This hybrid mini conference co-sponsored by JALT’s Mind, Brain, and Education SIG along the Lifelong Language Learning SIG will bring you 6 distinguished speakers for a full day of engaging content, community-building, and constructive collaboration around the topic of how the neurosciences can inform language teaching and learning throughout the lifespan.
Date & Time: July 18, 2026 (Saturday); 9:30 AM – 5 PM
Location: Room 15-306 (3rd Floor of Goucher Building [#15] on the Aoyama Gakuin University Campus.
Participation through Zoom is also possible if you RSVP through this form: https://forms.gle/7SAa7mVNWsBDibtHA
The presenters will include:
10:00–10:45 — Talk 1: Amanda Gillis-Furutaka: Aging Body and Brain Connections: What Do We Know and What Can We Do Better in Old Age?
10:55–12:25 — Plenary: Curtis Kelly: Why Adults Must Be Taught Differently
13:20–14:05 — Talk 3: Chiyuki Yanase: Breathe, Move, Thrive: Using Yoga-Based Mindfulness Activities to Foster Emotional Regulation and Resilience in Young Learners
14:15–15:00 — Talk 4: Mariana Oana Senda: Speaking Beyond the Lesson: Using Small-Group Video Projects to Support Lifefong Language Learning
15:10–15:55 — Talk 5: Colin Thompson: The Brain and Language
16:05–16:50 — Talk 6: Peggy Thoma: Building a C.A.S.T.L.E: Connections and Safety in Teaching and Learning Environments
View Conference Program at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1olVZnZfDunFYm4LSvw0A5psunYx4JFbf/view?usp=sharing .
These maps show how to access the campus–from either Omotesando Station (on the Ginza, Chiyoda, and Hanzomon Lines) or from JR Shibuya Station (from the Yamanote Line, Fukutoshin Line, and many others)–and how to find Building 15 (AKA Goucher Memorial Hall) after you enter the campus through the Main Gate.
