Learning for change and action is now most commonly associated with action-oriented language instructions, through which students are encouraged not only to communicate through the language they are learning but also to practice citizenship for a democratic society using that language (Acar, 2019). While this approach has advocates in Japan (e.g. Hirose, 2022), it is most commonly associated with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), and it has a stronger root elsewhere in the world. This session introduces some of the most innovative, thought-provoking, or successful initiatives around the world. These examples are used as a springboard for the following discussion questions:

(1) What kinds of initiatives may be possible in Japan, in your institution, or in your own classroom? (2) What challenges do you anticipate? (3) What can we do to overcome these obstacles?

The discussion session may inspire novel ideas to be tried, lead to an open discussion of Japanese institutional and individual culture, and exchange various strategies that the audience members have tried in the past to start difficult initiatives.