skipper
skipper's Latest Posts
Writing Wordless Picture Books to Facilitate English Writing
This study attempted to examine the extent to which students in the Department of Applied English in one selected university learn to sustain their English writing by using wordless picture books, and the effectiveness of using wordless picture books in terms of students’ English language learning.
Negotiating Identity from Auto-ethnography: Second Language Writers’ Perspectives
Recently, the concept of identity construction has been the focus of research in the field of composition and TESOL. Second language (L2) learners have to negotiate their identities in their social milieus. For this purpose, autoethnography is a valuable task for L2 learners as it allows them to explore their cultural background and identities.
Toward classroom-friendly models of motivation: A data-led investigation into student perceptions of motivating and demotivating classroom factors, and the relationship between student orientations and preferred classroom activities
This paper reports the results of a quantitative questionnaire study of 292 female Japanese university students. The questionnaire measured aspects of two areas connected to the field of second/foreign language (L2) motivation: 1) Integrativeness 2) The perceived importance – in terms of positive/negative effect on progress – of certain motivating/demotivating factors and class activities. The questionnaire design was based on the results of a preliminary, exploratory questionnaire, which is also presented here.
Policy and reality: The teaching of oral communication by Japanese teachers of English in public junior high schools in Kurashiki City, Japan
In 2003 the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) unveiled their new junior high school (JHS) English as a Foreign Language (EFL) policy, which focused strongly on oral communication. Although there is evidence of policy non- compliance in schools until now there has been no English language research on the attitudes or practices of Japanese teachers of English (JTEs), or the views of the students, and their parents in regards to teaching/learning English speaking skills.
AN IMPLEMENTATION STUDY OF THE ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE CURRICULUM POLICIES IN THE CHINESE TERTIARY CONTEXT
This study explores the implementation of the mandatory national college English curriculum within a Chinese tertiary context. Using a mixed methods approach, I conducted the study by engaging three groups of participants. I interviewed four national policymakers in terms of syllabi, textbooks, and tests to identify the intended curriculum. I interviewed six departmental administrators to determine their perceptions of the national language policies and their roles in ensuring the implementation of these policies.
MODELS FOR EFL THEORY AND METHODOLOGY DERIVED FROM AN SiR-BASED PILOT STUDY ON JAPANESE COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
Do Japanese students have age-related trends in their self-organization and self-understanding development? What role does the Japanese culture play on the cognitive development of Japanese students? What can be done to better assist the English language learning of Japanese students?
What Item Response Theory (IRT) Can Reveal to Us： An Analysis of a Twenty-Item Vocabulary and Structure Test
A language test serves two basic functions: 1) it tries to measure the true language ability of a student; 2) it aims to evaluate classroom teaching. Based on the results of an English test given to one class at a high school, this paper aims to answer two questions…
Exploring the Effects of Learner Training on Motivation
This study was implemented in order to investigate the effects of a learner training programme on learners’ motivation in learning English. The study, which adopted the pre-experimental study design, was carried out with 30 participants studying in Compulsory and Voluntary English Preparatory Programme at Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Turkey in 2005-2006 academic year.
PHONOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF FARSI SPEAKERS OF ENGLISH AND L1 AUSTRALIAN ENGLISH SPEAKERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF PROFICIENCY
This study investigates the extent to which phonological characteristics of Farsi speakers of English interfere with their intelligibility when they interact with L1 Australian English speakers. Many students who are learning English within Iran, as well as Farsi speakers of English abroad, have difficulties in pronunciation that have an effect on their intelligibility when they interact with L1 English speakers. This study examines L1 Australian English speakers’ perceptions of the effect of pronunciation on intelligibility of Farsi speakers of English.
Analysis of Communication Strategies used by Freshman Active English Students using YackPack for Homework-based Speaking Tasks
This paper analyzes the progress of Active English (AE) students’ speaking at Saga University over a five-week period in Fall 2007. The researcher was interested in both quantity (speech rate, lexical density, etc.) and quality (lexical and grammatical accuracy) of speech, as well as the implementation of communication strategies.
