Two students from the Yamauchi Seminar in the Faculty of Education at our university successfully submitted and presented their research, which expanded on their graduation research, in English at the RELC International Conference 2023 held in Singapore.

This international conference is a large-scale event with participation from various Asian countries, including China, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. It was sponsored by publishers of internationally indexed journals in Scopus and took place from March 13th to March 15th, 2023. Many people gathered for the two students' presentations, and lively discussions and question-and-answer sessions were conducted in English, receiving a great response. As it is more common for university faculty members and graduate students to present at international conferences, the participation of undergraduate fourth-year students surprised many attendees and allowed Soka University to showcase its research to scholars from Asian countries.

The participating students expressed the following feedback:
・I presented my graduation research at the international conference held in Singapore, where I demonstrated the potential of shadowing practice in enhancing working memory, which is crucial for language acquisition, and overall English proficiency. It was a nerve-wracking experience to present in front of professors and researchers who specialize in foreign language learning and education from around the world, but it was also a valuable opportunity to receive diverse opinions and feedback. Successfully delivering the presentation in English also boosted my confidence. I am deeply grateful to Professor Yamauchi and my seminar colleagues who supported me in various ways leading up to the presentation. Starting this spring, I will be working as an English teacher at a public junior high school in Fukui Prefecture. Through the international conference, I have realized the importance of effectively improving students' English proficiency and deepening my research on foreign language education through practical implementation. I aspire to contribute to foreign language education as a teacher. I also hope to continue learning every day, including improving my own English skills, so that I can present at international conferences again in the future. (Akemi Kawashima 4th year)
・I had the opportunity to present my graduation research, which demonstrated the development of spontaneous speaking skills through English shadowing practice, at the international conference held in Singapore. The conference brought together researchers from around the world. Presenting in front of them allowed me to receive valuable feedback, and conducting the presentation and Q&A session in English boosted my confidence. It was a great experience to listen to various research presentations and learn a lot. I am truly grateful to Professor Yamauchi, who supported me from the research stage to the presentation, and to my fellow colleagues in the Yamauchi Seminar. Starting this spring, I will be working as an instructor primarily teaching English to young children at an international school. I hope to apply what I have learned from this conference to enhance children's English proficiency and convey the joy of learning English. Furthermore, I aspire to challenge myself with new research and aim to present at international conferences again in the future, going beyond my graduation research. (Yuna Ota 4th year)