Language Learning and Educational Linguistics 2017-2018
言語学習と教育言語学 2017 年度版

Evaluation of a Joint Japanese-Filipino Collaborative CMC Programme
Sandra Healy† Yasushi Tsubota† Yumiko Kudo‡ Monte Balistoy‡†Kyoto Institute of Technology Hashikamicho, Matsugasaki, Sakyo- ku, Kyoto, 606-8585 Japan‡QQ English Nishishinjuku 1-11-11, Shinjuku-ku,Tokyo, 606-8501 Japan
E-mail: †{healy, tsubota-yasushi}@kit.ac.jp, ‡kudo_yumiko@qqeng.com
Abstract This study reviews a collaborative project between an English language company based in thePhilippines and a university in western Japan. Forty first-year undergraduate university students engaged
in four synchronous, online, computer-mediated sessions over the course of one semester. The objectives
were to reduce language anxiety, improve motivation, increase confidence in verbal skills, reduce theamount of silence in the classroom and increase the amount of time students were responsible forinteraction.
キーワード テレコラボレーション，Skype，ルーブリック，英語プレゼンテーション

日本とフィリピンとの CMC プログラムの評価の検討―大学の英語授業での実践を対象として―

Sandra Healy† 坪田 康† 工藤 由美子‡ Monte Balistoy‡†京都工芸繊維大学 〒606-8585 京都市左京区松ヶ崎橋上町‡株式会社 QQ English 〒160-0023 東京都新宿区西新宿 1-11-11 河野ビル 6F
E-mail: †{healy, tsubota-yasushi}@kit.ac.jp, ‡kudo_yumiko@qqeng.com
あらまし 本研究はフィリピンに拠点を置く英会話学校と西日本にある大学との共同プロジェクトである。外国語不安を減らし、口頭コミュニケーションスキルに対して自信をつけ、動機づけを向上することを目的として、同期型のコンピュータ・メディア・コミュニケーション（Computer-mediated communication, CMC)のセッションを学期中に合計 4 回実施し、40 名の学部 1 回生が参加した。
Keywords Telecollaboration, Skype, Rubric, English Presentation

1. Introduction
The prevailing view of Japanese students’language abilities is negative, with a general belief
amongst the public and academics that language
education in Japan is ineffective [1]. In light ofthese opinions, and the increased importance of
globalization, the Japanese government has beenencouraging students to develop higher-level skills
to compete and cooperate internationally. For
example, the Project for Promotion of Global
Human Resource Development stated its aims
were, “to foster human resources who canpositively meet the challenges and succeed in the
global field, as the basis for improving Japan’s

global competitiveness and enhancing the ties
between nations” [2]. To accomplish this, thegovernment promotes the development oflanguage skills and advanced linguistic activities,
like debates and classroom presentations.
This new focus on English as a Lingua Franca(ELF) increases the onus on the learner to engage
practically with others, in turn, generating newchallenges in motivation and language-learning
skills and anxiety.
2. Literature Review
Recentresearchonlanguage-learning
motivation has focused on the “ideal L2 self” andSandra Healy, Yasushi Tsubota, Yumiko Kudo and Monte Balistoy, ”Evaluation of a Joint Japanese-Filipino Collaborative CMC Programme,“
言語学習と教育言語学 2017 年度版, pp.77-83,日本英語育学会編集委員会編集,早稲田大学情報教育研究所発行, 2018 年 3 月 31 日.
Copyright © 2017 by Sandra Healy, Yasushi Tsubota, Yumiko Kudo and Monte Balistoy. All rights reserved.

its impact on motivation. [3] describes the “ideal
L2 self” as a powerful motivator, because mostlearners would like to reduce discrepancies
between their ‘present self’ and their “ideal L2
self.” [4] expands on this idea, saying students
must develop a vivid idea of their L2 selves:“possible selves need to be something you cantouch and feel, or that you are afraid of.” (p.9) [4]found a significant difference in levels of bothinternational posture and willingness tocommunicate, when comparing students engaged
in an actual L2 community—in this case, studying
abroad—and students who did not.
[5] coined the term “international posture” todescribe the stance that Japanese students taketowards English. Instead of aiming to integrate or
assimilate into the target language community,
Japanese learners view English as a way tointeract with the rest of the world. In Yashima’s
study students who were interested in othercultures and enthusiastic about learning English
were shown to hold international posture which inturn proved to be a strong factor in their
willingness to communicate and motivation.
[6] define foreign-language anxiety as, "adistinct complex of self-perceptions, beliefs,
feelings and behaviors, related to classroom
language learning, arising from the uniqueness of
the language learning process." Anxiety may also
be associated with Communication Apprehension(CA), fear and avoidance of interaction, fear ofnegative evaluation, worry about other peoples'
opinions and evaluations, and an expectation ofnegative evaluation [7]. In addition, [6] describe
student discomfort at the disparity between highlevel thinking skills and low-level linguistic skills.
This disparity, and accompanying uncomfortablefeelings, may result in students who are unwillingto communicate and exhibit a lack of motivation.
[8] explored the nature of silence in the second
language classrooms of Japanese universities
using quantitative methods and dynamic systems
theory and found that silence was a “semipermanent attractor state” (p.325) with students
being “responsible for less than one per cent ofinitiated talk within their classes, while over a fifthof all class time observed was characterized by nooral participation by any participants, staff, or
students alike.” [9] describes attractor states as
either internally or externally created states whichpull students towards certain kinds of behavior,such as silence, and if this behavior becomes
entrenched it requires a significant amount ofenergy to change it so that students will talk.
Much research has been undertaken on theimpact of computer-mediated communication(CMC) in language learning. CMC can benefit
EFL students who often lack opportunities tointeract with native speakers, [10]. [11] suggested
the use of CMC increased learners’ motivation
and reduced their language anxiety. [12] foundthat CMC facilitates second language learning andin particular synchronous video work can improvemeaning negotiation.
Different CMC environments for example
Skype, Facebook, YouTube and MSN havedifferent features and emphasize different skills
that language teachers can utilize. Skype provides
audio, video and text modes. [13] describes Skypeas a “disruptive technology” that allows us toundertake familiar tasks in new ways (p.9)
especially related to oral communication. [14]found that synchronous communication on Skypeprovides an environment very similar to face-toface interaction.
3. Objectives
The objectives of this research were to reducelevels of foreign language anxiety that students
experience in the second language classroom inJapan, improve motivation, increase confidence inverbal skills. Secondly, by changing the classroom
environment and the mode of communication we
hoped to alter the perception of silence being thenorm in language classrooms and create a newcontext in which the learners became more active
participants and were responsible for a larger
proportion of the classroom interaction
simultaneously reducing the amount of silence inthe classroom and increasing the amount of time
students were responsible for interaction.
4. ParticipantsThis online collaboration with Filipino teachers
involved 40 first-year chemistry undergraduates at
Kyoto Institute of Technology, a national
university in Japan. There were two classes oftwenty students, with three female students
enrolled in each class, and one student from either

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China or Malaysia. The Skype teachers were allfrom the Philippines.

responsible for developing questions for thepresenter.
At the beginning of each session, students
greeted the Filipino teacher, made small talk, andthen began five-minute presentations. Presentersused an informal presentation style, followed by
two minutes of feedback and questions by theFilipino teacher, and two minutes of questions anddiscussion with other students, totaling nine
minutes. Each group was allotted one hour, so
there was usually plenty of time for everyone totake a turn, and some time left over for a groupchat with the teacher.

5. Procedure
The four synchronous, online, computermediated sessions occurred during the second
semester of the academic year. Students andteachers in Japan had been working together since
the beginning of the first semester, so knew eachother well. Since Japanese academic semesters run
for four months each, one was scheduled session
per month in October, November, December, andJanuary.
In October, students were given all theinformation regarding each session, including
topics covered. The students were assigned
randomly to groups which remained the same for
all four of the Skype sessions. During the classtimes when students were preparing and practicing
for the Skype sessions they changed out of their
Skype groups and worked with other people. The
teachers changed groups for each Skype session.
Prior to each Skype session, students reviewed
the topic, brainstormed a theme, and shared ideas,
each student choosing a different aspect of the
topic to study. For the session on Japanese culture,
the students used Glocal Studies [3] developed at
Kyoto University to help Japanese students
explain Japanese culture in English. For example,
when discussing Filipino life, one group of
students chose “Industry in the Philippines,” anddifferent members of the group shared information
uncovered about agriculture, fishing, electronics,
shipping and tourism. As homework, they
researched and prepared a script, and thefollowing week, practiced in groups, timing eachother and critiquing presentations. In the final
week, they undertook the sessions in theirdesignated Skype groups.

Session topics, in order, were:・Self-introduction, describing the students’ lives
since entering university
・Japanese culture
・Filipino-culture; and・A freely chosen topic
The progression of topics, by design, increasedin level of difficulty. In the first two sessions, thestudents were put in the role of “expert,” but in thethird, roles were reversed, since the teachers were
“experts” on Filipino culture. The complexity of
the fourth session depended on the topic chosen.
After each individual session, students wereasked to complete evaluation questionnaires
during the sessions about themselves, concerning
their performance, as well as other students’. The
Filipino teachers gave immediate, verbal feedback
to students following their presentations,commenting on positive aspects and advising on
areas that needed work. They also provided
written feedback on the sessions to the Japaneseteachers, describing problems encountered,positive results, and whether or not students were
improving.
7. Analysis

6. The Sessions[15] use the focused essay technique toinvestigate students’ willingness to communicate
in an L2. This methodology is used as, “A
qualitative analysis of these situations provides awindow into the thought processes of the students
and highlights numerous interconnected andsome-times conﬂicted features of the learner,(and) the communication context.” (p. 82). In thisstudy after the four sessions had concluded theWhen participating in Skype sessions, each
student was assigned a role: presenter, timer andrecorder, reporter, and questioner, with roles
rotating each time the presenter changed.
The presenter spoke for five minutes; the timer
kept time and recorded sessions on a second iPad;the reporter filled in a short questionnaire to give
feedback to the presenter; and questioners were79

participants were asked to write two essays
describing their experiences using Skype tocommunicate in English with the teachers in thePhilippines. One essay described the things they
liked and the other described the aspects they
disliked about it and both asked them to describe
how they felt. The essays were written in classand were all written in English.
The essays were analyzed initially using open
coding and the comments divided into major
categories. They were then re-analyzed to identify
reoccurring themes and were organized into
relevant subordinate categories with fivecategories emerging: The perception that English
had become easier and more natural, positive
affect, international posture, increased motivationand personal growth.

a lot of technics to communicate well, so I lookforward to speak.”

7.1 Student Responses
Overall, students responded very positively tothe project. They were extremely nervous before
the first session, and afterward, were exhausted,signifying the amount of energy required in thisnew context; however, they were pleasantly
surprised they could make themselves understoodin English.
Following are some examples of theircomments organized according to the categories
described above. The grammatical errors instudents’ responses have been presented
uncorrected.

“Before English was for tests, now I can use
English another way. I am fun.”

3. International posture“I have not often talk with foreign people. It
was my precious experience.”“ I had never known interesting point about
English before this class. But I can notice abouttalking with foreigner is very very interesting.”
4. Increased motivation“ I listened other students English and I
learned a lot of technics to communicate well, so I
look forward to speak.”

5. Personal growth“ I could growopportunities.”upthankstothese“It was my precious experience”
7.2 Filipino Teachers’ Responses
7.2.1 Response to the students
The Filipino teachers all noted that student
confidence increased during the sessions.
Examples of their comments include:

1. English becoming easier and more natural“The students are more eager to speak
about their topics and I can see that they
have learned a lot from the previous
presentations. They gained confidence
while talking and more organized with
their thoughts.”“When I talked with them at last time I canspeak fluently than for the first time.”“I like Skype class. At first I didn’t like it. But
as I taked part in this class, I came to feel funny totalk with Phillipins teacher. Then I thought
English isn’t as difficult as I expected.”“Their presentation went well. Since thisis the last session, I can see a lot of
improvements on how they delivered theirspeeches. They are more confident now
and they also interact well. They also
prepared a lot of questions which is good.”

2. Positive affect“About Skype, before I used Skype and talked
with other country teachers, I didn’t like to speak
English. But I began to talk with them, more andmore I like to speak English.”

The teachers also commented on improved
organization in student presentations:“I listened other students English and I learned808. Discussion“As for the preparation, I guess they havedone it so well and really came up with aconvincing presentation.”

Japanese perspective
According to student responses, the sessions
had a positive impact on both confidence levels
and motivation to learn English. As stated above,
the Filipino teachers all noted that student
confidence increased as the sessions progressed.
This is in line with [4], who found increased
confidence to be associated with increased
likelihood of engaging in interaction and more
willingness to communicate. Based on theseresults, the sessions were useful in both theseareas. The teachers also noted that students werewilling to ask more questions, and were able tointeract more smoothly.
Students noted that due to limited opportunities
to use English in a practical way, they weregrateful for the experience of talking to Filipino
teachers. As well, they indicated that in somecases, the sessions influenced development of
their international posture. For many students, thesessions certainly increased their motivations forspeaking English, and changed their perspective
on English language learning from negative topositive. The sessions were seen as something
students could “touch and feel,” [5] and though
they were nervous, and the results show thisproject helped students develop a more vivid
image of their “ideal L2 self,” as discussed by [5]and [6].
The Filipino teacher’s reference to a“knowledge sharing culture” indicates that acommunity of sorts was developed between
teachers and the students, which provided atangible experience for all.
To create a sense of community between
teachers and students, the choice of topic seems to
be key, and must be something with which bothsides can connect.
A notable feature of the sessions was the lackof silence in the classroom. As mentioned earlier[9] found that in over a fifth of class time inJapanese university classrooms there was no oralinteraction from any of the participants. However,in the Skype sessions there was negligible time inwhich there was no oral production from theparticipants. The students were constantly
engaged in giving and evaluating theirpresentations, group discussions and classroom

7.2.2 Response to the project
An important aspect of the sessions was thecollaboration of the Filipino teachers with thestudents and the teachers in Japan, and thecomments reflected this. Most of the teachers said
they had learned a lot from their involvement, andit was a positive experience for them.
“First of all, I'd like to express mysincerest gratitude to the students for theirfull cooperation during the class. I had
great fun and I learned a lot!”
In particular, one teacher’s
exemplified the spirit of the projectcomment“I was happy to hear from students about'the Philippines' in their presentation.
Though they haven't been to my country
yet, they were able to share something
about Philippine culture. It's like we'recreating a 'knowledge sharing culture'from students' presentations.”
The third session, on Filipino Culture, was themost enjoyable for both the Japanese students andthe Filipino teachers. The students’ presentations
on different aspects of Filipino culture generated a
lot of discussion between the presenters and theFilipino teachers, as well as the whole group. The
teachers spontaneously messaged students withpictures and text explaining certain ideas raised in
more detail.
One teacher comment was:
“They spoke with a bit of confidence
without hesitation of what the topic about.
They knew well about their topic anddiscussed about it though they knew theirteachers were Filipinos. The information
they shared was surprising indeed... That
was a job well done for the students.”

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organization with the Filipino teachers with little
or no down time in which they could revert to thedefault position of silence. The dynamics ofsilence were significantly changed with thechange in mode of communication.

development. Retrieved fromhttp://www.mext.go.jp/english/highered/1326713.
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A collaborative creation by the Dantsuji
laboratory at Kyoto University and Jonan-Ryoso
High School, 2007.
[4] Yashima, T., International posture and theideal L2 self in the Japanese EFL context. In
Dörnyei, Z. & Ushioda, E. (Eds.). Motivation,
language identity and the L2 self. Bristol:Multilingual Matters, 2009.
[5] Yashima, T., Willingness to Communicate in a
Second Language: The Japanese EFL Context.
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[6] Horwitz, E. K., Horwitz, M. B., & Cope, J.
1986. Foreign language classroom anxiety. The
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https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/ams043[9] Dörnyei Z. 2010. Researching complex
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Filipino Perspective
The Filipino teachers’ role in the classes was tolisten to the students' presentations and givecomments and feedback directly to the students,
and to provide the grade to the teachers in Japanafter the sessions. This type of class was new tothe teachers as they usually teach 25 minute long
private lessons in which the contents are dictatedby standard materials from the company. Initially,
the teachers found it difficult to manage the time
and to give appropriate feedback. However, withexperience they quickly became accustomed to the
new lesson style and in the second year the classes
ran much more smoothly. The key to the smoothrunning of the classes is training the teacher in the
management of group lessons and clarifying theirrole to improve the dynamics between thestudents, and the students and the teachers. And
importantly better communication between theteachers in Japan and the teachers in thePhilippine is vital.
9. Conclusion
The Skype sessions, although limited in
number, appeared to positively impact student
confidence and motivation, decrease language
anxiety and significantly reduce the amount ofsilence in the Japanese English language
classroom. In the future, we would like to increase
the number of sessions, to give students more
opportunities to develop linguistic abilities, andwould like to introduce pre- and post-testing tomeasure changes in linguistic ability.
Acknowledgement
This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant
Number 16K02882.
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