UST - AJELS

Exploration—diving into new things—is the engine that drives innovation. In any competitive environment, there is always room for innovations and new things, and this ‘room’ prompts the need for change, technological innovation capability, and high productivity. In 2018, the editorial board of AJELS decided to upgrade the journal to digital mode, which is open-access from Volume 1 onward. This shift to becoming an open-access journal was made possible through UST’s unparalleled support, particularly through the assistance of the University Journal Affairs Committee (UJAC). Now, AJELS democratizes access to relevant research findings concerning applied linguistics and language education. As an open-access publication, it opens itself for greater access for society at large and potentially for greater public engagement with research. Further, because online publication is paperless, the bold decision the UST Department of English took to upgrade AJELS to a fully digital mode is a significant contribution to taking care of the environment.

It is also my pleasure to announce the addition of three new editorial consultants: Dr. Ariane Macalinga Borlongan of Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Tokyo, Japan; Dr. Shirley N. Dita of De La Salle University, Manila, The Philippines; and Dr. Aiden C. Yeh of Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. They are all well known in academic circles and will surely bring a wealth of experiences to AJELS.