In this Issue

Articles

Kenji Tagashira, Kazuhito Yamato, and Takamichi Isoda contribute an exploratory study which uses a cluster analysis technique to consider the connection between pragmatic awareness of Japanese EFL learners and their motivational profiles. In our second article, Mayumi Kobayakawa reports findings from an analysis of writing tasks in high school English textbooks. Our third paper, a Japanese-language contribution by Eri Takanori and Hiroyuki Yamanishi, reports on the results of a listening instruction intervention for Japanese EFL university students aimed at improving their ability to correctly distinguish between the phonetic and phonological aspects of English sounds.

Point to Point

We are pleased to present a point-counterpoint debate in the pages of JALT Journal for the first time in more than 10 years. In this forum, two readers react to the Perspectives article from our previous issue, “Reconsidering the Effectiveness and Suitability of PPP and TBL in the Japanese EFL Classroom” (Vol. 32/2, 2010, pp. 189-200). Roehl Sybingand Steven Urickinitiate the debate by raising their respective concerns about points made in the article. The author, Rintaro Sato, makes his counterpoints to the criticisms in “The Author Responds.”

Reviews

This issue of JALT Journal includes seven book reviews. In the first, David Beglarreviews a book on second language vocabulary acquisition.In the second, Geoffrey Butlerreports on a new edition of a classic book on grammar practice activities. In the third review, Paul Lyddonexamines an edited volume on classroom management. Our fourth review, by Brian McMillan, considers a volume which guides teachers about how to use bilingual teaching techniques. The fifth review, by John Nevara,examines a book dealing with identity with respect to half-Japanese, half-white bilingual girls living in Japan. The sixth of our reviews comes from Christopher Starlingand Yumi Tanaka, who report on an edited volume on multiple intelligences. Finally, Gregory Strongreviews a book on Exploratory Practice (EP).

• Connected Words: Word Associations and Second Language Vocabulary Acquisition (Paul Meara) — Reviewed by David Beglar
• Grammar Practice Activities: A Practical Guide for Teachers (Penny Ur) — Reviewed by Geoffrey Butler
• Classroom Management (Thomas S. C. Farrell, Ed.) — Reviewed by Paul A. Lyddon
• The Bilingual Reform: A Paradigm Shift in Foreign Language Teaching (Wolfgang Butzkamm and John A. W. Caldwell) — Reviewed by Brian McMillan
• Hybrid Identities and Adolescent Girls: Being “Half” in Japan (Laurel D. Kamada) — Reviewed by John Nevara
• Multiple Intelligences Around the World (Jie-Qi Chen, Seana Moran, and Howard Gardner, Eds.) — Reviewed by Christopher Starling and Yumi Tanaka
• The Developing Language Learner: An Introduction to Exploratory Practice (Dick Allwright and Judith Hanks) — Reviewed by Gregory Strong

From the Editor

Putting the finishing touches on each issue is an opportunity for the Editor to reflect on all that has gone into the process of bringing papers through to publication. As always, I am deeply indebted to the members of the Editorial Advisory Board and the additional readers who volunteer their time and expertise. Special thanks as well to the journal production team for bringing it all together in the final stages. JALT Journal also bids farewell to Rod Ellis as a member of the Editorial Advisory Board. Rod has served on the EAB since 1994 and has been a friend of the JALT organization in many ways for a long time.

Darren Lingley