 | We are delighted to celebrate the publication of Artificial Intelligence in Japan’s Language Learning Classrooms, edited by Robert Dykes, Oliver Edwards, Dave Bollen, and Tina Shu-wen Lin. Released on June 8, 2026, the volume is the ninth title in the Life and Education in Japan series, edited by Dr. Melodie Cook and Dr. Anne McLellan Howard. The Life and Education in Japan series showcases the work of scholars and professionals living and working in Japan, highlighting both the opportunities and challenges of educational and professional life in this unique context. As artificial intelligence rapidly transforms teaching, learning, and communication worldwide, this timely volume explores how these developments are playing out specifically within Japanese language education. |
Bringing together researchers and practitioners from across Japan, Artificial Intelligence in Japan’s Language Learning Classrooms moves beyond simplistic “pro-AI” or “anti-AI” positions. Instead, the contributors offer thoughtful and evidence-based perspectives on how generative AI is reshaping language learning, teaching, assessment, feedback, motivation, and institutional policy. Alongside practical classroom applications, the volume engages with important questions surrounding ethics, bias, academic integrity, equity, and the evolving roles of teachers and learners.
To mark the publication, we were pleased to participate in an online launch event hosted by the JALTCALL Special Interest Group and the JALTCALL Podcast Team. The event brought together editors, authors, and readers from across the language education community for a lively discussion of the book’s themes and findings.
Representing the volume were editors Oliver Edwards, Robert Dykes, and Dave Bollen, who introduced the book and discussed the motivations behind the project. Several chapter authors also joined the event to share insights from their contributions, including Robert Swier (Chapter 1, The End of Second Language Acquisition?), Kayoko Horai (Chapter 2, Corrective Feedback in the Age of AI), Ashton E. Dawes (Chapter 3, Generative AI as a Writing Feedback Companion: Practice, Efficacy, and Student Beliefs), Michiyo Oda (Chapter 8, Exploring the Impact of AI on Motivation for EFL Learning), Steven MacWhinnie (Chapter 10, Student Perceptions of AI Chatbots in Language Learning Classrooms in Japan), and Anthony Brian Gallagher (Chapter 11, Navigating AI Ethics in Japanese Higher Education). Robert Dykes also reflected on the volume’s key messages in his concluding chapter, Mediating the Future of AI in Language Education.
As the publisher, I was pleased to join the discussion to introduce the book, explain how readers can obtain copies, and share some reflections on how useful I have already found the volume in my own teaching and professional practice. One of the strengths of the collection is its balanced approach: rather than presenting AI as either a solution or a threat, the authors explore the complex realities of integrating emerging technologies into language education.
The event also included a book giveaway, with Dr. Diego Mideros winning a complimentary copy, and all attendees received a special 20% discount coupon for our online store.
If you missed the launch, you can still listen to the full discussion through the JALTCALL Podcast. We are grateful to the JALTCALL community for hosting such an engaging event and for creating a space where educators can critically examine the opportunities and challenges presented by AI.
The conversation will continue this week at the JALTCALL 2026 Conference at Konan University in Nishinomiya (June 12–14). Many of the editors, authors, and the publisher are attending. Fittingly, this year’s conference theme, “Prevail or Fail?”, invites participants to explore how AI, technology, and pedagogical innovation are reshaping language education and what this means for the future of our profession.
We congratulate the editors and contributors on this important publication and look forward to the discussions, research, and innovations it will inspire in the years ahead.
Useful links:
To mark the publication, we were pleased to participate in an online launch event hosted by the JALTCALL Special Interest Group and the JALTCALL Podcast Team. The event brought together editors, authors, and readers from across the language education community for a lively discussion of the book’s themes and findings.
Representing the volume were editors Oliver Edwards, Robert Dykes, and Dave Bollen, who introduced the book and discussed the motivations behind the project. Several chapter authors also joined the event to share insights from their contributions, including Robert Swier (Chapter 1, The End of Second Language Acquisition?), Kayoko Horai (Chapter 2, Corrective Feedback in the Age of AI), Ashton E. Dawes (Chapter 3, Generative AI as a Writing Feedback Companion: Practice, Efficacy, and Student Beliefs), Michiyo Oda (Chapter 8, Exploring the Impact of AI on Motivation for EFL Learning), Steven MacWhinnie (Chapter 10, Student Perceptions of AI Chatbots in Language Learning Classrooms in Japan), and Anthony Brian Gallagher (Chapter 11, Navigating AI Ethics in Japanese Higher Education). Robert Dykes also reflected on the volume’s key messages in his concluding chapter, Mediating the Future of AI in Language Education.
As the publisher, I was pleased to join the discussion to introduce the book, explain how readers can obtain copies, and share some reflections on how useful I have already found the volume in my own teaching and professional practice. One of the strengths of the collection is its balanced approach: rather than presenting AI as either a solution or a threat, the authors explore the complex realities of integrating emerging technologies into language education.
The event also included a book giveaway, with Dr. Diego Mideros winning a complimentary copy, and all attendees received a special 20% discount coupon for our online store.
If you missed the launch, you can still listen to the full discussion through the JALTCALL Podcast. We are grateful to the JALTCALL community for hosting such an engaging event and for creating a space where educators can critically examine the opportunities and challenges presented by AI.
The conversation will continue this week at the JALTCALL 2026 Conference at Konan University in Nishinomiya (June 12–14). Many of the editors, authors, and the publisher are attending. Fittingly, this year’s conference theme, “Prevail or Fail?”, invites participants to explore how AI, technology, and pedagogical innovation are reshaping language education and what this means for the future of our profession.
We congratulate the editors and contributors on this important publication and look forward to the discussions, research, and innovations it will inspire in the years ahead.
Useful links:
