ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Designing Online Assignments for Japanese Language Teaching
Author: Tsurutani, Chiharu
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Japanese,Second Language Instruction,Second Language Learning,Instructional Design,Electronic Learning,Web Based Instruction,Blended Learning,Assignments,Integrated Learning Systems,Educational Benefits,Language Teachers,Instructional Effectiveness,Grammar,Multiple Choice Tests,Language Tests,Student Surveys,Online Courses,Postsecondary Education

An increasing number of language educators are taking a blended approach to their teaching in order to enhance students' learning experiences and outcomes. During recent years, online tools have become a valuable resource, aiding teachers in course delivery and assessment. Blended learning, which is campus-based learning supported by online components, has steadily grown in popularity in Australian tertiary education institutions (Ellis, Ginns, &amp; Piggott, 2009). This paper reports on a trial program of delivery of online assignments in a first year Japanese language class, the rationale for the program, and the findings of a survey on students' perceptions of the online assignment. Our language team created online tasks using the learning management system (lms), &quot;Blackboard Learn 9.1,&quot; to increasing online components throughout our program. The advantages and disadvantages of online language tasks from both teachers' and learners' points of view will be discussed. Issues specific to the learning of Japanese, and ways in which to incorporate online tasks in future courses will be explored. The findings of the study will provide language teachers with insight into designing online assignments and will explore effective teaching practices for students of the Japanese language.
Musical Looping of Lexical Chunks: An Exploratory Study
Author: Rockell, Kim
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Music,Phrase Structure,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Handheld Devices,Questionnaires,Scores,Self Evaluation (Individuals),Teaching Methods,Computer Software,College Students,Foreign Countries,Speech Communication,Computer Assisted Instruction

This paper reports on the experimental use of a recently developed musical looping app with a class of Japanese university students of English during 2014. Working in groups using shared hand-held devices, students created compositions based on lexical chunks or formulaic sequences selected freely from a fixed text. A scored example of one such group composition is included in the paper. During research, the author acted as instructor and a participant/observer role afforded an intimate view of the educational process. Self-assessment questionnaires prior to and post working with Loopy indicate that students experienced increased confidence in their ability to produce spoken English over a three-month period. The affordances and constraints of using the musical app to learn English are examined and a significant increase in speech rate when reading from a fixed text is also noted.
Why Tweet When You Can Bubble? Students' Perceptions of a Voice Microblog for the Development of Their L2 Spoken Production Skills
Author: Davies, Renaud Jonathan
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,College Students,Student Attitudes,Educational Technology,Electronic Journals,Electronic Publishing,Web Sites,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Majors (Students),Language Skills,Skill Development,Computer Mediated Communication,Oral Language,Factor Analysis,Speech Skills,Affordances,Learning Motivation,Self Esteem,Verbal Communication,Educational Benefits,Blended Learning,Online Surveys,Likert Scales,Qualitative Research,Statistical Analysis

This study explores the role voice microblogging-based activities play in developing learners' spoken production skills. The study involved 33 low-intermediate level university students majoring in English at a private university in Japan. The voice microblogging application used in the study was Bubbly, a cross-platform social networking application that allows users to share short 90-second voice messages with fellow users. Findings, based on an exploratory factor analysis coupled with group interviews, suggest that tasks using Bubbly are beneficial for students' oral performance as they help to provide extra practice for speaking. Furthermore, results clearly show that the application's social and technological affordances help to raise students' level of motivation, engagement and confidence. It can be concluded that voice microblogging tasks along with Bubbly's various affordances offer several benefits to the blended oral communication classroom.
(Mis)Use of Email in Student-Faculty Interaction: Implications for University Instruction in Germany, Saudi Arabia, and Japan
Author: Danielewicz-Betz, Anna
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Electronic Mail,Teacher Student Relationship,Computer Mediated Communication,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Cross Cultural Studies,Cultural Differences,College Students,Mixed Methods Research,Speech Acts,Content Analysis,Pragmatics,Language Proficiency,Behavior Standards,Power Structure,Familiarity,Coding,Language Usage

This paper examines student-faculty communication by email and the lack of clear guidelines that leads to misuse of email in student-faculty interaction, whereby status-incongruent pragmatic markers are employed, resulting in impoliteness and inappropriateness. The main objective is to bridge the gap in research on other than requestive speech acts in this particular type of e-interaction, taking into account various pragmatic markers and cultural determinants of the subjects' email communication styles. The main purpose of the study was to determine whether and to what degree the use of pragmatic markers by students is congruent with the English netiquette in this specific domain. Moreover, the aim was to investigate the relation of the usage of speech acts and pragmatic markers by students to politeness, as well as to cross-culturally compare the data obtained. The research questions were as follows: Which pragmatic markers distinguish students of different nationalities and in different university settings? What are other than requestive purposes for which students deploy email communication? Which pragmatic markers, in general, are associated with student-faculty email? Is there a correlation between the three countries represented in the corpus and (im)politeness based on the data found in all the emails? What are the implications of the study for computer-mediated language learning? The corpus consisted of 1,200 student-faculty emails written in an academic domain by university students from a German university, a Saudi Arabian university, and two Japanese universities (400 emails per country). The research method employed was of mixed qualitative-quantitative nature, with the focus on pragmatic analysis of speech acts with their illocutionary force and functions, as well as on their impact on the receiver (perlocution). It was determined that the impolite acts occurred most frequently in the corpus. This shows that students appear not to be aware of the role their email messages play in creating an impression on faculty and that structured instruction in email writing is required to improve the situation. The lack of pragmatic competence was found in all three groups of students, independent of the proficiency level and seniority; whereby explicit course guidance in email writing and its netiquette had a clear positive effect on the student-faculty interaction in terms of appropriateness and the level of politeness.
An Attempt to Raise Japanese EFL Learners' Pragmatic Awareness Using Online Discourse Completion Tasks
Author: Tanaka, Hiroya
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Pragmatics,Metalinguistics,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Speech Acts,College Students,Grammar,Portfolios (Background Materials),Outcomes of Education,Communicative Competence (Languages),Interlanguage,Foreign Countries,Task Analysis,Television,Programming (Broadcast),Teaching Methods,Pretests Posttests,Student Attitudes,College Freshmen,Questionnaires,Likert Scales,Statistical Analysis

This practical paper discusses the effect of explicit instruction to raise Japanese EFL learners' pragmatic awareness using online discourse completion tasks. The five-part tasks developed by the authors use American TV drama scenes depicting particular speech acts and include explicit instruction in these speech acts. 46 Japanese EFL college students enrolled in an English grammar course received explicit instruction and completed the tasks in five consecutive classes using an e-portfolio system that allows them to share their learning outcomes. Their pragmatic awareness was measured by pre- and post-instruction pragmatic judgment tasks. The results showed that the participants' pragmatic awareness developed significantly after the instruction. The learners evaluated the awareness raising activities as effective; however, their learning outcomes reveal challenges in developing grammatical and lexical knowledge together with pragmatic knowledge. This paper will discuss the effects of the instruction, the participants' perception of the usefulness of the tasks, and their actual responses to the tasks to further identify the challenges that Japanese EFL learners should meet to develop well-balanced communicative competence in the language.
Linguistics, Procedure and Technique in CALL Teacher Education
Author: Torsani, Simone
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Computer Assisted Instruction,Language Acquisition,Second Language Instruction,Teacher Education,Linguistics,Course Descriptions,Instructional Design,Expertise,Technology Integration,Educational Research,Learning Activities,Language Teachers

Research in CALL education has identified a series of goals and constraints for technology in language education that need to be taken into account when designing a CALL syllabus. This article presents a theoretical framework for syllabus design based on the identification of three areas of expertise within CALL: linguistic knowledge, procedural skills and technical skills. In the article it is argued that each of these areas can be developed through specific activities and that all areas concur to the ability to integrate the technology in language education.
Tablet PCs in a Paperless Classroom: Student and Teacher Perceptions on Screen Size
Author: Runnels, Judith
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Handheld Devices,Computer System Design,Visual Aids,Usability,Preferences,Instructional Materials,Homework,Teacher Attitudes,Student Attitudes,Foreign Countries,College Freshmen,Females,College Faculty,Surveys,Man Machine Systems

A paperless classroom, when all materials required to complete a class are available in an electronic form, has been shown to have positive impacts on student and teacher motivation, engagement, productivity, and efficiency. Recent trends suggest that of all of the technological tools available, tablet PCs can support many aspects of a paperless classroom for both students and teachers. A variety of resources describing the development and implementation of courses using tablet PCs are currently available, though comparatively less research specific to individual stages of the process or details involved in selecting appropriate tools has been performed. The current study was designed to provide preliminary evidence for how the screen size of a tablet PC affected interactions with electronic handouts from an English language class. Teachers and students completed tasks on both a 10-inch tablet PC as well as on the miniature version of the same tablet, to determine the impact screen size had on usability. It was found that while teachers significantly preferred interacting with classroom materials on the regular-sized tablet, students did not show preference toward either device for classroom use. However, students suggested that for everyday use, such as doing homework, the miniature version was preferred. The implications the results make on materials design and mobility as a component of a paperless classroom are discussed.
A Principled Approach to Utilizing Digital Games in the Language Learning Classroom
Author: Baierschmidt, Jared
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Second Language Instruction,Computer Games,Teaching Methods,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Computer Simulation,English (Second Language)

Empirical research into the use of digital games for educational purposes has shown promising results such as increased learner motivation, improved learner retention of information, and increased learner interest in subject matter. Furthermore, in the field of language learning, digital games have been used successfully in a variety of ways such as improving learners' vocabulary acquisition, raising learners' awareness of audience in writing, and increasing learners' willingness to communicate. However, not all of the research into the use of digital games for language learning is positive; in some instances, the use of games can actually interfere with language acquisition. This paper will first briefly examine the potential benefits and risks of using digital games in the language classroom. Next, three principles for deploying digital games effectively in the classroom will be presented and discussed. These principles, synthesized from published empirical research into the use of games for educational purposes, are guidelines educators can follow to help ensure that learning objectives are met when utilizing digital games. Use of these principles will be illustrated with examples from published research articles.
Profiling Mobile English Language Learners
Author: Byrne, Jason
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Student Surveys,Computer Oriented Programs,Technology Uses in Education,Age Differences,Gender Differences,Native Language,Handheld Devices,Telecommunications,Statistical Analysis,Foreign Students,Questionnaires,German,Korean,Italian,Russian,Japanese,Spanish,Thai,French

The purpose of this study was to use an app-embedded survey to profile language learner demographics. A total of 3,759 EFL language learners from primarily eight L1 backgrounds (French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Spanish and Thai) responded to the survey embedded within a popular English grammar app. This app has over 500,000 downloads and over 100,000 active users. The results, significantly, showed respondents self-assessed their ability, overwhelmingly, as beginner or elementary. The data also highlighted differences in user segment size according to gender, age, and L1, as well as more nuanced patterns influenced by possible culture and gender roles. Finally, the survey data pointed towards likely areas of future demographic mobile assisted language learning (MALL) growth. While presently there is very little concrete research on autonomous mobile language learning, due to the difficulty of gathering language app data from learners not tethered to a classroom or instructor, it is hoped that this research will provide a methodological foundation for more in-depth research into learner habits and preferences.
Frozen by Fear: Can Digital Scaffolding Help Students Start Writing?
Author: Mills, Daniel
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Junior High School Students,Writing Assignments,Quasiexperimental Design,Writing (Composition),Technology Uses in Education,Computer Software,Japanese,Language Usage,Grammar,Spelling,Statistical Analysis,Vocabulary,Conventional Instruction,Second Language Instruction,Handwriting,Scaffolding (Teaching Technique),Anxiety

Despite having studied English for some 33 months, the students at the private junior high school in Japan described in this paper had never before been asked to write original compositions in the language. The researchers undertook a quasi-experimental pilot study in which the 156 (n= 156) participants were each asked to write four compositions, two using Microsoft Word and two using pencil and paper. Their writings were analyzed for length, Japanese word usage, grammar, and spelling. Descriptive statistics and graphs show that the students produced higher word counts using pencil-and-paper, but used fewer Japanese words in their computer-based writings.
Investigating an Intelligent System for Vocabulary Learning through Reading
Author: Stockwell, Glenn
Date: 2013-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Vocabulary Development,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Foreign Countries,Pretests Posttests,Correlation,Computer Assisted Instruction,Educational Technology,Reading Assignments,Knowledge Level,Law Students,English Curriculum,Language Tests

While learners can acquire vocabulary through extensive reading (Pigada &amp; Schmitt, 2006), research suggests that acquisition can be more effective when supplemented with targeted vocabulary activities (e.g., Paribakht &amp; Wesche, 1997). Problems arise, however, in determining what vocabulary learners have acquired, and what items should be focused on in these vocabulary activities. The main purpose of the current study is to describe the development and trial implementation of an intelligent system which created individualized vocabulary activities for each learner based on hyperlinked words that were clicked on during reading written passages in the target language. In this preliminary study, 43 Japanese learners of English were required to read several mid-length passages on computer during class time. Content words were hyperlinked to a separate window which provided meanings, pronunciation, and example sentences. Whenever a word was clicked it was added to a database and activities were automatically created for each learner that could be completed outside of class time, on either a computer or a mobile phone. Learners were given a pre-test at the beginning and a post-test on completion of the semester. Logs were kept regarding clicking patterns during reading. There were two specific objectives in the study. Firstly, the ways in which learners clicked on words on the passage were investigated to see if there were any differences in how words deemed as &quot;known&quot; and &quot;unknown&quot; were looked up, and whether this linked to acquisition of unknown words. Secondly, lists of the words looked up by the learners were analysed to determine if it was possible to create individual profiles of learners' vocabulary knowledge. Data collected in the current study included the correlation between the words considered as unknown according to the pre-test and the words clicked on during reading, and the length of time spent looking at word descriptions, and the results of the vocabulary post-tests.
Gauge of Readiness for Internet-Based Language Learning: An 800 Pound GORILLa
Author: Burrows, Tylor
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Outcome Measures,Web Based Instruction,Learning Readiness,Online Courses,Self Evaluation (Individuals),Predictor Variables,Self Efficacy,Questionnaires,English for Academic Purposes,Demography,Student Characteristics,Test Construction,Psychometrics,College English,Foreign Countries,Surveys,Likert Scales

This paper is based on the premise that little attention has been paid to learner preparedness for online language learning. We synthesized research on the broader topic of learner readiness for online learning, and attempt to apply those insights to the language learning context. Based on previous work, the demographic variables gender, student level, age, nationality, and area of study and the nondemographic variables learner autonomy, computer self-efficacy, attitude towards online learning, motivation, and English language self-efficacy are proposed as possible indicators of preparedness. A self-assessment survey tool was prepared, piloted, and then applied to a sample of 92 students.
Students' Perceptions and Learning Outcomes of Online Writing Using Discussion Boards
Author: Nielsen, Brian
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Asynchronous Communication,Computer Mediated Communication,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Group Discussion,Student Participation,Student Attitudes,Student Surveys,Program Effectiveness,Foreign Countries,Blended Learning,College Students,Case Studies,Mixed Methods Research,Questionnaires,Likert Scales,Accuracy,Language Proficiency

This study explores asynchronous online discussions as a learning strategy for Japanese EFL students from various perspectives. A text analysis of learner posts and replies was performed to determine the quantity, quality, and accuracy of the written language produced. Student participation rates during all four online exchanges were measured to determine the influence that teacher participation within forum discussions had on the quantity and quality of learner posts and replies. Student feedback to a survey was examined to identify the degree to which students thought learning was enhanced through this learning experience and what factors contributed to these perceptions. Findings indicated that although there was a marked decline in the quality and quantity of written language produced, levels of participation and interactivity increased. Teacher participation in the online environment was shown to have less effect on student participation and interaction than did the number of students replying to posts. While the discussion board was perceived favorably by the majority of Japanese EFL students, motivation was influenced by perceptions of inadequacy regarding computer-based skills, by workload, and by cultural unfamiliarity with the constructivist approach to learning inherent in online discussions.
Error Correction and Feedback in the EFL Writing Classroom: Comparing Instructor and Student Preferences
Author: Diab, Rula L.
Date: 2006-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Language Teachers,Feedback (Response),Error Correction,Writing (Composition),College Faculty,Teacher Attitudes,Grading,Foreign Countries,Questionnaires,College Students,Accuracy,Writing Skills

This article discusses what EFL instructors and their students like and dislike about error correction and paper marking and discusses what this means for classroom teaching. The article lists the benefits and drawbacks of error correction for students' writing and argues for the need to look at preferred methods for both teachers and students. It reports on a study of university EFL instructors and discusses these teachers' beliefs regarding important aspects of writing and their preference for paper-marking techniques.