Last weekend, I joined language teachers from all over Japan at Shizuoka for the annual International JALT conference. It felt good to have the opportunity to give a presentation on my recently published research on motivating children to do extensive reading. Seeing so many of my fellow teachers of children in the audience was very encouraging!

This conference was very special to me because two friends were plenary speakers. Dr. Avril Hayes Matsui gave a wonderful presentation about how diversity in the EFL field benefits us all and Janina Tubby shared the innovative programs that go on at KOBILS, a school she owns in Kobe.

The world has been changing so quickly, so I feel an even stronger need to attend conferences like these and learn about the latest trends in education from my colleagues. COVID forced the JALT conferences to undergo many changes, and many of us worried that the experience would never be the same again. However, I was happy to feel the energy return and everyone seemed so grateful to be there and share their ideas.