JALT 2025 LiLT FORUM
Reimagining the Role of Literature in Language Teaching
The LiLT forum will address the role of literature in language learning, teaching, and assessment. The presenters will discuss new and innovative practices related to haiku, creative nonfiction, picture books, and born-digital literature. Audience members will be invited to discuss these ideas and ask questions. Please join us for a lively exchange of ideas.
Theorizing and Practicing Evocative Voice Pedagogy: Composing Haiku in the L2 Classroom
Iida, Atsushi. Aoyama Gakuin University.
Voice is one of the key concepts in second language (L2) writing. However, this concept seems to be unfamiliar to many Japanese EFL students. How can we teach voice in such a challenging context? In this presentation, I will address this issue by proposing a new pedagogical approach, ‘evocative voice pedagogy’ (Iida, 2025). I will also discuss how the task of composing haiku in English helps L2 writers to evoke, cultivate, and express their own voices in the target language.
Writing About Our Lives: Creating a Creative Nonfiction Component in a Japanese University EFL Creative Writing Course
Villanueva, Camilo. Nagoya City University.
There is a dearth of creative writing programs in Japanese universities (Madeen & Sugimoto, 2019). However, creative writing can be impactful for EFL students (Maloney, 2019). In this presentation, a new elective creative writing course for 45 Japanese EFL university students, with creative nonfiction being a central component, is described. In previous research, the presenter found that when students study creative nonfiction, they are able to reflect on their lives and discover new meaning. The results of that study will also be presented.
Promoting Sustainable Development Goals Through Wordless Picture Books
Kamata, Suzanne. Naruto University of Education.
The 2023 Agenda for Sustainable Development calls for climate action, an attention to life below water, and reduced inequality, among other things. Picture books can be used to spark interest in these topics in the English Language classroom. Although it may be difficult to find books in English at the appropriate level, learners can understand the stories in wordless picture books regardless of their literacy levels. Furthermore, the illustrations can inspire creative writing. This paper will introduce an in-class activity in which pre-service teachers constructed stories using wordless picture books to further promote cross cultural understanding and awareness of Sustainable Development Goals.
Digital Literature and Creative Writing: A Pedagogical Approach to Engagement and Creative Expression
Richings, Vicky. Hosei University.
Digitization has transformed how literature is created and consumed, presenting new challenges and opportunities for language education. This presentation illustrates an approach to teaching Japanese as a Foreign Language in which students engage with Japanese born-digital literature. A key aspect of the approach involves the use of such texts for creative writing purposes. The presentation will demonstrate how this approach fosters not only engagement and creative expression, but also language development.
LiLT Forum Chair: Mary Hillis