This paper outlines a project involving the construction of a corpus-based list which provides a ... more This paper outlines a project involving the construction of a corpus-based list which provides a large-scale selection of multi-word units that occur in academic English. Using the most up-to-date, reliable methods, the goal was to produce a large-scale resource which could either be studied directly or used as a reference for practitioners to create further resources. The paper details the procedures used to generate this academic multi-word unit list, explains why specific decisions were made to identify useful items, and discusses the resulting resource. Comparisons will be made between the list created and currently existing lists, and also between the characteristics of the list created versus characteristics of high-frequency general English word lists. Finally, applications of this free resource for English practitioners and students will be suggested.
CALL for widening participation: short papers from EUROCALL 2020, 2020
This study explored participation by Japanese university English as a Foreign Language (EFL) lear... more This study explored participation by Japanese university English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners in Computer Assisted Language Learning/Mobile Assisted Language Learning (CALL/MALL) vocabulary tasks through the lens of Complexity Theory (CT). CT, which studies how complex systems are influenced by changes in interconnected variables (Larsen-Freeman & Cameron, 2008), has been advocated as an approach that aligns well with Second Language Acquisition (SLA) and CALL research (Godwin-Jones, 2019). In this study, CT was applied to action research involving learners using smartphones to create game-based vocabulary quizzes. It aimed to understand how the context, personal attributes, and in-class interactions affected participation and learning outcomes. The results show the variability and nonlinearity of learners' language development, the importance of initial conditions, and the vital role of teacher input. It also demonstrated that there are various ways to successfully complete a task, so viewing tasks as dynamic systems may be a fruitful approach.
Taking Risks in Applied Linguistics: Online Proceedings of the 51st Annual Meeting of the British Association for Applied Linguistics, York St John University, 6-8 September 2018, (pp. 10-13), 2019
Future-proof CALL: language learning as exploration and encounters – short papers from EUROCALL 2018, 2018
Writing is an essential literacy skill that is crucial to meeting various social demands. It is a... more Writing is an essential literacy skill that is crucial to meeting various social demands. It is also extremely difficult to master, especially for learners of an additional language who face significant barriers to learning. Universal Design for Learning (UDL), is an instructional framework promoted as an effective means of removing such barriers. The basis of UDL is that learning barriers are best addressed through curricula and lessons that provide multiple means of engagement, representation, and action and expression. This study explores the application of UDL in an English as an Additional Language (EAL) writing course at a Japanese university. The UDL guidelines were used in the design and implementation of goals, instruction, learning tasks, and assessments. Learners’ perceptions of the UDL-based instruction were investigated using a questionnaire survey.
Meijo University Annual Educational Report (名城大学教育年報), 2018
One of the claimed benefits of extensive reading (ER) is that successful ER programs may promote ... more One of the claimed benefits of extensive reading (ER) is that successful ER programs may promote positive L2 reading attitudes, thus helping motivate learners to continue reading (Day & Bamford, 1998; Yamashita, 2013). While several studies have researched the effects of ER on learners’ L2 reading attitudes and reading motivation, little research has been conducted into how ER influences their motivation as an L2 learner. This study addresses this gap by examining the effects of ER on both the reading attitudes and the L2 motivation of English language learners at a Japanese university.
Selected Papers of the 21st Conference of Pan-Pacific Association of Applied Linguistics, 2017
Extensive reading (ER) is an approach to reading instruction that involves reading a large amount... more Extensive reading (ER) is an approach to reading instruction that involves reading a large amount of varied texts at a reasonably fluent speed. While ER has steadily gained popularity as an effective strategy for motivating second language learners of various proficiency levels (Takase, 2007), much more research is needed on L2 reading motivation (Grabe, 2009). This three-year study explores the effects of extensive reading (ER) activities on aspects of the reading attitudes of EFL learners at a Japanese university. ER-based activities were integrated into one semester of a communicative English course. Pre- and post-ER questionnaires elicited learners’ evaluations of the activities and data on reading attitudes. Analysis of the data indicated that ER had positive effects on the affective and cognitive aspects of participants’ L2 reading attitudes. The findings suggest that implementing ER activities in EFL courses can improve learner motivation and L2 reading attitudes.
The IAFOR Conference on Language Learning - Hawaii 2017 Official Conference Proceedings, Mar 2017
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an instructional framework developed from education and ne... more Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an instructional framework developed from education and neuroscience research. Based on the knowledge that there is no such thing as an " average " learner, the central claim of UDL is that the diverse learning needs of students are best addressed through curricula and lessons that provide multiple means of Representation, Engagement, and Action and Expression. The UDL framework applies to the whole curriculum and is used to create flexible goals, methods, materials, and assessments that address learner diversity and reduce learning barriers to provide effective learning opportunities for all learners, including English language learners and students with disabilities. This paper introduces the background and theoretical basis of UDL and discusses how it can be used to effect positive change in English language learning contexts. It describes the research basis and ongoing development of UDL and presents suggestions and examples of how it can be used to implement instruction that reduces learning barriers and provides effective learning opportunities for all English language learners. Finally, examples of UDL-based instruction implemented in English as a foreign language (EFL) classrooms in Japan are also discussed.
This paper outlines a project involving the construction of a corpus-based list which provides a ... more This paper outlines a project involving the construction of a corpus-based list which provides a large-scale selection of multi-word units that occur in academic English. Using the most up-to-date, reliable methods, the goal was to produce a large-scale resource which could either be studied directly or used as a reference for practitioners to create further resources. The paper details the procedures used to generate this academic multi-word unit list, explains why specific decisions were made to identify useful items, and discusses the resulting resource. Comparisons will be made between the list created and currently existing lists, and also between the characteristics of the list created versus characteristics of high-frequency general English word lists. Finally, applications of this free resource for English practitioners and students will be suggested.
CALL for widening participation: short papers from EUROCALL 2020, 2020
This study explored participation by Japanese university English as a Foreign Language (EFL) lear... more This study explored participation by Japanese university English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners in Computer Assisted Language Learning/Mobile Assisted Language Learning (CALL/MALL) vocabulary tasks through the lens of Complexity Theory (CT). CT, which studies how complex systems are influenced by changes in interconnected variables (Larsen-Freeman & Cameron, 2008), has been advocated as an approach that aligns well with Second Language Acquisition (SLA) and CALL research (Godwin-Jones, 2019). In this study, CT was applied to action research involving learners using smartphones to create game-based vocabulary quizzes. It aimed to understand how the context, personal attributes, and in-class interactions affected participation and learning outcomes. The results show the variability and nonlinearity of learners' language development, the importance of initial conditions, and the vital role of teacher input. It also demonstrated that there are various ways to successfully complete a task, so viewing tasks as dynamic systems may be a fruitful approach.
Taking Risks in Applied Linguistics: Online Proceedings of the 51st Annual Meeting of the British Association for Applied Linguistics, York St John University, 6-8 September 2018, (pp. 10-13), 2019
Future-proof CALL: language learning as exploration and encounters – short papers from EUROCALL 2018, 2018
Writing is an essential literacy skill that is crucial to meeting various social demands. It is a... more Writing is an essential literacy skill that is crucial to meeting various social demands. It is also extremely difficult to master, especially for learners of an additional language who face significant barriers to learning. Universal Design for Learning (UDL), is an instructional framework promoted as an effective means of removing such barriers. The basis of UDL is that learning barriers are best addressed through curricula and lessons that provide multiple means of engagement, representation, and action and expression. This study explores the application of UDL in an English as an Additional Language (EAL) writing course at a Japanese university. The UDL guidelines were used in the design and implementation of goals, instruction, learning tasks, and assessments. Learners’ perceptions of the UDL-based instruction were investigated using a questionnaire survey.
Meijo University Annual Educational Report (名城大学教育年報), 2018
One of the claimed benefits of extensive reading (ER) is that successful ER programs may promote ... more One of the claimed benefits of extensive reading (ER) is that successful ER programs may promote positive L2 reading attitudes, thus helping motivate learners to continue reading (Day & Bamford, 1998; Yamashita, 2013). While several studies have researched the effects of ER on learners’ L2 reading attitudes and reading motivation, little research has been conducted into how ER influences their motivation as an L2 learner. This study addresses this gap by examining the effects of ER on both the reading attitudes and the L2 motivation of English language learners at a Japanese university.
Selected Papers of the 21st Conference of Pan-Pacific Association of Applied Linguistics, 2017
Extensive reading (ER) is an approach to reading instruction that involves reading a large amount... more Extensive reading (ER) is an approach to reading instruction that involves reading a large amount of varied texts at a reasonably fluent speed. While ER has steadily gained popularity as an effective strategy for motivating second language learners of various proficiency levels (Takase, 2007), much more research is needed on L2 reading motivation (Grabe, 2009). This three-year study explores the effects of extensive reading (ER) activities on aspects of the reading attitudes of EFL learners at a Japanese university. ER-based activities were integrated into one semester of a communicative English course. Pre- and post-ER questionnaires elicited learners’ evaluations of the activities and data on reading attitudes. Analysis of the data indicated that ER had positive effects on the affective and cognitive aspects of participants’ L2 reading attitudes. The findings suggest that implementing ER activities in EFL courses can improve learner motivation and L2 reading attitudes.
The IAFOR Conference on Language Learning - Hawaii 2017 Official Conference Proceedings, Mar 2017
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an instructional framework developed from education and ne... more Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an instructional framework developed from education and neuroscience research. Based on the knowledge that there is no such thing as an " average " learner, the central claim of UDL is that the diverse learning needs of students are best addressed through curricula and lessons that provide multiple means of Representation, Engagement, and Action and Expression. The UDL framework applies to the whole curriculum and is used to create flexible goals, methods, materials, and assessments that address learner diversity and reduce learning barriers to provide effective learning opportunities for all learners, including English language learners and students with disabilities. This paper introduces the background and theoretical basis of UDL and discusses how it can be used to effect positive change in English language learning contexts. It describes the research basis and ongoing development of UDL and presents suggestions and examples of how it can be used to implement instruction that reduces learning barriers and provides effective learning opportunities for all English language learners. Finally, examples of UDL-based instruction implemented in English as a foreign language (EFL) classrooms in Japan are also discussed.
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