1​2018 Learner Development SIG Committee Review

2018 Learner Development SIG Committee Review
for
The Learner Development SIG AGM Saturday 3:45 PM - 4:30 PM, Room 908
The SIG’s annual general meeting is a valuable occasion for SIG members and officers toreview together the SIG’s activities in the last year, make plans for the coming 12 months,
and raise questions for discussion that members of the Learner Development community
have. Please come along and take part in planning LD grants, activities, events, andpublications for 2019.
Click here for ​the 2017 LD SIG committee review​ and here for ​the minutes from the 2017 LD
SIG AGM​. And if you would like to read reports from 2011 to 2016, you can find them ​here​.

Table of Contents
1. Co-coordinators - Koki Tomita & Yoshio Nakai
2. Treasury Team - Huw Davies
3. Membership Team - Ann Flanagan & Barrie Matte
4. Grants Team - Kris Sullivan, Jenny Morgan, Sami Yoshimuta​, & Kio Iwai
5. Programmes Team - Blair Barr & Robert Morel
6. ILA2018 Team - Steve Brown, Ann Mayeda & Hisako Yamashita
7. Publicity Team (was Nicole Gallagher) & Illustrator - Rob Moreau
8. Publications Team - Andy Barfield & James Underwood
9. Learning Learning Editorial Team - Andy Barfield, Chika Hayashi, Tokiko Hori, Daniel Hougham,
Ken Ikeda, Fumiko Murase, Yoshio Nakai, Hugh Nicoll, Sean Toland, Koki Tomita, & James
Underwood
10. Learner Development Journal Steering Group - Tim Ashwell, Darren Elliott, Alison Stewart
11. Learner Development Journal
Issue 2 - Chika Hayashi, Masuko Miyahara, & Patrick KiernanIssue 3 - (Christina Gkonou), Yoshio Nakai, & Jim Ronald
12. Web Maintenance Team - Hugh Nicoll (main LD website), Darren Elliott (LD Journal website)
13. Hiroshima Get-Togethers - Jim Ronald
14. Kansai Get-Togethers - Agnes Patko2​2018 Learner Development SIG Committee Review

15. Tokyo Get-Togethers - Andy Barfield, Ken Ikeda & Jeny Morgan
16. Committee Members at large - Lee Arnold, Mathew Coomber, Dexter Da Silva, Ian Hurrell, Bill
Mboutsiadis, & Mike Nix

1. Co-coordinators ​- Koki Tomita & Yoshio Nakai(Submitted by Yoshio Nakai & Koki Tomita)

What your goals were in 2018
● Familiarize ourselves with administrative tasks associated with the LD SIG.
● Communicate regularly with officers and members.
● Create a collaborative environment where officers’ views and perspectives are reflected.
What you / your team did 2018
We have been involved with administrative duties associated with the LD SIG. The biggest job for us
was bridging information sent from the JALT executive board members to the officers of the LD SIG.
We also represented the LD SIG at several Executive Board Meetings -- all of the JALT chapters and
SIGs get together for the improvement of the organization -- to reflect the voices of the members of
the SIG.
Something that was satisfying● We started our coordinators’ job after the last year’s AGM. Since the takeover, we havespent much time making sure that the LD SIG is making continuous development as an
educational organization that serves the purposes of expanding the horizon of learnerdevelopment and creating opportunities of members of the community for collaboration.
● The SIG continues to provide supportive forums for publishing on Learner Development. The
Learning Learning ​Editorial Team (Andy Barfield, Chika Hayashi, Tokiko Hori, Ken Ikeda,
Fumiko Murase, Daniel Hougham, Hugh Nicoll, Sean Toland, and James Underwood) has
published two regular issues through their collaborative editing practice among the officers
since November 2017. We must thank the amount of time and effort invested by themembers of the editorial team to keep neat schedules and pull off each issue. Our thanks
also go to Masuko Miyahara, Patrick Kiernan and Chika Hayashi as the leading editors and allof the contributors for taking us to the publication of the Volume 2 of ​The Learner
Development Journal: Qualitative Research into Learner Development​. Moreover, weappreciate that Jim Ronald and Christina Gkonou are now getting the third volume of The
Learner Development Journal: Learner Identities and Transitions ready for publication in2019.
● Blair Barr and Robert Morel of The Program team did a wonderful job of pulling together the
LD forums at the Pan SIG and JALT CALL. We believe that the LD forums at the annual JALT
conference will be another great success for the LD SIG for this year. Behind the series of theinsightful presentations offered at our forums, Kris Sullivan, Jenny Morgan, and Sami
Yoshimuta of the Grant Team helped the SIG to select grant recipients and provided
members with the opportunities to shine at the conferences. We must thank Jenny’s yearsof dedication at her departure from the team and welcome Kio Iwai as a new Grant Team3​2018 Learner Development SIG Committee Review

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officer.
The success of the event -- "​Whose Autonomy? Voices and Agency in Language Learning​,”
the Independent Learning Association 2018 -- was co-sponsored with Independent Learning
Association (ILA) with the dedication of our ILA conference team (Steve Brown, Ann
Mayeda, and Hisako Yamashita). At the conference, the LD SIG representative, Chika
Hayashi, gave an insightful speech along with Leena Karlsson from Helsinki University. We
also give a shout-out to Ann Flanagan, Agnes Patko and Katherine Thornton of the Kansai
Get-Together Team for hosting student-led presentations and provided them with theopportunities to shine at the conference.
In December, we are expecting another event, ​Creating Community; Learning Together 4, b
​ y
the Tokyo Get-Together Team (Andy Barfield, Jenny Morgan, and Ken Ikeda). The event will
be a platform to researchers, practitioners or students to present, discuss and socialize withpeople interested in learner development.
Ann Flanagan and Barrie Matte of the Membership, and Nicole Gallagher and Robert
Moreau of the Publicity Team have been making continuous efforts to expanding newmembers and contacting renewing and lapsed members via emails and different social
media outlets. We always appreciate their constant appealing to our future members of the
SIG.
In 2018, we received an annual grant from JALT National totaling 150,269 yen, and an
additional 86,689 from PanSIG shared revenue in August. This has left the SIG withapproximately 650,000 yen in its account in addition to the 200,000 yen safety net the SIG is
required to maintain by JALT.

Something that was challenging
We have spent much of our time getting used to the schedules and duties assigned to the
co-coordinators. The biggest challenge was having communication among SIG officers due to thebusy schedules.
What you would like to do in 2019
● Promote the SIG to the bigger public including non-JALT members. We need more teachersand practitioners who teach at the compulsory education. This is necessary not only for the
LD SIG but also JALT to diversify our perspectives by interacting with people who holddifferent perspectives from teachers working in the university contexts.
● Smooth communication among SIG officers
Envisaged expenditures for 2019a. Confirm 2018-2019 committee members.
i.
Needed: co-treasurer and publicity chairb. Restructuring of the terms of receiving LD grants
c. Getting in touch with local members, and reflecting their opinions and perspectives to the
LD SIG management
d. Attracting more new members to the SIG and participants to forums
e. Themes for LDJ vols 6 & 7
f. Introducing ​Slack​ for smooth communication among SIG officers
g. Finding someone taking over the job of managing the membership list of Mailman from
Hugh Nicole

4​2018 Learner Development SIG Committee Review

2. Treasury Team​​ -​ Huw Davies(submitted by Huw Davies)

What your goals were in 2018
To find a new treasurer. This has yet to happen, and is urgent as my JALT membership will not be
renewed when in expires at the end of December.
What you did 2018
Stayed in the black.
Something that was satisfying
The 2017 Financial Year paperwork got through the JALT accountant first time, and on time.
Something that was challenging
Not getting the account closed down or ceding control of it to JALT Central Office was something ofan achievement! Unfortunately I was able to devote very little time to the role or the SIG in generalover the last year.
What you would like to do in 2019
On behalf of whoever is the treasurer in 2019, it would be great if the committee and members as awhole could re-conceptualise what the treasurer’s role is. I would ask that committee members
would familiarise themselves with how to raise a OEC (a form to request payment) and to get that tothe treasurer in time - too often I have been pressured to make payments before receiving
paperwork and this has led to errors. Permission to spend the SIG’s money should come from whatis agreed by the committee (for example, in the AGM) or agreed with the coordinator; the treasurer
is not authorised to make big decisions.
Envisaged expenditures for 2019
Minimal - possible may need a new receipt book but that’s about it.

3. Membership Team ​- Ann Flanagan & Barrie Matte(submitted by Ann Flanagan)

What your goals were in 2018
● Want to send out a questionnaire to the LD SIG members to see how we can improve our SIG
and make it stronger.
● Try to increase the number of members who attend the Kansai Get Together Group.
● Revise Welcome, 2 month renewal and 1 month renewal letters.
● Continue regular mail-outs, list updates, and personal communication when necessary.
● Set a goal of how many members we would like to have join our SIG by a certain date.
● Promote the LD SIG at different events.
What you / your team did 2018
● Revise Welcome, 2 month renewal and 1 month renewal letters.
● Continue regular mail-outs, list updates, and personal communication when necessary.
● Promote the LD SIG at different events.

5​2018 Learner Development SIG Committee Review

Something that was satisfying● There has been a steady increase of new members each month.
● The membership update procedures have been updated.
Something that was challenging● Being consistent with when the letters are being sent out.
● Knowing what content is appropriate for each update.
What you would like to do in 2019
● Send out a questionnaire to the LD SIG Members to see how we are doing.
● Try to increase our membership roster.
Envisaged expenditures for 2019
None

4. Grants Team ​- Kris Sullivan, Jenny Morgan, Sami Yoshimuta & new member, Kio Iwai​(submitted by Jenny Morgan)

Goals / achievements in 2018
a. The grants were advertised via the SIG homepage (​http://ld-sig.org/grants/​), mailing list,
membership letters and the SIG News & Events mailout, and the results were communicated to SIG
members via the mailing list.
b. A list of past recipients, together with links to the articles they contributed to Learning Learning,
was added to the SIG homepage:​ ​http://ld-sig.org/grants/ld-sig-grant-past-recipients/c. This was our first year using the ​new LD Grants Procedure​​. Instead of offering several specific
grants (i.e. individual conference grants, and project or research grants) with their own individual
budgets, LD SIG now has ​one overall grant budget​​ which allows members to make an application for
the grant that they need (i.e. purpose and amount). We set a new deadline of April 28 2018, and thefollowing 2018 grants were offered/awarded:- ​PanSIG Conference- 1 x 40,000 yen to Rick Mitcham;- JALT International Conference Grants - 3 x 40,000 yen to 3 applicants. The recipients are:Gretchen Clark, Gregory Lambert and Miki Iwamoto- congratulations! We look forward to reading
the grant recipients’ post-conference essays/reports focusing on various learner development
themes in an upcoming issue of ​Learning Learning.
So far there have been no inquiries or applications for the Subscription and Membership grants.
Something that was satisfying
Kris​​:
Kio​​: So happy to join the Grant Team! I am looking forward to working together with other members
to support LD research and presentations.
Sami​​:​ ​This year, we newly applied the fixed deadline, which seemed to have substantially decreased
the complexities on the side of the grant team.
Jenny​​: It was good to try out the new more flexible grants procedure with the aim of attracting
more applications. It’s great to have Kio Iwai on board to contribute her valuable insights andresponses to various LD projects and research themes within the grants applications.
Something that was challenging
Kris​​:Sami​​: As always, promotion of the grants has been challenging. Since some substantial part of thebudget is spent on grants, we need to continue considering the best way to allocate the budget.

6​2018 Learner Development SIG Committee Review

Kio: ​As it was my first time reviewing the applications and selecting the awardees, I needed sometime to consider if the applications were appropriate and met the selection criteria.
Jenny:​​ ​First, the number of applications for grants from LD members was still low in early 2018; I’mwondering how we can publicise the availability of LD grants more widely? Second, I was surprised
to hear that the PanSIG conference grant recipient (name) recently returned his PanSIG grant I guess
due to busyness and being unable to meet the writing/ presentation obligations. I feel rather
disappointed that he felt he needed to do this. I imagine the LL writing team did everything they
could to support his writing. Still, I’m wondering are there other ways the Grants Team could beclearer with grant recipients about their obligations at the start?​ ​And what other ways could the SIG
effectively support/encourage/ensure that grant applicants meet their obligations of writing a
post-conference or research report for Learning Learning, and/or present their LD research orconference reflections at an LD gathering such as at a regional get-together or a mini-conference(e.g. Kansai LD’s K2W; Tokyo LD’s CCLT)?
What you would like to do in 20192018-2019 budget:​​ We suggest setting the grant budget at around ​195,000 yen??, ​the same as for
2017-2018.
Continue to advertise the grants, not only among current members but among potential members,
as the grants are definitely one way to attract new members. This will require cooperation withMembership (which is already going smoothly) and other teams.
Team members/roles for 2018-2019:​​ Jenny Morgan will be stepping down from December 2018.
Kio Iwai is joining Kristen Sullivan, Satomi Yoshimuta. Kio joined the team unofficially in May 2018 toparticipate in the 2018 vetting process. Can this AGM formally welcome Kio Iwai to the grants teamand as an LD officer?

5. Programmes Team ​- Blair Barr & Robert Morel(submitted by Blair Barr and Rob Morel)

What your goals were in 2018
We believe that we had two main goals this year. First of all, we hoped to see an increase in thenumber of participants at the SIG forums, particularly at PanSIG and JALTCALL. In addition, we
hoped to revive written reflections from the forums to be published in Learning Learning.
What you / your team did 2018
We organized LD SIG Forums at JALT National, PanSIG, and JALT CALL. In addition, we also organized
the SIG Table for PanSIG 2018. While the number of participants at PanSIG and JALTCALL were lessthan hoped, the quality of poster-presentations at both events were very good.​ In addition, with thehelp of Andy Barfield at PanSIG, we were able to get the written reflections published for this event.
Also, at JALTCALL, we had written a summary and got every participant to write a fairly lengthy
reflection on the event. We were able to pass the lead of this project on to Daniel Hougham andHugh Nicoll for the publications team to complete the editing process for the most recent edition of
Learning Learning.
Something that was satisfying
This year we both feel more more comfortable in our roles. We managed to share the load fairly
well, and I think we both have a better understanding of how to bridge the forum to a publication in7​2018 Learner Development SIG Committee Review

Learning Learning. It was also rewarding to work with presenters, especially those who were new to
LD SIG Forums. Seeing the quality of presentations and the interest of the non-presenting
participants was quite satisfying.
Something that was challenging
Promoting the forums continues to be a challenge, especially in terms of non-presenter attendance.
For PanSIG, we were a bit lucky that we got a number of visitors because we seemed to be acontinuation of the poster sessions in the hall outside the room; however, this was also a
disadvantage, as many people had no idea that they had walked in on a forum, so they didn’t see
any reason to stay around for the reflection period. At JALTCALL, I think we have realized that weneed to change the title once we know who is presenting. We tend to have very general titles thatenables us to get many different kinds of presentations; however, in the future, we should probably
change the title to make it clear what technologies will be presented in the forum. This is a technicalcrowd looking for very specific technologies, and it is likely that many people do not read further
than the title when they are browsing the schedule.
What you would like to do in 2019
Increase the number of participants (presenters and non-presenters) at the PanSIG and JALT CALL
forums.
Envisaged expenditures for 2019
Depending on the location, we may have a significant expenditure for poster boards. This tends toapply only at the JALT Conferences in November, but there seems to be a lot of inconsistency. Last
year, there was quite a significant fee for the poster boards, but this year they appear to be free for
us to pick them up and return. In addition, we should have a budget for printing handouts for theforums.

6. ILA2018 Team ​- Steve Brown, Ann Mayeda & Hisako Yamashita
The LD SIG sponsored Chika Hayashi as one of the plenary speakers, and many SIG members took
part in the conference as presenters, readers, or as part of the organising team. For reviews of
ILA2018 in the latest issue of LL, see:
http://ld-sig.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/LudwigTassanari.pdf
http://ld-sig.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Hougham.pdf
http://ld-sig.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/FlanaganPatkoThornton.pdf

7. Publicity Team ​(was Nicole Gallagher) & ​Illustrator ​- Rob Moreau(submitted by Nicole Gallagher & Rob Moreau )What your goals were in 2018
Nicole:​​ At the outset of the year, I had intended to create a news and announcement email for LD
SIG once every two months.
Rob:​​ as illustrator, I am on hand to provide logos, etc. the main goal was to continue to provide
support when needed.
What you / your team did 20188​2018 Learner Development SIG Committee Review

Nicole:​​ I published a news and announcement email for January/February. That was the last one. I
stepped down from my role in June.
Rob: ​the main job this year was providing a new logo for the CCLT event.
Something that was satisfying
Nicole:​​ Producing a useful communication tool for the SIG
Rob:​​ it is always a pleasure to be able to help out when possible. I really liked how the CCLT logo
turned out, I feel that it needed a bright, colorful facelift this year.
Something that was challenging
Nicole:​​ Getting the right information in a timely manner. While I think that a monthly mailing is agood idea in theory, it took a lot of time for me to compile as it depends on smooth communication,
input, and cooperation with various other members. While this has worked well when things areprepared and organized, there have been some challenges with including the appropriate
information when things have yet to be fully formed. In retrospect, I don't know if the current
set-up is ideal - where one person is responsible for overseeing that various info on SIG events iscorrectly included. I think it would perhaps make more sense to have everyone submit acontribution by a set date. Another idea is that the responsibility could be rotated between officers,
or assign two people to work on it, as it takes quite a lot of time to compile and format the
information.
Rob:​​ Developing a logo idea can potentially take a long time, this time it worked out smoothly,
however, the ever-present challenge is how to best manage ideas so that designs don’t take too
long.
What you would like to do in 2019
Nicole:​​ See above
Rob: ​continue the same service as in 2018. Provide logos, possibly book covers, when needed. I also
can provide clean versions of the LD-SIG logo for projects, when needed.
Envisaged expenditures for 2019--

8. Publications Team ​- Andy Barfield & James Underwood(submitted by Andy & James)

What your goals were in 2018
● Get LL on a regular schedule● Communicate regularly with each other● Work as part of the LL editorial team collectively and productively on developing
exploratory/ personal/ reflective writing about learner development● Allow plenty of time for finalising LDJ issue 2
What you/your team did 2018
Both of us worked as editors for the two issues of LL. James also did the layout for the two issues ofLearning Learning​, while Andy kept in touch with the Learner Development Journal Steering Group(Alison, Darren, and Tim) and helped with proofreading final drafts of LDJ Issue 2.

9​2018 Learner Development SIG Committee Review

Something that was satisfying
Andy:​​ For me the most satisfying part ​on the Learning Learning side ​of our responsibilities has been
the emergence of a more fully collaborative and transparent community of responding and editing
among the large number of editors working on ​Learning Learning​. In nearly 20 years of working on
and off on LL, I’ve never seen such a large group of people working on LL like this. It’s been great toget here in the 25th year of LL! For LL25(2) the editors have managed to respond in rotating pairs ortrios to nearly each writer (some pieces have been co-written and not needed so much editing).
Google docs has been a really helpful platform for this. My thanks go to all my co-editors for the
impressive work they have been doing. For this to continue to work, it will be important for futureissues of LL that a different member of the LL editorial team acts as the coordinating editor. In 2018 I
did this for LL25(1) and Hugh for LL25(2). Who will do this in 2019 for LL26(1), and who for LL26(2)?
On the LDJ side of things​​ it has been satisfying talking with Alison, Darren and Tim over email andface to face at different points in the year, as well as taking part with them and others in theextensive email discussion about the LDJ that will be published in LL25(2). That discussion brings
together many of the questions and challenges that have come up over the last couple of years.
Ideas and practices about the LDJ are evolving, and we are trying to work through different
questions as transparently as we can. My thanks go to Alison, Darren and Tim for the largely
unnoticed work that they have been doing with the editors of different issues of the LDJ.
James:​​ I echo what Andy said. I remember way back when, when it was only two people who put LL
together. The number of people that has been involved in the 2018 issues of LL, their enthusiasm
and the effort that everyone has put in has been outstanding. Thank you to everyone involved.
Google Docs has proven to be a valuable resource, that has enabled the co-editors to connect to thewriters more directly and has dramatically cut down the number of files involved as thecontributors' pieces progress to publication. I agree with Andy that the co-ordinating editor shouldrotate. Perhaps I could do it for the Spring issue (LL26(1), as I will have some time over the Spring
Break. Hopefully someone will come forward for LL26(2).
I haven't been involved in LDJ at all so can't really comment apart from congratulating the editorsand steering group on their success in keeping to targets and producing a quality publication since
its inception.
Something that was challenging
Andy: ​One challenge is time. We need to work on this for the LDJ because the finalisation process of
an issue is taking much longer than we expected. But at the same time it’s not really a question oftime. The greater challenge is engaging dialogically with others (editors, writers, SIG members,committee members) about what we are doing together, and trying to nurture and share an
enthusing sense of learning together with others and from others. That ultimately depends on thequality of communication that we (editors, writers, SIG members, committee members) eachmanage to achieve with each other. That’s a key ongoing challenge, I feel.
James:​​ For me it seems the handover is always difficult. In the past there was not much information
passed on from editor to editor for LL. It seemed at times we were re-inventing the printing press,
which was a little frustrating when it had already been working fine. Thanks to Andy and Hugh's
experience in leading the LL team for the previous issues it is now a well oiled machine. I hope that
we will be able to continue this. One of the problems that has happened in the past is the handlingof the Grant Awardees. While working with most of with the awardees to fulfil the requirement ofpublishing in LL has been quite smooth, there have been some cases where it has proven difficult.

10​2018 Learner Development SIG Committee Review

Thus one challenge to overcome would be to streamline the handover in this respect.
What you would like to do in 2019
Andy:​​ I’m stepping down as interim publications chair, as agreed, and James will become the leadpublications chair for 2019. It would be good for someone to join James so that responsibilities areshared and James can stay in regular communication with his co-chair about LL and the LDJ. I hope
James will get to interact regularly with the LDJ steering group and learn about that side of the SIG’s
publications, so the new publications co-chair would oversee things with LL? Perhaps then one of
the current editors of LL would become co-publications chair with James, so that both publications
co-chairs in 2019 have experience of the LD SIG’s major publications practices.
James:​​ For the most part I'd like to build on the success of 2018. I would also like to find out more
about LDJ. Perhaps LL can become a training ground for editors, with the hope that as they gain
experience they can move from editing articles to editing an issue. And then onto perhaps joining
the steering group of LDJ, and then becoming publication chair. Thus, one of my goals will be torealise this.
Envisaged expenditures for 2019
There are no plans for any print projects as far as we know, but the SIG will need to budget 5,000-10,000 JPY for web maintenance costs for the Learner Development Journal website as it moves
from Darren Elliott’s private suite of websites to the main JALT website.

9. Learning Learning Editorial Team ​- ​Andy Barfield, Chika Hayashi, Tokiko Hori, Daniel

Hougham, Ken Ikeda, Fumiko Murase, Yoshi Nakai, Hugh Nicoll, Sean Toland, Koki Tomita, & James
Underwood(submitted by various editors)
What your goals were in 2018
●
●
●
●
●

Produce two issues of ​Learning Learning​, get ​Learning Learning​ (LL) on a regular schedule
Bring into the editorial team new editors (Fumiko, Ken, Sean) for grant awardee reports andan editor (James) responsible for layout
Enjoy working collectively and collaboratively (so translators also respond as editors towriters’ texts - Chika, Koki, Tokiko, Yoshi), and with writers contributing to LL
Share the editing work across the editorial team in a positive and transparent way and learn
togetherDuring the year: Develop communication and understanding with grant awardees about
their writing for ​Learning Learning

What you / your team did in 2018
Learning Learning​ 2​ 5​(1) - 30 authors or so
Co-coordinators’ message (2 authors), In this issue (1 author), Dedication to Richard Silver, 5members’ voices (5 authors), 3 reflective articles (6 authors), 1 international conference grant report(1 author), 1 free spaces texts (1 author), 1 research review (1 author), 1 conference review (9authors), 1 book review (1 author), 3 get-together reports (3 authors), Preview of Video Voices at
ILA2018, Preview of LD Forum at JALT2018, Financial report, Writing for ​Learning Learning
Learning Learning 25​(2) - 30 authors or so
Co-coordinators’ message (2 authors), In this issue (1 author), In Memoriam for Naoko Aoki, 6

11​2018 Learner Development SIG Committee Review

members’ voices (6 authors), 3 short reflective articles (3 authors), 1 research grant report (1author), 3 free spaces texts (13 authors), 3 conference reviews (7 authors), 1 book review (1 author),
CCLT4 Call for Contributions, Preview of LD sessions at JALT2018, Financial report, Writing for
Learning Learning
Something that was satisfying
Tokiko: ​I noticed that the editing is a rewarding process not only for writers but for editors. Since
this was my first experience as an editor, I was not sure whether I was ready to do this but turned
out that reading and commenting to writings of others was a great learning opportunity for me.
Chika:​​ It was great that we could welcome some new members and collaborate with them especiallyfor Members’ Voices in such a friendly manner. I hope we can find some ways for the new/current
members to contribute to future issues of ​Learning Learning​ (LL) and continuously work with us as ateam (e.g. translators as the first step if they are interested in working as the LL team).
Daniel:​​ It was great that we were able collaboratively edit documents in real time, thanks to our use
of Google Docs. It was satisfying to collaboratively identify and resolve issues in an efficient manner.
Using a Google Group address (​lleditorialteam@googlegroups.com​) also helped our team to keepeach other informed about progress on each text in a transparent way. I think we learned a lot
together through using these Google tools.
Sean:​​ There is an old adage that ‘too many chefs spoil the broth’. While this is certainly true in mostcases, my experience working with the LL editorial team has been the opposite. It was satisfying forme to see the transformation of a piece of writing from first draft to the final published product.
Without question, the writers I worked with were able to improve the overall quality of their articles
by having multiple people provide them with constructive feedback. The editing process was
frequently symbiotic as I also learned a great deal working with various writers and the LL team.
Hugh:​​ Working with a number of writers, helping (I hope) develop their writing, and learning fromother editors – in essence – seeing or learning to see from other perspectives is a great benefit of
the collaborative process.
Something that was challenging
Ken:​​ It was the first time for me to participate in this LL editing committee. I was glad to have helpedout but crafting emails with appropriate consideration took much time and effort. To transmit
editorial ideas ‘top-down’ might be easier to those accustomed to working with authority (from thetop, impose; from down, acquiesce), so this sort of active engagement is taxing for those of us
unfamiliar but in the end rewarding. It was a hands-on learning experience that made me realize
how much internal compromise and self-reflection is actually required in us when we interact with
our learners.
Andy​​: For me a golden rule is initially to limit the number of comments that I make to an author’s
first draft. Something like 6 to 8 comments, ideally, which, with another editor responding to asimilar degree, would provide a writer with plenty of “points of engagement” with themselves andwith two editors for developing their writing further. It can take me a few readings to decide where
to respond and how. What has been challenging at times is to hold back from picking up on surface
points of concern and find a way to concentrate on what the writer is trying to communicate, andwhat deeper questions this is leading me to notice, or reflect on, as I read through. When I overdo
the number of comments, it’s usually because of time or my not attending deeply to the writer’s
voice or position.
Hugh:​​ I want first to respond to Ken (above), who wrote that top-down editing might be less taxing.
Yes, indeed -- that is, methinks, always the rub: collaborative or democratic processes take time –and learning how to give guidance in a supportive (educative) way is always a somewhat delicate

12​2018 Learner Development SIG Committee Review

dance. In ​ALL&T ​(2018), David Palfreyman quotes productivity/entrepreneurial writer Seth Godin:
URL: <[It’s easier to teach compliance than initiative | Seth’s Blog](​https://seths.blog/2010/02/its-easier-to-teach-compliance-than-initiative/​)>So our ongoing challenge is how to develop collaborative work processes, and somehow how tomanage our individual and collective time, so that managing the editing and proofing and publishingsteps is more satisfying. That said, detachment and good humor and understanding of each other is
one of those on-going challenges.
What you would like to do in 2019
Hugh:​​ I would like to stay involved both with the LDJ editing work and with Learning Learning, but
am interested in finding someone to take over the primary web editing work. Also hope – though
everyone seems a bit too over-extended these days – that we might revive the ​Talking Points Blog ​asan active aspect of the web site. After publishing two rather large issues of ​Learning Learning​ in our
25th anniversary year, it’d be great to use them as touchstones for engaged discussion of issues andpuzzles raised by the writers we are publishing.
Envisaged expenditures for 2019---

10. Learner Development Journal Steering Group ​- Tim Ashwell, Darren Elliott, Alison
Stewart(submitted by Tim Ashwell)First and foremost, we wanted to say a big “Thank you” to the Issue 2 editors (Masuko, Chika andPatrick) for the massive effort they have made to get Issue 2 ready. Also, our thanks to the Issue 3
editors (Jim, Yoshi and Christina) for all their hard work as Issue 3 enters the final year before
publication in November 2019. And a big thank you too to Sabine and Micelle for taking on Issue 4
which will be about the supervisor-supervisee relationship and will represent collaborative writing
between a pair of people who are still speaking to each other while or after working together inthese roles.
What your goals were in 2018
1. to help the Issue 2 editors through to publication in November 2018
2. to stay in touch with the Issue 3 editors and to see first drafts at the same stage as the Review
Network
3. to elicit proposals for Issue 4
4. to select an editorial team for Issue 4
What you / your team did 2018
● Issue 2: Between June and October, we acted as reviewers for the contributions to Issue 2.
● Issue 3: We met the editorial team on June 9th and talked through the production process.
● Issue 4: After the editorial team was decided, we Skyped with them and then we helped themdevelop the call for proposals which they put out in July.
Something that was satisfying● The discussion we had about the role of the Steering Group which Andy edited and which willappear in Learning Learning helped us to clarify a few things, to raise a few issues, and to try to13​2018 Learner Development SIG Committee Review
open up the discussion to the wider SIG membership.

Something that was challenging● The latter stages of the production process, as the editorial team move towards publication,
have presented challenges both for Issue 1 and Issue 2. We discussed having the Steering Groupsee first drafts so that they get to see each contribution at a much earlier stage in the process (ayear before publication, rather than 4 or 5 months as has been the case for Issues 1 and 2).
What you would like to do in 2019
1. We need to further clarify the role of the Steering Group, possibly expand its membership, andwork out a rolling program which would allow new people to join and older members to leave.
2. We need to clarify the relationship between the Steering Group and the Review Network.
3. We need to clarify exactly what kind of support we want the Review Network and the SteeringGroup to provide.
4. Manage the changeover from the present Wordpress Journal site to the JALT website.
Envisaged expenditures for 2019
None

11. Learner Development Journal
Issue 2 ​- Chika Hayashi, Masuko Miyahara, & Patrick Kiernan(submitted by Masuko Miyahara, Chika Hayashi, Patrick Kiernan)
The topic of the second issue is on the methodological issues surrounding qualitative research inlearner development. As teachers and researchers, we attempt to understand the complexities ofour students’ learning process from their perspectives, and we believe that qualitative researchoffers uniquely powerful ways to do so. This publication project was launched two years ago in
2017. Our very first step was to make the CfP in February 2017. We started the long journey with six
very interesting papers from novice and expert researchers from both Japan and abroad. The issue
concludes with commentaries from one of the leading scholars in qualitative studies, Professor Gary
Barkhuizen, University of Auckland.
The details of the editing process are as below. At present, we are in the final stages of
proofreading, and the second issue is expected to be published by the end of this year.
Topic & Title ​Qualitative Research into Learner Development: Issues and Challenges
Editors ​Chika Hayashi, Patrick Kiernan, Masuko Miyahara (in alphabetical order)
Contributors & the List of Contents
Methodological Complexities in Researching Learner Development: An Introduction ​Masuko
Miyahara, International Christian University, Patrick Kiernan, Meiji University, Chika Hayashi,
Seikei University
Researching the Relationship of Learner Emotion to Language Learning: Issues and Challenges,
Nicole Gallagher, Toyo University
Peering behind the Curtain: A Diary Study of Self-directed Learning and Motivation in ​Eikaiwa,
Daniel Hooper, Kanda University of International Studies

14​2018 Learner Development SIG Committee Review

The Dual Role of Advisors in Second Language Advisory Sessions: Exploring Advisor-Advisee Roles inEnglish Learning, ​Ryo Moriya, Waseda University (graduate student)
Exploring the Development of Learner Autonomy from a Postmodern and Social Constructivist
Perspective: Prioritizing Voices, ​Christine O’Leary, Sheffield Hallam University
Qualitative Research Methods in Second Language Learning: Review and Evaluation, ​Clare F. Kaneko,
Niigata University
Storytelling for Learning and Healing: Parallel Narrative Inquiries in Language Counselling, ​Fergal
Bradley & Leena Karlsson, University of Helsinki Language Centre
Ten Qualitative Research Dilemmas and What to do About Them, ​Gary Barkhuizen​, U​ niversity of
AucklandPublishing Schedule & General Description of the Editorial Process
Date

Actions

Additional Information

February 2017

Call for papers

March 2017Retreat at Seikei University, Tokyo

September 2017

First full draft

October 2017

First stage of the review process

Peer review with otherauthors.

January 2018

Second stage of the review process.

Peer review from the networkof reviewers.

March 2018

Review of the manuscript with theeditors

May 2018

Several rounds of editing

July, August 2018

Final paper

September 2018

Final review process with the membersof the Steering Committee.

October 2018

Revising & editing

November 2018

Finalization

December 2018

Publication

Writers stationed aboard, andthose who were not able toattend in person, participated
via skype.

We are at present ‘almost there’. It has been a long editorial process, but we were privileged to havethe opportunity to work with so many authors each with their unique research experience.

15​2018 Learner Development SIG Committee Review

Particularly, we would like to express our appreciation for their continued efforts in developing theirpapers. We, as editors (and as researchers and writers) have also learned a great deal from theprocess.

Issue 3 ​- (Christina Gkonou), Yoshio Nakai, & Jim Ronald(submitted by Jim Ronald)

The course of true love never did run smooth... but so far Issue 3 of The Learner Development
Journal has been as smooth as... something that's not very smooth!
We have reached the peer review stage, after two stages of co-author review and feedback (first for
the authors' proposals, then for the "rough first drafts"), and we are more or less on schedule. So far
it's been a great experience, challenging but rewarding, as we three co-editors work together withthe authors. This, too, has been an exercise in learner development.

12. Web Maintenance Team ​- Hugh Nicoll (main LD website), Darren Elliott (LD Journal
website)(submitted by Hugh Nicoll, Darren Elliott)

Hugh Nicoll (LD website)
What your goals were in 2018
My primary goal was to maintain the website and streamline – as much as possible – the updating
and publishing of ​Learning Learning.​ My other goal was to move the web site onto the jalt.org server
during this academic year. Ongoing problems for Paul Collett with the new membership database,which is tightly integrated into the whole of JALT’s IT presence led me to hold back.
What you / your team did 2018
The team -- such as it is -- Andy updating Tokyo Get-together pages, Kris Sullivan updating grants
pages in the background is great, though the web site has been mostly a solo effort since we moved
from the static site I built almost 20 years ago to Wordpress, now what (?) 4 or 5 years ago. Still
keeping the fires burning . . .
Something that was satisfying
Seeing two great issues of ​Learning Learning​ published in collaborative way in our 25th year.
Something that was challenging
Juggling my non-LD life, especially as a “retired” professor, with the challenges of writing, editing,and managing the ld-sig.org domain
What you would like to do in 2019
Help a team take over the main work of running the ld-sig.org site within the overall JALT site. I willcontact Paul Collett after the Shizuoka conference and agree upon a schedule for moving the site.
Envisaged expenditures for 2019
Not sure, but may need some technical help in moving the web site, so may need to contract with a
Wordpress guru for backing up our current database and moving to the jalt.org site. Compatibility

16​2018 Learner Development SIG Committee Review

issues having to do with changes in MySQL database architectures could prove to be a gotcha; don’t
want to lose our 25 year archive of ​Learning Learning​. Welcome help and support from those withmore experience of migrating Wordpress databases.

Darren Elliott ​(LD Journal website)
What your goals were in 2018 / What you / your team did 2018
After the initial construction of the site in 2017, there has been very little to do in 2018. Somelimited maintenance as team members changed, but that’s it. Still awaiting issue two, to upload
shortly I hope.
What you would like to do in 2019
The LD Journal site is currently housed as a temporary wordpress site in my own private suite ofsites. Once the LD main site has switched over to the JALT main server (which I believe is the plan)we can set up a more permanent, shared LD Journal site within that structure.

13. Hiroshima Get-Togethers ​- Jim Ronald(submitted by Jim Ronald)

Hiroshima's Learner Development Get-togethers have not happened for the past couple of years,
except through the offshoot of the Inter-University Scrabble Contest. Although the Get-Togethers
really were worth doing, my fear was that it tended to make busy people busier, and not reachenough new people that were not served by JALT chapter meetings. Then key members moved to
Okayama and Fukuoka, and others became busier with work, family, and JALT chapter duties. It
looks like I, too, may become programme chair for Hiroshima JALT, so while it looks like our local
get-togethers may not be happening any time soon, I hope that Hiroshima JALT may lean more
towards how the Learner Development SIG sees and does things.

14. Kansai Get-Togethers​​ - Agnes Patko(submitted by Agnes Patko)
What your goals were in 2018
Goal included organising regular get-togethers and holding a student conference. In addition, we
had previously talked about doing some joint research.
What you / your team did in 2018
We managed to organise a student conference at ILA 2018 with the help of the ILA organisingcommittee. This time, the application was open to high schools as well, and approximately half ofthe presenters were high school students. This year we gave a new title to the conference (Learners
about Learning) to better fit the theme of the main conference.
Sadly, there were no get-togethers organised this year, consequently, research plans have not been
put into action.
Something that was satisfying
The student conference was a huge success. For more details please see the review in Learning
Learning or SISAL.

17​2018 Learner Development SIG Committee Review

Something that was challenging
Making time for get-togethers was challenging. We did meet casually a few times and did say wewanted to meet at a get-together but then everybody was too busy with various other business, itnever came true and after a while I gave up.
What you would like to do in 2019
As I have been unable to function well as a get-together organiser, I would like to step down. I would
like to attend get-togethers on a bimonthly basis and I suppose it would fit members more thanmonthly meetings. As I haven`t seen the Kansai members for a long time, I don`t know what people
would like to do in 2019.
Envisaged expenditures for 2019???

15. Tokyo Get-Togethers ​- Andy Barfield, Ken Ikeda & Jeny Morgan(submitted by the three of us)

Tokyo get-together report
What your goals were in 2018
● Keep the get-togethers going and see whether there would be interest in CCLT4● Return (from April) to Otsuma Women’s University for holding the get-togethers● Provide various opportunities for members to co-create the GTs (a survey, etc.) and so
attract a more regular attendance and our monthly gatherings
What you/your team did 2018
We have organised get-togethers in: January (10 participants), February (9 participants), April (9participants), May (7 participants), June (8 participants), July (7 participants), September (8participants), October (12 participants), and we will be holding Creating Community: Learning
Together 4 on Sunday December 16. See ​http://ld-sig.org/2018-tokyo-get-togethers/​ for reports oneach get-together this year.
Something that was satisfying
Andy:​​ Welcoming back Ken and catching up with him and Jenny regularly through the year; talking
about my own LD practices and research into learners’ linguistic repertoires; listening to people’s
responses and questions; hearing about their own experiences and perspectives to do with their
linguistic repertoires.
Jenny: ​Meeting new and old members and hearing/learning about different learner development
issues, in particular creating relevant classroom materials that provide scaffolding for low
proficiency and/or demotivated learners. To this end, I created and published a textbook for a public
speaking class.
Ken: ​Getting reacquainted with familiar faces (being away one year) and getting to know new ones.
One session that stood out was a brainstorming session on what areas of research interest andpractice are covered in LD that generated a greater understanding of the breadth and interlinkingsof our SIG.
Something that was challenging

18​2018 Learner Development SIG Committee Review

Andy:​​ Staying enthusiastic in the face of ever-changing patterns of participation. Continuity ofparticipation is no longer a given with the get-togethers - but then again the October get-together
magically gained renewed momentum with the larger number of participants.
Jenny:​​ Maintaining motivation and positivity when numbers attending the get-togethers fluctuate
so much. Still, Tokyo LD remains my main ‘community of inspiration and professional support’ thank you!
Ken: ​Keeping attuned to changing room arrangements (my university has brought in two faculties
from its other campus) and keeping members informed. Concerned if it’s only me left to handle theTokyo get-togethers come April 2019, since my university duties will be much more burdensome
then.
What you would like to do in 2019
From discussions at the get-together in July there’s a frame emerging for doing the get-togethers ina different way for 2019. Andy and Jenny are stepping back from helping to organise theget-togethers, and Ken will be continuing. Without a few others to step forward to help Ken, thefeasibility of holding get-togethers will be greatly compromised, a great pity, given the convenient
location of the university and low room costs.
Envisaged expenditures for 2019
Going by costs for 2018, 40,000 JPY should cover room costs for regular get-togethers and CCLT5,
provided 30-40 teachers attend CCLT5.

16. Committee Members at large ​- Lee Arnold, Mathew Coomber, Dexter Da Silva, Ian
Hurrell, Bill Mboutsiadis, & Mike Nix

Please feel free to make any observations or comments about how the committee has been doing
this last year, and/or share recommendations or questions for the coming year.
Lee -​​ my greatest regret has been, since going off full-time work from the beginning of 2017, in not
being able to be as active as I had been before with LD. In assembling a part-time schedule, I have
had to work somewhat more irregular hours than a straight-ahead 9-5-type regime, and am
currently working six days a week. The “up” side has been some challenging work - I’m exploringareas of academic writing and presentation instruction more deeply than ever, and it’s shaping me
differently in terms of my teaching, to what I believe to be for the good. But the “down” side has
been a lot of planning and preparation in those areas I haven’t engaged in before, or at all, whichtake up a lot of my time. Hence, my relative inactivity with LD over the last eighteen months or so.
But as for LD itself, I have not failed to be impressed, as always, by the incredible energy andcommitment of those dedicated to the SIG. I’ve reviewed the activities above over the last year or soand have no complaint or contention with anything that’s been underway. Financially, things appear
to be managed in the way they should be and in terms of events and other action as such, the SIG
appears to be right where it needs to be - I don’t see how much more active we can be given what
the time commitment is already calling from people.
I suppose the sticking point, as always, is with membership. We seem to not be as large as we
used to be, though in terms of who is in the fray, we’re quite forcefully active and get ourselves out
there compared with the other SIGs.
So overall, I have nothing really to add that hasn’t already been said above. The only thing I cansay is my regret, again, in not being as active as I would like with the SIG.

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​2018 Learner Development SIG Committee Review

Dexter​​ - I too, like Lee, regret not being able to be as involved as I’d like to be. The reason is theSomething that was challenging​​ - I’ve been in my full-time job for almost three decades. It’s a small
university, so I’m now one of the real oldies, in fact, only the President has been there longer thanme. I’m expected to be involved in almost all aspects of the uni, and in charge of almost anything
related to English. It’s a very small uni. The result is continual learning and more and more
responsibilities. All very interesting and I receive appreciation for it, but it does challenge myself-regulation skills. We have been struggling, and are rebounding, so 2018 has been a year of new
responsibilities for a wide variety of committees, classes, programs, activities, and lots of weekend
activities. The regret is that it prevents me doing more of the things I really want to do outside of theuniversity.
Something that was satisfying
Two main things - participating in the ILA Conference in Kobe, and in one of the Tokyo
Get-togethers. Participation in LD SIG activities is always inspiring and full of learning.
2019 will be similar to 2018 for me, but I hope to be a little more involved.
Mike - ​I’ve also not been involved much in SIG activities this year, or for a few years now, and so
don’t feel very qualified to make comments about what the committee has been doing, but I would
like to thank everybody who has been so much more active than me for all their work. It’s great tosee the SIG still doing so much, with Learning Learning, including the recent issue, packed with
contributions, the Learner Development Journal making progress on it’s 2nd and 3rd issues andmaking important connections with people working on autonomy outside Japan, Get Togethers
continuing in different forms in Tokyo and elsewhere and the Creating Community conference
happening again in Tokyo, the various SIG forums at other conferences, and the work on
membership, grants and keeping the SIG website and lists in good shape. This year a success for me
was to get to a couple of get togethers in Tokyo and I’ll try to do more of that in the coming months,
though I don’t think I will be able to be much more active than that in the SIG over the coming year.
One admission I have to make is that I haven’t done anything about the Tohoku Outreach pages on
the SIG website. I said a while back (several years ago!) that I would set up some resources about
Rikuzentakata to complement the ​3.11 Looking Back​ site and to replace the aging ​Learning aboutreconstruction in Tohoku​ links. My apologies that I haven’t been able to do that and won’t have timeto in the foreseeable future.
Matthew​​ - I can only echo what the other members at large have said. I’ve had little direct
involvement in the LD SIG for several years now, but continue to be impressed by the hard work andenthusiasm of those members who take more hands-on roles in administering and developing the
SIG. It always seems to me that LD is one of the more active and innovative SIGs in the JALT family,
and I hope this will continue to be the case.
Ian​​ - After a very enjoyable and rewarding year of working with Jenny and Andy helping to organise
the LD get-togethers, it was not without some regret and sadness that I have taken a step back fromLD SIG activities this year. Starting a challenging new job, family obligations, house hunting, as wellas many other things, have left me with little time to give the SIG the commitment it deserves.
However, as things are starting to become more settled, I'm looking forward to getting more
involved with SIG activities and meeting up with everyone again hopefully in the next academic year.
It has been great to see that that there will be another CCLT conference this year, after a years

20​2018 Learner Development SIG Committee Review

hiatus. It was one of my biggest regrets as part of the get-together team that we could not hold
CCLT at Rikkyo last year. With its strong focus on being inclusive for both students and educators,
CCLT has always be a truly special and unique event, so I'm so happy to see it make a comeback! I'msure it will be a fantastic event!