Archive: SECOND research bulletin (Winter 2023)

Welcome to the SECOND research bulletin from Dr.J (Joshua John Jodoin)

Winter 2023

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Welcome to my second research bulletin. 

The image above was taken this past weekend in the mountains above Kobe, Japan. The colours are stunning this time of year. We ventured out to the Kobe Arboretum (https://www.kobe-park.or.jp/shinrin/), which is an incredible place to see the diversity of forest life here in Japan. These outdoor adventures and the beauty of nature remind me of the important work we do as teachers around Environmental Education.

It has been another exciting and eventful year. I found myself starting a new contract at Kwansei Gakuin University this year as well as continuing a part-time gig at Konan university teaching an ESG (Environment, Social, and Governance) Project course. This course is brand new and looks at ESG as an investing tool shaping businesses and sustainable practices. I have also had several new publications around Education for Sustainable Development (LESD) and been invited to speak at several events. Information on publications can be found below.

One of the highlights this year was a trip to Bali to present at ICOLLEC 2023 (https://snifib.ub.ac.id/icollec/) in late October. It was a joyful event with presenters from Indonesia working on language education. The conference had a sustainability focus and I presented a keynote talk entitled, “Language Education for Sustainable Development (LESD): Finding the Powerful Synchronicity Between Language and Sustainability.” The talk is available in full using the Youtube link below. I was delighted to learn more about the teaching contexts in Indonesia, make lots of new connections with academics and teachers over there, and enjoy beautiful Bali.

I am also very proud of the work I did with Michael Griffiths, where we shared our Konan University SDG-Project with the Japan Association for Self-Access Learning It can be found as a free download here: (https://jasalorg.com/sustainable-development-goals-sdgs-projects-in-japanese-higher-education-creating-meaningful-sdgs-materials-for-self-access-learning-centers/). This offers an overview of a real-world, practical LESD project that was integrated into the self-access centers at Konan University. For those that may be interested, I would be happy to share any of the materials we used for the Project. This is something that can be broadly used in universities or high schools to teach about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

On another note, the COP28 just ended with an agreement signaling the end of fossil fuels. As many have already spoken about, I too was disappointed that there was not a stronger phrasing and timeline for getting off our addiction to fossil fuels (not to mention hosting the COP in an Petro State), but there is still is a lot to celebrate. These conferences offer a lot in terms of current events around the climate, climate justice, and the issues surrounding the politics of climate change for our classrooms. If you want to learn more, check out the link: https://unfccc.int/news/cop28-agreement-signals-beginning-of-the-end-of-the-fossil-fuel-era

Lastly, I have some exciting news to share. I will be joining Konan University as a tenured Associate Professor starting in April 2024. As a foreigner here in Japan, this is an incredible privilege and opportunity. I have stacks of rejection letters from other tenured positions I have applied for over the past 4 years, so this has been a challenging road. So, I am absolutely delighted to find a home at Konan University and begin the work of bringing Global Environmental Project courses to the Hirao School of Management (https://www.konan-cube.com/). This position will give me more stability here in Japan and an opportunity to spend more time working on my Language Education for Sustainable Development (LESD) book. Hopefully, I can get this out over the next couple of years!

If you find any of this valuable, please share with your colleagues and friends! I would also like to use this space to share other related research and events in future emails, so feel free to pass those along.

Sincerely, Dr.J

Dr. Jodoin’s research: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7905-2449 (email Dr. Jodoin for copies of any publications behind a paywall)

Sustainable Development Goals Information: https://sdgs.un.org/goals

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) information: http://www.env.go.jp/policy/entaku06_ref03_1.pdf

Jodoin, J. J., & Singer, J. (2018). An Analysis of Environmental Content Found in English-Language Textbooks in Japanese Higher Education Using a Corpus. The International Journal of Sustainability in Economic, Social and Cultural Context, 14(4), 39-55. https://doi.org/10.18848/2325-1115/CGP/v14i04/39-55

Jodoin, J. J. (2020) Promoting language education for sustainable development: a program effects case study in Japanese higher education. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 21(4), 779-798. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-09-2019-0258

Jodoin, J. J. (2022). Re-envisioning English Language Teaching in a Post-COVID World: Using Language Education for Sustainable Development. In R.Khan, A. Bashir, B. Lal Basu & E. Uddin (Eds) Local Research and Glocal Perspectives in English Language Teaching - Teaching in Changing Times. Springer.

Jodoin, J. J. (2023). Opportunities for English for Academic Purposes in a Post-Pandemic World through Language Education for Sustainable Development. In E. Kantarcıoğlu, H. Mengu, & C.Thomas (Eds) Life After the Pandemic: ReVision and ReForm in EAP Contexts. Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

If you find anything behind a paywall or want to know more, please send me an email or get in touch through the social sites.

Many thanks for taking the time to read and share. All the best to you and your families over the winter / New Years holidays 🎄. Keep up that important work of providing our students meaningful content in the language classroom!

Joshua Jodoin (Dr.J)