Yesterday, I attended the Fukuoka JALT – Busan-Gyeongsang-Daegu KOTESOL Joint Symposium hosted at Seinan Gakuin University. Under the theme of Collaboration Across Borders, it was a great day of professional sharing, insightful presentations, and connecting with colleagues from across Japan and Korea. Some of the highlights for me included:

Education Policy in Japan: Dr. Sunao Fukunaga’s plenary session offered a fascinating look at how MEXT English education policy plays out across different public high schools. It really drove home how different a policy looks in theory compared to how it actually plays out in practice.

Video Haikus: Ashley Ford-Mihashi’s presentation on using “Video Haiku” (5–7–5 second video structures) as part of the Reel Voices short film challenge demonstrated an engaging way to integrate visual digital composition with creative language production.

NNEST Legitimacy in Korea: Meerbek Kudaibergenov’s session on Non-Native English Speaking Teachers (NNESTs) in South Korea highlighted the systemic challenges and visa regulations prioritizing nationality over qualification. It was a candid and eye-opening discussion on identity, power, and hiring policies in ELT.

After the presentations concluded, we gathered at Nishijin Houten Shokudo for dinner to relax, catch up, and continue our conversations over good food.

A big thank you to the Fukuoka JALT and KOTESOL teams for organizing such a valuable cross-border event!