Prof. Nobuyo Fukaya

Affiliation: Niigata Agro-Food University, Japan

Bio

Dr. Nobuyo Fukaya is a professor at Niigata Agro-Food University in Niigata, Japan. She previously served as a lecturer at Shibaura Institute of Technology in Tokyo. She earned her Ph.D. from Tsuda University, Japan.

Her research interests include first and second language acquisition, information structure, and discourse-pragmatic development in English. She has published studies on language acquisition using corpus-based approaches, including research on English wh-questions and dative alternation in both L1 English-speaking children and Japanese EFL learners. She is also exploring linguistic approaches to food perception and taste evaluation, examining how people describe and communicate their experiences of food.

Title

From Pronoun Frequency to Discourse Reference: Evidence from Japanese and Chinese EFL Learners

ABSTRACT

Given-before-New principle, which states that given information tends to precede new information, is observed in the English dative alternation. However, based on a corpus-based analysis, Fukaya (2026) found that Japanese English as a foreign language (EFL) students tend to follow this principle in double object constructions but tend to violate it in prepositional-dative constructions. By contrast, Zhang and Kang (2023), who investigated Chinese EFL learners’ use of the English dative alternation, established that the principle played a more prominent role in prepositional-dative constructions. This raises the question of whether Japanese and Chinese EFL learners differ in their use of personal pronouns in constructions beyond the dative alternation.

This study investigates third person-plural pronouns they and them used by Japanese and Chinese EFL learners in the International Corpus Network of Asian Learners of English and compares the frequency with that of native English speakers. A clear difference was observed between the two learner groups in the developmental patterns of them across CEFR proficiency levels. Japanese EFL learners used them much less frequently than native English speakers at all proficiency levels, whereas Chinese EFL learners displayed a gradual increase in frequency, with their use exceeding that of native English speakers at B2+. Why was such a difference observed? Accordingly, the study examined how many times the same discourse referent was referred to when them was used. The discourse-level analysis revealed that Chinese learners used them at later positions in referential chains more frequently at higher proficiency levels, whereas Japanese learners’ use remained concentrated on first and second mentions. These findings highlight the importance of addressing L2 pronoun use at both the sentence and discourse levels in English language teaching

Dr. Regan Lipes

Affiliation: MacEwan University, Canada

Bio

Dr. Regan Lipes is an Assistant Professor in the Department of English, at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Canada. She specializes in Comparative Literature with a focus on the diverse Jewish world. Dr. Lipes holds a BA inf Russian Language and Literature, an MA in Slavic Languages and Literatures, and a PhD in Comparative Literature. She was the 2019 Faculty Fellowship at the Auschwitz Jewish Centre in Oswiecim, Poland in partnership with the Museum of Jewish Heritage: A Living Memorial to the Holocaust in New York. Dr. Lipes was the 2024 recipient of the Sessional Excellence Teaching Award at MacEwan University. She is delighted to return to Tokyo, where she spent much of her childhood. Her grandfather was the founder and the original editor and chief of the Tokyo Weekender, an English-language expatriate newspaper celebrated throughout Japan. Dr. Lipes has followed this path as a side hobby and is a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter with the Alberta Jewish News. 

TITLE

Japan's Conception of Jewishness: A Unique Cultural Environment Where Antisemitism Never Flourished

ABSTRACT

The global attitudes towards Jews and Israel have become so hateful and violent, that it is necessary to consider how antisemitism takes root and what social and cultural conditions allow it to flourish. Japan presents a distinctive case for a comparative study of antisemitism and the cultural construction of Jewish identity or Jewish-ness. Unlike many European societies, where centuries of religious antagonism, social ostracization, and political scapegoating established deeply rooted traditions of anti-Jewish prejudice, Japan developed its understanding of Jews largely in the context of modernization, international engagement, and the selective reception of Western ideas. The limited historical presence of Jewish communities in Japan after the 19th century, together with the absence of an indigenous tradition of Christian anti-Judaism, created a cultural environment in which perceptions of Jewish-ness evolved along a different historical trajectory. My work examines the origins, transformations, and distinctive characteristics of Japanese conceptions of Jews, asking why antisemitism, despite periodically appearing in Japanese intellectual and political discourse, did not develop into a sustained, hate fueled social movement comparable to those found across Europe, and North America.

My analysis first considers the emergence of Japanese awareness of Jews during the Meiji period (1868–1912), when encounters with Western literature, religious thought, and political discourse introduced competing images of Jewish identity. Jews came to be understood not primarily through direct social interaction, but through representations that associated them with commercial acumen, financial influence, and modernity. These imported initial images provided the foundations for both admiration and suspicion, illustrating how philosemitism and antisemitism could coexist within the same cultural framework. Even while allied with Nazi Germany, Japanese officials consistently rejected the antisemitic attitudes of their compatriots. While orchestrating their own murderous campaigns throughout Asia, Japan’s society never adopted mainstream antisemitic attitudes.

This examination explores the postwar and contemporary periods, when representations of Jews increasingly became entangled with popular publishing, economic success, international relations, and narratives of national self-understanding. Japanese interest in Jewish history and culture has frequently been accompanied by idealized or instrumentalized images of Jewish intelligence, solidarity, and economic achievement. Such representations may appear positive, yet they can reproduce essentialist assumptions and provide fertile ground for conspiracy theories.

Ultimately, this paper argues that Japan's experience invites a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between cultural distance, historical memory, and antisemitism. Rather than treating Japan as an exceptional society entirely untouched by anti-Jewish prejudice, it investigates the conditions under which antisemitic ideas remained comparatively marginal while philosemitic fascination and stereotypical representations persisted. Japan remains a safe and welcoming place for world Jewry and Israelis to travel, and in an increasingly hostile divisive world, this is significant. By examining the Japanese conception of Jewish-ness as a historically contingent cultural construction, my work contributes to broader debates about the diverse manifestations of antisemitism globally, to consider what is unique about Japanese society that has managed to keep the malignancy of antisemitism from taking hold. 

Dr. Siu-Lun Lee

Affiliation: The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

Bio

Siu-lun Lee is Principal Lecturer at the Yale-China Chinese Language Academy, the Centre for China Studies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. As an experienced educator and administrator of Chinese language programmes at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, he has played a key role in developing and managing language curricula. Siu-lun Lee is a trained linguist with extensive involvement in linguistic and pedagogical research. His academic interests include applied linguistics, Cantonese studies, Chinese linguistics, multilingualism, sociolinguistics, and language teaching pedagogy. He has co-authored several scholarly articles, including A socio-historical approach to multilingualism in Hong Kong (2020), Linguistic landscapes and language contact (2020), Societal multilingualism in Hong Kong (2020), and Researching Hong Kong’s multilingual landscape (2025).

His research on language teaching pedagogy has been published in indexed journals. His contributions include studies such as Revisiting role-playing activities in foreign language teaching and learning (2015), E-Learning readiness in language learning (2016), Modular approaches in e-learning design (2018), Aligning peer tutoring systems in language education (2024), and Positioning pop songs in the Chinese language education curriculum (2026). His contributions to Cantonese education include the publication of Modern Cantonese (Volumes 1–3, Routledge, 2023) and The Learning and Teaching of Cantonese as a Second Language (Routledge, 2023).

TITLE

Language Education in the AI Era: Opportunities and Future Directions

ABSTRACT

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming language education by reshaping how languages are taught, learned, and assessed. From AI-powered feedback and adaptive learning systems to large language models that support communication, language educators are encountering new possibilities and challenges. This presentation examines the impact of AI on language pedagogy, learner development, assessment practices, and teacher roles. Drawing on recent research, it highlights the potential of AI to enhance learning while emphasising the importance of AI literacy, critical thinking, ethical awareness, and human-centred pedagogy. The presentation concludes by proposing strategies for integrating AI responsibly into language education to prepare learners for an increasingly digital and multilingual world.

Asst. Prof. Hambalee Jehma

Affiliation: Prince of Songkla University, Thailand

Bio

Dr. Hambalee Jehma is a distinguished academic and administrator at Prince of Songkla University International College, Hatyai Campus, Thailand, where she currently serves as Assistant Professor and Head of General Education (University International Program). He holds a Ph.D. in Policy and Leadership in Higher Education from Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. He is also a UKPSF (Advance HE) Senior Fellow. Dr. Jehma's research interests encompass educational leadership in ELT, policy and management in higher education, media and technology in teaching and learning, and autonomous learning, with particular expertise in Second Life, virtual reality, mobile-assisted language learning, and AI integration in education. His administrative leadership is extensive, having served as Assistant Dean for Academic Service and Special Affairs, Assistant Dean for Research Innovation and Academic Service, and Assistant Director for Student Affairs, where he has managed international collaborations with universities across the UK, Germany, South Korea, Taiwan, China, Malaysia, Brunei, Bahrain, and Indonesia.

A prolific scholar, Dr. Jehma has published extensively in leading international journals, with recent work appearing in the International Journal of Interdisciplinary Educational Studies, REFLECTIONS, and the LEARN Journal. He has been honored with multiple awards, including the PSU Model Lecturer Award, the 100-Year Anniversary Chulalongkorn University Scholar Award, and the Distinguished Scholar Award from SEAMEO RELC, Singapore. His innovative contributions to hybrid learning, virtual feedback, and English language pedagogy continue to shape contemporary educational practices.

TITLE

From Acceptance to Agency: Developing and Testing the AIALL–Agency Integration Model among University Students in ASEAN

ABSTRACT

This study develops and tests the AIALL–Agency Integration Model (AAIM), synthesising the OECD/European Commission AI Literacy Framework with Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory and self-determination theory. It explains how university students in three ASEAN countries develop agentic, critical, and ethical uses of AI-assisted language learning (AIALL).

An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was used. The quantitative phase surveyed 600 university students in Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam using validated scales of AI literacy, autonomous motivation, and self-regulated AIALL use; data were analysed with structural equation modelling and multi-group invariance testing. The qualitative phase involved semi-structured interviews with 30 purposively selected students, analysed through reflexive thematic analysis.

AI literacy significantly predicted autonomous motivation (β = .44, p < .001) and self-regulated AIALL use (β = .52, p < .001). The four AI literacy domains formed a hierarchical structure: Engage → Create → Manage → Shape. Vietnamese students scored higher than Indonesian students on Manage (β = .15, p < .001) and Shape (β = .12, p < .001). Qualitative analysis revealed three themes: efficiency and integrity, scaffolding and dependency, and cultural mediation.

The AAIM offers a portable, culturally grounded alternative to technology acceptance models, reframing AIALL as developmental, motivational, and ethical. It provides a diagnostic framework for educators and policymakers designing AIALL environments that foster learner agency rather than dependency and contributes the first comparative mixed-methods evidence on AIALL and AI literacy among ASEAN university students. Limitations include the focus on three ASEAN countries and language-learning contexts; generalisability requires further validation.

Dr. Huameng Yang

Affiliation: Tsinghua University, China

Bio

Dr. Huameng Yang is an Assistant Research Fellow at the School of Humanities, Tsinghua University, China. She earned her Ph.D. in linguistics from Tsinghua University and an M.Phil. in education from the University of Cambridge. Her research interests include language education, sociolinguistics, discourse analysis, and digital humanities. She is also a member of the Intelligent Laboratory for Chinese Traditional Culture at Tsinghua University, where she is currently involved in the construction of a thematic digital humanities database on Dream of the Red Chamber, with a particular focus on the analysis of emotional expression in classical Chinese literature.

TITLE

Interpreting Language and Narrative across Texts: Digital Methods in Media and Literary Studies

ABSTRACT

Recent advances in digital methods have opened new possibilities for analyzing large-scale textual data and exploring patterns of language, narrative, and meaning. This presentation examines how digital approaches can support textual analysis across different genres, drawing on two projects.

The first project investigates how global development narratives are constructed across English-language news media in four different countries. Combining topic modeling with intertextuality analysis, the study identifies cross-national variations in thematic organization, textual references, and narrative framing. The findings demonstrate how combining digital analysis and qualitative interpretation can reveal recurring patterns and distinctive narrative configurations in large-scale media corpora.

The second project focuses on the development of a specialized database for Dream of the Red Chamber. Designed to facilitate research beyond conventional textual browsing and keyword searches, the database integrates image, text, and scholarly resources. It employs large language models in collaboration with human annotation to structure information about characters, locations, events, relationships, and other textual elements, enabling systematic retrieval, analysis, and visualization.

Together, these projects illustrate complementary approaches to studying different types of texts, from contemporary media narratives to classical Chinese literature. They highlight the potential of digital methods to identify textual patterns, organize complex textual information, and support contextualized interpretation while accommodating the distinctive analytical needs of different genres.