Conferences – 日本言語テスト学会

The 27th Japan Language Testing Association Annual Conference (JLTA 2024): Call for Papers

The Japan Language Testing Association (JLTA) invites presentation proposals for its annual conference. We look forward to receiving your proposals related to the conference theme and to language testing and assessment in general.

At this year’s conference, the keynote speech and symposium will be presented in Japanese. However, as usual, we welcome proposals for presentations in English, too.

Each presenter will have 20 minutes to present his/her research paper or assessment practice report, followed by a 10-minute discussion. Note that each participant can present multiple times, but only once as the first presenter.

Dates: Saturday, October 5 and Sunday, October 6, 2024

Venue: Sophia University, Yotsuya Campus

Day 1 (October 5): Keynote speech, symposium, paper and practice presentations

<Conference theme>

Next Generation of Language Assessment

<Keynote speech>

Speaker: Toshiyuki Kanamaru (Kyoto University)

Title: Language testing in AI era (tentative)

<Symposium>

Theme: Fostering and evaluating critical thinking skills (tentative)

Coordinatort: Gen Fujita (Sophia University)

Panelists:

Takashi Kusumi (Kyoto University)

Akiyo Hirai (Tsukuba University)

Takanori Sato (Sophia University)

Discussant: Toshiyuki Kanamaru (Kyoto University)

Day 2 (October 6): Workshop

<Time>

9:00 to 12:00 (with a break)

<Title>

Language performance assessment with machine learning

<Lecturer>

Yuichiro Kobayashi (Nihon University)

<Language of instruction>

Japanese

<Attendance fee for the workshop>

Student & JLTA member: Free

Non-JLTA member: 1,000 yen

<Conference Attendance fee>

Student & JLTA member: Free

Non-JLTA member: 3,000 yen

<Submission overview>

1) Presentation types

Research paper

Research related to language testing and assessment that clearly states the study purpose, methodology, analysis, and interpretation of the results

Assessment practice report

Report on assessment practices, including language tests, language program/curriculum evaluation, and assessment for teacher development, etc.

Presenters of both types will have 20 minutes each to present their research papers or assessment practice reports, followed by a 10-minute discussion.

Submission deadline: August 9, 2024

<How to apply>

Please submit your proposal via the following URL of Google Forms:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScn5xvGzfy52N7cPs9wl5iaz-B9JshZ-ZTJOuYFP5PfZ7lFQQ/viewform

Information to be submitted:

1) Email

2) Presenter(s)

First presenter (whose email address has been provided in 1) above)
a) Names, b) affiliations, and c) JLTA membership status, of all presenters

3) Presentation

Type (research paper or assessment practice report)
Title
A 400-word (or 800-Japanese character) abstract

For a research paper, please include the study purpose, methodology, analysis, and interpretation of the results, and for an assessment practice report, include the practice’s purpose and content, and the results.

Three to five keywords

Membership requirement

All presenters must be JLTA members.

*Non-members should take JLTA membership within two weeks after the notice of presentation acceptance, via https://www.bunken.org/jlta/member/Registration/.

*This rule applies to all presenters in the program.

After you submit your proposal, you will receive an email on submission confirmation. If you do not receive it, you may have provided an incorrect email address; in this case, please submit your proposal again.
If, for any reason, you cannot send the proposal via Google Forms, or do not receive the confirmation, please send the information mentioned under <How to apply> above to jlta.cfp[at]gmail.com.
Each participant can present multiple times, but only once as the first presenter, regardless of the presentation type (research paper or assessment practice report).
More details about the presentations will be available on the conference website. We will not accept any changes in your abstract after the proposal submission deadline has passed, in principle.
Notification of selection will be sent via email to the first presenter by August 26, 2024.

<Advertisements>

To be announced.

<Workshop registration>

To register for the workshop, please go to the following website with the URL below and fill out the necessary information.

URL: https://forms.gle/vNLSSjitjHC5twEu5

If there is a problem with online registration, applicants are also accepted by email to Yusuke KUBO (Fukuoka University) at kuboy(at)fukuoka-u.ac.jp

<Inquiries>

JLTA Research Meeting Committee

jlta.cfp[at]gmail.com

The 26th Japan Language Testing Association Annual Conference (JLTA 2023):

Call for Papers

At this year’s conference, the keynote speech and symposium will be presented in Japanese. However, as usual, we welcome proposals for presentations in English, too.

Dates: Saturday, September 9 and Sunday, September 10, 2023

Venue: Tohoku University, Kawauchi-Minami Campus

Program

Day 1 (September 9): Keynote speech, symposium, paper and practice presentations

Integrated Skills Learning and Assessment

Speaker: Keiko KODA (Carnegie Mellon University)

Title: Integrated approaches to foreign language instruction and assessment

Theme: Integrated Skills Learning and Assessment (tentative)

Coordinator and Panelist: Kahoko MATSUMOTO (Tokai University)

Panelists: Hiroyuki YAMANISHI (Chuo University), Yutaka ISHII (Chiba University)

Discussant: Keiko KODA (Carnegie Mellon University)

Day 2 (September 10): Workshop

<Time>

9:00 to 12:00 (with a break)

<Title>

Theory and Application of Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMM) in Linguistic Research (tentative)

Yu TAMURA (Kansai University)

Japanese

Student & JLTA member: Free

Non-JLTA member: 1,000 yen

Student & JLTA member: Free

Non-JLTA member: 3,000 yen

1) Presentation types

Research paper

Research related to language testing and assessment that clearly states the study purpose, methodology, analysis, and interpretation of the results

Assessment practice report

Report on assessment practices, including language tests, language program/curriculum evaluation, and assessment for teacher development, etc.

Presenters of both types will have 20 minutes each to present their research papers or assessment practice reports, followed by a 10-minute discussion.

Submission deadline: July 20, 2023

<How to apply>
Please submit your proposal via the following URL of Google Forms:

https://forms.gle/A6sjskn9kuqZCiZ38

Information to be submitted:

1) Email

2) Presenter(s)

First presenter (whose email address has been provided in 1) above)
a) Names, b) affiliations, and c) JLTA membership status, of all presenters

3) Presentation

Type (research paper or assessment practice report)
Title
A 400-word (or 800-Japanese character) abstract

Three to five keywords

Membership requirement

All presenters must be JLTA members.

*Non-members should take JLTA membership within two weeks after the notice of presentation acceptance, via https://www.bunken.org/jlta/member/Registration/.

*This rule applies to all presenters in the program.

After you submit your proposal, you will receive an email on submission confirmation. If you do not receive it, you may have provided an incorrect email address; in this case, please submit your proposal again.
If, for any reason, you cannot send the proposal via Google Forms, or do not receive the confirmation, please send the information mentioned under <How to apply> above to cfp[at]gmail.com.
Each participant can present multiple times, but only once as the first presenter, regardless of the presentation type (research paper or assessment practice report).
More details about the presentations will be available on the conference website. We will not accept any changes in your abstract after the proposal submission deadline has passed, in principle.
Notification of selection will be sent via email to the first presenter by August 11, 2023.

To be announced.

To be announced.

JLTA Research Meeting Committee

jlta.cfp[at]gmail.com

The 25th Japan Language Testing Association Annual Conference

(JLTA 2022) [online]: Call for Papers

At this year’s conference, the keynote speech and symposium will be presented in English. However, as usual, we welcome proposals for presentations in Japanese, too.

Dates: Saturday, November 5 and Sunday, November 6, 2022

Venue: Online (Zoom)

Day 1 (November 5): Workshop

<Time>

13:00 to 16:30 (with a break)

<Venue>

Online

<Title>

“What is language literacy for Japanese language teachers?” (tentative)

Prof. Sukero Ito (Akita International University)

Japanese

Free

Day 2 (November 6): Keynote speech, symposium, paper and practice presentations

<Venue>

Online (Zoom)

Teaching, Learning, and Assessment in CLIL

Speaker: Dr. Dmitri Leontjev (University of Jyväskylä, Finland)

Title: Assessment, teaching, and learning in CLIL: Challenges and opportunities　(tentative)

Theme: Teaching, learning, and assessment in CLIL: National and International

perspectives (tentative)

Coordinator: Prof. Makoto Ikeda (Sophia University, Japan)

Cognition and Language Integrated Assessment in the Soft CLIL classroom in Japan (tentative)

Panelist: Prof. María Luisa Pérez Cañado (University of Jaén, Spain)

Teaching, Learning, and Assessment in CLIL: What’s the European Story? (tentative)

Panelist: Dr. Yuen Yi Lo (University of Hong Kong, China)

Assessment literacy of CLIL teachers (tentative)

Panelist: Dr. Rachael Ruegg (Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand)

Assessment in full-degree EMI programmes in Japan (tentative)

Student & JLTA member: 1,000 yen

Non-JLTA member: 3,000 yen

1) Presentation types

Research paper

Research related to language testing and assessment that clearly states the study purpose, methodology, analysis, and interpretation of the results

Assessment practice report

Report on assessment practices, including language tests, language program/curriculum evaluation, and assessment for teacher development, etc.

Presenters of both types will have 20 minutes each to present their research papers or assessment practice reports, followed by a 10-minute discussion.

Submission deadline: Wednesday, July 20, 2022

<How to apply>
Please submit your proposal via the following URL of Google Forms:

https://forms.gle/gNVj4TEd2yP1D2cT7

Information to be submitted:

1) Email

2) Presenter(s)

First presenter (whose email address has been provided in 1) above)
a) Names, b) affiliations, and c) JLTA membership status, of all presenters

3) Presentation

Type (research paper or assessment practice report)
Title
3. A 400-word (or 800-Japanese character) abstract

Three to five keywords

Membership requirement

All presenters must be JLTA members.

*Non-members should take JLTA membership within two weeks after the notice of presentation acceptance, via https://www.bunken.org/jlta/member/Registration/.

*This rule applies to all presenters in the program.

After you submit your proposal, you will receive an email on submission confirmation. If you do not receive it, you may have provided an incorrect email address; in this case, please submit your proposal again.
If, for any reason, you cannot send the proposal via Google Forms, or do not receive the confirmation, please send the information mentioned under <How to apply> above to cfp[at]gmail.com.
Each participant can present multiple times, but only once as the first presenter, regardless of the presentation type (research paper or assessment practice report).
More details about the presentations will be available on the conference website. We will not accept any changes in your abstract after the proposal submission deadline has passed, in principle.
Notification of selection will be sent via email to the first presenter by August 19, 2022.

Please submit your proposal via the following URL of Google Forms:

https://forms.gle/xJwUiVMXREQZbaHw7

To be announced at JLTA website.

JLTA Research Meeting Committee

jlta.cfp[at]gmail.com

Program of the 24th JLTA Conference

The Handbook of the 24th Conference of the Japan Language Testing Association is now available. Please visit following link.
JLTA2021 Final Program

Please click on the link below to enter your information and make your payment via PayPal. For details on how to participate, please refer to pages 8-11 of the program above.
https://studioas.sakura.ne.jp/JLTA_From/

The deadline for registration is August 31, 2021.
We hope that many of you will participate in this conference.

Program of the 24th JLTA Conference

September 4, 2021 (Saturday)
10:00－13:00 Board Meeting
13:00－16:00 Workshop: Practice of English Classes in Middle School to Foster Autonomous Learners (Conducted in Japanese)
Lecturer: Miyuki EBISU (Furuta Middle School; Hiroshima City)
Chair: Toshihide O’KI (Hakuoh University)

September 5, 2021 (Sunday)
9:30－9:40 Opening Ceremony
Coordinator: Yuko SHIMIZU (Ritsumeikan University)
Greetings: Yoshinori WATANABE (JLTA President; Sophia University)

9:45－11:00 Keynote Speech (Conducted in Japanese)
Coordinator: Yoshinori WATANABE (Sophia University)
Title: Japanese Language Testing in the United States: The Current Situation in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic and a Future Agenda
Lecturer: Kimi KONDO-BROWM (University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa)

11:00－11:05 Break

11:05－12:10 Presentations (by institutional members) I and II (Presentation: 20 minutes; Discussion: 10 minutes)

12:10－13:10 Lunch Break

13:10－15:25 Presentations III, IV, V and VI (Presentation: 20 minutes; Discussion: 10 minutes)

15:25－15:30 Break

15:30－17:00 Symposium (Conducted in Japanese)
Theme: Approaches to Data Analysis in Language Education in a World with the Novel Coronavirus
Coordinator: Tomoko WATANABE (Hiroshima University)
Panelist 1 Jaeho LEE (Waseda University): Automated Writing Evaluation in Japanese Language Education
Panelist 2 Yutaka ISHII (Chiba University): Learning Analytics and Educational Assessment
Panelist 3 Hirotoshi HONMA (National Institute of Technology, Kushiro College): Automatic Generation of Japanese Exercises Using a Science and Engineering Approach
17:00－17:10 Break
17:10－17:30 Closing Ceremony & JLTA Best Paper Award Ceremony
Coordinator: Hidetoshi SAITO (Ibaraki University)
2020 Best Paper Award Recipient:
Megumi SHIMADA (Nihon University), Aki SHIBUKAWA (International Christian University), Yuan SUN (National Institute of Informatics), Toshiko HOSAKA (Nihon University), and Hiroko YABE (Tokyo Gakugei University).

17:30－17:40 The JLTA Best Book Award for 2021

17:40－18:00 JLTA General Business Meeting
Selection of the chair
Reporter: Yuichiro YOKOUCHI (JLTA Secretary General; Hirosaki University)

The 24th Japan Language Testing Association Annual Conference (JLTA 2021) [online]: Call for Papers

At this year’s conference, the keynote speech and symposium will be presented in Japanese. However, as usual, we welcome proposals for presentations in English, too.

Conference website: http://jlta2016.sakura.ne.jp/?page_id=18
(English website: http://jlta2016.sakura.ne.jp/?page_id=606)

Dates: Saturday, September 4 and Sunday, September 5, 2021

Venue: Online (Zoom)

Day 1 (September 4): Workshop

<Time>

13:00 to 16:30 (with a break)

<Venue>

Online

<Title>

How to nurture learners who are willing to express themselves(tentative)

Miyuki EBISU (Furuta Junior High School, Hiroshima City)

Japanese

Free

Day 2 (September 5): Keynote speech, symposium, paper and practice presentations

<Venue>

Online (Zoom)

Language assessment and evaluation in the age of COVID-19

Speaker: Kimi KONDO-BROWN (University of Hawaii, Manoa)

Title: Assessment of Japanese language learning in America: Current situation in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and future challenges (tentative)

Theme: Approaches to data analysis in language education in a world with the novel coronavirus (tentative)

Coordinator: Tomoko WATANABE (Hiroshima University)

Panelists: Jaeho LEE (Waseda University), Yutaka ISHII (Chiba University), Hirotoshi HOMMA (National Institute of Technology, Kushiro College)

Student & JLTA member: 1,000 yen

Non-JLTA member: 3,000 yen

1) Presentation types

Research paper

Research related to language testing and assessment that clearly states the study purpose, methodology, analysis, and interpretation of the results

Assessment practice report

Report on assessment practices, including language tests, language program/curriculum evaluation, and assessment for teacher development, etc.

Presenters of both types will have 20 minutes each to present their research papers or assessment practice reports, followed by a 10-minute discussion.

Submission deadline: June 21, 2021

<How to apply>
Please submit your proposal via the following URL of Google Forms:

https://forms.gle/DThw2XqbsYWfznJf7

Information to be submitted:

1) Email

2) Presenter(s)

First presenter (whose email address has been provided in 1) above)
a) Names, b) affiliations, and c) JLTA membership status, of all presenters

3) Presentation

Type (research paper or assessment practice report)
Title
3. A 400-word (or 800-Japanese character) abstract

Three to five keywords

Membership requirement

All presenters must be JLTA members.

*Non-members should take JLTA membership within two weeks after the notice of presentation acceptance, via https://www.bunken.org/jlta/member/Registration/.

*This rule applies to all presenters in the program.

After you submit your proposal, you will receive an email on submission confirmation. If you do not receive it, you may have provided an incorrect email address; in this case, please submit your proposal again.
If, for any reason, you cannot send the proposal via Google Forms, or do not receive the confirmation, please send the information mentioned under <How to apply> above to cfp[at]gmail.com.
Each participant can present multiple times, but only once as the first presenter, regardless of the presentation type (research paper or assessment practice report).
More details about the presentations will be available on the conference website. We will not accept any changes in your abstract after the proposal submission deadline has passed, in principle.
Notification of selection will be sent via email to the first presenter by July 16, 2021.

To be announced.

To be announced.

JLTA Research Meeting Committee

jlta.cfp[at]gmail.com

The 23rd Japan Language Testing Association [Online] Annual Conference (JLTA 2020): Call for Papers

The Japan Language Testing Association (JLTA) invites presentation proposals for its annual conference. We look forward to receiving your proposals related to the conference theme, and to language testing and assessment in general.

Date: Saturday, December 12, 2020
Conference theme: Language Testing: Past, Present and Future
Submission Deadline: October 15, 2020
See the Call for Papers for details.

Presenters MUST BE JLTA members.

~~23rd Annual JLTA Conference~~ [Cancelled]

~~The date and location of the 23rd meeting of the Japan Language Testing Association have been decided as follows:~~

~~Date: 5th (Sat) and 6th (Sun) September, 2020~~

~~Venue: Hiroshima University~~

The 22nd JLTA 2019 Annual Conference :

Conference Program

Dates: Wednesday, September 11 and Thursday, September 12, 2019

Venue: Niigata Seiryo University

Call for Papers: Closed

The Japan Language Testing Association (JLTA) invites presentation proposals for its annual conference. We look forward to receiving your proposals related to the conference theme, and to language testing and assessment in general.

At this year’s conference, the keynote speech and the symposium will be presented in English. We are also expecting presenters from our partner association, Korea English Language Testing Association (KELTA). We welcome proposals for presentations to be given in English.

Presenters will each have 20 minutes to present their research papers or assessment practices followed by 10-minute discussion. Note that each participant can present multiple times, but only once as the first presenter.

This year’s conference has a special room for family members (junior high school students or higher).

Conference website: http://jlta2016.sakura.ne.jp/?page_id=18

Dates: Wednesday, September 11 and Thursday, September 12, 2019

Day 1 (September 11): Workshop

Time: 11:00-12:30 & 13:30-15:00

Venue: Niigata Seiryo University

（1-5939 Suido-cho, Chuo-ku, Niigata, 951-8121 Japan）

Title: Bayes statistics and its application to foreign language education study

Lecturers: Kunihiro KUSANAGI (Hiroshima University)

Language of instruction: Japanese

Attendance Fee: 1,000 yen

Capacity: 30 participants

Day 2 (September 12): Keynote speech, symposium, research and assessment practice presentations, commercial exhibits, banquet, and others

<Venue>

Niigata Seiryo University

1-5939 Suido-cho, Chuo-ku, Niigata, 951-8121 Japan

Phone:+81-25-266-0127

http://www.n-seiryo.ac.jp/english/index.html

Evaluating Language Assessments in Japan

Antony J. KUNNAN (Professor, Department of English, University of Macao)

Title: An ethics-based approach to the evaluation of language assessments (tentative)

Theme: Evaluating fairness and justice of university entrance English examinations in Japan (tentative)

Coordinator: Hidetoshi SAITO (Ibaraki University)

Panelists: Hidetoshi SAITO (Ibaraki University), Yasuyo SAWAKI (Waseda University),

Kiwamu KASAHARA (Hokkaido University of Education)

Graduate student, JLTA member, & JALT TEVAL SIG Member: 1,000 yen

Non-JLTA member: 3,000 yen

Undergraduate students (with a proper student ID): Free

This year’s conference will be co-sponsored by the Japan Association for Language Teaching (JALT) Testing and Evaluation Special Interest Group (TEVAL SIG: http://teval.jalt.org/). Members of JALT TEVAL SIG benefit from discounted conference registration fees for the JLTA annual conference.

Format:

20-minute oral presentations followed by 10-minute discussions

Presentation Types:

1) Research presentations

Presentation of research related to language testing and assessment that clearly states the purpose of the research, methodology, analysis, and interpretation of the results

2) Assessment practice presentations

Presentation on assessment practices including language tests, language program/curriculum evaluation, assessment for teacher development, etc.

Submission period: April 20, 2019 to May 31 , 2019

To submit a presentation proposal for the conference, please complete the following Google Form:

Google Form: https://forms.gle/wLqrYGokzLG6oPMf6

The Information required to submit:

1) Email address (On the Google Form, Email address is shown as “メールアドレス” in Japanese.)

2) Presenter information

① Corresponding presenter’s name (Please match the corresponding presenter with the email address submitted.)

② Each presenter’s a) name in English, in the order of first name followed by surname (e.g., Richard DAVIDSON), b) affiliated institution, c) membership: JLTA members at the time of application, JALT TEVAL SIG members, or non-members,

3) About the presentation

① Type of presentation (research presentation or assessment practice presentation)

② Presentation title

③ A 400-word (or 800-Japanese-character) abstract

Please include the purpose of the research, methodology, analysis, and interpretation of the results for a research presentation, and include the purpose and content of the practice, and the results for an assessment practice presentation. If your abstract has several paragraphs, please separate paragraphs.

④ keywords (3-5 words)

⑤ Was your presentation accepted for JLTA 2018?

a) Yes, it was accepted and the abstract for JLTA 2019 has not been changed.

b) Yes, it was accepted and the abstract for JLTA 2019 has been changed less than 30%.

c) Yes, it was accepted and the abstract for JLTA 2019 has been changed more than 30%.
d) No. It is a new presentation.

*If you wish to use a projector, please keep the following three points in mind:

PC will not be provided. Presenters must bring their own PC. There will be an audio terminal connector (for PC connection through a stereo mini plug) and a D-sub 15-pin cable in the presentation room. Mac users should bring their own Mini display Port/USB-C to VGA Adapter;
Presenters must take responsibility for connecting their PC to the projector;
Presenters should bring handouts as an alternative in case of technical problems.

Presenters MUST BE JLTA members or JALT TEVAL SIG members. If you are currently a non-member, please join JLTA within two weeks from the time your abstract is accepted for presentation (https://www.bunken.org/jlta/member/Registration/). This rule applies to all the co-authors who will make a presentation at JLTA2019.

<Notes>

After you press the SEND button (“送信” in Japanese), you will automatically receive a confirmation email generated by Google Forms. If you do not receive it, you may have entered your email address incorrectly. In this case, please correct your email address and submit the form again.
If for some reasons, you can not use Google Forms, or if you are unable to receive a confirmation email via Google Forms, please send the same information listed above to jlta.cfp[at]gmail.com (replace [at] with an at sign).
Participants can present multiple times in group presentations, but only once as the first presenter or lone presenter.
Abstracts for all presentaions will be included in the conference program book. Generally no corrections or replacements will be accepted after the submission period.
Notification of selection will be sent via e-mail to the corresponding presenter by July 6, 2019

Application period: from May 7, 2019 to June 14, 2019

Due to space limitations, limited to 16 exhibitors (to be selected on a first-come, first-served basis)

JLTA Members　 Non-Members
Advertisement (half page of A4-size paper; Exhibition of one long table included)

7,500 yen 15,000 yen
Advertisement (one page of A4-size paper; Exhibition of one long table included)

10,000 yen 20,000 yen

For further information on advertisements and exhibitions, please contact the JLTA

Secretariat (Kazuhiko KATAGIRI): E-mail: jlta2018co[at]yahoo.co.jp　(replace [at] with an at sign).

To be announced

＜Conference Registration＞

There is no pre-conference registration. Please pay the registration fee and banquet fee on site.

The 2019 Annual Conference

Important Notice. Please note that the dates of the conference have been changed.

The 2019 Annual Conference is scheduled to take place in September 11 (Wednesday) and 12 (Thursday), ~~13 (Friday),~~ 2019, at Niigata Seiryo University in Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture.

(April, 8, 2019)

Concerning the Cancellation of the 2018 JLTA Annual Conference

See the PDF file for details.

Cancellation of the 22nd Annual Conference of the Japan Language Testing Association

We have decided to cancel the 22nd Annual Conference of the Japan Language Testing Association scheduled to be held at Hokkai-Gakuen University in Sapporo from September 8th to 9th, 2018 due to the earthquake that hit Hokkaido early in the morning of September 6th. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause on your part, but we hope you will understand the difficult circumstances we are working under. We will keep you posted on further updates on this site. In the meantime, we express our deepest condolences to those in the affected area, and pray for speedy recovery.

Yoshinori Watanabe
President, the Japan Language Testing Association

Conference program: 中止情報入り完全版 (Full program with cancellation information)

The 2019 annual conference will be held in the early September (around September 11 and 12; to be decided in April, 2019) at Niigata Seiryo University in Niigata.

The 22nd Annual Conference of the Japan Language Testing Association
Dates: September 8th (Saturday) and 9th (Sunday), 2018
Venue: Hokkai-Gakuen University
http://hgu.jp/en/access/

Conference program: 完全版 (Full)　簡易版 (Simplified)

At this year’s conference, the keynote speech and the symposium will be presented in English. We are also expecting presenters from our partner association, Korea English Language Testing Association (KELTA), who will also be presenting in English. We welcome proposals for presentations to be given in English.

This year’s conference has a special room for family members (junior high school students or higher).

Day 1 (September 8): Workshop

Time: 14:00 to 17:15 (with a 15-minute break)

Venue: Hokkai-Gakuen University, Toyohira Campus (D31, 7th Building)

Title: Bayes statistics and its application to foreign language education study

Lecturers: Kunihiro KUSANAGI (Hiroshima University)

Language of instruction: Japanese

Attendance Fee: 1,000 yen

Capacity: 30 participants

Day 2 (September 9): Keynote speech, symposium, research and assessment practice presentations,

commercial exhibits, banquet, and others

<Venue>

Hokkai-Gakuen University, Toyohira Campus (D20, 7th Building)

1-40, 4-chome, Asahi-machi, Toyohira-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 062-8605

http://hgu.jp/en/

Evaluating Language Assessments in Japan

Antony J. KUNNAN (Professor, Department of English, University of Macao)

Title: An ethics-based approach to the evaluation of language assessments (tentative)

Theme: Evaluating fairness and justice of university entrance English examinations in Japan. (tentative)

Coordinator: Hidetoshi SAITO (Ibaraki University)

Panelists: Yasuyo SAWAKI (Waseda University), Yo IN’NAMI (Chuo University), Hidetoshi SAITO (Ibaraki University)

Graduate student, JLTA member, & JALT TEVAL SIG member: 1,000 yen

Non-JLTA member: 3,000 yen

Undergraduate students (with a proper student ID): Free
This year’s conference will be co-sponsored by the Japan Association for Language Teaching (JALT) Testing and Evaluation Special Interest Group (TEVAL SIG: http://teval.jalt.org/). Members of JALT TEVAL SIG benefit from discounted conference registration fees for the JLTA annual conference.

Call for Papers: (JLTA 2018) (CLOSED)

The Japan Language Testing Association (JLTA) invites presentation proposals for its annual conference. We look forward to receiving your proposals related to the conference theme, and to language testing and assessment in general.

Research presentation

Research related to language testing and assessment that clearly states the purpose of the research, methodology, analysis, and interpretation of the results

Assessment practice presentations

Report on assessment practices including language tests, language program/curriculum evaluation, and assessment for teacher development, etc.

Presenters of both types of presentations will each have 20 minutes to present their research papers or assessment practices followed by 10-minute discussion.

Submission period: from April 28, 2018 to June 10, 2018 (CLOSED)

Those wishing to present research papers or assessment practices should send the information listed below by e-mail to jlta.cfp[at]gmail.com (replace [at] with an at sign). The subject line of the e-mail should read “JLTA 2018 Submission_First Presenter Name” (e.g., “JLTA 2018 Submission_Richard_DAVIDSON”).
Please include the following information:

Type of presentation (research paper or assessment practice)
Presentation title
Names, and affiliations of all presenters. The name should be given in English, in the order of first name followed by surname (e.g., Richard DAVIDSON).
Specify whether each presenter is a JLTA member, and whether the presenter is a JALT TEVAL SIG member
A 400-word (or 800-Japanese-character) abstract

Please include the purpose of the research, methodology, analysis, and interpretation of the results for a research paper, and include the purpose and content of the practice, and the results for an assessment practice report.

Name of contact person and his/her e-mail address

*If the presenters wish to use a projector, they should follow the procedures listed below:

Presenters should bring a PC. There will be an audio terminal connector (for PC connection through a stereo mini plug) and a D-sub 15-pin cable in the presentation room. Mac users should bring their own MinidisplayPort/USB-C to VGA Adapter;
Presenters must take responsibility for connecting their PC to the projector;
Presenters should bring handouts as an alternative in case of technical failure.
Presenters MUST be JLTA or JALT TEVAL SIG members. If you are a non-member currently, please join JLTA within two weeks after your abstract is accepted for presentation (https://iap-jp.org/jlta/admission/Registration/). This rule applies to all the co-authors who will make a presentation at JLTA2018.

<Notes>

All information should be included in the body of the e-mail, and no files should be sent as attachments.
Confirmation of submission will be sent within seven days after the submission. If applicants do not receive a confirmation email within seven days, they are requested to send an inquiry to the JLTA Secretariat.
Participants can present multiple times, but only once as the first presenter.
The abstracts will be included in the conference program book. No correction or replacement will be basically accepted after the submission period.
Notification of selection will be sent via e-mail to the first presenter.
Notification of selection: (no later than) July 15, 2018

Application period: from May 7, 2018 to June 29, 2018

Due to space limitations, this is limited to 10 exhibitors (to be selected on a first-come, first-served basis)

JLTA Members　 Non-Members
Advertisement (half page of A4-size paper; Exhibition of one long table included)

7,500 yen 15,000 yen
Advertisement (one page of A4-size paper; Exhibition of one long table included)

10,000 yen 20,000 yen
One long table = One 60 cm x 180 cm table and a satellite desk near the main presentation room

For further information on advertisements and exhibitions, please contact the JLTA

Secretariat (Kazuhiko KATAGIRI): E-mail: jlta2018co[at]yahoo.co.jp　(replace [at] with an at sign)

To be announced.

＜Conference Registration＞

There is no pre-conference registration. Please pay the registration fee and banquet fee on site.

The 21st Annual Conference of the Japan Language Testing Association

Please see the full and simplified versions of the program below.

Full program Simplified program

September 9, 2017 (Saturday): Workshop
September 10, 2017 (Sunday): Keynote speech, symposium, and paper presentations
Venue: University of Aizu (Aizu-Wakamatsu, Fukushima Pref. 965-8580, Japan, http://www.u-aizu.ac.jp/en/access/)
Keynote speaker: John M. NORRIS (Educational Testing Service)

Call for Papers

[Call for Papers JLTA2017]

The Japan Language Testing Association (JLTA) invites presentation proposals for its annual conference. We look forward to receiving your proposals related to the conference theme, and to language testing and assessment in general.

Conference website: http://jlta2016.sakura.ne.jp/?page_id=18

Dates: Saturday, September 9 and Sunday, September 10, 2017

Day 1 (September 9): Workshop
Time: 14:30 to 16:40 (with a 10-minute break)
Venue: University of Aizu, Lecture Hall (Room 203, M3)
Title: Analysis of free responses of a survey with text mining
Lecturers: Toshihide O’KI (Hakuoh University)
Language of instruction: Japanese
Attendance Fee: 1,000 yen
Capacity: 100 participants

Day 2 (September 10): Keynote speech, symposium, paper and practice presentations
<Venue>
University of Aizu
90 Kamiiawase, Ikkimachi Tsuruga, Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima, 965-8580
http://www.u-aizu.ac.jp/en/
<Conference theme>
Aligning task-based assessment to curriculum objectives

<Keynote Speech>
Speaker: Dr. John NORRIS (Principal Research Scientist, Educational Testing Service [ETS])
Title: Task-based language assessment: Aligning designs with intended uses and consequences (tentative)

<Symposium>
Theme: Issues related to task-based teaching and assessment (tentative)
Coordinator: Dr. Takanori SATO (Sophia University)
Panelist 1: Dr. Claudia KUNSCHAK (Ritsumeikan University)
Panelist 2： Dr. Moonyoung PARK (Chinese University of Hong Kong)
<Attendance Fee>
Student, JLTA Member, JALT TEVAL SIG Member: 1,000 yen
Non-JLTA member: 3,000 yen
This year’s conference will be co-sponsored by the Japan Association for Language Teaching (JALT) Testing and Evaluation Special Interest Group (TEVAL SIG: http://teval.jalt.org/). Members of JALT TEVAL SIG benefit from discounted conference registration fees for the JLTA annual conference.

<Submission Overview>
Research presentation
Research related to language testing and assessment that clearly states the purpose of the research, methodology, analysis, and interpretation of the results

Assessment practice presentation
Report on assessment practices including language tests, language program/curriculum evaluation, and assessment for teacher development, etc.

Presenters of both types of presentations will each have 20 minutes to present their research papers or assessment practices followed by 10-minute discussion.

Submission period: from April 29, 2017 to June 11, 2017

Those wishing to present research papers or assessment practices should send the information listed below by e-mail to kaneko[at]u-aizu.ac.jp (replace [at] with an at sign). The subject line of the e-mail should read “JLTA 2017 Submission_First Presenter Name” (e.g., “JLTA 2017 Submission_Richard_DAVIDSON”).

Please include the following information:
1) Type of presentation (research paper or assessment practice)
2) Presentation title
3) Names and affiliations of all presenters: The name should be given in English, in the
order of first name followed by surname (e.g., Richard_DAVIDSON).
4) A 400-word (or 800-Japanese-character) abstract
Please include the purpose of the research, methodology, analysis, and interpretation of the results for a research paper, and include the purpose and content of the practice, and the results for an assessment practice report.
5) Name of contact person and his/her e-mail address

*If the presenters wish to use a projector, they should follow the procedures listed below:
(a) Presenters should bring a PC. There will be an audio terminal connector (for PC connection through a stereo mini plug) and a D-sub 15-pin cable (for audio) in the presentation room. Mac users should bring their own Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter;
(b) Presenters must take responsibility for connecting their PC to the projector;
(c) Presenters should bring handouts as an alternative in case of technical failure.

Presenters may be either a) JLTA or JALT TEVAL SIG members or b) non-members who will pay a 3,000 yen presentation fee (in addition to the attendance fees) by a designated date. This rule applies to all presenters on the program. It is possible for presenters to obtain JLTA membership after their presentation has been accepted. For further details, please contact the JLTA Secretariat.

<Notes>
 All information should be included in the body of the e-mail, and no files should be sent as attachments.
 Confirmation of submission will be sent within seven days after the submission. If applicants do not receive a confirmation email within seven days, they are requested to send an inquiry to the JLTA Secretariat.
 Participants can present multiple times, but only once as the first presenter.
 Notification of selection will be sent via e-mail to the first presenter.
Notification of selection: (no later than) July 15, 2017

<Advertisements (Exhibitions included)>
Application period: from April 29, 2017 to July 15, 2017
Due to space limitations, limited to seven exhibitors (to be selected on a first-come, first-served basis)
JLTA Members　 Non-Members
Advertisement (half page of A4-size paper; Exhibition of one long table included) 7,500 yen 15,000 yen
Advertisement (one page of A4-size paper; Exhibition of one long table included) 10,000 yen 20,000 yen
Size of the table: 60 centimeters by 180 centimeters
For further information on advertisements and exhibitions, please contact the JLTA
Secretariat (Rie KOIZUMI): E-mail: rie-koizumi@mwa.biglobe.ne.jp

The 20th Japan Language Testing Association Anniversary Conference (JLTA 2016):

Program: Full version

Call for Papers (Deadline: June 14)
Theme: Between Validity and Practicality of University Entrance Exams Based on Communication Skills: The Possibility of Reform

The Japan Language Testing Association (JLTA) invites presentation proposals for its 20th anniversary conference. We look forward to receiving your proposals related to the conference theme, and to language testing and assessment in general.

This year’s conference will be co-sponsored by the Japan Association for Language Teaching (JALT) Testing and Evaluation Special Interest Group (TEVAL SIG: http://teval.jalt.org/). Members of JALT TEVAL SIG can participate in and present at the conference in a similar manner as JLTA members can.

Presenters will each have 20 minutes to present their papers; this will be followed by 10 minutes for discussion. Note that each participant can present multiple times, but only once as the paper’s first presenter.

Dates: September 17, 2016 (Saturday) to September 18, 2016 (Sunday; Main conference with a keynote speech, a symposium, and paper presentations)
Venue: Tokai University, Shonan Campus
(4-1-1 Kitakaname, Hiratsuka-shi, Kanagawa 259-1292)
http://www.u-tokai.ac.jp/english/access.html#Anc_Shonan

Attendance Fee: Student, JLTA Member, JALT TEVAL SIG Member: 1,000 yen
Non-JLTA-member: 3,000 yen
Period of submission for presentation proposals: May 7, 2016 to June 14, 2016
Conference website: http://jlta2016.sakura.ne.jp/

Day 1: Workshop
Workshop 1. Introduction to effect size: Basic concepts and practices (Conducted in Japanese)

Lecturer: Yusuke HASEGAWA (Joetsu University of Education),
Shuichi TAKAKI (Fukushima University)
Chair: Yuichiro YOKOUCHI (Hirosaki University)

Date: September 17, 2016 (Saturday), 10:00-13:15 (including break)
Venue: Tokai University, Shonan Campus (Building 12, Room 12-310)
Attendance Fee: 1,000 yen
Max Capacity: 48 (first-come, first-served basis)
Prerequisite: Elementary, junior high, or senior high school teachers, undergraduate or graduate students, or others who
are interested in the topic of this workshop and can use Microsoft Excel. No background knowledge on testing theories is required.

Aims
1. To familiarize yourselves with basic statistical concepts such as effect size and significant difference.
2. To understand more about effect size and other related statistical concepts.
3. To learn how to calculate effect sizes and other related statistical indices such as statistical power using Excel and other useful software.

Procedure
1. Lecture 1: Introduction
2. Lecture 2: Theory
3. Practice (Computers available at the venue)

How to register
1. The deadline for registration is Friday, September 9. (Note: If the workshop does not reach maximum capacity, the registration will be allowed on the day of the workshop.)
2. You can register through the JLTA Workshop Registration site (https://goo.gl/oz3NJf). The URL will be provided on the JLTA official website and Twitter (@JLTA_official).
3. Confirmation of registration will be sent within 24 hours. If you do not receive it, please contact the email address below.
4. As in the past, email registration is also available. In that case, please send the information below to Yuichiro Yokouchi (Hirosaki University) at u16yoko@gmail.com.

Let us know the following information and answer to questions when you register for the workshop:
(1) Your name, affiliation, and email address.
(2) Have you ever studied statistics? If so, describe what you learned.
(3) Have you used any software to analyze test data? If so, describe what you used (software, statistical methods, etc.).
(4) Questions to the lectures, if you have. (Optional)
(5) Request to this workshop, or JLTA workshops in general. (Optional)
Workshop 2. “How good is your test?—First step: Ministep” (Conducted in English)

Lecturer: Myles GROGAN (Kansai University)
Chair: Akiyo HIRAI (University of Tsukuba)

Date: September 17, 2016 (Saturday), 14:00-17:15 (including break)
Venue: Tokai University, Shonan Campus (Building 12, Room 12-310)
Attendance Fee: 1,000 yen
Max Capacity: 35 (first-come, first-served basis)
Prerequisite: A willingness to work with computers is helpful! We will be using Microsoft Excel, but basic level skills will suffice.
Some data sets will be provided, but participants may want to bring a small data set (up to 25 items and 75 participants) if they wish.

Aims
1. To understand how the Rasch model helps us interpret test data and improve tests, in broad, non-expert terms (i.e. non-mathematical!).
2. To get hands-on experience using of inputting and analyzing data from Rasch-based software, such as Winsteps.

Procedure
1. Introduction 1: Outline of the day, followed by a first Rasch example – what Ministeps helps us understand our tests
2. Short lecture: The Rasch Model and how it works
3. Hands-on workshop 1 and 2: Control files (how to prepare data) and running data for the first time
4. Hands-on workshop 2: An overview of charts and tables, and how they help us with our test
5. Hands-on Workshop 3: A new data set– time to try your hand!
6. Lecture: Where to next?

Let us know the following information when you register the workshop.
(1) Your name, affiliation, and email address.
(2) What kind of tests do you usually use (classroom tests, coursebook test, placement tests)?
(3) What experience do you have of analyzing test results?
(4) Have you had any experience with Winsteps or similar Rasch/IRT tools? Please describe the experience if you have.
(5) Questions to the lectures, if you have. (Optional)
(6) Request to this workshop, or JLTA workshops in general. (Optional)

Note: Interested parties are welcome to participate in the workshop only (without paying the conference attendance fee). They can participate in both or either of the workshop. If they attend both, they will pay 2,000 yen. The workshop registration will be announced later.

Day 2: Keynote speech, symposium, paper presentation
Date/time: September 18, 2016 (Sunday)

Speaker: Gary OCKEY (Iowa State University)
Title: Some possible ways forward for including oral communication on Japanese university entrance exams (Tentative)
Title：Between Validity and Practicality of University Entrance Exams Based on Communication Skills: The Possibility of Reform
Coordinator: Naoyuki NAGANUMA (Tokai University)
Panelist: Takashi KATSURAGI (Rakuten Inc., Former Project Manager for English Education, Ministry of Education (MEXT)
Title: Reforming University Entrance Examinations of English: Background and Future Plans
Panelist: Hirohide MORI (Tokyo Women’s Christian University)
Title: Challenges for Implementing English-Communication-Skill Tests on Japanese University Entrance Exams: Stories So Far and Stories to Come (tentative)
Discussant: Gary OCKEY (Iowa State University)

———————————————————————————–
Period of submission: From May 7, 2016 to June 14, 2016 at midnight, Japan time
Presenters will each have 20 minutes to present their papers; this will be followed by 10 minutes for discussion.
Those wishing to present papers should send the information listed below by e-mail to Kei Miyazaki keimiyazaki67@gmail.com 　The subject line of the e-mail should read “JLTA 2016 Submission_First Presenter Name” (e.g., “JLTA 2016 Submission_Richard_DAVIDSON”).

Note that each participant can present multiple times, but only once as the paper’s first presenter.
After the review process, notification of acceptance will be sent to the contact persons via e-mail.
Note that all information should be included in the text of the e-mail and no files should be sent as attachments.

JLTA will send applicants a letter of receipt via e-mail within 7 days of their submitting JLTA presentation proposals. In case a reply is not received from JLTA within 7 days, applicants are requested to send an inquiry to the JLTA Secretariat.

Please include the following information:
1) Presentation title
2) Names and affiliations of all presenters: The name should be given in English, in the order of first name followed by surname (e.g., Richard DAVIDSON).
3) A 400-word (or 800-Japanese-character) abstract
4) Name of contact person and his/her e-mail address
5) Any equipment required for the presentation (Please choose from the list below)
-No equipment required
-Projector (for computer)

Presenters may either be JLTA members, JALT TEVAL SIG members, or non-members. Non-members will be required to pay 3,000 yen (in addition to the Attendance Fees). This rule applies to all presenters on the program. The fee can be paid at the conference registration desk on the day of the conference. It is possible for presenters to obtain JLTA membership after their paper has been accepted. For further details, please contact the JLTA Secretariat.

Notifications regarding the acceptance or rejection of proposals will be sent no later than July 17, 2016 via e-mail.

(Deadline: July 17):
Price　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 JLTA Members　 Non-Members
Advertisement (half page of A4-size paper) 2,500 yen 10,000 yen
Advertisement (one page of A4-size paper) 5,000 yen 20,000 yen
Exhibition (one long table) 10,000 yen 40,000 yen

For further information on advertisements and exhibitions, please contact the JLTA Secretariat
(Rie KOIZUMI): E-mail: rie-koizumi@mwa.biglobe.ne.jp