-class learning, goal-setting, and reflective dialogue informed our commitment to fostering metacognitive awareness and psychoemotional well-being in the classroom. Moving beyond abstract advocacy of autonomy, we discuss the practical “how” of learner training and scaffolding. We will also share how our own struggles with language anxiety, vulnerability, and how implementing desirable difficulties into activities can deepen empathy and reshape classroom power dynamics. By positioning teachers and students as co-learners, we will highlight how personal language learning journeys can become powerful catalysts for more caring, autonomy-supportive, and reflective language education.

Title: A Classroom Story of Multilingual Learners Figuring Out AI Translation Together 

Presenter(s): Ivan Lombardi 

Abstract: This poster narrates the story of 35 language learners with ten different L1s enrolled in an AI and Machine Translation university course. I designed the course as a space where learners could reflect together on how learners (and teachers!) use AI translation, and explore how these tools can be used in pedagogically sound, time-efficient, and ethical ways to support language development. The learners took ownership of this space, working through trial and error to discover which tools and prompts best supported their language goals across the languages they speak. They also examined the limitations of current MT/AI translation systems, including hallucinations, inaccuracies, and the uneven quality of outputs for low-resource languages such as Khmer or Dzongkha. Over 15 weeks, learners collaboratively experimented with AI translation across genres (academic texts, narratives, social media posts). Through discussion, reflection, and iterative prompting, the group gradually developed practical strategies for using MT/AI as a learning partner rather than a shortcut. The poster highlights how a class can become a community of practice where learners and teachers jointly develop practical competencies, critical awareness, and sustainable learning habits in a world where MT/AI are everyday realities.

Title: An ethical practice of listening for research encounters across borders 

Presenter(s): Mike Nix 

Abstract: The Sydney Active Learning programme, a study abroad programme for law students at Chuo University on Indigenous rights, refugee and migrant communities, and gender and sexual diversity in Japan and Australia, has a focus on doing research by listening to the stories of people whose human rights are at stake. Drawing on relational ethics (Kubanyiova & Creese, 2024), I ask what an ethical practice of listening – concerned with avoiding othering those people – might look like in encounters across the borders that we perceive between ourselves as researchers and people in minoritized communities that we meet. I suggest that a willingness to engage with the singularity of individuals in their own right, to resist understanding them as representatives of communities, to give them the right to decide what stories to tell, and to treat them as experts whose accounts are already theorized and not just testimonials, are all important. 

Title: Motivation (and Assessment) in Community Building 

Presenter(s): Kayo Ozawa 

Abstract: This Poster Presentation will focus on how or if, by introducing snippets of “The Learning Mindset Notebook”, by Satoko Kato and Mioko Yoshinaga, the instructor can motivate students in an all women’s college to take autonomy over their own language learning. In this particular class, students study from the textbook Working in Japan, by Alice Gornenker and John Rucynski. Specifically, the instructor is interested in knowing whether reflecting on the students’ language learning histories, finding the students’ language learning style preferences, and imagining the best possible lives and goal setting for the future (well-being) will have any influence in students’ performance in class and in broadening students’ perspectives in using the above textbook. The instructor will distribute a questionnaire for students to fill out and conduct a midterm exam. 

(2) JALT CALL 2026 (June 12–14, 2026)

Forum title: Motivation and (dis)engagement with technology-enhanced pedagogy 

Forum date and time: Sunday, June 14, 12:05 – 13:00 

Forum overview: This forum features five presentations that collectively evaluate the theme of motivation—or the lack thereof—when using computers in language learning. Ken Ikeda analyzes student engagement with the NGSL Profiler, revealing technical advantages but a persistent reluctance to incorporate the tool independently. Kayo Ozawa discusses fostering authentic motivation for digital extensive reading and SDG-related research, set against a backdrop of leadership education. Ellen Head and Won Kim present a “human-in-the-loop” model, highlighting how student agency can be encouraged or undermined in AI-supported classrooms. Blair Barr explores how digital platforms for collaborative writing affect learners’ sense of autonomy and their willingness to engage with technology-driven tasks. Kimberly Reyes examines the complexities of learner motivation when integrating language-learning apps, focusing on barriers, incentives, and how teachers can support meaningful digital engagement. Together, these presentations offer practical insights and research-based reflections on what drives or hinders students in their digital language learning journeys, inviting participants to consider how educators can better foster motivation and agency in an age of rapid technological change

Presentations

Title: University students’ perceptions of AI and their motivations to use it

Presenter(s): Blair Barr

Abstract: This presentation explores the evolving role of artificial intelligence in supporting Japanese EFL students with their university English assignments and homework. Drawing on a recent discussion with students, the session will present findings regarding their current strategies, perceptions, and challenges in integrating AI tools into their academic routines. The results reveal diverse approaches to leveraging AI for language learning, including grammar correction, vocabulary enhancement, presentation planning, and even in their daily lives. The discussion also highlights students’ concerns about academic integrity and the balance between technological assistance and independent learning. Implications for pedagogy and future research will be addressed, offering insights into how educators can guide students in the responsible and effective use of AI.

Title: Participation Gaps and Pedagogical Insights in KAMI-Based COIL

Presenter(s): Kimberly Loren Abella 

Abstract: This presentation reflects on the implementation of a KAMI-based Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) project facilitated to cultivate intercultural communication among high school students. Participants were expected to exchange weekly video and audio messages with their international partners. However, inconsistencies in participation emerged, as several students, both from our schools and partner institutions, submitted their outputs later than anticipated. These disruptions led to delays in interaction and moments of discouragement among learners awaiting responses. The experience underscored several factors to consider when facilitating COIL activities, including the clarity of task instructions, learners’ unfamiliarity with online intercultural collaboration, and the scheduling of participation. It also revealed how uneven engagement and asynchronous communication can affect learner motivation and autonomy within digital learning environments. Drawing on classroom experience and teacher reflection, this presentation shares pedagogical insights for designing supportive, transparent, and sustainable approaches to COIL-based projects.

Title: Investigating Students’ Unprompted Use of the NGSL Project Text Profiler

Presenter(s): Ken Ikeda

Abstract: I report on students’ use of the NGSL Profiler, which is a text analyzer on the NGSL Project website (Browne, 2024). Users input their text and rework it into a 98% text coverage. I have found students can use this tool to tailor their texts to their audiences. Students tell me that they can easily understand the instructions, the webpage is displayed in pleasant colors, and texts are easily copied and pasted to other formats. They also become conscious of typing differences between Japanese and English. But I have found that students do not willingly incorporate the NGSL Profiler into their learning practices. I examined reflections written by students who co-presented with me regarding our use of this text analyzer at a LD-SIG conference. These revealed that they did not check their reflections with this tool. My presentation will focus on to what extent students use this tool without my explicit prompting.
Browne, C. (2024). NGSL profiler [Computer software]. Tokyo, Japan: Available from https://www.ngslprofiler.com.

Title: Authenticity and Motivation in the Digital Age 

Presenter(s): Kayo Ozawa

Abstract: The women’s college where I work has recently implemented Leadership Education in all of the courses, first started by Dr. Mikinari Higano of Growth of Leadership Education in Japan. The program has been implemented in other major universities in Japan.   In this context, I would like to explore the challenges faced in the age of AI as one instructor in ①implementing Extensive Reading and ②having students present on the topic of SDGs. The students are in  two different classes, but I have similar dilemmas in terms of authenticity.  How can I keep students motivated to read digitally in English, outside of the classes that they have signed up for? How can I get students to do research that ties in with what goes in their real lives as students and beyond? This proposal ponders these two questions.

Title: Designing tasks for agentive learners: A collegial dialogue

Presenter(s): Ellen Head and Won Kim

Abstract: “In our presentation we will describe an approach to AI use which we call, following Hawkinson, 2025, “the human-in-the-loop.”” Hawkinson says real learning requires the encounter with some problems and dilemmas. In our classes at a small university in rural Japan, we teach English Communication to a range of students. Over a period of several years, we have noticed students misusing AI to generate content which they do not understand. By acknowledging the use of AI and bringing it into the classroom, we attempt to give students more agency over their use of AI by providing step-by-step tasks which have clearly defined analogue elements and AI elements. Kim has found that students were able to work creatively by writing their script themselves and then translating it using translation software. At the end they do an analysis task to evaluate what was added or taken away by AI, and to evaluate it. Similarly, Head asks students to evaluate themselves using three different apps and then get different kinds of quantitative feedback which students should then evaluate in the light of their personal goals. Both presenters are concerned with emphasizing learner agency at strategic points in the learning process. By drawing on some specific examples of teaching practices and student perceptions to their learning experiences with AI, we aim to discuss pedagogical implications for designing learning experiences for undergraduate students in EMI classrooms with empowered and agentive voice and skills in L2.
Reference
Hawkinson, E. (2025). The Automation Abyss. Together Learning.