Sixth Seminar (2023)

ON-CAMPUS PRESENTATIONS

Greg Gagnon (Nanzan University)

A Comparison of Some Reading Rubrics

The practice of Extensive Reading (ER) has been promoted as a beneficial way to engage students with their language learning. One of the tenets of ER is to recommend that students seek out texts that are easy to read. In the search for appropriate book levels, educators look for means to find them. Many institutions have created lists of points, known also as rubrics, which can help to place student learning levels. Furthermore, as student proficiency can be gauged by the rubrics provided by testing organizations, government educational offices, and educational institutions of all levels, we can look to these to find commonalities, helping educators to find well-articulated goals for student performance. These rubrics give guidance as to the characteristics of student effort, ability, and classroom performance. Prosody and fluency are also targeted by these rubrics. This paper will compare and contrast the essential points of the can-do statements of the CEFR, ACTFL, TOEIC, and TOEFL reading sections, and will give suggestions for institutions who wish to make their own rubrics for reading. 

Tanja McCandie (Chukyo University) & Mizuka Tsukamoto (Ritsumeikan University)

Japanese Higher Education and Institutional Support for Women Faculty

The lack of equity and inclusion of women in academic positions in Japanese higher education has been heavily criticized for years (Cabinet Office, 2009; Yoshihara, 2017). Literature analysis has identified systematic and cultural barriers that prevent women academics from career advancement. Although there have been government policies and institutions’ hiring goals implemented, such as the 30% by 2020 policy (Gender Equality Bureau Cabinet Office, 2016) and Tokyo University’s goal of having 30% of its adjunct faculty being women (Ueno, 2022), few universities have achieved gender parity, more so in positions of decision making and formal leadership for women faculty members. 

This presentation will review identified gender barriers that women are confronted with in higher education in Japan. The presenters will discuss ways that universities might be able to provide more support to women faculty members. They are also interested in exploring what kind of support women feel they need from their institution to better advance in their careers.   Supporting self-efficacy and personal career development will also be included in the exploration.

James Rogers (Meijo University)

On the need to pre-teach sensitive cultural aspects before students study abroad

Studying abroad can be a positive, life-changing experience for many students. However, there is also a lot of potential danger involved in such activities. This presentation will discuss one of the most sensitive cultural aspects in English-speaking countries, of which the evidence in my study has found pertinent to pre-teach to Japanese learners before they study abroad. A survey was conducted, and it was discovered that Japanese learners had very little knowledge of this dangerous aspect before they studied abroad. Even after studying abroad, many students surveyed were still unaware of the issue. Because this issue can have dire consequences on one’s future and safety, this study has found that it is very important to teach students directly about it, especially before they study abroad. By doing this, teachers and study abroad program administrators can ensure that their students’ study abroad experiences are safe and positive.  

Christopher Samuell (Hannan University)

Shadow education, English, & meritocracy: towards an understanding of Juku and language policy in Japan

Private educational activities designed to enhance student outcomes outside the formal schooling system are increasingly referred to as shadow education. In Japan, shadow education traditionally consists of for-profit cram schools or juku. Juku take many forms in Japan, yet their primary function is to offer students extra educational opportunities. This presentation seeks to elucidate the extent to which neoliberal policies and a lack of guidance from the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT) have allowed shadow education in Japan to sustain anti-meritocratic access to higher education. The study critically analyses how laissez-faire policy- making decisions, a reliance on juku attendance, and an emphasis on English language as a test subject operate in conjunction with neoliberal policies to create and maintain uneven access to educational opportunities. 

Naoya Shibata (Nagoya University of Foreign Studies)

The Effects of Soft CLIL Materials on Japanese University Students’ Writing Coherence and their Confidence in Writing Coherently for Readers

I conducted a mixed-methods research study on the effects of a language-driven type of Content and Language Integrated Learning (Soft-CLIL) materials on lower-intermediate level Japanese EFL university students’ writing coherence for three months. In this study, I define writing coherence as the meaning-driven connection between sentences and discourse writers make to help their intended readers understand the text whilst estimating readers’ knowledge and experience. Fifty students were divided into two groups (a Non-CLIL group, and a Soft-CLIL group), and they learnt about two main themes (English as a global language, and global business) and five sub-themes per theme. Data were collected via pre/post-tests, a survey, and semi-structured interviews and analysed through descriptive and inferential statistics and thematic coding. Findings revealed that only a Soft-CLIL group improved their abilities to write coherently for readers. In addition, survey results indicated that a Soft-CLIL group gained more confidence in their coherent writing than a Non-CLIL group even though no statistically significant difference was detected between them. At the end of the presentation, I discuss the potential of Soft CLIL materials for Japanese EFL students’ writing development and consider possible Soft CLIL materials development approaches with the audience. 

Colin Skeates (Nanzan University)

“Read for 10 minutes and then we will have a chat”: Using genre as a scaffold for Graded Reader discussions

In this workshop I am interested in leading a discussion on how teachers scaffold their lessons so as to make it easier for students to talk about graded reader stories. To provide context, I will first review presentations made at prior Nanzan Language Education Seminars related to this topic. I will then provide examples of worksheets that I use in the classroom. These discussion aids depend heavily on research from the Hallydian school of Systemic Functional Linguistics. After explaining how these worksheets are used in the classroom, the workshop will open up for discussion on how other teachers scaffold their students’ spoken output. The aim of the workshop is for all participants to come away with new ideas as to how we can best help learners communicate their ideas about stories they have read.

Nami Yamamoto (JALT)

On Cultural Issues that Make Japanese Students Hesitate to Speak During an English Lesson

For cultural reasons, most Japanese people feel safe at the same level as everyone around them. They tend to be afraid of making mistakes because kindergarten teachers and parents taught them from a young age that making them is embarrassing. However, making mistakes is part of the learning process when you learn a second language. Despite a vast majority of Japanese junior high school students feeling that English is necessary for them to pass entrance exams, many feel anxiety about using it in class. This study theorizes that the fear of making mistakes is connected to students’ anxiety about using English and suggests ways teachers can help students overcome this fear. This study found that when teachers used methods to ease students’ anxiety, such as playing pop music at a low volume, students spoke with more confidence. Thus, this presentation will discuss a variety of methods teachers can utilize to ease students’ anxiety while studying English.

POSTER PRESENTATIONS

Nicolas DiNunzio (Oberlin University)

Student Generated Word Lists

Vocabulary skills are a critical part of the modern English class. English is the main language of communication in the online world, but students now have tools available to make that world more accessible. Translation services like DeepL and emerging AI systems like ChatGPT offer students the means to utilize English beyond their actual proficiency.

Unfortunately, that means that should the services make a mistake, students would not notice it. Students need basic skills of noting unknown words and confirming their meaning and use in a dictionary.

This poster session looks at the results of an ongoing vocabulary project in my classes. After training the students how to take notes of words using Google Forms, I had them collect any unknown words they encountered in extensive reading, the textbook and class videos. Using the results on Google Sheets, I was able to make Quizlet sets as well as create vocabulary quizzes on Google based exclusively on words the students collected. The outcome was less successful than desired, but insights were gleaned and adjustments made this year. The session will focus on the process, the online tools used, and lessons learned from the project overall.

Crystal Gong (Nagoya University) 

Japanese Students’ Perception and Attitudes of Gender-inclusive English: A Case Study at Nagoya University

The movement for the teaching gender-inclusive language in foreign language education has been an on-going phenomenon. The goal of this study is to investigate undergraduate students’ perception and attitudes of gender-inclusive English at Nagoya University. To do this, a questionnaire was given to two undergraduate Advanced English courses. The main research questions in this study involve how much exposure students have had to gender-inclusive language and their attitude towards gender-inclusive language. The questionnaire includes binary questions choosing between a gender-inclusive or gender-exclusive sentence, a scale measuring interest in gender-related issues/studies, and free written answers on students’ experiences and opinions. An additional variable was added as students were given a guest lecture on gender-inclusive English, and were then divided into pre-lecture and post-lecture groups. I hypothesized that students who take the questionnaire post-lecture would choose gender-inclusive answers more than those who took the questionnaire pre-lecture and that those who scored higher on the gender interest scale would choose gender-inclusive answers more than those who score lower. Results show that students support the learning of gender-inclusive English overall and that those who took the questionnaire post-lecture choose gender-inclusive answers at higher rates. However, the relation between interest in gender-related issues and studies to gender-inclusive English was inconclusive. 

Mark Guthrie & Frid Joanis (Gifu University)

EFL Learners’ Perceptions Surrounding Peer Check in Writing

Peer check has been extensively researched and is widely viewed today as advantageous for the receivers and providers of feedback alike. However, in Japan, educators seem reluctant to implement peer checking in classrooms, potentially, because of “strong uncertainty avoidance,” which is an assumption that this instructional style could cause discomfort among students engaging in activities where they must proffer their own opinions that may be at odds with those of other students. This presentation discusses our investigation into whether these concerns and assumptions are founded, and to highlight students’ perceptions of peer checking as an educational tool for teaching writing skills using survey data and student quotes. This presentation will demonstrate that peer checking is a viable resource and that the majority of students enjoy it despite some concerns. Furthermore, the presentation will offer suggestions for how educators can make good use of peer checking in their classes in order to build student confidence in their skills.  

Naoko Kato (Nanzan University)

Reverse Outlining with the Help of Fresh Eyes 

Writing a paper that requires a vigorous process to organize the writer’s ideas can sometimes result in a confusing end product rather than a well-developed, coherent paper. This is an experience to which many writers can relate. A reverse outline which allows the writer to organize ideas by identifying the topic sentences or main points of each body paragraph after writing the second draft is one established strategy for helping writers to produce more organized papers. Reverse outlines are sometimes done by the writer themselves, but this strategy can also be employed as part of the peer editing process. By asking a peer to select the main ideas and topic sentences, fresh eyes on the paper can call attention to issues and uncover new perspectives that can be helpful for the writer. In this teaching tip session, the presenter will demonstrate how a reverse outline process conducted by peers can be done effectively using a detailed instruction sheet and strategic questions to help students to create more coherent, organized papers.  

David Kluge (Chukyo University)

Why PIE? The Rationale for Using Performance in Education Classroom Activities

Why should you choose to use Performance in Education (PIE) activities in your classes? This presentation will attempt to persuade you to do so. It will first introduce the basic concepts and activities of PIE, and then will describe five reasons to help you decide to try PIE activities: brain lateralization, multimodal learning, embodied cognition, requiring collaboration and cooperation, and improved group cohesiveness. Each of the five reasons is supported by research and sample activities listed on a digital handout which can be downloaded from the QR code given in the slideshow. The presentation will end with questions and comments from the audience.  

Christopher Mattson (Rikkyo University)

Using the Elements of Fiction into a CLIL-based Extensive Reading Course

Within a course at a Japanese university based wholly on extensive reading, my presentation will show the pedagogical framework of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) to improve its effectiveness. This was achieved by incorporating literary devices, or elements of fiction, as the main content of the course, and students utilized this content within in-class activities and to analyze their self-selected graded readers. The CLIL approach is explained, as well as an outline of literary concepts, along with a summary of each lesson’s activities. Feedback from students is summarized, in which they explained which literary elements, activities, and aspects of the course were perceived to be the most useful. The poster also shows conclusions drawn from students’ feedback and of the positive benefits for students of this CLIL-centered method.

Jenny Roloff Rothman (Kanda University of International Studies)

Lessons from the pandemic: Implementing responsive professional development & looking forward

Recent years have seen a marked shift in how education is being conducted, particularly with regard to technology use, after online teaching became the norm during the pandemic. The presenter is a member of a team overseeing professional development for a large department of English-speaking educators at a Japanese university. This poster describes the implementation of emergency remote teaching (ERT) support in 2020, with particular focus on a) how it utilized teacher input and emphasized collaboration and b) how the lessons from this period have been applied to subsequent professional development support activities. Activities that have continued post-pandemic include an informal technology troubleshooting chat group, an online forum for sharing materials, ideas, and resources, the use of technology guidebooks, and orientations. The efforts have enabled a smooth transition to hybrid as well as face-to-face lessons, and have informed policy decisions aimed at ensuring the continuation of quality education that remains cutting edge.

Joshua Lee Solomon (Hirosaki University)

Intralingual Translation, Perception of Difficulty, and the Enjoyment of Literary Texts in EFL

This paper presents some of the results of an experiment on the use of intralingual translation of literary texts for university-level EFL. The experiment involved 30 Japanese first-year students who listened to four different Japanese folktales translated into English over the course of four sessions. “Intralingual translation” was deployed such that different cohorts of participants listened to each story multiple times at different levels of difficulty (“literary English,” “simple English,” and “basic English”). They were quizzed after each listening session on basic story comprehension as well as vocabulary comprehension, and then responded to a reflection survey at the end of the experiment. The quantitative data, including quiz scores and self- reflections, demonstrate the relationship between the perception of difficulty and enjoyment of these literary texts. Qualitative responses suggest that participants were aware of this correlation, and were able to engage in metacognitive processing through their general reflections on the experiment. The data produced by this study provide some evidence of the benefits of introducing intralingual translation as a method of scaffolding EFL listening exercises, supporting and building upon the tentative conclusions of our previous pilot study which utilized written texts.

ONLINE PRESENTATIONS

Anwar Amhed (University of British Columbia, Canada)

Fear of Academic Writing in a Second Language and Two Recommendations for Educators

This paper is about fear and academic writing in a second or additional language. I present data from a study in which I investigated the role of emotions in multilingual students’ academic writing. In this project, qualitative interviews were conducted with 15 post-secondary students in Canada. Findings of this study challenge the longstanding view of writing as a purely cognitive process involving conscious learning of vocabulary and grammar, sequential information processing, problem-solving skills, and self-regulation of learners’ emotions. The participants’ emotional engagement, affective labour and ambivalent feelings suggest that learning to write in a second language is a complex social process, often involving a wide range of emotions – both positive and negative. The sources and impacts of these emotions can be varied and unpredictable. In this paper, I focus specifically on graphophobia (the fear of writing) and how the emotion of fear was experienced by some participants. I conclude the paper with two pedagogical recommendations that educators may utilize to reduce graphophobia among students who write in a second language for academic purposes. These recommendations are (1) focusing not only on the product of writing (texts) but also on the experiences of writing, and (2) developing a critical affective literacy.

Ece Ciftci Durdu (Ege University, Turkey)

Using Podcasts to Boost Student's Motivation

Incorporating podcasts into classrooms could make a positive contribution to students’ motivation in learning as they have the opportunity to experiment with the real language in different contexts for various purposes, especially to improve their listening and speaking performance. Using podcasts also allows teachers to adapt their teaching to the needs and interests of their students.

The short practice presentation starts with the advantages of using podcasts in classes. Some websites like Culips ESL Podcast, The English We Speak and 6-Minute English from the BBC, on which teachers can find and choose various podcasts to use for different aims and with students from different backgrounds, will be referred to during the presentation so as to give ideas about how podcasts could be used in lessons. 

Aleksandr Gutkovskii (Soka University, Japan)

Rethinking the Phenomenon Silence in Language Tutoring

Silence is often regarded as one of the factors for breakdown in communication. Several studies have demonstrated that tolerance to silence and its communicative role differ across cultures. Such a difference can cause a mismatch in interlocutors’ expectations and, as a result, hinder communication. This presentation introduces a research project aimed at understanding the role of silence in language tutoring. The presenter will demonstrate several examples of silent behavior recorded during tutoring sessions and discuss different perspectives on silence among students and tutors. We will also discuss students’ and tutors’ recommendations on how to embrace silence. At the end of the presentation, we will address practical implications that can be derived from this study’s data.

Ash Jibrin (University of Bath, UK)

English Only or Stop Talking! Attitudes Toward English Only Policies in an International School in Saudi Arabia

This paper reports data collected from a qualitative case study that explored and compared six female elementary school teachers’ attitudes toward English Only Policies (EOPs) in an international school in Saudi Arabia. All participants were non-native English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers coming from Pakistan, Jordan, and Lebanon. The teachers from Jordan and Lebanon were Arabs who spoke the students’ native language (Arabic) whereas the three other teachers were from Pakistan, and they spoke Urdu beside English (the language of instruction at the school). The study analyzed teachers’ attitudes, their sources, and whether they influenced their teaching practices. It also examined whether teachers who spoke Arabic had different attitudes when compared with teachers who spoke Urdu as their native language. To collect data, the teachers were interviewed, utilizing semi-structured interviews to further explore their attitudes. The study results indicated that all six teachers had almost similar attitudes toward EOPs. Further, their attitudes emerged as contradictory, haphazard, and not based on current second language pedagogies. EOPs were verbally promoted by school management, and teachers considered EOPs a major contributor to the maintenance of their teaching career rather than a practice that is pedagogically justified. In addition, contrary to existing literature on EOPs in English as a Second Language (ESL) settings, where EOPs are often seen by many teachers and parents as a threat to immigrant children’s first language, the study showed that for socioeconomic reasons, EOPs are promoted in EFL settings and are practically seen as the most effective approach to language instruction by almost all stakeholders. Finally, the study was concluded with some pedagogical implications and suggestions for future research.

Melani Konca (MEF University, Turkey)

Teachers’ Beliefs and Practices of Vocabulary Teaching in EFL Classrooms

Teacher cognition is defined as the unobservable cognitive dimension of teaching – what teachers know, believe, and think (Borg, 2003). The importance of vocabulary teaching practices in EFL classrooms has been stressed in numerous studies on language teacher cognition (e.g. Borg, 2003; Schmitt, 2008; Li, 2020). Yet, the research on teacher cognition still primarily focuses on grammar teaching and lacks studies combining teacher cognition and vocabulary teaching practices in Turkey. However, vocabulary, another important linguistic form, should also be studied. Therefore, this research aims to explore teachers' beliefs and practices regarding their vocabulary pedagogy by shedding light on the relationship between these two terms.

The participants were six English language teachers from the researcher’s internship school which is a public high school in Istanbul. Data were collected through classroom observation, interviews with participants, and the materials and exams given to students. Thematic analysis was conducted to interpret the data and the concurrent beliefs and behaviors of the participants were divided into themes.

The findings of this qualitative case study indicated that teachers’ beliefs influence their classroom practices during vocabulary teaching. Also, it has been found that teachers’ interest in learning new vocabulary has a positive impact on their vocabulary teaching practices. However, despite their beliefs, some constraints such as time hindered teachers’ classroom practices. Thus, it is not realistic to expect teachers’ beliefs and practices to be in line with each other all the time. In addition, due to the constraints, teachers cannot immediately put their beliefs into practice and they advise students to also study vocabulary at home.

Overall, no matter how qualified the coursebooks are, the most important factor in vocabulary teaching is teachers’ beliefs. One little change in their beliefs directly affects their classroom practices. Therefore, teachers need to stay up-to-date regarding teaching approaches to implement the best practices in the classroom while teaching vocabulary.

Tuana Lopez Ibarra (Yeditepe University, Turkey)

Reading Strategy Instruction through Digital Gamification: An Investigation of Its Possible Effect on EFL Reading Comprehension and Reading Self-Efficacy in Young Learners Context

Although the teaching of reading strategies and their potential effects on reading comprehension and reading self-efficacy have been extensively studied in the literature, there are only few studies that focus on strategy training through digital games in the context of young learners. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to find out whether teaching reading strategies through digital games has a potential impact on young EFL learners' reading comprehension and reading self-efficacy. It also aims to find out whether there is a significant relationship between their reading comprehension and reading self-efficacy. To answer the research questions, this study included an experimental group and a comparison group. After the experimental group received strategy training using digital games for 5 weeks, statistical analyses showed that the experimental group outperformed the comparison group, which did not receive strategy training, on their reading comprehension at the post-test. However, the results showed no change in the level of reading self-efficacy after the intervention, and a significant correlation between reading comprehension and reading self-efficacy was not found. The results are discussed at the end of the article with several pedagogical implications and applications for teachers and course designers.

Enock Mbenza (Institut Supérieur des Techniques Médicales de Kisantu, ISTM-Kisantu, Democratic Republic of the Congo)

Strategies to Develop Communicative Competence in Large ESP Classrooms within Limited Time and with Low Resources

Developing communicative competence in a mixed-level classroom has always been a huge issue for many ESL/EFL teachers. This even gets more challenging when it comes to teaching large ESP classes in higher education in a limited period of time. This presentation shares some effective strategies and techniques to teach English to overcrowded ESP classes within a few days of course. Those strategies and techniques range from syllabus design, classroom management, and classroom activities to formative and summative project assessment. The whole idea is drawn from the presenter's own experience teaching English to more than four hundred students in nursing, lab techniques, and nutrition in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Adam Miller (Nanzan University, Japan)

Theoretical perspectives of online learning: A Community of Inquiry (CoI) Model Lesson

While distance learning can be mapped back to shorthand courses taught via physical correspondence in the 1840s, it has arguably become more central to the educational conversation since it played such a crucial role in securing the continuation of learning environments during the COVID-19 pandemic, in the form of online learning. This presentation looks at just three contemporary models, Siemens' Connectivisim, Harasim’s Online Collaborative Learning (OCL) and Garrison et al’s Community of Inquiry (CoI). Each of these models will be briefly explored, compared and discussed. A practical example of how Google Classroom can be used within the bounds of a CoI model will also be put forward for audience members to consider and discuss. The topics explored will not only be of use to those teaching in online spaces, but also to educators who hope to incorporate more instructional technology in their classes.